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<NAME>Mona Logarbo</NAME>
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<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB REF="1">
<PB REF="1" MS="y">
<P>A Practical Commentary, OR AN EXPOSITION WITH NOTES On the Epi&s;tle of JUDE.</P>
<P>Delivered (for the mo&s;t part) In &s;undry weekly Lectures at <HI>Stoke-Newington</HI> in <HI>Middle&s;ex.</HI></P>
<P>By THOMAS MANTON, B. D. and Mi|ni&s;ter of <HI>Covent. Garden.</HI></P>
<P><HI>LONDON,</HI> Printed by <HI>J. M.</HI> for <HI>Luke Fawn,</HI> and are to be &s;old at his Shop at the &s;ign of the Parrot in <HI>Pauls</HI> Church-yard. 1658.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="dedication">
<PB REF="2" MS="y">
<PB REF="2">
<HEAD>TO THE Religious and Honourable LADY, <HI>LETITIA POPHAM;</HI> Wife to Colonel ALEXANDER POPHAM.</HEAD>
<OPENER><SALUTE>MADAM,</SALUTE></OPENER>
<P>`_TIS a lovely Conjuncti|on when <HI>Goodne&s;s</HI> and <HI>Greatne&s;s</HI> meet together: Per&s;ons of E&s;tate and Re&s;pect in the world, have more <HI>temptations</HI> and <HI>hinderances</HI> than
<PB REF="3">
others, but <HI>greater obligations</HI> to own God; the great <HI>Landlord of the world</HI> expecteth <HI>a Rent</HI> from every <HI>Country-Cottage,</HI> but a <HI>large Revenue</HI> from <HI>great Hou&s;es:</HI> Now u|&s;ually it falleth out &s;o, that <NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg">Qui majo|res terras po&s;|&s;ident, mino|res cen&s;us &s;olv<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">nt, <HI>Pa|ri&s;ien&s;is.</HI></NOTE> <HI>they that hold the greate&s;t Farms pay the lea&s;t Rent;</HI> never is the Lord more neg|lected and di&s;honoured then in <HI>great mens Hou&s;es,</HI> in the very face of all his bounty; if Religion chance to get in there, it is &s;oon worn out again; though vices live long in a family, and run in a blood from father to &s;on, yet 'tis a rare ca&s;e to &s;ee &s;trictne&s;s of Re|ligion carryed on for three or four de&s;cents; 'twas the honour of <HI>Abra|hams hou&s;e,</HI> that from Father to Son for a long while, they were <HI>Heirs of the &s;ame Promi&s;e,</HI> Heb. 11. 9, but where is there &s;uch a &s;ucce&s;sion to be found in the hou&s;es of our Gentry?
<PB REF="3">
The Father perchance profe&s;&s;eth godline&s;s (for <GAP DESC="foreign">, &s;aith the Apo|&s;tle,<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>b</HI> 1 Cor. 1. 26.</NOTE> <HI>not many noble, &amp;c.</HI> there are a <HI>few,</HI> he doth not &s;ay there are none) and a carnal &s;on cometh and turneth all out of doors, as if he were a&s;ha|med of his Fathers God: The Cau|&s;es of this mi&s;chief may be &s;uppo&s;ed to be the&s;e. 1. <HI>Plenty ill-governed</HI> di&s;po&s;eth to <HI>vice</HI> and <HI>&s;in,</HI> as a rank &s;oil is apt to breed weeds. 2. <HI>Brave Spirits</HI> (as the world counteth them) think <NOTE N="c" PLACE="marg">Coguntur e&s;&s;e mali ne viles habean|tur. <HI>Salvian.</HI></NOTE> <HI>&s;trictne&s;s</HI> inglorious, and the <HI>power of Religion</HI> a ba&s;e thing, that taketh off from their <HI>Grandure</HI> and <HI>E&s;teem: a loo&s;e owning</HI> of Chri&s;tia|nity is honourable, &s;ince the Kings of the earth have counted it one of the faire&s;t flowers of their Crowns to be &s;tiled the <HI>Catholick King,</HI> the <HI>mo&s;t Chri&s;tian King,</HI> the <HI>Defender of the Faith,</HI> &amp;c. But a <HI>true &s;ubmi&s;|&s;ion</HI>
<PB REF="4">
to the power of it is made <HI>a &s;corn,</HI> as being contrary to that <HI>li|berty of fa&s;hions, vanity of comple|ment,</HI> and &s;ome <HI>Gentile cu&s;tomes,</HI> which in a fond compliance with the humour of the age they are loth to part with; 'twere a rude zeal to de|ny them <HI>honest civilities,</HI> but cer|tain <HI>Cu&s;tomes</HI> and <HI>Modes</HI> there are incon&s;i&s;tent with <HI>the &s;everity of Religion,</HI> which rather then men will part with, they will even break with God him&s;elf. 3. The <HI>Marriage of children into carnal families,</HI> where|in they con&s;ult rather with the <HI>great|ne&s;s of their Hou&s;e</HI> then the <HI>conti|nuing of Chri&s;ts intere&s;t</HI> in their line and Po&s;terity; how careful are they that they &s;hould match in their own rank for <HI>blood &amp; E&s;tate!</HI> &s;hould they not be as careful for <HI>Religion</HI> al&s;o? but even <HI>good people</HI> give a &s;u&s;picion
<PB REF="4">
&s;ometimes that they do not beleeve what they do <HI>profe&s;s;</HI> That this is the ready way to undo all that hath been &s;et on foot for God, is evident by <NOTE N="d" PLACE="marg"><HI>See Gen.</HI> 6. 1, 2, 3. <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 106. 38. <HI>Neh.</HI> 13. 25. 26.</NOTE> <HI>Scripture</HI> and <HI>Experience&punc;</HI> in Scripture we read of <HI>Jehoram,</HI> who is &s;aid <HI>to walk in the way of the Kings of I&s;rael, for the Daughter of Ahab was his wife,</HI> 2 King 8. 18. and in Eccle&s;ia&s;tical Hi&s;tory of <HI>Valens the Emperour,</HI> who by marrying with an <HI>Arian Lady,</HI> was him&s;elf en|&s;nared in that wicked opinion.</P>
<P>All this is &s;poken (<HI>Madam</HI>) to quicken you to the greater care in your Relations, that you may &s;et|tle a <HI>&s;tanding intere&s;t</HI> for Je&s;us Chri&s;t &s;o hopefully already begun in your Hou&s;e and Family; it will not be plea&s;ing to you that I &s;hould pub|li&s;h <HI>upon the hou&s;e top</HI> what God hath done for you, or enabled you
<PB REF="5">
to do for him; <HI>Go on &s;till and be faithful,</HI> there are few (that I know in the world) who have more cau&s;e to honour God then you have.</P>
<P>That I have in&s;cribed this <HI>Com|mentary</HI> to your name will not &s;eem &s;trange to tho&s;e that know my <HI>great obligations</HI> to your <HI>Self</HI> and your <HI>worthy Husband,</HI> and your intere&s;t in that <NOTE PLACE="marg">Stoke New|ington.</NOTE> <HI>beloved place</HI> and <HI>people,</HI> among whom I have had &s;o many <HI>&s;weet opportunities</HI> of <HI>enjoying,</HI> and (I hope) of <HI>glorifying</HI> God, and from whom I &s;hould never have re|moved, but upon tho&s;e weighty cau&s;es and con&s;iderations which did even rend me from them: and though I am now tran&s;planted and owe very much &s;ervice and re&s;pect el&s;ewhere, yet that <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg"><HI>The</HI> Right Honorable William <HI>Earl of</HI> Bed <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ord.</NOTE> <HI>Noble Lord</HI> that gave me the Call will allow me <HI>full time</HI> and <HI>leave</HI> to pay my <HI>old</HI>
<PB REF="5">
<HI>debts</HI> that afterward I may be the more in a capacity publickly to ex|pre&s;s my gratitude to him&s;elf.</P>
<P>If any &s;hould be &s;o fooli&s;h as to object the <HI>un&s;uiteablene&s;s</HI> of Dedica|ting a <HI>Comment on the Scripture</HI> to one of your <HI>Sex</HI> (as it &s;eemeth &s;ome did to <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Hieron. Epi&s;t. 140.</NOTE> <HI>Jerom</HI>) I &s;hall not plead, that two of the Books of Scripture are named from Women, <HI>Ruth</HI> and <HI>E&s;ther,</HI> that <HI>an Epi&s;tle</HI> which maketh up a part of the <HI>Canon</HI> in in&s;cribed to an <HI>Elect Lady,</HI> that if this be a fault <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Hieron, <HI>to</HI> Celantia <HI>A&s;ella,</HI> &amp;c.</NOTE> others have faulted in like kinde before me, but onely that this is a <HI>practicall Commentary,</HI> and &s;urely in <HI>matters of practi&s;e</HI> (which is every Chri&s;tians <HI>Common intere&s;t</HI>) your Sex hath a full &s;hare: though your <HI>cour&s;e of life</HI> be more <HI>private</HI> and <HI>confined,</HI> yet you have <HI>your &s;ervice;</HI> the Scriptures &s;peak of the womans
<PB REF="6">
<HI>gaining upon the husband,</HI> 1 Pet. 3. 1. <HI>&s;ea&s;oning the children,</HI> Pro. 31. 1. 2 Tim. 1. 5. <HI>incourraging the &s;ervants</HI> in a way of Godline&s;s, e&s;pecially of their own Sex, 'tis &s;aid <HI>E&s;ther</HI> 4. 16. <HI>I al&s;o and my maidens will fa&s;t like|wi&s;e:</HI> the&s;e <HI>maidens</HI> were either <HI>Jews,</HI> and then it &s;heweth what &s;ervants &s;hould be taken into a nearer atten|dance, &s;uch as &s;avour of Religion, &s;ee, P&s;al. 101. 6. or el&s;e which is more probable, &s;uch as &s;he had in|&s;tructed in the true Religion, for the&s;e <HI>maidens</HI> were appointed her by the <HI>Eunuch,</HI> and were before in|&s;tructed in <HI>Court-fa&s;hions, E&s;ther</HI> 2. 9. but that did not &s;atisfie, &s;he taketh time to in&s;truct them in the know|ledge of the true God, and it &s;eemeth in <HI>her apartment</HI> had many opper|tunities of <HI>religious commerce</HI> with
<PB REF="6">
them in the Wor&s;hip of God. Madam, how far you practi&s;e the&s;e duties, it is not nece&s;&s;ary that I &s;hould tell the world, per&s;evere with cheerfulne&s;s, and in due time <HI>you &s;hall reap if you faint not:</HI> the good Lord &s;hed abroad the <HI>Comforts</HI> and <HI>Graces</HI> of his Spirit more abun|dantly into your heart, which is the unfeigned de&s;ire of him, who is</P>
<CLOSER><SALUTE>Madam,</SALUTE>
<SIGNED>Your mo&s;t Obliged, and re&s;pectively Ob&s;ervant
Tho: Manton.</SIGNED></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="to the reader">
<PB REF="7">
<HEAD>The Epi&s;tle to the READER.</HEAD>
<OPENER><SALUTE>Good Reader,</SALUTE></OPENER>
<P>THe people of God have ever been exerci&s;ed with two &s;orts of Enemies, <HI>Per&s;ecutors</HI> and <HI>Sectaries:</HI> 'tis hard to &s;ay which is wor&s;t; when the <HI>Chri&s;tian Church</HI> began fir&s;t to look forth in the world, there were <HI>adver&s;e powers</HI> without ready to cru&s;h it, and <HI>Libertines</HI> who (like worms bred within the body) &s;ought to devour the entrails and eat out the very bowels of it: the fir&s;t Ring-leader was <HI>Simon Magus,</HI> and there followed <HI>Menander Saturninus, Ba&s;ilides, Carpocrates, Cerinthus, Ebion, Cerdo, Marcion, Tatianus, Valentinus,</HI> and many others, who being once turned a&s;ide from the truth and the fel|low&s;hip of the faithfull, lo&s;t all awe of God, and were given up to a <HI>&s;otti&s;h judgment</HI> to believe all kinde of <HI>fables</HI> and <HI>fancies.</HI> The <HI>mon&s;ters of Africa</HI> came from the <HI>unnatural commixtures</HI> of the bea&s;ts run|ning wild in the de&s;arts; &s;o when men had once broken through <HI>the hedg,</HI> mingling their <HI>own fancies</HI> with the <HI>Word of God</HI> by an <HI>unnatural production,</HI> they brought forth &s;uch mon&s;trous and ab&s;urd Opinions.</P>
<P>In &s;ucceeding ages the devil hath often plaid over the <HI>old game;</HI> &s;ometimes oppre&s;&s;ing the Church by the <HI>ty|ranny</HI> of <HI>p&s;eudo-chri&s;tians,</HI> as many Martyrs being made by <HI>Antichri&s;tian,</HI> as <HI>Pagan, per&s;ecutions,</HI> Revel. 14. 13. at other times <HI>corrupting the trueth</HI> by <HI>error,</HI>
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or <HI>rendring it &s;u&s;pitious</HI> by the <HI>divi&s;ions</HI> about it: <HI>he|re&s;ies</HI> revolve as <HI>fa&s;hions,</HI> and in the cour&s;e of a few years, <HI>antiquated errors</HI> revive again, and that by their means who did not &s;o much as know them by name.</P>
<P>When God fir&s;t called his people out of <HI>Babylon</HI> by <HI>Luthers reformation,</HI> and the <HI>Chri&s;tian religion</HI> be|gan to be re&s;tored to its <HI>pri&s;tine purity,</HI> there was not on|ly a <HI>Roman party</HI> to <HI>per&s;ecute,</HI> but a <HI>fanatical party</HI> to <HI>perplex</HI> the e&s;tate of reformation, and retard the cour&s;e of the Go&s;pel, as hi&s;tories do abundantly declare, e&s;pecial|ly <HI>Sleidan</HI> in his Commentaries.</P>
<P>What hath been our <HI>late experience,</HI> we all know, and have cau&s;e to bewail, a&s;&s;oon as wee were freed from our <HI>hard task-ma&s;ters,</HI> and a <HI>door of hope</HI> began to be o|pened to us, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> <HI>&s;warm of libertines</HI> have ari&s;en among us, and do every day increa&s;e in <HI>number, power</HI> and <HI>malice,</HI> and under <HI>various forms</HI> oppugn the unque&s;ti|onable intere&s;ts of Ie&s;us Chri&s;t, to the great <HI>&s;candal of reformation</HI> and the &s;adning of the hearts of the god|ly. We &s;eem to be <HI>ripe for a judgment,</HI> but from what corner the &s;torm &s;hall blow we cannot tell; &s;ome fear a <HI>return of Popery,</HI> and that a <HI>&s;econd deluge of An|tichri&s;tiani&s;me</HI> &s;hall overwhelm the <HI>We&s;tern Chur|ches;</HI> the <HI>Papi&s;ts</HI> (I confe&s;s&punc; are <HI>dangerous,</HI> but the <HI>great</HI> and next <HI>fear</HI> I think to be from <HI>libertines</HI> and a <HI>yokele&s;s</HI> generation of men who are most <HI>reproachful</HI> to religion and most <HI>trouble&s;om.</HI></P>
<P>The <HI>&s;pirit</HI> and <HI>drift</HI> of this Epi&s;tle is carried out mainly again&s;t this <HI>fanatical</HI> and <HI>libertine party;</HI> and therefore I &s;uppo&s;e it to be a mi&s;take in Dr <HI>Willet,</HI> Mr <HI>Perkins</HI> and others, when they would turn the edg of it again&s;t the <HI>Papi&s;ts,</HI> I confe&s;s they had a temptation that
<PB REF="8">
way, the&s;e being the only <HI>Heretical party</HI> with whom the Church of God was then in &s;uit, and <HI>&s;ymbolizing</HI> in many things with tho&s;e of the other extream, as u&s;u|ally <HI>darkne&s;&s;e</HI> and <HI>darkne&s;&s;e</HI> doth better agree than <HI>light</HI> and <HI>darkne&s;&s;e:</HI> but certainly the party de&s;cribed here are not a <HI>domineering faction,</HI> that carry things by <HI>power</HI> and <HI>greatne&s;&s;e</HI> and <HI>height of natural abi|lities,</HI> as the <HI>Papi&s;ts</HI> do; but a <HI>creeping party,</HI> &s;uch as by <HI>&s;ordid</HI> and <HI>clancular waies</HI> &s;eek to undermine the truth, a kinde of <HI>mean</HI> and <HI>loo&s;e &s;ort</HI> of people, that vented <HI>mon&s;trous</HI> and <HI>gro&s;&s;e conceits,</HI> chiefly out of <HI>envy</HI> against tho&s;e that excelled in <HI>gifts</HI> and <HI>place;</HI> and if our modern <HI>Ranters, Famili&s;ts, Quakers</HI> be not here de&s;cribed in their lively colours (as if the A|po&s;tle had lived to heare their <HI>bla&s;phemous expre&s;&s;i|ons</HI> and that <HI>contempt</HI> which they ca&s;t upon the Offi|cers of the Church) I confe&s;&s;e then I understand no|thing of the whole Epi&s;tle. If the <HI>Judicious Reader</HI> let alone the larger di&s;cu&s;&s;ion of the ob&s;ervations, and go but over the explications of each ver&s;e, hee will &s;oon finde my ob&s;ervation true.</P>
<P>What I have done, through grace, to the <HI>clearer un|der&s;tanding</HI> of the Apo&s;tles <HI>&s;cope,</HI> and the <HI>larger ex|planation</HI> of the <HI>common places</HI> here offered, I &s;hall not mention, but leave to the Readers judgment: &s;ome will blame mee for being <HI>too large,</HI> and others in many places for being <HI>too &s;hort;</HI> I &s;hall only let the fir&s;t &s;ort know, that in the <HI>larger explications</HI> of points of do|ctrine, I have rather &s;atisfied the <HI>de&s;ires of others,</HI> than followed my <HI>own judgment;</HI> who, when the&s;e things were <HI>fir&s;t delivered</HI> (which was long &s;ince) in the way of <HI>&s;hort notes,</HI> were willing to hear the <HI>points</HI>
<PB REF="8">
more largely debated, and &s;o I went over them again in a <HI>Sermon-fa&s;hion:</HI> if any blame mee for being <HI>too &s;hort,</HI> let them know, that therein I have more &s;atisfied my &s;elf, as keeping to the Laws of an <HI>expo&s;itory ex|erci&s;e.</HI> I confe&s;s I am &s;o con&s;cious to the many imperfe|ctions of this work, that the Reader had never been troubled with it, had it not been extorted from mee by &s;uch importunity as I could not with&s;tand: e&s;pecially did I judg the publication needle&s;s, the <HI>Elaborate com|mentary</HI> of my Reverend Brother Mr <HI>William Jen|kyns</HI> being already printed; but when I &s;aw that wee went different waies in pro&s;ecuting the &s;ame truth, that objection cea&s;ed: &s;ea&s;onable things mu&s;t be often urged, and the <HI>variety of method</HI> maketh the repetition gratefull. I ob&s;erve Gods providence in it, when divers men fall upon the &s;ame work, <HI>that in the mouth of two or three witne&s;&s;es every truth might be e&s;tabli&s;hed. Beza</HI> (I remember) per&s;wadeth <HI>Olevian</HI> to print his Meditations on the <HI>Galatians,</HI> though many <HI>excellent Writers</HI> had but lately and diligently explained that Epistle: Dr <HI>King,</HI> Dr <HI>Abbot</HI> and Dr <HI>Benefield</HI> all wrote upon <HI>Jonah</HI> and with approbation near about the &s;ame time. As much as my occa&s;ions would permit me, I con&s;ulted with my Reverend Brothers Book, and when I found any point at large di&s;cu&s;&s;ed by him, I either <HI>o|mitted</HI> it, or <HI>mentioned it very briefly;</HI> &s;o that his Labors will be nece&s;&s;ary to &s;upply the weakne&s;&s;es of mine. This work hath been <HI>long in the Pre&s;s;</HI> and no won|der, the Authour lying under &s;uch <HI>an oppre&s;&s;ion of Bu&s;ine&s;s,</HI> it being carried on by <HI>&s;natches</HI> and <HI>&s;pare hours;</HI> many faults have been occa&s;ioned, whether by the <HI>ob&s;curity of the Copy,</HI> or the <HI>negligence of the</HI>
<PB REF="9">
<HI>Printer,</HI> I will not now determine: &s;urely I have had to do with tho&s;e that learned <HI>how to make a pitcher in a tubb,</HI> or el&s;e they would never have &s;o pitifully mang|led the <HI>Greek</HI> and <HI>Latine &s;entences,</HI> that in &s;ome pla|ces they are &s;carce intelligible. I have added the <HI>Errata</HI> in the end, which mu&s;t be con&s;ulted with, or el&s;e the Reader will hardly finde <HI>&s;en&s;e,</HI> and in &s;ome places not <HI>true doctrine:</HI> the Tables I have collected with &s;ome diligence; the one of <HI>Scriptures,</HI> which are either <HI>vin|dicated</HI> or largely <HI>illu&s;trated</HI> in this Commentary; the other of the <HI>principal matters,</HI> e&s;pecially the <HI>common places</HI> here di&s;cu&s;&s;ed: if by all thou finde&s;t any help in the way of thy heavenly Calling, ble&s;s God, and forget not to put up one prayer for</P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>The meane&s;t of the Lords Servants,
THO. MANTON.</SIGNED></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
</FRONT>
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="biblical commentary">
<PB N="1" REF="9">
<HEAD>AN EXPOSITION WITH NOTES On the EPISTLE of JUDE.</HEAD>
<DIV2 N="1" TYPE="verse">
<EPIGRAPH>
<BIBL>VERSE 1.</BIBL>
<Q>Jude the Servant of Je&s;us Chri&s;t, and Brother of James, to them that are &s;anctified by God the Fa|ther, pre&s;erved in Je&s;us Chri&s;t, and called.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>_THis <HI>Epi&s;tle,</HI> as others, beginneth with u&s;ual <HI>Chri&s;tian &s;alutations;</HI> the&s;e are continued through the two fir&s;t Ver|&s;es, in which you have,</P>
<P>1. The per&s;on &s;aluting, <HI>Jude,</HI> the Author of the Epi&s;tle.</P>
<P>2. The per&s;ons &s;aluted, the Be|leevers of that age.</P>
<P>3. The form of &s;al<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 span">tion, Ver&s;. 2. <HI>Mercy, and peace, and love be multiplyed.</HI></P>
<P>This fir&s;t Ver&s;e pre&s;enteth us with the two fir&s;t Circum|&s;tances,
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the <HI>Saluter,</HI> and the <HI>&s;aluted.</HI> 1. The Saluter is de|&s;cribed by his name, <HI>Judas;</HI> his office and condition of life, <HI>the &s;ervant of Je&s;us Chri&s;t;</HI> by his kindred and relation, <HI>and Brother of James.</HI> 2. The Saluted they are de&s;cribed, 1. By their condition, <GAP DESC="foreign"> <HI>called,</HI> that is to be read fir&s;t, as <HI>Beza.</HI> 2. By the effects and manife&s;tations of it, which are two: 1. <HI>Sanctified by God the Father.</HI> 2. <HI>Pre&s;erved in Je&s;us Chri&s;t.</HI> The&s;e are the parts, I &s;hall explain them branch by branch in the order propounded, with practical hints from each, which I &s;hall handle in no fuller latitude then the pre&s;ent Text will allow.</P>
<P>1. The Saluter, and there his name <HI>Judas,</HI> called al&s;o <HI>Thaddeus, Mat.</HI> 10. 3. and <HI>Lebbaeus;</HI> the&s;e &s;everal names im|plying the &s;ame thing, and were given him either by the <HI>people</HI> or the <HI>Di&s;ciples,</HI> partly to di&s;tingui&s;h him from <HI>Judas the Apo&s;tate,</HI> partly to note his con&s;tancy in <HI>confe&s;&s;ing</HI> and <HI>prai&s;ing</HI> God; for &s;o it &s;ignifieth, as you may &s;ee <HI>Gen.</HI> 29. 35. <HI>Now Leah &s;aid, I will prai&s;e the Lord&punc; therefore &s;he called his name Judah.</HI> Divers note hence, 1. <HI>That Chri&s;tian names &s;hould be &s;ignificant, &s;uch as may remember us of duty.</HI> Again,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervations.</NOTE> 2. <HI>That it is law&s;ul to divulge or conceal our names in our writings, according as it may make for the glory of God, to do either the one or the other. Jude</HI> mentioneth his name, but <HI>Paul</HI> doth not, or who&s;oever was the Author of the Epi&s;tle to the <HI>Hebrews.</HI> 3. <HI>That godly men and wicked may both be called by the &s;ame name:</HI> So <HI>Judas</HI> the <HI>Apo&s;tle,</HI> and&punc; <HI>Judas</HI> the <HI>A|po&s;tate:</HI> There was <HI>Enoch Cains</HI> &s;on, <HI>Gen.</HI> 4. 17. and <HI>Enoch Seths</HI> &s;on of the Church line, <HI>that walked with God, Gen&punc;</HI> 5. 22. But to mention the&s;e things is more then enough; the next circum&s;tance will afford us more.</P>
<P>2. His office and condition, <HI>the Servant of Je&s;us Chri&s;t.</HI> It is a thing u&s;ual with the Apo&s;tles to prefix this among other their honorary titles; as <HI>Rom.</HI> 1. 1. <HI>Paul a Servant of Je&s;us Chri&s;t:</HI> &s;o <HI>Phil.</HI> 1. 1. The greate&s;t honour that he would put upon him&s;elf and <HI>Timothy,</HI> was this, <HI>Paul and Ti|motheus the Servants of Je&s;us Chri&s;t.</HI> This term, <HI>a &s;ervant</HI> of God or Chri&s;t, in the u&s;e of Scripture, is &s;everal ways apply|ed&punc; 1. It may be under&s;tood of any kind of &s;ub&s;erviency to
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Gods Will and &s;ecret Coun&s;els, or in&s;trumentality in the ex|ecution of his Decrees: &s;o wicked men may be &s;aid to be Gods &s;ervants, &s;o far forth as he &s;erveth his de&s;igns of their endeavors: as <HI>Cyrus</HI> was Gods &s;ervant, becau&s;e he &s;hould perform all his plea&s;ure: &s;o <HI>Nebuchadnezzar, Jer.</HI> 27. 6. <HI>The&s;e things have I given into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar my &s;er|vant.</HI> 2. It noteth a pious care to perform Gods revealed Will; they that out of a &s;en&s;e of his love re&s;ign up them|&s;elves to do his Will, are called his &s;ervants&punc; &s;o he that is call|ed in the Lord, whether he be bond or free, is &s;aid to be <HI>Chri&s;ts &s;ervant,</HI> 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 7. 22. So godly Ma&s;ters are &s;aid to have the Lord for their Ma&s;ter, <HI>Ephe&s;.</HI> 6. 9. <HI>Knowing that your Ma|&s;ter is al&s;o in Heaven:</HI> In the former place he &s;aith, a &s;ervant <HI>is Gods freeman;</HI> and here, that a <HI>Ma&s;ter</HI> is Gods <HI>&s;ervant.</HI> 3. It noteth de&s;ignation to any publique office for Gods glory; tho&s;e that do more eminently or more nearly &s;erve God in &s;ome peculiar office, are called his &s;ervants; as <HI>Ma|gi&s;trates. Rom.</HI> 12. 4. <HI>He is the Mini&s;ter of God for thy God:</HI> And ver&s;. 6. <HI>Gods Mini&s;ters attending continually for this thing.</HI> But yet more e&s;pecially they are called <HI>Mini&s;ters</HI> and <HI>&s;er|vants,</HI> who &s;u&s;tain the publique Offices of the Church; as 2 <HI>Tim.</HI> 2. 14. <HI>The &s;ervant of the Lord mu&s;t not &s;trive, but be gentle to all m<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">n, apt to teach; patient;</HI> meaning one employed in the publique Mini&s;try. So the Prie&s;ts of the Old Te&s;tament were called the Lords &s;ervants, as <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 134. 1. <HI>Behold, ble&s;s ye the Lord all ye &s;ervants of the Lord, which by night &s;tand in the hou&s;e of the Lord;</HI> He &s;peaketh to the Prie&s;ts that were to watch in the Temple: and in this &s;ence it is &s;aid, <HI>Amos</HI> 3. 7. <HI>I have &s;ent my &s;ervants the Prophets.</HI> But now among the&s;e Mini&s;ters and Officers of the Church, the <HI>Prophets</HI> and <HI>Apo|&s;tles</HI> are &s;tiled &s;o by way of eminency: Yea yet further&punc; Chri&s;t, becau&s;e of his Office of <HI>Mediator,</HI> which is the highe&s;t Office, and proper to the Head of the Church, is called Gods Servant; as <HI>I&s;ai.</HI> 49. 3. <HI>Thou art my Servant:</HI> and <HI>I&s;ai.</HI> 53. 11. <HI>By his knowledg &s;hall my righteous Servant ju&s;tifie many.</HI> To apply all now to the ca&s;e in hand; <HI>Jude</HI> is called <HI>a &s;er|vant of Je&s;us Chri&s;t,</HI> not only as one that had given up him&s;elf to do his Will as <HI>a Chri&s;tian,</HI> but as <HI>an Apo&s;tle</HI><NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">See my Ex|po&s;ition on <HI>Ja<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">&punc;</HI> 1. 1.</NOTE>
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Let us now ob&s;erve &s;omething hence.</P>
<P>Ob&s;erve fir&s;t, <HI>That Jude placeth his &s;ervice among his Ti|tles:</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 1.</NOTE> He might have urged other things to render him&s;elf honorable to the world, but he doth not &s;tand upon tho&s;e things, it is enough for him to &s;ay, <HI>Jude a &s;ervant:</HI> As <HI>Jude</HI> the <HI>Lords Cou&s;in</HI> calleth him&s;elf his <HI>&s;ervant;</HI> &s;o doth <HI>Mary</HI> the <HI>Lords Mother</HI> &s;tile her &s;elf his <HI>handmaid, Luk.</HI> 1. 38. <HI>Behold the handmaid of the Lord:</HI> And the Apo&s;tles generally urge it as one of the faire&s;t flowers in their garland, the honour of being Chri&s;ts &s;ervants; yea Chri&s;t him&s;elf counteth it no di&s;honour to be &s;tiled <HI>Gods &s;ervant:</HI> The meane&s;t offices about Princes are accounted honorable; to be a <HI>Groom</HI> there, is better then to be a <HI>Lord</HI> el&s;ewhere: <HI>Servire Deo regnare e&s;t,</HI> it is royal and kingly to be Gods &s;ervant; indeed every &s;ervant there is a <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">1 Pet. 2. 9. Rev. 1. 6.</NOTE> <HI>King;</HI> as <HI>Zeba</HI> and <HI>Zalmunna</HI> &s;aid of <HI>Gideons</HI> Brethren, <HI>They each one re&s;embled the children of a King:</HI> &s;o all the&s;e are <HI>&s;piritual Kings,</HI> that live the noble&s;t and free&s;t life in the world. And as we have a <HI>glorious Ma|&s;ter,</HI> &s;o con&s;ider your <HI>fellow-&s;ervants;</HI> the glorified Saints and we make but <HI>one family, Ephe&s;.</HI> 3. 15. And the <HI>Angels</HI> them&s;elves are called <HI>his Mini&s;ters, P&s;al.</HI> 103. 21. <HI>Ye Mini|&s;ters of his that do his plea&s;ure;</HI> they are a part of Gods at|tendance, and wait upon their Ma&s;ters per&s;on: When we have &s;uch fellow-&s;ervants, we &s;hould not count our work a &s;lavery and ba&s;ene&s;s; it can be no di&s;paragement to us to be in the &s;ame rank and order with the Angels and Saints de|parted. Well then, Learn to value the honour that you have by Chri&s;ts &s;ervice; as that Emperor counted it a great|er priviledg to be a <HI>Member of the Church,</HI> then <HI>Head of the Empire:</HI> Look upon <HI>duty</HI> as an <HI>honour,</HI> and <HI>&s;ervice</HI> as a <HI>pri|viledg; Honorabilia legis, Ho&s;.</HI> 8. 12. &s;o the Vulgar: And if ever you be put to your choyce, either to enjoy the greate&s;t outward honours, or to &s;erve Chri&s;t with di&s;grace, choo&s;e the latter. <HI>Mo&s;es refu&s;ed to be called the &s;on of Pharaohs daugh|ter when he came to age, Heb.</HI> 11. 24, 25. <HI>Galeacius Carraciolus</HI> left the honour of his Marqui&s;ate for an ob&s;cure life and the Go&s;pel at <HI>Geneva:</HI> Indignities and di&s;honours done you in the way of duty, are honours; <HI>reproaches for Chri&s;ts &s;ake</HI> are
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<HI>trea&s;ure, Heb.</HI> 11. 26. One of <HI>Pauls</HI> honorary titles is, <HI>Paul a Pri&s;oner of Je&s;us Chri&s;t, Philem.</HI> 1. and el&s;ewhere he holdeth up his chain in a kind of triumph, <HI>For the hope of I&s;rael am I bound with this chain, Acts</HI> 28. 20. What ever befalleth us in and for our &s;ervice to Chri&s;t, be it never &s;o di&s;graceful, it is rather a <HI>mark of honour,</HI> then a <HI>brand of &s;hame.</HI></P>
<P>Ob&s;erve again, <HI>His relation to Chri&s;t is expre&s;&s;ed by &s;ervice;</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 2.</NOTE> as he de&s;cribeth him&s;elf to be <HI>James's Brother,</HI> &s;o <HI>Chri&s;ts Ser|vant;</HI> by that means he was entitled to Chri&s;t: if we would be Chri&s;ts, we mu&s;t do his Will; our <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">John 12. 26.</NOTE> relation ari&s;eth from &s;ervice: Therefore I &s;hall here take occa&s;ion to &s;hew you what it is to be Chri&s;ts &s;ervants. 1. Who ever is Chri&s;ts &s;ervant mu&s;t re&s;ign and give up him&s;elf wholly to the Will of Chri&s;t; for he that is Chri&s;ts &s;ervant, he is &s;o by <HI>Covenant</HI> and <HI>Con&s;ecration:</HI> We are indeed Chri&s;ts by all kind of rights and titles; <HI>he made us, and not we our &s;elves;</HI> no creature is of its &s;elf, and therefore it is not its own, but ano|thers: It is Gods Prerogative alone to love him&s;elf, and &s;eek him&s;elf, becau&s;e he alone is without obligation and de|pendance; but we owe our &s;elves to him, and therefore cannot without <HI>robbery</HI> call our &s;elves <HI>our own.</HI> Your <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 12. 4.</NOTE> tongues are not your own to &s;peak what you plea&s;e, nor your hearts your own to think what you plea&s;e, nor your hands your own to do what you plea&s;e; by virtue of your Creation you are anothers, and are bound to live and act for another, according to his Will, for his Glory. But this is not all; <HI>By Redemption</HI> you are Chri&s;ts; <HI>Ye are bought with a price,</HI> 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 6. 20. as the redeemed are bound to &s;erve him that ran&s;omed them: If a man had bought another out of captivity, or he had &s;old him&s;elf, all his &s;trength or &s;ervice belonged to the Buyer: Chri&s;t hath bought us from the wor&s;t &s;lavery, and with the greate&s;t Price; no thraldom &s;o bad as bondage to Sin and Satan, no Pri&s;on &s;o black as Hell, and certainly Chri&s;ts Blood is better then a little money: So that to live as if we were at our own di&s;po&s;e, is to defraud Chri&s;t of his purcha&s;e. Thus we are Chri&s;ts by <HI>Creation</HI> and <HI>Redemption;</HI> but now if we would be <HI>his &s;ervants,</HI> we mu&s;t be his by <HI>voluntary contract,</HI> and <HI>&s;piritual re&s;ignation: Yield</HI>
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<HI>up your &s;elves, &amp;c. Rom.</HI> 6. 13. Chri&s;t loveth to have his right and title e&s;tabli&s;hed by our <HI>own con&s;ent.</HI> We take Chri&s;t for Lord and Ma&s;ter, and give up our &s;elves to him, that we may be no longer at our own di&s;po&s;e, and therefore it is not only <HI>robbery,</HI> but <HI>treachery</HI> and <HI>breach of Covenant</HI> to &s;eek our &s;elves in any thing. This re&s;ignation mu&s;t be made out of a &s;en&s;e of Chri&s;ts love to us in his death and &s;ufferings: 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 5. 15. <HI>Chri&s;t dyed, that they which live &s;hould not henceforth live to them&s;elves, but unto him that dyed for them:</HI> We enter upon other &s;ervices <HI>out of hopes,</HI> but we enter upon Chri&s;ts &s;ervice out of <HI>thankefulne&s;s.</HI> Again, This re&s;ignation mu&s;t be <HI>uni|ver&s;al,</HI> without re&s;ervation of any part: You mu&s;t have no other Ma&s;ter but God; <HI>Mat.</HI> 6. 24. <HI>Ye cannot &s;erve two Ma|&s;ters, ye cannot &s;erve God and Mammon.</HI> U&s;ually men divide them&s;elves between God and the world; they would give their <HI>Con&s;ciences</HI> to Chri&s;t, and their <HI>hearts</HI> to Mammon: The Devil pleadeth for a part, for by that means he knoweth that the whole will fall to his &s;hare; therefore all, the <HI>whole man,</HI> in vow, purpo&s;e and re&s;olution, mu&s;t be given up to God. 2. Having given up your &s;elves to Gods &s;ervice, you mu&s;t walk as his &s;ervants, that is, not as you li&s;t, but as the Ma&s;ter plea&s;eth: The Angels are Gods Mini&s;ters, <HI>doing his plea&s;ure, P&s;al.</HI> 103. 21. A &s;ervant hath no will of his own, but hath given up his liberty to the directions and com|mands of another; therefore if you be Gods &s;ervants, you mu&s;t earne&s;tly de&s;ire the knowledg of his Will, and readily comply with it; you mu&s;t not do things as they plea&s;e &s;elf and fle&s;h, but as they plea&s;e God: <HI>David</HI> beggeth for knowledg as Gods &s;ervant, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 119. 125. <HI>I am thy &s;ervant, grant me under&s;tanding, that I may know thy Te&s;timonies.</HI> A faithful &s;ervant would not willingly offend his Ma&s;ter, and therefore would fain know what is his will: They plead with God, and &s;earch them&s;elves, <HI>Rom.</HI> 12. 2. and all to know his plea&s;ure; and not only to <HI>know</HI> it, but to <HI>do</HI> it, otherwi&s;e <HI>they are worthy of many &s;tripes</HI> by Chri&s;ts own &s;entence: The Ma&s;ters will &s;hould be motive enough, 1 <HI>The&s;.</HI> 4. 3. <HI>&amp;</HI> 5. 13. 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 2. 15. If God will have it &s;o, if Je&s;us Chri&s;t will have it &s;o, it is enough to a faithful &s;ervant: The very &s;ignifica|tion
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of Gods Will carryeth with it rea&s;on enough to enforce the practi&s;e of it. Yea you mu&s;t equally comply with every Will of God, not only with the ea&s;ie and plea&s;ant ways of obedience, but &s;uch as cro&s;s lu&s;ts and intere&s;ts. When two men go together, a man cannot tell whom the &s;ervant fol|loweth till they part: When God and our lu&s;ts or our in|tere&s;ts command contrary things, then you are put to the tryal whether you are Gods &s;ervants.</P>
<P>Again, Ob&s;erve from the proper acception of the phra&s;e,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 3.</NOTE> as it is applyed to tho&s;e that &s;tand before the Lord in &s;ome &s;pecial Office and Mini&s;tration; as to the <HI>Apo&s;tles,</HI> and by con&s;equence to the <HI>Mini&s;ters of the Go&s;pel.</HI> The Note is, <HI>That Mini&s;ters are &s;ervants of Je&s;us Chri&s;t; Paul a &s;ervant,</HI> and <HI>Jude a &s;ervant.</HI> We are to deal between God and the Soul, <HI>Factors for Heaven;</HI> there is many a good inference may be collected from this Notion, I &s;hall refer all to two heads, the <HI>Ministers</HI> Duty and the <HI>Peoples.</HI> 1. It hinteth Duty to <HI>Ministers,</HI> it teacheth us <HI>diligence</HI> in our Lords work, for we are Servants, and mu&s;t <HI>give an account, Heb.</HI> 13. 17. what good we have done in our places, how we have em|ployed our parts, improved our Intere&s;ts, for his glory. <HI>Math.</HI> 25. 19. <HI>After a long time the Lord of tho&s;e &s;ervants cometh and reckoneth with them.</HI> We are entru&s;ted with the talent of gifts, with the talent of office and authority in the Church; now God will &s;ee what we have done for his Glory, whe|ther we have <HI>beaten our fellow &s;ervants,</HI> or helped them in the way of Salvation; whether <HI>our pound</HI> hath been hidden in a napkin, or layd out for the gain of Souls. Again, it hinteth <HI>faithfulne&s;s:</HI> We are not to trade for our &s;elves, and to drive on our own de&s;igns of credit and advantage; we are &s;ervants, employed for the Ma&s;ters u&s;es: <HI>Gal.</HI> 1. 10. <HI>Do I yet plea&s;e men? If I plea&s;ed men, I &s;hould not be the &s;er|vant of Chri&s;t.</HI> A man that &s;ets up for him&s;elf, is to trade for him&s;elf; but all that a &s;ervant doth, &s;hould be for his Ma&s;ters honour and profit. 2. It hinteth duty to the peo|ple; Regard Mini&s;ters <HI>as &s;ervants of Chri&s;t,</HI> that you may give their per&s;ons all due honour; con&s;ider, God hath re|tained them as for a nearer &s;ervice to him&s;elf: 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 4. 1.
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<HI>Let a man &s;o account of us as of the Mini&s;ters of Chri&s;t, and Stewards of the My&s;teries of the Gospel.</HI> The world counteth the Calling <HI>probro&s;um artificium,</HI> a &s;ordid artifice and way of living, whereby men &s;et their tongues and parts to &s;ale, and think that of all Callings this can be&s;t be &s;pared; therefore it is high time to a&s;&s;ert the dignity of the Office: Men &s;hould not think &s;o ba&s;ely of tho&s;e who are Chri&s;ts &s;ervants, not on|ly to do his bu&s;ine&s;s, but to wait upon his per&s;on, his &s;pecial <HI>Attendants;</HI> nay <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">2 Cor. 5 20.</NOTE> <HI>Emba&s;&s;adors,</HI> that imper&s;onate and repre|&s;ent their Ma&s;ter. Again, Bear our doctrine with meekne&s;s and patience; we are but &s;ervants: if the me&s;&s;age which we bring be di&s;plea&s;ing, remember it is the will of our Ma|&s;ter; it is not in our power to comply with your lu&s;ts and humors, if the Scripture doth not: As God &s;aid to <HI>Jeremy, Jer. 15. 19. Let them return unto thee, but return not thou to them:</HI> &s;o you &s;hould comply with the Word; we cannot comply with you; The fal&s;e Prophets returned to the peo|ple complyed with their humors: We mu&s;t deliver our Me&s;&s;age, pardon to whom pardon, terror to whom terror is due; &s;ervants mu&s;t be faithful: Thus mu&s;t you look upon them as &s;ervants; yet but <HI>as &s;ervants,</HI> that you may not fondly idolize their per&s;ons: <HI>What is Paul and Apollos, but Mini&s;ters by whom ye beleeve? 1 Cor.</HI> 3. 5. It is the old way of fle&s;h and blood to &s;acrifice to the next hand: And that you may know to whom to go for the fruit of the Ordi|nance, when we have done our work, there is <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Ma<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">. 3. 11.</NOTE> <HI>one that com|eth after us who is mightier then we,</HI> <NOTE N="&dagger;" PLACE="marg">1 Cor. 3. 6.</NOTE> who <HI>giveth the increa&s;e</HI> to what we have <HI>planted</HI> and <HI>watered.</HI></P>
<P>3. The Author of the Epi&s;tle is de&s;cribed by his kindred and relation, [<HI>and Brother of James.</HI>] There were two in the Colledg of the Apo&s;tles of that name, <HI>James of Zebodee,</HI> and <HI>James the &s;on of Alpheus,</HI> who was al&s;o called <HI>the Brother of the Lord,</HI> that is, his Cou&s;in German, who is the per&s;on in|tended; for <HI>Jude</HI> was his Brother, as <HI>Mat. 13. 55. Is not his Mother called Mary? and his Brethren James, and Jo&s;es, and Simon, and Judas?</HI> Now this clau&s;e is added, partly to di|&s;tingui&s;h him from the other <HI>Judas</HI> called <HI>I&s;cariot,</HI> who be|betrayed our Lord. <HI>It is good to prevent all vi&s;ible &s;candals</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat.</NOTE>
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<HI>and exceptions again&s;t our per&s;ons.</HI> I ob&s;erve this, becau&s;e the Scripture doth el&s;ewhere, <HI>Joh. 14. 22. Judas &s;aith unto him, not I&s;cariot, How is it that thou wilt manife&s;t thy &s;elf to us, and not unto the world?</HI> The Scripture would not have you mi&s;take him that &s;aid &s;o: Men drink le&s;s freely of a &s;u&s;pect|ed fountain. Partly becau&s;e this would make the Epi&s;tle the more welcome: <HI>James</HI> was of great credit and repute, reckoned by <HI>Paul</HI> among <HI>the Pillars, Gal.</HI> 2. 9. From whence ob&s;erve, 1. <HI>That it is lawful to u&s;e the credit of others for the</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat.</NOTE> <HI>advantage of the Truth.</HI> In the 15 of the <HI>Acts</HI> the Apo&s;tles might have determined the ca&s;e by their own infallible &s;pirit; but for the greater credit &s;ake they take in the con&s;ent of others, ver&s;. 23. <HI>The Apo&s;tles, and Elders, and Brethren, &amp;c. Paul</HI> dealing with Heathens, quoteth the &s;ayings of their own Writers in divers places; which may ju&s;tifie the unaf|fected u&s;e of &s;entences and pa&s;&s;ages out of the ancient Wri|ters of the Church: It is good to bait the naked hook of Truth &s;ometimes with the advantage of carnal credit. Again ob&s;erve, <HI>That we &s;hould walk &s;o, that we may be an</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat.</NOTE> <HI>honour to our relations.</HI> This is one of <HI>Judes</HI> titles, <HI>the Brother of James;</HI> He took it for an honour to be related to &s;o emi|nent an Apo&s;tle: Worthy men reflect a credit upon their families: To be <HI>brother, father, &s;on,</HI> to &s;uch as have de&s;erved well of the Church, is no mean honour and engagement to virtue. Well then, live &s;o that you may not di&s;grace your lineage; and you that come of worthy Ance&s;tors, walk an|&s;werably to the dignity of your extraction: The images of your Progenitors are not more fullied with du&s;t, and &s;moak, and age, then they are with your vices: The Spirit of God brands a degenerate I&s;&s;ue for walking unworthy their birth, and the priviledges of their blood, 1 <HI>Chron. 4. 22, 23. Vide Junium &amp; alios in locum.</HI> So much for the Saluter.</P>
<P>Let us now come to the Saluted, they are de&s;cribed by their Condition, [<HI>called,</HI>] by the effects and manife&s;tations of it, which are two, <HI>Sanctification</HI> and <HI>Pre&s;ervation.</HI></P>
<P>1. Their Condition, [<HI>called,</HI>] for that both in the con|&s;truction of the words, and the order of nature, is to be read fir&s;t. There is an <HI>outward calling,</HI> and in that &s;ence Chri&s;t
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&s;peaketh, <HI>Mat. 20. 16. Many are called, but few are cho&s;en;</HI> that is, outwardly called in the invitations of the Word; &s;o all wicked men that live within the hearing of the Go&s;pel; but it &s;eemeth they are only called <HI>obiter,</HI> by the by, as they live among the <HI>Elect;</HI> tho&s;e are called <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>ac|cording to purpo&s;e, Rom.</HI> 8. 28. But there is an <HI>inward</HI> and <HI>effectual calling,</HI> by the per&s;wa&s;ion of the Spirit, or <HI>the voyce of the Son of God,</HI> which cau&s;eth <HI>life, Joh.</HI> 5. 25. The Apo&s;tle &s;peaketh here of the <HI>called according to Purpo&s;e,</HI> and that by an inward and effectual calling: Whence note, <HI>That it is the condition of the people of God to be a called people;</HI> this is<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat.</NOTE> fir&s;t in their de&s;cription: &s;ee <HI>Rom. 1. 6. Among whom are ye al&s;o the called of Je&s;us Chri&s;t:</HI> So the <HI>Corinthians</HI> are &s;aid to be <HI>Saints by calling, 1 Cor.</HI> 1. 2. and <HI>Heb. 3. 1. Holy Brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling.</HI> Now the Saints are a call|ed people, fir&s;t, Becau&s;e all they have and enjoy is from Gods<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Rea&s;on.</NOTE> calling; a Chri&s;tian is nothing and hath nothing but what God is plea&s;ed to work in him by his creating Word: <HI>Call|ing the things that are not as though they were, Rom.</HI> 4. 18. Now God is plea&s;ed to work this way, partly <HI>to give us a Warrant,</HI> that we may po&s;&s;e&s;s our priviledges in Chri&s;t with|out intru&s;ion and u&s;urpation: <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Heb. 5.</NOTE> <HI>No man taketh this honour upon him till he be called of God;</HI> This is that we have to &s;hew to Con&s;cience, that we do not pre&s;ume and u&s;urp; we have <HI>a calling</HI> &s;o to do: Why do&s;t thou vile wretch go to God in the Name of Chri&s;t? How dur&s;t thou that art a &s;inner look him in the face? lay hold of Chri&s;t? hope for glory? Still the Call is our Warrant and Title. If it &s;hould be ask|ed of the gue&s;ts that came in a wedding garment, Friends, how dur&s;t ye come hither, and approach the pre&s;ence cham|ber of the Kings &s;on? they might an&s;wer, <HI>We were bidden to the wedding, Mat.</HI> 22. So in <HI>Mat. 20. Why do not you go into the Vineyard?</HI> their an&s;wer was, <HI>No man hath hired us;</HI> they had no calling. Partly <HI>to give us encouragement;</HI> We need not only <HI>leave</HI> to come to God by Chri&s;t, but al&s;o <HI>quickening</HI> and <HI>encouragement,</HI> for we are backward&punc; In other prefer|ments there needeth nothing but <HI>leave,</HI> for there men are forward enough; but here guilt maketh us &s;hy of God, and
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God is forced to call and hollow after us. By nature we are not only <HI>exiles,</HI> but <HI>fugitives:</HI> Before God bani&s;hed <HI>Adam,</HI> he fir&s;t ran away from him, he ran to the bu&s;hes, and then God called him, <HI>Adam, where art thou? Gen.</HI> 3. 9. How often doth God hollow after us in the Word before we return, and come out of the bu&s;hes? He maketh proclamation, <HI>I&s;a. 55. 1. Ho every one that thir&s;teth, &amp;c.</HI> We are under &s;piritual bon|dage, as the <HI>I&s;raelites</HI> were in <HI>Egypt</HI> under corporal bon|dage, and God &s;endeth again and again, and out of very angui&s;h of heart we will not beleeve him; therefore he call|eth and cryeth, Sinners, where are you? why will you not return unto me? Gods outward Call is managed by men, and therefore it is very hard to per&s;wade them to di&s;cern the voyce of God; as <HI>Samuel</HI> would not be per&s;waded but that it was <HI>Eli</HI> called him when it was <HI>the Lord:</HI> We think it to be the charity of the Mini&s;ter, and will not ea&s;ily acknow|ledg a call from God, and therefore do not only need <HI>leave,</HI> but <HI>encouragement.</HI> Partly becau&s;e God will work in a way &s;uitable to his own nature and ours; <HI>fortiter &amp; &s;uaviter, &s;trongly</HI> like him&s;elf, and <HI>&s;weetly</HI> with re&s;pect to us; and therefore he doth not only <HI>draw,</HI> but <HI>call;</HI> not only put forth the power of his Spirit, but exhort and invite by the Word; the efficacy of divine grace is conveyed this way more &s;uit|ably to the nature of man; There is grace <HI>offered</HI> in the Go&s;pel, and the Spirit <HI>compelleth</HI> to come in. In all the Works of God, there is &s;ome word by which his Power is educed and exerci&s;ed: In the Creation, <HI>Let there be light, &amp;c.</HI> At the Re&s;urrection there is <HI>a Trump,</HI> and the voyce of an Archangel, <HI>Ari&s;e ye dead, and come to Judgment.</HI> In all Chri&s;ts miraculous cures there are &s;ome words u&s;ed, <HI>Be thou clean,</HI> and <HI>Be thou whole,</HI> and <HI>Be thou opened;</HI> and to <HI>Lazarus</HI> in the grave Chri&s;t u&s;eth words of <HI>mini&s;terial excitation, La|zarus, come forth:</HI> So in converting a &s;inner, there is not only a <HI>&s;ecret power,</HI> but a <HI>&s;weet call</HI> and <HI>invitation;</HI> &s;ome word by which this power is conveyed and repre&s;ented in a way &s;uitable to our capacity. For all the&s;e Rea&s;ons doth God work grace by calling.</P>
<P>Again, Gods people are well &s;tiled a called people, becau&s;e<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Rea&s;on.</NOTE>
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they are &s;o many ways called: from <HI>&s;elf</HI> to <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> from <HI>&s;in</HI> to <HI>holine&s;s,</HI> from <HI>mi&s;ery</HI> to <HI>happine&s;s</HI> and <HI>glory.</HI> They are called from <HI>&s;elf</HI> to <HI>Chri&s;t, Mat. 11. 28. Come unto me all ye that are heavy laden:</HI> The main end of a call is to bring Chri&s;t and the Soul together; every di&s;pen&s;ation of God hath a voyce; and God &s;peaketh to us by Con&s;cience, by his Works, by benefits, by cro&s;&s;es, but chiefly by <HI>his Word,</HI> the application of which by the Spirit is as it were an <HI>awa|kening call:</HI> but the chief call of God is by the <HI>voyce of the Gospel,</HI> wherein the offers of grace are di&s;covered to us; <HI>C<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">me poor wearied Soul, come to Chri&s;t, and thou &s;halt find ea&s;e and comfort.</HI> Again, they are called from <HI>&s;in</HI> to <HI>holine&s;s, 1 The&s;. 4. 7. God hath not called us to uncleanne&s;s, but to holi|ne&s;s:</HI> though the <HI>immediate end</HI> of divine calling be <HI>faith,</HI> yet the <HI>intermediate end</HI> is <HI>holine&s;s,</HI> as the <HI>ultimate end</HI> is <HI>glory.</HI> Thus we are called out of <HI>Babylon</HI> into <HI>Sion,</HI> from the <HI>Tents of Kedar</HI> into the <HI>Tents of Shem,</HI> from <HI>nature</HI> to <HI>grace,</HI> and the <HI>power of Satan</HI> into the <HI>Kingdom of God:</HI> in &s;hort, this call is a &s;eparation from uncleanne&s;s, and all common and vile u&s;es. Again, they are called from <HI>mi&s;ery</HI> to <HI>happine&s;s</HI> and <HI>glory,</HI> from <HI>aliens</HI> to be <HI>friends,</HI> from <HI>darkne&s;s</HI> to <HI>light, 1 Pet.</HI> 2. 9. from <HI>being enemies</HI> to be <HI>reconciled,</HI> from <HI>ba&s;tards</HI> to become <HI>&s;ons,</HI> from <HI>ve&s;&s;els of wrath</HI> to be <HI>heirs of Glory.</HI> With re&s;pect to all the&s;e &s;orts of calling, it is termed &s;ome|times an <HI>high calling, Phil.</HI> 3. 14. &s;ometimes an <HI>holy calling, 2 Tim.</HI> 1. 9. and &s;ometimes an <HI>heavenly calling, Heb.</HI> 3. 1. It is an <HI>high calling,</HI> becau&s;e of the <HI>honour</HI> and <HI>dignity</HI> of it; <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">John 1. 12. Rom. 8. 17. Rev. 1. 6.</NOTE> it is no &s;mall matter to be children of God, <HI>coheirs with Chri&s;t,</HI> Kings and Prie&s;ts to God: Many are lifted up, becau&s;e they have born Offices, and are called to high places in the world; a Chri&s;tian hath a calling more excellent, he is called to be a <HI>Saint,</HI> a &s;piritual King, an holy Prie&s;t to God. It is <HI>an holy calling,</HI> becau&s;e of the effect and purpo&s;e of it: Mans calling may put dignity and honour upon us, but it cannot infu&s;e grace; it may <HI>change</HI> our condition, but not our hearts. It is <HI>an heavenly calling,</HI> becau&s;e of the <HI>Author</HI> of it, God by his Spirit; and becau&s;e of the <HI>aym</HI> of it, the grace whereby we are called came from Heaven, and its aym and tendency is to
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bring us thither: &s;ee 1 <HI>The&s;. 2. 14. 2 Pet. 1. 3. Called us to glory and virtue, &amp;c.</HI> We are fir&s;t called to grace, and then to Heaven: fir&s;t the <HI>&s;weet voyce</HI> &s;aith, <HI>Come unto me,</HI> and then the <HI>great voyce, Come up hither:</HI> from &s;elf, &s;in and the world we are called off, that we may enjoy God in Chri&s;t for evermore. You &s;ee the Rea&s;ons, let us apply it now.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, It &s;erveth to pre&s;s us to harken to the Lords call;<NOTE PLACE="marg">&V;&s;e 1.</NOTE> Many are kept off by <HI>vanity</HI> and <HI>plea&s;ures,</HI> others by their <HI>own fears:</HI> To the fir&s;t &s;ort I &s;hall only repre&s;ent the danger of neglecting Gods invitation, and &s;lighting a call, <HI>Prov. 1. 25, 26. Ye have &s;et at nought my coun&s;el, therefore I will laugh at your calamity, and mock when your fear cometh.</HI> Gods wrath is never more terrible, then when it is &s;tirred up to avenge the quarrel of <HI>abu&s;ed Mercy.</HI> Men cannot endure that two things &s;hould be de&s;pi&s;ed, their <HI>anger</HI> or their <HI>kind|ne&s;s: Nebuchadnezzar,</HI> when he thought his anger de&s;pi&s;ed, he biddeth them heat the furnace &s;even times hotter; and <HI>David,</HI> when he thought his kindne&s;s de&s;pi&s;ed, threatened to cut off from <HI>Nabal every one that pi&s;&s;ed again&s;t the wall.</HI> Certainly the Lord taketh it ill when the renewed me&s;&s;ages of his love are not regarded; and that is the rea&s;on why where mercy is mo&s;t free, God is mo&s;t quick and &s;evere upon the refu&s;al of it: The <HI>Lambs wrath</HI> is mo&s;t terrible, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 2. 10. No fire &s;o hot as that which is inkindled by the breath of the de&s;pi&s;ed Go&s;pel. What a terrible threatening is there in the place alledged? <HI>I will laugh at their calamity:</HI> It is the greate&s;t happine&s;s when <HI>the Lord rejoyceth to do us good,</HI> and the greate&s;t mi&s;ery when he rejoyceth to do us evil; Gods <HI>laughing</HI> will certainly be the creatures <HI>mourning.</HI> Con&s;ider then what an affront you put upon grace, when every vile thing is preferred before it. When the Lord offer|ed <HI>Canaan</HI> to the <HI>I&s;raelites,</HI> and they preferred <HI>Egypt</HI> before it, he &s;wore, <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 95. 10.</NOTE> <HI>They &s;hould not enter into his Re&s;t:</HI> And tho&s;e that preferred <HI>a yoke of Oxen,</HI> a <HI>farm,</HI> or <HI>marriage,</HI> before the <HI>Kings fea&s;t,</HI> the King prote&s;teth again&s;t them, <HI>Luk. 14. 24. None of tho&s;e that were bidden &s;hall ta&s;te of my Supper:</HI> Who ever have glory and grace by Chri&s;t, they &s;hall have none.</P>
<P><PB N="14" REF="16">For the other &s;ort, that are kept off by their own fears, they are wont to alledg; <HI>It is true, there is mercy in Chri&s;t for &s;inners, but Chri&s;t doth not call them:</HI> My Brethren, what do you look for? an audible voyce to &s;peak to you, Thou <HI>John,</HI> thou <HI>Thomas,</HI> &amp;c. In the tenders of the Go&s;pel you are included as well as others, and why will you exclude your &s;elves? If God &s;ay, <HI>Sinners,</HI> you &s;hould &s;ub&s;ume and reply, <HI>I am chief.</HI> I remember it is &s;aid, <HI>Joh. 10. 3. Chri&s;t calleth his &s;heep by name, and leadeth them forth:</HI> How doth Chri&s;t call them by name? By &s;peaking expre&s;ly to their ca&s;e, as if he did &s;trike them upon the &s;houlders, and &s;ay, <HI>Here is comfort for thee.</HI> As at a fea&s;t, when there is a di&s;h that we affect &s;et upon the table, though all the company be free to make u&s;e of it, yet we &s;ay, <HI>Here is a di&s;h for me:</HI> So &s;hould you apply and take to your &s;elves your own portion; though it be propounded generally, yet when God directeth the tongue of his Me&s;&s;engers to &s;peak &s;o expre&s;ly to your ca&s;e, that is all the <HI>calling by name</HI> which you can look for, &s;ince Oracles are cea&s;ed, and therefore you &s;hould &s;ay, <HI>This was a di&s;h provided for my hungry Con&s;cience, intended to me, &amp;c.</HI> But they will reply, <HI>Sure there is no mercy for me, I am &s;o unwor|thy:</HI> I an&s;wer, The invitation taketh no notice of <HI>worth,</HI> but of <HI>thir&s;t, Rev. 22. 17. Let him that is athir&s;t come, and who&s;oever will let him take of the water of life freely:</HI> Thou art not <HI>worthy,</HI> but thou art <HI>thir&s;ty,</HI> or el&s;e whence come the&s;e groans? And by the way take notice of the <HI>pride</HI> that is in <HI>legal dejection:</HI> men are loth to be beholding to Chri&s;t, they would be <HI>worthy</HI> before they will come to him; and therefore the Apo&s;tle u&s;eth that expre&s;&s;ion, <GAP DESC="foreign">&punc; <HI>Rom. 10. 3. They have not</HI> SUBMITTED <HI>to the righte|ou&s;ne&s;s of God:</HI> A proud creature would fain e&s;tabli&s;h a righteou&s;ne&s;s in him&s;elf, and is loth <HI>to &s;ubmit</HI> to take all from another: As an outward proud man preferreth a <HI>ru&s;&s;et coat of his own</HI> before a &s;ilken garment that is barrowed or given him by another. But <HI>they are &s;uch &s;inners, &amp;c. An&s;.</HI> The more need to come to Chri&s;t; he came <HI>to call &s;inners, Mat.</HI> 9. 13. It is no matter what thou ha&s;t been, but what thou would&s;t be; Chri&s;t doth not call us <HI>becau&s;e we are holy,</HI> but
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<HI>that we may be holy.</HI> Is it a rational plea in outward ca&s;es, I am too poor to take alms? I am too filthy to go to the wa|ter to be wa&s;hed? But <HI>they have &s;tood out again&s;t &s;o many calls already, and &s;corned Gods coun&s;el. An&s;.</HI> Wi&s;dom calleth &s;corners, <HI>Prov. 1. 22. Turn ye &s;corners, how long will ye delight in &s;corning?</HI> It is a mercy that thou ha&s;t one call more, do not increa&s;e the guilt that thou complaine&s;t of. But <HI>I know not how to come to Chri&s;t. An&s;.</HI> The <HI>blind</HI> and the <HI>lame</HI> are invited to the wedding, <HI>Mat.</HI> 22. and Wi&s;dom calleth <HI>fools, Prov. 9. 5. Who&s;o is &s;imple, &amp;c.</HI> The &s;tray Lamb is brought home upon the Shepherds &s;houlders, <HI>Luke</HI> 15. Oh that the&s;e words might be &s;pirit and life to you!</P>
<P>Again, It pre&s;&s;eth us to <HI>make our calling and election &s;ure,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">2 &V;&s;e.</NOTE> 2 <HI>Pet.</HI> 1. 10. that is, to evidence our <HI>election</HI> by our <HI>calling;</HI> for <HI>calling</HI> it is but <HI>election</HI> put in act: <HI>Election</HI> is nothing but Gods love and intention to be&s;tow &s;aving grace upon &s;uch and &s;uch per&s;ons; and <HI>calling</HI> is nothing but the <HI>actual manife&s;tation</HI> of Gods love, or the application of &s;aving grace: <HI>Rom. 8. 30. Whom he hath prede&s;tinated, them he called:</HI> Call|ing is the fir&s;t and immediate fruit of Election, by which it &s;pringeth forth, and is exerci&s;ed on the ve&s;&s;els of mercy: So 2 <HI>The&s;. 2. 13, 14. God hath from the beginning cho&s;en you to Sal|vation, through the &s;anctification of the Spirit, and the belief of the Truth, to the obtaining of the glory of God, whereunto he hath called you by my Gospel.</HI> Here is the whole method of Salvation; the fir&s;t ri&s;e and <HI>&s;pring</HI> of mercy was at <HI>Election,</HI> which breaketh out by <HI>effectual calling,</HI> and &s;o <HI>floweth</HI> down in the <HI>channels</HI> of <HI>faith</HI> and <HI>holine&s;s,</HI> till it lo&s;e it &s;elf in the <HI>Ocean</HI> of <HI>everla&s;ting Glory:</HI> So that by calling God executeth in time what he decreed before all time; and he that is call|ed&punc; may look backward upon <HI>eternal purpo&s;es of grace,</HI> and forward upon an <HI>eternal po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion of glory.</HI> Well then, if we would get any a&s;&s;urance of Gods favour, or of our intere&s;t in everla&s;ting glory, the great bu&s;ine&s;s we &s;hould labour in, is to clear up our calling; it is the free&s;t and &s;ure&s;t di&s;covery of Gods love, and &s;o fitte&s;t to bottom a confidence or a&s;&s;u|rance: In elective love we have the <HI>be&s;t view</HI> of mercy, and a call is the <HI>fir&s;t di&s;covery</HI> and <HI>copy</HI> of it; for it is an act of
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God, which ari&s;eth meerly from his choyce, preventing and anteceding not only the <HI>merit,</HI> but the <HI>acts</HI> and <HI>indu&s;try</HI> of the creature: &s;ee 2 <HI>Tim.</HI> 1. 9. Other acts of Gods bounty follow the acts of the creature, but this is the fir&s;t motion God maketh to the Soul; he <HI>accepts</HI> us when we come, but he called us when we did not <HI>think of coming:</HI> In &s;hort, Call|ing, it is the <HI>key of the Gospel,</HI> the plank that is ca&s;t out to &s;ave a &s;inking &s;inner, a &s;ure pledg of glory, which is therefore called <HI>the high price of our calling, Phil.</HI> 3. 14. Once more, here we have the cleare&s;t and mo&s;t &s;en&s;ible experience of the work of grace: After conver&s;ion the work may be carryed on <HI>tacitly,</HI> and with more &s;ilence; but in calling and con|ver&s;ion (as in all changes) the operations of grace are more &s;en&s;ible; we may grow in&s;en&s;ible, as a plant doth: The &s;tep <HI>from &s;in to grace,</HI> is a work of greater difficulty and pow|er, then to go on <HI>from grace to grace;</HI> as the Apo&s;tle maketh it a matter of more ea&s;e to <HI>&s;ave a Saint,</HI> then to <HI>gain a &s;inner, Rom.</HI> 5. 8, 9, 10. and therefore <HI>degrees</HI> cannot be alike &s;en&s;ible as <HI>change of &s;tate.</HI> The Apo&s;tle &s;peaking of the fir&s;t conver|&s;ion of the <HI>The&s;&s;alonians,</HI> he &s;aith, 1 <HI>The&s;. 1. 9. Ye know what manner of entring we had unto you.</HI> The fir&s;t approaches of Gods Power and Word to the Soul, as they meet with more oppo&s;ition, &s;o they cannot but be more &s;en&s;ible, and leave a greater feeling upon us: It were &s;trange if an <HI>Almighty Power</HI> &s;hould work in us, and we no way privy or con&s;cious to it, and all done as in our &s;leep; to think &s;o, were to give &s;ecurity a &s;oft pillow whereon to re&s;t, and to &s;uffer men to go away with golden dreams, though they feel no change in them&s;elves, plea&s;ing them&s;elves with the &s;uppo&s;ition of ima|ginary grace wrought without their privity and knowledg. I would not pre&s;s too hard upon any tender Con&s;cience; I do fore&s;ee the Objection that may be made, namely, That if Calling giveth &s;uch a &s;en&s;ible experience of the work of grace, how cometh it then to pa&s;s that &s;o few of Gods chil|dren have a&s;&s;urance or any &s;en&s;e of their conver&s;ion? I an|&s;wer, 1. It is po&s;&s;ible Gods Power may work in us, and we not be &s;en&s;ible of it; there is a difference between our out|ward and inward &s;en&s;es: we may lo&s;e our <HI>&s;piritual feeling;</HI>
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and <HI>inward &s;en&s;e</HI> doth not &s;o clearly di&s;cern its object, becau&s;e of the way in which God conveyeth his power; it is <HI>&s;trong,</HI> but <HI>&s;weet;</HI> like the influences of the Heavens, of a great effi|cacy, but &s;carce di&s;cerned: as there was a <HI>great power</HI> wrought in the <HI>Ephe&s;ians,</HI> but they did not di&s;cern it &s;o &s;ufficiently, <HI>Ephe&s;.</HI> 1. 18, 19. 2. It is the fault of Gods children not to be &s;en&s;ible of the power that worketh in them; &s;ometimes it is their <HI>carele&s;&s;ne&s;s,</HI> &s;ometimes their <HI>peevi&s;hne&s;s:</HI> Their carele&s;&s;|ne&s;s, in not ob&s;erving the approaches of God, and how he worketh and breaketh in upon their hearts in the Word; &s;o that <HI>the time of loves</HI> is not <HI>marked</HI> when it is pre&s;ent, nor <HI>re|membered</HI> when it is pa&s;t. As God &s;aid of <HI>Ephraim, Ho&s;. 11. 3. When Ephraim was a child, I taught him to go, taking them by the arms, but they knew it not,</HI> that is, did not ob&s;erve it: So God communicateth grace to his people, giveth in help and &s;upports, but they ob&s;erve it not. Sometimes it is <HI>peevi&s;hne&s;s</HI> and perver&s;ene&s;s of judgment; &s;en&s;e of &s;in, and many weak|ne&s;&s;es, like a thick cloud, hinder their clear di&s;cerning; God hath called them, but they will not own and acknowledg it, and &s;o underrate their &s;piritual condition. 3. God doth not call every one in a like violent and &s;en&s;ible manner: &s;ome mens conver&s;ion is more <HI>gentle</HI> and <HI>&s;ilent;</HI> whereas to others Chri&s;t cometh like a &s;trong man armed, and &s;natcheth them out of the fire: &s;ome are drawn they know not how, and love by a gentle bla&s;t &s;weetly and &s;oftly bloweth open the door; <HI>Ere ever I was aware, &amp;c. Cant.</HI> 6. 12. upon others the Spirit cometh like <HI>a mighty ru&s;hing wind,</HI> and they are carryed to Chri&s;t as it were by the gates of Hell. As in the natural birth, &s;ome children are brought forth with more ea&s;e, others with greater pains and throws: &s;o the new birth in &s;ome is without trouble and delay; <HI>God opened the heart of Lydia,</HI> we read of no more, <HI>Acts</HI> 16. but others are brought in with more horror of Con&s;cience, extream &s;orrow and de|&s;peration; God biddeth men <HI>put a difference, Jude</HI> 22, 23. &s;o doth God him&s;elf. 4. This different di&s;pen&s;ation God u&s;eth according to his own plea&s;ure; no certain Rules can be given: Sometimes they that have had <HI>good education</HI> have <HI>lea&s;t terrors,</HI> as being re&s;trained from gro&s;s &s;ins; &s;ometimes
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<HI>mo&s;t terrors,</HI> becau&s;e they have with&s;tood mo&s;t means:<NOTE PLACE="marg">Violent Mu|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">t<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ons, &s;rom extream to ex|tream&punc; are al|ways m<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">re &s;udden and notable.</NOTE> &s;ometimes they that are called to the <HI>greate&s;t &s;ervices</HI> have mo&s;t terrors, that they may &s;peak the more evil of &s;in, be|cau&s;e they have felt the bitterne&s;s of it; &s;ometimes it is quite otherwi&s;e, tho&s;e that are not called to &s;uch eminent &s;ervice drink mo&s;t deeply of this cup, and ta&s;te the very dregs of &s;in, and &s;erve only as monuments of the power of Gods anger; whereas others are &s;pared, and <HI>publique work</HI> &s;erveth in &s;tead of <HI>&s;orrow</HI> and <HI>trouble of Con&s;cience.</HI> Again, &s;ometimes men and women of the <HI>mo&s;t excellent</HI> and <HI>acute under&s;tandings</HI> are mo&s;t troubled, as having the <HI>cleare&s;t apprehen&s;ions</HI> of the hainou&s;ne&s;s of &s;in, and terriblene&s;s of wrath: Again, at other times it cometh from <HI>ignorance;</HI> as fears ari&s;e in the dark, and weak &s;pirits are apt to be terrified: &s;ometimes the&s;e terrors fall <HI>on a &s;trong body</HI> as be&s;t able to bear it, &s;ometimes on a weak, the Devil taking advantage of the weakne&s;s of the body to rai&s;e di&s;turbances in the mind: Many times in <HI>hot and fiery natures</HI> their changes are &s;udden, and carryed on in an extream way; whereas <HI>&s;oft natures,</HI> who&s;e motions are &s;lower, are gently and by degrees &s;urprized, they take im|pre&s;&s;ions of grace in&s;en&s;ibly. Thus you &s;ee no certain Rules can be given; only in the general we may ob&s;erve, That this different di&s;pen&s;ation maketh the work of God in calling more or le&s;s &s;en&s;ible: tho&s;e that are brought in by the <HI>vio|lent way</HI> and <HI>roughly,</HI> mu&s;t needs be &s;en&s;ible of that omnipo|tent pull by which their hearts are divorced from their cor|ruptions, and can di&s;cour&s;e of the time, the means, and the manner, and all the circum&s;tances of their calling with exact|ne&s;s; as <HI>Paul, 2 Cor. 12. 2. I knew a man in Chri&s;t fourteen years ago, &amp;c.</HI> Now every one cannot deliver a formal &s;tory, nor tell you the exact method and &s;ucce&s;&s;ive operations of grace in conver&s;ion. 5. Though there be a <HI>different di&s;pen|&s;ation</HI> u&s;ed in calling, yet there is enough to di&s;tingui&s;h the <HI>uncalled</HI> from the <HI>called;</HI> Partly becau&s;e though Gods call be not di&s;cerned in the <HI>acts</HI> of it, yet it may be di&s;cerned in the <HI>effects</HI> of it: Conver&s;ion is evident, if not in <HI>feeling,</HI> yet in <HI>fruit:</HI> Many works of Nature are for the <HI>convoy</HI> of them in&s;en&s;ible, but the <HI>effects</HI> appear: <HI>Eccle&s;. 11. 5. We know not the</HI>
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<HI>way of the &s;pirit, nor how the bones grow in the womb;</HI> We know not the manner, point of time, but yet the birth followeth: They are not Chri&s;ts that neither know how they are called, nor can give any proof that they are called. The blind man, <HI>Ioh.</HI> 9. when they asked him, <HI>How did he come to open thine eyes?</HI> an&s;wered, <HI>How he did it I cannot tell; but this one thing I know, that whereas I was blind, I n<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">w &s;ee:</HI> Early or late the Soul will give this te&s;timony, <HI>How I got him I cannot tell, but I am glad I find he is here.</HI> Partly becau&s;e where conver&s;ion and calling is carryed on more tacitly or &s;ilently, there will be &s;omething felt and found in them; there is at lea&s;t an <HI>anxiou&s;ne&s;s about their everla&s;ting e&s;tate:</HI> Every Soul doth not walk <HI>in the region of the &s;hadow of death;</HI> but every Soul fir&s;t or la&s;t is brought to <HI>What &s;hall I do?</HI> which is u&s;ually upon &s;ome &s;ecret or open &s;in into which God &s;uffereth them to fall again&s;t Con&s;cience: there will be <HI>care,</HI> though not <HI>horror;</HI> and <HI>&s;olicitou&s;ne&s;s,</HI> though not <HI>utter despair:</HI> No Soul ever came to Chri&s;t without a load upon his back, though every one be not ready with the Jaylor to kill him|&s;elf for angui&s;h: You will be at a lo&s;s &s;ometimes; it is <HI>ea&s;ie &s;ecurity</HI> that goeth on from the <HI>cradle</HI> to the <HI>grave</HI> in the &s;ame tenor of hope without variation. There will be a time when you will <HI>&s;mite upon the thigh,</HI> and cry, What &s;hall I do? And as there will be &s;ome <HI>trouble</HI> found in them, &s;o &s;ome <HI>change;</HI> all are not converted from <HI>prophanene&s;s</HI> to <HI>Religion,</HI> &s;ome from <HI>civility</HI> to <HI>Religion,</HI> from <HI>profe&s;&s;ion</HI> to <HI>&s;incerity,</HI> from <HI>&s;ervility</HI> to <HI>ingenuity:</HI> Time was when they were care|le&s;s of communion with God, prayed now and then out of cu&s;tom, had no delight in the Almighty, but now it is other|wi&s;e. Partly becau&s;e there is a <HI>con&s;tant calling,</HI> &s;o that fir&s;t or la&s;t we &s;hall be &s;en&s;ible of the <HI>motions of the Spirit,</HI> and the <HI>hearts an&s;wer:</HI> to &s;ome God &s;peaketh <HI>in thunder,</HI> to others in <HI>a &s;till voyce,</HI> but to all he &s;peaketh; therefore did you ever di&s;cern Gods calling and your an&s;wering? <HI>P&s;al. 27. 8. The Lord &s;aid, Seek ye my face; my heart &s;aid, Thy face Lord will I &s;eek:</HI> There is no gracious heart but they are often &s;en&s;ible of &s;uch <HI>a dialogue</HI> between God and the Soul; this di&s;cour&s;e is con&s;tant: he &s;peaketh to us by the <HI>injection</HI>
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<HI>of holy motions</HI> and the <HI>actual excitations of his grace,</HI> and we &s;peak to him by <HI>&s;erious promi&s;es</HI> and <HI>re&s;olutions of obedience:</HI> God calleth us into his pre&s;ence often, and the heart eccho|eth, <HI>Lo I come.</HI></P>
<P>Well now, upon all the&s;e Con&s;iderations labour to get <HI>your calling</HI> evidenced, that will clear up your title to the great priviledges of grace; by it you may rebuke your doubts and fears: When Con&s;cience asketh, What have you to do with the&s;e comforts? to look upon your &s;elves as objects of Gods Election? as heirs of Glory? you may an&s;wer, <HI>I did not take this honour upon me, I was called of God.</HI> But you will &s;ay, What are the infallible Notes and Marks of effectual calling? I an&s;wer, The&s;e; I &s;hall contract lar|ger di&s;cour&s;es: You may know your effectual calling, Part|ly<NOTE PLACE="marg">The fir&s;t E|vidence of Calling.</NOTE> by <HI>the preparations</HI> made for it; though the work it &s;elf be done in an in&s;tant, and many times <HI>when we lea&s;t think of it,</HI> yet u&s;ually God maketh way for his <HI>mighty Work.</HI> As the husbandman harroweth and breaketh the clods before he throweth in the &s;eed; &s;o by &s;ome <HI>preparative conviction</HI> God breaketh the heart, and maketh it meet to receive grace: <HI>Redemption</HI> needed no <HI>preparation,</HI> but Conver&s;ion doth. Look as <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> brought them to the <HI>Borders,</HI> but <HI>Jo&s;hua</HI> led them into the <HI>Land of Canaan;</HI> &s;o u&s;ually there is &s;ome foregoing <HI>Law work,</HI> though we are called proper|ly <HI>by the Gospel; 1 The&s;. 2. 14. Called by my Gospel:</HI> The <HI>Law</HI> driveth us out of our &s;elves, but <HI>the Gospel</HI> pulleth in the heart to Chri&s;t. Look as in outward generation the matter is gradually prepared and di&s;po&s;ed, &s;o is the Soul for the new birth: A man is awakened by the &s;ight of his own wretchedne&s;s, convinced of &s;in, and the evil con&s;e|quences of it; and then the <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Ho&s;. 2. 14. Gal. 3. 1.</NOTE> work is done by <HI>the milde voyce</HI> of the Go&s;pel; as Manna came down in &s;weet dews. It is Gods way to &s;peak terror before he &s;peak comfort: Chri&s;t &s;heweth the method, <HI>Joh. 16. 8. The Spirit &s;hall convince of &s;in:</HI> The <NOTE N="&dagger;" PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="foreign">.</NOTE> word is notable; <HI>to convince,</HI> is <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="foreign"> <HI>Ari&s;t.</HI></NOTE> to &s;hew a thing to be impo&s;&s;ible to be otherwi&s;e then we repre&s;ent it: &s;o the Spirit convinceth, and maketh the per&s;on yield, and &s;ay, <HI>Certainly I am a &s;inner,</HI> an unbeleever, a very wretch, that
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hath no intere&s;t in Chri&s;t: This is Gods method; We come to &s;ome <HI>certain i&s;&s;ue</HI> about our being in the &s;tate of nature, before we come to &s;ome certain i&s;&s;ue about our being in the &s;tate of grace; The Soul &s;aith, Surely I am &s;tark naught, in a deplored lo&s;t condition. Well then, if you had always good thoughts of your &s;elves, or only a &s;light and general knowledg, We are all &s;inners, &amp;c. You are not prepared: The blind man, <HI>Joh.</HI> 9. could &s;ay, <HI>I was blind:</HI> Were you ever brought to &s;ay, <HI>I was a wretch, a mi&s;erable forlorn crea|ture out of Chri&s;t?</HI> This feedeth pre&s;umption and &s;ecurity, becau&s;e we never bring the debate to an i&s;&s;ue concerning our being in either of the &s;tates, but content our &s;elves with blind gue&s;&s;es, and loo&s;e acknowledgments, that <HI>we are all &s;inners, and Chri&s;t mu&s;t &s;ave us, &amp;c.</HI> This is not enough, there mu&s;t be a particular and humbling &s;en&s;e of &s;in: Unworthine&s;s and wretchedne&s;s felt, is the fir&s;t occa&s;ion to bring us to Chri&s;t: Never a poor Soul that taketh &s;anctuary at the throne of grace, but he &s;tandeth <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Rom. 3, 19. Heb. 6. 18.</NOTE> <HI>guilty there,</HI> and in danger of dam|nation.</P>
<P>2. Again, The next Note or occa&s;ion of di&s;covery may be taken from the <HI>in&s;trument</HI> or <HI>means</HI> by which God hath called us, namely the Word; 2 <HI>The&s;. 2. 14. By my Gospel.</HI> Oracles and audible voyces are not his u&s;ual cour&s;e; &s;ome<NOTE PLACE="marg">I &s;uppo&s;e Au&s;tins <HI>Tol|le &amp; Lege</HI> was of this nature.</NOTE> Chri&s;tians talk of &s;uch things, but (to &s;ay the lea&s;t of the mi&s;take) they are but the <HI>&s;uppo&s;itions of an over-troubled fancy;</HI> delu&s;ions which God, who bringeth light out of darkne&s;s, may at length order for good, and in the wi&s;dom of his Providence make u&s;e of them to bring off his people from their di&s;couragements. But u&s;ually Gods way of call|ing is <HI>by the Word,</HI> and mo&s;t u&s;ually by the <HI>Word preached,</HI> &s;eldom otherwi&s;e; for God&punc; loveth to own and honour the means of his own appointing with a ble&s;&s;ing. I &s;uppo&s;e &s;carce an in&s;tance can be given of any converted by <HI>reading</HI> or <HI>meditation,</HI> that neglected <HI>prophecying</HI> where it was to be had. I confe&s;s the Word may not work always in time of hearing: There is a notable in&s;tance,&mdash;<HI>My Soul failed when</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Cant. 5. 6.</NOTE> <HI>he &s;pake;</HI> or rather it may be rendered, <HI>becau&s;e of his &s;peech:</HI> Now compare it with the time of Chri&s;ts vi&s;it, ver&s;. 2, 3. <HI>Open</HI>
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<HI>my Si&s;ter, my Dove, &amp;c.</HI> while Chri&s;t was &s;peaking &s;he is care|le&s;s and &s;luggi&s;h, <HI>I have put off my co<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">, how &s;hall I put it on?</HI> you &s;ee <HI>her heart</HI> was far from <HI>failing</HI> then; but when &s;he remembered it afterward, then her bowels were troubled: as <HI>Peter</HI> al&s;o was wrought upon by the remembrance of Chri&s;ts words a great while after they were &s;poken, <HI>Mat.</HI> 26. la&s;t ver&s;e. Thus many times God reviveth old truths, and maketh them effectual long after the time of delivery: The Word worketh then either in the <HI>hearing,</HI> or in the <HI>remem|brance,</HI> or <HI>deep meditation</HI> upon it. Well now, Can you remember &s;uch an experience, when God called you by his Word, and <HI>&s;pake comfortably to your hearts?</HI> Did he ever move you to go a&s;ide into <HI>the Clo&s;er,</HI> that you might be &s;o|litary and &s;erious, and con&s;ider of your condition? U&s;ually at our <HI>fir&s;t call</HI> we are moved to <HI>go a&s;ide,</HI> that God and we may confer in private; as <HI>Ho&s;ea 2. 14. God calleth into the wilderne&s;s, that he may &s;peak to the heart:</HI> and <HI>Ezekiel</HI> was called <HI>into the field&punc;</HI> that God might more freely talk with him, <HI>Ezek. 3. 22. Ari&s;e, go forth into the plain, that there I may talk with thee:</HI> So <HI>Cant. 7. 11. Come my Beloved, let us go forth into the fields, &amp;c.</HI> U&s;ually his fir&s;t motions are to go a&s;ide and con&s;ider; Chri&s;t is <HI>ba&s;hful</HI> before acquaintance, and doth not &s;peak to us in company, but in private: Did he ever thus invite you into &s;ecret places? did he ever <HI>call thee by name,</HI> &s;peak &s;o expre&s;ly to thy ca&s;e, as if he had &s;aid, Here is mercy for thee, comfort for thee, here is thy por|tion? Fir&s;t or la&s;t Gods children have &s;uch experiences: There is a <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Ezek. 16. 6, 7</NOTE> <HI>time of loves</HI> which they cannot forget; at lea&s;t a time wherein the <HI>Ma&s;ter of the A&s;&s;emblies</HI> fa&s;tened a nail in their hearts. Gods people are wont to talk how <HI>&s;ea&s;onably,</HI> and yet how <HI>&s;trangely</HI> Providence ca&s;t them upon &s;uch op|portunities; as <HI>David, P&s;al.</HI> 119. 93. <HI>I &s;hall never forget thy Precepts, for by them thou ha&s;t quickened me:</HI> Oh I &s;hall ne|ver forget &s;uch an Ordinance, &s;uch a Sermon, wherein the Lord was plea&s;ed to take notice of me, and to &s;peak to my heart: Weak impre&s;&s;ions are &s;oon razed out, but powerful effects of the Word leave a durable mark and character that cannot be defaced.</P>
<P><PB N="23" REF="20">3. The next Mark may be taken from the <HI>formal an&s;wer,</HI> or <HI>correspondent act</HI> of the creature to the call of God, for that is it which &s;ealeth our Election; for otherwi&s;e <HI>many be called, but they are not cho&s;en,</HI> unle&s;s the heart be prevailed with to obey the call: Yea the notion of <HI>Vocation</HI> in its full latitude, implyeth not only <HI>Gods act,</HI> but ours, our <HI>an&s;wer</HI> to his <HI>call. Chri&s;ts &s;heep hear his voyce:</HI> <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">John 20. 16.</NOTE> When Chri&s;t &s;aith, <HI>Mary,</HI> &s;he an&s;wereth, <HI>Rabboni, my Lord.</HI> Gods call is the <HI>offer of grace,</HI> our an&s;wer is the <HI>accepting of grace offered;</HI> there mu&s;t be <HI>receiving,</HI> as well as <HI>offering: Vocation</HI> is not effectual unle&s;s it end in <HI>&V;nion;</HI> it is <HI>receiving</HI> that giveth us intere&s;t, <HI>Joh.</HI> 1. 12. The Scriptures do every where imply and &s;ignifie this an&s;werable act of the creature to the call of God: God &s;aith, <HI>Seek ye my face</HI> and the Soul like a quick eccho, <HI>Thy face Lord will I &s;eek, P&s;al.</HI> 27. 8. So <HI>Ier.</HI> 3. 22. <HI>Return ye back-&s;liding children, and I will heal you;</HI> and then, <HI>Behold we come unto thee, for thou art the Lord our God.</HI> The Soul is enabled to do that which it is exhorted to do: God &s;aith, <HI>Come to Chri&s;t,</HI> and the Soul &s;aith, <HI>Lord I come.</HI> Well then, is the call obeyed? do you receive Chri&s;t for your Lord and Saviour? The proper an&s;wer of the call is the con&s;ent and full purpo&s;e of the heart to take Chri&s;t; for <HI>offering</HI> is the <HI>call,</HI> and <HI>receiving</HI> is the <HI>an&s;wer:</HI> Have you &s;ub&s;cribed and con&s;ented to take Chri&s;t upon his own terms? as the Prophet, when he was to take a wife, maketh an offer, <HI>Ho&s;ea 3. I will be for thee, and thou &s;halt be for me;</HI> Are you content? Chri&s;t will be for you in all his graces, merits, benefits, if you will be for him in all your motions, tenden|cies, aims: alas, your hearts know that you are for your &s;elves, lu&s;ts, intere&s;ts, &amp;c.</P>
<P>4. Again, You may know your calling by the <HI>concomitant dispo&s;itions</HI> of the Soul that go along with &s;uch a <HI>return</HI> and <HI>an&s;wer:</HI> Where ever Chri&s;t is received, he is received with worthy and &s;uitable affections; the&s;e are mo&s;t notable. 1. <HI>Godly &s;orrow, Ier. 31. 9. They &s;hall come with weeping and &s;upplication, and I will lead them:</HI> It is &s;poken of the Jews conver&s;ion; when God cometh to lead them, they &s;hall bewail their hardne&s;s of heart and unbelief: Such kind of
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workings there are in the heart of every returning &s;inner; as, <HI>that God &s;hould look upon &s;uch a worthlo&s;s creature as I am, that have all this while gain&s;ayed, and &s;tood out many an invi|tation!</HI> that ever <HI>God &s;hould care for &s;uch a vile and &s;tubborn wretch! &s;eek to reclaim &s;uch a wayward heart!</HI> U&s;ually there are &s;uch mournful and &s;elf-humbling reflections, that get the &s;tart of faith and comfort, and do more &s;en&s;ibly bewray them&s;elves: Never did any child of God get home to him, but <HI>&s;miting on the thigh, Ier.</HI> 31. 18. and complaining of them|&s;elves before they could take comfort in God. 2. <HI>Holy wonder,</HI> which ari&s;eth from comparing their own wretched|ne&s;s with Gods rich mercy in Chri&s;t; and therefore the A|po&s;tle &s;aith, 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 2. 9. <HI>Who hath called us out of darkne&s;s into his marvelous light;</HI> implying that Gods grace is mo&s;t won|derful at fir&s;t conver&s;ion, as light is to a man that cometh out of a dungeon; <HI>woful darkne&s;s</HI> maketh it <HI>marvelous light:</HI> In this change there is nothing but what is wonderful&punc; both the <HI>&s;weetne&s;s</HI> and the <HI>power</HI> of that grace by which it is wrought: <HI>The &s;weetne&s;s</HI> of grace&punc; When God came to of|fer <HI>Abraham</HI> the grace of the Covenant, <HI>he fell upon his face, Gen.</HI> 17. 3. in an humble adoration and reverence&punc; <HI>The power of grace;</HI> If <HI>Peter</HI> wondered at his deliverance by the Angel out of that &s;trong Pri&s;on, we have much more cau&s;e to won|der that the yoke is broken, and that we are &s;et free by Chri&s;t: the &s;weet effects of this grace cau&s;e wonder; <HI>The peace of God which pa&s;&s;eth all under&s;tanding, &amp;c.</HI> 3. A <HI>free re&s;olution</HI> and <HI>confidence;</HI> come what ever cometh, they will obey God. As <HI>Abraham being called obeyed God, not knowing whither he went, Heb.</HI> 11. 8. So when they have a warrant, they will make <HI>adventures of faith,</HI> though they know not the <HI>&s;ucce&s;s;</HI> as <HI>Peter</HI> would ca&s;t out the net at Chri&s;ts com|mand, though there were little likelyhood of taking fi&s;h; <HI>Howbeit at thy command, &amp;c. Luke</HI> 5. 5. So it is unlikely God will receive me to grace, yet I will adventure, I know not what will come of it: Where Faith is &s;en&s;ible of a Command, it doth not <HI>dispute</HI> a duty, but <HI>accompli&s;h</HI> it: The Spirit &s;peaketh to the Soul, as the Di&s;ciples did to the blind man, <HI>Mark</HI> 10. 49. <HI>Be of good comfort, ri&s;e, becau&s;e the</HI>
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<HI>Ma&s;ter calleth thee.</HI> I in&s;tance in the&s;e di&s;po&s;itions, becau&s;e they are mo&s;t &s;en&s;ible.</P>
<P>5. It may be evidenced by the fruits and effects of a call; the call inferreth a change of the former e&s;tate, both in <HI>heart</HI> and <HI>life.</HI></P>
<P>1. There will be a change in the <HI>whole heart:</HI> In the <HI>mind</HI> and <HI>judgment,</HI> there the activity of the new nature is fir&s;t di&s;covered; <HI>Ephe&s;.</HI> 4. 23. <HI>Renewed in the &s;pirit of the mind;</HI> in that which is mo&s;t intimate and excellent there: In our di&s;cour&s;e and rea&s;on, all the di&s;cour&s;es, debates, purpo&s;es and cares of the Soul will be to plea&s;e God: The mind is made <HI>a forge</HI> for holy u&s;es, wherein to debate and contrive how to carry on the work of grace, how to glorifie God in our relations, concernments; certainly this will be found in all tho&s;e that are called and converted. So in the <HI>will</HI> and <HI>affections</HI> there will be a con&s;tant inclination towards God, as the chiefe&s;t good: <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 19. 57. <HI>Thou art my portion O Lord, I have &s;aid that I w'll keep thy Words:</HI> The Soul is re|&s;olved; there is <HI>a decree</HI> i&s;&s;ued forth in that behalf, to de|dicate it &s;elf to God and his Will: This is the great differ|ence between men and men, in fixing their <HI>chiefe&s;t good</HI> and <HI>utmo&s;t end;</HI> The Soul finding comfort in God, &s;etteth the whole bent of her endeavors towards him. So for the other affections, which attend upon the other act of the will, <HI>aver|&s;ation</HI> and <HI>loathing:</HI> a Soul that is called and converted hateth &s;in, its own <HI>beloved &s;in,</HI> as the greate&s;t evil: <HI>Ho&s;ea</HI> 14. 8. <HI>What have I any more to do with Idols? I&s;ai.</HI> 30. 22. <HI>Thou &s;halt &s;ay to it as to an abominable rag, Get thee hence.</HI> A <HI>keen displicency</HI> and <HI>hearty indignation</HI> is kindled in the Soul again&s;t &s;in: when God changeth a Soul, he putteth a di&s;po&s;ition into it &s;omewhat like his own nature; God cannot abide &s;in, and a &s;anctified heart cannot abide it, <HI>Get thou hence, &amp;c.</HI> the new life hath an <HI>antipathy</HI> to that which is contrary to it.</P>
<P>2. In the <HI>life</HI> there will be a change; men will walk wor|thy their calling, not di&s;gracing it by &s;candals, or un&s;eemly practi&s;es: <HI>Eph.</HI> 4. 1. <HI>I be&s;eech you Brethren walk worthy of the Vocation wherewith ye are called;</HI> that is, &s;uitable to the <HI>purity,</HI>
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&s;uitable to the <HI>dignity</HI> of it. When <HI>David</HI> was a Shepherd, he thought of nothing el&s;e&punc; but keeping his fathers &s;heep; but when God called him to be a Shepherd of the people, then he had other projects, and was of other manner of be|havior: A <HI>new calling</HI> requireth a <HI>new conver&s;ation.</HI> So 1 <HI>The&s;.</HI> 2. 12. <HI>Walk worthy of God, who hath called you to his Kingdom and his Glory:</HI> The divine calling puts an honour upon you: it is not for <HI>Princes to embrace the dung,</HI> nor for Eagles to catch flies; to be vain, voluptuous, carnal and worldly, as others are: you are called to the fellow&s;hip of Saints and Angels, will it become one of your hopes to drive on &s;uch a low de&s;ign as a <HI>worldly intere&s;t?</HI> If you &s;aw a man laboring in filthy ditches, and &s;oyling him&s;elf, as poor men do, would you beleeve&punc; that he were heir apparant to a Crown, called to inherit a Kingdom? Who will beleeve your calling, when you &s;tick in the mud of plea&s;ures, and and are carryed on with &s;uch a zealous re&s;pect after &s;ecular intere&s;ts? The Apo&s;tle reproveth the <HI>Corinthians for walk|ing as men,</HI> 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 3. 3. Some walk <HI>as bea&s;ts,</HI> others are of a more civil &s;train; but this is but <HI>as men;</HI> you &s;hould walk more &s;ublimely, above the ordinary rate of fle&s;h and blood. When <HI>Antigo<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="3 letters"></HI> was going into the hou&s;e of <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters"> harlot, one told him&punc; <HI>Thou art a Kings &s;on&punc;</HI> Oh remember your digni|ty, and walk worthy of your high calling; walk as having the world under your feet, with an holy &s;corn and contempt of &s;ublunary enjoyments: And as you &s;hould walk worthy of the <HI>dignity</HI> of your calling, &s;o of the <HI>purity</HI> of it; <HI>He that hath called you is holy,</HI> 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 1. 15. and your condition is a<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> <HI>holy calling,</HI> 2 <HI>Tim.</HI> 1. 2. and the end of your calling is ho|line&s;s, 2 <HI>The&s;.</HI> 4. 7. <HI>God hath called us unto holine&s;s:</HI> all which are &s;o many engagements to urge us to the more care. A filthy loo&s;e conver&s;ation will never &s;uit with this calling&punc; you are a &s;hame and a &s;tain to him that calleth you, if you walk thus: as &s;ome in the Prophet are &s;aid to <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Ezek. 36.</NOTE> <HI>pollute God,</HI> namely, as their pollutions were retorted upon God.</P>
<P>Let us now come to the Manife&s;tations and Effects of this Calling, and the fir&s;t effect mentioned is Sanctification,
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[<HI>Sanctified in God the Father&punc;</HI>] Where you may note two things. 1. The State, [<HI>Sanctified.</HI>] 2. The Author of it, [<HI>By God the Father.</HI>]</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, The State, <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>to them which are &s;anctified;</HI> in &s;tead of which &s;ome Copies have, <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>beloved by God the Father:</HI> but let us keep to our own reading, the other being a mi&s;take, and in few Greek Copies. The Note<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat.</NOTE> is, <HI>That Gods people, whom he hath called out of the world to him&s;elf, are a &s;anctified people.</HI> I &s;hall &s;hew you, 1. What it is to <HI>be &s;anctified:</HI> and then, 2. Why Gods <HI>called people</HI> mu&s;t be &s;anctified.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, What it is to be &s;anctified; there are many accep|tions of the term, the mo&s;t famous are two; to &s;anctifie is either <HI>to &s;et apart,</HI> or <HI>to clean&s;e;</HI> the&s;e two notions will be enough for our purpo&s;e, if in each of them we &s;uppo&s;e both &s;omething <HI>privative,</HI> and &s;omething <HI>po&s;itive:</HI> as when it &s;ig|nifieth <HI>to &s;et apart,</HI> you mu&s;t conceive not only a &s;etting apart from common u&s;e, but a <HI>dedication to holy u&s;es,</HI> or a &s;etting apart for God, which is the mo&s;t proper acception of the word: So when it &s;ignifieth <HI>to clean&s;e,</HI> you mu&s;t not only conceive a <HI>purgation</HI> from filthine&s;s, but a <HI>plantation</HI> of &s;eeds of grace; not only an <HI>abolition</HI> of natural corruption, but a <HI>renovation</HI> of Gods Image. In this method let us a lit|tle con&s;ider the thing in hand.</P>
<P>1. To &s;anctifie, is <HI>to &s;et apart,</HI> and <HI>dedicate:</HI> Now Gods people are <HI>&s;et apart</HI> <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg"><HI>P&s;al. 1. 4. 2 Tim. 2. 21.</HI> Ve&s;&s;els of honor for the Ma&s;ters u&s;e.</NOTE> by God, and they <HI>dedicate</HI> them&s;elves to his u&s;e and &s;ervice. They are &s;et apart by God both <HI>in time</HI> and <HI>before time:</HI> Before all time they are &s;et apart by <HI>Gods Decree</HI> to be an <HI>holy &s;eed</HI> to him&s;elf in and by Chri&s;t, &s;eparated from the peri&s;hing world to be <HI>ve&s;&s;els of honour;</HI> as the Reprobate are called <HI>ve&s;&s;els of wrath and di&s;honour:</HI> thus we are &s;aid to be <HI>cho&s;en to be holy, Ephe&s;.</HI> 1. 4. But then <HI>in time</HI> they are <HI>regenerated,</HI> and actually &s;et apart: Sancti|fication is an <HI>actual Election</HI> (as before) by which we are &s;et apart from the peri&s;hing world to act for God, and to &s;eek the things that make for his glory: Thus we are called Gods <HI>fir&s;t fruits,</HI> which were the Lords portion, <HI>James</HI> 1. 18. and is there made a fruit of Regeneration: And thus we are
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&s;aid to be <HI>an holy Prie&s;thood, 1 Pet.</HI> 2. 9. the Prie&s;ts being men &s;et apart to mini&s;ter in Gods pre&s;ence: Now this <HI>Con&s;ecra|tion</HI> inferreth an holy preci&s;ene&s;s and &s;ingularity in the god|ly, that they may <HI>keep them&s;elves un&s;potted from the world, Iames</HI> 1. 28. <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">It was a pro|ph<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">na<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">on in <HI>B<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;h<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">zzar</HI> to drink in the Cups&punc; of the Temple.</NOTE> as holy things were to be kept from a com|mon u&s;e; and it implyeth that every &s;in is a kind of <HI>&s;acri|ledg,</HI> it &s;tealeth an holy thing from God. But over and above all this, they <HI>dedicate them&s;elves,</HI> or &s;et apart them|&s;elves by the con&s;ent of their own vows; <HI>Rom. 12. 1. Pre&s;ent your &s;elves, &amp;c.</HI> as every man was to bring his own &s;acrifice; and for this dedication the Lord calleth, when he &s;aith, <HI>My &s;on, give me thy heart;</HI> becau&s;e God loveth to put the ho|nour upon us of a <HI>gift,</HI> when it is but a <HI>debt;</HI> and becau&s;e our voluntary con&s;ent to this &s;urrender is a nece&s;&s;ary fruit of grace, and the immediate effect of his own choyce.</P>
<P>2. To &s;anctifie, is to <HI>clean&s;e,</HI> together with its po&s;itive act, to <HI>renew</HI> and <HI>adorn</HI> with grace.</P>
<P>Let us fir&s;t &s;peak of the <HI>privative</HI> or <HI>clean&s;ing</HI> work; this notion is nece&s;&s;ary to be added to the former: They that are <HI>&s;anctified</HI> mu&s;t not only be <HI>&s;eparated</HI> to an holy u&s;e, but mu&s;t al&s;o be <HI>clean&s;ed:</HI> as to <HI>&s;anctifie</HI> &s;ignifieth to <HI>&s;eparate,</HI> &s;o there is a difference between <HI>them</HI> and <HI>others;</HI> and as it &s;ignifieth to <HI>clean&s;e,</HI> &s;o there is a difference between <HI>them</HI> and <HI>them&s;elves.</HI> They differ from others, becau&s;e they are a people &s;et apart to act and live for God; they trade for God, eat for God, drink for God, more or le&s;s, all is for <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">1. Cor. 10. 31</NOTE> Gods glory, and &s;o are a di&s;tinct company from the men of the world, who are meerly &s;wayed by their own intere&s;ts, a company that meerly act for them&s;elves in all that they do. And then there is a difference between <HI>them</HI> and <HI>them|&s;elves,</HI> for Sanctification is the clean&s;ing of a thing that was once filthy: 1 <HI>Cor. 6. 11. Such were &s;ome of you, but now ye are wa&s;hed, but now ye are &s;anctified in the Name of the Lord Ie&s;us, and by the Spirit of our God:</HI> they are not the &s;ame men they were before. We all come into the world pol|luted with the &s;tain of &s;in, which is purged and done away <HI>by degrees,</HI> and at death <HI>wholly,</HI> and never before: When Chri&s;t cometh to bring us to God as the fruits of his Pur|cha&s;e,
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then we are <HI>without &s;pot and blemi&s;h, Ephe&s;.</HI> 5. 26. The Papi&s;ts cavil, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="3 letters"> trifle, when they argue from that place, that either we mu&s;t grant a <HI>perfection</HI> in this life, or a <HI>purga|tion</HI> after death, or how el&s;e cometh the Soul to be without <HI>&s;pot and blemi&s;h&punc;</HI> I an&s;wer, That place a&s;&s;erts <HI>the thing</HI> to the comfort of the Elect, that once they &s;hall get rid of the filthy &s;pots of &s;in&punc; but for <HI>the time,</HI> mo&s;t probably in the <HI>moment of expiring:</HI> As the Soul in the very moment where|in it is joyned to the body becometh &s;inful; &s;o in the mo|ment wherein it leaveth the body 'tis <HI>&s;anctified,</HI> and pre&s;ent|ed by Chri&s;t to God; as many pious Souls breathe out their la&s;t with the profe&s;&s;ion of this hope: Then we &s;hall be <HI>clean&s;ed</HI> indeed; now the work is <HI>in fieri,</HI> 'tis a doing: The work of grace for the pre&s;ent con&s;i&s;ts in rubbing away the <HI>old filth,</HI> and <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">So ob&s;tinate is mans heart, that that is all that can be don<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">; the <HI>weakening</HI> of &s;in, but not the <HI>de&s;t<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">u<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">tion</HI> of it.</NOTE> weakening original corruption more and more; as al&s;o in wa&s;hing off the <HI>new defilement</HI> which we contract every day by conver&s;ing in the world: See <HI>Iohn</HI> 13. 10. where our Saviour alludeth to a man that hath been bathing him&s;elf, but after his return by treading on the ground again &s;taineth his feet, and needeth another wa&s;hing of his feet at lea&s;t: So by conver&s;ing in the world, there are &s;tains and &s;pots contracted, which mu&s;t always be wa&s;h|ed off by <HI>dayly repentance,</HI> be&s;ides our <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Tit. 3. 5.</NOTE> <HI>general bathing</HI> at fir&s;t conver&s;ion or regeneration. I have no more to &s;ay to this <HI>clean&s;ing work,</HI> but only this, That it is not meerly like <HI>the wa&s;hing off of &s;pots,</HI> but like the <HI>purging of &s;ick matter</HI> or ill humors out of the body; it is a work done with much reluctation of corrupt nature, and therefore it is expre&s;&s;ed by <HI>&s;ubduing our iniquities, Micab</HI> 7. 19. In outward filthi|ne&s;s there is no <HI>actual re&s;i&s;tance,</HI> as there is in &s;in.</P>
<P>But to &s;peak now of the po&s;itive work, or the <HI>decking</HI> and <HI>adorning</HI> the Soul with grace. As the Prie&s;ts under the Law, when they came to mini&s;ter before the Lord, were not only <HI>wa&s;hed in the great Lavor,</HI> but adorned with <HI>gorgeous appa|rel:</HI> So to be <HI>&s;anctified,</HI> is more then to be purified; for be&s;ides the <HI>expul&s;ion of &s;in,</HI> there is an <HI>infu&s;ion of grace,</HI> a di&s;|po&s;ition wrought clean contrary to what we had before, therefore called a <HI>new heart</HI> and a <HI>new &s;pirit,</HI> &s;ee <HI>Ezek.</HI> 36.
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25, 26, 27. from whence al&s;o there &s;loweth <HI>newne&s;s of life</HI> and <HI>conver&s;ation;</HI> there is a <HI>new heart</HI> or conformity <HI>to Gods Nature,</HI> and a <HI>new life</HI> or conformity <HI>to Gods Will?</HI> The pattern of that Sanctification which is wrought in the heart, is <HI>Gods Nature</HI> or <HI>Image, 2 Pet. 1. 4. Ephe&s;.</HI> 4. 24. and the pattern of that Sanctification which is wrought in the life, is <HI>Gods Law</HI> or revealed Will, 1 <HI>Thef.</HI> 4. 3. the one is our <HI>ha<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">i<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">al holine&s;s,</HI> and the other our <HI>actual.</HI></P>
<P>1. For <HI>habitual Sanctification,</HI> or that which is wrought in the heart, I ob&s;erve, that it is <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">As a child is <HI>true man,</HI> though not <HI>perfect man,</HI> as &s;oon as he is born; he hath <HI>all the parts,</HI> though not the growth, and &s;trength, and &s;tatute.</NOTE> <HI>through,</HI> but not <HI>full;</HI> there mu&s;t be all grace, and every faculty mu&s;t be adorned with grace&punc; <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters"> <HI>The&s;. 5. 23. The very God of peace &s;anctifie you wholly&punc; I pray God your whole &s;pirit, &s;oul and body be pre|&s;erved blamele&s;s until the coming of Ie&s;us Chri&s;t.</HI> All of man is made up of <HI>&s;pirit, &s;oul,</HI> and <HI>body,</HI> that is the <HI>Theological di&s;tinction</HI> of the faculties: the <HI>&s;pirit</HI> that is the more ration|al and Angelical part of the &s;oul, <HI>under&s;tanding, con&s;cience, will</HI> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="4 letters">d then there is <HI>&s;oul,</HI> the lower part, the more bruti&s;h and &s;en&s;ual affections and de&s;ires&punc; and then <HI>body,</HI> the out|ward man, the in&s;trument of &s;oul, which needeth to be <HI>&s;an|ctified,</HI> that is, kept in a good order and frame, that it may not rebel, or di&s;obey the motions of the better part. You &s;ee <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">All was de|praved by A|dam, and all is renewed by Chri&s;t.</NOTE> then every faculty mu&s;t be &s;ea&s;oned with the new na|ture; this leaven mu&s;t get into the whole lump; the mind, memory, con&s;cience, will, de&s;ires, delights, all mu&s;t be brought into conformity to the Image of God. And as every facul|ty mu&s;t be &s;anctified, &s;o there mu&s;t be <HI>every grace:</HI> In Con|ver&s;ion there is introduced into the Soul a <HI>&s;tock of truth,</HI> and a <HI>frame of grace&punc;</HI> called in other terms the <HI>anointing,</HI> 1 <HI>Iohn</HI> 2. 27. and the <HI>&s;eed of God, 1. Iohn 3. 1<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">.</HI> There is a <HI>&s;tock of truth</HI> brought into the under&s;tanding to &s;ea&s;on that; not that every one that is regenerate doth actually know all truths, but there is a <HI>&s;aving light</HI> and knowledg of things nece&s;&s;ary; they &s;ee enough to avoyd cour&s;es of damnation, and to cleave to the ways of God: and there is an <HI>inqui&s;itivene&s;s</HI> after truths, and a <HI>&s;uitablene&s;s</HI> to them when they are reveal|ed; they are <HI>teachable,</HI> though <HI>actually ignorant;</HI> there is &s;omething in their hearts that carryeth a <HI>cognation</HI> and pro|portion
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to every truth, and claimeth kin of it when ever it is revealed. And then there is a <HI>frame of grace;</HI> for the <HI>mind</HI> is not only <HI>inlightened,</HI> but the <HI>will</HI> and <HI>affections</HI> are <HI>&s;anctified,</HI> and the <HI>heart inclined</HI> to choo&s;e the ways of God, and to obey him when ever occa&s;ion is offered. The habits of all grace are brought into the heart by Regeneration, as original <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">in containeth the &s;eeds and habits of all &s;in: though there be not explicite workings of all graces at that time, yet they are introduced, and make up one <HI>&s;incere bent</HI> of the Soul towards God, called <HI>holine&s;s in truth, Eph.</HI> 4. 24. Thus you &s;ee the new creature doth not come out maimed, the <HI>per&s;on &s;anctified</HI> hath all the parts of a new man, not one member is wanting. But now though this Sanctification be <HI>through,</HI> yet it is not <HI>full</HI> and <HI>compleat</HI> for degrees; every part is &s;anctified, but every part is not <HI>wholly &s;anctified:</HI> In the mo&s;t gracious there is a double principle, <HI>Hell</HI> and <HI>Hea|ven, Adam</HI> and <HI>Ie&s;us,</HI> the <HI>fle&s;h</HI> and the <HI>&s;pirit,</HI> the <HI>Law of the members</HI> and the <HI>Law of the mind:</HI> &s;uch a medley and com|po&s;ition are we during the pre&s;ent &s;tate! We <HI>know but in part,</HI> and we are &s;anctified but in part, and there being &s;uch a mixture in <HI>the princip<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="3 letters"></HI> of operation, every action is mixt: It is notable, that there is no commendable act in Scripture recorded, but there is &s;ome mixture of corruption in it, even in the mo&s;t Heroical exerci&s;es and di&s;coveries of Faith: <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> beleeveth, and therefore &s;miteth the rock, but he <HI>&s;miteth twice; Sarah</HI> beleeveth the promi&s;e, but giveth her maid to <HI>Abraham; Reb<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="4 letters"></HI> was told that <HI>the elder &s;hould &s;erve the younger,</HI> and beleeveth it, but yet &s;he &s;ets <HI>Iacob</HI> awork to get the ble&s;&s;ing by a wile; <HI>Rahab</HI> &s;aveth the Spies, but maketh a lye, &amp;c. Thus is our wine mingled with water, our <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Cant. 5. 1.</NOTE>honey with wax, and our &s;ilver with tin&punc; All the tryal is, that the <HI>better part</HI> prevaileth; and that we are <HI>&s;till grow|ing</HI> and halting on to perfection, as the morning Sun doth to high noon, <HI>Prov.</HI> 4. 18.</P>
<P>2. For <HI>actual Sanctification,</HI> which &s;tandeth in a confor|mity to Gods Will, when the heart is changed &s;o, as the <HI>life, thoughts, words, actions,</HI> all are &s;anctified: there is a &s;pirit of holine&s;s working within, and breathing without, in &s;ancti|fied
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di&s;cour&s;e and holy exerci&s;es, all the actions &s;avour of grace. Now our actions are &s;anctified and &s;avour of grace, when they are performed upon <HI>new Principles</HI> and <HI>new Ends.</HI></P>
<P>1. New Principles, <HI>Duty</HI> &s;wayeth the <HI>con&s;cience,</HI> and <HI>love</HI> inclineth the <HI>heart: 1 Tim. 1. 5. The end of the Commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and good con&s;cience, and faith un|feigned:</HI> No act is gracious, and an act of pure obedience, unle&s;s it have the&s;e qualifications. It is not the <HI>matter</HI> that maketh the work good, but the <HI>principles:</HI> all that we do mu&s;t come from a principle of <HI>faith, love,</HI> and <HI>obedience;</HI> obedience re&s;pects the <HI>Command, love</HI> the <HI>kindne&s;s</HI> and <HI>merit</HI> of the Lawgiver, and <HI>faith</HI> his bounty and reward: the fir&s;t &s;wayeth the Con&s;cience&punc; the &s;econd inclineth the heart, and the third giveth encouragement: This is to do duties with a Go&s;pel frame of &s;pirit: obedience takes notice of the <HI>Laws</HI> of God, love of the <HI>kindne&s;s</HI> of God, and faith of the <HI>rewards</HI> of God; and &s;o obedience &s;heweth us the <HI>matter</HI> of the du|ty, and faith the <HI>encouragement:</HI> &s;o that what ever is done as an act of the new nature or &s;anctified e&s;tate, it is an act of <HI>obedience</HI> out of <HI>gratitude</HI> upon the encouragement of our <HI>glorious hopes</HI> and <HI>advantages</HI> in Chri&s;t: As if it be asked, Why do I do it? <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">1 The&s;. 4. 3. and 5. 18. His Will is motive e|nough, God will have it &s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">.</NOTE> God hath commanded it&punc; Why with &s;uch &s;trength of affection and earne&s;tne&s;s? <NOTE N="&dagger;" PLACE="marg">2 Cor. 5. 14, 15. Titus 2. 11, 12, 13, 14.</NOTE> God hath de|&s;erved it, becau&s;e of his love and bounty in Chri&s;t: <HI>Con&s;ci|ence</HI> is &s;en&s;ible of the obligation, and <HI>love</HI> and <HI>hope</HI> &s;weetens the duty. There is a <HI>natural con&s;cience</HI> of good and evil, which is known by <HI>legal ayms</HI> and <HI>carnal motives:</HI> what is done out of <HI>natural con&s;cience,</HI> is not done out of <HI>obedience</HI> and <HI>thankefulne&s;s&punc;</HI> but <HI>out of bondage,</HI> and with a <HI>&s;ervile frame</HI> of &s;pirit; like fruits that are ripened by art and force, not naturally nor kindly.</P>
<P>2. <HI>New Ends:</HI> here indeed the di&s;covery is mo&s;t &s;en&s;i|ble; <HI>Principles</HI> are more hidden, and di&s;covered mo&s;tly by <HI>ends;</HI> Now the only end mu&s;t be <HI>Gods glory:</HI> All that is done in the &s;piritual life, be it an act of piety, ju&s;tice, tem|perance or charity, it mu&s;t be done with this aym, that God may be glorified by our obedience to his Will&punc; I owe this duty to God, and I mu&s;t do it for Gods &s;ake; be it a duty
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of wor&s;hip, or in your civil relation and traffique, as if I pray, the la&s;t end of prayer mu&s;t be Gods glory, whither I &s;eek grace and pardon, or the conveniences and &s;upports of the pre&s;ent life: Grace &s;till &s;ublimateth the intention of the creature, therefore carnal men are taxed for praying out of &s;elf-intere&s;ts; <HI>Ho&s;ea 7. 14. They have not cryed unto me when they howled upon their beds; they a&s;&s;emble them&s;elves for corn, and wine, and oyl:</HI> It is but a <HI>bruti&s;h cry,</HI> when men &s;eek only their own commodity and welfare; as bea&s;ts will <HI>howl</HI> when they are &s;en&s;ible of any &s;mart and injury; dogs or any brute bea&s;ts may do the &s;ame, there is no act of grace in it. So in charity, many men make it a kind of bargain and traffique, they do it to <HI>be &s;een of men, Mat.</HI> 6. 2. to gratifie their world|ly intere&s;ts, not to plea&s;e God or honour God, for their cre|dit and repute, to be well thought of; and there Chri&s;t &s;aith, <GAP DESC="foreign">, that is, they have that which they look for; for other things they give God a <HI>di&s;charge</HI> and <HI>acquit|ance.</HI> Briefly, the aims of men not regenerate or &s;anctified, are either <HI>carnal,</HI> or <HI>natural,</HI> or <HI>legal. 1. Carnal,</HI> when men make a market of Religion, their wor&s;hip, righteou&s;ne&s;s and charity is <HI>&s;et to &s;ale,</HI> and by a vile &s;ubmi&s;&s;ion made to &s;toop to their own private intere&s;ts; as the Phari&s;ees <HI>made long prayers to devour widows hou&s;es,</HI> that is, to beget a fame and repute of hone&s;ty, that they might be entru&s;ted with the management of their e&s;tates: So &s;ome may pray to <HI>&s;hew parts,</HI> preach out of <HI>envy,</HI> and to rival others in e&s;teem, <HI>Phil.</HI> 1. 15. Often is this vile &s;corn put upon God, that his wor&s;hip is made a cover and pretence to unclean intents; which is&punc; as if a cup of gold made for a King to drink of, &s;hould be filled with excrements; or as if we did &s;et up another god be&s;ide him; for that which we make our <HI>utmo&s;t end,</HI> we make it our God: as fal&s;e Teachers are &s;aid to <HI>make their belly their God, Phil.</HI> 3. 19. becau&s;e all that they did was for belly chear, to flow in abundance of wealth and worldly plea&s;ures, by this means &s;etting up the belly and the con|cernments of the belly in Gods &s;tead. 2. There are <HI>natural ends:</HI> It is grace (as I &s;aid) that &s;ublimateth the intention of the creature: A carnal man can go no higher then Self;
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as water cannot a&s;cend beyond its &s;pring: Now all natural men are not hypocrites, to put on a pretence of &s;trictne&s;s out of de&s;ign: the Apo&s;tle &s;aith, <HI>They do by nature the things contained in the Law, Rom.</HI> 2. 14. that is, upon the impul&s;es of natural con&s;cience, they avoyd &s;uch &s;ins as Nature di&s;cover|eth, upon &s;uch arguments and rea&s;ons as Nature &s;ugge&s;teth: If they wor&s;hip, it is to &s;atisfie their own con&s;ciences; if they be &s;trict and temperate, it is not out of rea&s;ons of obedience, but becau&s;e the matter of carnal plea&s;ure is gro&s;s and burden|&s;om, and hindereth the free contemplation of the mind; or becau&s;e the&s;e plea&s;ures ema&s;culate and quench their natu|ral bravery, and &s;o hinder their reputation in the world: if they be ju&s;t, it is to maintain commerce between man and man; if they be kind in their relations, it is for their own peace and quiet; nothing is done <HI>as in and to the Lord,</HI> as the Apo&s;tle enjoyneth, <HI>Ephe&s;.</HI> 5. God is neither at the beginning nor at the end of any of the&s;e actions; the <HI>love of God</HI> is not their <HI>&s;pring</HI> and <HI>ri&s;e,</HI> nor the <HI>glory of God</HI> their <HI>aim:</HI> If they pray, there is no intention beyond Self, and the welfare of their own natures; the matter is but the <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>Rom.</HI> 2. 15</NOTE> <HI>outward work</HI> of the Law, and their aim is but the freedom and welfare of na|ture. 3. There are <HI>legal ends:</HI> When wicked men are mo&s;t devout, it is but to quiet con&s;cience, to &s;atisfie God for their &s;ins by their duties; they would fain buy out their peace with Heaven at any rate: <HI>Micah 6. 6, 7, 8. Wherewith &s;hall I come before him? what &s;hall I give for the &s;ins of my Soul?</HI> They are devout, charitable, that by diligence in wor&s;hip, and ex|ceeding in charity, they may expiate the offences of a carnal life: If peace of con&s;cience were to be purcha&s;ed with mo|ney, they would not &s;pare; they would rather part with any thing then their corruptions, becau&s;e nothing is &s;o dear to a carnal heart as &s;in. So that you &s;ee devout nature is very corrupt and perver&s;e, and therefore all its actions are ju&s;tly hated of God: <HI>Prov. 21. 27. The &s;acrifice of the wicked is an abomination, how much more when he offereth it with an evil mind?</HI> that is, to buy an indulgence in other &s;ins, that he may &s;in them freely and with leave from Heaven: In &s;hort, all their duties of wor&s;hip and charity are performed as a
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<HI>&s;in-offering,</HI> and not as a <HI>thank-offering;</HI> to <HI>&s;atisfie</HI> God, not to <HI>glorifie</HI> him; u&s;ually they are extorted from him in a pang of con&s;cience; as a Mariner ca&s;ts out his goods in a &s;torm, or a traveller yieldeth his money when be&s;et with theeves; there is no true delight in God or in obedience. And thus I have &s;hewed you what it is to be &s;anctified in heart and life, which was the fir&s;t thing propounded.</P>
<P>Secondly, Let me now &s;hew why Gods called people mu&s;t be &s;anctified, and that brie&s;ly and in few words.</P>
<P>1. For the honour of God, of every Per&s;on in the Trinity, <HI>Father, Son,</HI> and <HI>Spirit.</HI> For the honour of the Father, that his choyce may not be di&s;paraged: <HI>Ephe&s;. 1. 4. He hath elect|ed us to be holy.</HI> <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg"><HI>2 The&s;. 2. 14.</HI> Cho&s;en to the &s;anctification of the Spirit.</NOTE> There is &s;ome con&s;cience in the world, that maketh them adore &s;trictne&s;s: meer <HI>morality</HI> hath &s;ome ma|je&s;ty with it in the eye of Nature, but e&s;pecially <HI>Gospel holi|ne&s;s;</HI> whereas loo&s;ene&s;s is looked upon with &s;corn and con|tempt; &s;o that his <HI>cho&s;en people</HI> would be a di&s;honour to him if they were not <HI>&s;anctified:</HI> therefore God the Father aim|eth at it in all his di&s;pen&s;ations; he choo&s;eth us, that we may be of a <HI>choyce &s;pirit:</HI> as when <HI>E&s;ther</HI> was cho&s;en out among the Virgins, &s;he was purified and decked with ornaments, and had garments given her out of the Kings Wardrobe; &s;o we are made holy being cho&s;en of God. And then he calleth us, that he may put this honour upon us in the eye of the world, to make us like him&s;elf; <HI>Be ye holy, as he that hath called us is h<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ly, 1 Pet.</HI> 1. 15. It were mon&s;trous that God &s;hould &s;et his affections upon a people altogether <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">E<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> demum vera e&s;t religio imita<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">i qu<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">m colis. <HI>Lactant.</HI></NOTE> unlike him; that he &s;hould call them to be &s;o near him&s;elf, that continue corrupt and carnal: It is the aim of his Providences as well as his &s;pecial grace; we are afflicted, that we <HI>may be partakers of his holine&s;s, Heb.</HI> 12. 10. thre&s;hed, that our husk may fly off: God certainly delighteth not in the afflic|tions of his people; no, <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 35. 27.</NOTE> he <HI>loveth the prosperity of the Saints,</HI> but he had rather &s;ee them in any condition then &s;ee them &s;inful. Again, It is for the honour of God the Son, who&s;e members we are; Head and members mu&s;t be all of a piece, like one another: It were mon&s;trous that Chri&s;t &s;hould have &s;uch a body as <HI>Nebuchadnezzar</HI> &s;aw in his
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dream, where the head was of <HI>pure Gold</HI> and the <HI>thighs Bra&s;s,</HI> and the <HI>feet Iron, &amp;c.</HI> and it were an odd &s;ight, that a <HI>face of Europe</HI> &s;hould be put upon the body of a <HI>Negro</HI> or <HI>Ethiopi|an;</HI> and as &s;trange and odd it is, that Chri&s;t &s;hould have a di&s;proportioned body quite unlike him&s;elf; yea it is little for his honour that he &s;hould be the head of an <HI>ulcerous body,</HI> as well as a <HI>mon&s;trous body:</HI> &s;o much of &s;in as you continue, &s;o much you di&s;parage your Redeemer, and <HI>put him to &s;hame:</HI> therefore all Chri&s;ts aim is to make us holy; for that end he <HI>redeemed us, that he might &s;anctifie us, and make us a glorious Church without &s;pot and wrinkle, Ephe&s;.</HI> 5. 26, 27. When Chri&s;t was upon the Cro&s;s, in the <HI>height of his love,</HI> he was devi&s;ing what he &s;hould do for his Church to make her ho|norable and glorious, and he pitched upon <HI>Sanctification</HI> as the fitte&s;t ble&s;&s;ing that he could be&s;tow upon us: Every di|&s;tinct Society mu&s;t have &s;ome di&s;tinct honour and priviledg; Now Chri&s;t had &s;et apart the Church as a di&s;tinct Society to him&s;elf, and therefore he would not be&s;tow upon her pomp and worldly greatne&s;s, other Societies had enough of that, but <HI>holine&s;s, grace,</HI> which is our <HI>&s;plendor</HI> and <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg"><HI>P&s;al. 93. 5.</HI> Holine&s;s be|cometh thy hou&s;e, O Lord&punc; for ever.</NOTE> <HI>ornament:</HI> And indeed this was a far better gift then any outward greatne&s;s and excellency could be; for <HI>moral</HI> excellencies are far better then <HI>civil</HI> and <HI>natural:</HI> It is Gods own honour to be holy, therefore it is &s;aid, that he is <HI>glorious in Holine&s;s, Exod.</HI> 15. 11. He is el&s;ewhere &s;aid to be <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">R<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">m. 10. 12. Ephe&s;. 2 4.</NOTE> <HI>rich in mercy,</HI> but here <HI>glorious in holine&s;s;</HI> his <HI>trea&s;ure</HI> in his <HI>goodne&s;s,</HI> but that which he ac|counts his <HI>honour</HI> is his <HI>holine&s;s</HI> or <HI>immaculate purity;</HI> as you know among men their <HI>wealth</HI> is di&s;tingui&s;hed from their <HI>honour.</HI> But in this gift Chri&s;t had not only re&s;pect to the excellency of it, but to our need and want; Chri&s;t was then repairing and making up the ruines of the Fall; now we lo&s;t in <HI>Adam</HI> the <HI>purity of our natures,</HI> as well as the <HI>favour of God;</HI> therefore that the plai&s;ter might be as broad as the &s;ore, he would not only <HI>reconcile</HI> us to God, but <HI>&s;anctifie</HI> us; his Blood was not only <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>a Price,</HI> but <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>a Lavor,</HI> wherein to wa&s;h us and make us clean: as under the Law there was in the Tabernacle a <HI>great Lavor</HI> as well as an <HI>Al|tar,</HI> to &s;hew we mu&s;t be <HI>wa&s;hed</HI> and <HI>&s;anctified</HI> as well as <HI>re|conciled</HI>
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to God: and Chri&s;t came not only to aboli&s;h the <HI>guilt of &s;in,</HI> which is again&s;t <HI>our intere&s;t,</HI> our peace and comfort; but al&s;o to de&s;troy the <HI>power of &s;in,</HI> which is again&s;t <HI>Gods glory.</HI> And as this was Chri&s;ts aim in Redemption, &s;o al&s;o in the Go&s;pel, and all the precious Promi&s;es of it; he dyed that Ordinances might be under a ble&s;&s;ing, and conduce to the promotion of holine&s;s; for &s;o it is there in <HI>Ephe&s;. 5. 26. That he might &s;anctifie us by the wa&s;hing of water through the Word:</HI> There is a trea&s;ure of grace purcha&s;ed, and left in the Church to be conveyed to us by the u&s;e of the&s;e Ordi|nances. So <HI>John 17. 19. I &s;anctifie my &s;elf for their &s;akes, that they may be &s;anctified through the truth.</HI> When ever we come to the Word, or enjoy the u&s;e of the Seals, we may expect to reap the fruits of Chri&s;ts Purcha&s;e. <HI>Cel&s;us</HI> ob|jected again&s;t Chri&s;tianity, that it was <HI>a &s;anctuary for Vil|lains and men of a licencious life: Origen</HI> an&s;wered him, that it was not a <HI>Sanctuary</HI> to nouri&s;h them in their evil prac|ti&s;es, but an <HI>Hospital</HI> to cure them. As under the Law all the <HI>Cities of Refuge</HI> were <HI>Cities of Levites,</HI> and <HI>Schools of In|&s;truction:</HI> &s;o Chri&s;t hath made the Church a <HI>School,</HI> wherein to learn the trade of holine&s;s; and the Word, and the Seals, and all the Ordinances look that way. La&s;tly, It is for the honour of <HI>God the Spirit,</HI> that the <HI>called people</HI> &s;hould be <HI>holy,</HI> becau&s;e they are <HI>his charge,</HI> in pupillage to the Holy Gho&s;t, for this end and rea&s;on, that they may be &s;anctified; <HI>Sanctifica<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ion</HI> is made his per&s;onal operation; <HI>The &s;anctifi|cation of the Spirit, 2 The&s;.</HI> 2. 14. and 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 1. 2. He is to &s;hape and fa&s;hion all the ve&s;&s;els of glory, to deck the Spou&s;e of Chri&s;t with the Jewels of the Covenant. This is the great advantage that we have in the Oeconomy and di&s;pen&s;ation of grace, that we have God to <HI>purpo&s;e</HI> it, God to <HI>purcha&s;e</HI> it, and God to <HI>work</HI> it; the Father, Word and Spirit, who agree in one to &s;anctifie the creature, and make it holy. Now it is a great grief to the Spirit when the work doth not go on and pro&s;per in the Soul; for <HI>he worketh us to this very thing,</HI> and is therefore called the <HI>Spirit of holine&s;s:</HI> it is not for his honour to dwell in <HI>defiled temples,</HI> and to let the <HI>called people</HI> go naked, and without their ornament. Well
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then, you &s;ee God for his honours &s;ake will have his <HI>purpo&s;es</HI> accompli&s;hed for which he cho&s;e us, and Chri&s;t his <HI>purcha&s;e</HI> made good, and the <HI>Spirit</HI> who is left in charge to &s;ee all ac|compli&s;hed, he goeth on with the wor<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">.</P>
<P>2. Another Rea&s;on why we mu&s;t be &s;anctified, is, becau&s;e of the hopes to which we are called, and the happine&s;s which we expect: now we cannot have it unle&s;s we be holy: <HI>Heb. 12. 14. Without holine&s;s no man &s;hall &s;ee God:</HI> We are bidden in that ver&s;e to <HI>follow peace,</HI> but chiefly <HI>holine&s;s;</HI> <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="foreign"> <HI>the ma&s;culine article &s;hew|eth that it is to be referred to</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">.</NOTE> for it is not &s;aid, that <HI>without Peace no man &s;hall &s;ee God:</HI> Peace may be often broken in the quarrel of truth and holine&s;s, and &s;o Gods children may be pa&s;&s;ively <HI>men of contention;</HI> aye but for all that they &s;hall <HI>&s;ee God:</HI> but tho&s;e that are not holy he cannot endure their pre&s;ence, and therefore they &s;hall never &s;ee his face, and enjoy him hereafter. U&s;ually by a fond abu&s;e we re&s;train the word <HI>Saints</HI> to the Saints depart|ed; I, but we mu&s;t be <HI>Saints here,</HI> or el&s;e we &s;hall never be <HI>Saints</HI> hereafter: I mean true Saints; for by another abu&s;e the word <HI>Saints</HI> is made <HI>matter of pretence</HI> in &s;ome, and <HI>mat|ter of &s;corn</HI> by others; but to be <HI>Saints indeed,</HI> that is all the evidence you have to &s;hew for your intere&s;t in your glorious hopes: What &s;hould others do with Heaven that are not Saints? how can they <HI>&s;ee God,</HI> that have not a <HI>pure eye?</HI> A dusky gla&s;s cannot repre&s;ent the image: <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="foreign">.</NOTE> the degree of <HI>Vi&s;ion</HI> is according to the degree of <HI>Sanctification.</HI> And what &s;hould a carnal heart, that knoweth no other Heaven but to eat, drink and &s;leep, and wallow in &s;en&s;ual delights, do with <HI>the inheritance of the Saints in light?</HI> The Apo&s;tle &s;aith, we mu&s;t be <HI>made meet</HI> for &s;uch a &s;tate, <HI>Col.</HI> 1. 12. The ve&s;&s;els of <HI>glory</HI> are fir&s;t &s;ea&s;oned with <HI>grace:</HI> Alas, otherwi&s;e carnal men can no more tell what to do with Heaven, then Swine with Pearls. We do not look for a <HI>Turki&s;h Paradi&s;e,</HI> but a <HI>&s;inle&s;s &s;tate;</HI> not to bathe our Souls in carnal plea&s;ures, but to be Con&s;orts of the immaculate Lamb; <HI>our hopes</HI> engage us to holine&s;s: 1 <HI>John 3. 3. He that hath this hope purifieth him&s;elf as Chri&s;t is pure:</HI> If his heart be fa&s;tened upon &s;uch an hope, as to <HI>&s;ee Chri&s;t as he is,</HI> and <HI>t<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> be like him</HI> both for temper of Soul and &s;tate of body, certainly he mu&s;t needs be an holy
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man; he will be practi&s;ing and trying here upon Earth how he can conform to Chri&s;t, and begin his happine&s;s as well as he can. Certainly he that expecteth that his body &s;hall be <HI>like to Chri&s;ts glorious Body,</HI> he will <HI>po&s;&s;e&s;s his ve&s;&s;el in &s;ancti|fication and in honour:</HI> he cannot u&s;e <HI>his body</HI> that is under &s;o great hopes meerly as a <HI>&s;trainer</HI> for meats and drinks, and a <HI>channel</HI> for lu&s;t to pa&s;s through; his <HI>mind</HI> that &s;hall <HI>&s;ee God,</HI> he cannot fill it with chaff, or &s;uffer it to be occupied with <HI>vanity, toying thoughts,</HI> and <HI>vile cares,</HI> and <HI>unworthy projects:</HI> and his <HI>affections</HI> that &s;hould cleave to God in&s;eparably, to be pro&s;tituted to every <HI>ba&s;e <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">bject.</HI> Thus with re&s;pect to our hopes we mu&s;t be &s;anctified; the <HI>foundation</HI> and <HI>&s;eed</HI> of <HI>glory</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">&V;&s;e <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">.</NOTE> is layd in <HI>grace,</HI> and that life <HI>began</HI> which we mu&s;t live for ever&punc;</P>
<P>It &s;erveth for Conviction: If Gods people are a &s;anctifi|ed people, then here is but &s;ad news for two &s;orts of per&s;ons. 1. The prophane, that care not for holine&s;s, God hath no <HI>birthright</HI> for &s;uch <HI>E&s;aus;</HI> the portion of the Lord are an holy portion, but <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Deut. 32. 5.</NOTE> the&s;e have <HI>a &s;pot that is not as the &s;pot of his children:</HI> See what <HI>John</HI> &s;peaketh of &s;uch per&s;ons as wallow in their filthine&s;s, 1 <HI>John 3. 8. He that committeth &s;in is of the Devil, for the Devil &s;inneth from the beginning;</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">, he that tradeth in &s;in, and maketh it his work and bu&s;ine&s;s: You may pre&s;ume that you belong to God, but you are of the Devil; you have not indeed the lea&s;t pre|tence of a claim, and do not go <HI>&s;o far as hypocrites,</HI> being &s;o little careful to be <HI>holy,</HI> that you are not <HI>moral:</HI> Are you called? from what? where is the lea&s;t evidence of it? I, but <NOTE N="&dagger;" PLACE="marg"><HI>Ca&s;pa<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> &s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">re&s;.</HI> in <HI>Mi&s;cellane|is.</HI> Multi glori|antur cor &s;uum bonum e&s;&s;e, eti|am&s;i extus Vi|ta non re&s;pon|deat; decipiun|tur isti homi|nes, nam &s;i can|dela intus ac|c<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">n&s;a e&s;t, lucer|na extus nece&s;|&s;ario lucet &amp; &s;plendet; <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">o&s;ito quod cor <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">uum bo<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">m e&s;t, ta|men damnaberis quia Chri&s;tus <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">on judicat &s;e|cundum cor &s;ed &s;ecundum ope|ra. <HI>If the I&s;|raelites had &s;lain &amp; eaten the Pa&s;&s;over, yet if the door po&s;ts were not &s;prinkled with blood, the An|gel would not &s;pare them.</HI></NOTE> <HI>our hearts are better then we &s;hew for:</HI> This is to appeal to a witne&s;s that cannot be found; it is all one as if a man &s;hould lay claim to anothers Land, and pretend that he hath lo&s;t the Evidences: your guilt is written in legible charac|ters, that he that runneth may read it. 2. It convinceth per&s;ons that &s;coff at holine&s;s: &s;coffing is the overflow of gall and malice, and a black mark let it be found where it will be; in the general it argueth a bad &s;pirit, but e&s;pecially when Religion is made a by-word and a reproach. When you deride men for their holine&s;s, you deride them for that
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which is the expre&s;s Image of the glorious God, and &s;o de|ride God him&s;elf: <HI>Holy Brethren,</HI> as the Saints are &s;tiled, <HI>Heb.</HI> 3. 1. &s;hould no more be a di&s;grace then <HI>holy Father,</HI> as God him&s;elf is &s;tiled, <HI>John</HI> 17. 11. You hate God more then you do the Saints, if you hate them for their holine&s;s, which &s;hineth in them with a faint lu&s;tre, but is infinitly and origi|nally in God. Take heed of the <HI>chair of &s;corners,</HI> tho&s;e are <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Rev. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">2. 15.</NOTE> <HI>dogs that are without,</HI> that bark at the &s;plendor of Gods Image, that make <HI>Saints</HI> a word of di&s;grace: <HI>Scoffing I&s;maels</HI> that will be mocking, are &s;ure to be <HI>ca&s;t out, Gen.</HI> 21. 9. they do not belong to God: The Apo&s;tle interprets that <HI>mock|ing</HI> to be <HI>per&s;ecution, Gal.</HI> 4. 27. &s;o it is in Gods account; and yet it is always found in tho&s;e that are <HI>born after the fle&s;h:</HI> Prophane &s;pirits think Religion a matter of nothing; and men are wont to mock at tho&s;e&punc; which make a great matter of what they account nothing. Oh remember, ho|line&s;s is the badg of tho&s;e which are the Lords called peo|ple, and it &s;hould be a matter of <HI>reverence,</HI> not <HI>re|proach.</HI></P>
<P>Again, It &s;erveth for Caution, to prevent mi&s;takes: Chri|&s;tians,<NOTE PLACE="marg">&V;&s;e 2.</NOTE> look to your Sanctification; <HI>P&s;al. 4. 3. Know that God hath &s;et apart him that is godly for him&s;elf:</HI> The Bea&s;ts wor|&s;hippers have the <HI>Bea&s;ts mark, Rev.</HI> 13. 16. So al&s;o Gods children are &s;tamped with his <HI>&s;eal &amp; impre&s;s; 2 Tim. 2. 19. The foundation of the Lord &s;tandeth &s;ure, having this &s;eal, &amp;c.</HI> they are &s;ealed with a mark of pre&s;ervation, <HI>The Lord knows tho&s;e that are his;</HI> and they are &s;ealed with a mark of di&s;tinction, <HI>Let every one that nameth the Name of God depart from iniqui|ty.</HI> As <HI>Cain</HI> is &s;tamped on both &s;ides, &s;o hath Gods Seal a double Motto; one that noteth <HI>his owning the Saints,</HI> the other that noteth <HI>their tem<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">er</HI> and <HI>dispo&s;ition, they depart from iniquity:</HI> Take heed then, have you this &s;eal and im|pre&s;s? There are many things that look like <HI>Sanctification,</HI> but are not; I &s;hall touch upon four, <HI>Civility, Formality, re&s;training grace,</HI> and <HI>temporary grace.</HI></P>
<P>1. <HI>Civility,</HI> which is nothing el&s;e but a fair demeanor in the world, or in the Apo&s;tles expre&s;&s;ion, a <HI>fair &s;hew in the fle&s;h,</HI> a darker repre&s;entation of holine&s;s, rather <HI>Heatheni&s;h</HI>
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<HI>&s;trictne&s;s</HI> then <HI>Chri&s;tian:</HI> you may de&s;cry it by the&s;e Notes. 1. <HI>It is u&s;ually accompanyed with ignorance, and little knowledg of Gods In&s;titutions:</HI> Men live well, are no drunkards, no &s;wearers, but know little of God, have no in&s;ight in matters of Religion; like <HI>Nicodemus,</HI> a <HI>&s;trict Phari&s;ee,</HI> but <HI>gro&s;ly ignorant, Iohn</HI> 3. 10. Spiritual life beginneth with knowledg, and endeth in a <HI>rational &s;trictne&s;s,</HI> and what they do, they do <HI>upon principles;</HI> Con&s;cience is &s;wayed by the acknowledg|ment of Gods Will: others live plau&s;ibly, but know not the <HI>ground</HI> and <HI>rea&s;on</HI> of their actions, and therefore are &s;oon &s;a|tisfied, never troubled about imperfections, becau&s;e where there is <HI>no light,</HI> there is not that <HI>tenderne&s;s,</HI> which is found in real Chri&s;tians, who look into the purity of the Law, and are troubled becau&s;e they know &s;o much of the Will of God, and do &s;o far come &s;hort of it; as in a clear gla&s;s the lea&s;t mote is &s;oon e&s;pyed. 2. There is little of Chri&s;t in &s;uch Souls; for a man that is &s;atisfied with his own righteou&s;ne&s;s doth not prize Chri&s;t: <HI>Paul</HI> a Phari&s;ee counted his works <HI>gain,</HI> which afterward he found to be <HI>lo&s;s, Phil.</HI> 3. 7. by <HI>gain</HI> he meaneth an advantage to procure the favour of God: <HI>Self</HI> is wont to take up all their thoughts, and therefore <HI>moral &s;trains</HI> &s;uit more with them, then <HI>Gospel comforts,</HI> and doctrines that breed faith: <HI>The Law is more natural to men then the Gospel;</HI> and therefore with tho&s;e that are of a mo|ral di&s;po&s;ition, and no more, it findeth better entertainment and welcome then the Go&s;pel doth: there is no <HI>hungering</HI> and <HI>thir&s;ting</HI> after Chri&s;t; they do not &s;ee the need of the <HI>&s;weetne&s;s of his grac<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">,</HI> of the <HI>help of his Spirit,</HI> going on in a plau&s;ible moral cour&s;e, without rub or difficulty: whereas in the &s;piritual life <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Gal. 2 20.</NOTE> Chri&s;t doth all, and every day they &s;ee more cau&s;e to ble&s;s God for him. 3. <HI>&V;&s;ually there is &s;ome great prevailing &s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">n:</HI> Civility is but a <HI>freer &s;lavery;</HI> one way or another Satan holdeth them captive, and their hone&s;ty and fair &s;hew to the world is but to &s;erve their carnal inte|re&s;ts, to hide a lu&s;t or feed a lu&s;t, and mo&s;t commonly this &s;in is <HI>worldline&s;s:</HI> Chri&s;ts young man that had <HI>kept all tho&s;e things from his youth,</HI> had <HI>great po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ions,</HI> and they were a <HI>great &s;nare</HI> to his heart, <HI>Mat.</HI> 19. 22. The &s;in of the Phari&s;ees
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was <HI>vain-glory</HI> and <HI>ambition:</HI> &s;ome mor&s;el there is re&s;erved under the tongue, &s;ome &s;in kept with the greater allowance from con&s;cience, and the le&s;s &s;hame from abroad, becau&s;e otherwi&s;e the life is fair and hone&s;t. 4. <HI>There is a greater care about actions then lu&s;ts:</HI> Wrath, and pride, and wanton thoughts are dige&s;ted, becau&s;e there is no violence and un|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">leanne&s;s in the conver&s;ation: Civility is all for the carriage, nothing for tempering the affections to &s;uch an order and moderation as becometh grace: <HI>Paul</HI> complaineth of his lu&s;ts, and the Law of &s;in within, <HI>Rom.</HI> 7. yea of &s;uch &s;inful workings as do not fall under the cogni&s;ance and di&s;covery of the light of Nature, <HI>Rom.</HI> 7. 7. The fir&s;t ri&s;ings and &s;tirrings of &s;in forbidden in the tenth Commandment, the lea&s;t re|bellion of Nature. Thus for Civility.</P>
<P>2. <HI>Formality,</HI> or <HI>pretended grace:</HI> you may be deceived in that; and therefore the Apo&s;tle &s;peaketh of a <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="foreign">.</NOTE> <HI>true holi|ne&s;s, Ephe&s;.</HI> 4. 24. in oppo&s;ition to that which is feigned and counterfeit: Now fal&s;e grace is always acted <HI>by forreign and external con&s;iderations;</HI> as pupils have not a principle of life within them, but are moved by an external force: The hypocrites principles of motion are without him, as carnal re&s;pects, &s;elf-ends, &amp;c. True grace hath an inward propen&s;ity to comply with the Will of God; <HI>there is a Law upon their bowels:</HI> by-ends work by con&s;traint, and carry the Soul con|trary to its native inclination; a man would not do &s;uch a thing, were it not for &s;uch ends: therefore the Apo&s;tle &s;aith, 1 <HI>Pet. 5. 2. Feed the flock that is among you, not by con|&s;traint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind.</HI> When a man acteth genuinely in a work, his <HI>own heart</HI> car|ryeth him to it more then all <HI>outward encouragements.</HI> Again, <HI>Fal&s;e grace is &s;hy of Gods pre&s;ence and &s;ight:</HI> pretences are to deceive men; therefore &s;uch per&s;ons &s;trive to get God out of their thoughts, they know his eye will find them out: But now truth of grace is ready to draw every thing into Gods &s;ight; though they tremble to think what defects God can find in them, yet they appeal to him for the <HI>&s;incerity of their hearts: Iohn 20. 17. Lord thou knowe&s;t all things, and thou knowe&s;t that I love thee;</HI> He would not excu&s;e mi&s;car|riages,
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yet for the general temper and bent of his heart he re<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">erreth him&s;elf to Gods Omni&s;ciency. So <HI>Iob 31. 6. Let me be weighed in an even ballance, that God may know mine in|tegrity;</HI> and yet el&s;ewhere he &s;aith, <HI>Iob 42. 5, 6. Mine eye &s;eeth thee, and therefore I abhor my &s;elf in du&s;t and a&s;hes:</HI> In the one place he appealeth to God, for he was confident that <HI>his integrity</HI> would hold weight; and yet in the other he could even loath him&s;elf when he thought of God, be|cau&s;e of &s;o many <HI>defects</HI> and <HI>failings.</HI> So <HI>David, P&s;al. 139. 23. Search me O Lord, and know my heart, &amp;c.</HI> No doubt but <HI>David</HI> was &s;en&s;ible that God could find enough in him; but Lord &s;earch, &s;ee if any thing be allowed with full leave of con&s;cience. Again, <HI>Fal&s;e grace doth not grow, unle&s;s it be wor&s;e and wor&s;e;</HI> Pretences wither rather then thrive: God complaineth, <HI>Ier.</HI> 7. 24. that <HI>they went backward rather then forward:</HI> Fal&s;e grace is always declining till it be wholly lo&s;t; like bad &s;alt, that lo&s;eth of its acrimony and &s;martne&s;s every day till it be <HI>ca&s;t to the dunghil:</HI> But now true grace, from a <HI>grain</HI> it groweth into a <HI>tree, Matth.</HI> 13. from a <HI>morning glimp&s;e</HI> to a <HI>perfect noon, Prov.</HI> 4. 18. from <HI>&s;moaking flax</HI> it is blown up into a <HI>flame:</HI> The lea&s;t <HI>meal</HI> in the Barrel, and <HI>oyl</HI> in the Cru&s;e, when it is fed with a &s;upply from Heaven, &s;hall pro&s;per into abundance: <HI>Nicodemus</HI> that at fir&s;t came to Chri&s;t <HI>by night,</HI> after <HI>boldly</HI> declareth him&s;elf for him, <HI>Iohn</HI> 19. 30. Grace gets ground upon the fle&s;h, and holine&s;s by degrees advanceth into a triumph; Examine then whether you <HI>increa&s;e</HI> or <HI>decrea&s;e:</HI> if you go backward, from <HI>zeal</HI> to <HI>coldne&s;s,</HI> from <HI>&s;trictne&s;s</HI> to <HI>loo&s;ene&s;s;</HI> if you lo&s;e you care of duty, and choycene&s;s of &s;pirit, and there be no complain|ing, it is a &s;ign grace was never wrought in truth. Once more, <HI>Fal&s;e grace is not accompanyed with humility:</HI> When men the more they profe&s;s, the prouder they grow and more &s;elf-conceited, there is cau&s;e of &s;u&s;picion: With true grace there always goeth along a &s;piritual poverty, or a &s;en&s;e of our &s;piritual wants; the more <HI>knowledg,</HI> the more they di&s;|cern their <HI>ignorance,</HI> compare 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 8. 2. with <HI>Prov.</HI> 30. 2, 3. the more <HI>faith,</HI> the more they bewail <HI>unbelief,</HI> and &s;ee a need of increa&s;e and further growth: <HI>Mark 9. 24. Lord I beleeve,</HI>
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<HI>help mine unbelief.</HI> Oh I want faith, what &s;hall I do! &s;till I am haunted with prejudicial and le&s;&s;ening thoughts of Gods al&s;ufficiency and goodne&s;s. It is excellent when the Soul is thus kept <HI>hungry</HI> and <HI>humble</HI> under our enjoyments, and we <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Phil. 3. 13.</NOTE> <HI>forget the things that are behind,</HI> becau&s;e <HI>the things that are before us,</HI> or not yet attained, are much more.</P>
<P>3. The next thing is <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">See Mr <HI>Ly|fords</HI> Ca<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">e|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">eehi&s;m, la&s;t edition&punc; page 308, 309.</NOTE> <HI>re&s;training grace,</HI> which is nothing el&s;e but an awe upon the Con&s;cience, inclining men to <HI>for|bear</HI> &s;in, though they do not hate it. Now you may di&s;cern it, partly becau&s;e <HI>love</HI> is of little u&s;e and force with &s;uch kind of &s;pirits; they are chained up by their <HI>own fears:</HI> The great Evangelick motive is mercy; <HI>Rom. 12. 1. I be&s;eech you by the mercies of God:</HI> The heart is mo&s;t ingenuous when it yeildeth to &s;uch intreaties: It is good to &s;erve God with re|verence, but a &s;ervile awe hath little of grace in it. It is true indeed, it is better to have a <HI>&s;lavi&s;h fear</HI> then none at all; therefore <HI>David</HI> &s;aith to them that would be held in with no other re&s;traints, <HI>P&s;al. 4. 4. Stand in awe, and &s;in not:</HI> to cool and charm their fury he maketh u&s;e of the argument of <HI>Gods vengeance;</HI> though this is al&s;o the fault of &s;lavi&s;h &s;pirits, that carnal re&s;pects and thoughts of <HI>outward inconve|nience</HI> do equally &s;way them, as a <HI>&s;ervile fear of Gods Iudg|ments.</HI> Again, you may know it, becau&s;e it doth not <HI>de&s;troy</HI> &s;in, but only <HI>prohibit</HI> the exerci&s;e of it: <HI>Abimelechs</HI> lu&s;t was not <HI>quenched,</HI> yet God <HI>withheld</HI> him from &s;inning again&s;t <HI>Sarah, Gen.</HI> 20. 6. The heart is not <HI>renewed,</HI> though the action be <HI>checked;</HI> as <HI>I&s;rael</HI> had an adulterous heart towards God, when <HI>her way was hedged up with thorns, Ho&s;ea</HI> 2. 6. Again, it is their trouble that they are held in the &s;tocks of Con|&s;cience; they would fain be enlarged, and find out their own paths.</P>
<P>4. The next thing that looketh like Sanctification, but is not, is <HI>common grace:</HI> This is a di&s;tinct thing from all the re&s;t, yet I call it <HI>common grace,</HI> becau&s;e it may be in them that fall away and depart from God: It differeth from <HI>Civility,</HI> be|cau&s;e it is more Chri&s;tian and Evangelical; from <HI>Formality,</HI> becau&s;e that is only in pretence and &s;hew, whereas this is a real work upon the Soul; from <HI>re&s;training grace,</HI> becau&s;e
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that is only conver&s;ant about &s;ins and duties out of a &s;ervile awe of God, but this &s;eemeth to carry out the Soul with &s;ome affection to Chri&s;t; it is a common work, good in its &s;elf, which God ordaineth in &s;ome to be a <HI>preparation</HI> and begin|ing of the work of grace: Of this the Apo&s;tle &s;peaketh, <HI>Heb.</HI> 6. 4, 5. where he calleth it <HI>an enlightening, a ta&s;te of Chri&s;t and of the powers of the world to come,</HI> and a <HI>partaking of the Holy Gho&s;t;</HI> meaning of the gifts of the Spirit, abilities for holy duties, &amp;c. of all which el&s;ewhere; only now let me note three things. 1. That <HI>the light</HI> there &s;poken of is not <HI>humbling. 2. The ta&s;te</HI> is not <HI>ravi&s;hing,</HI> and drawing out the Soul after more of Chri&s;t. 3. Their <HI>gifts</HI> are not <HI>renewing</HI> and &s;anctifying.</P>
<P>1. That <HI>light is not humbling;</HI> He &s;aith, they are <HI>enlight|ened,</HI> but he doth not &s;ay they are <HI>humbled:</HI> Foundations totter that are not layed deep enough: The more <HI>true light</HI> a man hath, the more cau&s;e of <HI>&s;elf-aba&s;ement</HI> will he find in him&s;elf: You can never <HI>magnifie Chri&s;t</HI> enough, and you can never <HI>deba&s;e &s;elf</HI> enough; and certainly Chri&s;t is mo&s;t exalted when you are mo&s;t aba&s;ed, <HI>I&s;ai. 2. 19. Dagon</HI> mu&s;t fall upon his face, if you mean to &s;et up the <HI>Ark;</HI> and if Chri&s;t &s;hall be <HI>precious</HI> to you, you mu&s;t be <HI>vile</HI> in your own eyes; none have &s;uch <HI>true revivings</HI> as the humble, <HI>I&s;ai.</HI> 57. 15, 16. True humiliation is far from <HI>weakening</HI> your com|forts, it maketh them more <HI>full</HI> and <HI>&s;ure:</HI> therefore a main thing that was wanting in tho&s;e &s;poken of in <HI>Heb.</HI> 6. was hu|miliation, and their fault was a <HI>ra&s;h clo&s;ing</HI> with Chri&s;t in the pride of their hearts.</P>
<P>2. Their <HI>ta&s;te was not ravi&s;hing,</HI> and affecting the heart &s;o as to engage it to &s;eek after Chri&s;t; they had but loo&s;e and &s;light de&s;ires of happine&s;s&punc; glances upon the glory of Heaven and the comforts of the Go&s;pel, which po&s;&s;ibly might &s;tir up a wi&s;h, <HI>Oh that I might dye the death of the righteous, &amp;c.</HI> they were not &s;erious and holy de&s;ires after Chri&s;t, after grace and &s;trength to &s;erve him: The Saints that have a <HI>ta&s;te</HI> <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Rom. 7. 24. P&s;al. 119. 5.</NOTE> groan after a fuller communion in his <HI>graces</HI> as well as <HI>com|forts;</HI> that experience which they have had of Chri&s;t, maketh them long for more: But now in Temporaries there is a
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<HI>loo&s;e a&s;&s;e<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">t</HI> and <HI>&s;light affection,</HI> a ta&s;te enough to prevail with them to make &s;ome profe&s;&s;ion for a while, a rejoycing for a &s;ea&s;on, &amp;c.</P>
<P>3. <HI>Their gifts are not renewing and &s;anctifying;</HI> &s;uch po&s;&s;i|bly as may make them <HI>u&s;eful to the Church,</HI> but do not change the heart: the Apo&s;tle &s;aith, they were made <HI>partakers of the Holy Gho&s;t;</HI> that is, had &s;ome &s;hare, it may be a plentiful &s;hare of Church gifts, &s;o as to be able to carry on duties to the edification and comfort of others; but alas what is a man the better, if the heart be oppre&s;t with &s;ins in the mean time, and be not upright with God? 1 <HI>Cor. 13. 1. Though I &s;peak with the tongues of men and Angels, and have not charity, I am become but as a &s;ounding Bra&s;s, and tinkling Cymbal.</HI> Though you can &s;peak of the things of God with much en|largement and affection, pray &s;weetly, all is but as <HI>tinkling</HI> with God if there be not <HI>&s;aving grace:</HI> It is a great evidence that we are &s;uch as the Apo&s;tle &s;peaketh of, when the <HI>affection</HI> doth not an&s;wer the <HI>expre&s;&s;ion</HI> of a duty, nor <HI>the life</HI> our <HI>knowledg,</HI> and <HI>gifts</HI> have not a proportionable influence up|on <HI>practi&s;e.</HI> So much for that Point.</P>
<P>Having &s;poken of the State, I come now to &s;peak of the Author of it, <HI>God the Father.</HI> But why is it &s;o di&s;tinctly at|tributed to the Father? is not Chri&s;t <HI>our Sanctification? 1 Cor.</HI> 1. 30. and is it not called <HI>the Sanctification of the Spi|rit? 2 The&s;.</HI> 2. 14. The An&s;wer &s;hall draw out the &s;trength of the phra&s;e in the&s;e Propo&s;itions. 1. It is true, that the whole Trinity one way or other concurreth to the work of holine&s;s; tho&s;e works <HI>ad extra</HI> are <HI>indivi&s;a</HI> common to all the Per&s;ons; the Father &s;anctifieth, the Son &s;anctifieth, and the Holy Gho&s;t &s;anctifieth: the &s;ame may be &s;aid of <HI>pre&s;erving</HI> and <HI>calling.</HI> 2. Though all work joyntly, yet there are <HI>di|&s;tinct per&s;onal operations,</HI> by which they make way for the glo|ry of each other; the <HI>love</HI> of the Father for the <HI>glory</HI> of the Son, and the <HI>glory</HI> of the Son for the <HI>power</HI> of the Spirit. See how the Scripture followeth the&s;e things: You &s;hall find fir&s;t, that no man cometh to the Son but from the Father by Election; <HI>Iohn 6. 37. All that the Father giveth &s;hall come to</HI>
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<HI>me:</HI> &s;o ver&s;. 65. <HI>No man cometh unto me, unle&s;s it be given him of my Father.</HI> Look again and you &s;hall find that no man cometh to the Father from the bondage of &s;in and Sa|tan, but by the Son, through his Redemption and Mediation; <HI>John 14. 6. I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life; no man cometh unto the Father but by me.</HI> Again, you &s;hall &s;ee no man is <HI>united to the Son</HI> but by the Holy Gho&s;t, who <HI>worketh</HI> in tho&s;e whom the Father did <HI>choo&s;e</HI> and the Son <HI>redeem;</HI> and therefore the <HI>Sanctification of the Spirit</HI> is as nece&s;&s;ary as the <HI>Blood of Je&s;us, 1 Pet.</HI> 1. 2. So that you &s;ee all have their di&s;tinct work; the <HI>Inchoation</HI> is from the <HI>Father,</HI> the <HI>Di&s;|pen&s;ation</HI> by the <HI>Son,</HI> and the <HI>Con&s;ummation</HI> by the <HI>Spirit: from</HI> the Father, <HI>in</HI> the Son, and <HI>through</HI> the Spirit; there is <HI>Gods choyce, Chri&s;ts purcha&s;e,</HI> and the <HI>Spirits application:</HI> all are joyned in one Ver&s;e, for indeed they mu&s;t not be &s;ever|ed, even in the place la&s;t alledged, 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 1. 2. 3. Becau&s;e the fir&s;t di&s;tinct operation is the Fathers, therefore the whole work in Scripture is often a&s;cribed to him; he is &s;aid <HI>to ju|&s;tifie; The Iu&s;tifier of them that beleeve in Ie&s;us, Rom.</HI> 3. 26. So he is &s;aid el&s;ewhere <HI>to purge; Iohn 15. 1, 2. I am the Vine, and my Father is the Hu&s;bandman; he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit:</HI> All dependeth upon the <HI>decree of his love:</HI> Chri&s;t doth not work upon a per&s;on, unle&s;s he be given to him by the Father; and therefore he being <HI>fir&s;t</HI> in <HI>order</HI> and <HI>operation,</HI> the whole work is made his work: <HI>San|ctified in God the Father.</HI> Ob&s;erve,</P>
<P><HI>That Sanctification is Gods work, wrought in us by the Fa|ther.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 1.</NOTE> To clean&s;e the heart is beyond the power of the crea|ture; it can no more make it &s;elf <HI>holy,</HI> then make its &s;elf <HI>to be:</HI> We could <HI>defile</HI> our &s;elves, but we cannot <HI>clean&s;e</HI> our &s;elves: <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Dominq <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">rrare per me po<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ui re<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ire non po|t<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">i. <HI>Au&s;tin Meditar.</HI></NOTE> as the &s;heep can <HI>go a&s;tray</HI> of its &s;elf, but it can never <HI>return to the fold</HI> without the &s;hepherds care and help. Lu&s;ts are too hard for us, and &s;o are the duties of obedience: <NOTE N="&dagger;" PLACE="marg">Non pote&s;t reddi ni&s;i ab <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters"> a quo potuil da|ri. <HI>Aug.</HI></NOTE> God that gave us his Image at fir&s;t, mu&s;t again plant it in the Soul: Who can <HI>repair Nature</HI> depraved, but the <HI>Author</HI> of Nature? When a Watch is out of order we &s;end it to the Workman: <HI>We are his workman&s;hip in Chri&s;t, Ephe&s;.</HI> 2. 10. God taketh it to be his Prerogative, <HI>Levit. 21. 8. I am the Lord that &s;ancti|fieth</HI>
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<HI>thee:</HI> Grace is his immediate creature: <HI>Mans will</HI> con|tributeth nothing to the work but <HI>re&s;i&s;tance</HI> and <HI>rebellion;</HI> and <HI>outward means</HI> work not, unle&s;s God put in with them; el&s;e why &s;hould the &s;ame Word preached by the &s;ame Mini|&s;ter, work in &s;ome, and harden others? all the difference ari&s;eth from Gods grace, which acteth according to plea|&s;ure. Well then,</P>
<P>1. Let us wait upon God till the work be accompli&s;hed: Our wills are ob&s;tinate and perver&s;e, but <HI>God never made a creature too hard for him&s;elf;</HI> he is able to do this thing for us, and 'tis our comfort we have &s;uch a God to go to. The Heathens that <HI>groped</HI> and felt after God, were to &s;eek of a power to quell their lu&s;ts, and therefore were put upon <HI>&s;ad remedies;</HI> whereas all is made ea&s;ie to you in the power of God through Chri&s;t. <HI>Crates</HI> gave this advice to one that came to him to know how he &s;hould &s;ubdue the lu&s;t of un|cleanne&s;s, he an&s;wered, <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">P<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">i<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">m &s;a|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">e<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 span"> inde l<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">qu<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">u<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">. <HI>Tertul. in Apol.</HI></NOTE> that he &s;hould either <HI>fami&s;h</HI> him&s;elf or <HI>hang</HI> him&s;elf; they knew no remedy but <HI>offering violence</HI> to Nature, or el&s;e <HI>death</HI> and <HI>despair. Democritus</HI> blinded him|&s;elf, becau&s;e he could not look upon women without lu&s;ting after them. <NOTE N="&dagger;" PLACE="marg">Chri&s;tianus &s;olvis oculis foeminam. V<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">d<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">t <HI>Tertul.</HI> ibidem.</NOTE> Now God teacheth us to put out <HI>the eye of our lu&s;t,</HI> not of our bodies: Ble&s;s God that you know who&s;e work it is, and to whom to go for Sanctification.</P>
<P>2 <HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Prai&s;e the Lord when ever this work is accom|pli&s;hed; <HI>Not I, but grace;</HI> it mu&s;t not be a&s;cribed to <HI>our works,</HI> or to <HI>any power</HI> that is in our &s;elves, but to <HI>Gods mercy, Chri&s;ts merits,</HI> and the <HI>Spirits efficacy:</HI> There is <HI>Gods grant; To her it was granted to be covered with fine linnen, the righte|ou&s;ne&s;s of the Saints, Rev.</HI> 19. 18. God the Father giveth leave or i&s;&s;ueth forth an <HI>Authentick Act</HI> and <HI>Decree</HI> in the Court of Heaven; as <HI>E&s;ther</HI> by the grant of the King was &s;upply|ed out of the Kings Wardrobe. Then there is <HI>Chri&s;ts merit;</HI> the &s;tream wherein we are wa&s;hed floweth out of Chri&s;ts own heart; 1 <HI>John 1. 7. The Blood of Chri&s;t clean&s;eth us from all &s;in.</HI> Then there is the <HI>Spirits efficacy;</HI> no le&s;s power will vanqui&s;h the proud heart of man. 'Tis notable, that grace is expre&s;&s;ed not only by the notion of <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 51. 10 Ephe&s;. 2 <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">0 2 C<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">. 4. 6.</NOTE> <HI>Creation,</HI> which is a making things out of nothing; but al&s;o by <NOTE N="&dagger;" PLACE="marg">Luk. 11 21, 22 2 <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 span"> 1. 15. 1 John 4. 4.</NOTE> <HI>Victory,</HI> or a
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powerful overcoming of oppo&s;ition: In Creation as there was <HI>nothing to help,</HI> &s;o there was nothing to <HI>re&s;i&s;t</HI> and <HI>hinder;</HI> but in man there is be&s;ides a <HI>death of &s;in,</HI> a <HI>life of re&s;i&s;tance</HI> again&s;t grace; therefore <HI>Sanctification</HI> mu&s;t entirely be a&s;cri|bed to God: we <HI>de&s;erve</HI> it not, it cometh from the <HI>Fathers good-will</HI> and <HI>Chri&s;ts merit;</HI> we <HI>work i<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> not,</HI> 'tis accompli&s;hed by the power of the Holy Gho&s;t.</P>
<P>Again ob&s;erve, <HI>That though the work of grace be immedi|ately</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 2.</NOTE> <HI>wrought by another per&s;on, yet our thoughts in beleeving mu&s;t not &s;tay till we a&s;cend and come up to God the Father.</HI> You &s;hall &s;ee the Scripture carryeth out our acts of faith to him every where: <HI>Rom. 4. 24. If we beleeve in him, who rai&s;ed up Je&s;us our Lord from the dead;</HI> that is, in God the Father. So <HI>John 12. 44. He that beleeveth in me, beleeveth not in me, but in him that &s;ent me:</HI> that [<HI>not</HI>] is not <HI>negative,</HI> but <HI>cor|rective;</HI> not only in me, but his thoughts mu&s;t a&s;cend to the Father al&s;o, who manife&s;teth him&s;elf in me. So <HI>John 14. 1. Ye beleeve in God, beleeve al&s;o in me.</HI> Both expre&s;&s;ions may be <HI>imperative:</HI> Be&s;ides beleeving in Chri&s;t, we mu&s;t al&s;o be|leeve, in God, as the fir&s;t Fountain and Author of grace. Now the Rea&s;ons are, 1. Becau&s;e all grace beginneth with the Father; the fir&s;t in order of being, is fir&s;t in order of working; 'Tis the <HI>Father</HI> that floweth out to us <HI>in Chri&s;t</HI> and <HI>by the Spirit:</HI> What ever Chri&s;t hath and is, he hath from him as the <HI>original Author; 1 Cor. 1. 30. Of him Je&s;us Chri&s;t is made to us Sanctification.</HI> The high Prie&s;t went into the Sanctuary before he ble&s;&s;ed the people; &s;o doth Je&s;us Chri&s;t &s;anctifie you <HI>in the Father</HI> and <HI>from the Father:</HI> as <HI>Mediator</HI> certainly he is to be con&s;idered as <HI>Gods Servant</HI> and <HI>In&s;tru|ment.</HI> Well then, Rea&s;on is in its progre&s;s, till it climb up to the <HI>fir&s;t cau&s;e</HI> of a thing; &s;o &s;hould <HI>Faith;</HI> do not leave till you come to the Father, who is the <HI>highe&s;t Fountain</HI> of grace. 2. Becau&s;e what ever is done to you by Chri&s;t, is done with a re&s;pect to his Fathers love: <HI>John 17. 2. Thou ha&s;t given him power over all fle&s;h, that he &s;hould give eternal life to as many as thou ha&s;t given him:</HI> So &s;ee ver&s;e 6. <HI>I have manife&s;ted thy Name unto them, thine they were, and them thou gave&s;t me:</HI> That was the ground of Chri&s;ts re&s;pect, the Fa|thers
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<HI>donation,</HI> or the <HI>charge</HI> he received from him: and therefore you mu&s;t look upon the <HI>Fathers love</HI> as well as <HI>Chri&s;ts care;</HI> for in all his re&s;pects to us he &s;till acknowledg|eth his obedience to the Father; and indeed it giveth us a double ground of hope: <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Cau&s;a <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">quam fili<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters"> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">o<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> a<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> a<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> quia ip&s;i a <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">a+tre deman da|tum e&s;t, &amp; cau|&s;a our pater no|b<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters"> &s;avet, e&s;t quia hoc filius ab ip&s;o po&s;tulat &amp; prom<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">retur. &amp;c. <HI>See</HI> Stella <HI>at large</HI> de <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">|more Dei, <HI>cap. 18.</HI></NOTE> the Son loveth us becau&s;e the <HI>Fa|ther required</HI> it, and the Father loveth us becau&s;e the Son <HI>asketh</HI> it; if Chri&s;t be <HI>faithful</HI> to his Father we are &s;ure to be loved, or if the Father have any <HI>respect</HI> and <HI>love</HI> to Chri&s;t. 3. Becau&s;e 'tis a great &s;upport and comfort to faith to con|&s;ider of the Father in the act of beleeving: two are better then one; and 'tis often made a priviledg to have <HI>the Father and the Son, 1 John.</HI> 1. 3. and 2. 23, 24. 2 <HI>John 9. &amp; alib.</HI> There is the <HI>Fathers love</HI> and the <HI>Sons merit;</HI> either &s;eve|rally will not yeild that joy and peace in beleeving, and therefore 'tis good to have them both together: There is no acce&s;s to the Father but in the Son: What will <HI>guilt</HI> do with <HI>Ju&s;tice? &s;tubble</HI> with <HI>con&s;uming fire?</HI> God out of Chri&s;t is <HI>terrible,</HI> rather then <HI>comfortable;</HI> therefore 'tis &s;aid, 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 1. 21. that <HI>by him we beleeve in God;</HI> that is, by Chri&s;t through his merit we come comfortably to pitch upon God the Father. So again, Chri&s;t &s;eparate from the Father doth not yeild &s;uch firm grounds of confidence; there mu&s;t be &s;ome act of the Father to give us full &s;ecurity; for in the bu&s;ine&s;s of Redemption God the Father is repre&s;ented as the <HI>offended wronged party,</HI> who is to receive &s;atisfaction: we are &s;en&s;ible of the wrong and offence, Con&s;cience feeleth that; we mu&s;t be al&s;o &s;en&s;ible of his favour and grace towards us: now when we &s;ee him <HI>fir&s;t</HI> in all acts of grace, that taketh away all jealou&s;ie and &s;cruple. 4. Becau&s;e in the Fathers Love there are many circum&s;tances which are <HI>very engaging</HI> to the Soul, which are not to be found in the re&s;t of the di|vine Per&s;ons; for he being <HI>fir&s;t in order,</HI> hath the <HI>chiefe&s;t work</HI> a&s;cribed to him; but e&s;pecially are not to be found in Chri&s;t <HI>as Mediator:</HI> and becau&s;e Chri&s;t as Mediator is mo&s;t known to the creatures, I &s;hall pro&s;ecute this matter with re&s;pect to that Con&s;ideration. 1. In the Fathers love and acts of grace there is an <HI>original Fulne&s;s;</HI> Chri&s;ts fulne&s;s as Mediator is but derived out of the Fathers plenty; <HI>Col.</HI> 1. 19.
