Eternall life Ich. 5.39 this is the most sure Word 2. Pet. 1.19 or that which can neuer faile vs all words of men may This onely pricketh the heart with Repentance which without it no miracles from Heauen nor wonders on Earth can doe Act 2.37 So Heb. 4.12 it is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart And therefore the heart being deeper then any Eye created can looke into it must needs be wonderfull to the sauing of a sinner aboue all words of men or Angells A great Propâ—ete had no other light of direction to his steppes in true godlinesse then that which was placed in the lanterne of the law Psal 119.105 and this he followed in all his way to heauen Herein the man of God himselfe the Minister may haue an absolute furniture of instruction for his owne wayes and the Peoples committed to him 2. Tim. 3.17 And so it is plain that no line can be iudged straight to the kingdome of God but this of the Word and they that are drawne by it The Reasons This word is called the word of Faith Rom 10.8 and none but this Now what wee may beleeue or put faith in is sure Secondly it is as a second Tree of life Prou 3.18 If Adam had eaten of the first hee could not haue dyed no more can they perish that feede vpon the Word the second tree of Eternall life Thirdly it is the sanctifying truth Iob. 17.17 Ps 1 19.9 That is that which which onely prepareth and begetteth vs for the holy Cittie into which nothing may come that is vncleane Apoc 21.27 Heb. 12.14 and therfore as fire it consumeth the stubble of our corrupt affections Matth. 3.11 as a sword it cutteth from vs our putrified parts and members of sinne Heb. 4.12 and as Salt that is sauory it maketh our words and whole conuersation in the Gospell sweetly torellish and well to sauour vnto edification among all that heare or liue with vs. Vse is against all itching after noueltyes Vse 2. not resting in that which is written Saul who would not heare Samuel aliue went to his graue to heare him there 1. Sam. 28.8 a very vnmeete pulpit for a Prophet to preach in Some would haue Angels to teach them and some looke for myracles and signes done to confirme them but Faith is begotten by the Word and nursed with it being once borne in a true beleeuer It is not giuen by voices out of the aire nor caused by Angell or Reuelation Ga. 1.8 The illusions of Sathan and his lying wonders come from the graues of the dead and they that will haue such Teachers put down the scepter of Gods prerogatiue in his Word written When God said This is my beloued Sonne heare him Math. 17.5 should the Disciples who heard the voyce haue said no but we would heare an Angell from heauen for hee will assure vs rather had not this beene to cast away the word of the Lord and our selues with it as did rebelâ—ious Saul 1. Sam. 15.22.23 Did not the working of Satan and rising of Antichrist stand vpon such a foundation and do they not go vpon such legs to this day 2. Thess 2.9.10 Therfore from the liuing to the dead is a foolish and sinfull progresse Esa 8.19 And those Pharisees that called for signes and neglected the doctrine and words of Christ were said by him to be an adulterous generation Math. 12.38.39 that is children born in idolatry of idolaters for the meaning is not so much of corporall as of spirituall adultery or whoring from God Further and again as that only is to be beleeued to saluation which is written first in the old Testament since by the men of God in the new so we secondly learne Doct. 2. that all refusings of this ordinance for grace is to make our conuersion impossible by any other meanes the text is plaine for it and Ieremy saith They haue reiected the word of the Lord and what wisedome is in them Ier. 8.9 as if he had said they will be wise but not as God hath commanded and therfore fooles they are in their own course or they will none of that that maketh a man wise to saluation therfore as vnwise they shall perish by their own inuentions But because this doctrine commeth fitly to be further prosecuted in the last verse and very last words of the parable I referre it thither So much for Abrahams answer in substance the vse hee propoundeth of it followeth Let them heare them If Moses and the Prophets must speake from God vnto vs theÌ„ we must heare him speaking by them in his word that is by Moses who shewed what wee should doe and by the Prophets who teach what wee should beleeue and doe Also mention is made of hearing them because in them there is worke for the eare to heare but none saue of reading for the eye to see In them wee heare a voyce but cannot see any shape or similitude Deut. 4.12 But this that is spoken of hearing Moses and the Prophets because no more was then written is to be extended to the whole word of Scripture as we haue it now and so the whole word is to be heard Apoc. 2.7 The doctrine from hence is Hearing is a necessary Doct. the