of mercy from God noted by the sprinkling of the mercy seate 7. times 2. The intercession of Christ noted by the incense heated by the burning coales of his owne ardent affection Ver. 12 13. 3. The perfection of Christs mediation in that no man is joyned with him nor must any man be present Ver. 17. 4. The extent of the benefits to all the Elect noted by the sprinkling of the blood upon the foure hornes of the Altar The Use of all may be briefly both for instruction and consolation For instruction 1. To the people who should be above all things carefull to seeke the comfort of the application of Gods favour in Jesus Christ oh wee must above all things by faith keep this sprinkling of blood as is said of theÌ„ Heb. 11.28 2. Ministers should hence take notice of the maine end of preaching which is to sprinkle blood upon the hearts of the people that they may both be setled in the knowledge and assurance of their right in Christ and the covenant of grace and likewise purged in their consciences from dead workes we doe little by preaching if we beget not reformation and assurance in the hearts of the people he preacheth not that sprinkles not 2. For Consolation Be not fearefull Christs blood will protect thee as safely as ever did the blood of the paschall lambe the children of Israel Be not doubtfull of the efficacy of it For if the blood of buls and goates c. could purifie in respect of legall cleansings how much more shall the blood of Christ who by the eternall spirit offered up himselfe to God purge thy conscience from dead workes and make attonement for all thy sins cleansing thee from all unrighteousnesse Heb. 9.13 14 15. 1 John 1.7 Be not discontent with thy condition thou hast what was merited and purchased with blood how little soever it seeme in thy eyes But especially be not unthankfull for such a singular way of mercy but with all gladnes of heart rejoyce above all things in Christ him crucified for thee Hitherto of the persons saluted the forme of the salutation follows Grace and peace be multiplied to you It was the maner in their salutations to wish to their friends that which they accounted a chiefe happinesse to them So doth the Apostle here wishing the multiplying of grace and peace Grace and peace Grace must be considered two wayes 1. First as it is in God and so it is his free love and gracious disposition to shew mercy in Christ. 2. Secondly as it is in man and so it notes either the gifts of their minde or their condition or estate in Christ and so the faithfull are said to be under grace and not under the Law Peace is both inward and outward Inward peace consists in the contentation and rest of the soule and so it is both the rest of the conscience from terrors and the rest of the heart from passionâ— and perturbations Outward peace is nothing else but prosperity or an estate free from unquietnesse and molestation and adorned with needfull blessings Grace and Peace are the two principall things to be sought and wished in this world when Christ comes to inrich the world hee comes with grace and truth Iohn 1. he cannot be miserable that hath thâ—se two nor happy that wants them altogether Which may be a singular comfort to a Christian in grace and peace is his portion and he may goe boldly to the throne of God in the intercession of Christ to beg either of these in his need Heb. 4. ult God may deny him other things but he will never deny him grace peace And therefore also Christians should joy in the grace of God wherein they stand Rom. 5.3 and be resolved in themselves that the grace of God is sufficient for them 2 Cor. 12.9 Especially they should praise and esteeme and glorifie the grace of God It is all God askes for as it were at our hands even to honour him by praising his grace and free love to us Ephes. 1.6 Woe unto wicked men that neglect the grace of God what shall it profit them to gaine the world which yet they doe not and want grace and peace but especially why doe they not let Christians alone with their portion why doe they trouble them in their peace and despight them for their grace can they not follow their pleasures lusts profits honors c. and let Christians live quietly by theÌ„ who desire but liberty to enjoy grace with peace There is something also to be noted from the order of placing grace must bee had before peace there can bee no peace to the wicked and hee is undoubtedly wicked that hath not the grace of God Be multiplied Grace and Peace is multiplyed 1. First when the number of gracious persons is increased This is to be sought and prayed for 2. When the kindes of grace and peace are all had For there is the manifold grace of God 3. Thirdly when the measures and degrees are augmented The Husbandman would faine have his seed increase and the tradesman his trade so would the ambitious man his honors and preferments c. Even so should the Christian be ambitious and covetous in his desires that his grace and peace might increase Quest. What should we doe that grace and peace might be multiplied Answ. 1. Be sure it be true grace else it will never increase 2. Thou must increase in â—eeknesse and humility For God will give more grace to the humble Iam. 4.8 and the meeke shall have abundance of peace Psal. 37.6.11 3. If thou wouldest have thy grace and peace increase thou must be constant much in the use of all the ordinances of God which are the meanes of grace and peace As thou measurest to God in the meanes so will God measure to thee in the successe thou must be much in hearing For grace is in the lips of Christ Psal. 45.3 and much peace shall be to them that love Gods lawes Psal. 119. and thou must goe often unto God by prayer who gives grace and glory and will withhold no good thing Psal. 84.12 2 Thess. 1.11 12. Runne by faith to Christ who is the Prince of peace Esay 9.6 and stirre up the grace of God that is in thee For thou hast not received the spirit of feare but of power 2 Tim. 1.7 4. Thou must not perplex thy heart with the cares of this life but in all things goe to God by prayer and cast all thy care upon him so shalt thou have peace that passeth all understanding to keep thy heart and minde Phil. 4. 6 7. Thou must make much of the beginnings of desires joy liking and care of the meanes of godlinesse and not let them goe out so as thou shouldest fails of the grace of God or receive those graces in vaine 6. Thou must be resolved upon it to deny ungodlinesse and worldly lusts and to live righteously and religiously
sleep in the strength of that it hath sucked and further if it be a true desire it is after the word as it is milke and sincere it affecteth plainenesse and acknowledgeth no wisdome like Gods nor effectualnesse of speech more powerfull then the words of sacred scripture and lastly it is such a desire as intends growth in knowledge wisdome utterance prayer grace and holy duties Thus much of the signes The consideration of the glory and necessity of the worke of our new birth may exceedingly reprove the wretched and wilfull neglect of it in thousands of people especially of such as be continuall hearers and cannot be ignorant of the doctrine of it how many are the souls that like the blackamoores will not be made white the spots of whose sinnes are like the spots of the Leopard which will not be gotten out These have had promises to allure them and precepts to divert them and threatnings to humble them and yet are never a whit the better woe unto them they have not sought their peace in the day of peace yea are there not many who heare their own lets opened and yet goe away unreformed Oh the depth of the deceitfulnesse and wickednesse of mans heart Vnto a lively hope c. Foure things may be here noted three of them I will but touch First that there is hope unto the righteous He can be in no such estate or distresse but there is hope the poorest Christian hath his hope and if hee were inclosed with crosses yet he is a prisoner of hope and therefore wee should pray God to shew us the hope of our calling and should the more willingly suffer afflictions rejoycing in hope Secondly none have hope but converted Christians For all carnall men are without hope in the world I meane without true hope For the hope that wicked men have though they leane upon it is but as the house of a spider and therefore woe unto them for their hope when they shall most need it will be as the giving up of the ghost Thirdly there is one hope unto all Gods children they hope for the same glory as they have the same faith and therefore we should live and love so together as they that hope to raigne together in heaven But the fourth thing is the chiefe and that is that there is a lively hope and a dead hope For the one is expressed and the other is manifestly implied There is in godly men a lively hope there is in wicked men but a dâ—ll and a dead hope Now if any aske what difference there is between a lively hope and a dead hope or between the true hope and the false I answer that they differ in six things First in the use of the meanes for a lively hope will use all the meanes that are appointed of God and not that only but it seeketh and expresseth the affections requisite to the right use of the meanes and it will be painefull and patient Now the common hope of carnall men betrayes it selfe in this that they thinke to gâ—e to heaven though they never use the 〈◊〉 or 〈…〉 nor with any paines or patience Secondly in adversity a lively hope plainely shewes it selfe For it will make a man to runne to God and powre out his heart before him resting satisfied if it can get comfort and a promise from God whereas the dead hope is of no use when miseries and adversity comes It delights not in prayer and will not brooke to come in Gods sight it runs to carnall and devillish helps and if it faile in them it excites impatient murmuring or despaire Thirdly a lively hope is attended with lively joyes when God workes the hope of heaven he workes also at some time or other more or lesse the joyes of heaven which hee utterly denies to wicked men Fourthly mans hopes may be tryed by â—he object Aâ—ke a wicked man what is the thing he would have in heaven and he must answer it is the joyes and happinesse of heaven But aske a godly man what he would have in heaven and he soon answers it is the holinesse of heaven hee would be there because he would sin no more but the wicked would be there because they would suffer no more it is righteousnesse that hope waiteth for Fifthly the true hope will acknowledge the truth which is according to godlinesse but the false hope thinkes it enough to know it it will not adventure it selfe to be so forward as to professe it Lastly whosoever hath the true hope purgeth himselfe that he may be pure as Christ is pure but the dead hope cannot abide much mortification The use of all this may be to instruct both carnall men and godly men Carnall men should take notice of this difference that so they might addresse themselves to seeke this true and lively hope which that they may obtaine or attaine they must shun hypocrisie and deny all ungodlinesse and worldly lusts and labour for true grace for the hypocrites hope shall perish and we can never attaine unto the blessed hope unlesse we resolve to live soberly and righteously and religiously in this present world and this everlasting consolation and good hope is had onely by grace and the godly should here learne to hold fast their lively hope as one of the excellentest fruits of their regeneration and their daily refuge should be to nourish and strengthen themselves in it and to that end acquaint themselves constantly with the comforts of the scripture which were penned especially to that end that they might have hope And thus much of the third thing By the resurrection of Iesus Christ from the dead Concerning the resurrection of Christ as it may here be considered of â— propound foure things 1. In what sense it is here to be understood 2. How his resurrection hath relation to us in that our new birth is here haâ—â—ed upon it 3. I answer a question or two which here may be moved and then I make use of all For the first Some have understood by the resurrection of Christ here synecdochically the whole worke of redemption Some understand the words of his spirituall resurrection in our hearts by faith through the operation of the spirit of grace for as he dyeth in us by infidelity so he riseth in us by faith But I â—ake it here as it is commonly taken even for the resurrection of his own person even for that work by which he did shake off the power of death and quicken his dead body restoring the soule to it and receiving to himselfe in his humane nature a blessed celestiall and glorious life In the beleefe of this we differ from Pagans They can beleeve that he dyed but we must beleeve that he rose againe This was solemnly foretold by David and foreshewed by Ioâ—ah manifested by an Angell recorded by the
is one heart in them to serve the Lord. Thirdly they are all governed by one booke of Lawes Fourthly they all enjoy the same priviledges in the communion of Saints even those before contained in this verse Fifthly they all enjoy the love of God they are his portion As Israel was his out of all the world so the godly are his and make all but one Nation In that all the godly are one Nation divers things may from thence be observed by way of use Use. First it should be very comfortable to all that are truly godly and so it should comfort them divers wayes First against the fewnesse of them that live in one place so against the reproach of the world for that reason For here they may know that if all the godly were together there would be no cause to despise them for their number Never such a Nation of men as they Secondly in the case of adversaries the gates of hell shall not prevaile against them They are a whole Nation of them they may be oppressed but they can never be utterly rooted out Thirdly in respect of their consanguinity with all the godly though they differ much in estate or condition yet wheresoever or howsoever they live they are all country-men they are all of one Nation the partition wall is broken downe All godly Christians whether Jewes or Gentiles are but one Nation Fourthly in respect of the government and protection of Christ over them Why cryest thou then O Christian Is there no King in Sion Secondly hence some use for instruction may be made For first wee may here learne to know no man after the flesh All other relations are swallowed up in this relation when thou art once converted thou needst not reckon of what country thou art or how descended for thou art now onely of the Christian nation All godly men should acknowledge no respects more than those are wrought in them by Christ. Secondly since Christians are all countrymen and seeing they are like the Jewes dispersed up and downe the world they should therefore be glad one of another and make much one of another and defend one another and relieve one another by all means of help and comfort Thirdly they should therefore observe the fashions of the godly and bee more strict to follow the manners of their nation wheresoever they come A peculiar people The Latines render the words of the originall Populus acquisitionis In the Greeke it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The word rendred peculiar signifies sometimes conservation or saving as Heb. 10.39 to the saving or conservation of the soule sometimes purchase as the Church was purchased by his blood Act. 20.28 sometimes possession or obtaining as Hee ordained us to the obtaining of salvation 1 Thess. 5.9 and the glory of Christ 2 Thess. 2.14 Neither do Interpreters agree about the attributing of what felicity the word imports For one would have the sense thus Populus acquisitionis that is the people he could gaine by intending thereby that the Apostle should say that the godly were the onely people that God could get any thing by Others would have it thus A people for obtaining that is of heaven and so the sense is 1 Thess. 5.9 that they are a people God hath set apart to obtaine heaven or to gaine more than any people Others thus A people of purchase that is such as were purchased viz. by the blood of Christ. And so the people of God were purchased out of the world by the blood of Christ and the Israelites were typically redeemed out of Egypt by the blood of the Lambe The godly are a people bought at a great price none ever so dearely ransomed But I take it as it is here rendred A peculiar people and so the word may intimate a double reason For first they are a peculiar people because God hath every way fashioned them for himselfe Secondly they are a peculiar people because they are his treasure yea all his treasure The godly comprehend all his gettings they are as it were all he hath And so Exod. 19. vers 6. may explaine it Use. The use may be partly for consolation and partly for instruction First it should exceedingly comfort the godly to know their acceptation with God they are in high favour with him they are his very Favourites And this should distinctly comfort them divers waies as first that God doth make so much account of them to love them as any covetous man can love his treasure Hence God is said to delight in them to rejoyce over them with joy and his mercy to them pleaseth him Secondly it should comfort them in respect of the suites they may obtaine from God Hee is rich to all that call upon him No King can doe so much for his Favourites as God can and will doe for his Gods favourites may aske whatsoever they will and be sure to have it and therefore it were a shame for them to be poore Thirdly the favourites of earthly Princes may lose all and fall into the Kings displeasure and so be undone for ever and goe out with singular disgrace and ruine but Gods Favourites have this priviledge they shall never lose the favour of God He will love them to the end Iob. 13.1 Nothing shall separate them from the love of God in Christ Rom. 8. ult God hath not appointed any of them to wrath but to the obtaining of salvation 1 Thess. 5.9 10. And all this should be the more comfortable because God respects no persons Every subject cannot be the Kings Favourite nor is every servant in Ordinary nor is every one that serves in the Chamber of presence or Privie-Chamber but in Gods Court all servants are Favourites and hee hath treasure enough to enrich them all and affection enough to love them all Secondly divers instructions may be here gathered for if we be Gods Favourites and his treasure it should teach us First to live comfortably even to live by faith to trust upon Gods favour for life and salvation nor need wee doubt our pardon nor question our preferment Secondly to live humbly to be ever ready to acknowledge that it was Gods free grace that hath raised them up from the very dunghill as it were to such high preferment we must confesse that we hold all from him we must humble our selves seeing we have this honour to walke with our God Pride is one of the first things destroyes the favourites of the world Thirdly to live holily denying ungodlinesse and worldly lusts and living religiously and soberly and righteously in this present world since he hath redeemed us to bee a people peculiar to himselfe wee should be zealous of good workes An exactnesse of living is required of such as must live in Princes presence and since God hath bought us at so deare a rate wee must not live to our selves but to him that died for us 2 Cor. 5.15 Tit. 2.12 14. Fourthly to submit
the Law Rom. 4.4 11.16 nor can our best workes after calling deserve life and salvation Tit. 3.4 5. And on the other side the grace of God includes all things in life as wholly caused by Gods free favour to us in Christ. For first our election to life is from the meere grace of God Eph. 1.4.6 Secondly the meritorious cause of life is by grace Gal. 4.4.5 Thirdly the promise of life is by grace Rom. 4. 14. Gal. 3.18 Fourthly the inchoation of life is from grace whether we respect vocation Gal. 1.15 or justification Tit. 3.7 Gal. 2. ult Lastly in respect of the consummation of it in the perfection of glorie in heaven Rom. 6. ult Thus of grace in relation to life In it selfe grace is a most amiable attribute in God extending his goodnesse unto the creature without respect of deserts And that we may the more admire the glorious grace of God it will be profitable to give a touch of the fruits of it unto man upon whom he sets his favour for looke what men have interest in the grace of God these things flow upon them from the beames of that grace 1. God knowes them by name Exod. 33.12 2. When God is angry with all the world and about to declare his wrath by terrible judgements yet still they finde favour in his sight Gen. 6.8 19.19 3. When they offend and are sorrie for their offences and seeke for mercy he pardons iniquitie and takes them for his inheritance and repents him of the evill Exod. 34.9 Ioel 2.12 13. 4. He will with-hold no good thing from them Psal. 84.12 and bestowes of his best gifts upon them liberally in all sorts of gifts 1 Cor. 1.4.5 5. He will give them any thing they aske of him without hitting them in the teeth Iames 1.5 Lastly we see by this Text he gives them the inheritance of eternall life and all things that belong to life and godlinesse 2 Pet. â— 4 The Use should be to teach us many things as 1. To celebrate the praise of this graciousnesse of God seeing God doth all things so freely he stands upon it greatly to have this glory in his nature acknowledged Psal. 111.1 149.3 4. Eph. 1.6 2. To acknowledge that all good things we enjoy either in temporall or spirituall things we receive from his free grace Psal. 44.4 Eph. 2.8 for by the grace of God we are that we are 1 Cor. 15.10 3. When wee would wish the best good to others either in publike to the Churches of Christ or in private at home or abroad to any that are deare to us our cry should be Grace Grace to them Zech. 4.7 4. We should especially be moved to seek this grace of God to our selves as the sufficient and the only happinesse in the world Col. 1.6 Now that this point may the more effectually be understood I will shew you how this grace of God comes to men and then what we should strive to be that we may be sure to receive the comfort of it that God is gracious to us For the first we must know that all grace from God is given to Jesus Christ and comes by him Iohn 1.17 and therefore called The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ in the blessing at the end of the Epistles Without Christ no grace can come to sinfull men Further we must againe know that the grace of God is extended unto us from Christ by the Gospel that brings the doctrine of it to us therefore is the Word called the Word of his grace and the Gospel the Gospel of the grace of God And yet further we must know that there must be wrought in us that supernaturall gift of faith by which only we can be capable to receive this grace of God we have our accesse only by faith Rom. 5.2 Now for the second point There are many things God stands upon to finde in the persons that should receive the comfort of his grace not for the merit of them but for the honour of his owne grace that it be not abused as first we see by that which went before we must have faith to beleeve and apply to our selves the doctrine of Gods grace Secondly we must be good men not such as are men of wicked devices or such as make a mocke of sin but such as are carefull in all their waies to avoid what may displease so gracious a God Pro. 12.2 14.9 Tit. 2.11 12. Thirdly we must be lowly and humble persons that attribute nothing to our selves but all to Gods goodness Pro. 3.34 Iames 4.6 1 Pet. 5. And therefore it concernes all Christians to take heed that they rest not in the hearing of the doctrine of Gods grace but must labour truely and effectually to know Gods grace to themselves Col. 1.6 5. This doctrine of Gods grace may wonderfully comfort the godly and establish their hearts in the assured expectation of heaven when they die for nothing can hinder their comfort and hope herein but only their unworthinesse and that is removed by this doctrine of Gods grace thus the Apostle faith We have good hope through grace 2 Thes. 2.16 and againe We have accesse unto this grace by which we stand and rejoyce in the hope of the glory of God Rom. 5.2 6. It may wonderfully embolden us in our suits and requests to goe to Gods Throne seeing it is a Throne of grace where petitions are granted freely and great suits as easily as lesser Heb. 4.16 7. Men should be warned to take heed that they doe not transgresse against this doctrine of the grace of God And men sin against the grace of God fearefully foure wayes First when they frustrate it in the doctrine of it which they doe partly when they receive the doctrine of it in vaine and faile of the right knowledge of it 2 Cor. 6.1 Heb. 1â— 15 partly when they trust upon the merits of their owne workes Gal. 2. ult Secondly when they fall away from grace either by relapsing to the world by entertaining the corruptions they had forsaken or by removing the sincere doctrine of Gods grace Gal. 5.4 Thirdly when men turne the grace of God into wantonnesse and draw wicked and licentious conclusions from the pure doctrine of Gods grace making it a cloake for their sinfull liberties Iud. 1.4 Rom. 6.1 Fourthly when men despite the spirit of grace that shewes it selfe either in the power of Gods ordinances or in the practice of true Christians Heb. 10.29 8. It should be a wonderfull comfort to a Christian against his owne frailties and daily infirmities according to that of the Apostle We are not under the Law but under Grace Rom. 6.14 15. Lastly even the more gracious God is the more carefull we should be to walke worthy of his grace for as the Apostle saith The grace of God that bringeth salvation unto all men teacheth us to deny ungodlinesse and worldly lusts and to live righteously and soberly
As the love of Gods children growes or decayes in us so doth grace grow or decay Eph. 4.15 16. This love is the bond of perfectness Col. 3.13 Fiftly we must try our confidence in God and the assurance of our faith For as grace growes so doe wee grow more established and setled in God and the hope of his kingdome This is to abide in Christ and thus to trust in the Lord hath a promise of such a blessing as that man shall not wither Ier. 17.7 8. Sixtly we may discerne our growth by the decay of taste in sinne and the world As the violence of temptation and the admiration of the pleasures and profits of this life goe out of us by the same degrees doth the holy Ghost get the victory and the Spirit settles the possession of grace in us c. Seventhly wee may discerne it by our teachablenesse and honouring of prophecying when our Teachers according to their lines may bee inlarged and live without suspition or censure when wee can beleeve them and rest in their testimony above the whole world 2 Cor. 10.15 2 Thes. 1.10 Eighthly we may easily discerne it by our constancy and frequency in good workes either of piety or mercy or righteousnesse either at home or abroad For to such as have for use it is certain more is given Mat. 13.11 Ninthly wee may know it by the frequency of our communion with God If the Lord daily dwell in us or with us and reveale himselfe to us by the signes of his presence there is no doubt to bee made of our growing The heart of a christian is Gods Temple and you may be sure all prospers well in the Temple when the cloud sits there or often appeares there Eph. 2.20 21. Vse The use of this whole doctrine concerning growth may serve first for humiliation and so in many things First our hearts should smite us for our ignorance There are many things of excellent fruit and praise which we have not at all laboured in divers of the twelve things before Secondly for our deadnesse of heart and unprofitablenesse of life which is aggravated against us 1. VVhen God give us much meanes 2. VVhen we are insensible or at least incorrigible know all is not well and feele our selves to bee lashed and yet mend not 3. VVhen we are slothfull and weary will not stirre up our selves nor receive direction for the making up of what is lacking to our faith or to any other gifts especially when wee are weyward and will goe about rather than be at the tryall of direction or asking the way Ier. 31.21 3. Much more to such as are so farre from growing that they fall away and decline lose their first love and what they have wrought begin in the Spirit and end in the flesh This much vexeth God and is extremely dangerous to the parties Esay 1.4 Ier. 7.24 and 15.6 2 Pet. 2.20 But that this may not either pearce too farre or fall too deadly or flat upon any that are guilty we must knowe there is a double declining or apostasie the one inward the other outward First the inward is when a mans heart is falne off from the care of godlinesse and the meanes of it and regards iniquity constantly being possessed of the raigne of habituall hypocrisie and this may be in men that outwardly frequent the meanes and make a shew of godlinesse Secondly the outward declining or Apostasie is when men outwardly live in grosse sinnes or follow scandalous courses and are at last relapsed to the violent courses of the world so as the meanes of godlinesse is neglected Againe declining is first either totall secondly or in part First totall when we fall off from all godlinesse and all the meanes of it and so onely they fall that sinne against the holy Ghost Secondly in part is when men fall into some sinne or error and not lose all conscience of well-doing and such is their Apostasie also that fall off from the care of some of the ordinances of God as when men use the private and neglect the publique or use the publique and neglect the private c. Question But what shall a man doe to helpe himselfe that finds he hath declined c. Answer He must take unto himselfe words and confesse his sinne to God and returne to the Lord heartily hee will heale even his backsliding Hose 14.3 4 5. Vse 2. Secondly for instruction and so it should perswade with us mightily to hold on and never faint in the way but strive to the perfection of every good gift of God not being weary of well-doing knowing that it is a shame still to be children and that God doth require a righteousnesse of us that should exceed the righteousnesse of all the Papists and Pharisees in the world and to this end we should preserve in us this desire after the sincere milke of the word and watch against security and slothfulnesse the dangerous moaths of godlinesse Vse 3. Thirdly such may be much encouraged who have their hearts set upon growth and doe prosper in Gods worke though otherwaies they have many afflictions or infirmities yea such as with true hearts doe mourne for their not growing as they think may consider of many comforts to uphold themselves by as 1. Our Saviour Christ had not all degrees of grace at once but grew in grace by degrees 2. Though thy gifts be small and grow in thee like a graine of mustard-seed yet it may grow to a marvelous increase Matth. 13. 3. Though thou have many infirmities yet thou maist beare abundance of fruit as the vine which is the weakest plant yet is not therefore barren Isaiah 27.2 4. Though thou have little meanes to help thy selfe by yet thou maiest by the blessing of God grow the lilies spin not and yet are gorgeously cloathed Matth. 6.28 5. If wee sowe good seed it is certaine the Lord will give increase 1 Cor. 9.10 11. 6. Though we sowe in teares we shall reape in joy Psal. 126.5 6. yea though we be extremely oppressed and reproached as the Israelites grew even the more they were hated and oppressed in Aegypt Mark 4.8 7. Wee have great helps the word is more effectuall to the soule then milke to the body and we receive influence from Christ our head Coloss. â— 19 and every member of the mysticall body makes some supply to further the growth of the whole body Eph. 6.16 Verse 3. Because ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious or bountifull THese words containe the fourth reason to perswade to the desire after the word and it is taken from the experience they have had of the goodnesse of God comforting them in the word If ever they tasted the sweetnesse of the word they must needes have an appetite to it In these few words there are divers points of Doctrine to bee observed and explained as namely First that God is gracious Secondly that God doth graciously
God hath given of his free grace and shall be fully brought upon you at the last day when Christ shall bee shewed in his glory to the world Now there are six reasons which may induce you to the care of a holy conversation intended in the former dutyes 1. The first concernes the image of God ye are the children of God and therefore you should live so as becomes Gods children and expresse in your cariage the resemblance of the nature of God not given your selves over onâ— of the liking of sinne to the service and obedience of any of those corruptions which either your selves lived in before your calling or are usually found in such onely as know not GOD. But as God who by the power of his word hath converted you is holy so should you strive with respect of all his commandements to resemble the praises of God in all your carâ—age striving in every duty to follow your patterne And the rather because this hath beene anciently required in the old Testament of Gods people to propound unto themselves the imitation of Gods holinesse and to detest sinne because they would not be unlike to God 2. A second reason may be taken from the judgment of God For the time must certainly come when God whom we call a Father and call upon as a Father in this life will summon us before his Tribunall certainly and speedily and then no man shall escape but shalt be dealt with without partiality or any corrupt respect according as mens workes have beene either good or evill and therefore it behoves us that are in this world but as sojourners for a time to spend our daies in all carefulnesse and godly feare 3. A third reason may be taken from the consideration of our redemption which hath many important motives in it For it cannot bee but yee all know that your misery by nature was so great that yee could not be ransomed if all the treasures of gold and silver in the world had been given for you and when you were redeemed a chiefe respect was had to the freeing of you from the viciousnesse of your conversation in which vainely yee spent your times and which corruption in many things yee sucked in from the sinfull examples and precepts and ill education of your Parents and ancestors But especially if yee consider what a matchlesse price was given for your ransome even the pretious blood of Christ who as a most absolute sacrifice for our sinnes was without all soule of nature or life and so the full substance of all the ceremoniall sacrifices and in particular was the true lambe without blemish or spot that makes attonement for the sinnes of the world And the rather if yee consider that from all eternity God had ordained that Christ should dye for you and when the fulnesse of time came that God was to reveale his Sonne as the Saviour of the world hee shewed him in the flesh and caused him to be preached unto you and for your sakes with far more evidence and clearnesse than in forâ—er ages To you and for your sakes I say that doe constantly put your trust in Gods mercy through his merits that God that to shew he was fully paid the uttermost farthing of our debts came to the prison doore and let him out which he did when he raised him from the dead and besides exalted him to wonderfull glory when hee ascended up into heaven that so for the time to come you might beleeve and trust upon Gods goodnesse and favour to you without all feare or doubting 4. And the rather in the fourth place should you be carefull of the former exhortation if you consider your relation to the godly to whom ye are 〈◊〉 For seeing that by the spirit of God your soules are purified from the leprosie of inward evills by the holy course you have held in clensing your hearts of those evills which might hinder your internall sanctification in that obedience you yeeld to the truth of God and inasmuch as the end of all this reformation was that there might be a holy communion and affection without hypocrisie and dissembling among such as feare God who are all the children of one Father therefore see to it by any meanes that yee order your lives and hearts so that you may love one another both with ardent affection pure sincere hearts which you never doe unlesse you gird up the loines of your mindes and live soberly be setled in the assurance that yee shall altogether one day raigne in heaven 5. And fiftly the immortality of your soules should perswade with you you were made new men not as you were made men by a naturall propagation but inspired with a life that should never cease having the seed of this eternall life cast into your hearts by the word of God which in it selfe and by effect in you liveth and abideth for ever And lastly if you consider the mortality of your bodies All in a mans outward estate is but vaine and transitory the bodies of all men are but as the grasse which is to day and tomorrow is cut downe and cast into the oven Man is quickly and suddenly gone nor is the glory of mens outward estate better than their bodies For all the riches pleasures c. of this life in which men glory most they are but as the ' flower of grasse His body withereth like the grasse decaying in a short time till he have nothing left but the very roote of life and as for his riches and pleasures they like the flower fall off so as they are never recovered againe many times in this life but alwaies in death But on the other side the word of God upon which men should set their hearts continueth in the efficacie of it in the sense of it and in the fruit of it for ever and that you may not be mistaken this is that word of God which is daily preached unto you AN EXPOSITION OF THE FIRST EPISTLE generall of PETER CHAP. I. verses 1 2. 1. Peter an Apostle of Iesus Christ to the strangers that dwell here and there throughout Pontus Galatia Cappadocia Asia and Bithynia 2. Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father unto sanctification of the spirit through obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Iesus Christ Grace and peace be multiplied unto you THe purpose of the Apostle in this Epistle is to confirme the Christians to whom he writes in the faith and to assure them that it was the true grace of God they had received and to perswade them to all possible care of sincerity of life becomming the Gospell and to constancy in tryalls The Epistle stands of three parts 1. The salutation Chap. 1. ver 1 2. 2. The body of the Epistle Chap. 1. ver 3. to Chap. 5. ver 12. 3. The Epilogue or conclusion Chap. 5. ver 12.
