Godly men respects their former good works p. 3568. 29. Three points 1. Eternal Life the most free gift of God both in respect of the Donor and of the Donee 2. Yet doth not the sovereign Freenesse of the Gift exclude all Qualifications in the Donees rather requires better in them then in others which exclude it or themselves from it Whether the Kingdom of Heaven was prepared for All or for a certain number 3. The first Qualification for grace is to become as little children A parallel of the conditions of Infants and of Christians truly humble and meek p. 3578 30. Matth. 25. 34. Then shall the King say to them on his Right hand c. Two General Heads of the Discourse 1 A Sentence 2. The execution thereof Controversies about the sentence Three conclusions in order to the decisions of those Controversies 1. The Sentence of life is awarded Secundum Opera not excluding faith 2. Good Works are necessary to salvation Necessitate Praecepti Medii And to Justification too as some say Quoad praesentiam non quoad Efficientiam The third handled in the next Chapter Good Works though necessary are not Causes of but the Way to the Kingdom Damnation awarded for Omissions Saint Augustines saying Bona Opera sequuntur Justificatum c. expounded Saint James 2. 10. He that keeps the whole Law and yet offends in one point c. expounded Why Christ in the final Doome instances only in Works of Charity not of Piety and Sanctity An Exhortation to do good to the poor and miserable and the rather because some of those duties may be done by the meanest of men p. 3587 31. Jansenius his Observation and Disputation about Merit examined and convinced of Contradiction to it self and to the truth The Definition of Merit The state of the Question concerning Merit Increase of Grace no more meritable then the first Grace A Promise made Ex Mero Motu sine Ratione dati accepti cannot found a Title to Merits Such are all Gods Promises Issues of meer Grace Mercie and Bountie The Romanists of Kin to the Pharisee yet indeed more to be blamed then He. The Objection from the Causal Particle FOR made and answered SECT VI. CHAP. 32. Matth. 7. 12. Whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you c. The misery of man of the wisest of men in their pilprimage to be Wanderers too The short way to Happiness The Pearl of the Ocean The Epitome Essence spirits of the Law and the Prophets Do as you would be done unto The Coherence the Method Christ advanceth This Dictate of Nature into an Evangelical Law Fortifies it and gives us proper Motives to practise it Two grounds of Equity in this Law 1. Actual Equality of all men by Nature 2. Possible Equality of all men in condition Exceptions against the Rule Answers to those Exceptions This Rule forbids not to invoke or wage Law so it be done with charity Whether Nature alone bind us to do good to our enemies God has right to command us to love them Plato's good communion The Compendious way to do our selves most good is to do as much good as we can to others The Application 33. Matth. 7. 12. The second General according to the Method proposed Chap. 32. Sect. 5. handled This Precept Do as ye would be done to more then equivalent to that Love thy neighbour as thy self for by good Analogy it is applicable to all the Duties of the first Table which we owe to God for our very being and all his other Blessings in all kinds bestowed on us Our desires to receive good things from God ought to be the measure of our Readiness to return obedience to his will and all other duties of dependance upon his Grace and Goodness God in giving Isaac did what Abraham desired and Abraham in offering Isaac did what God desired Two Objections made and answered 1. That this Rule may seem to establish the old Pythagorean Error of Retaliation and the new one of Parity in Estates 2. That the Magistrate in punishing offendors it seems in some Cases must of necessity either violate this Rule or some other p. 3628 34. The Impediments that obstruct the Practice of this Duty of Doing to others as we would have done to our selves are chiefly two 1 Hopes and Desires of attaining better estates then we at present have 2. Fears of falling into Worse Two readie wayes to the Dutie 1. To wean our souls into an indifferencie or vindicate them into a libertie in respect of all Objects 2 To keep in mind alwayes a perfect character of our owne afflictions and releases or comforts Two Inconveniencies arising from accersite greatness or prosperity 1. It makes men defective in performing the Affirmative part of this Duty 2. It makes them perform some part of the Affirmative with the violation of the Negative part thereof A Fallacy discovered An useful general Rule 3640 35. Jer. 45. 2 3 4 5. Thus saith the Lord unto thee O Baruch c. Little and Great termes of Relation Two Doctrines One Corollary Times and Occasions after the nature of things otherwise lawful Good men should take the help of the Anti-peristasis of bad times to make themselves better Sympathie with others in misery enjoyned in Scripture practised by Heathens Argia and Portia The Corollary proved by Instance and that made the Application of the former Doctrin 3648 36. On Jer. 45. latter part of ver 5. Thy life will I give thee for a prey The second Doctrin handled first in Thesi touching the Natural essence of Life in general 2. In Hypothesi Of the Donative of Life to Baruch as the case then stood That men be not of the same opinion about the Price of life when they be in Heat Action and Prosperity which they be of in dejection of Spirit and Adversity proved by Instances Petrus Strozius Alvares de Sande Gods wrath sharpens the Instruments and increases the terror of death Life was a Blessing to Baruch though it be shewed him all those evils from sight of which God took away good King Josiah in favour to him Baruch as a man did sympathize with the miseries of his people As a Faithful man and a Prophet of the Lord he conformed to the just will of God The Application 3663 37. On Rom. 2. 1. Therefore thou art inexcusable O man c. From what Premises the Apostles Conclusion is inferred The limitation of the Conclusion to the securing the Lawful Magistrate exercising Judicature according to his Commission and in matters belonging to his cognizance David and Abab judging persons by the Prophets Art feigned did really condemn themselves The sense of the Major Proposition improved by vertue of the Grammar Rule concerning Hebrew Participles and by Exposition of the phrase How the later Jewes judging the deeds of their forefathers did condemne themselves 3678 38. Second Sermon on Rom. 2. 1. 3690 39. Third Sermon on Rom. 2. 1. A Romish
more then the Pharisee confest when he said Lord I thank thee that I am not as other men are nor as this Publicane Here was a true acknowledgement that he received this Grace by whose good use he thought himself better then other men freely from God But in making this Comparison he gloried as if he had not received it or as if having received it he was not so great a Debter unto God as the Publicane was nor liable to the same Account for his sins past or present Questionlesse this Pharisee had been partaker of better Grace at least of better means of salvation then the Publican had been And if this conceit of his own worth in comparison of other men had not polluted his works there is no Question but that he had been more righteous then the Publican yet the Publican went home more justified then the Pharisee not for the worth of any good works which he had done but by unfeigned acknowledgment of his own Unworthiness if God should have entered into Judgment with him That Form of Prayer or acknowledgment which the Publican made would at this day well beseem even those which have received a greater measure of Grace then either he or the Pharisee had done even those which have been more fruitful in Good Works then both of them were Or if the Publican be no fit person for sanctified men to imitate certainly the Prophet Daniel is a fit one and yet his confession of his own unworthiness if God should have dealt in Justice with him was more pathetically humble then the Publicans was Dan. 9. 8 9. Oh Lord to us belongeth confusion of face to our Kings to our Princes and to our Fathers because we have sinned against thee to thee O Lord our God belongeth mercies and forgivenesses though we have rebelled against thee He placeth no part of his Confidence in the Merit either of his prayer or fasting which yet were both excellent works proceeding from charity and excellently performed by him but how excellently soever these Duties be performed by him or any they neither can Merit ought for their own worth in themselves nor from the vertue of Gods promises for all his promises are promises of Mercie and he that seeks for mercie though promised by God must sincerely and seriously renounce all works even the best works which he hath done that is he must disclaim all Merit or confidence in works otherwise he cannot take hold of Gods promises of mercie but solliciteth God to deal in justice with him 10. And yet here I must request the Reader to call that to mind which hath been often inculcated before that whensoever our Apostle excludes all works from Justification or Election he is to be understood only of Confidence in Works or Conceit of Merit He excludes not their Presence but necessarily requires it to our Justification as to the making of our Election sure He only denies any Causal Efficiencie in them for procuring these or the like blessings of God least of all for obtaining of eternal life unto which Good works are most necessary For our Apostle takes it as granted that we must deny our selves before we can do any good works but we must do good works before we can renounce them and we must renounce them in all our suits and pleas specially for those blessings which God out of his Free Grace and mercie promised us A Doctrine which would to God some late Writers of Reformed Churches had taken into serious consideration whilst they earnestly pleaded for the Free Grace of God in our Election For so they would never have taught us as to my apprehension they do that our Election to Eternal life is a more free grace of God then the donation of Eternal life it self then which as no blessing of God is more Great so none can be more Free But the absolute Freedom of the Gift doth no way exclude but rather require some Qualifications in the Donee and for this Reason it is that the practise of Good works is in special sort required for the attaining of Eternal Life Because That is the greatest and most Free Act of Grace which The God of Mercie hath to bestow upon us in respect of it our best deeds are most unworthy and the lesse worthy they are the more unfeignedly they are to be renounced And seeing our Apostle when he excludes works from any plea of mercie doth only exclude Confidence or Conceit of Merit in them in whatsoever sense he excludes them from Election or Justification he excludes them in an higher degree of the same sense from the Donation of eternal Life Otherwise that could not be as our Apostle saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Free Gift of God 11. But as in all other points of Controversie betwixt Us and the Romish Church so in this specially concerning Merits I am alwayes jealous of both Readers and Hearers lest whilst they hear one Error refuted they take occasion to run into the Contrary For preventing this inconvenience in this present point I must Request all in the First Place to Observe that Both of us fully agree in this General that God is a Rewarder of them that seek him and no man can truly seek him but by a true and lively working Faith The Question betwixt us is only this Whether God Reward such as seek him according to the Rule of Justice or according to the Rule of his boundlesse Mercy or whether our works his Grace and promise presupposed be worthy of his Reward or only make us not altogether unworthy or not uncapable of his Mercie The Second Point which I would commend to all mens Consideration is This that as our Apostle in the fore-cited place Heb. 6. doth not ground his hope of those Hebrews recovery upon Gods Justice so he doth not ground it upon the Infallibility or immutable estate of their Election He doth not so much as intimate that they could not possibly fall because their persons were Elected for this was more then either he or they knew more then most men can possibly know more then any man in their Case may safely perswade himself He that makes his personal Election the only Anchor of his Faith in such temptations as these Hebrews at that time were overtaken with shall fall into as bad perhaps a worse Error then if he held That his Good works formerly done might merit his Recovery unto his former estate so he will but address himself to do the like This Conceit of merit though we take men in their best estate or when they are least conscious of grosser sins is a Symptom of heathenish pride or ignorance For the Heathens thought they could make the Gods or divine Powers beholding unto them But to stay our selves in the consciousness of grievous sins lately committed upon perswasions of our personal Election is the most dangerous root of Hypocritical Pride that can be planted in our corrupt
cruel for out of this compassionate affection towards dumb creatures they will be ready to kill a Christian man if he chance to wrong or harm them It is a good thing then to be zealous of good works but unless this zeal be uniform that is unless it proportionably if not equally respect good works of every kind partial or deformed zeal will bring forth compleat Hypocrisie 10. But it is an easie matter to tell men that their zeal must be uniform and unpartial the point wherein satisfaction will be desired is this How this uniformity of zeal in good works must be wrought and planted in men This men must learn from that fundamental Rule of our Saviour Whatsoever ye would that men should do to you so do to them for this the Law and the Prophets All of Us desire or wish that not this or that man only but that every man should deal justly friendly and kindly with us should think or speak well of us whilst we do or intend well should Judge charitably of us when they know nothing to the contrary and censure us charitably if we chance to do amisse The Rule of practise then in brief is this that we make payment by the same measure by which we borrow that is do good as occasions or abilities serve to every man as he is a man or our fellow creature though in more abundant measure unto such as are our Christian brethren and of the same Church and Religion To be charitable in word indeed in thought towards all even towards such as deserve punishment or censure Another branch of the same Rule is this If any have really shewed themselves kind unto us to do unto them as they have done If any have dealt rigidly or unkindly with us not to do as they have done but as we desired they should have done unto us for our desires to be well dealt withall are just but so were not their dealings with us And why should we make other mens unjust dealing with us rather then our own just desires of being friendly dealt withall the Rule of our future actions or dealings with the same men For God will judge us by the former Rule the Tenour whereof is this not to do as we have been done unto specially if we have been unjustly dealt withall but to do to every man as we desire they should have done unto us The same Rule may be yet further extended thus we must do to every man not only as we desire that every man should do to us but as we desire that God should do to us or for us So when we pray that God would forgive us our trespasses we must be ready to forgive them that have trespassed against us If we desire that God would relieve us in distress comfort us in sorrow or succour us in need we must be ready to relieve our neighbors in their distress to succour and comfort them as we are able in time of need not thus in some good measure qualified we do not pray in faith our prayers are not truly religious For as St. James tels us Chap. 1. verse the last Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this to visit the fatherlesse and widdows in their affliction and to keep himself unspotted of the world CHAP. XXX MATTH 25. 34 c. 41. c. Then shall the King say unto them on his Right hand Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world FOR I was an hungred and you gave me meat c. Then shall he say also to them on the left hand Depart from me ye cursed FOR I was an hungred and ye gave me no meat I was thirstie and ye gave me no drink I was a stranger sick and in prison c. Two General Heads of the Discourse 1. A Sentence 2. The Execution thereof Controversies about the Sentence Three Conclusions in order to the Decision of those Controversies 1. The Sentence of Life is awarded Secundum Opera not excluding Faith 2. Good works are necessary to Salvation necessitate praecepti Medij And to Iustification too as some say quoad praesentiam non quoad efficientiam The Third Handled in the next Chapter Good works though necessarie are not Causes of but the Way to the Kingdom Damnation awarded for Omissions St. Augustines saying Bona Opera sequuntur Justificatum c. expounded St. James 2. 10. He that keeps the whole Law and yet offends in one Point c. expounded Why Christ in the final Doom instances only in works of Charitie not of pietie and sanctitie An Exhortation to do good to the poor and miserable and the rather because some of those Duties may be done by the meanest of men 1. THis portion of Scripture is divided by our Saviour himself into These two Generals the first A Sentence which for the matter is Two-fold Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you verse 34. c. And again ver 41. Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels But many Sentences are given which are not put in Execution Yet this being the Final Sentence that shall be given upon all men and upon all their works there is no question but it shall be put in Execution If reason grounded upon Scripture be not sufficient to inforce our belief as well concerning the Execution of the Sentence as the Equitie thereof we have an Expresse Testimonie of the Judge himself for the certaintie of this Execution ver 46. And these to wit the Goats which were placed on his left hand that is all workers of iniquitie or fruitless hearers of the word of life shall go away into everlasting punishment but the righteous into life eternal The Sentence it self hath by the perversness of mans will or by the curiositie of some wits been made the matter of many controversies especially in latter times Of which we shall deliver our Opinion as it shall fall out in the prosecution of the Positive Truth which we are bound to believe The Positive Truthes which I would commend unto the Readers meditation are Three The First That Life everlasting shall be awarded Secundum opera or that all men shall receive their final doom according to their works The second which will necessarily follow upon this That good Works are necessarie to salvation or to the inheritance of this Kingdom here promised The third That good works are necessarie to our admission into this kingdom Non tanqnam Causa regnandi sed quia Via ad regnum not as meritorious Causes for which this kingdom is by right due to us or to any but as the necessarie Way or path by which all such as seek to enter into this Kingdom must passe To begin with the First Point That the Final reward or retribution shall be Secundum opera according to mens works
2. About this Position Controversie between us and the Romish Church there needed to have been none unless some in that Church had been more desirous to open a gap to new contentions then ready to bring the controversies already set on foot to a Tryable Issue by reducing them to some Point of Contradiction But some of good Note in that Church for learning and moderation have left this Animadversion upon These words of Saint Matthew That this place alone doth sufficiently evince that the Final Award or retribution shall be made Secundum Opera non Secundum Fidem according to works not according to Faith That God should render to every man either in this life or at the last day according unto his works yea according to all his works we never denied For Solomon had long since said as much in his prayer to God 2 Chron. 6. 30. Yea all works even the most secret works those of the heart not excepted shall have their Proper Award and every man shall reap according to that he hath sowen Whether he hath sowen unto the flesh or unto the spirit But that this Final Retribution should be made Secundum Opera non Secundum Fidem according to works only not according to Faith we cannot grant without contradiction to the truth delivered by our Saviour and Saint Paul For Faith and Works by both their Doctrines are so strictly linkt together that if the Final Retribution be made according to mens works it must likewise be awarded according to mens Faith And unlesse the Advocates of the modern Romish Church had been diposed to follow those Hypocrites against whom Saint James disputes in his second Chapter in their notions or apprehensions of Faith more then Saint James yea more then Saint Paul Nay more then our Saviour himself they could not be ignorant of that contradiction which is implied in their Assertion That the Final Retribution is made according to Works not according to Faith Know ye saith our Apostle Gal. 3. 7. that they which are of faith the same are the children of Abraham so Abraham is called The father of the faithful And none can be his sons or children but by propagation or participation of his faith Our Saviour saith unto the Jewes John 8. 39. If ye were Abrahams children ye would do the works of Abraham And if they had done the works they should have had the Reward of Abraham Yet as the Apostle saith They that be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham So then it is true that God rewarded Abraham according to his Works and yet withall according to his Faith yea he was therefore rewarded with blessing according to his works because his works were done in Faith or because he was faithful in his works But do these Romanists which say that we shall be rewarded according to Works not according to Faith as evidently contradict their pretended Patron Saint Iames as they do Saint Paul They do without Question if we look into his intent and scope in that very place from which they seek to magnifie Works above Faith as well in point of Justification as in respect of salvation or Final Retribution 3. Was not Abraham our Father saith Saint James Chap. 2. 21. justified by works when he offered Isaac his son upon the Altar Yet the same Apostle doth not deny but rather suppose that Abraham offered up Isaac by Faith for so he addes ver 23. that by this work that Scripture was fulfilled which saith Abraham believed God and it was imputed to him for righteousness If this Scripture were fulfilled by this work then Abrahams Faith did work in this work or rather did work this work it was his working Faith or belief which was imputed unto him for righteousness and it was impossible that Abraham should be rewarded according to this work and not be rewarded as well according to his Faith as according to his Work Indeed if Abraham had profest only in General That he did believe God and his word but had started back from this or the like Service which God had enjoyned him he had not been justified But why not justified only because he had no works nay rather because not having such works as God required at his hands his Faith had not been sound and perfect and his Faith being not sound and perfect had not been imputed unto him for righteousness Now the Scripture plainly affirms and St. James takes it as granted that Abraham's belief not his works was imputed to him for righteousness Albeit Saint James doth say that the Belief was perfected by the work yet all the perfection was the perfection of his Faith the use and End of his work or of his Tryal was to perfect or strengthen his Faith as we say exercise of body doth perfect or confirm health but it will not therefore follow that Exercise of body is better then health seeing all the perfection that it hath is at the service of health So far was this work of Abraham by which Saint James saith his faith was perfected from being a distinct perfection from the perfection of his faith that Saint Paul includes the very Work in his Faith Heb. 11. 17. By faith Abraham when he was tryed offered up Isaac The reason why he ascribes this work unto his faith is given ver 19. He accounted that God was able to raise him up from the dead from whence also he received him in a figure It was a Great and difficult matter for Abraham to believe that he should become the Father of many nations Rom. 4. 18. Not to consider his own being now about an 100. years old neither yet the deadnes of Sarahs womb But it was a greater work after he had received Isaac upon the threed of whose life the blessing promised Gen. 15. 5. of being the Father of many nations did wholly depend to offer him up in sacrifice this was more then to believe in hope against hope The ready way for ought that humane wisdom or any experience till that time manifested unto the world could inform him to cut the very throat of all his hopes or future blessings But how great soever this work were the strength by which it was wrought was meerly the strength of his Faith so the Apostle saith Rom. 4. 20. He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief but was strong in faith giving glory to God and being fully perswaded that what God had promised he was also able to perform and therefore was it imputed to him for righteousness So that if any man do not the works of Abraham it is because he hath not the faith of Abraham Impossible it were for any man that hath the same measure of Faith which Abraham had not to do the like works which Abraham did What measure of works truly good any man doth so much or so great a measure he hath of true Faith And so far as any man is Rewarded according to his works
