glory Because this is suffering for Christ Thou that art a companion to such as suffer thou doest suffer partly in thy heart and affections and partly exposing thy self to the rage of men for owning such The approving the pleading for and refreshing of those that do suffer for Christ proclaimeth to others that thou art of the same way and perswasion and that thou art ready to receive whatsoever load the world shall lay upon thee So that it is not any defect in thy zeal or in the adversaries malice that maketh thee no sufferer but the meer providence of God which restraineth these Lions that they do not devour thee when they do others Use of Instruction how false and hypocritical a thing it is to forsake any godly persons while they are in danger for Gods work especially for people to recoil and draw back from their Pastors and Guides while valiant for the truth In such curnal and worldly fears thou publishest thy corrupt and hypocritical heart to all the world Thou that doest not in thy place and calling stand by and encourage such who suffer for righteousnesse sake thou betrayest Christ like a Judas for thirty pieces of silver See what a sad complaint Paul maketh of such false and self-seeking revolters 2 Tim. 4. 16 17. At my first defence no man stood with me but all men forsook me Now lest you should think that it might be such an infirmity of fear as might excuse he addeth I pray God it be not laid to their charge The same petition Stephen Act. 7. useth about his persecutors Indeed concerning Alexander who so much withstood him he saith The Lord reward him according to his work because he was a malicious opposer but these did withdraw out of infirmity yet Pauls prayer argueth it to be a very dangerous thing so to do SERM. LVIII How usefull it is to the children of God to know the Afflictions which the Saints suffer for Christs sake And why the Preaching concerning the Saints afflictions even from Heathens is necessary to Christians though for the present they be in peace and quietness 2 COR. 1. 8. For we would not brethren have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia that we are pressed out of measure above strength insomuch that we despaired even of life WE are now arrived at the eighth verse which Piscator maketh the beginning of that Apologetical Narration which we have Paul declaring in the following part of the Chapter against those calumnies that were cast upon him The first whereof was his levity and inconstancy For having promised to come to them he did not which the false teachers branded with mutability Now it is thought that Paul instanceth in this great trouble he met with in Asia as the cause why he did not come as he had promised But I rather joyn with those that do make it part of the precedent Discourse about afflictions and consolations in them So that what he had in the general only spoken of before he now illustrateth in particular because saith Cajetan on the place Sermones morales c. Moral Discourses are the more effectual by how much the more particular they are Paul therefore having in the general asserted the blessed fruit and gracious issue of afflictions to such as believe he instanceth in himself by an heavy affliction which did befall him and of the wonderfull deliverance which God vouchsafed to him He was like Jonah even in the whales belly and yet God vouchsafed mercy and consolation to him So that in the words we may take notice of 1. The Description of the trouble it self And 2. The Introductory Expression to it We begin with the latter at this time the introductory Expression and in that we have the Compellation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 brethren a Title which Paul often delighteth to use wherein he doth demonstrate his humility and meeknesse For though constituted in so eminent an Office as the Apostleship was yet he looketh upon all believers as his brethren Though he had a paternal power in respect of his Office yet such also was his humility therein that he accounts of them as brethren so farre was he from affecting any tyrannical dominion over them he joyneth a fraternal affection with a paternal office But of this more in the last verse This Title also signifieth that love and Christian communion which is to be amongst Pastor and people no contentions no variance or divisions are to be entertained But of this also enough hath been spoken elsewhere Come we then to the Introduction it self 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I would not have you ignorant This expression the Apostle commonly useth when he is to speak of something that is of a very weighty and momentous consideration Rom. 11. 25. I would not have you ignorant of this mystery that blindnesse in part is happened to Israel So 1 Cor. 10. 1. 1 Cor. 12. 1. Concerning sacramental administrations and the nature with the use of spiritual gifts Paul would not have them ignorant Likewise 1 Thess 4. 13. Paul speaking of that great and wonderfull day of Christs coming to judgement with the manner of this judicial processe saith I would not have you ignorant So that by this expression we may see that the historical passage which Paul mentioneth of his Asiâ—n trouble was of great use and well worthy to be known The false Apostles they took occasion from Pauls sufferings to contemne him and to bring him into disgrace as if he had been a turbulent and seditious person but Paul is so farre from being ashamed of his troubles or desirous to conceal them that he rather desireth to publish them that all who fear God may know of them as also Gods gracious dealing with him in the issue Observe That it is of very great use to know what are the afflictions and troubles which do befall the servants of God for his sake The History of the Saints sufferings what they have endured how wonderfully God hath preserved and comforted them is of very great practical use The people of God have a communion not only in Church-duties and Church-priviledges but also in afflictions and sufferings and therefore if he as a man said Nihil humani à se alienum we may say Nihil Christiani c. No man is to account that as strange which he heareth any Christian may labour under Thus Colos 4. 7 8 9. Paul being in bonds for the Gospel doth on purpose send One simus and Tyâ—hicus to them to declare his estate to them and also to know how it stood with them because by such mutual intercourse there is a mutual edification of one another I shall briefly instance in some general great advantages that may be made by our understanding of the afflictions and troubles that are very heavy upon others And First Hereby we shall be the more provoked to pray for them to wrestle with God in their
and carnal interest not that all glory and honour may be given to Christ alone So that by this fleshly wisdome we are to understand all crafty false and deceitfull wayes yea and all that pride and swelling in humane learning and oratory which the false Apostles gloried in From whence observe That the Ministers of the Gospel are to carry on their work without any fleshly wisdome or sinfull policy Gods truth doth not need mans lie The Gospel doth not want for its propagation the craft and fraud of ungodly policy Howsoever Politicians take up many rules about worldly greatness as Qui nescit dissimulare nescit regnare c. And with Plato to say That a lie is as necessary in a Common-wealth as physick to a diseased body Yet as Christ himself so all the Ministers of Christ are to be without guile in their mouth The Gospel of Christ is preserved and propagated onely by such heavenly and holy meanes that God will own and give a blessing unto Christ compareth his Disciples to Sheep not to Foxes It is true there is a Serpentine wisdome commended by Christ And our Saviour commissionating his Disciples to preach the Gospel biddeth them To beware of men Mat. 10. 17. but an offensive or a deceitfull way of walking that is not beseeming the Ministers of Christ And therefore Paul doth frequently disclaime it especially 1 Thess 2. 3 4 5. There are two false wayes of propagating Religion as Gerhard observeth Cathol confess parte prim Media violentiae and Media fraudulentiae The means of violence may be either in external temporal punishments or in tyrannical unreasonable Church impositions which later the Apostle doth also renounce vers 24. Both which wayes the Antichristian party are notorious in And there are Media fraudulentiae wayes of hypocrisie and deceit using subtil and unjustifiable wayes to bring about their religious designs Now although it be the Gospel that we would extoll though the holy truths and pure worship of Christ yet we must not make use of fleshly wisdome herein but walk by Scripture-rules For it 's Gods grace not mans policy gives successe to the Gospel Of this latter we are to treat And we are the more to consider this point for three Reasons First Because it is the nature of all enemies to the truth and holinesse of Christ to charge the godly and innocent defenders thereof with hypocrisie and policy that they do onely seek themselves that they drive on politick designes under religious pretences That whereas it is the property of heretical persons to broach new opinions Alicujus temporalis commodi causâ as Austin putteth in the definition of an Heretick these judging of others by themselves do think that even the faithfull servants of God do only seek their own earthly greatnesse and advancement Hence we see even our Saviour himself so diligent to remove this charge from him I seek not my own glory but the glory of him who sent me John 8. 50. So John 7. 18. where our Saviour giveth the character of a false teacher of one that speaketh of himself that he seeketh his own glory Thus the Popish party charge lies and calumnies upon the Protestants as if they had used all politick and crafty wayes to disseminate their Doctrines Therefore Lessius the Jesuite among his reasons why the Protestant Religion is not to be imbraced maketh this one That Religion saith he which useth lies and falshoods to propagate it self cannot be of God which he applieth to the Protestant Churches But as for the Major we grant it as a sure truth True Religion is only advanced by truth and sincerity whereas errours being in themselves lies are increasing by the father of lies But then we say the Church of Rome is notoriously guilty in this way from them first came that expression of Piae fraudes applied by some to indulgences It is the Church of Rome that hath Revel 17. 5. upon her forehead written Mystery she is the harlot that like Solomons doth wipe her mouth and speak of vows pretending Religion when she hath been acting her leudnesse But by how much the more the enemies of Gods Church are apt to charge the guides therein with policy and deceitfulnesse the more are they to watch to their wayes and to walk with all sincerity For these accusations are believed by many And withall there is a generation of Atheistical politick men in the world that hereby are hardened in their impiety as if Religion were but a politick devise of men and therefore matter not any further than their advantages are served thereby Whose damnation sleepeth not if they do not awaken betimes Secondly The second Reason why this is to be attended is Because all pretenders to any Religion in the world they would all be thought to be sincere None will own and justifie hypocrisie and guile to be lawfull Indeed the Jesuites they go high this way when they defend mental reservations and make equivocation Prudens defensio rei as Valentia These are not onely deceitfull and use fleshly wisdome but also plead for it yet at other times would be thought very free from all such carnal policy and way of lying As Bellarmine in a Sermon of his Conc. 9. deâ—probitate doct Eccles inveigheth against Protestants whom he calleth Hereticks Although saith he their Doctrine were true yet ought they to confirme it with lies Nonne satius esset millies obmutescere quam semel mentiri Were it not better suffer to be a thousand times silent then once to lie What is the worke of the Devil if this be not Thus a great Champion of the Romish Church which you would think did all things in great candour and ingenuity And yet in that very Sermon reporteth forged lies against eminent men continuing the same bitterness in Conc. 10 11 12. as if his tongue were set on fire from hell But there are two famous places in the Scripture which may abundantly confirm us of the deceivable and false wayes in the Romane Church The first is 1 Tim. 4. 2. where they are said To speake lies in hypocrisie forbidding to marry c. who are therefore said To have seducing spirits yea and a conscience seared with an hot iron that is because they can so abominably dissemble both with God and man The second place is 2 Thes 2. 9. where the coming of that wicked one is said to be after the working of Satan with all power and signes and lying wonders in all deceiveablenesse of unrighteousnesse Here you see that fraud and impostures are as it were the true note of their false Church But though this be so yet they would wash their Blackmoor skin and charge that crime upon those Churches who departed from them Seeing then that this cousening deceiving way is charged mutually by all parties upon one another with what integrity and fidelity doth it behove those to walk who are indeed the faithfull Ministers of Christ But Thirdly
men Ama tanquam aliquando osurus yet it may have its use considering how wicked and uncertain men are But true Religion inclineth a man to a setled and fixed way of love to those that are fit subjects thereof The Scripture speaketh of a love to all men and of a brotherly love which is upon more peculiar and holy respects Now truly if we speak in a moral sense onely we may take up Solomon's complaint Prov. 20. 6. Most men will proclaim their own goodnesse but a faithfull man who can find Men will talk and boast and professe much love and kindnesse but as it was in David's time so it will be in all ages Psal 5. 9. For there is no faithfulnesse in their mouth their inward part is very wickednesse they flatter with their tongue Hence is that Rule 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But why is there such hypocrisie dissimulation and falshood in mens hearts and tongues It is because there is so little true godliness for that maketh a man sincere and of a single heart both towards God and towards man If then Paul was so afraid of being thought a light and inconstant man any was this sheweth what gravity constancy and faithfulness of spirit we ought to walk even to men in the world godliness and Religion teacheth us these things whereas to be double-hearted double-tongued cannot consist with a man that is made a new creature Labour then to inform thy self of the extent of Religion how farre godliness will put forth its self not onely in religious duties towards God but righteous just and faithfull actions towards man Now that we may have such plain and faithfull spirits consider the aggravation of this sinne in our civil actions to be yea and nay to be inconstant and changeable And First This is directly contrary to the glorious nature of God whose image ought to be stampt upon us we are to be like God in our holinesse Now how often doth the Scripture proclaim this glorious property of God that he is unchangeable that he is faithfull in his Word and promises And truly this is the comfortable support of our selves for it 's not any worth in us but Gods faithfulness in his promises that preserveth us to eternal glory Thus he is called a faithfull Creator 1 Pet. 4. 19. so faithfull is he that hath called us 1 Thess 5. 24. If God were not faithfull in his promises even when we have unfaithfull hearts how miserable would our end be It 's Gods faithfulness not our own we are to depend upon Now the children of God they are to have this Image of God established upon them to be faithfull as he is faithfull There is no yea or nay with God See this notably affirmed Numb 23. 19. God is not a man that he should lie neither the sonne of man that he should repent hath he said and shall not he do it So 1 Sam. 15. 29. The strength of Israel will not lie or repent for he is not a man that he should repent The Scripture maketh it a necessary property to a man to lie and to repent unlesse he be assisted by grace For such is the weaknesse and ignorance of his understanding that he cannot fore-see things and therefore must necessarily alter his resolutions and then so corrupt is his heart that as there are several objects to entice him so accordingly he transformeth himself but God is infinitely wise and infinitely holy and therefore there is no shadow of change in him Oh then be in love with this glorious Attribute of God and according to a creatures capacity do thou imitate it Shew forth the Image of God in this thing that thou art even a man and wilt not lie wilt not sinfully change thy words and promises I say sinfully because we are so apt to be ignorant to mis-judge of things to be deceived in what we resolve of that many times it is our wisdom and duty to be of another mind and to take up contrary resolutions to what once we pitched upon of which more in its time Secondly Endeavour after such constancy in words and life because as it is a great sinne against God so it 's an heavy reproach and scandal to Religion It thou shouldest study to do the Devil service and to promote his Kingdom so as to have Religion stink in the nostrils of all men thou canst not take a more compendious way then to lie to deceive to be unjust to make no conscience of words and promises This is to betray godliness to the scorn of all wicked men You see that even the most holy men that are that walk in a most tender conscientious regard to all their words and works yet cannot scape the censure of men in the world that they are hypocrites that they are lyars that they have no truth in them Oh then what a woe will be pronounced to thee who should give just occasion for such men to blaspheme the holy calling wherewith we are called When one by his apostasie and inconstancy had betrayed the true Religion of Christ he was afterwards troubled in heart for it he could have no rest in his spirit thought himself unworthy of any Church-communion and therefore cried out Calcate me insipidum salem Trample upon me as unsavoury salt If then thou wouldst have Religion honoured the Gospel well spoken of look to thy self in these things let no lie no falshood no deceit be found in thy words and dealings For if there be presently Religion is wounded then the carnal ones rejoyce this is their godliness this is their Religion Certainly a godly heart cannot but bleed exceedingly if at any time he hath in this way been so overtaken as to make men think the worse of godliness wherers on the other side to be true righteous and faithfull in all thy wayes as it is an ornament to Religion so it maketh thee have an awe and a reverence in the consciences of the most profligate persons Thus because John was a just man therefore even Herod the King did reverence him Mark 6. 20. John was both just and holy and this wrought reverence Thirdly It is a great sinne to be thus rash and inconstant because hereby a man maketh himself unfit for Gods service either in Church or Commonwealth such an unfaithfull man can never do any good but be scorned and reproached as one Bishop was called Euripus in antiquity for his inconstancy and mutability and this was the great reason why Paul doth with so much earnestnesse and affection take this calumny off from himself for this would be a special means to bring his person and Doctrine into contempt if there had been just cause to judge him such a mutable man Paul's preaching would never have done good more as we hear him saying at another time Gal. 2. 18. If I build again the things which I destroyed I make my self a transgressour Thus it always falleth out that a man of