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<HI>It plea&s;ed the Father that in him all fulne&s;s &s;hould dwell:</HI> And 'tis limited by the Fathers Will in the di&s;pen&s;ation of it; all that Chri&s;t di&s;pen&s;ed was according to the Charge and Com|mandment given him by his Father; &s;ee <HI>Mat. 20. 23. It is not mine to give, &s;ave to tho&s;e for whom it is prepared of my Fa|ther:</HI> Chri&s;t doth not deny his <HI>Authority to give glory</HI> as well as grace; only he &s;heweth how in all the di&s;pen&s;ations pro|per to the Mediator he was <HI>limited</HI> by the Will and Coun&s;el of the Father: And &s;o he denyeth to di&s;pen&s;e the knowledg of times and &s;ea&s;ons, becau&s;e <HI>the Father had kept it in his own Power, Acts</HI> 1. 7. So that now 'tis an engaging Con&s;ideration to remember that the Father, who&s;e Will is ab&s;olute, who hath an original Fulne&s;s of all grace, that <HI>he him&s;elf loveth us,</HI> and is fir&s;t in all acts of ble&s;&s;ing. 2. In the Fathers acts you have the pure&s;t and free&s;t apprehen&s;ion of love; he be|gan and fir&s;t broke the bu&s;ine&s;s of our Redemption: God the Son can have an <HI>higher motive,</HI> the Fathers Will; but God the Father can have no higher motive then his own love; his <HI>elective love</HI> was the fir&s;t ri&s;e and &s;pring whence all that love that pa&s;&s;eth out to the creature i&s;&s;ueth forth, and therefore here we have the free&s;t apprehen&s;ion of love: there was a love of the Father anteceding the merit of Chri&s;t; <HI>John 3. 16. God &s;o loved the world, that he gave his only Son;</HI> there was the mo&s;t <HI>independent</HI> and <HI>free</HI> act of love.</P>
<P>It &s;erveth to pre&s;s us to give a <HI>di&s;tinct glory</HI> in beleeving<NOTE PLACE="marg">&V;&s;e.</NOTE> to God the Father: Get a right apprehen&s;ion of the divine Per&s;ons, and the <HI>&s;everal endearments</HI> with which their per|&s;onal operations are repre&s;ented. 'Tis &s;aid, <HI>John 5. 23. That God will have all men honour the Son as they honour the Father.</HI> God is mo&s;t honoured when your thoughts are mo&s;t di&s;tinct and explicite in this matter. Do not forget the Father, you are <HI>his gift</HI> as well as the <HI>Sons purcha&s;e</HI> and the <HI>Spirits charge:</HI> If God the Father had not <HI>loved you</HI> before all worlds, Je&s;us Chri&s;t would not have <HI>redeemed you;</HI> and if Chri&s;t had not <HI>redeemed you,</HI> the Spirit would never <HI>&s;anctifie</HI> you: and as the Spirit will not work unle&s;s you look upon him as <HI>Chri&s;ts Spirit, John 16. 14. He &s;hall glorifie me, for he &s;hall receive of mine;</HI> &s;o Chri&s;t came <HI>to glorifie the Father, and to fini&s;h his</HI>
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<HI>work, John</HI> 17. 4. Ble&s;s them and prai&s;e them all then. If you receive any thing, &s;ee the <HI>Fathers bounty</HI> in it, the <HI>freene&s;s</HI> and <HI>everla&s;tingne&s;s</HI> of his Love &s;tamped upon what you have. So if you want any thing, holine&s;s, comfort, grace, pardon, re|flect not only upon the <HI>fulne&s;s of Chri&s;ts merit&punc;</HI> but the <HI>free|ne&s;s of the Fathers love:</HI> You deal with a God of bowels and bounty; Father, Son, and Holy Gho&s;t, all are yours. There is a <HI>fond affectation</HI> in &s;ome, to carry all things in the Name of <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> even &s;uch acts wherein <HI>the Father</HI> is mo&s;t con|cerned&punc; as the former Age carryed all Di&s;pen&s;ations in the Name of <HI>God Almighty,</HI> without any di&s;tinct reflection upon <HI>God the Son,</HI> in whom the Father will be honoured, and by whom we have an acce&s;s to the Father: So many in this Age, in their <HI>popular di&s;cour&s;es</HI> and prayers, carry all things in the Name of God the Son, and with a fond and lu&s;cious affectation ingeminate the Name, <HI>Je&s;us Chri&s;t, Je&s;us Chri&s;t&punc;</HI> &s;o that the honour and adoration due to the other Per&s;ons is neglected and forgotten; whereas Chri&s;t is to be acknow|ledged <HI>Lord</HI> in all Tongues and among all Nations, <HI>to the glory of God the Father, Phil.</HI> 2. 11.</P>
<P>But now 'tis high time to proceed to the &s;econd and la&s;t Manife&s;tation of their effectual Calling, [<HI>Pre&s;erved in Je&s;us Chri&s;t,</HI>] <GAP DESC="foreign">, kept in or by him; the mean|ing is, they were not only <HI>&s;anctified</HI> for the pre&s;ent out of the &s;tore and plenty of God the Father, but &s;hould for ever be <HI>kept</HI> in that e&s;tate by Je&s;us Chri&s;t. The Point is, <HI>That Gods</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat.</NOTE> <HI>called and &s;anctified people are pre&s;erved and kept in their &s;tate of grace and holine&s;s in and by Je&s;us Chri&s;t.</HI> The Point a&s;&s;ert|eth two things, that they are kept <HI>by Chri&s;t</HI> and <HI>in Chri&s;t,</HI> that is, not only for <HI>his &s;ake,</HI> but by vertue of <HI>union with him;</HI> Je&s;us Chri&s;t is <HI>the Cabinet</HI> wherein Gods Jewels are kept; &s;o that if we would &s;tand, we mu&s;t get out of our &s;elves, and get into him, in whom alone there is &s;afety. I might handle this latter Branch apart, namely, that <HI>&V;nion with Chri&s;t is the ground of our &s;afety and pre&s;ervation:</HI> but becau&s;e I am &s;en|&s;ible that I have &s;tayed too long upon this Ver&s;e already, I &s;hall content my &s;elf with handling upon this occa&s;ion the
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general Doctrine of the Per&s;everance of the Saints: And fir&s;t, I &s;hall give you the <HI>&s;tate</HI> of it, how far we may expect to be pre&s;erved. 2. The Grounds of Certainty and A&s;&s;urance in this kind.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, How far we may look for Pre&s;ervation: The Doc|trine of Per&s;everance is much impugned; but the Earth is never the more un&s;etled, becau&s;e to giddy brains it &s;eemeth to run round: however let us grant what mu&s;t be granted, and then the truth will be burdened with le&s;s prejudice. <HI>Seeming grace</HI> may be lo&s;t; <HI>Take from him that which he hath, Mat.</HI> 25. 28. is <HI>Luke 8. 18. Take from him that which he &s;eem|ed to have.</HI> Blazing <HI>Comets</HI> and Meteors are &s;oon &s;pent, and fall from Heaven like lightening, while <HI>&s;tars</HI> keep their orb and &s;tation: A <HI>building in the &s;and</HI> will totter; and <HI>Hypo|crites be di&s;covered before the Congregation, Prov.</HI> 26. 26. Again, <HI>Initial</HI> or <HI>preparative grace</HI> may fail, &s;uch as is &s;poken of <HI>Heb.</HI> 6. 4, 5. to wit, <HI>illumination, external reformation, tem|porary faith, devout moods,</HI> &s;ome <HI>good beginnings,</HI> &amp;c. Plenty of blo&s;&s;oms do not always foretell &s;tore of fruit; &s;ome dye in the very pangs of the birth, and are &s;till born. Yet again, <HI>True grace</HI> may &s;uffer a <HI>&s;hrewd decay,</HI> but not an <HI>utter lo&s;s;</HI> the leaves may fade when the root liveth: In temptations Gods children are &s;orely &s;haken; their <HI>heel may be brui&s;ed,</HI> as Chri&s;ts was, but their <HI>head is not cru&s;hed: Peter</HI> denyed Chri&s;t, but did not fall from grace; there is a <HI>remaining &s;eed, 1 John</HI> 3. 9. 'Tis notable what <HI>Chry&s;o&s;tom</HI> ob&s;erveth concern|ing Chri&s;ts prayer for <HI>Peter, Luke 22. 32. I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not:</HI> <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="foreign">. <HI>Chry&s;o&s;t.</HI></NOTE> Mark (&s;aith he) <HI>he doth not &s;ay, I have prayed for thee that thou &s;hould&s;t not deny me, but I have prayed that thy faith &s;hould not altogether vani&s;h and be abo|li&s;hed.</HI> Once more, &s;uch grace as &s;erveth to our <HI>well-being</HI> in Chri&s;t may be taken away, joy, peace, cheerfulne&s;s, &amp;c. As a man may have <HI>a being,</HI> though his <HI>well-being</HI> be lo&s;t; he is a <HI>man,</HI> though a <HI>bankrupt,</HI> though <HI>poor,</HI> though <HI>&s;ick,</HI> though <HI>di&s;ea&s;ed:</HI> &s;o a Chri&s;tian may be <HI>living,</HI> though he be not <HI>lively.</HI> Yet further, The operations of grace may be ob&s;tructed for a great while: <HI>a fit of &s;wooning</HI> is not <HI>a &s;tate of death;</HI> there may be no acts, and yet their <HI>&s;eed re|maineth;</HI>
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this may la&s;t for a long time: <HI>David</HI> lay in a &s;pi|ritual &s;woon <HI>nine moneths;</HI> for he awaked not till <HI>Nathan</HI> came to him, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 51. the title; and when <HI>Nathan</HI> came to him, the child begotten upon <HI>Bath&s;heba</HI> was born; for he &s;aith, 2 <HI>Sam&punc; 12. 14. The child which is born to thee &s;hall dye.</HI> Yet further, Grace if <HI>left to us</HI> would &s;oon be lo&s;t; we &s;hew|ed that in Innocency: but 'tis our advantage that our &s;ecu|rity lieth in <HI>Gods promi&s;es,</HI> and not <HI>our own;</HI> that we are not our <HI>own keepers;</HI> that grace is a Jewel not tru&s;ted but in &s;afe hands; that per&s;everance is <HI>Gods gift,</HI> not <HI>mans act;</HI> and that Chri&s;t hath a Charge to conduct the Saints, and keep them &s;afe to everla&s;ting Glory, <HI>John</HI> 6. from 37, to 40. and <HI>John 10. 28. I give unto them eternal life, and they &s;hall never peri&s;h, neither &s;hall any peri&s;h, non &s;hall pluck them out of my hand: My Father which gave them is greater then all&punc; none is able to pluck them out of my Fathers hand:</HI> They neither <HI>&s;hall</HI> nor <HI>can;</HI> God and Chri&s;t are engaged in the keeping of them&punc; Chri&s;t by Gods Command as Mediator, and God by Chri&s;ts merit: therefore he that &s;eparateth us from God mu&s;t tug with Je&s;us Chri&s;t him&s;elf, and be too hard for him al&s;o, or el&s;e he can never pluck them out of his hands. If they &s;hould que&s;tion Chri&s;ts power, becau&s;e of the ignominy of the Cro&s;s; the <HI>Fathers hands</HI> are al&s;o engaged, for our greater a&s;&s;urance: Can any creature loo&s;e his eternal and almighty gra&s;p? and pluck out tho&s;e whom the Father hath a mind to keep?</P>
<P>We do not plead for any wilde a&s;&s;urance and certainty of Per&s;everance; we do not &s;ay that they that neglect means, or grieve the Spirit, and do what they li&s;t, are &s;ure that they &s;hall not mi&s;carry; that is again&s;t the <HI>nature of Gods dispen|&s;ation,</HI> and the <HI>nature of this a&s;&s;urance,</HI> and therefore but a <HI>vain cavil.</HI> 'Tis again&s;t the nature of Gods di&s;pen&s;ation; whom he maketh to per&s;evere, he maketh them to per&s;evere in the u&s;e of means: <HI>Hezekiah</HI> had a&s;&s;urance from God of life for fifteen years, yet he taketh a <HI>lump of figs,</HI> and apply|eth it as a plai&s;ter to the boyl, <HI>I&s;ai.</HI> 38. 5, with 21. More clear|ly, <HI>Acts 27. 31. All &s;hall come to Land;</HI> but, <HI>Except ye abide in the &s;hip ye cannot be &s;afe:</HI> We are &s;ure of life as long as
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God hath any &s;ervice to do for us, yet we are bound to get food and rayment, and to u&s;e all means to pre&s;erve life: This was Satans cavil again&s;t Gods protection over Chri&s;t, Thou art &s;ure not to fall, therefore neglect means, ca&s;t thy &s;elf up|on danger, <HI>Mat.</HI> 4. 9, 10. You learn this Doctrine from the Devil; Thou may&s;t do what thou lift, thou art &s;ure to be &s;afe; 'tis the <HI>Devils Divinity.</HI> Again, 'Tis again&s;t the na|ture of this a&s;&s;urance; he that hath ta&s;ted Gods love in Gods way, cannot rea&s;on &s;o: A child that hath a good fa|ther that will not &s;ee him peri&s;h, &s;hall he wa&s;te and embezzle his e&s;tate he careth not how? A wicked child may pre&s;ume thus of his father (though it be very di&s;ingenuous) becau&s;e of his natural intere&s;t and relation to his father; the kind|ne&s;s which he expecteth is not built upon <HI>moral choyce,</HI> but <HI>nature:</HI> but a child of God cannot, becau&s;e he cannot grow up to this certainty but in the exerci&s;e of grace; 'tis begot|en and nouri&s;hed by godly exerci&s;es: and the thing it &s;elf implyeth a contradiction; this were to fall away becau&s;e <HI>we cannot fall away:</HI> You may as &s;oon &s;ay that the fire &s;hould make a man freeze with cold, as that certainty of per&s;everance in grace &s;hould make us do actions contrary to grace.</P>
<P>Again, We do not &s;ay that a Beleever is &s;o &s;ure of his con|&s;ervation in a &s;tate of grace, as that he needeth not to be wa|ry and jealous of him&s;elf; 1 <HI>Cor. 10. 12. Let him that &s;tand|eth, take heed le&s;t he fall.</HI> There is a <HI>fear of Caution,</HI> as well as a fear of diffidence and di&s;tru&s;t; and there is a great deal of difference between weakening the <HI>&s;ecurity of the fle&s;h,</HI> and our <HI>confidence in Chri&s;t:</HI> None more apt to &s;u&s;pect them&s;elves then they that are mo&s;t &s;ure in God, le&s;t by improvidence and unwatchfulne&s;s they &s;hould yeild to corruption: Chri&s;t had prayed that <HI>Peters</HI> faith might not fail, yet together with the other Apo&s;tles he biddeth him <HI>Watch, Luke</HI> 22. 40, and 46. The <HI>fear of God</HI> is a pre&s;erving grace, and taken into the Covenant; <HI>Jer. 32. 40. I will put my fear into their hearts, and they &s;hall not depart from me:</HI> This is a fear which will &s;tand with faith and certainty; 'tis a fruit of the &s;ame &s;pirit, and doth not <HI>hinder</HI> a&s;&s;urance, but <HI>guard</HI> it; 'tis a fear that
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maketh us watchful again&s;t all occa&s;ions to &s;in and &s;piritual di&s;tempers, that we may not give offence to God: as an in|genuous man that hath an inheritance pa&s;&s;ed over to him by his friend in Court, is careful not to offend him.</P>
<P>Again, This certainty of our &s;tanding in grace doth not exclude prayer; <HI>Luke 22. 46. Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation.</HI> Per&s;everance is <HI>Gods gift,</HI> and it mu&s;t be &s;ought in Gods way; by <HI>Chri&s;ts interce&s;&s;ion,</HI> to pre&s;erve the Maje&s;ty of God, and by <HI>our prayers,</HI> that we may con&s;tant|ly <HI>profe&s;s our dependance</HI> upon God, and <HI>renew our acquaint|ance</HI> with him; be&s;ides, by asking ble&s;&s;ings in prayer, we are the more <HI>warned of our duty;</HI> 'tis a means to keep us gra|cious and holy: As tho&s;e that conver&s;e often with Kings had need be decently clad, and go neat in their apparel; &s;o he that &s;peaketh often to God is bound to be more holy, that he may be the more acceptable to him.</P>
<P>Again, 'Tis not a <HI>di&s;continued,</HI> but a <HI>con&s;tant per&s;everance</HI> that we plead for; not as if an elect per&s;on could be quite driven out of the &s;tate of grace, though he be &s;aved at length; he cannot fall <HI>totus a toto in totum,</HI> the <HI>whole man</HI> with <HI>full con&s;ent</HI> from <HI>all grace</HI> and godline&s;s; he may &s;in <HI>foully,</HI> but not fall off <HI>totally,</HI> no more then <HI>finally;</HI> there is &s;omething that remaineth, <HI>a &s;eed, an unction, a root in a dry ground,</HI> that will bud and &s;cent again: Briefly, true grace &s;hall never ut|terly be lo&s;t, though it be much weakened, but in the u&s;e of means it &s;hall con&s;tantly be pre&s;erved to eternal life.</P>
<P>Once more, and I have done with the &s;tate of the Que&s;ti|on: God doth not only require the condition of &s;tanding, or continuing in the exerci&s;e of grace, but give it infallibly: The Precepts of the Covenant of Grace are al&s;o Promi&s;es; <HI>Heb. 8. 10. This is the Covenant that I will make with the hou&s;e of I&s;rael, &amp;c.</HI> where all the <HI>Articles</HI> carry the form of <HI>Pro|mi&s;es;</HI> God undertaketh to fulfil our part in us, when we &s;ubmit to the Covenant. So <HI>Jer. 32. 40. I will put my fear in|to their hearts, &amp;c.</HI> <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">G<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">ds love will not let him depart from us, <HI>I&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="2 letters">.</HI> 54. 10. and fear will not let us depart from God.</NOTE> If there be any breach, it mu&s;t be from our departing from God, or Gods departing from us: Now God never departeth, his Love never permitteth him to re|pent of giving his fear and putting his grace into our hearts;
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but all the fear is of our departing from God: So &s;ome &s;ay, God will not <HI>depart from us,</HI> if we be <HI>not wanting to our &s;elves:</HI> And <HI>Bernard</HI> ob&s;erved that our <HI>own fle&s;h</HI> is not men|tioned <HI>Rom. 8. What &s;hall &s;eparate us from God?</HI> &amp;c. <HI>Soli eum de&s;erere po&s;&s;umus propri&acirc; voluntate,</HI> our own will may &s;epa|rate us and withdraw us from God: And the <HI>Remon&s;trants,</HI> Though God doth not repent <HI>doni dati,</HI> of what he hath given, yet we may repent <HI>doni accepti &amp; retenti,</HI> of what we have received, and grow weary of the &s;ervice of God. But all is an&s;wered by Gods undertaking in the Covenant; <HI>I will put my fear into their hearts&punc; that they &s;hall not depart from me:</HI> He will give faith, and love, and fear, be&s;tow and continue &s;uch Graces as di&s;po&s;e the Soul to Per&s;eve|rance.</P>
<P>Secondly, The <HI>Grounds of Certainty</HI> by which it may ap|pear that we &s;hall be pre&s;erved in that &s;tate of grace, unto which we are called in Je&s;us Chri&s;t: The Grounds are ma|ny; put them all together, and you may ea&s;ily &s;pell out of them the <HI>Per&s;everance of the Saints.</HI></P>
<P>1. There are &s;ome grounds on God the Fathers part; there is his <HI>everla&s;ting Love,</HI> and <HI>al&s;ufficient Power.</HI> His <HI>everla&s;ting Love:</HI> God doth not love <HI>for a fit,</HI> but for ever; <HI>From everla&s;ting to everla&s;ting, P&s;al.</HI> 103. 17. before the world was, and when the world is no more: Gods Love is not founded upon any <HI>temporal accident,</HI> but on his <HI>own Coun&s;el,</HI> in which there can be <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>Heb.</HI> 6. 18.</NOTE> <HI>no change,</HI> becau&s;e the &s;ame rea&s;ons that moved him to choo&s;e at fir&s;t, continue for ever: God never repented in time of what he purpo&s;ed before all time: <HI>Rom. 11. 29. His gifts and calling are without repent|ance:</HI> By <HI>gifts</HI> he meaneth &s;uch as are proper to the Elect; and by <HI>calling,</HI> effectual calling; &s;uch is <GAP DESC="foreign">, accord|ing to his eternal Purpo&s;e, of the&s;e he never <HI>repents:</HI> The fruits of repentance in men are <HI>&s;hame</HI> and <HI>&s;orrow;</HI> now God is never <HI>a&s;hamed</HI> of his choyce, nor <HI>&s;orry</HI> for his choyce, &s;o as to wi&s;h it undone. And then the other ground is his <HI>al|&s;ufficient Power;</HI> Almightine&s;s is engaged in the pre&s;ervation of grace, by his eternal Love and Will, <HI>John</HI> 10. 28, 29. Can they pluck Chri&s;t from the Throne? are they &s;tronger then Chri&s;ts Father?</P>
<P><PB N="58" REF="38">2. There are grounds on Chri&s;ts part; his <HI>everla&s;ting Me|rit,</HI> and <HI>clo&s;e &V;nion between him and us,</HI> and <HI>con&s;tant Inter|ce&s;&s;ion.</HI> For his Merit &s;ee <HI>Heb. 9. 12. He is entered into the holy place, having obtained an eternal Redemption for us.</HI> Legal ex|piations did but la&s;t from year to year, but Chri&s;ts merit for ever and ever; his <HI>Redemption</HI> is <HI>eternal,</HI> not only as 'tis of u&s;e in all ages of the Church, but in re&s;pect of every particu|lar Saint: tho&s;e who are once redeemed by Chri&s;t, they are not redeemed for a time, &s;o as to fall away again; that would argue that the virtue of Chri&s;ts Blood were &s;pent, and could pre&s;erve them no longer; but they are for ever kept to Sal|vation. So <HI>Heb. 10. 14. By one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are &s;anctified:</HI> He hath not only purcha&s;ed a <HI>po&s;&s;ibility of Salvation,</HI> but all that we need to our <HI>full per|fection;</HI> 'tis not for a <HI>certain time,</HI> but <HI>for ever.</HI> Then there is a <HI>clo&s;e &V;nion</HI> between him and us; this is the notion of the Text, <HI>pre&s;erved in Chri&s;t.</HI> <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Sicut impo&s;&s;i+bile e&s;t ma&s;&s;am a p<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;ta &s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">p<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ra|r<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">, &amp;c. <HI>Luther.</HI></NOTE> Look as 'tis impo&s;&s;ible to &s;ever the leaven and the dough, when they are once mingled and kneaded together; &s;o Chri&s;t and a Beleever, when they are united together, there is no parting more: Can Chri&s;ts my|&s;tical Body be maimed? or lo&s;e a joynt? Then his <HI>con|&s;tant Interce&s;&s;ion,</HI> that's another ground, a Copy of which we have in the 17 of <HI>John,</HI> where he &s;aith, <HI>Keep them through thy Name, &amp;c.</HI> and <HI>Keep them from the evil, &amp;c.</HI> See <HI>Heb. 7. 25. He is able to &s;ave to the uttermo&s;t tho&s;e that come to God by him, for he liveth for ever to make Interce&s;&s;ion for them:</HI> He is interceding with God, that the merit of his death may be applyed to us; and what's that? <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="foreign">.</NOTE> <HI>Salvation to the utter|mo&s;t</HI> or <HI>to the end.</HI> The heirs of Salvation need not fear mi&s;|carrying: Je&s;us Chri&s;t, who is the <HI>Te&s;tator,</HI> who by Will and Te&s;tament made over the heritage to them, he al&s;o is the <HI>Executor,</HI> he <HI>liveth for ever</HI> to &s;ee his own Will executed; he dyed once to <HI>make</HI> the Te&s;tament, and he liveth for ever to &s;ee it <HI>made good:</HI> when ever we are in danger, he is in|treating his Father for &s;upports and a&s;&s;i&s;tances of grace.</P>
<P>3. On the <HI>Spirits part,</HI> there is a <HI>continued influence</HI> &s;o as to maintain the <HI>e&s;&s;ence</HI> and <HI>&s;eed</HI> of grace: The Fathers love is continued by the <HI>merit of Chri&s;t,</HI> that he may not depart
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from us; and we are pre&s;erved by the <HI>Spirit of Chri&s;t,</HI> that we may not depart from him: He doth not only put into our hearts <HI>faith, fear, love,</HI> and other graces at fir&s;t; but he maintaineth and keepeth them, that the fire may never go out: Our hearts are his <HI>temple,</HI> and he doth not love to leave his dwelling place: And be&s;ides, in the Oeconomy of Sal|vation 'tis his Office, to <HI>glorifie Chri&s;t</HI> as his <HI>Vicegerent,</HI> and to be <HI>our Comforter;</HI> therefore with re&s;pect to the <HI>honour of Chri&s;t,</HI> and the <HI>comfort of Beleevers,</HI> he pre&s;erveth and main|taineth that grace that is once really wrought in our hearts. To pre&s;erve the glory of Chri&s;t thus, Chri&s;t you know hath received a <HI>Charge</HI> from the Father to <HI>lo&s;e nothing, John</HI> 6. 39. neither <HI>body</HI> nor <HI>&s;oul,</HI> nothing that belongeth to an elect per|&s;on: Now that he may be true to his tru&s;t, he &s;endeth <HI>the Spirit</HI> as his <HI>Deputy</HI> or <HI>Executor,</HI> that his Merit may be fully applyed: 'Tis for the honour of Chri&s;t, that where ever the work is begun, where ever he hath been an <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Heb. 12. 2.</NOTE> <HI>Author,</HI> there he may be a <HI>Fini&s;her</HI> al&s;o. 'Twas &s;aid of the fooli&s;h Builder, that <HI>he began, and was not able to make an end:</HI> this di&s;honor can never be ca&s;t upon Chri&s;t, becau&s;e of the power and faithfulne&s;s of the Spirit; he doth <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>Phil. 1. 6. go through</HI> with the work which he hath begun; the Spirit is to <HI>fit ve&s;&s;els</HI> for glory: he doth not u&s;e to leave them <HI>half carved;</HI> he is faithful to Chri&s;t; as Chri&s;t is to his Father: the Father <HI>choo&s;eth</HI> the ve&s;&s;el, Chri&s;t <HI>buyeth</HI> them, and the Spirit <HI>carveth</HI> and <HI>fitteth</HI> them, that they may be ve&s;&s;els of prai&s;e and honour. But this is not all, He pre&s;erveth and continueth us in the &s;tate of grace as our <HI>Comforter;</HI> by working grace he puts us into an expectation of glory and happine&s;s; and to make it good, he carryeth on the work without failing; therefore grace is called <HI>the fir&s;t fruits of the Spirit, Rom.</HI> 8. 24. and the <HI>earne&s;t of the Spirit, 2 Cor.</HI> 1. 22. and 5. 6. for it hath a double u&s;e, to be a <HI>ta&s;te</HI> and a <HI>pledg:</HI> 'tis a <HI>ta&s;te,</HI> to &s;hew us <HI>how good</HI> eternal life is; and a <HI>pledg,</HI> to &s;hew us <HI>how &s;ure</HI> it is: The fir&s;t degree of Regeneration is of this nature; 'tis an <HI>earne&s;t</HI> or <HI>gage,</HI> a&s;&s;uring us of a more perfect enjoyment; the <HI>livery</HI> and <HI>&s;ei&s;in</HI> of glory to come: As &s;oon as a real change is wrought, the Spirit of God doth
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give us earne&s;t; and will God lo&s;e his earne&s;t? will he give us a pledg, and fail our expectation? Surely no.</P>
<P>Let us now come to Application.</P>
<P>It pre&s;&s;eth us to per&s;evere with the more care; 'tis no<NOTE PLACE="marg">&V;&s;e 1.</NOTE> unrea&s;onable inference: &s;ee 1 <HI>John 2. 27, 28. Ye &s;hall abide in him: And now little children, abide in him.</HI> Since we have &s;o many advantages of &s;tanding, let not us fall away: Oh how great will your &s;in be, if you &s;hould mi&s;carry and di&s;honor God! We pity a child that falleth, when 'tis not looked af|ter; but when a froward child wre&s;teth and forceth it &s;elf out of the arms of the Nur&s;e, we are angry with it. You have more rea&s;on to &s;tand then others, being brought into an unchangeable &s;tate of grace; being held in the arms of Chri&s;t, God will be very angry with your &s;lips and failings: Mercy holdeth you fa&s;t, and you &s;eek to wre&s;t your &s;elves out of Mercy's arms: None can &s;in as you do, with &s;uch frowardne&s;s, with &s;uch di&s;honor to God; you di&s;parage the <HI>Spirits cu&s;tody,</HI> the <HI>merit of Chri&s;t,</HI> and the <HI>mercy of the Father.</HI> See <HI>Heb. 4. 1. Let us therefore fear, a promi&s;e being left to us of entering into his Re&s;t, le&s;t any &s;hould &s;eem to come &s;hort of it.</HI> Look as &s;ome <HI>&s;eem to &s;tand&punc;</HI> that do not, &s;o &s;ome <HI>&s;eem to fall utterly</HI> that do not: A child of God indeed cannot <HI>come &s;hort,</HI> but he &s;hould not <HI>&s;eem,</HI> that is, give any appearance of <HI>coming &s;hort:</HI> When our religious cour&s;e is interrupted, and we give way to &s;in and folly, that's a <HI>&s;eeming to come &s;hort;</HI> and &s;o you bring a &s;candal upon the <HI>love of God,</HI> as if it were <HI>changeable;</HI> upon the <HI>merit of Chri&s;t,</HI> as if it were not a <HI>per|fect Merit: Scandalous Profe&s;&s;ors</HI> make <HI>Arminians;</HI> in an <HI>age of defection,</HI> no wonder if men plead for the <HI>Apo&s;tacy of the Saints.</HI></P>
<P>If you fall through weakne&s;s, be not utterly di&s;mayed:<NOTE PLACE="marg">&V;&s;e 2.</NOTE> As the Spin&s;ter leaveth a lock of wool to draw on the next thread; &s;o there is &s;omewhat left: when you are departed from God, you have more hold-fa&s;t upon him then another &s;inner; a <HI>child,</HI> though a <HI>prodigal;</HI> go to him and &s;ay, <HI>Fa|ther. David</HI> pleadeth the reliques of grace yet left, <HI>P&s;al. 119. 176. I have gone a&s;tray like a &s;heep, &s;eek thy &s;ervant, for I do not forget thy Commandments;</HI> as if he had &s;aid, Lord, I have&punc;
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&s;inned through weakne&s;s, but I hope there is &s;ome grace left, &s;ome bent of heart towards thee. So the Church, <HI>I&s;ai. 64. 8, 9. Now O Lord, thou art our Father, &amp;c.</HI> Yea God is angry when we do not plead: So <HI>Jer. 3. 4. Wilt thou not cry, Thou art my Father? &amp;c.</HI> You have an intere&s;t, though you have been di&s;obedient: Thus do, and your falls will be an advantage; as you have &s;een men go back to fetch their leaps more commodiou&s;ly.</P>
<P>When you &s;tand, let it excite you to love and thankfulne&s;s;<NOTE PLACE="marg">&V;&s;e 3.</NOTE> Nothing maketh the Saints love God more then the <HI>un|changeablene&s;s of his Love:</HI> When they &s;ee them&s;elves &s;afe in the mid&s;t of <HI>weakne&s;&s;es,</HI> and Satans <HI>dayly a&s;&s;aults,</HI> it doth much indear God to their Souls. Certainly <HI>Daniel</HI> was much affected with his <HI>pre&s;ervation</HI> in the <HI>Lions den,</HI> when he &s;aw the Lions ramping and roaring about him, and yet re&s;trained with the chains of Providence, that they could do him no harm: So the children of God mu&s;t needs love their <HI>Pre|&s;erver,</HI> when they con&s;ider what <HI>dangers</HI> are round about them; how little they &s;ub&s;i&s;t by their <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">1 Sam. 2. 9.</NOTE> <HI>own &s;trength,</HI> and how much they have done a thou&s;and times to cau&s;e God to <HI>withdraw his Spirit</HI> from them; and therefore the great ar|gument why the Saints do love and prai&s;e him, is not only the <HI>freedom</HI> of his grace, but the <HI>unchangeablene&s;s</HI> and <HI>con|&s;tancy</HI> of it: <HI>His mercy endureth for ever;</HI> 'tis &s;everal times repeated, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 136. So <HI>P&s;al. 106. 1. Prai&s;e ye the Lord; O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good, for his mercy endureth for ever.</HI> No form is more frequent in the mouths of the Saints: and good rea&s;on; for alas, if we were left to our &s;elves, we &s;hould damn our &s;elves every hour; we have a <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Jer. 5. 2 3. and 14. 10.</NOTE> <HI>revolting heart:</HI> we are like gla&s;&s;es without a bottom, as &s;oon as they are out of hand they are broken; we cannot &s;tand of our &s;elves: and we have a <HI>re&s;tle&s;s enemy,</HI> that de|&s;ireth to to&s;s us and vex us, as wheat is to&s;&s;ed from &s;ieve to &s;ieve, <HI>Luke</HI> 22. 31. and we have often forfeited Gods pro|tection, and grieved him day by day; were it not for <HI>ever|la&s;ting Mercy,</HI> what would become of us? Certainly they that do not love God for their <HI>pre&s;ervation,</HI> they are not &s;en&s;ible of their condition in the world; what a <HI>naughty</HI>
<PB N="62" REF="40">
<HI>heart</HI> they carry about with them: 'Tis a miracle that ever grace &s;hould be pre&s;erved there where there is &s;o much pride, love of plea&s;ures, worldly cares, bruti&s;h lu&s;ts; that &s;uch an <HI>heavenly plant</HI> can thrive in the mid&s;t of &s;o many <HI>weeds.</HI> Nor what a <HI>bu&s;ie Devil</HI> they have to do withall, who watch|eth all advantages, as a dog that &s;tandeth waving his tail ('tis <HI>Chry&s;o&s;tom</HI>'s compari&s;on) and expecting a bit; and his envy and malice is mo&s;t bent again&s;t them that have mo&s;t grace. Finally, they do not con&s;ider that the <HI>world</HI> is full of &s;nares and dangerous allurements; for if they did, they could not chu&s;e but fall a ble&s;&s;ing of God for Je&s;us Chri&s;t, who yet fa&s;teneth them as a nail in the holy place. I remember one of the Fathers bringeth in the <HI>Fle&s;h</HI> &s;aying, <HI>Ego deficiam, I will &s;urely fail and mi&s;carry;</HI> and the <HI>World, Ego decipia<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">,</HI> I will <HI>deceive</HI> them and <HI>entice</HI> them; and <HI>Satan, Ego eripiam,</HI> I will <HI>&s;natch</HI> them and <HI>carry them away;</HI> and <HI>God</HI> &s;aith, <HI>Ego cu&s;todiam,</HI> I will keep them, <HI>I will never fail them nor for&s;ake them;</HI> and there lieth our &s;afety and &s;ecurity.</P>
<P>It informeth us, that if any fall <HI>often, con&s;tantly, frequently,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">4&punc; <HI>&V;&s;e.</HI></NOTE> <HI>ea&s;ily,</HI> they have no intere&s;t in grace: 1 <HI>John 3. 9. He that is born of God, &s;inneth not;</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">, he makes not a <HI>trade of &s;in;</HI> that's the force of the phra&s;e: Gods children &s;lip <HI>often,</HI> but not with &s;uch a <HI>frequent con&s;tant readine&s;s</HI> into the &s;ame &s;in: As <HI>fair Meadows</HI> may be overflown, but <HI>Mari&s;h ground</HI> is drowned with the return of every Tyde; &s;o are wicked men carryed away with every return of the temptati|on; therefore he that liveth in a cour&s;e of prophane&s;s, world|line&s;s, drunkenne&s;s, his <HI>&s;pot is not as the &s;pot of Gods children.</HI> You are tryed by your <HI>con&s;tant cour&s;e</HI> and <HI>walk, Rom.</HI> 8. 1. What's your <HI>road?</HI> what do you do con&s;tantly, ea&s;ily, frequently? I except only tho&s;e &s;ins which are of <HI>u&s;ual incidence</HI> and <HI>&s;ud|en &s;urrection;</HI> as &s;udden &s;tirrings of pa&s;&s;ion in a cholerick temper, and vanity of thoughts, and di&s;tractions in duties, &amp;c. and yet for the&s;e a man &s;hould be the more <HI>humble</HI> and <HI>watchful;</HI> if they be not <HI>felt</HI> and <HI>&s;triven</HI> again&s;t, and <HI>mourn|ed</HI> for, 'tis a bad &s;ign.</P>
<P>It provoketh us to get an intere&s;t in &s;uch a &s;ure condition.<NOTE PLACE="marg">5 &V;&s;e.</NOTE> Be not contented, 1. With <HI>outward happine&s;s;</HI> things are
<PB N="63" REF="40">
worthy according to their duration: Nature hath &s;uch a &s;en&s;e of Gods Eternity, that the more <HI>la&s;ting</HI> things are, it accounteth them the better: An <HI>immortal Soul</HI> mu&s;t have an <HI>eternal Good:</HI> Now all things in the world are frail and pa&s;s away, therefore called <HI>uncertain riches, 1 Tim.</HI> 6. 18. 'tis un|certain whether we &s;hall <HI>get</HI> them, and uncertain whether we &s;hall <HI>keep</HI> them, and uncertain whether we &s;hall <HI>live to enjoy</HI> them if they &s;tay with us: All of this &s;ide grace is uncertain; the&s;e things are u&s;ually bla&s;ted in their <HI>flower</HI> and <HI>beauty;</HI> as <HI>Herod</HI> was &s;tricken in the <HI>mid&s;t of all his Royalty:</HI> &s;o that a man may <HI>out-live his happine&s;s,</HI> which is the greate&s;t mi&s;ery; or at lea&s;t it mu&s;t terminate with death; there is no u&s;e of wealth in the other world. But now the <HI>better part can never be taken from us, Luke</HI> 10. 42. and by &s;eeking that we may have other things <HI>with a ble&s;&s;ing, Mat.</HI> 6. 33. 2. Re&s;t not in <HI>gifts,</HI> they are for the <HI>body</HI> rather then the <HI>per&s;on</HI> that hath them; as many are <HI>carnal,</HI> and yet come behind in no gift; God u&s;eth them like <HI>Negroes,</HI> to dig in the mynes of know|ledg, that others may have the gold: <HI>Judas</HI> could ca&s;t out Devils, and yet afterward was ca&s;t out among Devils. See 1 <HI>Cor. 12&punc; ult.</HI> the Apo&s;tle had di&s;cour&s;ed largely of <HI>gifts,</HI> and then concludeth thus, <HI>But yet I &s;hew you a more excellent way;</HI> and what's that? Grace that abideth and endureth for ever, as in the next Chapter. Many that have great abilities to pray, preach, di&s;cour&s;e, yet fall away: According to the place which they &s;u&s;tain in the body, &s;o they have great gifts, of knowledg, utterance, abilities to comfort, direct and in|&s;truct others, to an&s;wer doubts, to rea&s;on and argue for God, for conference and holy di&s;cour&s;e, and yet <HI>fall foully;</HI> as tho&s;e <HI>Heb.</HI> 6. 4. are &s;aid to be <HI>partakers of the Holy Gho&s;t,</HI> that is, to have a great &s;hare of Church gifts. Nay this is not all, Gifts them&s;elves wither and vani&s;h when the bodily vigor is &s;pent: <HI>The glory of a man is as the flower of the gra&s;s, 1 Pet.</HI> 1. 24. By the <HI>glory of a man</HI> is meant what ever excellency we have by Nature, wit, knowledg, &s;trength of natural parts, as well as wealth and riches: Many times we like the dry &s;talk remaineth when the flower is gone; nothing but the graci|ous work of the Spirit will la&s;t for ever. 3. <HI>Seeming and un|&s;ound</HI>
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<HI>grace;</HI> as <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg"><HI>Hymeneus</HI> &amp; <HI>Alexander</HI> are &s;aid to make <HI>&s;hipwrack of faith,</HI> that is, fal&s;e faith, 1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 1. 19. 20</NOTE> <HI>fal&s;e faith,</HI> &s;uch as beginneth <HI>in joy</HI> will end <HI>in trouble;</HI> it ea&s;eth you for the pre&s;ent, but you &s;hall lie down in &s;orrow: <HI>General probabilities, loo&s;e hopes, uncertain conjectures, vani&s;hing apprehen&s;ions of comfort,</HI> all the&s;e things &s;oon come to nothing: The planting of true faith is <HI>trouble|&s;om</HI> at fir&s;t, but it leadeth to <HI>true comfort;</HI> otherwi&s;e you may look upon the Go&s;pel with &s;ome kind of <HI>delectation</HI> for a while; as thorns may blaze under the pot, though they cannot keep in the fire: therefore do not <HI>re&s;t in ta&s;ting the good Word, Heb.</HI> 6. 5. in &s;ome &s;light and tran&s;itory comfort. Again, there is <HI>formal profe&s;&s;ion;</HI> Many may <HI>begin in the Spi|rit,</HI> and <HI>end in the fle&s;h, Gal.</HI> 3. 3. A man may &s;eem to him&s;elf and to the Church of God to have true grace; he may pro|fe&s;s the truth, e&s;cape the <HI>pollutions of the world,</HI> that is, foul gro&s;s &s;ins, yea and all this not out of a <HI>carnal aim,</HI> but out of a <HI>&s;light and in&s;ufficient touch</HI> of the truth upon the Con&s;ci|ence, and yet fall away; like the corn in the <HI>&s;tony ground,</HI> that grew up, but had <HI>no root.</HI> But much more [Chri&s;tians] will that form which is taken up out of <HI>private aims</HI> fail and mi&s;carry: God delighteth to take off the mark and di&s;gui&s;e of an hypocrite, by <HI>letting them fall into &s;ome &s;candalous &s;in,</HI> or by <HI>changing the times</HI> and po&s;ture of affairs, or by <HI>&s;ending a &s;torm:</HI> Paint is &s;oon wa&s;hed of; therefore re&s;t not in the&s;e <HI>outward and &s;uperficial changes,</HI> till &s;olid and &s;ub&s;tantial grace be wrought in you.</P>
<P>Is Comfort to Gods children; <HI>Grace</HI> is &s;ure, and the <HI>pri|viledges</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">&V;&s;e 6.</NOTE> of it are &s;ure. Grace it &s;elf is &s;ure; through your folly it may be <HI>nigh unto death,</HI> but cannot dye: This is the advantage of <HI>&s;piritual comforts,</HI> that they do not only <HI>&s;atisfie our de&s;ires,</HI> but <HI>&s;ecure us again&s;t our fears:</HI> The redeemed of the Lord have <HI>an everla&s;ting joy, I&s;ai.</HI> 35. 10. Once in Chri&s;t, and for ever pre&s;erved in Chri&s;t. Grace would be little bet|ter then temporal things, if it did yeild but a <HI>temporary re|fre&s;hing.</HI> They weaken Chri&s;tian comfort that make Be|leevers walk with Chri&s;t like <HI>Dancers upon a rope,</HI> every mo|ment in fear of breaking their necks. This is the comfort of a gracious heart, that as nothing &s;hall altogether cut him off from <HI>enjoying God,</HI> &s;o nothing &s;hall utterly make him <HI>cea&s;e to</HI>
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<HI>love God.</HI> The children of God would be troubled if <HI>grace</HI> &s;hould fail, though their <HI>priviledges</HI> &s;hould not be cut off; you are &s;ure of both. For as <HI>grace</HI> is &s;ure, &s;o are al&s;o the <HI>pri|viledges of grace:</HI> This was figured under the Law; an I&s;|raelite could never wholly <HI>alienate his inheritance</HI> and <HI>title to the Land; Levit. 25. 23. His title to the Land &s;hall not be cut off, nor &s;old for ever:</HI> This was a type of our &s;piritual inheri|tance in Chri&s;t, which cannot be alienated from us; he might for a while pa&s;s it away, but it was to return again; &s;o tho&s;e that are made coheirs with Chri&s;t, are never di&s;-in|herited: 'Tis true, we forfeit it by the <HI>merit of our actions,</HI> but God doth not take the advantage of <HI>every offence:</HI> 'Tis true, <HI>we lo&s;e the evidences</HI> that are in our keeping, peace of Con&s;cience, and joy in the Holy Gho&s;t; but the e&s;tate it &s;elf is undefea&s;ible, and cannot be made away from us. Sometimes we are under a <HI>king of &s;eque&s;tration,</HI> and there is a &s;u&s;pen&s;ion of comfort and grace; as the I&s;raelite might make away his inheritance for a time; but we &s;hall <HI>recover po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion</HI> again, though not by our &s;elves, yet by our <HI>Goel, our kin&s;man,</HI> or him that is <HI>next of blood:</HI> As under the Law, if a per&s;on were not able to redeem the inheritance, the kin&s;man was to re|deem it; &s;o Je&s;us Chri&s;t, our kin&s;man after the fle&s;h, he is our <HI>Goel,</HI> he interpo&s;eth by his merit, and reconcileth us to God. Well then, You &s;ee <HI>grace</HI> is kept, and the <HI>priviledges of grace</HI> are kept in Chri&s;t: But now becau&s;e comforts are never prized but in <HI>their &s;ea&s;on,</HI> and men that have not been exerci&s;ed in <HI>&s;piritual conflicts,</HI> nau&s;eate the&s;e <HI>&s;weet truths,</HI> they know not what it is to be left to uncertainty when troubles come like waves one in the neck of another; therefore let us &s;ee when this truth will be mo&s;t &s;weet and &s;ea&s;onable. 1. In <HI>great troubles,</HI> when God &s;eemeth to hide his face; Oh how &s;weet is it to hear him &s;ay, <HI>I will not for&s;ake thee till I have performed all that I promi&s;ed thee, Gen.</HI> 28. 15. all this &s;hall better thy heart, and ha&s;ten thy glory. In times of di&s;tre&s;s we are apt to think that God hath ca&s;t us off, and will never look after us more, though formerly we have had real expe|riences of his grace: What a fooli&s;h creature is man to wea|ken his a&s;&s;urance when he &s;hould come to u&s;e it? to unravel
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all his hope and experiences in <HI>times of trouble,</HI> which is the only &s;ea&s;on to make u&s;e of them. 2. In the <HI>hour of tempta|tion and hard conflicts</HI> with <HI>doubts</HI> and <HI>corruptions,</HI> when we are &s;en&s;ible of the power of &s;in, and how difficult it is to re|move it out of the heart, we are apt to &s;ay as <HI>David</HI> after all his experiences, <HI>I &s;hall one day peri&s;h by the hand of Saul, 1 Sam.</HI> 27. 1. and many times out of di&s;tru&s;t give over the combate. Oh then remember now you are <HI>pre&s;erved in Chri&s;t,</HI> and that nothing &s;hall &s;eparate: as <HI>Sarcerius</HI> came to <HI>Camerarius</HI> his wife, when &s;he had been exerci&s;ed with a long and tedious conflict, and read to her the latter end of the eighth of the <HI>Romans,</HI> &s;he brake out in triumph, u&s;ing <HI>Pauls</HI> words, <HI>Nay, in all the&s;e things we are more then Conquerors.</HI> Oh Chri&s;tians, neither <HI>&s;in,</HI> nor <HI>Devil,</HI> nor <HI>world</HI> can divide you from Chri&s;t, for he <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Rom. 16. 20.</NOTE> did not only <HI>tread down Satan,</HI> but <HI>under your feet.</HI> 3. In times of <HI>great danger</HI> and <HI>defection,</HI> either through <HI>error</HI> and <HI>per&s;ecution,</HI> as <HI>Saunders</HI> trembled to think of the <HI>fire;</HI> e&s;pecially when others fall fearfully, who were before us in knowledg and profe&s;&s;ion of zeal and piety; when the <HI>fir&s;t</HI> become <HI>la&s;t;</HI> when <HI>glorious Luminaries</HI> are eclip&s;ed, and leave their orb and &s;tation; as the Martyrs were troubled to hear of the revolt of &s;ome great Scholars that had appeared for the Go&s;pel: When <HI>Hymeneus</HI> and <HI>Philetus,</HI> two eminent Profe&s;&s;ors, fell, there was a <HI>great &s;haking, 2 Tim. 2. 18. But the foundation of the Lord &s;tandeth &s;ure &amp;c.</HI> that's the comfort the Apo&s;tle oppo&s;eth in &s;uch a ca&s;e. 4. In times of <HI>di&s;|heartening,</HI> becau&s;e of the <HI>difficulties</HI> of Religion, when the u&s;e of means groweth trouble&s;om: to quicken you in your Chri&s;tian cour&s;e, think of the <HI>unchangeablene&s;s of Gods love;</HI> all graces ri&s;e according to the proportion and mea&s;ure of faith; loo&s;e hopes weaken endeavors: 1 <HI>Cor. 9. 26. Irun, not as one uncertain.</HI> Tho&s;e that ran a race gave over when one had far out-gone them, as being di&s;couraged and without hope: When hope is broken, the edg of endeavors is blunt|ed: Go on with confidence, you are a&s;&s;ured of the i&s;&s;ue, God will ble&s;s you and keep you to his everla&s;ting Kingdom. 5. In the hour of death; when all things el&s;e fail you, God will not fail you; this is the la&s;t brunt; do but wait a little
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while, and you will find more behind then ever you enjoyed; <HI>death &s;hall not &s;eparate:</HI> as <HI>Olevian</HI> comforted him&s;elf with that, <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg"><HI>Vide Scult<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">|tum in</HI> I&s;a<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">. 54.</NOTE> <HI>I&s;ai. 54. 10. The hills and mountains may depart, but my loving-kindne&s;s &s;hall not depart from you;</HI> being in the ago|nies of death, he &s;aid, <HI>Sight is gone, &s;peech and hearing is de|parting, feeling is almo&s;t gone, but the loving-kindne&s;s of God will never depart.</HI> The Lord give us &s;uch a confidence in that day, that we may dye glorying in the Pre&s;ervation of our Redeemer.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="2" TYPE="verse">
<EPIGRAPH>
<BIBL>VERSE II.</BIBL>
<Q>Mercy unto you, and Peace and Love be multiplyed.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>WE are now come to the third thing in the <HI>In&s;crip|tion,</HI> and that is the form of <HI>&s;alutation,</HI> delivered as all <HI>Apo&s;tolical &s;alutations</HI> are in the way of <HI>a prayer:</HI> In which we may ob&s;erve, 1. The <HI>matter</HI> of the prayer, or ble&s;&s;ings prayed for, which are three, <HI>Mercy, Peace,</HI> and <HI>Love.</HI> 2. The <HI>manner</HI> or degree of enjoyment, [<HI>be multiplyed.</HI>]</P>
<P>I begin with the matter, or ble&s;&s;ings prayed for: It will not be altogether unu&s;eful to ob&s;erve that diver&s;ity which is u&s;ed in &s;alutations. In the Old Te&s;tament <HI>peace</HI> was u&s;ually wi&s;hed without any mention of <HI>grace;</HI> as <HI>P&s;al. 122. 8. For my brethrens and companions &s;ake I will &s;ay, Peace be within thee:</HI> and <HI><GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">an. 6. 25. Peace be multiplyed unto you.</HI> But in the times of the Go&s;pel <HI>grace</HI> being more fully delivered, that was al&s;o added and expre&s;&s;ed in the forms of &s;alutation: but yet in the times of the Go&s;pel there is &s;ome variety and dif|ference: Sometimes you &s;hall meet with a &s;alutation meerly civil; as <HI>James 1. 1. To the twelve Tribes</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>greeting:</HI> &s;o <HI>Acts</HI> 15. 23. which was the u&s;ual &s;alutation among the Hea|then: but mo&s;t u&s;ually 'tis <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Rom. 1. 17.</NOTE> <HI>grace</HI> and <HI>peace;</HI> and in other places <HI>grace, mercy</HI> and <HI>peace,</HI> as 2 <HI>John</HI> 3. and 1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 1. 2. and here it differeth from them all, for 'tis <HI>mercy, peace</HI> and
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<HI>love:</HI> And <HI>Cau&s;aubon</HI> ob&s;erveth, that the Greek Fathers, if they wrote to a earnal man, they would wi&s;h him <HI>grace,</HI> but not <HI>peace;</HI> if to a godly man, they would wi&s;h him <HI>grace</HI> and <HI>peace too.</HI> To touch upon the&s;e things is &s;ufficient. From the&s;e Ble&s;&s;ings mentioned in this place I &s;hall ob&s;erve &s;ome|thing in <HI>general,</HI> and then handle them <HI>particularly</HI> and apart.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, In the general Con&s;ideration you may ob&s;erve,</P>
<P>1. <HI>That &s;piritual ble&s;&s;ings are the be&s;t ble&s;&s;ings that we can</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 1.</NOTE> <HI>wi&s;h to our &s;elves and others.</HI> The Apo&s;tles in their &s;alutations do not wi&s;h <HI>temporal felicity</HI> but <HI>&s;piritual grace:</HI> Gods peo|ple pray for one another out of <HI>the communion of the Spirit,</HI> and for them&s;elves out of <HI>a principle of the divine Nature;</HI> and therefore they do not &s;eek wealth and honour for them|&s;elves or one another, but increa&s;e of Gods favour and Image. 'Tis true, <HI>Nature</HI> is allowed to &s;peak in prayer, but <HI>grace</HI> mu&s;t be heard fir&s;t; our fir&s;t and chiefe&s;t reque&s;ts mu&s;t be for <HI>mercy, peace</HI> and <HI>love,</HI> and then <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Mat. 6. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">3 <GAP DESC="foreign"> an additional &s;upply, like paper and pack-thread, which is given over and a|bove the bar|gain.</NOTE> <HI>other things &s;hall be added to us;</HI> the way to be heard in other things, is fir&s;t to beg for grace: <HI>P&s;al. 21. 4. He asked life of thee, and thou gave&s;t him length of days for ever: Solomon</HI> &s;ought <HI>wi&s;dom,</HI> and together with it found <HI>riches</HI> and <HI>honour</HI> in great abun|dance. Well then, if thou praye&s;t for thy &s;elf make a wi&s;e choyce, beg for &s;piritual ble&s;sings; &s;o <HI>David</HI> prayeth, <HI>P&s;al. 106. 4. Remember me, O Lord, with the favour that thou beare&s;t unto thine own people;</HI> nothing le&s;s would content&punc; him then <HI>Favorites mercy:</HI> other ble&s;sings are di&s;pen&s;ed out of com|mon pity to the generality of men, but the&s;e are <HI>mercies pri|vilegiate,</HI> and given to Favorites; now &s;aith <HI>David, of this mercy, Lord;</HI> no <HI>common ble&s;&s;ing</HI> would &s;erve his turn: So <HI>P&s;al. 119. 132. Look upon me, and be merciful to me, as thou u&s;e&s;t to do to tho&s;e that love thy Name:</HI> Surely that which God giveth to his <HI>people,</HI> that's a better mercy then that which God giveth to his <HI>enemies.</HI> Again, the&s;e are mercies that co&s;t God dearer; they flow to you in the Blood of his own Son: yea, they are mercies that are better in them&s;elves; wealth and honour may become a <HI>burden,</HI> yea, <HI>life it &s;elf</HI> may become a burden, but not <HI>mercy,</HI> not <HI>grace,</HI> not <HI>peace of Con&s;cience;</HI>
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and therefore they are <HI>better then life, P&s;al.</HI> 63. 3. then wealth, then honour: none ever complained of too much mercy, of too much love of God: The&s;e are ble&s;sings that &s;wallow up other mi&s;eries, yea, the lo&s;s of other ble&s;sings; grace with poverty 'tis a <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">James 1. 9.</NOTE> <HI>preferment,</HI> peace of Con&s;cience with outward troubles is an happy condition: if there be a <NOTE N="&dagger;" PLACE="marg">2 Cor. 1 5.</NOTE> <HI>flowing</HI> of &s;piritual comforts, as there is an <HI>ebbing</HI> of out|ward comforts, we are not much wronged; therefore&punc; fir&s;t &s;eek the&s;e ble&s;eings. Again, If you pray for others, pray for grace in the fir&s;t place; that's an evidence of <HI>&s;piritual affection:</HI> Carnal men wi&s;h &s;uch things to others, as they prize and affect them&s;elves; &s;o al&s;o do gracious men; and therefore their thoughts run more upon <HI>mercy, peace</HI> and <HI>grace,</HI> then <HI>wealth</HI> and <HI>honour</HI> and <HI>greatne&s;s.</HI> When a man &s;endeth a token to a friend, he would &s;end the be&s;t of the kind: The&s;e are the be&s;t mercies; if you were to deal with God for your own Souls, you can ask no better: You may ask temporal things, for God <HI>loveth the prosperity of his Saints;</HI> but the&s;e &s;pecial ble&s;sings &s;hould have the prefer|ment in your wi&s;hes and de&s;ires of good to them, and then you are mo&s;t likely to &s;peed. Our Lord Chri&s;t in the 17 of <HI>John,</HI> commendeth the Colledg of the Apo&s;tles to the Father; and what doth he ask for him? dominion and worldly re|&s;pect? Surely no, nothing but <HI>pre&s;ervation from evil,</HI> and <HI>&s;anctification by the Truth;</HI> the&s;e are the chiefe&s;t Ble&s;sings we &s;hould look after <HI>as Chri&s;tians.</HI></P>
<P>Ob&s;erve again the aptne&s;s of the reque&s;ts to the per&s;ons<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 2.</NOTE> for whom he prayeth, <HI>Tho&s;e that are &s;anctified and called have &s;till need of mercy, peace and love.</HI> They need <HI>mercy,</HI> becau&s;e we merit nothing of God, neither before grace received, nor afterward: the very continuance of our glory in Heaven is a fruit of <HI>mercy,</HI> not of merit; our obligation to free-grace never cea&s;eth. We need al&s;o more <HI>peace:</HI> there are degrees in <HI>a&s;&s;urance</HI> as well as <HI>faith;</HI> there is a <HI>temperate confidence,</HI> and there are <HI>ravi&s;hing delights,</HI> &s;o that peace needs to be mul|tiplyed al&s;o. And then <HI>love,</HI> that being a grace in us, 'tis al|ways in <HI>progre&s;s;</HI> in Heaven only 'tis <HI>compleat:</HI> Take it for <HI>love to God,</HI> there we cleave to him without <HI>di&s;traction</HI> and
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<HI>wearine&s;s</HI> or <HI>&s;atiety;</HI> God in communion is always fre&s;h and new to the ble&s;&s;ed &s;pirits: And take it for <HI>love to the Saints,</HI> it's only perfect in Heaven, where there is no ignorance, pride, partialities and factions; where <HI>Luther</HI> and <HI>Zuinglius, Hooper</HI> and <HI>Ridley</HI> joyn in perfect con&s;ort.</P>
<P>Again, Ob&s;erve the aptne&s;s of the&s;e reque&s;ts to the times<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 3.</NOTE> wherein he prayed, when Religion was &s;candalized by loo&s;e Chri&s;tians, and carnal doctrines were obtruded upon the Church; <HI>In times of defection from God, and wrong to the Truth, there is great need of mercy, peace and love.</HI> Of <HI>mercy,</HI> that we may be kept from the &s;nares of Satan: Chri&s;tians, whence is it that any of us &s;tand? that we are found faith|ful? 'Tis becau&s;e we have obtained mercy: They would <HI>deceive, if it were po&s;&s;ible, the very Elect, Mat.</HI> 24. 24. Why is it not <HI>po&s;&s;ible</HI> to deceive <HI>the Elect</HI> as well as others? of what mould are they made? wherein do they differ from other men? I an&s;wer, <HI>Elective grace</HI> and <HI>mercy</HI> interpo&s;eth; 'tis not for any power in them&s;elves, but becau&s;e Mercy hath &s;ingled them out, and cho&s;en them for a di&s;tinct people unto God. And we need <HI>peace</HI> and inward con&s;olations, that we may the better dige&s;t the mi&s;ery of the times; and <HI>love,</HI> that we may be of <HI>one mind,</HI> and &s;tand together in the defence of the Truth.</P>
<P>Again, Note the aptne&s;s of the ble&s;&s;ings to the per&s;ons for<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 4.</NOTE> whom he prayeth; <HI>Here are three ble&s;&s;ings that do more emi|nently and di&s;tinctly &s;uit with every per&s;on of the Trinity:</HI> and I do the rather note it, becau&s;e I find the Apo&s;tle el&s;ewhere di&s;tingui&s;hing the&s;e ble&s;&s;ings by their proper fountains, as <HI>Rom. 1. 7. Grace to you, and peace from God the Father, and our Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t:</HI> Sort the ble&s;sings right, there is <HI>grace</HI> from the <HI>Father,</HI> and <HI>peace</HI> from <HI>Chri&s;t:</HI> So here is <HI>mercy</HI> from God the Father, who is called <HI>the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort, 2 Cor.</HI> 1. 3. and <HI>peace</HI> from the Son, for <HI>he is our peace, Ephe&s;.</HI> 2. 14. and <HI>love</HI> from the Spirit; <HI>Rom. 5. 5. The love of God is &s;hed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Gho&s;t, which is given to us.</HI> Thus you &s;ee every Per&s;on concur|eth to our happine&s;s with his di&s;tinct ble&s;sing.</P>
<P>In the next place, how aptly the&s;e ble&s;sings are &s;uited<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 5.</NOTE>
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among them&s;elves; fir&s;t <HI>mercy,</HI> then <HI>peace,</HI> and then <HI>love; mercy</HI> doth not differ much from that which is called <HI>grace</HI> in <HI>Pauls</HI> Epi&s;tles, only <HI>grace</HI> doth more re&s;pect the <HI>bounty</HI> of God, as <HI>mercy</HI> doth our <HI>want</HI> and <HI>need:</HI> By <HI>mercy</HI> then is meant the favour and good-will of God to mi&s;erable crea|tures; and <HI>peace</HI> &s;ignifieth all ble&s;sings inward and outward, as the <HI>fruits</HI> and effects of that favour and good-will; more e&s;pecially <HI>calmne&s;s</HI> and <HI>&s;erenity of Con&s;cience,</HI> or a &s;ecure en|joying of the love of God, which is the top of <HI>&s;piritual pro|sperity:</HI> And then <HI>love</HI> &s;ometimes &s;ignifieth <HI>Gods love</HI> to us; here I &s;hould rather take it for <HI>our love to God,</HI> and to the Brethren for Gods &s;ake: So that <HI>mercy</HI> is the <HI>ri&s;e</HI> and <HI>&s;pring</HI> of all, <HI>peace</HI> is the <HI>effect</HI> and <HI>fruit,</HI> and <HI>love</HI> is the <HI>re|turn.</HI> He beginneth with <HI>mercy,</HI> for that is the fountain and beginning of all the good things which we enjoy; higher then <HI>love</HI> and <HI>mercy</HI> we cannot go, for Gods Love is the rea|&s;on of it &s;elf, <HI>Deut. 7. 7, 8. Rom. 9. 15. I&s;ai.</HI> 45. 15. and we can de&s;erve nothing at Gods hands but wrath and mi&s;ery, and therefore we &s;hould &s;till honour Mercy, and &s;et the Crown upon Mercy's head (as further anon;) that which you give to Merit, you take from Mercy. Now the next thing is <HI>peace;</HI> mark the order &s;till; without <HI>mercy</HI> and <HI>grace</HI> there can be no <HI>true peace: I&s;ai. 57. 21. There is no peace, &s;aith my God, to the wicked;</HI> they &s;ay, <HI>Peace, peace,</HI> but my God doth not &s;ay &s;o. Chri&s;t left his peace with his <HI>own Di&s;ciples, John</HI> 14. 27. and not as worldly and external peace is left, in the happine&s;s of which both good and bad are concerned; that is <HI>general,</HI> but this is <HI>proper,</HI> confined within the Con&s;cience of him that enjoyeth it, and given to the godly: 'Tis the Lords method to pour in fir&s;t the <HI>oyl of grace,</HI> and then the <HI>oyl of gladne&s;s:</HI> Alas, the peace of a wicked man 'tis but a <HI>frisk,</HI> or <HI>fit of joy,</HI> while&s;t Con&s;cience, <HI>Gods watchman</HI> is nap|ing; <HI>&s;toln waters and bread eaten in &s;ecret, Prov.</HI> 9. 17. The way to true <HI>peace</HI> is to apply your &s;elves to God for <HI>mercy,</HI> to be accepted in Chri&s;t, to be renewed according to the Image of Chri&s;t; otherwi&s;e &s;in and guilt will create fears and troubles. Again, the la&s;t thing is <HI>love; great priviledges</HI> require <HI>an&s;werable duty; Mercy</HI> and <HI>peace</HI> need another
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grace, and that's <HI>love:</HI> 'Tis Gods gift as well as the re&s;t, we have <HI>graces</HI> from God as well as priviledges, and therefore he beggeth <HI>love</HI> as well as <HI>mercy</HI> and <HI>peace;</HI> but it mu&s;t be <HI>our act,</HI> though we have the <HI>grace from above:</HI> We would all have <HI>mercy</HI> and <HI>peace,</HI> but we are not &s;o zealous to have <HI>love</HI> kindled in our hearts: <HI>Mercy, peace,</HI> all this runneth down|ward, and re&s;pects our <HI>intere&s;t,</HI> but <HI>love,</HI> that mounteth up|ward, and re&s;pects God him&s;elf. Certainly they have no in|tere&s;t in <HI>mercy,</HI> and were never acquainted with <HI>true peace,</HI> that do not find their hearts inflamed with <HI>love to God,</HI> and <HI>a zeal</HI> for his glory; that as he hath ordered all things for <HI>our profit,</HI> &s;o we may order and refer all things to his <HI>glory</HI> and <HI>honour. Mercy</HI> runneth down from God, and begets <HI>peace of Con&s;cience,</HI> for peace of Con&s;cience is nothing el&s;e but a &s;olid ta&s;te of Gods mercy; and <HI>peace of Con&s;cience</HI> be|gets <HI>love,</HI> by which we cla&s;p about God again; for love is nothing el&s;e but a reverberation or beating back of Gods beam upon him&s;elf, or a return of duty in the &s;en&s;e of mercy: <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">So in the Angels Song, <HI>Luke 2. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">9. Glory, peace</HI> and <HI>good&punc; will.</HI> All comes from <HI>good&punc; wil;</HI> that's the <HI>fir&s;t cou&s;e</HI> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">&punc; God&punc; glory is the <HI>la&s;t end.</HI> Under the Law the <HI>fir&s;t</HI> and the <HI>tenth</HI> were the Lords; the beginning and ending are his.</NOTE> &s;o that God is at the beginning and ending, and either way is the utmo&s;t boundary of the Soul; all things are <HI>from him</HI> and <HI>to him.</HI></P>
<P>Secondly, Let me handle them particularly and apart;<NOTE PLACE="marg">1. Mercy.</NOTE> and fir&s;t <HI>Mercy,</HI> which is <HI>the ri&s;e and cau&s;e of all the good we have from God:</HI> The Lord would di&s;pen&s;e ble&s;&s;ings in &s;uch a way as might beat down <HI>despair</HI> and <HI>carnal conf<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">ence:</HI> Man hath <HI>need</HI> of mercy, but <HI>de&s;erveth</HI> none: <HI>Despair</HI> would keep us from God, and <HI>carnal confidence</HI> robbeth him of his glory; therefore as the Lord would not have fle&s;h <HI>to glory,</HI> &s;o nei|ther to be <HI>cut off from all hope: Mercy</HI> &s;alveth both; we need not fly the &s;ight of God, there is <HI>mercy with him why he &s;hould be feared, P&s;al. 130. 7. Fal&s;e wor&s;hips</HI> are &s;upported by <HI>terror;</HI> but God, that hath the be&s;t title to the heart, will gain it by <HI>love</HI> and <HI>offers of mercy.</HI> And we have no rea&s;on to a&s;cribe any thing to our &s;elves, &s;ince <HI>Mercy</HI> doth all in the Court of Heaven, and not <HI>Ju&s;tice:</HI> If you reckon upon a <HI>debt,</HI> you are &s;ure to mi&s;s: 'Tis a part of Gods Supremacy, that all his ble&s;&s;ings &s;hould come as a <HI>gift;</HI> that he &s;hould act freely, and entertain us as a <HI>King,</HI> not as an <HI>Ho&s;t: Merit</HI>
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taketh off &s;omething of his Royalty and &s;upream Maje&s;ty. Touching the Mercy of God, give me leave to give you a few Ob&s;ervations.</P>
<P>1. <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">I<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">git <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">ta Scriptura ut credamus Deu<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> e&s;&s;e mi&s;ericor|dem. <HI>Luther.</HI></NOTE> <HI>'Tis the aim of the whole Scripture to repre&s;ent God merciful:</HI> 'Tis true, God is infinitely <HI>ju&s;t,</HI> as well as infinitely <HI>merciful;</HI> but he delighteth in <HI>gracious di&s;coveries</HI> of him&s;elf to the creature; he counteth it <HI>his glory. Mo&s;es</HI> was earne&s;t with God to &s;hew him his Glory, and then God proclaimeth his Name, <HI>Exod. 34. 5, 6. The Lord, the Lord, merciful and gracious, long-&s;uffering, and abundant in goodne&s;s and truth, keeping mercy for thou&s;ands, forgiving iniquity, tran&s;gre&s;&s;ion and &s;in, &amp;c.</HI> In this de&s;cription there is more &s;poken of his <HI>Mercy,</HI> then of his <HI>Ju&s;tice;</HI> and fir&s;t his <HI>Mercy</HI> is de&s;cribed, and then his <HI>Ju&s;tice;</HI> for <HI>Ju&s;tice</HI> is only added to invite men to take hold of his Mercy, and to &s;hew that <HI>Ju&s;tice</HI> is never exerci&s;ed but in avenging the quarrel of <HI>abu&s;ed Mercy.</HI> So he is called <HI>a God of pardon, Nehem.</HI> 9. 17. as if wholly made up of &s;weetne&s;s. So 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 1. 3. he is called <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="foreign">.</NOTE> <HI>Father of mercies, and God of all con&s;olations;</HI> He is a <HI>ju&s;t God,</HI> but he is not called the <HI>Father of Ju&s;tice:</HI> Mercy is natural to him; he counteth it as the proper fruit and product of the divine E&s;&s;ence.</P>
<P>2. <HI>Mercy is repre&s;ented as his delight and plea&s;ure:</HI> So <HI>Micah 7. 18. Mercy plea&s;eth him:</HI> 'Tis an act exerci&s;ed with complacency. Judgment is called his <HI>&s;trange work, I&s;ai.</HI> 28. 21. God loveth to ble&s;s and protect; to <HI>de&s;troy</HI> is not &s;uitable to his di&s;po&s;ition; 'tis a thing that he is forced to. <HI>Punitive acts</HI> in the repre&s;entations of the Word are more again&s;t his bowels, drawn and <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">M<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="3 letters">ri<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">o<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">dia &s;u<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="4 letters"> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters"> par|la<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> pe<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">a<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">or<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">m <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">l<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">or co<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">it ut p<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ni<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">. <HI>S<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">l<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">.</HI></NOTE> extorted from him; as <HI>Jer. 44. 22. The Lord could no longer bear becau&s;e of your doings:</HI> their &s;ins were &s;o clamorous, that they would not let God be quiet; he would bear no longer, unle&s;s they would make <HI>an Idol</HI> of him. But now all acts of grace and favour are exerci&s;ed with delight; <HI>I will rejoyce over them to do them good, Jer.</HI> 32. 41. 'Tis as plea&s;ing to God to do it, as 'tis to us to re|ceive it. The Scripture, after the manner of men, doth often repre&s;ent a Conflict in the Attributes about &s;inners; and if Mercy get the upper-hand, 'tis always with <HI>joy</HI> and
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<HI>triumph; Jam. 2. 13. Mercy rejoyceth over Judgment:</HI> but if he be compelled to &s;trike, and Ju&s;tice mu&s;t be exerci&s;ed, the Scriptures repre&s;ent a reluctation in his bowels; <HI>Lam. 3. 33. He doth not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men;</HI> in the original, <HI>from his heart;</HI> but is like a Father, with a <HI>rod in his hand,</HI> and <HI>tears in his eyes.</HI></P>
<P>3. <HI>The Scripture repre&s;enteth God as exerci&s;ing mercy, though with &s;ome pre&s;ent di&s;advantage to his Glory:</HI> As mercy to the <HI>Ninivites,</HI> though the credit of his Me&s;&s;age lay at &s;take; <HI>Niniveh &s;hall be de&s;troyed in forty days;</HI> yet God &s;pared it; and therefore <HI>Jonah</HI> in a pet challengeth him for it; <HI>Jon. 4. 2. Lord, was not this my &s;aying when I was in my Country? <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">or I knew that thou wert a gracious God:</HI> As if he &s;aid, I knew 'twould come to this, that the <HI>Prophets of I&s;rael</HI> &s;hould be di&s;graced before the <HI>men of Niniveh;</HI> and to threaten Judg|ments in his Name, is to expo&s;e our &s;elves to <HI>deri&s;ion;</HI> when we have done our errand, <HI>free-grace</HI> will make us <HI>all lyars:</HI> To this effect did he expo&s;tulate with God. God might ea&s;ily de&s;troy &s;inners with much honour to him&s;elf; but he is <HI>long-&s;uffering,</HI> even then when his patience for a while &s;eemeth to impair the revenues of Heaven. The World &s;u&s;|pects his Being, the Saints quarrel his Ju&s;tice and que&s;tion his Love, and all becau&s;e the wicked are pro&s;perous, and God <HI>keepeth &s;ilence.</HI> The great &s;tumbling block at which mo&s;t have da&s;hed the foot of their faith, is the &s;u&s;pen&s;ion of due Judg|ments. What was the effects of his patience to them of <HI>A&s;ly|ria</HI> and <HI>Babylon?</HI> The Lord him&s;elf telleth you, <HI>I&s;ai. 52. 5. My Name every day is bla&s;phemed;</HI> that was all he got by it: his people &s;uffered <HI>in per&s;on,</HI> and God him&s;elf <HI>in his repu|tation;</HI> all that he got was bla&s;phemies, and reproaches, and injuries. So <HI>P&s;al. 50. 21. I kept &s;ilence, and thou thought&s;t that I was every way like thy &s;elf;</HI> that was the effect; gro&s;s conceits of his Glory and E&s;&s;ence: When Judgments are quick and &s;peedy, the World is under greater awe, the confi|dence of the Saints is &s;trengthened and &s;upported, and Gods honour is more clear and un&s;tained; yet with all the&s;e di&s;|advantages to his Glory (if we may &s;peak &s;o) God forbear|eth: Certainly his heart is much &s;et upon the honour of his
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Mercy, that God will glorifie it, though other Attributes &s;eem to &s;uffer lo&s;s.</P>
<P>4. <HI>The Scriptures &s;peak much of his readine&s;s to receive re|turning &s;inners:</HI> Though they have done infinite wrong to his Holine&s;s, yet upon repentance, and as &s;oon as they begin to &s;ubmit, Mercy embraceth and huggeth them, as if there had been no breach; <HI>Luk. 15. 20. I will go to my Father,</HI> and <HI>the Father ran to meet him:</HI> So <HI>I&s;ai. 56. 20. Before they call, &amp;c.</HI> So <HI>P&s;al. 32. 5. I &s;aid, and thou forgave&s;t, &amp;c.</HI> So <HI>Jer.</HI> 31. 17, with 20. <HI>I have heard Ephraim bemoaning him&s;elf, &amp;c.</HI> and pre&s;ently, <HI>Oh my dear and plea&s;ant child.</HI> The fir&s;t relent|ings of the creature work upon the bowels of Mercy: Love's pace is very &s;wift, it <HI>runneth</HI> to meet a returning &s;inner: Chri&s;t cometh <HI>skipping over the Mountains, Cant.</HI> 2. 8. He thinketh that he can never be &s;oon enough with us: He would fain have the company of &s;inners, and therefore meeteth them more then half way: When we but conceive a <HI>purpo&s;e,</HI> we pre&s;ently receive the fruit of his <HI>early mer|cies.</HI></P>
<P>5. <HI>God doth not only admit them to come, but of his own ac|cord inviteth them that are &s;lack and backward.</HI> The Scriptures do every where record the intreaties of God: he draweth us with coards of Love; coards that are woven and &s;pun out of Chri&s;ts heart and bowels: In one place thus, <HI>Cant. 4. 8. Come away from Lebanon, my Si&s;ter, my Spou&s;e, from the Lions dens, from the mountains of Leopards:</HI> Chri&s;ts love is hot and burning, he thinketh we tarry too long from his embraces. So <HI>Cant. 5. 2. Open to me my Si&s;ter, my Spou&s;e, &amp;c.</HI> Chri&s;t &s;tands begging for entrance: <HI>Lo&s;t man, do but &s;uffer me to &s;ave thee; poor &s;inner, &s;uffer me to love thee:</HI> The&s;e are the charms of Go&s;pel Rhetorick! So <HI>I&s;ai. 49. Harken to me, and attend to the words of my mouth, &amp;c.</HI> Oh &s;inners, you will not harken to me for the good of your Souls! You &s;ee none &s;ingeth &s;o &s;weetly as the <HI>Bird of Paradi&s;e,</HI> the Turtle that chirpeth upon the <HI>Churches hedges,</HI> that he may <HI>cluck</HI> &s;inners to him&s;elf: The Scripture is full of &s;uch an <HI>holy witch|craft,</HI> &s;uch pa&s;&s;ionate charms, to enti&s;e Souls to their hap|pine&s;s.</P>
<P><PB N="76" REF="47">6. <HI>They that con&s;tantly refu&s;e the offers of his grace, are born with for a long time: Rom. 9. 22. <GAP DESC="foreign">. He endured with much long-&s;uffering, &amp;c.</HI> All may ble&s;s God for <HI>patience;</HI> they owe an <HI>heavy debt</HI> to divine Ju&s;tice, yet 'tis a long time ere God putteth the Bond in &s;uit; though they dare him to his face, yet they walk up and down without the arre&s;t of Vengeance; He beareth with them years and years, after a thou&s;and and a thou&s;and affronts, from their <HI>cradles</HI> to their <HI>graves:</HI> When they were <HI>green wood,</HI> they were fuel fit enough for <HI>divine wrath.</HI> Oh con&s;ider, there can be no cau&s;e of this but his <HI>mercy</HI> to his <HI>wor&s;t creatures:</HI> 'Tis not out of any delight in &s;in, for he is <HI>holy,</HI> and cannot endure to <HI>look upon it, Hab. 2. 13. Of purer eyes, &amp;c.</HI> 'tis not out of any &s;tupid neglect, He is <HI>ju&s;t, and will not clear the guilty, Exod.</HI> 34. 7. 'tis not out of any <HI>ignorance, He telleth man his thoughts;</HI> nor for want of <HI>power</HI> &s;o men forbear, <HI>The &s;ons of Zerviah may be too hard for them;</HI> but 1 <HI>Sam. 24. 19. If a man findeth his enemy, will he let him go well away?</HI> When they are in our power, we &s;atisfie our wrath and revenge to the full: But now God <HI>upholdeth all things by the word of his Power;</HI> He can in a minute &s;peak us into nothing: As the impre&s;&s;ion of a Seal upon the water dependeth upon the Seal, if the Seal be taken away the impre&s;&s;ion vani&s;heth; So do our beings depend upon <HI>Providential influence</HI> and <HI>&s;upportation:</HI> If God &s;hould withdraw the <HI>word of his Power,</HI> we &s;hould &s;oon va|ni&s;h and di&s;appear; Therefore 'tis not for <HI>want of Power,</HI> but meerly <HI>out of Mercy</HI> that we are forborn: How may we wonder at this! We are of eager and tart &s;pirits, &s;harp-&s;et upon revenge: Could we have put up &s;o many refu&s;als of Love? &s;uch de&s;pights done to Mercy? &s;uch wrongs, &s;uch grievings of Spirit, and yet have contained? The Di&s;ciples them&s;elves, though holy men, when they were &s;en&s;ible of be|ing &s;lighted in the Village of <HI>Samaria,</HI> called <HI>for fire from Heaven, Luk.</HI> 9. 54. Certainly we could not endure &s;uch a contradiction of &s;inners: If thunderbolts were in our power, we &s;hould &s;oon kindle a burning, and turn the World into &s;moak and <HI>de&s;olation.</HI></P>
<P>7. 'Tis not only the aim of the <HI>Word,</HI> but of <HI>Providence,</HI>
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and of all the Di&s;pen&s;ations of God to the Creature, to re|pre&s;ent him merciful. The whole World is a <HI>great Volume,</HI> written within and without with characters and lines of Mercy: <HI>P&s;al. 145. 7. His mercy is over all his works;</HI> Every creature beareth the marks and prints of divine Goodne&s;s and Bounty. Once more, The World is a <HI>great Theatre</HI> and <HI>Stage</HI> whereon <HI>Mercy</HI> hath been acting its part for the&s;e &s;ix thou&s;and years&punc; <HI>Ju&s;tice</HI> is to have a <HI>&s;olemn triumph</HI> at the la&s;t day: Now and then God hath kept a <HI>petty Se&s;&s;i|ons,</HI> and given us occa&s;ion to &s;ay, <HI>Verily there is a God that judgeth the world,</HI> as well as <HI>pre&s;erveth the world:</HI> But the greate&s;t part that hath been acted upon the <HI>Theatre</HI> of the World, is <HI>Mercy;</HI> as you will ea&s;ily &s;ee, if you con&s;ider, 1. <HI>The black lines of Providence:</HI> If God <HI>threaten,</HI> 'tis that he may not <HI>puni&s;h;</HI> if he <HI>puni&s;h,</HI> 'tis that he may not <HI>puni&s;h for ever.</HI> In the <HI>&s;adder Providences,</HI> though there be <HI>mi&s;ery</HI> at the top, yet there is <HI>mercy</HI> at the bottom. Many times God <HI>threateneth,</HI> but 'tis to <HI>reclaim;</HI> though he doth <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Mutat &s;en|tentiam &s;ed non decretum. <HI>Bradwardine.</HI></NOTE> not change his <HI>coun&s;el,</HI> yet he doth often change his <HI>&s;entence, Jer.</HI> 18. 7, 8. When the me&s;&s;age is nothing but <HI>plucking up</HI> and <HI>pulling down,</HI> Free-grace cometh in with a &s;udden re&s;cue, and prevents the execution. <HI>Mercy</HI> you &s;ee is forced to u&s;e all methods, and to &s;peak in the <HI>language of Ju&s;tice,</HI> that men may be more capable to receive it. Sometimes <HI>God puni&s;h|eth,</HI> but with vvhat aim? that he may not for ever puni&s;h: 'Tis vve that make <HI>puni&s;hment</HI> to be a <HI>pledg</HI> of eternal dam|nation; it its ovvn aim 'tis a <HI>prevention;</HI> and &s;o it proveth to the Elect; <HI>We are judged of the Lord, that we may not be condemned of the world, 1 Cor.</HI> 11. 32. So <HI>Ho&s;ea 2. 6. I will hedg up her way with thorns, &amp;c.</HI> We &s;hould &s;oon grovv vvorldly, and drovvned in carnal bu&s;ine&s;&s;es and projects, if God did not come novv and then and bla&s;t our enterprizes, and make us &s;ee our folly. We are puffed up, and God prick|eth the bladder, 2 <HI>Cor</HI> 12. 7. Hovv &s;vveet is this, vvhen <HI>in the mid&s;t of Judgment God remembereth Mercy?</HI> Yea the very <HI>executions of Ju&s;tice</HI> are found to be <HI>one of the methods of Mer|cy.</HI> In the middle of the <HI>fir&s;t Cur&s;e</HI> God dropped out a pro|mi&s;e of the <HI>ble&s;&s;ed Seed;</HI> So often <HI>Mercy</HI> overtaketh a <HI>Judg|ment,</HI>
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and maketh it cea&s;e in the <HI>mid way.</HI> Look as there vvas a conflict betvveen the tvvins in <HI>Tamars</HI> Womb, <HI>Zarah</HI> did put out the hand, but <HI>Pharez</HI> broke out fir&s;t; So is there betvveen Gods <HI>Mercy</HI> and <HI>Ju&s;tice;</HI> Ju&s;tice puts out the hand in a <HI>threatening,</HI> or &s;ome beginnings of a Judgment, but Mercy gets the &s;tart, and breaketh out fir&s;t. 2. Con&s;ider the <HI>white lines of Providence:</HI> He <HI>intreateth</HI> that he may <HI>do us good,</HI> and <HI>doth us good</HI> that he may <HI>do us good for ever.</HI> For his <HI>in|treaties:</HI> 'Tis not <HI>duty</HI> &s;o much that is in the bottom of the <HI>Exhortation,</HI> as <HI>Mercy:</HI> To <HI>glorifie Mercy</HI> is the <HI>la&s;t aim</HI> of God and his eternal Purpo&s;e: <HI>He hath accepted us in the Be|loved, to the prai&s;e of his glorious grace, Ephe&s;.</HI> 1. 6. God re|ceiveth <HI>no profit;</HI> he intreateth us not that he <HI>may be happy,</HI> but that he may <HI>be liberal:</HI> See <HI>Prov. 9. 12. If thou be wi&s;e, thou &s;halt be wi&s;e for thy &s;elf; but if thou &s;corne&s;t, thou alone &s;halt bear it:</HI> God dealeth vvith us as earne&s;tly, as effectual|ly, as if the profit vvere his <HI>own,</HI> but it vvholly redoundeth to us. Again, <HI>He doth us good that he may do us good for ever:</HI> He tru&s;teth us vvith <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Luk. 16. 11</NOTE> <HI>Mammon,</HI> to prepare us for the <HI>true riches;</HI> and vvith the <HI>riches of grace,</HI> to prepare us for <HI>glory.</HI> Look as men vvhen they vvould put <HI>precious liquor</HI> into a ve&s;&s;el, fir&s;t try it vvith <HI>water</HI> to &s;ee vvhether it leaketh or no: &s;o doth God try us vvith <HI>common mercies;</HI> he giveth us an <HI>e&s;tate in the world,</HI> that being moved vvith his goodne&s;s, vve may look after an <HI>e&s;tate in the Covenant,</HI> and an intere&s;t in Chri&s;t; and &s;o fit us for Heaven. 'Tis our vvretchedne&s;s to make our <HI>table a &s;nare,</HI> and our <HI>welfare a trap:</HI> As the Sea turneth all that it receiveth into <HI>&s;alt water,</HI> the fre&s;h &s;treams, the influences of the Heavens, &amp;c. &s;o do carnal men a&s;&s;imu|late and corrupt their comforts, and by little and little all their <HI>ble&s;&s;ings are cur&s;ed;</HI> for Mercy can bear any thing but a con&s;tant abu&s;e and neglect of it &s;elf: Certainly Gods re|vealed Will is othervvi&s;e; that vvhich cometh <HI>from God,</HI> &s;hould <HI>lead us to God:</HI> &s;ee <HI>Rom.</HI> 2. 4, 5.</P>
<P>8. <HI>Con&s;ider in how many notions Mercy is repre&s;ented to us:</HI> Gods Mercy hath many Names; a <HI>di&s;tinct con&s;ideration</HI> of them yeildeth an advantage in beleeving: for though they expre&s;s the &s;ame thing, yet every notion begetteth a <HI>fre&s;h</HI>
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<HI>thought,</HI> by vvhich Mercy is more taken abroad in the vievv of Con&s;cience: This is that <HI>pouring out of Gods Name</HI> &s;poken of <HI>Cant.</HI> 1. 3. Ointment in the Box doth not yeild &s;uch a fra|grancy as vvhen 'tis <HI>poured out;</HI> and Spices do not give forth their &s;mell till they are chafed. Nothing is more conducible to beget a tru&s;t, then <HI>di&s;tinct thoughts</HI> and <HI>conceptions</HI> of Gods Mercy. Let us take notice of &s;ome places vvhere 'tis &s;et forth: See <HI>P&s;al. 103. 8. The Lord is merciful and gracious, &s;low to an|ger, and plenteous in mercy:</HI> The expre&s;&s;ion is diver&s;ified; and I note it the rather, becau&s;e in other places the &s;ame no|tions of Mercy are punctually expre&s;&s;ed: &s;ee <HI>Nehem.</HI> 9. 17. &s;o <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 14. 5. 8. and in <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Joel 2. 12. Jonah 4. 2.</NOTE> divers other places: chiefly &s;ee that <HI>Exod.</HI> 34. 7. and you vvill find, that this is the very&punc; de&s;cription vvhich God hath given of him&s;elf. Novv vvhat doth the Spirit of God aim at in this expre&s;s <HI>enumeration</HI> and <HI>accumu|lation</HI> of names of Mercy, but to give us an help in medita|tion, and that our thoughts may be more di&s;tinct. 1. The fir&s;t notion is <HI>Mercy,</HI> which is <HI>an Attribute whereby God in|clineth to &s;uccour them that are in mi&s;ery:</HI> 'Tis an Attribute that meerly re&s;pecteth the creature: The Love and knovv|ledg of God fir&s;t falleth upon him&s;elf; but Mercy is only <HI>tran&s;ient,</HI> and pa&s;&s;eth out to the creatures: God <HI>knoweth</HI> him|&s;elf, <HI>loveth</HI> him&s;elf, but he is not <HI>merciful</HI> to him&s;elf. And then it re&s;pecteth the <HI>creatures in mi&s;ery;</HI> for <HI>mi&s;ery</HI> is <HI>Mer|cy</HI>'s only motive: <HI>Ju&s;tice</HI> &s;eeketh a <HI><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">it object,</HI> but <HI>Mercy</HI> a <HI><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">it occa&s;ion; Ju&s;tice</HI> requireth <HI>de&s;ert,</HI> but <HI>Mercy</HI> only <HI>want</HI> and <HI>need.</HI> 2. The next notion is <HI>Grace,</HI> vvhich noteth the <HI>free bounty</HI> of God, and excludeth all <HI>merit</HI> of the creature: Grace doth all <HI>gratis,</HI> <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Rom. 3. 24.</NOTE> <HI>freely,</HI> though there be no <HI>precedent obligation,</HI> or <HI>debt,</HI> or <HI>hope of recompence,</HI> vvhereby any thing may accrue to him&s;elf; only that it may be vvell vvith the creature. Gods <HI>external motive</HI> is our <HI>mi&s;ery,</HI> his <HI>internal mo|tive</HI> is his ovvn Grace and elective Love: Am I <HI>in want?</HI> there is <HI>mercy;</HI> Am I <HI>unworthy?</HI> there is <HI>grace. Mercy</HI> re|&s;pects us as <HI>we are in our &s;elves</HI> vvorthy of condemnation, Grace as <HI>compared with others</HI> not elected: The ultimate Rea&s;on of the choyce is <HI>Gods grace.</HI> The <HI>Angels</HI> that never &s;inned, are &s;aved meerly out of <HI>grace;</HI> but <HI>men</HI> that vvere
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once <HI>mi&s;erable,</HI> are &s;aved not only out of <HI>grace,</HI> but al&s;o out of <HI>mercy.</HI> 3. The next notion is <HI>long-&s;uffering,</HI> or <HI>&s;lowne&s;s to anger:</HI> The Lord is not ea&s;ily overcome by the <HI>wrongs</HI> or <HI>&s;ins</HI> of the creature, but ea&s;ily overcometh them by his own <HI>patience</HI> and <HI>goodne&s;s:</HI> He doth not only <HI>pity</HI> our <HI>mi&s;ery,</HI> that's <HI>mercy;</HI> and do us good <HI>for nothing,</HI> that's <HI>grace;</HI> but <HI>beareth long</HI> with our infirmities. <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Ni&s;i expecta|ret impium non inveniret quem glorificar<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters"> pi|u<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">. <HI>Aug.</HI></NOTE> Alas, if God were as <HI>&s;hort</HI> and <HI>&s;wift</HI> in the executions of revenge as men are, God mu&s;t create another World to rai&s;e up &s;eed to Chri&s;t: If he did not wait upon <HI>&s;inners,</HI> there would be none made <HI>Saints:</HI> We provoked him to cut us off long &s;ince, but <HI>wrath</HI> is not ea&s;ily heightened into <HI>rage,</HI> and therefore <HI>he waiteth that he may be gracious, I&s;ai. 30. 18. 4. Kindne&s;s</HI> or <HI>bounty, plen|teous in goodne&s;s;</HI> BERAB CHESID: Gods communica|tions of his grace to the creature are every way <HI>rich</HI> and <HI>full:</HI> You may &s;ay, God is <HI>merciful, gracious patient.</HI> But will he be thus to me? Yes, he is <HI>plenteous in goodne&s;s,</HI> kind and com|municative; <HI>P&s;al. 119. 68. Thou art good and do&s;t good;</HI> there|fore <HI>David</HI> goeth to him for grace. Well then, &s;tudy Gods Name, and an&s;wer all your di&s;couragements out of the de|&s;criptions of his Mercy.</P>
<P>9. Con&s;ider your <HI>own experiences:</HI> We have not <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg"><HI>As they &s;aid,</HI> We have heard that the Kings of I&s;rael are merciful Kings, &amp;c.</NOTE> only <HI>heard</HI> that God is merciful, but we have <HI>known</HI> it: All men may &s;peak of <HI>patience,</HI> and <HI>common mercy,</HI> and <HI>outward deli|verances;</HI> but few improve them to a &s;piritual u&s;e and pur|po&s;e. 1. Con&s;ider <HI>Gods patience;</HI> How long hath he wait|ed for your Conver&s;ion? and he that hath <HI>&s;pared</HI> you can <HI>&s;ave</HI> you. 'Tis &s;aid, <HI>The wages of &s;in is death, Rom.</HI> 6. 23. the word implyeth that God is bound to pay it by virtue of an <HI>implicite bargain,</HI> and <HI>agreement</HI> between him and the crea|ture: But as yet the hand of God hath not found you out; you are indebted to <HI>Ju&s;tice,</HI> but <HI>Mercy</HI> &s;toppeth the <HI>arre&s;t of Vengeance:</HI> Many others have been taken away in their &s;ins, by a <HI>&s;udden arrow</HI> and <HI>dart</HI> from Heaven; Vengeance hath trodden upon the heel of &s;in; As <HI>Zimri</HI> and <HI>Co&s;bi</HI> un|loaded their <HI>lu&s;ts</HI> and their <HI>lives</HI> together; The <HI>Angels</HI> for an <HI>aspiring thought</HI> were turned out of Heaven; <HI>Gehazi</HI> was bla&s;ted with Lepro&s;ie ju&s;t upon his lye; and <HI>Lots wife</HI> turned
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into a &s;tone for a <HI>look,</HI> a glance upon <HI>Sodom;</HI> and <HI>Her<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">d</HI> &s;mitten <HI>with lice</HI> in the mid&s;t of his pomp and vain-glory: and &s;ome have <HI>peri&s;hed in the mid way, P&s;al.</HI> 2. in the very heat of &s;ome carnal and wicked pur&s;uit; God can do the like to you: therefore rea&s;on thus; If Mercy would not <HI>&s;ave</HI> me, why hath Mercy <HI>&s;pared</HI> me? God might have &s;ued out the Bond long &s;ince; what is the meaning of the di&s;|pen&s;ation? Is God <HI>weak</HI> or <HI>unju&s;t?</HI> or hath he a mind to be gracious? Surely he would not have &s;pared me all this while, if he had not a mind to &s;ave my Soul. Such rea&s;onings as the&s;e many times give us the fir&s;t encouragement to apply our &s;elves to God: Wicked men like Spiders draw other conclu&s;ions, <HI>P&s;al. 50. 21. But &s;hould not his patience, &amp;c. Rom.</HI> 2. 4. 2. Con&s;ider <HI>Gods goodne&s;s,</HI> in giving thee food, and clothing, and honour, and gladne&s;s of heart, and all this without thy de&s;ert; &s;ay, Certainly all the&s;e benefits are but &s;o <HI>many baits</HI> to catch my Soul; I &s;ee the Sun ri&s;eth every day with a fre&s;h countenance, and &s;hineth upon the fields of <HI>ju&s;t and unju&s;t;</HI> to what purpo&s;e? but to &s;hew that God is gracious without hire: This bodily Sun is but an <HI>ob&s;cure type</HI> of the <HI>Sun of Righteou&s;ne&s;s,</HI> that is willing to di&s;play his beams and wings over a poor langui&s;hing Soul. Common mercies are the <HI>ta&s;tes</HI> of Gods love while you are &s;inners, and the common fruits of Chri&s;ts death, that you may be in|vited to come for more: Why hath he given me the <HI>un|righteous Mammon,</HI> but that I may look after the <HI>true Riches?</HI> What a vile unthankful heart &s;hould I have, if I &s;hould be contented with <HI>Mammon</HI> without <HI>Chri&s;t?</HI> and be like <HI>Judas,</HI> with the <HI>bag</HI> in my <HI>hand,</HI> and the <HI>Devil</HI> in my <HI>heart?</HI> Gods children are wont to make the&s;e gifts a <HI>&s;tep</HI> to higher di&s;pen|&s;ations: they know God, like the good hou&s;holder, bring|eth forth <HI>the be&s;t at la&s;t;</HI> therefore they mu&s;t have &s;ome|thing above and beyond all the&s;e things: <HI>Common hearts</HI> are contented with <HI>common mercies;</HI> but they are &s;till wait|ing when the <HI>Ma&s;ter of the fea&s;t will bid them</HI> &s;it higher: I may have this and be damned; Where are the arguments of his &s;pecial Love? 3. Con&s;ider <HI>deliverances from imminent dangers:</HI> Then the Cur&s;e began to &s;eize upon you; but
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God &s;natched you out of the fire like <HI>brands out of the burn|ing, Amos</HI> 4. 11. or like a <HI>debtor</HI> that e&s;capeth out of the Ser|geants hands. Every <HI>deliverance</HI> is a <HI>temporary pardon:</HI> See <HI>P&s;al. 78. 38. Then he being full of compa&s;&s;ion, forgave their ini|quity, and de&s;troyed them not;</HI> the meaning is, <HI>re&s;pited Ven|geance,</HI> as appeareth by the Context. So <HI>Mat. 18. 32. He for|gave them the debt;</HI> yet 'twas after required; the meaning is, <HI>&s;pared</HI> them for the pre&s;ent. Thus when God taketh you out of the teeth and jaws of Wrath, when you are delivered out of &s;ickne&s;s and apparent danger, you have a <HI>reprieve</HI> or a <HI>temporary pardon.</HI> Oh if you had dyed, you had dyed in your &s;ins, and &s;o been eternally mi&s;erable: If the Lord had taken the pre&s;ent advantage, you had been howling a &s;ad note among the <HI>&s;creech-owls of darkne&s;s;</HI> For ever ble&s;&s;ed be that Mercy that made a re&s;cue.</P>
<P>10. Con&s;ider <HI>Gods invitations:</HI> Mercy pointeth and beckneth to thee to come and be &s;aved: How many means hath God u&s;ed to call thee to him&s;elf? Every good motion is a <HI>call;</HI> every Preacher a <HI>me&s;&s;enger</HI> &s;ent from Heaven to invite thee to Chri&s;t; every Sermon a <HI>new &s;ummons:</HI> Plead with thy &s;elf, Though God hath not <HI>drawn</HI> me, yet he hath <HI>warned</HI> me. The <HI>Elect</HI> have no more favour in the <HI>general means</HI> then thou ha&s;t: Though Gods grace be limitted by the plea&s;ure of his Wi&s;dom, yet thou ha&s;t a <HI>fair warrant</HI> and <HI>encouragement,</HI> and every way as good a ground to come to Chri&s;t as others have; <HI>Who&s;oever, &amp;c. John</HI> 6. 37. When the Go&s;pel doth not exclude me, why &s;hould I exclude my &s;elf? Doubts that God will not accept me if I come, are but fool|i&s;h jealou&s;ies without a cau&s;e. But 'tis time to leave off this <HI>meditation</HI> upon <HI>Gods mercy,</HI> which hath carryed me out &s;o far, and to come to the U&s;es.</P>
<P>It informeth us, that tho&s;e that would apply them&s;elves to<NOTE PLACE="marg">&V;&s;e 1.</NOTE> God, mu&s;t make <HI>mercy</HI> their only <HI>plea</HI> and <HI>claim:</HI> Returning &s;inners have this form put into their mouths, <HI>Ho&s;ea 14. 2. Take away all iniquity, receive us graciou&s;ly:</HI> Lord, we de&s;ire to be entertained by Mercy, to have our &s;uits di&s;patched by Mercy. So <HI>David</HI> profe&s;&s;eth that he had no other claim, <HI>P&s;al. 13. 5. I have tru&s;ted in thy Mercy:</HI> <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="foreign"> <HI>&amp;c. Chry&s;o&s;t.</HI></NOTE> Upon which <HI>Chry|&s;o&s;tom</HI>
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&s;weetly glo&s;&s;eth; <HI>If any others have any thing to al|ledg, let them plead it; Lord, I have but one thing to &s;ay, one thing to plead, one thing upon which I ca&s;t all my hopes, and that is thy Mercy.</HI> So mu&s;t you come to the Throne of Grace; Lord, my plea is <HI>mercy,</HI> all the comfort I expect to receive is from <HI>mercy.</HI> The Apo&s;tle I remember maketh a challenge, <HI>Rom. 11. 35. Who hath fir&s;t given him, and it &s;hall be recompenced to him again?</HI> Is there any man that can enter this plea&punc; <HI>This is due to me?</HI> Lord give me what thou owe&s;t, I de&s;ire no more; let me have no ble&s;&s;ing till I do de&s;erve it. <NOTE N="&dagger;" PLACE="marg"><HI>Ch<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">n<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="3 letters">us</HI> Ob&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">r<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">a<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> a<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">ter <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 span"> in di&s;pu|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 span"> quando cum <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">o|minibus &s;ui &s;i|milibus <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">i<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">a<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">|tu<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">, aliter in meditationibus quando corem deo &s;i&s;tunt con|&s;cientiam &s;uam quo&s;i co<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;a di|cenda <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">, &amp;c. <HI>Davenant</HI> de J<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">ti<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">.</NOTE> <HI>Merit|mongers</HI> are be&s;t confuted by experience; Let them u&s;e the &s;ame plea in their <HI>prayers,</HI> which they do in their <HI>disputes;</HI> let them &s;ay, Give me not eternal life till I de&s;erve it at thy hand; let them di&s;pute thus with God or with their own Con&s;ciences, when they are in the agonies of death, or under the horrors of the Lords wrath. Surely men that cry up the merit of Works, are men of little &s;piritual experience, and &s;eldom look into their own Con&s;ciences? Dare they plead thus with God in their agonies and horrors? The be&s;t claim Gods deare&s;t &s;ervants can make, is <HI>mercy. Po&s;&s;idius</HI> in the life of <HI>Au&s;tin</HI> reporteth of <HI>Ambro&s;e,</HI> when he was about to dye, he &s;aid thus, <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="4 letters"> non <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="3 letters"> vixi u<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> pudeat inter nos vive|re, &amp;c. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 span"> quia <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">onum <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 span"> hab<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">o. <HI>Po&s;&s;idius</HI> in vita <HI>Augu&s;t.</HI></NOTE> <HI>Though I have not lived &s;o that I &s;hould be a&s;hamed to live among you;</HI> yet I am not afraid to dye, <HI>not that I have lived well, but becau&s;e I have a good and gracious Ma&s;ter.</HI> This hath &s;till been the ground of the Saints confi|dence.</P>
<P>It exhorteth us to u&s;e this encouragement to bring our<NOTE PLACE="marg">&V;&s;e 2.</NOTE> Souls into the pre&s;ence of God: Think of the mercies of God; The vile abu&s;e of this doctrine hath brought a &s;u&s;pi|tion and prejudice upon it: but children mu&s;t not refu&s;e their bread becau&s;e dogs catch at it. When <HI>B<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">n<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">adad</HI> was dejected, and in danger not only of lo&s;ing his Kingdom, but his life, his &s;ervants comforted him with this fame, 1 <HI>Kings 20. 31. We have heard that the Kings of I&s;rael are merciful Kings.</HI> You have heard how the God of <HI>I&s;rael delighteth in mercy:</HI> When you come for mercy, you &s;peak to his very bowels. You &s;hall read in 2 <HI>Sam.</HI> 14. 1. that when <HI>Joab perceived the Kings heart was to Ab&s;alom,</HI> then he &s;etteth the
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woman of <HI>Tec<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ah</HI> a begging: The Kings heart is to &s;hew mercy; he hath <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Ezek 18 21.</NOTE> <HI>&s;worn,</HI> that <HI>he hath no plea&s;ure in his de|&s;truction;</HI> therefore take courage and come to him: He hath <HI>&s;ent Chri&s;t to you,</HI> as a pledg of his good-will and mercy, why will you not come to him? He that had <HI>Love enough</HI> to give us Chri&s;t, hath <HI>Bowels enough</HI> to give us Pardon, and <HI>Bounty enough</HI> to give us Heaven, and what ever we &s;tand in need of: Fear not his <HI>Ju&s;tice,</HI> <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Rom. 3. 25, 26. and 1 John 1 9.</NOTE> <HI>Ju&s;tice</HI> and <HI>Mercy</HI> are made friends, Chri&s;t hath taken up the quarrel between them, &s;o that nothing hindereth but that God may act according to the natural inclination of his own grace. And let not the multitude of your &s;ins di&s;courage you; <HI>The free gift is of many offences to Ju&s;tification, Rom.</HI> 5. 16. Take it for the of|fences of many per&s;ons (as the Context &s;eemeth to carry it) and 'tis an encouragement to think of the multiplyed in|&s;tances of Mercy, and how <HI>many monuments of free-grace</HI> we &s;hall &s;ee when we come to Heaven, and that all this while Mercy is not tyred. Or take it for the <HI>many offences</HI> of the &s;ame per&s;on, and &s;till 'tis an encouragement, that Mercy can &s;o often bear with our vanity and folly, and not only pardon <HI>&s;everal &s;orts</HI> of &s;in, but <HI>frequent relap&s;es</HI> into the &s;ame &s;in; He will <HI>multiply to pardin, I&s;ai.</HI> 55. 7. If the Soul &s;till draw back, and be under di&s;couragement, con&s;ider your <HI>own need:</HI> If the Lord were never &s;o <HI>tenacious,</HI> and hard to be intreated, yet &s;uch is your need that you &s;hould follow him with un|ce&s;&s;ant complaints. 'Tis bla&s;phemy to wrong his mercy by le&s;&s;ening thoughts: But grant the &s;inner his &s;uppo&s;ition, yet you &s;hould be in&s;tant, and try what he will do for <HI>impor|tunities</HI> &s;ake. See <HI>Luk.</HI> 11. 8. <GAP DESC="foreign"> and <HI>Luk. 18. 5. <GAP DESC="foreign">, &amp;c.</HI> In tho&s;e Parables there is a kind of conde&s;cention and yeilding to our unbelief; as if the Lord had &s;aid, If you will not beleeve all this that is &s;aid concern|ing my Mercy, yet your <HI>want is great,</HI> that is enough to make you earne&s;t and frequent in your addre&s;&s;es to me; come and &s;ee what I will do for your importunity; the unju&s;t Judg was moved with the widows clamour: be it as you imagine, that I have no bowels for creatures mi&s;eries, nor ears for their reque&s;ts, which yet is a <HI>bla&s;phemy</HI> confuted by every
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object in the world, the <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Iob 38. 41. Mat. 6. 26. Luke 12. 2<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">.</NOTE> <HI>young Ravens</HI> will tell you other|wi&s;e: but be it &s;o, you are undone if I be not merciful; &s;ee what I will do for <HI>con&s;tant asking.</HI> Upon all the&s;e encourage|ments be per&s;waded to make <HI>an e&s;&s;ay:</HI> faith at fir&s;t &s;tandeth but upon one <HI>weak foot;</HI> <NOTE N="&dagger;" PLACE="marg">Jonah 3. 10. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">o<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">l 2. 14.</NOTE> <HI>Who knoweth but that God will be gracious?</HI> There is encouragement enough to venture, though we do not know what will come of it: Take up a <HI>re&s;olution</HI> to make tryal; you will find better welcome then you can expect; God de&s;ires to exerci&s;e mercy as much as you de&s;ire to feel it.</P>
<P>It pre&s;&s;eth us <HI>in all our enjoyments to acknowledg Mercy:</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">&V;&s;e 3.</NOTE> <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Ephe&s;. 2. 4. 1 Tim. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">. 13 Gen 33 6 Phil. 2 27.</NOTE> The Saints are wont to do &s;o: 'Tis good to refer all things to their head and proper fountain: Every thing that we en|joy is the fruit of Mercy, e&s;pecially <HI>&s;aving grace.</HI> 'Tis a &s;ure &s;ign a man hath received no benefit by grace, if his heart be not &s;tirred up to prai&s;e it. We have cau&s;e to prai&s;e God for his <HI>mercy</HI> above the <HI>Angels;</HI> I mean not only the <HI>bad Angels,</HI> with whom God entered not into a treaty, he dealt with them in <HI>ju&s;tice,</HI> and not in <HI>mercy;</HI> but even the <HI>good Angels</HI> in &s;ome re&s;pects we have more cau&s;e to ble&s;s God then they have: Gratitude re&s;pecteth the <HI>freene&s;s</HI> and <HI>gra|ciou&s;ne&s;s</HI> in giving, rather then the <HI>greatne&s;s of the benefit.</HI> God was <HI>bountiful</HI> to the Angels in making them &s;uch excel|lent creatures <HI>out of nothing;</HI> but he is merciful to us, not|with&s;tanding the <HI>demerit of our &s;ins.</HI> There was no let in his doing good to the Angels, Goodne&s;s floweth out freely from an <HI>holy God</HI> to <HI>righteous creatures;</HI> but wronged Ju&s;tice in|terpo&s;ed, and put in a bar again&s;t us; &s;o that his <HI>Ju&s;tice</HI> mu&s;t be &s;atisfied, before <HI>Mercy</HI> can have a free cour&s;e. We are a generation of &s;inful men, the wretched off-&s;pring of fallen <HI>Adam;</HI> we had for&s;aken God, and ca&s;t him off, which the Angels had not; and therefore though they have a <HI>large experience</HI> of Gods goodne&s;s, yet they wonder at the grace &s;hewed to us, 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 1. 12. But now much more is this mercy to be acknowledged, if we con&s;ider the difference between us and other men, who it may be excelled us in <HI>moral accom|pli&s;hments;</HI> but God hath pa&s;&s;ed them by, choo&s;ing us poor things of nought, poor <HI>ba&s;e creatures,</HI> that the glory might
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entirely redound to his own grace. But e&s;pecially &s;hould this Mercy affect us, when it hath made a di&s;tinction between us and others that were involved in the &s;ame guilt; when <HI>one is taken,</HI> and <HI>another left;</HI> as the <HI>bad thief</HI> went to his own place, when the <HI>good thief</HI> was taken to <HI>Paradi&s;e;</HI> and many of Gods Elect were as <HI>deep in &s;in</HI> as tho&s;e in Hell: I &s;ay, in all &s;uch ca&s;es we &s;hould &s;till be crying out, <HI>Mercy, mercy;</HI> for certainly <HI>Ju&s;tice</HI> could make no &s;uch <HI>di&s;tinction;</HI> it award|eth <HI>a like puni&s;hment</HI> to all that are found in <HI>a like crime;</HI> but Gods infinite and eternal Mercy only maketh the differ|ence.</P>
<P>'Tis <HI>Caution;</HI> Do not wrong <HI>Grace</HI> and <HI>Mercy,</HI> if it be<NOTE PLACE="marg">&V;&s;e 4.</NOTE> the cau&s;e of all the good which we enjoy: this is to clo&s;e up the Fountain, and to make <HI>Mercy</HI> our <HI>Enemy;</HI> and if <HI>Mercy</HI> be our <HI>Enemy,</HI> who &s;hall plead for us? If <HI>Mercy</HI> be an <HI>Ac|cu&s;er,</HI> where &s;hall we get an <HI>Advocate?</HI> But how do we wrong <HI>Grace?</HI> I an&s;wer, Partly by neglecting the offers of it, when you make God <HI>&s;peak in vain, 2 Cor.</HI> 6. 2. 'Tis a great affront we put upon God, to de&s;pi&s;e him, when he &s;peaketh to us in the <HI>&s;till voyce,</HI> and all the <HI>woi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">gs</HI> and <HI>pleading of Mercy</HI> do not move to look after our Salvation; though you do not <HI>despi&s;e,</HI> there is danger in bare <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">So tho&s;e in <HI>Matthew</HI> did not <HI>deny,</HI> but make <HI>excu&s;e, <GAP DESC="foreign">, Matth.</HI> 22. 5 They would not take it in|to their <HI>care</HI> and <HI>thoughts.</HI></NOTE> <HI>neglect, Heb.</HI> 2. 3. When all the <HI>charms</HI> of Mercy do no more work with you, then a &s;tory of <HI>golden mountains,</HI> or <HI>Rubies</HI> and <HI>Diamonds</HI> faln from Heaven in a <HI>night dream;</HI> this neglect argueth a <HI>greater &s;u&s;pition</HI> and <HI>di&s;tru&s;t</HI> of Gods mercy, then <HI>doubts</HI> and <HI>troubles of Con&s;cience</HI> do; <HI>Mercy</HI> &s;peaketh to them, and they do not think the <HI>me&s;&s;age</HI> worth the <HI>hearing</HI> or <HI>regarding.</HI> Again, You wrong Grace by <HI>refu&s;ing</HI> it out of <HI>legal dejection,</HI> for by this means you <HI>&s;traiten</HI> the <HI>riches,</HI> and <HI>darken</HI> the <HI>glory</HI> of it; as if there were not more in Grace then there is in &s;in; or as if an <HI>Emperors Revenue</HI> could not di&s;charge a <HI>beggars debt:</HI> The Prodigal could &s;ay, there was <HI>bread enough in his fathers hou&s;e:</HI> If we peri&s;h, 'tis not for <HI>want of mercy,</HI> but for <HI>want of faith:</HI> Grace is Gods trea&s;ure; he is <HI>rich in mer|cy, Ephe&s;.</HI> 2. 4. As far as we &s;traiten grace, we make him a <HI>poorer God.</HI> Again, We wrong <HI>Grace</HI> and <HI>Mercy</HI> by <HI>inter|cepting the glory of it:</HI> 'Tis the greate&s;t <HI>&s;acriledg</HI> that can be,
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to rob God of <HI>his Glory,</HI> e&s;pecially of the <HI>glory of his Grace;</HI> for that's his great aim in all his tran&s;actions with man to make his <HI>Grace</HI> and <HI>Mercy glorious;</HI> &s;ee <HI>Ephe&s;.</HI> 1. 6. Now when you think God accepteth you rather then others for <HI>&s;ome worth</HI> and <HI>good qualities</HI> that he &s;eeth in you more then others; it may be in this light of the Go&s;pel which we now enjoy &s;uch thoughts are not <HI>expre&s;&s;ed,</HI> but <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Deut. 9 4.</NOTE> if they <HI>lurk &s;e|cretly</HI> in the heart, you think <HI>God fore&s;aw you would bring him more glory;</HI> you take the Crown from Grace's head, and put it upon your own. So al&s;o you <HI>wrong Grace</HI> when you a&s;cribe any thing to your <HI>power</HI> and <HI>&s;trength:</HI> as <HI>Joab</HI> &s;ent for <HI>David</HI> to take the honour of winning <HI>Rabbath, 2 Sam. 12. 28. Le&s;t I take the City, and it be called after my own name:</HI> So &s;end for God to take the honour; <HI>Not I, but grace, 1 Cor.</HI> 15. 10. Throw the Crown at <HI>Grace's</HI> feet: The indu&s;trious &s;ervant &s;aid, <HI>Thy pound hath gained ten pounds, Luke</HI> 19. 16. not <HI>my indu&s;try,</HI> but <HI>thy pound.</HI> Once more, We wrong Grace by <HI>turning it into wantonne&s;s;</HI> &s;ee Ver&s;. 4. 'tis made there to be an <HI>heavy charge</HI> and <HI>black note;</HI> when men pre|&s;ume on Grace, and u&s;e it only as a <HI>dung-cart</HI> to carry away their filth; Grace mu&s;t bear all, and pardon all: as riotous children that have a rich father care not how they &s;pend, his e&s;tate &s;hall pay for all. 'Tis a mighty wrong to Grace, this, when you make it pliable to &s;uch vile purpo&s;es, and father the <HI>ba&s;tards</HI> of your own carnal hearts upon <HI>Gospel encou|ragements:</HI> 'Tis the <HI>Devils Covenant,</HI> not Gods, when you think that you may live as you li&s;t, be at your <HI>own dispo&s;e,</HI> and <HI>mercy</HI> &s;hall be at <HI>your beck,</HI> and you &s;hall have comfort when you plea&s;e, and that you may &s;in freely becau&s;e God pardoneth freely, as if Mercy gave you a <HI>priviledg</HI> and <HI>liberty to &s;in.</HI> In &s;hort, If a man &s;lackens any part of his duty for Mercy's &s;ake, or lets loo&s;e the reins to vile affections with more freedom, upon the pre&s;umption that God will not be <HI>rigorous,</HI> he wrongeth Grace exceedingly; I &s;ay, if he grow more <HI>carele&s;s, &s;ecure, negligent,</HI> not &s;o <HI>con&s;tant</HI> in duty, not &s;o <HI>watchful</HI> and <HI>&s;trict</HI> in conver&s;ation, or abateth ought of his humiliation for &s;in, he is a <HI>&s;pider</HI> that &s;ucketh poy&s;on out of this flower. La&s;tly, We wrong Grace by <HI>&s;lighting it after</HI>
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<HI>a ta&s;te:</HI> At fir&s;t coming to Chri&s;t, we make an <HI>e&s;&s;ay</HI> and <HI>tryal,</HI> and u&s;ually then God giveth us <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">1 Pet. 2. 3 Heb. 6. 4, 5. 6.</NOTE> <HI>a ta&s;te</HI> to engage us to look for more: Now <HI>after tryal</HI> you are not &s;atisfied, but return to your &s;inful cour&s;es again; and &s;o do as it were proclaim to the World that you found carnal comforts and plea&s;ures to be better then communion with God: This is but the <HI>interpretation</HI> of your Apo&s;tacy. The whole aim of the Word is to per&s;wade us to make tryal of the <HI>&s;weetne&s;s of Grace;</HI> Now you that have once <HI>ta&s;ted</HI> of it, and grow <HI>wea|ry,</HI> do by your practi&s;e tell the World that there is no &s;weet|ne&s;s in it at all, which is a great wrong to <HI>Grace</HI> and <HI>Mercy.</HI></P>
<P>'Tis high time now to &s;peak of the &s;econd thing prayed for, which is <HI>Peace;</HI> Whence ob&s;erve, <HI>That Peace is a great</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat.</NOTE> <HI>Ble&s;&s;ing, one of the main Priviledges of the Gospel.</HI></P>
<P>I &s;hall, fir&s;t, Shew you what it is: Secondly, Give you &s;ome Ob&s;ervations concerning it; and thirdly, Come to Application.</P>
<P>1. What it is; 'Tis <HI>a tranquillity of mind, ari&s;ing from the &s;en&s;e of a &s;ure e&s;tate with God.</HI> To this Peace two things con|cur. Fir&s;t, A <HI>&s;ure e&s;tate,</HI> or <HI>terms of amity</HI> with God: this is called in Scripture <HI>peace with God,</HI> and is the <HI>immediate effect</HI> and <HI>fruit</HI> of <HI>actual Ju&s;tification, Rom.</HI> 5. 1. And then &s;econdly, There is <HI>a &s;en&s;e</HI> of this &s;ure e&s;tate, or the <HI>reflex of this amity</HI> upon the Con&s;cience, and is u&s;ually called <HI>peace of Con&s;cience,</HI> and is a <HI>&s;pecial priviledg</HI> of Chri&s;ts <HI>&s;piritual Kingdom:</HI> &s;ee <HI>Rom.</HI> 14. 17. the Apo&s;tle &s;peaketh there of a <HI>peace</HI> which is ranked with <HI>joy in the Holy Gho&s;t.</HI> But it will be better opened to you in the en&s;uing Propo&s;itions.</P>
<P>1. <HI>Man by Nature is at enmity with God, and upon ill terms with him.</HI> When we lo&s;t <HI>Gods Image,</HI> we lo&s;t <HI>his favour.</HI> This enmity is <HI>mutual;</HI> Man is an enemy to God, and God is an enemy to man: On Gods part there is <HI>wrath,</HI> which is all that we are born to <HI>by Nature, Ephe&s;.</HI> 2. 3. and on mans part there is <HI>hatred;</HI> we <HI>hate God,</HI> becau&s;e we <HI>love &s;in, Col.</HI> 1. 21. Gods enmity is &s;u&s;pended in the day of his patience; Now and then Wrath breaketh out, but 'tis not executed to the full; <HI>&s;entence</HI> is <HI>pa&s;t,</HI> but not <HI>executed:</HI> nay it may be <HI>rever&s;ed</HI>
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if we <HI>take &s;anctuary at Grace;</HI> for God is now upon a <HI>treaty</HI> with us, or <HI>offer of peace;</HI> therefore 'tis &s;aid, <HI>Peace on Earth, Luke</HI> 2. 14. The next World is a time of <HI>vengeance</HI> and <HI>re|compence;</HI> but during our <HI>earthly &s;tate</HI> God woeth us and enviteth us to lay down the weapons of our defiance, and ac|cept of terms of Peace: Thus matters &s;tand on Gods part. But now on our part this enmity is carryed on with a great deal of &s;pight; We &s;eek to <HI>de&s;troy God,</HI> and to deface all the memorials of him that are impre&s;&s;ed upon the Con&s;cience; we <HI>ungod</HI> him in our thoughts and affections: 'tis a <HI>plea&s;ing thought</HI> to us to &s;uppo&s;e <HI>if there were no God;</HI> as guilty pri|&s;oners wi&s;h there were <HI>no Judg, no A&s;&s;izes,</HI> that they may not be called to account.</P>
<P>2. <HI>Man being at enmity with God, all Gods creatures are at enmity with him: Angels, men fire, ayr, water, they are all at Gods beck,</HI> and are ready to de&s;troy man when ever the Lord biddeth them; as good Subjects take part with their Prince again&s;t Rebels: The Angels <HI>harken for the voyce of his Word, P&s;al.</HI> 103. If he do but <HI>hi&s;s for the fly of Egypt, I&s;a.</HI> 7&punc; 'tis ready pre&s;ently: 'Tis ill conte&s;ting with him that can <HI>command Legions;</HI> The <HI>fire</HI> &s;aith, <HI>Let me burn his hou&s;e or dwelling place;</HI> the <HI>water</HI> &s;aith, <HI>Let me drown his &s;hips;</HI> the <HI>Earth, Let me &s;wallow him up quick as I did Corah and his complices.</HI> Certainly the Lord cannot want in&s;truments of Vengeance: Man as <HI>Gods creature</HI> is his <HI>own enemy:</HI> God needeth not fetch forces from <HI>without,</HI> there is enough <HI>with|in;</HI> the <HI>humors</HI> of the body, the <HI>pa&s;&s;ions</HI> of the mind, all the&s;e are willing to &s;erve God as creatures for our puni&s;h|ment: &s;o that if God &s;hould but arm our <HI>own thoughts,</HI> our <HI>own affections</HI> again&s;t us, man is &s;oon overwhelmed: Who can bear <HI>the wounds</HI> given him by his own Con&s;cience?</P>
<P>3. <HI>We being in this e&s;tate, can only be reconciled by Je&s;us Chri&s;t:</HI> He <HI>obtaineth</HI> it by his <HI>Merit,</HI> and <HI>conferreth</HI> it by his <HI>Power.</HI> For his <HI>Merit,</HI> &s;ee <HI>Col.</HI> 1. 20. and <HI>I&s;ai. 53. 5. The cha|&s;ti&s;ement of our Peace was upon him:</HI> It will not &s;tand with the Maje&s;ty of God to make Peace with us without <HI>&s;atisfac|tion:</HI> That there might be no wrong done to his <HI>Soveraign|ty,</HI> his <HI>Law,</HI> his <HI>Truth,</HI> his <HI>Ju&s;tice,</HI> his <HI>Holine&s;s,</HI> it was meet
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that we &s;hould be <HI>cha&s;ti&s;ed</HI> either in our <HI>own per&s;ons</HI> or in <HI>our Surety;</HI> and al&s;o all the notions of the Godhead are kept inviolable. Then for his <HI>Power;</HI> He <HI>worketh it at fir&s;t,</HI> and then <HI>maintaineth</HI> and <HI>keepeth it afoot</HI> between God and us: He worketh it at fir&s;t, and bringeth it about thus, by <HI>opening the Go&s;pel,</HI> wherein God is revealed as pacified in Chri&s;t; which is the only doctrine that can <HI>calm the Con&s;ci|ence,</HI> and e&s;tabli&s;h the Soul in peace and hope: All <HI>fal&s;e Re|ligions</HI> are accompanied with <HI>&s;cruples</HI> and <HI>jealou&s;ies, Jer.</HI> 6. 16. there is <HI>no re&s;t for the Soul.</HI> And then he applyeth the Go&s;pel by his Spirit: The Go&s;pel is a <HI>&s;overaign Plai&s;ter,</HI> but Chri&s;ts own hand mu&s;t make it &s;tick. There is a double ground of enmity in mans heart, the <HI>guilt</HI> and <HI>power</HI> of &s;in; Chri&s;t wipeth <HI>guilt</HI> out of the con&s;cience by the application of his own blood, and weakeneth the <HI>power</HI> of &s;in more and more: <HI>Sin</HI> is the <HI>Makebate,</HI> and <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> is the <HI>Prince of Peace, I&s;a</HI> 9. 6. The great end for which God &s;et him up, was to plant grace in our hearts, and &s;o to work a friend&s;hip between God and us. But Chri&s;t is not only the <HI>Author,</HI> but the <HI>great Con|&s;ervator</HI> of the Peace between <HI>us</HI> and <HI>Heaven,</HI> Partly by his <HI>Interce&s;&s;ion:</HI> as forreign States have their Agents in Princes Courts to pre&s;erve a mutual Corre&s;pondence; &s;o Chri&s;t taketh up all differences that fall out between us and God, that no breach may en&s;ue, <HI>Heb.</HI> 9. 24. Partly by a further de|claration of Gods love to the con&s;cience, <HI>I&s;ai.</HI> 26. 3. Partly by &s;tirring us up to watchfulne&s;s, that no occa&s;ion may be given on our part by <HI>returning to folly, P&s;al.</HI> 85. 8. Thus you &s;ee what Chri&s;t doth; all is briefly &s;ummed up by the Apo|&s;tle in 2 <HI>Cor. 5. 19. God was in Chri&s;t reconciling the World:</HI> Where note, that our peace with God is a <HI>reconciliation</HI> or a peace after a breach, and this <HI>reconciliation is mutual;</HI> God appeareth in a <HI>form of grace</HI> and <HI>mercy</HI> to us, and we lay down <HI>cur enmity</HI> again&s;t God; he is <HI>gracious</HI> to us, and we <HI>love</HI> and <HI>&s;erve</HI> him: only ob&s;erve, that God <HI>beginneth fir&s;t,</HI> though he the <HI>wronged party;</HI> he <HI>was reconciling:</HI> And mark again, 'tis <HI>in Chri&s;t,</HI> to &s;hew 'tis <HI>&s;ure:</HI> Tho&s;e that are reconciled to men, are &s;till in <HI><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">mbrage</HI> and <HI>&s;u&s;pition</HI> with them; they that have <HI>once</HI> been enemies, they may be again, therefore they do
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not return to <HI>perfect grace;</HI> When the <HI>wound</HI> is cured, the <HI>&s;cars</HI> remain: But our reconciliation with God 'tis like the <HI>&s;odering of a ve&s;&s;el,</HI> which is &s;tronge&s;t in <HI>the crack;</HI> or as a leg broken, if <HI>well &s;et,</HI> it is the &s;tronger: &s;o are vve upon <HI>firmer terms</HI> then vve vvere <HI>in innocency;</HI> there vvas a <HI>po&s;&s;ibility</HI> of being at odds vvith God, vvhich is novv taken avvay.</P>
<P>4. <HI>God being reconciled in Chri&s;t, all things el&s;e are at peace with us:</HI> For his League vvith us is <HI>offen&s;ive</HI> and <HI>defen&s;ive.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Tranquillu<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> Deus tranquil|lat omnia.</NOTE> <HI>My hor&s;es are as thy hor&s;es, and my chariots as thy chariots: God</HI> and all his <HI>Confederates</HI> are in the League, or rather <HI>God</HI> and all his <HI>Subjects:</HI> as a Prince doth not only contract for his per&s;on, but his &s;ubjects and e&s;tates. Angels are at peace vvith us; in &s;tead of being <HI>In&s;truments of Vengeance,</HI> they become <HI>mini&s;tring Spirits, Heb.</HI> 1. 14. A Chri&s;tian hath an <HI>invi&s;ible guard;</HI> Satan is &s;en&s;ible of it, though vve be not; he &s;aith of <HI>Job, Thou ha&s;t hedged him round about:</HI> Gods <HI>heirs</HI> are vvell attended; <HI>Angels</HI> vvait upon them at Chri&s;ts direction. <HI>Other creatures</HI> &s;erve us, as if they vvere in <HI>League</HI> and <HI>Covenant</HI> vvith us; <HI>Stars, Winds, Seas, Bea&s;ts: Job 5. 23. Thou &s;halt be in league with the &s;tones of the field, and the bea&s;ts &s;hall be at peace with thee:</HI> They are included in Gods League; vvhich is as much as if there vvere an <HI>expre&s;s Cove|nant</HI> betvveen us and them, that they &s;hall not do us harm; they are at <HI>the beck of Providence,</HI> and therefore &s;o far as it conduceth to our good, at our &s;ervice: So <HI>Ho&s;ea 2. 18. I will make a Covenant for them with the bea&s;ts of the field, and the fowls of the Heaven, &amp;c.</HI> So for men, they are <HI>wolves</HI> one to another, yet God can change them: The Go&s;pel <HI>civillizeth,</HI> and pulleth <HI>the bea&s;t</HI> out of mens bo&s;oms vvhere it vvorketh lea&s;t: &s;ee <HI>I&s;ai.</HI> 11. 7&punc; 8, 9. The hearts of men are in Gods hands; he can either <HI>de&s;troy their per&s;ons,</HI> or <HI>re&s;train their rage,</HI> or <HI>turn out their re&s;pects</HI> to you: <HI>When a mans ways plea&s;e the Lord, he maketh his enemies to be at peace with him, Prov.</HI> 16. 17. We think to carry all by <HI>force</HI> and <HI>violence</HI> ma|ny times, but <HI>obedience to God</HI> is the be&s;t vvay to <HI>gain the re|&s;pects of men;</HI> as a <HI>key</HI> openeth a door &s;ooner then an <HI>Iron bar:</HI> If you be in vvith God, you &s;top <HI>enmity</HI> and <HI>&s;trife</HI> at the <HI>Fountain head.</HI> So for <HI>peace with the Saints;</HI> Je&s;us Chri&s;t
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<HI>breaketh down the partition wall, Ephe&s;.</HI> 2. 16, 17, 18. removeth prejudices and jealou&s;ies, changeth intere&s;ts, cleareth up truths, and by his Spirit meekeneth their hearts that they be at one: Surely <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Eodem &s;an|guine Chri&s;ti g<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">u<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="3 letters">ti. <HI>Aug. Confe&s;&s;.</HI> de &s;eip&s;o &amp; <HI>Ali|pio.</HI></NOTE> <HI>his Blood is the be&s;t cement</HI> and <HI>bond of friend&s;hip:</HI> Chri&s;t hath called us <HI>into a Body,</HI> that there might be peace in the Church, <HI>Col. 3. 15. Brothers</HI> have defaced the feelings of Nature, but <HI>fellow-members</HI> are wont to care one for another: Peace with <HI>fellow Saints</HI> was his <HI>dying charge,</HI> his <HI>legacy, John</HI> 14. 27. his prayer, <HI>John</HI> 17. and his con&s;tant care now he is in Heaven. Then for peace with our &s;elves; Sin rendeth and teereth a ma&punc; from him&s;elf, it maketh <HI>a mu|tiny</HI> in his own heart, <HI>Rom. 2. 15. thoughts accu&s;ing and ex|cu&s;ing by turns,</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">&punc; A <HI>man</HI> and his <HI>con&s;cience</HI> are at <HI>odds,</HI> and a <HI>man</HI> and his <HI>affections:</HI> Now we being recon|ciled to God, the foundation is layd for <HI>peace of Con&s;cience,</HI> that we and our hearts may talk together as <HI>loving friends,</HI> without <HI>&s;colding,</HI> without <HI>reproaching</HI> And then Grace giveth us a <HI>calm</HI> and <HI>contented &s;pirit,</HI> which ea&s;eth us of a great deal of trouble; for a <HI>di&s;contented</HI> man is his <HI>own bur|den:</HI> We need the <HI>peace of God</HI> not only in our <HI>con&s;ciences,</HI> but to <HI>bear rule in our hearts, Col.</HI> 3. 16. that we may refer all matters to Gods di&s;po&s;al, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 4. 8.</P>
<P>5. <HI>Though all things are at peace with us, yet &s;ome troubles are left for our exerci&s;e, but not for our hurt and de&s;truction.</HI> The <HI>peace of God</HI> 'tis a very riddle, <HI>Phil. 4. 7. It pa&s;&s;eth all un|der&s;tanding:</HI> To <HI>&s;en&s;e</HI> who more <HI>wretched</HI> then Gods chil|dren, hated, reviled, per&s;ecuted, afflicted? How are they are at peace with God and all his creatures? I an&s;wer, The pri|viledges of Chri&s;ts Kingdom are <HI>&s;piritual;</HI> what ever <HI>trou|bleth</HI> the Saints, nothing can <HI>harm</HI> them, 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 3. 13. they may harm the <HI>man,</HI> but not the <HI>Chri&s;tian:</HI> All things are at peace vvith them, becau&s;e they are at the di&s;po&s;al of a wi&s;e and gracious Providence, and cannot do <HI>hurt</HI> to the <HI>better part;</HI> they vvork for good. <HI>Death</HI> is at peace vvith them, vvhich doth the <HI>greate&s;t hurt</HI> to the <HI>body:</HI> Ask old <HI>Simeon,</HI> and he'l tell you &s;o, <HI>Luke 2. 29. Lord, now lette&s;t thou thy &s;er|vant depart in peace, &amp;c.</HI> They are &s;ent for by their friend; the <HI>King of fears</HI> is a <HI>grim me&s;&s;enger,</HI> but they knovv his <HI>er|rand,</HI>
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and therefore are not <HI>afraid.</HI></P>
<P>6. <HI>In Heaven there is a perfect Peace;</HI> In the nevv <HI>Jeru|&s;alem</HI> all is quiet: <HI>'Tis ju&s;t with God to give you that are trou|bled <GAP DESC="foreign">, re&s;t, 2 The&s;.</HI> 1. 7. And there <HI>is a re&s;t that remaineth for the children of God, Heb.</HI> 4. 9. there vve re&s;t both from <HI>our &s;orrows</HI> and <HI>our labours;</HI> there is no <HI>trouble</HI> nor <HI>affliction</HI> more; all priviledges are at the height; no more appre|hen&s;ions of Gods Wrath, fears of death: there vve are not only free from <HI>hurt,</HI> but <HI>danger;</HI> our <HI>exerci&s;e</HI> is at end: there vve do immediately <HI>behold the Kings face,</HI> vvhich is not granted us here; novv vve are in <HI>Ab&s;aloms condition,</HI> par|doned, <HI>reconciled,</HI> but cannot <HI>&s;ee the Kings face.</HI> So much for the nature of this Peace, and the Ob&s;ervations that open it to you. Let us novv apply all.</P>
<P>If Peace be &s;uch an excellent Ble&s;&s;ing, and a main priviledg<NOTE PLACE="marg">&V;&s;e 1. Tryal.</NOTE> of the Go&s;pel, then it puts us upon tryal; Are vve at peace vvith God through Chri&s;t? If it be &s;o, then, 1. <HI>Enmity is layd a&s;ide;</HI> Gods enemies vvill be yours, and yours vvill be Gods; otherwi&s;e what peace? What do we talk of <HI>peace with God,</HI> as long as we are <HI>in league</HI> with <HI>Gods enemy? What peace as long as the whoredoms of thy mother Jezabel are &s;o many?</HI> Our League with God is <HI>defen&s;ive</HI> and <HI>offen&s;ive:</HI> <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Pax no&s;tra bellum contra Satan<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">m. <HI>Tertul.</HI> ad <HI>Martyras.</HI></NOTE> There is a <HI>war with Satan,</HI> if we be at <HI>peace with God:</HI> The <HI>&s;piritual conflict</HI> is the be&s;t evidence we have of our <HI>unity with God.</HI> With the <HI>wicked</HI> God is at <HI>open war; There is no peace, &amp;c. I&s;ai.</HI> 57. 20. The Devil may be at a <HI>&s;ecret peace</HI> with them, but God is at di&s;tance, and abhorreth all communion with them. Chri&s;t is called the <HI>Prince of Peace, I&s;ai.</HI> 9. 6. but 'tis to tho&s;e that &s;ubmit to his Government, to <HI>his Subjects,</HI> he &s;aith, <HI>Take my yoke upon you, and ye &s;hall find re&s;t, Mat.</HI> 11. 29. We are not in a capacity to receive this Ble&s;&s;ing, till we take an <HI>oath of allegiance to Chri&s;t,</HI> and continue in obedience to him. 2. The next Note is, <HI>delight in communion with God: Job 22. Acquaint thy &s;elf with him and be at peace.</HI> A man that is at peace with God, will be often in his company: Bondage and &s;ervile awe keepeth us out of Gods pre&s;ence; We cannot come to him, becau&s;e we cannot <HI>come in peace.</HI> A man never delighteth in duties of commerce with God,
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when either he hath a <HI>fal&s;e peace</HI> or <HI>no peace:</HI> Duties di&s;turb a <HI>fal&s;e peace;</HI> and when we are <HI>raw</HI> and <HI>&s;our,</HI> we are unfit for work. When a Peace is concluded between Nations that were before at War, <HI>Trading is revived:</HI> &s;o will it be between God and you; commerce will be revived, and you will be <HI>trading</HI> into Heaven, that you may bring avvay rich trea&s;ures of grace and comfort.</P>
<P>It pre&s;&s;eth us to make peace vvith God by Chri&s;t: We<NOTE PLACE="marg">&V;&s;e 2. Exhortation.</NOTE> &s;peak to tvvo &s;orts, the <HI>carele&s;s</HI> and the <HI>di&s;tre&s;&s;ed.</HI> 1. To the carele&s;s; Con&s;ider, you are <HI>born enemies</HI> to God: They that loved him from their cradle upvvard, never loved him: You mu&s;t make <HI>peace</HI> vvith God, for you cannot maintain <HI>war</HI> again&s;t him; <HI>Are you &s;tronger then he?</HI> What vvill you arm? lu&s;ts again&s;t Angels? And do you knovv the <HI>terror of his wrath?</HI> one <HI>&s;park</HI> of it is enough to drink up all your blood and &s;pirits, <HI>Job</HI> 6. 4. The pre&s;ent life is but <HI>a vapor,</HI> &s;oon gone: If God be angry, he can arm the <HI>lea&s;t creature</HI> to kill you: The vvhole Creation taketh part vvith God; <HI>Adrian</HI> vvas &s;trangled <HI>with a Gnat.</HI> But death vvill not end your &s;orrovvs; none can puni&s;h their enemies as God can; he can ruine your body and &s;oul for ever and for ever: Hovv vvill you <HI>&s;creech</HI> and <HI>howl</HI> like Dragons? But your torments are vvithout end and vvithout ea&s;e: Be vvi&s;e then, and do not <HI>&s;leep</HI> vvhen your <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Pet. 2. 3.</NOTE> <HI>damnation &s;leepeth not;</HI> novv is the time to make your peace vvith God; Ah that <HI>you knew in this your day the things that belong to your peace, Luk.</HI> 19. 41. Peace mu&s;t be had novv, or el&s;e it can never be had hereafter; the <HI>day of patience</HI> vvill not alvvays la&s;t; therefore let us get in|to the <HI>Ark</HI> before the <HI>Flood cometh:</HI> Tis a dreadful thing to be under the Wrath of God, and you knovv not hovv &s;oon it vvill light; our care &s;hould be to be <HI>found of him in peace, 2 Pet.</HI> 3. 14. Chri&s;t is novv a Saviour, then a Judg; You vvill <HI>yell</HI> and <HI>howl</HI> for mercy vvhen 'tis too late. 2. I am to &s;peak to <HI>di&s;tre&s;&s;ed Con&s;ciences;</HI> Lift up your heads, God offereth you <HI>peace,</HI> he &s;ent Angels from Heaven to proclaim it, <HI>Luke</HI> 2. 14. The <HI>ground</HI> of the offer is <HI>good-will,</HI> and the <HI>end</HI> of the offer is only his <HI>own glory;</HI> God hath no other <HI>rea&s;ons</HI> to move him to it but his <HI>own good-will,</HI> and no other aim then
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to <HI>glorifie his grace;</HI> &s;ee <HI>Ephe&s;.</HI> 1. 6. and therefore take hold of his <HI>Covenant of Peace,</HI> as 'tis called, <HI>I&s;ai.</HI> 54. 10. He is content we &s;hall have <HI>peace</HI> upon the&s;e terms, and <HI>peace</HI> a&s;|&s;ured us by <HI>Covenant.</HI> Certainly 'tis not a duty <HI>to doubt,</HI> nor a thing acceptable to God, that we &s;hould always be upon terms of perplexity, and <HI>keep Con&s;cience raw</HI> with a &s;en&s;e of wrath and &s;in: Wherefore did Chri&s;t bear the <HI>cha&s;ti&s;ement of our Peace?</HI> God is more plea&s;ed with a <HI>chearful confidence</HI> then a <HI>&s;ervile &s;pirit</HI> full of bondage and fear.</P>
<P>'Tis <HI>Caution:</HI> If <HI>Peace</HI> be a <HI>priviledg</HI> of the Go&s;pel, let<NOTE PLACE="marg">&V;&s;e 3.</NOTE> us take care that we &s;ettle upon a <HI>right Peace,</HI> le&s;t we mi&s;take a <HI>Judgment</HI> for a <HI>Ble&s;&s;ing.</HI> 'Tis the greate&s;t Judgment that can be, to be given up to our own <HI>&s;ecure pre&s;umptions,</HI> and to be lulled a&s;leep with a <HI>fal&s;e peace.</HI> When the pul&s;e doth not beat, the body is in a dangerous e&s;tate; &s;o when <HI>Con&s;ci|ence is benummed,</HI> and &s;uiteth not, 'tis very &s;ad. The Grounds of a fal&s;e and carnal Peace, are, 1. <HI>Ignorance of our condition:</HI> Many go <HI>hoodwink'd</HI> to Hell; a little light breaking in would trouble all, <HI>Rom.</HI> 7. 9. Slutti&s;h corners are not &s;een in the dark <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Iniqua lex e&s;t quae &s;e exqui|nari non pati|tur. <HI>Tertul. Apol.</HI></NOTE>: Things are naught that cannot brook a tryal: So you may know that 'tis very bad with men, when they will not <HI>come to the light, John</HI> 3. 20. or cannot endure to <HI>be alone,</HI> le&s;t Con&s;cience &s;hould return up it &s;elf, and they be forced to look inward; their <HI>confidence</HI> is &s;upported by <HI>meer igno|rance. 2. Sen&s;uality;</HI> Some mens lives are nothing el&s;e but a <HI>diver&s;ion</HI> from one plea&s;ure to another, that they may <HI>put off</HI> that which they cannot <HI>put away;</HI> there is <HI>bondage</HI> in their Con&s;ciences, and they are loth to take notice of it: <HI>Amos 6. 3. They drink wine in bowls, and put far away the evil day:</HI> This is to <HI>quench the &s;pirit</HI> without a metaphor: All their plea&s;ures are but <HI>&s;toln waters,</HI> and <HI>bread eaten in &s;ecret;</HI> frisks of mirth, when they can get Con&s;cience a&s;leep: <HI>Ca<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ns</HI> heart was a trouble to him, therefore he falleth a <HI>building of Cities: Saul</HI> to <HI>cure the evil &s;pirit</HI> ran to his Mu&s;ick; and &s;o u&s;ually men choak Con&s;cience either with <HI>bu&s;ine&s;s</HI> or <HI>plea&s;ures&punc;</HI> 3. From <HI>formality</HI> and <HI>&s;lightne&s;s</HI> in the &s;piritual life: Fir&s;t, Either they do not <HI>&s;eriou&s;ly perform duty;</HI> that will make men &s;ee what carnal un&s;avory &s;aple&s;s &s;pirits they have: He
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that never &s;tirreth, doth not feel the lamene&s;s of his joynts: <HI>Formal duties</HI> make men the more &s;ecure; as the Phari&s;ee thought him&s;elf in a good ca&s;e, becau&s;e, &amp;c. <HI>Luke</HI> 18. 11. but <HI>&s;piritual duties</HI> &s;earch us to the purpo&s;e, as <HI>new wine</HI> doth <HI>old bottles.</HI> Or el&s;e &s;econdly, They do not <HI>exasperate their lu&s;ts,</HI> and &s;eriou&s;ly re&s;i&s;t &s;in: Tumult is made by <HI>oppo&s;ition.</HI> When a man yeildeth to Satan, no wonder that Satan lets him alone: <HI>Luke</HI> 11. 21. The <HI>goods are in peace,</HI> becau&s;e the <HI>Devils po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion</HI> is not di&s;turbed; he rageth mo&s;t when his Kingdom is tottering <HI>Rev.</HI> 12. 12. Plea&s;e the <HI>wor&s;t natures,</HI> and they will not trouble you: There is no tempe&s;t where <HI>wind</HI> and <HI>tyde</HI> go together: You let <HI>Satan</HI> alone, and he lets you alone; this is a <HI>peace</HI> that will end in <HI>trouble.</HI></P>
<P>I now come to &s;peak of the third thing prayed for, and<NOTE PLACE="marg">Love.</NOTE> that is <HI>Love,</HI> which (being taken here not for <HI>Gods love</HI> to us, but <HI>our love to God</HI>) may be thus defined; <HI>'Tis a gracious and</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Definition.</NOTE> <HI>holy affection, which the Soul upon the apprehen&s;ion of Gods love in Chri&s;t, returneth back to God again by his own grace.</HI> The<NOTE PLACE="marg">1. Grounds &amp; Cau&s;es of it.</NOTE> <HI>Grounds</HI> and <HI>Cau&s;es</HI> of it are two; the one worketh by way of <HI>argument</HI> and <HI>&s;wa&s;ion,</HI> the other by way of <HI>efficacy</HI> and <HI>power.</HI></P>
<P>1. It ari&s;eth from <HI>the &s;en&s;e and apprehen&s;ions of Gods love in Chri&s;t.</HI> Love is like a <HI>Diamond,</HI> that is not wrought upon but by its <HI>own du&s;t: 1 John 4. 19. We love him, becau&s;e he loved us fir&s;t.</HI> Love is like an <HI>eccho,</HI> it <HI>returneth</HI> what it <HI>recei|veth;</HI> 'tis a <HI>reflex,</HI> a <HI>reverberation,</HI> or a ca&s;ting back of Gods <HI>beam</HI> and <HI>flame</HI> upon him&s;elf. The <HI>cold wall</HI> &s;endeth back no <HI>reflex of heat</HI> till the Sun &s;hine upon it, and warm it fir&s;t: &s;o neither do we love God till the Soul be fir&s;t filled with a &s;en&s;e of his Love: And as <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Radius re|flexus languet.</NOTE> rays in their relection are more faint and cold; &s;o our <HI>love to God</HI> is much weaker then <HI>Gods love</HI> to us. <HI>Valde&s;&s;o</HI> &s;aith, <HI>God loveth the lowe&s;t Saint more then the highe&s;t Angel loveth God.</HI> Once more, The more <HI>direct</HI> the &s;troke and beam is upon the wall, or any other <HI>&s;olid body,</HI> the &s;tronger always is the reflection; &s;o the more &s;en&s;e we have of the love of God, the &s;tronger is our love to him.</P>
<P>2. The next Cau&s;e of Love is the <HI>grace of God:</HI> there is not only an <HI>apprehen&s;ion of Love,</HI> but the <HI>force of the Spirit</HI>
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goeth along with it: Our <HI>thoughts,</HI> our <HI>di&s;cour&s;es</HI> upon the love of God to us in Chri&s;t, nay our <HI>&s;en&s;e</HI> and <HI>feeling</HI> of it, is not enough to beget this grace in us. Love is a <HI>pure flame,</HI> that mu&s;t be kindled <HI>from above,</HI> as the <HI>Ve&s;tal fire</HI> by a <HI>Sun|beam. 1 John 4. 7. Love is of God;</HI> that is, of a cele&s;tial or heavenly original. There is in the Soul naturally an <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg"><HI>Rom.</HI> 1. 30. <GAP DESC="foreign">.</NOTE> <HI>hatred of God,</HI> and a <HI>pronene&s;s to mingle with pre&s;ent comforts,</HI> which can only be cured by the Spirit of grace: Our <HI>naked appre|hen&s;ions</HI> will not break the force of <HI>natural enmity;</HI> and 'tis God that mu&s;t <HI>circumci&s;e</HI> and pare away the foreskin of the heart before we can <HI>love</HI> him, <HI>Deut.</HI> 30. 6. There is a natural pronene&s;s to <HI>dote upon the creature,</HI> and <HI>hate the Creator.</HI> Ba&s;e creatures <HI>neglect God,</HI> and <HI>pollute them&s;elves with one another;</HI> and there is no help for it till the heart be over-powered by grace. Thus for the Cau&s;es of Love.</P>
<P>The <HI>Object</HI> of Love is <HI>God</HI> him&s;elf; not meerly as con&s;i|dered <HI>in him&s;elf,</HI> for &s;o he is <HI>terrible</HI> to the creature; but as <HI>God in Chri&s;t,</HI> for &s;o he will be known and re&s;pected by us in the Go&s;pel, and &s;o we have the highe&s;t engagement to love him; not only upon the re&s;pects of <HI>Nature,</HI> as <HI>our Creator,</HI> but of <HI>Grace,</HI> as <HI>our God</HI> and <HI>Father in Chri&s;t.</HI> Now God is the <HI>&s;upream Object</HI> of Love, and other things are loved for <HI>Gods &s;ake,</HI> becau&s;e of that of God which we find in them: as <HI>his Word,</HI> which is the Copy of his Holine&s;s; his <HI>engraven Image;</HI> as the Coyn beareth the image of the Prince; &s;o 'tis &s;aid, <HI>P&s;al. 119. 47. I will delight my &s;elf in thy Command|ments which I have loved.</HI> And then <HI>his Saints,</HI> which are his <HI>living Image,</HI> as children re&s;emble their father; &s;o 'tis &s;aid, <HI>P&s;al. 16. 3. To the Saints, and to the excellent of the Earth, in whom is my delight.</HI> And then <HI>other men,</HI> becau&s;e of his <HI>Com|mand, 1 Pet. 1. 5. Add to brotherly-kindne&s;s, love.</HI> So his <HI>crea|tures,</HI> becau&s;e in them we enjoy God, the effects of his Bounty. But chiefly <HI>his Ordinances,</HI> as they exhibit more of God then the <HI>creatures</HI> can: So that Love re&s;pects <HI>God</HI> and other things for <HI>Gods &s;ake.</HI></P>
<P>Again, In the De&s;cription I take notice of the <HI>e&s;&s;ence</HI> or <HI>formal</HI> nature of it, and call it <HI>the return of a gracious and holy affection to God.</HI> Love is carryed out to its Object two ways,
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by <HI>de&s;ire</HI> and <HI>delight:</HI> Our <HI>nece&s;&s;ity</HI> and <HI>need</HI> of God is the ground of <HI>de&s;ire;</HI> and our <HI>propriety</HI> and <HI>intere&s;t</HI> is the ground of <HI>delight: De&s;ires</HI> are <HI>the feet of love,</HI> by which it runneth after its Object; and <HI>delight</HI> is the <HI>re&s;t</HI> and <HI>contentment</HI> of the Soul in the enjoyment of it: Becau&s;e of our <HI>imperfect fruition</HI> in this life, <HI>Love</HI> bewrayeth it &s;elf by <HI>de&s;ires</HI> mo&s;tly, or pur&s;uing after God: See <HI>P&s;al. 63. 8. My heart followeth hard after thee:</HI> It noteth tho&s;e <HI>&s;allies</HI> and <HI>earne&s;t egre&s;&s;ions</HI> of Soul after the Lord, that we may have more communion and fellow&s;hip with him. In &s;hort, the <HI>radical</HI> (if I may &s;o &s;peak) and principal di&s;po&s;ition of <HI>Love</HI> is a <HI>de&s;ire of &V;nion;</HI> for all other effects of love flow from it: This is that makes the Soul to <HI>prize</HI> the <HI>Ordinances,</HI> becau&s;e God is to be en|joyed there; and the&s;e are means of communion with him; <HI>P&s;al. 26. 8. I have loved the place where thine honour dwelleth.</HI> This maketh <HI>&s;in terrible,</HI> becau&s;e it <HI>&s;eparateth from God, I&s;ai.</HI> 59. 2. This maketh <HI>Heaven amiable;</HI> the faire&s;t part of our portion in Heaven is a clo&s;er and nearer communion with Chri&s;t, <HI>Phil.</HI> 1. 23. This maketh the <HI>day of Judgment &s;weet,</HI> for then we &s;hall <HI>meet with our Beloved in the ayr, 2 Tim.</HI> 4. 18. In &s;hort, this maketh the Soul to take &s;uch contentment in <HI>thinking</HI> of God, and <HI>&s;peaking</HI> of God; 'tis the fea&s;t of the Soul; <HI>My meditation of him &s;hall be &s;weet, P&s;al.</HI> 104. 34. Their Souls cannot have a greater &s;olace then to think what a God they have in Chri&s;t.</P>
<P>Having in &s;ome manner de&s;cribed the Love of God, let<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rea&s;ons why we mu&s;t love God. 1. God hath commended it.</NOTE> me u&s;e &s;ome Arguments to pre&s;s you to it.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, <HI>God hath commanded it:</HI> The &s;um of the Law is Love. When the Scribe came to Chri&s;t, <HI>Mat. 22. 36. Ma&s;ter, which is the great Commandment in the Law? Je&s;us &s;aid unto him, Thou &s;halt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and all thy &s;oul, and all thy might:</HI> Mark, this is the <HI>fir&s;t</HI> and <HI>great Commandment,</HI> to love God; 'Tis not a <HI>&s;our</HI> Com|mand, but <HI>&s;weet</HI> and <HI>profitable:</HI> God might have burdened us with other manner of Precepts, con&s;idering his <HI>ab&s;olute right;</HI> to offer our children in &s;acrifice, to mangle our fle&s;h with whips and &s;courges; but the&s;e are <HI>cruelties</HI> proper to the <HI>Devils wor&s;hip.</HI> The Lord is a <HI>gentle Ma&s;ter,</HI> and only
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de&s;ireth <HI>the love of his &s;ervants;</HI> we have cau&s;e to thank him for &s;uch a <HI>gracious Precept.</HI> If he &s;hould require us not to love him, this were <HI>Hell</HI> it &s;elf; that is the <HI>Hell of Hell,</HI> that they which are there do not <HI>love God.</HI> 'Tis our <HI>priviledg</HI> as much as our <HI>duty.</HI> God loveth <HI>all his creatures,</HI> but hath commanded none to love him again but <HI>man</HI> and <HI>Angels;</HI> &s;o that it is the great <HI>priviledg</HI> of the Saints, to <HI>love God.</HI> It had been a <HI>great favour</HI> if God had <HI>given us leave</HI> to love him: as it would be a great favour if <HI>a King &s;hould give leave</HI> to one of his <HI>meane&s;t Subjects</HI> to have the key of his privy Chamber, to come to him and vi&s;it him, and be familiar with him when he plea&s;eth; how would this be talked of in the world! yet this is not &s;o wonderful, &s;ince the <HI>King</HI> and the <HI>Pea&s;ant</HI> are <HI>both men;</HI> in their <HI>natural being</HI> they are <HI>equal,</HI> though in their <HI>civil di&s;tinction</HI> and <HI>condition of life</HI> there be a <HI>difference.</HI> But what a favour is this, that he who is the <HI>King of Kings,</HI> and <HI>Lord of Lords,</HI> doth not only <HI>permit</HI> his creature made by his own hands to come to him, and love him, and deal with him when he plea&s;eth, but hath <HI>expre&s;ly commanded it?</HI> nay this is <HI>the great Commandment:</HI> Cer|tainly God is very de&s;irous of our love, when he layeth <HI>&s;uch an obligation</HI> upon us: Was there ever &s;uch a Ma&s;ter, that made this to be his &s;ervants chiefe&s;t duty, that they &s;hould <HI>love him?</HI> Again, I ob&s;erve in Gods Command that the Precept runneth thus, <HI>Thou &s;halt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy &s;oul, and with all thy might.</HI> The Lord would not lo&s;e one grain of the creatures love; Surely he <HI>valued</HI> it, when he is &s;o <HI>&s;ollicitous</HI> about it. If we &s;hould &s;ee a <HI>wi&s;e man</HI> careful to pre&s;erve <HI>the reliques</HI> of what we counted <HI>a neglected weed,</HI> it would make us think there were &s;omewhat in it. We lavi&s;h away our love upon <HI>trifles,</HI> and God prizeth <HI>every grain of it:</HI> you &s;ee he &s;peaketh as if he would not lo&s;e one du&s;t of love; <HI>all thy &s;oul, all thy heart, and all thy might.</HI> When he biddeth us love our neighbor, he &s;ets limits to it, <HI>Thou &s;halt love thy neighbor as thy &s;elf;</HI> but when he biddeth us love God, he requireth <HI>all the heart:</HI> The only mea&s;ure is to love him without mea&s;ure. The next place that I &s;hall take notice of, where the Precept is
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recorded, is <HI>Deut. 10. 12. And now I&s;rael, what doth the Lord require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God, and to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to &s;erve the Lord with all thy heart, and with all thy &s;oul?</HI> God doth not require of us things without the <HI>&s;phere of duty;</HI> that we &s;hould go into the depths of the Sea, to&s;s mountains in the ayr, pluck the &s;tars from Heaven, &amp;c. the&s;e things lie out of the <HI>power of man:</HI> He doth not require of us <HI>barbarous au&s;terities&punc;</HI> to offer <HI>our fir&s;t-born,</HI> to lance our &s;elves, to mangle our fle&s;h with whips and &s;courges: He doth not require of us ab&s;o|lutely &s;uch things which &s;ome men can and ought to per|form; not &s;uch a <HI>mea&s;ure of alms,</HI> what then would become of the <HI>poor?</HI> not &s;uch a <HI>degree of wi&s;dom and learning,</HI> what then would become of the <HI>&s;imple</HI> and <HI>unlearned?</HI> But <HI>O I&s;rael, what hath the Lord required of thee, but that thou &s;hould&s;t love the Lord thy God?</HI> A duty to be performed by <HI>poor</HI> and <HI>rich, learned</HI> and <HI>unlearned;</HI> what ever their e&s;tate and condition be, they may all <HI>love God:</HI> There are many in Heaven that never were in a condition to <HI>give,</HI> but to <HI>receive,</HI> that were never <HI>learned,</HI> and <HI>skilled in &s;ciences,</HI> but none that <HI>never loved God.</HI></P>
<P>Secondly, <HI>God hath de&s;erved love.</HI> Let us a little take no|tice<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Rea&s;on, God hath de|&s;erved it.</NOTE> of <HI>Gods love to us;</HI> He <HI>beginneth,</HI> and loveth us, that we may love him again, 1 <HI>John</HI> 4. 19. If God &s;hould <HI>hate</HI> us, we were bound to <HI>love him,</HI> becau&s;e of his <HI>excellency,</HI> and be|cau&s;e of our <HI>duty</HI> and <HI>obligation</HI> as we are <HI>creatures;</HI> how much more when God hath <HI>loved us,</HI> and be&s;towed &s;o many benefits upon us? <HI>Love</HI> is an affection which God will have repayed <HI>in kind:</HI> When he <HI>chideth</HI> us, he doth not expect that we &s;hould <HI>chide</HI> him again; when he <HI>judgeth</HI> us, we mu&s;t not <HI>judg</HI> him again: in the&s;e things the creature is not to <HI>retaliate:</HI> 'Tis true, we do it too often, but &s;till to our <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">o&s;s and blame. But now when he <HI>loveth</HI> us, he willeth us to <HI>love</HI> him again; he <HI>loveth</HI> us for no other cau&s;e but that he may be <HI>loved;</HI> Love mu&s;t be payd in kind: As water is ca&s;t into a Pump when the &s;prings lie low to bring up more water; &s;o God &s;heddeth abroad his love into our hearts, that our love may ri&s;e up to him again by way of <HI>gratitude</HI>
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and <HI>recompence.</HI> Now in the Love of God we may take notice of the</P>
<P>1. <HI>Properties</HI> and of it.</P>
<P>2. <HI>Effects</HI> of it.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, For the <HI>Properties</HI> of Gods Love, con&s;ider,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Properties of Gods Love. 1. The Anci|entne&s;s.</NOTE></P>
<P>1. The <HI>Ancientne&s;s</HI> of it; <HI>P&s;al. 103. 17. From everla&s;ting to everla&s;ting, &amp;c.</HI> With reverence we may &s;peak, ever &s;ince God was God he was <HI>our God:</HI> You may track his Love from <HI>one Eternity</HI> to <HI>another; Before the world was</HI> he loved us, and when the <HI>world is no more</HI> he loveth us &s;till: His Love began in <HI>eternal purpo&s;es of Grace,</HI> and it endeth in our <HI>eter|nal po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion of Glory.</HI> 'Tis not a thing <HI>of ye&s;terday;</HI> he is our <HI>ancient Friend;</HI> He loved us not only before <HI>we were lovely,</HI> but before <HI>we were</HI> at all. We adjourn and put off our love of God to old age, and thru&s;t it into a narrow corner: When we have wa&s;ted and &s;pent our &s;trength in the <HI>world,</HI> we dream of a <HI>devout retirement:</HI> But the Lord thinketh he could never love us <HI>early enough; From everla&s;ting to ever|la&s;ting, &amp;c.</HI> We receive the <HI>fruits</HI> and <HI>effects</HI> of Love in time, but all cometh out of Gods <HI>ancient</HI> and <HI>eternal</HI> Love; this grace was provided for us <HI>before we were born.</HI> Yea look upon Gods Love <HI>in time;</HI> how merciful was God to us be|fore we could &s;hew the <HI>lea&s;t &s;ign of thankefulne&s;s</HI> to him? He loved us a long time before ever we had a thought of him: <HI>In infancy</HI> we could not &s;o much <HI>as know</HI> that he loved us: When we came to <HI>years of di&s;cretion,</HI> we knew how to <HI>offend</HI> him, before we knew how to <HI>love</HI> and <HI>&s;erve</HI> him: How many are there of whom it may be &s;aid, <HI>God is not in all their thoughts?</HI> and yet all this while God hath <HI>thoughts of peace</HI> and <HI>ble&s;&s;ing</HI> towards them.</P>
<P>2. Con&s;ider the <HI>Freene&s;s of Gods Love:</HI> The value of all<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 The Free|ne&s;s.</NOTE> benefits ari&s;eth from the <HI>nece&s;&s;ity</HI> of him that <HI>receiveth,</HI> and the <HI>good-will</HI> of him that <HI>giveth.</HI> God wanted not us, our love is no benefit to him; but we wanted him, we are un|done without him; yet he hath more delight in <HI>pardoning</HI> then we in <HI>&s;alvation,</HI> and he is more ready to <HI>give</HI> then we<NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ii <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 span"></NOTE> to <HI>ask:</HI> He often calleth upon us to call upon him; as if he
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<HI>were afraid</HI> we would not <HI>ask,</HI> or not <HI>enough,</HI> or not <HI>&s;oon</HI> enough, or not <HI>often</HI> enough. A man would think that our <HI>wants</HI> &s;hould be <HI>importunate enough</HI> to put us upon <HI>reque&s;ts,</HI> and that we needed not enforcements to <HI>prayer;</HI> yet you &s;ee God doth not only <HI>prevent the reque&s;t,</HI> but <HI>make the prayer,</HI> and &s;tirreth us up to utter it. But we are not only <HI>needy creatures,</HI> but <HI>guilty creatures;</HI> and that God &s;hould love us! When we were in <HI>our blood</HI> and <HI>filthine&s;s,</HI> 'twas a <HI>time of loves, Ezek.</HI> 16. 7. This is the great Miracle of divine Love, that a <HI>time of loathing</HI> is a <HI>time of loves:</HI> And we will wonder at it more if we con&s;ider the <HI>active and endle&s;s hatred</HI> of his Ho|line&s;s again&s;t <HI>&s;in,</HI> and therefore why not again&s;t <HI>&s;inners?</HI> The <HI>holine&s;s</HI> of his Nature and E&s;&s;ence &s;ets him again&s;t them; and <HI>natural antipathies</HI> and aver&s;ations can never be <HI>recon|ciled;</HI> as a Man can never be brought to delight in a Toad, or a Lamb in a Wolf. And con&s;ider again his <HI>infinite Wi&s;|dom;</HI> We may love that which is not lovely, becau&s;e we are often blinded by <HI>inordinate affection;</HI> but now Gods Love is not <HI>blind,</HI> and overcome with the vehemency of any pa&s;|&s;ion, as mans is: this maketh the wonder, there is no <HI>blind|ne&s;s</HI> and <HI>pa&s;&s;ion</HI> in him that <HI>loveth,</HI> and yet the thing that is <HI>loved</HI> is <HI>vile</HI> and <HI>uncomely.</HI></P>
<P>3. The <HI>frequency</HI> of the expre&s;&s;ions of his <HI>Love:</HI> It would<NOTE PLACE="marg">3 Frequency.</NOTE> weary the <HI>arm of an Angel</HI> to write down Gods repeated Acts of Grace; <HI>Rom. 5. 17. The free gift is of many offences unto Ju&s;tification.</HI> We carry <HI>loads of experiences</HI> with us to Heaven. Gods <HI>Book of Remembrance</HI> is written within and without. This will be our <HI>wonder</HI> and <HI>amazement</HI> at the <HI>la&s;t day,</HI> to &s;ee &s;uch <HI>huge &s;ums</HI> cancelled with <HI>Chri&s;ts blood:</HI> Eve|ry day <HI>pardoning mercy</HI> is put in: Our pa&s;t lives are but a <HI>con&s;tant experience</HI> of our <HI>&s;inning,</HI> and Gods <HI>pardoning.</HI> We are <HI>weary</HI> of every thing but &s;in; we are never weary of that, becau&s;e 'tis <HI>natural</HI> to us. The very <HI>refre&s;hments</HI> of life by continuance grow <HI>burden&s;om:</HI> Meat, drink, mu&s;ick, &s;leep, the chiefe&s;t plea&s;ures vvithin a vvhile need to be <HI>refre&s;hed</HI> vvith other plea&s;ures; Man is a <HI>re&s;tle&s;s creature,</HI> and loveth <HI>&s;hift</HI> and <HI>change.</HI> But now vve are never weary of <HI>&s;in;</HI> we have it from the <HI>womb,</HI> and we keep it to the <HI>grave;</HI> and yet
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all this while we &s;ub&s;i&s;t upon God: we &s;ub&s;i&s;t upon him eve|ry moment; We have <HI>life,</HI> and <HI>breath,</HI> and <HI>hourly mainte|nance</HI> from him, whom we thus <HI>grieve</HI> and <HI>offend: Depend|ance</HI> &s;hould beget <HI>ob&s;ervance,</HI> but in us 'tis otherwi&s;e: As a dunghill &s;endeth out vapors to ob&s;cure the Sun that &s;hineth upon it; &s;o do we di&s;honour the God of our mercies, and grieve him day by day: How long hath God been <HI>multiply|ing pardons,</HI> and yet Free-grace is not <HI>tyred</HI> and grown <HI>weary?</HI></P>
<P>4. Con&s;ider the <HI>variety of the expre&s;&s;ions of his Love:</HI> We<NOTE PLACE="marg">4. Variety.</NOTE> have all kind of mercies, we eat mercy, we wear mercy, we are <HI>encompa&s;&s;ed with mercy as with a &s;hield:</HI> The Apo&s;tle &s;aith, 2 <HI>Pet. 1. 3. He hath given us all things that pertain to life and godline&s;s;</HI> that is (as I would interpret) all things that are nece&s;&s;ary to <HI>life natural,</HI> to <HI>life &s;piritual;</HI> to <HI>maintain grace</HI> here, and to bring us to <HI>glory</HI> hereafter. He that hath an intere&s;t in Chri&s;t, his portion is <HI>not &s;traitened;</HI> he hath <HI>a right</HI> to all things, and a <HI>po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion</HI> of as much as <HI>Providence</HI> judgeth <HI>needful;</HI> therein we mu&s;t not be our <HI>own carvers:</HI> A man of <HI>mortified affections</HI> thinketh he hath provi&s;ion enough, if he hath things <HI>nece&s;&s;ary to life and godline&s;s:</HI> and will you not love God for all this? Certainly we do not want <HI>obliga|tions,</HI> but we want <HI>affections.</HI> Look as <HI>too much wood</HI> puts out <HI>the fire&punc;</HI> and cau&s;eth <HI>&s;moak;</HI> &s;o the <HI>multitude</HI> and <HI>dayly expe|rience</HI> of Gods mercies le&s;&s;eneth the e&s;teem of them: We have but <HI>too many mercies,</HI> and that maketh us <HI>unkind</HI> and <HI>neglectful of God.</HI> What &s;hall I tell you of Sabbaths, Ordi|nances, food, rayment? If a man would be but his <HI>own re|membrancer,</HI> and now and then come to <HI>an account</HI> with God, he would cry out, Oh <HI>the multitude of thy thoughts to us-ward, how great is the &s;um of them! P&s;al.</HI> 139. Or if a man would but keep a <HI>journal</HI> of his own life, what a va&s;t volume would his private experiences make? how would he find mercy and him&s;elf <HI>&s;till growing</HI> up together? Shall I &s;hew you a little what a <HI>multitude of mercies</HI> there are? I will not &s;peak of the <HI>higher</HI> and <HI>choycer</HI> mercies, &s;uch as concern the <HI>&s;oul,</HI> but of &s;uch as concern the <HI>body:</HI> What a deal of provi&s;ion is there for the comfort and welfare of the body? I in&s;tance
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in the&s;e mercies, partly becau&s;e they are <HI>&s;o common,</HI> that they are &s;carce noted; partly becau&s;e <HI>carnal men</HI> prize the <HI>body</HI> mo&s;t, they prefer it above the Soul: now the Lord would leave them <HI>without excu&s;e;</HI> they that <HI>love the body</HI> &s;hall not want arguments to urge them to <HI>love God,</HI> &s;ince he hath be|&s;towed &s;o much of his <HI>love</HI> and <HI>care upon the body,</HI> to gratifie <HI>all the &s;en&s;es</HI> not only for <HI>nece&s;&s;ity,</HI> but <HI>delight.</HI> There is <HI>light</HI> for the <HI>eye;</HI> the poore&s;t man hath <HI>glorious lamps</HI> to light him to his labours: For the <HI>ta&s;te,</HI> &s;uch variety of refre&s;h|ments of a different <HI>&s;ap</HI> and <HI>&s;avour;</HI> For the <HI>&s;mell,</HI> delicious infu&s;ions into the ayr from <HI>flowers</HI> and <HI>gums,</HI> and <HI>aromatick plants;</HI> For the <HI>ears,</HI> mu&s;ick from birds and men; and all this to make our <HI>pilgrimage comfortable,</HI> and our <HI>hearts bet|ter.</HI> How many creatures hath the Lord given us to help to <HI>bear burdens?</HI> how many things for <HI>meat</HI> and <HI>medicine?</HI> If man had not been <HI>created la&s;t,</HI> after the World was &s;etled and furni&s;hed, vve &s;hould have &s;een the vvant of many things vvhich vve novv enjoy and do not value: Fir&s;t God pro|vided <HI>our hou&s;e,</HI> and then <HI>furni&s;hed our table;</HI> and vvhen all vvas ready, then <HI>man</HI> is brought in as the <HI>Lord of all.</HI> We are not affected vvith the&s;e mercies: Hovv can vve &s;in a|gain&s;t God, that can look <HI>no where</HI> but vve &s;ee arguments and rea&s;ons to love him? As Chri&s;t &s;aid, <HI>Many good works have I done among&s;t you, for which of the&s;e do you &s;tone me?</HI> So may the Lord plead, I have done many things for you; you cannot open your eyes but you &s;ee love, you cannot vvalk abroad but you &s;mell love and hear love, &amp;c. for vvhich of tho&s;e do you grieve me, and deal &s;o de&s;pightfully vvith me?</P>
<P>Let me now come to <HI>the Effects</HI> of Gods Love; I &s;hall<NOTE PLACE="marg">2. The Effects of Gods Love.</NOTE> only in&s;tance in tho&s;e three great Effects, <HI>Creation, Pre&s;er|vation,</HI> and <HI>Redemption:</HI> Certainly that mu&s;t needs be a <HI>great benefit,</HI> out of which there flies not only <HI>&s;parks,</HI> but <HI>brands;</HI> and &s;o that Love which can produce &s;uch <HI>fruits</HI> and <HI>effects,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">1. Creation.</NOTE> mu&s;t needs be exceeding great.</P>
<P>1. <HI>Creation,</HI> This de&s;erveth love from the creature: <HI>The fruit</HI> of the Vineyard belongeth to him that planted it; and whom &s;hould we love but him that <HI>gave us the power</HI> to love?
