doores not without doores for so it is said again vers 26. After eight dayes again his Disciples were within Now if the shutting of the doores be only a Periphrasis of his firstnesse in coming it will not follow that the doores were not opened unto him by a key or like way but rather that they were so opened viz. by a key or the like ordinary means and to occasion is both taken and truly taken away from the Papist of his reall presence which he dreameth from this place And indeed if Christ had miraculously conveyed himself through the doores Thomas might the rather have doubted Christ to be a Ghost in the likenesse of of Christ then the same true Christ which died as the Papists say Christ to be in a wafer-cake as well as to come thorow the doors but Christ gave no cause of any of these three tenents John 20.26 After eight dayes That is after the daylight of the eighth day was past accounting the day of resurrection for one All the meetings in the New Testament after Christs resurrection on the Lords day for as much as I have observed were in the night John 21.15 Peter lovest thou mee more then these That is then these fellow-disciples of thine Thou saidst that though all should deny me yet thou wouldst not Peter had reason to love Christ more because a greater denyall was forgiven him John 21.22 What if I will that hee tarry till I come c. That is that he tarry where we are the broyled fish till I come from speaking apart with Peter some little distance probably about Peters denyall which before others Peter did not under stand So far may saints mistake the meaning of Christ for they understood it of his coming to judgement ACTS Acts 1.18 THis man purchased a field with the reward of iniquity and falling headlong hee burst asunder in the midst and all his bowels gushed out Judas probably did not purchase the field forasmuch as hee threw and left the pieces of silver wherewith he should have paid for it before the high priests and because it is said that the high priests purchased the field with the same pieces Matth. 27.5 6 7 8. But it is he purchased with the reward of iniquity because by the reward of his iniquity a field was purchased for the emphasis lyeth not in the word hoc so much as in the purchace and price Like to a phrase of Hezekias where Hezekiah hath these words I have cut off like a weaver my life when the meaning is that it is cut off for it is God which cut it off or went about to cut it off sore against the will of Hezekiah unlesse it be said that Hezekiah by his sin provoked the Lord to cut it off Isa 38.12 And so Judas might give occasion to the high priests to purchase that field with that money Judas was the true occasion why it was called a field of bloud because it was purchased with that money which was the price of Christs bloud by him sold to the high priests for that money And falling headlong hee burst in the midst c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 praecept factus It seemeth by these words and by his bursting in the midst and by his bowels gushing out that he did not stay so long as to make his pâ—â—â— end by an 〈◊〉 but driven with more rage then could endure such delayes he seemeth to run down some steep rock mountain or promontory whereof there were anew about Jerusalem for as the mountains are about Jerusalem so is the Lord about them that fear him Psal 125.2 So steep the promontory or rock seemeth to be that with the fall he broke himself so that his bowels gushed out so that it was called the field of bloud as well from that besmearing as from the money wherewith it was purchased ver 19. whence it seemeth to be the same field which was bought with that mony whether before the death of Judas and by the act or consent of Judas is worthy of consideration Act. 23.5 I know not Brethren that hee was the high priest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The word not which stands between knew and brethren may seem to be intended by way of a Mecathesis as if it should be transposed and placed between was and the and then the words will be thus I knew brethren that hee was not the high priest or that there is no high priest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 viz. except Christ who is not now on earth Such transposition seems to be 1. John 5.16 I say not that thou shouldest pray for it that is I say that thou shouldest not pray for it And thus is Paul excused from untruth yea and made to speak couragiously who otherwise seemeth to be left guilty of senselesse dissimulation ROMANS Rom. 1.17 FRom faith to faith Not from faith to flesh as from Abraham to his posterity but from Abraham to those which doe the works of Abraham or which walk in the steps of Abraham Successours in the faith are the children of the faithfull as the Scripture accounteth children that which is born of their flesh is but flesh Rom. 4.1 2. What hath Abraham found as concerning the flesh For if Abraham were justified by works c. Works and flesh are Synonymaes