Selected quad for the lemma: virtue_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
virtue_n	good_a	knowledge_n	temperance_n	1,135	5	11.3938	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A42584	Gell's remaines, or, Several select scriptures of the New Testament opened and explained wherein Jesus Christ, as yesterday, to day, and the same for ever, is illustrated, in sundry pious and learned notes and observations thereupon, in two volumes / by the learned and judicious Dr. Robert Gell ; collected and set in order by R. Bacon.	Gell, Robert, 1595-1665.; Bacon, Robert, b. 1611 or 12.	1676 (1676)	Wing G472; ESTC R17300	2,657,678	1,606

whether thou shalt save thy Husband Jam. 5.19 20. Brethren if any of you do err from the truth and one convert him let him know that he who converteth a sinner from the errour of his way shall save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins Nay not only doing of Temporal good but Spiritual also is imputed to the good Neighbour why otherwise must Moses speak to the people why must Philip be directed to the Eunuch why must Paul be sent to Athens Act. 9. why Cornelius to Peter Act. 10.1 Thus the merciful man is the true Neighbour and then is the man a true Neighbour to another when he is like a God unto him when he is merciful unto him as our heavenly Father is merciful Exhort This is the most excellent way where Love is God is he that abideth in Love dwelleth in God for God is Love Reason then from the contrary where Love is not God is not where Mercy is not Christ is not He is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the sure Mercies of David or of him that is Love it self This is that Coagulum that cement that glew of mankind which being taken away ruunt omnia all is ravelled This is that which edifies Knowledge puffs up but Charity edifies and builds up 1 Cor. 8. There the Lord promised his blessing and life for evermore Psal 133. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ezek. the last the last vers Means Remove the iniquity that is the cause of enmity among us Mat. 12. Because iniquity shall abound the love of many shall wax cold This was the cause of the first murder in the world wherefore slew he him because his own works were evil and his brothers good 2. Look upon that in thy Neighbour which is good 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There is some good in thy Neighbour Let every man think better of his Neighbour than of himself There are some pictures which look on them on one side they present a beautiful countenance on the other some deformed monster 3. Add to thy Faith Virtue and to Virtue Knowledge and to Knowledge Temperance and to Temperance Patience and to Patience Godliness and to Godliness Brotherly Kindness and to Brotherly Kindness Charity Sign This is Love that we keep Gods Commandments Love works no evil to his Neighbour Rom. 13.10 Away with all false shews and pretences of love where the reality of it is not Prae amore exclusit foras 2 Cor. 13.11 Be of one mind live in peace and the God of love and peace shall be with you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But the second is like unto it When our Lord had fed the Multitudes Joh. 6.12 though he could make bread of stones yet said let nothing be lost The Text is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Love Feast I beseech the Lord to feed our Souls with it His will is that nothing should be lost I shall therefore gather up what was left of the fourth point and add the fifth and then proceed to the fifth Commandment What this Questionist was ye read vers 25. a Pharisee compared with Mar. 12 28 32. a Scribe Luk. 10.25 a Lawyer Our Lord shapes an answer which may meet with the Scribes and Pharisees Hypocrites and with the Scribes taught to the Kingdom of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But the second is like unto it Thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thy self But the second why what diversity is here let no man think that this is of small moment the difference of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The least things are oftentimes of greatest concernment as the Apostle shews elegantly a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump and James the 3. by examples of a bit in the horses mouth which turns about his whole body a very small helm turns the whole ship a little fire kindles much wood the tongue a small member defiles the whole body and sets on fire the whole course of nature But is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this little word of that moment the learned know it changeth the nature of the proposition such is the difference between And and But the former makes a copulative Axiome the latter a Discret as the Logician calls it Our Lord adds this beyond what he was desired The reason is partly in regard of the Commandment the Questionist the Answerer 1. In regard of the Commandment it self being asked concerning the greatest he adds the greatest next to that that he might at once perfect the Doctrine of the two great Commandments of Charity on which all the Law and the Prophets depend of which the one so depends on the other that it cannot be observed without the other 2. In regard of the Pharisee who moved the question if not he yet they of his Sect were proud they knew no Neighbour ye know how the Pharisee vaunted even to God himself and that in his prayer I am not like other men not like this Publican Luk. 18. They were learned in the Scriptures and grew proud with that which should indeed have humbled them they called and accounted themselves Sapientes filios Sapientiae as for other men they were accounted by as Populus Terrae 't is a sin that followeth Knowledge Scientia inflat 1 Cor. 8. and if it be not well heeded it will be an inseparable companion of the young knowing man for a little knowledge makes men proud but a great deal makes them lowly 't is a worm that often breeds even in the trees of Righteousness 3. Another reason is in regard of the Answerer himself who by his answer intimated the Pharisees hatred of himself their neighbour in the humane nature not ashamed to call them brethren 2. And in regard of the Divine Original whereof the Jews boasted we have one Father even God but our Lord made a true profession Job 8.42 If God were your Father ye would love me for I proceeded forth and came from God no contention should be between them Gen. 13.8 1 Joh. 5.1 Every one that loveth him that begat loveth him that is begotten Christ teacheth more than he is desired ex abundanti He teacheth the proud his enemy one that tempted him how much more the humble his friend A ground to take heed what requests or questions we put up unto our Lord He answers the hearts of men which he sees and knows see the answer of the Prophet to Jeroboam's wife 1 King 14. and the speech of Johannah to Jeremiah and what is writ Ezec. 14. with the answer of the Saviour to the Scribe Mat. 8.20 The Foxes have holes c. Some use may be made of this point 1. From consideration of our Lord and Master and Teacher himself 2. From consideration of his doctrine 3. From consideration of the Disciple or party taught 1. From consideration of our Lords doctrine it 's the doctrine of the second Commandment Obser 1. The first Commandment teaching the Love of God is very often

of God for we shall be called to another reckoning 2 Cor. 5.10 Or 2. Whether the Metaphor be taken from fallacious reasoning in Logick Or 3. Whether indeed it be a Metaphor or no And not rather the most proper and truest fallacy as 't is a loss to be misreckoned so 't is a shame for a wise man to be deceived in their reasoning as sole hearers are For thus they commonly reason They that use the means and apply themselves to God's Ordinances they are God's people and shall be saved But they who hear Sermons and diligently receive the Sacrament they make use of the means and apply themselves to the Ordinances A plain fallacy à dicto secundum quid ad dictum simpliciter for these self-deceivers are willingly ignorant that not only the hearing of the word and receiving of the Sacrament which may be outwardly performed as well by an evil doer as a doer of the word are the Ordinances of God but the Commandments of God in Scripture are called God's Ordinances And so 't is true They that walk in my Statutes and keep mine Ordinances and do them they shal be my people and I will be their God saith the Lord Ezech. 11. 'T is true hearing the word and receiving the Sacrament are God's Ordinances but if we so hear and receive as to end our endeavours in hearing and receiving certainly we do no more than that which we object to the Papists only please our selves in opere operato For the end of hearing is doing and the end of the Sacrament is shewing forth the Lord's death till he come So that if we hear only and receive only we frustrate both Ordinances of the end for the end of these Ordinances are the Ordinances of God Such another fallacy is that as by much learning men become great Schollars Philosophers Physicians Lawyers and Judges so likewise good men and good Christians A fallacy non parium ut parium there is not the same reason a man may be a good Physician perhaps with hearing only though some doubt may be made of it but he will never be a good Patient by hearing only and therefore the Philosopher Ethic. 1. saith that they who are content with the knowledge of moral Philosophy without the practice are like those Patients who hear the Physicians prescripts attentively but do nothing of all they hear and as those for all their hearing are never a whit the more near the cure of their bodies so neither are those to the cure of their souls Judge in your selves Beloved should a Physician tell you of a most soveraign receipt were you ever a whit the nearer your health unless ye made use of his prescripts And what a foul shame is it for any man epecially for wise men for learned men for Schollars thus to deceive themselves thus to be over-reached in their own Profession Though they did but look into the glass of the word and away as men do and therefore our Apostle speaks not of a woman who stayes longer at the Glass but of a man yet if they discover their spots what a shame were it not to wipe them off How much more to be always hearing to be always learning yet like those foolish women the Apostle speaks of never come to the knowledge of the truth but to deceive themselves in the end to be always in speculation always beholding their natural face in the glass and like women Dum moliuntur dum comantur anni sunt To spend many years in the study of the Word and then go away from the consideration of themselves to outward things And straightway forget what manner of men they were For shame Beloved let not us who pretend learning and knowledge incurr the just imputation of folly suffer our selves so grosly to deceive our selves and that in a matter of so great consequence as this is wherein we err but once and that in the very foundation doing or not doing obedience or disobedience which tends either 1. To the everlasting Salvation Or. 2. Utter loss of our own souls An argument that for the weight and moment of it commonly goes alone as our Apostle useth it here in this Epistle Let not us suffer our selves to be deceived by the false Prophets of these latter days these Jannes and Jambres who withstand our going out of Egypt who teach rebellion against the Lord of Hosts and tell us that we cannot be doers of his Word these wizzards who bewitch us with their easie doctrine of hearing only and say we cannot obey the Truth Beloved we are men let not us be such cowards as to be discouraged by these false these lying spirits who tell us we are not able to go up against our spiritual enemies and that they are too strong for us who teach us that an idle credulity a dead a devilish faith as our Apostle calls it is enough to save us No no let us rather take St. Peters counsel add unto our faith though he saith they had faith equall to the Apostles themselves yet saith he add to your faith virtue that is prowess and courage as the Word there and elsewhere signifieth if we believe that the Word is possible add courage to our faith and be strong in it and we shall do it and add to virtue knowledge experimental and to knowledge temperance and to temperance patience That Word of the patience of Christ which enables us to endure the assaults of temptations unto evil and the discouragements from doing good and yield not to them That that of all the rest we have need of if we would abound in the work of the Lord if we would be fruitful in every good work for the most fruitful trees the trees of righteousness are most cudgelled and the most fruitful soil the best ground is most plowed and harrowed and therefore we have need of patience that having done the will of God we may inherit the promise and no doubt we shall for God who renders unto every man according to his works will render to us who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality eternal life And to all these add Prayer the Duty which names this day and week first occasioned they say by a plague and that deservedly by some who having lived soberly righteously and Godly the time of Lent and received the Sacrament at Easter then not remembring that they had bound themselves to the Lord of Heaven and Earth for ever afterward to lead a new life following the Commandments of God and walking from thenceforth in his holy wayes yea as if they had entred a Covenant with Hell and Death let loose the reins to all manner of licentiousness riot and excess I need not apply this story to our selves God avert this and the like jugements from us for I much fear we have well deserved them And let us learn of our Church to perform the duty of this day praying unto God

Angel Luke 2. What need then have we to be innocent patient perfect holy and righteous Christs righteousness is a perfect righteousness and God hath given him and he hath given himself unto us Certainly if this were all that is to be done it were a very easie thing to be a Christian but we must know that Gods giving infers our receiving But you will say That is easily done for what is more easie then to receive a gift And what gift would we receive more willingly than this Paschal Lamb that he may be ours But we must further know that neither every giving nor every receiving makes this Passover ours for as the Lawyers distinguish there is Donatio mera modalis or ob causam interpositam Donatio mera or meer gift is the transferring the Dominion of a thing without prescribing what shall be done with it or for it so that the Donatarius or he to whom it is given is free and at liberty and may do what he list God gives not his Son upon these terms 2. The Modal giving or giving for some cause is not to be understood for some cause precedent for then it were not free gift but recompense rather or requital But we cannot be before hand with God according to the Apostles challenge Who hath first given unto him and ●t shall be recompenced unto him again For of him and from him and to him are all things to whom be glory for ever Amen Rom. 11.35 36. But Gods giving for some cause is meant for some end to be obtained in us this end the Father intends when he gives his Son God so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have the everlasting life Joh. 3. And the same end is also intended by the Son when he gives himself for the Church that he might sanctify and cleanse it by the laver of water in the word of life Eph. 5.26 Thus ye perceive that every giving will not make this Passover ours nor will every receiving make this Passover ours For to receive this Passover or Paschal Lamb is to believe on him so receiving is expounded by believing by St. John To as many a received him gave he power to become the Sons of God even to them that believe on his Name Joh. 1.12 But that 's an easie matter too for who believes not that Christ is his And indeed if every Man may be his own Judge it is a harder matter to find an unbeliever than a believer one who hath not this Passover or Paschal Lamb for his own than one that hath it But every belief makes not this Passover ours for the Devils believe saith St. James and tremble because this Passover is not theirs Nay this belief alone was not sufficient for the holy Apostles themselves to make this Passover theirs for therefore St. Peter exhorts the believers such as were partakers of the same holy Faith with the holy Apostles themselves to add unto their faith virtue and to virtue knowledge and to knowledge temperance and to temperance patience and to patience godliness and to godliness brotherly kindness and to brotherly love Charity Wherefore the rather since we may have a false perswasion that Christ is ours when he is not let us give all diligence to make our calling and election sure and so much the rather let us be exhorted in the fear of God to make sure of this Passover that it is truly ours If any of our Temporal estates be called in question what Right and Title we have to what we have Oh how careful we are to make good our Tenure yea so careful we are that we scarce sleep quietly till we make all sure Are we so anxious for the assurance of a temporal estate which we may either be deceived of by fraud or may be wrested from us by violence an estate that can endure with us no longer than for our life which as St. James saith is but a vapour and shall we not much more make sure of our Eternal Inheritance our Right and Title to this Paschal Lamb to make it sure unto us It 's a terrible speech that which St. Paul hath 2 Cor. 13. Know ye not that Jesus Christ is in you except ye be reprobates I I that 's the surest way of having Christ to have him in us and unless we have him so we are Reprobates and Christ is not our Passover But would we be assured that Christ is ours indeed then let us be his indeed My beloved is mine saith the Lambs Wife of the Lamb Cant. 2.16 how doth that appear she adds and I am his And if we can truly say that the Lamb is ours as truly and by the law of Relatives we must say that we are his as in Unity and Love so also in likeness for Amor transformat amantem in rem amatam the love of the lover makes him like the party loved wherefore as the Lamb is innocent so must we be 1 Cor. 18. as he is patient so must we be also 1 Pet. 2.20 as he was perfect so must we be also Luk. 6.40 as he is strong against sin so we also 2 Tim. 2.1 as the Lamb is holy so is the Lambs Wife also Apoc. 19.10 and in a word such as the Lamb is such also must we be shewing forth the Virtues of him who hath called us out of darkness into his marvellous light 1 Pet. 2.9 Now try thy self therefore by these signs and marks of the Lord Jesus whether he be thine and thou his or no for if thou be mischievous and hurtful if impatient and furious if unholy and unclean the Swine the Serpent the Dragon the Lion the Bear and the Wolf may be thine the Lamb is not thine unless it be to tear him to devour him to crucifie him anew If any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his and if Christ be in us the body is dead because of sin and the Spirit is life by reason of righteousness And if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in us he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken our mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in us Rom. 8.9 10 11. But to the end that no man might be deceived but know infallibly whose he is he speaks it painly Gal. 5.19 c. The works of the flesh are manifest which are these adultery fornication uncleanness lasciviousness c. But the fruit of the spirit of Christ is love joy peace long-suffering gentleness goodness c. It may be these signs have discovered some man unto himself at least that this Paschal Lamb belongs not to him or at least he is not so sure of it as he seemed to be before 3. Christ our Passover is killed for us or sacrificed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth both 1. It was kill'd till they had a Temple and Tabernacle Deut.

exhorted to let these old things pass away to put off these old rags that we may be new clad that all may become new in us The Motives to enforce this duty might be many I shall name only such as I conceive most forcible and they are these 1. Our Love to the New Christian life 2. Our desire of increase of knowledge 3. Our desire of assurance of Faith 4. Our hope of prosperous success in our affairs 1. Our Love to the new Christian life which if we truly love we will hate and part withall things contrary thereunto Cleombrotus having read in Plato that excellent state of the Soul separated from the body was impatient of any longer stay in the body but leaped into the Sea and drown'd himself that he might the sooner obtain that good he hoped for But Beloved we perswade not men to destroy no nor hurt themselves that they may attain unto the new the blessed life no let the Papists meagre and scourge themselves as they do in Lent But do thy self no harm saith Paul to the Jaylor that would have slain himself Act. 16. That we may obtain this new life we must not part with our natural but our old our sinful life 'T is like the casting out of the unclean Devil The Devil threw the man down that was possessed but hurt him not saith St. Luk 4. And so our Apostle we are cast down saith he but not destroyed as dying and bebold we live as parting with the old life and cloathed with the new for this love of Christ who is our life constraineth us that we thus judge that if one dyed for all then were all dead and that he dyed for all that they who live should not henceforth live unto themselves but unto him who dyed and rose again 2 Cor. 5.14 15. As therefore we love the new Life let us dye unto the old That 's the first 2. As we desire increase of knowledge for indeed there is no true understanding of Divine Truth unless first we suffer these old things to pass away So Daniel confesseth Dan. 4.13 We made not our prayer before the Lord our God that we might turn from our iniquities and understand thy truth confer Rom. 12.2 Psal 53.4 3. As we desire assurance of Faith For if we believe that we shall live with Christ we must first believe that we must dye with him Thus our Apostle Rom. 6.8 If we be dead with Christ we believe also that we shall live with him and Chap. 8. of that Epistle vers 13. If we by the Spirit do mortifie the deeds of the body we shall live And this is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a faithful saying or a saying of faith our precious Faith for so truly to believe will cost us our life our sinful life If we dye with him we shall also live with him we shall also reign with him 2 Tim. 2.11 12. 4. As we hope to perform any duty with Gods acceptance as we hope to obtain any new Grace and Mercy of God First go and be reconciled to thy brother first do away the old hatred as the Prophet calls it and then come and offer thy gift Matth. 5.24 First pluck out the beam out of thine own eye and then thou shalt see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brothers eye Matth. 7.5 No hope of new Mercy otherwise First we must forgive them that trespass against us and then we may hope that God will forgive us our trespasses No hope otherwise of any blessing from God upon our designs When the Israelites were smitten before the men of Ai and Josuah enquired of the Lord what the reason might be The Lord answers him Jos 7.13 There is an accursed thing in the midst of thee Thou canst not stand before thine enemies until ye take away the accursed thing from among you The Lords answer is as true if applyed to any one of us When we would enquire of the Lord what the cause might be that we want good success in our affairs when God blesseth not our endeavours in any kind we need not look for a Reason without us There is an accursed old thing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the midst of thee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in you So LXX here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in your hearts your minds your spirits your thoughts So the LXX often render that word 'Till that accursed old thing whatever it is and whatever that is every one of us best knows for every one knows the plague of his own heart saith Solomon 1 King 8.38 till that accursed old thing be taken away from the midst of thee hope not for any blessing upon any thine affairs or designs hope not for any mercy hope not that any thing will become new in thee But 2. When these old things shall be passed away then behold all things shall become new That 's the second Point which I shall soon finish and so end this Text. 1. When the Ceremonial old things shall pass away Behold all things shall become new This as befits the Word of God hath two edges and strikes at two extreams 1. It reproves those who please themselves extreamly that they have no Ceremonies and yet they have no new thing that 's better neither Spirit nor Truth nor Life they thank God that they are not superstitious when they dishonour God in that they are hypocritical or prophane I hope it is not the condition of any one of us 2. Others it reproves who dote upon the old Ceremonial shadows in the new clear day of the Gospel yea who esteem them above the Truth it self it is the fault not only of those who are popishly affected but of some in all Sects I shall tell you a plain and homely but a very fit similitude A Nut is cracked and the shells fly one piece one way another another every one pretends to look after the kernel and one leads his followers this way another that way one saith here it is another there it is one saith lo here is Christ another saith lo there one saith he is in this Congregation another saith no he is in that and why here and why there and why there and not here Oh because here one sits while another stands there there one kneels while another sits here O Beloved in the Lord what are these but meer shells and no better is there more self-denial here than there is there more meekness more gentleness more faith more virtue more knowledge more temperance is there more patience here than there Is there more godliness is there more brotherly kindness is there more charity is there more mercy is there more long-suffering is there more righteousness is there more holiness is there more obedience c These these and such as these are the new things these are the kernel and these lie still in the midst and are neglected and few regard them but run after the shells and husks

effect of Righteousness is quietness and assurance for ever Esa 32. And my joy shall no man take from you Joh. 16. Will you see these altogether ye have them Esa 66. where the Prophet hath spoken of the same forming and birth of Christ vers 7 8 9. presently annexeth the peace and the joy of it vers 10 11 12. Will ye see a brief discription of it It is Rom. 14.17 The kingdom of God is righteousness peace and joy And thus at length ye have heard wherein consists the forming of Christ in the Saints both according to youth and according to old age I will briefly name the causes of this forming and fashioning of Christ in the Saints and so end with application of all unto our selves The causes are considerable in regard of God and our selves 1. In respect of God as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 say some Divines but rather as faciamus hominem import that the whole Trinity was imployed in the making of the greater and lesser World Even so in the forming of Christ in the Saints which as the Apostle intimates was typified by the Creation of the World 2 Cor. 4.6 All the persons of the Trinity are taken up These are the Creators which the Wiseman bids us remember for the word is plural in the Original Eccles 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Remember thy Creators in the days of thy youth for according to the oeconomy and administration of these kingdoms observed by Irenaeus God the Father begets these Children Deut. 32.8 And having promised to send the Son unto them accordingly he sends him and by his Law draws them unto him Joh. 6. And thus my father worketh hitherto saith the Son unto him Joh. 5.17 Now the Son comes forth attended by these Children given and brought unto him by his Father and offering them again unto his Father saith Cyril with these words Behold I and the children which God hath given me Esa 8.18 which the Apostle quotes and applys expresly unto the Fathers bringing of Children unto the Son Heb. 2.13 And in these the Son perfects the work which his Father gave him to do Joh. 17.4 For they grow up unto him in all things from babes unto young men and so forth unto old and perfect men Eph. 4. This growth the Father and Son effect by the outward ministration of the Word and inward operation of the Spirit For as the Sun and a man beget a man as the Philosopher speaks so God and the Minister beget the form of the New Man in us whence the Minister is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gods Coworker or workman together with God and the Father also of the Saints begotten by his Ministry for as wicked men are the sons of Men and of the Devil for in so many words the sons of Eli were sons of Belial 1 Sam. 3. and our Saviour tells the ungodly Jews That he knew they were Abrahams seed Yet saith he ye are of your father the devil So on the contrary the Children of God are also Children of the Minister For St. Paul calls Onesimus Phil. 10. and Timothy his sons 1 Cor. 4.17 and saith he begat all the Corinthians through the Gospel That 's the seed whereof these Children are begotten for they are not born again of corruptible seed but of incorruptible by the word of God which liveth and abideth for ever This holy Seed is enlivened and quickned by the inward operation of the Spirit of God Zach. 4.6 which moves upon the Seed in this New Creation and forming of Christ in us as it once moved upon the confused seed of the world in the Old Creation And like that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that formative power in the womb it forms and fashions Christ in these little Children And as in the forming of an Embryo in the Womb the first form is first abolished and then another introduced And as we put out of the wax the old impression of the seal before we seal it anew So also in the forming of Christ in these Children the precedent form is wrought out and they wrought unto an inconformity with the world Rom. 12.2 And as obedient children they do not form or fashion themselves according to the former lusts in their ignorance 1 Pet. 1.14 And as he is holy which calleth them So are they holy also in all manner of conversation 1 Pet. 1.15 These are the causes of this information of this forming of Christ in us in respect of God The causes in respect of the Saints themselves are Faith in Christ and imitation of Christ 1. Faith in Christ is so necessary to the forming of him in the Saints that these two phrases the Saints to be in the Faith and Christ to be in the Saints are taken for one and the same Examine your selves whether ye be in the Faith prove your own selves know ye not that Jesus Christ is in you except ye be reprobates 2 Cor. 13.5 2. Nor is the imitation of Christ in all his Virtues and Graces less necessary to the forming of him in us for he is the example we must follow the pattern and copy which we must take out and draw to life in us For we all behold as in a mirrour or looking-glass the glory of the Lord with open face So the most ancient authorized English Translations have it and are changed into the same similitude or image from glory to glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord 2 Cor. 3.18 Nay Beloved This imitation of Christ is of such absolute necessity that all the Faith in the world which worthily we highly prize yet all of it without the following of Christ in love and other graces it 's meerly vain and to no purpose Insomuch as he that could remove the highest mountains of his sins yet grew not up in Charity he is nothing 1 Cor. 13. Nay which may seem strange he that hath obtained like precious Faith with the Apostles themselves if he grow not up into Christ unto a perfect man in all other virtues and graces also all his Faith is dead no more a true faith than the carcase of a man 's a man He that lacketh these things saith the Apostle 2 Pet. 1. that is virtue knowledge temperance patience godliness brotherly kindness charity he that lacks these is blind manu tentans feeling with his hand of faith after Christ like the blind Sodomites at Lots door And this St. Peter speaks to those who had obtained like precious Faith with himself and the rest of the Apostles I beseech ye consider the place well 2 Pet. 1.1.9 And that this imitation hath a necessity upon it as well medii as praecepti appears by vers 11. of that Chapter If ye do these thing ye shall never fall for so an entrance shall be ministred abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ I have done with the causes I promised you an application and I 'l be very brief