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All that thou ha&s;t, all that thou can&s;t &s;ee, that thou can&s;t touch, is his gift, and the work of his hands: He gave thee the e&s;&s;ence not of a <HI>tree,</HI> a <HI>bird,</HI> a <HI>bea&s;t,</HI> but of a <HI>man,</HI> capable of rea&s;on, fit for happine&s;s: God made <HI>other creatures</HI> by a <HI>word of Command,</HI> and <HI>man</HI> by <HI>Councel;</HI> 'twas not, <HI>Be thou,</HI> but, <HI>Let us make man,</HI> to &s;hew that the whole Trinity a&s;&s;i&s;t|ed and joyned in con&s;ultation: He made other creatures for his <HI>glory,</HI> but not for his <HI>love</HI> and <HI>&s;ervice;</HI> God is glorified in them <HI>pa&s;&s;ively,</HI> as they give us occa&s;ion to glorifie God; <HI>the creatures</HI> are the <HI>harp,</HI> but <HI>man</HI> maketh the <HI>mu&s;ick: All thy works prai&s;e thee, and thy Saints ble&s;s thee, P&s;al.</HI> 145. 10. How many &s;teps may a Chri&s;tian a&s;cend in his prai&s;e and thank&s;giving? We might have been <HI>&s;tones,</HI> without <HI>&s;en&s;e; bea&s;ts,</HI> and without <HI>rea&s;on;</HI> born <HI>infidels,</HI> and without <HI>faith;</HI> We might have continued <HI>&s;inners,</HI> and without <HI>grace:</HI> all the&s;e are &s;o many &s;teps of mercy. But <HI>Creation</HI> is that we are now to &s;peak of, and truly it de&s;erveth a remembrance, e&s;pe|cially <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Eccle&s;. 12. 1.</NOTE> <HI>in youth,</HI> when the effects of Gods <HI>creating bounty</HI> are mo&s;t fre&s;h in our &s;en&s;e and feeling: We are always to <HI>re|member our Creator,</HI> but then e&s;pecially: The aches of old &s;erve to put us in mind of our ingratitude; but the <HI>&s;trength,</HI> and <HI>vigor,</HI> and <HI>fre&s;hne&s;s</HI> of youth, &s;hould make us remember the bounty of our Creator. Look upon the <HI>body</HI> or the <HI>&s;oul,</HI> and you will &s;ee that we have cau&s;e to love him. In the <HI>body</HI> we find as many <HI>mereies</HI> as there are <HI>limbs:</HI> If a man &s;hould be born <HI>blind</HI> or <HI>lame,</HI> or &s;hould lo&s;e an <HI>eye,</HI> or an <HI>arm,</HI> or a <HI>leg,</HI> how much would he love him that &s;hould <HI>re&s;tore</HI> the u&s;e of the&s;e members again? We are as much bound to love him that <HI>gave</HI> them to us at fir&s;t, e&s;pecially when we con&s;i|der how often we have <HI>de&s;erved to lo&s;e</HI> them. We would love him that &s;hould <HI>rai&s;e us from the dead:</HI> God is the <HI>Author</HI> of life, and the continual <HI>Pre&s;erver</HI> and Defender of it. If we love <HI>our parents</HI> that <HI>begot</HI> us, we &s;hould much more love <HI>God</HI> that <HI>made</HI> them and us too out of nothing. Take notice of the <HI>curious frame</HI> of the body; <HI>David</HI> &s;aith, <HI>P&s;al. 139. 16. I am wonderfully made; accepictus &s;um,</HI> &s;o the Vulgar ren|dereth it, <HI>painted as with a needle,</HI> like <HI>a garment of needle|work of divers colours,</HI> richly embroydered with nerves and
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veins. What &s;hall I &s;peak of the <HI>eye,</HI> wherein there is &s;uch cu|rious Wor&s;hman&s;hip, that many upon the fir&s;t &s;ight of it have been driven to acknowledg God? Of the <HI>hand,</HI> made to open and &s;hut, and to &s;erve the labours and mini&s;teries of Nature without <HI>wa&s;ting</HI> and <HI>decay</HI> for many years: if they &s;hould be of <HI>marble</HI> or <HI>iron,</HI> with &s;uch <HI>con&s;tant u&s;e</HI> they would &s;oon wear out; and yet now they are <HI>of fle&s;h</HI> they la&s;t as long as life la&s;teth. Of <HI>the head,</HI> fitly placed to be the &s;eat of the &s;en&s;es, to <HI>command</HI> and <HI>direct</HI> the re&s;t of the members. Of <HI>the lungs,</HI> a frail piece of fle&s;h, yet though in <HI>continual motion</HI> of a <HI>long u&s;e.</HI> 'Twere ea&s;ie to enlarge upon this occa&s;ion: But I am to <HI>preach a Sermon,</HI> not to read an <HI>Anatomy Lecture.</HI> In &s;hort therefore, every part is &s;o placed and framed, as if God had employed his whole Wi&s;dom about it.</P>
<P>But as yet we have &s;poken but of the <HI>casket</HI> wherein the <HI>Jewel</HI> lieth; the <HI>Soul,</HI> that divine <HI>&s;park</HI> and <HI>bla&s;t;</HI> how <HI>quick, nimble, various</HI> and <HI>indefatigable</HI> in its motions? how <HI>comprehen&s;ive</HI> in its capacities? how it animateth the body, and is like God him&s;elf <HI>all in every part?</HI> Who can trace the flights of Rea&s;on? What a value hath God &s;et upon the Soul? He made it after his Image, he redeemed it with Chri&s;ts Blood, &amp;c. Well then, God that made &s;uch <HI>a body,</HI> &s;uch <HI>a &s;oul,</HI> de&s;erveth love; He that made the Soul, hath mo&s;t right to dwell in it; 'tis a curious hou&s;e of his own framing: But he will not enter by <HI>force</HI> and <HI>violence,</HI> but by <HI>con&s;ent;</HI> he expecteth when <HI>love</HI> will give up the keys: <HI>Rev. 3. 17. Behold, I &s;tand at the door and knock; if any man open to me, I will come in and &s;up with him.</HI> Why &s;hould Chri&s;t &s;tand at the door and knock, and ask leave to enter into his own hou&s;e? he hath <HI>right enough</HI> to enter, only he expecteth till <HI>we open</HI> to him.</P>
<P>2. <HI>Pre&s;ervation:</HI> We are not apprehen&s;ive enough of<NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">. Pre&s;erva|tion.</NOTE> dayly mercies: The <HI>Pre&s;ervation of the World</HI> is a <HI>con&s;tant Miracle;</HI> The World is <HI>hanged upon nothing</HI> (as 'tis in the Book of <HI>Job:</HI>) A feather will not &s;tay in the ayr; and yet what hath the World to &s;upport it but the <HI>thin fluid ayr</HI> that is round about it? 'Tis ea&s;ie to prove that the Waters are higher then the Land: &s;o that we are always in the ca&s;e the
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I&s;raelites were in, when they pa&s;&s;ed through the Red Sea; <HI>Nos &s;umus etiam tanquam in medio rubri maris</HI> (&s;aith <HI>Luther,</HI>) the Waters are round <HI>about us</HI> and <HI>above us,</HI> bound up in an heap as it were by God, and yet we are not &s;wallowed up: 'Tis true, the danger is not &s;o <HI>&s;en&s;ible</HI> and <HI>immediate</HI> as that of the Red Sea, becau&s;e of the <HI>con&s;tant rampire</HI> of Providence, More particularly, from the <HI>womb</HI> to the <HI>grave</HI> we have <HI>hour|ly maintenance</HI> from God. Look as the <HI>beams in the ayr</HI> are no longer continued then the <HI>Sun</HI> &s;hineth; &s;o we do no longer continue then God <HI>upholdeth our beings by the word of his Power, Heb.</HI> 1. 3. Or as 'tis with a Seal in the Water, take away the <HI>&s;eal</HI> and the <HI>impre&s;s</HI> vani&s;heth; &s;o do we di&s;appear as &s;oon as God doth but <HI>loo&s;en his Hand</HI> and <HI>almighty Grasp,</HI> by which all things are upheld and pre&s;erved. But let us &s;peak of tho&s;e acts of Providence that are more &s;en&s;ible: In|to how many di&s;ea&s;es and dangers might we fall, if God did not look after us as the Nur&s;e after her child? How many have gone to <HI>the grave,</HI> nay it may be <HI>to Hell,</HI> &s;ince the <HI>la&s;t night?</HI> How many <HI>actual dangers</HI> have we e&s;caped? God hath looked after us, as if he had <HI>forgotten all the world be|&s;ides;</HI> as if his <HI>whole employment</HI> were to do us good: He &s;aith, that he <HI>will no more forget us, then a woman doth her &s;uck|ing child;</HI> and that <HI>we are written before him,</HI> and <HI>graven in the palms of his hands, I&s;ai. 45. 15, &amp;c.</HI> as men tye a &s;tring about their <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">inger for a remembrance, or record in a book &s;uch things as they would regard: all the&s;e are expre&s;&s;ions to de&s;cribe the <HI>particular</HI> and <HI>expre&s;s</HI> care of Gods Provi|dence over his children. Now what &s;hall be rendered to the Lord for all this? If we could <HI>do</HI> and <HI>&s;uffer</HI> never &s;o much for God, it will not an&s;wer the mercy of <HI>one day:</HI> Certainly at lea&s;t God expecteth <HI>love</HI> for <HI>love;</HI> Love him as he is the <HI>&s;trength of thy life and length of thy days, Deut.</HI> 30. 26. Every days experience is <HI>new fuel</HI> to keep in the fire: The very <HI>bea&s;ts</HI> will re&s;pect their <HI>pre&s;ervers,</HI> they are loving to tho&s;e that are kind to them; <HI>The A&s;s knoweth his owner, and the Ox his ma&s;ters crib;</HI> There is a <HI>kind of gratitude</HI> in the bea&s;ts by which they acknowledg their benefactors that feed them and cheri&s;h them: But we do not acknowledg God, who
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feedeth us and upholdeth us every moment; <HI>There is <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters"> creature made wor&s;e by kindne&s;s then man:</HI> He that was made to be <HI>Ma&s;ter</HI> of the creatures, may become their <HI>Scholer;</HI> there is many a good le&s;&s;on to be learned in their School.</P>
<P>3. <HI>Redemption:</HI> As a man when he weigheth a thing, ca&s;t|eth<NOTE PLACE="marg">3. Redemption</NOTE> in weight after weight till the &s;cales be counterpoy&s;ed; &s;o doth God mercy after mercy to poy&s;e down mans heart: Here is a <HI>mercy</HI> that is overweight in it &s;elf; 1 <HI>John 4. 10. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that God loved us, and &s;ent his Son to be a propitiation for our &s;ins.</HI> If we had had the wi&s;dom to pitch upon &s;uch a remedy (as certainly it could not have entered into hearts of men or <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Ephe&s;. 3. 10.</NOTE> Angels) yet we could not have the heart to <HI>ask</HI> it; It would have &s;eemed a <HI>rude blasphemy</HI> in our prayers, to de&s;ire that the Son of God &s;hould come out from his Fathers bo&s;om and dye for us; Therefore <HI>herein is love,</HI> that is, this is the highe&s;t expre&s;&s;ion of Gods Love to the creature, not only that <HI>ever was,</HI> but <HI>can be;</HI> For in <HI>love</HI> only God acteth <HI>to the uttermo&s;t:</HI> he never &s;hewed &s;o much of his <HI>Power</HI> and <HI>Wi&s;dom,</HI> but he can &s;hew more; of his <HI>Wrath,</HI> but he can &s;hew more: but he hath no <HI>greater thing to give</HI> then <HI>him&s;elf,</HI> then <HI>his Chri&s;t.</HI> At what a <HI>dear rate</HI> hath the Lord bought our hearts? He need|ed not; he might have made <HI>nobler creatures</HI> then the <HI>pre|&s;ent race</HI> of men, and dealt with us as he did with the <HI>&s;inning Angels,</HI> he would not enter into treaty with them, but the <HI>execution</HI> was as quick as the <HI>&s;in;</HI> &s;o the Lord might utterly have ca&s;t us off, and made a <HI>new race</HI> of men to <HI>glorifie his Grace,</HI> leaving <HI>Adam</HI> to propagate the World to <HI>glorifie his Ju&s;tice:</HI> Or at lea&s;t he might have redeemed us in another way, (for I &s;uppo&s;e 'tis a free di&s;pen&s;ation <HI>opus liberi con&s;ilij:</HI>) But <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">John 3. 16.</NOTE> <HI>God &s;o loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son;</HI> He took this way, that we might <HI>love</HI> Chri&s;t as well as <HI>beleeve</HI> in him: God might have <HI>redeemed us &s;o much</HI> in an|other way, but he could not <HI>oblige us &s;o much</HI> in another way; He would not only <HI>&s;atisfie his Ju&s;tice,</HI> but <HI>&s;hew his Love:</HI> 'Twas the Lords de&s;ign by his Love to de&s;erve ours, and &s;o for ever to &s;hame the creature, if they &s;hould not now love him. Oh think much of this glorious In&s;tance, the <HI>love of</HI>
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<HI>God</HI> in giving Chri&s;t, and the <HI>love of Chri&s;t</HI> in giving him&s;elf. When the <HI>Sea wrought and was tempe&s;tuous,</HI> and <HI>Jonah</HI> &s;aw the &s;torm, he &s;aid, <HI>Ca&s;t me into the Sea, and it &s;hall be calm to you;</HI> but the &s;torm was rai&s;ed for his <HI>own &s;ake.</HI> Now Chri&s;t when he &s;aw the mi&s;ery of mankind, he &s;aid, <HI>Let it come on me;</HI> We rai&s;ed the &s;torm, but Chri&s;t would be ca&s;t in to allay it. If a Prince pa&s;&s;ing by an execution &s;hould take the Male|factors chains, and &s;uffer in his &s;tead, this would be a wonder|ful in&s;tance indeed: Why? <HI>Chri&s;t hath born our &s;orrows and carryed our griefs, I&s;ai.</HI> 53. 4. the very &s;ame griefs that we &s;hould have &s;uffered, &s;o far as his holy Per&s;on was capable of them: his <HI>de&s;ertion</HI> was equivalent to <HI>our lo&s;s,</HI> his <HI>agonies</HI> to our <HI>cur&s;e</HI> and <HI>puni&s;hment of &s;en&s;e;</HI> and all this very willingly for the &s;ake of &s;inners. 'Tis notable, he doth with like in|dignation <HI>rebuke Peter</HI> di&s;&s;wading him from &s;ufferings, as he doth <HI>the Devil</HI> tempting him to Idolatry, <HI>Get thee behind me Satan,</HI> compare <HI>Mat.</HI> 16. 22. with <HI>Mat.</HI> 4. 10. He is well plea&s;ed with all his &s;orrows and &s;ufferings, &s;o he may gain the Church, and e&s;pou&s;e her to him&s;elf in a firm League and Covenant: <HI>I&s;ai. 53. 11. He &s;hall &s;ee the travel of his Soul, and be &s;atisfied;</HI> as if he &s;aid, <HI>Welcome agonies,</HI> welcome <HI>death,</HI> wel|come <HI>cur&s;e,</HI> &s;o poor Souls be &s;aved! As <HI>Jacob</HI> counted the days of his labour nothing, &s;o he might obtain <HI>Rachel;</HI> and yet there is a va&s;t difference between the <HI>love of Chri&s;t</HI> and the <HI>love of Jacob: Rachel</HI> was <HI>lovely,</HI> but we are <HI>vile</HI> and <HI>un|worthy creatures;</HI> and Chri&s;ts <HI>love is infinite,</HI> even beyond his <HI>&s;ufferings,</HI> and the <HI>outward expre&s;&s;ions</HI> of it; as the windows of the Temple were more large and open within then with|out. Well then, every one of Chri&s;ts wounds is a mouth open to plead for love; He made him&s;elf &s;o vile, that he might be more dear and precious to us: Certainly if Love brought Chri&s;t out of Heaven to the Cro&s;s, to the grave, &s;hould it not carry us to Heaven? to God? to Chri&s;t, who hath been thus gracious to us? Thus God hath de&s;erved our love.</P>
<P>The third and next Argument is, <HI>God hath de&s;ired it:</HI> What<NOTE PLACE="marg">3. God hath de&s;ired it.</NOTE> doth the Lord &s;ee in our hearts that he &s;hould de&s;ire them? If <HI>a Prince</HI> &s;hould not only <HI>make love</HI> to <HI>a vile and abject</HI>
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<HI>creature,</HI> but <HI>&s;eek all means</HI> to gain her affection, you would count her very <HI>froward</HI> and <HI>unthankeful</HI> to give him the de|nyal. Chri&s;t doth not only <HI>oblige</HI> us, but <HI>woo</HI> us: If man were &s;uch as he &s;hould be, he would not need <HI>enforcements,</HI> becau&s;e of the <HI>multitude of his obligations;</HI> and if the Lord did deal with us as we de&s;erve, he would <HI>&s;light</HI> us and <HI>&s;corn</HI> us, rather then <HI>woo</HI> us: He doth not <HI>want lovers,</HI> there are <HI>Angels</HI> enough in Heaven, who&s;e wills and affections cleave to him perfectly; yea God doth not need the love of any creature, all this wooing is for <HI>our &s;akes;</HI> Wherein can frail men be beneficial to God? What increa&s;e of happine&s;s hath he if all men &s;hould love him? 'Tis his happine&s;s to love him&s;elf, and he would have us to &s;hare in this happine&s;s; therefore he <HI>threateneth,</HI> and <HI>promi&s;eth,</HI> and <HI>be&s;eecheth:</HI> As one that would gladly open a door, tryeth key after key, till he hath tryed every key in the bunch; &s;o doth God try one method after another to work upon mans heart.</P>
<P>He <HI>threateneth eternal torments</HI> if we do not love him:<NOTE PLACE="marg">1. Threatneth.</NOTE> 1 <HI>Cor. 16. 22. If any man love not the Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t, let him be Anathema Maranatha:</HI> The form of &s;peech imply|eth the mo&s;t dreadful cur&s;e that may be: 'Tis not arbitrary, whether you will love him or no; you are either to love him, or to peri&s;h eternally. Among men if love doth not come kindly, we neglect it; that which is forced is nothing worth: yet the Lord is &s;o earne&s;t after the love of the crea|ture, that he would have it by any means.</P>
<P>He <HI>promi&s;eth:</HI> We have not only mercies <HI>in hand,</HI> but<NOTE PLACE="marg">2. Promi&s;eth.</NOTE> mercies <HI>in hope;</HI> not only <HI>obligations,</HI> but <HI>promi&s;es.</HI> 'Tis our duty to love God if there were no Heaven; our <HI>obligations</HI> might &s;uffice: yet <HI>what great things hath God provided for them that love him? 1 Cor.</HI> 2. 9. If a man &s;hould <HI>&s;ell</HI> his love, he cannot have a better Chapman then God, who is mo&s;t <HI>rich</HI> and mo&s;t <HI>liberal.</HI> If an earthly Potentate &s;hould promi&s;e to them that love him <HI>half his Kingdom,</HI> he would find <HI>lovers enough.</HI> God hath promi&s;ed glory, the Kingdom of Heaven, and &s;hall we not take him at his word? The Lord will give a gift for a gift, becau&s;e he hath given us to love him; therefore he will give us Heaven as the reward of love. Who
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ever heard that an hungry man was hired to eat? and re|warded for ta&s;ting dainty food? or a thir&s;ty man for drink|ing? The Love of God is &s;o <HI>excellent a priviledg,</HI> that we &s;hould endure all torments to obtain it; and yet God hath promi&s;ed a reward: yea he is plea&s;ed to bargain with us, as if he were our <HI>equal,</HI> and we were <HI>altogether free</HI> before the <HI>Contract.</HI></P>
<P>Again, <HI>He be&s;eecheth:</HI> We are <HI>cold</HI> and <HI>backward,</HI> there|fore<NOTE PLACE="marg">3 Be&s;eecheth.</NOTE> he u&s;eth intreaty upon intreaty, as if he were impatient of a denyal: Out of what rock was man hewn? God him|&s;elf cometh a <HI>wooing,</HI> and we have the face to give him <HI>a re|pul&s;e:</HI> and what doth he woo for? but <HI>our hearts,</HI> which are his already by every kind of right and title: <HI>Prov. 23. 26. My &s;on, give me thy heart.</HI> God is plea&s;ed to call that <HI>a gift,</HI> which is indeed <HI>a debt:</HI> Though the heart be <HI>due,</HI> yet God will put this honour upon the creatures, to receive it from them in the way of <HI>a gift:</HI> 'Tis but equity to <HI>give to God the things that are Gods.</HI> Look upon the heart, &s;ee if any could make it, but God him&s;elf; <HI>Who&s;e image and &s;uper&s;cription doth it bear?</HI> Wilt thou refu&s;e to &s;urrender up to God his right? God hath <HI>made</HI> it, <HI>bought</HI> it, and yet he <HI>beggeth</HI> it. VVhen thou ha&s;t been as earne&s;t with God, and asked any thing regularly of him, did he deny thee? 'Tis no benefit to him; he de&s;ireth the heart of the creature, not that he may be <HI>happy,</HI> but that he may be <HI>liberal;</HI> he would have thy heart that he may make it bette&punc; How ea&s;ily do we give up our affections to any thing but God, who hath the be&s;t title to them? If the <HI>World</HI> or <HI>Satan</HI> knocketh, we open pre&s;ently; We are as <HI>wax</HI> to Satan, and as <HI>&s;tone</HI> to God; exorable and ea&s;ie to be intreated by any carnal motion: as &s;ome hard &s;tones cannot be wrought upon but by their own du&s;t; &s;o men are <HI>facile</HI> only to their <HI>corruptions,</HI> to their <HI>own lu&s;ts,</HI> not to the <HI>motions of Gods Spirit.</HI></P>
<P>Fourthly, The <HI>nature of Love &s;heweth that 'tis fit for nothing</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Fourth Argu|ment, The Nature of Love &s;heweth that we &s;hould love God.</NOTE> <HI>but God:</HI> He hath given us this faculty and di&s;po&s;ition, that we may clo&s;e with him&s;elf. He that looketh upon an <HI>ax</HI> will &s;ay 'twas made to <HI>cut;</HI> and he that looketh on <HI>love</HI> will &s;ay 'twas made for <HI>God.</HI> What is the <HI>genius</HI> and di&s;po&s;ition of
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Love? Love is nothing but an <HI>earne&s;t bent and &s;trong motion</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">See <HI>Neir<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">n|bergius</HI> de in|genio amoris.</NOTE> <HI>of the Soul to what is good for us:</HI> Every man hath an <HI>incli|nation in his nature</HI> to what he conceiveth to be <HI>good, P&s;al.</HI> 4. 9. and <HI>grace</HI> doth only <HI>direct</HI> and <HI>&s;et it right:</HI> All the dif|ference between Nature and Grace is in fixing the <HI>chiefe&s;t good</HI> and the <HI>utmo&s;t end:</HI> One great ble&s;&s;ing of the Covenant is a <HI>new heart,</HI> that is, a <HI>new</HI> and <HI>right</HI> placing of our affecti|ons. Well then, God is <HI>&s;ummum bonum,</HI> the <HI>chiefe&s;t Good;</HI> even <HI>Nature</HI> cannot be <HI>&s;atisfied</HI> without him, but <HI>Grace</HI> find|eth <HI>all contentment</HI> in him: If there be <HI>any good</HI> in the <HI>crea|tures,</HI> 'tis <HI>originally</HI> in him; He is <HI>the Fountain of living wa|ters,</HI> where comforts are <HI>&s;weete&s;t</HI> and <HI>free&s;t.</HI> The heart hunt|eth after <HI>good</HI> among the <HI>creatures,</HI> which is but an <HI>image</HI> and <HI>ray</HI> of that <HI>perfection</HI> which is in <HI>God;</HI> and who would leave the <HI>&s;ub&s;tance</HI> to follow the <HI>&s;hadow?</HI> and prize the <HI>picture</HI> to the di&s;dain of the <HI>per&s;on</HI> whom it repre&s;ents? 'Twere ea&s;ie to prove that God is the <HI>only, proper, eternal, al&s;ufficient Good of the Soul:</HI> and if the heart were not perverted and <HI>bya&s;&s;ed</HI> with carnal de&s;ires to <HI>other objects,</HI> it would <HI>directly move</HI> to God, as all things do to their <HI>center;</HI> I &s;ay, were it not for &s;in, we &s;hould no more need be pre&s;&s;ed to <HI>love God,</HI> then to <HI>love our &s;elves:</HI> There need no great motives to pre&s;s us to love our &s;elves, Nature is prone enough of its own accord; and if Nature had remained in that purity wherein it was created, it would move to God of its own accord; as all things move to their center, and there they re&s;t. Now God is the Center of the Soul: The Souls good is not <HI>honours, plea&s;ures, profits:</HI> the Soul is a <HI>&s;pirit,</HI> and mu&s;t have a <HI>&s;piritual good;</HI> 'tis <HI>immortal,</HI> and it mu&s;t have an <HI>eternal good.</HI> By ex|perience we find that our affections are never in their <HI>due po|&s;ture,</HI> but are like members out of joynt (or the arms when they hang backward) when they are not fixed upon God; therefore there is a <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Domini &s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ci|st<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">os propter to &amp; irrequi|etum e&s;t co<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">um d<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ne<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> perve<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">iat ad t<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">. <HI>Aug.</HI></NOTE> re&s;tle&s;&s;ne&s;s and di&s;&s;atisfaction in the Soul: We <NOTE N="&dagger;" PLACE="marg">Acts 17. 26, 27.</NOTE> grope and feel about for happine&s;s, and cannot find it; like <HI>Noahs Dove,</HI> we hover up and down, and find no place whereon the &s;ole of our foot &s;hould re&s;t. Well then, if God be the only al&s;ufficient Good of the Soul, why do not we love him more? If he be the <HI>Center of the Soul,</HI> why do
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not we <HI>move directly</HI> thither? 'Tis a &s;hame that a <HI>&s;tone</HI> &s;hould be carried with greater force to its center, then we to God; by its <HI>natural cour&s;e</HI> it falleth <HI>downward,</HI> and breaketh all things in the way, yea though it &s;elf be broken in pieces: But alas, how little do we break through impedi|ments to go to God? 'Twere a miracle to &s;ee a &s;tone &s;top|ed in the ayr by a feather: But now every vain thing keep|eth us off, and intercepts our affections; &s;in hath given us <HI>another center,</HI> and after grace received we hang too much that way. Again, As love is for <HI>Good,</HI> &s;o 'tis for <HI>one Object;</HI> like a <HI>Pyramide,</HI> it ends in a point; <HI>affection</HI> is weakened by <HI>disper&s;ion,</HI> as a River by being turned into many channels: In conjugal love (where friend&s;hip is to the heighth) there is but one that can &s;hare in it, that's the Law of Nature; <HI>Mal. 2. 15. Did he not make one? yet he had the re&s;idue of &s;pirit:</HI> the meaning is, that God made but <HI>one man</HI> for <HI>one woman,</HI> though he had <HI>&s;pirit enough</HI> to make more; 'twas not out of <HI>defect of power,</HI> but <HI>wi&s;e choice,</HI> that their affections to one another might be the &s;tronger, which otherwi&s;e would be weakened; as they are in <HI>the brutes</HI> &s;cattered promi&s;cuou&s;ly to &s;everal objects: &s;o the true object of love is <HI>one God;</HI> he is loved <HI>for him&s;elf,</HI> and other things for <HI>his &s;ake.</HI> Once more, The force and vehemency of love &s;heweth that it was made for God; Love is the <HI>vigorous bent</HI> of the Soul, and full of <HI>heights</HI> and <HI>exce&s;&s;es,</HI> which if diverted to other ob|jects, would make us <HI>guilty of Idolatry,</HI> we &s;hould place them in the room of God: Still we find; that men are be&s;orted with what they love; as <HI>Samp&s;on</HI> was led about like a child by <HI>Da<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ilah:</HI> all conveniences of life, plea&s;ures, profits, are contemned for the enjoyment of the <HI>thing beloved:</HI> Now the&s;e are heights proper to the Divinity, to the infinite Ma|je&s;ty of God; To whom el&s;e is this <HI>vehemency</HI> and this <HI>&s;elf|denyal</HI> due? If we lavi&s;h it upon the creatures, we make <HI>gods</HI> of them; and therefore <HI>covetou&s;ne&s;s</HI> is called <HI>Idolatry, Ephe&s;.</HI> 5. 3. and the Sen&s;uali&s;t is &s;aid to make <HI>his belly his god, Phil.</HI> 3. 19. There is &s;uch an exce&s;s, &s;uch a doating in love, that if we be not careful in fixing it, before we are aware we run into <HI>practical Idolatrie</HI> and <HI>practical Athei&s;m.</HI> There
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is an <HI>Athei&s;m</HI> in the <HI>heart,</HI> as well as in the <HI>judgment:</HI> A|thei&s;m <HI>in the judgment,</HI> is when we <HI>are not convinced of the Being of God;</HI> In <HI>the heart,</HI> when <HI>our affections are not &s;et in God:</HI> this is more incurable, becau&s;e the <HI>dogmatical Athei&s;t</HI> may be convinced by rea&s;on, but the <HI>practical Athei&s;t</HI> can only be reformed by <HI>grace.</HI> Thus the Nature of Love &s;heweth it.</P>
<P>Fifthly, The Nature of the Saints &s;heweth it; the <HI>new</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">5 Argument, from the na|ture and di&s;|po&s;ition of the San<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">s.</NOTE> <HI>nature</HI> hath new affections; it bewrayeth it &s;elf by the <HI>new heart,</HI> as well as by the <HI>renewed mind, Rom.</HI> 12. 2. There are not only <HI>new thoughts,</HI> but <HI>new de&s;ires</HI> and <HI>new delights; de|&s;ires</HI> after God, and a <HI>delight</HI> in God, as the <HI>fountain of Ho|line&s;s.</HI> When we come to God at fir&s;t, we love him out of <HI>&s;piritual intere&s;t,</HI> for <HI>ea&s;e</HI> and <HI>comfort,</HI> and the <HI>benefit</HI> we gain by him; Chri&s;t alloweth it, <HI>Come to me and I will give you ea&s;e, Mat.</HI> 11. 28. When fire is <HI>fir&s;t kindled,</HI> there is as much <HI>&s;in<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ke</HI> as <HI>flame,</HI> but afterwards it burneth brighter and brighter <HI>by degrees:</HI> A fountain as &s;oon as digged runneth <HI>muddy</HI> at fir&s;t, but afterwards the &s;tream groweth more <HI>pure</HI> and <HI>clear.</HI> So doth the love of the Saints; at fir&s;t 'tis but a <HI>love of intere&s;t,</HI> but by acquaintance we love him out of a <HI>principle of the new nature,</HI> for his <HI>Holine&s;s</HI> and <HI>Excellency,</HI> becau&s;e that which is in us <HI>in part,</HI> is in God by way of <HI>emi|nency</HI> and <HI>perfection.</HI> Certainly <HI>likene&s;s</HI> mu&s;t needs beget <HI>love,</HI> and the <HI>Saints</HI> being <HI>conformed</HI> to God, <HI>delight</HI> in him; &s;o that then their love floweth not &s;o much from <HI>pro|fit</HI> and <HI>intere&s;t,</HI> as <HI>grace:</HI> yea at length out of a <HI>vehement complacency</HI> of the <HI>new nature</HI> they love <HI>holine&s;s</HI> above <HI>hap|pine&s;s</HI> or <HI>&s;piritual intere&s;t;</HI> and <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">S<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> &s;ic pecc<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">i pudorem illi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> i<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ferni horr<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ren, &amp;c. <HI>An&s;e<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">r.</HI></NOTE> <HI>Hell</HI> is not &s;o bad as <HI>&s;in</HI> in their account: there cannot be a <HI>wor&s;e</HI> Hell to them then <HI>unkindne&s;s to God,</HI> or <HI>grieving his Spirit;</HI> and <HI>Heaven</HI> is <HI>ami|able</HI> for <HI>Gods &s;ake,</HI> becau&s;e he is <HI>loved</HI> there and <HI>enjoyed</HI> there; there are none of Gods enemies in Heaven, and there they &s;hall &s;erve him and cleave to him without <HI>weari|ne&s;s</HI> and <HI>wandering.</HI> Well then, There is &s;uch a di&s;po&s;ition <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 31. 23.</NOTE> <HI>in the Saints</HI> to love God, which an&s;eth not only from <HI>hope,</HI> becau&s;e of the <HI>great benefit</HI> which we expect from him; nor only from <HI>gratitude,</HI> or the <HI>&s;en&s;e of his love</HI> already
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&s;hewed; but from an <HI>inclination of the now nature,</HI> and that <HI>&s;ympathy</HI> and <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Eadem velle &amp; no<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="3 letters"> ea de|mum vera e&s;t amicitia. <HI>Salu&s;t.</HI></NOTE> likene&s;s that is between us, becau&s;e we <NOTE N="&dagger;" PLACE="marg">Prov. 8. 13. Rev. 2. 6.</NOTE> <HI>hate what he hateth,</HI> and <HI>love what he loveth;</HI> and becau&s;e God is the <HI>original Fountain</HI> and <HI>Samplar of Holine&s;s.</HI></P>
<P>Well then, <HI>Saints</HI> mind your work; Do you indeed love God? Chri&s;t puts <HI>Peter</HI> to the que&s;tion <HI>thrice, John</HI> 21. A deceitful heart is apt to abu&s;e you: Ask again and again, <HI>Do I indeed love God?</HI> Evidences are the&s;e.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Evidences of our love to God. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> Evidence, God will be loved alone.</NOTE></P>
<P>1. If you love God, he will be loved <HI>al ne;</HI> tho&s;e that do not give <HI>all</HI> to God, give <HI>nothing;</HI> he will have the <HI>whole heart:</HI> If there were <HI>another God,</HI> we might have &s;ome ex|cu&s;e for our <HI>re&s;ervations;</HI> but &s;ince there is but <HI>one God,</HI> he mu&s;t have all, for he doth not love <HI>inmates.</HI> When the Har|bengers take up an hou&s;e for a Prince, they turn out all; none mu&s;t remain there, that there may be room for his greatne&s;s: So all mu&s;t avoyd, that <HI>God</HI> may have the <HI>&s;ole po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion</HI> of our hearts. The <HI>Devil</HI> that hath no right to any thing would have <HI>a part,</HI> for by that means he knoweth the <HI>whole</HI> will fall to him; <HI>Con&s;cience</HI> will not let him have <HI>all,</HI> and therefore he would have <HI>a part</HI> to keep po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion: as <HI>Pharaoh</HI> &s;tood hulking with <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> and <HI>Aaron,</HI> if not the <HI>I&s;raelites,</HI> then their <HI>little ones;</HI> if not their <HI>little ones,</HI> then their <HI>heards;</HI> if not their <HI>heards,</HI> then their <HI>flocks:</HI> but <HI>Mo|&s;es</HI> telleth him there was not <HI>an hoof</HI> to be left. So Satan, if he cannot have the <HI>outward man,</HI> yet he would have the <HI>heart;</HI> if there be not room enough in the <HI>heart</HI> for <HI>every lu&s;t,</HI> then he craveth <HI>indulgence</HI> in &s;ome things that are <HI>le&s;s odious</HI> and <HI>di&s;ta&s;tful;</HI> if <HI>Con&s;cience</HI> will not allow <HI>drunken|ne&s;s,</HI> yet a little <HI>worldline&s;s</HI> is pleaded for as no great matter: But the <HI>love of God</HI> cannot be in that heart, where the <HI>world</HI> reigne~th. <HI>Dagon</HI> and the <HI>Ark</HI> could not abide in the <HI>&s;ame Temple;</HI> neither can the heart be divided between <HI>God</HI> and <HI>Mammon.</HI> All men mu&s;t have <HI>&s;ome Religion</HI> to mask their plea&s;ures and carnal practi&s;es, that they may be favorable to their <HI>lu&s;ts</HI> and <HI>intere&s;ts</HI> with le&s;s remor&s;e; and u&s;ually they order the matter &s;o, that <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> &s;hall have their <HI>Con&s;ciences,</HI> and the <HI>world</HI> their <HI>hearts</HI> and <HI>affections:</HI> But alas, they do not con&s;ider that God is jealous of <HI>a Rival;</HI> when he
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cometh into the heart, he will have the <HI>room empty.</HI> 'Tis true, we may love other things in <HI>&s;ubordination to God,</HI> but not in <HI>competition with God,</HI> that is, when we love <HI>God</HI> and other things for <HI>Gods &s;ake, in God</HI> and <HI>for God.</HI> When a Commander hath taken a &s;trong Ca&s;tle, and placed a Ga|ri&s;on in it, he &s;uffereth none to enter but tho&s;e of his <HI>own &s;ide,</HI> keeping the gate &s;hut to his enemies; So we mu&s;t open the heart to none but <HI>God,</HI> and tho&s;e that are of <HI>Gods party and &s;ide,</HI> keeping the gate &s;hut to others: We may love <HI>the creatures</HI> as they are of <HI>Gods &s;ide,</HI> as they draw our hearts more to God, or engage us to be more <HI>cheerful in &s;ervice,</HI> or give us <HI>greater advantages</HI> of doing good; Of what par|ty are they Bring nothing into thy heart, and allow no|thing there, that is contrary to God. When <HI>Sarah</HI> &s;aw <HI>I&s;h|mael</HI> &s;coffing at <HI>I&s;aac,</HI> &s;he thru&s;t him out of doors: So when riches, and honour, and the <HI>love of the world</HI> upbraid you with your <HI>love to God,</HI> as if you were <HI>a fool</HI> to &s;tand &s;o nicely upon terms of Con&s;cience, &amp;c. when they incroach and allow Chri&s;t no room but in the <HI>Con&s;cience,</HI> 'tis time to thru&s;t them out of doors, that the Lord alone may have the preheminence in our Souls.</P>
<P>2. This love mu&s;t be demon&s;trated by <HI>&s;olid Effects,</HI> &s;uch<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Evidence, The Effects of Love. 1 Hatred of &s;in.</NOTE> as are;</P>
<P>1. An <HI>hatred of &s;in;</HI> P&s;al. 97. 10. <HI>Ye that l<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ve the Lord hate an evil:</HI> With love to the <HI>chiefe&s;t good,</HI> there will be an hatred of the <HI>chiefe&s;t evil.</HI> Friends have <HI>common loves</HI> (as I &s;aid) and <HI>common aver&s;ations:</HI> Upon every carnal motion doth thy heart <HI>recoyl</HI> upon thee, and &s;ay, <HI>How can I do this wick dne&s;s, and &s;in again&s;t God? Gen.</HI> 39. 9. or el&s;e, <HI>Is this thy kindne&s;s to thy friend?</HI> or <HI>after &s;uch a deliverance as this,</HI> &amp;c. <HI>Ezra</HI> 9. 13. Love to God will be interpo&s;ing and cro&s;&s;ing every carnal motion.</P>
<P>2. By a <HI>delight in obedience: 1 John 5. 3. This is love,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">2&punc; Delight in obedience.</NOTE> <HI>that we keep his Commandments, and his Commandments are not grievous.</HI> Nothing is <HI>diffcult</HI> and <HI>tedious</HI> to him that hath <HI>any affection</HI> to his work. As the Prophet cured the bitterne&s;s of the wilde goards by ca&s;ting in <HI>meal;</HI> &s;o mingle but a <HI>little love</HI> with your work, and the bitterne&s;s is gone.
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<HI>Sechem</HI> yeildeth to be circumci&s;ed for <HI>Dinah</HI>'s &s;ake, becau&s;e he <HI>loved her;</HI> and <HI>Jacob</HI> endured his <HI>&s;even years</HI> &s;ervice for <HI>Rachels &s;ake:</HI> &s;o will love make us obey God chearfully in things contrary to our natural inclination. <HI>Love</HI> and <HI>labour</HI> are often coupled in <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">1 The&s;. 1. 3. Heb&punc; 6. 10</NOTE> Scripture; and tho&s;e that left their fir&s;t works, had lo&s;t their <HI>fir&s;t love, Rev.</HI> 2. 4, 5.</P>
<P>3. <HI>Delight in Gods pre&s;ence,</HI> and <HI>grief for his ab&s;ence;</HI> or<NOTE PLACE="marg">3. Delight in <HI>Gods</HI> pre&s;ence and grief for his ab&s;en<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">.</NOTE> an <HI>holy &s;en&s;iblene&s;s</HI> both of his <HI>acce&s;&s;es</HI> and <HI>rece&s;&s;es, to</HI> and <HI>from</HI> the Soul: Can a man love God, and be content with|out him? If you lo&s;e but a ring which you affect, how are you troubled till it be found again! <HI>Ye have taken away my gods</HI> (&s;aith he,) <HI>and do you ask, What aileth thee? Judg.</HI> 18. 24. So when God is withdrawn, all vi&s;its of love and influences of grace are &s;u&s;pended, and they have no commu|nion with him in their duties, <HI>&s;hould they not mourn?</HI> See <HI>Mat.</HI> 9. 15. Is <HI>&s;piritual love</HI> without all kind of pa&s;&s;ion? or are they Chri&s;tians that are <HI>&s;tupid</HI> and <HI>in&s;en&s;ate,</HI> and never take notice of Gods <HI>coming</HI> and <HI>going?</HI></P>
<P>The&s;e are the <HI>Evidences;</HI> I &s;hall only now &s;ugge&s;t <HI>two Helps</HI> to keep up and increa&s;e this love to God, and I have<NOTE PLACE="marg">Helps.</NOTE> done with this Argument.</P>
<P>1. <HI>Prize nothing that cometh from God, unle&s;s thou can&s;t &s;ee his love in it.</HI> God giveth <HI>many gifts</HI> to wicked men, but he doth not give them <HI>his love:</HI> The po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion of all things will do us no good, unle&s;s we have <HI>God him&s;elf;</HI> other mer|cies may be &s;alted with a cur&s;e. Gods children are not &s;a|tisfied till they can &s;ee him and enjoy him in every comfort and mercy. <HI>E&s;au</HI> was reconciled to <HI>Jacob,</HI> and therefore <HI>Ja|cob</HI> &s;aith, <HI>Gen. 33. 10. I have &s;een thy face as the face of God;</HI> 'Twas a token and pledg of the <HI>gracious face</HI> of God &s;miling on him. <HI>Hezekiah</HI> was delivered out of a &s;ickne&s;s, and then he doth not &s;ay, <HI>Thou ha&s;t delivered me from the grave;</HI> but, <HI>Thou ha&s;t loved me from the grave, I&s;ai.</HI> 38. 17.</P>
<P>2. <HI>Prize nothing that thou return to God, unle&s;s there be love in it.</HI> We accept a <HI>&s;mall gift</HI> where the party loveth, and otherwi&s;e the <HI>greate&s;t</HI> is refu&s;ed: <HI>If I give my body to be burned, and have not love, &amp;c. 1 Cor.</HI> 13. 1. Love is an <HI>act of grace by it &s;elf;</HI> other duties are not <HI>acts of grace,</HI> unle&s;s
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they come from <HI>love;</HI> as alms, fa&s;ting, prayer, Martyr|dom, &amp;c. they are all <HI>nothing;</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign"> (&s;aith the Apo&s;tle) I am not only <HI>little,</HI> but <HI>nothing.</HI> On the other &s;ide, <HI>&s;mall things</HI> are made great by <HI>love;</HI> as <HI>a cup of cold water,</HI> a poor womans <HI>mite,</HI> they are accepted as coming from <HI>love.</HI></P>
<P>So much for the <HI>matter</HI> of the Prayer; We come now to the <HI>manner</HI> or <HI>degree</HI> of enjoyment, [<HI>Be multiplyed:</HI>] From whence note, <HI>That we &s;hould not &s;eek grace at the hands of God, but the increa&s;e and multiplication of it.</HI> In<NOTE PLACE="marg">Doct.</NOTE> managing this Point, I &s;hall fir&s;t give you <HI>Rea&s;ons</HI> to pre&s;s you to look after <HI>growth in grace:</HI> Secondly, I &s;hall give you &s;ome Ob&s;ervations concerning it; and &s;o thirdly, Come to &s;ome Application.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, The <HI>Rea&s;ons</HI> are the&s;e. 1. Where there is <HI>life</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">1. <HI>Rea&s;ons</HI> or <HI>Motives.</HI></NOTE> there will be <HI>growth;</HI> and if grace be <HI>true,</HI> it will &s;urely <HI>in|crea&s;e.</HI> A <HI>painted flower</HI> keepeth always at the &s;ame pitch and &s;tature; the Arti&s;t may be&s;tow <HI>beauty</HI> upon it, but he cannot be&s;tow <HI>life:</HI> A <HI>painted child</HI> will be as little ten years hence as it is now. So a pretence of Religion always keepeth at the &s;ame &s;tay; yea when their <HI>fir&s;t heats</HI> are &s;pent, they are <HI>fearfully bla&s;ted:</HI> But now they that have <HI>true grace</HI> are compared to a <HI>living plant,</HI> which increa&s;eth in bulk and &s;tature, <HI>P&s;al</HI> 92. 12, 13. and to a <HI>living child,</HI> which groweth by receiving kindly nouri&s;hment, 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 2. 2. Therefore 'tis not enough to get <HI>peace</HI> and <HI>love,</HI> but we mu&s;t get them <HI>multiplyed.</HI></P>
<P>2. If we do not <HI>grow,</HI> we go <HI>backward, Heb.</HI> 6. compare the fir&s;t with the fourth ver&s;e, <HI>Let us go on to perfection;</HI> and then pre&s;ently he treateth of <HI>Apo&s;tacy:</HI> We cannot <HI>keep</HI> that which we have received, if we do not labour to <HI>in|crea&s;e</HI> it. They that <HI>row again&s;t the &s;tream,</HI> had need ply the oar, le&s;t the force of the waters carry them backward; or as he that goeth up a <HI>&s;andy</HI> hill &s;inketh down if he do not go forward, <HI>Mat.</HI> 25. He that would not <HI>improve</HI> his talent <HI>lo&s;t</HI> it: So here, we <HI>wa&s;te</HI> and <HI>con&s;ume</HI> what we have, if we do not <HI>improve</HI> it. 'Tis dangerous to re&s;t &s;atisfied, and ne|ver
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go further; there is no &s;tay in Religion: all the Angels in <HI>Jacobs ladder</HI> were either <HI>a&s;cending</HI> or <HI>de&s;cending,</HI> conti|nually in motion: There are no <HI>&s;tinted trees</HI> in Chri&s;ts gar|den; if they leave off to grow, they prove <HI>doated</HI> or <HI>rotten trees.</HI> An active nature, &s;uch as mans is, mv&s;t either grow <HI>wor&s;e</HI> or <HI>better;</HI> therefore we &s;hould be as <HI>careful</HI> after the <HI>increa&s;e of grace,</HI> as we would be <HI>cautious</HI> of the <HI>lo&s;s of grace.</HI></P>
<P>3. 'Tis an <HI>ill &s;ign</HI> to be contented with a <HI>little grace:</HI> <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Minime bonus e&s;t qui mel<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">r fieri no<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> vul<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">. <HI>Bernar<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">us.</HI></NOTE> He was never <HI>good,</HI> that doth not de&s;ire to <HI>grow better:</HI> Spiritual things do not cloy in the enjoyment; He that hath once ta&s;ted the &s;weetne&s;s of grace, hath arguments enough to make him &s;eek further, and de&s;ire more grace: <HI>every degree</HI> of holine&s;s is as de&s;ireable as the <HI>fir&s;t;</HI> therefore there can be no <HI>true holine&s;s</HI> without a de&s;ire of <HI>perfect holi|ne&s;s:</HI> God giveth us <HI>a ta&s;te</HI> to this end and purpo&s;e, that we may long for a <HI>fuller draught;</HI> as the <HI>clu&s;ters of Canaan</HI> brought to <HI>I&s;rael</HI> in the <HI>wilderne&s;s</HI> made them put on for the Country: They are <HI>Hypocrites,</HI> and &s;ure to be <HI>Apo&s;tates,</HI> that are contented with a <HI>ta&s;te, Heb.</HI> 6.</P>
<P>4. Becau&s;e we cannot have <HI>too much grace:</HI> there is no <HI>nimium</HI> in the internals of Religion; you cannot have too much <HI>knowledg,</HI> too much <HI>love of God,</HI> too much of the <HI>fear of God.</HI> In the outward part there may be too much done, and then it proveth <HI>will-wor&s;hip</HI> and <HI>&s;uper&s;tition:</HI> The A|po&s;tle &s;aith, 2 <HI>Pet. 1. 11. That we mu&s;t give diligence, that an abundant entrance may be mini&s;tred to us into the everla&s;ting Kingdom of God and our Saviour Je&s;us Chri&s;t.</HI> Some are <NOTE N="&dagger;" PLACE="marg">Ephe&s; 2. 13.</NOTE> <HI>afar off</HI> from the Kingdom of God, as per&s;ons ignorant and touched with no care of Religion: <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Mat 12 34. Acts 26. 28.</NOTE> Some <HI>come near,</HI> but <HI>never enter,</HI> as <HI>&s;emi-converts</HI> and men of a <HI>blamele&s;s life;</HI> the&s;e <HI>cheapen,</HI> but do not <HI>buy,</HI> and go through with the bar|gain: others enter, but with greater difficulty, are <HI>&s;carcely &s;aved, 1 Pet. 4. 18. &s;aved as by fire, 1 Cor.</HI> 3. 13. they make an <HI>hard&s;hift</HI> to go to Heaven, and have only grace enough to keep body and &s;oul together (as we &s;ay) not a jot to &s;pare: Others enter with <HI>full &s;ails,</HI> or as 'tis &s;aid, they <HI>have an abun|dant entrance mini&s;tred to them,</HI> and yet all is but <HI>little enough;</HI>
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&s;piritual things cannot exceed mea&s;ure. But you will &s;ay, 'Tis &s;aid, <HI>Eccle&s;. 7. 16. Be not righteous over much.</HI> I an&s;wer, Either 'tis meant of an <HI>opinionative righteou&s;ne&s;s,</HI> be not too righteous in <HI>thine own conceit;</HI> or rather of an <HI>indi&s;creet heat,</HI> or a <HI>rigid</HI> and <HI>&s;ullen &s;everity,</HI> without any temper of <HI>wi&s;dom</HI> and <HI>mod ration;</HI> otherwi&s;e in <HI>real holine&s;s</HI> there can never be <HI>enough.</HI></P>
<P>5. God hath provided for them that grow in grace a <HI>more ample reward;</HI> according to our <HI>mea&s;ures of grace,</HI> &s;o will our <HI>mea&s;ures of glory be;</HI> for they that have <HI>mo&s;t grace</HI> are ve&s;&s;els of a <HI>larger capacity,</HI> others are filled according to their &s;ize: <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg"><HI>See</HI> S<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">a<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">e<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">m. <HI>Dub. Evang. par<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">o 31. D<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">b 135.</HI> &amp; alios pa&s;&s;in.</NOTE> 'Tis indeed a que&s;tion whether there be degrees of glory yea or no; But I &s;uppo&s;e it may ea&s;ily be determined, <HI>He that &s;oweth &s;paringly &s;hall reap &s;paringly,</HI> whereas others have their <HI>bo&s;oms full of &s;heaves:</HI> if a man with a little grace &s;hould get to Heaven, yet he hindereth his <HI>own preferment;</HI> Who would have a <HI>thin crop,</HI> and a <HI>lean harve&s;t?</HI></P>
<P>6. <HI>It &s;uiteth with our pre&s;ent &s;tate;</HI> here we are in a &s;tate of <HI>progre&s;s</HI> and <HI>growth,</HI> not of <HI>re&s;t</HI> and <HI>perfection:</HI> Grace is not given out at once, but by degrees: Chri&s;t &s;aith, <HI>Joh. 17. 26. I have declared thy Name, and will declare it:</HI> and <HI>Joh. 1. 50. Beleeve&s;t thou? thou &s;halt &s;ee greater things then the&s;e;</HI> There is more to come, therefore let us not re&s;t in our fir&s;t experiences: <HI>Paul</HI> &s;aith, <HI>I have not attained, Phil.</HI> 3. When grace is wrought, yet there is &s;omething lacking: He is a fooli&s;h builder that would re&s;t in the middle of his work; and becau&s;e the <HI>foundation</HI> is layd, is carele&s;s of the <HI>&s;uper|&s;tructure.</HI> The &s;tate of the Saints is expre&s;&s;ed by a <HI>growing light, Prov.</HI> 4. 18. As long as there is <HI>want,</HI> there &s;hould be <HI>growth;</HI> &s;ee 1 <HI>The&s;.</HI> 4. 1.</P>
<P>7. <HI>Seeking the increa&s;e and multiplication of &s;piritual gifts, &s;uiteth be&s;t with the bounty and munificence of God.</HI> The Fa|ther, Son, and Holy Spirit have <HI>rich grace</HI> for us; and we are <HI>mo&s;t welcome,</HI> when we &s;eek for <HI>mo&s;t plenty:</HI> God the Father is repre&s;ented as <HI>rich in mercy, Ephe&s;. 2.4. Rom.</HI> 10. 12. We can never exhau&s;t the Trea&s;ures of Grace, and impo|veri&s;h the Exchequer of Heaven: So Chri&s;t hath a <HI>rich</HI> and
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<HI>full merit, 2 Cor. 8. 9. to make us rich, &amp;c.</HI> God the Son aimed at it in all his &s;ufferings and conde&s;centions, that he might make a large purcha&s;e for us, and we might not be &s;traitened in grace. The Spirit of God is poured out <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>richly, Tit.</HI> 3.6. There is <HI>mercy enough</HI> in God the Fa|ther, <HI>merit enough</HI> in God the Son, <HI>efficacy enough</HI> in God the Spirit: <HI>God</HI> is not wanting, if <HI>we</HI> be not wanting to our &s;elves. If a <HI>mighty King</HI> &s;hould open his Trea&s;ure, and bid men come and bring their bags, and take as much as they would; do you think they would neglect this occa&s;ion of gain? &s;urely no; they would run and fetch bag after bag, and never cea&s;e. Thus doth the Lord do in the Covenant of Grace; you will rather want <HI>ve&s;&s;els</HI> then <HI>trea&s;ure.</HI></P>
<P>8. 'Tis a nece&s;&s;ary piece of gratitude: we would have <HI>mercy</HI> to be multiplied, and therefore we &s;hould take care that <HI>Peace</HI> and <HI>Love</HI> be multiplyed al&s;o, we would have God <HI>add to our ble&s;&s;ings,</HI> and therefore we &s;hould <HI>add to our graces;</HI> &s;ee 2 <HI>Pet.</HI> 1. 5. When we have <HI>food</HI> we would have <HI>cloathing,</HI> and when we have <HI>cloathing</HI> we would have <HI>hou&s;e</HI> and <HI>harbour,</HI> and when we have <HI>all the&s;e things,</HI> we would have them in <HI>greater proportion;</HI> the like care &s;hould we &s;hew in gracious injoyments; When we have <HI>knowledge,</HI> we &s;hould add <HI>temperance,</HI> and when we have <HI>temperance,</HI> we &s;hould add <HI>patience,</HI> &amp;c.</P>
<P>9. We may learn of our Lord Je&s;us to whom we mu&s;t be conformed in all things, <HI>Luc. 2.40. He grew in wi&s;edom and &s;tature:</HI> the meaning is his <HI>humane capacitie</HI> was inlarged by degrees according to his <HI>progre&s;s in age</HI> and <HI>&s;trength,</HI> for in all things he was <HI>l<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ke us except &s;in,</HI> and our rea&s;on is ripned and perfected together with our <HI>age.</HI></P>
<P>10. We may learn of worldly men, <HI>Who</HI> <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">I&s;ay 5. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">.</NOTE> <HI>joyn hou&s;e to hou&s;e, and field to field,</HI> and are never &s;atisfied: So there is an <HI>holy covetou&s;ne&s;s</HI> in &s;pirituall things when we joyn <NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 1. 17</NOTE> <HI>faith to faith,</HI> and obedience to obedience, one degree to another: our Ble&s;&s;ings are better, and the <HI>chiefest good</HI> &s;hould not be followed with <HI>a &s;lacker hand;</HI> 'tis our happine&s;s to enjoy the <HI>infinite God,</HI> and therefore we &s;hould not &s;et a <HI>&s;tint</HI> and <HI>limit</HI> to our de&s;ires: With what arts and methods of increa&s;e
<PB N="122" REF="70">
doth a covetous man &s;eek to advance him&s;elf? he liveth more by <HI>hope</HI> then by <HI>memory,</HI> and what <HI>he hath</HI> &s;eemeth nothing to what he <HI>expecteth:</HI> So &s;hould we <NOTE PLACE="marg">Phil. 3. 14</NOTE> <HI>forget the things that are behinde,</HI> and reach <HI>forth to the things that are before us:</HI> A covetous man &s;eemeth <HI>the poorer,</HI> the more he hath gotten: &s;o &s;hould we <HI>grow humble</HI> with every injoyment, 'tis a <HI>good degree of grace</HI> to &s;ee how much we <HI>want grace:</HI> A cove|tous man maketh it the main work and bu&s;ine&s;s of his life to increa&s;e his e&s;tate; <HI>He goeth to <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">bed late, ri&s;eth early&punc; eateth the bread of &s;orrows,</HI> and all for a <HI>little <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">elf,</HI> the &s;trength of lu&s;t &s;hould &s;hame us, &s;hould not we make Religion the <HI>bu|&s;ine&s;&s;e of our lives,</HI> and our <HI>great imployment?</HI> &s;hall we be as in&s;atiable <HI>as the grave</HI> to the world, when a <HI>little grave</HI> &s;er|veth the turn?</P>
<P>Secondly, the next thing which I am to do is to give you<NOTE PLACE="marg">2. Ob&s;er.</NOTE> &s;ome <HI>ob&s;ervations</HI> concerning <HI>growth in grace,</HI> they are the&s;e: 1. <HI>To di&s;cern growth, there is required &s;ome time, a totall change</HI> which is far more &s;en&s;ible than <HI>growth,</HI> that may be in <HI>a<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> in&s;tant,</HI> then <HI>a &s;inner,</HI> now a <HI>Saint;</HI> but there mu&s;t be a <HI>competent time</HI> to judge of our growth, we cannot di&s;cern it by <HI>&s;ingle acts</HI> &s;o much as by the <HI>great<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">r portions</HI> of our lives. <NOTE N="&dagger;" PLACE="marg">A&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">nden<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">o <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">on volando a&s;cinditur &s;ummi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">as &s;calae <HI>Bernard.</HI></NOTE> We cannot &s;o ea&s;ily find out how we grow by every Ser|mon, as by comparing our <HI>pa&s;t e&s;tate</HI> with our <HI>pre&s;ent:</HI> we do not fly to the <HI>the top of</HI> Jacobs <HI>ladder,</HI> but go up <HI>&s;tep by &s;tep,</HI> 'tis a work of time and &s;o we may judge of our not growing, if after a long time we are where we were, under the power of the <HI>&s;ame prejudices,</HI> or <HI>the &s;ame doubts,</HI> or <HI>the &s;ame lu&s;ts</HI> &s;till, &s;ee <HI>Heb.</HI> 5. 12.</P>
<P>Secondly, <HI>In the growing of Saints there is much difference,</HI> all the plants in Chri&s;ts garden are not of a like heighth and &s;tature, &s;ome that are more publickly u&s;efull have theiy <HI>five talents,</HI> others but <HI>two;</HI> &s;ome thrive more and grow of a &s;udden, 2 <HI>The&s;&s;. 1. 3. Your faith grew exceedingly,</HI> others are weak and &s;low, and yet they are fruitfull: <HI>We all grow ac|cording to the mea&s;ure of a part,</HI> Eph. 4. That is, according to the rate of that part which we &s;u&s;tain in <HI>the body, a finger</HI> groweth not to the quantitie of <HI>an arm,</HI> they all grow, but the growth of all is not equall.</P>
<P><PB N="123" REF="70">Thirdly, <HI>Growth in grace is alwayes accompanied with growth in knowledge,</HI> 2 Pet. 3. 18. <HI>But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Je&s;us Chri&s;t,</HI> &amp;c. Plants that grow out of the Sunne &s;end up a longer &s;talk, but the <HI>fruit is wor&s;e:</HI> &s;ome Chri&s;tians pitch all their care upon the <HI>growth of love,</HI> and take no pains to <HI>grow in knowledge;</HI> but this is not right, <HI>we &s;hould alwayes follow on to know the Lord,</HI> Ho&s;ea 6. 3. We reade that Chri&s;t <HI>grew in knowledge,</HI> we do not reade that <HI>he grew in grace:</HI> Gods choy&s;e&s;t &s;aints are alwayes bettering their notions of God; <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> his fir&s;t re|que&s;t was <HI>Tell me thy name,</HI> Exod.4. and afterwards, <HI>&s;h<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">w me thy glory,</HI> Exod. 33. Our faire&s;t portion in Heaven is the &s;a|tisfaction of the under&s;tanding with the knowledge of God: therefore if we would have <HI>grace multiplied,</HI> it mu&s;t be <HI>through the knowledge of God,</HI> 2 Pet. 1. 2. the more <HI>&s;hine,</HI> the more <HI>warmth.</HI></P>
<P>Fourthly, <HI>Growth of knowledge in the growing and increa&s;e, is le&s;s &s;en&s;ible then the growth of grace, but afterward more &s;en&s;ible;</HI> as a Plant increa&s;eth in <HI>length</HI> and <HI>&s;tature,</HI> though we do not &s;ee <HI>the progre&s;s,</HI> but afterwards we know that it <HI>hath grown:</HI> growth in grace is alwayes <HI>cum lucta,</HI> with ma|ny a&s;&s;aults, and &s;o more &s;en&s;ible, whereas the work upon <HI>the under&s;tanding,</HI> is more <HI>&s;till</HI> and <HI>&s;ilent;</HI> draw away the curtain and the light cometh in without any more &s;tirre, our ignorance vani&s;heth &s;ilently and without &s;uch &s;trife as go|eth to the taming of carnall affections: but afterwards tis <HI>more &s;en&s;ible,</HI> for we have not alwayes <HI>a &s;pirituall feeling,</HI> but the effects of knowledge are <HI>&s;tanding</HI> and <HI>permanent,</HI> Eph. 5. 8. <HI>Ye were darkne&s;s. but now are light in the Lord.</HI></P>
<P>Fifthly, <HI>Progre&s;&s;e in knowledge is rather in degrees, than in parts and matters known:</HI> I mean it con&s;i&s;teth not &s;o much in <HI>knowing new truths,</HI> as in a <HI>greater proportion of light;</HI> yet I &s;ay 'tis rather not <HI>altogether,</HI> for a man may walk in <HI>pre|&s;ent practices</HI> which future light may di&s;prove and retract, but u&s;ually the increa&s;e of a Chri&s;tian is rather in the <HI>mea|&s;ure of knowledge,</HI> than in <HI>knowing new things, the light &s;hin|eth more and more,</HI> Prov. 4. I know <HI>God</HI> more, <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> more, the <HI>vanity</HI> of the <HI>world,</HI> more, the odiou&s;ne&s;s of <HI>&s;inn:</HI> more,
<PB N="124" REF="71">
that is <HI>more practically,</HI> and in another manner then I did be|fore, <HI>old Principles</HI> are <HI>improved</HI> and <HI>perfected:</HI> I &s;peak this becau&s;e of the danger to which men expo&s;e them&s;elves by expecting <HI>new light,</HI> keeping the &s;oul from <HI>an e&s;tabli&s;hment in pre&s;ent Principles,</HI> and looking for <HI>new truths</HI> to be re|vealed to them.</P>
<P>6<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">y, <HI>Of all Graces we need mo&s;t to grow in faith, 1 The&s;&s;. 3. 10. I de&s;ire to &s;ee you that I may perfect that which is lacking in your faith.</HI> Luk. 17. 5. <HI>Lord increa&s;e our faith,</HI> and Mark 9. 24. <HI>Lord I believe, help my unbelief:</HI> Faith <HI>is mo&s;t defective,</HI> our <HI>a&s;&s;ent</HI> is tremulous, our affiance weak; and faith is <HI>mo&s;t a&s;&s;aulted.</HI> All the temptations of Sathan tend to weaken your <HI>faith:</HI> and all other Graces depend upon the <HI>increa&s;e of Faith.</HI></P>
<P>7l<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">, <HI>Growth in parts and gifts mu&s;t heedfully be di&s;tingui&s;hed from growth in Grace:</HI> many may grow in parts, that goe back in Grace, you can only di&s;cern a meer growth in <HI>parts</HI> and <HI>gifts</HI> by <HI>pride</HI> and <HI>&s;elf ends; knowledge puffeth up:</HI> 1 Cor. 8. 2. When men <HI>grow in abilities</HI> and grow more <HI>proud</HI> and <HI>carnall,</HI> 'tis a &s;ad &s;ymptome.</P>
<P>8ly, <HI>The infallible &s;ignes of growth in Grace are three. When we grow more &s;pirituall, more &s;olid, more humble.</HI></P>
<P>1. <HI>More &s;pirituall,</HI> the growth of wicked men is in &s;pirituall wickedne&s;s le&s;s <HI>debauched,</HI> but more malicious; &s;o will our growth in grace be di&s;cerned by <HI>our &s;pirituality in our aimes,</HI> when our ends are more elevated to Gods glo|ry, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> In our <HI>grounds and principles,</HI> as when we re&s;i&s;t &s;in out of <HI>love to God:</HI> and as 'tis <HI>contrary to his purity and holi|ne&s;s,</HI> and when we are carried out again&s;t <HI>inward corruptions,</HI> &s;uch as the world doth not take notice off; not onely again&s;t <HI>&s;ins,</HI> but <HI>lu&s;ts</HI> and <HI>thoughts,</HI> for that argueth <HI>more light</HI> and <HI>more love,</HI> &s;o when we regard the &s;pirituality of duties, <HI>&s;erving the Lord in the &s;pirit:</HI> &s;o when we relli&s;h the <HI>more spirituall part</HI> of the Word, <HI>plain and &s;olid preaching,</HI> rather then &s;uch as is <HI>gari&s;h</HI> and full of the pomp <HI>of words,</HI> 1 Cor. 2. 6. <HI>We speak wi&s;edome among tho&s;e that are perfect,</HI> the trappings of an ordinance are baits to take the more carnall &s;ort of hea|rers; <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">See <HI>Plutarch</HI> in hi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> Treati&s;e <GAP DESC="foreign">.</NOTE> <HI>Plutarch</HI> in his Treati&s;e of <HI>growth in morall virtue,</HI>
<PB N="125" REF="71">
wherein are many notable things applicable <HI>to growth in Grace;</HI> &s;aith, that a man that hath made &s;ome progre&s;s in virtue is like a Phy&s;itian, that coming into a Garden he doth not con&s;ider flowers for their <HI>beauty</HI> as gallants do, but for their <HI>u&s;e</HI> and <HI>virtue</HI> in medicine; So he doth not con&s;ider &s;peech for its <HI>finene&s;s</HI> but <HI>fitne&s;s</HI> and <HI>&s;ea&s;onablene&s;s</HI> to pre&s;ent u&s;e; the &s;ame holdeth good al&s;o in growth in grace, the more we grow the more we regard the &s;pirituall part of the Word and &s;uch as is of a practicall u&s;e and concern|ment.</P>
<P>2. More <HI>&s;olid</HI> and <HI>judicious,</HI> Phil. 1. 9. <HI>I pray God your love may abound more and more in all judgement</HI> there is a <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">1 Cor. 13. 11.</NOTE> <HI>childi&s;hne&s;s</HI> in religion as well as nature, when we are led al|together by <HI>fancy</HI> and <HI>affection,</HI> but afterward we grow more <HI>prudent, &s;ober</HI> and <HI>&s;olid:</HI> Growth then is not to be mea&s;u|red by inten&s;ene&s;s and vigour of affection that goeth and cometh, and in the <HI>infancie of Grace</HI> our affections are mo&s;t warm and pregnant: <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Young men if they know their hearts have cau&s;e to complain of Hypocri&s;ie, as old men of deadne&s;s. Mr. <HI>Thomas Goodwin<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">,</HI> in a Treati&s;e of growth in grace.</NOTE> A <HI>young tree</HI> may have <HI>more leaves</HI> and <HI>blo&s;&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">mes,</HI> but an old tree is more deeply rooted, and <HI>young chri&s;tians</HI> &s;eem altogether to be made up of <HI>will</HI> and <HI>affections,</HI> and <HI>ferverous motions,</HI> but have le&s;s of <HI>judgement</HI> and <HI>&s;olidity,</HI> many times of <HI>&s;incerity;</HI> as men in a deep thir&s;t take down what is offered to them to drink before they di&s;|cern the ta&s;te of it, &s;o acts of <HI>will</HI> out&s;tart the <HI>under&s;tanding;</HI> but in <HI>old men nature</HI> being <HI>&s;pent,</HI> and through <HI>long acquain|tance</HI> with Religion, there are not &s;uch quick and lively mo|tions; the one are <HI>&s;ick of love,</HI> have more qualms and ago|nies, the other are more rooted <HI>in love,</HI> and grow more <HI>firm, con&s;tant, &s;olid, rationall and wi&s;e,</HI> in ordering the &s;piri|tuall life.</P>
<P>3. <HI>More humble,</HI> as 'tis a good progre&s;s in learning to know our ignorance, they that have but a &s;mattering are mo&s;t <HI>conceited. Plutarch</HI> in the fore mentioned Treati&s;e, tells us of the &s;aying of <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="foreign">. <HI>Plutarchus ubi &s;upra.</HI></NOTE> <HI>Menedemus, that tho&s;e that went</HI>
<PB N="126" REF="72">
<HI>to &s;tudy at Athens at fir&s;t &s;eemed to them&s;elves to be wi&s;e, af|terwards, onely lovers of wi&s;edome, then Oratours &s;uch as could speak of wi&s;edome, ca&s;t off all and knowing nothing with the increa&s;e of learning, &s;till laying a&s;ide their pride and arro|gancy:</HI> &s;o 'tis with tho&s;e that grow in grace, by acquain|tance with God, light is <HI>increa&s;ed</HI> and made more <HI>reflexive,</HI> and they are more &s;en&s;ible of their <HI>obligations to God,</HI> and &s;o are more <HI>tender,</HI> and by <HI>long experience</HI> are better acquainted with their own hearts; and thats the rea&s;on why we have &s;uch humble acknowledgements from them; <HI>Paul</HI> a &s;ancti|fied ve&s;&s;el, yet calleth him&s;elf <HI>chiefe&s;t of &s;inners,</HI> 1 Tim. 1. 15. and <HI>le&s;s than the lea&s;t of the Saints,</HI> Eph. 3. 8. And <HI>Agur</HI> Prov. 30. 2. 3. <HI>Surely I am more bruti&s;h than any man, I have not the under&s;tanding of a man, I have neither learned wi&s;e|dome, nor have the knowledge of the Holy:</HI> So if you did overhear the <HI>&s;ecret confe&s;&s;ions</HI> of the Saints to God, you would think them the <HI>vile&s;t per&s;ons in the world,</HI> for &s;o they are in their <HI>own &s;en&s;e</HI> and repre&s;entations to God.</P>
<P>Ninthly, <HI>The lowe&s;t evidences of growth in grace are long|ing for food;</HI> and <HI>being humble for want of growth:</HI> for the fir&s;t, <HI>Longing for food,</HI> &s;ee 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 2. 2. life hath a <HI>nutritive ap|petite</HI> joyned with it, when that is <HI>&s;trong</HI> 'tis a &s;ign the &s;oul is <HI>healthy,</HI> it will grow: as we &s;ay of children that take the dug kindly, they will thrive and do well enough. For the &s;econd, humble <HI>for want of growth,</HI> &s;ee <HI>Mark 9. 24. help my unbeliefe:</HI> 'tis a &s;ign you mind the work, and are &s;en&s;ible of <HI>&s;pirituall defects,</HI> which is a great advantage.</P>
<P>Tenthly, Growth is the &s;peciall fruit of the divine grace, <HI>God giveth the increa&s;e,</HI> 1 Cor. 3. 6. Plants thrive better by the <HI>deaw of Heaven,</HI> then when they are <HI>watered by hand:</HI> Grace that is nece&s;&s;ary to <HI>every action</HI> is much more nece&s;&s;ary to <HI>every degree;</HI> in the Text the Apo&s;tle doth not <HI>exhort</HI> but <HI>pray, mercy peace and love be mul|tiplied,</HI> our endeavours are nece&s;&s;ary. As <HI>ploughing</HI> and <HI>digging</HI> are nece&s;&s;ary, but the <HI>Ble&s;&s;ing</HI> cometh from above. The&s;e are the ob&s;ervations, let us now apply all.<NOTE PLACE="marg">&V;&s;e 1.</NOTE></P>
<P>Fir&s;t let us be earne&s;t with God for this increa&s;e, he hath <HI>the riches of Glory,</HI> Eph. 3. 16. which we cannot exhau&s;t.
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You honour God when you go for more, you <HI>want more</HI> and he <HI>can give more;</HI> when men are contented <HI>with a little,</HI> 'tis a &s;ign either of <HI>hardne&s;s of heart,</HI> they are not &s;en&s;ible of their wants or of unbelief, as if God had no higher and bet|ter things to give us.</P>
<P>It &s;heweth us how far they are from being Chri&s;tians, that care not for the lea&s;t degree of Grace, that do not &s;pend a thought that way, the&s;e <HI>are farre from the Kingdome of God.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">&V;&s;e 2.</NOTE></P>
<P>Secondly, That are faln back and have lo&s;t the <HI>&s;avourine&s;s of their &s;pirits,</HI> and their <HI>delight</HI> in communion with God; time was when they could not let <HI>a day</HI> pa&s;s without <HI>a du|ty,</HI> nor a <HI>duty</HI> pa&s;s without &s;ome <HI>&s;en&s;ible experience</HI> of God, but now can &s;pend <HI>whole dayes</HI> and <HI>weeks</HI> and never give God a <HI>vi&s;ite;</HI> time was when there could not a <HI>carnall mo|tion</HI> ari&s;e, but they were up in arms again&s;t it; but now their hearts &s;warm with <HI>vain thoughts,</HI> and they can &s;wallow <HI>gro&s;s &s;ins</HI> without remor&s;e: <HI>improvident mispence</HI> of time was once a great burden, but they have lo&s;t their tenderne&s;s and can &s;pend a <HI>Sabbath</HI> unprofitably, and find no regrete: their <HI>vain thoughts</HI> were wont to trouble them; but now not their <HI>carnall practices,</HI> duty was once <HI>&s;weet,</HI> but now their <HI>greate&s;t bondage:</HI> certainly <HI>the candle of the Lord doth not &s;hine upon them as it did in the moneths that are pa&s;t.</HI></P>
<P>Thirdly, Tho&s;e that are at <HI>a &s;tay</HI> had need look to them|&s;elves; <HI>&s;tinted trees cumber the ground,</HI> and they that go on in a dead powerle&s;s cour&s;e, do hurt rather then good; <HI>luke|warm profe&s;&s;ion</HI> is but the <HI>picture</HI> of Religion, and painted things do not grow, but keep at the &s;ame pitch. If a man were a Chri&s;tian in good earne&s;t, could he be contented with the <HI>pre&s;ent weakne&s;s</HI> of his faith, imperfection of his knowledge, with this creeping cold way of obedience?</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="3" TYPE="verse">
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<EPIGRAPH>
<BIBL>VERSE III.</BIBL>
<Q>Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write to you, of the common &s;alvation, it was needfull for me to write to you and exhort you, that ye &s;hould ear|ne&s;tly contend for the faith which was once deli|vered to the Saints.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>THe Apo&s;tle having di&s;patched <HI>the &s;alutation,</HI> maketh way for the <HI>matter</HI> of the Epi&s;tle; this Ver&s;e is the <HI>Preface</HI> to the whole, wherein he propo&s;eth two things:</P>
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. <HI>The occa&s;ion</HI> of his writing.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The <HI>matter</HI> and <HI>drift</HI> of it.</ITEM>
</LIST>
<P>1. <HI>The occa&s;ion</HI> of writing this Epi&s;tle, which was double,</P>
<P>1. <HI>His earne&s;tne&s;s</HI> in promoting their good; <HI>Beloved, when I gave diligence to write to you</HI> of the common &s;alvation.</P>
<P>2. The <HI>urgencie of the pre&s;ent nece&s;&s;itie, [It was needfull for me to write unto you and exhort you.</HI>]</P>
<P>In a&s;&s;igning his <HI>earne&s;tne&s;s</HI> and <HI>zeal</HI> for their good, you may take notice of three things, which I &s;hall explain in their order.</P>
<P>1. A <HI>compellation</HI> of their per&s;ons, <GAP DESC="foreign"> [<HI>Beloved;</HI>] a tearm u&s;uall in the Apo&s;tles writings, the &s;ame word is u&s;ed, 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 2. 11. and there tran&s;lated, <HI>Dearly beloved:</HI> it noteth not onely that affection which by the <HI>law of nature</HI> we owe to one another, <HI>Rom.</HI> 13. 8. nor that love which by the <HI>law of bounty</HI> and <HI>kindne&s;s</HI> we are bound to render to them that love us, <HI>Matth.</HI> 5. 46. but that <HI>&s;ingular love</HI> which we owe to them that are with us in Chri&s;t, which is alwayes expre&s;&s;ed by <GAP DESC="foreign"> in Scripture, and we &s;ometimes tran&s;late it [<HI>Charity</HI>] often [<HI>Love,</HI>] the Rhemi&s;ts al|wayes [<HI>Charity;</HI>] who&s;e tenderne&s;s in this point (as one ob&s;erveth) is not altogether to be di&s;allowed, le&s;t it be con|founded with <HI>common</HI> and <HI>impure love</HI> expre&s;&s;ed by <GAP DESC="foreign">,
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and <HI>charity</HI>] being a Church Word, is wholly free from &s;uch <HI>indifferency</HI> and <HI>equivocation:</HI> So here in&s;tead of [<HI>be|loved</HI>] they render [my deare&s;t] which fitly noteth the <HI>tenderne&s;s&punc;</HI> and <HI>bowels</HI> that are in Chri&s;tian affection.</P>
<P>From this compellation ob&s;erve, <HI>That Chri&s;tians &s;hould</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Doct.</NOTE> <HI>be to each other as beloved;</HI> &s;uch dearne&s;s and entirene&s;s of af|fection &s;hould pa&s;s between them, that they may entitle one another to <HI>their bowels,</HI> and <HI>choi&s;er re&s;pects.</HI></P>
<P>Rea&s;ons are the&s;e. 1. <HI>None can have better grounds to love</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Rea&s;on.</NOTE> <HI>another,</HI> they are <HI>members</HI> of the <HI>&s;ame body, 1 Cor. 12. Bro|thers</HI> born of the <HI>&s;ame womb,</HI> living in the <HI>&s;ame family,</HI> have defaced all the feelings of Nature, and been divided in <HI>in|tere&s;t</HI> and <HI>affection;</HI> but &s;urely no <HI>&s;uch Schi&s;m</HI> can happen in the <HI>&s;ame body,</HI> who would u&s;e an <HI>arm</HI> to cut off a leg, or an <HI>hand</HI> to &s;cratch out his eyes, <HI>members care for one another.</HI> Now this is the relation which Chri&s;t hath left us, he hath&punc; not only called us into a <HI>family,</HI> but into a <HI>body, Col.</HI> 3. 15 See the &s;ame pre&s;&s;ed together with many other <HI>uniting con|&s;iderations, Eph.</HI> 4. 4. 5. 6. ver&s;es, <HI>There is one Body, one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling, one Lord, one Faith, one Bapti&s;m, one God, and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.</HI> Let us a little go over that place: The fir&s;t engagement is [one Body] they are <HI>Wennes,</HI> and <HI>mon&s;trous excre&s;cencies,</HI> not <HI>members,</HI> that &s;uck all the nouri&s;hment to them&s;elves. Again, <HI>one member</HI> lacking, or out of joynt, is a pain and deformity to the <HI>whole.</HI> The next engagement is [one Spirit] which in all other relations can onlie be had in fancy and imagination; friends &s;peak as if they lived by one <HI>common &s;oul,</HI> but here 'tis &s;o really, all Believers have the <HI>&s;ame Spirit;</HI> I &s;ay in o|ther relations (even in the neare&s;t) every one is acted by his <HI>own &s;oul,</HI> but here <HI>by one Spirit we are Baptized into one Body, 1 Cor.</HI> 12. 13. What &s;hould divide us when we have the <HI>&s;ame Spirit?</HI> We have not all the <HI>&s;ame mea&s;ures,</HI> and that occa&s;ioneth &s;ome difference; as the Soul &s;heweth it's &s;elf in &s;ome members more than in other, though it acteth all, but the Spirit is the &s;ame. The next con&s;ideration is [one Hope] Shall not the <HI>&s;ame earth</HI> contain tho&s;e, that
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expect to live in the <HI>&s;ame heaven? Luther</HI> and <HI>Zuinglius, Cranmer</HI> and <HI>Hooper, Ridley</HI> and <HI>Saunders,</HI> &s;hall all ac|cord for ever in heaven; and certainly 'tis through the <HI>re|liques of the fle&s;h</HI> that they cannot accord here: In other re|lations there may be divi&s;ions, becau&s;e they have <HI>different hopes,</HI> and it may be hopes that intrench and encroach up|on the good of each other; but here you have <HI>one heaven,</HI> and <HI>one hope,</HI> 'tis all for you; there may be a difference in the degree of glory, but none to <HI>provoke pride,</HI> or <HI>feed envy:</HI> How will bitter and keen Spirits look upon each other, when they meet in glory? It followeth [one Lord] We are in the <HI>&s;ame family,</HI> how will you look God in the face if you fall, a <HI>&s;miting your fellow-&s;ervants? Matth.</HI> 24. 45. Then [one Faith] There may be different apprehen&s;ions, and e|very one may abound in his own &s;en&s;e in <HI>circum&s;tances,</HI> but <HI>the Faith</HI> is the &s;ame, they agree in the &s;ame <HI>e&s;&s;entials</HI> and <HI>&s;ub&s;tantials</HI> of Religion: The Enemies of the Church, though divided in <HI>intere&s;ts</HI> and <HI>opinions,</HI> yet becau&s;e they a|gree in one <HI>common hatred</HI> of the Saints, can hold together, <HI>Gebal,</HI> and <HI>Ammon,</HI> and <HI>Amalee,</HI> and the men of <HI>Tyre,</HI> did all con&s;pire again&s;t <HI>I&s;rael, P&s;a.</HI> 83. Like <HI>Samp&s;ons Foxes,</HI> though their <HI>faces</HI> looked &s;everal wayes, yet were tyed to one ano|ther by <HI>their tails,</HI> and ran together to burn up the Corn|fields, and &s;hall not the people of God agree, who all profe&s;s <HI>one</HI> and the <HI>&s;ame Faith?</HI> The next con&s;ideration is [one Bapti&s;m] that is one badg of profe&s;&s;ion, 'twas a cau&s;e of difference among <HI>Jacobs Sons,</HI> that one had a <HI>Coat of divers colours,</HI> a &s;pecial badg of affection: Con&s;ider you are all brought in by the <HI>Bapti&s;m of Water,</HI> and the u&s;e of ordinary means, none have a &s;pecial and privilegiate Call from heaven above the re&s;t of their Brethren. La&s;tly, it fol|loweth [<HI>one God, and Father of all</HI>] You all wor&s;hip the &s;ame God, there is nothing divides more than <HI>different ob|jects of Wor&s;hip:</HI> <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Summus u|t<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">iu&s;q ind<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> &s;u|ror<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">ul<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">o quod numina vi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ino|rum o<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">it u t<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">q&punc; locus ju|v<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">nali.</NOTE> When one <HI>&s;corneth</HI> what another <HI>ador<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">|eth,</HI> 'tis extreamly <HI>provoking;</HI> 'twas the Plea u&s;ed to <HI>Jo&s;eph, Gen. 50. Pardon the tre&s;pa&s;s of the &s;ervants of thy Fathers God.</HI> Thus you &s;ee that we have <HI>be<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ter grounds</HI> of love then others have.</P>
<P><PB N="131" REF="74">2. None can have <HI>higher motives,</HI> as the <HI>love of Chri&s;t,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Rea&s;on.</NOTE> <HI>Eph.</HI> 5. 2. walk <HI>in love, as Chri&s;t hath al&s;o loved us;</HI> the Pa|gan world was never acquainted with &s;uch a motive: Now none are affected and melted with the love of Chri&s;t, but tho&s;e that have an intere&s;t in it; therefore Chri&s;t expecteth more love from <HI>Chri&s;tians,</HI> than from others. <HI>Matth. 4. 46. If ye love them that love you, what reward &s;hall ye have, do not even the Publicans the &s;ame?</HI> The <HI>Publicans</HI> were ac|counted the mo&s;t vile and unworthy men in that Age; but a <HI>Publican</HI> would love tho&s;e of his <HI>own party;</HI> therefore a Chri&s;tian that is acquainted with Chri&s;ts love to <HI>&s;trangers,</HI> to <HI>Enemies,</HI> &s;hould mannage his affections with more <HI>excellen|cy</HI> and <HI>purene&s;s;</HI> the world is not acquainted with the love of Chri&s;t, and therefore only loveth <HI>its own,</HI> but we are acquainted with it, and therefore &s;hould love others. See <HI>John 13. 34. See that ye love one another, as I have loved you.</HI> Je&s;us Chri&s;t came from heaven, not only <HI>to repair</HI> and <HI>pre|&s;erve the notions of the Godhead</HI> by the greatne&s;s of his &s;uffer|ings, but to propound to us a <HI>more exact pattern of charity,</HI> and to <HI>elevate duty</HI> between man and man.</P>
<P>3. None have a <HI>greater charge,</HI> Chri&s;t calleth it his <HI>New</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">3 Rea&s;on.</NOTE> <HI>Commandement, John. 13. 34. A new Commandement give I unto you, that ye love one another:</HI> How <HI>new,</HI> &s;ince 'twas as <HI>old</HI> as the <HI>Moral Law,</HI> or Law of Nature? I an&s;wer, 'tis called <HI>n<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">w,</HI> becau&s;e <HI>excellent,</HI> as a <HI>new Song, &amp;c.</HI> or rather becau&s;e &s;olemnly and &s;pecially <HI>renewed</HI> by him, and com|mended to their care, as <HI>new things</HI> and <HI>new Laws</HI> are, much e&s;teemed and prized, or enforced by a <HI>new rea&s;on</HI> and <HI>exam|ple</HI> his own death. So 1 <HI>John</HI> 3. 23. <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>This is the Commandement, that we &s;hould believe in him whom he hath &s;ent, and love one another as he gave Commandment:</HI> 'Tis made equal <HI>with Faith,</HI> all the Scriptures aim at <HI>Faith</HI> and <HI>Love,</HI> 'twas Chri&s;ts <HI>dying charge,</HI> the <HI>great charge</HI> which he left at his death, <HI>John 15. 17. The&s;e things I command you that ye love one another:</HI> Speeches of <HI>dying men</HI> are recei|ved with mo&s;t <HI>veneration</HI> and <HI>reverence,</HI> e&s;pecially the <HI>charge of dying friends,</HI> the Brethren of <HI>Jo&s;eph</HI> fearing le&s;t he &s;hould remember the injuries formerly done to him, they u&s;e this
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place, <HI>Thy father did co~mand us before he died, &s;aying, &amp;c. Gen.</HI> 50. 16. Let us fulfill the will <HI>of the dead:</HI> When Chri&s;t took leave of his Di&s;ciples, he left this as his la&s;t charge, think of it when thou art bent to quarrel, or to neglect others: Shall I &s;light his <HI>la&s;t Commandement,</HI> his <HI>dying charge?</HI> 'Tis made the Character of Chri&s;ts Di&s;ciples, <HI>Hereby &s;hall all men know that ye are my Di&s;ciples, if ye love one another;</HI> 'tis as much as your Di&s;ciple&s;hip, &amp;c. It &s;erveth to pre&s;s you to<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 &V;&s;e.</NOTE> this amity and love; why &s;hould tho&s;e that are to meet in the &s;ame heaven, be of &s;uch an <HI>e&s;tranged heart</HI> to each other? certainly it cometh from evil. In two ca&s;es Gods people can agree well enough, in <HI>glory</HI> and in <HI>mi&s;ery,</HI> in a Pri&s;on, as <HI>Ridley</HI> and <HI>Hooper</HI> did, and in <HI>heaven</HI> as all do, in <HI>heaven</HI> where there is <HI>no &s;in,</HI> and in a Pri&s;on where <HI>lu&s;ts lye low,</HI> and are under re&s;traint: Oh then labour for <HI>love</HI> and meekne&s;s, to which end take a few directions. 1. <HI>Honour the lea&s;t of Chri&s;ts where ever you find it,</HI> if any &s;hould de&s;pi&s;e others for their meanne&s;s, it would be more proper <HI>to God</HI> to do &s;o, than for any other, becau&s;e they are mo&s;t di&s;tant from his perfection, but he will not de&s;pi&s;e <HI>&s;moaking Flax, Mat.</HI> 11. You do not know what a &s;park of glory and of the Divine Nature may lye hid under <HI>Smoak,</HI> and a <HI>covert of darkne&s;s;</HI> Chri&s;t loved the young man that had but <HI>&s;ome accompli&s;h|ments</HI> of nature in him&punc; <HI>Mark</HI> 1021. <HI>Je&s;us loved him,</HI> much more &s;hould you, when you find any weak appearances of <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> though they do not come up to <HI>your mea&s;ures. 2. Let not difference in opinion divide you;</HI> 'twere to be wi&s;hed that Believers were of <HI>one heart,</HI> and of <HI>one way,</HI> that they all <HI>thought</HI> and <HI>&s;pake</HI> the &s;ame thing, yet if they differ, cheri&s;h them for what of God is in them: in a <HI>great Organ</HI> the Pipes are of a <HI>different &s;ize,</HI> which maketh the harmony and me|lody the &s;weeter; <HI>Whereunto we have attained, let us walk by the &s;ame rule, and mind the &s;ame thing, Phil.</HI> 3. 16. Many men love to <HI>impropriate Religion,</HI> as if there were nothing of God to be found but in their <HI>own &s;phere;</HI> 'tis natural to a man to do &s;o, we would <HI>be &s;ingular,</HI> and ingro&s;s all repute of <HI>pirty, Or<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">hodoxy,</HI> and <HI>right wor&s;hip</HI> to our &s;elves. 3. <HI>Take heed of letting love degenerate into compliance,</HI> there is the
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<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Eph. 4. 3.</NOTE> <HI>Bond of the Spirit,</HI> and there is an <NOTE N="&dagger;" PLACE="marg">2 Cor. 6<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> 14.</NOTE> <HI>unequal yoke,</HI> there are <HI>Wards of love,</HI> and the <HI>Chain of Antichri&s;tian intere&s;ts,</HI> and you mu&s;t be careful to make di&s;tinction, <HI>I&s;a. 54. 15. They &s;hall gather together, but not by me:</HI> There are evil mix|tures and confederacies that are not of God, which you mu&s;t beware of, le&s;t by <HI>joyning with men,</HI> you <HI>break with God,</HI> and turn <HI>love</HI> into <HI>compliance:</HI> The Image was crumbled to pieces, where the toes were mixt of <HI>iron</HI> and <HI>clay, Dan.</HI> 2. Love may forbear <HI>the profe&s;&s;ion</HI> of &s;ome truths; there is an <HI>having faith to our &s;elves,</HI> but mu&s;t not yeeld to <HI>error.</HI></P>
<P>4. <HI>There are &s;ome &s;o vile, that they will &s;carce come within the circuit of our Chri&s;tian re&s;pect;</HI> &s;uch as are the <HI>open E|nemies</HI> of Chri&s;t, and hold things <HI>de&s;tructive</HI> to the founda|tion of Religion, <HI>John</HI> 2. <HI>Ep.</HI> 10. <HI>If any one bring not this Do|ctrine, bid him not God-&s;peed:</HI> Vile wretches mu&s;t know the ill &s;en&s;e the Church hath of their practi&s;es; <HI>Eli&s;ha</HI> would <HI>not have looked</HI> upon <HI>Joram,</HI> had it not been for <HI>Jeho&s;aphat, 2 Kings</HI> 13. 4. When men break out into de&s;perate rage and enmity to the wayes of Chri&s;t, or run into <HI>damnable errors,</HI> 'tis a <HI>compliance</HI> to &s;hew them <HI>any countenance.</HI> Thus for the <HI>compellation.</HI></P>
<P>2. The next circum&s;tance in the occa&s;ion is, <HI>at &s;tificati|on of the greatne&s;s of his love and care; <GAP DESC="foreign">, When I gave all diligence,</HI> he &s;peaketh as if it were his whole care and thought to be helpful to their faith, and therefore did watch every occa&s;ion: He addeth [to write to you] that's a further te&s;timony of his love, that he would think of them ab&s;ent <HI>to write,</HI> when he could not <HI>&s;peak</HI> to them. So that here are two things. 1. <HI>The greatne&s;s of his love.</HI> 2. The way of expre&s;&s;ing it by <HI>writing.</HI></P>
<P>From the fir&s;t [<HI>I gave all diligence</HI>] ob&s;erve, <HI>That offi|ces</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Doct.</NOTE> <HI>of love are mo&s;t commendable when they are di&s;pen&s;ed with care and diligence:</HI> 'Tis not enough to <HI>do good,</HI> but we mu&s;t do good with <HI>labour,</HI> and <HI>care,</HI> and <HI>diligence:</HI> See <HI>Tit. 3. 14. Let ours al&s;o learn to maintain good works;</HI> in the original <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>watch our good works,</HI> hunt out occa|ons: So <HI>Heb.</HI> 10. 24. Con&s;ider <HI>one another, to provoke to love and good works:</HI> 'Tis not enough to admoni&s;h one ano|ther,
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but we mu&s;t con&s;ider, &s;tudy one anothers tempers, that we may be mo&s;t u&s;eful in a <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="3 letters"> of <HI>&s;piritual communion:</HI> So <HI>Rom. 12. 17. providing for <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">ings <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 span"> in the &s;ight of God <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">n<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> men, <GAP DESC="foreign">, catering, contriving,</HI> as carnal men do for their <HI>lu&s;ts, Rom.</HI> 13 14. So for Mini&s;ters, 'tis not en|ough for them to pre&s;s that wherein they are mo&s;t <HI>ver&s;ed,</HI> or what cometh <HI>next to hand,</HI> but to <HI>&s;tudy</HI> what will mo&s;t conduce to the ends of their Mini&s;terie with &s;uch a People, <HI>&s;tudy to approve thy &s;elf a good workman, &amp;c.</HI> Well then, try your Chri&s;tian re&s;pects by it the Spirit is mo&s;t pure, not only when you <HI>do good,</HI> but when you do it with <HI>care</HI> and <HI>dili|gence;</HI> wicked men may <HI>&s;tumble upon good,</HI> but they do not <HI>&s;tudy to do good;</HI> common Spirits are moved <HI>to pray,</HI> but they do not <HI>watch unto prayer Eph.</HI> 6. 17. that is, make it their care to keep their hearts in order, and expre&s;ly to &s;uit their pray|er to their <HI>pre&s;ent nece&s;&s;ities;</HI> many may do that which is u&s;eful to the Church, but they do not <HI>watch opportunities,</HI> and make it their <HI>de&s;ign</HI> to be &s;erviceable.</P>
<P>Again, let no care be grievous to you, &s;o you may do good, <HI>I am willing to &s;pend my &s;elf, and to be &s;pent for you, 2 Cor</HI> 12. 15. We cannot be wa&s;ted in a <HI>better imployment;</HI> &s;o we <HI>&s;hine,</HI> no matter though we <HI>burn</HI> down to the Socket, or like Silk-worms, die in our work, <HI>Phil. 2. 17. If I be offer|ed upon the Sacrifice of your Faith, I rejoyce with you, &amp;c.</HI> The greate&s;t pains and care even to a maceration of our &s;elves, &s;hould not be unplea&s;ing to a gracious heart, cer|tainly this is an expre&s;&s;ion will &s;hame us; <HI>I gave all dili|gence,</HI> he <HI>&s;ought</HI> all opportunities, when we will not <HI>take</HI> them; Love will put us upon &s;earching out, and devi&s;ing wayes of doing good.</P>
<P>2. This love he would expre&s;s by writing when he could<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat.</NOTE> not come to them: <HI>Holy men take all opportunities to do good, pre&s;ent or ab&s;ent, they are &s;till mindful of the Saints,</HI> and <HI>write</HI> when they cannot <HI>&s;peak;</HI> As <HI>Ambro&s;e</HI> alludeth to <HI>Ze|charias, writing</HI> when he was <HI>&s;tricken dumb:</HI> A man would<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Zecharias</HI> cum l<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">qui non potuit Scrip&s;it.</NOTE> think that <HI>ab&s;ence</HI> were a <HI>fair excu&s;e,</HI> a writ of ea&s;e &s;erved upon us by Providence; yet godly men cannot be &s;o &s;atisfi|ed, but <HI>all helps</HI> to promote the <HI>common benefits;</HI> a <HI>willing</HI>
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<HI>mind</HI> will never want <HI>an opportunity,</HI> and they that have an <HI>heart,</HI> will be &s;ure to find an occa&s;ion; they <HI>give all diligence</HI> to promote others welfare; and therefore u&s;e all means, take all occa&s;ions: Which &s;heweth fir&s;t how far they are from this temper that do nothing but by <HI>con&s;traint. A rea|dy mind</HI> is a &s;pecial qualification in an <HI>Elder, 1 Pet.</HI> 5. 2. and a &s;ure note of <HI>our reward,</HI> 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 9. 17. But now when the <HI>Awe of the Magi&s;trate</HI> prevaileth more then <HI>love of &s;ouls,</HI> every thing is done <HI>grudgingly:</HI> 'Tis <HI>Pauls</HI> advice, <HI>Be in|&s;tent in &s;ea&s;on and out of &s;ea&s;on, 2 Tim.</HI> 4. 2. not only at &s;uch &s;ea&s;ons as are fairly offered, but where corruption and la|zine&s;s would plead an excu&s;e. Chri&s;t di&s;cour&s;ed with the woman at the Well when <HI>weary, John</HI> 4. We have but a little while to live in the world, and we know not how &s;oon we may be taken off from our u&s;efulne&s;s; that was <HI>Peters</HI> motive, <HI>to write, 2 Pet.</HI> 1. 12, 13. 2. This &s;heweth their &s;ot|ti&s;hne&s;s that are not careful to redeem opportunities for them&s;elves: <HI>Jude</HI> is &s;tudying which way to promote the &s;alvation of others, and many do not look to the &s;tate and welfare of their own &s;ouls.</P>
<P>Again ob&s;erve, <HI>That uniting is a great help to promote the</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;erv.</NOTE> <HI>common Salvation:</HI> By this means we &s;peak to the <HI>ab&s;ent,</HI> &amp; to <HI>po&s;terity;</HI> and by this means are the <HI>Oracles of God</HI> pre&s;erved in <HI>publick Records,</HI> which otherwi&s;e were in danger of being corrupted, if &s;til left to the uncertainty of <HI>verbal tradition:</HI> By this means are errours more <HI>publickly confuted,</HI> &amp; a <HI>te&s;timony</HI> again&s;t them tran&s;mitted to <HI>future ages: Speech</HI> is more <HI>tran&s;ient,</HI> but <HI>writing remaineth;</HI> &s;o Chri&s;t telleth the Apo|&s;tles that <HI>they &s;hould bring forth fruit, and their fruit &s;hould remain, John</HI> 15. 16. Apo&s;tolical Doctrine being commit|ted to writing, remaineth as a <HI>con&s;tant rule</HI> of <HI>faith</HI> and <HI>man|ners,</HI> and by the <HI>publick Explications</HI> of the Church left up|on record, we come to under&s;tand the <HI>Di&s;pen&s;ations of God</HI> to every age, what mea&s;ures of light they enjoyed, how the truths of God were <HI>oppo&s;ed,</HI> how <HI>vindicated;</HI> Finally by writing the &s;treams of &s;alvation are conveyed into every fa|mily as a common fountain by &s;o <HI>many pipes</HI> and <HI>conveyan|ces&punc;</HI> that in the defect of publick preaching, good &s;upply
<PB N="136" REF="77">
may be had in this kind: Well then, 'tis an acceptable &s;er|vice to the Church, which they do <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Judg. 5<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">14.</NOTE> <HI>who can handlethe pen of the writer,</HI> when they &s;end abroad a <HI>publick te&s;timony</HI> again&s;t errour, a <HI>publick monument</HI> of their affection to the truth, the <HI>Goo&s;e quil</HI> hatl<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> &s;mote <HI>Antichri&s;t</HI> under the fifth rib; the <HI>Earl of Darby</HI> accu&s;ed <HI>Bradford</HI> for doing more hurt by his writings then preaching. <HI>Hezekiah's</HI> &s;ervants are com|mended<NOTE PLACE="marg">&dagger; Scribant do+cti&abque; indocti&abque; Poemata pa&s;|&s;ion: <HI>Juvenal.</HI></NOTE> for <HI>copying out the Proverbs of Solomon, Prov.</HI> 25. 1. They de&s;erve not to be <HI>cen&s;ured,</HI> but <HI>commended</HI> and <HI>cheri&s;h|ed</HI> that do &s;ervice in this kind; I confe&s;s there is <HI>no end of Books,</HI> pride and ambition may put many upon &s;cribling, and filling the world with chaffs and vanity, &s;o that there needetha <HI>re&s;traint,</HI> rather then an <HI>incitement:</HI> <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg"><HI>Councels have thought it wor|thy their care,</HI> Vide Canones Apo&s;tolorum, (ut voca<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">t) Can. 60 <HI>Synod. Dor|dra<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">.</HI> Concilia de cor|rig<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="missing" EXTENT="1 letter">ndis Ty<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="missing" EXTENT="1 letter">o|graphiae abu&s;i|bus se&s;&s;ion<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">22.</NOTE> &s;ome meerly <HI>blur paper,</HI> which is no &s;mall di&s;couragement to <HI>mode&s;t</HI> and <HI>able</HI> men; &s;urely care &s;hould be taken to prevent abu&s;e: <HI>writing</HI> is a more publick way of teaching, and men &s;hould not undertake it without a care. <HI>Jeremies</HI> advice is good, <HI>Ne ad &s;cribendum cit&ograve; pro&s;ilias, &amp; levi duceris in&s;ania multo tempore di&s;ce quod doceas, Hier. ad Ru&s;ticum Mohachium. Be not too ha&s;ty to write;</HI> that which is prepared for <HI>publick in|&s;truction</HI> had need be prepared with <HI>great deliberation:</HI> the the<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="foreign">. <HI>Plutarchus in vita Nu|mae.</HI></NOTE> ve&s;tal Virgins were <HI>ten years</HI> in <HI>learning,</HI> and <HI>ten years</HI> in <HI>practi&s;ing,</HI> and <HI>ten years</HI> in <HI>teaching,</HI> and <HI>pre&s;cribing directi|ons</HI> to others: when <HI>every Scioli&s;t</HI> will be obtruding his No|tions upon the world, 'tis a great abu&s;e; for by this means u&s;eful men are di&s;couraged, or if they publi&s;h their labours, they are not taken notice of: As two or three grains of good corn are hardly found out under an heap of chaff: But take away this abu&s;e, <HI>writing</HI> is a great help to the Church in <HI>practicals,</HI> that people may &s;till be furni&s;hed with <HI>good books</HI> in every age, <HI>old ones</HI> written long ago being neg|lected, or lying hid in &s;ome private &s;tudyes, or el&s;e not com|ing up to the rate of <HI>pre&s;ent light,</HI> or not an&s;wering the <HI>temper</HI> of the pre&s;ent age, not meeting with the <HI>&s;ins,</HI> nor incouraging the <HI>graces</HI> within u&s;e and exerci&s;e: Again in <HI>controver&s;als</HI> there is great u&s;e of <HI>writing;</HI> controver&s;ies not being &s;o ea&s;ily determined by the judgment of the <HI>ear,</HI> as the <HI>eye</HI><NOTE N="&dagger;" PLACE="marg">Altern&ugrave; vi|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">bus conten&s;io&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">|&s;u<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">e &s;une u<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">e <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">&punc; d<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">|e<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> in <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">e<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">eram traximu<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">&punc; <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">b|&s;tre<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ent<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">bus <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">t<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">|a<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> qu<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">bu&s;dam &s;pectant<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">us, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ing<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">lo umn<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">|b<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">o quodam ve|ritas <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="4 letters"> b<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">a|batu<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">. <HI><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">er ul.</HI> co<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">tra <HI>lu<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ae<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">s.</HI></NOTE>: In the <HI>clamour of di&s;putations</HI> and <HI>violent di&s;|cour&s;e,</HI>
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u&s;ually there is &s;uch a du&s;t rai&s;ed, that we cannot &s;o &s;oon di&s;cern the truth, as upon a <HI>calm debate,</HI> and <HI>mature con&s;ideration</HI> of what is delivered in writing, which I remem|ber was the cau&s;e why <HI>Tertullian</HI> wrote his treati&s;e again&s;t the <HI>Jews,</HI> le&s;t the <HI>tumult</HI> and <HI>noy&s;e of the di&s;pute</HI> &s;hould be &s;ome prejudice to the truth. But of this enough.</P>
<P>I come now to the next Circum&s;tance in the <HI>in&s;inuation</HI> or <HI>profe&s;&s;ion of his readine&s;s to do them good,</HI> and that is the <HI>object</HI> or <HI>&s;ubject</HI> concerning which he would write to them, [the common Salvation,] a fit argument for Saints: <HI>The</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;erv.</NOTE> <HI>Apo&s;tles in their private and familiar letters were very &s;piritu|al;</HI> yea when they wrote about their <HI>ordinary occa&s;ions,</HI> as <HI>Paul</HI> to <HI>Philemon.</HI> Still they were ready to impart &s;ome <HI>&s;pi|ritual gift,</HI> whether by <HI>conference</HI> or <HI>writing;</HI> tho&s;e Letters then &s;hould be mo&s;t welcome to us that mind us of the be&s;t things.</P>
<P>But what was this <HI>common &s;alvation?</HI> I &s;uppo&s;e by it is meant that Salvation wherein <HI>he</HI> and <HI>they,</HI> and <HI>all the Saints</HI> were concerned; this expre&s;&s;ion may be conceived to be an Argument, either of the Apo&s;tles <HI>meekne&s;s,</HI> though he were an <HI>Apo&s;tle,</HI> and they <HI>private believers,</HI> yet <HI>I</HI> and <HI>you</HI> have but <HI>one common &s;alvation,</HI> as Captains to indear them&s;elves to their Troops will &s;ay [<HI>Fellow-&s;ouldiers</HI>] as in|gaged in one common Warfare: or el&s;e of <HI>his holine&s;s</HI> [the common Salvation] that is, which I am to look after as well as you: or el&s;e of <HI>his love to their &s;alvation,</HI> which he would look after as well as <HI>his own;</HI> the Saints carry on a <HI>joynt trade to Heaven;</HI> they are all <HI>partners,</HI> and <HI>Salvation</HI> lyeth <HI>in common</HI> between them: you are to promote <HI>mine,</HI> and I <HI>yours:</HI> Well then, he having their <HI>faith</HI> and <HI>&s;alvation</HI> in like re&s;pect with his own, he was willing to write to e&s;ta|bli&s;h them in the truth: I &s;hall form the point in the very words of the Text. <HI>That the Salvation of the peeple of God</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;erv.</NOTE> <HI>is a common Salvation:</HI> not to <HI>good</HI> and <HI>bad;</HI> for it belong|eth only to a <HI>peculiar people,</HI> but common to <HI>all believers:</HI> 'tis <HI>common</HI> to them in divers regards. 1. They all are cho|&s;en by the &s;ame grace; there is no <HI>&s;pecial rea&s;on</HI> why <HI>Paul</HI> &s;hould obtain mercy rather then <HI>John,</HI> and <HI>Andrew,</HI> and
<PB N="138" REF="78">
<HI>Thomas.</HI> Free-grace acteth upon the <HI>&s;ame terms.</HI> All Gods motives are taken from him&s;elf, from his <HI>own bo&s;ome:</HI> For <HI>my own &s;ake,</HI> &s;aith the Lord, <HI>I&s;ai.</HI> 43. 25. There may be a difference in the creature, <HI>John</HI> and <HI>Andrew</HI> may be other|wi&s;e tempered and di&s;po&s;ed then <HI>Paul</HI> and <HI>Peter:</HI> but Gods motives to choo&s;e both the one and the other are &s;till the &s;ame.</P>
<P>2. They have the &s;ame Chri&s;t; there is <HI>no other Name under Heaven, Acts</HI> 4. 12. And <HI>Je&s;us Chri&s;t the &s;ame ye&s;ter|day, to day, and for ever, Heb.</HI> 13. 8. In all ages the Church hath been &s;aved by Chri&s;t, none of the holy ones of God had a more <HI>worthy Redeemer</HI> then we have. Chri&s;t gave the <HI>&s;ame ran&s;om</HI> to purcha&s;e Heaven for <HI>me,</HI> and <HI>thee,</HI> and <HI>others:</HI> as under the Law the <HI>rich</HI> and the <HI>poor,</HI> were to give the <HI>&s;ame ran&s;ome, Exod.</HI> 30. 15. <HI>The rich &s;hall not give more, and the poor &s;hall not give le&s;s then half a &s;heckel.</HI> The price of Chri&s;ts blood for all &s;ouls was equal, if they had a more worthy Chri&s;t to dye for them, you might be di&s;couraged.</P>
<P>3. You are ju&s;tified by the &s;ame righteous one as far as ano|ther: <HI>The righteou&s;ne&s;s of Chri&s;t is unto all, and upon all that believe, and there is no difference, Rom.</HI> 3. 11. In <HI>inherent righ|teou&s;ne&s;s,</HI> there is a great deal of difference, one hath more grace, &amp; another hath le&s;s; in &s;anctificatio~ there are degrees, but as to <HI>imputed righteou&s;ne&s;s,</HI> they are <HI>all equal,</HI> none of the Saints hath <HI>finer linnen,</HI> or are decked with a <HI>better ve|&s;ture</HI> then you are; there is a difference in <HI>the degree of faith,</HI> which receiveth this righteou&s;ne&s;s, but there is no difference in the righteou&s;ne&s;s its &s;elf; <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Gemmam an|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">l<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> c<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">rvae iu|cl<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;am ample|ctitur &amp; Gi|gas a <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> plecti|tur, &amp; Pu<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ru|lus <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ee<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> G<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">gas <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">o<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">tius <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">am a<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">|p<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ctatur qu<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">m pue <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">lus t<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">m<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">n m<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">net ann<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">lus aeq<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">e <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">re<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">i<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">s &amp; g<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">mm<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> aeque p<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">cio&s;a. <HI><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">|the<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">n<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters"></HI></NOTE> a <HI>Giant,</HI> or <HI>&s;trong man</HI> holdeth a <HI>precious jewel,</HI> &s;o doth a <HI>child;</HI> the jewel is the &s;ame, though a man holdeth it with a <HI>&s;tronger hand,</HI> it loo&s;eth nothing of its worth in the <HI>childs hand.</HI> So here, the righteou&s;ne&s;s is the &s;ame, though the faith be not the &s;ame. Yea fourthly, As we have the &s;ame priviledges, &s;o the &s;ame way all <HI>by faith;</HI> and the faith of the <HI>weake&s;t</HI> as to the <HI>e&s;|&s;ential priviledges,</HI> is as acceptable to God as the <HI>faith of the &s;tronge&s;t,</HI> 2 Pet. 1. 1. <HI>Simon Peter to them that have ob|tained like precious faith with us.</HI> 'Tis <NOTE N="&dagger;" PLACE="marg">Fides <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">na &amp; <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ad<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">o<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">o<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> re|&s;pectu &s;ubje<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">oru<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> gradu<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">m &s;ed &s;peciti ob|ject<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 span">.</NOTE> <HI>like precious</HI> for <HI>kind,</HI> though not <HI>degree;</HI> of the &s;ame <HI>nature, worth,</HI> and <HI>property,</HI>
<PB N="139" REF="78">
though every one cannot come up <HI>to the heighth</HI> of an Apo|&s;tle. 5. They are all under the <HI>&s;ame rule</HI> and <HI>direction. Gal.</HI> 6. 16. <HI>As many as walk by this rule, peace on them, and the whole I&s;rael of God.</HI> The way of errour is <HI>manifold,</HI> but there is but <HI>one path</HI> that leadeth to Heaven. 6. They are in <HI>one my&s;tical Body,</HI> mini&s;tering &s;upplyes to one another. Col. 2. 19. <HI>Not holding the head, from which all the body by joynts and bands having nouri&s;hment mini&s;tred, and knit toge|ther, increa&s;eth with the increa&s;e of God.</HI> The <HI>head</HI> is the <HI>fountaine</HI> of all <HI>vital influences,</HI> but the <HI>joynts</HI> and <HI>bands</HI> doe <HI>mini&s;ter</HI> and <HI>convey</HI> the nouri&s;hments; the whole body is &s;till increa&s;ing and growing up to perfection, and they are helping one another, as the members of the &s;ame body do continue the communion of the &s;ame Spirit, or by the continuity of the parts, make way for the animation and quickening by the &s;ame &s;oul.</P>
<P>What u&s;e &s;hall we make of this? I an&s;wer, 1. It hint|eth <HI>publick care,</HI> that we &s;hould help &s;alvation forwards, both in our &s;elves and others; rejoyce in <HI>others faith</HI> as well as in your <HI>own.</HI> Rom. 1. 12. <HI>Comforted by the mutual faith of you and me.</HI> His faith was a comfort to them, and their faith a comfort to him; nay out of an exce&s;s of love and chari|ty, <HI>Paul</HI> u&s;eth an expre&s;&s;ion not imitable, Rom. 9. 3. <HI>I could wi&s;h that I were accur&s;ed from Chri&s;t for my brethren my kin&s;men according to the fle&s;h.</HI></P>
<P>2. It checketh <HI>the impropriating of Grace and Religion,</HI> to &s;uch an order or &s;ort of Chri&s;tians, &s;uch as was the ambi|tion of former times, as if all religion were confined <HI>with|in a cloy&s;ter,</HI> or wrapped up in a <HI>black garment;</HI> tho&s;e were called <HI>religious hou&s;es,</HI> and tho&s;e the <HI>Clergy,</HI> or <HI>God&punc; portion,</HI> all other were <HI>Lay,</HI> and <HI>Secular.</HI> Oh how far was this from the mode&s;ty of the Apo&s;tles! <HI>Peter</HI> calleth the faith of common Chri&s;tians, <HI>like precious faith;</HI> and <HI>Jude</HI> &s;peaketh of a <HI>Common Salvation.</HI> So the <HI>Jews</HI> before them, they con|fined <HI>Gods choyce</HI> to <HI>their Nation,</HI> they could not endure to hear of <HI>&s;alvation among the Gentiles,</HI> and of a <HI>righteou&s;ne&s;s that came to all, and upon all that believe:</HI> we have an envi|ous
<PB N="140" REF="79">
nature, and would fain impropriate common favours. The Church of <HI>Rome</HI> would faine bring all the world to their lore, and confine <HI>truth</HI> and <HI>faith</HI> and <HI>&s;alvation</HI> with|in the precincts of their Synagogue; they &s;ieze upon and po&s;&s;e&s;s them&s;elves of the <HI>Keys of Heaven,</HI> to open to whom <HI>they plea&s;e.</HI> Now God hath broken down all <HI>pales</HI> and <HI>en|clo&s;ures,</HI> they would fain rear up a new <HI>partition wall:</HI> Cor|rupt nature envyeth that others &s;hould have a fellow&s;hip in our priviledges, therefore the &s;ame &s;pirit &s;till worketh; men do &s;o value their <HI>le&s;&s;er differences,</HI> and that di&s;tinct way and opinion which they have taken up, as if none could be &s;aved but tho&s;e of their <HI>own party</HI> and <HI>per&s;wa&s;ion:</HI> 'tis very natural to us to affixe holine&s;s to our <HI>own opinions,</HI> and to allow none to be good but tho&s;e that jump with us in all things. There were factions at <HI>Corinth,</HI> and tho&s;e that &s;aid <HI>I am of Chri&s;t,</HI> were counted a faction too, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 1. 13. as arrogating Chri&s;t to them&s;elves, therefore the Apo&s;tle wri|ting to them, &s;aith, 1 <HI>Cor. 1. 2. To the Saints at Corinth, and all that call on the Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t, theirs and ours.</HI> We are apt to be rigid to tho&s;e that differ from us, and to be fa|vourable to tho&s;e that think with us. <NOTE N="&dagger;" PLACE="marg">Tertul. in <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">rae|&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="3 letters">p&punc; adver&s;us Hae<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="3 letters">cos.</NOTE> <HI>Tertullian</HI> &s;aith of &s;ome in his time, <HI>Illic ip&s;um e&s;t promereri,</HI> 'tis holine&s;s enough to be one of them. Oh let it not be &s;o among the people of God! do not <HI>nullifie</HI> your brethren. <HI>Rom. 14. 10. Why d<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;t thou &s;et at nought thy brethren? <GAP DESC="foreign">&punc; Tertullian</HI> rendreth it, <HI>Cur molificus fratrem?</HI> When God hath made a <HI>Chri&s;tian</HI> of him, why do&s;t thou make <HI>nothing</HI> of him? and cry up every <HI>private opinion</HI> for <HI>another religion,</HI> as if none could be <HI>Saints</HI> and <HI>Believers</HI> but they that think with you? Take heed of impaling the <HI>common Salvation, Inclo|&s;ures are again&s;t the Law.</HI></P>
<P>3. It &s;heweth that there are not <HI>&s;everal ways</HI> to Heaven, there is but <HI>one common Salvation</HI> to all the Elect, and <HI>one common faith,</HI> as <HI>Paul</HI> &s;aith. <HI>Tit. 1. 4. To Titus my own Son according to the common faith.</HI> There are a &s;ort of Libertines that think a man may be &s;aved in <HI>any religion,</HI> &s;o he doth not walk again&s;t his <HI>own light:</HI> Do not flatter your &s;elves, all the Elect are brought to Heaven the &s;ame way, whe|ther
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<HI>Jew</HI> or <HI>Gentile, bond</HI> or <HI>free,</HI> there is a <HI>good old way, Jer.</HI> 6. 16. which if we mi&s;&s;e we are &s;ure to peri&s;h.</P>
<P>4. It informeth us who are be&s;t to deal in matters of religion: tho&s;e that are religious, that can call it a <HI>common Salvation;</HI> that is, common to them with others, they have &s;hare in it, and therefore they can be&s;t defend it: dif|ferences are aggravated when carnall men intermeddle in religious controver&s;ies, but tho&s;e are like&s;t to deal with mo&s;t purity of zeal and love that can &s;ay your &s;alvation is their &s;alvation; &s;o in the next ver&s;e, <HI>They turn the grace of our God into wantonne&s;s,</HI> they that have an intere&s;t in grace can|not endure to &s;ee it abu&s;ed.</P>
<P>5. It forbiddeth &s;corn of the <HI>meane&s;t Chri&s;tian,</HI> they have as good hopes through grace as you have in Je&s;us Chri&s;t: all are one, <HI>Ma&s;ter</HI> and <HI>Servant, rich</HI> and <HI>poor. One&s;imus</HI> a poor runagate &s;ervant, yet being converted, <HI>Paul</HI> calleth him <HI>his faithful and beloved brother, Philem.</HI> 10. In <HI>earthly relation</HI> there is a difference, yet in regard of the <HI>common faith</HI> and <HI>common &s;alvation</HI> we are <HI>all one.</HI></P>
<P>I have now done with the fir&s;t part of the occa&s;ion, <HI>his earne&s;tne&s;s in promoting their good.</HI> I now come to the &s;econd part, <HI>the urgency of the pre&s;ent nece&s;&s;ity [it was needful for me to write to you, and exhort you,</HI>] which is &s;aid to &s;hew that this Epi&s;tle was not only occa&s;ioned by the <HI>fervency of his own bone,</HI> but the <HI>pre&s;ent exigence</HI> and <HI>nece&s;&s;ity as af|fairs then &s;tood;</HI> the <HI>School of Simon,</HI> the <HI>Gno&s;ticks,</HI> and di|vers other hereticks of a like loo&s;e &s;train and libertine &s;pi|rit, &s;ought to withdraw and alienate them from the truth, for that was the <HI>nece&s;&s;ity</HI> here expre&s;&s;ed, as appeareth by the next ver&s;e; Exhortations the <HI>more nece&s;&s;ary,</HI> the <HI>more pre&s;&s;ing; need</HI> quickens both <HI>writer</HI> and <HI>reader,</HI> and the <HI>le&s;s arbitrary</HI> things are, the <HI>more throughly</HI> we goe about them.</P>
<P>Ob&s;erve from hence, <HI>That nece&s;&s;ity is a time for duty;</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;erv.</NOTE> <HI>nece&s;&s;ity</HI> is <HI>Gods &s;ea&s;on</HI> to work, and therefore it &s;hould be ours; <HI>For a &s;ea&s;on (if need be) ye are in heavine&s;s, 1 Pet.</HI> 1. 6. Duties are be&s;t done, when we &s;ee they are <HI>needful</HI> and <HI>nece&s;&s;ary;</HI> things that are <HI>arbitrary</HI> are done with a <HI>loo&s;e</HI>
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<HI>heart;</HI> the creatures duties towards God begins at the &s;en&s;e of their own wants. <HI>Jam. 1. 5. If any man lack wi&s;dom, &amp;c.</HI> Well then, take this hint for <HI>prayer,</HI> and <HI>other &s;ervices;</HI> if there be <HI>a need,</HI> omit not to call upon God: as when di|&s;tempers grow upon the &s;pirit, the heart's unquiet, the af|fectious unruly, a deadne&s;s increa&s;eth upon you, tempta|tions are urgent, and too &s;trong for you, cry out of vio|lence, as the <HI>ravi&s;hed Virgins.</HI> So when con&s;cience is un|ce&s;&s;antly clamorous, <HI>David</HI> could not find ea&s;e, till he con|fe&s;&s;ed, <HI>P&s;al. 32. 5. Silence</HI> will cau&s;e <HI>roaring,</HI> and <HI>re&s;traint of prayer, di&s;quiet.</HI> Again, If there be <HI>a need,</HI> omit not to call upon men by <HI>exhortation</HI> and <HI>coun&s;el;</HI> as when you &s;ee things grow wor&s;e every day, and can hold no longer: the Kings danger made the Kings dumb &s;on &s;peak; <HI>Paul</HI> was <HI>forced in &s;pirit when he &s;aw the whole City given to idolatry, Acts</HI> 17. 19. When we &s;ee men by whole droves running into errour, and ways de&s;tructive to their &s;ouls, is there not <HI>a need?</HI> is it not a time to &s;peak? men &s;ay we are <HI>bitter,</HI> but we mu&s;t be <HI>faithful:</HI> &s;o they &s;ay the Phy&s;ician is <HI>cruel,</HI> and the Chyrurgion a <HI>tyrant,</HI> when their own di&s;tempers need &s;o <HI>violent a remedy:</HI> can we &s;ee you peri&s;h, and hold our peace?</P>
<P>Ob&s;erve again, <HI>That Mini&s;ters mu&s;t mainly pre&s;s th<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;e</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;erv.</NOTE> <HI>Doctrines that are mo&s;t needful;</HI> 'tis but a <HI>cheap zeal</HI> that de|claimeth again&s;t <HI>antiquated errours,</HI> and things now out of u&s;e and practice: we are to con&s;ider what the <HI>pre&s;ent age</HI> needeth; what u&s;e was it of in Chri&s;t's time to aggravate the rebellion of <HI>Corah, Dathan,</HI> and <HI>Abiram?</HI> Or now to handle the Ca&s;e of <HI>Henry</HI> the Eight's divorce, what profit hence to our pre&s;ent Auditories? There are <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">2 Pet. 1. 12.</NOTE> <HI>pre&s;ent truths</HI> to be pre&s;&s;ed, upon the&s;e &s;hould we be&s;tow our pains and care; u&s;ually when we reflect upon the guilt of the times, people would have us preach general doctrines of <HI>faith</HI> and <HI>repentance.</HI> But we may an&s;wer, <HI>It is needfull for us to ex|hort you, &amp;c.</HI> To what end is it to di&s;pute the <HI>verity</HI> of the Chri&s;tian Religion again&s;t <HI>Heathens,</HI> when there are many <HI>Seducers</HI> that corrupt the <HI>purity</HI> of it among&s;t our &s;elves? In a Countrey audience, what profit is it to di&s;pute again&s;t
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<HI>Socinians,</HI> when there are <HI>Drunkards,</HI> and <HI>practical Athei&s;ts,</HI> and <HI>Libertines,</HI> that need other kind of doctrine? He that cryeth out upon <HI>old errours</HI> not now produced upon the publick Stage, doth not fight with <HI>Gho&s;ts,</HI> and challenge the <HI>dead:</HI> So again, to charm with <HI>&s;weet &s;trains of grace,</HI> when a people need <HI>row&s;ing, thundering doctrine,</HI> is but to mini&s;ter <HI>Cordials</HI> to <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> <HI>full</HI> and <HI>plethonick</HI> body, that rather needeth <HI>phebotomy</HI> and <HI>evacuations:</HI> 'tis a great deal of skill, and God can only teach it us, to be &s;ea&s;onable to deliver what is needful, and as <HI>the people are able to bear.</HI></P>
<P>Again ob&s;erve, <HI>The need of the primitive Church was an</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;erv.</NOTE> <HI>occa&s;ion to compleat the Canon and rule of faith.</HI> We are be|holding to the <HI>Seducers of that age,</HI> that the Scripture is <HI>&s;o full</HI> as it is: we &s;hould have wanted many Epi&s;tles, had not they given <HI>the occa&s;ion.</HI> Thus God can bring <HI>light</HI> out of <HI>darkne&s;s,</HI> and by <HI>errours</HI> make way for the more <HI>ample di&s;|covery</HI> of <HI>truth.</HI></P>
<P>I have done with the <HI>Occa&s;ion,</HI> I come now to the <HI>Mat|ter</HI> and <HI>Drift</HI> of this Epi&s;tle: [<HI>And exhort you that ye &s;hould earne&s;tly contend for the faith that was once delivered to the Saints.</HI>] In which there is a nece&s;&s;ary duty pre&s;&s;ed; and the&s;e two Circum&s;tances are notable; the <HI>Act,</HI> and the <HI>Ob|ject;</HI> the <HI>Act</HI> is to <HI>contend earne&s;tly,</HI> 'tis but one word in the Original, <GAP DESC="foreign">, but 'tis a word of a vehement &s;ignification, and therefore fitly rendred <HI>to contend ear|ne&s;tly.</HI> 2. The <HI>Object</HI> of this contention, which is, [the faith once delivered to the Saints.] <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Fides e&s;t du|plex, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">i<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">es q<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ae cred<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">tur, &amp; <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">i|des qua c<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">d<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">u<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">.</NOTE> <HI>Faith</HI> may be taken ei|ther for the <HI>doctrine of faith,</HI> or the <HI>grace of faith;</HI> both are too good to be lo&s;t, either the <HI>word</HI> which we believe, or <HI>faith</HI> by which we believe; the former is intended, <HI>faith</HI> is taken for <HI>&s;ound doctrine,</HI> &s;uch as is nece&s;&s;ary to be owned and believed unto &s;alvation, which he pre&s;&s;eth them to con|tend for, that they might pre&s;erve it <HI>&s;afe</HI> and <HI>&s;ound</HI> to fu|ture ages. Now this faith is de&s;cribed, 1. By the <HI>manner of its conveyance,</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">; 'tis given to be kept, <NOTE N="&dagger;" PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">liquid tibi <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">r<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ditum non a te inventum aliquid quod ac<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">epi&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">i, non exa<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">i<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">a&s;ti, &amp;c. <HI>Vincen&s;ius Lyrinen&s;i<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">.</HI></NOTE> 'tis not a thing <HI>invented,</HI> but <HI>given;</HI> not <HI>found out</HI> by us, but <HI>delive|red</HI> by God him&s;elf, and <HI>delivered</HI> as to our <HI>cu&s;tody,</HI> that we may keep it for po&s;terity; As the <HI>Oracles of God</HI> in the
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Old Te&s;tament, were delivered to the <HI>Jews</HI> to be kept by them, <HI>Rom.</HI> 3. 1. 2. By the time of its giving out to the world; the doctrine of &s;alvation was given but <HI>once,</HI> as <HI>never to be altered</HI> and <HI>changed,</HI> once for all. 3. The <HI>Per&s;ons</HI> to whom, [to the Saints,] &s;o he calleth the Church according to the u&s;e of the Scriptures, or el&s;e by Saints is meant the holy Apo&s;tles, given to them to be propagated by them. I &s;hall fir&s;t &s;peak of the <HI>Object,</HI> before I come to the <HI>duty</HI> it &s;elfe; and becau&s;e the de&s;cription here u&s;ed will agree both to the <HI>grace of faith,</HI> and the <HI>doctrine of faith,</HI> though the <HI>doctrine of faith</HI> be mainly intended, yet give me leave a little to ap|ply it to <HI>the grace;</HI> if it be a diver&s;ion, it &s;hall be a &s;hort one.</P>
<P>1. This faith is &s;aid to <HI>be given.</HI> Ob&s;erve, <HI>That faith is a</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;erv.</NOTE> <HI>gift,</HI> &s;o Phil. 1. 29. <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="foreign">, Given f<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">e<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">y.</NOTE> <HI>To you 'tis given to believe.</HI> Ephe&s;. 2. 8. <HI>By grace ye are &s;aved through faith, not of your &s;elves, it is the gift of God.</HI> We cannot get it of <HI>our &s;elves;</HI> a meer ima|gination and thinking of Chri&s;ts death is ea&s;ie, but to bring the &s;oul and Chri&s;t together, requires the <HI>power of God, E|phe&s;.</HI> 1. 19. We cannot <HI>merit it,</HI> and therefore it is a <HI>pure gift.</HI> God be&s;toweth it on them that can give nothing for it: works before conver&s;ion cannot <HI>engage God,</HI> and works after conver&s;ion cannot <HI>&s;atisfie God.</HI> Well then, let us as|mire the mercy of God in the Covenant of <HI>grace.</HI> Chri&s;t is a gift, <HI>John</HI> 4. 10. <HI>If thou knewe&s;t the gift, &amp;c.</HI> His righte. ou&s;ne&s;s is a gift, <HI>Rom.</HI> 5. 16. <HI>The free-gift is of many offer|ces unto ju&s;tification;</HI> and <HI>faith</HI> which receiveth <HI>this righte|ou&s;ne&s;s</HI> is a gift: &s;o that all is carried in a way of grace, in the Covenant of grace, nothing is <HI>required</HI> but what is <HI>be&s;t owed.</HI> Again, it teacheth us whither to go for faith, &s;eek <HI>it</HI> of God, 'tis <HI>his gift,</HI> all the endeavour and labour of the creature will never procure it: But mu&s;t we not u&s;e the means of prayer, meditation, and hearing, &amp;c? I an&s;wer, Yes. For 1. God di&s;pen&s;eth it in a way of means. <HI>Mark</HI> 4&punc; 24. <HI>With what mea&s;ure ye meet it &s;hall be mea&s;ured to you again, and unto you that hear more &s;hall be given:</HI> According unto the mea&s;ure of our hearing (if the Lord will work) is the mea&s;ure of our faith. <HI>Acts</HI> 16. <HI>The Lord opened Lidia's heart</HI>
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<HI>to attend to the things &s;poken by Paul;</HI> God &s;tirreth up to the u&s;e of means, and while&s;t we are <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">John 6. 44, 45</NOTE> <HI>taught</HI> we are <HI>drawn.</HI> 2. <HI>Though faith be Gods gift, mans endeavors are &s;till nece&s;&s;ary;</HI> for <HI>&s;upernatural grace</HI> doth not exclude the <HI>ordinary</HI> &amp; <HI>natu|ral means: Marriage</HI> is nece&s;&s;ary for the <HI>propagation of man|kind,</HI> though the <HI>rational Soul</HI> is <HI>from God;</HI> yea more care is had of women with child then of brute bea&s;ts, becau&s;e the fruit of the womb is the immediate work and ble&s;&s;ing of the Lord: &s;o <HI>faith</HI> is of <HI>Gods planting,</HI> and therefore we &s;hould be the <HI>more careful</HI> in the u&s;e of means.</P>
<P>2. This faith is &s;aid to be <HI>once given:</HI> This will al&s;o hold<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;erv.</NOTE> concerning <HI>grace;</HI> for <HI>Where 'tis once planted it cannot be totally and finally de&s;troyed, rather 'tis continually &s;upplyed by the care and faithfulne&s;s of God:</HI> &s;ee 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 1. 8. and 1 <HI>The&s;.</HI> 5. 24. and <HI>Phil.</HI> 1. 6. And tho&s;e <HI>hypocrites</HI> that fall off after a <HI>long profe&s;&s;ion</HI> &s;eldom <HI>recover them&s;elves by repentance, Heb.</HI> 6. 6. 2 <HI>Pet.</HI> 2. 21. Well then, here is <HI>Comfort</HI> to the peo|ple of God, that find &s;o <HI>many lu&s;ts,</HI> and &s;o <HI>many temptations,</HI> they think they &s;hall never hold out, faith is but <HI>once given;</HI> where 'tis <HI>really given,</HI> there needeth not <HI>a &s;econd gift.</HI> A|gain, here is <HI>Caution,</HI> Faith is a precious Jewel, if once lo&s;t wilfully after the knowledg of the truth, 'tis not ea&s;ily re|gained</P>
<P>3. Con&s;ider the <HI>per&s;ons to whom 'tis given;</HI> * 'tis not given to every one; <NOTE N="&dagger;" PLACE="marg">2 The&s;. 3. 2.</NOTE> <HI>for all men have not faith;</HI> and <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">2 Cor. 4. 3.</NOTE> <HI>the Go&s;pel is hidden to tho&s;e that are lo&s;t:</HI> but 'tis given <HI>to the Saints,</HI> to tho&s;e who were <HI>cho&s;en,</HI> that they might be <HI>Saints:</HI> which &s;heweth, 1. <HI>The excellency of Faith,</HI> 'tis a <HI>privile|giate</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;erv. 1. Ob&s;erv. 2.</NOTE> and <HI>peculiar mercy.</HI> 2. <HI>That Beleevers are Saints; Faith</HI> giveth an intere&s;t in <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> and therefore they mu&s;t needs be <HI>holy; His Blood clean&s;eth, 1 Joh. 1. 7. His Spirit &s;anctifieth, 1 Cor.</HI> 6. 11. Again, <HI>Faith</HI> it &s;elf hath a <HI>clean&s;ing puri&s;ying virtue; Hearts purified by faith, Acts</HI> 15. 9. Faith applyeth the Blood of Chri&s;t; and the <HI>hand</HI> of the Laun|dre&s;s is as nece&s;&s;ary to clean&s;e the clothes, as the <HI>&s;oap</HI> where|with they are clean&s;ed: Faith <HI>waiteth</HI> for the Spirit; it <HI>argueth</HI> from the love of God: <HI>Faith</HI> and <HI>&s;in</HI> are like the <HI>poy&s;on</HI> and the <HI>antidote,</HI> always working one upon another,
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till <HI>faith</HI> hath gotten the <HI>ma&s;tery.</HI> Well then, Is your faith &s;anctifying? <HI>Strong per&s;wa&s;ions</HI> of an intere&s;t in grace, and a <HI>loo&s;e life,</HI> will not &s;uit: we are not perfectly <HI>clean</HI> and <HI>holy,</HI> but there will be <HI>&s;trong de&s;ires</HI> and <HI>earne&s;t groans</HI> after more holine&s;s; as <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 51. 10. and <HI>Rom.</HI> 7. 24. <HI>Who &s;hall deliver me? &amp;c.</HI> that is, Oh that I were; <HI>que&s;tions</HI> are put for <HI>wi&s;hes:</HI> &s;o <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 119. 5. <HI>Oh that my ways were directed to keep thy Statutes:</HI> Yea there will be not only <HI>groans under,</HI> but <HI>&s;truglings again&s;t</HI> &s;in. A child of God may fall into &s;in, but he cannot <HI>re&s;t</HI> in it, and lie down with ea&s;e; as mud may be ca&s;t into a pure fountain, or &s;tirred up in it, but the foun|tain never cea&s;eth till it work it &s;elf clean again. <HI>Peter</HI> and <HI>David</HI> &s;tepped a&s;ide, but they could find no peace till they were reconciled to God: <HI>I will return to my fir&s;t husband, then it was better then it is now, Ho&s;ea</HI> 2. Again, you may know it by the <HI>drift</HI> and di&s;po&s;ition of the heart; Which way lieth the <HI>bent</HI> of your &s;pirits? and what are your con|&s;tant motions and operations? A man that is travelling an|other way may now and then look back: How is your <HI>heart inclined? P&s;al.</HI> 119. 112. <HI>I have inclined my heart to perform thy Statutes always unto the end;</HI> Is there a <HI>con&s;tant inclina|tion</HI> towards God? 1 <HI>Chron.</HI> 22. 19. <HI>Now &s;et your hearts to &s;eek the Lord;</HI> Is the <HI>heart &s;et?</HI> what is your <HI>con&s;tant cour&s;e</HI> and <HI>walk? Rom.</HI> 8. 1.</P>
<P>But &s;o much for <HI>this Digre&s;&s;ion,</HI> occa&s;ioned by the &s;uita|ablene&s;s of words, to the <HI>grace of faith:</HI> Let us now come to the other acception, which is more proper in this place, namely, as <HI>faith</HI> is put for the <HI>doctrine of faith:</HI> now this was 1. <HI>Delivered.</HI> 2. <HI>Once delivered.</HI> 3. <HI>To the Saints.</HI></P>
<P>1. <HI>Delivered</HI> <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Quod tibi creditu~ non a te intentum quod accepi|&s;ti non exco|gita&s;ti. <HI>Vinc. Lyr. Men&s;is.</HI></NOTE>, not invented; 'tis not the fruit of <HI>fancy</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">1.</NOTE> or <HI>humane devi&s;ing,</HI> but hath its <HI>original from God;</HI> 'twas <HI>delivered</HI> by him to <HI>holy men</HI> cho&s;en for that purpo&s;e, and by them delivered, <HI>by word of mouth</HI> to the men of that age wherein they lived, and by <HI>writing</HI> for the u&s;e of after ages: and <HI>delivered</HI> to be kept; 'tis a &s;acred <HI>Depo&s;itum</HI> which God hath put into the hands of the Church: <HI>Keep that which is committed to thy tru&s;t,</HI> 1&punc; <HI>Tim.</HI> 6. 20. and <HI>to them were committed the Oracles of God, Rom.</HI> 3. 2. I &s;hall ob&s;erve,
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1. <HI>The Mercy</HI> of God in delivering this Faith or Rule of Salvation. 2. <HI>The Duty</HI> of the Church concerning it.</P>
<P>1. <HI>The Mercy of God in delivering this faith to cho&s;en men,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 1.</NOTE> <HI>that by their means the world might come to the knowledge of it.</HI> The doctrine of Salvation fir&s;t came out from God, and then was conveyed to us by the hands of holy men; we are not &s;en&s;ible enough of the priviledg: <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 147. 19, 20. <HI>He &s;heweth his Word unto Jacob, his Statutes and Judgme<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ts unto I&s;rael, he hath not dealt &s;o with any Nation, &amp;c.</HI> 'Tis not a <HI>common mercy,</HI> for many Nations want it; nor no <HI>ca&s;ual thing:</HI> in the primitive times not only the <HI>doctrine</HI> of the Apo&s;tles was directed and ordered by the Holy Gho&s;t, but al&s;o <HI>their journeys;</HI> the Go&s;pel came not to them <HI>by chance,</HI> but as a <HI>&s;pecial gift</HI> from Heaven. But that we may be more &s;en&s;ible of the Priviledg, I &s;hall &s;hew you, 1. <HI>The Be|nefit of the Word:</HI> By it <HI>Gods heart</HI> is opened to us, and our <HI>own hearts</HI> to our &s;elves; by it we are acquainted with the <HI>way of Salva<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">io<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">,</HI> and come to under&s;tand the cour&s;es of the Lords <HI>Ju&s;tice</HI> and <HI>Mercy,</HI> and in what manner he will go|vern and rule the World, which are altogether unknown to them that have not &s;uch a Revelation delivered to them. We &s;hould never have known the <HI>cau&s;e</HI> of our mi&s;ery, our <HI>fall in Adam,</HI> nor the <HI>means</HI> of our Recovery, <HI>Redemption by Je&s;us Chri&s;t,</HI> if they had not been delivered to us in this <HI>doctrine</HI> and <HI>rule of faith;</HI> we &s;hould never have known how to <HI>wor&s;hip</HI> God, or <HI>enjoy</HI> God. If carnal men &s;hould have a liberty to let Nature work, and &s;et down a Divinity of their own, what a <HI>goodly Religion</HI> &s;hould we have in the World? a very <HI>comely Chymaera</HI> no doubt? For <HI>practicals</HI> it would be <HI>large</HI> enough I am &s;ure, for <HI>natural con&s;cience</HI> hateth <HI>fet|ters</HI> and <HI>re&s;traints;</HI> in <HI>doctrinals</HI> it would be <HI>ab&s;urd</HI> enough: Man can never take a right draught and image of God; Who <HI>can empty an Ocean with a Cockle&s;h ll?</HI> And &s;ince the Fall we are grown quite bruti&s;h; our conceits are not &s;o mon&s;trous in any thing as in <HI>the Wor&s;hip of God.</HI> The Pagan Philo&s;ophers, that were mo&s;t profound in the <HI>re&s;earches</HI> and <HI>enquiries of Rea&s;on,</HI> they &s;ate abrood, and thought of hatch|ing an <HI>excellent Religion;</HI> but what was the i&s;&s;ue? <HI>Profe&s;&s;|ing</HI>
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<HI>them&s;elves to be wi&s;e they became fools, Rom.</HI> 1. 22. All that they produced was <HI>fables</HI> and <HI>high &s;trains of folly,</HI> mixed with <HI>popular Rites</HI> and <HI>Cu&s;toms.</HI> There are many things ne|ce&s;&s;ary to Religion, which the <HI>Angels</HI> them&s;elves could not have known if they had not been <HI>revealed;</HI> therefore their knowledg increa&s;eth by ob&s;erving <HI>Gods di&s;pen&s;ations to the Church, Ephe&s;.</HI> 3. 10. The way of Salvation by Chri&s;t is &s;uch a <HI>My&s;tery,</HI> as could not have entred into the heart of any <HI>creature,</HI> no not of an <HI>Angel:</HI> If an Angel had been to &s;et down which way man &s;hould be redeemed, nay if all the <HI>Cherubim</HI> and <HI>Seraphim,</HI> Thrones, Dominions and Powers had met together in <HI>a Synod</HI> and <HI>Council,</HI> and had taken in <HI>all the world</HI> to their a&s;&s;i&s;tance, it would have po&s;ed them all&punc; to have found&punc; out <HI>&s;uch a Way</HI> as God hath appointed. But not to &s;peak of <HI>My&s;teries.</HI> There is in the Word &s;ome <HI>Mo|ralities</HI> &s;uitable to the <HI>Law of Nature,</HI> which was once writ|ten upon mans heart: but alas, now there remains only &s;ome <HI>&s;cattered fragments</HI> and <HI>ob&s;cure characters,</HI> &s;o defaced that they cannot be read; and how blind are we in the&s;e&punc; things without the Word? Witne&s;s the <HI>&s;otti&s;h Idolatry</HI> of tho&s;e Nations that want it, wor&s;hipping <HI>&s;tocks</HI> or <HI>&s;tones,</HI> yea a <HI>piece of red cloth,</HI> or what ever they &s;aw fir&s;t in the morn|ing: And witne&s;s tho&s;e <HI>bruti&s;h Cu&s;toms</HI> among other Na|tions, whereby <HI>uncleanne&s;s</HI> and <HI>unnatural &s;ins</HI> have been au|thorized <HI>by a Law.</HI> Therefore 'tis a great mercy that &s;ome|thing <HI>is delivered,</HI> and given out as a <HI>Rule of Faith</HI> and <HI>Manners.</HI></P>
<P>2. <HI>That this Tradition is written, and put into a &s;tated cour&s;e in tho&s;e Books which we call Scriptures.</HI> If the Reve|lation of Gods Will had been left to <HI>the tradition</HI> of men of &s;uch a rank or order, what a liberty might they take of <HI>coyn|ing Oracles,</HI> and <HI>obtruding their fancies</HI> upon the world: 'Tis a great mercy that our faith doth not depend upon <HI>uncer|tain &s;ugge&s;tions,</HI> but &s;ome <HI>main publique Records,</HI> to which all may appeal and find &s;atisfaction. Heretofore the Lord revealed him&s;elf by <HI>Vi&s;ions, Oracles,</HI> and <HI>Dreams,</HI> to per&s;ons of <HI>ancient holine&s;s</HI> and <HI>&s;anctity,</HI> that they might in&s;truct others; which cour&s;e was <HI>&s;ure enough,</HI> while the people of
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the world were but a <HI>few families,</HI> and the per&s;ons intru&s;ted with Gods me&s;&s;age had <HI>authority</HI> and <HI>credit</HI> &s;ufficient with the <HI>pre&s;ent age,</HI> and <HI>lived long</HI> to continue the tradition with the <HI>more certainty</HI> to <HI>future ages.</HI> But afterwards the Lord was plea&s;ed to &s;peak to his Church both by <HI>Word</HI> and <HI>wri|ting: His Word</HI> was nece&s;&s;ary for <HI>further revealing</HI> and <HI>clearing up</HI> the doctrine of Salvation; and <HI>writing</HI> was ne|ce&s;&s;ary, becau&s;e when <HI>Precepts</HI> were <HI>multiplyed,</HI> it was need|ful for mens <HI>memories</HI> that they &s;hould be <HI>written;</HI> the <HI>long life</HI> of Gods Witne&s;&s;es was le&s;&s;ened, <HI>corruptions</HI> began to increa&s;e, <HI>Satan</HI> giving out lying <HI>oracles</HI> and <HI>vi&s;ions, idolatrous Rites</HI> and cu&s;toms crept into the <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Jo&s;h. 24. 3&punc; Gen. 39. 2.</NOTE> <HI>be&s;t families,</HI> the people of God were grown <HI>numerous enough</HI> to make a <HI>Comm<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">n|wealth</HI> and <HI>Politick Body;</HI> therefore to avoyd <HI>mans corrup|tions</HI> and <HI>Satans deceits,</HI> the Lord thought fit that we &s;hould have a <HI>written Rule at hand,</HI> as a publique Standard for the tryal of all Doctrines: <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg"><HI>Exo.</HI> 24. 12&punc;</NOTE> God him&s;elf wrote the <HI>fir&s;t Scrip|ture</HI> with his <HI>own Finger</HI> upon <HI>tables of &s;tone,</HI> and he com|manded <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> and the <HI>Prophets</HI> to do the &s;ame, <HI>Exod.</HI> 17. 14. and 34. 17. which di&s;pen&s;ation of <HI>Word</HI> and <HI>Writing</HI> conti|nued till Chri&s;ts time, who as the <HI>great Doctor</HI> of the Church perfected the Rule of Faith, and by the <HI>Apo&s;tles</HI> as &s;o many <HI>publique Notaries</HI> con&s;igned it to the u&s;e of the Church in all Ages: When the Canon began to be compleat, the <HI>latter Apo&s;tles</HI> pre&s;&s;ed the receiving of it; and <HI>John</HI> as the la&s;t, and as one who outlived all the re&s;t, clo&s;eth up his Prophecy thus, <HI>Rev. 22. 18, 19. If any man add, &amp;c.</HI> and <HI>if any man take away, &amp;c.</HI> which doth not only &s;eal up the Book of <HI>the Reve|lations,</HI> but the whole <HI>Canon</HI> and <HI>Rule of Faith;</HI> which in|deed&punc; was a great mercy to the world; the Lord knew to what <HI>a liberty</HI> we inclined in divine things, and therefore we needed to be tyed up to <HI>a Rule,</HI> which here is given us.</P>
<P>3. <HI>The mercy of God appeareth in pre&s;erving it, that it may be delivered from one age to another.</HI> No Doctrine &s;o <HI>anci|ent</HI> as the Doctrine of the Scriptures; it de&s;cribeth the <HI>whole Hi&s;tory</HI> of the World from the <HI>very Creation,</HI> and the <HI>original</HI> of all things: Where are there Records &s;o <HI>ancient?</HI>
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and yet they have been <HI>pre&s;erved</HI> even to our time. We have &s;ome <HI>ancient writings</HI> of the Heathens, though nothing &s;o ancient <HI>as Scripture;</HI> but the&s;e are not <HI>contrary to mens lu&s;ts,</HI> and have been <HI>cheri&s;hed</HI> by them, and yet they have felt the <HI>tooth of time,</HI> and are in a great mea&s;ure <HI>mangled;</HI> but the Word of God hath been <HI>maligned</HI> and <HI>oppo&s;ed,</HI> and yet it <HI>continueth,</HI> and holdeth up its head in the world: not only the <HI>main Doctrine</HI> of the Scriptures hath been continu|ed, but <HI>no part</HI> of the Word hath been <HI>fal&s;ified, corrupted, de&s;troyed:</HI> the world wanted not <HI>malice</HI> nor <HI>opportunity;</HI> the <HI>powers of the world</HI> have been bent again&s;t it, and <HI>corrupt per&s;ons</HI> in the Church have been always given to <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Gal. 1. 6, 7. 1 Tim. 6. 3.</NOTE> <HI>other go|&s;pelling;</HI> but &s;till the Scriptures have been wonderfully pre|&s;erved, as the <HI>three children in the furnace,</HI> not an <HI>hair &s;inged,</HI> not a <HI>jot</HI> and <HI>tittle</HI> of Truth peri&s;hed.</P>
<P>4. <HI>That God doth continually &s;tir up men in the Church, and be&s;tow gifts upon them for the opening and application of this faith and doctrine of Salvation.</HI> Chri&s;t that hath given <HI>Prophets</HI> and <HI>Apo&s;tles</HI> to the Church to <HI>write Scripture,</HI> hath al&s;o given <HI>Pa&s;tors</HI> and <HI>Teachers</HI> to <HI>open</HI> and <HI>apply</HI> Scripture, that &s;o &s;till it might be <HI>delivered</HI> to the Saints, and al&s;o to <HI>vindicate</HI> the doctrine of it when <HI>oppo&s;ed:</HI> Every age that hath yeilded the <HI>Poy&s;on</HI> hath al&s;o yeilded the <HI>Antidote,</HI> that the world might not be without a <HI>Witne&s;s;</HI> if there hath been an <HI>Arrius,</HI> there hath been an <HI>Athana&s;ius;</HI> if a <HI>Pela|gius,</HI> there is al&s;o an <HI>Au&s;tin;</HI> the Church hath never want|ed help in this kind. Look as in War, as the <HI>Arts of Battery</HI> and <HI>methods of de&s;truction</HI> do increa&s;e, &s;o al&s;o doth skill <HI>in Fortification;</HI> and in the Church God &s;till be&s;toweth gifts for the further explication of Truth.</P>
<P>5. <HI>That the Light cometh to us, and &s;hineth in this Land.</HI> The Go&s;pel is a great <HI>National Priviledg: To you is this Word of Salvation &s;ent, Acts</HI> 13. 26. Pray mark, 'tis <HI>&s;ent;</HI> he doth not &s;ay we have <HI>brought</HI> it to you, but 'tis <HI>&s;ent,</HI> 'tis a token &s;ent from Heaven in love: there is a <HI>mighty Provi|dence</HI> accompanieth the <HI>Go&s;pel;</HI> the <HI>journeys</HI> of the Apo&s;tles (as I &s;aid but now) were ordered by the Spirit as well as <HI>their doctrine: Acts 8. 26. The Angel of the Lord &s;aid to Phi|lip,</HI>
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<HI>Ari&s;e, and go towards the South, towards the way that goeth down to Jeru&s;alem:</HI> They went not as their <HI>own good affection</HI> carryed them, but according to the <HI>Spirits direction.</HI> So <HI>Acts 17. 7, 8, 9. The Spirit &s;uffered them not, &amp;c.</HI> as <HI>prophecy came not by the will of man, 2 Pet.</HI> 1. 20. that is, the <HI>doctrine</HI> it &s;elf, &s;o the <HI>delivery</HI> of it; the <HI>doctrine</HI> they had from the Holy Gho&s;t, and al&s;o their <HI>commi&s;&s;ion</HI> and <HI>pasport.</HI> You would &s;tand wondring, and think it a <HI>&s;pecial benefit,</HI> if in a time of drought <HI>the rain</HI> &s;hould fall on <HI>your field,</HI> and none el&s;e: if, as <HI>Gideons fleece,</HI> your heritage &s;hould be <HI>wet,</HI> and all is <HI>day</HI> round about you; or if the Sun &s;hould be &s;hut up to others, and &s;hine only in <HI>your Horizon,</HI> as it did in <HI>Go&s;hen;</HI> this is a <HI>better ble&s;&s;ing,</HI> and God hath a &s;pecial hand in the <HI>progre&s;s</HI> of it; it goeth from place to place as the Lord will: Why &s;hould it come to us? our <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Mon&s;tra Diabolica co|l<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">bant A<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">|g<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ptiaca nunc numero Vincentia. <HI>Gildas.</HI></NOTE> Ance&s;tors were of all Nations mo&s;t <HI>barbarous</HI> and <HI>portentous for their Idolatries;</HI> why to us? No cau&s;e can be a&s;&s;igned but the free grace and gift of God.</P>
<P>6. <HI>That it is given to us in our per&s;ons in particular in the power and efficacy of it.</HI> 'Tis <HI>offered</HI> to the Nation, but <HI>be|&s;tow<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">d</HI> upon us: <HI>John 14. 12. Why is it that thou wilt reveal thy &s;elf to us, and not unto the world?</HI> Others have only Truth pre&s;ented to them <HI>obiter,</HI> by the by, for your &s;akes; but <HI>you are called according to purpo&s;e, Rom.</HI> 8. 28. Though in the <HI>ge|neral means</HI> they have a <HI>like favour</HI> with you, yet you may ob&s;erve the <HI>particular aim</HI> of God in continuing the Go|&s;pel to <HI>England</HI> for <HI>your &s;ak<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">s.</HI></P>
<P>Well then, <HI>Acknowldg God in the truths that are delivered</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">&V;&s;e.</NOTE> <HI>to you out of the Scriptures.</HI> What ever means are u&s;ed, God is the <HI>Author</HI> of the <HI>doctrine,</HI> and the <HI>Dispo&s;er</HI> of the <HI>me&s;&s;age;</HI> receive it <HI>as</HI> the <HI>Word of God,</HI> and then it will <HI>profit you, 1 The&s;.</HI> 2. 13. If you had an <HI>Oracle</HI> from Heaven &s;peaking to you on this wi&s;e, you would be more &s;erious: It is as cer|tain, yea 'tis <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>a more &s;ure Word, 2 Pet.</HI> 1. 19. more &s;ure then the <HI>Oracle</HI> &s;poken of in the Context: Re|gard the <HI>promi&s;es</HI> and <HI>threatenings</HI> of it with more reverence, as if <HI>God in per&s;on</HI> had delivered them to you: If you receive it as <HI>the Word of God, and not of men,</HI> what will you venture
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upon the <HI>promi&s;es</HI> of it? The&s;e are <HI>bills of exchange</HI> given you, that you may draw your e&s;tate into <HI>another Country,</HI> that you may lay up <HI>trea&s;ures in Heaven: Neglect</HI> of the opportunity is a &s;ign of <HI>unbelief.</HI> If one &s;hould proffer you an <HI>hundred pound</HI> for the laying out of a <HI>peny,</HI> and you go away and <HI>never heed</HI> it, 'tis a &s;ign you do not <HI>beleeve</HI> the offer. The recompen&s;es of the Word do far exceed all <HI>tem|poral emolument;</HI> if you do not <HI>heed</HI> them, 'tis a &s;ign you do not <HI>beleeve</HI> them. So, what will you forbear upon the <HI>threatenings of the Word?</HI> If there were a Law made, that every time we deceive or &s;lander one another we &s;hould hold one of our hands in &s;calding Lead for half an hour, men would be afraid of the offence. God hath told us that the <HI>wages of &s;in is death,</HI> that we &s;hall be plunged <HI>for ever|more</HI> in the <HI>lake that burneth with fire and brim&s;tone;</HI> and yet it doth not deter us from &s;in, and giving offence to God. If a man were told that he were in danger of a cruel <HI>death</HI> every moment if he did not pre&s;ently get a <HI>pardon,</HI> he would not &s;leep till it were done: Natural men are in danger <HI>of Hell</HI> every moment by the <HI>&s;entence of the Word,</HI> and yet <HI>how backward</HI> are they to make their peace with God?</P>
<P>Secondly, The word [<HI>delivered</HI>] implyeth a leaving things in anothers hand by <HI>way of tru&s;t,</HI> and &s;o doth not on|ly note the <HI>mercy of God,</HI> but the <HI>duty of the Church,</HI> to whom the <HI>Oracles of God are committed</HI> to be kept: Whence ob|&s;erve, <HI>That God hath delivered the Doctrine and Rule of Faith</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 2.</NOTE> <HI>to the Church as a publique Tru&s;tee, that it may be kept and employed to the u&s;es of the Truth.</HI> Let us a little &s;ee what is the Churches duty towards the Truth: I an&s;wer, 1. To <HI>publi&s;h it to the pre&s;ent age. 2. To keep it and pre&s;erve it for ages to come:</HI> So that to the pre&s;ent age we are <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">I&s;ai. 43. 10</NOTE> <HI>Witne&s;&s;es,</HI> to the future <HI>Tru&s;tees.</HI></P>
<P>1. To <HI>publi&s;h, own and defend the Truth,</HI> by <HI>Profe&s;&s;ion</HI> and <HI>Martyrdom;</HI> and therefore the Church is called <HI>the pillar and ground of Truth, 1 Tim.</HI> 3. 15. namely in re&s;pect <HI>of men,</HI> and as it <HI>holdeth it forth</HI> to the world; and therefore we ought to harken to the <HI>Churches te&s;timony</HI> till we have <HI>bet|ter evidence:</HI> We do not <HI>ultimately</HI> re&s;ove our faith into
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the <HI>Churches Authority,</HI> for the Churches Authority is not <HI>ab&s;olute,</HI> but <HI>mini&s;terial;</HI> as a <HI>royal Edict</HI> doth not receive credit by the <HI>Officer</HI> and <HI>Cryer,</HI> he only <HI>declareth</HI> it and <HI>pub|li&s;heth</HI> it; yet the <HI>Churches te&s;timony</HI> is not to be <HI>neglected,</HI> for <HI>faith cometh by hearing, Rom.</HI> 10. 14. and this <HI>publication</HI> of the Church is a good <HI>preparative inducem ut, John</HI> 4. 42. If we would know the truth of a thing till we have experi|ence we go to tho&s;e that have experience, and ordinarily the <HI>judgment of others</HI> whom we re&s;pect and reverence cau&s;|eth us to have a <HI>good opinion</HI> of a thing till we make tryal<NOTE PLACE="marg">Non credere~ Scripturae ni|&s;i me Eccle&s;ia moveret Au|thor it as. <HI>Aug.</HI></NOTE> our &s;elves: in which re&s;pect <HI>Au&s;tin</HI> &s;aith, <HI>I had never be|lieved the Scriptures, unle&s;s I had been moved thereunto by the Authority of the Church;</HI> as we &s;hould never have known <HI>Kings plea&s;ure,</HI> unle&s;s the <HI>me&s;&s;enger</HI> had brought us his Let|ters. The Church hath not power to make and unmake Scripture at plea&s;ure, but onely to communicate and <HI>hold forth the Truth;</HI> and till we have further a&s;&s;urance is &s;o far to be heard: We receive the faith of <HI>per Eccle&s;iam</HI> by <HI>the mini&s;try of the Church,</HI> though not <HI>propter Eccle&s;iam</HI> for the <HI>Authority of the Church.</HI></P>
<P>2. The next Office of the Church is to <HI>pre&s;erve the Truth, and tran&s;mit it pure to the next age:</HI> As the <HI>Law</HI> was kept in the <HI>Ark,</HI> &s;o was Truth delivered to the Church to be kept. 1 <HI>Tim. 1. 11. The glorious Go&s;pel committed to thy tru&s;t:</HI> There is a <HI>tru&s;t</HI> lieth upon us; upon the <HI>Apo&s;tles fir&s;t</HI> to publi&s;h the whole Coun&s;el of God, and then upon <HI>Pa&s;tors</HI> and <HI>Teachers</HI> in all ages to keep it afoot, and upon <HI>all Beleevers</HI> and <HI>Members</HI> of the Church, to &s;ee that <HI>after ages</HI> be not defrauded of this <HI>priviledg:</HI> We are to take care that nothing be <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Deut. 4. 2. &amp; 12. 32.</NOTE> <HI>added,</HI> there <HI>is enough to make the man of God perfect;</HI> nothing <HI>dimini&s;hed;</HI> none of the <HI>Jewels</HI> which Chri&s;t hath left with his <HI>Spou&s;e</HI> mu&s;t be <HI>embezzel'd;</HI> that it be not <HI>corrupted</HI> and <HI>&s;ophi&s;ticated;</HI> for we are not on|ly to tran&s;mit to the next age <HI>the Scriptures,</HI> tho&s;e <HI>faithful Records</HI> of Truth, but al&s;o the <HI>publique Explications</HI> of the Church in <HI>Summaries</HI> and <HI>Confe&s;&s;ions</HI> mu&s;t be <HI>&s;ound</HI> and <HI>or|thodox,</HI> le&s;t we <HI>intail a prejudice</HI> upon tho&s;e that are yet unborn: Every one in his place is to &s;ee that the&s;e things
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be accompli&s;hed. So much for the <HI>Tradition</HI> it &s;elf.</P>
<P>Now for the Manner [<HI>Once delivered,</HI>] that is, <HI>once for all,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">2.</NOTE> as never to be altered and changed; and when the <HI>Canon or Rule of Faith</HI> was clo&s;ed up, there was nothing to be add|ed further, as <HI>a part of the authentick and infallible Rule,</HI> though the <HI>dayly nece&s;&s;ities</HI> of the Church do call for a <HI>fur|ther Explication.</HI> But you will &s;ay, You told us but now how the Word was <HI>many times</HI> delivered, how then <HI>once?</HI> I an&s;wer, The Apo&s;tle &s;peaketh not of the <HI>&s;ucce&s;&s;ive mani|fe&s;tations</HI> of Gods Will to <HI>Prophet</HI> after <HI>Prophet</HI> till the <HI>Old Te&s;tament</HI> was perfected, but of that <HI>common doctrine</HI> which the Apo&s;tles and Evangeli&s;ts by <HI>one con&s;ent</HI> had publi&s;hed to the world, and which was now to &s;ettle into a <HI>Rule,</HI> and &s;o to remain without change till the coming of the Lord. Ob|&s;erve, <HI>That the doctrine of Salvation was but once delivered,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 3.</NOTE> <HI>to remain for ever without variation. Paul</HI> chideth them for being withdrawn to <HI>another Go&s;pel, Gal.</HI> 1. 6. and <HI>Peter</HI> tell|eth them to prevent the reception of <HI>feigned Oracles,</HI> that they had <HI>a &s;urer Word of Prophecy, 2 Pet.</HI> 1. 19. a &s;afe rule to tru&s;t to: and <HI>Paul</HI> biddeth <HI>Timothy,</HI> <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">2 Tim. 3. 14, 15.</NOTE> <HI>Continue in the things which he had learned:</HI> and our Lord &s;aith, <HI>Mat. 24. This Word of the Kingdom &s;hall be prea<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">hed to all Nations.</HI> Now the doctrine of Salvation is but <HI>once delivered,</HI> 1. Becau&s;e all is done &s;o fully and perfectly, that nothing can be added; there is enough to <HI>make us wi&s;e to Salvation,</HI> and what<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Tim. 3. 15, 17.</NOTE> &s;hould Chri&s;tians de&s;ire more? There is enough to <HI>make the man of God perfect,</HI> that is, to furni&s;h him with all kind of knowledg for the di&s;charge of his office; there needeth no more; there is enough to make us wi&s;e to <HI>preach,</HI> and you wi&s;e to <HI>practi&s;e;</HI> and 'tis <HI>certain enough,</HI> that you need not &s;pend your time in <HI>doubting</HI> and <HI>disputing;</HI> and 'tis full enough, you need nothing more to <HI>&s;atisfie the de&s;ires of Na|ture,</HI> or to <HI>repair the defects of Nature:</HI> here is <HI>&s;ufficient in|&s;truction</HI> to decide <HI>all Controver&s;ies,</HI> and a&s;&s;oil <HI>all doubts,</HI> and to give us a <HI>&s;ure conduct</HI> to everla&s;ting glory. 2. Becau&s;e <HI>this Rule can never be de&s;troyed:</HI> The Word hath often been in danger of being <HI>lo&s;t,</HI> but the miracle of its <HI>pr<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;er|vation</HI> is &s;o much the greater: In <HI>Jo&s;iahs</HI> time there was but
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<HI>one Copy</HI> of the Law; in <HI>Diocle&s;ians</HI> time there was an Edict to burn their Bibles, and Copies were then <HI>&s;carce</HI> and <HI>charge|able;</HI> yet &s;till they were kept, and &s;o &s;hall be to the end of the world, for the Sacraments mu&s;t continue <HI>till Chri&s;t come, Mat.</HI> 28. 20. and 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 11. 26. and the Word mu&s;t be preached till we all <HI>grow into a perfect body in Je&s;us Chri&s;t, Ephe&s;.</HI> 4. 12, 13. not only <HI>de jure,</HI> but <HI>de facto,</HI> not only it <HI>mu&s;t be &s;o,</HI> but it <HI>&s;hall be &s;o.</HI> Well then, expect not <HI>new re|velations,</HI> or di&s;coveries of <HI>n<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">w truths</HI> be&s;ide the Word,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Hold fa&s;t till I come, Rev. 2. 25.</NOTE> which is the <HI>immutable Rule</HI> of Salvation. Again, it check|eth them that expect <HI>new Apo&s;tles,</HI> endued with a Spirit of infallibility, to re&s;olve all doubts and que&s;tions: We mu&s;t give heed to the Scriptures, <HI>till the day &s;tar ari&s;e in your hearts,</HI> that is, till we have full communion with Chri&s;t; for our reward in Heaven is expre&s;&s;ed by the <HI>morning &s;tar, Rev. 2. 28. To him that overcometh I will give the morning &s;tar.</HI> Again, it confuteth the <HI>Famili&s;ts,</HI> that dream of <HI>&s;ome days of the Spirit,</HI> wherein we &s;hall have a greater light then is in the <HI>Scriptures;</HI> they fancy the time of the <HI>Law</HI> to be the days of the <HI>Father,</HI> the time of the <HI>Go&s;pel</HI> to be the days of the <HI>Son,</HI> and the latter end of the world to be <HI>&s;aeculum Spiri|tus Sancti</HI> (as the <HI>Weigelians</HI> phra&s;e it) <HI>the age of the Holy Gho&s;t,</HI> but fooli&s;hly, for the&s;e are <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Acts 2. 17 Heb. 1. 1.</NOTE> <HI>the la&s;t times,</HI> and the holy Gho&s;t was never <HI>more gloriou&s;ly</HI> poured out then at <HI>Chri&s;ts A&s;cen&s;ion,</HI> and <HI>greater things</HI> cannot be revealed to us then <HI>God in Chri&s;t reconciling the world:</HI> La&s;tly, 'tis for the comfort of the Saints, that their Salvation is put into a <HI>&s;tated cour&s;e,</HI> and God hath &s;hewed you what you mu&s;t do if you would inherit eternal life.</P>
<P>The next circum&s;tance is the per&s;ons to whom it was de|livered,<NOTE PLACE="marg">3.</NOTE> [<HI>to the Saints,</HI>] it may be under&s;tood of the <HI>Apo|&s;tles,</HI> to whom it was <HI>delivered</HI> to be <HI>propagated;</HI> o<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> of the <HI>Church,</HI> to whom it was <HI>delivered</HI> to be <HI>kept,</HI> and who in the con&s;tant u&s;e of Scripture are called <HI>Saints.</HI> Ob&s;erve, <HI>That</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat.</NOTE> <HI>Saints are mo&s;t intere&s;ted in the acknowledgment, propagation and defence of Truth.</HI> The Chri&s;tian faith was delivered <HI>to Saints</HI> and <HI>by Saints,</HI> and none <HI>receive</HI> it &s;o <HI>willingly,</HI> and defend it &s;o <HI>zealou&s;ly,</HI> and keep it &s;o <HI>charily</HI> and <HI>faithfully</HI> as
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they do. 1. The men that the Spirit of God made u&s;e of as Penmen were <HI>holy men,</HI> &s;pecially purified and &s;anctified for this work: 2 <HI>Pet.</HI> 1. 21. <HI>Holy men of God &s;pake as they were moved by the Holy Gho&s;t:</HI> And <HI>Ephe&s;.</HI> 3. 5. <HI>Revealed unto his holy Apo&s;tles and Prophets by the Spirit:</HI> The&s;e men were the fitte&s;t in&s;truments to beget an <HI>external repute</HI> to the Word; Surely they would not do any thing for their <HI>own ends,</HI> and obtrude their <HI>own inventions</HI> upon the world as <HI>Oracles</HI> from God. A <HI>carnal mans</HI> te&s;timony is liable to <HI>&s;u&s;pition;</HI> Who would count that <HI>whole&s;om</HI> that cometh from a <HI>leprous hand?</HI> Yea tho&s;e that were not of <HI>eminent &s;anctity</HI> were not fit for &s;uch an employment: a <HI>novel doc|trine</HI> (&s;uch as the Go&s;pel &s;eemed to be in the world) needed <HI>all the advantages</HI> that might be, to gain a <HI>title</HI> and <HI>intere&s;t</HI> in their belief; therefore did the Lord make u&s;e of &s;uch <HI>holy</HI> and <HI>&s;elf-denying</HI> per&s;ons, who expected to gain nothing but <HI>ignominy, poverty, afflictions, bonds, death;</HI> the&s;e things did abide for them in every City. 2. <HI>Holy per&s;ons are only fit to preach the Faith;</HI> &s;ancta &s;anctis, <HI>holy men for holy things;</HI> 'tis an <HI>holy faith,</HI> and therefore fit to be managed by <HI>holy per&s;ons,</HI> that <HI>their hearts</HI> may carry a proportion with <HI>their work: I&s;ai.</HI> 52. 11. <HI>Be ye clean that bear the Ve&s;&s;els of the Lord:</HI> The Officers that carryed the Ve&s;&s;els and Uten&s;ils of the Temple out of <HI>Babylon,</HI> were to take care of their <HI>cleanne&s;s.</HI> God <HI>purified I&s;aiah</HI> when he &s;ent him to <HI>reprove, I&s;ai.</HI> 6. 7. and the <HI>Prie&s;ts</HI> under the Law that mini&s;tred be|fore the Lord, were to wa&s;h in the <HI>great Lavor; Regenera|tion</HI> is the be&s;t <HI>preparation</HI> for the <HI>Mini&s;try.</HI> Others di&s;pa|rage their te&s;timony, and bring a reproach upon the Go|&s;pel; People think we mu&s;t &s;ay &s;omewhat for our living, and &s;o give us the hearing, but that's all: Oh think of it, the credit of Chri&s;t lieth at &s;take; and &s;ince <HI>Miracles</HI> are cea&s;|ed, all the <HI>external confirmation</HI> that we can add to the Word is by <HI>holine&s;s of conver&s;ation.</HI> The Levites fir&s;t clean&s;ed <HI>them|&s;elves,</HI> and then clean&s;ed <HI>the people, Nehem.</HI> 12. 30. The <HI>life</HI> of a Mini&s;ter is much either to edification or de&s;truction; they take the le&s;&s;on rather from your <HI>lives</HI> then your <HI>mouths,</HI> and by your <HI>levity</HI> or <HI>vanity</HI> &s;in cometh to be <HI>autho|rized:</HI>
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in &s;hort, either your <HI>doctrine</HI> will make your <HI>life</HI> blu&s;h, or your <HI>life</HI> will make your <HI>doctrine</HI> blu&s;h and be a&s;hamed. 3. <HI>None are fit publiquely to defend the Truth, but the holy;</HI> they &s;peak with <HI>more power,</HI> as from the <HI>heart,</HI> and <HI>inward experience,</HI> and are <HI>more zealous</HI> as being more nearly concerned; <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Erube&s;cit quamvis <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters"> praedam d<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters"> ctrina quam propria re|prehendit con&s;cientia. <HI>Hieron. in Epitaph. Marcellae.</HI> We can do nothing a|gain&s;t the Truth, but for the Truth 2 Cor. 13. 5.</NOTE> they that partake of <HI>Gods Nature,</HI> will &s;oone&s;t e&s;pou&s;e <HI>Gods Cau&s;e</HI> and <HI>Quarrel:</HI> and their <HI>zeal</HI> is <HI>mo&s;t pure;</HI> Carnal men <HI>pervert</HI> religious differences, they change the nature of them, turning them into a <HI>&s;trife of words,</HI> or a <HI>contention for intere&s;ts;</HI> matters are not managed &s;o purely as when there is <HI>con&s;cience</HI> on both &s;ides: The <HI>Saints</HI> contend be&s;t for the <HI>Saints faith.</HI> Zeal in carnal men is like <HI>fire in &s;traw,</HI> quickly up and quickly down; but in the godly 'tis like <HI>fire in wood,</HI> longer kept: <HI>Wi&s;dom is ju&s;tified of her children, Mat.</HI> 11. 19. they are fitte&s;t to interpo&s;e. A|gain, fal&s;e zeal is mo&s;t pa&s;&s;ionate without <HI>pity</HI> and <HI>meekne&s;s,</HI> but the flame is mo&s;t <HI>pure</HI> and <HI>bright</HI> in an holy heart, which is &s;ubdued to the power of Truth. 4. <HI>None receive the Truth &s;o willingly as the Saints do:</HI> Holy per&s;ons can be&s;t under&s;tand what was written by holy men, they pierce into it more deeply; as Iron that is <HI>red hot</HI> runneth further into the board, then a <HI>&s;harp tool</HI> that is <HI>cold:</HI> <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg"><HI>P&s;a.</HI> 25. 14&punc; <HI>John</HI> 7. 17.</NOTE> God unbo&s;ometh him&s;elf to <HI>his familiars;</HI> Holy hearts are not clouded with the mi&s;ts of lu&s;ts and intere&s;ts: <NOTE N="&dagger;" PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="foreign"> <HI>Nazi.</HI> Orat. (ut memini) 40. Holine&s;s doth not blunt the wit, but &s;harpens; none have a wor&s;e &s;piri|tual &s;ight then they that lack grace, 2 Pet. 1. 9.</NOTE> <HI>Where there is purity, there is brightne&s;s;</HI> the mind being &s;eparated from <HI>gro&s;s things,</HI> is fitted for the reception of <HI>&s;piritual my&s;teries: Paul</HI> &s;aw mo&s;t of God when he <HI>was blind</HI> to the world; the heart being taken off from the world, is erected to things &s;uper|natural and of an higher cognizance. 5. <HI>None retain the Truth more firmly then the Saints do. Manna</HI> was kept in a <HI>golden Ve&s;&s;el,</HI> and &s;o is <HI>Truth</HI> in a <HI>pure Soul: Titus</HI> 3. 9. <HI>Holding the my&s;tery of faith in a pure con&s;cience.</HI> An unclean ve&s;&s;el &s;owreth the liquor that is put into it; &s;o doth a carnal heart pervert the faith, and teint the judgment. Let a man once be given up to &s;ome <HI>great lu&s;t,</HI> and you &s;hall &s;oon find him to be given up to &s;ome <HI>roaring error</HI> al&s;o; and when once they come to <HI>make &s;hipwrack of a good con&s;cience,</HI> they do not long <HI>hold the faith</HI> that was once given to the Saints,
