But the third sort which do not only call Christ their Lord but do the will of his Father these are the only true Christians for these there is hope but for none other Not every one saith our Saviour that saith unto me Lord Lord c. Our Saviour foresaw there would be among those who believed on his Name such as would think their Faith sufficient c. that as for Works they might be excused having him for their Lord and Captain of their Salvation who himself had both undergone the punishment due for their sins and fulfilled that obedience which they should have done so that now there remained nothing on their part for to obtain Salvation but to trust and rely upon him without any endeavour at all to please God by Works as being now become unuseful to Salvation If ever there was a time when Christians thus deceived themselves that time is now as both our practice sheweth plainly by a general neglect of such Duties of Piety and Charity which amongst our fore-fathers were frequent as also our open profession when being exhorted to these works of Piety to God and of Charity towards our brethren we stick not to alledge we are not bound unto them because we look not to be saved by the merit of works as they but by faith in Christ alone As though Faith in Christ excluded Works and did not rather include them as being that whereby they become acceptable unto God which of themselves they are not Or as if Works could no way conduce unto the attaining of Salvation but by way of merit and desert and not by way of the grace and favour of God in Christ as we shall see in the handling of this Text. We greatly now-a-days and that most dangerously mistake the error of our Forefathers which was not in that they did good works I would we did so but because they knew not rightly the End why they did them nor where the Value of them lay They thought the End of doing them was to obtain eternal life as a reward of Iustice due unto them whereas it is only of Grace and Promise in Christ Iesus They took their Works to have such perfectness in them as would endure the Touchstone of the Law of God yea such Worth and Value as to merit the Reward they looked for whereas all the Value and acceptableness of our works issues from the Merits of Christ and lies only in his righteousness communicated unto us and them by Faith and no otherwise But setting aside these errors of the End and of the Value of works we must know as well as they That not every one that saith unto Christ Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven but he that doth the will of his Father which is in Heaven Now for the Explication of the Words To call Christ Lord is to believe in him to acknowledge him to look for Salvation by him or as the Scripture expresseth it Luke 6. 47. to come unto him Every one saith our Saviour there explaining this very Text we have in hand that cometh unto me and heareth my words and doth them I will shew you who he is like where To come unto Christ is put in stead of that which in the former was To say unto him Lord. The doing of his Father's will is the doing of those works of obedience which his Father hath commanded in his Law and now committed to his Son whom he hath made the Head and King of his Church to see executed and performed by those he bringeth to Salvation But how and in what manner we shall see by and by The Text consists of two parts The one negative Not every one that saith unto Christ Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdom of heaven The other affirmative But those who do the will of his Father shall only enter thither But these are so nearly linked together that they cannot be handled asunder And the Observations which I shall draw thence depend on the whole Text. The first and chiefest whereof is this That Faith in Christ without works of obedience and amendment of life is not sufficient for Salvation and consequently not that Faith whereby a Christian is justified For if it were it would save us If it be not sufficient to save us it cannot justifie us This floweth directly from the Text and cannot be denied if ye remember what I said before That to call Christ Lord is to believe in him For the better understanding of this you must take notice that there is a threefold Faith whereby men believe in Christ. There is a false Faith there is a true Faith but not saving and thirdly there is a saving Faith A false Faith is To believe to attain Salvation through Christ any other way than he hath ordained as namely to believe to attain Salvation through him without works of obedience to be accepted of God in him which is a Faith whereof there is no Gospel A true Faith is To believe Salvation is to be attained through obedience to God in Iesus Christ who by his merits and righteousness makes our selves and our works acceptable to his Father A saving and justifying Faith is To believe this so as to embrace and lay hold upon Christ for that end To believe to attain Salvation through obedience to God in Christ so as to apply our selves and rely upon Christ for that end namely to perform those works of obedience which God hath promised to reward with eternal life For a Iustifying Faith stayeth not only in the Brain but stirs up the Will to receive and enjoy the good believed according as it is promised This motion or election of the Will is that which maketh the difference between a saving Faith which joyneth us unto Christ and that which is true indeed but not saving but dogmatical and opinionative only And this motion or applying of the Will to Christ this embracing of Christ and the promises of the Gospel through him is that which the Scripture when it speaks of this â—aith calleth coming unto Christ or the receiving of him Iohn 1. 12. As many as received him to them he gave power or priviledge to be the sons of God even to them that believe on his Name where receiving and believing one expound another So for coming Come unto me saith our Saviour Matth. 11. 28. all ye that are heavy laden and I will ease you This last is very frequent Iohn 5. 40. Ye will not come to me saith our Saviour that ye might have life And Chap. 6. 37. All that the Father giveth me shall come unto me Ver. 44. No man can come unto me unless the Father draw him 45. Every man that hath heard and learned of the Father cometh unto me and such like All which express the specification of a saving Faith which consists in the embracing receiving and applying of the Will to the thing believed What this embracing receiving or applying
unto Christ is I will farther make plain thus He that believeth that Christ is an atonement to God for the sins of all repentant sinners and surely he is an atonement for none else must repent and turn from all his sins that so Christ may be an atonement for him else he embraceth not what he believeth He that believes that God in Christ will accept and reward our obedience and works of Piety though short of perfection and of no worth in themselves must apply himself accordingly to do works of Religion and Charity that God in Christ may accept and reward them For our Belief is not that saving Belief until we apply our selves to what we believe To believe to attain Salvation through Christ without works of obedience to be accepted in him is as I have already said a false Faith whereof there is no Gospel no Promise To believe the contrary That Christ is given of God to such only as shall receive him to perform acceptable obedience to God through him and yet not to apply and buckle our selves thereto were indeed to believe what is true but yet no saving Faith because we embraced not the thing we believed as we believed it Thou sayest then thou hast Faith and believest that Christ is the atonement to God for the sins of all such as leave and forsake their sins by Repentance why then repent thee of thy sins that Christ may be an atonement for thee Thou sayest thou hast this Faith That God in Iesus Christ will accept thy undeserving works and services unto eternal life why then embrace thou Christ and rely upon him for this end that thou mayest do works of Piety towards God and Charity towards men that so God in Christ may accept thee and them unto eternal life Now if this be the Faith which is Saving and unites us unto Christ and no other then it is plain That a saving Faith cannot be severed from good works because no man can embrace Christ as he is promised but he must apply himself to do them For out of that which hath been spoken three Reasons may be gathered for the necessity of them First It is the end of our Faith and Iustification by Christ yea the end why he shed his bloud for us that we being reconciled to God in him might bring forth fruits of righteousness which else we could never have done This is no Speculation but plain Scripture S. Peter 1 Ep. 2. 24. telleth us that Christ his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree that we being dead to sin should live unto righteousness S. Paul Tit. 2. 11 12 13 14. The grace of God saith he that bringeth salvation hath appeared unto all men wherefore Teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live soberly and righteously and godly in this present world Looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Iesus Christ Who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purifie unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works These words contain the Summe of all I have hitherto told you That Christ is therefore given us to be a Propitiation for our sins and to justifie us that in him we might walk before God in newness of life so to obtain a Crown of righteousness in the world to come Answerable is that place Ephes. 2. 10. where the Apostle having told us v. 8 9. we are saved by grace through saith and not of works lest any man should boast he adds presently lest his meaning might be mistaken as it is of too many That we are God's workmanship created in Christ Iesus unto good works which God hath before ordained 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that we should walk in them as if he should say Those works of obedience ordained by God aforetime in his Law for us to walk in which we could not perform of our selves now God hath as it were new moulded us in Iesus Christ that we might perform them in him namely by way of acceptation though they come short of that exactness the Law requireth And thus to be saved is to be saved by Grace and Favour and not by the Merit of works because the Foundation whereby our selves and our services are approved in the eyes of God and acquitted of guilt which the Scripture calleth to be justified is the mere Favour of God in Iesus Christ and not any thing in us And this way of Salvation excludes all boasting for what have we to boast of when all the righteousness of our works is none of ours but Christ's imputed to us whereby only and not for any merit in themselves they become acceptable and have promise of Reward But that men should be saved by Christ though they be idle and do nothing I know no such Grace of God revealed in Scripture Now that in Christ we may perform works of righteousness which God will accept and crown is plain by the tenour of Scripture S. Paul Phil. 1. 11. desires that the Philippians might be filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Iesus Christ unto the glory and praise of God And the same Apostle tells the Romans Rom. 6. 22. That being made free from sin and become servants to God they have their fruit unto holiness and the end everlasting life that is as the Syriack turns it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they have holy fruits whose end is life eternal And if we would seriously consider it we should find That the more we believe this righteousness of Faith in Christ the more reason we have to perform works of service and obedience unto God than if we believed it not For if our works would not be acceptable with God unless they were compleat in every point as the Law required if there were no reward to be looked for at the hands of God unless we could merit it by the worthiness of our deeds who that considers his own weakness and insufficiency would not sooner despair than go about to please God by works He would think it better to do nothing at all than to endeavour what he could never hope to attain and so lose his labour But we who believe that those who serve God in Christ have their failings and wants covered with his righteousness and so their works accepted as if they were in every point as they should be why should not we of all men fall to work being sure by Christ's means and merit we shall not lose our labour A second Motive why we should do good works is Because they are the Way and Means ordained by God to obtain the Reward of eternal life without which we shall never attain it Without holiness no man shall see God Heb. 12. 14. Look to your selves saith S. Iohn Ep. 2. ver 8. that ye lose not those things ye have wrought but that ye may receive a full reward The
speculation but a Faith in motion and able to walk and go unto Christ Iesus whom it believeth which if cherished will in time gather such further strength as will fill the Soul with a full and stedfast confidence But if thou sayest Thou believest that Christ is and that he is the Easer and Saviour of those which seek him and yet thy Soul is not on wing nor any motion in thy Heart advancing to him I say then either thy Sorrow for thy sin is not true and therefore thou yet feelest no need of him or thy Belief is deficient Whatsoever thou sayest and thinkest of thy self thou believest not yet throughly and indeed that Christ Iesus is a Redeemer and Saviour of those that come unto him For as I told you before that he believed not the Law throughly and indeed that could hear it without remorse of Conscience and contrition of Soul so he believes not the Gospel throughly and firmly who being laden and grieved for his sins yet is not able to flie and betake himself unto Christ for mercy For if you saw a man condemned to die and in great affliction for the same who hearing of a Pardon proclaimed for all in his case who would demand it should nevertheless sit still and never go about to seek it who would think but that either he misdoubted the report or gave but little credence to the word of the King Such is the case here There is certainly some defect in believing And this must be cured after the same manner as that in believing the Law namely by a sober and frequent meditation reading hearing and thinking of that great mysterie revealed of Redemption in Iesus Christ and of the gracious Promises of the Gospel in and through him This is Faith's whetstone which if it be blunt will make it keen This is the only means to establish thy Belief if it be deficient or unsetled if there be any metal in it this will give it an edge if there be any sparkles this will blow them into a flame Thus you have heard what Coming to Christ is that is what a Saving Faith is namely so firmly and effectually to believe that Christ is a Saviour of those that seek him as doth incline thy Heart to go unto him to sue out a Pardon and rely upon him for mercy and Redemption NOW follows the Benefit Ease and Rest to thy Soul I will ease you or give you rest that is I will free you of your burthen I will ease you of your sin I will acquit you And this is that we call Iustification of a sinner which is an Absolution or remission of sins by the only merits and satisfaction of Christ accepted for us and imputed to us An acquitting and cancelling of all bonds and obligations of transgression for Christ's sake through the only merit of his death passion and shedding of his bloud For he that hath right to Christ hath right in Christ to be partaker of his righteousness and of whatsoever satisfaction he hath undergone for the sins of mankind whereby he is justified that is acquit before God of the guilt of sin and of the punishment according to the Law due for the same For God saith S. Paul 2 Cor. 5. 21. made him to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him Rom. 5. 19. For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners so by the obedience of one many are made righteous This is the Ease this is the Rest here mentioned the unlading and unburthening of a sinner where Christ dischargeth him of his loading and beareth him upon his own back For he saith Esay chap. 53. 4 5 6. hath born our griefs and carried our sorrows He was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes we are healed The Lord laid upon him the iniquity of us all Thus he eased Peter when his heart was ready to break for denying him Thus he eased Mary Magdalen a woman laden with sins when she bathed his feet with tears Luke 7. 48. Thus he refreshed trembling Saul the persecutor Acts 9. 6. And still he casteth the eyes of his mercy upon every one that is poor and of a contrite spirit and trembleth at his word Esa. 66. 2. See therefore here to whom alone a troubled soul is to have recourse for Ease Neither to Angels nor Archangels For those who do so hold not the head Col. 2. 19. Neither to Saints nor Martyrs to Peter nor Paul no not to the blessed Virgin her self For Abraham is ignorant of us and Israel knows us not Esa. 63. 16. and Cursed is he that trusteth in man and maketh flesh his arm and whose heart departeth from the Lord Ier. 17. 5. Nor to the Law given by Moses For the Law worketh not ease but wrath Rom. 4. 15. Nor will our merits and good works pilgrimages fastings or alms-deeds purchase this Ease For although we could do all we ought to do yet must we say we are unprofitable servants and that we have done but that which was our duty to do Luke 17. 10. It is Christ Iesus and only Christ Iesus who can give Rest to a troubled soul that Lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the world AND thus you have in part had a view of the Three points considerable in this Invitation 1. The Persons who 2. The Invitation or Thing invited to what and 3. The Benefit to be attained But I must call you to the Second point again there being one part thereof not yet spoken of For I told you The thing here invited unto was double Christ himself and His yoke The first concerning Christ himself I have spoken of in those words Come unto me Now it remains to speak of the second Take my yoke upon you Those who come unto Christ must also take his yoke upon them But what is this yoke even the yoke of obedience which should have been ours but Christ for our sakes took it upon him and made it his Yet not that we should draw our necks out of the collar but still do our endeavours by denying ungodliness and worldly lusts to live soberly righteously and godly in this present world looking for that blessed hope to come As therefore in coming unto Christ you had Faith in the Ease by him Acquitting or Iustification so in the taking his yoke ye have Sanctification or Holiness of life All which are so linked together that neither must they nor can they be put asunder No man comes to Christ by Faith but shall be eased but no man can ever truly and seriously come unto him to be eased by him but he must take his yoke upon him No man puts on Christ to be justified but he takes on his yoke also to be sanctified That which God hath joyned together let no man put asunder True it
shall have many a curse Also Prov. 11. 25. The liberal soul shall be made fat and he that watereth shall be watered also himself Likewise Eccles. 11. 1. Cast thy bread upon the waters for thou shalt find it after many days These are for corporal blessings and of this life But hear also for spiritual blessings and those of the life to come David Psal. 112. 9. quoted by S. Paul 2 Cor. 9. 9. He hath dispersed he hath given to the poor his righteousness remaineth for ever c. that is he shall be remembred not only in this life but in the life to come Luke 16. 9. Make to your selves saith our Saviour friends of the unrighteous Mammon that is of these deceitful and uncertain riches that when you fail they that is the friends you have made may receive you into everlasting Tabernacles that is that God looking upon the Alms-deeds you have done and hearing the Prayers and blessings of the poor may reward you with eternal life So S. Paul 1 Tim. 6. 17 c. Charge them that be rich in this world that they trust not in uncertain riches but in the living God That they do good that they be rich in good works ready to distribute willing to communicate Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come that they may lay hold on eternal life Non memini saith S. Hiâ—rome me legere mald morte mortuum qui libenter opera charitatis exercuit habet enim multos intercessores impossibile est multorum preces non exaudiri I do not remember in all my reading that ever any one died an ill death who was in his life-time ready to good works and acts of Charity for indeed such a one hath many to intercede and pray for him and it is impossible but that the prayers of so many in his behalf should be heard and accepted by God What should I say more Shall we not receive our sentence at the Last day according to our works of mercy Come ye blessed of my Father and inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world For when I was hungry ye gave me meat when I was thirsty ye gave me drink c. ye know the rest O the wonderful efficacy of Alms in prevailing with God! What favour do they find in his sight how are they remembred but not for any merit in them which is none but of his mere mercy and merciful promise who accepts them in Christ our Saviour Whence is that Prayer of Nehemiah c. 13. 22. concerning this case of good works Remember me O my God concerning this and spare me according to the greatness of thy mercy Thus much of the efficacy and prevalency which Prayer and Alms have with Almighty God to procure a blessing from him Thy Prayers and thine Alms are come up for a memorial before God NOW I come to the third thing propounded The Reasons why God requires them and why they are so pleasing unto him which Bensons when they are known will be also strong Motives to us why we should frequent them For though indeed their Efficacy alone were a Motive sufficient to invite any reasonable man to do them yet will these Reasons add a further enforcement thereunto To begin then with Prayer The Reasons why God requires this duty at our hands I will name but the chief are these 1. That we might acknowledge the property he hath in the Gifts he bestows upon us otherwise we would forget in what tenure we hold those Blessings we receive from his hands Though therefore he be willing to bestow his Benefits upon us yet he will have us ask them before he doth it Even as Fathers do with their children though they intend to bestow such things upon them as are needful yet they will have their children to ask them Unless therefore we ask of God the things which are his to give as we shall not receive what we have not so we cannot lawfully use any thing we have 2. Another Reason is That we might be acquainted with God Acquaint now thy self with God saith Eliphaz Iob 22. 21. and be at peace thereby good shall come unto thee Now acquaintance we know grows amongst men by conversing together by intercourse and speaking to one another So is it here by accustoming to speak to God in Prayer we grow acquainted with him otherwise if we grow strangers to him and he to us we shall not dare to behold him 3. Prayer is the way to keep our Hearts in order For to come often into the presence of God breeds an holy awe in our Hearts it makes us to call our Sins to remembrance with sorrow and shame and to be afraid to commit them We may know it by experience men are afraid to offend those into whose presence they must often come to ask and sue for favours and if they have offended they are presently ashamed and the first thing they do will be to sue for pardon These are the Reasons for Prayer Now let us see the Reasons also why Alms are required which are near of kin to those for Prayer For 1. We are to offer Alms to testifie our acknowledgment of whom we received and of whom we hold what we have For as by Prayer we ask God's creatures before we can enjoy them so when we have them there is another Homage due for them namely of Thanksgiving without which the use of the creature which God gives us is unclean and unlawful to us Every creature of God saith S. Paul 1 Tim. 4. 4. is good if it be received with thanksgiving not else And the same Apostle 1 Cor. 10. tells us that even those things which according to the manner of the Gentiles were offered unto Idols that is to Devils a Christian might lawfully eat so it were done with thanksgiving to the true and only God For so he should profess he eat not meat of the Devil's gift or Devil's Table but of the Lord's whose of right was the Earth and the fulness thereof Whether therefore saith he v. 31. ye eat or drink or whatsoever ye do else do all to the glory of God that is give him the glory of the Lordship of his creature by your thanksgiving For to do a thing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the glory of God in the Apostle's meaning is that which the Iews say To do it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so as the Majesty and Dominion of God may be acknowledged thereby which the Scripture calls His Glory Now our Thanksgiving to God for his creature must not express it self in words only but it must be also in work and deed that is we must yield him a Rent and Tribute of what we enjoy by his favour and blessing which if we do not we lose our Tenure This Rent is twofold either that which is offered unto God for the maintenance of his Worship and Ministers or that
Angel's message from heaven to devout Cornelius was Thy prayers and thine alms are had in remembrance in the sight of God whereupon S. Peter inferred That in every Nation he that feareth God and worketh righteousness is accepted with him Acts 10. 4 35. In 1 Tim. 6. 17 18 19. saith S. Paul Charge them that are rich in this world That they do good that they be rich in good works ready to distribute willing to communicate Laying in store a good foundation against the time to come 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ut accipiant nanciscantur that they may receive or obtain eternal life Hence it is that we shall be judged and receive sentence at the last day according to our works Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world For I was hungry and ye gave me meat I was thirsty and ye gave me drink I was a stranger and ye took me in naked and ye clothed me I was sick and ye visited me I was in prison and ye came unto me For inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of my brethren ye have done it unto me Lord how do those look to be saved at that day who think good works not required to Salvation and accordingly do them not Can our Saviour pass this blessed Sentence on them think they he can If he should they might truly say indeed Lord we have done no such matter nor did we think our selves bound unto it we relied wholly upon our Faith in thy merits and thought we had been freed from such services What do they think Christ will change the form of his Sentence at that great day No certainly If the Sentence for Bliss will not fit them and be truly said of them the other will and must for there is no more Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels For when I was hungry ye gave me no meat c. This must be their doom unless they suppose the righteous Iudge will lie for them And it is here further to be observed That the Works named in this sentence of Iudgment are works of the second Table and Works of Mercy and Charity feeding the hungry clothing the naked visiting the sick all Almsdeeds which men are now-a-days so much afraid of as if they looked toward Popery and had a tang of meriting for now-a-days these costly works of all others are most suspicious But will it be so at the day of Iudgment True it is they merit not the Reward which shall be given them but what then are we so proud we will do no works unless we may merit Is it not sufficient that God will reward them for Christ's sake though they have no worth in themselves And thus much of the second Motive why we should do good works Because howsoever they merit nothing yet are they the means and way ordained by God to attain the Reward of eternal life The third and last Motive to works of righteousness is Because they are the only Sign and Note whereby we know our Faith is true and saving and not counterfeit For 1 Iohn 1. 6. If we say we have fellowship with Christ and walk in darkness we lie and do not the truth Chap. 2. ver 3. Hereby we know that we know him viz. to be our Advocate with his Father and the Propitiation for our sins if we keep his Commandments And Chap. 3. 7. Little children let no man deceive you He that doth righteousness is righteous even as Christ is righteous The same almost you may find again Chap. 2. 29. For if every one that believeth in Christ truly and savingly believes that Salvation is to be attained by obedience to God in him and not otherwise and therefore embraceth and layeth hold upon him for that end how can such an ones Faith be fruitless How can he be without works who therefore lays hold on Christ that his works and obedience may be accepted as righteous before God for his sake and so be rewardable It is as possible for the Sun to be without his light or the Fire to want heat as such a Faith to be without works Our Saviour therefore himself makes this a most sure and never-failing Note to build our assurance of Salvation upon Luke 6. 46. where the mention of the words of my Text gives the occasion Why call ye me Lord Lord saith he and do not the things which I say 47. Whosoever cometh to me and heareth my sayings and doth them I will shew you to whom he is like 48. He is like a man which built an house and digged deep and laid the foundation on a rock And when the floud arose the stream beat vehemently upon that house and could not shake it for it was founded upon a rock 49. But he that heareth and doth not is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth against which the stream did beat vehemently and immediately it fell and the ruine of that house was great Whom these three Motives or Reasons will not perswade to good works let not my Soul O Lord be joyned with theirs nor my doom be as theirs must be A SECOND Observation out of these words and near a-kin to the former is That it is not enough for a Christian to live harmlesly and abstain from ill but he must do that which is good For our Saviour excludes not here those only who do against the will of his Father but those who do not his Father's will It is doing good which he requireth and not the not doing evil only This is an error which taketh hold of a great part of men even of those who would seem to be religious He is a reformed man and acquits himself well who abstains from fornication adultery who is no thief no couzener or defrauder of other men who will not lie or swear or such like But as for doing any works of Piety or Charity they think they are not required of them But they are much deceived For God requires some duties at our hands which he may reward not out of any merit but out of his merciful promise in Christ. But not doing ill is no service rewardable A servant who expects wages must not only do his Master no harm but some work that is good and profitable otherwise the best Christian would be he that should live altogether idlely for none doth less harm than he that doth nothing at all But Matth. 25. 30. He that encreased not his Master's Talent though he had not mis-spent it is adjudged an unprofitable servant and cast into outer darkness where is weeping and gnashing of teeth So also Matth. 3. 10. The tree that beareth no good fruit is hewn down though it bore none that was evil The axe is laid to the root of the tree Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down
true Those things that are absolutely necessary to be known and practis'd in order to Salvation they are plain and evident in the Scripture more especially to the good and honest heart to the sincerely-obedient Soul they are as clear as if they were written with a Sun-beam its Tertullian's expression yea they are as S. Chrysostome hath phrased it higher 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In those things that pertain to life and godliness which lead to an happy life hereafter and constitute that Holiness here which is the only way to that Happiness the Scripture is clear and intelligible without any Paraphrase or Comment without any Criticisms or Philological learning they are not hard to understand but hard to practise nor are they hard in this latter respect but through our own fault through our unwillingness to implore and use those aids which God is ready to afford to such as diligently seek him Yet that the man of God may be perfect and throughly furnished to every good work and particularly to that good work which most properly becomes the man of God the understanding and explaining of many other considerable parts of H. Scripture it is requisite that he should be well read in Histories and Antiquities both Iewish Christian and Ethnick and withal be indued with an happy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Sagacity for the better discovering what Events recorded in History do particularly answer the Scripture-Prophecies And that Mr. Mede was excellently accomplish'd for such purposes is manifest to all judicious Readers of his Works in particular his Commentary upon the Apocalyps is an illustrious proof of the great and successful use he made of his acquaintance with the best Historians that treat of the successive Changes and States of the Roman Empire together with the Degrees of its Ruine represented in the Vision of the Seven Seals and Trumpets as also of the Saracens those Locusts that came out of the smoky and darkening Seduction of Mahomet together with their Successors the Turks those Horsemen from Euphrates and likewise of the Christian Church whether in its primitive Purity chap. 11. 12. or in its Degeneracy and Apostasy ch 13. 14 c. His acquaintance with the Iewish Antiquities enabled him to discover what was meant by that Glorious Session of the Divine Majesty upon a Throne as it is described in Apocal. 4. and by those Four Animalia the Ensigns of the Four Standards of the Israelitish Camp in the Wilderness that were placed about the Tabernacle or Throne of God From the same Antiquities he explain'd the Two Courts of the Temple mention'd Apocal. 11. the Inner Court for the Priests the Outer for the Israelites between which and the Atrium Gentium was a Wall of stone about three cubits high with an Inscription upon it forbidding any alien or uncircumcised Gentile to come within the Sacred limits and that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ephes. 2. 14. Middle wall of partition between the Iews and Gentiles does plainly allude hereunto But not to mention any more Observations of this nature there are several Phrases also in the Scripture illustrated by him out of the same Monuments of Antiquity as the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the second Death an expression four times used in the Apocalyps and that which occurs thrice in the same Book the being arayed or walking in white garments Other Instances might be added but these may suffice for a Specimen His acquaintance with the Ethnick Antiquities enabled him to explain the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Tenth part of the City Apocal. 11. 13. the two Eagle's wings chap. 12. 14. the receiving the Beast's mark in their right hands or in their foreheads chap. 13. 16. as there is mention also of the Virgin-Company having the Lamb's and his Father's name in their foreheads chap. 14. 1. with sundry other Passages in that Book of the like import But besides these and the foregoing Instances I might here mention several other Passages in Scripture which the Author had not occasion to touch upon in his Discourses whether Words and Phrases or whole Paragraphs if not almost whole Chapters sometimes not to be illustrated without skill in History and Antiquities as to name only some few 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. 1 Cor. 4. 9. and the white Stone with a new name written therein given to him that overcometh Apocal. 2. 17. as also that in Acts 19. 2. where the Christians at Ephesus tell S. Paul We have not so much as heard 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whether there be an Holy Ghost or as the Hebrew Masters phrase it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And for that Paragraph in S. Iohn 7. from vers 37. to vers 40. containing what was spoken by our Saviour in the last day that great day of the Feast of Tabernacles the elegancy and fitness as well as the genuine importance of those expressions is most clear to such only as apprehend the reference they have to the Customes and practices of the Iews on that day recorded in their ancient Authors Nor can that in 1 Cor. 9. from vers 23. to the end be illustrated without skill in the Ethnick Antiquities the whole Paragraph alluding to the Customes of those Exercises and Games kept at Corinth as they were also in 3 other places of Greece and call'd Isthmia certamina from that Isthmus on which that great and wealthy City of Corinth was situate and where those Sports were celebrated every fifth year Upon the knowledge of which Customes it would appear that the Apostles expressions in this Paragraph are most pertinent and Emphatical Much of S. Matth. chap. 24. relating to the Destruction of Ierusalem together with the Signs and Forerunners thereof is to be explain'd out of Iewish and Ethnick Historians and very particularly and clearly too out of those Authors who yet knew nothing of our Saviour's Predictions therein nor of that ancient Prediction in Micah ch 3. 12. quoted also by the Prophet Ieremy Zion shall be plowed as a field which was also most punctually fulfilled as were the other I will name but one Book of Scripture more and it shall be that of Daniel where the Interpretation of both the 8 th and 11 th Chapters do wholly depend upon History as also what in Ch. 7. is said of the Four Monarchies and particularly the fitness of representing the Third Monarchy that of the Greeks by the Leopard with four wings vers 6. and in chap. 8. by the He-goat and the first King thereof by that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or notable Horn vers 5 21. together with the Four Horns that came up after it was broken vers 8. as likewise the fitness of representing the Second Monarchy that of the Medes and Persians by the Ram with two Horns vers 3. of which the Author has a short hint in his Com. Apoc. p. 474. to which might be added that Moris erat
