the Grace of God and whar by the receiving of it in vain And this shall serve for explaining the Exhortation the first part Receive not the Grace of God in vain The second part to be opened is that which contains the reasons of this Exhortation Sect. 4 and they are these two 1. The First is the reason of the Apostles giving this Exhortation or caution against the receiving of the Grace of God in vain namely because we are saith he workers together We read it workers together with him but in the greek 'tis only workers together not with him And there are several expositions given of this expression workers together Calvin thinks that this working together doth intend the working together with the doctrine delivered by the Apostle As if the Apostle intended that it was his duty not only to deliver the Truths and the Doctrines of the gospel but to work together with those Truths and Doctrines by way of urging and exhorting or by urging those Doctrines with Exhortations to make them effectual and therefore saith he Non satis est docere nisi urgeas It is not enough Doctrinally to inform people what is the Truth but we must Vrge it upon them with motives inducements and perswasions that may make the Doctrine embraced And the Syriack seems to favour this Exposition which renders the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 working together promoventes hoc negotium as if the work of Doctrinal information were to be promoted by arguments and incitements to the imbracing of the Truth Others conceive that this working together is to be referred to the common mutual endeavours of Ministers who are to be fellow-helpers one with another as if the Apostle had said All we Ministers working together to further our Master's work in the conversion and Salvation of your Souls beseech you c. Chrysostome refers this working together to the mutual endeavours of Ministers and People as if Paul had said We Apostles work together with you to whom we preach in this work of your receiving the grace of God by our exhortations to incite you to comply with the duties propounded in the gospel Our English interpreters by putting in these words with him understand the Apostle to intend a working together with God and indeed Ministers are called Labourers with God 1 Cor. 3.9 I see no reason why we should reject this exposition if we take it with these two cautions 1. First Ministers in this working with God must be looked upon so to use their abilities as not implanted in them hy nature but bestowed on them by grace that so they may be made apt and fit instruments by the grace of God to work Therefore the Apostle saith 2 Cor 3.6 Who also hath made us able Ministers of the New Testament And so in 1 Cor. 15.10 By the grace of God saith he I am what I am and I laboured more abundantly than they all yet not I but the gace of God which was in me His power and ability to work he attributes merely to the grace of God And all our sufficiency is of God 2. Secondly If you take this to be the meaning of it that we are fellow-workers with God you must understand that what is the main and principal in this work which is the bestowing of spiritual life and growth must be lookt upon as only the work of God and to come from him and that therein man had no share at all nor is a co-worker with God in it And as Beza well notes on 1 Cor. 3.9 we must alwaies observe carefully a difference between causes Subordinate and causes Co-ordinate Ministers are to be considered as purely in subordination to God and as those whom God is pleased to make use of in the way of his appointment not in the way of effectual concurrence with God as if they could communicate any power or strength to the working of Grace by the preaching of the word Subordinate causes Ministers are to not Co-ordinate causes with God in the great work of producing of our Salvation which God only hath in his own hand both as to the internal working of grace in the Soul and the Eternal bestowing of glory upon us in the life to come There is the first reason opened that is the reason why the Apostle doth here give them his exhortation namely We are workers together with God The second is the reason why the Apostle doth put them upon this great Sect. 5 duty of not receiving the Grace of God in vain And that is taken from that text in Isa 49.8 where there is this promise made unto Christ I have heard thee in a time accepted and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee These are the words of the promise that God the Father maketh unto Christ as Mediator which is that in his discharging of the great work of saving his Church God the Father will answer and succour him as the Head of the Church and shew it by granting him a day and a time for the bestowing of efficacious Grace upon his Members by making the means of Grace effectual for their Salvation which time is here called an accepted time and a Day of Salvation because this time and this day is the time and the day of God's free favour in which he will so accept of sinners as to shew his Gracious good will unto them in accepting of them to life and in working by his Son Jesus Christ Salvation and deliverance for them Now this is a very forcible Argument and reason against the receiving of the Grace of God in vain namely because there was such a rich treasure and measure of saving and efficacious Grace in the time of the Gospel to be dispensed to the Church therefore they should labour to have their share in it and not receive the Gospel of Grace vainly and unprofitably as they would approve themselves to be the Members of Christ and those for whom Christ hath prayed unto the Father that they might have saving Grace bestowed upon them And this shall serve for opening the second part of this text namely the reason of the Apostle's laying down this exhortation both in regard of himself because he was a worker with God and in regard of the Corinthians it was because God the Father had made a promise to Christ the Head of the Church that Grace should be bestowed saving effectual Grace not Grace in vain but Grace bringing Salvation should be afforded in an accepted time and in a day of Salvation by the Administration of the Gospel The third part which is that which I intend to insist upon is the Apostle's Sect. 6 accommodation or his application of the fore-going reason taken out of Isa 49.8 unto the present state and time of the Corinthians by giving them this quiâ—kning Counsel that since the present season of Grace which they enjoyed now was the accepted time and the day of Salvation promised unto Christ for his
doing of greater good in humane Society for the time to come but more especially in Religious Nurture instruction in Righteousness 2 Tim. 3.16 and as it follows in the admonition of the Lord In the best and highest kind of Nurture that which is drawn and fetcht from the Word of the Lord and so will be most accepted of him and most profitable to Children Not only in Arts and Sciences to make them Worldly wise and Learned nor only in the Mysteries of Trading and Worldly employment to make them Rich nor only in matters of Morality and Civil honesty to make them Sober and vertuous but in the mysteries of true Religion in the nurture and admonition of the Lord 1 Tim. 4.6 in the words of Faith and good Doctrine to make them truly happy 2. Presidents It was the constant practice of the Saints of old carefully to instruct their children in the things of God And that 1. In the Truths and Worship of the true God Thus Divines conclude that Adam instructed his Sons Gen. 4.3 4. Cain and Abel to bring their Offerings to the Lord And from Adam down along to Moses for the space of two thousand years how was the true Religion communicated but by Oral Tradition from Parents to their Children Gen. 18.19 I know Abraham that he will command his Children and his Houshold after him and they shall keep the way of the Lord to do Justice and Judgment that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him In this Text we have Abraham's Testimonial subscribed by God himself Wherein God 1. Asserts what Abraham was for the present a man of integrity a man greatly beloved of God I know Abraham I know his judgment I know his heart I am well acquainted with the frame of his spirit the inclination of his Will the bent of his Affections and I know him so well that I cannot but highly approve and dearly love him and will trust him with an Arcanum make him as it were of my Privy Councel in imparting to him my great design concerning wicked Sodom 2. Foretells for the future 1. What Abraham would do for God viz. That he would endeavour to bring all that were under his Command to be at God's Command Abraham will not leave his children and servants to their own Genius counsels lusts ignorance idleness superstition idolatry but command them to keep the way of Jehovah Abraham will endeavour to set up God in his Family to instruct it in that way of Faith Worship and Obedience which God requireth 2. What God will do for Abraham viz. fulfil his Promise keep his Word Holy Job that Non pareil of the World none like him in the Earth Job 1.8 that perfect that upright man Job sends and sanctifies his children i. e. says that late burning and shining Light sent a Message to them to command them to prepare and fit themselves for the holy duty of Sacrificing This preparation to holy Duties is often call'd Sanctifying Exod. 19.20 1 Sam. 6.5 Job 11.55 Job 1.5 Josâ—ph Caryl on Job 1.5 Job's main and special care was for the Souls of his children Job's Message to his children was not to ask them how they did after their Feasting whether they had surfeited how the reckoning was inflamed No his eye and heart mostly fixt on this that they might be sanctified His holy Soul struck a perfect light to Paul's desire before Agrippa Acts 26.29 I would to God that not only thou but all that hear me this day were both almost and altogether such as I am And to John's joy John Ep. 3.4 I have no greater joy than to hear that thy children walk in the truth Thus David that man after God's own heart Psal 34.11 Come ye children hearken unto me I will teach you the fear of the Lord. But more especially I would commend to your most accurate view that lovely Prospect presented to us in Prov. 4.3 4. Behold there a great and glorious King descending from his Imperial Throne laying aside his Golden Crown and Royal Scepter and sitting down on a lower seat with a Child a Solomon at his knee So that the King is now humbled into a Tutor the Prince into a Pupil A brief account of the Lecture the Text gives us I was my Father's Son i. e. I was so my Father's Son as that I was also his Jedidiah so beloved as if I had been his only Son He taught me also and said unto me Let thine heart retain my words keep my Commandments and live Thus we have seen the practice of godly Fathers but what have godly Mothers done have they been so cruelly forgetful of their children as not to have compassion on the Sons of their Womb What! worse than Sea-Monsters who draw out their breasts and give suck to their young ones No Lam. 4.3 no those true Daughters of Sarah have been more spiritually kind and benign 1. In the Front of these stands our Mother the Spouse of Christ Can. 8.2 Ass Annot in Cant. 8.2 I would lead thee and bring thee into my Mothers House i. e. into mine own House or Mansion as is usual with us to call our own Houses the Houses of our Fathers The Church in her Universal Latitude is the Mother of all her Members who would or doth instruct me The Church John 6.45 who is the Pillar and ground of truth in this respect that she presenteth and holdeth forth that truth outwardly which only Christ bringeth to the heart and makes effectual 2. Upon her right hand stands David's Royal Consort Queen Bathsheba whom we find laying the Law before King Lemuel i. e. her Son Solomon called Lemuel i. e. of God because God had ordained him to be King over Israel rather than any of his Elder Brethren 1 Kings 2.15 22. The words of King Lemuel the Prophesie Doctrine or Instruction that his Mother taught him 2. What my Son and what the Son of my Womb Prov. 31.1 2. and what the Son of my Vows 3. Upon her left hand let the hoary-headed holy Grand mother Lois and the tender discreet pious Mother Eunice be placed who even from the Dug as it were instructed their hopeful Timothy in the knowledg of the Holy Scriptures 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Tim. 1.5 3.15 16 11. which were able to make him wise unto Salvation 2. In the ways and works of God's Providence Thus Gideon gives testimony to his Forefathers that they had told their Children of all the Miracles which the Lord had done saying did not the Lord bring us from Egypt Jud. 6.13 Thus the Psalmist Psal 44.1 2. We have heard with our ears O God Psal 44.1 c. our Fathers have told us what work thou didst in their days in the times of old And again Psal 78.3 4 5 6 7. Sayings of old which we have heard and known and our Fathers have told us 4. We will not hide
the Institution of the two Sacraments of the New Testament But here as indeed in all Religious instruction remember that you are not to teach Parots but Christians persons though for the present ignorant yet capable of understanding both words and things Be not therefore satisfied in the Child 's bare repeating of the words Bowles Past Evang. l. 2. c 5. as a thick-skul'd Papist is taught to mumble over his Pater noster or Ave Maria which he no more understands than that sottish Priest did his Mumpsimus but first unlock the Cabinet that is open to the Child the true meaning of the words and then present him with the Jewels that is the Truths contained in those words Remember it as an undoubted Maxim It is impossible clearly to apprehend Truths unless we rightly understand those words in which Truths are wrapt up 2. For others that are of a larger capacity I shall not presume to dedicate among those more than scores of excellent Catechisms that are extant and may be of singular use both in Families and Churches which to pitch upon with the slighting of any of the rest I bless the Lord for the common Catechism of our Church and for Doctor Hills improvement of it in which I was initiated when a Child God hath signally own'd Mr. Perkins his Six Principles and no less Mr. Bali's Catechism Crook's Guide is highly esteemed by the Learned judicious and godly and I judge not unworthily if for nothing else than this its great harmony with the sum and substance of Christian Religion compos'd by that great Master in our English Israel These Catechisms I say to me with many many more sparkle like so many precious Diamonds in my eyes but it pleased the Lord in the beginning of my Ministry to direct me to the use of those Catechisms that were compos'd by the late Reverend Assembly of Divines at Westminster Catechisms which I then found greatly approved not only by the godly and judicious at home but also by several of the Reformed Churches abroad and such as have this peculiar Excellency beyond most that I have seen that every Answer in them is an entire Proposition of it self without relation to the Question preceding These Catechisms I have made use of both in my Congregation and Family now near thirty years and I desire to speak it with all humility and thankfulness if ever the Lord smiled on my poor Labours it hath been whilest I have been busied in this great useful necessary work of Catechizing and that out of these Catechisms How these Excellent Catechisms may be used to the best advantage by Parents and Governours of Families I have long since given directions which may be had at Mr. Parkhurst's at the Bible and three Crowns near Mercer's Chappel 2. Ecclesiastical Superiors And as to my dear and Reverend Brethren of the Ministry that would at the Great Day be publickly own'd as Pastors after God's own Heart such as have minded the Flock more than the Fleece and in that Flock the Lambs as well as the Sheep To these my Brethren though I dare not presume to give advice what can my Taper do to their Sun my dâ—op to their stream yet they will give me leave to be their Remembrancer Dear Brethren who are to me as my own Soul our great and good God hath been pleas'd to honour us so far as to set us up as Stewards in his house to give every one his proper portion in due seasâ—n and of all others you know our Master's will is that young ones be especially provided for The Duty therefore that we ow to God the love we bear to Truth and to Souls that are not capable of being saved without the knowledg of Truth to the Souls of younger ones especially who if they be not taught the Truth in their greener years will more difficultly be brought to learn it when they are grown older Nay the love we owe to our own souls who must give a just account for every poor Soul committed to our charge we knowing how great a Price the least Lamb of our Flock hath cost how rich a Prey Satan hath ever reckon'd on in the poorest Soul how industrious he is in hunting how many nimble Beagles he hath that rejoice to do their best in the worst service he lists to imploy them how great advantages they have at this time by the many sad and fatal breaches made in all our hedges Surely in the serious consideration of these and many more particulars we shall in the strength of our God arise and be doing and revive that most necessary exercise of Catechizing in the midst of us But how 1. For advice at large and such as you vvill have cause to bless God for ever for if you please to follow it I refer you to that faithful and skilful Workman Mr. Baxter his Christian Directory fol. pag. 498. 509. 512. 515. 543. 582. and fourth Part. 44. 2. More particularly 1. Whatever you do in this work you will do it soundly and purely If ever a Pastor will in Doctrine shew incorruptness gravity sincerity let him do it in Catechizing Tit. 2.7 8. Sound speech that cannot be condemned that he that is of the contrary part may not be ashamed Give to Babes the sincere Milk 1 Pet. 2 2â— not sophisticated Wine 2. Do it plainly so plainly that he that runs may read and understand so plainly that none may excuse themselves at the Day of Judgment and say Lord we would have learned thy saving truths but they were too high too hard too difficult for us Remember the generality of people are very dull of hearing and such as have need of Milk Heb. 5.11 12. and not of strong Meat Speak we therefore so as that our Discourse may rise to the Conviction of the wisest but yet at the same time sink and condescend to the capacity of the meanest I am apt to fear that even then Dr. Wilkins vvhen vve aim lowest vve yet at that very time shoot above not only the hearts but heads of our people Let our main care therefore be to open the understandings of our Catechumeni This is that vvhich the Lord had in his eye vvhen he did not only command the Levites to instruct the children of Israel in the meaning of all his Statutes Lev. 10.11 but he laid this charge also upon every Parent to teach the Children the meaning of every Law and Ordinance of God Exod. 12.26 27. and 13 14. Dent. 6.20 If God required this under the Law much more now under the Gospel Isa 11.9 Neh. 8.2 3 vvhen 't is promised that the Earth should be filled with the knowledg of God The only service that is now acceptable unto God is our reasonable service Rom. 12.1 i. e. such service as is done unto him with reason and understanding Act. 8.30 The Word read profits not unless understood Vnderstandest thou what thou readest said