or equivalent terms Works then must be that operation which the carnall Jewes did imagine that promise to have viz. I will be the God of thee and of thy seed And that operation which they imagined that promise to have was this namely that the promise did naturally and necessarily sanctifie all the seed of Abraham's posterity Inasmuch as it was sufficient to be one of Abraham's linage no more needed to make God to be his God The which sense if it be true then works in this and many other places of this Epistle are to be understood passively nor actively that is not the works of any man but the work or operation of Gods promise upon a man The great controversie between Paul and the Jewes both in the Epistle through many chapters and in the Galatians was this Whether the Jewes had not such priviledge by being Abraham's seed through that promise made to Abraham will his seed Gen. 17.7 as that they needed not in grafting into somâ—◠〈◊〉 Church by baptism For if they laid yet they must be also the grafted into Abrahams house by circumcision or they could not be saved as Act. 1.15 And this lost works may be one of those difficulties in Pauls Epistles so hard to be understood Rom. 8.28 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈…〉 to purpose Called that is effectually called Effectually called are they which come when they are called Or effectuall call 〈…〉 coming when men are called According to purpose Whose purpose Gods purpose 〈◊〉 the calleds purpose Both may be admitteth For that 〈◊〉 should come when they are called is Gods purpose and God never purposed that all things
not receive but as Nebchadnezzar saved whom he listed and that whom they list they will keep out Which if they do their Religion is in vaine unto them This Lawyer for so he is said to be vers 25. would have been content that the Jew should be accounted his Neighbour but he would not that the Samaritanes should be expounded to be his Neighbours lest he should be bound to do unto them as he would that others should do to him Luke 10.42 One thing is needfull That is one sort of meat is as much as needeth Martha's cumber rose 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 about variety of services Variety of objects doth distract in huswives as well as in others as Baking and Boyling Roasting c. in severall places at one time Mary hath chosen the better part which shall not be taken from her As if Christ facetiously should have said we shall by and by take and eate that from thee about which thou labourest But Mary is on the getting hand and that getting is of spirituall things Martha was no covetous carker but a kinde lover of Christ Corporall repast is needfull in the season as well as the Word therefore not the Word only needfull though cheifly worthy Howsoever variety of services may not be unlawfull in feasting yet one single course may suffice That is it which Christ here meaneth Greedinesse of spirituall discourse may sometimes suspend corporall kindnesse The hearing of the Word though chiefly needfull and usefull as indeed it is yet not only needfull for labour in mens callings is needfull as well as the hearing of the Word and in the season thereof must not be excused or shifted with heareing of the Word The Word only and the Word cheifly do differ although by many they be taken promiscuously that is their unskilfullnesse Luke 22.24 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A strife who should be greatest This might be meant of Judas Luke 24.44 It behooveth that all things be fulfilled in Moses and in the Prophets concerning me These words concerning me I take not to depend upon all things but upon the Verb fulfilled So that the sence is not restrictive as if all things which concern Christ should be fulfilled but the sence is extensive viz. that all things in Moses and in the Prophets do concern Christ and that nothing in Moses and in the Prophets is fully and compleatly expounded but that which is made to concern Christ prouided we expound Christ to be powerfull conversation whereby Christ is 〈◊〉 honoured and declared to be trusted iâ— in in which sence I take it Christ is to be understood JOHN John 2.19 DEstroy this Temple and in three dayes I will raise it up Christ did not only mâ—â—â— but it s said he spake of the temple of his body vers 21. And the word this implyeth the distinction between his body and the other Temple wherein then he was So that the Jewes did wittingly and wilfully wrâ—st these words of his as a testimony against him at his death as they did man things more am Christ gave them no just occasion by these words to mistake the one temple for the other Only Christ will not forbed to give the appellation of Temple unto his body though hel was then in the Temple of stone Why To teach us that we need not forbear the words and wayes which are just and good though enemies be apt to take advantage thereby and to bring evill upon us therefore John 2.24 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he