either of old or by the persecution about Stephen or at other times after 〈…〉 be the Apostle of the Circumcision Others thinke they were Gentiles converted to the Jewish Religion and so they take strangers and Proselites to be all one and to such Peter preached Acts 2. and converted many of them and they thinke he writes to them now Others thinke that this Epistle is so written to the Jewes as it is intended also for those elect Gentiles in those parts because he saith Chap. 2.10 that these people were not in times past a people nor under mercy but now were the people of God and had obtained mercy which words doe not so fitly agree to the Jewes and so all the Elect of God are strangers in this world and so the word is evidently used Chap. 2.12 and I thinke it is to be taken in this last sense Strangers Man may be said to be a stranger in five respects 1. In respect of absence from his naturall friends and his native soile so Abraham was a stranger in Canaan 2. In respect of the want of Gods favour and grace so wicked men are strangers from the covenant of promise from the Common-wealth of Israel and from the life of God 3. In respect of the contempt of the world so Gods children when they begin to feare God the world accounts them as strangers and avoids them so David was a stranger to his brethren and kindred 4. Some make themselves strangers by a wilfull retyâ—ing and discontentment for crosses that befall them 5. In respect of absence from the heavenly Canaan and the troublesome condition in this world and so all Gods elect are strangers Gods elect then are strangers in this world this point is abundantly confirmed in these places Gen. 47.9 1 Chron. 28.15 Psal. 39.13 Heb. 11. 12 13. 13.14 15. And it may teach us many excellent things for the ordering of our cariage both in our selves and toward others There are 12 things which may bee gathered out of this metaphoâ—icall tearme to teach us with much life by the comparisons may be taken from thence Or there be 14 things wherein we should be like to strangers 1. A stranger is unacquainted and hath little to doe but with his journey so while we are in this world we should thinke chiefly on our journey and keep our selves estranged from the world dissolving our sinfull acquaintance and keeping our hearts from the cares of life 2. A stranger useth to be much affected with lesser courtesies in a strange place Ruth 2.10 so should we be thankfull to God for any kindnesse in this world it is enough it shall goe well with us in heaven we should say with David who am I and what is my people that we should c. for all things come of thee Now therefore our God we thanke thee and praise thy glorious name for we are strangers before thee and sojourners as were all our fathers our dayes on earth are as a shadow and there is no abiding 1 Chron. 29.14 15. 3. A stranger is wont to be glad of any good company that will go with him though it were but a part of the way How should wee then with all joy and dearenesse entertaine Gods servants into our inward and perpetuall society These are they will goe with us to heaven 4. A stranger will be carefull to inquire his way feares to misse it seekes best directions and that every day yea and at every turning It will not serve his turne once or twice or seldome in his iourney to take generall directions yea he is glad to aske of any body even children when he is out of his way or doth but feare it or is in danger of it And shall not this teach us to 〈…〉 should we goe to God to seeke a way of him yea going and weeping we should go and aske the way with our faces thitherward Ier. 51.4 Ezra 8.22 How should we be glad of guides and make our selves also equall to them of the lower sort that by conference and all good helpes from Ministers and godly people we might receive daily directions It is a horrible plague to have a heart that is not willing and forward to aske questions about the way to be saved and intolerable pride not to make use of any that can give us counsell O the incredible stupidity of our spirits we that cannot travaile in a road-way that perhaps we have gone before without every houres questions yet thinke our selves wise enough to finde the way to heaven with little or no directions 5. A stranger lookes not for great things for himselfe he doth not seeke honors and offices and possessions in the City he travels through his care is onely for necessaries for his iourney And are not wee strangers on earth and is it now a time for us to take up our dwellings here and to seeke great things for our selves in this world Ier. 46 5. a stranger never pleads any priviledge in the place he comes to and this was the ancienâ— minde of the godly Patriarks they quitted all claimes and confessed plainly they were but pilgriâ—â—s and embraced the promises as their portion and so set up their rest in their hopes Heb. 11.3 6. A stranger can endure wrongs Hee staies not his iourney to turne againe to every dâ—gge that baâ—kes at him nor to seeke revenge for every indignity He lets not his iourney for every showre of raine and should it not be thus with us Why doe we feare reproach what stand we still at every slander why busie we our heads for projects of revenge or our hearts with indignation at every currish caitife or dogged Doeg that will falsely accuse our good conversation in Christ When will we come to our journies end if we every day trouble our selves with the indignities we receive in this strange world let the curres barke ride thou on and minde thy way What if thy crosses fall like raine ride on it is but a showre it will be over 7. A stranger or traveller so thinkes of his travaiâ—e in the day that hee looks for rest at night and so takes his rest at night as he resolves to travaile againe in the morning so should we be minded In prosperity to provide for adversity and in adversity to hope for prosperity againe as assured that man abideth in no certaine stay here 8. A stranger never measures his owne worth by what he findes in the way but by what he shall possesse when hee comes home so should a Christian doe he should live by faith and not by sight It matters not what the world thinkes of him his greatnesse is in the kingdome of heaven 9. A stranger will be glad to send home upon any opportunity and to get any friend to provide for him against hee come should not wee then bee glad of any opportunities to send home to heaven by our prayers
which should teach us in imitation of God to separate betweene the precious and the vile accounting one that hath true grace above a thousand carnall persons and we should oppose the love of God and his account against all the scorns and oppositions of the world Besides it is an excellent comfort in affliction for this great account God makes of us may assure us that he afflicts us not willingly but with singular pitty To conclude hath God avouched us for his treasure and peculiar people and shall not we then avouch God to be our God to keep his commandements and set a high price upon the holinesse he requires Now for the second It is true also that the very afflictions and tryals of Gods servants are better than gold Moses thought they were better than the treasures of Egypt and they are so in divers respects 1. Because they take away our sinnes which is all fruit 2. In respect of the wonderfull joyes of God which a Christian findes in affliction 3. Because they are notable meanes to weane us from the world and fit us for heaven 4. Because they worke unto us an eternall waight of glory which all the treasures in the world would not purchase All which should greatly hearten us in all wrongs and troubles knowing that the Lord will cause all to work for the best and in all these we shall be more then Conquerors But I think chiefly it is to be referred to faith and so it assures us that grace is better than treasure and faith is better than gold and this will appeare better if wee compare the nature or the use or the end of these For the first The substance must needs be better than the shadow now gold is used but to resemble and shadow out the worth of grace Besides riches are neither true nor ours Not true for it is manifest that opinion sets the price upon these outward treasures Nor are they ours for they will not goe with us And for the use of these there is a great disproportion Grace may bring riches but riches cannot bring grace Iob 28.16 Prov. 24.4 Riches are but for the use or ornament of the outward man but faith and grace make the soule glorious Psal. 45.10 Riches occasion much sinne Esay 2.8.7 1 Tim. 6.9 but faith purifieth the heart Riches will not availe in the day of wrath Prov. 11.4 Ezech. 7.19 28.13.19 Zeph. 3.18 but faith will finde a propitiation to still Gods displeasure Rom. 3.25 Faith works a great deale of peace and inward tranquility but riches are like thornes and to have much gold is to have much care and all will still be vanity and vexation of spirit And lastly for the end of these it is apparant that the end of faith is the salvation of our soules 1 Pet. 1.9 but a rich man can hardly bee saved and because of riches thousands of men lose their soules The Use may be either for instruction or consolation For instruction two waies 1. First this should raise our estimation of poore Christians that are rich in faith Iam. 2.5 2. Secondly it should quicken us to the seeking of this precious faith aboue all treasures Receive faith and not silver and assurance above much fine gold and when thou hast gotten assurance keep that which God hath committed to thee And for consolation how can it but be comfortable to all that are thus honoured of God to be trusted with this true treasure God will be their gold as he said Iob 22.23 24 25. Oh happy are the men that findâ— the merchandise of faith Let all poore Christians rejoyce that they are thus exalted and contrariwise woe is unto the world because of faith men seek gold but who seeks faith what shall it profit him to have an empty soule and a full chest to have goods and not be good Yet before I passe from these words wee may note some things that are implyed First gold is precious He granteth that when he saith faith is more precious For these outward things are Gods creatures and he retaineth his title to them still It is his gold and his silver still which may teach men to be carefull how to dispose of these outward things For they must give an account of their stewardship even in these Secondly gold is here said to perish which is true both actively and passively Actively it makes many a man to perish and therefore it is called riches of iniquity and is said to drowne men in perdition and passively it perisheth because it vanisheth and will not continue Riches have wâ—ngs and either vanity will rust them or violence take them away and many times they are lost to the unexpressible griefe of the owner Nabum 2.9 10. But it seemes Faith doth perish too 1 Cor. 13. It perisheth in respect of the act of it but not in respect of the fruit of it for so it endures for ever And all this should teach us to have our conversation without covetousnesse Heb. 13.4 and if riches increase we should not set our hearts on them Psal. 62.10 but rather lay up for our selves a good foundation by the mercifull communicating of them 1 Tim. 6.17 Though it be tryed in the fire Fire is sometimes taken properly and so it may be referred to gold and then the sense is that faith is better than gold tryed in the fire Fire is sometimes taken metaphorically and so there is the fire of mortification 1 Cor. 3.13 and the fire of renovation Mat. 3.11 and the fire of tribulation and the fire of condemnation c. It is the fire of tribulation which is meant here Sometimes by this fire is meant any tribulation and sometimes a speciall fierce and unresistible crosse is meant by it and so I think the fiery triall 1 Pet. 4.12 is to be taken and so it may be understood here It is sure that God doth sometimes try his best servants with strange afflictions yet here is comfort that all this shall be for their good which should teach us in the greatest troubles to live by faith 1 Pet. 4.12 13. and in lesser afflictionâ— not to be moved seeing wee have nâ—t resisted unto so high a degree of affliction as many of Gods deare servants have Againe wee may hence note that Christians are not Stoicks they have sense of their affliâ—tions Crosses are fire and fire wil be felt no affliction for the present seemes joyous Thuâ— of the first way of amplification the second followes which is by the consideration of the event Might be found unto praise and honor and glory in the revelation or at the appearing of Iesus Christ. For the senâ—e of these words The words praise and honor and glory may be referred to God and so it is true â—hat tryall of the faith of Christianâ— in their manifold tentations shall bring a great deale of glory and honor to
to abound in these For now is the time when God is willing to make all grace to abound that wee might abound unto every good worke 2 Cor. 9.8 and we might all of us know the Lord from the least of us to the greatest Ier. 31.33 Thirdly since the Prophets testifie of this grace it should teach us to try our gifts and graces by the writings of the Prophets for so we may know whether it be the true grace of God or no. Fourthly we should labour to walk worthy of this grace that is come unto us and that we cannot doe unlesse we doe foure things 1. That wee be exceeding thankfull and set out the glory and praise of Gods grace 2. That we abound with peace and joy in beleeving 3. That we be fruitfull in good works 4. That we stand in the grace received and not fall from our sted 〈◊〉 nor receive Gods grace in vaine Rom. 15.8,9,10,13 Col. 1.9,10.2 Pet. 3.18 Gal. 5.1 2 Cor. 6.1 Now concerning our respect of others 1. First Ministers should be encouraged to endure any thing since they have so honorable a function as to dispense the Gospell of the grace of Iesus Christ Act. 20.24 2. Secondly the people should esteeme worthy of all honor such eminent persons and Christians upon whom we see this grace of God prophesied to come yea such as abound in knowledge and pâ—ety of life wee should wonderfully honor as being the persons the prophesie ran of 3. Lastly this should be our great desire and prayer for others that the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ might be with them They inquired and searched diligently Two things are here affirmed of the Prophets 1. First that they searched and inquired 2. Secondly that they did it with great diligence and paines Where did the Prophets search and inquire 1. First they inquired of God by prayer 2. Secondly they inquired and searched in the writings of the first Prophets Iacob Moses Samuel David c. 3. Thirdly they searched and inquired by meditation studying their own prophesies into which they were carryed by the Spirit of God that they might see whether they could find out this glorious salvation especially for the time and manner of it The Use is for wonderfull great reproofe of thousands amongst us that neglect so great salvation did the Prophets search and inquire and can it be safe for us to be secure What should be the reason that multitudes of men have so little mind to inquire about their salvation 1. Men are diseased after an unexpressible maner with a spirituall Lethargie when there ariseth any thought of the kingdome of God 2. Salvation is far off and unlesse the Lord by the spirit of wisdome and revelation inlighten the eyes of mens minds they cannot discerne the glory of it or the need of it Eph. 1.18,19 men onely see things that are neerer so purblind we are 3. The most men are drowned and distracted with the cares and pleasures of this life 4. Lastly this comes to passe by the effectuall working of Sathan who daily and mightily labours to hide the Gospell from mens souls and to hinder the care of a better life This is his every dayes work But for hereafter let us all be admonished by this example of the Prophets to devote our selves to the study of salvation especially 1. To seek the grant of it from God 2. To seek the evidence of it in the word of God 3. To seek the signs of it in our own hearts 4. To seek a way that leadeth thither in our practice and conversation Now whereas it is said the Prophets searched and inquired diligently that should also fire us and still stir us up not onely to study and inquire but to doe it diligently also Now to inquire and search about salvation diligently imports five things 1. First that we should refuse no paines or labour or care to attaine it 2. Secondly that we should doe it daily and constantly Hee that is in a journey doth not thinke it enough to aske his way the first day Oh Lord how are wee guilty in thy sight that inquire so seldome for the way to heaven 3. Thirdly that we should practice the directions which are given us out of the wnrd Else to inquire a way of God and not to follow it is greatly to provoke God Ezek. 14.3,4 Ier. 42.2,3 c. 4. Fourthly that we should seek affectionately as David saith with our whole hearts Psal. 119.2 as they did that asked their way and went weeping as they went with their faces thitherward Ier. 50.4,5 5. Lastly that we should seek help from all the ordinances of God labouring to further our salvation by all meanes both publike and private Thus of the second part The third is the subject matter which in generall is salvation and in particular the time and manner of the time Of which salvation By salvation may be meant all that which befalleth Christians after the time of their calling For as true grace is the beginning of it and perfect glory the full consummation of it so all the meanes that work either are comprehended under this name yea the very sufferings of the godly are a part of their salvation because they worke unto them an eternall weight of glory yea so should all the godly be disposed as they should make salvation the end of all their actions we should doe nothing which should not some way tend to further our salvation Three things may be here noted First that the doctrine of salvation of Gods people is a subject able to fill the contemplation of the divinest and wisest men The Prophets have a subject able to fill them yea more than they are able to conceive of to the full which may serve for two uses First for humiliation that we should be so barren-hearted and able to conceive so little of so divine a subject seeing the Prophets are so taken up with continuall study and care about it Secondly for singular consolation to the godly For by this it appeareth that they have an admirable portion in that such worthy men so much admire it Secondly that as any have more grace so they are more heartily affected with the estimation and desire after the salvation of Gods elect The Prophets foresaw the rising of many great Kings and Monarchs that should afterwards in severall successions enjoy a marvellous glory in this world yet they leave looking and wondring at them and are now taken up with the consideration of the glory of the abiect Gentiles as finding more perfection in their calling into the kingdome of Christ then they could behold in the greatest Princes of the earth Certain'y so long as we can admire any thing more than the grace of God to his people our hearts are void of grace Thirdly that when we goe about any thing that concerns salvation especially our own salvation we should here learn of the Prophets to doe it with all
Thus much for the coherence But yet the maine doctrine that the Apostle perswades unto is that wee should seriously labour to perfect our trust and hope of a better life that we should not be quiet till we had established our hearts in the assurance of it Being converted God would have us set our selves as it were wholy after heaven For the explanation of this doctrine I consider 1. What it is to trust perfectly on the grace of God 2. Why we should be so constant and confident in it 3. How we should shew it that we doe trust perfectly 4. What we may doe to attaine this assurance c. For the first To trust perfectly is 1. To hope and trust upon it sincerely and that hath two things in it For first it is to trust upon it without hypocrisie 2. To trust upon it without prophanenesse Without hypocrisie we trust upon eternall life when wee doe it not onely in words or in shew but when we doe it not without warrant from Gods promises Many men are confident of their salvation but alas it is but in shew or in words onely for their owne hearts beleeve it not or if they doe they hope upon unknowne meanes without any ground of warrant from the Word 3. To hope without prophanenesse is to bring such a trust as is joyned with a care of holinesse of life care of such a conversation aâ— may some way become the glory we looke for It is not to turne the grace of God â—nto wantonnesse or to make the doctrine of our salvation by Christ a doctrine of liberty for the flesh 2. To trust perfectly upon salvation is to get a full assurance of hope it is to trust without wavering or doubtfulnesse 3. It is to hope continually to hope to the end as some reade it here It is to hope in all estates whatsoever befals us either internally or externally 4. It is to trust wholy upon it even to trust upon nothing else it is to withdraw our hearts from confidence in any earthly thing whatsoever so to esteeme it as to care for nothing else 5. It is to trust servently not coldly or dully but with a lively hope and inflamed affections For the second There are many reasons why wee should be so sincere so fully assured so constant in our hope of eternall life Some few I will touch 1. Because God requires it as may appeare by these places Heb. 6.11 18. 10.23 Col. 1.23 2.2 Rom. 15.13 Heb. 3.6 Psal. 71.14 2. Because we are saved by hope Rom. 8.24 3. Because the ministration of the Gospell is so glorious therefore it is a shame to be ignorant of what is so fully and clearly revealed by the commandment of God 2 Cor. 3.10 12. 4. Because Christ is our hope of glory It is a dishonour to his merits to doubt of it Col. 1.27 5. Because our perfect happinesse consists onely in that grace of God wee shall never be perfectly well till we get into heaven 6. Because our trust will be tryed and opposed by tentations and afflictions it is good to get on our helmet for wee shall be sure to fight and the combat will be sore a little hope will not serve turne 1 Thes. 5.8 7. Because else we dishonour the promise and oath of God Heb. 6.18 For the third we shall shew it that we doe trust perfectly upon the glory to come 1. If we can rejoyce in it even in tribulation being not ashamed of our estate whatsoever befall us Rom. 5.3 5. 12.12 1 Thes. 1.5 using it as an ancre Heb. 6.18 1 Tim. 4.10 2. If wee can uâ—e with all humility and honour all the heires of the same hope with us If wee can love the poore servants of God and be affected to them as if they were already in heaven this would be an excellent signe that we trust in this grace to come Eph. 4.4 Heb. 6.10 11. 3. If we mourne not immoderately for the dead 1 Thes. 4.13 4. If we can constantly acknowledge the truth that is according to godlinesse whatsoever the world think or doe Tit. 1.1 2. 5. If we daily looke for and haste to that blessed appearing of Iesus Christ Tit. 2.13 6. If we can keepe our confidence though God himselfe seeme to oppose us as Job said If he kill me yet I will trust in him Iob 13.15 7. If wee can withdraw our hearts from the care and love of this world out of estimation of that glory to come Heb. 11.15 16. 8. If we can get the mastery of the feare of death so as to rejoyce in the very condition of our flesh resolving that our flesh shall rest in hope Psal. 16.9 9. If our conversation be in heaven and our hearts runne daily upon it Phil. 3.21 For the fourth that we may attaine this stedfastnesse and full assurance of hope five things are to be done 1. We must acquaint our selves much with the comfortable promises of the Scripture concerning eternall life in Christ Rom. 15.4 2. Wee must try our selves whether wee have true grace or no 1 Thes. 2.16 3. We must pray unto the God of hope to give us his Spirit of revelation that we may know the hope of our calling and accordingly may find all peace and joy in beleeving it Eph. 1.18 Rom. 15.13 4. We should labour to be established in all well-doing even in every good worke and word 2 Thes. 2. ult denying ungodlinesse and worldly lusts and living soberly and righteously and religiously in this present world or else we can never attaine this blessed hope Tit. 2.12 13. 5. We must hold fast our hope when we have it and not cast it away upon any occasion Heb. 6.18 Heb. 3. The Use may be First for confutation of popish doctrine about the hope of salvation and that in two points First that they make hope to differ from faith in infallibility as if faith were certaine but hope conjecturall whereas we see perfection and full assurance and not wavering is given to hope as well as by faith and so it shewes the tenure by hope is as certaine and infallible as by faith Secondly in that they deny that men can be certaine infallibly of their salvation their hope can be but probable we see we are charged to mend that fault in our hope and to perfect it and get even a plerophorie of hope to the end Heb. 6.11 Secondly it may serve for humiliation to foure sorts of men amongst us 1. The first is hypocrites who beare but the shew of hope or have but the bare words of hope what will become of them when God shall take away their soules Iob 27.8 their hope will be as the house of a spider Iob 8.13 and as the giving up of the ghost Iob 11.2 2. The second is open profane persons that never made any shew or conscience of repentance These are without hope Eph. 2.12 so far are they from
a perfect hope they are sure to lose heaven 1 Cor. 6.9 Deut. 29.19 c. 3. Of weak and wayward Christians This doctrine should found in their eares as a great reproofe Why doe ye doubt oh ye of little hope doth God require a perfect hope and are yee still after so many daies so much unsetled unperfected We should account it a great shame to have but a little hope especially after so long profession and so much meanes and so many pledges of Gods love 4. Of backsliding Christians that fall away or to â—se the phrase of the Apostle are moved away from the hope of heaven either internally by an habituall forgetfulnesse of it or externally by revolt or apostasie to the love of the world These are so far from perfecting their assurance that they fall away from it Thirdly this should serve for instruction to quicken us to use all meanes for perfecting of our hope devoting our selves to the study of heavenly things and to the daily contemplation of the glory to come according to the counsell of the Apostle Heb. 6.11 not suffering slothfulnesse to hinder from the seriâ—us performance of our duties herein ver 12. Lastly here is great encouragement to all such of Gods servants as doe trust upon God for their salvation the Lord will never faâ—le them that trust in him and whatsoever become of the hypocrite yet will he never cast away the perfect man Iob 8.13 20. If God require so great trust it imports there is a sure preparation of a glorious estate Oh saith the Psalmist how great is his goodnesse that he hath laid up for them that trust in him Psal. 31.19 Thus of the mâ—nner of our hope Trust perfectly Now followeth the object of it viz. The grace which is to be brought unto us in the revelation of Iesus Christ and here first of the object it selfe and then of the time of the communication of it The grace which is to be brought unto you Grace sometimes signifies the Gospell Tit. 2.11 sometimes the favour of God in Christ so in the salutations of the Epistle sometimes an externall calling or function so Paul calls his Apostleship a grace Rom. 1.16 sometimes the gifts of the holy Ghost so usually lastly sometimes the glory of heaven so here It is true that some reade it the grace that is brought in the revelation of Iesus Christ and so it meanes that true grace which in this world the Elect doe receive when Christ is revealed to them in their conversion to God by the mighty power of the Gospell and so foure things might be observed 1. That God revealeth his Sonne in all that shall be saved at some time of their life or other 2. That Christ is never revealed in us till the time the grace of the sanctifying Spirit be wrought in us and the riches of Gods graces in his promises be declared to us For there is a double grace in the revelation of Christ. 1 The declaration of Gods grace in his promises 2. The possession of the graces of his holy Spirit 3. That were not this grace is brought unto us offred and urged upon us we would live and die without it 4. That when we know our interest in Gods favour and that wee have received the true grace of Christ we should trust perfectly in it and that iâ— all the foure senses before opened But I take it in the sense as it is rendred by the Kings Translators and so understand it of the glory of heaven which is to be considered both in the nature of it it is called grace and the time of manifestatiâ—n not onâ—â—y in generall that is to be brought unto us but in speciall at the revelation of Iesus Christ. Grace The glory of heaven is called grace in three respects 1. Because it is given freely without our deserts as the Scriptures prove Eph. 2.5.8 Tit. 2.11 Rom. 4.16 5.21 2. Because it is assured unto us by grace as the body of Christ is called bread because it is signified by it so our hope and everlasting consolation is assured by grace 2 Thes. 2.16 3. Because grace and holinesse is the greatest part of the kingdome of heaven For righteousnesse is the maine thing wherein the kingdome of God consists as the image of God in the creation was Adams greatest happinesse not Paradice onely see Psal. 17. ult Rom. 14.17.1 Pâ—t 3.7 5.10 The Uses are 1. We should therefore disclaime alâ— conceit of our owne meâ—its and use our hearts to it affectionately to professe that we are all that we are onely by the grace of God 1 Cor. 15.10 2. It should inflame our thankfulnesse we shâ—uld never be without this sacrifice considering we have so great inheritance by the meere grace of God in Christ. It is worth the noting that the same word for thankfulnâ—sse doth signifie grace in the originall 3. We should have our conversation according to the grace of God 2 Cor. 1. 12. seeiâ—g grace is that which will live by us for ever we should be taken up with a perpetuall care of getting and increasing of it 4. Seeing God doth all for us freely wâ— should be importunate in prayer that he would make us worthy of the 〈…〉 him to fulfill all the gooâ— pleasure of his own goodnesse especially the workâ— of our faith with power that hâ—â— name and grace may be glorified in uâ— 2 Theâ— â— 11 12. 5. We should learne to shew mercy as God doth 1. Though they deserve it not 2. In grâ—at abunâ—ance 3. In matters of holinesse as much as any other way it being the best meanes to shew mercy to the soules of men 4. To bring it to them not tarry till it be sought of us 5. In the most seasonable time God doth not give heaven or his blessiâ—gs all at once as men doe their workes of mercy all at one time of the yeere 6. With constancie God will never leave till they be in heaven 7. With faith and faithfulnesse so as promised mercy may be trusted on without faile God never disappoints after he hath promised wee may trust perfectly on it Which is to be brougâ—t unto you From the manner of the propounding of the words divers things may be noted 1. That the Christians happinesse in hope is better than the carnall mans felicity present They must trust upon the grace to be brought yea so aâ— they trust not in any thing elâ—e For they are sure to have their happinesse and to enjoy it when they have it so are not carnall men of any thing they hold as we may see by experience Is it not better for a poore man to have the hope of heaven when hâ— dies then to be as some great men have been which are now coâ—founded and mined 2. God hath thought it meet to deferre the glory of heaven it is to be brought it is not brought already If any aâ—ke why God doth not give heaven