Impure Souls are not admitted to any inward converse with God most Pure and Holy That Wickedness is destructive of Principles is also Aristotle's observation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Immorality or a Vicious life unfits men for the noblest Speculations so that they can neither know Divine nor Moral Truths 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as they ought to know and as they might have known had they had a true resentment of Morality and an inward esteem of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the things that are just pure and lovely and of good report And though such men may sometimes hit upon some Philosophical Notions yet even in the discovering the Mysteries of Nature they had done far better and had excell'd themselves had they been more purged from brutish Sensuality and all filthiness of flesh and spirit I will only add this That for a most clear and undeniable proof of this Assertion That Morality and a Good life affords the greatest advantages to a more excellent knowledge of not only Divine but Philosophical Truths we have in this Age the unparallel'd Works of some eminently-learned and nobly-accomplish'd Writers who really are Virtuosi according to the ancient Latine importance of the word and not merely in the Italian sense which applies only to the Wits and such as are any way Ingenious be they or be they not morally Vertuous But that which I chiefly intended under this last Particular was to acquaint the Reader how deeply sensible Mr. Mede was of the indispensable necessity of a Purified Mind and Holy Life in order to the fuller and clearer discerning of Divine Mysteries This was his firm belief and it obliged him to endeavours worthy of it To which purpose I shall here produce a very observable passage out of a Letter of his to an ancient Friend in Lincolnshire who having received and with great satisfaction read some Papers from Mr. Mede containing his first Essays upon part of the Apocalyps and thereupon writing to him with all serious importunity That he would earnestly pray for and endeavour after a great measure of Holiness to the mortification of Sin more and more that thereby he might be prepared to receive a greater measure of Divine Illumination and be as a Vessel of honour chosen by God to bear and convey his Truth to others with much more of the like import concluding with this request You see how bold I am with you but let love bury that Exorbitancy c. To this his Christian advice Mr. Mede return'd this excellent Answer Sir I thank you heartily for your good Admonitions and am so far from interpreting your Love Exorbitancy that I confess my self to have much need of this and more and therefore desire you to second this your Love with Prayer to God for me that he would vouchsafe me that his Sanctifying Spirit and that measure of Grace which may make me capable of such things as he shall be pleased to reveal and hath in some sort praised be his Name already revealed unto me in the contemplation whereof I find more true Contentment than the greatest Dignities which Ambition so hunteth after could ever have afforded me I have considered what S. Paul saith The Natural and Carnal man is altogether uncapable of the things of God's Spirit neither can he know them c. and what our Saviour saith If any man will do his Father's will he shall then know of the doctrine whether it be of God and I give thanks to Almighty God who hath made the Light of these his wonderful Mysteries to kindle that Warmth in my Heart which I felt not till I began to see them and which have made me that which they found me not This passage out of Mr. Mede's original Letter I thought very worthy to be made publick and inserted here upon so fit an occasion both for that excel-cellent and genuine relish of an humble and serious Piety in every line thereof as also because it is an illustrious Attestation to the forementioned Truth That an Holy Heart and Life is a necessary Qualification to the right discerning of Divine Mysteries agreeable whereunto is that in the Greek Version of Prov. 1. 7. which yet is rather a Paraphrase than a bare Translation there being more in the Greek than in the Original Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 AND now I have passed over the Three long Stages of this Preface In the last Head of Advertisements I have acquainted the Reader by what Methods and Helps the Author arrived at so great a measure of skill in the Scripture particularly in the more abstruse and mysterious parts thereof And thus may others also attain to a considerable Knowledge and purchase this goodly Pearl this Treasure hid in the field of Prophetical Scriptures if they are willing to be at the same cost and bid to the worth of it and not ignorantly nor sordidly undervalue it For Wisdom and particularly this kind of Wisdom and Knowledge is not to be had at a cheaper rate it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Pearl of great price and worthy of all that we have to bestow to purchase it They that look as little into the Apocalyps as some do into the Apocrypha and mind the Book of Daniel no more than they do the Apocryphal Story of Bell and the Dragon and therefore exercise not their good parts nor bestow that serious diligence about the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Scripture as they use to do about other kind of difficulties whether in Philosophy or other parts of Learning it 's no wonder they complain the Iewel is too dear when they have no mind to give the full price for it and that all Labour after such knowledge is either excessively hard or useless whenas yet through their delicateness and love of their own ease or for some other reason they never made any due trial But in other things Difficulty is no argument it rather whets and animates men of brave spirits and that all Excellent things are hard is so confess'd a Truth that it has pass'd into a vulgar Proverb The first and least therefore that is to be done by such as are of another spirit and are minded to search these as well as the other Scriptures is by a frequent attentive reading of the Prophetical Visions to fix the main passages thereof in their minds otherwise both the style and matter the great things of the Prophets as Hosea speaks of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the great things of the Law will be always counted as a strange thing This being done they must if they would succeed in their search apply themselves to those Five Means and Instruments of Knowledge as Mr. Mede did and prosper'd and by his Writings hath lessen'd the difficulty of these Studies and made the way plainer for others than he found it for himself And as the study of the Prophetick Scriptures would by an heedful attending to those
Lud. de Dieu a singular Ornament of the University at Leiden famous at home and abroad for his skill in the Oriental Tongues whose Letters to and of Mr. Mede were full of honour and respect and as a testimony of his great respect he presented Mr. Mede betimes with his Comment upon the Acts of the Apostles Dr. Walaeus Divinity-Professor there who being one of the Principal persons concern'd in the last Belgick Translation of the Bible and his care together with some associates being peculiarly imploy'd about translating and illustrating with marginal notes the New Testament no part of which bred him more labour than the Apocalyps did hugely applaud himself in the happiness he had to be acquainted with Mr. Mede's unparrallel'd Commentary upon that mysterious Book The great acceptance and kind entertainment which his Writings found abroad among learned persons might be confirm'd also from not only M. Hartlib â—s but Sr. William Boswell's Letters who professed It was better than Musick to him to hear the innumerable commendations of so near a Friend But because we would not exspatiate in this perhaps invidious argument we shall crave leave only to superadde this That though some at home less affectionate to studies of this nature for Reasons best known to themselves were induc'd to speak somewhat diminishingly and below the worth of his Clavis and Commentary upon the Apocalyps a Prophet and a Prophet's Interpreter wanting sometimes their due honour in their own Country yet Scholars of good note in their Travels beyond the Sea have heard his Name most honourably mention'd for those Works And though he was Anonymus in what he had done upon the Apocalyps yet when Foreiners travelling into England came to visit the University of Cambridge they would carefully seek him out and endeavoured to gain his acquaintance as much as any others then more eminent in place 19. And though possibly it cannot be said that he attain'd to an infallible Solution of every Point in those Prophetick Mysteries they being a Depth which perhaps no Humane understanding can reach till assisted by a more full and clear view of Events yet judicious men who are but in the least candid cannot but say that he proceeded upon grounds never traced by any and infinitely more probable than any lay'd down by those who before him undertook that task and such as though they should not every-where exempt from all possibility of erring in the application do yet afford an incomparable help to the understanding of many things otherwise scarce discernible and in the mean time do strongly convince the over-daring vanity of very many confident but unskilful Expositors So that upon the whole matter we doubt not to affirm and for the truth of it we appeal to judicious and unprejudiced Readers That if Mr. Mede's Method of interpreting the Apocalyps be freely and carefully compared with the elder we may add also the newer methods of any Annotationists whatsoever it will certainly be acknowledged to be the most natural and unstrained most agreeable to the style of the Prophets as likewise to History and Events and in short that his Clavis Apocalyptica if compared with other Keys seems most worthy to be deem'd Clavis non errans 20. Nor is this high but most deserved character of his Labours upon the Apocalyps to be disparaged by one or two Exceptions which the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 marvellously please themselves in nay one of them they make the petty matter of a poor rejoycing within themselves It is their First Exception grounded upon his Conjecture about the King of Sweden in his Exposition of the Fourth Vial. But there needed not so much noise nor such a-doe to be made about this For be it granted that the King of Sweden is certainly meant there although the Author doth not expresly name him yet consider First He doth not positively and confidently affirm him to be the person whom God designed to perform the business of this Vial but intimates only his hope and wishes in behalf of the afflicted Protestants in Germany that it might be so nay instead of a confident saying it would be so he chose rather to express himself Question-wise which is the more modest and allowable way Annon hic est saith he quem Dominus exercituum ad hujusce Phialae opus exsequendum destinavit Which Ingenuity of his might have disposed the less-kind Reader to some degree of Candour rather than to the indecencies of an hasty and over-severe Censure Secondly And the rather may he seem to merit the most candid and favourable usage because in his Epistle to the Reader before his Commentary he makes it his particular request That the Reader would not over-rigidly censure every passage in his Book but he pleas'd to read him with that civility and candour and those fair allowances not unusually afforded to the Writings of well-meaning men such as are free from arrogancy and imposing upon others and are most ready to express the same Charity and Fairness to other Writers The request is every way Iust and Necessary considering that there are more Depths and Obscurities in the Prophetical Writings than in any other parts of H. Scripture and withal that the best of men are not priviledged from all possibility of erring no not in plainer and less abstruse matters than the Apocalyptick Visions those especially about things future and unfulfill'd And farther how Necessary the request is as well as Iust the Author himself hath prudently observ'd in the fore-mentioned Epistle where speaking of the Interpretation of Prophecies c. he laies it down as a most certain and approved Truth Nist in hisce talibus liberiùs paulò sentiendi imò errandi venia concedatur ad profunda illa latentia Veritatis adyta viam nunquam patefactum iri Thirdly Were this mistake as great a matter as some would make it which yet was in truth a smaller 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and more venial because not express'd positively and confidently but only in the form of a Question yet is there not any just ground from this single instance to disvalue and reject the Author and his Commentary upon the Apocalyps For this Conjecture or rather Quaere of his was no principal or necessary part of the Structure and therefore by its failing as to the Event doth not so much as endanger much less demolish the whole Fabrick His Scheme of Synchronisms upon which is grounded his method of interpreting the Apocalyptick Visions stands firm and entire and is unconcern'd herein Nor is there any other part of his Commentary endamaged hereby the truth and solidity thereof not depending upon this Event Besides let it be consider'd that it would be the extremest Severity the highest Rigour imaginable to condemn the useful labours of Worthy men for some one misapprehension in a particular of little or no importance to the whole And what one Author ancient or modern though never so highly meriting what Book
not swerving one jot therefrom as he somewhere professeth in his Epistles Yea so cautious and careful was he not to determine positively where the Scripture was not express that he confessed he durst not so much as imagine that Christ's presence in this Kingdom should be a Visible converse upon Earth He was also well aware that some both of elder and of later times degenerating from the Piety of the most ancient and purest Ages of the Church and swerving from that Primitive sober sense and harmless Notion of the Millennium which the Christian Church generally entertain'd in the days of Iustin Martyr had shamefully disfigur'd and deformed it with several erroneous conceits and idle fancies of their own But herein our Author's name and reputation is not concern'd he had nothing to do with the wood hay and stubble which some foolish builders had built upon the old foundation nor with those unseemly assumenta and disgraceful opinions which some that were miserable bunglers at the Interpretation of Prophecies had fastned upon the ancient Hypothesis He disavow'd with as much zeal as any one the extravagancies of such men and yet he would not in a rash heat wholly reject an ancient Tenet for having some Error annex'd to it for so he might sometime cast away a Truth as he that throws away what he finds because it is dirty it was his own comparison may perchance cast away a Iewel or a piece of Gold or Silver Thirdly and lastly to conclude this argument His Notion of the Millennial State was both Pure and Peaceable and therefore not unworthy of a fair construction Pure and clean it was altogether free from the least suspicion of Luxury and Sensuality It was his express Caution to beware of gross and carnal conceits of an Epicurean happiness misbeseeming the Spiritual purity of Saints If we conceit saith he any Deliciae let them be Spirituales which S. Austin confesseth to be Opinio tolerabilis lib. 20. De Civit. Dei. And therefore he was justly offended with Hierom. who being according to his wont a very unequal relator of the opinion of his Adverâ—aries imputed to the most ancient Fathers of the Church such an Unspiritual notion as this That the Felicity of this State was Beatitudo ventri gutturi Iudaico serviens and in several parts of his Writings he has clearly detected the unfaithfulness and falshood of Hierom in loading those Holy Souls with the charge of Iudaism and Epicurism as foul and undeserved an aspersion as could be imagined And verily such a Sensual State is so contrary to the character of the Kingdom of Christ and the true importance of what is meant by Reigning with Christ that it is no other in reality than the Kingdom of the Devil and a Reigning with him He well remembred that the proper Character of the New Heavens and the New Earth that is of the World renewed is thus described in S. Peter's Prophecy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wherein dwelleth Righteousness A greater increase of Piety and Peace than has yet been in the world is that which makes up the Primary notion of Felicity of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or World to come And what hearty Christian does not most affectionately desire that Righteousness and true Holiness Peace on earth and Good will towards men may spread and obtain more universally in the world These things would as naturally make the world Happy as the abounding of Iniquity with the decays of Charity in any age makes the world Miserable Nor was his Notion lets Peaceable and Pure as may partly appear by what hath been already observed He was a true Son of Peace and lived a life of Obedience to the Laws of the Realm and of Conformity to the Discipline of the Church He feared both the Lord and the King and medled not with them that were given to change And his Writings bare the Impress and Character of his Peaceable Spirit and Life for not one clause not a syllable not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that naturally tends to blow men up into such furious heats as threaten publick Disquietnesses and Embroâ—lments is to be found therein as neither in the Writings of Iustin Martyr Irenaeus Cyprian and others of utmost Antiquity whose Doctrine touching this Point as also their Practices were far from any shew of Unpeaceableness far from provoking to any thing but Love and Good works As our Author himself was a man of a cool Spirit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so likewise is his Notion and representation of the Millennium cool and calm and moderate not ministring to Faction and Sedition to Tumults and subversion of all Degrees and Orders of Superiority in the publick And assuredly the Happiness of the Millennial State shall take place in the world without that Disorder and Confusion which some men have extravagantly imagined men of unhallowed minds and consciences who judging of things according to the lusts of ambition and love of the world reigning in them have deprav'd and stain'd this Primitive Tenet the ancient sober and innocent notion of the Kingdom of Christ as likewise every other Mystery with not a few carnal conceits and intolerable fancies of their own And thus unto them that are defiled is nothign pure Nor shall those Tempora refrigerii ever be brought in by hot fanatick Zelots men set on fire in the Psalmist's phrase and ready also to set on fire the Course of Nature as S. Iames speaks such as are skilful only to destroy and overturn Destruction and Wasting are in their ways they are good at making the World a miserable uncomfortable and unhabitable place but the way of Peace they have not known as for Peace and Charity they have no right sentiments thereof and know not what belongs to them And therefore the Temper and Frame of their spirit being perfectly contrary to the Temper and Quality of those Better times they are thereby render'd uncapable either of furthering and hasting the Felicities of the New Heavens and Earth or of enjoying them when the New Ierusalem shall be come down from God out of Heaven and the Tabernacle of God shall be with men For the primary Character of that Future State being as was before observed Vniversal Righteousness and Good will Piety and Peace it naturally follows That they who are men of embitter d passions and of a destroying Spirit altogether devoid of civility gentleness and moderation kindness and benignity towards men and altogether unacquainted with what is lovely decorous venerable praise-worthy equitable and just can have no part nor lot in this matter so gross and course a constitution of spirit as theirs is speaks them unqualified for the Happiness of this Better State Nor can they ever be made meet for the World to come and the Kingdom of Christ till they have got the victory over their Self-love and Love of the world over their Pride and Envy their Wrath and
a free and chearful exercise of Christian Charity it is absolutely necessary that he retrench and cut off all needless expences either about Apparel or Diet Building or Sports and Recreations c. Otherwise Frequent or Expensive Treatments Pride and Curiosity about Attire and Dressings will soon make Charity bare and cold make it look pale and meagre and at last quite starve it Where much is laid out upon Back or Belly there will be but little spared for Beneficence Where a man through his Voluptuousness and Sensuality finds himself too dear for himself so that it becomes difficult to maintain his deliciousness it will be thought too grievous to maintain good works for necessary uses as the Apostle speaks Tit. 3. Such a one will be greedily scraping for himself that he may have to consume upon his Lusts rather than 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to distribute proportionably to his estate to him that needeth Where so much is solemnly offer'd in Sacrifice as especially at great Feasts to that false God the Belly and the best and fattest is offer'd up and withall the sweetest for large Drink-offerings to that mortal and perishing God there will be but little reserv'd for the Sacrifices of communicating and doing good with which the Eternal and only true God is well pleased But Christian Religion as it designs to cherish and advance every thing that is worthy lovely and useful for the good of man is excellently prepar'd and accommodated to secure the Grace of Charity by obliging to Modesty and Humility sober Frugality and Temperance and in order thereunto to the subjugating of all inordinate Affections to the resolute denying of the clamorous cravings and impetuous desires of the Sensitives Powers the subduing whereof is a great instance of Spiritual Valour inward Health and Strength as on the contrary it is a great Imperfection and Weakness and withal a dishonourable thing for one that owns the name of Christian not to have power over his Sensual appetites but to have impatient desires vehement affections for such or such delicacies and as vehement delights in them to be over-curious and studious for pleasing his Appetites to be enslaved to his Palate enslaved to Wine and serving various pleasures as the Apostle describes the temper of some unworthy Christians Besides it argues a man not to have had so true a Gust of the powers of the world to come nor to be as he ought affected with the Hope of those pure and permanent Felicities in the Future Life which Christianity over and above the present ease and pleasure that accompanies Humility and Temperance here hath more fully brought to light and set before us For were these cordially believed they would work in men a generous disregard of those Sensual enjoyments which too many such is the courseness of their Temper count their Felicity making themselves hereby like the Beasts that perish who if this were Felicity enjoy as much or more of it than Man himself To conclude If men are not so much under the Power of Religion as to deny the solicitations of their inordinate Appetites and bring in subjection the Flesh with the Passions and Lusts thereof to the Spirit they do but Parrot-like and as they are taught talk of Self-denial and Mortifications and being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lovers of Pleasures rather than Lovers of God and their Neighbour they plainly and in reality deny the Power of Godliness though they may have the Form of it Whereas if they were under the power and energy of Religion they would find themselves throughly furnished and chearfully dispos'd to every good work So true a Friend is Frâ—gal Temperance so hurtful an Enemy is a Delicious Soft and Luxurious as well as the Covetous humour to that Divine Amiable and universally-Beneficial Grace of Charity 40. And now having spoken of his Charity or Love towards men it aptly falls into this place that we should observe something of his Love towards God wherein yet we need not be so large as in the former Instances for what we have already observ'd of his Character doth abundantly prove it His Meekness Patience Christian Prudence and Moderation and those Two bright Graces of the Greatest magnitude his Humility and Charity are pregnant evidences and real demonstrations of the Love of God dwelling in him Where these Fruits of the Spirit grow and flourish it 's a sure sign that such a Christian is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rooted in Love To be Meek and Patient Humble and Lowly in spirit to have an Heart full of Charity and melted into all compassionate endeavours for the good of others even of Enemies these are higher and harder things than to talk of Religion to say Lord Lord to shew much love with their mouth to abound in the external observances of Religion for so did the Pharisees who therefore by their outward specious profession gain'd a great reputation of Sanctity from the world but yet of them our Saviour Christ pronounces freely and smartly I know you that ye have not the Love of God in you a startling and grievous word to the Pharisees then and the like it would be to the Pharisaick Christians to be told so now In brief He testified his Love to God in that which is the most eminent and genuine expression of it viz. an Entire Sincere Uniform and Constant Obedience to his Commandments For this is the Love of God that we keep his Commandments or according to those two main Characteristicks of the Pure and Vndefiled Religion in S. Iames in Vnspottedness from the world and Charity to the poor and desolate What 's less than this is but Lip-devotion religious Courtship insignificant and empty Complements And whereas he observ'd that too many seem'd to make conscience of the Duties of the First Table but had little or no care of the Duties of the Second he had respect unto both For said he None can be truly Religious towards God that is not truly Honest in his conversation towards his Neighbour Thus he believ'd and thus he practis'd 41. But to superadd some other particular Instances of his Love to God He farther shew'd the Tenderness of this Affection by the Zeal he had for the Honour of God and by the dear regard he express'd to every thing wherein he thought the Divine Interest was concern'd He could in no wise brook the bestowing Religious Worship upon Creatures and therefore with a just severity he would equal the practices of the present Roman Church in their Saint-worship and Image-worship with those of the Israelites in following the ways of Ahab and Ieroboam and constantly asserted That the Great Apostasie or Antichristianism did as to one main part thereof consist in Spiritual Fornication or Idolatry Nor need any Protestant be disturb'd at the word Antichristian or Antichrist so frequently used by our Author when he has to do with the Roman
and with as great Solidity of Reason and Embroidery of Rhetorick pressed as his Theme led him Works of Charity Among other passages he exhorted his Hearers to make this Experiment When they had received good gain by Traffick or Bargain c. to take 6 d or 4 d in the Pound and put it in a Purse by it self for works of Piety This he warranted as it would be very beneficial to their Estate so it would take away all secret Grudgings For now they had lay'd so much aside for such a purpose they would rather wish for an Opportunity of disbursing it c. After Sermon being visited by a neighbour-Divine and one allied to him they presently fell into discourse about that Subject and Mr. Whateley's Iudgment was desired more particularly concerning the Quotapars to be so devoted As for that saith he I am not to prescribe to others but since here are none but very good friends and we are all so private I will tell you what hath been my own practice of late and upon what occasion You know Sir some years since I was often beholden to you for the Lone of 10â— at a time The truth is I could not bring the year about though my Receipts were not despicable and I was not at all conscious to my self of any vain Expences or of Improvidence At length I began to examine my Family what Relief was given to the Poor And although I was assured that was not done niggardly yet I could not be so satisfied but resolved instantly to lay aside every Tenth shilling of all my Receipts for Charitable uses And to let you see how well I have thrived this way in a short time now if you have occasion to use an 100â— or more I have it ready for you Iust Mr. Mede's Method and with a like prosperous Success This I can avouch for I was present both at the Sermon and at the Conference Neither do I conceive I have been wandering far from Mr. Mede all this while these two Persons meeting so near in so many Respects Both of them of the same House in the University both Contemporaries both Eminent though in far distant ways both inviolably kept their Principles of Loyalty to their Prince and Obedience to their Mother the Church both suffered injuriously some when time was made themselves too Poetically merry with Mr. Whately's Name both met in the same practice of Charity for which chiefly the latter was instanced in lastly both of them were peaceably and honourably Interred a little before the late unnatural War I do not ask the Reader 's Pardon for this seeming Impertinency because I rather expect his Thanks for helping him to so rare a Project how he may no less certainly than Piously improve his Estate if he please to make due Trial of it Howsoever I shall make him amends as to Brevity in the ensuing Particularities Whereof the next is 2. Concerning Mr. Mede's Communicativeness AS to be Communicative of Good is a Royalty and Beam of Glory even in the Divine Majesty itself so upon what Person soever this shall be more or less shed and diffused it must needs render him proportionably God-like Now that such a Quality was eminently conspicuous in this divine Person is altogether as unquestionable as Whether there ever was such a Man as Mr. Ioseph Mede I shall not instance in his Writings wherewith he hath blest the world concerning which I speak of those few then extant if the commending of them would not be but as the Gilding of Gold and the Painting of Rubies I could give you the opinion of one among many others who was Master of as great a Treasure of choice Learning and of as curious a Pen and Tongue as few Ages have seen which he hath often expressed to me in these words I never in all my life met with such a Vseful Critick as Mr. Mede with many other Encomiums That I have now to speak to is his Communicativeness in ordinary Discourse And this indeed he made the main of his Divertisement and Recreation I never heard he used any other unless it were in and upon the Fellows Orchard the Beautifying whereof he took great delight in and towards that he would not only lend his handsome and happy Contrivances but also disburse Money before-hand till the Colledge-Audit Here he hath been found very busie at due hours and sometimes knuckle-deep when he would say smiling Why this was Adam's work in his Innocency But then instantly taking for his Theme either a Plant or a Weed or almost any thing next hand he would fall into some very significant discourse All his Discourses to speak it once for all were extremely distant from any thing that looked like either Levity or Vanity or Paedantry These Charitable works of his Tongue for so I call Mr. Mede's Discourses as well as those other of his Hand proved no less Gainful to himself than they were Beneficial to others A double Gain he hath often acknowledged came in to him this way One That his Notions by often Repeating them became more fixed and rivetted in his Memory And therefore he would merrily say to a Familiar whose Studies lay quite another way and in that kind of Learning was confessedly incomparable and unmatchable when he seemed not so attentive to some of his Discourses Chuse saith he whether you will hear me or no I love to repeat what I have been gathering though it be but to the Walls for my own Memorie 's sake The other Gain was That hereby his Notions were better shaped and formed and so more accommodated to use For said he every time I am imparting them to others it is great odds but some fitter and clearer Expression will casually come out of my Mouth than at first came into my Mind So that his Notions always lay by him ready in good Currant Coin whiles others who too much affect the hoarding up have theirs at the best but in the Barre and Ingot and perhaps sometimes but in the Ore Wherefore I am apt to believe it was not a mere Complement of Mr. Mede's when he thanked those for Hearing him who thought they had a great deal more reason to thank him for his so Edifying them because he knew his own Gains hereby were still multiplied When my Acquaintance with him was of that Standing as to take the Degree of one of his Familiars he would treat and entertain me in this manner After some short prelusory talking of News and Occurrences Come now saith he what be your Questions Which as I was never to come unprovided of so was he always much more provided to resolve them to my unspeakable satisfaction Yea more than that such was his Obligingness he would sometimes fetch out of his Study divers of his Colledge and Publick Exercises and sometimes one peculiar Paper-book wherein he was wont to write sundry knotty Questions and difficult Texts of Scripture and under them set down