trusted not himself to them or he beleeved not himself to them The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to beleeve is put transitively And if it be so put in this place Was may not an accusative case be understood other where us 〈◊〉 it is said that we beleeve in God or in Christ or rather on God or on Christ so as that the sence be this that we are to beleeve our selves upon God or upon Christ that is trust our selves upon God or upon Christ a metaphor taken from yee whereon A man dare trust not only his foot but his whole weight Hence God is said and Christ is said to be a rock whereon a man may safely trust himself and not like the yâ—â— which may break and deceitfully drown him which trusted there do much lesse like a quagmire which will 〈◊〉 sinke him which relyeth thereon which if it be true them â—e is not a beleever which adventureth his essent only upon God or upon Christ but which adventureth his whole life and eternall safety upon the wayes of God and of Christ and if he perish he perisheth God and Christ are faithfull and will keep that which meâ— comeâ—â— to them against that day of account faithfully Thus faith is praticall yea faith is a practice or a work a doing of so the action and not a fancy or affiance only not a perswasion resting in thought or heart only So that it may be said to those who professe themselves beleevers what singular thing do ye not what singular thing know ye or are ye perswaded of How come works then to be evill spoken of as if they were legall and not evangelicall when faith it self is a work such faith is not faithfull and if faith be unfaithfull how great is that unfaithfulnesse Faithfull in matters of civill duty betwixt man and man faithfull in matters of God and his word and that unto the death This is the generation of doers and sufferers which are faithfull indeed beleevers indeed John 4.35 The regions are white already to the harvest commers out of Samaria over the fields men women in their white apparell likened to corne in a field as elsewhere Christ resembleth multitudes of people to an harvest The harvest is grout but the labourers are few Matth. 9.37 John 6.44 No man can come to me except the Father which sent me draw him Whosoever will not be drawn with this consideration that God the Father sent Christ his Son to taste death for every man as Heb. 2.9 he will not be drawn with any thing And that God draweth by that engine see ver 45. where it is said that he which hath heard and learned of the Father commeth unto Christ So that God the Father draweth by hearing and what is to be heard but the Gospel And what is the summe of the Gospel but that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself not imputing their sinnes unto them sendeth abroad this word of reconciliation and beseecheth men every where to be reconciled unto him for he is reconciled to them This is the ministery of reconciliation so called 2 Cor. 5.18 19. This I take to be the meaning of this text John 6.44 So that it doth not give way to those which say what can I do if God do not draw me but it condemneth them saying unto them What drawing doest thou expect more then this He which will not be drawn with this love will not be drawn at all
else the direction had been uncertain MATTHEW MAtth. 3.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Change your minds or repent Whereof must they Repent or wherin must they change their minds Whereas formerly all which had Abraham to their Father were Members of the visible Church of Israel now every person must bring forth good fruit of his and her own or else he and shee must not be Members of this new Church which Christ and John the Baptist were about to found in the New Testament which Church is meant when the Kingdom of Heaven is said to be hand Matth. 4.6 Cast thy self down No marvell though Christians be tempted to a presumptuous neglect of means when Christ him self was so tempted It is one of Satans Engins to tempt Christians to a presumptuous neglect of means under pretence of greater confidence Look to it Professors of Christianity Matth. 4.7 Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God This thou is not Satan as if Christ or Moses had forbidden Satan to tempt The Law was not given to Satan or his fellow-evill Angels but unto men and men of Israel The devils had never so much honor or hope as to have a law prescribed unto them since their fal As we say of life so may we say of the Law so long as God will prescribe us Lawes there is hope The poore are not hopelesse so long as the rich will set them at work Of something doing something commeth Only put a man out of service and then he becometh a vagabond As it is said be of good comfort he calleth thee So it may be said be of good comfort he commandeth thee Thus the Law is mingled with Gospel Wherefore they which cast off the Law cast off their comfort But this Thou is first meant every man of Israel Secondly and in this place Christ translateth it to himself for the meaning is as if Christ had said I must not tempt the Lord my God whom I should indeed sinfully tempt if I should cast my self down when by ordinary steps or staires I may safely descend Where note that what once of old God delivered to Israel in commandement that Christ taketh as commanded to himself Thus Christ himself was not exempted from the Law but was under the Law What kind of men then do they make themselves in our dayes who tell us that they are not under the Law by vertue of Christianity taking the word Law for the morall Law in Pauls Epistle to the Romans not through too much learning where it is meant of naturall descent from Abraham as in Gal. 4.21 Tell me ye that will be under the Law had not Abraham two sons And this salvation by vertue of Abrahams descent was the great expectation of the carnall Jewes which Paul every where laboureth to disprove not the least intending in that place the morall Law for of the morall Law he saith elsewhere that he himself is under the Law to Christ 1 Cor. 9.21 Matth. 9.5 Whether is it easier to say thy sinnes be forgiven thee or to say arise and walk By the word say is meant effectuall saying which is doing For to say thy sinnes are forgiven or to say take up thy bed are both easie if we mean a meer saying But the meaning is Whether is it easier to forgive sins or to cause a lame man to take up his bed and walk as if he should say the forgivenesse of sinnes is as easie to declare as to make a palsied man to take up his bed and walk But this latter I have done which cannot be done without a divine power Ergo I may do the lesser or easier if either be lesser or easier then the other Matth. 10.11 There abide till ye go thence Abide in that house till ye go out of that Citie go not from house to house as elsewhere it is as it were expounded Luke 10.7 Matth. 10.14 Shake off the dust off your feet not in indignation but to testifie your freedome from covetousnesse or lucre it was a kind of reall and significant Proclamation in the streets of the City whereby the Apostles did put themselves upon the triall of the whole City as if they should have said thus long have we been among you upon this and that errand we came tell us now before we go whether we have behaved our selves unseemly or covetously as Joshua and Samuel said Whose Oxe have I taken whose Asse have I taken whom have I defrauded where have I borrowed and not payed again to whom have I been chargeable tell us here before all the City if any man can say that we came for base ends Now if any could have said I you shake off the dust of your feet as if nothing of ours did cleave unto you but I am sure you goe away with my mony or mony worth and it 's idlenesse which setteth you upon this work he had had a fit opportunity so to upbraid them But if no man could say this or the like then the Apostles had thorowly cleered themselves Whence it seemeth to follow seasonably that hee which is not guilty of covetousnesse in dispensation of the Gospel is not usually overtaken with other grosse evils But thus more cleerly that Professors of religion ought to carry themselves so blamelesly that they may put themselves upon triall before all the world as concerning any just reproach for this shaking off the dust was to be done in the streets of the City so saith the Text Get yee out into the streets of the City c. Shake off the dust c. Luk. 10.10 Matth. 12.27 By whom doe your children cast them out As much as to say Your disciples do not cast out divels at all Those will be apt to vilifie the good works of others who cannot themselves doe the like Matth. 12.37 By thy words thou shalt be justified and by thy words thou shalt be condemned That is by thy words amongst other things but not by thy words alone so that words aswell as works shall come into judgement Matth. 12.38 39. Three dayes and three nights That is but three dayes and three nights at the most restrictivè not that he shall be there three dayes and three nights extensivè We sold the land for so much that is but for so much Acts 5.8 The third day is prefixed as the last day wherein he shall be held of death in all places where it is foretold of his resurrection The third day I shall rise again and goe before you into Galilee and expresly he diminisheth the time saying Yet a little while and yee shall see mee and a little while and yee shall not see mee So that it was but a little while wherein they should not see him And in three dayes he would raise again the temple of his body implying the diminution of the time not the extension of the time as if hee must needs be three dayes in raising of it No he which saith I will finish
