Mark vi the latter end of ver 6. Mat. ix ver 35 36 37 38. Sect. 40. That piece of ver 6. in Mark vi is enough for the Dependance SECT XLI Mat. x. all the Chapter and ver 1. of Chap. xi Mark vi ver 7 8 9 10 11 12 13. Luke ix ver 1 2 3 4 5 6 Sect. 41. The Coherence is so plain that it is not to be doubted of SECT XLII Mark vi from ver 14 to ver 30. Matth. xiv from the beginning to ver 12. Luke ix ver 7 8 9. Sect. 42. _____ SECT XLIII Mat. xiv from ver 12 to the end Mark vi from ver 30 to the end Luke ix from ver 10 to ver 18. John vi from the beginning to ver 22. Sect. 43. _____ SECT XLIV John vi from ver 22 to the end Sect. 44. The Coherence of the preceding Sections needed no Demonstration In the last Section in John vi 4 he speaketh of Christ's third Passover being near when Christ doth this Miracle of multiplying the Loaves and walking on the Sea In this Section you have him in Capernaum Synagogue and from thence doubtless he goes up to Jerusalem to his third Passover And now hath he but one Year to his Passion Non displicuisse meretur Festinat qui placuisse MEDITATIONS UPON SOME Abstruser Points of Divinity AND EXPLANATIONS Of Divers Difficult Places of Holy Scripture In Three DECADS THE HEADS OF THE Ensuing Discourses DECAD I. I. THAT the long Successes of some Sinners do not suppose a total Freedom from a just Sentence but only a Deferring the Execution II. Sin as it exposeth to Punishment hereafter so it is a present Punishment in the Act. III. A Meditation explanatory on the Book of Ecclesiastes IV. The Sin and Punishment of the Golden Calf explained V. How Israel was given up to Idolatry and yet remained a long while after God's People VI. The Case of Widows marrying again considered VII Wantonness unchristian VIII The Fear which seized our Saviour at his Passion innocent IX The Case of Jacob when he wrestled with the Angel explained X. An Inquiry into the Reason of Hezekiah's Tears upon God's Message to him that he must die DECAD II. I. AN Inquiry what Strength that was David requested when he prayed to God to spare him that he might recover Strength Psal. xxxix 13 II. The Necessity of Government explained from this Text Judges xvii 6 In those Days there was no King in Israel but every Man did that which was right in his own Eyes III. Who the SONS of God are and the calling of the Gentiles explained from Rom. viii 21 Because the Creature it self also shall be delivered from the Bondage of Corruption into the Glorious Liberty of the Children of God IV. The Christian's Holiness as well as his future Happiness stiled GLORY V. An Elucidation of Heb. x. 26 27. If we sin wilfully after we have received the Knowledge of the Truth there remaineth no more Sacrifice for Sins but a fearful looking for of Judgment and fiery Indignation which shall devour the Adversaries VI. Some Description of the Death and Doom of an ungodly Man VII A Meditation upon the Widow's Mite VIII A Meditation and Explanation of the HOPE of Christians according to the Apostle's Account of it Heb vi 17 18 19 20. XI An Inquiry why the Jews were so importunate with Christ for Signs and Wonders and why he was so backward to gratifie their Curiosity therein X. An Explanatory Discourse of the Fall and Punishment of Angels DECAD III. I. An Inquiry which is most to be esteemed Evangelical Holiness or Absolute Perfection II. An Explanation of those Words of our Saviour That Servant that knew his Lord's Will and prepared not himself neither did according to his Will shall be beaten with many Stripes But he that knew not and did commit Things worthy of Stripes shall be beaten with few Stripes Luke xii 47 48. III. An Inquiry why God appointed the Jews a Carnal Ceremonious Institution IV. A Meditation upon the Length of Time the Second Temple was in Building Forty and Six Years was this Temple in Building John ii 20 V. How the Face and Back-parts of God Exod. xxxiii 20 23. are to be understood VI. An Inquiry what that first Resurrection is Revel xx 5 VII An Examination into the Reason of that Eruption of the Apostle O! the Depth of the Riches both of the Wisdom and Knowledge of God! Rom. xi 33 VIII Asa's perfect Heart how reconcilable with his Sufferance of the High Places XI In what Sense the Apostle thanks God that the believing Romans had been the Servants of Sin X. The Papists the Millenaries and the Traditionary Jews confuted from that Place Whom the Heavens must contain until the times of Restitution of all Things c. Act. iii. 21 MEDITATIONS UPON SOME Abstruser Points of Divinity AND EXPLANATIONS Of Divers Difficult Places of Holy Scripture DECAD I. I. That the long Successes of some Sinners do not suppose a total Freedom from a just Sentence but only a Deferring the Execution IN Authors and Writings in the Chaldee Language we find a Thousand Times over the Word which we translate SENTENCE in Eccles. viii 11 Because Sentence against an evil Work is not executed speedily c. But in all the Hebrew of the Bible we hardly find it above once more besides the abovesaid Place namely Esth. i. 20 where the Determination of Aâ—asuerus for the unqueening of Vashti is termed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Decree of the King The Word in the Chaldee doth primarily and properly signifie A Word and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Words And nothing is more frequent in that Language Our English hath render'd it A Sentence in that Place of Ecclesiastes and A Decree in that of Esther Where the Chaldee Translator useth both Senses and renders it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Word of the Decree I observe this the rather because the Sentence of God against Evil is in his Word Uttered and in his Mind Decreed In his Mouth and in his Heart The Lord hath Spoken it the Lord hath Decreed it How infinite in Scripture are Passages of this Nature and Purpose Such and such Judgments shall come For the Lord hath SPOKEN it This is the PURPOSE of the Lord the DECREE of the Lord the WORD of the Lord against such and such Sins And do we read them and can we doubt whether there be a SENTENCE against an evil Work Do not all the Instances and Examples of Judgments and Vengeance executed in Scripture also prove this Truth from the Doom upon Cain in the Beginning of Genesis to the Doom of Babylon in the End of the Revelations And may not this be an Answer or Resolution about all the Judgments that have been in the VVorld that they have been because there is a Sentence against an evil VVork VVhy the old VVorld perished by VVater Sodom by Fire Because there is a Sentence
of Justification lay before the Divines having under their Hand the Consideration of the Homily of Justification Palmer moved that to meet with the Antinomians Repentance might go into the Definition of Justification but it would not pass But a Clause in the Homily was thought good to be inserted Viz. Which though it do not exclude Repentance and Conversion to God c. Yet doth it not include them as Parts of the Works of Justification And this Clause was voted affirmatively But Lightfoot thinking it not sufficient shewed that the Phrase Doth not exclude Repentance did not reach to meet with the Antinomians and Profane ones who abused this Doctrine And therefore he tendred the Word Required and that it should run though it do REQUIRE Repentance and Conversion c. But it was feared that word might be doubtful and therefore they rather inclined to the former Phrase Not excluding And as he shewed his Zeal against this Sect in the Assembly so his Doctrine in his Sermons was to the same Import These words he spake in one of them with much earnestness I have observed and cannot but observe again to you how much is laid in Scripture upon our discharging of our Duty towards our Neighbour upon dealing in Truth in Righteousness in Charity and Integrity with Men as if this were the very ALL we had to do The Jews say that all the Six Hundred and Thirteen Commands of the Law are summed up in those Eleven Psal. xv Reckon up those Eleven and how many of them refer to our upright and righteous dealing with