These are the several Heads I shall speak of and first of the First the Subject The Righteous or the Bountiful man For Righteousness in a special sense in the Hebrew and the rest of the Oriental Tongues of kin to it signifies Beneficence or Bounty both the Vertue and the Work and therefore by the Hellenists or Septuagint is it translated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word so frequent in the New Testament for that we call Alms. 'T is a known place Dan. 4. according both to the Septuagint and Vulgar Latin Peccata tua Eleemosynis redime iniquitates tuas misericordiis pauperum Where in the Original for Eleemosyna Alms is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Righteousness as we in our English render it Break off thy sins by Righteousness and thine iniquity by shewing mercy to the poor This notion of Righteousness is to be found thrice together in the 12. of Tobit Ver. 8. Prayer saith old Tobit there to his Son is goodwith Fasting and with Alms and Righteousness A little with Righteousness is better than much with unrighteousness It is better to give Alms than to lay up gold 9. For Alms doth deliver from death and shall purge away all sin Those that exercise Alms and Righteousness shall be filled with life Here in the Greek copy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Alms and Righteousness are exegetically put the one to expound the other but in the Hebrew there is but one word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for them both that being the word in that language for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hence in the Syriack Translation of the New Testament 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is rendred by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iustitia And so in the Arabick Hence Mat. 6. 1. for Take heed that you do not your alms before men as we read it the vulgar Latin and some Greek Copies have Attenditè ne justitiam vestram faciatis coram hominibus Take heed that you do not your righteousness before men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Namely as the word Charity with us though in the larger sense it signifies our whole duty both to God and man is restrained to signifie our Liberality to the poor so is the word Righteousness in the Oriental Languages If Righteousness therefore signifie Beneficence and Bounty then is the Righteous according to this notion the Bountiful man or as we speak the Charitable And that it is so taken in my Text both the general scope of the Psalm and the connexion with the words before and after is proof sufficient For before goes this A good man sheweth favour and lendeth he will guide his affairs with judgment Surely he shall not be moved for ever Then come the words of my Text The righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance After it follows this He hath dispersed he hath given to the poor his righteousness remaineth for ever which S. Paul alledgeth 2 Cor. 9. 9. to promote their collection for the poor Saints at Ierusalem For illustration of this and our further information it will not be amiss I hope to commend to your observation some other places of Scripture where the word Righteous is thus taken as namely Psal. 37. 21. The wicked borroweth and payeth not again but the righteous sheweth mercy and giveth Again Vers. 25 26. I have been young and now am old yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken nor his seed begging their bread He is ever merciful and lendeth and his seed is blessed Here the Righteous is the merciful and bountiful to whom namely this blessing That his seed shall not want is proper and peculiar The same use is Prov. 10. 2. Treasures of wickedness profit nothing but Righteousness delivereth from death The same is repeated again Chap. 11. 4. Riches profit not in the day of wrath but Righteousness delivereth from death Where Righteousness to be taken for Alms is apparent out of Tobit 12. 9. where it is so applied and rendred namely Alms doth deliver from death I could add also another place Prov. 21. 26. but these shall be sufficient Hence appears their errour who conceive of the nature of Alms as of an arbitrary thing which they may do if they will or not do without sin as that which carries no obligation with it but is left freely to every mans discretion And this makes some contend so much to have the Priest's maintenance granted to be Eleemosynary that so they might be at liberty to give something or nothing as they listed But if that were so yet if Alms be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Righteousness in the Hebrew tongue and the language which our Saviour spake if our Saviour call'd them Righteousness when he mentioned them who dare affirm then that Righteousness implies no obligation or that a man may leave it undone without sin THUS much of the Subject The Righteous Now I come to the Predicate shall be in everlasting remembrance In remembrance I said with God and men With God in the life to come and this life Let us see for the first The world to come It is certain that at the day of Iudgment we shall receive our doom according to our works of Charity and Mercy and that of all the works that a Christian man hath done these alone have that peculiar priviledge to be then brought in express remembrance before God Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the Foundation of the World For I was an hungred and ye gave me meat I was thirsty and ye gave me drink I was a stranger and ye took me in naked and ye clothed me I was sick and ye visited me I was in prison and ye came unto me c. Forasmuch as ye have done thus unto the least of these my brethren ye have done it unto me Matt. 25. 34 c. What doth my Text say The righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance God remembers our good deeds when he rewards them as he doth our prayers when he hears them If to remember then be to reward an everlasting reward is an everlasting remembrance 'T is remarkable that this priviledge which the works of Bounty and Mercy shall have at the day of Iudgment was not unknown to the Iews themselves for so we read in the Chaldee Paraphrast upon Ecclesiastes 9. 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It shall come to pass at the day of Iudgment that the Lord of the world shall say thus openly to every righteous man then before him Go and eat with gladness thy bread which is laid up for thee as a reward for the bread which thou gavest to the poor and needy when they were an hungred and drink with gladness of heart the wine which is kept for thee in the garden of Eden or Paradise as a reward for the wine thou gavest the poor and needy when they were athirst for behold thy good works have found acceptance
before the Lord. The reason of this Prelation of the works of Mercy at that great day is because all we can expect at the hands of our Heavenly Father is merely of his Mercy and Bounty we can hope for nothing but mercy without mercy we are undone according to that of Nehemiah in his last Chap. Remember me O Lord concerning this and spare me according to the greatness of thy mercy Now in those that are to be partakers of Mercy the Divine wisdom requires this congruity that they be such as have been ready to shew mercy unto others judging them altogether unworthy of mercy at his hands who have afforded no mercy to their brethren For so the Scripture tells us that they shall have judgment without mercy that have shewn no mercy The tenour of our Petition for forgiveness of sins in the Lord's Prayer runs with this condition As we forgive them that trespass against us And who can read without trembling the Parable of the unmerciful servant in the Gospel to whom his Lord revoked the Debt he meant to have forgiven him because he shewed no mercy to his fellow-servant who owed him a far lesser Debt Shouldst thou not saith he Vers. 23. have shewed compassion to thy fellow-servant as I shewed compassion unto thee This rule of congruity I say is the reason why at the day of our great account we shall be judged according to our works of mercy and bounty To do as we would be done to hath place not only between man and man but between God and men Nor is this I speak of manifest by the Form of our last Sentence only but by other Scriptures beside what else means that of our Saviour Luke 16. 9. Make unto your selves friends of the unrighteous Mammon that is of these slippery and deceitful riches for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Scripture's Dialect is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that when ye fail they may receive you into everlasting Tabernacles Or what means that of S. Paul 1 Tim. 6. 17 18. Charge them that be rich in this world that they trust not in uncertain riches but in the living God That they do good that they be rich in good works ready to distribute willing to communicate Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come that they may lay hold on eternal life Laying up a good foundation c. in the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Here it is observable that works of Beneficence are said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the Foundation of the reward we shall receive in the life to come If any but S. Paul had said so we should have gone near to have excepted against it for an error Works the Foundation of eternal life No that shall not need but the Foundation of that blessed Sentence we shall receive at the last day for them and that is evident by the form thereof which we have alledged Whatsoever is meant a great priviledge sure is hereby implied that these works have above others Where give me leave to tell you what a late sacred Critick hath observed concerning the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in this place of Timothy namely That the signification thereof there is not Vulgar but Hellenistical agreeable to the use of the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereto it answers for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies as it doth Radix vel fundamentum the root or foundation But besides this in the Rabbinical Dialect it is used for Tabulae contractûs a Bill of contract a Bond or Obligation whereby such as lend are secured to receive their loan again That therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which answers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the first sense doth answer the same likewise in the second and accordingly the Apostle's meaning to be That those who exercise these works of Beneficence do provide themselves as it were of a Bill or Bond upon which they may at that day sue and plead for the award of eternal life Vi pacti but not Vi meriti In the same sense he takes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. Tim. 2. 19. The foundation of God standeth sure having this seal the Lord knoweth them that are his And Let every one that nameth or calleth upon the name of Christ depart from iniquity The mentioning of a Seal here implies a Bill of contract for Bills of contract had their Seals appendant to them each side whereof had his Motto the one suiting with the one party contrahent the other with the other That to this S. Paul alludes God 's 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith he standeth sure that is God's Bill of contract or his Chirographum having a Seal according to the manner the one side whereof carrieth this Motto The Lord 〈◊〉 oweth them that are his the other this Let every one that calleth upon the name of Christ depart from iniquity YOU have heard how God remembreth the Righteous or Charitable man in the world to come He remembreth him also in this For that which the Apostle saith of Godliness that it hath the promise of this life as well as of that to come is most properly and â—eculiarly true of this Righteousness of Bounty and Mercy other Righteousâ—â—â—â—â— â—eed must not look for its reward till hereafter but this is wont to be rewaâ—â—◠〈◊〉 Spiritual blessings we have the example of Cornelius who for his Alms-deeds found 〈◊〉 our with God to have S. Peter sent unto him to instruct him in the saving knowleâ— of Câ—â—â—st Thy Prayers and thine Alms-deeds said the Angel are come up in rememâ—râ—nce before God Now therefore send to Ioppa and inquire for one Simon Peter c. For Temporal blessings hear what David sayes Psal. 37 25 26. quoted before I was young saith he and now am old yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken nor his seed begging their bread He is ever merciful and lendeth therefore his seed is blessed This blessing is the merciful and charitable man's peculiar that his children shall not want who was liberal and open-handed to supply the want of others But think not that God remembers the charitable man with a Temporal blessing in his posterity only for he remembers him also in his own person Thus the same David Psal. 41. 1. Blessed is he that considereth the poor the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble 2. The Lord will preserve him and keep him alive and he shall be blessed upon the earth and thou wilt not deliver him unto the will of his enemies 3. The Lord will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing c. And doth not his Son King Solomon say the same Prov. 19. 17. He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the Lord and that which he hath given he will pay him again But this perhaps some will think may be applied to the reward in the life to come If it be it would much
10. 41. He that receiveth a Prophet in the name of a Prophet shall receive a Prophet's reward OUR Blessed Saviour giving his Apostles their mission to preach the Gospel unfurnished with outward things and forewarning them what harsh and unkind usage they and their successors were like to find amongst men for the better encouragement of such as should entertain and minister unto them he pronounceth That whosoever received them received him and he that received him received him that sent him Whereby it appeareth how honourable an office it was to afford them entertainment and such as the noblest need not be ashamed of But because the hope of reward is the most forcible spur to all undertakings he addeth that too in the words of my Text He that receiveth saith he a Prophet in the name of a Prophet shall receive a Prophet's reward that is He that receiveth a Prophet not for any respect but quatenus talis because he is a Prophet shall have a Prophet's reward Which words contain in them evidently these two Propositions First That there is some special and eminent degree of Reward due unto a Prophet above other men Secondly That he that shall entertain a Prophet and do any good office unto him under that name that is for his office sake shall be partaker of that Reward Of these Two I intend to treat beginning with the First the more general That there shall be differing degrees of Reward in the life to come is evident by sundry places of Scripture As first from that so often iterated passage wherein God is said to reward every man according to his works Which not to be understood only of the differing quality of our works good and evil which God rewards accordingly the one with everlasting bliss the other with eternal fire as some here except but also of the differing works of just men compared together is manifest by that 1 Cor. 3. 8. where the Apostle comparing his own and Apollos work together saying He had planted and Apollos watered addes that both should receive their reward according to their work that is as their work differed so should their reward do In the second place the same is represented by that Parable Luke 19. of the Ten servants who received of their Lord being to go into a far Countrey ten pounds to trade with till his return At what time he that had increased his pound to ten pounds was made ruler over ten Cities he that had gained but five pounds over five Cities and so the rest according as they had improved the stock given them A third place is that 1 Cor. â—5 41 42. There is one glory of the Sun and another of the Moon and another glory of the Stars for one star differeth from another star in glory So also is the Resurrection of the dead Here is the full stop and not the words to be referred to that which follows to wit that the body is sown in corruption but is raised again in incorruption as some would have them For the Apostle speaks here of the difference of things heavenly and glorious One star saith he differs from another star in glory and not of the difference between glorious and inglorious corruptible and incorruptible For this belongs to his other similitude There are celestial bodies and bodies terrestrial but the glory of the celestial is one and the glory of the terrestrial is another A fourth place is that 2 Cor. 9. 6. where the Apostle speaking of the reward of beneficence avoucheth that he which soweth sparingly shall reap sparingly and he that soweth bountifully shall reap bountifully Fifthly That speech of our Saviour to the twelve Matt. 19. 27. imports as much Behold we saith Peter have forsaken all and followed thee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what shall we have therefore V. 28. Iesus said unto them Verily I say unto you that ye which have followed me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Regeneration or Resurrection when the Son of man shall sit upon the throne of his Glory ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones judging the twelve Tribes of Israel S. Luke relates it upon another occasion whereby it appears our Saviour uttered it more than once Ye saith he to the Twelve are they which have continued with me in my temptations therefore I appoint you a Kingdom as my Father hath appointed unto me That ye may eat and drink at my Table in my Kingdom and sit on Thrones judging the twelve Tribes of Israel Luke 22. 28 c. Whatsoever is meant by the Reward intimated in this expression for the quality thereof 't is plain there is some peculiar and more eminent degree of glory here promised the Apostles which shall not be common to others with them First Because it is the reward of their proper and peculiar service unto Christ as the Text shews Secondly Because these twelve Thrones in regard of their number can befit no more but these twelve Thirdly Supposing the twelve Tribes of Israel here mentioned to be likewise in a condition of bliss and happiness it must needs be that those who sit upon twelve Thrones to judge that is to govern them must be in a higher degree of dignitie than those over whom they shall be set Whatsoever therefore the meaning of the Reward be thus much may be gathered from the description thereof That there shall be differing degrees of glory in the Kingdom of Christ to come To conclude it hath been the ancient and constant Tradition of the Church testified by the unanimous consent of all the Fathers and was never questioned by any until that Peter Martyr in this last age first began to doubt thereof and others since more boldly adventured to contradict it Their main Reasons or Objections are these two First That the Reward to come depends not upon the virtue or dignity of our works but only upon the merit and satisfaction of Christ But his merits and satisfaction are uniform and the same to all Ergo the Reward also which is to be given by virtue thereof shall be so This Objection proceeds from that scrupulosity which many of ours have to admit of any relation or connexion between our Works and the Reward to come whence also is that that they should not be done intuitu mercedis with an eye or respect to the Reward Which is an Assertion repugnant to the tenour of the Scripture where the Holy Ghost is wont to ground his Exhortations upon the hope and promise of Reward Now what an unreasonable conceit is it to think that where wages is promised for the encouragement of the labourer the labourer should be bound to work without having any eye or respect to his wages But to the Objection I answer thus That it is true the Merits and satisfaction of Christ are the Foundation of our Reward namely that alone which makes our works capable thereof without which they were not nevertheless it is true also that
Here the difference between those that teach and are taught is as much as between the light of the Stars and the brightness of the Firmament Some will have the whole sentence to speak of the eminency of glory laid up for Prophets translating 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the first place not docti or intelligentes but Doctores The Teachers shall shine as the brightness of the Firmament and they that turn many unto righteousness as the Stars for ever and ever But I have followed that interpretation which our Translators thought most likely Thirâ—dly To this eminency of glory the Angel seems also to have respect in the end of the Chapter when he says But go thy way Daniel till the end be for thou shalt rest and stand up in thy lot at the end of days in sorte tua in thy lot that is in sorte Prophetarum in the lot of Prophets And this perhaps may be that too which our Saviour intends Matt. 5. 19. Qui secerit docuerit magnus vocabitur i. erit in regno coelorum Whosoever shall do and teach them the same shall be called that is shall be great in the kingdom of heaven The reason of all this is Because those who teach and convert others to righteousness have an interest and a kind of title to all the good works which they shall do How then can their Reward but be great and eminent when not only their own works but the works of their converts and disciples shall be brought into their account A matter if we consider it of no small encouragement and comfort unto us whom God hath placed in this condition to be Teachers and Instructers of others if so be we bury not our Talent in a Napkin but employ it for the advantage of our Lord and Master For it is not the Habit or Faculty but the Work which shall reap the Reward we speak of Happy are we therefore if we neglect not this opportunity of bliss which God hath given us AND thus having done with the First Proposition I undertook I come unto the Second which is That he that receiveth a Prophet in the name of a Prophet shall be partaker of a Prophet's reward He that receives that is doth any good office or deserves well of a Prophet For this to be the meaning may appear by that which follows He that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward where righteous is to be taken by way of eminency for one of eminent sanctity such as among the Iews had therefore the surname of Iust or Righteous as Simeon the Iust Iames the Iust and other the like Then in the next words the expression is varied Whosoever shall give to drink to one of these little ones a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple shall not lose his reward whence I say we may gather what good office the word receiving before used intimated to us namely to relieve maintain support and the like He therefore that thus receives a Prophet shall be partaker saith our Saviour of a Prophet's reward that is have an eminent reward or of the quality of a Prophet's though himself be none The reason is Because he that supports and enables a Prophet for his duty hath an interest in his work and consequently in the reward that belongs unto it This appears by the contrary because he that maintains and abetts those who commit an evil act makes himself guilty of their sin and so of the punishment due to the same An example whereof we have in that of the Benjamites in the Book of Iudges who by abetting the men of Gibeah who committed that foul abomination with the Levite's Wife made themselves guilty of their sin and brought that hideous judgment which at first was deserved only by a few sons of Belial upon the Heads of the whole Tribe It is a known story Now it is par ratio for a man to entitle himself to anothers good works as to his ill BUT there is a modification in the Text whereupon this Reward we speak of depends otherwise not to be looked for And that is This good office must be done in nomine Prophetae in the name of a Prophet not for any other respect than as he is and because he is a Prophet He that receiveth a Prophet in nomine Prophetae shall receive a Prophet's reward Not he that receives him only for some personal or by-respect because he is his kinsman friend or friend's ally or which is the ground of the most respect the Prophet gets among the most now-a-days because he is one of their one side and faction but setting all such respects aside eo nomine quia Propheta with mere respect to their office and calling or because they are as Valens and Valentinian in their Rescript apud Theodoretum calls them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Stewards of the great King of all the earth I may tell you that this is no ordinary thing now-a-days We may perhaps find some that can be content to make much of the Prophet for some personal qualities of his or perhaps because he hath abilities above ordinary or because it may be he is like to further the way they wish good luck to or that they may gain repute among some sort of men or for other respects of like nature But are there many which regard them in the name of a Prophet How then comes it to pass that their courtesies are so appropriate to the Persons of some that they shew no respect or esteem to the Calling in others Whence comes that Unchristian or indeed Atheistical language Abase Priest A paultry Priest It would never have grieved me if any other had served me thus but to be served thus by a base Priest who can endure it Tell me in good earnest is this to honour a Priest or a Prophet in the name of a Prophet or not rather point-blank unto it to reproach and dishonour him under that reverend Name that is to despise and reproach the Calling it self For can a man honour that condition the name whereof he thinks to be a reproach Is any man wont to say A base Lord a base Knight A base Gentleman A base Christian No And why because he accounts them all Terms and Titles of Honour Iudge then by this what account they make of God's Ambre who turn the very Title of their Calling into a name of reproach and what reward by proportion they are like to merit at Christ's hands Not a Prophet's I am sure and whether a Christian's or not themselves may judge 'T is often and too often true indeed that for our Persons we are unworthy of any better respect but even then it best appears whether a man hath respect to the Calling eo nomine when there is nothing in the Person to move him to it But there is another sort of men who honour not a
for at the hands of God without it An invincible argument whereof is That our Saviour himself in the Prayer he hath taught his Church hath put in a bar against asking it but upon this condition Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us If we ask not with this disposition there is no promise that any such prayer shall be heard nay our Saviour tells us in plain terms it shall not If saith he you forgive not men their trespasses no more will your heavenly Father forgive you your trespasses How then can any man whose heart is fraught with malice and meditates revenge against his brother hear this and not tremble Is it not a fearful thing for a man to carry in his own bosom not only an evidence that his sins are unpardoned but a bat too that he cannot ask the forgiveness of them Let no man deceive himself Though our consciences should bear us witness of many good works we have done reconciliatione tamen contemptâ nullum possumus promereri solatium yet if we neglect to be reconciled to our brethren we are not in a capacity to receive any comfort and mercy from God So Chrysost. As the fifth Commandment is called by the Apostle the first Commandment with promise so is this Petition for forgiveness of sins the only Petition with condition and such a condition too as our Saviour dwells upon and enforces when he had delivered this Form of Prayer to his Disciples For he passes by all the rest of the Petitions and singles out this alone to comment upon as that wherein the chiefest moment lay and without which all our prayer would be uneffectual and to no purpose A further confirmation of which we have in that parable of Servus nequam the wicked Servant Matth. 18. whom his Lord being moved with compassion when he besought him forgave a debt of ten thousand Talents But he finding one of his fellow-servants which ought him an hundred pence though he fell at his feet and besought him yet would not hear him but cast him into prison Then his Lord was wroth and said O thou wicked servant shouldst thou not have had compassion on thy fellow-servant even as I had pity upon thee And he delivered him unto the tormentors till he should pay all that was due to him The Application is terrible So likewise saith our Saviour shall my heavenly Father do unto you if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses We are this Servus nequam if when our heavenly Father forgives us thousands of Talents we stand with our brethren for an hundred pence For there is no proportion between the offences wherewith we offend God and the offences wherewith our brother offends us And therefore we have no excuse hath our brother wronged us never so often never so much never so hainously For whatsoever it be or how unworthy or undeserved soever our sin our ingratitude to Almighty God is and hath been infinitely greater even as ten thousand Talents to an hundred pence To these two Testimonies add a third and that also as the former out of our Blessed Saviour's own mouth Matth. 5. 23 24. If thou bring saith he thy Gift to the Altar and there remember that thy brother hath ought against thee Leave there thy gift before the Altar and go thy way first be reconciled to thy brother and then come and offer thy gift 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word whereby the Septuagint constantly render that which the Law calls Corban and the Gospel concurs with them Mark 7. 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now Corban in the Law is in special used for those Offerings which were made for atonement of Sin as the Burnt-offering Sin-offering Trespass-offering and Peace-offering call'd Offerings by Fire or Sacrifices So that this Precept of our Saviour's here is the same in effect with the former When thou comest to offer an offering unto God for an atonement of thy sin go thy way first and be reconciled unto thy brother for without this thy sin shall not be forgiven thee I shall not need tell you that now in the Gospel Christ is the Sacrifice is the Gift which a Christian by faith offers unto God for the propitiation of his sin and that this Sacrifice is commemorated sealed and communicated unto us in the blessed Sacrament of the Lord's Supper whereby it will easily appear how this Precept of our Saviour's uttered after the style of the Legal worship is appliable to the Evangelical Hence in the ancient Church when they assembled to celebrate this Sacrament the Deacon was wont to proclaim 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ne quis contra aliquem Let no man have ought against his brother And then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Salute one another with an holy kiss which accordingly they did first the Bishop and Clergy then the Laiety the men apart by themselves and the women by themselves and this was a profession of friendship and reconciliation and therefore called Osculum pacis the kiss of peace In after-times the Priest gave this Kiss of peace unto the Deacon and he to the chief of the Congregation and so it was given from one to another In stead of which at length was brought in that foolish ceremony still used among the Romanists for the Priest to send a little gilded or painted Table with a Crucifix or some Saint's picture thereon to be kissed of every one in the Church before they receive the Holy Bread which they call the kissing of the Pax. So oftentimes profitable and useful Ceremonies degenerate into toys and superstitions Our Church though she useth no ceremony retains the substance when the Priest in his Exhortation to the Communicants saith If any of you be in malice or envy or any other grievous crime bewail your sins and come not to this holy Table and by the Rubrick the Priest if he knows any such is to turn them back unless they will be reconciled Lastly The necessity of this duty is testified by that pious and generally-received Custom amongst Christians to exhort those that are dying to forgive all the world that so themselves may find mercy and forgiveness at the hands of God Is it needful at the hour of death and not as needful in the time of our health Is there no forgiveness to be expected at the hands of God without it when we are dying and is there while we are living No certainly All times are alike here and there is no time wherein God will forgive us unless we forgive our brother What then remains but that we do every day as we would do if we were to die the next It is a blessed disposition to have a becalmed heart to those who have wronged us and not to let the Sun go down upon our wrath to be able to come before God with confidence and say Lord forgive us our trespasses as we forgive
