of digniâ—ies acts of Jewish Zelots c. to the favouring or authorizing of any kinde of lust of divorces forbidden by Christ c. to the nourishing of rash anger uncharitable either timerarious or unmercifull censuring envie emulation variance strife malice revenge contumelious speaking whispering backbiteing c. to the excusing or justifying of piracy rapine oppression fraud violence any kinde of injustice c. to the spreading of lies slanders defamations c. to covetousnesse unsatisfiednesse uncontentednesse in our present condition desire of change casting the crosse on other mens shoulders that we may free our owne from it to dealing with others as we would not be well pleased to be dealt with our selves or in a word if they tend to the discouragingor discountenancing any Christian virtue set downe in this or any other sermon of Christ or by his Apostles or to the granting any dispensation or liberty from that Christian strictnesse in these duties or in those other of repentance selfe-denyall meekenesse mercifullnesse peaceablenesse c. by these markes and characters you may know this to be a False Teacher Yet not so farre this as that whosoever is guilty himselfe of any of these sins shall be if he be a Teacher a false one for 't is possible his Doctrine and Actions may be contrary but that if these be the fruits and naturall effects of his Doctrine then shall his Doctrine be thus condemned otherwise an ill man he may be and yeta teacher of truth a wicked but not a false Prophet S. But is it not said of these False Prophets that they come in sheepes clothing which sure signifies their outward actions to be innocent How then can they be discerned by their fruits C. I answer first that the fruits of their Doctrine may be discerned though their owne evill Actions be disguised and varnished over 2. That though their Actions most conspicuous and apparent be good yet their closer Actions which may also be discerned by a strict observer are of the making of the wolfe ravenous and evill 3. That though they begin with some good shewes to get authority though they enter as sheep doe some specious acts of piety at first yet they continue not constant in so doing within a while put off the disguise and are discernible S. What now is the fourth or last generall Precept C. The summe of it is that it is not the outer profession of Christianity or Discipleship though that set off by prophecying doing miracles c. in Christs name i. e. professing whatsoever they doe to be done by Christs power which will availe any man toward his account at that great day without the reall faithfull sincere universall impartiall performing of obedience to the lawes of Christ S. But can or doth God permit any wicked man to doe such miracles c C. Yes he may for the end of miracles and preaching c. being to convince men of the truth of the Doctrine of Christ that may well enough be done by those that acknowledge that truth though they live not accordingly the miracles done by them being not designed by God to the commendation of the instruments but to the perswading of the spectators S. § 3 Having received from you the full tale of the precepts you proposed there now remaines onely the conclusion of the whole Sermon to be discharged and then you have paid me all that your promise hath obliged you to C. It is this occasioned by the last precept of doing as well as professing Gods will that the profession of Christianity lending a patient eare to those doctrines will if it be as oft as it is trusted to and depended on to render us acceptable to Christ prove a very fallacious and deceitfull hope Whensoever any storme comes any shaking disease or affliction which gives us occasion to awake throughly and examine our selves to the bottome we are not then able to retaine any hope or comfortable opinion of our selves although in time of quiet and tranquillity before we were thus shaken we could entertaine our selves with such flattering glozes Hearing of Sermons and professing of love to and zeale for Christ may passe for piety a while but in the end it will not be so 'T is true Christian practice that will hold out in time of triall and that hope of ours which is thus grounded will stand firme and stable in time of affliction and temptation at the houre of death and the day of judgement This doctrine of Christian duty and obedience is such that can never deceive any man that is content to build upon it Nor infirmity nor sin committed but repented of and forsaken nor Devill shall ever shake any mans hold that is thus built endanger any mans salvation that lives according to the rule of this Sermon nor shall all the flattering deceitfull comforters of the world bring in any true gaine to any other And it came to passe when Jesus had ended these sayings the people were astonished at his doctrine For he taught them as one having authority and not as the Scribes OHoly Jesu that camest downe from heaven and wert pleased to pay that deare ransome on the Crosse for us on purpose that thou might redeeme us from all iniquity and purify unto thy selfe a peculiar people zealous of good workes we beseech thee to write thy law in our hearts that most excellent divine law of thine that we may see it and doe it that we may know thee and the power of thy resurrection and expresse it in turning every one of us from his iniquities That we no longer flatter our selves with a formall externall serving of thee with being hearers of thy word partakers of thy Sacraments professours of thy truth knowers or teachers of thy will but that we labour to joine to these an uniforme faithfull obedience to thy whole Gospell a ready chearefull subjection to thy Kingdom that thou maiest rule and reigne in our hearts by Faith and that we being dead unto sinne and living unto righteousnesse may have our fruit unto holinesse may grow in Grace and in the practicall knowledge of thee Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and at last persevering unto the last attaine to that endlesse glorious end the reward of our Faith the fruit of our labours the perfection of our Charity and the crowne of our Hope an everlasting blessed life of love and holinesse with thee O Father of mercies O God of all consolations O holy and sanctifying spirit O blessed Trinity coeternall To which one Infinite Majesty We most humbly ascribe the honour glory power praise might majesty and dominion which through all ages of the world have beene given to him which sitteth on the Throne to the Holy Spirit and to the Lambe for evermore Amen FINIS Theologia est scientia affectiva non speculativa 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Glem Al. in pedag Of the first Covenant Of the second Covenan 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