into the actions of three severall daies 1. Some things were to be done the first day verse 4. to 9. 2. Some things the 7. day ver 9. 3. Some things on the 8. day ver 10. to 32. These severall daies noted the different degrees in the sanctification of the sinner In the first dayes worke we may consider 1. what the Priest doth ver 8. 2. what the Leper to be clensed was to doe ver 8. In the first consider the things prepared ver 4. and the application of them or use of them ver 5 6 7. LEVITICUS 14. VERSE 4. The things prepared were two live cleane birds cedar wood byssop and scarlet 1. The two live birds did signifie the twofold estate of Christ his suffering estate and his triumphing estate as will appeare more plainlie after 2. And Christ is shadowed out in the likenesse of birds first then of lambs after and then of a bullocke at last to note the degrees of the revelation of Christ in the heart of a sinner at the first though he have true grace yet he seeth Christ but in a little forme as it were afterward God revealeth his Son in him more and more manifestly 3. The cedar wood hyssop and scarlet might signifie the graces of Christ with which he was to enrich and sanctifie the sinner viz. Faith Hope and Love Faith signified by the high growing cedar which though it have a root in earth yet it aspires towards heaven above all other trees Hope was signified by the Hyssop which though it grow low and secret as it were in the heart yet it is alwayes greene according to the severall seasons of Gods providence and Love was signified by the scarlet the double dye whereof might note our double love to God and men all sanctified and inflamed in the bloud shedding of Jesus Christ. 4. The summe of all then in the signification of the things prepared is that wee need two things for our clensing viz. Christ and the graces of Christ Faith Love and Hope 5. Now it is to be observed that these are to be taken not for the whole congregation of Christ or Israel at once but for him that is to be clensed alone to signifie that there must be a particular application of Christ and sanctification with the graces of Christ in every beleever or else it will not serve the turne that there is a Saviour provided for the Church in generall which is further shadowed out in the particular taking of the birds for this use and gathering of the cedar wood and hysop and providing of scarlet 6. It is further to be noted that the Priest is said to command the taking of these things not to prescribe them only which might shew Gods willingnesse to bestow Christ and his graces he doth not only offer him but commands us also to take him by faith he is ready to give and reproacheth no man yea this command might enforce some care and terror into the penitent sinner not to dare to neglect the time in this great businesse of purifying the soule and it might also incourage the fearefull for God is not only contented that they rest upon Christ but shewes himselfe to be discontented if they doe not seeke unto Christ when they finde need of him Thus of the things to be prepared the application or use of them followes in the three next verses VERSE 5. The application concerns either the dying bird or the living bird The dying bird in this verse the living bird in the two next 1. The one of the birds must be killed to note that without the death of Christ there can be no purging for sinne and that in the conversion of a sinner the onely thing the soule of man lookes upon is Christ slaine for sinne 2. This bird is to be killed by commandement to note that Christ was by speciall appointment from the Father set apart unto death 3. This bird was to be killed over running water This running water was a signe either of the Gospell or of the grace of sanctification The bloud falling into the water either did signifie that the Gospell of Christ crucified should be preached all over the world or else it noted that the bloud of Christ should then onely be effectuall to the sinner when the fountaine of grace was opened and both bloud and water met together that is the merit of Christ and the Spirit of Christ There ran out of the side of Christ both water and blood which it seemes was to signifie the same mystery 1 Iohn 5. 4. It is the more comfortable also that by the running water is signified the continuall flowing of the fountaine of grace dyed in the blood and merits of Christ in the heart of a sinner 5. This water was to be in an earthen vessell to note 1. That God did measure unto every Christian according to his proportion Rom. 12.6 2. That the Ministers of the Gospell should have the power of dividing this treasure unto men and that God would glorifie himselfe by the service of men otherwise contemptible in the world 2 Cor. 4.6 VERSE 6. 1. The living bird signifieth Christ alive from the dead and who cannot die but ever liveth at the right hand of God 2. The Cedar wood hyssop and scarlet signified the graces of Christ Faith Hope and Love 3. The joyning of both these together shewes that we cannot bee saved by Christ without the grace of Christ. It is to no purpose to thinke of Christ without care to receive his graces also 4. All these must be dipped in the blood of the bird that was slaine over running water to teach us three things 1. That it is the merit of the death of Christ that makes the presence of Christ in heaven acceptable for us 2. That all the graces we are to receive from Christ must be dipped in his blood also for by his blood it is that we have accesse unto grace or acceptation for any grace in us though received from him 3. That by the Gospell and the Spirit of Christ all this good is conferred unto us from Christ out of heaven VERSE 7. 1. The sprinkling upon him that is to be cleansed notes 1. Application There must bee a particular application of Christ to the beleever 2. Imputation For this sprinkling is the worke of God imputing Christ and his passion and holinesse to the beleever 3. Valuation of the worth of the least drop of Christs blood His blood though but sprinkled justifies a sinner 4. Lesser manifestation For sprinkling imports not so much a restraint in God as a defect in us that doe not so fully discerne our interest in Christ. 5. Strong consolation For if we can by faith lay hold but upon a drop of Christs blood it sufficeth if we discerne but sprinkling though we are farre from powring out it is sufficient 2. When he adds from his leprosie it is to assure us this comfort that in the justification
be their eternall food in heaven The meat offering must be upon the Altar to signifie that we can have no hope of nourishment but from the merit and vertue of the sacrifice of Christ as all meanes are sanctified by it VERSE 21. to 32. Hitherto of the sacrifice for the richer sort Now followes the course to be taken for the poorer sort which in effect is the same with the former save that he must take Turtles or Pigeons instead of two of the Lambs The things here to be noted are 1. That in the application of Christ God puts no difference the poorer sort if they be penitent may be justified as well as the richer 2. That without Christs sacrifice no man can be justified be hee of what condition he will 3. That in the receiving of Christ all are not alike qualified for the measure of grace and discerning and faith 4. That the endevour is accepted for the deed for the poore is excused if he provide a sacrifice according to his labour of his hand 5. That if wee through carelesnesse neglect the meanes of further grace that is a just exception therefore it is urged three times If he cannot get so much ver 21 31 32. Hitherto of the digression into the explication of the doctrine of clensing the Leper And thus of the nature of this work of sanctification The subject followes Your soules Your soules It is true that by the soule synecdochically hee meaneth the whole man for he that is truely sanctified is sanctified in soule in body and spirit 1 Thes. 5.23 The medicine is applyed and goeth as far as the disease and Christ dâ—ed as well for the body as the soule and both must be purged before we can enter into the Kingdome of heaven and therefore wee are charged to abstaine from all filthinesse both of flesh and spirit 2 Cor. 9.1 and our bodies must be offered up as a sacrifice to God Rom. 12.1 yet notwithstanding the soule is named as that which God chiefly stands upon though he require and worketh both for the holinesse of the heart is that he calls for to have given him Ier. 4.18 and we do perform the most immediate worship by our spirits Ioh. 4.24 and the sanctity of the heart is the fountaine of all the outward holinesse as the impurity of the heart is the cause of the outward impurities of life Besides the soule is the seat of all holy graces that are saving graces they dwell there though their imployment must sometimes be without and further the sanctification of the soule is characteristicall for that is the holinesse that distinguisheth betweene the godly and the wicked This then is the observation that the chief seat of true grace and holinesse is in the soule of man The Use is divers 1. For Information From hence it is manifest 1. That they are grossely deceived that think inward inordination of thoughts and affections are no great faults whereas the infection of the soule is most dangerous because it is the fountaine of all the rest and is more usually committed and more hardly cured Psal. 78.8 â— 66.18 95. c. 2. That God lookes not at the outward appearance of men hee askes not what houses clothes fare friends c. they have but what grace they have in their hearts yea it is certainâ— that outward reformation will not here serve the turne Hypocrites that make so much adoe about washing the out-side are deceived in their reckoning God will not be deluded with painted sepulchres hee knows what is within and the civill honest man is in the same case 3. That true grace may be where there is not an outward shew of it the truest sanctification is in the heart yet this gives no liberty to wicked men For it is not true that a wicked life may be found where there is grace in the heart therefore call thou not that uncleane which God hath purified 1 Cor. 4.5 4. That it is a grievous sinne to infect the soules of men by example counsell provocation corrupt opinions c. They that would poison the bodies of men were worthy punishments in all mens judgements how much more they that wilfully poyson many soules 5. There is no need of any purgation after this life for God takes an order to purifie the soules of his people even in this world Secondly for Instruction 1. Therefore this should strongly perswade with us to seek inward holinesse If there be so much adoe in the world to get cleane and cleare faces what should our care be to have cleane soules seeing God looks at that Psal. 7.9 God searcheth the heart and reines The chiefest thing wee can get for our soules is the purifying of them Ierem. 44.14 what profiteth it to winne the whole world if thou lose thy soule for the foulenesse of it and it is certaine no beauty of the face can allure a man so much as the cleannesse of the heart doth allure Christ. But this inward holinesse chiefly consists 1. In casting out the vices of the soule evill thoughts ignorance pride inordinate affections stubbornnesse of will and humour with whatsoever drosse hypocrisie security malice c. 1 Pet. 2.12 circumcise therefore thy heart Col. 2.11 2. In attaining new gifts of the spirit of grace such as are illumination discerning faith zeale love of God softnesse of heart affections of worship c. Heb. 13.9 2 Cor. 4.6 Rom. 5.5 3. In the exercise of these in the daily coâ—rse of our lives looke to thy heart when thou dost any work to God â— In the reformation of the heart wee must looke to it that we be sanctified throughout it is not enough there be some gifts in some of these faculties but there must be grace in all and so of the sinnes of the soule to be mortified 3. This doctrine may be a great comfort to the godly that have set their hearts to serve God in their spirits and labour for the true grace of Christ in their soules though they abound with infirmities and the world speak evill of them it should comfort us against the many aspersions of men Psal. 17. 4. c. though it be true as Prov. 20.9 yet God accepts of the desire c. Rom. 8.27 Quest. But how know I whether I have the true grace of Christ in my soule Answ. By this text thou maist know it by three things 1. If thou seeke inward purity as well as outward 2. If thou find an alteration in every faculty of thy soule 3. If thou be like unto God that hast most care of what shall become of thy soule and art most carefull of meanes for thy soule Quest. But what shall one doe to get a cleane heart Answ. 1. Examine your hearts as Psal. 4.4 for the heart is deceitfull Ier. 17.9 c. 2. Pray to God to create a new heart in thee 3. Attend upon the meanes that are powerfull to clense the heart our
whether my obedience be right or no seeing I cannot have true grace else Answ. I might answer out of other Scriptures that a childe of God may know his obedience is right by two things 1. Because God heares his prayers Ioh. 9.39 Psal. 66.18 2. Because thou hast hyred thy selfe by covenant to doe Gods works as a servant of righteousnesse and thou dost worke as a servant every day Rom. 6. But I answer out of this text Thou maist know thy obedience iâ— right because thou hast these foure things 1. Thou makest the truth thy guide and dost obey for the truths sake and commest to the light as Ioh. 3.21 2. Thy obedience is from thy heart and with thy heart it is inward as well as outward 3. Thy obedience is in all things 1. Though it be against thy profit c. Heb. 11.8 2. In the least commandements 4. Thy obedience is in all places 1. As well absent as present Phil. 2.12 2. Before the wicked as well as the godly 3. Before the meanest Christian as well as the greatest Through the spirit Our sanctification was first wroâ—ght by the Spirit of God and it is of the assistance of the Spirit that we doe performe obedience to the truth of God For 1. It is the Spirit that quickens us and raiseth us in the first resurrection Ioh. 3.5 2. It is the Spirit that leads us into the truth â—â—d enlightens us Ioh. 14. 3. It is the spirit that sets us at liberty from the bondage of corruption we have lived in 2 Cor. 3.17 and kils the deeds of the flesh Rom. 10.11 4. It is the Spirit that makes us mourne when wee faile of â—bedience Zach. 12.12 5. It is the Spirit that sheds aâ—â—oad the love of God in our hearts by which we are inflamed with desire to obey Rom. 5.5 It baptizeth us with fire Mat. 3. 6. It is the Spirit that makes us finde a rellish and sweetnesse in spirituall things Rom. 8. 7. It is the Spirit that worketh in us the particular graces that adorne our obedience Gal. 5.22 yea by the Spirit the Lord works our works for us it causeth us to obey Ezech. 36. Esay 26. Psal. 90. 8. It is the Spirit that shews us the recompence of reward to incourage us to obey 1 Cor. 2.10 The Use is 1. For information for hereby it is evident 1. That the godly have Gods Spirit Rom. 8.9 2. That there can be no absolute free-will in man seeing it is not by his owne power that he doth obey Gods will 3. That the holinesse a Christian hath in this life is of singular worth Wee use to esteeme the work by the workman And if wee admire them that can make us faire houses clothes faces c. how much more should we admire the workmanship of the Spirit of grace that purifies and makes our soules faire It is a better piece of workmanship then is shewed in making of the world 2. It should teach us 1. To be more carefull of sinning seeing wee shall thereby vexe or grieve or tempt the Spirit of God in us yea and deface his workmanship 2. To stir up our selves to undertake the work of godlinesse seeing we have the Spirit to assist us which is a Spirit of power 2 Tim. 1.7 Vnto the unfained love of the brethren One chiefe end of our sanctification is that wee might ever after live with all holy love together God hath purifyed us to this end that wee might love the godly above all others after we are converted That which is chiefly to be done of us is the duty of brotherly love In these words three things are to be observed 1. That the godly are brethreâ— 2. That we must love the godly above all others and that we were converted to that end Our chiefest fruit after conversion is to shew our love to them 3. That God cannot abide faining in this love 1. For the first the godly are brethren Col. 1.2 1 Tim. 6.2 Mat. 23.8 borne of the same wombe 1 Pet. 1.23 adopted of the same Father Eph. 4.5 brought up in the same family Eph. 3.17 estated in the same inheritance Rom. 8.17 written amongst the living in the same City with the writing of the same house of Israel Esay 4.3 executing the same office of Prophets and Priests to God Rev. 1.7 1. The Use is first for information We see the godly though despised in the world yet are people of a great kindred The meanest Christian hath as good friends as the greatest Potentate Grace works as it were a consanguinity with all the Saints 2. For instruction and it should teach us divers things to doe and avoid Are the godly thy brethren Then 1. Live familiarly with them visit them be not a stranger unto them Act. 15.36 2. Doe what thou dost faithfully for them Ioh. 3.5 3. Defend one another by words and works ye are brethren let not a godly man be wronged if thou canst help it 4. Supply their wants with a brotherly affection Iam. 1.15 1. Ioh. 3.17 The things we must avoid 1. Wee must take heed of contention Gen. 13. and this contention is either 1. Publike suites 1 Cor. 6. 2. Private quarrels or discords Ob. But they doe me wrong Sol. 1. Admonish them of it Mat. 18.18 Lâ—v. 19.17 2. Be not unadvisedly angry Mat. 5.22 3. If they repent forgive them even seventy times Mat. 18.21 and be quickly reconciled Mat. â— 23 24. 2. Call no man Rabbi or father on earth Mâ—â— 23.8 9. The Angels refuse it Rev. 19.10 22.9 3. Speak not evill one of another Rom. 14.10 Iam. 5.9 4.11 It is the devils property to accuse the brethren Rev. 12.10 4. Be not ashamed of them for Christ is not ashamed to owne them as brethren Heb. 2.10 5. Have them not in respect of persons The poore are brethren as well as the rich Iam. 2. Though they be in tribulation yet they be companions in Gods kingdome as well as we Rev. 1.9 6. Lastly Superiours Magistrates Ministers Masters of families must take heed of tyranny and contempt for they rule their brethren The godly must be loved above all others this is a maine end of our sanctification Rom. 13.8 Col. 3.14 Eph. 4.16 1 Ioh. 3 11â— 4.21 The Use is first for reproofe of worlds of people that neglect this love of the godly which should be as the life of their lives yea contemne them yea and reproach them they love none worse then the godly Quest. But how shall I know who are godly Answ. Thou maist know them 1. By their innocency they beare their fathers image 2. By their love to Gods house and the Word 3. By their language 1 Ioh. 4.5 â— 4. By the opposition of the world Quest. What good should I get by them Answ. 1. By sorting with them thou wilt be protected from many judgments which else would fall on thee Sodome had been spared for ten
that is sowed in the field or in the wombe If it be taken in the first sense then the seed is grace the sower is Christ the field is the heart of man or the world the sowing time is the day of redemption and the harvest is the end of the world But I rather take it in the other sense and then the seed is grace the womb is the heart the Father or sower is Christ 1 Cor. 15.43 the instrument of generation is externally the word internally the Spirit of God the birth is the practice and exercise of the gifts of grace the nurse is the minister and the meanes of nursing are preaching and the Sacraments Saving grace is likened to seed in the wombe because first it is formed by an admirable coition of the Word and Spirit in the heart of man causing unspeakable delight in the soule Secondly because the gifts of grace doe thrive and grow up in the godly from small beginnings though at the first but as a graine of mustard seed yet after it is once conceived it will grow marvellously and speedily This doctrine may serve for a threefold use 1. It may comfort and that divers waies 1. Because it imports a marriage of the soule with Christ. It is God that gave the soule in marriage with Christ a great preferment 2. Because thou art cured of barrennes and therefore rejoyce oh thou soule that wast barren Christ hath made thee a mother of many children 3. It may comfort thee against the weaknesse of thy gifts and the grace received though thy faith joy feeling c. be but as a grain of mustard seed yet that God that giveth to every seed his body can make his grace to thrive and prosper in thee 4. From hence a godly man may know that he is truely borne againe for if thou have felt that sweet delight when the Word and Spirit of God did joyne with thy soule this delight is an infallible signe of thy regeneration and that Christ is formed in thee Ob. But the temporary faith feeleth joy Ans. There is great difference betweene the joy of the godly and the joy of the wicked in receiving the word for first in the wicked there is no grace left in the soule after hearing nor new gifts or dispositions the soul is empty and void of seed for all that joy Secondly if there were some seeds of grace yet it abideth not it is like the morning dew there is no true â—onceâ—tion Or thirdly if it did abide for a time yet it increaseth not as the fruit of the wombe doth the godly grow in grace 2. It may serve to teach us 1. highly to prize the graces of the soule they are the divine seed of Christ in us Christ in the same is formed in us The light love desires joyes humility c. in the heart have the true picture of Christ upon them 2. To be carefull to preserve the grace we have received seeing it is the seed of God in us 3. To carry a high opinion of all the godly seeing they are the beloved ones of Jesus Christ. 3. Lastly for great reproofe of the whorish affections of all wicked men that shutting the doores of their hearts against Christ suffer the devill and concupiscence to engender in them and to fill the soule with multitudes of bastardly births of sinne Iam. 1.14 Incorruptâ—ble The grace begotten in the hearts of the godly is incorruptible and so it is in divers respects 1. In respect of the matter of them For this grace consists of innocency and inâ—â—râ—uption so meeknesse is called incorruption 1 Pet. 3.3 2. In respect of the Author of it it proceeds from the incorruptible God 3. In respect of the continuance of it it never dieth 4. In respect of the end it tends to it is that faire fruit that will grow up to eternall life This may serve for consolation and instruction for consolation many wayes 1. This shewes that every godly person is an excellent one they are immortall creatures they have divinâ— sparkles in them How dare wicked men despise them when God hath thus honoured them His God King Crowne Inheritance gifts are all immortall 2. They may conceive comfortable hope that God will bee carefull to preserve and blesse his owne worke Gods blessing shall be upon thy seed and his Spirit will refresh thy buddes For upon all the glory must be a defence 3. It may comfort thee against death when thy corruption hath put on this incorruption of true grace thou being made thereby immortall thou maist triumph over death as 1 Cor. 15.54 Art thou an immortall one take heed of discontentment This was the first sâ—one even the devills sinne This may comfort thee in thy perseverance to the end the seed is immortall and therefore thou shalt never fall away Therefore hath God given thee his Spirit within thee to tend these little graces yea the Angels of God performe their service no doubt to the spirits of the godly That thou canst not fall from grace these Scriptures may establish thee 1 Ioh. 5.9 Mat. 12.20 Esay 65.22 23. Ier. 23.4 1 Cor. 1.8 9. 1 Pet. 1.5 2 Tim. 1.12 Ioh. 13.1 Ier. 32.40 41. Heb. 12.3 7.37 For instruction and so it may teach both godly men and wicked men Godly men should the more enforce their affections to the love of the Lord Iesus Christ in incorruption Eph. 6.24 and be carefull to avoid all the inticements of sinne and Sathan by which their hearts might be corrupted they should walke in the spirit Rom. 8.1 And keepe themselves from all filthinesse both of flesh and spirit desiring to know no other happinesse then Christ and him crucified And wicked men should take notice of it that corruption cannot inherit incorruption and unlesse they repent of their sinnes and set their hearts upon the word of Christ they can never be made immortall Hitherto of the property of the seed the instruments of the generation of it follow viz. the word of God which is fâ—rther praised 1. For the Author of it 2. For the vigor and effiacie of it it liveth 3. For the continuance of it it liveth for ever By the word of God Before I enter upon the particular observations of it we may observe the effectualnesse of the Apostles speech concerning the word Hee doth not mention it but with a lively praise of it and that hee doth not casually doe but with a great deale of reason For it is exceeding needfull to have the praises of the word often and lively exprest For it may be a means to heale that contempt of the Word that usually raignes in the most Besides the praise of it may lift up our hearts to consider the greatnesse of Gods mercy in bestowing his word upon us The word he gave to Iacob was a greater gift then he bestowed upon all the world besides And the praises of the word doe also raise up in the godly