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of our Regeneration which from the beginning stirred our hearts gives that great and powerful lift which doth the deed Here and not before now that Faith in the Gospel which applies and reaches hold of Christ first comes in to give life unto Repentance as a Soul unto a Body Which union of Faith and Repentance as I said in the beginning of this Discourse makes the Regeneration of a spiritual man as the union of the Soul with the Body makes the generation of a natural man And as in natural generation the Soul is not infused at the first conception but after the Body hath been in some measure fashioned and formed So in our Regeneration or generation spiritual Iustifying Faith or that Faith whereby the Soul flies unto and relies upon Christ hath no place till Repentance be come to the last degree of Contrition For then our Saviour inviteth a sinner to come unto him and not till then Come unto me saith he all ye that labour and are heavie laden that is all ye that are contrite and groan under the burthen of your sins and I will ease you Till then he invites them not as being not till then fit to be eased For the whole hath no need of the Physician but the sick I speak not of an Historical faith whereby a man believes in general that Christ is the Saviour of mankind nor of a Legal wherewith a man believes the punishments and threatnings of the Law for these may be yea are before Repentance but of a Saving faith which applies Christ as a salve to a sick and wounded soul. BUT now to dwell no longer upon the connexion of the two parts let us see what are the degrees also of this second part namely of Turning and Living unto God by a new and reformed life answerable to the degrees of the former part which was Dying and Turning from sin Where first we are to know that because Turning to a thing and Turning from a thing are motions of a contrary nature therefore the degrees of our Turning unto God are to be ranked in a clean contrary order to those of our Turning from sin For the first degree here is the Act of the Will which as it concluded our Turning from sin by resolving to forsake it so it begins our Turning unto God by a firm purpose of Heart to serve him thenceforth in newness of life After this the Affections begin to act their parts answerably and as it were to eccho the good choice the Will hath made First Love when a man begins to find himself affected and enamoured with this change of life After Love comes Delight when the Penitent takes some pleasure in doing the duties whereby God is served and finds joy and comfort in his favour From whence in the third place springs Hope of the reward namely to be partaker of the glory and life to come promised unto all those who unfeignedly turn to God and set themselves to do his will But we must know that these Affections appear not all at once nor in like measure but according as a mans growth and proficiency in Conversion is more or less Howsoever the inseparable Effects of this second part of Repentance are good works or as the Scripture calls them works worthy of or meet for or beseeming Repentance that is works of Religion towards God and of Righteousness towards men I shewed saith S. Paul Acts 26. 20. first to the Iews and then to the Gentiles that they should repent and turn to God and do works meet for repentance Without such works he that saith he is turned unto God and yet doth them not is a lier and deceives his own soul. THUS much of the second part of Repentance I will conclude this whole Discourse with these two excellent descriptions of Repentance in the Prophets Esay and Ezekiel which contain the Sum of what I have hitherto spoken concerning the same For thus saith Esay chap. 1. 16. Wash ye make ye clean put away the evil of your doings from mine eyes saith the Lord cease to do evil This is the first part of Repentance V. 17. Learn to do well seek judgment relieve the oppressed judge the fatherless plead for the widow This is the second part Ezek. ch 33. v. 14 15. thus When I say unto the wicked saith the Lord Thou shal◠surely die if he turn from his sin there is Contrition the first part and do that which is lawful and right If he restore the pledge give again that he had robbed walk in the Statutes of life without committing iniquity here ye fee the fruit of a New life the second part he shall surely live he shall not die Believe the Gospel THUS much shall suffice to have spoken of Repentance the first part of our Regeneration I come to the second Faith in the Gospel Repent and believe the Gospel Where first I will shew What this Gospel is secondly What it is to believe it or What is that Faith concerning it which our Saviour here requires For the First The Gospel is the glad tidings of Salvation to be attained by Christ who by taking away of sin reconciles us unto his Father that through him we might turn unto God and perform service and obedience acceptable unto eternal life Before I prove every part of this Description out of Scripture and explain the same as shall be needful for your understanding we will first speak of the Antiquity of this Gospel and shew when these glad tidings were made known to the sons of men Know therefore that albeit the Fulfilling and solemn publication thereof were not until our Saviour's coming yet the Promise of the same was from the daies of old even as ancient as the time of man's sin and afterwards continued and repeated all the time of the Covenant of the Law until the Mediatour of the New Covenant came in the flesh For when the Devil abusing the shape of a Serpent had seduced our first Parents unto sin and so had gotten dominion over them and theirs by this title the Gospel or Promise of a Redeemer that they might not be without all comfort was given them in these words The seed of the woman shall break the Serpent's head The Serpent's head is Satan's soveraignty which is Principatus mortis the soveraignty or principality of death a Soveraignty that whosoever is under is liable to death both temporal and eternal the power thereof consisting not in saving and giving life but in destroying both of body and Soul The Sword whereby this dominion is obtained the Sceptre whereby it is maintained or as S. Paul speaks the Sting of this Serpent's head is Sin This is that which got this dominion at the first and the title whereby he still maintaineth the remainder of his jurisdiction in the world This Soveraignty this Headship of the Devil One to be born of mankind the Seed of the woman which is Christ our
Good spell that is the good speak or say the good tidings the word of good news Under which name it was revealed by the Angel to the Shepherds who were watching their flock in the fields the night our Saviour was born Behold saith the Angel I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people For unto you is born this day a Saviour which is Christ the Lord Luk. 2. 10 11. I call it the glad tidings of Salvation to be attained by Christ for so much the name of Saviour implies And saith S. Paul 1 Tim. 1. 15. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation That Iesus Christ came into the world to save sinners Neither is there saith S. Peter Acts 4. 12. Salvation in any other for there is no other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved The next words I used shew the way and manner how and whereby Christ purchased this Salvation unto men and the means whereby it is attained through him namely by cancelling of sin by his alonement made he reconciles us to his Father that we through him might turn unto God and perform works of obedience acceptable unto eternal life All which was foretold by Daniel chap. 9. 24. where prophesying of the time of Messiah's coming he said Seventy weeks were determined upon the people and upon the holy city to finish transgression and to make an end of sin and to make reconciliation for iniquity and to bring in everlasting righteousness To prove in particular that Christ dyed for sin I shall not need No man that ever read the Gospel but knows it That by the atonement he made for sin by death he hath reconciled us to his Father is as evident by what S. Paul tells us 2 Cor. 5. 19. That God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself not imputing their trespasses to them That the ministery of the Gospel is the Ministery of reconciliation v. 18. whose Ministers as Embassadors for Christ beseech men in Christ's stead to be reconciled unto God v. 20. For by reason of Sin all mankind is at enmity with God and liable to eternal wrath Christ by taking our sins upon him abolished this enmity and set us at peace with God his Father according to that the Quire of Angels sang at his blessed Birth Glory be to God on high and on earth Peace Good-will towards men that is Glory be ascribed to God forasmuch as Peace was come upon earth and Good-will towards men All this is plain But that which the greatest part of men as may be guessed by their practice seem to make question of is that last parcel of my Description That therefore Christ took away sin and reconciled us to his Father that we might through him whose righteousness is imputed to us perform works of piety and obedience which God should accept and crown with eternal life But that this is also a part of the Gospel as well as the former is plain and evident First by that of S. Peter 1 Ep. ch 2. ver 24. where he tells us That Christ his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree that we being dead to sin might live unto righteousness Secondly by that of the Apostle Paul to Titus ch 2. 11 c. The grace of God saith he that bringeth Salvation hath appeared unto all men Wherefore Teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live soberly righteously and godly in this present world Looking for that blessed hope the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Iesus Christ Who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purifie unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works Is not this plain Thirdly by that of the same Apostle Eph. 2. 10. where the Apostle having told us v. 8 9. that we are saved by grace through faith and not of works that is not according to the Covenant of works wherein the exact performance was required lest any man should boast namely that he was not beholden to God for grace and favour in rewarding him he adds presently lest his meaning might be mistaken That we are God's workmanship created in Christ Iesus unto good works which God hath before ordained 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that we should walk in them As if he should say Though of our selves we are no ways able to perform those works of obedience ordained by God aforetime in his Law for us to walk in yet now God hath as it were new created us in Christ that we might perform them in him namely by way of acceptation though they come short of that exactness which the Law requireth And thus to be saved is to be saved by grace and favour and not by the merit of works because the foundation whereby our selves and services are approved in the eyes of God and have promise of reward is the mere favour of God in Iesus Christ and not any thing in us or them Agreeable to these Scriptures is that in the Revelation where glory is ascribed to Iesus Christ who loved us and washed us from our sins in his own bloud and hath made us Kings and Priests unto God his Father that is that he might make us kings and Priests unto God his Father For and is here to be taken 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for that Kings to subdue the world the flesh and the Devil Priests to offer Sacrifices of prayer thanksgiving works of mercy and other acceptable services to our heavenly Father Moreover and besides these express Scriptures this Truth may be yet further confirmed by Demonstration and Reason Repentance is a forsaking of sin to serve God in newness of life Now the Gospel includes Repentance as the subject wherein it worketh as the Body which it enliveneth as a Soul Or to use a similitude from weaving Repentance is the warp of the Gospel and the Gospel the woof of Repentance Repentance is as the warp which the Gospel by the shuttle of Faith runs through as the woof whence proceeds the web of Regeneration Therefore is Repentance everywhere joyned with the Gospel Both Iohn Baptist and our Saviour so published it Repent for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand Repent and believe the Gospel Our Saviour in his last words or commission to his Disciples tells them Luk. 24. 47. that Repentance and Remission of sins which is the Gospel should be preached in his Name among all Nations beginning at Ierusalem All which is elsewhere comprised in the sole name of preaching the Gospel which argues that the Gospel of Christ and consequently our Faith in the same supposeth Repentance as the ground to do its work upon So S. Peter in his first Sermon Acts 2. 38. conjoyns them Repent saith he and be baptized in the name of Iesus Christ for the remission of sins as if he had said Repent and that thy Repentance may be available betake
thy self to Christ become a disciple and a member of his Kingdom S. Paul likewise taught the Gospel in like manner for himself tells us so Acts 20. 21. that he testified both to Iews and Gentiles Repentance toward God and Faith toward our Lord Iesus Christ. Repentance therefore and the Gospel cannot be separated If Repentance includes newness of life and good works the Gospel doth so For Christ is the way of Repentance without Repentance there is no use of Christ and without Christ Repentance is unavailable and nothing worth for without him we can neither be quit of the sins we forsake nor turn by a new life unto God with hope of being received He is the blessed Ferry-man and his Gospel is the Boat provided by the unspeakable mercy of God for the passage of this Sea As therefore in Repentance we forsake sin to serve God in newness of life so in the tenour of the Gospel Christ delivers us from sin that we might through Faith in him bring forth the fruits and works of a new life acceptable to our heavenly Father Hence it is that we shall be judged and receive our sentence at the last day according to our works Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world For I was hungry and ye gave me meat I was thirsty and ye gave me drink I was a stranger and ye took me in naked and ye clothed me I was sick and ye visited me I was in prison and ye came unto me Forasmuch as ye have done these things unto the least of my brethren ye have done them unto me Lord how do those look to be saved at that day who think good works not required to Salvation and accordingly do them not Can our Saviour pass this blessed sentence upon them No assuredly he will not But if the case be thus in the Gospel What is the reason will some men say that the Apostle tells us that we Christians are no longer under the Law nor justified by the works of the Law but under Grace and justified by Faith only I answer It is true that we are justified that is freed and acquitted from sin by Faith only But besides Iustification there is a Sanctification with the works of piety towards God and righteousness towards men as the Fruits yea as the End of our Iustification required to eternal life For therefore we are justified that we might do works acceptable to our heavenly Father through the imputation of the Righteousness of Christ which of our selves we could not and so obtain the reward he hath promised the doers of them As for the Law it is to be considered either as a Rule and so we are bound to conform and frame our actions to it for who dare deny but a Christian is bound to fear God and keep his Commandments or the Law may be considered as it is taken for the Covenant of works The Apostle when he disputes of this argument by the Law means the Covenant of works which he also calls The Law of works and by Faith and the Law of Faith he understands the Covenant of grace the condition whereof is Faith as will easily appear to him that shall diligently read the third and fourth chapters of the Epistle to the Galatians where he expresly changeth those terms of Law and Faith into the equivalent appellations of the Two Covenants Now as the Law is taken for the Covenant of works the Seal whereof was Circumcision 't is true we are not under it For the Covenant of works called by the Apostle the Law is that Covenant wherein Works are the condition on our part which if we perform in every point as the Law requires we are justified before God as keepers of his Covenant otherwise if we fail in the least thing we are condemned as guilty of the breach thereof Under this Covenant we are not for if we were and were to be judged according to it alas who could be saved For all saith the Apostle have sinned and come short of the glory of God There is none righteous no not one But the Covenant we are under is Believe and thou shalt be saved the Covenant of Grace the condition of which Covenant on our part is not the doing of works which may abide the Touch-stone of the Law but Faith in Iesus Christ which makes our works though of themselves insufficient and short of what the Law requires accepted of God and capable of reward This is that S. Iohn saith 1 Ep. 5. 3 4. That to love God is to keep his commandments and his commandments now under the Gospel are not grievous For whatsoever is born of God overcomes the world and this is the victory that overcometh the world even our Faith c. Whence our Saviour also saith that his yoke the yoke of the Gospel was easie and his burthen light The condition of the first Covenant was that which we could not do the condition of the second Covenant is that which enableth us to do and makes accepted what we can do and this is the Covenant of the Gospel a Covenant of savour and grace through Iesus Christ our Lord. And thus we have seen what the Apostle's meaning is when he saith we are not under the Law but under Grace Not as though a Christian were not bound to walk after God's commandments but that the exact fulfilling of them is not the condition whereby we are justified in the New Covenant but Faith in Iesus Christ in whom whosoever cometh unto the Father is accepted be his offering never so mean so it be tendered with sincerity and truth of heart Most unworthy therefore should we be of this so great and unspeakable favour of Almighty God our heavenly Father offered us in the Gospel if when he hath given us his only Son to make the yoak of our obedience easie and possible to be born we contemning this superabundant grace should refuse to wear and draw therein Far be it from the heart of a Christian to think it possible to have any benefit by Christ as long as he stands thus affected or ever to win the prize of eternal life without running the race appointed thereunto Shall we sin that grace may abound saith S. Paul God forbid THUS much of the Gospel Now of Faith whereby we are partakers of the grace therein being the condition of the New Covenant which God hath struck with men Faith is to believe the Gospel that is to attain Salvation through Christ. But there is a three-fold Faith wherewith men believe in Christ. 1. There is a false Faith 2. there is a true Faith but not a saving and 3. there is a saving Faith A false Faith is to believe to attain Salvation by Christ any other way than God hath ordained as namely to believe to attain Salvation through him without works of obedience to be accepted of
God in him which is a Faith whereof there is no Gospel A true Faith is to believe Salvation to be attained through obedience to God in Iesus Christ who by his merits and satisfaction for sin makes our selves and our works acceptable to his Father A saving and justifying Faith is to believe this so as to embrace and lay hold upon Christ for that end to apply our selves unto him and rely upon him that we may through him perform those works of obedience which God hath promised to reward with eternal life For a justifying Faith stays not only in the Brain but stirs up the Will to receive and enjoy the good believed according as it is promised This motion or election of the Will is that which maketh the difference between a saving Faith which joyns us to Christ and that which is true indeed but not saving but dogmatical and opinionative only And this motion or applying of the Will to Christ this embracing of Christ and the Promises of the Gospel through him is that which the Scripture when it speaks of this Faith calleth coming unto Christ or the receiving of him Come unto me all ye that are heavy-laden and I will ease you Matth. 11. 28. See Iohn 5. 40. and chap. 6. 37 44 45. So for receiving Iohn 1. 12. As many as received him to them he gave power or priviledge to be the sons of God even to them that believe on his Name where receiving and believing one expounds another Now if this be the Faith which is saving and unites us unto Christ and none other then it is plain that a saving Faith cannot be severed from good works because no man can embrace Christ as he is promised but he must apply himself to do them Would we then know whether our Faith be true and saving and not counterfeit This is the only sign and note whereby we may know it if we find these fruits thereof in our lives and conversations For 1 Iohn 1. 6. If we say we have fellowship with Christ and walk in darkness we lye and do not the truth Ch. 2. 3. Hereby we know that we know him namely to be our Advocate with the Father and the propitiation for our sins if we keep his Commandments And ch 3. 7. Little children let no man deceive you He that doth righteousness is righteous even as Christ is righteous For if every one that believes in Christ truly and savingly believes that Salvation is to be attained by obeying God in him and so embraces and lays hold on him for that end how can such a ones Faith be fruitless DISCOURSE XXVII Acts 5. 3 4 5. But Peter said Ananias why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the holy Ghost and to purloin of the price of the land Whiles it remained was it not thine own and after it was sold was it not in thy power why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart Thou hast not lied unto men but unto God And Ananias hearing these words fell down and gave up the ghost IN the 110. Psalm where our Saviour is Prophetically described in the Person of a King advanced to the Throne of Divine Majesty glorious and victorious The Lord said unto my Lord Sit thou on my right hand till I make thine enemies thy footstool c. amongst other Kingly Attributes and Graces it is said if it be translated as it should be That his people in the day of his power should offer him Free-will-offerings that is bring him Presents at the day of his Inauguration or Investment as a sign of their Homage For so was the manner of the East to do unto their Kings and therefore when Saul was anointed King by Samuel it is said of those sons of Deâ—ial which despised and acknowledged him not that they brought him no presents But of Messiah's people it is said Thy people in the day of thy power that is the day when thou shalt enter upon thy power or the day of thy Investment shall be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a people of free presents or shall bring thee Free-will-offerings It is an Elliptical speech 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and rightly expressed in the Translation of our Service-Book Thy people shall offer or bring the Free-will-offerings This we see fulfilled in the Story of the foregoing Chapter when after our Saviour's ascension into heaven to sit at the right hand of God which was the day of his power or Inauguration in his Kingdom assoon as this his Investment was published by sending of the Holy Ghost presently such as believed in him that is submitted themselves to his power and acknowledged him to be their King dedicated their goods and possessions to his service selling their lands and houses and laying down the money at the Apostles feet namely to be distributed as were the sacred Offerings of the Law partly to the maintenance and furnishing of the Apostles for the work whereabout they were sent and partly for the relief of the poor Believers which belonged to Christ's provision According to this Example one Ananias with Sapphira his wife consecrated also a possession of theirs unto God and sold the same to that purpose but having so done covetousness tickling them they purloined from the price and brought but a part of the summe and laid it down at the Apostles feet Then said Peter according to the words I have read Why hath Satan filled thine heart that is made thee so daring to lie unto the Holy Ghost and to purloin from the price of the field c The words I have read contain two things Ananias his Sin and his Punishment therefore His Sin in the third and fourth verses his Punishment in the fifth Ananias hearing these words fell down and gave up the ghost Concerning his Sin as appears by the relation I have already made it was Sacriledge namely the purloining of what was become holy and consecrate unto God not by actual performance but by vow and inward purpose of the Heart For as it is well observed by Ainsworth on Levit. 7. 16. out of Maimonid in his Treatise of offering the Sacrifice Chap. 14. Sect. 4 5. c. In vows and voluntaries it is not necessary that a man pronounce ought with his lips but if he shall be fully determined in his heart though he hath uttered nothing with his lips he is indebted And this is no private Opinion of mine the Fathers so determine it S. Augustine that Ananias was condemned of Sacriledge quòd Deum in pollicitatione fesellisset because he had deceived God had been false to him in what he had promised him And in another Sermon Ananiam detraxisse de pecunia quam voverat Deo Ananias purloined and kept back part of the money he had devoted to God S. Chrysostome in his 12. Homily upon this place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. The
Fulness and Fatness THIS Truth thus confirmed will afford us three useful Observations First To consider the wickedness of man's nature which abuseth the Abundance of God's Blessings to dishonour him that gave them Vnthankfulness is a most hateful vice if but to men and for such benefits as one man can afford another How much more to be abhorred is Vnthankfulness to God who is the giver of all good things Yet amongst men Abundance of benefits will sometimes wring an acknowledgment from an unthankful disposition though a smaller kindness would not do it But the contrary the more Benefits and Favours are heaped so much the more unthankful to grow to him that bestows them or the more his Benefits encrease the more to wrong and reproach him this I think is not easily sampled in the dealings and courtefies from man to man Yet thus most unworthy and ungrateful wretches are we wont to deal with our gracious God not only to be unthankful which were bad enough but so much the more unthankful by how much his Benefits encrease and abound toward us The less we have the more we acknowledge him the more he gives us the less we own him and if so be we once arrive at a Fulness it is ten to one but we plainly deny him and ask Who is the Lord and what a hideous Vnthankfulness is this If this were not so Agur would never have grounded his Prayer upon such a supposition if it be so we see why God is fain for the most part to deny those he loveth abundance of these outwardthings namely lest by so giving he might quite lose them and utterly undo them He knoweth our nature better than our selves and moderates his Blessings for our good Physick is an unpleasing thing our Stomachs are much against it and a Potion is bitter in tast yet in danger of life if we be sick or if we be but crazie and in danger of sickness we are willing to submit our selves to the will of the Physician as one that knows what is good for us better than our selves We can endure in such a case to be abridged of our diet to be restrained from our pleasure to fast from our desired meat and drink and not to be offended at him who shall thus abridge us but to love him yea reward him too as who for this his care hath deserved well at our hands Come on then Hath not God as much skill in the state of our Souls as any Physician in the state of our Bodies Why should we then take it unkindly or impatiently when for our spiritual safety he abridgeth us of that abundance which other men enjoy Envie them not it may be they are none of God's Patients and so he takes no care of them but lets them fill until they surfeit and perish but thou art under his cure who is the great Physician if thou believest it thou wilt love him therefore and quietly submit unto his will and not be like the horse and mule who because they want understanding are impatient to be dieted or diminished of their fodder though it be for their good because they know it not And thus much for the first useful Observation Observe in the second place The unreasonable Folly of men so greedily to long for and pursue after that which so much endangereth their welfare and happiness For is it not a Folly never to think a man's self well until he be in an estate of greatest danger It is as if a man should seek a Lion in his den when he might safely have passed by without danger or like the filliness of children who long to have an Adder in their hands because he hath a gay skin Were it not much better with Agur's choice to sit somewhat low with safety than to ride aloft with continual danger of breaking a man's neck We would have we know not what we daily pray that God would not lead us into temptation and yet we long to be tempted or it may be we are of Socrates his mind who chose a shrew to exercise his patience so we would have wealth in abundance to approve our moderation But as Aristotle thinks it not true Valour and Magnanimity to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to long to be in danger but rather to acquit himself well when he shall encounter it so I think of a wise man He that shall do otherwise I think him not wise if I should I must take Agur for a fool Some perhaps are daring out of ignorance whom if they have no better experience yet even Nature her self seems willing in some sort to inform who by Divine Providence is so ordered that in those places where Gold and Silver groweth there grows neither Grass nor Plant nor other thing that is any thing worth to shew us how fruitful the hearts and minds of such are wont to prove as long after them being as barren of Goodness as those Countries of Grass But if any one after he knows and is informed of the danger of such a condition shall say with Nero's mother when the Mathematician had told her her Son should indeed be Emperour but put her to death Me vero occidat modò imperet So he may reign let him kill me If any shall say â—o here Let me be rich though I perish I yield him as worthy Simon Magus his blessing Pecunia tua sit tecum in perditionem Thy money perish with thee Acts 8. 20. My third and last Observation is A Lesson of caution to those who are rich in this world to keep a continual watch over themselves that they forget not God in their abundance For though this estate be fickle and dangerous as I have already shewed yet it is possible to be happy therein if competent and fit means be used and the beloved of God have been so And those here have the best hope of success who have not by their covetous and ambitious desires tempted God in getting their abundance Howsoever as the wealth so the care also and watchfulness of the owner must be exceeding and abundant for a ship of such sail requires a skilful Pilot and extraordinary care in the steerage Besides the General means in all Estates to prevent declining from God there is one more Special means in this case of Abundance which if it be not used I am perswaded the danger neither can nor ever will be avoided and that is To be fruitful in good works to be liberal and open-handed to the relief of the poor and furtherance of all godly and sacred uses It is S. Paul's charge 1 Tim. 6. 17 18. Charge them that be rich in this world that they do good that they be rich in good works ready to distribute willing to communicate c. If thou wouldst have God's blessing go with thee follow Solomon's counsel Honour him with thy substance and with the first-fruits of all thine increase For the earth is
in Examples Pompey the great is reported to have died most miserably upon the very same day he triumphed for the spoil of Ierusalem AND thus having spoken of the three first Observations I come now to the fourth and last Observation namely That the Profit and Pleasure which men seek for in the works of sin will not so much as quit cost in this life Because God's Punishments are requitals the Profit gotten by sin we shall lose wholly if not doubly in the Punishment thereof the Pleasure found in sin will be overpoised in the pain of sorrow we shall undergo for the same It is hard to conceive that a man should be so much the son of Belial as to commit sin only for his mind sake without any aim to a farther end But rather we may think That as all actions are done for some End so even in sinful and wicked actions men have some Ends why they commit them And it is the conceit and apprehension of some such thing to be gotten by sin which makes that which is indeed Evil to have a shadow of an appearing Good To be short The Ends men aim at in the commission of sin are those two bastard goods Vtile Iucundum worldly Profit and carnal Pleasure Within the compass of which two fall all those kinds of false Happiness whereabout the Philosophers were so divided Riches Honours Pleasures Bodily ease c. All are comprehended within the verge of these two Vtile Iucundum Profit and Pleasure These are verily those two baits of the Devil wherewithal he inveigleth the Souls of men with these two he insnared our First Parents in Paradise Our mother Eve saw the forbidden fruit that it was like to be as pleasant to the taste as it was pleasing unto the eye on the other side Knowledge like unto God which she hoped to attain hereby was a thing exceeding commodious and worth the compassing Upon these Motives therefore she fell miserably and upon the like do we fall every day Nay the Devil thought with these to have tempted our Saviour Christ himself to worship him for he shewed him as we read All the kingdoms of the earth with the glory of them In a kingdom all kinds of Profit and means of wealth abound and for Pleasure what delight is equal unto that which is to be found in the glory of a Kingdom To speak of them severally What power and force a Motive of Gain and Profit hath to sway our affection to commit sin S. Paul hath told us 1 Tim. 6. 9. Those saith he that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare and verse 10. that Covetousness is the root of all evil The same also is apparent by the words of our Saviour It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God Matth. 19. 24. And for the other to wit carnal Pleasure so forcible it is so much prevailing in tempting and drawing us unto evil that the wise Son of Syrach sticked not to say He that resisteth pleasures crowneth his own soul. Besides these Ends are so nearly linked together that the one of them is commonly desired for a Means unto the other for therefore do many desire wealth that they might have means to live voluptuously But be they as they will be Is this be all the good men do or can expect from the works of sin if these only be those fair Ends we strive to attain by so foul a means and when we have gotten them if the just God requites the Pleasure we expect with pain and sorrow and the Gain we hoped for with an equal yea with a greater loss if the Pleasure of a moment be entertained with a remaining sorrow if a single Gain be rewarded with a double loss and that in this world Surely it will not quit the cost to commit the most gainful or pleasing sin in the world But certain it is that God useth thus to meet with our intendments and to make us always fall short first or last of what we hoped for by Sin For as for Pleasure and Hearts-ease as we call it alas who ever found this gotten by sin to be worth the while To overpass such requiting pains as fall within the observation of other mens eyes as when God makes our pain and sorrow to grow even from those members those hands those things from which we sought delight as I shewed you in the last Observation I will I say omit these and put you in mind only of that secret pain which no man knows but he that feels it The sting of Conscience Is there any man that finds not the honey of sin mingled with this gall Surely the sting of Conscience never leaves a sinner but is in all our pleasure like unto those wild gourds 2 Kings 4. 39 c. wherewith the young Prophets of Gilgal spoiled their whole pot of pottage We cannot taste so much as one spoonful of this false pleasure but presently we must cry as they cried Mors in olla Death is in the pot As for Profit and Wealth It is even gotten into vulgar experience that what in this kind is gotten by sinful and bad means is nothing durable Treasures of wickedness saith Solomon Prov. 10. 2. profit nothing and wealth gotten by vanity shall be diminished Prov. 13. 11. Yea as the feathers of an Eagle are said to consume the feathers of other birds so a little gotten by indirect and bad means often consumes a man's whole substance I cannot stand to inlarge upon this point I will only shew in the example of our first Parents how God in this manner requited them First They looked for Pleasure in the taste of so pleasing a fruit This hope God repai'd them with pain and sorrow I will multiply thy sorrow saith he unto the woman and in pain shalt thou bring forth children and to the man In sorrow shalt thou eat the fruits of the earth all the days of thy life They looked secondly to have gained much and to have profited themselves exceedingly as namely to have gotten more knowledge than God had given them This hope God requited not only with the loss of that knowledge they had before but even of the outward things they enjoyed in Paradise Primum in unoquoque genere est mensura consequentium The First in every kind is the measure of that which follows Thus God dealt with them and thus will he deal with us unto the world's end Sin is utterly unprofitable whatsoever is gotten thereby is like the change Diomedes made with Glaucus like that which Rehoboam made of the shields in the house of the Lord shields of brass for shields of gold Let us therefore hence learn to withstand such foolish Motives and such vain Hopes when we are in danger to be ensnared by these baits let us thus reason with our selves What