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for <HI>grace</HI> and <HI>truth</HI> always thrive together.</P>
<P>I come now to the main Ob&s;ervation that is to be drawn from the&s;e words; <HI>That 'tis the Duty of Chri&s;tians in times of Error and Seducement to contend earne&s;tly for the Faith once</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Doct.</NOTE> <HI>given to the Saints.</HI> 'Tis their duty at all times, but then e&s;pecially: 1. That we may not <HI>di&s;credit</HI> our <HI>&s;elves</HI> and the <HI>Truth.</HI> 2. That we may not <HI>hazard</HI> our <HI>&s;elves</HI> and the <HI>Truth.</HI></P>
<P>1. Let me fir&s;t &s;peak to the Di&s;credit, and there I &s;hall &s;hew, 1. That <HI>Truth is honoured by a bold and re&s;olute De|fence of it:</HI> We are not <HI>a&s;hamed</HI> of it though it be que&s;tion|ed and &s;corned in the world: <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Mat. 11. 19</NOTE> <HI>Wi&s;dom is ju&s;tified of her children:</HI> Neither <HI>Johns doctrine</HI> nor <HI>Chri&s;ts doctrine</HI> would reli&s;h with the world, yet &s;ome had a reverend opinion of it for all that. <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 119. 26, 27. <HI>They make voyd thy Law, therefore I love it above pure gold.</HI> In times of defection our love to God and the ways of God &s;hould be the greater; as <HI>Fountain water</HI> is hotte&s;t in colde&s;t weather. 'Twas an honour to the Chri&s;tian Religion that the <NOTE N="&dagger;" PLACE="marg">Quid ergo malum in Chri&s;tiana Religione cu|jus reus gau|det, accu&s;a|tio votum e&s;t &amp; poena foe|licitas. <HI>Tertul.</HI></NOTE> primitive Pro|fe&s;&s;ors were glad of an occa&s;ion to dye for it, and the more it was de&s;pi&s;ed and per&s;ecuted the more did they own it; fal&s;hoods cannot endure the brunt of oppo&s;ition. 2. <HI>That we may not di&s;honour our &s;elves, and di&s;credit our own profe&s;|&s;ion:</HI> He is but an ill &s;ervant of Chri&s;t, that will not &s;erve him when the <HI>Lord hath need of him;</HI> when God di&s;tingui&s;h|eth &s;ides, and cryeth out, <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Exod. 32.</NOTE> <HI>Who is of my &s;ide, who? Times of Error</HI> and Seducement are <HI>&s;earching trying times: Light chaff</HI> is carryed about with <HI>every wind,</HI> but the <HI>&s;olid grain</HI> lieth &s;till upon the ground: The <HI>approved are made mani|fe&s;t,</HI> 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 11. 19. There is a time not only to &s;hew <HI>love,</HI> but <HI>valor: Jer.</HI> 9. 3. <HI>They are not valiant for the Truth upon the Earth.</HI> To be <HI>valiant</HI> for <HI>Truth</HI> is to defend it in time of oppo&s;ition, and to &s;parkle &s;o much the more in an holy zeal becau&s;e they pervert the right ways of the Lord: A Chri|&s;tian mu&s;t an <HI>heart</HI> as well as a <HI>liver,</HI> not onely love the Truth, but contend for it, and the more earne&s;tly the more 'tis oppo&s;ed: The Apo&s;tle &s;aith, that a Bi&s;hop <HI>mu&s;t hold fa&s;t the Word of Truth, Titus</HI> 1. 9. <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="foreign">.</NOTE> The word &s;ignifieth an hold|ing
<PB N="159" REF="88">
it fa&s;t again&s;t a contrary force; as when a man &s;eeketh to wre&s;t a &s;taff out of anothers hand, he holdeth it the fa&s;ter.</P>
<P>2. The next Rea&s;on is, That we may not endanger and hazard <HI>our &s;elves</HI> and <HI>the Truth. 1. That we may not en|danger our &s;elves:</HI> 'Tis good to be able to defend Religion when 'tis que&s;tioned; ignorant, &s;ecure and carele&s;s &s;pirits will certainly mi&s;carry: <HI>Pre&s;ent Truths</HI> and <HI>pre&s;ent Errors</HI> have an a&s;pect upon our <HI>intere&s;ts;</HI> we mu&s;t determine one way or another: Now how ea&s;ily are they carryed away with <HI>intere&s;ts</HI> that have <HI>no principles,</HI> no <GAP DESC="foreign">, 2 <HI>Pet.</HI> 3. 17. no proper balla&s;t in their own &s;pirits? Therefore let us &s;trive to know the Truth, to own the Truth in a time of tryal; 'tis needful: <HI>All Errors and Here&s;ies are but mens natural thoughts gotten into &s;ome valuable opinion, becau&s;e backed with the defences of wit and parts.</HI> What are all the <HI>learned Disputes</HI> again&s;t the Truth, but the props of tho&s;e <HI>vulgar mispri&s;ions</HI> and <HI>gro&s;s conceits</HI> that are in the heart of <HI>every natural</HI> and <HI>ignorant man?</HI> We have all <HI>an heretick</HI> in our bo&s;oms, and are by nature prepared to drink in all kind of errors and lyes, and therefore we are &s;aid, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 58. 3. <HI>to &s;peaklyes from the womb,</HI> becau&s;e the&s;e things are in our na|tures; <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Pelagiani omnes mi&s;ci|mur &amp; cum|&s;uper cilio Phari&s;aico. <HI>Spanhem.</HI></NOTE> we are born <HI>Pelagians</HI> and <HI>Libertines</HI> and <HI>Papi&s;ts.</HI> As in the new nature there is a cognation and proportion between us and Truth, &s;o in the old nature there is an incli|nation to all manner of Errors. <HI>Luther</HI> &s;aith, <HI>Every man is born with a Pope in his belly:</HI> And Mr <HI>Greenham</HI> hath a &s;ay|ing, That <HI>if all Errors and the memorials of them were annihi|lated by the ab&s;olute Power of God, &s;o that there &s;hould not the lea&s;t remembrance of them remain, yet there is enough in the heart of one man to revive them again the next day.</HI> Certainly what ever is &s;ugge&s;ted from without doth very well &s;uit with the <HI>carnal thoughts</HI> that are in our own bo&s;oms: Look up|on any <HI>error</HI> or <HI>blasphemy</HI> that is broached in the world, and you will find it true: Is <HI>Athei&s;m</HI> vented? <HI>The fool hath &s;aid in his heart, there is no God, P&s;al.</HI> 14. 1. Gentili&s;m or the doctrine of many Gods? So do we &s;et up many Gods; what ever we <HI>fear</HI> or <HI>love,</HI> that we wor&s;hip; <HI>Who&s;e god is the</HI>
<PB N="160" REF="89">
<HI>belly, Phil.</HI> 3. 19. Every man naturally is a <HI>Pagan</HI> and <HI>Idolater: Pelagian Tenets,</HI> wherein <HI>original &s;in</HI> is denyed, are natural: Common people think they <HI>had ever a good heart towards God; All the&s;e have I kept from my youth, Matth. 19. 20. Chance</HI> and <HI>Fortune</HI> in a contradiction to <HI>Gods Decrees</HI> are a mans natural opinions. So the doctrine of <HI>works</HI> and <HI>merit</HI> is in every mans heart: What que&s;tion more rife when we begin to be &s;erious, then <HI>What &s;hall I do?</HI> A <HI>ceremonious ri|tual Religion</HI> is very plea&s;ing to carnal &s;en&s;e; <HI>Conjectural per&s;wa&s;ions</HI> is but a more hand&s;om word for the thoughts of ignorant per&s;ons; they &s;ay they <HI>cannot be a&s;&s;ured, but they hope well: Doctrines of Liberty</HI> are very &s;uitable al&s;o to cor|rupt nature; <HI>Ca&s;t away the coards, P&s;al.</HI> 2. and <HI>Who is Lord over us? P&s;al.</HI> 12. 4. Nay all <HI>&s;ins</HI> are rooted in &s;ome <HI>error</HI> of judgment, and therefore they are called <HI>errors, P&s;al.</HI> 19. 12. Well then, for our own Caution we had need &s;tand for the Truth, becau&s;e Error is &s;o <HI>&s;uitable to our thoughts;</HI> now when it &s;preadeth further, 'tis <HI>&s;uitable al&s;o to our inte|re&s;ts,</HI> and then we are in great danger of being over&s;et. 2. <HI>That we may not hazard the Truth:</HI> When Errors go away without controul, 'tis a mighty prejudice both to the pre&s;ent and the next age. <HI>The dwellers upon Earth</HI> rejoyced when Gods Witne&s;&s;es were under hatches, and there was none to conte&s;t with them, <HI>Rev. 11. 10. Fools</HI> mu&s;t be an|&s;wered, or el&s;e they will grow <HI>wi&s;e in their own conceit, Prov.</HI> 26. 4, 5. Error is of a &s;preading growing nature, therefore 'tis not good to retreat and retire into our own cells from the heat and burden of the day; let us &s;tand in the gap and make re&s;i&s;tance as God giveth ability: Two Motives will enforce this Rea&s;on. 1. The <HI>Preciou&s;ne&s;s</HI> of Truth: <HI>Buy the Truth, and &s;ell it not;</HI> 'tis a commodity that &s;hould be <HI>bought</HI> at any rate, but <HI>&s;old</HI> by no means, for the world can|not bid an an&s;werable price for it: Chri&s;t thought it <HI>worthy his Blood</HI> to purcha&s;e the Go&s;pel; by offering up him&s;elf he not only procured the <HI>comfort of the Go&s;pel,</HI> but the <HI>very publication of the Go&s;pel;</HI> therefore we &s;hould reckon it a|mong our <HI>trea&s;ures</HI> and <HI>choice&s;t priviledges,</HI> and not ea&s;ily let it go, le&s;t we &s;eem to have <HI>cheap thoughts</HI> of Chri&s;ts blood&punc;
<PB N="161" REF="89">
2. <HI>The tru&s;t that is repo&s;ed in us for the next age,</HI> that's an obligation to faithfulne&s;s: We are not only to look to our &s;elves, but to po&s;terity, to that Doctrine which is tran&s;mit|ed to them; <HI>One generation teacheth another:</HI> and as we leave them <HI>Laws</HI> and other <HI>National Priviledges,</HI> &s;o it would be &s;ad if we &s;hould not be as careful to leave them <HI>the Go|&s;pel. Our fathers told us what thou did&s;t in their days, P&s;.</HI> 44. 1. Every age is to con&s;ider of the next, le&s;t we intail a preju|dice upon them again&s;t the Truth: What cometh from forefathers is u&s;ually received with reverence: <HI>A vain con|ver&s;ation received by tradition from your fathers, 1 Pet.</HI> 1. 18. If you be not careful you may &s;in after you are dead, our <HI>errors</HI> and <HI>evil practi&s;es</HI> being continued and kept afoot <HI>by po&s;terity.</HI> All the World had been lo&s;t in <HI>Error</HI> and <HI>Pro|phanene&s;s,</HI> if God had not &s;tirred up in every age &s;ome <HI>faith|ful Witne&s;&s;es</HI> to keep up the memory of Truth. There is in man a natural de&s;ire to do <HI>his po&s;terity</HI> good; <HI>Love is de|&s;cen&s;ive:</HI> Oh con&s;ider, how &s;hall the children that are yet unborn come to the knowledg of the purity of Religion, without &s;ome <HI>publike monument,</HI> or care on your part to leave Religion undefiled. <HI>Antichri&s;t</HI> had never prevailed &s;o much, if men had thought of after ages; <HI>they &s;lept</HI> and un|warily yeilded to incroachment after incroachment, till Re|ligion began to degenerate into a <HI>fond Super&s;tition</HI> or <HI>bun|dle of pompous and idle Ceremonies;</HI> and now we &s;ee how hard it is to wean men from the&s;e things, becau&s;e they have flown down them in the <HI>&s;tream of &s;ucce&s;&s;ion,</HI> and challenge the <HI>authority</HI> and <HI>pre&s;cription of ancient Cu&s;toms.</HI> Look as &s;ometimes the <HI>Ance&s;tors guilt</HI> is mea&s;ured into the bo&s;om of <HI>po&s;terity,</HI> becau&s;e they continued in their practi&s;es; <HI>Matth. 23. 35. That upon you may come all the righteous blood, &amp;c.</HI> So many times the mi&s;carriages of <HI>po&s;terity</HI> may ju&s;tly be imputed to us, becau&s;e they &s;hipwracked them&s;elves upon <HI>our example: The fathers ate &s;owr grapes, and the childrens teeth are &s;et on edg.</HI> Well then, let us perform the part of <HI>faithful Tru&s;tees,</HI> and keep the Doctrine of Salvation (as much as in us lieth) pure and unmixed.</P>
<P>It pre&s;&s;eth us to this earne&s;tne&s;s of contention and zeal<NOTE PLACE="marg">&V;&s;e.</NOTE>
<PB N="162" REF="90">
for the truths of God: We live in a frozen age, and <HI>cur&s;ed indifferency</HI> hath done a great deal of mi&s;chief. Chri&s;tians! Is <HI>Error</HI> grown <HI>le&s;s dangerous?</HI> or the <HI>truth of Religion</HI> more <HI>doubtful?</HI> Is there nothing <HI>certain</HI> and worth contention? or are we afraid to meddle with &s;uch as &s;hrewd them&s;elves under the glorious name of <HI>Saints?</HI> We will not oppo&s;e <HI>Saints,</HI> and &s;o let the <HI>Truth</HI> go <HI>that was given to the Saints,</HI> to be kept by them: Oh my Brethren, <HI>Paul with&s;tood Peter to the face,</HI> when <HI>Truth</HI> was like to &s;uffer, <HI>Gal.</HI> 2. 11. So &s;hould we with&s;tand them to the face rather then make &s;uch <HI>&s;ad work</HI> for the <HI>next age,</HI> and leave our <HI>poor babes</HI> to the danger of <HI>error</HI> and <HI>&s;eduction.</HI> What's become of our <HI>zeal?</HI> There is <HI>none valiant for the Truth upon the Earth: Prejudices</HI> and <HI>intere&s;ts</HI> blind men &s;o that they cannot &s;ee what they &s;ee, and are afraid to be <HI>zealous</HI> le&s;t they &s;hould be accounted <HI>bitter.</HI> We have been <HI>jangling</HI> about <HI>di&s;cipline,</HI> and now <HI>doctrine</HI> it &s;elf is like to e&s;cape us. In the Name of God let us look about us; Are there not <HI>crafty Thieves</HI> abroad that would &s;teal away our <HI>be&s;t trea&s;ure?</HI> and in the mid&s;t of the &s;cuffle <HI>cheat</HI> us and our po&s;terity of the Go&s;pel it &s;elf? We have been <HI>railing</HI> at one another for <HI>le&s;&s;er dif|ferences,</HI> and now we begin to be a&s;hamed of it: Satan hopeth that <HI>Error</HI> and <HI>Bla&s;phemy</HI> it &s;elf &s;hall go &s;cot-free. Ah my Brethren, 'tis time to awake out of &s;leep; while&s;t we have &s;lept the Enemy hath come and &s;own tares: What a <HI>tattered Religion</HI> &s;hall we tran&s;mit to ages to come, if there be not a <HI>timely remedy?</HI> To help you I &s;hall &s;hew,</P>
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. What we mu&s;t contend for.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. Who mu&s;t contend, and in what manner.</ITEM>
</LIST>
<P>1. <HI>What we mu&s;t contend for,</HI> for every Truth of God according to its <HI>moment</HI> and <HI>weight:</HI> The du&s;t of Gold is precious; and 'tis dangerous to be carele&s;s in the <HI>le&s;&s;er Truths. Who&s;oever &s;hall break the lea&s;t of the Commandments, and teach men &s;o to do, &amp;c. Mat.</HI> 5. 19. There is nothing &s;u|perfluous in the Canon; the Spirit of God is wi&s;e, and would not burthen us with things unnece&s;&s;ary: Things <HI>comparatively little</HI> may be great in their <HI>own &s;phere,</HI> e&s;pe|cially in <HI>their &s;ea&s;on,</HI> when they are the truths of the <HI>pre&s;ent</HI>
<PB N="163" REF="90">
<HI>age,</HI> and now brought forth by God upon the &s;tage of the World that we may &s;tudy his mind in them. <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Potius runt coelum quam pereat una|mica verita|tis. <HI>Luther.</HI></NOTE> <HI>Better Heaven and Earth &s;hould be blended together in confu&s;ion</HI> (&s;aith <HI>Lu|ther) then one du&s;t of Gods Truth &s;hould peri&s;h.</HI> If the Lord call us out to the defence of them, what ever cometh of it we mu&s;t be faithful: A man may make &s;hipwrack of a good con&s;cience in <HI>&s;mall matters;</HI> &s;ay not, <HI>It is a little one, and my Soul &s;hall live:</HI> Harken to Satan, and this will be a <HI>little one,</HI> and that &s;hall be a <HI>little one,</HI> till we have <HI>littled away</HI> all the principles of faith. I tell you, the world hath counted <HI>tho&s;e &s;mall things</HI> for which the children of God have ven|tured their all 'tis your duty to take <HI>the little foxes, Cant.</HI> 2. 15. The fir&s;t appearances of Error are many times mo|de&s;t: There is a chain of Truths; the Devil taketh out a link here and a link there, that all may fall to pieces: See 2 <HI>The&s;. 2. 2. Let no man deceive you with &s;uch doctrine as that the day of Chri&s;t is at hand:</HI> Why? they might &s;ay there is no great danger in that? <HI>Peter</HI> &s;aith, <HI>the end of all things draweth nigh, 1 Pet.</HI> 4. 7. The Seducers &s;aid, <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>it is at hand;</HI> and <HI>Peter</HI> &s;aith, <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>it draweth nigh;</HI> here is no great difference! Aye but <HI>be not &s;haken in mind</HI> (&s;aith <HI>Paul) neither by letter, nor by word, nor by &s;pirit, as if the day of the Lord were at hand:</HI> that is, take heed of &s;uch &s;ugge&s;tions under what pretence &s;oever they are brought to you, either of <HI>revelations</HI> or <HI>collections from my doctrine,</HI> 'tis all a fal&s;|hood: <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Ne forte cu~ tran&s;i&s;&s;et te~|pus quo cum credebant e&s;|&s;e venturum et veni&s;&s;e non cernerent etia~ caetera falla|citer &s;ibi pro|mi<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="2 letters">i arbi|trantes &amp; de ip&s;a mer<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">ede fidei de&s;pera|nit. <HI>Aug.</HI> Ep. 80.</NOTE> Why is <HI>Paul</HI> &s;o earne&s;t? becau&s;e Satan had an aim to make them look for the <HI>&s;udden coming of Chri&s;t,</HI> which not happening accordingly to make them fall a que|&s;tioning all the Truths of God. So <HI>Gen. 3. 2. Ye &s;hall not eat nor touch le&s;t ye dye;</HI> that was <HI>Satans repetition;</HI> whereas God had &s;aid, <HI>Gen. 2. 17. Thou &s;halt &s;urely dye:</HI> no great difference; but Satan got a great deal of advantage by it, therefore be not <HI>ignorant of Satans devices:</HI> The Council of <HI>Nice</HI> would not gratifie <NOTE N="&dagger;" PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="foreign"> <HI>and</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">.</NOTE> <HI>Arrius</HI> in a <HI>letter,</HI> and <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="foreign"> <HI>and</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">.</NOTE> <HI>Ne&s;torius</HI> in a <HI>letter:</HI> The le&s;&s;er Truths are not to be &s;lighted in their time and place; they de&s;erve an <HI>earne&s;t contention:</HI> The Martyrs were not <HI>fooli&s;h</HI> nor <HI>prodigal</HI> of their lives, they knew what they did when they dur&s;t not give place for a moment.</P>
<P><PB N="164" REF="91">All this is not &s;poken to ju&s;tifie <HI>undue rigors,</HI> &s;uch as are without any temper of <HI>Chri&s;tian moderation;</HI> or tho&s;e frivolous Controver&s;ies about trifles, &s;uch as have no foundation in the Word, as about the <HI>Ob&s;ervation of Ea&s;ter,</HI> between the <HI>Ea&s;tern</HI> and <HI>We&s;tern</HI> Churches, which difference grew &s;o high that they <HI>excommunicated</HI> each other; or about <HI>cele|brating the Lords Supper with leavened or unleavened bread;</HI> or the fierce bickrings between <HI>Chry&s;o&s;tom</HI> and <HI>Epiphanius</HI> about <HI>Origens Books,</HI> &s;et on by <HI>Theophilus,</HI> in pur&s;uit of which many were &s;lain, the Senate hou&s;e pulled down, and the great Church at <HI>con&s;tantinople</HI> &s;et on fire. Nor to ju&s;tifie meer <HI>verbal &s;trifes</HI> about <HI>words</HI> and <HI>names</HI> forbidden by the Apo&s;tle, 2 <HI>Tim. 2. 14. 1 Tim.</HI> 6. 4. Vain glorious men if they can get but a <HI>different method</HI> or <HI>expre&s;&s;ion,</HI> cry no <HI>new light,</HI> and &s;o there is a great deal of noi&s;e &s;tirred up about a <HI>mi|&s;take.</HI> Nor to ju&s;tifie the <HI>breaking off Church-fellow&s;hip and communion,</HI> and making rents in the Body of Chri&s;t, becau&s;e of difference of opinion in <HI>&s;maller matters,</HI> when we agree in the more <HI>weighty things: We are to walk together as far as we are agreed, Phil.</HI> 3. 16. and <HI>externals</HI> wherein we differ, lying far from the <HI>heart of Religion,</HI> are nothing to <HI>faith</HI> and the <HI>new creature,</HI> wherein we agree, <HI>Gal.</HI> 5. 6. and 6. 15. The <HI>mo&s;t weight</HI> &s;hould be pitched upon the <HI>fundamentals</HI> and <HI>e&s;&s;entials of Religion;</HI> and when there is an agreement there, private differences in <HI>&s;maller matters</HI> &s;hould not make us break off from one another: <HI>Fal&s;e zeal</HI> is unevenly car|ryed out to the&s;e lower things both in <HI>opinion</HI> and <HI>practi&s;e;</HI> and u&s;ually young Profe&s;&s;ors are <HI>eager upon disputes, impa|tient</HI> of contradiction, and lay out all their &s;trength this way, to excu&s;e their care in the more <HI>weighty matters</HI> of Chri&s;tianity; whereas <HI>the Kingdom of God doth not &s;tand in meat and drink, but in peace, and righteou&s;ne&s;s, and joy in the Holy Gho&s;t, Rom.</HI> 14. 17. The <HI>itch of disputing</HI> and zeal for <HI>an opinion,</HI> rather then <HI>Religion in the main,</HI> are bad characters. Again, when men, though <HI>in the right,</HI> think there is <HI>no Reli|gion</HI> or <HI>holine&s;s</HI> but within the compa&s;s of &s;uch <HI>an opinion,</HI> this is <HI>cen&s;orious rigor,</HI> or to <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Eccl. 7. 17.</NOTE> <HI>be righteous over-much;</HI> or when a <HI>le&s;&s;er di&s;&s;ent</HI> is loaded with all the <HI>odious con&s;equences</HI>
<PB N="165" REF="91">
that you can fancy in your thoughts, though di&s;claimed by the <HI>party di&s;&s;enting;</HI> when <HI>Eloi</HI> is turned into <HI>Elias,</HI> and things are perverted by a mi&s;-interpretation, as Chri&s;ts words were, <HI>John</HI> 2. 19. compared with <HI>Mat.</HI> 26. 61. Briefly, when men upon every <HI>&s;mall occa&s;ion</HI> draw all things to ex|tremity, and break out into <NOTE N="&dagger;" PLACE="marg"><HI>As</HI> Rivet <HI>&s;aid of</HI> Mon|tague, Non pote&s;t ille quenquam a quo di&s;&s;entit ver in levi&s;|&s;imis &s;ine convitiis mo|minare. <HI>Ri|vets</HI> Apol. pro &s;ancti&s;&s;ima Virgine Ma|ria.</NOTE> <HI>contumely, revilings, per&s;ecu|tion, biting and devouring one another;</HI> 'tis not <HI>zeal,</HI> but <HI>fiercene&s;s</HI> and <HI>bruti&s;h immoderation:</HI> Therefore all this ex|cepted, it &s;tandeth us upon to be zealous even to &s;ufferings for the <HI>le&s;&s;er Truths,</HI> that we may prevent the <HI>further <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">n|croachments</HI> of <HI>Satan</HI> and <HI>Antichri&s;t</HI> his <HI>elde&s;t &s;on</HI> upon the liberties and priviledges of the Saints.</P>
<P>But now be&s;ides the <HI>le&s;&s;er things,</HI> there are <HI>Fundamentals</HI> and <HI>E&s;&s;entials</HI> in Religion, which challenge the choice&s;t of <HI>our care</HI> and <HI>zeal,</HI> that they may be kept <HI>entire</HI> and <HI>without violation;</HI> the <HI>ignorance</HI> of them is <HI>damnable,</HI> and the <HI>denyal heretical:</HI> to determine what they are is an undertaking of great concernment to the Chri&s;tian World, but of too high a nature for the pre&s;ent Exerci&s;e. I &s;hall only mention a few Points which &s;eem to be <GAP DESC="foreign"> matters concerning <HI>the Foundation;</HI> as <HI>the Creation of the World by God in &s;ix days out of nothing, Gods Providence, mans mi&s;ery by &s;in, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">|liverance by Chri&s;t, the nece&s;&s;ity of the new creature, the Re|&s;urrection of the dead, and the everla&s;ting Recompen&s;es:</HI> The&s;e are Points of the greate&s;t moment, though I cannot but &s;ay that others al&s;o are Fundamental; <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">There are divers other Fundamen|tals of the highe&s;t na|ture, as the My&s;tery of the Trinity into which we are bap|tized, the &V;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">+nion of the two Natures in the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t, that Scrip|tures are the Word of God, &amp;c.</NOTE> but the&s;e come to mind as being of the mo&s;t practical concernment.</P>
<P>2. <HI>Who mu&s;t &s;trive, and in <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">hat manner.</HI> I an&s;wer, All in their place, and in that way that is proper to them. 1. <HI>Pri|vate Chri&s;tians</HI> mu&s;t have a &s;hare in this holy contention; their duty is partly to <HI>&s;earch out the truth,</HI> that they may not fight <HI>blindfold,</HI> or by an <HI>unhappy mi&s;take</HI> lavi&s;h out their zeal upon <HI>fancies</HI> which they affect, or ordinances and doc|trines of men: People are never &s;o furious, as when they have <HI>lea&s;t ground</HI> and rea&s;on for what they a&s;&s;ert; yea and error never prevaileth &s;o much as when Chri&s;tians are <HI>all flame</HI> and <HI>affection,</HI> without judgment, and do not under&s;tand <HI>the Rea&s;ons</HI> of that Religion which they do profe&s;s: See
<PB N="166" REF="92">
1 <HI>Pet. 3. 15. A rea&s;on of the hope that is in you:</HI> and 2 <HI>Pet. 3. 17. <GAP DESC="foreign">, their own &s;tedfa&s;tne&s;s;</HI> that is, &s;uch a &s;tedfa&s;tne&s;s as doth ari&s;e from <HI>&s;olid grounds in their own hearts,</HI> and not meerly from <HI>the con&s;ent of others. 2. To own the profe&s;&s;ion of the Truth what ever it co&s;t them;</HI> I &s;ay 'tis their duty to <HI>own the profe&s;&s;ion of the Truth,</HI> for the <HI>pub|like owning</HI> of the people 'tis a great let and re&s;traint to <HI>Ty|ranny,</HI> and &s;uch innovations as otherwi&s;e a carnal Magi&s;trate would introduce into the Church by force and power&punc; See <HI>Acts 4. 21. They let them go becau&s;e of the people:</HI> &s;o <HI>Mat.</HI> 14. 5. and 21. 46. And again, I &s;ay they mu&s;t own it what ever it co&s;t them, for zealous defences are a great honour to the Truth: The <HI>disputations of the Doctors</HI> do not com|mend it to the world &s;o much as the <HI>death of the Martyrs;</HI> and therefore though you cannot <HI>di&s;pute</HI> for the Truth, yet you &s;hould <HI>dye</HI> for the Truth: <HI>Ye have not yet re&s;i&s;ted unto blood, &amp;c. Heb.</HI> 12. 4. We cannot be at too much co&s;t to pre&s;erve &s;o precious a trea&s;ure to po&s;terity; And here even <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Ip&s;ae foemi|nae &s;unt po|bi&s;cum in ea|dem confe&s;&s;i|onis gloria con&s;titutae. <HI>Cyp. Mart.</HI> Cum trium|phantibus vi|ris &amp; foemi|nae veniunt quae cum &s;ae|culo dimi|cantes &s;exum quo&abque; vice|runt. <HI>Cyp. Serm. de Lap&s;is.</HI></NOTE> <HI>women</HI> may put in a &s;hare, they have lives to &s;acrifice up|on the intere&s;t of the Truth, and u&s;ually they do not fall in vain. 3. To honour the Truth by their conver&s;ations: there are <HI>heretical manners</HI> as well as <HI>heretical doctrines;</HI> and there are many that are otherwi&s;e of an <HI>orthodox belief,</HI> yet make others &s;ectaries and di&s;ciples of their vices: &s;ome live Athei&s;m; there are <HI>Antinomians in practi&s;e:</HI> An Apo&s;tate is a <HI>practical Arminian:</HI> Therefore Chri&s;tians are called to <HI>hold forth the Word of life</HI> in their conver&s;ations, <HI>Phil.</HI> 2. 16. and to make <HI>the doctrine of God the Saviour comely, Tit.</HI> 2. 10. by glorifying God in that cour&s;e of life to which they are di&s;po&s;ed: To <HI>preach</HI> and write for the Truth, doth not ho|nour it &s;o much as to <HI>walk in the Truth, John</HI> Ep. 3. 4. <NOTE N="&dagger;" PLACE="marg">Efficaeius e&s;t vitae qua~ lingu<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> te&s;ti|monium. <HI>Bernard.</HI></NOTE> and the <HI>life</HI> is a better witne&s;s of the reality of Religion then the <HI>tongue.</HI> 4. To compri&s;e all in a few words what ever ma|keth for the Truth, either with God or men all that mu&s;t the people do; <HI>We can do nothing again&s;t the Truth, but for the Truth,</HI> &s;aith <HI>Paul, 2 Cor.</HI> 13. 8. To God you mu&s;t pray, that he would &s;end forth not only <HI>Laborers,</HI> but <HI>Champi|ons, Mat.</HI> 9. 38. not only &s;uch as can handle the <HI>trowel,</HI> but the <HI>&s;word</HI> in the Battels of the Church: <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Gladiatores perfecti&s;&s;imos non tantum magi&s;tri &amp; praepo&s;iti &s;ui, &s;ed etiam I|diotae &amp; &s;u|pervacu&egrave; qui&abque; adhor|tantur de longinquo ut &s;aepe &s;e ip&s;o populo dicta|ta &s;ugge&s;ta profuerint. <HI>Tertul ad Mart.</HI></NOTE> To men, you are
<PB N="167" REF="92">
to quicken tho&s;e that have gifts to look to their duty in this kind; <HI>Say to Archippus, Take heed to thy Mini&s;try which thou ha&s;t received in the Lord, Col.</HI> 4. 17. Many may be &s;tir|ed up by your exhortations, that otherwi&s;e would lie u&s;ele&s;s in <HI>illene&s;s</HI> and <HI>privacy;</HI> in the Battel the <HI>Trumpeter</HI> hath his u&s;e as well as the <HI>Souldier:</HI> Neither are they to be <HI>ad|moni&s;hed</HI> only, but <HI>a&s;&s;i&s;ted,</HI> and by that means you have an intere&s;t in the glory of the work: <HI>John</HI> Ep. 3. 8. <HI>We ought to receive &s;uch, that we may be fellow-helpers to the Truth;</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">, co-workers; your <HI>helping hand</HI> is to the action, and God will not be unmindful of it: yea if you bear any part of the toil, by performing any labour of love to them, it &s;hall turn to a good account in the day of the Lord: <HI>Heze|kiah</HI>'s &s;ervants did but <HI>copy out</HI> the <HI>Proverbs,</HI> and 'tis menti|oned to their prai&s;e, <HI>Prov.</HI> 25. 1. All this may be done by per&s;ons of a <HI>private gift</HI> and <HI>&s;tation.</HI></P>
<P>2. There is &s;omething that the Magi&s;trate may do; <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Rom. 13. 4.</NOTE> He <HI>is the Mini&s;ter of God for good;</HI> not only for good <HI>Civil,</HI> but <HI>Spiritual;</HI> and therefore doth the Apo&s;tle bid us pray for them, that they may be <HI>keepers of both the Tables, 1 Tim.</HI> 2. 2. that we may lead a quiet <HI>life under them in all godline&s;s and hone&s;ty.</HI> <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>&amp;c. Ari&s;t. Polit. lib. 7. cap.</HI> 8.</NOTE> Heathens have a&s;&s;erted, That it <HI>belongeth to the Magi&s;trates duty chiefly to look after matters of Religion:</HI> Much more is it evident by the light of Chri&s;tianity: The Kings of the Old Te&s;tament are commended for their zeal in this kind; and in the times of the Go&s;pel it is prophe&s;ied that <HI>Kings &s;hall be the Churches nur&s;ing fathers, and Queens her nur&s;ing mothers, I&s;ai.</HI> 49. 23. which they cannot be if they &s;uffer <HI>poy&s;on</HI> to be given to <HI>Gods little ones</HI> without any let and re&s;traint: 'Tis a clear truth, that if a man give up him&s;elf to Chri&s;t, he is to give up him&s;elf to him in every relation; his <HI>wit, wealth, parts, authority,</HI> all to be layed out for the u&s;e and &s;ervice of Chri&s;t: he that doth not give up <HI>all,</HI> giveth <HI>nothing;</HI> we are to be Chri&s;ts in every capacity: Therefore a Magi&s;trate <HI>as a Magi&s;trate</HI> mu&s;t not only countenance Religion, but al&s;o di&s;countenance Error, and hinder the &s;preading of it within his charge. 'Tis by Chri&s;t <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Prov. 8. 1<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">.</NOTE> that <HI>Kings reign,</HI> from him they received their power, and
<PB N="168" REF="93">
to him mu&s;t they give an account of the exerci&s;e of it in the great day of Recompen&s;es; therefore they are bidden to be <HI>wi&s;e and to ki&s;s the Sun, P&s;al.</HI> 2. 10, 11, 12. which certainly noteth more then a <HI>negative act</HI> or <HI>not oppo&s;ing;</HI> there mu&s;t be &s;omething <HI>po&s;itive&punc; a zealous defence of the Truth</HI> in their way, or el&s;e God will reckon with them: Tho&s;e <HI>Gallio's</HI> that are indifferent to <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> and <HI>Antichri&s;t,</HI> cannot expect a long and happy reign. I cannot &s;ee how they can be true to <HI>Civil Intere&s;t,</HI> unle&s;s they be careful for the <HI>&s;uppre&s;&s;ion of Error;</HI> for when fal&s;e doctrines are freely vented, 'tis to be &s;uppo&s;ed they will find a <HI>general reception,</HI> for the mo&s;t are the wor&s;t; and then when the generality of a Nation are corrupted, National Judgments will not long be kept off, the whole Body is &s;ure to &s;mart for it; for (as the Jewi&s;h Proverb is) <HI>Two dry &s;ticks will &s;et a green one on fire:</HI> Be|&s;ides, that Error is <HI>ma&s;terly</HI> and <HI>bloody,</HI> and loveth to give Law; therefore ere it be too late they &s;hould look to the Civil Peace, for if men be quiet, God will not, when his Ho|nour and Truth and Wor&s;hip is neglected. But of this more hereafter.</P>
<P>3. Mini&s;ters are to contend for the Truth; for by their office and &s;tation in the Church they are <HI>Captains of the people</HI> in this War again&s;t Satan and his adherents; there|fore 'tis required of them that they &s;hould be able to handle the <HI>&s;word</HI> and the <HI>trowel;</HI> not only <HI>to exhort by &s;ound doc|trine,</HI> but <HI>to convince the gain&s;ayers, Titus</HI> 1. 9. The&s;e are <GAP DESC="foreign">, 2 <HI>Tim.</HI> 2. 2. the <HI>faithful men,</HI> the Feofees in tru&s;t, to whom Truth is committed; they are the <HI>&s;alt of the Earth, Mat.</HI> 5. 13. tho&s;e that mu&s;t &s;ea&s;on the world with gracious principles; therefore they mu&s;t above all others labour in the de&s;ence of the Truth, otherwi&s;e they are com|pared to <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">I&s;. 56. 10. 11</NOTE> <HI>dumb dogs that bark not</HI> when the thieves come to &s;teal away the trea&s;ure. Now Mini&s;ters mu&s;t contend, partly by preaching, warning the people of the Wolves that are abroad, <HI>Acts</HI> 20. 29. Partly by <HI>disputing, Acts 15. 2. &amp; 18. ult.</HI> that by the knocking of flints light may fly out, and that Truth may beat its enemy hand to hand in the open field: And partly by <HI>writing,</HI> <NOTE N="&dagger;" PLACE="marg">Alteruis vicibus con|tentio&s;o fune uter&abque; diem in vespedam traximus ob|&s;t<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">epentibus etia~ quibu&s;|dam &s;pectan|tibus, &s;ingu|lorum, nubilo quodam ve|rit as obum|brabatur. <HI>Tertul.</HI> con|tra Judaeo.</NOTE> for many times di&s;putes are
<PB N="169" REF="93">
carried on with &s;o much tumult and popular noi&s;e, that Truth is lo&s;t in the crowd; be&s;ides, by this means we are the help to po&s;terity, that together with the <HI>poy&s;on</HI> the <HI>anti|dote</HI> may be tran&s;mitted to them.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="4" TYPE="verse">
<EPIGRAPH>
<BIBL>VERSE IV.</BIBL>
<Q>For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into la&s;civiou&s;|ne&s;s, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P><HI>J&V;de</HI> having made way into their affections by a <HI>Saluta|tion,</HI> which according to the wont of the <HI>Apo&s;tles,</HI> breath|eth out <HI>&s;piritual</HI> and <HI>heavenly wi&s;hes</HI> for their good; he doth in the third Ver&s;e exhort and engage them to a con|&s;tant defence of the Truth; and now the <HI>nece&s;&s;ity</HI> or <HI>occa&s;ion</HI> of &s;uch an Exhortation is declared, namely, becau&s;e fal&s;e Teachers were got abroad, and had &s;lily taken up the gene|ral name and profe&s;&s;ion of Chri&s;tians; therefore in faith|fulne&s;s he could not choo&s;e but warn them of the dan|ger.</P>
<P>The whole Epi&s;tle is &s;pent in the de&s;cription of <HI>Hereticks,</HI> their &s;ins and puni&s;hments: in this Ver&s;e they are de&s;cribed by four things. 1. By their entrance into the Church, [<HI>Certain men crept in unawares.</HI>] 2. By their condition before God&punc; [<HI>who were before of old ordained to this condem|nation.</HI>] 3. By the di&s;po&s;ition of their &s;pirits, [<HI>ungodly men.</HI>] 4. By the cour&s;e of their doctrines and conver&s;a|tions, where two things are charged upon them: 1. Abu|&s;ing the Go&s;pel, [<HI>turning the grace of our Lord into la&s;civi|ou&s;ne&s;s.</HI>] 2. Denying Je&s;us Chri&s;t in his Natures and Offices, [<HI>denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t.</HI>]</P>
<P><PB N="170" REF="94">Fir&s;t, Let us begin with the de&s;cription of their entrance into the Church, [<HI>There are certain men crept in unaware<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters"></HI>] Some &s;ay they are not named, as not being worthy, or ra|ther it not being nece&s;&s;ary, they being &s;o plainly de&s;cribed; and indeed 'tis u&s;ual with the Apo&s;tles, who rather dealt again&s;t <HI>things</HI> then <HI>per&s;ons,</HI> to &s;uppre&s;s the <HI>name,</HI> and de|&s;cribe the <HI>error</HI> or <HI>&s;in.</HI> But what is the meaning of this fir&s;t thing layed to their charge, <HI>they crept in unawares?</HI> I an|&s;wer, It may imply their <HI>entrance into the Church</HI> under a colour and &s;hew of profe&s;&s;ion: <HI>Wicked men may creep into</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat.</NOTE> <HI>the be&s;t Church;</HI> God permitteth it not only for their own <HI>hardening,</HI> but for our <HI>trouble</HI> and <HI>tryal: Paul</HI> complaineth of fal&s;e Brethren <HI>privily brought in to &s;py out their liberty, Gal.</HI> 2. 7. and the adver&s;aries of <HI>Jeru&s;alem</HI> &s;aid, <HI>Ezra 4. 1. Let us build with you, for we &s;eek your God as ye do;</HI> but 'twas with an intent to hinder the work: &s;o <HI>Simon Magus</HI> got to be baptized&punc; <HI>Acts</HI> 8. as thieves &s;eek to be entertained in the hou&s;e, that they may have the more opportunity to work mi&s;chief while&s;t the good man is a&s;leep. Learn hence to be more watchful in admi&s;&s;ions to the Church; no pe|rils &s;o great as tho&s;e occa&s;ioned by <HI>fal&s;e Brethren:</HI> We think to fill the Church, but we do but fill the hou&s;e with thieves; wicked men ever prove a trouble: 'Tis an ea&s;ie matter to fill <HI>the Church</HI> by remitting the rigor and &s;everity of di&s;cipline, but <HI>Heaven</HI> is never the fuller, but the emptier; for wicked men are hardened and confirmed in their own &s;ecurity, and the Church never fareth the better, <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Multipli|citis fidei po|pulis fides imminuta e&s;t &amp; cre&s;anti|bus filiis ma|ter aegrotat, quantu~ copiae acce&s;&s;it, tan|tu~ di&s;ciplinae nece&s;&s;it, in au|dito genere proce&s;&s;us &amp; re<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">e&s;&s;us, cre|&s;cens &s;imul et decre&s;cens. <HI>Salvian</HI> de Gubernat.</NOTE> it lo&s;eth in <HI>&s;trength</HI> what it gets in <HI>bredth,</HI> as a river doth, and zeal is le&s;&s;ened the more the number is increa&s;ed: yea wicked men u&s;ually prove a <HI>trouble,</HI> and we come to wi&s;h afterward we had been more &s;trict: 'tis &s;aid, <HI>Acts 5. 13, 14. Of the re&s;t d<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">r&s;t no man joyn him&s;elf unto them, but the people magnified them, and Beleevers were the more added unto the Lord, mul|titudes both of men and women:</HI> 'Tis &s;poken upon the occa|&s;ion of the &s;udden death of <HI>Ananias</HI> and <HI>Saphira;</HI> it terri|fied the <HI>hypocrites,</HI> but brought in more <HI>&s;ound Beleevers;</HI> for <HI>of the re&s;t dur&s;t no man joyn,</HI> that is, of &s;uch as <HI>Ananias</HI> and <HI>Saphira</HI> was, Beleevers in &s;hew, but carnal in heart;
<PB N="171" REF="94">
they &s;aw 'twas not dallying with God in &s;uch matters: Ju&s;t &s;o when the Church keep a &s;treight hand, hypocrites dare not joyn, but &s;ound Beleevers will the &s;ooner, and then the Church though it be a <HI>le&s;&s;er body,</HI> 'tis more <HI>&s;ound, healthy</HI> and <HI>active.</HI> But what Rule mu&s;t we go by? we mu&s;t go by outward and general profe&s;&s;ion: I an&s;wer, This place will give us &s;ome direction; as far as we can di&s;cern men, &s;o far may we judg of them; for the entrance of the&s;e men is here declared to be <HI>clancular</HI> and <HI>&s;urreptitious;</HI> if the Church had known them, or looked to them &s;o warily as it &s;hould, the mi&s;chief had been prevented. <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Eccle&s;ia ex+intentione fi|deles tantum colligi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">, &amp; &s;i no&s;&s;et impios &amp; incredulos eos aut nun|quam admit|teret aut ca|&s;u admi&s;&s;os excluderet. <HI>Bellar.</HI> de Ec|cle&s;iae, c. 10. Ob&s;ervat. 2.</NOTE> <HI>Bellarmine</HI> him&s;elf con|fe&s;&s;eth, <HI>That the intention of the Church is only to gather Be|lievers into a Body, and if it knew the wicked and unbeleeving, it would either not admit them, or being admitted by chance, it would ca&s;t them out.</HI> 'Tis good to be &s;trict, le&s;t by <HI>promi&s;cuous admi&s;&s;ions</HI> we bring in &s;uch a mi&s;chief to the Church as we cannot ea&s;ily get rid of.</P>
<P>2. It may note <HI>their intru&s;ion</HI> or <HI>inva&s;ion of the office of preaching;</HI> pre&s;uming without a Warrant, or coming into the <HI>fold</HI> not by the <HI>door,</HI> in the regular e&s;tabli&s;hed way, <HI>fal&s;e Teachers u&s;ually running un&s;ent,</HI> 'tis often charged upon them in the Scriptures: <HI>None &s;o prone to errors as tho&s;e that have a defect in their Calling.</HI> Chri&s;t when he prayeth for a ble&s;&s;ing on the Apo&s;tles labours, he u&s;eth that as an argu|ment, <HI>John 17. 18. I have &s;ent them into the world:</HI> They that are loth to &s;ubmit their gifts to <HI>publike approbation,</HI> draw a <HI>ju&s;t &s;uspition</HI> upon them&s;elves; How came they to you? did they <HI>cre<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">p</HI> in? or were they &s;olemnly admitted? When Elements are out of their place they breed confu&s;ion: When men are out of their place they are not a <HI>ble&s;&s;ing,</HI> but a <HI>mi&s;chief</HI> to the Church.</P>
<P>3. The two former &s;ences may be allowed, but I rather prefer a third; <HI>their creeping into the peoples hearts and affec|tions by plau<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ble pretences and in&s;inuat<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ons,</HI> in &s;tilling their errors drop by drop before they could be ob&s;erved, and pretending them&s;elves to be friends of <HI>Truth</HI> and <HI>Piety.</HI> I do prefer this &s;ence, partly becau&s;e he &s;aith only [<HI>crept in,</HI>] without mentioning either <HI>Church</HI> or <HI>Office;</HI> but chiefly,
<PB N="172" REF="95">
becau&s;e this Epi&s;tle is but the abridgment of the &s;econd E|pi&s;tle of <HI>Peter,</HI> as will ea&s;ily appear to tho&s;e that do com|pare them: now there 'tis &s;aid, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> <HI>Pet. 2. 1. They &s;hall privily bring in damnable here&s;ies, denying the Lord that bought them.</HI> From this &s;ence ob&s;erve, <HI>That fal&s;e Teachers u&s;e to varni&s;h</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 3.</NOTE> <HI>over and mask the face of Error with plau&s;ible pretences, that unawares we may take it into our bo&s;oms:</HI> The Apo&s;tle &s;peak|eth of their <HI>&s;lights and cunning craftine&s;s, Ephe&s;.</HI> 4. 14. Their &s;lights and pretences are many, I &s;hall touch upon a few. Fir&s;t, Sometimes <HI>greater &s;trictne&s;s; Col. 2. 18. Which things have a &s;hew of wi&s;dom, and neglect of the body:</HI> rigorous ob|&s;ervances and outward mortifications, as the Papi&s;ts do&punc; 2. Special meekne&s;s; <HI>Ravening Wolves in &s;heeps clothing, Mat,</HI> 7. 15. <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Sic <HI>Si&s;in|nius</HI> Novati|anorum Epi|&s;copus apud <HI>Vedelium</HI> in Prud. veteris Eccle&s;iae in Prol. c. 3, 4.</NOTE> as if they were all for love and kindne&s;s; <HI>Ab|&s;alom</HI> &s;tole away the peoples hearts by this artifice, 2 <HI>Sam. 15. 2. 3. Higher Go&s;pel &s;train<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">;</HI> therefore doth <HI>Paul</HI> &s;peak &s;o much again&s;t the <HI>other Go&s;pel, Gal.</HI> 1. 3. and the <HI>other Je&s;us, 2 Cor.</HI> 11. 4. namely, &s;uch an one as they had &s;et up. 4. <HI>Self|denyal;</HI> as &s;ome fal&s;e Teachers at <HI>Corinth</HI> would take no maintenance to di&s;grace <HI>Paul;</HI> &s;ee 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 11. 12, &amp;c. this was their glorying, that they would preach freely; and whereas they contributed to the relief of <HI>Paul,</HI> to them it needed not. 5. <HI>Greater learning</HI> and notions of a newer and more &s;ublime &s;train; <HI>Oppo&s;itions of &s;cience fal&s;ly &s;o call|ed, 1 Tim.</HI> 6. 20. Platonick &s;peculations, ungrounded &s;ubtle|ties. 6. Greater favour and liberty to Nature; <HI>They pro|mi&s;e liberty, and allure through the lu&s;ts of the fle&s;h, 2 Pet.</HI> 2. 18. repre&s;enting the faithful Mini&s;ters of Chri&s;t, as envying the contentment of your natures, and burdening you with ex|actions too rigorous; therefore the Apo&s;tle &s;aith, <HI>I am a|fraid le&s;t any through &s;ubtilty beguile you, as the Devil did Eve, 2 Cor.</HI> 11. 3. How was that? I an&s;wer, By in&s;inuating a kind of <HI>envy in God,</HI> as if he did begrudg them the perfecti|on and freedom of their natures; <HI>Gen. 3. 5. God knoweth that your eyes &s;hall be opened, &amp;c.</HI> So they think others are too &s;trict, and lay too many re&s;traints upon your carnal de|&s;ires, and by this means allure many loo&s;e and un&s;table Souls. 7. Many times pretending the defence of that Truth,
<PB N="173" REF="95">
which they &s;ecretly impugn; as <HI>Pelagius</HI> talked altogether of <HI>grace;</HI> and <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Fau&s;tus Rhegien&s;is dum caprio&s;e videri vellet pugnare con|tra Pelagia|nos, comper|tus fuit Pe|lagio &s;avens. <HI>I&s;iodor.</HI></NOTE> <HI>Fau&s;tus Rhegien&s;is</HI> pretending to oppo&s;e the <HI>Pelagians,</HI> did but more covertly own their Cau&s;e.</P>
<P>U&s;es of this Point are divers 1. For Information, it &s;hew|eth us the Rea&s;on why we cannot &s;et down the preci&s;e be|ginnings of Errors, becau&s;e they are privily brought in: <NOTE N="&dagger;" PLACE="marg">Rev. 17. 5.</NOTE> <HI>My&s;tery</HI> is written in the <HI>Whores forehead;</HI> The leak is not e&s;pyed many times, though the &s;hip be ready to &s;ink: The originals of Here&s;ie are like the <HI>Fountain of Nile,</HI> ob&s;cure and hidden; a man may lo&s;e him&s;elf in the Labyrinth of Antiquity, before he can find them out. <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">See the re|verend and learned Dr <HI>U&s;hers</HI> An|&s;wer to the Je&s;uites Challenge.</NOTE> <HI>The Roman A|po&s;tacy is a My&s;tery of Iniquity, that &s;tole into the Church di&s;gui&s;ed and by degrees:</HI> So that the beginning of it is not &s;o ea&s;ily &s;tated as of other here&s;ies that are full grown at their fir&s;t appearance. 2. It informeth us of the odiou&s;|ne&s;s of Error; it dareth not appear in its <HI>own colours,</HI> nor be &s;een in its own face: therefore Satan when he would &s;et any Error on foot, he maketh choice of the mo&s;t <HI>&s;ub<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">il in|&s;truments,</HI> that they may put a varni&s;h upon it; as when he tempted <HI>Eve,</HI> he made u&s;e of the <HI>Serpent, the mo&s;t &s;ubtil of all the bea&s;ts of the field, Gen.</HI> 3. 1. whereas the Lord choo&s;eth the <HI>plaine&s;t in&s;truments,</HI> and hath commanded them to u&s;e <HI>all &s;implicity and godly conver&s;ation, 2 Cor.</HI> 1. 12. for Truth is &s;o lovely in it &s;elf, that it needeth no borrowed colours, 3. It informeth us what rea&s;on tho&s;e that are over you in the Lord have to pre&s;s you to Caution; excu&s;e their <HI>holy jealou&s;ie, 2 Cor.</HI> 11. 3. all is but need: we mu&s;t <HI>bark</HI> when we &s;ee a <HI>Wolf,</HI> though in a <HI>&s;heeps garment;</HI> our &s;ilence and neg|ligence doth but give them an advantage: <HI>While&s;t the hu&s;|bandman &s;lept, the enemy came and &s;owed tares, Mat.</HI> 13. 35. 4. It pre&s;&s;eth you to <HI>skill</HI> and <HI>watchfulne&s;s;</HI> you had need be &s;ound in the faith, that you may di&s;cern between good and evil, yea to <HI>have your &s;en&s;es exerci&s;ed, Heb. 5. ult.</HI> A &s;oft credulity is &s;oon abu&s;ed; <HI>Prov. 15. The &s;imple beleeveth eve|ry word:</HI> There is no rea&s;on but <HI>knowledg</HI> &s;hould co&s;t us pains as well as <HI>gracious conver&s;ation;</HI> 'Tis a matter of great skill to be a through Chri&s;tian; there is a great deal of So|phi&s;try and cunning abroad: if you follow <HI>the cry,</HI> you are
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in danger of engaging in a confederacy again&s;t God; if you &s;tick to <HI>received Cu&s;toms,</HI> there may be Error there too: if you run after <HI>every Novelli&s;t</HI> on the other hand, you will &s;oon be led into the bogs of Error and Prophanene&s;s; therefore go to him for direction that hath the trea&s;ures of wi&s;dom and knowledg. But you need not only <HI>skill,</HI> but <HI>care</HI> and <HI>watchfulne&s;s;</HI> 'Tis not good to drink too freely of <HI>&s;u&s;|pected Fountains:</HI> let not your <HI>affections</HI> &s;urprize your <HI>judg|ment;</HI> we <HI>admire the per&s;ons,</HI> the gifts, and &s;o ea&s;ily &s;wallow the <HI>doctrine: Try the &s;pirits, 1 Joh 4. 1. 1 The&s;.</HI> 5. 2<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">. When there is counterfeit gold abroad, we u&s;e the Touch&s;tone: Truth lo&s;eth nothing by being tryed, and you lo&s;e nothing, for then your affections are better grounded: <HI>Prove all things,</HI> no man is infallible; an <HI>implicite faith</HI> begets but a <HI>fond affection.</HI></P>
<P>Secondly, The&s;e Seducers are de&s;cribed by their condi|tion before God, [<HI>who were before of old ordained to this con|demnation,</HI>] <GAP DESC="foreign"> <HI>of old,</HI> that is, from all Eternity, for &s;o the matter here &s;poken of imports; <GAP DESC="foreign">, we tran&s;|late it <HI>before ordained,</HI> but the word &s;ignifieth <HI>written as in a Book:</HI> 'tis u&s;ual in Scripture to compare <HI>Gods Decrees</HI> to a <HI>Book;</HI> as Chri&s;t alledging Gods Decree for his mi&s;&s;ion into the World, &s;aith, <HI>P&s;al. 40. 8. In the volume of thy Book 'tis written of me:</HI> The meaning of the metaphor is to &s;hew that the&s;e Decrees are as <HI>certain</HI> and <HI>determinate</HI> as if he had a Book wherein to write them: Now the&s;e are &s;aid to be <HI>written before of old,</HI> to &s;hew, that though they crept in unawares as to the Church, yet not as to God; they fell under the notice of his Decrees before ever they acted in this evil way. 'Tis further added, that they were ordained or written down in Gods Book, <GAP DESC="foreign">, for <HI>judgment</HI> or <HI>condemnation;</HI> the word is indifferent to either &s;ence, for <GAP DESC="foreign"> is often put for <GAP DESC="foreign">; thus it is to be taken here for <HI>condemnation,</HI> appeareth by that place of <HI>Peter&punc;</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>damnable here&s;ies, 2 Pet.</HI> 2. 1. and ver&s;. 3. <HI>Who&s;e damnation of a long time &s;lumbereth not;</HI> as he &s;aith here, <HI>of old ordained to this judgment:</HI> The meaning of the whole is, that they were &s;uch as were left to them&s;elves to bring
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upon them&s;elves by their own &s;ins and errors a ju&s;t condem|nation.</P>
<P><HI>That the object of the divine Decrees are not only mens ways,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 1.</NOTE> <HI>but mens per&s;ons:</HI> He doth not only &s;ay that their condem|nation was pre-ordained, but they al&s;o were ordained of old to this condemnation. I ob&s;erve this, becau&s;e many &s;ay that Gods Decrees do only re&s;pect <HI>actions</HI> and the <HI>events;</HI> we &s;ee they re&s;pect <HI>per&s;ons</HI> al&s;o; we have no cau&s;e to mince matters, when the Scriptures &s;peak up to the point &s;o fully and roundly.</P>
<P>Again from that [<HI>ordained,</HI> or <HI>forewritten</HI>] ob&s;erve, <HI>God</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 2.</NOTE> <HI>hath his Books and Regi&s;ters, wherein the per&s;ons, behaviors, and eternal e&s;tates of all men are recorded.</HI> At the Day of Judgment, the&s;e Books &s;hall be opened, <HI>Rev.</HI> 20. 12. There|fore it &s;hould be our care to be able to read that our names are written in the <HI>Book of Life,</HI> then which there cannot be a greater priviledg, <HI>Luk.</HI> 10. 20. And it pre&s;&s;eth Caution; all that we do &s;tandeth upon record; <HI>our &s;peeches, Mal.</HI> 3. 16, 17. our thoughts, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 4. 5. our <HI>actions, Jerem.</HI> 17. 1.</P>
<P>Again ob&s;erve, <HI>That in all tho&s;e things which appertain to</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 3.</NOTE> <HI>the Judgment of &s;inners, God doth nothing ra&s;hly, but proceed|eth by fore&s;ight and pre-ordination.</HI></P>
<P>Again, <HI>No man ever perverted the Truths of God but to</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 4.</NOTE> <HI>his own lo&s;s.</HI> They were ordained to <HI>this judgment,</HI> that is, that by their &s;ins they &s;hould come to &s;uch a ruine: We play with opinions, but do not con&s;ider that <HI>damnation</HI> is the end of them; The way of <HI>truth</HI> is the way of <HI>life,</HI> but <HI>error</HI> tendeth to <HI>death.</HI></P>
<P>The&s;e things might be ob&s;erved, but I &s;hall rather pitch upon two Points; one <HI>particular,</HI> and re&s;trained to the &s;cope of the Context; the other <HI>general,</HI> as being taken from the con&s;ideration of the expre&s;&s;ions in their full lati|tude:<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 5.</NOTE> The fir&s;t is, <HI>That Here&s;ies and Errors do not fall out by chance, but according to the certain pre-ordination and fore|knowledg of God.</HI> There are two Rea&s;ons for it, <HI>Nothing can come to pa&s;s without his Will,</HI> and <HI>Nothing can come to pa&s;s again&s;t his Will.</HI> 1. Not without his Will: If a <HI>Sparrow</HI>
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<HI>cannot fall to the ground without our heavenly Father, Mat.</HI> 10. 39. that is, cannot be taken and &s;lain without the Will of God, then certainly nothing can be imagined, which God did not fore&s;ee, or which he could not have hindred: There is nothing <HI>&s;o &s;mall,</HI> but the Lord taketh cognizance of it&punc; nothing <HI>&s;o evil,</HI> but he turneth it to good. Exempt any thing from Providence, and you weaken that re&s;pect which is due from the creatures to God: If Satan may do what he will, and God only be a <HI>looker on,</HI> then the <HI>Devil-wor&s;hip</HI> of the Heathens would &s;eem more rational; 'twas their cu&s;tom fir&s;t to <HI>appea&s;e the angry gods</HI> le&s;t they &s;hould hurt them, and then to <HI>invoke the propitious:</HI> Upon this doctrine we might fear the Devil and carnal men, though God be propitious for many things are done whether he will or no. 2. Not <HI>again&s;t his Will;</HI> for then God &s;hould make a crea|ture too hard for him&s;elf: Things may be again&s;t his <HI>re|vealed Will,</HI> for that is a Rule to try the creatures; but not again&s;t his <HI>&s;ecret Will,</HI> for that would make God impotent and weak: Things that are mo&s;t again&s;t his <HI>revealed Will,</HI> yet fall under the ordination of his <HI>&s;ecret Will;</HI> and while&s;t men break <HI>Commandments,</HI> they fulfil <HI>Decrees:</HI> His revealed Wi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">l &s;heweth what <HI>&s;hould be done,</HI> his &s;ecret Will <HI>what will be done.</HI> Briefly, the concurrence of God in and about the errors of men may be conceived in the&s;e things. 1. He denyeth <HI>grace</HI> and <HI>light,</HI> which might <HI>direct</HI> and <HI>&s;anctifie;</HI> He is debtor to no man, and may do with his own according to <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">i<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> good plea&s;ure, <HI>Mat.</HI> 20. 15. He is not bound to give grace to all, and therefore 'tis no prejudice to his goodne&s;s to pa&s;s by &s;ome. 2. He leaveth difficulty enough in the Word, that men who will not be &s;atisfied may be hardened: <HI>Mark 4. 11, 12. All the&s;e things are &s;poken in Parables, that &s;eeing they might &s;ee and not perceive;</HI> that is, for a puni&s;h|ment of their <HI>wilful blindne&s;s</HI> and hardne&s;s: Corrupt na|ture &s;tumbles in Gods plaine&s;t ways; the Word is <HI>clear enough</HI> to them that have a mind to under&s;tand it, and yet <HI>difficult enough</HI> to them that have a mind to harden them|&s;elves into a prejudice. <HI>Non periclitor dicere</HI> (&s;aith <HI>Tertul|lian) ip&s;as Scripturas ita di&s;po&s;itas e&s;&s;e, us materiam &s;ubmini|&s;trar<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">nt</HI>
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<HI>haeretius:</HI> So the Lord him&s;elf &s;aith, <HI>Jer. 6. 21. Behold I will lay &s;tumbling blocks before this people;</HI> that is, &s;uffer them to &s;tumble at their own prejudices. 3. God leaveth them to follow the cour&s;e of their own hearts: he doth not incline and <HI>compel their wils,</HI> or <HI>infu&s;e evil</HI> to them, onely &s;uffereth them to follow the carnal bent, and cor|rupt ambition of their own hearts, <HI>Ho&s;ea 4. 17. let him alone, 1 King. 22. 22. Go forth and do &s;o; P&s;al. 31. 12. I gave them up to their own coun&s;els,</HI> he <HI>hindreth not</HI> their wick|edne&s;s; Yea, <HI>permiteth it,</HI> that &s;o his wi&s;e coun&s;els may take place. 4. God ordereth it for good, thereby bringing great advantage to his own name, <HI>Exod. 9. 16. For this cau&s;e have I rai&s;ed thee up to &s;hew in thee my power,</HI> great &s;hakings and tumults di&s;cover much of God to the world; the Devil picketh out the mo&s;t <HI>poli&s;hed &s;hafts</HI> in all the qui|ver of mankind: and yet &s;till the Lord maintaineth the Lot of his Inheritance: Yea, God doth not onely advance his Name, and di&s;cover the glory of his providence, in protect|ing the Church, notwith&s;tanding Satans factors, and the abettors of his cau&s;e and kingdom: But al&s;o cau&s;es the truths that are que&s;tioned to &s;hine the more brightly, as being more <HI>&s;trongly vindicated</HI> and <HI>a&s;&s;erted,</HI> as a Torch &s;hineth the brighter when 'its waved with the wind; &s;uch times put men the more upon the <HI>&s;tudy</HI> and <HI>love</HI> of truth, doctrines not being taken up <HI>upon tru&s;t,</HI> but <HI>&s;ound conviction,</HI> be&s;ides errour being permitted, manife&s;ts the <HI>approved, 1 Cor.</HI> 11. 19. as a quick &s;mart wind &s;evereth the <HI>&s;olid grain,</HI> from the <HI>chaff:</HI> and 'tis a means to ingage our dependance upon God for knowledge and in&s;truction; Chri&s;ts <HI>Prophe|tical Office</HI> would lye idle and u&s;ele&s;s, were not the chains of con&s;ent &s;ometimes broken, and the language divided, &s;ome &s;aying one thing &s;ome another, as the difference be|tween the <HI>Jews,</HI> and the <HI>Samaritans</HI> about the place of wor|&s;hip, maketh the woman to go to Chri&s;t for &s;atisfaction, <HI>John</HI> 4. 20. Once more, Gods permi&s;&s;ion of errour con|duceth to the ju&s;t ruin of his enemies: <HI>Offences mu&s;t be, but wo be to that man by whom they come,</HI> Mat. 18. 6. 7. So 1 Sam. 2. 25. <HI>Elyes Sons would not harken to the voyce of their Fa|ther,</HI>
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<HI>becau&s;e the Lord had a minde to &s;lay them:</HI> By their own voluntary &s;ins, God bringeth them to their ju&s;t ruine and condemnation, God lets them alone to wanton and play away their own &s;alvation, if they will turn <HI>Seekers, Famili&s;ts, Ranters, Athei&s;ts,</HI> Let them alone.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;es.</HI> The Point may be applyed many ways. 1. Here is comfort to tho&s;e that regard the affairs of <HI>Sion;</HI> all the confu&s;ion, and troubles that are in the Church, are ordered by a wi&s;e God, he will bring &s;ome good i&s;&s;ue out of them, &s;ome <HI>glory to his Name,</HI> wherein the Saints rejoyce as much as in their <HI>own welfare;</HI> &s;ome good to the Church: Ob&s;erve ha&s;t not thou been more confirmed in the truth? ingaged to a more frequent recour&s;e to Chri&s;t, in whom are hidden all the trea&s;ures of wi&s;dom and knowledge? Ha&s;t thou not &s;een more of Gods Providence di&s;played by the&s;e tu|mults, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> 2. It checketh fear, 'tis all in the hands of a good God, as God tryeth you to &s;ee what you will do, &s;o you mu&s;t wait upon God to &s;ee what he will do: let him alone, in and by all, he will bring forth his work in due time. 3. It &s;heweth their wickedne&s;s that take occa&s;ion to turn <HI>Athei&s;ts,</HI> from the multitude or errours, when the Church is rent into &s;o many factions, men fooli&s;h, as if there were no God, and the whole Go&s;pel were but an impo&s;ture, and well devi&s;ed Fable; that's the rea&s;on why Chri&s;t prayeth, John 17&punc; <HI>Let them be perfect in one, that the world may know that thou ha&s;t &s;ent me,</HI> (i. e.) that they might not &s;u&s;pect me for an impo&s;ture: u&s;ually we find that thoughts of Athei&s;m are wont to haunt us upon the&s;e occa&s;ions; but there is little rea&s;on for it, for all the&s;e things are <HI>fore-known</HI> by God, <HI>f<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">re-told</HI> by God, <HI>They mu&s;t be&punc; 1 Cor. 11. 19. Mat.</HI> 24. 6. And never is there &s;o much of God and of the <HI>Beauty of Truth&punc;</HI> di&s;covered, as when errours abound; &s;o that if there were not errours, there would be more cau&s;e of &s;u&s;pition, where all things run with a <HI>&s;mooth and full con&s;ent</HI> and were never que&s;tioned, then the <HI>&s;trength</HI> and <HI>worth</HI> of them is not tryed: But <HI>the words of the Lord are pure words, as Silver tryed in a Furnace of earth, purified &s;even times, thou &s;halt keep them O Lord, thou &s;halt pre&s;erve them from</HI>
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<HI>this generation, P&s;al.</HI> 12. 6. 7. 4. 'Tis a ground of Pray|er in times of delu&s;ion: <HI>Lord this was ordained by thee in wi&s;dome, let us di&s;cern the glory in it and by it, more and more, the Church</HI> argueth, that there was not onely <HI>Pilates malice</HI> and <HI>Herods malice,</HI> but <HI>Gods hand</HI> and <HI>Coun&s;el</HI> in the cruci|fixion of Chri&s;t, <HI>Acts 4. 28. to do what&s;oever thy Hand and Coun&s;el determined before to be done: Lord we know there is thy Coun&s;el in it, and thy Coun&s;el &s;till tendeth to good, &amp;c.</HI> God loveth to be owned in every Providence, and to be in|treated to fulfil his own Decrees. 5. It informeth us what a fooli&s;h madne&s;s it is, to think that God &s;eeth not the &s;in which we &s;ecretly commit: &s;urely he <HI>&s;eeth it,</HI> for he <HI>fore|&s;aw</HI> it, before it was committed: Yea, from all Eter|nity.</P>
<P>So much for the fir&s;t Point, the next is, <HI>That from all</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">.</NOTE> <HI>Eternity &s;ome were decreed by their &s;ins, to come unto judge|ment or condemnation;</HI> Becau&s;e this is one of the Texts which Divines bring to prove the general <HI>Doctrine of Reprobation.</HI> I &s;hall here take occa&s;ion. 1. To open this Doctrine. 2. To prove it. 3. To vindicate it. 4. To apply it: In the <HI>Fir&s;t,</HI> you will under&s;tand <HI>the Nature:</HI> In the Second, the <HI>Rea&s;ons:</HI> In the Third, <HI>the Righteou&s;ne&s;s;</HI> In the Fourth <HI>the profit</HI> of this Decree.</P>
<P>1. I &s;hall open the Nature of it in &s;everal propo&s;itions. 1. 'Tis <HI>an Eternal Decree:</HI> Gods <HI>Internal Acts</HI> are the &s;ame with his <HI>E&s;&s;ence,</HI> and therefore before all time, as beleevers are <HI>Elected before all worlds, Eph.</HI> 1. 4. &s;o are &s;inners repro|bated, they are both in <HI>time</HI> and <HI>order,</HI> before ever the crea|ture was, Rom. 9. 11. <HI>Before the Creatures had done either good or evil, it was &s;aid, Jacob have I loved, and E&s;au have I hated. Election and Reprobation</HI> are not a thing of ye&s;ter|day, and &s;ub&s;equent to the Acts of the creature; but from all Eternity. 2. <HI>There is a Decree and preordination, not onely a naked fore-&s;ight of tho&s;e that peri&s;h:</HI> Some <HI>Lutherans</HI> &s;ay that <HI>Praede&s;tination</HI> is proper onely to the <HI>Elect;</HI> but as to the <HI>Reprobate,</HI> there is onely a <HI>prae&s;cience</HI> or <HI>naked fore|knowledge:</HI> no <HI>Preordination,</HI> lea&s;t they &s;hould make God <HI>the Author</HI> of the creatures <HI>&s;in</HI> and <HI>ruin;</HI> but the&s;e men fear
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where no fear is, the Scriptures &s;hew that the greate&s;t evil that ever was, did not onely fall under the <HI>Fore-knowledge,</HI> but <HI>determinate Coun&s;el of God, Acts</HI> 2. 23. 'twas not onely fore-known, but unchangeably ordained and determined. 3. <HI>This Decree of God, is founded in his own good will and plea&s;ure;</HI> for there being nothing higher and greater then God, 'tis a great errour to &s;uppo&s;e a cau&s;e of his will, either <HI>before</HI> it, <HI>above</HI> it, or <HI>without</HI> it: Gods actions do all begin in him&s;elf, and his Will is the <HI>&s;upream Rea&s;on,</HI> Mat. 11. 26&punc; <HI>Even &s;o Father becau&s;e it &s;eemed good in thy &s;ight:</HI> Je&s;us Chri&s;t would give no other rea&s;on why the Go&s;pel was <HI>hidden from the wi&s;e and prudent, and revealed unto Babes:</HI> we are of|ten di&s;puting, why of two men that are <HI>equal in mi&s;ery,</HI> the one &s;hould be taken the other left; why the Lord will &s;hew mercy to &s;ome that are no le&s;s unworthy then others; but when we have all done, we mu&s;t meerly re&s;t in the Will and good Plea&s;ure of God, <HI>Even &s;o Father, &amp;c.</HI> See Rom. 9. 18. <HI>He hath mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth:</HI> 'tis not from the fore-&s;ight of our wills re|ceiving or rejecting grace propo&s;ed, for then mans will would be made a <HI>&s;uperiour cau&s;e</HI> to an act in God. 4. <HI>In this matter of Reprobation, Preterition, and Praedamnation, mu&s;t be carefully di&s;tingui&s;hed:</HI> look as in <HI>Election,</HI> God hath declared to be&s;tow fir&s;t, <HI>grace,</HI> and then <HI>glory,</HI> to the Decree of giving grace <HI>preterition</HI> is oppo&s;ed, to the Decree of giving glory, <HI><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">rdination unto judgement:</HI> now Gods <HI>Pre|terition</HI> or pa&s;&s;ing by, is meerly and barely from the good plea&s;ure of God: But <HI>Praedamnation,</HI> pre&s;uppo&s;eth con&s;i|deration of the creatures &s;in; both the&s;e parts of the De|cree, are clearly &s;et down in the word: Preterition, or pa&s;|&s;ing by, Rev. 17. 8. <HI>Who&s;e names were not written in the Book <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">f life, from the foundation of the world,</HI> &s;o again, <HI>Rev.</HI> 13. 11. In other places you have Predamnation expre&s;&s;ed, as 1 <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">he&s;. 5. 8. <HI>appointed unto wrath,</HI> and here <HI>ordained to this judgement. 5. Tho&s;e who are pa&s;&s;ed by, or not written in Gods Book, never attain to &s;aving grace;</HI> 'tis not given to them, <HI>Mat. 13 11. To them it is given to know the my&s;teries of the Kingdom, but to you it is not given:</HI> Yea it is &s;aid to
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be <HI>hidden from them,</HI> Mat. 11. 26. they may have <HI>common gifts,</HI> or be under &s;uch a <HI>common work</HI> of the Spirit, as leav|eth them without excu&s;e; but becau&s;e the Lord hath pa&s;&s;ed them by, <HI>effectual grace</HI> is not given to them without which they cannot beleeve and be &s;aved, <HI>John 10. 26. Ye beleeve not becau&s;e ye are not of my &s;heep,</HI> that is, not elected of my Fa|ther, &s;aving grace runneth in the Channel of Election, &s;o <HI>Acts 13. 48. as many as were ordained to eternal life beleeved</HI> Gods <HI>&s;pecial gifts</HI> are di&s;pen&s;ed according to his <HI>Decrees. 6. Men being left of God and de&s;titute of &s;aving grace, freely, and of their own accord fall into &s;uch &s;ins as render them obnox|ious to the ju&s;t wrath and vengeance of God,</HI> Rom. 11. 7. <HI>The Election hath obtained, and the re&s;t were hardened,</HI> freely and of their own accord, they turned all things to their own judgement and ruine: &s;o Rev. 13. 11. <HI>The dwellers on earth did wor&s;hip the whore, who&s;e names were not written in the Book of life,</HI> that is, they turned a&s;ide to Antichri&s;tian de|filements, and pollutions. 7. <HI>Gods Decree concerning &s;uch per|&s;ons is immutable,</HI> it is not re&s;cinded and di&s;annuled, but is fully executed and accompli&s;hed in the damnation of the &s;inner; the Lords Coun&s;els are all unchangeable, both as to <HI>Election, 2 Tim. 2. 18. Heb.</HI> 6. 17. and <HI>as to Reprobation,</HI> no Reprobate can be an Elect per&s;on, nor an Elect per&s;on a Reprobate, <HI>Job. 12. 14. He &s;hutteth up a man and there can be no opening,</HI> and Job. 22. 13. <HI>He is in one minde, who can turne him:</HI> In Gods Books there is no putting in and cro&s;ing out of names; but as the number of the Elect is definite and certain, they cannot be more, and they cannot be le&s;s, &s;o al&s;o of the Reprobate. 8. <HI>This Eternal, Irrevocable purpo&s;e of God, of leaving &s;inners to them&s;elves, that by their &s;ins they may come to judgement, is for Gods glory,</HI> Rom. 9. 22. <HI>What if God willing to &s;hew his warth and to makd his power known, endured with much long &s;uffering, the ve&s;&s;els fitted to de&s;truction.</HI> All Gods Decrees, Works, Providences, tend to the further di&s;covery of him&s;elf in the eye of the creatures.</P>
<P>2ly. Let me prove that there is &s;uch a Decree, by Scrip|tures, for rea&s;on here hath no place, take here three that
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are mo&s;t full; the fir&s;t is 1 <HI>The&s;. 5. 9. God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain &s;alvation by Je&s;us Chri&s;t,</HI> which plainly implyeth that <HI>&s;ome are appointed unto wrath:</HI> The &s;econd is, 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 2. 8. where the Apo&s;tle &s;peaketh of &s;ome that were di&s;obedient and refu&s;ed Chri&s;t, <HI>whereunto al&s;o they were appointed:</HI> The third place is <HI>Prov. 16. 4. God made all things for him&s;elf, and the wicked for the day of evil:</HI> the drift of that place is to &s;hew that both <HI>Creation,</HI> and <HI>Prede&s;tina|tion</HI> were for Gods glory, and he in&s;tanceth in that part of prede&s;tination which concerneth the wicked, becau&s;e it is harde&s;t to be dige&s;ted and beleeved.</P>
<P>But now for the <HI>Rea&s;ons,</HI> why God hath cho&s;en &s;ome and appointed others by &s;in to come unto judgement: I can onely tell you that <HI>Gods judgements are pa&s;t finding out, Rom.</HI> 11. 33. We mu&s;t <HI>admire,</HI> we cannot <HI>&s;earch</HI> them to the bottom: &s;o far as God hath revealed his Will, we may clearly judge that 'tis for the di&s;covery of his <HI>Ju&s;tice</HI> and <HI>Mercy,</HI> neither of which could have been di&s;covered to the world with that advantage, had it not been for his double Decree of God to &s;ave &s;ome and leave others to their own ruin: if grace were given <HI>to all,</HI> how &s;hould the word know that God were <HI>free;</HI> again, if <HI>all</HI> were pardoned, how &s;hould the world know that God were <HI>ju&s;t:</HI> in <HI>Election,</HI> God di&s;|covereth the <HI>freene&s;s of his grace, Eph.</HI> 1. 6. 'tis <HI>love,</HI> that we injoy grace, <HI>elective love,</HI> that we enjoy it alone: In <HI>Re|probation,</HI> God di&s;covereth his <HI>Soveraignty,</HI> and by it, the <HI>&s;ecurity of his ju&s;tice,</HI> and <HI>power of his wrath, Rom.</HI> 9. 22. in chu&s;ing one and leaving another, there God di&s;cover|eth his <HI>Liberty,</HI> and that he doth not act out of <HI>&s;ervile ne|ce&s;&s;ity,</HI> and his <HI>&s;everity</HI> in the eternal pains of them that pe|ri&s;h in their &s;ins.</P>
<P>3. Let me vindicate this Doctrine, which in the eyes of &s;ome &s;eemeth to blemi&s;h the <HI>Ju&s;tice of God,</HI> to infringe the <HI>comfort of man;</HI> Yea to aboli&s;h the <HI>duty of man;</HI> therefore it needeth a little cleering, rea&s;on cannot ea&s;ily dige&s;t this &s;trong meat: partly becau&s;e we are apt to <HI>reprehend</HI> what cannot <HI>comprehend,</HI> partly becau&s;e this Doctrine checketh carnal ea&s;e and &s;ecurity, which is u&s;ually fed with a <HI>general</HI>
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<HI>hope,</HI> and pre&s;umption. That the <HI>God that made us will &s;ave us,</HI> that he will not damne his creatures, but is merciful to all, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> now this awakeneth us, when we hear that grace floweth in a narrower Channel: partly becau&s;e a&s;piring man is loath to &s;ubmit to this <HI>ab&s;olute Lord&s;hip,</HI> and <HI>Sove|raignity</HI> of God, that he &s;hould di&s;po&s;e of his creatures ac|cording to his own plea&s;ure: our ambition is to be <GAP DESC="foreign"> Lords of our &s;elves; Man that would be <HI>as God,</HI> taketh it ill to be <HI>as a bea&s;t</HI> made to, be taken and de&s;troyed: Upon all the&s;e prejudices man is loath to receive this Doctrine, therefore it needeth to be cleered.</P>
<P>1. In regard of God, that you may not pollute and &s;tain his excellency, with impure and prejudicial thoughts: you will &s;ay, is God ju&s;t, that onely upon his will and plea&s;ure ordaineth his creatures to condemnation; hath not the Re|probates cau&s;e to complain if he hath pa&s;&s;ed a Decree upon which their condemnation doth infallibly follow? I an&s;wer, 1. our under&s;tandings are not the mea&s;ure of Gods Ju&s;tice, but his own will, things may be ju&s;t, though the rea&s;ons of them do not appear to us, humane rea&s;on groweth giddy, by peeping into the deep of Gods Decrees, our worke is not to <HI>dispute,</HI> but <HI>wonder:</HI> Gods freedom is a riddle to rea&s;on, becau&s;e though we will not be bound to Laws, yet we are willing God &s;hould be bound: Gods Actions mu&s;t not be mea&s;ured by any <HI>external rule,</HI> things are good be|cau&s;e God willeth them, for his Will is Ju&s;tice it &s;elf. 2. The Electing of &s;ome, and pa&s;&s;ing by of others, is not an Act of <HI>Ju&s;tice,</HI> but <HI>dominion;</HI> for he doth not act here as <HI>a Judge,</HI> but as <HI>a Lord;</HI> 'tis a matter <HI>of favour</HI> not of <HI>right and wrong condemnation</HI> of a man for &s;in, or <HI>puni&s;hing</HI> a man for &s;in, is act of <HI>Ju&s;tice;</HI> but to <HI>have mercy,</HI> or <HI>not to have mercy,</HI> that dependeth meerly upon <HI>Gods will,</HI> otherwi&s;e it would follow, that God were <HI>a debtor</HI> unto man: <HI>Ju&s;tice</HI> &s;uppo&s;eth <HI>debt,</HI> or &s;omething due, no <HI>wrong</HI> is done them in not giving grace, the Elect can &s;peak of <HI>unde&s;erved grace,</HI> and the Reprobate of <HI>de&s;erved puni&s;hment;</HI> when we are not bound to do good, if we act according to plea&s;ure, there is no injury, as in in|vitations, preferments, and all acts of favour: we cannot en|dure
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that a right &s;hould be challenged; the good man in the Parable pleaded, <HI>I may do with mine own as it plea&s;eth me, Mat.</HI> 20. 15. The Lord may ju&s;tly challenge grace as his own, and therefore leave him to his plea&s;ure in the di&s;tri|bution; for he is bound to none. 3. Gods not giving grace to the Reprobate, is not <HI>their &s;in,</HI> but <HI>their mi&s;ery,</HI> Preterition made them <HI>mi&s;erable,</HI> but not <HI>&s;inful:</HI> it doth not infer a <HI>Coaction</HI> and <HI>compul&s;ion</HI> to &s;in, &s;in followeth up|on it not as an <HI>effect,</HI> but a <HI>con&s;equent;</HI> as upon the ab&s;ent of the Sun, darkne&s;s doth nece&s;&s;arily follow, and yet the Sun is not the cau&s;e of darkne&s;s: In grace God <HI>purpo&s;eth,</HI> God <HI>worketh,</HI> in &s;in God <HI>ordereth</HI> the &s;in, and <HI>maketh u&s;e of it</HI> to the glory of his Ju&s;tice: but man &s;inneth <HI>freely:</HI> the water while it runneth its own cour&s;e, &s;erveth the end of the Lord of the Soyl, in driving Mils, and bringing fi&s;h into his Ponds, and overflowing his Meadows, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> So God cau&s;eth not &s;in in any, onely <HI>permitteth</HI> it and <HI>endureth</HI> it, and <HI>&s;erv|eth</HI> his righteous ends of it, <HI>Rom. 9. 24. He endureth with much long &s;uffering, the ve&s;&s;els of wrath, fitted for de&s;truction,</HI> he <HI>preprreth</HI> the ve&s;&s;els of mercy (as the Apo&s;tle there ex|pre&s;&s;eth) but <HI>endureth</HI> the ve&s;&s;els of wrath, while they fit them&s;elves for ruine. 4. Sin is the cau&s;e of puni&s;hment, though Gods will is the cau&s;e why they are pa&s;&s;ed by, they are not puni&s;hed becau&s;e <HI>not elected,</HI> but becau&s;e <HI>not obedient, Wherefore doth a living man complain, but for his</HI> &s;ins, <HI>Lam.</HI> 3. 39. tis here as it was in that ca&s;e; <HI>David</HI> gave order to <HI>Solomon,</HI> that <HI>Joab and Shime<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"></HI> &s;hould <HI>not dye in peace, 1 King.</HI> 2. Yet <HI>Davids order</HI> was no cau&s;e of <HI>Joabs</HI> death, but his own <HI>trea&s;on,</HI> nor of <HI>Shimeis</HI> death, but his <HI>own flight:</HI> God never damneth the creature, or decreeth to damn it without re|&s;pect of &s;in; <HI>Gods Will</HI> is the cau&s;e of <HI>Preterition,</HI> his Ju&s;tice is the cau&s;e of <HI>Predamnation,</HI> for damnation is an act of <HI>pu|nitive Justice:</HI> God is <HI>&s;o ju&s;t,</HI> that he doth not condemn any, but for &s;in; &s;o <HI>gracious,</HI> that he doth not condemn every man that doth &s;in. 5. The formal and proper end of God in Reprobation, is not the <HI>eternal de&s;truction</HI> of the creature; but the <HI>di&s;covery of his own Ju&s;tice</HI> or glory, pro|moted or &s;hining forth in and by that de&s;truction: in <HI>Electi|on</HI>
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God <HI>de&s;ireth</HI> and <HI>effecteth</HI> the &s;alvation of a &s;inner in a &s;ubordination to his own glory; but in <HI>Preterition,</HI> God endureth a &s;inner with much long &s;uffering, till by his own de&s;truction, he bringeth to him the glory of his ju&s;tice, <HI>Ezek 23. 11. As I live &s;aith the Lord, I de&s;ire not the death of a &s;inner,</HI> So Ezek. 18. 23. <HI>Have I any plea&s;ure at all, that the wicked &s;hould dye?</HI> the meaning is, God doth not will the&s;e things with &s;uch a will as is <HI>terminated in the destruction of the creature,</HI> but onely ordereth them in a <HI>&s;ubornination to his own glory,</HI> or in plainer terms, God delighteth not in the <HI>de&s;truction of a &s;inner,</HI> as 'tis the <HI>de&s;truction of the creature;</HI> but as it is the <HI>execution of Justice:</HI> in the execution of a ma|lefactor, there is a difference between <HI>puni&s;hment</HI> and <HI>de|&s;truction;</HI> his <HI>puni&s;hment</HI> is of the <HI>Judge,</HI> his <HI>de&s;truction</HI> is of him&s;elf; &s;o in this ca&s;e, <HI>Thy de&s;truction is of thy &s;elf O I&s;rael,</HI> Ho&s;. 13. 9.</P>
<P>2. Concerning the &s;econd Objection, whether it doth not infringe <HI>our comfort,</HI> and di&s;courage men from looking after their Salvation? If I am elected, I &s;hall be &s;aved, if I am not Elected, I &s;hall be damned: thus many men plead (&s;ay they) and how will you &s;tir up the <HI>negligent,</HI> and in|courage the <HI>di&s;tre&s;&s;ed,</HI> &s;uppo&s;ing that doctrine which you have layd down.</P>
<P>I An&s;wer, this &s;cruple is but <HI>affected,</HI> not <HI>offered,</HI> and therefore &s;hould be <HI>chidden,</HI> and not <HI>An&s;wered:</HI> a que&s;tion|ing Gods <HI>&s;ecret will</HI> when we know his <HI>revealed:</HI> Gods <HI>&s;e|cret will</HI> hath relation to his <HI>own actions,</HI> his <HI>revealed will</HI> to <HI>ours;</HI> we mu&s;t not look to <HI>Gods Will in the depths of his Coun|&s;el,</HI> but his <HI>precepts:</HI> not what God will do him&s;elf, but what he will have us do; God &s;aith, <HI>Beleeve in Chri&s;t and thou &s;halt be &s;aved,</HI> that's our rule, a Phy&s;itian offereth cure to all that will come; 'twere a madne&s;s to di&s;pute away the opportunity, and &s;ay, I do not know whether he intendeth it to me: if men were ready to peri&s;h in the deep waters, and a Boat &s;hould be offered to carry to land as many as would come in it, to be making &s;cruples when we are ready to be drowned, whether this help be intended to us yea, or no, were a very fond thing: in &s;uch ca&s;es we would not <HI>wrangle</HI>
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but <HI>thankful, take hold</HI> of what is offered. 2. This Doctrine can be no <HI>ground of despair</HI> to any, becau&s;e reprobation is a <HI>&s;ealed book&punc;</HI> no man for the pre&s;ent can know his reprobati|on; nor is to beleeve him&s;elf to be a Reprobate; but is call|ed upon to u&s;e the means that he may be &s;aved: he is no Reprobate that falleth into &s;in, but he that per&s;evereth in &s;in unto the end; therefore it is no good conclu&s;ion, I am <HI>a &s;inner,</HI> therefore I am a <HI>Reprobate,</HI> 'tis midnight, therefore 'twil never be day: this is a Book &s;ealed with &s;even &s;eals, none but the Lamb can open it. 3. The oppo&s;ite opinion, is encumbred with more difficulties and &s;cruples: what comfort can a man have in <HI>&V;niver&s;al Redemption?</HI> a man cannot have <HI>&s;olid comfort</HI> in that which is common to good and bad, to tho&s;e that &s;hall be damned, and tho&s;e which &s;hall be &s;aved, all comfort ari&s;eth from a <HI>practical &s;yllogi&s;m,</HI> now make the practical &s;yllogi&s;m, according to the principles of <HI>&V;niver&s;al grace, Chri&s;t dyed for all men, I am a man, therefore for me,</HI> where humanity, or being a man, is made the ground of claim and intere&s;t; and then unle&s;s with <HI>Puccius</HI> and <HI>Huberus,</HI> we hold <HI>univer&s;al &s;alvation,</HI> as well as <HI>univer&s;al redemption,</HI> the argument wil yield no comfort? how can I according to that opinion, comfort my &s;elf in the death of Chri&s;t, when men maybe damned that have no intere&s;t in it. 4. As to the other part of this Objection, concerning the profit of this Doctrine, and whether it doth not take off men from <HI>indu&s;try,</HI> &s;o &s;ome have thought. But I An&s;wer no, For, 1. God hath enjoyned the <HI>end</HI> and the <HI>means&punc;</HI> together: <HI>Ex|cept ye abide in the Ship, ye cannot be &s;aved</HI> (&s;aith <HI>Paul</HI> to them that &s;ayled with him) a Decree was pa&s;t for their &s;afe|ty, that not a man of them &s;hould peri&s;h; yet they mu&s;t abide in the Ship; God doth infallibly &s;tir up the Elect to the u&s;e of means, as well as bring to &s;uch an end. 2. The right u&s;e of the Doctrine of reprobation, is to put us upon <HI>examination</HI> or <HI>diligence;</HI> upon, <HI>examination</HI> whether we be|leeve in Chri&s;t, or have truly repented, that we may <HI>make our calling and election pure, 2 Pet.</HI> 1. 10. For by this means is the &s;ealed Fountain broken open. Or upon <HI>diligence,</HI> in ca&s;e you finde no fruits of Elective love: pray read, hear,
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meditate&punc; wait, work out your &s;alvation, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> 3. The Doctrine of Election is of great u&s;e in the &s;piritual life, with|out it we cannot under&s;tand the freene&s;s of Gods love, which is the great means to quicken us to prai&s;e God, and to beget love to God again: for <HI>as fire kindleth fire, &s;o doth love beget love;</HI> 'tis Gods glory to be &s;erved out <HI>of love,</HI> and <HI>free con&s;ent:</HI> the devil ruleth his &s;laves by a &s;ervile awe: well then, if love &s;et love a worke, and the be&s;t &s;ight of Gods love be in Gods Decree; let them &s;ay if they dare, that the Doctrine of Gods Decree, is an unprofitable Doctrine: again, nothing taketh off <HI>carnal confidence,</HI> and <HI>glorying in our &s;elves</HI> more then Gods choi&s;e, according to his own plea&s;ure; nothing&punc; is a <HI>greater &s;upport in afflictions,</HI> e&s;peci|ally in di&s;tre&s;&s;es of con&s;cience. In &s;hort, nothing is &s;uch a <HI>firm bond of love between beleevers,</HI> then the con&s;ideration that they are all prede&s;tinated from all eternity, to the ever|la&s;ting enjoyment of the &s;ame inheritance, tho&s;e obligati|ons which la&s;t onely for this world, cannot be &s;o firme a tye.</P>
<P>3. The next Objection is, How can God call upon them to beleeve; whom he hath pa&s;&s;ed by in the Coun&s;els of his Will, and intendeth never to give them grace, without which they cannot beleeve? I An&s;wer, God may require men to beleeve, though he never intended to give them faith; for there is a great deal of difference between <HI>his Decree</HI> and <HI>his Law:</HI> his Law &s;heweth what <HI>mu&s;t be,</HI> his Decree what <HI>&s;hall be:</HI> God never &s;aid <HI>all &s;hall beleeve,</HI> but he hath &s;aid the con|trary, 2 <HI>The&s;.</HI> 3. 2. but <HI>all mu&s;t beleeve,</HI> that he hath &s;aid again and again, the Go&s;pel doth not &s;ignifie, this or that man &s;hall be &s;aved; but <HI>Who&s;oever beleeveth &s;hall be &s;aved,</HI> as truly as it can be &s;aid to <HI>John</HI> or <HI>Thomas,</HI> or any elect per|&s;on, <HI>If you do not beleeve, you &s;hall be damned;</HI> &s;o &s;urely may it be &s;aid to a Reprobate, to <HI>Judas</HI> or any other, <HI>If you be|leeve you &s;hall be &s;aved:</HI> if the <HI>Reprobate</HI> have <HI>a like favour,</HI> with the <HI>Elect</HI> in the general offer of grace they are left without excu&s;e, the tender being &s;o great and &s;o far the &s;ame unto both, though the <HI>Elects receiving</HI> be the effect of <HI>&s;pecia grace;</HI> yet the <HI>Reprobates rejecting</HI> is <HI>without ex|cau&s;e,</HI>
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he voluntarily turnig back upon his own mercies.</P>
<P>So much briefly for the vindication of this Doctrine.</P>
<P>4. Let me now apply it. 1. Let <HI>the Elect</HI> &s;o much the more <HI>admire</HI> Gods love to them, becau&s;e that &s;ome are pa&s;&s;ed by, your mercies are not every ones mercies; Gods ayme herein was, to <HI>commend his mercy</HI> to the <HI>Ve&s;&s;els of mer|cy, Rom.</HI> 9. 23. If he had pa&s;&s;ed us by, we could not have blamed his love; if he had puni&s;hed us eternally, we could not have blamed his ju&s;tice; con&s;ider God hath as much intere&s;t in them as in you. <HI>All &s;ouls are mine &s;aith the Lord, Ezek.</HI> 18. 4. he was their <HI>Creator</HI> as well as yours, and we are all in our blood involved in the <HI>&s;ame condemnation;</HI> he &s;aw as much of <HI>original &s;in</HI> in you as in them, we lay in the &s;ame <HI>polluted Ma&s;s:</HI> Oh that free grace &s;hould make &s;uch a difference! He had as much rea&s;on to chu&s;e <HI>Judas</HI> and <HI>Simon Magus</HI> as you; was <HI>not E&s;au Jacobs Brother? Mal.</HI> 1. 2. in all points alike, but only in <HI>Gods choi&s;e,</HI> when men chu&s;e 'tis for <HI>worth,</HI> who would chu&s;e <HI>crooked timber</HI> to make Ve&s;&s;els of honour? yet thus doth the Lord &s;ingle out the wor&s;t and mo&s;t depraved natures, to form them into a peo|ple for him&s;elf; how &s;en&s;ibly many times did God make a di&s;tinction between you and others in the &s;ame Ordinance: <HI>One is taken and another left,</HI> and one is taken to grace, and another left to peri&s;h in his own ways, others it may be were hardened by the &s;ame Sermon by which you were con|verted! Oh how ravi&s;hing is the &s;ight of Gods love in election, and the di&s;tinct cour&s;es of his providence!</P>
<P>2. To pre&s;s us to <HI>diligence:</HI> To make our Election &s;ure, that we may be out of the fear of being in the number of Reprobates; the great que&s;tion that concerneth the com|fort of thy &s;oul is, <HI>Whether thou be ordained to eternal Life, or no?</HI> Now, if thou bee&s;t <HI>negligent</HI> and <HI>carele&s;s,</HI> and re|fu&s;eth to u&s;e the means of &s;alvation, the <HI>ca&s;e is decided,</HI> though little to thy comfort; <HI>thou judge&s;t thy &s;elf to be un|worthy of eternal life, Acts</HI> 13. 48. A lazy, carnal, carele&s;s man doth but provide matter of de&s;pair for him&s;elf: there are <HI>&s;ome &s;teps</HI> to the accompli&s;hment of the Decree of Re|probation: As <HI>&s;otti&s;h ob&s;tinacy again&s;t the coun&s;els of the word,</HI>
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<HI>a being given up to the &s;pirit of error, a con&s;tant neglect of means an hardening of our &s;elves in the abu&s;e of grace,</HI> &amp;c. <HI>all the&s;e are black marks;</HI> a man may recover, but your &s;oul is <HI>nigh to death,</HI> therefore beware, le&s;t thou be found one of them who by &s;in are ordained to come to judgement: <HI>Elyes</HI> Sons hearkened not to the Coun&s;el of their Father, becau&s;e the Lord had a mind to &s;lay them.</P>
<P>3. We are now come to that part of the de&s;cription [<HI>un|godly men</HI>]: <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="foreign"></NOTE> The word &s;ignifyeth <HI>without wor&s;hip,</HI> and is &s;ometimes applyed to <HI>Heathens</HI> and men that live without the knowledge and wor&s;hip of the true God; at other times to <HI>wicked men</HI> that acknowledge the true God, but walke un&s;uitably to their knowledge and profe&s;&s;ion: that we may find out who are the&s;e men, let us &s;ee what is <HI>ungodline&s;s,</HI> a &s;in much &s;poken of but little known: the word (as I &s;aid) &s;ignifyeth <HI>without wor&s;hip. Wor&s;hip</HI> is the chiefe&s;t and mo&s;t &s;olemn re&s;pect of the creature to God, and therefore 'tis put for the whole &s;ubjection and obedience that we owe to him, and when any part of that &s;ervice, re&s;pect or ho|nour is denyed, or withheld, we are guilty of <HI>ungodly|ne&s;s.</HI></P>
<P>That Pagans and men out of the Church, are &s;ignifyed by the term <HI>ungodly,</HI> appeareth by 1 <HI>Pet. 4. 18. If judge|ment begin at the Hou&s;e of God, where &s;hall the wicked and ungodly appear?</HI> where the <HI>ungodly</HI> are plainly oppo&s;ed to the <HI>Hou&s;e of God.</HI> Again, the <HI>unju&s;tifyed e&s;tate</HI> is expre&s;&s;ed by <HI>ungodlyne&s;s,</HI> as the Apo&s;tle when he &s;peaketh of the ju&s;ti|fying of <HI>Abraham</HI> and <HI>David,</HI> he gave the Lord his Title, <HI>Rom, 4. 5. God that ju&s;tifyeth the ungodly;</HI> and &s;o Chri&s;t is &s;aid, <HI>to dye for the ungodly, Rom.</HI> 5. 9. The rea&s;on of which expre&s;&s;ion is, becau&s;e the people of the Jews were divided into&punc; three ranks or &s;orts, there were <GAP DESC="foreign"> the un|godly <GAP DESC="foreign"> the ju&s;t, and <GAP DESC="foreign"> the good, or to keep their own terms, there were <HI>Re&s;hagnim,</HI> the <HI>wicked</HI> or <HI>violent,</HI> and <HI>T&s;idikim,</HI> the <HI>ju&s;t,</HI> and <HI>Cha&s;idim</HI> the <HI>good,</HI> or the <HI>bountiful;</HI> now (&s;aith the Apo&s;tle) <HI>&s;carcely for a righ|teous man would one dye;</HI> that is, for a man of a rigid inno|cency, but for the <HI>good man,</HI> that is, the bountiful, the
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u&s;eful, a <HI>man would even dare to dye;</HI> but Chri&s;t dyed for us when we were <HI>Re&s;hagnim, &s;inners,</HI> enemies, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> Again, more e&s;pecially, <HI>ungodline&s;s</HI> implyeth the tran&s;gre&s;&s;ion of the <HI>fir&s;t Table,</HI> as <HI>Rom.</HI> 1. 18. where all &s;in is di&s;tingui&s;hed into <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>ungodline&s;s,</HI> and <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>unrighteou&s;|ne&s;s, ungodline&s;s</HI> in re&s;pect of duty to God, and <HI>unrighteou&s;|ne&s;s</HI> in re&s;pect of the duty to men; and al&s;o where &s;in is di&s;tin|gui&s;hed into <HI>ungodline&s;s</HI> and <HI>wordly lu&s;ts, Tit.</HI> 2. 12. So that it chiefly &s;ignifyeth that part of &s;in whereby we rob God of his <HI>honour, re&s;pect and &s;ervice,</HI> e&s;tabli&s;hed by the <HI>fir&s;t Table,</HI> and it may be de&s;cribed to <HI>be a not giving God his right or due honour.</HI></P>
<P>To clear it further, let me tell you, that there are four Notions, which are the ground of all Religion. 1. <HI>That God is, and is One. 2. That God is none of tho&s;e things that are &s;een, but &s;omething more excellent. 3. That God hath a care of humane affairs, and judgeth with equity. 4. That the &s;ame God is maker of all things, without</HI> him&s;elf. And to the&s;e four Notions or principles, are &s;uited the four preceps of the fir&s;t Table: in the fir&s;t, we have <HI>Gods unity:</HI> in the &s;e|cond, Gods <HI>Invi&s;ible Nature,</HI> and therefore <HI>Images</HI> are forebidden upon that ground, <HI>Deut.</HI> 4. 12. In the third, the <HI>knowledge of humane affairs,</HI> even of mens thoughts, and that's the foundation of <HI>an oath;</HI> for the third Commandment doth principally forbid <HI>perjury,</HI> and in an <HI>Oath,</HI> God is invoked as a <HI>witne&s;s</HI> chiefly of the heart, in which his <HI>Omni&s;ciency</HI> is acknowledged, and appealed to as a <HI>Judge</HI> and <HI>Avenger,</HI> in which his <HI>Ju&s;tice</HI> and <HI>Power</HI> is acknowledged; the next principle that God is <HI>Creator</HI> and <HI>Governour</HI> of all things, is e&s;tabli&s;hed by the forth Com|mandment; for the <HI>Sabath</HI> at fir&s;t was in&s;tituted for that purpo&s;e, to keep up the <HI>memorial of the Creation</HI> in the world. Now out of the&s;e <HI>&s;pecula<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ive notions practicals</HI> flow of their own accord, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> that God is alone to be <HI>wor&s;hip|ed, obeyed, honoured, tru&s;ted</HI> and as far as we <HI>&s;et up other confidences, or are ignorant of his excellency,</HI> or <HI>deny God his wor&s;hip</HI> and <HI>&s;ervice,</HI> or <HI>&s;erve him after an unworthy manner, &s;uper&s;titiou&s;ly, carele&s;ly, hypocritically, or have gro&s;s opinions</HI>
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<HI>of his E&s;&s;ence,</HI> or <HI>exclude the dominion of his Providence,</HI> or <HI>cea&s;e to invocate</HI> his name &s;o far we are guilty of <HI>ungodly|ne&s;s.</HI></P>
<P>More Di&s;tinctly and clo&s;ely, yet let me note, that God is to be acknowledged, as 1. The <HI>fir&s;t cau&s;e.</HI> 2. The <HI>chief|e&s;t good. 3. As the &s;upream Truth,</HI> and <HI>Authority.</HI> 4. As the <HI>la&s;t end;</HI> God is to be honoured as the <HI>fir&s;t cau&s;e</HI> that giveth being to all things, and hath his being from none, and &s;o if we do not <HI>tru&s;t</HI> in him, or can tru&s;t <HI>any creature,</HI> rather then <HI>God:</HI> our <HI>E&s;tates</HI> rather then <HI>God,</HI> or do not <HI>ob&s;erve him in his Providence:</HI> the effects of his <HI>Mercy, Ju&s;tice</HI> and <HI>Power,</HI> or do not acknowledge his <HI>Dominion</HI> in all events, and &s;anctifie the things which we u&s;e, by asking his <HI>leave</HI> and <HI>ble&s;&s;ing</HI> in prayer: we are guilty of <HI>ungodlyne&s;s.</HI> Again, God is to be acknowledged as the chiefe&s;t good, and therefore if we do not <HI>know</HI> him, often <HI>think</HI> of him, <HI>delight</HI> in communion with him, <HI>fear</HI> to <HI>offend</HI> him, <HI>care</HI> to <HI>plea&s;e</HI> him, this <HI>neglect</HI> and <HI>contempt</HI> of God is <HI>ungodgodly|ne&s;s.</HI> Again, God is to be acknowledged as the <HI>Supream truth</HI> and <HI>Authority&punc;</HI> and therefore if we are not moved with his <HI>promi&s;es, threats, Coun&s;els,</HI> as the <HI>Gentiles</HI> were moved with the Oracles of their Gods; as Gods people of old, (when that di&s;pen&s;ation was in u&s;e) with a voyce from Hea|ven, and do not <HI>&s;ubmit</HI> to him, <HI>reverence</HI> him in Wor&s;hip <HI>&s;ubject</HI> our <HI>hearts</HI> and <HI>lives</HI> to his <HI>Lawes,</HI> 'tis <HI>ungodline&s;s:</HI> once more, God is the <HI>la&s;t end,</HI> and therefore if in all acts <HI>Spiritual, Moral, Natural,</HI> even tho&s;e of the lighte&s;t con|&s;equence, we do not ayme at Gods glory. Still 'tis un|godline&s;s.</P>
<P>In this Method, I &s;hall endeavour to open this argument. And 1. Let us con&s;ider God as the fir&s;t cau&s;e, and under that con&s;ideration, 1. <HI>Ignorance</HI> is a branch of ungodline&s;s, I name it fir&s;t, becau&s;e 'tis the <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Heu primae &s;c<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">lerum cau&s;a morta|lebus aegris naturam ne|&s;cire dei.</NOTE> cau&s;e of all di&s;order in <HI>wor|&s;hip</HI> or conver&s;ation; the Apo&s;tle &s;aith, 3. <HI>Epi&s;t. John 11. He that doth evil, hath not &s;een God,</HI> right thoughts of God are the fuel which maintaineth the fire of Religion, which otherwi&s;e would &s;oon decay and be extingui&s;hed: now generally peo|ple are ignorant of God, they know him as men born
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blind do fire, they can tell there is &s;uch a thing as fire, be|cau&s;e it warmeth them, but what it is they cannot tell: So&punc; the <HI>whole world,</HI> and <HI>con&s;cience</HI> proclaimeth there is a God: the blinde&s;t man may &s;ee that, but they know little or no|thing of his E&s;&s;ence, as he hath revealed him&s;elf in his word: The Athenians had an Altar, and the In&s;cription was to <HI>the unknown God,</HI> and &s;o do mo&s;t Chri&s;tians go on in a track of cu&s;tomary wor&s;hip, and &s;o wor&s;hip <HI>an Idol</HI> rather then <HI>God:</HI> &s;o Chri&s;t telleth the <HI>Samaritans,</HI> John 4. 22. <HI>Ye wor&s;hip ye know not what:</HI> 'Tis u&s;ual with men in a dark and blind &s;u|per&s;tition, to conform to the wor&s;hip of their place, not con&s;idering <HI>why,</HI> or whom it is they wor&s;hip: <HI>gro&s;s igno|rance</HI> is a &s;igne of no grace; for God hath no childe &s;o lit|tle but he knoweth his Father, <HI>Jer.</HI> 31. 34. They <HI>&s;hall all know me, from the la&s;t to the greate&s;t,</HI> &s;ome have <HI>better education</HI> then others, <HI>greater helps</HI> and advantages of <HI>parts,</HI> and <HI>In|&s;truction;</HI> but they all have a <HI>nece&s;&s;ary knowledge</HI> of God: Again, <HI>gro&s;s ignorance</HI> is a pledge of <HI>future judgement,</HI> 2 The&s;. 1. 7. <HI>God will come in flaming fire, to render ven|geance on them that know not God, and obey not the Go&s;pel:</HI> many poor ignorant creatures are harmle&s;s, they do no wrong; Oh but they <HI>know not God,</HI> and that's wrong enough, <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">P&s;. 27. 11.</NOTE> God will avenge it; to be ignorant of God that made them, is a matter of &s;adder con&s;equence then you are aware: by <HI>tho&s;e that know not God,</HI> in this place is meant, <HI>Pagans</HI> for 'tis contradi&s;tinct to tho&s;e that <HI>obey no<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> the Go|&s;pel:</HI> but if there be vengeance for <HI>Pagans</HI> who have no other Apo&s;tles &s;ent to them, but tho&s;e <HI>natural Apo&s;tles</HI> of Sun, Moon, and Stars, and have no other Books wherein to &s;tudy God: but <HI>Showrs of raine,</HI> and <HI>fruitful &s;ea&s;ons,</HI> if there be vengeance for them becau&s;e they did not &s;ee and own a <HI>fir&s;t cau&s;e?</HI> what is there for tho&s;e that &s;hut their eyes again&s;t the light of the Go&s;pel, &s;urely to be ignorant now, is a greater &s;in, then we think of. 2. When we do not depend upon him, 'tis ungodlyne&s;s: <HI>tru&s;t</HI> and <HI>dependance</HI> is the ground of all commerce between us and God; and the <HI>greate&s;t homage</HI> and re&s;pect, which we yield to the <HI>Crea|tor</HI> and <HI>fir&s;t cau&s;e:</HI> now when men tru&s;t any creature rather
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then God, their e&s;tates rather then God, they rob him of his peculiar Honour: That there is &s;uch a &s;in, appeareth by that <HI>Job 31. 34. If I had made gold my hope, or &s;aid to the fine gold thou art my confidence:</HI> If I rejoyced becau&s;e my wealth is great, and my <HI>hand had gotten much, &amp;c. Job</HI> to vindicate him&s;elf from Hypocricie, reckoneth up the u&s;ual &s;ins of Hy|pocrites, among&s;t the re&s;t this is one, <HI>to make gold our con|fidence:</HI> men are apt to think it the &s;taff of their lives, and the &s;tay of their po&s;terity, and &s;o their tru&s;t being intercept|ed, their hearts are diverted from God: 'tis an u&s;ual &s;in though little thought of: the great danger of riches is by <HI>tru&s;ting in them, Mark</HI> 10. 23, 24. When men are intrenched within <HI>an e&s;tate,</HI> they think they are &s;afe, &s;ecured again&s;t what ever &s;hall happen, and &s;o God is layd a&s;ide; let a man be intrenched within a <HI>promi&s;e,</HI> and yet he is full of fears and doubts; but <HI>wealth</HI> breedeth <HI>&s;ecurity,</HI> therefore <HI>coveteou&s;ne&s;s</HI> is called <HI>Idolatry, Eph.</HI> 5. 3. and the covetous man an <HI>Idolater, Col.</HI> 3. 5. not &s;o much becau&s;e of his <HI>love of money</HI> as his <HI>tru&s;t in money;</HI> <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Phil. 3. 19.</NOTE> the glutton loveth his belly, and the gratifications of the Appetite, yet he doth not tru&s;t in his belly cheer, he thinketh not to be protected by it, and therefore though he rob God of <HI>his love,</HI> yet he doth not as the covetous, rob God <HI>of his tru&s;t;</HI> we are all apt to make &s;uch an Idol of the creature: poor men if they had wealth, this were enough to make them happy, and there|fore they tru&s;t in tho&s;e which have it, which is Idolatry up|on Idolatry: whence 'tis &s;aid, <HI>P&s;al. 62. 9. Men of low de|gree are vanity, and men of high degree a lye;</HI> to appeare|ance men of <HI>low degree</HI> are nothing; but men of <HI>high degree</HI> are wont to be tru&s;ted in, and therefore <HI>a lye,</HI> becau&s;e by a righteous judgement of God they di&s;appoint our tru&s;t: But chiefly, is this &s;ecret Idolatry incident to <HI>the rich;</HI> though they do not pray to their wealth, or offer &s;acrifice, but u&s;e it as familiarly as any other thing, yet if it intercept their tru&s;t, they are guilty of Idolatry; many that &s;mile at the vanity <HI>Gentiles</HI> that wor&s;hipped &s;tocks and &s;tones and Idols of gold and &s;ilver, do wor&s;e them&s;elves, though more &s;piritually, while&s;t they build their <HI>happine&s;s</HI> and &s;ecurity upon their
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e&s;tates, it may be they do not &s;ay to their riches <HI>ye &s;hall de|liver me,</HI> or to their gold <HI>thou art my confidence:</HI> they do not u&s;e &s;uch <HI>gro&s;s language;</HI> for covetous men may &s;peak as ba&s;ely of wealth, as another man, they may &s;ay I know 'tis but <HI>refined earth, &amp;c.</HI> but their hearts make it their <HI>on|ly refuge</HI> and <HI>&s;tay,</HI> and their <HI>inward thoughts</HI> is, that they and their children cannot be happy without it, which is a great &s;in, a &s;etting up another God; for by this means is their heart withdrawn from the true God to the world, and kept from good works, lea&s;t they part with that which is the <HI>&s;taff</HI> and <HI>&s;tay</HI> of their lives.</P>
<P>3. When <HI>we do not ob&s;erve his Providence;</HI> the blinde world &s;ets up an Idol called <HI>chance,</HI> and doth not acknow|ledge God at the other end of cau&s;es, as &s;waying all things by his Wi&s;dome and Power. 1. <HI>In afflictions,</HI> they think they come <HI>by chance</HI> and <HI>ill luck 1 Sam.</HI> 6. 9. and <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 26. 11, As if in&s;truments and &s;econd cau&s;es did all, and the Lord were an <HI>Idle spectatour and looker on&punc;</HI> and had no hand in all that befalleth us: <HI>Job</HI> better, <HI>The Lord giveth, the Lord taketh,</HI> he doth not look onely to the <HI>Chald<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">an, the Sab<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">|an, the Thief, but the Lord:</HI> in all afflictions we &s;hould look beyond the creature, and not complain of <HI>ill fortune,</HI> and <HI>chance,</HI> or <HI>&s;tars</HI> or <HI>con&s;tellations</HI> or any thing on this &s;id<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> God. 2. <HI>In mercies,</HI> 'tis ungodline&s;s when we do not &s;ee God in all our mercies: wicked men receive ble&s;&s;ings, and never look up, they live upon God every moment; they have <HI>life and breath and motion</HI> and hourly maintenance from him, and yet <HI>God is not in all their thoughts:</HI> as &s;wine ra|vine upon the Acorns, and never look up to the Oak from whence they fall; &s;o they look no higher then the next hand; but Gods children may be compared to <HI>Chickns that &s;ip and look upwards:</HI> The Lord complaineth of <HI>I&s;rael,</HI> Ho&s;. 2. 8. <HI>She did not know that I gave her corn and wine and oyl<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">, and &s;ilver and gold;</HI> there cannot be a greater &s;igne of an un|godly &s;pirit then this <HI>unthankful profanene&s;s;</HI> this is that which God expecteth from rea&s;onable creatures, by <HI>way of homage,</HI> that we &s;hould own him as <HI>Author of al the good,</HI> which we enjoy, other creatures live upon God, but they are not
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capable of knowing the fir&s;t cau&s;e as we are: Idolatry and Athei&s;m had never crept into the world, if men had con&s;i|dered who it was that gave them <HI>fruitfull &s;ea&s;ons and &s;howres of rain, and filled their hearts with food and gladne&s;&s;e,</HI> Acts 14 16, 17. And &s;urely nothing feedeth piety, and maintain|eth a con&s;tant awe of God, &s;o much as thinking of God e|very time we eat and drink, and enjoy any new mercy from him: but, ala&s;&s;e, u&s;ually we forget God, when he re|membreth us mo&s;t, he is never &s;o much di&s;honoured as in eating and drinking, and in the plentifull enjoyment of out|ward comforts.</P>
<P>4. <HI>Another part of ungodline&s;&s;e is, when we doe not acknow|ledge his dominion over all events, &s;anctifying the things we u&s;e and undertake, by asking his leave and ble&s;&s;ing.</HI> 'Tis robbery to u&s;e goods without the owners leave, &s;o to u&s;e any <HI>crea|ture, food,</HI> or <HI>phy&s;ick</HI> without <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">1 Tim. 4. 3, 4, 5.</NOTE> <HI>&s;anctifying it by the Word and Prayer,</HI> that is, knowing our <HI>liberty</HI> and <HI>right</HI> from the <HI>Word of promi&s;e,</HI> and asking God, <HI>leave</HI> and <HI>ble&s;&s;ing</HI> in prayer, or to go about any bu&s;ine&s;&s;e or journey, or fixing our abode without inquiring at the Oracle, all this is ungodline&s;&s;e: 'Tis our duty &s;till to con&s;ult with God, <HI>Ye ought to &s;ay if the Lord will, &amp;c.</HI> Jam. 4. 15. 'Tis a peece of religious manners, we forget to bid our &s;elves <HI>Good &s;peed</HI> when we do not acknowledge the dominion of God in all the&s;e ca&s;es, <HI>Prov. 3. 5. In all thy wayes acknowledge him, and he &s;hall direct thy paths.</HI> Gods children dare not re&s;olve upon any cour&s;e til they have fir&s;t con&s;ulted with God.</P>
<P>Secondly, God will be acknowledged as the <HI>chiefe&s;t good,</HI> and &s;o we are guilty of ungodline&s;&s;e:</P>
<P>1. <HI>If we doe not often think of him;</HI> if we did not want <HI>hearts</HI> we cannot want <HI>objects</HI> to put us in mind of God, <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>he is not far from every one of us,</HI> Acts 17. 27. But though God be not far from us, yet we are <HI>far from God;</HI> he that is <HI>every where</HI> is &s;eldom found in our hearts: We are not &s;o near to our &s;elves as God is near to us; who can keep his breath in his body for a minute if God were not there? He is <HI>within us,</HI> and <HI>round about us</HI> in the effects of his <HI>power</HI> and <HI>goodne&s;&s;e,</HI> but we are at too great a di&s;tance
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from him in our mind and affections: How many trifles oc|cupy our minds? but the Lord can &s;eldome find any room there, <HI>God is not in all their thoughts,</HI> P&s;al. 10. 3. Yea when thoughts of God ru&s;h into our minds, they are like <HI>unwel|come ghue&s;ts,</HI> we wi&s;h to be rid of them: wicked men ab|horre their own thoughts of God, becau&s;e the more they think of God, the more they tremble, as the divels doe; therefore the Apo&s;tle &s;aith, <HI>They like not to retain God in their knowledge,</HI> Rom. 1. This is far from the temper of Gods children, <HI>David</HI> &s;aith <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 104. 34. <HI>My meditation of him &s;hall be &s;weet.</HI> 'Tis the &s;piritual fea&s;t and entertainment of a gracious &s;oul to think of God: none de&s;erveth our thoughts more than he, and we cannot put them to better u&s;e: He thought of us before the world was, and &s;til <HI>great is the multitude of his thoughts to us ward;</HI> therefore 'tis vile ingratitude not to think of him again: when we hate a per|&s;on we cannot endure to look upon him, and the hatred of the mind is &s;hewed by the <HI>aver&s;ation,</HI> and <HI>turning away of the thoughts.</HI></P>
<P>2. <HI>If we doe not delight in communion with him, we doe not honour him as the chiefe&s;t good.</HI> Friends love to be often in one anothers company, and certainly <HI>'tis good to draw nigh to God;</HI> to pre&s;erve an acquaintance between him and us: he hath appointed his Ordinances, the <HI>Word</HI> and <HI>Prayer,</HI> which are as it were a <HI>Dialogue</HI> and <HI>interchangeable di&s;cour&s;e</HI> be|tween God and the Creature; in the <HI>Word</HI> he &s;peaketh to us, and in <HI>Prayer</HI> we &s;peak unto him; he <HI>conveigheth his</HI> mind in the Word, and we <HI>ask his grace</HI> in Prayer; in Prayer we make the <HI>reque&s;t,</HI> and in the Word we have Gods <HI>An&s;wer.</HI> Well then, when men neglect <HI>publick</HI> or <HI>private Prayer,</HI> or <HI>opportunities of hearing,</HI> they are guilty of ungodlyne&s;s, &s;o far they break off communion with God, e&s;pecially if they neg|lect <HI>Prayer,</HI> which is a duty to be done at all times; a &s;weet diver&s;ion which the &s;oul enjoyeth with God in private, a duty which an&s;wereth to the <HI>daily &s;acrifice;</HI> therefore the <HI>neglect of Prayer</HI> is made to be a branch of <HI>Athei&s;m,</HI> P&s;al. 14. 3, 4&punc; ver&s;es. When men are loth to come into Gods pre&s;ence out of a love to ea&s;e and carnal plea&s;ures, and care
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not if God and they grow &s;trange, or &s;eldom hear from one another, 'tis a great evill: our <HI>comfort</HI> and <HI>peace</HI> dependeth much upon <HI>frequent acce&s;&s;e</HI> to God: &s;o when <HI>family wor|&s;hip,</HI> when that's neglected, God is not honoured as the <HI>chiefe&s;t go<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">d,</HI> the heathens are de&s;cribed to be the <HI>families that call not on Gods Name,</HI> Jer. 10. 25. In many places from one end of the week to the other, there is no Prayer and Wor&s;hip in the Family, and &s;o the <HI>hou&s;e</HI> which &s;hould be a <HI>Church</HI> is made a <HI>Stye:</HI> not a &s;wine about their hou&s;es but is attended morning and evening, and yet they can finde no time for the &s;olemn invocation of the Name of God, what are they better than Heathens?</P>
<P>3. <HI>If we doe not fear to offend him.</HI> God will be &s;erved with every affection; <HI>Love</HI> is of u&s;e in the &s;piritual life, and &s;o is <HI>fear, 2 Cor. 7. 1. Perfecting holine&s;&s;e in the fear of God. Love</HI> &s;weetneth duties, and <HI>Fear</HI> maketh us watchful again&s;t <HI>&s;in:</HI> <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Gal. 5. 6.</NOTE> <HI>Love</HI> is the <HI>doing Grace,</HI> and <HI>Fear</HI> is <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Jer. 32. 40.</NOTE> the <HI>con&s;erving Grace.</HI> We have cau&s;e to walk in <HI>Gods wayes,</HI> becau&s;e we are alwaies under his eye. <HI>Love</HI> is nece&s;&s;ary, that we may keep God alwaies in our hearts; and <HI>Fear,</HI> that we may keep him alwaies in our eye: both of them are of great u&s;e, but <HI>Fear</HI> we now &s;peak of, which is the true internal root of all obedience and wor&s;hip, <HI>Eccl.</HI> 12. 13. when there is &s;uch a &s;etled di&s;po&s;ition of heart, as that we dare not grieve him, nor affront him to his face (as <HI>Aha&s;uerus</HI> &s;aid, <HI>Will he force the Queen before my face?</HI>) God is much honoured, but now when we are &s;ecure and carele&s;s, and forget God, and can &s;in <HI>freely in thought,</HI> and <HI>fouly in act</HI> without remor&s;e, 'tis ungodline&s;&s;e. <HI>Fear</HI> is a Grace of continual u&s;e: we cannot be alwaies prai&s;ing God, wor&s;hiping God, and employed in acts of &s;pecial communion with him, yet we mu&s;t be al|waies fearing God; be thou <HI>in the fear of God all the day long,</HI> Prov. 23. 17. and el&s;where, <HI>Ble&s;&s;ed is he that feareth al|waies,</HI> Prov. 28. 14. A man hath done with his devotion in the morning, but he hath done with God; we &s;hould think of him, and remember that his eye is upon us <HI>all the day long:</HI> we mu&s;t <HI>ri&s;e in the fear of God, walk in the fear of God, trade,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Jude 12.</NOTE> <HI>eat, drink in the fear of God.</HI> Some Graces are as the Lungs
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never out of u&s;e and exerci&s;e. More e&s;pecially mu&s;t fear be active when temptations and corruptions ari&s;e, we mu&s;t argue as <HI>Jo&s;eph,</HI> Gen. 39. 9.</P>
<P>4. <HI>If we doe not care to plea&s;e him:</HI> An ungodly man think|eth of nothing le&s;&s;e than plea&s;ing God, he neither careth to <HI>know</HI> his waies, nor to <HI>walk</HI> in them, they are <HI>willingly ig|norant,</HI> 2 Pet. 3. 5. They doe not <HI>&s;earch</HI> that they may not <HI>practice,</HI> and &s;o erre not in <HI>mind,</HI> but <HI>heart: We de&s;ire not the knowledge of thy wayes,</HI> Job 21. 14. They have not a <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Nolentes audire quod Auditum damnare non po&s;&s;unt &amp;c. <HI>Tertul. in Apol.</HI></NOTE> minde to <HI>know</HI> that which they have not a mind to <HI>doe,</HI> as tho&s;e that would &s;leep &s;hut the Curtains to keep out the light. A godly man is alwaies approving what is the will of God, <HI>Rom. 12. 2. Ephe&s;.</HI> 5. 10. 17. he practi&s;eth what he knoweth, and is &s;till &s;earching that he may know more, as will+ing alwaies to be more u&s;efull for God: What have I to doe more?</P>
<P>Thirdly: <HI>God will be acknowledged as the &s;upream Truth and Authority;</HI> and then if we are not moved with <HI>Promi&s;es, Threats, Coun&s;els,</HI> as with the <HI>words of the great God,</HI> if we doe not yeeld him <HI>reverence</HI> in his <HI>wor&s;hip,</HI> and <HI>&s;ubject</HI> our <HI>hearts</HI> and <HI>lives</HI> to his <HI>Laws,</HI> 'tis ungodline&s;&s;e.</P>
<P>1. <HI>We mu&s;t receive the coun&s;els of his Word with all regard and reverence;</HI> for that is to receive it <HI>as the Word of God, 2 The&s;.</HI> 2. 10. Heathens received the Oracles of their Gods, and were much moved; we can drow&s;ily hear of the great things of &s;alvation of <HI>heaven</HI> and the <HI>death of Chri&s;t,</HI> and the <HI>Covenant of Grace,</HI> &amp;c. and are not moved, no more moved than with a <HI>Fable</HI> or <HI>Dream.</HI> If a man &s;hould make another an offer of a <HI>thou&s;and pound</HI> for a <HI>trifle,</HI> and he &s;hould accept it, you would not &s;ay, 'twas becau&s;e he <HI>prized the trifle more,</HI> that's improbable; but becau&s;e he did not <HI>be|leeve</HI> the offer: So when God offereth heaven upon &s;uch terms as he doth, we do not honour him as the <HI>eternal truth,</HI> but count him <HI>a lyar,</HI> 1 Joh. 5. 10. or el&s;e we would not neg|lect the offer.</P>
<P>2. We mu&s;t yeeld him <HI>reverence in his wor&s;hip:</HI> God is &s;aid <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 68. to be <HI>terrible in the holy places:</HI> he is not only terrible in the <HI>high places</HI> of the field, where he executeth his
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dreadfull judgements, nor in the <HI>depths of the Sea, where the wonders of the Lord are &s;een,</HI> but terrible in the <HI>holy places,</HI> where his Ordinances are di&s;pen&s;ed, becau&s;e there his <HI>holy|ne&s;&s;e,</HI> which is the a&s;toni&s;hing Attribute, is mo&s;t &s;een and re|membred. We doe not come to him as the &s;upream Ma|je&s;ty, when we doe not come with awful apprehen&s;ions, God is dreadfull there where he is mo&s;t comfortable, <HI>Deu<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">. 28. 58. That thou may&s;t fear this glorious and fearful Name, the Lord thy God:</HI> To have God for our God is the ground of all our comfort and hope, and yet 'tis a glorious and fear ful Name: In <HI>Mal.</HI> 1. 14. the Lord urgeth two arguments why we &s;hould wor&s;hip him with reverence; one is, <HI>I am a great King, &s;aith the Lord of Ho&s;ts;</HI> the other is, <HI>My name is dreadful among the heathen,</HI> implying in the fir&s;t, that <HI>care|le&s;s</HI> and <HI>rude addre&s;&s;es</HI> to him are a kind of a le&s;&s;ening his Ma|je&s;ty, they doe not come to him as a great King, and doe as much as in them lyeth, go about to per&s;wade the world that he is not the God that he is taken to be, &s;o great, &s;o terrible, and glorious. The next argument is taken from his re&s;pect among the heathens that know him by <HI>common providence,</HI> they that have but a glimp&s;e of his glory, that know lea&s;t of his glory, yet know <HI>enough to fear him,</HI> and <HI>reverence him:</HI> Therefore take heed of &s;erving him in a loo&s;e and perfun|ctory manner, you di&s;honour God exceedingly el&s;e, even then when you come to give honour to him.</P>
<P>3. <HI>There mu&s;t be a willing &s;ubjection of our hearts and lives to his Laws:</HI> It mu&s;t be a &s;ubjection of the <HI>heart;</HI> Gods Au|thority is never more undermined than by a meer <HI>form of Godline&s;&s;e,</HI> 2 Tim. 3. 5. 'Tis the greate&s;t ungodline&s;&s;e that can be, for you rob the Lord of his Dominion over the con&s;cience; <HI>Hypocri&s;ie</HI> is a <HI>practical Bla&s;phemy, I know the bla&s;phemy of them,</HI> &amp;c. Rev. 2. 9. <HI>The life</HI> al&s;o mu&s;t be &s;ub|ject to God, by a <HI>conformity to his Laws:</HI> Men hate God as a <HI>Law-giver,</HI> they love him as a <HI>giver of Ble&s;&s;ings:</HI> 'Tis the di&s;po&s;ition of all, that they would live at large, and have no God to call them to an account, though to &s;trike at the <HI>Being of God,</HI> and <HI>Doctrines</HI> of <HI>liberty</HI> are welcome to a carnal heart; 'tis plea&s;ing to <HI>think</HI> if there were <HI>no God,</HI>
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to <HI>hear</HI> that there is no <HI>Law,</HI> no &s;ugge&s;tions are more catch|ing: The life mu&s;t be conformed to Gods Laws, for he will be honoured in our conver&s;ations, as well as have his throne &s;et up in the con&s;ciences: 'Tis the glory of a Commander to be obeyed; <HI>I &s;ay to one goe and he g<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">eth, and to another come and he cometh:</HI> God looketh for glory from you in this kinde, he will have all the world know that his &s;ervants are at his beck, that he <HI>hath called you to his foot,</HI> I&s;a. 41. 2. <HI>the righteous from the lust, he called him to his foot;</HI> that is, to go to and fro at his command, if he &s;ay <HI>goe</HI> they <HI>go,</HI> if he &s;aith <HI>come</HI> they <HI>come,</HI> the&s;e are the people <HI>framed for his prai&s;e:</HI> he can bid them doe nothing but they are ready to doe it with the lo&s;&s;e of all.</P>
<P>4. God will be honoured as the <HI>utmo&s;t end;</HI> and &s;o if in all acts, <HI>natural, moral, &s;piritual,</HI> if we doe not aym at his glory, we are guilty of ungodline&s;s: In <HI>acts natural,</HI> and matters of the lea&s;t con&s;equence we mu&s;t have a <HI>&s;upernatu|ral aim,</HI> 1 Cor. 10. 31. <HI>Whether ye eat or drink&punc; or what&s;oever you doe, doe all to he glory of God.</HI> If I take a meale, I mu&s;t have an aym at Gods glory in it; in <HI>civil acts,</HI> and <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Virtutes &amp; vitia non offi|ciis di&s;tin|guuntur finibus.</NOTE> <HI>duties</HI> of mutual commerce, all mu&s;t be done <HI>as in and to the Lord, Eph. 5. 22. Eph.</HI> 6. 1. 5. 6. 7. We are to walk in our <HI>relations</HI> &s;o as God may have honour. In <HI>Spiritual acts</HI> of <HI>Prayer, Prai&s;e,</HI> and <HI>Wor&s;hip,</HI> yea the whole ordination of the &s;piritual life mu&s;t be <HI>unto God; I live unto God,</HI> Gal. 2. 20. All the motions and tendencies of the &s;oul look that way: This is the difference between <HI>Holyne&s;&s;e</HI> and <HI>Godline&s;&s;e, Holy|ne&s;&s;e</HI> more properly implyeth a conformity to the Law, and <HI>Godlyne&s;&s;e</HI> an aym of the &s;oul to exalt God, and &s;o they are propounded as di&s;tinct, 2 <HI>Pet. 3. 11. What manner of per&s;ons ought we to be in all holine&s;&s;e and godline&s;&s;e of conver&s;ation?</HI> Well then look to your aimes, and in eating and drinking you &s;et up <HI>Moloch,</HI> 'tis a <HI>Meat-offering,</HI> and <HI>Drink-offering</HI> to <HI>appetite,</HI> if you doe not aim at Gods glory: So in Tra|fique, if you meerly regard Wealth, you are a con&s;ecrated Prie&s;t to <HI>Mammon:</HI> In the&s;e ordinary actions of <HI>Eating, Drinking, Trading,</HI> you may be guilty of Idolatry before you are aware, and may &s;et up <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Phil. 3. 19</NOTE> <HI>the belly,</HI> or <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Mat. 6. 24</NOTE> <HI>Mammon</HI> in
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Gods &s;tead, nay in your very de&s;ires of Grace your <HI>ultimate aim</HI> mu&s;t not be &s;elf; <HI>We are accepted in the beloved to the prai&s;e of his glorious grace, Eph.</HI> 1. 6. And in actions mo&s;t &s;acred 'tis dangerous to look a &s;quint, 'tis to put dung in Gods own cup, when we make Wor&s;hip a &s;tale to our own ends. In &s;hort, the Lord hath given many things to the creature, that onely which he hath re&s;erved to him&s;elf is <HI>his glory,</HI> therefore he taketh it ill to be robbed of that.</P>
<P>Thus I have &s;hewed you the &s;everal kinds of ungodline&s;s, &s;ome are more refined, &s;ome more gro&s;s, but all naught. The wor&s;t &s;ort is, when we do <HI>contemptuou&s;ly</HI> &s;light his pro|vidence, and di&s;obey his Laws, hardening our &s;elves <HI>yet more and more,</HI> as <HI>Ahaz</HI> did, though the Lord had exerci&s;ed him with &s;harp afflictions, and living in <HI>open irreligion,</HI> and de|&s;pight of God, ca&s;ting off yoke after yoke, till at length we have <HI>out grown the heart of a man,</HI> fearing neither <HI>God</HI> nor <HI>men.</HI></P>
<P>Well then, if we would not be counted ungodly, let us<NOTE PLACE="marg">&V;&s;e</NOTE> take heed of all the&s;e &s;ins.</P>
<P>1. How el&s;e will ye look God in the face at the day of Judgement; <HI>The ungodly &s;hall not &s;tand in judgement,</HI> P&s;al. 1. 5. That is, &s;o as to be able to plead their cau&s;e, and lift up the head, though they &s;hall ri&s;e again and receive their &s;entence; therefore ill rendred by the vulgar, <HI>non re&s;ur|gunt,</HI> yet they &s;hall have <HI>no boldne&s;&s;e,</HI> but hang their guilty heads for &s;hame in that day; the <HI>day of Judge|ment</HI> is appointed on purpo&s;e to take vengeance of <HI>ungodly per&s;ons,</HI> &s;ee <HI>Jude</HI> 15. 'Tis the day wherein God that is now withdrawn within the Curtain of Heavens, commeth forth to manife&s;t him&s;elf to the terrour of all ungodly ones.</P>
<P>2. There are great judgements inflicted upon them in this world, the Flood &s;wept away <HI>the world of the ungodly,</HI> 2 Pet. 2. 7. and 1 Pet. 4. 18. <HI>Where &s;hall the &s;inner and the ungodly ap|pear?</HI> The Lords jealou&s;ie for his honour is very great, and therefore none &s;hall &s;mart &s;o &s;oarly as the ungodly per&s;on: 'Tis &s;aid <HI>I&s;a. 57. 17. He putteth on jealou&s;ie as a cloak;</HI> the cloak is mans upper garment, which is mo&s;t vi&s;ible; there is nothing &s;o vi&s;ible in Gods Providence as his jealon&s;ie for
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his honour; there is no &s;in robs God of his honour, &s;o much as ungodline&s;s; &s;o, 'tis &s;aid <HI>Exod. 34. 14. That jealou&s;ie is his name:</HI> the name of a thing is the note of di&s;tinction, by which it is known and differenced from all other things ei|ther of the &s;ame or another kinde; &s;o Gods <HI>jealou&s;ie</HI> again&s;t tho&s;e that rob him of his Honour, differenceth him from all the Gods of the world; the Gods of the Heathens were <HI>good-fellow</HI>-Gods, and could endure <HI>Rivals</HI> and <HI>Copartners;</HI> but this the Lord doth &s;everely puni&s;h, none have faln un|der the weight of his vengeance &s;o much as they that deny their re&s;pects to him, and go on <HI>whor<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ing after another God.</HI></P>
<P>3. 'Tis the great ayme of the Go&s;pel to prevent ungod|line&s;s, by di&s;covering more of God then was known before, and by finding out a way how the Notions of God might be kept inviolable, and how we might come to the enjoyment of God; and yet God &s;uffer no lo&s;s of Honour: therefore the Go&s;pel is called the <HI>My&s;terie of godline&s;s, 1 Tim.</HI> 3. 16. and a <HI>Doctrine according to godline&s;s, 1 Tim.</HI> 6. 3. men might be ungodly at a <HI>cheaper rate</HI> then now they can in the&s;e days of the Go&s;pel: now we have <HI>more means</HI> to know God, and <HI>more obligations</HI> to re&s;pect God: more <HI>clear</HI> and <HI>certain no|tions</HI> of his excellency and glory.</P>
<P>4. <HI>&V;ngodline&s;s is the root of all irregular cour&s;es: Abra|ham</HI> was afraid of him&s;elf in <HI>Gerar:</HI> Why? <HI>The fear of God is not in this place, Gen.</HI> 20. 11. Godline&s;s is the <HI>great bul|work of Laws</HI> and all <HI>honest di&s;cipline;</HI> &s;ubjects are not afraid of Princes, nor Princes of &s;ubjects, where the fear of God prevaileth: there can be no <HI>true hone&s;ty</HI> without <HI>piety:</HI> the <HI>fir&s;t</HI> part of the Law, provideth for <HI>re&s;pects to God,</HI> as being the proper foundation of the <HI>&s;econd,</HI> which containeth <HI>re|&s;pects to our neighbour:</HI> often it cometh to pa&s;s by Gods ju&s;t judgement, that <HI>&s;piritual wickedne&s;s</HI> is puni&s;hed with <HI>civil:</HI> See <HI>Ho&s;.</HI> 4. 12. 13. and where men are not tender of <HI>Gods Inte|re&s;ts,</HI> they do al&s;o incroach upon <HI>civil rights</HI> and <HI>freedomes.</HI> Means and directions are the&s;e. 1. Purge the heart from principles of ungodline&s;s: there are many gro&s;s Maximes ingrafted in mans heart; as <HI>that 'tis folly to be preci&s;e, that it</HI>
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<HI>was better when there was l<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;s knowledge; that 'tis in vain to &s;erve God, that thoughts are free; if we carry it fair before men, we need trouble our &s;elves no further: when men do their be&s;t, petty &s;ins are not to be &s;tood upon: that Religion is but a notion and fancy: the Go&s;pel a g<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">lden dream,</HI> &amp;c. That &s;uch principles are within us, appeareth by the <HI>&s;otti&s;hne&s;s of our practices</HI> and cour&s;e of living; for <HI>actions</HI> are the <HI>be&s;t Image</HI> of <HI>our thoughts,</HI> and the&s;e are purged away by waiting upon the <HI>word,</HI> which <HI>di&s;covereth</HI> them, <HI>Heb.</HI> 4. 12. and layeth in <HI>good principles, P&s;al.</HI> 119. 9. by which means they are de&s;troyed. 2. Suppre&s;s all ungodly thoughts a&s;&s;oon as they do ari&s;e, as, <HI>that there is n<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> God, P&s;al.</HI> 14. 1. Shame may lay a re&s;traint upon the <HI>tongue,</HI> but <HI>the heart</HI> is ever ca&s;ting up &s;uch a thought as this is: So that <HI>God is not &s;o har&s;h,</HI> but we may take a little liberty in &s;inning: &s;ee <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 50. 21. or that he <HI>taketh no notice of what we &s;peak or do; he cannot &s;ee through the dark clouds, Job</HI> 22. 12, 13. When any &s;uch thoughts ru&s;h into your minde, check them, and actually rebuke them, lea&s;t they &s;ettle into a <HI>rooted Athei&s;m. 3. Morti&s;ie vile affections:</HI> the <HI>judgement</HI> is tainted by the <HI>contagion of lu&s;ts,</HI> as a foul <HI>&s;tomack</HI> &s;endeth up <HI>fumes</HI> and <HI>gro&s;s vapours</HI> into the head; and &s;o the principles of godline&s;s do quickly &s;uffer an Eclip&s;e; <HI>The pure in heart &s;ee mo&s;t of God, Mat.</HI> 5. 8. In fenny Countries the Ayre is &s;eldom cleer; &s;o in hearts that lye under the power of <HI>br<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">iti&s;h lu&s;ts,</HI> there are &s;eldom <HI>clear</HI> and <HI>di&s;tinct thoughts</HI> of God. 4. Keep clo&s;e to <HI>Gods</HI> in&s;titutions; the&s;e keep up his <HI>pre&s;ence</HI> and <HI>memorial</HI> in the world, and &s;o are the be&s;t pre&s;ervative of godline&s;s; <HI>fal&s;e wor&s;hips</HI> are full of <HI>ceremonies,</HI> which <HI>darken</HI> the Nature of God <HI>Images</HI> beget a <HI>gro&s;s opinion</HI> of God: no wonder if people grow blocki&s;h, that wor&s;hip God in a &s;en&s;ele&s;s &s;tock or &s;tore. <HI>V<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">rro</HI> in <HI>Au&s;tin</HI> ob&s;erved, that tho&s;e that fir&s;t <HI>in|vented Images,</HI> did but <HI>increa&s;e errour,</HI> and take away <HI>all fear</HI> of Religion. God knoweth what is be&s;t for him&s;elf, and how by his <HI>own In&s;titutions</HI> to keep up the repute of his <HI>Na|ture</HI> and <HI>E&s;&s;ence:</HI> when man pre&s;umeth to be wi&s;er then God, and leaveth the <HI>certainty</HI> of <HI>Gods In&s;titutions,</HI> for <HI>ad|ditions</HI> and <HI>innovations</HI> of our own, that plea&s;e us better, be|cau&s;e
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they have <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>a &s;hew of wi&s;dom, Col.</HI> 2. 22&punc; 23. all Religion goeth to wrack. 5. Let us often exerci&s;e our &s;elves unto godline&s;s, 1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 4. 7. delight to give to God the Honour due to him; <HI>Love, Delight, Fear,</HI> to wor&s;hip him often, to do all things as ayming at his glory.</P>
<P>The next clau&s;e in the de&s;cription of the&s;e &s;educers is, That [<HI>Turning the grace of our God into wantonne&s;s:</HI>] Where you may take notice. 1. Of their <HI>Filthyne&s;s</HI> and <HI>bruiti&s;h cour&s;e</HI> of life, implyed in the word [<HI>wantonne&s;s,</HI>] in the Original, <GAP DESC="foreign">, a word proper to <HI>luxury,</HI> and the <HI>impurities of lu&s;t,</HI> it is derived from <HI>Alpha,</HI> an augmentative Particle: and <HI>Selga,</HI> the name of a Town in <HI>Pi&s;idia</HI> (&s;aith <HI>Suidus</HI>) who&s;e inhabitants were infamous for <HI>Sodomi,</HI> and weakening Na|ture by &s;uch <HI>prodigious filthine&s;s</HI> as is not fit to be named among Saints: and the per&s;ons here noted the <HI>&s;chool of Si|mon.</HI> The <HI>Nicholaitans,</HI> the <HI>Gno&s;tickes,</HI> and other <HI>impure Hereticks</HI> of that age were for <HI>promi&s;cuous commixtures,</HI> and the <HI>free u&s;e of their fellow creatures</HI> (as &s;ome carnal wretches in our age have learned to &s;peak) without any re&s;pect to <HI>con|jugal relation,</HI> and tho&s;e re&s;traints which <HI>God</HI> and <HI>nature,</HI> and all <HI>civil Nations</HI> have layd upon the lu&s;ts of man, as if men &s;hould u&s;e no more <HI>di&s;tinction</HI> and <HI>confinement</HI> then the <HI>be&s;ts,</HI> yea gave up them&s;elves to all manner of <HI>unnatural lu&s;t,</HI> as in the proce&s;s of this Epi&s;tle, we &s;hall more fully di&s;cover. 2. The <HI>occa&s;ion</HI> and <HI>incouragement</HI> of this wantonne&s;s, which doubleth the iniquity of it&punc; and is [<HI>the grace of God,</HI>] by which is meant the <HI>Go&s;pel</HI> when he called <HI>the grace of God,</HI> as Tit. 2. 11, <HI>the grace of God hath appeared unto us, teaching us, &amp;c.</HI> and in the Go&s;pel chiefly, they abu&s;ed the Doctrine of <HI>Chri&s;tian liberty,</HI> and <HI>free ju&s;tification by Chri&s;t,</HI> this is primarily intended: you may by analogie, inlarge the expre&s;&s;ion to commit all tho&s;e <HI>other Doctrines</HI> which <HI>libertines</HI> are apt to abu&s;e; yea tho&s;e <HI>gracious provi|dences&punc;</HI> which wicked men do convert into fuel and nouri&s;h|ment for their &s;ins. 3. <HI>The manner</HI> how &s;o excellent a thing as the <HI>grace of God,</HI> was made pliable to &s;o <HI>vile a purpo&s;e,</HI> for a man would wounder that things at &s;o great and infinite a di&s;tance as <HI>the grace of God</HI> and <HI>filthy lu&s;ts,</HI> &s;hould ever be
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brought to ca&s;t an a&s;pect upon one another; that is &s;hewed in the word [<HI>turning</HI>] in the Original <GAP DESC="foreign"> re&s;ting, transferring from its proper u&s;e. They offered violence to the <HI>Doctrine of grace,</HI> that it might be con&s;cious to &s;uch a <HI>mon&s;trous birth</HI> and <HI>production,</HI> as <HI>filthy lu&s;ts</HI> and <HI>carnal plea|&s;ures.</HI> 4. You have an hint of the rea&s;on why the Apo&s;tle writeth again&s;t them with &s;uch a zealous indignation, in that word [<HI>Our</HI>]&punc; as if he &s;aid, that grace who&s;e <HI>&s;weetne&s;s</HI> we have ta&s;ted, who&s;e <HI>power</HI> we have felt; of <HI>that God,</HI> who hath been <HI>&s;o kinde</HI> to us in Chri&s;t, <HI>who&s;e glory</HI> we are bound to promote: &s;hall we &s;ee <HI>our God,</HI> and <HI>that grace</HI> upon which all our hopes &s;tand to be abu&s;ed to &s;uch an <HI>unclean u&s;e?</HI></P>
<P>From the words thus opened, I Ob&s;erve. 1. <HI>That the</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Ob&s;ervat.</HI> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">&punc;</NOTE> <HI>Go&s;pel and grace of God in its &s;elf, is not pliable to carnal pur|po&s;es, yeildeth no carnal conclu&s;ions.</HI> [They turn it] &s;aith the Apo&s;tle, there is no &s;uch thing gotten out of the Go&s;pel without wre&s;ting, and till the art of a deceiver hath pa&s;t up|on it. I &s;hall prove the point by three Arguments.</P>
<P>1. From the <HI>con&s;titution of the Go&s;pel,</HI> it yeildeth no <HI>leave</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Rea&s;on 1.</NOTE> <HI>to &s;in</HI> but <HI>liberty to &s;erve God:</HI> this is the great de&s;igne of it, Chri&s;t came not to reconcile <HI>God</HI> and our <HI>&s;ins</HI> together; but <HI>God</HI> and our <HI>per&s;ons,</HI> to reconcile our <HI>per&s;ons</HI> and de&s;troy our <HI>&s;ins:</HI> not to free us from the <HI>Law,</HI> but <HI>&s;in;</HI> to free us from the <HI>&s;ervice of the Devil,</HI> 1 <HI>John</HI> 3. 8. not from <HI>the &s;er|vice of God:</HI> In &s;hort, he came not to <HI>make the Law le&s;s &s;trict,</HI> or <HI>&s;in le&s;s odious,</HI> or <HI>us le&s;s holy;</HI> for perfection of the Law was never &s;o cleerly known, as &s;ince the comming of Chri&s;t, See <HI>Mat.</HI> 5. and <HI>&s;in</HI> was never &s;o <HI>odious,</HI> as &s;ince the <HI>abundance of grace,</HI> they <HI>under the law</HI> &s;inned at a <HI>cheaper rate</HI> then we can, becau&s;e they did not &s;in again&s;t <HI>&s;o much l<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ve</HI> and <HI>kindene&s;s,</HI> See <HI>Heb.</HI> 2. 2. 3. neither could Chri&s;t come to make us <HI>le&s;s holy</HI> or to <HI>di&s;pen&s;e with our care of holi|ne&s;s;</HI> for then he &s;hould come to <HI>deface the Image of God,</HI> and make us more <HI>unlike God,</HI> which would not be a <HI>priviledge</HI> but a <HI>burden</HI> to the <HI>new creature;</HI> freedom from <HI>wrath</HI> and <HI>Hell</HI> is a priviledge; but freedom from <HI>duty</HI> and <HI>obedience</HI> is is no priviledge: in the Go&s;pel there is <HI>pardon for failings,</HI>
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but not to encourage us in our <HI>failings,</HI> but our <HI>duties:</HI> We were never &s;o much obliged to duty as &s;ince the Go&s;pel, be|cau&s;e now we have more <HI>help</HI> and more <HI>advantages,</HI> &s;tronger <HI>motives,</HI> and <HI>greater incouragements:</HI> If we look backward, we are bound in point of <HI>gratitude</HI> to &s;erve the Lord, being redeemed hereunto by the <HI>blood of Je&s;us;</HI> if we look for|ward, we are encouraged by the hopes of <HI>eternal life:</HI> the <HI>Law</HI> could not per&s;wade by &s;uch arguments as the <HI>Go&s;pel</HI> doth; there is more of the <HI>Rule</HI> known, more of the <HI>Spi|rit</HI> poured out, to give us <HI>help</HI> to ob&s;erve it; &s;o that from this &s;hort abridgement of larger di&s;cour&s;es, it appeareth, that the great de&s;ign of the Go&s;pel is to make us <HI>more like God,</HI> and to free us from the <HI>&s;lavery of the Devil,</HI> that we may be better &s;ervants and &s;ubjects to God.</P>
<P>2. <HI>There are frequent and con&s;tant di&s;&s;wa&s;ives from this perverting our liberty in Chri&s;t to the &s;ervice of any fle&s;hly de|&s;ign:</HI> The Spirit of God fore&s;aw how corrupt nature in us would tempt us to abu&s;e our priviledges to an evil purpo&s;e; yea many had already attempted it in the Apo&s;tles dayes, as the &s;ect of the <HI>Nicholaitans,</HI> the <HI>&s;chool</HI> of <HI>Simon,</HI> and after them the <HI>Gno&s;ticks</HI> and <HI>Ba&s;ilikians,</HI> who under colour of E|vangelical liberty, gave up them&s;elves to lawle&s;&s;e and bruit|i&s;h practices (as before was hinted) therefore by way of prevention, di&s;&s;wa&s;ives are very frequent every where, as <HI>Rom.</HI> 6. 1. <HI>What &s;hall we &s;ay then? Shall we continue in &s;in that grace may abound? God forbid:</HI> As if he had &s;aid, you will not want &s;uch corrupt Teachers, nay your hearts will be marvellous apt to frame &s;uch kind of con&s;equences and con|clu&s;ions; but reject them with indignation. So <HI>Gal.</HI> 5. 13. <HI>You are called to liberty, onely u&s;e not your liberty as an occa&s;ion to the fle&s;h.</HI> Chri&s;t hath done his part, purcha&s;ed glorious pri|viledges for you; onely take you heed that you doe not a|bu&s;e them, your ba&s;e hearts are apt enough: &s;o 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 2. 16. <HI>As free, but not u&s;ing your liberty as a cloak of malitiou&s;ne&s;s.</HI> Freedom by Chri&s;t will be an unfit cover and pretence for &s;o vile a practice.</P>
<P>3. <HI>Becau&s;e in the Go&s;pel its &s;elf there are quite contrary in|ferences and conclu&s;ions from tho&s;e which fle&s;h and blood would</HI>
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<HI>draw from the Go&s;pel:</HI> As to in&s;tance; in any thing wherein the Go&s;pel hath been abu&s;ed, to three ends hath it been a|bu&s;ed, to Loo&s;ene&s;s, Lazine&s;s, Licentiou&s;ne&s;s. Now you &s;hall &s;ee the Word carrieth things in a quite contrary way to what carnal men doe: to Loo&s;ene&s;s: men have been the more loo&s;e and carele&s;s, becau&s;e Grace hath abounded in the di&s;coveries of the Go&s;pel; but the Apo&s;tle di&s;daineth, it as a mo&s;t abhorrent and &s;trange conclu&s;ion from Go&s;pel-princi|ples, <HI>Rom.</HI> 6. 1. <HI>Shall we continue in &s;in that grace may a|bound? God forbid.</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">, doe not cheeri&s;h &s;uch a vile and unworthy thought; the Go&s;pel teacheth quite contrary, <HI>&s;ee Titus</HI> 2. 11, 12. not wantonne&s;s, but weanedne&s;s, to deny <HI>ungodline&s;s and worldly lu&s;ts.</HI> So &s;ee <HI>Rom.</HI> 6. 16. and 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 7. 1. <HI>a Bee</HI> gathereth <HI>honey</HI> thence from whence <HI>a Spider</HI> &s;uck|eth poy&s;on. Again, to <HI>Lazine&s;s:</HI> men are apt to lye down up|on the bed of ea&s;e, and &s;ay <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> mu&s;t do all, and &s;o exclude <HI>all u&s;e of means</HI> and the <HI>endeavour of the creature:</HI> This is a foul abu&s;e; for the Scripture inferreth thence the <HI>care</HI> and <HI>work</HI> of the creature, becau&s;e <HI>God doth all,</HI> Phil. 2. 12, 13. <HI>Work out your &s;alvation with fear and trembling, for 'tis God worketh in you both to will and to doe.</HI> We mu&s;t the more humbly wait upon God in the u&s;e of Ordinances, becau&s;e all dependeth upon his a&s;&s;i&s;tance. Again, to <HI>Licentiou&s;ne&s;s:</HI> men have interpreted <HI>freedom by Chri&s;t</HI> in &s;uch a perver&s;e &s;en&s;e, as to ca&s;t off <HI>obedience to civil powers,</HI> either to <HI>Ma&s;ters</HI> in the Family, or to <HI>Magi&s;trates</HI> in the Commonwealth; whereas the Word calleth for the&s;e duties upon this very ground, becau&s;e <HI>we are made free by Chri&s;t,</HI> that is, more ready and apt to di&s;charge the duty we owe to God and man: in this &s;ence 'tis &s;aid, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 7. 22. <HI>That a &s;ervant is the Lords freeman;</HI> and 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 2. 16. <HI>Obey Governours as free, but as &s;ervants of the Lord:</HI> Chri&s;tianity giveth us a <HI>greater apt|ne&s;&s;e,</HI> layeth on us a <HI>greater engagement,</HI> the bond of con|&s;cience; &s;o that there is, as <HI>Sadvian</HI> &s;peaketh, <HI>in maxim&acirc; libertate minima licentia,</HI> a great deal of liberty by <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> and yet the &s;tronge&s;t engagement to &s;ervice that may be.</P>
<P>Let us now apply the point.</P>
<P>It &s;erveth to inform us in the fir&s;t place, <HI>that carnal men</HI>
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<HI>are ill skilled in con&s;equences,</HI> from the very <HI>Go&s;pel</HI> would they draw a <HI>liberty to &s;inne,</HI> than which from &s;uch premi&s;es no conclu&s;ion can be more &s;trange; 'tis well worth the ob|&s;erving to note the different arguings in Scripture from the &s;ame principles, as &s;ee &s;ome in&s;tances, compare 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 7. 29 with 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 15. 22. the principle in both places, is, <HI>the time is &s;hort:</HI> Now the Apo&s;tle in the former place draweth from it conclu&s;ions of <HI>&s;trictne&s;s, temperance,</HI> and <HI>mortification; Let us u&s;e the World as if we u&s;ed it not,</HI> &amp;c. But in the latter the di&s;&s;olute <HI>Epicure</HI> argueth quite otherwi&s;e, <HI>Let us eat and drink for tomorrow we &s;hall dye,</HI> a quite different conclu&s;ion from the &s;ame principle: So here, Grace aboundeth, let us be <HI>much in duty</HI> &s;aith the &s;pirititual man, let <HI>&s;in</HI> abound &s;aith the carnal. Again, compare 2 <HI>Sam.</HI> 7. 2. with <HI>Hag. 1. 2. I dwel within a hou&s;e of Cedar</HI> (&s;aith <HI>David) but the Ark of God dwelleth within curtains.</HI> Surely I &s;hould have had more care of the Ark of God, now God hath built me &s;uch a &s;tately Palace: But they in <HI>Haggai, We dwel in &s;ieled hou&s;es, therefore the time to build the Lords hou&s;e is not come;</HI> &s;o they might live in pomp and ea&s;e they little cared how matters went with Gods hou&s;e. Once more, I <HI>Sam. 3. 18. It is the Lord, let him doe what &s;eemeth him good:</HI> he argueth from thence to meekne&s;s, and a &s;ubmi&s;live patience; but now compare 2 <HI>Kings 6. 33. This evil is from the Lord, why &s;hould I wait upon him any longer;</HI> from the &s;ame principle he ar|gueth him&s;elf into a murmuring, and fit of impatience. Thus&punc; carnal men are alwaies out in their rea&s;onings: <HI>A Parable in a Fools mouth</HI> (&s;aith <HI>Solomon) is like a thorn in the hand of a</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Prov. 26. 9.</NOTE> <HI>drunkard:</HI> When the &s;pirits are di&s;turbed by exce&s;s of drink, men have not an even touch, and &s;o when they would u&s;e a Thorn, or any &s;harp thing they wound and gore them&s;elves, &s;o do wicked men being be&s;otted with lu&s;ts, argue fal&s;ly from the Grace and the holy principles of the world to their <HI>own de&s;truction.</HI></P>
<P>Again, it &s;erveth for <HI>caution,</HI> when you meet with &s;uch<NOTE PLACE="marg">&V;&s;e 2.</NOTE> <HI>ba&s;e inferences</HI> from Evangelical principles doe not blame the Go&s;pel, or the Mini&s;try and di&s;pen&s;ation of the Go&s;pel.</P>
<P>1. Not the <HI>Go&s;pel,</HI> as if it were not clear enough, or faith|full
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enough or wary enough, &s;uch thoughts are wont to haunt us when we &s;ee gro&s;&s;e errours creeping under a &s;hel|ter and pretence of Scripture, fooli&s;h men would give Laws to heaven, we think God &s;hould &s;peak <HI>more plainly,</HI> as if the Lord &s;hould make a &s;un for them to &s;ee that &s;hut their eyes: vain man will &s;tumble in Gods <HI>plaine&s;t waies,</HI> &s;hould things be never &s;o clearly carried, a perver&s;e apprehen&s;ion would make them ob&s;cure, <HI>Parables</HI> (which are the livelie&s;t and mo&s;t &s;en&s;ible repre&s;entations of things) hardned the Pha|ri&s;ees, <HI>Mark</HI> 4. 11, 12. If men ruin them&s;elves by their own <HI>fal&s;e Logick</HI> we &s;hould not therefore accu&s;e God: they that have <HI>a mind to fall</HI> &s;hall not want a <HI>&s;tone of &s;tumbling;</HI> they that will onely be <HI>fea&s;ted with comforts,</HI> no wonder if they contract a <HI>&s;piritual &s;ickne&s;s,</HI> and undoe their &s;ouls by a <HI>mi&s;|under&s;tood,</HI> and <HI>mi&s;applyed Go&s;pel.</HI></P>
<P>2 Doe not blame the <HI>Mini&s;try,</HI> and <HI>di&s;pen&s;ation of the Go&s;pel,</HI> becau&s;e &s;ome abu&s;e <HI>Free grace,</HI> others cannot endure to hear it preached; but <HI>children</HI> mu&s;t not be kept from their <HI>bread,</HI> becau&s;e <HI>Doggs</HI> catch at it; becau&s;e &s;ome are <HI>drunk with wine,</HI> and others eat to exce&s;&s;e, &s;hall the <HI>hungry man</HI> want his <HI>food?</HI> Shall <HI>hungry con&s;ciences</HI> lo&s;e their portion for others <HI>abu&s;e?</HI> No, no, if <HI>carnal men</HI> &s;erve their lu&s;ts of the&s;e truths, we cannot help it, we <HI>are not in the place of God;</HI> we can onely deliver the Doctrine, we cannot give them <HI>gracious hearts</HI> to improve it. The <HI>Papi&s;ts</HI> will not let the people have the <HI>Scriptures</HI> upon this rea&s;on, for fear of <HI>abu&s;es;</HI> and <HI>Gardiner</HI> would not have this <HI>gap of free Grace opened to the people&punc; &amp;c.</HI> The Devill hath ever maligned a <HI>Go&s;pel di&s;pen&s;a|tion:</HI> Let not us withhold the <HI>truth</HI> for fear of <HI>inconveni|ence:</HI> Let us look to our commi&s;&s;ion, <HI>preach the Go&s;pel to every creature,</HI> if men abu&s;e it we are clear, <HI>their destruction is ju&s;t,</HI> as the Apo&s;tle &s;peaketh to this very ca&s;e, <HI>Rom. 3. 8. Some &s;landerou&s;ly report that we &s;ay, let us doe evil that good may come thereof, who&s;e damnation is ju&s;t:</HI> &s;ome gave out that <HI>Paul</HI> taught that they might <HI>&s;inne freely,</HI> that God might have the more glory in pardoning, <HI>their damnation is ju&s;t,</HI> if they went away with &s;uch a vile conceit (&s;aith he) they learned it not from me. <HI>Mu&s;culus</HI> complaineth in one of his books, that no place was &s;o <HI>prophane</HI> and <HI>irreli|gious</HI>
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as tho&s;e where the Go&s;pel had been preached; and <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Adamus contzenius in Mat. cap. 24.</NOTE> <HI>Contzen</HI> a <HI>Je&s;uit,</HI> citing this pa&s;&s;age, cryeth out, <HI>See the fruit of Prote&s;tanti&s;m, and their Go&s;pel preaching;</HI> many are of his &s;pirit, doe even hate the publication of the <HI>doctrin, of Grace,</HI> as if the&s;e were the cau&s;e of mens mi&s;carriage: If men abu&s;e the truth we cannot help it, however vi&s;ible mi&s;takes mu&s;t be prevented, le&s;t men goe away with a <HI>Scorpion</HI> in&s;tead of <HI>Fi&s;h,</HI> and a <HI>&s;tone</HI> in&s;tead of <HI>Bread.</HI></P>
<P>2. The next point, <HI>that though Grace its &s;elf be not pliable</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 2.</NOTE> <HI>to &s;uch conclu&s;ions, yet wicked men are very apt to abu&s;e it to the countenancing and cheri&s;hing of their &s;innes and lu&s;ts.</HI> You &s;ee here the abu&s;e of the Doctrine of the Go&s;pel was very ancient, this &s;pirit of Errour wrought <HI>betimes, the former dayes were no better than the&s;e,</HI> Eccl. 7. 10. In the Apo&s;tles dayes, <HI>vile hearts</HI> did abu&s;e <HI>good doctrine,</HI> Men were the &s;ame then which they are now. when &s;uch kind of Errours have a &s;econd &s;pring and revolution&punc; Indeed of all Errours the&s;e &s;eem to be very natural; we greedily drink in the poy&s;on of <HI>carnal liberty,</HI> but let me give you the rea&s;ons why <HI>un|godly men take liberty and occa&s;ion from the Grace of God to &s;erve their &s;inful lusts and plea&s;ures.</HI></P>
<P>1. <HI>Becau&s;e carnal hearts do a&s;&s;imulate all that they meet</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Rea&s;ons.</NOTE> <HI>with, and turn it into the nouri&s;hment of their carnal lusts,</HI> as the &s;alt &s;ea turneth the fre&s;h Rivers, and the &s;weet Showres of Heaven into Salt waters, &s;o do carnal men pervert the <HI>holy principles of the Go&s;pel,</HI> or as &s;weet Liquours are &s;oon &s;owred in an unclean ve&s;&s;el, &s;o doe truths lo&s;e their u&s;e, and efficacy when layd up in a carnal heart, and are quite turned to ano|purpo&s;e.</P>
<P>2. <HI>Becau&s;e they would fain &s;in &s;ecurely, &amp; cum privilegio,</HI> with a free di&s;pen&s;ation from God, and therefore &s;eek by all means to entitle God to the &s;in, and the &s;in to God; they would finde a great deale of ea&s;e from gripes of con&s;cience if they could make God the <HI>Author,</HI> or at lea&s;t the <HI>coun|tenancer</HI> of their evill practices, and therefore when they can <HI>rub their guilt upon the Go&s;pel,</HI> and pretend a liberty by Chri&s;t, the de&s;ign is accompli&s;hed. <HI>Augu&s;tine</HI> often taketh notice, that the Heathens took the mo&s;t liberty to &s;in, be|cau&s;e
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their Gods were repre&s;ented as <HI>approvers</HI> and <HI>counte|nancers</HI> of &s;uch kind of actions; if men could once make God an <HI>approver of &s;in,</HI> and giving leave to &s;atisfie our de&s;ires, the de&s;ign of carnal nature were at an end, and they would be freed of that awe of a divine power which is <HI>only left in na|ture</HI> as the check and re&s;traint of &s;inne; and therefore be|cau&s;e God hath revealed &s;o much of his <HI>indulgence</HI> to the <HI>faln creature</HI> in the Go&s;pel, they &s;trive to draw all the pa&s;|&s;ages of it that way, as if God had <HI>given leave to &s;inne freely.</HI></P>
<P>3. Becau&s;e man is obedient naturally no longer than when under impre&s;&s;ions of awe and fear, the <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Ho&s;. 11. 4.</NOTE> <HI>cords of a man</HI> work little with us, like bea&s;ts we onely put forward when we feel the <HI>Goad: Violent means</HI> doe more than <HI>gentle per&s;wa&s;ions,</HI> and the &s;weet <HI>&s;trains of Grace.</HI> U&s;ually where we are dealt with in that kinde, we <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Deut. 32. 15.</NOTE><HI>wax wonton and kick with the heele,</HI> as an A&s;&s;e-colt being &s;uckled and full, kicks her dam in the fore-head.</P>
<P>4. <HI>Becau&s;e we all naturally de&s;ire liberty, carnall liberty,</HI> to be left to our own &s;way and bent, and therefore we catch at any thing that tendeth that way, we would be <HI>as Gods,</HI> Lords of our own actions, and &s;o are very apt to dream of an exemption from all kind of <HI>Law</HI> but our <HI>own lu&s;ts,</HI> the <HI>Seducers bait</HI> was a <HI>promi&s;e of liberty,</HI> 2 Pet. 2. 19. We would all be above check and controle, and have &s;cope and roomth from our lu&s;ts, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 12. 4. <HI>Our lips are our own, who is Lord over us?</HI> We would fain bring it to that, to be at our own di&s;|po&s;e, to be an&s;werable to none, that &s;hould call us to an account: The tumult of the Nation again&s;t Chri&s;t was a|bout <HI>bonds</HI> and <HI>yokes, P&s;al.</HI> 2. 3. The <HI>pale</HI> or the <HI>yoke</HI> is grie|vous to us, &s;ee <HI>Job</HI> 11. 12. <HI>Jer.</HI> 31. 18. Now being &s;o re&s;ol|ved to be free, we are, willing to <HI>hear of liberty,</HI> and apt to abu&s;e whatever &s;ounds to that purpo&s;e.</P>
<P>But now let us &s;ee how many wayes <HI>the grace of God may be turned into wantonne&s;s;</HI> a right knowledge of the evil may be a means to prevent it.</P>
<P>There is a Grace di&s;pen&s;ed in the way of Gods providence which may be called, <HI>the Grace of God,</HI> and is very lyable to;
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abu&s;e; a word of that before I come to the main thing here intended. Thus we finde the <HI>patience of God</HI> often abu&s;ed, when the Lord keepeth <HI>&s;ilence in heaven,</HI> and doth not pre|&s;ently thunder down vengeance on the heads of &s;inners, we<NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;a. 36. 2. Zeph. 1. 12.</NOTE> wallow in ea&s;e and fle&s;hly delights, and dream of a perpetual happine&s;s, and think we &s;hall doe as well as the preci&s;e&s;t of them all; <HI>Eccle&s;. 8. 11. Becau&s;e vengeance is not executed &s;peedily, therefore the heart is &s;et in them to do evil:</HI> Thus doth mans <HI>venemous nature,</HI> &s;uck poy&s;on out of &s;o <HI>&s;weet an At|tribute</HI> as <HI>Gods patience!</HI> And as <HI>Gods patience</HI> is abu&s;ed, &s;o is al&s;o his <HI>goodne&s;s</HI> and <HI>Bounty.</HI> When we are full and enjoy plenty, we grow <HI>wanton,</HI> and either de&s;pi&s;e our <HI>mercies,</HI> Mal. 1. 2. <HI>Wherein ha&s;t thou loved us?</HI> or, which is wor&s;e, de&s;pi&s;e God him&s;elf; <HI>turn back upon the Mercie-&s;eat,</HI> grow very negligent, cold and carele&s;s in the Wor&s;hip of God: nay many times the minde is <HI>efferated,</HI> and grown bruiti&s;h and in&s;olent both towards God and man, <HI>Ho&s;. 13. 6. According to their Pa|&s;ture &s;o were they filled, they were filled and their heart was exalted, they have forgotten me.</HI> Men have large <HI>Pa&s;tures,</HI> and <HI>&s;trong lu&s;ts,</HI> and then God is forgotten, there is not that <HI>care of God,</HI> that <HI>&s;en&s;e of duty,</HI> that <HI>meekne&s;&s;e of &s;pirit,</HI> this is growing wanton with <HI>Gods; goodne&s;s.</HI> Once more, there is another Grace of Providence which is apt to be abu&s;ed, and that is, <HI>the vouch&s;afement of Ordinances,</HI> or <HI>the meanes of Grace,</HI> in great plenty a Mercy prized when it fir&s;t com|eth among a people, but within a little while they grow wanton, 1 <HI>Sam 3. 11. The Word of God was precious in tho&s;e dayes, for there was no open vi&s;ion:</HI> whil&s;t <HI>Vi&s;ions</HI> are &s;carce they are higly prized, but when they are open aud publick, men begin to grow giddy, cannot be contented with the <HI>&s;im|plicity</HI> of Gods Ordinances, but mu&s;t be fed with <HI>unground|ed &s;ubtleties,</HI> and <HI>quinte&s;&s;ential extracts,</HI> when <HI>&s;piritual ap|petite groweth wanton,</HI> it is an ill &s;ign, when <HI>plain truths</HI> will not down, and all things mu&s;t be carried in an <HI>airie, &s;ubtile, and notional way,</HI> God will have a <HI>&s;courge</HI> for &s;uch a wanton people.</P>
<P>But let us come clo&s;er to the matter in hand: This Text &s;peaketh of <HI>Doctrinal di&s;coveries</HI> of grace, of the abu&s;e of
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the <HI>Go&s;pel,</HI> and the <HI>principles</HI> thereof: now 'twere an <HI>hard task</HI> to give you an account of all the <HI>paralogi&s;ms</HI> and <HI>cor|rupt inferences,</HI> which men draw from the <HI>Go&s;pel,</HI> there is <HI>no Doctrine,</HI> but one way or another, a <HI>carnal heart</HI> is apt to abu&s;e it: the mo&s;t u&s;ual abu&s;es are the&s;e.</P>
<P>1. The <HI>Doctrine of Election</HI> is abu&s;ed, men &s;ay they may live as they li&s;t: <HI>If God hath elected them, they &s;hall be &s;aved,</HI> and &s;o allow them&s;elves in their carele&s;s neglect of the means of &s;alvation be not deceived: God that decreeth&punc; <HI>the end,</HI> decreeth the <HI>means: God hath prede&s;tinated us to be conformed to the Image of his Son, Rom.</HI> 8. 29. in <HI>grace</HI> here as well as <HI>in glory</HI> hereafter.</P>
<P>2. <HI>The Doctrine of the Attribut's</HI> of <HI>Gods mercy</HI> and <HI>long &s;uffering.</HI> Men will &s;ay they are &s;inners and &s;o are others but <HI>God is merciful,</HI> and &s;o poor ignorant drunkards, Adul|terers and &s;wearers as they are, they dye with this princi|ple in their mouths, <HI>God is merciful, but be not deceived, neither Fornicators nor Adulterers,</HI> &amp;c. <HI>&s;hall enter into the Kingdome of God:</HI> 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 6. 9. So <HI>Eph. 5. 6. Let no man deceive you with vain words for becau&s;e of the&s;e things com|meth the wrath of God.</HI> Both the&s;e places &s;hew there were divers which had &s;uch <HI>deceitful thoughts,</HI> as if living and dying drunkards, Adulterres, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> they &s;hould go to Heaven: others abu&s;e the <HI>long &s;uffering of God</HI> to their delaying and putting off their repentance, as if after a <HI>long vitious life</HI> provided they could be <HI>devote at the la&s;t ga&s;p,</HI> they &s;hould at length be &s;aved, and of&punc; a &s;uddain from <HI>Swine</HI> be|come <HI>Saints:</HI> as many delayed their Bapti&s;m heretofore, becau&s;e they would have longer time to &s;in in, and to walk after their own lu&s;ts, and when they were warned of their <HI>licentious cour&s;e;</HI> their an&s;wer was, <HI>Tunc demum a peccatis de<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;tam cum baptizatus ero; When I am baptized I will live otherwi&s;e:</HI> Thou fool, be&s;ides the uncertainty of thy having <HI>time</HI> or grace to repent; this is a manife&s;t abu&s;e of Gods pa|tience, and will turn to thy greater ruine, <HI>Romans</HI> 2. 4. 5.</P>
<P>3. <HI>The Doctrine of Go&s;pel grace</HI> is abu&s;ed many wayes. Sometimes to exclude <HI>the fear</HI> and <HI>reverence</HI> of God, as if
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<HI>fear</HI> were an <HI>antiquated grace</HI> &s;uiting onely with a <HI>legal di&s;pen&s;ation:</HI> whereas the children of God think the <HI>more grace,</HI> the <HI>more fear,</HI> P&s;al. 130. 4. <HI>There is mercy with thee, therefore thou &s;hould&s;t be feared,</HI> and Ho&s;. 3. 5. <HI>They &s;hall fear the Lord and his goodne&s;s:</HI> the goodne&s;s of God doth not make them <HI>pre&s;umptious;</HI> but is the greater matter of <HI>reverence</HI> and <HI>holy trembling: fear</HI> is &s;o far from being abol|i&s;hed in the <HI>Go&s;pel,</HI> that it continueth in <HI>Heaven,</HI> it being an <HI>e&s;&s;ential</HI> and <HI>nece&s;&s;ary re&s;pect</HI> from the <HI>Creature</HI> to the <HI>Creator.</HI> Again, 'tis abu&s;ed to deny <HI>all humiliation</HI> and <HI>&s;or|row for &s;ins;</HI> yea all <HI>confe&s;&s;ion of &s;ins,</HI> as if to be humbled for &s;ins were <HI>legal,</HI> whereas <HI>repentance</HI> and all the acts of it, is a meer <HI>Go&s;pel duty, the Law</HI> knew no &s;uch thing, and the true&s;t and mo&s;t genuine &s;orrow ari&s;eth from a &s;en&s;e of pardon, <HI>Zek. 12. 10. They &s;hall look upon him whom they have pierced, and mourn,</HI> So Luk. 7. 47. that Chri&s;tian Niobi <HI>loved much</HI> and <HI>wept much,</HI> and all becau&s;e <HI>much was forgiven; John</HI> &s;peaketh <HI>to beleevers</HI> to them <HI>that walked&punc; in the light</HI> to <HI>con|fe&s;s their &s;ins, 1 Joh</HI> 1&punc; 9. we cannot have pardon in Gods way till this be done: <HI>if we confe&s;s, &amp;c.</HI> tis a condition not <HI>for which,</HI> but <HI>without which</HI> pardon is not obtained: it doth not &s;hew the <HI>cau&s;e</HI> but the <HI>order</HI> of graces working: again, &s;ometimes tis abu&s;ed to the neglecting of <HI>circum&s;pection</HI> and <HI>heed</HI> in us: <HI>we are pre&s;erved in Chri&s;t</HI> (&s;ay they) and <HI>there|fore we may be carele&s;s,</HI> and though we ca&s;t our &s;elves upon <HI>&s;nares, temptations</HI> and <HI>occa&s;ions to &s;in:</HI> be confident that God will keep us; the Devil &s;ets upon Chri&s;t with &s;uch a temptation, <HI>Mat. 4. 6. Ca&s;t thy &s;elf down, and he &s;hall give his Angels charge over thee.</HI> Libertines &s;coff at the <HI>nicene&s;s</HI> and <HI>&s;crupulou&s;ne&s;s</HI> of former profe&s;&s;ors, that were willing to keep at &s;uch a di&s;tance from a temptation, as if their <HI>&s;trict</HI> and <HI>exact walking</HI> were a fruit of their <HI>darkne&s;s</HI> and <HI>legal &s;piritedne&s;s:</HI> whereas the Apo&s;tle maketh it a main proper|ty of <HI>of children of light;</HI> thus to do <HI>Eph.</HI> 5. 15. So <HI>Gods doing all</HI> in the covenant of Grace, is abu&s;ed to exclude all <HI>care of duty:</HI> and to keep men in a <HI>lazy o&s;citancy,</HI> and gap|ing for grace without all care or endeavour on our part: whereas God loveth to be met with in his own way, and
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commeth in with &s;upplies of grace, according to our dili|gence in the u&s;e of means: See <HI>Mark.</HI> 4. 34. and as 'tis abu&s;ed to &s;hut out all endeavours <HI>after grace;</HI> &s;o all <HI>actings</HI> and <HI>operations under grace:</HI> as if we were <HI>meer logs</HI> rather then <HI>rational agents,</HI> and God &s;o did all, that <HI>the act of our own faculties</HI> were quite aboli&s;hed, or &s;u&s;pended: whereas though the <HI>grace</HI> be from God, yet the <HI>act</HI> is ours, for otherwi&s;e the <HI>faintne&s;s</HI> and <HI>defectivene&s;s</HI> of the operation would be chargeable upon him, and the Lord doth &s;o <HI>draw</HI> us, that we have a <HI>motion of our own; draw me and we will run after thee, Cant.</HI> 1. 4. 'Tis he that <HI>treads down Satan,</HI> but <HI>under our feet, Rom.</HI> 16. 20. the Doctrine of <HI>Chri&s;tian liber|ty,</HI> which is one part of the Go&s;pel is abu&s;ed to exclude the Moral Law, as a rule of duties to God and man: whereas the Apo&s;tle &s;aith, I am not <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>not without the Law to God, but under the Law to Chri&s;t, 1 Cor.</HI> 9. 20. &s;ometimes 'tis abu&s;ed <HI>to a living to the height of the Creature,</HI> (as &s;ome carnal wretches phra&s;e it) or an <HI>immoderate u&s;e of carnal comforts:</HI> whereas to re&s;train us in this kinde the Scrip|ture forbiddeth <HI>licentiou&s;ne&s;s</HI> in the u&s;e of the creatures un|der &s;uch tearms as do imply the <HI>lawful u&s;e;</HI> See <HI>Luk.</HI> 17. 27 and <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 22. 13. the things mentioned there are nece&s;&s;ary for the &s;upportation of life; but the <HI>immoderate u&s;e</HI> is in|tended, becau&s;e they did nothing el&s;e but minde the&s;e things, <HI>He that will do all that he may, will &s;oon do more then he &s;hould.</HI> The <HI>doctrine of &s;piritual wor&s;hip,</HI> and <HI>aboli&s;hing the &s;haddows of the Law,</HI> which is another part of the Go&s;pel, is abu&s;ed to the <HI>neglect</HI> and <HI>contempt of Ordinances,</HI> and acts of &s;olemn wor&s;hip, as if all were but <HI>formes,</HI> not &s;uiting with that <HI>&s;pirituality</HI> unto which they thinke they are called in the&s;e dayes of the Go&s;pel, and &s;o <HI>con&s;tant prayer</HI> is layed a&s;ide as a form, whereas God calleth for dayly wor&s;hip in this kinde, <HI>Mat.</HI> 6. 11. and making con&s;cience of <HI>hearing the word:</HI> a form too low for them that pretend to live immedi|ately upon the &s;pirit: whereas the Scripture joyneth <HI>word</HI> and <HI>&s;pirit</HI> together, as in&s;eparable in the di&s;pen&s;ation, <HI>I&s;ai.</HI> 59. 21. and the Apo&s;tle in one Ver&s;e, &s;aith <HI>de&s;pi&s;e not pro|phe&s;cying, 1 The&s;.</HI> 5. 19. and pre&s;ently Ver&s;e 20. <HI>Quench</HI>