principall meane for saluation in all Christian assemblies or all Christian Churches and people must heare if they will bee saued Therfore in Prou. 4.10 and many like Scriptures God offers his words requires our cares so Prou. 2.2 An hearkning eare and an vnderstanding heart must go together for the eare is the furrow that receyueth the doctrine of the word and it works not but by hearing Christ sayth and the same sayth the Spirit in diuers Texts of the Reuelation He that hath eares to heare hee sayth not hee that hath eyes to see and what must hee doe not see a Stage furnished for a Play in the Masse but heare what the Spirit will say to witte by his Word and Ministers to the Congregation Math. 13.9 Apoc. 2.7.11.17.29 3.6.13.22 The Apostle S. Paul teaching the beleeuing Iewes and Romanes how sauing faith may bee gotten sayth Faith is by hearing not by seeing and Hearing by the Word Rom. 10.17 to wit preached as ver 8.14 not by gaudes and Images called by the Papists Lay-mens bookes And he that turneth away his eare sayth Salomon from the Law Hee doth not say his eye from seeing but his eare from hearing it refusing to bee instructed by it or from it by Gods ordinance as the Masse Priests of Rome who do nothing in the seruice of God to common vnderstanding but what may more properly be seen then heard his prayer I may say his good prayers which hee so much trusts vnto will proue abominable that is odious to God and plagues to himselfe Prou. 28.9 Hearing therefore is the most necessary and most important meane for saluation in all the Churches of Christ The Reasons As
to keepe his children short for their good then to surfet them with fulnes And here he dealeth with them as wise Parents with their children whom they truely loue For when they perceiue them to abuse vnto wantoÌ„nes a full allowance they will draw back their hand in a sparer portion So God perceiuing his children because they be full-fed wantonly to take pleasure in the gauds fashions of this world doeth therefore many times keepe them low denie them that pleÌ„ty of these worldly things that the wicked haue He knoweth how weake our braines are to beare the strong Wine of prosperity and therefore Hee sometimes makes vs to drinke bitter aduersities out of a weaker cup. And who can deny that it is farre better to creepe with safety then to clime to destruction so better to keepe on the low ground then to rise and fall And now thirdly this damned soule though he could not be ignorant how litle nay how nothing the necromancy that he spake of could profit any to true conuersion seeing the word is sufficient yet because hee loued to be contentious and to take side against godly truth hee holdeth himselfe fast to his former false ground which was that good might be receyued by the preaching of men from the dead But this is after as truely denyed by Abraham as it was falsly auouched by him Doct. 3. vers 31. where we learn that none from the dead did euer yet conuert soule Therefore it was forbidden to the Israell of God to aske counsell at the dead Deut. 18.11 And among other sinnes wherewith the Lord professed himselfe to haue been angred by rebellious Israell one was that they remained among the graues Esa 65.4 that is as it is expounded Esa 8.19 were Necromancers and sought vnto them that had familiar spirits and that could diuine But Lazarus the brother of Martha was raised by Christ after he had bin foure daies in his graue Io. 11.39 Did the Iews for that beleene nay but rather they consulted to put him to death Ioh. 12.10 Also Christ raysed himselse from the dead Why did not the Iewes care to heare him rather they bribed the souldyers to belye his Resurrection Math 28 12 13 14. Further when Christ rose many dead Saints his bed fellowes rose with him and were seene in the holie cittie Math 27.52.53 were the Iewes euer a whit the better for it to their conuersion nay but they were more hardned rather in their vnbeleâ—fe The reasons That this cannot open the heart in the point of Faith must needes shut it And nothing can turne the heart to God but that which hath power from him so to doe which power the Word onely hath not the lying Diumations of the dead Secondly there is no conuersion without Faith But what faith is to be giuen to deuils in dead mens skinnes Thirdly that which is able to conuert the heart hath a promise from God and blessing thereunto But is any such promise made to that which prouoketh him so much as Necromancie is sayd to doe and doth he blesse that which himselfe hath forbidden The vse is against the kingdom of darknes in Popery Vse set on foot and kept going by Necromancies and sundry apparitions of the dead all damnable and fabulous but those are sooner and more beleeued then the Word and Scripturein all that darke and superstitious climate of Papisticâ—l Paganisme To such the Apostle sayth If the Gospell bee