is and nothing more true That no works of ours in this life can abide the Touch-stone of God's Law and therefore not able to justifie us in the presence of God but to condemn us But it is true also That we are therefore justified through Faith in the bloud and righteousness of Christ that in him we might do works pleasing and acceptable to Almighty God which out of him we could not do For as the bloud and sufferings of Iesus Christ imputed to us through Faith cleanseth and acquitteth us of all the sins whereof we stood guilty afore we believed so the imputation of his righteousness when we believe makes our works though of themselves far short of what they should be yet to be acceptable and just in the eyes of the Almighty Christ supplying out of his Riches our poverty and by communication of his obedience continually perfecting ours where we fail that so we might receive the reward of the righteous of him that shall reward every man according to his works Being therefore in Christ we are so much the more bound to frame our lives in holy obedience unto God's Commandments in that before we were justified we could not but now henceforth we are enabled to do that which for Christ's sake will be acceptable and pleasing to Almighty God our Father This is that which S. Peter tells us 1 Epist. 2. 24. That Christ his own self bare our â—â—s in his own body on the tree that we being dead to sin should live unto righteousness So S. Paul Tit. 2. 11 c. The grace of God saith he that bringeth salvation hath appeared unto all men wherefore Teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live soberly righteously and godly in this present world Looking for that blessed hope the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Iesus Christ ver 14. Who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purifie unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works Here you may see that Christ is therefore given us to be a propitiation for our sins and to justifie us that in him we might walk before God in newness of life so to obtain a crown of righteousness in the world to come But if this be not enough to perswade us to take on this yoke of Christ yet I hope this consideration will do it when I shall shew you that That Faith can never be true which is not attended with these fruits Nor is there any other mean to assure us we are truly come to Christ and ingraffed in him but this If we have taken up this yoke of Christ we may know then we have put on him If we have never put our necks to his yoke we never put on him It is S. Iohn's express assertion 1 Epist. 1. 6. If we say we have fellowship with him and walk in darkness we lye and do not the the truth Ch. 2. 3. Hereby we know that we know him viz. to be our Advocate with his Father and the propitiation for our sins if we keep his commandments The Reason is plain Because the one follows the other as the heat doth the Fire or the light the Sun Which I thus demonstrate both on Christ's part and ours On ours thus He that sincerely sues to and seriously relies upon another for a Favour which nearly concerneth him and no other can do for him will by all means endeavour to avoid whatsoever he knows may distaste his Patron and do his best to approve himself in whatsoever he can learn is most pleasing unto him If you should see a man having a Suit to some great Courtier for a pardon of his life and yet shewing no care of doing in his presence what he knew would deeply offend him and wilfully neglecting that he knew would give him the best content would you think such a man in earnest and sufficiently perplext with fear of death and seriously relying upon that man to save it I know you would not If therefore out of a true affrightment and sense of the wrath of God for sin with a sincere and serious Faith thou suest unto and reliest upon Christ for mercy and redemption as the only name under heaven whereby thou canst be saved how canst thou but love him with all the Powers of thy Soul and therefore do thy best to please him upon whom thou dependest for so great and unvaluable a benefit If thou dost not surely thou hast not yet weighed thy misery sufficiently thy Faith is insufficient and counterfeit it never yet came home to Christ that he might ease thee The same appears on Christ's part For unto whomsoever Christ is given for Iustification through the imputation of his merits and righteousness in him God creates a new heart and reneweth a right spirit as the Psalmist speaketh Psal. 51. 10. that is by virtue of this union he conferreth upon him the grace of his Spirit for the abolishing of the body of sin and enabling the Soul in some measure against the assaults thereof to abandon at least the more eminent notorious enormous and mortal sins though sins of ordinary infirmity shall not be quite subdued in this life If therefore I see a man run still without restraint into gross and open sins and walk not blameless in the eyes of men I conclude he hath not this Spirit of grace within him and therefore was never ingraffed into Christ by a true and lively Faith Wheresoever therefore is a true faith and unfeigned 1 Tim. 1. 5. there follows a new life He that cometh to Christ sincerely takes his yoke upon him too Labour therefore as S. Iames saith to shew your Faith by your works For not every one that saith Lord Lord but he that doth the will of my Father saith Christ shall inherit the kingdom of heaven DISCOURSE XXXII S. MATTHEW 11. 29. Learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart and ye shall find rest unto your Souls THese Words are a continuing of the former Exhortation to take upon us the yoke of Christ First in general That we follow his Example Learn of me Then in particular wherein we should follow him In Meekness and Lowliness For I am saith he Meek and Lowly in heart Then the Profit we shall reap thereby Do this And ye shall find rest unto your souls For the first Learn of me Observe That Christ is given unto us not only for a Sacrifice for sin but for an Example of life They are the words of one of our Collects For he is our Lord and King and Subjects we know will naturally conform and fashion themselves unto the manners of their Princes Regis ad exemplum totus componitur orbis And those which do so are accounted the most devoted to them and are the best accepted of them If Christ then be our Lord and King we must acknowledg him to be such by conforming to his Example
cannot be easily quelled unless they be starved When I fed Israel to the full saith the Lord Ier. 5. 7 8. then they committed adultery and assembled by troups in harlots houses c. Ieshurun saith Moses in his prophetical song Deut. 32. 15. waxed fat and kicked and forsook the Lord that made him and lightly esteemed of the rock of his salvation Wherefore S. Paul was fain to pinch his Body and bring it down with fasting I keep under my body saith he 1 Cor. 9. 27. and bring it into subjection lest that by any means when I have preached unto others I my self should be a cast-away Hilarion a religious young man when after much abstinence and course diet he felt his flesh still unruly and rebellious Ego inquit Aselle faciam ut non calcitres nec te hordeo alam sed paleis fame siti te conficiam thus threatning his Beast that is his Body that he would take an order with it that it should not kick and that he would no longer seed his Ass with corn but give it a little chasse or straw nay punish it with hunger and thirst Such is the danger of a pampered Body and such the necessity of keeping it under Thus you see what is the chief End we are to aim at in this our solemn abstinence namely to beget this lowliness in our hearts this humiliation in our souls to subdue the high-mounting flames of our unruly desires by withdrawing the fuel which breeds and nourishes them Which as it is at all times requisite in some measure whensoever we approach the Majesty of God for mercy and forgiveness so then especially and in a more than usual manner When God shakes the rod of his judgments over our heads and bids us down and prostrate both souls and bodies before him left his judgments break us in pieces if we bow not He that attaineth this hath fasted well he that hath not may thereby know he hath not done enough or not as he should do If the boiling of our lusts be cooled and calmed if the swelling conceits of worth in our selves be taken down with a true and feeling apprehension of our vileness and wretchedness by reason of sin which makes us the most unworthy creatures in the world if those ramping weeds of contempt and despising of others be cropped and withered and these I can tell you will quite spoil a garden where many good flowers grow if after this manner we be affected then are we humbled if not we are not yet sufficiently taken down all our service is hypocrisie nor will our devotion be accepted of that All-seeing Majesty who resisteth the proud but giveth grace to the humble THUS much of Lowliness the mother of the duties of the First Table Now I come to Meekness which implies our obedience to the Second What Meekness or Mansuetudo signifies in Ethicks every one knows that Vertue which tempereth anger or as I may so call it Vnangriness But sometimes whilest we take words in Scripture according to our own or the Philosophical notion we slip into a mistake as it falls out in this word Meekness whose notion in the Hebrew and Scripture use is as large well-nigh as of Vertue it self so far as it hath respect to the Second Table For it signifies as I may so speak yokeableness or a pliableness and tractableness to be ordered a certain tameness of disposition to obedience of laws for untamed cattel are not fit for yoke and may be expressed as I think by Ingenuity or Ingenuous goodness or as we speak Fair-conditioned by which we understand a general disposition to be well ordered in such actions as are exercised in the conversation of men Thus it is taken in that of our Saviour Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth Matt. 5. 5. Which appears out of Psal. 37. 10 11. whence it is taken where the meek and the wicked are opposed as terms of equal extent For yet a little while saith David and the wicked shall not be but the meek shall inherit the earth Who seeth not that by meek is here meant the opposite party to the wicked So I understand that Psal. 76. 9. God arose to judgment to save all the meek of the earth id est omnes probos terrae all the honest or vertuous of the earth And Psal. 149. 4. For the Lord taketh pleasure in his people he will beautifie the meek with salvation Zeph. 2. 3. Seek the Lord all ye meek of the earth which have wrought his judgment seek righteousness seek meekness It may be ye shall be hid in the day of the Lord's anger Amos 2. 6. For three transgressions and for four of Israel I will not turn away the punishment thereof because they sold the righteous for silver and the poor for a pair of shooes Vers. 7. That pant after the dust of the earth on the head of the poor and turn aside the way of the meek Here that which in the first is expressed poor and righteous in the next is changed into poor and meek shewing meek and righteous to be equipollent terms So S. Iames 1. 21 22. as writing to Hebrews useth the Hebrew notion Wherefore saith he lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness and receive with meekness the ingraffed word which is able to save your souls But be ye doers of the word and not hearers only Again ch 3. 13. Who is a wise man and indued with knowledg amongst you let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom where it is evident that Meekness cannot be taken in that restrained sense of Philosophers for that would be non-sense Yet I deny not but Meekness in Scripture also is taken for a special Vertue and for the excellency of that Vertue amongst men were all the rest denominate thereof For it is an usual Trope of the Scripture to make that which is taken for the most eminent and notable in any kind to bear the name of the whole kind as the Foreman speaks for the whole Iury and Armies are comprised in the names of their Cheiftains In the Decalogue it is a regular Synecdoche Father and Mother for all sorts of Superiours Murther for whatsoever hurt to the body of our neighbour Adultery for all sins of intemperance Thest all injuries in our neighbour's goods The sanctifying of an holy day to comprehend the holy usage of all things sacred and consecrate to divine uses So Peace the chief of blessings stands in the Hebrew style for happiness that is all blessings whatsoever Whence is their salutation Peace be unto you So Meekness of near a-kin to Peace stands here for a general name to all probity or honesty as Lowliness did for Religious devotion For the yoke of devotion to God hath its peculiar to be taken on with stooping and humbleness the yoke of a well-ordered converse with men with this tameness or meekness For as
God was this good office done to his Prophet appears by the double miracle he wrought for her both in giving her a child when her husband was now so old she despaired and in raising him again to life when he was dead Both in the same Chapter But let us come now to the New Testament and see whether the like be not to be found there lest otherwise any might think as some are prone enough to do the case were now altered And first also to begin here with the provision of a place for Gods worship the story of that Centurion of Capernaum in S. Luke's Gospel is worthy our consideration Who when he heard of Iesus saith the Text sent unto him the Elders of the Iews besecching him that he would come and heal his servant The Elders came to Iesus and besought him instantly saying He was worthy for whom he should do this Why so For say they he loveth our Nation and hath built us a Synagogue Luke 7. 3 4 5. Then Iesus saith the Text v. 6. without any more ado went with them namely as well approving of their Motive that he who had done such a work deserved that favour should be deign'd him Also concerning provision and entertainment for his Apostles and Ministers Are they not our Saviour's own words and promise when he sent them forth He that receiveth a Prophet in the name of a Prophet shall receive a Prophet's reward Nay He that should give them but a cup of cold water should not lose his reward According to which S. Paul speaking of the Philippians bounty and communication towards him I have received saith he of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you an odour of a sweet smell a sacrifice acceptable well-pleasing unto God And 2 Tim. 1. 16 18. concerning the like good office done him by Onesiphorus he speaks in this manner The Lord saith he give mercy unto the house of Onesiphorus for he oft refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chain The Lord grant unto him that he may find mercy of the Lord in that day Which is not much unlike this of Nehemiah in my Text if it had been spoken in the first person by Onesiphorus himself as it is in the third by S. Paul Howsoever who will deny but it implies the samething Now then if this be so as I think we have proved what shall we think of the times we live in when men account them the most religious to God-ward who do or would unfurnish the House of God most who rob his Priests most But they have an excuse sufficient to bear them out and what is that The Priests they say have too much If this excuse would serve turn some of themselves perhaps might soon have less than they have for sure some body else as well as the Priest have more than they need and might spare some of it But whether the Priests have too much or not will not be the question Suppose they had hath God too much too For these men consider not that the Propriety of such things as these is God's and noâ— the Priests and that to change the Propriety of what is Sacred by alienating thereof to a proâ—ane and private use I say not by diverting it from the Priest's livelihood to any other holy use in case the Priest have more than needs is to rob God himself yea God tells us so much Malach. 3. 8 9. Will a man saith he rob God as if it were a thing intolerable and scarce ever heard of yet ye saith he have robbed me But ye say Wherein have we robbed thee In Tithes and Offerings Ye are cursed with a curse because ye have robbed me For that 's the burden that goes with things consecrated Cursed be he that alienates them This Malachi lived at the same time with Nehemiah and the Iews say 't was Ezra whence this exprobration of his and this fact of Nehemiah in my Text may justly seem to have relation one to the other And thus much of my first Observation My Second is That God rewardeth these and so all other our Good deeds and works not for any Merit or Worthiness that is in them but of his free Mercy and Goodness Remember me O my God saith Nehemiah and wipe not out my good deeds Why is there any Reward due to them of Iustice No But remember me O my God and spare me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to the greatness or multitude of thy mercy Thus he expounds himself And S. Paul taught us even now the self-same thing in his Votum or Prayer for the House of Onesiphorus for the like good service done to the Offices of God's House The Lord saith he grant unto him that he may find mercy of the Lord in that day that is the day of Iudgment which is Tempus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The time of rewarding when every one shall receive according to his work The controversie therefore between the Romanists and us is not Whether there be a Reward promised unto our Works We know the Scripture both of the Old and New Testament is full of Testimonies that way and encourageth us to work in hope of the Reward laid up for us We know that in keeping of God's Commandments there is great reward Psal. 19. 11. And that unto him that soweth righteousness shall be a sure reward Prov. 11. 18. We know our Saviour saith Matt. 5. 11 12. Blessed are ye when men revile and persecute you for great is your reward in heaven Also that He that receiveth a Prophet in the name of a Prophet shall receive a Prophet's reward and whosoever shall give a cup of cold water only to one of his little ones in the name of a Disciple shall not lose his reward Matt. 10. 41 42. Again we read Luk. 6. 35. Love your enemies do good and lend and your reward shall be great and ye shall be the children of the Highest We know also what S. Iohn saith 2 Ep. v. 8. Look to your selves that ye lose not those things which ye have wrought but that ye may receive a full reward But the Question is Whence this Reward cometh Whether from the Worth or Worthiness of the Work as a debt of Iustice due thereto or from God's Mercy as a recompence freely bestowed out of God's gracious Bounty and not in Iustice due to the Worth of the Work it self Which Question methinks Nehemiah here in my Text may determine when he saith Remember me O Lordâ— for my good deeds according to thy great Mercy and the Prophet Hosea ch 10. 12. when he biddeth us Sow to your selves in righteousness and reap in mercy and S. Paul Rom. 6. 23. where though he saith that the wages of sin is death yet when he comes to eternal life he changeth his style But saith he eternal life is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the gracious gift of God through Iesus Christ. For as for our Works
they are imperfect and whatsoever they were we owed them to him in whom we live and have our Being whether there were any Reward or not promised for them Neither do we hereby any whit detract from the truth of that Axiome That God rewardeth every man according to his work For still the Question remaineth the very same Whether there may not be as well merces gratiae as merces justitiae that is Whether God may not judge a man according to his works when he sits upon the Throne of Grace as well as when he sits upon his Throne of Iustice. And we think here that the Prophet David hath fully cleared the case in that one sentence Psal. 62. 12. With thee O Lord is Mercy for thou rewardest every one according to his work Nay more than this We deny not but in some sense this Reward may be said to proceed of Iustice. For howsoever originally and in it self we hold it cometh from God's free Bounty and Mercy who might have required the Work of us without all promise of Reward For as I said we are his Creatures and owe our Being unto him yet in regard he hath covenanted with us and tied himself by his Word and Promâ—â—e to confer such a Reward the Reward now in a sort proveth to be an Act of Iustice namely of Iustiâ—ia promissi on God's part not of Merit on ours even as in forgiving our sins which in it self all men know to be an Act of Mercy he is said to be Faithful and Iust 1 Iohn 1. 9. namely in the faithful performance of his Promise For Promise we know once made amongst honest men is accounted a due debt But this argues no more any worthiness of equality in the Work towards the obtaining of the Reward than if a Promise of a Kingdom were made to one if he should take up a straw it would follow thence that the lifting up of a straw were a labour or a work worth a Kingdom howsoever he that should so promise were bound to give it Thus was Moses careful to put the children of Israel in mind touching the Land of Canaan which was a Type of our Eternal habitation in Heaven that it was a Land of promise and not of merit which God gave them to possess not for their righteousness or for their upright heart but that he might perform the word which he sware unto their Fathers Abraham Isaac and Iacob Whereupon the Levites in this Book of Nehemiah say in their Prayer to God Thou madest a Covenant with Abraham to give to his seed the Land of the Canaanites and hast performed thy words because thou art just that is true and faithful in keeping thy promise Now because the Lord hath made a like promise of the Crown of life to them that love him S. Paul sticks not in like manner to attribute this also to God's Iustice Henceforth saith he 2 Tim. 4. 8. is laid up for me a crown of righteousness which the Lord the righteous Iudge shall give me at that day and not to me only but to all them that love his appearing Upon which S. Bernard most sweetly as he is wont Est ergo quam Paulus expect at corona Iustitiae sed justitiae Dei non suae Iustum quippe est ut reddat quod debet debet autem quod pollicitus est There is therefore a crown of righteousness which Paul looks for but it is of God's righteousness not his own it being a righteous thing with God to give what he owes now he owes what he hath engaged himself to by promise Lastly for the word Merit â—t is not the name we so much scruple at as the thing wont now-a-daies to be understood thereby otherwise we confess the name might be admitted if taken in the large and more general seâ—se for Any work having relation to a reward to follow it or whereby a reward is quocunque modo obtained in a word as the Correlate indifferent either to merces gratiae or justitiae the reward of Grace or of Iustice. For thus the Fathers used it and so might we have done still if some of us had not grown too proud and mistook it Since we think it better and safer to diâ—use it even as Physicians are wont to prescribe their Patients recovered of some desperate disease not to use any more that meat or diet which they find to have caused it And here give me leave to acquaint you with an Observation of a like alteration of speech and I suppose for the self-same cause happening under the Old Testament namely of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 changed into 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Righteousness into That which findeth mercy For the Septuagint and the New Testament with them render the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Righteousness not only when it is taken for Beneficence or Alms as in that Tongue it is the ordinary word in which use we are wont to expound it Works of mercy but where there is no relation to Alms or Beneficence at all Whence I gather that by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Septuagint meant not as we commonly take it Works of mercy but rather Works whereby we find mercy at the hands of God I will give you a place which methinks is very pregnant Deut. 6. 24 25. where we read thus And the Lord commanded us to do all these Statutes you may see there what they are to fear the Lord our God for our good alwayes that he might preserve us alive as at this day And it shall be our Righteousness if we observe to do all these Commandments before the Lord as he hath commanded us Here the Septuagint for And it shall be our Righteousness have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And it shall be our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that whereby we shall find mercy at the hands of God if we observe to do all these Commandments c. This place will admit no evasion for there is no reference to Alms here And indeed all our Righteousness is nothing else but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that whereby we find mercy at the hands of God and no marvail if Works of mercy as to relieve the poor and needy be especially so called for they above all other are the works whereby we shall find mercy and receive the reward of Bliss at the last day And thus much of my second Observation I come now to my third That it is lawful to do good works Intuitu mercedis with an eye or respect to the recompence of Reward It is plain that Nehemiah here did so Remember me O my God concerning this c. So did Moses of whom it is said Heb. 11. 25 26. that he chose rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt for saith the Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 aspiciebat vel intuebatur 〈◊〉
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he had respect unto the recompence of Reward And I confess it seems an unreasonable thing to me that that which is made the End though but in part of the Action should not be at all looked unto by the Agent whenas Finis is principium Actionis and that that which God hath promised unto us as an encouragement to make us work with the more alacrity should not be thought on nor looked to in our working Do not they who would perswade this go the way to discourage men from good works by removing out of their sight the Encouragement which God hath given them But they object the obedience of God's Children ought to be filial that is free and not mercenary as that of Hirelings I answer Obedience which is only for Reward without all respect or motive of Love and Duty is the Obedience of an Hireling not that which acknowledgeth the tie of Obedience abâ—olute and the Reward no otherwise due than of his Fathers free love and bounty as every true child of God doth and ought to do They object again that of the Apostle 1 Cor. 13. 5. Charity seeks not her own now say they the works of God's children must proceed from love and charity I answer What though Charity seeks not her own may not yet a charitable man so much as look or hope for his own or have an eye to what is promised him But this place is altogether misapplied and abused For that property of Charity now mentioned as some also of the rest in that Chapter concerns only our Charity towards men and not our Charity towards God the meaning thereof being That a Charitable man will sooner lose his own than by seeking or contending for it break the band of Charity And this may suffice for my third Observation Now I come to the fourth and my last Use of this Text which I told you in the beginning followed thereupon namely That if Almighty God remember them who have done good deeds unto his House and the Offices thereof much more ought we who are partakers of the comfort and benefit of such Bounty to remember and honour them with a thankful celebration of their Names DISCOURSE XXXV DEUTERONOMIE 33. 8. And of Levi he said Let thy Thummim and thy Vrim be with thy Holy One. THIS Verse is part of that Blessing wherewith Moses the man of God blessed the children of Israel before his death and These words are part of the Blessing of Levi a Blessing which much exceeds those that went before it and is far above all that come after it For as S. Paul proves Melchisedec to be greater than Abraham because he blessed Abraham and worthier than Levi because he tithed Levi in the loins of Abraham So may we say of this Blessing that it is the greatest of all because it is the Blessing of him who by his Office was to bless all the rest and the worthiest of all because by it the party blessed is enabled to bless the rest of his Brethren 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Always that by which another is that thing it self is more than the other In the Words themselves we will consider first The subject blessed and then The quality of the Blessing it self The Subject blessed is expressed both by name and by description by name Levi by description God's Holy One. The Blessing it self is contained in words few but for substance plentiful Vrim and Thummim nay more than so Thy Thummim and Thy Vrim that we might know whence this Blessing comes how that it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Divine thing the gift of God who is the Author and Giver of all good things And of Levi he said Let thy Thummim and thy Vrim be with thy Holy One. To begin first with the subject Levi. What Levi was is so well known that it were needless to say much to make it better known Only this that Levi was the Tribe which God had especially bequeathed to himself and set apart for the ministery of the Altar Concerning whose Name though Observations drawn from Names are like an House raised upon the Sand yet because of old and among the Patriarchs Names were given by the spirit of Prophecy it will not be altogether unworthy our speculation to remember why this Name Levi was imposed which we shall see as truly verified in that Function to which God did advance his posterity as it was by his Mother fitly given to himself upon the good hope she conceived at his birth For Levi signifies a Conjoyner an Vniter or maker of Vnion For thus said Leah when she bare him Now at this time will my husband be joyned to me because I have born a third son And she called his name Levi. She called him Levi but for ought we read in regard of her self she sound him no Levi as she hoped but she prophesied of that sacred Office whereby all the sons of Levi became Conjoyners became makers of Vnion not between Iacob and Leah but between God and Man between Christ and his Spouse between the spiritual Iacob and his deformed Leah For as truly as ever Leah spake might the Church then and may the Church now affirm when she hath born these sons unto her husband Now I know my heavenly husband my Lord my God will be joyned to me because I have born him these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 these sons of Vnion these Ministers of reconciliation Plato could say A Priest was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A friend-maker between God and men Nay his whole Office is nothing but the Service of peace and that not only between God and man but between man and his brother For how can he love God who loves not his brother or how can he be at peace with God who is at variance with his brother Needs must he therefore that is Minister of the one be Minister of the other also and he that is so nay he alone that is so is a right Levite and a true son of Vnion How unworthy then of this holy Name how unworthy to succeed in the holy Order of Levi are those who are Ministers of division who by their lives doctrine example or any other way divide God and his Church and the Church within it self who neither have peace with God themselves nor will suffer others to have it who neither agree themselves with others nor suffer others to agree among themselves Beati pacifici Blessed are the Peace-makers especially in the sons of Peace This Christ prayed for in his Apostles Ioh. 17. 11. saying Holy Father keep them through thy name that they may be one as we are one Christ is so one that he makes all one who are one in him so should every son of Levi be one In sum the Ministers of God are called Angels and therefore should sing a song like unto that song of Angels Glory be
