bewail it in thy heart and say unto God O Lord thou art rich in Mercy thou canst deliver this poor wretched creature from the dunghill of sin So on the contrary if thou see a man live godlily glorifie God and say I beseech thee O Lord preserve those gifts which thou hast given to this man T is a lovely Treasure of Grace which thou hast committed to him but the Vessel frail and brittle and there are many Thieves lurking about it If thou look not to it t will quickly be all wasted and lost Lo this may we learn from Peters denyal 3. But specially it warneth all those that are Rectors of Churches not to presume nor to be proud It is very dangerous when a presumptuous man is put into the Office of a Minister For he knows not how to take pitty and compassion upon others He knows nothing but how to domineer terrifie punish c and to hunt feeble souls to despair by his outragiousness and so all his Ministry falls to the ground Hence it is that Paul by way of special commendation of Christ saith that he was such an high Priest that was able and did know how to have compassion on others Heb. 4. And therefore did he suffer Peter to fall that he might learn to shew pitty to others 4. This denyal of Peter is comfort and instruction to all sinners Comfort not to despair of pardon see Peter received again into favour after so great a fall Instruction to learn by his Example what course to take to get into favour again Of which more at large hereafter 5. It wanted not a Mysterie that Peter should deny his Master at his first entrance into the house of the high Priest and that at the provocation of a little girl For the first or chiefest profession in Princes Courts is to deny Christ that is to postpone and undervalue God and Christ Equity and Verity yea the salvation of their own souls too and only to mind and look after the things of this world This comes to pass especially when a man is brought in by a maid i e. by covetousness For that is the root of all evil 1 Tim 6. But whom that faithfull servant the fear of the Lord doth usher in he will cleave close to Christ in the Courts of Princes and in the midst of his worldly business as we see in David Daniel Hester Mordecay Joseph c. 6. To conclude He that reads the fall and denyal of Peter let him pray to the Lord that he never fall into the like Temptation as to deny Christ Let this weakness of Peter be our strength inasmuch as we know of him that after he had received the holy Spirit he would rather suffer himself to be cut in pieces than to deny Christ The high Priest then asked Jesus of his Disciples John 18.19 and of his Doctrine Jesus answered him I spake openly to the world I ever taught in the Synagogue and in the Temple whither the Jews alwayes resort and in secret have I said nothing Why askest thou me ask them which heard me what I have said unto them behold they know what I said And when he had thus spoken one of the Officers which stood by stroke Jesus with the palm of his hand saying Answerest thou the High Priest so Iesus answered him if I have spoken evil bear witness of the evil but if well why smitest thou me They that are of opinion that there was nothing acted in Annas's house except for honours sake they brought Christ first to him these refer all these things to Caiaphas who was the High Priest that year But whither it was he that did this or whither it was Annas that was High Priest the last year doth not much concern us we shall only consider the matter it self That High Priest then whoever he was whether Annas or Caiaphas he undertook to examine Christ by vertue of his Office and to convince him of his errour Christ stands bound before him and bears the pride of that wicked man as if he had been the basest and meanest of men He yields himself to be examined as if he had been the veryest Dunce that ever was Is not here patience even beyond patience Be not thou offended if proud silly fellows despise thee Christ did here lead the way by his example Two things principally the High Priest enquired after 1. His Disciples And was this such a crime in Christ Did that scurvy Priest know nothing else against him And doth he therefore turn his Accusation into Interrogatories Peradventure he would ask where his Disciples were why he chose them what he meant to do with them This Querie tended to convince him of raising sedition and going about to bring in Innovations 2. His Doctrine what it was and whence he had it whether it agreed with the Doctrine of Moses and the Prophets q.d. Thou teachest far otherwise than Moses and the Prophets did Therefore thou art an Heretick and a Seducer and thou hast got thee Disciples to spread thy Heresie over all Iudaea Besides thou hast innovated a Baptism without our Authority In short thou dost all this yea although thou art not of the Tribe of Levi yet thou usurpest to thy self a power of preaching Thinkest thou that we will alway wink at it and never curb such insolency of manners and doctrine as we find in thee contrary to the custom and Rules of the Ancients Nay we have born with thee too long already Now thou shalt pay for alltogether Note here that t is not objected to Christ nor could it be objected against him that he was a Murtherer or a Thief or an Adulterer or an Extortioner but only that he did teach and take Disciples to him This is that above any other thing which the world doth lay to his charge that he never lets them alone but is still reproving them The world saith he hateth me because I testifie of it that the works thereof are evil John 7. If Christ would have held his peace and not so continually have been finding fault the world could have born him But how can Truth be silent and not declare against falshood How is it possible that the Sun-should not shew what is fair and what is foul See our ingratitude for even for that very thing which the world hated in him was Christ most deserving the greatest honour and altogether praise-worthy for his teaching the Truth and chusing whom he pleased out of the world that they might not perish with the world was the highest favour he could shew But whereas this High Priest questioned Christ about his Doctrine and Disciples there was no hurt in all that It is rather the duty of the Ecclesiastical Power to take care that no false Doctrine be broacht abroad The Priest then made a fair pretence but his mind was quite contrary For he knew the things which Christ taught were true Besides he might have made a true