learning from godlinesse literature from the holy Scriptures and to set up non-learning and put down learning as the onely divine learning for his own bellies sake No marvell though the whole Law of God at a clap fared no better at the same hands for to cashiere the Law Learning and Sabbath sute very proportionably together The holy Ghost provideth against such in these words foreseeing their forwardnesse to prophesie Ye may all prophesie saith he one by one provided that all may learn by you and all be comforted otherwise not 1 Cor. 15.29 Else what shall they doe which are baptized ever the dead Death after death Martyr after Martyr voluntarily giving himselfe over unto death rather then deny the Christian religion What a rash and wilfull part do they play to expose themselves to death if there be no resurrection Surely there either is to be a resurrection of the dead or these said voluntary Martyrs which chose death rather then deliverance are greatly deceived For the reason why they give themselves to be drenched overhead and ears not in water only but in afflictions and in death is because they expect a better resurrection And they do it one after another that is though they see others of their brethren martyred before their eyes yet they are not the lesse but the more incensed to maintain that cause for which they shall be likewise dealt with all This voluntary death might be expounded as a sinfull casting away of their own lives if there be not a resurrection For who would cast away his present life if he were not sure of a better And that this is the meaning the verse following seemeth to confirm where it is said And why are we in jeopardy every houre For there also he argueth for the resurrection from the absurdity which would follow upon voluntary sufferings if there were no resurrection 1 Cor. 15.40 41. There are also celestiall bodies and bodies terrestriall But the glory of the celestiall is one and the glory of the terrestriall is another There is one glory of the Sunne another of the Moon and another glory of the Starres for one Starre differeth from another Starre in glory So also is the resurrection of the dead c. These words have reference to the 35. verse where it is said thus But some will say How are the dead raised and with what body do they come As if the sence should be this that whereas it is enquired how the dead are raised and with what body they come I answer saith the Apostle that the glory of the raised body is more excellent then that of the mortall body as farre as the Sunne exceedeth the Starres or as one Starre exceedeth another II. CORINTHIANS 2 Cor. 12.4 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which it is not lawfull or convenient for a man to speak Not that Paul was forbidden to utter what he heard For what is spoken in the eare may be revealed upon the house top But he who spake to Paul had blasphemed to say I am Jesus whom thou persecutest if he had not been Jesus Christ God as well as man But if he were God as well as man which spake to Paul then Paul had this priviledge to boast of which no false Apostle had that God himself spake unto him from the third heaven This I doubt not to be the meaning of this place 2 Cor. 12.16 But I being crafty took you by guile A preoccupation as if he should have said did I send after me Titus or others who took gain of you as some who will not be seen to take bribes themselves yet will be content that their wives children or servants for their use shall take bribes then had I been crafty indeed but I did not so For Titus walked in the same spirit free from filthie lucre as well as I for so it followeth in the next verse Not that his taking them by guile was converting of them by guile 2 Cor. 12.14 Parents ought to lay up for their children the children ought not to lay up for their parents Not that Paul contrarieth 1 Tim. 5.4 where he biddeth that children shall recompence their parents but that hee a parent to the Corinthians did rather lay up and exhibite to the Corinthians then expect that they his children should lay up or contribute to him Some Scriptures and this for one are to be restrained to the present circumstances and not extended further upon paine of untruth as that which goeth into the man defileth not the man must be understood of eating things with unwashen hands there spoken of and not of all kind of eating and drinking otherwise it is untrue 2 Cor. 13.4 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. He appeared by his crucifixion to be weak like other mortall men yea and as one dying for his fault but his resurrection showed him to be that which he had professed himself to be good and God For if he had not been such God would not have raised him from the dead lest God should have justified him in his unjust pretences GALATIANS Gal. 4.21 TEll me yee that will be under the Law Had not Abraham two sonnes Law and descent from Abraham are here made equivalent termes Works of the Law therefore are an operation which descent from Abraham did effect Carnall Jewes dreamed that descent from Abraham had such vertue in it by reason of that promise made to Abraham and his seed Gen. 17.7 that whosoever was but a child of Abrahams carnall race was forthwith 〈◊〉 opâ—re operate Justified without any work of his