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<HI>not the &s;pirit:</HI> implying, who&s;oever doth the one, will, cer|tainely do the other; &s;o the <HI>&V;&s;e of the Seals, Bapti&s;m,</HI> and the <HI>Supper,</HI> as forms fit for <HI>Novices;</HI> but they are of a more <HI>elevated &s;train,</HI> and above the&s;e lower helps, enjoying &s;o much in the inward and hidden man; whereas Chri&s;t hath injoined the&s;e Ordinances for the u&s;e of al &s;orts of Chri&s;tians till he <HI>come again to judge the World,</HI> &s;ee <HI>Mat.</HI> 28. 20. and 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 11. 26. &s;o <HI>instructing Children,</HI> a form, though we have expre&s;s command for it in Scripture, <HI>Eph.</HI> 6. 4. 'twere ea&s;ie to rake in this Puddle, but this ta&s;t may &s;uffice.<NOTE PLACE="marg">&V;&s;e 1.</NOTE></P>
<P>The U&s;e of all is to make us more cautious and wary, that we may not be guilty of this great &s;in.</P>
<P>'Tis <HI>the errour of the wicked, 2 Pet.</HI> 3. 16. 'tis a black mark to grow the more <HI>wanton</HI> for <HI>mercies; &s;ecure,</HI> for <HI>pati|ence; &s;en&s;ual, vain, negligent carele&s;s,</HI> becau&s;e of the <HI>free ten|ders of grace</HI> in the Go&s;pel; there cannot be a more evident marke of a man in a carnal condition: 'tis &s;ad when our <HI>Ta|ble is made a &s;nare;</HI> but 'tis wor&s;e when the very Go&s;pel is made a &s;nare; for the better things are, the wor&s;e is the a|bu&s;e and more dangerous; look as 'tis a mark of the Love of God to have <HI>all things work together for good to us,</HI> Rom. 8. 28. So 'tis an argument of the hatred of God, when all things prove a &s;nare, and the very Go&s;pel it &s;elf, the ble&s;&s;ed Go&s;pel of the glorious God is cur&s;ed to us, Oh how &s;aid is their condition!</P>
<P>2. 'Tis <HI>a &s;in again&s;t Mercy,</HI> and tho&s;e of all others are mo&s;t dangerous, when you abu&s;e Grace, you make Grace your enemy; and 'tis ill for creatures when Grace is their e|nemy, and there is nothing left for them but Ju&s;tice and Wrath; Ju&s;tice will take up the quarrel of abu&s;ed Mercy, and as Grace is de&s;pi&s;ed, &s;o wrath taketh place; <HI>they trea&s;ure up wrath, &amp;c.</HI> Rom. 2. 4, 5.</P>
<P>3. 'Tis <HI>&s;oul ingratitude</HI> to turn our mercies into a provo|cation, to make a <HI>Calf</HI> of our <HI>Earings,</HI> and to &s;erve our lu&s;ts of Gods Providence, as he &s;aid of <HI>Adam,</HI> that what he re|ceived <GAP DESC="foreign"> a <HI>Rib</HI> he returned <GAP DESC="foreign"> a <HI>Dart,</HI> alluding to his fall by <HI>Eve;</HI> &s;o he fight again&s;t God with his <HI>own weapons,</HI> what vile ingratitude is that? See <HI>Jer. 5. 7. Ezek.</HI> 7. 20. To
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make <HI>Plenty</HI> the fuel of our lu&s;ts, what is it but to <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">I&s;a. 43. 24.</NOTE> <HI>make God &s;erve with our &s;innes,</HI> and to grow wor&s;e for the Go|&s;pel, black and tauny becau&s;e <HI>the Sun of Righteou&s;ne&s;s hath looked upon us?</HI> 'tis as it were to give it out to the World, <HI>as if he did &s;erve with our &s;ins by his own con&s;ent,</HI> and we had a licen&s;e from heaven to doe what we do.</P>
<P>4. 'Tis a great grief to the Spirit of God&punc; when you a|bu&s;e Grace, you doe as it were put your mi&s;carriages upon him, when you call <HI>licentious walking, Chri&s;tian liberty;</HI> and <HI>neglect of duty, Go&s;pel freedom;</HI> and <HI>godly &s;orrow, legali&s;m;</HI> and <HI>&s;trict walking, &s;uper&s;titious nicene&s;s;</HI> you doe as it were Father your <HI>ba&s;tards</HI> upon the <HI>Spirit,</HI> and intitle the <HI>mon|&s;trous conceptions</HI> and births of your own carnal hearts to his <HI>incubation</HI> and <HI>over-&s;haddowing;</HI> you think God warranteth you in all this, and that's a high wrong to him, which he wil avenge in due time; &s;ee <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 50. 21, 22. I remember the Prophet &s;aith, <HI>Jer. 4. 10. Oh Lord thou ha&s;t greatly deceived this people,</HI> becau&s;e the fal&s;e Prophets had done it in his name; <HI>fal&s;e doctrines</HI> make God to be the deceiver, and the&s;e ill con&s;equences drawn from the Go&s;pel, are in effect charged upon the <HI>Spirit</HI> who is the author of it.</P>
<P>Well then, <HI>learn the truth as it is in Je&s;us. Ephe&s;.</HI> 4. 21.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, <HI>Make him your Teacher;</HI> fle&s;h and blood will &s;tumble in Gods plaine&s;t wayes, we cannot learn any Go&s;pel truth of our &s;elves, but we are apt to pervert it to an ill u&s;e.</P>
<P>2. <HI>Take the whole doctrine together;</HI> for it is the truth as it is in <HI>Je&s;us,</HI> otherwi&s;e 'tis the truth as 'tis <HI>in the mouth of a fal&s;e Teacher, half truth,</HI> hath filled the world with loo&s;|ne&s;s, when men divide between Chri&s;ts <HI>comforts,</HI> and Chri&s;ts <HI>graces,</HI> his <HI>Prie&s;thood</HI> and his <HI>Regality,</HI> his <HI>Benefits</HI> and his <HI>Laws,</HI> the&s;e partial apprehen&s;ions &s;poyl all.</P>
<P>3. As to <HI>your maner of learning, let it be &s;aving, and &s;uch as tends to practice;</HI> 'tis not enough to make Chri&s;t our <HI>Tea|cher,</HI> by u&s;ing his Word, and looking for the direction of his Spirit, and to make the whole coun&s;el of God our le&s;&s;on, but al&s;o we mu&s;t learn to a <HI>&s;aving purpo&s;e, to put off the Old man, to put on the New,</HI> and not to &s;tore the <HI>brain</HI> with <HI>know|ledge</HI>
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&s;o much as the <HI>heart</HI> with <HI>grace:</HI> for to this end is the Go&s;pel given to us not for <HI>&s;cience</HI> &s;o much as <HI>practies,</HI> to make us better rather than wi&s;er and more knowing.</P>
<P>Another U&s;e is <HI>Examination,</HI> to put us upon tryal, whether<NOTE PLACE="marg">&V;&s;e 2.</NOTE> we doe not, yea, or no <HI>turn the Grace of God into wantonne&s;s:</HI> A man may be right in Doctrine, and yet the con&s;titution of his &s;pirit may be naught. Again, there may be a <HI>fond dotage</HI> on the name of Chri&s;t, and yet no <HI>real re&s;pect</HI> to him, therefore it behoves us to &s;earch how the Go&s;pel works with us.</P>
<P>1. Are you not the better for the knowledge of it, if you are not the <HI>better,</HI> you are the <HI>wor&s;e;</HI> if you <HI>know Chri&s;t,</HI> and come &s;hort of the houre of his Grace, you <HI>know him in vain,</HI> you make Chri&s;t and the Go&s;pel an <HI>u&s;ele&s;&s;e thing,</HI> com|pare 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 6. 1. with <HI>Col.</HI> 1. 6. there is a <HI>receiving the Grace of God in vain,</HI> and <HI>a knowing the grace of God in truth,</HI> we receive it in <HI>vain</HI> when we are nothing the better for it; and we receive it in <HI>truth</HI> when we feel the <HI>&s;weetne&s;s</HI> and <HI>power</HI> of it upon our <HI>hearts</HI> and <HI>con&s;ciences;</HI> tho&s;e that know the grace in truth, are the more <HI>vigilent,</HI> more <HI>humble,</HI> more <HI>holy,</HI> they are more <HI>diligent</HI> for the grace of God hath a <HI>mighty con&s;traint</HI> to urge us to duty, 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 5. 14, 15. more <HI>humble,</HI> nothing &s;o <HI>melting</HI> as Grace, <HI>Zech. 12. 10. &V;nkind|ne&s;s</HI> after &s;o much Grace as we have received in Chri&s;t is the great rea&s;on and cau&s;e of <HI>godly &s;orrow:</HI> More <HI>holy,</HI> nothing kindles &s;uch a <HI>rage</HI> and <HI>indignation</HI> again&s;t &s;in as Grace doth, <HI>Ezra 9. 14 Should we again after &s;uch a deliverance, &amp;c.</HI> nothing per&s;wadeth by &s;uch <HI>powerful arguments</HI> to the practice of holyne&s;s, as grace doth, <HI>See Tit.</HI> 2. 11. 12, 13, 14. Therefore what are you the better, if it worketh not thus 'tis &s;ad.</P>
<P>2. Are you the wor&s;e &s;en&s;ibly for the knowledge of the Go&s;pel.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, Do you grow more <HI>carele&s;s</HI> and <HI>neglectful of duties,</HI> as if now there were not &s;o much required of you? The Go&s;pel never taught you that; but your own corrupt hearts; 'tis true, the more Chri&s;t is preached, the more <HI>Evangelical</HI> a man is in his duties; his heart is taken off more
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from <HI>re&s;ting in them,</HI> he doth not pitch his hopes upon the <HI>tale</HI> of <HI>number</HI> of his duties, and he doth not perform them <HI>out of bondage,</HI> but more <HI>clearly, knowingly, comfortablely,</HI> as upon <HI>Go&s;pel grounds;</HI> but &s;till he will be performing: as knowing that duties can never have <HI>too much of our care,</HI> and <HI>too little of our tru&s;t:</HI> in the Go&s;pel we have <HI>more help,</HI> there|fore in all rea&s;on we &s;hould perform <HI>more work:</HI> well then to grow <HI>more lazy,</HI> and <HI>le&s;s frequent</HI> in the wor&s;hip of God, and the u&s;e of the means of grace: the more we are ac|quainted with Gods grace in Chri&s;t, is to abu&s;e grace, which was given us to make us <HI>more chearful,</HI> not more <HI>&s;lack</HI> and <HI>negligent.</HI></P>
<P>Secondly, <HI>Le&s;s circumspect and</HI> wary in your conver&s;ati|ons, <HI>loo&s;e walking</HI> is an ill &s;ign: Chri&s;t him&s;elf taught us, <HI>To enter in at the &s;treight gate, and to walk in the narrow way, Mat.</HI> 7. 14. When men &s;eek more roomth and breadth for their lu&s;ts, they pervert the end of the Go&s;pel, for the Go&s;pel onely &s;heweth, <HI>That the greate&s;t &s;in is pardonable, but the lea&s;t is not allowable:</HI> the world is much for a <HI>&s;horter cut to Heaven;</HI> but when you have done all, you will finde that the <HI>good, old, long way is the neere&s;t way home;</HI> &s;till we mu&s;t make <HI>&s;treight &s;teps</HI> to our feet: <HI>mortify lu&s;ts,</HI> bridle vile af|fections, and keep clo&s;e to Rule. <HI>Sin</HI> is the &s;ame that ever it was, and the <HI>Law</HI> is the &s;ame, and <HI>God</HI> is as <HI>Holy</HI> and as much <HI>delights in holyne&s;s</HI> as ever he did; we therefore mu&s;t be <HI>as &s;trict as ever:</HI> 'tis but a <HI>carnal liberty</HI> to have leave to be wanton, to be <HI>free to &s;in: Nature</HI> is very apt to hear in that ear, See 2 <HI>Pet.</HI> 2. 18. 19. but grace counts it <HI>no pri|viledge.</HI></P>
<P>Thirdly, <HI>If le&s;s humble,</HI> &s;till you are guilty, a man com|mitteth &s;in and findeth no remor&s;e, upon the pretence of Gods <HI>free grace in pardoning,</HI> this is &s;till the wantonne&s;s which ari&s;eth from the abu&s;e of the Go&s;pel; Gods children never <HI>loath them&s;elves</HI> more then upon the <HI>remembrance of mercy, Ezek.</HI> 36. 31. never <HI>melted for &s;in more,</HI> then when the <HI>warm beams</HI> of Gods love thaw their hearts, that they &s;hould &s;in again&s;t a pardoning God, a gracious Father: a good Ma&s;ter, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> every mercy is a new &s;tab at heart, <HI>Chri&s;ts</HI>
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<HI>look</HI> made <HI>Peter weep bitterly,</HI> nothing affects them &s;o much as grace.</P>
<P>The third point is taken from that Particle [<HI>Our</HI>] <GAP DESC="foreign">,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 3.</NOTE> he mentioneth their intere&s;t in God to provoke them &s;o much the more to zeal, again&s;t errours, that were &s;o &s;candilous to his grace. Note, <HI>That &s;en&s;e of Intere&s;t in God begets the be&s;t zeal for the truths and glory of God.</HI> The point con&s;i&s;ts of two Branches.</P>
<P>1. <HI>That Intere&s;t in God will beget a zeal for God:</HI> it troubleth a good man to &s;ee <HI>any one</HI> wronged, much more to &s;ee his <HI>own relation</HI> wronged, mo&s;t of all to &s;ee <HI>his God</HI> wronged: can a man profe&s;s love to God, and not e&s;pou&s;e his quarrel? freinds have all things common, <HI>common love</HI> and <HI>common hatred,</HI> wrong the one, and the other is not well at ea&s;e; &s;o it is in the &s;piritual friend&s;hip between us and God, P&s;al. 69. 9. <HI>The reproaches of them that reproached thee, are fallen upon me:</HI> injuries done to God and Religion, will as neerly affect us, as tho&s;e done to our per&s;ons; certainly they that can <HI>be &s;ilent</HI> in the cau&s;e of God, have <HI>little affecti|on</HI> to him, and are &s;o tender of wordly intere&s;ts, do little value an intere&s;t in God: <HI>Wi&s;dom is ju&s;tified of her children, Mat.</HI> 11. 19. they are <HI>Ba&s;tards</HI> and not <HI>Children,</HI> that are afraid or a&s;hamed to own their <HI>mothers defence,</HI> or can hug tho&s;e in their bo&s;oms that are enemies to God and his grace, <HI>P&s;al. 139. 21. Doe not I hate them O Lord that hate thee? am not I greved with them that ri&s;e up again&s;t thee?</HI> 'Tis an Ar|gument of his &s;incerity, that God and he had the <HI>&s;ame ene|mies,</HI> that he could finde no room in his heart for affection to them, that he had no affection to God, when we came <HI>into covenant with God:</HI> we made a <HI>League</HI> with him <HI>offen&s;ive and defen&s;ive,</HI> to count his <HI>friends</HI> ours, and his <HI>enemies</HI> ours, to hate what he hateth, and to love what he loveth; there|fore without breach of covenant we cannot be &s;ilent in Gods cau&s;e&punc; and friends to the enemies and abu&s;ers of his grace.</P>
<P>2. The next Branch is, <HI>That their zeal who have an inte|e&s;t in God, is the be&s;t zeal:</HI> now 'tis the be&s;t partly becau&s;e <HI>'tis hote&s;t,</HI> they that conte&s;t meerly for <HI>an opinion,</HI> are not &s;o earne&s;t as they that contend out <HI>of affection,</HI> as a &s;tranger
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&s;eeing a man oppre&s;&s;ed, may chide him that did the wrong, but a <HI>meet relation,</HI> he will interpo&s;e and venture him&s;elf in the quarrel. So will one that loveth God, &s;acrifice all his intere&s;ts for Gods &s;ake: partly becau&s;e <HI>'tis pure&s;t; carnal men</HI> may ingage in <HI>Religious controver&s;ies, out of pa&s;&s;ion</HI> they may &s;tikle for their <HI>own opinion;</HI> but this fire is taken from a <HI>Common heart,</HI> not from <HI>the Altar,</HI> it doth not ari&s;e from any love to God, from any <HI>inward reli&s;h,</HI> and <HI>ta&s;te</HI> of the &s;weetne&s;s of grace, but onely from <HI>humour</HI> and <HI>ob&s;tinacy,</HI> and <HI>wordly i<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">tere&s;t, we may as well be afraid of &s;ome mens zeal again&s;t errour, as of other pronene&s;s to it:</HI> Carnal per&s;ons keep a great coyle, and fill the world with <HI>clamour</HI> and <HI>rage,</HI> but their hearts do not flame with zeal upon a <HI>proper intere&s;t</HI> and do not carry on things in <HI>Gods way.</HI></P>
<P>The U&s;e is to inform us of the rea&s;on why the &s;pirits of godly men are &s;o keen again&s;t &s;uch errours as intrench upon the grace of God; why errours about Chri&s;t are horrible to them, a very abomination to their thoughts; becau&s;e there|upon are built all their hopes, and in &s;uch matters they have <HI>mo&s;t experiences,</HI> therefore their hearts &s;parkle within them, others feel a <HI>cold indifferency,</HI> but they a <HI>mighty pre&s;&s;ure</HI> up|on their &s;pirits.</P>
<P>I now come to the la&s;t part of their di&s;cription. [<HI>And de|nying the onely Lord God, and our Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t</HI>] ob&s;erve their <HI>&s;in [denying.</HI>] The Object [<HI>the Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t,</HI>] who is here de&s;cribed three ways. 1. By his <HI>ab&s;olute rule</HI> and <HI>&s;upremacy <GAP DESC="foreign"> the onely Lord.</HI> 2. By <HI>his E&s;&s;ence, <GAP DESC="foreign"> God.</HI> 3. By his <HI>Head&s;hip over the Church, <GAP DESC="foreign">, our Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t</HI></P>
<P>I &s;hall fir&s;t <HI>vindicate</HI> and then <HI>open</HI> the words, divers take words <HI>disjunctively,</HI> applying the fir&s;t clau&s;e to the <HI>father:</HI> the &s;econd to the <HI>Son:</HI> So <HI>Era&s;mus</HI> tran&s;lateth it: <HI>God who is that onely Lord,</HI> and <HI>our Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t:</HI> But as <HI>Beza</HI> ob&s;erveth: this is not the fir&s;t time that he is taken tripping in tho&s;e places, which &s;eem manife&s;tly to a&s;&s;ert the God|head of Chri&s;t; briefly then that the whole clau&s;e is to be under&s;tood of Chri&s;t, may be proved by the&s;e arguments. 1. Becau&s;e the paralel place in <HI>Peter,</HI> from whence this
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&s;eemeth to be taken, maketh mention onely of <HI>Je&s;us Chri&s;t,</HI> where <GAP DESC="foreign">, the word of <HI>ab&s;olute Sovereignty</HI> is a&s;cribed to him [<HI>denying <GAP DESC="foreign">, the Ma&s;ter that bought them,</HI>] 2 <HI>Pet.</HI> 2. 1. 2. Becau&s;e to me it &s;eemeth that <HI>Jude</HI> would lay down all the prorogatives of Chri&s;t in <HI>his Natures,</HI> as God as man: In <HI>his relation</HI> to the world, &s;o <HI>a Ma&s;ter,</HI> to <HI>the Church,</HI> &s;o <HI>a Lord,</HI> 3. By the tennor of the words in the Original, where there is no new Article to divide them and therefore all the&s;e Titles belong to the &s;ame per|&s;on, <GAP DESC="foreign">. 4. Many old Coppies (as <HI>Calvin</HI> &s;aith) read thus: <HI>denying Chri&s;t who is onely God and onely</HI> Lord. 5. Becau&s;e the he|re&s;ie of the&s;e times &s;truck <HI>at Chri&s;t,</HI> more then <HI>God the Fa|ther,</HI> and onely at the <HI>Father</HI> for <HI>Chri&s;ts &s;ake;</HI> and there|fore <HI>John</HI> in his Epi&s;tles, &s;peaketh often of tho&s;e that <HI>denyed Christ:</HI> See 1 <HI>John</HI> 2. 22. and 1 <HI>John</HI> 4. 3. 'tis true the <HI>School of Symon</HI> and &s;ome other Sex, held forth many fabu|lous things of God, and introduced <HI>multitude of Rulers</HI> by whom the world was governed; but this was to exclude Chri&s;t, and to make voyde that Soveraignty which the Scrip|tures a&s;&s;ert to be committed into his hands: The mo&s;t an|cient Here&s;ies were tho&s;e of the <HI>Simonians, Menandrians, Saturninians,</HI> who denyed the per&s;on of Chri&s;t; affirming <HI>Simon Magus</HI> to be Chri&s;t. And the <HI>Valentinians,</HI> who denyed his humane Nature, affirming that he brought his &s;ub&s;tance from Heaven, and onely pa&s;&s;ed through the <HI>Vir|gin Mary, like water through a Conduite:</HI> there is but <HI>one Objection</HI> again&s;t this expo&s;ition, and that is, if it be meant of Chri&s;t; then the Father will be excluded from being God, for Chri&s;t according to the &s;en&s;e alledged, is &s;aid to be <HI>onely Ma&s;ter, onely God</HI> and <HI>onely Lord;</HI> I An&s;wer, The expre&s;&s;ion doth not exclude either of the Per&s;ons of the Godhead, <HI>the Father</HI> or <HI>the Son;</HI> but onely <HI>the Creatures,</HI> and <HI>foigned Gods,</HI> e&s;pecially tho&s;e <HI>feigned Rulers</HI> and <HI>G<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">|vornors of the world&punc;</HI> which the School of <HI>Simon,</HI> and the <HI>Nicholaitans</HI> introduced under the horrid names of <HI>Barbel, Abrakan and Kavlakan, &amp;c.</HI> and indeed &s;uch kinde of ex|pre&s;&s;ions are frequent in Scripture, as <HI>I&s;a. 44. 8. Is there a</HI>
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<HI>God be&s;ide me? yea there is no God, I know not any:</HI> So <HI>I&s;a. 45. 5. I am the Lord, there is none el&s;e, there is none be&s;ides me:</HI> All which expre&s;&s;ions are meant of Chri&s;t, as appear|eth not onely by the Titles of <HI>Saviour</HI> and <HI>Redeemer,</HI> given to the God that there &s;peaketh; but al&s;o by divers pa&s;&s;ages therein proper to him; yea by a quotation of the Apo&s;tles. Compare <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 45. 22. 23. with <HI>Rom.</HI> 14. 11. and <HI>Phil.</HI> 2. 2. Again you &s;hall finde like pa&s;&s;ages of God the Father, where <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">e is &s;aid to be <HI>onely true God,</HI> Joh. 7. 3. <HI>This is life eter|nal to know thee the onely true God, and Je&s;us Chri&s;t whom thou ha&s;t &s;ent;</HI> which is not exclu&s;ive of <HI>other per&s;ons,</HI> but of <HI>other Gods,</HI> and the Scriptures &s;peak thus, becau&s;e of the <HI>unity of the Divine E&s;&s;ence,</HI> which all the per&s;ons communicate one with another.</P>
<P>The Expo&s;ition of the words now they are vindicated will be ea&s;ie, [And denying] this is done either <HI>openly</HI> or <HI>covertly. Openly,</HI> when Chri&s;t is cleerly renounced and oppo&s;ed. Covertly, Chri&s;t is denyed either by the <HI>filthy conver&s;ation</HI> of Chri&s;tians, or el&s;e by Heretical in&s;inuations, &s;triking at his per&s;on and natures at a di&s;tance, both are in|tended for the&s;e &s;educers, though they <HI>denyed Chri&s;t,</HI> yet they had&punc; their <HI>pretences</HI> and <HI>illu&s;ions,</HI> this Chri&s;t whom they denied is de&s;cribed, by his <HI>relation in the World [the onely Ma&s;ter, or Ruler</HI>] this word is oppo&s;ed to their doting conceit of <HI>many Rulers,</HI> between whom the Regiment of the World was divided, the next Title is [<GAP DESC="foreign"> <HI>God</HI>] &s;o Chri&s;t is cal|led becau&s;e of his divine nature, and then [<HI>our Lord</HI>] he &s;aith [<HI>our</HI>] partly to &s;hew that this was the Title that he bore in <HI>relation to the Church,</HI> they being his peculiar people by his <HI>fathers gift</HI> and his <HI>own percha&s;e,</HI> partly to awaken their zeal by a con&s;ideration of <HI>the intere&s;t,</HI> which they had in this Lord, thus denied; and then the other word [<HI>Lord</HI>] is proper to Chri&s;ts Mediator-&s;hip, &s;ee 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 8. 5. there remaineth but Chri&s;ts name [Je&s;us Chri&s;t] the word [<HI>Je|&s;us</HI>] is opened <HI>Math. 1. 21. Thou &s;halt call his name Je&s;us, for he &s;hall &s;ave his people from their &s;ins,</HI> and it implieth here that Chri&s;ts Lord&s;hip &s;hal be admini&s;tred for the &s;alvation of the Church; the other word [<HI>Chri&s;t</HI>] &s;ignifieth <HI>anointed,</HI>
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which noteth his de&s;ignation from God to be <HI>King, Prie&s;t,</HI> and <HI>Prophet,</HI> I do thus particularly open the terms, be|cau&s;e I &s;uppo&s;e the Apo&s;tles &s;cope is to give us a <HI>&s;um of the Chri&s;tian Doctrine,</HI> concerning the <HI>per&s;on, natures</HI> and <HI>Offi|ces</HI> of Je&s;us Chri&s;t, all which were one way or other impug|ned by the &s;educers of that age.</P>
<P>The points that might be drawn hence are many, for a ta&s;t take the&s;e.</P>
<P><HI>That Je&s;us Chri&s;t is M<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="missing" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;ter and Lord, <GAP DESC="foreign">, King of nations,</HI> Jer. 10. 7. and <HI>King of Saints,</HI> Rev. 15.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 1.</NOTE> 3. or as the Apo&s;tle in one place, <HI>Head over all things to the Church,</HI> Eph. 1. 22. he is <HI>over all things</HI> Supream and ab&s;o|lute, but the Churches <HI>head,</HI> from whom they receive all manner of <HI>influence,</HI> he hath <HI>a rod of Iron</HI> to <HI>rule the Nati|ons,</HI> and a <HI>golden Scepter</HI> to <HI>guide</HI> the <HI>Church,</HI> in the <HI>World</HI> he ruleth by his <HI>Providences,</HI> in the Church by his <HI>Te&s;timo|nies,</HI> P&s;al. 93. <HI>per totum.</HI> In the World the attribute mani|fe&s;ted is <HI>Power,</HI> in the Church, <HI>Grace;</HI> well then, here is comfort to Gods people, <HI>your Lord</HI> is the <HI>Worlds Ma&s;ter, let the waves wave, the Lord reigneth, P&s;al.</HI> 93. You need not fear, he is not onely <HI>Lord</HI> to protect you, but <HI>Ma&s;ter</HI> of them that ri&s;e up again&s;t you: Again, who would not chu&s;e him to be <HI>a Lord</HI> when whether we will or no, he is <HI>our Ma&s;ter;</HI> and <HI>bow the knee</HI> to him, that will el&s;e <HI>break the back;</HI> and touch his <HI>g<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="missing" EXTENT="1 letter">lden Scepter,</HI> lea&s;t we be broken with his Rod of Iron; and take <HI>hold of his &s;trength by faith,</HI> lea&s;t we feel it <HI>in di&s;plea&s;ure;</HI> Lord let me feel the <HI>efficacy of thy grace,</HI> rather then the <HI>power of thine anger.</HI></P>
<P>Ob&s;erve again: <HI>That Chri&s;t is Lord and Je&s;us,</HI> he came<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 2.</NOTE> to <HI>rule,</HI> and he came to <HI>&s;ave:</HI> I &s;hall handle the&s;e two Ti|tles. 1. <HI>Conjunctly,</HI> and then, 2. <HI>Singly</HI> and <HI>apart.</HI></P>
<P>1. Conjunctly, <HI>Let all I&s;rael know that God hath made this Je&s;us whom ye have crucified Lord and Chri&s;t, Acts</HI> 2. 36. 'Tis u&s;ual to ob&s;erve in Chri&s;ts &s;tile and Title, a mixture of <HI>words of power, and words of goodne&s;s and mercy.</HI> See <HI>I&s;a. 9. 6. &amp; a tibi pa&s;&s;im,</HI> now for what end? partly to &s;hew that he is a <HI>de&s;ireable friend,</HI> and a <HI>dreadful adver&s;ary:</HI> part|ly to &s;et forth the <HI>my&s;tery of his per&s;on,</HI> in whom the two Na|tures
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did meet, partly to &s;hew that he is not good out of <HI>im|potency</HI> and <HI>weakne&s;s;</HI> if we pardon and do good 'tis out of <HI>need;</HI> God is <HI>&s;trong enough</HI> to revenge, but <HI>gracious enough</HI> to &s;ave and pardon: <HI>Power</HI> maketh us <HI>cruel; Who findeth his enemy and &s;layeth him not?</HI> if we forbear, 'tis out of <HI>policy,</HI> not out of <HI>pitty: the &s;onnes of</HI> Zerviah <HI>may be too hard for us,</HI> but Chri&s;t who is the <HI>great Lord,</HI> he is al&s;o <HI>Je&s;us,</HI> he hath the <HI>greate&s;t power,</HI> and the <HI>greatest mercy; mighty,</HI> but yet a <HI>Saviour:</HI> Partly to &s;hew how we &s;hould receive him; we &s;hould not onely <HI>come to him for ea&s;e,</HI> but <HI>take his yoke,</HI> Mat. 11. 28, 29. Give him your <HI>hearts</HI> as well as your <HI>con|&s;ciences;</HI> if Chri&s;t <HI>&s;ave,</HI> let not <HI>&s;in Lord it.</HI> What a pittifull thing is it when men would have Chri&s;t to <HI>redeem them,</HI> and <HI>Sathan to rule and gov<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">rn them? <GAP DESC="foreign">, we will not have this man to reign over us,</HI> Luke 19. 14. There the bu&s;ine&s;&s;e &s;ticks; the <HI>carnal mind is enmity to the Law,</HI> Rom. 8. Lu&s;ts cannot endure to hear of a re&s;traint, and therefore we oppo&s;e mo&s;t Chri&s;ts <HI>Nomothetick power;</HI> like angry Dogs we <HI>gnaw the chain:</HI> the language of every car|dal heart is, <HI>our lips are our own, who is Lord over us?</HI> P&s;al. 12. 4. To be controled for <HI>every word, every thought, every action,</HI> we cannot endure it. Oh con&s;ider <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> hath many enemies, but they are his chief enemies that doe with&s;tand <HI>his reigning,</HI> Luke 14. 29. <HI>Tho&s;e mine enemies that would not that I &s;hould reign over them,</HI> &amp;c.</P>
<P>Secondly: Let us handle the&s;e two titles &s;ingly and a|part.</P>
<P>1. He is <HI>Lord,</HI> Acts 10. 36. <HI>Je&s;us Chri&s;t he is Lord of all.</HI> As he is <HI>God</HI> he hath the <HI>&s;ame glory</HI> with the Father; as <HI>Me|diatour</HI> there is a <HI>dominion</HI> that re&s;ults from his Office; for &s;o he is the <HI>heir of all things,</HI> the <HI>head of all creatures,</HI> and <HI>King of the Church,</HI> and at the la&s;t day the <HI>Judge of all men.</HI> But he is chiefly a <HI>Lord</HI> becau&s;e of his <HI>heritage</HI> in the Church; a <HI>Lord</HI> over his <HI>own people,</HI> who are given to him for a <HI>po&s;&s;e&s;&s;i|on</HI> by God the Father, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 2. 8. and bought <HI>with his own blood,</HI> Acts 20. 28. and taken into <HI>a Marriage-covenant with him,</HI> Eph. 5. 25, 26, 27. And as <HI>Sarah</HI> called her husband <HI>Lord,</HI> &s;o mu&s;t the Church own <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> for <HI>Lord</HI> and <HI>Hu&s;|band.</HI>
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Well then, let us acknowledge the <HI>dominion of Chri&s;t,</HI> let him be <HI>Lord alone in his own hou&s;e;</HI> let us yeeld &s;ubjection and obedience to him; let us beware of depriving him of that honour to which he hath &s;o good a right: You will &s;ay, who are tho&s;e that deny Chri&s;t his <HI>Lord&s;hip?</HI> I an&s;wer. 1. They that will not hear his voice, that &s;light his calls; he inviteth them and prayeth them that they will look into their hearts, con&s;ider their eternal condition, but they <HI>quench the Spirit,</HI> &s;mother light, re&s;i&s;t all the&s;e motions; the&s;e will not hear Chri&s;ts voyce; he intreateth, prayeth that we will come and put our &s;ouls under his Government, and we in effect &s;ay, <HI>we are Lords and will not come at thee,</HI> Jer. 2. 31. We are well enough, and &s;hall doe well enough without any &s;uch care and &s;trictne&s;s.</P>
<P>2. <HI>They that cannot endure his restraints,</HI> Jer. 31. 18&punc; <HI>Thou art as a bullock unaccu&s;tomed to the yoke.</HI> They cannot en|dure to hear of denying their <HI>fa&s;hions,</HI> their <HI>lu&s;ts,</HI> their <HI>plea|&s;ures,</HI> their <HI>vain thoughts,</HI> when every <HI>thought,</HI> and every <HI>de|&s;ire</HI> mu&s;t be under a Law; &s;o much time &s;pent in duties, &s;uch gravity in the conver&s;ation, &s;uch awe in their &s;peechs, they break off like a <HI>wanton heifer;</HI> vain and licentious &s;pirits will not be yoked and clogged thus, <HI>Mal. 1. 14. What a weari|ne&s;s is it?</HI> Sacrifice upon &s;acrifice! &s;uch waiting upon God! they cannot endure it. Man is compared to a <HI>wild A&s;&s;e-col<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">,</HI> not onely for <HI>gro&s;ne&s;s</HI> of <HI>conceit,</HI> but for <HI>un<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">a<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">edne&s;s</HI> and <HI>wildne&s;s,</HI> Job 11. We would roam abroad without re|&s;traint.</P>
<P>3. They are given up to &s;trong and inordinate de&s;ires of liberty; when men quarrel at duties rather than practice them, think it a kind of happine&s;s to be <HI>free,</HI> and that there is <HI>no freedom but in &s;inn<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ng,</HI> and following the bent and &s;way of their own hearts, are all for <HI>breaking bands,</HI> and <HI>di&s;&s;olving cords,</HI> P&s;al. 2 4.</P>
<P>4. The&s;e are bewrayed by a <HI>proud contempt, and ob&s;tinacie again&s;t in&s;truction and reproof,</HI> Jer. 5. 5. <HI>I will goe to the great men and &s;peak to them, but the&s;e have altogether bur&s;t the yoke, and broken the bands,</HI> they had ca&s;t off all re&s;pect and obedi|ence to God, <HI>Jer. 13. 15. Hear, give ear, be not proud,</HI> &amp;c. So
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<HI>Heb. 13. 12. Suffer the words of exhortaiion,</HI> &amp;c. Some &s;pirits are impatient and recoile with the more violence upon a re|proof, and &s;torm and vex, which argueth <HI>much un&s;ubjection</HI> of heart to Chri&s;t.</P>
<P>Secondly: he is <HI>Je&s;us,</HI> which &s;ignifyeth a <HI>Saviour;</HI> now Chri&s;t is a Saviour <HI>po&s;itively</HI> as well as <HI>privately,</HI> he giveth us <HI>&s;piritual ble&s;&s;ings,</HI> as well as <HI>freedom from mi&s;ery,</HI> Joh. 3. 17. <HI>That they &s;hould not peri&s;h but have everla&s;ting life.</HI> Again, he is a Saviour, not onely by <HI>way of deliverance</HI> but by <HI>way of prevention,</HI> he doth not onely <HI>break the &s;nare,</HI> but <HI>keep our feet from falling:</HI> He is as a <HI>Shepheard</HI> to lead the flock, as well as a <HI>Phy&s;itian</HI> to heal the di&s;ea&s;ed: We doe not take notice of <HI>preventive mercies,</HI> and yet <HI>prevention</HI> is better than <HI>e&s;cape.</HI> Again, he is a <HI>Saviour by merit,</HI> and <HI>by power;</HI> for he hath not only to doe with <HI>God</HI> but with <HI>Sathan;</HI> God is to be <HI>&s;atisfied,</HI> and <HI>Sathan overcome,</HI> and therefore he re|&s;cueth us out of the hands of Sathan, and redeemeth us out of the hands of Gods Ju&s;tice. To <HI>re&s;cue a condemned Malefactor,</HI> and take him by force out of the Executioners hands, is not enough, the Judge al&s;o mu&s;t be &s;atisfied, and pa&s;&s;e a pardon, or the man is not &s;afe: <HI>Chri&s;t hath pulled us out of the power of darkne&s;&s;e,</HI> Col. 1. 13. and in him the <HI>Father is well plea&s;ed,</HI> Mat. 3. 17. There needeth al&s;o <HI>power</HI> to work upon our hearts, as well as <HI>merit</HI> to &s;atisfie God. Before his Exaltation he redeemed us, then he de&s;erved it, and there|fore 'tis &s;aid, <HI>We have &s;alvation by his death,</HI> 1 The&s;. 5. 9. After his exaltation he worketh it, and &s;o we <HI>are &s;aved by his life,</HI> Rom. 5. 10. So that <HI>living</HI> and <HI>dying</HI> he is ours, that <HI>living</HI> and <HI>dying</HI> we may be his; we have the <HI>power of his Exaltation</HI> as well as the <HI>merit of his humiliation.</HI> Once more, he &s;aveth us not onely for a while, but for ever, and therefore 'tis called an <HI>eternal &s;alvation,</HI> Heb. 5. 9. not onely from <HI>temporal mi&s;ery</HI> but from <HI>hell</HI> and <HI>damnation,</HI> not only the <HI>body</HI> is &s;aved but the <HI>&s;oul,</HI> and the <HI>&s;oul</HI> not onely from <HI>hell</HI> but the <HI>fear of hell,</HI> Heb. 2. 14. from the <HI>fear</HI> as well as the <HI>hurt,</HI> from <HI>de&s;pair</HI> and <HI>want of hope,</HI> as well as from the mi&s;ery it &s;elf. Yet again, he &s;aveth us not only from the <HI>evils after &s;in</HI> but the <HI>evil of &s;in,</HI> Mat. 1. 21. <HI>He &s;hall &s;ave his people</HI>
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<HI>from their &s;ins,</HI> there is the chiefe&s;t part of his &s;alvation. He doth not onely &s;ave us <HI>in part,</HI> but <HI>&s;aves us to the uttermo&s;t,</HI> Heb. 7. 25. He giveth us life, and all things nece&s;&s;ary to life. Well then,</P>
<P>1. Ble&s;&s;e God for <HI>Je&s;us Chri&s;t,</HI> that he took the cure of our &s;alvation into his own hands, he would not tru&s;t an Angel, none was fit for it, <HI>I&s;a. 59. I looked and there was no Saviour, therefore mine own arm wrought out &s;alvation;</HI> there are poor creatures, like to peri&s;h for want of a Saviour, I will goe down and help them, as <HI>Jonah</HI> when he &s;aw the tempe&s;t, <HI>Ca&s;t me into the &s;ea;</HI> &s;o when we had rai&s;ed a tempe&s;t, ca&s;t me in (&s;aith Chri&s;t) <HI>Lo I am come to do thy will.</HI></P>
<P>2. Get an intere&s;t in Chri&s;t, <HI>Luke 1. 47. My &s;pirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.</HI> Intere&s;t is the true ground of comfort and rejoycing, what mu&s;t we doe to get this inte|re&s;t? I an&s;wer,</P>
<P>1. <HI>Reject all other Saviours,</HI> Acts 4. 12. <HI>There is &s;alvation in no other:</HI> nothing could &s;ave <HI>Noah</HI> and his Family but the <HI>Ark;</HI> if they had devi&s;ed <HI>Ships,</HI> they would not hold out again&s;t the <HI>deluge;</HI> e&s;pecially take heed of making Chri&s;t of <HI>&s;elf,</HI> &s;etting up thy <HI>own merit,</HI> or thy <HI>own power,</HI> the one in effect renounceth his <HI>humiliation,</HI> the other his <HI>exaltation:</HI> Chri&s;t came to <HI>&s;ave that which was lo&s;t;</HI> the &s;inking Di&s;ci|ples cryed out, <HI>Ma&s;ter &s;ave us, we peri&s;h.</HI> 'Tis long ere God bringeth us to this; till you are lo&s;t, why &s;hould you make choice of a Saviour; <HI>&s;wimming</HI> is not a thing that can be practi&s;ed a &s;hore or on firm land; till we are brought into <HI>di&s;tre&s;s</HI> we will never look for a <HI>Saviour.</HI></P>
<P>2. Be earne&s;t with God for <HI>an intere&s;t,</HI> and for the mani|fe&s;tation of it, <HI>P&s;al. 35. 3. Say unto my &s;oul I am thy &s;alvation:</HI> When the Soul hath cho&s;en God, <HI>Lam. 3. 24. The Lord is my portion &s;aith my &s;oul,</HI> I'll have no other Saviour, but I'll de|&s;ire the Lord to ratifie it by his con&s;ent; <HI>I am thy &s;alvation.</HI> Tho&s;e that would make u&s;e of Chri&s;ts &s;alvation in a tempo|ral way pre&s;&s;ed on him, untiled the hou&s;e to come at him, &s;o &s;hould we force our &s;elves upon him by an holy bold|ne&s;s.</P>
<P>Again, from the words ob&s;erve, <HI>The Son of God was</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervation.</NOTE>
<PB N="229" REF="123">
<HI>Chri&s;t that he might be Lord and Je&s;us;</HI> anointed of the Fa|ther that he might accompli&s;h our &s;alvations. This anoint|ing &s;ignifieth two things.</P>
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The <HI>quality</HI> and <HI>kind</HI> of his Office.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The Authority upon which it was founded.</ITEM>
</LIST>
<P>Fir&s;t, it noteth the <HI>nature</HI> of his Offices under the Old Te|&s;tament three &s;ort of per&s;ons were anointed, <HI>Kings, Prie&s;ts,</HI> and <HI>Prophets,</HI> and all the&s;e relations doth Chri&s;t &s;u&s;tain to the Church. Men that were to be &s;aved lay under a three|fold nece&s;&s;ity, <HI>ignorance, di&s;tance</HI> from God, and <HI>inability</HI> to return to him; &s;uitably Chri&s;t is a Prophet to &s;hew us our <HI>mi&s;ery;</HI> a Prie&s;t to provide a <HI>remedy;</HI> a King to in&s;tate us in that remedy; therefore according to the&s;e three Offices doth the Scripture u&s;e words in de&s;cribing the benefits we have by Chri&s;t, <HI>John 14. 6. I am the way, the truth, and the life.</HI> Chri&s;t is the way As a Prie&s;t, for his <HI>oblation</HI> and <HI>in|terce&s;&s;ion,</HI> we have the boldne&s;&s;e to come to God; the <HI>truth</HI> as a <HI>Prophet,</HI> the life as a <HI>King;</HI> take life either for the royal donatives of Grace or Glory. So 1 <HI>Cor. 1. 30. He is made to us wi&s;dom, righteov&s;ne&s;s, &s;anctification, and redemp<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ion.</HI> We are ignorant, fooli&s;h creatures, therefore Chri&s;t is made to us <HI>Wi&s;dom</HI> as a <HI>Prophet;</HI> we are guilty creatures, and there|fore <HI>righteou&s;ne&s;s</HI> as a <HI>Prie&s;t;</HI> &s;infull creatures, therefore <HI>&s;anctification;</HI> mi&s;erable creatures, liable to deach and hell&punc; therefore <HI>redemp<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ion,</HI> and both the&s;e as a King: 'twas ne|ce&s;&s;ary that the way of our &s;alvation &s;hould be opened, ef|fected, and applyed, therefore did Chri&s;t fir&s;t come from heaven as a <HI>Prophet</HI> to preach the Go&s;pel, and then offer up him&s;elf through the eternal Spirit as a <HI>Prie&s;t,</HI> and la&s;t of all &s;ei&s;e upon the <HI>Mediatorial throne,</HI> as <HI>King</HI> of the Church. Well then, if our blindne&s;&s;e and ignorance trou|bleth us, let us make u&s;e of Chri&s;ts <HI>Prophetical Office,</HI> that he may teach us the whole coun&s;el of God; if we are haun|ted by <HI>troubles,</HI> and the accu&s;ations of our own con&s;cience, let us &s;prinkle our hearts with the blood of our high Prie&s;t, that they may be pacified; if we have any de&s;ire to be granted, let us make u&s;e of his interce&s;&s;ion; if we be di&s;|couraged by our own weakne&s;&s;e, and the power of our <HI>&s;pi|ritual</HI>
<PB N="230" REF="124">
<HI>enemies:</HI> let us run for <HI>protection</HI> to our <HI>King</HI> through whom the Saints are more then Conquerors.</P>
<P>2. It noteth <HI>the Authority</HI> upon which his Office is found|ed, <HI>he was annointed thereto by God the Father,</HI> who in the work of Redemption is repre&s;ented as the <HI>offended party,</HI> and <HI>&s;upream Judge;</HI> and &s;o 'tis a great comfort to us that Chri&s;t is a Mediatour of Gods chu&s;ing: when <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> interpo&s;ed of his own accord, he was refu&s;ed; <HI>blot me out of thy book:</HI> no &s;aith the Lord, <HI>The &s;oul that &s;inneth, him will I blot out of my Book:</HI> but now Je&s;us Chri&s;t took not this honour upon him, but was called of God thereunto; 'twas the will of the Father: &s;o that when we come to God, though we cannot &s;ay <HI>he is mine,</HI> yet we can &s;ay, <HI>Lord he is thine:</HI> a Sa|viour of thy &s;etting up, thou ha&s;t Authorized him, and wilt own thine own way, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<P>Once more ob&s;erve, (which indeed is a point that lyeth<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 4.</NOTE> full in the eye of the Text) <HI>That Je&s;us Chri&s;t the ma&s;ter of the world and Lord of the Church is true God.</HI> For 'tis &s;aid here [<HI>denying the onely Lord God, and our Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t</HI>] It would &s;eem a &s;trange thing that I &s;hould go about to prove the <HI>God head of Chri&s;t</HI> were not <HI>bla&s;phemy</HI> grown &s;o common, and appearing abroad with &s;o bold a forehead; heretofore it was a <HI>grievous abhomina<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ion</HI> to the children of God, when &s;uch <HI>a thought</HI> ru&s;hed into their minds; but now &s;ome promote it as <HI>a &s;ettled oppinion:</HI> 'tis Satans policy to <HI>loo&s;en a corner stone,</HI> though he cannot wholly pull it out, he &s;triveth all that he can to make the main Articles of Re|ligion &s;eem <HI>at lea&s;t que&s;tionable:</HI> But Chri&s;tians be not &s;hak|en in minde, the foundation of the Lord &s;tandeth &s;ure; I confe&s;s I &s;hould wholly omit &s;uch di&s;putes; in <HI>fundamental Articles,</HI> we &s;houldnot allow <HI>a &s;cruple; Thou &s;halt not en|quire</HI> after <HI>their Gods, Deut.</HI> 12. 30. But when &s;uch con|ceits are not onely <HI>Sathanical injections,</HI> but mens <HI>&s;ettled opinions,</HI> 'tis good to e&s;tabli&s;h the heart in &s;uch principles as this is: that Chri&s;t is God, appeareth by <HI>expre&s;s Scripture,</HI> where he is called th<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> <HI>true God, 1 John</HI> 5. 20. the <HI>great God, Tit.</HI> 2. 13. to &s;hew that he is not a <HI>God Inferiour</HI> to the <HI>Fa|ther,</HI> but <HI>equal</HI> in <HI>power</HI> and <HI>glory,</HI> and that not by <HI>courte&s;ie</HI>
<PB N="231" REF="124">
and <HI>grant,</HI> but by <HI>Nature.</HI> So he is called the <HI>Mighty God, the everla&s;ting father</HI> I&s;a. 9. 6. and <HI>God over all, Rom.</HI> 9. 6. proofs &s;o evident and pregnant, that they need no illu&s;trati|on, and that he is a God equal to the Father, appeareth al&s;o by expre&s;s Texts of Scripture, <HI>Phil. 2. 6. He was in the form of God, and thought it no robbery to be equal with God,</HI> and Col. 2. 9. in <HI>him dwelleth the fulne&s;s of the God-head bodily:</HI> the Saints are <HI>made partakers of the Divine nature, 2 Pet.</HI> 1. 5. but in him the <HI>whole God-head</HI> dwelt <HI>per&s;onally,</HI> and all this was no u&s;urpation of a mothers right; the <HI>Jews</HI> would have &s;toned him, <HI>becau&s;e he &s;aid God was his Father, making him&s;elf equal with God;</HI> therefore he meant it not in an ordinary &s;en&s;e, and indeed if he be a God, he is a <HI>God by Nature,</HI> for <HI>God will not give his glory to another.</HI> Again, God he mu&s;t needs be, if you con&s;ider the work he ought to do: the work of the Mediator could be di&s;patched by no inferiour agent: as <HI>Prophet,</HI> he was to be greater then all other <HI>Prophets</HI> and <HI>Apostles;</HI> for the <HI>great Doctor</HI> of the Church ought to be <HI>Authentick</HI> a Law-giver from who&s;e &s;entence there is no appeal: A <HI>Lord in his own hou&s;e, Heb.</HI> 3, 6 one to whom <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> was but a <HI>&s;ervant,</HI> for to him he <HI>gave the Law, Heb.</HI> 12. 29. One that is to be a <HI>Foun<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ain of&punc; wi&s;dom</HI> to all the Elect, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 1. 30. One that mu&s;t not onely <HI>teach</HI> but <HI>give eyes</HI> to &s;ee, and <HI>ears to hear,</HI> and an <HI>heart to learn:</HI> con&s;ider him <HI>as a King,</HI> a <HI>finite power</HI> cannot break the force of enemies, pour out the &s;pirit, rai&s;e the dead, be&s;tow grace and glory, and become an <HI>original fountain</HI> of life to all the Elect; all the&s;e things are proper to God, the glory which he will not give to another: Con&s;ider him as a <HI>Prie&s;t,</HI> and there is two Acts, <HI>Oblation</HI> and <HI>Interce&s;&s;ion,</HI> and &s;till you will finde that he mu&s;t be God; for his <HI>Oblation,</HI> he mu&s;t be one that could offer up him&s;elf, <HI>Heb.</HI> 9. 14. and there|fore mu&s;t have <HI>power over his own life,</HI> Iohn 10. 18. <HI>to lay it down and take it up,</HI> which no creature hath: And he mu&s;t offer him&s;elf <HI>one for all, 2 Cor.</HI> 5. 15. the per&s;on that &s;uffered was to be infinite, as good and better then all theirs that &s;hould have &s;uffered, as they &s;aid to <HI>David, thou art better then a thou&s;and of us;</HI> and this &s;uffering was to be <HI>but once:</HI>
<PB N="232" REF="125">
now the wages of &s;in are <HI>eternal death,</HI> &s;omething there mu&s;t be to compen&s;ate the <HI>eternity of the puni&s;hment,</HI> and nothing could counterpo&s;e <HI>eternity,</HI> but the <HI>infinitene&s;s</HI> and <HI>excellency</HI> of <HI>Chri&s;ts per&s;on,</HI> as a payment in Gold taketh up <HI>le&s;s room,</HI> then a payment in &s;ilver, but the <HI>value is a<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> much:</HI> 'twas nece&s;&s;ary that he &s;hould <HI>overcome the puni&s;hment,</HI> for if he were always &s;uffering, we could have <HI>no a&s;&s;ureance</HI> that God were &s;atisfied, and the end was to <HI>expiate &s;in,</HI> nothing but an <HI>infinite Good</HI> could remedy &s;o great an evil, <HI>the per&s;on wronged</HI> is <HI>infinite,</HI> &s;o is the <HI>per&s;on &s;uffering;</HI> and then his death was not only to be a <HI>ran&s;ome,</HI> but a <HI>price,</HI> not only <GAP DESC="foreign">, but <GAP DESC="foreign">: a &s;urety to an ordinary credi|tor, payeth the debt, and freeth the debtor from bonds; Chri&s;t was to bring us <HI>into grace</HI> and <HI>favour with God,</HI> and to merit Heaven for us: now for the other act of his Prie&s;t|hood his <HI>Interce&s;&s;ion;</HI> &s;o he was to know our <HI>per&s;ons</HI> and our <HI>wants</HI> and <HI>nece&s;&s;ities,</HI> as the high Prie&s;t had <HI>the names</HI> of the twelve&punc; Tribes on <HI>his Brea&s;t</HI> and <HI>&s;houlders, Exod.</HI> 28. 12&punc; 29. and then he is to negotiate with God in the behalf of all be|leevers, and to di&s;patch ble&s;&s;ings &s;utable to their &s;tate: and who can do this but God who knoweth the heart, and try|eth the reins? in &s;hort, to be a <HI><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">it Interce&s;&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ur for all the El<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ct</HI> he is to know our <HI>needs, thoughts, &s;ins, prayers, de&s;ires, pur|po&s;es,</HI> and to waite on our bu&s;ine&s;s day and night, that wrath may not break out upon us, &s;o that his work <HI>as mediatour,</HI> &s;heweth him to be <HI>God.</HI></P>
<P>Well then we learn hence.</P>
<P>1. That Chri&s;t is a proper Object for faith, faith <HI>is built</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">&V;&s;es.</NOTE> <HI>on God, 1 Pet.</HI> 1. 21. and Chri&s;t is God, and therefore his merit was &s;ufficient to redeem the Church, who is therefore &s;aid to be <HI>purcha&s;ed by the blood of God, Acts</HI> 20. 28. this maketh him able to &s;anctifie us, and purge us, for his <HI>blood was offered through the eternal &s;pirit,</HI> Heb. 9. 14. <HI>as God</HI> he knoweth our wants; for as to his divine nature he knoweth all things, and then he hath an humane nature, that hath had experience of them <HI>he is able as God,</HI> to give in the &s;up|plies of the &s;pirit, to <HI>&s;ave to the uttermo&s;t, Heb.</HI> 7. 25. God manife&s;ted in our fle&s;h, is a <HI>firm Ba&s;is</HI> for <HI><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">aith</HI> and <HI>comfort.</HI></P>
<P><PB N="233" REF="125">2. Since he was <HI>God by Nature,</HI> let us ob&s;erve the love of Chri&s;t in <HI>becomming man;</HI> men &s;hew their love to one ano|ther when they hang their <HI>Picture</HI> about their neck: what did Chri&s;t when he took our <HI>Nature?</HI> to &s;ee the <HI>great God,</HI> in the form of a <HI>&s;ervant,</HI> or hanging upon the Cro&s;s, how wonderful! <HI>God manife&s;ted in our fle&s;h</HI> is a my&s;tery fit for the &s;peculation of Angels, 1 <HI>Tim</HI> 3. 16. with 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 1. 11. it would have &s;eemed <HI>a bla&s;phemy</HI> for us to have thought it; to have de&s;ired it: among the <HI>Fryars,</HI> they count it a migh|ty honour done to their order, if a great Prince when he is weary of the world, commeth among them and taketh <HI>their habit,</HI> and dyeth in <HI>their habit:</HI> certainly 'tis a mighty honour to mankinde that Chri&s;t took <HI>our nature</HI> and dyed in our nature, and that he was <HI>made &s;in, made man, made a cur&s;e:</HI> Let us de&s;ire to be <HI>made partakers of his nature,</HI> as he was of ours, this is our preferment to be <HI>be partakers of the divine nature, 2 Pet.</HI> 1. 5. as this was his aba&s;ement, the <HI>Sun of righteou&s;ne&s;s went backward,</HI> there was the miracle; and let us u&s;e our &s;elves more honourably for the time to come that we may not defile that nature which the Son of God a&s;&s;umed.</P>
<P>3. 'Tis an invitation, to pre&s;s us <HI>to come to Chri&s;t,</HI> and by <HI>Chri&s;t to God:</HI> The great work of the Mini&s;ters is like that, of <HI>Eli<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">zer, Abrahams</HI> &s;ervant, <HI>to &s;eek a match for our Ma&s;ters &s;on;</HI> our way to win you, is to tell you what he is, he is <HI>God man</HI> in <HI>on per&s;on,</HI> he is <HI>man</HI> that you may not be <HI>afraid</HI> of him: <HI>God</HI> that he may be <HI>&s;ufficient</HI> to do you good; the <HI>Lord of Lords, King of Kings,</HI> the <HI>heir of all things:</HI> the Sa|viour of the world: this <HI>is your beloved, ye daughters of Je|ru&s;alem:</HI> He <HI>knoweth</HI> your wants, is <HI>able</HI> to &s;upply them, though you are <HI>unworthy:</HI> come, he needeth <HI>no portion</HI> with you, we can bring nothing to him, he hath <HI>enough in him|&s;ell,</HI> as <HI>E&s;ther</HI> the <HI>poor virgin,</HI> had <HI>garments</HI> out of the Kings Wardrobe, <HI>E&s;ther</HI> 2. 12. and the <HI>perfumes</HI> and <HI>odors</HI> given her on the Kings co&s;t; therefore come to him, 'tis <HI>danger to neglect him:</HI> &s;ee that ye <HI>refu&s;e not him that &s;peaketh from Heaven,</HI> Heb. 12. 25. 'tis <HI>God</HI> wooeth you, hee'l take you with nothing&punc; he is <HI>al &s;u<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="3 letters">cient,</HI> you bringing him nothing
<PB N="234" REF="126">
but <HI>all&punc; nece&s;&s;ity,</HI> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">e will protect you, maintain you, give you a Dowry as large a<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> heart can wi&s;h: Therefore leave no<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> till you come to <HI>I am my Beloveds, and he is mine.</HI></P>
<P>I come now to the Word, implying their guilt, <GAP DESC="foreign">,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;erv. 5.</NOTE> <HI>Denying&punc;</HI> Ob&s;erve, <HI>That it is an horrible&punc; Impiety to deny th<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> Lord Je&s;us:</HI> When he would make the&s;e Seducers odious, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">e giveth them this character. Now C<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ri&s;t is many ways de|nyed, I &s;hall refer them to two heads, In <HI>Opinion,</HI> and <HI>Pra|cti&s;e.</HI></P>
<P>1. In Opinion, So Chri&s;t is denyed when men deny hi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> <HI>Natures</HI> or <HI>Offices.</HI> 1. His <HI>Natures;</HI> His <HI>Deity</HI> or <HI>Huma|nity:</HI> As tho&s;e ancient and wicked Hereticks <HI><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">ion</HI> and <HI>Ce|rinthus;</HI> and that's the rea&s;on why <HI>John</HI> beginneth his Go|&s;pel (which was la&s;t written) with a de&s;cription of his <HI>God-head,</HI> and is &s;o zealous again&s;t them in his Epi&s;tles; as al&s;o <HI>Jude</HI> and <HI>Peter. E<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ion, Cerinthus,</HI> and <HI><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">arpocrates,</HI> and others, held&punc; he was begotten as others are, by the help of a man. <HI>M<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="4 letters"></HI> held the Son of God to be <HI>a part of his <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">|thers &s;ub&s;tance. Satur<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ius, Ba&s;ilides, Cordion,</HI> with other<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> denyed the <HI>Humanity of Chri&s;t,</HI> &s;aying, He only appe<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">r<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters"> in <HI>the &s;hape of a man. Samo&s;atenus</HI> held God was not other|wi&s;e in Chri&s;t then in the Prophets. <HI>Eutiche<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"></HI> held there was in Chri&s;t but <HI>one Nature</HI> which was made up of the <HI>c<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">m|mixture</HI> of his <HI>Fle&s;h</HI> with his <HI>Divinity,</HI> as water is m<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">ed with Wine&punc; <HI>Ne&s;torius</HI> would give him <HI>two Per&s;onalities,</HI> becau&s;e he had <HI>two&punc; Natures.</HI> The <HI>Marcio<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ites&punc;</HI> affirmed&punc; Chri&s;t &s;uffered not <HI>really,</HI> but in <HI>&s;hew.</HI> Thus you &s;ee how bu&s;ie the Divel hath been, and always is, about this <HI>main Article.</HI></P>
<P>2. His Offices of <HI>King, Prie&s;t,</HI> and <HI>Prophet</HI> have been de|nyed by none, as I remember, but yet often made void, and of none effect. <HI>Antichri&s;tiani&s;m</HI> is perfectly the <HI>evacuating of Chri&s;ts-Offices:</HI> The Papi&s;ts &s;et up <HI>Head again&s;t Head,</HI> which is the <HI>&s;pirit of Antichristiani&s;m;</HI> They make void his <HI>Prie&s;t|ly Office</HI> by <HI>Indulgences, Purgatory, Doctrine of Merit:</HI> Hi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> <HI>Prophetical Office,</HI> by Doctrines of men, and <HI>unwritten Tra|ditions.</HI> So <HI>Socinians</HI> make void his Prie&s;thood, by denying his &s;atisfaction; and Papi&s;ts make void the other act of his
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Prie&s;thood, by &s;etting up <HI>Mediators of Interce&s;&s;ion,</HI> &amp;c.</P>
<P>2. Chri&s;t is denyed <HI>in Practi&s;e;</HI> and &s;o 1. By <HI>Apo&s;ta&s;ie,</HI> and <HI>total Revolt</HI> from him; <HI>Matth. 10. 33. Who&s;oever &s;hall deny me before men,</HI> &amp;c. None &s;in as Apo&s;tates do; for they do as it were, <HI>after Tryal,</HI> and upon <HI>deliberate judgement,</HI> acknowledge the <HI>Divel</HI> the <HI>better Ma&s;ter;</HI> they fir&s;t for &s;ook <HI>Sathan,</HI> and then came to <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> and then they go back again from <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> to <HI>Sathan;</HI> and &s;o do as it were tell the world, that with him is the <HI>be&s;t &s;ervice;</HI> and therefore it <HI>were better they had never known the way of righteou&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">e&s;s,</HI> &amp;c. 2 <HI>Pet.</HI> 2. 22. 2. By not profe&s;&s;ing Chri&s;t in evil times, for <HI>no<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> to profe&s;s, is to deny:</HI> &s;ee <HI>Matth.</HI> 10. 32, 33. and <HI>Mark</HI> 8. 38. in an age when men <HI>prove di&s;loyal</HI> in the Duty of the Covenant, called there an <HI>Adulterous generation:</HI> Some are <HI>a&s;hamed</HI> for fear of <HI>Di&s;grace,</HI> as well as <HI>afraid</HI> for fear of <HI>danger</HI> to own Chri&s;t, and the ways be&s;t plea&s;ing to him, this is to deny him. 3. <HI>Men deny Chri&s;t,</HI> when <HI>they pro|fe&s;s him, and walk unworthily and di&s;honourably to their Pro|fe&s;&s;ion: Actions</HI> are the be&s;t Image of mens <HI>Thoughts;</HI> now their Actions give their Profe&s;&s;ion the Lye; <HI>Titus</HI> 1. 16. <HI>They profe&s;s they know God, and in works they deny him.</HI> So 1 <HI>Tim. 5. 8. If any provide not for his own hou&s;e, he hath de|nyed the Faith;</HI> that is, done an act incompatible with the Chri&s;tian Faith, of which he maketh profe&s;&s;ion; which is <HI>Interpretative,</HI> a denying the Faith. For the more clear opening of this, con&s;ider the&s;e Propo&s;itions.</P>
<P>1. <HI>An empty profe&s;&s;ion of Chri&s;t is not enough,</HI> Now Chri&s;t is every where received, 'tis ea&s;ie to profe&s;s his Name. To be a <HI>Chri&s;tian in <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">eart</HI> and <HI>Con&s;cience</HI> was far more ea&s;ie to them in the <HI>Primitive times,</HI> then be &s;o in <HI>Name</HI> and <HI>Pro|fe&s;&s;ion,</HI> the Powers of the world being again&s;t that way: whereas the difficulty on our part lyeth on being <HI>Chri&s;tians in heart;</HI> 'tis no di&s;grace now to be a <HI>Chri&s;tia<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> outwardly;</HI> that <HI>oppo&s;ition</HI> and <HI>&s;corn</HI> which was then ca&s;t upon <HI>Chri&s;tiani|ty,</HI> would now be ca&s;t upon <HI>Judai&s;m,</HI> or <HI>Turci&s;m,</HI> or <HI>Pagan|i&s;m:</HI> The winds blow out of another corner, and that which was <HI>their di&s;couragement,</HI> may be <HI>our Motive,</HI> to wit, The <HI>Countenance of Civil Powers;</HI> all advantages lie this
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way. If in Chri&s;t's time <HI>they followed him for the loaves,</HI> now<NOTE PLACE="marg">John 6. 28. Gilbert. in Cant.</NOTE> they may much more: <HI>Quandoquidem panis Chri&s;ti jam pin|guis, factus e&s;t</HI> (&s;aith <HI>Gilbert) tractatur in Conciliis, di&s;ce|ptatur in Judiciis, di<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">putatur in Scholis, Cantatur in Eccle&s;iis, quae&s;tuo&s;a res e&s;t nomen Chri&s;ti:</HI> The world is well altered &s;ince the <HI>fir&s;t flight</HI> of Chri&s;tianity abroad; the Kings, and Princes, and Wi&s;e men of the World were then again&s;t it, every where was it hooted at as a <HI>novel</HI> and <HI>improbable Do|ctrine,</HI> but &s;ince (by <HI>long pre&s;cription of time</HI>) it hath gotten e&s;teem in the world, and is made the <HI>publike profe&s;&s;ion of Na|tions;</HI> and Kings and Princes have brought <HI>their glory into the Church;</HI> now Chri&s;t is <HI>handled in Councils, di&s;puted of</HI> in the <HI>Schools,</HI> and <HI>preached of</HI> in the <HI>A&s;&s;emblies&punc;</HI> &s;o that the <HI>gene|ral profe&s;&s;ion of Chri&s;tianity</HI> is a matter of no thanks: 'Tis ea&s;ie to be good where there nothing to draw us to the contrary; and therefore when Chri&s;t cometh to judgement, <HI>Pagani&s;m</HI> and <HI>loo&s;e profe&s;&s;ion of Chri&s;tianity</HI> &s;hal fare alike; for <HI>loo&s;e</HI> Chri|&s;tians are but <HI>Pagans</HI> under a <HI>Christians name:</HI> &s;ee <HI>Jer. 9. 25&punc; 26. The days &s;hall come, that I will puni&s;h all them that are un|circumci&s;ed, with them that are circumci&s;ed; Egypt, and Ju|dah, and Edom, and the children of Ammon, and Moab; for the&s;e Nations are uncircumci&s;ed in fle&s;h, and the hou&s;e of I&s;rael are uncircumci&s;ed in heart.</HI> 'Tis no advantage to bear Gods mark in our Bodies, and to hove no fruit of it in our Souls; This is but to cloath our &s;elves with the leaves of the Vine, without partaking the &s;ap. What difference is there between tho&s;e who in a <HI>loo&s;e Chri&s;tian profe&s;&s;ion</HI> are addicted to Luxu|ry, wantonne&s;s, quarrelling, prodigious lu&s;ts, and the <HI>Vota|ries</HI> or Wor&s;hippers of <HI>Mars; Venus, Bacchus,</HI> and <HI>Priapus?</HI> Only the one appear in their own colours, and &s;hew what they are; and the other, though they are as <HI>low</HI> and <HI>bruti&s;h</HI> in their practi&s;es, pretend to an <HI>higher Name,</HI> even to the &s;a|cred<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 2. 25.</NOTE> and excellent name of <HI>Chri&s;tians:</HI> Alas! your <HI>Circum|ci&s;ion</HI> &s;hall be reckoned <HI>&V;ncircumci&s;ion,</HI> when you have not the fruit of it.</P>
<P>2. <HI>Profe&s;&s;ion of Christianity without an&s;werable practi&s;e, maketh us in wor&s;e ca&s;e than an Heathen, that is ignorant of Chri&s;t, and &s;alvation by him:</HI> &s;ee 1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 5. 8. <HI>He is wor&s;e</HI>
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<HI>then an Infidel.</HI> Poor Pagans are not &s;o well enlightned, in|&s;tructed, and acquainted with &s;uch rich and glorious mercy, with the <HI>great things of Eternity,</HI> with the <HI>a&s;&s;i&s;tances of God the Spirit;</HI> they have not &s;uch <HI>Rules</HI> as we have, nor &s;uch <HI>Advantages</HI> as we have, nor &s;uch <HI>Obligations</HI> as we have, nor &s;uch <HI>Encouragements</HI> as we have: If a man on <HI>Hor&s;eback</HI> cometh &s;lower then a man <HI>on Foot,</HI> we blame him the more, becau&s;e he had <HI>more help:</HI> So are <HI>Carnal Chri&s;tians</HI> in wor&s;e ca&s;e then <HI>the Heathen,</HI> becau&s;e God may ju&s;tly expect more from them. To be brought up in a <HI>Princes Court</HI> and to be &s;till of <HI>rude</HI> and <HI>&s;ervile conditions,</HI> is wor&s;e in them then in tho&s;e that <HI>follow the Plough</HI> all days of their lives: So to be <HI>trained up in the Courts of Chri&s;t,</HI> and to come &s;hort of the <HI>Heathens</HI> in <HI>Morality</HI> and <HI>&s;trictne&s;s of conver&s;ation</HI> 'twill be wor&s;e taken of us, then of tho&s;e that never heard of Chri&s;t: The more we profe&s;s the Truth, the more we con|demn our&s;elves in our evil practi&s;es, and therefore mu&s;t needs be wor&s;e then Heathens, for we practi&s;e that by <HI>vo|luntary choi&s;e,</HI> and <HI>perver&s;e inclination,</HI> which they practi&s;e by <HI>education,</HI> they know little better: So that the more ex|cellent the Religion is which we profe&s;s, the more vile and ba&s;e is our di&s;obedience; for our profe&s;&s;ion will be a <HI>&s;ore witne&s;s</HI> again&s;t us, that we knew better, and had encourage|ments to do better; we <HI>ju&s;tifie the Heathen,</HI> but we <HI>condemn our&s;elves,</HI> as I&s;rael <HI>ju&s;tified Sodom,</HI> Ezech. 16. 5<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">. but by her <HI>profe&s;&s;ion</HI> &s;o much the more di&s;proved her own carriage; &s;ee <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 63. time will come when you will wi&s;h <HI>you had never known the way of righteou&s;ne&s;s;</HI> and as <HI>Job</HI> cur&s;ed the day of his Birth, &s;o will you the memory of that day wherein you were added to the Church.</P>
<P>3. <HI>Profe&s;&s;ion accompanied with &s;ome ra&s;h and fond affection to Chri&s;t, is not enough to acquit us from denying him.</HI> Ma|ny in an <HI>heat</HI> and <HI>humour</HI> will be ready to die for their God, and yet deny him ordinarily in their lives: as a <HI>quarrelling Ruffian</HI> will &s;tand up for the honour of his Father, who yet by his <HI>debauched cour&s;es</HI> is the very grief of his heart; it may be he wi&s;heth his death to enjoy the Inheritance, yet if any other &s;hould &s;peak a di&s;graceful word of him, he is up in
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Arms pre&s;ently, and ready to fight with him&punc; So &s;ome <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="3 letters"> pretend <HI>much affection</HI> to their Religion, and are ready to <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters"> <HI>him</HI> that &s;hall que&s;tion it, or to venture their own lives in the quarrel; and yet none do this Religion &s;o <HI>great a de&s;pite</HI> and <HI>di&s;honour</HI> as they do them&s;elves by their <HI>ungodly conver&s;ati|ons:</HI> The Apo&s;tle &s;uppo&s;eth that &s;ome <HI>may give their Bodies to be burned,</HI> that have not <HI>Charity,</HI> 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 13. 1. for all this ado is not for their <HI>Religion,</HI> but their <HI>humour:</HI> If their Re|ligion were <HI>rightly under&s;tood,</HI> they would not endure it, be|cau&s;e it altogether di&s;proveth &s;uch practi&s;es as they delight in; and all that they do is no more then they would do for an Idol, if they were born there where Idols are wor&s;hip|ped. The <HI>Bla&s;phemies of a Pagan,</HI> or an <HI>open Enemy</HI> to Religion, do not touch Chri&s;t &s;o near in <HI>point of honour,</HI> as the <HI>&s;candalous Behaviour</HI> of a Chri&s;tian; when Pagans de|claim again&s;t him, 'tis but the <HI>malice of an enemy;</HI> Dogs will bark, 'tis their kind; but your <HI>di&s;obedience to his Laws,</HI> and <HI>un&s;uitable carriages,</HI> doth far more di&s;honour and re|pre&s;ent him as an <HI>ulcerous Chri&s;t</HI> to the world&punc; becau&s;e you pretend &s;o much affection to him, and can live in &s;uch a fa|&s;hion; you would be taken for his <HI>greate&s;t friends,</HI> and &s;o in effect you make the world believe that he doth <HI>approve your Doings.</HI></P>
<P>4. <HI>Chri&s;t may be denyed, though there be a &s;tricter Profe&s;&s;ion of his Name, and &s;ome faint love and reli&s;h of his &s;weetne&s;s.</HI> Be&s;ides the <HI>loo&s;e National Profe&s;&s;ion of Chri&s;tianity,</HI> which God in a wi&s;e Providence ordaineth for the <HI>greater &s;afety</HI> and <HI>pre&s;ervation of his Church,</HI> there may be a <HI>&s;trict per&s;onal profe&s;&s;ion,</HI> taken up from <HI>inward conviction,</HI> and &s;ome ta&s;t and feeling, and yet Chri&s;t may be denyed for all this; as &s;ome that had <HI>ta&s;ted the good Word,</HI> turned a&s;ide to the world, and &s;o are &s;aid to <HI>crucifie him,</HI> rather then to <HI>profe&s;s</HI> him, <HI>Heb.</HI> 6. 4, 5, 6. The Apo&s;tle intendeth &s;ome Hebrews that did mix <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> with Chri&s;t and Judai&s;m, to &s;ave their goods: So el&s;e|where he &s;peaketh of &s;ome, <HI>that had a form of godline&s;s, but denyed the power thereof,</HI> 2 <HI>Tim.</HI> 3. 5. By the <HI>Form,</HI> meaning the &s;tricte&s;t garb of Religion then in fa&s;hion: this is to deny Chri&s;t, when we deny the <HI>Virtue</HI> and <HI>Power</HI> of that Religion
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which he hath e&s;tabli&s;hed, and will not &s;uffer it to enter upon our hearts.</P>
<P>5. The means to di&s;cover <HI>fal&s;e Profe&s;&s;ion</HI> is, to ob&s;erve <HI>how we take it up,</HI> and <HI>how we carry it on;</HI> whether we em|brace it upon <HI>undue grounds,</HI> or match it with <HI>uncon&s;onant practi&s;es.</HI></P>
<P>1. We embrace it upon <HI>undue grounds,</HI> if we take it up <HI>meerly upon Tradition,</HI> without a <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ight of that <HI>di&s;tinct worth</HI> and <HI>excellency</HI> which is in our Religion; for then our Reli|gion is but an <HI>happy mi&s;take; the &s;tumbling of blind zeal up|on a good object;</HI> and all the difference between you and Pa|gans, is but the advantage of your Birth and Education, &s;tanding upon an <HI>higher ground</HI> doth not make a man <HI>taller</HI> then another of the &s;ame growth and &s;tature that &s;tandeth lower; their <HI>&s;tature</HI> is the &s;ame, though their <HI>&s;tanding</HI> be not the &s;ame: So you are no better then Pagans, only you have the advantage of being born <HI>within the pale,</HI> and in &s;uch a<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Chron. 17. 4. Eph. 1. 3.</NOTE> Country where the Chri&s;tian Religion is profe&s;&s;ed. You do according to <HI>the Trade of I&s;rael,</HI> and live <GAP DESC="foreign">, as the fa&s;hion of your Country will carry it; and as Bea&s;ts follow the Track, &s;o you take up that Religion which is entayled upon you.</P>
<P>2. If we match it with <HI>un&s;utable practi&s;es.</HI> The&s;e may be known, if we do con&s;ider what is mo&s;t excellent in the<NOTE PLACE="marg">See my Com|ment on <HI>James</HI> from pag. 146. to page 149.</NOTE> Chri&s;tian Religion. El&s;ewhere I have &s;hewed that the glory of the Chri&s;tian Religion lyeth in three things; In <HI>excellen|cy of Rewards,</HI> and <HI>purity of Precepts,</HI> and <HI>&s;urene&s;s of Prin|ciples of Tru&s;t.</HI></P>
<P><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">. In the <HI>Fulne&s;s of the Reward&punc;</HI> which is the eternal en|joyment of God in Chri&s;t; therefore they that do not make it their fir&s;t and chief care, <HI>to &s;eek the Kingdom of God, and his righteou&s;ne&s;s</HI> Matth. 6. 33. that are <HI>like Swine,</HI> in pre|ferring the <HI>will of carnal plea&s;ures</HI> before <HI>communion with God,</HI> or in the Scripture expre&s;&s;ion, <HI>Love plea&s;ures more then God,</HI> or <HI>prefers</HI> the <HI>profers of the world</HI> before <HI>everla&s;ting happine&s;s;</HI> they who&s;e lives are full of <HI>Epicuri&s;m, Athei&s;m, Worldlyne&s;s,</HI> 'tis not a pin to tho&s;e whether they be <HI>Pagans</HI> or <HI>Chri&s;tians;</HI> for acting thus heatheni&s;hly, thus bruti&s;hly,
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they do but polute that Sacred and Worthy Name.</P>
<P>2. The <HI>perfection of the Percepts,</HI> which require <HI>a full conformity</HI> of the <HI>whole man</HI> to the <HI>Will of God;</HI> More particularly Chri&s;tian precepts are remarkable for <HI>Purity</HI> and <HI>Charity:</HI> for <HI>Purity,</HI> and therefore <HI>revellings</HI> and <HI>ban|quettings</HI> and <HI>chambering,</HI> are made to be cu&s;toms of the <HI>Gentiles;</HI> 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 4. 3. things abhorrent from the Chri&s;tian Religion; they that are <HI>yokele&s;s,</HI> and live according to the &s;winge of their <HI>own lu&s;ts,</HI> or el&s;e that only fa&s;hion the <HI>out|ward</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Therefore a <HI>mercile&s;s di&s;|po&s;ition</HI> is made a denying the Faith. 1 Tim. 5. 8.</NOTE> <HI>man,</HI> make no con&s;cience of <HI>thoughts, lu&s;ts,</HI> &amp;c. they do not live as Chri&s;tians: for <HI>Charity,</HI> nothing is more pre&s;|&s;ed then <HI>giving&punc;</HI> 'twas Chri&s;ts maxim&eacute;, <HI>It is better to give then to receive,</HI> Acts 20. 35. and al&s;o <HI>forgiving;</HI> one great &s;train of his Sermon is <HI>Love to enemies,</HI> Matth. 5. 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48. Chri&s;t when he brought from heaven the di&s;covery of &s;uch <HI>a &s;trange love from God to man,</HI> would &s;et|tle a <HI>wonderful love</HI> on earth between <HI>man and man.</HI></P>
<P>3. For <HI>&s;urene&s;s of Principles of Tru&s;t,</HI> the whole Scripture aimeth at this, to &s;ettle a tru&s;t in God, and therefore it di&s;covereth &s;o much of <HI>Gods mercy,</HI> of his <HI>particular provi|dence</HI> of <HI>the contrivance of &s;alvation in and by Chri&s;t;</HI> &s;o that to be <HI>without hope,</HI> is to be like a gentile for they are de&s;cri|bed to be <HI>men without hope,</HI> 1 The&s;. 4. 13. and <HI>carking</HI> and <HI>di&s;tru&s;tful care</HI> is made the <HI>&s;in of the Gentiles,</HI> Matth 6. 31, 32. this kind of &s;olicitude is for them that know not God, or deny his providence over particular things.</P>
<P>Well then, Take heed of <HI>denying</HI> Chri&s;t, 'tis an <HI>heavie &s;in,</HI> it co&s;t <HI>Peter bitter &s;orrow</HI> Matth. 26. 75. Will you <HI>deny Chri&s;t that bought you?</HI> 2 Pet. 2. 2. Now they deny Chri&s;t, who&s;e hopes and comforts are only in this world; Chri&s;t is not their God, but their <HI>Belly,</HI> Phil. 3. 19. <HI>Libertines</HI> are not Di&s;ciples of Chri&s;t, but <HI>Votaries of Priapus. Mercile&s;s</HI> and <HI>revengeful</HI> men do <HI>cond<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">mn</HI> that Religion which they <HI>do profe&s;s:</HI> in &s;hort, they do not only deny Chri&s;t that que|&s;tion <HI>his Natures,</HI> or make <HI>void his Offices,</HI> but they that <HI>de&s;pi&s;e his Laws,</HI> when they <HI>do not walk an&s;werably,</HI> or <HI>walk contrary.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="5" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="241" REF="129">
<EPIGRAPH>
<BIBL>VERSE 5.</BIBL>
<Q>I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this; how that the Lord having &s;a|ved the People out of the Land of Aegypt, afterwards de&s;troyed them that believed not.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>WE have done with the <HI>Pre<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">ace,</HI> I come now to the <HI>examples</HI> by which the Apo&s;tle proveth the danger of defection from the Faith; the fir&s;t is taken from the <HI>mur|muring I&s;raelites;</HI> The &s;econd from the <HI>Apo&s;tate Angel;</HI> the third from the <HI>be<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;tly Sodomites.</HI> T<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="missing" EXTENT="1 letter">at you may &s;ee how appo&s;ite and apt for the Apo&s;tle's purpo&s;e the&s;e in&s;tances are, I &s;hall fir&s;t in&s;i&s;t upon &s;ome <HI>general Ob&s;ervations.</HI></P>
<P>Fir&s;t Ob&s;erve. <HI>That Gods ancient Judgements were or|dained</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;erv. 1.</NOTE> <HI>to be our warnings and examples.</HI> The Bible is no|thing but a <HI>Book of Pre&s;idents,</HI> wherein the Lord would give the world a Document or Copie of his Providence; <HI>All the&s;e things are hapned to them for examples:</HI> 1 Cor. 10. 11. When we blow off the du&s;t from the&s;e <HI>old experiences,</HI> we may read much of the coun&s;el of God in them; their de&s;truction &s;hould be our caution: His <HI>Ju&s;tice</HI> is the &s;ame that ever it was, and his <HI>Power</HI> is the &s;ame, his vigour is not abated with yeers, <HI>God is but one,</HI> Gal. 3. 20. that is, always the &s;ame, without change and variation, as ready to take vengeance of the Tran&s;gre&s;&s;ors of the Law as of old; for that's the point there di&s;cu&s;&s;ed: So 2 <HI>Tim. 2. 13. He abideth <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">aithful, he cannot deny him&s;elf:</HI> In all the changes of the World God is not changed, but is where he was at fir&s;t: Surely we &s;hould tremble more when we con&s;ider the examples of tho&s;e that have felt his Ju&s;tice; for God keepeth a proportion in all his di&s;pen&s;ations: If he were <HI>&s;trict,</HI> and <HI>holy,</HI> and <HI>ju&s;t,</HI> then he is <HI>&s;trict,</HI> and <HI>holy,</HI> and <HI>ju&s;t</HI> now. He that &s;truck <HI>An<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="missing" EXTENT="1 letter">nias,</HI> and <HI>Saphyra</HI> dead in the place for a <HI>lie,</HI> that made <HI>Z<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="missing" EXTENT="1 letter">chary</HI> dumb for <HI>unbelief,</HI> that kept <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> out of the land of Promi&s;e for a few <HI>unad|vi&s;ed w<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">rds</HI> that turned <HI>Lot's wi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">e</HI> into a Pillar of Salt for looking back, is the &s;ame God &s;till, not a jot altered; his judgements may be more <HI>&s;piritual,</HI> but then more <HI>terrible.</HI></P>
<P><PB N="242" REF="130">Again, <HI>An&s;werable practi&s;es</HI> make us partakers of their <HI>guilt,</HI> and therefore involve us in their <HI>puni&s;hment<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> Imita|tion</HI> is an evidence of <HI>approbation;</HI> A man may have more &s;ins charged upon him then tho&s;e committed in his own per&s;on; you are partakers of their evil deeds that lived be|fore you, if you do as they did; it may be the memory of tho&s;e that formerly fell under the weight of Gods di&s;plea|&s;ure is execrable to you, yet your walking in the &s;ame cour&s;e is a &s;igne that you like their practi&s;es, and therefore you mu&s;t expect <HI>their judgements with advantage and u&s;ury&punc;</HI> Matth. 23. 35. <HI>That upon you may come all the righteous blood that was &s;hed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel, to the blood of Zechariah the &s;on of Barachia<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">; whom ye &s;lew between the Temple and the Altar.</HI> Why upon them? And how did they &s;lay him? No doubt the memory of <HI>Cum</HI> was accur&s;ed among the Jews, but they walked <HI>in the way of Cain,</HI> and &s;o were to receive <HI>Cain</HI>'s judgement with ad|vantage; No doubt the memory of the murtherers of <HI>Ze|chariah</HI> the Prophet was hateful to them, but they continued <HI>Prophet-killing,</HI> and <HI>Prophet-huting;</HI> and therefore did im|plicitely approve his murder, and &s;o are &s;aid to &s;lay him: <HI>Jude</HI> 1<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">. 'tis &s;aid, <HI>The&s;e peri&s;hed in the gain &s;aying of Kora<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">&punc;</HI> How can that be, when they were not as yet born? The&s;e Seducers lived long after, but following them in their &s;in, in their rui<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">e they had a &s;ure pledge of their own de&s;tructi|on: when we &s;ee others fall into a deep pit, and yet will adventure the &s;ame way, as we <HI>&s;in the wor&s;e,</HI> &s;o our <HI>judge|ment will be the greater.</HI></P>
<P>Well then, Let us make every in&s;tance of the word <HI>&agrave;</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">&V;&s;es.</NOTE> <HI>warning,</HI> and apply it for our U&s;e; 'tis excellent when we read the Scriptures with a <HI>&s;pirit of Application</HI> in the mi&s;|carriage of others, we have experience at a <HI>cheap rate,</HI> and in their mi&s;ery we have as <HI>&s;ure a proof</HI> of the evil of &s;in, though not <HI>as co&s;tly,</HI> as if we had felt it our &s;elves.</P>
<P>Again, When wicked men flouri&s;h, be not di&s;mayed: How hath God judged &s;inners of like kind? What &s;ay your Scripture pre&s;idents? <HI>I went into the Sanctuary, there I under&s;tood their end,</HI> P&s;al. 73. 17.</P>
<P><PB N="243" REF="130">Again, it &s;heweth how vain their conceit is, that God will not deal &s;o &s;everely with us if we continue in our &s;ins as he hath done with others in former times, when the Scri|ptures were written; Gods judgments (I confe&s;s) are more &s;piritual, but every way as &s;evere to them that continue in their &s;ins; heretofore they were written with <HI>death,</HI> now with <HI>deadne&s;s: Nadab</HI> and <HI>Abihu</HI> were quickly di&s;patched<NOTE PLACE="marg">Lev. 10. 3. &amp;c</NOTE> for their unhallowed approaches to God in wor&s;hip; many come now that do not &s;anctifie God in their hearts: their judgement is more &s;piritual, the Ordinances which &s;hould quicken, harden them: Bears devoured the children that<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Kings 2. 23&punc; 24, 25.</NOTE> mocked the Prophet; many &s;it taunting by the walls that are not torn <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">n pieces by Bears, but they are po&s;ting to hell apace; tarry but a little while, and God <HI>will tear them in pieces, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">nd there &s;hall be none to deliver,</HI> P&s;al. 50. <HI>Korah, Dathan,</HI> and <HI>Abiram</HI> were &s;wallowed up quick; the <HI>earth</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Num. 16.</NOTE> <HI>cleaves</HI> to receive them that made <HI>a cleft</HI> in the Congrega|tion: Many act as tumultuou&s;ly as they, and no doubt their day is coming: <HI>Lot</HI>'s wife who&s;e heart hankred after her po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ions, was turned into a pillar of Salt for looking<NOTE PLACE="marg">Gen. 19.</NOTE> back: They that revert, and after they are embarked with Chri&s;t, run a&s;hore again, a&s;&s;oon as they &s;ee a &s;torm a coming, &s;hall have their reward in due time.</P>
<P>The next thing which I ob&s;erve in the&s;e in&s;tances is, The<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;erv. 2.</NOTE> <HI>impartiali<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">y of Divine Ju&s;tice;</HI> for in all the examples brought, there are &s;ome circum&s;tances upon which others would expect an exemption from wrath, as the <HI>intere&s;t of the I&s;raelites,</HI> they were God's <HI>own people;</HI> the <HI>dignity of the Angels</HI> they were as it were <HI>fellows of God,</HI> and <HI>Courtiers of Heaven:</HI> the <HI>beauty</HI> and <HI>excellency</HI> of the <HI>country of Sodom:</HI> and in all the in&s;tances ye may ob&s;erve the judgements fell on <HI>multitudes</HI> and <HI>&s;ocieties,</HI> or <HI>collective B<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">dies: All</HI> the murmuring <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;raelites, <HI>All</HI> the Apo&s;tate Angels, <HI>All</HI> the Inhabitants of the four Cities. Ob&s;erve then, <HI>That no outward Priviledge can avail us in the day of wrath&punc;</HI> and &s;o 1. <HI>Gods <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">u&s;tice knoweth no relations;</HI> He <HI>&s;pared not Chri&s;t,</HI> Rom. 8. 32. He <HI>&s;pared not the Angels,</HI> 2 Pet. 2. 5. He <HI>&s;pa|red not his people of I&s;rael,</HI> &amp;c. 2. <HI>None have a priviledge</HI>
<PB N="244" REF="131">
<HI>to &s;in&punc;</HI> and th<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">efore none are <HI>exempted from puni&s;hment,</HI> the Law includeth all, the <HI>Son,</HI> the <HI>Servant,</HI> them that &s;it on the Throne, and tho&s;e that grinde at the Mill, none have a licen&s;e from heaven, and a priviledge to &s;in above others. 3. <HI>Wicked men do not &s;pare God, and therefore God doth <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">t &s;pare them;</HI> They abu&s;e his <HI>Ju&s;tice,</HI> his <HI>Mercy,</HI> they &s;pare not his <HI>glory,</HI> his <HI>Laws,</HI> and as they are <HI>impartial in &s;inning,</HI> no re&s;traints with-hold them, &s;o God is <HI>impartial in pu|ni&s;hing.</HI></P>
<P>Lean not then upon the&s;e reeds, when wrath maketh in|qui&s;ition<NOTE PLACE="marg">&V;&s;es.</NOTE> for &s;inners, outward privile<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ges are of no u&s;e, 'tis happy for them alone that are <HI>found in Chri&s;t</HI> Phil. 3. the <HI>Avenger of blood</HI> had nothing to do with the man-&s;layer in the <HI>Ci<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">y of Refuge;</HI> when God is about to &s;trike, no<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">e but Chri&s;t can hold the blow; See the vanity of other things; 1&punc; <HI>Outward Profe&s;&s;ion</HI> is nothing, your <HI>Circumci&s;ion</HI> becometh <HI>uncircumci&s;ion;</HI> God di&s;claimeth intere&s;t in a &s;in|ful people; <HI>Thy people which thou ha&s;t brought out of the land of Egypt</HI> (&s;aith God to <HI>Mo&s;es</HI>) when they had cor|rupted them&s;elves, <HI>Exod.</HI> 32. 7. in &s;corn and di&s;dain. <HI>Thy people,</HI> he will not own them for his Sheep, <HI>Deut. 32. 5. 2. No dignity</HI> can exempt us, the <HI>Angels were ca&s;t down t<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> places of darkne&s;s.</HI> Dignity doth not <HI>le&s;&s;en,</HI> but <HI>aggravate</HI> &s;in; where much is <HI>giv<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">n,</HI> much is <HI>owed,</HI> and much will be <HI>required. Tophet is prepared for Kings&punc; for Princes is it prepared.</HI> 3. Not <HI>outward excellency,</HI> as the plea&s;ant Land of Sodom: The Di&s;ciples thought <HI>the goodly buildings of the Temple,</HI> would move Chri&s;t to pity, <HI>Luk.</HI> 21. 5, 6. but Chri&s;t telleth them, <HI>not one &s;tone &s;hould be left upon another: Saul</HI> was checked for &s;paring the be&s;t: Ju&s;tice is not dazled with outward &s;plendor. The Lord threatneth to puni&s;h the <HI>dainty Daughters of Sion with a &s;cab&punc;</HI> I&s;a. 3. 17. <HI>&amp;c.</HI> 4. Not any <HI>&s;ociety</HI> or <HI>multitudes of m<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">n:</HI> He &s;pa|red not <HI>the old world,</HI> 2 Pet. 2. 5. No leagues and combina|tions can maintain your cau&s;e again&s;t God, <HI>though the wick|ed go hand in hand, they &s;hall not &s;cape unpuni&s;h<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">d Pro.</HI> 11. 21, Briars and Thorns may be intricated, and infolded one within another, but when a devouring flame cometh
<PB N="245" REF="131">
among&s;t them, they do not hinder, but increa&s;e the burn|ing. Univer&s;al evils are above mans puni&s;hment&punc; but not Gods; there is no &s;afety in <HI>following a multitude to do evil.</HI> So that nothing will &s;erve as a <HI>fit &s;creen</HI> to interpo&s;e be|tween wrath and you, but only Chri&s;t.</P>
<P>Thirdly, I ob&s;erve, that in all the&s;e in&s;tances, there was<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;erv. 3.</NOTE> <HI>&s;ome preceding mercy,</HI> more or le&s;s: The <HI>Angels</HI> had the <HI>dignity of their Nature;</HI> the <HI>I&s;raelites</HI> had the <HI>Te&s;timony of Gods pre&s;ence,</HI> and were <HI>delivered out of Egypt;</HI> the <HI>Sodo|mites</HI> had <HI>Eternal Ble&s;&s;ings,</HI> and the <HI>preaching of Lot,</HI> Gen&punc; 19. 9. <HI>It's Gods u&s;ual cour&s;e to give a people a ta&s;te of his mercy, ere he di<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">cover the power of his anger:</HI> Judgment is his la&s;t work there is &s;ome mercy abu&s;ed before it cometh, which doth abundantly clear God in the judgements that come upon the &s;ons of men: Their ruine may be <HI>&s;ad</HI> but never <HI>unde&s;erved;</HI> God hath not <HI>left him&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">lf without a wit|ne&s;s,</HI> but we are le&s;t <HI>without <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">xcu&s;e.</HI></P>
<P>Fourthly, Once more I ob&s;erve, that in all the&s;e In&s;tan|ces<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;erv. 4.</NOTE> God <HI>had &s;till a care to put a di&s;tinction between the ju&s;t and the unju&s;t;</HI> the <HI>race of <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;rael</HI> was not de&s;troyed, but only <HI>them that believed not:</HI> The <HI>good</HI> Angels were pre&s;er|ved&punc; the <HI>bad</HI> only fell from their fir&s;t e&s;tate: <HI>Sodom</HI> peri&s;hed in the flames, but <HI>Lot</HI> e&s;caped; when the multitude is &s;o corrupt, that we know not how they &s;hall be puni&s;hed, and the re&s;t pre&s;erved, let us think of the&s;e in&s;tances, let us re|fer it to God, <HI>he knoweth</HI> &amp;c. 2 <HI>Pet&punc;</HI> 2. 9.</P>
<P>I come now to the words, in which you have <HI>a preface;</HI> and the <HI>fir&s;t in&s;tance of Gods judgement,</HI> which was on the unbelieving I&s;raelites. In the <HI>Preface</HI> you may take notice of his <HI>purpo&s;e [I will put you in remembrance</HI>] his <HI>in&s;inuation [though ye once knew this</HI>]</P>
<P>I begin with the fir&s;t part, his <HI>purpo&s;e</HI> [I will put you in remembrance] from thence ob<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">erve, <HI>That it is a great part</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;erv. 5.</NOTE> <HI>of a Mini&s;ters duty to be a Remembrancer.</HI> We are re|membrancers in a double &s;en&s;e. 1. From the people to God, to put God in mind of his peoples wants; &s;o 'tis &s;aid <HI>I&s;a. 62. 7. Ye that are t<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">e Lord's remembrancers:</HI> Chri&s;t is the <HI>Church<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">s advocate,</HI> but we are the <HI>Churches Solicitors,</HI> to
<PB N="246" REF="132">
repre&s;ent the &s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">d condition of the Church to God. 2. From God to the people; and &s;o we are to put them in mind of the <HI>being of God, the riches of his grace, the nece&s;&s;ity of obe|dience, the preciou&s;ne&s;s of their &s;ouls&punc;</HI> the <HI>many dangers</HI> that lye in their way to Heaven, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> The&s;e are <HI>&s;tanding di&s;hes</HI> at Chri&s;ts Table: That this is a great part of our Office, ap|peareth by tho&s;e places, 1 Tim. 4. 6. <HI>I<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> thou put the Bre|thren in remembrance of the&s;e things, thou &s;halt be a good Mini&s;ter of Je&s;us Chri&s;t:</HI> And <HI>Paul</HI> &s;peaking of his Apo|&s;tle&s;hip, &s;aith, Rom. 15. 15. <HI>As one that putteth you in re|membrance, through the grace given to me,</HI> See 2 <HI>Tim. 2. 14. Tit. 3. 1. 2 Pet. 1. 12. 13, 14. 2 Pet.</HI> 3. 1. So there are two P&s;almes that bear that Title; <HI>A P&s;alme of David to bring to remembrance.</HI> P&s;al. 38&punc; and P&s;al. 70. The great u&s;e of Sacraments is, to put us in <HI>remembrance of Chri&s;t,</HI> 1 Cor. 11. 24. Yea, one great employment of the Spirit, is to <HI>bring things to our remembrance,</HI> Ioh. 14. 26. all which intimateth. 1. Our <HI>forgetfulne&s;s</HI> and <HI>incogitancy,</HI> Truths formerly under&s;tood are &s;oon forgotten, or not duly con|&s;idered and kept in the view of con&s;cience. 2. The <HI>benefit of a good memory:</HI> A bad memory is the cau&s;e of all mi&s;|chief; but a lively remembrance of truths, keepeth the mind in a good frame. 3. That however it be with <HI>natural,</HI> yet <HI>&s;piritual knowledge, is a remini&s;cence,</HI> or reviving the<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Cor. 15. 2. Heb. 12. 7.</NOTE> &s;eeds infu&s;ed in the New Creation. 4. That a Mini&s;ter di&s;chargeth his duty, when he teacheth his people things vulgar and already known, as well as tho&s;e which are rare and le&s;s known; if he be but <HI>a remembrancer</HI> tis enough; we are to <HI>bring forth things both new and old;</HI> we count him a wanton prodigal that only furni&s;heth his Table with <HI>rarities,</HI> neglecting <HI>whole&s;ome meats</HI> becau&s;e they are u&s;ual. 5. The <HI>nece&s;&s;ity <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">f a &s;tanding Mini&s;try,</HI> if not to <HI>in&s;truct,</HI> yet to <HI>keep things in remembrance,</HI> becau&s;e the mo&s;t nece&s;&s;ary truths are few and &s;oon learned; men pre&s;ently begin to think they know as much as can be taught them, and &s;o neglect Ordinances; whereas one great u&s;e of the Mini|&s;try, is to keep truths fre&s;h and &s;avory in the thoughts and memory; the Heathens <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">oon lo&s;t the knowledge of God&punc;
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becau&s;e they were without a <HI>publike Monitor,</HI> that might keep this knowledge &s;till on foot; the &s;ound of the Trum|pet infu&s;eth a new courage; &s;o doth every Sermon beget <HI>new affections,</HI> though we knew the Truths delivered before: Coals will die without <HI>continual blowing;</HI> &s;o will graces langui&s;h, without <HI>often warnings</HI> and admonitions.</P>
<P>The next thing in the <HI>Preface</HI> is the <HI>In&s;inuation [though ye once knew this.</HI>] That word [<HI>once</HI>] needeth to be ex|plained; his meaning is not that formerly they had known, but now forgotten it; neither is [<HI>once</HI>] to be referred to <GAP DESC="foreign"> as if the &s;en&s;e were, <HI>I will once put you in remem|brance,</HI> but by [<HI>once</HI>] is meant <HI>once for all;</HI> that is, ye have certainly and irrecoverably received this as a Truth: This clau&s;e will yeild us the&s;e Notes.</P>
<P>1. <HI>That it is the duty of every Chri&s;tian to be acquainted</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;erv. 6.</NOTE> <HI>with the Scriptures;</HI> the Apo&s;tle pre&s;umeth it of the&s;e Chri|&s;tians to whom he wrote: Now this is nece&s;&s;ary in regard of our &s;elves, that we may know the &s;olid grounds of our own comfort: every man would look over his charter, <HI>Search the Scriptures, for in them ye think to have eternal life:</HI> John 5. 39. Particular and di&s;tinct Scriptures are a great advantage in temptations; <HI>Sic &s;criptum e&s;t,</HI> is Chri&s;t's own argument again&s;t Sathan, <HI>Matth.</HI> 4. No Chri&s;tians &s;o <HI>un&s;etled</HI> in point of comfort or opinion, as tho&s;e that are <HI>unskilful in the word.</HI> Heb 5. 14. In regard of others 'tis nece&s;&s;ary, that we may di&s;charge our duty to them; <HI>Let the word d<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="3 letters">ll in you richly, teachi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">g and admoni&s;hing one another,</HI> &amp;c. <HI>Col.</HI> 3. 16. None but full ve&s;&s;els will run over:<NOTE PLACE="marg">Job 32: 18.</NOTE> Ignorant Chri&s;tians are barren and &s;aple&s;s in di&s;cour&s;e; Private Chri&s;tians mu&s;t be <HI>full of knowledge,</HI> not only to have knowledge enough to bring them&s;elves to heaven, but to <HI>admoni&s;h others,</HI> &s;ee <HI>Rom.</HI> 15. 14. Well then, do not put off this care to others, as if it were proper only to <HI>Scho|lers,</HI> and men of a <HI>publike calling,</HI> this is every mans work that hath a &s;oul to be &s;aved, 'tis popi&s;h ignorance to be contented with an <HI>implicite belief,</HI> you may be&s;t tru&s;t your own eyes; when the Sun &s;hineth, every man openeth his windows to let it in; we bu&s;ie our &s;elves in other books,
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why not in the Word? <HI>Au&s;tin</HI> was plea&s;ed with <HI>Tully</HI>'s <HI>Hirten&s;ius,</HI> but he ca&s;t it away, becau&s;e he could not find the name of Chri&s;t there: 'tis the de&s;cription of a godly man, <HI>His delight is in the Law of God, and in his Law doth he exerci&s;e him&s;elf day and night</HI> P&s;al 1. 2. There are the <HI>cha&s;t delights</HI> of a child of God, not in <HI>Play-books,</HI> and <HI>idle Sonnets;</HI> How many <HI>&s;acrilegious hours</HI> do mo&s;t &s;pend in the&s;e trifles? Good Books &s;hould not keep us from the Scriptures; Water is &s;weete&s;t in the Fountain: <HI>Luther</HI> pro|fe&s;&s;eth<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Luth.</HI> in <HI>Gen&punc;</HI> cap. 19.</NOTE> that he could wi&s;h all his books forgotten and ut|terly laid a&s;ide, rather then that they &s;hould keep men from reading the Scriptures them&s;elves. Chri&s;tians &s;tudy the Word more, that you may have Promi&s;es, Doctrines, Ex|amples ready, and more familiar with you; to be ignorant in a knowing age, is an argument of much negligence, <HI>Heb.</HI> 5. 14. Now Religion is made every one's Di&s;cour&s;e, Will you alone be a &s;tranger in I&s;rael? As the <HI>many helps</HI> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">all upon us to &s;tudy the Word more, &s;o the <HI>many Errors</HI> which are abroad: all errour cometh from unskilfulne&s;s in the Scriptures, <HI>Matth. 22. 29. Ye err, not knowing the Scri|ptures;</HI> in the dark a man may &s;oon lo&s;e his way.</P>
<P>To cure this mi&s;chief, let me pre&s;s you 1. To <HI>read the Scriptures in your Families,</HI> &s;e<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> up this Ordinance among other parts of Wor&s;hip there, 'tis a <HI>Family Exerci&s;e,</HI> that your children may be trained up in them, 2 <HI>Tim.</HI> 3. 15. 'Tis a good <HI>Clo&s;et exerci&s;e</HI> for your own private in&s;truction, none of you is in too <HI>high a Form;</HI> the <HI>Prophets &s;earched them diligently,</HI> 1 Pet. 11. 12.</P>
<P>2. Read them with profit, &s;o as you may under&s;tand them, and apply the Doctrines and Examples you meet with there; Ask thy &s;oul, <HI>&V;nd<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">r&s;tande&s;t thou what thou reade&s;t?</HI> Acts 8. 30 or as <HI>Paul&punc;</HI> Rom 8. 31. <HI>What &s;hall we &s;ay to the&s;e things?</HI> The Scriptures are not to be read for delight, but for &s;piritual profit and u&s;e.</P>
<P>3. In ca&s;es of difficulty u&s;e all holy means, <HI>pray to God,</HI> the Spirit is the be&s;t Interpreter; Pray <HI>before,</HI> Pray <HI>after,</HI> as you do for food, if God an&s;wer not at fir&s;t, <HI>cry <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">or know|ledge, li<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">t up thy voice for under&s;tanding:</HI> Call in the helps
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which God hath given, many private helps of Commenta|ries, but above all, <HI>de&s;pi&s;e not Prophe&s;ying.</HI> Con&s;ult with the Officers and Guides of the Church, <HI>Ephe&s;. 4. 14. Mal.</HI> 2. 7.</P>
<P>2. Ob&s;erve again, <HI>That tho&s;e Truths which we under&s;tand</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;erv. 7.</NOTE> <HI>already&punc; they had need be pre&s;&s;ed again, and revived upon us,</HI> See 1 <HI>John</HI> 2. 21. Our <HI>Knowledge</HI> is but weak, the eye of the mind is opened by degrees; our <HI>Memories</HI> are weak, and commands mu&s;t be repeated to a forgetful Servant; our <HI>Affections</HI> are &s;low, not ea&s;ily wrought up to the love of good things. When the Wedge will not enter with one blow, we follow it home with blow upon blow: Well then we &s;ay, 1. <HI>Repetitions are lawful</HI> for you, 'tis a <HI>&s;ure&punc; thing,</HI> Phil. 3. 1. Chri&s;t in the Go&s;pels, and <HI>Paul</HI> in the Epi&s;tles do often repeat the &s;ame pa&s;&s;ages: Till you be af|fected with them, we mu&s;t inculcate <HI>nece&s;&s;ary Principles</HI> again and again: God <HI>&s;peaketh once, yea twice, when men regard it not,</HI> Job 33. 14. Con&s;ider men are dull to conceive, &s;low of heart to believe: The way to pierce the hard &s;tone, is by often dropping: apt to forget heavenly Truths: Leaky Ve&s;&s;els mu&s;t be filled again, <HI>Heb.</HI> 2. 1. We mu&s;t repeat, to make <HI>&s;hame more &s;tirring. Peter</HI> was trou|bled when Chri&s;t &s;aid the third time, <HI>Love&s;t thou me,</HI> John 21. 17. Let this which hath been &s;aid <HI>prevent cen&s;ure,</HI> look upon it as a providence, when the &s;ame Truth or Sermon is pre&s;ented again, <HI>Surely I have not meditated enough of this truth, I am not enough affected with it, therefore the Lord hath again brought it to my thoughts, or there is &s;ome new tem|ptation that I &s;hall meet with, that I may find the need of this old Truth,</HI> &amp;c. 2. That it is a &s;piritual di&s;ea&s;e, <HI>a Surfet of Manna,</HI> when men mu&s;t &s;till be fed with <HI>new things;</HI> no truths are <HI>too plain</HI> for our <HI>mouths,</HI> or <HI>too &s;tale</HI> for your <HI>ears;</HI> the itch of novelty puts men upon <HI>ungrounded &s;ub|tleties,</HI> and that maketh way for <HI>errour,</HI> or <HI>hardne&s;s of heart,</HI> though you hear nothing but what you are acquainted with be content; they were carnal people that complained they had nothing but the <HI>old Burden,</HI> Jer. 23. 33, 34. Take heed of the <HI>Athenian itch,</HI> many times it argueth <HI>guilt:</HI>
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we cannot endure to have an <HI>old &s;ore</HI> rubbed again; as <HI>Peter</HI> was troubled when Chri&s;t &s;pake to him the third time (as I noted before) that his Apo&s;tacie &s;hould once more be revived. 3. It may ju&s;tifie two duties of great u&s;e, <HI>Medi|tation,</HI> and <HI>Repetition in our Families.</HI> Meditation, for 'tis good to remember Truths that we do already know. <HI>Once hath God &s;poken, and twice have I heard it,</HI> P&s;al. 62. 11. we &s;hould go over and over it again in our thoughts&punc; fir&s;t we <HI>learn,</HI> and then we <HI>meditate; S<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">udy</HI> findeth out a truth, and <HI>Meditation</HI> improveth it; as fir&s;t the meat is taken in, and then the dige&s;tion is afterward: Con&s;cience preacheth over the Sermon again to the heart; while the thing is new, it doth more exerci&s;e <HI>&s;tudy</HI> then <HI>meditation;</HI> but when we have once learned it, then our thoughts &s;hould work upon it; for meditation is the improvement of a known truth. 2. <HI>Repetition in our Families,</HI> let them hear it again and again, the third blow may make the nail go: If people were humble and &s;ober, they would have new and fre&s;h thoughts every time a truth is revived upon them: at fir&s;t hearing many are lo&s;t through the wandring and di&s;traction of our thoughts&punc; things which upon the re|view may be brought to hand again, at lea&s;t youth and chil|dren mu&s;t have <HI>line upon line,</HI> as when they learn to write the &s;ame letters, and the &s;ame Copie are written over again and again, till the figure of them be formed in their fancies.</P>
<P>I have done with the Preface, I come now to the fir&s;t in&s;tance produced [<HI>How that the Lord having &s;aved the peo|ple out of the Land of Egypt, afterward de&s;troyed them that believed not</HI>] <GAP DESC="foreign">, the term is of an honourable u&s;e in this place [<HI>the people</HI>] for the <HI>peculiar people of God,</HI> the holy and elect Nation&punc; that had the Law and the Covenants of Promi&s;e, this people after they were <HI>delivered,</HI> and that by &s;o great and &s;olemn a deliverance as that <HI>out of the Land of Aegypt,</HI> were afterwards <HI>de&s;troyed;</HI> &s;o that 'tis ill &s;tand|ing upon priviledges: Though many of them to whom the Apo&s;tle wrote, had renounced <HI>Gentili&s;m,</HI> and were (as it were) come out of <HI>Aegypt,</HI> and made God's people by <HI>vi|&s;ible</HI>
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<HI>profe&s;&s;ion;</HI> yet after all this, they might be <HI>de&s;troyed</HI> in ca&s;e of <HI>di&s;proportionable practi&s;e,</HI> or di&s;obedience to God in that profe&s;&s;ion. Of <HI>I&s;rael</HI>'s de&s;truction, &s;ee <HI>Num. 14. 37. 1 Cor. 10. 10. Libertine Chri&s;tians</HI> &s;hall fare as bad as <HI>ob&s;ti|nate Jews,</HI> that's the drift of his Argument.</P>
<P>From this clau&s;e ob&s;erve, That <HI>after great mercies, there</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;erv. 1.</NOTE> <HI>do u&s;ually follow great judgements, if great &s;ins come between:</HI> as after their deliverance <HI>out of Aegypt,</HI> they were <HI>de&s;troyed for &V;nbelief:</HI> This may be proved from Chri&s;t's advice to the man cured on the Sabbath d<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">y, <HI>John 5. 14. Thou art made whole, &s;in no more, le&s;t a wor&s;e thing come unto th<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">e.</HI> There is the <HI>mercy,</HI> the <HI>duty</HI> thence inferred, and the <HI>judg|m<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">nt</HI> that doth avenge the quarrel of the <HI>abu&s;ed mercy:</HI> Often it cometh to pa&s;s that many mens <HI>pre&s;ervation</HI> is but a <HI>re&s;ervation</HI> to a <HI>wor&s;e thing,</HI> to a greater judgement; So &s;ee <HI>Jo&s;hua 24. 20. He will turn again, and do you hurt, after he hath done you good.</HI> So <HI>I&s;a. 63. 10. He b<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">re them in the arms of his Providence, but they rebelled and vexed his &s;pirit, and he was turned to be their enemy.</HI> None u&s;ually have grea|ter judgements, then &s;uch as formerly have had &s;weet ex|perience of mercy: Why? There is no hatred &s;o great as that which ari&s;eth out of the corruption of love: <HI>Di&s;ap|pointed love, abu&s;ed love groweth outragious.</HI> When <HI>Am|non</HI> hated <HI>Tamar,</HI> 'tis &s;aid, <HI>The hatred wherewith he hated her, was greater then the love where with he loved her.</HI> As 'tis thus with men, &s;uch a proportionable &s;everity we may ob|&s;erve in the Di&s;pen&s;ations of God, after a ta&s;te of his mer|cies, <HI>Jo&s;hua 23. 15. It &s;hall come to pa&s;s, as all good things are come upon you, which the Lord your God promi&s;ed you, &s;o the Lord &s;hall bring all evil things upon you, until he hath de|&s;troyed you, when ye have tran&s;gre&s;&s;ed the Covenant of the Lord your God.</HI> No evils like tho&s;e evils which come after mercy. No &s;ins are &s;o great as tho&s;e &s;ins which are com|mitted again&s;t mercies; there is not only <HI>filthine&s;s</HI> in them, but <HI>unkindne&s;s,</HI> P&s;al. 106. 7. <HI>They provoked him at the Sea, even at the red Sea:</HI> Mark, 'tis ingeminated for the more vehemency, that at <HI>the Sea,</HI> even <HI>at the red Sea,</HI> where they had &s;een the miracles of the Lord, and had experi|rience
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of his glorious deliverance, that there they dur&s;t break out again&s;t God. See the contrary in <HI>Judges</HI> 2. 7. Certainly the more re&s;traints, the greater the offence, when we &s;in not only again&s;t the <HI>laws of God,</HI> but the <HI>loves of God,</HI> &amp;c.</P>
<P>Well then, 1&punc; It informeth us, that there may be <HI>dan|ger</HI> after <HI>deliverance;</HI> there are &s;trange changes in provi|dence, <HI>Man in his be&s;t e&s;tate is altogether vanity,</HI> P&s;al. 39. When you are at your be&s;t, as the Sun at the highe&s;t, there may be a <HI>Declen&s;ion.</HI></P>
<P>2. 'Tis a warning to tho&s;e that enjoy mercies; <HI>Sin no more, le&s;t a wor&s;e thing come unto you:</HI> The next judgement will be more violent. There are &s;ome &s;pecial &s;ins which you &s;hould beware of, even tho&s;e which te&s;tifie our un|thankfulne&s;s after the receipt of mercies: As 1. <HI>Forgetting the vows of our Mi&s;ery. Jacob</HI> voweth <HI>Gen.</HI> 28. 22. but he forgets his vow, and what followed? Horrible di&s;orders and confu&s;ions in his Family: <HI>Dinah</HI> deflowred, <HI>Reuben</HI> goeth into his Fathers Bed, a murder committed upon the <HI>Sichemites</HI> under a pretence of Religion, and then <HI>Jacob</HI> remembreth his Vow: We promi&s;e much when we want deliverance, and when we have it, God is neglected; but he will not put it up &s;o, by &s;ad and di&s;a&s;trous accidents he puts us in mind of our old promi&s;es. 2. When you <HI>ki&s;s your own hand,</HI> ble&s;s your dragge, a&s;cribe it to your merit and power: <HI>Habb. 1. 16. Deut.</HI> 9. 4. for the&s;e things are our mercies bla&s;ted. 3. When we grow proud, &s;elf confi|dent: If you were never &s;o high, God will bring you low enough; 'tis a great skill to <HI>know how to abound. She re|membred not her la&s;t end, therefore &s;he came down wonderful|ly,</HI> Lam. 1. 4. when we forget the changes and mutations to which all outward things are obnoxious, God will give us an experience of them. 4. When you continue in your &s;ins, the judgement is but gone <HI>cum animo revertendi,</HI> to come again in a wor&s;e manner: See <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 106. 43.</P>
<P>2. The next ob&s;ervation is taken from the cau&s;e of their de&s;truction, intimated in tho&s;e words [<HI>that believed not</HI>] Many were the peoples &s;ins in the wilderne&s;s, <HI>murmuring,</HI>
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<HI>fornication, rebellion,</HI> &amp;c. But the Apo&s;tle comprehendeth all under this [<HI>they believed not] &V;nbelief</HI> is charged upon them as the root of all their mi&s;carriages el&s;ewhere, as <HI>Numb.</HI> 14. 11. and <HI>Deut.</HI> 1. 32. Whence ob&s;erve, <HI>That</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;erv. 2.</NOTE> <HI>unbelief bringeth de&s;truction,</HI> or <HI>is the cau&s;e of all the evil which we do or &s;uffer.</HI></P>
<P>In handling this point, I &s;hall open 1. The <HI>hainou&s;ne&s;s of &V;nbelief.</HI> 2. The <HI>Nature</HI> of it. 3. The <HI>Cure</HI> of it.</P>
<P>1. The <HI>hainou&s;ne&s;s</HI> of the &s;in, that we will con&s;ider in<NOTE PLACE="marg">1. Hainou&s;|ne&s;s.</NOTE> <HI>general,</HI> or <HI>more particularly.</HI></P>
<P>The general con&s;iderations are the&s;e.</P>
<P>1. No &s;in doth <HI>di&s;honour God</HI> &s;o much as unbelief doth, 'tis<NOTE PLACE="marg">1. In general.</NOTE> an <HI>interpretative bla&s;phemy.</HI> a calling into que&s;tion of his <HI>mercy, power, ju&s;tice,</HI> but e&s;pecially of his <HI>truth;</HI> 1 <HI>John</HI> 5. 10. <HI>He that believeth not God, hath made him a lyar;</HI> You judge him a per&s;on not fit to be credited; the giving of <HI>the lye</HI> is accounted the greate&s;t injury and di&s;grace among&s;t men; for <HI>truth</HI> is the ground of commerce and humane &s;ociety: So that to &s;ay a man is <HI>a lyar,</HI> is as much as to &s;ay a man is unfit to keep company with men: But e&s;pecially is this a great injury to God, becau&s;e he &s;tandeth more upon <HI>his word,</HI> then upon any other part of his name, <HI>P&s;al. 138. 2. He hath magnifyed his word above all his Name:</HI> We have more experience of God in making good his word, then in any other thing. As faith honoureth God, &s;o doth unbe|lief di&s;honour him; what God doth to the creature, that doth faith to God; God <HI>ju&s;tifieth, &s;anctifieth, glorifieth</HI> the creature, and faith is &s;aid to <HI>ju&s;tifie God,</HI> Luke 7. 29. To <HI>ju&s;tifie,</HI> is to acquit from accu&s;ation; So doth faith acquit Gods truth in the word, from all the jealou&s;ies which the <HI>carnal world,</HI> and our <HI>carnal hearts</HI> do ca&s;t upon him. Faith is &s;aid to <HI>&s;anctifie God,</HI> Numb. 20. 12. <HI>To &s;anctifie,</HI> is to &s;et a part from common u&s;e; and God is &s;anctified when we &s;et God aloof, above all ordinary and common cau&s;es, and can believe that he will make good his word, when the cour&s;e of all things &s;eems to contradict it. Faith is &s;aid to <HI>glorifie God, Rom.</HI> 4. 20. We glorifie him <HI>declaratively,</HI> when we give him all that excellency which the word giveth
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him: Now becau&s;e unbelief <HI>accu&s;eth</HI> God, <HI>limiteth</HI> him to the cour&s;e of &s;econd cau&s;es, and denyeth him his glory, therefore is it &s;o hainous and hateful to God.</P>
<P>2. 'Tis a &s;in again&s;t which God hath declared mo&s;t of his di&s;plea&s;ure. Search the <HI>Annals,</HI> &s;urveigh all the mo|numents of time, &s;ee if ever God &s;pared an Unbeliever: Hence in the wilderne&s;s the Apo&s;tle &s;aith they <HI>were de&s;troy|ed for &V;nbelief:</HI> Many were their &s;ins in the Wilderne&s;s, <HI>Murmurings, Lu&s;tings, Idolatry</HI> but the main rea&s;on of their puni&s;hment was, <HI>they believed not;</HI> look to their <HI>final exci&s;ion</HI> and cutting off, why was it? <GAP DESC="foreign"> <HI>for unbe|lief were they broken off,</HI> Rom. 11. 20. not &s;o much for <HI>crucifying the Lord of life;</HI> the Go&s;pel was tendred to them after Chri&s;t was &s;lain; 'twas for <HI>not believing</HI> or <HI>refu&s;ing the Go&s;pel:</HI> If you will know what company there is in hell, that Catalogue will inform you, <HI>Fearful, and &V;nbelievers,</HI> &amp;c. <HI>Rev.</HI> 21. 8. if you look to <HI>temporal Judgements,</HI> that Nobleman was trodden to death for di&s;tru&s;ting Gods power 2 <HI>Kings</HI> 8. 2. and could only <HI>&s;ee</HI> the plenty, but not <HI>ta&s;te</HI> of it: Nay 'tis &s;uch a &s;in as God hath not &s;pared in his own children: <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> and <HI>Aaron</HI> could not enter into the land of promi&s;e, becau&s;e of their unbelief; <HI>Numb.</HI> 20 12. So <HI>Luke <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">. Zechary</HI> was <HI>&s;truck dumb</HI> for not believing what God had revealed. Chri&s;t did never chide his Di&s;ciples &s;o much for any thing as for their unbelief, <HI>Luke 24. 25. O ye fools, and &s;low of heart to believe:</HI> and <HI>Why doubt ye, O ye of little Faith?</HI> Matth. 8. 26. he chideth them before he chideth the wind, the &s;torm fir&s;t began in their own hearts.</P>
<P>3. 'Tis the <HI>mother of all &s;in;</HI> the fir&s;t &s;in was the fruit of<NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> Qualitas ma|lae vitae initi|um habet ab infidelitate. <HI>Aug.</HI></NOTE> unbelief, we may plainly ob&s;erve <HI>a <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">aultring of a&s;&s;ent,</HI> Gen. 3. 3, 4, 5. and &s;till, 'tis the ground of all mi&s;carriages, <HI>of hardne&s;s of heart,</HI> and <HI>Apo&s;ta&s;ie,</HI> Heb. 3. 12, 13. He that believeth not the judgements and threatnings of the word, will not &s;tick to do any evil; and he that doth not believe the promi&s;es, will not be forward to any good: All our <HI>neglect</HI> and <HI>coldne&s;s</HI> in holy duties, cometh from the weak|ne&s;s of our faith, there is a decay at the <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 span"> did we be|lieve
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heaven, and things to come, we &s;hould be more ear|ne&s;t and zealous: Many are a&s;hamed of <HI>Adultery, Theft, Murder,</HI> but not of <HI>&V;nbelief,</HI> which is the mother of all the&s;e.</P>
<P>4. <HI>Final &V;nbelief is an undoubted evidence of Reproba|tion.</HI> See <HI>John 10. 26. Ye believe not, becau&s;e ye are not of my &s;heep:</HI> And <HI>Acts</HI> 1<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">. 48. Unbelief is <HI>God's pri&s;on,</HI> where|in he keepeth the <HI>reprobate world,</HI> Rom. 11. 32. <HI>He hath &s;hut them up under unbelief,</HI> &amp;c. And &s;hall I continue &s;uch <HI>a black note</HI> upon my &s;elf? I know not how &s;oon God may cut me off, and if I die in this e&s;tate, I am mi&s;erable for ever; <HI>Lord I de&s;ire to believe, help my unbelief.</HI></P>
<P>5. 'Tis a &s;in that <HI>depriveth us of much good,</HI> of the <HI>com|forts of providence.</HI> Nothing doth <HI>ponere obicem,</HI> bar and &s;hut out God's operation in order to our relief, &s;o much as this &s;in; <HI>Mark 6 5. He could do no mighty work</HI> &amp;c. So <HI>John 11. 40. Said I not unto thee, if thou would'&s;t believe, thou &s;hould&s;t &s;ee the glory of God.</HI> So al&s;o of the comfort of Ordinances, <HI>Heb. 4. 2. The Word profited not, becau&s;e it was not mixed with faith in them that heard it.</HI> So for Prayer, <HI>James</HI> 1. 7, 8, 9. Nay it barreth heaven gates. it excluded <HI>Adam</HI> out of <HI>Paradi&s;e,</HI> the <HI>I&s;raelites</HI> out of <HI>Canaan,</HI> and us out of the <HI>Kingdom of heaven,</HI> Heb. 3. 17, 18.</P>
<P>Well then, Let us &s;ee if we be guilty of this &s;in; <HI>Take</HI> heed (&s;aith the Apo&s;tle&punc; <HI>Heb. 3. 12.) le&s;t there be in any of you an evil heart of &V;nbelief;</HI> Many have an unbelieving heart when they lea&s;t think of it: 'Tis ea&s;ie to <HI>declaim</HI> again&s;t it, but hard to <HI>convince</HI> men of it, either of the <HI>&s;in,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">John 16. 9.</NOTE> or of lying in <HI>a &s;tate of &V;nbelief;</HI> 'tis the Spirit's work, <HI>The Spirit &s;hall convince of &s;in, becau&s;e they believe not in me.</HI> There are many preten&s;es by which men excu&s;e them&s;elves, &s;ome more gro&s;s, others more &s;ubtile. Many think that all In&s;idels are <HI>without the pale</HI> among <HI>Turks</HI> and <HI>Heathens,</HI> alas, many too many are to be found in the very bo&s;ome of the Church: The <HI>I&s;raelites</HI> were God's own people, and yet <HI>de&s;troyed becau&s;e they believed not:</HI> Others think none are unbelievers but tho&s;e that are given up to the <HI>violences</HI> and <HI>horrors of de&s;pair,</HI> and do <HI>gro&s;ly reject,</HI> or <HI>refu&s;e</HI> the
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<HI>comforts of the Go&s;pel;</HI> but they are mi&s;taken, the <HI>wholl word</HI> is the object of Faith, the <HI>commandments</HI> and <HI>threat|nings,</HI> as well as the <HI>promi&s;es,</HI> and <HI>carele&s;ne&s;s,</HI> and <HI>neglect</HI> of the comforts of the Go&s;pel, is unbelief, as well as <HI>doubts,</HI> and <HI>de&s;pairing fears:</HI> Matth. 22. 5. <HI>But they made light of it:</HI> He is the wor&s;t unbeliever that &s;corns and &s;lighteth the tenders of Gods grace in Chri&s;t, as things wherein he is not concerned. Briefly then, Men may make a <HI>general profe&s;|&s;ion</HI> of the name of Chri&s;t, as the <HI>Turks</HI> do of <HI>Mahomet,</HI> becau&s;e 'tis the Religion profe&s;&s;ed there where they are born; a man may take up the opinions of a Chri&s;tian Country, and not be a whit better then Turks, Jews, or Infidels; as he is not the taller of &s;tature that walketh in an <HI>higher Walk</HI> then others do: They may <HI>under&s;tand their Religion,</HI> and be able to give <HI>a rea&s;on</HI> of the hope that is in them, and yet lie under the power of unbelief for all that; as many may &s;ee Countries in a Map, which they ne|ver enter into. The Divel hath knowledge, <HI>Je&s;us I know, and Paul I know,</HI> &amp;c. And tho&s;e that pretend to knowledge without an&s;werable practi&s;e, do but give them&s;elves <HI>the lye, 1 John</HI> 2. 29. Be&s;ides <HI>Knowledge</HI> there may be <HI>a&s;&s;ent,</HI> and yet <HI>unbelief</HI> &s;till; the Divels <HI>a&s;&s;ent</HI> as well as <HI>know;</HI> they <HI>believe there is one God,</HI> James 2. and 'tis not a <HI>naked</HI> and <HI>inefficacious a&s;&s;ent,</HI> but &s;uch as cau&s;eth <HI>horrors,</HI> and <HI>tremblings. They believe and tremble:</HI> and they do not only believe that one article, that <HI>there is one God,</HI> but other articles al&s;o, <HI>Je&s;us thou Son of God, Art thou come to torment me be|fore my time?</HI> was the Divel's &s;peech; where there is an acknowledging of Chri&s;t, and him as the <HI>Son of God,</HI> and <HI>Judge of the world,</HI> and <HI>increa&s;e of their torment</HI> at the la&s;t day upon his &s;entence: <HI>A&s;&s;ent is nece&s;&s;ary,</HI> but not <HI>&s;uffi|cient;</HI> Laws are not &s;ufficiently owned when they are be|lieved to be the Kings Laws, there is &s;omthing to be done as well as believed: In the primitive times <HI>A&s;&s;ent</HI> was more then it is now, and yet then an <HI>unactive</HI> a&s;&s;ent was never allowed to pa&s;s for faith. <HI>Confident re&s;ting on Chri&s;t for &s;al|vation,</HI> if it be not a re&s;ting according to the word, will not &s;erve the turn, there were &s;ome that <HI>leaned upon the</HI>
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<HI>Lord,</HI> Micah 3. 11. whom he di&s;claimeth; 'tis a <HI>mi&s;taken Chri&s;t</HI> they re&s;t upon, and upon him by a <HI>mi&s;taken Faith.</HI> 'Tis a mi&s;taken Chri&s;t, for the true Chri&s;t is the eternal Son of God, that was born of a Virgin, and died at Jeru&s;a|lem; <HI>Bearing our &s;ins in his Body upon a Tree, that we being dead unto &s;in, might be alive unto righteou&s;ne&s;s, 1 Pet</HI> 2. 24. the true Chri&s;t is one that <HI>gave him&s;elf for us, that he might purifie us to be a peculiar people, zealous of good works,</HI> and is now gone into heaven, there to make Interce&s;&s;ion for us, and will come again from heaven in a glorious manner, to take an account of our works, <HI>Tit.</HI> 2. 13, 14. But now when men lie under the power and reign of their &s;ins, and yet pretend to re&s;t upon Chri&s;t for &s;alvation&punc; they &s;et up another Chri&s;t then the word holdeth forth; and as the <HI>Chri&s;t is mi&s;taken&punc;</HI> &s;o is the Faith: 'tis not an <HI>Idle tru&s;t,</HI> but &s;uch as is effectual to purge the heart; for the true <HI>faith pu|rifieth the heart,</HI> Acts 15. 9. If be&s;ides <HI>profe&s;&s;ion, knowledge, a&s;&s;ent,</HI> and a <HI>loo&s;e tru&s;t,</HI> they &s;hould pretend to <HI>a&s;&s;urance,</HI> or to <HI>a &s;trong conceit that Chri&s;t died for them,</HI> and they &s;hal certainly go to heaven; this will not excu&s;e them from un|belief, this is <GAP DESC="foreign">, the grand mi&s;take, that the <HI>&s;trength of Faith</HI> lieth in a <HI>&s;trong per&s;wa&s;ion</HI> of the goodne&s;s of our condition, and the &s;tronger the per&s;wa&s;ion, the bet|ter the faith. If this were true, <HI>hardne&s;s of heart</HI> would make the <HI>be&s;t faith,</HI> and he that could <HI>pre&s;ume mo&s;t</HI> and be <HI>mo&s;t &s;ecure</HI> and free from doubts, would be the <HI>truest be|liever,</HI> and the goodne&s;s of our condition would lie in the <HI>&s;trength of our Imagina ion</HI> and conceit: Alas, many make full account they &s;hall go to heaven, that &s;hall never come there&punc; The <HI>fooli&s;h Virgins</HI> were very confident, and the <HI>fooli&s;h Builder</HI> goeth on with the building, never &s;u&s;pecting the foundation: nay, let me tell you, A&s;&s;urance of a good condition as long as we lie under the power and reigne of &s;in, is the <HI>gro&s;&s;e&s;t unbelief</HI> in the world; for 'tis to believe the flat contrary to that which God hath revealed in the word: therefore none abu&s;e the Lord, and que&s;tion his Truth &s;o much as the&s;e do; Where hath God &s;aid that men that live in their &s;ins &s;hall be &s;aved? nay, he hath
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expre&s;ly &s;aid the contrary, <HI>be not deceived, neither Fornica|tors, nor Adulterers, nor Idolaters,</HI> &amp;c. 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 6. 9. &s;o that you give God the lie, or conceit that he will break his word for your &s;akes; nay (in a &s;en&s;e) you even dare him to make good his truth: He hath &s;aid, <HI>Be not deceived; you &s;hall ne|ver enter,</HI> &amp;c. and you &s;ay, <HI>Though I am an Adulterer, a Drunkard, a Worldling, I &s;hall go to heaven for all that,</HI> Now in a little while you &s;hall &s;ee <HI>who&s;e word &s;hall &s;tand, God's or yours.</HI> Jer. 44. 28.</P>
<P>Once more, The word is not &s;uppo&s;ed to be without <HI>all kinde of power;</HI> men may have <HI>&s;ome reli&s;h of good things,</HI> and <HI>&s;ome experience of the powers of the world to come,</HI> and yet be in an unbelieving &s;tate: See <HI>Heb.</HI> 6. 5. Where the Apo&s;tle &s;peaketh of a <HI>common work,</HI> oppo&s;ed to <GAP DESC="foreign">, to <HI>things that do accompany &s;alvation, v.</HI> 9. or have &s;alvation nece&s;&s;arily annexed to them; they may have &s;ome feeling of the power of the truth, and yet af|terwards make defection out of a <HI>love to the world,</HI> and worldly things; they may have many <HI>&s;piritual gifts,</HI> change their <HI>outward conver&s;ation,</HI> make a <HI>glorious profe&s;&s;ion&punc;</HI> and be thereupon enrolled among the Saints, yea be of <HI>great u&s;e</HI> and &s;ervice in the Church, though for their <HI>own ends</HI> and <HI>intere&s;ts,</HI> remaining all this while unrenewed, and having their worldly inclinations to <HI>honour, e&s;teem, plea&s;ure, profit</HI> unbroken and unmortified; for there is no &s;uch enemy to faith, as a <HI>carnal worldly heart:</HI> Therefore let men pretend what they will, when they are as eager upon the world, as if they had no other matters to mind, and the <HI>love of out|ward greatne&s;s</HI> doth &s;way with them more then the <HI>love of heaven,</HI> and the <HI>prai&s;e of men,</HI> more then the <HI>approbation of God,</HI> and <HI>carnal ea&s;e and plea&s;ure</HI> more then <HI>delight in God,</HI> How <HI>can they be &s;aid to believe? John</HI> 5. 44. for &s;uch kind of <HI>lu&s;ts</HI> and <HI>earthly affections</HI> are incon&s;i&s;tent with the pow|er and vigour of &s;aving faith, therefore till the bent of the heart be towards heavenly things, and carnal affections be &s;oundly mortified, unbelief reigneth; I pitch it upon this evidence, partly becau&s;e the great drift of conver&s;ion is to draw off the &s;oul, as from <HI>&s;elf</HI> to <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> and from <HI><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">in</HI> to
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<HI>holine&s;s,</HI> &s;o from the <HI>world</HI> to <HI>heaven;</HI> See 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 1. 3. Be|gotten to <HI>a lively hope:</HI> and 1 <HI>John</HI> 5. 4. <HI>He that is born of God, overcometh the world:</HI> A&s;&s;oon as we are converted, the heart is drawn and &s;et towards heavenly things; partly be|cau&s;e the main thing to be believed, next to <HI>God's Being,</HI> is his <HI>Bounty,</HI> Heb. 6. that we may make God our rewarder: and partly becau&s;e the main work of Faith is to draw off the &s;oul from &s;en&s;ible things to <HI>things un&s;een,</HI> and to come, <HI>Heb.</HI> 11. 1. &s;o that what&s;oever <HI>glorious profe&s;&s;ion</HI> men make, or <HI>what&s;oever &s;ervice</HI> they perform in the Church, or <HI>what|&s;oever experience</HI> they have in the enlargement of gifts, yet if they be <HI>carele&s;s</HI> of things to come, and eager after the things of the world; Faith is not throughly planted: for a main thing wanting in the&s;e temporaries, was <HI>a re&s;olution to &s;erve God for God's &s;ake,</HI> or to make him their <HI>pay-ma&s;ter,</HI> which can never be, till <HI>carnal inclinations</HI> to the <HI>honours, plea&s;ures,</HI> and <HI>profits</HI> of the world be &s;ubdued, and we are willing to lay down all the&s;e things at <HI>Chri&s;t's feet,</HI> taking only &s;o much as he &s;hall <HI>fairly allow us</HI> for our u&s;e.</P>
<P>Thus much for the <HI>hainou&s;ne&s;s</HI> of unbelief in the <HI>General.</HI></P>
<P>2. Let me tell you, that all unbelief is not <HI>alike hainous,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">2. In parti|cular.</NOTE> as will appear by the&s;e con&s;iderations.</P>
<P>1. <HI>Total reigning unbelief is a black mark,</HI> &s;uch as lie un|der it, are in the high way to hell. <HI>John 3. 18. He that be-@2lieveth not, is condemned already:</HI> The Law hath condemn|ed him, and while&s;t he remaineth in that e&s;tate, the Go&s;pel yeildeth him no hope, <HI>John 3. 36, The wrath of God abideth on him;</HI> and if he die in it, he is mi&s;erable for ever, <HI>Rev. 21. 8. Fearful and &V;nbelievers</HI> are reckoned among the Inhabitants of hell. Fir&s;t he is condemned by that ancient &s;entence, That <HI>who&s;oever &s;inneth &s;hall die;</HI> which is not re|ver&s;ed, but &s;tandeth in full force till faith in Chri&s;t, <HI>John 8. 24. If ye believe not that I am he, ye &s;hall die in your &s;ins:</HI> and if we continue refu&s;ing the coun&s;els of the Go&s;pel, to the <HI>condemnation that is already,</HI> to the condemnation of the Law, there is added a <HI>new condemnation,</HI> for de&s;pi&s;ing the Go&s;pel: But now partial unbelief where faith prevaileth,
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though there be many doubts and fears, leaveth a man ob|noxious to <HI>temporal judgements,</HI> but not to <HI>eternal ruine.</HI></P>
<P>2. <HI>All unbelief is the more hainous, the more means you have to the contrary,</HI> as coun&s;els, warnings, promi&s;es clear|ly held forth; See <HI>John 15. 22. If I had not &s;poken to them,</HI> &amp;c. and <HI>John 2 19. Light is come into the world,</HI> &amp;c. The word is preached <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>for a witne&s;s,</HI> Matth. 24. 14. with <HI>Mark</HI> 13. 9. fir&s;t <HI>to them,</HI> and if not received, then <HI>again&s;t them; Did not I warn you</HI> &s;aith <HI>Reuben</HI> to his Bre|thren? Every <HI>offer</HI> and <HI>warning</HI> will be as &s;o many &s;words in your Con&s;ciences. One ob&s;erveth well, That twice<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>De&s;paigne</HI> on the C<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">eed.</NOTE> Chri&s;t <HI>marvelled,</HI> once at the unbelief of his Countrymen the Galileans, that had &s;o much means, <HI>Mark</HI> 6. 8. and another time at the faith of the Centurion a &s;tranger, <HI>Mat.</HI> 8. 10. who had &s;o little means: 'tis a thing to be marvelled at, that a people &s;hould have &s;o much means, and profit but little: Wonder is a thing that proceedeth from <HI>igno|rance,</HI> and Chri&s;t though not ignorant, yet would expre&s;s all humane affections; and the rather, that we might look upon it as a &s;trange and uncomly thing, not to believe after &s;o many helps vouch&s;afed to us.</P>
<P>3 <HI>The more experiences, comforts, evidences, and manife|&s;tations of God's power and pre&s;ence we have had, the great<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">r the unbelief:</HI> This was that which provoked the Lord again&s;t I&s;rael, to de&s;troy them in the Wilderne&s;s. <HI>Numb. 14. 11. How long will it be ere ye believe in me for all the words that I have &s;hewed?</HI> God traineth up his people by <HI>experience,</HI> that they may know what he <HI>can</HI> or <HI>will</HI> do for them; and there|fore by every experience we &s;hould grow up into a greater <HI>courage</HI> and &s;trength of faith and as <HI>David,</HI> draw inferen|ces of hope again&s;t the pre&s;ent danger from the <HI>Lyon</HI> and the <HI>Bear,</HI> 1 Sam. 17. 36. or as <HI>Paul he hath</HI> and <HI>doth,</HI> and therefore <HI>will,</HI> 2 Cor. 1. 10. otherwi&s;e the&s;e experiences are given in vain: Chri&s;t was angry with his Di&s;ciples for <HI>not rememb<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ing the miracle of the loaves,</HI> Matth. 16. 9. when they were in a <HI>li<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">e &s;tra<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">t</HI> again; when we &s;hew a child a <HI>let|ter</HI> here, and the &s;ame letter again in another word, and the &s;ame again in a third, if he &s;hould be to &s;eek when we &s;hew
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him again the &s;ame letter in the next word, we are angry, and think our teaching lo&s;t: So when God giveth an evi|dence of his power and care in this &s;trait, and in a conde|&s;cention to our weakne&s;s, giveth us a like evidence again, and in a third &s;trait he teacheth us how to read and apply a promi&s;e, and yet upon the next difficulty we are to &s;eek again, God is angry with us, becau&s;e his conde&s;centions are lo&s;t: and in this &s;en&s;e God is more angry with the <HI>un|belief of his children</HI> then of others, becau&s;e they have <HI>more experiences,</HI> and are &s;o ready to di&s;tru&s;t him that never fail|ed them.</P>
<P>4. <HI>The more deliberate our unbelief is, the wor&s;e,</HI> in times of <HI>incon&s;iderate pa&s;&s;ion,</HI> and in <HI>a fit of temptation</HI> it may break out from God's children. <HI>David</HI> when he &s;pake <HI>in ha&s;te,</HI> was fain to eat his words, <HI>P&s;al. 116. 11. I &s;aid in my haste all men are lyars, Samuel,</HI> and all who had told him of the Kingdom, I &s;hall never live to &s;ee the promi&s;e fulfilled; &s;o <HI>P&s;al. 31. 22. I &s;aid in my ha&s;te I am cut off, neverthele&s;s thou hearde&s;t the voice of my Supplications:</HI> in a fit, di&s;content may break out, but 'tis pre&s;ently oppo&s;ed and checked, but when it groweth into <HI>a &s;etled di&s;t<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">mper,</HI> then 'tis wor&s;e: as that in <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 73. was a more <HI>la&s;ting temptation;</HI> therefore <HI>David</HI> calleth him&s;elf <HI>Be<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;t,</HI> ver&s;. 22. for his fooli&s;h and bruti&s;h thoughts of providence.</P>
<P>5. <HI>Where unbelief is expre&s;&s;ed and put into words, there 'tis more hainous: &V;nbelieving thoughts</HI> are a great evil, but when they break out into <HI>murmurings</HI> and <HI>bold expo&s;tula<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">i|ons, with</HI> or <HI>again&s;t God,</HI> then they are wor&s;e; 'tis better to keep the temptation within doors, that if the fire be kindled, the &s;parks may not fly abroad to enkindle others; you <HI>grieve God</HI> by your thoughts, but you <HI>di&s;honour</HI> and <HI>di&s;parage</HI> him when they break out into words, <HI>Mal. 3. 13. Your words have been &s;tout again&s;t me, &s;aith the Lord:</HI> 'Tis a greater da|ring to avow openly, and publi&s;h our &s;u&s;picions of God, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">nd di&s;contents again&s;t him, <HI>Deut. 1. 34. The <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ord heard he voice of your words, and was wroth, &s;aying, not one of the&s;e &s;hall enter my re&s;t.</HI> Others may be perverted, and make ill u&s;e of our infirmities.</P>
<P><PB N="262" REF="140">6. <HI>Where there are profe&s;&s;ions to the contrary, there the un|belief is the wor&s;e. After the&s;e things do the Gentiles &s;eek,</HI> Matth. 6. 32. Chri&s;tians are not only in&s;tructed to do bet|ter, but profe&s;s to do otherwi&s;e; Di&s;tru&s;t is a <HI>Pagan &s;in,</HI> you are acquainted with a <HI>particular providence,</HI> with an <HI>heavenly father,</HI> with the <HI>happine&s;s of another world,</HI> and for you to be worldly, di&s;tru&s;tful, to make it your bu&s;ine&s;s what you &s;hall eat and drink, that's a mo&s;t unworthy thing: for a profe&s;&s;ed Infidel that believeth not eternity, that never heard of God's fatherly care, nor of heaven or hell, to be altogether in the world, this were no &s;uch marvel; but for you that profe&s;s to believe the Go&s;pel, to have your hearts fail and &s;ink upon every occa&s;ion, and to be under the tyrannie of di&s;tracting cares, how &s;ad is it!</P>
<P>Thus much for the <HI>hainou&s;ne&s;s of &V;nbelief,</HI> which I was willing to repre&s;ent thus at large, that you might &s;ee what ju&s;t rea&s;on there was that God &s;hould <HI>de&s;troy tho&s;e in the wilderne&s;s that believed not.</HI></P>
<P>The next thing thing is to open the <HI>nature</HI> of it. I &s;hall here give 1. The <HI>kinds.</HI> 2. The <HI>Notes</HI> whereby this &s;in<NOTE PLACE="marg">2. The nature of <HI>Unbelief.</HI></NOTE> may be di&s;covered.  For the kinds of it: Unbelief is two-fold, 
<LIST>
<ITEM><HI>Negative.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Po&s;itive.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>1. <HI>Negative &V;nbelief</HI> is found in tho&s;e to whom the<NOTE PLACE="marg">1. The kinds of it.</NOTE> &s;ound of the Go&s;pel never came, or to whom God hath denyed the means whereby faith might be wrought in them, the want of means is not <HI>their &s;in,</HI> but their <HI>puni&s;hment,</HI> or <HI>mi&s;ery</HI> at lea&s;t; and therefore they are not condemned &s;o much for <HI>want of Faith in Chri&s;t,</HI> as for not obeying the Law of Nature, for &s;inning again&s;t that knowledge which they received in <HI>Adam;</HI> now they never received the <HI>light of the Go&s;pel</HI> in <HI>Adam,</HI> neither had <HI>Adam</HI> the knowledge thereof revealed to him, but by <HI>&s;pecial grace</HI> after the fall, when he &s;tood in the quality of a <HI>private per&s;on,</HI> then was the promi&s;e of the <HI>Womans &s;eed</HI> revealed to him, therefore they that never heard of Chri&s;t, are not condemned &s;im|ply
<PB N="263" REF="140">
for not believing in him; <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> for their <HI>&s;ins again&s;t the law</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">At the la&s;t day there is a diffe|rence made be|tween them that <HI>know not God</HI> (i. e.) by the light of na|ture, and tho&s;e that <HI>obey not the Go&s;pel</HI> (i. e.) an&s;wer not Gods ends in revelation of the Go&s;pel. 2 The&s;&s;. 1. 8.</NOTE> they are condemned, not for their <HI>unbelief again&s;t the Go|&s;pel;</HI> that's the rea&s;on why Chri&s;t when he had &s;aid <HI>John 3. 18. Every one that believeth not, is condemned already,</HI> pre&s;ently addeth by way of explication, <HI>This is the condem|nation, that light is come into the world,</HI> &amp;c. as re&s;training it to <HI>po&s;itive Infidelity;</HI> though without Chri&s;t they can ne|ver be &s;aved, yet God will not damn them for this rea&s;on, for not believing in Chri&s;t, for he never gave them the means of the knowledge of Chri&s;t.</P>
<P>2. <HI>Po&s;itive &V;nbelief,</HI> which is found in them that have means to believe in Chri&s;t, and yet neglect and refu&s;e him, and the offers of grace and life in him, and &s;o continue in the &s;tate of nature. This is two-fold.</P>
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. <HI>Total.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. <HI>Partial.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST>
<P>1. <HI>Total unbelief,</HI> in tho&s;e that continue <HI>profe&s;&s;ed Infi|dels</HI> after the tenders of the Go&s;pel; as the Word where it came found different &s;ucce&s;s, as at <HI>Antioch, Acts</HI> 13. 48. at <HI>Iconium, Acts</HI> 14. 1, 2. at <HI>Athens, Acts</HI> 17. 34. many re|fu&s;ed to make any profe&s;&s;ion.</P>
<P>2. <HI>Partial,</HI> When men are lu&s;tred with &s;ome <HI>general pro|fe&s;&s;ion,</HI> and gained to &s;ome owning of Chri&s;t, but do not fully believe in him, not cordially embrace him; either through the <HI>weakne&s;s of their a&s;&s;ent</HI> looking upon the Go|&s;pel only as <HI>probable,</HI> or out of the <HI>&s;trength of their worldly and carnal affections,</HI> they reli&s;h not, and e&s;teem not the <HI>coun&s;els</HI> and <HI>comforts</HI> of the Go&s;pel, not the <HI>comforts and hopes</HI> of the Go&s;pel, becau&s;e they are matters of <HI>another world,</HI> and lie out of <HI>&s;ight</HI> and <HI>reach,</HI> but worldly comforts act more forcibly upon them, as being more &s;uited to their hearts, and at hand, and ready to be enjoyed: Thus I&s;rael out of Unbelief <HI>de&s;pi&s;ed the plea&s;ant land, P&s;al.</HI> 106. 24. counted it not worth the looking after; and the <HI>coun&s;els of the Go&s;pel</HI> they refu&s;e out of an indulgence to fle&s;hly lu&s;ts: as there is in the Go&s;pel the <HI>Hi&s;tory</HI> and <HI>Doctrine</HI> of &s;alva|tion, &s;o there are <HI>coun&s;els of &s;alvation</HI> which mu&s;t be obey|ed,
<PB N="264" REF="141">
and therefore we hear of <HI>obeying the Go&s;pel,</HI> 2 The&s;. 1. 8. and the <HI>obedience of Faith</HI> el&s;ewhere.</P>
<P>This unbelief is again two-fold, 1. <HI>Reigning.</HI> 2. In <HI>part broken,</HI> though not wholly &s;ubdued.</P>
<P>1. <HI>Reigning &V;nbelief</HI> is in all natural men, who are not only guilty of unbelief, but de&s;cribed by the term <HI>unbelie|vers,</HI> as being per&s;ons never throughly gained to the obe|dience of the Go&s;pel, or the acceptance of Chri&s;t, and life and peace in him. It bewrayeth it &s;elf, 1. By <HI>hardne&s;s of heart;</HI> they are not moved nor affected with their <HI>own mi&s;ery&punc;</HI> nor with <HI>redemption by Chri&s;t,</HI> and the <HI>great things of eternity</HI> depending thereupon; nor the <HI>invitations of grace,</HI> calling them to the enjoyment of them, <HI>Acts 19 9. And divers w<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">re hardned, and believed not,</HI> &amp;c. an hard heart is one of the Divel's impregnable Forts, not ea&s;ily attached by the force and power of the Word: Men are born with an hard heart; we bring <HI>the &s;tone</HI> with us into the world, and by <HI>po&s;itive unbelief,</HI> or by &s;lighting offers of grace made to us, it increa&s;eth upon us: Hardne&s;s of heart is known by the <HI>fooli&s;hne&s;s</HI> of it, <HI>when &s;eeing we &s;ee not, and hearing we hear not,</HI> Acts 28. 26, 27. when we have a <HI>gram|matical knowledge</HI> of things, but no <HI>&s;piritual di&s;cerning;</HI> 'tis al&s;o known by the <HI>in&s;en&s;iblene&s;s of it,</HI> when men have no feeling of <HI>terrors</HI> by the <HI>Law,</HI> of <HI>peace, joy,</HI> and <HI>hope</HI> by the <HI>Go&s;pel,</HI> no ta&s;te of the good word at all, but are as &s;tones, unmoved with all that is &s;poken. 2. By <HI>a neglect of &s;piri|tual and heavenly things,</HI> they do not make it their bu&s;ine&s;s and work to look after tho&s;e things, <HI>Matth. 22. 5. <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="foreign">, They would not take it into their care and thoughts.</NOTE> But they made light of it, and went one to his Farm, another to his Merchandi&s;e.</HI> Your callings are not your <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>your work</HI> and <HI>main bu&s;ine&s;s,</HI> that is to look after an intere&s;t in Chri&s;t, therefore when, this is the lea&s;t thought of, and the <HI>Farm</HI> and the <HI>Merchandi&s;e</HI> ingro&s;&s;eth all our time and care men believe not; Could they &s;light Chri&s;t and holy things if they did &s;oundly and throughly believe the Word of God? Would they not find &s;ome time to mind their &s;ouls? Look|ing after the inward man, that's the main care; and men would fir&s;t regard it, if they did believe that the &s;oul were
<PB N="265" REF="141">
&s;o concern'd both in point of <HI>danger</HI> and <HI>hope,</HI> &s;urely when men take no heed to the great offers of the Go&s;pel, they do not look upon it as a certain truth. 3dly. By <HI>&s;ecret &s;u&s;pi|cions</HI> in their own &s;ouls again&s;t the truth of the Go&s;pel; that prophane wretch &s;aid <HI>hae<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> fabula Chri&s;ti&punc;</HI> they look upon it as a Golden dream to make fools fond with it, and that all opinions in religion are but a <HI>Logomachy,</HI> a meer &s;trife of words, or a Doctrine to &s;et the World together by the ears, as <HI>Gallio, Acts</HI> 18. 15. or a fancy and <HI>fond &s;uper&s;tition, Acts</HI> 25. 29. and that we need not trouble our heads about it, the&s;e are the natural thoughts which men have of the Go&s;|pel, &s;uch thoughts may ru&s;h into the heart of a Godly man, but they are abhominated and ca&s;t out with indignation, but in wicked men they reign and dwell, they live by the&s;e kind of principles: I remember Chri&s;t &s;aith of his Di&s;ci|ples, <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>John 17. 8. they have known &s;urely that I came out from thee,</HI> the light of faith is an <HI>undoubted certain light;</HI> but in wicked men, their a&s;&s;ent is mingled with doubting, ignorance, errour, and &s;otti&s;h prejudices again&s;t the Doctrine and Wor&s;hip of God, <HI>Matth.</HI> 3. 14. natural Athei&s;m in them is not cured; and that faith which they pretend to, and profe&s;&s;e, is but a <HI>loo&s;e wavering opinion,</HI> not a grounded and &s;etled per&s;wa&s;ion of the truth of the Go&s;pel, <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg"><HI>Coll.</HI> 2. 2&punc;</NOTE> the <HI>a&s;&s;urance of under&s;tanding</HI> (as the Apo&s;tle calleth it) dependeth upon experience and an inward &s;en&s;e of the truth, and is wrought by the holy Gho&s;t. 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 2. 4. and therefore (I &s;uppo&s;e) proper to the Godly. 4 <HI>By rejecting the coun&s;els of Salvation,</HI> &s;ee <HI>Acts 13. 46. Luke</HI> 7. 31. all natural men, are <HI>children of di&s;obedience, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ph</HI> 2. 2. out of pride &s;corning either the <HI>me&s;&s;ages of God, folly <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">o him, 1 Cor.</HI> 2. 14. or the <HI>me&s;&s;engers, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">s not this the Car|penters Son? Mark</HI> 6. 3. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">oining and fencing with the word, and defeating the methods of Grace u&s;ed to gain them, <HI>Rom.</HI> 10. 21. guilty of an ob&s;tinate frowardne&s;&s;e <HI>it is a people that do erre in their hearts,</HI> P&s;al. 95. 11. not in their <HI>minds</HI> onely, but <HI>their heart&punc;</HI> as if they did &s;ay, <HI>we de&s;ire not the knowledge of t<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">y w<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">i<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">s</HI> Job 21. 14. 5. By <HI>the unholine&s;&s;e of their lives,</HI> the Apo&s;tle &s;aith, 2 <HI>Peter</HI> 3. 11.
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<HI>We that look for &s;uch things, what manner of per&s;ons ought we to be in all holine&s;&s;e and godline&s;&s;e of Conver&s;ation?</HI> from whence we may plainly infer; that they which are not &s;uch manner of per&s;ons, do not look for &s;uch things as <HI>faith</HI> in|ferreth, <HI>obedience:</HI> where the Prince is, there his <HI>train</HI> will be, &s;o is <HI>unbeleef</HI> known by <HI>di&s;obedience;</HI> when men live as carnally and carele&s;ly as an Infidel, there is not a pin to chu&s;e between them. 6. <HI>When men hear the Word, and ne|ver make application, or convert it to their own u&s;e,</HI> 'tis a &s;ign they are under the power of reigning unbelief, in faith there is a&s;&s;ent or believing the Word to be the Word of God; or that it is a <HI>faithfull &s;aying&punc; 1 Tim.</HI> 1. 15. and then <HI>con|&s;ent</HI> or approbation of the Word, as a good word or <HI>wor|thy &s;aying,</HI> and then <HI>application</HI> or converting the Word to our own u&s;e; &s;o in unbelief many doubt of the truth of the Word, others acknowledge not the worth of it, they do not <HI>glorifie the word, Acts</HI> 13. 48. mo&s;t that &s;peaks well of the word and approve it in their con&s;ciences, do not urge their own hearts with it&punc; <HI>What do we &s;ay to the&s;e things,</HI> Rom. 8. 32. and <HI>know it for thy good,</HI> Job 5. 27. the Word is far &s;ooner <HI>approved</HI> then <HI>applied,</HI> and yet till it be applied it worketh not, when we &s;ee our &s;elves involved and inclu|ded in the general promi&s;e and precept, and are according|ly affected, then are we &s;a<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">d to believe, in <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 27. 8. the injunction is plural, <HI>&s;eek ye my face;</HI> but the an&s;wer is &s;in|gular, thy <HI>face Lord will I &s;eek,</HI> thus mu&s;t all truths be ap|plied, and that in their <HI>method</HI> and <HI>order,</HI> for there is an Analogy and proportion between them, as the Doctrine of <HI>mans mi&s;ery,</HI> that I may con&s;ider this is my ca&s;e, and ha|ving a feeling of it may groan for deliverance, the Doctrine of <HI>redemption by Chri&s;t,</HI> that we may put in for a &s;hare, and a&s;&s;ure our own intere&s;t; the Doctrine of the <HI>thankfull life,</HI> that we may deny our &s;elves, take up our cro&s;&s;e and follow Chri&s;t in the obedience of all his Precepts. The fir&s;t Do|ctrine mu&s;t be made the ground of <HI>complaint;</HI> the &s;econd of <HI>comfort</HI> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">nd <HI>hope;</HI> the third, of <HI>re&s;olution</HI> and <HI>practi&s;e:</HI> But when we &s;uffer the&s;e truths to hover in the brain without application, or hear them onely as children learn them by
<PB N="267" REF="142">
rote, never thus reflecting&punc; <HI>What am I? What have I done? What will become of me?</HI> &amp;c unbelief remaineth un|di&s;turbed. 7. By <HI>Apo&s;tacy</HI> or falling off from God, the great bu&s;ine&s;&s;e of faith, is by <HI>patient continuance in well|doing, to look for glory, honour, and immortality,</HI> Rom. 2. 8. but now to tire and grow weary, or to fall off from God as not worthy the waiting upon argueth the heighth and reign of unbelief, what ever faith we pretended unto for a fla&s;h and pang. 8. <HI>De&s;peration,</HI> when conviction grow|eth to an heighth, and <HI>legal bondage,</HI> gets the Victory of <HI>carnal plea&s;ure,</HI> Gen. 4. 13. <HI>My &s;in is greater,</HI> &amp;c. and Jer. 18. 12. <HI>Th<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">re is no hope,</HI> &amp;c. when men think 'tis in vain to trouble them&s;elves, their damnation is fixed and there|fore re&s;olve to go to hell, as fa&s;t as they can, &s;uch de|&s;perate wickedne&s;&s;e may there be in the heart of a man.</P>
<P>2. Unbelief in part broken, and &s;o it implyeth the re|mainders of this natural evil in the Godly; in whom though faith be begun, yet it is mixed with much weakne&s;&s;e, <HI>Mar. 9. 24. Lord I beleeve, help my unbeleef,</HI> this unbelief is ma|nife&s;ted. 1. <HI>By a loathne&s;s to apply the comforts of the Go&s;|pel;</HI> 'tis the harde&s;t matter in the World to bring God and the &s;oul together, or to be at re&s;t in Chri&s;t, when we are truly &s;en&s;ible we draw back, <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Luke 5. 8.</NOTE> <HI>depart from me</HI> (&s;aith <HI>Pe|ter) for I am a &s;infull man,</HI> and he &s;hould rather &s;ay, draw <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">igh to me, the poor trembling &s;inner thinketh &s;o much of <HI>the judge</HI> that he forgets <HI>the father,</HI> though the &s;oul long|eth for Chri&s;t above all things, yet it is loath to take him for comfort and reconciliation, but floateth up and down in a &s;u&s;pen&s;ive he&s;itancy. 2. <HI>By calling Gods love into que|&s;tion upon every affliction,</HI> and in an hour of temptation un|ravelling all our hopes, <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">See <HI>I&s;a. 49.</HI> 14. and Judges the 6 and 13.</NOTE> &s;ee <HI>P&s;al</HI> 77 7, 8, 9, 10. If the Lord were <HI>the God of the Mountains</HI> and not of <HI>the Valleys,</HI> we are wont to &s;ay if God did love us, why is this befallen us? tho&s;e are fits of the old di&s;temper, Chri&s;t when cruci|fied would not let go his intere&s;t, but crieth out, <HI>My God, My God. 3. By fears in a time of danger,</HI> carnal fears &s;uch <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 span"> do <HI>perplex</HI> us, when we are imployed in Chri&s;ts work and <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ervice, as the Di&s;ciples that were imbarked with him, were
<PB N="268" REF="143">
afraid to peri&s;h in his company, <HI>Why are ye &s;o fearful, O ye of little faith, Matth. 8. 26. filial fear</HI> or reverence of God is the <HI>daughter</HI> of faith; as <HI>di&s;tru&s;tfull</HI> fear is the <HI>ene|my</HI> of it; trouble is the touch-&s;tone of faith, if we cannot commit our &s;elves to God in quietne&s;&s;e of heart, it argueth weakne&s;&s;e; God hath undertaken to bring his people out of every &s;treight, in a way mo&s;t conducing to <HI>his glory,</HI> and their <HI>welfare, Rom.</HI> 8. 28. and therefore when the word yeeldeth up no &s;upport, <HI>P&s;alm</HI> 119. 50. and the promi&s;es of God cannot keep us from &s;inking and de&s;pondency of heart we bewray our unbelief. 4. By <HI>Murmurings in ca&s;e of carnal di&s;appointment, di&s;content</HI> argueth unbelief, they quarrel with Gods <HI>Providences,</HI> becau&s;e they believe not his <HI>promi&s;es, P&s;al. 106. 24. They believed not his Word, but murmured in their Tents,</HI> 'tis ill and they cannot &s;ee how it can be better: So <HI>Deut.</HI> 1. 32. with 34. <HI>in this you belie|ved not the Lord your God. 5. By carking in ca&s;e of &s;treights, bodily wants</HI> are more pre&s;&s;ing then <HI>&s;piritual;</HI> here faith is put to a <HI>pre&s;ent tryal,</HI> and therefore here we bewray our &s;elves, <HI>Matth. 6. 30. Shall he not much more cloath you, O ye of little faith,</HI> he doth not &s;ay of <HI>no faith,</HI> for the tempta|tion is incident to a Godly man; they do oftener bewray their unbelief in di&s;tru&s;ting God about <HI>outward &s;upplies</HI> then about <HI>eternal life,</HI> which yet I confe&s;&s;e is very irrational; for if a man cannot tru&s;t God with his <HI>e&s;tate,</HI> how &s;hall he tru&s;t him with <HI>his &s;oul,</HI> and to a con&s;iderate per&s;on there are far more <HI>prejudices</HI> again&s;t <HI>eternal life,</HI> than again&s;t <HI>temporal &s;upplies,</HI> look as it was a folly in <HI>Martha</HI> to believe that <HI>Lazarus</HI> &s;hould ri&s;e at the general re&s;urrection, and to di|&s;tru&s;t his being rai&s;ed from the dead after four days lying in the Grave, <HI>John</HI> 11. 24. &s;o 'tis a great folly to pretend to expect <HI>life eternal,</HI> and not to be able to depend upon God for the &s;upplies of <HI>life temporal. 6. By coldne&s;s and care|le&s;ne&s;&s;e in the &s;piritual life&punc;</HI> if men did beleeve that heaven were &s;uch an excellent place, they would not &s;o ea&s;ily turn a&s;ide to the contentments of the fle&s;h, and the profits of the world, men have but a conjectural <HI>apprehen&s;ion</HI> of things to come of the comforts of another World; as things at a
<PB N="269" REF="143">
di&s;tance, &s;ometimes we &s;ee them, and &s;ometimes we lo&s;e their &s;ight, &s;o that we are not certain whether we &s;ee them, yea or no; &s;o it falleth out in heavenly matters, we are poor <HI>&s;hort &s;ighted creatures, 2 Pet.</HI> 1. 9. &s;ometimes we have a glimp&s;e of the glory of the World to come, &s;ome fla&s;hes, and again the mind is beclouded; and that's the rea&s;on why we mind the&s;e things &s;o little, and &s;eek after them &s;o little, a <HI>&s;teady view</HI> and <HI>&s;ound belief</HI> would ingage us to more ear|ne&s;tne&s;&s;e: they that beleeve <HI>the high price of our calling,</HI> will <HI>pre&s;&s;e on to the mark,</HI> Phil. 3. 14. &s;urely men do not believe that heaven is worth the looking after, otherwi&s;e they would &s;eek it more diligently, <HI>Heb.</HI> 6. 14. a poor bea&s;t that is going&punc; homeward goeth chearfully. 8. <HI>Indi|rect cour&s;es</HI> to get a living and &s;ub&s;i&s;tance in the World, as if God were not <HI>All-&s;ufficient, Gen.</HI> 17. 1. to break through where God hath made up the hedge, argueth that we do not depend upon him, as by <HI>tempori&s;ing,</HI> or by <HI>un|ju&s;t gain:</HI> This for a fit and in &s;ome di&s;temper may be inci|dent to Gods Children.</P>
<P>3. The la&s;t thing in the method propo&s;ed, is <HI>the cure of</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">3. The cure of Unbelief.</NOTE> <HI>unbelief,</HI> God by his mighty power can onely cure it, <HI>Eph.</HI> 1. 19. but the means which we mu&s;t u&s;e may be reduced to two hearts, 1 <HI>Cautions, 2 Directions.</HI></P>
<P>1. <HI>Cautions, 1 Take heed of &s;etting God a task,</HI> P&s;alm 78. 20&punc; <HI>Can the Lord prepare a Table in the Wilderne&s;&s;e,</HI> &amp;c. &s;o <HI>Matth. 26, 40. if thou be the Son of God, come down from the Cro&s;&s;e,</HI> this is to go beyond the promi&s;e, and to indent with God upon conditions of our own making, &s;o <HI>Matth. 4. if thou be the Son of God turn the&s;e Stones into Bread,</HI> &s;o when <HI>we pre&s;cribe to God</HI> in matter of allowance. We would have God maintain us at &s;uch a rate, be &s;o fed, &s;o cloathed, have &s;o much by the year, &s;uch Portions for our Children, <HI>he that will be rich,</HI> &amp;c. 1 Tim. 6. 9. God never under|took to give us <HI>meat for our lu&s;ts,</HI> when we &s;ubject his Providence to our direction, and pre&s;cribe what he &s;hal do for our &s;atisfaction, we do but make a &s;nare for our &s;elves. 2. <HI>Take heed of betraying faith, by di&s;tru&s;ting pre&s;ent means,</HI> 'tis an u&s;ual thing. <HI>Luke 16. If one come from the dead they</HI>
<PB N="270" REF="144">
<HI>would beleeve,</HI> if we had <HI>Oracles</HI> or <HI>Miracles,</HI> or God did &s;peak to us from Heaven as heretofore, then we &s;hould not faulter in our tru&s;t as we now do; but by this excu&s;e you <HI>im|peach the Scriptures,</HI> Mo&s;es <HI>and the Prophets</HI> are a &s;ufficient ground for &s;aith, and extraordinary means will not work on them, upon whom ordinary do not prevail there were weak|ne&s;&s;es then, and &s;o there will be, what&s;oever Di&s;pen&s;ation God u&s;e, Man is Man &s;till <HI>they beleeved not though he opened the Clouds, and commanded Manna from Heaven,</HI> P&s;. 78. 23. 3. Take heed of <HI><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ff's</HI> in principles of Faith, Foundation &s;tones if laid loo&s;e indanger the whole building, take notice of the fir&s;t he&s;itancy, <HI>Gen. 3. Yea hath God &s;aid?</HI> So Matth. 4. 3. <HI>If thou be the Son of God,</HI> &amp;c. there was a plain Oracle from Hea|ven determining it a little before, <HI>Thou art my beloved Son,</HI> but the Divel would fain draw it to an <HI>IF. 4. Beware of &s;in, doubts</HI> are the <HI>fumes of &s;in,</HI> like the vapours that come from a foul &s;tomack, <HI>uprightne&s;&s;e</HI> begetteth <HI>&s;erenity</HI> and <HI>clearne&s;&s;e,</HI> as in nature there is often a <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>a circular generation,</HI> vapours beget &s;howers, and &s;howers beget vapours; &s;o in moral and &s;piritual things, there is &s;uch a circular generati|on, <HI>unbelief</HI> maketh way for <HI>&s;in,</HI> and <HI>&s;in</HI> for <HI>unbelief,</HI> &s;in will weaken tru&s;t, it cannot be otherwi&s;e; <HI>&s;hame,</HI> and <HI>horrour,</HI> and <HI>doubt,</HI> the&s;e are the con&s;equences of &s;in, God never undertook to bear us out in the Divels work.</P>
<P>2. <HI>Directions. 1. Strengthen your A&s;&s;ent to the Word of God,</HI> fire if well kindled will of it &s;elf bur&s;t out into a flame, &s;o <HI>a&s;&s;urance</HI> and <HI>comfort</HI> would more ea&s;ily follow, if there were a <HI>through</HI> and <HI>undoubted a&s;&s;ent,</HI> to the truths of the Word, we take them up hand over head, and then when a temptation commeth, no wonder that the <HI>building</HI> totte|reth, when the <HI>foundation</HI> is &s;o weak, there are &s;everal de|grees of a&s;&s;ent, <HI>conjecture</HI> which is but a lighter inclination of the mind to that which is probable; <HI>opinion,</HI> which is a &s;tronger inclination to think, that, that which is repre&s;en|ted is true; but there is <HI>formido oppo<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ti,</HI> 'tis mixed with <HI>he|&s;itancy</HI> and <HI>doubts, <GAP DESC="foreign"> weak faith;</HI> or firm adhe|rence upon &s;ufficient conviction, yet doubts may ari&s;e and in time of temptation, this degree of A&s;&s;ent may be over|born;
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but above this, there is a <HI>through certainty</HI> or <HI>a&s;&s;u|rance of under&s;tanding,</HI> Col. 2. 2. We &s;hould never cea&s;e till we come to this; 'tis a great mi&s;take to think that we need not look after the &s;etling of our a&s;&s;ent to the truths of the Word: but take the&s;e for &s;uppo&s;ed, but in an hour of temptation we are made &s;en&s;ible of our folly herein; and if I am not mi&s;taken much of our <HI>carele&s;&s;ene&s;&s;e</HI> and <HI>un&s;etled|ne&s;&s;e of life</HI> doth proceed from hence. 2. In &s;etling a&s;&s;ent begin with <HI>natural principles,</HI> and then go on to tho&s;e which are <HI>spiritual</HI> and <HI>my&s;tical.</HI> As <HI>Gods Being,</HI> and Gods <HI>Boun|ty</HI> in the everla&s;ting rewards, <HI>Heb.</HI> 11. 6. the nece&s;&s;ity of <HI>pu|rity</HI> and <HI>holine&s;&s;e, Heb.</HI> 12. 14. the <HI>fall</HI> and <HI>mi&s;ery</HI> of the crea|ture, and then our <HI>redemption by Chri&s;t,</HI> &amp;c. I ob&s;erve the Apo&s;tles when they came to gain men to faith; began with truths &s;uited to their capacity and pre&s;ent under&s;tanding: With the vulgar they evince <HI>Creation</HI> and <HI>Providence,</HI> by arguments taken from <HI>&s;howers of rain,</HI> and the cour&s;es of nature, <HI>Heb.</HI> 14. 16, 17. with the <HI>Philo&s;ophers</HI> they urge the notions of a <HI>fir&s;t cau&s;e,</HI> and a <HI>fir&s;t mover,</HI> and tho&s;e <HI>inclinations</HI> in nature towards an eternal good, <HI>Acts</HI> 17. 3. Urge your hearts with the truths you a&s;&s;ent too, and work them upon your affections, <HI>Rom. 8. 31. Heb.</HI> 2. 3. and <HI>Job</HI> 5. 27. 4 They ob&s;erve the di&s;proportion of your re&s;pects to <HI>things pre&s;ent,</HI> and <HI>things to come.</HI> If the Judgement Seat were fi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ed, and the Books opened, how would natural men tremble, now faith &s;hould make it as pre|&s;ent, <HI>Heb.</HI> 11. 1. the Apo&s;tle <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">aith, <HI>I &s;aw the dead &s;mall and great &s;tand before the Lord,</HI> &amp;c. Revel. 20. 12. faith which is the <HI>evidence of things not &s;een,</HI> &s;hould &s;ee it, as if it were in being&punc; the <HI>light of faith,</HI> differeth not from the <HI>light of Prophecy&punc;</HI> in regard of the <HI>certainty</HI> of the thing which is to come or the <HI>a&s;&s;ured expectation</HI> of it, the light of Pro|phecy requireth a <HI>&s;pecial Revelation&punc;</HI> and differeth in degree from the <HI>light</HI> or <HI>&s;ight of <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">aith,</HI> as it cau&s;eth <HI>rapture</HI> and <HI>ex|&s;tatick motions;</HI> but as to the <HI>&s;eeing of things to come with certainty</HI> there they agreed; well then if you would di&s;cern the &s;trength or weakne&s;&s;e of your faith; ob&s;erve how dif|ferently you are affected with what is <HI>pre&s;ent,</HI> and what
<PB N="272" REF="145">
is <HI>future.</HI> So al&s;o how differently you are <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ffected with <HI>things vi&s;ible,</HI> and <HI>things invi&s;ible,</HI> with things <HI>temporal</HI> and <HI>eternal;</HI> if upon ea&s;ie terms you might have a good bar|gain for lands and riches, how readily would men imbrace the offer? for temporal profit what pains will they take? but now in things of &s;oul-concernment we are not alike af|fected, which is an argument we do not beleeve them; in all ca&s;es tis good to put <HI>&s;piritual things</HI> in a <HI>paralel tem|poral in&s;tance</HI> we are taught that wi&s;dom&punc; <HI>Mal. 1. 8. Offer it now to the Governour, &amp;c.</HI> would we do thus to an <HI>earthly Potentate</HI> as we do to God? If an able potent friend pro|mi&s;e help in troubles, how are we cheared with it? If God promi&s;e the &s;ame things we are little comforted; if every offence that we commit were liable to the notice of man, &amp; our puni&s;hment &s;hould be to hold our hand in &s;calding Lead for half an hour&punc; men would be more afraid to offend (then now they are) in the &s;ight of God, who knoweth all their thoughts, and hath threatned <HI>eternal torment;</HI> if the ta&s;t|ing of &s;uch a meat would bring <HI>pre&s;ent death,</HI> who would be &s;o fool-hardy as to meddle with it; nay, when a thing is but likely to do us hurt, as &s;ome meats, in ca&s;e of the Cho|lick, Gout, or Stone, how cautious are we? To conclude all, let me give you <HI>Chry&s;o&s;tomes &s;uppo&s;ition,</HI> for be&s;ides <HI>unbelief</HI> there is &s;omewhat in the <HI>&s;trength of evil inclination,</HI> &s;uppo&s;e a man <HI>mightily de&s;irous of re&s;t and &s;leep,</HI> &s;o that he can hardly hold open his eyes, and there were an offer made him of free and undi&s;turbed re&s;t for one night; but in ca&s;e he gave way to it, to be held under an hundred years torment, would he venture and with &s;o great an ha|zard gratifie his drow&s;ie humour; yet &s;uch is our <HI>fearle&s;&s;e|ne&s;&s;e</HI> and <HI>&s;ecurity,</HI> that we can run the hazard of eternal tor|ment, for a little carnal &s;atisfaction; if a man were &s;enten|ced to death and in danger of execution every moment, would not he be&s;tir him&s;elf and improve all his intere&s;t for a pardon, we are all <HI>cond<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">mned already;</HI> but how few are &s;olicitous to get a copy of their di&s;charge. 5. Bewail the relicks of unbelief&punc; <HI>Mar</HI> 9. 24. 6. Chide your hearts for your <HI>dejection</HI> and <HI>di&s;tru&s;t of Gods providence,</HI> as P&s;&punc; 42. 5.