particular instances wherein we shew love to our selves It shall suffice therefore that we speak of such things as are inducive of many more We shall reduce them to these Four heads 1. Our thoughts of and the judgment we pass upon our selves 2. Our speeches concerning our selves 3. Our desires after that which is good for our selves 4. Our Actual endeavours that it may be well with us 1. Let us consider what thoughts we have of and what judgments we pass upon our selves We do not ordinarily nor ought we at any time to censure our selves with too much rigour and severity We are indeed required 1 Cor. 11.31 again and again to judge our selves and it is our duty to do it strictly and severely yet we ought not without cause Luk. 6.41 42. to judge or condemn our Selves for any thing nor are we very forward so to do Our love to our neighbour should be exercised in this matter if he doth or speaketh any thing that is (n) De sactis mediis quae possunt bono vel malo animo fieri temeratiâ—m est judicaâ—e maximè ut condemâ—emus August 1 Cor. 13.5 Heb. 4.13 1 Cor. 2.11 capable of a double sence and interpretation let us take it as done or spoken in the best sense it is capable of unless the contrary doth manifestly appear by some very convincing circumstances for it is the property of Charity to think no evil We may be much more bold to judge our selves than others we are privy to our own principles from whence our words and actions flow and to our own intentions in all we speak or do But the case is otherwise when we take upon us to judge others their principles and intentions are known only to themselves until they some way or other declare them the heart being the hidden Man is known only to God before whom all things are naked and open and to a mans self What man knoweth the things of a man save the spirit of man which is in him Moreover inordinate self-love hath often too great an influence on the judgment we pass upon our selves and the corruption of our wills and affections on the judgment we pass upon other men that we seldom judge aright As he that hath the jaundise be the object never so white judgeth it yellow his eye being ill disposed so the eye of the mind being affected with the corruption of the heart puts another colour upon that which is most candidly spoken or done Were our hearts principled with true love to others we should be as cautious about the judgment which we pass on them as about that we pass upon our selves and there is great reason we should be more from the 〈◊〉 mentioned considerations 2. We shew our love to our selves in and by our speeches concerning our selves and it is our duty so to do As we ought not to pass too severe a judgment on our selves in our own minds so we may not speak that which is false of our selves and it is seldom known that any mans tongue falls foul upon himself Yea our love to our selves is and ought to be such as not to suffer our tongue to blab and send abroad all the evil we certainly know by our selves It is our duty then in the same matter to shew our love to others Our tongue which is apt to speak the best of our selves should not frame it self to speak the worst we can of our Brethren The Apostle chargeth Titus Titus 3.2 to put Christians in mind of this among other duties to speak evil of no man There are several ways and degrees of evil speaking 1. The first and most notorious is when men are spoken against as evil doers for doing that which is their duty to do When they are condemned for that for which they ought to be commended Thus was Jeremiah dealt with in his time when he faithfully declared the mind of God to the people Jer. 18.18 Come say they and let us smite him with the tongue The same lot had John from Diotrephes who prated against him with Malicious words because he had wrote to have the brethren received a work of Christian love and Charity which he had no heart unto To speak evil of others for that which is their duty is a common thing among men and too ordinary among some professors If they be told of a truth or exhorted to a duty that doth not agree with their private opinion and Comport with their carnal interest how do their hearts rise and their mouths begin to open against such as declare it to them We may well conceive that the Apostle Paul observed some such thing in his days when we find him beseeching Christians to suffer the word of exhortation Heb. 13.22 1 Pet. 2.1 and the Apostle Peter also by his charging them in hearing to lay aside all malice and all guile and hypocrisies and envies and evil-speakings 2. A second way of evil speaking and a great sin against love and Charity is when men raise up false reports of others or set them forward when others have maliciously raised them To offend in this kind is a great breach of a Christians good behaviour as the Apostle intimates Titus 2.3 when he saith That they be in behaviour as becometh Holiness (o) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not false accusers It doth not at all become the profession of a Christian whose master is the God of truth to speak that which is false of any man whatsoever And therefore these false accusers are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by a name which is usually given to the father of lies Joh. 8.44 3. There may be evil speaking in speaking of such evils as others are really guilty of as 1. First when a man doth industriously (p) Facilius est unicuique nostrum aliena curiose inquirere quam propria nostra inspicere search out such things as are evil in others for this very purpose that he may have something to say against them Of this David complains Psal 64. ver 6. They search out iniquities they accomplish a diligent search It is a sign that Malice boils up to a great height in mens hearts when they are so active to find matter against their neighbours Love would rather (q) Qui bene vult vitam peragere neque videre multa neque audire studear Just Martyr De vita Christ ad Zenam Ep. Luke 11.53 not seen or hear of others failings or if it doth and must busieth it self in healing and reforming them to it's power 2. They also are Guilty and more guilty of evil speaking than the former who endeavour to bring others into sin rather than they will want matter against them Thus the malicious Pharisees did their utmost to cause Christ himself had it been possible to offend urging him vehemently and provoking him to speak of many things seeking to catch something out of his mouth that they
so he must minister the same to the souls and bodies of others 1 Pet. 4.10 Jam. 2.15.16 1 Joh. â— 13 If a brother or a sister be naked and destitute of daily food and one of you say unto them Go in peace he you warmed and filled notwithstanding you give them not the things that are needful to the body what doth it profit A man would find little profit in it himself if he should feed himself only with good words and wishes True love is not in Word and Tongue only but in Deed and in Truth Contrary to this endeavouring others good is to stand up in the way and stop the passage wherein good should flow in upon them and to be (a) Invidentia est aeg iâ—udo iuscepta p opter alterius res secundas quae nihil nocent invidenti Cic. Tuâ—t qu. l. 4. envious at the prosperity of others if they be able without our help to attain it Many men think themselves not well unless it be ill with others (b) Novum ac inaestimabile nunc in plutimis malum est parum alicui est si ipse sit felix nisi alter sec in infelix Salvianus de Gub. Dei it is not enough for them to be happy unless they see their brethren miserable 2. We have seen now in what things we do and may shew love to our selves we come now to speak of the manner of loving our selves and to shew that after the same manner we ought to love others also 1. We do or should love our selves holily i. e. in and for God we may not have a divided interest from God though God allows us to love our selves it must be in order to him and to his Glory Our love to our selves as it must be regulated by the will of God and extended or restrained according to that So God must be our utmost end in it whether it be exercised about the obtaining things temporal or spiritual for body or soul Salvation it self although it be our end must not be our last or utmost end but that God by it as by all things else may be glorified Therefore in this manner we must love others as God hath an interest in them and is or may be glorified by them and there is no man in the world but God is or may be glorified by him Every man is a creature upon whose Soul there is in a sort the Image of God and doth him some service in the place wherein he stands Isa 44.28 and 45.1 God calleth Cyrus a heathen his Shepherd and his Anointed and he did him eminent service in his generation The same may be said of every other man in some degree and proportion God hath given him some gifts whereby he is and may be serviceable to him at least in the affairs of his providential kingdom Besides all men having immortal souls within them are capable of blessedness with God for ever in the kingdom of Glory they who are at present enemies to God may be reconciled and made friends what was the most glorious Saint now in heaven but an enemy to God once when here on earth We our selves saith the Apostle were sometime foolish disobedient deceived Tit. 33.4 serving divers lusts and pleasures living in malice and envy hateful and hating one another but after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared not by works of righteousness which we have done but according to his mercy he saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost Obj. How could David then say do not I hate them O Lord that hate thee and am I not grieved with these that rise up against thee Psal 139.21.22 I hate them with a perfect hatred He says that he hated them perfectly and approves himself to God in the thing Do not I hate them O Lord Ans There is a twofold hatred Odium simplex Odium redundans in personam as the Schooles speak a simple hatred and a hatred redounding to the person A simple hatred which is of the Sin of any man is our duty Psal 97.10 ye that love the Lord hate evil but to hate the Person of the sinner would be our sin as we are to abhor that which is evil Rom. 12.9 so we must cleave to that which is good David who was a man after Gods own heart knew how to distinguish between the sin and the person See how he expresseth himself elsewhere I hate the work of them that turn aside not them but the work of them Psal 101.3 he hated their sin saying it shall not cleave to me Hear him again I hate every false way this shews us plainly Psal 119.104 that he hated sin perfectly he hated sin so as that it should not cleave to him he hated it where ever he found it Every false way For what is perfect hatred Austin describes it very well He est perfecto odio odisse ut nec homines propter vitia oderis nec vitia propter homines diligas This is to hate with perfect hatred not to hate men for their Sins sake nor to love the sin for the mens sake This is one manner how we ought to love our Neighbour as our selves it must be holily 2. Our love to our selves is or should be orderly we must first and chiefly love our souls and then our bodies The Soul is of far greater worth than the body A world of things for the body will stand a man in no stead if his soul be lost and where the soul goes either to a place of bliss or torment the body must follow after and therefore when we are charged to take heed to our selves we are charged to keep our souls diligently only take heed to thy self Deut. 4 9. and keep thy soul diligently if the soul be safe all is safe if the soul be lost all is lost In like manner we ought to love our Neighbour we must desire and endeavour that it may be well with him in every respect both as to his body and outward estate but chiefly that his Soul may prosper and his outward concerns as they may be consistent with that third Epistle John ver 2. I wish above all things that thou mayst prosper and be in health as thy soul prospereth 1. We must seek the conversion of those that are unconverted lest their souls be lost for ever If we can be instrumental in this we shew the greatest love imaginable to give a man bread when he is hungry or cloathing when he is naked is somthing but to convert a soul to God is a greater kindness by much Brethren Jam. 5 19.20 if any of you do err from the truth and one convert him let him know that he which converteth a sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death He speaks of it as a great thing when he says Let him know that he
shall save a soul from death 2. We should shew our love to the souls of others by seeking and endeavouring the encrease of their Faith Holiness and comfort as we should not be content to go to heaven alone but carry along with us as many as we can so we should not satisfie our selves to see them creep lamely thither but gird up the loins of their minds for them that they may more strenuously and with the more chearfulness and comfort walk thither Thus John endeavoured to bring the Saints to higher degrees of fellowship with God 1 John 1.3 That which we have seen said he and heard declare we unto you that you also may have fellowship with us and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his son Jesus Christ they had this fellowship before in measure and degree but he would bring them to higher degrees of it as doth appear by what follows These things I write unto you that your joy might be full 3. Our love to our selves goes out freely what we have at hand we are ready to take Eccle. 3.13 Eccl. 5.19 when we stand in need of it The wise man observed it to be a Gift which God ordinarily gives the Children of men to eat and to drink and to enjoy the fruit of all his labour that he taketh under the Sun all the days of his life In the like manner we should go forth to others (c) Quomodo in quotidiana prece unquii diximus dimitte nobis debita nostra sicut nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris animo discrepante cum verbis oâ—atione dissidenâ—e cum sactis Hieron ad Castorinam If our Neighbour stands in need of forgiveness we should forgive freely as we expect that God or man should forgive us if he need a gift from us we should give freely and open our hearts readily to supply his wants according to the ability God hath given us as we expect that God or man should give to us if we were in the like necessity The Apostle commends the Macedonians for this that when their brethren stood in need of their Charity to their power yea and beyond their power 2 Cor. 8 3. they were willing of themselves To (d) Multum detrahit beneficio qui nolentem tribuisse se ipsa Cunctatione testatus est ac non tam dedisse quam non retinuiste Sen. de Ben. 1 Tim. 6.18 Psal 5.6 give freely and readily adds much to the goodness of a good work the way to be rich in good works is to be ready to distribute willing to communicate 4. We love our selves unfeignedly no man useth to dissemble with himself or endeavours to feed himself with good words only but is very real and cordial to himself in all things And thus it is required we should be to others God desireth truth in the inward parts he would have us true to him and true to one another 1 John 3.18 My little children let us not love in word neither in tongue but in deed and in truth Rom. 12.9 Let love be without dissimulation Outward and dissembled love is little better than inward and real hatred If blessing be only in the mouth cursing is not like to be far from the heart Psal 2.4 They bless with their mouth but they curse inwardly Such a blessing with the mouth had Christ from the Pharisees in this chapter Master we know thou art true and teachest the way of God in truth ver 16. neither carest thou for any man for thou regardest not the person of men very well said but Jesus perceived their wickedness ver 18. They came with words of love and respect to cover the wickedness of their hearts and wanted that inward affection that Titus is commended for toward the Corinthians 2 Cor. 7.15 5. We do not only love our selves truely and sincerely but with some fervency there is always some heat as well as heart in love to our selves you may observe it ordinarily that when self is concerned in any thing that affection which is moved about it hath some heat in it if it be anger there is heat in anger if it be love there is heat in love Indeed all men are very apt to exceed and go much beyond their bounds when self is concerned as if they were to love themselves with all their hearts with all their soul 1 Sam. 18.1 and with all their mind however it is allowable that a man be warm in love to himself especially to his soul which is the best part of himself Well then our love to others must not be cold when the matter of love is good it is good to be zealously affected in it 2 Cor. 7.7 Gal. 4.18 When Paul understood the fervent mind of the Corinthians towards him as he was a servant of Christ for the good of their souls it did affect him with great joy Let our love to others be first pure and then it is not like to be too fervent 1 Pet. 1.22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently 6. We love our selves very tenderly No man ever yet hated his own flesh Eph. 4.29 but nourisheth it and cherisheth it If the body be wounded or pained how tender are we of it the eye will look to it very carefully and it may be weep over it the hand will diligently keep off any thing that might hurt or offend it and is ready to apply any thing to it for the cure of it with the greatest tenderness that may be After the same manner we ought to express our love to others it is required of us that we be kind one to another Eph. 4 32. tender-hearted 1 When others are under sufferings we should be so tender as to have a quick sense of them in our selves Rom. 12.15 Heb. 13.3 Others sufferings should work compassion and cause a fellow-feeling in us so as to make us weep with them that weep and to be bound with them that are in bonds When Nehemiah heard of the affliction of his people though he himself was in a better condition he sate down and wept Neh. 1.4 and mourned certain days We see that Beasts themselves are touched with the sufferings of any of their kind if one of the herd make an outcry or declare his sufferings by his moaning how sensible are the rest of it How do they come about him and shew their readiness to yield him help if it were in their power How much more should humanity cause men to shew what a tender regard they have of the sufferings and afflictions of other men 2 We should be tenderly affected towards others when they are overtaken in a fault and not be too (e) Solemus propriorum clementes esse judices alienorum verò stricti inquisitores Greg. Nezianz Gal. 6.1 rigid and severe in dealing with them and the more tender
irregular and inordinate love to the world for it self in competition with or opposition to the love of the Father as v. 16. Hence it follows neither the things that are in the World 1 Here we are again to take notice of another peculiar Idiom frequent with John both in his Gospel and Epistles namely to reiterate the same thing under different expressions partly by way of Exegesis and partly to give an Emphatick plenitude It might have sufficed that he had said love not the world But the more fully to explicate his mind as also to give an Emphase and Accent to what he had said he adds neither the things that are in the world He contents not himself with Generals but descends to Particulars which he more fully specifies v. 16. 2 By things that are in the world we may in a more strict and confined notion understand those things which worldly men do most magnifie and Idolize Mundane Grandeur Pomp Glory Riches Pleasures Honours Friends whatever else may Captivate the hearts of degenerate men In sum by the world and the things that are in the world must be understood all sensible natural civil yea mental Goods or whatever is inferior to God so far as it may stand in Opposition to or Competition with him and so prove matter of abuse and fuel for Lust as ver 16. It follows If any man love the world 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If here is causal and rational signifying as much as For or Because if and so it points out and ushers in the main Cause or Reason why we are not to love the world namely because he that Loves the world hath not the love of the Father in him As if he had said Alas are not the World and the Father perfectly opposite Do they not both require the whole Heart yea the whole man as Mat. 6.24 Is it possible then that he who loves the world at such a rate can love the Father Or we may take the words thus If any man Love the world c. i. e. so far as any man loves the world the love of the Father is not in him And in this sense it will reach all both Saints and Sinners Though I take the words chiefly to be understood of predominant love to the world which is altogether inconsistent with love to God Lastly there lies something peculiar in that phrase The Love of the Father is not in him 1 Here we find another Idiom or manner of speech proper to John who frequently makes use of Antitheses and that both of Things Words and Sentences for Illustration and Confirmation whereof many Instances might be given as John 1.5 13 17 20 c. So here he opposeth the Father to the World And then the Love of the Father to the Love of the world which gives great Illustration and Demonstration to his discourse For opposites illustrate and demonstrate each other 2 Another thing to be considered herein is the object 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Father Where the Article THE deserves a peculiar regard and so in deed do the various Articles in this text The world the Things c. For albeit these Articles sometimes in other parts of Scripture are not significative or emphatick yet here they seem to give some emphase So that The Father is here mentioned to specifie both the proper Object and Formal Reason of Evangelick Love as distinct from that Natural Love which Adam in Paradise had towards God as Creator First by the Father here is specified the proper object of Evangelick love namely that it must terminate on God as a gracious Father in and through Christ whereas Adam's natural love in Innocence terminated on God only as Creator Secondly by the Father also the formal Reason of Evangelick Love is specified namely that God's love towards us in Christ ought to be the formal reason or proper motive of our love to him 3 As for the Act the love it may be taken either passively and Octjectively for the Father's Love shed abroad in the heart as Rom. 5.5 or else subjectively and actively for our Love to the Father This latter I take to be primarily intended The words thus explicated admit this Logick Division We find in them first a prohibition and then the reason thereof annext In the prohibition we have 1 The Act Love not 2 The Object and this 1 In the General the World 2 In its Particularities neither the things that are in the world The chief whereof are specified v. 16. As for the reason of the prohibition it is wrapped up in an Hypothetick proposition which is easily reduced to a Catagorick Syllogism thus two loves perfectly opposite cannot consist together in one and the same heart but love to the world and love to the Father are perfectly opposite therefore he that loves the world hath not the love of the Father in him What love in its general Idea imports Sect. 2. A general Character of Love The words thus explicated contain in them this great Truth That a prevalent predominant Love to the World is altogether inconsistent with the Love of God Hence also there is offered to us this practick case of Conscience wherein the love of the World is inconsisent with the love of God The resolution of this so weighty a case depends much on the explication of its parts which we shall endeavour to examine and open under these three Questions 1. What Love in its general Idea or nature doth import 2. What it is to Love the world 3. What it is to love God these questions being explicated the resolution of our case will be facile and obvious 1. Quest What Love in its general Idea or Nature doth import this question being more Philosophick than Theologick we shall not much insist thereon But to clear up our way to the following questions we may take up this concise Character or Idea of Love as abstracted from this or that subject Love is the most vigorous potent imperious and soveraign affection of the humane soul which has its Royal seat in the Will or rather in the soul as willing what is Good For albeit I cannot conceive how the Will and Understanding may be really distinguished more than by their formal Objects and Acts yet I can easily grant the soul as willing what is good to be the proper Subject and seat of Love Not but that there is also passion of Love or something analogous to Love in the sensitive soul or Animal part But this is more Passionate that in the humane soul more Rational this more rash that more deliberate this more superficial and transient that more rooted and fixed this more confused and difform that more uniform and equal this more carnal that more spiritual in its objects and motions this more brutish and servile that more humane and voluntary specially if regular Now love thus seated in the will or soul as willing governs the whole soul with all