our Neighbour Who shall abide in the Lord's Tabernacle Who shall dwell in his Holy Hill He that works Righteousness and speaks Truth to his Neighbour that takes not up a Reproach against his Neighbour that keeps his Oath though to his own Hurt that takes not Vsury that takes not Reward against the Innocent He that doth these things shall never be moved One would think said he the Answer to this Question Who shall abide in the Lord's Tabernacle should have been such an one as this He that is Devout and Constant in Prayer He that is a constant Hearer and much in Meditation of the Word of God He that is careful to keep the Sabbath and so to relate to the Duties of the First Table But ye see here all referrs to our dealing Fairly Truly Uprightly with our Neighbour And so Mat. xix 18 If thou wilt enter into Life keep the Commandments He saith unto him Which Jesus saith Thou shalt do no Murther Thou shalt not commit Adultery Thou shalt not Steal Thou shalt not bear false Witness c. So that if you ask the Way to Sion If you enquire which Way shall I go to the Lord 's Tabernable to dwell in his Holy Hill Why Friend you must begin at a perfect and good Heart toward Men an so go along to a perfect and good Heart toward God and so to Sion God calls for such Duties towards our Neighbour as it were to set us to our ABC and Primer to learn the first Elements and Lessons of Religion Thus would he sometimes meet with the Antinomian and pull down the high-flying Religionists that were above these low Dispensations of Morality Truth Justice and upright Dealing with Men. These Doctrines therefore and such like broached by Men of unquiet Spirits he liked not and especially when they led Men away from that true Heavenly-mindedness Meekness and Humility which are the great Laws of the Gospel This was one Reason made him no Friend to the Millenary Opinion which taught Men to look for an Earthly Paradise and Reward in this World For these that dreamt of Christ's Personal Monarchy here on Earth imagined themselves also to be some of those that must reign with him and had the Best Right to the Possessions of this World Which was a Doctrine that opened a Door to Violence Rapine and all kind of Injustice to the high Disparagement also of Christ's Holy Religion On that account also he was no Friend to it but as he had occasion confuted it Those that embraced this Opinion concluded that place in the Revelations Chap. xxi 2 I John saw the Holy City the New Jerusalem coming down from God out of Heaven prepared as a Bride adorned c. for a Description of the Times when Christ should come and reign on Earth But our Divine shewed no more to be meant by it but the State under the Gospel And that the New Jerusalem there meant nothing but the Christian Church as might be shewed at large When the Old Jerusalem in Canaan at he spake in one of his Sermons is destroyed John sees a New Jerusalem When the Old Church of the Jews is cast away he sees a New Church And this Church is said to come down from Heaven A Saint is Heaven-born and is Heavenly while he is here upon Earth From Heaven he comes and to Heaven he must return He is born from above Adorned and Drest from Heaven and in a Heavenly Dress And he is Drest for Heaven The Millenaries made use also of that Expression of the Apostle in the Acts Chap. iii. 21 That the Heavens must retain Christ till the Restitution of all Things Against whom thus he Armed his Auditors This encourageth the Millenary to Dream of Christ's Reigning here on Earth a Thousand Years before the Final End of the World and Swords must be then beaten into Plowshares and Spears into Pruning-Hooks Then an Universal Peace Concord and Tranquility is to be restored to the Church and all the Glorious Things the Prophets have spoken of to come to pass and be settled But as to that Place the Doctor shewed there were two manners of restoring things viz. to their old Estate or to a new and better The Millenary himself dreamt not of restoring to any former Estate And if it be meant of restoring to a new and better that is done already when Elias came and restored all things Mat. xvii 11 And our Divine shewed that this Restoration or Restitution signified no more but that all things in the Prophets should be made good or accomplished This is learnedly treated of in the last Discourse of the Third Decad. To which I refer the Reader The Perfectionists that pretended to live without Sin he saw wanted that Humility and Modesty and constant dependence upon God's Grace that was necessary to the Christian State and therefore by no means approved of them neither And endeavoured to Arm his People against that Doctrine And what his Thoughts were of it may be seen in the first Discourse of the Third Decad. Where to pull down the Plumes of this Vain-Glorious Generation he shewed that a Saint of God in his imperfect Condition did exceed Adam himself in his unsinning Condition in divers respects 4. He was in fine one that had a mighty Concern for the Honour of God and Religion That God might be served in Spirit and Truth Which was
he that trains not up his Child to God for whom does he train him up but the Devil For is there any Mean between What Complaint God taketh up against Israel about their giving up their Children to Moloch may he not take up against Thousands in the World upon this Account Thou hast taken my Children and delivered them up to make them pass through the Fire That is the Children which I have given thee and which should have been mine He warned Men against Lying and False-speaking by the Example of Ananians and Sapphira that were struck dead for it Which he called a fearful Judgment set up as a Pillar of Salt at the very entrance of the Gospel into the World that Men might see and hear and fear and not dare to Lie under the Gospel of Truth especially not to the Spirit of Truth And if you look upon Ananias his doing you see him Deceiving and Lying and if you observe Peter's Words you may see he referrs his Lying and Deceiving to their proper Original Viz. That they both are the Work of the Devil Why hath SATAN filled thy Heart to lye and filled thy Heart to deceive and keep back part of the Price of the Land That if you will trace his Wickedness to the Spring-head his Intent to deceive made him lye and his base Covetousness made him deceive and the Devil caused all He gave this Rule concerning Apparel and for the avoiding Pride in what Men put on God allows Men to wear good Cloths according to their Quality and Degree but if Pride be there it is beside his Allowance God allows us Cloths to keep us warm He allows us Cloths to adorn our Rank and Quality but if we lace and trim our Wear with Pride there is a Leprosie got into the Warp and Woof that rots all God appointed the Jews to wear Fringes upon their Garments to make them still to be remembring the Law I am afraid the Fringing and Finery of two many have a clean contrary Effect It doth but puff them up and make them proud And again If any should ask What Cloths and Hair and Garb may I wear this may be a very direct and satisfactory Answer Wear what you think good so it be without Pride And this I believe will shut out of Doors 1. Wearing a Garb above one's Rank and Degree For I question whether one can wear a Garb above his Rank without Pride And 2. Affecting foreign and strange and few fangled Fashions For tho' it may be possible for a Person to be in the Fashion without Pride because he would not be hooted at for Singularity yet certainly it is hardly possible to affect new fangled Fashions without Pride It is one thing to put on the Fashion to avoid Reproach and another thing to dote upon Fashions and to make them Bravery He that makes his Cloths his Bravery it is very suspicious he makes them his Vainglory and he that dotes on the Fashion it is to be doubted he dotes on the Pride of the Fashion THESE Instances are enough to shew what a plain but fruitful Method of Teaching and Preaching Dr. Lightfoot took But he also took care of his People's Principles to preserve them from warping from the National