get victory over thy sins nor healing of thy diseases without him yea he therefore called thee and in his call gives himself for thee that on thy coming to him and yeelding up thy self to him and so becoming his he might then wash thee with the washing of water by the word Eph. 5. 25 26. with Ezek. 16. 3-9 Yea he will then thorowly wash away thy bloud forgiving all thy sins and healing all thy diseases and make thee meet for the perfecting the marriage and perfect it in due time take heed of complementing thy self out of this marriage nor let farms nor oxen no nor any earthly marriage or the love of father mother wife or children be preferred before this or be an hindrance to thy coming to the wedding-feast to which thou art called that thou mayst be joyned to the Lord if thou now when called lovest any thing more then him thou art not worthy of him not meet for him and it will be shameful iniquity for anything whatsoever now to neglect or defer seeing thy need of him is such that thou canst not be well nor happie here or hereafter without him Seek the Lord therefore while he may be found and call upon him while he is neer And for further encouragement see what follows 2. As a man that behaves himself comely or honourably in things pertaining to the earthly marriage doth not when he hath wooed and perswaded the woman to consent and that her affections are drawn to him and set upon him he doth not then nor will by any means cast her off not for any infirmities then perceived or meanness poverty and wants then appearing to him but proceeds to betrothing and marrying in righteousness and then seeks to cover and heal her infirmities and supply her wants as his own in the body so and much more the Lord Jesus Christ will not cast away any that come to him in his gracious drawings and wooings Whosoever cometh saith he I will in no wise cast out Joh. 6. 37. yea though some men in such cases may he will not for his work is always and in all things honourable and glorious his righteousness remaineth for ever nor will he upbraid them with former unkindnesses and repulses given him no though uncleannesses have been found with them in the time of love as in that type Hos 3. 1. nor with present unprofitableness and infirmities but receive them to the glory of God in union and fellowship with himself he will betroth them to him in righteousness and in faithfulness and will engage all his interest in heaven and earth for them that they may be washed and healed See Hos 2. 18 19 20. with Chap. 3. Rom. 15. 1 7. Jam. 1. 5. Faithful is he that calleth you who also will do it even perform his begun good work unto the day of Christ 1 Thess 5. 24. with Phil. 1. 6. So that no unfaithfulness or want on his part can hinder the proceeding and carrying on of the work unto the finishing of it in the perfect day All which powerfully engageth us to abide and be for him though he make us wait many days as in that type Hos 3. 3. 3. In the comely and honourable demeanour of married persons one to another to which marriage obligeth which is in the husbands love and faithfulness to his wife and the wives subjection chastity and faithfulness to her husband we are minded as by way of resemblance of the love and faithfulness of Jesus Christ to his Church which is infinite and without any fayler or imperfection and of the obligation upon the Church to subjection and chastity to him 1. His 〈◊〉 and faithfulness to the Church and to every member in particular and his peculiar care for them is such as that for their sakes he sanctifies himself devotes or gives up himself to minde their good and their things with peculiar design as the first and chief thing directly aimed at in all his works in and government of the world and that unto which all other things must stoopâ— that they also may be sanctified made clean holy and chaste to him through his truth they are set as a seal upon his heart and ingraven upon the palms of his hand that he cannot open his hand to do any thing in the world but they are in his view their safety preservation and defence from evil and making meet for the inheritance is continually before him and in order to that and so as may conduce to that end he will give men for them and people for their lives Joh. 17. 17 19. Isai 49. 15 16. 43. 1 4. Cant. 8. 6. This also in included in his giving himself for his Church Eph. 5. 25 26. Namely his sanctifying or separating himself in and above all things to minde their good with peculiar design as is said That he may wash and cleanse them with the washing of water by the word and this also for the good of others even that by them the world may know that the Father sent the Son the Saviour of the world and that he hath loved these with the same manner of love with which he loveth his Son for he hath chosen and ordained them that they should bring forth much fruit and that their fruit should remain More particularly according to the resemblance 1. Such his holiness and devotedness to them that he will not add another wife to her to vex her in her life-time and that is for ever for because he lives they shall live also the seed of his Servants shall continue for ever So then he will never own nor accept any other woman or Church nor any that are not by that one Spirit baptized into that one body and made to drink into that one Spirit into that nigh relation with him to be heirs together with them of this grace nor put any such burden upon them to own or acknowledge any other 〈◊〉 have their birth to the hope of inheritance from 〈◊〉 â—rinciples as competitors or co-partners with them 〈◊〉 â—his inheritance of the Saints For what saith the Scripture Cast out the bond-woman and her son for the son of the bond-woman shall not inherit with the son of the free-woman Gal. 4. 