he had confidence of abiding with them for the furtherance and joy of their faith where you see the more growth and encrease in grace the more joy and it is called the joy of faith because by beleeving we come to partake of this joy Let not then any people nourish prejudices in their hearts against the faithfull Ministers of the Gospel as if they endeavoured only to discourage men to fill the hearts of people with despair to drive them into meâ—ancholy and turn them out of their wits as prophane persons calumniate for our great work is to provide comfort for such as are fit Subjects to receive it That must alwaies be remembred oyl is for the wounded in soul this wine is not for such who are transported with feaverish lusts of their sinnes but if thy sinnes be a burthen to thee and thou hast cast them off then manna is prepared for thee in this wildernesse then a year of Jubilee is to be proclaimed to thee who didst mourn under thy spirituall debts But let us explicate this Truth And first There is a twofold joy a carnall and worldly joy whereby men delight in the pleasures of â—in and the jolly pastimes and customes that are in the world and there is a spiritual joy arising from Gods love in Christ whereby we are quickened to all holinesse with great delight now God forbid that any Ministers should be helpers of the former joy There have indeed been such unsavoury salt prophane Ministers of the Gospel whose work hath been to strengthen the hands of wicked men to preach peace and mercy to them while wallowing in their sinnes but wo to such Pastors and such a people These are sharply reproved in the Scripture for there alwaies will be such men-pleasers such daubers with untempered mortar as Jer. 6. 14. They heal the hurt of my daughter slightly saying Peace Peace when there is no peace Would you have such a Physician that should flatter you about the wounds of your body saying it will heal it will heal when thou feelest it to putrifie more and more Such spirituall Mountebanks the Prophet Ezechiel complaineth of also cap. 13. 10. They have seduced my people saying peace peace especially at 22. verse these wicked Prophets are said to make sad the hearts of such whom God would not have made sad and strengthened the hands of the wicked by promising them life Thus you see what an unfaithful Minister will do all that he can and dare he will uphold and encourage a prophane person and all that he can and dare he will uphold and discourage vex and grieve such who fear God and whom God would have comforted but such men in time meet with an overflowing storm and great hailstones fallling upon them as v. 11. which shall destroy them and rend the wall down they have daubed up Do not then think this is the joy we should help you in in your prophane pleasures in your superstitious and vain customes to encourage you no this were to deprive both our selves and you of true solid joy Hence in the second place We are to help the joy of those whose grace we have helped before Joy cannot be the first stone in Gods building grace and holinesse is first and then consolation The spirit of God is first a sanctifier and then a comforter So that many people take a preposterous method if they be sick they look the Minister should presently give them comfort there must not a word be said of their sinnes of the necessity of repentance this will make them despair Fond and foolish people why would ye be tickled into hell why would ye be pleased into damnation oh it cannot be that thou shouldst have comfort before godlinesse this would be to falsifie the covenant of God to abuse the seal of pardon applying it to him whom God doth still hold guilty Understand then Gods method and submit thereunto saying I do not expect comfort I would not have the promises of grace applied to me while thus obstinate and impenitent in my sinful waies but if thou art found godly then we are to comfort and to comfort as Isa 40. 1. again and again not giving over till that evil spirit of unbeleef be cast out And this spirituall comfort is seen in two particulars 1. Comfort under the guilt of sinne and truly herein we do a most acceptable work Then it is indeed the tongue of the learned when we speak a word in season to such afflicted spirits how ready and willing are the faithfull Ministers of the Gospel to bring the balm of Gilead to such persons how pittifull and compassionate because they know the terrour of the Lord God hath commanded us to be Messengers of peace and like Noahs dove to come with an Olive-branch assuring them that the waters are abated and oh that God would provide such comforting work for us It is very seldome to meet with such we have work enough to reprove the prophane to instruct the erroneous but how few do need comfort because their sinnes are a heavy burthen upon them In the 2. place we are to help the comfort of the godly in respect of their outward afflictions For they are more chastened than other men there is no godly man but God hath appointed a crosse for him yea sometimes many crosses together Now how necessary is it to have a faithful and wise comforter in such cases for alas our own hearts are full of discouragements and every thing is ready to appear more terrible than it is and the devil he is very ready to make the waters overflow more than they would do So that to administer comfort to such disconsolate persons is the best act of love and the most suitable alms that can be desired Seeing then that grace must be laid as a foundation for comfort Hence in the third place Before the Ministers of the Gospel can administer comfort to unregenerate persons they must necessarily use sharp and bitter means as preparatory there unto Neither are we then to be blamed or judged too cruell and austere but sinne is to be condemned as the cause of it It is your sinne that maketh all bitter things necessary When the Physician administreth bitter Physick which maketh thee exceeding sick is he to be blamed and not rather those peccant humours within us The ground must be plowed up and have its bowels as it were moved ere the good seed can be sown into it The wool must be carded and torn as it were in peeces ere it be made for a garment The stone must come under the hammer and saw ere it be prepared for the building And thus ere the heart of man be fit to receive Gospel-comfort it must be humbled and broken by the Law of God So that we are making way for your comfort even while we denounce the curses of the Law To preach of hell and damnation though it be grievous to you yet
who from his victory over them was called Corinthiacus but Augustus taking delight in the place restored it and sent a Colony thither to inhabit it And it 's plain by Acts 18. that they were then under a Roman called Gallio their Proconsul It was the chief Town or Metropolis of Achaia and because of the two Havens there famous for Traffick and thereby abounding in all wealth and riches These things are observed in it 1. It was notable for learning and knowledge Periander one of the seven wise men is said to be of it and therefore Cicero calleth it Totius Graeciae lumen 2. It was famous for wealth and riches especially their Brass called Corinthiacum was esteemed better than gold or silver of which Josephus speaketh sometimes Augustus did so delight in dishes made of it that he was called Corinthiarius Their buildings also were very curious and glorious insomuch that Tirinus quoteth out of Vitruvius that it was an ambition to build houses formâ Corinthiacâ But Lastly That which is commonly the consequent of wealth and plenty they were infamous for uncleanness and wantonness For there was a Temple to Venus where were a thousand Maids besides others set apart to be prostituted which was accounted so glorious that thereby they could the better advance themselves in Marriage Here also they adored the Heathenish god of all uncleanness called Cothys Insomuch that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Suidâ—â— is as much as to be wanton to be lascivious To corinthize was as much as much as to be unchast Here Demosthenes is said to refuse that whore which demanded so great a price for the carnal knowledge of her saying Tanti poenitentiam non einam and because their abominable uncleanness was at so dear a rate therefore say some came that Proverb Non cuivis datur adire Corinthum though Suidas and others understand it of the difficulty of reaching into the Haven and it should seem that after many were turned Christians yet they were very prone to this bodily filthiness and therefore in no Epistles doth the Apostle so industrlously set himself against fornication as in this and here was that abominable uncleanness committed even amongst them while a Church That was not so much as named amongst the Heathens Thus you see they were a proud rich high and lascivious peple and yet for all that Act. 18. Paul is commanded in a vision to stay there Because God had much people in that place And although he was so necessary to all other Churches yet he spent a year and an half in converting and confirming of people unto God From whence observe That even amongst the most prophane and unlikeliest people that are God may sometimes gather a Church to himself The Apostle having reckoned up 1 Cor. 6. 11. monsters of men rather than men whereof some are said to be effeminatâ— and abusers of themselves with mankind he addeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and these things as if they were peccata not peccatores were some of you but now ye are justified now ye are washed God then doth sometimes make Blackmoors to become white and though man cannot yet he sometimes doth make figs to grow of thorns and grapes of thistles I have spoken to this truth in Paul's case and therefore shall be brief Only the reason why God may build his house of such crooked timber and make his Temple of such rough stones may be to shew the freeness of his grace and the efficacy of it Both which are opposed by Arminians and Papists but gladly acknowledged by the godly man who hath had experience of it For the freenesse of Gods grace that is seen two wayes Absolutely and Comparatively Absolutely For when God shall call such to himself who are so utter unworthy that deserve all the vengeance and wrath God can inflict upon them this must discover grace to be exceeding free and gracious In stead therefore of the curses of the Law thou meetesâ— with the promises of the Gospel In stead of hell and damnation God vouchsafeth Heaven and salvation What can be freer then Gods love and his gift herein Thou art so farre from being in a state of congruity or fitness that thou art in direct opposition and contrariety Again The grace of God is manifested to be free comparatively For who can give a reason why God calleth these Corinthians and not Athenians Were the Corinthians the only deserving men in the world Yea there were more civil and moral people than they yet to these and not to many others is the grace of God communicated Is not that admirable which our Saviour speaks of Chorazin and Bethsaida That if such things had been done in Tyre and Zidon Mat. 11. 21. they would have repented long ago in sackeloth and ashes You see then that the grace of God is not so much as offered to some who yet externally at least would have demonstrated more humiliation and reformation when yet it is plentifully bestowed on those who are contemners and despisers of it The freeness then of Gods grace to some and not to others is admirable and sheweth that there is no such thing as Universal Grace Common Grace is no Grace as Austin said well neither is God an accepter of persons in this thing for that is committed only in things of justice but in matters of liberality there the free liberal man may give as he please to one and not to another In the next place This discovers the efficacy of Gods grace For must it not be the great power of God as shall convert such an obstinate and prophane people to himself Grace may be much acknowledged as Pelagians did especially Papists and Arminians but it is not gratia except it be gratuita omni modo Therefore except we hold that grace doth not only reveal the object or morally perswade the subject but invincibly and irresistently determine and incline the heart to apply it so that it cometh not from the good use of our Free-will but the discriminating power of grace which giveth both to will and to do we give not all no nor the chiefest to grace but make our will to be the more principal discriminating cause We are therefore to affirm That God converts both per modum sapientiae and potentiae that Gods work upon us is Ethico-physical in bringing of us home unto him It 's by way of moral arguments therefore we are not as stocks and stones yet by way of power and invincible efficacy therefore it is not we that make grace efficacious but grace makes our will And this truth is not so much proved by books and demonstrations of Authours as it is from experience When God taketh sometimes the worst of men and maketh them the best of Saints Is here any previous goodness Is here any probum ingenium or docilitas animi that the Remonstrants talk of so much No the Scripture speaks of every one in a state of enmity and rebellion
it is that it is an art of arts and much heavenly wisdome is required to administer the proper comfort for such a grief This makes Casuistical Divinity which is applied wholly to rectifie and comfort a wounded conscience more difficult than Polemical is The afflicted soul hath its 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 its deeps and Satan also in their temptations hath his deeps likewise Insomuch that it is choice prudence to give the proper cordial and to find out the true way of comforting such yet though there be special comforts in special cases yet all the godly that are in like temptations may and ought to take the like comforts That which hath done any godly man good under such an exercise may do thee also good if thou art not froward and unbelieving In the next place let us consider Why those arguments which some godly men have found powerfull to comfort them should also be very conducible to others And First Because all the Godly they are as I may so say Ejusdem speciei They have all the same substantial sundamentall worke of grace in their hearts That as you see all men have the same specifical humane Nature though there be many individual properties and differences Thus all the godly do partake of the same Divine Nature They are all borne of God they are all become new creatures Although indeed for the manner of conversion and the degrees of grace as also experiences of Gods favour and love in these things there may be much variation yet in the main as they all have the image of God and so are like him So they are also like one another It 's the common faith it 's the common love it 's the common Image of God which they all doe partake of So that godly men though they may differ in their gifts in degrees of graces in their judgements and opinions yet because the Image of God is stampt on them all there is a likenesse and similitude between one another What one feeleth the other feeleth How one is affected the other is affected they understand one another they do as it were see themselves in one another We have an expression Prov. 27. 19. As face answereth face in water so the heart of man to man There is a two-fold exposition of this place and that contrary Some say it is brought to shew the falshood and deceitfulnesse of mans heart That as in water there is not a true representation of the face so one mans heart is not truly known to another Others they goe on the contrary As say they the face of a man and the reflexion of it in the water are alike so is the heart of man to man that is of one friend to another Therefore a friend is Alter Ego They have all things common one soul as it were and one heart Now if this be true of moral friendship that their hearts are fo alike how much more of the people of God who are all made one in the Lord cis not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gal. 3. 21. They are all but one Person their hearts must needs answer one another Let a godly man read David's Psalmes wherein he doth experimentally declare what the workings of his soul were will not a godly man say he speaketh his heart his doubts his complaints Seeing then there is the same fundamental work of grace in all no wonder if what is suitable to one is also to another Secondly Another ground of the Doctrine is From the samenesse and identity of that Spirit of God which enliveneth all and worketh in all For as it is with the body though it hath different parts yet all those are informed and animated by the same soul It is not one soul that informeth the arms another the feet but it 's one and the same soul that informeth all Thus it is also with all the people of God they may differ much in externals their condition their estate yea in internals also in illumination and sanctification yet it is the same Spirit of God that liveth and worketh in them all If therefore the same root give nourishment to all of them they all grow upon the same stock if the same spirit diffuse it self through all no wonder if what comforts one may also comfort another no wonder if the same promises revive one that doth another He said Homo sum nihil humani alienum c. He was a man and so nothing of a man was strange to him Thus thou art a believer a new creature and so nothing that is proper to such should be strange to thee If you say Seeing they are all animated by the same Spirit which is a Comforter then it would follow they are all comforted alike all have joy alike but experience confuteth that Two have the Spirit of God and one is comforted the other is dejected walking in darknesse so that you would say certainly the same Spirit is not in both The answer is Though the Spirit of God which is a Comforter be in all the godly yet it is a free agent he dispenceth this voluntarily as he pleaseth And again Though the Spirit of God in the godly encline to comfort yet it is in an ordered and appointed way If thou art unbelieving froward then thou resistest the Spirit of God within thee The Jewes have a Proverb Super maestum non cadit Spiritus Sanctus which in a good sense may be true As it is in matter of Doctrine so it is also in respect of Consolation All the godly have the same Spirit whose work it is to lead into truth yet what wonderfull differences in judgement may be amongst them that have the same Spirit yet they all hold the foundation because the Spirit of God doth communicate it self by degrees and in measure to one more to another lesse Thus it is also in respect of Consolation though they have the same Spirit of comfort yet the out-goings of this are in one more than the other And why should it seem a strange thing for all the godly under the Gospel to have the same Spirit seeing the holy ones under the Old Testament and those under the New are led by the same Spirit Whatsoever Marcionites of old and Socinians of late say to the contrary as appeareth notably 2 Cor. 4. 13. We having the same Spirit of faith as it is written I believe and therefore have spoken we also believe and therefore speak so we also believe and therefore rejoyce Thirdly Another ground of the Doctrine is Because the main arguments of comfort promised in the Word are not upon personal considerations neither are particular priviledges but from that common reason which belongs to every believer Paul is comforted not because Paul not because an Apostle So David findeth God putting gladnesse into his heart not because a King not because a Prophet but because godly If therefore comforts Fundamental I mean are given upon a