Church as hath been taken notice of before and from the Church consider'd as Protestant Of which I shall proceed to a few Instances To arm his Auditors against Popery thus he taught them Our Histories tell us That when Austin the Monk came hither into Britain from the Pope as to settle Religion and when some of the British Christians consulted with a grave prudent Man whether they should close with him and submit to his Rules Yes saith he if he be humble do But if he be proud he is not of God Would you take a Measure of true Religion no surer Token than these two Humility and Charity They talk they will prove the Truth of their Religion by Antiquity Universality and I know not what Let them shew it by the Humility and Mercifulness of it and we shall desire no more But I doubt that Religion that teacheth the Merits of a Man's Works is too proud against God to be the true Religion and that that teacheth that the Pope is above all Princes is too proud against Men. And I doubt that Religion that stirs up Mâ—n to murder Princes Nobles People that will not be of that Religion is not the true Religion I am sure Christ and his Apostles were never either of such Pride or Cruelty but further from these Principles of Rome than it is 'twixt Rome and Jerusalem And as he warned them against Popery in general so particularly Against a blind Zeal Zeal without Knowledge or Zeal in a wrong Way It is good always to be zealous in a good Matter but mischievous to be zealous in a bad There was a great deal of Religious Zeal for those Parents to offer their Children to Moloch to be burnt alive in his Arms in Devotion to that God of theirs But it was blind Zeal mad Religion distracted Devotion Their God was the Devil St. Paul in one Place saith That in Zeal he persecuted the Church But in another Place he saith He was exceeding mad against the Church That Zeal of his was mere Madness It was blind and mad cared not whither it went nor what it did Rom. x. The Jew hath Zeal but without Knowledge and that made him so to set himself against the Truth You remember that They that kill you shall think they do God Service It was great Zeal but as blind as a Beetle It runs upon it cares not what as a blind Man runs upon every Post and falls into every Pit And against Cruelty The Papists plead stoutly that theirs and none but theirs is the true Religion If that should be tryed by this very Touchstone Is that can that be true Religion that makes it Religion to murder Men None of you but have heard of the bloody Days of Queen Mary and how many poor innocent holy Men were then put to the Fire and there ended their Lives And this forsooth done by the Papists out of Zeal for Religion Just such a Religion as they were spurred by that offered their Children to Moloch For compare the things together and what can be liker Those Wretches out of that Devotion and Religion as they took on them made their poor innocent Children pass through the Fire a Sacrifice to Moloch These Wretches out of that Devotion and Religion as they took on them made these poor innocent Souls pass through the Fire a Sacrifice to the Pope The Cruelty much alike the Manner of the Death they put them to much alike And were they not Religious think you much alike Such a Sacrifice to their Moloch would they have offered of innocent ones when they would have sent away our Parliament out of the World in Fire and Gunpowder and this forsooth out of Zeal to Religion
And so they maintain it is lawful to Excommunicate Depose Murder Princes out of Zeal to Religion And so they made it lawful nay laudable to murder so many innocent Souls in that Massacre in France Against Transubstantiation I hope every one laughs at the Doctrine of Transubstantion that will fetch Christ from Heaven at every Sacrament The Master-piece of Delusion Satan shews here how much Delusion he can practice in the greatest Ignorance For a Man against Sense and Reason Philosophy and Divinity to believe a Priest can calâ— Christ out of Heaven and turn a piece of Bread into his very Body The strangest Madness in the World I see it feel it Bread and yet must believe it Flesh. I know it was made yesterday by the Baker yet now I must believe it turned into my Creator I know Christ is in Heaven and yet must believe that he is here on Earth The Heathen were never more blind And against the immoral Doctrine of Equivocation Whereof he thus vehemently express'd himself I cannot but admire the Impudency as well as abhor the Wickedness of the Jesuits Doctrine of Equivocation A Doctrine that hath put on a Whore's Forehead a brazen Face and the Devil's Impudency it self before Men as well as it hath clothed it self with horrid Abominableness before God It is a Doctrine that teacheth Men to Lye and yet will maintain they Lye not And by their Doctrine there can be no Lying Forswearing or Deceiving in the World though they Lye Forswear and Deceive never so deeply A Trick beyond the Devils He turns Truth into a Lye These can turn a Lye into Truth A Popish Priest or Jesuite is brought before a Protestant Magistrate He puts him to his Oath Are you a Popish Priest or a Jesuite They will Swear NO roundly and make no Bones of it having this Reserve in their Mind I am not a Priest to you or I am not a Priest of the English Church or I am not a Jesuite to tell you or be your Confessor or some such lurking reserved Thought in his Mind This Man hath not told a Lye tho' he speaks not a Word true He hath not taken a False Oath though he hath Sworn Falsly As the Devil changeth himself into an Angel of Light so these a Lye into a Truth But as he is a Lyar still and is most dangerous when he seems a good Angel so is their Lye when they thus Cloath it with the pretence of Truth Into their secret let not my Soul come and with their Counsil my Glory be not thou united Finally He shewed them the Preference of the Protestant Religion before that of the Papists This is the Reason saith he that so many Protestants turn Papists This he spake in the Year 1674. Because Popery opens an easier way to Heaven a Thousand fold than the Protestant doth Add to this the Viciousness of the Times And the more Viciousness abounds the more will such Apostacy abound according to the intimation of our Saviour Matth. xxiv Because Iniquity shall abound the Love of many to God and his Truth shall wax cold Men would fain enjoy their Pleasures here and yet go to Heaven too They would fain have their Paradise here and have Paradise hereafter This Popery helps them too almost with a wet Finger Hath a Man committed Whoredom Adultery been Guilty of Deceit Luxury Uncharitableness let him go and Confess himself to a Priest and the Priest absolves him and those Sins are gone and there is no more danger of them Or Oh! For how many Thousand Sins for how many Thousand Years can the Pope Pardon him How may Pilgrimage to such a Saint fetch him off How may so many Fastings so many Ave Maries so often lying in Hair-cloth so many Masses make all well and out of Danger That it is as easie almost with them to get to Heaven as for a Man to do his ordinary Days Work But the Protestant Doctrine makes obtaining Salvation a harder Task according to the Truth of the Scripture John vi you read of divers that went away from Christ because they thought his Doctrine a Hard Saying So doth the poor Protestant Religion lose Followers upon the same account None is of poor Michaiah's side because he speaks Truth and Home But let Ahab have the Four Hundred false Prophets for they will be sure to make all well for him let him do what he will There are Four Hundred and Four Hundred false Prophets in the Popish Cause that will warrant the veriest Ahab that ever was Heaven If he have but Money to fee them well will Pray him to Heaven Sing him to Heaven Pardon him to Heaven and he shall never see Hell and it may be not Purgatory It is easie to see by this Comparison which is the truer and better Religion of the Two By these and such like sound and sober Discourses he built up his People committed to his Charge in Truth and Godliness So that it