be Proper for so it belongs unto the High Priest to have Vrim and Thummim nor Typical because the Priests only and not the under Levites were Types of Christ but the sense must be Analogical signifying some endowments common to all Levites which resemble the Vrim and Thummim upon the Breast of the High Priest Now what these are the words themselves import namely Light of Vnderstanding and knowledg this is their Vrim and Integrity of life this is their Thummim The first makes them Doctores Teachers the second Ductores populi Guides and Leaders of the People He that wants either of these two wants the true ornament of Priesthood the right character of a Levite For though these endowments may well beseem all the Tribes of Israel yet Moses specially prays for them in Levi because by him they were to come to all the rest and the want of them in him could not but redound to all the rest Ita populus sicut sacerdos Such as the Priest is such will the People be the Priest cannot erre but he causeth others to erre also the Priest cannot sin but he causeth others to sin also And this is it that Malachi saith from the Lord unto the Priests of his time Ye are gone out of the way and have caused many to stumble at or in the Law But the Levites of old saith the same Prophet The Law of Truth was in their mouth and iniquity was not found in their lips they walked with God in peace and equity and turned many from iniquity Here you see when the Levites erre the people erre also when the Levites walk in equity the people are turned from iniquity The Ministers of Christ must be Lux mundi the light of the world Vos estis lux mundi Ye are the light of the world Ye are the world's Vrim faith Christ unto his Apostles For the lips of the Priest should preserve knowledg and they should learn the Law at his mouth This light of knowledg this teaching knowledg is the Vrim of every Levite and therefore Christ when he inspired his Apostles with knowledg of heavenly mysteries he sent a new Vrim from above even fiery tonguâ—s tongues of Vrim from Heaven He sent no fiery heads but fiery tongues for it is not sufficent for a Levite to have his head full of Vrim unless his tongue be a candle to shew it unto others There came indeed no Thummim from heaven as there came an Vrim for though the Apostles were secured from errors they were not freed from sin And yet we who are Levites must have such a Thummim as may be gotten upon earth for S. Paul bids Titus in all things to shew himself an example of good works and this is a Thummim of Integrity But besides this Thummim the Ministers of the Gospel have received from God more especially another Thummim like unto that which was proper to the High Priest namely the power of binding and loosing which is as it were a power of Oracle to declare unto the people the remission of their sins by the acceptance of Christ's Sacrifice And this directly answers to Thummim in the first sense DISCOURSE XXXVI IEREMIAH 10. 11. Thus shall ye say unto them The Gods that made not the Heavens and the Earth even they shall perish from the Earth and from under these Heavens THESE words are written in the Chaldee tongue whereas the rest of the Prophecy is in the Hebrew the reason whereof you shall then have when we have first seen the Occasion Coherence and Summe of the words which is as followeth The Prophet having in the end of the last Chapter threatned the Iews and all the neighbouring Nations with captivity Edom Ammon Moab with the Arabians of the wilderness in this Chapter leaving out the rest he singles out the Iews to instruct them for their demeanour and carriage in their captivity to wit that they should not learn the way of the Heathen whither they should be carried that they should not be dismayed at the signs of Heaven nor regard their Gods of Gold and Silver which could do neither evil nor good But lest they should think they had acquit themselves well if they abstained from what they should see the Heathen do he tells them they must yet do more than this they must make open profession against their Gods they must proclaim against their Idolatry and false worship and therefore in the middle of his exhortation he enterlaceth these words in the Chaldee tongue Thus shall ye say unto them c. These words then contain a Proclamation which the Iews are enjoyned from God to make against the Gods of the Gentiles when they should be carried captive to Babylon wherein are to be considered two things 1. The Proclaiming it self 2. The Summe of the Proclamation The Proclaiming in these words Thus shall ye say unto them The Summe of the Proclamation in these The Gods which have not made the Heavens and the Earth even they shallperish from the Earth and from under these Heavens In the Proclaiming are three things considerable 1. The Persons Who. 2. The Persons To whom 3. The manner How The Persons Who in the word Ye that is Ye Iews who are the worshippers of the living God Ye captive Iews carried out of your own land and living as slaves and vassals under your proud Lords the Babylonians Ye shall say unto them 2. The Persons To whom To them what Them even your Lordly Masters of Babylon Ye shall say unto them 3. The manner How Thus that is not in cryptick or mystical terms or in your Hebrew mutterings a language which they understand not but in the vulgar tongue of Babylon in plain Chaldee Thus shall ye say unto them c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Gods which have not made the Heavens and the Earth c. In the second part which I called The Summe of the Proclamation are two things contained 1. A description of false Gods in these words The Gods which made not the Heavens and the Earth 2. Their doom in these They shall perish from the Earth and from under these Heavens I shall speak of these in order and first of the Persons who must make this Proclamation namely The Israelites Ye Israelites Ye Servants of the God of Heaven Ye Sons of promise and peculiar heritage of the Lord of hosts Ye upon whom the dew of grace is shed from heaven Ye to whom the most High hath given his Oracles and made his Name known amongst you Ye shall say unto them Hence I observe That it is the office of every one who is a member of God's Church and the child of Grace to endeavour to bring others to the knowledge of God and godliness First All things in nature desire and covet the propagation of that kind wherein themselves are ranked The Fire is no sooner kindled but presently it will turn all it lays hold upon into
spiritually considered his way or walking should be the outward actions of his life which are or may be seen of others And as in the natural man his moving to or fro is the execution of the hidden intendments of his Fancy So in a man spiritually considered To walk is to put in execution outwardly what the Heart conceives inwardly I will not deny but this phrase of walking or treading out a way is in Scripture sometimes taken more largely for the whole course of our Life whatsoever but here the Antithesis of the words following viz. evil thoughts do manifestly imply that the former viz. a wicked man's way is to be taken for an evil Conversation in the sense I have spoken So also in Psal. 1. 1. Blessed is the man that hath not walked in the counsel of the ungodly the collation of walking with ungodly counsel may warrant the like expression that the counsel of the ungodly should signifie evil thoughts and purposes walking in these counsels the practice and execution of them Moreover if I did delight in such subtilties I might confirm this Exposition by the word here used for a wicked man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies properly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a laborious sinner a practitioner in sin the verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying to make a stir to be exceeding busie unquiet or troublesome whence some do expound that Eccles. 7. 17. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Be not too wicked for Be not too busie or too stirring Keep not too great a coile namely in things of this world Semblably here Let the wicked man forsake his way is Let him that bestirs himself in the execution of sinful counsels leave his busie practice and in the next place he that hath but evil thoughts or bad desires purge his heart of them also Let the man who walks wickedly in his outward conversation forsake his evil way this is the first step of a Convert But more than this Let him that hath but an evil heart though his actions were outwardly blameless banish even all his evil thoughts and cogitations and this is the second degree of a sinner's conversion This Exposition therefore being taken for a ground now I come to the Observations I collect from thence The first Observation I gather is common to both these degrees of a sinner's conversion and that is from the word forsake For to forsake is an Emphatical word To forsake sin is more than a bare refraining from sin or a withdrawing a mans self from doing wickedness To forsake sin is to give over all acquaintance all dealing with sin or to foregoe it altogether For a man that refrains a friend's company is not by and by said to forsake him no more can he that only refrains from sin be said to forsake it Hence therefore we learn That whosoever retains any one darling sin is no forsaker of sin though he refrain from all other for this is not to break off all acquaintance with sin but rather to make choice of his sin to chuse what sin he will use and what sin he will refuse Thus did Herod in the Gospel he reformed many things at the preaching of Iohn Baptist but still he kept Herodias his brother Philip's wife Mark 6. 19 20. But we must know that he that keeps any one sin hath forsaken none so saith S. Iames chap. 2. vers 10. He that offends in one point he is guilty of all God must have our whole heart or none he will not be served by halfs For that were to say as David said to Mephibosheth 2 Sam. 19. 29. concerning his lands Thou and Ziba divide the lands so we God and the Devil his slave divide our hearts between them What will it profit to guard never so strongly all the other parts of a City walls if any one part be left open for the enemy to enter or what is a Ship the safer though all other parts be strong and sound if but one leaking hole be unstopped will not this sink the whole Ship be it never so sound Even just so will it be with us if we leave any one place in our Soul for any one sin to enter Do we not know that a little crack in one place of a Bell marrs the sound as well as if it were clean through So will any one crack of sin marr the musick of our Souls in the ears of Almighty Do we not know that the laying but a finger upon the edge of a thing which giveth sound damps the sound as well as the whole hand Even so is the Devil lay but his finger upon our heart he damps all our actions of devotion and makes them give but a dead sound in the hearing of the Lord of Heaven How true this is I appeal unto every man's conscience who hears me this day whether he finds not in his own experience that the cherishing of any one Sin makes him dead-hearted toward God dull and heavie in all works of devotion THUS much of this general Observation Now I come to several Observations I gather from the several parts The first whereof was as you may remember The forsaking of wicked ways which I expounded in this place The forsaking of sin in our outward walkings and conversation before men If this therefore be the First degree of Conversion then may we learn That those who want this have not gone the first step of a new life Indeed in the eyes of God who sees that which no body else can see no man appeareth blameless or free from sin But that those who are entred the way of a new and holy life should walk so that men may not accuse them of open crimes this I say is required of every true Convert So it is said of Zachary and Elizabeth Luke 1. 6. that they walked in the Commandments of God blameless yea even many Heathen men have come thus far that men could not accuse them and yet they perished everlastingly Let no man therefore deceive or flatter himself Those who fall into open and grievous sins are not yet in the state of a true convert sinner If any man saith S. Iames 1. 26. seem to be religious and bridles not his tongue he deceiveth his own heart his religion is vain What S. Iames saith of wicked speakers may be said of open wicked doers if any man who is a drunkard an extortioner or falls into such open sins if he seem religious he deceiveth his own heart his Religion is in vain Remember therefore what Christ saith in the Gospel and let your light so shine before men that they seeing your good works may glorifie your Father which is in heaven Secondly If a Reformed conversation before men be required of every true Convert then are they deceived who think it sufficient if they keep their hearts to God though they apply their outward and bodily actions unto mens liking No matter they think what their
speeches and gesture and their outward seeming be so that in their hearts they condemn and abhor such sinful actions as outwardly they seem to approve This is the opinion of too-too many But let us hear what our Saviour Christ saith He that denieth me before men him will I deny before my Father which is in heaven Would any man excuse his wife's adultery though she should say never so often she kept her heart and love only unto him No more will Christ excuse us when we yield our outward man to wickedness though we say we keep our hearts intire to him Christ suffered not only in Soul but also in Body that he might redeem us both Body and Soul from everlasting destruction and shall not we glorifie him with both Yes verily and since God hath given us both a Body and a Soul it becomes us as S. Paul saith 2 Cor. 7. 1. to cleanse our selves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit perfecting holiness in the fear of God THUS having spoken sufficiently of the first degree of Repentance I come unto the second which is contained in these words Forsaking of evil thoughts Whence first I observe That Concupiscence or the evil dispositions or motions of our hearts are sins before God though we never consent to put them in execution For this is the style of the holy Ghost in my Text not only to call the bad liver a wicked man but the owner too of evil motions unrighteous If we seek for a Law whereof they are a breach it is the last Commandment of the Decalogue which prohibits all irregularity of our desires and thoughts whatsoever Non concupisces Thou shalt not so much as covet any thing amiss if thou dost it will be sin The natural man could not know thus much S. Paul himself confessing that he had never known concupiscence to be sin had not the Law said Non concupisces Thou shalt not covet Concupiscence he calls not the Faculty or nature of the Act it self but the Anomaly of the Act not the desire only but every motion of the heart not agreeable to the will of God and that from the Style of this Commandment Non concupisces If any shall say that the inward motions of our Mind are involuntary and past the command of the Will and therefore not sinful I answer Ab initio non suit sic It was not so from the beginning we procured this evil unto our selves in the sin of our first parents and therefore the fault is our own Secondly It is not necessary that whatsoever is sin should be under the mastery of our Will for so original sin should be none But this is necessary that all should in some sort belong unto the Will and so do our desires affections and all other motions as we call them of the Mind If any shall further add that the Apostle Iames 1. 15. saith of Concupiscence that it bringeth forth sin and therefore it self not like to be sin the Cause being always diverse from the Effect I answer The Apostle saith not it is the cause of sin simply or all sin but only of outward sins or sins of fact and howsoever this reason is so far from proving Concupiscence not to be sin that it argueth the mere contrary for that so bad an off-spring as sin cannot find a more natural parent than sin it self The serious consideration hereof should be a cooling to the pride of our nature and a strong motive to Humility in the esteeming of our selves and our best actions Alas what are we that any good work we do should make us so highly conceit of our selves Let us examine our inward thoughts our hopes our fears our by-respects our vain-glory the whole Regiment of Concupiscence and it will make us even ashamed to think what we have done howsoever that which is seen outwardly be blameless and glorious in the eyes of men If the Peacocks-wings of a laudable work or the gay feathers of seeming worth do make thee swell do but cast thine eyes a little upon the legs whereon thou standest upon the rotten post whereon thou hast reared thy work so glorious without and then thou wilt cast down thy high looks and cry with S. Paul Rom. 7. 18. Lord whatsoever men see without me I know there dwelleth no good thing within me The second thing I observe from hence is The Priviledg the Law of God hath above the Laws of men It is true in the Laws of men that Thoughts are free but with God's Law it is not so Mens Laws are not broken though only the outward man observe and keep them but God's Laws are broken if the inward man alone transgress them be the outward man I mean man in outward conversation never so conformable And this is our meaning when we say That the Law of God only doth bind the Conscience meaning the inward actions of the soul and spirit those actions which only God and our Conscience are privy unto But the Laws of men do bind only the outward man that is to the performance of outward actions which men either do or may take notice of Which that we may the better understand we must know that Laws are said to bind in two regards 1. in commanding the doing of some actions which else were at our choice and 2. in making liable to an agreeable punishment if they be transgressed Now whosoever commandeth must be Lord of what he commandeth whosoever maketh liable to punishment must both be able to take notice of the fault and of power to inflict the punishment Seeing then God alone is Lord of the soul and spirit he alone can bind them by Commandment Seeing God alone can take notice of the sins of the heart and is only able to inflict the punishment namely everlasting death and damnation the proper punishment which the conscience feareth he alone may command upon pain of eternal damnation Man's Law therefore in this sense which I have spoken binds not the Conscience or inward man because no man is Lord of anothers conscience nor can take notice of the actions thereof nor yet hath in his power to inflict the punishment which it only feareth In one word conceive it thus The actions whereunto the Conscience alone is privie are not the object of the Laws of man but only such actions as fall within the notice of men And yet this is also true Though the Laws of men do not bind the Conscience yet a man is bound in Conscience to obey the Laws of men but this bond is from the Law of God which commands us to use sutable affections in obeying the Laws of men Obey every ordinance of men not for fear of punishment but for conscience sake If now we did truly acknowledge this Prerogative of the Laws of God we would witness the same by our extraordinary care in keeping them in an extraordinary fear of breaking them But what do we even
and cast into the fire Matth. 21. 19. The fig-tree was cursed for having no fruit not for having evil fruit And the Sentence of condemnation as you heard before is to pass at that great day for not having done good works not for doing ill ones Go ye cursed for when I was hungry ye sed me not c. Matth. 25. 41 c. THUS having let you see how necessary it is for a Christian to joyn good works with his Faith in Christ I will now come to shew you How you must do them hoping I have already perswaded you that they must needs be done First therefore We must do them out of Faith in Christ that is relying upon him only for the acceptance and rewarding of them for in him alone God is well pleased with us and with what we do and therefore without saith and reliance upon him it is impossible to please God We must not think there is any worth in our works for which any such reward as God hath promised is due For alas our best works are full of imperfections and far short of what the Law requires Our reward therefore is not of merit but out of the merciful promise of God in Christ which the Apostle means when he says We are saved by grace and not by works that is It is the grace and favour of God in Christ which makes our selves acceptable and our works rewardable and not any desert in them or us Having laid this foundation The next thing required is Sincerity of heart in doing them We must do them out of the fear of God and conscience of his Commandments not out of respect of profit or fear or praise of men for such as do so are Hypocrites Not every one saith our Saviour that saith unto me Lord Lord but he that doth the will of my Father Now it is the will of our heavenly Father that we serve him in truth and uprightness of heart I know saith David 1 Chr. 29. 17. that thou my God triest the heart and hast pleasure in uprightness And so he said to Abraham Gen. 17. 1. I am the Almighty God walk before me and be thou upright or be thou sincere This manner of serving of God Ioshua commended to the Israelites Iosh. 24. 14. Fear the Lord saith he and serve him in sincerity and truth and the Prophet Samuel 1 Sam. 12. 24. Only fear the Lord and serve him in truth with all your heart This sincerity uprightness and truth in God's service is when we do religious and pious duties and abstain from the contrary out of conscience to God-ward out of an heart possessed with the love and fear of God It is otherwise called in Scripture Perfectness or Perfectness of heart For it is a lame and unperfect service where the better half is wanting as the Heart is in every work of duty both to God and men And therefore it is called perfectness when both go together when conscience as the Soul enlivens the outward work as a Body And indeed this is all the perfection we can attain unto in this life To serve God in truth of heart though otherwise we come short of what we should and therefore God esteems our actions and works not according to the greatness or exactness of the performance but according to the sincerity and truth of our hearts in doing them as appears by the places I have already quoted and by that 1 Kings 15. 14. where it is said that though Asa failed in his reformation and the high places were not taken down nevertheless his heart was perfect with the Lord his God all his days A note to know such a sincerity and truth of heart by is If in our privacy when there is no witness but God and our selves we are careful then to abstain from sin as well as in the sight of men If when no body but God shall see and know it we are willing to do a good work as well as if all the world should know it He that findeth himself thus affected his Heart is true at least in some measure but so much the less by how much he findeth himself the less affected in this manner When we are in the presence and view of men we may soon be deceived in our selves and think we do that out of conscience and fear of God which indeed is but for the fear or praise of men either lest we should be damnified or impair our credit or the like But when there is none but God and us then to be afraid of sin and careful of good duties is a sign we fear God in truth and sincerity and not in hypocrisie The special and principal means to attain this sincerity and truth of heart is To possess our selves always with the apprehension of God's presence and to walk before him as in his eye Wheresoever thou art there is an Eye that sees thee an Ear that hears thee and a Hand that registreth thy most secret thoughts For the ways of man saith Solomon Prov. 5. 21. are before the eyes of the Lord and he pondereth all his goings How much ashamed would we be that men should know how much our hearts and our words and actions disagreed How would we blush that men should see us commit this or that sin or neglect this or that duty What horrible Atheism then doth this argue that the presence of man yea sometimes of a little child should â—â—nder us from that wickedness which God's presence cannot This having of God before our eyes and the continual meditation of his All-seeing presence would together with devout Prayer for the assistance of God's grace be in time the bane of hypocrisie and falshood of heart and beget in stead thereof that truth and sincerity which God loveth Another property of such obedience as God requires is Vniversality we must not serve God by halfs by doing some duties and omitting others but we must with David Psal. 119. 6 20. have respect to all God's Commandments to those of the second Table as well as to those of the first and to those of the first as well as those of the second The want of which Vniversality of obedience to both Tables is so frequent as the greatest part of Christians are plunged therein to the undoubted ruine of their fouls and shipwrack of everlasting life if they so continue For there are two sorts of men which think themselves in a good estate and are not The one are those who make conscience of the duties of the first Table but have little or no care of the duties of the second And this is a most dangerous evil by reason it is more hard to be discovered those which are guilty thereof being such as seem religious but their Religion is in vain Such were those in the Church of Israel against whom the Prophet Esay declaimeth Chap. 1. from the 10. verse to the 17. To what
may well resemble another And therefore he appears it seems in the shape of Man's imperfection either for age or deformity as like an old man for so the Witches say and perhaps it is not altogether false which is vulgarly affirmed That the Devil appearing in Humane shape hath always a deformity of some uncouth member or other as though he could not yet take upon him Humane shape entirely for that Man himself is not entirely and utterly fallen as he is By this time you see the difficulty of the Question is eased Now it appears why Eve wondered not to see a Spirit speak unto her in the shape of a Serpent because she knew the Law of Spirits apparitions better than we do Again when she saw the Spirit who talked with her to have taken upon him the shape though of a Beast yet of the most sagacious Beast of the field she concluded according to our forelaid suppositions That though he were one of the abased spirits yet the shape he had taken resembling his nature he must needs be a most crafty and sagacious one and so might pry farther into God's meaning than she was aware of And thus you may see at last how the opinion of the Serpent's subtilty occasioned Eve's fall as also why the Devil of all other Beasts of the field took the shape of a Serpent namely to gain this opinion of sagacity with the Woman as one who knew the Principles aforesaid Here I observe That overmuch dotage upon a conceived excellency whether of Wisdom or whatsoever else without a special eye to God's commandment hath ever been the Occasion of greatest Errors in the world and the Devil under this mask useth to blear our eyes and with this bait to inveigle our hearts that he may securely bring us to his lure It was the mask of the Serpent's wisdom and sagacity above the rest of the Beasts of the field whereby he brought to pass our first Parents ruin The admired wisdom of the long-living Fathers of the elder world having been for so many ages as Oracles their off-spring grown even to a People and Nation while they yet lived was the ground of the ancient Idolatry of mankind whilest they supposed that those to whom for wisdom they had recourse being living could not but help them when they were dâ—ad This we may learn out of Hesiâ—d The men saith he of the golden age being once dead became 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they became Godlings and Patrons of mortal men and Overseers of their good and evil works So the opinion of the blessed Martyrs superlative glory in Heaven was made the occasion of the new-found Idolatry of the Christian Churches wherewith they are for the greater part yet overwhelmed And the esteem which Peter had above the rest of the Apostles in regard of chief-dome even in the Apostles times was abused by the old Deceiver to instal the man of sin This made S. Paul to say The mystery of iniquity was even then working and therefore he laboured as far as he could to prevent it by as much depressing Peter as others exalted him Nay he puts the Churches in mind of this story of the Serpent's beguiling Eve that her mis-hap might be a warning to them 2 Cor. 11. 2 3. I am jealous over you saith he with a godly jealousie for I have esponsed you to one husband that I might present you as a chaste Virgin to Christ. But I fear lest by any means as the Serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. And to come a little nearer home Have not our Adversaries when they would get Disciples learned this of the Devil to possess them first with an opinion of superlative Learning in their Doctors surpassing any of ours I will say no more in this point but that we ought so to prize and admire the gifts and abilities of Learning which God hath bestowed upon men that the Pole-star of his Sacred Word may ever be in our eye THE next thing to be spoken of is The Action Guile And first I shall shew what it is To beguile is through a false faith and persuasion wrought by some argument of seeming good to bereave a man of some good he had or hoped for or to bring upon him some evil he expected not Practice hath made it so well known that I should not need to have given any definition or description thereof but only for a more distinct consideration Whereas therefore I said that Guile wrought by forelaying a false persuasion or belief I would intimate that it was nothing else but a Practical Sophism the Premisses whereof are counterfeit motives the Conclusion an erroneous execution Now as all Practice or Action consists in these two The choice of our End and The execution of Means to attain thereunto So is this Practical Sophism we call Guile found in them both either when an evil End is presented unto us in the counterfeit of a good and so we are made to embrace Nubem pro Iunone and find our selves deceiv'd in the event whatsoever the Means were we have used or else we apply such Means as are either unlawful or unsufficient to attain our End as being so mask'd that they appear unto us far otherwise than they are With both these sorts or parts of Guile the Devil wrought our first Parents ruin First by making it seem a thing desirable and by all means to be laboured for To be like unto God which was an ambition of that whereof man was not only not capable but such as little beseemed him to aspire unto upon whom God had bestowed so great a measure of glorious perfections as he seem'd a God amongst the rest of the creatures What unthankfulness was this that he upon whom God bestowed so much as he was the glory of his workmanship should yet think that God should envy him any degree of excellency fit for him For this was the mask wherewith the Devil covered both the unfitness and impossibility of the End he insinuated but he beguiled them Secondly He put the same trick upon them in the choice of the Means to be used which was to transgress the severe commandment of Almighty God Had the Aim been allowable yet could not the Means have been taken for good but only of such as were beguiled in that the Devil made the Woman believe with his questioning the truth of God's commandment that the danger was not great nor so certain as it seemed or that evil which might be in the action would be countervailed with the excellency to be attained thereby the gloriousness of which End the Devil so strongly sounded that it drowned in her imagination the least conceit of evil in the Means And as a man which always looks upward sees not the danger in the patâ— and way he walks in until he tumbles into
one and the other were Spiritual or Sacramental namely in being Signs resembling and assuring Christ with the Spiritual Blessings through him 3. In what sense these Sacraments are said to be the same with ours to wit not in the Signs but in the Spiritual thing signified which is the Soul and Essence of a Sacrament We come now to such Observations as these Words and Explications will afford us The first whereof is That if the Seals and Sacraments under the Law were the same with ours then must they also have the same Covenant of Grace with us for the Sacraments are Seals of the Covenant If the Seals then were the same as our Apostle affirmeth how should not the Covenant also be the same and seeing their Sacraments were differing in the Signs from ours how could they be any way the same with ours but only in what they sealed and signified The Fathers therefore were saved by Grace and through Christ as well as we So true is that the Apostle says Acts 4. 12. There is no other name under Heaven given amongst men whereby we must be saved For Iesus Christ as it is Heb. 13. 8. is the same yesterday and to day and for ever that is He was a Saviour of old is still and shall be for ever hereafter This is that which S. Peter yet more expresly affirmeth Acts 3. 25. saying Ye are the children of the Prophets and of the Covenant which God made with our Fathers saying to Abraham And in thy seed shall all the Nations of the earth be blessed Yea not only from Abraham but even from that time when God said The seed of the Woman shall break the Serpent's head was this Covenant made with men and at length diversly shadowed in the Types and Sacrifices of the Law until Christ himself was revealed in the flesh For the better understanding of this we must know what a Covenant is and what are the kinds thereof A Covenant is as it were a Bargain between God and man wherein God promises some Spiritual good to us so we perform some duty unto him if not then to incur everlasting punishment This Covenant is of two sorts the one is called The Covenant of Works the other The Covenant of Grace The Covenant of Works is wherein God on his part makes us a promise of Eternal life if we on our part shall perform exact obedience unto his Law otherwise to be everlastingly condemned if we fail The Covenant of Grace or of the Gospel is wherein God on his part promises us sinners Christ to be our Saviour and Redeemer if we on our part shall believe on him with a lively and obedient faith otherwise to be condemned The Covenant of Works God made with man at his Creation when he was able to have kept the conditions he required but he through his disobedience broke it and so became liable to death doth Corporal and Spiritual And though the Covenant of Grace then took place as we have said yet was the former Covenant of Works still in force until Christ who was promised should come in the flesh And therefore was this Covenant renewed under Moses with the Israelites when the Law was given in Horeb as Moses sayes Deut. 5. 2. The Lord God made a Covenant with us in Horeb. For all the time under the Law the open and apparent Covenant was the Covenant of Works to make them the more to see their own misery and condemnation and so to long after Christ who was yet to come and at whose coming this obligation should be quite cancelled Yet nevertheless together with this open Covenant there was a secret and hidden Covenant which was the Covenant of Grace that they might not be altogether without the means of Salvation whilst Christ yet tarried This truth is plain Gal. 3. 17 c. where the Apostle affirms That the Covenant of Grace in Christ was four hundred and thirty years afore the Law was given and that therefore the Law could not disannul it or make it of none effect but that the Law so he calls the Covenant of Works was only added to it because of transgressions until the blessed Seed should come v. 19. and that it might be a Schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ v. 24. For in the Moral Law of God under whose curse they stood bound they might as in a Glass see their sin their guilt their want of Righteousness and in their Ceremonies and Sacrifices they might again as in Shadows of Heavenly things behold the means of their Reconciliation through his bloud who was to be slain and offered to God for them Now though this Covenant of Grace afore Christ be the same for substance with that under which we are now since his coming yet the circumstances and outward fashion thereof are so varied that the Scripture for this regard makes of this one Covenant two Covenants calling one the Old Covenant for the old manner thereof under the Law and the other a New Covenant for the new manner thereof now the Gospel is revealed Having therefore already seen the agreement and onâ—ness of them for the inward part let us now behold their differences for the outward fashion and so we shall see that as the Fathers ate the same Spiritual meat and drank the same Spiritual drink and yet there was some difference in them so the Fathers were under the same Covenant of Grace with us and yet after a different fashion This difference S. Paul Gal. 4. 1. c. setteth forth thus by a similitude The heir as long as he is a child c. i. e. The difference of the condition of those afore Christ and since is but as the condition of Heirs when they are under age and when they come to full years They are Heirs and Lords of all in both conditions as well in one as the other only the difference is that in the one condition they are in the state of Servants under Tutors and Governors in the other they enjoy the freedom of Sons So the faithful in the Law enjoyed the same Covenant of Grace with us but under the bondage of worldly Elements but we now have the same in a state of freedom as not held under such burthensome Elements and Pedagogies as they were But elsewhere he shews this difference more expresly both on God's part and our part First On our part Heb. 8. and elsewhere thus The Old Covenant which required so many external services is called a carnal Covenant the New wherein no such are required but works of the Spirit only is a Spiritual Covenant whereof God means when he saith v. 10. I will put my Laws into their mind and write them in their hearts and so he will be their God and they shall be his people For in the Old Covenant he wrote a Law as it were upon their hands and fleshly members in that he required so many fleshly washings and sprinklings and