without patience 'T is true Faith leads the dance but then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 leads on the rest in their rank and order 't is St. Peters Metaphor Add unto your faith vertue and to vertue knowledge and to knowledge temperance and to temperance patience and to patience godliness and to godliness brotherly kindness and to brotherly kindness charity where 't is most observable that the Apostle directs this Exhortation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to those who had obtained equally precious faith with St. Peter himself and the rest of the Apostles And therefore Faith in Scripture is ordinarily concrete with patience and sometimes expresly joyned with it for where Faith is called a shield it 's not precisely to be understood of Faith but as it is concrete with patience whose property agrees with that of the shield as to defend and keep possession of the Soul and where St. John saith this is the victory whereby we overcome the world even our faith patience must needs be understood together with Faith For Faith in its own nature and of it self includes no such action but vincit qui patitur and where 't is said be faithful unto the death patience is involved in Faith for Faith abstractly taken imports not perseverance or pertinacious enduring Hence it is that Faith and Patience are often expresly joyned together as means necessary to Salvation for so the Saints by faith and patience inherit the promises saith the Apostle And cast not away your confidence for ye have need of patience that after ye have done the will of God ye may inherit the promise Heb. 6.12 and 10.35 36. Yea Abraham himself the Father of the faithful did not inherit the promise without patience for after he had patiently endured he obtained the promise Heb. 6.15 But lest hereby we seem to derogate from our precious Faith or intimate that Faith alone in our Churches sence saves not I beseech ye consider that a lively saving Faith hath patience and suffering with Christ for a part of the object and ground of it For if we be dead with Christ saith our Apostle we believe that we shall also live with him Rom. 6.8 And this is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a faithful saying or a word of faith that if we be dead with him we shall live with him if we suffer with him we shall reign with him 2 Tim. 2.10 Now to believe that God accepts Christ's sufferings for ours so that we need not suffer when yet he commands us to take up our Cross and suffer with him Or to believe that our old man is crucified with him when yet our conscience tells us that indeed it is not but that he is yet alive in us What is this but out of an over-weening self-love and a strong fancy to believe a lye For whether God accept Christ's sufferings for ours without ours let St. Peter judge for hereunto are ye called us because Christ also suffered for leaving us an example that we should follow his steps who did no sin nor was their guil found in his mouth who his own self bare our sins in his body on the tree that we being dead unto sin should live unto righteousness 1 Pet. 2. And whether we have followed his example or no whether we are dead with him whether our old man be crucified with him let St. Paul judge He that is dead saith he hath ceased from sin St. Austin gives us a description of him that 's so dead He is like a man saith he that lyes in his grave he detracts from no man does violence to no man oppresses no man He neither eats too much nor drinks too much he is not puffed up with pride nor vain-glory In a word such he is to sin and the temptations unto sin as a dead man is to life And are we thus dead unto sin Is our old man thus crucified crucified he is alive and a crafty deceitful old man he is Wise to do evil but to do good he knows not an old lascivious Letcher a pettish angry malicious envious covetous contentious old man Nay he is as active as malicious his feet are swift to shed blood the work of violence is in his hands he serves in the war of the members and fights against the Spirit Serves nay he is a Commander he reigns and rules in the members he hath cast down many wounded and many strong men have been slain by him Will any man living say this man is dead Are not his works manifest adultery fornication uncleanness lasciviousness idolatry witch-craft hatred variance emulations wrath strife seditions heresies envyings murders drunkenness revellings and such like without doubt this man 's not dead he is a lusty vigorous old man he is alive and like to live many a fair day if he be not put to death if he be not hang'd if he be not crucified But perhaps God accounts him as if he were dead or if he yet live yet God reputes these but as infirmities and weaknesses of the Saints Yes as if to be dead unto sin were only to be thought so and to be baptized into Christ's death were only to have our sins called by a new name as weaknesses or frailties which were deadly sins before we imagined they were crucified By this means we shall have wicked mens couzenage murder drunkenness and adultery and the Saints couzenage their murder their adultery their drunkenness the same only fancied otherwise new christened and called by another name and many like prodigious unheard of distinctions of sins O Beloved I beseech ye Let us not be deceived for God is not he cannot be deceived he always accounts sin sin He never accounts a covetous man liberal nor a drunkard sober nor a letcher chaste nor an angry man patient He judgeth righteous judgement Shall I account them pure with the wicked ballances and with the bag of deceitful weights saith the Lord Mich. 6.11 No this is the time foretold by the Prophet Esay when the vile person shall be no more called liberal nor the churl bountiful But the liberal deviseth liberal things and by liberal things shall he stand Esay 32.8 For if we be crucified with Christ we bring forth fruit worthy of amendment of life Joh. 12.24 as our Saviour speaks of himself under a parable of a grain of wheat If it dye saith he it brings forth much fruit And if we be dead unto sin we also have our fruit unto holiness saith our Apostle Rom. 6. and the good ground brings forth fruit with patience such fruit as St. Paul requires of those who had mortified and crucified the old man Bowels of mercy kindness humbleness of mind meekness long-suffering forbearing one another and forgiving one another Col. 3.5.13 And so we pray for Infants being Baptized into Christ's death that all carnal affections being dead in them all things belonging to the Spirit may live and grow in them And do these fruits of the Spirit these spiritual

Thus Enoch walked with God Gen. 5.22 so 't is in the Hebrew But the LXX turn it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he pleased God And the Apostle Hebr. 11.5 Enoch before his Translation had this Testimony 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that he pleased God Noah 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he walked with God Gen. 6.9 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he pleased God saith the LXX So whereas we have in our latter Translation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will walk before God Psal 116.9 the LXX turn it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will walk pleasingly before the Lord in the Land of the living 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 walk before me saith God to Abraham Gen. 13.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 please me so the LXX the like ye have Gen. 24.40 and 48.15 beside other the like places The issue of all which is that to walk in Gods way and to please him are one and the same thing And yet there is somewhat more implyed in this kind of walking wherever the word is taken in this sence 't is in the reciprocal form and includes a reflex act 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yea and this word of many other in this form is frequentative which imports a frequent and continual walking in holiness and righteousness and so pleasing God and our reflex and reciprocal delight contentment complacency and pleasing of our selves in the continual walking and pleasing God Such is that word of Promise Gen. 22.18 In thy Seed all Nations 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall be blessed or shall bless themselves A most happy reflexion and reciprocation wheresoever it is found Man blessed of God and blessing himself that he is blessed of God Man walking with his God and pleasing him Man delighting and pleasing himself that he walks with his God and pleaseth him 3. So that it 's no marvel that where these meet that there should be abounding more and more that 's the third and last word to be explained they are all one indeed and the same thing the Apostle in the Text plainly speaks as much Ye have received of us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the manner how ye ought to walk and to please God and how 's that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that ye abound more and more and indeed the nature of walking implyes as much it being a progressive and continued motion And it will yet more plainly appear if we shall consider the object store and plenty and fulness of that wherein one may be said to abound and the subject confirmed and rooted in that fulness which is called radicatio in subjecto and the increase both in the kinds and degrees of it which they call intention and the perseverance and continuance in that growth with a fulness of will earnestness confidence resolution chearfulness and endeavour All these are comprehended in the notion of abounding and thus to abound is nothing else but to walk and please God For 1. As concerning the object the store fulness and plenty wherein we ought to abound it is no other than the very same way wherein we ought to walk and that 's Christ himself in whom all fulness dwells abundance of Grace exceeding riches of Gods Grace fulness of Grace and Truth And wherein ought we to abound but in all goodness and mercy in righteousness and holiness in truth in peace in faith in virtue in knowledge in temperance in patience in godliness in brotherly kindness in love in the whole Christian life Ephes 5. 2 Pet. 1. And what are all these but the way wherein we ought to walk what else but Christ himself the way the truth and the life 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the goodness and mercy of God the righteousness and holiness the life the peace the virtue or strength and power of God And what is our abounding increase and growth in all these Graces but our continual walking progress and going on in this most excellent way in all kinds of virtues and virtuous actions adding unto our faith virtue and to virtue knowledge and to knowledge temperance and to temperance patience and to patience godliness and to godliness brotherly kindness and to brotherly kindness charity 2 Pet. 1. Our continual progress in all degrees of every Grace and Virtue our growing in Grace from grace to grace from virtue unto virtue from strength to strength our abounding in every Grace and Virtue and every degree of every Grace and Virtue more and more And thus to walk thus to abound more is to please God and therefore the Apostle puts them all together as here so 1 Cor. 15.58 My beloved brethren be stedfast unmoveable alwayes abounding in every good work of the Lord so many Translations have it as knowing that your labour is not in vain in the Lord and so he prays for the Colossians That they might be filled with the knowledge of Gods will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding that they might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing being fruitfull in every good work and increasing or abounding in the knowledge of God strengthened with all might according to his glorious power unto all patience and long-suffering with joyfulness There 's 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 full when we so walk and abound more and more in pleasing God and so rejoyce and please and delight our selves in so walking and abounding and pleasing God Nor will it be curiosity or presumption as some conceive to inquire into the reason why walking and abounding more and more pleaseth God if we seek not the reason without God himself When God is said to be pleased it refers to somewhat of God in the object pleasing otherwise either 1. God should not be the only good or 2. Not pleased only with that which is good And because there are degrees of good there must likewise be degrees of pleasing God for if that which is good because good pleaseth God that which is better and abounds in goodness is better pleasing and that which is best of all pleaseth God best of all according to the Rule Vt se habet simpliciter ad simpliciter ita magìs and magìs maximè ad maximé Seeing therefore the Graces and Virtues of God wherein the Saints walk and abound are far better than the very best of all Gods Creatures for they by how much the more they are worn by so much the more they waste and consume away Whereas the Graces and Virtues of God are of a far better mold so that by how much the more they are used by so much the more they increase and abound more and more An Argument of their Divine Nature for such they are 2 Pet. 1. and therefore worthy of God as the Apostle speaks Coloss 1. Hence it is that God is so well pleased with them as with his own nature and natural Image and as he saith of his own essential Image in whom the fulness and abundance of the God head dwells bodily Coloss 2. That in him he is

Duration of it not for one bout or two or a dayes continuance but many dayes forty dayes long Luke 4.2 It concerns us all nor ought we to be idle Spectatours or lookers on nor such as are only hearers how each Combatant performs his part or what the event of this Duelis We all are Seconds and engaged every one in this Combate and all of us follow the one or the other Combatant 'T is not Michael alone with the Devil alone but Michael and his Angels with the Devil and his Angels Apoc. 12. Nor was the Contention between David and Saul alone but there was long War between the House of Saul and the House of David These are inward things Beloved The flesh against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh and these contrary one to the other Gal. 5.17 He is stronger which is in us than he that is in the World God grant the issue be no worse with us than it was with the two Combatants It is foretold in the Type That David's house waxed stronger and stronger and the house of Saul waxed weaker and weaker 2 Sam. 3.1 That walking in the spirit we may not fulfil the works of the flesh Gal. 5.16 The end the Assailant hath in his temptation is to discover the Son of God and he assaies to effect it by three encounters for as all men know there are three distinct Ages of men according to the flesh Childhood Youth and Old Age So all men know who have their senses exercised in the word of God that there are three distinct measures degrees or Ages of Christ according to the Spirit from Infancy to Youth and from Youth to perfect Age even thus then when he was but a Child according to the flesh So saith St. Ambrose of him Et in pueritia est quaedam venerabilis morum Senectus observable in Luke 2.40 1. The Child Jesus that 's his first Age. 2. He grew and waxed strong that 's the second 3. And the third is He was filled with Wisdom and the Grace of God was upon him and v. 52. The Child Jesus encreased in Wisdom and Stature or Youth so the word there used 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth and in favour with God and man Ye have the same three Ages of Christ distinguished by St. Paul 2 Cor. 13.4 and Ephes 4.13 Now if ye observe Satans three encounters contained in the Gospel for this Day ye shall find that he fits them according to these three Ages of Christ in the Spirit undertaken for our example for so the subtil Tempter frames his Suggestions according to the tempers inclinations and ages of those whom he tempts For 1. Whereas a Child is so given to appetite that for something to eat he will part with any thing else and therefore the vertue of that Age is temperance saith the Philosopher Hence it was that he tempted Christ as a Child with bread 2. And because youth is rash and overforward to undertake heady enterprizes and therefore the vertue of that Age is Fortitude a vertue confining boldness within the bounds of Reason Hence it is that he tempted Christ as a young man with precipitation or casting himself down headlong Matth. 4.5 6 7. 3. And whereas quo minus viae eo plus viatici the less remains of the way the more need of support and stay An old man commonly covets so much the more by how much he needs the less and since that Age is most suspicious and impatient of contempt and slighting whose prime vertue is Autarchy or contentation Satan tempted Christ as an old man with all the Kingdoms of the World and the Glory of them Matth. 4.8 9 10. In my Text our Saviour wards the first temptation wherein the Assailant attempts him with this weapon If thou be the Son of God then canst thou turn stones into bread Thus he argued like himself tentativè to elicite and try an answer from him whether he could discover him yea or no But our Saviour easily avoided the dint of this weapon and discovered the fallacy of the Tempter for God hath more wayes than the ordinary way of sustentation or sustaining men by bread only Whereas Satan intimated he had not but our Lord proves it by divine testimony and a like example of the Israelites whom God sustained forty years without the ordinary sustenance of bread Deut. 8.3 And this answer of our Lord contains these three Points of Doctrine 1. Man doth not live by bread only 2. Man lives by every word proceeding out of the mouth of God 3. Man lives not by bread only but c. By man in all these he means himself as well as others Which in Scripture is twofold The outward and The inward man 1. The outward man is that substance which as Athanasius in his Creed defines it subsists of a reasonable Soul and humane flesh 2. The inward man is the Spirit added unto these two by St. Paul answerable to this outward and inward man there is an outward and bodily and an inward and spiritual life 1. The outward and bodily life ariseth from the Union of the reasonable Soul and humane flesh 2. The inward and spiritual life proceeds from the union of the Soul and Spirit with God Both these lives require a proportionable food and sustenance agreeing to the twofold life of the inward and outward man Whereas the whole World is divided into Heaven and Earth so Bread into heavenly and earthly corporal and spiritual bread 1. The food and sustenance of the outward life is the earthly bread which is either 1. Properly and strictly or else And both comprehended under the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the LXX turn 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word in my Text. 2. More largely taken And both comprehended under the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the LXX turn 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word in my Text. 1. Bread properly and strictly taken is made of Wheat or some other Grain or Grains and opposed to all other kind of nourishment 2. Which in a large sence in Scripture is called by the name of bread And the first Point is true in both sences that man lives not by bread only which yet virtually contains in it these two Truths 1. That a man lives a kind of life by bread 2. That yet he lives not by bread only If we take bread properly and that especially which is made of Wheat which most commonly the Scripture commends unto us it was produced in the first Creation and continued by multiplication unto this present day whereinto God hath infused no small power and virtue for the sustenance of life Whence it is that it is so highly esteemed among all Nations of the World and preferred before other things which otherwise seem to be more precious as Gold Jewels and precious Stones And that both 1. In regard of Multiplication Gold and precious Stones continuing the same without encrease Whereas this Grain may

blinds them they have upon them a veil of ignorance and unbelief When Saul was converted there fell scales from his eyes 4. Their sin is so great in persecuting c. that the Lord knows they cannot conquer their enmity by any offices of love and well doing therefore they have need to pray for God's help that 's the last remedy it may do it sana anchora 5. There may be hope of their persecutors themselves Obser 1. The same Precept which the second Answer distinguisheth Blessing is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 benedicere to speak good words to them praying Notes intercession for them against evil especially that the sin be not laid to their charge if done ignorantly Luke 23.34 Acts 7. Obser 2. There are degrees of Graces and increase of them in Christ's Disciples 3. There are degrees and increase of enmity in the Disciples enemies as 1. want of Love 2. Dislike 3. Emulation 4. Envy 5. and lesser Enmity and Disaffection 6. a full Hatred 7. an Hatred that can be no longer concealed breaks out into acts of deceit 4. As the Graces of the Disciples increase so doth the enmity of their enemies increase 5. As these degrees of enmity increase so must our Love increase in loving them blessing them doing them good praying for them 6. Pray for them that pray against you that curse you Our Lord did so Father forgive them Luk. 23.34 Stephen did so Lay not this sin to their charge Acts 7.60 And why should not we do so Thou art good and doest good That 's our method 1. to be Good 2. then to do Good Obser 2. Vertue Piety Goodness in the Disciples may be persecuted See Notes on Mat. 5.10 Obser 3. How far it 's possible men may swerve c. ibidem Obser 4. Our Lord neither by Precept nor Example commends unto us opposition or revenge c. Obser 5. The eminent estate of a true Disciple of Christ On an high hill men may see the clouds rack-below He who is on the hill of the Lord he sees all the jars and differences among men Obser 6. Here is some hope left even for those who persecute and despightfully use the Disciples of Christ yea Christ himself as he himself interprets their actions Acts 9. The Lord would have them prayed for and that by those whose prayers he will hear and grant even the Disciples of Christ The Prayer of a righteous man availes much Even they who have been the betrayers and murtherers of Christ himself they have been saved by Christ's Prayer for them Luke 23.34 Yea Paul who calls himself the chief of sinners 1 Tim. 1. and God shewed mercy to him and he shews the reason that in him Christ shewed all patience that he might be a pattern to those who should believe in him to life everlasting for so men may reason à pari nay à majori if so great a sinner yea a persecuter of Christ and Christians yet found mercy with God why may not I As a Physician in an house where many lie sick undertakes one who is the most desperately sick of all the rest and cures him all the rest will hope well every one of his own condition that he is curable This word is spoken to thee whoever thou art who hast persecuted the way of God and those who walk in it even to the death who hast mis-giving and despairing thoughts of thy self The Lord hath sent his Word the Great Physitian who hath cured him who was in a worse condition than thou art in This is no doctrine of security to lul men asleep in their sins The Lord requires his fear in such and turning unto him Ye have done all this wickedness saith Samuel yet turn not aside from following the Lord withal your heart 1 Sam. 12.20 Fear the Name of the Lord and depart from evil So will the Lord send the Son of Righteousness who shall arise upon those who fear his name Mal. 4.1 2. Pray for them that persecute you It is our Lord's Precept and no other than what he himself practised he loved and prayed for his enemies he is merciful and gracious yea the Love and Mercy of the Father it self Christ sheweth and requires more Mercy than the Righteousness of God strictly taken doth The Gospel both shews and requires more Mercy and Grace than the Law The Spirit of Christ wherewith the Saints are acted must needs be a merciful spirit a loving spirit towards all men towards the worst of men When our Lord and Master requires such hard duty of us so contrary to corrupt nature so much above man's reason and that with such confidence it 's evident that the obedience unto those hard precepts will be requited in the effect and issue of it which is to be like unto God himself who is the chief good whose aim it is to render us like unto himself O let that come to pass to every one of our souls God is our Father in Heaven 1. By Creation Adam was the Son of God Luke 3. 2. By Providence in two principal Acts 1. Conservation 2. Gubernation 3. By Regeneration In Heaven not only in this outward and visible body and so the Heaven of Heavens cannot contain him He is in all his Holy Angels and Saints all his heavenly minded ones in him we live and move and have our being God is in you of a truth God himself is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heaven so the Heavens rule What reason can be given either for his Habitation or Fatherhood but only the counsel of his own will according to which he begat us James 1. Obser 1. Therefore Heaven is the first object of Divine Faith it 's a known Rule in the Schools A tertio adjecto ad secundum valet consequentia if our God and Father be in Heaven therefore he is Heb. 11.6 He that comes unto God must believe that he is Love our Enemies This is the brief summ of all the Commandments Sometime we read them many as Affirmative 248 Negative 365. Essay These all abridged to ten c. Obser 2. We have all one Father one God who hath made us all Mal. 2.10 So he teacheth us to pray Our Father which art in heaven Obser 3. A reason for that short Prayer God is in heaven thou art on earth therefore let thy words be few the Chald. Paraph. explains it When thou prayest let thy words be few Eccles 5.1 2. Obser 4. This infers all dependance Faith Hope Love all Faith and Hope in him all Honour A Son honoureth his Father Mal. 1. Prayer ought to be made unto him which is interpretatio spei It 's a ground of brotherly love Means Do we believe this Then add unto your Faith Vertue Dehort Call no man Father upon earth Mat. 23.9 Are we exempted then from honour to our Natural Parents No nor from honour to our Spiritual Fathers who have begotten us unto God as Paul was the Father of the Corinthians 1 Cor.

How many were there of these all Luk. 14.25 There were great multitudes with him and he turned and said unto them If any man come to me and hate not his Father and Mother c. The business is of greatest weight and concern'd all and so when he was now to put an end unto the Legal Ceremonial services he calls all to him and tells them what that worship is wherewithal God is pleased and what that is which renders us unclean in the sight of God not a dead carcase of man or beast not eating with washed or unwashen hands not any thing without the man defiles the man but evil thoughts murders adulteries fornications thefts false witnessings and blasphemies these things come from within from the heart and these defile the man Of this sometime our Lord gives hints even in the Law and Prophets Deut. 10.16 Circumcise the foreskin of your hearts rent your hearts and not your garmentt The uncleanness of the Old Law was manifold and easily contracted as by leprosie an issue or by touching any of these these therefore the Jews oftentimes were tainted withal yet without sin Our Lord himself touched the Bier whereon the young man lay who was carried forth to be buried wherefore when David came to Abimelech the Priest 1 Sam. 21. and asked for something to eat he saith he hath nothing but the shew-bread which was lawful for none to eat but for the Priests yet Abimelech gives it to David and those who were with him only with this condition if the young men be clean especially from women Other pollutions defiled the body but Abimelech well knew they were only Ceremonial but wantonness lasciviousness youthful lusts defile the Spirit Soul and Body Obser 5. Hence we learn what the nature of sin is filthiness and uncleanness See Notes on Jam. 1.21 Obser 6. With this filthiness or defilement our whole nature is polluted Obser 7. What manner of people the Saints of God are See Notes as above Consol Alas I am unclean unclean evil thoughts murders adulteries fornications false witnessings proceed from my heart and what a world of wickedness have they left behind them Mine iniquity hath found me out When the Leper was all over white then the Priest must pronounce him clean Levit. 13.12 13. But if the raw flesh appear in him he is unclean If we judge our selves we shall not be judged of the Lord 1 Cor. 11.31 If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all our unrighteousness 1 Joh. 1.9 But if any raw flesh Hebr. any living flesh appear if we seek for life in our sinful nature by the works of the Law we are then unclean Then the Priest Christ looking on us will pronounce us unclean then in thy sight saith holy David No flesh living shall be justified But the sinful soul complains alas who shall deliver me from this body of death surely where-ever there is such sense of the spiritual burden there must needs be life if a dead carcase of a beast fall into a fountain of water it makes not the fountain unclean no it may be clean saith the Law Levit. 11.36 And the reason in nature is because the living fountain works out the uncleanness There is a promise made to the house of David Zach. 13.1 if therefore that fountain of life be opened in thee it will work out all uncleanness O but alas my sins are as the Aethiopians skin and Leopards spots I am habituated unto them they are even natural unto me See Jer. 13.23 and v. last Exhort To lay aside all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness it 's the Exhortation which ye read James 1. The word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which though of general use yet more properly signifieth the putting off of Garments even the corrupt old Garment Eph. 4. Joshua was cloathed with filthy Garments Zach. 3.3 4. Esay 6. The Angel took away the Prophets uncleanness Exhort Put on the New Garment even the Lord Jesus Christ Take heed that we foul not our Garments when a man hath a new Garment he is very careful and wary lest he soyle it lest he lay it where it may take dust but if once it hath been stained and soiled men then become careless where they lay it O beloved here is the great danger if we are cleansed from our sin and have put on the robe of Righteousness let us then take heed Rev. 3.4 and 16.15 Heb. 10.27 28 29. As the uniting of the heart unto what is evil by consenting thereunto makes the heart common and one with that which is evil and unclean and contracts pollution from it Even so the uniting of the heart unto that which is good by consenting thereunto renders the heart one with that which is good and draws purity and vertue from it Exhort And therefore touch no unclean thing and I will receive you and ye shall be my Sons and Daughters saith the Lord Almighty NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS UPON MATTHEW XVI 17. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Blessed art thou Simon Bar-Jona for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee but my Father which is in Heaven THese words are part of the Gospel appointed by the Church to be read this day and the fittest I could chuse for the Celebration of this Feast wherein we give most high praise and hearty thanks unto the Almighty and Everlasting God for the wonderful Grace and Vertue and the many excellent gifts declared in St. Peter and pray unto God that he will mercifully grant us Grace to follow the Example of his stedfastness in Faith and keeping Gods holy Commandments whose memory we recount unto the glory of God who hath given such gifts unto men and congratulate his bliss and happiness according to the custom of the Ancient Church which hath been wont to solemnize the names and memories of the Saints grounded upon that of the Wise man which the Jews use proverbially The memory of the Righteous shall be blessed Thus Moses beloved of God and Men his memory is in high praise saith the Son of Syrach Thus the Jews blessed Mordecai and blessed Esther and the Mother of our Lord foretold That all Generations should call her blessed and generally the voice from heaven pronounceth all those blessed who die in the Lord. Thus might we bless the memory of St. Peter and be bold to make use of this Text by way of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Blessed art thou Simon Bar-jona But the words in reference to those immediately before the Text are a blessing in requital of a blessing a confession answering a confession and a promise to build his Church upon what St. Peter had confessed St. Peter had made a glorious confession of our Lord and our Lord in the Text vouchsafes a gracious confession of St. Peter St. Peter gave a testimony of his Faith touching Christs Divinity Thou art the Son of the Living God And Christ gives