30. And this that the promise may be sure and upon certain and undoubted terms to all of this body to all the children of promise and that they may have strong consolation and be incouraged and ingaged to abide with him in the faith and hope of the Gospel For if they that are of the law be heirs faith is made void and the promise of none effect Rom. 4. 14-16 Let them know therefore for their incouragement and let all know for their admonition and warning in time That the Lord hath set apart separated from all others to and for himself the man that is godly Psal 4. 3. that is the true worshipper of God that worships the Father in spirit and truth giving honour to the
been already shewed So speak therefore and so do in all things as those that shall be judged by that law of liberty See Rom. 1. 18 19-28 with chap. 2. 2-10-16 c. Jam. 2. 8-12 13. See also there how the Apostle James applyes a like sentence with as great severity against the having the faith of Christ with respect of persons and despising the poor which he condemns as murther For he shall have judgement without mercy that hath shewed no mercy And so the Apostle Paul as the holy Ghost elsewhere passeth a like judgement as by commandment from the Lord against idolaters thieves covetous drunkards revilers extortioners and all lyars yea against all the unrighteous in general as well as against them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness such as such and while such have no part or inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ and of God nor shall inherit but because of these things comes the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience that will not so receive the love of the truth as to save them from these things See 1 Cor. 6. 9 10. Gal. 5. 19 20 21. Eph. 5. 3-6 Col. 3. 5 6-9 with Revel 21. 8. 22. 15. Yet let us also take in the Apostle Peters But chiefly 2 Pet. 2. 10. where after he hath said vers 9. The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptation and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgement to be punished he adds But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness and despise government c. which may be of some use to us in this place For that But chiefly must refer either to the punishment in the day of judgement to which they are reserved that are unjust still and filthy still after the love of the truth extended to save them or else to Gods knowing how to reserve them or exercising his infinite wisdom and knowledge in reserving them to the day of wrath and retaining their fins against them that they may be brought to light and judged then And it may be without error referred to both For 1. As there is a more or less severity of wrath in the days of Gods wrath and judgement here when God is calling fins to remembrance and with rebukes correcting men for their iniquity so also there shall be degrees of punishment in that day of Gods eternal judgement by Jesus Christ whence our Saviour saith That it shall be more tolerable for some then for others in that day Mat. 10. 15. 11. 22 24. And the greatest severity of wrath is reserved for those that have most defiled profaned and destroyed his temple and this walking after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness and despising government especially when found in such as have a form of godliness and so turn the grace of God into lasciviousness and deny the onely Lord that bought them and so in whose sins both spiritual and carnal fornication meet together falls chiefly under that condemnation as may appear by what is said already and such were those defilers of the flesh spoken of by Peter and Jude for whom they therefore conclude the mist of darkness or as Jude expresses it the blackness of darkness which must needs signifie the thickest or most dreadful and horrible darkness is reserved for ever 2 Pet. 2. 17 18. Jude 13. 2. There are some fins though works of darkness that are more open and manifest to men in the acting or committing them going before to judgement But there are others more secret and hidden from men that they cannot manifest them discern or finde them our and such ordinarily is the way of a man with a maid and so of the adulterer and adulteress and therefore reckoned by the wise man among those things that were too wonderful for him Pray 30. 18 19 20. Now though he perfectly knows all our works and there is nothing not a word in our tongue before it be spoken nor a thought in our heare but he knows it altogether yea all things are alike naked and manifest before him with whom we have to do yet the knowing and finding out the hidden things of darkness which men cannot see or not finde out and make manifest and bringing them to light and to judgement is especially attributed to him as more peculiarly and immediately his own work The secret things belong unto the Lord our God Deut. 29. 29. He revealeth the deep and secret things and knoweth what is in the darkness Dan. â— 22. Yea he shall bring every work into judgement with every secret thing Eccles 12. 