own And so farre he was by descent from Abraham justified as to be a member of the visible Church by that means Howbeit without a gracious holy use of that promise made and a good conversation thence proceeding he was not accounted a child of God For the end of that promise I will be the God of Abraham and if his seed was not to secure the seed of Abraham but to stâ—â—re up the seed of Abraham to beleeve love be thankfull to and walk holily towards that God who had thus promised to be their God Now these perverse Jewes and so Galatians in their steps not willing to observe the scope cleave to the words and will needs have such a visible Church in the New Testament as wherein parents and children grafted into Abrahams stock by Circumcision might be justified as members of the right visible Church of God And if they â—e but so justified as to be members of the outward visible Church of God they do not think that there needeth any other justification This hence it Paul confuteth by the example of Ishmael reaching that scoffers and persecutors at a holy use of the promise such as holy Isaac did make were even then by the same spirit whereby the promise was made accounted for nothing although they were the naturall sued of Abraham at Ishmael 〈◊〉 and that the Church of the New Testament consisteth only of such
as make a holy use of the promises and threats of God too If afterwards they appear otherwise they are disfranchised or that Church which exposition if it be true then the word Lâ—â—â— in this bad sence is meant a nationall churching of parents and children hand over head without respect unto any knowledge love or fear of God in them and in their wayes A mighty mistake of them the whilst who interpret the Apostle to speak against the morall Law of God when as it is meant only a carnall interpretation which some Jewes farre enough from confortaâ—â—â— to the morall Law farre enough from expecting Justification by their holy works or from conscience of holy works themselves I say which some such carnall Jewes did make of the promise I will be the God of thee and of thy seed Gen. 17.7 Flatter they did that promise calling it a Law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or rule which constantly and naturally without any endeavour of theirs would bring forth salvation to the seed of Abraham though they should as we say lie in their beds all day The work of the Law was the work efficacy operation or vertue which that Law or promise had to bring forth salvation unto them not their works done according to the law and commands of God they were not guilty of so much workfulnesse Hence the Antinomian heresie is taken off from his foundation and for want of this sence I do not see how the Antinomians can be sufficiently answered Gal. 3.10 For as many as are under the works of the Law are under the curse As many as look to be justified by the operation which that promise hath upon Abrahams seed where it is said I will be the God of Abraham and of his seed the carnall did expect that that promise should sanctifie so many of them as were of Abrahams seed so that they needed not any other sanctification And this sanctification was faith or by faith For they did beleeve that those should be saved which did beleeve God to be the God of Abraham and his seed and none other where was their fault then In that they did not walk holily or in that they did not beleeve Christ to be meant by that seed of Abraham What will it avail Christ to be meant by that seed of Abraham and that God is his God except we also live holily as Christ lived so that his spirit may be said to have life and vivacity in us Gal. 3.12 The Law is not of faith for he that doth them shall live in them Israel must do the command or else not live in it Ergo Israel had not life by being this or that but by doing and this doing is faith or faithfulnesse EPHESIANS Ephes 6.12 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In supercelestiall things There is wickednesse in supercelestiall things when there is sophistication of Doctrine wrongnesse of prayer feighned Ordinances in and about the worship of God then there is spirituall wickednesse in heavenly things PHILIPPIANS Philip. 1.18 HOwsoever Christ is preached whether of envy or good will I rejoyce and will rejoyce Every divulging is preaching as Mark 1.45 Railers against Pauls Christ and Pauls Christianity are here meant to preach Christ of envie Paul rejoyceth in that envious preaching or railing because howsoever it was envious yet it was a publisher per accidens of Christ and of Christianity and consequently a matter of rejoycing to Paul Not that Paul would conform unto Antichristian conditions rather then forego the preaching of the Gospel as some Surplice conformitans have abused this text For Paul speaketh of others envious preaching of Christ not of his own envious preaching of Christ neither doth he say that those who preach Christ of envie can rejoyce in such their preaching of