moved what a whole worldfull of them speake for they have no knowledge in things spiritually discerned Beside to give any regard to them is to animate them in folly and make them imagine themselves as wise In humblenesse of minde Observe hence Doct. That wicked deceivers will seeme to stand for vertue and challenge those who are truly godly as wanting in it These lewd impostours took upon them to condemne those who in conscience of their sinne knew there was no sufficient Mediator for them in heaven or earth but Christ alone they doe passe judgement against these in matter of humility that is they condemne them as not humble Lying and tyranny are the Divels weapons wherewith he fighteth now to his lying this branch belongeth of his counterfeiting that he will turne himselfe into an Angell of light thus it is in his children bearing his image they will sometime goe in sheepes clothing make semblance as if they were meeke lowly harmelesse this we exemplified in the Pharisies who were gulses of pride and yet did gull the people with their fasting prayers as if they had been lowly Saints Nay they doe take up Christ and His Apostles as transgressing the ordinances of antiquity and the Commandements of GOD as when His Disciples did gather the eares of corne on the Sabbath day Thus the Papists doe with us they challenge us of pride in this very point of dishonour to the Saints because we will not make gods of them of Presumption we beleeve the promise of GOD made to all penitent ones and therefore to us being penitent Of all licentiousnesse in life because we will not allow that good workes shall in strict justice merit with GOD Of all intemperancie because we allow not their lawes of superstitious fasting Of incontinencie and irreligion because we like not their monstrous machorets their orders of religion falsly so called their imposed vowes of chastity which become a snare to consciences and an occasion of all filthy uncleannesse there is no end of repeating all of this kinde Yea naturall men amongst us doe they not condemne such as walke before them in ungodlinesse as proud and fingular Men that think none like themselves none holy to themselves enemies of Christian liberty and of peace and neighbourly agreement Let us not then be over credulous to Iudge all ungodly Vse who are challenged of it for who then can be innocent nor yet all good men who seeme to stand for it and to condemne others only for the want of it for even the Divell is an Angell of light but let us wisely marke on what ground the sentence is passed and whether the thing in which this or that is placed be vertuous in the kinde truly as is by some conceived of it as in this fact the Colossians are condemned as not humble why they gave no worship to Angels to become intercessours as if the not doing of this did prejudice humility Hee is a proud man saith one why he is not promiscuously sociable hee is still reproving some thing or other he will not be content to walke as his neighbours doe c. Alas as if humility lay in these things And in worship of Angels First in the coherence may be marked Doct. Vnder what pretence the adoration of Angels and so of Saints marketh even under the vizard of holinesse This was the old philosophicall reason taken our of politike observation Doe men goe forth-right to the King Doe they not get some Noble-men about him to breake their matters and procure their favourable accesse And shall men presume to goe upon the great GOD and not take the helpe of Angels and Saints to the intent they may speed the better and testifie their submisnesse To which Saint Augustine was wont to answer My thoughts saith GOD are not yours c. by the same pretence and under shew of glorifying GOD in His Saints the Papists perswade it at this day yea under this shew of humility they bring in their doctrine of doubting of our salvation Let us therefore be wise Vse and let us take heed that wee swallow not deadly doctrines basted with shew of humility Of which more in the last Verse Observe secondly Doctr. That all religious worship of angels or Saints is unchristian Passe not you who doth give sentence against you in the religious worship of Angels that is as not yeelding to the service of Angels To understand this we must know that the religious invocating of Angels was obtruded upon the Colossians from whence it is doubtfull Theodoret relating the Councell of Lacdicea on this place he saith That such as defended that Law did likewise put upon them the invocation of Angels as a matter full of humility the rather because the Law was given through Angels by their ministery Another guesse is that this came out of the Philosophy Schoole for the Platonists we know did worship Angels yea and soules departed of such as had beene Worthies amongst them they worshipped at the monuments of them To which as Eusebius testifieth the worship done to Martyrs at their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was correspondent Now this I take to be the truth because though the Nazarites and such after heretikes might joyne this point