and do good Hence is that of Hesiod 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and in the Greek Proverb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 One man is said to be a God unto another when he imitates God in doing good Sic me servavit Apollo Deus nobis haec otia fecit Now because good and goodness is the object of God and to do good is the property of God Surely God himself for this reason must needs be lovely and be loved of us 3. Lovely because God lovely also because thy God for howsover it be true that virtus laudatur in hoste Virtue and goodness is laudable and lovely even in an enemy even those whom we have known by report to be good they kindle in our hearts the love of them how much more then when known to be our God good and good to us doubles the affection God and goodness they are in a sort reciprocal but much more strengthened by relation unto us Cant. 2.16 My Beloved is mine his death his resurrection his ascension saith the Spouse and this love of Christ constraineth us That if one died then all were dead that we that live should not live unto our selves My Beloved is so mine and I am his his by conforming unto his death Ezech. 16.8 4. In regard of Israel the true Church of God which is born of God and taken out of Jesus Christ as the true Eve out of the true Adam Ephes 5.30 We are members of his body of his flesh and of his bones That aurae divinae particula that portion of divine life in us affects and earnestly desires union with the whole whence it was taken it looks back to the Rock out of which it was hewn Thy desire shall be unto him it is mystically to be understood of Christ and his Church Ephes 5. There is a frequent groaning and sighing in pious Souls they know not for what which indeed proceeds from what is of God in us which longs for intire union with the God of Life which the Psalmist more fully expresseth My Soul is athirst for God therefore David cryes Wo is me that I am constrained to dwell with Mesech Thy God the Lord speaks to us all who ever are his Israel as to one man See Notes in Exod. 20.1 The Lord hath a right and interest in his people the Lord thy God that is the Being of all Beings past present to come Exod. 3. Rev. 1. whereby God Israel hath advantage of all the world All Nations worship one Creature or other for their God Israel owns the whole Deity We are not our own Note here an evident sign of our great Apostasie from our God were there otherwise any need of a Commandment to love the Lord our God Surely what is good is lovely because it 's good and what is better is more lovely because it 's better and what is best of all is most lovely because it 's best of all Repreh This reproves us of our envy one against another and that most unreasonable for the love of our God like that which was between the Jews and the Samaritans so envious we are one against another that we will not allow one another to love the same God to hear the same Word to partake of the same Ministry to receive the Sacrament and so spend our vapour and spin out our short thred of life in being hateful and hating one another biting and devouring one another Did not old Jacob foretell that the people should be gathered together unto Jesus Christ Gen. 49.10 Vnto him shall the gathering of the people be Doth not the Prophet Esay tell us That the Lord will have mercy upon Jacob and will yet choose Israel and set them in their own Land and the strangers shall be joyned with them and they shall cleave to the house of Jacob and the people shall take them and bring them to their place Esay 14.1 2. what is their place what else but their God so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth a Place is one of the Names of God and they give for reason because every place is full of his Glory And 2. He himself is locus mundi the place of the world Exod. 33.21 3. Where ever the Saints of God are he is with them Exod. 20.24 In every place where I shall come and set my name I will come to thee Where two or three are gathered together in my Name I will be with them This is the place whither every one of us ought to come whither we ought to bring one another Lord thou hast been our dwelling place c. Psal 90. our Temple our Tabernacle our House Jer. 23.3 Doth not the Lord promise I will gather together the remnant of my flock out of all Countries whither I have driven them and I will bring them to their folds The fold is the Divine Nature it self Joh. 10. Doth not the Lord himself say expresly When I am lifted up I will draw all men unto me Joh. 12.32 and this he spake concerning his death signifying what death he should die The love of Christ constraineth us 2 Cor. 5.14 15. Doth not the same Apostle conjure the Thessalonians by the same reason 2 Thess 2.1 So zealous were they in their love to God and Jesus Christ for the promoting of it in all men Tros Tyriúsque Jew Gentile Circumcision or uncircumcision And shall we envy one another that which we ought to promote and further and advance one in another The Divine Nature and means of Grace and growing in the love of our God is not like these outward things which one alone can enjoy and if one do another cannot as money and a garment c. but only one man can be made rich by a summ of money nor more than one man covered with one garment nor more than one man fed with one mans portion of meat But God may be mine and his There are branches of the same tree which grow out of opposite sides of the stock yet are all of the same tree Envyest thou for my sake saith Moses would God all the people were Prophets Numb 11.20 Would God not only thou but all that hear me this day were both almost and altogether such as I am Act. 26.29 The elder Son Luk. 15.28 was pettish angry and envious at his younger Brother because he was returned to the love of his Father but his Father reproved him for it So was Jonah 4.1 but the Lord also reproves him When we have gotten or think we have gotten the start of others in Gods love and obedience we are prone to envy others who begin to be turned unto God and directed unto his love Peter having made a glorious profession of his love to Jesus Christ asks and what shall this man do Joh. 21.21 Our Lord checks his curiosity If I will saith he that he tarry till I come what is that to thee follow thou me Dost thou envy at Johns love of Jesus Christ at

and Evil Teachers since he enjoyns the dictates and doctrines even of the Scribes and Pharisees Hypocrites to be observed and done and what greater observance and obedience can be given to the doctrine of the best Teachers I Answer Our Lord Jesus commands not the Scribes and Pharisees to teach the Law or to sit in Moses's Chair the Lord commands the Multitude and the Disciples to observe and do what they bid them observe For There is a great difference between those whom our Lord authorizeth to teach and those who set up themselves for Teachers those who are authorized by our Lord to teach are chosen Vessels such are the Scribes taught to the Kingdom of God who are taught by God what they teach the people But to the wicked saith God why dost thou teach my Law or take my Covenant within thy mouth Psal 50. The Lord expostulates with wicked Teachers for usurping the Chair of Moses and teaching the Law which he did not authorize them to do They whom the Lord sends to Teach He himself furnisheth and prevents with Grace as the Word of God is said to come to the Prophets Joh. 10.35 which is the Day-star 2 Pet. 1.19 which false Teachers want and for that they speak not according to the Word because no Morning-light is in them Esay 8.20 2. They whom the Lord sends to teach they seek not their own Honour but the Honour of him that sends them Joh. 7.18 Doubt 2. The Lord Jesus seems to make do difference between his own Disciples and the Multitude He commands both to hear and obey the Doctrine of the Scribes and Pharisees The Law of God is a common Lesson to be learned by all good and bad those within and those without the Church as well the Multitude as the Disciples But is there no difference Yes no doubt Quicquid recipitur recipitur ad modum recipientis and therefore according to the different dispositions of the Multitudes and of the Disciples they learn different Lessons and in a different manner The Multitude have a veil upon their heart in the reading of Moses so that they are capable only of parables and literal understanding of the Word as the Scribes and Pharisees taught The Disciples heart is turned unto the Lord and the veil is taken away 2. The Multitude are under the Law and the compulsion of the Law and are brought to obedience by the terrours and threatnings of the Law Oderunt peccare mali formidine poenae Evil men hate to offend for fear of punishment 2. The Disciples are not under the Law but under Grace They willingly obey the Righteousness of the Law without any compulsion at all Justo non est Lex posita the Law is not made for the Righteous 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Oderunt peccare boni virtutis amore Good men hate to offend for the love of Virtue Observ The Lord will have his Law learned as well by his own Disciples as by the Multitude Obj. The Disciples of Christ believe in the Lord Jesus Christ We are in such a Babel like that Gen. 11. that we understand not one anothers speech What mean we here by belief in the Lord Jesus Christ Mark what belief the Apostle propounds to us in himself Phil. 3.9 10 11. That I may be found in him not having mine own Righteousness which is of the Law but that which is through the Faith of Christ c. Mark what belief he exhorts the Colossians unto read Col. 2 6-12 Faith in the operative power of God Rom. 6.8 Faith and Obedience are all one See the Notes on Esay 3.10 Exhort I have already exhorted those who sit in Moses's Chair to do the work of Moses But we are now exhorted to yield to the attraction and drawing of Moses See Notes on Gen. 1.28 NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS UPON MATTHEW XXIII 23. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wo to you Scribes and Pharisees hypocrites for ye pay tythe of mint and annise and cummin and have omitted the weightier matters of the law judgment mercy and faith these ought ye to have done and not to leave the other undone PAying Tythes was never yet any Argument of my Discourse in this or any other place although perhaps in regard of some I have as just cause to complain as another man But if I had a purpose to speak of that Subject this place of Scripture gives no countenance to it but ranks paying of Tythes among minora Legis the less things of the Law though our Lord saith that those things ought not to be left undone These words contain a denunciation of a wo to the Scribes and Pharisees hypocrites for a breach of their duty Wo c. And 2. A direction of them for the due and orderly performance of their duty These ought ye to have done and not to leave the other undone Their breach of Duty consists 1. In Commission an intense performance of smaller Duties ye tythe mint c. 2. In Omission a remisness and neglect of greater Duties ye have omitted the weightier things of the law 1. An exactness and overdoing of the less Commandments ye tythe mint c. 2. An underdoing or rather a not doing of the greater Duties ye have omitted the weightier matters In the words we have these three Axioms 1. The Scribes and Pharisees hypocrites paid Tythe of Mint Anise and Cummin 2. They omitted the weighter things of the Law Judgment Mercy and Faith 3. Our Lord for these sins denounceth a wo to the Scribes and Pharisees Hypocrites 1. The Scribes and Pharisees hypocrites paid Tythe of Mint Anise and Cummin The word we render Anise is in the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which doth not signifie Anise but Dill which in the V. Latin is rendred Anethum as the High and Low Dutch have Dylle which is quite another herb different in kind from Anise which in the Greek is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and in Latin Anisum yet herein all our printed English Translations are out which our last Translators have followed That which seems to have misled them was the old English word Anet which signifieth the same which we call Dill and is in the French Bible and in our English Manuscript The Scribes and Pharisees hypocrites tythed Mint and Dill and Cummin Who were these Scribes Who else but the great learned men in the Letter of the Law Learned they were for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Scribe and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Teacher were all one Their Learning was altogether in the Letter of the Scripture and therefore they are called in the Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Low Dutch fitly turns the word Scriftgeleerden Learned in the Letter This Learning of the Scribes was in the Letter of the Law and therefore they are called sometimes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lawyers sometime 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Teachers of the Law Such as these are all Teachers of the Letter only whether of Law or Gospel The

Spirit Love and Obedience in the Lamps of Faith and Knowledge such defect such want is not alone such want hath shame and reproach following it It 's a true saying Ad damnum accedit infamia They that want the oyl of the Spirit Love and good Works in the lamps of their Faith and Knowledge are fools 4. If they be reputed fools and that by the wisdom it self that cannot err who have kept under their bodies have been holy in body and spirit c. If these are justly accounted fools for want of the oyl of the Spirit the Spirit of Love and Obedience how much more are they to be esteemed fools who have not as yet learned the beginning of wisdom Even the fear of God but live in the lusts of concupiscence as the Gentiles who know not God 1 Thess 4 5. Who walk according to the Prince of the air c. who sees not how rise these are consider 2 Pet. 2. 5. The Virgins are not blamed for want of Knowledge or for want of Faith they have their Lamps they have their Knowledge but falsly so called they have their Faith such as it is which ye read of in 2 Thess 2.10 In all deceivableness and unrighteousness among them that perish because they received not the love of the Truth that they might be saved therefore God shall send them strong delusions that they should believe lies See they are blamed and counted foolish for want of Love and good Works they had a dead Faith but the true Lamp hath in it the Oyl or Spirit of Love the Body hath a Soul Life and Spirit of Love and good Works It is not Faith alone without Love and other Graces that saves us therefore add to your Faith Virtue c. 2 Pet. 5. Repreh Hence may be reproved our want of true Faith our great unbelief which is the reason of the present Judgements and other following Judgements coming upon us because of the want of the oyl of Love God gives many up to believe a lye the contrary whereof we may observe in Faithful Abraham Gen. 15.6 He believed God and it was counted to him for Righteousness 6. Take notice hence who may be truly called foolish and unwise not they who are needy or in want not they who want subtilty to dispute and talk nor they who are not Book-learned but the disobedient man is the very fool Thus the slanderer is a fool Prov. 10.18 And he that committeth Adultery lacketh understanding Prov. 6.12 and therefore Schechem having committed Whoredom and defiled Jacobs Daughter is said to have wrought folly in Israel Gen. 34.7 and Thamar diswading her Brother Ammon from Incest saith do not thou this folly and as for thee thou shalt be as one of the fools in Israel 2 Sam. 13.13 they who are disobedient to Parents are foolish so Prov. 15.20 A foolish man despiseth his Mother and 17.25 a foolish Son is a grief to his Father the angry man is a fool Job 5.2 Wrath killeth the foolish man and generally the Galatians are fools because they obey not the Truth Gal. 3.1 NOTES and OBSERVATIONS on MAT. 25.4 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But the wise took oyl in their Vessels with their Lamps IT remains here to be enquired what 's meant by the Vessels 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vas 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they are large words in all these Languages Howbeit that which most properly fits this place seems to be the vessel of our Bodies and Souls wherein we have the Lamp of Faith and Knowledge and the oyl of the Spirit of Love 1 Thess 4.4 That every one of us should know how to possess his vessel in holiness and honour even as Gideons Soldiers had their pitchers and in them their lamps burning Judg. 7.16 Observ 1. Here we may note what is the True Living Justifying Faith what else but the Lamp with oyl in the Lamp let your Lamps be burning Luk. 12.35 It is not a bare a naked Faith O no but a living operative Faith that worketh by Love Observ 2. Mark hence what renders us truly wise not the lamp of Knowledge and Faith c. but the oyl in the lamp the spirit of Love or the spirit of God which is Love or whatsoever disposes us thereunto The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom and hereby men depart from evil Job 28.28 And unto man he said Behold the fear of the Lord is wisdom and to depart from evil is understanding By obeying the Commandments of God we become wise Deut. 4.6 Keep them therefore and do them for this is your wisdom and your understanding so Psal 111.10 A good understanding have all they that do his Commandments Hence it is that the head is not said to be wise but the heart 1 King 3. Give me a wise and an understanding heart 3. Observe here a broad difference between the true and false Church signified by the truly wise and the foolish Virgins the true Church and people of God the wise have the oyl of the spirit and the first fruits of the spirit Love and Joy Gal. 5.22 and the obedience of Love and good Works The foolish have only dark and empty Lamps dead Faith and unfruitful Knowledge without the spirit and the obedience of Love The Wise Man notes this difference in Prov. 21.20 In the house of the wise is a pleasant treasure and oyl but a foolish man devoureth it there is treasure and oyl acquired in their dwellings in this earthly Tabernacle in their earthly Vessels which they possess in holiness and honour but the foolish man spends it up he wasts it upon himself Hos 10.1 Israel is an empty Vine he bringeth forth fruit to himself Again the wise have this oyl of the Spirit Love and good works even while they are yet in the body They have this treasure even in their earthen vessels 2 Cor. 4.10 11. We bear about in our body the dying of the Lord Jesus that the life of Jesus might also be made manifest in our bodies for we that live are alwayes delivered unto death for Jesus sake that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh But the foolish hope for it when their earthly vessel is broken 1 Cor. 15.49 which speaks Consolation This happily may discourage many a chast Virgin Soul which hath a Lamp and a little oyl in her Lamp Faith and some small measure of Love but alas little or no means to do good Works See what St. James saith Chap. 1. Vers 27. Pure Religion and undefiled before God even the Father is this to visit the Fatherless and Widows in their adversities and to keep himself unspotted of the world Wherefore be we exhorted to go forth to meet the Bridegroom with our Lamps burning Gen. 12. in example of Abraham the Father of the Faithful NOTES and OBSERVATIONS on MAT. 25.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 While the Bridegroom tarried they all slumbred and slept NOw follows

to understand such a man as is sincere and upright and hath not guile or deceit in his heart so it presently followeth and in whose spirit there is no guile otherwise this not imputation of sin is but imaginary as also the covering of it as the Prophet speaks Isa 30.1 Wo to the rebellious children that cover with a covering but not of my spirit that they may add sin to sin 2. Imputation of Righteousness which Christ by his death purchaseth for all believers who lay hold and apply it unto themselves by Faith and that Righteousness also both ceasing from evil and doing of good which the Spirit of Jesus Christ works in us and is indeed the righteousness of Christ this God imputes unto us as if it were our own whereas indeed it is his own and wrought in us by his Spirit Isa 26.12 But Sin enters by propagation I cannot say so of Righteousness that that enters into the world by propagation surely no for although it be true that by how much the more the parents subdue and mortifie their own corruptions by so much the more the sinful nature is tamed and subdued which they transmit and convey unto their Children as I shewed before in manifold Examples Yet there is not the same reason in transmitting Sin and Righteousness Righteousness is of another of an higher nature and not transmitted or conveyed by the Natural Parents unto their Children but by God the Father of his own will he begat us Jam. 1.18 And therefore our Lord teacheth the Master of Israel that he must be born again and by God the Son and his righteous Spirit Joh. 3.3 Who enlightens every man coming into the world Joh. 1.9 The garden brings forth weeds alone but if it bring forth wholesome herbs they must be sown the heart of man brings forth plants of the evil one alone but if it bring forth good plants it is by the vertue and power of our heavenly Fathers planting Doubt 2. How did Righteousness enter by one man as sin entred by one man As the first Adam may be considered 1. As one individual person or 2. As a common root So may the second Adam also be considered either 1. As one person or else 2. As radix communitatis Thus we read that God is One and Christ is One and that God is the Saviour of all especially of those that believe 1 Tim. 4.10 God prepares salvation before the face of all people Luk. 2.30 31. And that the Grace of God which brings salvation hath appeared to all men Tit. 2.11 or according to the Margin that bringeth salvation to all men hath appeared hence it is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the common salvation Jud. vers 3. namely to all men that have faith to receive it which Faith God offers unto all Act. 17.31 yea and Faith is called common faith Tit. 1.4 Observ 1. We learn then from hence that Original Sin is not as some would have it a meer carentia justitiae originalis a want or being without original righteousness which discovers their ignorance who yet think themselves wonderous wise and able to judge and condemn others for being of such a Sect whereof they are not guilty No nor is it only fomes as it were tinder ready to take the fiery darts of temptation as the Schoolmen would have it a proneness and propension unto sin Original Sin is more than a privation or disposition for righteousness and unrighteousness are not opposed as privatives but as adverse or positive contraries one to other Sin hath a positive being and that a foul one Nor can a meer privation be said to be washed away or purged or blotted out as the sin is said to be Observ 2. As Sin is in the world so Righteousness also is in the world so saith St. John of the Essential Righteousness 1.10 He was in the world He is that light that is come into the world Joh. 1.9 yea this is the ground of the worlds condemnation That life and light and righteousness is come into the world and men loved darkness and unrighteousness more than life light and righteousness Joh. 3.17 19. Observ 3. Righteousness is become a stranger to the world and is said to enter into it it was very well acquainted with it very intimate of old but by reason of Mans new acquaintance with sin Righteousness is grown out of knowledge He came among his own and his own received him not there is one in you whom ye know not This was figured by Shamgar the noble stranger the judge of Israel Judg. 3.30 Observ 4. See then how our fig-leaves our coverings which we have inherited from Adam are taken from us and our nakedness discovered Is Sin darkness Light is come into the world Are we weak and impotent and unable to every good work Stronger is he that is in us than he that is in the world Beloved the Lord sees us under the Fig-tree all these pretences which we make if real and true they declare plainly that Sin hath entred indeed into us by one man but Righteousness by one man hath not yet entred into us 2. Death by Sin Observ 1. Where Sin enters there Death will follow Gen. 4.7 If thou do not well sin lieth at the door And behold the judge standeth before the door Jam. 5.9 ready to send after Sin committed his Executioners for from commission of Sin the Angel of Death bath his power say the Jews And therefore we read Ezech. 9 2. Six men came c. why from the way toward the North See Chap. 8.5 6. Envy was in the entry and kept out the Lord out of his Sanctuary At what gate we keep out the Lord and admit envy the Devil there and Death enters Observ 2. Learn then the issue of temptation how pleasing soever it represent it self unto thee Jam. 1.14 15. ye have the progress of it from the first to the last Every man is tempted when he is drawn away by his own lusts c. The wise Solomon decyphered this under the Allegory of an Harlot Prov. 5.4 5. 7.10.27 Observ 3. See what inheritance the first Adam hath left his Children See Notes in 1 Cor. 15. Doth this similitude every way hold The gift of God is eternal life Rom. 6. Thou art merciful for thou rewardest every man according to his works Psal 62.12 The Ichneumon breaks the Crocodiles Eggs without any end of its own it eats not of them at all but as for the good and benefit of mankind endeavours to destroy the Crocodile Thus Eleazar slew the Elephant 1 Macch. 6.46 So Sampson the Philistines Judg. 16.30 The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that by death he might destroy him who had the power of death i. e. the Devil 2. How did life enter in by righteousness The question is only de modo the answer is by Death Observ 1. See then the only way to life and happiness lies through the death of Christ and

just man are entred thereinto Here I must remind you how 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into is often understood And as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 even into iniquity is the accomplishment of iniquity So 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is contrary to it is the accomplishment of holiness and righteousness the perfecting of holiness in the fear of God The use of this phrase is borrowed from the old Levitical custom of entring into the Sanctuary for the Sanctuary of old was a type of Christ who is the true Holy LXX weeks are determined upon thy people Dan. 9.24 and to anoint the most holy Christ himself is the most Holy of holies and the entrance into the Sanctuary figured our entrance into Christ and his righteousness who is the Righteous and the holy One yea the Holiness it self And therefore as uncircumcision in the flesh and any uncleanness excluded men out of that typical Sanctuary So uncircumsion in heart excluded out of the true holiness and righteousness Let them fall from one iniquity to another and let them not enter into thy righteousness Psal 69.28 Thus also in that Mystical Temple the Priests and Levites the sons of Zadoc were to enter into the Sanctuary and minister unto the Lord Ezech. 44.15 16. Even so the true Priests those whom Christ makes priests unto God his Father Revel 1.7 The true Levites the adjoyned ones those who are adjoyned unto the Lord and become one Spirit with him 1 Cor. 6. The sons of Zadoc i. e. the sons of the righteous one as Zadoc signifieth these enter into Christ the true Sanctury The true Holy of Holies these minister and serve him Observe the high promotion of Christ's servants the servant of righteousness if any man serve me saith the rigteousness him will my father honour Joh. 12.26 The reward of this service is entrance into his Kingdom that Kingdom is righteousness and peace and joy Rom 14.17 And the servant of Christ enters into all these He enters into his righteousness Psal 69.28 into his holiness in the Text into his peace Esay 57.2 they shall enter into peace each one walking in uprightness they shall enter into joy Well done thou good and faithful servant enter into thy masters joy 5. As ye have yielded your members servants c. So now c. It 's a reasonable exhortation to a reasonable service if the Apostle should have required a greater service of us ought we not to do it How much more then when he requires only that we should be as subject unto righteousness and holiness as we have been to uncleanness and iniquity Truly it is but equity that the Lord requires of us and a shame it were should we not yield unto him Thy feet before were swift to shed blood Let them now be swift to deliver the oppressed Thy hands were open to receive bribes pilfer and steal Let them now be as open to relieve the wants of the poor and needy Thine eyes roved and strayed after strange beauty let them now look on the afflicted and shew them mercy Thus Mary Magdalen had broydered her hair as a net to catch young foolish Amorettoes The same she now useth to wipe the feet of Christ Luk. 7. And generally as we have imployed any of our outward or inward members in the service of uncleanness and iniquity so now it is but reason that we imploy them in the service of righteousness unto holiness Repreh Those who pretend deliverance by Christ and liberty of the spirit for the performance of wild absurd and unseemly actions and such as are unworthy of the Lord Christ unworthy of his Spirit unworthy of Christian Liberty To say no worse of them for the Spirit of the Lord alloweth no man liberty to do as he lists Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty What to do to be like unto Jesus for we behold as in a glass the glory of the Lord with his open face and are translated into the same image from glory to glory by the Spirit of the Lord 2 Cor. 3.17 18. 2. Where the Spirit of the Lord is there are the fruits of the Spirit as love joy peace and whatever is conformable to the Law of God for so the Prophet I shall walk at liberty saith he when I keep thy Commandments So that all the liberty which the Spirit of God allows is testified of in the Law of God The Apostle gives a general enumeration of all such Phil. 4.8 Whatever things are true whatsoever things are pure whatsoever things are lovely whatsoever things are of good report if there be any virtue and if there be any praise think on these things and whatsoever liberty is not testified of in the Law must be an unlawful liberty Nor is it warrant sufficient that a man be burdened with somewhat that 's contrary to these things for certainly there are many evil spirits which may burden men and press them to do some unlawful action which cannot be ascribed unto the Spirit of God What think ye of those more than four hundred false Prophets who warranted Ahab to go up to Ramoth Gilead and promised him prosperity What think we of Zedekiah which made himself horns wherewith Ahab should push the Syrians till he should consume them Certainly these men were perswaded by a spirit but not by the Spirit of God so to say and do For did not Ravellac and Felton and others plead a great burden and pressure upon their spirits for those murders which they committed And generally all Malefactors may do the like So that whatever actions are not approved and testified of by the Law or Prophets or Gospel of Jesus Christ They cannot be said to proceed from the Spirit of God but from some unclean spirit and false freedom Axiom 2. As ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness c. To iniquity unto iniquity The meaning of this point seems as plain as it can be made in English in so many words yet is not so fully to be understood in our language as in the Greek because the case and manner of speech is varied otherwise than it seems to be in our tongue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity Which phrase and manner of speech relisheth of the Hebrew Idiom and implys a disposition in those who have yielded their members servants unto uncleanness and to iniquity to a progress and going on in that soul service from bad to worse and from worse to worst of all As also it includes the end both agentis rei both that which the sinner himself aims at and also that which the sin it self tends unto a kind of perfection in evil spoken of Gen. 15.16 which is all the difficulty I know in the words Having in the former point shewn what these our members are what their uncleanness and iniquity is and what it is to yield our members servants thereunto Nor