the Gospel is though to some a savour of life yet to others a savour of death Thus afflictions and troubles to some do discover their hypocrisie and guile as winnowing doth the chaâ—â— but to others they are blessed either to conversion or to edification So that in all the sufferings of the Church we are by prayer to importune God that by these means greater glory may come to Christ and that these waters of persecution may be like those to the Ark which could not drown it but exalted it nearer to Heaven Hence Fourthly We may admire the wisdome power and goodnesse of God that wherein the enemies of Gods Church deal craftily and cruelly in that very thing he is above them working the contrary to that which they are intending For how many persecutors hath the Church had who like Haman resolved to root out the very name of Christianity and their persecutions have increased the number of Christians Thus it must needs be madness and torment to the Churches enemies to see that the wayes they take to demolish is indeed to build up the Church of God Even as it was with Pharaoh when he called a counsel to deal craftily with the Israelites to oppress and diminish them then they were the more multiplied Thus Act. 12. 24. when Herod set himself to kill the eminent servants of the Lord and thereby weaken the Church of God for when the shepherds were dissipated what would become of the flock it is said But the word of God grew and multiplied See how the contrary fell out to Herods design These things premised Let us consider What is the general good promoted by the Churches sufferings And 1. Hereby the glory of God and Christ is the more exalted amongst all that fear him For when the Churches of God shall see the wisdome and goodness of God thus to his people turning all the cruelty and craft of their adversaries to their own good that what they could never do their enemies do for them What glory and praise doth this cause in all Congregations How is the Church indeared hereby to God to trust in him to continue faithfull to him in all exercises God hath been good and will be good God hath turned the greatest evil of men to the greatest advantage and he will do it As Christs death is called a glorifying of him Thus also are the sufferings for Christ the believers glory and not only so but the glory of Christ also What saith Paul Phil. 1. 20. Christ shall be magnified in my body whether by life or death But 2. The great good overflowing to the Church by its sufferings are the propagation and enlargement of the Gospel thereby Phil. 1. 13. Paul there sheweth how his troubles fell out to the furtherance of the Gospel for his bonds were made manifest in Caesars palace and in all other places That of Tertullian is known The blood of Martyrs is the seed of the Church When men did behold their faith the râ—patience their constancy and courage it made them enquire into the cause of their sufferings what it was that could make them so constantly endure all kind of torments Insomuch that this was in stead of the working of miracles to bring men to faith So that as the shaking of a ripe flower maketh many seeds fall to the ground and in stead of that one flower many come up in the room of it or as when the Vine hath its branches cut off there come farre more in stead thereof Thus it hath also been by all the troubles on the Church of God by afflictions and by patience under them How numerous did the Church of God grow even like the stars in Heaven Let the Use be To consider those examples of all such worthies who have suffered for Christ whether recorded in Scripture or in Ecclesiastical History read them for thy comfort and thy salvation The word of God and the lives of Martyrs bearing witness to it may much prevail over a stony heart It hath been a good blessing of God that the Names and Histories of most Martyrs have been preserved and recorded for the good of the Church of God to come The lives and sufferings of our Martyrs here in England what influence may they not make upon thee What patience what heavenly mindedness what courage should this put into thee As Abel though dead speaketh Thus do all the godly Martyrs the Bradfords the Ridleys the Latimers they all speak still and God suffereth such persecutions to be as perpetual Sermons to teach us SERM. LI. The Afflictions which others suffer for Christ make much for our Comfort and Salvation 2 COR. 1. 6. And whether we be afflicted it is for your consolation and salvation THe second particular in this Text as it stands divided is the Consequent or Effect of this tribulation which is set down in a particular and special manner above any other fruit of it and that is two-fold Consolation and Salvation Of the word Consolation enough hath already been said For the other viz. Salvation we shall remit it to the end of the verse where it is again specified So that our work is immediately to proceed to the Observation which is That sufferings for Christ should be so farre from disheartning and offending others that a true and right consideration of them may much provoke our comfort and salvation This truth is of great use For the afflictions accompanying the wayes of Christ have been an offence and a stumbling block to many Now when a curb shall be made a spur when an hinderance a furtherance and we shall be encouraged from those particulars which should drive back this consideration must be very profitable Before we come to amplifie in what manner in what respects persecutions are made thus serviceable to others Let us take notice First That the sufferings of others do work good only occasionally or by way of example We must not conceive any merit or causality as was declared before in Martyrs They are Examples not Mediators Their light did shine that we might thereby glorifie God So that we must take heed that the sufferings of the godly do not obscure the sufferings of Christ that they should not be accounted the only treasure of Christ But as Luther was afraid lest his books should take men off from meditating on the Bible Or as Paul was afraid men should judge of him as if he by his own power had done that miracle and therefore told them It was onely by the Name of Christ. So also it was with all the true Martyrs of Christ they were humble looking upon themselves as unworthy of the name of a Martyr neither would they have their blood derogate from the blood of Christ Hence Secondly We may greatly deplore and bewail the Apostasie of the Church concerning those that were Martyrs and sufferers for Christ in what superstition and sinfull devotion were they plunged in about
Though a bruised reed breaketh him more though but a smoaking flax yet ready to quench it this I say is adjudged by those who labour under it worse then death more bitter then death We have a remarkable instance for this in Heman Psalme 88. where Verse 14 15 16. he maketh bitter complaint under soul-terrours Why castest thou off my soul why hidest thou thy face from me While I suffer thy terrors I am distracted and Verse 3. he saith He was free from amongst the dead as the slain that lye in the grave whom God remembreth no more Yea his temptation doth so overcloud him that he seemeth to question the truth of our Doctrine v. 10. Wilt thou shew wonders to the dead shall the dead arise and praise thee This good man must needs be greatly dejected when he doubteth of this for nothing is more ordinary with God then to shew wonders to the dead and therefore had he but possessed his heart with this truth he had been able to walk on those waters whereas now he is ready to sink had he concluded saying Oh my soul why art thou cast down within thee what though thou art dead yet it is God that raiseth the dead the dead have cause to praise him this would have revived him Yea God for the most part will not come in to help till we look upon our selves as dead even as Christ did delay till Lazarus was dead and putrifying in the grave that so his glorious power might be the more discovered in restoring of him to life Indeed the Psalmist might have argued that if God should â—uite forsake him suffering him to be swallowed up in despaire Do those that despaire do they praise thee Do the damned in Hell blesse and glorifie thy name If then in these sad and bitter temptations upon thy soul thou wouldst have some worke to get into then remember this truth God raiseth the dead Thus we have heard in what particulars this Doctrine is true let us now consider what is implyed in this expression God raiseth the dead And 1. It supposeth That Gods own Children may be brought into an helplesse and hopelesse estate They may be in a Wildernesse so that if God doth not extraordinarily provide Manna for them they will perish for you must know that this is attributed to God chiefly for the godly mans sake For though the wicked may sometimes be delivered from imminent dangers yet that is by the generall providence of God who doth in Heaven and Earth what he pleaseth but the godly are delivered from the speciall love of God and his peculiar promise to them of being their God So that it is in this case as it is in the Resurrection all men shall be raised from the dead even the wicked as well as the just only the wicked shall be raised by the power of God as a just judge but the godly as Members of Christ and from that speciall Covenant of grace God made with them and upon this foundation Luke 20. 37. doth Christ prove the Resurrection because he is the God of Abraham the God of Isaack and the God of Jacob. These are mentioned rather then Noah or Enoch when yet God was also their God because to those the promise of grace was either at first made or afterwards repeated As therefore because God is a God in Covenant he will raise up their dead bodies so from this relation he will raise thee up from thy extreame necessities yet this supposeth that God though he loveth us so as to deliver from evill yet he will not alwayes prevent the evill 2. Here is implyed That God hath an immediate soveraignty and dominiâ—â— over all conditions and estates be they never so bitter and hopelesse We cannot say of the true God that he is the God of the Vallies but not of the Hils also When that Lord would not believe God could on a suddaine provide such incredible plenty he was severely punished for it The Israelites also are taken notice of for limiting God Psal 78 9. Though God had given them water yet say they Can he furnish a Table in the Wilderness Oh how often are we guilty of such distrust though God hath done thus and thus yet can he do this also But he raiseth the dead he hath a command over all things Hence God is said 1 Cor. 1. 28. To choose things that are not thereby to confound things that are So that there is no tentation no affliction but God can command it and work what he pleaseth out of it for thy good he can raise up Children to Abraham out of stones he can make Grapes to grow of Thornes and Figs of Thistles 3. There is implyed That our extremities are Gods opportunities They are the proper time to work in and not before Why doth he not say God that healeth the sick that comforteth the sorrowfull but instanceth in the utmost of all that raiseth the dead but to shew that it is commonly Gods way to delay his help till it be at the very outmost Christ would not turne water into Wine till all was spent When the poor creeple that lay so long by the Poole side said I have no man to help me then Christ healed him It became a Proverbe in the Church of old In the Mount the Lord will be seen God lets Abraham alone till he was lifting up his hand to give a mortall blow and then God appeareth providing also a Ram in Isaacs stead Thus it was also with Abraham God provideth him a Son out of a dead Wombe that so his glory may be more exalted commonly a godly mans Isaacs his joyes and comforts are brought out of the dead Wombe of the Creatures What more is to be said herein will come in seasonably in the next Verse Let us from the premisses make this Use Doth God raise even the dead and may such put trust in God Then shame and reprove thy saying oh me slow to believe oh me dull and heavy about Heavenly duties for though my afflictions are but weak and ordinary there is nothing above measure or strength in them yet I am ready to faint how can this be forgiven to me As the Apostle said in another case you have not yet resisted to blood So it may be thy exercises have never been so grievous and extreame so as thou art to be accounted as a dry bone as a dead man and yet I have much ado to trust in God in these inferior tryals Cry out unto the Lord to help thee in these weak graces be ashamed when any little trouble is apt to disquiet thee to discompose thee Oh say if it were the worst condition that could come upon me if it were the heaviest tryall that could fall on me yet I was to trust in him who raiseth the dead SERM. LXXIV We are not to consider Gods Mercies in general onely but their several Aggravations also 2 COR. 1. 10. Who delivered
of glory and rejoycing to us So likewise Gal. 6. 4. the Apostle pressing every man to try his own works to examine his intentions therein giveth this as the consequent fruit thereof That then he shall have rejoycing in himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a kind of glorying and boasting in himself To clear this truth let us first shew what is required to this glorying and then in what respects it is lawfull and allowed us And for the former First It is necessary to this rejoycing and glorying in the first place That we have an high esteem of the excellency and worth of that grace we discover to be in us If so be we are to rejoyce in these outward mercies which yet are only for the body what matter of joy should it be to find those spiritual workings of Gods Spirit in us which are of eternal concernment What Solomon saith concerning the esteem of wisdom which is indeed nothing but grace we should all make good Prov. 2. 4. If thou seekest her as silver and searchest for her as for hid treasures That soul then which can rejoyce in the discovery of grace must esteem of it more than all the treasures of the world To say O Lord I had rather find my self sanctified I had rather see the powerfull workings of grace upon me then to be made the greatest or richest man in the world we have many exhortations to examine our selves and try our hearts to see if we can find this precious jewel in our souls Now none will be cordial to examine and search herein but those who look upon it as the greatest treasure Did the woman in the Gospel make such diligent search for a lost groat only and call her neighbours to rejoyce with her when she had found it How large and boundless then should our thoughts be about the excellency of grace And indeed to the godly soul this is the great question it labours to study and to resolve Whether it be in the state of grace or no knowing that this onely is the most blessed and happy estate in the world Secondly As we must highly esteem this work of grace so we must have a Certainty and perswasion that we have obtained it Had not Paul known that his heart had been sincere that he was not acted by carnal wisdome he could never have rejoyced For Philosophers make joy to be in that good thing we do possesse and also the knowledge thereof This Text then doth abundantly declare that the people of God may have a certain knowledge of the work of grace So that although the heart be indeed deceitfull and full of hypocrisie yet when sanctified it hath some measure of truth and sincerity in it and so far doth not deceive us He then that would rejoyce in the grace of God wrought in him must presse after assurance must endeavour after a certain perswasion of the truth of grace in him And although this perswasion be not justifying faith yea it is separable from it A man may be justified may be sanctified and not know it yet it is such a priviledge yea and duty also that we should diligently take heed of all those things that may weaken our assurance that may make us to doubt and question whether Jesus Christ be in us or no. Thirdly A sure perswasion of the goodnesse and integrity of our hearts is not enough but it must be upon right grounds and in a Scripture-demonstration For if it be a false perswasion it may produce indeed a rejoycing but a false rejoycing also It is more than probable that Paul while a persecutor being zealously affected to the tradition of his fathers and thinking himself bound as he professeth to do what he did against Christ and his members could then say His rejoycing was the testimony of his conscience being perswaded that in those wayes he glorified God And therefore some do extend that profession of his before the Council That he had lived in all good conscience before God untill that day And if this be so then we see plainly That every perswasion though never so confident is not enough to make us rejoyce but we must look to Scripture-grounds Doth not experience confirm this Take any heretical person any erroneous person though it be to the destruction of the very fundamentals of Religion yet he will proclaim a rejoycing in his heart from the good testimony of his conscience So that an erroneous conscience satisfied doth bring peace and rejoycing but it is an erroneous joy It is either from meer humane principles or from diabolical delusions But this will come in more properly when we come to the ground or reason it self of Paul's rejoycing Fourthly To this rejoycing there is required The Spirit of God enabling us thereunto So that the same spirit which doth seal to us the assurance of our estate doth also cause comfort in us The Spirit of God doth enlighten and sanctifie after this it doth seal and comfort And this latter work of Gods Spirit is necessary as well as the other For we see it lieth not in the power of Gods people to have comfort when they will Hence Gal. 5. Joy is the fruit of the Spirit and it 's called Joy in the holy Ghost not only objectively because it is a joy in spiritual objects but also efficiently because it is wrought by him Hence it is that the Spirit of God mouldeth the heart for comfort removeth fears and doubts restraineth and keepeth off Satan whereby no sinne no Devil is able to deject and cast down because God comforteth â—Thus you see what goeth to rejoycing in the graces of God and thereby an holy glorying in them Now let us see in what respect it is lawfull thus to rejoyce And First It is lawfull to rejoyce in them as they are the effects and fruits of Gods favour and love as they signifie the cause from whence they come Rahab could not but rejoyce to see the thread that was a signe of such a great mercy designed for her If then the godly man have that spiritual skill as to difference between trusting in his graces as any way causes of his salvation and thankfully receiving them assignes from which he may be perswaded of it then doth he hit the mark It is usually said from Luther That we are to take heed not onely of evil deeds but of good and holy works also because the heart is apt to be carried away with pride and self-confidence insensibly yet this much not so deterre the people of God that they may not take comfort from their graces For how can they see them and not rejoyce because they are the pledge of Gods favour it self and of an interest in Christ So that though their graces be weak and full of imperfections yet they manifest that to be ours which is fully perfect and hath no fault at all in it Imperfect graces do manifest Gods perfect grace to
is an improper foundation for thy faith As thy faith is hereby a blind faith so thy comfort is but a blind comfort How greatly do the Popish Casuists perplex their people with such cases of conscience and about such superstitious things that they have only tradition for and that it may be not many yeares neither without any stamp or superscription of the Scripture Have not they comfort in their Penances in their Indulgences Will not their Friers and Monks not those slow beasts and idle bellies who from deluded principles of conscience do severely and austeerly mortifie themselves say They have the testimony of their consciences and make a bulwark from thence But where is the rule they go by Is it not tradition On the contrary side in another extream there is the Enthusiast who rejecteth the Scripture as a dead letter and doth adhere only to revelations to pretended workings of Gods Spirit to the manifest light within them Doe not these even boast in their joyes and ravishments Doe they not when unable to answer arguments flie to a light within them But what ground is there for this Is not the Apostles command That we should not believe every spirit but try them 1 John 4. 1. And how must that be but by the Scripture You see then that it is not conscience simply and alone but a Scripture-conscience that is the ground of comfort To leave that and to trust in our conscience is to make our consciences a Bible to attribute infallibility to our selves Now this Scrigture is not only a Rule for our conscience in matters of faith but also of manners of righteousnesse towards man Conscience must witness to thee not only that thou art in the true Religion but also doest walk in holy conversation It must testifie of thy righteousness towards man as well as of Religion towards God This was Paul's continual exercise Act. 24. 26. To have a conscience void of offence towards God and towards man There are many voluminous Tractates of Cases of Conscience De jure justitiâ Of Righteousnesse towards man And although the Scripture doth not particularly decide Law-cases yet it layeth down such general rules that by them particulars may easily be decided if our hearts were not corrupt As for example that famous rule What you would have men do to you do ye to them Mat. 7. 12. Our Saviour after he had given religious precepts about prayer c. he addeth this to shew that Religion and righteousness must alwayes go together And Adrian the Emperour was so affected with this Rule saying He had it from the Jews or Christians that he commanded it to be written on the doors and gates of his Palace and before he would punish any offender would inform him of this Rule And our Saviour saith This is the Law and the Prophets A great expression Look then to thy conscience that it take the Scripture for a Rule in its adequate nature For faith and conversation this is no rule for conscience to go by Others do say every one is to look to himself but the word of God that must bear evidence to thee by thy conscience Secondly To the right guidance of our conscience in witnessing to us there is not only required the Word as a Rule But the Spirit of God to enlighten thy mind to receive the true meaning thereof Such are the powerfull delusions of Satan that when he can no longer dethrone the Scripture from its authority but men will appeal to that then he looketh about to advance his Kingdom by the Scriptures ill handled and wrested to corrupt opinions and by this means men are brought into a worse condition and more incurable then those who walk by no Scripture at all For if a man be delivered up to this perswasion that his opinions and wayes are allowed by Scripture warranted by Scripture what way shall we take to reduce him The Apostle Peter telleth us of some unstable and unlearned men 2 Pet. 3. 16. which did wrest the Scriptures to their own perdition And nothing is more ordinary which made Luther say That the Bible was the Hereticks book not in the sense the Papists do accusing it thereby of insufficiency and imperfection But for the dignity of it having such authority that every Heretick would gladly runne to this Sanctuary The Scripture then though a perfect Rule yet is not enough to guide our conscience unless the Spirit of God as is promised lead us into truth As the Sunne though never so full of light yet cannot guide a blind man We grant indeed that the Scripture is but a dead letter and of it self without Gods Spirit doth not enlighten the mind and convert the heart Only we say The Spirit doth this in and by the Scripture and that all mens consciences impulses light revelations and joyes must be examined and stand or fall according to this Rule Let this be granted and then we plead as fervently as any can for the work of Gods Spirit This must enlighten the conscience to be able to understand and believe the things revealed there Hence the Disciples could not attempt their office of publishing the Gospel without this assistance from the holy Ghost John 16. 13. he is said To guid them into all truth To guide them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this signifieth that they did not know the way or if they were in they would quickly divert into by-paths if this Spirit did not guide them When David said The Word was a lamp and light to his feet If we understand it effectually so that it did not only propound the light objectively but that also he was subjectively thereby illuminated this doth necessarily presuppose the work of Gods Spirit No wonder then if so many may be exceedingly acquainted with Scripture be ready with some Texts upon every occasion yet for all that be deluded with errours because they want Gods Spirit to enlighten them and instruct them thereby Let us look upon the Jews the sad dest object in the world at this day they have been so skilfull in the Old Testament that some could remember how many words and syllables were therein and that is read to them daily yet who more maliciously opposite unto the Lord Christ promised in the Old Testament than they are But the Scripture giveth a full reason thereof The veil is upon their eyes And long before there was such a prediction of this spiritual judgement upon them That seeing they should not see hearing not hear lest they understand and be converted Therefore to have a pure and true conscience we must be sure to pray and exercise our selves herein that the Spirit of God would direct us into the true sense and meaning of the Word which is to be expected in the holy use of those means which are necessary to find out the sense thereof For you must not expect that Gods Spirit will immediately reveal the sense of the Scripture without