Christ but that he doth not rejoyce at the envie but at the publication which accidentally followeth upon the envious railing This railing was haply not in a Pulpit or solemne Oratory but in the streets or high-wayes or wheresoever in publike assembly or of neighbour to neighbour Phil. 3.9 All my righteousnesse which is of the Law That is all qualifications which made Paul honourable amongst which his education at the feet of Gamaliel in tongues and other literature was the choycest and most capable of promotion This learning he esteemed but drosse and dung in comparison of the knowledge of Christ which knowledge was not like the former knowledge or learning meerly notionall but experimentall namely to know him and the fellowship of his sufferings and to be made conformable to him in his death Thus to learn Christ Paul found the most hard peece of learning of all other but withall the most excellent peece of learning and so necessary that he accounted all other learning of tongues and Arts of Scriptures and notion of Christ himself to be as nothing in comparison of this imitation and conformity to Christ in his doings and especially in his sufferings Lo here what learning is the hardest to come by and the most excellent being obtained and so necessary that whosoever knoweth Christ himself according to notion and can preach Christ according to all the mystery of Christianity yet is but as a sounding brasse and tinkling Cymball without this unfeined faithfull reall doing and suffering as Christ did and suffered He who hath learned to suffer as Christ suffered even to the losse of life and all is the highest scholar in the world and he who is lowest in the Schoole or Kingdome of Christ must be no lesse learned For so saith Christ He that forsaketh not all even to his owne life cannot be my Disciple Men may conceive amisse and teach amisse the Doctrine of Christ for base ends as for vaine glory for gaine but in imitating of Christ in doing and suffering hath no snare in it to catch my brother by deceit or sinister respect No man lightly can be powerfull in his whole conversation a doer and sufferer in jest This did Paul who spake more tongues and had more learning then all other Apostles remember therefore that once a Scholar brought up was as great a sufferer as any of the unscholared tribe Let me see any of the unlearned tribe which say that there was never any good yet which were learned I say let me see any of them or theirs which have suffered with like patience as his learned Apostle did Ne did not Paul suffer many abuses from the unlearned Corinthians though Christians of his owne conversation with little thanks from them for his labour witnesse that though he both spent and was ready to be spent for them yet the more he loved them the lesse be was beloved of them It was not too much learning made them so chubbed and boggish to their most generous and noble Apostle They made him work with his hands day and night to the maintenance of himselfe and those which were with him yea and to spend upon them and be spent for them as before
that the marriage-bed is indeed undefiled and lawfull not sinfull and dishonourable Some doe understand this place as if the holy Ghost had said That Marriage is honourable amongst all if the bed be undefiled But it is affirmative not conditionall JAMES James 2.7 THe Name called upon you or called upon by you Jam. 2.17 Faith and works baptisme separation from Idolatry and the practice of positive parts of godlinesse Jam. 5.14 Annoynting them with oyle in the Name of the Lord. The Name of the Lord is as precious ointment Cant. 1.3 Consolatory speeches uttered in the Lords Name and from the Lords word are as healing and medicinable as oyntment I. PETER 1 Pet. 2.8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They were disobedient unto what they were even set That is unto that unto which they were even set the Antecedent understood in the Relative as Rom. 7.6 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being dead wherein wee were held That is â—hat being dead wherein we were held 1 Pet. 1.13 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 At the revelation not at the coming of Jesus Christ I. JOHN 1 Joh. 2.11 THere is no occasion of stumbling in him Neither active nor passive 1 John 2.19 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. That is they pretend that they went out successively from us the Apostles and so they did For all the feigned Christianity of Rome is an imitation of the true and Apostolicall Christianity but if it were the same why is not their doctrine and scripture like his doctrine and Scriptures but why is it their own tradition why is not their baptism and breaking of bread in every circumstance like his Why is there not liberty to judge the doctrine then and there taught as in 1 Corin. 