though it is not read of them and inforce this reason for adoration of Angels yet these in the Apostles time that stood for the Law did no such thing For beside that the second Commandement of worshipping GOD alone was held with them so that Moses himselfe was not invocated yea the being of them by some addicted to the Law as the Sadduces was called into question Besides these things it is like in other Epistles if they that contended for the Ceremonies had brought in this doctrine with them it is likely that the Apostle would have confuted it and encountred it as well as the other I doubt not therefore but it is to be reduced to the Philosophie above named Now this being in practice with them they condemned the Christians in it as not using it in their going to GOD. The Christians as is probable listened to it such was the learning of the Patrons it had more than was meet and were somewhat damped the Apostle therefore doth stirre up their Christian fortitude exhorting them not to care what any judge against them in that matter for they are in the right that yeeld not unto it the LORD only is to be worshipped religiously and wee have no mediatour to Him but IESUS CHRIST Epiphan Contr. Collyrid Her 79. doth condemne all adoration of creatures Which serveth to confute the Papists Vse they religiously worship Angels and Saints call upon them trust in them But they except they doe not worship them with the highest worship but with an inferiour though a religious service But alas did these hereticall spirits with the Colossians worship Angels with the highest worship No but with an inferiour using them onely as intercessours unto him whom they counted the
at a thing wee are able to deserve by our working but as at a free gift of inheritance which GOD will give us out of his Fatherly mercy to looke at it as deserved wages maketh a mercenary servant to eye it as a Patrimony given of grace maketh a Child-like and free obedience Though therefore we have not the thought of merit yet we have this benefit by our heavenly inheritance that it is a motive to us inviting to all duty We see hence what maketh such cold working and cold devotion amongst men even this Vse 1 we see not the rich recompence which GOD will give those things of Grace did wee see that GOD will for earthly things give us heavenly wee would part with them and count that dearely sold that were so given did we see the harvest of Glory how would we willingly abide the sweate all the day long No men thinke though they will not say so that it is in vaine to serve the Almighty what profit is there We see how we may provoke our selves to suffer and doe the Lords pleasure Vse 2 looke at this gracious reward It is not a dead work to serve God we are al for what wil you give me as Peter said Lord what shall we have that have left all to follow thee If thou beest all for what shalt thou have see these hopes of eternall Glory which GOD will give thee None payeth better wages none like to thy GOD. I know worldly men thinke a bird in hand better then many in the wood that they may have in hand they onely care for like prophane Esau esteeming a messe of pottage forth with better then a Birthright but the wise hearted will looke at the time to come and esteeme a good thing though in reversion better then of a present trifle Layd up for you in heaven Obser Where our riches of glory are kept for us in the heavens Obs 2 Not in the region of the ayre where birds fly called the heaven sometimes nor in the starry firmament but in a place above all these aspectable heavens called the highest heavens Ephes 4. Hebt 11. whither CHRIST ascended Our substance our best and most enduring wealth is in heaven 1 Pet. 1.4 Our inheritance we hope for is rest in the heavens for us and that fitly for where should our house and land and treasure our whole patrimony be but where our Country is where our Father dwelleth now GOD is our Father and he dwelleth in heaven which is our owne Country who are here but Pilgrims for a season Againe what is this hope but the glorious life we looke for Now where should the life of the branches of a Tree be kept but where the roote is So where should our glorious life be hidde but where CHRIST the roote of us all is with him yea this is most meet and behoofefull for us If an English man should sojourne in France a while and had great treasure to receive would he not choose rather to have it payd him at the Exchange in his owne Country then to have it there farre from his home and stand to the hazard of transporting of it So it fareth with us it is safer that our wealth should be paid us in heaven our own Country then here where we are but strangers wayfaring for a season To make us see how safe our heavenly treasure is Vse 1 it is where the Divell cannot come as you have it in the parable of Dives and Lazarus if we have worldly wealth we count it a great benefit to have sure custody for it where the rust cannot eate it nor thiefe digge through and steale it now there is no feare of that being safe which is kept in heaven This must make us