14. He will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and will make manifest the counsels of the heart 1. Cor. 4. 5. And this also to signifie that he is chiefly ingaged and ingageth himself in the discovery and judging of those things that are hidden from mans judgement and so the hidden works of darkness and so much seems to be implyed in the phrasing of this sentence of the holy Ghost especially considering the former part unto which it is opposed Marriage is honourable in all or among all But Whoremongers and Adulterers God will judge as much as to say their works though in themselves shameful and dishonourable for it is a shame to speak of those things that are done of them in secret yet are so much in the dark and they so hidden from mans judgement in the committing and acting of them that they say Who seeth us and who knoweth us and might many times escape without either taking shame or receiving shame or punishment as the just reward or recompence of their works if God were not the more ingaged by himself and in his holiness truth and justice to find them out and manifest and judge them but though they also comfort themselves and harden their hearts in their evils ways with a thought that God will not see or regard such things Yea when â—e defers his anger and so as to the judgements of his … d seems to hold his peace a long time then they boast themselves in their iniquity as if they were sure of his approving or standing Neuter saying in their hearts God hath forgotten he hideth his face he will never see it Or more blasphemously How doth God know and can he judge therew the dark cloud as Psal 94. 7. 10. 11. with Job 22. 13. 14 yet yea the rather and more severely God will judge bring to light and manifest their hidden works of darkness even where otherwise man could not For he knows how though man knows not to keep and reserve the most secret and hidden works of darkness as in a plain and clear record to the day of wrath and judgement and then to bring them to light and manifest them that they may be punished For all the ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord and he ponders all his goings he searcheth the heart and
all men in that he hath raised him from the dead Acts 17. 31. See also Rom. 2. 6 16. Now according to these three branches of Gods judging we are to take this namely in such a sense as including them all 1. God will not now own and approve them but reprove convict and bear sentence against them by the spirit of his mouth or doctrine making that a reprover and condemner of them in their spirits and consciences and this in mercy and faithfulness to them that taking shame to themselves and turning at his reproof they may escape further and worse judgement And so is that to be understood 1 Pet. 4. 6. For this cause was the Gospel preached also to them that are dead even by his Spirit to their spirits as in the days of Noah Chap. 3. 19. that they might be namely by that preaching judged that is discovered reproved condemned and made to take shame as men yet living in the flesh but that they might live according to God in the spirit To which agrees that 2 Cor. 5. 15. That one died for all that they which live in their several ages should not henceforth namely after this grace comes to them in his spiritual ministration thus discovering and judging them as dead men see vers 14. live to themselves but to him that died for them and rose again So our Saviour saith The Spirit of truth that he would send in the preaching of the Gospel should reprove judge condemn convict the world of sin because they believe not on him c. Joh. 16. 8 9 10. that is by taking of the things of Christ and shewing them namely what he hath done and is become for sinners and so glorifying him he shall manifest and evince to them that it is their own wilful sin and great iniquity that they believe not on him and that that is the reason that all other sins which thereby are rendred odious and out of measure sinful prevail over them and that they remain still in them and are not washed from them In this sense of judging Ezekiel is called upon as Gods mouth and messenger to judge the Elders of Israel and the bloudy City Wilt thou judge them son of man wilt thou judge them Cause them to know their abominations See Ezek. 20. 4. 22. 2. 23. 36. And for this I dare appeal to all Whoremongers and Adulterers but more especially to those to whom the plain declaration of the Gospel hath come though God leaves not himself without witness to any and most of all to those of them that have gone on in their evil ways following their unclean and sinful lusts till they have brought further wrath shame and judgement upon themselves whether before it hath come to that God hath not oftentimes by the spiritual convictions and reproofs of his instruction by his servants or otherwise also judged them in their own mindes and consciences hath he not graciously shewed them their abominations and how hateful to him in discovering an open fountain for their washing hath not his goodness oft-times melted and moved to repentance hath he not many ways cryed to them Oh do not this abominable thing that I hute though they would take no notice of it nor take shame but went on hiding and holding fast their deceit till a deceived heart turned them more aside and they hardened their hearts to a treasuring up more wrath against the day of wrath Jer. 44. 