Earth as among the Indians or Abyssines But our business is to see what knowledge we our selves considering our condition dismissing others in differing circumstances are to labour after in obedience to God's command and for our more holy and comfortable walking with God and carrying on the affairs of our Salvation And therefore though my text lead me directly enough to the former yet I shall confine my self to the latter making it my business rather to press men to labour after much knowledge than trouble my self or others with unedifying distinctions about or uncertain catalogues of fundamentals or truths absolutely needful to be known which I suppose few in the World be so Magisterial as Peremptorily to define And for my part if I could certainly determine which those truths are I should take heed to whom I told them least I should encourage men slothful enough of themselves to rest satisfied in a lesser measure of Spiritual knowledg when a greater might be gotten 3. These things premised I come to answer the case in some propositions of which the first shall be this Prop. 1. That supposing it were certainly defined how much knowledge and the knowledge of what truths were sufficient to Salvation Yet no man that is in a capacity of getting more knowledge ought to acquiesce in just so much Luk. 12.48 To whomsoever much is given of him shall much be required For the more full understanding of this proposition take these following rules Rule 1. By how much the better means men have for the getting of knowledge so much the more they ought to know There is more knowledge required in them that have more means than in them that have less Every servant's improvement is to be according to his talent and the gain of one is not sufficient for him that hath received five nor the gain of five for him that hath received ten According to the means men have so their duty is to be judged of and their accounts will be expected I suppose it can scarce be doubted but that 1. They that live under the Gospel since Christ's coming in the flesh ought to abound more in Spiritual knowledge than they that lived before his coming and that for this very reason because the means of knowledge have been greater since his coming than before it not only as to the extensiveness of them in the publication of the truth in those places where it was not heard before but as to the efficacy of the means themselves and the more clear revelation of the will of God in some things which were formerly but less clearly revealed The pouring out of the Spirit was not only for the further spreading of the truth but for the more plain and full manifestation of it The great mysteries of Religion which under the Old Testament dispensation were more obscure as being wrapt up in types and figures which were though a shadowing of them out yet a kind of covering to them are now under the Gospel more clearly set forth without those veils in their native lustre and brightness What was then future is now come to pass What then was Prophecy is now become History So that there being as to the means more advantages for our knowledge than there was for theirs who lived in those ages we are engaged to labour after more And excepting Prophecies and immediate Revelations I see no reason why vulgar Saints may not now know more than Patriarchs did then And if they may I dare say they should 2. They that live in the Reformed World in this age of Light should abound more in knowledge than they that lived before the Reformation in the darkness of Popery A little knowledge might have gone further then than a great deal more now The means of knowledge are now much greater than 3 or 4 hundred years ago they were There is not only more humane learning abroad in the World than then there was but the Original Languages in which the Scriptures were written are better known The Word is more soundly and powerfully preached Controversies in Religion are more throughly discussed more good books are written more cases stated more errors detected and in a word many truths which though always to be found in Scripture yet were almost lost in the World in the Ignorance of those ages are anew discovered 3. They who live under better means of Instruction now should ordinarily be more knowing than such as have not the like means They that have the word preached to them more plainly powerfully frequently should know more than they who sit under an idle ignorant Ministry They that may hear a Sermon every day if they will than they that can scarce hear one Sermon in many months And so should they likewise who live in Religious Families where God is daily worshipped Children and Servants daily instructed know more than they who live under profane or ignorant Masters or Parents Rule 2 They that have more time for the gaining of knowledge are concern'd to know more than they that have less time Not only by how much the longer men enjoy such means the more they should know and more than such as have lived a less season under them Upon which account the Apostle blames the Hebrews Ch. 5.12 because when for the time they ought to be Teachers they had need that one should again teach them which were the first Principles of the Oracles of God And 2 Tim. 3.7 He speaks of some that were ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth But likewise by how much more leisure men have for studying the Scriptures and attending on the means of Grace while they do enjoy them so much the more proportionably they should know They that have plentiful Estates easie employments few avocations may and therefore ought to seek after a greater measure of knowledge than they who by reason of more burdensome callings a lower condition in the World and the necessity of providing for themselves and their Families are not in a capacity of spending so much time in attending on those means whereby a greater proportion of knowledge might be gained They that have their time lying on their hands and know not how to fill it up but with enquiring after News and Fashions studying Pleasures and diversions how much knowledge might they arrive unto if they spent but half that time in studying the truth and enquiring after the things of God Rule 3. By how much the better capacities men have for the receiving of knowledge so much the more caeteris paribus they are to know They that have riper parts quicker apprehensions stronger memories a deeper reach should know more than they that are naturally more weak and less capable of learning Although I suppose there be none that have the use of their reason but they are capable of understanding so much of the things of God as is absolutely needful to Salvation and may be
Obedience he requires of them by the work of the Spirit upon their hearts changing them regenerating them and causing old things to pass away and all things in them to become new 2 Cor. 5.17 and further to increase that fitness for and readiness to Spiritual things by his guiding assisting and quickning them in those holy wayes into which he hath brought them and by those ordinary means the Word and Ordinances which he hath appointed for the working and improving of their Graces 9. With the reward God promiseth to their Faith and Obedience in the blessedness of their Souls at the end of this life and of their whole man after the Resurrection in their being for ever with the Lord 1 Thes 4.17 when the unbelief and disobedience of others will be punished with everlasting torments inflicted by him In a word whoever comes to God Heb. 11.6 must believe not only that he is but that he is the rewarder of those that diligently seek him Men ought in the beginning of Religion to look to the end of it have some sight of the goal when they enter upon their race know their wages when they set about their work The Doctrine of rewards furnisheth men with the greatest incentives to holiness ignorance or unbelief of future recompence must needs make men negligent of present service take away the knowledge of Heaven and Hell and ye take away all â—are and thoughts of Religion These things I lay not down as an enumeration oâ— Fundamentals or compleat scheme of Religion it is sufficient for 〈…〉 that they are some of the most necessary and substantial truths wherein the generality of Christians are concerned which they are therefore especially and in the first place to acquaint themselves with and before those things which are less necessary to Salvation as being further from the Foundation And indeed this is the very method of Nature Men usually seek those things first which are most necessary and other things afterward they first lay their Foundation and then set up their Superstructures Principles must be known before Conclusions can be drawn from them Those Doctrines of Religion must be first known from whence others are to be deduced and without the knowledge of which others can be but confusedly and darkly known This seems to have been the Apostle's Method Heb. 6.1 where he speaks of some Truths which they are in paticular I stand not to dispute which were Principles and first learned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost others as conducing to the perfection of the Saints unto the knowledge of which he would therefore have them go on He that knows not those things which must be known knows nothing yet to any purpose Prop. 3. Men should Labour after such a knowledge of the Truth as that they may be able to give a Reason of the hope that is in them 1 Pet. 3.15 To shew on what Ground they stand what is the Foundation of their Faith and Hope that the Religion they profess is indeed the true Religion and that the Doctrines they own are really Founded upon the Scripture of Truth Dan. 16.2 and in a word they should be able to give a Reason why they believe rather thus than otherwise and hold such Doctrines rather than the contrary They should Labour after such a Grounded knowledge of the Truths of the Gospel as that they may be able to say of them as well as of the Duties of it that they are fully perswaded in their own Minds and do not take up things upon trust Rom. 14.15 or believe the Truth upon the Credit of others It is a shame for Professors to be merely Believers upon Tradition to see with other Mens Eyes or be like the Heathen Idols that have Eyes and see not They are Men and have reasonable Powers and ought to make use of them even in the things of God so far as they are Revealed and Subjected to their Judgment The Spiritual Man Judgeth all things even the deep things of God 1 Cor. 2.10.15 Though they are to submit their understandings to God yet they are not to resign them to Men. They that will judge for themselves in the things of this life should no less do in the things of the other That Man that will not trust another with his Estate or Purse should much less do it with his Conscience and Salvation Prop. 4. Men should especially give themselves to the study and labour after the knowledge of the present truths 2 Pet. 1.12 I mean those truths which are the special truths of the Times and Ages and Places in which Men live We shall find if we observe it that God who delivers hls Mind and Will to Men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by several parts and degrees doth in some Ages make more clear discoveries of some truths in others of other truths and though the whole will of God and all those truths which we are any way concerned to know in order to our Salvation be sufficiently laid down in the Scripture yet there is sometimes more knowledge of one truth stirring in the World sometimes of some other Sometimes God calls his Servants more especially to Preach up and bear Witness to such or such a particular Truth which either was less known and understood before or is more opposed at present Immediately after Christ's resurrection the great truth of that time the then present truth was that Jesus was the Christ that very Messiah whom God had promised to the Fathers and the Jews themselves did expect This the Apostles did first of all Preach confirming it especially by his Resurrection from the dead Thus Act. 2.36 God hath made the same Jesus both Lord and Christ Act. 5.31 Him hath God exalted to be a Prince and a Saviour So Philip to the Eunuch Act. 8.35 And Paul so soon as he was converted and sent to Preach presently declares that Jesus was the Christ Acts 9.22 And Peter to Cornelius Acts 10.42.43 And Apollos in Achaia ch 18.28 And afterwards we find that the Jews and Judaizing Christians pertinaciously adhering to the Law of Moses gave occasion to the more full Preaching of the Doctrine of free Grace and Justification by Christ alone and the abolishing of the legal Ceremonies as we may see in the Epistle to the Romans Galatians Colossians and Hebrews And after towards the end of the Apostles times the Heresie of Cerinthus gave occasion to the more full vindicating the Doctrines of Christ's Godhead Hieronym in Catal. Script Ecclesiast as we see in the Gospel of John And some hundreds of years after that the Pelagian Heresie gave occasion for the renewed publication of the Doctrine of free Grace by Austin Prosper and others And in the beginning of the reformation of Religion in the last age the first truths God called those Worthies that then lived to the Preaching of were those especially which concern the Lord Jesus Christ in his Prophetical and Priestly offices
Commands are as wise as holy and if he hath not revealed to us the reason of his will it is because he would exercise our humility and have us own his Sovereignty in our obedience and acknowledge him to be the supreme Judge as well as Author of our duty 3. The same we may say of Mens enquiring into those things which concern others rather than themselves When Men are Learned in other Mens duties but ignorant of their own can spy motes in other Mens eyes and not see beams in their own Mat. 7 3. Can criticize upon little faults in their Neighbours and yet overlook much greater in themselves 4. Men are curious when they study things rather difficult and nice than useful and edifying such as are more fine than substantial new or rare instead of great and weighty Such seem to have been those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vain bablings 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 apud Theophyl against which the Apostle cautions Timothy Eph. 1.6.20 great words of little signification a noise of something worth just nothing And such those questions and strifes of words about which some doted v. 4. The vainest emptiest persons amongst us are not more phantastical in their garb or diet than some others are in their studies and enquiries They are for that knowledge which is most fashionable Their very minds must be in the mode Their notions must be the neatest and newest They disdain what is common though never so profitable What they like must have newness and variety or else abstruseness and difficulty to commend it something be sure besides usefulness They have sick Queasie stomachs distempered palats cannot eat their Spiritual food unless it be minced nor relish the most wholsom truths unless set off with a Philosophical gust In a word they are rather for odd things than good such as may gratifie their wanton fancies rather than bring any saving benefit to their Souls Caut. 2. Take heed of Pride which we may say is a worm very apt to breed out of the Tree of Knowledge 1 Cor. 8.1 Knowledge puffs up It is a hard thing for Men to know much and not know that they do so Many that have great knowledge of other things yet know too little of themselves of their own infirmites of their own follies and those things in themselves which might keep them humble This brings me to the second part of the case propounded viz. II. What means we should use for the obtaining such knowledge as is needful for us 1. Here the first thing we should direct to is Humility He that would be truely wise must labour to be humble Homo Sapiens est quamdiu quaerit sapientiam ubi autem se putat ad ejus culmen pervenisse desipit Sap. Arab. apud Drusium 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theodor. de curand Graec. affest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theodâ—ret 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Just Mart. in Exp. sid Tu disputa ego credo Job 22 2â— He that would ever arrive at any height of knowledg let him get low thoughts of himself Pride and a conceit of a Man 's own knowledg is one of the greatest hinderances of his knowing 1 Cor. 8.2 If any Man think he knoweth any thing he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know Prov. 26.12 There is more hope of a fool than a Man that is wise in his own conceit Humility makes Men teachable sense of ignorance makes them willing to learn and God promiseth to teach them Psal 25.9 The meek will he guide in judgment the meek will he teach his way 2. We must deny our selves in our carnal reasonings Subject our understandings to the Authority of God leave something for faith to do and not think to be such absolute Masters of all divine mysteries as to receive no more of them than our own reason can comprehend when it is the highest reason in the World to believe what ever God speaks though our reason cannot reach it Our wisdom in Spiritual things must begin in our being fools in the World's account 1 Cor. 3.18 If any Man among you seemeth to be wise in this World let him become a fool that he may be wise Though we must use our reason in the search of Spiritual truths yet not reason only many things purely are the objects of our faith and of them reason is no competent judge 3. We must be diligent in the reading and studying of the Scriptures as the repository the fountain of Spiritual knowledge Search the Scripture saith our Saviour Christ John 5.39 O how I love thy Law it is my meditation all the day saith David Ps 119.97 Give attendance to reading saith Paul 1 Tim. 4.13 I have heard of a Cardinal that either acknowledged or boasted that he never read the Bible but once in his life Reading other Books Sententiaries and Canonists might make him wise enough to be a Cardinal but not wise enough to be a Christian Where should we seek for knowledge but in the Fountain of knowledge how should we better understand God's Law than by receiving it at his mouth 4. Yet we are not so confined to the Scripture alone as that we may not make use of other good books the labours of such faithful servants of God as have best studied his word and best understood his mind How doth this age and place abound with good and sound and profitable books and well it were that it abounded with none else however we have our choice and that too in our own Tongue Private Christians need not the learned Languages to make them learned in the Scriptures Expositors we have to help us to understand the meaning of the word Practical writers and casuists to quicken our affections and apply truths to our Consciences Controversial ones to discover errors and arm us against them and Systematical and Catechetical ones to methodize our knowledge and order what we know and shew the connexion of Spiritual truths among themselves and their dependence upon each other that so we may have a map of the way to Heaven before us a full prospect of our whole Religion at one view And were it not well if some would spare a little time from their shop-books for such books as these if when they cannot be getting money they would get knowledge when they cannot be dealing with good Customers they would deal with good Authors such as might make them more wise when not more rich 5. We should be diligent and regular in attending on the word preached As it is the duty of Ministers to be instant and Preach the word in season and out of season 2 Tim. 4.2 So it is duty of people to hear it Reading the Scriptures and good Books is not sufficient for those that are in a capacity to hear The Preaching of the Word is the great Ordinance appointed by God for the Instruction Edification and Conversion of those that are to be saved and it is that which God doth usually