on No man took it from him 1 Kings 20.11 John 10.18 21. Thus Christ when he was in the height of his perfection in perfect Glory filling all in all the fulness and end of the Law for Righteousness the Law-giver above the Law yet in the fulness of time was made of a woman made under the Law became a curse for us to redeem us from the curse of the Law Gal. 3.13 chap. 4.4 By this going back-ward of Christ unto the tenth degree of death we have hope of life to come His going back-ward was his progress to his journeyes end for his ways are not our ways but rather contrary to them Thus our true Joseph having been in prison and taken out from among men is afterward rightly called Zaphnath-paaneah i.e. a man to whom secrets are revealed or in the Egyptian tongue a Saviour of the world Gen. 41.14,45 Isa 53.8 John 3.17 chap. 12.47 Let us imitate our Lord for even hereunto are we called because Christ also suffered for us leaving us an example that we should follow his steps 1 Pet. 2.21 Let us resist unto blood striving against sin suffering in the flesh that we may cease from sin Heb. 12.4 1 Pet. 4 1. Ponder these things seriously 6. Sixthly 22. We cannot understand nor submit unto the Gospel unless we know and conform unto the death of Christ The sum of the Gospel is Christ crucified 1 Cor. 2.2 There is a dolefull doom denounced against all those that obey not this Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ 2 Thes 1.7,8,9,10 It is not enough for us to make our boast of the Gospel except we obey it no advantage comes by it Not every one that saith Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven but he that doth the Will of the Father Mat. 7.21 He that doth the Will shall know the Doctrine John 7.17 Now we must know that every man is brutish in his knowledge and born a wild Asses Colt Jer. 10.14 Job 11.12 Psalm 92.6 Wherefore it is necessary that every man take up his Cross dayly and crucifie this brutish man which is so ignorant of the Mysterie of God and altogether uncapable to understand it and put on the new man which is created after God in Righteousness Holiness and Knowledge 1 Cor. 2.14 Eph. 4.22,23,24 Col. 3.9,10 The old must be put off before the new can be put on Obedience is the best Vsher unto knowledge 7. Seventhly 23. The grand Mysterie of iniquity worketh in the contrary Doctrine When the Devil suspected what ruine and desolation was like to come upon his kingdom by the death of Christ he did what possibly he could to save his life by Pilates wife And so he is still stirring some to be enemies to his Cross Phil 3.18 The old subtile Serpent argueth with us as he did with our first Parents Yea saith he doth God require such strictness and circumspect walking doth he think ye delight to afflict his creature the work of his hands will he have thee die mortifie and crucifie thy self Far be it from thee These things shall not happen unto thee Mat. 16.22,23 Hath not Christ suffered for thy sins hath not he made full satisfaction and done all for thee Is there any thing left for thee to do Canst thou add to the vertue of his blood Wilt thou fall back again to the Law and be justified by the works thereof Is not this flat Popery Away away with these legal and pensive thoughts they make thee melancholy dull and indisposed to good things Wilt thou separate not only from the prophane Gentile but from the outward and formal Jew also Canst thou by taking thought add one Cubit to his stature Were not the works finished from the foundation of the world Mat. 6.27 Heb. 4 3. Be not righteous overmuch neither make thy self over-wise Why shouldest thou destroy thy self Eccles 7.16 24. Look upon the high and mighty professors of the world Are not the preud among them happy and they that tempt God by Pride Ambition Covetousness Hypocrisie Perjury breach of Promises Covenants Vows Oaths and Protestations Rebellion Domineering are they not delivered delivered to do all abominations Doth not their Bull gender and faileth not have they not more then heart can wish so that pride compasseth them about as a chain and violence covereth them as a Garment Mal. 3.15 Jer. 7.9,10,11 c. Job 21.10 Psalm 73.4,5,6,7 Take thine ease eat drink and be merry to morrow shall be as this day Thus the crafty Serpent insinnateth his damnable Doctrine by his false Prophets into the minds of simple ignorant presumptuous Gospellers themselves Whereas the true Believer saith It is his meat and drink to do the Will of his Lord and Master John 4.34 To beat down his body and bring it into subjection 1 Cor 9.27 Nothing is more glory to him then such tribulation he takes pleasure in such necessity and distresses for Christs sake and is glad that he can die dayly that the world may be crucified unto him and he unto the world Rom. 5.3 2 Cor. 12.10 1 Cor. 15.31 Gal. 6.14 8. Eightly 25. Without this knowledge and conformity there can be no perseverance in Godliness The Hypocrite will not pray always he cannot many begin to run well but are driven back from obeying the Truth Gal. 5.7 They are clogd with the care of preserving the worldly life they are full yet with their youthfull lusts and the sins of their riper years These youths shall faint and such young men utterly fail because they do not eat and drink the flesh and blood of the Son of man that they might have life and strength to persevere they do not by eating and drinking incorporate the living bread and drink by a lively faith that they might grow thereby Isa 40.30 John 6.33.35,48,51 unto verse 59. 1 Pet. 2.2 2 Pet. 3.18 But the righteous shall hold on his way and he that hath clean hands that hath washt them in innocency in the innocent blood of the Lamb he shall wax stronger and stronger his light shall be as the shining light which increaseth to a perfect day Job 17.9 Prov. 10.29 and chap. 4.18 But they that wait on the Lord shall renew their strength and mount up with wings as Eagles Psalm 103.5 Isa 40.31 The Eagle is sharp of sight swift and lofty in flight it can soar up and look upon the Sun So do all true Believers who have anointed their eyes with the spiritual eye-salve Rev. 3.18 which maketh them quick-sighted but then like Eagles they resort unto the Carkass Mat. 24.28 They have continual Recourse unto the crucified body of Christ refreshing themselves with that heavenly food turning it into the nourishment of their inward and new man and growing up therein unto a likeness and conformity unto that food These do not miscarry nor come short of their aim 9. Ninthly 26. There can be no due performance of any acceptable service