heauenly minded Vse 2 rich mens mindes are all on their Coffers and Counting houses where the treasure is there will the heart be also So if we have wealth in heaven let us Converse in heaven Our conversation is in heaven This is a comfort against all present necessities which the Saints know Vse 3 though an heire know much hardship yet this doth stay him up well thinkes he I shall come to my lands one day Children will weare homely cloathes more contentedly when they thinke they have better layed up in their Mothers Chests Whereof you have heard Obser What bringeth us to be possessed of those hopes Obs 3 hearing of them by the Gospell that is by the glad tydings of them which GOD doth send us by his messengers our Saviour Iesus Christ hath brought life and immortality by the Gospell 2 Tim. 1.10 For looke as we cannot know what is done in France till some come over thence and tell us the newes there So we cannot know what is done in heaven till GOD send down the newes of it unto us for the Gospell is nothing but newes from heaven touching righteousnesse and life eternall through faith in Christ Iesus And as when things are lost we cannot come by them till we have word from the Crier or others that they are found So our life which we have all quite lost by nature we cannot get it againe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 till GOD by his * Cryers Preachers send us word of it To stirre up our attention to this word which discovereth such wealth Vse 1 if one can tell us of some rich purchase at a cheape rate of some gainefull bargaine how readily will we heare on that side The Gospell telleth us of all blessednesse in this life and that to come through faith the unsearchable riches of Christ to which all the wealth in India is but drosse and dunge Eph. 3.8 all this is reveiled in the Gospell It sheweth us how we should love the Gospell if a man tell us tydings of a horse strayed we thinke our selves beholding to him But this telleth us newes of such heavenly things as never eye saw nor eart hath heard nor never entred into the heart of man to conceive In the word of truth Obser lastly from this verse Obs 4 How infallible and certaine all the promises of the Gospell are they are a true word The Gospell is called sometimes by generall names as Law Testimony Doctrine c. Sometimes from the efficient the Gospell of GOD Sometime from the property a wholesome word a word of truth The thinges we speake of are not yea and nay but Amen constant and true This is a true saying and worthy of all acceptation 1 Tim. 1 For the Gospell is His Word who cannot lie whose Knowledge Workes and Words are all true Qu. But why is this called the Word of truth when all the Word of God is true purer then silver seven times refined Answ Because this is the most principall part of Gods Word and therefore the common property of the Word is given it by a kinde of excellency as we call the plague the sicknesse not that a headache is not a sicknesse
did Tertullian then shew that traditions were not to be regarded which were beside the authority of the Word in matters of faith and manners even thus The Apostles were sent by Christ If therefore they did not publish things faithfully either they wey were unable or not sincere and Christ blame-worthy that would send those so qualified we may say either they could and would not would but could not or else were willing and able but might not That they could not is absurd who had the guifts of the Holy Ghost so abundantly That they would not is unlikely who were so faithfull and who suffered all things yea death it selfe for the Churches good That they might not least holy things and that more perfect should be too much divulged and so Pearles cast before Swine for Christ bid them speake all things they heard from Him yea though in secret upon the house toppes And as for Dogges and Swine there is no feare for the Bible though open is a clasped booke to them as for others all the counsell of God belongeth to them Thus you may see the truth of this that humane authority hath beene a backe to error and an allurement from the faith Let them not deceive you with things after the tradition of men First then by this we come to discerne the deceived estate of the Romane Church Vse 1 for one egge is not liker another then they to those old Heretiques and the Principall part of their beliefe and practice hath no better ground then tradition without the Word 2 This must teach us not to stand too much upon the bare authority of men as to pinne faith upon their opinion Omnes patres tota schola are not the Old and New Testament We all incline to speake as they Which of the Rabbins and Doctors of the law believe in Him and to reject that which commeth not ushered in with humane testimonies whereas we should not receive any thing because men affirme it nor deny any thing in this regard simply because greate Clerkes are of another judgement though we must not on the other extreame passe by Antiquity and moderne judgements upon a selfe willed fancy as if they were not to be heeded You will