accompany with most life and power As it is in other cases so it is for the most part here you are commonly more affected with what you hear Men speak than with what they write Ministers may write or print their Sermons but not their Affections not that Power and Spirit of the word which themselves feel and you perceive in them You are most like to be warmed by the word when you hear it coming out of a hot heart When you see your Teachers affected with the truths they deliver and speaking like those that feel what they speak you are most like to be affected too Though indeed the great reason of hearing is because it is God's Ordinance and he hath not only taken care that the word should be written that so all may read it but hath appointed Officers too purposely to Preach it that so all may hear it But withal be sure to be regular in your hearing Take heed how you hear Luke 8.18 and take heed what you hear Mark 4.28 and from both will follow that you must take heed who you hear too Hear those that are most knowing and best able to instruct you those that are most sound and least like to mislead you Do not choose to put your Souls under the conduct of blind-guides Seek for the Law at their mouths whose lips do best preserve knowledge And when you have found such keep close to them Settle your selves under the guidance of some faithful Pastor upon whose Ministry you may ordinarily attend That running to and from which is usual among us is quite another than what Daniel speaks of ch 12.4 and I am sure is not the way to encrease knowledge Rolling stones gather no moss Such rovers seldom hit upon the right way Such wandring Stars may be soonest bemisted They that thus run from one Minister to another may soon run from one opinion to another and from one errour to another I dare safely say you may get more sound knowledge of the things of God by constant attendance upon the Ministry of one of less abilities than by rambling up and down to hear many though of the greatest gifts It is a great advantage to your gaining knowledge to hear a Minister's whole discourse and be able to take up the full design of his work and not merely to hear in transitu by snatches to pick up here a notion and there a notion or hear one Man's Doctrine in the Morning and another's Application in the Afternoon It is no wonder if Men that run to and fro Eph. 4. be tossed to and fro They that are so light of hearing may easily be carried about with every wind of Doctrine the word of Christ seldom dwells in such vagabond hearers 1. Pray earnestly for knowledge We are to cry after wisdom and lift up our voice for understanding Prov. 2.3 Ask it of God Jam. 1.5 Especially address we our selves to the Lord Jesus Christ as the Apostle of our profession Heb. 3.1 The great Prophet and Doctor of the Church in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge Col. 2.3 Who of God is made unto us Wisdom 1 Cor. 1.30 Who liveth in the bosom of the Father and declares him to us John 1.18 He that was his Father's Counsellor in making his Laws and his Messenger in publishing them is best able to make us understand them As it is our duty to Hear him so it is his business to instruct us Only beside the use of all other means we must look to him for his teaching He only can make all means effectual and none learn as they should but they that learn of him There is no learning like that we get upon our knees that is the only saving knowledge which we fetch from Heaven If you put your Children to a Trade you will have them learn it of such as are most skilful in it If you would your selves understand any art well you seek for the best Artist you can to instruct you Who can teach you all things like him that knows all things who can enlighten you like him who is the true light John 1.9 Men when they teach their Scholars oftentimes complain of their dulness they can but propound their notions to them not beget an understanding in them And Ministers complain of their hearers as the Apostle did of the Hebrews ch 5.11 that they are dull of hearing Quod â—aev à in parte mamillae Nil a lit Arcadico juveni Juven They spend their strength upon them but cannot work the truth into them But the Lord Jesus Christ is such a Teacher as is beyond all Teachers He can give the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation as it is called Eph. 1.17 and promiseth to do it John 14.26 He can give inward light as well as outward eyes as well as objects understandings to receive the truth as vvell as truths to employ your understandings 7. Take sit time for the getting knowledge You have a great deal to learn you had need be early up that you may have the most time and the best time Begin young before your minds be corrupted with errors or possessed with prejudices before you have learned too much of those things which must be unlearned if ever you would learn the things of God It is a great advantage in this case when Men are instructed in the Scriptures from their childhood 2 Tim. 3.15 when the first thing they learn is to know God and Christ and themselves their own condition their duty their hopes The time of youth is the best time for getting knowledge as of other things so of Spiritual things Qui legem discit in puerit â similis est ei qui scribit in charâ—à novâ qui in senecture similis est ei qui scribit in charta vetere R. Eliaz. apud Drâ—â— There is then least within to keep knowledg out and what is then received usually enters most deeply and proves to be most durable The more pliable the wax is the deeper the impression and the deeper the impression is the more like it is to last Train up a Child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it Prov. 22.6 It is I am sure a preposterous course to learn other things before you learn what is most necessary to get a Trade before you have a Religion to learn to know the World before you know God 8. If you say this concerns your Children rather than your selves I add be much in teaching others the things of God that is the way to learn them more fully your selves The communicating your knowledge is the way to encrease it You will get more than you give and while you impart it you will best retain it While you instruct others God will instruct you and you may come to see more in his truths when you teach them others than ever you did when you learned them first
c. Ye denied the Holy One c. And well it may for it is the holy day of the holy Son of God yea God the Father and God the Son have put off their own holiness upon it Not essentially for that is incommunicable Nor is it an Inherent holiness which they have Communicated to it 2 Pet. 1.4 as the Saints of God have who are made holy by a supernatural change of their natures But the Sabbath is holy by divine Institution by special dedication and consecration God having hallowed this day above all other days in the week by separating it from common and civil uses and consecrating it to holy and religious ends and purposes viz. to be a Sabbath of holy rest But now The Question Question is How may we thus call the Sabbath holy or When may we be said truly to make it holy 1. When we make Gods hallowing and sanctifying this day our Motive and Argument to sanctifie it by a holy Observation of it Answer when that which God hath called holy by his divine sanction we dare not call it common and profane by prostituting of it to unsuitable actions words or thoughts There is a real calling it unholy as well as vocall He or She that spends the day or any part of it in doing evil or in doing nothing or in doing nothing to the purpose he proclaimeth to the world what he calleth the day although he speak not a word he speaks his heart by interpretation and when all is done our works are more credible Interpreters of our hearts than our words or profession Why call ye me Lord Lord and do not the things which I say Then we believe it holy when we keep it holy 2. Then we call the Sabbath holy when we sanctifie our selves for the Sabbath and for the Ordinances of the Sabbath If we have no care what frame of spirit we bring with us into the day nor with what frame we drive thorough it we are far from calling the Sabbath the holy of the Lord. For their sakes saith our Lord I Sanctifie my self John 17.17 I Sanctifie my self i. e. I separate my self wholly for the work of a Redeemer If the Lord Jesus separated himself for our sakes should not we much more separate our selves for his Then we believe Christ to be our holy Redeemer when we labour to be an holy people Holy as he is holy and then we have high venerable thoughts of the holiness of the Sabbath when we labour to be holy as the day is holy an unsuitable spirit is a profanation of the Sabbath The Day holy but we unholy what a reproach is this Holiness becomes thy house for ever q. d. Psal 93.5 Ceremonies were to continue but for a time but holiness is the standing qualification of thy day and of thy worshippers for ever 3. When we make holiness in the beginning and increase of it our design in our sanctifying of the day and of our attendance upon the Ordinances When we make holiness our business It is the great end for which God hath ordained a Sabbath Exod. 31.13 Ezek. 20.12 Verily my Sabbath ye shall keep for it is a sign between me and you that ye may know that I am the Lord that do sanctifie you Not a Ceremonial sign but a Moral sign a Covenant sign a kind of a Sacramental sign a Medium to effect what is promised in the Covenant 1 Cor. 11.23 25. as water in Baptism and bread and wine in the Lords Supper Oh when Gods design and mans design meets when God makes a Sabbath for a Medium to make his people holy and they keep a Sabbath that they may be holy this is excellent this is to call the Sabbath The Holy of the Lord. When we labour to bring as much holiness as we can into a Sabbath and to bring more holiness out of a Sabbath to come out of Gods day more holy than we came into it This is to sanctifie a Sabbath indeed 4. Then we call it holy when the more pure and holy the Sabbath is kept and the more purely and holily the Ordinances are dispensed the more our souls do love them the more beauty and glory we do see in them As David expresseth his affection to the word Thy word is very pure therefore doth thy servant love it It is very sad when the more purely and the more holily the word is dispensed the more people dislike it and pick quarrels with it as that vile people did who cried to their Prophets prophesie not Or if you will be prophesying prophesie smooth things Jer. 30 10 11. Sermons that will go down pleasantly discourses of peace that will not trouble our Consciences nor cross our corruptions but cause the holy one of Israel to cease from before us It was the Holy one of Israel c. the title which the prophets used in their Sermons but their ears were so tender they could not bear it if the Prophets would prophesie of the Merciful One of Israel and of the Bountiful One The Omnipotent One c. let them go on but they cared not so much for holiness and strictness as they pressed upon them from day to day this did not please their palate So when it is with a people in reference to other Ordinances Prayer and the Sacraments the more corrupted they be with the mixtures of men and of humane inventions the more acceptance and applause they find this argues that men seek not Jesum propter Jesum Christ for Christ his sake nor Ordinances for their purity nor Sabbaths because they be Holy days of an Holy God When to get holiness and to grow in holiness is our design Sanctifying Sabbaths John 17.17 When we sanctifie Sabbaths that God may sanctifie us by his Sabbaths and by his truth as our Lord prayeth then we do call and account the Sabbath indeed Sanctum Domini The Holy of the Lord. 5. We do truly count the Sabbath the holy of the Lord when we come out of Sabbaths as Moses came down from the Mount With our faces shining When we bring with us the savour of Christ Psal 45.8 his sweet ointments upon our garments When they with whom we converse may take notice that we have been with Jesus Acts 4 13. It is sad when men come out of a Sabbath just such as they came in as vain and loose as proud worldly wanton lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God in a word as fit for sin as they were before They sanctifie the Sabbath indeed who can in truth say with the Apostle 2 Cor. 4.18 We all with open face beholding as in a Glass or mirrour the glory of the Lord are changed or Metamorphosed into the same image as by the spirit of the Lord. When the Sabbath leaves its Image and Impress upon us in some measure then we do count it and keep it holy Surely the Sabbath
Word Read with a solemn composed spirit Seriousness is the Christian's ballast which keeps him from being overturn'd with vanity Labour to remember what you read Satan would (y) Mat. 13.4 steal the Word out Direct 7 of our mind not that he intends to make use of it himself but lest we should make use of it The memory should be like the Chest in the Ark where the Law was put Psalm 119.52 I have remembred thy judgments of old (z) Memoria est intui scriba Hierom writes of that Religious Lady Paula she had got most of the Scriptures by heart we are bid to have the word dwell in us (a) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. hâ—ud memorià excidat Col. 3.16 The Word is a Jewel adorns the hidden man and shall we not remember it Can a Maid forget her Ornaments Jer. 2.32 such as have a disease they call Lienteria the Meat comes up as fast as they eat it and stays not in the Stomack are not nourished by it If the Word stays not in the memory it cannot profit some can better remember a piece of News than a line of Scripture their memories are like those ponds where the Frogs live but the Fish dye Meditate upon what you read Psal 119.15 I will meditate in thy Precepts Direct 8 The Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost word to Meditate signifies to be intense in the mind in Meditation there must be a fixing of the thoughts upon the object Luke 2.19 The Virgin Mary pondered those things c. Meditation is the Concoction of Scripture Reading brings a Truth into our head Meditation brings it into our heart Reading and Meditation must like Castor and Pollux appear together Meditation without reading is erroneous reading without Meditation is barren the Bee sucks the flower then works it in the Hive and so turns it to Hony by Reading we suck the flower of the Word by Meditation we work it in the Hive of our mind and so it turns to profit Meditation is the bellows of the affections Psal 39.3 While I was musing the fire burned The Reason we come away so cold from Reading the Word is because we do not warm our selves at the fire of Meditation Come to the reading of Scripture with humble hearts acknowledge how Direct 9 unworthy you are that God should reveal himself in his Word to you God's secrets are with the humble Pride is an Enemy to profiting It is observed the ground on which the Peacock sits is barren that heart where Pride sits is barren an arrogant Person disdains the Counsels of the Word and hates the reproofs is he like to profit Jam. 4.6 God giveth grace to the humble The eminentest Saints have been but of low stature in their own eyes like the Sun in the Zenith they shewed least when they were at the highest David had more understanding then all bis Teachers Psal 119.99 but how humble was he Psal 22.6 I am a worm and no (c) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Greg. Nazianz man David in the Arabick Tongue signifies a worm Give Credence to the Word written believe it to be of God see Direct 10 the Name of God in every line The Romans that they might gain Credit to their Laws reported that they were inspired by the Gods at Rome Believe the Scripture to be Coelo missa divinely inspired 2 Tim. 3.16 All Scripture is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Divine inspiration Who but God could reveal the great Doctrines of the Trinity the Hypostatical Union the Resurrection Whence should the Scripture come if not from God 1. Sinners could not be the Authors of Scripture would they indite such holy lines or inveigh so fiercely against those sins which they love 2. Saints could not be the Authors of Scripture how could it stand with their Sanctity to counterfeit God's Name and put Thus saith the Lord to a Book of their own devising 3. Angels could not be the Authors of Scripture What Angel in Heaven durst personate God and say I am the Lord Believe the Pedigree of Scripture to be Sacred and to come from the (d) Jam. 1.17 father of lights The Scriptures Antiquity speaks its Divinity No humane Histories extant reach further than Noah's Flood but the Scripture writes of things (e) Id verum quod primum Tertul. before time Besides the Majesty Profundity Purity Harmony of Scripture show it could be breathed from none but God himself Add to this the (f) Cum animum tangit est sicut fulmen Luth. Efficacy the Word written hath had upon mens Consciences by reading Scripture they have been turned into other men as might be instanced in St. Austin Junius and others If you should set a Seal upon a piece of Marble and it should leave a Print behind you would say there were a strange vertue in that Seal so that the Word written should leave a Heavenly Print of Grace upon the heart it argues it to be of Direct 11 Divine Authority If you would profit by the Word believe it to be of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Some Scepticks question the Verity of Scripture though they have the Articles of Religion in their Creed yet not in their belief Isa 53.1 Who hath believed our Report Unbelief enervates the Vertue of the Word and makes it abortive who will (g) Vbi male creditur ibi nec bene vivitur Hierom. obey those truths he doth not believe Heb. 4.1 The Word did not profit them not being mixed with Faith 11. Highly prize the Scriptures Psal 119.72 The Law of thy mouth is better to me than thousands of Gold and Silver Can he make a proficiency in any Art who doth slight and depreciate it Prize this Book of God above all other Books Saint Gregory calls the Bible the Heart and Soul of God The Rabbins say that there is a Mountain of sense hangs upon every Apex and tittle of Scripture Psal 19.7 The Law of the Lord is perfect (h) In illa continentur omnia quae ad perfectam pietatem pertinent Musculus Camero The Scripture is the Library of the Holy Ghost it is a Pandect of Divine knowledge an exact model and Plat-form of Religion (i) Adoro plenitudinem Scripturae Tertul. The Scripture contains in it the Credenda the things which we are to believe and the Agenda the things which we are to practice it is able to make us wise to Salvation 2 Tim. 3.15 The Scripture is the (k) Regula mensura veritatis Rivet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Irenaeus Isa 8.20 Standard of Truth the Judge of Controversies it is the (l) Animarum Cynosura Quistorp Pole-star to direct us to Heaven Prov. 6.23 The Commandment is a (m) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Clem. Alex. Lamp The Scripture is the Compass by which the Rudder of our Will is to be steered it is the Field in which Christ the
Pearl of price is hid it is a Rock of Diamonds it is a sacred Collyrium or Eye-salve it mends their eyes that look upon it it is a spiritual Optiâ—k-glass in which the glory of God is Resplendent it is the Panaâ—y or (n) Vitae pharmacum Quistorpius universal Medicine for the Soul The leaves of Scripture are like the leaves of the Tree of life for healing of the Nations Rev. 22.2 The Scripture is both the Breeder and (o) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Athanas Feeder of Grace how is the Convert born but by the Word of Truth Jam. 1.18 how doth he grow but by the sincere Milk of the Word 1 Pet. 2.2 The Word written is the Book out of which our Evidences for Heaven are fetched it is the Sea-mark which shows us the Rocks of Sin to avoid it is the Antidote against Error and Apostasie the two-edged Sword which wounds the old Serpent It is our Bulwark to withstand the force of Lust like the Capitol of Rome which was a place of strength and ammunition The Scripture is the (p) Cant. 4.4 Tower of David whereon the Shields of our Faith hang. Take away the Word and you deprive us of the Sun said (q) Si verbum Dei auferas Solem è Mundo sustulisti Luth. Luther The Word written is above an Angelical Embassy or voice from Heaven 2 Pet. 1.18 This voice which came from Heaven we heard we have also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a more sure Word O prize the Word written prizing is the way to profiting If Caesar so valued his Commentaries that for preserving them he lost his Purple Robe how should we estimate the Sacred Oracles of God Job 23.12 I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food King Edward the Sixth on the day of his Coronation had presented before him three Swords signifying that he was Monarch of three Kingdoms the King said there was one Sword wanting being asked what Direct 12 that was answered The Holy Bible which is the Sword of the Spirit and is to be preferr'd before these Ensigns of Royalty Robert King of Sicily did so prize God's Word that speaking to his Friend Petrarcha he said I protest the Scriptures are dearer to me than my Kingdom (r) Juro tibi Petrarcha multo mihi chariores esse sacras Scripturas quà m regnum c. Corn. à Lap. and if I must be deprived of one of them I had rather lose my Diadem than the Scriptures 12. Get an ardent love to the Word Prizing relates to the judgment Love to the affections Psal 119.159 Consider how I love thy (s) Rom. 7 22â— precepts He is likely to grow rich who delights in his Trade he who is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 will be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Lover of Learning will be a Scholar St. Austin tells us before his Conversion he took no pleasure in the Scriptures but afterwards they were his chaste (t) Sint castae delitiae mâ—ae scripturae Aug. delights David tasted the Word sweeter than the Honey which drops from the Comb (u) Quod spâ—nte ex favo stillat mellis medulla vocatur plus autem melleae dulcedinis ab uberibus Scripturae sugitur Psal 19.10 Thomas a Kempis used to say He found no content but to be in angulo cum libello in a Corner with the Book of God in his hand Did Alphonsus King of Sicily recover of a fit of Sickness with that great pleasure he took in reading of Quintus Curtius What infinite pleasure should we take in reading the Book of Life There is enough in the Word to breed holy complacency and delight it is a specimen and demonstration of God's Love to us The Spirit is God's Love-Token the Word his Love-Letter How doth one delight to read over his Friend's Letter The Word written is a Divine Treasury or (x) Pietatis gazâ—â— hylacium Quistorp Store-house in it are scattered Truths as Pearls to adorn the hidden man of the heart The Word written is the true Manna which hath all sorts of sweet taste in (z) Manna cujuslibet Saporis it it is a soveraign Elixir it gives wine to them of an heavy heart I have read of an ancient Rabbi who in a great concourse of people made Proclamation of a soveraign Cordial he had to sell many resorting to him and asking him to shew it he opened the Bible and directed them to several places of Comfort in it Holy David drank of this Cordial Psal 119.50 This is my comfort in my affliction thy Word hath quickned me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 St. Chrysostom compares the Scripture to a (a) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Chrys Hom. in Psal 44. Garden every line in it is a fragrant Flower which we should wear not in our bosome but our heart Delight in the Word causeth profit and we must not only love the comforts of the Word but the reproofs Myrrh is bitter to the Palate but good for the Stomach Direct 13 Come to the reading of the Word with honest hearts Christ speaks of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the honest heart Luke 8.15 Quest Question What is it to read the Word with an honest Heart Answ 1. Answ 1 To come with an Heart willing to know the whole counsel of God a good Heart would not have any Truth concealed but saith as Job What I see not teach thou (b) Job 34.32 me When men pick and chuse in Religion they will do some things the Word enjoyns them but not others these are unsound Hearts and are not benefited by holy Writ These are like a Patient who having a bitter Pill prescribed and a Julip he will take the Julip but refuseth the Pill 2. To read the Word with an honest Heart is to read it that we may be made better by (c) Cor integrum i. e. quod prorsas desideret proficere Brugensis it The Word is quoad se the Medium and Organ of Sanctity and we come to it not only to Illuminate us but Consecrate us John 17.17 Sanctifie them through thy Truth Some go to the Bible as one goes to the Garden to pick Flowers i. e. fine Notions Austin confesseth that before his Conversion he went to hear Ambrose more for the elegancy of Speech and quaintness of Notion than the spirituality of the Matter This is like a Woman that paints her Face but neglects her health But this is to have an honest Heart when we come to the Scriptures as Naaman to the Waters of Jordan to be healed of our Leprosie Oh! saith the Soul That this Sword of the Spirit may pierce the Rock of my Heart that this blessed Word may have such a virtue in it as the water of jealousie to kill and make (d) Num. 5.27 fruitful that it may kill my Sin and make me fruitful in Grace Direct 14 Learn to apply Scripture take every