is reported he had not a Dissenter in his Parish The People of his Flock Honest Quiet and Industrious his Church constantly and conscientiously repaired to every Lord's Day with due Devotion And thus I have at length dispatched what I had to say both of our Author and these Remains of his which are now made Publick And I who have once more revived the Memory of this great Ornament of Literature and of our Church of England shall I hope not only be Pardoned but merit some Thanks from the Piously Learned and Sober-Minded Rank of Men. I had some inclination to have added a Fourth Tract of this Author's Namely A Chronicle of Events and Occurrences in the World under the Kings of France and the Ottoman Emperour made by one Joseph a Priest who lived about the Times of Henry VIII Being a Fair Translation out of Hebrew into English done by the Doctor 's own Hand Which he seemed to have taken all this pains about because the History is interspersed with what befel Jerusalem after the Destruction of it by Titus the Emperor and with the Wars waged by divers Kings and Princes for the Gaining and Possession of that Place once so famous for being the Spot of all the Earth appointed for God's Holy Temple to be built on and for the Son of God to Converse and Die and Redeem the World in And also because here is set forth by the Pen of a Jew himself the State and Condition of the Jews in the latter Times and particularly the sad Persecutions and Calamities that befel them by the just Judgment of God in these Western Parts of the World as well as in other Parts by the German and French Nations Whereby might be seen some History of that Desolate Forsaken People and of the Scourge of God upon them in successive Generations ever since they Rejected and Crucified their Messiah and took the Guilt of his Blood upon themselves and their Children The State of which People from Age to Age
xvi 31 from Esay viii 19 20. Upon [i] Luke ix Mount Tabor a place once of Offence Hos. v. 1 the Cloud of Glory that departed at Moses Death is restored and out of that Cloud a Voice proclaimeth him that great Prophet to whom all must hearken Deut. xviii When he had lived Thirty-two Years and an half the time that David reigned in Jerusalem 2 Sam. v. 5 and had preached and opened the Kingdom of Heaven Three Years and Six Months the time that Elias shut Heaven by Prayer Luke iv 25 he is sold by his Disciple Judas as Joseph was by his Brother Judah Gen. xxxvii for Thirty Pieces of Silver the Price of a Servant Exod. xxi 32 Is apprehended among †Gethsemani in Hebrew signifies A Press for Olives to press out the Oil. the Oil-presses under Mount Olivet And from thence begins to tread the Wine-press alone Esa. lxiii 3 He is condemned by the Policy of Rome Num. xxiv 24 Rev. xi 8 Is delivered up to be crucified at the time of Adam's Creation and setting in Eden Is nailed to his Cross at the time of Adam's Fall Dieth at the time of Adam's Censure Is Six and Thirty Hours under Death the length of the first Day of the World to one part of it His Grave is as the Ark with an Angel at either end He riseth the third Day after the Passover and is as the first Fruits of the Dead Liveth Forty Days after on Earth and breatheth on his Disciples the Holy Spirit as he had done upon Adam the Spirit of Life Is taken up visibly as Elias and now offers up our Prayers to God as the Priest did incense after Sacrifice c. These things raptim But a deliberate sad Eye with Leisure might bring all the New Testament or the most both for Words and Sense from the Old And this I ever held the surest way to expound both SECT XIV The Order of the Evangelists THE proper Order of the Evangelists as they should be laid to make an entire continued Story I have laid before you till you come within a Twelvemonth of Christ's Death That last Years Story you will find to be like Moses his last Months Work a Deuteronomy or a Rehearsal of divers things that went before Ingenuity needeth not always to be led by the Hand For the search of the last Year of Christ's Life I have left to your self By this you will conclude what it cost to lay the rest But when you have done the Work it self will pay you for your Pains Among other things as you go have a special Eye to the Thirteenth of John about the Supper there mentioned Which not well marked hath lost Men themselves while they have gone about to find what is not there to be found Great Doctors having ex professo undertaken to write of that Chapter have missed the first Verse and so spoiled all Concluding the Supper there spoken of to be the Passover Supper when the first Verse plainly tells it was before the Passover and two Days as St. Matthew explains The Popish Tenet of Judas his real receiving of Christ had been choaked here had Men but had Eyes and Minds to see and embrace Truth SECTION I. Luke CHAP. I. from the beginning of the Chapter to ver 5. Section 1. Seeing that none of the Evangelists use a Preface but St. Luke his may fitly be a general Preface to them all SECT II. John CHAP. i. from the beginning to ver 15. Sect. 2. The Preface being made the Story is to begin And most properly Christ's Divine Nature is first to be handled SECT III. Luke CHAP. i. from ver 5 to ver 57. Sect. 3. The Order here shews it self SECT IV. Matth. CHAP. i. all the Chapter Sect. 4. The reason of the Order is to be seen by the Texture of the Story Mary upon the Words of the Angel presently conceives with Child She goes to her Cosin Elizabeth to see the Truth of the Angel's Words Thy Cousin Elizabeth hath conceived She stays with her Three Months Luke i. 56 Then returning to Joseph from whom she had been so long absent he perceiveth her great Belly as Gen. xxxviii 24 So that it is plain to see how properly the 18th Versâ— of Mat. i. follows in order of time the 56th Verse of Luke i. The â—vangelist lays the Genealogy before that every Reader might be his own Expositor upon those Words of the Angel ver 20. Joseph thou Son of David The last Verse He knew her not c. is all that this Evangelist speaks about the Birth of Christ. This may be as a brief Relation upon which suppose the two next Sections to be as Expositions SECT V. Luke CHAP. i. from ver 57 to the end of the Chapter Sect. 5. When Mary departs to her own House her Cosin Elizabeth hath but one Month to go with Child This makes this Dependance necessary SECT VI. Luke CHAP. ii from the beginning to ver 40. Sect. 6. The Coherence here is apparent of it self SECT VII Mat. CHAP. ii all the Chapter Sect. 7. Observe that Christ was Two Years old when the wise Men come to him ver 16. and your own Eye will shew and justifie the Order What St. Luke saith Ch. ii 39 They returned to Nazareth mean the same time that that of Matthew doth Ch. ii 23 But Luke speaks briefly because he hath no more to say of Christ till at Twelve Years old he bring him from Nazareth to dispute in the Temple SECT VIII Luke CHAP. ii from ver 40 to the end of the Chapter Sect. 8. From Christ's Return from Egypt to Nazareth till he was Twelve Years old the Gospel mentioneth nothing of him This makes the Dependance plain SECT IX Mat. iii. all Mark i. from the beginning to ver 12. Luke iii. from the beginning to ver 23. Only the 18 19 and 20. Verses about John's Imprisonment are to be reserved to another place Sect. 9. Compare the three Evangelists together One will help to explain another You see the Gospel it self doth inforce this Order by relating nothing since Christ's Twelfth Year old till his Baptism when he was Nine and Twenty complete or Thirty current All the time of his Youth till now Christ was a Carpenter But did now and then some Miracles privately in the House for enlarging their Commons when they were short He is now Baptized in Tisri SECT X. Luke iii. from v. 23 to the end of the Chapter Sect. 10. How divinely S. Luke placeth this Genealogy at Christ's Baptism is to be seen by looking on the Promise Gen. iii. 15 Upon which this and that which follows in the next Chapter is a Glorious Exposition The Seed of the Woman shall break the Head of the Serpent by the Power of the Gospel Which Gospel when Christ beginneth to preach as from his Baptism he doth the Evangelist shews thro' Seventy-five Descents even from Adam that he was that Seed promised to