from your sins ye became servants to God or else 2. By righteousness is here understood that which Divines and Philosophers call Universal Righteousness and so that which is here called Righteousness vers 16. is called Obedience Of this Righteousness the Poet speaks in that known Verse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In righteousness all virtues are contained which as that river which watered the Paradise of God divides it self into four streams these the Philosophers call the four cardinal Virtues the very same which Solomon summs up Wisd 8.7 Righteousness saith he teacheth temperance and prudence justice and fortitude In a word the Righteousness here meant is either 1. The God of our Righteousness Or 2. The Righteousness of our God Nor is it much material in whether of these two Notions we conceive of Righteousness when the Apostle exhorts us to yield our members servants thereunto since God and Christ cannot be served of us but by our service unto Righteousness and when we serve Righteousness then we serve God and Christ Thus much our Apostle teacheth Chap. 14. of this Epistle He that in these things i. e. in righteousness peace and joy serveth Christ he is accepted of God and approved of men and Zachary in his Hymn That we serve God saith he in holiness and righteousness Yet howsoever we take that phrase it 's but an improper speech for surely a Righteous man cannot properly be called a servant unto Righteousness since a servant is in bondage and obeyeth out of fear Rom. 8.15 Ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear and by constraint and compulsion of the Law Gal. 4.3 When we were Children we were in bondage under the rudiments of the world But the Law was not made for a righteous man 1 Tim. 1. and he whom the Son makes free is free indeed So much we confess that his service is perfect freedom And St. Austin Liberalitèr servit qui Domini sui voluntatem libentèr facit therefore the Apostle excuseth this phrase in the beginning of this verse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh Such is your weakness you conceive in the beginning of your obedience that to work the works of Righteousness is a kind of servitude and bondage it is not so yet because your obedience comes off with pain and difficulty by reason of your weakness I call it service so Oecumenius and others understand it Unto this service we ought to yield our members The Metaphor I told you was taken from the plyable submission of the Beast the Horse or the Ass unto the rider And there is a double necessity enforceth this duty both 1. Praecepti of Command for 't is Gods command grounded on the right of Creation Preservation first Covenant and second Covenant and Redemption And 2. Necessitas Medii for having as it were cast our rider and said in effect that we will not have him to reign over us and so become like the Horse and Mule without understanding and like the beasts that perish Most necessary then it is that if we would recover our former lost happiness for it is the happiness of a beast to serve saith Aristotle we again submit our selves unto our God and become again unto him as a serviceable beast 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 like the patient Ass that our Saviour rode upon Such a Beast David professed himself Psal 73.22 I became even as a beast with thee and the New Jerusalem shall be filled with such men and such beasts Jerusalem shall be inhabited as towns without walls for the multitude of Men and Cattle This reproves the more than brutish restiveness of disobedient men who rather yield their members servants to uncleanness and iniquity than unto righteousness But this Point is a Theme too large to be fully handled at this time let us therefore use it only as the Apostle hath left it unto us by way of Exhortation unto our selves That we would yield our members servants unto righteousness Nothing hath been hitherto spoken but may serve for a reason inducing to the performance of this Duty whereunto we may add this consideration That since we must needs serve one of these two Masters Uncleanness and Iniquity or Righteousness and Holiness 1. How filthy and abominable how unjust the service of sin is it 's a service to uncleanness and to iniquity 2. It 's a fruitless service how shameful What fruit had ye in those things whereof ye are now ashamed the wise man answers There is no fruit no reward unto the evil man Prov. 24.20 3. What no reward at all the Apostle answers That the wages of sin is death let no man deceive you with vain words calling sin by names of diminution as infirmity frailty weakness tricks of youth for these things the wrath of God comes upon the children of disobedience Ephes 5.6 one such trick of youth cost all the men of Sechem their lives Gen. 34. and may cost us our souls 5. Add to this the Plagium what have we to do with anothers servants our members are not our own for know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ 1 Cor. 6.15 5. The justice and equity in giving God his own our members are his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 12.1 6. The dignity of his service gloriosum est sequi Deum it is to be truly free without his service all other freedom is slavery 7. The reward of his service it hath the fruit unto holiness and the end everlasting life Unto which many like motives might be added had we not already yielded our members servants unto righteousness yet seeing our eternal happiness or misery is concerned let us examine whether so or no. A servant is instrumentum and therefore because an instrument he is moved and directed wholly by the will of his Lord his Agent but he is animatum instrumentum a man he is and some active power he hath through God enabling to will or not to will to do or not to do somewhat that 's implyed in that he is exhorted to yield but being not sui juris but subditus alienae voluntati that power he hath of yielding is to be directed by his masters will and what he doth is with an eye to him and for his masters sake So that the obedient servant of Righteousness in all and every act he doth per se obeyes his masters will I say per se for if at any time he do otherwise it 's wholly beside his own will as a knife or axe hath a power to cut and cuts well if being guided by a discreet hand but being not guided by that hand may fall and cut what and how it should not but that is by accident and therefore the falls of the servants of righteousness are called by the names of such actions as argue contingency and such as no man of purpose would willingly do wherein

the Law of God according to the inward man I consent unto the Law that it is good so good that it contains in it the whole nature of goodness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what ever things are honest c. Phil. 4.8 the Law is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Tim. 1.8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 these things are good and profitable unto men Tit. 3.8 The Law of the Lord is more to be desired than Gold than thousands of Gold and Silver sweet yea sweeter than the honey or the honey comb Psal 19.9 And because tastes are exceeding various so that the Spanish Proverb is Non est disputandum de gustibus The Manna figuring the Commandment was able to content every mans delight and agreeing unto every taste Wisd 16.20 The Reason why the Commandment is said to be good is considerable in regard of the Law-giver and Author of it the chief the only good 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God himself ostendam tibi omne bonum Exod. 34. both Agentis and Rei 1. Agentis i. e. Legislatoris the intention of the Law-giver is to make his Subjects good Ethic. 1. and Ethic. 2. the end of the Law-giver is to induce and perswade his Subjects unto virtue and goodness the end of the great Law-giver is to make God and Man friends and men friends and loving among themselves Now similitude and likeness being the ground of love it is impossible to reconcile man to God or God to man but by making the man good and like unto his God and this he doth by propounding unto all men a good Commandment Deut. 30.15 I have set before thee life and good and death and evil 2. Rei i. e. Legis 1. Vltimate the summum bonum the chief good is to be found in Jesus Christ and therefore the Law and Prophets pointed unto him and prepared for him they pointed unto him as the fulfiller and accomplisher Luk. 24. All things c. Jer. 33.14 15. I will perform that good thing which I have promised to the house of Israel the branch of righteousness shall flourish Joh. 5. If ye believed Moses ye would believe me for he wrote of me He is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 13.13.34 Hos 3.5 fear the Lord and his goodness 2. Subordinate thereunto is bonum Commune Civitatis privatum as the Architechtonick prescribes to all inferiour Arts and Trades and every one aiming at the common good advanceth his particular good The Venetian Ambassador says Every mans private interest swayes him Self-love is like the Sphere The Law and Prophets prepare and fit the people of God to be partakers of the chief good a people prepared for the Lord Luk. 1.17 Gal. 3.23 before faith came we were kept under the Law shut up unto the faith c. Let no man stumble at this ye see plainly it is the express word of God and all we speak of preparation is contained in him the Sphere of Divine Operation yea Christ himself he fits and prepares the Church for himself Ephes 5.25 26 27. As the Soul builds it self an house in the body and then dwells in it the Silk-worm makes it self an house so Christ the worm and no man It renders the Subject good in all respects a good Husband a good Wife Father Son Master Servant a good Governour Citizen And this goodness of the Moral Law is the same with Legal Justice aimed at both in the Ceremonial and Judicial Lawes The end of the Law is the Common Good of the whole Common-weal at which while every good man aims he advanceth his own private good and the good Commandment is the rule of all Doubt The Commandment is good but whether is it good for all alike without distinction The Apostle implyes an answer to this doubt 1 Tim. 1.8 The Law is good if a man use it lawfully by which words he intimates that a man may use the good Law well or ill lawfully or unlawfully For our better understanding how a man may use the Law well or ill lawfully or unlawfully he tells what the true and proper end is unto which the Law is ordained and distinguisheth it from an end for which happily to some it might seem to be ordained but indeed is not for it was not made or it lies not upon the righteous man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but upon whom then lies it or for whom was it ordained The Apostle tells us for the lawless c. But why not for the righteous man and why for the lawless Not for the righteous man because the Law hath had the due effect upon him already it hath brought him to Jesus Christ and by Jesus Christ the righteousness of the Law is fulfilled in him so that he doth righteousness and is righteous as 1 Joh. 3.7 But why was it ordained for the lawless Why do ye put the unruly Colt to the Horse-breaker is it not to manage him to tame him to curb his unruly motions The like we may say why is the Law ordained for the lawless is it not that he may be tamed and made loyal that he may yield his members servants unto righteousness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 6.19 it 's a Metaphor taken from a well-managed horse Why do ye put an untowardly Child to a severe and austere Schoolmaster is it not that he may correct him and chastise him The Law is our Schoolmaster to bring us to Christ wherefore do ye send for the Physitian to the sick and languishing man is it not that he may purge him and empty him of his ill humours by sound or as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth healing doctrine bring him to health and salvation Physick is good but if the patient be recovered Physick is not good to him The whole and sound have no need of the Physitian but the sick Ye will not let your Child be alwayes under a Schoolmaster but only till he hath learned his rudiments of Grammar and is fit for greater employment Gal. 3.23 24 25. Some Schoolmasters detain their Scholars longer than were fit for their own gain And for like reason Physitians sometimes prolong their cure other Mountebanks and Quack-salvers there are who delay the cure for want of skill by misapplication Into such Physitians hands Job fell and deals plainly with them Job 13.4 Ye are saith he forgers of lies ye are all physitians of no value Many such there are in these dayes Now because qui medicè vivit miserè vivit the greatest danger is when sick men conceive themselves sound and in health and so neglect all rules of Physick and diet despise the healing doctrine of the Law when yet they are lawless and as I have known by long experience that the greatest danger of young Scholars miscarriage is they are weary of being under the ferula and under the rod weary of their severe School-master and therefore while they are yet unripe they desire licence instead of true liberty and freedom I have known

pleasing one another and procuring one another ease and quietness in the flesh a peace maintained by all men and with all men such as it is And for the greater confirmation of that peace the Priests and Prophets of that time had learned to sing placebo would God they had not also in our time complyed with carnal men for the promoting of their own and others temporal advantage and credit in the world whereas indeed this is no true peace nor such as is here commanded but a carnal security for so the Prophet describes it from the least of them to the greatest of them every one of them is given to covetousness and from the Prophet even to the Priest every one dealeth falsly They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people sleightly saying peace peace when there is no peace Christ came not to send such peace upon the earth nor is this the peace here commanded The Peace here commanded is joyned with Righteousness Psal 85. and 10. and Holiness Hebr. 12.14 and Truth Zach. 8.16 with joy in the Holy Ghost Rom. 14.17 which Peace therefore is relative and in reference of one unto another whether 1. that other be our own Conscience when the war of our affections and lusts is ended for so the effect of righteousness is peace the peace of Conscience Isai 32.17 Or 2. whether that other be God himself for so being justified by faith we have peace with God Rom. 5.1 Or 3. whether that other be all other men beside our selves and this peace is especially here meant which yet supposeth the two former peace of Conscience and peace with God which I beseech ye to take notice of because I know well some are wont to sleight and wave this and other duties as only moral c. and accordingly give attention to what is spoken wherefore let them remember and know that this duty is founded in the peace of Conscience and peace of God for so the Saints of God are filled with this peace by believing Rom. 15.13 This peace we are to have maintain and exercise so one of our best Latin Translators renders 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Text pacem exercete for 't is not a bare being content to have peace which is here enjoyned but to endeavour also by all means to get and keep it So the Syriack Interpreter turns the Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 make work labour and endeavour for peace and Budeus expounds 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pacare in pace continere to appease the unpeaceable and keep those in peace who are peaceable answerably the Reformed Churches about us render the word One live in peace another have peace another hold peace This Precept of making exercising and labouring for peace is specified and enlarged by the object and the universality of it it must be with men and with all men the Syriack hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all or every son of man That we may the better understand this Precept we must know that this union and agreement hath love for the root of it which being twofold either Complacentiae or Benevolentiae either that whereby we love and affect another quia bonus because he is already good and so we love his virtues and lovely qualities and conditions 2. Or else that love wherewith we affect another ut sit bonus though he be for the present bad that he may be good and so we love his person not his ill qualities and conditions And to these 2. we may add a third kind of love Complacentiae Benevolentiae simul as when we love one who hath some beginnings of good wrought in him 1. According to the former kind of Love the Saints of God love their like such as are Saints and holy men Thus the Saints are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 friends 3 Job vers 14. and this Love is such a bond of perfectness or such a perfect bond as the Apostle calls it Col. 3.14 that it knits and unites all the Saints of God together all the world over 2. According to the second kind of Love Benevolentiae a good man may love his ill neighbour and by his love win upon him and make him lovely 3. According to the third Compl. Benevol simul a good Father loves his towardly Child that he may grow in Grace and the amiable beauty of an holy Life and godly Conversation and so become in person and qualities every way lovely Answerably hereunto Peace which proceeds from love must be extended and proportioned unto men whereof because some are 1. Holy Gracious and Virtuous and may be truly called Christians 2. Others evil unholy ungracious and untoward and though called yet indeed falsly called Christians because they have not the life which should make them truly such 3. Others there are in a middle way between both with all these we must maintain an outward peace but differently 1. With the first we must maintain entire thorough and perfect peace which proceeds from the first kind of love the love of complacency 2. With the second we must exercise entire peace also but not so thorough so perfect so intimate as with the first but such only as they are capable of because this peace proceeds from the second kind of love the love of benevolence or bounty 3. With the third also we must maintain peace such as they are capable of a mixt kind of peace tempered with that which they call not lis but jurgium a friendly and loving strife or contention that they may be thorough lovely and capable of entire and thorough peace 1. As for the first kind of peace with good and godly men it may be easily preserved and maintained because there is a reciprocal affection and mutual complying and sweet harmony of Souls and Spirits maintained on both sides whether the parties so agreeing be near hand or farther off whether known or unknown unto us yet peace peace to him that is afar off and to him that is near Isai 57.19 As in Musick the greater and lesser strings though far off one from other yet have an harmonical agreement and are consonant one with the other whether in diapason or disdiapason the distance hinders not the agreement And the Reason is Quae conveniunt in uno tertio inter se quoque conveniunt Those that agree in one third agree also among themselves Now God the God of Order is the God of all the world and therefore the Saints however dispersed all the world over agreeing all in God agree also and exercise love and peace among themselves The same kind of peace we desire also to maintain with all men and we are bound so to do so far as they are capable of it and we able to exercise the same toward them according to the limitations expressed in the Text of which if the Lord will I shall speak in their due time Mean time the Lord enlarge our hearts to the

Mark in your discourses whether they drive not still at their own praise and honour This I did or said c. But what must we do when men praise us Do as thou wouldest be done unto The praise is Gods give it unto him wouldst not thou be so dealt withal when men pay Money to thy Servant thou wouldst not have him put it up in his own Pocket but in thy Counter 4. Yet doth not our praising of God make any addition unto his glory no more than the grateful reflection of the Sun-beams from a Looking-glass gives light unto the Sun We pay unto him what we borrowed of him when we praise him we are but as Lanthorns at the best and when he bids us praise him he bids us shine forth thy light is come and the glory of the Lord is risen in thee Esay 60.1 For hence it follows that God is before hand with all the World 1. His preventing grace his mercy which the Gentiles must glorify vers 9. it hath indebted all the World unto God For what have we that we have not received and owe praise unto God for it What do we boast of If of any thing without us they are all his Creatures if of any thing within us he hath wrought all our works in us Esay 26. What then our selves God prevents us with our selves our very first beings we must rejoyce and praise God who hath made us Psal 149.1 2. He prevents not only our praises our Allelujahs but our prayers our Hosannaes also 2. How great a God is that God whom we worship No Topical God as all the Gods were of the Antient Heathenism but one God to whom all Gentiles all Nations all People owe praise yea all the Creatures 3. A duty which our Church enjoins us as largely as frequently as prayer Hosannah and Allelujah 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 prayer unto God and praises of God divide the whole Book of Psalms and they divide our Liturgie this is that which the Church admonisheth us of in the very Prologue and entrance of her Service That we assemble and meet together to render thanks for the great benefits that we have received at Gods hands to set forth his most worthy praise Then the Priest Praise ye the Lord Then the People The Lords Name be praised And this we do in all our Hymns as the VENITE O come let us sing unto the Lord let us heartily rejoyce in the strength of our Salvation c. O come let us worship and fall down and kneel before the Lord our Maker c. Words which we turn over our tongues as it were for fashion sake not considering that therein we acknowledge unto the Lord of Heaven and Earth our homage and fealty due unto him for our being not considering that hereby we equal our selves unto the very dust out of which we are taken not considering that we hereby resolve our selves again into our first Tohu and Bohu that we may be nothing at all and God may be All in All. This our Church commends unto us as in our TEDEVM We praise thee O God we acknowledge thee to be the Lord. This in our BENEDICTVS When we bless the Lord God of Israel for giving Christ because he hath visited and redeemed his People and raised up a mighty Salvation for us in the house of his Servant David Which as I told ye before is that which in the Text we properly praise God for the Comming of our Saviour Which also we do in the JVBILATE O be joyful in the Lord all ye Lands c. O go your way into his gates with thanksgiving and into his Courts with praise be thankful unto him and speak good of his Name So likewise the Virgins MAGNIFICAT My Soul doth magnify the Lord and my Spirit hath rejoyced in God my Saviour So in CANTATE DOMINO and the NVNC DIMITTIS DEVS MISEREATVR Let the People praise thee O God let all the People praise thee And again Let the People praise thee O God c. Whence 4. It is evident that very backward we are in the performance of this duty of praising and glorifying God as appears by the manifold Exhortations hereunto throughout the Liturgy and throughout the Scripture especially in the Book of Psalms And surely great need there is we should be so roused up unto it since many of us know what it is to praise God and that it is our duty so to do yet perform it not but hold the truth of God in unrighteousness and put our light the virtues and praises of God as it were under a Bushel and suffer them not to shine forth before men such are they whom the Apostle speaks of Rom. 1. Gentiles too as we are Who knew God yet glorified him not as God but their foolish heart was darkned a dark heart that the light of Gods praise could not shine out of it And St. John tells us That among the chief Rulers many believed on Christ but confessed him not Joh. 12.42 One Samaritane returned to give thanks the Meat-offering or Thanksgiving was to be eaten presently Others have an outward and verbal Confession of praise but the real and true praise they have not such as draw near unto God with their lips such as place all their praising of God in singing and chanting the verbal praise of God such as can chant by heart the Church Hymns containing much of the praise of God yet they remember not to sing St. Pauls Tune Ephes 5.19 Speaking to your selves in Psalms c. making melody to the Lord in your hearts Col. 3.16 Singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. The Psalmist when in many Psalms he hath largely prescribed wayes for praising God at the last shuts up the whole Book with one without which all the rest are imperfect and insufficient Omnis Spiritus laudet Dominum The Chaldy Paraphrase turns it Let every mind praise the Lord. And then adds 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we cannot praise him enough Laudate posteri Others add real praise to vocal such as praise God for some temporal blessing as for Liberty their Peace and other common blessings and for their special as their riches But this is not to praise God as he in Zach. 11.5 saith Blessed be God for I am rich This praise is only in reference to himself not to God so that if God took away their riches they would not praise God but rather follow Jobs Wifes counsel to Curse God and dye Follow thou Jobs Example The Lord hath given and the Lord hath taken away blessed be the Name of the Lord. He praiseth the Lord who praiseth him Quia bonus saith the Psalmist because he is good not only because he is good to us in this or that temporal respect Our Saviour commands us to let our light shine before Men Our light what is that The vertues the praises of God in our good works Hence

it is the wisdom of a man makes his face to shine like Moses God in him who is light 1 Joh. 1. and our praise Deut. 10.21 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth praise it signifieth light too And our Saviours reason makes it good Let your light so shine before Men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in Heaven Matt. 5.16 The Saints of God having received this light of the Father of Lights like burning and shining lights shine it forth to others They shew forth the vertues and praises of him who hath called them out of darkness into his marvellous light Thus the Saints like the Heavens declare the glory of God Caelum est ubi culpa cessavit saith St. Austin The Saints are such For as he saith Chrysostom who looks upon the beauty of Heaven saith Glory be to thee O God so he that beholds these Heavens upon Earth the vertue of the Saints he praiseth God Thom. Aquinas Catena in Luke 11. They glorify God in us Gal. 1. ult Yea saith Chrysostom the virtue of the Saints more glorifieth God than the beauty of Heaven The business of the day deserves both our real and vocal praise and thanksgiving unto our God 'T is Peace 't is the great Mercy the great blessing of Peace in the Greek we call it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which according to the derivation of the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the knitting together of many in one A shadow of that great Union which we hope and pray for the gathering together of all Men unto Christ 2 Th. 2.1 The gathering of the People unto Shilo Gen. 49. That God may be All in All. And therefore Beloved this Peace being made between two Reformed Christian Nations it is presumed to be such as is orderly so it is defined tranquillitas Ordinis an orderly Peace such as God is the Author of such as is founded upon righteousness Righteousness and Peace kiss each other Psal So Rom. 14. Righteousness Peace and Joy or else with truth Peace and truth in my dayes or else with pureness Jam. 3. or holyness Follow Peace with all Men and holyness otherwise nihil boni est in unitate nisi unitas sit in bono if our sins continue our peace will hold but by a small thread if we maintain a Peace such as the World looks at a Peace only for promoting our temporal ends either removing evil or a gaining some temporal good as suppose an Enemy of State the Peace will last no longer than the ground of it as it is between Persons Vulgus Amicitias utilitate probat If the profit cease the friendship ceaseth too This I note the rather because peace and joy and love and mercy and many graces besides grow wild in the World as there is scarce any Herbe that grows in the Garden but it grows wild in the Field there is a kind of disorderly Peace a kind of brutish love a kind of sensual joy a joy of wild asses Now such as this Peace is such ought to be our praise and our thanksgiving for our Peace all orderly all as becomes Christians We must receive this Peace as Gods gift now God gives not his Peace to spend in Luxury in Idleness in Riot O Beloved I have long time mourned when others have feasted to see the extream disorder of our Festivals The Feast of Christ's Nativity wherein we Commemorate Christ born and given to us how do we praise God for him Observat If deliverance from suffering evil be praise worthy how much more is deliverance from doing evil an Argument of praise and thanksgiving The reason is this To do good and suffer evil is a Royal a Kingly condition Regium est nay Christianum est Who did more good who so much as our Lord He went about doing good c. and God was with him yet who suffered so much as he who so much as they who follow him in well doing So that to do good and suffer evil it is to be a Christian 1. Pet. 2.20.21 When ye do well and suffer for it and take it patiently this is acceptable with God for even hereunto are ye called c. It is praiseworthy and rewarded 1 Petr. 4.13.16 Let him glorify God in this behalf Blessed are they who suffer persecution Matth. 5.10 11 13. We account them happy who suffer Jam. It is a greater gift than Faith Phil 1.29 So that if deliverance from suffering evil be praise worthy it is because we might have suffered as evil doers yet God is merciful unto us or else because we are weak and should we suffer evil we should not be able to bear it but be in danger of doing evil Thus the Lord would not lead the People through the wilderness lest they should see war and return back to Egypt Exod. And therefore the rod of the wicked must not rest upon the lot of the righteous lest they put forth their hand unto wickedness Psal 125.3 The greater deliverance therefore of the righteous is from putting their hand unto wickedness that is the end why the rod of the wicked must not rest upon them lest as before Thus we find the Saints praising God for their deliverance from doing evil 1 Sam. 25.4.10 32 33 34. And thus even they who should have been Actors in design may keep Holy-day with us and praise our good God that so much bloodshed was prevented Observat 2. If it be Israels duty to praise God for their temporal deliverance how much more for their Spiritual Thou hast delivered my Soul from Hell saith David Observat 3. They who are to perform this duty are the Creatures of all kinds the Heavens and the Creatures in them Psal 148.1 2. Praise the Lord praise ye him all his Angels praise him all his Hosts Sun and Moon Stars of light Heaven of Heaven and Waters above the Heavens Descend we lower Fire and Hail Snow and Vapour stormy Wind fulfilling his word Yet lower Mountains and Hills fruitful Trees and all Cedars The brute Creatures Beasts and Cattle creeping things and flying Fowl The Reasonable Kings of the Earth and all People Princes and all Judges of the Land all degrees of Men all Ages young Men and Maidens old Men and Children 'T is the duty of all the Creatures but fitly and worthily performed by the Saints the Children of Israel the People that is near unto him Observat 4. Now as this Peace must be orderly so the Command and reason of our duty is his work of Creation Preservation and Government for he who exhorts us to love one another not in word but in deed he prevents and gives us Example of the like love he prevents us in our being continues our being by preservation O how many have been our preservations National and Personal this especially which we Commemorate this day you know it as well or better than my self it is no news to you or if it were I have