sparkles of appetite after it and delight in it and care to have recourse unto it in all estates It quickens to a continued diligence in exercising themselves in it and therefore we should study the continuall praises of it and pray God also that he would give his Ministers a doore of utterance to set out the glory of those mysteries contained in it Col. 4.3 and besides it should much humble us for our marvellous neglect both in faith and obedience especially if any way wee have caused the word of God to be blasphemed by our indiscretion or sinne wee cannot worse vexe God then by neglecting or despising or dishonouring his word and contrariwise God is wonderfully pleased with us if hee may finde his word to be had in honour and respect with us and therefore such as love the word heartily have great cause to comfort themselves For they are deare to God and Christ ever for that reason as these places shew Ioh. 14.23 17.6 1 Ioh. 2.5 Revel 3.10 The particular doctrine may be raised either from the coherence or from the words in themselves From the coherence wee may note that the Word is the onely ordinary instrument outwardly for the begetting of the seed of true grace in us Iam. 1.18 Rom. 10.14 c. The Uses are divers 1. For first this may inform us concerning the distinct offices of the word and Sacraments The Word begets grace the Sacraments confirme it the beginning of grace we have from the Word the strengthning and nourishing of grace from the Sacraments 2. This may informe us how much we are bound to God for his Word and how much we are beholding to the ministry of the Word 1 Tim. 5.17 spirituall things are hereby ministred unto us Hereby we are begot againe to God we had perished for ever without the Word 3. This may informe us concerning the wofull estate of all such congregations or particular persons as live without the Word of God in the life and the power of it they sit in darknesse and in the shadow of death There is neither wombe to beare thee nor breasts to give thee suck Oh the depth of the judgements of God upon millions of wretched men Oh the sore famine of the Word and this distresse is the more miserable because people are lesse sensible of it Oh if men would think without grace I cannot be saved without the Word I cannot have grace and therefore what shall it profit me to win the whole world if I lose my owne soule by living in places where I cannot heare the voice of Christ Note that the Spirit of God as the internall efficient is not mentioned of purpose it is lest out to compell in us a care of the outward means in which we are sure to find the Spirit working Ministers should therefore speake it boldly and pray that God would open their â—ouâ—hes to speak of these mysteries as becomes the mysteries of God and Christ Phil. 1.14 Col. 4.2 Hence wee may know also how to judge of those that consent not to the wholsome words of God See 1 Tim. 6.3 4. In themselves the words afford us three doctrines 1. The Word is of God and it is of God as the Author of it For man wrote it by the inspiration of the holy Ghost 2 Pet. 1. ult and men preach it now by the commandement of the everlasting God Tit. 1.3 And it is of God that disposeth of the due times of publishing it Tit. 1.3 and God is the subject of it For the Word principally intreats of God his nature and his works All the successe also of the Word it depends upon God There are divers Uses may be made hereof 1. It should set us on longing after Gods word to heare God speake or write to us wee see men long to reade or heare the speeches of the King much more of GOD the King of Kings 2. It should teach us to heare the word as the word of God and not of men 2 Thes. 2.13 that is 1. Reverently as if the Lord himselfe spake to us from heaven 2. Without ascribing to men the praise and glory is due to God wee should glorifie the word Act. 13.48 3. Not daring to let it run out lest God require it Heb. 2.2 If the Angels keep them how much more we Rev. 22.9 4. With confident assurance trusting upon it infallibly 2 Pet. 1.19 5. With subjection of our reasons and conscience to it nothing but the word hath this soverâ—ignty 6. Without adding or detracting Rev. 22.18 19. 7. With passion or wickednesse Iam. 1.18 c. 8. With all possible care to practice it Iam. 1.18 3. We may be assured it will have effect it cannot be bound no malice of men can hinder the will of God 2 Tim. 2.9 4. Therefore let not men despise it for the Ministers sake It is of God and that will appear when the dust which we have shaken off our feet shall witnesse against the world that receives us not Mat. 10.24 Which liveth This which may be referred to either seed or God or the Word but that in the originall the word for seed is not of the same gender and the testimony of Esay in the next verse quoted shewes it must be referred to the word The word lives in God It is a fountaine issuing out of the spring of Gods knowledge and will It lives in Christ the personall word of the Father The word of life is attributed to Christ 1 Ioh. 1.1 to the Scriptures Phil. 2.15 It lives also in the heart of a Christian who conceives by vertue of the seed cast in by the word It lives by effect as it makes us live and so it doth in divers respects both in respect of our naturall life and in respect of eternall life In respect of naturall life First Man liveth not by bread but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God Deut. 8.3 and the creatures are sanctified by the word of God and prayer 1 Tim. 4.4 5. Secondly because the word upholds the godly in their afflictions David saith heâ— had long since perished in his affâ—â—ctions but for the word and our Saviour Christ prayes that God would keepe his by his word Ioh. 17.14 15 16 17. Now for spirituall life The word lives by effect in that it enlives us three waies For first it quickens us in regeneration so in this verse 2. It sanctifies us to live holily Ioh. 17.17 3. It preserves us in the most deadly spirituall assaults in which else we might perish 1 Ioh. 2.14 The word may also be said to live because it is lively Heb. 4.12 It may be said to live because of the sure performance of that which God promiseth though the promise were made many ages since and because the efficacie of the Scriptures abideth still they are as lively now as in Davidâ— time or in Christs time There may be many Uses made hereof First
it should teach us divers things 1. If we desire the kingdome of God should come pray that the word of the Lord may run and have a free passage for it will worâ— mightily in gathering soules to the kingdome of God 2 Thes. 3.1 2. Would wee have life put into us Let us come to the word it liveth by effect If any thing in this world will either direct or comfort us it is the word 3. Looke to thy heart for uprightnesse make conscience of thy wayes harbour no secret sins For the word is lively in operation and is a discernes of the very thoughts and intents of the hearâ— Heb. 4.13 If thou wouldst have the fruit of the lips to be peace walk uprightly 4. Such as professe love to the word should hold forth this word of life and make it appeare in their conversation that it is a living word Quest. But how should wee shew the life of the word in our conversation Answ. Many waies 1. By practising it It seemes but a dead letter till thou put it in practice For there is the life of hearing 2. By living without rebuke Then thou shewest effectually that the word hath a lively power ever thee if it can make thee unrebukeable Phil. 1.15 16. 3. By the unmoveablenesse of thy conversation in all estates There is life in godlinesse when a man hath learned to be content with that he hath 4. By thy affectionatenesse and cheerefulnesse in the manner of doing holy duties 5. By the depending upon it as upon the life of thy life Psal. 119. 6. Lastly by thy confidence in beleeving all that is written in the word And thus for instruction Secondly this may serve for humiliation 1. To such as heare not the word at all they sit in darkenesse they want the very life of their lives that that should be the very joy of their hearts 2. To such as heare it but feele no life in it If the word of God have no life in it woe unto thee if the booke be sealed to thee when it is open to others feare lest the god of this world hath blinded thee that thou mightest perish search thy soule there is abundance of soule stuffe in thee if the word cannot quicken thee 3. To such as finde some kinde of life in the word and put it out by the cares of life such as by covetousnesse or voluptuous living extinguish that remorse was bred in them and so make the word an instrument of death inasmuch as such remorses or quicknings serve but to leave them without excuse 4. To all hypocrites For here they must know that which they have often found if they heare much that they cannot be hid though they may deceive men yet God and his Word will find them out the shame of their secrets of corruption shall be discovered this word of God will ransack them and give them a very glimpse of the judgement to come Heb. 4.13 5. This may in speciall smite dreaming and carelesse Preachers that doe the worke of the Lord negligently such must know their work shall never prosper for it is the word of God in the life of it that gathers soules to God a dead dull kinde of preaching the word will never do it Besides they dishonour the word as if it had no life in it whereas the fault is in their dull and dreaming kinde of handling of it Thirdly this may informe us 1. That the word is not a dead letter as many thinke of it and have blasphemously reported 2. That it is the Gospell that is that part of the word that settles the conscience in the assurance of Gods love in Christ that is the principallest treasure in the scripture For the Law is a killing letter and the ministry of it the ministration of death 3. That it is never likely that powerfull preaching and sincere practise shall have any long peace in the world For this life of the word makes such a stirre where it comes that wicked men will not be quiet but ever hate the godly for this very reason as experience shewes Ioh. 17.14 c. 4. That the wits of men and the wisdomes of mens words and conceits are not necessary unto the unfolding of the word for the word is a lively word in it selfe it needs not the conceits of mens braines to quicken it 1 Cor. 2.1 4 13. Fourthly this may be a great comfort to all the godly that love the word they may have sure recourse to it it is as full of life now as it was many hundred yeares agoe it shall abide for ever it is as mighty now to cast downe strong holds of sin or Satan as ever It is as able to refresh them in all afflictions as ever It will quicken them in all their dumps and distresses It lives and will live for ever And abideth for ever Of these words in the end of the 24. verse where they are repeated againe and thus much of the fift reason c. VERSE 24 25. 24. For all flesh is as grasse and all the glory of man is as the flower of grasse the grasse withereth and the flower falleth away 25. But the word of the Lord endureth for ever and this is the word which is preached among you THese words containe the sixt and last reason for the inforcing of the exhortation in the 13. verse and it is taken cheefly from the mortality of the body where his drift is to set before us the marvelous vanity and brevity and transitorinesse of the naturall life and condition of all men amplified by the eternity of those spirituall effects which are wrought by the word of God preached that so wee might be induced with the more sincerity and earnestnes to deny the world and to provide an infallible assurance of hope in the grace to be brought in the day of Christ and so it impliedly shewes that the reason why the most men are so intangled with all sorts of impediments and why men so greedily and excessively seeke the profits and pleasures of this world and why men are so slenderly furnished with arguments of sound hope of a better life I say the reason of all this is the forgetfulnesse of our mortality and our transitory estate in this world The words in themselves containe a lively description of our transitory and mortall condition in this world amplified by the commendation of the word of God by which we are borne againe and fitted for a better world The vanity of man is set downe verse 24. the eternity of the word verse 25. The vanity of man is both propounded and repeated propounded in these words All flesh is grasse and all the glory of man as the flower of grasse repeated in these words the grasse withereth and the flower thereof falleth away The proposition concernes either the persons of men or the condition of men For their persons all flesh is grasse For their condition the glory
son of God had no priviledge from death he was put to death in respect of the flesh 1 Pet. 3.21 Therefore this may serve first for singular reproofe of that unspeakable beastlinesse that is in wicked men that will not be moved with the contemplation of the ruine of the whole world oh the unutterable Lethargy of these mens hearts that will not consider their latter end when so unchangeable a decree is prest upon all men that at their appointed time they must once die This very doctrine may shew the horrible effect of sinne in the hearts of men that can extinguish a consideration so universally obvious to every mans sense oh yee brutish amongst the people when will yee understand Secondly this may informe us that multitude is no prerogative multitude cannot protect men against the stroke of God and death Though hand joyne in hand yet sinne cannot be unpunished It is as easie for God to smite all flesh as any flesh It is as easie for him to destroy the whole world as to destroy one man All flesh is grasse If the sithe can with few strokes move downe thousands of formes of grasse how much more easie is it for God with the sithe of his judgements to cut downe multitudes of men And besides that may informe us that the doctrine of death must be sounded in the eares of all men there is no man but this doctrine belongs to him and therefore woe unto him if he make no good use of it yea so necessary is this doctrine that the Ministers of the Gospell are commanded not to write it onely but to speake it nor that onely but to cry it out with all possible both affection and power of inforcement Cry all flesh is grassâ— Esay 40.6 Thirdly this may teach 1. Rich men in speciall to lay this to heart For God hath given them this doctrine to humble them and to teach them not to glory in their wealth but if they have gotten grace let them rejoyce that God hath provided better things than the things of this life for them They are more happy that God hath made them low by giving them a sight of their sins and so to be humbled for them then that he made them great in the world for their flesh is but grasse and all that glory must vanish as will be shewed afterwards The Use is urged Iam. 1.10 11. Ps. 49. 2. Strong men to whom God hath given helps of nature or arte Use thy strength but rejoyce not in it Use thy Physicke but trust not upon it For for all that thou must dye there is no arte nor remedy against death 3. All men and so we should all learne two things especially 1. To put our trust in God which liveth for ever since all men must perish and wee cannot continue here it is the best relying upon God and his favour and helpe who liveth ever to performe his promise and to provide for his servants thus David useth this consideration Ps. 102.12 13. 2. To be patient when we feele the walls of our earthly house begin to moulder down when we feele death beginning like a moth to feed upon us we should be patient seeing it is not onely unavoidable but that it is the case of all men as well as ours Thus of the extent of the affirmation The time followes Is grasse This mortality may be said to be so presently It is so in divers respects 1. It is so â—n the cause which is sin the cause of death is in us already it hath infected our very bones 2. It is so in the sentence the doome is already gone out upon all flesh It is appointed that all men shall once die The very sentence uttered in Paradise of dying the death stands still unrevoked in respect of our flesh 3. It is so in experience all flesh is dead never any scaped 4. It is so in respect of dâ—sposition to death we are all but dying men death hath taken hold of us and doth every day feed upon us insensibly To live is but to lie a dying The disposition to death is inflicted upon all men for all tend to death 5. Lastly it may be said all flesh is grasse for certainty that is we shall as certainely vanish hereafter as if it were now presently done The use should be the more to inforce upon us the care of providing for a change since death is so many waies made fast unto us and withall it may serve to confute the vaine hope of long life here seeing we are all but as so many dead men here to day and to morrow cast into the grave and wee should also learne hence to be continually thinking of death must we not do the worke that is present to us why death is before thine eyes why then dost thou not the thing of the day in the day It is thy every dayes worke to die to learne to die seeing we die daily Hitherto of that branch of the proposition that concerns the body of manâ—noâ— followeth the vanity of mans condition in this world The glory of man is as the flower of grasse Here first the sâ—â—se of the words is to be considered By the glory of man he meaneth whatsoever it is in outward things which man glorieth in any thing that man rejoyceth in admireth praiseth seeketh as an ornament or happinesse to himselfe such as are riches strength honour high places and command over others beauty praise of men excellency of naturall gifts noble birth calling multitude of attendants and such like By man he meaneth here the naturall man or the outward man for of the spirituall man it is not true because he glorieth in that shall never fade nor be taken away from him Now this glory is compared to the flower of grasse for transitorinesse because it will fade and fall away as the repetition sheweth and that speedily too as the uses of this similitude in divers scriptures shew as will afterwards more appeare The doctrine then is that all the outward glory of man in this world is exceeding vaine and so it may appeare for six causes or considerations for I omit many other reasons First for the most part these things so much desired cannot be had or not as they are desired and therefore their glory is vaine because they are sought in vaine 2. If they be obtained yet the eye is not satisfied with seeing nor the eare with bearing of them they cannot fill the heart of man 3. Many times it fals alike in these things to the foole and to the wise both in having them and in losing them and this is a miserable vanity and vexation of spirit 4. The glory that is placed in these things is liable to be interrupted with a thousand crosses either they expire the vanity or are taken away by violence 5. If they could make us happy yet death will not let us enjoy them many men spend
that in these daies bee guilty of disallowing of Christ Answer I answer Both wicked men and godly men too Wicked men disallow him and so doe divers sorts of them as First Hereticks that denie his Divinity or humanity or his sufficiency or authority or his comming as did those mockers mentioned 2 Pet. 3. Secondly Schismaticks that divide him and rend his body mysticall 1 Cor. 1.10 Thirdly Pharisees and merit-mongers that by going about to establish their own righteousnesse deny the righteousnesse of Jesus Christ Rom. 10.4 Fourthly Apostataes that falling from the fellowship they had with Christ would crucifie him againe Heb. 6. 2 Pet. 2. Fiftly Epicures and prophane persons that will sell Christ for a messe of pottage with Esau and love their pleasure more then Christ Heb. 12.16 2 Tim. 3. Sixtly Papists who therefore hold not the head because they bring in the worship of Saints and Angels Col. 2.19 Seventhly Whoremongers and fornicators who give the members of Christ unto a harlot 1 Cor. 6.15 16. Eighthly Revilers that speake evill of the good way of Christ and reproach godly Christians especially such as despise the Ministers of Christ. for he that despiseth them despiseth Christ himselfe Matth. 10. Ninthly Hypocrites that professe Christ in their words but denie him in their workes Tenthly the fearefull that in time of trouble dare not confesse him before men Matth. 10. Eleventhly All wicked men Because they neglect their reconciliation with God in Christ and will not beleeve in him nor repent of their sinnes All that will not be reconciled when God sends the word of reconciliation unto them Esay 52.11 Secondly Godly men sinne against Christ and are guilty of disallowing him 1. When they neglect the establishing of their hearts in the assurance of faith 2. When they faint and wax weary of praier and trusting in God in the time of distresse Luke 18.1 8. 3. When our hearts wax cold within us and are not inflamed with fervent affections after Christ. Wee neglect him when wee doe not highly esteeme him above all earthly treasures Phil. 3.9 The fourth thing affirmed of Christ is that he is chosen of God Chosen of God This is one thing we must carefully know and effectually beleeve concerning Christ namely that he is chosen of God This was conscionably beleeved concerning him as appeares Esay 42.1 and 43.10 and 49.2 Mat. 12.18 Now Christ may be said to bee chosen of God in divers respects First as he was from all eternity appointed and ordained of God to bee the Mediâ—tor and Redeemer of all mankinde 1 Pet. 1.20 Secondly as hee was called peculiarly of God from the wombe by a speciall Sanctification unto his office Esay 49.1 Thirdly as he was by solemne rites inaugurated unto the immediate execution of his office â—s by baptisme and the voice from heaven c. Math. 3. Fourthly as hee was approved of God and declared mightily to be the Sonne of God and the Saviour of the world by the glory done to him of God notwithstanding the scornes and oppositions of the world Esay 49.7 The use may be both for Information and Instruction For hence we may be informed concerning divers things First that Gods work shall prosper notwithstanding all the scornes or oppositions of men God's choice is not hindred but Christ is separated and sanctified and appointed to the work of redemption the perversnesse of men notwithstanding The unbeliefe of men cannot make the faith or fidelity of God of none effect Rom. 3. Secondly that God doth not chuse as men doe The meane things of this world as the world accounts meane and the vile things of this world may be deare in God's sight For as it was in the calling of Christ so is it in the calling of Christians such as the world disallowes may be deare to God 1 Cor. 1.27 28. Thirdly Hence wee may note the free grace of God in the sending and giving his Sonne He is faine to chuse for us we did not chuse Christ first Iohn 15.16 Fourthly That to chuse Christ is with Marie to chuse the better part it is to imitate God and chuse like God to forsake the world and the wils and lufts and judgements of the wicked men of this world and to cleave onely to Christ as our al-sufficient portion and happinesse Fifthly That all the enemies of Christ shall be subdued either by conversion when they come in to worship Christ or by confusion when they are broken by the power of Christ. Even Kings shall submit themselves and worship him that is thus abhorred and despised of men c. Esay 49.7 Sixthly That it is a singular happinesse to be chosen of God it was the honour of Christ here c. And therefore Blessed is the man whom God chuseth Happy is the Christian whom God electeth Psalm 65.4 Luke 10.20 Secondly It should teach us divers duties First to observe and admire and acknowledge the Lord Jesus the Chosen of God wee should with speciall regard confesse unto the glory of God herein which the word Behold importeth Esay 42.1 Wee should be Gods witnesses against the world and all the servants of any strange god that this Iesus of Nazareth is that Sonne of God and Saviour of the world Esay 43.10 It is one maine end of the praises of Christ in this place To raise up our dull and dead affections to the highest estimation and admiration of Christ and his glory with the Father c. Secondly Wee should learne of God how to make our choice On the one side is offered unto us the pleasures and profits of the world and the inticements of sinne and Satan and the other in the Gospell of Christ is set forth and offered to us as the meanes of our happinesse Now it is our part to take to Christ and renounce the world and forgoe the pleasures of sinne which are but for a season wee should utterly refuse the voice of sinne never to be the guests of such folly but rather to listen to the voice of wisdome Proverbs 7. and 8. Thirdly Is Christ chosen of God that one of a thousand Then it learnes the Church to be in love with him yea to be sick of love as is imported Canticles 5.8 9 10. An ordinary affection should not serve the turne our hearts should be singularly inflamed with desire after such a match found out and chosen of God for us Fourthly wee should not rest here but when God hath declared his choice as he did by a witnesse from heaven even his owne voice Math. 17.5 we should then heare Christ and as the Prophet saith wait for his law Esay 42.4 Fifthly Yea we should so kisse the Sonne whom God hath declared as King by doing our spirituall homage unto him as that wee resolved both high and low the greatest estate as well as the meanest to serve him with all feare and rejoyce before him with trembling we must expresse our thankfulnesse by all
possible obedience of heart and life Psal. 2.11 Sixthly wee should follow his Colours and take his paâ—t and contend for the truth against all the world and in particular against Antichrist that man of sinne Revel 17.14 Seventhly We should imitate the praises and vertues of this chosen One especially in two things to weet humility and constancy as the Prophet Esay sheweth 42.2 3 4. Lastly And specially this Chosen or rather this knowledge of this Chosen of God should teach us to relie upon Christ without wavering with all trust and confidence for our reconciliation with God for the obtaining of knowledge comfort deliverance preservation yea and salvation too for this is he whom God hath given for a covenant to all people and his soule delights in him And therefore also wee may runne boldly to the Throne of grace and put up our petitions by Christ. For wee are here assured that God will denie him nothing as these places evidently shew Psal. 42.6 7 8 16. Psal. 49.6 8 9 10 11 12. Math. 12.17 to 22. But then we must looke to it that wee observe the seasons and opportunity of grace Esay 49.8 2 Cor. 6. 2. Let us therefore embrace while God is to be found and offers us Christ for wee may seeke when God will not be found as Esâ—â— sought the blessing when it was too late Heb. 12.15 And further this may serve for singular terrour to all unbeleevers that will not have Christ to rule over them He is elected already of God and therefore will mightily pursue all the enemies of God and the Church and all those that disobey him whom God hath chosen hee will pursue them both with the terrours of his Word his mouth being made like a sharpe sword and with the plagues of his hand being made like a polished shaft Esay 49. â— He will appeare to wicked men in the day of wrath as a mighty man and as a man of warre though to his owne hee be as a Lamb to them hee will be as a Giant they shall not be able to resist and though hee lift not up his voice in the streets of his people yet hee will set upon them with roaring and singular terrour even with all the signes of furious displeasure and though for a time hee may seeme to put up the contempt of men that disallow him yet at the length hee will not refraine and will destroy at once c. Esay 42.13 14 15. Besides This doctrine of Christs chosen or of Gods choice should notably check that unbeliefe and fearefulnesse that is too often found even in 〈◊〉 in the deare servants of God When God hath published his election of Christ for the service of our redemption why doth some say The Lord hath forsaken and his Lord hath forgotten him Can God forget his people or will hee ever denie his Chosen Shall not Christ be regarded in our behalfe who is the person whom his soule loveth Esay 49.8 c. 13 14 15 16. Precious First in respect of his nature hee is the choicest 〈◊〉 in heaven and earth never such a man all the creatures in heaven and in earth are inferiour to him Secondly In respect of his gifts he is qualified with all the treasures of wisdome and grace above all his fellowes Col. 2.3 Psal. 45. Thirdly In respect of his works never creature did works of such price so usefull so exquisite so transcendent Fourthly In respect of his sufferings he paid such a price to God in the ransom of man as all the world besides could not raise or any way make Fiftly In respect of effects he gives the most precious things no treasures like those may be had from him his very promises are precious 2 Pet. 1.4 This may serve first to informe us in divers things as First Concerning that matchlesse love of God to us that gave us his Son who is so precious Rom. 8.34 Secondly Concerning the horrible sinne of Iudas and the high Priests that valewed him but at thirty pieces Thirdly Concerning the most miserable condition of all prophane people and persons even whole multitudes of people that so neglect Christ that can with Esau sell him for trifles pleasures or profits even as meane sometimes as a messe of pottage c. The more glorious Christ is the more vile is their sinne of neglect or contempt of Christ. Woe to them that disallow him then Even to all those sorts of men before mentioned â— Christ will not be a foundation stone to support them nor a precious stone to enrich them but as the upper and nether milstone to grinde them to pieces or as a rock falling upon them Quest. But what should be the reason that Christ is in no more request amongst men Answer First One cause is mans ignorance both of their owne misery out of Christ as also of the glory of Christ in himselfe and of the priviledges man might attaine by him and of the singular glory to come Secondly Another cause is unbeliefe Men have a secret kind of Atheisme in them and doe not beleeve the report of the servants of Christ out of the Word Esay 53.1 3. Thirdly Another cause is that the most men looke upon the out-side of the Kingdome of Christ and of the estate of Christians which because they finde it covered with afflictions and seated in a low condition without outward splendour they therefore contemne it Our life is hid with Christ in God Colos. 3.3 Fourthly But the maine reason is because men doe falsly esteeme of other things they set so high a price upon their pleasures profits lusts credits honours hopes c. that Christ is not remembered nor valued unlesse it be at Iudas his rate and yet many will not valew him at so much as thirty pence but they will make shipwrack of a good conscience even for a peny I meane for extreame small gaine in buying and selling and such like dealing And thus much of the third thing we may be informed of The last is concerning the wealthy estate of all true Christians How rich are they that possesse this Mine of treasure who have his spirit graces righteousnesse ordinances and glory And as it may thus informe us so it should â—each us Vse 2. First To account of Christ as most precious to esteeme of him as ever precious in our eyes and shew it 1. By seeking to get Christ above all gettings 2. By accounting all things but as dust and dung in comparison of the excellent knowledge of Iesus Christ Phil. 3.8 3. By selling all to buy this precious stone Math. 13. forsaking father and mother house and land for Christs sake and the Gospels 4. By keeping our communion with Christ with all carefulnesse 5. By avoiding all the waies by which Christ is disallowed and disesteemed 6. By longing for and loving his appearing 2 Tim. 4. hasting to it and looking for his comming 2 Pet. 3. Secondly to consecrate our selves and