the Public Congregation on the Sabbath-day it is these Men's Custom not to come there He never absented himself from the Public Meeting these Men account it Religion to absent themselves ever Is our Public Service more corrupt than theirs was then If it be let them shew it If it be not let these Men give a reason why they go so directly cross to our Saviour's own Practice VIII A Meditation and Explanation of the HOPE of Christians according to the Apostles Account of it Heb. vi 17 18 19 20. THAT there is such a thing the Apostle confirms and what a thing it is he illustrates by two Particulars apiece I. The Sureness of this HOPE he confirms especially by these two things First It is made certain by God's Promise and his Oath Two immutable things in which it is impossible God should lie Secondly That Christ is gone into Heaven before as an undoubted Pledge of the Hope for us that is laid up there II. The Nature or Quality of this Hope he sets out especially by two things also First That it is an Anchor of the Soul Sure and Stedfast Secondly That it entreth into that which is within the Vail The Hope that is here spoken of the very VVords in which it is mentioned do shew what it means viz. not the Hope in us but the Hope set before us To lay hold of the Hope set before us Not the Acting of our Hope but the Object of it or what is hoped for As the Scripture when it mentions Faith frequently means the Object of Faith or the thing believed This Distinction of Hope in us and Hope set before us see by comparing 1 Pet. iii. 15 with the VVords we have in Hand Be ready always to give an Answer to every Man that asketh you a Reason of the Hope that is in you That they might do but of the Hope set before them it was not so ready to give a Reason Because it is above all Humane Reason that such Hopes should be set before poor sinful Men therefore the Socinians that would have all things believed to be measured by Humane Reason alledge that Place of S. Peter to little Purpose For it speaks not of giving a Reason why such things were to be hoped for for that is alone to be resolved into God's Grace and Goodness which is unfathomable to our Reason but to give a Reason and Account what Ground they had to hope for such things Which Reason must be fetched from their own Conscience and Conversation as well as from God's Grace and Promises Now what these things hoped for are I need not spend time to reckon They are whatsoever God affordeth for the Blessedness of the Soul here or hereafter Grace and Glory Redemption and Salvation the Spirit of God here and the full Enjoyment of God for ever And accordingly this Hope is called The Hope of Eternal Life Tit. i. 2 The Hope of Salvation 1 Thess. v. 8 The Hope of Glory and the Hope of the Gospel Col. i. 23 27. That is whatsoever the Gospel holds out as declared for and of Man's Blessedness As Col. i. 4 For the Hope which is laid up for you in Heaven whereof ye heard before in the Word of the Truth of the Gospel One peculiar Hope which indeed is the Cause of all the rest we shall observe by and by So that to speak of this Hope I might Discourse of the Excellency Dignity and Certainty of these things hoped for But I shall but touch the Nature of them as the Apostle gives a Character of it Viz. That this Hope is an Anchor of the Soul that it is sure and stedfast that it entreth into that within the Vail Every one of which Particulars hath its Worth and Weight I. The Expression that it is the Anchor of the Soul supposeth that a Soul in this World is as a Ship at Sea ready to be tumbled and tossed and carried with every Wind if it do not anchor upon the Hope that is set before us within the Vail And blessed be the God of all Hope that hath provided such an Anchor for poor Souls That he hath not left us to the Mercy of the Merciless Sea and Blasts of this World but hath shewed us where we may lye at Anchor and be safe II. This Anâ—hor is sure and stedfast in it self and no Moveableness or Weakness in it but like him that laid it up there without any Change or Shadow of turning And here I might shew that it is sure in regard of him that laid it up in regard of it self and in regard of the certain Promises that he hath made of it I shall cite but this one Place for all Tit. i. 2 In Hope of Eternal Life which God that cannot lie promised before the World began It is most sure because God hath promised because God that cannot lie hath promised and because he hath promised before the World was that is before the Law III. This Hope that is set before us entreth into that within the Vail You see there is a plain Allusion to the High Priests entring into the most Holy Place within the Vail once a Year And that very Hint doth intimate what the Apostle mainly aims at when he speaks of the Hope set before us Viz. The Blood of Christ or the Merit of his Blood in Heaven As the High Priest went into the most Holy Place with Blood And that was the great Day Time and Manner of Atonement for the Sins of the People So that indeed the Blood of Christ or the Merit of his Death is the HOPE we have in Heaven And that is the proper Cause of all the other things that I mentioned Grace Glory Redemption Salvation all purchased for his People with his Blood The Blood of Christ was shed on Earth but the Merit of it is with God in Heaven One Deep calleth to another through the Noise of the Water-Pipes The Deeps of his Sufferings and Sorrows here speak and have their Claim above in Heaven As the Prophet Esay speaks I have laboured in vain and spent my Strength for Nought but my Reward is in Heaven This that our Hope hath to anchor in is the Blood of Christ brought in within the Vail the Merit of Christ placed before God to answer for us to plead for us to pay for us So that we may have strong Consolation and a sure Hold if we cast Anchor there IX An Inquiry why the Jews were so importunate with Christ for Signs and Wonders And why he was so backward to gratifie their Curiosity therein THE Apostle tells us The Jews require a Sign 1 Cor. i. 22 And the Evangelists attest it when they give a particular Account of their so doing from our Saviour in divers Places And he himself confirms it John iv 48 Jesus said Except ye see Signs and Wonders ye will not believe The Person there consider'd to whom he spake it may be may illustrate the
Lord's VVill than offend and do things that deserve Beating VVhich is a Matter to be considered of about the Sins and Condemnation of the Heathen There be Four Things may be taken Notice of from these VVords of Christ. I. The Bond and Equity that should bind Men to the Obedience of the Lord's VVill. II. The Bond and Equity that binds them over to Punishment if they obey it not III. The Distinction of the Sins of those that live under the Knowledge of the Law and VVord of God and those that do not IV. The Gradual Difference of their Punishment III. An Inquiry why God appointed the Jews a Carnal Ceremonious Institution IF any ask that material Question VVhy since God requires to be worshipped in Spirit and Truth did he set up a VVorship Carnal and Ceremonious as he did among the Jews Not the least part of the Answer must be because they were a Carnal People and gross to apprehend the Things of Religion doting infinitely on Formal Services and Ceremonious Rites The Apostle saith of the Hebrews converted to the Gospel that they were dull af Hearing Heb. v. 11 Much more might he say so of them unconverted They must have a Visible a Gay a Ceremonious Religion or else no Religion will go down with them Remarkable is that Passage of the Apostle Gal. iv 3 Even so we when we were Children were in Bondage under the Elements of the World As an Heir before he comes to Age is under Tutors and Governors ver 2. VVhere you may observe these Two considerable Things I. That till the Gentiles came in to make up the Church of God the Church was in her Nonage in