3 4. Rom. 2. 4. And if any of them should not acknowledge so much yet let God be true and every man a lyer I know they bely the Lord in not acknowledging it because I know he is holy in all his ways and righteous in all his works according to that manifestation of himself in his Son I know he will have no fellowship with iniquity nor shall the sinner stand as approved or allowed in his sight but even while he defers his anger and holds his peace in respect of the judgements of his hand not rebuking in fury poured out yet in this first and more gracious way of judging he speaks once and twice before he strike though men will not perceive or regard it Job 33. 14 c. Zech. 7. 9 12. Oh the folly and madness in the heart of sinners that will not submit to his judgement nor take shame while he is graciously judging that they might turn from their iniquities and understand his truth How do they lay themselves open to wrath for still this decree remains against them Wheremongers and Adulterers God will judge whereas had they submitted to this his merciful judging them by the Gospel and the reproofs of his instruction and turned in the light and power of his reproofs unto him their former wickedness should not have been remembred against them in heaven their name should have been changed and a new name given them and so this decree had lyen no longer against them because they had not been such now in Gods account But they remaining still Whoremongers and Adulterers however judged reproved and condemned for it by the Lord according to the Gospel the decree still lies as much against them as ever for it lies for ever against Whoremongers and Adulterers Whoremongers and Adulterers God will judge And so They not receiving reproof but still remaining such especially after God hath spoken once and again by the Gospel 2. God will severely judge them by the judgements of his hand in this present life and world while yet in mercy he doth not cut them off in their iniquity he will judge them as women that break wedlock and shed bloud are judged See Ezek. 16. 35 38-40 c. See also Prov. 6. 32 c. Whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding he that doth it destroyeth his own soul A wound and dishonour shall he get and his reproach shall not be wiped away Yea a whore will bring a man to a piece of bread and the adulteress will hunt for the precious life vers 24 25 26 c. True it is he oft-times defers his anger and doth not speedily execute such judgements on such workers of iniquity or with less severity where they have had less means of knowledge of better things but because he leaves not himself without witness to any even of his goodness that is in and through a Saviour moving to repentance therefore he will judge and that without respect of persons according to every mans ways for all the ways of a man are before the eyes of the Lord and he pondereth all his goings His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself and he shall be holden with the cords of his sins For to God belongeth vengeance and recompence and shall not he correct who chastiseth the heathen for such things Prov. 5. 19 20 21. Psal 94. 1 7-10 Rom. 1. 18 c. Abuse not therefore his patience forbearance and long-suffering as thence to imagine he doth not see or
remaining upon him and that his opening them himself until God had washed and purged him and delivered him from the guilt of them would not tend to the praise of God Psal 51. 12 13 14 15. 2. They defile others not onely each of them the other with whom they joyn in it nor is this all further that if there be an husband or a wife against whom the adulteress or adulterer deals treacherously in committing fornication defilement occasionally happens to them yea it may be to body and soul more or less besides the fraud and wrong therein done to them but also they defile others more generally and the more abundantly by how much the more they were in union and fellowship with them that call on the Name of the Lord in truth encouraging some by their evil example to follow it against the reproofs of Gods instruction in that or other lusts and so also unfitting them to admonish or reprove others for so doing and offending others that are weak yea occaâ—â—oning them to stumble at the truth and at the way of it as if Christ were the minister of sin or the liberty to which we are called by the Gospel were liberty to the flesh and provoking others to wrath of pride strifes debates and many other evils whence the Apostle admonishing to look diligently lest any root of bitterness be suffered to spring up and not curbed or pluckt up at first rising and thereby many be defiled he addes this warning against fornication and profaness as eminent defilements and defilers lest there be any fornicator or profane person as Esau who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright Heb. 12. 