their respective Superiours in Church or Family 1. Superiours in the Church These under what Name or Title soever the Scripture presents them are all bound to Catechize that is in a most plain and sound manner publickly to instruct the most ignorant of their charge in the first principles of the Christian Religion This duty so peculiarly belongs to them that their whole work and office is set down under the name of Catechizing Let him that is taught in the Greek it is Catechized Gal. 6.6 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 communicate unto him that teacheth in the Greek that Catechiseth But to speak closely 1. Was not Paul a great Apostle yea the Grand Doctor of the Gentiles and yet he professeth himself a Catechist Paul's work was to plant as well as to water and to beget as well as to bring up 1 Cor. 6.7 and 4.15 Paul compares himself to a Nurse 1 Thess 2.7 the Saints to Babes such as had need of Milk and not of stronger meat 1 Cor. 3.1 Heb. 5.12 13. Paul professeth himself to be one of God's Stewards 1 Cor. 4.1 2. and if faithful he will see that the meanest the weakest in the Family hath his due allowance In a word Paul stiles himself a Master-builder 1 Cor. 3.10 And wherein lies the Art and Honour of a Master-builder so much as in solidly laying the Foundation-stone lest for want of it the building totter Mat. 7.26 27. 2. Was not Peter a great Officer in the Church and yet sure I am that whatever Dispensation Peter's pretended Successor or any of his Allies may boast and crack of Peter himself stands charged with feeding Lambs as well as Sheep John 21.15 In the Church there are not only adult and perfect Fathers and strong in Faith but Infants and Babes weak in Faith such as are ignorant of the word of Righteousness Is 40.11 Lambs to be carried in the bosom 3. The great dulness incapacity and slowness of heart that is in the people to understand by any other way of teaching calls aloud for this Elementary way of teaching By this means those that in vain do hear those Elaborate labours of the Learned in a more full and copious dilating on the Articles of Faith are by these little morsels of Catechising as it were chewed for them nourished up unto Salvation This manner of teaching the Prophet hints Is 28.10 13. like a discreet School-master not to pour in his Precepts all at once for then like water pour'd on narrow-mouth'd Vessels 't would mostly run over but instill drop by drop It becomes Pastors to be frequent in Preaching to be accurate in their Sermons but yet they may by no means forget the shallow Laterem lavat serpendum humi cum suis quasi balbutiendum indocible intractable temper of their hearers 'T is in vain to give great Gobbets of meat to an infant so far from feeding of him that is a ready way to choak him That Ministry usually proves the most effectual that drops as the Rain and distills as the Dew Deut. 32.2 Ezek. 20.26 4. Want and neglect of Catechism confessed to be one of the principal causes of all those desperate defections that have been made from the Faith in this our English Africa and of those insolent Invasions that have been made upon it by loose tongues and lewder Pens What blasphemous Disputes against the infinite Merit and Deity of our Saviour as if we intended to justifie the Jews in condemning him to the Cross for avouching himself the Coessential and Coeternal Son of God Joh. 19.7 Biddle 's Lat. How audaciously have they proceeded in the like sacrilegious attempts against the Holy Ghost What proud brags of the purity of man's Nature and the sufficiency of his power to save himself How daring have men been to decry the Scriptures the Lord's Day and all the Ordinances of God's Institution to despise the Sacraments as if they were as beggerly Elements as the Jewish Ceremonies to deride singing of Psalms as if David's Harp were out of tune to reject Prayer as if they were rais'd to such a plentiful measure of Spiritual Riches that it were a shame for them to crave any further supply In a word scarce any Article of the Christian Religion which hath not received many a desperate Stab under it's fifth Rib and that from the Hand of those whose hearts did ere-while seem ready to expose their heads to the greatest hazard for the least title of sacred Truth And whence all this but from Ignorance of Truth Had Truth been clearly understrod it could never have been so unworthily undervalued much less so treacherously undermined and least of all so impudently affronted as wo is us we behold it both to our grief and horror And whence this Barbarous Ignorance but from want of due Catechising Hinc illae lachrymae Ob. 1. True The laying of Foundations Instructions in the first Principles of Religion a most useful necessary work but what ground is there in the Holy Scriptures for that Form or manner of Catechising as is now in use viz. By way of Question and Answer Sol. 1. There are several Texts of Scripture from which the Learned conclude that this Mode of Catechising was used in the Apostles days and by the Apostles themselves and their immediate Successors and this in imitation of the Jews Rom. 2.20 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who had A Form of Knowledg and of the Truth in the Law out of which they Instructed the Ignorant and taught Babes Thus Rom. 6.17 the Apostle had given the Romans A Form of Doctrine and to Timothy A Form of sound words 2 Tim. 1.13 A Form of sound words which contained the principles of the Doctrine of Christ and the first principles of the Oracles of God six whereof are distinctly mentioned Heb. 5.12 with 6.1 2. To these plain and fundamental Rules as to their Standard the Apostles would have all Doctrines that were Preached to be brought and tried and so far to be allowed of as they held proportion with them This is that which the Apostle calls Prophesying according to the proportion of Faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 12.6 Thus the Magdeburg from these Scriptures assert That there was a Catechism delivered by the Apostles in which they had drawn the Doctrine of the Gospel into short heads for instructing of the Children of the Church Eusebius saith That there was one set apart on purpose for this Office in the primitive Church called the Catechist qui Catechismum docebat and others called Catechumeni that learnt the Catechism and these were of two sorts 1. Jews and Heathens that offered themselves to be listed among the Christians and were not as yet sufficiently seen in the great fundamentals of the Christian Religion 2. The Children of believing Parents that had been Baptized Both these were put under the careful institution of the Catechist and by him to be so far instructed till they had
attained so much knowledg in the Principles of the Christian Religion as that the Heathens might be admitted to Baptism and the Christian Children to the Lord's Supper To this custom some of the Learned judge that Peter alludes in 1 Pet. 3.21 not the putting away of the filth of the flesh but the Answer of a good Conscience towards God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Pet. 3.15 Aâ—lusio factâ— ad morâ—m veterem Catechistarum irâ—e rogantium Catecâ—umenos a daltos ante Bâ—ptisâ—um 〈◊〉 qui ad Christianismum vel gentilitate vocati Credis Credo Abrenuntias Abrenuntio Cujus origo in exemplo Eunuchi Ac. 8.37 Spant dub Evang. Pars 3. p. 97. Trap. in Mat. 13.51 Bowles Pastor Evaag l. 2. c. 5. by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ True the main thing is the Answer of a good Conscience in a man 's own self yet there was a good Answer in his mouth to the Catechist who was to ask them a reason of the hope that was in them 3. The Primitive Fathers that trod on the Heels of the Apostles and were most likely to be best acquainted with the Apostles practice highly esteemed this way of teaching and constantly used it Cyprian saith Optatus used it at Carthage Origen at Alexandria Hence Clemens Alexander his paedagogus Cyril Mystagog Lactantius his Institutions Athanasius his Synopsis Augustine his Enchirid. Liber de Doct. Christianâ de Catechiz rudibus Fulgentius de fide 4. Many of the Antient Councils made Decrees and Canons for Catechising Concil Neocaes Can. 6.7 Concil Tolet. Can. 24. In this consent all the Reformed Churches uno ore Nay which is more the Papists themselves that were assembled in the Council of Trent observing that in the later Spring of the Gospel the use of Catechizing in the Reformed Churches was one of the special means of with-drawing People from the darkness of Popery to the light of the Gospel and of so firmly grounding professors in the true Religion as nothing could with-draw them from the same and so the Hereticks as they were pleased to stile them had got much ground strongly moved the Councel that there might be a Catechism compiled of the Principles of the Romish Religion as that that was most likely to give check to that deluge of Heresie which through the Hereticks Catechising was breaking in upon them 5. This manner of Teaching by way of Catechising viz. By propounding the Question and putting the child to Answer it as the Echo doth the Voice is a most ready way to make any Instruction to take Whence it is that in all Schools of Learning this course is taken viz. The Teacher propounds his Questions and requires Answers from those that are instructed whereas if you speak never so well or so long yea the longer the worse in a set and continued Speech it useth to vanish in the Air without any observable notice or after fruit 2. Superiors in the Family and these are Parents and Family Governors to whom we may adjoin School-masters and Tutors These all are concerned in this great duty of Training up and Catechizing those that are committed to their Charge and Conduct 1. How deeply Parents are obliged to this Duty is written as it were with a Sun-beam in the Scriptures where we find Precepts Presidents Arguments more than many to evince it Ex. 10.2 Ex. 12.24 26 27 with 13.8 14 15. Josh 4.6 7 21 22 24. Deut. 4.9 10. Ainsw in Deut. 6 6 7. 1. Precepts The Israelites are bound to tell in the ears of their sons and of their sons sons what things the Lord had wrought in Egypt that they also might know Jehovah to be the Lord. The Parents are bound to be Expositors of that great Rite of the Paschal Lamb and of the Stones set up in the midst of Jordan bound also to teach their Children the words which they heard from the Lord their God in Horeb even the Ten Commandments How doth this Duty sparkle with a Radiant Lustre in that great Text Deut. 6.6 7 These words which I Command thee this day shall be in thine heart and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy Children and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine House and when thou walkest by the way Ainsw in Deut. 6.6 7. and when thou liest down and when thou risest up It is the Eternal God that here gives forth his strict Command to Parents These words all these words Precepts Promises Threatnings shall be in thy heart not in thy head only so as to know but in thy Heart to affect An Heart inflamed with the Love of God and his Truth Joel 1.3 Deut. 11.19 God knew was one of the most effectual means to engage the Tongue to make known his Truth but not only in their Heart but Houses too Thou shalt teach them thy Children nor was this a Ceremonial Precept or a Command given peculiarly to the Jews for their assistance in their Remembrance of the Law of God as their Phylacteries and fringes c. Exod. 13.9 Deut. 6.8 9. but was and is a Moral perpetual standing Precept binding us in Gospel-times as well as them The same things we find in this Text we find also in the New Testament The word of Christ must dwell richly in us all one with this here Let it be in thine heart Col. 3.16 and in our Houses also we must teach and admonish others Eph. 6.4 we are to bring up our Children in the Nurture and Admonition of the Lord. 2. Branches in this Precept 1. Parents warned not to abuse their Authority by provoking their Children In the best of Parents there is not only Natural affection but also Natural corruption by reason whereof if they watch not well they will be very prone not only to be rash but furious with their Children that their Will may be fulfilled Therefore is this bridling Caution needful provoke not 2. Parents are here commanded not to neglect to lay out and improve their Authority in instructing their Children This also is necessary because Parents are too too apt to be fondly indulgent and on that account careless to bring up their Children in such courses as are necessary for knowing and doing the Will of God Both therefore are of special use Do not provoke but instruct Yea in instructing take care that you do not provoke and so instructing you will not at least you shall not have cause to provoke for a well instructed Child is in God's way to be an Obedient Child and very tractable to instructing Parents so that there will be no occasion of provocation from him or being provoked against him Bring them up therefore we must but in what In the Nurture and Admonition of the Lord. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in all profitable knowledg Vid Zanch. Musc in Loc. suitable to a Child's Age and State for the composing and framing of him by this his knowledg unto a commendable and vertuous carriage for the
Parent is to take care that the Child Sanctifies the Sabbath day Joshua read all the words that Moses commanded before all the Congregation of Israel Josh 8.35 Joel 2.15 16. Jon. 3.5 Omnes sine ullo discrimine ne infantibus exceptis Drusius Mark 10.13 Luk. 18.15 Vt Patres majores natu in illis perspicerent quid essent meriti magis exhorrerent scolerasua prâ—pter quae nou sibi solum sed et liberis suis imminebat interitus Calv. Deut 66. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Et exacues ea accuratè commodissimè mâ—â—lcabis â—â—no 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Proverbium quod in ore sit inculcetur Act. 17.11 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of better descent Non per civilem dignitatem sed per spiritualem dignationem Trap. with the women and the little ones And Deut. 29.11 not only Captains and Elders and Officers with all the men of Israel but their little ones also stood before the Lord to enter into Covenant with him Mat. 19.13 14. There were brought unto Christ little Children that he should put his hands on them and pray but the Disciples rebuked them But our Saviour gives check to their rebukes and commands them to suffer little children and forbid them not to come unto him and that on a weighty reason because of such is the Kingdom of Heaven and those little ones enjoyed the benefit and blessing of Christ's hand and prayer Sanctifie a Fast call a Solemn Assembly gather the children and those that suck the breast Joel 2.15 16. Isa 17.5 7. After their return from the publick be sure to call them to an account according to their capacity Examine and try how they profit how they understand and remember anything at all that they have heard Repeat it and make it still more and more plain to them and in repeating it apply it also to their Consciences This is that which some Divines understand by that whetting or sharpning of the Word on our Children i. e. teach them by way of repetition going over and over again as men do with knives when they whet them that so as knives by such whetting are more keen and fit to cut so the Truths of God by often turning and returning them on the ears and tongues of children may pierce more deeply into their hearts consciences for their better understanding and affecting of them This was our Saviour's practice to call his Disciples to an account and to know of them what they remembred and understood of what they heard Mat. 13.51 Jesus saith unto them have ye understood all these things and Mark 4.34 when they were alone he expounded all things to his Disciples How careful will the child or servant be heedfully to mark what he hears if he knows he shall be examined when he comes home How much will this course help and confirm your children and servants yea your selves also to understand believe and practice that which hath been taught you When those Noble Bereans had publickly received the Word with all readiness of mind i. e. took the heads of Paul's Sermon truly they privately searched the Scriptures daily to see whether things were so and finding on their search that the Truths deliver'd were consonant to the Scriptures 't is said therefore i. e. for that very reason many of them believed and not your understandings only but your memories also This way with your Family will make you the Governours of it better able to retain This is clearly infer'd from Deut. 4.9 Take heed to thy self and keep thy Soul diligently lest thou forget the things c. But how shall this forgetfulness be prevented Why by teaching them thy Sons and thy Sons Sons 2 Pet. 1 13. And this refreshing of your memories will not a little conduce to the stirring up of your affections and to work in you greater sense and deeper feeling of the Truths you have heard 8. In all your instructions most carefully avoid all tedious prolixity Nothing more disgusts a Child's spirit than long and tedious discourses Make up the shortness of your discourse by frequency a little now and a little then not all at once Drop by drop as you pour liquor into narrow-mouth'd Bottles As you do when you first begin to feed their Bodies with a Spoon so must you do when you first begin to feed their Souls with instruction Long Speeches burthen their small memories too much and through mens imprudence may unhappily occasion them to loath spiritual Manna As Physitians therefore in their Diuretick Precepts prescribe to children little and often so must we Young Plants may quickly be even over-glutted with rich manuring and rotted with too much watering Weak eyes newly open'd from sleep at the first can hardly bear the glaze of a Candle Line upon line therefore and Precept upon Precept here a little and there a little Isa 28.10 Gen. 33.13 You must drive the little ones towards Heaven as Jacob did his towards Canaan very gently Fair and soft goes far 9. Having thus far season'd your little ones Dr. Jacomb Dom. Deo 167. and their understandings being somewhat grown with their years now is the fittest time to put a Catechism into their hands i. e. a plat-form of sound words 2 Tim. 1.13 by way of Question and Answer in a short compendious Method whose terms being clear and distinct Morn Exercise at Cripplegate p. 196. should be phrased as near as may be out of the Holy Scripture and fitted to their capacities by a very plain and solid stile and to their memories by brief expressions And here I would humbly offer this advice make use of a double Catechism a shorter and a larger A shorter to be learned by those that have weak memories and capacities A larger to be got by heart by those that have more years greater parts and larger capacities Nov. 30. 1618. Sess 17. Lib. 2. Cap. 2. Thus I find the Synod of Dort prescribing in their Act for Catechizing In this we agree with that burning and shining Light Mr. Crook of Winton in Somerset and that acute grave and pious Pastor of Sutton in Bedfordshire Mr. Bowles in his Pastor Evangelicus and especially we find it done to our hands by the late Assembly of Divines sitting at Westminster in their lesser and larger Catechism And that upon this solid reason lest on the one hand whilest we impose a burthen on such weak shoulders as are not able to sustain it they should despond and sink and on the other hand when we require of others that which is much beneath their supposed ability they should pass it by with neglect at least if not throw it off with scorn But what are the Forms of Catechizing I would propose I answer 1. For the youngest and lowest Rank I suppose the Articles of the Christian Faith contained in that very Antient Creed commonly called the Apostles Creed The Decalogue or Ten Commandments the Lord's Prayer and