say then what use are we to make Object how are wee to be disposed to them Say I conceite this or that opinion but I see Answ as it is told mee such are against me in it of worthy note knowing this 1 I am so farre to respect this not as therefore to discard it and judge of it as erroneous but onely not to precipitate any determination against them 2 I am to have the more jealousie of that which by opinion I conceive 3 I am to excite my selfe to the more full inquiry to see what grounds they had what verisimilitude at least for their sentence 4 If I find my selfe in the truth I am with the more humility and thankefulnesse to imbrace it when I see that even men of greater parts had it not shewed unto them So on the other side the Fathers say this unanimi consensu I doe not therefore beleeve it this were humane faith but I account it a presumption that the thing is true Secondly I search the grounds of it with more alacrity and confidence Thirdly I having grounded my faith on GODS Word am in this regard more confident in my perswasion Lastly this must teach us to adore the fulnesse of the Scripture Vse according to the which who so speaketh not in the things of God speaketh without understanding for whatsoever any knoweth out of his naturall wisedome is foolishnesse in Gods matters but what he knoweth without the Word he hath it out of his own wisedome there is no shift unlesse we will say there is place for revelation without the meanes of the Word therfore what he thus speaketh is foolishnesse the Word conteyneth all things if not in syllables yet in sense that are needfull for faith and manners yea directions for all indifferent things which are variable According to the elements of this world Observe first What maketh error Doctr. and false worship so infectious even because they are carnall savoring of the flesh and after the fashion of this world like lipps love like lettice now we are by nature in error and therefore Saint Paul saith that heresie is a worke of the flesh Againe we are sensuall and therefore delight in such fashion of worship as is not spirituall but feedeth the sense and hangeth us so up by the senses that we ascend not to spirituall contemplation Many mervaile why so many professe and daily fall to Popery but they might as well marvaile why frogs love the fennes for the truth is it is naturall to the corrupt man all is sensuall and of this World Such a Prince-like Clergy such sumptuous Temples and goodly pictures heavenly musicke odoriferous incense al exercises such as their owne strength may undertake every thing of this world the world cannot but love his owne and therfore unregenerate men cannot but affect these things yea we neede no better confirmation then that petitioner who did preferre this as one motive for tolleration in commendation of their religion that it was sensuall it had to please the sense in it and is the reason why the sincerest reformed Churches that have cut off all these fleshly services are by all sorts of worldly men the most maligned because they have the least with them to feed the senses nay nothing but that which CHRIST hath left which because it is commanded is therefore odious The use is Vse that we would take heed of worldly fashions and such things as please the carnall understanding and naturall man this is a presumption against them that they are not right for as Saint Paul saith of men so we may say of religious observancies if they then please corrupt men and suite with their corruption they are not the ordinances of CHRIST Yea even hence they are to be resisted because they are after the guise of this world The Primitive age kept it that they would not admit the least Pagan rite or Iewish ceremony they would not have a Sermon on Saturday and allowed a kind of trading on Sunday out of exercises on this ground Ages following were not so cautelous Againe seeing these words doe not onely point at that which maketh these deceits effectuall but also give a reason to us that are in CHRIST why we should beware of them Doct. note hence That upon this ground we are to resist all false superstitious rites of religion because they are after the fashion of this world The things of this world are enmity to GOD and in this that exhortation taketh place Rom. 12.2 Fashion not your selves to the World The not observing of this rule hath brought all miseries upon the Church when men to gaine the Gentiles would take up their rites a little altered when they would come to the world a little thinking