unto the presence of God For by faith hee is priviledged hee may goe with boldnesse and confidence into the presence of the King of Kings and therefore what should confound them Eph. 3.12 Fiftly in respect of the promises of God For by faith hee obtaineth many rich and precious promises each of them like a Well of joy and a very spring of contentment 2 Pet. 1.4 Heb. 11.13 33 34. Sixtly in respect of the hope of glory For by faith we have accesse to this grace whence wee stand and rejoyce in the hope of the glory to come Rom. 4.2 And for the day of Judgement it is certaine they shall not be confounded in two respects First they shall have boldnesse at that day and houre and praise before all the world They that are not ashamed of Christ in this world he will not then be ashamed of them And secondly they shall be delivered from eternall confusion and damnation They shall enjoy everlasting salvation and shall not be confounded world without end Esay 45.17 Quest. So that by this which hath been said we may in part know how to answer that objection which may be made For some one may say The Scripture in divers places seems to grant that Gods servants have been ashamed and confounded Answ. Now for answer hereunto divers things must be distinctly considered of First the godly shall not be ashamed or shamed with everlasting shame or they shall not be ashamed at the day of Judgement though it were granted they might be ashamed in this life Esay 45.17 in that World which is without end they shall not be ashamed Secondly we may answer with the Prophet Daniel that shame and confusion belongs unto the godly if we respect their deserts but they are freed from it by the covenant of grace in Christ Dan. 9.7 Thirdly if we consider of the state of the Church in the publike condition of it as both good and bad are mingled together so God may powre out terrible shame and confusion upon visible Churches for their great provocations as Ier. 9.19 and 17.13 Fourthly this promise shewes what God will make good to the beleever if the fault be not in himselfe he shall be set in such a condition as hee shall have no reason to be ashamed but in all distresses two things shall be certaine first that God will come quickly to his succour Heb. 10.35 36. Secondly that till his deliverance he shall have a fair assurance and evidence for his hope in God by his promises so as if he doe not withdraw himselfe through unbeliefe in rest and quietnesse he shall be fortified Esay 30.19 Fiftly if wee restraine the sence to the coherence and particular drift of this place we may answer three things First that he shall not be so confounded as to be driven to run headlong upon the use of any unlawfull meanes Secondly that he shall not fall downe from the foundation which is Christ though he should endure many a sore storme And thirdly hee shall not be ashamed in the point of Justification hee shall never repent that he relied upon Christ and his merits and righteousnesse Sixtly it is true that in some temporall crosses they may be foiled in the judgement of the world and in their own sense as the Prophet confesseth Psal. 48.9 and so farre as this promise reacheth to temporall things it must be understood with that common limitation Esay 54.4 viz. so farre as it is good for them they shall be kept from shame as for poverty or sicknesse or the like that is if it be good for them But yet if this temporall shame doe fall upon them for their sinâ—es repentance will remove it as is promised Ioelâ— 13 26. Lastly the Lord will give his people double for all their confusion Esay 61.7 and therefore it is not to be reckoned as a crosse for which they have so much recompence made them Vses The use of all this remains then to be considered of which concerns first the godly secondly the wicked The godly should here learne First to take notice of their priviledges above other men in this respect c. Secondly to sue out this promise upon all occasions For since they have a grant of freedome in this kind they should seek unto God for the obtaining of it as they shall find need when either their crosses presse them or their hearts faile them so did David in many places of the Psalmes as Psal. 31. 1 17. and 119.116 and in divers other places Thirdly but they must ever look to it that they be such as may answer the conditions of this promise expressed in this or in other Scriptures as 1. They must preserve a constant respect unto Gods commandements and in all their waies be sound in Gods statutes else wilfull sinne and shame will be companions Psal. 119.6 80. 2. They must not be ashamed of Gods truth and the profession of it but witnesse a good profession before all men Psal. 119.46 3. They must not be too tender in matter of reproach from the world but learne of Christ to despise the shame and scornes of men Heb. 12.2 Esay 51.6 7. 4. In this Text they must hold fast their faith and live by it it is a promise to the godly as he is a beleever and will relie upon Gods mercy in Jesus Christ we must be established in the faith The wicked may hence gather an argument of singular terror For this Text imports that such as live in their sinnes without repentance and have not a lively faith in Jesus Christ shall certainly be confounded and this will more particularly touch such sorts of men as are distinctly designed out to shame and confusion Quest. Now if any ask who are they shall be ashamed and confounded Answ. I answer out of severall Scriptures They shall be ashamed and confounded First that worship graven Images and trust upon them Psal. 97.7 Esay 42.17 Secondly that wish evill and hate the godly and rejoyce at their misery and seek to doe them mischiefe Psalm 44.7 Psalm 129.5 Esay 26.11 and 41.11 Thirdly that are proud and deale perversly for pride is a fore-runner of shame Prov. Fourthly that call not upon the Name of the Lord that use not prayer Psal. 53.5 Fiftly that use customary lying they shal be lothsome and come to shame Prov. 13.5 Sixtly that put their trust in men and not in the Lord Esay 20.5 Seventhly that are ashamed of Christ and the Gospell in this world Mark 8.38 Lastly that go about to establish their own righteousnesse Rom. 10.4 Verses 7 8. 7. Vnto you therefore which beleeve it is precious but unto them which be disobedient the stone which the Builders disallowed the same is made the Head of the corner 8. And a stone to stumble at and a rock of offence even to them which stumble at the Word being disobedient unto the which thing they were even ordained IN these words the
unto them yea unsearchable riches Eph. 3.6 All ages ought to wonder at the riches of Gods kindnesse to the beleevers in Jesus Christ Eph. 2.7 Christ in us is our riches Col. 1.27 and thus he enricheth us with the favour of God his own merits and righteousnesse the grace of the Spirit and the promises of the Word and the hope of glory The Uses are many Vses First woe to the rich men of this world that are not rich in God and Christ Luk. 12.16 21. Let not the rich man glory in his riches Ier. 9.24 Secondly let the brother of low degree rejoyce in that God hath thus exalted him Iâ—â— 1.9 For godly Christians aâ—e the richest men in the world for their possessions are greatest because theâ— possesse Jesus Christ and his treasureâ— Iames 2.5 For God is rich to all tâ—at call upon him Hee cannot be a poore man that can pray Rom. 10.12 Christ makes amends to the poore Christian for all his wants Thirdly hence we may gather anothâ—r signe to try our faith by If Christ be more precious to us than all the world besides it is certaine we are true beleevers For Christ is precious to 〈◊〉 but beleevers Phil. 3.9 8. Fourthly we should strive with all â—hankfulnesse to admire and praise the grace of God that hath bestowed such riches upon us in Christ Eph. 1.7 Fiftly we should hence learne to â—ake more account of our faith which is therefore precious because it applieâ— Christ unto us Hence poore Christians are said to be rich because they have faith and assurance of faith and hee calleth it all riches of full assurancâ— Col. 2.2 2 Pet. 1.4 Iam. 2.5 Sixtly we should live securelesse Men would promise to live at all hearts ease if they were rich enough why Christians are exceeding rich and possesse more treasure than all the woâ—ld besides and therefore should live henceforth by the faith of the Sonne of God which was given to them Gal. 2.20 Seventhly looke to it that thou keepe Christ whatsoever thou losest resolve to lose father mother wife children friends house lands yea and life too rather than lose Christ who is so precious Eighthly we should shew it thâ—t wee account him our greatest riches and that we shall doe first by esteeâ—ing the Gospell that brings us daily tidings above gold and silver Secondly by oft receiving of the Sacraments we should account the Word and Saâ—raments as Gods Exchequer whither we alwaies come to receive more treasure Thirdly by making much of them that resemble his vertues Fourthly 〈◊〉 longing for his appearing Thus as Christ is our riches Now secondly he is precious in that he is an honour unto us and so some translate it Christ then is a singular honor to every beleever and he is so both in heaven and in earth First in heaven he is an honour to us because he graceth us before God and the Angels covering our nakednesse with the rich garment of his owne imputed righteousnesse and making daily intercession fâ—r us to God and covering our imperfections and presenting our works and prayers to God and giving the Angels a charge to look carefully to uâ— Secondly And so he is an honour to us on earth both amongst the godly and amongst the wicked First Hee graceth us amongst the godly by giving 〈◊〉 room in their hearts causing them to love us and honour us even for Christ onely whom they discover in us by our love to Christ and faith in his name and imitation of his vertues Secondly and he graceth us also amongst the wicâ—ed by protecting and acknowledging us in times of greatest distresse and by washing out the blemishes which our owne indiscretions at any time brought upon us and by cleering our innocencies from their unjust aspersions The Use may be first for confutation of their folly and madnesse that account it a course of abasement to follow Christ and leave the vanities of the world Godly â—ourses are honorable courses No man ever lost honor by cleaving to Christ and living so as might become the faith and love of Christ. Secondly and withall we may hence be informed that all the honor that is without Christ is but obscure basenesse no man can be truely honorable without the faith of Jesus Christ in his heart Thirdly we should hence be resolved to make more account of the godly because Christ is to them all honour they are the onely excellent ones in the world Fourthly we should labour also to be an honour unto Christ and to the faith and profession of his name and service we must remember that he is our surety to God for us and hath undertaken for our good behaviour and therefore for that reason we should be carefull of our duties and besides wee see that the disorders of great mens servants leave an imputation on their master and so it is with us and Christ. If we live righteously and soberly and religiously we honour Christ our Master but otherwise if we be scandalous we dishonour Christ and therefore had need to look to our waies And lastly we should account Christ sufficient honour to us and not regard the scornes and reproaches of the world but rather with Moses esteeme the reproaches of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Aegypt Thus of the consolation to the godly The terrour to the unbeleevers is exprest first partly by charging upon them their offence secondly and partly by describing their punishment Their offence is disobedience To them that are disobedient All unbeleevers stand indicted of disobedience and that in three respects For first they are guilty of Adams disobedience For by the disobedience of one man many are made sinners Rom. 5.19 Secondly they are guilty of disobedience against the morall Law which they have broken by innumerable offences and in respect thereof are liable to all the curses of God Deut. 28. Thirdly they are guilty of disobedience against the Gospell For there is an obedience of faith Rom. 1.5 and the Lord complaines that they obeyed not the Gospell Rom. 10.16 and for this disobedience God will render vengeance in flaming fire at the day of Judgement 2 Thes. 1.8 Now men disobey the Gospell not onely when they are bewitched to receive false opinions in religion Gal 3.1 but also and chiefly when they beleeve not in Jesus Christ but live in their sins without repentance Vses The use should be for humiliation unto impenitent sinners they should take notice of their indictment and make haste to humble themselves before the Lord lest sentence come out against them and there be no remedy and the rather because God will aggravate against them their disobedience Now there are many wayes by which a sinner may take notice of the aggravations of his disobedience as First by the number of his offences if hee consider that he hath made his sins like the haires of his head To be guilty of treason but in one particular should occasion
are to be disliked so are dumbe Christians too Secondly it should teach Christians to strive to be of an harmelesse and inoffensive disposition The Priests in the Law of God were men without blemish and so should Christians in the Gospel Phil. 1.2 15. Thirdly we should hence learne to set the Lord alwayes before us and to walke before him seeing it is our office to keepe in the Temple and to bee neere the Lord. Fourthly it should compell upon us a care of our sacrifice The maine worke of the Priests was to offer sacrifices Now our sacrifices are principally prayers and good workes as more at large is shewed on the notes of verse 5. and in these we must be daily imployed But then we must in all our services looke to the rules of sacrificing which â—as I â—aidâ— I have handled at large vers 5. onely for the present remember these few things First that their sacrifices are worth nothing without an Altar to sacrifice them on and this Altar is Jesus Christ Heb. 13.10 Secondly that thou must have fire to burne the sacrifice on the Altar and this fire is holy affections Mark 9. Thirdly that in all thy sacrifices thou must keepe out leaven now the spirituall leaven that marres thy sacrifices are first malice secondly any notable wickednesse thirdly evill opinions fourthly worldly griefe and passions which like leaven sowreth the sacrifice Thus of the seconâ— principall use Use 3. This may serve for reproofe of divers sorts of men as First of the Papists They have fire but no Altar and therefore cannot sacrifice they have zeale but not knowledge as was said in the case of the Jewes who knew not the righteousnesse of Christ. Secondly of the carnall Protestants They have an Altar in that they professe justification by Christ but either they have no sacrifice or no fire The rich among them bring not their sacrifice of almes and all sorts neglect prayer and good workes or if they doe any service to God there is no fire to burne the sacrifice they serve God without zeale and holy affections Thirdly hypocrites are here rebuked They bring for matter the right sacrifices sometimes and they have fire too but it is strange fire many times they have zeale but it is rash and unwarranted they doe good duties in an ill manner or spend their zeale on traditions either on the left hand or on the right Fourthly fearfull Christians are here reproved because when they have sacrifices and an Altar and fire too yet they beleeve not the attonement may come by it or the acceptation of them from God Thus of the fourth point An holy Nation The holinesse of a Christian is his fifth prerogative wherein he excels all other people and the godly are holy many wayes Some are lesse principall some are more principall First they are holy in respect of Gods appointment and calling God hath decreed them to holinesse Eph. 1.4 and created them to good workes Eph. 2.10 and called them to be Saints 1 Cor. 1.16 Secondly they are holy in their sect or kinred They are of an holy kinred for their Head Christ Jesus is infinitely holy and their brethren are holy brethren Heb. 4.1 Thirdly they are holy in their Lawes No people have so holy just and exact Lawes there is no defect or error in them The word of God is perfect Psal. 19. Prov. 8.5 6. Fourthly they are holy in their signes they weare the badges of righteousnesse The uncircumcised were accounted unholy and the Jewes a holy nation because being circumcised they had the signe of righteousnesse so are Christians holy by Baptisme sacramentally Fifthly they are holy in regard of separation from the wicked and the world A thing was said to be holy in the Law which was separated from common uses to the use of the Tabernacle so are the godly holy because separated from the unholy But chiefly the godly excell for holinesse if we respect the holinesse First of justification they are holy by the imputation of the perfect holinesse of Christ and so are they as holy as ever was Adam in Paradise or the Angels in heaven Secondly of sanctification they have holinesse in their natures and they practice holinesse too and thus they are holy in heart and by inchoation They have grace in all parts though not in all degrees and they are not destitute of any saving or heavenly gift 1 Cor. 9.11 And this kinde of holinesse must not be slighted or meanly accounted of for first it is a holinesse wroâ—ght by the holy Ghost Secondly it is presented to God by the intercession of Christ whereby all imperfections are covered And thirdly it is acknowledged in the covenant of grace which admits of uprightnesse and sincerity instead of perfection which in the other covenants were required Thirdly they are holy in hope because they looke for perfect holinesse in nature and action in another world There is a righteousnesse which they wait for that exceeds all the righteousnesse that ever was in any man in this world Christ Jesus excepted But I conceit it is the holinesse of sanctification which is here meant Now this holinesse consists either of mortification or vivification Mortification is imployed about the subduing of corruptions and vivification about qualifying the heart and life of the beleever with holinesse Vivification also is exercised either about new grace in the heart or new obedience in the conversation I take it the later is here meant and so the Apostle intends to say that no people are like the beleeving Christians for the holinesse of their conversation Uses The use of this point may be first for great encouragement to the true Christian notwithstanding all his infirmities with which hee is burdened and therefore hee should take heed that hee be not wicked over-much Eccles. 7. that is he should not thinke too vilely of himselfe For though hee be guilty of many sinnes yet he is truly holy and that many wayes as was shewed before God hath done great things for him that hath given him a holy head and a holy calling and especially that he hath already made him perfectly holy by justification and will make him perfectly holy in sanctification in another world yea hee ought to take reason of comfort for his holinesse of sanctification as for the reasons before so the very holinesse of his conversation is much more exact than is the conversation of the wicked or than was his owne before his calling And withall this should much stirre up godly men to the care of sound holinesse in their conversation the rather because first they were redeemed from a vaine conversation by the blood of Christ 1 Pet. 1.18 Secondly they should much thereby advance the profession of true Religion Phil. 1.27 Thirdly because a holy conversation is a good conversation God requires nothing of us to doe but it is all faire worke and good for us whereas when wee have done the divell the world and
without it it could never compasse things desired Hitherto of the working of the soule upon the body and those strange things it doth in the body by the faculties of vegetation and sense It is true that those things are done by the soules of brute creatures but as their soules differ exceedingly from the glory and excellency of the soules of men so are the effects upon their bodies but certaine glimpses of those things which are done exactly by the soules of men I meane in respect of the inward senses of phantasie and memory there is in beasts but onely a darke shadow of them in comparison of what is in men But for the third faculty of the soule which is reason therein men excell all creatures in this visible world and it is profitable for us to know what God hath done for us in our soules generally considered above all other creatures And so man excells in respect of his reasonable soule 1 In that he can conceive of things by the light of understanding as well as by sense This light is admirable whether we conceive of it as proceeding from God who shines upon the soule as the Sunne doth upon the body or whether wee beleeve it to be a light conferred upon the understanding by which from within it discernes things 2 In that it can conceive of things that never were in the senses as things absent that never were seene yea things altogether immateriall as Angels and vertues and vices 3 In that it can conceive of the nature of God and discerne God from his workes 4 In that it can conceive of things by a discerning reflexion as it can conceive of it selfe and understand that it doth understand 5 In that it can distinguish betweene good and evill truth and falshood I say of the morall goodnesse of things whereas the phantasie can judge onely of so much of the naturall goodnesse of things as they shew to the outward senses 6 In the largenes of the extent of our understanding For the understanding can in a small moment of time go almost over the whole world and view it all as it were at once whereas the senses are forced in within a narrow compasse 7 In that it can invent things that never were in beeing and thus wee see daily what strange things for number and skill are invented for the use of the life of man by art and skill of mans understanding in every calling of men 8 In that the reasonable soule governes and appoints and crosseth and fetters and alters and rectifies the other faculties of vegetation and sense and in respect thereof can turne and tame and rule and order all sorts of other creatures 9 In that by begetting with strange variety it can make knowne what images are within whether begotten by the senses or by the minde it selfe 10 In that it is the faculty by which onely true blessednesse is apprehended and attained 11 In that mans understanding is made after a sort all things For the understanding becomes the things understood in that it doth conceive a true and evident image of the thing to be understood so that as man is the Image of God so hath hee in him the images of all things printed as it were in his understanding This is a most dreadfull dignity in the soules of men yea herein he resembles God in the creation of the world for mans reasonable soule doth as it were forme worlds of things in it selfe If any object that the sensitive soule hath the images of things in it I answer two things First that the sense can receive only the images of a few things that is onely of such things as have colour found taste smell or touchable qualities but the minde can beget the images of all things Secondly that those images in the senses are dull and darke and confused in comparison of the likenesse of things in the minde 12 In that he hath a will in chosing or refusing things good or evill that cannot bee compelled The liberty of the will is inseparable to it in what it chooseth or refuseth for it implies a contradiction that the will should bee constrained 13 In that it hath in it that divine thing which we call conscience which is given to the soule as a guardian as it were to tend it from God the effects whereof are admirable in us for it testifies to our actions it accuseth or excuseth it comforts when we have well done above all outward comforts and it terrifieth and scourgeth the soule with unexpressible afflictions many times for sinne it is a Judge witnesse and executioner many times in us Now if the soule bee thus admirable in any estate for all these things are true of the reasonable soule even in the estate of corruption then how excellent was the estate of man in respect of his soule before the Fall and how doth it excell in the godly who have their soules enlightned with the light of faith and garnished with saving graces but especially how shall it exceed in glory when it shall be presented before God in the Kingdome of heaven So that as the whole man made in Gods image is as it were the visible God in this great world so the soule is as it were a little god in the lâ—sser world which is the body of man And thus much of the faculties of the soule Now the end of all this followes The Lord made the soule and endowed it with so excellent a being and so admirable faculties that so the Lord might in this visible world have a creature that would know him and serve him rightly The creatures without sense are Gods workmanship but discerne nothing of God or themselves or other things The creatures with sense discerne other things by sense but know nothing of God Now God made man as the abridgement of all he had made and gave him his soule of purpose that hee might discerne God aright and serve and worship and praise him Use 1. The consideration of the excellencie of the soule and of the end why it was created should stirre us up to make conscience of the service and knowledge of God it is as if we had never beene if wee answer not this end Wee should be fired to the observation and praise of God and of his love to man And withall it should make us wonderfull carefull of our soules since wee see they are such excellent creatures Our soule is more worth than all this visible world besides Especially it should fire us to a care of things that concerne the blessed immortality of our soules we should be forced to all possible care of all such things as might be provision for the eternall well-being of our soules And in particular the excellencie of the soule should disswade us from fleshly lusts and all inward impuritie by which the soule is defiled or wounded Hitherto of the description of the soule The warre against the soule is now