Philip to the Noble Eunuch q. d. To what purpose readest thou if thou be not careful to understand what thou readest The Word Preached either by Pastor or Teacher the Truth deliver'd in a way of Catechizing will do us no good unless we hear with understanding Hearken unto me every one of you and understand Mark 7.14 saith the greatest Preacher and have ye understood all these things Matth. 13.51 Dear Brethren as I know you desire not to sow your seed on the high-way Mat. 13 19. so as that the Fowls of that Prince of the Air should come and pick it up so be careful to make poor Creatures to understand what they are taught Now for the opening of the Truths laid down in the Assemblies Catechism I cannot but commend those four Books which I have found so exceeding useful for the younger ones among our people viz. Dr. Wallis Mr. Jos Alleyn Mr. Tho. Vincent and Mr. Tho. Dolittle their excellent Explanations 3. You will be sure to act very wisely very discreetly You know in Catechizing you have to do with different Sexes Ages Tempers Capacities some are less capable and more bashful these must not be expos'd to the scorn and contempt of those that have it may be more glib tougues and brazen foreheads but worse hearts You know when and how to incourage the willing to praise the forward to check the presumptuous to admonish the unruly patiently to bear with all You know what it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be Soul Nurses 1 Thess 2.7 8. how to impart with all dearness those Fundamental Truths which make for their spiritual and eternal good and growth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And shall I take leave in your names to assure younger ones that you will have a tender eye to the slowness of apprehension in some of them to the slipperiness of memory in others to the bashfulness of most to the reputation of them all That you will opportunely prevent their grosser mistakes and candidly palliate their lesser ones that you will give the best sense to the worst of their Answers and put some necessary words into their mouths the better to facilitate the expression of their thoughts that you will so wisely manage the whole business as that it may make for their reputation as well as instruction and that they may find favour both with God and men 4. What you do do it resolvedly and that in God's strength not in your own Expect opposition from within from without From within a proud heart apt to mutter 't is a low mean piece of drudgery No but rather the most Doctor-like part of our work and such as cannot accurately be perform'd without a clear insight into the greatest depths of Religion and a proportionable gift of ready Exposition The lowest Principles of Religion are the highest Mysteries Again the tender shoulder that shrugs and enters its Plea against the burthen as being too troublesom a weight to be added to the Load of our other Lords-day-labours Neither will this prevail with you Brethren we are confident you are not only able 2 Tim. 2.14 2 Cor. 12.15 but apt to teach 'T is your joy to spend your selves and be spent in the utmost service of your God and his Church You will not be much concern'd in the consuming of your Oyl so you may lend your Light To such gracious Souls as yours there is there can be no greater burthen than the sense you have of the heaviness of your people in hearing But from without the general averseness of young ones is pleaded as a grand obstruction As to that you are so well seen in spiritual Logick as to fetch meat out of this Eater and will easily conclude that this averseness in young ones from this exercise of Catechizing is not the least Argument of its singular usefulness The more unwilling the Patient is to have his Wound open'd searcht plaister'd and bound the more eager the compassionate Chirurgion is to give relief The more unwilling they are to present themselves to be Catechiz'd the more reason have we to press them to it by the greatest violence of perswasion .. Lastly let not want of success discourage Your Heavenly Master you know hath assured you that your labour is not 1 Cor. 15. last shall not be in vain in the Lord. God takes the measures of his servants not from their success which is his sole work but from their sedulous and faithful endeavors which is their duty Go you on to plant and water let the great Lord of the Vineyard alone to give the increase And know 2 Cor. 8.12 1 Cor. 3.6 7. 2 Cor. 2.15 you are a sweet savour unto God and though Israel be not gather'd but you seem to have spent your strength in vain yet surely your judgment is with the Lord and your work and wages with your God Isa 49.4 I have now done with the particular directions there remain yet some more general ones which being observed may with God's Blessing much promote the success of this whole work And so 1. To spiritual instruction add holy admonition exhortation good advice and counsel Do not only let them know by instruction what their duty is but press urge inforce this duty upon them by admonition and good counsel O my Child you see your Duty you know what you ought to do O do according to what you know What a strong powerful prevailing influence hath good counsel when duly applied Only see 1. That you back your counsel with the clearest Scripture and most convincing Arguments you can possibly Good advice without these is but a Bullet without Powder and Arrow without a Feather Argue with them about the Excellency of God Christ the Spirit Grace the vanity of the Creature the folly and sinfulness of sin See how Job handles the matter with his Wife about murmuring and impatience against God Job 2.10 What shall we receive good at the hand of God and not evil Hear what Bathsheba saith to Solomon Prov. 31.2 3 4. What my Son and what the Son of my Womb c. It is not for Kings O Lemuel it is not for Kings c. Shew them the beauty of Christ draw aside the Curtain let them behold the Image of that blessed Saviour pourtrayed in Scripture Do to them as the Spouse did to the Daughters of Jerusalem run over all the Excellencies of Christ to them and then conclude He is altogether lovely This is my Beloved and this is my Friend Can. 5.16 O Daughters of Jerusalem 2. Labour as much as possible to insinuate your selves into their affections Having clear'd your way into their heads labour to wind and scrue your selves into their hearts Let them know that you have no design upon them but to make them happy no private end only their everlasting good This done thou hast done all thy work when all jealousies of any sinister ends are blown away then Exhortations and
the whole race of mankind and tell me was Circumcision any more than a Ceremony Exod. 24.25 yet it had almost cost Moses his life for neglecting to circumcise his son for the Angel stood ready with his sword to slay him if he had not prevented it by his obedience 1 Cor. 11.30 So for the Lord's Supper as much a Ceremony as it is yet for the abuse of it some of the Church were sick and weak others fell asleep that is died And if God did so severely punish the abuse how think you to escape that presumptuously neglect the use thereof Object 2. But if I am regenerate and become a New Creature I am sure I shall be saved I do not fear that God vvill cast me away for the disuse of a Ceremony Ans Is this the reasoning of one regenerate surely thou dost not understand vvhat regeneration meaneth is it not the same vvith being born of God and is not he that is born of God a Child of God and what is it to be obedient to the Father but to do as he commandeth and hath he not commanded you by his Son to remember your Saviour in this supper vvhen you have considered this then tell me what you think of this kind of reasoning I am a child of God therefore I will presume to disobey him he bids me remember Jesus in this supper and I will not methinks thou blushest at the very mentioning of it and what if he should not cast thee quite off for this neglect yet thou hast no reason to think but that either outwardly or inwardly or both he will scourge thee for this sin before thou diest and do thou examine whether the languor of thy graces and poverty of thy consolations be not the lashes of your Heavenly Father for this sin 3. Object But I remember a crucified Saviour in the Word read and preached I see him there lifted up and dying for me and I bless God to my great comfort How needless a thing then is it to remember him in this supper so Ans Vain man would be vviser than Christ who is the Wisdom of his Father Jesus Christ hath thought fit not only to command that himself should be Preached to his Church but also remembred in this supper But thou dost say oh presumption that the first vvas sufficient the latter is needless and impertinent Wilt thou undertake to give counsel to the Son of God or advise him in the affairs of his Kingdom shall the Holy Ghost say Heb. 3.5 He was faithful in his house as a Son and wilt thou argue him of weakness in his Administrations Job 40.2 He that reproveth the Son of God let him answer it But why shouldest thou say this Supper is needless because Christ is remembred in the Word may not truth in some cases be more effectually conveyed to the soul by the eye than ear do you not find your selves more moved to See the execution of a man to See one hanged or beheaded than barely to hear the story of it Jesus Christ in this Ordinance is as it were crucified before your eyes in a manner more affecting than when you only hear of his crucifixion by the Word But further this Supper hath further ends than the Word preached for Christ and the Covenant of Grace founded in his blood is preached to the intent that you may Believe and enter into this Covenant with God but the Supper is instituted as an outward sign to Ratifie this Covenant betwixt God and you after it hath been once entred into by Faith you do not think it enough in marriage to take one another's word but you compleat it by a solemn vow in the presence of witnesses I tell you Christ hath not thought it enough to take your word but he will have it confirmed solemnly by this Ordinance and this he will have often repeated for he knows us too well as to our proneness to backsliding which by this supper he would prevent But yet further who is it dare presume to give Christ his measures how and where and by what means he should manifest himself and his love to his believers what if he hath reserved some peculiar degrees of light and strength and comfort to convey to his people by this Supper that he thinks not fit ordinarily to do by his Word and if it be so Luke 24. who shall say to him why dost thou thus I remember what is recorded of the two Disciples travelling to Emaus by their discourse it appeared that they doubted whether Jesus was the Christ Christ meeting with them and perceiving that their Faith staggered took this method first he endeavoured to settle them in their Faith that notwithstanding he had been crucified and buried that yet he was the true Christ which he did by expounding Moses and the Prophets from whence he proved that it was necessary that Christ must suffer and this vvas vvith good effect upon their hearts for they said did not our hearts burn within us when we heard him but yet he reserved a fuller manifestation of himself to them untill he came to break bread with them at their house then it is said their eyes were opened and they knew that it was he I do not say that breaking of bread in that place was the Lord's Supper in the sense I speak of it but it will serve me so far as to illustrate what I intend which is this That it may be the pleasure of Christ to intail peculiar manifestations of himself to his people upon several ordinances he will beget faith by the preaching of the word and set your hearts in a flame of love to him from vvhat you hear there and yet may reserve the confirmation of your faith and establishment of your love to him to be wrought by this of the Lord's Supper which is that which many of his people have experienced And therefore it cannot be said to be in vain to have Christ presented to you in the Lord's Supper as well as in the Lord's word preached and this I conceive abundantly enough to silence this objection 4th Objection But I am not prepared worthily to receive and therefore I dare not come to this Table least I eat and drink damnation to my self Answer Whose fault is that what hast thou been doing all thy life if thou hast not been working out thy salvation with fear and trembling thou hast done nothing Repentance hath been preached why hath not thy heart been broken Christ hath been offered why hast thou not received him by faith This Supper hath been explained why hast thou not understood it if thou hadst but repented of thy sins and believed in the Lord Jesus and understood the meaning of this Supper thou hadst been prepared for a worthy receiving of it but if it be not thus with thee it is thy own fault get thee therefore into thy closet humble thy self mightily before the Lord for this long abuse
Cum isto milite praesens absens ut siâ—s Ter. Eu. present at Prayer absent in mind when present in body God is not pleased with the prostrating of the body when your hearts joyn not in the work Do not so dissemble on your knees with God and man Are you then desiring the mercies prayed for whether pardon of sin strength against sin love to God repentance for sin an interest in Christ and evidences thereof when your minds and thoughts are wandering about other things Which if they do let Conscience call to thee to mind the * Vt vivas igitur vigila HOC AGE Hor. l. 2. Sat. 3. work thou art about for is not this to sin against God when you pretend to be serving of him and to be provoking of him when you should be praying to him to be reconciled unto you and turn away his anger from you Conjunct Prayer should be made with one mouth and with one mind Acts 1.14 They prayed together with one accord * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Qui rectè orare cupit debet necessario in se esse collectus von distractus aut sensibus dissipatus aut vagus Ames Cas Cons 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est vox musica significat concentum concentus autem à cantu eo differt quod cantus unius sit concentus non nisi plurium hic vero concentum animorum significat Camer prael Verbo Graeco elegans subest metaphora 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 de musico vocum concentu harmonicóque sono dicitur tanquam si diceretur non minùs gratam esse Deo concordem pluriuâ— erationem quà m concentus musicus hominum curibus sit gratus Novar in loc ex Crit. Sac. which word is translated Rom. 15.6 one mind that ye may with one mind and one mouth glorifie God but where your thoughts are wandering in Family Prayer though there be but one mouth there be many minds these persons do not accord in Prayer which is great discord before God There should be a sympathy and agreement of hearts in conjunct Prayer Matth. 16 19. If two of you shall agree on Earth as touching any thing they shall ask A harmony of hearts should be in Prayer the word is borrowed from Musicians when several playing together do make an accord in Musick a consent of many voices in one thence translated to the mind denotes a concent of more hearts in one such Prayers make sweet harmony in the ears of God Keep your minds fixed then else though you do agree to go together into one Room to pray there will not be an agreement of hearts when you pray Direction III. 3. Direct Those that joyn should not only attend but also assent to the matter of the Prayer so far as it is agreeable to the Word of God When the corruption of the heart is acknowledged believe that this is true the misery of an unregenerate state lamented believe it to be true when Grace is prayed for as necessary to your salvation and that you are undone without it believe this as a most certain truth for if these things be spoken by him that prayeth and heard by you that joyn and not believed your hearts will not be humbled when sin is confessed nor earnest after Grace when it is prayed for and so you will lose the benefit of that Prayer Direction IV. 4. Direct Do not only believe these things in Prayer but make particular application thereof unto your selves When original sin is acknowledged think and say in your own hearts Lord this is my condition my heart is thus corrupt loathsom and vile When wants are expressed and supplies begged go along with what is said and apply it particularly to your selves Lord this is my want the want of Christ is my want O that he may be given to me the want of love to God and delight in him is my want O that I might love thee O that I could love thee and so in other things this is my sin and these are my doubts and my fears this is my burden and this is my temptation according as these are insisted on in prayer and this will make the duty to be for your spiritual benefit and profit These are the Directions for them that are to joyn with him that is your mouth to God The Directions more common to all that prayer might be managed to spiritual profit are these following Direction 1. Sciamus non alios ritè probèque se accingere ad orandum nisi quos afficit Dei Majestas Calv. Inst Speculator adstat desuper Qui nâ—s diebus omnibus Actúâ—que nostros prospicit A luce prima in vesperam Hic testis hic est arbit r Hic intuetur quicquid est Humana quod mens concipit Hunc nemo fallit Judicem Aur. Prud. Cathemer Hym. 2. For further direction in this point how you should do all in the Name of Christ see the Serm. on Col. 3.17 1. Direct Get and keep upon all your hearts awful lively impressions of the perfection of that God that you pray unto Take heed of coming with low irreverent unsuitable thoughts of God but conceive of him and believe and work and press it upon your hearts that the God you kneel before is most holy most wise most gracious and merciful most just eternal unchangeable all-sufficient true in his threatnings righteous in his commands faithful in his promises every where present and knowing all things that he observeth all your words and ways and looks into your hearts and thoughts that this God you cannot deceive though you should deceive your selves and one another Consider and believe that this God is present among you and doth know your ends your desires and what you are as well as who you are Then think is this that God that we are to speak unto to kneel before and shall we not so manage this duty that we might please this God and if you do you shall find it shall be for your spiritual benefit Direction 2. 2. Direct Put up your prayers to this great and glorious God in the name of Jesus Christ There is no access for sinners to God but by and through a Mediator You shall reap no benefit by praying except you go in the name of Christ Joseph told his Brethren they should not see his face except they brought Benjamin with them Gen. 43.5 nor we the face of God without Christ Eph. 3 12. Heb. 7.25 Col. 3.17 Heb. 13.15 This praying in the name of Christ doth not consist in the bare mentioning of his Name with our tongues but to pray in obedience to his command in his strength for his Glory trusting his promises resting on his merits expecting audience and acceptance only for his sake Direction 3. Quid odiosius aut etiam Deo magis execrandum putamus hac fictione ubi quis veniam peccatorum postulat interim aut se peccatorem non esse cogitans aut certè peccatorem