Prov. 22.15 delivering from the body of death and giving them victory over all their enemies Rom. 7.24 25. Thus he is called Jesus a Saviour because thus he saves his people from their sins and thus he is said to be the Saviour of his Body which is the Church And thus the Son of God is made manifest that he may thus dissolve the works of the Devil 2. Christs Power is seen in the strengthening believers to do the will of God which as yet children and weaklings could not do for whereas these Children had but a small measure of strength against the body of sin in them and were too too weak to grapple with so potent an enemy as being brought up under the Law which made nothing perfect saith the Apostle That which the Law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh God sent his Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin condemned sin in the flesh that the Righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit Rom. 8.3 4. And by him all that believe are justified from all things or as a most Ancient English Translation hath it by him all that believe are justified from all sins from which we could not be justified by the Law of Moses Act. 13.39 Thus Christ is formed in believers according to his second measure degree or age on which I have stood the longer because the forming of him according to old age in believers consists much-what in the increase of the same light and strength so far forth as they are capable of it in this life But that we may have a more distinct view of the man-age or old age of Christ formed in the Saints we may consider it in it self according to the nature and degrees of it and in the fruits of it And in it self considered according to the nature of it it 's the old Saints Communion with the Ancient of dayes with God and with his Son Jesus Christ That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you saith St. John that ye may have fellowship with us with you At quid magnum est societatem babere cum hominibus saith St. Austin he answers himself Noli contemnere vide quid addit Our Communion saith he is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ 1 Joh. 1.3 By reason of this Communion they are made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 partakers of the divine nature according to the Promises 2 Pet. 1.4 2. In respect of the eminent degrees of it whatever was before it was but want and imperfection This 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the perfect that is to come 1 Cor. 13.10 lest this term should seem new to any ye have the perfect age of Christ Ephes 4.13 and their perfect age who are conformed unto Christ Hebr. 5.14 In regard of this compleat estate what ever was before it was but emptiness this is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the fulness of God Ephes 3.19 so great a fulness a perfection so great that whatever was in the Saints before must be emptied and made void that there may be room to receive it not as if all the habits of the Soul should be destroyed as St. Hierom thought but either the manner changed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Chrysostom or rather as St. Ambrose whom the Gloss followeth Destructio imperfectionis est quando id quod imperfectum est impletur verum As a greater light brought into a room puts not out but perfects those lights which were there before nor is that little stature of a Child abolished when the Infant grows up from Childhood unto Youth and from Youth unto old Age. This fulness according to the three principles of action in God and every intelligent and reasonable agent Vnderstanding Will and Power is answerably threefold a fulness of Wisdom Power Virtues and Graces 1. Of Wisdom So St. Paul prays for the Ephesians That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ the father of glory would give unto them the Spirit of wisdom and revelation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eph. 1.17 18. by the knowledge or experimental knowledge of Christ the eyes of their understanding being enlightned that they might know what is the hope of this calling and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the Saints 2. The second fulness is of power the same which our Lord promised the Apostles Luk. 24. and wherewith they were filled Act. 2. The power of the young man was great but this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an hyperbolical greatness of power toward them that believe And that it is no less the pattern of it proves for it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to the working of the might of his power which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead Eph. 1.19 20. And great reason for it is in the Saints for the same end to raise them up from the death of sin Eph. 2.16 The power of Christ in the Saints to vanquish the power of Satan that which the great voice utters Apoc. 10.12 Salvation and strength and the kingdom of our God and the power of his Christ This full Victory of the Israel of God over all their spiritual enemies is meant by all the victories of the Israel according to the flesh And that all those victories look at this appears by old Zacharies exposition of them Luk. 1.74 75. That we being delivered out of the hands of our enemies might serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness all the days of our life And this is if I may so speak a second kind of Omnipotency or Almightiness imparted unto the Saints by Christ formed in them according to old age If it seem an hyberbole it is no other than Paul the aged averreth of himself Phil. 4.12 I am able to do all things in Christ that inwardly enables me Phil. 4.13 For as the power of Christ prevails in them to raise them up from the death with Christ so also to place them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in heavenly vertues and graces with Christ Jesus Eph. 2.6 That 's the third fulness as ample as any of the two former so great as cannot be expressed except in generalites Whatever things are true whatever things are honest whatever things are just whatever things are pure whatever things are lovely whatever things are of good report if there be any virtue if there be any praise think on these things These things which ye have both learned and received and heard and seen in me do and the God of peace shall be with you Phil. 4. That peace and joy they are the fruits of the old age in Christ For the work of righteousness is peace Ephes Esa 32.17 and the fruit of the Spirit is joy Gal. 5. And both these they are 1. For intensness plenteous abundance of peace Psal 72. and fulness of joy Psal 16.11 And 2. For extension everlasting The

with you in it Here 's the opening of that hidden Mystery or the further clearing it That great mystery of godliness God made manifest in the flesh The end of the Law and tenour of the Gospel unto mankind secretly shut up in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth flesh whence comes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Evangelizavit to preach the glad tydings of God made manifest in the flesh to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery which is Christ in you saith the Apostle Col. 1.27 Here 's a Christmas that lasts all the year even all that acceptable year of the Lord as the time of Christ is called Here 's a nearer Union with Christ than the common sort of Christians dream of Christ formed in us unless Christ be in us Christ without us profits us nothing unless Christ be in us we are reprobates 2 Cor. 13. Here 's an higher pitch of Christianity than Christians ordinarily attain nay aspire unto Christ not only to be known not only to be talked of Christian Religion consists not in tittle tatle Christ not only to be believed on not only to be desired not only to be called upon but Christ dwelling in our hearts by faith Christ Emmanuel Christ one with us and we one with him Joh. 17.21 Christ formed in us and we conformed to him both in his sufferings and in his Resurrection Phil. 3.10 O suffer then I beseech you the word of exhortation not to content your selves with the childhood and minority of Christ not to stint our selves in the very nonage of Christianity but to grow up unto riper age from grace to grace from strength to strength from virtue to virtue until we be perfect men in Christ Jesus and Christ Jesus be perfectly formed in us O glorious state this yea this is that high pitch of Christianity this is that mature age of Christ which all the Saints of God do and ever have aspired unto this all the Ministers of God setting aside all jarring and jangling Controversies do or ought to preach and warn every man and teach every man in all wisdom that they may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus Col. 1.27 This our Apostle longed for till it were formed in the Galatians But so many pretences there are so many outward shews and counterfeit forms of godliness so many false Christs in the world as our Saviour foretold and growths in them that it 's a very difficult thing to perswade almost any man but that Christ is indeed formed in him But I beseech you since it so nearly concerns every soul consider with me Can the form of Christ be in the body of sin If Christ be in you the Body is dead because of sin but the Spirit is life because of Righteousness Rom. 8. He that is Christs hath crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts Do lusts war in thy members and yet are they crucified and yet are they dead Can the most lively action for even such is war proceed from a body of sin that 's dead He in whom Christ is formed as he hath a fellowship with Christ in his sufferings suffering as a Christian 1 Pet. 4. and is made conformable unto his death by dying to sin Phil. 3.10 So also is he raised up again with Christ unto newness of life Rom. 6. He lives the life of Christ and Christ is a life to him and lives in him the life of all Virtues and Graces of Love of Joy of Peace of Long-suffering of Gentleness of Goodness of Faith of Meekness of Temperance of Patience of Godliness of Brotherly kindness of Mercy of Humbleness of Mind of Moderation of Obedience and Subjection unto Governmen Here yea here 's a form of Christ indeed in how few alas to be found though we seek it I speak it to our shame even among the crowd of our seeming most forward Christians for when we place the power of Christ in us in hatred in variance in heady undiscreet zeal in wars in strife in sedition in despising of Dominion in presumptuousness in self-will in speaking evil of Dignities in bitter Invectives against Authority in scribling of Pamphlets to disturb the common peace Is Christ formed in us so much as according to Youth much less according to Old Age Alas we are yet but Children For whereas there is among you envyings and strifes saith the Apostle and divisions and factions are ye not carnal and walk according to man the old Adam and not according to Christ for while one saith I am of Paul another I am of Apollos one I am for this Sect and this man another I am for that Sect and that man are ye not carnal The Apostle appeals to their own Conscience in this matter when they called themselves after the names of Paul and Apollos how much more may I appeal unto yours whom ever it concerns who have taken up Leaders far inferour and perhaps some contrary unto Paul and Apollos I appeal unto your own consciences are ye not carnal These dissentions come not of him that calleth you No no the Apostle reduceth them to their own Original Whence come wars and fightings or brawlings among you come they not hence even from your lusts that war in your members wherefore I cannot speak unto you saith St. Paul as unto spiritual those in whom Christ is formed but as unto carnal even unto babes in Christ 1 Cor. 3. But if there be among us as I doubt not but there are many who long as earnestly for Christ to be formed in their souls as those ancient holy women in the Old Testament desired to bear him in their wombs to those I will propound some means and helps for the forming of him and those both before conception of the Seed in the womb and after it 1. And before Conception it 's necessary that if we would have Christ formed in us we be chast Virgins like the holy Virgin Mary I mean untainted and unpolluted by the Serpents Seed 2 Cor. 11.23 that is unperverted by our own worldly wisdom Isa 47.10 a wisdom by which the world comes not to know God 1 Cor. 1.21 Hebr. 10.35 36. 2. And the heart or womb of the Soul as it were thus emptied and prepared must receive the Seed of the Word Matth. 13. the Seed of God 1 Joh. 3.9 to the fit receiving of which faith's required as when the Angel told the Virgin Mary that the holy Ghost should come upon her and the power of the most High should overshadow her she believed Luk. 1.45 and so must every one of us who would have Christ formed in us we must believe the message of the Angel or Messenger of God unto us 2. We must have a good will and desire to entertain this holy Seed such a desire was also in the same Virgin Mary so saith she unto the Angel Be it unto me as thou hast spoken and so must every one of us

Graces live and grow in us Does there not rather grow up instead of these anger wrath malice hatred envy pride covetousness ambition and such like briars and thorns and ill weeds which are not of our heavenly fathers planting Nay may it not be feared it may be said of some here which the Lord saith to his Prophet Ezechiel This people cometh and sits before thee as my people and they hear thy words the words of Christ patience but they will not do them for with their mouth they shew much love but their heart goeth after their covetousness Ezech. 33.31 'T is in their Shop in their Counting house in their Ware-house or perhaps at Sea Or may not that be feared which befel our Saviour while he was discoursing of his passion and who should betray him his Auditors reasoned among themselves who should be the greatest O Beloved are these the fruits of Christ's sufferings Is this the travel of his soul Is this to be dead to be crucified with Christ Is this to take up the cross daily and to follow him Nay is it not rather to tread under foot the Son of God Is it not rather to crucifie the Son of God afresh and put him to an open shame for the earth that drinks in the rain and brings forth such thorns and briars as these are is rejected and nigh unto a curse whose end is to be burned But Beloved we are perswaded better things of you and such as accompany salvation though we thus speak I hope we rather in humility obedience and self-denyal take up our cross daily and follow Christ our Lord down this lowest step of his humiliation Which that we may the better do let us count it all joy when we fall into manifold temptations as knowing that the tryal of our faith worketh patience and if patience have her perfect work we shall be perfect and entire wanting nothing For this end let us hearken to the word of Christ's patience that Word of Power which wind and sea obey which breaks all waves and billows of temptation Scriptum est silenced the Devil himself That word of the kingdom according to which if we suffer with him we shall reign with him 1 Cor. 1.24 Let us build upon this Word as upon a Rock and neither winds of lying spirits or false doctrines nor flouds of temptation shall ever be able to move us Let us bind our sacrifice our daily sacrifice with cords of holy purposes and strong settled resolutions unto the horns of the Altar unto the strength of Christ's Patience And let us now my Brethren take the Prophets and Apostles and all the holy men of God for an example of suffering affliction and patience and let us be followers of them who through faith and patience obtained the promises Ye have heard not only of the faith but also of the patience of faithful Abraham that after he had patiently endured he obtained the promises Ye have heard of the patience of Moses that he esteemed the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt Ye have heard of the patience of Job and seen the end or reward of the Lord. Ye have heard of the patience of Peter that he was a witness of the suffering of Christ and of the glory to be reveiled Ye have heard of the patience of St. Paul that he undervalued all things for the knowledge of Christ crucified for which he had suffered the loss of all things that he might know the fellowship of Christ's suffering and be made conformable unto his death Ye have heard of the patience of other Saints of God for the same afflictions saith St. Peter are accomplished in all our brethren that are in the world for they have all passed through the narrow way they have all entred into life through this strait gate they have all endured this fiery tryal they have all suffered these pangs of death they have all born the Cross and been crucified with Christ We have now heard of the humility obedience and patience of Jesus Christ who humbled himself and became obedient unto the death even the death of the cross We account them happy that have suffered saith St. James so 't is in the Greek the Latin and old English unhappy we if we do not suffer with them Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses let us lay aside every weight and the sin which doth so easily beset us and let us run with patience the race that is set before us looking unto Jesus the Author and finisher of our faith who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross despised the shame and is set down at the right-hand of God Heb. 12.1 and 2. For consider him who endured such contradiction of sinners against himself lest ye be weary and faint in your mind In all our afflictions he is afflicted and in that he hath suffered being tempted he is able to succour us also that are tempted And let us pray as those have done who have been crucified with him Lord remember us now thou art come into thy Kingdom O Lord we beseech thee deliver our souls By the mystery of thy holy Incarnation by thy holy Nativity and Circumcision by thy Baptism Fasting and Temptation by thine Agony and Bloody sweat by thy Cross and Passion by thy precious Death and Burial good Lord deliver us Now the Lord direct your hearts into the Love of God and the patience of Jesus Christ and the God of patience and all grace who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Jesus Christ after that ye have suffered a while make you perfect stablish strengthen settle you To him be Glory and Dominion for ever and ever Amen NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS UPON PHILIPPIANS IV. 8 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Finally brethren whatsoever things are true whatsoever things are honest whatsoever things are just whatsoever things are pure whatsoever things are lovely whatsoever things are of good report if there be any vertue and if there be any praise think on these things Those things which ye have both learned and received and heard and seen in me do and the God of peace shall be with you THe words present us with the end of our meeting The humbling of our selves to seek God for the blessing of peace upon the Treaty to be had between the King and Parliament The God of peace shall be with you As also they discover unto us the only expedient the means only available to invite the God of peace to be present umpire all differences and vouchsafe his blessing of peace unto the Treaty Whatsover things are true whatsoever things are honest whatsoever things are just whatsoever things are pure whatsoever things are lovely whatsoever things are of good report if there be any vertue if there be any praise think on these things Those things which ye have both learned and heard and

seen in me do And the God of peace shall be with you Why so long a Text upon so short a warning The words are in the nature of an hypothetical or conditional proposition or connex axiom and therefore though they may be taken asunder yet no part of them as they are such make an entire sentence alone I shall therefore consider it as one entire axiom or proposition Now because our Rule in analytical method is Intellectus operationis incipit a fine The end foreknown regulates the use of the means Let us enquire 1. What it is for the God of peace to be with us 2. Then enquire into the nature of the means how available they are for the procuring of that end 1. God is called the God of peace because he is the Author and lover of peace He is said to be with one not only in regard of essence presence and power according to which he cannot be absent from any of his creatures But also in regard of his gracious presence and use of his power For the repelling of all evil and procuring all good And thus we find examples of both 1. Moses was afraid to go to Pharaoh But Exod. 3.11.12 The Lord encourageth him Deut. 31.6 8. Jos 1.5 Jerem. 1.8 Act. 18.9 10. 2. Procuring of all good Gen. 31.3 God promiseth to be with Jacob which he interprets to deal well with him Chap. 32.9 Chald. My Word shall be thy help and vers 12. doing good I will do thee good i. e. I will certainly do thee good Mat. 28.20 I am with you to the end of the world And thus Christ is Emmanuel i. e. God with us and if the Son be with us who can be against us Rom. 8.32 1 Tim. 4.8 Hebr. 13.5 That the Lord may be thus with us the Apostle 1. propounds an Idea an Exemplar of Virtue and Graces 2. The same Idea pattern'd and copied out and exemplified in himself vers 9. 1. In the Idea we meet with those Graces which accomplish the Church in it self And then 2. with those which set it off unto others i. e. those that are without 1. They which accomplish the Church in it self are such as order the Church 1. toward God or 2. toward our Neighbour or 3. toward our selves Unto which three the Apostle reduceth the Christian duties Tit. 1.12 1. That which disposeth us towards God is Truth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by which word all truth is understood especially that of sincerity wherewithal the God of truth is delighted Psal 51.8.6 Thou art delighted with Truth in the inward parts With this he is worshipped and served Joh. 4.23 24. This excludes hypocrisie and lying And to this belongeth the next Duty commended unto us in these words 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whatsoever things are honest the Margin Venerable which belongs to the worship of God for so it is from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 veneror and hither may be reduced the Fear Faith Love Hope Honour and which we turn the word Honest which are or belong unto the inward worship of God This disposeth us towards our Neighbour in that the word signifieth also grave and venerable and so implyeth a grave deportment that ought to be among men 1. Those things which set us in order to our Neighbour are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whatever things are just or righteous wherein is contained as 1. Universal Righteousness comprehending all virtues So 2. more especially that which belongeth 1. to the Magistrate as distributive justice Or 2. to the people among themselves which is Commutative Justice in trading buying and selling In all these kinds the Lord requires 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that which is altogether just Deut. 16.20 2. Those which dispose us to our selves are in the next word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which doubtless was anciently read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an easie mistake for so the Latin hath it nor is there any loss in it for the word sanctitas holiness includes in it purity and chastity 1 Cor. 7.34 and such ought the Church to be towards Christ 2 Cor. 11 12. These are the glory of the Church within 3. Those Graces which dispose the Church towards others and set her off to those that are without are amiableness and loveliness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whatsoever things are lovely And 4. What will render her famous 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whatsoever things are of good report And lest any thing should be omitted which might accomplish the Church and adorn and fit her to meet her Spouse 5. The Apostle adds 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If there be any vertue if there be any praise Thus the Churches cloathing is of wrought Gold And lest this general Idea and pattern should seem not feisible or possible the Apostle propounds himself an Example of what he hath generally named 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what things ye have learned as the first rudiments and Principles of Religion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what ye have received as the exact and positive Christian Doctrine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what ye have heard in the Apostles Sermons or familiar discourses 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What ye have seen in actions life and conversation The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and pattern he exhorts them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so to think upon that they may bring to practice and life and lest that might seem to dismay them he shews it possible and feisible by his own example what ye have learned c. do Reason Why must we think of these things and do these things if we can hope that the God of peace shall be with us Reason 1. Is in regard of God 2. In regard of Peace 1. In regard of God He cannot be otherwise approached unto but by somewhat of himself Oculus non intuitur solem nisi fit ipse soliformis The eye cannot see the Sun unless it be soliform 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the like is known by its like In thy light we shall see the light now Truth Righteousness c. they are of God and so of God that he is the very essence and being of them 2. In regard of Peace it is the effect of Righteousness Isai 32.17 Rom. 5.1 And it is not vouchsafed to any who have not the things that make for peace Rom. 14.19 and the things that make for peace are these forementioned Doubt But are such the conditions of a firm and well grounded peace such as we speak of and that the God of peace will only upon these terms be with us where then shall we have a peace what good success can we hope for of this treaty What our Lord answered his Disciples upon their question Matth. 19.25 26. Who then shall be saved So to this question who then shall have Peace if peace come upon such terms I answer as our Lord did With men this is impossible but with God all things are possible I see not the things which make for peace among

the least temporal blessing to come down from thee the Father of Lights we may thankfully be contented with it receiving it from thy hand as fittest for us as having deserved less as less then the least of all thy mercies Furnish us also with patience in regard of our greatest evils enable us we beseech thee with strength above our evil with wisdom above our strength give us a sensible approbation of thy love unto us by thy presence with us at our sufferings and by thy suffering with us Give us a desire and certain hope of a greater good than these are evils These Graces and whatever else thou knowest more needful for us we beg not for any merits of our own but for his merits who inwardly enables us Christ Jesus To whom with thee O Father and thy holy Spirit our Comforter be rendred all Praise Power Majesty and Dominion the rest of this day and for ever more Amen NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS UPON COLOSSIANS I. 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which Gospel is come unto you as it is in all the world and bringeth forth fruit and encreaseth as it doth also in you since the day ye heard of it and knew the grace of God in truth WIth singular Wisdom the holy Fathers of old so disposed of the Epistles and Gospels that he that 's well skilled in the order of them may withall know the Beginning Progress and Consummation of the Christian Church and Gods wise and gracious disposing and ordering of the means of Salvation conducing thereunto All contained within the compass of a year which now drawing towards an end which they call Tempus peregrinationis it draws on with it the Consummation of the the Church which consists in the coming in of the fulness of the Gentiles and the conversion and salvation of the Jews Both which are foretold by St. Paul Rom. 11.25 26. That the fulness of the Gentiles shall come in and so all Israel shall be saved For the effecting of both The Gospel of the kingdom must be preached in all the world for a witness to all nations and then the end cometh according to our Saviours prediction Matth. 24.14 The present Epistle and Gospel together with that which goes before and that which next followeth concerneth the preaching of the Gospel to the Colossians in special and generally to all the world and the Fruit of the Gospel so preached in both The Gospel according to St. Hierom Rabanus St. Anselm and others concerneth the conversion of the Jews unto the Faith of Christ In the Epistle which reacheth from the third to the twelfth verse of the first Chapter our Apostle 1. Partly gives thanks unto God for the three Theological Virtues Faith Hope and Charity begun in the Colossians which he demonstrates from their causes from vers 3. to vers 9.2 Partly he prays unto God for their confirmation in these and other Graces from vers 9. to the end of the Epistle This Text is a member of the first part containing in it the cause of their Faith Hope and Love And they are of two sorts 1. The Gospel coming unto them and bringing forth fruits and encreasing in them as it came into the world and brought forth fruit in the world 2. The Colossians hearing and acknowledging the grace of God in truth And these two causes are the two parts of this Text. For our more orderly proceeding in the handling thereof we may resolve it into these several truths 1. The Gospel came to the Colossians as it came to all the world 2. It brought forth fruit and encreased in all the world as it did among the Colossians 3. Thus fruitful it was and thus it encreased from the day they first heard and knew the grace of God in truth 1. The Gospel came to the Colossians The Gospel in the Greek called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in prophane Authors signifieth Glad Tydings of good news and the Sacrifice they offered at the hearing of them and the reward given to him that brought good tydings In Scripture the Gospel is taken both 1. For the Subject of these Good Tydings namely that inward power and vertue of Christ in the flesh prevailing against the power of sin according to that of the Apostle Rom. 1. The Gospel is the power of God unto Salvation and 1 Thess 1. And 2. The publishing and declaring the Glad Tydings of this power The Prophets in the Old Testament used a very significant word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being derived of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying Flesh as often as they spake of the preaching of Grace by Christ A word comprehending not only the argument and matter of good news viz. Christ in the flesh but the publishing and declaring of it This double signification of the Gospel is manifest in that it 's called the Gospel of the Kingdom Mat. 24. Now the Kingdom of God is within us Luke 17.21 as the preaching testifying and declaring of it is without us Thus Grace and peace which are both inward are used for the Gospel John 1. The Law was given by Moses but Grace and peace came by Jesus Christ The testifying of that Grace it is without us I have received the Ministry of the Lord Jesus to testifie the Gospel of the Grace of God Acts 20.24 Thus there is the power of the Gospel and the word of the Gospel 1 Cor. 4.20 An hidden Mystery and secret of the Gospel and a divulging or making that Mystery or secret known Eph. 6.19 And in both those sences the Gospel may be said to come For the word here used 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth as well to be present as to come and that signification of being present is more proper unto spiritual things which are then said to come when they appear to be So God is said to have come unto Moses when he appeared unto him Exod. 19. And Christ is said to come in the flesh 1 John 4.2 when he appears in the flesh for the word may indifferently bear either sence And therefore S. Paul instead of what we turn coming saith expresly God is made manifest in the flesh 1 Tim. 3. ult Thus that we turn the coming of the Son of man and the coming of the Lord may be as well translated the presence of the Son of man or of the Lord Matth. 24. 2 Thess 2. besides other places And the reason is Spiritual things they have neither figure nor name nor motion nor any such like circumstance of their own and therefore if any such spiritual thing be revealed to us who can fancy nothing without such circumstances most necessary it is that they borrow such thereby to represent themselves unto us so that the power of God unto Salvation which we call the Gospel may be said to come unto a people when it appears and is present with them and in them because this term of coming being a kind of local motion which

beloved In the Exhortation we must enquire 1. What this garment of Mercy is 2. What the bowels of it are and 3. What it is to put it on 1. The garment is Mercy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith the Etymologist grief properly for the death of another and that 's truly a mourning-garment but that signification is too strait for this place we must therefore widen it and enlarge it with Aquinas and call it a grief conceived for the evil which befalls another so much the Latin word imports Misericors saith Isidore à compatiendo alienae miseriae vocabulum est sortitus hinc appellata est misericordia quòd miserum cor faciat alienâ miseriâ We pity another when our heart is affected with the misery of another So 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word in the Text is often used by profane Authors to signifie the heart which is the principal seat of Mercy and all other affections But the plural is here used which the Latins turn Viscera which signifieth not the guts or entrals as some fancy but it is a part within the flesh as well in the middle region of the body as the lowest as the lungs the heart the liver or any of the rest which word is here used in imitation of the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying in one word both the words of this Text together bowels of mercy and a very significant Hebraism it is founded in Nature whereof every one is sensible so often as he commiserates the calamity of another for the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth to Love whence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth the mothers womb and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that mercy and pitty which the mother shews unto the Son of her womb Such was that 1 King 3.26 of the true mother of the child her bowels saith the Text were rowled within her And in this sence St. Paul the Spiritual Father of Onesimus whom he had begotten in his bonds he calls Onesimus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his bowels that is his Son Phil. 10 12 20. Nor is it uncouth to read Viscera in this sence such is that speech of a mother touching her Child Viscera montanus ferret edenda Lupus So that bowels of mercy signifie the most intimate intense and largest affection of all others the Mother being commonly the most tender and indulgent unto the child of her womb In this sence the Syriack hath instead of bowels inward affections and such inward affection as the bird hath toward her young ones which the Naturalists say is the greatest of all other when she spreads over her wings whence God expresseth his love toward his people Dan. 32. and our Saviour toward Jerusalem thus St. Paul is to be understood 2 Cor. 6.11 12 13. Our mouth is opened unto you O Corinthians our heart is enlarged or spread abroad ye are not straitned in us but ye are straitned in your own bowels Now for a recompence in the same I speak as unto my children Be ye also enlarged So tender is the mercy which is here required of us in the Text. Whence we learn the general nature of mercy from the body it it self for as the bowels are contracted by grief the first part of mercy so they are opened and enlarged by joy in the relieving the evils of others which is the second part of mercy which is considerable either 1. As a passion of the sensitive appetite or else 2. As an habit or virtue of the intellective appetite Or 3. Will ruled by right reason according to which the inferiour sensitive appetite is governed The former though a natural affection yet is not like most others indifferent and uncapable of it self either of praise or dispraise but hath this Prerogative of the most that it 's a laudable affection so that according to it especially men are accounted of a good nature Not but that this natural affection is defective all passions of the Soul sing a wild note and are to be corrected and directed by Grace so must the natural affection of mercy how good soever it is by the habit and virtue of mercy As the Cloth or Stuff of a Garment you know how good how costly soever it is deforms him that wears it if it be not well made The virtue therefore of Mercy directs us what the measure the length and breadth of it must be For the better understanding whereof we must yet further enquire 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Philosopher speaks 1. What these evils are which move our Mercy And 2. Who they are to whom we ought to shew it 1. The evils which move our Mercy are either 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Corruptiva or Contristantia such as are corrupting or deadly evils or only tedious and troublesom which because they may befall the soul as well as the body they are either Corporal or Spiritual 1. The bodily evils are hunger thirst nakedness exile captivity sickness which our Saviour speaks of Mat. 25. under which are to be understood also 2. Spiritual evils as a famine of the Word nakedness by sin captivity and thraldom under it c. To which we may add ignorance errour doubtfulness of mind terrours of conscience for it is an unreasonable thing to imagine That Christ who came to save mens souls should enjoyn us to shew mercy only to their bodies These evils especially the former sort are to be considered rather in their danger than in their effect for if they prove effectual they move not mercy properly but remediless grief for it is too late to pity a sick man when he is dead Sorrow then there may be as David sorrowed for Absolom but not mercy To him that is afflicted pity should be shewed Job 6.14 That 's the second thing to be enquired who are the miserable who are afflicted with these evils to whom we must shew mercy They are generally such as one way or other partake with us of our Nature They are either Man who is Created unto the Divine Nature yet hath a nature common to the beasts or the meer beasts themselves 1. Man is wholly of our nature and therefore if Man be miserable we must pity him as such yet with a difference we must be good and merciful especially to the houshold of Faith yet must we also enlarge the bowels of our mercy unto all men Gal. 6.10 Yea even 2. To the beasts also Prov. 10.12 The righteous man regardeth the life of his beast Such is the measure the breadth length and depth of the garment of mercy to be cut out and proportion'd according to these degrees of miseries and those who are miserable What remains now but that we shew what it is to put it on The putting of it or any such spiritual garment on is an usual Metaphor applyed to signifie our spiritual cloathing with the Holy Ghost