fasteth Quest and refrayneth some things and the other doe the same There is great difference in the antecedents Answ and manner of doing it and effect A Papist and naturall man conceiveth of lustings as rebelling to reason and hindering morall vertue and the free contemplation of mind not as sins but a thing indifferent capable of vertue or vice as obeyed or otherwise thus the Papists also after a manner But Gods children resist them as sinfull inclinations and whoorish lustings which hinder them in loving their God yea are enmity to him and fight against their soules They differ also in the ends which moove the one and the other to refraine Naturall men they doe it to vaunt themselves of more perfection then others have attayned to purchase themselves a naturall liberty of mind in such considerations as by Nature it reacheth Sometime for politique respects because hee is not counted fit for government who is subject to sensuall passion The Papist he doth it as a part of perfection as a thing in it selfe pleasing God as a point of merit with God But a good Christian hee doth refraine for the kingdome of heaven how not to deserve it by such course but that by this course done in faith he may subdue his lusts and kill them for it is their death not to be obeyed and that hee may have more freedome in Gods service For the manner of doing it the one doth it out of Nature sometime for as Christ saith of Eunuchs some are by nature so the same may be said of abstinence Some by Nature are averse from that liberty in dyet which others affect But all besides true Christians doe it out of their owne strength whereas a true believer he doth it by the spirit of GOD bewayling his weakenesse seeking to Christ for his strength to crucify these things to him and him to them 2 A Christian doth not absteyne for the thing simply prophaning that but from lust simply that he resisteth the thing so farre forth as his lust taketh occasion by that which is in it selfe good Now unbelievers looke not to inward lusts so much nor cry not downe them as they vilifie the things themselves desired Hence is a third difference the faithfull doe not make a set exercise upon stinted times onely to refraine or totally at once renounce the touching them but daily as they feele themselves tempted they resist eating with thankesgiving when they feele themselves not indangered by them Lastly they so refraine that they know their refraining it selfe doth not commend them to GOD for if not eating and drinking were in it selfe more holy than eating and drinking Iohn Baptist should have been more holy than CHRIST but as through the working of GOD's Spirit it is to them being weake a meane of their more firme cleaving to GOD. Now all other extoll the thing it selfe and rest in it as a matter of great perfection In the effect following they may be distinguished for the one have by their exercise greater confirmation of an externall morall habit the other true sanctification viz. death of sinne and life of grace promoted in them To teach us that we bee not beguiled Vse 1 nor yet have these externall exercises in admiration which such as know not the power of godlinesse abound in often yea we must be wise to distinguish things that differ for the Divell in his will play the Ape and imitate what GOD doth worke soundly in the hearts of His chosen This must provoke us to fight in right order against sensuall lusts Vse 2 Shall naturall men and others led in error be thus abstinent and in their fashion subdue their sensuall appetites and shall wee who have CHRIST with us our sanctifier lye downe as conquered of them Plato superstitious Popish wretches will condemne many Christians who feed their hearts in whatsoever they desire And so much for these words Now if you take the end of it sounding to the first sense Obs 1. That exercises much regarded with men Doct. are of no esteeme with GOD Circumcision nor uncircumcision are nothing much lesse meat eating or not eating commend not to GOD but a new creature many things great and glorious in the eyes of man are abominable before GOD which if the Papists considered they would not extol the rules of their Monkish orders the life of Anachorets nor yet cry downe with such base termes those that use their liberty in CHRIST as CHRIST and Abraham the Father of the faithfull have given them example 2 From the reason why they are in no price with GOD because they are occupied about the body the filling of it Doct. Observe therefore in generall that Bodily externall things are not of worth with GOD He is a Spirit worship in spirit and truth is His delight for a Synecdoche must here be marked one kinde put for the generall seeing there is the same disproportion in them to God the same in one that is in another even as in Nature like joyeth that which is like it So here GOD being a Spirit doth delight in that which is spirituall like Himselfe And as to a creature which liveth a pure sensible life reasonable delights are as nothing to it tell a horse a story never so pleasant it affects him not So to a pure spirituall nature sensible matters give no contentment In which the Papists had need to consider who follow GOD too too much with sensible things and thinke they take Him because they affect us FINIS LECTVRES PREACHED VPON THESE TEXTS OF SCRIPTVRE By Mr. PAUL BAYNE Esay Chap. 5. v. 12. Psal 50. v. 21 22 23. 1 Pet. Chap. 1. v. 17. Psal 119. v. 1. to v. 32. Luke Chap. 13. v. 24. 1 Pet. Chap. 4. v. 18. 2 Cor. Chap. 7. v. 1. Luke Chap. 2. v. 14. Philip. Chap. 2. v. 12 13. Hebr. Chap. 3. v. 13. 1 Tim. Chap. 2. v. 2. 2 Tim. Chap. 1. v. 9. 2 Tim. Chap. 1. v. 12 13 15 16.