to bee considered of Concerning which I propound these things to bee handled First who are the combatants Secondly by what wayes and meanes the soule is assaulted and opposed Thirdly why God would suffer the soule to be thus assaulted Fourthly what reason Christians have to be carefull of themselves and provide against this warre Fifthly by what meanes we must resist and defend the soule Sixthly what hope there is of victory Seventhly how many waies we may obtaine victory Eighthly by what signes we may know that we are not overcome And then the use of the whole For the first there are foure kindes of warre waged against the soule as it is encountered by foure sorts of adversaries For both God and the world and the divell and the flesh warre against the soule of man briefly of the three first God warres against the soule either in earnest and in deed or in shew and appearance and not as an adversary in deed In earnest God fights against the soule by the threatnings and rebukes of his Word when he smites and beates men downe by the word of his mouth Esay 11. and also by torments of conscience powred out upon the wicked men and so he fought against Cain and Iudas Sometimes God is but a purative adversarie and doth but seeme to fight against them and so he warreth against his owne servants either by outward crosses or by desertion or by feare and terrour and thus he fought against Iob. And in this case God is like a Captaine training his souldiers or like a Fencer teaching his scholar to fight The world warres against the soule two waies by the inticements of profits pleasures honours evill counâ—ell or example and by persecution either of the tongue or hand The divell warres against the soule by evill doctrine or temptations or illusions But none of these three are principally intended here it is the flesh that maketh warre against the soule that is here meant By the flesh is meant the corruption that is in the nature of man called the old man and the Law of the members By the soule is here meant the spirit or regenerate man the new man the grace of Christ in the soule Thus of the first point who are the combatants the flesh is the assaylant the spirit the defendant For the second point the flesh incounters and warres against the soule divers waies and by strange kindes of fights as 1 By mists of ignorance it casts mists before the eies of the soule that it might be blinded for there is a manifest combate betweene the naturall understanding and the regenerate minde carnall reason and saving knowledge often fights it out within a man 2 by doubtings and distractions and so the flesh casts ouâ— such questions as these as so many darts into the soule Whether there bee a God or the Scripture bee the Word of God Whether Christ bee the Sonne of God and our Mediator Whether it be the true Church we are in or whether our sinnes be forgiven or we be in the state of grace Whether there shall be any resurrection or heaven or hell or immortall beeing of the soule Against all these the soule is driven to make often defences and drives them out with hard conflicts 3 By rebellious deniall of obedience to the law of the mind exalting it selfe against the obedience enjoyned by Christ to the soule Rom. 7. 2 Cor. 10. and â—asting out resolutions of deniall and thoughts that say they ought not or will not obey 4 By hindring the worke of the soule that overcomes the former resolutions and will obey and that it doth by making evill present when she should do good or by hindring and dulling of the affections of the heart or by casting-in of other projects of purpose to breed distractions in the time of doing good duties Rom. 7. 5. By lusting that is by bringing-in of contrary desires evill concupiscences longings after forbidden things and in these lusts usually the flesh combines with the outward adversaries of the soule the world and the divell and kindles the fire of those inordinate desires by dalliance with the world or the divels temptations And thus of the second point The third thing is a question Why God should suffer the soule to be thus annoyed by the flesh saying He could have made man again in Christ as he made Adam in Paradise and so have utterly abolished the flesh For answer hereunto three things may be said First that we are bound with all thankfulness to praise God for that grace he hath given us in Christ though it bee not full perfect and so ought not to reason with God why he gave us not more grace and the rather because wee look for a time when wee shall bee more happy in that respect than ever Adam was and besides though grace given us bee imperfect in respect of degree and so lesse than Adam's was yet it is perfect in respect of continuance and so it is better than Adam's Thirdly there may be divers reasons assigned why God did suffer the flesh to remain in us after calling for a time that is while wee warre in this world For 1. It shewes the greatnes of God's power that can keep us notwithstanding such continuall danger we are in 2. By this conflict divers graces of the Spirit are raised up and exercised which else were of little use as godly sorrow poverty of spirit desire of death and faith also hath much imployment about this combate 3. By this combate all the graces of God's Spirit are proved to be right and not counterfeit in the true Christians for no man can constantly beare armes against the flesh but hee is a new creature This combate then serves for the triall of the gifts and graces of Christians 4. By this combate wee are cured of the horrible disease of self-love pride in our selves and made more to love God and trust in him as knowing that we deserve no favour at his hand nor can be strong in our owne might 5. It is equall we should war before we triumph that wee should fight in the battels on earth before we raign in heaven Lastly it makes heaven grace more precious in our sight and breeds in us a desire to be dissolved and so warns from the love of this present evill world In the fourth place we must consider by what means the soule may preserve it self against the treacheries and assaults of the flesh and so the means is to be used either before the conflict or in the conflict or after the conflict Before the conflict if wee would take a sound course to bee preserved against the danger of the flesh we must look to these things 1 We must stand upon our guard and keep a daily watch over our hearts and waies and not be retchlesse to despise our own waies or never take notice of our hearts he lives dangerously that lives securely we must take a diligent
that he was never guilty of any offence against God or man Thus of the sense of the words Divers Doctrines may be gathered out of these words but because one is principall I will but touch the rest Doct. 1. Mens sinnes are of mens making man made sinne God made none Doct. 2. It is a hatefull thing to be a maker of sinne As it was most glorious for God to make a world of creatures so it is most ignominious for man to make a world of sinnes Doct. 3. Christ made no sinne This is the chiefe Doctrine and plaine in the Text He was not only free from the first and worst kinds of making of sinne mentioned before but he was free from all sinne in all estates of his life he knew no sinne he did none iniquity he was that just One by an excellency Quest. But how came it to passe that the man Jesus had no sinne seeing all other men bring sinne with them into the world and daily sinne Answ. He was sanctified from the wombe being conceived by the holy Ghost which no other are so as both originall sinne was stopped from flowing in upon him in his conception and besides hee was qualified with perfect holinesse from the wombe and therefore is called that holy thing borne of the Virgin Luke 1.35 And it was necessary his humane nature should bee so holy and that hee should doe no sin because his humane nature was to be a tabernacle for the Deity to dwel in Col. 2.9 and besides from his very humane nature as well as from his Deity must flow unto us life and all good things and therefore he must needs be undefiled The man-hood of Christ is as the conduit and the God-head as the spring of grace unto us Besides his sufferings could not be availeable if he were not innocent himselfe The Uses follow and so Uses First we see the difference between the two Adams the first made sinne and infected all the world with it the other made no sinne but redeemed all the world from it The first Adam as he had power not to sinne so he had power to sinne but the second Adam had not only a power not to sinne but also no power to sinne not only as they say in Schooles Posse non peccare but also Non posse peccare Secondly we may hence see in what a wofull damnity against goodnesse the world stands when this most innocent Man that never did any sinne that never offended God or man in all his life when he I say comes into the world how is he despised and rejected of men Who looked after him unlesse it were for his miracles few honoured him for his holinesse How is the world set on wickednesse that it should account him without forme or handsomenesse that shone before God and Angels in such a spotlesse innocency Oh what wit had the rulers of this world that condemned him as a malefactor that had no spot in him from the crowne of the head to the soale of the foot that never did man wrong or sinned against God Isa. 49.7 and 53.2 3 4. Thirdly we may hence see cause to wonder at the love of Christ to us Oh how is it 〈…〉 of such a world of sinnes that yet himselfe never knew sinne What heart of man can sufficiently admire his love unto us that can abase himselfe to be made sinne for us that never did sinne himselfe Fourthly is it not hence also most manifest that impenitent sinners shall not be spared or pitied of God Did not God spare his owne Son that never offended in all his life and shall he spare them that never left offending of him Oh what madnesse hath besotted men so as with stubborne wilfulnesse still to trust upon an unknowne mercy in God yea such a mercy as God could never conceive in the case of his Sonne that was not to him as they are in any respect Were these men but throughly beaten from this sinfull plea of mercy in God they would repent of their sins in time and seeke true mercy from God which never is with-held from penitent sinners Lastly Did our Saviour Christ suffer so patiently such extreme things that never deserved any evill in himselfe What a shame is it for us to be so unquiet and dejected or so froward or so unsettled when any crosses or afflictions fall upon us who yet have deserved at Gods hands to suffer a thousand times more and worse things than those that doe befall us In his mouth was found no guile We reade in the Scripture of guile in the spirit when we have false hearts and guile in the hands by false weights and ballances and guile in the mouth in deceitfull words Guile in words is committed many wayes First by lying when men speake what they thinke not Secondly by flattering when men praise others after a corrupt maner or for corrupt ends Thirdly by backbiting when men censure others behind their backs of malice or whisper evill against others Psal. 41.7 Fourthly by wresting the words of others to their hurt Psal. 56.11 and 52.1 2. Fiftly by with-holding the just praises of others or Apologie Sixtly by fearefulnesse in evill times when men will not stand for the truth or speake against their Consciences Seventhly by disgracefull jests Ephes. 5.4 Eighthly by telling the truth of malice 1 Sam. 22.9 10. Ninthly by boasting of a false gift Pro. 27.1 Tenthly by hypocrisie and dissimulation and that divers wayes as 1. When men speake faire to mens faces but reproach them behinde their backs or flatter them meerely to catch them and intangle them in their talke as the Pharisees often tempted Christ. 2. That reproveth sinne in others and yet commits it himselfe Rom. 2.19 3. That colours sin under pretence of Religion Marke 12.40 4. That professeth Religion in words and yet denieth it in his heart 5. That hideth his sin by deniall or excuses to avoyd shame and punishment 6. That gives good words to men in affliction but relieves them not 1 Iohn 3.17 18. None of these nor any other wayes of guile were found in Christ though they called him a deceiver and sought all occasions against him Thus of the sense the doctrines follow Doct. 1. Guile in words is a vice that wonderfully dishonours a man it was a fault would give great advantage to the enemies of the truth As it is a sinne which is in a speciall manner hatefull to God Psal. 5.7 so it is shamefull amongst men and therefore as any man would enjoy good dayes let him refraine his tongue from evill and his lips that they speake no guile Psal. 34.13 Doct. 2. When he saith that they found no guile in his mouth it imports that they sought it And so we learne that the godly are so hated of the wicked that they seeke occasion against them when they see not or heare not of any faults in them they search and inquire and lie in waite
of his that we might admire it and adore it and embrace it and in the meane time love and delight in the Lords Supper that exhibiteth the body of Christ spiritually unto us rejoycing in such meetings above the joy of all carnall people before any other things Fiftly we should therefore take heed of sinning against our bodies bâ—â— make conscience to serve God both in body and Spirit and say with David and Christ Lord a body thou hast given me for I come to doe thy will Sixtly what cursed monsters are swearers that reare the body of our Lord with their cursed oathes and rake their nailes in his wounds with their blasphemies On the tree The originall word signifies sometimes a staffe Mat. 26.47 sometimes a paire of stockes Acts 16.24 sometimes a tree growing Rev. 2.11 usually wood â— Cor. 3.12 here a Gallowes made of wood Christ bare our sins on the tree because he did in a speciall manner suffer bitter extremities on the tree which he suffered as our Suretie and for our sins for First to die on a tree was by a speciall Law of God made a curse and so is every one that hangs on a tree Gal. 3.13 Secondly he was debarred of the benefit of ordinary naturall comforts for he lived in paine three houres in the dâ—rke and had not the light of the Sunne Thirdly in that darknesse he was put to the most fearfull conflict with the Divels which at that time did with their utmost fury assault him and sight against him Col. 3.25 Fourthly he endured most grievous paines and torments of body and the effusion of his most precious bloud Fiftly he was reckoned amongst the wicked in his death and therefore hanged betweene two malefactors Esay 53.9 Sixtly he was reviled by the base multitude and mocked and derided by the chiefe Priests and Scribes Mat. 27.39 to 45. Seventhly God his Father poured out upon him the fearfull vials of his wrath in with-drawing for a time the sense of his favour Mat. 27.46 Eighthly his whole body was offered up on the tree as a Sacrifice for the sinnes of the world and the substance of all the Sacrifices in the Law Uses We have therefore cause to rejoyce in the crosse of Christ above all things for on the tree he freed us from the curses of the Law and purchased for us the blessings promised to Abraham as the father of the faithfull Gal. 3.13 14. and besides by suffering so shamefull a death he hath sanctified all sorts of wayes of inflicting death upon the godly so as now they may with comfort in a good cause or after repentance for their faults even suffer that death on a tree with joy And we should the more praise God for his favour if he suffer any of us to die of any other more easie or more honourable death And then we may againe see the hatefulnesse of sin in that God punishing our sins in the person of his owne Sonne doth not omit the very circumstances of abasement his justice exacting not onely death but that painfull and ignominious death on the tree Lastly hence we may see how little cause there is for Christians to plead merit if they think how fearfully sinne hath angred God and withall how senselesse the best of us are when wee heare reade or thinke of these sufferings of Christ they may rather see cause for ever to abhorre the doctrine of merit seeing hereby we proclaime our selves to be worthy of the very merits of Christ that can be so little affected with the thought of his sufferings Thus of the matter of Christs sufferings The effects follow and the effects in respect of us are named to be three first the death of sin secondly the life of grace thirdly the healing of our natures That we being dead to sin Men may be said to die divers wayes First in respect of nature when the Frame of nature is dissolved by the pâ—â—ting of the soule from the body Secondly in respect of God when God is departed from men with his grace and righteousnesse and favour thus wicked men are spiritually dead Eph. 2.1 and 4.17 1 Tim. 5.6 〈◊〉 in respect of the world when a man is overwhelmed with crosses 〈…〉 as are 〈◊〉 wit◠〈◊〉 in his reputation he is said to be dead and his life to be hid under 〈…〉 being despised and 〈◊〉 as 〈◊〉 mâ—n oâ—t of â—inde Col. â— 3 Esay 26.19 Fourthly in respect of sinne and so men either are dead for sin as malefactors or dead in sinne as all wicked men or dead to sinne as the godly here To take the soule from the body is the death of all men To take God from the soule is the death of all wicked men To take sinne from the soule is the death of all godly men To be dead to sinne then is to be mortified in respect of sin Sin is said to be dead either in appearance or in deed In appearance only it is dead in such as have their sins only restrained for a time eâ—â—her by Gods owne strong hand or else by themselves kept downe for certaine hypocriticall ends or else for want of occasion or temptation to stir the sinne thus sinne was dead in Paul when he was unregenerate and revived when the Law came Rom. 7.9 Sin is dead indeed in godly men but with a difference for though in this life they be wholly rid of many sins yet some corruptions are not wholly removed yet are they dead to them in the inchoation of it their sins lie a dying but in the life to come they shall be wholly and fully delivered from all sin Thus of the sense There be many Doctrines may be hence observed as Doct. 1. First it is evidently here implied that all men by nature and out of Christ are alive to sin or live to sin and in sinning they may be said to live or be alive or live to it in divers respects 1. Because all the parts of their life are full of sin sin infecteth their persons and their workes 2. Because they are in bondage to sin so as all their life they are at the command of sin they are servants of sin Rom. 6. 3. Because they account sin to be the life of their lives they could not esteeme life but for the hope of liberty and power of sinning It were a death to them to live restrained of sin as appeares when either by punishment or for other ends they are found to cease sinning 4. Because they doe not destroy sin in letting it live they are guilty of the life of sin in them because they will not use the means to subdue and mortifie sin that dwels in them but let it alone unresisted 5. Because they have most life or are most lively when they have most liberty to sin 6. Because they continue in sinne they spend not an houre but it is in sinne yea they so sinne now that they desire to spend everlasting
sin nor am I of their mind that thinke she is subject to her husbands blowes and stripes for that doth import a fervile subjection and not a free subjection I meane that I doe not thinke it any part of the husbands power over his wife to correct her by blowes her vices that cannot be corrected by words must be committed either to the Magistrate or to the Church censures to reforme Likewise I conceive that she is not bound to deliver her body to her husband when she is apart for her disease Levit. 18.19 Ezek 8.6 Seventhly the sins by which wives transgresse against this subjection to their husbands be many viz. Usurping authority over the man by teaching him in matters of religion 1 Tim. 2.12 or busying her selfe in directing or finding fault with him in matters belonging to his calling are out of her reach Impatience and frowardnesse passion brawling chiding crying c. Idlenesse and slothfulnesse especially when they disappoint usually the trust or desires of the husbands in things wherein they might and ought to be helpfull in their labours or in the oversight of the workes of their servants Vile estimation of their husbands though but in the heart but much more when it is shewed by unreverent termes or nick-names or words of reproach or by complaining of the infirmities of their husbands and finding fault with them before others Suspicious and base interpretations of the actions of their husbands as when Michol so censured David for his dancing before the Arke Wastefulnesse either by improvidence or vaine expences Pro. 14.1 especially when they are so impudently monstrous as to professe they will not be ruled by their husbands but will be masters And thus of the duty charged upon the Wives The parties to whom they owe this duty followes and they are their owne Husbands To your owne Husbands Two things may be noted 1 That all husbands have the same right and authority over their wives Wives must be subject though their husbands be poore yea though they be froward and perverse yea as the coherence shewes here though they be carnall and wicked persons and so though they be ignorant and not able to dwell with them as men of knowledge though they be diseased and in great affliction as Iob was 2 That wives are to be subject onely to their husbands not to their children or servants much lesse to a strange woman if the wicked husband should bring any into the family and she must be subject to her owne husband to be directed and ordered by him not by the husband of another woman Thus of the proposition the explication of it followes where the Apostle requires three things of the wife 1 Amiablenesse in her carriage that she might win her husband if it were possible ver 1. 2. A chaste conversation with feare ver 2. 3. Meeknesse and a quiet spirit ver 3 4. For the first part we are to note two things about the amiablenesse of her behaviour First the fruit to be hoped for by it viz. the winning of the husband Secondly the meanes how it should be done viz. by conversation Might be won What kind of winning doth he here meane I answer first an obedient carefull wife may win her husband to be a good husband that was before a froward unruly unkind violent or injurious husband But I thinke that is not that which is here meant or not all the Apostle meanes for he meanes it of winning of the carnall husband to religion Quest. But can any man be made a religious man without the Word can a man be saved and find the way to heaven without the preaching of the Gospel Answ. I take it the Apostle doth meane only of a winning by way of preparation in generall as the good conversation of the wife may win the husband not to think so ill of the religion she professeth as he did and may win him to be contented to goe to the means to heare the Word by which means he may be effectually called and sanctified For the better understanding of this point you must understand that men are said to be won in Scripture by divers meanes as some have beene won to beleeve for the miracles they saw and yet Christ did not trust many of them Iohn 2. some have beene won by private admonition but that is to be understood of perswading them to some good dutie or to receive some truth or to forsake some sin or errour Iames 5. ult some have beene won by judgements and afflictions as the Israelites many times came crying to God for mercie when the hand of God was upon them and yet fell away againe afterwards some have beene won by the faire conversation of others as here but the only ordinary meanes to win a soule effectually to God is the Word of God preached Rom. 10 14 17. But one thing we may note here that a man may be won and yet not effectually A man may convert and change and suffer much alteration and yet not be a new creature yea other Scriptures shew that a man may be won by the Word it selfe so as in his owne judgement and the hope of others it seemes his soule is indeed won and yet it will come to nothing in the end Wicked men have somtimes great remorses are much touched promise reformation consent for the time to enter into the profession of religion like of the way of God in the generall resolve to heare the Word constantly c. and yet all this comes to nothing but vanisheth and they returne to their old courses The causes of their revolting are in divers men or times divers Some flie off againe because of reproach Some for want of meanes to nourish what is begun Some are driven backe because they had not cast up their accounts what it would cost them to build the Tower of godlinesse or what would be necessary to overcome so many enemies Some are choaked with worldly cares and lusts but in all the reason is because they were not soundly converted The old heart would never hold out to doe the taske of godlinesse Quest. But being won so farre as to like of religion to feele remorse to resolve to become religious c. what did they want of sound conversion Ans. In those that are won only to a temporary kind of grace or generall preparation divers things appeare to be wanting as either they had no sound sorrowes for their sins or never soundly turned from the love of the world or could not forsake particular beloved sinnes or were never throughly perswaded to forsake carnall dependancies or did not think of hiring themselves to doe the worke of godlinesse for ever or had no hearty love to such as feare God or the like The consideration hereof should awaken all sorts especially such as newly entred into the profession of religion to looke to themselves and try their estates foundly whether they be won effectually
they desire to be as pure as he would have them to be 3. Sound mortification and judging of our selves for what impurity we finde cleave to our workes 't is Christian perfection to judge our selves for our imperfections 1 Iohn 3 3. 4. Freedome from the grosse impurities and vices and vanities of the time God accounts us pure when our spot is not as the spots of the wicked and when we are not infected with the corruptions which are usually in the world 1 Tim. 5.22 2 Pet. 1.4 5. Freedome from the reigne of hypocrisie in the heart and from hypocriticall courses in the life Thus Saint Iames accounts the heart to be pure when men are not double minded Iames 4.8 And in conversation he is a pure man that is like Iacob a plaine man without fraud trickes or dissimulation 6. Precisenesse circumspection or exactnesse of conversation when a man sheweth respect to all Gods Commandements and makes conscience to avoide lesser sins as well as greater Eph. 5.15 Mat. 5.19 7. Devoutnesse and zeale in matters of religion and Gods worship and glory and so a pure conversation is a religious conversation that expresseth zeale and conscience in the things of Gods service in a speciall manner seeking Gods Kingdome first and above all other things 2 Tim. 2.22 Titus 2.14 8. Chastitie in keeping the heart and life cleane from the impurities condemned in the seventh Commandement is one great part of Christian purity But before I come to entreat of chastity in particular I would apply this doctrine of purity in generall first to the Text and then to the times As for the Text a pure conversation is here considered only so far as it may fall into the observation of carnall men and so it comprehends of the former senses chiefly inoffensivenesse separation from impure men freedome from grosse impurities and dissimulation a Christian and wise strictnesse of life and devoutnesse and well ordered zeale in matters of religion Use. Now for the Use of it If these be applied to these times it shewes first how wicked and profane those sorts of people are who reproach godly men for the care and practice of these things as if to be a Puritane even in these senses were to be some vile man not worthy to live amongst men Secondly it shewes that worlds of people that beare the name of Christians are not true Christians because their conversations are not pure for their swearing or drunkennesse or whoredomes or sins of deceit or dissimulation or fashioning themselves to this world or the liberty they take to live as they list testifies against them to their faces that their workes are not pure and therefore unlesse they repent they will all perish Rev. 3.1 2. and the rather because they cause by their evill lives not only the hearts of the good to be grieved but the mouthes of the enemies of religion to be opened to blaspheme Thirdly godly men that find these cares in them should comfort themselves much in the testimonies of their owne consciences and the gracious acceptation of God who will shew himselfe pure with them that are pure 2 Cor. 1.12 Psal. 18. Thus of Purity in generall Now of Chastity as a part of a pure conversation and it may well be that which is chiefly here intended Chastitie is either of the mind or of the body and it is a most certaine truth that God requires a chaste minde as well as a chaste body and doth forbid unchaste thoughts and desires aâ— well as unchaste words or deeds For unchaste thoughts and desires are first foolish and noisome 1 Tim. 6.9 secondly they hinder the power of religion and true knowledge and grace 2 Timâ— 4 thirdly they fight against the soule 1 Pet. 2.11 A man were as good have his body wounded with weapons as his soule wounded with lusts fourthly they cause many times many and monstrous sins in the life which arise at first from the nourishing of soule desires and thoughts in the heart The wickednesse that was in the lives of the Gentiles did in many of them spring from the lâ—sts which they harboured in their hearts Rom. 1. lastly if men repent not of them in time they will drowne them in perdition 1 Tim. 1.9 But it is the chastitie of the body which is especially here intended our Saviour Christ divides those chaste persons into three sorts some are termed Eunuches from their mothers wombe and so are disabled for bodily fornication some are made so by other men who by violence for their owne service made some men Eunuches Now the third sort are they that made themselves Eunuches for the kingdome of Heavens sake Of this third sort are all chaste persons who by a godly care and watchfulnesse keepe themselves from the sinnes of filthinesse as well as naturall Eunuches doe Mat. 19.12 Now these persons that are made chaste for the kingdome of Heavens sake are either single persons or married persons of chastity in single persons other Scriptures intreat as 1 Cor. 7. of chastity in married persons this place intreats Now this vertue of chastity is of purpose imposed upon godly Christians by the Apostle because the sins of fornication were so rife and common among the Gentiles who oftentimes defended their filthinesse to be either no sin or a very small sin But before I come to speake of chastity in particular some doctrines would be in generall observed as first Doct. 1. A godly Christian must shew the proofe of his religion especially in keeping himselfe free from the sins that are most common and rife in the world and even the more sinne abounds in the world the more strict they should be in resisting sinne as here even the more filthy the lives of others were the more chaste should the conversation of godly Christians be because their love to God should constraine them the more to be zealous for his glory by how much the more God is dishonoured by other men and because they are flatly forbidden to follow a multitude to sin and because God hath chosen them out of all other sorts of men to beare his name and to hold forth the light of the Word in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation and because thereby the conscience of wicked men may be the more effectually convinced and prepared to repentance Thus Lot is righteous in Sodome and Ioshua and his house will serve the Lord though all the Nation serve Idols This point as it should inflame the zeale of the godly to contend for the truth the more earnestly and to resist all the vices of the time so it shewes that they can hardly have any truth of grace in them that are so easily borne downe with the streame of evill example and are so apt to follow the fashion of the world Doct. 2. Chastity may be in married persons as well as in single persons as here wives are said to be chaste in conversation though they with-hold not