reverence her Husband This is the Dictate of our Creator both by the Light of Nature and of Scripture This is the constant language both of the Old Testament and of the New And is more purposely handled and prest by the two great Apostles of the Jews and Gentiles that so all Christians however descended should submit unto it The Apostle Paul Ephes 5.22 c. Col. 3.18 c. The Apostle Peter 1 Pet. 3.1 c. Not that these are all their respective Duties but these are specified either 1. (n) Mr. Byfield on Col p. 111. Because in these are the most frequent failings Husbands too commonly being defective in their Love and Wives most defective in their Reverence and Subjection Or 2. Because these two are the sum of the rest and no other Duties are either Possible or Acceptable without them And my present Work is to digest and urge these in a solemn and impartial manner that it may appear Our Religion doth not only propound Rewards to make us happy in the world to come but doth also direct the methods of setling our quiet and comfort in this present world For certainly it is not the Having of Husbands or Wives that brings contentment but the mutual Discharge of both their Duties and this makes their Lives though never so poor an Heaven upon Earth But herein I can but draw up an Abstract and send you where you may be far better provided In the mean time let us all in the prosecution hereof sadly reflect on our former failings and sincerely resolve on future amendment according to that whereof we shall be convinced by the word of Truth And here I shall indeavour these Four things 1. To propound the Mutual or Common Duties of Both. 2. The special Duty of every Husband 3. The special duty of every Wife 4. Directions how to accomplish them That so they may most certaily be Blessings to each oher First let us see what are those Mutual Duties that lie common between Husband and Wife wherein Both of them are equally at least according to the place and power of each concern'd and oblig'd And they are These following 1. Mutual Cohabitation For the man he (o) Gen. 2.24 must leave father and mother and cleave to his Wife And the Woman she (p) Psal 45.10 must forget her kinred and her fathers house The Husband (q) 1 Pet. 3.7 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he must dwell with the Wife and the Wife (r) 1 Cor. 7 10. she must not depart from the Husband though he be an Infidel And indeed the Ends and Duties of marriage are such as will not ordinarily dispense herewith For Example 1 Cor. 7.3 4.5 Let the husband render unto the Wife due benevolence and likewise also the wife unto the husband The wife hath not power of her own body but the husband and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body but the wife Defraud you not the one the other except it he with consent for a time that you may give your selves to fasting and prayer and come together again that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency Which plainly shews that even the sober use of the Marriage-bed is such (s) The wife of Galeac Caracciola denying this debt upon the direction of her Confessor on pain of Excommunication was judg'd a sufficient Reason of Divorce In vita a mutual debt that it may not be intermitted long without Necessity and Consent Nay in the †Deut. 24 5. Old Law the greatest necessity should not send the husband from his wife the first year that their affections might be throughly settled and that he might chear up his Wife which he hath taken * For the man is the head the Woman is as the body for the head and body to be sundered it is present death to either Gataker Serm. p. 203. Neither indeed can any of the following Duties towards each others Souls or Bodies be throughly performed nor many grievous snares avoided without dwelling together And therefore neither desire of Gain nor Fear of Trouble no occasional Distasts nor pretence of Religion should separate those from Conjugal converse and (t) Alibi fluctuare sese existimet in domo autem apud uxorem suum tanquam in portu optat◠conquiescere Daven in Col. Cohabitation unless with consent and that but for a time whom God hath joyned together 2. Mutual Love This though in a peculiar manner it be the Duty of the Husband Col. 3.18 Husbands love your Wives yet it is required also of the Wife Tit. 2.4 they must love their Husbands Indeed this is the (u) First you must choose your Love and then you must love your choice Smith Serm. Conjugal Grace the great Reason and the great Comfort of Marriage Not a sensual or doting Passion but genuine conjugal and constant out of a pure heart fervently Not grounded on beauty wealth or interest for these may soon wither and fail nor only upon Graoe and Piety for this may decay to the least degree and in the opinion of both parties quite disappear but it must be grounded upon the Command and Ordinance of God whereby of Two they are made * Vna caro non nexu amoris nec commixtione corporum nec procreatione liberorum sed vinculo conjugii Zanch. One flesh So that though either of them be poor deform'd froward though unregenerate wicked Infidels yet in Obedience to God and in Conscience of the Marriage-Vow which obligeth for better and for worse they ought to love each other with a (x) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrys in Eph. hom 29. superlative Love and when the sacred knot is once tyed every man should think his wife and every wife her husband the fittest for them of any in the world And hereupon the (y) Cael. Rhodig l. 28. p. 1575. Heathens took the Gall from their nuptial Sacrifices and cast it behind the Altar to intimate the removing of all bitterness from the Marriage-state there should be nothing but Love And this Love must be as durable and constant as are the grounds of it to the Persons of each other until death and to the memory and posterity of each other when they are dead and gone and thus the good wife is understood by some to do her husband good (z) Prov. 31.12 all the days of her life not only of his life but when he is dead to his Posterity What strange instances of this lasting love former (a) Portia the wife of Brutus A ria the wife of Cecinna Pae us In Valer. Max. Ages hath given and some (b) The Bannyon Wives among the Indians burn themselves to ashes at the funeral of their husbands Herbert in his Travels Pagans at this day is in History both evident and admirable This true-hearted Love will bring true Content and constant Comfort into that Condition will make all counsels and reproofs acceptable will
and therefore though her Beauty be decayed her Portion spent her Weaknesses great and her Vsefulness small yet she is a piece of my Self and here the wise God hath determined my affection And when all is said This is the only Sure Foundation and holds perpetually 2. This Love must be right for the Extent of it I mean it reaches the whole Person both Soul and Body Every man should choose such an one whose outward features and proportion he can highly esteem and affect and it speaks the admirable Wisdom of God to frame such variety of fancies to answer the variety of persons and there being such choice it is sottish folly to choose where a man cannot love and the greatest Injury possible to the wife to insnare her heart and bind her to one that shall afterwards say he cannot love her But besides this true Conjugal Love to a Wife reaches her Soul So as to see an amiableness in her mind and disposition so as to study how to polish her Soul more and more with wisdom and piety and to indeavour that her Soul may prosper as her body prospers 3. Right for the Degree of it It must be transcendent above your Love to Parents For this cause shall a man leave his father and his mother and shall cleave to his Wife Gen. 2.24 The Husband must honour his Parents but he must love his Wife as himself and must yet with all prudence prefer her in his respects when ever they come in Competition and those Parents have forgotten the Relation and Duty of an husband that expect other from their Children when they are married And so he must prefer her in his affection before his Children and (l) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost in Eph. 5. rather love them for her sake than her for theirs and before all others in the World In short he must so love her as to delight in her company above all others Let her be as the loving hinde and pleasant roe let her breasts satisfie thee at all times and be thou ravisht always with her love Prov. 5.19 20. 4. The Husbands love must be right for the Duration of it And the last named Scripture clears that be thou always ravisht with her love Not only kind before other folk and then cold in private but always not for a week or moneth or the first year but while life lasts Yea as he hath experience of her vertue and sweetness his love should daily (m) Vbi uxo â—m magis fueris expertus teneriùs est amauda Illud verò ubi uxore ad satietatem fueris potitu refrigescere amorem quem arder ut videtur libidiuis accenderat hominum est spurcorum abjâ—ctissimorum imò verò non hominum sed belluarum Lud. Vives de off mar increase as you know we love any creature the more by how much the longer we have had them and nothing more betrays the baseness of a mans spirit then to neglect his Wife when his sensual appetite is once cloyed For you have had her beauty and strength why should you not also have her wrinkles and infirmities yea and give the more respect to her tryed fidelity However this is certain still you are one Flesh and every man continues kind to his own flesh how infirm and noysom soever it be And if there be less comliness in the body yet usually there is more beauty in the mind more wisdom humility and fear of the Lord so that still there are sufficient Arguments in her or Arguments in the Bible to perpetuate your conjugal Affection 2. Let us trace the Husbands Love to his Wife in its Pattern laid down in the Scripture and particularly in the Context and Words which I am handling And 1. The Husband ought to love his Wife as our Saviour Christ loveth his Church Ver. 25. Husbands love your Wives even as Christ also loved his Church He must nourish and cherish her even as the Lord the Church ver 29. Now these Texts direct us to the quality of our Love though we cannot reach to an equality with Christ herein How then doth Jesus Christ love his Church I shall search no farther into this Depth than so far as it is proposed in this Context for a Pattern surely to all Husbands in their love And this his Love is represented here to be 1. Hearty without dissimulation Ver. 25. He loved the Church and gave himself for it His Love was Real for he Dyed of it The Husband must write after this Copy Not to love his wife in word and tongue only but in deed and in truth that if his heart were opened her Name might be found written there Some vain complemental persons there are that do outstrip in their overt addresses many sincere and true-hearted husbands but neither doth God nor should a discreet wife look only at the appearance but at the heart 2. Free without being prevented before or likely to be rewarded after For ver 26. he gave himself that he might cleanse his Church which implies that she was in ill plight when he began his motions She was no beauty no we loved him because he loved us first The Husband must precede and by his love draw out the love of his wife for (n) Ego tibi monstrabo amatorium sine medicamento sine herba Si vis amari ama Hec in Sen. Ep. 9. Love is the whetstone of Love And if she appear weak as their sex by constitution is both in wisdom strength and courage or prove unlovely and (o) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost in Eph. 5. hom 20. negligent of her duty yet he must love her For love seeketh not her own True love doth more study to better the object beloved than to advantage the subject that loveth And to love a Wife only in hopes of some Advantages by her is unworthy the heart of an Husband and no way like the example of Christ 3. Holy without impurity For ver 26. He loved his Church that he might sanctifie and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word that is by the use of the Word and Sacraments The Husband cannot have a better Copy and is taught hereby to indeavour at any cost and pains whatsoever to further the sanctification and salvation of his wife Of which before 4. Great without comparison For greater love hath no man than this to lay down his life for his friend and so did our Saviour ver 25. he (p 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Affectum indicat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Effectum amoris demonstrat Daven in Col. p. 340. gave himself for his Church He took not on him the Nature of Angels but preferr'd the seed of Abraham The Husband must herein imitate his Lord and Master by preserving a singular and superlative respect for his wife because she is a member of his body of his flesh and of his bones But of this also before 5. Constant without alteration
larger opening of the Methods of Grace than we can now have leasure for and therefore must be don◠its proper season Those that honour God he will honour and therefore let us also give Vse 7 them that honour which is their due The barren Professors who honour themselves by over-valuing their poor knowledge gifts and grace and affecting too great a distance from their Brethren and censuring others as unworthy of their Communion without proof are not the men that honour God and can lay claim to no great honour from men But God hath among us a prudent holy humble laborious patient Ministry that glorifie him by their works and patience and he hath among us a meek and humble a blameless and a loving and fruitful sort of Christians who imitate the Purity Charity and Simplicity yea and Concord of the Primitive Church These tell the World to their sight and experience that Religion is better than Ignorance and Carnality These tell the World that Christ and his Holy Word are true while he doth that in renewing and sanctifying Souls which none else in the World can do These shew the World that Faith and Holiness and Self-denial and the hopes of Immortality are no deceits These glorifie God and are the great Benefactors of the World I must solemnly profess that did I not know such a people in the world who notwithstanding their infirmities do manifest a holy and heavenly disposition in their lives I should want my self so great a help to my Faith in Christ and the promise of Life Eternal that I fear without it my Faith would fail And had I never known a holier Ministry and People than those that live but a common life and excel Heathens in nothing but their Belief or Opinions and Church orders and Formalities I should find my Faith assaulted with so great temptations as I doubt I should not well withstand No talk will perswade men that he is the best Physitian that healeth no more nor worse diseases than others do Nor would Christ be taken for the Saviour of the World if he did not save men And he saveth them not if he make them not holier and better than other men O then how much do we owe to Christ for sending his Spirit into his Saints and for exemplifying his holy Word on holy Souls and for giving us as many visible proofs of his Holiness Power and Truth as there are Holy Christians in the world we must not flatter them nor excuse their faults nor puff them up But because the Righteous is more excellent than his Neighbour we must accordingly love and honour them and Christ in them For Christ telleth us that he is glorified in them here Joh. 17.10 And that what is done to them his Brethren even the least is taken as done to him Mat. 25. And he will be glorified and admired in them when he cometh in his Glory at the last 2 Thes 1.8 9 10. And he will glorifie their very works before all the world with a Well done good and faithful Servant enter thou into the joy of thy Lord. What is it to do all we do in the Name of Christ and how may we do so Serm. XXIII Colos 3.17 And whatsoever ye do in word and deed do all in the Name of the Lord Jesus giving thanks to God and the Father by him THERE have been and still are many great and famous Names in the World into which men have been Baptized according to which they have been call'd and also walked in the world Rev. 11.13 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Men of great Name or men of Renown Gen. 6.4 What a Renowned Name had the Beast in the Earth Rev. 13.3 4. that the world wondered after the Beast and worshipped the Dragon that gave power to the Beast and they worshipped the Beast saying Who is like to the Beast Pharaoh was a great Name amongst the Kings of Egypt which were so call'd from their famous Predecessors So the Kings of the Amalakites were called Agag and of Tyre Hyram and of Lycia Antiochus of Pontus Mithridates of the Emperours of Rome Caesars and in the Church Professors have affected to be call'd by the Name of some Eminent persons 1 Cor. 3.4 5. Some cryed up Paul others Peter and this was a growing evil in the Church 1 Cor. 1.12 13 14. They ambitiously affected to be denominated from some Eminent Persons among them As the Lutherans and Calvinists and many others at this day have been call'd and denominated from some great persons that have been famous in their Generation But here is a Name in my Text is above all Names in Heaven and Earth and all Christians are call'd by this Name and call on this Name Jer. 14.9 Amos 9.12 This Name you must trust in and boast in beyond and above all Names whatsoever Isa 45.24 25. Surely shall one say in the Lord have I righteousness and strength and in the Lord shall all the Seed of Israel be justified and shall glory See what a Name is given to Christ Isa 6.7 And bow to it his Name shall be call'd Wonderful Councellour and consider every Letter of his Name and adore it The Apostle according to his usual manner in this Epistle having spoken of the Doctrine of the Gospel and how they received it and the influence it had on them v. 12 13. And concerning Christ in whom they had Redemption v. 14 15 16 17 18 19. And of the Excellency of his Person and of the riches of the glory of his Grace revealed in it v. 27. Then Chap. 2. he stirs them up to live such lives as becometh the Gospel and to beware of Seducers v. 16. to the end Then Chap. 3. he puts them in mind of several duties throughout the Chap. He lays down some general Exhortations with reference to the Gospel and their living suitably to it from v. 1. to 17. Then he proceeds to particular duties in our place and Relations and in this v. 17. having laid down something he gathers up all into one sum how to carry themselves in the whole course of their lives in their thoughts words and works We may observe from the general Scope Doct. That the Doctrine of the Gospel carrieth the highest and strictest obligations upon all such to whom it reveal'd to duty and service in their places and relations to God and Man In the words we have 1. A Rule laid down 2. The things that are under the Rule words works and thoughts and secret motions of the heart which works also are well known to God and so they come under Rule 3. Here is the Universality of the Rule in its extent and full compass it fetcheth in all words and works without exception and all persons for this You takes in all persons of what rank or degree soever 4. Here is the manner how they must be done so as to answer the Mind of God in the Name of Christ 5. Here is a further
they must have been for ever without Jesus Christ 2. They learn to give a guess what were the unintelligible amazements and consternatious that were upon the soul of Jesus Christ in their room 3. The blessedness that comes by Jesus Christ And when they have learned their lessons in this School out of the word by this ever blessed Tutor God brings them out with silver joy and gold and comfort 2. Direct Make serious use of marks and signs The best search is in a man 's own heart and there the greatest case of conscience is whether Christ be in you 2 Cor. 13.5 One of the best uses the preacher can make is a use of tryal Skilful ones lay open these marks with much evidence and vehemence beseech require charge that impartial search be made And Christians hear and affect and say it is a home-Sermon but do not seriously upon retirement bring themselves to the truth The Minister may preach his lungs out of his body and it is not minded If self-tryal were impartially practised the blessed spirit in this way would give in evidence and by that comfort for instance Jesus Christ tells us he lays down his life for his sheep John 10. there he gives the marks of his sheep as first They do not follow the voice of strangers i. e. Strange doctrines duties worship as Socinianism Popery Pelagianism new or old Quakerism they fly from them they know not the voice of strangers v. 5. 2. They know Christ with an high appreciating and obedient knowledg v. 14. 3. They hear his voice and they follow him not a stranger v. 28. Now if you would try your selves by these and many very many such like if you would impartially see the complexion of your souls in the glass of the word this would beget certainty and that would beget comfort 3. Direct Be not slothful in the business of Faith remove away far from you a sluggish frame stir up blow up the coals exercise thy Faith exert new acts of application of Jesus Christ to thee daily We want comfort and why Jesus Christ is not in our serious thoughts all the day We eat bread daily for life natural and cloath our selves daily to cover our nakedness before men sure the soul hath as much need of food and rayment as the body Jesus crucified is the onely the Heavenly food and rayment stir up thine appetite Mitte sidem put forth thine hand put him on repeated acts of recumbency and application will rise up into acquaintance and evidence and will let in this precious joy and consolation Believe it Sirs it is a sin of a far greater nature than we are aware of a sin of horrid unkindness neglect slighting of our best friends viz. that we make sure of every thing but Jesus Christ A little land a small Tenement a little money there we cry fast bind and fast find there we have a male in the flock and can defend our diligence very smartly but in the great concern of our souls we are at uncertainties and hap hazard there the blind and the lame is for sacrifice What a noise is there about a civil propriety in mint and cummin and what a Silence and remisness about the soul's propriety in the Son of God 't is a prodigious and inexcusable indiscretion and folly and an unspeakable mischief into the bargain 4. Direct Take heed of thy heart fetch not thy comforts from and terminate not thy joy upon any creature this were clear idolatry therefore check thy joy about these things cut off the suckers and the boughs will be laden with fruit stop these back-ditches and the stream will be strong Remember Job could approve his sincerity by this that he did not rejoyce because his wealth was great and because his hand had gotten much Cap. 31. v. 24. Remember our Lord Christ abated his disciples joy Rejoyce not in this that the Devils are subject to you a man may cast out Devils and go to hell but rejoyce rather in this that your names are in the book of life Act Faith to see God the giver Christ the purchaser of your daily mercies and thence fetch your joy into them My cloaths first must have warmth from my body and then they warm me 5. Direct If a Christian would attain to that Faith viz. certainty that will make his life comfortable he must go on to be more holy in both the parts of it he must die to sin more The Scripture calls upon us every where to hate abhor mortifie crucifie viz. to death lay aside as a dead corps put off as filthy rags cast away as a plague-sore what all this while why lusts filthy lusts wrath anger vain-glory pride impatience filthy wanton thoughts You know the Apostle presseth these things as the main use of the Doctrine of Jesus Paul is abundant in this in his Epistles to the Churches do it then dwell upon these Scriptures much daily let them dwell in you be docrs of the word Your ministers are afraid either of the rickets the head is big with airy notions or but notions and the joynts be weak or Childdishness that people are more taken with a little gawdy trimming than with the substance of the cloth Study these truths and look to your hearts and conform to them this is the way for to get and when you have gotten to keep some assurance and that will comfort your hearts the pure in heart shall see God and any glimpse of that is a most comfortable sight The Scripture saith especially in Gospel times that the people of God should walk in the light of his countenance if thou put away iniquity from thy heart thou shalt lift up thy face the more conscience the more sense of love and the more sense the more comfort the less clouds the more fun The old Puritans had a great deal of feeling and much Serious joy 6. Direct Look well to the other part of holiness live to righteousness live in it live the Col. 3.17 read it over and over as many as walk according to this rule peace shall be upon them Gal. 6.16 to such a one Christ will manifest himself Joh. 14.21 his Father and himself will come to such a one and will make their abode with him v. 23. the Father will love him it is meant of love manifestative not initial he will manifest his love there is joy indeed to the upright I will shew the Salvation of God not I will begin to be but I will shew Psal 50. last Look to your trades let there be holiness to the Lord upon your weights and measures look to your family duties study well and observe your relation-duties family-passions cloud Faith disturb duty darken comfort 7. Direct All this while I take it for granted that thou art a Christian Why then if thou wilt get and keep this Faith that will get and keep comfort alive The seventh direction is To be much and frequent in