he is likewise rewarded according to his Faith We may extend that Saying of our Saviour though spoken then but to one man unto all and every man According to their faith so shall it be done unto them And our Saviour in the Parable next before This Sentence expresly avoucheth that the Final Award or retribution shall be according to Faith Matth. 25. 23. Well done thou good and faithful servant thou hast been faithful over a few things I will make thee ruler over many things enter thou into the joy of thy Lord. No man shall be rewarded for any Works unless they were the Works of Faith or done in Faith To speak properly it is the Fidelity of our Works or our Fidelity in Working which shall be rewarded As for those Hypocrites against whom St James disputes and from whose Notion or Conceit of Faith the Romish School-men for the most part take their Description of Faith they had altogether as little of Abrahams Faith as they had of Abrahams Works For if they had been partakers of Abrahams faith then as our Apostle infers Gal. 3. 7 They had been the sons of Abraham and if they had been the sons of Abraham they would by our Saviours Inference have done the works of Abraham Such faith as they made brags of could not justifie them because it was a dead and fruitlesse faith devoid of works Such works as the Romish Church doth magnifie in opposition to faith can neither justifie nor receive any Reward because they are no faithful Works but rather like seeming fruits without any Root They put their works upon their faith as we do sweet flowers upon dead Corpses Neither can give life or perfection to others The best Censure that Christian Faith or Charity will permit us to give of their doctrine Concerning the nature of faith and works is This That albeit they all profess to believe that which their Church believes yet the most of them do neither believe nor practise as the Church in these points teacheth Their ignorance in this particular is much better then their knowledge of most of the rest But to conclude the first Position Because some of our Writers exclude all works from the work of Justification some Roman Writers I dare not say all sought to be even with them by excluding faith from sharing with works in the Final Award or retribution For besides this Eagerness of extream Opposition or desire to be contrary unto us it is not imaginable what could move any learned Writer amongst them to Affirm that this final Retribution shall be according to VVorks and Deny it According to Faith 4. About the Second Position there is no Controversie betwixt us and the Romish Church we hold Good works to be as necessary to salvation as they do As necessary according to both Branches of Necessity Necessarie they are Necessitate praecepti and necessarie likewise Necessitate medii necessarie by Precept or duty for God hath commanded us to do them he hath redeemed us to the end that we should serve him in righteousness and holiness But many things which are in this sense necessary in that their Omission doth necessarily include a breach of Gods Commandement and by consequent a sin do not alwayes induce or argue a Forfeiture of our Estate in Grace or utter exclusion from the' Kingdom of heaven For this Reason we say That Good works are necessary not only Necessitate praecepti by way of Command but Necessitate medii as the way and means so necessary to salvation that without the practise of them no man can be admitted into the Kingdom of Heaven Through the Omission of Good works many do forfeit that Interest which they truly had in the promises of everlasting Life In the promise it self all that are partakers of the Word and Sacrament all that acknowledge the Word revealed to be the way unto everlasting life have A true Interest Of the pledge or earnest of the blessing promised that is of justifying or sanctifying Grace none are partakers but such as are fruitful in Good works according to the means or abilities which God hath bestowed upon them Whether it be possible for such as are once estated in Grace to give over the Practise of Good works that here we leave to such as desire to exercise their wits in the controversies about Falling from Grace and the rather because we have spoke a word of that Point in the 26. Chapter of this Book Let them determine of the Categorical Affirmative or Negative as they please This Conditional is most certain If it be possible for him that hath Grace or Faith in what measure soever inherent to give over the practise of Good Works he shall thereby forfeit his present estate in Gods promises and defeat his hopes of inheriting the Kingdom of God Whosoever saith our Saviour shall break one of these Commandements and shall teach men so he shall be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven but whosoever shall do and teach them the same shall be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven For I say unto you that except your righteousnesse shall exceed the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharisees ye shall in no case enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Matth. 5. 20. Yet did these Scribes and Pharisees many Good Works and made conscience of many Duties which many Precise Ones in our dayes do not trouble their Consciences withal This notwithstanding These Scribes and Pharisees did exclude themselves from the Kingdom of Heaven as here established on earth by leaving other Good Works altogether or for the most part undone which the Law of God did no lesse require at their hands Even the Good Works which they did were not well done by them because they were not done in Faith they never came so near unto the Kingdom of Heaven as to acknowledge Christ for their Lord much lesse to be partakers of those Gifts and Graces of the Spirit which after his Ascension were bestowed on men Nor shall all they which were partakers of those Gifts and which did still acknowledge him for their Lord enter into the Kingdom which is here prepared for such as continue in well doing So saith our Saviour Not every one that saith unto me Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdom but he that doth c. Many will then say Lord Lord have we not prophesied in thy name and in thy name have cast out divels and in thy name done many wonderful works And then will I profess unto them I never knew you Depart from me ye workers of iniquitie Matth. 7. 21 22. 5. But in this place We see the Sentence is not awarded for Positive Works of iniquitie but for Omission of the duties of charitie He saith not Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels Because ye have oppressed the poor and stranger or for that ye have robbed the Fatherless and made a prey of
the widdow These indeed are works of iniquity and deserve Exclusion from the Kingdom of Heaven But is it a Work of iniquity not to work at all As not to give meat unto the hungry Not to give drink unto the thirstie Not to cloath the naked or lodge the harbourless Yes even these Omissions deserve Exclusion from the Kingdom of Heaven Either by their connexion with sins of oppression because it is scarce possible that any which hear Christs promises should be barren of good Works unless they were too fruitful in the works of impietie and oppression or rather because as our Saviour elsewhere infers that Not to save mens lives when means and opportunitie is offered is to kill Not to feed the hungrie is a bloody sin Not to cloath the naked is as the sin of Oppression The Doing of some Good Works cannot excuse men for the Omission of others which be as necessary To prophesie in Christs name is a Gracious Work to cast out Divels is a Work of Greater Charity and comfort to the possessed then to visit the prisoners and yet such as have done these and many other wonderful Works shall not be admitted at the Last Day Besides the Goodness of the Works which we are bound to do there must be an Uniformitie in them Otherwise they are not done in Faith Now the same Faith and belief which inclines our hearts to works of one kind will incline them to the practise of every kind which we know or believe to be required at our hands by our Lord and Master That even the best Works of mercy or most beneficial unto others are not acceptable unto God unless they be done out of Faith obedience to our Masters Will is clear from our Apostles Verdict of Enoch Heb. 11. 5. Before his translation saith our Apostle he had this testimonie that he pleased God For so it is said Gen. 5. 24. that he walked with God the way by which he walked was his Good Works and Conversation but The Guide of this way and his works was his Faith So the Apostle infers without faith it is impossible to please God for he that cometh to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him ver 6. As God is the Author of goodness yea goodness it self so we cannot come unto him by any other way then by doing good to others yet that which must make even our best Works pleasing to him must be our Belief in him and in his goodness and that he is A bountiful Rewarder of all that do good The good Works even of the Heathen and of such as knew neither him nor his Providence of such as in stead of him worshipped false gods were rewarded by him but with rewards and blessings only Temporal He was their Rewarder but not himself their Reward This was the Peculiar of Abraham his friend and of Abrahams children that is of all such as do the works of Abraham out of the Faith of Abraham that is out of a lively apprehension and true esteem of his goodness Unto all such he himself shall be merces magna nimis or valdè magna Their exceeding great Reward Unto men thus qualified and only unto them it shall be said Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world This Kingdom shall be a Kingdom of everlasting bliss and yet the greatest blessedness of this Kingdom shall consist in the fruition or enjoying of the presence of this Everlasting King who is goodness it self the participation of whose goodness is the very Life and Essence of that happiness which all desire but none shall attain besides such as do His Will by well doing To be separated for ever from his presence is the source of all the miserie which shall befall the damned or accursed But from this place of our Apostle Heb. 11. 