hid it is to them that are lost 2. Cor. 4.3 but this was spoken of in the vse of the first doctrine of the former verse Lastly this contrarying mind in Diues doth as it were hold vs the light to see what frowardnes naturally is shut vp in all stubborne Christians And it teacheth Doct 4. that it is the property of a very froward person to reiect the Word They that were very froward in Iob say de to the Almighty Depart from vs to wit in the gouernment of thy word We desire not the knowledge of thy wayes that is wee desire not thy acquaintance in the truth as neyther thy presence among vs by it in the mouths of thy seruants Iob 21.14 or what care wee whether thou bee among vs in thy comman dements which we loue not rather we desire thy roome then thy company in such matters So of Israel that would not heare the Lord himselfe sayth Israel would none of me Psal 81.11 the meaning is They who reiect my Word reiect Me are they not persons very froward that so doe They that would not haue Christ to reigne ouer them with his word are called by himselfe enemyes Luc. 19.27 by Esay rebellious or froward enemies Esa 30.9 and are they not wicked and sinners indeede such as will helpe the dâ—â— who rebell against God in his owne soueraigntie and the parts of his Dominion The reasons The patterne of such frowardnes wee haue here in a very rebellious soule damned in hell Secondly the Word is the Lords scepter and they that reiect it put downe their Soueraigns scepter This were treason against an earthly Maiestie can that other bee lesse or better then rebellious frowardnes or treason in the highest point of treason against the Lord Thirdly such mean to liue quietly in all sinne seeing they reiect the word that reproueth sinne and the scornfull sinner And are they not most wickedly froward who say of sinne This is my rest here will dwell to wit in the chayre of sinne with the worst of sinners Psal 1.1 Fourthly they that meditate in the law and they that delight in it are and are said to be very obedient children therefore they are froward children and vngodly by the true rule of contraries who cannot abide the Word much lesse abide to meditate in or reade it A reproofe of Popish both Masters and Schollers Vse 1 who as we heard preach and beleeue that it is dangerous to haue the Word of God among them that is among the common sort of them in a tongue they vnderstand or in their mother tongue for such cannot but carry the brand of persons frowardly wicked But there are in our owne profession who heare it and reade in it and yet reiect the nurture of it in their liues and reason against it in their talke as this Rich man here Surely if there be not much rebellious wickednesse in this then was this damned soule in hel in some thing tollerable or not very ill An admonition therefore to all that would auoide the blot note of very froward persons se 2 or persons frowardly wicked and rebellious to God not to crosse his Word eyther with their conuersation or tongues and where the wicked as Antipodes goe against the footings of it to walke with it in a right path and to adorne it with their obedience in a holy life where froward persons and very wicked speake against the Word our reasoning must bee for it where they shut their eares we
Vse 3 for as they dye with much comfort so they change not after death but are much and eternally comforted their soules presently and soule and body after a while In this hope they lay vp their flesh and in this sure hope of a better vnchangeable eternal life they lay vp as in sweet sugar the hardest parts both of their life and death here They know that they so rest in the hands of God whose wayes as his gifts and calling are all without repentance Rom. 1â— 29 that they shall not bee remoued for euer And this hath made many to passe through the very flames of fire to God with a ioyful calmnesse It made our godly fathers as may be seene at large in the eleuenth to the Hebrewes quietly and gladly to suffer much and great aduersity for they saw him that chaÌ„geth not and looked for their abiding City Heb. 13.15 And should not may not this in as good assurance and with like hope encourage vs as for a price to set forth as they did to death So to runne that wee may obtaine 1. Cor. 9.24 So to fight that wee may ouercome 2. Tim. 4.8 And so to seeke Gods face of fauour here that wee may continually see his face of glory in heauen and euer bee with the Lord Psal 17.15 So much for Abrahams reply This rich man is supposed to reioyne as followeth Ver. 27.28 Then hee sayde I pray thee c. Here wee haue a further proceeding made in this Parable and vnder the person of a rich man in hell by the figure Prosopopoea And in this the Rich man is brought in againe making another request which is also denyed From which supposed request the Papists would gather that the blessed Saints in heauen haue care of