righteous and a godly life that which we have oft prayed for in that good old Liturgy that we may live it which life the Grace of God bringing salvation to all men not only teacheth them and instructs them how this life may be lived but also gives power and strength actually to live the same for it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Grace of God that brings salvation and gives power to be saved from all ungodliness and worldly lusts and to live soberly c. He gives the seeing eye and the hearing ear he openeth the ear to discipline and commandeth that we return from iniquity Job 36.12 he teacheth excellent things and gives power to understand and obey and therefore well may Elihu say who teacheth like him Job 36.22 Axiom 4. We have heard the first Lesson of Gods Grace teaching us to deny ungodliness Come we now to the second the positive Lesson Grace teacheth us to live 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and all this in this present world and first generally then more particularly Of these three several Duties the first special rule is to live 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which though we render soberly the word is of larger extent for the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies such an one as is compos mentis one who keeps his mind safe and so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are opposed Such a one I say is prudent which prudency of the mind rules the affections Col. 3.2 Set your affections or mind on things that are above not on things on the earth whereas therefore they are carried forth immoderately toward the creatures as the desires of meats and drinks quae seqùuntur which they divide into 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereas there are ambitious desires of Honours and for the maintaining of these there are covetous desires 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies to live prudently temperately soberly chastly modestly moderately These three Adverbs then contain the whole Duty of man these Duties also the Philosophers and wise men of the world have taught Thus ye read in Aristotle touching temperance and justice and fortitude and prudence Tully also teacheth the same Duties and the wisdom of God delivers the same Doctrine Wisd 8.6 7. If prudence work who of all that are is a more cunning workman than she and if a man love righteousness her labours are virtues for she teacheth temperance and prudence justice and fortitude which are such things as men can have nothing more profitable in their life Observ 1. Note here then how most methodically the Grace of God teaches us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Somewhat that 's general and common to all these three particular Lessons and that 's comprehended in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereby is implyed a keeping of the mind and affections in or with a guard as our Lord after he had taught the Lesson of self-denyal he presently adds that of taking up the cross the heart and mind ought to be lifted up in the ways of God as Jehoshaphats was 2 Chron. 17.6 This was intended by Enochs translation hereby he became an Example of repentance and conversion to all Generations Ecclus. 44.16 Thus we read that the eminent Saints of God who were made of like passions with us yet they kept their minds and affections above earthly and wordly objects they got the possession of their own souls and lived above the world So did Abraham an high Father of the faithful and Isaac and Jacob Moses Joseph and David and Jeremiah the highness of the Lord. If we look into the Christian world as we call it how few shall we find such as these were nay rather O curvae in terras animae coelestium inanes do not their belly cleave unto the ground How then can their mind and affections be lifted up to things above they are opposite Col. 3.1 2. The minds of most men now-a-days are sunk down drowned in earthly things sunk into their bellies venter non habet aures stultus non intelligit nisi ea dixeris quae sunt in corde ipsius they have no ear to listen to the Grace of God teaching them to live 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 soberly c. no ear to the Grace of God teaching them to live justly no ear to the Grace of God teaching them to live godly their god is their belly who mind earthly things Observ 2. Whither to refer those gifts of Temperance Chastity Sobriety which were notable in some Heathen men among whom we have no certainty that the Gospel had been preached among them Is it not said here that the Grace of God brings Salvation to all men it is not said that man teaches but that Grace teaches to live soberly Do we not read that God nurtureth the heathen Psal 94. We ought not to confine the teachings of Gods Grace only to the Pulpit Observ 3. Intemperate men are mad men which appears by the opposition which St. Paul makes in the Act and the prodigal young man wasted his substance but when he became sober he said to himself I will return and we are wont to say of Drunkards they are not themselves Let us hence be exhorted to learn this Lesson which the Grace of God teacheth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to live soberly temperately chastly modestly and moderately It is true there are sensible Objects which draw out the soul towards themselves as meats and drinks and beauty and honour and wealth and it is as true that God hath planted or set in our nature natural affections or desires but the Grace of God winds up those desires unto higher Objects Gen. 1.28 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the second special Rule in this second positive Lesson is to live righteously The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ye have in Rom. 7.12 speaking of Gods Law or Commandment according to which we should square our lives it is holy and just and good The thing we call Justice or Righteousness is either general or particular and is recorded or contained in the moral and judicial Laws of God wherein we have the form of Obligation both to God and our Neighbour not from the Nature of the things only but also from the Authority of our Law-giver Now the righteous Law of God prescribes Rules for those who live in luce vita communi and it contains duties of Wisdom and Justice as well to those who live private as to such who are in more publick employments The Reason why we ought to live justly is taken from our due conformity unto the just God whence we may take notice of that common cement whereby mankind is united even Justice and Righteousness such as is according to the perfect law of righteousness Hence are to be reproved those who under pretence of Righteousness prove unjust unrighteous But let us be perswaded to live justly or righteously He that is righteous let him be righteous still that is more righteous 3. 〈◊〉

Commandment without spot unrebukable until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ which the blessed and only Potentate shall shew in his several seasons I have looked for this saving health and done after the Commandments what then if thy season be not yet come it behooves thee to keep the Commandment of God without spot and unrebukeable until the like appearing unto thee which the Lord will shew in his special season unto thee Mean time is thy work done hast thou learned the first Lesson of the Grace of God hast thou denied thy self c. and the second hast thou taken up thy Cross daily and the three special Rules to live soberly righteously and godly in this present world Be confident and fully assured of what the Apostle saith Gal. 6.2 I have heard thee in a time accepted in the day of salvation have I succoured thee behold now is the accepted time now is the day of salvation Let us be exhorted to believe the glorious appearing hope and look for it 1 Pet. 1.13 Love his appearing 2 Tim. 4.8 Mortifie our earthly members cleanse our selves from all pollution both of flesh and spirit for the Grace of God that brings salvation to all men hath appeared teaching us like children let us then humble our selves as a little child Vnless we receive the kingdom of heaven as a little child we shall by no means enter thereinto O let us humble our selves and learn these Lessons as little children to deny ungodliness c. in this present world then may we with confidence and infallible certainty hope and assuredly look for the glorious appearing of the Great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ Amen NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS UPON TITUS III. 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This is a faithful saying and these things I will that thou affirm constantly that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works these things are good and profitable unto men THe words are part of an Epistle and contain in them these parts 1. Exordium 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. a faithful saying 2. Narration 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they who have believed might be careful to maintain good works 3. Epilogus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 these things are good unto men The Text contains an Apologie for 1. the Preacher and 2. his Doctrine 1. For the Preacher it is a faithful saying or saying of faith confidence and boldness and therefore the Preacher must be bold in the delivering of it these things I will that thou affirm constantly 2. It 's a faithful saying and an Apologie for the Preachers Doctrine that they who have believed in God be careful to maintain good works To the practice of this Doctrine the Preacher invites us by motives so powerful that they move all men for whereas 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that which is good draws all to the participation of it And whereas good is honestum jucundum aut utile honest pleasant or profitable good The two former kinds are contained in the first word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 these good works are honest also fair beautiful pleasant and delightful But whereas a thing may be pleasant and delightful which yet is not profitable but rather hurtful and destructive for so sensual delights are as a bait with an hook and extrema gaudii luctus occupat these things are good and profitable unto men For our orderly proceeding in the handling of all these we must begin where the Apostle ends 1. Good works are honest pleasant fair and profitable unto men 2. They who have believed in God ought to be careful to maintain good works which are good and profitable unto men 3. St. Paul gives charge to Titus that he affirm constantly that they who have believed in God ought to be careful to maintain good works 4. This is a faithful saying and the Apostle wills that Titus affirm constantly that they who have believed in God be careful to maintain good works 1. Good works are honest fair and beautiful pleasant and profitable unto men This Divine Truth according to the Epithets of works cannot be dispatch'd all at once but may be divided into these two Axioms 1. Good works are honest fair or beautiful for so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth both 2. Good works are profitable unto men 1. Good works are honest fair or beautiful Where we must enquire 1. what good works are 2. what the property honest is and 3. what is fair or beautiful 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 good works are all virtues and virtuous actions all holiness and righteousness in general generally the duties of the whole Moral Law of God according to Matth. 5.17 Not to destroy the Law but to fulfil it 7.21 Not he that saith Lord Lord but he that doth the will of my Father and 19.17 There is none good but God but if thou wilt enter into life keep the Commandments 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifie also honest works Honestum est bonore dignum 3. The same 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifie also works fair or beautiful Now a thing or person is said to be fair or beautiful which hath the comely proportion of all the parts one towards another whence proceeds a lustre or shining And works are said to be fair or beautiful when all the causes and circumstances concurr whence ariseth a like spiritual lustre and shining and loveliness so every good act is ex integra causa it hath all the causes and adjuncts good otherwise malum ex quolibet defectu any one defect renders the work evil as alms-giving with a trumpet Mat. 6. The reason of this why good works are honest they have something that proceeds from God as the honour that comes from God only Joh. 5.44 even the participation of his goodness which is his Christ Hos 3.5 the honour of God 1 Pet. 2. and point us to his honour Phil. 1.11 the Apostle prays that they may be filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God And to what other Original can we refer the beauty of good works than to the same God who puts his comeliness upon his people Ezech. 16.14 Thou art fairer than the children of men why Grace is poured into thy lips Psal 45.2 Observ 1. Note hence what is the principal and truly amiable and lovely beauty in the eyes of God Angels and good men what else but the beauty of good works the beauty of holiness this was that which David desired to see Psal 27.4 One thing have I desired of the Lord that will I seek after to behold the beauty of the Lord. This is most desired of the Lord himself and most delighted in Psal 45.10 when we relinquish our own people and our fathers house so shall the King greatly desire thy beauty the beauty of the Bride most lovely see how the Bridegroom adorns her Ezech. 16 9-14 Observ 2. If good works be fair and

beautiful and render those who act them such then are evil works ugly and deformed and make those who do them such in the eyes of God and good men Repreh This justly reproves our blind eyes who look upon these beauties and those wherein they are as uncomely and without beauty as Isai 53.2 reports the opinion of the Church concerning him who is the fairest of ten thousand he shall grow up before him as a tender plant and although the adorning of a meek and quiet spirit be in the sight of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a garment of great price 1 Pet. 3.4 yet it 's a dress quite out of fashion and men and women are commonly ashamed to be seen in it but the time shall come when that prophecy of Isa 3.18 shall be fulfilled when the Lord shall take away the bravery of their tinkling ornaments c. and their men shall fall by the sword c. and Chap. 4.1 Seven women shall take hold of one man c. vers 2. In that day shall the branch of the Lord be beautiful and glorious the words are otherwise to be rendered the branch of the Lord his Christ shall then be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for beauty and glory That which was esteemed deformity before shall then be esteemed beauty and glory Exhort To adorn our selves with the beauty of holiness with the ornaments of good works how doth every one endeavour to be as fine as a bride It is the ambition of every one even the meanest the Maid will be as fine as her Mistris and every one will be called Lady and as gay as a Lady she will be There is an honour that every one is capable of an honour that comes of God only even Christ himself who to believers is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 honour 1 Pet. 2. Marg. There is a perfection of beauty the beauty of good works fair and beautiful works whereof every one may be partaker Zion the Church is the perfection of beauty Psal 50.2 and God's comliness is perfect Ezech. 16.14 and God's will is and the Apostle prays for the fulfilling of it that we may be filled with the fruits of righteousness Phil. 1.11 And our Lord gave himself for us that he might sanctifie and cleanse us and present us without spot or wrinkle or any such thing This is the beauty which the Lord requires to be in his believers 1 Tim. 2.9 10. as women professing Godliness with good works for the obtaining of this beauty the Apostle exhorts the Philippians 4.8 9. and the Psalmist prays Psal 90.16 17. Let thy work appear unto thy servants and thy glory unto their children and let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us and establish thou the work of our hands upon us yea the work of our hands establish thou it Rom. 13.13 2. Good works are profitable unto men A thing is said to be profitable which is useful or conducing as a means to the end as Physick is a means to procure health Now a means commodious to an end is either 1. Such as without which the end cannot be obtained as a ship to pass the Seas or 2. Such as without which the end may be attained unto as a staff is profitable for a journey but not necessary If therefore it be here enquired in what degree of profitabless good works are here to be understood I doubt not to affirm that the former degree is here meant and so good works are so profitable unto men that without them men obtain not their end Now the end is either Mediate or Ultimate 1. Mediate and that is Faith whereunto men are won by good works 1 Cor. 9.19 20 21. 1 Pet. 3.1 2. 2. The Ultimate end is also advanced by good works in respect of this Faith it self is a work Phil. 1.6 which tends unto the end even the salvation of our souls Hebr. 13.7 whose faith follow considering the end of their conversation and what end is that 1 Pet. 1.9 the salvation of their souls and is there not an higher end advanced by these surely there is even the glory of God Mat. 5. The reason why good works are profitable unto men may appear from hence that they are of the same nature with the life and salvation it self Joh. 3.36 He that believeth on the Son hath the everlasting life And therefore the Apostle calls good works 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 6.9 Good works are the old way of the Lord wherein he hath appointed Abraham and all the sons of Abraham to walk Gen. 18.19 And to walk in this way the Lord hath created us Eph. 2.10 We are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works Object But if good works be profitable in such a degree it should seem that they may be rested on without Christ and by vertue of them eternal life obtained Answer We ought not to divide the effect from the cause Good works from the Author whence they proceed It is the Lord who works all our works in us Esay 26. yet not without us for we co-operate with him Acti agimus we act being acted by him Therefore the Psalmist who saith He that doth these things shall never be moved Psal 15.5 He saith Psal 16.8 The Lord is on my right hand I shall not be moved Or as St. Peter quotes the words out of the Greek He is on my right hand 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 2.25 for this end that I should not be moved Observ 1. Cui bono of what excellent use good works are Psal 19.10 11. Prov. 3.13 18. Wisd 8.7 1 Tim. 4.8 Observ 2. Note the sphere and bounds of good works They are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not so to God Job 22.2 Can a man be profitable unto God and 35.7 8. Exhort Let us deal in this profitable Commodity See Notes on Psal 112. 3. They who have believed God ought to be careful to maintain good works Which for our more distinct proceeding we must resolve into these particular Axioms 1. We ought to believe God 2. They who have believed God ought to maintain good works 3. They who have believed God ought to be careful to maintain good works 1. We ought to believe God Belief is an assent unto a testimony which because it is either Divine or Humane answerably the belief is either an assent unto the Testimony of God or of man The former is here to be understood which the Apostle describes Heb. 11.1 See Notes in Gen. 15. Now whereas Faith is either in the Father Son or Spirit as we say in the Apostles Creed I believe in God the Father c. Faith is required in every one of these 1. Belief in God the Father is required of which the Apostle speaks Heb. 11.6 He that cometh unto God must believe that he it c. The words are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They who have believed God Here is neither 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉

not only mente tenere to hold in ones mind and think well of them nor is it a Believers duty only to dispute for them plead and reason for them To maintain good works is not only ore or lingua-tenere to hold good works in mouth and tongue To maintain good works is manu tenere to practice them whatever our hand finds to do to do it with all our might Observ 4. Works though good honest fair profitable unto men both to bring them to the faith and to the end of their faith the salvation of their Souls yet find opposition in the World they need maintenance and defence Yea because they are good Many good works have I shewed you from my Father for which of these works do ye stone me saith our Lord Joh. 18.32 The Jews were ashamed to own that for a cause but as many at this day because they have no true cause why they hate those who plead for Faith and good works accuse them of erroneous judgement false doctrine c. as the Jews accused our Lord of Blasphemy But St. John speaks home to this purpose 1 Joh. 3.12 Wherefore did Cain slay his brother but because his own works were evil and his brothers righteous See Notes on 1 Thess 4.1 Observ 5. Hence appears a great difference between those works which are commonly accounted such and those which are truly and really such and so to be esteemed Men commonly conceive of Liberality and some works of Charity as the only works which we call good works And yet indeed such a man may do and sin in so doing as our Laws make mention of a Corrodie which was an allowance to eat and drink given to some slow bellies and idle persons who refuse to labour God is infinitely more merciful than all men yet hath he commanded that he who will not labour shall not eat yea it is possible that man may do such good works yet perish 1 Cor. 13.1 2 3. Whereas the true good works are of a far greater latitude Godliness is profitable for all things The true good works which have Faith for their Principle the Word of God for their Rule good will for their Motive Grace for their Strength the Glory of God for their End These are they that are profitable unto men to Faith to the end of their Faith the salvation of thei● souls These are generally all virtues and virtuous actions which are common to all men and such as are more special and proper to certain orders of men both which are comprized in these two words which meet us often in Scripture justice and judgement Justitia est omnis virtus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Justitia in sese virtutes continet omnes Judgement I conceive to be every mans duty in his own place and calling And thus some conceive 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be used 1 Sam. 8.11 which we render the manner This will be the manner of the king that shall reign over you for so Kings Princes Governours and all Magistrates have their office in governing the people and such are their good works The Minister hath his duty also in teaching the people So St. Paul gives charge to Timothy Preach the word in season and out of season c. Be thou totus in his He must not leave the word and serve tables Act. 6. And although the Deacons office was about ministring to the poor yet they preached the word also This seems to be the Reason why the Levite must have no portion among his brethren his whole business was about the service of God And these are their good works Every one of the people hath somewhat or other to do in his own special place or calling his trade and profession of life and herein he ought to be employed And these are their good works Generally Magistrate Minister and People every Believer who believes God and Christ and so dwells in him he hath his good works He who saith he abideth in him ought himself so to walk as he walked 1 Joh. 2.6 Observ 6. Hence it 's evident that our Church according to this sence maintains good works and that in a greater latitude than they do who most contend for them for they summ them up to seven kinds whereas good works are all virtues and virtuous actions of the Christian life yea we maintain them in a better place degree or order than they do who place their justification in them we maintain them to be the soul and life of Faith and inward justification not as the causes of the same as will appear if we compare the Text with the words before Observ 7. Note hence what is the true Faith of those who believe God See Notes on Gen. 15. Observ 8. Some there are under the means who believe not aright in the living God Act. 17.4 5. 2 Thess 3.1 2 3. And may we not averr the like of many at this day For although all know there is a God yet all do not honour him with right thoughts will affections belief love Rom. 1.21 22. yea Titus 1. ult Repreh They are therefore hence blame worthy and justly to be reproved who content themselves with a barren and dead faith without the life and righteousness of good works Jam. 2.14 24. Much more are they to blame who abound in all manner of evil works 2 Pet. 1.9 Surely there are such yet they will pretend good works also that 's 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The word in the Text but in another sence for however they contend for good works and plead for them that they ought to be done yet in the winding up when they speak home to the matter their maintaining of good works is only in pretence and in words when there is no necessity of them to Salvation for they are justified and saved without them And then what remains but that all obedience and good works be meerly arbitrary and left to our discretion among the consequents of Salvation See Notes on Jam. 1.22 To maintain good works may prove chargeable we are said to maintain that which we are at charge withall If they who believe God be saved what need they maintain good works if less will serve the turn c. Vide Notes ubi supra Exhort To maintain good works There is a kind of maintenance in our Law used in evil part a seconding a cause depending in suit between others against Law But the maintaining of good works of Faith Hope Love Joy Meekness Temperance Patience c. Against these things there is no law Gal. 5. These have the countenance of Law Divine and Humane of good Angels and Men. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To maintain good works may be more specially understood and rendred as our Translators turn the word vers 4. To profess honest trades for so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used Eph. 4.28 To work with their hands the thing that is good and the following words that he may

have to give 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to him that needeth And vers 14. we have like words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for necessary uses The Reasons may be 1. The uncertainty of humane things experience easily teacheth how subject they are to change so that the highest part of the wheel may soon turn and be laid in the dust And therefore it hath been the prudence and sagacity of many Princes and great ones of the world as those of Germany though they abounded with worldly prosperity to learn Trades that therein they might spend much of their precious time which commonly others misimploy as also probably foreseeing a possibility of change they might provide a means for support of themselves in the ebb of a low estate And i● had been to be wished that the Gentry of this Nation had been so provident for themselves and families 2. Hereby they may so supply their own wants that they may not be burdensome to others so as drone-like to live on others labours Yea hereby they may be helpful unto others that end which the Apostle aimed at Eph. 4.28 Yea 3. These are necessary for Humane Societies And therefore the Wise man having recited the employments of certain Labourers and Artificers Ecclus. 38.32 saith Without these cannot a city be inhabited And vers 34. They maintain the state of the world However this be a good sence yet I find no place where 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 must needs so be understood And that sence doth not exclude but may well bear the meaning I have given of them as they signifie all virtues and virtuous actions The Reason why good works are profitable unto men may appear from hence that they are of the same nature with the life and Salvation it self Joh. 3.36 He that believeth on the Son hath the everlasting life And therefore the Apostle calls good works 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 6.9 we are perswaded after things of God and things that accompany Salvation Good works are the old way of the Lord wherein he hath appointed Abraham and all the Sons of Abraham to walk Gen. 18.19 And to walk in his way c. To this end the Lord hath created us Eph. 2.10 we are his Workmanship 3. They who have believed God ought to be careful to maintain good works The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 care that from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to think upon that from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth the mind so that to care for a thing is to mind it and think upon it and so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 answers to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Sam. 9.5 And because what we care for we fear least any evil befal it Hence it is that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 answers to many words in the Hebrew wich signifie to fear as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and therefore he who takes care is watchful to prevent evils Revel 16.15 Behold I come as a Thief blessed is he that watcheth and keepeth his garments And if the evil feared be too great he who cares for a thing calls for help against the evil predominant Phil. 1.9 10. This I pray that your love may abound c. Observ Hence we learn that there is in our faln nature yea in Believers a backwardness a carelesness to maintain good works yea whereas we are generally moved with profit and honour Si spes refulserit lucri who will shew us any good Every man is for his gain from his quarter c. Though good works be most profitable unto men yea though Godliness be profitable for all things and all promises be made unto it yet who takes not more care to encrease his temporal than his eternal Goods The Holy Ghost sets us over good works and would that we should excel in them and go before one another in the practice of them So 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth Though by corrupt nature we be ambitious and desirous of Honour and Precedency and to go one before another 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But as for going one before another in doing good and the exercise of good works how viciously modest we are How easily do we give place one to other Repreh Those who are very careful and forward to maintain the ceremonial works and Duties commanded by the secondary will of God but as for those of the Moral Law they are altogether careless This hath been the Guise and Fashion of all superstitious men since Cain began his way in the world they rather choose Sacrifice than mercy So did the Jews Esay 1. of which the Prophet here complains And Hosea 8.12 I have written to him the great things of my Law and they were counted as a strange thing yet it presently follows They Sacrifice flesh for mine offerings and eat it but the Lord accepteth them not now will he remember their iniquity c. for Israel hath forgotten his maker and buildeth Temples And therefore when Solomon was building the House of the Lord the Lord spake as ye have read 1 Kings 6.11 12.13 And our Lord blames the Scribes and Pharisees Hypocrites who paid tithe of mint and dill and cummin and omitted the weightier matters of the law judgment mercy and faith these things ought they to have done and not to leave the other undone Matth. 23.23 The like may we say of many of this present Generation they are very zealous for the Sabbath but as careless for the other Commandments the Sabbath was made for man man was made for all the other Commandments Eph. 2.9 10. yea and for that also if rightly understood The Lord loves the renewing of the mind and ceasing from sin more than New Moons and outward Sabbaths He loves Judgment Mercy and Faith above tithing Mint and Dill He prefers a remembrance of his Name and keeping his Commandments before Temples yea before Solomon's Temple made with hands He will have Mercy he will have Obedience rather than Sacrifice He wills that we be careful to maintain rather the Moral good works and Duties than the Ceremonial Services Exhort To be careful to maintain good works That which a man takes care of he makes it his business he is always mindful of it Look among all Professions Trades and Callings of men the Husbandman ploughs and sows his Seed he is careful how it thrives he riseth night and day Mark 4.27 and then he ploughs again And thus Redit Agricolis labor actus in annum It is his business and he is always careful of it The Merchant the Student is always plodding There is one common Reason of all this toil and care it is their business Beloved The maintenance of good works is every Believers business and therefore every Believer must be careful to maintain good works And whereas every Profession and Trade hath a respective care necessarily accompanying it this trade of life the maintaining of good works hath