6. The Romanist alwayes ready like the spider to suck poison from such flowers in this garden of God as naturally afford honey to such as seek God labours to infer as he doth out of the words of the text That the Everlasting Kingdom here promised is the just Reward of our good works and is as properly merited as everlasting death is by the Omission of the works here mentioned or by the Positive Works of inquitie So that I should here according to my proposed method proceed unto the third point That these good works how necessary soever they be are necessary only Tanquam via ad regnum non tanquam causa regnandi only as the Way and Means which lead unto this Kingdom not as the causes of its preparation for us or of our admission unto it But for the present I chuse rather to make some use or Application of what hath been said concerning the necessity of Good Works then to dispute of their Efficacie or Causality for attaining this Kingdom intending to touch that a little more in the next Chapter though with reference to what I have spoken in the 27. and 28. Chapters 6. You see that Good Works done in faith or which is all one a Working Faith are absolutely necessarie unto salvation But are they as necessary to Justification If they be how is it said by St. Austine and approved by the Articles of the Church of England Bona opera sequuntur hominem justificatum non praecedunt in homine justificando Good works follow Justification they do not go before it This Orthodoxal Truth only imports thus much That no man can do those works which are capable of the promises before he be inabled by God to do them and that this ability to do them is from the Gift of Justifying Faith Now every one that hath this Faith in his heart is said to be Justified that is absolved from the Guilt of sins past and freed from the Tyranny and Dominion of sin by receiving this pledge or earnest of Gods mercie and in this sense is Justification taken by St. James when he saith a man is justified by works that is He is not to be accounted the Son of faithful Abraham nor may he presume upon his own Actual Justification or estate in Grace until he be qualified and enabled to do the Works of Abraham In the same sense is Justification taken by St. John Rev. 22. 11 Qui justus est justificetur ad huc Let him that is righteous be righteous still or more justified And in this sort Children or Infants are said to be Justified by the Infusion of Faith The practise of Good Works is not required to their Justification before they come to the knowledge of good and evil But neither is the apprehension or actual Belief of Gods mercies in Christ required of them Though they be justified and saved for the Merits of Christ and through his blood as we are Yet is not the Rule for Application of these Merits the same in them and
in men of years and discretion Though with some abatement or allowance it holds in such as are converted to Christ upon their death beds These must apprehend Gods mercies in Christ resolve to do Good Works and leave testimonie of sorrow for their past negligence in doing Good Works For in such as are endued with knowledge of Christ and are enlightned to see their miserable estate by nature the self same Faith which apprehends Gods mercies in Christ cannot be idle it will be working that which is Good and acceptable in the sight of God In vain it it shall be for them to sue for mercie at Gods hands through the Merits of Christ unless for love to Christ whose Merits for them and Goodness towards them Faith apprehends they be ready to do the works which he hath commended unto them For as you heard before not every one that saith unto him Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven but he that doth the will of his Father which is in Heaven and his Fathers Will is that we do those things which he here commands But another special Branch of the same Will is That when we have done all this we faithfully acknowledge our selves to be unprofitable servants This our Plea for mercie as men altogether unworthy for our best Works sake to be partaker of Gods Goodness or of everlasting bliss is that justification which St. Paul so much insists upon in most of his Epistles and unto This Justification that is to our good success in making this Plea Good works are necessary and usually Precedent or as it is usually taught by Good writers Good works are necessary quoad presentiam to justification non quoad efficientiam Their presence is necessarie to Justification their Efficacy or efficiencie is not necessary for as you have heard before and shall afterwards Chap. 31. hear meritorious efficiencie they have none 7. But let us ever remember as I often put the Reader in mind when it is said VVe must renounce all our works in the Plea of Iustification or suite of Pardon for our sins This must be understood Of those good Works which we have done not of those which we have left undone For these are not ours These the Hypocrites and unbeleevers will be ready to renonnce He alone truly renounceth his Works that doth Good Works and yet when he hath done them puts no trust or confidence in them and seeks not to improve them so far as to make them meritorious but wholly relies upon Gods mercies in Christ appealing from the Law unto the Gospel Nor is it every sort of Relyance upon Gods mercies in Christ but A faithful and stedfast relyance that can avail and no man can faithfully rely upon Christs merits but he that is faithful in doing his Fathers VVill. 8. But is this Necessitie of good Works to be equally extended to all sorts of Good works So saith Saint James Chap. 2. 10 11. VVhosoever shall keep the whole Law and yet offend in one point he is guiltie of all for he that said do not commit adulterie said also do not kill Now if thou commit no adulterie yet if thou kill thou art become a transgressor of the Law His meaning is That albeit we are diligent in many points of Gods service yet if we wittingly dispense with our souls in other parts of it this is an Argument that we Truly and faithfully observe no part For if we did observe Any part of his Commandments out of Faith or sincere obedience to Gods Will we would observe as much as in us lies every branch of his Will revealed For as true Faith will not admit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Respects of Persons which was the fault in the beginning of that Chapter taxed by St. Iames and gave occasion to the Maxim or principle in the words last cited so doth it exclude all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Partialitie to Gods Commandments or branches of His Will revealed If we love and prize one we must love and value all We may not love and respect One and neglect another This is the true intent and meaning of the Apostle which some to the wounding of their brethrens weak consciences have extended too far who say expresly or at least are so defective in expressing themselves as they occasion others to think That if a man either positively or more grievously transgress in breach of Gods Negative Precepts or often fail in performance of some Positive Duties commanded by him it is all one as if he had transgressed all Gods Commandments This is more then can be gathered from St. James in this place or from any other part of Gods word which only condemnes Partialitie to Gods Commandments Now a man may trespass oftner and more grievously against some one or more of Gods commandments whether Negative or Affirmative then he doth against others and yet do all this not out of any passionate affected Partialitie towards Gods Commandments or for want of uniformitie in his Faith or Affections towards Christ but only out of the Inequalitie of his own natural or acquired inclinations to some peculiar sins or vices in respect of others Some men as well before Regeneration or knowledge of Christ as after may be naturally or out of custome more prone to wantonness then unto covetousness Others again by natural disposition or bad custome may be more prone to covetousness to ambition or unadvised anger then unto wantonness Others again by bad education may be more prone to rash oathes or causless swearing then to any the former vices One sort after their regeneration or after they come to make Conscience of their wayes may offend more often and more grievously against the third Commandment then against the sixth or seventh Another sort may offend more grievously against the sixth Commandment Thou shalt not kill then against the seventh Thou shalt not commit adulterie A third sort such as are by natural disposition or custom given to wantonness may offend more grievously against the seventh Commandment then against the sixth A fourth sort more pecularly prone to covetousness or ambition may offend more grievously and more often against the last Commandment Thou shalt not covet then against any of the former And yet none of them fall under that censure of Saint James Whosoever shall keep the whole Law and yet offend in one point he is guiltie of all For they may all respectively offend in some one part or few points not out of any Partialitie to Gods Law or Commandments but out of the Inequalitie of their particular or peculiar dispositions to observe them Their desires or endeavours to observe those duties which they more neglect may perhaps be Greater then their desires or endeavours to observe those wherein they are less defective However this may fall out Yet this Rule is certain that Whosoever truly observes any or more of Gods Commandments out of Faith and sincere obedience to his
of Truthes The Philosophers Rapt with Joy in Contemplation and Invention * The former of the Two Philosophers was Pythagoras The later was Archimedes Of both see Plutarch in his Book intituled Non posse hominem suaviter vivere secundum Epicurum Much more Joy in the knowledge of saving truths How this tast'd of eternal life is preserved Of questions touching falling from Grace See the Authors Opinion more fully about Sin against the Holy Ghost Book 8. Chap. 3. which Book though published 21. years since I suppose was written after This. They only enjoy and keep this Tast that diligently seek after it and truly prize it The danger of seeking to enjoy worldly Contentments together with this heavenly Tast See this Fallacie in Aristotles Rhetor. Tast of unlawful pleasures deads and looseth the heavenly Tast Unlawful pleasures and sinful acts destroy the heavenly tast both by Efficiency and Demerit How worldly pleasures and temporal contentments come to prevail against the tast of Eternal life Faculties natural and Grace Two Scales Moderating of worldly desires and natural affections necessary for gaining and preserving the heavenly tast ☜ ☜ Seneca Watchfulness and sobrietie also are necessary Sobrietie consists not only in temperance of meat and drink but in Ruling our thoughts and words The final Recompence of our doings Good or bad Chemnitius's Rule The Romanists Allegation from the force of the word merit Hor. de Arte. The Romanists second proof of Merit The Answer The Rom-third Argument Bellarmine his Reasons The Causal Particles For Because and the like imply not merit of Works And see more of them Book 8. Chap. 15. The Freenesse of the Pardon excludes not all qualification but rather requires sincere performance of good Duties Works not properly meritorious but indeed Unworthy of eternal life How Christs temporal sufferings were of infinite merit Why the pleasures of sin though temporary deserve eternal punishment See this Book Fol. 3498. Of the word Gift or Grace Whether the Grace of God or the Effects of his Eternal Favour can be merited by us See Book 10. Fol. 3285. Gods Justice and righteousness in rewarding us does not imply the merit of our works The divers acceptions of Justice or righteousness Should such a thing be our meriting derogates from Christs merits See the fourth Book Chap. 11 16. c. About merit and justification The place perhaps related to in the next paragraph Of Justification the doctrin whereof is corrupted by the doctrin of Merit ☞ How works are excluded from Justification Two rocks to be avoide here Confid in merit of Works and Praemature conceit or presumption of our Election ☞ Eternal life a most Free Gift of God Gods infinite Freedom The true way of laying hold on General Promises It follows not God cannot deny himself ergo I am in and shall persevere in the state of Salvation Equally dangerous to confide in Merit and to presume of Election See Book 10. Chap. 42. Fol. 3228. The Free Gift of eternal life excludes not due Qualifications in the receiver * This was preached at Newcastle upon Tine For whom was the Kingdom of heaven prepared See the 10. Book Chapt. 