take oft our affections from all things that may offend as resolved if our right eye offend us to plucke it out and if our right hand offend us to cut it off that is to deny all sinfull things though they were as deare to us as our right hand or right eye Mat. 9.45 Secondly we must be such as yeeld our selves to obey the voice of Christ and to bee ruled by him Hee gives eternall life to his sheep we must bee sheepe then for hearing his voice and tractablenesse Iohn 10.29 Thirdly wee must give glory to God and rely upon his promise of grace in Jesus Christ wee must be beleevers Iohn 3.16 Fourthly wee must by patient continuing in well-doing still seeke immortality Rom. 2.7 Thus of the first use Use 2. Secondly seeing the portion of the godly lies in incorruptible things wee should not be much troubled for the wants or losses in corruptible things Wee have so large an inheritance in things that will last for ever that it should be no grievance to us though we should want those transitory things 〈…〉 world Use 3. Thirdly for this reason such as abound in earthly things should bee 〈◊〉 more willing to distribute them and give them for good uses seeing those things are not thâ—ir portion and therefore they need not be overcarefull for the keeping of such things Useâ— Fourthly hence wee may gather infallibly That the godly can never fall from grace for Gods mercies cannot corrupt or fall away and his giâ—ts are without repentance If they could be lost then they were corruptible as well as earthly things But this is a comfort that must not bee taken away that God will establish Sion for ever Psal. 48.8 and though the 〈◊〉 passe away and the lusts thereof yet he that doth the will of God abideth for ever 1 Iohn 2.17 and though the servant may be cast out of the house yet the sonne abideth for ever Iohn 8.35 Lastly we should the lesse feare deâ—th seeing hence we learne that we have many things that will last with us even after our bodies be rotten in the grave Thus of the third doctrine Doct. 4. Now a fourth point is also cleare and that is That incorruptible things doe wonderfully adorne and make men comely This is the maine scope aâ—d drift of the Text and therefore we should the more seeke after thâ—se things for if wee could see the beauty of the inward man as it is adorned with grace wee would bee wonderfully enamoured and in love with it No comelinesse of the body can so allure as would this inward beauty of the man of the hear and therefore againe we should hence learne to make the more account of poore Christians There are no persons in the world so comely as they if wee knew the worth and ornament of true grace And so in generall we should love the godly above all people because they are the fairest and best adorned of all the men and women in earth and in particular those husbands that have gracious wives should learne so much religion as to love them entirely even for the beauty of the man of the Heart though they wanted the outward ornaments of riches or extraordinary comelinesse of the outward man Women also should especially hence learne to get grace and knowledge and holinesse into their hearts for their best handsomnesse is in their qualities and gifts 'T is not their cloathes but their manners and disposition that becomes them or disgraces them A faire body doth commend little if the heart bee fowle it is a small praise to have a good face and an ill nature Some women are like Helen without and like Hecuba within Thus of the adorning of the man of the Heart in generall Now followes the particular ornament which the Apostle commends by name and that is a meeke and quiet spirit Of a meeke and quiet spirit Quietnesse is added to meeknesse lest by mistaking the definition of meeknesse they should not understand the Apostles meaning Now the doctrine hence to bee gathered is That amongst all the particular vertues required in Christians meeknesse and quietnesse of nature and spirit is a speciall vertue and carefully to bee sought and in particular by Christian wives as this and other Scriptures shew Eph. 4.2 Mat. 11.28 Zeph. 2.3 Col. 3.12 Before I make use of this point I must consider what is comprehended in those termes of a meeke and quiet spirit and first we must know before hand what it doth not comprehend It doth not require that women or men should be so quiet as not to be troubled for their sinnes or not to humble their soules for sinne or that they should bee carelesse of their callings either generall or particular or that they should not admonish or reprove sinne in others when they have a calling and fitnesse But unto the constituting of true meeknesse and quietnesse of spirit is requisite 1. Freedome from the evils that disquiet and molest the spirits of men such as are first anger frowardnesse fretting and peevishnesse secondly worldly sorrow crying and aptnesse to take unkindnesse and fullennesse thirdly distrustfull cares of life arising from covetousnesse 1 Tim. 6 10 11. fourthly rash zeale and fiercenesse or inordinate striving and wilfulnesse as may bee gathered in the case of a Minister 2 Tim. 2.24 25 26. fifthly contention and evill speaking or ill language as may bee gathered from Tit. 3.2 and stirring up contention or brawles sixtly all inordinate desires and raigning heart-sinnes whether sinnes of ambition lust malice or the like Iam. 1.21 seventhly unconstancy and levity of minde Especially it crosseth those evils which are noted to be most usuall in women such as are fretting crying taking unkindnesses unconstancie wilfulnesse complaining of their husbands or the like 2. A kind of peacefull contentment when Christians are habitually well pleased with their condition 3. A gentle behaviour in case of wrongs or faults from or in others so as to be first able to beare them secondly not to render evill for evill but rather to overcome evill with goodnesse thirdly ready to forgive fourthly not provoked to anger 4. A harmelesse and innocent behaviour Zeph. 2.3 5. The fixing of the heart by trusting upon God and living without care like a little child that beleeves his father will provide for him Mat. 18. 6. Lowlinesse of mind thinking no great thoughts of our selves and esteeming the gifts of God in others and accounting others better than our selves and therefore is lowlinesse so often added to the word meeknesse to explaine it 7. Silence from many words from vaine and rash speeches especially provoking termes 8. Retirednesse when a Christian is no busie-body in other mens matters and his feet will be kept out of his neighbours house and refuseth to have to doe with the strife that belongs not to him 9. Tractablenesse and easinesse to be directed or appointed and governed as in relation to God it is meeknesse to take
his office he is carefull to prove that he hath given knowledge to the men God gave him to prepare them for eternall life Iohn 17.6 7 8 26. Fifthly by the relation it hath to God himselfe it is a part of the image of God in the new man Col. 3.10 Sixthly by the contrary it is accounted a great sinne and a curse to want knowledge Hosh. 4.11 and other gifts or services are rejected as vaine if this grace be not had as Zeale Rom. 10.2 Sacrifice Hos. 6.6 and therefore such as want knowledge should shake off profane sluggishnesse and vaine objections and seeke to be rich in knowledge as the men in the world doe to abound in wealth Pro. 4.7 2.4 And such as have knowledge should strive to encrease it and be thankfull to God for his great mercy in giving them knowledge and the meanes of it Doct. 2. Knowledge is required of all sorts of men Not of Ministers only but of private men of all husbands yea and of all men before they be husbands because so soone as they have wives they are charged to shew their knowledge Iohn 1.9 1 Cor. 8.1 1 Tim. 2.4 This condemnes the sacrilegâ—ous humour of those persons that are like the wicked Lawyers our Saviour speakes of Luke 11.52 which take away the key of knowledge from private men either by their opinions hindering others from seeking knowledge with their errours mudding the cleere fountaine of Gods Word or by their power restraining the meanes of knowledge from the people And withall this should stirre up all sorts of men to seeke knowledge and use all meanes to attaine it as they will give their account unto God of the use of their time at the last day Doct. 3. Knowledge is given us for use and practice not for idle speculation it is given as other gifts of the Spirit to profit withall it is a light to lighten our paths Our knowledge should be after godlinesse Tit. 1.1 It should some way help forwards the worke of godlinesse that we get by hearing should be shewed by practise Iames 1.22 23 24. They that have knowledge and will not use it shall have that knowledge taken from them Mat. 13.11 Nor is the use of knowledge only for discourse but for conversation The words of knowledge or utterance is given to some Christians onely 1 Cor. 12.8 And such as cannot talke much may yet have comfort if they have knowledge to stay their hearts in faith and that they can shew their knowledge by a good conversation Doct. 4. The knowledge seated in our minds should have a commanding power of our actions all should be according as a mans knowledge faith Those parcels of divine truth put into our minds should rule us and dispose of us and make us ordered according to them Those lawes in our mindes should make us master all that rebels against them and make the members be subject to them to obey them Our knowledge should be lively and indued with soveraigne power This is the honour we should give to the light that is in our minds to let it rule us in all things And this point may much humble all sorts of Christians for want of stirring up their knowledge or for want of obeying it Most Christians have their knowledge so feeble that the Divell or the world may lead them aside to all sorts of temptations and yet their knowledge makes not opposition and doth not take arms to subdue what exalts it self against the light of it as it should do 2 Cor. 10.4 Now if men would hearten and give life and power to those notions of knowledge are in their minds and would have their knowledge to have full power they must observe these rules 1. They must daily wound and mortifie and resist the law of the members that is such humours in them as are wâ—nt to be incorrigible Most persons have some faults in their natures that they are guiltie of with a kind of wilfulnesse such faults as must be allowed such as if they be crossed in there will be no peace but open rebellion such faults as sticke so fast to them as if God and man must let them alone in them these members must obey them as a law Now these men must find out and be sure they resist them or else the lawes of the minde will be but feeble and sacred notions infused will starve and wither and never appeare in their life and power 2. Men must be sure they study profitable things and avoide such knowledges as are fruitlesse as belong not to them 1 Tim. 6.20 2 Tim. 2.23 Tit. â— 9 There is knowledge that will puffe up 1 Cor. 8 1. But men must be wiâ—e for themselves and strive to understand their owne way Pro. 9.12 3. They must pray God to put a spirit and life into their knowledge and give them grace to shew all good conscience in their obedience and withall they must pray hard for their Teachers that their word may be a word of power to give fire to the sparkles of light are already in their minds Finally let all men that professe the knowledge of Gods word remember that their knowledge should make them differ from all other men Their lives should excell others according to the knowledge in which they differ from them A man must hold forth thâ— life and light of the knowledge he hath Phil. 2.15 They have a great taske to doe that have received much knowledge much is required of them if they doe ill their example may doe much mischiefe 1 Cor. 8.10 11. Doct. 5. True knowledge makes an impression upon every part of a manâ— life it makes him better in all his wayes both towards God and man as here true knowledge makes a man a better husband He must carrie himselfâ— as a husband according to his knowledge he hath of Gods word Truâ— knowledge enricheth a man in every thing 1 Cor. 1.5 The favour of our knowledge should be manifest in every place 2 Cor. 2.14 The knowledge that will not doe thus is falsely so called 1 Tim. 6.20 There is use of knowledge in the most ordinarie things of the life of man as meats marriage and the things of our calling 1 Tim. 4.3 and therefore this should stirre up all godly Christians to shew this proofe of their knowledge and to pray that they may abound in knoâ—ledge and all judgement Phil. 1.9 Câ—l 1.9 and gives cause to Christians of ill behaviour in their callings or private carriage to mistrust that their knowledge is noâ— tight and in particular wives should pray God to give their husbands knowledge of his Word and to blesse all meanes to that end for that will make them the better husbands Doct. 6. It is an ill thing for men to transgresse against their knowledges when they doe things that are not according to their knowledge or leave undone things they know they should doe The servant that knowes his masters will and
free women altogether from sin in these frailties because since the fall the naturall defects are tainted and there is in them a speciall kinde of defectivenesse or infirmity which cleaves to their sexe which is not so usually in men or not accompanying the nature of men Quest. What are the things wherein women are more usually fraile or defective or infirme than men 1. In capacity and judgement They are not capable of so large a measure of knowledge as men in equall comparison nor so able to teach the depths and mysteries of knowledge 2. In respect of their insufficiencie for the greatest imploiments of life as that sexe is not ordinarily capable of the great services of God in Church and Common-wealth the workes cannot be done by women 3. They are apter to be seduced than men as the Apostle implies in the case of all women as well as Eve 1 Tim. 2.14 4. In respect of dependancies They cannot make shift for themselves their desire is naturally subject to men in respect of depending upon them for provision and protection Gen. 3. This weaknesse is stamped upon the whole sexe 5. In respect of their aptnesse to feares and amazement and other perturbations more unconstant and not so stable in heart as man 6. In respect of the discovery of their hearts and natures whether in good or evill It is harder to find out throughly the perfect disposition of a woman in good or evill than of men Solomon could find out the temper of one man among a thousand men but not the heart of one woman among so many and that I take to be the true sense of that place Ecolâ—s 7.28 29. compared with ver 25.27 7. In respect of their pronenesse to vanity and pride in apparell which I gather from this that all the expresse directions about apparell that I remember in Scripture are given rather to women than to men especially in the New Testament as 1 Tim. 2.9 1 Pet. 3.3 The Use may be first to give us occasion to magnifie the power and mercy of God His mercy that despiseth not his weake creatures but bestoweth the grace of life upon them His power in that he keeps them in life and preserveth his owne worke of grace unto the possession of eternall life Secondly it should stirre up women so much the more to use all the Ordinances of God and all helps to make themselves strong in the power of the gifts of grace especially they should get a strong faith in God that they may trust in the power of God that giveth strength to the weake Esay 40.29 31. 1 Pet. 3.5 It will be their greater glory if they can overcome their naturall weaknesses especially if they can excell men in the things of the kingdome of God as many times it comes to passe Thirdly all Christians should have those women in great estimation that have overcome their frailties and doe excell in knowledge and piety and mercy and trust in God Fourthly all women should be therefore the more humble and apt to feare and judge themselves and more willing to be taught or admonished and more frequent in prayer to God to help them and keep them and in particular they should be the more willing to be ruled by their husbands as knowing it is a mercy of God considering their weaknesse to give them husbands to support them and provide for them And finally they should be the more faithfull and diligent to doe all the good they can in domesticall affaires seeing by nature they are not fit to manage the greater and more publike services of God The third Doctrine concernes husbands and so they are taught from hence to give the more honour to their wives because of their naturall weaknesse For as it is in the naturall body those members of the body which we think lesse honourable upon them we bestow the more aboundant honour 1 Cor. 12.23 24. so it should be in the Oeconomicall body for the wife is unto the husband bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh and this honour he should give her and shew it both by taking the more care to provide for her and by cherishing and encouraging her the more and by hiding and covering her frailties as much as he may and by not exacting more from her than she is able to performe and by helping her all he can by instruction or otherwise Only we must note that he is not bound to honour her the more for sinfull infirmities but for naturall defects How he must carry himselfe towards her in respect of sinfull infirmities or personall faults hath beene shewed before in the maner of his carriage towards her as a man of knowledge And thus of the first reason As being heires together of the grace of life In these words is contained the second reason taken from the generall dignity of Christians which also extends to Christian wives And concerning the dignity of Christians five things may be noted out of these words 1. The title of their dignitie They are heires 2. What they inherit Life 3. What the cause of this dignitie is viz. Grace 4. In what maner they possesse it viz. Together 5. The persons capable of it Woman as well as men From the coherence we may note That if women will have their husbands to honour them they must be religious women and true Christians that have grace as well as worldly portion God requires religion and grace in all wives and the rather should they be carefull to get grace and become truely religious because it was long of their sexe that sin came into the world and as by one womans bearing of a child salvation was brought againe into the world so should they every one in particular strive to recover their honour by expressing the sound power of a religious life in all faith and charitie and holinesse and sobrietie 1 Tim. 2.14 15. And besides what shall it profit wives to get them jointures on earth and husbands to provide for them while they live here if their soules and bodies perish when they die and lose the inheritance in heaven and perish they will if they get not true grace And further if they be gracious women if their husbands be so profane as not to make much of them yet they shall be greatly set by of God as was shewed vers 4. But on the other side if they be ignorant and irreligious women it is just with God to deprive them of the comforts of this life and to let their husbands neglect them or abuse them For though their husbands sin in so doing yet God is just in permitting such a thing for their punishment Secondly another doctrine may be noted from the coherence and that is That inheaven there shall bee no difference betweene husbands and wives but they shall bee all one in Christ alike heires of eternall life Which is to be noted the more to perswade them to submit themselves and
Parliament for the holding of their lands they think they have a sure tenure yet many Acts of Parliament may be repealed but the Acts of Gods councell are like himselfe immutable The godly they are predestinate to adoption Secondly they have not only Gods promise for their inheritance but Gods oath that by two immutable things the heires of promise might have aboundant consolation as the Apostle shewes Heb. 6.17 18. Thirdly to make all sure God hath put his spirit within them as the seale and earnest of their inheritance Eph. 1.13 14. The Use may be 1. For information and so first to shew the great goodnesse of God to man that not only requires and gives holinesse but adds also blessednesse to his servants In justification and sanctification he gives to men those good things they call bona virtutis the good things of vertue and inadoption he gives those good things they call bona conditionis the good things of condition even blessednesse and true happinesse whom God makes holy he will make happy also Secondly it manifestly shewes that we hold all our happinesse not by merit but by grace For adopted children cannot plead merit but must acknowledge all of gift as will more appeare when we come to speak of the cause of inheriting viz grace 2. For instruction and so The first impression this Doctrine should worke upon us should be a desire to be such as may obtaine the right of adoption of sons for flesh and bloud cannot inherit 1 Cor. 15.50 So long as wee are carnall and unregenerate men we neither are nor are to be called the heires of God The unrighteous that is such as live in grosse sins and doe the workes of the flesh are expressely and peremptorily excluded from the benefit of adoption 1 Cor. 6.9 â—0 Gal. 5.21 None but such as are effectually called and borne of God are capable of this grace Heb. 9.16 Iohn 1.13 And in particular we must have a true justifying faith Iohn 1.12 For as was shewed before we come to the right of Sons only as we are ingrafted into Christ upon whom all the inheritance is originally and fundamentally conferred and into Christ we cannot get but by faith And further we must looke to the sound mortification of the deeds of the flesh Rom. 8.13 and know that none can inherit but such as overcome the power of their corruptions and are not in bondage to any sin Rev. 21.7 And more specially God requires in all such as will be his sons that they be such as are not in bondage to the passions and perturbations of the heart for he hath promised that the meeke shall inherit Mat. 5.5 Thirdly we must forsake all needlesse society and familiarity with the wicked of the world if we will be Gods sons and daughters and resolutely refuse to be corrupted with the sins of the times as the Apostle sheâ—es at large 2 Cor. 6.17 18. Fourthly we must be such as are described Esay 56.4 5 6. We must make conscience to keep Gods Sabbaths and chuse the thing will please God being more desirous to please God in all things than naturall children are to please their earthly parents and take hold of Gods Covenant as resting upon this preferment and the promises of it as our sufficient happinesse And that we may be the more established in the knowledge of our adoption it will be good for us to trie our selves by the signes of such as are Gods adopted children 1. Such as are Gods children by adoption have this marke they are made like unto God their father in holinesse in some truth of resemblance 1 Pet. 1. 15. and this they shew two wayes first by purifying themselves and sound humbling of their soules for their sins that deface the image of God in them as Saint Iohn saith Every one that hath this hope purifieth himselfe as he is pure 1 Iohn 3.2 3. Secondly by imploying himselfe constantly in doing righteousnesse for hereby the children of God are knowne from the children of the Divell 1 Iohn 3.10 2. In the last recited place you may discerne another signe of a sonne and heire to God and that is the love of the godly as his brethren and fellow heires He that loveth not the brethren is of the Divell not of God 1 Iohn 3.10 3. The gift of prayer is a signe of adoption and that we have received the spirit of adoption Rom. 8.15 16. By the gift of prayer I meane not the skill to utter words to God in a good forme of words and variously but the gift to speake to God in prayer both with confidence in God as in a Father and with the affections of prayer which the phrase of crying Abba Father imports 4. A child of God discovers his adoption by the maner of doing good duties he doth serve God not with servile respect but with filiall affection he loves to be Gods servant as may be gathered Esay 56.6 5. To love them that hate us and blesse them that curse us and doe good to them that persecute us is a signe that we are children to God as our heavenly Father Luke 6.35 Mat. 5. The second impression that this glory of adoption should make upon our hearts should be to stir us up to carry our selves in this world as becomes the children and heires to such a Father as God is And so in generall it should wonderfully fire us to all possible care to be holy as he is holy and to expresse more to the life the Image of Gods grace and holinesse 1 Pet. 1.14 15. and that in all maner of conversation striving to carry our selves as the sons of God without rebuke in the midst of this froward and wicked world all sorts of the men of the world being so ready to reproach such as are Gods people that if they will speake evill it may be only for our good conversation in Christ Phil 2.15 16. And in particular we are charged in Scripture with certaine speciall and choice things that doe greatly adorne and grace the life of a child of God that is an heire of heaven if we be Gods heires and he be our Father 1. We should be Peace-makers for our Father is the God of peace and this will force men to call us the sons of God Mat. 5.10 2. We must not render reviling for reviling but rather blesse seeing we are heires of blessing as the Apostle urgeth it ver 9. 3. We should live without care as knowing that we have a heavenly Father that careth for us Mat. 6.32 And seeing we are heires of a better world we should not love this world nor set our hearts upon such meane thingâ— as this world can afford 1 Iohn 2.15 4. If we be Gods sons we should be willing to submit our selves to his correction If we yeeld that power to the father of our bodies how much more to the Father of our spirits Heb. 12.9 But especially take