with the other 't is sweet and bitter mingled together 'T is not all mercy that 's reserved for Heaven nor all misery that 's reserved for Hell but something of both that 's proper to the middle state of earth Eccl. 7.14 God hath set the one over against the other Prosperity and Adversity Comforts and Crosses Mercies and Afflictions to the end that man should find nothing after him so as to find fault with what God doth or to say this and that might have been better ordered by him Now if men would but let their thoughts dwell upon this how would it tend to the quieting of their minds in every Condition For shall we receive good at the hands of God and shall we not receive evil Job 2.10 Especially when we consider 1. That the good is much more than the evil and 2. That the evil is our desert the good of mere grace We take but a partial view of our condition eying the dark side of it only and then we vex and repine under it whereas did we view the whole and think of our mercies as well as of our afflictions we should not carry it so disingenuously towards God Hezekiah had a sad message sent to him but he received it with all submission because there was a mixture of mercy in it Isa 39.8 Good is the word of the Lord c. for there shall be peace and truth in my days There 's (o) Acquiescendum conditioni suae quam minimè de illa querendum quicquid habet circa se commodi apprehenden dum est Nihil tam acerbum est in quo non aequus animus solatium inveniat Sen. de Tranq Anim. ad Helvid c. 10. no state so sad in which a good man may not pick out something to comfort and quiet him therefore Christian deal wisely and faithfully in this set the good against the bad and there will be no discontent 2. This is to be thought of be the estate what it will 't is but common whatsoever your troubles are you have many sharers and companions therein * 1 Kin. 19 14 18. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Euripid. vide Plut. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 475. The Prophet fancied he was left alone which made him the more froward in his condition but God told him he had reserved some thousands in Israel who had not bow'd their knees to Baal And so some in their tryals are apt to think they are alone their case is singular none so cross'd so afflicted as they when God knows there are many thousands who drink of the same Cup. 1 Cor. 10.13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Pet. 5.9 Knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world If this was but considered by persons under afflictions their Spirits would not be so disturbed as they are when 't is but with me as 't is with others why should not I be content men will quietly submit to that which is the lot of others as well as their own Ferre quam sortem patiuntur omnes Nemo recusat The Greek Tragaedian brings in one as heightning his misery and crying out Wo is me but why saith he Wo is me when we suffer nothing but what is incident to all Mortals Did we but in time of need revive this upon our thoughts it would much alleviate our grief and obviate all heart-disquietment That which is proper to the present life 3. This state doth but agree and suit with the present life Thou canst not expect it should be much better whilst thou art here below consider this and be content We forget where we are and look for that here on earth which we cannot have and this betrays us to impatience and discontent Did we but remember and urge it upon our selves that this life is the time of Tryals that we are born to trouble here that 't is vanity to expect rest and ease and comfort and felicity in this world surely we should not be much disturbed at any trouble that doth befall us Shall Israel when in the Wilderness murmur if there they meet with hardship Shall they who are at Sea be angry if they meet with storms shall the Traveller be offended at a little bad way in the lower region would we have nothing but serenity and calmness 'T is a thing no less foolish and absurd for Christians to be discomposed in their minds if here troubles and afflictions seize upon them Alas these are inseparable from the present life 4. No state is so bad as it might be ponder upon that It might be worse and it will teach you in every state to be content 'T is bad but it might be worse yea it is worse with many their wants are more pinching than thine their pains more acute than thine their losses greater than thine c. thou hast cause rather to be thankful than impatient in as much as a lesser evil carries mercy in it But why do I instance in these lower matters thy state is an afflicted state but it is not a damned estate 't is chastning but 't is not condemning 't is some temporary cross but 't is not the everlasting curse 't is affliction for a moment but 't is not eternal misery It might be Hell separation from God for ever burning in that fire which is unquenchable thou that art freed from these tremendous things wilt thou fret because of some petty tryals or calamities Oh think of this and be still Shall the malefactor fret at his Judge for sentencing him to some corporal punishment when he might have passed the sentence of death upon him shall the offending son be angry with his father for correcting him when he might have disinherited him Oh Christian this is thy case towards God act thy reason and consideration upon it to suppress all passion 3. The third thing Consideration of the frame of contentment that thoughts must dwell upon and be imploy'd about in order to Contentment is Contentment it self in considering what an happy and excellent frame that is And indeed the due consideration of what it is to be Content as è contra what it is to be discontented is not only a strong motive but also a very proper means to further the exercise and practice of Contentment As to the large handling of this subject the excellency of a contented frame I must not engage therein for that I refer you to others who have done it fully I will but hint a few things for your thoughts to work upon as occasion shall require Contentment therefore 1. Is a frame that carries much grace in it 'T is a holy 'T is a gracious frame 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Laert. in vit Epicuri Gen. 32.10 good and gracious temper of Soul It speaks the creature to have a due sense of God in his Sovereignty
let him reprove me To give and take reproofs is a Dictate of the Law of Nature whereby every man is obliged to seek the Good of others and to promote it according to their ability and opportunity The former is directed by that love which is due unto others the latter by that which is due unto our selves which two are the great Rules and give measure to the Duties of all Societies whether Civil or Spiritual Wherefore it doth not evacuate a Reproof or Discharge him who is reproved from the duty of attending unto it that he by whom it is managed is not Righteous yea is openly wicked For the Duty it self being an effect of the Law of Nature it is the same for the substance of it by whomsoever it is performed Yea oft-times such Moral or rather immoral Qualifications as render not only the Reprover less considerable but also the Reproof it self until thoroughly weighed and examined obnoxious unto prejudicate Conceptions do occasion a greater and more signal Exercise of Grace and Wisdom in him that is reproved than would have been stirred up had all things concurred unto the exact Regularity of the Reproof However it is desirable on many accounts that he who Reproves us be himself a Righteous person and be of us esteemed so to be For as such a one alone will or can have a due sense of the evil reproved with a right Principle and End in the Discharge of his own Duty so the minds of them that are reproved are by their sense of his Integrity excluded from those insinuations of evasions which prejudices and Suggestions of just causes of Reflections on their Reprover will offer unto them especially without the exercise of singular Wisdom and humility will all the Advantages of a just Reproof be lost where the allowed practice of greater sins and evils than that Reproved is daily chargeable on the Reprover Hence is that Reflection of our Saviour on the useless Hypocritical Diligence of men in pulling the mote out of their Brother's eyes whilst they have beams in their own Mat. 7.3 4 5. The Rule in this Case is If the Reprover be a Righteous person consider the Reprover first and then the Reproof if he be otherwise consider the Reproof and the Reprover not at all II. The Nature of a Reproof is also to be considered and this is three-fold for every Reproof is either Authoritative or Fraternal or merely Friendly and occasional Authoritative Reproofs are either 1 Ministerial or 2 Parental or 3 Despotical 1. There is an especial Authority accompanying Ministerial Reproofs which we ought especially to consider and improve Now I understand not hereby those Doctrinal Reproofs when in the Dispensation of that Word of Grace and Truth which is profitable for Correction and Reproof 2 Tim. 3.16 they speak and exhort and rebuke the sins of men with all Authority Tit. 2.15 but the occasional Application of the Word unto individual persons upon their unanswerableness in any thing unto the Truth wherein they have been instructed For every Right Reproof is but the orderly Application of a Rule of Truth unto any Person under his miscarriage for his healing and recovery Where therefore a Minister of the Gospel in the Preaching of the Word doth declare and Teach the Rule of Holy obedience with Ministerial Authority if any of the Flock committed to his charge shall appear in any thing to walk contrary thereunto or to have transgressed it in any offensive Instance as it is his Duty the discharge whereof will be required of him at the great Day particularly to apply the Truth unto them in the way of private personal Reproof so he is still therein accompanied with his Ministerial Authority which makes his Reproof to be of a peculiar nature and as such to be accounted for For as he is thus commanded as a Minister to Exhort Rebuke Admonish and reprove every one of his charge as occasion shall require so in the doing of it he doth discharge and Exercise his Ministerial Office and Power And he that is wise will forego no considerations that may give efficacy unto a just and due Reproof especially not such a one as if it be neglected will not only be an aggravation of the evil for which he is reproved but will also accumulate his guilt with a contempt of the Authority of Jesus Christ Wherefore the Rule here is The more clear and evident the representation of the Authority of Christ is in the Reproof the more Diligent ought we to be in our Attendance unto it and compliance with it He is the great Reprover of his Church Rev. 3.19 All the use Power Authority and efficacy of Ecclesiastical Reproofs flow Originally and are derived from him In Ministerial reproofs there is the most express and immediate Application of his Authority made unto the minds of men which if it be carelesly slighted or proudly despised or evacuated by perverse cavillings as is the manner of some in such cases it is an open evidence of an Heart that never yet sincerely took upon it his Law and Yoke These things are spoken of the Personal Repoofs that are given by Ministers principally unto those of their respective Flocks as occasion doth require wherein I shall pray that our Lord Jesus Christ the great Shepherd of the Sheep would yet make us all more Faithful and diligent as the season wherein we live doth abundantly require it But moreover Church-censures in Admonition and Excommunication have the nature and ends of Ministerial reproofs But the handling of their nature and use with the Duties of those persons who justly fall under them and the benefit which they may reap thereby is too long and large a subject to be here diverted unto 2. Authoritative reproof is Parental Reproof is indeed one of the greatest and most principal Duties of Parents towards Children and without which all others for the most part do but pamper them unto slaughter and Ruine Neglect hereof is that which hath filled us with so many Hophni's Phinease's and Absolom's whose outragious wickednesses are directly charged on the sinful lenity and neglect in this matter even of godly Parents And indeed whereas some Parents are openly vicious and debauched even in the sight of their Children in a sensual neglect and contempt of the Light of Nature whereby they lose all their Authority in reproving as well as all Care about it and whereas the most have so little regard unto sin as sin whilst things are tolerably well in outward concerns that they neglect the reproof of it as such and many through a foolish contemptible prevalency of fond Affection will take no notice of the sinful follies extravagancies and miscarriages of their Children until all things grow desperate with them but sooth up and applaud them in such effects of Pride Vanity and Wantonness as ought to be most severely reproved in them the woful and dreadful degeneracy of the Age wherein we live owes it self
sins for no other cause but lest we should be displeased that we are not suffered to sin securely and it may be to perish eternally And if we are convinced that it is the Duty of another to Reprove us we cannot but be convinced that it is our Duty to hearken and attend thereunto And this will fix the mind unto a due consideration of the present Duty that lyes before us and what is our just concernment in the Reproof Besides if it be done in a way of Duty it is done in Love for all orderly rebukes are effects of Love And if we are convinced of any one that he doth reprove in a way of Duty we must be satisfied that what he doth proceedeth from Love without by-ends or Dissimulation For what doth not so be it what it will belongs not to rebuking in a way of Duty And this will remove all obstructing prejudices in all who have the least gracious ingenuity Ahab despised the warning of Micaiah because he thought they mutually hated one another he knew how it was with himself and falsly so judged of the Prophet by his necessary sharpness towards him But where there are such surmises all advantages of reproofs will be assuredly lost Where therefore our minds are satisfied that any reproof is an effect of Love and given in a way of Duty Dimidium facti we are half way in the discharge of the Duty directed unto 2. Take heed of cherishing habitually such disorders vices and distempers of mind as are contrary unto this Duty and will frustrate the design of it Such are 1 Hastiness of Spirit Some mens minds do with such fury apply themselves unto their first apprehension of things that they cast the whole Soul into disorder and render it uncapable of further rational considerations There may be it is possible some failures and mistakes in useful and necessary Reproofs in matter manner circumstance some way or other This immediately is seized on by men of hasty Spirits a Vice and Folly sufficiently condemned in Scripture turned unto a Provocation made a matter of strife and dispute until the whole advantage of the Reproof is utterly lost and vanisheth A Quiet Gentle Considerative Sedate frame of Spirit is required unto this Duty 2 Pride and Haughtiness of mind Self-conceit Elation of Spirit which will be inseparably accompanied with the contempt of others and a scorn that any should think themselves either so much wiser or so much better than our selves as to reprove us in any kind are a fenced Wall against any benefit or advantage by Reproofs yea things that will turn Judgment into Hemlock and the most soveraign Antidote into Poyson No wild Beast in a toyl doth more rave and tear and rend than a Proud man when he is reproved And therefore he who manifests himself so to be hath secured himself from being any more troubled by serious reproofs from any wise man whatever See Prov. 9.7 8. 3 Prejudices which are so variously occasioned as it were endless to recount If now we make it not our constant business to purge our minds from these depraved Affections they will never fail effectually to exert themselves on all occasions to the utter defeatment of all use in or benefit by the most necessary and regular reproofs 3. Reckon assuredly that a fault a miscarriage which any one is duely reproved for if the reproof be not received and improved as it ought is not only aggravated but accumulated with a new crime and marked with a dangerous Token of an incurable Evil. See Prov. 29.1 Let men do what they can bear themselves high in their expressions grow angry passionate excuse or palliate unless they are seared and profligately obstinate their own Consciences will take part with a just and regular Reproof If hereupon they come not up to amendment their guilt is encreased by the occasional excitation of the Light of Conscience to give it an especial charge and there is an additional sin in the contempt of the Reproof it self But that which principally should make men careful and even tremble in this case is that they are put on a Trial whether ever they will forsake the evil of their ways and doings or no For he who is orderly reproved for any fault and neglects or despiseth the Rebuke can have no assurance that he shall ever be delivered from the evil rebuked but hath just cause to fear that he is entering into a course of hardness and impenitency 4. It is useful unto the same end immediately to compare the Reproof with the Word of Truth This is the measure standard and directory of all Duties whereunto in all dubious cases we should immediately retreat for advice and counsel And whereas there are two things considerable in a Reproof First the matter of it that it be true and a just cause or reason of a rebuke and Secondly the right which the Reprover hath unto this Duty with the Rule which he walked by therein if both these for the substance of them prove to be justified by the Scripture then have we in such a case no more to do with the Reprover nor any of his circumstances but immediately and directly with God himself for where he gives express warranty and direction for a Duty in his Word his own Authority is as directly exerted thereby as if he spoke unto us from Heaven Hereby will the mind be prevented from many wandrings and vain reliefs which foolish imagination will suggest and be bound up unto its present Duty Let our unwillingness to be reproved be what it will as also our prejudices against our Reprover if we are not at least free to bring the Consideration and Examination of the one and the other unto the Word of Truth it is because our deeds are evil and therefore we love Darkness more than Light No milder nor more gentle censure can be passed on any who is not free to bring any Reproof that may be given him unto an impartial Tryal by the Word whether it be according to the mind of God or no. If this be done and conviction of its Truth and necessity do then appear then let the Soul know it hath to do with God himself and wisely consider what answer he will return what account he will give unto him Wherefore 5. The best way to keep our Souls in a readiness rightly to receive and duely to improve such Reproofs as may regularly be given us by any is to keep and preserve our Souls and Spirits in a constant awe and reverence of the Reproofs of God which are recorded in his Word The neglect or contempt of these reproofs is that which the generality of mankind do split themselves upon and perish eternally This is so fully and Graphically expressed Prov. 1. that nothing can be added thereunto And the great means whereby much hardness comes upon others through the deceitfulness of sin is want of keeping up a due sense or reverence of