shall give you that without detaining you long or adding much to what hath beene already said onely by giving you the object of true faith which is of two sorts Either God himselfe Or the Word of God God who is beleived in and the Word of God as the rule of that Faith or matter to be beleived and that Word entirely considered signifying whatsoever I am or may ever be convinced to come from him and in it as it is now shut up and compriz'd in the Bookes of Canonicall Scripture these speciall parts which do divide the whole Scripture betweene them 1. The Affirmations of Scripture whether by way of Historicall Narration or by way of Doctrine 2. The Promises of God both in the Old and New Testament but especially the promises of the Gospell both such as belong to this life and specially those that belong to another 3. The Commands of God whether the Naturall Law of all mankinde written in our hearts by the finger of God made up in the frame of the humane soule and more clearely revealed both in the Decalogue and other parts of sacred writ or whether the Commands of Christ raising nature to a higher pitch in the Sermon on the Mount and superadding some positive institutions as those of the Sacraments and Censures of the Church in other parts of the New Testament 4. The Threats of the Gospell those terrors of the Lord set on purpose to drive and hazen us to amendment of our sinfull lives All these put together are the adequate object of our Faith which is then cordiall and such as God will accept of when it affords to every one of these that reception which is apportioned to it assent to the truth of the Affirmations fiduciall reliance on the promises obedientiall submission to the Commands and humble feare and aw to the Threats S. I have heard much of a Generall and a Particular Faith and that the Generall is little worth without the Particular Tell me whether that be appliable to the Faith you now speake of C. Being rightly understood it is S. What then is the Generall and Particular Faith as it referres to the Affirmations of Scripture C. The Generall is a beleife of Gods veracity that whatsoever is affirmed by him is infallibly true the Particularis the full giving up my assent to every particular which I am convinced to be affirmed by God assoone as ever I am so convinced or have meanes sufficient offered me so to convince me and yet more particularly the acknowledging of those truths which have speciall markes set upon them in Scripture to signifie them to be of more weight then others as that God is Heb. 11. 6. That Christ is the Messias of the world the acknowledging of which is said to be life eternall Jo. 17. 3. The Doctrine of the Trinity into which all are commanded to be baptized and those other fundamentals of faith which all men were instructed in antiently before they were permitted to be baptized contrived breifly into the compasle of the Apostles Creed a summary of Christian faith or doctrine necessary to be believed S. What is the Generall and Particular Faith as it referres to the Commands of the Gospell C. The Generall is an assent to the truth and goodnesse of those Commands in generall as they concerne all men that is beleiving that Christ hath given such a law to all his Disciples to all Christians and that that law is most fit to be given by him The Particular is the applying these Commands to my selfe as the necessary and proper rule of my life the resolving faithfull obedience to them S. What is it as it reforres to the Threats C. The Generall is to beleive that those Threates will be and that it is most just they should be executed upon all against whom they are denounced The Threates under oath absolutely non-admission into Gods rest to all disobedient provokers Heb. 3. 11. the conditionall Threates conditionally i. e. unlesse we repent and use the meanes to avert them The Particular is to resolve that except I get out of that number I shall certainly find my part in them S. What as it referres to the Promises C. The Generall is the beleeving the truth infallible truth of the Promises which Promises the object of that Faith being generally conditionall not absolute Promises great care must be taken that the Faith be proportioned to the nature of the Promises As when the Promise of rest is made peculiarly to the weary and heavy laden thus coming to Christ the Generall faith is to beleive undoubtedly that this rest shall be given to all that performe this condition to all humble faithfull penitentiaries and to beleive that it belongs either absolutely to all or to any but those who are so qualified is to beleive a lye No peice of Faith but phansy or vaine conceite which sure will never advantage but betray any that depends upon it S. What then is the Particular Faith terminated in this conditionall Promise C. Not the beleiving that the Promise belongs absolutely to me for it doth not any longer then I am so qualified nor the beleeving that I am so qualified for 1. perhaps I am not and 2. that is no object of faith no part of the promise or of any other peice of Gods word but it is made up of these three things 1. the confident perswasion that if I faile not in my part Christ will never faile in his if I doe repent no power of heaven or earth or hell no malice of Satan no secret unrevealed decree shall ever be able to deprive me of my part in the promise 2. A setting my selfe to performe the condition on which the promise is made as when rest being promised upon condition of coming I come upon that invitation then this coming of mine may be called particular application as when a picture is so designed and set as to looke on every one that comes in at the doore on none else the way to be particularly lookt on i. e. to apply the eye of the picture particularly to me is to come in at that doore And 3. the comparing the conditionall Promise to my particular present estate by way of selfe-examination and thence concluding upon sight of the condition in my selfe that I am such a one to whom the Promise belongs and shall have my part in it if I continue and persevere The second of these if it be reall and sincere gives me a certainty of the object seales the Promise to me in heaven which will remaine firme though I never know of it The third if it be on right judgement of my selfe may give me the other certainty i. e. ascertaine me that I am in the number of Gods children but there being so much uncertainty whether I judge aright of my selfe or no and there being no particular affirmation in Gods word concerning the sincerity of my present or perseverance