15 16. Yea such the stain and blemish brought upon the whole societies of believers among whom such are that while they are with and among them they are outwardly defiled and besmeared with reproach amongst men of the world that are ready presently to judge them as allowing such evils and uncleanness among themselves and thereby rendered unmeet to bear the vessels of the Lord and minister about holy things among them and the more unsuccessful therein And therefore they are admonished to put away from among themselves such wicked persons as being called brethren yet are fornicators idolaters railers drunkards covetous extortioners with such to have no company or intimate fellowship that they may be ashamed c. See 1 Cor. 5. And that the truth of God and the way of it may not be evil spoken of as a nursery of such nor suffer damage by them in any thing but that they may cut off occasion from them that seek it For there are many wicked and malicious adversaries that watch for their halting and seek occasions and advantages that they may speak reproachfully of and blaspheme that worthy name by which they are called and great occasion is given them by such fleshly lusts served among such which also more highly provokes the Almighty and renders such works of darkness and iniquity so vile in his sight that he will not let them go without some correction left upon them for a remembrance of their ways and to warn and humble them even such as yet in turning to him are forgiven and healed For so he saith to David after his humbling himself and confessing his fins although thereupon he saith by the Prophet The Lord hath put away thy sin yet he addes Howbeit because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme the childe also that is born unto thee shall surely die that is besides the forementioned corrections which likewise should come and remain upon him as that the sword should not depart from his house c. Because saith he thou hast despised me and taken the wife of Vriah c. See 2 Sam. 12. 9-14 Seeing then this lust of uncleanness and other such fleshly lusts not being abstained from by those that have known and believed the truth are so out of measure sinful and defiling to themselves and others suffer this word of exhortation by the Apostle Peter Dearly beloved I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims abstain from fleshly lusts that war against the soul having your conversation honest among the Gentiles that whereas they speak against you as evil doers they may by your good works in putting off these deeds and fruits of the flesh and in putting on the new man with his deeds which they shall behold glorifie God in the day of visitation 1 Pet. 2. 11 12. Yea the rather accept it and give earnest heed to the things we have heard in Gods speaking to us by his Son to strengthen us against such defiling evils because especially now that the darkness is past and the true light hath shined making manifest all things that are reproved such defiling of the temple of God procures such sorer punishment and destruction to the defilers from the Almighty for Whhremongers and Adulterers God will judge And look what sentence is here denonnced and lies for ever against Whoremongers and Adulterers unto whom the holy Ghost had here particular occasion to apply it in this opposition of his sentence unto his asserting the honourableness of Marriage and the bed undefiled we may by the same word of the Lord apply unto all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men For now especially since the righteousness of God is revealed in the Gospel of Christ which is the power of God to save that men might be justified by faith and that the just by faith may live and walk by faith and so in the spirit and not fulfill the lusts of the flesh compare Rom. 1. 16 17. with chap. 3. 21-27 Gal. 3. 23 24. 5. 16. The wrath of God is also thereby more clearly revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who hold hold back detain or smother the truth of God that comes to save them from it all in unrighteousness for the judgement of God is according to truth yea according to the Gospel of truth that royal-law of liberty that proclaims redemption from the curse and liberty from the bondage of the Law that the righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in them that believe I say according to this Gospel of Salvation by him that was made sin for us that we might be made the righteousness of God in him the judgement of God is according to truth against all them that commit such things as in which his holy law is transgressed and without respect of persons he judgeth according to every mans work for he that said Do not commit adultery said also Do not kill now if thou commit no adultery yet if thou kill thou art become a transgressor of the Law and so we may say if thou steal or if thou bear false witness or if thou do any thing contrary to sound Doctrine and shalt be judged for it by the law of liberty and according to its rule of judgement which hath