right testimony of conscience within them they have seared stupid consciences or they have deluded ones that make them trust in other things then Christs blood Do not most men rest in this that their conscience telleth them they are baptized they are made partakers of the Ordinances of God and this is all the witness they have But the Apostle Peter layeth an Axe to the root of this 1 Pet. 3. 21. Baptisme saveth but then by a rhetorical correction addeth Not the putting away of the filth of the body but an answer of a good conscience It is generally thought to be an allusion to a Covenant or contract for so Baptism is wherein the person is asked Do you take God for your God Renounce the Devil and all the lusts of the flesh Now if a man can unseignedly and with a good conscience answer that he keepeth to baptismal ingagements this will save SERM. LXXXVII A Believer may be assured of the Uprightness of his Heart in the Performance of Duties What is required to such an Assurance 2 COR. 1. 12. That in simplicity and godly sincerity THe third part of the Text as it stands divided cometh under our consideration and that is the Declaration in particular of what was spoken in the General The General was The testimony of his conscience Now he sheweth the Specials wherein this is manifested and that is set down Positively and Negatively and Oppositely 1. Positively In simplicity c. 2. Negatively Not with fleshly wisdome 3. Oppositely But by the grace of God Before we come to the particulars and open the Greek words we must take notice of the certainty and sure knowledge Paul had of his sincerity For how could Paul glory and rejoyce in his sincerity if he did not know it yea so know it that his conscience with the Spirit of God did witness it to him And therefore this is one of those places that is brought in the controversie between Papists and us about the certainty of our being in the state of grace which Bellarmine indeed would enervate But his labour is in vain For what can be clearer then that Paul had a certain knowledge of his upright heart seeing he did make this publick testimony of it and take so much joy therein Neither doth Paul in this pretend to any extraordinary revelation as if he had some peculiar priviledge in this above others as when he was rapt up into the third Heavens but he avoucheth the testimony of his conscience which must be in an ordinary way From this we observe That a Believer may have a certain knowledge not only that he performeth those gracious duties God requireth but that he doth them with an upright and sincere heart Paul did not only know that he was diligent in preaching of the Gospel that he was faithfull in dispensing of the word of God but also that all this was done with faithfull and sincere respects We do not only know that we believe that we repent but that we do these things in the uprightnesse of our souls Bellarmine urgeth this much Though we do discharge the duties God requireth yet how can we know that we do them with an whole heart with a sincere spirit Many hypocrites say they are sure Yea saith he among the Protestants one is assured of his way and another of another Sect but we are assured that they are all deluded So that he concludeth Seeing all the Hereticks of this age boast of this certainty yet saith he even in their opinion many are deceived and in ours all are But we are to walk by the Scripture-light in this case And indeed this being a truth the knowledge whereof is obtained both by Scripture and experience the savoury work of grace and sense of Christs Spirit dwelling in us doth more to perswade of this truth then voluminous controversies This Question is best answered by diligent prayer and an heavenly life and therefore practical experimental Christians can speak more to this point then the most learned speculative Doctors unless they have a gracious broken heart as well as a learned profound head That a believer may be assured of the truth of grace appeareth by several examples and general assertions of Scriptures Examples as Hezekiah Remember O Lord how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart 2 King 20. 3. In Job who though under sad temptations both from God and his dear friends who charged upon him hypocrisie yet he would never let go the perswasion of his integrity David how often doth he professe his love of God with all his heart Peter when Christ asked him again and again he answered Thou knowest Lord I love thee John 21. 17. As for those places which affirm this truth I shall name one or two John 14. 17. Ye know the Spirit for he dwels with you and shall be in you And vers 20. At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father and you in me and I in you What is clearer then As where the Sunne is there is light to see it so where the Spirit of God dwelleth and worketh in a man there is an evident discovery of it 2 Cor. 2. 11 12. What man knoweth the things of a man save the spirit of man within even so the things of God knoweth no man but the Spirit of God that we might know the things freely given to us of God By this we see that as the soul by its rational powers doth discover and feel the workings of reason and understanding within it self so also by those supernatural principles of grace infused into it it is able to discern and feel the divine and heavenly motions of a supernatural life within him The first Epistle of John doth in many places speak of this knowledge whereby we perceive that God is in us and we in him But I intend not to enlarge on this subject Let us explain this truth and consider What is required to cause this certain knowledge in us that we are sincere and in a state of grace and so by consequent that we are justified elected and shall assuredly be saved And First There is required A firm assent and faith of the truth of Gods promises which are in the general revealed in the Word as such as these He that believeth hath passed from death to life By faith we have remission of sinnes through the blood of Christ Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdome of Heaven The promises also to such as do confesse and forsake their sinnes we are strongly to assure our souls of Yea not only the promises but the whole truths revealed in Gods word we are firmly to assent to by a vigorous faith For the lively actings of faith to its general objects do wonderfully conduce to the application of it to particular and special objects As men of quick animal actions are thereby more enabled to rational for seeing what is in
salvation which at first began to be spoken by the Lord and afterwards was confirmed by others God bearing them witnesse by signes and many wonders So that now the things of Religion cannot be more abundantly confirmed to you than they are you are not to expect more powerfull means to convert you than have been used and this will make Hell seven times hotter for all ungodly and prophane persons who are so under these Gospel-dispensations SERM. XCIX Of the convincing Nature of Godliness in Ministers and private Christians 2 COR. 1. 13. For we write no other things unto you then what you read or acknowledge and I trust that you shall acknowledge even to the end THe Apostle having formerly asserted the sincerity and holy simplicity of his conversation and that more abundantly to the Corinthians lest this should be a vain boasting of himself and that in giving testimony of himself that would not be valid or sufficient He doth in this verse appeal to the very consciences of the Corinthians likewise So that not only the testimony of his own conscience but of their consciences also must needs justifie him And indeed this is a good demonstration of that uprightness which is within us when we can appeal to the consciences of others For although men especially such as are prejudiced and alienated from us may suffocate and smother as much as lie in them that they have any such convictions of our integrity yet secretly their consciences cannot but bear witness to us The matter then wherein he doth appeal as it were to their own consciences is set down in the beginning of the verse For we write no other things unto you c. There is one expression in this passage that hath much perplexed Interpreters and made them go different wayes it is that we write no other things unto you then what you do 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 read so we translate it and likewise many others Now this is wondered at by some yea by Calvin accounted Nimis fligidum ne dicam ineptum saith he in loc It is too frigid and absurd to make this the sense I write to you no other things then what you read c. For who doubted of that And how could any man read otherwise than he wrote saith Musculus Estius also doth confess that the rendring the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ye read did cause great perplexity to Expositors and therefore sheweth that Theophylact when he could not satisfie himself about that sense of the word did runne to another Yet there are learned men that endeavour to make a good sense of it though it be translated Ye read For Beza though he taketh notice of what Calvin saith against it yet followeth this translation and would make this Paul's meaning That he did not write cunningly artificially what they did read in the plain letter of the words that he did write he had no equivocations nor intended any delusions by his words Cajetan in loc he maketh this expression to referre to the former Epistle and also to this part of the second which we are now upon We write no more now then what ye have read formerly Therefore some render it in the preterperfect tense Others they make the general sense to be this Our words and our actions do agree we write no more than what may be read and acknowledged by all Though these interpretations may passe very well yet because the expression is not so full and proper to say We write no other things then what you read I shall rather go with those who say the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 though it many times signifieth to read yet it doth also to take notice of to know to remember c. Indeed I find it not in this sense used in the New Testament but constantly for to read yet Varinus he maketh it to signifie as well 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To know to call to mind to remember to be convinced of a thing So that the meaning is We write to you no other things then what you know what you remember yea what ye are experimentally convinced of And thus it differeth from the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which followeth and signifieth more For a man may know and remember yea and be convinced of many things which yet through some corruption within he will not acknowledge for that is when we do with a ready and willing consent approve and own such a thing The Pharisees were often convinced about Christs Doctrine yet they would not acknowledge it But the Apostle attributeth both these to the Corinthians for the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rendered Or Erasmus suspects it crept in for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which things Vorstius preferreth that reading which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and so paraphraseth If so be you do acknowledge but there is no necessity of this From the words thus explained we observe That a godly convincing life in a Christian especially in a Minister is of special advantage for many excellent effects Every Christian and much more every Minister are by their lives and examples so to convince that others may acknowledge verily God is with them verily the Spirit of Christ dwelleth in them This is no more then what our Saviour expresseth Let your light so shine before men Mat. 5. 16. that they may see your good works and glorifie your Father which is in Heaven Some make this exhortation given to Christians in the general Others to the Ministers of the Gospel in particular However by this we see that God cannot bear meer titles names and opinions unlesse there be an holy life accompanying of them he saith That they may see your good works not titles not professions not your ceremonious and instituted worship but good works good works then are necessary but such as flow from men enlightned by the gospel-Gospel-truth Many mistake about good works not knowing what the nature of them is and then Christ sheweth the end of these good works That they may glorifie your Father which is in Heaven not that they may glorifie you and honour you We are not to do good things for applause and esteem neither doth he say that ye may merit a reward in Heaven Vain-glory and merit with self-confidence are the end why pharisaical men cause their light to shine before others but the Evangelical Christian he doth it That God may be glorified But let us cause the light of this Doctrine also to shine before you And First We are to know That godlinesse and exact holinesse hath a convincing and converting effect with it The sincere practice of it doth awe and conquer the conscience even of the vilest men Godliness is the image of God Now when God created man in that he gave him dominion over all the beasts of the field they stood in awe of him And thus where the image of God is repaired there it hath a convincing work upon the conscience of the
convince as that it draweth out an acknowledgement when they do 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This distinction is to be observed for the former many times is without the later Even as the Sun is in it self most visible and yet to a blind man it doth not enlighten him so it many times falleth out that godly Ministers and godly Christians do live convincing lives so that they will be a testimony at the day of judgement against all impenitent sinners and yet the world will not acknowledge this It is plain in Christ whose life could be every way way more convincing than his What sinne could they charge upon him He was not even as the best Ministers of God are so subject to infirmities to rashnes to passions to worldliness or any other evil and yet for all that his Ministry and life did not so actually convince many of his hearers as that they did acknowledge him to be the Sonne of God the true Messias and Saviour of the world Some indeed did acknowledge him but the Pharisees and Sadduces these said He was an impostor a blasphemer and therefore they put him to death as judging him a false Prophet Thus you see that there may be a convincing life and yet for all that men will be obstinate and malicious hardening themselves against the duties required of them Now it is good to take notice of some of those causes that keep men from being convinced that such Ministers or such people walk in the wayes of the Lord and therefore we are to walk in their steps As 1. Prejudice and prepossessed principles already received whereby we stop the ear like the Adder and will not hear the voice of the best charmer and wisest Thus it was with many of the Jews they had a tradition that no good no Prophet could arise out of Galilee They expected a Messias that in a temporal pompous manner should deliver them from all external bondage and therefore they would not be convinced by any thing that Christ did or said 2. Corrupt and earthly affections when our hearts are set upon any worldly or self-interest This will keep us from being convinced though Angels should come and preach to us Thus the Pharisees they were moved by self-respects if they should yeeld to Christ their applause their gain would quickly perish And no doubt such clay as this lieth upon the eyes of many men that seeing they do not see knowing they will not be convinced 3. Mistake about the nature and way of godlinesse may keep many off from being convinced I shall instance only in two principles 1. When men do judge nothing Godlinesse but what is exactly perfect And therefore if they see Ministers or Christians subject to any infirmities this hardens them in their impieties they see such men have failings If this were a good principle no godly man in the world except Christ in whom all fulnesse did dwell had a convincing life Was there any Prophet or an Apostle that had not some failings that did not pray for the pardon of sinne If we say we have no sinne saith John in the name of the most holy we deceive our selves and have no truth in us 1 Joh. 1. 8. 2. Another false principle that keepeth from convincing is When we thinke godliness lieth in the actual abdication and renouncing of all earthly worldly things It is true in our afflictions we are to have these things as if we had them not There is to be an habitual preparation of heart to leave all when Christ shall command It is true We cannot serve God and Mammon the love of the Father and the love of the world cannot consist together but the love of God and the use and possession of these things may Now by this errour many Papists are not convinced of the holiness that is in reformed Churches Why so Oh say they you have no Monasteries you have no publick places for religious persons you have no votaries that part with their earthly substance and vow a life of poverty your Ministers marry and have children Thus the Papist is not convinced because he mistaketh about godliness and not only they but many deluded persons amongst us are offended because Ministers take maintenance provide for their families as if this were against godliness whereas the neglect of this would be to offend to God Use of Exhortation to all Ministers and private Christians to study for convincing lives The more power and conviction is therein the greater is Religion honoured the more is God glorified the easier is the conversion of others and the more is the mouth of prophane men stopped Consider not only what is lawfull but what is convincing especially take heed of such actions or a life that is the contrary scandalizing offending and causing Religion to be the worse thought of by thy means SERM. C. 'T is Perseverance that is the Crowne of Holinesse 2 COR. 1. 13. And I trust that you shall acknowledge even to the end THe Apostle having declared that he had his testimonials not onely from his own conscience but theirs also he further addeth that he trusteth this will hold and continue For it is nothing to have hopefull beginnings and afterwards to revolt from all again Blossoms without fruit will not answer Gods expectation Now this his hope is expressed in this last clause of the verse I trust you shall acknowledge even to the end To the end that is say some fully and perfectly opposite to that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in part mentioned in the next verse or else as it is used several times for the end and utmost of a thing as Christ is said John 13. 1. To love his to the end And 1 Thessal 2. 16. Wrath is said to come upon the Iews 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to the end as some expound it who are against the Iewes National conversion But it may be understood of the heavinesse and quality of the judgements which are inflicted upon them being so great that they cannot be more Or else it may be interpreted of that end which God hath appointed for the judgements which are to come upon them till which end be accomplished there is no possibility of escaping that wrath which is upon them When the Apostle saith He trusts they shall acknowledge to the end some understand it wholly of Paul as if his meaning was My conversation hath hitherto beene acknowledged by you to be sincere and upright and I trust in God that by his grace he will so preserve me that you shall never see otherwise by me I hope by the assistance of God always to keep up this integrity of life Others understand it of the Corinthians I hope as you doe acknowledge us so notwithstanding all the calumnies and subtil endeavours of the false Apostles to draw you away from me yet you will persevere and continue in your right judgement