42. Fol. 3236. c. Humilitie a necessary qualification The third Point The Qualification for receiving this Free Gift Why Christ instanceth in the Scribes and Pharisees Turkish mercie See the discourses following upon that precept Do as you would be done to Two Generals 1. A sentence and that Twofold 2 The Execution thereof Controversies about the Sentence Three Positive verities or Conclusions See The Fathers cited by this Author in his fourth Book Chap. 11. c. about the inseparableness of Faith and works Good works necessary to Salvation Omission of Good Works forfeit our interest in the promises Damnation awarded for Omissions The Romanists wresting Hebr. 11. 6. to maintain merit of Works The third Positive truth mentioned §. 1. handled Chap. 31. ☞ See this Authors Treatise of Justifying Faith or fourth Book Chap. 15. See this Authors Treatise Of Justifying Faith or fourth Book Chap. 15. A Sinister exposition of Saint James 2. 10. ☞ Why Christ instances in works of Charitie rather then of Pietie ☞ ☞ * About Newcastle upon Tine where these were preached The worse the poor be the more we may be charitable unto them All neglect of the poor is sin This spiritual neglect is a sin exceeding sinful Jansenius his Observation A Catholick verity The Definition of merit The state of the Question Consider three things Increase of Grace no more merited then the First Grace About Free-will See an elaborate Treatise Book X. Chap. 24. c. A Syllogism If there be not Ratio Dati Accepti A promise is no Ground of merit How the Papists and Pharisee agree in this point rather how they exceed him The Objection drawn from the Causal Particle For in the text framed and answered Jansenius his Argument The Author his Answer See the 27th Chapter of this Book where this Argument is most fully answered and that with some variation of what is here The miserie and mistakes of man The short or summe of mans Dutie The Coherence The Authors Method Severus Two Grounds of this Rule or Law of Nature Cyrus Scipio Exceptions against these two Rules The Answer to the former Exceptions ☞ More exceptions against that Rule and Answers to them This Rule must be understood of a 〈◊〉 Will. Rigid censuring a Pronostick of falling Q. If nature alone binde men to do good to their enemies How Christ fulfilled the Law * See §. 8. Rom. 12. 20. The Application ☜ Ps 35. 13 Esai 22. 12. Ezek. 21. 10. How this Precept Do as you c containeth all the Second Table So Christ said to St. Peters Lovest thou me Feed my sheep So David said to God Psal 16 My goodness extendeth not to thee But to the Saints that are in earth and to the excellent in whom is all my delight See St. Aug De Civit. Dei Lib. 10. Cap 4. and 15. Cap. 22. and Lud. vives's Comment An Objection against this precept thus improved and expounded An Answer to the Objection A Second Objection Mens affections are right balanced when they be as ready to do as to receive good A double oversight ☞ Good things are only pleasant whilst they rellish of Gods Goodness ☞ Pro. 16. 8. See the 6. Book 2 part chapt 11. page 95. Titus 2. 11 A Dutie semblable to every desire See §. 13. ☜ See St. Basil de 40. Martyr * See the Sermons upon that Text. Chapt. 35 36. The bestmeans to put the dutie in practise Keep an exact Register or Calendar of our Good and evil dayes Deu. 24. 19 ☞ ☞ Ecclus. 11. 25. 27. Psal 41. 1. Beatus qui intelligit super pauperem ☞ Two great inconveniences of wealth and greatness unduly sought See Fol. 3586. ☞ Such mixt deeds are like a Linsy-wolsey Garment or plowing with an Ox and an Ass yoked or lowing miscellan See Chap.
to assist the Widow and the Orphan obliged to help out the more profitable works of Learned men deceased As God by convincing me of disabilitie hath taken away all hopes and desires of publishing any Work of mine own So he hath given me an extraordinary delight of serving out the works of this Man and this delight hath made me able to take more pains in this then ever I took in any other Book-businesse throughout my whole life Yea God seems to have given me life beyond all expectation partly for effecting this Work I said in the year 1649 I shall certainly go down to the grave God strangely brought me back from the Gates of Death He only knows what more to suffer I cannot see at present what else to do but to publish these Tracts the Quintessence of which is That of The Resurrection of the Dead I have yet Two Things to trouble your patience with The Former is To secure you that I have made no Merchandize no base Gain no gain at all for any would be base in me of those Jewels you committed to my Trust The Later To assure you That I have dealt as carefully and faithfully in the Publication of These Tracts as I would if the Case had so been the Author should have done in mine And yet if this satisfaction be too general to stay that wonderment which haply will arise in your mind when at the end of Chap. 43. you shal find A Fragment of the Authors interserted Be pleased over and above the Reasons there given to accept of this Following The Opinion That the sins of those Jewes who crucified our Saviour persecuted his Apostles and stoned S. Stephen were not visited upon them but that the Plagues respectively due for doing so were fended off or superseded by the signal vertue of Christs Blood speaking better things then that of Abel and special Efficacie of His Prayers for them was new and seemed though quaint yet very useful for us of suffering Condition I confess I am scrupulous of losing any Fragment of this Authors but was highly tender of leaving out in that place the least Grain of weight that might adde any shew of proof to His intended Conclusion which I would fain have rendred as probable as might be That we who are to fill up the leavings of Christs afflictions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 might more willingly and perfectly conform to Our Captain not only in Patience but in Charitie also and be excited earnestly to sollicit and employ the Interest we have in God through Christ chiefly for the Conversion and Salvation of our Adversaries and then for sparing them as to temporal punishments That it may one day appear they fared the better for those that fared worse for them even for those whom they counted the worst of men the Troublers of Israel the Anathemaes or Cursed things If this will not satisfie you I have no Refuge left but to fly to the Sanctuary where the Authors ashes lye and to beg pardon of you in whom by consignment of Will his Person lives which I presume you will the sooner grant upon condition I cease to trouble you further May you please then to sit by a while only to view how I demean my self and to awe me into Reverence in my Addresses to the Common Christian Reader who by what he hath here already heard and shall after read will joyn in thanks to You and Prayers for You With Your Affectionate Humble Servant in Christ B. O. To the CHRISTIAN READER Grace from GOD and Benefit from THIS BOOK COncerning the Author of these Learned and Godly Tracts I have spoke my mind so fully in the Prefaces to the First and Second Volumes Printed in Folio some years ago that I have nothing to do here but to own and avow what I there wrote which by these presents I heartily do And when the Reader hath perused this Book I hope he will confess That I have good reason not only to continue but to increase and advance my good Opinion of Him and say He believed and therefore spake what is here to be read in these Comments upon the Creed and that Being dead by Faith and these Writings faithful and true he yet speaks as the Oracles of God concerning Judgment to come The Resurrection of the Dead and Life Everlasting Touching the Order of the whole Bodie of His Works I have likewise so fully expressed my self in the Preface to the Tenth Book as that to say any thing more of That would be superfluous I can only call to mind One useful Particular which I then forgot though I had inserted it amongst my Memorandums of things necessary to be accounted for to the Reader the Omission whereof is here to be repaired and that is About the Numeration of the Folioes or the Figures set on the tops of the first and following leaves respectively The First Volume in Folio Containing the Three First Books of this Authors Commentaries on the Creed did end with the number 508. The tenth Book which is the second Volume as yet printed in Folio did begin with Number 3001. To the Intelligent Reader asking a Reason of so great a Chasma or Skip I Answer All the Numbers betwixt these Two were left void and allowed according to conjectural Computation for the reprinting in Folio of the 4 5 6 7 8 and 9 th Books only yet printed in Quarto for that the Owner of the Copies may not afford to put them into Folio that so the whole proceeding in a Continued Series might be more capable of a General Index at the last About the Order observed in This Book there is so much said upon sundry occasions in several Transitions as hath prevented for though it follow in reading it was printed before this Preface the pains here So that it is the Matter of this Eleventh Book which must afford me stuff or matter whereon to make a Preface Here is then published for the Readers behoof and to his view A TREATISE of that Knowledg of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ which arises from the right understanding and true Belief of His Sitting at the Right Hand of God the Father Of His Exaltation thereby to be Lord and Christ or to His Lordship and Dominion which being both of Proprietie and Jurisdiction hath annexed unto it the Power of Judging the Quick and the Dead And in order thereunto of Raising the Dead also that both they and those which shall be found alive at His Coming may by His Award or Sentence receive their Final Dooms according to their several Demeanours in the Bodie when they that have done Good shal go into Life Everlasting which is the Gift of God And those that have done Evil and have not their evil deeds done away receiving the wages of sin shal go into Everlasting Fire This is the Short or sum of what is conteined in the Five first Sections The Sixth
the Son of God more then other men are some in our dayes have taught That Christ did not only suffer all for them but as for them in particular all others being not such as they deemed themselves to be that is not truly Elect being excluded from the Benefit of his sufferings This is the best Use and most Charitable construction that can be made of so unuseful and uncharitable a Doctrine Though to gather any good Use from it is as impossible as to reap Figgs of Thistles Howbeit as well as they who hold That Christ died for the Elect only as they which teach That he dyed for all must beware lest they mis-apply That Rule of Seneca's touching ordinarie benefits or Common courtesies unto that Extraordinarie loving kindnesse of Christs sufferings Quod debeo cum multis solvam cum multis That which I owe amongst others I will not pay alone His meaning is That for Common benefits he is only bound to pay his share or portion Far be it from any one that nameth the Name of the Lord Jesus to reason thus in his heart or secret thoughts Christ died for the many hundreds of thousands now living and for the more hundreds of ten thousands late or long since dead as well as for me therefore I owe him love and thankfulnesse but pro ratà suppose the exact number was certainly known I am but to acknowledge such a part of his sufferings to have been undertaken for me as I am of that great multitude Every humane soul is indebted to Christ for the whole not every single man for his part of mans Redemption That which St. Bernard speaks in a Case not altogether the same is most true of the Benefits of Christs sufferings Nec in multitudinem divisa sunt nec ad paucitatem restricta If Gods love to mankind be infinite and if the value of Christs blood or sufferings be truly infinite as they truly be they cannot be divided amongst many much lesse can they be restrained to some few both these being against the nature of Infinitie And if the value of Christs sufferings cannot be divided into parts Everie one must acknowledge that He paid an infinite price for his Redemption in particular A price lesse then infinite could not have Redeemed any one of us and a price more then infinite could not be given for all If Christ became a second Adam to die and suffer for redeeming man he dyed and suffered for all men for every man albeit the number of men which proceed from the first Adam could be infinite Had it been the Will or Purpose of the Son of God to have taken