tryeth the reins that he may give to every one according to his ways he hath said it and shall he not do it Whoremongers and Adulterers God will judge Yea therefore so much the more as a man seeks to hide and cover his sin so much the more he engageth the Almighty against him to finde it out and manifest it and bring him to shame Therefore the Prophet Isaiah denounceth Wo against them that seek deep to hide their Counsel from the Lord and their works are in the dark and they say Who seeth us and who knoweth us Isai 29. 15. And the Prophet David confirms the truth of it by his own experience Psal 32. where after he hath said Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven whose sin is covered to whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity and signified that this blessing comes upon the man in whose spirit is no guile whose inward thought and bent is not fixed and secretly set to hide and cover that he may hold fast or not take shame wheâ— God is graciously making manifest and judgeing he then … s That when he kept silence that is as appears by what goes before and follows while he guilefully sought to hide and cover his sins his bones waxed old through his roaring all the day long For day and night Gods hand was heavy upon him so that his moisture was turned into the drought of summer Then being brought to it with labour he acknowledged his sin and did not hide his iniquity and the Lord forgave the iniquity of his sin and became his hiding place And thence he instructs others not to be as the horse or mule and warneth them that many sorrows shall be to the wicked He that hideth his sin shall not prosper but he that confesseth and for saketh findeth mercy Prov. 28. 13. If we would judge our selves we should not be judged Let a man therefore examine himself his ways and works in the light of the Lord even in the glass of the Gospel looking into and confidering the Lords body that was broken for his sins and as that discovers the vileness and sinfulness of any of his ways and works let him not straight way go away from it shunning the light because his deeds are reproved by it but still continue looking into that perfect Law of Liberty and timely acknowledge his transgressions and the iniquity of his sin as discovered and reproved thereby and seek help and healing in the Name of the Lord not yielding his minde or members to unrighteousness but yeilding them up to God and avoiding the occasions by which he hath been led into snares that so he may prove what is that good perfect and acceptable Will of God in Christ Jesus concerning him for this is the Will of God even your sanctification and that ye should abstain from fornication if we live in the Spirit let us walk in the Spirit minding the things of the Spirit which he testifies of Christ and yielding up our selves as that is working in us to will and to do and we shall not fulfil the lusts of the flesh though it be lusting and warring in the members For sin shall not have dominion over you for ye are not under the law but under grace but if we live after the flesh we shall dye Oh take heed of engaging the … hty against us for whoever hardned themselves ag … him and prospered be not deceived God will not be mocked what a man soweth that shall he reap he that soweth to his flesh making provision for it that he may fulfill its lusts shall of it reap corruption And Whoremongers and Adulterers God will judge I might have added by way of further Usefulness of the whole consideration of this later branch of the sentence That if God will so certainly and so severely according to his rule in the Gospel judge Whoremongers and Adulterers What will he do to spiritual fornicators how certainly and severely will he judge that uncleanness and filthiness of the spirit that directly and properly answers to such filthiness of the flesh as is already detected 〈◊〉 such aâ—in which the Church or any particular society or member any soul that hath been in any measure espoused to that one husband the onely chief Bishop and Shepherd of souls treacherously departs from him as a wife treacherously deparâ—â— from her husband and hasteth to or endows another in stead of him giving that to them whether things or persons which is onely due to him and seeking those things in them which he is abundantly and in truth onely for us and to us or in such respects assuming his place as before is in some measure shewed I say how certainly and severely will he judge this spiritual fornication in those that wickedly against his gracious warnings commit and persist in it May I not say much more or with greater severity of wrath then the carnal onely at least in many of the branches of it such as answer to and are resembled by the highest and worst degrees of carnal fornication for thereby the temple of God is still more dangerously and desperately defiled and destroyed and therefore swift destruction brought upon themselves by the destroyers thereof as might be shewed in 1 Cor. 3. 11 12-16 17 18. with 2 Pet. 2. 1 2 c. 2 Cor. 1â— â— 3. â— Tim. 2. 16 17 18. with Chap. 3. 1-8 and in many 〈◊〉 Scriptures And I might here adde also but chiefly to such of them as under pretence of godliness and great boasts of liberty and high and spiritual attainments do walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanuess and despise government speaking evil of dignities c. as more at large in that 2 Pet. 2. and the Epistle of Jude with 2 Tim. 3. 1-8 1 Tim. 4 1 2 3. 2 Thess 2. 3-12 But having already exceeded my intended bounds and my first intention in this being to admonish of carnal fornication and all uncleanness of the flesh I shall here add no more but the mention of my desire that what is said may be so considered as all may be warned in the authority light and strength of the Name of the Lord to flee fornication yea to abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul and tend to bring the blood of others upon our heads also and that such further fruit may be reaped as may tend to the praise and glory of God by Jesus Christ our Lord to whom be glory and dominion for ever and ever Amen FINIS