<PB N="273" REF="145">
<HI>Why art thou &s;o di&s;quieted O my &s;oul,</HI> &amp;c. and <HI>P&s;al. 77. 10. this is my infirmity,</HI> 'tis the duty of a gracious man to rebuke <HI>his fears,</HI> to chide him&s;elf for admitting <HI>mi&s;takes of Gods love, &s;ugge&s;tions of unbelief</HI> and <HI>di&s;putes</HI> again&s;t the promi&s;es. 7. Con&s;ider how willing Chri&s;t is to help you, he carryeth home <HI>the &s;tray lamb upon his own Shoulders rejoicing, Luke</HI> 15. 5. how he prizeth the weak beginnings of faith, <HI>&s;moa|king Flax will he not quench, Matth.</HI> 12. 20. taketh notice of the <HI>green Figs, Cant.</HI> 2. with a mild conde&s;cen&s;ion in|dulgeth our infirmities, <HI>reach hither thy fingers Thomas,</HI> John 20. This for the <HI>Cure of &V;nbelief.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="6" TYPE="verse">
<EPIGRAPH>
<BIBL>VER. 6.</BIBL>
<Q>And the Angels which kept not their fir&s;t e&s;tate, but left their own habitation, he hath re&s;er|ved in everla&s;ting Chains under darkne&s;s unto the judgement of the great day.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>IN this Ver&s;e you have the &s;econd in&s;tance from the <HI>Apo|&s;tate Angels,</HI> who notwith&s;tanding the <HI>dignity</HI> and <HI>heigth</HI> of their nature, upon their rebellion were left to a dreadful puni&s;hment, in this in&s;tance there is an argument not <HI>a pa|ri</HI> (as in the former ver&s;e) but <HI>a majori ad minus,</HI> not from a <HI>like ca&s;e,</HI> but from <HI>the greater to the le&s;s;</HI> for if God &s;pared not &s;uch creatures, as by the grace of Creation were advanced to &s;uch an excellency of being; certainly he will not &s;pare us what ever Go&s;pel priviledges we have, if we walk un&s;uitably.</P>
<P>In the&s;e words ob&s;erve 1. <HI>The Sin</HI> of the Angels [<HI>they kept not their fir&s;t e&s;tate</HI>] 2. Their <HI>Puni&s;hment</HI> which is two|fold.</P>
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. <HI>Pre&s;ent</HI> and felt.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. <HI>Future</HI> and decreed.</ITEM>
</LIST>
<P>1. <HI>Pre&s;ent</HI> which is al&s;o double: 1. <HI>Paena damni</HI> their <HI>le&s;&s;e [they left their own habitation</HI>] 2. <HI>Paena &s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">n&s;as,</HI> their
<PB N="274" REF="146">
puni&s;hment of pain or &s;en<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">e [<HI>he hath re&s;erved in everla&s;ting Chains under darkne&s;&s;e.</HI>]</P>
<P>2. <HI>Future</HI> and <HI>Decreed [unto the judgement of the great day.</HI>]</P>
<P>Becau&s;e I will not perplex the di&s;cour&s;e by gra&s;ping at too much at one time, I &s;hall di&s;cu&s;&s;e each circum&s;tance a part, and in di&s;tinct explication. I begin with the phra&s;es<NOTE PLACE="marg">The Angels Sin.</NOTE> implying <HI>their &s;in</HI> and <HI>fall. [And the Angels</HI>] the ex|pre&s;&s;ion is plural, to no<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">e the great number of tho&s;e which fell [their fir&s;t e&s;tate <GAP DESC="foreign">] the word may be tran|&s;lated either <HI>their principality</HI> or their <HI>beginning,</HI> and which is all one; <HI>fir&s;t e&s;tate,</HI> if you tran&s;late it <HI>principallity,</HI> it will well enough &s;ute with the &s;cope of the Apo&s;tle, and the Angels are often called <HI>Principallities</HI> in Scripture, becau&s;e of their <HI>great power</HI> and <HI>excellent nature:</HI> So <HI>Col. 1. 16. Thrones, Dominions, Principallities</HI> and <HI>Powers;</HI> all which terms imply the dignity of the Angelical nature; nay, the Divels them&s;elves becau&s;e of that power and cunning which they &s;till retain, are called <HI>principallities, Eph. 6. 12. We wre&s;tle not again&s;t Fle&s;h and Blood, but again&s;t Principalli|ties and Powers, again&s;t the Rulers of the darkne&s;&s;e of this World.</HI> If you tran&s;late it <HI>beginning</HI> or <HI>fir&s;t e&s;tate;</HI> it will more fully expre&s;&s;e the <HI>mi&s;ery</HI> and <HI>fall</HI> of the <HI>Apo&s;tate An|gels,</HI> they being not onely departed from the <HI>excellency</HI> and <HI>p<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">w<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">r,</HI> but from the <HI>integrity</HI> and <HI>righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e&punc;</HI> wherein they were fir&s;t created: So that the point is, <HI>that the An|gels are fallen from: the condition of their original excellency and integrity.</HI></P>
<P>So <HI>Peter, 2 Pet.</HI> 2. 4. <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>God &s;pared</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Doct.</NOTE> <HI>not the Angels that &s;inned,</HI> &amp;c. and <HI>John 8. 44. the Divel abode not in the truth, becau&s;e there is no truth in him;</HI> that purity and integrity wherein they were created is there cal|led <HI>truth,</HI> becau&s;e truth is the perfection of any rational creature, and that <HI>holine&s;&s;e</HI> which they had was onely to be kept up by <HI>the truth</HI> or right notions of God; in opening this point I &s;hall inquire</P>
<LIST>
<ITEM>1&punc; Wh<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters"> was this <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 span"></ITEM>
<ITEM><PB N="275" REF="146">2. What was <HI>their &s;in,</HI> or how they departed from it&punc;</ITEM>
<ITEM>3. How they came to &s;in.</ITEM>
<ITEM>4. The <HI>number</HI> of them that fell.</ITEM>
<ITEM>5. The <HI>Time.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST>
<P>I do confe&s;&s;e the Scriptures do &s;peak &s;omewhat &s;paringly of the <HI>nature</HI> or <HI>fall</HI> of Angels, it being calculated chiefly for the u&s;e of man; but &s;ome hints there are which we &s;hal take notice of, and improve not to <HI>&s;atisfie curio&s;ity,</HI> but to <HI>&s;erve profit.</HI> 1. What is this <HI>fir&s;t e&s;tate</HI> from which they are departed. I an&s;wer their original condition of <HI>holine&s;&s;e</HI> and <HI>happine&s;&s;e;</HI> every creature which the Lord made, he &s;aw it to be <HI>good,</HI> much more the Angel whom God crea|ted for his own train and company, they are called <HI>the Sons of God, Job</HI> 38. 7. becau&s;e they bore his Image, and that in a more eminent degree then man, as being wholly &s;piri|tual &s;ub&s;tances, ju&s;t, holy, pure, in all qualities repre&s;en|ting God their father; 'tis &s;aid of man, <HI>thou ha&s;t made him little lower than the Angels,</HI> P&s;al. 8. 5. when man was at his be&s;t there was <HI>an inferiority,</HI> the image of God was given to us in a <HI>le&s;&s;e degree,</HI> although we were placed above all vi&s;ible creatures, yet then the Angels we were <HI>a little lower;</HI> that they were excellent, appeareth in that the <HI>Angelical obedience</HI> is made the pattern of ours, <HI>Matth.</HI> 6. 10. And our happine&s;&s;e in heaven is expre&s;&s;ed by the condition of their nature, Matth. 22. 30. <HI>They are as the Angels of God in Heaven;</HI> yea, 'tis notable that when the Scriptures would expre&s;&s;e any excellency, they u&s;e to &s;ay 'tis fit for Angels; thus <HI>Manna</HI> is called <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 78. 25.</NOTE> <HI>Angels food,</HI> not as if they needed food, &s;pirits are not capable of corporal re|fre&s;hments; but if &s;o high a creature &s;hould need food, he could have no better. So the <HI>tongue of Angels 1 Cor.</HI> 13. 1. that is, with a tongue becomming creatures of &s;o perfect an under&s;tanding; but you will &s;ay the&s;e expre&s;&s;ions are meant of the <HI>good Angels;</HI> I an&s;wer that at their fir&s;t crea|tion, they had the &s;ame common nature and excellency, as appeareth by the name of <HI>Thrones, Dominions, and Powers,</HI> which they yet retain in common with the <HI>good Angels;</HI> yea
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and by that power, wi&s;edom, and knowledge which is yet left; in their innocency they were <HI>alike good,</HI> and <HI>alike happy,</HI> and could contemplate and behold God, and em|brace him with delight as others did; all that is Super-na|tural in the good Angel, is, <HI>the grace of confirmation;</HI> by which they abide in the <HI>knowledge</HI> and <HI>l<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ve</HI> of God, where|as others left <GAP DESC="foreign"> <HI>their fir&s;t e&s;tate,</HI> and 'tis probable this grace was given to the good Angels, in the <HI>very mome<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">t of their creation,</HI> before <HI>any merit</HI> of theirs, or u&s;e of their natural abilities, as appeareth by the others <HI>&s;udden fall,</HI> and becau&s;e they are cho&s;en in Chri&s;t who is the head of Men and Angels, <HI>Col.</HI> 1. 16.</P>
<P>2. What was <HI>their &s;in,</HI> there is a great deal of diffe|rence among Divines about it, for herein they proceed by <HI>gue&s;&s;e</HI> and <HI>conjecture,</HI> rather then any <HI>c<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">rta<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">n proof.</HI> How|beit there is enough to vindicate Gods ju&s;tice again&s;t them, <HI>quae vis peccata</HI> (&s;aith <HI>Aquinus) &s;unt in malis Angelis;</HI> according to his opinion they have the guilt of all &s;in upon them, as tempting man to every &s;in; but what was the <HI>&s;pecial formal &s;in,</HI> is not &s;o ea&s;ily determined, &s;ome &s;ay, <HI>affectati<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">n of the Divi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ity;</HI> others &s;ay, <HI>flat Rebellion</HI> again&s;t the Law of their Creation, or <HI>ra&s;h attempts</HI> again&s;t the Em|pire and Soveraignty of God; others <HI>envy,</HI> becau&s;e of the <HI>humane nature</HI> exalted above the <HI>Angelical</HI> in Chri&s;t, he <HI>took not the &s;eed of Angels, Heb.</HI> 2. 16. but whether that my&s;tery were made known to them is uncertain, rather there are probabilities to the contrary; for the good An|gels know it now by Gods di&s;pen&s;ations to the Church, <HI>Eph.</HI> 3. 10. others think <HI>R<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">bellion again&s;t a particular Law</HI> given to them, as that concerning eating the forbidden fruit was to man, whether it were <HI>affecting an higher de|gree</HI> above their Creation, or refu&s;ing their office and <HI>mini|&s;tration about man,</HI> or <HI>confidence in their own gifts</HI> and recei|ved excellency, in a matter of &s;o great incertainty; 'tis hard to determine. To &s;tate their &s;in, take the&s;e Propo&s;iti|ons. 1. The Law which made their act to be &s;in, was the <HI>Moral Law,</HI> as being the Copy of Gods holine&s;&s;e, his re|vealed will to all rational creatures, and they are &s;aid to
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&s;in, 2 <HI>Pet.</HI> 2. 4. and <GAP DESC="foreign"> &s;in is <GAP DESC="foreign">, a <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">1 John 3. 4.</NOTE> <HI>tran&s;gre&s;|&s;ion of a Law;</HI> and of no other Law do we read, but of the <HI>moral Law,</HI> which (as is probable) was given to the An|gels, excepting onely &s;uch things as are not &s;uitable to a &s;pi|ritual nature; the Commandement concerning <HI>Adultery</HI> or <HI>unlawfull Propogation,</HI> for they <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Mat. 22. 30</NOTE> <HI>neither marry nor give in marriage,</HI> a thing proper to the bodily life. 2. The mo&s;t likely thing in their &s;in was <HI>Pride,</HI> there is Pride in every &s;in, namely a de&s;pi&s;ing and contempt of the Com|mandment; and this is a &s;in agreeable enough to <HI>a &s;piritual nature,</HI> as <HI>Adultery, Drunkenne&s;&s;e,</HI> and &s;uch &s;ins are pro|per to a <HI>corporal and &s;en&s;itive n<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ture,</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign"> (&s;aith <HI>Chry&s;o&s;tome</HI>) <GAP DESC="foreign">: To prove it, the <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Gregory. Au&s;tine. D<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ma&s;cen, &amp;c.</NOTE> <HI>Fathers</HI> u&s;ually quote that place I&s;a. 14. 12. <HI>How art thou fallen from H<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">aven O</HI> Lucifer <HI>Son of the morning, for thou ha&s;t &s;aid in t<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">y heart, I will a&s;cend above the heights of the Clouds, I will exalt my Throne above the Stars of God, I will be like the mo&s;t high:</HI> But the&s;e are but metaphorical Pa&s;&s;ages concerning <HI>the King of Babylon,</HI> and the ground of the mi&s;take was; becau&s;e the <HI>Angels</HI> are often in Scripture &s;et forth by <HI>Stars,</HI> as <HI>Job</HI> 38. 7. That te|&s;timony which is mo&s;t cogent, is in 1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 3. 6. <HI>Ordain not a novice, le&s;t being lifted up with Pride he fall into the Con|demnation of the Divel;</HI> this is, le&s;t he make him&s;elf guilty of that &s;in for which the Divel was condemned and reject|ed of God, namely, <HI>of Pride,</HI> and <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">See my notes there.</NOTE> <HI>James</HI> 3. 15. Pride is called <HI>Diveli&s;h Wi&s;edome;</HI> the &s;in is often to be read in the judgement that followeth it, Gods throwing them down from the dignity of their e&s;tates, was a &s;ign that they a&s;pired above it, and it may bee collected from the fir&s;t temptation, <HI>ye &s;hall be as Gods,</HI> as him&s;elf &s;aid in the &s;en&s;e of the fathers, <HI>eri &s;icut alti&s;&s;imus.</HI> &s;o to our fir&s;t Parents he &s;aid, <HI>eritis tanquam di<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">:</HI> 3. They do be&s;t that make it <HI>a compound &s;in,</HI> accommodating all opinions; for look as there are many &s;ins in that one Act by which <HI>Adam</HI> fell, <HI>&V;nbelief, Pride, Ingratitude, Di&s;obedience,</HI> &amp;c. &s;o in this act of the Angels there might be many &s;ins&punc; for though <HI>Pride</HI> be a chief &s;in in it, yet what kind of Pride it was, or
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how di&s;covered it cannot be determined every opinion is affected with equal probability, it might be <HI>envy at man,</HI> as we &s;ee the good Angels rejoiced at their happine&s;&s;e, <HI>Job 38. 7. Luke</HI> 2. 14, 15. and <HI><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">uke</HI> 15. 7. or <HI>affectation of wor&s;hip,</HI> as we &s;ee now they delight in it, or any other rebel|lion again&s;t Gods Empire and Maje&s;ty.</P>
<P>3. How they came to &s;in the Angels being created pure, they had <HI>no lu&s;t within</HI> to <HI>incline</HI> them, being in heaven they had <HI>no object without,</HI> to <HI>draw</HI> and <HI>allure</HI> them, there was no <HI>evil <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">racture, no tempter</HI> how could they &s;in? I an|&s;wer 'tis probable that many of the Angels &s;inned by <HI>tem|ptation,</HI> and <HI>&s;educement,</HI> and that one great Angel now cal|led <HI>Beelzebub</HI> fir&s;t fell, and drew the re&s;t after him, <HI>Mat. 25. 41. the Divel and his Angels,</HI> and Mat. 10. 25. <HI>Beel|zebub the Prince of Divels,</HI> it was the name of the Idol of the <HI>Ekronites, 2 Kings</HI> 1. 2. and &s;ignified the God or <HI>Lord of flies,</HI> now becau&s;e the Jews knew that they were <HI>Divels,</HI> that were wor&s;hipped in the Idols of the Gentiles&punc; they gave the names of the Idols to the <HI>Divels</HI> or <HI>evil An|gels,</HI> and the chief of the Divels they called by the name of <HI>Be<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">lzebub.</HI> So Matth. 12. 24. implying, one that was the Prince of the unclean &s;pirits called <HI>Divel, Sathan,</HI> the <HI>great Dragon,</HI> and <HI>the God of this World;</HI> from all which we may probably collect, that there was a Prince or Chief of the <HI>Apostate Angels,</HI> who was the Ring-leader in this Faction and Rebellion again&s;t God. 2. Becau&s;e the que&s;tion re|turneth how came the <HI>fir&s;t Angel</HI> then to fall? I an&s;wer 'tis hard to conceive how &s;in came into the Angels fir&s;t; all that we can &s;ay, is this, that the Angels were created <HI>good,</HI> yet <HI>mutable</HI> and free, and they voluntarily cho&s;e not to abide in their own e&s;tates. All the an&s;wer <HI>Au&s;tine</HI> would give to this que&s;tion was, <HI>Deus non &s;unt,</HI> they <HI>are not God;</HI> 'tis God's Prerogative alone to be <HI>immutable,</HI> they might <HI>&s;in</HI> becau&s;e they were <HI>creatures;</HI> and <HI>Aquinus</HI> giveth this rea|&s;on, God cannot &s;in, becau&s;e <HI>his act is his rule,</HI> but all crea|tures though never &s;o pure, if not a&s;&s;i&s;ted by Grace may &s;in, <HI>Job 4. 18. he chargeth his Angels with folly;</HI> there is <HI>mutability</HI> in the Angelical nature, there called <HI>folly:</HI> Cer|tainly
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God was not the cau&s;e of their fall, by <HI>infu&s;ing evil to them;</HI> 'twas the errour of the <HI>Manichees,</HI> to &s;ay they were created evil, nor by his <HI>pre&s;cience</HI> for that inforceth not, nor his <HI>voluntary permi&s;&s;ion,</HI> for they were left to their own &s;way, nor his <HI>decree,</HI> for that is within him&s;elf, and doth not compel the creature; neither is God to be looked up|on as <HI>con&s;enting to the action,</HI> in that he did not hinder them from it; or in that he did not &s;u&s;tain them by his own Grace, for he oweth this Grace to none, and giveth it <HI>when</HI> and to <HI>whom</HI> he plea&s;eth; and in the <HI>Angelical nature,</HI> as well as the <HI>humane,</HI> he would di&s;cover his <HI>ju&s;tice</HI> and <HI>mer|cy,</HI> and the <HI>freedom</HI> of his di&s;pen&s;ations.</P>
<P>4. <HI>The number,</HI> how many fell? the Schoolmen are too ra&s;h; &s;ome &s;ay, ju&s;t as many fell as &s;tood; others, that a <HI>third part</HI> fell, abu&s;ing that place, Rev. 12. 4. <HI>That the Dragon drew a third part <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters"> the Stars of Heaven after him:</HI> Whereas that is meant of defection in the Church&punc; certain we are, many fell, and therefore 'tis &s;aid <HI>Angels</HI> in the Text; that the number is great appeareth in that the World is full of the&s;e evil &s;pirits, and an <HI>whole Legion</HI> which contai|neth &s;ome thou&s;ands, is &s;aid to po&s;&s;e&s;&s;e one man, <HI>Luke</HI> 8. 30.</P>
<P>5. <HI>For the time,</HI> in the general <HI>very &s;oon,</HI> therefore 'tis &s;aid, <HI>John 8&punc; 44. That Sathan was a Murtherer from the beginning:</HI> And 1 <HI>John 3. 9. The Divel &s;inneth from the beginning,</HI> that is, pre&s;ently after his Creation, created the&s;e Angels were, 'twas the errour of <HI>&V;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">le<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">ius</HI> and <HI>Ba&s;i|lides</HI> in the age next the Apo&s;tles, that they were not <HI>cre|a<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ed</HI> but <HI>begotten</HI> of God, the&s;e primitive Mon&s;ters broach|ed it to the di&s;grace of Je&s;us Chri&s;t, the onely begotten Son of God, but that they were created, &s;ee <HI>Coll&punc;</HI> 1. 16. and <HI>P&s;alm.</HI> 148. 2. and created they were in time &s;ome of the <HI>Gr<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ek Wri<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ers</HI> &s;uppo&s;ed the Angels to be made before <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">e World; but there is no ground for that, there being but one beginning of all created Beings; and 'tis &s;aid, <HI>be|fore t<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">e beginning nothing was made Jo<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">n&punc;</HI> 1. 3. therefore created they were the <HI>&s;eco<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">d day</HI> with the Heavens as being of the &s;ame matter, as man was made when his &s;ea<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> and
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dwelling place was perfected; &s;o the Angels, when their &s;eat and place of re&s;idence was prepared, <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> mention|eth&punc; them, not becau&s;e he treateth of the <HI>vi&s;ible World,</HI> and <HI>corporal Beings,</HI> now 'tis certain that being created, the<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters"> &s;inned ere man fell, for the Divel in and by the Serpent <HI>&s;e|duced Eve,</HI> 2 Cor. 11. 3. therefore probably they fell a little after their Creation, not in the very in&s;tant that it might ap|pear they were not <HI>naturally evill,</HI> 'tis probable that &s;ome time interceded between their <HI>creation</HI> and <HI>defection</HI> but a very little time, to &s;hew the <HI>mu<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">uability of the Crea|ture.</HI></P>
<P>Let me now apply what hath been &s;poken, and pre&s;&s;e you<NOTE PLACE="marg">&V;&s;e.</NOTE> to con&s;ider it in your thoughts, &amp; to con&s;ider it with <HI>ob&s;er|vation</HI> and <HI>application</HI> to your &s;elves. 1. Con&s;ider it with ob&s;ervation, and there is &s;carce a matter that can be more profitably&punc; amplified in your thoughts, we have the mo&s;t impartial view of things in another per&s;on: Oh think of this dreadfull in&s;tance the fall of the Angels. 1. Ob&s;erve <HI>that &s;uch excellent creatures fell,</HI> Angels them&s;elves were created <HI>excellent</HI> but <HI>mutable;</HI> certainly, we that  <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Job 4. 18.</NOTE><HI>dwel in hou&s;es of clay, and who&s;e foundation is in the du&s;t</HI> had need be more cautious, if they be mutable, we are weaker and more mutable, to &s;ee &s;uch glorious &s;tars leave their &s;tation: and fall from heaven like lightning, it &s;hould make us poor creatures tremble and look to our own &s;tanding, <HI>le&s;t we al|&s;o fall, 1 Cor. 10. 12. &s;elf confidence</HI> is the next way to <HI>ruine,</HI> God onely cannot &s;in becau&s;e his act is his rule, there may be <HI>a great height, &s;trong abilities, rare accompli&s;hments</HI> of <HI>nature</HI> and <HI>grace;</HI> and yet you &s;ee the&s;e cannot exempt us from <HI>&s;hamefull falls</HI> without the divine concurrence, the Angels were the Courtiers of Heaven, the glory of the Creation in the fir&s;t rank of the created Beings, and yet they fell, who can pre&s;ume to <HI>&s;tand</HI> when Angels <HI>fall? 2. They fell &s;oon, a little after their Creation,</HI> there is no created excellency but if left to it &s;elf, will quickly undo it &s;elf; how &s;oon do <HI>creature perfections</HI> fade? Surely there is no &s;tability but in Chri&s;t; as the <HI>Angels,</HI> &s;o <HI>Adam</HI> fell a little after his Creation, P&s;alm 49. 12. <HI>Adam being in ho|nour</HI>
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<HI>abideth not,</HI> in the Original, <HI>abideth not for a night;</HI> and if it be applyed to the fir&s;t <HI>Adam,</HI> it implyeth that he left the honour of his innocency the <HI>fir&s;t day&punc;</HI> in the morning <HI>innocent,</HI> and at night a <HI>&s;inner:</HI> our <HI>new &s;tate</HI> in this regard is better then <HI>innocency,</HI> and the grace of <HI>re|generation</HI><NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg"> <HI>2 Tim. 2. 1.</HI> My Son be &s;trong in the Grace that is in Chri&s;t Je&s;us</NOTE> exceedeth that of <HI>creation:</HI> the Lord would &s;till keep the creature depending, our e&s;tate in Chri&s;t onely is &s;ure, becau&s;e there our &s;trength lieth in another: let us then work out our Salvation with fear and trembling: If <HI>Angels</HI> fell, and <HI>Adam</HI> fell, when they had no &s;uch <HI>mixt nature</HI> and <HI>divided principles</HI> as we have, what will become of us? Neither Man nor Angel can be kept with|out <HI>a &s;urety;</HI> and unle&s;s Chri&s;t be continually pre&s;ent with his own gifts, there is no &s;tanding. Thirdly, <HI>they fell dreadfully,</HI> and from <HI>Angels</HI> became <HI>Divels,</HI> exerci&s;ing <HI>the&s;t, lying, envy, murther</HI> towards men: the be&s;t things cor|rupted, become wor&s;t; as no Vinegar &s;o tart as that which is made of the &s;weete&s;t Wine; when men &s;inne again&s;t <HI>light</HI> and <HI>grace</HI> they become cruel&punc; <HI>the revolters are pro|found to make &s;laughter,</HI> &s;aith the Prophet, <HI>Ho&s;ea</HI> 5. After profe&s;&s;ion the fall is mo&s;t de&s;perate: <HI>their latter end is wor&s;e then their beginning,</HI> 2 Pet. 2. 20. What a <HI>malice</HI> have the&s;e evil Angels now again&s;t God and man, they go about &s;eeking whom they may devour, none &s;o bad as <HI>Apo&s;tates.</HI> Fourthly, <HI>their fall made way for ours,</HI> by this means there came to be a Tempter in the World, the <HI>fall</HI> of Angels occa&s;ioned the <HI>fall of man,</HI> and the fall of man the comming of Chri&s;t: do but go home with reve|rence, and ob&s;erve how by the <HI>bare permi&s;&s;ion of God</HI> the <HI>Divine Decrees</HI> were accompli&s;hed, and wonder at the purity of that un&s;potted providence that is <HI>conver&s;ant a|bove &s;in</HI> and evil, but not <HI>con&s;cious to it:</HI> the <HI>Angels</HI> led the way, and man followed, and &s;o occa&s;ion was given for the di&s;covery of the <HI>manifold wi&s;dom of God</HI> to men and Angels, <HI>Eph.</HI> 3. 10. Fifthly, <HI>&s;o many fell as were not elected by God,</HI> there was <HI>Election</HI> and <HI>Approbation</HI> among the Angels, among the mo&s;t glorious Creatures God would &s;hew the <HI>liberty of his Coun&s;els,</HI> not onely among&s;t
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men, the lower &s;ort of rational Creatures, but among An|gels: Therefore the Apo&s;tle &s;peaketh of <HI>Elect Angels,</HI> 1 Tim. 5. 2. Why &s;hould <HI>Clay</HI> murmer, when <HI>Gold</HI> is re|fu&s;ed? if &s;ome of the Angels were appointed to be <HI>ve&s;&s;els of di&s;honour,</HI> who art thou that replie&s;t upon God; <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>Rom.</HI> 9. 20. that will be di&s;puting the &s;overaignty of God: And ask the rea&s;on why he giveth grace to &s;ome and not to others, <HI>wonder</HI> at it, till thou can&s;t <HI>under&s;tand</HI> it, <HI>di&s;putare vis mecum? mirare mecum&punc;</HI><NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg"> <HI>Augu&s;tine.</HI></NOTE> <HI>&amp; clama O Altitudo!</HI> Gods Decrees are hard meat, not ea&s;ily dige&s;ted by carnal rea&s;on: a <HI>proud creature</HI> cannot endure to hear of <HI>Gods &s;overaignty,</HI> it awakeneth <HI>our &s;e|curity</HI> to hear of a di&s;tinction in the Coun&s;els of God, and that grace runneth in a narrower channel then whole Mankind; do but con&s;ider among&s;t the Angels, &s;ome are <HI>pa&s;t by,</HI> and others <HI>confirmed:</HI> and who art thou <HI>O man</HI> that replye&s;t? Sixthly, <HI>In the Election of Angels par|doning mercy is not &s;o much glorified as in the election and calling of men;</HI> then was <HI>grace</HI> &s;hewed but not <HI>mercy,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Vide&punc; Irenaeum <HI>lib. 4. cap. 78.</HI> Damas <HI>lib. 2.</HI> Orth. fid. <HI>cap.</HI> 3. Et Neiremb. Theoph. &amp;c.</NOTE> none of the <HI>fallen&punc; Angels</HI> were &s;aved, but <HI>fallen man</HI> is called to grace in Chri&s;t: we were all in <HI>our blood</HI> when God &s;aid <HI>Live,</HI> the whole lump and ma&s;s of mankinde was fallen; probably next to the <HI>free Coun&s;els</HI> of God, that was the rea&s;on the whole <HI>humane nature</HI> fell, but not the <HI>whole Angelical nature,</HI> but onely <HI>a part</HI> of it, &s;o that the Kinde it &s;elf needed not to be repaired; their &s;ins argued <HI>more malice</HI> becau&s;e of the height of their un|der&s;tanding; they &s;inned <HI>without a Tempter,</HI> but the rea|&s;on of rea&s;ons is the will and gracious good plea&s;ure of God, who was willing to &s;hew pardoning mercy to us, and not to them, the good Angels had <HI>confirmation</HI> but we <HI>redemption,</HI> we are <HI>reconciled,</HI> they <HI>continued,</HI> love <HI>af|ter a breach</HI> made, is more remarkable. Seventhly, from the &s;in in general, by which they fell, was by pride; &s;ee the danger of this &s;in it alwayes goeth before falling, the Angels lo&s;t their <HI>holine&s;s</HI> out of a de&s;ire of <HI>greatne&s;s,</HI> they would be over all and under none; tis dangerous when men minde rather be <HI>great</HI> then <HI>good.</HI> In Scripture we
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have two notable in&s;tances of <HI>the fall by pride,</HI> and our <HI>re&s;toration by humility,</HI> the Angels fell by <HI>pride</HI> and <HI>a&s;pi|ring;</HI> and Chri&s;t re&s;tored mankinde by being humble, lowly, and &s;ubmitting him&s;elfe even to the death of the Cro&s;s: <HI>Adam</HI> would be as God, and &s;o ruined us; and Chri&s;t that was God <HI>became as man,</HI> and &s;o &s;aved us: to counterwork Sathan, he layeth a&s;ide the glory of his Godhead, he layeth a&s;ide the glory of his Godhead and puts on an <HI>humble garb;</HI> &s;aving as not by <HI>power,</HI> but by <HI>&s;uffering:</HI> well then, look upon pride as the &s;ure forerun|ner of a fall. Eighthly, Ob&s;erve <HI>the particular fact is un|certain</HI> though the <HI>general &s;in</HI> may be known, as how this pride was di&s;covered, whether in a <HI>thought,</HI> or by &s;ome <HI>bold attempt</HI> is not known; it doth not &s;o much pertain to edification and &s;alvation to know their &s;in, as to know our own: The Scriptures direct us to <HI>look inward,</HI> 'tis more for our profit to keep out Sathans power, then to know the circum&s;tances of his fall; let us not fall with him, <HI>Peter</HI> would know <HI>Johns</HI> end, but Chri&s;t rebuketh him, <HI>what is that to thee? follow thou me;</HI> Joh. 21. 20, 22. We betray <HI>our duties</HI> by <HI>our curio&s;ity,</HI> &s;urely we &s;hould be more at home, and look to our beame, that we may not a&s;cite others before the <HI>chair of cen&s;ure,</HI> but our &s;elves be|fore the <HI>tribunal of con&s;cience.</HI> Ninthly, Ob&s;erve <HI>that the fir&s;t &s;in that ever was, was a puni&s;hment to its &s;elfe,</HI> they kept not their fir&s;t e&s;tate, the <HI>&s;in</HI> is expre&s;&s;ed in &s;uch a phra&s;e as doth imply their <HI>lo&s;s,</HI> duty hath its reward in its mouth, as the &s;acks of the Patriarchs their moneys; &s;o &s;in its puni&s;hment, never think that you &s;hall get any thing by offending God, you do but <HI>defile,</HI> and <HI>deba&s;e,</HI> and <HI>degrade</HI> your &s;elves from your own excellency when you &s;in: 'tis Hell enough to turn away from God, and mi&s;ery enough to polute and <HI>&s;tain an image</HI> in our &s;oules; the fall of the Angels is de&s;cribed to be a departure from their own happine&s;s.</P>
<P>Secondly, Con&s;ider it <HI>with Application</HI> to your &s;elves, Fir&s;t, apply it for humiliation, we left <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>our fir&s;t e&s;tate</HI> as well as the Angels, <HI>God made man upright, but</HI>
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<HI>they &s;ought out many inventions,</HI> Eccle&s;. 7. 29. Read your own guilt and Apo&s;tacy in the &s;in of the Angels; u&s;ually the <HI>Page</HI> is whipped to &s;hew the <HI>Prince</HI> his fault; but here the Princes and noble&s;t part of the world are &s;et out to us for examples, that in their ruine and dreadful fall we might under&s;tand our own. Do but ob&s;erve the Parable, they had <GAP DESC="foreign">, an <HI>original e&s;tate</HI> of <HI>happine&s;&s;e</HI> and <HI>holine&s;&s;e,</HI> and &s;o we, they <HI>fell &s;oon,</HI> &s;o we; they fell <HI>by Pride,</HI> &s;o we; the Angelical fall is our gla&s;s; we are a kind of <HI>Divels,</HI> and <HI>Apo&s;tates from God:</HI> they were driven out of Heaven, &s;o we out of Paradi&s;e: they are puni&s;h|ed with darkne&s;s, and &s;o we. Secondly, apply it for Cau|tion, there is a <HI>new beginning</HI> in Chri&s;t, the Apo&s;tle &s;aith, <HI>Heb. 3. 14. We are made partakers of Chri&s;t if we <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">old</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>the beginning of our confidence &s;teadfa&s;t unto the end.</HI> If we &s;hould break with God again upon this <HI>new &s;tock,</HI> there will be no more &s;acrifice for &s;in, faith which is the gift of Gods grace, is the beginning and root of a new life in Chri&s;t: if we &s;hould forfeit this, we cannot expect God will deal with us any more.</P>
<P>We are now come to the phra&s;es that imply their <HI>pu|ni&s;hment,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Secondly the puni&s;hment of the Angels.</NOTE> and that we made to be two-fold, <HI>Pre&s;ent</HI> and <HI>Future,</HI> the fir&s;t part of the pre&s;ent puni&s;hment is <HI>paene d<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">|ni,</HI> their <HI>lo&s;s</HI> implyed in that clau&s;e [<HI>leaving their own habi|tation</HI>] in which their guilt is further intimated, for the A|po&s;tle here maketh it to be <HI>their act,</HI> but <HI>Peter</HI> in the para|lel place maketh it <HI>Gods act,</HI> 2 Pet. 2. 4. God &s;pared not his Angels that <HI>&s;inned, but ca&s;t them down to Hell,</HI> without fur|ther diver&s;ion we may take up the point thus, <HI>That the A|po&s;tate</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;erv.</NOTE> <HI>Angels upon their &s;in and fal departed from that place of happine&s;s and glory which before they enjoyed.</HI> So Rev. 12. 8. <HI>Their place was found no more in heaven, and the great Dragon was ca&s;t out, that old Serpent called the Divel and Sathan, which deceiveth the whole world, he was ca&s;t out into the earth, and his Angels were ca&s;t out with him.</HI> That Scripture I confe&s;s is my&s;tical, and &s;peaketh of the over|cumming of Sathan in this pre&s;ent world, and ca&s;ting him out of the <HI>Church,</HI> which is there expre&s;&s;ed by <HI>Heaven,</HI>
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as the <HI>World</HI> by <HI>Earth:</HI> For I ob&s;erve in that book the Church is &s;ometimes expre&s;&s;ed by terms &s;uitable to the <HI>Jud<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ical &s;tate.</HI> So in <HI>Rev.</HI> 11. 2. The <HI>Church</HI> is called <HI>the Temple,</HI> and the <HI>World</HI> the <HI>Court,</HI> and &s;ometimes by the <HI>Cele&s;tial &s;tate,</HI> and &s;o the <HI>Church</HI> is called <HI>Heaven&punc;</HI> and the <HI>World Earth;</HI> but however there is a plain allu|&s;ion to Sathans fir&s;t fall from Heaven, as the ground of the&s;e expre&s;&s;ions, and therefore I may u&s;e that place as a proof in this matter, that you may under&s;tand the lo&s;s of the Angels: give me leave to lay down the&s;e propo|&s;itions. 1. <HI>The place of their Innocency was Heaven,</HI> round about the Throne of God, where the good Angels do continually <HI>behold his face,</HI> and <HI>&s;tand before him, Dan.</HI> 7. 10. In &s;uch a ble&s;&s;ed place, and in &s;uch ble&s;&s;ed com|pany was their <GAP DESC="foreign">, their abode or habitation: when God di&s;po&s;ed the &s;everal Creatures into proper man&s;ions and places of abode, he took the Angels into his own train and glorious attendants, that they might be &s;till with him, other Creatures were <HI>his Servants,</HI> tho&s;e <HI>his Courtiers,</HI> that is, his Hou&s;hold and <HI>ordinary Servants</HI> that were to attend as in his <HI>Chamber of Pre&s;ence.</HI> 2. In this place they were to <HI>enjoy God</HI> and <HI>glorifie God,</HI> their <HI>happine&s;s</HI> was to <HI>enjoy</HI> God, their <HI>duty</HI> to <HI>glorifie</HI> him;<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg"> Cor. 13. 12.</NOTE> there they <HI>behold his face,</HI> Matth. 18. 10. for <HI>vi&s;ion</HI> and &s;ight of God is the happine&s;s of rational Creatures, and therefore our happy e&s;tate is expre&s;&s;ed by <HI>beholding him&punc; face to face:</HI> and <HI>David</HI> &s;aith, <HI>P&s;al. 16. 11. in thy pre|&s;ence,</HI> or <HI>in thy face is fulne&s;&s;e of joy,</HI> in Heaven then did God manife&s;t him&s;elfe to them, there they were to ap|plaud his Coun&s;els, receive his Commands, to love God with the mo&s;t perfect embraces of their will, and to <HI>fulfil his Commandments, hearkning to the voice of his Word.</HI> 3. From this place they are now driven into the <HI>lower parts of the World&punc;</HI> as being a place more fit for &s;in and mi&s;ery: that the place into which they are driven is the <HI>bottom</HI> and <HI>center</HI> of the Earth, cannot be &s;hewen out of Scripture, rather the contrary; for &s;ometimes they are &s;aid to fly up and down in the air, and therefore is Sathan
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called the <HI>Prince of the power of the air, Eph.</HI> 2. 3. and the other Divels, <HI>Principalities and &s;piritual wickedne&s;&s;es in high places,</HI> Eph. 6. 12. They a&s;pire to get as high as they can, but they can get no further then the Regions of the <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ire; and &s;ometimes they are &s;aid <HI>to compa&s;&s;e the earth to and fro,</HI> Job 1. 7. The <HI>Earth</HI> is <HI>Sathans walk</HI> and <HI>circuit,</HI> where he &s;eeks to do mi&s;chief, and &s;ometimes they are in <HI>the Sea,</HI> Matth. 8. 33. for as yet they are not in that <HI>pri&s;on</HI> and place of torments&punc; where they &s;hall abide for ever under the wrath of the Lord: therefore when Chri&s;t checketh their power in the world, they expo&s;tulate with him, <HI>Je&s;us thou Son of David, ar<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> thou come to tor|ment us before our time,</HI> Matth. 8. 29. <HI>and be&s;ought him that he would not cast them into the great deep;</HI> by which &s;ome under&s;tand the <HI>final place</HI> of their re&s;idence and tor|ments, even the lowe&s;t place of the world, mo&s;t remote from the highe&s;t <HI>Heavens,</HI> which place as yet they have not entred: but how is it &s;aid that they are <HI>already ca&s;t down into Hell,</HI> 2 Pet. 2. 4. <GAP DESC="foreign">, I An&s;wer, that expre&s;&s;ion doth onely note the <HI>dreadfulne&s;&s;e of their fal</HI> from &s;o <HI>glorious a man&s;ion,</HI> to &s;uch a <HI>place of mi&s;ery,</HI> and becau&s;e where ever they are, they carry their own Hell with them, though by Gods permi&s;&s;ion they are as yet &s;uffered to remain in the <HI>Air</HI> or <HI>Earth.</HI> 4. De|parting from Heaven, they departed from all the happi|ne&s;s and glory which they enjoyed there, namely, that <HI>light,</HI> which they had in their <HI>under&s;tandings</HI> to behold God, that <HI>power</HI> in their <HI>wills</HI> to <HI>love</HI> and <HI>&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">rve</HI> him, in &s;tead of which they are filled with <HI>darkne&s;&s;e</HI> and <HI>malice</HI> and become the unrecon&s;ilable enemies of God and Man; as to their <HI>light,</HI> their <HI>gracious knowledge</HI> is quite extinct, their <HI>natural knowledge</HI> much Eclip&s;ed, and their <HI>experi|mental knowledge,</HI> not enongh to engage their hearts to God; as to their integrity and holine&s;s, in &s;tead of a will to love and &s;erve God, there are nothing but <HI>ob&s;tinate purpo&s;es</HI> to do evil, and endeavours to hinder the glory of God, and the good of Man, 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 5. 8. le&s;t we &s;hould enjoy that happine&s;s which he hath left. Hence tho&s;e
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titles given then in Scripture, as <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Rev. 12. 9.</NOTE> <HI>Divel,</HI> which &s;ignifieth <HI>a Slanderer, Sathan</HI> which &s;ignifieth an <HI>Enemy, the Temp|ter, Matth.</HI> 4. 1. becau&s;e he dayly &s;olliciteth us to evil, <GAP DESC="foreign">, the <HI>evil one,</HI> Matth. 5. being full of wickedne&s;s him&s;elfe, he maketh it his &s;tudy and care to propagate it in others; <HI>Belial, 2 Cor. 6. 15. unprofitable,</HI> as good for nothing, <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>the de&s;troyer,</HI> becau&s;e he worketh mi&s;chief; the <HI>old Serpent,</HI> Rev. 12. 6. becau&s;e under the &s;hape of the &s;erpent he poy&s;oned <HI>Eve;</HI> as to <HI>their pow|er,</HI> it is much broken and limitted, they are held in the chains of providence, they could not do hurt to the herd of Swine without permi&s;&s;ion, <HI>Luke</HI> 9. 26. 5. Though they have lo&s;t much of the glory and power annexed to their habitation, yet many tokens of the divine image do as yet remain in them: <HI>holine&s;s</HI> is (as we &s;aid) utterly lo&s;t, <HI>he &s;inneth from the beginning,</HI> 1 John 3. 8. that is, doth nothing el&s;e but &s;in; and <HI>Acquinas</HI> &s;aith well, <HI>Hoc e&s;t Angelis ca&s;us, quod hominibus mors,</HI> their <HI>fall</HI> into &s;in to them is as <HI>death</HI> to us: but now in other things they have much left, as man after his fall is like a <HI>dri&s;led picture,</HI> and had onely enough left to &s;hew what he once was, &s;o the Angels though they are much fallen from the excel|lency of their nature, yet there is enough left to &s;hew that once they were glorions creatures: that which remain|eth may be referred to two heads, their <HI>great cunning</HI> and <HI>active power.</HI> 1. Their knowledge and cunning is great, they have much <HI>natural</HI> and <HI>experimental knowledge,</HI> &s;o as they can di&s;cern hidden cau&s;es, and virtues which &s;cape the flight of mans rea&s;on and under&s;tanding; they know how to apply <HI>active</HI> to <HI>pa&s;&s;ive things,</HI> can gue&s;s notably at <HI>future events,</HI> but as for a certain knowledge of them (unle&s;s of &s;uch things as depend upon nece&s;&s;ary cau&s;es) that is proper to God, and accordingly he challengeth it, <HI>I&s;a. 41. 23. &s;hew the things that are to come, that we may know that ye are Gods, &amp;c.</HI> Therefore the Divels <HI>Oracles</HI> were either fal&s;e or doubtful, as 2 <HI>Kings</HI> 22. 16. great skill in Arts and tongues they have as appeareth by their teaching tho&s;e things with wonderful facility to tho&s;e that
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have familiarity with them <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">See my Notes on <HI>Jam.</HI> 2. 19.</NOTE> in divine things, they know enough of God and his ju&s;tice, as to feel an horror im|pre&s;&s;ed upon them&s;elves, <HI>Jam. 2. 19&punc; Luk. 4. 34. Acts</HI> 19. 15, be&s;ides they are of <HI>wonderful &s;agarity</HI> to judge of mens hearts by the ge&s;tures, the motion of the blood and &s;pirits, and other &s;uch external &s;ignes, for directly they do <HI>not know the thoughts.</HI> that is the priviledge of God. 2. <HI>Their power is great &s;till, though limited,</HI> &s;o that it cannot be exerci&s;ed but <HI>when</HI> and <HI>where,</HI> and <HI>as</HI> God will; they are able to rai&s;e tempe&s;ts, to bring fire from Heaven, as they did, to ruine <HI>Jobs</HI> hou&s;e and children, <HI>Job</HI> 1. they can deceive with <HI>lying miracles,</HI> but <HI>true miracles</HI> can onely be wrought by a <HI>divine power;</HI> being of much &s;agacity and skill in the &s;ecrets of nature, they may poy&s;on the air, de&s;troy the bodies of men, infe&s;t and trouble bea&s;ts and cattel, in &s;hort do all that lieth within the compa&s;s of a natural cau&s;e where God permitteth: Again they may po&s;&s;e&s;s the bodies of men, hinder the Godly in the execution of their duty; over rule the &s;pi|rits of wicked men, and act and &s;tir them up to wrath, lu&s;t, filthine&s;s, <HI>Eph.</HI> 2. 3. be&s;ot them with error, &amp;c. it would require a di&s;tinct di&s;cour&s;e, to open this power to you: they cannot create <HI>new beings,</HI> nor rai&s;e <HI>dead bodies,</HI> nor <HI>compel the will</HI> of man, they can do <HI>mira,</HI> but not <HI>mi|racula,</HI> &amp;c. Let me now come to ob&s;erve &s;omewhat of practical concernment from what hath been &s;poken.</P>
<P>1. <HI>That God hath proper places where the Creatures</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Partical Ob|&s;ervations thence.</NOTE> <HI>&s;hall perform their duty and injoy their happine&s;&s;e,</HI> as the Angels had <HI>Heaven</HI> which was <GAP DESC="foreign">, their <HI>proper place,</HI> &s;o <HI>Adam&punc;</HI> had <HI>Paradi&s;e,</HI> and the Saints <HI>the Church;</HI> 'tis mi&s;ery enough to be thrown out of that place where God manife&s;teth him&s;elf, he that was ca&s;t out of the Church was <HI>given up to Sathan, 1 Cor.</HI> 5. 5. in the <HI>Church,</HI> Chri&s;t ruleth; in the <HI>World,</HI> Sathan; 'tis good to keep to <HI>the Shepheards Tents, Cant.</HI> 1. 8. the Angels left their <HI>fir&s;t e&s;tate,</HI> at the &s;ame time that they lo&s;t their <HI>own habitation,</HI> 'tis dangerous to leave our <HI>own place,</HI> to be ca&s;t out of the Congregations of the Faithfull, where God
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dwelleth and is glorified, <HI>he inhabiteth the prai&s;es of I&s;rael, P&s;alm</HI> 22. 3. that is in the Church where he hath <HI>prai&s;e,</HI> and we have <HI>benefit,</HI> the Church is the <HI>Gate of Heaven, Gen.</HI> 28&punc; 17. where God is, there Heaven is; <HI>Cain</HI> him|&s;elf could bewail his mi&s;ery in being turned out from the Church, he had the whole earth before him, but (&s;aith he) <HI>I &s;hall be hid from thy face,</HI> Gen. 4. 14. that is, I am turned out from the place of thy wor&s;hip, and where thy name is called upon: 'tis &s;ad to be bani&s;hed from the Lords gracious pre&s;ence.</P>
<P>2. <HI>Sin depriveth us of Gods pre&s;ence,</HI> this is the Wall of &s;eparation between us and God, <HI>I&s;a. 59. 2. Your &s;ins have &s;eparated,</HI> &amp;c. it not onely provoketh God to &s;tand at a di&s;tance from us, but worketh a &s;trangene&s;&s;e in us, and maketh us &s;hie of his pre&s;ence, it ca&s;t the <HI>Angels</HI> out of <HI>Heaven, Adam</HI> out of <HI>Paradi&s;e, Cain</HI> out of the <HI>Church;</HI> well then, when you are tempted to folly, bethink with your &s;elves, God could not indure the &s;ight of Angels, when once they were <HI>defiled with &s;in;</HI> if I &s;hould yeeld to this temptation&punc; I &s;hould never indure God, nor he me; this will either cau&s;e <HI>the spirit to leave</HI> me, or me to leave the <HI>Throne of Grace;</HI> guilty &s;ouls cannot &s;u&s;tain the pre|&s;ence of God, and God doth not own the pre&s;ence of guilty &s;inners. <HI>Peter</HI> &s;aid <HI>Luke 5. 8. Depart from me, for I am a &s;infull man:</HI> And God &s;aith, <HI>Depart from me into ever|la&s;ting torments,</HI> Mat. 25.</P>
<P>3. Ob&s;erve again <HI>Jude</HI> maketh it <HI>their act,</HI> and <HI>Peter Gods Act: Jude</HI> &s;aith, <HI>they left their own habitation,</HI> and <HI>Peter,</HI> God <HI>ca&s;t them down:</HI> and puni&s;hments are volunta|rily contracted, founded upon &s;ome act of ours: God may <HI>pa&s;&s;e by</HI> a creature out of his meer will, but he <HI>damn|eth</HI> not, till we provoke him; fir&s;t there is a voluntary aver&s;ion from God, and then God turneth away from us, <HI>Ho&s;ea 13. 9. O I&s;rael thou ha&s;t de&s;troyed thy &s;elf,</HI> our ruine is cau&s;ed by the free motion of our own wils: God puni&s;h|eth not willingly, and as delighting in our de&s;truction; we &s;in, and &s;o freely depart from our own happine&s;s; <HI>we leave,</HI> and then he <HI>ca&s;teth down.</HI></P>
<P><PB N="290" REF="154">4. <HI>God ca&s;teth Sathan out of Heaven.</HI> Do you imitate your heavenly Father, ca&s;t Sathan out of your hearts. Who would entertain him whom Heaven hath &s;pued out? 'tis &s;aid <HI>Rev. 12. 8. That Sathan and his Angels found no more place in Heaven;</HI> Oh then, give him <HI>not place</HI> to dwell in your hearts, <HI>Eph.</HI> 4. 17. do not entertain wrath|ful, or lu&s;tful motions: God decreed that the evil Angels &s;hould be <HI>ca&s;t out of Heaven,</HI> and Chri&s;t died that they might be <HI>ca&s;t out of your hearts, Joh. 12. 21. Now &s;hall the Prince of this world be ca&s;t out:</HI> Oh let him not erect a new Heaven and Empire in your &s;oules! his great aim is, now he cannot get into Heaven, to dwell in the hearts of men.</P>
<P>5. <HI>Angels, Creatures of the highe&s;t exeellency are not &s;pared when they &s;in;</HI> 2 Pet. 2. 4. <HI>God &s;pared not the An|gels,</HI> &amp;c. wonder at the patience of the great God to us &s;inners; if a King be angry with his <HI>offending Nobles,</HI> &s;hould not the <HI>skullions</HI> tremble? how come we to be of this &s;ide Hell? Go home and adore that Grace that hath kept you out of the chains of darkne&s;s, <HI>Lam. 3. 23. It is of the Lords mercy that we are not con&s;umed,</HI> not &s;wal|lowed up quick not ca&s;t down to Hell; if the Angels in the <HI>very Infancy</HI> of their Creation were &s;o <HI>&s;oon puni&s;hed</HI> for the <HI>fir&s;t offence,</HI> Lord what did&s;t thou &s;ee in us, that after &s;o many offences we &s;hould be yet alive? tis mercy, pardoning mercy that giveth us our beings! we fail not becau&s;e compa&s;&s;ions fail not</P>
<P>6. <HI>Angels were forced to leave their habitation;</HI> when they changed their <HI>nature,</HI> they changed their <HI>e&s;tate:</HI> let all &s;inners tremble! con&s;ider the in&s;tance, and you wil &s;ee that no dignity and worth of the Creature is of any a|vail, nothing can keep off the &s;troakes of vengeance, but the blood of Je&s;us Chri&s;t; they were <HI>Angels,</HI> glorious Creatures, their &s;in but <HI>one,</HI> and probably that <HI>in thought,</HI> yet how dreadful is their puni&s;hment? ca&s;t out of Heaven, kept in chains of darkne&s;s for a &s;everer vengeance! Oh then, how &s;hould we tremble that have <HI>drunk in iniquity like water?</HI> &s;urely God is <HI>the &s;ame,</HI> he doth no le&s;s hat<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">
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pride, ob&s;tinacy, and contempt of his grace now, then he did in times pa&s;t, <HI>God is but one,</HI> Gal. 3. 20. he acteth ac|cording to the &s;ame tenour of ju&s;tice now as hereto|fore, &amp;c.</P>
<P>7. From the word <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>their own place,</HI> ob&s;erve <HI>the true dwelling place and re&s;t is Heaven;</HI> 'twas the <HI>habi|tation</HI> of the Angels, and the <HI>re&s;t</HI> of the Saints; Oh long for your home, let <HI>your hearts</HI> and <HI>your hopes</HI> be there, enter upon your eternal inheritance by degrees; the An|gels left their habitations, do you be always travelling thi|ther, let your&punc; <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Col. 3. 1.</NOTE> <HI>hearts</HI> be in Heaven; <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Phil. 3. 20.</NOTE> <HI>your conver&s;ations be in Heaven</HI> ere your per&s;ons, there are good Angels &s;till, ble&s;&s;ed companions, <HI>Heb.</HI> 12. 22. 23. an <HI>innumerable company of Angels</HI> and <HI>Spirits of ju&s;t men perfect&punc;</HI> An Heathen could &s;ee out of a glimp<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">e of the &s;oules immortality, <HI>O preclamor illum diem, cum ad illud animorum concilium atumque profici&s;car.</HI> There you &s;hall &s;ee the <HI>vacant rooms</HI> of the Apo&s;tate Angels occupied by the Saints. <HI>Say wo is me, that my pilgrimage is prolonged,</HI> P&s;al. 20. 5.</P>
<P>8. <HI>They were ca&s;t from Heaven into this world;</HI> do but look-upon the World in a right notion; Sathan that was not fie for Heaven, is ca&s;t out into the Earth, as a meet place for mi&s;ery and torment&punc; he is called the <HI>Ruler of the darkne&s;s of this world&punc;</HI> Eph. 6. 12. and <HI>the God of this World, 2 Cor.</HI> 4. 4. 'tis puni&s;hment enough to the Apo|&s;tate Angels to be ca&s;t out into the World: the World is the <HI>Divels work-hou&s;e</HI> and <HI>pri&s;on;</HI> one calleth it <HI>Sathans Dioce&s;s;</HI> who would be in love with a <HI>place of bondage and puni&s;hment?</HI></P>
<P>9. <HI>The Divel and his Angels are in the World,</HI> let us be the more cautious; he <HI>compa&s;&s;eth the Earth to and fro,</HI> no place can &s;ecure you from his temptation, he is every&punc; where ravening for the prey with an indefatigable and un|wearied diligence, 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 5. 8. Let us look about us, <HI>Wo to the inhabitants of the Earth and the Sea; for the Di|vel is come down to you,</HI> Rev. 12. 12. Where ever you are, Sathan is, neer you, the World is full of Divels; when you are in the <HI>Shop,</HI> the Divel is there to fill your hearts with
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<HI>lying</HI> and <HI>deceit,</HI> as he did the heart of <HI>Ananias, Act.</HI> 5. when you are in your <HI>clo&s;ets,</HI> and when you have &s;hut the door upon you, you do not &s;hut out Sathan, he can taint a &s;ecret duty; when you are in the hou&s;e of God, <HI>Mini&s;tring before the Lord,</HI> Sathan <HI>is at your right hand ready to re&s;i&s;t you,</HI> Zach. 3. 1. He is ready either to <HI>pervert your aimes,</HI> or to <HI>divert your thoughts;</HI> We had need keep the heart in an humble, watchful praying frame; God hath ca&s;t out the Angels out of Heaven, and now they are here upon earth, tempting the &s;ons of men to folly and inconvenience: be watchful, the world is the <HI>Divels Che&s;s-board;</HI> you can hardly move back or forth, but he is ready to attach you by &s;ome temptation.</P>
<P>10. <HI>When grace is abu&s;ed, our dejection i<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> u&s;ually accor|ding to the degree of our exaltation,</HI> the Angels from Hea|ven are ca&s;t down to Hell, the highe&s;t in the rank of creatures are now made lowe&s;t; corruptions of the be&s;t things are mo&s;t noy&s;ome. <HI>Thou Capernaun which are ex|alted to Heaven, art now brought down to Hell,</HI> Matth. 11. 23. 'Twas one of the chiefe Cities of <HI>Galilee,</HI> and where our Saviour u&s;ually conver&s;ed; 'tis a kind of Heaven to enjoy Chri&s;t in the Ordinances, but now to &s;light this mer|cy, will bring &s;uch confu&s;ions and mi&s;eries as are a kind of Hell to you; &s;lighting of grace (of all &s;ins) weigheth heavie&s;t in Gods ballance.</P>
<P>11. <HI>Spiritual judgements are mo&s;t &s;evere,</HI> and to be given up to ob&s;tinacy in &s;in is the fore&s;t judgement; 'tis diabolical to continue in &s;in; the Angels left their <HI>habita|tion,</HI> and what followed? they <HI>lo&s;t their holine&s;s.</HI></P>
<P>12. <HI>Lo&s;s of happine&s;s is a great judgement,</HI> 'tis Hell enough to want God; the fir&s;t part of the &s;entence, <HI>de|part from me,</HI> Matth. 25. 41. is mo&s;t dreadful, lo&s;s of Heaven is the fir&s;t part of the Angels puni&s;hment; we in effect &s;ay now, <HI>depart from us,</HI> Job. 21. 14. but God will then &s;ay, <HI>depart from me;</HI> ye &s;hall &s;ee my face no more, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<P>Thus we have di&s;patched the fir&s;t part of the Angels puni&s;hment, <HI>their lo&s;s,</HI> we now come to the other part,
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their <HI>poena &s;en&s;us,</HI> their <HI>puni&s;hment of &s;en&s;e,</HI> or <HI>pain, [b<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> hath re&s;erved in everla&s;ting chains under darkne&s;s</HI>] where there is an allu&s;ion to the &s;tate of Malefactors or condem|ned men, who are kept in pri&s;on till execution: now the evils of a pri&s;on are two. 1. <HI>The darkne&s;s of the place. 2. The hard u&s;age</HI> of the evil doer, &s;uitably to which the A|po&s;tle u&s;ed a double notion, 1. <HI>They are re&s;erved in ever|la&s;ting chains. 2. &V;nder darkne&s;s.</HI></P>
<P>1. Begin with the fir&s;t part [<HI>In everla&s;ting chains.</HI>] Whence two notes, 1. <HI>That the Angels are kept in chains,</HI> 2. That tho&s;e chaines <HI>are everla&s;ting.</HI></P>
<P>1. <HI>They are kept in chains.</HI> But what chains can hold Angels? can Spirits be bound with Irons? <HI>I An&s;wer.</HI> I An&s;wer they are &s;piritual chains, &s;uitable to the &s;piri|tuall nature of Angels: &s;uch as the&s;e, 1. <HI>Guilt of con|&s;cience,</HI> which bindeth them over to judgement; the con|&s;ciences of wicked Angels know that they are adjudged to damnation for their &s;in; this is a &s;ure chaine, for it fa&s;teneth the judgement &s;o as you cannot &s;hake it off, 'tis bound and tied upon us by the hand of Gods ju&s;tice. The condition of a guilty &s;inner is frequently compared to a pri&s;oner, <HI>I&s;a. 42. 7. I&s;a. 49. 9. I&s;a.</HI> 61. 1. and &s;in to a pri&s;on wherein we are &s;hut up, <HI>Rom. 11. 32. Gal.</HI> 3. 22. and guilt to chains or bonds laid upon us by God the Judge, <HI>Prov. 5. 22. Lam.</HI> 1. 14.</P>
<P>2. <HI>Their ob&s;tinacy in &s;inning,</HI> They are fallen &s;o as they cannot ri&s;e againe, they are called <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Eph. 6. 12.</NOTE> <HI>Wickedne&s;&s;es</HI> as &s;in|ning with much malice and ob&s;tinacy; as if you &s;hould &s;ay, <HI>wickedne&s;s it &s;elfe;</HI> the Divels &s;in is as the <HI>&s;in again&s;t the Holy Gho&s;t,</HI> a malicious, ob&s;tinate, &s;piteful oppo&s;ition a|gain&s;t the Kingdom of Chri&s;t: &s;uch an hatred again&s;t God and Chri&s;t, that they wil not repent and be &s;aved; their <HI>de|&s;pair</HI> begetteth <HI>de&s;pight,</HI> and being <HI>hopele&s;s of reliefe,</HI> are without <HI>purpo&s;e of repentance:</HI> they do, fooli&s;h creatures, adde &s;in to &s;in, and harden them&s;elves in an evil way, which is as a chaine to hold them in <HI>Gods Pri&s;on,</HI> till their final damnation, &s;ee 2 <HI>The&s;.</HI> 2. 11, 12. Where <HI>error</HI> and <HI>wilful per&s;i&s;ting in di&s;obedience,</HI> is made to be Gods pri&s;on,
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wherein <HI>reprobate creatures</HI> are held till their puni&s;hment be con&s;ummate.</P>
<P>3. <HI>&V;tter de&s;pair</HI> of deliverance, they are held under their torment by their own thoughts, as a di&s;tre&s;&s;ed con|&s;cience is &s;aid to be bound up, <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 66. 1. to them here re|maineth nothing but a <HI>certain fearful looking for judge|ment and fiery indignation, Job</HI> 10. 37. relea&s;e they can|not look for, more judgement they do expect, <HI>Matth. 8. 31. Art thou come to torment us before our time;</HI> their pri&s;on door is locked with Gods own Key, and as long as God &s;itteth upon the Throne they cannot wre&s;t the Key out of his hands.</P>
<P>4. <HI>Gods power and providence</HI> by which the Angelical &s;trength is bridled and overma&s;tered, &s;o as they cannot do what they would; thus Rev. 20. 2. Sathan is <HI>&s;aid to be bound up for a thou&s;and years,</HI> that is, in the chains of Gods power, which are &s;ometimes &s;treighter and &s;ome|times loo&s;er: the Divel was fain to ask leave to enter in|to the herd of Swine, <HI>Matth</HI> 8.</P>
<P>5. <HI>The chaines of Gods eternal decree.</HI> As there is a gold|en chain, the chain of Salvation, which is carried on from link to link, till the <HI>purpo&s;es of eternal grace</HI> do end in the <HI>po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion of eternal glory,</HI> &s;o there is an <HI>Iron chain of reprobation,</HI> which begins in Gods own <HI>volunta|ry preterition,</HI> and is carried on in the creatures volunta|ry <HI>Apo&s;tacy,</HI> and endeth in their <HI>ju&s;t damnation;</HI> and when once we are &s;hut up under the&s;e bars, <HI>there is no opening, Job</HI> 12. 14.</P>
<P>Secondly, <HI>The&s;e chains are eternal chains,</HI> becau&s;e the wicked Angels &s;tand guilty for ever, without hope of recovery or redemption. Every natural man is in chains, but there is hope to many of the pri&s;oners: Chri&s;t &s;aith, <HI>go forth,</HI> but tho&s;e chains upon the evill&punc; Angels are for ever and ever, now <HI>ad cu&s;todium,</HI> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">o keep them and hold them in their lo&s;t e&s;tate; hereafter <HI>ad poenam,</HI> they are continu|ed upon them as a part of their final puni&s;hment, when much of the liberty which now they have, &s;hall be abridged&punc;</P>
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<P>From hence ob&s;erve the&s;e practical Inferences.</P>
<P>1. <HI>That &s;ins are as it were bonds and chains:</HI> a wicked<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">See my notes on <HI>James</HI> 1. 25.</NOTE> man is in bondage here and hereafter; now in <HI>&s;nares,</HI> and then in <HI>chains,</HI> here taken captive by Sathan in his &s;nares, 2 Tim. 2. 26. and hereafter bound up with him in chains. Sin it &s;elfe is a bondage, and Hell <HI>a pri&s;on:</HI> were there no|thing in &s;in but the <HI>pre&s;on<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> &s;lavery;</HI> 'tis enough to di&s;|&s;wade us; but alas this is not all, there are not only <HI>&s;nares,</HI> but <HI>chains;</HI> in the fall of the Angels, how many notions are there offered to us to di&s;cover the evil of &s;in? they <HI>left their beginning,</HI> and <HI>lo&s;t their habitation,</HI> and then chains <HI>of darkne&s;s:</HI> he that hath a mind to be a <HI>bea&s;t,</HI> or a <HI>divel,</HI> let him be a <HI>&s;inner.</HI> If you mean to <HI>quench your rea&s;on,</HI> to eclip&s;e <HI>the glory</HI> of your Creation, to <HI>di&s;turb the quiet</HI> of your &s;pirits, and in&s;tead of <HI>calmene&s;&s;e</HI> and <HI>&s;erenity of con|&s;cience,</HI> to bring in <HI>horror</HI> and <HI>confu&s;ion;</HI> if you mean to <HI>en|thral</HI> and <HI>captiva<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">e</HI> your &s;oules to every ba&s;e affection, and to be at the command of every corrupt de&s;ire, then go on freely, as you do in &s;inning again&s;t God; but alas the pre&s;ent thraldome is nothing to what is future, all the <HI>&s;ins</HI> that you commit will be as &s;o many <HI>Chains,</HI> binding you over to an eternal and ju&s;t damnation. The good Angels are at liberty to &s;erve God, when the evil Angels are &s;hut up in the pri&s;on of their own ob&s;tinacy and wick|edne&s;s: remember this when you are convinced of a &s;in which you cannot leave, and fear le&s;t it prove a chaine of everla&s;ting darkne&s;&s;e.</P>
<P>Secondly, <HI>tho&s;e chains &amp; bonds can never be broken by us;</HI> the Angels cannot break them them&s;elves, and Chri&s;t will not, for their day of grace is pa&s;t; every ones chains would be eternal, if Chri&s;t did not loo&s;e them, and open the <HI>pri&s;on door to poor Captives,</HI> I&s;a. 61. 1. this is our advantage a|bove the Angels, that an year of liberty is proclaimed to us, and an <HI>opening of the pri&s;on to them that are bound;</HI> Chri&s;t him&s;elfe was bound with our chains, the Prophet &s;aith, <HI>I&s;a. 53. 8. he was taken from pri&s;on, and from judge|ment,</HI> he was in pri&s;on that we might go free<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> If the <HI><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">edge had given us up to the Officer,</HI> and the Officer had
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ca&s;t us&punc; into pr<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;o<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">, how long would it have been, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">re we had payed the <HI>ulmo&s;t farthing,</HI> Luk. 12. 58. others that reject the mercy offered in Chri&s;t, can never wre&s;t them|&s;elves out of the hands of ju&s;tice, but do for ever remain under the power and wrath of the <HI>living God&punc;</HI> Hebr. 10. 30.</P>
<P>Thirdly, <HI>The Divel is in chains,</HI> a <HI>cruel &s;pirit,</HI> but <HI>un|der bonds:</HI> his <HI>power</HI> is le&s;&s;e then his <HI>will</HI> and <HI>malice,</HI> he is <HI>wrathful,</HI> that we may not be <HI>&s;ecure;</HI> he is <HI>chained,</HI> that we may not <HI>de&s;pair:</HI> he hath no power, but what is given him from above, and when God putteth any of his &s;er|vants into Sathans hands, he keepeth Sathan in his own hands: if you be in Sathans hands for <HI>your exerci&s;e,</HI> re|member Sathan is in Gods hands for <HI>your comfort</HI> and <HI>&s;afety:</HI> He had not power over the <HI>herd of Swine</HI> without leave, <HI>Matth. 8. 31. &s;uffer me, &amp;c.</HI> &s;o <HI>Luk. 22. 31. he could not &s;ift Peter</HI> till he had a commi&s;&s;ion, <HI>Sathan hath de&s;i|red, &amp;c. Ioh. 1. 12&punc; Job</HI> 2. 7. Sathan could not &s;o much as touch <HI>Jobs</HI> e&s;tate or skin till leave obtained, nay he could not deceive <HI>Ahab</HI> a wicked man, till God &s;aid <HI>Go, 1 King.</HI> 22. 21, 22. he is but Gods executioner, he <HI>&s;ent his evil Angels among them,</HI> P&s;al. 78. 49. God gave com|mi&s;&s;ion for the plagues of <HI>Egypt,</HI> and then the evil Angels had power to execute them: the godly need not fear Sa|than, as a <HI>di&s;obedient Angel,</HI> he is ca&s;t into the chains of Gods ju&s;tice and power; and as <HI>head of the Kingdome of darkne&s;&s;e,</HI> his power is more re&s;trained by the death of Chri&s;t, <HI>John</HI> 12. 29.</P>
<P>Fourthly, Ob&s;erve how weak the Creatures are, when God marcheth in judgement again&s;t them: <HI>guilt of con|&s;cience</HI> is one of the fallen Angels chains, if God will but arm our own thoughts again&s;t us, he needeth not bring forces from without, there is enough in that to &s;ink us into Hell: The Law needeth not bring Brim&s;tone from Heaven to burn &s;inners, nor open the mouth of the great deep to drown them, nor &s;hatter the frame of na|ture about our heads; alas, we cannot bear up under the burden of our own con&s;ciences, or the weight of our own
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grief, when he layeth his finger upon the con&s;cience, who can bear it? The Angels excel in &s;trength, and yet the impre&s;&s;ions of honour laid upon them, are too hard for them to grapple with all, <HI>Prov. 18. 14. a wounded &s;pirit who can bear?</HI> as if he had &s;aid, I challenge all the world, to bring me a man that is able to deal with his own con&s;cience when God armeth it again&s;t him.</P>
<P>Fifthly, <HI>That &s;piritual judgements of all others are mo&s;t &s;ecure,</HI> to have &s;in puni&s;hed with <HI>ob&s;tinacy</HI> and <HI>hardne&s;&s;e in &s;inning.</HI> This is nothing but to have the Divels chains layed upon us, a &s;ad intimation, that we are given up to chains of darkne&s;&s;e, <HI>frogs</HI> and <HI>lice,</HI> and <HI>hail&s;tones</HI> were but <HI>&s;oft judgements</HI> to <HI>Pharaoh</HI>'s <HI>hard heart:</HI> unle&s;&s;e God &s;hould &s;end us quick into Hell, there cannot an heavier judgement befal us, nay certainly it were better to be gi|ven up to Hell torments, if there could be any expectati|on of deliverance, then to be given up to a &s;pirit of &s;in|ning; for there is no end of that; &s;ay then, Lord what ever judgement thou bringe&s;t upon me, bring not thy heavy judgement of an hard heart; 'tis better by far that you &s;hould <HI>live mi&s;erably,</HI> then <HI>&s;in freely</HI> without remor&s;e. But what &s;ins bring on this &s;piritual judgement? I an|&s;wer, 1. <HI>an unthankful abu&s;e of Gods gifts,</HI> The Divels had a glorious and excellent nature, but they were not thankful, ob&s;erve it when you will, you will find it true, that no man was ever puni&s;hed with hardne&s;s of heart, but &s;ome former merciful di&s;pen&s;ation was abu&s;ed: the Heathens were not thankful for the light of nature, and therefore God gave them up to vile affections <HI>Rom.</HI> 1. 22, 24. Others <HI>received not the love of a truth,</HI> and therefore God gave them up to believe a lye, that they might be <HI>damned. 2 The&s;&s;.</HI> 2. 11, 12. the very <HI>&s;in again&s;t the Holy Gho&s;t</HI> is &s;o called becau&s;e 'tis a de&s;pighting grace received, or a divelli&s;h oppo&s;ing of the grace and &s;upernatural work of the &s;pirit, by which the mind is convinced of the truth. 2. Sinning again&s;t the light, that was Sathans &s;in, who was full of light, and &s;inned in the very face of God, and 'tis his &s;in &s;till, malice having onely put out the
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<HI>light of prudence,</HI> but not of <HI>his under&s;tanding,</HI> &s;o that he knowingly &s;inneth; &s;o wicked men <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Rom. 1. 8.</NOTE> <HI>impri&s;on the truth in unrighteou&s;ne&s;s,</HI> and then God giveth them up to the &s;way of their own lu&s;ts and pa&s;&s;ions: there is more of <HI>malice</HI> in &s;ins again&s;t light, you laugh at Chri&s;t before his face, out-dare Heaven and Con&s;cience, <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">E&s;ther. 7. 8</NOTE> <HI>will he force the Queen before my face&punc; &amp;c. 3. Sinning with the light,</HI> When malice &s;ets wit a work (as it doth in the Divels) again&s;t God and the Church; 'tis Sathanical to be wi&s;e to do evil, to make no other u&s;e of our parts then to plot wickedne&s;&s;e, pervert the truth, and undermine religion, <HI>Jer. 4. 22. They are wi&s;e to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge:</HI> when you make religion yeild to policy, or bend policy to ruine religion, then your <HI>wi&s;edome hath un|done you,</HI> I&s;a. 48. 4. <HI>Malice again&s;t God and goodne&s;&s;e,</HI> This is Sathans direct &s;in, when men will not onely be wicked them&s;elves, but adver&s;aries and malicious oppo&s;ers of all that is good: This is not onely to be <HI>&s;inn<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">rs,</HI> but <HI>Sa|thans, Acts 13. 10. O thou Child of the Devil and Enemy of all goodne&s;&s;e, Cain</HI> that hated his Brother, becau&s;e <HI>his works were righteous,</HI> was the Divels <HI>Patriarch. 5. A &s;ot|ti&s;h ob&s;tinacy and wilfulne&s;&s;e,</HI> When will and humour is lifted up again&s;t conviction, <HI>Jer. 2. 25. Ier.</HI> 44. 18. they will not, becau&s;e they will not, <HI>fooli&s;h wilfulne&s;s</HI> meeteth with penal <HI>hardne&s;s,</HI> he that will wink &s;hall not &s;eethe Sun, &s;hine it never &s;o brightly, &s;uch men do but lay Sathans chains on their own will and under&s;tanding. 6. <HI>A &s;en&s;e|le&s;s &s;ecurity,</HI> notwith&s;tanding the growth and increa&s;e of &s;in, when men lo&s;e all <HI>feeling</HI> and <HI>re&s;traint,</HI> and grow <HI>more wicked,</HI> but le&s;s <HI>tender,</HI> Eph. 4. 19. and &s;o men &s;in <HI>freely, foully,</HI> wax wor&s;e and wor&s;e, and adde new lincks to the chains of darkne&s;s.</P>
<P>Sixthly, <HI>There is little rea&s;on that we &s;hould adore him, whom God holdeth in chains of darkne&s;s, that we &s;hould exalt him whom the Lord hath ca&s;t downe, and make a God of him; who hath made him&s;elfe a Divel.</HI> All &s;ins do, as it were, &s;et the Crown upon Sathans head, the&s;e e&s;pecially. 1. <HI>Fal&s;e Wor&s;hip,</HI> Sathan is the Head of Idolaters, if the &s;acri|fice
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were offered in an unbecomming manner, God &s;aith, it was a &s;acrifice offered unto Divels, <HI>Levit.</HI> 17. 7. In all fal&s;e wor&s;hips the Divel is &s;erved either directly, or ob|liquely, either by con&s;equence or in the intention of the wor&s;hippers, thence tho&s;e expre&s;&s;ions, <HI>Table</HI> of Divels 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 10. 21. they &s;acrificed to Divels and not to God, <HI>Deut.</HI> 32. 17. You gratifie Satan if you be not right in wor|&s;hip; tho&s;e among Chri&s;tians that wor&s;hipped <HI>towards an Idol of Gold and Silver,</HI> are &s;aid to <HI>wor&s;hip Divels,</HI> Rev. 9. 20. Sathan is (&s;aith <HI>Syne&s;ius</HI>) <GAP DESC="foreign">. a lover of Images, and a Patron of fal&s;e wor&s;hip. 2. <HI>Worldly con|ver&s;ation;</HI> he is called the <HI>God of this World, 2 Cor.</HI> 2. 4. &s;en&s;ual, covetous, proud men are <HI>Sathans Votaries,</HI> at his beck and plea&s;ure, and will you be one of the number? when Chri&s;t came to <HI>di&s;&s;olve Sathans works, Iohn</HI> 3. 8. will you uphold them? 3. <HI>B<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;e fear</HI> of wicked men; you do but fear the Divel in them, <HI>Rev. 2. 10. Fear not, behold the Divel &s;hall ca&s;t &s;ome of you into pri&s;on,</HI> He that will deny the truth for fear of men, preferreth the Divel before God. 4. <HI>Being of the faction of the wicked,</HI> there is a corrupt party in the world, over whom Sathan u&s;ur|peth Empire and Domination; <HI>Rulers of the darkne&s;s of this World,</HI> Eph. 6. 14. Col. 1. 13. cry not up a confederacy with the&s;e, take heed how your &s;oule entreth into that &s;ecret. I confe&s;s 'tis ingeniou&s;ne&s;s, a matter of Chri&s;tian skill and art, to find out the &s;nare that we may e&s;cape it: Generally they are the <HI>Antichri&s;tian dark part of the world</HI> &s;uch as are led with a blind zeale and rage to oppo&s;e the intere&s;t of righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e; &s;uch as oppo&s;e the Go&s;pel with rage and lyes, <HI>Iohn 8. 44. Ye are of your father the Divel, and his l<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;ts will ye do.</HI> Many that deny Sathan, yet may be of his Faction and Party</P>
<P>We are now come to the &s;econd part of the puni&s;hment of paines, taken from the other inconvenience of a pri&s;on [<GAP DESC="foreign"> <HI>under darkne&s;s</HI>] in allu&s;ion to Malefactors, who are ca&s;t into Dungeons, where be&s;ides the <HI>load of Irons,</HI> the very <HI>darkne&s;s</HI> of the place concurreth to their mi&s;ery; light is plea&s;ant, as giving us the &s;ight of what is grateful
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in the world, of which when we are deprived, the mind like a Mill falleth and worketh upon its &s;elfe. <HI>Peter</HI> &s;aith [<HI>in chains of darkne&s;&s;e</HI>] as implying that God did bind them fa&s;t with their <HI>darkne&s;&s;e</HI> and <HI>horror,</HI> as with a chain, but our Apo&s;tle here &s;eemeth to make them two di&s;tinct parts of their torment, as certainly it is a more full de|&s;cription of it. Well then, the propo&s;ition will be, <HI>That the Apo&s;tate Angels are kept under darkne&s;s.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Darkne&s;s</HI> in Scripture repre&s;enteth three things, fir&s;t,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;erv.</NOTE> <HI>Ignorance,</HI> &s;econdly, <HI>Sin,</HI> thirdly, <HI>mi&s;ery;</HI> as <HI>light</HI> the contrary quality, implyeth <HI>Knowledge, Holine&s;s,</HI> and <HI>Happine&s;s,</HI> becau&s;e <HI>light</HI> di&s;covereth all things. 'Tis put for <HI>knowledge,</HI> becau&s;e of all bodily qualities, 'tis mo&s;t pure and unmixed, therefore 'tis put for <HI>holine&s;s,</HI> becau&s;e 'tis wonderfully plea&s;ing and delightful to &s;en&s;e, therefore 'tis put for <HI>glory:</HI> &s;o contrarywi&s;e <HI>darkne&s;s,</HI> which is no|thing el&s;e but the ab&s;ence and privation of light, &s;ignifieth <HI>ignorance,</HI> Rom. 2. 19. <HI>Sin, 1 Pet. 2. 9, Mi&s;ery: P&s;al.</HI> 107. 11. Now all the&s;e three make way for one another, <HI>Ignorance</HI> for <HI>Sin,</HI> and <HI>Sin</HI> for <HI>Mi&s;ery,</HI> the under&s;tand|ing being the great Wheel of the Soule, if it be not right, nothing can be right, <HI>Matth.</HI> 6. 22. ignorance maketh us &s;tumble upon &s;in, and by &s;in we fall into the pit of e|verla&s;ting darkne&s;&s;e.</P>
<P>If you ask what kind of Darkne&s;s is intended here? I an&s;wer, though all may be implyed; yet chiefly the <HI>dark|ne&s;s of mi&s;ery</HI> is here intended, they being ca&s;t down from the <HI>light</HI> and <HI>glory</HI> of the highe&s;t Heavens, into dark and ob&s;cure babitations, where they want the &s;ight of God, and the light of his countenance, as when the Sun is gone, there is nothing but darkne&s;&s;e in the world; &s;o being ba|ni&s;hed out of the pre&s;ence of God, they are fitly &s;aid to be held under darkne&s;s; for as the Sun is to the corporeal world, &s;o is God to the world of Spirits, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 4. 6. now their Sun is Eclip&s;ed, and by the interpo&s;ition of the dark cloud of their &s;in and ob&s;tinacy; they cannot have the lea&s;t comfortable glimp&s;e and fruition of God: to which al&s;o may be added, the <HI>horrible apprehen&s;ion of their lo&s;s,</HI>
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and that terrour and di&s;comfort that lyeth upon them, for they have onely &s;o much light left, as &s;erveth to en|crea&s;e their torment; I confe&s;&s;e 'tis di&s;puted by Divines, whether the Devils can grieve for the lo&s;&s;e of the light of Gods countenance, or the want of the <HI>beatifical vi&s;ion,</HI> and the ground of doubting is, becau&s;e there is in the Divels an extream aver&s;ene&s;&s;e, enmity, and hatred of God and his Glory; but certain, as they are rational creatures, they cannot but be &s;en&s;ible of their lo&s;&s;e, as al&s;o the dam|ned &s;pirits are, and &s;o great a lo&s;&s;e of happine&s;&s;e (for that is the con&s;ideration under which they are &s;en&s;ible of it) mu&s;t needs breed horror and torment; they do, not mourn for the ab&s;ence of God as the Saints do. out of a principle of holine&s;&s;e, and becau&s;e God is <HI>lovely in him|&s;elf,</HI> but as <HI>profitable</HI> to them; &amp; this &s;en&s;e as 'tis accompa|nied with <HI>de&s;pair,</HI> &s;o with <HI>bla&s;phemy</HI> and <HI>hatred of God,</HI> &s;ure|ly every part of the &s;entence that is pronounced upon wicked men, is fitted to beget terrour in them, and there|fore <HI>depart from me,</HI> is apprehended as a mi&s;ery, as well as <HI>go into everla&s;ting torments.</HI> Add further to their <HI>dark|ne&s;s</HI> that <HI>de&s;pair</HI> that is upon them, and fearful looking for of the fiery indignation of the Lord, which <HI>de&s;perate &s;orrow</HI> is expre&s;&s;ed by <HI>utter darkne&s;s, and gna&s;hing of teeth,</HI> Matth. 22. 13.</P>
<P>Let me now come to &s;ome ob&s;ervations.</P>
<P>1. <HI>Darkne&s;&s;e is the Divels puni&s;hment,</HI> the highe&s;t mi&s;e|ry of the highe&s;t rank of rea&s;onable creatures. Oh why &s;hould we love that which is the mi&s;ery of the fallen An|gels! as our Saviour &s;peaketh of &s;ome <HI>that love darkne&s;&s;e rather then light, Iohn</HI> 3. 19. that is <HI>errour</HI> rather then <HI>truth, l<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;ts</HI> rather then <HI>Chri&s;t, ignorance</HI> rather then <HI>knowledge.</HI> 'Tis one of the &s;adde&s;t arguments of mans dreadful fall, that he <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">s in love with his own mi&s;ery, we &s;hould hate &s;in, and we hate the light that reproveth it: <HI>ignorant people</HI> love a <HI>fooli&s;h Mini&s;try,</HI> Gods <HI>faithful wit|ne&s;&s;es</HI> are their torment. <HI>Rev.</HI> 11. 10. the carnal world would faine lie down upon the bed of ea&s;e and &s;leep&punc; light is trouble&s;ome, tho&s;e that let them alone are their Idols
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and darlings, <HI>the blind lead the blinde, and both fall into the ditch,</HI> 'tis evil not to know the will of God, 'tis dou|bly evil when we de&s;ire not to know; the one &s;ort <HI>erre in their minds,</HI> the other in <HI>their hearts:</HI> &s;piritual darkne&s;s is far wor&s;e then bodily, when <HI>Ely</HI> was &s;tricken blinde he <HI>de&s;ired &s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">me body to lead him by the hand, Acts</HI> 13. 11. In &s;uch a ca&s;e we count our happine&s;&s;e to light upon fit guides, in &s;piritual darkne&s;s 'tis quite otherwi&s;e, we cannot endure a faithful guide <HI>the Prophets prophe&s;ie lyes, and the people love to have it &s;o,</HI> a blind people are al for blind guids.</P>
<P>2. <HI>Light that yeildeth us no comfort is but darkne&s;&s;e,</HI> Sa|than hath <HI>knowledge</HI> left, but no <HI>comfort, Jam. 2. 19. they believe and tremble,</HI> the more &s;en&s;e they have of Gods be|ing and glory, the greater horror have they upon their &s;pirits: 'tis very mi&s;erable when we have only light enough to <HI>awaken con&s;cience,</HI> and knowledge enough to be <HI>&s;elf condemned</HI> To know God but not to enjoy him, that's the Divels puni&s;hment, Oh then never leave till your <HI>thoughts of God are &s;weet and comfortable,</HI> P&s;al. 104. 34. Sathan can|not but abhominate his own thoughts of God, for he can|not think of him without torment; but 'tis otherwi&s;e with gracious hearts, that meditation which is the Divels ter|rour, is their &s;olace and &s;upport, Gods name to them is as <HI>an oyntment poured out,</HI> Cant 1. 3. full of fragrancie and reviving: re&s;t not then, till you can &s;ee God with &s;uch a light as giveth you fruition and comfortable enjoyment of him, <HI>in thy light &s;hall we &s;ee light, P&s;al.</HI> 36. 9. there is light in thy light, but all other light is but darkne&s;&s;e.</P>
<P>3. <HI>Do but b&s;erve the difference between God and Sathan God is light,</HI> 1 John 1. 5 <HI>and Sathan darkne&s;s, God dwel|leth in light, and Sathan is re&s;erved in chains under dark|ne&s;&s;e</HI> the fir&s;t creature that God made in the world was <HI>light</HI> and the fir&s;t gift of the &s;pirit is <HI>illumination,</HI> but now all Satans aim &amp; work is to bring in <HI>darkne&s;s,</HI> to blind the mind, 1 <HI>Cor 4. 4. ignorance</HI> is the very foundation of his kingdom Eph. 6. 12. Wel then, the more dark, the more like Sathan a Child of God is a Child of light, and what have we to do with <HI>works of darkne&s;s,</HI> Eph. 5. 11. there &s;hould
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be &s;uch a contrariety between you and &s;in as there is be|tween God and Sathan; &s;ay then the&s;e actions would on|ly become my night of ignorance and folly, <HI>night work</HI> is un&s;eemly for the day, <HI>Rom. 13&punc; 12. the day is at hand let us ca&s;t off the workes of darkne&s;s;</HI> leave the&s;e things to the <HI>Bats</HI> and the <HI>Owls,</HI> if there be a difference, and contra|trariety b<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="missing" EXTENT="1 letter">tween <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> and <HI>Belial,</HI> who are the chiefes of either &s;tate, &s;o between the per&s;ons that heard under them; <HI>What communion is there between Chr<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="missing" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;t and Belial, between light and darkne&s;s, 2 Cor.</HI> 6. 14.</P>
<P>4. <HI>So much darkne&s;&s;e as remaineth in you, &s;o much ad|vantage hath Sathan again&s;t you.</HI> The dark part of the world is the &s;eat of his Empire; <HI>Rulers of the darkne&s;&s;e of this World,</HI> Eph. 6. 12. His &s;ubjects are the <HI>children of darkne&s;&s;e,</HI> and all the advantage that he hath over the Children of Light, is, becau&s;e of the darkne&s;&s;e that is in them: who&s;oever therefore lyeth under a &s;tate of darkne&s;s, is under the power of Sathan. The great work of the Mi|ni&s;tery, is to recover them, <HI>to turn them from darkne&s;&s;e to light,</HI> Acts 26. 18. and &s;o <HI>from Sathan to God:</HI> Oh the &s;ad condition of &s;uch per&s;ons that are bound together with Sathan in <HI>chains of darkne&s;&s;e!</HI> Poor Creatures, how are they hurried to and fro? from wrath to Pride, from Pride to Lu&s;t, from Lu&s;t to Filthine&s;&s;e, from Filthine&s;&s;e to Worldline&s;&s;e: Oh then! <HI>awake you that &s;leep, and the Lord &s;hall give you light,</HI> Eph. 5. 14. What a ble&s;&s;ing is it, when it can be &s;aid of us, what the Apo&s;tle &s;aid of the <HI>Ephe&s;ians, ye were darkne&s;&s;e, but now are light in the Lord,</HI> Eph. 5. 8. As &s;oon as you have received light and grace, you are tran&s;lated out of Sathans Power and Kingdom, and put into the Lords.</P>
<P>5. <HI>The darkne&s;&s;e of &s;in is puni&s;hed with the darkne&s;&s;e of mi&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">ry.</HI> The light whereby we are <HI>directed</HI> and <HI>perfected</HI> is the &s;ame; the &s;tate of grace is a <HI>marvelous light, 1 Pet.</HI> 2. 9 and the &s;tate of glory, <HI>the inheritance of the Saints in light.</HI> Col. 1. 12. So &s;in is but <HI>darkne&s;&s;e begun.</HI> Hell is called <HI>utter darkne&s;&s;e,</HI> Matth. 8. 12. <GAP DESC="foreign">, a darkne&s;&s;e beyond a darkne&s;&s;e; as <HI>Augu&s;tine</HI>
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glo&s;&s;eth in his Homilies, <HI>In tenebras ex tenebris in foelici|ter exclu&s;io,</HI> the damned are but thru&s;t out of one dark|ne&s;&s;e into antoher; from <HI>ignorance</HI> to <HI>&s;in,</HI> from <HI>&s;in</HI> to <HI>torment:</HI> 'tis very ob&s;ervable, when <HI>Solomon</HI> compareth the way of the ju&s;t and the way of the wicked, he com|pareth the one to <HI>light</HI> the other to <HI>darkne&s;&s;e, Prov. 4. 18. 19. The way of the ju&s;t is as the &s;hining light, that &s;hi|neth more and more unto the perfect day; and the way of the wicked is as darkne&s;s.</HI> By the rule of contraries, as one is <HI>a growing light,</HI> &s;o the other is an <HI>encrea&s;ing darkne&s;&s;e:</HI> from twy-light to &s;tar-light, from &s;tar-light to thick dark|ne&s;&s;e: they quench the light of nature, chu&s;e worldly happine&s;&s;e, grow regardle&s;&s;e of eternity, are hardened in their way, and at length given up to everla&s;ting hor|ror and confu&s;ion of faces, to whom the mi&s;t of darkne&s;&s;e is re&s;erved for ever, 2 <HI>Pet. 2. 18. Mi&s;ts of error</HI> are ju&s;t|ly puni&s;hed with <HI>mi&s;ts of darkne&s;&s;e.</HI> The men there &s;po|ken of, were clouds and mi&s;ts in the Church; and there|fore the mi&s;ts of eternal darkne&s;&s;e are kept for them, as a fit and proper portion.</P>
<P>6. <HI>The danger of refu&s;ing and abu&s;ing light.</HI> Tho&s;e that were <HI>Angels of light,</HI> are now held in the chains of darkne&s;&s;e: &s;ee it every where made good; the blacke&s;t evening hath been &s;ent u&s;ually after a glorious day; tho&s;e that once enjoyed <HI>Noahs</HI> preaching, were afterward <HI>the &s;pirits in pri&s;on, 1 Pet.</HI> 3. 18, 19. He that had not a Wed|ding Garment on for the fea&s;t, was ca&s;t into <HI>utter dark|ne&s;&s;e, Matt.</HI> 22. 13. Abu&s;e of light, and meanes, and pri|viledges, will &s;urely make our condition gloomy and un|comfortable.</P>
<P>7. <HI>When we are ca&s;t out from God, nothing but darkne&s;s en&s;ueth, utter darkne&s;&s;e, and weeping and gna&s;hing of teeth.</HI> 'Tis our utmo&s;t happine&s;&s;e to enjoy God, and 'tis our ut|mo&s;t mi&s;ery to want him; the Divels know it, and we &s;hall one day know it: pray for the <HI>light of Gods counte|nance more then for Corn and Wine, and Oyl,</HI> P&s;al 4. 6. One glimp&s;e of the favour of God would turn <HI>Hell</HI> into <HI>Heaven,</HI> and give us &s;uch a &s;trong and &s;weet joy, as would
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&s;wallow up all kinde of &s;orrows; 'tis the ab&s;ence of the Sun maketh night; certainly they have hard hearts that do not mourn when they have lo&s;t the &s;ight of God: <HI>When the Bridegroom is gone, then &s;hall they mourn,</HI> Mat. 9. 15. Alas, how the drooping hearts and withered face of Nature, &s;eem to mourn for the ab&s;ence of the Sun? and how are all things cleared and revived at Spring again? and &s;hal not we mourn for God the Sun of the intellectu|al world? <HI>Pharaoh</HI> was mo&s;t affrighted with the <HI>Plague of Darkne&s;s, Exod.</HI> 10. 4. Yea the Divels them&s;elves are &s;en&s;ible of the lo&s;&s;e of the light of Gods countenance: when God &s;huteth up him&s;elf in a cloud, let our bowels be troubled for him, <HI>Lam.</HI> 3. 44.</P>
<P>8. <HI>The World in compari&s;on of Heaven is but a dark place.</HI> 'Tis the place where the Divels are ca&s;t, and they are held under darkne&s;&s;e. 'Tis an ob&s;cure corner of the Creation; a place fit for our <HI>tryal,</HI> but not for our <HI>re|ward;</HI> in a &s;piritual con&s;ideration 'tis but a <HI>great and va&s;t dungeon,</HI> where we cannot have &s;o dear &s;ight of God as el&s;ewhere. 'Tis <HI>Sathans walk,</HI> a place of danger and de|filement: 'tis much if we can keep our &s;elves un&s;potted in &s;uch a na&s;ty hole, <HI>James 1. 27. 2 Pet.</HI> 2. 18. The in|heritance which is given to the Saints, is given to them <HI>in light;</HI> let us look for that, and long for that, and<NOTE PLACE="marg">Col. 1. 12.</NOTE> <HI>God dwelleth in light,</HI> 1 Tim. 6. 16 he dwelleth there, where he di&s;covereth mo&s;t of his glory, and that's in hea|ven.</P>
<P>We have done with the <HI>pre&s;ent puni&s;hment</HI> of the An|gels; we come now to that which is future, implyed in tho&s;e words [<HI>unto the judgement of the great day</HI>] by <HI>judg|ment</HI> is meant the &s;entence of condemnation which&punc; &s;hall pa&s;&s;e upon them, before the eyes of the whole world, and then the con&s;equents, which are eternal mi&s;ery and tor|ment.</P>
<P>Ob&s;erv. <HI>That at the day <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">f judgement the puni&s;hment of</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;erv.</NOTE> <HI>the Divels will be greater then now it is.</HI></P>
<P>The Divels puni&s;hment is for the pre&s;ent great, as you have heard, but they are in expectation of greater,
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<HI>Mat. 8. 31. Art thou come to torment us before our time?</HI> There is a time comming, when the wrath<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> of God &s;hall be encrea&s;ed upon them, and this time is the day of judg|ment, the great day of the Lord, when they &s;hall be brought&punc; forth before the Tribunal of Chri&s;t and his Saints: the good Angels &s;hall come as <HI>Chri&s;ts companions,</HI> and the evil Angels as his pri&s;oners. See&punc; <HI>Matth.</HI> 25. 31. and 2 <HI>The&s;&s;</HI> 1. 7. and 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 6&punc; 3. This is a day that will work upon their envy, thwart their pride, to &s;ee the glo|ry of Chri&s;t and of the good Angels, and the Saints: after this they &s;hall be adjudged to horrible torments. Hell is their Free-hold and Portion, <HI>prepared for the Divel and his Angels, Matth&punc;</HI> 25 41. The Quality and Nature of their torment we cannot &s;o ea&s;ily determine, nor what that fire that &s;hall burn &s;pirits, onely the Scripture &s;hew|eth they are <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Rev 30. 7.</NOTE> ca&s;t <HI>into the Lake that burneth with Fire and Brim&s;tone,</HI> where they &s;hall &s;uffer torments without end, and without ea&s;e. When Heavens joyes are full, then are Hell torments full al&s;o: and therefore though for the pre&s;ent, they are under Gods wrath, yet they do not ta&s;te the dregs of it; he exerci&s;eth &s;ome patience towards them; they have an <HI>Empire</HI> and a <HI>Mini&s;try</HI> in the world, but when all former things are done away, and Chri&s;ts glory is fully &s;hewen to the world, then will he take full vengeance of his enemies. Well then, from hence Learn.</P>
<P>1. <HI>That the wicked's judgement is not as yet full.</HI> At the great day, then &s;hall it be more encrea&s;ed, upon the Uni|on of Body and Soul; they &s;hall drink the dregs of <HI>the Cup of Wrath unmixed.</HI> In this life we are adding &s;in to &s;in, and in the next God will be adding torment to tor|ment; Oh what a &s;ad train of judgements followeth a &s;inner! for the pre&s;ent he hath Hell in his own Con&s;ci|ence; they &s;ip of the cup of wrath in the bondage and horrors now upon them, and at death the&s;e are more re|vived, and made more lively and active: but con&s;ider, after all this there is wor&s;e behind, torments in&s;ufferable, pre&s;ently upon the &s;eparation, for then they are in <HI>pri|&s;on,</HI>
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1 Pet. 3. 9. detained in a fearful expectation of further judgement, <HI>Luk. 16. 14. I am horribly tormen|ted in this flame;</HI> but after this at Chri&s;ts comming to judgement, the&s;e torments are encrea&s;ed; and therefore the Apo&s;tle &s;peaketh as if he did not take vengeance be|fore, 2 <HI>The&s;&s;. 1. 7. He &s;hall come in flaming fire to render vengeance,</HI> &amp;c. Becau&s;e then 'tis fully executed; do not adde drunkenne&s;&s;e to thir&s;t, le&s;t God adde to your plagues&punc;</P>
<P>2. <HI>The mo&s;t mi&s;erable Creatures are &s;uffered to enjoy &s;ome degree of Gods patience.</HI> For the pre&s;ent God is patient, as to the fallen Angels, &s;ure I am to &s;inning man, <HI>in the day that thou eate&s;t thereof thou &s;halt dye:</HI> the full executi|on of that &s;entence is put off to the day of judgement; Reprobates are endured <HI>with much long-&s;uffering,</HI> Rom. 9. 22. <HI>Intermi&s;&s;ions</HI> God gives in this life, <HI>re&s;pite to bodies</HI> till the la&s;t day: <HI>adore</HI> his goodne&s;&s;e, do not <HI>abu&s;e</HI> it.</P>
<P>3. <HI>Origens charity was too large,</HI> who dreamed of <GAP DESC="foreign">&punc; a flaming River, through which all creatures were to pa&s;&s;e, and &s;o to be purged, and then at length to be &s;aved, even the Divels them&s;elves, whereas they are kept for a &s;everer judgment.</P>
<P>4. When you &s;ee wicked men endured, and not pre|&s;ently ca&s;t into Hell, be not a&s;toni&s;hed, God hath a Mi|ni&s;try for them as for the evil Angels: <HI>Some are re&s;erved to the day of judgement, 2 Pet.</HI> 2. 9. that is, their puni&s;h|ment re&s;pited for the greater triumph of that day.</P>
<P>5. <HI>One judgement may make way for another,</HI> the <HI>chains of darkne&s;&s;e</HI> for the <HI>judgement of the great day.</HI> Let no man plea&s;e him&s;elf, in that he &s;uffereth afflictions in this world, the&s;e may be but the beginnings of &s;orrow; God is ter|rible to poor &s;inners as well as rich; you may be mi&s;era|ble here, and yet not e&s;cape in the world to come: do not think the wor&s;t is pa&s;t, &s;ome have a <HI>double Hell,</HI> &s;uch mi&s;eries here as are pledges of everla&s;ting torments here|after.</P>
<P>6. <HI>Divels fear the great day.</HI> An Athei&s;tical lo&s;e Chri|&s;tian
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is wor&s;e then <HI>Sathan,</HI> he <HI>&s;coffeth</HI> at that at which the Divel <HI>trembleth.</HI> There are <HI>Athei&s;ts</HI> in the <HI>Church,</HI> but there are none in <HI>Hell.</HI></P>
<P>7. <HI>Angels are brought to judgement.</HI> None are exempt|ed, at the great day you &s;hall &s;ee tho&s;e glorious Creatures bound with chains of Darkne&s;&s;e; the <HI>Kings</HI> and <HI>Captains</HI> are brought in trembling before the <HI>Lambs Throne, Rev.</HI> 6. 20. and <HI>great</HI> as well as <HI>&s;mall</HI> appear before that great Tribunal, <HI>Rev.</HI> 20. 12.</P>
<P>8. <HI>The Angels are plunged into the depth of Hell, when Saints enter into their Ma&s;ters joy.</HI> God loveth a <HI>retur|ning &s;inner,</HI> before an <HI>Apo&s;tate Angel.</HI></P>
<P>There is one point yet behind, with which I &s;hall con|clude<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;erv.</NOTE> this ver&s;e; and that is, <HI>That the day of judgement is a great day.</HI> 'Tis &s;o in many regards.</P>
<P>1. Becau&s;e 'tis the <HI>con&s;ummate Act of Chri&s;ts regal Of|fice.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Rea. 1.</NOTE> Of all Offices Chri&s;ts Kingly Office is the mo&s;t emi|nent: now the Kingly Office was never di&s;covered with &s;o much lu&s;tre and glory to the world as then: the emi|nent act of other Offices do more belong to his aba&s;e|ment; as his <HI>Oblation</HI> an eminent act of his <HI>Prie&s;tly Of|fice</HI> was to be performed upon earth, &s;o his <HI>Prophetical Office</HI> was much di&s;charged in delivering the Doctrine of the Go&s;pel while&s;t he was here; but of his Kingly Office we had but a very little glimp&s;e, during his abode upon earth, in his whipping the buyers and &s;ellers out of the Temple, and his entrance into <HI>Jeru&s;alem,</HI> when they cry|ed <HI>Ho&s;anna</HI> in the &s;treets, <HI>Matth.</HI> 21. And now in Hea|ven Chri&s;t is &s;upream, but his &s;overaignty lieth under a cloud and vail. <HI>All things are put under him.</HI> But car|nal &s;en&s;e objects, <HI>We &s;ee not as yet all things put under him, Heb.</HI> 2. 8. But at the la&s;t day Chri&s;t will &s;hew him&s;elfe to be King indeed, both in rewarding his <HI>friends,</HI> and in an <HI>ab&s;olute conque&s;t over his Eenemies,</HI> which are the two great parts of his Regal Office: therefore the day of judg|ment is called <GAP DESC="foreign">, the <HI>day of the Lord, 2 Pet.</HI> 3. 10. as being the day wherein Chri&s;t &s;hall manife&s;t him|&s;elfe to be a <HI>Lord</HI> indeed. Fir&s;t, in rewarding his friends.
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When <HI>David</HI> was Crowned at <HI>Hebron,</HI> then all that fol|lowed him in the wilderne&s;s, were rewarded according to the merit of their place and &s;ervice; before they had hard &s;ervice, and little wages, but then were made Captains of thou&s;ands, and Captains of hundreds, and Captains of fifties. So they that are true to the intere&s;t of Chri&s;t, may meet with many a frown and hard entertainment in the world, but you will not repent of it in the day of Chri&s;ts Royalty, <HI>Matth. 25. 34. Then &s;hall the King &s;ay,</HI> &amp;c. He is called the <HI>Son of man</HI> before; but then you will find a <HI>King</HI> rewarding all his &s;ubjects. <HI>Peter</HI> was troubled a|bout his petty lo&s;&s;es, <HI>Ma&s;ter</HI> (&s;aith he) <HI>we have for&s;aken all and followed thee;</HI> what had <HI>Peter</HI> to for&s;ake? A Net? a Cottage? a Fi&s;hing Boat? <HI>A great All!</HI> We are apt to think much of what we part with upon Chri&s;ts &s;core; if we &s;uffer but a di&s;graceful word, a &s;mall inconvenience, a frown, we pre&s;ently &s;ay, <HI>what &s;hall we have therefore?</HI> But we need not &s;eek another pay-Ma&s;ter then Chri&s;t, he will not be behind hand with us when the day of pay|ment cometh. See <HI>Matth.</HI> 19. 27, 28. <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>In the regeneration ye &s;hal &s;it with me on thrones of glory,</HI> &amp;c. that is, at <HI>the day of judgement,</HI> which is the <HI>great rege|neration</HI> when <HI>Heavens</HI> are new, <HI>Earth</HI> new, <HI>Bodies</HI> new, <HI>Soules</HI> new, all is new, then we &s;hall be no lo&s;ers by Chri&s;t.</P>
<P>2. In an ab&s;olute conque&s;t over his enemies, the &s;tou|te&s;t faces &s;hall then gather blackne&s;&s;e, and the &s;tiffe&s;t knees bow to him: There is an expre&s;&s;ion, <HI>I&s;a. 45. 23. I have &s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">orn by my &s;elfe&punc; and the words &s;hall not returne,</HI> that to me every knee <HI>&s;hall bow, and ev<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ry mo<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">th &s;hall &s;wear.</HI> Now this expre&s;&s;ion doth concern Chri&s;ts &s;ove|raignty and ful victory over his enemies; for this Scripture is twice alluded unto in the New Te&s;tament, and in both places applyed to Chri&s;t. The fir&s;t place that I &s;hall take notice of is <HI>Phil.</HI> 2. 10. where the Apo&s;tle &s;aith, <HI>That to Chri&s;t ev<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ry knee &s;hall b<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">w, and every tongue &s;hall call him Lord,</HI> which is the &s;ame with that which is &s;poken in the Prophet, and is there made to be the fir&s;t of <HI>Chri&s;ts A|&s;cen&s;ion</HI>
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when he was &s;olemnly inaugurated into the King|ly Office; but the Prophecy receiveth not its full and fi|nal accompli&s;hment till the day of judgement; to which purpo&s;e the &s;ame Scripture is cited by the Apo&s;tle, <HI>Rom. 14. 10. We &s;hall all &s;tand before the judgement &s;eat of Chri&s;t, for 'tis written, As I live (&s;aith the Lord) to me every knee &s;hall bow, and mouth &s;hall confe&s;&s;e.</HI> So that the <HI>bowing of knees,</HI> or &s;tooping of enemies is not fully accom|pli&s;hed till then. Chri&s;t doth now often over-rule the councils and projects of his enemies, and &s;mite them with a &s;oar de&s;truction, but there is not &s;uch crouching and trembling, &s;o &s;en&s;ibly now to be di&s;cerned as there will be at that day.</P>
<P>Secondly, the day of judgement is a great day, becau&s;e<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rea&s;. 2.</NOTE> great things are then done, which will appear if you con|&s;ider the <HI>preparations</HI> for that day. 2. The <HI>day</HI> it <HI>&s;elfe.</HI> 3. The <HI>confequence</HI> of it.</P>
<P>1. The <HI>preparations</HI> for Chri&s;ts approach, the Scripture mentioneth two, 1. The <HI>Arch-Angels trumpet. 2. The &s;ign of the Son of Man.</HI></P>
<P>1. There is that great noi&s;e and terrour of the voice of the Lord, which is to be managed by &s;ome &s;pecial An|gels, by which all the world &s;hall be, as it were, &s;ummon|ed to appear before Chri&s;ts Tribunal, See 1 <HI>The&s;&s;.</HI> 4. 16: and <HI>Matth.</HI> 24. 31. Some expound this Trumpet <HI>Ana|logically,</HI> &s;ome <HI>Literally:</HI> they that expound it <HI>Analo|gically,</HI> think it &s;ignifieth the <HI>power</HI> and <HI>virtue</HI> of Chri&s;t forcing all the world to appear before his judgement &s;eat, which is therefore called <HI>a trumpet,</HI> becau&s;e the &s;olemn A&s;&s;emblies among the Jews were &s;ummoned by &s;ound of Trumpet; but why may we not take it <HI>Literally,</HI> and in propriety of &s;peech, for the audible &s;ound of a Trumpet? &s;ure I am at the giving of the Law, <HI>the voice of the Trum|pet was exceeding loud;</HI> and the like may be, when he commeth to take an account of our keeping the Law, a &s;ound of a Trumpet, as a terrible &s;ommons to all the world, and a near &s;ign of Chri&s;ts approach, as <HI>Iohn Bap|ti&s;t</HI> was the fore-runner of his fir&s;t coming, who <HI>was the</HI>
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<HI>voyce of one crying in the wilderne&s;s;</HI> So is the <HI>Arch. An|gel</HI> at his &s;econd comming, a terrible bla&s;t there &s;hall be, &s;uch as &s;hall be heard all the world over, &s;tartling the dead out of their graves; men do not here the voice of God now, for now he &s;peaketh by his Angels or Me&s;&s;en|gers, in <HI>a &s;till voice:</HI> but then all the dead &s;hall hear and live.</P>
<P>2. The <HI>&s;ign of the Son of Man,</HI> &s;poken of, <HI>Matth.</HI> 24. 30. what it is we cannot certainly tell, till experience manife&s;t it; &s;ome think a <HI>&s;trange Star</HI> as at his fir&s;t com|ming, the wi&s;e men were conducted to him by a Star; o|thers the <HI>&s;ign of the Cro&s;&s;e,</HI> as being Chri&s;ts badge, by which he is known in the world; for the great &s;ubject of the Go&s;pel is <HI>Chri&s;t crucified,</HI> called therefore the <HI>Word of the Cro&s;s,</HI> and this they think &s;hall appear in the Hea|vens, as it did to <HI>Con&s;tantine</HI> when he went to fight a|gain&s;t <HI>Maxentius</HI> with this word, <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>by this &s;h<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">lt thou overcome;</HI> though by the way <HI>Eu&s;ebius</HI> de|&s;cribeth that vi&s;ion as in the figure of &khgr; the fir&s;t critical letters of Chri&s;ts name: This way go many of the Anci|ents, making the Cro&s;&s;e to be Chri&s;t En&s;ign and Royal Banner which he will di&s;play in the Heavens, as Kings when they make their triumphant approach, have their Banners carryed before them. But I dare not thus dog|matize: others more probably interpret it of &s;ome fore|running beames of Maje&s;ty and Glory (like tho&s;e &s;treaks of light before the Sun be ri&s;en) which &s;hall darken the great luminaries of the world, and &s;trike a terrour into the hearts of men, as <HI>Paul</HI> was &s;tricken with &s;uch a terror at the &s;ight of Chri&s;t <HI>Acts 26. 13. He &s;aw light from Heaven, above the brightne&s;s of the Sun, &s;hining round a|bout him:</HI> noteable it is, that the&s;e fore-running beames of Chri&s;ts Maje&s;ty and Glory are &s;ometimes expre&s;&s;ed by <HI>light,</HI> and &s;ometimes by <HI>fire;</HI> by <HI>light</HI> to expre&s;&s;e the comfortablene&s;&s;e of it to the Godly, as the light of the Sun doth not <HI>&s;cortch</HI> but <HI>revive</HI> and <HI>refre&s;h:</HI> by <HI>fire, 2 The&s;&s;</HI> 1. 8. <GAP DESC="foreign">, to &s;hew the dreadfulne&s;&s;e of it to the wicked, to them 'tis as <HI>flames</HI> and <HI>devouring burnings.</HI></P>
<P><PB N="312" REF="165">2. Let us con&s;ider the day it &s;elfe, and the great things done therein, 'tis a <HI>day of Congregation</HI> of all mankinde, there <HI>Adam</HI> may &s;ee all his po&s;terity at once; but e&s;peci|ally is it a day of <HI>Congregation,</HI> in re&s;pect of the Saints who are now &s;cattered in divers Countries, Towns, Hou+&s;es, where God hath any work and &s;ervice for them; but then &s;hall meet together in one <HI>A&s;&s;embly</HI> and <HI>Rendez|vouz</HI> called, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 1. 6. called the <HI>great Congregation of the ju&s;t,</HI> as the wicked &s;hall be herded together like &s;traws and &s;ticks bound in a bundle, to &s;et one another on fire, Drunkards together, and Adulterers together, <HI>They &s;hall be bound in bundles, &amp;c. Matth.</HI> 13. 41. and &s;o en|crea&s;e one anothers torment; So &s;hall the Godly meet in a Congregation, and never &s;eparate more: here the Godly are di&s;per&s;ed as the Stars are &s;cattered throughout the firmament; here they live intermingled with wicked men, <HI>Jacobs</HI> Cattel and <HI>Labans</HI> Cattel together; but then the <HI>Sheep</HI> &s;hall be &s;eparated from the <HI>Goats,</HI> and be all drawn into a body by them&s;elves. Again tis a day of <HI>manife&s;tation,</HI> the Lords <HI>Decrees</HI> and <HI>Coun&s;els</HI> are mani|fe&s;ted; creation and providence are but &s;ub&s;ervient means in order to the triumphs of this day, that the glory of his <HI>grace</HI> may be advanced in the &s;alvation of the Elect, and the glory of his ju&s;tice in the puni&s;hment of the wicked; who upon this account are &s;aid to be <HI>made for the day of evil. Pro.</HI> 16. 4. where the Holy Gho&s;t pitcheth upon that part of the decree which is harde&s;t to be dige&s;ted. The making of the wicked for the glory of the Lords ju&s;tice in that day. The <HI>wi&s;edome of God in the cour&s;es of his provi|dence</HI> is then manife&s;ted, for the &s;tory of the world is brought before the Saints; we &s;ee providence now by pieces, but then the whole contexture of it; the <HI>&s;ecrets of men</HI> are then manife&s;ted; and upon what principles and ends they have acted, 1 <HI>Cor. 4. 6. The truth of the pro|mi&s;es and threatnings</HI> is then manife&s;ted, in the day of Gods patience there is a darkne&s;&s;e and vail upon the Scriptures, we cannot &s;ee how they are made good; but in the day of Gods recompen&s;e we &s;hall: what promi&s;es, threat|nings,
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prophe&s;ies mean: but chiefly is it a day of <HI>mani|fe&s;tation</HI> in regard of <HI>the Sons of God,</HI> Rom. 8. 19. All is now hidden, Chri&s;t is hidden, and the Saints are hidden, their <HI>life</HI> is hidden, <HI>Gal. 3. 3. their glory</HI> is hidden, 1 <HI>John.</HI> 3. 2. but then <HI>Chri&s;t &s;hall appear,</HI> and <HI>we &s;hall ap|pear with him in glory,</HI> as <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> told the Rebels, <HI>Numb. 16. to morrow the Lord will &s;hew who are his;</HI> the <HI>fir&s;t born</HI> and <HI>onely begotten &s;on of God</HI> then is manife&s;ted, Chri&s;t will appear in all his royalty and glory, as the great God and Saviour, and Judge of the world, as the <HI>great God;</HI> there|fore 'tis &s;aid, he will appear in the <HI>glory of the Father, Matth. 24. 13. Matth.</HI> 16. 27. the my&s;tery of his per|&s;on will now be di&s;covered to the uttermo&s;t, and there|fore he will appear in &s;uch a glory as never creature was capable of, nor can he gue&s;&s;e at it, we may by the glory di&s;covered at the giving of the Law, when <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> &s;hook for fear, <HI>Heb.</HI> 12. 19. by the light that &s;hone at his In|carnation, <HI>Luk</HI> 2. at his Transfiguration, <HI>Matth.</HI> 17. by tho&s;e beames of Maje&s;ty which broke out from him when the Souldiers came to take him, <HI>John</HI> 18. 6. by his appearance to <HI>Paul;</HI> it &s;truck him blinde for three days, <HI>Acts</HI> 9. by <HI>I&s;aiahs</HI> terrour, when he &s;aw God in a vi&s;ion, <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 6. And as he will manife&s;t him&s;elfe to be the <HI>great God,</HI> &s;o the <HI>true Saviour of the world:</HI> the manner of his appearance &s;hall make a full recompen&s;e for his aba&s;e|ment: at his fir&s;t comming <HI>John</HI> was his fore&punc; runner (as we have &s;aid) now an <HI>Arch Angel,</HI> then he came with a few <HI>fi&s;her-men,</HI> now with a <HI>multitude of Angels;</HI> then ri|ding on the Colt of <HI>an A&s;&s;e,</HI> now up <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">n the <HI>Clouds;</HI> then as the <HI>Son of Man,</HI> now as the <HI>Son of God;</HI> then in the <HI>form of a Servant,</HI> now in the <HI>glory of the Father;</HI> then Crowned with <HI>Thorns,</HI> now <HI>Glory and Ho<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ou<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">;</HI> then to <HI>teach</HI> righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e, now to <HI>reward</HI> righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e; then in the <HI>&s;imilitude of &s;inful fle&s;h,</HI> Rom. 8. 3. now the &s;econd time <HI>without &s;in, Heb.</HI> 9. 27. At his fir&s;t coming&punc; he was not a &s;inner, b<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">t he came in the garb of a &s;inner&punc; <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">fflicted, mi&s;erable, we <HI>judged him as one for&s;aken of God,</HI> but now he cometh as one di&s;charged of that debt and burden,
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and as one highly honoured by God the Father. Once more he cometh in all things befitting the worlds Judge, accompanied with Angels as his attendance, &s;itting upon a <HI>vi&s;ible Throne</HI> that he may be &s;een of all, heard of all; in earthly Judicatories, when great Malefactors are to be tryed the whole maje&s;ty and glory of a Nation is brought forth; the Judge in gorgeous apparel, accompanied with the flower of the Country, Nobles and Gentry, and a great conflux of people: So hear, Chri&s;t cometh forth as the Judge, accompanied with <HI>Angels</HI> and <HI>Saints,</HI> power|fully executing the work of that day; And the onely be|gotten Son of God is manife&s;ted: but this is a day of <HI>manife&s;tation,</HI> not onely <HI>of the Son,</HI> but of <HI>the Sons of God;</HI> namely, the <HI>Saints,</HI> who are then &s;et forth in their be&s;t robes. In Winter the tree appeareth not what 'tis, the &s;ap and life is hidden in the roo<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">, but when Summer com|eth all is di&s;covered: &s;o now it doth not appear <HI>who</HI> are Gods, nor <HI>what</HI> they &s;hall be, but at this day all is mani|fe&s;t; <HI>When Chri&s;t &s;hall appear, we &s;hall appear with him in glory;</HI> they &s;hall attain to that fulne&s;s of glory, as their hearts could never conceive: 'tis &s;aid 2 <HI>Th<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;&s;. 1. 10. Chri&s;t will be admired in them,</HI> the Angels &s;hall &s;tand wondering what Chri&s;t is about to do with Creatures that but newly crept out of du&s;t and rottenne&s;s; every one of them &s;hall &s;hine as the Sun; and what a great and glori|ous day mu&s;t that be, when there is a con&s;tellation of &s;o many Suns? They &s;hall &s;hare with Chri&s;t in the glory of his Kingdom, as being a&s;&s;ociated with him in judging the world: <HI>The upright &s;hall have Dominion over them in the morning, P&s;al.</HI> 49. 14. tho&s;e that are now &s;corned, per|&s;ecuted, oppo&s;ed every where, in the morning of the Re|&s;urrection, when they awake to meet Chri&s;t, then &s;hall they have dominion over the carnal world; therefore <HI>&s;entence&punc;</HI> beginneth with the godly, as execution doth with the <HI>wicked;</HI> the Elect are fir&s;t acquitted before the un|godly are condemned, that they may joyn afterwards with Chri&s;t in judging the world, 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 6. 2.</P>
<P>Again, 'tis great in regard of the <HI>manner of proce&s;s,</HI> but of that &s;ee ver&s;e 15.</P>
<P><PB N="315" REF="166">3. The con&s;equences of this day they are three. 1. <HI>The &s;ending of the per&s;ons judged into their everla&s;ting &s;tate. 2. The re&s;igning up of the Kingdom to the Father. 3. The burning of the world.</HI></P>
<P>1. The &s;ending of the per&s;ons judged into their ever|la&s;ting e&s;tate, the Elect into glory, and the wicked into torments, <HI>Matth. 25. 34. Come ye ble&s;&s;ed of my Father, &amp;c.</HI> you have been too long ab&s;ent from me, come re|ceive the fruit of your faith and hope; but ver&s;e 41. <HI>Goe ye cur&s;ed &amp;c.</HI> they are bani&s;hed out of Chri&s;ts pre&s;ence with &s;uch a terrible ban and pro&s;cription, as &s;hall never be rever&s;ed As <HI>Humans</HI> face was covered and &s;o led a|way to execution: &s;o are they cha&s;ed out of Chri&s;ts pre|&s;ence with horror, yelling, and houling, with the voice of Dragons, and begging for mercy, but find none. Now from this &s;entence there is no <HI>appeal,</HI> 'tis pronounced by Chri&s;t as God-Man. On earth many times Gods <HI>&s;entence</HI> is repealed, <HI>if the nation will rep<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">nt,</HI> &amp;c. <HI>Jer.</HI> 18. 8. and &s;o though God doth never change his <HI>d<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">cree;</HI> he doth of|ten change his <HI>&s;entence;</HI> but the day of patience is now pa&s;t. and therefore this &s;entence can never be recalled. Again, the <HI>execution is &s;peedy.</HI> Here many times the &s;en|tence is pa&s;&s;ed, but &s;entence is <HI>not &s;peedily executed upon an evil doer.</HI> Eccle&s;. 8. 11. Once more, this execution <HI>be+ginning with the wicked</HI> in the &s;ight of the ju&s;t, <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>gather ye fir&s;t the Tares, &amp;c. Matth.</HI> 13. 30. which worketh the more upon the <HI>envy</HI> and <HI>grief</HI> of the wicked that they are thru&s;t out whiles the godly remain with Chri&s;t, &s;eeing execution done; and the godly have the deeper &s;eu&s;e of their condition <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> Contraries put together do more heighten one ano|ther, in the execution of the wicked they may &s;ee from what they are delivered by grace. Again the &s;entence is executed upon the <HI>whole man,</HI> and that <HI>for ever, body</HI> and <HI>&s;oule</HI> are partakers as in the <HI>work,</HI> &s;o in the <HI>puni&s;h|ment</HI> and <HI>reward;</HI> and 'tis <HI>eternal</HI> for the reward is built on an <HI>infinite merit,</HI> and the puni&s;hment is eternal, be|cau&s;e an <HI>infinite Maj<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;ty</HI> is offended; and in the next
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world <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">on are in their final e&s;tate without po&s;&s;ibility of change; therefore God is never weary ble&s;&s;ing the good and <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="3 letters">&s;ing the wicked.</P>
<P>2. The next con&s;equent is, the <HI>re&s;igning and giving up the kingdom to the Father</HI> &s;poken of&punc; 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 15. from 24, to 28. Kingdom may be put for <HI>Ro<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">al Authority</HI> or <HI>Sub|jects governed&punc;</HI> as the people we call &s;ometimes the King|dom of <HI>England,</HI> or Kingdom of <HI>France,</HI> Chri&s;t is ever head of the Earth and in Heaven we &s;ub&s;ift not onely by virtue of his <HI>everla&s;ting merit,</HI> but <HI>everla&s;ting influence,</HI> for he is the <HI>life, Iohn</HI> 14. 6. And therefore I take King|dome here in the latter &s;en&s;e for the <HI>&s;ubjects</HI> or the <HI>Church</HI> who are re&s;igned or pre&s;ented to God, <HI>Eph.</HI> 5. 27. as the fruits of Chri&s;ts purcha&s;e, as a prey &s;natched out of the teeth of Lyons: the form of pre&s;entation you have, <HI>Heb. 2. 13. Behold I and all the little ones which thou ha&s;t given me:</HI> Oh what a great and glorious day will this be&punc; when we &s;hall &s;ee Chri&s;t and all his little ones following him, and the great Shepherd of the Sheep go|ing into his everla&s;ting folds, and all the Elect in his com|pany, with their Crowns on their heads, &s;inging <HI>O grave! where is thy victory? O death! where is thy &s;ting?</HI> when all enemies &s;hall be broken, and the Church lodged in tho&s;e ble&s;&s;ed man&s;ions, what applau&s;es and acclamations will there be between them and Chri&s;t, between them and the Angels, them and their fellow Saints? how &s;hould we &s;trive to be &s;ome of this number?</P>
<P>3. The next con&s;equence is, the <HI>burning of the World,</HI> which is &s;et forth at large in 2 <HI>Pet 3. per totum.</HI> The pa&s;&s;ages there are literally to be taken; for the <HI>fire</HI> there &s;poken of, is compared with the <HI>Waters of Noah,</HI> which was a judgement really executed; and by this fire (it is probable) the world will not be <HI>con&s;umed</HI> but <HI>renewed</HI> and <HI>purged;</HI> for 'tis compared to a <HI>melting fire,</HI> 2 Ret&punc; 3. 10. And the Apo&s;tle &s;aith el&s;ewhere, the creature <HI>&s;hall be delivered from the bondage of corruption,</HI> Rom. 8. 21. And in the everla&s;ting e&s;tate God will have all things <HI>n<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">w,</HI> even the world it &s;elf: the u&s;e of this renewed world is either
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for an <HI>habitation to the ju&s;t,</HI> or that it may remain as a <HI>&s;tanding monument</HI> of Gods wi&s;edome and power. 1. This burning doth not go before the day of judgement, but follow after it; for it &s;eemeth to be an in&s;trument of ven|geance on the wicked, 2 <HI>Pet.</HI> 3. 7. I will not be &s;o bold with the Schoolmen, as to &s;ay that the <HI>faeculent</HI> and dro&s;|&s;ie parts of this fire are re&s;erved for the torment of the wicked in Hell for ever: but in the general we may &s;afe|ly &s;ay that 'tis an in&s;trument of Gods vengeance on them. Well now, that day which hath &s;uch an end and cloze, mu&s;t needs be <HI>a great day: Sodoms fire</HI> was dreadful, but nothing to this burning; that was of one <HI>particular place,</HI> but this of the <HI>whole world;</HI> that was <HI>a preparative war|ning,</HI> but this the <HI>la&s;t expre&s;&s;ion</HI> of his wrath again&s;t the ungodly world. Many give divers witty rea&s;ons for this burning, a ta&s;te may not be unwelcom, under the Law the ve&s;&s;el that held the &s;in-offering was to be purged with fire, &s;o the world, where &s;in hath been committed. The object of our Adulteries is burnt and defaced, that we may know the anger of the Lords jealou&s;ie <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg"><HI>Ludolphus</HI> in vita Chri&s;ti.</NOTE> the old world was de&s;troyed by <HI>Water, propter ardorem libidimis,</HI> becau&s;e of the heat of lu&s;t, and the pre&s;ent world burnt with <HI>fire, propter temporem charitatis,</HI> becau&s;e of the <HI>cold|ne&s;s of love</HI> in the latter dayes. But of &s;uch kinde of allu|&s;ions more then enough.</P>
<P>You &s;ee then by all this, that the day of judgement is a great day, let us now apply it.</P>
<P>If it be a great day, let us regard it more &s;eriou&s;ly;<NOTE PLACE="marg">Application.</NOTE> for all things &s;hould be regarded according to their weight. This is the greate&s;t day that ever we &s;hall &s;ee, and therefore we &s;hall be more affected with this day then with any thing el&s;e; we have &s;light thoughts of things to come; and therefore they do not work with us, can we expect &s;uch a day, and not &s;pend a thought upon it? Oh Chri&s;tians <HI>look</HI> for it more, <HI>long</HI> for it more, <HI>provide</HI> for it more.</P>
<P>1. <HI>Look for it,</HI> Phil. 3. 21. Titus 2. 13. Every time you look up to the clouds, remember you have a Saviour,
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that in time will come from thence, and call the world to an account; faith &s;hould alwayes &s;tand ready to meet him, as if he were upon his way, as <HI>Rebecca</HI> &s;pied <HI>I&s;aac</HI> afar off; &s;o doth faith which is the <HI>evidence of things not &s;een.</HI> Look within the curtain of the Heavens, and &s;py out Chri&s;t as preparing for his comming. If he tarrieth longer then we expect, he is not <HI>&s;tack. 2 Pet.</HI> 3. 9. But we are <HI>ha&s;ty;</HI> he wants no affection to us&punc; his <HI>delights were with the &s;ons of men</HI> before they were created, <HI>Prov.</HI> 8. 31. And certainly now he is &s;o deeply intere&s;ted in u<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">, as having bought us with his blood&punc; he de&s;ireth to enjoy what he hath purcha&s;ed: 'tis not <HI>want of love</HI> keepeth <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">im away, nor <HI>want of truth,</HI> God is punctual in his promi|&s;es even to a day, <HI>Exod. 12. 41. even the &s;el&s;e &s;ame day&punc; &amp;c.</HI> If all things were ready he would come pre&s;ently: therefore wait and look &s;till, they were not deceived that expected his fir&s;t comming in the fle&s;h; 'twas &s;aid, <HI>a Vir|gin &s;hall conceive,</HI> was it not done? that God would <HI>bring his Son out of Egypt;</HI> was it not done? that he &s;hould ride to <HI>Jeru&s;alem</HI> upon the foal of an A&s;&s;e, and was it not done? Surely the God that hath been faithful all along hitherto, will not fail at la&s;t.</P>
<P>2. <HI>Long for it.</HI> The faithful, love his appearing, 2 <HI>Tim.</HI> 4. 8. This is the great day which they long to &s;ee, that they may meet with their beloved, and &s;ee him in all his Glory and Royalty. They have <HI>heard much</HI> of Chri&s;t <HI>and ta&s;ted much of</HI> Chri&s;t, and they <HI>love him much,</HI> but yet they have not &s;een him; they know him by hear&s;ay, and by <HI>&s;piritual experience,</HI> but never &s;aw his per&s;on, <HI>whom having not &s;een you love,</HI> &amp;c. They have &s;een his picture <HI>crucified</HI> before your eyes, <HI>Gal. 3. 1. beholding at in a gla&s;s the glory of the Lord,</HI> 2 Cor. 3. 18. therefore they cannot be &s;atisfied till this day cometh abou<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">; Oh when &s;hall it once be, <HI>the &s;pirit in the Bride &s;aith come&punc;</HI> Rev. 22 17. Nature &s;aith not <HI>come,</HI> but <HI>tarry &s;till;</HI> if it might go by voices, whether Chri&s;t &s;hould come, yea, or no, carnal man would never give their voice this way. The language of corrupt Nature is, <HI>depart,</HI> Job 22. 14.
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Carnal Men are of the Divels mind, <HI>art thou come to tor|ment us before our time?</HI> Matth. 8. they cannot endure to hear of it, but <HI>come, Oh come,</HI> &s;aith Grace: this day we have cau&s;e to long, for not only upon Chri&s;ts account but our own; 'tis the day of our <HI>perfection</HI> as well as Chri&s;ts <HI>royalty:</HI> now every thing tendeth to its perfect &s;tate, &s;o doth a Chri&s;tian, then there is <HI>perfect holine&s;s</HI> and <HI>perfect freedom:</HI> we never find Chri&s;t <HI>a Saviour to the uttermo&s;t</HI> till then, to the glorified &s;pirits; he is but a Saviour in part, &s;ome fruit of &s;in is continued upon the body; but then body and &s;oul are united and perfectly glorified to enjoy God in Heaven: Chri&s;t then cometh to make an end of what he had begun; he fir&s;t came to redeem <HI>our &s;ouls,</HI> and then our <HI>bodies</HI> from corruption, the body is a captive in the grave, when the &s;oul is &s;et at liberty; 'tis held under the power of death till that day: the Butler was not afraid to go before <HI>Pharaoh,</HI> becau&s;e <HI>Jo&s;eph</HI> told him he &s;hould be &s;et at liberty, <HI>lift up your heads, 'tis a day of redemption, Luk.</HI> 17. 28. Chri&s;t cometh to loo&s;en the bands and &s;hackles of death, to think and &s;peak of that day with horror, doth ill become him that looketh for &s;uch great priviledges.</P>
<P>3. <HI>Provide for that day&punc;</HI> 'Tis called the <HI>great and note|able day of the Lord, Acts</HI> 2. 20. it &s;hould be the whole employment of our lives to prepare for it; but how &s;hall we provide for that day? I an&s;wer, by making peace with God in and by Je&s;us Chri&s;t. When <HI>Jacob</HI> heard that <HI>E|&s;au</HI> was comming with a great power and force, he &s;end|eth to make peace with him: we hear of a great day comming, <HI>when the Lord &s;hall de&s;cend from Heaven with a &s;hout, and all his holy Angels with him.</HI> 1. Let us com|promi&s;e all differences between us and him, we are advi|&s;ed &s;o to do, <HI>Luke 14. 32. While he is yet a great way off, he &s;endeth an Emba&s;&s;age, and de&s;ire<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">h conditions of peace.</HI> We need not &s;end to the Lord, God maketh the offer to us; let us lay down the weapons of our defiance, and ac|cept of the terms propo&s;ed. 2. If you would provide for this day, clear up your union with Je&s;us Chri&s;t, he is
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the Judge, and there <HI>is no condemnation to them that are in Chri&s;t,</HI> Rom. 8. 1. Will the head contemn his own mem|bers. If we <HI>abide in him,</HI> we &s;hall be able to look him in the face, <HI>we &s;hall have boldne&s;s in that day,</HI> 1 Joh. 2. 28&punc; then though it be a <HI>great day,</HI> it will not be a <HI>terrible day</HI> to us. 3. <HI>Frequent Communion with him at the Throne of Grace.</HI> When familiar friends meet together after long ab&s;ence, what a &s;weet interview is there? what mutual embraces and endearments pa&s;&s;e between them? So <HI>ac|quaint</HI> your &s;elves with Chri&s;t aforehand, <HI>Job</HI> 22 com|mon acquaintance with them in external wor&s;hip will not &s;erve the turn, <HI>Luk&punc; 13. 27. We have eaten and drunk in thy pre&s;ence, and heard thee in our &s;treets;</HI> and yet Chri&s;t &s;aith, <HI>I know you not;</HI> there mu&s;t be an holy intimacy and &s;weet experience of him, you mu&s;t know him in the &s;pi|rit. 4. <HI>By holy conver&s;ation</HI> both as to the <HI>matter</HI> and <HI>end</HI> of it. For the great end of this day is, that grace may be glorious; other things are honoured in the world, as power, and &s;trength, and cunning, and civil endowments, but then eminency in grace cometh to be crowned, 2. <HI>P<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">. 3. 12. We that look for &s;uch things, what manner of per|&s;ons ought we to be in all holine&s;&s;e and g<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">dline&s;&s;e of conver|&s;ation?</HI> There are two words there u&s;ed, <HI>holine&s;&s;e</HI> and <HI>godlyne&s;&s;e;</HI> the one relateth to the <HI>matter</HI> of our actions, that we &s;hould do things good, and ju&s;t, and pure. The other to our <HI>end</HI> and <HI>aime;</HI> we mu&s;t do all this as in and to the Lord, making him the &s;upream end of all that we do. 5. We may pre&s;s you to <HI>heavenline&s;s in your choice,</HI> where lieth your Trea&s;ure? If the enjoyment of the world be your chiefe&s;t good, that will be of no u&s;e to you, in that day, in a di&s;dain to our choice, all worldly things are burnt before our eyes; but if your happine&s;s lieth in heaven, thither you are going to take full po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion of it; at the la&s;t day wicked men cannot murmer; Gods judgements are but their own choice, if the <HI>Goates</HI> be placed on the <HI>left hand,</HI> and the <HI>Sheep</HI> on the <HI>right,</HI> 'Tis but according to their propo&s;terous affections here in the world, <HI>Prov. 3. 16. Length of dayes are in her right hand,</HI>
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<HI>and in her left hand riches and honour.</HI> Eternity is the right hand ble&s;&s;ing. Now if you de&s;pi&s;e a ble&s;&s;ed eternity in compari&s;on of tho&s;e <HI>left hand ble&s;&s;ing, riches</HI> and <HI>ho|nour,</HI> no wonder that your own mea&s;ure is recompen<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ed into your bo&s;omes. 6. <HI>Love the breathren.</HI> This is the great day when all the Saints meet together; and how can we expect to meet with them with comfort, if we &s;hould not love them, 1 <HI>Iohn 4. 16, 17. There we &s;hall have boldne&s;s, &amp;c.</HI> It will be a joyful meeting when tho&s;e whom we have loved, prayed for, fa&s;ted with, and (if nece&s;&s;ity did require) relieved, &s;hall then be found in &s;uch e&s;teem and honour. 7. <HI>Mercifulne&s;s</HI> to the poor, &s;ee <HI>Matth.</HI> 25. 35. 36. with 42. and 43. ver&s;es. Chri&s;t hath told us aforehand what que&s;tions he will ask when he cometh, <HI>have you fed? have you vi&s;ited? have you cloathed? &amp;c.</HI> 'Tis good that we &s;hould be prepared of an An&s;wer. 8. <HI>Faithfulne&s;s it Gods ordinances,</HI> and the <HI>matters of his hou&s;e.</HI> Our Lord is gone, but he will come again to take an account how matters have been mana|ged during his ab&s;ence; the u&s;ual period which is fixed to Ordinances, is the Lords comming to judgement. 1 <HI>Cor. 11. 26. Ye do &s;hew forth the Lords death till he come.</HI> And 1 Tim. 6. 14. <HI>Keept his Commandment without &s;pot, until the appearing of the Lord Ie&s;us Chri&s;t.</HI> He hath left his Ordinance in his Church as a pledge of his coming, and to keep the great promi&s;e &s;till afoot, therefore a|bove all things they &s;hould be kept pure and uncor|rupt.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="7" TYPE="verse">
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<EPIGRAPH>
<BIBL>Ver&s;. 7.</BIBL>
<Q>Even as <HI>Sodom</HI> and <HI>Gomorrah</HI> and the Cities about them in like manner, giving them|&s;elves over to fornication, and going after &s;trange fle&s;h, are &s;et forth for an example, &s;uffe|ring the vengeance of eternal fire.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>IN this ver&s;e is the third example, fitly &s;uited to the for|mer, the <HI>Angels</HI> had the ble&s;&s;ings of <HI>Heaven,</HI> the <HI>I&s;|raelites</HI> of the <HI>Church,</HI> and <HI>Sodom</HI> of the <HI>World.</HI> But the <HI>Angels</HI> upon their Apo&s;ta&s;ie lo&s;t <HI>Heaven;</HI> the <HI>murmuring I&s;raelites</HI> were &s;hut out of <HI>Canaan;</HI> and the <HI>Sodomites</HI> were together with their <HI>fruitful</HI> &s;oil and <HI>plea&s;ant land</HI> de|&s;troyed; you &s;ee <HI>Heaven mercies,</HI> and <HI>Churth mercies,</HI> and <HI>World mercies</HI> are all forfeited by the Creatures ingrati|tude. This la&s;t in&s;tance is propounded as the fir&s;t part of a &s;imilitude, the <HI>reddition</HI> of which is in the next ver&s;e.</P>
<P>In the words ob&s;erve, 1. The places or people judged, [<HI>Sodom and Gomorrah, and the Cities round about them in like manner</HI>] tho&s;e two Cities are onely mentioned here, as al&s;o <HI>Gen.</HI> 19. 14. becau&s;e the principal, in <HI>Ho&s;ea</HI> 11. 8. two others are onely mentioned <HI>Admah and Zeboim,</HI> but <HI>Deut.</HI> 29. 23. all four are mentioned, <HI>the whole land is brim&s;tone, &s;alt and burning like the overthrow of Sodome and Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboim which the Lord over|threw in his anger and in his wrath.</HI> Now the <HI>Cities</HI> are mentioned rather then the <HI>Per&s;ons</HI> to note the utter de|&s;truction of the places together with the inhabitants; for that clau&s;e [the Cities <HI>about them in like manner</HI>] in the original <GAP DESC="foreign">, the word for [<HI>them</HI>] is in the <HI>ma&s;culine</HI> gender; whereas [<HI>Cities</HI>] the next <HI>Antecedent</HI> is in the <HI>feminine;</HI> therefore &s;ome refers it to the <HI>remote Antecedent&punc;</HI> the <HI>Angels</HI> and <HI>I&s;raelites</HI> as they were puni&s;hed, &s;o <HI>Sodom</HI> and tho&s;e Cities in like manner.
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So <HI>Junius,</HI> but I &s;uppo&s;e becau&s;e [Cities] doth not only imply the <HI>places</HI> but the <HI>inhabitants;</HI> therefore the ma&s;|culine gender was u&s;ed by the Apo&s;tle.</P>
<P>2. Their &s;in is &s;pecified [<HI>giving them&s;elves over to for|nication and going after &s;trange fle&s;h.</HI>] Here are two great &s;ins charged upon them. 1. The fir&s;t is [<HI>giving them&s;elves over to fornication&punc;</HI>] <GAP DESC="foreign">, the word is unu&s;ual, and therefore diver&s;ly rendred. One tran&s;lation, [<HI>de|files them&s;elves with fornication</HI>] the vulgar, <HI><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">x fornica|tae,</HI> as noting the &s;trangene&s;s and abhominablene&s;&s;e of their lu&s;t, but that is implyed in the next expre&s;&s;ion, our tran&s;lation fitly rendereth it by &s;uch a phra&s;e as &s;ignifieth their exce&s;&s;e and vehement addictedne&s;s to unclean practices. 2. The next fin is [<HI>going after &s;trange fle&s;h</HI>] 'Tis a mode&s;t and covert expre&s;&s;ion, implying their mon|&s;trous and unlawful lu&s;ts, contrary to the cour&s;e and in|&s;titution of nature, a fil<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">hine&s;&s;e &s;car&s;e to be named, from them called <HI>Sodomies;</HI> the Apo&s;tle <HI>Paul</HI> expre&s;&s;eth it thus, <HI>Rom 1. 27. Leaving the natural u&s;e of the Woman tkey b<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">ned in their lu&s;t <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ne t<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">wards another, men with men working that which is un&s;ce<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ly.</HI> 'Tis called here [<HI>&s;trange fle&s;h</HI>] <GAP DESC="foreign">&punc; <HI>other fle&s;h,</HI> as being other then what nature hath appointed, or becau&s;e 'tis impo&s;&s;ible that man and man in that execrable Act &s;hould make <HI>one fle&s;h,</HI> as man and woman do. 3. Their judgement is &s;et down [<HI>&s;uffering the vengeance of eternal fire] Sodom</HI> we know and the Cities round about it were con&s;umed by fire and brim&s;tone rained down from Heaven; which though a <HI>dreadful,</HI> was but a <HI>temoral</HI> fire: in what &s;en&s;e doth the Apo&s;tle call it here <HI>eternal life?</HI> &s;ome to mollifie the &s;ee|ming au&s;terity of the phra&s;e, read thus, [<HI>were made an example of eternal fire &s;uffering vengeance</HI>] that is, in that judgement which was executed upon them. God would give the world a Type and Figure of Hell. Others by <HI>e|ternal fire?</HI> under&s;tand the duration of the effects of the fir&s;t temporal puni&s;hment; the &s;oil thereabout wea|ring the marks of Gods cur&s;e to this day. Others not much differing from the former: by <HI>eternal fire</HI> under|&s;tand
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an <HI>utter de&s;truction&punc;</HI> and labour to evince it from the u&s;e of the phra&s;e in a like &s;en&s;e, and the paralel place in <HI>Pe|ter, 2 Pet. 2. 6. he turned the Cities of Sodom and Gomor|rah into a&s;hes, and condemned them with an overthrow,</HI> that is, utterly de&s;troyed them; but why we need to be &s;o tender I know not, the <HI>Sodomites</HI> being generally repre|&s;ented as men under <HI>everla&s;ting judgement, Matth.</HI> 11. 24. and the temporal judgement making way for eter|nal&punc; though as to the &s;tate of particular per&s;ons we judge not. See <HI>Rivet</HI> in <HI>Gen. exercit.</HI> 97. pag. 474.</P>
<P>4. Here is the <HI>end</HI> and <HI>all</HI> of the judgement [<HI>are &s;et forth for an example</HI>] that is, to be a noteable document and in&s;truction to the world, to keep them under the law of God; and therefore every in the prophetick threat|nings of the word is this in&s;tance alluded unto.</P>
<P>The words are explained, but how &s;hall we accommo|date them to the Apo&s;tles purpo&s;e? I an&s;wer, very well; there is a fit corre&s;pondency between the ca&s;e in hand and this example, the <HI>Sodomites</HI> went after <HI>&s;trange fle&s;h,</HI> and the&s;e Apo&s;tles after <HI>&s;trange opinions:</HI> The&s;e errors and o|pinions of theirs tended to <HI>&s;en&s;uality,</HI> and &s;o &s;till there is a greater &s;uitablene&s;&s;e; The School of <HI>Simon,</HI> the <HI>Nic<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">|laitans,</HI> the <HI>Gno&s;ticks</HI> did defile them&s;elves with mon&s;trous and abominable lu&s;t as the Sodomites did: and therefore he threatneth them with a de&s;truction like to that of <HI>So|dom,</HI> yea with eternal fire figured thereby e&s;pecially they having been formerly enlightned with &s;ome knowledge of the truth, which the <HI>Sodomites</HI> were not. Let me now come to the Ob&s;ervations.</P>
<P><HI>Cities and Countries &s;uffer for the evil of the Inhabitants,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;erv. 1.</NOTE> as <HI>Sodom</HI> and <HI>Gomorrah</HI> and the Cities round about them were con&s;umed with fire and brim&s;tone, and turned into a <HI>dead like.</HI> Original &s;in brought on an Original cur&s;e; <HI>Adams</HI> fall, a cur&s;e upon the whole earth, <HI>Gen. 3. 17. Cur&s;ed is the ground for thy &s;ake, thorne<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> and thi&s;tl<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">s &s;hall it bring forth to thee:</HI> and <HI>actual &s;ins</HI> do bring on an <HI>actu|al cur&s;e,</HI> P&s;al. 107. 34. <HI>He turneth a plea&s;ant land into &s;altne&s;s, for the wickedne&s;s of them that dwell therein.</HI> A
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Traytor forfeits not onely his life but his goods, &s;o do we not onely forfeit <HI>our per&s;ons,</HI> but all our comforts into God hands, and 'tis but fit that the earth &s;hould be to us after all our labours, what we are to God after all his hu&s;|bandry be&s;towed upon us; we are barren of good fruits as to God, and &s;o ju&s;tly may the land be to us. I Re|member the Apo&s;tle &s;aith the Creature was made &s;ubject to vanity, <GAP DESC="foreign">, not <HI>willingly, Rom.</HI> 8. 19. the crea|ture hath onely a natural tendency and inclination, and that carries it to its own good; we had <HI>free-will</HI> and <HI>choice,</HI> but abu&s;ed it, and &s;o brought our &s;elves and the creature under the bondage and thraldom of corruption, &s;o that the earth which was intended to be a <HI>monument of Gods glory</HI> is now a great part a monument of <HI>Gods di&s;|plea&s;ure</HI> and <HI>our rebellion;</HI> 'Tis ob&s;ervable on the contrary &s;ide, that the glorious times of the Go&s;pel are expre&s;&s;ed by the re&s;toration of the creatures, <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 30. 23. 24, 25, 26. and <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 11. 6, 7, 8. For as the condition of the Servant doth depend on the Ma&s;ter, &s;o doth the &s;tate of the crea|ture upon our conformity or di&s;obedience to God. Well then avoid &s;in, if not in pity to your <HI>poor &s;ouls,</HI> in pity to the <HI>poor creatures,</HI> to your <HI>poor countrey;</HI> as <HI>David</HI> &s;aid, <HI>What have the&s;e poor Sheep done?</HI> So what have the Crea|tures done that you kindle a burning under their glory? See <HI>Jer. 2. 18 19. The land is laid wa&s;te, an Citie burnt without an inhabitant;</HI> What is the cau&s;e of all this? even our &s;ins again&s;t the Lord, that a man &s;hall be the <HI>ruine of his Country</HI> and <HI>native &s;oile;</HI> this &s;hould go nere to us; &s;hal we turn this <HI>plea&s;ant land</HI> into <HI>&s;altne&s;s</HI> and lay the&s;e dwellings wa&s;te! the&s;e &s;treets into a&s;hes! carnal men are u&s;ually moved by carnal arguments, and tremble more to hear of the lo&s;s of their e&s;tates then of their &s;oules: we are &s;tartled to hear of &s;car&s;ity, and famine, and fires, and pe&s;tilences: all the&s;e are the fruits of &s;in.</P>
<P>Tho&s;e Cities were utterly de&s;troyed, and accordingly is<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;erv. 2.</NOTE> the de&s;truction of <HI>Sodom</HI> put for an utter overthrow. See <HI>I&s;a. 13. 19. Zeph&punc; 2 9 Jer. 48. 18. Jer 50. 40. 2 Pet.</HI> 2. 6. Thence, <HI>that in judgements wicked men may be brought</HI>
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<HI>to an utter de&s;truction.</HI> The <HI>Synagogue of Sathan</HI> may be utterly de&s;troyed but not the <HI>City of God,</HI> in the &s;adde&s;t mi&s;eries there is hope of Gods Children that their dead &s;tock will bud and &s;ent again, <HI>Zach. 9. 12. Pri&s;oners of hope,</HI> the cutting off of <HI>root and branch,</HI> is the judgement of the wicked, <HI>Mal.</HI> 4. 1. Their memorial may be blotted out but <HI>Syons</HI> cannot, 'tis the de&s;ign of the enemies to ex|tingui&s;h the memory of the Church, and many times to appearance there is <HI>none left,</HI> yet out of their ruines and a&s;hes, there &s;pringeth up a new brood, and <HI>holy &s;eed</HI> to God, they are <HI>&s;orely afflicted, P&s;al.</HI> 129. 1, 2. yet Chri&s;t &s;tands his ground, they are not wholly prevailed over, the Church may <HI>vi&s;ibly</HI> faile but not <HI>totally;</HI> well then, in the midde&s;t of &s;ad mi&s;eries; ble&s;s God for a <HI>remnant,</HI> it may be bad&punc; but 'tis not as <HI>Sodome, I&s;a.</HI> 1. 9. In times of general defection there will be <HI>two or three berries in the top of the uppermo&s;t bough,</HI> I&s;a. 17. Some that may continue the name of God, and &s;urvive the Churches troubles, that may <HI>yet prai&s;e him.</HI> Again, do not in|haunt with the wicked, and &s;uffer your &s;oules to enter in|to their &s;ecret evil &s;ocieties, may be ab&s;olutely de&s;troyed root and branch: <HI>Sodom</HI> was <HI>condemned with an over|throw;</HI> 'tis &s;ea&s;onable advice, <HI>come out of her my people, le&s;t you partake of her plagues,</HI> Rev. 18. 4. <HI>Babylon</HI> that was a ne&s;t for <HI>unclean &s;inners,</HI> will be made cage for <HI>un|clean birds.</HI></P>
<P>From that [<HI>and the Cities about them in like manner.</HI>] Ob&s;erve, <HI>likene&s;s in &s;in will involve us in the &s;ame puni&s;h|ment;</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;erv. 3.</NOTE> they peri&s;hed and the <HI>other Cities in like manner:</HI> none had &s;afety but <HI>Lot,</HI> who <HI>con&s;ented</HI> not, but <HI>grieved</HI> for the&s;e impurities, 2 <HI>Pet.</HI> 2. 8. Gods wrath maketh no di&s;tinction <HI>Quos una impietas prophanavit, una &s;enten|tia delicit</HI> (&s;aith <HI>Ambro&s;e</HI>) they were found in the &s;ame &s;in, and therefore &s;urprized by the &s;ame judgement, <HI>the de&s;truction of the tran&s;gre&s;&s;ors and &s;inners &s;hall be together,</HI> I&s;a. 1. 28. That is the one as well as the other, by what names or titles &s;oever di&s;tingui&s;hed. Why? I an&s;wer, fellow&s;hip in evil can neither <HI>excu&s;e &s;in,</HI> nor <HI>keep off wrath:</HI>
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it cannot excu&s;e &s;in, nothing more u&s;ual then for men to &s;ay; they do as others do; if you do as others do, you &s;hall &s;uffer as others do: example doth not le&s;&s;en &s;in but encrea&s;e i<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">, partly becau&s;e their own Act is an approba|tion of the Act of others: immitation is a <HI>po&s;tcon&s;tat,</HI> and &s;o be&s;ides your own guilt, you are guilty of their &s;ins that &s;inned before you, partly becau&s;e 'tis hard to &s;in again&s;t example, but we &s;in again&s;t con&s;cience; we allowing that in our &s;elves which we formerly condemned in ano|ther: partly becau&s;e 'tis a &s;in again&s;t warning to &s;tumble at the &s;tone, at which we &s;ee others &s;tumble is an errot, and without excu&s;e:<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Non ego &s;um ambitio&s;us &s;ed nemo aliter Romae vivere pote&s;t, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></NOTE> Say not then 'tis the <HI>fa&s;hion</HI> and <HI>gui&s;e,</HI> how can we do otherwi&s;e? be not conformed to the fa&s;hions of this world: you &s;hould be like <HI>Lot,</HI> cha&s;t in <HI>Sodom,</HI> or like tho&s;e Chri&s;tians that were godly in <HI>Ne|ro's</HI> Court. Again, it doth not <HI>keep off wrath; multitudes</HI> and <HI>&s;ingle per&s;ons</HI> are all one to avenging Ju&s;tice, the de|vouring burning of Gods wrath can break through Bry|ars and Thorns. 'Tis &s;aid <HI>Prov. 11. 21. Though hand joyn in hand, the wicked &s;hall not be unpuni&s;hed.</HI> Con&s;ede|rations and &s;ocieties in evil are as nothing to the pow|er of God: though &s;ometimes <HI>the Sons of Zerviah,</HI> powerful oppre&s;&s;ors, with their combined intere&s;ts may be too hard for men. Well then, learn to live <HI>by rule,</HI> and not by <HI>example,</HI> and propo&s;e the &s;ins of others <HI>to your griefe,</HI> not <HI>imitation: have no fellow&s;hip with the unfruit|ful works of darkne&s;s, b<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">t reprove them rather,</HI> Eph. 5. their practice will never afford you <HI>excu&s;e,</HI> nor <HI>exempti|on.</HI> Your duty is to be good in a wicked age, &s;re&s;h like fi&s;h in the &s;alt water, <HI>follow not a multitude to do evil,</HI> wickedne&s;s is never the le&s;s <HI>odious</HI> becau&s;e 'tis <HI>more com|mon,</HI> 'tis not &s;afe alwayes to keep the road, the <HI>bad way</HI> is known by the <HI>breadth</HI> of it, and the much <HI>company</HI> in it, <HI>Matth.</HI> 7. 13. to walk with God is prai&s;e worthy, though none do it be&s;ides thy &s;elf, and to walk with men in the way of &s;in is dangerous, though millions do it be|&s;ides thee.</P>
<P>Again, from that. [<HI>And the Cities about them in like</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Ob&s;er</HI> 4. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">&punc;</NOTE>
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<HI>manner</HI>] the le&s;&s;er Cities imitated the greater, <HI>Admah</HI> and <HI>Zeboim</HI> followed the example of <HI>Sodom</HI> and <HI>Gomorrah;</HI> An error in the fir&s;t concoction is &s;eldome mended in the &s;econd, if &s;in pa&s;&s;e the heads and chiefes of the people, 'tis taken up by others under their command; when the fir&s;t &s;heet is done off, others are printed by the &s;ame &s;tamps. Maje&s;trates are publike fountains of good or e|vil, to the people over whom they are &s;et: if they be cold and carele&s;&s;e in the wor&s;hip of God, given to contempt of the Mini&s;tery, enemies to Reformation 'twill be gene|rally taken up as a fa&s;hion by others. When <HI>the head is &s;ick,</HI> the <HI>whole heart is faint,</HI> I&s;a. 1. 5. <HI>Diodorus Sieulus</HI> telleth us of a people in <HI>Ethiopia,</HI> that if their Kings hal|ted, they would maim them&s;elves that they might halt likewi&s;e, if they wanted an eye, in a fooli&s;h imitation they would make them&s;elves blind, that they might comply even with the <HI>defects</HI> and <HI>Di&s;ea&s;es</HI> of their Princes: the vices of them in place and power are authorized by their example and pa&s;s for virtues; if they be &s;light in the u&s;e of Ordinances, 'twill be taken up as a piece of Religion by inferiors to be &s;o too.</P>
<P>From the fir&s;t crime here &s;pecified [<HI>giving them&s;elves</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;erv. 5.</NOTE> <HI>over to Fornication] That Adulterous uncleanne&s;s doth much di&s;plea&s;e God.</HI> When they were given over to for|nication, they were given over to judgement. 1. This is a &s;in that doth not onely defile the <HI>Soul</HI> but the <HI>Body,</HI> 1 Cor. 6. 18. <HI>Every &s;in that a man doth is without the body, but he that committeth Adultery &s;inneth again&s;t his own bo|dy:</HI> mo&s;t other &s;ins imply an injury done to others, to God or our Neighbour: this more directly an injury to our &s;elves, to our own bodies: 'tis a wrong to the bo|dy con&s;idered either <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">1 The&s;, 4. 4.</NOTE> as our <HI>ve&s;&s;el,</HI> or as the <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">1 Cor. 6. 9.</NOTE> <HI>Temple of the holy Gho&s;t:</HI> if you con&s;ider it as <HI>our ve&s;&s;el</HI> or in&s;tru|ment for natural u&s;es, you wrong it by uncleanne&s;&s;e: namely, as it de&s;troyeth the health of the body, quencheth the <HI>vigour</HI> of it, and bla&s;teth the <HI>beauty,</HI> and &s;o 'tis <HI>&s;elfe|murder:</HI> if you con&s;ider it as Temple of the Holy Gho&s;t, 'tis a di&s;honour to the body to make it a channel
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for lu&s;t to pa&s;&s;e through, &s;hall we make a <HI>&s;ty</HI> of a <HI>Temple?</HI> abu&s;e that to &s;o vile a purpo&s;e which the Holy Gho&s;t hath cho&s;en to dwell in, to plant it into Chri&s;t, as a part of his my&s;tical body, to u&s;e it as an in&s;trument in Gods &s;ervice, and finally to rai&s;e it out of the grave, and conform it to Chri&s;ts glorious body? The dignity of the body well con|&s;idered, is a great pre&s;ervative again&s;t lu&s;t. 2. It <HI>brawn|eth the &s;oul,</HI> the &s;oftne&s;&s;e of all &s;en&s;ual plea&s;ures hardneth the heart, but this &s;in as being the con&s;ummate act of &s;en&s;uality much more, <HI>Ho&s;ea 4. 11. Whoredom and Wine take away the heart;</HI> the&s;e two are mentioned, becau&s;e u|&s;ually they go together, and both take away the heart, be&s;ot the con&s;cience, take away the tenderne&s;s of the affe|ctions: &s;o that men are not a&s;hamed of &s;in, in&s;en&s;ible of danger, and unfit for duty; and &s;o grow &s;aple&s;&s;e, care|le&s;&s;e, &s;en&s;ele&s;&s;e. 3. Next to the <HI>Body</HI> and <HI>Soul,</HI> there is the name, now it <HI>blotteth the name,</HI> Prov. 6. 33. <HI>a wound and a di&s;honour &s;hall <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">e get, and a reproach that &s;hall not be wiped off. Sen&s;ual wickedne&s;&s;e</HI> is mo&s;t di&s;graceful, as ha|ving turpitude in it, and being &s;ooner di&s;cerned then &s;pi|ritual. 4. It bla&s;teth the e&s;tate, <HI>Heb. 13. 4 Whoremon|gers and Adulterers God will judge;</HI> he will <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">udge others, but &s;urely the&s;e, and that remarkably in this life 5 This doth exceedingly pervert the order of humane &s;ocieties, <HI>Solomon</HI> maketh it wor&s;e then <HI>theft. Prov.</HI> 6. 29, 30, 31. 32. A Thiefe &s;tealeth out of nece&s;&s;ity, but here is no <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">|gent nece&s;&s;ity; the lo&s;&s;e here is not repairable, as that which is made by theft: it bringeth in great confu&s;ion in families, &amp;c. therefore Adultery under the Law was puni&s;hed by death, which theft was not. 6. It is a &s;inne u&s;ually accompanied with impenitency; namely, as it weareth out remor&s;e, and every &s;park of good con&s;ci|ences; read tho&s;e cutting places, <HI>Prov 22. 14. The mo<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">th of a &s;trange woman is a deep pit, and he that is abhorred of the Lord &s;hall fall therein:</HI> &s;o <HI>Prov.</HI> 2. 19. none that <HI>go unto her return again, do they take hold of the ways of life?</HI> So &s;ee <HI>Eccle&s;.</HI> 7. 26, 27, 28. ver&s;es. It is &s;in into which God u&s;eth to give over Reprobates; <HI>Solomon</HI> &s;aith he
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knew <HI>but one</HI> returning. Well then, be not drunk with the <HI>Wine of Sodom,</HI> and do not &s;cruze out the clu&s;ters of <HI>Gomorrah:</HI> Whoredom is a deep ditch or gulf, wherein tho&s;e that are abhorred of the Lord are &s;uffered to fall; beware of all tendings that way; do not &s;oak and &s;teep the &s;oule in plea&s;ures; take heed of <HI>effemina<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">y</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">, the <HI>&s;oft</HI> or <HI>effeminate &s;hall not enter into the Kingdom of God, 1 Cor.</HI> 6 9. Beware of <HI>lu&s;tful glances, Matth.</HI> 5. 28 Of rolling the fancy upon undone objects heart defile|ment maketh way for corporal; lu&s;t beginneth in <HI>wan|ton</HI> eyes many times, and 'tis fed by a <HI>delicacy</HI> and <HI>unwor|thy &s;oftne&s;s</HI> Guard the &s;en&s;es, cut off the provi&s;ions of the fle&s;h, avoid occa&s;ions, be employed. Again, if you have &s;tumbled into this deep ditch, repent the more &s;pee|dily, the more &s;eriou&s;ly, the ca&s;e is &s;ad&punc; but not altoge|ther de&s;perate; we read of a po&s;&s;ibility for <HI>Publicans and Harlots</HI> entring into the Kingdom of God. Bewaile your e&s;tate as <HI>David</HI> doth, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 51. His Adultery le&s;t a &s;tain upon him, <HI>Except in the matter of &V;riah,</HI> &amp;c. <HI>Job</HI> &s;aith, <HI>'tis a fire that con&s;umeth to de&s;truction and will ro<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">t out all your encrea&s;e,</HI> Job 31. 12&punc; therefore quench it the &s;oo|ner, &amp;c.</P>
<P>Again, from the other &s;in, [<HI>and going after &s;trange</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;er. 6.</NOTE> <HI>fle&s;h</HI>] Ob&s;erve <HI>&s;in is never at a &s;tay;</HI> fir&s;t, <HI>uncleanne&s;&s;e,</HI> and then given over to uncleanne&s;&s;e and then <HI>&s;trange fle&s;h;</HI> when a &s;tone runneth down hill it &s;tayeth not till it cometh to the bottom; a filthy &s;inner is growing more filthy &s;till, untill he hath out grown the heart of a man, as the <HI>Sodomites</HI> did, <HI>m<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">n with men working that which is un|&s;eemly;</HI> a &s;in which none but a Divel in the likene&s;&s;e of a man would commit, a &s;in that hath filthine&s;&s;e enough in it, to defile the tongue that &s;peaketh of it. Well then, here is a gla&s;s wherein to &s;ee the <HI>wickedne&s;s of our natures,</HI> who would think rea&s;on &s;hould invent &s;o horrid an Act? <HI>Rom</HI> 1. 27. they had no more original corruption, then thou and I have; if God remove the bridle, whither &s;hall &s;hall we run? Let wicked men con&s;ider hence, how foo|li&s;hly they promi&s;e them&s;elvs immunity from drunkene&s;s
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adultery, or any gro&s;s wickedne&s;&s;e. Caution any of them again&s;t tho&s;e things, no I warrant you (&s;ay they) do you think I am &s;uch a wretch? is thy &s;ervant a dog? 2 <HI>King.</HI> 8. 13.</P>
<P>From that, [<HI>the vengeance of eternal fire</HI>] The wick|ed<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;erv. 7.</NOTE> <HI>Sodomites</HI> were not onely burnt up by that temporal judgement, but ca&s;t into Hell, which is here called <HI>Eter|nal fire:</HI> Hell is &s;et forth by two notions, a <HI>Worm that nev<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">r dyeth,</HI> and a <HI>fire that never goeth out,</HI> Mark 9. 44. In both which expre&s;&s;ions there is an allu&s;ion to the <HI>Worms</HI> that breed in dead bodies, and the fire wherewith they were wont to burn their dead in former times. And the one implyeth the <HI>Worm of Con&s;cience,</HI> the other the fire of Gods wrath. 1. The Worm is bred in the body its &s;elfe, and therefore fitly repre&s;enteth the gnawings of Con&s;cience; the Worm of Con&s;cience con&s;i&s;teth in three things, there is <HI>memoria prae<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">eritorum, &s;en&s;us prae&s;tu|tium, &amp; metus futurorum.</HI> Fir&s;t, Con&s;cience worketh on what is pa&s;t the remembrance of their former enjoyments and pa&s;t plea&s;ures <HI>Luk. 16. 25. Son remember that thou in thy life time, &amp;c.</HI> &s;o of time wa&s;ted, opportunities of grace &s;lighted, the folly of their own choice, &amp;c. all which are &s;ad reflections to them. Secondly, There is a <HI>&s;en&s;e of the pre&s;ent pain;</HI> here when they were corrected they were &s;en&s;ele&s;&s;e, like &s;tocks and &s;tones; but then there be|ing nothing to mitigate their grief or beguile the &s;en&s;e of it, no carnal plea&s;ures wherein to &s;teep con&s;cience: there mu&s;t needs be &s;en&s;e and feeling joyned with a <HI>bitter di&s;|content</HI> at their condition. Thirdly, For the future their <HI>condition is hopele&s;s; de&s;pair</HI> is one ingredient into their torment, <HI>Heb</HI> 10 27. there remaineth nothing but a <HI>fearful looking for the fiery indignation of the Lord.</HI> Thus for the Worm.</P>
<P>2. The next notion is that of the Text <HI>fire,</HI> or the wrath of God tran&s;acted upon them. In the &s;ufferings of the damned God hath an immediate hand, <HI>H<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">b.</HI> 10. 33. no creature is &s;trong enough to convey all his wrath; in being this wrath the capacity of the creature is enlarged
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to the uttermo&s;t; and in their puni&s;hment God &s;ets him|&s;elfe a work to &s;hew <HI>the glory of his &s;trength,</HI> Rom. 9. 22. he <HI>with-holdeth</HI> the Creature with one hand, and <HI>puni&s;heth</HI> it with the other: If his anger be but <HI>kindled a little,</HI> and a &s;park of it fly into the con&s;cience, the poor Creature is at his wits end: but how dreadful will their portion be, again&s;t whom <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">P&s;al 78. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">.</NOTE> he <HI>&s;tirreth up all his wrath?</HI> the humane nature of the Lord Chri&s;t in a ju&s;t abhorrency recoyled when he was to ta&s;te of this cup: we that cannot endure the gripes of the Chollick, the torment of the Stone, the pain of the Rack, <HI>how &s;hall we dwell with devouring bur|nings?</HI> and all this is <HI>for ever.</HI> As our <HI>Obligations</HI> to God are infinite, and as we turn back upon <HI>eternal happine&s;&s;e</HI> offered in the Go&s;pel, u&s;ed as the <HI>Maje&s;ty offended</HI> by &s;in is infinite, &s;o that we cannot re&s;tore the honour to God which we have taken away. Therefore by ju&s;t rea&s;on is our <HI>puni&s;hment eternal.</HI> In the other World men are in their <HI>final e&s;tate;</HI> the <HI>fuel</HI> continueth for ever, the Crea|ture is not aboli&s;hed, and <HI>the fire</HI> continueth for ever, the breath of the living Lord &s;till keepeth the flame burning We think a Prayer long, a Sermon long; what will Hell be? In the night if we cannot &s;leep, we count the hours, and every minute &s;eemes tedious. Oh what will <HI>they do that are tormented night and day for ever and ever?</HI> Rev. 20. 10&punc; Now this is the portion of all that forget God; Oh who would run this hazard for a little <HI>temporal &s;ati&s;|faction?</HI> the &s;courges of con&s;cience that we meet with here, are too great price for the <HI>&s;hort plea&s;ures</HI> of a bruit|i&s;h lu&s;t, much more the <HI>Worm that never dyeth, the Fire that &s;hall never be quenched.</HI></P>
<P>There is one note more, and that is from that clau&s;e [<HI>are &s;et forth for an example.</HI>] Ob&s;erve thence, <HI>That So|doms</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;erv. 8.</NOTE> <HI>de&s;truction is the worlds great example.</HI> Both <HI>Peter</HI> and <HI>Jude</HI> &s;hew that this was the end of Gods judgements upon <HI>Sodom,</HI> that they might be <HI>an example to all that live ungodly.</HI></P>
<P>You will &s;ay, what have we to do with <HI>Sodom?</HI> their <HI>&s;innes</HI> being &s;o <HI>unnatural,</HI> their judgements &s;o <HI>unu&s;uall</HI>
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1. As to their &s;ins, I enquire, are there none of <HI>Sodoms</HI> &s;ins among&s;t us? If <HI>not going after &s;trange fle&s;h,</HI> yet <HI>for|nication;</HI> if not <HI>fornication,</HI> yet <HI>pride, and idlene&s;&s;e, and ful|ne&s;s of bread?</HI> I &s;ay again, though our &s;ins be not &s;o great in them&s;elves, yet by nece&s;&s;ary circum&s;tance and aggravation, they may be greater; as impenitency, un|belief, abu&s;e and neglect of the Go&s;pel, de&s;pi&s;ing the offers of grace; the gro&s;&s;e&s;t &s;ins again&s;t the <HI>Law</HI> are not &s;o great as &s;ins again&s;t the Go&s;pel, <HI>Matth. 11. 24. It &s;hall be more tolerable for Sodom,</HI> &amp;c. We &s;in again&s;t more <HI>light,</HI> more <HI>love,</HI> &amp;c. 2. As to the judgements, though God doth now adays &s;mite a Countrey with judgments immediately from Heaven, or make it utter|ly unu&s;eful, as he did <HI>Sodom;</HI> yet his di&s;pea&s;ure is no le&s;s again&s;t &s;in; and if not the &s;ame, a like judgement, one ve|ry grievous may come upon us.</P>
<P>This being premi&s;ed, let us come to open this exam|ple, in which the&s;e three things are con&s;iderable. 1. The<NOTE PLACE="marg">In|gen|tia. Benefi|cia. Flagitia Suppli|cia.</NOTE> <HI>&s;tate of Sodom.</HI> 2. The <HI>&s;ins of Sodom.</HI> 3. The <HI>judgement.</HI> The fir&s;t will &s;hew you <HI>Gods mercy,</HI> the &s;econd <HI>their guilt,</HI> the third <HI>Gods ju&s;tice.</HI> U&s;ually the&s;e three follow one another, <HI>great mercies</HI> make way for <HI>great &s;ins,</HI> and <HI>great &s;ins</HI> for <HI>great judgements.</HI></P>
<P>1. I begin with the <HI>&s;tate of Sodom.</HI> There 1. the <HI>quali|ty of the place;</HI> there were &s;undry goodly Cities, of which <HI>Sodom</HI> was the principal, fairly &s;ituated in the plain of <HI>Jordan,</HI> full of people, and well &s;upplyed with Corn, Wine and Oyl, and all earthly contentments; 'tis &s;aid, <HI>Gen. 19. 10. Sodom was plea&s;ant, and as the Garden of the Lord.</HI> And yet afterwards this was the place which was the Scene of &s;o much wrath &amp; utter de&s;olation. What may the wourld learn from hence? that we mu&s;t give an account for common mercies; God reckoned with the &s;ervant that had but one Talent, <HI>Matth.</HI> 25. The world is a place of tryal, all men have a tru&s;t committed to them; The Talents of the Heathens were <HI>fruitful &s;ea|&s;ons, food and gladne&s;&s;e. Act</HI> 14. 17. God that never left him&s;elfe <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>without a witne&s;s,</HI> hath left us <GAP DESC="foreign">,
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<HI>without excu&s;e:</HI> a plentiful &s;oil doth not argue a <HI>good people,</HI> but a <HI>good God. Sodom</HI> was plea&s;antly and richly &s;ituated. If we had nothing el&s;e to an&s;wer for, but an <HI>I&s;land of ble&s;&s;ings,</HI> how poorly have we di&s;charged this tru&s;t? 2. Take notice of their <HI>late deliverance,</HI> four Kings made war upon them, by whom they were carryed captive, and re&s;cued by <HI>Abraham, Gen. 14. 15, 16 Deli|verances from war and captivity leave a great engagement;</HI> When God hath once &s;pared us, if we repent not, the next turn is utter de&s;truction. Deliverances if not impro|ved, are but <HI>reprivals;</HI> we are not &s;o much <HI>pre&s;erved,</HI> as <HI>re&s;erved</HI> to a greater mi&s;ery; hoi&s;ted up, that our fall may be the more dreadful; &s;natched out of one mi&s;ery, that we may be ca&s;t into a wor&s;e: Oh what have we to an&s;wer for our late deliverances! <HI>Sodom</HI> was but once &s;aved in war, we many times; 'tis to be feared that pa&s;&s;age re|cordeth our doom, <HI>P&s;al. 166. 43. Many times did he de|liver them, but they provoked him by their coun&s;el, and were brought low for their iniquity:</HI> deliverances not improved are pledges of certain ruine. 3. Gods patience in bea|ring with them: <HI>Sodom</HI> for a long time &s;lept quietly in their &s;ins unmole&s;ted, undi&s;turbed; <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Mi&s;ericordia mea &s;uadet ut parcam peccato|rum clamor co|git ut puniam. <HI>Salvianus.</HI></NOTE> <HI>the times of Sodom cry to me:</HI> the Lord profered <HI>Abraham,</HI> if there were but ten righteous per&s;ons found there, he would &s;pare the Cities: in four Cities not ten righteous per&s;ons! God is &s;ilent as long as their &s;ins would let him be quiet; but then when he could no longer bear, he goeth down to take vengeance: how long doth the Lord protract the ruine of the&s;e wicked Cities? <HI>ju&s;tice is his &s;trange work,</HI> but 'tis his work; mercy doth much with God, but not all, ju&s;tice mu&s;t be heard, e&s;pecially when it pleadeth on the behalfe of <HI>abu&s;ed mercy;</HI> God that would &s;pare the &s;inner, yet hateth the &s;inne. When a people do nothing but weary ju&s;tice, and abu&s;e mercy <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Dominus Chri&s;tus a dc|mino patre <HI>Concil. Syrm.</HI></NOTE> <HI>the Lord will raine from the Lord,</HI> &amp;c. <HI>Gen</HI> 19. 24. Chri&s;t will enterpo&s;e for &s;uch a peoples de&s;truction; Heaven will rain down Hell upon a people &s;o ob&s;tinately wicked. The Lord is graci|ous, but not &s;en&s;ele&s;&s;e: as he will not always <HI>contend,</HI> &s;o
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not always <HI>forbear. 4. Lots</HI> admonition, it &s;eemeth he fre|quently reproved them, and therefore do they &s;corn him, <HI>Gen. 19. 9 This one fellow came in to &s;ojourn among&s;t us, and he will needs be a Judge;</HI> his &s;oul was not only vexed with tho&s;e leud cour&s;es, but as occa&s;ion was offered, he &s;ought to di&s;&s;wade them. Thence learn, <HI>That God &s;el|dome puni&s;heth without warning:</HI> the old World had <HI>No|ahs mini&s;try,</HI> and <HI>Sodom Lots admonitions:</HI> the Lord may &s;ay to every puni&s;hed people, as <HI>Reuben</HI> to his bre|ren, <HI>Did not I warn you, and you would not hear? Gen.</HI> 42. 22. Seldome doth he hew a people with the &s;word, but fir&s;t he heweth them by Prophets: means of convi|ction aggravate both the <HI>&s;in</HI> and the <HI>judgement:</HI> Ah we have a <HI>clearer light,</HI> and therefore mu&s;t expect an <HI>heavier doome, Matth.</HI> 10 15. &s;ins are aggravated not onely by the <HI>foulne&s;&s;e of the Act,</HI> but the degrees of light again&s;t which they are committed <HI>Sodom</HI> &s;inned &s;orely, as to the act, but they could not &s;in again&s;t &s;o much light as we do; therefore it &s;hall <HI>be ea&s;ier for them at the day of judgement.</HI> 5. They had the benefit of Magi&s;tracy, tho&s;e were Cities that were brought into government, we read of the <HI>King of Sodom, Gen.</HI> 14 2. but it &s;eems he did not enterpo&s;e his Authority, but rather connive at, and tole|rate the wickedne&s;&s;e of this people; yea rather approve and partake with them in their abominations. Con&s;i|der <HI>when the vices of inferiours are di&s;&s;embled and winked at by Governours, the Lord him&s;elfe taketh the matter in hand:</HI> and then look for nothing but &s;peedy ruine, the guilt of a Nation is much encrea&s;ed when &s;in is tolerated, yea favoured and countenanced, e&s;pecially when righte|ou&s;ne&s;&s;e is rather re&s;trained and curbed then &s;in, as the affronts done to <HI>Lot</HI> witne&s;&s;ed; the end why Magi&s;tracy was ordained is then perverted, 1 <HI>Tim. 2. 2. Rom.</HI> 13. 5. namely, for the <HI>puni&s;hment of evil doers</HI> and that good|ne&s;&s;e be encouraged; they were puni&s;hed for allowing the filthine&s;&s;e of <HI>&s;trange fle&s;h.</HI> What will become of us if Magi&s;trates &s;hould be carele&s;&s;e and <HI>wink</HI> at, yea <HI>counte|nance strange opinions,</HI> as horrid and as much again&s;t
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the <HI>light of Chri&s;tianity,</HI> as that was again&s;t the <HI>light of Nature.</HI></P>
<P>Secondly, let us look upon the <HI>&s;innes of Sodom.</HI> See Ezek. 16. 49. <HI>Loe this was the iniquity of thy Si&s;ter Sodom, pride, fulne&s;s of bread, and aboundance of idlene&s;s, neither did &s;he &s;trengthen the hand of the poor and needy;</HI> to which adde the &s;ins of the Text, and then this black roll is com|pleat. I &s;hall con&s;ider, 1. <HI>The Sins&punc; 2. The Aggrava|tions.</HI></P>
<P>1. The Sins. 1. Pride; 'Tis hard to enjoy plenty, and not to grow haughty; pro&s;perous Winds &s;oon fill the Sailes, but blowing too &s;trongly, overturn the Ve&s;&s;el; how few are able to carry a full Cup without &s;pilling? to manage plenty without pride? men grow <HI>rich</HI> and then <HI>high minded,</HI> and that's the next way to ruine. 2. <HI>Idlene&s;&s;e,</HI> an ea&s;ie carele&s;&s;e life maketh way for danger, God &s;ent all into the world for action, &s;tanding pooles putrifie, and things not u&s;ed, contract ru&s;t; &s;o doth id<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">e per&s;ons &s;ettle into vile and degenerate lu&s;ts. 3. <HI>Fulne&s;&s;e of bread;</HI> that is corporal delights, Luk. 17. 28. <HI>They eat, they drunk, they bought, they &s;old, they builded;</HI> their whole lives were but a diver&s;ion from one plea&s;ure to another; how &s;oon are earthly comforts abu&s;ed into luxury and exce&s;&s;e? <HI>Ful|ne&s;&s;e of e&s;tate</HI> maketh way for <HI>fulne&s;&s;e of bread,</HI> and many bea&s;tly &s;ins. 4. <HI>&V;nmercifulne&s;&s;e,</HI> you never knew any <HI>Prodigal,</HI> but they were al&s;o <HI>uncharitable;</HI> as <HI>Sodom</HI> here and the Epicure, <HI>Luk.</HI> 16. and you &s;hall &s;ee <HI>James</HI> 5. 4, 5&punc; tho&s;e that nouri&s;hed their hearts as in a day of &s;laugh|ter, oppre&s;&s;ed the labourers; they that &s;et their hearts for ea&s;e and plea&s;ure, know not the bitterne&s;&s;e of griefe, and therefore do not compa&s;&s;ionate it in others, <HI>Amos 6. 6. 5. &V;ncleanne&s;&s;e,</HI> and fornication, this follow|eth on the former; fulne&s;&s;e of bread mu&s;t be emptied and unladed in lu&s;t. 6. That <HI>bea&s;tly wickedne&s;&s;e</HI> implyed in the Text. When the Angels came to de&s;troy them, be|cau&s;e they were of a comely vi&s;age, they came raging at the doors, <HI>Gen.</HI> 19. as u&s;ually wickedne&s;s is encrea&s;ed to the height when God cometh to puni&s;h it. Well
<PB N="337" REF="177">
then if we put all the&s;e together, they were a <HI>lazy, ea&s;ie, &s;ecure, oppre&s;&s;ing, filthy and unclean people:</HI> we may won|der more at Gods patience that he bore with them &s;o long, then at his ju&s;tice, that he puni&s;hed them &s;o &s;orely.</P>
<P>2. The <HI>Aggravations: 1. Shamele&s;ne&s;&s;e, I&s;a&punc; 3. 9. they declare their &s;in as Sodom, they publi&s;h it as Gomorrah&punc;</HI> when a people are pa&s;t <HI>&s;hame</HI> they are pa&s;t <HI>hope,</HI> &s;uch do dare God to puni&s;h them. 2. <HI>Contempt of reproofe,</HI> a &s;ure fore-runner of ruine, when the <HI>reprover</HI> of &s;in is blamed more then the <HI>actor. Lot</HI> &s;eemed as <HI>one that mocked, Gen.</HI> 19. 14. when Gods Me&s;&s;engers are contemned, he can hold no longer.</P>
<P>Thirdly, <HI>their judgement.</HI> The Lord rained from the Lord fire and brim&s;tone upon them. Ob&s;erve here, 1. The <HI>&s;uddainne&s;&s;e</HI> the Sun &s;hone in the morning as at other times, <HI>Gen.</HI> 19. 23. they had not the lea&s;t fear of any &s;uch mi&s;chief at hand; God u&s;ually &s;urprizeth a peo|ple in their &s;ecurity&punc; after a great calm cometh a &s;torm. <HI>Peri&s;h in the mid way,</HI> P&s;al 21. 11. in their full carere,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Sulpher futorem hab<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">t<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ignis ar|dorem.</NOTE> when they dream of no &s;uch matter. 2. The <HI>equity;</HI> The &s;in was like the puni&s;hment. They fir&s;t burned with <HI>lu&s;ts,</HI> and then with <HI>fire:</HI> they burnt with vile unna|tural lu&s;ts, and therefore again&s;t the ordinary cour&s;e of nature, fire falleth down from Heaven: in this fire there was &s;tink for their filthine&s;&s;e. Thus doth God reta|liate; <HI>Nadab</HI> and <HI>Abihu</HI> offered &s;trange fire, and they were con&s;umed with &s;trange fire comming down from Heaven. <HI>Job</HI> profe&s;sing his innocency in ca&s;e of Adulte|ry, <HI>otherwi&s;e let my Wife grind to another, and a &s;tranger bow down upon her,</HI> Job 31. 11. implying that God would puni&s;h him in his own bed, if he had violated anothers: in the Go&s;pel we read, <HI>Luk.</HI> 16. that he was denied <HI>a drop</HI> that would not give <HI>a crumb&punc;</HI> &amp;c. 3. Ob&s;erve the power of God, God a little before had drowned the world <HI>with Water,</HI> now he con&s;umeth <HI>Sodom by fire,</HI> all the Elements are at his beck, the Creatures are <HI>his Hosts,</HI> Job. 37. 6. <HI>If God &s;ay be thou upon the earth,</HI> they pre&s;ent|ly
<PB N="338" REF="178">
obey; if we find <HI>&s;ins</HI> God will find <HI>puni&s;hments,</HI> he can execute judgements by contrary meanes, now <HI>drown</HI> and then <HI>burn.</HI> 4. The &s;everity of God, he raineth down <HI>fire and brim&s;tone,</HI> which is Map and Type of Hell, <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 30. la&s;t, <HI>Rev.</HI> 21. 15. The calamities that light upon the Godly are<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Phil. 1. 28.</NOTE> <HI>a token of Heaven;</HI> namely, as they work to purifie us from &s;in; but tho&s;e on the wicked are Types of <HI>Hell,</HI> preambles to future woes, as darkne&s;&s;e on the <HI>Egyptians</HI> was a figure of <HI>utter darkne&s;s.</HI> So the&s;e were fir&s;t turned to de&s;truction, and then into Hell; 'tis &s;ad to think of the judgement pa&s;t; wor&s;e, of judgement to come.</P>
<P>Thus God delighteth to make tho&s;e that have been <HI>ex|amples to others in &s;inning, examples to them in puni&s;hment.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="8" TYPE="verse">
<EPIGRAPH>
<BIBL>Ver&s;. 8.</BIBL>
<Q>Likewi&s;e al&s;o the&s;e filthy Dreamers&punc; defile the fle&s;h, de&s;pi&s;e dominion, and &s;peak evil of dig|nities.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>IN this ver&s;e you have the <HI>Apodo&s;is</HI> of the former in|&s;tance [<HI>likewi&s;e</HI>] is the <HI>Adverb,</HI> that implyeth the con|nection between the the two terms of a compari&s;on, they peri&s;hed that went <HI>after &s;trange fle&s;h,</HI> &s;o the&s;e <HI>filthy Drea|mers that defile the fle&s;h,</HI> &amp;c. &s;hall peri&s;h. In the words you may ob&s;erve, 1. A de&s;cription of their per&s;on [<HI>filthy Dreamers</HI>] 2. A di&s;covery of their &s;ins two are mentioned in this ver&s;e. 1. <GAP DESC="foreign">, their impurity [they <HI>de l&punc; the fle&s;h&punc;</HI>] 2. <GAP DESC="foreign">, their tumultuous carri|age toward<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> &s;uperiours, expre&s;&s;ed in two phra&s;es. Fir&s;t <HI>they de p<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;ed domini n</HI> Secondly, <HI>they &s;peak <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">vil of digni|ties.</HI> What the&s;e two phra&s;es import is &s;ome que&s;tion, &s;ome think the fir&s;t noteth their <HI>judgement</HI> and <HI>affection,</HI>
<PB N="339" REF="178">
the &s;econd&punc; their <HI>&s;peech</HI> and <HI>practice&punc;</HI> Some think two kindes of government are here under&s;tood, and refer <HI>di|&s;pi&s;ing of Dominion</HI> to contempt of <HI>Magi&s;tracy</HI> and pub|like <HI>Government,</HI> and <HI>&s;peaking evil of Dignities</HI> to the pri|vate Government of Ma&s;ters, 1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 6. 1. 2. which was al&s;o de&s;pi&s;ed by the&s;e wretches, under the pretence of Chri&s;tian liberty. Others more properly under&s;tand the fir&s;t cau&s;e of <HI>Civil Government,</HI> u&s;ually expre&s;&s;ed in Scrip|ture by <GAP DESC="foreign">, or <HI>Domination:</HI> and <HI>&s;peaking evil of Digni|ties,</HI> is fitly referre<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> to the traducing and oppo&s;ing of <HI>Go|vernment and Governours Eccle&s;ia&s;tical,</HI> as <HI>Apo&s;tles, Pa|&s;tors&punc; Teachers,</HI> and <HI>Elders.</HI> The Officers of the Church are called <GAP DESC="foreign">, the <HI>glory of Chri&s;t,</HI> 2 Cor. 8. 23. and what we tran&s;late [<HI>&s;peak evil of Dignities</HI>] is in the original [<HI>&s;peak evil of Glories</HI>] but of this more anon.</P>
<P>Let me open the words [<HI>likewi&s;e</HI>] In the original there are many words&punc; <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>likewi&s;e notwith|&s;tanding,</HI> that is, though there be &s;o many&punc; and &s;uch ap|parent in&s;tances of Gods judgement, and tho&s;e &s;et before us for an example; yet they being blinded with their wicked pa&s;&s;ions, are not afraid&punc; but boldly ca&s;t them|&s;elves upon the hazard of the &s;ame ruine. [<HI>Filthy Drea|mers</HI>] the word in the original is <GAP DESC="foreign"> lead, in|&s;pired&punc; or acted by Dreams, or deluded by Dreames. <HI>Beza</HI> rendreth it <HI>Sopiti,</HI> being lulled a&s;leep, as noting their &s;ecurity. I &s;uppo&s;e rather the <HI>dotage of error,</HI> by which they were as it were bewitched and inchanted: our tran&s;lation &s;eemeth to carry it another way, as applying it to <HI>nocturnal polutions,</HI> becau&s;e dreaming is joyned with <HI>defiling the fle&s;h.</HI> And <HI>Peter</HI> chargeth the&s;e per&s;ons with rolling their fancies upon unclean objects, 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 2. 14. or po&s;&s;ibly it may be taken literally, the per&s;ons here no|ted pretending to dreams in&s;pired by <HI>a&s;&s;ociate</HI> and <HI>a&s;&s;i&s;tant &s;pirits.</HI> See <HI>Eu&s;eb&punc; l<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">b 4. cap.</HI> 7. The next phra&s;e is [<HI>de|file the fle&s;h</HI>] that is, polute them&s;elves with libidinous practices, 2 <HI>Pet. 2. 10. they walked after the fle&s;h in the l<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;t of uncleanne&s;&s;e;</HI> and that under a pretence of the Go&s;pel, <HI>Vide <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">renaeum pa&s;&s;im de Haer. Valentin.</HI> The <HI>Ni|cholaitans</HI>
<PB N="340" REF="179">
taught community of Wives, and that it was an indifferent thing to commit Adultery&punc; <HI>Rev</HI> 2. 6. 14&punc; The <HI>Gno&s;ticks</HI> gave them&s;elves up to all manner of prodigious and ince&s;tuous polutions: whence from their ob&s;cenity and bea&s;tly life, they were called <HI>Borborites.</HI> See again <HI>Eu&s;eb. lib.</HI> 4. <HI>cap.</HI> 7. <HI>Epiphan. har.</HI> 26. How many ways they did <HI>defile the fle&s;h</HI> we cannot with mode&s;ty expre&s;&s;e: the Heathens who made no di&s;tinction, charged the&s;e im|purities upon the Chri&s;tians in the general, as if they u|&s;ed the unlawful company of their Mothers, and Si&s;ters, &amp;c. The next phra&s;e is [<HI>de&s;pi&s;e Dominion&punc;</HI>] <GAP DESC="foreign">, the word <GAP DESC="foreign">, &s;ignifieth to remove a thing out of its place, with &s;ome &s;corn and indignation; and &s;o it implyeth their utter enmity to civil policy and government, 2 <HI>Pet.</HI> 2. 10.</P>
<P><HI>They de&s;pi&s;e Government, pre&s;umptuous are they, and &s;elfe willed:</HI> [<GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>Dominion</HI>] &s;ome apply this to the Dominion of Chri&s;t, which by their fables of the <HI>Aeones,</HI> or Lords Rulers they did &s;et at naught, but of that in the fourth ver&s;e, but now he &s;peakes of the Government of Men; and there is an empha&s;is in the word [<GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>Dominion</HI>] which is more then if he had &s;aid <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>Ru|lers,</HI> for they did not onely de&s;pi&s;e their Magi&s;trates, or men inve&s;ted with Superiority, but <HI>Magi&s;tracy</HI> it &s;elfe, as a thing unfitting for believers, and &s;uch as were made free by Chri&s;t to endure? The la&s;t part of the charge is [<HI>they &s;peak evil of Dignities</HI>] or as 'tis in the original [<HI>bla&s;pheam Glories</HI>] by which &s;ome under&s;tand <HI>Angels,</HI> as <HI>Clemens Alexandrinus;</HI> the&s;e impure Hereticks de|vi&s;ing things unworthy, and mi&s;-be&s;eeming the Angels; rather I &s;uppo&s;e it implyeth their &s;corns, cur&s;es and re|proaches ca&s;t upon the Officers of the Church, who are the Glory of Chri&s;t, and the practice is afterward com|pared with the <HI>rebellion of Corah,</HI> who ro&s;e up, not onely again&s;t <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> but <HI>Aaron, Numb.</HI> 11. In the whole you have a lively de&s;cription of our modern <HI>Ranters, Level|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">rs, Famili&s;ts, Quakers&punc;</HI> who by dreams are led on to <HI>defile the &s;le&s;h,</HI> and to de&s;pi&s;e <HI>all Authority&punc;</HI> both in <HI>Church&punc;</HI>
<PB N="341" REF="179">
and <HI>Common wealth,</HI> and that with <HI>bitter cur&s;es</HI> and <HI>evil &s;peakings,</HI> &s;o that our dayes afford us but too <HI>clear a com|ment</HI> on the expre&s;&s;ions of this Scripture: 'tis &s;adly ful|filled before our eyes! I come to the Ob&s;ervations.</P>
<P>From that [<HI>filthy Dreamers</HI>] Note <HI>That the erroneous</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;erv. 1.</NOTE> <HI>thoughts of wicked men are but a Dream.</HI> 'Tis but Fryer|like, to follow an allu&s;ion too far, onely a little for illu|&s;tration: wicked men are Dreamers: 1. In regard of their &s;tate and condition, every carnal man is in a &s;tate of a <HI>deep &s;leep,</HI> I&s;a. 29. 10. &s;norting upon the bed of ea&s;e, without any &s;en&s;e of the danger of their condition, as <HI>Jo|nah</HI> in the &s;hip was found a&s;leep when the &s;torm aro&s;e, they &s;leep, but <HI>their damnation &s;leepeth&punc; not,</HI> 2 <HI>Pet.</HI> 2. 3. 2. In regard of the &s;uitablene&s;&s;e between their <HI>vain thoughts</HI> and a <HI>dream.</HI> A dream you know <HI>tickleth with a fal&s;e delight,</HI> and <HI>deceiveth with a vain hope.</HI></P>
<P>1. Tickleth with a fal&s;e delight, they hug a <HI>cloud</HI> (as we &s;ay) in&s;tead of <HI>Juno,</HI> and embrace the <HI>contentments</HI> and <HI>plea&s;ures of the World</HI> in&s;tead of the <HI>true riches,</HI> a car|nal mans running from plea&s;ure to plea&s;ure, is but a &s;weet <HI>dream,</HI> a fit of mirth and plea&s;ure while con&s;cience is a|&s;leep, <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">P&s;al 39. 6.</NOTE> <HI>they walk in a vain &s;hadow,</HI> they imagine a great deal&punc; of felicity and contentment in their condition; but when they come to <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">I&s;a. 50. 11.</NOTE> <HI>warm them&s;elves by their own &s;parks they lie down in &s;orrow.</HI></P>
<P>2. Deceiveth with a vain hope, as where the Prophet compareth the dream of the enemies of the Church, to the dream of a night vi&s;ion, <HI>I&s;.</HI> 29. 7. 8. <HI>And it &s;hal be as an hungry man dreameth, and behold he eateth, but he awaketh &amp; his &s;oul is empty:</HI> or when as a thir&s;ty <HI>man dreameth, and behold de drinketh, but be awaketh, and behold he is fain<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">, and his &s;oul hath appetite.</HI> So 'tis with them, all their hopes are da&s;hed in an in&s;tant: the fooli&s;h Virgins <HI>&s;lept, Mat&punc;</HI> 25. and when they &s;lept they <HI>dreamed,</HI> that the door of grace would &s;till be open to them, but they found it &s;hut: many flatter them&s;elves with <HI>fair hopes,</HI> till they awake in flames, but then all is gone.</P>
<P>Take heed then of being deceived by your own dreams&punc;
<PB N="342" REF="180">
and the fictions of your own braine: there are no dreams &s;o fooli&s;h as tho&s;e we dream waking, as <HI>Epiphanius</HI> &s;aith of the <HI>Gno&s;ticks:</HI> 'twas not <GAP DESC="foreign">, a <HI>&s;leeping Dream</HI> that they were guilty of, but <GAP DESC="foreign">, the dotage of their minds, put|ting them upon fancies, as mon&s;trous and incoherent as mens thoughts in a dream: <HI>waking dreams</HI> are mo&s;t per|nitious: There are two &s;orts of the&s;e dreams, 1. Dreams in point <HI>of opinion,</HI> when we hug <HI>errour</HI> in&s;tead of <HI>truth.</HI> 2. Dreames in point <HI>of hope,</HI> when we cheri&s;h <HI>pre&s;umption</HI> in &s;tead of <HI>faith.</HI></P>
<P>1. <HI>Dreames in opinion,</HI> which are very rife now, the <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Mundus &s;e|ne&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ens patitur phanta&s;i<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">s. <HI>Ger&s;on.</HI></NOTE> old world is apt to dote: Idle and ungrounded <HI>nations</HI> how plau&s;ible &s;oever, are but the dreames of a mi&s;ty &s;lee|py braine: to prevent the&s;e take the&s;e Rules. 1. If you would beware of Dreams, <HI>beware of a blind minde,</HI> men &s;leep in the dark, and in &s;leep <HI>fancy</HI> gets the &s;tart of <HI>rea|&s;on, indi&s;tinct thoughts</HI> do ea&s;ily di&s;po&s;e to error; and an <HI>half light</HI> will certainly abu&s;e you, <HI>the &s;imple believeth e|very word, Prov.</HI> 14. 15. 2 <HI>Suffer not your &s;elvs to be blinded,</HI> 1. Not by <HI>vile affections:</HI> men would fain have that true which is plea&s;ing, and mo&s;t accommodate to their own intere&s;ts: vile affection taketh away tht light of rea&s;on, and leaveth us onely the pride of rea&s;on: and therefore none &s;o <HI>confident</HI> and <HI>touchy</HI> in their opinions, as they that are mi&s;led by <HI>lu&s;ts</HI> and <HI>intere&s;ts;</HI> how ea&s;ily do we exa&s;|perate our minds, and invent prejudices again&s;t an hated truth: if the weights be equal, yet if the ballances be not equall, wrong will be done, when the heart is bia&s;&s;ed be|fore the &s;earch and &s;wayed with &s;ome <HI>carnal de&s;ire</HI> or <HI>in|tere&s;t,</HI> the judgement is ob&s;cured and cannot con&s;ider of the <HI>weight</HI> of what is alledged, <HI>there is an Idol in the heart,</HI> Ezek. 16. 4. 2. By <HI>vulgar prejudice,</HI> that the Divel may keep the world a&s;leep, 'tis his u&s;ual trick to burden the wayes of God with <HI>clamour,</HI> and <HI>vulgar prejudice,</HI> a dream or lye dareth not combate with truth in <HI>open field,</HI> and therefore fortifying again&s;t it with <HI>popular arguments,</HI> that the ways of God may be <HI>&s;u&s;pected</HI> rather then <HI>tryed;</HI>
<PB N="343" REF="180">
and u&s;ually it falleth that error is more &s;pecious at the <HI>fir&s;t blu&s;h;</HI> Gods providence &s;uffering his own wayes to be under the <HI>cro&s;&s;e,</HI> and the <HI>worlds di&s;plea&s;ure;</HI> now in &s;uch a ca&s;e men keep at a di&s;tance, and are loath to &s;earch lea&s;t they meet with <HI>trouble of con&s;cience</HI> for not obeying the truth, <HI>or trouble from the world</HI> for cro&s;&s;ing their cu&s;tomes and fa&s;hions. 3. By <HI>per&s;onal admini&s;tration,</HI> in &s;piritual things we learn to dream from one another, <HI>Deut</HI> 13. 3. <HI>Zech</HI> 10. 2. No man mu&s;t be &s;et up in Gods chaire, and their dictates followed, as if they were infalli|able.</P>
<P>3. <HI>Study the word,</HI> el&s;e there is no light in what is<NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;a. 8. 21.</NOTE> brought to you, 'tis but only a dream and dotage of mens braines, and the clo&s;er you keep to the <HI>Letter</HI> of the Word&punc; the better: many are perverted by <HI>my&s;tical inter|pretations</HI> when men bring that to the word, which they do not find there; the Letter mu&s;t not be receded from, as long as 'tis capable of any commodious interpretation: now this word mu&s;t be <HI>hidden in the heart,</HI> P&s;al. 119. 9. and <HI>dwell in us richly,</HI> Coll&punc; 3. 16.</P>
<P>2. There are <HI>dreames</HI> in point of <HI>hope,</HI> and &s;o 1. Some wholly mi&s;take in the object, and dream of an <HI>eternal happine&s;s</HI> in <HI>temporal enjoyments,</HI> P&s;al. 49. 11. So <HI>Luke</HI> 12&punc; 19&punc; Rev. 18. 9. 2. Others dream of attaining the <HI>end</HI> without u&s;ing the <HI>meanes;</HI> they live in &s;in, and yet hope to dye comfortably, and go to Heaven at length for all that, as if it were but an ea&s;ie and &s;uddain leap, from <HI>Dal<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">lahs lap,</HI> to <HI>Abrahams bo&s;ome;</HI> and the <HI>plea&s;ures of &s;in for a &s;ea&s;on</HI> would be no hinderance to the enjoyment of the <HI>plea&s;ures of Gods right hand for ever more.</HI> A vain Dream, &s;ee <HI>Luk.</HI> 16 25 &amp; <HI>Jam.</HI> 5&punc; 5. 3. Others mi&s;take about the <HI>means,</HI> becau&s;e they have a <HI>cold form,</HI> they are apt to be conceited of their &s;piritual condition and e&s;tate, <HI>Rev.</HI> 3&punc; 17. If you would not Dream in this kind, <HI>exa|mine your hearts often,</HI> examination is like a rubbing of the e<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">es after &s;leep, and reviving of con&s;cience, the recol|lection of&punc; our dreams; a man laugheth at his dreams when he is awake, and fancy is &s;ited before the tribunal
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of God, vain apprehen&s;ions flye away. Again, <HI>be &s;ober and watchful,</HI> 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 5. 9. 2 <HI>The&s;&s;.</HI> 5. 6 <HI>Confe&s;&s;ing &s;in</HI> 'tis telling our dream, when we are awake and come to our &s;elves, <HI>Jer.</HI> 31. 17.</P>
<P>From that [defile the fle&s;h] Ob&s;erve, <HI>That dreams of</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;erv. 2.</NOTE> <HI>error di&s;po&s;e to practices of &s;in and uncleanne&s;&s;e,</HI> and <HI>impu|rity of Religion is u&s;ually joyned with uncleanne&s;&s;e of Body:</HI> which cometh to pa&s;&s;e partly by the <HI>ju&s;t judgment of God,</HI> who puni&s;heth <HI>&s;piritual fornication</HI> with <HI>bodily,</HI> Ho&s;. 4. 12. 13. <HI>They have gone an whoring from their God, therefore their Daughters &s;hall commit whoredom, and their Spou&s;es adultery.</HI> That is Gods cour&s;e, that the <HI>odiou&s;ne&s;&s;e</HI> of the one may make them &s;ee the <HI>heinou&s;ne&s;&s;e</HI> of the other: &s;ee <HI>Rom.</HI> 1. 24. Partly by the <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Anima quae fornicata e&s;t Deo ca&s;tae&s;&s;e non po&s;&s;et. <HI>Aug.</HI></NOTE><HI>influence of error,</HI> it pervert|eth the heart, a frame of truth pre&s;erveth the aw of God in the &s;oul, and a <HI>right beliefe</HI> maketh the <HI>manners Ortho|dox:</HI> all &s;ins are rooted in wrong thoughts of God, 3 <HI>Ep. John</HI> 11. Either in <HI>unbelief</HI> or <HI>mi&s;beliefe; unbeliefe</HI> is the <HI>Mother</HI> of &s;in, and <HI>mi&s;beliefe</HI> the <HI>Nur&s;e</HI> of it; it &s;pringeth from <HI>di&s;tru&s;t,</HI> and is countenanced by <HI>error:</HI> Partly becau&s;e the <HI>de&s;ign</HI> of mo&s;t errors is to put the &s;oule into a liberty which God never allowed; &s;ome errors come from the <HI>pride of rea&s;on,</HI> becau&s;e it will not vaile and &s;trike &s;aile to faith; but mo&s;t come from <HI>vile affection,</HI> a <HI>carnal heart</HI> mu&s;t be gratified with a <HI>carnal Doctrine,</HI> 2 <HI>Pet.</HI> 2. 18. <HI>They promi&s;e liberty, &amp;c.</HI> Errors are but a device to ca&s;t off Chri&s;ts yoak, and to <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ull the con&s;cience a&s;leep in a cour&s;e of di&s;obedience. Well then, avoid <HI>error of judgement</HI> if you would avoid <HI>filthine&s;&s;e of conver|&s;ation;</HI> men fir&s;t dream, and then <HI>defile the fle&s;h, abomina|ble impurities</HI> (unle&s;&s;e temper of nature and po&s;ture of in|tere&s;ts hinder) are the u&s;ual fruit of <HI>evil opinions:</HI> Truth is the root of <HI>holine&s;s, &s;anctifie them by thy truth thy word is truth,</HI> Joh. 17. 17. Gods ble&s;&s;ing goeth with his own doctrine, 2 <HI>Pet</HI> 1. 22. Again, tho&s;e that have taken up the profe&s;&s;ion of a right way of Religion &s;hould beware of &s;taining it by &s;uch kinde of practices, nothing maketh the wayes of God &s;u&s;pected &s;o much as the &s;candals of
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tho&s;e that profe&s;&s;e to walk in them, <HI>walk in the light as children of the light;</HI> Eph. 5. otherwi&s;e you will be a re|proach to the truth, and deprive it of its te&s;timony.</P>
<P>Again, ob&s;erve, <HI>That &s;in is a defilement,</HI> it &s;taineth and<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;erv. 3.</NOTE> darkneth the glory of a man, <HI>Matth.</HI> 15. 20. this de|filement was implyed in the <HI>wa&s;hings</HI> of the ceremonial Law, and in <HI>Bapti&s;m,</HI> we are <HI>wa&s;hed</HI> as &s;oon as we are born&punc; becau&s;e we are &s;inners as &s;oon as we are born; &s;urely they that glory in &s;in, do but glory in their <HI>own &s;hame;</HI> 'tis but as if a man &s;hould boa&s;t of his own dung, and count his &s;pittle an ornament, when you count grace|le&s;&s;e &s;wearing, mightine&s;&s;e to drink, revenge, pride, a glory to you, you do the &s;ame: there is nothing maketh us &s;tink in Gods no&s;trils but &s;in. <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 14. 3. <HI>They are al|together become filthy,</HI> &s;o much &s;in as you have about you &s;o much na&s;tine&s;&s;e; gain is plea&s;ant to tho&s;e that are ta|ken with that kind of lu&s;t; but the Scripture calleth it <HI>filthy lucre,</HI> 1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 3. 3. all &s;ins&punc; are compared to <HI>filthy garments, Zech.</HI> 3. 4. <HI>Jude</HI> 19. and <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 30. 22. de&s;ire to be wa&s;hed and that thoroughly, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 51. 2.</P>
<P>Again ob&s;erve, <HI>That of all &s;ins, the &s;in of uncleanne&s;&s;e</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;erv. 4.</NOTE> <HI>or unlawful copulation is mo&s;t defiling:</HI> it defileth the <HI>whole man,</HI> but chiefly <HI>the body:</HI> and therefore 'tis &s;aid [<HI>they defile the fle&s;h</HI>] it &s;taineth the &s;oul with filthy thoughts, <HI>Matth.</HI> 15. 20. it &s;taineth the <HI>Name, Prov.</HI> 33. But in a &s;ingular manner it poluteth <HI>the body,</HI> 1 Cor&punc; 6. 18. in all other outward &s;ins, though the body be the <HI>in|&s;trument,</HI> yet it is not the <HI>object</HI> of them; all other &s;ins do abu&s;e <HI>objectum extra po&s;itum</HI> (as <HI>Pi&s;cator</HI> explaineth it) as a Drunkard, Wine; an Epicure, Meats; a World|ling, Riches; all the&s;e are <HI>objects without us:</HI> but here the body is not onely the <HI>in&s;trument</HI> but <HI>the object, Rom.</HI> 17. 24. <HI>God gave them up to uncleanne&s;&s;e to di&s;honour their own bodies.</HI> So &s;ee 1 <HI>The&s;&s;.</HI> 4. 4. it wa&s;teth the &s;trength, and beauty of the body, <HI>Prov.</HI> 5. 9, 10, 11. hindreth <HI>our &s;erviceablene&s;s,</HI> and doth not con&s;ider that this body is <HI>con&s;ecrated to God,</HI> Rom. 12. 1. &amp; 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 6. 15 a <HI>Tem|ple of the holy Gho&s;t,</HI> 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 6. 19. <HI>intere&s;ted in hopes of Glo|ry,</HI>
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Phil. 3. 21. and therefore puts it to &s;o vile an u&s;e as to be an <HI>in&s;trument of lu&s;t.</HI> Chri&s;tians, &s;hall tho&s;e<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">2 Pet. 2. 14.</NOTE> <HI>eyes</HI> which are con&s;ecrated to God to behold his works be <HI>windows</HI> to let in &s;in? that <HI>body</HI> which is the holy Gho&s;ts Temple be made the <HI>member of a Harlot?</HI> and &s;o wa&s;ted in the &s;ervice of lu&s;t, as to become a clog to us, and wholly u&s;ele&s;&s;e, as to any gracious purpo&s;es: are not your <HI>beauty, health, &s;trength,</HI> concernments too good to be &s;pent upon &s;o vile an intere&s;t? take heed then of all <HI>uncleanne&s;&s;e,</HI> both <HI>conjugal</HI> con&s;i&s;ting in exce&s;&s;e, and im|moderating of lu&s;t in the married e&s;tate, <HI>&s;i vinim ex Apo|thec&acirc; tu&acirc;, &amp;c.</HI> you may not be drunk with your own Wine; nor quench the vigour of nature by exce&s;&s;e in tho&s;e plea&s;ure which the Laws of God and men do allow you: and al&s;o of <HI>uncleanne&s;&s;e Adulterous,</HI> which is more bruiti&s;h when men &s;catter their lu&s;ts promi&s;cuou&s;ly with|out confinement to one object.</P>
<P>From that [<HI>De&s;pi&s;e. Dominion</HI>] Ob&s;erve, that <HI>errors e|&s;pecially</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;erv. 5.</NOTE> <HI>&s;uch as tend to &s;en&s;uality, make men unruly and Antimagi&s;traticall. Dreamers</HI> that do <HI>defile them&s;elves,</HI> do al&s;o <HI>de&s;pi&s;e Dominion;</HI> Now this cometh to pa&s;&s;e, partly from the permi&s;&s;ion of Gods wi&s;e and ju&s;t provi|dence, who &s;uffereth &s;uch mi&s;carriages to awaken the magi&s;trate to a <HI>care of truth,</HI> if not in <HI>zeal for Gods glory,</HI> yet out of a &s;en&s;e of his own <HI>intere&s;t,</HI> and upon <HI>rea&s;on of &s;tate;</HI> the <HI>Common-wealth</HI> being troubled by tho&s;e who fir&s;t began to trouble <HI>the Church,</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">; <HI>new Doctrines</HI> put men after an itch upon new Laws, and fal&s;e <HI>Religions</HI> are u|&s;ually turbulent; partly becau&s;e per&s;ons loo&s;e and erro|neous would free them&s;elves from all awe, both of <HI>God</HI> and <HI>Man,</HI> as 'tis &s;aid of the unju&s;t Judge, that <HI>he feared neither God nor Man,</HI> Luk. 18. So with tho&s;e men, <HI>error</HI> taketh off the <HI>dread of God,</HI> and <HI>&s;edition</HI> the dread of the <HI>Magi&s;trate,</HI> that &s;o they may more freely defile the fle&s;h. God hath two Deputies to keep a &s;inner under awe, <HI>Con|&s;cience</HI> and the <HI>Magi&s;trate;</HI> now <HI>fal&s;e doctrine</HI> benum|meth <HI>con&s;cience,</HI> and then that all <HI>Authority</HI> may be laid
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a&s;ide, the rights of the Magi&s;trate are invaded, that as <HI>con&s;cience</HI> may not &s;tand in the way of their <HI>lu&s;t,</HI> &s;o not the Magi&s;trate in the way of their <HI>&s;in,</HI> that there were an|ciently <HI>&s;uch libertines</HI> in the Church appeareth by <HI>Gal.</HI> 5. 13. and 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 2. 16. and 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 7. 20, 21, 22, 23&punc; vain man would fain be free and yoakle&s;&s;e, neither would he have his <HI>heart</HI> &s;ubject to God, nor his <HI>actions</HI> to mans cen&s;ure: partly, becau&s;e all errors are rooted in <HI>ob&s;tina|cy,</HI> and that will bewray its &s;elfe, not onely in <HI>Divine</HI> and <HI>Spiritual,</HI> but in <HI>Civil things,</HI> &s;ee 2 <HI>Pet.</HI> 2. 10. <HI>But chiefly them that walk after the fle&s;h in the lu&s;t of unclean|ne&s;&s;e: Pre&s;umptious are they and &s;elfe willed&punc; they are not afraid to &s;peak evil of dignities.</HI> U&s;ually errours <HI>&s;ear the con&s;cience,</HI> and give the &s;inner a <HI>front</HI> and <HI>boldne&s;&s;e,</HI> &s;o that God is not onely di&s;honoured, but civil &s;ocieties di&s;tur|bed as <HI>Nazianzen</HI> ob&s;erveth of the <HI>Arians;</HI> they began in <HI>bla&s;phemous language</HI> again&s;t Chri&s;t, but end in tumultu|ous carriage again&s;t the peace of the Common-wealth; for<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="foreign">. <HI>Nazian. Orat.</HI> 25.</NOTE> (&s;aith he) how &s;hall we hope that they will &s;pare <HI>men,</HI> that would not &s;pare <HI>God?</HI> Often it falleth out that they that <HI>plea&s;e not God</HI> are al&s;o <HI>contrary to all men,</HI> 1 <HI>The&s;.</HI> 2. 15. <HI>Tully</HI> an <HI>Heathen</HI> ob&s;erveth the &s;ame, <HI><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ietate ad|ver&s;us Deos &s;ublat&acirc; fides etiam &amp; &s;oci<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">tas humani generis, &amp;c.</HI> Partly becau&s;e oppo&s;ition to Magi&s;tracy is a kind of <HI>indirect blow</HI> and aim at God, and that either as 'tis his <HI>ordinance,</HI> Rom 13. or a kind of <HI>re&s;emblance of his glory; I have &s;aid you are Gods,</HI> P&s;al 84. 6. So that 'tis a <HI>contempt of God in his image and picture;</HI> look as under the Law God forbade men cruelty to the <HI>bea&s;ts,</HI> as not <HI>to de&s;troy the Dam from the Young, lo&s;eth the Kid in the Mothers milk, &amp;c.</HI> but &s;uch kind of <HI>Prohibitions</HI> might be as a fence and raile about the life of man; &s;o re&s;pect to Magi&s;tracy is a kind of fence about his own. Dignity and divine Glory: Magi&s;trates being <HI>repre&s;entative Gods</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">; and therefore through their &s;ides they &s;trike at God him&s;elfe. Partly becau&s;e the end of Magi|&s;tracy is to &s;uppre&s;&s;e <HI>evil, Rom.</HI> 13. 5. an <HI>inde&s;inite &s;peech</HI> is equivolent to an <HI>univer&s;al,</HI> in a matter of nece&s;&s;ary du|ty,
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and the univer&s;al particle is expre&s;&s;ed el&s;ewhere, <HI>Prov. 20. 8. A King that &s;itteth upon the Throne of judgement &s;cattereth away all evil with his eyes: all evil</HI> that falleth under his cogni&s;ance, whether it be of a <HI>Civil</HI> or <HI>Spiri|tual</HI> concernment; we mu&s;t not limit and di&s;tingui&s;h where the <HI>word</HI> doth not; I know there be &s;ome that do defulcate and cut off a great part of that duty which be|longeth to the Magi&s;trate, confining his care onely to things of a civil concernment, but prepo&s;terou&s;ly, truths according to godline&s;&s;e, belonging al&s;o to his in&s;pection, upon which ground we are bound to pray for them, that they <HI>may come to the knowledge</HI> of the truth, 2 <HI>Tim.</HI> 2. 2. and under them <HI>we may lead a quiet life in all godline&s;&s;e and hone&s;ty;</HI> where it is plainly implyed that the conver|ted Magi&s;trate is to look to the countenance and main|tenance of <HI>godline&s;&s;e</HI> as well as <HI>hone&s;ty.</HI> Well then, <HI>&s;en|&s;ual Hereticks</HI> being doubly obnoxious, as <HI>&s;en&s;ual,</HI> as <HI>ven|ting errors,</HI> no wonder that they ri&s;e up in defiance of Gods Ordinance.</P>
<P>It &s;heweth us the evil of inordinate lu&s;tings; we may<NOTE PLACE="marg">&V;&s;e 1.</NOTE> learn hence <HI>whence they proceed,</HI> and <HI>whither they tend;</HI> they proceed from the <HI>pride</HI> and <HI>ob&s;tinacy of error:</HI> Men <HI>dream</HI> and are then <HI>licentious,</HI> and it tendeth to the ca&s;ting off of all duty to God and Man; nip this di&s;po&s;i|tion in the bud; 'tis in all our natures, man is born like <HI>the wild a&s;&s;es colt,</HI> Job. 11. 12. not onely for <HI>rudene&s;s of under&s;tanding,</HI> but <HI>untamedne&s;s of affection:</HI> we love to break through all bonds and re&s;traints, as if none <HI>were Lord over us,</HI> P&s;al. 12. 3.</P>
<P>It informeth us what will be the i&s;&s;ue when <HI>liberti&s;m</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">&V;&s;e 2.</NOTE> aboundeth, even an utter confu&s;ion. See <HI>Socrates Sch<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">|la&s;t. lib. 5. Eccle. 4. 11. in proem. Non nunquam tu|multus Eccle&s;iarum antegre&s;&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">, reipublicae autem confu&s;iones, con&s;ecuta &s;unt.</HI> The ruine of the Weale publike is brought on&punc; by pe&s;tilent and evil doctrines. So our Divines at the Synod of <HI>Dort. Cavendum e&s;t, ne qui magi&s;tratu con|niver<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">e res novas in Eccle&s;ia meliantur, eodem etiam repug|nante idem in republica. effi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">iunt. Tully</HI> in his Book <HI>De</HI>
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<HI>legibus,</HI> &s;aith, That the glory of <HI>Greece</HI> pre&s;ently declined, when the people were given <HI>malis &s;tudiis, mali&s;que doctri|nis,</HI> to <HI>evil manners,</HI> and <HI>evil opinions;</HI> let us lay the&s;e things to heart. I do not love to enveigh again&s;t the times, and to endulge the petulancy of a mi&s;taken zeal, but the <HI>Kings danger made</HI> Croe&s;us <HI>dumb &s;on to &s;peak.</HI></P>
<P>It may take off the prejudice that is often ca&s;t upon Re|ligion,<NOTE PLACE="marg">&V;&s;e 3.</NOTE> and the true ways of God, 'tis not <HI>truth</HI> that trou|bleth <HI>I&s;rael,</HI> but <HI>error; 1 Kings 18. 18. I have not troubled I&s;rael, but thou and thy fathers hou&s;e, in that ye have for|&s;aken the Commandements of the Lord;</HI> 'ts an old &s;lander that <HI>&s;trict Religion</HI> is no friend to <HI>Common-wealths:</HI> as &s;oon as Chri&s;tianity began to fly abroad in the world, it was objected again&s;t her, as if it were prejudicial to civil power and greatne&s;s, thereby to defeat her of the pa|tronage of Princes, and to hinder them from becomming <HI>nur&s;ing fathers,</HI> I&s;a. 49. 25. Magi&s;tracy being that power which is left able to &s;uppre&s;&s;e or advance Religion: the Divel &s;triveth all that he can to incen&s;e it again&s;t her: there is a natural and wakeful jealou&s;ie in Princes over their Dignities and Prerogatives, and therefore the ene|mies of the Church have ever &s;ought occa&s;ion to repre|&s;ent the people of God as enemies to their <HI>ju&s;t power;</HI> So Chri&s;t was accu&s;ed, <HI>Luk.</HI> 23. 2. and <HI>Paul,</HI> Act. 24. 5. But altogether without cau&s;e, 'tis true, if Religion be not kindly received, it bringeth a judgement there where 'tis tendered, as the <HI>Ark</HI> where it was irreverently handled, brought a plague upon the <HI>Beth&s;hemites,</HI> 1 Sam. 6. 19 but yet a ble&s;&s;ing upon the hou&s;e of <HI>Obed Edom,</HI> &s;o Religi|on wher it is worthily <HI>treated</HI> bringeth a <HI>ble&s;&s;ing,</HI> otherwi&s;e a <HI>judgement:</HI> let the world &s;ay what it will, 'tis a friend to <HI>Magistracy,</HI> partly by its <HI>commands</HI> enforcing <HI>civil duties</HI> by a <HI>&s;acred bond</HI> and <HI>obligation,</HI> See <HI>Prov. 24. 21. Matth. 22. 21. 1 Pet. 2. 17. Eccle&s;.</HI> 8. 2. Partly by its <HI>influence,</HI> meekning the hearts of men, and obliging them to faithfulne&s;s, <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="foreign">. <HI>Vid. E<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">|&s;eb lib. 2. de vit &acirc; Con|&s;tant. Sozom lib:</HI> 6.</NOTE> <HI>Tho&s;e that are faithful to God, I &s;hall expect them to be faithful to me</HI> (&s;aid <HI>Con&s;tantines</HI> Fa|ther) certainly none live&punc; &s;o &s;weetly under the <HI>&s;ame go|vernment</HI>
<PB N="350" REF="184">
as tho&s;e that are united in the <HI>&s;ame faith,</HI> or ce|mented together with the &s;ame blood of Chri&s;t. Partly, by the indulgence of Gods providence, who is wont to favour tho&s;e States, where true Religion is countenan|ced and vigorou&s;ly owned; Oh that our Magi&s;trates would regard this; there <HI>wi&s;edom</HI> lieth in <HI>ki&s;&s;ing the Son,</HI> P&s;al. 2. 10. Chri&s;t came not to gain <HI>per&s;ons</HI> but <HI>nations</HI> to his obedience, and the more that is effected, though it be but by a publike <HI>profe&s;&s;ion,</HI> the more &s;afety may they expect; 'tis but a <HI>nece&s;&s;ary thankfulne&s;&s;e</HI> of the powers of, the world to him, to whom they owe their Crowns, <HI>Prov.</HI> 8. 17. Let us pray for them that God would rai&s;e their zeale, and make them more cordial in the &s;upport of Re|ligion. An Heathen &s;aid, <HI>aut undiqua&abque; religionem tolla, aut u&s;&abque; qua&abque; con&s;erva,</HI> either wholly abandon Religion, or maintain it more entirely.</P>
<P>It &s;heweth us what little rea&s;on Magi&s;trates have to<NOTE PLACE="marg">&V;&s;e. 4:</NOTE> countenance, and &s;pread their skirt over <HI>ob&s;tinate</HI> and <HI>im|pure Hereticks;</HI> &s;uch &s;pirits being u&s;ually mo&s;t oppo&s;ite to Magi&s;tracy. They do but nouri&s;h a Snake in their own bo&s;omes, and cheri&s;h a Faction, that in time will eat out their bowels: were there no re&s;pects of Religion but onely tho&s;e of Civil Policy, they &s;hould not be &s;o &s;leepy in this ca&s;e; but you will &s;ay, is it lawful for them to in|termeddle in matters of Religion, and to u&s;e any com|pul&s;ive power? I an&s;wer, yes verily; <HI>they bear not the Sword in vain;</HI> we have frequent <HI>in&s;tances</HI> in the word of <HI>good Kings,</HI> who&s;e zeal is commended for &s;o doing, and <HI>frequent injunctions:</HI> al&s;o to this purpo&s;e, the Levites are commended for a&s;&s;i&s;ting <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> in the execution of tho&s;e that wor&s;hipped the Calfe, <HI>Exod. 32. 26, 27, 28. Abraham</HI> was to <HI>command his Children, Gen. 18. 29. A&s;a</HI> commanded <HI>Judah</HI> to wor&s;hip God, and <HI>the thing was right in the eyes of the Lord, 2 Kings</HI> 14. 23, 24. So &s;ee 2 <HI>Kings.</HI> 15. 23. &amp; <HI>E&s;ra</HI> 10. 8. So 2 <HI>Kings</HI> 34. 32, 33. And that promi&s;e. <HI>I&s;a</HI> 43. 23. I know I touch the &s;oar of this age, and that this is a truth much prejudiced, therefore I &s;hall fir&s;t <HI>remove the prejudices,</HI> and then <HI>&s;tate the que&s;tion.</HI></P>
<P><PB N="351" REF="184">1. <HI>Remove the prejudices;</HI> The fir&s;t is taken from the<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg"> <HI>Au&s;tine</HI> changed his his mind twice and was at la&s;t for compul&s;ion.</NOTE> <HI>Fathers</HI> or <HI>Primitive Chri&s;tians,</HI> who almo&s;t generally expre&s;&s;e them&s;elves again&s;t planting Religion by the Sword and <HI>compul&s;ive force; defendenda est Religio non <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ccidendo &s;ed monendo non &s;aevitia &s;ed patientia,</HI> &s;o <HI>Lactan|tius:</HI> and &s;uitably others: I an&s;wer, were Religion now to be planted, the&s;e &s;ayings would take place, <HI>Pagans</HI> are not to be <HI>compelled,</HI> but <HI>enlightned, taught,</HI> not <HI>de&s;troyed;</HI> and yet in &s;uch a ca&s;e 'tis a que&s;tion not ea&s;ily re&s;olved, whether the Magi&s;trate, if he had power, were not bound to compel his people, though <HI>profe&s;&s;ed Pagans,</HI> to hear or attend upon the Mini&s;try of the Word, it being the ordi|nary meanes of working faith. <HI>Augu&s;tine</HI> determineth that a Chri&s;tian in &s;uch a ca&s;e &s;hould improve his power for Chri&s;t. <HI>Faelix nece&s;&s;itas quae ad meliora nos cogit, foris in|veniatur nece&s;&s;itas &amp; na&s;citur intus voluntas;</HI> &amp; a little af|ter, <HI>non quia cogantur reprehendant, &s;ed quae cogantur atten|dant,</HI> 'tis a favour that the Magi&s;trate wil take care to bring them to the means of &s;alvation. Again, in &s;uch a ca&s;e they are to be kept from <HI>&s;candalizing</HI> &amp; <HI>bla&s;pheaming</HI> the true Religion; that's the lea&s;t a Magi&s;trate can do for Chri&s;t: But where a people are <HI>Chri&s;tianized,</HI> and do profe&s;&s;e the true Religion, they &s;hould not be &s;et free to <HI>Ateh<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">i&s;m, Error,</HI> and <HI>Apo&s;ta&s;ie.</HI></P>
<P>2. Another prejudice is, that the examples before men|tioned are brought from the Old Te&s;tament, and &s;o pro|po&s;e to the policy of the Jewes. I an&s;wer, &s;ome alledged were before <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> Law, as that of <HI>Abraham</HI> and <HI>Jacobs</HI> commanding his family to put away their Idols, <HI>Gen.</HI> 35. 2. And the injunctions in the old Te&s;tament were built upon rea&s;ons of <HI>imm<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">table equity,</HI> as Gods <HI>glory,</HI> the <HI>dan|ger of infection,</HI> &amp;c. and &s;o concern us as well as them, and the thing in que&s;tion is agreeable to the light of na|ture, there being in&s;tances of <HI>Pagan Princes,</HI> who were &s;o far convinced of their duty to the true God, that they enjoyned his wor&s;hip, puni&s;hing the contempt thereof; See <HI>E&s;ra</HI> 6. 11. &s;o <HI>E&s;ra</HI> 7. 26. &amp; <HI>Dan.</HI> 3. 29. The Gen|tiles by the light of nature &s;aw it to be &s;uitable and agree|able
<PB N="352" REF="185">
to right rea&s;on. <HI>Ari&s;t. Polit lib. 7. cap.</HI> 8. &s;aith the fir&s;t thing that falleth under a Magi&s;trates care is <GAP DESC="foreign">, a care of divine wor&s;hip. The Athenians bani&s;hed <HI>Protagoras</HI> for &s;peaking doubtfully, and by way of extenuation of their Religion, and burnt his Books: be&s;ides all this the rea&s;on why we have onely pre&s;idents in the old Te&s;tament, is, becau&s;e the people of the Jews were the <HI>onely State</HI> that were acquainted with the know|ledge of the true God: we have &s;ome prophe&s;ies that the like &s;hould be done in the New, <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 49. 23. &amp; <HI>Zech.</HI> 13. which concerneth Go&s;pel-times, <HI>I&s;a. 60, 10. Rev.</HI> 21. 24. we were wor&s;e provided for then they were in the Old Te&s;tament, if men that had the <HI>Plagne|&s;oar</HI> of Here&s;ie running upon them, &s;hould without re|&s;traint be permitted to come into all companies.</P>
<P>3. Another prejudice is 'twill make men Hypocrites; I an&s;wer with <HI>Athana&s;ius,</HI> would to God all were got &s;o far as Hypocrites, it would certainly be better for the Chri&s;tian world; but however duties mu&s;t not be left un|done for ill con&s;equences.</P>
<P>4. Prejudice, this will make way for <HI>per&s;ecution,</HI> and the calamities of the Godly upon every change of the Princes mind. I an&s;wer, if the Lord &s;ee per&s;ecution ne|ce&s;&s;ary for the Church, we mu&s;t endure it, and &s;o we &s;hall be gainers, both by good Princes and bad: by the per&s;ecution of evil Princes, Truth is made glorious; by the mini&s;try of the good, error is &s;uppre&s;&s;ed and di&s;-counte|nanced; God would oblige us the more to pray for them in power, <HI>P&s;.</HI> 72. 1. &amp; 1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 2. 2. and he hath promi|&s;ed to hear &s;uch prayers &amp; provide <HI>Nur&s;e Fathers</HI> for the Church. Sometimes a wicked Magi&s;trate under&s;tanding his duty, may by the over-ruling power of God in his con&s;cience, be with-held from per&s;ecuting the Truth, yea carried out to the &s;uppre&s;&s;ion oferror. When <HI>Paulus Samo|&s;atenus</HI> revolted from the Orthodox Chri&s;tian Faith, and would yet retain the Bi&s;hoprick of <HI>Antioch,</HI> the bu&s;ine&s;&s;e was brought to <HI>Aurelian</HI> a Pagan Emperor, who remo|ved him.</P>
<P><PB N="353" REF="185">Secondly, I &s;hall &s;tate the point, and &s;hew you how far compul&s;ion it nece&s;&s;ary. 1. The Magi&s;trate &s;hould u&s;e no compul&s;ion before <HI>care had, for better information,</HI> and re&s;olution of the doubting Con&s;cience, otherwi&s;e the practice were fell &amp; cruel, like that of fal&s;e Religions that brook no contradiction; con&s;c ences &s;crap<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">lous mu&s;t not be too hardly dealt with all: <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Ex officin &acirc; curvi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ium &s;o|lunt argumen|ta &amp; quos &s;er|m ribus deci|p<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> e<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">on po&s;&s;unt gladits <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">l<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">|m<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">nt <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> f<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ri|endos. Ambro&s;.</NOTE> to an&s;wer arguments by a Pri&s;on, or the Fires, is a <HI>Popi&s;h Topick,</HI> and to &s;upply in <HI>rage</HI> what wanteth in <HI>&s;trength of rea&s;on,</HI> and <HI>clearne&s;&s;e of light,</HI> is but a <HI>butcherly violence;</HI> puni&s;hment and com|pul&s;ion &s;hould not be ha&s;tned as long as there appeareth a de&s;ire to be informed, with meek endeavours after &s;a|tisfaction. The Apo&s;tle <HI>Paul</HI> is for <HI>two Almonitions</HI> b<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">|fore <HI>Church cen&s;ure, Titus</HI> 2. 10. And <HI>the cen<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ure of the Magi&s;trate &s;hould no<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> p<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ecede that of the Church.</HI> 2 In <HI>things indi&s;ferent,</HI> Chri&s;tian toleration and forbearance take places, all men never were nor ever will be in this world of one and the &s;ame opinion&punc; no more then of the &s;ame feature and complexion. There is a due latitude of al|lowable differences, wherein the <HI>&s;trong</HI> &s;hould bear with the <HI>weak, `Rom. 15. 1. Eph. 4. 2. Gal.</HI> 6 1. There are &s;ome le&s;&s;er mi&s;takes of Con&s;cience, and infirmities inci|dent to all men; namely, &s;uch as are con&s;i&s;tent with <HI>Faith,</HI> the main and fundamental truths and principles of &s;alvation and <HI>charity,</HI> as not tending to foment <HI>Faction</HI> in the Church, or <HI>Sedition</HI> in the Common-wealth; but if either of the&s;e limits be tran&s;gre&s;&s;ed, circum&s;tances may make the&s;e le&s;&s;er things intolerable, as <HI>Paul with&s;tood Pe|ter to the face,</HI> though otherwi&s;e he did not count the matter great, <HI>Gal.</HI> 2. 11. yet when it was urged to the &s;candal of the Churches, he thought it worthy of a Con|te&s;t: and here it belong<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">th to Chri&s;tian Princes, as to <HI>defend truth,</HI> &s;o to &s;ee that <HI>Peace</HI> be not violated for Rites and Ceremonies, and le&s;&s;er differences that lie far from the heart of Religion. I am per&s;waded that <HI>want of con|de&s;cention to brethren,</HI> hath brought all this confu&s;ion upon us, &amp;c. 3. A gro&s;&s;e error <HI>kept &s;ecret,</HI> cometh not under the Magi&s;trates cogni&s;ance, but the <HI>diffu&s;i<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">n and</HI>
<PB N="354" REF="186">
<HI>di&s;&s;emination</HI> of errors he mu&s;t take notice of, as when men infect others, and openly bla&s;pheam Chri&s;tian Do|ctrine, he beareth <HI>not the &s;word in vain.</HI> The minde and con&s;cience as to any power under God is <HI>&s;ui juris, thoughts are free;</HI> 'tis a &s;aying in the Civil Law, <HI>Cogita|tiones poenam nemo patitur,</HI> all command is exerci&s;ed a|bout &s;uch things as fall within the knowledge of him that commandeth; now God onely knoweth the heart, <HI>quis mihi im o<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">t nece&s;&s;itatem creden<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">i quod nolin</HI> (&s;aith <HI>Li|ctantius) v l quod v. lim non credendi. Theodo&s;i<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">s</HI> and <HI>Valentinian</HI> in their Law concerning the Heretick, give this limitation&punc; <HI>&s;ibi tantummodo nocitura &s;entiat, aliis ob|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">utura non panda&punc; Sub&s;criptions</HI> and <HI>Inqui&s;itions</HI> into mens con&s;ciences, we cannot but ju&s;tly condemn. 4. Er|ror&punc; according to their <HI>nature</HI> and <HI>degree</HI> merit a different puni&s;hment, <HI>Jude</HI> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> 9. and <HI>E&s;ra 7. 26. 5. Bla&s;phemy, Idolatry,</HI> and <HI>gro&s;&s;e Here&s;ie</HI> are to be put into the &s;ame rank with <HI>gro&s;&s;e, vicious actions</HI> and &s;uppo&s;ed (if enter|tained after the receiving of the truth) to be done a|gain&s;t light and con&s;cience. <HI>Paul</HI> &s;aith of the Heretick that he is <GAP DESC="foreign">, after <HI>due admonitions, Ti<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">s</HI> 3. 11. Therefore in &s;ome ca&s;es the&s;e may be puni&s;hed with death; as <HI>Baals</HI> Prophets were &s;lain, 1 <HI>Kings</HI> 18. 40. &amp; <HI>E<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">. 21 20. Lev.</HI> 24 16. But of the whole Que&s;tion el&s;ewhere.</P>
<P>Again, I ob&s;erve from the &s;ame clau&s;e, <HI>That 'tis a &s;in to de&s;pi&s;e Dominions;</HI> For 'tis here charged upon<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;erv. 6.</NOTE> the&s;e Seducers. 'Tis a <HI>&s;in,</HI> becau&s;e 'tis again&s;t the in|junctions of the world, <HI>Rom. 13. 1. Titus</HI> 3. 1. We are apt to forget our civil duties, or to count them Arbitra|ry, as if the &s;ame Authority had not e&s;tabli&s;hed the <HI>&s;e|cond Table</HI> as well as <HI>the fir&s;t,</HI> and 'tis a &s;in becau&s;e Ma|gi&s;tracy is <HI>Gods Ordinance,</HI> the <HI>general in&s;tructi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">n</HI> of it is of God though the <HI>p rticular constitution</HI> of it be of man. Compare <HI>Rom.</HI> 13. 1 with 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 2 13 Government it &s;elf is of God, but this or that <HI>&s;pecial maner</HI> or <HI>form</HI> o<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> govern|ment is not determin'd b<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> God, which is the difference be|tween <HI>Civil</HI> and <HI>Eccle&s;i &s;tical</HI> Government, for there the <HI>particular form</HI> is &s;pecified, as well as the thing it &s;elf ap|pointed.