upon him the Form of a Servant immediately upon the First Woman's sin of Disobedience his sufferings for her could not have sufficed unlesse they had been of value infinite And being of value infinite for her they had been of the same value for everie living Soul that issued from her to the Worlds end If then the price he laid down for thee were infinite that is without measure or Bounds thy Love and thankfulnesse to Him must be without Stint or limit Though He died for others as well as thee yet art thou bound to love Him no lesse then if he had died for thee alone Thus must Thou think of Christ's Death and Passion if thou remember it aright And as often as thou Readest Hearest or makest Confession with thy Lips That Christ's Blood was shed for thee make this Comment or Paraphrase in thine heart He shed his whole Blood for me every drop that fell from Him either in the Garden or on the Crosse or elsewhere was poured out for my sake for me in particular Yea every one which hears of Christ is bound to believe that he dyed for him and as for him that the benefit of his Passion redounds et mihi et tanquam mihi and charitie if it spring from Faith will teach us to exclude none from Title to the benefits of Christs Death and sufferings 14. This Doctrine of Christ's Dying for All of His purpose to dissolve the works of Satan in all I am bold to professe in every place where Christ's Name is called upon in every place where I have or may have oportunitie to make Christ known The bolder because it sets forth not only the Love and Mercie but the Justice of God a great deal more then the contrarie Doctrine can do It makes mans sinfulnesse and unthankfulnesse appear much greater then by the contrarie Doctrine can be apprehended or acknowledged Besides it makes our Ministrie of preaching more useful then otherwise it could be For if we grant That Christ dyed only for the Elect we might acquit our selves with safetie of Conscience from the burden of preaching or Catechizing save only in those Congregations which we know to be of the number of the Elect or men alreadie regenerate Howbeit even in respect of Them our preaching could not be so useful as it would be harmful to others We could but testifie that to the Elect which they already know that is that they shall be saved But if once we teach that the Elect only or some few perhaps one of a Thousand not one of five hundred have any interest in Christs sufferings every man which is not as yet regenerate nor in the state of Election would forthwith conclude that it is a thousand to One more then five hundred to One that he can receive no benefit from Christs sufferings having no interest in the everlasting inheritance purchased by them And were it not much better to be silenced then by our preaching to put such stumbling-blocks in their wayes whom we are sent to call unto Christ For we are not sent to call the righteous or men alreadie regenerate but sinners to repentance to the state of regeneration How true soever in the Event it may prove That but a Few shall be saved in respect of them that perish though the most part of men do die in their sins yet their blood shall be required at their hands who have taught that they could not be saved that Christ did not die did not suffer for them But if we teach as God in his Word hath taught us That Christ Dyed and suffered for all men no man can doubt whether Christ dyed for him or no and not doubting that Christ dyed for him he need not Dispair of Salvation by him we leave him without excuse for not repenting and seeking Christ Again This same Doctrine sets forth the Glorie of God much more then the other can For albeit Gods mercies unto One man be truly infinite or rather infinite in themselves yet if according to this infinitie they be extended unto all they are extensively much greater If God had created only these inferior Elements and man their creation would necessarily infer the infinitie of his power for without infinite power nothing could have been made of Nothing but yet his praise or glorie would
manner or ground of his inference would be impertinent if not contradictory to the principal conclusion intended by him which we are bound explicitly to believe For it is not enough to believe that the bodies of men which are committed to the grave shall not utterly perish but be quickned again as the corn which is covered with the ground but we are bound further to believe That every man shall arise with his own body with the same very body wherein he lived that he may receive his doom according to that which he hath done in the body whether it be good or bad This conclusion is not included in the Apostles inference or Experiment drawn from the corn which groweth out of the putrified seed for he expressly affirmes in the ver 37. that the body which springeth out of the ground is not the same seed that is sown 2. In Answer to the former difficultie some good Commentators there be which grant that our Apostles instance in the seed which first dies and is afterwards quickned is not a Concludent proof or forcible Reason but rather a similitude or Exemplification and it is the property or character of similitudes or examples illustrant non docent they may illustrate the truth taught they do not teach or confirm it Tertullian with other of the Fathers have diverse illustrations or exmeplifications of the Resurrection in the course of nature out of all which it would be hard to extract a full Concludent proof Lux quotidie interfect a resplendet The light dayly vanisheth and recovers brightnesse again darknesse goes and comes by an interparallel course to the removall of light Sidera defuncta reviviscunt The stars dayly set or fall and rise again The seeds of vegetables do not fructifie untill themselves be dissolved and corrupted All things sublunary are preserved by perishing their reformation or renewing supposeth a defacing Many of these and like observations taken out of the book of Nature may serve as Emblemes or devices for emblazoning or setting forth our hopes or belief of the Resurrection But concludent proofs they cannot be unlesse we grant that the Book of nature hath by Gods appointment Types or silent Prophecies of Divine mysteries as well as hath the book of Grace But shall we say or believe that the Apostles inference in this place is only Emblematical or Allegorical or rather a Physical or Metaphysical Concludent Proof Aproof not only against such as acknowledge the truth of the Old Testament or written word of God but a proof so far as it concerns the possibility of a Resurrection contained in the Book of nature His conclusion he supposeth might by observant Readers be extracted out of the Instance or Experiment which he brings For unlesse out of the Instance given in the Corn which first dies and afterwards is quickened the Possibilitie of the Resurrection of such a Resurrection as he taught might concludently be proved they which doubted of or denyed this truth had not incurr'd the censure of folly they had not deserved the Title or name of fools But not to be able to read that which was legible in their own books that is in the works of nature was a childish folly a folly which in men of years and discretion could not proceed but from insufferable incogitancy or negligence If we examine the Apostles inference according to the Rules of true Philosophie which never dissents from true Divinitie his Instances are concludent his Argument is an Argument of proportion a majore ad minus from the greater to the lesse All the difficultie is in framing or setting the Termes of it aright 3. All the exceptions which are taken against his proof are reducible to this one general Head That he argues or makes his inference from the works of nature unto a work supernatural or from the generation of vegetables ordinary in the course of nature unto the Resurrection of our bodies which can be no work of nature no generation but a work as supernatural as Creation But they which thus Object should consider that those works which we term works of Nature as generation of vegetables the increase of the earth the fruit of trees and the like are not in our Apostles Philosophie any way opposite to the works of God or to works miraculous and supernatural This Proposition is in his Divinitie and in true Philosophie most certain Whatsoever nature works God doth work the same and he works the same immediatly though not by himself alone for nature worketh with him though immediatly by him But the former Proposition is not convertible that is we cannot say that God works nothing without the Co-agencie of nature as we say that nature worketh nothing without the co-operation or Power of God Nature worketh nothing cannot possibly work without the power and direction of God God worketh many things since the world was made by him or nature created by him without the association or co-operation of nature or any causes naturall And the works which he worketh by himself alone either without the association or interposition of causes naturall or contrary to the ordinary course of nature are properly called works miraculous or supernaturall and Miraculous they are called not because they alwayes argue a greater or more immediate exercise of Gods Power then is contained in the works of nature but in that they are unusuall and without the compasse of ordinary Observation Sometimes those works which are truly miraculous may less participate of the Almighty Power then the usual works of nature do It was a true miracle that the Sun should stand still in the vale of Aialon but not therefore a Miracle in that it did argue a greater manifestation of Gods Power then is dayly manifested in the course of nature or works of other creatures But a great Miracle only in that it was so rare and unusual The dayly motion of the Sun about the earth if we search into the true and prime causes of it includes a greater measure or more branches of the Almighty Ceators Power then the standing still of the Sun did in the dayes of Joshua or the going back of it did in the dayes of Hezekiah For in our Apostles Divinitie Act. 17. 28. We live and move and have our being in God that is all things that are have their being in him and from him their being is but a participation of his infinite being The life of all things living is but a participation or shadow of his Life The Motion of all things that move is but the participation of his Power so that when the Sun did cease to move or stand still in the dayes of Joshua it was partaker only of his Power sustentative or of that power by which he supporteth all things It ceased to move only by meer substraction or cessation of his motive Power by whose vertue or influence it dayly like a Gyant-runs his course Thus dayly to run