their friends on earth that is in speciall and carnall manner of those friends whom they knew familiarly and loued dearely in the world But they gather that which the Text neuer scattered and it would bee remembred that these words are the words of a Parable and not of a thing done the drift whereof is as may appeare by the answer made or supposed to bee made plainely to proue that they who in this life refuse to giue credite to the Scriptures and word of God may hope in vaine to bee called by men from the dead I will not deny but Christian charity abides in the Saints in glory not by speciall remembrance of one more then of another for such charitie in them extendeth it selfe indifferently and generally to all here liuing or yet vnborne whom they loue as themselues yet it is ill proued from the example of a damned spirit in hell for what charity where is nothing but all hellish hate and bitternesse And to say that the godly in peace should be troubled particularly or in speciall manner about their friends affayres below what were it but much to derogate from their true rest in the place where they haue fulnesse of ioy and pleasures for euer Psal 16.11 And now where request is made by a spirit damned in hell that Lazarus who was dead might bee sent to the brethren of his fathers house to teach them Wee learne that the doctrine of teaching men Doct. by men from the dead is a doctrine from hell Esay calles it a going or doctrine of going from the liuing to the dead Esa 8.19 and Abazia is sayd to haue departed from God for his health when he sent to the god of Ekron or in that Idoll to the Deuill for it 2. King 1.3.16 The like of Saul who also was taught from hell as Abazia was 1. Sam. 28.8 Therfore God by Moses calles it a turning after those that worke with spirites that is with Dâ—uils or a whoring after them Leuit. 20.6 for how can it bee a doctrine from any place but hell that teacheth men thus The reasons First the Text is plaine for it for this was the request of one damned in hel Secondly such doctrine is not from Heauen and that which came from Heauen speaketh otherwaies and contrarily Verse 29.31 Now that which is not from heauen or according to heauenly truth is from hell for there is no third way Math. 21.25 Thirdly also such doctrine is a meane by wandring from God to make men to beleeue lyes 2. Thess 2.11.12 and is there any thing in this kind of teaching but what is hellish and diuelish Here we may see what to iudge of those who forsake the word which is written Vse for dead mens newes it is sure they are followers of hellish doctrines for such doctrines are the teachings of Sathan the Doctor a person damned in hell the chaire contrary to Him who sitteth in his chaire in Heauen And what is in all this but what is hellish and from Sathan in all points and whose followers are they and of what that follow thus Are they not Sathans followers and followers of Sathans lyes against the word of God So much for the Rich mans second request Abrahams second supposed replie followeth Ver. 29. Abraham sayd vnto him They haue c. In this second replie Abraham tells the rich man plainly that they get nothing by all their labâ—ur who forsaking the Word looke for Reuelations and who will be taught after their owne fancies not by Gods teaching nor by the ordinarie way and meanes appoynted by him Against such God himselfe complaines by his Prophet saying Should not a people enquire at their God Esa 8.19 and therefore the meaning of these words is that the Word deliuered by Moses and the Prophets and accordingly since by Christ and his Apostles is the only ordinary meane to conuert sinners to God and therfore they that refuse grace by it shall no way receiue it from the Graues of the dead This I conceyne to be the meaning of Abrahams second answere to this rich man and to be the onely reason why this second petition was made and this peremptorie replie secondly made vnto it wherein for orders sake wee may note his answer in substance and the vse that Abraham maketh of it The answer in substance is that God hauing ordained the Word written to be the onely ordinary meane for the calling of his fiue Brethren and all Christians yet liuing to repentance it onely is sufficient and all meanes diuided from it vaine and vneffectuall Which first teacheth that the only sealed rule of faith to saluation Doct. 1. is the Scripture and word of God written This is that path that leades to the Way the Truth and Life Christ Iesus For so saith He who is all these vnto vs Ioh. 14.6 and therefore he biddeth the Iewes to search that is exactly to search or as Hunters who strike euery bush seeking the game they hunt for and to search the scriptures that is what is written not vn written vanities For saith he in them yee thinke to haue eternall life and they testifie of me That is in them yee may finde Christ and in him