render thanks for all the Creatures and all their excellencies which God hath given them and for himself and all the excellencies in himself so that what worth there is in all the world and every Creature in it Man is a debtor unto God for it and what worth there is in himself and every part in him Man is a debtor unto God for it yea he hath one part in him better worth than all the world as our Saviour speaks As if a City had received great privileges from a Prince and there were in it but one wise Man who knew those privileges and their worth this man were bound to thankfulness more than all thus much the dumb Creatures witness 1. The Sun cryes unto thee that it shines not for it self but for thee that it gives thee light to watch and labour and retiring it self it gives thee darkness to rest and sleep It makes variety in the year for thy delight temperature of the Spring heat of Summer fulness of Autumn cold of Winter 2. The earth bears thee nourisheth thee strengthens thee with bread makes thy heart glad with wine 3. The water gives thee drink and purgeth away thy filth 4. The air gives thee free breathing 5. Earth air and water breed and bring thee up fish fowl and cattel for thy necessity thine use thy help thy delight thy comfort thy learning thine example Go to the pismire thou sluggard and learn her wayes and be wise Go to the Oxe and Ass and learn their wayes the Oxe knows his owner c. Go to the Stork and Turtle and Crane and Swallow and learn their wayes they know their time and teach thee thine Yea all the world the mute and brute Creatures though they know not their Creator yet shew him unto thee as an arrow shot at a mark sees not the mark 't is shot at yet directs and points unto it Now what doth the Lord thy God require of thee O man for all his outward worlds What else but that thou remember thy Creatour and be thankful for want of this and holding the knowledge of this truth in unrighteousness see what a deluge of sin and punishment for sin breaks in upon us Rom. 1.18 What doth the Lord require of thee for his inward worlds but that thou remember thy God the Son thy Creatour and that thou approve thy self his Workmanship his Creature created by Christ unto good works that thou mayest walk and live in them what else but that thou shew forth his virtues and praises who hath called thee out of darkness into his marvellous light NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS UPON HEBREWS I. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Who being the brightness of his glory THese words contain our Saviours Eternal Generation wherein Two things are to be explained 1. What 's meant by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we turn glory 2. What 's meant by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the brightness of glory 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the glory of God is the excellency and eminency of all the attributes and works of God wrought either 1. Immediately by himself or 2. Mediately by his Creatures in regard of which God is said to be glorious Thus God is glorious in power Exod. 15.6 and vers 11. glorious in holiness and his Name i. e. his Nature is said to be glorious Deut. 28.58 The glory of God appears also in his works which he manifests both on the bodies of men as Matth. 15.30 31. Great multitudes came unto him having with them those who were lame blind dumb maimed and many others and cast them down at Jesus feet and he healed them insomuch that the multitude wondered when they saw the dumb to speak and they glorified the God of Israel And on the souls and spirits of men Thus the Disciples glorified God for his Grace vouchsafed to the Gentiles Act. 11.18 Thus they glorified God in Paul Gal. 1.24 This glory by reason of the lustre and manifestation of it is called light Thus Luk. 2. The glory of the Lord shined round about them And in the transfiguration when Christ manifested his glory his face shined as the Sun of which St. Peter speaking saith That they heard a voice from the excellent glory Thus 1 Cor. 15.41 There is one glory of the Sun another of the Moon and one Star differs from another in glory 2. Of this glory Christ is the brightness i. e. Such Christ is unto God the Father as light is unto the Sun light of his light brightness of his brightness clearness and lustre of his lustre and clearness For this lustre and brightness he himself prays unto his Father that it may be made manifest Joh. 17.5 for whereas especially are considerable in the Sun 1. The Planet which is as it were the body of the light 2. The brightness and clearness issuing from that body 3. An enlivening and quickning heat That body or fountain of light resembles God the Father the brightness and clearness thence issuing answers to God the Son who is here called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 resplendescentia or the shining from the Father the enlivening or quickning heat descends from both and answers to the holy Spirit the spirit of life The same word is used by the Wise Man speaking of wisdom which is Christ Wisd 7.26 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The house was filled with a cloud and the Court which was the Gentiles was filled with the brightness of the Lords glory Ezeck 10.4 more fitly Mich. 5.2 Thou Bethlem Ephrata c. out of thee shall go forth HE who shall rule Israel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and his shinings forth are from the beginning the word is proper to the shining of the Sun and applyed to Christs Eternal Generation Of this there can be given no Reason à priori as they speak God the Father and God the Son being the first and the beginning it self and therefore no Reason can be alledged to demonstrate as before either See Notes on Hebr. 1.5 wherein is seen the great difference between the filiation or sonship of Christ and Christians Christ being a Son by natural Generation and ab eterno Christians being Sons by Adoption and born in time Christ born by Nature as the light from the Sun Christians by Grace and the good will and pleasure of God Of his own will be begat us James This may be of use unto us divers ways which that ye may the better understand I shall first name such uses as flow from the absolute consideration of God and his Glory and Christ the brightness of his Glory Secondly Such as follow from the relative consideration of them 1. This acquaints us with the nature of God he is a Glorious God a God who dwells in light and there is no darkness in him a God whose eminency and excellency transcends all his creatures The God of Glory Acts 7. yea God and his Glory are taken one for the other The spirit of Glory and of God 1

there was this difference between them Moses appeared terrible unto his beholders Christ amiable unto his wherefore 't is added Mark 9.15 They were greatly amazed and running to him saluted him Observe then the ground of that Majesty which is conspicuous in Kings and Princes Christ himself saith by me Kings Reign He hath imprinted in Kings Princes and Governours multum Dei saith Aquinas See Notes on Psal 112. 2. God calls us by the Ministration of his Spirit which is Glory 2 Cor. 3.8 where again we have glorious for so Christ was raised from the dead by the Glory of the Father Rom. 6.4 That Glory of the Father is the Spirit of the Father Rom. 8.11 If the Spirit of him that raised up Christ from the dead shall quicken your mortal bodies by his spirit that dwelleth in you By this Glory and Virtue i. e. by the Spirit and Power the Lord calls us to be partakers of his Glory Christ himself hath promised it Joh. 17.24 Father I will that all they whom thou hast given me be with me where I am that they may behold my Glory All the Saints partake of it even in this life in some good measure more or less for as any body is more or less lucid and capable of light so it reflects it and discovers it unto others So all and every Saint of God according to that capacity receive of this Glory and Majesty as being all called by glory and vertue 2 Pet. 1. for so it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That Glory of Moses figuring the Law was formidable The people durst not behold the face of Moses That of Christ is amiable and lovely The people were astonished at first sight but then they ran unto him and saluted him Marc. 9.15 And therefore when Moses prayes the Lord to shew his Glory i. e. his face which is Christ Exod. 33.18 vers 19. The Lord faith I will make all my glory to pass before thee Exhort To aspire to behold that Majesty this was the ambition of Moses Exod. 33.18 I beseech thee shew me thy glory This Spirit is that wisdom of a man which makes his face to shine Eccles 8.1 As they who beheld Stephen saw his face shine gloriously as it had been the face of an Angel Act. 6. last This the Apostle speaks plainly 2 Cor. 3.18 We all behold as in a glass the glory of the Lord with his open face So it is opposed to Moses that put a veil upon his face So all our old Translations and the Reformed Churches and are transformed into the same image from glory unto glory even by the Spirit of the Lord which is his glory This is that which in a figure the Lord promised Hag. 2.7 That the desire of all nations should come i. e. Christ and fill this house with glory i. e. believers who are his house Heb. 3.6 Whose house are we for know ye not that your bodies are the temples of the holy Ghost These temples be will fill with glory and majesty Act. 13.15 When Paul and Barnabas entred into the Synagogue of Antioch in Pisidia the Rulers sent to them saying Men and brethren if ye have any word of exhortation to the people say on They call the Sermon wont to be made in the Synagogue by the name of Exhortation And surely it is or ought to be the drift of all our Sermons to exhort unto the duties of the Christian Life and such most what must be my discourse at this time because having not finished this Text the next words contain clean a different matter Sign Every man thinks he hath a store in this self-love makes men conceive all the priviledges of the Saints to belong to them but without holiness no man shall see the Lord A wicked man shall not see the Majesty of the Lord Esay 26.10 Means Is this possible that any man should see the Majesty of the Lord There is a rude draught of Gods Majesty in the creature Rom. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and that 's enough to make men inexcusable who hold that truth in unrighteousness for no man hath seen God at any time The only begotten Son who is in the bosome of the Father he hath declared him Joh 1.18 So that no man knows the Father but the Son Matth. 11.27 In Christ therefore we see the Father As the splendor or Majesty of the Sun cannot be seen in its self but in a glass as through a cloud it may be seen So neither can the Majesty of the Father be seen in himself but in Christ who is the brightness of the everlasting light the unspotted mirrour or glass of the power of God and the image of his goodness saith the Wiseman Sapient 7.16 In him he may be seen But how in him since no man can see God and live Exod. 33.20 Is this sight of Gods Majesty after this life Respon He must first dye that precious death of the Saints Psal 116. He must be dead with Christ he must be conformable to his death and so he shall see the Father And therefore the Lord saith to Moses Exod. 33.21 when he had desired him to shew him his glory 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 behold there is a place with me or by me as neer as could be That place is Christ himself for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is one of the names of God And so that place was by him indeed or in him rather as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may signifie as the Father is in the Son And therefore it presently follows thou shalt stand upon the rock now the rock is Christ 1 Cor. 10. And therefore it shall come to pass saith the Lord when my glory shall pass by I will put thee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in a elift of the rock the word in the Syriack Matth. 27. is used for the Sepulchre of the Lord when we are conformahle unto his death and have all affections and lusts dead as it were buried with him then we see the Lord We bear about in our bodies the dyings of the Lord Jesus that the life also of Jesus may be made manifest and appear and be seen in our mortal body This is one means and a second is mutual love and charity 1 Joh. 4.12 No man hath seen God at any time if we love one another God dwelleth in us and his love is perfected in us Thus eye hath not seen nor ear heard nor hath it entred into the heart of man i. e the natural man what God hath prepared for them that love him 3. On the right hand in the highest Let us aspire unto this highest eminency to sit with Christ in the highest God the Father hath set Christ with him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eph. 1 20-21 And he sets all true Christians there Eph. 2.6 'T is wonderful what the force of imagination is Men fancy to themselves that they are in heaven though they live in their sins and their earthly mind This

Little children let no man deceive you children are often deceived with shews He that doth righteousness is righteous Yes you 'l say before men yea and God himself approves him so too for it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 even as he that is as Christ so the the Syriac as Christ is righteous such a righteous man is more excellent than his neighbour For what doth another boast of nobility of birth the Righteous man hath God for his Father what of a great Inheritance the Righteous man is Gods Heir or Co-heir with Christ Rom. 8. Heir of Heaven and Earth What then of sumptuous fare as the rich man fared deliciously every day The Righteous man eats the Spiritual Food the Heavenly Mannah he eats the flesh of Christ and drinks his blood Joh. 6. What then of raiment as the rich man was cloathed in purple and fine linnen the Righteous man is cloathed with the Righteousness of Christ not as with a cloak of maliciousness 1 Pet. 2.16 not as with a cloak to cover knavery but they have put on the New Man The word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it notes the inward cloathing as the Kings daughter is all glorious within Such a Righteous man hath a more excellent name and nature and is better than his neighbour 3. Christ is so much better than the Angels by how much he hath obtained by inheritance a more excellent name than they The Reason of this is considerable from the name and nature of God Deut. 28.58 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That name that honourable that terrible name the Lord thy God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he is his name and his name is himself and he himself is the fountain of Honour and therefore by how much the nearer any one approacheth to the nature of God by so much he must needs have the more excellent name and Honour than others have and therefore Christ being coessential and consubstantial with his Father and as the Father calls him Zach. 13.7 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The man that is my Fellow with me or in me and his name in him Exod. 23.21 And the Angels though glorious powerful wise and good yet being but created natures hence it must needs follow that Christ must be so much better than the Angels by how much he hath obtained by inheritance a more excellent name than they Object 1. If so then who have obtained more excellent names are so much the better Answer 1. Name is here Nature Being Dignity Object 2. But it seems that even their outward name makes better for the Apostle calls Festus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 best of all Acts 26.25 when yet he was a most wicked man Answer This Title of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or optimus most noble was wont to be given to the Roman Presidents such as Faelix and Festus were as having been chosen such in the beginning and flourishing estate of that Common-wealth they who were Candidates and stood for Offices were called Boni good men they who obtained were Optimi Sen. lib. 1. Ep. 3. Because then they excelled in Rule Eminency Justice c. and answered to those names but in faece Romuli when that Common-wealth declined in point of Virtue Prowess Justice c. they chose Presidents by favour and for rewards c. So that the name of Optimus held to the Office and Dignity though the person were unworthy of it and therefore S. Paul whose rule was Let every Soul be subject to the higher powers c. The powers that are are ordained c. He reverenced the person for his Office and Dignity sake Thus he honoured Festus and Ananias Acts 23.5 Observ It is betterness and excellency of being that makes the true difference and superiority for to what purpose is it to have a Glorious name and yet not have a nature and being consonant thereunto to be called Judas a praiser of God and yet to be a Traitor Zedekiah the righteousness of God yet be unjust John yet Graceless Andrew but have no courage against sin Simon yet not obedient Peter yet unstable in the Faith Observ what is the true Nobility As in worldly respects the Prince who confers Honour is the fountain of Honour and by how much men are nearer unto him they are the more Honourable so in regard of Divine matters God whose name is of himself is the fountain of Divine Honour and therefore the Saints holy men godly men religious men these are the true honourable noble and excellent men So the Psalmist puts one for the other Psalm 16.3 My goods are nothing unto thee but to the Saints which are on the earth Who are they Even the excellent ones those in whom all Gods delight is that follows they are Gods Favourites they that honour him and therefore such as without doubt he will honour 1 Sam. These are they that are near unto him Psalm 148.14 Reproof If Christs Honour be better than the Angels by how much he hath obtained by inheritance a more excellent name nature and being than they This reproves those who account themselves and others better men than others though they have not obtained any better name nature and being than others have such are they who esteem themselves according to those empty names and titles of fantastick Honour that they have gotten in the world who receive Honour one of another and seek not the Honour that comes of God only John 5.44 And what is that Glory What else but that Testimony which God alone gives to the sincere and upright in heart who alone knows it And to every such an one Glory Honour and Peace to him that so doth good to the Jew first and also to the Gentile for there is no respect of persons with God Rom. 2.10 Or 2. Because more full of knowledge than others Discipuli Sapientum Such are they who esteem of themselves and others as better men than others are because they are Athenians in respect of the Lacedemonians they are richer than others are And truly Beloved this reproof is calculated proper for this City where money answereth all things if men be compared piety holiness c. are not respected as any thing conconcerning but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If for Magistracy men look at wealth at Patronage Friends Relations Knowledge stronger of young men of women more beautiful it stands instead even of Virtue goodness and honesty it self O Cives Cives quaerenda pecunia primum est Virtus post nummos I speak not of poor men flatterers of the rich that for their own advantage they esteem and call them good virtuous wise c. but this misprision hath infected our language so that it 's your common dialect and manner of speech instead of calling a rich man ye call him a good man and instead of calling one a richer ye call him a better man or an honester man Are not these your Phrases And do they not betray a corrupt and infected heart

according to a reprobate mind hateful and hating of one another Rom. 1. Not considering that our end is drawing on when our ill-placed love our hatred our envy shall perish nor shall we have a portion with the righteous in the world to come so the Chaldee understands Ecclus. 9.6 Observ 5. This is a rule for the regulating of our love and our hatred to love according to Gods method of loving and to hate according to Gods method of hating Righteousness is more lovely than any man First they love Righteousness and then the man Iniquity is more hateful and abominable than any man hate therefore first the iniquity But may I hate the man Truly I may not I dare not hate any man David it 's true said Do I not hate them O Lord that hate thee and am I not grieved for those that rise up against thee I hate them with a perfect hatred I count them mine enemies Were I so joyned unto the Lord and of one Nature and Spirit with him so that I knew infallibly who were the incorrigible enemies of God then I might hate such being in such a bond we should have common friends and common enemies But when mine heart tells me that there are enemies of my God within me and such as rise up against him These I ought first to hate with a perfect hatred and account them mine enemies Nor doth this hinder but that justice may proceed against ungodly and incorrigible wicked men But before thou and I determine who in special is the enemie of God and pretend to our selves to be Gods friends Let us remember Joh. 8. The woman taken in adultery and Col. 1.21 otherwise self-love will sooner incline us to make our enemies Gods than Gods true enemies ours Repreh 1. The subjects of this well-affected King how well affected soever they would seem to be who direct not their love aright they love not Righteousness nor their hatred aright they hate not iniquity but love the man and hate the man The man perhaps may have some good in him or he may be good unto us and then we love him delight in him Speak good of the covetous whom God abhorreth they have mens persons in admiration for advantage Then we can impute enough Righteousness unto him They of Philippi loved Pythonissa because she brought them in gain men can love the Devil himself if he be a profitable Devil Thus men extremely flatter and delude themselves conceiving that they love Righteousness whereas indeed they love iniquity These as they fable of Ixion think they embrace Juno when they embrace only a cloud Yea oftentimes men are so grosly mistaken in themselves and others that though they themselves be the serpents seed yea serpents and a generation of vipers yet they hate and oftentimes the true seed of the woman Is not that time come or near to come whereof our Lord speaks Joh. 16.1 2. What shall we say of such men but that Naash hath put out their right eyes 1 Sam. 11.1 The Serpent the God of this world hath blinded their eyes that they cannot direct their love or hatred aright Repreh 2. The ill affection and busie disposition of some who judge falsly and uncharitably of the well affected subjects of Jesus Christ whom because they love righteousness and hate iniquity and accordingly endeavour to lead their lives uprightly patiently humbly c. They conceive that this they do out of fear of punishment should they do otherwise or hope of gain or some other base and inferiour motive It is much to be doubted that they who thus judge were never yet acquainted with the amiableness and loveliness of righteousness mercy goodness c. themselves that they think a man cannot love and live and practice them for themselves but he must be forced to it by base and slavish fear or hope Antisthenes a Philosopher taught his Scholars that a wise man lives not according to the laws instituted by men but according to the rule of virtue even because right Reason dictates what is good and what is evil Virtue compelled is not virtue Could a Philopher speak this of his moral virtues and may not a Christian say much more of the true righteousness of Jesus Christ if moral virtues be so lovely that they need no fear of laws to compel them to the life and practice of them Shall not the Christian virtues and graces be much more amiable How dare men thus intrude into the hearts of men Is it not Gods peculiar to search the heart Yet dare these men enter into the heart and judge from what principle actions proceed from thence Little do these men consider how manifestly they discover themselves to be ill affected and out of their own private disposition they judge of others Aristotle was asked what benefit he found in Philosophy his answer was By philosophy I have learnt to do that without constraint which other men do only for fear of the laws Other men abstain from theft for fear of the Laws a Philosopher therefore abstains because it is dishonest though he might commit it without fear of them The law is not made for the righteous man He would do what he doth whether there were law to punish or to reward yea or no. Consol Doth the Lord love Righteousness Alas I have none No I count mine own righteousness which is by the law dross and dung 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Doth the Lord hate iniquity I have too much of that 'T is like sore burden too heavy for me c. And how then can the Lord love me without his Righteo●●ness How can he but hate me for mine iniquity he is now chastening thee for sin that he may make thee partaker of his Righteousness Some good thing may be yea found in thee Cast it not away there is a blessing in it But the Lord will shew mercy to whom he will shew mercy Wo to those blind guides who seduce the credulous people amuse and hamper yet torture their consciences with scrupulosities of Election and Reprobation as if Rom. 9. were the rule of the Scripture and all the Scripture should not rather interpret that what saith the same Apostle Rom. 2.6 God shall render to every man according to his deed c. yea take notice that the Lord saith in the body of the Decalogue The Lord visits the iniquity of the fathers and shews mercy to thousands of them that love him and keep his commandments Repreh 3. Those who love a false righteousness and hate the true Righteousness This was figured by Adonizedeck who raised all the Kings against Josuah cap. 10.1 This is the Righteousness which Christ's Spirit reproves the world of Men may be worldly minded yet thus righteous Joh. 16. Such were the Sadducees and Pharisees the greatest enemies of Christ Christ's true Righteousness is a thorough Righteousness reforms the whole man Exhort To love Righteousness it is the policy of servants to insinuate themselves

for God must first be known which is an act of wisdom and being known be worshipped which is a duty of Religion therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being taken for the first of these is defined by Mercurius Trismegistus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the Stoicks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or to use the Apostles words the doctrine which is according to Godliness because it doth instruct us how to think of God aright and how to live according to his Law in holiness But being taken for the second this knowledge is reduced to practice for thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the doing of the work which in the sight of God is acceptable Thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are in sence though not in sound the same for pure and undefiled Religion before God and the Father doth consist in doing good and in eschewing evil 1 Pet. 3.11 in works of Charity and to use the School-mens phrase in works of innocency for to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction is reduced to the one and to keep himself unspotted of the world is referred to the other 1. The first thing in which pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father doth consist is this to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction for religion saith Alexander de Hales makes us conformable unto him to whom our religion tends now to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction is in the Father and the Son to whom we do direct our service a work most eminent for God is pleased to stile himself a Father of the fatherless and a judge of the widow Psal 68.5 for as a Father he provideth for their relief and maintenance Psal 146.9 And as a Righteous Judge he doth protect the Widow and defend the Orphan Deut. 10.18 For ye shall not afflict any widow nor any fatherless Child saith the Lord for if ye afflict them in any wise and they cry unto me I will surely hear their cry and my wrath shall wax hot against you And ye shall perish with the sword and your wives shall be widows and your children fatherless Exod. 22.24 The Prophet Baruch proves that the Gentiles Gods are Idols because they can shew no mercy to the widow nor do good to the fatherless But there are three which bear record in heaven the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost and these three are one Be as a father unto the fatherless and as an husband unto their mother so shalt thou be as the Son of the most high and he shall love thee more than thy mother doth Ecclus. 4.10 The fatherless and widows are the fittest objects of compassion for such are most exposed to misery and in their tribulation to shew mercy and do good to such God doth both command and recompence And seeing Love unfeigned is pure and undefiled Religion before God and the Father St. James doth instance in this particular work of Mercy as in a singular act of Charity which doth include the other duties which brotherly Love requires for by visiting the fatherless and widows in their affliction the bodily and spiritual works of Mercy yea the doing of good to all that are in want yea our whole duty to our neighbour saith the Gloss is signified all which is fulfilled in this saying Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self Gal. 5.14 But some having swerved from this are turned aside unto vain jangling and think that faith can make them pure and undefiled though Charity which is the life thereof be wanting But though I have all Faith saith St. Paul so that I could remove mountains if I have not Charity I am nothing 1 Cor. 13.2 For as the body without the spirit is dead so faith is dead if Love which is the life of faith be absent For if a man have no works what doth it profit him to say he hath faith can faith save him Jam. 2. Our hearts I do confess by faith are purified according to the Apostles Doctrine Act. 15.9 but this is not a dead but a living faith this is not faith alone but faith which works by Charity Gal. 5. For ye have purified your souls saith St. Peter in obeying the truth through the spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren 1 Pet. 1.22 Therefore if a brother or sister have need being naked or destitute of daily food and he which hath this worlds goods shutteth up his bowels of compassion from them how hath he the faith which maketh the conscience pure how dwelleth the love of God in him how can he conceive himself Religious who hath no Charity in which Religion stands therefore farre litet qui thure non potest let every one stretch forth his hand unto the needy and according to his power exercise himself in works of mercy Let every one when he hath opportunity do good to all but especially to the Saints which are upon earth even unto such as do excell in virtue For as there is a curse denounced to such as do devour widows houses and for a pretence make long prayers to such as exercise themselves in oppression wrong and violence under a pretence of Religion Zeal or Sanctity so unto such as are merciful as their heavenly father is merciful there is pronounced a blessing For unto such the Truth will say Come ye blessed children of my Father receive the Kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of the world for I was hungry and ye gave me meat I was thirsty and ye gave me drink I was a stranger and ye took me in naked and ye cloathed me I was sick and ye visited me I was in prison and ye came unto me Then shall the Righteous answer him saying Lord when saw we thee an hungred and fed thee or thirsty and gave thee drink when saw we thee a stranger and took thee in or naked and cloathed thee or when saw we thee sick or in prison and came unto thee And the King shall answer and say unto them Verily I say unto you inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren ye have done it unto me Matt. 25. 2. Secondly the second thing wherein consists the upright service performed to the God of Truth is innocency The pure and undefiled Religion before God and the Father is this To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction and to keep himself unspotted of the world It is not that which is without but that which is within which doth defile the man Therefore not the outward world but the inward world 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the world of which the Apostle in the Text doth speak For all that is in this world is the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes and the pride of life 1 Joh. 2.16 That is luxury covetousness and pride for this world is wholly set in wickedness 1 Joh. 5.19 Now the end why Christ our

host Judg. 7.22 And even thus that which is born of God overcomes the world For Midian is no other than the false judgement So Midian signifieth a cruel enemy to the Israel of God judging falsely of Gods people and the things of God and these the true Gideon breaks in pieces and dasheth one against another so Gideon signifieth Thus God confounded the language of the Babel builders one by another and dispersed them Gen. 11. And when they draw their tongues like a sharp sword and shoot out their arrows even bitter words suddenly do they shoot at the upright as the Psalmist speaks The Lord divides their tongues as David prays divide their tongues O Lord for I have espied iniquity and strife in the City Psal 55.9 And therefore this victory of Christ over the false judgement it 's said to be according to the day of Midian Esay 9.4 5. 2. Thus Christ destroys the Philistins 1 Sam. 14.20 by setting every mans sword against his fellow The Philistins are drunkards as the word signifieth Now there is a two-fold drunkenness 1. With wine and 2. With opinion and they are both extreme enemies to the people of God And therefore the power of Christ proceeds so in us for the conquest of these Jonathan went against these Philistins i. e. the gift of God So Jonathan signifieth and so Christ calls himsef The gift of God Joh 4.10 Eph. 4 7. And thus he sets one opinion against another and so confounds and infatuates them They are drunken saith the Prophet but not with wine they stagger but not with strong drink for the Lord hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep and hath closed your eyes Esay 29.9 10. And because this drunkenness of opinion is always accompanied with hypocrisie vers 13.14 Therefore the Lord said For as much as this people draw near me with their mouth and with their lips do honour me but they have removed their hearts far from me and their fear towards me is taught by the precept of men therefore behold I will proceed to do a marvellous work and a wonder for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish and the understanding of their prudent men shall he hid The Lord mingles amongst them a spirit of giddiness and infatuates them makes them fools one by anothers reasoning oppositions of science falsly so called 1 Tim. 6.20 till they come to their wits end and so become fools in this world that they may be wise 1 Cor. 3.18 2 Cor. 10.5 3. The like we may judge of the conspiracy of Ammon Moab and the inhabitants of Mount Seir against the people of God 2 Chron. 20.23 when the bastard and false religions figured by Ammon and Moab fight and overcome the Edomites the earthly minds and then fall at difference among themselves and destroy one the other Such conflicts as these there are within us had we acquaintance with our own hearts and spirits and could discern them Thus that which is born of God overcometh the world remotely and mediately And all these victories I ascribe unto Christ's restraining Grace 2. That which is born of God overcomes the world immediately And here the Combat is not between sin and sin but between the spirit and the flesh grace and sin good and evil virtue and vice righteousness and unrighteousness Christ and Belial that which is born of God and that which is born of the Devil Thus charity overcomes envy humility pride liberality covetousness patience anger sobriety drunkenness chastity incontinency piety prophaness and hypocrisie And generally all that which is born of God overcomes the world all that which is born of the Devil If we enquire into the causes of this victory I shall name only two 1. The Spirit of Christ the efficient cause Gal. 5.17 The flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit lusteth against the flesh and these are contrary the one to the other 2. The glory of God the final cause of all these victories 1 Cor. 1.27 God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things that are mighty and base things of the world and things despised hath God chosen yea and things which are not to bring to nought the things that are that no flesh should glory in his presence that according as it is written he that glorieth let him glory in the Lord. The uses are 1. Of Instruction 2. Reproof 3. Comfort 4. Exhortation 1. There are contrary births in us struggling and striving for mastery like the twins in Rebecca's womb Judge in your selves Beloved do ye not find the conflict in every one of your souls Doth not the flesh lust against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh Is there not an enmity between the seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent Do we not perceive the same enmity continued in our hearts Do we think that the Lord hath sworn in vain that the Lord will have war with Amalech from generation to generation Exod. 17.16 this war we read first there and Josuah leading the Israelites against Amalech we read also Saul fulfilling this oath 1 Sam. 15. where the Lord sends him to war with Amalech David also maintains the same war 1 Sam. 3.30 Mordecai and Esther also continue the fulfilling of it Esther 8. and 9. And do we think that this war is now ended The Lord hath sworn that he will have war with Amalech from generation to generation both under the law and under the Gospel And where now shall we find this war continued Where else but in every one of our hearts There 's an Amalechite there there 's a spawn of the Devil some of the Serpents seed that declines and sways the people from their obedience unto God and so licks up the people So properly Amalech signifieth and with this Amalech the Lord and that which is born of God will war from generation to generation These are those enemies which our Lord fore-tells of Matth. 24. That a mans enemies shall be those of his own houshold And this Amalech these enemies the Lord will destroy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with an hidden hand So the Greek interpreters render the words The Lord sware that he will have war with Amalech c. Even by the hand of Christ the power of God he had horns coming out of his hand and there was the hiding of his power Hab. 3.4 And by these he maintains war with the spiritual Amalech from generation to generation 2. But emnity may perhaps be dissembled smothered and conceiled and no hurt come of it Is the enmity of the world such No the world is a troublesome importunate and implacable enemy such as exerciseth enmity in fighting and troubling as David complains Psal 56.1 Man would swallow me up he is daily fighting and troubling me The Title of the Psalm is The Dove of the Congregation of them who