motion in all the Interim between the day of their dissolution and the last day By the Resurrection they shall not only recover life sense and motion but the life which they get shall be indowed with Immortalitie the bodies shall be clothed with Glory This change of our mortal bodies into immortal is much greater then the most plentifull increase which any seed doth yield One seed or grain may in some soils bring forth thirty in others sixtie in others a hundred but immortality added to the life of the body is an increase in respect of this mortal life which now we lead inexpressible by any number The life of Methuselah is not comparable to it albeit the years which he lived on earth were multiplied by the dayes contained in them and both multiplied again by all the minutes and scruples conteined in the dayes and years which he lived And yet after this increase of life our bodies shall be the same they were for nature and essence but not the same for qualities or capacities whether of joyes or pains In these respects they shall differ far more then any corn growing doth from the seed from which it springs And this difference of qualities between the bodies which die and shall be raised again was all that our Apostle sought or intended to illustrate or set forth by that similitude which he useth Thou sowest not the corn which shall be that is not the same corn for quantitie for qualitie for vigour of life nor shall mens bodies be raised again to such a life only as they formerly had or to such a corruptible estate as that wherein death did apprehend them but to a life truly immortal 8. The second question proposed by the Corinthian Naturalist was with what bodies shall the dead come forth or appear And the direct Answer to this Question is included in the former similitude so much insisted on before as that it needs not to be repeated here the Effect of it is This That they shall come forth with bodies much more excellent then those with which they descended into the grave And of this general Answer included in the similitude of the Corn or Seed sown all the Exemplifications following unto verse 45. are native Branches 39. All flesh is not the same flesh but there is one kind of flesh of men another flesh of beasts another of fishes and another of birds 40. There are also celestial bodies and bodies terrestrial but the glory of the celestial is one and the glory of the terrestrial is another 41. There is one glory of the Sun another of the Moon and another glory of the Stars for one Star differeth from another in glory 42. So also is the resurrection of the dead it is sown in corruption it is raised in incorruption 43. It is sown in dishonor it is raised in glory it is sown in weakness it is raised in power 44. It is sown a natural body it is raised a spiritual body There is a natural body and there is a spiritual body c. Thus much of the Positive Force of our Apostles Argument drawn from the similitude of the Corn which by the Law of Nature must die before it be quickned and receive increase 9. But of this similitude it is no native branch or part whether the corn which dies being sown do rise again the next year for vital substance or life the same which it was whilst it was contained in the blade or ear the year before certainly it is not the same for Corpulencie for matter or quantitie But whether the seeds of life or spirit of corn do not remain the same by continuation though in divers bodies or matter our Apostle disputes not nor do I dispute This is a curiositie which cannot be determined in the Pulpit without appeal unto the Schools The vital spirit or essence of the Corn may be so far the same in the corn which is sown and which is reaped that if we should for disputation sake suppose or imagine what some have dogmatically affirmed to wit That the corn sown were endowed with sense or feeling were capable of pleasure or pain the pleasure which it formerly enjoyed might be renewed increased or multiplied with increase or multiplication of its bodily substance so might the pain which it had felt before it was sown be renewed and increased after it were quickned again if any sort of corn were appointed as some men are to torture and punishment Now albeit we must believe that mens bodies after the Resurrection shall be the very same for substance which they were before death yet are we not bound to believe that they shall be any further the same then that every man which died in his sins may in his bodie feel an infinite increase of those miseries which he had deserved and in some sort felt whilst he lived on earth Or that every man at the last day may reap an infinite increase of those joyes and comforts of which in this life he had some tasts or pledges whilst he sowed unto the spirit For as the Apostle elsewhere speaks he that soweth unto the flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption a full crop of all the miseries incident to mortalitie but miseries more then mortal miseries everlasting and never dying And he that in this life soweth unto the spirit shall at the Resurrection of the spirit reap life but a life immortal without end without annoyance or interruption of joy Again they extend the former similitude too far which from it would gather that as there is a natural force or previal disposition in the corn sown by which as by a secondary cause or instrumental mean it is quickned and increased So there be natural seeds of life in the putrified reliques of mens bodies or remnants of the matter dissolved out of which life immortal shall so spring as the blade doth out of the seed which is sown only by the sustentative or operative power of God by which all things are supported or enabled to produce their natural effects For although it be true that the works which we ascribe to nature are wrought by God or by continuation of the same power by which they were first created and set a working yet the Resurrection of mens bodies shall not be wrought by the mere continuation of This Power There must be more then a conservation of their matter more then an usual co-operation with the Elements out of which they are raised there must be even a new creation of their bodies yet not a Creation of them out of nothing but out of the scattered fragments of their matter such a creation as the works of the fifth and sixth day were when God commanded the sea or water to bring forth fishes in their kind and the earth to bring forth trees or plants in their kinde These were not effects of nature or of that power only by which the Sea and earth were from
all the Benefits which God for his Deaths sake bestows upon us by believing only in his death But even This benefit of our Iustification we receive more immediately by our Belief of his Resurrection from the dead This is the doctrine of our Apostle even in that place wherein he handles the doctrine of Justification by Faith alone or by the Imputation of Christs Righteousness Ex Professe as Rom. 4. 23 24. Now it was not written for his sake to wit Abrahams alone that it was imputed to him but for us also to whom it shall be imputed if we beleive on him that raised up Iesus from the dead And he gives the Reason why our Belief of this Article should be imputed unto us in the next words Seeing he was delivered to death for our offences and raised again for our Justification Howbeit even This Belief of His Resurrection is a Grace or Blessing of God which Christ did merit by His Death yet a Grace conveihed unto us by the vertue of His Resurrection or by Christ himself by his Resurrection exalted unto glory in his human nature We were Justified by his Death in as much as The Pardon for our sins was by it purchased and the hand writing or obligation against us cancelled If Christ then had only dyed for us and not risen again we might by Belief in his Death have escaped the Second Death or everlasting pains of hell We should notwithstanding as our Apostle here supposeth have been detained perpetual prisoners in the grave Our bodily or corporal being should have been utterly consumed by the first Death without hope of recovery or restitution And so far as the first Death had dominion over men so far had these Corinthians remained in their sins So long as the first Death remains unconquered sin remains Now if Christ had not been raised from the dead the first Death or death of the body had remained unconquered Belief in Christs death could not utterly have freed them from all the wages of sin For death of the body is in us part of the wages of sin and it was to Christ part of the burden of our sin But in as much as Christ is risen from the dead and raised to an immortal life over which bodily death hath no Rule or dominion but must be put in absolute subjection to Him all that truly believe such a Resurrection are justified not only from the eternal guilt of sin nor only freed from everlasting death but are made heirs by adoption unto a life over which death shall have no power So then by Christs Death we are freed from the everlasting Curse by his Resurrection we are made free Denisons of the heavenly Jerusalem heirs by promise of an everlasting and most blessed life And thus far all that are partakers of the Word and Sacraments are said to be justified by his Resurrection that is they are bound to believe that as He died for their Sins to redeem them from the second death so he rose again for their further Justification to free them from the death of the bodie He therefore rose from the dead that we by believing this Article might receive the Adoption of the Sons of God But yet there is a further degree of Justification that is an Actual Absolution from the Reign or Dominion of sin in our Bodies which is never obtained without some measure of Faith or Sanctifying Grace inherent albeit the true use and end of such Grace and Faith inherent be to sue out the Pardon for our sins in particular not by our works or merits which are none but meerly and solely by the Free-Grace and Favour of God in Christ True it is that even This Gift of Faith by which we must sue out our Pardon in particular and supplicate for the Adoption of the Sons of God was purchased by Christs death nor may we sue for it under any other Stile or Form then propter merita Christi for the merits of Christ Yet after this plea made we may not expect to receive this blessing otherwise then per Jesum Christum through or by Jesus Christ who was raised from the dead This Grace this Faith and whatsoever other blessing of God which Christ by his death hath merited for us whatsoever is any way conducent to our full and final Redemption descends immediately from the Son of God exalted in his human nature as from its proper Fountain He was consecrated by his death and his Consecration was accomplished by his Resurrection to be an inexhaustible fountain of life and salvation to all that truly believe in his death and Resurrection from the dead Thus we are fallen into the Affirmative Inference If Christ be risen from the dead then such as die in Christ shall be raised from death to immortal Glory The same Almighty Power by which Christ was raised unto glorie shall be manifested even in these our mortal bodies But now is Christ risen from the dead and is become the first fruits of them that slept 9. The Inference or implication is That seeing Christ whose mortalitie was clearly testified by his death was raised up to an endless and immortal life Therefore such as die in Christ whatsoever in the mean time become of their bodies shall be raised up to the like life against which death shall never be able to make any attempt or approach For as the Apostle saith Rom. 11. 16. If the first fruit be holy the lump is also holy and if the root be holy so are the branches But we are to remember that there were Two sorts of First fruits appointed by the Law the One of the first corn that was reaped being ground and made up into loaves which were offered at the feast of Pentecost And unto this sort of First fruits the Apostle Rom. 11. 16. hath Reference The other was the offering of green corn when it first begun to bud or ear And unto this sort of First fruits our Apostle here in the twentieth verse hath Reference Christ then is the root and we are the branches he is the First fruits and we are the after-crop and harvest Now as the offering of the First fruits that is of the green corn was the hallowing of the whole crop So the Resurrection of Christ from the grave was the hallowing or consecration of these our mortal bodies unto that glory and immortalitie which shall be at the finall Resurrection If God did accept the offering of the First fruits it was a pledge unto his people that he would extraordinarily bless the after-crop with large increase his people might with confidence expect a joyfull harvest To manifest the meaning or fulfilling of this Type or legal Ceremonie in our Saviour He was raised up from the dead upon that very day in the morning wherein the first fruits of green corn were by the priests of the Law offered unto God His resurrection as was said before was the accomplishment of his