Rom. 12. 11. 3. Zeal is that which carries our Devotions up to Heaven As Wings to a Fowl Wheels to a Chariot Sails to a Ship so is Zeal to the Soul of Man Without Zeal our Devotions can no more ascend than Vapours from a Still without fire put under it Prayer if it be fervent availeth much but a cold Sute will never get to Heaven In brief Zeal is the Chariot wherein our Alms our Offerings and all the good works we do are brought before the Throne of God in Heaven No Sacrifice in the Law could be offered without fire no more in the Gospel is any Service rightly performed without Zeal Be zealous therefore lest all thy works all thy endeavours be else unprofitable Rouze up thy dull and heavy Spirit serve God with earnestness and fervency and pray unto him that he would send us this fire from his Altar which is in Heaven whereby all our Sacrifices may become acceptable and pleasing unto him AND thus I come to the next thing in my Text Repentance Be zealous and repent Repentance is the changing of our course from the old way of Sin unto the new way of Righteousness or more briefly A changing of the course of sin for the course of Righteousness It is called also Conversion Turning and Returning unto God This matter would ask a long discourse but I will describe it briefly in five degrees which are as five steps in a Ladder by which we ascend up to Heaven 1. The first step is the Sight of Sin and the punishment due unto it for how can the Soul be possessed with fear and sorrow except he Understanding do first apprehend the danger for that which the Eye sees not the Heart rues not If Satan can keep sin from the Eye he will easily keep sorrow from the Heart It is impossible for a man to repent of his wickedness except the reflect and say What have I done The serious Penitent must be like the wary Factor he must retire himself look into his Books and turn over the leaves of his life he must consider the expence of his Time the employment of his Talent the debt of his Sin and the strictness of his Account 2. And so he shall ascend unto the next step which is Sorrow for sin For he that seriously considers how he hath grieved the Spirit of God and endangered his own Soul by his sins cannot but have his Spirit grieved with remorse The Sacrifices of God are a contrite Spirit Neither must we sorrow only but look unto the quality of our Sorrow that it be Godly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and to the quantity of it that it be Great We must fit the plaister to the wound and proportion our sorrow to our Sins He that with Peter hath sinned heinously or with Mary Magdalen frequently must with them weep bitterly and abundantly 3. The Third step of this Ladder is the Loathing of sin A Surfiet of Meats how dainty and delicate soever will afterwards make them loathsome He that hath taken his fill of sin and committed iniquity with greediness and is sensible of his supersinity or abundance of naughtiness and hath a great Sorrow for it he will the more loath his sins though they have been never so full of delight Yea it will make him loath himself and cry out in a mournful manner with S. Paul Rom. 7. 24. O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death 4. The fourth step is the leaving off Sin For as Amnon hating Tamar shut her out of doors So he that loaths and hates his Sins the sight the thought the remembrance of them will be grievous unto him and he will labour by all good means to expel them For true Repentance must be the consuming of sin To what purpose doth the Physician evacuate ill humors if the Patient still distempers himself with ill diet What shall it avail a man to endure the launcing searching and tenting of a wound if he stay not for the cure So in vain also is the Sight of sin and the Sorrow for and Loathing of Sin if the works of darkness still remain and the Soul is impatient of a through-cure And therefore as Amnon not only put out his loathed Sister but bolted the door after her as it is said in the forequoted place So must we keep out our sins with the Bolts of Resolution and Circumspection Noah pitched the Ark within and without Gen. 6. 14. So to keep out the waters and a Christian must be watchful to secure all his Senses External and Internal to keep out sin 5. The Fifth and last step is the Cleaving unto God with full purpose of heart to walk before him in newness of life All the former Degrees of Repentance were for the putting off of the Old man this is for the putting on of the New For ubi Emendatio nulla Poenitentia necessariò vana saith Tertullian de Poenit. c. 2. Where there is no Reformation there the Repentance must needs be vain and fruitless for as he goes on caret fructu suo eui eam Deus sevit i. e. hominis saluti it hath not its fruit unto holiness nor the end everlasting life Rom. 6. 22. And thus have I let you see briefly What Repentance is Will you have me say any more to make you to affect it as earnestly as I hope by this time you understand it clearly Know then that this is that which opens Heaven and leads into Paradise This is that Ladder without which no man can climb thither and therefore as S. Austin saith Mutet vitam qui vult accipere vitam Let us change our life here if we look for the Life of Glory hereafter Let us leave the old way of sin for the new way of righteousness and to apply all to my Text Let us change our course of Lukewarmness for a course of fervency in God's service our dull and drowsie Devotions for a course of Zeal Be zealous and Repent AND thus I come to the Third thing I propounded namely the Connexion and dependance of these latter words Be zealous therefore and Repent upon the former As many as I love I rebuke and chasten Many things might be here observed but I will name but one which is this That Repentance is the means to avoid and prevent God's Iudgments For as Tertullian in his de Poenitentia observes * Qui poenam per judicium destinavit idem veniam per poenitentiam spospondit He that hath decreed to punish by Iustice hath promised to grant pardon by Repentance And so we read in Ieremy 18. 7. When I shall speak saith the Lord there concerning a Nation or Kingdom to pluck up to pull down and to destroy it If that Nation against whom I have pronounced turn from evil I will repent of the evil which I thought to do unto them And in Ezekiel 18. Repent and turn
bread that he giveth us meat to eat and cloaths to put on and yet which of you all will not use the means to get these things because else you cannot look that God should give you his blessing Do you not know when you are sick of a bodily disease that if you be healed God must heal you God must restore you to your former health and yet which of you all will not seek unto the Physician and use all means that can be gotten Do you not know when you are in danger that God must deliver you and yet would you not laugh at him that in such a case should sit still and say God help me and never stir his finger to help himself Are you thus wise in these outward things and will you not be as wise in things spiritual It is needful you should use the means to obtain God's blessing in things concerning your Body and is it needless in things concerning the good of your Soul It is true indeed that of your selves you are not able to turn from your evil ways unto the Lord your God but you are able I hope to use the means whereby God's Spirit works the conversion of the heart This Sun the Lord makes to shine both upon the evil and the good this Rain he showres down upon the just and unjust What though thou canst not believe of thy self yet thou canst use the means of believing What though thou canst not of thy self will or do the thing which is good yet mayest thou use the means whereby God gives the grace of willing and doing good Wouldest thou then have God to enable thee with the grace and power of his Spirit use the means wherein the Spirit of God is lively and mighty in operation sharper than any two-edged sword and entreth through even to the dividing asunder of Soul and Spirit Meditate continually in the Law of God be diligent to hear the Word both read and preached attend to Exhortation to Instruction and as Ioab said unto his army going against the Aramites Be strong and let us be valiant for our people and for the cities of our God and let the Lord do that which is good in his eyes so say thou unto thine own Soul I will firmly resolve and with all the power I have endeavour to use the means appointed by our God and let the Lord do that which is good in his eyes Nay then fear not thou shalt see the salvation of the Lord he will give thee a new heart and put a new spirit within thee he will take away thy heart of stone and give thee an heart of flesh that thou mayest walk in his statutes and keep his Commandments and thou shalt be one of his people and he will be thy God Observe in the second place That a true and unfeigned Faith in Christ which is the knowing him here mentioned brings forth obedience to his Commandments Christ we must know is not only a Priest to reconcile us but also a King to be obeyed by us These two as they are inseparable in him a Priest but a Kingly Priest a King but a Priestly King so must the acknowledgment of them be in his servants Whosoever therefore receives him as a Priest for atonement of his sin must also submit unto him with loyal obedience as a King We can never truly acknowledge him the one but we must also yield him the other For Christ will not be divided by us we must if we will have him take him whole otherwise we have no share in him at all This is that Faith we say justifies and no other but such a Faith as this which adheres unto Christ Iesus both as a Priest and as our Lord and King And therefore do our Adversaries most unworthily and wrongfully charge us That we condemn Good works or hold a man may be in Christ or in the state of grace though his life be never so wicked because we hold as S. Paul does we are justified by Faith and not by the works of the Law Gal. 2. 16. Observe thirdly That the Act of Faith which justifies is the Receiving or Knowing of Christ not as some erroneously conceive an Assurance or Knowing we know him For Assurance of being justified is no way a Cause or Instrument but a Consequent of Iustification A man must be first justified before he can know or be assured he is justified For this Assurance or Certification you may see in my Text comes in the third place not in the first wherein you may observe these three things to have this order 1. Knowing or owning Christ which is Faith 2. Keeping his Commandments which is the Fruit and evidence of a true Faith then in the third place comes Assurance For by this we are sure we do know him if we keep his Commandments The Object must be before it can be known the Sun must be risen before she can be seen So hath every one his interest in Christ before he can know he hath it Nay he may have it long before before he knows he hath it For it is not only a consequent but a separable consequent neither presently gotten and often interrupted For though it be necessary the Sun should be risen before she can be seen yet she may be long up before we see her and often clouded after she hath shined This I observe for the comfort of those who are troubled in mind and tempted to despair because they see not the light of God's countenance shining in their hearts My fourth Observation and the chief in the Text is this That he that walks in the ways of God and makes conscience to keep his Commandments may hereby inâ—allibly know he knows Christ that his Faith is a true Faith and that he shall be saved everlastingly This is the main and principal Scope of the Text and so plainly therein expressed that it needs no other confirmation But the Reason is plain For Good works are the fruits of Faith and a Godly conversation is the work of God's holy Spirit Whomsoever Christ accepts as a Servant he gives the token of his Spirit the Grace which enlivens and quickens the Heart and Will to his Service in a new and reformed conversation Even as the heat of the Fire warmeth whatsoever comes near unto it so the Spirit of Christ kindles this Grace in every Heart that Faith links unto him the Fruit whereof is that infallible Livery whereby every one that wears it may know himself to be his Servant A Tree is known by its fruit the workman is known by his work whosoever them shews these works and brings forth these fruits hath an infallible argument that the Spirit of God the earnest of his Salvation dwells in his heart that his Faith is a true and saving Faith that his believing is no presumption no false conceit no delusion of the Devil but the true and certain motion of God's own
condemned at the last day not for reaving the meat from the hungry but for not seeding their poor brethren not for stripping the naked out of his cloaths but for not cloathing him It will not be enough for thee that thou bringest forth no bad fruit but thou must bring forth good fruit Every Tree that bringeth not forth good fruit shall be hewen down and cast into the fire What if thou steal not from thy brother yet if thou open not thy hand to help and succour him thou art a Robber What if thou dost neither lie nor swear yet if thou makest not thy mouth a glorious organ and thy tongue a trumpet to sound forth and proclaim the love and mercy of God thou art a deep and a round offender What if no man can condemn thee for any evil yet unless God and thine own conscience shall commend thee for some good thou hast done thou art far from any Assurance of Faith or Knowing thou knowest Christ to be thy Redeemer The End of the First Book THE SECOND BOOK OF THE WORKS OF The Pious and Profoundly-Learned Ioseph Mede B. D. SOMETIME Fellow of CHRIST'S Colledge in CAMBRIDGE CONTAINING SEVERAL DISCOURSES AND TREATISES OF CHURCHES AND The Worship of God therein Horat. de Arte Poet. Fuit haec Sapientia quondam Publica privatis secernere sacra profanis Corrected and Enlarged according to the Author 's own Manuscripts THE CONTENTS OF THE SECOND BOOK Of Churches 1 COR. 11. 22. Have ye not Houses to eat and drink in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or despise ye the Church of God pag. 319 The Reverence of God's House ECCLES 5. 1. Look to thy foot or feet when thou comest to the House of God and be more ready to obey than to offer the Sacrifice of fools pag. 340 The Christian Sacrifice MALACHI 1. 11. From the rising of the Sun even unto the going down of the same my Name shall be great among the Gentiles and in every place Incense shall be offered unto my Name and a pure Offering for my Name shall be great among the Heathen saith the Lord of Hosts CHAP. I. The Text a Prophecy of the Christian Sacrifice according to the judgment of the ancient Fathers in the Second Third and Fourth Centuries The difficulty of explaining the Christian Sacrifice The Reasons of this difficulty The Method and Order propounded for this Discourse pag. 355 CHAP. II. The Christian Sacrifice defined and briefly explained The two parts or double Object of this Sacrifice What meant by Sacrificium Quod what by Sacrificium Quo. pag. 356 CHAP. III. The words of the Text explained and applied to the foregoing Definition of the Christian Sacrifice Incense denotes the rational part of this Sacrifice Mincha the material part thereof What meant by Mincha purum Two Interpretations of the Purity of the Christian Mincha given by the Fathers a third propounded by the Author pag. 357 CHAP. IV. Six Particulars contained in the Definition of the Christian Sacrifice The First viz. That this Christian Service is an Oblation proved out of Antiquity How long the Apostles Age lasted or when it ended Proofs out of the Epistles of Clemens and Ignatius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 how distinguished in Ignatius The Christian Service is properly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but improperly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to the strict and prime sense of the word pag. 360 CHAP. V. The Second Particular That the Christian Sacrifice is an Oblation of Thanksgiving and Prayer proved from Iustin Martyr Tertullian Clemens Alexandr c. The Altar or Holy Table anciently the place of the publick Prayers of the Church Prayer Oblation and Sacrifice promiscuously used by the Fathers when they speak of the Christian Sacrifice The Conjunction of Prayer and the Eucharist argued from Acts 2. 42. and from Ignatius ad Ephes. The three parts of which the Christian Synaxis consisted pag. 362 CHAP. VI. The Third Particular That the Christian Sacrifice is an Oblation of Thanksgiving and Prayer through Iesus Christ Commemorated in the Creatures of Bread and Wine Sacrifices under the Law were Rites to invocate God by That the Eucharist is a Rite to give thanks and invocate God by proved from several Testimonies of the Fathers and the Greek Liturgies A passage out of Mr. Perkins agreeable to this notion What meant by that usual expression of the Ancients speaking of the Eucharist Through Iesus Christ the great High Priest By Nomen Dei in Mal. 1. Iustin M. and Irenaeus understood Christ. Why in the Eucharist Prayers were to be directed to God the Father pag. 365. CHAP. VII The Fourth particular That the Commemoration of Christ in the Creatures of Bread and Wine in the Eucharist is a Sacrifice according to the style of the ancient Church How Sacrifices are distinguished from all other Offerings A Sacrifice defined The Universal Custom of mankind to contract or confirm Covenants and Friendship by eating and drinking together This illustrated from Testimonies of Scripture and humane Authors Sacrifices were Federal Feasts wherein God and men did feast together in token of amity and friendship What was God's Mess or portion in the Sacrifices The different Laws of Burnt-offerings Sin-and-Trespass-offerings and the Peace-offerings Burnt-offerings had Meat and Drink-offerings annexed to them and were regularly accompanied with Peace-offerings That Sacrifices were Feasts of amity between God and men proved by four Arguments The reason of these phrases Secare foedus and Icere foedus That in those Sacrificial Feasts and also in the Eucharist God is to be considered as the Convivator and Man as the Conviva This cleared by several passages in this as also in the following Chapter pag. 369. CHAP. VIII The Fifth Particular That the Body and Bloud of Christ in the Eucharist was made of Bread and Wine which had first been offered to God to agnize him the Lord of the Creature This proved from the Testimonies of Antiquity next to the Apostles times and from ancient Liturgies as also from the Fathers arguing from this Oblation of the Creature in the Eucharist to God that the Father of Christ was the Creator of the world in confutation of some Hereticks in their days and lastly from S. Paul's parallel of the Lord's Supper and the Sacrifices of the Gentiles Two Questions answered 1. Whence may it appear that our Saviour at the Institution of the Eucharist did first offer the Bread and Wine to God to agnize him the Lord of the Creature 2. Is not the celebration of the Eucharist in the Western Churches whether the Reformed or the Roman therefore defective because no such Oblation is there in use pag. 372. CHAP. IX The Sixth Particular That Christ is offered in the Eucharist Commemoratively only and not otherwise This Commemorative Sacrifice or the Commemoration in the Eucharist explained That Christ is offered by way of Commemoration only was the sense of the ancient Church This proved from ancient
saith Though there be that are called Gods whether in heaven or in earth as there be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God 's many that is Dii Coelestes Sovereign Deities 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Lords many that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Daemons Presidents of earthly things Yet to us Christians there is but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one Sovereign God the Father of whom are all things and we to him that is to whom as Supream we are to direct all our services and but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one Lord Iesus Christ in stead of their many Mediators and Daemons 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by whom are all things which come from the Father to us and through whom alone we find access unto him The allusion methinks is passing elegant and such as I think cannot be well understood without this distinction of Superior and Inferior Deities in the Theology of the Gentiles they having a plurality in both sorts and we Christians but one in each as our Apostle affirmeth There wants but only the name of Daemons in stead of which the Apostle puts Lords and that for the honour of Christ of whom he was to infer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one Lord the Name of Christ being not to be polluted with the appellation of an Idol for his Apodosis must have been otherwise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one Daemon Or it may be he alludes unto the Hebrew name Baalim which signifies Lords and those Lords as I told you were nothing else but Daemons For thus would S. Paul speak in the Hebrew tongue There are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 many Gods and many Lords CHAP. IV. The Gentiles Doctrine concerning the Original of Daemons viz. That they were the Souls of men Deified or Canonized after death This proved out of Hesiod Plato Trismegist Philo Byblius the translator of Sanchuniathon Plutarch Tully Baal or Bel or Belus the first Deified King Hence Daemons are called in Scripture Baalim Daemons and Heroes how they differ Daemons called by the Romans Penates Lares as also Dii Animales Soul-Gods Another and an higher kind of Daemons such as never dwelt in Bodies These answer to Angels as the other viz. the Soul-Daemons answer to Saints AND thus have I shewed you though but briefly in regard of the abundance the argument would afford the Nature and Office of these Daemons according to the Doctrine of the Gentiles I come now unto another part of this Doctrine which concerns the Original of Daemons whom you shall find to be the Deified Souls of men after death For the Canonizing of the Souls of deceased Worthies is not now first devised among Christians but was an Idolatrous trick even from the days of the elder world so that the Devil when he brought in this Apostatical doctrine amongst Christians swerved but little from his ancient method of seducing mankind Let Hesiod speak in the first place as being of the most known the most ancient He tells us that when those happy men of the First and Golden age of the world were departed this life great Iupiter promoted them to be Daemons that is Keepers and Protectors or Patrons of earthly mortals and Overseers of their good and evil works Givers of riches c. and this saith he is the Kingly Royalty given them But hear his own words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And hence it is that Oenomaus quoted by Eusebius calleth these Daemon-gods 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hesiod's gods The next shall be Plato who in his Cratylus says That Hesiod and a great number of the rest of the Poets speak excellently when they affirm that good men when they die attain great honour and dignity and become 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is saith he as much to say as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Wise ones for Wise ones saith he are only Good ones and all Good ones are of Hesiod's Golden generation The same Plato Lib. 5. de Repub. would have all those who die valiantly in the field to be accounted of the Golden kind and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 effici to be made Daemons and the Oracle to be consulted how they should be buried and honoured and accordingly ever afterwards 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. their Sepulchres to be served and adored as the Sepulchres of Daemons In like manner should be done unto all who in their life-time excelled in vertue whether they died through age or otherwise This place Eusebius quotes Lib. 13. Praep. Evang. to parallel with it the then harmless practice of Christians in honouring the memory of Martyrs by holding their assemblies at their Sepulchres to the end that he might shew the Gentiles that Christians also honoured their Worthies in the worthiest fashion But it had been well if in the next Ages after this custom of Christians then but resembling had not proved the very same Doctrine of Daemons which the Gentiles practised But I go on and my next Author shall be Hermes Trismegistus whose antiquity is said to be very near the time of Moses I will translate you his words out of his Asclepius which Apuleius made Latine There having named AEsculapius Osiris and his Grandfather Hermes who were as he saith worshipped for Daemons in his own time he adds further That the AEgyptians call them namely the Daemons Sancta animalia and that amongst them namely the AEgyptians per singulas Civitates coli eorum animas quorum sunt consecratae virtutes Through every city their Souls are worshipped whose Vertues are deified And here note by the way that some are of opinion that the AEgyptian Serapis whose Idol had a bushel upon his head was Ioseph whose Soul the AEgyptians had canonized for a Daemon after his death Philo Byblius the translator of Sanchuniathon that ancient Phoenician Historian who lived before the times of Troy and wrote the Acts of Moses and the Iews saith Eusebius very agreeably to the Scripture and saith he learned his Story of Ierom-baal a Priest of the God IEVO Philo Byblius I say in a Preface to his Translation of this Author setteth down what he had observed and learned out of the same Story and might serve to help their understanding who should read it namely That all the Barbarians chiefly the Phoenicians and AEgyptians of whom the rest had it accounted of those for Dii Maximi who had found out any thing profitable for the life of men or had deserved well of any Nation and that they worshipped these as Gods erecting Statues Images and Temples unto them And more especially they gave the Names of their Kings as to the Elements of the world so also to these their reputed Gods for they esteemed the natural Deities of the Sun Moon and Planets and those which are in these to be only and properly Gods so that
after so many hundred years And if your self in this difference follow Mr. Broughton's way you may as soon perswade me there is no Sun in heaven as make me believe it And though it mattereth not much what I think or think not yet in this I dare say that all the Learned men of note in Christendom are of my mind And for my part I cannot but think it a prodigium that any man should think otherwise and I suppose your self are so far of my judgment 4. If you make the Fourth Beast hornless before his destruction you will make Daniel both at odds with himself and the Angel his interpreter If the Horn continue until the Ancient of days comes to give Iudgment to the Saints of the most High and until the time came that the Saints possessed the Kingdom verse 22. or if he continue until the Iudgment sit and they take away his dominion and the Kingdom be given to the people of the Saints of the most High verse 26 27. how was he Hornless when the Ancient of days sat in Iudgment to destroy him and give his body to the burning flame This I should have taken notice of in another place but I then forgat it yet I said there that which was sufficient to overthrow it I would not have such an Evasion in my Opinion 5. Though all the Four Kingdoms have respect to the Iews as those who were all that time to be in bondage under them yet it doth not follow that the beginning of each Kingdom should be counted from the time they were first possessed of Palaestine but from the time the Caput regni should be given unto the people which were next to succeed Nor is that Observation solid That those Kingdoms were called Beasts for the beastly usage of God's people the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies naturally Animal And you will not I know say so of the quatuor Animalia in the Apocalyps though we translate them also four Beasts The congregation of Israel as we translate it Ps. 68. 10. is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And if 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies Coetus Caterva that notion may be applied to Kingdoms and States also So the type is so much the more concise by reason of the ambiguity of the word in those languages But whether it be this or that I affirm nothing nor is it much to the purpose either way And thus I think I have not left any thing of moment unanswered I had no other end in all this but to let you see I have sufficient grounds to be perswaded of my Tenet and to be averse from yours Whether others can be perswaded by them or not that I know not nor do I arrogate so much ability to my self as to perswade others what I am perswaded of my self There is more goes to perswasion than Reasons or Demonstrations and that is not in my power I desire not you should make any Reply but the contrary for I am now resolved to answer no more whatsoever you should send You know as much of my Opinion and my grounds for the same as I would desire of any mans and I think I perfectly understand yours and where your chief strength lies Why should then either of us both spend our time any further to no purpose Thus desiring the Father of lights to guide us in the way of Truth and to open our eyes to see where we see not I rest and remain still Your very loving Friend Ioseph Mede Christ's Colledge Octob. 21. EPISTLE XIII Dr. Twisse's First Letter to Mr. Mede Good Mr. Mede AMongst many fruits of my acquaintance with Dr. Meddus this hath been one of the chiefest that he hath brought me acquainted with your self though not de facie yet de meditationibus and that in the opening of Mysteries I was so happy as to light upon two Copies of your Clavis Apocalyptica thereby to gratifie both my self and my friend I was beholden to Dr. Meddus for the one and to Mr. Briggs for the other Since that I have seen divers Manuscriptpieces of yours whereof I make precious accompt Your distinction of Fata Imperii Fata Ecclesiae the one contained in the Seals the other in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth exceedingly affect me as a Key of great use for the opening of these Mysteries Your interpretation of the Seals proceeds in my judgment with great evidence of illustration And in the last place your Exposition of the Trumpets hath taken me quite off from the Vulgar opinion that formerly hath been so common For all which I most heartily thank you And did it become me to profess so much who am nothing worth I should be apt to say you are as dear in my affection as to any friend you have I beseech you go on to perfect the good work you have begun in the Revelation and in other mysterious passages for the clearing whereof I well perceive by the blessing of God you have attained to a very singular faculty I seem to discern a providence of God in causing the opinion of a Thousand years Regnum Sanctorum to be blasted as an Error by the censure passed upon the Chiliasts to take men off from fixing their thoughts too much on that in those days when the accomplishment was so far removed but with purpose to revive it in a more seasonable time when Antichrist's kingdom should draw near to an end Concerning which I have something to propose in searching after more particular satisfaction But I know not whether yet I may be so bold with you and besides I fear to divert you from your so weighty and so profitable studies yet they are such as withall I have thought with my self of accommodating an Answer But though my heart serve me not to communicate them to you at this time yet surely I shall make them known to Doctor Meddus A friend of mine also hath this day given into my hands certain Disputations upon divers mysterious points in Daniel and the Revelation In one of them he disputes of this Thousand years Regnum Sanctorum with variety of Reasons pro con but inclining rather to the contrary A very ingenuous man he is and a great student in Mr. Brightman If I may have liberty to communicate these things unto you and that it might be without offence to your more weighty studies I would so use this liberty as not to nourish my self in idleness but withal to imploy my self in answering what soever I find therein to the contrary At this time give me leave to propose to your consideration Whether that fear of a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 almost of our Protestant profession may not be avoided and the three days and an half Rev. 11. not signify a space of time succeeding the continuance of those Witnesses but intermixed with it My Reason is this The two Witnesses signifie all the Witnesses giving