off to so long a date as the reversion in another world and consequently these two are most diversely rewarded the first with a great degree of glory for the glory we have brought to God's name the second so odious in the sight of God that even our almes giving or best actions are eaten thorow and smitten as the gourd with the worme and come to nothing find no reward in another world the little reputation gotten here and affected by us must serve our turnes the only reward we are to hope for which shewes the unhappynesse and folly of this sinne of vaine-glory it robbes us of all the reward that our most esteemeable acceptable free-will-offerings our workes of mercy can hope for from God S. Is this desire to be seene and have glory of men a sinne or no C. A sinne surely it is as a deflexion to the creature and if it be the principall motive of our actions then a wasting sinne unreconcileable with charity or the favour of God for it seemes the praise ef men rules in us and not the love of God and then how can you beleeve Jo. 5. 44. but if the love of God be the principle or prime mover of our actions and this other of the desire to be seene of men do only steale in as a secondary carnall interest of our owne then though it be a sinne still and such an one as will deprive us of all future reward of that good worke to which it is adherent yet through God's mercy in Christ and his equitable interpretation of our infirmities it will not prevaile so farre as to seperate betweene God and us eternally or to cast us out of his favour this I conceive may be concluded by analogy from that hard place of Saint Paul 1 Cor. 3. 12. or an example whereby that being of a larger extent and belonging first to matters of doctrine then to many other things may be illustrated The foundation being once layed i e. Jesus Christ he being set the principle of all our actions the faith in love of him being depeest grounded in our hearts superstructures on this are either of pure substantiall metall which will beare the test or tryall or judgement of God for that is meant by the day which word in all languages almost signifyes judgement when done without this mixture of drosse or hypocrisie or else of a baser allay which will not hold out the tryall but will perish in the fire when they are brought to it for tryall such are these almes-givings c of ours which have this desire of vaine-glory mixed with them The former of these workes as gold c. not consumable by the fire abide the tryall and are rewarded v. 14. the latter like wood c. combustible matter perish in the fire or tryall are burnt v. 15. come to be acounted to him for reward and so all those good deeds of his are lost come to nothing eaten through with that cankar of vaine-glory this mulct or punishment lies upon him for this fault but yet the foundation remaining still firme the faith and love of God in his heart he himselfe shall be saved or escape shall not himselfe be burnt though his workes are yet so as by fire or through or out of fire As one that being in the midst of a fire hath his very clothes burnt from his backe and scapes onely with his life these tainted workes of his are lost but himselfe escapes naked and bare to be one of the Nethinim as it were or doore-keepers in the Kingdome of God meane while this favour which he finds that is thus guilty of this blasting sinne will give him but little encouragement or comfort to indulge to it when he knowes that when 't is cheife in his heart the principle of his actions or superiour to the love of God in him 't is then an act of arrant infidelity and little mercy to be expected then and even when it comes in but as a secondary appendant to his good deeds 't is yet then a meanes to deprive him of all the reward or benefit of his best actions his Almes-giving prayer and fasting and brings him low to a very sad estate here and comparatively meane one hereafter all which he that will adventure for a little paultry praise that meere blast and wind and breath of sinfull men is sure very ill advised S. This being so unhappy a sinne and yet so hardly gotten out of us what meanes can you direct me to to prevent it C. 1. A consideration of the price it costs us Ye have no reward of your Father which is in Heaven or they have their reward here and so none behind in another world 2. A resolution before hand never to make my good deed more publicke then the circumstances necessarily attending the present occasion extort from me If I doe every good deed in the season and place that God represents the object to me let him alone to provide for his owne glory that is to rise from it and therefore I shall not need in that respect to use any artifice to publish it under pretence of making my light shine before men Therefore I say the second meanes will be a resolution not to make my good action more publicke then it needs as by browing a trumpet or using any meanes proportionable to that though in a lower degree to call mens eyes towards me or to doe what I doe on purpose and by choice in the market place or street or places of publicke meeting and concourse for so the word rendred Synagogues signifies But 3 rather on the other side if I find that humour of vanity getting in upon me to labour for the greatest secrecy imaginable for that is meant by that impossible phrase of not letting the left hand know what the right hand doth which by the way gives also a very usefull advertisement for our direction in our dispensing of almes Not to doe them so much to the beggar in the street who 1. Is here by accident literally forbidden v. 2. not in the streetes And 2. For the most part is a disorderly walker and not the fittest object of such charity releife of his wants without his labour being the nourishing his idlenesse And withall 3. Is the most proper food for our vaine glory as to the poore labourer in secret the house-keeper that comes not abroad and yet needes aide and releife more truly to support the burthen of a numerous hungry family and withall cannot be any temptation to our vaine-glorious humour at least so probably is not as the other 4. The contemplation of the reward that attends my contempt of the praise of men a thousand times more even in kinde then that which the vaine man attaines to to wit being praised of God openly before Men and Angells whereas a few spectators of sinfull men is all that can here be compassed in a full quire all looking upon us