deep touch of Pity or Compassion would raise our spirits to an higher point of service unto Christ then any relief or supply of their bodily wants can amount unto You may if you will for Christs sake be pleased to do it distribute so unto their bodily necessities as you may lay a necessity upon their souls of coming to the ordinary knowledge of Christ and of Gods mercies in him towards man You may by authority put the Precept of our Apostle in execution Such as will not work let them not eat or such as will not work the ordinary works of God that will not labor to be instructed in his fear and in his Laws let them not be partakers of your Bounty and Pity To constrain the poor the halt and lame to enter into the Lords house were a matter easie if as the Law of God and man requires none were permitted to remain amongst us but such as were confined to some certain dwelling or abode where they might live under the inspection or cure as well of Civil as of Ecclesiastick Discipline And consider with your selves I beseech you how either the Civil or Ecclesiastick Magistrate will be able to answer the great King at the last day through whose default whether joyntly or severally many children have been by Baptism received into Christs Church and yet permitted after to live such a roving and wandring life that no Tie can be laid upon them to give an account of their Faith or Christian conversation to any Church or Embassador of Christ But as Bodies while they are in motion are in no place though they pass through many so these wandering Meteors are of no Church though they be in every Church If I should in private perswade You Magistrates to seek some Redress of this Enormitie and blemish to the Government of this place I doubt I should be put off with the Exception to which I could not easily replie That you have better experience then I or others of my opinion or profession have And out of that experience see greater difficulties then we can discern But now having express warrant from our Saviour's words and this Fair opportunitie of Time and Place You must give me leave to reply unto you as an ingenuous and learned Scholar once did to a Christian Emperour which pretended greater difficulties in a good work which he commended to his Princely care then you can do in this Yet a work not all together so necessary nor so acceptable unto God as this work would be In rebus pijs aggrediendis nefas est considerare quantum tu potes sed quantum Deo fidis qui omnia potest Think not when you are about works of Pietie so much of your own Abilitie or weakness but examine how much you relie and trust in Almightie God who is able to do exceeding abundantly above what we conceive or think CHAP. XXXI MATTH 25. 34. 41. Come ye Blessed of my Father FOR I was hungry and ye gave me meat I was thirstie Go ye Cursed FOR I was an hungred and ye gave me no meat I was thirstie Jansenius his observation and disputation About merit examined and convinced of contradiction to it self and to the Truth The definition of Merit The State of the Question concerning Merit Increase of Grace no more Meritable then the First Grace A Promise made Ex mero motu sine Ratione dati et accepti cannot found a Title to Merits Such are All Gods promises Issues of Meer Grace Mercy and Bountie The Romanists of kin to the Pharisee yet indeed more to be blamed then He. The objection from the Causal Particle FOR made and answered 1. AGainst such as denie the merit of humane works Thus much saith Jansenius an ingenuous and learned Bishop though a Papist is diligently to be observed That Christ in this place deputes this Kingdom to the righteous FOR their works sake hereby giving us to understand that Life Eternal is bestowed upon them FOR their works by which the righteous Merit Life Eternal even as the wicked by their evil works Merit everlasting punishment The only ground or reason of this Assertion is For that our Saviours Form of speech in both Sentences is the same and Causal in both As he saith unto the wicked Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire FOR I was an hungred and you gave me no meat c. ver 41 42. So he saith unto the righteous or them on his Right-hand v. 34. Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you FOR I was an hungred and you gave me meat c. Yet least any man should except against him as dissenting from the Doctrine of Christ elsewhere delivered and from the Apostolick and Catholick Church By which Our salvation is ascribed to Gods Grace and mercy he adds this salve to the wound which he had made Non tamen Sic merit is nostris putetur dari vita aeterna c. Let no man think that life eternal is So bestowed upon our merits as All may not be given to the mercie of God from which we have our good works or merits He grants withal That the salvation of the Righteous depends upon Gods Blessing and Predestination upon which likewise their Good works depend Lest any should glory in himself A sin forbidden by Gods Prophet Jer. 9. ver 23. That All then is to be attributed to Gods mercie that no man may glorie in himself or in his works is true Our enemies in this Point being Judges is confessed by our Adversaries even in this place from which they seek to establish Merits And This we may conclude is A Point of Catholick Doctrine taught by Christ Prophets and Apostles stedfastly imbraced by all Reformed Churches and expresly in words acknowledged by the Romish Church With this Point of Catholick Faith we mingle no Doctrine no Opinion which may but questionably pollute or defile it We avoid all occasions of incurring the least suspition of contradicting it and for this cause We abandon the very name of Merit as now it is used or rather abused by the Romish Church Although in some Ages of the Church it were an indifferent and harmlesse Term Mereri importing no more as was shewed Chapter 27. then to Get or Obtain But Merit in the language of the modern Romish Church Est actio cuijustum est ut aliquid detur is An action or work to which something or any thing is due by Rule of Justice Yet doth the Romish Church not only Enjoyn the Use or Familiarity of this Name in this Sense or signification but Require the Assent of Faith unto the Reality Expressed by it 2. The Points then which lie upon that Church to prove if she will acquit her self from polluting the holy Catholick Faith are Two The One That this Doctrine of meriting heaven by works doth not contradict the former part of Catholick doctrine acknowledged by her to wit that
Master good Service in so just a quarrel would first begin to try his Valour in the Reformation of his own life in expelling all dissolute and inveterate lusts all immoderate and unruly desires out of his own heart So shall the words of his mouth and the Meditations of his heart be alwaies acceptable in the sight of the Lord his only strength and his Redeemer In whose strength and valor alone we must assault and vanquish our malicious Adversaries And unless Reformation do certainly judgement will begin at the Houses of God at those living Temples of his which have the platformes of true Religion in them but are not edified in good works Let not the Eunuch say I am a dry tree Nor let the meanest amongst us either in Learning Wit or outward Estate think that he can do nothing in this case For if we have but true faith we all know That it is not the resolute Soldiers arm nor these verest Magistrates sword nor the cunningest Politicians head nor the Potent Custom of Law that sets or keeps Kings Crownes upon their Heads but the lifting up of pure hearts and holding up clean hands to him that giveth wisdome to the Wise and strength to the Strong to him which hath the Soldiers arme the Magistrates sword the Politicians Wisdom all Power all Fulness at his disposal Wherefore Beloved in our Lord If either love to God or love to Prince if either love to that Religion which we professe or love unto those pleasant places which we inhabit or the good things belonging to them which we possesse If love to any or all of these can move our hearts as whose heart is there but is moved to some of these Oh let them move them in time unto repentance that we may enjoy these blessings the longer Let us draw neer unto our God and he will draw near to us Let us cleanse our minds and lift up pure hands and hearts unto the Lord for only such can lay fast hold upon his mercie lest our continuance in our own dayly transgressions added to the heavy weight of our predecessors sinnes pull downe Gods sudden judgements upon this Land Prince and People 13. And as for such O Lord as set their faces against heaven and against thee to work wickedness in thy sight and hold on still to fill up the full measure of their forefathers sins and cause the over-flowing vengeance of thy wrath Lord let them all perish suddenly from the earth and let their posterity vanish hence like smoke ere for their provocations wherewith they provoke thee daily the breath of our nostrils thine annointed Servant be taken in those nets which the uncircumcised daily spread for him And let us Beloved whom he loves so dearly seek to fill this Land with the good example of our lives and incense of our hearty prayers That under his shadow and the shadow of his Royal Off-spring we of this place with this Land and People may be preserved alive from all strange or domestick tyrannie Amen CHAP. XLV MATTH 23. verse 37. O Jerusalem Jerusalem thou that killest the Prophets and stonest them which are sent to thee how often would I have gathered thy children together even as a Hen gathereth her chickens under her wings and ye would not 1. THe Summe of my last Meditations upon the former verses was That notwithstanding our Saviours Prediction or threatning of all those plagues shortly to befal Jerusalem there was even at this time A Possibilitie left for this people to have continued a flourishing Nation A Possibilitie left for their Repentance That their Repentance and Prosperity was the End whereat the Lord himself did aim in sending Prophets and Wise-men and lastly his only Son unto them The Former of the two Parts The Possibilitie of their Prosperitie and Repentance was proved from the perpetual Tenor of Gods Covenant with this people first made with Moses afterward renewed with David and Solomon and ratified by Jeremie and Ezekiel The Tenor of the Covenant as you then heard was a Covenant not of Death only but of Life and Death of Life if they continued faithful in his Covenant of Death if they continued in disobedience The later Part of the same Assertion viz. That this Peoples Repentance and Prosperitie was the end intended by God was proved from that Declaration of his desire of their everlasting Prosperitie Deut. 5. 29. Oh that there were such a heart in this people to fear me and keep my Commandments alwaies that it might go well with them and their posteritie for ever And the like place Psalm 81. v. 13. Isai 48. 18. These places manifest Gods love and desire of this peoples safety But the Abundance the Strength with the unrelenting Constancie and tenderness of his love is in no place more fully manifested then in these words of my Text. The abundant fervencie we may note in the very first words in that his mouth which never spake idle nor superfluous word doth here ingeminate the Appellation O Jerusalem Jerusalem This he spake out of the abundance of his love But Love is oft-times fervent or abundant for the present or whiles the Object of our love remains amiable yet not so constant and perpetual if the qualitie of what we loved be changed But herein appears the strength and constancie of Gods love that it was thus fervently set upon Ierusalem not only in her pure and virgin dayes or whiles she continued as chaste and loyal as when she was affianced unto the Lord by David but upon Ierusalem often drunk with the cup of Fornications upon Her long stained and polluted with the blood of his dearest Saints which she had even mingled with her Sacrifices Upon Jerusalem and her children when after he had cleansed her infected habitations with fire and carried her inhabitants beyond Babylon into the North-land as into a more fresh and pure aire Yet after their return thence and replantation in their own Land returned with the dog to his vomit and with the washed Sow to wallowing in the mire God would have gathered even as the Hen doth her chickens under her wings c. 2. In which words besides the tendernesse of Gods Love toward these Castawayes is set out unto us the safety of his Protection so they would have been gathered For as there is no creature more kind and tender then the Hen unto her young ones none that doth more carefully shroud and shelter them from the storm none that doth more closely hide them from the eye of the Destroyer so would God have hidden Jerusalem under the shadow of his wings from all those stormes which afterward overwhelmed her and from the Roman Eagle to whom this whole generation present became a prey If so Jerusalem with her children after so many hundred years experience of his fatherly love and tender care had not remained more foolish than the new hatched brood of reasonless creatures If so they had not been