her Minority or Childhood But when they came in to make up the Church then the Church grew into Manhood II. That because of the Childhood of the Church then best pleased with Childish things God saw it requisite to set up such Childish Carnal Beggarly Rudiments among them as the Apostle calls them because of the Dulness and Grosness of their Hearts to apprehend better And what our Saviour saith of one Particular of their Law Mat. xix 7 Moses because of the Hardness of their Hearts gave them Commandment to give a Bill of Divorce So Moses because of the Grosness and Dulness of their Hearts gave them all those Ceremonies that made up their Religion IV. A Meditation upon the Length of Time the second Temple was in Building Forty and Six Years was this Temple in Building John ii 20 NOT to trouble our selves with the Disputes among Learned Men about the Computation of these Years it is enough that we have asserted by these Jews who no doubt knew the Matter well enough that it was so long in building Six and Forty Years A long time Six times as long and more than Solomon was building his Temple which yet was far a more noble Fabrick than this was And so far more noble that they which had seen that and saw the Foundation of this laid wept sadly to see the Difference Ezra iii. 12 First God raised up Cyrus King of Persia purposely for this End that he might be a Means for Building of the Temple which the Soldiers of Nebuchadnezzar had burnt down See Esay xliv 28 That saith of Cyrus He is my Shepherd and shall perform all my Pleasure even saying to Jerusalem Thou shalt be built and to the Temple Thy Foundation shall be laid And Chap. xlv 1 Thus saith the Lord to his Anointed to Cyrus whose Right Hand I have holden to subdue Nations before him and I will loose the Loins of Kings to open before him the two leaved Gates and the Gates shall not be shut Secondly Cyrus accordingly sends the People out of Captivity gives them Commission and Charge to build the Temple Ezra i. 2 3. gives Order for the Measures of it and restores the Silver and Golden Vessels to it that had been taken from the Temple when the City was captived Ezra vi The People fall upon Work immediately after their Return out of Captivity Ezra iii. So that here was God's setting on Cyrus his Concurrence and the People's setting about the Work Yet Forty Six Years was this Temple in Building If we look about to observe where the Reason lay why the Work went on so slow we must look Three Ways I. We may look upon the Enemies of the Jews that put in all the Hindrance they could as you may read in the Books of Ezra and Nehemiah In Dan. ix 25 Gabriel tells Daniel that Jerusalem Street and Wall must be built in troublous Times And those two Books tell you how the Enemies of the Jews round about were Troublous Hinderers all the Time II. You may look upon the Jews themselves and find them faulty and contributing to the slow going on of the Work by their Coldness and little Forwardness in it They took more Care of Building their own Houses than the House of God Hag. i. 2 This People say the Time is not yet come the Time that the Lordâ—s House should be built Ver. 4. Is it Time for you O ye to dwell in your ceiled Houses and this House to lye waste They had got their own Houses ceiled but the Temple of God little or nothing at all done to that III. Now you may say Where is God's Providence all this while Which is a third thing to be lookt upon Did he bring the Children to the Birth and wanted Strength to bring them forth Did he set his own Work of his House on Foot and yet is it carried on with no more Speed than that Forty-six Years are taken up before it be finished Nebuchadnezzar could build the great Babylon in far less Time And Alexander the Great could build I know not how many Alexandria's in a few Years above Six which is the odd Number in this Account And the Work wherein God's own Hand was a first and chief Mover to find such a Delay And so indeed God's Work of Building himself up a House his Work of Reforming Repairing a Church a People a Nation hath ever gone but slowly on and the Wheels of that Work ever driven very heavy Do I need Instances We may take it too sadly at home Well from this present Business of the slow Proceeding that is hinted in the foresaid Words of the Jews we cannot but think of God's Providence and may very well be called to consider of it since there came such interfering in this Business of Building God's own House Which one would have thought Divine Providence would have carried on with more Success and Speed Strange Dispensation of Providence That seems different nay contrary to it self and one while to promote one way another while the contrary As if the same God that was well pleased with the Building of his House and commanded it seemed as well content when the Building was hindred and his Providence would not remove that Hindrance It was the Dispensation of God's Providence that
an Accusation that might be laid against him Oh! he reforms and pulls down Images and destroys Idolatry and keeps ado and in the mean while he lets the People go contrary to the Command of God in offering Sacrifices in the High Places 'T is true they do so and they should not do so but it is not through any faultering of Asa in his Religion and Piety For his Heart is perfect with God for all this The High Places were not taken away And the High Places were taken away if you compare the Story well together 2 Chron. xiv 3 He took away the Altars of the strange Gods and the HIGH PLACES and brake down the Images and cut down the Groves There the High Places are taken away that is High Places used for Idolatrous Worship But in 1 King xiv the High Places are not taken away that is that were used to the Worship of the true God even their sacrificing to God in every one of their own Towns and Cities when they might not lawfully Sacrifice any where but at Hierusalem See Deut. xii 5 6. And yet you find that it was their common Practice to Sacrifice at their own Synagogues in their own Towns And how oft do you find it in the Stories of the Kings of Judah yea of the good Kings as is said of Asa here Such and such Kings did right in the Sight of the Lord Nevertheless the High Places were not taken away the People still offered in High Places And remarkable is that Passage which I believe every one doth not observe in 1 Kin. xix 10 Elias complains The Children of Israel have forsaken thy Covenant thrown down thine Altars and slain thy Prophets c. Elias his Converse was with the Children of Israel of the ten Tribes or of Samaria and of these he complains that they had thrown down God's Altars They have thrown down THINE Altars Why God by his own Appointment had but one Altar Viz. That that was at the Temple And then how doth he speak of God's Altars otherwhere It was of the Altars which they had set up at their own Synagogues whereon to offer to the true God Because upon every Occasion they thought it too great a Journey to go to Jerusalem to offer their Offerings It might not be an impertinent Discussion to search out under what Notion these High Places were yet standing and in Use even in the Times of some of the good Kings Whether it were by God's Connivance and Toleration as he connived at their Poligamy which was besides the Institution of Matrimony and as he tolerated their Divorces because of the Hardness of their Hearts Or was it done by the Kings themselves in the Way of Policy and Prudence that the People might be eased as much as might be in their Religion and not be compelled more than needs must to travail to Jerusalem but that they might offer their Sacrifices at their own Parish Churches But I shall not insist upon that Inquiry Whatsoever Failing or Offence there was in tolerating these High Places yet Nevertheless Asa 's Heart was perfect with the Lord. And it was not out of any faultering in his Religion that these High Places were not taken away nor out of any halting with God For his Heart was perfect It may seem very hard to reconcile these two together that he failed to reform