in his own heart even then when God threatneth him Deut. 29.19 Secondly when a man blesseth wicked men and praiseth them notwithstanding their vile courses Psal. 10.3 Thirdly when a man useth blessing with his mouth and yet curseth inwardly Psal. 62.4 Fourthly when a man blesseth his friend by way of flattery Pro. 27.14 Fiftly when a man blesseth Idols by worshipping them and by setting his affections upon them Esay 66.3 Thus of blessing as it is a vice As blessing is a vertue it is performed divers waies as first from Superiours to their Inferiours so parents blesse their children Gen. 27. Ministers blesse the people Num. 6.23 1 Cor. 14.16 Secondly Inferiours blesse their Superiours as the Subject the King 2 Sam. 14.22 the Child his Parents Pro. 30.11 the People their Teachers Mat. 23.39 In this place I take it blessing is considered of as it is required of all sorts of men towards all sorts of men and in particular towards their enemies or such as wrong them or revile them and so a true Christian should blesse both in deeds and words He blesseth in deeds when either he is a meanes to keepe others from evill 1 Sam. 25.33 or by doing good or shewing mercy to others and so a man blesseth his enemy when he relieveth him in his misery and overcommeth his evill with goodnesse Rom. 12.20 21. Yea a man may be said to blesse when he causeth others to blesse either God or himselfe for his well-doing Thus Iob blessed when hee caused the poore to blesse him Iob 31.20 It is required also that we blesse one another in words and in particular it is required that we blesse them that curse us Mat. 5.44 Rom. 12.14.1 Cor 4. 12. And this we doe 1. By gracious communication in generall when we use such words as may not onely expresse to the life the power and truth of the gifts of grace in us but also may minister grace to the hearers if it be not their owne fault 2. By acknowledging the just praises of others 3. By praying for them Mat. 5.44 Psal. 109.4 4. By giving soft answers Pro. 15.23 and entreating them to avoid strife Gen. 13.8 9. 5. By a discreeâ— reproofe of their sin for as he that slattereth curseth so â—e that wisely reproveth blesseth Pro. 27.14 Psal. 141.5 The Use should be to stirre up all true Christians to practise true vertue of blessing and to carry themselves so as all their words and actions may be blessed and a blessing to them that converse with them and may appeare to be so even to their enemies It is a hard lesson but yet if we seeke constantly to God for this helpe it may be attained in some acceptable manner Knowing that yee are thereunto called Many things may be here observed Doct. 1 That a Christian should be vehemently affected with the consideration of his calling and that for divers reasons 1. Because of the cause of it which was Gods purpose election and free grace in Jesus Christ. Wee were sinners and we were not called for any workes of ours Rom. 8.28 9.11 2 Tim. 1.9 The winde bloweth where it listeth wee are taken and others refused And this is the more to be thought on because this grace was given us in Jesus Christ before the world began 2 Tim. 1.9 It could not be had but by a mediator and it was granted from all eternitie 2. If we consider from what we were called from grosse darknesse 2 Pet. 1.9 from this present evill world Gal. â— from the lump of forlorne mankinde from innumerable sins and curses from the danger of eternall damnation of body and soule for ever 3. If we consider the wonder of the meanes of our calling which is by the Gospel which is the voice of Christ raising us out of the graves of sin even that voice that shall make mens dead bodies arise at the last day doth now raise the dead â—oules of men in this world One resurrection in this life another at the day of judgement Eph. 2.1.2 Thes. 2.14 4. If we consider to what we are called viz. to be partners and companions with Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 1.7 and to great and precious promises Acts 2.39 and to obtaine the glory of the Lord Jesus and a kingdome with him for ever Phil. 3.14 1 Tim. 1.6 The called are vessels of Gods mercie and upon them he will make knowne the riches of his glory Rom. 9.24 6 Because the gifts and calling of God are without repentance Rom. 11.29 This a linke in that chaine can never be broken this takes hold before the world of election and after the world of glorification Rom. 8.30 7. Because the great wise noble and mighty men of the world are not called and God hath looked upon such poore and weake creatures 1 Cor. 1.26 The Use should be to teach us with all possible affections to magnifie Gods grace in our calling and to strive to walke worthy of our calling Eph. 4.1 and to pray hard unto God to fulfill the worke of his grace in our calling that we may live to his glory and abound in all faith and well-doing 2 Thess. 1.11 12. The second Use may be for great reproofe of mens wickednesse in neglecting the voice of Christ in the Gospel and in entertaining so many excuses and delaies hardning themselves in their evill waies and suffering the Divell to keep them without this high preferment Mat. 22. Doct. 2 From the coherence it is plaine That all Gods servants are called to holinesse of life as well as to happinesse Their calling is a holy calling and they are called to be Saints Rom. 1.7 so also 2 Thes. 2.13 14. 1 Pet. 1.15 1 Thes. 4.7 The Use is to discover false Christians from true by their fruits you shall know them Such as make not conscience of their waies to serve God all the dayes of their lives in holinesse and feare are not right Christians And therefore as men desire to have comfort in their calling they must take heed that they abuse not their liberty to licentiousnesse Gal. 5. â—3 Doct. 3. The calling of a Christian is a hard calling to flesh and bloud he is called to hard work As in the coherence here to be so humble and unmoveable and holily disposed as when he is grossely abused and wronged in words deeds yet not only to be patient but to blesâ—e so it is in other parts of their worke as when a man must deny himselfe and take up his crosse daily and follow Christ. For a man to forsake every thing his heart naturally desireth and to be daily crossed is a hard taske The Use should be to raise up the hearts of Christians to a care to live above the course of this world and to presse forward towards the marke not caring for the difficultie of the race but looking to the price of his calling Phil. 3.14 Doct. 4. A true Christian may know his calling know it I
as God can curse the very blessings of the wicked so can he and doth blesse the seeming curses of the godly All shall worke together for the best to them that love God Rom. 2.28 All things are to bee measured for good or ill according to the use of them to us That which doth us hurt cannot be a blessing and that which doth us good cannot be a curse Now for the particular unfolding of this blessing they inherit we must know that godly Christians inherit blessing divers wayes 1. From other men and so the poore blesse them for their charity The blessing of him that is ready to perish many times comes upon them Iob 29.13 Their very loynes blesse them Iob 31.20 and their neighbours blesse them for peace making Mat. 5.8 and the godly blesse them for their gifts of grace and pray for Gods blessings upon them Psal. 134.3 and if they have any publike employments for God in Church or Common-wealth the eare that heareth them blesseth them Iob 29.11 And at some times God doth so guide and prosper the wayes of his servants that all sorts of men doe acknowledge them for the seed which the Lord hath blessed Esay 61.8 2. From their owne consciences if the world at any time testifie against him or revile him yea if Divells and men set against him yet he inherits this blessing that his owne conscience will witnesse for him to his singular joy 2 Cor. 1.12 The daily encouragements of a good conscience are like a continuall feaâ—â— within 3. From God and so they have Gods blessing certaine and this is a great inheritance and hath so much happinesse in it as it should swallow up all the grievance of afflictions and the contempts and scornes of the world It is enough if we have Gods blessing Now that this point may be distinctly beaten out we must understand that true Christians may be said to inherit Gods blessing first in a more restrained sense and then in a more large sense In a restrained sense blessing may here be taken for Gods comfortable speaking for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 properly signifies blessing by words and so it answers to the coherence If they will use good words to men God will speake good words to them And in this sense we may hence gather That Gods naturall language to the called of Jesus Christ is blessing or comfortable words God will speake to his people peace Psal. 84.5 and therefore he gives a charge to his Ministers to speake comfortably to Jerusalem Esay 40.1 2. Secondly that Gods Elect never find this till they have their calling Thirdly that it is a great inheritance in this life to have God to speake well to us Fourthly that if the fault be not in us we shall never have God speake otherwise It is our inheritance to comfort us against all the miseries of life And therefore Ministers that are the mouth of God should studie comfort much and those Christians that desire to have the fruit of their inheritance in this thing should provide to live in such places where God speakes to men And those Ministers have a great account to make that set themselves to speake disgracefully and terribly to such as feare God striving to discourage their hearts and to strengthen the hands of the wicked Thus of the restrained sense onely note by the way That God speaks good words both for his people behind their backs and to his people before their faces They inherit Gods good word for them in their absence Thus God speakes excellently in the praise of Iob to the Divell before the Angels Iob 1. 2. and thus he can speake in the consciences of the greatest on earth in praise of his people as Esay 41.9 Now in the generall sense Gods people enjoy this blessing many waies and that both in this life and in the life to come In this life they have his blessing 1. In temporall things of all sorts he makes the earth blesse them and the heavens and the waters Gen. 49.25 he blesseth them in the Citie and in the field in the fruit of their bodies and of the ground and of their cattell in their basket and in their store when they come in and when they goe out yea God will command the blessing upon them in their store-houses and upon all they set their hands to and he will open his good treasures unto them and blesse all the worke of their hands Deut. 28.2 3 4 5 6 8 12. And if they enjoy not so much in quality of these things as some wicked men yet they have a faire portion and a good blessing because that they have is blessed both in the originall of it and in the nature of it and in the use of it and in their right to it 2. In the meanes of grace and salvation and so they enjoy the blessing of God in his house-keeping and great is that blessing wherewith God blesseth his people in his house on his holy hill and round about The Lord hath long since promised to make all the places about his holy hill blessings Yea there Gods people doe receive showers of blessing every powerfull Sermon is a shower of blessing every doctrine being as a blessed drop of instruction or comfort Ezek. 34.26 Exod. 20.24 Psal. 132.15 3. In the gifts of grace and so he hath blessed us with all spirituall blessings in heavenly things A poore Christian carrieth about with him in his heart more treasure than all the Monarchs of the world being not true Christians can any way possesse or command Eph. 1.3 Thus of Gods blessing in this life After this life who can recount the glory of their inheritance in the blessing they shall have then from God Oh that our hearts could be enlarged to thinke of the power of these words of Christ at the last day Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the kingdome prepared for you before the foundation of the world The Use should be for great comfort to all true Christians They have great cause to rejoyce in their fathers blessing all their dayes and the rather if they consider that Gods blessing as a Father is better than the blessing of any earthly father for an earthly fathers blessingis most an end but verball in words Gods blessing is reall indeeds A father on earth cannot derive blessing to his child from himselfe but from God whereas Gods blessing is from himselfe Besides if an earthly father would blesse his childe yet he wants power to give him what he desires but God our Father is Almighty able to give as much as he wisheth Gen. 28.3 Finally an earthly fathers blessing may be lost as Chams was but Gods blessing cannot be lost he will blesse with everlasting mercy Secondly such as yet enjoy not the priviledge of Gods called ones should be greatly stirred up with desire to get this blessing even to have Gods blessing Let no man be
and soberly in this present world else thou câ—â—st never meete with true peace further then thou art good and true in thy heart and as thou increasest in the care of reformation in thy life so shalt thou increase in every good and perfect â—ift till thou come to a ripe age in Iesus Christ Tit. 2.12 Esay 32.16 Psal. 125. ult This likewise may bee comfortable to a poore Christian and that two wayes 1. First If he consider that grace is not given all at once but by degrees and therefore hee must not bee discouraged though hee have many wants 2. Secondly if he consider the bountifulnesse of God to all that seeke grace and peace it may be had in abundance For the Apostle implies that God will multiply grace and peace if wee bee constant in the use of the meanes and glorifie him by seeking to him hee will give liberally and reproach no man And thus much of the salutation Verse 3. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Iesus Christ which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us againe unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Iesus Christ from the dead HItherto of the salutation the substance or the body of the Epistle followes the doctrine whereof is two wayes to be considered 1. as it is propounded 2. as it is repeated Three things are principally propounded and the same also repeated or gone over againe For there is first matter of consolation 2. Matter of exhortation 3. Matter of dehortation The consolation is from this third verse to the thirteenth of this Chapter The exhortation is from ver 13. of this Chapter to ver 8. of the 3. chap. The Dehortation is from ver 8. of the 3. chap. to the end of that chapter Then doth the Apostle a little changing the order goe over the same three things againe For he exhorts from ver 1. of chap. 4. to the 12. ver of the same chap. and then he comforts from ver 12. to the end of the 4. chap. and the Dehortation he lodgeth under request to the Elders and the people chap. 5.1 to 12. In this first part he intends to comfort where I consider first the Proposition of comfort ver 3 4 5. Secondly and the confirmation of that comfort ver 6 to the 13. In the Proposition I observe first the maner of propounding and the arguments themselves by which he would comfort The maner of the Proposition is that it is expressed in forme of thankesgiving in these words Blessed be the God and father of our Lord Iesus Christ. The arguments of consolation are 3. The first is taken from our Regeneration ver 3. the second from our Glorification ver 4. the third from our Preservation unto glory ver 5. Blessed be God c. Two things I observe from the coherence of these words First that a Christian can be in â—o such distresse but hee hath still cause to be thankfull to God for many blessings though he be a stranger and used like a stranger though he be scattered and driven to and fro yet in all the dayes of his dispersion hee may observe many memorable things for which he ought to blesse God Secondly that a Christian should never thinke of spirituall blessings but his heart should kindle in him with desire to praise God for them Blessing is diversly taken or caryed sometimes man blesseth man sometimes God blesseth man sometimes man is said to blesse God and so here Man blesseth God three wayes 1. In his heart when being refreshed with Gods favour and inflamed with the joyes of his presence and nourished with the sense of his blessings hee doth lift up his heart within him inwardly with affection striving to laâ—d God and acknowledge his mercy 2. In his tongue when he taketh to him words and openeth his lips to confesse and praise God either in secret or openly either privately or publikely 3. In his workes and that 4. wayes â— When hee sets up memorialls of Gods great workes or deliverances 2. When hee receives the Sacrament setting himselfe apart to celebrate the memory of Christs death by which the covenant of God was confirmed and the fountaine of all grace opened David when hee would render thankes unto God takes the cup of salvation And the Sacrament is called the Eucharist from giving of thankes and so the cup is called the cup of blessing 3. By the obedience of his life striving to glorifie God in a holy conversation 4. And lastly by shewing mercy and thereby causing the hearts and lives of others to blesse God Great reason hath man to blesse God 1. For God is blessednesse it selfe and whether should the water runne but into the sea from whence it is originally taken 2. Besides the Lord hath required our praise as the chiefe meanes of glorifying him 3. And thirdly he hath blessed us and therefore we have great reason to blesse him He hath blessed us in the creatures blessed the worke of our hands blessed the fruits of our loines blessed us in his sonne blessed us by his Angells blessed us by his Ministers blessed us in the blessings of the Gospell and blessed us in the fruits of the earth blessed us in his house and in our owne houses blessed us in our Sabbaths Sacraments the Word Prayer c. blessed us in our soules bodies states names c. And therefore let the people praise thee O God yea let all the people praise thee All thy workes praise thee and the Saints shall sing of thy praise and of the glory of thy power and the majesty of thy kingdomâ— The God and Father of our Lord Iesus Christ c. This periphrasis is used to distinguish our God from the god of Turkes Jewes and Pagans The Lord was used to be knowne to the olde Church by the names of the God of Abraham the God of Isaac and the God of Iacob but now in the Church of the Christians he is celebrated by the name of the God and Father of our Lord Iesus Christ. Two things are here affirmed 1. that God is the God of Christ. 2. that he is the Father of Christ It is not against the use of Scripture to say that God is the God of Christ for Iohn 20.1 Christ saith I goe to your God and to my God and Psal. 45.7 it is said of Christ God even tâ—y God hath annointed thee with the oyle of gladnesse above thy fellowes Now if any aske how this can be that God is the God of Christ I answer by distinguishing the natures in Christ. If you consider Christ in his divine nature he is God of himselfe but not sonne of himselfe His person is of the Father but his essence is of himselfe but I thinke that this is properly taken or meant of his humane nature for that he received from God by the mighty working and over shadowing power of the holy Ghost
is the temptations of unbeliefe 2. Against present affliction when wee consider what wee are borne to 3. Against the scornes of the world we are borne not of blouds but which is better of the bloud of Christ Ioh. 1.12 2. For Instruction for the remembrance of our new birth quickens us to a care to live as becomes our new birth which is the true reason why it is mentioned here The Use is first 1. First for Ministers to bend the whole course of their ministery hitherto what doe we profit them if we gain them not to God Yea hereby the glory of many Ministers is to be judged He is the excellentest teacher that can convert most to God Here God will be free 2. For all sorts of men as 1. For all godly men 1. If they be strong to build themselves up in the contentment of their birth 2. If they be weake to looke to the establishing of their hearts in the assurance of it 2. For unregenerate men it should awaken them to a care to shake off their lamentable security procrastination prejudice silence sinfulnesse or what else hinders them from this glorious worke To this end Think of death and the threatnings and anger of God seriously Judge thy selfe for thy sinnes Pray with David for a cleane heart beg a new heart Ezech. 36. Parable Get out of ill company Be warned to fly from the wrath to come Neglect not so great salvation Be not deceived Gal. 6.7 1 Cor. 6.9 Take heed lest God leave you with the very discourse of regeneration What shall it profit to be borne of great bloud c. if thy soule perish for ever I beseech you therefore by the mercies of God save your soules that you perish not in the condemnation of the world Consider God would not have you die c. The second thing that may be noted from hence is that our blessed immortality begins at our new birth for by the Gospell God brings immortality to life and light 2 Tim. 1.10 and by the Spirit of Christ we are then quickned Eph. 2.1 4. being by nature dead in respect of true immortality For from this moment of time Christ lives in us Gal. 2.20 we are alive to God though we be dead to the world The Use should be first to put vs in mind of the marvellous power and glory of the Gospell that brings this life light unto us 2 Tim. 1.10 2. We should be comforted against all our feares and doubts and against all the afflictions or temptations of our naturall life for immortality is begun in us already Those divine sparks are so kindled as they shall never be quenched God hath kindled the light of heaven in us This is very eternal life we have here on earth Ioh. 17.3 God hath made us immortall creatures already for though we have not yet attained to the full degree of the shining brightnesse of our immortall happinesse yet from degree to degree wee shall proceed till we be like the aâ—â—ient of dayes Immortality may be distinguished into foure degrees or states 1. The first iâ— the life of the infant in grace and then we live as babes two things being eminent companions of that estate viz. weaknesse and crying that is many frailties and much griefe for sinne and wants 2. The second is the life of young men in grace 1 Ioh. 2.14 Heb. 5.13 and here two things are eminent 1. affections and 2. strength or might or power of gifts 3. The third is the life of them of ripe age or of fathers in grace 1 Ioh. 2. 14. Heb. 5.13 Here likewise two things more shine 1. greatnesse of judgment or experience 2. an habituall conquest over all sorts of sinnes so as the very taste of them or temptations to them are enseebled and more seldome These three are on earth 4. The fourth estate is that wherein we shall be like the anâ—ient of dayes even God himselfe in the perfection of all gifts and possession of all happinesse Lastly this doctrine may shew the miserable estate of all such as will not be informed by the Gospell They faile of immortality and must die in their sinnes for if they be not borne againe they perish for ever Thus much of the fountaine of new birth The manner followes considered 1. negatively 2. affirmatively Not of corruptible seed Two things are here imported concerning the naturall birth and propagation of all men The first is that our naturall birth doth not advance our immortality and everlasting happinesse we hold not our happinesse by any title from our carnall birth Mat. 3. Rom. 9. We are not borne heires of heaven In our birth we receive the beginning of naturall life from the seed of our naturall parents but not of eternall life The second is that this naturall seed is corruptible we so live that we must die we cannot hold out even in that estate for men will die and they come of men that have dyed Hâ—b 9. Iob 10. Ps. 89. and therefore the Use should be 1. To abate the great thoughts that arise in great persons about the noblenesse of their birth 2. We should all be thereby the more quickned to the care of new birth 3. Therefore we should looke for death and prepare for it and patiently beare the infirmities accompany our mortall bodies till the time of our change come 4. Impenitent sinners should awake to live righteously seeing their perfections must come all to an end they cannot long abide in the greatest glory of the world they can attaine to 5. Here is a manifest difference betweene the children of the two Adams the children of the first Adam are borne corruptible the children of Christ are borne incorruptible 6. Lastly here is a singular consolation to the godly about their perseverance They are confirmed as the Angels of heaven they cannot fall away they are not borne of corruptible seed Thus of the manner negatively considered In the affirmative observe two things 1. what the meanes is 2. and by what it is Or thus The meanes is seed described by the properties It is incorruptible and by the cause or instrument of generation viz. the word of God Seed To omit the usuall acceptation of the word seed It is taken in Scripture in a restrained sense many wayes Sometimes for Christ Hee is that seed in whom all the nations of the earth are blessed Sometimes for the godly The children of the promise are the â—eed Rom. 9.8 Sometimes for the body of man within the grave which is cast into the earth as seed in the day of buriall 1 Cor. 15.43 Sometimes spirituall things in generall 1 Cor. 9.11 Sometimes the fruits of righteousnesse or mercy Iames 3.18 2 Cor. 9.6 So there is sowing to the Spirit Gal. 6.7 8. Sometimes for the word of God Mat. 10.13 Sometimes for saving graces conceived in the hearts of the godly and so I take it here And thus grace is like seed either
and religiously in this present world Tit. 2.11 12. Thus of the third point viz. the cause of inheriting The maner followes viz. They inherit together Together The godly are heires together their inheritance lies all together Which may appeare by reckoning up the particular priviledges of the godly in which they all meet and are joynt heires and fellow heires as the Apostle calls them Rom. 8.17 Eph. 3.6 Christians hold their inheritance in Gavelkind I thinke that is the terme the Lawyers give for that tenure where all the brethren have the same inheritance divided amongst them and all alike heires And as they are so in the matter they inherit so in the manner of comming to their right for they are all the children of God and children by adoption and not by naturall generation so Christ only is Gods heire Now that it may distinctly appeare that they are heires together I will number some particulars as 1. They have all the same Father Eph. 4.6 who is in them all 2. They are all of the same body viz. members of the mysticall bodie of Christ Eph. 3.6 3. They have all one spirit Eph. 4.3 4. 4. They weare all the same apparell being cloathed with the same righteousnesse of Christ Gal. 3.27 28. 5. They weare all the same livery and badge of distinction they have all one Baptisme Eph. 4.6 6. They are all fed with the same commons at the Lords Table the bread is the communion of the body of Christ and so the wine of his bloud I say communion because all partake of it 1 Cor. 10.16 17. 7. They have all the same gifts for though in outward administrations and callings there be difference and in naturall endowments and in common graces yet in the gifts of saving grace they have all a part of all gifts and differ onely in the measure as they have but one faith and one hope and so in all other saving graces Ephes. 4.4 5. 1 Cor. 12. Ephes. 5.7 Rom. 12. 8. They have all the same promises Eph. 3.6 9. They have all the same or the like attendants viz. the Angels of heaven Heb. 1.13 10. They are governed by the same lawes have all one Lord Eph. 4.5 and have all the same way to heaven which is by Christ and have all interest in the Teachers of the Word of Christ their Lord 1 Cor. 3.22 11. They shall have all the same glory after this life for the inheritance of them all is immortall and undefiled and without end 1 Pet. 1.4 12. They shall hold their glory in the same place after this life viz. in heaven 1 Pet. 1.4 The Use of this should be greatly for the comfort of weake and poore Christians for though they differ from other men in outward calling or the measure of gifts yet they are in the substance of the inheritance provided for as well as the greatest Kings or Prophets or Apostles And besides it should teach the brethren of higher degree to carry themselves with all humility towards their poore brethren and it should teach all Christians to love as brethren to be courteous and tender hearted one towards another as followes in the next verse of this Chapter Thus of the fourth point 5. The fift point is concerning the persons that doe inherit and so the coherence shewes That both sexes are capable of inheriting women as well as men wives as well as husbands God is no respecter of persons but in all conditions of people such as feare him and believe in Christ and worke righteousnesse are accepted and adopted of him as these places shew Act. 10.35 Gal. 3.28 Col. 3.11 And this should teach all Christians not to have the glorious faith of Christ in respect of persons Iam. 2.1 2. And in particular such husbands as have religious wives should make the more account of them though God hath made them inferiour to them in outward condition yet he hath made them equall in the inheritance of life Lest praier be interrupted Hitherto of the second reason to perswade husbands to make conscience of their dutie towards their wives The third reason is taken from the ill effect if it be not done and that is that Gods service and in particular praier will be hindred and that divers waies First if he dwell not with her praier in the family is like to be omitted it being his worke as the head of the family to performe that duty and to see that his houshold serve God with him Josh. 24.14 And if he carrie not himselfe as a man of knowledge there may arise such discord amongst them that they will have no minde either to pray together or one for another at least their passions will tempt them many times to omit prayer and if he give not honour but despise her he will have no heart to pray for her whom he contemnes There are many observations to be gathered out of these words as Doct. 1. Prayer is a part of Gods service that is necessarily required and not left arbitrary for men to doe or not to doe it Psal. 105.1 1 Thess. 5.17 Mat. 7.7 Rom. 12.12 Eph. 6.18 Col. 4.2 Doct. 2. The exercise of prayer is not only a part of Gods service but it is an excellent part a chiefe part that which much excels Which may appeare first by the nature of it It is an exercise in which a mortall creature talkes with the immortall Creator Secondly by the antiquitie of it It is an exercise that godly men have betaken themselves to with great devotion from the first times of the world Gen. 4.26 21.33 Thirdly by the efficient cause of it God poures out his owne Spirit upon his people of purpose to make them able to pray and therefore is called The Spirit of prayer Zech. 12.11 Ioel 2.28 Rom. 8.26 Fourthly because they are things so precious as Christ takes them and presents them to God covering our imperfections and making them acceptable Rev. 8.3 Fiftly by the great priviledges this exercise enjoyes For first God is greatly delighted in it Pro. 15.8 and therefore one of his titles is that he is a God that heareth prayer Psal. 65.1 and heares with great attention his eares are open Psal. 34.15 and will not despise prayer for the infirmities of his servants Psal. 102.17 nor reproach them Iames 1.5 Secondly any man of any condition that hath an honest heart may be regarded with God in prayer Marke 7.7 Luke 11.10 Thirdly whatsoever is asked is obtained which is an unspeakable benefit Marke 11.24 Psal. 85.5 Lastly God hath promised salvation to all them that call upon his name Ioel 2. ult And this point should be a great encouragement to all true Christians to be much in prayer and to resist all dulnesse in themselves or temptations and objections against the exercise of prayer Doct. 3. Prayer is a dutie required of private Christians as well as of learned men or Ministers Husbands and wives are supposed to practise