our knowledg true when it is conformable to the thing it self but then is the thing true when it is conformeable to the knowledg of God So that herein is the Infiniteness and excellency of Truth as it is in God manifested above that which is in man So that man may well respectively to God be called a lyar There is no truth in him Now because truth as it is in God is invisible and the same with his Essence and we are never able to cown to know Truth but by God Hence we have the Scriptures given to the Church as the rule of truth All truth is from God whether it be natural or supernatural When any of the Heathens have found out Truth it was from God even as all fashood is from the Devil so that when the Godly do lye 't is from the Devils temptation the Father of lyes Thus when wicked and ungodly men have uttered truth it hath been of God Now because Supernatural truth could not be discerned but by Divine Revelation and pacefaction Hence it pleased God to make known in his Word What is that truth which will lead us to Salvation So that seing we are not able to behold truth as it is in God we must look upon it as it is in his Word for God is the hidden Truth as it were the Word is the revealed truth Therefore whatsoever is Scripture we may conclude of it as sure and firm Truth coming from the supream truth If then ye ask as Pilate did another way What is truth I answer thee The Scripture is truth No men are true any further than guided by Scripture and led by the Spirit of God accordingly Oh that therefore you did more aw your hearts with the truth of Gods Word If that say sin will be bitter in the latter end though it may bring profit and pleasure for a while believe it against all the wicked men in the world and say I do more believe this Text this Place of Scripture than all which the wickedness of men may oppose against it 3. In that God is true Herein he differeth from man and is thereby opposite to the Prince of darkness He differeth from man Therefore it is said Numb 23. 19. God is not as man that he should lye or Repent To trust in man is to lean upon reads Yea hence it is that because God only is Truth no pastors or Officers in the Church are to be believed any further than they bring the Word of God It was Christ alone God and man that could say I am truth Neither Austin nor Luther nor Calvin can say I am truth Not that therefore the Ministers of God are therefore to be laid aside because they are not infallible For God hath commanded us to hear them and to submit to them only we are not ultimately to depend on them The Church is called the Pillar of truth because she doth declare and hold out the Truth but she is not the Author of it We are then to conclude of all men that of themselves they have no Truth they need the Spirit of God to guide them therein And then hereby is an Opposition in God to the Devil As God is true so the Devil is the Father of Liés John 8. 44. when he speaketh of his own he speaketh a lye Now then consider how inexcusable every wicked man will be For on the one side Christ who is Truth it self he speaketh to the sinner to repent to reforme promising Everlasting Happiness to him Christ saith Thy sinnes have no pleasure no profit in them thou wilt finde them prove a lye to thee On the other side The Devil he tempteth thee contrary to Christ he telleth thee sin is sweet it is good and profitable to sin he biddeth thee follow the lusts of thy soul thou shalt not be damned for all that and now thou believest this Devil this Father of lies rather than Christ Oh how unsufferable is this how great is the Patience of God towards thee What hearken to the Devil before God But even thus Eve did at first she believed the Serpent more than God and thereby brought ruine upon her self and Posterity Oh that we could convince you enough herein that you may see with what madness and folly your sinnes carry you away while you listen to the Father of Lies who is the Adversary of your soules rather than Christ who mourneth over you saying Oh that such a sinner did know the things that maketh for his peace 4. From this truth of God Hence it is that we are so much commanded in Scripture to believe on him to trust in him and to depend upon him which indeed is a quiet and blessed life For what is that maketh thy heart like a Sea What is it that causeth one wave to rise up after another in thy soul Is it not because thou dost not depend upon this truth of God Were thy soul more assured here in the frame of thy spirit would be more joyfull Two Temptations amongst others there are wherein the soul cryeth out as in a Whales belly not knowing what to do◠whereas the confidence of Gods truth would presently satisfie the soul The first is In matters to be believed about the Doctrine that is delivered there For because that is wholly supernatural above our humane reason though not contrary to it hence it is that we have many fluctuations of spirit and our understandings are with difficulty captivated unto the Word of God Though these temptations about the Truths of Christian Religion are not incident to all the Godly and it is a special mercy to be preserved from them yet upon some they have come like a violent storm and therefore there is no way to stand disputing and arguing but to say God is true the Word is true I believe when I cannot dispute as one Martyr said But then a Second temptation which is like a continual thorn in the sides of the Godly is their Diffidence and distrust about the Promises of God They do not live and walk as if they were true So that never did any Heretick more subtilly cavill against the Doctrine of the Scripture than they do argue against the Promises of the Scripture Whether they be such as belong to the Church or to themselves To the Church when they read the Scriptures they finde such glorious and excellent Promises that they exspect she should alwayes have Halcyon dayes that her enemies should alwayes be vanquished but alas they finde experimentally the contrary They cannot see how Gods Words and his Works how his Promises and Providences do concurre together But the reason of this is from themselves They do not take a right way to understand the truth of God in this particular for these three Causes which commonly make the sense to erre about the Object although to speak properly the sense doth not erre but the judgment of a man discerning according to sence for
out against the Doctrine and Office for any real or supposed failings because it is that which doth most grieve and trouble them It is the Word of God that is a terrour to them that will not let them sin securely theresore they have no care to take but as much as lieth in them to make it no word to make it nothing but the humours of men For all the while they believe this is the Doctrine of God this will reprove me this will damn me they dare not they cannot rise up against God but to delude their soules therefore they run to lies and sinfull refuges whereby they would undervalue this Word and make it nothing but the Opinions of men 3. They fall foul upon the Doctrine presently because herein they think they do the greater despite to the faithfull Ministers of God Herein they think the more to afflict them they know that no glory honour or profit doth so much prevail with him as the honour of his Office and the truth of his Doctrine and theresore that they might shew their mischief and malice the more they would him in that which is dearest 4. They condemn the Doctrine from personal failings because herein they think to justifie themselves the more That there is no such reason why it should be powerfull to reforme or convert them seeing it doth not so to the Minister himself They think they have a good plea for their unprofitableness and unfruitfulness If he be a Physician say they Why doth he not heal himself if he can save others why doth he not save himself as they derided Christ Use of Exhortation To observe and take notice of this subtilty of Satan and the naughtiness of thy own heart in this particular Are not all his workings to prejudice thee against the faithfull Pastor of thy soul Doth not every tale or story doth not every slanderous and lying report presently take off thy Faith and reverence to the word that is preached Oh remember that it is Gods word it is Gods truth whatsoever our failings may be its Gods treasure though it be in an earthen vessel It will be no excuse for thee at the day of judgment to say Lord I regarded not the word I mattered not Sermons I attended not to what they Preached because I thought the Messengers thereof were proud and covetous Will not God arraign thee saying It was my Word howsoever It was my Doctrine my word was not proud or Doctrine Covetous if not for their sakes yet you should have received it for my sake It was not the Ministers Doctrine the Ministers Sacrament but mine The Devil is very busie to destroy thee by this temptation but watch and pray against them SERM. CXVII Of Changing in Matters of Religion 2 COR. 1. 18. Our word toward you was not yea and nay WE are now arrived at the last particular considerable in this Text and that is the firmnesse and constancy of the Doctrine that Paul preached to the Corinthians You heard that malevolent adversaries from a supposed levity in Paul otherwise did presently argue to an inconstancy in his Doctrine And although this was but once they could not charge such an appearing levity upon Paul often It was but at one time yet how ready were they to take an advantage hereby against Gods truth It is true the verity and firmnesse of Gods truths doth not depend upon the esteem of Ministers his word is sure though men be vain and inconstant yet by this instance we see how much it concerneth the Ministers of the Gospel to abound in gravity sincerity and constancy especially so to deport themselves that the Doctrine they preach may not be suspected of changeablenesse as if they would preach that for Gods truth one time which afterwards they would preach to be the Devils lie This is that which Paul doth here renounce Our word toward you saith he was not yea and nay that is it was not light mutable it was not white and black hot and cold but it was alwayes the same constant abiding truth From whence observe That for a Minister to be mutable and contradictory in his Doctrine is very reproachfull to him and makes his Ministry wholly uselesse Sometimes to preach one way as the way of God one opinion as the certain truth of God and then afterwards to preach up the clean contrary this debaseth the person and the office of a man it maketh all his Ministry to be despised They conclude either that such a man thinketh there is no Religion at all or at least that he is either Atheistical believing none or else very ignorant or carnal and self-seeking that with Demetrius the Priest of Diana's Temple doth judge that only Religion which is profitable and therefore measure the truths of Doctrines by their interest and carnal emoluments In the Old Testament we read of many such lying Prophets who did not prophesie according to the visions of the Lord but from the imagination of their own hearts preached to Kings and people such pleasing things as they desired This hath done a world of hurt in the Church of God when the officers therein have not regarded whether the things they preach were Gods truths but whether pleasing to men or no. This was to make the Sunne to follow the Dial and the truth of God shall no longer be truth but while it pleaseth man Now such men that are thus mutable must needs be accounted transgressours by all For so saith the Apostle If I build the things againe I once destroyed I make my selfe a transgressour Galat. 2. 18. This Doctrine deserveth serious examination because as there is much truth in it and thereby much good may be done So occasionally through mistake men may be prejudiced to their own hurt For did not the Papists brand the Reformers at first with inconstancy and perfidiousnesse that they were nothing but Yea and Nay For formerly they came to the Masse they worshipped Images they acknowledged the Pope as well as they But then of a sudden they were all changed then the Pope was Antichrist then the Masse was blasphemous Idolatry then they puiled down their Altars and Images Thus say the Papists they were yea and nay And in our age Are there not many offended because the Ministers of the Gospel do not keep up the same Church-administrations as they once did that they do not pray baptize administer the Lords Supper in the same way as once they did If it was no sinne then why is it now Thus they think there is much inconstancy and levity in Ministers because they see such changes and alterations in their publick administrations Let us therefore abide the longer upon this truth seeing the Text doth give such seasonable advantages thereunto And First You must know That all yea and nay is not bad There may be a time when he that hath been for a Yea a long time in Religion must if ever he will be
upon the truth and then to be immoveable whereas the doubting and divided mind is never satisfied and flieth from one thing to another never having any rest If then thy saith be true believe as thou hast done if thy worship of God be according to his will continue to do as thou hast done and so if thy life be according to Gods command never change it thou canst not do better onely be sure thy foundation be truly laid and then abhorre all temptations and opinions that would bring thee to doubting for here will be no end thou will be in daily restlesse thoughts of soul Hence the Apostle James saith A double-minded man is unstable in all his wayes Jam. 1. 6 7. He is like a wave tossed up and down in the Sea Oh how unfit and unable are such to confesse the truth before a crooked generation to give witnesse to it by the losse of the dearest comforts they doe enjoy when they do not know whether it be Gods truth or mans errour that they plead for Now you may ask What are the causes procreant of such lightnesse and inconstancy The first is Ignorance when we are not able of our selves to judge what is the truth of God but receive it wholly from trust by tradition This traditional Religion receiving things meerly from men and because of their authority must needs make men change as that changeth Solomon hath a full expression to this The fool believeth every word but the prudent man looketh well to his going Prov. 14. 15. The more ignorant then a Ministry is the more credulous it is and so is like the materia prima ready to receive different formes and shapes when a mans faith is wholly borrowed and he liveth by another mans faith not his own when he shutteth his own eyes and will onely see by another mans then he must call black white and white black as often as those will have him do so upon whom he doth depend If then it be a shame for a private Christian not to live by his own faith and to resolve all into an implicit belief of others Is it not much more an hainous sinne in Ministers who are to be guides and to lead others Secondly An affectation of singularity and vain-glory in a Minister may make him to be Yea and Nay He seeth that by holding and preaching the old known way he shall not be much admired and therefore as people runne in multitudes to new sights so they do to such who bring unheard of opinions This hath been one of the chiefest causes of all the heresies and errours that ever have been in the Church they have been weary of the accustomed Manna they have like the Athenians been alwayes enquiring into what new thing is brought forth And hereupon as pride in apparel doth alwayes bring forth new fashions so pride in Religion new opinions And hence it is that men affect new words new phrases new expressions yea and new Doctrines all which causeth a mutability and change Now surely if a man ever did find the lively power of the truths of God he once professed upon his own heart when he should at any time be invited to taste of new wine he would say the old is better When Peter knew that with Christ alone was eternal life then he saith Whither shall we goe John 6. 68. Or to whom shall we goe We cannot be better than we are Now the other Disciples had not fully tasted of the good Word of God they depart from Christ and never follow him more We may say then to all those unstable soules who wander from one opinion to another and so from truth to falshoods many time Why doe ye leave the Fountain to go to the Cisterns Why do ye leave the fatnesse of the Olive and the sweetnesse of the Vine to go to the Briar Thirdly Another cause of changeablenesse is Love to profit to earthly greatnesse and worldly advantages There is none addicted to this but he must be Yea and Nay often and often again Must not the shadow alter often sometimes longer sometimes shorter sometimes streight and sometimes bowed down because it wholly followeth the body and hath its dependence thereon So it is here when men regard Religion only for politick and self-seeking ends then they must be hot and cold they must be bitter and sweet as their interest requireth This hath alwayes made Ecebolius's in the Church onely it were well if at last they would bewail this carnality this inconstancy as Ecebolius did throwing himself down before the Church gathered together crying out Calcate me insipidum salem This made one Bishop be sirnamed Euripus for his frequent compliances and accommodations of himself that thereby he might be advanced Lastly Another cause though external is The example of others When an whole Church or an whole Nation becometh Yea and Nay then it is very difficult to be immoveable To be onely Athanasius when the whole world is Arrian that is difficult We are apt to think that multitude is patronage enough for any inconstancy Though we judge the usages in Religion superstitious yet we are ready to say as he did Eamus ad communem errorem Hence it is that we read some Nations have received the Popish Religion and then after that Protestantisme and so change them mutually again Now unlesse a man be bottomed upon divine Motives he cannot be Lot in a Sodome he cannot be like that River that emptieth it self into the brackish Sea and yet keeps its own sweetnesse Not to turn when all turn argueth there must be some strong principle within some life within else the dead fish would be carried away with the stream The conclusive particular to clear this whole Discourse and which will antidote against the Objection at first mentioned is this We must distinguish between the Essentials of Religion and External formes thereof which are mutable and changeable It may be the same Essential Religion sull though the form of administrations may alter even as it is the same man still though he wear change of garments This is on purpose mentioned to discover the ignorance of those who charge levity and inconstancy upon the Ministers of the Gospel because they use not the same publick Liturgyl nor administer Sacraments in the same order and forme as was formerly Yea some are so farre scandalized as to think this is the removing of the Protestant Religion but all this is built upon a false foundation as if Protestant Religion were built upon Church-formes of administration For if that were so then there would be many Protestant Religions because several Protestant Churches have alwayes had several formes of administration some more pure than other though all retaining the essentials of Religion Religion then is the same still and the Ministers of the Gospel are the same still we have also the same way still to Heaven and the same Christ our Mediatour though