<PB N="355" REF="186">
Again, 'tis a &s;in becau&s;e <HI>dominion pre&s;erveth human S<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">cieties;</HI> &s;o that we &s;hould tre&s;pa&s;&s;e again&s;t the common good and publike order if we &s;hould de&s;p<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;e this help, yea again&s;t the Law of our own Natures; man being by nature a <HI>&s;ociable creature.</HI> Well then, let us obey every Ordinance of man for the Lords &s;ake. The <HI>publike wel|fare</HI> is concerned in our obedience, as al&s;o the <HI>honour of Religion,</HI> both which &s;hould be very dear to one that fear|eth God: the <HI>publike wellfare</HI> better bare many incon|veniencies then embroyl the Country in War and Blood. We are bidden be &s;ubject <GAP DESC="foreign">, to the froward, 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 2. 18. And the <HI>honour of Religion,</HI> God will have the world know that Chri&s;tianity is a friend to <HI>civil policy,</HI> &s;ee 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 2. 15. &amp; <HI>Matth.</HI> 7. 27. We learn hence too, that they are but libertines that think that Religion freeth them from the &s;ubjection which they owe to God or man; it doth not <HI>exempt</HI> us from our duty, but <HI>enable</HI> us to perform it: may take &s;uch a liberty in civil things that they begin to grow contemp<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">uous even in <HI>divine,</HI> and &s;o ca&s;t off <HI>Gods yoak,</HI> as well as the Magi&s;trates.</P>
<P>The la&s;t expre&s;&s;ion is that [<HI>&s;peak evil of Dignities</HI>] or of [<HI>Glories</HI>] by which probably <HI>Church-Officers</HI> are in|tended,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;erv. 7.</NOTE> &s;uch being &s;poken again&s;t in that age, <HI>John. Ep.</HI> 3. 10. and expre&s;&s;ed by the word [<HI>Glories</HI>] a term given both to the <HI>Apo&s;tles</HI> and other <HI>Officers of the Church.</HI> Note, There <HI>is a re&s;pect due to per&s;ons inve&s;ted with Church power.</HI> This is e&s;tabli&s;hed by <HI>Gods Ordinance,</HI> and therefore &s;hould not be &s;et at naught, neither &s;hould the per&s;ons inve&s;ted with it, be <HI>evil &s;poken of,</HI> that <HI>obedi|ence</HI> is required to them, &s;ee <HI>Heb.</HI> 13. 17. and <HI>re&s;pect</HI> and <HI>honour,</HI> &s;ee 1 <HI>The&s;&s;.</HI> 12. 13. &amp; 1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 5 17. that they &s;hould not be lightly evil &s;poken of, 1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 5. 19. though for their per&s;ons and outward e&s;tate they are <HI>mean</HI> and <HI>de&s;p<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">cable,</HI> yet they are called to an <HI>high employment,</HI> and have the promi&s;e of a <HI>great pow r</HI> and <HI>pre&s;ence</HI> with them <HI>Matth. 16. 19. John</HI> 20. 23. Their regular proceedings are ratified in the Court of Heaven; we are fallen into an age wherein no per&s;ons are more contemptible then
<PB N="356" REF="187">
<HI>Mini&s;ters,</HI> nothing le&s;&s;e valued then <HI>Church-Authority:</HI> 'tis become the <HI>eye-&s;oar of the times;</HI> not to &s;peak of tho&s;e <HI>barking Shim<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">is</HI> the <HI>Quakers,</HI> and their <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">oul mouthed language taught them by the <HI>Father of lyes;</HI> &s;urely o|thers have not &s;uch a reverence of Gods Ordinance, as they &s;hould have.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="9" TYPE="verse">
<EPIGRAPH>
<BIBL>Ver&s;. 9.</BIBL>
<Q>Yet Michael the Arch-Angel, when con|tending with the Divel, he di&s;putes about the bo|dy of Mo&s;es, durst not bring again&s;t them a rai|ling accu&s;ation, but &s;aid, the Lord rebuke thee.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>THe Apo&s;tle had charged the Seducers, again&s;t whom he wrote, with oppo&s;ition of Magi&s;tracy, and con|temptuous &s;peaking again&s;t tho&s;e lights which God had &s;et in the Church; he now cometh to aggravate their <HI>effrontery</HI> and <HI>impudence,</HI> by the carriage of <HI>Michael the Arch-Angel</HI> towards the <HI>Divel</HI> In the Compari&s;on there is an Argument <HI>a majori ad minus,</HI> from the greater to the le&s;&s;e, which is evidently &s;een in all the circum&s;tances of the Text.</P>
<P>1. In the per&s;ons contending, <HI>Michael</HI> the <HI>Arch-Angel</HI> with the <HI>Divel:</HI> If <HI>Michael</HI> &s;o <HI>Excellent in na|ture,</HI> &s;o <HI>high in Office,</HI> contending with <HI>Sathan</HI> an impure Spirit, already judged by God, u&s;ed &s;uch mode&s;ty and awe, who are they, &s;orry Creatures, that dare de&s;pi&s;e per|&s;ons inve&s;ted with the Dignity and Height of Magi&s;tra|cy.</P>
<P>2. There is an aggravation from the Cau&s;e [<HI>when he di&s;puted with him ab<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ut the body of Mo&s;es</HI>] a matter ju&s;t, and in which the mind of God was clearly known, and dare <HI>they &s;p<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ak evil of things they know not?</HI> that is, in matters &s;o far above their reach, to take upon them to en&s;ure and determine.</P>
<P><PB N="357" REF="187">3. There is an aggravation taken from the di&s;po&s;iti|on of the Angel [<HI>he dur&s;t not bring again&s;t him a railing accu&s;ation</HI>] His holine&s;s would not permit him to deal with the Divel in an <HI>und<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">cent</HI> and <HI>injuri<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">us manner.</HI> But the&s;e ra&s;hly belch out their reproaches and cur&s;es again&s;t Superiours without any fear.</P>
<P>4. In the manner of &s;peech [<HI>the Lord rebuke thee</HI>] The whole judgement of the cau&s;e is referred to God; but the&s;e <HI>Gn<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;ticks</HI> take upon them, as if the whole judge|ment of <HI>Things, Per&s;ons</HI> and <HI>Actions</HI> were left in their hands, as our modern <HI>Quakers</HI> take upon them to cur&s;e, and to pronounce dreadful judgements upon Gods mo&s;t holy Servants according to their own plea&s;ures. The &s;um of the whole is this, if an <HI>Angel</HI> that is great in pow|er dur&s;t not bring again&s;t the <HI>wor&s;t Creatures</HI> in the very heat of <HI>contention</HI> about a <HI>good cau&s;e,</HI> any <HI>undue</HI> language and <HI>reproach,</HI> certainly 'tis an horrible impudence in men to &s;peak <HI>contemptuou&s;ly,</HI> yea in a <HI>cur&s;ing</HI> and <HI>bla&s;pheming manner,</HI> of tho&s;e whom God hath advanced to Superio|rity in <HI>Church</HI> or <HI>Common-wealth.</HI></P>
<P>This is the &s;um of the words, but becau&s;e this Scrip|ture is difficult, before I come to the Ob&s;ervations, I &s;hall premi&s;e &s;ome explicatory Que&s;tions.</P>
<DIV3 N="1" TYPE="question and answer">
<P><HI>Que&s;t 1 Whence had the Apo&s;tle this &s;tory? the Scrip|tures making no menti<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">n of it?</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> 1. The <HI>&s;ub&s;tance</HI> of it is in Scripture, we read, <HI>Deut. 34. 6. that the body of Mo&s;es was &s;ecretly buried by the Lord;</HI> but now for the <HI>circum&s;tances</HI> of it, he might receive them by divine Revelation; which are here Au|thori&s;ed and made Scipture, and indeed 'tis u&s;ual with the Pen-Men of holy Writ, to adde &s;uch circum&s;tances as were not mentioned in the place where the Hi&s;tory was fir&s;t recorded, as in <HI>Exodus</HI> we read of the oppo&s;ition of the Magicians to <HI>Mo&s;es;</HI> but their names are mentioned, 2 <HI>Tim. 3. 8. As Jannes and Jambres with&s;tood Mo&s;es.</HI> The whole &s;tory of their conte&s;t with him is in the <HI>Talmud</HI> and in <HI>Apulei<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">s</HI> and other. Hi&s;tories; we read, that the&s;e were <HI>famous Magiti<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ns,</HI> So <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 105 18. we
<PB N="358" REF="188">
read that <HI>Jo&s;ephs f<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">et were hurt in Fetters, and he was layed in Iron,</HI> which in the &s;tory in <HI>Gene&s;is</HI> appeareth not; &s;o <HI>Mo&s;es quaking, Heb.</HI> 12. 21. and the following of the Water of the Rock, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 10. 1, 2. Tho&s;e things might be received by <HI>Tradition,</HI> or <HI>Divine In&s;piration,</HI> or were extant in &s;ome <HI>known Book</HI> and <HI>Record</HI> then in u&s;e. <HI>Ori|gen</HI> quoteth a Book <GAP DESC="foreign">, about the <HI>a&s;&s;umption</HI> of <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> for this Hi&s;tory, &s;ome remainders of which are in the Books of the Jews unto this day. <HI>Capel|lus</HI> I remember repeateth a long tale out of the Book cal|led <HI>Rabbah,</HI> or the my&s;tical Expo&s;itions of the <HI>Penta|teuch,</HI> concerning the alteration between <HI>Michael</HI> and <HI>Samuel,</HI> or the <HI>Arch-Angel</HI> and the <HI>Divel</HI> about the <HI>body,</HI> or rather <HI>&s;oul</HI> of <HI>Mo&s;es.</HI> And how God to &s;ave it from <HI>Samuel,</HI> &s;ucked out his Soul from the Body by a ki&s;&s;e; but the &s;tory is &s;o fabulous, that I &s;hall not repeat it: &s;ee <HI>Cappelli Spicelug. in locum</HI> pag. 128, 129.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="2" TYPE="question and answer">
<P>Que&s;t. 2. <HI>Is this a real Hi&s;tory, or an Allu&s;i<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">n?</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> 2. There are three opinions about this. 1. One is, that 'tis a figurative expre&s;&s;ion of Gods care for his Church; and they that go this way by the <HI>body of Mo&s;es,</HI> under&s;tand either the <HI>whole body of the Levitical wor&s;hip,</HI> or el&s;e the <HI>community of I&s;rael</HI> repre&s;ented in <HI>Jo&s;hua the High Prie&s;t, who &s;tood before the Angel of the Lord Zech.</HI> 3. 1, 2. and <HI>Sathan at his right hand ready to re&s;i&s;t him,</HI> and the Lord <HI>&s;aid unto the Lord, the Lord rebuke thee, the Lord that hath cho&s;en Jeru&s;alem rebuke th<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">e;</HI> In <HI>Jo&s;hua</HI> the L<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">|vitical wor&s;hip newly re&s;tored is figured, and <HI>the Angel of the Lord, before whom he &s;tood, is Christ the Judge, Ad|vocate,</HI> and <HI>Defender</HI> of the Church, and <HI>the Lord,</HI> that is the Lord Chri&s;t, called <HI>the Angel</HI> before, puts forth the efficacy of his mediation again&s;t this malicious oppo&s;iti|on of Sathan. So &s;ome accommodate this Text to the &s;en&s;e of that place, and the main rea&s;on is, becau&s;e of the form here u&s;ed, <HI>The Lord rebuke thee;</HI> this &s;en&s;e is <HI>argute,</HI> but not &s;o <HI>&s;olid. Junius</HI> who fir&s;t propounded it, &s;eemeth to di&s;tru&s;t it; the rea&s;on is of no force, for the &s;ame form might be u&s;ed on divers occa&s;ions: and my rea&s;ons again&s;t
<PB N="359" REF="188">
it are, becau&s;e the&s;e expre&s;&s;ions are <HI>Typical</HI> and <HI>Vi&s;ional,</HI> now to make a Type of a Type e&s;pecially in the New Te|&s;tament, which u&s;ually explaineth the difficulties of the Old, &s;eemeth irrational, and though by <HI>Michael</HI> Chri&s;t may be intended; yet the change from <HI>Jo&s;hua</HI> to <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> is too much forced. 2. Others conceive that 'tis not an Hi&s;tory, but a <HI>Talmud<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ck fiction</HI> and <HI>Parable:</HI> and that <HI>Jude</HI> in citing it doth not approve the &s;tory as true, but onely urgeth it upon them for their in&s;truction, who were mightily plea&s;ed with the&s;e kind of Fables; as the Fathers again&s;t the Heathens did often make u&s;e of their own &s;to|ries and fictions concerning their gods, &s;uch conde&s;cen|tions are frequent: But again&s;t this opinion, it &s;eemeth to be urged here by way of <HI>down right a&s;&s;ertion,</HI> not as an argument <HI>ad homines,</HI> and by <HI>Peter</HI> on the like occa&s;ion, 2 <HI>P<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">t. 2. 11. Whereas Angels that are greater in might and power bring not a railing accu&s;ation again&s;t them before the Lord.</HI> I &s;ay, he doth not try it as a <HI>Jewi&s;h Fable,</HI> but as a <HI>real argument</HI> taken from the nature of the holy An|gels. 3. There is another opinion, That it is a <HI>real Hi|&s;tory,</HI> namely, that the Devil was earne&s;t to di&s;cover the place of <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> grave, and to take up his body again, wherein he was re&s;i&s;ted by <HI>Michael,</HI> &s;ome principal and chiefe Angel, and his attempts made fruitle&s;&s;e by this ho|ly and mode&s;t addre&s;&s;e to God, <HI>The Lord rebuke thee.</HI></P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="3" TYPE="question and answer">
<P>Que&s;t. 3. <HI>The next que&s;tion is, who is meant by Micha|el the Arch-Angel.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w. 3. Michael</HI> is the name of his <HI>Per&s;on,</HI> and <HI>Arch Angel</HI> of his <HI>office; Michael</HI> &s;ignifieth, he is &s;trong God, or who is like the &s;trong God; and there|fore &s;ome apply it to Je&s;us Chri&s;t, who in many places of Scripture is &s;et forth, as <HI>head of Angels,</HI> See <HI>Exod.</HI> 3. 2. with 4. &amp; <HI>Exod 23. 20, 21. 22 Gen.</HI> 48. 16. and in <HI>Dan. 12 1. &amp; Dan</HI> 10. 13. Je&s;us Chri&s;t &s;eemeth there to be intended by <HI>Michael,</HI> he being the <HI>Prince of I&s;rael.</HI> But there is no nece&s;&s;ity of interpreting tho&s;e places in <HI>Daniel,</HI> of Chri&s;t; much le&s;&s;e is he in<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ended here, it be|ing
<PB N="360" REF="189">
beneath the dignity of his per&s;on to contend with the Devil, which though he did in his humiliation, <HI>Matth.</HI> 4. yet to do it before, that was unworthy of him; be&s;ides that phra&s;e [<HI>he dur&s;t not</HI>] is not &s;o applicable to Je&s;us Chri&s;t; and be&s;ides Chri&s;t and the <HI>Arch-Angel</HI> are in Scripture di&s;tingui&s;hed, yea <HI>Peter</HI> applieth this to Angels in general, <HI>whereas Angels, 2 Pet.</HI> 2. 11. But you will object how can any creature be called <HI>Michael,</HI> equal to God in power and &s;trength? I An&s;wer, it may be taken <HI>ab&s;olutely,</HI> and &s;o 'tis proper to Chri&s;t, who is <HI>Gods fellow, Zech. 13. 7. 2. Comparatively,</HI> and &s;o it may be applyed to him who is highe&s;t in dignity among the Creatures, and is next to God in excellency, and &s;trength, and &s;o it may imply the highe&s;t Angel, as in Hell therei<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> a <HI>Beel|zebub,</HI> or a chief Divel; therefore 'tis &s;aid, <HI>Matth. 25. The Divel and his Angels,</HI> &s;o in Heaven there may be a <HI>Michael,</HI> one highe&s;t in order among the ble&s;&s;ed An|gels.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="4" TYPE="question and answer">
<P>Que&s;t. 4. <HI>Why &s;hould the Divel &s;o earne&s;tly di&s;pute about the body of Mo&s;es?</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> 4. The Rabbins among other of their Fables, interpret it of the de&s;ire which the Divel had to de&s;troy <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> by death, there being no man like <HI>Mo&s;es,</HI> that <HI>&s;aw God face to face;</HI> therefore his rage was great again&s;t him, and he &s;ought to de&s;troy him; and to this purpo&s;e apply that of the P&s;almi&s;t, <HI>P&s;al 37 1. The wicked watch|eth the righteous, and &s;eeketh to &s;lay him.</HI> Among Chri|&s;tians &s;ome &s;ay this &s;triving was <HI>before,</HI> &s;ome <HI>after</HI> his burial; &s;ome before his burial, as <HI>Junius,</HI> that his body might not be removed out of &s;ight, but he might &s;atisfie his rage and malice upon it, in abu&s;ing it. But that is not &s;o probable, the body being &s;uddenly di&s;po&s;ed of by God to &s;ome &s;ecret place of burial Some &s;ay <HI>after burial</HI> the Divel &s;ought to take it up again&punc; and upon that ground aro&s;e this contention between him and <HI>Michael.</HI> But why &s;hould the Divel contend &s;o much about the buried body of <HI>Mo&s;es?</HI> To an&s;wer this we mu&s;t con&s;ider what might be the ends of Gods concealing his burial; po&s;&s;ibly
<PB N="361" REF="189">
this might be one, <HI>Lea&s;t in a prepo&s;terous zeal, they &s;hould yield honour to the dead body of &s;uch a famous and excellent Prophet,</HI> and &s;o it might become a &s;nare to the people: po&s;&s;ibly there might be &s;omething Typical in it; the dead body of <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> was buried in an unknown place, lea&s;t they &s;hould take it up, and carry it into the Land of <HI>Canaan,</HI> to &s;ignifie the abolition of the <HI>legal Ordinances,</HI> under the Evangelike flate: So that to revive the Antiquated Cere|monies of the Law now, is to but rake up <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> his dead body; Now the Devil may be &s;uppo&s;ed to contend for the body of <HI>Mo&s;es,</HI> partly out of <HI>ob&s;tinate curio&s;ity,</HI> whereby &s;inful creatures are &s;trongly inclined to de&s;ire <HI>things forbid|den:</HI> Partly to defeat the purpo&s;es of God: but chiefly by <HI>dead Mo&s;es,</HI> to &s;et up him&s;elf in the hearts of the living&punc; &s;eeking thereby to provoke them to a wor&s;hip of his relicks or remains.</P>
<P>The&s;e que&s;tions premi&s;ed, the explication of the words is ea&s;ie, [<HI>Michael the Arch-Angel</HI>] that is &s;ome princi|pal Angel deputed to this Mini&s;try and &s;ervice [when he contended with the Devil, <GAP DESC="foreign">] the word &s;ignifieth an altercation or contention in words, a di&s;|pute with the Devil [about the body of <HI>Mo&s;es</HI>] about the knowledge of the place of his Burial; [<HI>dur&s;t no<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"></HI>] his &s;ear of God, mode&s;ty and meekne&s;s would not permit him, [<HI>bring again&s;t him a rayling accu&s;ation</HI>] <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>the judgment of bla&s;phemy,</HI> or &s;uch unworthy Language as the heat of contention is wont to provoke and extort from us. [But &s;aid, <HI>The Lord rebuke thee</HI>] 'tis a mode&s;t referring of the matter to Gods cogni&s;ance, or a prayer that the Lord would check this malicious oppo&s;ition.</P>
<P>Ob&s;ervations are many. 1. Ob&s;erve, That to aggravate<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 1.</NOTE> their virulency, he compares it with the mode&s;ty of an Arch-Angel, whence note, <HI>That pride and contempt in them of a low degree, is le&s;s tolerable then in tho&s;e whom God hath advanced to an higher rank and &s;phere</HI> Partly becau&s;e th<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;e have <HI>le&s;s temptation</HI> to be proud; and when a &s;in is com|mitted without a temptation, 'tis a &s;ign that the heart is &s;trongly inclined that way; as there needeth no force to
<PB N="362" REF="190">
make a bowl run downhill, becau&s;e of its natural tendency: their wants and meanne&s;s &s;hould keep them humble, we look that the fire &s;hould go out when the fuel is taken away, when men have nothing to be proud of, the <HI>want of an op|portunity</HI> &s;hould make men at lea&s;t forbear the &s;in. Partly, becau&s;e they have <HI>more rea&s;on</HI> to be humble, as the rich and grea have rea&s;on to be <HI>thankful,</HI> &s;o the poor have rea&s;on to be <HI>humble;</HI> with a <HI>low condition</HI> there &s;hould be a <HI>lowly mind, 'tis better to be of an humble &s;pirit with the lowly,</HI> &amp;c. <HI>Prov.</HI> 16. 19. Well then, <HI>poverty</HI> and <HI>pride</HI> are mo&s;t un&s;ui|table, pride is allowable in none, but in <HI>the poor</HI> mo&s;t pro|digious; 'tis an odd &s;ight to &s;ee tho&s;e of the highe&s;t Rank to turn <HI>fa&s;hioni&s;ts,</HI> and di&s;play the E<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;igns of their own va|nity, but when <HI>&s;ervants,</HI> and <HI>tho&s;e of a low degree,</HI> put them|&s;elves into the Garb, the&s;e are prodiges of pride; as the mode&s;ty of the Arch-Angel, was an upbraiding to the pride of the <HI>Gno&s;ticks,</HI> &s;o &s;hould tho&s;e that are advanced to the highe&s;t degree of honour, &s;hame the meaner &s;ort, with your <HI>comely plain.</HI> Again, to &s;ee men of the greate&s;t &s;uf|ficiences, humble in &s;tile and mind, and denying their great Parts for the &s;ake of the <HI>&s;implicity of the Go&s;pel;</HI> 'tis a &s;hame that per&s;ons of low parts &s;hould be puffed up, and appear flaunting in the pomp of words, or blu&s;tring in Greek and Latine &s;entences, as if <HI>all reading</HI> and <HI>learned worth,</HI> were their own; as the Apo&s;tle condemned the Corinthians for the pompous u&s;e of Tongues in the Church, and &s;hameth them by his own example, 1 <HI>Cor. 14. 18. I thank God I &s;peak with tongues more then you all, yet rather,</HI> &amp;c&punc;</P>
<P>Again, To take down pride, look to others whom God hath &s;et higher, and yet are <HI>more humble,</HI> as u&s;ually the high|er the Sun, the le&s;s &s;hadows it ca&s;teth. U&s;ually Gods children carry a <HI>low mind</HI> in an <HI>high condition; James&punc;</HI> 1. 10. they are rich, yet <HI>made low,</HI> that is, <HI>lowly.</HI> If in the fulne&s;s of Riches, Honours, Parts, and Enjoyments, they are &s;o meek and humble, why &s;hould I that have le&s;s temptations, be more proud? They are <HI>lifted up by God,</HI> but <HI>not in their own &s;pirits,</HI> I am a worm in a much lower Sphere, and yet of a prouder heart! they are <HI>aff<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ble, meek, modo&s;t&punc;</HI> why am
<PB N="363" REF="190">
I &s;o <HI>fierce</HI> and <HI>impatient of contradiction?</HI> Once more, If the judgments of God light upon greater Per&s;onages for their pride; &s;ay, what will become of me? in me 'tis more odious: If God de&s;troy tho&s;e who&s;e <HI>height is as the height of Cedars,</HI> Amos 2. 9. &s;urely the Reed &s;hould tremble: Many times mean and ba&s;e people that have no tincture of ingenuity; and are of no name or quality in the world have pride enough to be bitter enemies to Gods children, <HI>David</HI> &s;aith, P&s;al. 35. 15. <HI>The abjects gathered them&s;elves together to make Songs again&s;t me,</HI> when as God <HI>rebuketh Kings for their &s;akes;</HI> If he vi&s;it <HI>the Throne,</HI> will he not vi&s;it the <HI>Ale bench?</HI> What &s;corn will he ca&s;t upon this <HI>&s;awcy du&s;t?</HI> the&s;e &s;pightful worms that have only malice enough to &s;narle, and can go no further; If the <HI>great men of the earth</HI> tremble, &s;hall the <HI>bondmen</HI> go free? <HI>Rev.</HI> 16. 15. But chiefly upon this occa&s;ion would I commend to you, the example of the Lord Chri&s;t, to take down pride; this is an example that will &s;hame us indeed, what ever the pride be; are you puffed up with <HI>pride of vain conceit?</HI> Chri&s;t &s;tripped him&s;elf of all his glory, <HI>Phil.</HI> 2. 7. with <HI>pride of revenge?</HI> men are loath to &s;trike &s;ale, to &s;eek to an enemy, they &s;corn it: Je&s;us Chri&s;t, though &s;uch an ex|cellent per&s;on, <HI>loved us fir&s;t,</HI> 1 John 4. 19. &s;ued to his ene|mies: is it <HI>di&s;dain of our condition,</HI> pride of murmurings? he made him&s;elf a worm and no man, and when he was rich in the glory of the God-Head, became poor for our &s;akes, Matth. 10. 24. <HI>The De&s;ciple is not above his Ma&s;ter, nor the &s;ervant above his Lord:</HI> if we be &s;corned, would we be better dealt with, then our ma&s;ter was; many times you have &s;een a Ma&s;ter do the work of a &s;ervant to &s;hame him, &s;o did Chri&s;t: do but think of <HI>Chri&s;ts excellency,</HI> and your <HI>own ba&s;e condition,</HI> as here, to &s;hame the <HI>bruti&s;h Gno&s;ticks,</HI> the A|po&s;tle telleth them, they took more upon them then a glo|rious <HI>Angel.</HI></P>
<P>Again, From the Arch-Angels <HI>contending about the body</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat 2.</NOTE> <HI>of Mo&s;es:</HI> The Devil would di&s;cover <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> his Grave, and the Arch-Angel is ready to re&s;i&s;t him: The Note is, <HI>That God hath Angels, and Arch-Angels, that are always ready to defend a good cau&s;e;</HI> They are <HI>many,</HI> the King of Heaven
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hath a brave Court. Dan. 7. 10. <HI>A thou&s;and thou&s;and Mi|ni&s;ter to him, and ten thou&s;and times ten thou&s;and &s;tand before him,</HI> Chri&s;t &s;aith he could pray for <HI>twelve Ligions</HI> in an in|&s;tant, <HI>Mat.</HI> 26. 53. Now a Legion in the lea&s;t computation is &s;ix thou&s;and Foot&punc; and &s;even hundred Hor&s;e: they <HI>are able,</HI> they excell in &s;trength; one Angel &s;lew 185000 in one night, <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 37. 36. They are always ready attending on <HI>Gods commands,</HI> P&s;al. 103. 20. They rejoyce in <HI>names of &s;ervice,</HI> more then <HI>names of honour.</HI> They are &s;wift in execution, they are de&s;cribed to have <HI>&s;ix wings a piece&punc;</HI> I&s;aiah 6. 2. as being at the Lords beck, and ready to execute his Command as &s;oon as&punc; they <HI>hear the word:</HI> All which, Fir&s;t, Informeth us of the <HI>danger of wicked men</HI> in oppo&s;ing a good cau&s;e; they fight not only again&s;t <HI>men,</HI> but again&s;t <HI>Angels.</HI> 2. That Angels have more to do in <HI>humane affairs</HI> then we are a|ware of; there are evil Angels a&s;&s;i&s;ting in the Coun&s;els again&s;t the Church, and good Angels re&s;i&s;ting, in tho&s;e days of conflict; The Combate is not only between <HI>men</HI> and <HI>men,</HI> but between <HI>Angels</HI> and <HI>Angels,</HI> Dan. 10. 13. The protection of the holy Angels is <HI>invi&s;ible,</HI> but <HI>true</HI> and <HI>real.</HI> 3. Here is comfort to Gods children, when they are im|barked in an <HI>hazardous,</HI> but in an <HI>holy</HI> bu&s;ine&s;s; there are <HI>far more with us, then can be again&s;t us,</HI> 2 Kings 6. 16. there is <HI>God the Fathers power</HI> on the Churches &s;ide; The Son puts forth the &s;trength of his Mediation, <HI>Zech. 3. 2. The &s;pirit comforts</HI> and <HI>animateth</HI> us, and then <HI>holy Angels</HI> are imploy|ed as in&s;truments; The Lord Je&s;us and his Angels will &s;tick to the Church, when none el&s;e dare, <HI>Dan. 10. 21. There is none holdeth with me in the&s;e things, but Michael your Prince</HI> When all humane &s;trength falleth, Chri&s;t by their Mini&s;try can uphold the affairs of the Church, omnipotency is a great deep; u&s;ually we look to means, and can better conceive, of the operations of <HI>finite Creatures,</HI> then of the <HI>infinite God,</HI> therefore doth the Lord repre&s;ent the help of the Church, as managed by the&s;e powerful in&s;truments: only now take heed that you do not betray your &s;uccors, nor defraud your &s;elves of their protection. 1. By neglecting to &s;eek to the God of Angels. <HI>Dan. 10. 12. From the first day thou did&s;t</HI>
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<HI>&s;et thine heart to under&s;tand, and did&s;t cha&s;ten thy &s;elf before thy God,</HI> &amp;c. we are not to pray <HI>to them,</HI> but <HI>for them,</HI> to the Lord. 2. By unwarrantable practi&s;es, for then you joyn with Satan to their grief, <HI>P&s;al. 34. 7. The Angel encampeth about them that fear him.</HI> A good cau&s;e &s;hould be well ma|naged, and then tru&s;t God, who, if he &s;eeth fit to glorifie him&s;elf by our deliverance, rather then our &s;ufferings, can finde means enough to &s;ave us, when men fail.</P>
<P>Ob&s;erve again, <HI>That Angels have a care not only of the</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 3.</NOTE> <HI>&s;ouls, but of the bodies, yea even of the dead bodies of the Saints&punc;</HI> as <HI>Michael</HI> di&s;puted with the Devil about <HI>the body of Mo&s;es.</HI> That you may under&s;tand the particular care which the An|gels have about the people of God, I &s;hall open it to you in &s;everal Propo&s;itions.</P>
<P>1. 'Tis certain, <HI>The Angels had a great care about the people of God in ancient times,</HI> Examples are, found every where in the word of God; <HI>Lot</HI> was led out of <HI>Sodom</HI> by Angels, <HI>Daniel</HI> taught by an Angel, <HI>Cornelius</HI> an&s;wered by an Angel, an Angel with&s;tood <HI>Balaam</HI> in the way, <HI>Numb.</HI> 22. An Angel walked with <HI>the three children</HI> in the fiery Furnace, <HI>Dan.</HI> 3. 25. An Angel &s;hutteth up the mouths of Lions, that they might not hurt <HI>Daniel</HI> in the Den, <HI>Dan.</HI> 6. 22. An Angel comforted <HI>Paul</HI> in the Tempe&s;t, <HI>Act.</HI> 27. 23, 24. Scarce any remarkable thing befell the people of God, but it was accompli&s;ht by their mini&s;try.</P>
<P>2. <HI>The Mini&s;try of Angels though not &s;o vi&s;ible and &s;en&s;i|ble, as heretofore i<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> not wholly cea&s;ed;</HI> The priviledge of it be|longeth to all Saints, <HI>Heb. 1. 14. Are they not mini&s;tring &s;pi|rits &s;ent forth for the Heirs of &s;alvation?</HI> all that are called to inherit a ble&s;&s;ing, were under their tutelage, &s;o &s;ee, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 91. 12. and tho&s;e in&s;tances alledged in the former Propo&s;i|tion, are patterns and pre&s;idents by which&punc; we may know what to expect; their tutelage then was more vi&s;ible and &s;en&s;ible, becau&s;e the Church newly planted, needed to be confirmed, but God would have us live by faith, and expect all our &s;upports in a more &s;piritual way&punc; though we have not <HI>vi&s;ible apparitions,</HI> yet we have <HI>real experiments</HI> of their &s;uc|cour; the evil Angels appear not, yet we doubt not of the
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hurt done by them; in the fir&s;t times of the Go&s;pel, <HI>Chri&s;ts bodily pre&s;ence</HI> was nece&s;&s;ary, but now onely <HI>his &s;pi|ritual.</HI></P>
<P>3. <HI>The proper object of their Mini&s;try and care&punc; are the chil|dren of God,</HI> wicked men are not under their covert and pro|tection; 'tis true, they may be&punc; under a general care, as <HI>Ha|gar</HI> and <HI>I&s;hmael,</HI> who are &s;et out in Scripture, as the Types of tho&s;e that are rejected by the Lord, yet <HI>Gen. 21. 17. An Angel of the Lord came and &s;tood by Hagar, and &s;aid, the Lord hath heard the cry of the &s;ad:</HI> though po&s;&s;ibly this might be, as he was <HI>Abrahams</HI> Son; dogs in the Hou&s;e have the Crumbs.</P>
<P>4. <HI>The Mini&s;try of the Angels is over all the children of God, without exception,</HI> not only <HI>Mo&s;es,</HI> but the <HI>meane&s;t Saint</HI> is under their care; Gods love to his people is not di&s;penced with re&s;pect to their peculiar pomp and greatne&s;s, <HI>Mat. 18. 10. Offend not the&s;e little ones, for their Angels be|held my Fathers face;</HI> 'tis chiefly meant of tho&s;e that are lit|tle in e&s;teem and account in the world; the me&s;&s;age of Chri&s;ts birth was brought by Angels to <HI>Shepherds,</HI> feeding their flocks in the fields, <HI>Luke</HI> 3.</P>
<P>5. As <HI>no Saints are excepted from receiving the benefit of their Mini&s;try, &s;o no Angels are excepted from being imployed in i<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">: Michael</HI> contendeth with <HI>Satan,</HI> and the Apo&s;tle &s;aith, <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>Are they not all,</HI> &amp;c. <HI>Heb.</HI> 1. 14. The <HI>Arch-Angels</HI> them&s;elves are <HI>mini&s;tring &s;pirits;</HI> 'tis a ra&s;h boldne&s;s in the Schoolmen to exempt any from this Office, what an in&s;tance is here of Gods love, that the <HI>highe&s;t Angel</HI> &s;hould not be exempted from a care of the <HI>lowe&s;t Saint.</HI></P>
<P>6. <HI>That every &s;ingle beleever hath his proper and alotted Angel to attend him from his birth to his death, is rather mat|ter of problem and di&s;pute, than po&s;itive a&s;&s;ertion;</HI> there are &s;ome Scriptures make it <HI>probable&punc;</HI> but not <HI>certain;</HI> &s;ometimes we read of <HI>one Angel</HI> attending <HI>many men&punc;</HI> and at other times of <HI>many Angels</HI> attending <HI>one man,</HI> as <HI>Jacob</HI> had many, <HI>Gen. 32. 1, 2. Gods Ho&s;t,</HI> &amp;c. &s;o <HI>Eli&s;ha, 2&punc; Kings 6. 17. Eli&s;ha prayed and the Mountains were full of Chariots and Hor&s;es of fire,</HI> that is, that is of Angels comming to offer help in that
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ca&s;e: 'Tis true, the opinion of <HI>a particular Angel Guardion was</HI> antient, <HI>Plato</HI> &s;aith, <GAP DESC="foreign">, and among the ancient Fathers, places of Scripture are brought for it, that are full of <HI>probability,</HI> not <HI>cogency;</HI> one is that of the old Te&s;tament, <HI>Gen. 48. 16. The Angel which redeemed me from all evil, ble&s;s the Lads,</HI> &amp;c. in which pa&s;|&s;age he &s;eemeth to a&s;cribe his pre&s;ervation and deliverance to&punc; &s;ome <HI>particular Angel;</HI> but to this may be replied what was before alledged of the <HI>Ho&s;t of God,</HI> going along with him, and by this Angel is meant the Lord Chri&s;t, who is alone the object of wor&s;hip, and adoration; and who becau&s;e of the frequency of his per&s;onal appearance and mediation be|tween God and man, is &s;et forth under the term of an Angel: The <HI>Rabbines</HI> expound it of the <HI>Angel of Gods pre&s;ence:</HI> Another place is, <HI>Mat. 18. 10. Their Angels &s;ee my Fathers face,</HI> not <HI>the Angels,</HI> but <HI>their Angels;</HI> but the word there may only imply their <HI>common intere&s;t</HI> in the whole Ho&s;t of God; Chri&s;t doth not &s;ay that every one of them hath an Angel: as for in&s;tance, it may be &s;aid, the&s;e <HI>Pri&s;oners</HI> have their <HI>Keepers,</HI> the&s;e <HI>Scholars</HI> have their <HI>Ma&s;ters,</HI> the&s;e <HI>Soul|diers</HI> have their <HI>Captains,</HI> it doth not follow that every one hath a particular <HI>Keeper, Ma&s;ter, Captain,</HI> &amp;c. Another place is <HI>Acts</HI> 12. 15. When the Maid &s;aid <HI>Peter was at the door,</HI> they di&s;tru&s;ting her report, &s;aid, <HI>'tis his Angel;</HI> This place may be an&s;wered thus, That <HI>&s;ayings of men in Scripture are not all Scripture,</HI> or <HI>a part of our rule;</HI> and that many things were &s;poken by the Di&s;ciples in their rudene&s;s, which are not altogether ju&s;tifiable; but becau&s;e this place is the main&punc; let me examine it a little: Three opinions there are about the place: Some under&s;tand it <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Johns <HI>Di&s;ci|ples are called</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">, Angels, <HI>or</HI> Me&s;&s;engers of John <HI>Luke 7. 24.</HI></NOTE> <HI>Appellativ<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ly, 'tis his Angel,</HI> or <HI>Me&s;&s;enger,</HI> &s;ent by him out of Pri&s;on. But <HI>R<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">oda</HI> heard <HI>Peters</HI> voice, and that was the ground of the &s;ayings: Others under&s;tand it of &s;ome Angel come to give notice of his death, but that is groundle&s;s: La&s;tly, &s;ome as <HI>Chry&s;o&s;tom,</HI> of a <HI>particular tutelar Angel;</HI> but whence doth it appear that the&s;e Angels had the &s;hape and habit of tho&s;e they kept, and Angels do not u&s;e to knock at doors,
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and wait for opening: and if <HI>Peter</HI> had a &s;pecial Angel, it followeth not that all have; the meaning probably is, <HI>'Tis a &s;pirit that hath a&s;&s;umed his &s;hape.</HI></P>
<P>7. <HI>Though it be not certain that every particular believer hath an Angel deputed to his attendance, yet in the general, there is an a&s;&s;urance of a Guardian&s;hip, and Tutelage from the Angels;</HI> the <HI>Heirs of &s;alvation</HI> have them among them; if the whole City hath a &s;ufficient Guard, 'tis as good as if eve|ry Citizen had a di&s;tinct Souldier to defend him; nay, 'tis more for our comfort that we have many rather then one, we have to do with many <HI>enemies,</HI> and therefore we need <HI>much a&s;&s;i&s;tance,</HI> P&s;al 91. 12. <HI>He &s;hall give his Angels charge over thee:</HI> Many Angels are charged with our &s;afety, and though they be not &s;o particularly conver&s;ant about us (as the other opinion conceiveth) yet they <HI>behold the face of God,</HI> and are always in his pre&s;ence, and <HI>wait for his com|mand, P&s;al.</HI> 103. 20. who &s;o careth for every one as if he had none to care for be&s;ides him.</P>
<P>8. <HI>This Tutelage is from their fir&s;t conception in the womb, till the tran&s;lation of body and &s;oul into glory;</HI> &s;urvey all the pa&s;&s;ages of life from the <HI>Womb</HI> to the <HI>Grave,</HI> nay, after death, till the <HI>Re&s;urrection,</HI> the Mini&s;try of Angels doth not wholly cea&s;e: their care beginneth as &s;oon as the child is quickened in the womb, for then they have another di&s;tinct charge to look after; and as they are &s;ervants of providence by their help they are born and brought into the world, Gods pro|vidence taketh date thence, <HI>Gal.</HI> 1. 15. and they, I &s;ay, are <HI>in&s;truments of providence,</HI> they watch over us in <HI>infancy</HI> and <HI>childhood; little ones</HI> are committed to their cu&s;tody, and <HI>Babes</HI> and <HI>Sucklings</HI> have their Angels, <HI>Mat</HI> 18. Je&s;us Chri&s;t was provided for in his Cradle by an Angel, <HI>Mat.</HI> 2. 13. The Devil rampeth about the Elect whil&s;t they are yet in their &s;wadling cloaths; That expre&s;&s;ion, <HI>Rev.</HI> 12. of the Dragons &s;eeking to <HI>devour the man&punc;child, as &s;oon as he was born,</HI> is figurative, but it alludeth to what is true: Again, as we grow up they rejoice at <HI>our conver&s;ion</HI> Luke 15&punc; we read of <HI>joy in Heaven over a&punc; &s;inner that repente<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">h;</HI> you can|not gratifie the Angels more then in your conver&s;ion to
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God; the Devil &s;eeks to hinder it as much as he can, but they rejoice <HI>when a brand is pluckt out of the burning</HI> Zech&punc; 3. Again after conver&s;ion, they watch over us in <HI>duty</HI> and <HI>danger,</HI> and <HI>temptations,</HI> in <HI>duties</HI> where Satan is mo&s;t bu&s;ie to hinder, <HI>Zech.</HI> 3. 1. they are mo&s;t <HI>helpful;</HI> the Angels are in the <HI>A&s;&s;emblies of the faithful, 1 Cor.</HI> 11. 10. So in <HI>dangers,</HI> when <HI>Peter</HI> was in pri&s;on, God &s;endeth him an An|gel to bring him out, <HI>Acts 12. Ruffinus</HI> &s;peaketh of a young man, a Martyr on the Rack, that had his face wiped by an Angel, and refre&s;hed by him in the mid&s;t of his pains: nay, in ca&s;ual dangers, which we cannot fore&s;ee and prevent, P&s;al. 91. 12. <HI>He &s;hall give his Angels charge over thee, that thou da&s;h not thy foot again&s;t a &s;tone;</HI> &s;o in <HI>Temptations,</HI> Mat. 4. 11. <HI>they mini&s;tred to Chri&s;t,</HI> when he was tempted by the Devil; they came to &s;hew how God will deal with his people in like ca&s;es: Once more, they are with us to com|fort us in death; in the mid&s;t of his Agonies the Lord Je&s;us was comforted and refre&s;hed by an Angel, <HI>Luke</HI> 22. 43. &s;o they are with the faithful, helping and ea&s;ing them in their &s;ickne&s;&s;es: After death they carry our &s;ouls to Heaven, as <HI>Lazarus</HI> was carryed into <HI>Abrahams bo&s;ome, Luke</HI> 16. 22. Though the body had not the honour of a pompous burial, yet the &s;oul is &s;olemnly conveyed by Angels, and gathered up into the communion of the &s;ouls of ju&s;t men made perfect; as Chri&s;t him&s;elf al&s;o a&s;cended into Heaven in the company of Angels, <HI>Acts</HI> 1. Once more, after death they guard our bodies in the Grave, as the Angels guarded Chri&s;ts Sepul|chre, <HI>Mat.</HI> 28. 2, 3, 4. God did &s;et his Guards, as well as well as the High-Prie&s;ts: Their la&s;t Mini&s;try and &s;ervice about the faithful, is to gather up their bodies at the la&s;t day <HI>They &s;hall gather up the Elect from the four winds, Mat.</HI> 24. 31 and then their Office and charge cea&s;eth.</P>
<P>9. <HI>This Tutelage is ever admini&s;tred according to Gods plea&s;ure,</HI> P&s;al. 103. 21. <HI>Ye Mini&s;ters of his that do his plea|&s;ure,</HI> not <HI>their own,</HI> not <HI>ours, but his plea&s;ure;</HI> the help of Angels <HI>is more powerful,</HI> but <HI>no more ab&s;olute</HI> then the help of other means, for it dependeth &s;till on the will of God, as all other means of defence and outward &s;upport do; their
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imployment is to attend us, and &s;erve us, according to the Lords direction.</P>
<P>Let us now apply what hath been &s;poken. Fir&s;t, It &s;erveth <HI>for Information,</HI> to &s;hew us,</P>
<P>1. The care of God for the Elect; He ingageth his <HI>own</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">U&s;e 1.</NOTE> <HI>power</HI> for our pre&s;ervation, as al&s;o <HI>the Mediation of Chri&s;t,</HI> the <HI>conduct of the Spirit,</HI> and the <HI>Mini&s;try of Angels:</HI> In <HI>Zech.</HI> 1. you have a Schem of providence, the <HI>man that &s;tood among the Mirtle Trees,</HI> &s;ent <HI>the Angels</HI> too and fro, throughout the earth, and then they come and give him an account of what pa&s;&s;eth in the world; The <HI>Man</HI> is Je&s;us Chri&s;t, who to pre-figure his Incarnation, is thus repre&s;ent|ed, and he hath all the Angels at his command, to &s;end them forth as the condition of his Church requireth; and they as his Intelligencers and Agents, are to bring him no|tice how all affairs and matters pa&s;s in the world; Thus doth the Lord &s;et forth him&s;elf to our capacity, and that we who are u&s;ed to means, may the better believe in <HI>him.</HI></P>
<P>2. The <HI>Condi&s;cention,</HI> and <HI>humility of the Angels,</HI> they rejoice in names of <HI>&s;ervice&punc;</HI> more then in <HI>names of honour,</HI> and will perform Offices of re&s;pect to the meane&s;t Creatures an Angel cloathed with light and glory, would come to the Shepherds, and do not refu&s;e at Chri&s;ts direction to wait upon tho&s;e who are de&s;pi&s;ed and rejected of men.</P>
<P>3. It informeth us of their <HI>mankindne&s;s,</HI> which &s;hameth <HI>our envy,</HI> their love is great to mankind, and are affectio|nately de&s;ireous of our good, and therefore decline no Of|fice of love and &s;ervice to us; they rejoiced when the world was created as a dwelling place for man, <HI>Job.</HI> 38. 7. And again at the comming of Chri&s;t, which was mans re&s;toring, <HI>Luke</HI> 2. 13. And &s;o at the calling and conver&s;ion of a &s;inner, <HI>Luke</HI> 15. 7. when we come to be po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ed of our priviledges in Chri&s;t.</P>
<P>4. It informeth us of the dignity of the Saints, what a price doth the Lord, and the holy Angels &s;et upon the mean|e&s;t Chri&s;tian; Gods <HI>own Court is their Guard:</HI> certainly a godly man though of the meane&s;t calling, &s;hould not be contemptible; there is &s;omewhat in holine&s;s more then the
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world &s;eeth; &s;ome worth in it, or el&s;e God would not &s;et &s;uch a Guard upon it, a Guard &s;o full of <HI>&s;tate</HI> and <HI>&s;trength;</HI> 'twas a mighty favour for <HI>Mordicai</HI> to have a <HI>Courtier</HI> of a great King to wait upon him for one hour: We have <HI>An|gels</HI> that &s;till attend and wait for our good.</P>
<P>5. It informeth us of the <HI>obedience of the Angels in the low|e&s;t &s;ervices;</HI> God &s;aith, go, and they go, though it be to wait upon poor and mean Creatures; we u&s;ually di&s;pute commands when we &s;hould practice them, and &s;tick at du|ties that have any thing of <HI>aba&s;ement,</HI> and <HI>&s;elf-denyal</HI> in them, in the Lords Prayer we are brought to this pattern, Mat. 6. <HI>Thy will be done in earth as it is in Heaven,</HI> that is, by the holy Angels; it &s;hould be done by us with like <HI>readine&s;s</HI> and <HI>&s;ubmi&s;&s;ion:</HI> No Office or employment that God calleth us to, &s;hould be looked upon as too mean and ba&s;e for us, the Angels that excell in &s;trength, when God commandeth, being willing to condi&s;cend to the Guardian&s;hip of men.</P>
<P>Secondly, It &s;erveth for Exhortation to the children of<NOTE PLACE="marg">U&s;e 2.</NOTE> God.</P>
<P>1. <HI>To wait for the Angels help,</HI> Do you keep in Gods ways and in your Callings, and you &s;hall have &s;afety and defence, when the Lord &s;ees it fit for you; remember you are a &s;pectacle to God, Men and Angels, in all your actions, try|als and &s;ufferings, and bear up with a confidence, becom|ing Chri&s;tians, though you can do little as to the promoti|on of Chri&s;ts intere&s;t; What cannot God do by his An|gels?</P>
<P>2. To behave our &s;elves as tho&s;e that do expect this help, not <HI>tempting God,</HI> not <HI>grieving the Angels;</HI> We &s;hould take heed how we carry our &s;elves in regard of this honou|rable attendance; our &s;ins and vanity offendeth them, as it doth God&punc; <HI>Let</HI> was a man of a mixt nature, yet <HI>vexed with the impure conver&s;ation</HI> of the Sodomites, 2 <HI>Pet.</HI> 2. 8. Angels are pure and holy Creatures, that &s;till abode in the truth; <HI>pride, lu&s;t,</HI> and vanity, is very offen&s;ive to them, e&s;pecially impurities and undecencies in Gods wor&s;hip, about which they have a &s;pecial attendance; therefore the Apo&s;tle bid|eth the women <HI>to cover their heads becau&s;e of the Angels,</HI>
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1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 11. 10. their fa&s;hion being to come into the Con|gregation with loo&s;e di&s;hevelled locks, he mindeth them of the pre&s;ence <HI>of the Angels:</HI> We may u&s;e a like Argument to women to cover <HI>their naked Brea&s;ts,</HI> now their immode&s;ty is grown &s;o impudent as to out-face the Ordinances of God.</P>
<P>3. To ob&s;erve this when 'tis be&s;towed upon us; <HI>The An|gel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him;</HI> and then, <HI>Oh come ta&s;t and &s;ee,</HI> P&s;al. 34. 7, 8. When deliverances are &s;trange and wonderful, and there is the lea&s;t concurrence of vi&s;ible cau&s;es to defend Chri&s;ts intere&s;t, remember that <HI>all things vi&s;ible and invi&s;ible,</HI> were created <HI>by Chri&s;t,</HI> and <HI>for Chri&s;t,</HI> even <HI>Thrones, Principalities and Powers,</HI> Col. 1. 16.</P>
<P>Thirdly, Here is <HI>Reproof</HI> to wicked men that perform the<NOTE PLACE="marg">U&s;e 3.</NOTE> <HI>Divels Mini&s;try</HI> act the part of the <HI>bad Angels</HI> rather then the <HI>good; de&s;pi&s;e, &s;launder, oppo&s;e, &s;educe,</HI> and <HI>tempt the children of God:</HI> how dare&s;t thou <HI>de&s;pi&s;e</HI> tho&s;e whom the Angels honour? you think them unworthy of your <HI>counte|nance</HI> and <HI>company&punc;</HI> when Angels di&s;dain not to vouch&s;afe them their <HI>&s;ervice</HI> and <HI>attendance;</HI> you &s;launder tho&s;e whom they defend, and oppo&s;e and per&s;ecute them whom they are engaged to protect; and <HI>wrong</HI> them who&s;e Angels be|hold the face of God; and <HI>tempt</HI> and <HI>&s;educe</HI> them, whom they rejoyce to &s;ee brought home to God.</P>
<P>I have but one word more, and I have done with this<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 4.</NOTE> Point. Get <HI>this intere&s;t</HI> if you would be under this <HI>Tu|telage;</HI> get an intere&s;t in Chri&s;t, and then you get an in|tere&s;t in the Angels, <HI>their Angels,</HI> &amp;c. <HI>Mat.</HI> 18. 10. they are not called <HI>Gods,</HI> but <HI>theirs,</HI> hereafter the Saints &s;hall be <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>like the Angels in Heaven,</HI> Luke 20. 30. and here, till we have <HI>this glory,</HI> we &s;hall have <HI>their de|fence.</HI></P>
<P>In the next place, &s;omewhat may be ob&s;erved from the &s;tile and Character of this Angel, <HI>Michael the Arch-An|gel&punc; That there is an order among the Angels, both good and bad;</HI> they have their di&s;tinct heads, we read of <HI>Michael,</HI> and we read of <HI>Beelzebub;</HI> there is <HI>an order in Hell,</HI> thence that expre&s;&s;ion, <HI>Mat.</HI> 25. 41. <HI>The Divel and his Angels,</HI> which &s;eemeth to intimate a Prince among the <HI>unclean &s;pi|rits;</HI>
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much more is there an order among the good Angels. God that made all things in order, would not endure con|fu&s;ion among tho&s;e heavenly Creatures, for that would &s;eem to infringe their happine&s;s: but now to <HI>define this Or|der,</HI> and <HI>the &s;everal degrees</HI> of it, were but to intrude our &s;elves into things <HI>we have not &s;een,</HI> Col. 2. 19. <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">See Rivets Cathol. Ortho|dox. de Aug. Grad.</NOTE> <HI>Cyril</HI> calleth it <GAP DESC="foreign">, the domineering of bold &s;pi|rits: The School-men take upon them as if they knew all the particulars of <HI>their government</HI> and <HI>di&s;tinction;</HI> but in things not revealed there can be no certainty; the Apo&s;tle indeed &s;peaketh of &s;everal ranks of invi&s;ible Creatures, <HI>Col.</HI> 1. 16. <HI>Thrones, Dominions, Principalities, and Powers;</HI> but who can particularly define their <HI>Office</HI> and <HI>Order? a di&s;tinction</HI> there is, but what it is we know not: however, the general con&s;ideration is u&s;eful. Partly to &s;hew us the <HI>nece&s;&s;ity of order</HI> and <HI>&s;ubordination,</HI> no Creatures can &s;ub&s;i&s;t without it; they that are again&s;t <HI>Magi&s;tracy,</HI> are again&s;t <HI>peace</HI> and <HI>happine&s;s;</HI> the <HI>Angels</HI> and <HI>Devils</HI> are not with|out their Heads and <HI>Princes.</HI> Partly to repre&s;ent to us the <HI>Maje&s;ty of God;</HI> He hath <HI>Angels,</HI> and <HI>Arch-Angels, Thrones' Dominions, Principalities and Powers;</HI> our eyes are dazled at the magnificence and lu&s;tre of earthly Kings, when we &s;ee them &s;urrounded with <HI>Dukes, Marque&s;&s;es,</HI> and <HI>Earls,</HI> and <HI>Barons:</HI> Oh what poor things are the&s;e to tho&s;e Orders and degrees of Angels, with which God is invironed? Partly to acquaint us with the <HI>happine&s;s of the everla&s;ting e&s;tate:</HI> 'Tis the mi&s;ery of the wicked, that they &s;hall be <HI>ca&s;t out with the Devil and his Angels,</HI> and our happine&s;s that we &s;hall make up one Church and A&s;&s;embly, with <HI>Angels,</HI> and <HI>Arch-An|gels,</HI> Heb. 12,</P>
<P>Somewhat may be ob&s;erved from the matter of the con|tention,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 5.</NOTE> <HI>the body of Mo&s;es,</HI> which the Devil would abu&s;e to Idolatry, that is the rea&s;on why he was &s;o earne&s;t in the conte&s;t: Note, <HI>That the Devil loveth Idolatry;</HI> all fal&s;e wor&s;hips either <HI>directly,</HI> or by <HI>con&s;equence,</HI> tend to the ho|nour of the Devil; therefore Idol&punc; Fea&s;ts are called the <HI>Ta|ble of Devils,</HI> 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 10. 31. Now 'tis ob&s;ervable that tho&s;e Sacrifices which were offered to the true God, but in
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an unbecoming manner, are called the <HI>Sacrifices of Devil, Levit.</HI> 17. 7. compare it with <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 3. 4. Though they <HI>killed a Goat, or an Ox, or a Lamb, to the Lord for a Sacrifice,</HI> be|cau&s;e 'twas <HI>in the Camp,</HI> and not <HI>before the Tabernacle;</HI> God &s;aith&punc; <HI>they &s;hall no more offer Sacrifice to Devils:</HI> &s;o 'tis &s;aid of Gods own people&punc; <HI>Deut.</HI> 32. 17. <HI>They &s;acrifice to Devils, and not unto God;</HI> in <HI>their intention</HI> it was unto God, but in <HI>the i&s;&s;ue,</HI> and <HI>nece&s;&s;ary interpretation</HI> of it, 'twas to the De|vil: Now the Devil delights in Idols and fal&s;e wor&s;hips: Partly in malice to God: the Lord&punc; above all things is mo&s;t tender of his wor&s;hip, and therefore Satan is mo&s;t bu&s;ie to corrupt it: There are two things that are dear to God. His <HI>Truth,</HI> and <HI>his Wor&s;hip;</HI> now Satan bendeth his &s;trength and &s;pight, to corrupt this <HI>Truth</HI> with <HI>errour,</HI> and his <HI>Wor&s;hip</HI> with <HI>&s;uper&s;tition.</HI> Partly in malice and &s;pight to men, God is a jealous God; Satan knoweth that corruptions of wor|&s;hip do not go unrevenged, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 16. 4. <HI>Sorrows &s;hall be multiplyed on them that ha&s;ten after another God,</HI> of all &s;in|ners they &s;hall not e&s;cape; the &s;evere&s;t revenges of God have been occa&s;ioned by prevarications in wor&s;hip, as <HI>Lev.</HI> 10. 3. on <HI>Aarons</HI> &s;ons, &s;trange fire in the <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> en&s;ors brought down &s;trange fire from Heaven, &s;o 1 <HI>Sam.</HI> 6. 20. There were 50000 Beth&s;hemites &s;lain for an undue Circum&s;tance: &s;o the <HI>breach made upon &V;zzah,</HI> 2 Sam. 6. 6, 7. the Devil is not ignorant of this, and therefore longing for mans de|&s;truction, &s;eeketh to ha&s;ten it as much as he can by Idolatry, and fal&s;e wor&s;hip. Partly out of pride, he is <HI>con&s;tant in evil,</HI> and abode <HI>in pride,</HI> though he abode not <HI>in the truth,</HI> he would fain be wor&s;hiped, and a&s;&s;umed into a fellow&s;hip of the Divine Honour and glory; he <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">aith to Chri&s;t, <HI>Mat</HI> 4. 9. <HI>Fall down and wor&s;hip me, and I will give thee all the&s;e things,</HI> the Devil is not Changling though he doth not retain his place, he retaineth his pride; nothing &s;o plea&s;ing to him as Wor&s;hip and Adoration, and &s;o he can get it any way from the creatures, be is contented.</P>
<P>Well then, it &s;heweth us.</P>
<P>1. What care we &s;hould take to be <HI>right in wor&s;hip&punc;</HI> both<NOTE PLACE="marg">U&s;e 1.</NOTE> for the <HI>object</HI> and <HI>manner:</HI> 'tis Idolatry not only to wor&s;hip
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<HI>fal&s;e Gods</HI> in the place of the true God, but to wor&s;hip the true God in a <HI>fal&s;e manner,</HI> and both &s;orts do gratifie the Devil; when he cannot hold the people under utter blind|ne&s;s and Pagani&s;m, he is glad if he can draw them to <HI>undue Rites</HI> and <HI>Ceremonies</HI> in wor&s;hip; therefore let us hate the lea&s;t kind of Idolatry, if we would not prog for the Devils Kingdom: <HI>David</HI> &s;aith, P&s;al. 16. 4. <HI>I will not take their name into my lips,</HI> that he would abhor the very mention of Idols: &s;o <HI>Ho&s;ea</HI> 2. 16. God would no more be called <HI>Baal,</HI> though it &s;ignified <HI>Lord</HI> and <HI>Husband,</HI> becau&s;e the Title had been applyed to Idols; The I&s;raelites when they took Ci|ties, they changed their names if they had any tincture of Idolatry, <HI>Numb.</HI> 32. 38. <HI>Nebo and Baalmeon, their names being changed;</HI> &s;o exact &s;hould we be in keeping from Idols.</P>
<P>2. Let us beware of Idolatry, Satan loveth it, and that is motive enough; we <HI>&s;hould hate as Chri&s;t hateth,</HI> and <HI>love as he loveth,</HI> Rev. 2&punc; 6. and on the contrary, <HI>love what Satan ha|teth,</HI> and <HI>hate what he loveth,</HI> naturally we are wondrous prone to this &s;in, and therefore <HI>Idolatry</HI> is reckoned as <HI>a work of the fle&s;h, Gal.</HI> 5. 20. man naturally hath a corrupt, and working fancy and imagination, which depending upon &s;en&s;e, formeth fle&s;hly conceptions, and notions of God; and therefore are we &s;o prone to erre in this wor&s;hip: 'tis not needful, (I hope) to &s;peak to you of <HI>Pagani&s;h,</HI> and <HI>Pope|i&s;h</HI> Idolatry: Let me only now di&s;&s;wade you,</P>
<P>Fir&s;t from making the true God an Idol in your thoughts, by forming apprehen&s;ions unworthy of the glory of his E&s;|&s;ence, <HI>P&s;alm.</HI> 50. 21. <HI>Thou thoughte&s;t that I was altogether like thy &s;elf;</HI> Now thus we do when we conceive him of <HI>&s;uch a mercy</HI> as to hold fellow&s;hip with one that continueth under the full power of his &s;ins, <HI>&s;o weak</HI> as not to be able to help in deep extremities, <HI>Zech.</HI> 8. 6. Of a <HI>rigorous and revengeful di&s;|po&s;ition,</HI> as not to pardon injuries and offences, upon <HI>&s;ub|mi&s;&s;ion</HI> and <HI>repentance,</HI> Ho&s;. 11. 8. of a <HI>fickle nature,</HI> &s;o as to fail in his promi&s;es, <HI>Numb.</HI> 23. 19. Thus 'tis ea&s;ie to turn the true God into an Idol of our own brains. To remedy this, con&s;ider God <HI>in his works,</HI> and <HI>in Chri&s;t.</HI> In <HI>his works,</HI>
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<HI>Cyril</HI> I remember ob&s;erveth <HI>that before the flood, we read of no Idolatry. Aquinas</HI> addeth a rea&s;on to the ob&s;ervation, becau&s;e the memory of the Creation was then fre&s;h in their thoughts: Again, look upon God in Chri&s;t, you heard be|fore in <HI>Levit.</HI> 17. if they did not bring their Sacrifice to the Tabernacle, it was called <HI>a Sacrifice of Devils;</HI> The Taber|nacle was a Type of Chri&s;t; you make God an Idol&punc; when you wor&s;hip him out of Chri&s;t, <HI>For the Father will be honor|ed in the Son&punc;</HI> John 5. Therefore when ever you go to God, take Chri&s;t along with you.</P>
<P>Secondly, From &s;etting up any Idol again&s;t God in your affections, when you &s;et up any thing above <HI>God</HI> in <HI>your e&s;teem,</HI> e&s;pecially <HI>in your tru&s;t;</HI> that's an Idol, <HI>covetou&s;ne&s;s</HI> is twice called <HI>Idolatry, Col.</HI> 3. 5. <HI>Eph.</HI> 5&punc; 5. becau&s;e it doth withdraw our affections from God; yea our <HI>care,</HI> our <HI>e&s;teem,</HI> our <HI>tru&s;t,</HI> which is the chiefe&s;t homage and re&s;pect which God expecteth from the Creature: I mention the&s;e things becau&s;e I would &s;peak &s;omewhat to practice, and becau&s;e Satan is gratified with <HI>&s;piritual Idolatry,</HI> as well as with that which is <HI>gro&s;s</HI> and <HI>bodily.</HI></P>
<P>From that Clau&s;e [<HI>about the body of Mo&s;es</HI>] once more<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 6.</NOTE> ob&s;erve, <HI>That of all kind of Idolatry, the Devil abu&s;eth the world mo&s;t with Idolatrous re&s;pects to the bodies and Relicks of dead Saints.</HI> If you ask why, I an&s;wer. Partly becau&s;e this kind of Idolatry is mo&s;t likely to take, as being mo&s;t plau&s;i|ble and &s;uitable to that reverend e&s;teem which we have of tho&s;e that are departed in the Lord; and &s;o our Religious affections become a &s;nare to us: Partly becau&s;e when men become objects of Wor&s;hip and Adoration, the God-Head is made more contemptible, and mens conceits of a divine power, run at a lower rate every day. Partly becau&s;e this malicious fiend hopeth this way to beat the Lord with his own weapon; when the bodies and Relicks of tho&s;e Saints, who by the famou&s;ne&s;s of their examples were likely to draw many to God, do as much, or more, withdraw men from him; and <HI>&s;uper&s;tition</HI> doth as much hurt, as their <HI>example</HI> did good. Partly becau&s;e the Devil by long experience hath found this to be a &s;ucce&s;sful way in the world, <HI>Lactan|tius</HI>
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proveth it, that the Idolizing of famous men, was the ri&s;e of all Idolatry; and <HI>Tertullian</HI> in the end of his Apolo|gy, ob&s;erveth the &s;ame, that Heathen Idolatry came in this way; <HI>&s;ub nominibus &amp; imaginibus mortuorum,</HI> by a reve|rence to the images of dead men, who&s;e memory was pre|cious among&s;t them: <HI>Nin<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">s</HI> or <HI>Nimrod,</HI> the fir&s;t Idolater, &s;et up his own dead Father <HI>B<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">lus;</HI> whence came the names of <HI>Baal</HI> and <HI>Bel,</HI> for an Idol: The <HI>Teraphim&punc;</HI> &s;tolen by <HI>Rachel&punc;</HI> Gen&punc; 31. 35&punc; were the images of their Ance&s;tors, whom <HI>Laban</HI> wor&s;hipped; &s;o in the primitive times, before any other Idolatry was brought into the Church, they be|gan with <HI>the Tombs</HI> and <HI>Shrines of the Martyrs.</HI></P>
<P>Fir&s;t, It &s;heweth us the fir&s;t ri&s;e of Idolatry; re&s;pect to<NOTE PLACE="marg">U&s;e 1.</NOTE> the Relicks and Remains of &s;ome men, famous in their ge|nerations: Satan attempted it betimes, not only among the Heathens, but among the people of God; he contended for the <HI>body of Mo&s;es,</HI> that he might &s;et it up for this u&s;e; but that which he could not obtain then, he hath effected now in the Roman Synagogue, by the <HI>Arms,</HI> the <HI>Legs,</HI> the <HI>Hands,</HI> the <HI>Feet,</HI> the <HI>Pictures</HI> of the Martyrs: &s;urely &s;uch a known Artifice, and ancient method of deceit, (a man would think) &s;hould long ere this have been di&s;cerned, but that God hath given them up to <HI>beleeve a lye:</HI> Well might the Anti-Chri&s;tian &s;tate be called, Rev. 11. 8. <HI>Babylon, So|dom,</HI> and <HI>Aegypt;</HI> that is, <HI>Babylon</HI> for <HI>Idolatry&punc; S<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">dom</HI> for <HI>filthyne&s;s,</HI> and <HI>Aegypt</HI> for <HI>Ignorance</HI> and <HI>darkne&s;s;</HI> the &s;ame Idolatry being practi&s;ed, which was in u&s;e in the darke&s;t times of Pagani&s;m: <HI>Heatheni&s;m</HI> and <HI>Popery</HI> differ but little, only the names are changed, <HI>a new Saint</HI> for an old <HI>Heathen Idol;</HI> their <HI>canonizing,</HI> and the Heathens <GAP DESC="foreign">, are much alike; &s;o are their Saints, and the <HI>Heathens and Heroes</HI> and <HI>middle poners:</HI> only that the Papi&s;ts have put many in the Calender, which either <HI>never were</HI> in the world or el&s;e were <HI>wicked</HI> and <HI>traiterous;</HI> as our <HI>B<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">cket,</HI> and <HI>St. George,</HI> an Arrian Bi&s;hop, that &s;o the Devil might be doubly gratified, by the Shrine it &s;elf, and that by the canonization of the in|famous per&s;on, &s;in might become le&s;s odious.</P>
<P>Secondly, It &s;heweth the perver&s;ene&s;s of men, who
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are apt &s;uper&s;titiou&s;ly to regard the Relicks of them dead, whom they de&s;pi&s;ed living: <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> was often oppo&s;ed living, and after death likely to be adored; as 'tis often the condition of Gods people, to <HI>live hated,</HI> and <HI>dye Sainted. Vetus morbus e&s;t</HI> (&s;aith <HI>Salvian) quo mortui &s;ancti coluntur, vivi contemnun|tur:</HI> The Scribes and Phari&s;ees <HI>garni&s;hed the Tombs of the dead Prephets,</HI> and <HI>killed the living, Mat</HI> 23. 29, 30. And the Jews in the fifth of <HI>John,</HI> pretended <HI>love to Mo&s;es,</HI> and &s;hew|ed <HI>hatred to Chri&s;t;</HI> po&s;terity honoureth them whom for|mer ages de&s;troyed: <HI>living Saints</HI> are an eye-&s;ore, they <HI>torment</HI> the world, either by their <HI>example,</HI> or their <HI>reproofs, Rev.</HI> 11. 10. <HI>Heb.</HI> 11. 7. but objects out of &s;ight, do not exa&s;perate, and &s;tand in the way of our lu&s;ts; this fond af|fection is little worth; tho&s;e that were ready to <HI>adore Mo&s;es</HI> would not <HI>imitate</HI> him.</P>
<P>Again from that [He dur&s;t not] <GAP DESC="foreign">, he had not<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 7.</NOTE> the boldne&s;s to do any thing contrary to the Law of God, or unbe&s;eeming his Rank and Mini&s;try: Note, <HI>That &s;in is a bold conte&s;t, or a daring of God:</HI> Every &s;in is an affront to the Law that forbiddeth it, 2 <HI>Sam.</HI> 12. 9. <HI>Wherefore ha&s;t thou &s;inned in <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">e&s;pi&s;ing the Commandment?</HI> a &s;inner doth in effect &s;ay, <HI>What care I for the Commandment?</HI> I will go on for all that; but a godly man <HI>feareth the Commandment, Prov.</HI> 13. 13. If a Law of God &s;tandeth in his way, he dur&s;t not go forward; he feareth more to break a Law, then to meet with the Devil in all his ruff, or any oppo&s;ition from the world; this is a <HI>holy timerou&s;ne&s;s:</HI> whereas on the contrary, no &s;uch boldne&s;s as in &s;inning: 'tis not onely a <HI>de&s;pi&s;ing of the Law,</HI> but <HI>a conte&s;t</HI> with God him&s;elf, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 10. 22. <HI>Do we provoke the Lord to jealou&s;ie, are we &s;tronger than he?</HI> will you enter into the li&s;ts with God? as if you could make your part good again&s;t him? <HI>Ezekiel</HI> 22. 14. He that &s;ins again&s;t light and con&s;cience, he biddeth open defyance to the Maje&s;ty of God; and <HI>his lu&s;t</HI> and <HI>Gods will</HI> do con|tend for the ma&s;tery. Let this make us afraid of &s;in, 'tis a <HI>daring attempt</HI> of the Creature again&s;t his Maker; a chal|lenging of God to the Combate; well might the Apo&s;tle &s;ay, that the carnal mind is <GAP DESC="foreign"> <HI>enmity again&s;t God, Rom.</HI> 8.
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7. Therefore when you are tempted, con&s;ider, What am I now a doing? Shall I challenge the Combat of my Maker? Draw Omnipotency about my ears? An Angel dur&s;t not: <HI>How can I do this wickedne&s;s, and &s;in again&s;t God?</HI> Gen. 39 9. Again, It informeth us what is the proper remedy again&s;t &s;in; an holy awe and fear; therefore the fir&s;t and chiefe&s;t point <HI>of true wi&s;edom,</HI> is made to be <HI>the fear of God,</HI> Prov. 9. 10 &s;o <HI>Prov</HI> 14. 21. this keepeth the &s;oul from daring. <HI>Jobs e&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">hewing evil</HI> is a&s;cribed to his <HI>fearing God,</HI> Job 1. 1. There are two Grounds of this fear, <HI>Gods Power,</HI> and <HI>Goodne&s;s.</HI></P>
<P>1. <HI>Gods Power,</HI> Shall we contend with Him who can command Legions? &s;urely he will always <HI>overcome <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">hen he judgeth,</HI> Rom. 3. 4. and have the be&s;t of it at la&s;t, and &s;o this &s;in will be my ruin: there is a difference between <HI>&s;tri|ving</HI> with him in <HI>a &s;infull,</HI> and <HI>wre&s;tling</HI> with him in a <HI>gra|cious way,</HI> there God will be overcome by his own &s;trength, <HI>Command ye me,</HI> &amp;c. <HI>I&s;aiah</HI> 45. 11. but when you have the confidence to conte&s;t with him in a &s;infull way, what will become of you? <HI>P&s;alm</HI> 76. 7. <HI>Thou, even thou art to be feared, and who can &s;tand in thy wrath when thou art angry?</HI> Man may make his part good again&s;t man, but who can cope with the Lord him&s;elf?</P>
<P>2. <HI>Gods Love</HI> and <HI>Mercy.</HI> That &s;hould beget a fear, or an unwillingne&s;s to di&s;plea&s;e God, <HI>Ho&s;ea</HI> 3. 5. <HI>They &s;hall fear the Lord and his goodne&s;s;</HI> not only ab&s;tain from &s;in (as a Dogg from the bait, for fear of a Cudgel) out of <HI>bondage,</HI> or <HI>&s;ervile fear,</HI> but out of an <HI>holy childlike affection</HI> to God, and &s;o do not only <HI>forbear</HI> &s;in, but <HI>abhor</HI> it; 'tis ba&s;e and &s;ervile, when we are moved with no other re&s;pects but our <HI>own danger;</HI> there is an holy fear, which ari&s;eth from grace, and partly <HI>of nature:</HI> an <HI>Arch-Angel dur&s;t not,</HI> that is, the holine&s;s of his Nature would not permit him; there is an <HI>ho|ly reverend fear,</HI> by which we fear to offend our good God, as the greate&s;t evil in the world; and it ari&s;eth partly from <HI>the new Nature;</HI> and partly from <HI>thankfulne&s;s to God,</HI> becau&s;e of his Mercy in Je&s;us Chri&s;t.</P>
<P>I have done with this Note when I have told you, That <HI>boldne&s;s in &s;inning,</HI> re&s;embleth the Devil; but an <HI>holy fear</HI>
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re&s;embleth <HI>Michael;</HI> 'tis Devil like to adventure upon &s;in, without <HI>fear</HI> and <HI>&s;hame:</HI> Satan had the impudency to &s;eek to defeat the Lords purpo&s;e of burying the body of <HI>Mo&s;es,</HI> but the good Angel in oppo&s;ing him, dur&s;t not bring <HI>a railing accu&s;ation.</HI> Certainly, <HI>They that fear neither God nor man, Luke</HI> 18. 7. have out-grown the heart of a man, and are next to the Devils; many account it a prai&s;e to them&s;elves when they are bold to ingage in vilanous actions and at|tempts; Oh to be <HI>pre&s;umptious and &s;elf-willed,</HI> is the wor&s;t<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Pet. 2. 10.</NOTE> Character that can be given to a man; a <HI>&s;tubborn boldne&s;s</HI> argueth <HI>a &s;eared con&s;cience.</HI></P>
<P>Once more from that [<GAP DESC="foreign"> <HI>He dur&s;t not] That</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 8.</NOTE> <HI>the Angels are of a mo&s;t holy Nature, which will not permit them to &s;in:</HI> Therefore they are called <HI>holy Angels. Mat.</HI> 25. 31. and the Devils <HI>unclean &s;pirits:</HI> In their Apparitions they u&s;ually came in a Garb that repre&s;ented their innocen|cy, as at Chri&s;ts Sepulchre, there were <HI>two Angels in white, the one at head, the oth<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">r at feet, where Je&s;us had lain, Mat&punc;</HI> 28. 4. &s;o to <HI>Daniel, Dan</HI> 10. 5. one appeared <HI>having his loins girt with fine Gold of &V;phaz, with long white Robes; Gold,</HI> to &s;hew his Maje&s;ty; in <HI>white Robes,</HI> as an Emblem of <HI>purity</HI> and <HI>holine&s;s:</HI> &s;ee <HI>Acts</HI> 10. 2. Now this holine&s;s they have partly by the <HI>gift of God in their Creation,</HI> God made them &s;o at the fir&s;t, which may beget an hope in us men; the &s;ame God mu&s;t &s;anctifie us, that made the <HI>holy Angels:</HI> &s;urely he can wa&s;h us, though never &s;o filthy and <HI>make us whiter then &s;now,</HI> P&s;alm 51. 7. Partly by the <HI>merit of Chri&s;t,</HI> which reached <HI>to things in Heaven</HI> as well as in <HI>earth Col. 1. 20&punc; Eph.</HI> 1. 10. if tho&s;e places be not cogent, but be thought to intend the <HI>glorified Saints;</HI> yet becau&s;e they are called <HI>Elect Angels, 1 Tim.</HI> 5. 21. And all election is carryed on, in and by Chri&s;t, <HI>Eph.</HI> 1. 4. It &s;eemeth pro|bable at lea&s;t, that they have benefit by him; yea <HI>Heb:</HI> 12&punc; 22, 23. they are made a part of <HI>that general A&s;&s;embly,</HI> of which <HI>Chri&s;t is the Head,</HI> and &s;o by con&s;equence, they are members of the <HI>redeemed &s;ociety,</HI> which &s;hould incourage us the more to come to Chri&s;t: Angels have much of their whitene&s;s from being wa&s;hed in Chri&s;ts blood; they are <HI>pre|&s;erved</HI>
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<HI>in Je&s;us Chri&s;t</HI> as well as we, and have <HI>their confirma|tion</HI> from him, or el&s;e they had faln with the other Apo&s;tate Spirits.</P>
<P>Again, This Holine&s;s is the more <HI>increa&s;ed</HI> and <HI>augmen|ted,</HI></P>
<P>1. By their <HI>con&s;tant Communion</HI> with God, for their al|ways beholding his Face, mu&s;t needs beget the more holy awe and reverence: <HI>Michael dur&s;t not,</HI> &amp;c. 'Tis a great ad|vantage to holine&s;s, to &s;et God before our eyes, and to fore&s;ee him in all our ways, <HI>P&s;alm 18. 23. I was upright before thee;</HI> that is, the thought of his being before God made him more &s;incere; <HI>He that doth evil hath not</HI> &s;een God, in the third Epi&s;tle of <HI>John,</HI> ver&s;. 11. that is, hath no acquaintance with him, the good Angels being &s;o neer the chiefe&s;t good, are at the greater di&s;tance from evil.</P>
<P>2. By their <HI>continual obedience; They do his Command|ments, hearkening to the voice of his word,</HI> P&s;alm 103. 20. exerci&s;e perfecteth and &s;trengthneth every habit; the An|gels, the more they do the will of God, the more they hate what is contrary to his will; the evil Angels grow wor&s;e by frequent acts of &s;pight and malice, and the good Angels better by frequent acts of duty: For the fir&s;t, &s;ee 1&punc; <HI>Iohn 3. 8. The Devil &s;inneth from the beginning,</HI> Satan is &s;till a &s;inning, and his whole life a continued act of Apo&s;tacy: &s;o the good Angels, are always doing, <HI>they re&s;t not day and night,</HI> Rev. 4. 8. Surely 'twill be a matter of great advan|tage to <HI>exerci&s;e our &s;elves unto godline&s;s,</HI> the greater will be our hatred of &s;in, and delight in obedience: as on the other &s;ide, the exerci&s;ing of the heart unto &s;in, doth much &s;trengthen and increa&s;e it, 2 <HI>Pet.</HI> 2. 14. In Heaven, where<NOTE PLACE="marg">U&s;e 1.</NOTE> there is <HI>continual duty,</HI> there is <HI>no &s;in.</HI></P>
<P>Let us apply it now.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, It &s;erveth to humble us, we are the next rank of rea&s;onable Creatures, but how do we differ from them? their natures ingage them to holine&s;s, and ours being cor|rupted engage us to &s;in; their nature will not permit them to &s;in, and our nature will not permit us to do that which is good, <HI>Rom.</HI> 7. 21. and yet the Angels are a&s;hamed of this
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their nature; they <HI>cover their faces,</HI> when they <HI>behold Gods&punc;</HI> Job. 15. 14, 15. <HI>What is man that he &s;hould be clean? and he that is born of a woman that he &s;hould be righteous? Behold he putteth no tru&s;t in his Saints; yea the Heavens are not clean in his &s;ight.</HI> The&s;e holy Angels, when they compare them|&s;elves with God, are aba&s;ed; and &s;hould not we much more? See al&s;o <HI>Job</HI> 4. 19.</P>
<P>Secondly, It &s;erveth to <HI>stir us up to holine&s;s:</HI> you will &s;ay, where lyeth the Motive? I An&s;wer,</P>
<P>1. <HI>We are bound as well as they;</HI> they <HI>behold his face,</HI> and we <HI>behold his face in a gla&s;s;</HI> we are under a Law as well as they, yea commanded to ob&s;erve their pattern, <HI>Mat. 6. 10. Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.</HI> The examples of the Saints on earth, are no fit Copy for us to write after, for there we &s;hall find many of the Letters &s;et awry; in their lives, corruption is more vi&s;ible then grace; therefore Chri&s;t giveth us a Copy from Heaven that we might aim at the holine&s;s and perfection of the Angels: 'tis but equal that we who expect to be <HI>like the Angels in glory,</HI> Luke 20. 36. <GAP DESC="foreign">, &s;hould be <HI>like them in grace</HI> now: many would &s;trive to be as Angels for <HI>gifts</HI> and <HI>par<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">s,</HI> but not for <HI>holine&s;s;</HI> for <HI>exact purity,</HI> and <HI>chearfulne&s;s.</HI> and readine&s;s in &s;ervice, which yet are the things propounded to our imita|tation; the Devil <HI>retaineth cunning</HI> &s;ince his Apo&s;tacy; <HI>to be wi&s;e to do</HI> evil, is to be like the bad Angels, not the good; if you would not be ca&s;t out with them hereafter, you &s;hould not take their Copy and example for imitation, but that of the holy Angels.</P>
<P>2. <HI>We are bound more then they,</HI> as being of an inferior rank: and acts of <HI>&s;ubmi&s;&s;ion</HI> and <HI>obedience,</HI> do chiefly oblige <HI>inferiours,</HI> the <HI>Angels</HI> them&s;elves are inferiour to God; but <HI>dwellers in Hou&s;es of clay,</HI> much more; that pa&s;&s;age of the P&s;almi&s;t is emphatical, <HI>P&s;al. 103. 20. The Angels that ex|cel in &s;trength do his Commandments:</HI> &s;hall the <HI>Pea&s;ant</HI> &s;corn that work in which the <HI>Prince</HI> him&s;elf is engaged? if the glorious mighty Angels dur&s;t not &s;in again&s;t God, we &s;hould not much more: When <HI>John</HI> would have wor&s;hipped the Angel, he &s;aith, <HI>Rev. 22. 9. See thou do it not, for I am thy</HI>
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<HI>fellow &s;ervant:</HI> Ah who would decline the work, when an Angel is our fellow &s;ervant? when the&s;e <HI>mighty &s;pirits</HI> put their necks to the work of the Lord, &s;hall <HI>&s;orry man</HI> be ex|cu&s;ed?</P>
<P>3. <HI>We are the more bound for their &s;akes,</HI> becau&s;e of their Tutelage, they are pre&s;ent with us: we are awed by a man of gravity, much more &s;hould we be by the pre&s;ence of an Angel: When <HI>Cato</HI> was upon the Stage, they dur&s;t not call for their <HI>ob&s;cene Sports;</HI> there is an Angel always by you; What reports (think you) will they carry to Chri&s;t, if they &s;hould &s;ee any thing that is un&s;eemly? 1 <HI>Tim. 5. 21. I charge you before God, and our Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t, and the Elect An|gels,</HI> &amp;c. The holy Angels are as it were, the <HI>Spies,</HI> and <HI>In|telligencers</HI> of Heaven, and do acquaint Chri&s;t not only with <HI>our mi&s;eries,</HI> but <HI>our &s;ins:</HI> Gods omni-pre&s;ency is a great depth, we cannot fathom it with our thoughts, and therefore it worketh but little with us; the nearer things come to the manner of our pre&s;ence, the more do they affect us: con&s;ider the Angels are pre&s;ent with you in the Room where (it may be) you are acting your privy wickedne&s;s.</P>
<P>Again we had need be holy, the rather for the Angels &s;ake, becau&s;e el&s;e we &s;hall lo&s;e their Tutelage; they care not to take notice of an impure, ob&s;tinate &s;inner, <HI>P&s;alm 34. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">&punc; The Angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him:</HI> they that fear God them&s;elves, delight mo&s;t in them that do likewi&s;e: &s;utablene&s;s of Spirit and life, breedeth an holy and &s;weet familiarity between us; they delight to keep us, and go with us here, that they may lay a Foundation for a more familiar acquaintance in Heaven: Now &s;hall we grieve &s;uch ble&s;&s;ed companions! When <HI>Balaam</HI> went to cur&s;e the people of God, a good Angel re&s;i&s;teth him, <HI>Num.</HI> 22. 22. If an Angel &s;tood in the way of a Sorcerer, much more do they &s;eek to &s;top and prevent the mi&s;carriages and offences of Gods children; will you break forth or go on violently, when an Angel &s;tandeth in the way? and leave <HI>their Tutelage</HI> for a lu&s;t? they are holy, and di&s;allow all carnal enterpri&s;es, and would with&s;tand the execution of them: will you con&s;train them to for&s;ake you? You know
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how it &s;ped with <HI>Jo&s;iah,</HI> when he would not turn his face, but go out without the defence of God and his Angels, &s;ee 2 <HI>Chron.</HI> 35. 22. He was wounded in the battel, and goeth home and dyeth,</P>
<P>Thirdly, It teacheth us <HI>to be more awful,</HI> all fear is not &s;lavi&s;h; the Angels that have a pure nature, are afraid to &s;in, we have a mixed nature: corruption is already gotten into our &s;ouls, and therefore have more need of caution; as they that have an enemy without, and a treacherous par|ty within, have need to watch and ward; fear is all the re|medy left us: we cannot &s;top the <HI>flux of natural corruption,</HI> but we may with&s;tand an actual temptation; as the Angels re&s;i&s;t the <HI>admi&s;&s;ion</HI> of &s;in: &s;o let us with&s;tand the <HI>increa&s;e</HI> and <HI>propagation</HI> of it; we are always in the pre&s;ence of God, and &s;hall we affront him to his face? <HI>fear</HI> keepeth the An|gels <HI>pure,</HI> and us <HI>holy,</HI> them from the <HI>admi&s;&s;ion</HI> of &s;in, and us from the <HI>commi&s;&s;ion</HI> of it: &s;o <HI>Solomon</HI> &s;aith, <HI>Ble&s;&s;ed is he that feareth always,</HI> Prov. 28. 14. that is, not that perplex|eth him&s;elf with <HI>needle&s;s terrors</HI> and <HI>&s;cruples,</HI> that were a <HI>torture,</HI> not a <HI>ble&s;&s;edne&s;s;</HI> that's the Devils fear, <HI>who believe and tremble:</HI> But when we are always cautious, out of a deep re&s;pect to God, that we dare not offend him at any time, this is a <HI>ble&s;&s;ed fear,</HI> like the good Angels fear; as <HI>Michael</HI> here <HI>dur&s;t not bring a rayling accu&s;ation.</HI></P>
<P>The next Point is from that [a railing Accu&s;atio<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">] in the Original 'tis <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>the judgment,</HI> or <HI>&s;entence of</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 9.</NOTE> <HI>Bla&s;phemy,</HI> or <HI>evil &s;peaking:</HI> The meaning is, &s;uch unwor|thy Language as would not become any <HI>&s;erious judgment</HI> or <HI>proce&s;s;</HI> and becau&s;e the Angel&punc; was a party, not a Judge, we tran&s;late it not a <HI>railing Judgment,</HI> but a <HI>railing Accu|&s;ation.</HI> Thence ob&s;erve&punc; <HI>That to the wor&s;t&punc; Adver&s;ary, in the b<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;t cau&s;e, railing and reviling mu&s;t not be u&s;ed. Michael when contending with the Devil about the body of Mo&s;es,</HI> &amp;c. The Rea&s;ons are,</P>
<P>1. Becau&s;e &s;uch Reproches come from an evil principle, <HI>contempt</HI> or <HI>pa&s;&s;ion;</HI> both of which argue <HI>pride;</HI> one that over-valueth him&s;elf, di&s;daineth others, and &s;tormeth when he is cro&s;&s;ed, as a full &s;tream roareth and &s;welleth, when it meeteth with a dam and ob&s;truction.</P>
<P><PB N="385" REF="201">2. Such Reproches are mo&s;t un&s;uitable to matters of Re|ligion; the <HI>God of peace</HI> will not be &s;erved with a <HI>wrathful &s;pirit,</HI> and <HI>Chri&s;ts warfare</HI> needeth no <HI>carnal weapons.</HI> Chri|&s;tianity of all Religions is the meeke&s;t and mo&s;t humble; the Foundation of it is the <HI>Lamb &s;lain;</HI> and the con&s;ignation, and &s;ealing of it, is by the Spirit, who de&s;cended in the form of a Dove, both emblems of a <HI>mode&s;t humility;</HI> and &s;hould a meek Religion be defended by the violence and fu|ry of our pa&s;&s;ions? <HI>Cur&s;ing</HI> doth ill become them that are called to <HI>inherit a ble&s;&s;ing,</HI> 1 Pet. 3. 9.</P>
<P>3. They are flatly again&s;t the word; the Scripture is a great friend to the peace of humane &s;ocieties, for it con|demneth <HI>the lea&s;t offen&s;ive word</HI> and <HI>ge&s;ture,</HI> I&s;a. 58. 9. <HI>Thou &s;halt put away from thee the yoke, and the putting forth of the finger;</HI> a ge&s;ture of indignation, and therefore God would have it layd a&s;ide, even the <HI>putting forth of the finger,</HI> as well as the <HI>yoke broken:</HI> So &s;ee Mat. 5. 22. <HI>But I &s;ay unto you, who&s;oever is angry with his brother without a cau&s;e, is in dan|ger of the judgment: and who&s;oever &s;hall &s;ay unto his brother Racha, is in danger of the Council: and who&s;oever &s;hall &s;ay thou fool, &s;hall be in danger of Hell fire.</HI> The Scribes and Phari&s;ees had re&s;trained the fifth Commandment, to the gro&s;s act of murder; Chri&s;t telleth them, that <HI>ra&s;h anger,</HI> with all the expre&s;&s;ions of it, is <HI>murther:</HI> His expre&s;&s;ions allude to the Courts of the Jews, three there were e&s;pecially among them; <HI>the lowe&s;t, the middle,</HI> and <HI>the highe&s;t:</HI> There <HI>lowe&s;t Judicatory</HI> was of <HI>three men,</HI> who took cognizance of light|er matters; as injuries and &s;trifes about goods, and things of a pecuniary concernment: this Court was &s;et up in <HI>le&s;&s;er Towns,</HI> that had few inhabitants: The &s;econd Court was of <HI>three and twenty men,</HI> before whom the <HI>weightie&s;t cau&s;es</HI> were brought; concerning the <HI>life of a man,</HI> all <HI>Capital crimes,</HI> or if an Ox had goared a man or woman; or in ca&s;e of any abominable commixtion with a Bea&s;t, if <HI>a woman ap|proched to a Bea&s;t,</HI> &amp;c. <HI>Levit.</HI> 20. 16. This Court was &s;et up in all the Cities of <HI>P<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">lae&s;tina,</HI> and was called the <HI>le&s;&s;er Sanhe|drim;</HI> and becau&s;e <HI>Jeru&s;alem</HI> was the head City, <HI>the Seat of the Prince,</HI> and <HI>Temple</HI> was there; therefore in that City
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were two of the&s;e <HI>le&s;&s;er Sanhedrim,</HI> the lower Sate in the <HI>Gate of the Mountain;</HI> that is, that Gate which gave en|trance to the Mountain of the Temple; the other being the higher, Sate in the <HI>Gate of Efra,</HI> neer the Porch of the Temple. The <HI>third Judicatory</HI> was the <HI>greater Sanhedrim,</HI> which con&s;i&s;ted of <HI>&s;eventy men,</HI> in imitation of the Council of God to <HI>Mo&s;es, Numb.</HI> 11. 16. This was the highe&s;t Ju|dicatory, from whence there was no Appeal, as there might be from the lower Courts to this: into this A&s;&s;em|bly were cho&s;en &s;uch as did excell others for Nobility and Wi&s;dom; and that by a &s;olemn laying on of hands; &s;tran|gers or unclean per&s;ons, or common people, might not come nigh unto them: To this Tribunal were referred all doubtful matters, too hard for inferiour Courts to decide, <HI>Deut.</HI> 8. 8. 9. as al&s;o all things that did belong to the twelve Tribes, or to the whole Nation; all things that concerning the <HI>High Prie&s;t, matters of war, and peace, the fal&s;e Pro|phet,</HI> &amp;c. therefore Chri&s;t &s;aith, <HI>Luke 13. 33. It cannot be that a Prophet &s;hould peri&s;h out of Jeru&s;alem,</HI> that be|ing the City where the <HI>Sanhedrim</HI> &s;ate, by this Court was Chri&s;t condemned, and the Apo&s;tles, <HI>Acts,</HI> Chap. 4. 5. and <HI>Steven,</HI> Chap. 6, 7. and <HI>Paul,</HI> Acts 23. 1. They &s;ate in a part of the Temple, called <HI>Ga&s;ith;</HI> their puni&s;hments were <HI>&s;trangling, beheading, &s;toring, burning;</HI> tho&s;e that were condemned to be burned, were burnt in the <HI>Valley of Hinnon,</HI> and in great ca&s;es be&s;ides his <HI>co<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">p<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ral death,</HI> the Malefactor was appointed and <HI>accur&s;ed to the judgment of Hell:</HI> Let me apply all to the pre&s;ent ca&s;e: Chri&s;t doth not meddle with the lowe&s;t Court&punc; <HI>the judgment of three men,</HI> be|cau&s;e Capital matters did&punc; not belong to their cognizance; and his intent is to &s;hew what a Capital matter the lea&s;t ex|pre&s;&s;ion of anger is: <HI>Who&s;oever is angry&punc; with his Brother without a cau&s;e</HI> (&s;aith he) <HI>is in danger of judgment;</HI> that is, of the judgment of twenty three men, to &s;hew that ra&s;h anger is before God <HI>a Capital matter. And who&s;oever &s;hall &s;ay to his brother Racha&punc;</HI> thou vain and w<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">le&s;s f<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">llow; this was the lowe&s;t kind of contumely, then in u&s;e; &s;ome make it only an Interjection of indignation: [<HI>is in da<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ger of the</HI>
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<HI>Council</HI>] that is, of the <HI>Sanhedrim,</HI> which noteth, that <HI>Anger expre&s;&s;ed,</HI> though in the <HI>lowe&s;t way,</HI> is an higher fault then <HI>&s;ingle</HI> and <HI>b<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">re anger,</HI> as the fault was greater for which they appeared before the <HI>higher Sanhedrim,</HI> then that for which they appeared before the twenty three Judges: [<HI>But who&s;oever &s;hall &s;ay thou fool</HI>] This noteth a higher contempt, as implying a charge, not only of <HI>weakne&s;s of nature,</HI> but of <HI>&s;in</HI> and <HI>wickedn<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;s, [he is in danger of Hell fire</HI>] which was the highe&s;t judgment of the <HI>Sanhedrim,</HI> to burn them in the <HI>Valley of Hinnom,</HI> and to leave them accur&s;ed till the Lord come; and &s;o proportionably it noteth the greatne&s;s of the crime, which is committed in &s;landering and reproching our brethren; 'tis a mo&s;t odious &s;in before God: for in allu&s;ion to mans judgment, he &s;heweth, that though there be <HI>degrees in the &s;in,</HI> and will be <HI>in the puni&s;hment,</HI> yet the <HI>whole kind</HI> is very di&s;plea&s;ing to the Lord.</P>
<P>4. Becau&s;e Reproches have an influence, and do <HI>exa&s;pe|rate</HI> rather then <HI>convince:</HI> The Dog that followeth the game with barking and bawling, lo&s;eth the prey; and there is not a more likely way to undermine the truth, then an un|&s;eemly defence of it: Satan is mightily gratified (if men had eyes to &s;ee it) with the ill managing of Gods cau&s;e.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t it &s;erveth for <HI>Information,</HI> to &s;hew us the <HI>vanity of</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">U&s;e 1.</NOTE> <HI>tho&s;e excu&s;es</HI> by which men would di&s;gui&s;e <HI>their wrath</HI> and <HI>pa&s;sion;</HI> What will you plead, <HI>I am in the right way,</HI> 'tis Gods cau&s;e. <HI>An&s;w.</HI> Pa&s;&s;ion is blind, and cannot judge, James 1. 20. <HI>The wrath of man worketh not the righteou&s;ne&s;s of God;</HI> the wrong way may be u&s;ually de&s;cryed by the ex|ce&s;&s;es and violences of tho&s;e that are engaged in it: if we be in the right, extremities and furies of pa&s;&s;ion, are not lawful, our religious affections may over-&s;et us; when Re|ligion which &s;hould limit us, is made a party to engage them; 'tis hard to keep bounds; a &s;tone the higher the place from whence it falleth, giveth the more dangerous blow; &s;o the higher the matter about which we contend: u&s;ually <HI>our An|ger</HI> falleth with the more violence, and is the more unmor|tified, becau&s;e of the <HI>pretence of zeal:</HI> if the erring parties offend through ignorance, remember <HI>a bone out of joint</HI> mu&s;t
<PB N="388" REF="203">
be &s;etled again with a gentle hand, <HI>Gal.</HI> 6. 1. Are they op|po&s;ite &s;tubborn? <HI>in meekne&s;s instruct tho&s;e that oppo&s;e them|&s;elves,</HI> 2 Tim. 2. 25. when their <HI>ab&s;urd oppo&s;ing</HI> is apt to tempt us to <HI>rage, pa&s;&s;ion</HI> and <HI>reproch,</HI> we mu&s;t contain our &s;elves; the ha&s;ty Di&s;ciples knew not what &s;pirit they were of.</P>
<P>Do they provoke, revile, <HI>wrong us fir&s;t? An&s;w.</HI> The rail|ing and ill dealing of another, doth not di&s;&s;olve the <HI>bond of our duty</HI> to God; to return injury for injury, is but to act over their &s;in; 'twas bad in them, and tis wor&s;e in us; for he that &s;inneth by example, &s;inneth doubly, as having had experience of the odiou&s;ne&s;s of it in another: <HI>Qui malum imitatur, bonus e&s;&s;e non pote&s;t: revenge</HI> and <HI>injury</HI> differ only in order of time, the one is <HI>fir&s;t,</HI> the other <HI>&s;econd</HI> in the fault, and 'twas no excu&s;e to <HI>Adam</HI> that he was <HI>not fir&s;t in the tran&s;gre&s;&s;ion:</HI> Chri&s;tianity teacheth us a rare way of over|coming injuries, not only <HI>by patience,</HI> but <HI>doing good</HI> to tho&s;e that wrong us, <HI>Rom.</HI> 12. 17. and 1 <HI>Pet. 3. 9. render not</HI> reviling <HI>for reviling, but contrarywi&s;e ble&s;&s;ing;</HI> we have for our pattern Chri&s;t, <HI>who being reviled, reviled not again,</HI> 1 Pet. 2. 23. and herein he was imitated by his Di&s;ciples, 1 <HI>Cor. 4. 13. <GAP DESC="foreign">, being defamed we intreat,</HI> a Motto which I would have prefixed to all rejoyn|ders, or replies to a virulent oppo&s;ition; <HI>Calvins</HI> mode&s;ty concerning <HI>Luther,</HI> is notable; <HI>Etiam<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">i me diabolum vocarit eum tamen in&s;ignem Dei &s;er<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">um agno&s;cam, Though he &s;hould call me Devil, yet God forbid but I &s;hould account him an emi|nent &s;ervant of Chri&s;t.</HI> 'Twas once an Argument for the truth of our Religion, that the Scriptures contained a Do|ctrine that could not be of men; as <HI>forbidding revenge,</HI> which is &s;o &s;weet to nature, and commanding us to do good to them that hate us.</P>
<P>But &s;hall I &s;uffer my &s;elf, and in me the <HI>cau&s;e of Chri&s;t,</HI> to be trampled upon?</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> You are allowed a <HI>mode&s;t vindication</HI> of the <HI>truth,</HI> and your <HI>own innocency,</HI> Prov. 26. 4, 5. <HI>An&s;wer not a fool according to his folly, lea&s;t thou be like him. An&s;wer a fool according to his folly, lea&s;t he be wi&s;e in his own conceit.</HI> You will &s;ay here is hot and cold, in one breath: I an&s;wer, <HI>So|lomon</HI>
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&s;peaketh of <HI>a &s;coffing, railing fool;</HI> and the meaning is, do not imitate him in his fooli&s;h pa&s;&s;ion; this were to be evil, becau&s;e he is &s;o; and 'tis again&s;t rea&s;on, that be|cau&s;e I am &s;en&s;ible of undecent carriage in him, therefore I &s;hould allow it in my &s;elf; but yet <HI>An&s;wer him</HI> that is to the purpo&s;e, and with &s;olid rea&s;on beat down his <HI>pre&s;umption</HI> and <HI>ignorance,</HI> with a <HI>meek,</HI> but a <HI>&s;trong reply;</HI> &s;uch as may <HI>check his pride,</HI> but not <HI>imitate his folly:</HI> 'Tis ob&s;ervable, when 'twas &s;aid to Chri&s;t, <HI>John 8. 48, 49. Thou art a Sa|maritan, and ha&s;t a Devil;</HI> he an&s;wered not a word to the <HI>per&s;onal reproch,</HI> but where <HI>his Commi&s;&s;ion</HI> was touched, to that he replyeth, &s;aying, <HI>I have not a Devil, but I honour my Father:</HI> 'tis but <HI>weakne&s;s of mind,</HI> or <HI>&s;trength of pa&s;&s;ion,</HI> to regard <HI>per&s;onal invectives.</HI> In &s;hort, we <HI>may an&s;wer,</HI> but not with <HI>har&s;h</HI> and <HI>contumelious</HI> language.</P>
<P>Secondly, Here is a Direction to <HI>publick per&s;ons,</HI> and tho&s;e that can <HI>handle the Pen of the Writer;</HI> Pa&s;&s;ion is apt to<NOTE PLACE="marg">U&s;e 2.</NOTE> teint our Religious defences, but check it, <HI>Michael dur&s;t not bring a railing accu&s;ation,</HI> leave all unhand&s;omene&s;s of pro|&s;ecution to them that defend an evil cau&s;e; <HI>The &s;ervant of God mu&s;t be gentle and patient,</HI> 2 Tim. 2. 24. Opprobrious Language doth but darken a ju&s;t quarrel and contention: But you will &s;ay, may we not reprove the &s;ins of men, and that &s;omewhat &s;harply? I An&s;wer yea, 'tis lawful, as ap|peareth both by the practice of the <HI>Prophets</HI> and <HI>Angels,</HI> yea of <HI>Christ</HI> him&s;elf, and al&s;o by the <HI>precepts</HI> of the word; <HI>Paul</HI> &s;aith, <HI>Tit. 1. 7. That a Bi&s;hop mu&s;t not be &s;elfwilled, and &s;oon an|gry;</HI> and yet he biddeth him <GAP DESC="foreign"> <HI>to rebuke &s;ome gain&s;ayers &s;harply;</HI> there is a great deal of difference between <HI>railing</HI> and a <HI>reproof:</HI> a <HI>Sermon</HI> without <HI>&s;ome warmth</HI> and <HI>keenne&s;s</HI> in it, is but like a <HI>Cold oration;</HI> men that &s;peak from <HI>their brain</HI> will &s;peak coldly, becau&s;e they only declaim a|gain&s;t things for fa&s;hions &s;ake, without any &s;en&s;e or touch upon their hearts; <HI>an affectionate pleading,</HI> for Chri&s;t, is like <HI>&s;trong-water;</HI> whereas a <HI>formal narration</HI> is but like <HI>River water,</HI> without any &s;trength and vigor: They that love Chri&s;t, will be zealous for his Truths and Ordinances, and zeal cannot deliver&punc; it &s;elf without &s;ome &s;martne&s;s and
<PB N="390" REF="204">
earne&s;tne&s;s; but a <HI>cold indifferency,</HI> is more <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ame and <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">lat: But then this mu&s;t be done with great caution, you had need look to your &s;pirits. Partly becau&s;e Satan loveth to cor|rupt a Religious affection. Partly becau&s;e in the&s;e bu&s;ine&s;|&s;es God is not only engaged, but our &s;elves; and many times the &s;avour of the main River is lo&s;t, when 'tis mingled with other &s;treams; too too often do we begin in the &s;pirit and end in the fle&s;h: The Cautions which I &s;hall give, re|&s;pect. 1. <HI>The Object,</HI> or <HI>Cau&s;e.</HI> 2. <HI>The Per&s;ons.</HI> 3. <HI>Man|ner.</HI> 4. <HI>Principle.</HI> 5. <HI>End.</HI></P>
<P>1. <HI>The Cau&s;e</HI> mu&s;t be regarded, that it be <HI>real</HI> and <HI>weigh|ty; weighty</HI> it mu&s;t be, 'tis prepo&s;treovs to be all of a fire, about que&s;tionable truths, and matters of a le&s;s regard: the <HI>flaming Sword</HI> was &s;et about <HI>Paradice:</HI> And <HI>real</HI> it mu&s;t be, the &s;in we reproove mu&s;t be manife&s;t, and the faults we charge, apparent, <HI>Mat. 5. 22. If any be angry with his brother without a cau&s;e,</HI> &amp;c. otherwi&s;e Chri&s;t and his Apo&s;tles cal|led <HI>Racha,</HI> Mat. 23. 17. <HI>O fools and blind,</HI> and Luk. 24. 15. <HI>O fools and &s;low of heart to beleeve,</HI> &amp;c. and <HI>Gal. 3. 3. Oh fooli&s;h Galatians,</HI> and <HI>James 2. 20. O vain man,</HI> &amp;c. but in all the&s;e ca&s;es, there was a <HI>cau&s;e; fal&s;e</HI> and <HI>ra&s;h</HI> imputati|ons, are but <HI>railing,</HI> zeal being a <HI>fierce</HI> and <HI>&s;trong pa&s;&s;ion,</HI> you mu&s;t not let it fly upon the throat of any thing, but what is certainly evil.</P>
<P>2. <HI>The Per&s;ons</HI> mu&s;t be con&s;idered, <HI>weak &s;inners</HI> are to be di&s;tingui&s;hed from the <HI>malicious,</HI> and the <HI>tractable</HI> from the <HI>ob&s;tinate;</HI> Gods tender Lambs, though &s;traying, mu&s;t be gently reduced; <HI>put a difference,</HI> &s;aith our Apo&s;tle, ver&s;. 19. <HI>Ad evangelizandum non maledicendum mi&s;&s;us <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">s,</HI> &s;aid <HI>Oecolampadius</HI> to <HI>Farrell,</HI> who was a good man, but a little too violent, Thou wert not &s;ent to <HI>revile,</HI> but to <HI>preach the Go&s;pel;</HI> but on the other &s;ide, there is a difference to be u&s;ed in the ca&s;e of <HI>Hypocrites,</HI> that gain by that repute and e&s;teem which they have; Chri&s;t him&s;elf inveyed again&s;t the Phari&s;ees, <HI>a&s;perrimis verbis,</HI> in the <HI>roughe&s;t ways,</HI> Mat, 23. <HI>Woe unto you Scribes and Phari&s;ees, Hypocrites,</HI> &amp;c. we may pluck off the di&s;gui&s;e from an Hypocrite, e&s;pecially when they &s;educe and deceive the mi&s;erable multitude by an opi|nion
<PB N="391" REF="204">
of holine&s;&s;e; the <HI>Phari&s;ees</HI> and <HI>Sadduces</HI> to keep up their repute, &s;ubmitted to Johns Bapti&s;m, but doth he treat them gently? no, Mat. 3. 7. <HI>O generation of Vipers,</HI> &amp;c. So <HI>Paul</HI> to <HI>Elymas</HI> the Sorcerer, Acts 13. <HI>O thou full of all &s;ubtilty and mi&s;chief, thou child of the Devil, and enemy of allrighteou&s;ne&s;s, wilt thou not cea&s;e to pervert the holy ways of the Lord?</HI> in the&s;e cafes there is a regard had to others, that they may not peri&s;h by too good an opinion of &s;uch deceivers; and here that of <HI>Solomon</HI> is of regard&punc; <HI>Prov. 28. 4. They that for&s;ake the Law, prai&s;e the wicked, and they that keep the Law, &s;et them&s;elves again&s;t them; a vigorous oppo&s;i|tion</HI> doth better here then a <HI>cold di&s;like.</HI></P>
<P>3. For the <HI>manner,</HI> with our <HI>zeal</HI> we &s;hould &s;till mani|fe&s;t <HI>love</HI> and <HI>compa&s;&s;ion;</HI> and our way of dealing mu&s;t rather be <HI>rational</HI> then <HI>pa&s;&s;ionate;</HI> there is an holy contemperation of <HI>zeal</HI> and <HI>meekne&s;s</HI> it we could hit upon it; the &s;ame &s;pirit that appeared in <HI>cloven tongues of fire,</HI> appeared al&s;o in the <HI>form of a Dove:</HI> the <HI>work of righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e</HI> may be <HI>&s;own in peace,</HI> Jam. 3. 18. The Churches Garden thriveth by the cool <HI>gales of the North wind,</HI> as well as the <HI>&s;uliry heat of the South, Cant.</HI> 4. la&s;t, <HI>Gods cau&s;e</HI> &s;hould neither be neglected nor <HI>a<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;paraged</HI> by an <HI>indi&s;creet carriage.</HI></P>
<P>4. Concerning <HI>the principle,</HI> &s;ee that it be good, it mu&s;t not be zeal for our <HI>private concernments,</HI> but for <HI>the glory of God</HI> not a <HI>&s;trange fire,</HI> but an <HI>holy: fire; Mo&s;es</HI> was the meeke&s;t man upon earth in his own cau&s;e, <HI>Numb 12. 3. When Mi|riam and Aaron&punc; &s;pake against Mo&s;es, the man Mo&s;es was meek above all mon of the earth:</HI> when our zealous conte&s;ts come from an heart bleeding for Gods di&s;honour, from ha|tred of &s;in, a fear of the publick, then they are right: <HI>Lot</HI> was vexed not with <HI>Sodoms injuries,</HI> but <HI>Sodoms filthine&s;&s;e, 2 Pet.</HI> 2. 8. When love of our neighbor, de&s;ire of his amendment, we are loth to &s;uffer &s;in upon him&punc; puts us upon this earne&s;tne&s;s, your heart is upright with God: but when we &s;eek to <HI>di&s;grace the men</HI> rather then to <HI>condemn the &s;ins,</HI> and we rage mo&s;t upon the <HI>hazard of our own intere&s;t,</HI> and can be earne&s;t again&s;t &s;ome &s;ins and errors, and comply with wor&s;e; 'tis <HI>not zeal for God,</HI> but <HI>for a purity.</HI></P>
<P><PB N="392" REF="205">5. Great regard mu&s;t be had to <HI>the end;</HI> a Reproof aim|eth at the <HI>conviction</HI> or <HI>conver&s;ion</HI> of a &s;inner, but cen&s;ure at his <HI>di&s;grace</HI> and <HI>confu&s;ion:</HI> our <HI>aim</HI> mu&s;t be as <HI>right</HI> as our <HI>pa&s;&s;ion</HI> is <HI>&s;trong,</HI> what ever we do mu&s;t not be done out of a &s;pirit of <HI>o&s;tentation</HI> or <HI>popularity,</HI> or to keep up a devotion to our own intere&s;ts: <HI>John</HI> Bapti&s;t &s;harply reproved the Phari&s;ees, not when <HI>contemuing his per&s;on,</HI> but when <HI>coming to his Bapti&s;m.</HI></P>
<P>There remaineth nothing of the ninth Ver&s;e to be di&s;cu&s;|&s;ed<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 10.</NOTE> but the la&s;t Clau&s;e, [<HI>The Lord rebuke thee</HI>] Though <HI>Michael</HI> doth not <HI>rail,</HI> yet he <HI>referreth the matter to God:</HI> Whence ob&s;erve, <HI>That in Religio<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">s conte&s;ts we mu&s;t carry we the oppo&s;ition, though not in an un&s;eemly manner. Michael</HI> doth not let Satan alone, &s;o we mu&s;t not let errors alone, and the Devil to carry it clearly without rub and oppo&s;ition; many under a pretence of meekne&s;s, are <HI>&s;till</HI> and <HI>&s;ilent in the cau&s;e of Chri&s;t:</HI> cur&s;ed is this <HI>peace,</HI> and <HI>meekne&s;s</HI> when we let the <HI>envious man &s;ow his tares,</HI> &amp; we never give warning. Gods Me&s;&s;engers are compared to <HI>watchful Dogs</HI> when the Wolf cometh we mu&s;t bark, if the <HI>&s;leepy world</HI> be troubled at it, we mu&s;t bear their reproch.</P>
<P>Again, He referreth it to God, who is the fitte&s;t Patron<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 11.</NOTE> of his own cau&s;es: <HI>In our conte&s;ts about Religion, God mu&s;t e&s;pecially be &s;ought unto for a ble&s;&s;ing. Michael contended</HI> but <HI>&s;aid, the Lord rebuke thee; di&s;puting times</HI> &s;hould al&s;o be <HI>praying times:</HI> prejudices will never vani&s;h, till <HI>God &s;end out his light and truth,</HI> P&s;al. 43. 3. and if the Devil be not <HI>pray|ed down</HI> as well as <HI>di&s;puted down,</HI> little good cometh of our conte&s;ts.</P>
</DIV3>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="10" TYPE="verse">
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<EPIGRAPH>
<BIBL>VERS. X.</BIBL>
<Q>But the&s;e &s;peak evil of the things they know not, but what they know naturally, as bruit Bea&s;ts; in tho&s;e things they corrupt them&s;elves.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>IN this Ver&s;e he &s;heweth the di&s;proportion between them and the <HI>Arch-Angel;</HI> he was mode&s;t in a <HI>known good cau&s;e,</HI> but the&s;e are contemptuous, and given to railing in matters of which they are wholly ignorant: Two faults are charged upon them in this Ver&s;e. 1. <HI>Pride,</HI> in condemn|ing things without knowledge. 2. <HI>Wickedne&s;s,</HI> in abu&s;ing the knowledg they had.</P>
<P>[<HI>But the&s;e,</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">] the Seducers &s;poken of in the Context, [<HI>&s;peak evil,</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">] take liberty to belch out their re|proches [<HI>of the things they know not</HI>] what are tho&s;e things? Some &s;ay, <HI>the Dignities</HI> before &s;poken of; others <HI>the My|&s;teries of the Chri&s;tian faith:</HI> For the former opinion, that clau&s;e may be alledged, ver&s;. 8. <GAP DESC="foreign"> <HI>&s;peaking</HI> evil <HI>of dignities;</HI> and &s;o it will imply that they were ignorant of the <HI>nature of Angels,</HI> with whom they pre|tended &s;o great a familiarity; as to know their cour&s;es, &s;er|vices, <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>Vide Iraeneum.</HI></NOTE> <HI>conjugations;</HI> or el&s;e of the <HI>nature of Church-Ordi|nances,</HI> they taking upon them to &s;peak &s;o reprochfully of the Offices which God hath &s;et in the Church: or of the <HI>nature of civil power</HI> and <HI>Magi&s;tracy,</HI> they allowing them|&s;elves in &s;uch intemperate Language: But for the latter opi|nion, the univer&s;al Particle in the Text, <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>What&s;oever things they know not;</HI> &s;o <HI>Peters</HI> phra&s;e is general, 2 Pet. 2. 12. <HI>But the&s;e as natural bruit bea&s;ts, made to be ta|ken and de&s;troyed, &s;peak evil of the things they under&s;tand not:</HI> The &s;cope of both the&s;e Apo&s;tles being to &s;et out the&s;e de|ceivers as <HI>ignorant</HI> and <HI>bruiti&s;h &s;en&s;uali&s;ts;</HI> and yet under a pretence of great and <HI>more curious knowledge</HI> than others had (wherefore they were called <HI>Gno&s;ticks</HI>) for my part, I &s;hall interpret the clau&s;e generally of their ignorance in all
<PB N="394" REF="206">
truly &s;piritual matters, which was bewrayed in that they did deliver their &s;en&s;e in matter of Magi&s;tracy, and Church Mini&s;tries, with &s;ome impudence and reproach, [<HI>But what they know naturally, as bruit Bea&s;ts, in tho&s;e things they cor|rupt them&s;elves</HI>] before I come more particularly to open the words, let me tell you, that there is &s;ome difference about that clau&s;e [<HI>as bruit Bea&s;ts</HI>] to what part of the &s;entence it is to be referred; if to the former part, thus [<HI>What they know naturally, as bruit bea&s;ts</HI>] then the &s;ence will be that knowledg which they have in common, with the bea&s;ts: man is in part an <HI>Angel,</HI> in part a <HI>Bea&s;t;</HI> in his rea&s;on, and upper part of the &s;oul, he re&s;embleth an Angel; and in his <HI>appetite</HI> and <HI>&s;en&s;es,</HI> a Bea&s;t. <HI>What they know by their &s;en&s;es and bruti&s;h de&s;ires;</HI> that wil be the &s;en&s;e, if you allow of this fir&s;t reference: If to the latter part, thus, [<HI>in tho&s;e things as bruit bea&s;ts they corrupt them&s;elves</HI>] then it will &s;uit with the parallel place in <HI>Peter,</HI> 2 Pet. 2. 12. <GAP DESC="foreign"> <HI>as natural bruit bea&s;ts, made to be taken and de&s;troyed;</HI> and it will imply that they degenerated into bea&s;ts, notwith&s;tand|ing that natural knowledge wherewith they were endowed; but to &s;peak my own thoughts in this matter; the former reading is more agreeable to the po&s;ture of the words in the Original, <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>What they naturally as bruit bea&s;ts know,</HI> in tho&s;e things they are wor&s;e then bea&s;ts, corrupting and defiling them&s;elves, by the ex|ce&s;&s;es of the &s;en&s;ual appetite; as <HI>in eating</HI> and <HI>drinking</HI> and <HI>the u&s;e of the woman in common copulation,</HI> as if there were no Law, nor limited u&s;e of tho&s;e things which yet they might di&s;cern in the bea&s;ts them&s;elves, and the dictates of their own con&s;ciences.</P>
<P>This being premi&s;ed, I come to explain the words [<HI>what they know</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>naturally</HI>] There is a three fold light. 1. <HI>Sen&s;e</HI> or <HI>Instinct. 2. Rea&s;on. 3. Grace,</HI> and accor|dingly as a man is furni&s;hed, he may &s;aid to be <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>&s;piritual,</HI> or furni&s;hed with the light of grace, or <GAP DESC="foreign">, which we tran&s;late <HI>natural,</HI> 1 Cor. 2. 14. it &s;ignifieth one that hath nothing but the light of a rea&s;onable &s;oul. La&s;tly, <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>meerly natural,</HI> which &s;ignifieth one guided by the
<PB N="395" REF="206">
<HI>blind motion,</HI> and <HI>in&s;tinct of nature,</HI> without <HI>rea&s;on, coun&s;el</HI> and <HI>choice,</HI> as the bea&s;ts are, &s;o 'tis &s;aid here, <HI>what they know</HI> naturally; that is, what they under&s;tand by natural incli|nation, or the meer judgment or preception of &s;en&s;e to be good or evil [<HI>in tho&s;e things they corrupt them&s;elves</HI>] <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>are corrupted,</HI> &s;o <HI>Era&s;mus,</HI> but the word is not <HI>&s;imply pa&s;&s;ive,</HI> but after the form of the Congregation, <HI>Hitkp<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ph</HI> among the Hebrews which <HI>infert pa&s;&s;ionem in &s;e,</HI> it implyeth &s;uch a pa&s;&s;ion as we cau&s;e to our &s;elves, But how do they <HI>corrupt them&s;elves, &s;infully</HI> or <HI>penally?</HI> I an&s;wer both ways, <HI>&s;infully</HI> they corrupt and defile them&s;elves, and &s;o drive down puni&s;hments, both upon their &s;ouls and bodies, 2 <HI>Pet. 2. 12. They &s;hall peri&s;h in their corruption.</HI></P>
<P>Having made this way, I come to the <HI>Ob&s;ervations:</HI> And<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 1.</NOTE> in the fir&s;t place ob&s;erve, <HI>That truth is u&s;ually &s;landered out of ignorance,</HI> becau&s;e men do not under&s;tand the ways and things of God, therefore they do condemn them: in the Apo&s;tles days, the <HI>Doctrine of the Cro&s;s</HI> was accounted <HI>fooli&s;hne&s;s</HI> by tho&s;e that knew lea&s;t of it; and afterward the Chri&s;tian Religion was condemned, becau&s;e it <HI>could not be heard; Simul ac de&s;inunt ignorare, de&s;inunt odi&s;&s;e,</HI> &s;o <HI>Ter|tullian</HI> in <HI>Apol.</HI> when they <HI>knew it,</HI> they could not <HI>hate it:</HI> 'tis the Devils cunning to keep us at a di&s;tance from truths, and therefore burdeneth them with <HI>prejudices,</HI> that we may <HI>&s;u&s;pect</HI> rather then <HI>&s;earch;</HI> and condemn that out <HI>of igno|rance,</HI> and upon <HI>vulgar clamour,</HI> which <HI>upon knowledge,</HI> we could not choo&s;e but <HI>love</HI> and <HI>profe&s;s:</HI> and 'tis <HI>mans per|ver&s;ene&s;s,</HI> and <HI>pride,</HI> to &s;peak evil of things above his reach, and to di&s;prove that which they have <HI>not attained un|to</HI> or <HI>cannot under&s;tand: Nazianzen</HI> &s;peaks of &s;ome igno|rant people that condemned learning, becau&s;e they had not the happine&s;s to attain to it <GAP DESC="foreign">, &s;aith he, <HI>Orat.</HI> 20. that their <HI>own deficiency</HI> being the more <HI>common,</HI> might be <HI>le&s;s odious;</HI> or to in&s;tance in an higher ca&s;e, Papi&s;ts and carnal men, &s;coff at <HI>imputed righteou&s;ne&s;s, a&s;&s;urance or &s;alvation,</HI> and the <HI>te&s;timony of the &s;pirit,</HI> becau&s;e they are things they are utterly unacquainted with: Well then, when we declaim again&s;t things, we &s;hould &s;peak out
<PB N="396" REF="207">
of <HI>advi&s;ed knowledge,</HI> not <HI>ra&s;h zeal,</HI> See <HI>John</HI> 3. 11. <HI>We &s;peak that which we know and te&s;tifie, that which we have &s;een:</HI> zeal, as it mu&s;t have a <HI>right aim,</HI> &s;o a <HI>&s;olid ground,</HI> to proceed upon: 'tis a vain thing to begin at <HI>the affections,</HI> and <HI>to hate</HI> before <HI>we know,</HI> Prov. 18. 13. <HI>He that an&s;wereth a matter before he heareth it, it is a folly and &s;hame to him,</HI> if you light right, 'tis but an <HI>happy mi&s;take</HI> and <HI>&s;tumble: quid i<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">|quies quam ut oderint homines quod ignorant, eri<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">r<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;i res mere|tur odium,</HI> Tertul. <HI>ut &s;upra.</HI> When <HI>our affections</HI> out-&s;tart <HI>our judgment,</HI> men grow ob&s;tinate in their ignorance, and will <HI>not know</HI> what they have <HI>a mind to hate; Malunt ne&s;ci|re quia jam <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">derunt,</HI> as <HI>Tertullian</HI> goeth on: ra&s;h prejudi|ces ingaging men in oppo&s;ition; they will not own the truth when repre&s;ented to them having hated it <HI>without knowledg,</HI> they hate it again&s;t knowledg, and &s;o are hardened again&s;t the ways of God, which is the ca&s;e of many, who in a blind zeal have appeared again&s;t the publique Mini&s;try and Ordi|nances; and being engaged, are loath to &s;trike &s;ayl, and lay down their defyance, when &s;ufficient conviction is of|fered.</P>
<P>Ob&s;erve again, <HI>Blocki&s;h and &s;tupid men are mo&s;t bold in re|proching:</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 2.</NOTE> <HI>a fools wrath</HI> falleth very heavy, becau&s;e it falleth with all its weight, there being nothing to re&s;train and &s;top it, Prov. 27. 3. <HI>A &s;tone is heavy, and &s;and is weighty, but a f<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">ls wrath is heavier then them both,</HI> when the mind is void of judgment, 'tis more overcome and carryed out in the way of a naughty pa&s;&s;ion; u&s;ually we find it, the <HI>weakest &s;pirits</HI> are mo&s;t <HI>violent,</HI> there being nothing <HI>of judgment</HI> to coun|ter-ballance <HI>affection;</HI> men are all flame and <HI>rage:</HI> Liquors when they run low, and are upon the dregs, they grow more tart and &s;owr, &s;o 'tis u&s;ually with the dregs of men, for when they are weak and run in low parts, their oppo&s;ition is mo&s;t trouble&s;ome: What ado in the Mini&s;try have we with <HI>young heady Profe&s;&s;ors,</HI> that have more <HI>heat</HI> than <HI>light?</HI> And how trouble &s;ome are tho&s;e <HI>wild &s;ectuaries,</HI> that have only knowledg enough to prate a little again&s;t the un|doubted Ordinances of Je&s;us Chri&s;t? or there being nothing of <HI>knowledg</HI> and <HI>civility</HI> to re&s;train them, they ea&s;ily give
<PB N="397" REF="207">
vent to the exce&s;&s;es of their pa&s;&s;ion, by <HI>clamor</HI> and <HI>evil &s;pea|king.</HI></P>
<P>From the &s;econd part of the charge, ob&s;erve, <HI>That men</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 3.</NOTE> <HI>of corrupt minds are u&s;ually &s;en&s;ual,</HI> and <HI>&s;en&s;ual men are u&s;ually men of corrupt minds,</HI> an <HI>un&s;ound heart</HI> is be&s;t &s;hel|tred under <HI>un&s;ound Doctrine;</HI> and earnal delights blunt and weakens the edge and intention of the mind, &s;o that they are very liable to mi&s;takes: Therefore on the one &s;ide, we &s;hould labour to keep the mind right, and &s;ound in the faith: fi&s;h flinct fir&s;t at the head, when the judgment is poi|&s;oned, the teint is &s;oon conveyed to the affections: On the other &s;ide, add to <HI>your knowledge temperance,</HI> 2 Pet. 1. 6. The Apo&s;tle joineth the&s;e, becau&s;e many times men of the great|e&s;t parts are overcome by appo&s;ite; and &s;ome &s;ay, that temper of body which is fit for &punc;wit and Schollar&s;hip, is much inclined this way. <HI>Solomon</HI> &s;o famous for wi&s;dom and knowledge, was enti&s;ed by women: Oh let not fle&s;hly lu&s;ts betray you, that's the be&s;t <HI>knowledge</HI> that endeth <HI>in tempe|rance,</HI> or begets an holy moderation in the u&s;e of &s;en&s;ual plea&s;ure; if we cannot govern our affections, <HI>we know no|thing as we ought to know;</HI> nay otherwi&s;e, your knowledge will be corrupted by your affections; <HI>many Errors</HI> take their ri&s;e and beginning from <HI>evil manners,</HI> and <HI>filthy lu&s;ts.</HI></P>
<P>Ob&s;erve again, <HI>That wicked men left to them&s;elves, do but</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 4.</NOTE> <HI>abu&s;e and corrupt that natural goodne&s;s and knowledge which they have in them.</HI> Natural abilities are &s;oon depraved with evil habits; he that had but one <HI>Talent</HI> is called <HI>a wicked and &s;lothful &s;ervant,</HI> Mat. 25. 26. <HI>&s;lothful</HI> for not growing bet|ter<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">2 Pet. 1. 2.</NOTE> and <HI>wicked</HI> for growing wor&s;e: naturally we are  <HI>blind,</HI> and we cannot endure to be enlightned, 2 <HI>Pet.</HI> 3. 5. Ye ra|ther we put finger in natures eye, and then there cometh <HI>on judicial blindne&s;s,</HI> Rom. 1. 28. we &s;uffer lu&s;ts to blow ou<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> the candle of rea&s;on, and then we are ju&s;tly left to the pow|er of vile affections; certainly they do but flatter us that &s;ay <HI>there is a power in nature,</HI> as to conver&s;ion, and turning to God; we are &s;o far from improving our &s;elves, that we <HI>cor|rupt our &s;elves</HI> in <HI>what we know naturally,</HI> and &s;uffer bruiti&s;h lu&s;ts <HI>to blind the mind</HI> and <HI>harden the heart.</HI></P>
<P><PB N="398" REF="208">Once more ob&s;erve, <HI>Sin where it reigneth, turneth a man</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 5.</NOTE> <HI>into a bruit bea&s;t,</HI> P&s;al. 49. 12. <HI>Man being in honour, abid|eth not, he is like the bea&s;ts that peri&s;h;</HI> the meaning is, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">he abode not in the honour of his creation; hence compared to <HI>Wolves</HI> for their <HI>cruelty, Doggs</HI> for their <HI>filthine&s;s;</HI> to <HI>Hor&s;es</HI> and <HI>Mules</HI> for the <HI>rage of lu&s;t<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"></HI> to a <HI>wild A&s;&s;es Colt;</HI> for <HI>wildne&s;s</HI> and <HI>dulne&s;s of under&s;tanding,</HI> See <HI>Jer. 5. 8 Eze<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">. 20. 23. Job 11. 12. Rev.</HI> 22. 15. You may &s;ee here, to what &s;in will bring you, with <HI>Nebuchadnezar</HI> we <HI>out-grow the heart of a man,</HI> what he did through that <HI>deep melancholy</HI> that f<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ll upon him by Gods judgment, <HI>Dan.</HI> 4. 32. we do &s;piritually; if we had <HI>the head of a Hor&s;e,</HI> or the <HI>face of a Swine,</HI> or the Hoofs of an A&s;s, how &s;hould we be looked upon as Mon&s;ters; but to have the hearts of the bea&s;ts, is wor&s;e, to be like them in <HI>the inward man,</HI> is more mon|&s;trous in the &s;ight of God: Con&s;ider this, &s;in maketh <HI>a bea&s;t</HI> of you; nay, it maketh you wor&s;e then the bea&s;ts; <HI>The A&s;s knoweth his owner,</HI> &amp;c. <HI>I&s;ai.</HI> 1. 3&punc; they are &s;erviceable to their benefactors, but thou art a Rebel again&s;t God that made thee, and hath kept thee all thy days. The <HI>&s;luggard</HI> is put to &s;chool to the <HI>Ant,</HI> Prov. 6. The bea&s;ts know their &s;tint and mea&s;ure; an <HI>Hor&s;e</HI> or a <HI>Dogg</HI> will not be drunk, &amp;c. Shall I &s;peak one word more? Sin doth not only make a <HI>bea&s;t</HI> of you, but <HI>a Devil</HI> of you, <HI>Joh. 6. 70. One of you is a Devil;</HI> the Devils &s;aid, <HI>What have we to do with thee, Je&s;us thou &s;on of David?</HI> and wicked men, <HI>What is the Almighty? depart from us we de&s;ire not the knowledge of thy ways.</HI></P>
<P>Again ob&s;erve, <HI>'Tis a &s;ign of a man turned beast, to follow the pa&s;sions and lu&s;ts of corrupt nature,</HI> Why? For then the<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 6.</NOTE> government of rea&s;on is renounced, and all is yielded up in|to the hands of Lu&s;t and Appetite; in men <HI>rea&s;on</HI> &s;hould have the chief governance, and exerci&s;e a co|ercion and re&s;traint over our affections; but now when we yeild up our &s;elves to the <HI>pa&s;&s;ionatene&s;s of lu&s;t,</HI> and are tran&s;|ported with violence of it, it an&s;wereth to that rage which reigneth in the bea&s;ts: I &s;hall take occa&s;ion here; to &s;hew you how many ways <HI>a man</HI> turneth <HI>bea&s;t.</HI></P>
<P>1. By an addictedne&s;s to <HI>&s;en&s;ual plea&s;ures</HI> and <HI>delights:</HI>
<PB N="399" REF="208">
'tis the bea&s;ts happine&s;s to enjoy plea&s;ures without remor&s;e, they have no <HI>con&s;cience,</HI> they are not called to an account, &amp;c Now he is not worthy the name of a man (&s;aith <HI>Tully</HI>) that would willingly &s;pend one whole day in plea&s;ure; <HI>We may take plea&s;ures &s;ometimes, but they &s;hould not take us,</HI> that is, we &s;hould not be vehemently addicted to them.</P>
<P>2. When in the u&s;e of the&s;e delights we keep neither <HI>mo|de&s;ty</HI> nor <HI>mea&s;ure,</HI> this is but like &s;wine to wallow in our own filthine&s;s, a bea&s;t can do no more; nay, many a bea&s;t would not do &s;o much.</P>
<P>3. When men live by <HI>Appetite</HI> rather than <HI>Rea&s;on</HI> and <HI>con&s;cience, feeding without fear,</HI> and nouri&s;hing the body, but taking no care to refre&s;h the &s;oul, This &s;hould humble many that think highly of them&s;elves, they do but carry a bea&s;ts heart under a mans &s;hape; while they are wholly gi|ven up to &s;en&s;ual delight, pampering the body, when in the mean time, the precious, but neglected &s;oul, may ju&s;tly com|plain of hard u&s;age.</P>
<P>In the la&s;t place ob&s;erve, <HI>That &s;en&s;uality doth but make</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 7.</NOTE> <HI>way for corruption,</HI> you may counterpoi&s;e the temptation to the &s;in, with the puni&s;hment; u&s;ually <HI>&s;ecret &s;ins,</HI> and <HI>&s;weet &s;ins,</HI> meet with an heavy puni&s;hment: &s;ecret &s;ins that do not betray us to &s;hame, may yet beget horror, when we think of what will en&s;ue; and <HI>&s;weet &s;ins,</HI> that entice our af|fections, to prevent them we may counterballance one affection with another, delight with fear: Well then, to check the bruiti&s;h rage of &s;en&s;ual inclinations: Say, <HI>This will tend to my corruption,</HI> and peri&s;hing for ever; <HI>They that &s;ow to the fle&s;h &s;hall reap corruption,</HI> Gal. 6. 8. carnal plea|&s;ures turn to an ill account in the i&s;&s;ue, &s;o <HI>Rom.</HI> 8. 13. <HI>If ye live after the fle&s;h, ye &s;hall dye.</HI> The Lord fenced <HI>Edom</HI> with a flaming Sword, &s;o is the Garden of carnal delights fenced with the wrath of God; we ran a great hazard to enter in: &s;ay then, &s;hall I for a <HI>&s;uperfluous Cup</HI> adventure to drink a <HI>Cup of wrath unmi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">ed?</HI> For plea&s;ures here, for feit the <HI>plea|&s;ures at Gods right hand for evermore?</HI> For a little <HI>wanton dalliance,</HI> loo&s;e the <HI>embraces of Chri&s;t,</HI> when he cometh out to receive the Saints to him&s;elf at the la&s;t day? God for|bid.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="11" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="400" REF="209">
<EPIGRAPH>
<BIBL>VERS. XI.</BIBL>
<Q>Wo unto them, for they have gone the way of <HI>Cain,</HI> and ran greedily after the error of <HI>Balaam</HI> for reward, and peri&s;hed in the gain-&s;aying of <HI>Corah.</HI></Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>HEre the Apo&s;tle commeth to reckon up their &s;ins, and he doth it by <HI>examples,</HI> which are &s;uited &s;o, that they may imply both <HI>the &s;in and the puni&s;hment:</HI> Three are produced in this Ver&s;e; That of <HI>Cain,</HI> to note their <HI>malice</HI> and <HI>cruelty:</HI> That of <HI>Balaam,</HI> to note their <HI>coveten&s;ne&s;s</HI> and <HI>&s;eduction:</HI> That of <HI>Corah,</HI> to note their <HI>faction</HI> and <HI>&s;edition,</HI> again&s;t <HI>Magi&s;tracy</HI> and <HI>Mini&s;try,</HI> as <HI>Corah</HI> and his accom|plices ro&s;e up again&s;t <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> and <HI>Aaron.</HI></P>
<P>[Wo unto them] 'tis <HI>Prophetically</HI> &s;poken, not <HI>execrat<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">rily</HI> as a <HI>threatning,</HI> or <HI>denuntiation,</HI> not as <HI>a cur&s;e. [For they have gone in the way of Cain] Cains</HI> example is produced, becau&s;e he was <HI>the fir&s;t</HI> and <HI>chief</HI> of them that departed from the <HI>true Church</HI> and <HI>pure &s;ervice</HI> of God, Gen. 4. 16. <HI>Cain went out from the pre&s;ence of the Lord, and dwelt,</HI> &amp;c. <HI>Tertullian</HI> &s;aith he was the <HI>Devils Patriarch,</HI> the fir&s;t root of the carnal &s;eed, or of the <HI>&s;eed of the Serpent,</HI> in whom per&s;ecution began: Now <HI>Cains way</HI> was a <HI>way of murther,</HI> he &s;lew his <HI>Brother,</HI> becau&s;e he was <HI>more righteons</HI> and godly then him&s;elf, 1 <HI>Joh.</HI> 3. 12. and &s;o they go in his way, that have an <HI>envy</HI> and <HI>ha|tred</HI> again&s;t their <HI>holy brethren;</HI> which many times proceed|eth &s;o far as <HI>violence, per&s;ecution</HI> and <HI>murder:</HI> This in&s;tance is fitly applyed to the&s;e Seducers; for (if the <HI>Targum</HI> of <HI>Jeru&s;alem</HI> &s;ay true) be&s;ides the <HI>particular grudge,</HI> which <HI>Cain&punc;</HI> had again&s;t <HI>Abel,</HI> about the <HI>acceptance of his Sacrifice:</HI> There was a <HI>di&s;pute</HI> which happened between them in the field, concerning the <HI>providenes of Gods la&s;t judgment,</HI> and world to come <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Vide <HI>Nierem|berg.</HI> Strom. 1. cap. 17. &amp; Gla&s;&s;ium. <HI>l.</HI> 1. Philol. &s;acrae. <HI>pag.</HI> 60. &amp; Chri&s;tolog. Mo&s;aicae di&s;&s;ert. 5. <HI>p.</HI> 165.</NOTE> <HI>Non est judicium nec judex nec &s;aculum ali|ud, nec merces bona pro justis nec paena pro impiis: nec Dei mi&s;ericordia creatus e&s;t, mundus nec ejus mi&s;ericordia regitur, eo quod &s;u&s;cepta e&s;t oblatio t<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">a cum benepla<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">it<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">, mea ver<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">,</HI>
<PB N="401" REF="209">
<HI>Tarq&punc; Hiero&s;.</HI> So were the&s;e Seducers exa&s;perated again&s;t the Orthodox, not only becau&s;e of the greater pre&s;ence of God among them, but al&s;o becau&s;e of difference of judg|ment, about <HI>Chri&s;t, the world to come,</HI> and <HI>Providence,</HI> with other whole&s;ome Doctrines, by which godline&s;s is main|tained: Again, <HI>Cain</HI> &s;lew <HI>Abel,</HI> &s;o were the&s;e Gno&s;ticks ready to break out into all violence again&s;t tho&s;e that di&s;&s;en|ted from them, and &s;tirred up the <HI>Jews</HI> to per&s;ecution a|gain&s;t the Chri&s;tians: <HI>Cain</HI> after this murther was haunted with his own Gho&s;t, and <HI>trembled</HI> where ever he came; &s;o doth <HI>Cains end</HI> attend <HI>Cains cour&s;e,</HI> &s;uch <HI>quakings</HI> and fears of con&s;cience following them, where ever they went: 'tis &s;aid, <HI>The Lord &s;et a mark upon Cain,</HI> Gen. 4. 15. what this mark was, is much di&s;puted; mo&s;t &s;ay it was a <HI>continual trembling and quaking</HI> throughout his body, <HI>Vide Aug.</HI> lib. 12. contra. <HI>Fau&s;t.</HI> cap. 12. <HI>Chry&s;o&s;t. hom.</HI> 19. in <HI>Gen.</HI> And the <HI>Sept.</HI> render that, <HI>Ge<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">,</HI> 4. 12. [<HI>Thou &s;halt be a Vagabond upon the earth</HI>] <GAP DESC="foreign">, Thou &s;halt be <HI>groaning and trembling upon the earth;</HI> and the word <HI>Nod,</HI> the name of the place where he &s;ojourned, is by interpre|tation, <HI>agitatio commotio, quaking</HI> or <HI>trembling:</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">, and <HI>Ba&s;il &s;eleuc. apud Nei|remb. &s;tromat.</HI> 1. pag. 23. which if &s;o, our <HI>wicked Quakers</HI> may &s;ee who was their <HI>Patriarch.</HI> Now from this fir&s;t in|&s;tance ob&s;erve.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, <HI>That the practice of wicked men now, and the practice of</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 1.</NOTE> <HI>wicked men from the beginning, is &s;till the &s;ame</HI> <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Multi adhuc &s;unt qui clavum &s;anguine Abelis rubentem cir|cumferunt.</NOTE>: <HI>Cains Club</HI> (as <HI>Bucholcer</HI> &s;peaketh) <HI>is &s;till. carryed about in the world &s;tained with the blood of Abel,</HI> &s;ee <HI>Gal. 4. 29. But as then, he that was born after the fle&s;h, per&s;ecuted him that was born af|ter the &s;pirit, even &s;o 'tis now:</HI> So 'twas then, &s;o 'tis now, &s;o it will be while the &s;pirit of the Devil worketh in the world; we have the &s;ame <HI>original &s;in</HI> which they had in former times for a long time a di&s;ea&s;e runneth in the blood, and is con|tinued in a line and family; but after &s;ome generations 'tis worn out; but this filth will &s;till run as long as there is a channel of carnal generation to convey it: Again, we have the <HI>&s;ame Devil</HI> to tempt us, who ever is converted, he will
<PB N="402" REF="210">
never turn Chri&s;tian to be &s;ure; and there are the <HI>&s;ame pro|vocations</HI> and occa&s;ions to exa&s;perate mens corruptions: Well then, let us not be over troubled, there is no <HI>new thing under the Sun;</HI> the &s;ame Devil that rageth now, hath been a <HI>murderer from the beginning, John</HI> 8. 44. The &s;ame Devil that deceiveth now, was <HI>a lyar from the beginning:</HI> are there tho&s;e now that &s;eparate from all Churches of Chri&s;t? there were <HI>Donatists</HI> in former time, are there now that deny the God-Head of Chri&s;t? There were <HI>Arians</HI> then, are there now <HI>Ranters, Famili&s;ts?</HI> and there were <HI>Gno&s;ticks then,</HI> are there bloody enemies of the truth? every Age can yield its <HI>Cains:</HI> Again, if we would better know the &s;tate of our times, let us blow off the du&s;t from our <HI>old pre&s;idents;</HI> the Devil doth but play over the old game, and though the Scene be &s;hifted and furni&s;hed with new Actors, the Plot is the &s;ame.</P>
<P>Ob&s;erve again, <HI>Hereticks and Libertines u&s;ually turn per|&s;ecutors,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 2.</NOTE> for 'tis &s;aid here, <HI>They go in the way of Cain:</HI> Sa|tan that is a <HI>lyar</HI> is al&s;o a <HI>murtherer,</HI> a fal&s;e way cannot &s;ub|&s;i&s;t without the props of <HI>blood</HI> and <HI>cruelty,</HI> witne&s;s the <HI>Cir|cumcellians</HI> the <HI>Pri&s;cilliani&s;ts,</HI> the <HI>Arians,</HI> the <HI>Donati&s;ts;</HI> the <HI>Tragedies</HI> at <HI>Mun&s;ter:</HI> An erroneous opinion is <HI>touchy,</HI> and therefore efferates the minds of men again&s;t tho&s;e that oppo&s;e it: beleeve not Seducers then, when they come in <HI>&s;heeps clothing,</HI> 'tis but that they may get a power to play the <HI>Wolves</HI> the better: and when Libertines encrea&s;e, let Magi&s;trates look about them, there are Clouds gathering together towards a di&s;mal &s;torm; and though they &s;eem to be meek and full of love, while their party is contemptible; yet when they grow con&s;iderable they appear in their co|lours: Again, let us ble&s;s God for the peace we enjoy; there are &s;warms and droves of Locu&s;ts abroad, but ble&s;&s;ed be God that there is a re&s;traint upon them, that there is a &s;pirit of perver&s;ity mingled with their coun&s;els: I tell you, the great danger of the <HI>latter times,</HI> is from <HI>Libertines,</HI> ma|ny fear a <HI>&s;econd deluge of Anti-Chri&s;tiani&s;m;</HI> but that is not &s;o probable as the <HI>&s;editious in&s;urrections of Sectaries:</HI> What &s;ad havock will be made of the people of God, when once
<PB N="403" REF="210">
the&s;e bloody minded wretches get power? The <HI>latter times</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>perilous times,</HI> 2 Tim. 3. 1. Why? from what &s;ort of men will the danger ari&s;e? not from the <HI>Anti-Chri&s;tian, or Popi&s;h party,</HI> &s;o much as from a <HI>Libertine par|ty,</HI> from <HI>Quakers, Ranters, Anti-Scripturi&s;ts, Famili&s;ts,</HI> &amp;c. The Anti-Chri&s;tian party carrieth things by <HI>power,</HI> and <HI>wordly greatne&s;s,</HI> but this party there de&s;cribed, is a <HI>creep|ing party,</HI> that gets into hou&s;es, <HI>leadeth captive &s;illy women,</HI> ver&s;e 6. the Anti-Chri&s;tian party abu&s;eth the Sword of the Magi&s;trate; but this is a <HI>trayterous party, heady, high mind|ed,</HI> ver&s;e 4. a party ri&s;ing up again&s;t Magi&s;tracy: The Anti-Chri&s;tian party are &s;tiffe and ob&s;tinate in their <HI>old forms,</HI> but this is a party <HI>of &s;eekers,</HI> looking for <HI>new di&s;coveries,</HI> holding nothing certain in Religion; <HI>ever learning, and never com|ing,</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>to the acknowledgment of the truth,</HI> ver&s;. 7 In &s;hort, the party there de&s;cribed, are a party that deny <HI>civil reverence, natural affection,</HI> and are contemptuous de&s;pi&s;ers of the true and holy &s;ervants of Chri&s;t; and all this carryed on <HI>under a pretence and form of godline&s;s;</HI> this is the party from whence I fear &s;uch danger and di&s;turbance, if the Lord put not an hook into their Jaws, or do not awa|ken the Magi&s;trate to look to the &s;afety, not only of Chri&s;ts intere&s;ts, but his own: <HI>Cur&s;ing Balaams will &s;oon prove bloody Cains,</HI> and wicked &s;educers, tyrannous oppre&s;&s;ors.</P>
<P>The next part of the De&s;cription is [<HI>And ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward.</HI> His &s;tory beginneth <HI>Numb.</HI> 22. and his <HI>Tragedy</HI> you have, <HI>Numb.</HI> 31. 8. <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Baalam cur&s;|ed I&s;rael for hire again&s;t his own con&s;cience, &s;o did the&s;e per|vert the truth.</NOTE> <HI>Ba|laam</HI> had <HI>linguam venalem,</HI> Oracles to <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ell; &s;o they adul|terated the Doctrine of the Go&s;pel out of <HI>covetou&s;ne&s;s</HI> and <HI>filthy lucre. Simon Magus,</HI> out of who&s;e School the Gno|&s;ticks came, would you know, buy and &s;ell the holy Gho&s;t, <HI>Acts</HI> 8. Now after this errour 'tis &s;aid, <HI>they ran greedily,</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">, were poured out, 'tis a metaphor taken from a River overflowing the banks, or from a thing poured out from a Bucker, with a full current or &s;tream.</P>
<P>Now from hence Ob&s;erve,</P>
<P>1. <HI>That the Devil en<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">iceth his &s;laves to divers &s;ins;</HI> as to<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 3.</NOTE> the <HI>malice of Cain,</HI> &s;o to the <HI>covetou&s;ne&s;s of Balaam.</HI></P>
<P><PB N="404" REF="211">2. <HI>That men are u&s;ually carried into errours by the bait of</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 4.</NOTE> <HI>gain and worldly profit,</HI> 2 Pet. 3. 3. <HI>Through covetou&s;nes &s;hall they with feigned words make merchandi&s;e of you;</HI> that which is the <HI>root of other evils,</HI> is often the root of <HI>Here&s;ies</HI> or <HI>&s;ect making:</HI> &s;ouls are a <HI>precious commodity,</HI> Chri&s;t thought them worthy of his own blood, but &s;educers count them <HI>cheap ware,</HI> for their own gain and worldly intere&s;ts, they care not how they they betray &s;ouls; yea, Chri&s;t him&s;elf is &s;old by them as <HI>Judas purcha&s;ed a field with the reward of ini|quity,</HI> Acts 1. 18. Oh then beware of covetou&s;ne&s;s, 'tis a great &s;nare; a covetous man, the Devil hath him upon the hipp, and how far, or whither he will carry him, he cannot tell: <HI>Balaam</HI> had many good gifts, God is &s;aid to have <HI>put words into his mouth,</HI> Numb. 23. 26. he asked councel of the Lord, loath to go; yet covetou&s;ne&s;s by degrees wrought upon him.</P>
<P>3. From the word <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>Men &s;in with full bent of</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 5.</NOTE> <HI>heart, a<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">d are carried out violently again&s;t all re&s;traints of con|&s;cience;</HI> as <HI>Balaam,</HI> notwith&s;tanding the checks and di&s;ap|pointments which he met with in the way; <HI>The dumb A&s;s forbidding the madne&s;s of the Prophet,</HI> 2 Pet. 2. 16. yet was &s;till hurried on by the violent impul&s;ions of his own lu&s;t, and greedy de&s;ire of reward; &s;o the Apo&s;tle &s;peaketh of &s;ome that <HI>work uncleanne&s;s with greedine&s;s,</HI> Eph. 4. 19. The mo|tions of lu&s;t are rapid and violent, we are in earne&s;t when we do the Devils work; a &s;tone runneth down-hill with a &s;wift motion, becau&s;e of its propen&s;ion and tendency that way: Oh when &s;hall we learn to &s;erve God as we have &s;er|ved Satan; our <HI>work</HI> is better, our <HI>wages</HI> better, and our <HI>Ma&s;ter</HI> be&s;t of all: When &s;hall we <HI>pour out our hearts&punc;</HI> in prayer, as we do in &s;in? In the bu&s;ine&s;s of Religion we act with a great deal of <HI>dividedne&s;s</HI> and <HI>partiality;</HI> our evil works are <HI>meerly evil,</HI> but our good by no means can be <HI>purely good.</HI></P>
<P>4. Again ob&s;erve. <HI>That covetou&s;ne&s;s is a violent, head|&s;trong lu&s;t;</HI> you would think uncleanne&s;s is mo&s;t violent, as<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 6.</NOTE> having a rage, and a pa&s;&s;ionatene&s;s in it, it is &s;o; but co|vetou&s;ne&s;s is more &s;trong, as engaging not only the <HI>lighter</HI>
<PB N="405" REF="211">
<HI>part of the affections,</HI> but the will it &s;elf, 1 <HI>Tim. 6. 19. He that will be rich,</HI> &amp;c. fits of lu&s;t are earne&s;t for the pre&s;ent, but this is the <HI>con&s;tant</HI> and more <HI>deliberate bent</HI> of the heart towards that which is evil; watch the more, that your feet be not taken in this &s;nare.</P>
<P>The la&s;t in&s;tance is, [<HI>peri&s;hed in the gain&s;aying of Corah</HI>] this is produced to note their <HI>factious practi&s;es;</HI> you have the &s;tory of him, <HI>Numb.</HI> 16. being overcome with ambi|tion, he would take upon him the Prie&s;thood; he and his accomplices made head again&s;t <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> and <HI>Aaron,</HI> but he peri&s;hed in the attempt; and &s;o will the&s;e likewi&s;e that ri&s;e up again&s;t <HI>Magi&s;tracy</HI> and <HI>Mini&s;try,</HI> as &s;urely as if it were already accompli&s;hed; and therefore though they were not as then born, yet they are &s;aid to peri&s;h when <HI>Corah</HI> peri&s;h|ed: From hence note.</P>
<P>That <HI>ambition breedeth faction, hence Corah gain&s;ayed;</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 7.</NOTE> <HI>Diotrephes loveth the preheminence,</HI> and therefore troubled the Church, in the 3 Epi&s;tle of <HI>John</HI> 10. All &s;tirs begin fir&s;t in our own lu&s;ts, men are di&s;contented with their e&s;tate, would be higher, and therefore break rank: <HI>Lanctantius</HI> ob&s;erveth of the troubles of his age, thus. <HI>Fuerunt quidam no&s;trorum vel minus &s;tabilit&acirc; fide, vel minus docti, vel minus eauti; qui di&s;sidium facerent unitatis &amp; eccle&s;iam di&s;siparent, &s;ed ij quorum fides fuit lubrica, cum deum no&s;&s;e &s;e &amp; colere &s;i|mularent, augendis opibus &amp; honori &s;tudentes, affectabant maximum &s;acerdotium, &amp; a potioribus victi, &s;ecedere cum &s;uffragatoribus &s;uis maluerunt quam eos ferre prae po&s;itos, qui|bus concupiebant ante praeponi,</HI> &amp;c. <HI>Lactant.</HI> de <HI>vera &s;apien|tia</HI> lib. 4. to cap. 30. 'tis an excellent thing to be contented with our own &s;tation; Je&s;us Chri&s;t was <HI>chadal i&s;chim,</HI> I&s;a. 53. 3. the leaving off of men, or contented to be in the lowe&s;t rank, if God hath denyed thee any condition in the world which thou affecte&s;t, thou art not worthy of it, or it is not fit for thee, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<P>2. Ob&s;erve, <HI>Ambition that carrieth men again&s;t Mini&s;try</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 8.</NOTE> <HI>carrieth them again&s;t Magi&s;tracy al&s;o: Corah</HI> and his com|panions ro&s;e up again&s;t <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> and <HI>Aaron,</HI> the <HI>Church</HI> and <HI>Common-wealth,</HI> are like the &s;oul and the body; the one
<PB N="406" REF="212">
fareth the better for the welfare of the other; and &s;editions &s;pirits will brook no re&s;traint, let them alone in the Church, and they will &s;oon di&s;turb the <HI>State</HI> al&s;o. But of this before, ver&s;e 8.</P>
<P>Once more, The <HI>levelling humour is no new thing in the</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 9.</NOTE> <HI>Church of God;</HI> their plea was, <HI>Numb. 16. 3. all the Lords people are holy,</HI> or <HI>Saints,</HI> and why &s;hould any be &s;et over them? let us beware then of that <HI>parity</HI> which &s;ome affect; there mu&s;t be <HI>Rule</HI> and <HI>Superiority,</HI> or all will come to nought: God made the world to con&s;i&s;t of <HI>Hills</HI> and <HI>Val|leys,</HI> and in Church and State there mu&s;t be <HI>Governours,</HI> and <HI>governed, Teachers</HI> and <HI>taught;</HI> 'tis <HI>Corahs</HI> &s;in to invade Offices without a call, and to de&s;troy that Order which God hath e&s;tabli&s;hed.</P>
<P>Again Ob&s;erves <HI>Schi&s;ms and factions in the Church, bring</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 10.</NOTE> <HI>de&s;truction in the end:</HI> Tho&s;e that made a <HI>cleft</HI> in the Con|gregation, the <HI>earth cleaved</HI> to &s;wallow them up; Chri&s;t &s;aith, <HI>Woe be to that man by whom offences come,</HI> Mat. 18. 7. 'tis &s;ad to take offence, but wor&s;e to give it, all the mi&s;chief that en&s;ueth will be reckoned to your &s;core; &s;urely men would be more tender in this Point, if they did but think of, the puni&s;hment that &s;en&s;ibly overtaketh the di&s;turbers of a well ordered &s;ociety.</P>
<P>Again Ob&s;erve, <HI>The Scripture &s;peaketh of things to come</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 11.</NOTE> <HI>as already pa&s;t,</HI> for 'tis &s;aid, <HI>the&s;e peri&s;hed,</HI> &amp;c. &s;o <HI>Rev. 14. 8. Babylon is fallen, is fallen,</HI> what is threatened is as certain as if it were already accompli&s;hed; &s;o al&s;o for <HI>promi&s;es,</HI> you have the mercy, if you have the promi&s;e; by <HI>Gods word</HI> all things were created and do &s;ub&s;i&s;t: <HI>Let it be,</HI> was enough to make a world, when God &s;aith <HI>in &s;hall be,</HI> is not the thing <HI>&s;ure,</HI> though <HI>unlikely?</HI> hath Gods word lo&s;t any thing of its creating power? God counteth our work done, when but intended, <HI>Abraham offered,</HI> &amp;c. Heb. 11. 17. Well then, let us be able by faith to &s;ee the ruin of wicked men when they reign mo&s;t.</P>
<P>La&s;tly Ob&s;erve, <HI>Wicked men may read their de&s;truction in</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 12.</NOTE> <HI>the de&s;truction of others that &s;inned before them:</HI> They tran&s;|gre&s;s the &s;ame Law, and God is as tender of it as ever; and
<PB N="407" REF="212">
there is the <HI>&s;ame providence</HI> to take vengeance, which is as mighty as ever; and they act out of the &s;ame lu&s;ts which God hateth as much as ever, &s;in is not grown le&s;s dange|rous now in the latter days, &s;urely then a man would think the old world &s;hould grow wi&s;er, having &s;o many pre&s;idents: <HI>Pride</HI> may &s;ee its downfall in <HI>Nebuchadnezar, &s;edition</HI> in <HI>Co|rah, Rebellion</HI> in <HI>Ab&s;alom, violence</HI> in <HI>Cain;</HI> painted <HI>adul|terou&s;ne&s;s</HI> in <HI>Jezebel, di&s;orders in wor&s;hip,</HI> in the fall of the Beth&s;hemites, the breach made upon <HI>&V;zziah;</HI> the <HI>u&s;urping of &s;acred Offices</HI> without a Call may &s;ee its danger, in the <HI>le|pro&s;ie of &V;zziah:</HI> there is &s;earce a &s;in of the pe&s;tilent influ|ence, of which we have not &s;ome example, which is &s;et up like a mark in the way, in effect &s;aying, <HI>Take heed, enter not here, it will prove your ruin and de&s;truction;</HI> or <HI>Look upon me and be godly.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="12" TYPE="verse">
<EPIGRAPH>
<BIBL>VERS. XII.</BIBL>
<Q>The&s;e are &s;pots in your Fea&s;ts of Charity, when they fea&s;t with you, feeding them&s;elves without fear. Clouds they are without water, carried about of winds, Trees who&s;e fruit withereth, without fruit twice dead, plucked up by the roots.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>IN the former Ver&s;e the Apo&s;tle &s;etteth them forth <HI>by ex|amples,</HI> in this <HI>by &s;imilitudes:</HI> Let us go over the expre&s;|&s;ions a part, as the Text offereth them [<HI>The&s;e are &s;pots in your Fea&s;ts of Charity</HI>] <GAP DESC="foreign">, the word al&s;o &s;ignifi|eth <HI>Rocks,</HI> but is fitly here rendered <HI>&s;pots,</HI> for 'tis in <HI>Peter,</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">, 1 Pet. 2. 13. <HI>&s;pots they are and blemi&s;hes</HI>&mdash;&s;o he called them as being in them&s;elves <HI>defiled,</HI> and to others <HI>di&s;graceful:</HI> or becau&s;e <HI>defiling with their pre&s;ence,</HI> and <HI>infecting by their example, [in your Fea&s;ts of love or charity</HI>] the&s;e were Suppers u&s;ed in the primitive times, ei|ther to manife&s;t their <HI>brotherly union,</HI> or for the <HI>comfort and refre&s;hing of the poor</HI> in obedience to Chri&s;ts Injunction.