thoroughly for God and yet that his Heart was perfect with God Much more will it seem hard to reconcile what is besides said of him elsewhere to what is said of him here that his Heart was perfect When Baasha King of Israel comes in War against him he is shaken in his Confidence and Reliance upon God and plunders all the Treasures of the Temple to send Money to the King of Syria to fight for him Can we here subjoin the Words before us Nevertheless Asa 's Heart c Nay yet worse 2 Chron. xvi When he is reproved he claps up the Prophet in Prison And can we write under such a Passage as that Nevertheless Asa 's Heart was perfect Nay yet not much better ver 10. He oppressed some of the People at that time And ver 12. In his Age he grows diseased in his Feet until his Disease was exceeding great yet in his Disease he sought not to the Lord but to Physicians And can the Undersong still be Nevertheless Asa ' s Heart was perfect That his Heart was so is confirmed by the Mouth of two Witnesses the Book of Kings and Chronicles and the Mouth of the Holy Ghost hath spoken it twice over here and there and his Word is Truth and no Falshood in it Therefore the Work is to consider How these things may be reconciled How a perfect Heart may consist with such Failings or such Failings with a perfect Heart And here the great Matter is to consider what a perfect Heart is which God requires and looks after I answer as the Heart means not that Fleshly Part in our Bosoms so called but our Affections so a Heart perfect with God means the Bent and Affections of the Soul perfect towards him the Moving the Inclinations of the Soul and Affections right towards him As a Wife most dearly and intirely and with all her Soul loves her Husband From which Parallel I may take up in one Particular the whole Matter namely that a Heart perfect with God is a Man that loves â—he Lord with all the Heart and Soul and Mind and whose whole and intire Affections are laid out upon God And where this is First The Aim of the Heart will be perfect in reference to God's Law Secondly The Frame of the Heart will be perfect in its own Compactedness as to things relating to God That is when there is a Divine Consort in the Soul when Understanding Conscience Will Affections are all tuned together to the Work of God when all act together in the Ways of pleasing and serving God This is a perfect Heart with God tho' in it may be many Imperfections as it was with Asa. Hence may be gathered two Conclusions I. That a perfect Heart may have its Failings II. That God passeth by the Failings of that Man whose Heart is perfect with him IX In what Sense the Apostle thanks God that the believing Romans had been the Servants of Sin GOD be thanked that ye were the Servants of Sin Rom. vi 17 Had he said God be thanked that ye were the Servants of Righteousness it had been very proper but to hear him say God be thanked that ye were the Servants of Sin may make us amazed One would think this were almost next Door to Blessing an Idol which is spoken of Es. lxvi 3 to bless God for Mens being sinful But to clear the Apostle's Sense consider two things I. We have some Men saying in Latin Authors Fuimus Troes sed miserum est Fuisse i. e. We were of the City Troy but it is our Unhappiness that we must say WE
Christ it is in the Heart and Spirit and there for ever II. This is the Church Militant here Much is spoken of the Church Militant And Scripture Warrants such a Title Ye sight against Principalities and Powers And As a good Soldier of Jesus Christ. Now how many Thousands are there in the visible Church that never strike Stroke that are Lookers on nay scarce so much that mind not the Christian Warfare at all and that never resist the Flesh the World or the Devil II. I come now to the second Question How far to believe the Church As the Church is sometimes taken for Councils Synods or Convocations or Primitive Fathers I mean not barely the Colliar's Faith to believe as the Church believes tho' he knew not what it was but knowing throughly the Determinations of these whether it be absolutely necessary for us to believe them because they are the Determinations of the Church The Romanist saith Yes And he that believes not what Holy Mother Church determines is a Heretick He that believes not according to what the Council of Trent hath determined let him be Anathema 〈◊〉 answer We first begin here That the Scriptureâ— coâ—ntain all things needful for Faith and Life 〈◊〉 in Es. viii 19 20. And when they shall say unto you seek unto them that have familiar Spirits and unto Wizzards that peep and that Mutter Should not a People seek unto their God To the Law and to the Testimony If they speak not according to this Word it is because there is no Light in them So may I say also in this case if they say to you Seek to Councils Fathers Canons Determinations of the Church To the Law and to the Testimony to Scripture and Holy Writ that contains every thing you need to enquire after for Salvation What to be believed and what to be done Psal. cxix 105 Thy Word is a Lamp unto my Feet and a Light unto my Path. VVhithersoever you need to walk for the pleasing of God doing your duty to Men or to your own Souls the VVord of God is a Light sufficient In the Place before-mentioned Es. viii 19 20. Should not a People seek unto their God For the living to the dead To the Law and to the Testimony It is curiosity to enquire after Necromancy But if we desire to know what is fit and needful To the Law and to the Testimony Mal. iv 4 Remember ye the Law of Moses my Servant which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel with the Statutes and Judgments Prophecy was then ceasing People might complain what shall we do for Instruction VVhy go to the VVord of God which you have in your Hands to the Law of Moses that will teach you Luke xvi ult Dives desires Abraham to send one from the Dead to teach his Brethren that they might escape that Place of Torment No that needs not Moses and the Prophets will teach all things needful They have Moses and the Prophets let them hear them The Apostle speaks this fully 2 Tim. iii. 16 17. All Scripture is given by Inspiration of God and is profitable for Doctrine for Reproof for Correction for Instruction in Righteousness That the Man of God may be perfect throughly furnished unto all good Works The Papist saith it is not sufficient to instruct in all things of Religion True not of the Romish Religion For the Rags that patch that you must go to some Broker For the Divine VVardrobe of Scripture hath none such viz. the Orders of Monks and Friars Pilgrimages single Life of the Clergy Salt Oil Spittle in Baptism Tapers at the Communion Processions Praying to and for the Dead and a Thousand other Trinklements and Trumperies Scripture never knew such base VVare we must go to some other kind of Shop for it And that Pedlar with them is Tradition VVhen they cannot find Authority to warrant them by Scripture then they have Recourse to some Tradition VVhen they have some Bastard-Doctrine or Practice and want Scripture to father it then they go to some old rotten Tradition Just so did the Jews and these are so like them that Egg to Egg is not more You know Christ's Accusation of those Mat. xv 8 9. This People draweth nigh unto me with their Mouth and honoureth me with their Lips but their Heart is far from me But in vain they do worship me teaching for Doctrines the Commandments of Men. And the very same Quarrel hath he against these The Jews pretended a Thousand Traditions of the Fathers so do these they equalled them with Scripture so do these they spoiled all Religion and made the VVord of God of none Effect and so do these As if God were a Niggard in his VVord and did not afford Food for Salvation but we must seek it in Dunghills The Scriptures are called the Scriptures of Truth the Word of Grace of Salvation able to make Man perfect throughly furnished to every good Work and yet these forsooth must be patch'd out with Traditions or they avail nothing As Argo was patch'd till there was nothing of the old Ship