when an adult person so did God with his Church But then if we come to the Doctrinals we shall finde that the same truths necessary to salvation were in the Old Testament as the New Abraham David and all the Godly were justified by faith in Christ as well as the Believers in the Gospel This indeed is that which the Socinians pertinaciously deny they think that the Godly in the Old Testament did not believe in Christ that this is a peculiar new duty required under the Gospel and never before viz. to believe in Christ But the Apostle in his Epistle to the Hebrews doth admirably open the mysterious signification of those Jewish ceremonies and sacrifices shewing that Christ was represented therein and that it was not the blood of Rams and goats but of Christ that did take away sin Hence Abraham is said to see Christs day and rejoyce 1 Cor. 10. they are said to drink of the spiritual rock which was Christ and Act. 15. 10 11. Peter and the Councel speaking of the yoke laid upon our fathers addeth But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved even as they The Doctrine then of Jesus Christ of the Trinity of eternal Life were in the old Testament as well as the New only more implicitely and obscurely the Old Testament being the New hidden and covered the New being the Old revealed and explained so that the Old and New Testament do not contain old and new Doctrine essentially but gradually as we say the old and new moon not meaning two moons but distinct discoveries of light therein 2. We are to distinguish between progress and growth in the same truth and the alteration or change of truth into errour And truly this is of great consideration for this very particular will obviate all the calumnies of the Papist Let it be granted that the first Reformers did not did not at first view see all the truths of the Christian Religion but that by degrees they had scales fall off from their eyes and some things that at first they thought true or tolerable afterwards they rejected as false and abominable And thus Calvin de scandalis answereth the Papists who calumniate us saying If you had the spirit of God why did ye not see all truth presently Why was it that some things did appear false to you afterwards which did not so at first This saith he is to envy us proficiency in the truth and to expect that the Sun in the morning should shine as gloriously as at noon day So that it is one thing addere aedificium fundamento as Austin calleth it and another thing to make a new Foundation Thus Lyrinensis when he made this Objection To what use are Doctors and Officers of the Church if so be they must only receive the Doctrine delivered and not excogitate new by their own wit He answereth There is profectus but not permutatio allowed a growth but not a change The work of the Ministers of the Gospel is not to finde out new real fundamental truths no more than a new Christ or a new Bible he that cannot see by one Sun would not by twenty and he that will not be convinced by one Bible would not if there were more Yet they are not useless for these Fundamentals they are dayly to confirm to explain to polish and affectionately to improve for Sanctification more and more so that as he saith they must not deliver nova yet they may nova not new things but in a new manner When a childe groweth up into a man he still retaineth his humane nature though there be an increase in his stature but if this childe should grow into a horse or a bear then this would be a change of his species and his naâ—uâ—e Thus the Church and her Officers they are to grow in more light in more knowledg in more faith but still in the same truth whereas if they degenerate into Errors and false Doctrines then the species is altered now it is not hony but gall it is not gold but dross not meat but poyson So that if we see eminent men growing out of those errors and those Superstitions they were once intangled in you must not call this yea and nay but a laudable duty for we see the spirit of God communicating it self by degrees Even as the Sun doth not presently arise to its vertical point so neither doth the spirit of God reveal all things at once It cometh in by degrees he could perfect our understandings even in this life as much as they shall be in heaven so that we shall no longer know in part but he is pleased to work gradually even as he did make the world not in an instant but successively Thus we see he did to the very Apostles they were under his Instruction and Government a good while and yet were ignorant in many particulars till at last he confirmed them from his spirit from above The Protestants then are not guilty of yea and nay though they did not at first dâ—scover all the abominations of Popery Neither may we charge any particular Minister for yea and nay if out of error he proceed to truth if from darkness he attaineth to more light For although many Heretical persons may shrowd themselves under the serious name of new light yet it is plain that both Pastors and people are to grow in new light gradually though not specifically Thus the Apostle Peter 1 Pet. 1. 19. commendeth the believers for attending unto the word of God as unto a light that shineth in a dark place untill the day dawn and the day-starre arise in their hearts not as if ever they could come to light enough that they need not to attend to Scripture any further that they may throw away the Bible as useless having light enough within them No but that donec that until is continual and alwayes as sometimes it is used 3. We are to distinguish between Yea and Nay indeed and a seeming yea and nay between 〈◊〉 constant new Doctrines indeed and those that are apparently so We grant that such corruptions such darkness may cover the face of the Church that the true Doctrines of Christ may seem new and be condemned for novelllsm and the Doctor who preached them be thought to come with his yea and nay And thus again Luther and Melancthon with many others are condemned for their inconstancy They were once ours say the Papists they did once believe as we believed worship as we worshipped but now they are a nay to their yea This calumny will easily vanish if you distinguish between new things indeed and new things appearingly so The Protestant Doctrine was not new indeed if you look to the Scripture and Christ it is old as they are but then we grant that if we consider the Chaos the Church was in at that time what superstitious abominations did then prevail we grant what the Reformers
at all of grace If of workes then not of grace It is the Apostles infallible argument Rom. 11. 6. It cannot be of grace and workes also Luther Comment in Genes maketh this properly Simony when we would have Heaven for the workes we doe and thereupon saith Omnis homo naturaliter est Simoniacus Now how necessary is this truth to be known by every humbled and afflicted sinner How difficultly is he brought to the promise of grace as if it were the forbidden fruit that he might not taste of it This was the precious gold that the first Reformers with much labour digged out of the mines of the Scripture it was the oyl they poured into wounded hearts In what a wildernesse doth the child of God wander till he hath this pillar of fire to guide him Peace and joy cannot be obtained till he come to this promise of grace in Christ How slavish how servile is he till he know that this onely is the way of justification this onely is the way of pardon and acceptance with God And Gods children especially while in the pangs of conversion or at any time under deserlions and black fears about their estate are to flie unto this as a City of Refuge Many an heavy temptation many an heart-breaking doubt would be overcome wert thou once perswaded that in the matter of justification thou must know nothing live upon nothing but the gracious promise of God in Christ Secondly We are to distinguish of promises they are either fulfilled in him or fullfilled by him For according to this division so some doe differently understand the Text. For there are Interpreters that make this the meaning All the promises viz. which have of old beene fore-told by the Prophets they were all Yea and Amen in him that is They were all fullfilled in him and in this sense all the promises are true in him ut subjecto But then others they say not onely the promises of the Old Testament but of the New also they are sure in him because through his worth and dignity they are accomplished and thus the promises of God are Yea in him ut fundamento causâ meritoriâ But we are not to oppose these interpretations For if we take the promises of both kinds they may well be applied to the Text Yea the latter do necessarily suppose the former The former is to support our assenting faith the other our siducial faith For the first we read of many promises in the Old Testament concerning a Messias to come and these were all accomplished in that person Jesus of Nazareth The first promise that was made concerning him is Genes 3. 15. where he is promised As the seed of the woman that should destroy the seed of the Serpent Afterwards he is more particularly promised As the seed of Abraham in whom all Nations should be blessed which the Apostle doth industriously apply to Christ and to Christ onely Galat. 3. 16. So that we may say the promise made to Adam the promise made to Abraham are fullfilled in Christ they are Yea and Amen in him Thus also the promise of a Shiloh the promise of a great Prophet whom God would raise up the promise of a King who should sit upon Davids threne and of his Kingdome there should be no end The promise of a Messias by the Prophet Daniel were all yea in Christ When he came into the world we might truly say Behold the seed of the woman behold Abrahams seed behold Davids King Jacobs Shiloh Daniels Messiah Yea the Prophet Isaiah who is justly called the fifth Evangelist because he doth as plainly and clearly speak of Christ as the Evangelists doe All his promises concerning him especially in Chap. 9. 6. To us a Childe is borne to us a Sonne is given and the Government shall be upon his shoulder As also Chap. 7. 14. Behold a Virgin shall conceive and beare a Sonne and shall call his Name Immanuel But chiefly Chap. 53. where at large his sufferings are fore-told for our sinnes That he was wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities and that by his stripes we are healed All these are made evidently Yea and Amen in him And not onely the promises but all the Levitical administrations the Sacrifices the Scape-Goat the whole burnt Offering the Paschal Lamb these were types of Christ and were Yea in him which made John the Baptist say Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world John 1. 29. Now the consideration of this serveth greatly to confirme our faith against Jewes who blaspheme the Lord Christ cavilling that those promises could not be applied to him and therefore they doe expect another Messiah Neither doth the usefullnesse of this truth stay there but when it hath perswaded us of the true dogmatical faith then it further inclineth us to a fiducial recumbency and reposing of our soules upon him as our Prophet and King as our Christ who is to bring us into reconciliation with God And this sense of the Text we are to acknowledge but then the other which floweth from this is That in Christ all the promises of God to his Church are confirmed they have their vertue and efficacy from him Without Christ there could not have been such promises made neither without him could they have been accomplished as may appear in the third particular which is That the promises being the signes of Gods grace and favour there could neither have beene the existency of promises or the fullfilling of them without Christ And the reason is because of that infinite holinesse which is in God whereby he cannot but loath sinners and his glorious Attribute of Justice whereby he is carried out to punish every such offender This Justice of God causeth such a great gulfe between us and God that neither a gracious promise can come to us or we to it till by the blood of Christ this justice be atoned and a sufficient expiation made by his blood No wonder then if all Gospel-promises are said to be made in him because the least good thing promised could never be vouchsafed to us without Christs mediation There could not be remission of sin there could not be accepting of our persons there could not be the least drop of any blessing communicated to us had not Christ as our Surety interposed Therefore it is not the promise but Christ in the promise that the soul is by faith to receive The Ens incomplexum not Complexum is Objectum fidei saith the learned The promise or proposition is onely Objectum quo Christ or the matter promised is the Objectum quod In all promises then we are still to have our eye upon Christ as without whom they could not have any efficacy at all So that as it is with the creatures they all subsist by his power In him we live and move and have our being And if God should withdraw his arme they would all fall
not consider how severely it 's commanded insomuch that that very sin of not believing of not resting our soules upon the Lord Christ would damn us if there were nothing else How happy then is it and in what good forwardness are they for establishment who begin thus to be inlightened who are thus perswaded Though I cannot believe yet it is my duty to believe It s not Gods will that I should excruciate my self with these tormenting doubts I am sure to be damned if I go not to Christ the Saviour if I take not this way there is no way for me to take and thus we have got advantage when we are come thus far And that this may be done all those Texts which do either command faith or commend faith are very often in his minde 3. The minde of a man is antecedently wrought upon for establishment by illumination concerning the Evangelical way of grace wherein God doth vouchsafe all spiritual mercies to the broken in heart For the spirit of God doth not inable us to cry Abba Father till our understandings are opened to know that glorious Gospel-way Christ hath taken for to save the humbled sinners the sum whereof is this That it is in believing not in working Rom. 4. the Apostle argueth against all conceits of Justification by the works we do yea that Abraham himself though so eminent in holiness did not obtain remission of sinnes hereby and in other places the righteousness of faith and the righteousness of works are made immediately opposite to one another It is then a special mercy of God to have the judgment of a man satisfied in this truth although the poor humbled sinner cannot yet repose himself in the bosome of a Promise though he doth nothing but stagger and reel up and down by fears and temptations yet this is no small proficiency to arrive at the certain perswasion of this Doctrine For we see in the Apostles dayes that this very Doctrine was called into question and is it not still by Papists and others arraigned as teaching men Presumption and Security and truly as the head of a man may invent many plausible Arguments against the truth of it so the heart of a man is naturally proud and self-righteous and therefore is hardly brought off from works to faith for faith seemeth not to have that activity for justification as love and other graces have though indeed that be the life and soul of all the primum vivens and ultimum moriens As it is with the roots of trees they have no sweetness nor comeliness in them when the fruit thereof hath Thus when good works are glorious and precious faith from whence they have their life and being seemeth contemptible But this order the spirit of God taketh before it is a sealing and a witnessing spirit unto us It is also an enligtening and teaching spirit and that especially in this grand truth which is the sum of the Gospel viz. that by faith and not by works we become justified before God and where his Gospel-light hath not taken place in any afflicted conscience for sin Oh the unspeakable temptations oh the wofull dayes and nights that they meet with When the spirit of God hath thus antecedently wrought upon the judgment then in the next place cometh this chief and special work of establishing and setling the heart And as it is in planting of a tree first the briars and thornes which cumbred the ground before must be removed and then the tree is planted Thus also it is with God while setling the heart of a man upon the Promises he doth first remove that which is prohibent and hindring of this confirmation and positively inables it to rest upon Christ even as the sun doth first dispel the darkness and then introduce the light The two Impediments to our establishment on the Promises alone are Presumption on the one hand and Despair on the other for those are the two Generals as it were under which all the other sinnes opposite to this way are comprehended The first is Presumption and that is the damnable estate of most men they are secure in their own condition they rest contented in their own righteousness and goodness Now these indeed are settled but upon a rotten foundation these have no changes no inconstancies of spirit arising from the fear that is in them but are therefore the more dangerous Such as these are the most untractable and unteachable both about the promises of God and their dependance on them you can no more remove them out of their Presumption than mountains out of their places the saddest subject in the world to preach upon or to preach unto for they have door upon door and bolt upon bolt that must be opened ere you can make any way for Christ or the Promises in their soules All the weapons taken out of Gods word are peesently dulled when they fall upon them like a bullet in a pack of wool When we come to such upon their sick beds we know not how to begin with them what to say to them for whatsoever is said they are confident it is in them and all this while its nothing but Presumption and spiritual security of soul The other is Despair with all diffidence and distrustfull fears that incline thereunto This I confess is not so common as the other We have very few that cry out of their sinnes fearing they are greater then can be forgiven But some there are that are ready to be swallowed up in this whirlpool When therefore God doth confirm the heart of man in the Promises both these sinnes are removed he is no longer a self-righteous man a self-full man he looketh upon himself as wicked and destitute of all and yet on the other side doth not despair in God though he doth in himfelf though he hath nothing of his own to stand upon yet Christ is his rock on whom he is setled Thus God keepeth his people from being Cains and Judasses on one side and proud self-righteous Pharisees on the other side SERM. CXXX Of Gods confirmation of us upon his Promises by his own grace 2 COR. 1. 21. Now he which establisheth you with us in Christ and hath anointed us is God THe establishment of a Christian upon the Promises of God is only the work of God Man cannot settle himself no more than he can make himself There remaineth for the explication of this truth to declare wherein positively this confirmation by God doth consist and First Hereby God doth strengthen the heart in reference to the Promises by working in us habits of grace and some permanent constant Principles whereby we are carried out easily and delightsomly unto them The heart of man being originally and habitually corrupt is contrary both to the commands of God and the Promises of God which is greatly to be observed for the enmity indeed of our hearts against those holy duties which the
is the Sealing that here beleevers are said to have from God and that will appear to be a metaphor taken from men who for severall ends make use of seals and so accordingly it is to be applyed to that work of Gods spirit which is in the hearts of beleevers All which will better appear in the opening of the doctrine which is That the people of God are his sealed ones To improve which truth Consider First That we reade of an active sealing and a passive sealing An active sealing is when we by profession or otherwise do give our Testimony to the Truths of God for when a man receiveth the Word of God as his Truth and doth accordingly manifest this in his life herein he doth seal to God So the Evangelist John chap 3. 33. He that hath received his Testimony hath set to his seal that God is true By which expression you see of what necessity faith in the Word of God is with the profession thereof in our lives It is a sealing that God is true insomuch that he who beleeveth not as much as in him lieth maketh God a lyar Oh consider this thou who art tempted to unbeleef to distrust not to rest upon the Promises of God What an hainous sin is this not to give testimony to Gods Truth but this we are not to speak of Therefore there is a passive sealing which we reade applyed to Christ and to all beleevers To Christ thus Joh. 6 27. For him hath God the Father sealed How was that when by the wonderfull miracles that were wrought he was confirmed to be the Messias And then for beleevers they are said to be sealed not only in this place but Eph. 1. 13. and Eph. 4. 30. Thus you see the people of God have a sealing But in the next place Gods sealing of his people is twofold either visible or invisible externall or internall Gods visible sealing was again twofold extraordinary or ordinary extraordinary were the miracles and wonderful signes which many beleevers did in the first plantation of the Gospel Thus Paul cals miracles the signes of his Apostleship 2 Cor. 12. 12. and they are said to be a sign to those that beleeve not 1 Cor. 14. 22. Now some would have this sealing which beleevers are said to receive meant of these extraordinary miracles which were visible to the world but that cannot be partly because all true beleevers in those dayes had them not and some who were not true beleevers did partake of them and partly because that was but for a season while the Gospel was first preached whereas the Scripture speaketh of such a sealing as the godly may have in all ages even till their redemption In the next place there are visible ordinary seals such are the two Sacraments of baptism and the Lords Supper for as circumcision is called Rom. 4. 11. the seal of the righteousneste of faith so that is to be applyed to every other Sacrament being of the genericall nature thereof It is true the Apostle in this Text and other places may happily allude to this Sealing in the Sacrament which is visible and externall but because the outward application of these is to the unregenerate and hypocrite as well as the truly godly therefore the Apostle meaneth a further thing even some proper priviledge that is peculiar to the godly only and that invisibly or spiritually in our hearts as the next words shew the earnest of the spirit in our hearts So that as the anointing is a spirituall invisible thing thus also must the sealing be Therefore before we come to declare the nature and use of this obsignation Let us consider what is implied in the metaphor of sealing for thereby we shall in part be brought to understand the admirable nature thereof And first Sealing of the godly doth imply the precious and excellent esteem they have with God for so amongst men those things are sealed up by us as we account precious None use to seal up dung and pibbles in a bag Thus Hag. 2. 23. God promiseth Zerubbabel he will make him as a signet because he had chosen him that is he should be very precious and dear to him as the diamond in a ring Therefore we have that expression Jer. 22. 22. Though Coniah were the signet of my right hand saith God yet I would pluck him from thence that is though never so dear to him We have also the Church praying Can. 8. 6. Set me as a seal upon thy heart as a seal upon thy arm As these who dearly love any were wont to have their image engraven upon the rings they did wear on heir hands to have them continually in remembrance Thus the Church prayeth that she may be put as a seal even upon the heart of Christ so that by this expression is meant the preciousnesse the high esteem God hath of them they are his Jewels they are his peculiar treasure and therefore it is that he doth thus seal them 2. Sealing is for the safety and preservation of any ohing that we would not have lost Thus Dan. 6. 17. when Daniel was cast into prison there was a stone laid upon the mouth of the den and the King sealed it with his own signet that so there might be no hope of having Daniel released and thus God sealeth his people by special grace preserving them that they shall never totally and finally be lost though Satan be never so watchful to destroy them They are sealed and therefore they shall certainly persevere but because this will come more fully in the next particular I passe it over 3. Sealing doth not only imply safety but security also against such danger that is imminent upon us God sealeth his people that the destruction which is consuming of others may passe them by Thus we reade in Ezechiel cap. 9. 4. when the Angel was to destroy the inhabitants of Jerusalem yet there was a command given to set a mark upon the foreheads of such as did sigh and cry for the abominations thereof When the Egyptians likewise were to be destroyed they passed by every house that had blood sprinkled upon the posts thereof Rahabs red thread was like a seal to preserve her from destruction and her family hence Rev. 7 4. we reade of many thousands of Gods servants sealed in the foreheads and they were therefore sealed that they might be preserved from desolation This sealing was not any external mark no more than the mark of the beast was but that reall profession of Christ which they put forth in the midst of all dangers not defiling themselves with the impurities of others And thus God doth still seal his people that Satan though he desire to winnow and sift them yet is not able to devour them as his prey Oh what unspeakable mercy is this when the justice of God goeth with a drawn sword to throw such and such into hell he passeth by thee because thou