rest when it comes to be the Throne of Christ's Kingdome like as it was the glory of all Lands when the children of Israel were brought to inherit it Your Doctrine of Daemons whereof I have tasted even to the Answer of the second Objection Why invocation of Saints should be made choice of to set out Antichrist thereby as a principal Character of him doth so affect me that withal considering these degenerate times I could heartily wish you would give way to the printing of it You know what Spalatensis mentioneth of one of his Prebends that should profess if he were sure Angels heard him he would use that Collect Angele Dei qui custos es mei c. And who it is that taketh it upon him to have been the man meant and justifies it When I read your Discourse of that Thou shalt have no other Gods before my face it makes me willing to know what you think of Genuflexio versus Altare which now grows rife and begins to challenge subscription thereto as licita like as genuflexio at the name of Iesus as pia ceremonia and where we shall end I know not I cannot but take notice as you wish me of the vile depravation of the opinion of the Ancients concerning Millennium For all these I cannot sufficiently give you thanks and must study how to express my thank fulness Mr. S. is a man of very good parts but withal I doubt he hath his vanities as well as other men for I cannot believe but that Dr. L. related unto me the truth of what he heard The beginning of the week hath been a very busie time with me and I must make haste desiring you may understand with the first the safe landing of your precious commodities I nothing doubt but the Lord will perfect the good work he hath begun in you and by you to whose gracious direction I commend all your ways and shall ever rest Newbury May 5. 1635. Yours in all due respects infinitely obliged Will. Twisse EPISTLE LVI Mr. Mede's Answer to Dr. Twisse's Question about Genuflexio versus Altare His freedom from self-ends in this and all other his opinions SIR FOR your question about Genuflexio or Adoratio versus Altare I was in some pause whether to answer to it or to pass it by in silence I confess I have not been unacquainted with speculations in things of this nature they were my eldest thoughts and studies full twenty years ago and the argument of my Concio ad Clerum when I commenced Batchelor of Divinity and before I was any proficient in the Apocalyps And it may be I have had so many Notions that way as would have made another man a Dean or a Prebend or something else ere this But the point of the Pope's being Antichrist as a dead fly marred the savour of that ointment And besides I am no Practitioner nor active but a Speculator only But I am afraid there are others as much in fault which practise before they know I suppose you have heard something this way and thence took occasion to move this Question to me which is the reason I have told you this long tale by way of Preface lest you might think I had as some men use to do made the bent of the Times the rule of my opinions But if I did so I should quickly renounce my Tenet of the Apocalyptical Beast which I know few men here so hardy with us as to profess they believe yea or would fain do But alas that I am so ill advised I cannot do with all And I thank God I never made any thing hitherto the caster of my resolutions but Reason and Evidence on what side soever the advantage or disadvantage fell Besides it fell out happily that the Times when my thoughts were exercised in those Speculations I spake of were times of better awe than now they are which preserved me from that immoderation which I see divers now run into whether out of ignorance or some other distemper I cannot tell Haec omnia dixi in antecessum now I will answer your Question briefly 1. We must distinguish between Imago and Locus or Signum praesentiae To pray or worship toward the First with respect thereto is Idolatry but not toward the Second 2. The Israelites in the Wilderness bowed and worshipped the Lord toward the Cloud wherein he manifested his presence in the Temple toward the Ark and the most Holy place as Solium Dei When they were absent from it though in a strange Country yet they turned themselves and spread out their hands toward it when they prayed as Daniel in Babel Ergò to worship toward Locum praesentiae is no Idolatry or if it were we should commit it as often as we lift up our hands and eyes to Heaven in our prayers as to the place of God's special Presence Yet our Saviour taught us to say Pater nostâ—r quies in coelis and to look that way when we prayed 3. The reason of this difference between Imago and Signum or Locus praesentiae in the point of Divine worship is this 'T is one thing adhibere creaturam in cultu Dei per modum Objecti another per modum circumstantiae Loci aut Sitûs or as Instrumentum The First is Idolatry for God is a jealous God and cannot endure that the worship we give to him should look towards any thing as an Object but Himself But unless the Second be lawful we must not look toward any created thing when we pray not to Heaven nor turn our selves towards the Table where God's blessings are when we say Grace or the like not lawful to invocate God in his Temple not lawful to pray unto him with a Book not use the Communion-Table as a place to give praise and thanks unto him Name In all which Res creata adhibetur tantùm either as Circumstantia cultûs ubi quo-versùs or as Instrumentum quo utimur ad invocandum as a Prayer-Book but not as Objectum cultûs But an Image in the nature of the thing if it be used in Divine worship as an Image cannot but be used as an Object that is as a Representation of the thing worshipped For to look to a thing as it is the Representation of the Object whereto we address our Prayers and Services what is it else but to make it Objectum mediatum relativum I must desire you to supply my meaning where my expression is defective I should do better corà m by pen â—tis tedious to me 4. Now the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Altar for they are but Synonyma's as I take it was ever in our Christian Oratories accounted as Solium Christi as being the place where the Mysteries of his Body and Bloud the Rites of the New Covenant are exhibited unto us 5. All the Prayers and Devotions of the Church were there offered unto God and no where else for many hundred years and still are in all
Verse 25. Vntil the fulness of the Gentiles be come in p. 197 Chap. 16. 5. Salute the Church at their house p. 324 I CORINTHIANS Chap. 4. 1. Let a man so account of us as of the Ministers of Christ p. 25 Chap. 8. 5 6. Though there be that are called Gods whether in heaven or in earth as there be Gods many and Lords many Yet to us there is but one God the Father of whom are all things and we to him and but one Lord Iesus Christ by whom are all things and we by him p. 628 Chap. 9. 14. Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel p. 77 Verse 23. This I do for the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that I might be partaker thereof with you p. 79 Chap. 10. 3 4. And they did all â—at the same spiritual meâ—t and did all drink the same spiritual drink For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them and that Rock was Christ. p. 245 Vers. 5. But with many of them God was not well pleased for they were overthrown in the wilderness p. 255 Vers. 20. The things which the Gentiles Sacrifice they sacrifice to Daemons and not to God Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the Cup of Daemons p. 636 Vers. 21. Ye cannot be partakers of the Table of the Lord and the Table of Devils p. 375 Vers. 31. whether therefore ye eat or drink or whatsoever ye do do all to the glory of God p. 171 Chap. 11. 5. Every woman praying or prophesying with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head p. 58 Vers. 10. For this cause ought the woman to have a covering on her head because of the Angels p. 345 346 Vers. 16. But if any man seem to be contentious we have no such custome nor the Churches of God p. 61 Vers. 22. Have ye not houses to eat and drink in or despise ye the Church of God p. 319 Vers. 29. not differencing the Lord's body p. 8 Chap. 13. 5. Charity seekâ—th not her own p. 177 Chap. 15. 23. But every man in his own order Christ the first-fruits afterward they that are Christ's at his coming p. 775 802 Chap. 16. 19. See Romans 16. 5 EPHESIANS Chap. â— 2. the Prince of the power of the Aire p. 23 24 Vers. 8 9 10. By grace ye are saved through faith not of works lest any man should boast For we are his workmanship created in Christ Iesus unto good works which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them p. 112 215 Vers. 14. and hath broken down the partition wall between us p. 20 COLOSSIANS Chap. 2. 8 9. Beware lest any man spoil you through Philosophy and vain deceit after the tradition of men after the rudiments of the world and not after Christ. For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godbeaa bodily and ye are complete in him p. 628 Chap. 4. 15. See Romans 16. 5. I THESSALONIANS Chap. 4. 16. The dead in Christ shall rise first p. 519 Vers. 17 18. Afterwards we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the Air and so we shall ever be with the Lord. p. 775 776 II THESSALONIANS Chap. 2. 3. Vnless that Apostasie come first p. 625 Vers. 7. Only he who now letteth will lett until he be taken out of the way p. 656 Vers. 8. that wicked one whom the Lord shall destroy at the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of his coming p. 763 I TIMOTHY Chap. 4. 1. Howbeit the Spirit speaketh expresly That in the latter times some shall revolt from the Faith attending to erroneous Spirits and Doctrines of Daemons p. 623 Vers. 2. Through the hypocrisie or feigning of Liers having their conscience seared p. 675 Vers. 3. Forbidding to marry and commanding to abstain from meats p. 688 Chap. 5. 17. Let the Elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour especially they that labour in the word and doctrine p. 70 Vers. 21. elect Angels p. 42 Chap. 6. 19. Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation p. 82 II TIMOTHY Chap. 2. 19. The foundation of God standeth sure having this Seal The Lord knoweth them that are his And Let every one that nameth the Name of Christ depart from iniquity p. 82 TITUS Chap. 3. 5. By the washing of Regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost p. 62 PHILEMON Vers. 1 2. To Philemon odr dearly-beloved and fellow-labourer And to Apphia our beloved and Archippus our fellow-souldier and to the Church at thy house p. 324 HEBREWS Chap. 1. 6. And when he bringeth again the first-begotten into the world p. 577 Chap. 2. 5. For unto the Angels hath he not put in subjection the World to come whereof we speak p. 577 Chap. 9. 5. the Cherubims of glory p. 345 Vers. 29. in the end of ages p. 655 Chap. 10. 5. a Body hast thou prepared me p. 897 Vers. 25. as ye see the Day approching p. 664 Vers. 29. and hath counted the bloud of the Covenant wherewith he was sanctified a common thing p. 7 Vers. 37. For yet a little while and he that shall come will come and will not tarry p. 664 Chap. 11. 16. But now they desire a better countrey that is an heavenly p. 801 Chap. 12. 27. This Yet once more signifies the removing of things that are shaken p. 166 IAMES Chap. 5. 3. Ye have heaped up goods for the last daies p. 664 Vers. 7 8. the coming of the Lord. p. 708 I PETER Chap. 3. 14 15. Fear ye not their Fear nor be in dread thereof But sanctifie the Lord God in your heart p. 9 Chap. 4. 7. The end of all approcheth Be ye therefore sober and watch unto prayer p. 664 Chap. 5. 13. The Church that is at Babylon saluteth you p. 76 II PETER Chap. 2. 1. But there were false Prophets among the People even aâ— there shall be false Teachers among you who privily shall bring in damnable Heresies even denying the Lord that bought them p. 238 Vers. 4. For if God spared not the Angels which sinned but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness to be reserved unto Iudgment p. 23 Vers. 6. making them an Ensample unto those that after should live ungodly p. 33 Chap. 3. from vers 3. to Vers. 16. p. 609 c. I IOHN Chap. 1. 9. he is faithful and just to forgive p. 175 Chap. 2. 3. Hereby we do know that we know him if we keep his Commandments p. 303 Vers. 18. Antichrist many Antichrists Chap. 4. 3. 2 Ep. Vers. 7 p. 663 900 IUDE Vers. 6. See 2 Peter 2. 4. Vers. 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 914 Vers. 14. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 344 APOCALYPS Besides several whole Chapters and parts of Chapters of the Apocalyps explained from pag. 419. to p. 605. and from pag. 905 to the end there are several passages explained
forget God 130. the reason of it 131 Protestants the way of procuring peace among them 866 to pag. 875 Providence The method of Divine Providence to usher in the Exaltation of his Saints with some great Calamity foregoing it 760 Psalms The Book of Psalms contains set Forms of Prayer and Praise 2 3 Punishments are either Temporal or Eternal Eternal are inflicted on the Sinner only Temporal either on the Sinner's Person or Posterity 141. The end of Temporal punishments what ibid. why God remits not Temporal punishments here where the Sin is forgivenâ— 142. the Ends why God defers punishments 142 143. God sometimes brands the punishment with the Stamp of the Sin 144 229 829. Conformity between the Sin and the Punishment in 4 particulars 144 c. Pure Heart See Heart Purity of the Primitive Church how long it lasted 588 Purple Purple colour or To wear Purple was an Imperial or Royal privilege 11 911 R. THE Rapture of those alive at Christ's coming into the Air. 776 Rechabites what they were and why they lived in Tents 127 Regeneration the 2 parts of it 106. how figur'd by Baptism 63 Reign of Christ. See Millennium Religion and Honesty not to be severed 219 Reliques See Miracles Counterfeit Reliques 691 Renovation of the World different opinions of the Iews touching it 610. and some Excerpta out of the Fathers concerning the same 618 Rent A twofold Rent or Tribute owing to God Tythes and Alms. 171 Repentance what it is 107. it implies more than a Sorrow for Sin ibid. the 2 parts of it 107 108 Rephaim the Giants or men of the old world 32 Responsories their antiquity 60 Restitution the necessity of it 211 112 Resurrection Christ's proof of the Resurrection from Exod. 3. 6. explained 801. On what Text the Iewish Church built her faith of the Resurrection 797 880. How they proved it out of the Law against the Sadduces 801 579. The First Resurrection is to be taken litterally as well as the Second 572. this farther proved by 4 arguments 770 771. the ground of that Prayer for the dead ut partem haberent in Resurrectione prima 771 842. To grant a Particular Resurrection before the General is against no article of Faith 604 Returning to the Lord what 210 Revelation 4 kinds of Divine revelation 183 Reward That there are different degrees of Reward in the Life to come proved from Scripture 84 85. Objections answered 85 86. 't is lawful to do good works intuitu mercedis 176 177 Riches when they are Blessings when not 129. their danger 131 132. Rich men to defraud the poor an hainous Sin 134 Righteousness sometimes in Scripture signifies Bounty or Alms. 80 Rivers what they signifie in the Prophetick Style 459 Rock sometimes in Scripture put for God 670. Rock in the wilderness how it followed the Israelites 246. how it was a Sign of Christ 248. Two Rocks in the wilderness and which was meant 246 Rome See Babylon Roman and Greek Church how they may be said not to erre in Fundamentalibus Fidei articulis 862 Roman Empire that it is the Fourth Kingdom in Daniel proved by 3 arguments 712 c. this was also believed by the ancient Iews and Fathers 736. the contrary opinion was first broached by Porphyry an Heathen and Enemy of Christianity 743. the Fates of the Roman Empire not so particularly and distinctly revealed to Daniel as to S. Iohn 736 7â—7 why the ancient Christians prayed for the continuance of the Roman Empire 656. the 3 main degrees of its Ruine 658 c. Romans how they charmed or called the Gods from any City when they besieged it 672 S. SAbbath why God commanded the Iews to observe it 55 56. why one day in Seven and that the Seventh day was to be kept 56. when that Seventh day began to be kept for a Sabbath by the Iews 56 57. The Sabbatical year was sacred unto God 123 Sackcloth and Ashes why used in humiliation 160 Sacrament is a Sign of assuring 247. Sacraments both the old and new carry in them the image of Christ 248. Iewish Sacraments how they were the same with ours and wherein they differed 249. what the Iews apprehended to be meant by them 250. Vnworthy receiving of them twofold 256. the hainousness and daâ—ger thereof 257 258. the practice of the ancient Church in the offering of Praise and Prayer at the Sacrament 293 c. Sacred Things 4 kinds of them and how to be used 14 15. That to use them as becomes things Sacred opens not a way for Idolatry 18 Sacrifice defined 370. How a Sacrifice differs from an Oblation or Offering 362. The Christian Sacrifice defined 356. How the Eucharist is a Sacrifice 369 850. That it is only a Commemorative Sacrifice 376 c. That it is an Oblation proved from Antiquity 360 c. an Oblation of Praise and Prayer 362 c. That this Oblation is made through Christ commemorated in the Bread and Wine 365 c. it is Oblatio Foederalis 370. and Epulum Foederale 372. that herein God was the Convivator and man the Conviva 370 372. That Bread and Wine were were first offered to God to agnize him the Lord of the Creature 373 374 c. Sacrifices under the Law the several kinds of them explained 286 c. they were Rites of address to God 365 379. That they were Foederal Feasts wherein God and men did Feast together in token of amity and friendship proved by 4 arguments 371. what was Gods Mess or Portion therein ibid. Sacrifices were not appointed in the Law for all kinds of Sins 353. Sacrifices are in Scripture disparaged in respect of Obedience as being not required by God antecedently absolutely and primarily 352 353. The antiquity or Sacrificing 352 Sacrilege is a Sin against God and a breach of the First Table rather than the Second 120. the hainousness of this Sin 122. Examples of the punishment thereof 123. Sacrilege and Idolatry are near allied 17 Saint-worship when it began 662 679. it began with Monkery 690. how it crept unawares into the Church 641 c. it was promoted by lying Miracles 679 c. by fabulous Legends 681 c. by counterfeit Writings 687. it is derogatory to Christ. 639 c. Samaritan Pentateuch wherein it differs from the Hebrew as to Chronology 895 Samaritans their Original 48. their Worship 49 Sanctuary at Sichem what it was 65 66 To Sanctifie hath a double sense 1 To consecrate 2 To use things Sacred as becomes their Sanctity 7 402 To Sanctifie God and his Name what 9 c. To be Sanctified is either 1 To be made holy or 2 To be used as such 6 Sanctity the nature or true notion of it is Discrimination or Distinction from other things by way of preeminence 6 c. Saracens their strange successes and propagation of Mahometism in a short time 468 Scepter signifies any Power or Majesty of Government under what name soever 35. when it departed from Iudah
the Apocalyptick Visions is expounded by the Angel 432 582. why she is said to have a golden cup in her hand and her Name written in her forehead 525 Wilderness Israel's being in the Wilderness and the Churche's abode in the Wilderness compared 906 907 Wing signifies in Dan. 9. an Army the fitness of the word to signifie thus 707. Wing of abominations is an Army of Idolarrous Gentiles ibid. How the Roman Army was the Army of Messiah 708 Witnesses why Two and in sackcloth 480 481. the two Wars of the Beast against them 765. their Slaughter how far it extends 760 761. their Death and Resurrection how to be understood 484 Women Why the Corinthian women are reproved for being unveiled or uncovered in the Church 61. how they are said to prophesie 58 59 Works Good Works 3 qualifications of them 217 c. 3 Reasons for the necessity of them 215 c. God rewards our Works out of his mercy not for any merit in them 175 World Heaven and Earth put according to the Hebrew idiom for World 613. That the World should last 7000 years and the Seventh Thousand be the Beatum Milleunium was an ancient Tradition of the Iews 892. World sometimes in Scripture put for the Roman Empire 705 Worship External worship required in the Gospel 47. Four Reasons for it 349 350. The Iews worshipped versus Locum praesentiae 394. That such Worshipping is not the same with worshipping God by an Image 395 To worship God in spirit and truth what 47. 48. The Worship directed to God is Incommunicable and why 638 639 Y. YEars That the Antichristian Times are more than 3 single Years and an half proved by 5 Reasons 598. The 70 years Captivity of the Iews in Babylon whence to be reckoned 658 Z. ZAchary The 9 10 and 11 Chapters in his Book seem to befit Ieremy's time better 786 833 c. Zebach or The bloudy Sacrifice defined 287 Zipporah deferred not the circumcision of her child out of any aversation of that Rite 52. her words in Exod. 4. 25. vindicated from the common misconstruction 53 c. ERRATA Page 481. line 3. read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pag. 790. l. 14. for Page r. Figure pag. 495. l. 10. r. Angelo pag. 496. l. antepenult r. legibus pag. 498. l. 1. r. crudelitate l. 41. r. Caesarum imperium A Catalogue of some Books Reprinted and of other New Books Printed since the Fire and sold by Richard Royston viz. A Paraphrase and Annotations upon all the Books of the New Testament by H. Hammond D. D. in Fol. Third Edition Ductor Dubitantium or the Rule of Conscience in Five Books in Fol. by Ier. Taylor D. D. and late Lord Bishop of Down and Gonnor The Practical Catechism together with all other Tracts formerly Printed in 4 o in 8 o and 12 o his Controversies excepted now in the Press in a large Fol. By the late Reverend H. Hammond D. D. The Great Exemplar or the Life and Death of the Holy Iesus in Fol. with Figures suitable to every Story Ingrav'd in Copper By the late Reverend Ier. Taylor D. D. Phraseologia Anglo Latina or Phrases of the English and Latine Tongue By Iohn Willis sometimes School-master at Thistleworth together with a Collection of English Latine Proverbs for the use of Schools by William Walker Master of the Free-School of Grantham in 8 o new The Whole Duty of Man now Translated into the Welch Tongue at the command of the four Lord Bishops of Wales for the benefit of that Nation By Io. Langford A. M. in 8o. The Christian Sacrifice a Treatise shewing the necessity end and manner of Receiving the Holy Communion together with suitable Prayers and Meditations for every Month in the Year and the Principal Festivals in memory of our Blessed Saviour in 8 o By the Reverend S. Patrick D. D. Chaplain in Ordidinary to his Sacred Majesty A Friendly Debate between a Conformist and a Non-conformist in 8o. Peace and Holiness in three Sermons upon several occasions the First to the Clergy Preached at Stony-Stratford in the County of Buoks being a Visitation-Sermon published in Vindication of the Author The Second preached to a great Presence in London The Third at the Funeral of M rs Anne Norton by Ignatius Fuller Rector of Sherrington in 8 o new A Discourse concerning the true Notion of the Lords Supper to which are added two Sermons by R. Cudworth D. D. Master of Christs-Colledge in Cambridge in 8o. The Works of the Reverend and Learned Mr. Iohn Gregory sometimes Master of Arts of Christ-Church in Oxon. 4o. The Sinner Impleaded in his own Court to which is now added the Signal Diagnostick by Tho. Pierce D. D. and President of St. Mary Magdalen-Colledge in Oxon. in 4o. Also a Collection of Sermons upon several occasions together with a Correct Copy of some Notes concerning Gods Decrees in 4o. Enlarged by the same Author Christian Consolations drawn from Five Heads in Religion I. Faith II. Hope III. The Holy Spirit IV. Prayer V. The Sacrament Written by the Right Reverend Father in God Iohn Hacket late Lord Bishop of Leichfield and Coventry and Chaplain to King Charles the First and Second in 12 o new A Disswasive from Popery the First and Second Part in 4 o by Ier. Taylor late Lord Bishop of Down and Connor The Principles and Practises of certain several Moderate Divines of the Church of England also The Design of Christianity both which are written by Edward Fowler Minister of Gods Word at Northill in Bedfordshire in 8o. A Free Conference touching the Present State of England both at home and abroad in order to the Designs of France in 8 o new to which is added the Buckler of State and Iustice against the design manifestly discover'd of the Universal Monarchy under the vain Pretext of the Queen of France her pretensions in 8o. Iudicium Vniversitatis Oxoniensis à Roberto Sandersono S. Theologiae ibidem Professore Regio postea Episcopo Lincolniensi in 8o. The Profitableness of Piety open'd in an Assize Sermon preach'd at Dorchester by Richard West D. D. in 4 o new A Sermon preached at the Funeral of the Honourable the Lady Farmor by Iohn Dobson B. D. Fellow of St. Mary Magdalen-Colledge in Oxon. in 4 o new THE END * All of them except some few mentioned at the end of this Preface * None of which were number'd among the Errata * Pag. 109. lin 21. ‖ These the Author a little before calls the Two parts of Repentance Aversion from sin the first Conversion to God the second part ‖ See p. 280. lin ult ‖ See p. 276 279 281. * Luk. 6. * Chap. 4. 15. * Chap. 2. ‖ Rev. 10. 9. * See a particular account both of the Enlargements and of the Additiâ—nals at the end of this Preface * See a particular account both of the Enlargements and of the Additiâ—nals at the end of this Preface * See Epistle 97. p. 881. * p.
1â— 16. * Eccles. 35. 2. * Chap. 5. 19. 1 Kings Chap. 17 18. * Ios. 10. 12. Iames 1. 5. 1 Kings 1â— 1 Sam. 1. Luke 1â— 2 Sam. 12. 16. c. See Psal. 50. 16. Prov. 28. 9 * Ios. 7. 10 11 12. 2 Cor. 12. 7 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Verse 9. Dan. 9. 1 c. 2 Chron. 36. 22â— * Compare Prov. 21. 13. * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Mammon of unrighteousness is not here Goods unlawfully goâ—ten as I am afraid some take it not Mammon about which the sons of mâ—n are wont to be unrightâ—ous as others take it but as the Hebrews call it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or as the Chaldee speak 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mammona falsitatis deceivable and uncertain richâ—s For among the Hellenists 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the same with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and so the Lxx. often render 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Agreeable whereunto S. Paul 1 Tim. 6. as it were paraphrasing this of our Saviour saith Charge the rich that they trust not in uncertain riches that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mâ—â—h 25. 34 35. * 〈…〉 Matth. 25. 40. How Alms and Offerings are a fit Acknowledgement of God's being the Lord and Giver of all * Verse 3. * Others understand it of Laban the Syrian and render it thus A Syrian was dâ—stroying my Father viz. Iacob So the Vulg. Lat. Syrus persequebatur patrem meum qui descendit in AEgyptum The Chaldee Paraphrast is most full 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Laban Syrus quaesivit perdere patrem meum c. To the same sense Munster Luther and Castalio translate these words Verse 12 c. * Hâ—â—◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of thine hand Vulg Lat. Quae de manu tua accepimus dedimus tibi Gen. 4. 3. 4. Gen. 14. 19 20 Gen. 28. 20 c. * Lib. 4. â— 32. See this and the like passages out of Irenaeus quoted more at large and explained in the Treatise of The Christian Sacrifice Chap. 8. in Book II. * Matth. 1â— 23. c. Matth. 25 34. c. Verse 41. c. * The Commemoration of Colledge Benefactors Verse 1â— Verse 1â— Verse 12. Verse 13. Nehem. 13. 14 22. Matth. 10. 41. Verse 42. Phil. 4. 18. Deut. 9. 5. Chap. 9. 8. Heb. 7. 6. Vers. 9â— Deut. 33. 8. Gen. 29. 34. * â— Cor. 5. 18. â—Iohn 4. 20. Matt. 5. 9. Luke 2. 14. * â—1 King 12. 31 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Exod. 20. 5 6. Num. 16. 38. Exod. 4. 5. Mal. 2. 6. Vers. 8. * Num. 8. 10. 11 13. Luke 1. 28. 1 Tim. 4 â—wprdâ— Levit. 21. 1 Tim. 3. 7. * Vers. 2. 1 Ep. ch 5. 3. Levâ— 25. 23. * Vers. 10. Of the XI degrees of the Holiness of Places in the land of Israel see Talmud in Kâ—lim 1. â— â— Maymon in Bâ—thâ— habbeâ—châ—â—â—h * Num. 8. 10 11 13. Hebr. â— â— * Vers. 29. How Tâ—raphim answered to Vrim and Tâ—ummim * Gen. 31. 19. Exod. 28. 6 c. Vers. 30. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Exod. 28. 15. * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 opus coeli 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Rad. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * In Lâ—geâ— Talmud Babylon in Ioma c. 7. Vid ctiam Abarben in Exod. 28. Vid. Tal. Hieros Ioma in Gemara Maimonid in Hal. Cele hammikdash cap. 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Maimon * Vid. Talmud Babylon Ioma c. 7. * Vid. Ialkut ex libro Siphre Talm. Babylon Ioma * Amiquâ—â— Iâ—d lib. 3. cap. â—9 Col. 2. 3. * Heb. 1. 2. Iohn 1. 3. Iohn 1. 9. Vers. 5. Luke 2. 15. Matt. 3. 7. 1 Cor. 1. 30. Mal. 2. 6 8. Matt. 5. 14. Mal. 2. 7. Acts. 2. 3. Tit. 2. 7. Verse 2. Verse 5. Ier. 10. 11. Acts 26. 29. â— Pet. 5. 8. Matth. 23. 15. Dan. 12. 3. Matth 7. 26. Iob 1. 9 10 11 Iob 13. 1â— Matth. 10. â—7 * Therapeut 5. Object Anâ—â— Esay 7. 14. Matth. 2. 2. Verse 10. Acts 17. 23. Tiâ—us 1. 12. * Verse 16. * Verse 25. How the Vnderstanding ascends to God by the Scale or Lâ—dder of the Creatures Rom. 1. 21 23. * Verse 20 How the Will ascends to God by the Scale of the Creatures Acts 17. 28. Prov. 6. 6. * Matt. 10. 16. * Esay 1. 3. Ier. 8. 7. Matth. 6. 28. 1 King 4. 33. The State aâ— the Times when this Prophecy of the downfal of Echniâ—tson was delivered Vide Suidam in Augusto Niceph l. 1. c. 17. Cedrenum in Synops. histor * In his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quoted by Fusebius and Theodores * Eusebius Prapar Evang. lib. 5. cap. 16. Plutarch's accoâ—aâ— of the Causes why Oracles ceased The true Cause of their ceasing 1 Sam. 5. 3. Rom. 13. 12. Rev. 12. â— Rev. 12. Gen. 17. 17. 18. 11 12. * Iudges 6. 16. * 1 Sam. 16. 11. 2 Kings Chap. 6 7. Chap. 2. 7. Numb 13. * 1 Cor. 2. 20. * See this more fully explain'd in a particular Tract of his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Book III. Heb. 1. 10. Heb. 2. 5. Rev. 12. 6. Verse 14. Verse 6. Verse 25. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dan. Chap. 2. Chap 7. Chap. 7. 18. Rom. 11. 25. Chap. 7. 8. Chap. 13. 1 5. Rev. 12. 6. Rev. 11. 15. The Admonition Keep thy Heart c. The Act Keep Prov. 4. 23. The Object Thy Heart Matt. 5. 8. * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gen. 28. 16 Eccles. 10. 1. Matt. 23. 24. 2 King 10. 1â— c. * Vers. 29. A Loyal heart and a Perfect heart the same * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The manâ—er how the Hâ—art is to be kâ—â—t With all diligence * Ecclus. 13. 1. Prov. 6. 27 1 King 12. 27. The Motive For out of it are the Issues of life Matth. 21. Matth. 13. 6. Iohn 1. Acts 8. 29. * Ch. 10. 3. 20. Isaiah 55. 7. * Vide Mercerum in locum R. Kimch lib. Radicum in voce 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Matth. 5. 16. Matt. 10. 33. Rom. 7. 7. 〈…〉 Ch. â—1 12. â— Matt. 7. 17 19. â—say 58. In what things Restitution takes place luke 19. 〈◊〉 Iohn 3. 16. Exod. 20. Acts 4. 12. Matth. 7. 21. Observat. 1. Observat. 1. How the Doctrine oâ— Faith in Christ includes the greatest Enforcement and Engagement to Good works Matth. 25. 34. c. Verse â—1 Observ. 2. Heb. 11. 6. Eâ—h 2. 8 9. Matth. 7. 21. * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 How to know Sincerity How to attain Sincerity Matth. 9. 13. 12. 7. * Hos. 6. 6. Matth. 22. 37 39. Matth. 23. 13 c. Verse 23. Matth. 18. 7. Gen 3. 13. Matth. 18. 15 c. Psal. 2. 10. * Vulg. Lat. Quare hoc â—ecisti * And so the Syriack Version So Iuniuâ— and Tremillius * Gen. 3. 6. ‖ Quanto splendoris honore celsior quisque
the Sea there are Islands to be met with which are commodious for habitation fruitful and well watered and accommodated with convenient harbors and ports for those who are distrestat Sea to repair to for their safety so is it in the world which is a very troubled Sea tempestuous and tossed by reason of sin God hath here providâ—d Synagogues or Holy Churches as we call them wherein the Truth is diligently taught and whither they repair who are lovers of the Truth and desire in good earnest to be saved and to escape the judgment and wrath of God * Clâ—m Alex. in Opere Quis fit ille dives qui salvetur apud Euseb. Hist Eccl. lib. 3. â— 17. Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Also in this Century undoubtedly were extant those Fabricks in the Cemeteries of S. Peter in the Vaticane and of S. Paul in via Ostâ—nsi which could be no other thaâ— some Christian Oratories whereof Gains speaks in â—usib and calls Throphaea Apostolorum lib. 2. cap. 24. Ab Anno 200. ad 300. a All the day long shall the zeal of Faith speak to this point bewailing that a Christian should come from Idols into the CHURCH that he should come into the HOUSE OF GOD from the shop of his enemy that he should lift up to God the Father those hands which were the mothers and makers of Idols and adore God with those very hands which namely in respect of the Idols made by them are adored without the Church viz. in the Heathens Temples in opposition to God and that he should presume to reach forth those hands to receive the Body of our Lord which are imploy'd in making Bodies that is Images for the Demons That according to the Gentiles Theology Images were as Bodies to be informed with Demons as with Souls see the Treatise of the Apostasie of the latter Times chap. 5. in Book III. b The house of our Dove that is of our Dove-like Religion or the Catholick flock of Christ figured by the Dove c In short The Dove is wont to point out Christ. d Plain without such a multiplicity of doors and curtains e In high and open places 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cyril Hier. * Luke 1. 78. * Lib. 2. c. 57. al. 61. a Let the House be long and built Eastward * Apol. c. 16. * De Spect. â— 25. ad Vxoâ— l. 2. c. 9. De coâ—on miâ—t cap. 3. De velandiâ— virginiâ—us c. 3 13. b Coming to the Water to be baptized not only there but also somewhat asore in the CHURCH under the hand of the Bishop or Priest we take witneâ—s that we renounce the Devil and his Pomp and Angels and afterwards we are drenched thrice in the Water c The Temples of God shall be as common and ordinary Houses Churches shall be utterly demolished every where the Scriptures shall be despised d The Sacred Edifices of Churches shall become heaps and as a desolate lodge in an Orchard there shall be no more Communion of the precious Body and Bloud of Christ Liturgy shall be extinguished Singing of Psalms shall cease Reading of the Scriptures shall no more be heard * Ex Psal. 79. 2. caelesis similibus â—uâ—ta LXX IIebr in â—cervâ—â— seu 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 desolationes Cap. 49. e The Christians being in possession of a certain publick place and challenging it for theirs and on the other side the Taverners alledging that it belong'd of right to them the Emperor's Rescript in favour of the Christians was this That it was better that God should be worshipt there after what way soever than that it should be delivered and given up to the Taverners a 1. Weeping the first degree of Penance was without the Porch of the Oratorie where the mournful sinners stood and beg'd of all the Faithful as they went in to pray for them 2. Hearing the second degree was within the Porch in the place called Narthex the place where these penitent Sinners being now under the Ferula or censure of the Church might stand near to the Catechumens and hear the Scripture read and expounded but were to go out before them 3. Prostration or Lying along on the Church-pavement These Prostrate ones were admitted somewhat further into the Church and went out with the Catechumens 4. Standing or Staying with the people or Congregation These Consistentes did not go out with the Catechumenes but after they and the other Penitents were gone out stay'd and joyn'd in prayer with the Faithful 5. Participation of the Sacraments b How that by becoming all things to all men he had in a short time gained a great number of Converts through the assistance of the Divine Spirit and that hereupon he had a strong desire to set upon the building of a Temple or Place for Sacred assemblies wherein he was the more encouraged by the general forwardness he observed among the Converts to contribute both their moneys and their best assistances to so good a work This is that Temple which is to be seen even at this day This is that Temple the erection whereof this Great person being resolved to undertake without any delay he laid the foundation thereof and therewithal of his Sacerdotal i.e. Episcopal Prefecture in the most conspicuous place of all the City c Whereas all other Houses whether Publick or private were overthrown by that Earthquake this Gregorian Temple alone stood firm without any the least hurt He was made Bishop Anno 249. lived until 260. d The Lord's House e The Church f Thinkest thou O Matron which art rich and wealthy in the Church of Christ that thou dost celebrate or commemorate the Lord's Sacrifice that is that thou dost participate the Lord's Supper worthily as thou oughtest who dost not at all respect but art regardless of the Corban who comest into the Lord's House without a Sacrifice or Offering nay who takest part of the poor mans Sacrifice feedest on what he brought for his Offering and bringest none thy self Script â—n 253. a What then remains but that the Church should yield to the Capitol and that the Priests withdrawing themselves and taking away the Altar of our Lord Images and Idol-Gods together with their Altars should succeed and take possession of the Sacrary or place proper to the sacred and venerable Bench of our Clergy b The Altar of our Lord and the place for the sacred and venerable Bench of the Clergy c Idol-Gods and Images together with the Altars of the Devil d might enter into the House of God e The Emperour C. P. L. Galienus to Dionysius Pinnas Demetrius and the rest of the Bishops Greeting What I have been pleased graciously to do for the Christians I have caused to be published throughout the world viz. That all men should quit the Worshipping-places for the Christians use And therefore you may make use of the Copy of my Letters to the end ye may be secured from any future attempts to disturb you