14.29 35. is permitted unto any member except unto women Why hath not the Church but the Pope the determinative sentence in causes Ecclesiasticall 1 John 2.21 The Scripture is written by those and for those which know the truth not for those or not so much for those which know not the truth 1 Joh. 3.8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ab initio That is from the very foundation of his nature Satan sinneth 1 Joh. 4.14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hence the condemnation of the world ariseth so many of them as do not beleeve in Christ JUDE Jude v. 20. THese are they which separate themselves The emphasis lies in the word these and not in the word separate As if he should say Whereas the world blameth some for separating themselves I say These are they which separate themselves with a vitious separation There is a good separation and an evill separation See 2 Cor. 6.17 REVELATION Rev. 18.4 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Alluding to John 2.19 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As much as to say Whereas Antichrists Church pretendeth that they came successively from Christ and from his Apostles and therefore are the true Church Tell her that you have your succession from her and came from her as shee did come from Christ and from the Apostles and that therefore your succession is lineall and regular from Christ and from his Apostles aswell as theirs And if shee demand of you why you depart from her and doe not abide with her seeing you had your succession from her tell her that it is as lawfull for you to depart from her unto the antient true first and good wayes of Christ and of his Apostles as it is for her to depart from Christ and his Apostles in doctrine and practice and yet to pretend that shee is the successour of Christ and of his Apostles And if shee be a lawfull Church because they were a lawfull Church notwithstanding her difference from them much more are you as true a Church as shee even by her own argument though you depart and differ from her And this is to reward her double in the cup wherein shee hath drunk to you For I take this doctrine of Succession so urged by her to be the golden cup wherewith the Harlot hath made the Nations drunk and giddy and indeed not able to answer her with sense and reason Whether this be a rationall and sufficient answer or no I referre to judgement FINIS Certain places in the New Testament humbly propounded to the consideration of the godly learned whether they may not and whether some of them ought not to be thus translated as followeth MATTHEW Matth. 1.11 12 _ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not captivity but transhabitation or translation from house to house as a Tenant removed by his Landlord for non-payment of rent Judah must not roost in the Lords tenemens if Judah behave himselfe so badly towards this Landlord Take him Jaylor of Babylon untill his manners be mended And if this were done to the ancient Tenant what may we the later expect for non-payment of our rent but that he will take the Kingdome from us and give it to a people which will render the fruits thereof in their season Matth. 11.11 O 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He that is lesser in the Kingdome of Heaven is greater then he not he that is least in the Kingdome of Heaven Matth. 18.17 Tell the Church that is the whole Congregation at least in Covenant when publikely assembled upon the Court-day which is the Sabbath Matth. 21.3 with Marke 11.13 Luke 19.31.34 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The owner of them hath need of them Probably Christ had bought or some ordinary lawfully way contracted with the owners for the Asse and Colt so that the Asse and Colt were now his owne And probably he had covenanted with the sellers that the Asse and the Colt should be delivered to whosoever should first loose them without asking leave and to whosoever being demanded should answer and say the owner of them hath need of them a fit token between the buyer and the seller For who had more right to loose them without leave then the owner And what could make the expostulators so facile to let the Asse and the Colt go but the identity of the token formerly agreed upon between the seller and the buyer The need or use which Christ saith that he had of the Asse and of the Colt do witnesse the rather that he was the owner of them by contract The need or use which Christ had of them was First to foreshew his death and resurrection to be neere by riding into Jerusalem Secondly after his resurrection to ease his pierced feet which for sorenesse he would not suffer Mary to touch howsoever he permitted Thomas to feele and put his fingers into the print lest Thomas should perish for want of faith Be not faithlesse but beleeving And lest Christ should be thought to be but a Ghost in the likenesse of that Christ which was crucified and not the same in all things like unto us without sinne And his riding upon them into Jerusalem before his death might be a reall prediction of his death of the manner of his death of his resurrection so