if you ask Have all the sanctified persons of God this sealing Have none the sanctification of the Spirit but they must also have the witnessing of the Spirit I answer this Question because of great practical importance shall God assisting be handled by it self after the description hath been explained That which I shall here take notice of is That sanctification is necessarily presupposed to this sealing A great Prince will not set his seal to dung to make an impression there neither will God to an heart unsanctified For as in matter of Doctrine God will not vouchsafe miracles to confirm that which is a lie neither in practicals will the Spirit of God witnesse to that heart which is not made holy For indeed it should witnesse a lie in such a case informing such they are the sonnes of God when indeed they are the children of the Devil This order of Gods Spirits first sanctifying and then sealing is clear Ephes 1. 13. In whom after ye believed ye were sealed Those eminent Divines who defined faith to be assurance making it the same with the sealing of Gods spirit are gravelled at this Text and therefore make this Objection If faith be assurance be the sealing how doth the Text say After we believed we were sealed To this therefore Piscator answereth not yeelding that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 should be rendred Having beleeved as of a thing past but beleeving as in the present but there is too much forcing in this interpretation Others they consider of faith as it hath two parts Illumination of minde and fiducial assurance Now say they the Apostle meaneth by faith the former work of faith and so the meaning is After you were enlightned to know the truth you were confirmed and assured but that opinion making faith justifying to be an assurance that Christ is mine is justly refused It is plain then that when the Spirit of God hath in order of nature for in time they may be both together sanctified a man throughout whereby he is made a new creature then the Spirit of God maketh this glorious stamp upon him then he giveth him this seal as an honourable priviledge whereby he may know himself to be the Lords Even as in antiquity none might have seals but persons of honour and dignity So that the natural and unregenerate person is to stand aloof off thou hast nothing to do in this priviledge thou art not the man whom the great King of Heaven and earth doth purpose thus to honour We proceed in the Description and there we meet with the formal Nature of it wherein it doth essentially consist with the object thereof The Nature of it is In confirming and establishing the heart of a man For this is the chief and usual end of seals to ratifie a thing and to make it no longer uncertain and doubtfull And to this property doth the Scripture chiefly attend For whereas the soul though sanctified is apt to be in daily fears and doubts about Gods favour and grace towards it it fluctuateth up and down having no subsistency the Spirit of God cometh and consolidateth the soul inabling it to rest satisfied in this that God is his God that his sinnes are pardoned that he is become a reconciled Father in Christ And if you say Why do we not need the Spirit of God to do this Cannot we by our graces by our repentance and holy life sufficiently establish our own souls in peace No by no means we need the Spirit of God to comfort as you heard as well as to sanctifie and that for these Reasons First It is very hard for a man whose guilty conscience doth presse him and condemn him daily telling him that he hath deserved at Gods hands to be eternally tormented in hell not to thinke because God may doe thus that therefore he will do so In such terrours and affrights we look more to what we have deserved we look more to what God may do then what he will we are naturally suspicious and think the worst of God even as we doe to man If we have offended a man greatly and it lieth in his power to undo us we are never quiet we cannot but think when ever the opportunity is he will be avenged and therefore we dare not trust him Yea though we have given no just cause if others have taken up an unkind spirit towards us we expect nothing else from them but our ruine when it is in their power Therefore for all Saul's tears and good works to David yet he would never trust him Now although there be no cause for us to have such suspicious thoughts about God for he hath graciously promised that he will receive us insomuch as not to believe him herein is to give more credit to a man whose words many times satisfie us than to God who is truth it self yet the heart being guilty and full of fears doth work in this doubtfull manner about God How hard is it to bring the afflicted sinner to good perswasions about God and that though by promises and other wayes God hath so abundantly provided against such distrust Here then is the reason why we need the sealing of Gods Spirit we cannot perswade our selves but God will doe what he may do and what we have deserved And A second Reason followeth upon the former We can hardly be perswaded that the great and good things which we stand in need of God will ever bestow upon us who are so unworthy of them Can a beggars daughter be perswaded that a great King will marry her But here is a farre greater disproportion What will the great God of Heaven so holy so full of majesty look graciously upon me and not only forgive me my sinnes but advance me to eternal glory These things are very improbable Shall Joseph be freed not only from the prison but promoted to the greatest honour in the Land next to the King Who would have believed it And thus it is here the soul having low and humble thoughts of it self cannot be perswaded that the great God of Heaven will look upon such despicable wretches as they are 3. The way of evangelical confidence with the comfortable effects thereof are wholly supernatural And therefore no wonder if we need the Spirit of God to help us therein Not only holinesse and grace is supernatural but assurance and joy are likewise supernatural As we cannot pray without the Spirit helping our infirmities so neither are we able to call God Father If faith in Christ by which we are justified be supernatural then also is the comfort and peace flowing from the knowledge thereof As the Doctrine of the Gospel is by divine revelation flesh and blood hath not revealed this unto us that Christ is the Sonne of God so neither can flesh and blood enable us to the perswasion of this Mediator as loving me and giving himself for me Certainly if it be the gift of
God to have a dogmatical faith to be kept from heresie it 's no lesse to have this fiducial application with the sense thereof upon our souls Wonder not then if we make it the Spirits worke to have this assurance 4. We need the Spirit to confirm us because the flesh within us is full of objections and bringeth many plausible arguments against it Insomuch that what Bellarmine and other subtil Papists bring as Engines to demolish this foundation are very sutable to the corrupt heart For they think the heart is very deceitfull there is much hypocrisie I may think I do that for God which I do for vain-glory that I am humbled for sinne when worldly motives only afflict me Again flesh doth doth suggest there may be much unknown evil in thee thy heart may be worse than thou takest it to be Though the Sea seeme calme sometimes yet there are dangerous Rocks under the water and thus though outwardly there may appear much tendernesse yet there may be a rock in the bottome Furthermore the flesh may suggest Wilt thou be perswaded of Gods favour to thee in particular Is not this to enter into Gods secrets Is not this to climb up into Heaven in an arrogant manner Yea is not this the way to nourish security in thee and make thee presume of Gods favour though thy iniquities be never so many and grosse Lastly The flesh telleth thee of former sins thou didst once wallow in as also the present failings that thy own soul doth frequently condemn thee for Now are not these very plausible Do they not importune to diffidence And certainly these would overwhelme thee did not the Spirit of God overcome all and support thee against them Yea 5. We need the Spirit of God to seal us because the Devil is very busie and active in destroying this perswasion He knoweth that those who enjoy this priviledge walk with joy peace thankfulnesse with strength and activity in the wayes of God therefore to weaken them herein that their graces may wither he tempteth about their comforts that they may wither thus the Devil as he opposeth the Spirit of God in its holinesse called therefore the unclean spirit so he doth also in its comforting effects and therefore is called the tempter Yea 2 Cor. 2. we reade how active he was to have the incestuous person humbled for his sinnes even swallowed up with too much sorrow And do not many of Gods people feel this experimentally Doe they not see they should sink and fall into all horrour and despair did not the Spirit of God support Little doe the natural men of the world apprehend what the agonies and spiritual conflicts are which a tempted soul endureth in this case Lastly The Spirit of God must seal us because this assurance is not obtained in a natural way as if we had perfectly obeyed the will of God and therefore we merited pardon but it is by the gracious promises of God made to a believer though accompanied with infirmities Indeed if it were thus that we could purge out all sinne from our selves and be perfect in every good work then assurance would naturally follow as the Saints in Heaven because cleansed from all sinne cannot doubt of Gods favour but our establishment is more upon the promises of grace without us than any thing that is within us while we behold our own unworthinesse and are deeply humbled under it yet even then are we inabled to assure our selves of the grace of God towards us SERM. CXXXVI Of the Object Manner and End of the Spirits sealing 2 COR. 1. 22. Who hath also sealed us THe next particular considerable in this Description of the Spirits sealing is the Object about which it is conversant and that is said to be the Promises of Grace as belonging to a sanctified person in particular and herein doth the most expresse and efficacious effect of this sealing appear that it particularizeth the Promises of grace what is spoken generally that it doth bring home in a peculiar manner to our own breast What is it to hear of health if it be not thy health What of wealth if not thy wealth So what comfort is it to hear of a Christ if not thy Christ To know there are blessed and precious promises if they doe not belong to thee Doe not the Devils know in the general that Christ is a Saviour that there are excellent promises declared in the Word But they are miserable and wretched howsoever because not applicable unto them We may therefore divide Faith according to the object thereof First Into a general Faith whereby we are carried out to believe the whole word of God upon a divine motive whether it be the historical or comminatory part as well as the promissory Thus whatsoever is revealed in the Scripture though it be but an appendix to any History as that Sauls father had asses though we cannot call it an Article of the faith yet when sufficiently propounded to us then not to believe argueth a wicked and an obstinate spirit because we despise the authority of God and his testimony in that particular though but little Secondly There is a special Faith and that I call The worke of Gods grace for all faith is the gift of God whereby a man is enabled to believe the promissory part in the Scripture whereby he believeth this truth that Jesus Christ is a Saviour to those that believe in him And this the Papists yea and others too make all the faith that is required of us that this is it which doth justifie us but very absurdly Thirdly There is a particular Faith and that is When the Spirit of God doth enable us to receive Christ as our Christ to apply the promises as belonging to us in particular To say with Thomas My Lord my God And with Paul Galat. 2. Who loved me and gave himself for me Such a particular faith is not onely possible but a duty of which much excellent and profitable Discourse might be made but I forbear because I am to treat of it God assisting upon another account Therefore for the present you are to know that this worke of Gods Spirit in confirming and sealing of us is especially manifested in this particular and appropriating way of the promises of grace as our portion Therefore it is said to cause us to call God Father which implieth our peculiar interest and propriety in him Doe not then be discouraged from this Canaan because of the Anakims that are in the way Fear not to call God thy Father though thou findest many discouragements within thee The Devil would not have thee taste of this honey But I proceed and the next particular in the Description is the Manner how the Spirit of God cometh thus to witnesse unto us how we come to be sealed and that is said to be First By the meanes God hath appointed thereunto This is very observable
the Rock followed the people of Israel in the wildernesse to refresh them this man may say verily God is here verily God is with me Lastly The Spirit of God doth give us Consolation by the antecedent workes of sanctification Rom. 8. 9. If any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his But the godly they have received the Spirit of God And if the soul which is the spirit of a man manifest it self present in the body by its operations shall we not much rather thinke that the Spirit of Christ where it dwelleth in a man will make knowne it selfe Shall we have these coales of fire in our bosome and not perceive them Now there is an order in the works of Gods Spirit which we also must attend unto and not think to have one before the other The order is this the Spirit of God doth 1. Enlighten the minde 2. It doth sanctifie the will and affections 3. It doth witnesse and seale to us these blessed effects To looke therefore for consolation before sanctification is preposterous Oh how happy is it when the childe of God earnestly seeketh after all these effects upon his soule and that in the order God hath appointed These few qualifications may suffice by these and the like the Spirit of God doth confirme Onely you must know these doe but objectively offer themselves if the Spirit of God doth not rightly constitute our inward man and enable us all these blessed effects may be upon our soules and yet we be disconsolate as if we had them not Even as there may be pleasant flowers in a garden yet if we have not light we cannot see them So that the cause of assurance is more from the Spirit of God efficiently establishing the heart than from these qualifications which doe objectively onely declare themselves Even as in faith dogmatically assenting to divine truths the work of Gods Spirit is more upon the understanding giving firmnesse and stedfast adhesion than upon the motives of credibility in the truths themselves But what is necessary to a fuller clearing of this will upon another occasion be considered I proceed to the last thing in this Description and that is the final cause which is That under the sense of this we might live boldly c. I say under this sense For this sealing of Gods Spirit doth make such a divine impression upon the soule that we feele it and perceive it not indeed bodily as we doe the fire that burneth but rationally and spiritually in our inward man So that not onely grace is from Gods Spirit but the experimental feeling of it is likewise from the same Hence it is not to be called an humane but divine sense For a gracious constitution is required to feele what is grace and to discerne the effects thereof But I hasten This sense and apprehension of Gods sealing being thus experimentally in us we find a three-fold advantage thereby First We walke boldly confidently Insomuch that we can cry Father Ephes 3. 12. We have boldnesse and accesse with confidence There is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We are able to speake any thing in the presence of God whereas in fears and doubts our prayers are interrupted we question whether we may say this or that Secondly Hereby we walke comfortably Yea it is called Joy unspeakable 1 Pet. 1. 8. and Rom. 14. 17. Peace and joy in the Holy Ghost The Kingdome of God is there said to consist in this Alas how contrary doe the people of God walke to this Text for want of sealing as if godlinesse lay in doubts in fears and dejections of spirit Surely the people of God are to bewail their ignorance and low principles in these things Thou makest thy self to be like an heir under age as the Apostle alludeth Gal. 4. 1. and so not differing from a servant whereas the Gospel-light and Evangelical principles set home by the Spirit of adoption should fill thee with liberty and exceeding great joy Lastly Hereby we also live thankefully never satisfying our selves with admiring and commending the unspeakable and unsearchable riches of Gods grace Two great gulphs the Spirit of God hath delivered thee out of the sinfull lusts and corruptions thou didst once wallow in and the slavish sad tormenting feares thou wast once almost overwhelmed with Oh what cause is here of thankefullnesse How sorry art thou that thou art no more enlarged That thou hast but one heart and one tongue to be exercised in this matter And the aggravation of all this is that we may be thus bold joyfull and thankfull notwithstanding all discouragements to the contrary for they are many and dreadfull How many failings within How many temptations without What fiery darts from Satan And yet a sealed Christian is able to looke upon these with as much joy as the Israelites did upon the Aegyptian carcasses that lay dead upon the Sea-shore But if God should let open these flood-gates upon the most sanctified person he would be immediately swallowed up with them as Dathan and Abiram were suddenly in the earth And then Lastly You have the terme till which this sealing shall last and that is Till we are made happy compleatly in Heaven So Ephes 4. 30. We are sealed till the day of redemption This way of faith and assurance will then cease it will be turned into the immediate vision and fruition of God Then there will be no feares no doubts any more than lusts and corruptions How mercifull then is God that giveth us such manna in the wildernesse which will cease when we come into Canaan SERM. CXXXVII Whether all the People of God are his Sealed ones 2 COR. 1. 21. Who hath also sealed us THe nature of this sealing being largely described I shall conclude with an answer to that Question Whether all sanctified ones are Gods sealed ones for it might seem to be true of all seeing the Apostle speaketh universally in the person of beleevers who hath sealed us and Eph. 1. 13. those that beleeved were sealed there is no difference made neither are any exempted And not only by Scripture but by the testimony of many learned Protestants it should also seem so especially of such who defined faith to be an assurance for then if no assurance no faith To this purpose Calvin seemeth to speak on this very Text which Stapleten looketh upon as depraving the meaning of the Apostle Whosoever saith Calvin hath not the spirit of God a witnesse within him so that he can say Amen to God calling him to the certain hope of salvation he doth falso Christianum nomen obtendere pretend only to a Christian name not being so indeed To the same sense also in his Institutions lib. 3. cap. 2. par 16. Vere fidelis non est c. he is not truly a beleever who is not perswaded with a solid perswasion that God is a propitious and reconciled Father to him whereby he doth promise to