of the Life in the young plants a young Saint and an old Devil 't is one of the old Devils proverbs these are the Locusts the Canker Worms and Caterpillars which consume the young Plants and Sprouts the wild Asses who like Ishmael live the life of the wild Ass a savage and bruitish life and oppose the Life of God in themselves and others Job 39.8 The range of the mountains is his pasture and he searcheth after every green thing So that communion and fellowship with ungodly men makes this plant not thrive in us If the Goat lick the Olive Tree it will not bud saith Varro and the Olive is the Church of God Rom. 11. they are the wicked the true Amalekites who lick up the people as the Goat licks up and eats up the young buds Amalek smote the hindermost the weakest if outwardly understood 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if inwardly taken the licking or besieging sin which in every circumstance besets us supplanting the first good motions These Amalekites or Ishmaelites commonly oppose Virtue in others the Life of God in others as there is antipathy among Plants such there are who calumniate and reproach Christ growing up in his Paradise call his Life Madness Wisd 2. destroy it where ever it appears How is that possible can any hate that which is the true good wickedness grows up like a tree in them and there is an irreconcileable enmity between them for a good work say they we stone thee not Joh. 10.33 If these things be done in the green tree what shall be done in the dry Luk. 23.31 nor will men acknowledge that they hurt the Tree of Life for the good fruit of it But they have some other Reason he blasphemes he is an enemy to Caesar he works by Beelzebub and then take him and crucifie him The Paradise of God is so lovely and Christ the Tree of Life in it that who can hate it but when aspersions are cast upon it men look upon it as covered with them Thus they disparaged the Tree of Life Joh. 10.20 He hath a devil and is mad why hear ye him Observ 8. This Tree of Life is in the midst of Gods Paradise that it may give life to all the Plants he is the midst between God and Men the Mediator without the Church Non est salutare sacramentum sed neque salus sola est Ecclesia per quam sacrificium laudis Deus libentèr accipiat mercedem denarii non nisi qui intra vineam laboraverant acciperunt Observ 9. See their happiness who are in Christ they are in the Tree of Life Joh. 17.21 As thou Father art in me and I in thee so they also may be one in us In these are the true delights and pleasures and therefore truly called a Paradise which is watered with that river of pleasures Psal 36.8 They shall be abundantly satisfied or watered with the fatness of thy house and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures and why for with thee is the Well of Life Gen. 2.10 God is the Husbandman he waters it every moment he fences it he builds a Tower in it it is his hortus conclusus Gods Paradise and they happy who are planted in it Christ is in the midst of Gods Paradise as the Life of all the Trees of Righteousness in the heart of every one of Gods plantations so that we need not say lo here or lo there we like not such Doctrine because we desire to live loosely according to our own wills we avoid strict living because we like well of some of our sins or other we will not come unto Christ that we might partake of his Life being afraid to drink with him of his cup. 1. Hence those are to be reproved who seem to be branches of the True Vine of the Tree of Life yet bring forth no fruit worthy of it Ezek. 15.2 2. Let us be exhorted to remember whence we are fallen and return and do our first works return to this Rest this Paradise an entrance is open when we turn from our sins and all the Creatures and return Toto mundo corde for then we see God then we possess the Kingdom of Heaven which is within us and again delight our selves in the Paradise of God This is the sword of the Cherubim turning it self this way and that way if it turn from God to the Creatures it drives out of Paradise if from the Creatures to God it makes way for our return into the Paradise of our God This is that repentance which made way for the good Thief the two edged sword Hebr. 4.12 FINIS

true Jephtah was a figure of him who openeth and no man shutteth Christ himself Messiah the Prince the Mighty God Esay 9. He is born of an Harlot or the soul that had played the harlot and now returned unto her first Husband He is born of a strange woman so we turn 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the words signifie an after or second woman and imply the second birth for the first is that which is natural and then that which is spiritual The first Adam is of the Earth Earthly the second Adam is the Lord from Heaven Heavenly the Spiritual Heaven it self the God of Heaven This Spiritual birth this Heaven-born King in us His Brethren our carnal and earthly thoughts affections and lusts being grown great against him thrust him out of his own Dominion and he mean time is dumb and opens not his mouth he resists us not but flyes into the Land of Tob where 's that the good Land the Land of Goodness there the true Jephtah dwells Now when men have expelled the true King the Children of Ammon war against us God's the true Kings Kingdom and Monarchy degenerates into the very worst of all Governments A Democracy a popular State A wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the Land The Prophets prophesie falsly and the Priests take into their hands What 's the reason of it Ammon prevails my people love to have it so that 's the true Ammon The people refuse the waters of Shiloah which signifieth Christ who is sent saith St. John and rejoyce in Rezin Esay 8.6 their own choice their own will and pleasure so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth Esay 7.6 we choose for our King and reject and expell the true Christ of God who should Reign and Rule in us Thus what the Jews impudently answer to Jeremy pretending Gods right Jer. 44.16 we really and truly answer in our lives The word that thou hast spoken unto us in the Name of the Lord we will not hearken unto thee but we will certainly do whatsoever thing goeth forth out of our own mouth to burn incense unto the Queen of Heaven Thus we depose the King of Heaven whose right it is to Rule and set up the Queen of Heaven our own will pleasure and delight to rule and bear sway in us and every man doth what is good in his own eyes Mean time Jephtah is retired into the Land of Tob whence it is that all miseries are come upon us the Lord is retired to his place to Tob to the Land of Goodness O let us be exhorted to yield up the Government of our selves unto our own Natural and Lawful Liege Soveraign our true Lord and Governour Who can number up the Arguments to perswade us which are scattered every where in Scripture I shall name a few 1. The Prophets recommend that Golden Age unto us when God Reigns then all things which can make a Kingdom happy abounds 2. The main and principal foundation of his Throne are Justice and Judgment Psal 89.15 Righteousness and Judgment are the base and foundation of thy Throne Behold saith the Prophet Esay the King shall reign in Righteousness and Princes shall rule in judgment and lest that Government should be too severe and rigorous the Prophet David adds Mercy and Truth shall go before thy face 2. Safety the King is his Subjects Protector and Defender so is the King Christ Esay 32.2 The man shall be an hiding place from the wind and a covert from the tempest 3. He makes the Subjects Princes Psal 45.16 Wisd 3.8 Eccles 4.15 4. Prosperity and abundance of all good things which are understood in Scripture under the Name of Peace Esay 66.12 Behold I will extend peace unto her like a River and the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing stream where is no wrong nor violence there 's no injury no complaint All the people shall be righteous all shall be taught of God The Wolf shall dwell with the Lamb and the Leopard with the Kid Esay 11.6 7 8 9. For all the People of that Kingdom are not like those said to be in England France and Spain Regnum Hominum Asinorum Diabolorum but they are all Kings and Priests But who can express the Glory Riches and Excellency of God's Kingdom but he who is a true subject of it Alas we do but hear reports of it now when his Kingdom shall come which we pray for daily we shall say as the Queen of Sheba did to Solomon 1 King 10. It was a true report which I heard in mine own Land of thy Acts and thy Wisdom howbeit I believed not the words until I came and mine eyes had seen it and behold the half was not told me This wisdom and prosperity exceeds the fame which I heard Happy are these thy Men and happy are these thy Servants which stand before thee and hear thy Wisdom Oh! who would not fear thee O King of Nations for to thee the Kingdom appertains Jer. 10.7 and Apoc. 15.4 Who shall not fear thee O Lord and glorifie thy Name for thou only art holy for all Nations shall come and worship before thee Here 's a great deal of strife and contention who should have his Will who should Reign who should prevail 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 every one would be Master we read the Apostles advise is Be not many Masters O that the like contention and strife were who should most submit unto the King of Nations Edward the Confessor having no Heir asked an holy Man who should reign after him He answered God himself had a peculiar care of this Kingdom and he would provide The King of Kings is retired into the Land of Tob and hence all infelicity and misery befall us O let us endeavour to bring him back again as the People did Jephtah Let us go into the Land of Tob Hos 5.3 Let us desire him to dwell among us to take up his residence with us to fight our battels in us it is the tenour of our Petition to him this day Look impartially into the word of God and ye shall find Christ's Government will discover it self two wayes 1. By the obedience of his Subjects 2. By the prosperity of his Subjects 1. By the obedience of his Subjects this followeth naturally from the Law of Relation and Correlation where Christ Reigns there must be subjection and obedience and the Apostle confirms it His Servants ye are whom ye obey Rom. 6.16 Now the question might be wherein should we obey him Let me yet remember ye wherein consists the Kingdom of God and Christ Rom. 14.17 If in these things ye obey Christ ye are his Subjects therefore it followeth immediately vers 18. He that in these things serveth Christ is accepted of God and approved of men There is much contention about the true service of Christ in his Church St. Paul tells us it is in Righteousness that implyes departing from all evil and doing all good Thus much every

man will confess it 's so generally granted in all Ages 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Justitia in sese virtutes continet omnes In Righteousness all Virtues and Graces are contained we must then depart from evil Now though all grant this yet they will have the evil without them yes by all means if such great men were removed if all the Pictures and Images were broken Truly Beloved many great Ones and their Power hath been removed it was conceited if the High Commission and Star Chamber were put down and the Bishops deprived of their Robes all would be well All this was done and that perhaps deservedly yet look into the lives of men are they not as unrighteous as ever they were is' t not notoriously known and do not some speak it out boldly that they may now whore be drunk do any thing and no man will call them into question Have not your selves heard it and truly too spoken out of this place by another that the lives even of Professors hath been worse since that power to curb and check them hath been removed O Beloved except that great man of sin within us except our own unrighteousness our pride our enmity our malice cover them with what specious names we will except our unrighteousness be removed it 's to small purpose unto us what ever is removed without us we may for all that be no subjects to Christ 2. The second Imperial City is Peace a peaceable life wherein we must serve Christ the Laws of this City are extant before hand Mat. 5.22 I say unto you whosoever is angry with his brother shall be in danger of judgement 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without a cause is not extant in any old Copy saith St. Austin and Jerome nor is it extant in the Vulgar Latin or if it be added as in some Copies it is it signifieth rashly and without measure as well as without a cause vers 39. I say unto you resist not evil vers 44. I say unto you love your enemies c. Rom. 12.17 21. These Laws are indispensible by any power on Earth Do we in these things serve Christ then are we his Subjects then he reigns otherwise not I appeal therefore to thee whoever thou art Can'st thou be a Subject of Christ and yet hate any man it 's impossible St. Paul reckons these Affections among those who are without the Kingdom of Christ Tit. 3.3 4 5. Can'st thou say yet that thou art a subject of Christ yet nourish and harbour contention and bitterness against thy brother The Apostle gives thee the lye Jam. 3.14 If ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts glory not and lye not against the truth But thou wilt say thou may'st hate God's enemies 't is true begin then with thy self why am I one of Gods enemies The Apostle Col. 1.18 19 20. having spoken of Christ and his Kingdom vers 21. he tells us who are his enemies and vers 22. who are his friends let me therefore ask thee dost thou commit evil works questionless thou art Christ's enemy and wilt thou hate Christs enemy when thou art in the same condemnation Object But I am reconciled Then thou art an holy man unblameable and unreproveable in Gods sight if so thou wilt hate no man Tit. 3.3 4 5. O Beloved our unpeaceableness hatred envy declare plainly we are not Christs Subjects nor doth he reign over us who then reigns over us His Servants and Subjects we are whom we obey surely if we be such as delight in unpeaceableness war and contention we are the Subjects of Abaddon and Apollyon Apoc. 19.11 But we serve Christ So the Samaritan woman thought Joh. 4. but our Saviour tells her vers 22. Ye worship ye know not what surely we worship not the Son of God but the Son of Tabeel Esay 7.6 who this is no man knows Chald. Paraphrast Regem qui nobis bonus sit commodus a God that will fit our condition such a God as we our selves are we think wickedly that God is such an one as our selves Psal 50. We worship Rezin Esay 8.6 who is that even our own pleasure and delight the Son of Remaliah the great high God of our own choosing and neglect Siloah i. e. by interpretation Sent Shilo which is the same this King whom the Father hath sent to reign over us And if our own pleasure rules we crown Christ with thorns and make him serve with our sins and say in our life we will not have this man to reign over us Luk. 19.14 yea we say as they in Jeremy 44.16 yea we Crucifie our King Jam. 5.5 6. and then that fearful threatning belongeth to us Esay 8.5 6 7 8. and that Luk. 19.27 The same Subject continued on JEREMIAH XXIII 5. He shall reign a King and prosper and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth IN which words we have the promise of a King and the manner of that King how he shall administer his Kingdom 1. As touching himself He shall prosper 2. As concerning his Subjects He shall execute judgment and justice in the earth 1. The word in the Original is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which our last Translators turn here He shall prosper they turn it elsewhere to deal wisely or prudently and indeed the word signifieth both and is accordingly rendred by the LXX sometimes by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to understand and divers words of that nature sometimes by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to prosper or have good success The very ancient English Translations have it thus He shall prosper with wisdom and so it comprehends both the sences of the word and yet they express not the full meaning of the word for we may add hereunto that signification which ariseth from the conjugation here used Hiphil according to which it signifieth to make wise and prosperous And so the full meaning of the word is this He shall prosper with wisdom and shall make his Subjects wise and prosperous wherein though I vary somewhat from our last Translation yet I hope no understanding Auditor will take exception since the word is of larger extent as the very same Translation testifieth in divers places And I follow the Example of three Ancient English Translations which I tell ye the rather because some suspect danger of Popery so often as they hear any differing from the last Translation not considering that there were Learned and pious Protestants before the last English Translation was in being and they Authors of very excellent Translations nor that while they avoid one kind of Popery they run into another It is one main part of Popery to adhere to the Vulgar Translation so that though the Original it self differ from it yet the Authority of that must not be questioned Evertit in that is for everrit domum so it seems do these men adhere to the last English Translation what 's their Argument because we shall then resolve all into the Authority of

God stretches out his arms invites and calls all the World and seriously desires to gather all men under his wings Let him O let him see of the travel of his soul let him not O let him not stretch out his hands in vain unto a disobedient and gain-saying people O Beloved in the Lord were this eximia charitas this excessive great Love of our Lord and Saviour duly considered it could not but mollifie a strong heart and melt it into most ardent love and reciprocal affection The most powerful motive unto love is to be beloved and this is so powerful that our Lord presumed all men would be moved by it When I am lifted up saith he I shall draw all men unto me Joh. 13.32 with allusion to this the Prophet may seem to speak of these last times The mountain of the Lords house shall be established in the top of the mountains and exalted above the hills and all nations shall flow unto it What a wonder is this 'T is upward yet all Nations shall flow unto it This Hill of the Lords house the exaltation of the Cross is in humility the depth of humility and lowliness Hell is above 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in pride and highmindedness in envy anger covetousness gluttony lasciviousness and slothfulness Seven high Hills on this side Rome whence all Nations flow unto the Hill of the Lords house built and mounted on humility unto the Cross of Christ the depth of Humiliation whither our Lord being lifted up draws all men unto him How with violence No with the cords of his love The love of Christ constraineth us saith the Apostle that if one dyed for all then were all dead and that he dyed for all that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves but unto him that dyed and rose again 2 Cor. 5.14 15. His love draws ours his patience ours Rependamus illi quam pro nobis ipse dependit patientiam saith Tertullian Let us requite him with love for love with suffering for suffering with death for death with cross for cross And let the same obedient mind be in us which was also in Christ Jesus who became obedient unto death even the death of the cross Unto which duty before I can stir up your pure minds as I ought it 's necessary that I first explain what it is to bear the cross and follow after Christ crucified The bearing of the Cross is the Christian patience which St. John calls The patience of Jesus Christ Apoc. 1.9 It consists in suffering the assaults and temptations unto sin from all sorts of causes inward and outward saith St. Austin without yielding or consenting thereunto And because this of all other Christian duties is most contrary to the fashion of this World which lyes in evil and therefore is most opposed and spoken against it consists also in suffering ignominy shame cursing and evil speaking of the first our Apostle They who are Christs have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts Gal. 5.24 Of the latter Let us go forth unto Christ bearing his reproach Heb. 13.13 And in these two especially consists the bearing of the Cross and conformity unto Christ crucified the same which St. Peter calls the suffering as a Christian 1 Pet. 4.16 Whence it is evident that the Cross of Christ is not some outward afflictions only as ignorant men call poverty loss of friends disgrace and such like penal evils their crosses No nor is this patience the bearing of grief anger or any such like straitening affection only as some would have it These are but a part and a small part of the Christians Cross The whole is the bearing deadning and crucifying of all and every temptation which might any way disquiet and molest the soul And in this large notion Tertullian Zeno Veronensis St. Austin St. Gregory St. Bernard Cassianus Cassiodor with other of the ancients understood it Please ye to hear one or two speak for all the rest Zeno Veronensis having referred all the examples of wickedness unto impatiency and all the examples of virtue and virtuous actions unto patience Joseph saith he was patiens in carcere in regno patientior patientissimus desideratos cum fratres agnosceret Coelestis profecto est ista patientia quam à suo statu non aerumna non faelicitas non affectus potuit commovere according to that of the Poet whose verses anciently were accounted Oracles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Christian suffering saith Cassiodore is that virtue which preserves the riches of our Faith overcomes whatsoever is contrary to us keeps under laciviousness bridles anger and consumes envy By it we fight the Lords battle and overcome the Devil And then he brings the reason of all because it is written in patience possess ye your souls Thus also our Church understands it for so we sign children with the sign of the Cross in token that hereafter they shall not be ashamed to confess the faith of Christ crucified and manfully to fight under his banner against sin the world and the devil And to continue Christ's faithful soldiers and servants unto their lives end And in the collect for Palm-Sunday we praise the Almighty and everlasting God for his Love in sending Christ c. to suffer death upon the Cross and pray that he will mercifully grant that we may follow the Example of his patience Say we thus only or saith not the Scripture the very same also My son if thou come to serve the Lord prepare thy soul for temptations sustine sustentationes Dei whatsoever is brought unto thee take chearfully and be patient Eccl. 2. By which as appears by the places quoted in the Margin our Translators understand the fiery tryal the suffering together with Christ and being reproached in his Name 2 Tim. 3.12 1 Pet. 4.12 13 14. Heb. 12. And our Apostle calls the suffering with Christ crucified the running with patience unto the race that is set before us A duty which of all others is of the largest extent the greatest difficulty excellency and necessity of all others for it extends unto every man to the whole soul of every man and that from the beginning to the end of the Christian life 'T is every mans duty and therefore our Saviour propounds his Exhortation generally unto all and every one If any man will come after me let him deny himself take up his Cross daily and follow me Matth. 16. And St. Mark saith that when he spake this he called the multitude together Mar. 8.32 And St. Luke adds that he said this unto them all and foretelling his passion he spake that saying openly saith St. Mark as being a matter which most necessarily concerns all and every soul yea the whole soul of every man For whereas certain special Virtues and Graces are assigned to several and special faculties of the Soul and every Virtue is to make good its place this is the general

Virtue that extends it self to the whole Soul every Grace and every Virtue is either an ingredient and part of it or else indissolubly knit and united to it Whence it is that the Cross of Christ is said to be made in part of the Palm-tree by reason of the manifold Vertues of it reported to be three hundred and sixty especially because by it we bear off every molestation and pressure of the Soul as that Tree supports and grows against the weight laid on it Hence it is called by St. Gregory the root of Virtues and the keeper of the Soul according to that of our Saviour In patience possess ye your souls as being kept only by it and lost without it And therefore our Saviour having exhorted us to bear the Cross whosoever saith he shall save his soul i. e. endeavour to save it any other way shall lose it and whosoever shall lose his soul for my sake or seem to lose it by crucifying the lusts of it the same shall save it for what is a man profited if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul And as the province or duty is general so 't is perpetual it requires continuation without failing or interruption 't is enduring to the end 't is faithfulness unto the death of every sin We must not hope to put it to a sudden death to be crucified is moriendo mori 't is a long a lingering death to die often to die alwayes until sin be throughly dead in us And for this end was the holy time of Lent Instituted of old for the continual mortification of sin in similitude and through the vertue of our Saviours death As they report a Coffin taken up at Assos in Phrygia which consumed the bodies of those that were put into it in forty dayes would God it were as true of the body of sin in every one of us all that it were wholly consumed and mortified in these forty dayes well nigh spent pray God they be well spent Now besides this Annual Commemoration of Christ's Death and our conformity thereunto the Church hath weekly Fasts the fourth and sixth dayes in remembrance of our Lords betraying and crucifying which withall require of us our daily mortifying and crucifying of sin and our preparation also for our resurrection with him unto newness of life Especially this day which hath the proper name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to put us in mind daily to prepare our selves by partaking of his Passion that we may be partakers also of his Resurrection Mystical pious and holy Constitutions which prophane men whose Religion is Rebellion whose Faith is Faction contemn and trample under foot as swine do pearls who oppose the Churches Feasts and Fasts as superstitious and feast and junket upon our fasting dayes accounting our Fasts as superstitious and this day above all the rest like the Ophytae of old who adored the Serpent for being the cause that many mysteries were reveiled unto men For no doubt those who feast and banquet upon this day for a like reason seem to praise and applaud Judas and the Jews who betrayed and crucified Christ as upon this day Nay do they not herein imitate the Old Serpent who is confessed by his servants to be wont to keep his feasts with them upon this day Not that our conformity unto Christ's passion is this or any one dayes work as they vainly object but to put us in mind that he died for sin once never to die more in like manner ought we so to crucifie sin once that we never sin more A duty of the greatest difficulty called in Scripture the narrow way the strait gate the fiery tryal the labours or the throws of child-bearing the pangs of death the pains of hell Yet how difficult soever it is born it must be and that willingly If any man will be my Disciple let him take up his Cross will and take voluntary and free actions both But alas whom shall we perswade thus to take up his Cross Young men they are most what like the young man in the Gospel Mar. 14. they run away when they should bear the Cross of Christ they run after the youthful lusts they 'l bear it hereafter when they are elder yes when old age it self is a burden As for the elder many of them are so far from bearing Cross of Christ that by neglect or ill example or downright Precept a dreadful thing to consider they train up novices while their hearts are tender in a contrary mind unto Christ Jesus they glory in the outward Cross and are enemies to the inward but these are prophane men Nay among pretenders to Religion are there not some who suffer as evil doers and busie bodies not as Christians Or if they bear the Cross of Christ yet not inwardly not willingly but outwardly and by constraint Popular applause makes them seem religious and mortified men as the people compelled Simon whose name sounds Obedience to bear the Cross after Christ Others despise the Cross as foolishness what need they bear it Christ has born it for them Others take offence at it and cannot endure so much as the sign of it but flee from it like evil spirits out of the Church out of the Kingdom out of the known world out of their wits out of any thing but themselves as when our Saviour went to suffer death upon the Cross some forsook him and fled others followed him afar off others confessed he was a Righteous Man smote their breasts and returned every one to his own way O quam pauci post te volunt ire Domine cùm tamen pervenire ad te nemo sit qui nolit congregare cupiunt sed non compati non curant quaerere quem tamen desiderant invenire cupiunt te consequi sed nolunt sequi saith St. Bernard Thus difficulty frights men from bearing the Cross which indeed most commends it For what is there in this world desirable and excellent but withall 't is hard to be obtained and clog'd with difficulty such is Knowledge and Victory and Glory And our conformity unto Christ crucified is all these and more 'T is the best knowledge the knowledge of ones own self the only knowledge St. Paul desired to know nothing more nay nothing else nor was there need for our conformity to Christ crucified opens all the treasures all the hidden mysteries of Divine Wisdom and Knowledge as at the death of Christ the veil of the Temple was rent from the top to the bottom and the Holy of holies appeared saith Hugo Cardinalis 'T is the best conquest thus to be conquerour of ones own self to overcome death Death is swallowed up in victory to overcome the world the Synagogue of Satan is subdued by the word of Christ's patience Apoc. 3. Yea Satan himself is conquered by the Cross For whether of old there were or yet there be that vertue in the sign of the Cross that it could drive