left So these Men have patch'd up a VVord of God till there is nothing of the VVord of God left in it Secondly The Scriptures are to be believed for themselves and they need not fetch their Credit from any thing else Dan. x. 21 I will shew thee that which is noted in the Scripture of Truth They are the TRUTH See John v. 39 Search the Scriptures for in them ye think ye have Eternal Life and they are they that testifie of me Observe the Bent of Christ's Discourse To clear that he was the Messias he produceth the VVitness of John ver 33. Ye sent unto John and he bare Witness unto the Truth His own VVorks v. 36. But I have a greater Witness than that of John for the Works which the Father hath given me to finish the same Works that I do bear witness of me that the Father hath sent me A Voice from Heaven ver 37. And the Father himself which hath sent me hath born witness of me But he concludes in Scripture as the most undeniable Testimony Search the Scriptures for in them ye think ye have Eternal Life and they are they that testifie of me See also 2 Pet. i. 17 18 19. For he received from God the Father Honour and Glory when there came such a Voice to him from the excellent Glory This is my beloved Son c. And this Voice which came from Heaven we heard when we were with him in the Holy Mount We have also a more sure Word of Prophecy A Voice from Heaven might possibly deceive the Jews feigned such but the Word of prophecy is sure that is a more sure Word The Reason of the Scriptures Credibility is because they are the Word of God 1 Thess. ii 13 When ye received the Word of God which ye heard of us ye received it not as the Word of Men but as it
is in Truth the Word of God which effectually worketh also in you that believe They received it as the Word of God How knew they that From the Scriptures themselves Therefore it is said that they are the Formal Object of Faith as well as the Material They contain what is to be believed and the reason why to believe them And that is especially twofold I. The Majesty of the Spirit of God speaking in them II. Their powerful Working I. The Majesty of the Spirit of God speaking in them such things as Man cannot speak 1 Cor. ii 10 The Spirit searcheth all things yea the deep things of God And we may say the deep things of Man yea and the Depths of Satan as Rev. ii 24 1. How impossible is it for Man to reveal the deep Mysteries of Salvation i. e. the Mind of God 1 Cor. ii 16 Who hath known the Mind of the Lord that he may instruct him But we have the Mind of Christ. In Scripture we have it And ver 7 8 9. of that Chapter But we speak the Wisdom of God in a Mystery even the hidden Wisdom which God ordained before the World unto our Glory Which none of the Princes of this World knew For had they known it they would not have Crucified the Lord of Glory But as it is written Eye hath not seen nor Ear heard c. The hidden Wisdom of God Let all the Wits in the World have conspired together could they have told the secret Wisdom and Mind of God about Salvation God Christ and the Divine Operation of his Spirit the Fruits of Grace and the Weight of Eternal Glory How blind was the Wisdom of all the World to these Mysteries So far that when they were revealed they were accounted but Folly 1 Cor. i. 25 Because the Foolishness of God is wiser than Men and the Weakness of God is stronger than Men. That is as they took them And that Opinion is transplanted into Papacy which will find out a wiser Way to Salvation than the Scriptures have directed Herein the Majesty of Scripture shews it self because it speaks of those sublime Divine hidden things that Men's Wisdom could never find out As they John vii 46 are convinced that Christ was more than other Men because he spake as never Man spake so the Majesty of the Scriptures declares that they are the Divine Word of God because Men never spake Men cannot speak as they speak 2. The Majesty of the Spirit in Scripture appears in that it reveals the very Thoughts and commands the very Heart of Man Heb. iv 12 The Word of God is quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged Sword piercing even to the dividing asunder of Soul and Spirit and of the Joynts and Marrow and is a Discerner of the Thoughts and Intents of the Heart And 1 Cor. xiv 24 25. But if all Prophesie and there come in one that believeth not or one unlearned he is convinced of all he is judged of all And thus are the Secrets of his Heart made manifest and so falling down on his Face he will worship God and report that God is in you of a Truth It can discover a Hypocrite can make an Atheist tremble can pierce to the very Thoughts and Imaginations of the Heart That as the Woman of Samaria said because Christ had told her the secret Wickedness of her Life John iv 29 Come see a Man which told me all things that ever I did So we must conclude of this it is able to discern check regulate the very Thoughts of the Heart Therefore not the Invention of Men but the Powerful Divine Searching Word of God 3. The Majesty of the Scriptures appears in that it discovers the very Subtilties of Satan We are not ignorant of his Wiles saith the Apostle How come we to know them This Divine Light hath shewed them It would have been hard to have known that there is a Devil had not this discovered it And it would have been impossible to have discovered his Plots and Malice and Temptations else This Divine Word hath done it in despite of Satan Would he ever have had his Plots discovered if he could have hindred That Men should know his Mischief and Malice and Subtilty He would gladly have walked as an Angel of Light that Men might not suspect his Delusions but this Divine Word hath pulled off his Vizar and shewed his Designs in open Light It madded the King of Syria that all his secret Stratagems against the King of Israel were discovered by the Prophet Elisha 2 Kings vi 11 12. It vexeth this King of Darkness that his private Policies and Actings should be laid open But this Sacred Word doth it and he cannot prevent it Thus doth the Scripture reveal it self to be the Word of God by its Divine Majesty wherein it speaketh and by the Wisdom wherein it shews it self II. In its powerful Working breaking Hearts converting Souls conquering the Kingdom of Satan How have the Scriptures gone through the World and made Nations bow before them and have cast out Satan and his Power So that if we should say as they did What Sign shewest thou that thou art Christ So what Sign shew ye that ye are the Word of God They may answer Look through the World how many Thousands have been converted and saved how is the Idolatry and Blindness of the Heathen cast out how hath Satan been bound and many poor Souls taught and armed to resist all his Power Papists talk much what the Sign of the Cross and Holy Water can do for mastering the Devil Fabulae aniles But Thousands of Experiences have shewed what the Divine Word of God in Scripture can do against him And thus do they evidence themselves to be the Word of God and so to be believed for themselves because they are the VVord of God Then is no Man no Company of Men to be believed but as what they say is agreeable to Scripture No Council Father Church If they speak not according to Scripture it is because there is no Light in them and not to be believed Let God be true and every Man a Lyar saith the Apostle So we are to say in this case VVhosoever speaks not according to the Truth of God in Scripture he is but a Lyar and the Truth is not in him You understand that I speak of things of Faith and Religion In Historical Natural Civil Moral Things we deny not but that they speak much Truth But that is to be tryed by our Reading and Reason But in the things of Divine Concernment there is no Truth but that of Scripture or what speaks agreeable to it Gal. i. 8 Though we or an Angel from Heaven preach any other Gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you let him be accursed I might instance how the Fathers themselves harp upon this String Non quid Augustinus nec quid Hieronymus sed quid Scriptura Not that which