their earthly ends It is true when the faithfull Ministers of Christ do effectually move for the purity of Ordinances and the promoting of godlinesse among their people there are those who will maliciously traduce them for carnal and selfe-seeking ends as if they proceeded wholly upon subtilty and policy but the searcher of hearts witnesseth to their sincerity and so they comfortably proceed in Christs worke maugre all opposition It 's holy prudence then not carnal policy which must manage ministerial power Secondly When we require holy prudence and meeknesse we do not hereby exclude zeal as if a man should not with much fervency and ardour of spirit set himself for the truth of God as also against the kingdome of sinne and Satan No it cannot be heavenly prudence unlesse it be accompanied with this zeale As zeale must be with knowledge and discretion so must knowledge be with zeale They must be as Castor and Pollux alwayes appearing together which was represented in the Sacrifice which was to have salt as well as fire Thus Rom. 12. We are to be fervent in spirit serving the Lord. And it is the Lord Christ who said The zeale of thy house hath eaten me up Joh. 12. 17. Here is a notable example for all godly Ministers The zeale for Gods glory is even to consume them as it were as the fat of the Sacrifice was burnt in the fire to the Lord to which some think our Saviour doth allude in that expression We are to come in the spirit of Elijah even to be carried in a fiery Chariot And truly without this zeale for God a man is but a lump of earth It is true we must distinguish holy zeale from our owne passions and cholerick distempers but that which is the pure fire of Gods Spirit kindled in our hearts as it doth greatly conduce to Gods glory so it doth exceedingly tend to our own comfort Let therefore those be magnified for wise and moderate men let them be admired as so many Angels that live in a lukewarm and neutral way they will reprove no sinne they will provoke no man to frowne upon them but alas the issue will discover their folly Oh the throbs and pangs of conscience some have had when going out of the world for this very particular because they did not with more zeale and forwardnesse appear for God And on the other side that Minister who hath with faithfull zeale according to the words direction behaved himself in his ministerial labours though great ones have frowned at him though malicious people have vexed him yet he dieth full of comfort For they that are filled with the Spirit of God by zeal in their life time are many times filled with heavenly consolations in their death Lastly This holy prudence is not to be confounded with that sinfull man-pleasing which is in many indulging men in their lusts and hardening them thereby in their impieties Though the Apostle said 1 Corinth 10. 33. That he pleased all men in all things not seeking his owne profit yet that is not to be understood in sinfull things for in that respect he saith Galat. 1. 10. If he pleased men he should not be the servant of Christ but in lawfull things he did condescend to those that were weak and would not alwayes use his own liberty which he might being strong in judgement but this doth nothing advantage such who have a flattering complying way with men in their wickednesse like those false prophets of old that daubed with untempered mortar and cryed Peace peace to him whom God hath promised no peace This is highly offending God Yet how many are admired because they have the love of wicked and ungodly men that they can keepe in with them Whereas this is not because they have large parts but a large conscience and that which some make to be a very wise man is indeed to be a man without any conscience But I must not enlarge in this In the second place therefore we are to shew Wherein this holy prudence doth consist And First In discovering our love to their persons to be the ground of all our proceedings If we reprove them it is love if we admonish them it is love if we do not admit them to the dreadfull mysteries of Christ it is love Dilige loquere quod vis saith Austin Love and then say what ye will This made the Apostle use a sacred oath at this time to shew it was his love to them and no sinfull end that made him forbear his coming so great a matter is it to be perswaded that what the Ministers of the Gospel doe though it distaste and displease us yet it is out of their conscience to God and love to us Secondly Holy prudence lieth in this when we observe the fit seasons and opportunities for exercising our power which God hath given us otherwise if unseasonably administred it may doe more hurt than good It is special prudence to time it well in this sense it is good to be a time-server as some read that passage 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 12. applying it to this sense Abigail would not speak to her husband in his drunken senslesse fit Isai 50. 4. The tongue of the learned is to speake a word in season though that be chiefly to be applied to a word of comfort yet a word of reproof in season doth more good than ten thousand unseasonably spoken Such a word so spoken is said to be like Apples of gold in pictures of silver Prov. 25. 11. wherein is implyed both preciousnesse and excellency as also delight and refreshment A fit word is called in the Hebrew A word upon the wheeles as some thinke because of the smoothnesse and readinesse of it to enter into the hearts of others Some render it A word with its two faces as looking on both sides which is the property of prudence and the next verse following sheweth how happy it is when a wise reproof and an obedient ear meet together such an obedient ear is more comely and glorious than any ear-jewel As then the Bee doth not every day but in fit seasons gather its honey so doth a prudent Minister of the Gospel Thus Solomon Eccles 12. 9 10. Because the preacher was wise he sought out acceptable words Some trees that blossome last are yet said to have their fruit first which sheweth that it is not the first or sudden speaking but the most opportune that doth the greatest good especially in reproof this is most necessary because it is said Genus quoddam Martyrii est c. It is a kinde of Martyrdome to take a reproof patiently Thirdly Our prudence is seene when we discerne of sinnes not judging little and great alike To excommunicate for lesser faults is saith Gerson To strike off a flie from a mans fore-head with a beetle The remedy is more dangerous than the disease They were grosse sinnes that the Apostle
their Religion but onely are perswaded herein by external motives very few being able to give a reason of the faith or hope that is in them which yet the Apostle Peter requireth of every man and woman 1 Pet. 3. 15. What reason have they but their fathers example and the Lawes of the Land So that it is meerly accidental that they do receive a true Religion for it had been Heretical and Idololatrical it had been all one to them they would have entertained it however But to this particular you must observe one Caution It 's one thing to speak of the Introductory and Preparatory means of faith and another thing of the ultimate and formal motive or reason why I do believe We do readily grant That the true Churches Ministery may prepare for a divine faith What is Paul and what is Apollo but Ministers by whom ye believe saith the Scripture 1 Corinth 3. Thus Timothy had his faith by the godly education of his Mother and Grandmother Yea John 4. we reade of the woman of Samaria instrumental to bring many people to believe on Christ onely yet observe that expression vers 42. Now we believe not because of thy saying for we have heard him our selves Godly Ministers then and godly parents may be greatly helpfull to us in true believing but then the reason and chief motive is from the Divine Authority of the Scripture declaring this truth We doe not believe in Ministers nor in the Church And thus you must understand that passage of Jehoshaphats Chron. 20. 20. Believe in the Lord your God so shall ye be established believe the Prophets so shall ye prosper Believe in God ultimately but believe the Prophets ministerially So that it would be a fanatick presumption out of a perswasion that onely worketh faith thereby to cast off those usefull helps and means which he hath appointed for the producing of faith In the next general place we are to know That two things are necessarily required to the working of a divine faith The one Effectively The other Objectively The principle that worketh faith in us and the reason or motive thereof The principle that worketh faith in us is God alone None can make the heart of man to believe scripture-Scripture-truths but God onely Hence Faith is the gift of God so some are said To believe through grace Act. 18. 27. Is it not plain in the Pharisees notwithstanding they heard our Saviour preach and also saw his wonderfull miracles yet to them it was not given to believe or to know the mysteries of God but to others more unlearned and contemptible it was Hence it falleth out that the most learned men are many times most Atheistical or at least Sceptical and doubting in Religion Insomuch that we are to be importunate with God in prayer that he would both work and increase faith in us Hence Christ is said to be both the authour and finisher of our faith Hebr. 12. 2. It 's the mighty power of God so enlightning and enabling thee that thou doest adhere to the truth For how many specious arguments may be produced against the faith How mutable are many in forsaking the faith they once professed and turn Heretical So that it is a special work of Gods grace to make thee stand firme in the faith especially in times of temptation To be a pillar in the Temple of the Lord and not a reed shaken with every winde is a glorious preservation For it 's plain that it's fancy errour or humour that lead many in Religion and not this holy precious faith Again The second thing necessarily concurring to a divine faith is a Divine testimony it must be Gods word We must have the Doctrine from Christ else our faith is but an humane faith and so our Religion but an humane Religion The Thessalonians are commended by Paul That they received the Word not as the word of men but as it is indeed the word of God and when so received it effectually worketh in those that believe Alas what is the reason there is so little holinesse so little godlinesse It is because there is so little divine faith The truths we preach are not received as the word of God we look no further or higher than to a man in these things we doe not hear and tremble we doe not beleeve and tremble we rise not up with heart-reverence as Eglon though an Heathen did to Ehud when he said He had a message from the Lord. In the third place In that the true Christian faith floweth from such a divine principle and ariseth from such a divine motive Hence it is that no kinde of persons have an absolute Sovereignty over the faith of a believer and whosoever doe arrogate it to themselves they assume the property of the Almighty and most infinite God They arrogate to themselves the peculiar and incommunicable property of Christ which is to be the Head of the Church and a Law-giver in respect of any Doctrine Worship or Ordinances It is true there have been such especially the Pope of Rome who hath thus arrogated to himself setting himself in the Temple of God as God but the blasphemies of such have been written as it were in their fore-heads and hereby they are justly deemed to be a Political or Church-Antichrist as there is a Doctrinal Antichrist But we affirme That no kinde of persons can have dominion over a mans faith seeing it hath such a peculiar reference to God First Not spiritual and Church Rulers or Ecclesiastical Governours If the Apostles would not assume it who then may It is true there are several Texts in Scripture which command us to hear our Pastours to obey them to submit unto them to have them highly in esteeme for their workes sake Such as doe not hear them are to be accounted as Heathens and Publicans They are endowed with power to Admonish and rebuke sharply Yea where obstinacy is in sinners To cast them out of the Church But all this doth not arise to a Magisterial Domination over mens consciences And although they have power to binde and loose which God himself promiseth to confirme in Heaven yet all this is declaratively and ministerially onely How farre there is a decisive power in Councils to extinguish all errours and heresies is not here to be debated This is enough that as no particular person so no Councils though never so oecomenical can say we have dominion over your faith And Secondly No civil power hath dominion over any mans faith No Magistrate can make Articles of Faith can appoint another worship of God or other Sacraments than Christ hath appointed Faith is not Caesar's gift neither can any man believe Praecisè quia vult as Mirandula declareth meerly because he will How farre Magistrates have power in matters of Religion is greatly disputed and determined by the excesse in some and by the defect in others But however no Kings or Emperours can say
Four Propositions clearing it 220 221 The general good of such Sufferings is Gods glory and the Gospels enlargement 222 Others Sufferings for Christ may much conduce to our comfort and salvation 223 Three things premised concerning such Sufferings 223 224 How our Sufferings for Christ work our comfort 225 226 227 How they promote our salvation 228 229 230 Sufferings not barely in themselves but as improved by patience conduce to our salvation 232 Communion with those that Suffer for Christ a sure way to interest us in their glory and comfort 251 Two propositions clearing it 251 252 The reasons of it 253 254 Vid. Afflictions Swearing 'T is lawfull to Swear under the Gospel upon urgent occasions after a right manner 658 668 669 Whether it be lawfull to Swear by any creature 663 How we may mention a creature in an oath and not Swear by it 664 How and when we may lawfully Swear Motives against ordinary Swearing 672 673 674 675 The excuses and cavils for Swearing answered 675 676 T Thankfulnesse to God vide Blessing and Praising God Timothy OF the name Timothy 41 Two things observed concerning him 41 42 Trouble Trouble whence it ariseth 113 God is both able and willing to help his people in hopelesse Troubles 325 326 327 Truth God is a God of Truth and a true God 536 Propositions clearing the nature and kinds of Truth 537 538 539 540 The truth of God is alwayes the same 575 576 577 578 Trust Two sorts of Trust humane and divine 301 What are the sinfull objects we are apt to Trust in 304 305 306 307 308 God always the proper object of our Trust 315 Propositions concerning our Trusting in God 315 316 317 318 What is the matter for which we Trust in him 318 What is required to our Trusting in the Lord 320 321 322 Of the excellency of this grace of Trusting in the Lord 322 323 324 There are motives to Trust in God both from personal and general priviledges 349 Of the opposites to Trusting in God 350 The grace of Trusting in God cannot be perfect in this life 352 Trusting in God and the use of means not to be separated 355 W Wisdome WHy the Wisdome of this world is called fleshly Wisdom 423 Ministers ought not to use fleshly Wisdom 423 424 425 Principles of fleshly Wisdom 426 427 428 429 430 431 FINIS The Division of the Chapter and of the Verse Why our Saviour called Jesus Christ Why this Apostle called Paul who sometimes was called Saul Pauls persecution of the Church of Christ His conversion to it God of great sinners often maketh most eminent Saints 〈◊〉 Pauls sins great How the chiefest of sinners The work of Gods grace wonderfull Pauls serviceableness admirable Reasons why God of great sinners often maketh such eminent Saints 1. On Gods part 1. Hereby the power of God is manifested 2. Hereby the Wisdom of God is clearly evidenced 1. In converting Paul when in the height of his impieties 2. Because such fire-brands plucked out of the fire are the fittest to enkindle a fire in the hearts of others 3. Hereby he shews the freeness of his grace 2. On mans part 1. That hereby they may be more humble in themselves Lastly that all Formalists and Justiciaries might be provoked to an holy jealousie Pauls learning When men of great parts and learning are chosen by God and sanctified they become eminently usefull in their place Christs chusing of illiterate men to be Apostles makes not for the chusing of such now to be publick preachers Obs 2. Learning an excellent qualification in man the choisest of Gods gifts in a common way Obs 3. Learning through the corruption of man often made an engine to promote the Kingdom of the Devil This is not from the nature of learning it self but from the abuse of 〈◊〉 The assistance of Gods Spirit necessary to an holy and sanctified understanding and interpretation of Scripture Use 1. Use 2. Use 3. Why Paul prefixed his name to his Epistle Pauls name being prefixed to this Epistle argues it to be of Divine Authority The prefixing of the name of the Author not a sufficient argument of it self to prove the Divine Authority of any book The Pen-men of the Bible only the instruments used by God in an extraordinary way not the authors of it The Scripture being inspired by God we should rest satisfied in the style and method of it The authority of the Scripture not to be questioned or disputed of Yet to arm our selves against the Devil and all Hereticks 't is good to consider 1. That we have as good ground to believe the Scriptures were written by their acknowledged Pen-men as that any humane works were made by their Authors 2. Hence it follows that we must believe the matter therein to be of God 3. Hitherto we are to add the heavenly Doctrine and matter of the Scriptures as also the consent of all and martyrdom of many Christians and miracles testifying the truth of them 4. To these we are earnestly to beg the assistance of the Spirit of God Why Paul cals himself an Apostle What an Apostle was Two kinds of Apostles primary and secondary Christ in his first planting of his Church appointed extraordinary Officers which he called Apostles Our Saviour in the building of his Church did not follow the Government of the Jewish The properties of an Apostles 1. He should have an immediate call from Christ 2. The Apostles were to be the first builders of the Church 3. They should be eye-witnesses of what Christ did and suffered 4. They were universal officers 5. They were endowed of an infallible spirit 6. They were endowed with miraculous gifts 7. They were the chiefest and highest officers in the Church 8. They were equal in power and authority 9. They were temporary officers 10. Though they were extraordinary Officers yet they contained what was inferiour under them Lastly though they were thus admirably qualified yet they did not convert all below them It is of great consequence both to Ministers and people to be informed of the Divine Call of their Church-officers Both ancient and modern Writers have much disputed about the Call of Church-officers It is not enough only to have a true Call but that Call must be likewise faithfully improved What advantages follow upon a true Call 1. To the Officers themselvs 1. They may expect Gods assistance 2. Gods protection 3. Success and fruitfulness in their labours The word commonly more succesful to those who never had it before The Word less successfull to a people that have lived long under the preaching 〈◊〉 A two-fold Use of the Ministry besides conversion to increase grace and prevent errour Lastly They may expect a greater reward from God 2. What advantage the people may have by being assured of their Ministers call Use Of the proper Name of our Saviour Jesus The Lord Christ is a Jesus a Saviour to his people 1. Christ is not a Saviour in