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Luke 14. 12, 13. though little ob&s;erved for the ends for which they were at fir&s;t appointed; <HI>divi&s;ions being hereby nouri&s;hed,</HI> 1 Cor. 11. 21. each faction by them&s;elves taking their own &s;upper, and <HI>the poor excluded,</HI> 1 Cor. 11. 22. Some di&s;pute the lawfulne&s;s of them, it being an addition to the Lords Supper, taken up in imitation of the Heathens, and bla&s;ted by Gods providence in the very beginning, ne|ver approved, and (it &s;eemeth) but &s;lightingly &s;poken of: <HI>Your love Fea&s;ts,</HI> &s;aith our Apo&s;tle; however, they might be lawfully u&s;ed. <HI>Tertullian</HI> &s;heweth a lawful u&s;e of them in his time, <HI>Tert.</HI> in <HI>Apol.</HI> cap&punc; 39. <HI>Coimus in Caelum ut ad Deum qua&s;i manu fau&s;t&acirc;,</HI> &amp;c. <HI>We meet together</HI> (&s;aith he) <HI>that by an holy con&s;piracy we may &s;et upon God by a force that is welcome to him, where prayers are made, and the Scriptures opened; and after this meeting a Supper began with prayer,</HI> Non prius di&s;cumbitur quam oratio ad deum praegu&s;tetur editur quantum e&s;urientes capiunt bibitur quantum pudicis e&s;t utile; <HI>and their di&s;cour&s;es were &s;uch as did become the ears of God, and after wa&s;hing they &s;ang a P&s;alm, and &s;o &s;oberly departed:</HI> Now the&s;e <HI>&s;en&s;ual per&s;ons</HI> did defile the <HI>love Fea&s;t,</HI> the infamy of their lives being a &s;candal to the meeting, and the Church far'd ill for their &s;akes, for <HI>Peter</HI> maketh them to be <HI>&s;pots,</HI> not only for their <HI>di&s;orderly cariage</HI> at the meeting it &s;elf; but becau&s;e of their <HI>con&s;tant</HI> cour&s;e, 2 Pet. 2. 13. <HI>They count it plea&s;ure to riot away the day time:</HI> Partly by their <HI>undecent words</HI> and <HI>actions,</HI> when the Chri&s;tians were met together, giving up them&s;elves to exce&s;s, 1 <HI>Cor 1. 21. &s;ome are drunken,</HI> and <HI>libidinous practi&s;es,</HI> for this was frequent in the meetings of the <HI>Gno&s;ticks.</HI></P>
<P>Ob&s;erve hence, <HI>That &s;en&s;ual per&s;ons are the &s;pots of a Chri|&s;tian &s;ociety;</HI> they are not only filthy in them&s;elves, but bring a di&s;honour upon the whole Church, whereof they are mem|bers, Heb. 12. 15. <HI>Take heed le&s;t any root of bitterne&s;s &s;pring up among&s;t you, whereby many may be defiled;</HI> now what that root of bitterne&s;s is he &s;heweth you, ver&s;. 16. <HI>Le&s;t there be any fornicator or prophane per&s;on as was</HI> E&s;au, <HI>who &s;old his Birthright for a me&s;s of Pottage.</HI> When any root &s;pringeth up, or breaketh out into a &s;candalous action, the whole
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&s;ociety is defiled, therefore it &s;heweth that &s;uch are di&s;co|vered, for otherwi&s;e we &s;hould turn a Church into a Stye, <HI>their &s;pot is not as the &s;pot of his children,</HI> Deut. 32. 5. they have not Gods mark, but Satans: <HI>Calvin</HI> ob&s;erved, that nothing doth mi&s;chief the Church &s;o much as <HI>remi&s;ne&s;s,</HI> and <HI>kindne&s;s to wicked men;</HI> partly as they do infect by the taint of their <HI>evil examples,</HI> and partly as they <HI>bring infamy</HI> up|on the Body; therefore cut off the&s;e <HI>ulcerous members:</HI> Again, we learn that the pure&s;t Churches have their &s;pots: In Chri&s;ts Family there was a Divel, <HI>John 6. One of you is a Divel:</HI> You would be &s;cared to &s;ee a Divel come among you; every <HI>malicious &s;inner</HI> is a <HI>Divel,</HI> and every <HI>&s;en&s;nal &s;inner</HI> is a <HI>Bea&s;t;</HI> &s;uch may now and then creep into the Church, but they &s;hould not be allowed there; they that put off the <HI>nature of man,</HI> are unfit for the <HI>communion of Saints;</HI> the&s;e are <HI>&s;pots</HI> to be <HI>wa&s;hed off: Holine&s;s</HI> is the <HI>Churches Ornament,</HI> P&s;al. 93. la&s;t&punc; <HI>Holine&s;s becometh thy Hou&s;e, O Lord, for ever.</HI> Again, they that are in a Church &s;hould be the more careful; you defile your &s;elves el&s;e, and the &s;ociety whereof you are members; yea, your mi&s;car|riages reflect upon Chri&s;t him&s;elf: Carnal Chri&s;tians carry up and down in the world the <HI>picture of the Divel,</HI> and put <HI>Chri&s;ts name</HI> upon it, and &s;o expo&s;e it to &s;corn and deri&s;ion in the world. 'Twas an old complaint of the Gentiles, mentioned by <HI>Cyprian</HI> in his Book <HI>de duplici Mar<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">yrio,</HI> the words are the&s;e, <HI>Ecce qui j<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ctant &s;e redemptos a Tyrannide Sathanae; qui praedicant &s;e mortuos mundo, nihilo minus vin|cuntur a cupiditatibus &s;uis, quam hos quos dicunt, teneri &s;ub regno Satha<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ae, quid p<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ode&s;t ill<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">s Bapti&s;mus, quid prod<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;t Spi|ritus &s;anctus, cujus arbitrio dicunt &s;e temperari?</HI> &amp;c. So in <HI>Salvians</HI> time, the Heathens were wont to upbraid the Chri&s;tians thus, <HI>&V;bi e&s;t Catholica Lex quam credunt? &V;bi &s;unt Pi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ta is &amp; C<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;ti atis exempla quae di&s;cunt, Evangelia lgunt &amp; impudici &s;unt, Apo&s;tolos audiant &amp; ineb<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">iantur, Chri&s;tum &s;equu<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">tur &amp; capiunt?</HI> &amp;c. They talk of an holy Chri&s;t, and yet are <HI>unju&s;t unclean, wrathful, covetous;</HI> of a meek patient Chri&s;t, and yet are <HI>rapacious</HI> and <HI>vi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">lent;</HI> of holy Apo&s;tles, and yet are <HI>impure</HI> in their conver&s;ations:
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Our Author goeth on thus, <HI>Sancta a Christianis <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ierens <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters"> &s;ancta Chri&s;tu<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> do<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">i&s;&s;et&punc; ae&s;timari a culioribus pote&s;t iste qui colitur, quomodo bonus magi&s;ter cujus tam m<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">los <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;&s;e videmus Di&s;cipulos:</HI> If their Chri&s;t were an holy meek Chri&s;t, they would be better. Now judge you whether &s;uch wretches be not <HI>&s;pots</HI> both to <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> and the <HI>Church,</HI> a di&s;grace to <HI>Head</HI> and <HI>Members;</HI> therefore all Church members &s;hould be more watchful and circum&s;pect than others, le<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">t they give occa&s;ion to tho&s;e that watch for their halting, to &s;peak evil of the way of God.</P>
<P>The next clau&s;e is [<HI>When they fea&s;t with you.</HI>] The word &s;ignifieth, to fea&s;t liberally together: this is added, to &s;hew, that they perverted the nature of the meeting, and made that <HI>an action of Luxury,</HI> which was at fir&s;t an <HI>action of cha|rity;</HI> in the Fea&s;ts of the godly there was moderation and temperance, but the&s;e were blithe and jocund, filling their paunches at the charge of the Church: What we tran&s;late <HI>fea&s;ting with you,</HI> others read <HI>fea&s;ting upon you;</HI> and <HI>Peter</HI> 2 Pet. 2. 13. <HI>Sporting them&s;elves with their own deceivings, while they fea&s;t with you:</HI> that is, by carnal Go&s;pelling, and &s;ubtle devices, ju&s;tifying their own intemperance. Whence note,</P>
<P><HI>That 'tis an odious filthine&s;s to make Religion &s;erve our</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 2.</NOTE> <HI>bellies, and to turn charity into luxury.</HI> This is here charged upon them, and often practi&s;ed in the world, <HI>Rom. 16. 17. They &s;erve not our Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t, but their own belly;</HI> Chri&s;t hath the name, but the belly the re&s;pect: &s;o <HI>Phil. 3. 19. who&s;e God is the belly.</HI> When men aim at nothing but their own ea&s;e and plea&s;ure, they &s;et the <HI>belly</HI> in Gods &s;tead: Among the Papi&s;ts, <HI>Religious hou&s;es</HI> are but &s;o many <HI>&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">yes of filthine&s;s;</HI> and the charity of well meaning per&s;ons diverted, to feed the luxury of a <HI>few &s;low-bellies:</HI> Well then, tho&s;e that live upon <HI>Church maintenance,</HI> &s;hould be the more &s;ober and temperate; though a <HI>double portion</HI> will well become them that take <HI>double pains,</HI> yet you &s;hould take heed of luxury, that you may not be corrupted with ea&s;e, that you may have enough for charity; that you may &s;ilence the clamours of the world, your temperance and
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&s;obriety &s;hould be known to all men. <HI>Paul</HI> giveth &s;uch an account of his life, as will &s;hame mo&s;t mini&s;ters when they think of it, 2 <HI>Cor. 11. 27. In wearine&s;s and painfulne&s;s, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fa&s;tings often, in cold and nakedne&s;s;</HI> and <HI>Paul</HI> had his <HI>enforced fa&s;ts,</HI> his <HI>vo|luntary fa&s;ts,</HI> notwith&s;tanding his great pains; our lives &s;hould carry &s;ome proportion; we do not always &s;uffer per|&s;ecution&punc; but we &s;hould &s;til have a <HI>weaned heart</HI> in the fulle&s;t e&s;tate that doth befal us: certainly maintenance would be more cheerfully given, if well u&s;ed,</P>
<P><HI>Feeding them&s;elves without fear,</HI>] <GAP DESC="foreign">, feeding them&s;elves as a Shepherd doth his &s;heep; it noteth their <HI>exce&s;s,</HI> eating beyond all mea&s;ure, and without re|&s;pect to that communion that &s;hould be among Saints: they fed <HI>them&s;elves,</HI> not <HI>others;</HI> their <HI>own bodies,</HI> not <HI>others &s;ouls,</HI> Ezek. 34. 2, 3. <HI>Ye feed your &s;elves, but the flocks have ye not fed.</HI> Whence note,</P>
<P><HI>That at our Meetings and Fea&s;ts we &s;hould have re&s;pect to</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Ob&s;ervat.</HI> 3&punc;</NOTE> <HI>Chri&s;tian communion;</HI> Not only take in meats, but give out gracious di&s;cour&s;es and in&s;tructions: Chri&s;t when he &s;ate at meat, rai&s;eth their thoughts to a better Banquet, <HI>Luke 14. 15. Ble&s;&s;ed is he that &s;hall <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">at bread in the Kingdom of God:</HI> when the <HI>body</HI> is fed, let not the <HI>&s;oul</HI> be neglected; the word of God is <GAP DESC="foreign">, the food of &s;ouls, it &s;hould not be wholly bani&s;hed from our Tables, at every meal, the divel u&s;ually bringeth his di&s;h, when our hearts are warmed with the u&s;e of the creature, he &s;etteth our corruptions a working, and we are ready to cen&s;ure, or to brawl, or je&s;t in an un&s;eemly manner; 'tis but rea&s;on that Chri&s;t &s;hould &s;et his di&s;h upon our Tables al&s;o; and it being a &s;olemn time of coming together, we &s;hould take occa&s;ion to quicken each other to the love of God, and an affectionate remem|brance of our Creator, by who&s;e bounty we enjoy what is &s;et before us, that the &s;piritual appetite may be refre&s;hed as well as the bodily.</P>
<P>Here is yet another word in this clau&s;e, <GAP DESC="foreign"> [<HI>without fear.</HI>] The meaning may be either <HI>without fear of God,</HI> or <HI>without fear of the Church,</HI> or <HI>without fear of the &s;nare in</HI>
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<HI>the creature.</HI> If you take the fir&s;t &s;en&s;e&punc; <HI>without fear of God,</HI> you may either under&s;tand it of his <HI>pre&s;ence</HI> or <HI>judgments. 1. Of his pre&s;ence,</HI> They had no dread of him before whom the A&s;&s;embly was met. Note thence,</P>
<P><HI>'Tis &s;inful to &s;it down at meat, without thoughts of God.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 4.</NOTE> You &s;hall &s;ee 'tis &s;aid <HI>Exod.</HI> 18. 12. That <HI>the Elders of I&s;|rael did eat bread with Mo&s;es his father in law before the Lord;</HI> that is, in his pre&s;ence: when thou art eating bread, thou art before the Lord; as the <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">P&s;alm 145. 15.</NOTE> <HI>eyes of all things look up unto him for meat in due &s;ea&s;on,</HI> &s;o are Gods eyes upon us, upon our carriage and behaviour, therefore &s;till retain a dread of his pre&s;ence; the fear of God is a grace that is never out of &s;ea&s;on: <HI>Be thou in the fear of God all the day long;</HI> not only in the morning, when immediately employ|ed in acts of wor&s;hip, but in thy &s;hop, at thy meals; as the lungs are in continual exerci&s;e whether we are &s;leeping or waking, &s;o are &s;ome graces: Who is it that giveth us <HI>food and gladne&s;s?</HI> Acts 14. Shall we forget God, when he remembreth us mo&s;t? The Lord forbid; when his crea|tures&punc; are in our hands, let his eye be in our thoughts, <HI>Deut. 8. 10, 11. when thou ha&s;t eaten, and art full, beware that thou forget not the Lord thy God,</HI> 'twill be a good curb to our loo&s;e and vain affections.</P>
<P>2. Without a <HI>fear of his judgements.</HI> Thence note, <HI>That</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 5.</NOTE> <HI>riot and voluptuous living, bringeth a brawn upon the heart,</HI> and <HI>men that are given up to a luxurious cour&s;e, grow &s;ecure.</HI> They that did <HI>drink wine in bowls,</HI> did <HI>put far away the evil day,</HI> Amos 6. 3. that is, all thonght and &s;en&s;e of approach|ing judgements: When Jeru&s;alem was grown riotous, &s;he grew carele&s;s; and therefore God biddeth the Prophet, to <HI>eat his bread in trembling,</HI> Ezek. 18. 22. well then, avoid immoderation in carnal plea&s;ures, as you would avoid <HI>&s;e|curity</HI> and <HI>hardne&s;s of heart.</HI> We lo&s;e our tenderne&s;s, by bathing and &s;teeping the &s;oul in the&s;e delights; Epicures are pa&s;t feeling, <HI>Eph.</HI> 4. 19. and the Wanton is &s;aid to be <HI>dead while &s;he liveth,</HI> 1 Tim. 5. 6. <HI>Wine and women take a|way the heart,</HI> Ho&s;. 4. 11. as they do extingui&s;h every &s;park of con&s;cience, and abate of the vigour and tender|ne&s;s
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of our affections: 'Twas and 'tis the opinion of Liber|tines, that 'tis perfection to get the victory of con&s;cience, and to live as we lift, without any trouble and &s;en&s;e of dan|ger, po&s;&s;ibly &s;uch a thing may be aimed at here; 'tis the perfection of &s;inning (I confe&s;s) to do evil, and then to choak the Con&s;cience with carnal plea&s;ures, that we may not fear evil.</P>
<P>2. You may expound it, <HI>without fear of the Church</HI> then a&s;&s;embled, in &s;uch an holy meeting they were not awed from riotous practi&s;es: Whence Note,</P>
<P><HI>That &s;en&s;uality maketh men impudent.</HI> Partly becau&s;e<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 6.</NOTE> where <HI>&s;piritual &s;en&s;e</HI> is gone, <HI>&s;hame</HI> is gone; partly becau&s;e when the bodily &s;pirits are warmed with wine and meat, men grow bold and venturous; <HI>Solomon</HI> &s;aith <HI>Prov. 23. 33. the drunkards heart &s;hall utter perver&s;e things;</HI> in &s;uch a ca&s;e men take a liberty to &s;peak or do any thing that is un&s;eem|ly: I do not exclude this &s;en&s;e, becau&s;e <HI>Peter</HI> in the para|lel place maketh them all along <HI>pre&s;umptuous</HI> and <HI>&s;en&s;ual, 2 Pet.</HI> 2. 10, 11, 12, 13, 14.</P>
<P>3. You may expound it, <HI>without fear of the &s;nare in the creatures.</HI> Whence ob&s;erve,</P>
<P><HI>In the u&s;e of plea&s;ures and outward comforts there &s;hould</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 7.</NOTE> <HI>be much caution.</HI> When <HI>Jobs</HI> &s;ons fea&s;ted, he falleth to &s;a|crifice, <HI>l<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;t they &s;hould have &s;inned again&s;t God,</HI> Job 1. 5. 'Tis good to be jealous of our &s;elves with an holy jealou&s;ie, le&s;t unawares we meet with a &s;nare in our Cup, or Di&s;h: At a fea&s;t there are more gue&s;ts then are invited, <HI>evil &s;pirits</HI> haunt &s;uch meetings, they watch to &s;urprize us in and by the creature, and therefore we &s;hould watch, e&s;pecially if we be given to appetite, then put a <HI>knife to thy tbroat,</HI> as <HI>Solomon</HI> &s;aith, that which is &s;weet to the palate, may wound the &s;ouls, and gluttony may creep upon good men before they are aware, as <HI>Au&s;tin</HI> confe&s;&s;eth, that <HI>he was far from drunkenne&s;s</HI> but <HI>crapula nonnunquam &s;urrepit &s;ervo <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">uo;</HI> &s;omtimes he would eat too much, but (&s;aith he) <HI>Lord thou ha&s;t now taught me to u&s;e my meat as my medicine,</HI> to <HI>repair</HI> nature, not to <HI>oppre&s;s</HI> it; an holy cour&s;e, and to be imita|ted: Chri&s;tians you may think it needle&s;s that we &s;hould
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&s;peak to you about your meat and drink, as if the <HI>light of Con&s;cience</HI> were pregnant and active enough to warn you in &s;uch ca&s;es: Oh! but you cannot be too cautious the throat is a &s;lippery place, and a &s;in may get down ere you are a|ware: Chri&s;t did not think it needle&s;s to warn his own di|&s;ciples of exce&s;s, <HI>Luke 21. 34. Take heed to your &s;elves, le&s;t ye be overcharged with &s;urfetting and drunkenne&s;s,</HI> &amp;c.</P>
<P>The next clau&s;e is [Clouds. <HI>They are without water, car|ried about of winds</HI>] Here now comes in an heap of &s;imi|litudes to expre&s;s their vain arrogancy and oftentation, in profe&s;&s;ing them&s;elves to be far above what indeed what they were; though they were unapt to teach, and to eve|ry good work reprobate, yet they gave out as if they were <HI>illuminate men,</HI> and of an <HI>higher attainment</HI> than others. The fir&s;t &s;imilitude is in the&s;e words [<GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>clouds without water.] Ari&s;totle</HI> called barren and light clouds, &s;uch as are carried up and down with the winds, <GAP DESC="foreign">; and to the&s;e are the Seducers likened; becau&s;e, though they &s;eem to look black, and promi&s;e rain, yet they do not give us one drop, one whole&s;om notion that may occa&s;ion more light in the under&s;tanding of &s;aving Doctrine, or any fur|ther relief for the poor thir&s;ty con&s;cience&punc; or any more<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Pet. 2. 17.</NOTE> forcible excitement to the practi&s;e and power of godline&s;s: The Apo&s;tle <HI>Peter</HI> hath two &s;imilitudes, <HI>Wells without water, and Clouds carried about with a tempe&s;t,</HI> but here they are contracted into one; if you will have the holy Gho&s;ts own comment upon this &s;imilitude, &s;ee <HI>Prov 25. 14 He that boa&s;teth of a fal&s;e gift is like clouds and wind without rain:</HI> That which is ob&s;ervable is:</P>
<P>1: <HI>That the word of God is like a moy&s;tening rainy cloud,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 8.</NOTE> Deut. 32. 2. <HI>My doctrine &s;hall di&s;til like the dew, and my&punc; &s;peech like the &s;mall rain;</HI> among the Hebrews the &s;ame word &s;ignifieth to <HI>teach</HI> and to <HI>rain;</HI> Well then&punc; let us as <HI>parched ground,</HI> wait for the droppings of Gods clouds: in this time of drowth, when you go abroad into the fields, you &s;hall &s;ee the gra&s;s burnt, and turned into &s;tubble, and the earth gaping for a refre&s;hing, and with a &s;ilent elo|quence begging for the influences of the Heavens, every
<PB N="415" REF="216">
chap is a mouth opened to &s;wallow up the clouds as &s;oon as they fall, or a cry to the God of Heaven for a little rain; ju&s;t &s;o &s;hould you come to wait upon God in the word; <HI>My &s;oul de&s;ireth after thee as a thir&s;ty Land,</HI> P&s;al. 143. 6. Oh for a little refre&s;hing from the pre&s;ence of the Lord in his Ordinance; promi&s;e your &s;elves al&s;o that from the word which you would from rain, <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 55. 10, 11. this is the means by which the grace of God &s;oaketh into the heart to make it fruitful.</P>
<P>2. <HI>Fal&s;e Teachers are Clouds without rain;</HI> 'Tis the pro|po&s;ition of the Text; Partly becau&s;e they make &s;hew of<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 9.</NOTE> more then they have, they <HI>boa&s;t of a fal&s;e gift, Prov.</HI> 25. 14. There is a great deal of &s;hew to affect the minds of the &s;imple, but little of &s;ub&s;tance and truth, like boxes in the Apothecaries Shop, that have a fair Title, but no Medi|cine in them; much pretence of <HI>light</HI> and <HI>&s;pirit,</HI> and when all comes to all, there is nothing but <HI>pride</HI> and <HI>boldne&s;s: Aperiunt fontes doctrine, &s;ed non habent aquam &s;cientiae;</HI> they will adventure to rain, when they have but a few heat drops, a few poor fragments of truth, which being di&s;gui|&s;ed and transformed into &s;ome &s;trange conceits, are cryed up for <HI>rare my&s;teries</HI> and <HI>attainments:</HI> However, thus much we learn from them, That 'tis &s;educer-like, to pro|mi&s;e more then we can perform, and to be much in the pretence, when we have little of real and true &s;olid worth. Partly becau&s;e they do not that good to others which they promi&s;e to do; Satan will always be found a lyar, 'tis the property of his in&s;truments to beguil men into a fal&s;e ex|pectation: Papi&s;ts cry up their Ma&s;&s;es and Indulgences, which yet do not one penny worth of good: Preachers that &s;tudy pomp and edification come with much fancy and appearance; but ala&s;s the&s;e airy notions are too fine for the con&s;cience; &s;educers pretend to &s;ome <HI>heights of di&s;co|very,</HI> as if they would carry you into the third Heaven, but you are where you were at fir&s;t; they promi&s;e you <HI>hidden Manna,</HI> rare di&s;coveries of Chri&s;t; but is your heart the better? two things they never do, which may be explain|ed by two properties of rain: Namely, <HI>Refre&s;hing the earth</HI> and making it fruitful.</P>
<P><PB N="416" REF="217">1. <HI>Refre&s;hing the earth,</HI> Do they offer any Doctrine that will give the con&s;cience &s;olid comfort and relief in di|&s;tre&s;s? here you will find them <HI>barren Clouds;</HI> the <HI>Locu&s;ts tormented the dwellers on earth&punc;</HI> Rev. 9 5. they tickle the fancy for a while, but when you come to dye, and are &s;e|rious, you mu&s;t return to the <HI>old truths</HI> to find re&s;t for your<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ier. 6. 16.</NOTE> &s;ouls; your fancies then are like <HI>the Brooks of Teman con|&s;umed out of their place:</HI> when <HI>Pharaoh</HI> was under any trouble, <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> and <HI>Aaron</HI> mu&s;t be &s;ent for, his <HI>Magici|ans</HI> could not &s;atisfie him nor ea&s;e him.</P>
<P>2. <HI>To make the earth fruitful,</HI> do you find holine&s;s im|proved by their Notions, 2 <HI>Pet. 2. 19. They promi&s;e liber|ty when you are the &s;ervants of corruption;</HI> they promi&s;e a new way of mortification, but &s;till your bondage under your lu&s;ts is increa&s;ed.</P>
<P>Again in the third place, fal&s;e Teachers are light, ea&s;ily driven up and down in various motions: <HI>Carried about of winds</HI> 'tit &s;aid in the Text, &s;ometimes with this opinion and &s;ometimes with that; as light clouds yeild to the motion of the winds, the winds are there corrupt pa&s;&s;ions, lu&s;ts, and intere&s;ts, <HI>Eph. 4. 14. Be not t<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;&s;ed about with ever wind of Doctrine,</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">, carried round the Card and com|pa&s;s; when the chain of truth is once broken man is at large, and being taken off from his bottom, left loo&s;e to &s;trange contrary winds; we &s;ee many &s;crupulous per&s;ons, that at fir&s;t made con&s;cience of all things, afterward to grow &s;o loo&s;e as to make con&s;cience of nothing.</P>
<P>Again, they are <HI>as clouds driven with a tempe&s;t,</HI> &s;o <HI>Peter,</HI> they do not yeild rain, but breed <HI>Factions</HI> and <HI>Schi&s;ms</HI> and <HI>turbulent Commotions;</HI> light Clouds are driven with great violence: Well then, <HI>Mark them that cau&s;e div<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;ions and off<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">nces,</HI> Rom. 16. 17 they are not what they &s;eem to be; you will &s;ind in the end that you get nothing by dancing after their pipe.</P>
<P>We go on with the Ver&s;e [<HI>Trees who&s;e fruit withereth, twice dead&punc; pluck<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">d up b<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> the roots</HI>] this is the &s;econd &s;imi|litude; here are four Properties of evil Trees reckoned up by way of Gradation&punc;</P>
<P><PB N="417" REF="217">The fir&s;t is [<HI>Trees who&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> fruit withereth</HI>] let us fir&s;t look to the <HI>Grmatical interp<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">etation</HI> of the&s;e words, and then <HI>the &s;en&s;e</HI> and <HI>accomodat<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">on</HI> of them: <GAP DESC="foreign">, the vulgar readeth <HI><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">bores Autumnales</HI> <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Lethifer Au|tumnus Juve|nal.</NOTE>, in Autum things begin to decay and Trees loo&s;e both <HI>fruit</HI> and <HI>leaves,</HI> and &s;o would &s;ome explain it like trees that loo&s;e their leaves in Harve&s;t time, and bring forth no fruit: &s;ome go ano|ther way making it an allu&s;ion to a particular experiment of young plants, who if they flowre at Autumne, husband|men take it for a &s;ure &s;ign that they will dye: But &s;imi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">i|tudes are taken from things u&s;ual and known; I &s;uppo&s;e therefore the Apo&s;tle u&s;eth the word in its native and ori|ginal signif<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">cation, 'tis derived <GAP DESC="foreign">, from corrupting fruits, and the mean<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 span">g is, they bring forth no fruit but what is rotten and withered; and &s;o 'tis applyed to the&s;e &s;educers, who&s;e lives were not full of good fruits; they pretend much, but what fruits do you find? <HI>more Holine&s;s, true Mortification, Strictne&s;s, Piety to God,</HI> or <HI>Equity</HI> and <HI>Mercy</HI> to men? nay rather all manner of <HI>bruiti&s;hne&s;s di&s;obedience to civil powers, neglect</HI> of God, <HI>abu&s;e of Go&s;pel, contempt</HI> of their Betters, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<P>Ob&s;erve, <HI>Corrupt Doctrine produceth corrupt fruits:</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;erv. 10.</NOTE> Principles have an influence upon the life and conver&s;ation, our Saviour directeth us to this way of &s;crutiny and tryal, Mat. 7. 16 <HI>By their fruits you &s;hall know them;</HI> How can that be &s;ince they do ea&s;ily counterfeit an holine&s;s; '<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">i; &s;aid before, <HI>they come in &s;heeps cloathing.</HI> I An&s;wer, <HI>Pre|tences will not la&s;t lo<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">g;</HI> ob&s;erve them narrowly, and you will find the wolf breaking out; I, but may not a good way be promoted by men of an ill life? <HI>An&s;w</HI> Look <HI>to the</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">See Dr <HI>Ham|mond</HI> pract. Cat. p. 14<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">. 145.</NOTE> <HI>fruits of the Doctrine,</HI> if it hath no influence upon &s;trictne&s;s, but be only curious, and tend to foment pride, malice, envy&punc; &s;edition, and turbulent practi&s;es, and contempt of Supe|riours, certainly 'tis naught, who ever brings you that Doctrine, what ever holyne&s;s they pretend in other things: on the contrary &s;ide, the <HI>wi&s;dom that is from above, is full of good fruits,</HI> J<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">mes 3. 17. <HI>Mercy, Ju&s;tice, Piety, Strict|ne&s;s, meekne&s;s,</HI> &amp;c. The Lord &s;ealeth the integrity of faithful
<PB N="418" REF="218">
Teachers by guiding them to holine&s;s; and by his judge|ments &s;uffereth <HI>Hypocrites</HI> and <HI>Seducers</HI> to di&s;cover their filthine&s;s and &s;hame, that they may be <HI>manife&s;ted to the Congregation,</HI> Prov. 26: 26. <HI>Holine&s;s</HI> hath been the u&s;ual badge of <HI>truth,</HI> and the profe&s;&s;ors of it, when watched have been in no point liable to exception, but in the matter of their God. <HI>Pliny</HI> could find no fault with the Chri&s;ti|ans, but that they wor&s;hipped <HI>one Chri&s;t,</HI> whom they owned for a <HI>God,</HI> and had their Hymns Antelucanos, their <HI>morning meetings,</HI> and <HI>Songs of prai&s;e to him:</HI> one of the Notes by which the inqui&s;itors of the Walden&s;es de&s;cryed them, was that they were <HI>&s;obrii &amp; mode&s;ti vultu &amp; habitu, of a &s;ober deportment, and mode&s;t garb:</HI> But may not &s;edu|cers put on a <HI>demure garb,</HI> as <HI>Swenckfield,</HI> prayed much, lived &s;oberly, but his Doctrine tended to loo&s;ene&s;s, de|&s;troyed the per&s;on of Chri&s;t, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> I An&s;wer as before, you mu&s;t con&s;ider the <HI>aim of the Doctrine,</HI> which is not always to be di&s;covered by the life of the <HI>fir&s;t br<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">acher</HI> of the er|rour; Satan may transform him&s;elf into <HI>an Angel of light;</HI> to &s;et on a <HI>de&s;ign of darkne&s;s,</HI> paint will in time wear away. <HI>Cito ad naturam ficta reciderunt &s;uam,</HI> 2 Tim. 3. 9. <HI>They &s;hall proceed no further, for their folly &s;hall be made manife&s;t to all men,</HI> they begin with great &s;hews at fir&s;t to gain cre|dit and entrance, but a di&s;cerning eye may find the deceit, and in due time God will di&s;cover them to the Congrega|tion: Well then, trye <HI>ways</HI> and <HI>per&s;ons</HI> by this Note,</P>
<P>1. <HI>Ways,</HI> men do not ea&s;ily teach point blank contrary to their manners, &s;urely the Devil would not a&s;&s;i&s;t to bring holine&s;s in fa&s;hion, and promote Chri&s;tian practice; ob|&s;erve the fruits and evils both of their lives and Doctrines, in two ca&s;es 'tis a pure Note: 1. When there is a fair com|pliance between <HI>principles</HI> and <HI>practi&s;es,</HI> if neglect of God, mutinous practi&s;es, fraud, inju&s;tice, contempt of civil dignity, be the very aim and de&s;ign of the Doctrine, and accordingly men live, this is of the Devil. 2. If it be &s;o generally, and in the mo&s;t zealous of this way, &s;ome men are of a <HI>re&s;erved temper,</HI> not di&s;po&s;ed to gro&s;s and &s;en&s;ual wickedne&s;s, and &s;o can counterfeit the better; and po&s;&s;i|bly&punc;
<PB N="419" REF="218">
&s;o much of truth as they do retain, in the mid&s;t of their errours may &s;omewhat operate to &s;anctification; <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">d on the other &s;ide, a true way may be prejudiced if we &s;hould look to one or two, a &s;treet is not mea&s;ured by the &s;ink and channel, but if it be u&s;ual, and for the mo&s;t part &s;o, then their principles are corrupt. 3. We may not be always inticed to a <HI>cour&s;e of weakne&s;s,</HI> or <HI>gro&s;s wickedne&s;s;</HI> if it be to a <HI>dead powerle&s;s cour&s;e,</HI> or formality, if it weaken the <HI>life</HI> and <HI>power</HI> of godline&s;s in you, from &s;uch turn away, 1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 3. 5. your love to God, and delight in God, and conver&s;e with him in the &s;pirit, is forcecibly le&s;&s;ened, fear the influence of &s;uch an opinion.</P>
<P>2. You may judge <HI>Per&s;ons</HI> by it, e&s;pecially <HI>your &s;elves;</HI> where ever there is grace, there will be <HI>fruits of grace,</HI> and <HI>corrupt fruits</HI> &s;hew a <HI>naughty tree;</HI> if the <HI>clu&s;ters</HI> be <HI>clu&s;ters of Sodom,</HI> and the <HI>grapes</HI> grapes of <HI>Gomorrha,</HI> it &s;heweth the <HI>Vine</HI> was of that race and kind. Eph. 5. 9. <HI>The fruit of the &s;pirit is righteou&s;ne&s;s, goodne&s;s and truth;</HI> the Apo|&s;tle in&s;tanceth in &s;uch fruits as concern civil commerce; partly becau&s;e by the&s;e we <HI>adorn our profe&s;&s;ion,</HI> and &s;et it off to others; partly becau&s;e here we have <HI>a frequent try|al,</HI> the&s;e graces being of a daily u&s;e and exerci&s;e.</P>
<P>But I would rather apply it, by way of Exhortation to tho&s;e that profe&s;s the truth, to honour it in their lives; let your <HI>Manners be Orthodox,</HI> lea&s;t you expo&s;e the ways of God to &s;u&s;picion, <HI>Mat. 3. 8. Bring forth fruits worthy of repentance,</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">, be&s;eeming the change of your minds.</P>
<P>2. The next evil property is <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>without fruit,</HI> and<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 11.</NOTE> in the Application it implyeth that they bring no honour to God, no good to others, neither are they wi&s;e for their own &s;ouls: <HI>To be barren and unfruitful under a profe&s;&s;ion of Chri&s;t, is a &s;igne of great Hypocri&s;ie;</HI> he that <HI>hid his Talent</HI> is called <HI>a naughty &s;ervant,</HI> and becau&s;e of his <HI>unprofitablene&s;s</HI> ca&s;t into <HI>utter darkne&s;s Mat. 25. A Vine</HI> is good for no|thing if it be not fruitful, not &s;o much as to make a pin in the wall Now God compareth <HI>I&s;rael</HI> to an <HI>empty vine, Ho&s;.</HI> 10. 11. becau&s;e they poured out all their &s;trength,
<PB N="420" REF="219">
and time, and care upon their own intere&s;ts: Well then <HI>Be not barren and unfruitful in the knowledge of Je&s;us Chri&s;t,</HI> 2 <HI>Pet.</HI> 1. 8: Grace is an active thing where it is, it will &s;hew it &s;elf; <HI>garden trees</HI> mu&s;t not be like the <HI>trees of the forre&s;t,</HI> if you would be fruitful.</P>
<P>1. You mu&s;t be planted <HI>with a right &s;eed;</HI> a wild vine will yeild but wild grapes: The <HI>Trees of righteou&s;ne&s;s</HI> are of the Lords own planting, <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 61, 3. and when you are grafted into the Noble Vine, Chri&s;t Je&s;us, then are you loaden with Clu&s;ters, like the Vine of <HI>E&s;hcol,</HI> John 15. 2. <HI>In me ye &s;hall bring forth much fruit.</HI></P>
<P>2. There mu&s;t be good husbandry and culture, <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 5. 2. 3 <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 13. 14. <HI>Planted in the Courts of God,</HI> &amp;c. thats the kindly &s;oil; good fruit needeth the manure of Ordinances, wild plants grow and bear of their own accord.</P>
<P>3. This fruit mu&s;t be ripe, not <HI>buds</HI> and <HI>blo&s;&s;oms,</HI> but <HI>fruit;</HI> you mu&s;t not be <HI>almo&s;t,</HI> but <HI>altogether;</HI> there mu&s;t be not only the <HI>flowers</HI> and <HI>leaves</HI> of profe&s;&s;ion, but the <HI>&s;olid works of godline&s;s;</HI> 'tis &s;aid here, <HI>trees without fruit,</HI> but 'tis not &s;aid here, <HI>trees without leaves,</HI> &s;ee <HI>Iohn</HI> 15. 4. here are branches in the Vine that are only Pampinarii.</P>
<P>4. <HI>Fruit is for the owner,</HI> the profit of trees returneth to the husband man and ma&s;ter, &s;ee <HI>John</HI> 15. 8. and <HI>Phil.</HI> 1. 11. the &s;piritual life beginneth in God, and its tendency is to him: God mu&s;t have the glory of all, but you &s;hall not be without the comfort of it, <HI>Rom.</HI> 6. 22. <HI>Ye have your fruit to holine&s;s, and the end everla&s;ting life,</HI> the grave is but a winter, it taketh off your leaves and verdure for the pre&s;ent, the &s;ap and life remaineth in the roots.</P>
<P>The next evil property taken from trees, and applyed to men, is [<GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>twice dead</HI>] if you apply this to the trees, they may be <HI>twice dead,</HI> either in regard of <HI>fruit,</HI> as a barren thing is &s;aid to be dead, as the <HI>deadne&s;s of Sarahs womb,</HI> Rom. 4. 19. Or in regard of <HI>&s;ub&s;tance,</HI> rotten, and like doaty trees, growing wor&s;e and wor&s;e; or <HI>twice dead,</HI> by an Hebrai&s;me, <HI>very dead,</HI> as <HI>double</HI> is put for much; but now if you look to the reddition of this &s;imilitude, the&s;e &s;educers are <HI>twice dead,</HI> both in regard of their <HI>natural e|&s;tate,</HI>
<PB N="421" REF="219">
<HI>dead in trespa&s;&s;es and &s;ins,</HI> and their <HI>Aposta&s;ie,</HI> or de|cay of that life which they &s;eemed to have by the grace of the Go&s;pel: wilful defection making their ca&s;e incurable, <HI>Heb</HI> 6. 5, 6. 2 <HI>Pet.</HI> 2. 20.</P>
<P>Now in this de&s;cription you may ob&s;erve a gradation, 1. <HI>Who&s;e fruit withereth.</HI> 2. <HI>Without fruit.</HI> 3. <HI>Twice dead.</HI> Fir&s;t <HI>bad fruit,</HI> and then <HI>leaves,</HI> and then <HI>rottenne&s;s.</HI> Note,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 12</NOTE> <HI>That deceivers and hypocrites grow wor&s;e and wor&s;e:</HI> you have it from the Apo&s;tle <HI>Paul</HI> al&s;o, 2 <HI>Tim.</HI> 3. 13. <HI>But evil men and &s;educers &s;hall wax wor&s;e and wor&s;e, deceiving and being deceived;</HI> they deceive others, and the divel deceiveth them; the two &s;tates are now at a &s;tay, wicked men grow wor&s;e and wor&s;e, and godly men grow better and better: ob&s;erve then which way is your progre&s;s and growth; the <HI>glory of the Lord</HI> in <HI>Ezekiel,</HI> departed by degrees, fir&s;t, from the <HI>holy place,</HI> then from the <HI>Altar of burnt offering,</HI> then the <HI>thre&s;hold of the hou&s;e,</HI> then the <HI>City,</HI> then the <HI>mountain which is on the Ea&s;t &s;ide of the City;</HI> it &s;tood hovering there as loth to be gone: So the Spirit of God doth not all at once depart from men, but by degrees: fir&s;t men <HI>&s;u&s;pect</HI> duties, then <HI>di&s;pute</HI> again&s;t them, then <HI>&s;hake them off,</HI> and then come to <HI>bea&s;tline&s;s</HI> and <HI>profane&s;s:</HI> Or if you will take the graduation thus, fir&s;t God is ca&s;t out of the <HI>Clo&s;et,</HI> pri|vate intercour&s;es are neglected, then out of the <HI>Family,</HI> then out of the <HI>Congregation,</HI> and publike Ordinances &s;eem u&s;ele&s;s things, and then <HI>bla&s;phemies,</HI> and a <HI>profane vertigi|nous &s;pirit</HI> en&s;ueth: fir&s;t men begin to wrangle, and &s;cepti|cally to debate matters of Religion, and within a while to oppo&s;e the truth, <HI>the beginning is fooli&s;hne&s;s, and the latter end is mi&s;chievous madne&s;s,</HI> Eccle&s;. 10. 13.</P>
<P>Again, I ob&s;erve, <HI>Men that fall off from the profe&s;&s;ion of</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 13</NOTE> <HI>the truth, are twice dead.</HI> To <HI>natural,</HI> they bring on <HI>judicial hardne&s;s;</HI> when they &s;eemed to make &s;ome e&s;cape from the mi&s;ery of nature, they relap&s;e into it again, and then their chains are doubled: As a pri&s;oner that hath once broken pri&s;on, if taken again, is loaden with irons; Two ways do natural men come to be <HI>twice dead,</HI> By <HI>cu&s;tom in &s;inning,</HI> and by a <HI>revolt from God</HI> after they had given their names
<PB N="422" REF="220">
to him: By <HI>cu&s;tome in &s;inning,</HI> for by that means they are hardned in their way, and given up to a <HI>reprobate minde,</HI> &s;o as to lo&s;e all &s;en&s;e of &s;in, <HI>Rom.</HI> 1. 26. 28. and by <HI>revolt from God,</HI> tho&s;e that will after tryal for&s;ake him, no won|der if God leave them to their own choice, to be held un|der the power of the Divel, by a dark and fooli&s;h heart.</P>
<P>There is one clau&s;e yet remaining [<GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>plucked up by the roots.</HI>] and then trees are pa&s;t all hope of &s;pringing and &s;prouting again; and &s;o it fitly noteth their <HI>incurable Apo&s;tacy;</HI> in this latter clau&s;e is &s;et forth, 1. Their being deprived of all &s;piritual communion with Chri&s;t and his my&s;tical body. 2. Their incapacity to bring forth fruit. 3. Their readine&s;s for burning and de&s;truction. Note,</P>
<P><HI>That barren and corrupt Trees &s;hall utterly be rooted out of</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 14</NOTE> <HI>Gods Vineyard:</HI> they &s;hall not have a vi&s;ible abode and &s;tanding there: Now this is brought to pa&s;s, partly by their own act, 1 <HI>John</HI> 2. 19. <HI>They went out from us, becau&s;e they were not of us; for if they were of us, they would have con|tinued with us:</HI> they &s;eparated them&s;elves from the com|munion of the faithful, to which they did never truly be|long, both from the doctrine profe&s;&s;ed in the Church, and fellow&s;hip with them in the u&s;e of Ordinances, partly by Gods act, an act of judgement on his part, <HI>Rom.</HI> 11. 20. <HI>for unbelief were they broken off;</HI> partly by the act of the Church, by which &s;candalous &s;inners are taken from a|mong them, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 5. 13. <HI>Put away from among your &s;elves that wicked per&s;on:</HI> well then, let us walk &s;o, that this hea|vie judgement may never be laid upon us, let us get a <HI>real union</HI> with Chri&s;t, for then we can never be broken off, you can no more &s;ever the leven and the dough, then a Chri&s;t and a Believer, &amp;c. Walk with the more caution, <HI>Be not high minded, but fear,</HI> 'tis dreadful to be ca&s;t out of the true Church; the finger that is cut off from the hand, is al&s;o cut off from the head: That cen&s;ure, if rightly admini|&s;tred again&s;t us, &s;hould be matter of great &s;orrow and hu|miliation to us, &amp;c.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="13" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="423" REF="220">
<EPIGRAPH>
<BIBL>Ver&s;e 13.</BIBL>
<Q>Raging Waves of the Sea, foaming out their &s;hame; wandring Stars, to whom is re&s;erved the blackne&s;s of dark|ne&s;s for ever.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>HEre are two other compari&s;ons, the one taken from <HI>raging Waves,</HI> the other from <HI>wandring Stars:</HI> For the fir&s;t [<HI>Raging Waves of the Sea, foaming out their own &s;hame</HI>] There is a great deal of variety among Interpreters in the application or accomodation of this &s;imilitude, &s;ome go one way, &s;ome another; Waves are not more various and uncertain in their motions, then they in their expo&s;iti|ons; &s;ome apply it to their <HI>levity</HI> and <HI>incon&s;tancy,</HI> &s;ome to their <HI>re&s;tle&s;s activity</HI> in &s;in, &s;ome to their <HI>turbulency,</HI> others to their <HI>pride</HI> and <HI>o&s;tentation;</HI> in &s;uch uncertainty what &s;hall we fix upon? Two things will direct us, the <HI>&s;cope,</HI> and the <HI>force of the words:</HI> The &s;cope of the Apo&s;tle in all the&s;e &s;imilitudes is to &s;hew, that the&s;e &s;educers were nothing le&s;s then what they pretended to be: <HI>Clouds,</HI> but dry bar|ren clouds; <HI>Trees,</HI> but &s;uch as bore either none, or rot|ten fruit: <HI>Waves</HI> that &s;eemed to mount up unto heaven, and to promi&s;e great matters, as if they would &s;wallow up the whole earth, but being da&s;hed again&s;t a Rock, all this ra|ging and &s;welling turneth into a little foam and froth. So <HI>Calvin</HI> applyeth it to the <HI>Libertines,</HI> who &s;corn and di&s;dain the common forms of &s;peech, and talk of <HI>illumination</HI> and <HI>edification,</HI> &s;o that their hearers &s;eem to be wrapt into the heavens, but alas they &s;uddenly fall into bea&s;tly errours.</P>
<P>From the &s;cope ob&s;erve, <HI>That &s;piritual Boa&s;ters will cer|tainly</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 1<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">.</NOTE> <HI>come &s;hort of their great promi&s;es:</HI> All is but noi&s;e, &s;uch as is made by empty ve&s;&s;els; in the latter times you are troubled with <HI>boasters,</HI> 2 Tim. 3. 2. men that boa&s;t of <HI>depths,</HI> and &s;eem to be <HI>wi&s;e</HI> and <HI>knowing</HI> above the ordinary &s;ort, that will pretend to &s;hew you <HI>new ways;</HI> a &s;horter cut to heaven, and rare di&s;coveries of Chri&s;t, and Go&s;pel light,
<PB N="424" REF="221">
&amp;c. but alas to the i&s;&s;ue, they leave you much more the &s;er|vants of &s;in then you were before.</P>
<P>But leaue a little examine the force of the words; the whole &s;imilitude alludeth to what is &s;aid of wicked men in general, <HI>I&s;a 57. 20 The wicked are like a troubled Sea, that cannot re&s;t who&s;e water c<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;t up <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ire and dirt.</HI></P>
<P>Ob&s;erve in the fir&s;t place that they are <HI>Waves&punc;</HI> which<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 2.</NOTE> noteth their <HI>Incon&s;tancy,</HI> Gen. 49 4. <HI>Reuben is as un&s;table as water&punc;</HI> water&punc; you know) is moveable, &s;oon furled and driven too and fro by the winds, &s;o were the&s;e <HI>carried a|bout with every wind of Dostrine,</HI> Eph. 4. 14. Note thence,</P>
<P><HI>That Seducers are un&s;e<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">l<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">d and uncertain in their opinions;</HI> &s;o 2 <HI>Pet. 3. 16&punc; &V;nlearned and un&s;table;</HI> if you ask why? Becau&s;e they are not rooted and grounded in their profe&s;&s;i|on, but led by <HI>&s;udden affection</HI> and <HI>intere&s;ts&punc;</HI> rather then <HI>judgement;</HI> they are <HI>un&s;table,</HI> becau&s;e <HI>unlearned;</HI> &s;uch as do not proceed upon clear and certain grounds, and tho&s;e whom they work upon are of no principles, beguiling <HI>un|&s;table &s;ouls:</HI> well then, di&s;cover them by their <HI>levity,</HI> you will never have comfort and certainty in following them, who like weather cocks turn with every winde. <HI>Ecebolius</HI> is infamous to all ages, &s;ee <HI>Socrat&punc; Schola&s;t lib. 3. cap.</HI> 2&punc; He was Profe&s;&s;or of Eloquence at <HI>Con&s;tantinople</HI> under <HI>Con|&s;tantius,</HI> zealous of Chri&s;tian Religion under <HI>Julian</HI> a P<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">|gan, and when he was dead, he profe&s;&s;ed Chri&s;tianity a|gain; but, then he came weeping to the Church <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>Tread upon me un&s;avoury <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">lt, and ca&s;t me to the dunghill, Con&s;tantius Colorus&punc;</HI> though an Heathen both <HI>Zozomen</HI> and <HI>Eu&s;ebius</HI> give us the &s;tory) yet loved con&s;tancy and faithfulne&s;s in men as to their pro|fe&s;&s;ion; he made proclamation, that who&s;oever would not &s;acrifice, &s;hould be di&s;carded, and no more retained in pay with him; but when many fal&s;e&punc; Chri&s;tians h<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">d renoun|ced their profe&s;&s;ion for gain, and pre er<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ing their civil In|tere&s;ts, he would not receive them &s;aving, <GAP DESC="foreign">: <HI>How can they keep <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 span"> with their King and Empe|rour, that would faulter in an higher matter in the bu&s;ine&s;s of</HI>
<PB N="425" REF="221">
<HI>their God and Religion, for a &s;mall and petty Intere&s;t.</HI> Much to the &s;ame purpo&s;e there is a pa&s;&s;age of <HI>Theod<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">rick</HI> King of the <HI>Goths,</HI> who loved a Deacon who was of the Ortho|dox profe&s;&s;ion, though he him&s;elf was an Arrian; the Dea|con to plea&s;e the King the more, changeth his Religion, and profe&s;&s;eth Arriani&s;m al&s;o; but he beheadeth him, &s;ay|ing, <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>If thou ha&s;t not kept thy faith with God, how wilt thou pre&s;erve a good Con&s;cience in thy duty to men?</HI> The &s;tory is in <HI>Theodoret:</HI> Some are meerly Waves, rolling hither and thither in a doubtful uncertainty.</P>
<P>2. <HI>Waves of the Sea;</HI> There you have their re&s;tle&s;s acti|vity, they are always to&s;&s;ed too and fro, <HI>Jer. 46. 23. The Lord &s;hall trouble Dama&s;cus, that &s;he &s;hall become like a fearful Sea that cannot re&s;t,</HI> &s;o the&s;e cannot re&s;t from evil, 2 <HI>Pet. 2. 14. Eyes full of Adultery, that cannot cea&s;e from &s;in.</HI> Ob&s;erve.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;ually wicked men are of an unquiet &s;pirit, re&s;tle&s;s in e|vil:</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 3.</NOTE> They are acted by Satan, who is a re&s;tle&s;s &s;pirit, and there is a great corre&s;pondency between their activene&s;s in &s;in, and the importunity of Sathans malice, 1 <HI>Pet. 5. 8. He goeth about like a roaring Lyon, &s;eeking whom he may de|vour:</HI> Now you &s;hall &s;ee the like diligence and readine&s;s in his in&s;truments, they walk the divels round, <HI>Matth. 23. 15. Wo unto you Scribes and Phari&s;ees, Hypocrites; for ye com|pa&s;s Sea and Land to make one Pro&s;elyte,</HI> &amp;c. Blind zeal leadeth on men with an ince&s;&s;ant rage, to poy&s;on others with their errour, and draw them to their &s;ect: Well then, we may learn diligence from our enemies; Shall they be more bu&s;ie to <HI>pervert</HI> the truth, then we to <HI>propagate</HI> it? <HI>Dan. 12. 4&punc; Mary &s;hall run too and fro, and knowledge &s;hall be increa&s;ed:</HI> Once more learn, that 'tis a &s;igne of a naugh|ty heart to be re&s;tle&s;s in &s;in, <HI>Prov. 4. 16. They &s;leep not unle&s;s they have done mi&s;chief, and their &s;leep is taken from them unle&s;s they cau&s;e &s;ome to fall.</HI></P>
<P>3. <HI>Raging waves of the Sea,</HI> there you have their tur|bulency, they fill all places with troubles and &s;trifes.</P>
<P><HI>Wicked Seducers are u&s;ually of a turbulent and impetuous</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 4.</NOTE>
<PB N="426" REF="222">
<HI>&s;pirit.</HI> Why? Becau&s;e they are urged by their own pride and vanity, and have lo&s;t all re&s;traints of mode&s;ty, and are u&s;ually (as to their con&s;titution) of violent and eager &s;pi|rits: Well then, be not born down with <HI>impudence</HI> and <HI>rage,</HI> there may be during attempts, and much re&s;olution in an ill cau&s;e: Be&s;ides, 'tis an hint to the Magi&s;trate to look to &s;educers betimes, for they are <HI>raging waves.</HI></P>
<P>4. The next expre&s;&s;ion is [<HI>foaming out their own &s;hame,</HI>] as a raging &s;ea ca&s;teth up mire and dirt; or it alludeth to that &s;cum and froth which the Waves leave upon the rocks, and &s;o it noteth the abominab<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ene&s;s of their opinions and practi&s;es. Whence note,</P>
<P><HI>That though Errours come in blu&s;hing, and with a mode&s;t</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 5.</NOTE> <HI>dre&s;s, yet u&s;ually they go out of the world with a great deal of &s;hame.</HI> They da&s;h again&s;t the rock upon which the Church is built, and what is the i&s;&s;ue? They are covered with froth and foam; 1 <HI>Cor. 3. 13. The day &s;hall declare it,</HI> that is time, who&s;e daughter truth is; have a little patience, and you &s;hall &s;ee, that all that is but <HI>hay and &s;tubble,</HI> which is accounted <HI>gold;</HI> when <HI>worldly intere&s;ts</HI> are unconcerned, and the <HI>heat of contention</HI> a little allayed, that men may have more clear di&s;cerning, and the world hath had a <HI>little more experience</HI> of the fruit of fal&s;e ways and opinions, there will not need any great confutation; evil men will &s;ufficiently bewray their own filthine&s;s: <HI>Guicciardine</HI> &s;aith of the ex|pedition of <HI>Charls</HI> the 9th into <HI>Italy, that he came in like lightning, and went out like the &s;nuff of a Candle;</HI> &s;o er|rours come in like a <HI>raging wave,</HI> as if they would bear all before them, but they go out like <HI>foam</HI> and <HI>froth,</HI> in <HI>&s;corn</HI> and <HI>infamy:</HI> Well then, ob&s;erve the fruitle&s;ne&s;s of all Sa|thans attempts; <HI>the gates of hell &s;hall not prevail again&s;t this Rock,</HI> Matth. 16. 18. By the <HI>gates of hell,</HI> is meant <HI>&s;trength</HI> and <HI>coun&s;el power</HI> and <HI>policy;</HI> for in the <HI>gates</HI> was their <HI>Ammunition,</HI> and &s;eats of <HI>Judicature:</HI> they that &s;eek to &s;laver the Church&punc; or deface the truth, which is the foun|dation of it, they do but &s;pit again&s;t the wind, the drivel is returned upon their own faces: We often betray our tru&s;t and faith by our pa&s;&s;ions; we have not an holy greatne&s;s
<PB N="427" REF="222">
of mind to look above every trouble; contend for God, but wait upon him; Sathan may prevail a long time, but he can never carry it clearly from Chri&s;t: the <HI>Arrians</HI> had a day of it, but they &s;oon grew infamous for their cruelty and ba&s;ene&s;s.</P>
<P>We come now to the next &s;imilitude [<HI>wandring stars,</HI>] <GAP DESC="foreign">, it may be taken two ways, <HI>properly,</HI> or <HI>improperly. 1. Properly,</HI> for the &s;tars which we call <HI>Pla|nets,</HI> or <HI>wandring,</HI> though indeed no &s;tars wander le&s;s then they do; they have their name from the opinion and com|mon judgement of &s;en&s;e, becau&s;e they are not carried about the whole circuit of the heavens, but in a &s;horter orb and cour&s;e, in them&s;elves they have certain &s;tated motions, and do keep thr ju&s;t points of their compa&s;s; <HI>the Sun knoweth his going down,</HI> P&s;al. 104. 2. <HI>Improperly,</HI> There are a &s;e|cond &s;ort of wandring &s;tars, which <HI>Ari&s;totle</HI> calleth <GAP DESC="foreign">, running and gliding &s;tars; not &s;tars indeed, but only dry exhalations inflamed, which glare much, and de|ceive the eye with an appearance of light, but &s;oon vani&s;h, and are quenched: Now the&s;e glancing &s;hooting &s;tars, do excellently expre&s;s the quality of the&s;e Seducers, who pre|tended great knowledge, being therefore called <HI>Gno&s;ticks,</HI> and gave out them&s;elves for illuminate and profound Do|ctors, but were various and uncertain in their motions, and &s;oon extingui&s;hed and ob&s;cured. 'Tis notable that the A|po&s;tle ran&s;acketh all the elements for compari&s;ons whereby to &s;et them forth; The <HI>Ayr, Clouds without water;</HI> the <HI>Earth,</HI> barren rotten <HI>Trees;</HI> the <HI>Water,</HI> there he compa|reth them to <HI>raging Waves;</HI> the <HI>Fire,</HI> to <HI>wandring stars,</HI> which are of a fiery nature: A <HI>fruitful fancy can make u&s;e of all the world,</HI> and <HI>a willing mind cannot want objects of meditation.</HI> But let us come to ob&s;erve &s;omthing from this &s;imilitude.</P>
<P><HI>The guides of the Lords people &s;hould be &s;tars&punc; but not wan|dring</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 6.</NOTE> <HI>gliding &s;tars.</HI> The&s;e &s;educers pretended to be <HI>&s;tars,</HI> and great lights of the Church (which is the office of the mini&s;ters) but were indeed <HI>wandring &s;tars,</HI> and &s;uch as did &s;educe, and cau&s;e to err.</P>
<P><PB N="428" REF="223">Fir&s;t, <HI>Stars</HI> they &s;hould be, 1. In regard of the <HI>light of doctrine.</HI> Matth 5. 14. <HI>Ye are the light of the world,</HI> thats Chri&s;ts honour, <HI>John</HI> 1. 9. but he taketh his own crown, and puts it upon his &s;ervants heads, they are the light in a &s;ubordinate &s;en&s;e; <HI>&s;tars,</HI> though not the <HI>Sun;</HI> he is the original and fountain of all light, and we are u&s;ed as a means to convey it to others; thus <HI>John</HI> is called, <HI>John 6. 35. a burning and a &s;hining light:</HI> He u&s;eth our &s;ervice to di&s;pel the mi&s;ts of errour, the right of profane&s;s, and the dark|ne&s;s of fal&s;e wor&s;hip: you had need prize tho&s;e whom God hath &s;et over you, they are <HI>light,</HI> and will <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">2 Sam. 21. 17</NOTE> <HI>you quench the light of I&s;rael.</HI> 2. In regard of the <HI>lu&s;ter of their con|ver&s;ations;</HI> 'tis &s;aid of all Chri&s;tians, <HI>Phil.</HI> 2. 15. that they &s;hould &s;hine as lights in this world; they are the bright part of the world, as the &s;tars are the &s;hining part of hea|ven; as the &s;tar directed the wi&s;e men to Chri&s;t, &s;o they mu&s;t &s;hine to light others by their example to him, as 'tis required of all Chri&s;tians, much more of Mini&s;ters, who are placed in an higher orb and &s;phere; alas we are but dim lights, we have our <HI>&s;pots</HI> and <HI>eclip&s;es,</HI> but this &s;ets the world a talking.</P>
<P>Secondly, They mu&s;t not be <HI>gliding falling &s;tars,</HI> thats charged upon the&s;e &s;educers, a <HI>fal&s;e teacher,</HI> and a <HI>falling &s;tar</HI> &s;ymbolizeth in three re&s;pects. 1. 'Tis but a counter|feit &s;tar; &s;o is he an <HI>Angel of light</HI> only in appearance, 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 11. 14. a true Chri&s;tian &s;hould covet more to be&punc; than to &s;eem to be; to <HI>be light in the Lord,</HI> before he is a <HI>light in the world;</HI> Hypocrites are all for appearance 2. In re&s;pect of the <HI>uncertainty of its motion;</HI> falling &s;tars are not moved with the heavens, but with the motion of the Ayr, hither and thither, and &s;o are no &s;ure direction; &s;o are they uncon&s;tant and un&s;table in the doctrines which they teach, running from opinion to opinion; <HI>vagabond lights,</HI> that <HI>&s;educe,</HI> not <HI>direct;</HI> as <HI>meteors,</HI> mi&s;lead travel|lers out of the way. 3. In regard of the <HI>fatal i&s;&s;ue;</HI> a wandring &s;tar falleth to the ground, and becometh a dark &s;lime and jelly; &s;o their pretences vani&s;h at length, and they are found to be tho&s;e that were never enlightned and
<PB N="429" REF="223">
fixed in the firmament of God; counterfeits cannot la&s;t long, we &s;ee &s;tars &s;hoot in the turn of an eye, and Sathans in&s;truments fall from heaven like lightning.</P>
<P>Well then, for a guide to heaven, chu&s;e a &s;tar, but not a wandring &s;tar; <HI>n<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">w light</HI> is <HI>admired,</HI> but it &s;hould be <HI>&s;u&s;|pected</HI> rather; u&s;ually we are rather for things new than ex|cellent, <HI>homini ingenitum e&s;t magis nova quam magna mira|ri,</HI> &s;aith <HI>Seneca,</HI> We gaze more on a <HI>Comet</HI> than the <HI>Sun:</HI> check this itch, tho&s;e that are various, and given to chan|ges, are no lights for you; and if they be not burning and &s;hining lights, avoid them; true &s;tars have influences, they do not only <HI>enlighten</HI> and fill you with notions, but <HI>enflame</HI> and &s;tir you to practi&s;e.</P>
<P>The la&s;t clau&s;e of the Text is [<HI>To whom is re&s;erved black|ne&s;s of darkne&s;s for ever.</HI>] having de&s;cribed them in &s;everal Metaphors, he cometh to &s;peak again of <HI>their puni&s;hment,</HI> continuing the la&s;t Metaphor, (as &s;ome &s;uppo&s;e) as ga|ring Meetors after a while vani&s;h into a perpetual night and darkne&s;s, and are no more &s;een and heard of; &s;o the&s;e vani&s;h, and are &s;wallowed up of the horrours of eternal darkne&s;s: In this threatning three things are noteable. 1. The <HI>dreadfulne&s;s</HI> of the puni&s;hment. 2. The <HI>&s;urene&s;s.</HI> 3. The <HI>&s;uitablene&s;s of it.</HI></P>
<P>1. The dreadfulne&s;s in two circum&s;tances, 1. The <HI>na|ture</HI> of it, 2. The <HI>duration</HI> of it.</P>
<P>1. The <HI>nature</HI> of it, <GAP DESC="foreign">, the <HI>blackne&s;s of darkne&s;s;</HI> 'tis an Hebrai&s;m for exceeding great darkne&s;s, called in the Go&s;pel <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>outer darkne&s;s;</HI> as being furthe&s;t from God the Fountain of life and glory, and &s;o expre&s;&s;ing that extream mi&s;ery, horror and torment which is in Hell. <HI>Hell is a da<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">k and di&s;mal region,</HI> where men lye deprived of the <HI>light of Gods cou<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">tenance;</HI> tormen|ted with <HI>pre&s;ence of Devils,</HI> and become the <HI>burden of their own thoughts&punc;</HI> calling to remembrance their pa&s;t &s;ins, and having an active &s;en&s;e of their <HI>pre&s;ent pains,</HI> and dreadfully looking &s;till for <HI>future judgment;</HI> but of this <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">See ver&s;e 6. on tho&s;e words, [<HI>chains of ever la&s;t<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ng dark|ne&s;s</HI>] and ve. &s;e 7. tho&s;e words [<HI><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">t<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">rual &s;ire</HI>]</NOTE> before&punc; Well then, let us not begin our Hell our &s;elves, by <HI>&s;hun|ning Gods pre&s;ence;</HI> by preferring <HI>carnal plea&s;ures</HI> before
<PB N="430" REF="224">
the <HI>light of his countenance:</HI> by remaining in the night or <HI>darkne&s;s of ignorance</HI> or <HI>errour;</HI> by darkning the glory of our holy profe&s;&s;ion&punc; through <HI>&s;candalous living;</HI> by <HI>&s;inning again&s;t con&s;cience,</HI> and &s;o providing food for the gnawing worm, or matter of de&s;pair to our &s;elves to all eternity; Briefly, let us beware of a <HI>dark and doubtful condition,</HI> it car|rieth too great a proportion with Hell, the more bondage we have, the more <HI>fearful looking for of judgment,</HI> the more are we like the damned, as the more a&s;&s;ured and po&s;|&s;e&s;&s;ed of Gods love&punc; the more like the ble&s;&s;ed; joy in the Holy Gho&s;t is the Subburbs of Heaven.</P>
<P>2. The next thing is the duration [<HI>The blackne&s;s of dark|ne&s;s FOREVER,] Thetorment prepared for the wicked is everla&s;ting,</HI> their <HI>worm</HI> dyeth not, and their <HI>fire</HI> is not quenched, <HI>Mark</HI> 9. 44, This is the Hell of Hell, that as the torments there are <HI>without mea&s;ure,</HI> &s;o without <HI>end;</HI> vivere nolunt mori ne&s;ciunt, <HI>here they might have life and would not,</HI> and <HI>now would have death and cannot&punc;</HI> Rev. 20. 10, <HI>tormented for ever and ever:</HI> Wo ala&s;s, 'tis <HI>for ever!</HI> Poor wicked wretches, who&s;e bodies &s;hrink at the prick of a Pin, or the flame of a candle, how will they endure tho&s;e endle&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> pains? when their re&s;tle&s;s thoughts &s;hall have run through thou&s;ands of years, they mu&s;t look for more; the the pains of the damned are eternal: partly becau&s;e of the <HI>greatne&s;s of the Maje&s;ty</HI> again&s;t whom they have &s;inned; we are finite creatures, and &s;o not fit to judge of the nature of an offence again&s;t an infinite God; the Law giver be&s;t know|eth the merit of &s;in, which is the tran&s;gre&s;&s;ion of the Law, as a Jeweler knoweth the price of a Jewel, and can be&s;t give &s;entence in the ca&s;e what he is to pay that hath lo&s;t or &s;poiled it; with man offences of a <HI>quick execution</HI> meet with a <HI>long puni&s;hment,</HI> and the <HI>continuance of the penalty</HI> in no ca&s;e is to be mea&s;ured with the <HI>continuance of the act of &s;in; Saelus non tempor is magnitudine &s;ed iniqu tatis magnitu|dine metiendum e&s;t:</HI> Partly becau&s;e man &s;inneth as long as he can, he &s;inneth <HI>in aeterno &s;uo</HI> (as <HI>Aquinas</HI>) and there|fore is puni&s;hed in <HI>aeterno Dei;</HI> we would live for ever to &s;in for ever&punc; <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Wicked men are not changed in Hell; melted mettle groweth hard again; the bad theif had one foot in Hell, and yet dyeth bla&s;phe|ming; their <HI>Iudgments</HI> are changed not their <HI>hearts;</HI> they would have dallyed with God longer, greeved his &s;pi|rit here in the world longer, but that their Candle went out, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></NOTE> in Hell the de&s;ire of &s;inning is not extin|gui&s;hed
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or mortified: Partly becau&s;e they de&s;pi&s;ed an <HI>eter|nal happine&s;s,</HI> and therefore do ju&s;tly &s;uffer an eternal tor|ment: Partly becau&s;e they are in their final e&s;tate <HI>peace up|on earth, Luk.</HI> 2. 14. here God is upon a Treaty with us; but there we are beyond a po&s;&s;ibility of repentance and pardon. Partly becau&s;e their <HI>obligations to God are infinite,</HI> and &s;o their puni&s;hment ri&s;eth according to the exce&s;s of their obligations: Well then, this repre&s;enteth the folly of &s;inners, that will run the hazard of <HI>eternal torments</HI> for a little <HI>temporal &s;atisfaction,</HI> as he cryed out, <HI>For how &s;hort a plea&s;ure have I lo&s;t a Kingdom?</HI> When he had parted with his Soveraignty for a draught of water; &s;o you, out of a de&s;ire of pre&s;ent contentment, forfeit Heaven, and run the hazard of the horrours of everla&s;ting darkne&s;s; therefore to counter-ballance the <HI>violence of a temptation,</HI> 'tis good to think of it: Can I dwell with everla&s;ting burn|ings? if a man be &s;ick in the night, he tumbleth and to&s;|&s;eth and telleth the hours, and wi&s;heth it were day: Oh what will a man do that is h<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ld under an everla&s;ting night and darkne&s;s? We are wont to think a Sermon long, a Prayer long; what will hell be? When con&s;cience &s;hall repeat over the pa&s;&s;ages of our lives, and remember us of the wrath of God that endureth &s;or ever? here &s;in is ever working, all the day it runneth in the mind, all the night it playeth in the fancy; we begin the morning with it, and end the day with it, and in the vi&s;ions of the night it ea&s;i|ly gets the &s;tart, and out runneth rea&s;on and con&s;cience, there the guilt of it will torment us day and night, and man is ever haunted with his own horrours, and the wrath of God inflicted upon him.</P>
<P>So much for the <HI>terriblene&s;s</HI> of the judgement, now &s;e|condly let us con&s;ider the <HI>&s;urene&s;s</HI> of it, <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>'tis re|&s;erved:</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 9.</NOTE> <HI>Hell sorment is &s;ure, prepared, kept, for the wick|ed:</HI> &s;o Mat. 25. <HI>prepared for the Devil and his Angels;</HI> Heaven is prepared for the Saints, and they for it; in one place 'tis &s;aid, <HI>The Kingdom prepared for you;</HI> in another, <HI>Ve&s;&s;els of mercy aforehand prepared unto glory:</HI> &s;o is Hell, <HI>fitted for the wicked,</HI> and they <HI>fit them&s;elves</HI> for Hell; God
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prepareth the Saints and &s;itteth them, but endureth the wicked, and beareth with them whil&s;t they <HI>fit them&s;elves for de&s;truction,</HI> &s;ee <HI>Rom.</HI> 9. 22, 23. Carnal men may lord it abroad for a while, and ruffle and &s;hine in worldly pomp, but <HI>the blackne&s;s of darkne&s;s is kept for them.</HI></P>
<P>3. Ob&s;erve the &s;uitablene&s;s of the judgment to the &s;in, he &s;aith <HI>darkne&s;s,</HI> not <HI>fire: Clouds that darken the truth are justly puni&s;hed with the mi&s;ts of darkne&s;s for ever,</HI> &s;ee 2 <HI>Pet</HI> 2. 17. they that would quen<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">h the true light, are ca&s;t into eternal darkne&s;s, God loveth to retaliate, that men may read their <HI>&s;in</HI> in their <HI>judgment</HI> here in the world, we may do it in mercy to the Saints; <HI>Jacob</HI> that came the <HI>younger,</HI> for the <HI>elder,</HI> to blinde <HI>I&s;aac,</HI> had the elder daugh|ter given him in&s;tead of the younger. <HI>A&s;a</HI> that put the Prophet in the &s;tocks, was di&s;ea&s;ed in his feet; but in Hell he doth it for the greater horror to the wicked; they that chu&s;e left hand ble&s;&s;ings, <HI>Prov.</HI> 3. 16 are ju&s;tly placed with the Goats on the left hand, <HI>Mat.</HI> 25. he that deny|eth a <HI>crumb,</HI> could not receive <HI>a drop;</HI> they that cared not for Gods company, are then bani&s;hed out of his pre&s;ence, and to tho&s;e that <HI>loved darkne&s;s more then light,</HI> is the mi&s;t of darkne&s;s re&s;erved for ever.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="14" TYPE="verse">
<EPIGRAPH>
<BIBL>Ver&s;e 14.</BIBL>
<Q>And <HI>Enoch</HI> al&s;o the &s;eventh from <HI>Adam,</HI> Prophe&s;ied of the&s;e, &s;aying, Behold the Lord cometh with ten thou&s;ands of his Saints.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>THe Apo&s;tle urgeth another Argument to imply the de&s;truction of tho&s;e Seducers; and that is, <HI>The Pro|phe&s;ie of Enoch:</HI> whether this Prophe&s;ie were written or no<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">, the &s;ame &s;pirit that &s;pake in <HI>Enoch</HI> in&s;pired our Apo|&s;tle, if he received it by Tradition, 'tis here made Authen|tick and put into the Canon<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Vid. Bez. &amp; E&s;tium in <HI>loc.</HI></NOTE>; The Jews have &s;ome Relicks of this Prophe&s;ie in their Writings, and &s;ome talk of a Vo|lume extant in the primitive times, con&s;i&s;ting of 4082.
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lives, called &s;he <HI>Prophe&s;ie of Enoch;</HI> but that was con|demned for &s;purious and Apocryphal: <HI>Tertullian</HI> &s;aith there was a Prophe&s;ie of <HI>Enoch</HI> kept by <HI>Noah</HI> in the Ark, which book is now lo&s;t, be it &s;o; many good books may be lo&s;t, but <HI>no Scripture;</HI> but mo&s;t probably, 'twas a Pro|phe&s;ie that went from hand to hand, from father to &s;on; <HI>Jude</HI> &s;aith <HI>Enoch Prophe&s;ied,</HI> he doth not &s;ay 'tis written, as quoting a pa&s;&s;age of Scripture: But why &s;hould he ra|ther produce <HI>Enochs Prophe&s;ie,</HI> rather then a pa&s;&s;age out of the Authentique books of Scripture, where are many &s;uch to this purpo&s;e. I An&s;wer, 1. It was done by the providence of God, to pre&s;erve this memorial to the Church. 2. Becau&s;e ancient things are more venerable, for by all mens confe&s;&s;ion tho&s;e times were mo&s;t &s;imple and free; <HI>partium &s;tudio,</HI> from factions and partialities, therefore all along the Apo&s;tle bringeth in&s;tances of the mo&s;t ancient date.</P>
<P>[<HI>And Enoch the &s;eventh from Adam,</HI>] that is <HI>inclu&s;ive,</HI> putting <HI>Adam</HI> for the fir&s;t; but why is this circum&s;tance mentioned? I An&s;wer, 1. To commend the <HI>Antiquity of the Doctrine,</HI> the &s;eventh in di&s;cent from <HI>Adam,</HI> inti|mates that judgment was to be admini&s;tred by Chri&s;t, 2. Some ob&s;erve a my&s;tery, the <HI>&s;eventh per&s;on</HI> was a Pro|phet, as the &s;eventh day was holy. 3. I think 'tis to di|&s;tingui&s;h him from <HI>Enoch</HI> the &s;on of <HI>Cain,</HI> who was the third from <HI>Adam,</HI> as <HI>Enoch</HI> the &s;on of <HI>Seth</HI> was the &s;e|venth, &s;ee <HI>Gen.</HI> 4. 17. [<HI>Prophe&s;ied</HI>] that <HI>Enoch</HI> was a Prophet is clear here, and may begathered from <HI>Gen&punc;</HI> 5 2<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">. where he is &s;aid to <HI>walk with God,</HI> a phra&s;e proper to tho&s;e that &s;erved the Lord in &s;ome near way of mini&s;tration; 'tis there applyed to <HI>Enoch</HI> who was a Prophet, and to <HI>Noah Gen.</HI> 6. 9. who was a <HI>Preacher of righteou&s;ne&s;s,</HI> 2 Pet. 2. 5. and to <HI>Eli.</HI> 1 Sam, 2. 30. who was a <HI>Prie&s;t [Of the&s;e &s;ay|ing] Of the&s;e,</HI> becau&s;e of &s;uch like, 'tis a general Prophe. &s;ie brought down to a particular ca&s;e and in&s;tance. [<HI>The Lord cometh</HI>] that is, the <HI>Lord Je&s;us</HI> appointed to be the Judge of the world; nay mark it, [<HI>Behold the Lord com|eth</HI>] as putting it before their eyes: [<HI>commeth</HI>] <GAP DESC="foreign">, is
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come, that is, he &s;hall as certainly come as if he were come already: the Jews &s;ay the great excommunication <HI>Mara|natha,</HI> was in&s;tituted by <HI>Enoch,</HI> the word &s;ignifieth, <HI>The Lord commeth [with ten thou&s;and of his Saints</HI>] it may be rendred with his <HI>holy Myriads,</HI> or <HI>ten thou&s;ands,</HI> an un|certain number for a certain, that was their highe&s;t and rounde&s;t reckoning; the meaning is with huge multitudes of <HI>Angels</HI> and <HI>Saints:</HI> as the Apo&s;tle, 1 The&s;. 3. 13. <HI>At the coming of the Lord Je&s;us with all his Saints,</HI> Zech. 14. 5. <HI>The Lord my God &s;hall come, and all thy Saints with thee,</HI> not only the <HI>Angels,</HI> but the <HI>Saints</HI> do help to make up the tryumphs of that day.</P>
<P>The Notes are the&s;e.</P>
<P>1. <HI>That what is &s;poken in the word in general doth as much concern us as if it were &s;poken to our own per&s;ons;</HI> Enoch <HI>Prophe&s;ied of the&s;e,</HI> &amp;c. Particulars are comprized in their generals, &s;ome Scriptures &s;peak directly to every &s;ingle per&s;on; the <HI>Decalogue</HI> is mo&s;t expre&s;s this way, <HI>Thou, thou,</HI> &amp;c. as aiming to awaken every one to a &s;en&s;e of their duty, God doth as it were talk with every of our per&s;ons imediately: the Go&s;pel indeed &s;peaketh largely, <HI>come all yee,</HI> &amp;c. as excluding and exempting none out of the hopes of it, yet &s;ometimes the <HI>Go&s;pel</HI> &s;peaking as particularly as <HI>the Law,</HI> e&s;pecially where the <HI>condition</HI> is annexed to the <HI>offer,</HI> as <HI>Rom. 10. 9. If thou beleeve&s;t in the Lord Je&s;us with thine heart,</HI> &amp;c. <HI>if you,</HI> as &s;peaking to me, <HI>if thou,</HI> as &s;peaking to thee, and every other man in particular: Well then, though the word &s;peaketh generally, take home your own &s;hare, as men cut a pa&s;&s;age out of the common River to water their own fields, let not the Scriptures <HI>&s;peak in vain,</HI> James 4. 5 we are all concerned, when his &s;peech is directed to men of our condition: <HI>P&s;al. 27. 8. Thou &s;aide&s;t &s;eek ye my face,</HI> and <HI>David</HI> &s;ub-&s;umeth, <HI>Thy face Lord will I &s;eek.</HI></P>
<P>2. <HI>Prophe&s;ie or Preaching the word is ancient,</HI> for <HI>Enoch the &s;eventh from Adam Prophe&s;ied,</HI> &s;till &s;ome have been &s;et a part for this work; <HI>Enoch</HI> was a <HI>Prophet,</HI> and <HI>Noah a Preacher</HI> of righteou&s;ne&s;s; 'tis &s;aid that in the latter end
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of &s;ix thou&s;and years, we &s;hould be rooting up an ancient Ordinance, that hath &s;tood from the beginning of the world till now; in the old time before the Law, there were &s;ome to teach, every ma&s;ter in his family, churches were then in hou&s;es, and &s;ome <HI>&s;pecial Prophets</HI> to in&s;truct in publique, and continue the tradition: under the Law al&s;o there were &s;ome &s;olemnly &s;et apart for the work of the Tabernacle, and <HI>Prophets</HI> immediately called to deliver the &s;pecial me&s;&s;ages of God, not only for the in&s;truction of the pre&s;ent age, but to increa&s;e the <HI>Canon,</HI> or rule of faith and manners, even for our comfort; and in Chri&s;ts time <HI>Apo&s;tles</HI> were added to unvail the figures of the Law, and deliver the Go&s;pel more clearly; and when once the <HI>Ca|non</HI> was &s;etled, and enough delivered to make us wi&s;e to &s;al|vation, &s;ome were &s;et apart by the con&s;titution of Chri&s;t as <HI>Pa&s;tors</HI> and <HI>Teachers</HI> to <HI>explain</HI> and <HI>apply</HI> Scripture; and though all the Saints be <HI>Kings and Prie&s;ts to God,</HI> yet the office mini&s;terial mu&s;t not be invaded; for as <HI>&s;piritual King&s;hip</HI> is no warrant to di&s;turb the Magi&s;trate, or to wre&s;t the exerci&s;e of authority out of his hands, &s;o <HI>&s;piritu|al Priesthood</HI> doth not lay the Mini&s;try in common, but &s;till there mu&s;t be &s;ome &s;et apart for that work; if we grudge at the in&s;titution, we repine at Chri&s;ts bounty to us, and in effect, bid him take his gift to him&s;elf, for in the day of his Royalty, or A&s;cention, <HI>he gave gifts to men, &s;ome to be Apo&s;tles &s;ome Prophets, &s;ome Pastors, &s;ome Teach|ers,</HI> &amp;c. <HI>Eph.</HI> 4. 11.</P>
<P>3. <HI>That the Doctrine of the day of Judgement is ancient,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 3:</NOTE> <HI>long &s;ince foretold. Enoch</HI> prophe&s;ied of it, yea the &s;en|tence of death pronounced in Paradi&s;e did imply it, and the Lords me&s;&s;engers have ever urged the terrour of it: many pa&s;&s;ages in <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> may be applied to this purpo&s;e, <HI>Deut. 32. David</HI> clearly &s;aith, <HI>P&s;al. 50. 22. I will &s;et thy &s;ins in order before thee; now con&s;ider this, ye that forget God, le&s;t I tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver.</HI> So <HI>So|lomon,</HI> Eccle&s;. 11. 9. <HI>Remember that for all the&s;e things thou &s;halt come to judgement.</HI> 'Twere needle&s;s to tell you of <HI>Daniel, Joel, Malachy, Chri&s;t, Paul, Peter, John, Jude:</HI>
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&s;till this truth was pre&s;&s;ed in the Church, nay the Lord was plea&s;ed to grant &s;ome intimation of it to the heathens, <GAP DESC="foreign">, &amp;c. in the fragments of the <HI>Sybils,</HI> in <HI>Eu&s;ebius</HI> by the light of nature the <HI>Philo&s;ophers</HI> had &s;ome dark and uncertain gue&s;&s;es at &s;uch a thing, Con&s;cience is &s;oon &s;en&s;ible of the truth of it, as <HI>Felix trembled</HI> when it was mentioned, <HI>Acts</HI> 24. the ancient judgements of <HI>drown|ing the world,</HI> and <HI>burning Sodom,</HI> were types and fore|runners of it: Well then, entertain this doctrine with the more certainty, <HI>verum quod primum,</HI> that which is <HI>first,</HI> is <HI>true:</HI> we are &s;ecret Athei&s;ts, can a man believe judgement to come, that walloweth in &s;in and profane&s;s? Our acti|ons are the be&s;t image and expre&s;&s;ion of our thoughts; the Apo&s;tle &s;aith, <HI>the latter days &s;hall yeild &s;coffers and mock|ers,</HI> 2 Pet. 3. there may be Athei&s;ts in <HI>the Church,</HI> but there are <HI>none in hell,</HI> we deny and doubt of that at which the divels tremble, if the <HI>Spirit, Scripture, Con&s;cience, Rea&s;on</HI> will not teach men, there is no other way of learning but by <HI>feeling</HI> and <HI>experience.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Enoch</HI> prophe&s;ied, the man that walked with God, he could &s;ee the day of judgement, though &s;o far off:</P>
<P><HI>Tho&s;e that have mo&s;t communion with God, do most di&s;cern</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 4.</NOTE> <HI>his mind.</HI> Let a man walk humbly and clo&s;ely with God, and he is near, not only the <HI>root of life,</HI> but the <HI>fountain of light,</HI> P&s;alm 25 14 <HI>The &s;ecret of the Lord is with them that fear him:</HI> when the Di&s;ciples doubted of any thing, they pointed to him <HI>whom Je&s;us loved, and who leaned in Je&s;us bo&s;om,</HI> John 13. 21, 22, 23, 23&punc; tho&s;e that are in Chri&s;ts bo&s;om, know his mind; well then, if we would pry more deeply into the things of God, walk humbly and clo&s;ely with him; there is a promi&s;e, <HI>John 7. 17. He that will do the will of God, &s;hall know what doctrine is of God:</HI> <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="foreign">. Naz.</NOTE> Pure &s;ouls are &s;oone&s;t enlightned, and they di&s;cern mo&s;t of the Lords coun&s;el, who are not darkned wits Lu&s;ts and Inte|re&s;ts.</P>
<P>5. From that [<HI>Beh<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ld</HI>] he &s;peaketh of this day of the<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 5.</NOTE> Lord, as if it were in&s;tant, and before their eyes:</P>
<P><HI>We &s;hould always real<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ize the day of the Lord, and repre&s;ent</HI>
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<HI>it to our thoughts as near at hand.</HI> 'Tis the work of faith to give things ab&s;ent, and at a di&s;tance, a pre&s;ent being in the heart of a Believer, <HI>Heb.</HI> 11. 1. Six thou&s;and years agone <HI>Enoch</HI> &s;aid, <HI>Behold he cometh;</HI> 'tis not for us to fix the &s;ea|&s;ons which the Father hath put in his own hands, there may be much of &s;nare and temptation in that; therefore the Apo&s;tle <HI>Paul</HI> reproveth them, that confidently gave it out, that the day of the Lord was at hand, 2 <HI>The&s;&s;&punc;</HI> 2 24. <GAP DESC="foreign">, in&s;tantly to come, * <HI>Au&s;tin</HI> giveth a rea&s;on of it thus, <HI>ne forte cum <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ran&s;i&s;&s;et tempus, tempus quo eum credebunt e&s;&s;e futurum de ip&s;a mercede fidei de&s;perarent;</HI> &s;elf they &s;hould que&s;tion all, when deceived in the time of their fore-&s;et|ting; which indeed experience hath verified: In the year of Chri&s;t one thou&s;and and one, when many vain opinions and conceits of the end of the world were di&s;appointed, men began publikely to a&s;&s;ert, <HI>Mundus e&s;t incorruptibilis,</HI> Bar. <HI>ad annum</HI> 1001. The faith of all truths is &s;haken, by the di&s;|appointment of a ra&s;h confidence: but though we are not punctually to &s;tate the time, yet the thing being certein, faith &s;hould repre&s;ent it to the thoughts as actually pre&s;ent, and we &s;hould live as if the Trumpet were always &s;ounding in our ears, and the Judge were &s;ate, and the books opened, to put off the thought of that which will one day, and with|in a &s;hort time come about&punc; is a <HI>&s;pice</HI> of Athei&s;me, <HI>Amos</HI> 6. 3. for things foretold in the Word &s;hould be as certain, and have a like influence upon us, as if they were already accompli&s;hed. <HI>Behold the Lord is come.</HI></P>
<P>6. From that [<HI>with ten thou&s;and of his Saints,] When</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 6.</NOTE> <HI>Christ cometh to judgement, his Saints come to judge the world with him.</HI> When the wicked are filled with amaze|ment, they come in Chri&s;ts company; partly that the world may know what &s;hall be done to the men whom God will honour, and that Chri&s;t may be <HI>admired</HI> in the glory he putteth upon them, 2 <HI>The&s;&s;.</HI> 1. 10 partly that Chri&s;t may make them partakers of the mediatory King|dom, therefore they are a&s;&s;ociated with him in judging the world, <HI>Matth.</HI> 19. 28. their <HI>&s;uffrage</HI> is required, as ap|proving the &s;entence of the Judge, 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 6. 2. partly for
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the greater &s;orrow of the wicked, they &s;hall be judged by mean men, whom they once hated and per&s;ecuted, <HI>P&s;al&punc; 49. 12. The upright &s;hall have dominion over them in the morning,</HI> that is of the re&s;urrection, they counted their lives madne&s;s and folly, but now they are exalted: partly to make amends for the <HI>perver&s;e cen&s;ures</HI> of worldly men, now they are judged every day; counted the off &s;cowring and reproach of men, but then the Lord will clear up their innocency, and they &s;hall &s;it as <HI>Ju&s;tices</HI> with the <HI>Judge</HI> up|on the Bench. Well then 1. <HI>Be Saints,</HI> if you would have a Saints priviledge; Fellons may be jovial in the Pri&s;on, but they tremble at the Bar; they are happie&s;t that have joy and boldne&s;s at Chri&s;ts appearance; when wicked men come like mi&s;erable captives, how &s;hall the Saints ari&s;e out of their graves like <HI>&s;ons of the morning?</HI> They and Angels intermixed in the train of Chri&s;t, what is wanting here, is richly made up there. 2 Walk as tho&s;e that &s;hall be a&s;&s;o|ciated with Chri&s;t in judging the world; walk with Chri&s;t now, and you &s;hall come with him then; <HI>follow the Lamb where&s;oever he goeth,</HI> when he is <HI>crowned at Hebron,</HI> he will not forget his old companions, cleave to him, cry not up a confederacy with them, that cry up a confederacy again&s;t him; he will &s;ay to you, you have been with me in all my &s;ufferings and &s;orrows, now you &s;hall be with me in my glory, <HI>Matth.</HI> 19. 27, 28. Again, <HI>Judge the world now,</HI> condemn them by <HI>your lives,</HI> as knowing that you &s;hall condemn them hereafter by your <HI>vote</HI> and <HI>&s;uffrage. N<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">a<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> condemned the world,</HI> Heb. 11. 7. a &s;erious Chri&s;tian is a <HI>li|ving reproof;</HI> a carnal profe&s;&s;ing hypocrite, ju&s;tifieth the wicked; <HI>ye have ju&s;tified your &s;i&s;ter Sodom,</HI> &s;ee <HI>Ezek.</HI> 16. but a &s;incere Chri&s;tian condemneth them.</P>
<P>7. From that [<HI>with ten thou&s;and of Saints] At Chri&s;ts</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 7.</NOTE> <HI>appearance his train &s;hall con&s;i&s;t of multitudes of Saints and holy Angels.</HI> Now they are but as <HI>two or three Berries</HI> up|on the top of the uppermo&s;t bough, &s;cattered here and there, as God hath work and &s;ervice for them to do, but when they appear together in that <HI>great rendezvouz,</HI> they are a number which no man can number, &s;ee <HI>Rev.</HI> 5. 11.
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and <HI>Rev.</HI> 7. 9. 'tis a comfort again&s;t the paucity and &s;mal|ne&s;s of tho&s;e that are upright with God; in heaven we &s;hall have company enough, Gods family when it cometh altogether, is very numerous, or rather <HI>innumerable,</HI> Heb. 12. 23, as the wicked &s;hall be expo&s;ed to the fellow&s;hip of divels, and per&s;ons like them&s;elves, where the <HI>company</HI> &s;hall add to the <HI>torment,</HI> &s;o &s;hall we be called to <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 1. 5.</NOTE> a <HI>great A&s;&s;em|bly,</HI> and to bear a part with that glorious train which com|eth with Chri&s;t.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="15" TYPE="verse">
<EPIGRAPH>
<BIBL>Ver&s;e 15.</BIBL>
<Q>To execute judgement upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly amongst them, of all their ungodly deeds, which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard &s;peeches which ungodly &s;in|ners have &s;poken again&s;t him.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>HAving de&s;cribed the <HI>Judge,</HI> with his attendants, he cometh to de&s;cribe his <HI>work,</HI> which is to <HI>convince,</HI> and <HI>execute judgement,</HI> together with <HI>the per&s;ons</HI> again&s;t whom he will thus proceed [<HI>All that are ungodly among&s;t them</HI>] as al&s;o the <HI>grounds</HI> and <HI>rea&s;ons</HI> of the Proce&s;s, becau&s;e of their <HI>ungodly practi&s;es,</HI> and <HI>hard &s;peeches</HI> again&s;t Chri&s;t.</P>
<P>Some &s;ay the 14th ver&s;e doth only contain the <HI>prophe&s;ie of Enoch,</HI> and that the&s;e words are the Apo&s;tle's <HI>applicati|on</HI> or <HI>explication</HI> of it, but improbably, the words running on in a continued &s;en&s;e or form of &s;peech, and the applica|tion is at the 16th ver&s;e.</P>
<P>[<HI>To execute judgement</HI>] 'tis an <HI>hy&s;teron proteron,</HI> the la&s;t act is put fir&s;t, <HI>execution</HI> before <HI>conviction</HI> or <HI>arraignment,</HI> [upon all] that is, upon all &s;uch as are here &s;poken of, upon all the ungodly, for <HI>judgement</HI> is not executed <HI>upon</HI> the Saints, but <HI>for</HI> them. [<HI>And to convince</HI>] <GAP DESC="foreign">, it imply|eth &s;uch a clear proof, that we &s;ee 'tis impo&s;&s;ible things &s;hould be otherwi&s;e at the day of judgement, wicked men
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are <HI>&s;peechle&s;s,</HI> Matth. 22. and <HI>&s;elf condemned [all that are ungodly among&s;t them]</HI> that is, among&s;t the wicked, and the &s;everity of the proce&s;s is chiefly bent again&s;t tho&s;e that are ungodly [<HI>of all their ungodly deeds</HI>] in the Greek, <HI>the deeds of their ungodline&s;s;</HI> now <HI>ungodline&s;s</HI> here is not taken in its proper &s;en&s;e for denying God his due honour and wor|&s;hip, but for any oppo&s;ition again&s;t his &s;ervants, wor&s;hip, truth [<HI>which in an ungodly manner thy have committed</HI>] <GAP DESC="foreign">, which argueth the malice &s;pite which they be|wrayed in their <HI>oppo&s;itions</HI> and <HI>reproaches [and of all their hard &s;peeches]</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">, [<HI>hard</HI>] as applicable to <HI>things</HI> as well as <HI>&s;peeches;</HI> our <HI>&s;peeches</HI> are here intended, as appear|eth by the following clau&s;e; wicked practi&s;es and an evil tongue are &s;eldom &s;evered; that by hard &s;peeches is meant any proud, taunting, cur&s;ed, or contumelious language, &s;ee 1 <HI>Sam.</HI> 2. 3. in the Hebrews, and <HI>P&s;al. 94. 4. How long &s;hall they utter and &s;peak hard things, and the workers of iniquity boa&s;t them&s;elves</HI> [which ungodly &s;inners] not only <HI>&s;inners,</HI> but <HI>ungodly &s;inners,</HI> for the greater empha&s;is, &s;ee <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 1. 1. [again&s;t him] that is, again&s;t him&s;elf, a|gain&s;t his per&s;on, or me&s;&s;engers, or truths, ordinances, for what is &s;poken again&s;t any of the&s;e, is &s;poken again&s;t Chri&s;t him&s;elf.</P>
<P>This ver&s;e is large, and full of points; but becau&s;e the doctrine of the day of Judgment hath been already touch|ed upon, and ungodline&s;s opened at large ver&s;e 4. there|fore the briefer notes will &s;erve the turn.</P>
<P>1. <HI>Chri&s;ts &s;econd coming is to judgement;</HI> &s;o 'tis &s;aid in the Text, <HI>He &s;hall come with ten thou&s;and of his Saints to ex|ecute judgement.</HI> Of his fir&s;t coming 'tis &s;aid. <HI>John 3. 17. God &s;ent not his Son to judge the world, but that the world through him &s;hould be &s;aved;</HI> he came not then as a <HI>Judge;</HI> but as a <HI>Redeemer,</HI> offering and procuring grace and life, when we fru&s;trate the end of his coming as a <HI>Redeemer,</HI> we make way for the end of his coming as a <HI>Judge,</HI> and he that then came <HI>to us,</HI> will now come <HI>again&s;t us.</HI></P>
<P>2. <HI>When Chri&s;t cometh to judgement, one great part of his work will be, to convince &s;inners, and that openly, publiquely.</HI>
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Some think that the whole work will be di&s;patched <HI>in the Con&s;cience,</HI> without any audible and external voice, both&punc; as to <HI>ex<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">mination</HI> and <HI>&s;entence;</HI> others think the <HI>tryal</HI> and <HI>conviction</HI> &s;hall be in the con&s;cience of a &s;inner, but the &s;en|tence audibly pronounced, and becau&s;e the puni&s;hment is too light upon body and &s;oul, the <HI>ear</HI> is to receive it, as well as the <HI>Con&s;cience</HI> feel it: I conceive, that <HI>conviction, tryal,</HI> and <HI>&s;entence,</HI> will be all <HI>open</HI> and <HI>publique,</HI> though I cannot expre&s;ly &s;ay, that <HI>every particular &s;in</HI> &s;hall be di&s;co|vered before the whole world, yet enough manife&s;ted to &s;hew the &s;entence ju&s;t, as their <HI>unfaithfulne&s;s in their cal|lings,</HI> their <HI>oppo&s;ition of God and Godline&s;s,</HI> their <HI>oppre&s;&s;ion of his &s;ervants,</HI> their <HI>neglect o grace,</HI> &amp;c. with all the cir|cum&s;tances and aggravations of it, as the gracious oppor|tunities and means which they have enjoyed, <HI>&s;tirring &s;er|m<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ns, motions of the &s;pirit, checks of Con&s;cience, ble&s;&s;ed me|thods of love and mercy,</HI> &amp;c. God keepeth an account of the&s;e things; tho&s;e pa&s;&s;ages which imply <HI>Gods reckoning</HI> with his people in the world, are but pledges of what he will do at the day of our <HI>la&s;t account:</HI> now here God ta|keth exact notice of the <HI>long</HI> time, and <HI>many</HI> means which we have enjoyed, as <HI>Luke</HI> 13. 7. the&s;e <HI>three years</HI> &amp;c. it alludeth to the time of Chri&s;ts mini&s;try, he was ju&s;t then entring upon his <HI>la&s;t half year,</HI> as by a &s;erious harmonizing the Evangeli&s;ts will appear, <HI>John 2. 54. This &s;econd miracle did Je&s;us in Canah of Galilee;</HI> account is kept of a former: 1 <HI>Kings 11. 9.&mdash;appeared to him twice,</HI> &s;o <HI>the&s;e 23. years,</HI> and <HI>J<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">r.</HI> 25. 3. all this is remembred and produced to con|vince the &s;inner.</P>
<P>This conviction implyeth two things. 1. <HI>The opening of the Con&s;cience,</HI> Rev. 20. 12. <HI>The books were opened,</HI> that is, the <HI>book of Con&s;cience,</HI> and the <HI>book of Gods remembrance;</HI> the con&s;ciences of men &s;hall then be extended to an exact view of all their works and deeds pa&s;t; 'tis wonderful, but it &s;hall be done by the mighty power of God; for 'tis &s;aid here, <HI>he &s;hall convince them of all their ungodly deeds, and hard &s;peeches;</HI> their works and words are not lo&s;t and for|gotten, but do follow them into the other world, and &s;tand
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in the view of Con&s;cience, challenging the &s;inner, <HI>tu nos</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">See Ho&s;ea 7. 2. P&s;alm 49. 5.</NOTE> <HI>egisti, opera tua &s;umus;</HI> &s;inner, the&s;e are the things which thou ha&s;t done and &s;poken, we will not leave thee, but bring thee to judgement; then is that expre&s;&s;ion made good, <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Numb. 32. 23.</NOTE> <HI>their iniquities &s;hall find them out,</HI> our old &s;ins, and carnal practi&s;es were long &s;ince forgotten and worn out of me|mory, &s;o that we think we &s;hall never <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ea<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> of them more, but there they find us out, and pur&s;ue us to Chri&s;ts Tribu|nal. 2. There is an outward publication and manife&s;tation of all the&s;e &s;ins, or of mo&s;t of them, before the world; for the Apo&s;tle &s;aith, 1 <HI>Cor. 4. 5. hidden things &s;hall be brought to light in that day;</HI> that is, not only called to re|membrance by the &s;inner him&s;elf, but expo&s;ed to the <HI>no|tice</HI> and <HI>cen&s;ure</HI> of others, as the context there &s;heweth: &s;o <HI>Eccle&s;.</HI> 12. 14. 'tis &s;aid, <HI>&s;ecret &s;ins &s;hall be brought to judg|ment,</HI> if only di&s;covered to the con&s;cience of the &s;inner, they are &s;till kept &s;ecret: wicked men are already in a great mea&s;ure <HI>convinc'd,</HI> yea &amp; <HI>condemnd</HI> in their own con&s;ciences, 'tis then Gods de&s;igne to &s;hame them before all the world, how otherwi&s;e &s;hall the &s;u&s;pected innocency of his &s;ervants be vindicated, and Saints and Angels applaud the equity of his judgements, unle&s;s they have &s;ome cogni&s;ance of the matter for which wicked men are condemned? Now the&s;e &s;ins may be di&s;covered many ways, either by their <HI>own con|fe&s;&s;ions,</HI> and <HI>pitiful complaints</HI> extorted from them by the power of God, they &s;hall wail and bemoan their ca&s;e thus probably, <HI>Oh that ever I de&s;pi&s;ed Chri&s;t, oppre&s;&s;ed his &s;er|vants, oppo&s;ed his truth, &s;lighted the &s;ea&s;ons of grace,</HI> &amp;c. &s;ee <HI>Rev.</HI> 6. 16, 17. or by the <HI>&s;entence of Chri&s;t,</HI> in the pro|nouncing of which, there is &s;ome repetition of their &s;ins, &s;ee <HI>Matth</HI> 25. 41, 42, 43. and al&s;o by the <HI>te&s;timony of the good and bad Angels again&s;t them:</HI> The <HI>good Angels</HI> and Guardians of the Saints, are &s;en&s;ible of the injuries done to them, and may po&s;&s;ibly accu&s;e you to Chri&s;t upon that &s;core, <HI>Matth.</HI> 18. 10. the Divel, who is now a <HI>Tempter,</HI> will then be an <HI>Accu&s;er:</HI> One of the Fathers bringeth in the Divel pleading thus, <HI>Domine &s;it meus per culpam, qui tuus e&s;&s;e noluit per gratiam,</HI> &amp;c. <HI>Lord let him be mine by</HI>
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<HI>&s;in, who would not be thine by grace; I never died for him, had no heaven to offer him, only a little carnal plea&s;ure or pro|fit, and this was enough to draw him from thee,</HI> &amp;c. yea further, the <HI>Mini&s;ters,</HI> and other godly per&s;ons, by who&s;e example they have been reproved or condemned, may give te&s;timony again&s;t them, <HI>John 5. 45. there is one that accu&s;eth you, even Mo&s;es,</HI> &amp;c. the cries of tho&s;e whom they have oppre&s;&s;ed and wronged, may po&s;&s;ibly be renewed, <HI>James 5. 4. Abel</HI>'s blood may cry out again&s;t <HI>Cain</HI> afre&s;h, <HI>&s;tarved &s;ouls</HI> may cry out again&s;t a <HI>lazy Mini&s;ter, oppre&s;&s;ed &s;ubjects</HI> again&s;t a <HI>bloody Magi&s;trate,</HI> the neglected poor again&s;t tho&s;e that have &s;hut their bowels again&s;t them; as on the other &s;ide the godly poor that have bin refre&s;hed and relieved by the bounty of the rich, are &s;aid to <HI>receive them into ever|la&s;ting habitations,</HI> Luke 16. 9. Again, the <HI>example</HI> of tho&s;e that have had le&s;s means may be produced again&s;t them, becau&s;e they went further in a way of compliance with the Lords purpo&s;e, <HI>Matth.</HI> 12. 41, 42. Others with whom we have &s;inned may complain of us; <HI>Dives</HI> was afraid le&s;t his Brethren <HI>&s;hould come into the place of Torment,</HI> Luk. 16. 28. which might be a means to increa&s;e his angui&s;h, they &s;in|ning by his example; I have produced the&s;e &s;uppo&s;itions, only to make the conviction at the day of judgement more <HI>intelligible</HI> and <HI>effective.</HI></P>
<P>Again ob&s;erve, <HI>when Chri&s;t hath convinced, he will con|demn,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 3.</NOTE> <HI>and when he hath condemned, he will execute: Con|viction</HI> now maketh way many times for <HI>conver&s;ion,</HI> but then for <HI>confu&s;ion;</HI> now God killeth, that he may make alive, but then they are pre&s;ently tran&s;mitted and &s;ent into their everla&s;ting e&s;tate: Let us imitate the method of Chri&s;ts proce&s;s in our judging our &s;elves, let us <HI>examine judge, ex|ecute,</HI> not our <HI>&s;elves,</HI> but our <HI>&s;ins;</HI> voluntary acts prevent enforced.</P>
<P>From that [<HI>Of all their ungodly deeds,</HI> &amp;c.] Ob&s;erve, <HI>That the proce&s;s of the la&s;t day chiefly lieth again&s;t the ungod|ly.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 4.</NOTE> The&s;e are expre&s;ly mentioned in the Text, <HI>unrighte|ou&s;ne&s;s</HI> is a cau&s;e of Gods wrath, as well as <HI>ungodline&s;s,</HI> Rom. 2. 18. But <HI>ungodline&s;s</HI> doth chiefly provoke; for the fir&s;t
<PB N="444" REF="231">
part, and chiefe&s;t part of the Law, provideth for our duty to God, <HI>ex ordine modum, ex loco &s;tatum, &amp; dignitatem</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Tertullian.</NOTE> <HI>uniu&s;cuju&s;que praecepti</HI> &amp;c. The dignity of every command is known by the command of it; now in the fir&s;t place, <HI>godline&s;s</HI> is required, and then <HI>righteou&s;ne&s;s,</HI> or a care of moral duties.</P>
<P>If you would know who are ungodly, &s;ee the notes on ver&s;e 4. where they are de&s;cribed at large, all <HI>Athei&s;ts, pe|euliative and prastical Pagans,</HI> &s;inners that &s;light the <HI>of|fers of Chri&s;t,</HI> that neglect communion with God, and are touched with no reverence and dread of his Maje&s;ty, all the&s;e are ungodly per&s;ons, and al&s;o all that &s;cof at Religion, and holine&s;s of conver&s;ation, that de&s;pi&s;e the Ordinances of God, oppre&s;s and per&s;ecute his &s;ervants; hate his truths, the&s;e are all in the Scripture branded with the &s;ame mark, as I could ea&s;ily &s;hew you, if I l<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;ted to dilate upon this argu|ment.</P>
<P>Now none of the&s;e will be able to hold up the head in the day of Judgement, <HI>P&s;al. 1. 5 The ungodly &s;hall not &s;tand in judgement, nor &s;inners in the congregation of the righteous;</HI> for &s;ince they <HI>hate</HI> or <HI>neglect</HI> God, how &s;hall they be able to look him in the face, or appear among his &s;ervants? They that have de&s;pi&s;ed the <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">1 Tim 3. 6. 1 Tim. 6. 3.</NOTE> <HI>my&s;terie of godli|ne&s;s,</HI> how can they expect the <HI>reward of godline&s;s?</HI> You that mock at godline&s;s, make Duties the objects of <HI>your &s;corn,</HI> not <HI>your care;</HI> how will Chri&s;t &s;corn you at the la&s;t day? Well then, if you would have the day of judgement comfortable to you, be not only <HI>ju&s;t</HI> and <HI>&s;trict,</HI> but godly, for <HI>godline&s;s</HI> is a notion di&s;tinct from <HI>holine&s;s,</HI> 2 Pet. 3. 11. 'tis not enough to do actions <HI>just</HI> and <HI>good,</HI> but we mu&s;t do them upon the &s;ight of Gods will, and with aims at his glory: <HI>Holine&s;s</HI> implyeth a conformity to the Law of God, but <HI>godline&s;s</HI> an enlightned re&s;pect to his glory, now a Chri|&s;tians whole life &s;hould have &s;uch a tendency and ordinati|on, for 'tis called <HI>a living to God,</HI> Gal. 2. 19.</P>
<P>Once more ob&s;erve, The&s;e <HI>ungodly men are the rather</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 5.</NOTE> <HI>judged, becau&s;e they commit &s;in with an ungodly mind,</HI> or <HI>&s;in with a &s;inning mind;</HI> for &s;o 'tis in the Text; <HI>ungodly</HI>
<PB N="445" REF="231">
<HI>deeds ungodly committed:</HI> A child of God may fall into wickedne&s;s, but he doth not commit it wickedly, with a <HI>full con&s;ent;</HI> men are not condemned for <HI>infirmities</HI> but <HI>ini|quities;</HI> as a child of God cannot act with &s;uch liberty, purity and perfection in the ways of God, as he doth de|&s;ire, &s;o in the ways of &s;in he cannot do what he would, nor be carried out with &s;uch a full bent and purpo&s;e of heart, as wicked men are, becau&s;e of the oppo&s;ition of the new nature; to this latter &s;en&s;e is it &s;aid, <HI>Gal. 5. 17. Ye cannot do the things that ye would,</HI> as will appear by a &s;erious in|&s;pection of the context: wicked men follow the Derils work with all their might, <HI>Micah 7. 3. They do evil with both hands, earne&s;tly,</HI> the Lord that is tender of tho&s;e that &s;in through infirmity, yet taketh notice to the purpo&s;e when men &s;in for &s;ins &s;ake, and their hearts are large|ly and eagerly &s;et upon it; tho&s;e that are di&s;caimed at the day of judgment, are called <HI>workers of iniquity, Mat.</HI> 7. 23. &s;uch as make a bu&s;ine&s;s and a trade of it; a godly man doth not &s;o much <HI>act &s;in</HI> as he <HI>&s;uffereth</HI> by it, <HI>peccatum pa|titur non facit,</HI> Bernard. He doth not pour out his whole heart this way, there are con&s;tant di&s;likes in the &s;oul, which are a let and re&s;traint to him; u&s;ually the &s;ins of the godly are either &s;ins <HI>of ignorance, incogitancy, &s;uddain &s;urreption,</HI> and <HI>daily incur&s;ion,</HI> if they &s;in <HI>deliberately</HI> there is not &s;uch a <HI>&s;pight</HI> and <HI>rage,</HI> as there is to be found in the &s;ins of the wicked.</P>
<P>From the next clau&s;e [<HI>and their hard &s;peeches</HI>] Ob&s;erve,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 6.</NOTE> <HI>Not only the deeds of ungodly men, but their &s;peeches are brought into judgment;</HI> words do not peri&s;h with the breath with which they are uttered, no, they remain upon record and we are to give an account of them at the la&s;t day, <HI>Mat.</HI> 15. 36. and <HI>James</HI> 2. 12. Men are more &s;erious in <HI>their actions,</HI> but in <HI>their &s;peeches</HI> ra&s;h and incon&s;iderate, and tho&s;e that dare not <HI>act</HI> evil, dare yet <HI>&s;peak;</HI> Oh con|&s;ider if Chri&s;t did only call us to an account for <HI>our actions,</HI> and <HI>our words</HI> were free, 'twere another matter; but he reckoneth with us about our &s;peeches, therefore <HI>&s;o &s;peak, and &s;o do, as tho&s;e that would be judged by the Law of the liberty.</HI></P>
<P><PB N="446" REF="232">Once more from thence ob&s;erve, <HI>That of all &s;peeches mens hard &s;peeches &s;hall be produced at the day of judgment:</HI> Now what are the&s;e hard &s;peeches? I An&s;w. either &s;uch as have <HI>an|ger</HI> in them, as <HI>Solomon</HI> &s;peaketh of the <HI>froward mouth</HI> and <HI>perver&s;e lipps,</HI> Prov. 4. 22. when men breath nothing but fire, and drop <HI>coals</HI> in&s;tead of <HI>words;</HI> or &s;uch as have <HI>pride</HI> in them, or <HI>contempt</HI> of others, as when we le&s;&s;en their abilities, <HI>in&s;ult</HI> over their mi&s;eries, <HI>They &s;peak to the grief of tho&s;e whom thou ha&s;t wounded,</HI> &s;ee <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 94. 4. or triumph over their &s;lipps and failings: this is to pour &s;alt and vine|gar into new wounds.</P>
<P>Again, &s;uch as have <HI>bitterne&s;s</HI> and <HI>malice</HI> in them, as calumnies and reproaches, <HI>P&s;al. 64. 3, 4. They bend their bows to &s;hoot their Arrows, even bitter words;</HI> By whi&s;per|ings and clancular &s;ugge&s;tions they wound the credit of Gods &s;ervants, and &s;o bring them into di&s;-e&s;teem with o|thers. Well then, be not ha&s;ty to utter hard &s;peeches, e&s;pecially again&s;t Gods children, <HI>Numb. 12. 8. Were ye not afraid to &s;peak again&s;t my &s;ervant, again&s;t Mo&s;es?</HI> The repetition of the&s;e hard &s;peeches will be &s;ad notes to your ears at the la&s;t day.</P>
<P>The next Note is, <HI>That of all hard &s;peeches tho&s;e are the</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 8:</NOTE> <HI>wor&s;t which do mo&s;t directly reflect upon the honour and glory of Chri&s;t;</HI> for &s;o 'tis in the Text [<HI>hard &s;peeches &s;poken a|gain&s;t him,</HI>] Now hard &s;peeches again&s;t Chri&s;t are either <HI>bla&s;phemies</HI> again&s;t either of his natures; the <HI>Ebionites</HI> de|nyed him to be God; the <HI>Valen inians</HI> made him <HI>a phan|ta&s;tical man,</HI> or a man only in appearance, or <HI>murmurings</HI> again&s;t his providence and regiment of the world: <HI>Your words have been &s;tout again&s;t me,</HI> Mal. 3. 15. When we tax and excu&s;e providence, as if the Lord were <HI>blind carele&s;s, unju&s;t</HI> or <HI>injurious</HI> in his dealings: <HI>The Lord &s;hall not &s;ee, he &s;hall neither do good nor evil, how &s;hould the mo&s;t high know?</HI> or when we <HI>&s;coff at his word,</HI> as the&s;e, <HI>Jer.</HI> 23. 33. <HI>The burden of the Lord, the burden of the Lord, everymans word &s;hall be his burden,</HI> becau&s;e the Prophets u&s;ually began their Sermons with this Preface, <HI>The burden of the Lord,</HI> they &s;coffingly were wont to &s;ay, what burden have you for us
<PB N="447" REF="232">
to day? Now &s;aith the Prophet, this &s;hall return into your bo&s;oms, <HI>your words &s;hall be your burden:</HI> So al&s;o when we &s;peak again&s;t his ways, calling <HI>zeal fury, &s;trictne&s;s</HI> a <HI>fooli&s;h preci&s;ene&s;s,</HI> and <HI>godline&s;s puritani&s;m:</HI> Oh Chri&s;ti|ans, the&s;e hard &s;peeches will co&s;t dear, here or hereafter; <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Mat. 12. 32. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"></NOTE> 'tis po&s;&s;ible that bla&s;phemy repented of may be forgiven, but when you are brought home to Chri&s;t, 'twill co&s;t you bitter pangs, and a &s;ound remor&s;e.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="16" TYPE="verse">
<EPIGRAPH>
<BIBL>Ver&s;e 16.</BIBL>
<Q>The&s;e are murmurers, complainers, walk|ing after their own lu&s;ts, and their mouth &s;peaketh great &s;welling words, ha|ving mens per&s;ons in admiration becau&s;e of advantage.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>HEre the Apo&s;tle commeth to make Application, and to prove that the&s;e were &s;uch as <HI>Enoch</HI> had de&s;cribed, and therefore liable to the judgment threatned: Here are &s;everal things charged; I &s;hall take them in order:</P>
<P>The fir&s;t thing is, their un&s;atisfiedne&s;s with their pre&s;ent condition, expre&s;&s;ed in two words, 1. <HI>Murmurers, 2. Complainers.</HI></P>
<P>The fir&s;t word <GAP DESC="foreign">, &s;igni&s;ieth &s;uch a <HI>muttering</HI> as men u&s;e when they are under a pa&s;&s;ion and di&s;content: The other word <GAP DESC="foreign">. &s;ignifieth <HI>blamers of their lot and portion;</HI> namely, of that portion which is &s;et out for them by God; the one implieth their di&s;contented thoughts the other their qeurelous expre&s;&s;ions. Note hence,</P>
<P>That <HI>murmuring is a great &s;in;</HI> 'Tis &s;o charged here<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 1.</NOTE> upon the Seducers. I &s;hall fir&s;t &s;hew what <HI>murmuring</HI> is: Secondly prove that 'tis a great &s;in.</P>
<P>1. What it is, <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Or <HI>Sibbus.</HI><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"></NOTE> one &s;aith well, it mu&s;t needs be known becau&s;e 'tis &s;o commonly practi&s;ed; but if you will have me de&s;cribe it, I &s;hall &s;ay 'tis <HI>the &s;cum of di&s;context,</HI> or the
<PB N="448" REF="233">
vent of <HI>impatience,</HI> or &s;uch bold expo&s;tulations and com|plaints as flow from an exulcerated mind: In the Text, you &s;ee fir&s;t men <HI>mutter,</HI> and then <HI>complain,</HI> the heart boyleth with impatience, and then the froth is ca&s;t out in <HI>pa&s;&s;ionate &s;peeches</HI> and <HI>complaints: humble complaints</HI> are not mur|muring, el&s;e there would be no room for prayer; but <HI>bold expo&s;tulations</HI> are murmurings, when we complain rather <HI>of God</HI> then <HI>to God,</HI> taxing the admini&s;tration of his provi|dence, as if he dealt too hardly with us; &s;o that in effect murmuring is an <HI>anti-providence,</HI> fir&s;t cheri&s;hed by <HI>repining thoughts,</HI> and then vented and uttered in <HI>bold</HI> and <HI>uncomely &s;peeches;</HI> thoughts are audible with God, but 'tis wor&s;e when thoughts are not controled, but break out openly <HI>in words</HI> tending to Gods di&s;honour; if the fire be kindled in our bo&s;oms 'tis &s;ome kind of victory if we &s;mother it, and will not let the &s;parks fly abroad.</P>
<P>There are &s;everal kinds of murmuring, either <HI>against men,</HI> or <HI>again&s;t God,</HI> though in the i&s;&s;ue all be <HI>again&s;t God,</HI> again&s;t <HI>God about</HI> men.</P>
<P>1. <HI>Again&s;t men,</HI> and &s;o either again&s;t our <HI>equals</HI> or <HI>&s;upe|riours.</HI></P>
<P>1. <HI>Equals,</HI> when we murmur becau&s;e they are admit|ted to the &s;ame priviledges with our &s;elves, &s;ee <HI>Mat.</HI> 20. 11. <HI>They murmured again&s;t the good man of the lou&s;e, &s;aying, the&s;e last wrought but one hour;</HI> &s;o Luk 15. <HI>This thy &s;on devoured his living with harlots,</HI> &amp;c. and <HI>Beza,</HI> of &s;ome that reproached him with the &s;ins of his unregenerate conditi|on: <HI>Hi homines invident mihi gratiam divinam,</HI> &s;urely the&s;e men are angry becau&s;e God hath &s;hewed me mercy: there is an envious nature in man, we would all &s;hine alone, and inclo&s;e the <HI>common &s;alvation;</HI> to upbraid men with late conver&s;ion is all one as to make it a crime, becau&s;e they are born but ye&s;terday, 'tis to take up that filth which God would have covered.</P>
<P>2. Again&s;t <HI>Superiours,</HI> e&s;pecially becau&s;e inve&s;ted with <HI>Magi&s;tracy</HI> or <HI>Mini&s;try,</HI> &s;ome men are of a yokele&s;s li|bertine &s;pirit, will acknowledge no other Law but their own lu&s;ts, as in the Text: <HI>Murmurers, walking after their</HI>
<PB N="449" REF="233">
<HI>own lu&s;ts,</HI> think Magi&s;tracy to be an incroachment upon their freedom, and therefore cannot away with any e&s;ta|bli&s;hed order; and as for <HI>Mini&s;try, that all the Lords peo|ple are holy, Numb.</HI> 16. 3 what need any to be &s;et a part for that work; thus would they level all things in Church and Common-wealth, as tho&s;e Rebels ro&s;e up again&s;t <HI>Mo|&s;es</HI> and <HI>Aaron:</HI> but though not again&s;t <HI>the Office,</HI> we may murmur at <HI>the per&s;ons</HI> that are advanced, as if we would teach God how to govern the world, and whom to lift up and ca&s;t down: or el&s;e by finding fault with their govern|ment without a cau&s;e; &s;ome pre&s;umptuovs per&s;ons that never learned obedience, are always un&s;atisfied; 'twas * ob&s;erved of <HI>Egypt,</HI> that it was <HI>Loquax e&s;t ingenio&s;a in con|tumeliam praefectorum provincia, &s;i quis forte vitaverit cul|pam, contumeliam non <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ff<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">git;</HI> many &s;uch ungoverned &s;pi|rits there are that are always traducing publick govern|ment, e&s;pecially when 'tis mo&s;t faithfully manag'd, and to the di&s;couragement of Opinioni&s;ts and evil-doers; God will not &s;uffer this evil to go unpuni&s;hed, <HI>Exod.</HI> 16 8. and 1 <HI>Sam.</HI> 18. 7. the <HI>calling</HI> is his <HI>Ordinance,</HI> the <HI>per&s;ons</HI> are de&s;igned by his <HI>providence,</HI> and the work concerneth his glory, and therefore God taketh him&s;elf to be much inte|re&s;ted in the querrel.</P>
<P>2. There is a murmuring which is immediately <HI>again&s;t God him&s;elf,</HI> &s;ince the fall man is always quarrelling with his Maker, either again&s;t his <HI>Decrees</HI> or his <HI>Laws</HI> or his <HI>Providence.</HI></P>
<P>1. Again&s;t <HI>his Decrees,</HI> proud man cannot endure to hear of Gods ab&s;olute Soveraignty, we will do what we will but we will give leave to God to do what he will: The <HI>good man of the hou&s;e</HI> was fain to plead his right, <HI>Mat</HI> 20. 15 <HI>Shall I not do with my <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">wn,</HI> &amp;c. we can &s;ee no rea&s;on, why God &s;hould pa&s;s by one and chu&s;e another; though we can &s;ee no rea&s;on, 'tis enough 'tis Gods plea&s;ure, <HI>Mat.</HI> 11. 26. God hath his <HI>arcana imperii,</HI> as well as earthly Princes, and we have cau&s;e to admire what we cannot un|der&s;tand, things may be ju&s;t, though his rea&s;ons appear not to us; God is not bound to give us an account, or to tell
<PB N="450" REF="234">
us all his &s;ecrets; humane rea&s;on groweth giddy by prying into the depth of Gods Decrees; 'tis good to change di|&s;putes into wonder and reverence, <HI>Rom,</HI> 9. 10 <HI>Who art thou Oh man that di&s;pute&s;t with God?</HI> we may chop Logick one with another, the pot&s;heards of the earth with the pot&s;heards of the earth, but Gods prerogative is above the tribunal of our rea&s;on.</P>
<P>2. <HI>His Laws,</HI> a proud creature cannot endure to hear of re&s;traints, we could love other things in God, but not his <HI>legi&s;lative power,</HI> <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Rom. 8. 7.</NOTE> the carnal mind will never &s;toop, but complaineth of him as har&s;h and &s;evere, as if he had forbidden us the &s;atisfying of tho&s;e de&s;ires which he hath planted in us; the <HI>I&s;raelites</HI> murmured thus, the Land was a good Land, but there were <HI>Gyants</HI> and <HI>Sons of A<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ak:</HI> Numb. 13. 32. the <HI>Heaven promi&s;ed</HI> is a good Heaven, but the <HI>way</HI> is rough and unpa&s;table, duties are difficult and 'tis cumber&s;ome to thwart our lu&s;ts; the project of carnal na|ture is to find out an ea&s;ie and &s;mooth path to etern<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">l hap|pine&s;s, &s;ee <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 106 24 25. <HI>They de&s;pi&s;ed the plea&s;ant land, they b<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">leeved not his word, but murmured in th<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ir Tents,</HI> Heaven figured by the Laud of <HI>Canaan,</HI> is not counted worth the pains and difficulty of getting thither.</P>
<P>3. <HI>His Providence,</HI> in general when the wicked pro&s;|per; 'tis a temptation that hath &s;haken the talle&s;t Cedars in <HI>Lebanon; David,</HI> though a Steward, he was a&s;hamed of it, and counts it bruiti&s;h ignorance <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 73. 22. <HI>&s;o Jerem.</HI> 12. 1. 2, 3. and <HI>Habakkuk</HI> chap. 1, But let us come to temptations that are of a more particular and private ex|perience: We murmur either for what <HI>we want,</HI> or for what we <HI>have lo&s;t,</HI> or for what we <HI>affect.</HI></P>
<P>Fir&s;t for what <HI>we w<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">nt,</HI> as &s;oon as we are &s;treightned, we complain pre&s;ently, this is not &s;o bad as when we murmur out of <HI>wan onne&s;s,</HI> the I&s;raelites (I ob&s;erve) did &s;all a mur|muring either out of want, and then they were &s;pared, as for want of waters, <HI>Exod.</HI> 5. 14. for want of meat <HI>Exod.</HI> 16 2. want of bread, <HI>Numb.</HI> 20. 3. but at other times out of wantonne&s;s; they <HI>loathed Manna,</HI> mu&s;t have Quails, but then &s;ome &s;pecial judgment or other brake out upon them;
<PB N="451" REF="234">
but however 'tis bad enough, when our nece&s;&s;ities extort the&s;e complaints from us; want is a time of <HI>praying</HI> not of <HI>murmuring,</HI> the Throne of Grace was erected for <HI>a time of need, Heb.</HI> 4. 16. but 'tis mans u&s;ual cu&s;tome to change <HI>du|ties</HI> into <HI>&s;ins,</HI> as <HI>admonition</HI> into <HI>cen&s;uring,</HI> in&s;tead of &s;peak|ing to men, we &s;peak of men, &s;o in&s;tead of complaining to God, we complain of God, and &s;o make murmuring take the room of prayer. Nece&s;&s;ity is a time to put the promi&s;es in &s;uit, to try faith, to awaken affections, not to provoke murmurings; <HI>I was dumb and opened not my mouth,</HI> &s;aith <HI>David, P&s;al.</HI> 39. We may open our mouths in <HI>confe&s;&s;ions of &s;in, humble narratives pleading of promi&s;es,</HI> but not <HI>in &s;elf justifications, &s;tormings against Providence,</HI> or words of <HI>unbelief</HI> and <HI>impatience,</HI> &s;o we mu&s;t be dumb and not once open our mouths.</P>
<P>Secondly, For what we have lo&s;t, we complain when God taketh away &s;uch a child, or &s;uch a comfort, or bla&s;t|eth &s;uch a confidence of ours, as our affections were much &s;et upon, and in bitterne&s;s of heart &s;peak unworthily of God and his di&s;pen&s;ations, &s;ee 2 <HI>Sam.</HI> 18 33. we hate go|ing back a degree or two, and count it mi&s;erable to be once happy, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> but oh Chri&s;tians remember when any thing is lo&s;t 'tis a wonder all is not gone; <HI>Job</HI> lo&s;t all, and yet <HI>ble&s;&s;ed God, Job</HI> 1. 23. <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Sencea.</NOTE> <HI>ab&s;tulit &s;ed &amp; dedit,</HI> He took, but he gave fir&s;t: That we were once happy, &s;heweth we have not always been mi&s;erable, our Pilgrimage might have been wholly evil and uncomfortable, &s;hall we <HI>receive good and not evil at the hands of the Lord,</HI> Job 2. there is much gone, but &s;omewhat left, that little that is left is more then we have de&s;erved; many in the world would be glad of our Relicks, hath he taken ought from us? he might have taken more, he taketh part that giveth all; all is his own, he re&s;erved the property to him&s;elf; as much right as we had to our comforts was long &s;ince forfeited: If God hath lent us ble&s;&s;ings and demand them again, &s;hall we grudge them to the <HI>right owner?</HI> 'tis needful now and then that God &s;hould take our comforts from us, when we have gotten a carnal pillow under our heads, we are apt
<PB N="452" REF="235">
to fall into a deep &s;leep, and dream many a fond dream till God take it from under us; he withdraweth comforts to &s;ee how we will take it, and bear up upon our great and everla&s;ting hopes, <HI>Heb.</HI> 10. 33. <HI>Ye took joyfully the &s;poil|ing of your goods,</HI> &amp;c. you will &s;ay that was by Martyrdom, but your lo&s;s by an ordinary providence; and will not you let God take us willingly as thieves and per&s;ecutors, you have the &s;ame incouragements, <HI>a beter and enduring &s;ub|&s;tance.</HI></P>
<P>Thirdly, For what we <HI>affect:</HI> We are wont to murmur at the &s;malne&s;s of our portion, we have not &s;o much as o|thers, our condition in the world is not &s;o great, &s;o rich, &s;o honourable, as theirs; we have but a &s;ingle, but they a double, a <HI>Benjamins</HI> portion: Oh but con&s;ider this it meer murmuring, God never undertook to maintain all his children at the &s;ame rate, and we cannot expect &s;o much; variety of conditions is nece&s;&s;ary for the pre&s;erva|tion of the world, levelling is not Gods di&s;pen&s;ation; &s;ome mu&s;t be high and &s;ome low; the wi&s;e pre&s;erver of all things di&s;tributeth his gifts variou&s;ly, <HI>wealth</HI> to one, <HI>skill</HI> to ano|ther, <HI>&s;trength</HI> to a third, one mu&s;t <HI>reign,</HI> another <HI>&s;erve,</HI> and all for the common good&punc; a piece of <HI>Arras</HI> is compo|&s;ed of &s;everal parcels; we &s;hould all fami&s;h for company, if all were of one &s;ort, who &s;hould endure the handy la|bours? how low &s;oever thou art, thou art there where God hath &s;et thee, and there thou mu&s;t tarry till the &s;aid invitation of providence call thee higher. Look backward thou ha&s;t made &s;ome increa&s;e: <HI>Jacob</HI> took notice that his was become <HI>two droves, Gen.</HI> 32. 10. though when he fir&s;t came into the Country he had nothing but <HI>his &s;taff</HI> in his hand: many of Gods children are not &s;o high as thou art, if you murmur; what &s;hould others do that have le&s;s; we ca&s;t our eyes forward on tho&s;e before us, and becau&s;e we have not &s;o much as they, &s;o good trading, hou&s;es &s;o well furni&s;hed, &s;uch honour and e&s;teem in the world, all is as nothing; h you do not look about you to the thou&s;ands that come &s;hort of you; you &s;ay why &s;hould not we thrive as they? be preferred as they? <HI>Jo&s;eph</HI> knew why <HI>Benja|min</HI>
<PB N="453" REF="235">
had a larger me&s;s, though the re&s;t at the Table did not; &s;o doth the Lord know why he goeth to one, and not to another.</P>
<P>Secondly, Let me &s;hew you the <HI>hainou&s;ne&s;s of the &s;in,</HI> by the <HI>cau&s;es</HI> of it. 2. By the <HI>inju&s;tice</HI> of it.</P>
<P>1. The <HI>cau&s;es</HI> of murmuring are many, but all naught, as 1. <HI>Pride</HI> and <HI>Self-love,</HI> when men are conceited of them&s;elves, they &s;torm that others are preferred before them; a proud man mu&s;t needs be di&s;contented, becau&s;e he &s;ets an high price upon him&s;elf, and when others will not come up to his price, he is troubled; you will find &s;uch a proud thought ri&s;ing in your heart, <HI>that men of your worth are not taken notice of,</HI> and yet they that de&s;erve lea&s;t, com|plain and murmure mo&s;t; the be&s;t &s;ay, I am not worthy: <HI>real worth</HI> is humble, the loaden boughs hang their heads, the <HI>Nettle</HI> mounteth, when the <HI>Violet</HI> lyeth &s;hrouded under its leaves, and is only found out by its own &s;cent: All Gods ble&s;&s;ings are <HI>low</HI> to him that <HI>is high in his own eyes.</HI></P>
<P>2. <HI>Impatience.</HI> We cannot endure the lea&s;t inconveni|ence, touchy nature would be at ea&s;e, tumbling and wal|lowing in all kind of plea&s;ure; therefore as &s;oon as we are touched in our skins, we fall a murmuring, <HI>Why is this evil befallen me?</HI> and <HI>Why &s;hould I wait upon the Lord any long|er?</HI> An un&s;ubjection of Will to God, will inevitably put us upon repining.</P>
<P>3. <HI>Pre&s;umption of merit,</HI> where all is of <HI>free co&s;t,</HI> there is no complaining; Men <HI>a&s;cribe</HI> to them&s;elves, when they <HI>pre&s;cribe</HI> to God what he &s;hall do for them&punc; or how ble&s;s them; every thing is welcom, where nothing is de&s;erved; if you keep a man of Almes, you take it ill that he &s;hould not be plea&s;ed with his Diet: when we look to <HI>de&s;ert,</HI> we may wonder more at <HI>what we have,</HI> then <HI>what we want;</HI> God would do us no wrong, if we were reduced to a le&s;s pittance&punc; if in a <HI>pri&s;on,</HI> 'tis a favour we are not in <HI>hell:</HI> a Malefactor would be glad to commute his puni&s;hment, a greater for a le&s;s, <HI>death</HI> for <HI>exile; exile</HI> for <HI>lo&s;s of e&s;tate,</HI> and then the <HI>whole</HI> for <HI>a part:</HI> Can a firebrand of hell mur|mure? there is our de&s;ert, but we think God is bound and
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that 'tis a wrong that he taketh no more notice of us, <HI>where|fore have we fa&s;ted,</HI> &amp;c. <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 58. <HI>I am not as other men,</HI> &amp;c. <HI>Luke</HI> 18.</P>
<P>4. <HI>Carnal affection,</HI><NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Quod enix&egrave; concupi&s;cunt ut &s;it, contabe&s;cunt quod e&s;&s;e non po&s;&s;it. <HI>Gilbert in cant. 19.</HI></NOTE> We are too ravenous and greedy upon outward things, and therefore the di&s;appointment breedeth the more vexation, our de&s;ires and hopes of more, de&s;troy the memory and con&s;ideration of what we have: God giveth &s;ufficiently to &s;atisfie our <HI>nece&s;&s;ities,</HI> and we &s;eek to &s;upply our <HI>lu&s;ts: Lu&s;t</HI> is more given to murmuring then <HI>nece&s;&s;ity;</HI> Nature is contented with a little, 'tis &s;oon &s;atisfi|ed, but lu&s;t enlargeth the de&s;ire as hell.</P>
<P>5. <HI>&V;nbelief</HI> and <HI>Di&s;tru&s;t,</HI> P&s;al. ro<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">. 24, 25. <HI>They be|lieved not his word, but murmured in their tents:</HI> Men quar|rel with Gods providence, becau&s;e they do not believe his promi&s;es; <HI>di&s;tru&s;t</HI> will be &s;ure to breed <HI>di&s;content;</HI> 'tis ill for the pre&s;ent, and they cannot &s;ee how it will be better; they could not believe that the <HI>wilderne&s;s</HI> was the way to <HI>Canaan;</HI> that God can love one whom he corrects; and therefore as &s;oon as they feel the &s;mart of the rod, they give vent to their pa&s;&s;ions.</P>
<P>Secondly, The inju&s;tice of it, 'tis injurious to God, to others, to our &s;elves: 1. 'Tis injurious to God; mur|muring is a &s;in that pulleth God out of the throne; <HI>you en|ter into judgement with him;</HI> as <HI>David</HI> on the other hand prayeth, <HI>Enter not into judgement with thy &s;ervant, O Lord,</HI> Murmurers either <HI>deny</HI> his providence, or <HI>tax</HI> it: Impli|citely they <HI>deny</HI> it, as if God did not &s;et out to every man his portion, if men did believe that God did govern the world, even as he made the world, why do they not com|plain of <HI>creation</HI> as well as <HI>providence;</HI> we would laugh at him that would murmure becau&s;e God did not make him an <HI>Angel,</HI> or a <HI>Star,</HI> why is it not as ridiculous to murmure becau&s;e God hath made thee a <HI>&s;ubject,</HI> and not a <HI>Prince,</HI> a <HI>begger,</HI> and not a <HI>rich man;</HI> a <HI>&s;ervant,</HI> but not a <HI>ma&s;ter;</HI> but that they own the hand of God in one, and not in the other; as if the world were governed by <HI>blind chance.</HI> Or el&s;e they <HI>tax providence,</HI> of <HI>indi&s;cretion</HI> or <HI>unrighteou&s;ne&s;s:</HI> 'tis marvellous to &s;ee how murmuring robbeth God of all
<PB N="455" REF="236">
his attributes; it clippeth his <HI>Soveraignty</HI> we will not let him do with his own as it plea&s;eth him; the great conte&s;t between him and us, is, who&s;e will &s;hall &s;tand, his or ours; it limits his power, and &s;lghts it; when God <HI>doth not</HI> &s;a|tisfie us, we think he <HI>cannot,</HI> P&s;al. 78. 20. We &s;et him a task&punc; and if God perform it not, we que&s;tion his &s;ufficien|cy; 'tis a contention with our Maker&punc; an entring into the Li&s;ts with God, as if we could make our party good again&s;t him, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 78. 17. We tax his <HI>wi&s;dom:</HI> Men will be teach|ing God how to govern the world for we pre&s;cribe to him, as if he did not under&s;tand what is fit for us, he plea&s;eth us not in his wi&s;e&s;t di&s;pen&s;ations, and bear it out, as if we could mend his works, <HI>Job</HI> 21. 22. <HI>Shall any teach God knowledge, &s;eeing he judgeth th<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;e that are high:</HI> They that di&s;allow of Gods proceedings, take upon them to be <HI>Gods Teachers:</HI> Twa<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> a bla&s;phemous &s;peech of <HI>Alphon&s;us, Si Deo a con&s;i|liis ad<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ui&s;&s;et in creatione Mundi, multa &s;c con&s;ulius ordina|turum. If he had been of Gods Council when he made the world, he would have ordered many things better.</HI> Many ab|hor the bla&s;phemy, and yet think almo&s;t to the &s;ame effect: if they had the governing of the world, &s;uch men &s;hould not pro&s;per, and &s;uch and &s;uch things &s;hould not be done: thus do we<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Iob. 38. 0.</NOTE> <HI>darken coun&s;el with wo ds without knowledge,</HI> and ca&s;t a reproach of <HI>folly</HI> and <HI>inju&s;tice</HI> upon Gods pro+vidence.<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Quantum li|b<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">t &s;aepe obliga|ti hoc &s;olum memincr unt quod negatum e&s;t, <HI>Plin. Ep. 4. l.</HI> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">. Non quod habit num<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 span"> quod non ab<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">t op<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">at. <HI>M<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">nil.</HI></NOTE> Again, to his <HI>goodne&s;s&punc;</HI> we are injurious, by di&s;|valuing what we have, in compari&s;on of what we expect, <HI>Mal.</HI> 1. 2 <HI>Wherein ha&s;t thou loved us?</HI> As if they had nothing, becau&s;e not fully what they expected; 'tis mans nature to forget what is granted, and pitch only upon what is denyed; as children in a pet; throw away what they have, if you do not give them more: &s;aith <HI>Haman, All this availeth me nothing,</HI> &amp;c&punc; <HI>E&s;ther</HI> 5. 13. and the whole Kingdom of <HI>I&s;rael</HI> would not content <HI>Ahab</HI> when he fal|leth &s;ick for <HI>Naboth's</HI> V<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">eyand, 1 Kings 21. 4. As in the body, if one humour be out of order, or one joynt bro|ken, the &s;oundne&s;s of all the re&s;t availeth us nothing a little is enough to &s;et the creature a complaining. His <HI>Ju|&s;tice</HI> al&s;o we tax, as if he did defraud us of our due; we
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think &s;omwhat is due, or el&s;e why do we complain, <HI>Matth.</HI> 20. 13: <HI>Friend, I do thee no wrong,</HI> &amp;c.</P>
<P>2. 'Tis injurious to <HI>others,</HI> it puts us upon acts of <HI>vio|lence</HI> and <HI>&s;edition,</HI> the <HI>murmurers</HI> are called <HI>rebels,</HI> Numb. 17. 10. <HI>Schi&s;me</HI> in the Church, and <HI>&s;edition</HI> in the Com|monwealth are but the fruits of <HI>murmuring;</HI> men do like their own rank and &s;tation, and then murmure, and then perturb all; <HI>Oh that I were a Judge,</HI> &s;aith <HI>Ab&s;olom,</HI> and afterwards breaketh out into open rebellion; <HI>thin exhala|tions</HI> end in <HI>great &s;torms;</HI> &s;ervants would be ma&s;ters, and the poor would be rich, and &s;ubjects would be in office and power; and by giving vent to their repining thoughts, in|flame the zeal of per&s;ons like minded with them&s;elves, till all be embroyled in blood and confu&s;ions.</P>
<P>3. 'Tis injurious to <HI>our &s;elves,</HI> man is a fooli&s;h creature, what doth he get by complaining of God? Who &s;hall right us? Before what Tribunal will you put him in &s;uit? Of all &s;ins murmuring is mo&s;t <HI>unrea&s;onable,</HI> but very <HI>perui|tious;</HI> what do we get by it but <HI>di&s;quiet</HI> and <HI>judgement?</HI> 'Tis like &s;pitting again&s;t the wind, the drivel is returned up|on our own heads; di&s;quiet it breedeth us; a <HI>murmuring &s;pirit is a greater evil then any affliction,</HI> like a &s;our ve&s;&s;el, it turneth all things that are put into it into &s;owrne&s;s; mo&s;t mens mi&s;ery ari&s;eth from their di&s;content, if <HI>their heart</HI> and <HI>their condition</HI> were &s;uited, they would do well enough in the world, we trouble our own peace; if we could learn to frame our minds to our e&s;tates, as the skilful Mu&s;ician let|teth down the &s;trings a peg lower when the tune requireth it, we &s;hould pa&s;s to heaven more comfortably. Again, it bringeth down judgement; expre&s;&s;ions tending to Gods di&s;honour, have a loud cry in his ears: <HI>Mi iam</HI> was &s;mit|ten with lepro&s;ie for murmuring, and <HI>Dathan</HI> and <HI>Abiram</HI> &s;wallowed up alive; fiery &s;erpents, and plagues, and ex|clu&s;ion out of Canaan, were I&s;raels judgements when they were &s;ick of the fret: &s;ee 1 <HI>Cor. 10. 10. Neither murmure ye, as &s;ome of them murmured, and were de&s;troyed of the de|&s;troyer.</HI></P>
<P>Let us now make Application, <HI>Beware of murmurings,</HI>
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'tis a greater &s;in then the world taketh it to be; here I &s;hall &s;peak of two things, 1. Murmuring at the <HI>Times</HI> and <HI>pub|like changes</HI> which have hapned among&s;t us. 2. Murmur|ing in our <HI>own private ca&s;e.</HI></P>
<P>1. Murmuring at the Times, 'tis a <HI>repining age</HI> we live in, many factions are di&s;appointed, and therefore the mo&s;t are full of di&s;content, forgetting that all this is the work of a wi&s;e God: Mi&s;take me not, I li&s;t not to become the <HI>Times Advocate,</HI> it little be&s;eemeth us to be Patrons of publike mi&s;carriages, or Factors for any Private Intere&s;t.</P>
<P>Therefore let me proceed with the greate&s;t Scripture evidence and conviction, and &s;tate what is murmuring at the Times: 'Tis forbidden <HI>Eccle&s;. 7. 10. Say not thou that the former times were better then the&s;e; for thou do&s;t not enquire wi&s;ely concerning this:</HI> Now what is the &s;in tax|ed in this Scripture? I an&s;wer,</P>
<P>1. Not <HI>godly &s;orrow,</HI> and complaining to God, and be|wailing the corruptions of the times: No, the <HI>Mourners in Sion</HI> are marked for pre&s;ervation, <HI>Exek.</HI> 9. None are better friends to publike Intere&s;t; 'twere well if the&s;e <HI>Doves of the Vallies</HI> had more company; this is no &s;in, for this is the only way of <HI>entring our prote&s;t,</HI> and being free from the corruptions of the age, God hath bound up all <HI>Politique Bodies</HI> in the &s;ame bundle, and we are concerned in others &s;ins; 'tis the art of divine mercy by this means to prevent publique ruine, by intere&s;ting his people in the wel|fare of tho&s;e places where they live, that every man in this place may be &s;en&s;ible of pre&s;ent &s;ins, and approaching judgements, <HI>two dry sticks will &s;et a green one a fire:</HI> Can you blame the children of God then if they mourn, and enter their prote&s;t again&s;t the iniquity of the Times? The Corinthians were not clear of the ince&s;t committed a|mong&s;t them, till they had mourned, then the Apo&s;tle &s;aith, <HI>now ye are clear in this matter:</HI> 2 Cor. 7. 11. &s;urely they that are involved in the guilt concerned in the judge|ment, had need mourn.</P>
<P>2. Not <HI>zeal in publique reproof.</HI> I&s;a. 58. 1. <HI>C<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">y<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">aloud, &s;pare not,</HI> &amp;c. <HI>vitium &s;aeculi</HI> is no excu&s;e; if we &s;pare, God
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will not &s;pare, i<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> we hazard our bodies in bearing our te&s;ti|mony, we &s;ave our &s;ouls: we mu&s;t cry out upon &s;in with a full throat, and that again and again, provided we be clear in our Principles and Ayms, and do it without clamour, and popular Invectives: When a fire is kindled in a City, we do not &s;ay coldly, yonder is a great fire, I pray God it do no harm: in times of publique defection, we are not to read <HI>taine Lectures of contemplative Divinity,</HI> or fight with Gho&s;ts, and antiquated Errors, but to oppo&s;e with all ear|ne&s;tne&s;s the growing evils of the world, what ever it co&s;t us.</P>
<P>3. Nor yet <HI>an holy di&s;like</HI> and <HI>&s;ingularity,</HI> &s;tanding aloof from publique corruptions, as <HI>Lot</HI> in <HI>Sodom,</HI> and <HI>Noah walk|ed with God in his generations,</HI> Gen. 6 9. Gods children mo&s;t commonly are forced to walk in a counter motion to the times, <HI>Paul</HI> when he had accu&s;ed the times as evil, advi&s;eth Chri&s;tians to <HI>walk circum&s;pectly,</HI> Gal. 5. 16. Worldly wi&s;|dom would draw quite another conclu&s;ion. <HI>The times are bad, let us do as well as we can; theres no living in the world, unle&s;s we yeild a little; the Oak is rent to pieces with the fu|ry of the wind, when the willow boweth and bendeth; &s;hall we alone re&s;i&s;t &s;uch a torrent?</HI> Thus would we rea&s;on; but the &s;pirit doth not loo&s;en the reins, but &s;traighten them upon this con&s;ideration; <HI>the days are evil, therefore be circum&s;pect,</HI> that is, be careful to keep clo&s;e to rule, left you be blinded and perverted by the &s;ubtleties of tho&s;e that lie in wait to deceive, and el&s;ewhere <HI>&s;hine as lights in the midst of a per|ver&s;e generation:</HI> Dead fi&s;hes &s;wim with the &s;tream, there is a difference between <HI>&s;ubjection to God,</HI> and <HI>compliance with men,</HI> &amp;c.</P>
<P>But now po&s;itively, What is the fault there reproved? I An&s;wer, 1. <HI>Fooli&s;h murmurings,</HI> or &s;uch a fond and un|thankful admiration of former times, that we have not a good word for the pre&s;ent; <HI>Tacitus</HI> ob&s;erved it, <HI>vitio ma|lignitat is humane vettra laudantur, prae&s;entia fa&s;tidio &s;unt;</HI> 'tis a common evil, men are prai&s;ing pa&s;t times, and declaim|ing again&s;t the pre&s;ent; querulous natures are never plea&s;|ed, neither full nor fa&s;ting; pa&s;t temptations are forgotten,
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and therefore <HI>pre&s;ent evils</HI> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">eem wor&s;t, and <HI>lazine&s;s</HI> many times occa&s;ioneth complaints: Many repine again&s;t God becau&s;e he hath given us our lot in &s;uch an age, wherein publick conte&s;ts put us upon the trouble of prayer, di&s;|cour&s;e, and diligent &s;earching in the mind of <HI>God,</HI> now u|&s;ually to excu&s;e other duties, we fall a complaining.</P>
<P>Again, <HI>private di&s;content</HI> may exa&s;perate &s;ome, things are not &s;uitable to their humours and intere&s;ts; no wonder if <HI>Demetrius</HI> and the Copper&punc;Smiths call tho&s;e evil times when the Go&s;pel is like to get up, becau&s;e their craft is like to go down and they are not&punc; favoured as they do de|&s;ire: Again, <HI>&s;otti&s;h carnality</HI> may be in the wind, carnal men will extol the happine&s;s of former times; their <HI>great ho&s;pitality</HI> and <HI>kind neighbourhood,</HI> their <HI>hone&s;t dealing,</HI> and <HI>good devotion;</HI> what a merry time it was, and how plenti|full all things were before the <HI>new Go&s;pel</HI> came in, and they had nothing; but <HI>Mo&s;s</HI> and <HI>Mattens,</HI> as tho&s;e &s;ots, <HI>Jer.</HI> 44. 18, 19. Formali&s;ts cry up the goodne&s;s of the old Religion to di&s;parage times of reformation; &s;o the <HI>Roman</HI> Empire thrived more under fal&s;e Gods; then under the Chri&s;tian Religion, wherefore <HI>Augustine</HI> wrote his Books, <HI>De civitate. Dei,</HI> to an&s;wer that charge; Chri&s;tians the&s;e times&punc; may be the wor&s;e for tho&s;e that went before, we may &s;mart for their blood and Idols, and hatred of the people of God; judgments were then in the <HI>cau&s;es,</HI> as the clouds gather before the rain falleth.</P>
<P>2. When we pa&s;s over the good, and look only upon the evil; we &s;hould <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">counter ballance our <HI>affictions</HI> with our mercies; <HI>Shall we receive good and not evil at the hands of God</HI> Job 2. 'tis <HI>railing</HI> to gather up the <HI>failings</HI> of others and not to take notice of their <HI>graces;</HI> &s;o 'tis a railing again&s;t providence, and an ill office to be only like flies pitching upon a <HI>&s;ore place:</HI> is there no ble&s;&s;ing with all this bad? with our <HI>temporal calamities</HI> have we not &s;ome in|crea&s;e of <HI>&s;piritual priviledges?</HI> as in the wilderne&s;s they had Gods pre&s;ence, though they had a tedious pa&s;&s;age of it; the <HI>free u&s;e of Ordinances</HI> will countervail all <HI>publique burdens,</HI> &s;ome &s;uppo&s;e that <HI>Solomon</HI> in that <HI>Eccl.</HI> 7. 10.
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alludeth to the peoples murmuring in his time, there was a <HI>Temple building,</HI> but the Taxes were great, and there|fore they cryed <HI>the former t<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">mes were better then the&s;e,</HI> &s;ee 1 <HI>King.</HI> 12. 4.</P>
<P>5. When we charge our guilt upon the times, man is apt to transfer his faults upon others, and obliquely upon God him&s;elf, <HI>The woman which thou gave&s;t me,</HI> &amp;c. and &s;o u&s;ually <HI>the times wherein we live are &s;uch,</HI> &amp;c. why? God ordered them, and if you were as you &s;hould be, the times could not hurt you, a great deal of fire falleth upon a &s;tone and it burneth not, but a dry chipp &s;oon taketh fire; men think if they be corrupt the &s;ault is not theirs but the times; 'tis yours certainly, 'tis <HI>bad men make bad times,</HI> as I &s;hall &s;hew anon.</P>
<P>Let me now give you a few Remedies.</P>
<P>1. When your hearts &s;torm, look back, there were <HI>inconveniences</HI> in the <HI>wilderne&s;s,</HI> but a &s;ore bondage in Egypt; a <HI>good memory</HI> is an help to thankfulne&s;s, for my owne ca&s;e, when I am brimfull, I con&s;ider the times that are pa&s;t <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg"><HI>See</HI> 2 Chron. 15. from 3. to the 6.</NOTE> when there was <HI>no peace to him that w<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="missing" EXTENT="1 letter">nt out or came in,</HI> when <HI>private meetings</HI> were a <HI>conventicle,</HI> and in pub|lick we could only <HI>&s;igh,</HI> not <HI>&s;peak;</HI> when <HI>May poles</HI> and <HI>carnal &s;ports</HI> were preferred before <HI>the Sabbath,</HI> when <HI>af|ternoon Preaching</HI> was &s;uppre&s;t to make way <HI>for tho&s;e &s;ports;</HI> when 'twas a crime to go from a <HI>doa<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">ing &s;ervice-Reader</HI> to hear <HI>the Preaching of the word;</HI> &s;urely they that are &s;o rea|dy to return into <HI>Egypt,</HI> have forgotten their bondage; when their cry came up to God becau&s;e of the angui&s;h of their &s;ouls; our <HI>hard task-Masters,</HI> the domineering Pre|lates, and their oppre&s;&s;ing filthy Courts are forgotten, our <HI>promi&s;cuous communions,</HI> and the flat and cold repetitions of an <HI>impo&s;ed liturgy</HI> quite forgotten; &s;o the confinement of Preaching, and the re&s;traint of Doctrines; the&s;e things are <HI>out of feeling,</HI> and therefore out of remembrance: one great defect the people of God are troubled withal, is <HI>a bad memory,</HI> Mich. 6. 5. <HI>Oh my people remember,</HI> &amp;c. I tell you if we did but remember how we were <HI>Prelate-bitten,</HI> we would not murmur, but give thanks.</P>
<P><PB N="461" REF="239">2. <HI>There is nothing now under the Sun,</HI> Eccle&s;. 1. 7. We &s;ay, <HI>Is there any &s;orrow like unto my &s;orrow?</HI> things never were as they are now; certainly you do not rightly enquire after this matter, the world is the world &s;till, men have ever had the &s;ame <HI>principles,</HI> the &s;ame <HI>corruptions,</HI> the &s;ame <HI>temptations,</HI> there were <HI>Donati&s;ts</HI> then, as well as <HI>Separati&s;ts</HI> now, <HI>Pelagians</HI> then as well as <HI>Arminians</HI> now, <HI>Arians</HI> then as well as <HI>Socinians</HI> now, all <HI>new lights</HI> are but <HI>old darkne&s;s revived,</HI> neither <HI>new,</HI> nor <HI>lights;</HI> 'tis ea&s;ie to paral|lel what is mo&s;t odious; there is a circular motion of <HI>opi|nions</HI> and <HI>fa&s;hions,</HI> as the Sun returneth every year to the &s;ame points of his compa&s;s.</P>
<P>3. All commeth to pa&s;s by Gods providence, he is the <HI>great Ma&s;ter of the Scenes,</HI> that pre&s;ents the world with a new Stage, both of Acts and Actors, 1 <HI>Sam,</HI> 2. 7, 8. <HI>The Lord maketh poor and maketh rich; he bringeth low, and he lifteth up; he rai&s;eth up the poor from the du&s;t, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghil to &s;et them among the Princes, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">nd make them inherit the Crown of glory, for the pillars of the earth are the Lords, and he hath &s;et the world upon them:</HI> The government of the world is in Gods hands, and he ca&s;teth down &s;ome, and rai&s;eth up others from <HI>beggery</HI> to <HI>Soveraignty,</HI> from the <HI>dunghil</HI> to <HI>glory:</HI> you &s;ee there his cour&s;e is contrary to <HI>levelling,</HI> he will have &s;ome upon the Throne of glory; and you &s;ee again, that God hath an hand in all the mutations and changes that fall out in the world: and that the&s;e mutations are frequent, the world is to&s;&s;ed to and fro like a bill from hand to hand, that <HI>Gods Soveraignty</HI> and <HI>Dominion</HI> over events may the better appear, and that <HI>power</HI> may not want <HI>a bridle,</HI> nor the <HI>low condition, a comfort;</HI> again, that all the Kings of the earth do hold their e&s;tates of God; &s;ay then, <HI>If God hath &s;et up the&s;e per&s;ons, let me &s;ee what God will do with them.</HI></P>
<P>4. <HI>The good of times is not to be mea&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">red by the carnal quiet of them;</HI> Phy&s;ick provoketh ill humours, better they &s;hould be &s;tirred then lye &s;till and foment a di&s;ea&s;e; God u&s;ually commeth with a <HI>Fan</HI> and a <HI>Sword,</HI> we &s;hould not murmur again&s;t <HI>the Sword,</HI> becau&s;e of the benefit of the <HI>Fan,</HI></P>
<P><PB N="462" REF="240">5. <HI>If every one did amend him&s;elf, the times would &s;oon amend:</HI> M<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">nd thy &s;elf and as many as are under thy charge, and mourn for others, and thou ha&s;t no cau&s;e to compl<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">in, <HI>Jo&s;hua</HI> 24. 15. <HI>I and my hou&s;e will &s;erve the Lord,</HI> if eve|ry one did &s;weep before his own door, the common filth would be &s;ooner carryed away, u&s;ually complainers do lea&s;t, as the crafty <HI>Lapwing</HI> will go up and down fluttering and crying, to draw the fowler from her own ne&s;t; we have &s;ome &s;ecret ne&s;t of our own, and we are loath it &s;hould be rifled and expo&s;ed to publick view.</P>
<P>6. <HI>The wor&s;e the times are, the more exerci&s;e for grace;</HI> we have more opportunities of &s;hewing love to God then formerly, and zeal for his intere&s;ts, and indu&s;try in find|ing out the right way; man is never contented, &s;ometimes we que&s;tion Gods love if we meet with no oppo&s;ition, and a<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">d yet we complain when the ways of God are oppo|&s;ed.</P>
<P>7. There is an <HI>Antiperi&s;ta&s;is</HI> in grace as well as nature, you &s;hould be better in bad times, as fountain water is hot|te&s;t in winter, and fire &s;caldeth mo&s;t in fro&s;ty weather, or &s;tars &s;hine brighte&s;t in the darke&s;t night, &s;ee <HI>Phil.</HI> 2. 15. when the air is infectious we are the more carefu<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> of our diet.</P>
<P>8. <HI>Complaining will not excu&s;e duty,</HI> it argueth little faith, is not Chri&s;t King? doth not he reign? <HI>little obedience,</HI> and <HI>care of reformation;</HI> a gracious heart is mo&s;t apt to re|turn upon 'its &s;elf; if the times be bad, what have I done to make them better? if not, thou art one that ha&s;t made them wor&s;e.</P>
<P>9. He that is not good in bad times, will be naught in better, <HI>I&s;a. 26. 10. In the Land of uprightne&s;s will he ded vnju&s;tly,</HI> a &s;ick man thinketh to have ea&s;e in another bed in another room carry him thither his pain continueth; if a carnal man had lived in the Prophets times, or the Apo&s;tles time, he would be the &s;ame as now, &s;ee <HI>Mat.</HI> 23. 29, 30. A bryar is a bryar where ever it groweth, change of times will not do the work without a change of heart: <HI>Adam</HI> &s;inned in Paradi&s;e, the Apo&s;tate Angels in Heaven; <HI>Lot</HI> was un|cha&s;t
<PB N="463" REF="240">
in the Mountains, where were none but his own fa|mily, in an howling Wilderne&s;s where they had no out|ward enticements, the I&s;raelites were given to fle&s;hly lu&s;ts.</P>
<P>2. The next Part of U&s;e is to rebuke murmuring in our own priuate ca&s;e; by way of con&s;ideration take the&s;e helps.</P>
<P>1. <HI>A little is enough, too much is a &s;nare,</HI> Luk. 12. 15. <HI>Mans life con&s;i&s;teth not in the abundance of what he po&s;&s;e&s;&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">th,</HI> the wants of nature are very few, till lu&s;t make it ravenous, a garment too long will &s;oon prove a dirty ragg, the great|er gates open to the greater temptations and cares; 'tis an hard le&s;&s;on to <HI>learn to abound, Phil.</HI> 4. 12. we &s;ay &s;uch an one would do well to be <HI>a Lord</HI> or <HI>a Lady,</HI> 'tis an harder thing than you think it to be, a little &s;ufficeth to keep us till we come to Heaven; if we have cloaths for <HI>warmth,</HI> though not for <HI>pomp,</HI> 'tis enough, <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Qui Chri&s;tum curat non mul|tum curat quam de pracio&s;is ci|bis &s;tercus con|ficiat. <HI>Hierom.</HI></NOTE> what need a Chri&s;tian care how finely du&s;t and a&s;hes be wrapped up, or of what &s;tuff his excrements be made of.</P>
<P>2. <HI>God hath an hand in all things,</HI> P&s;al. 39. 9. <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 38. 15. God is <HI>the Party</HI> with whom we have to do in &s;ickne&s;s, or any other trouble, every wheel moveth according to the motion of fir&s;t, when we &s;ee the hand of God 'tis a piece of religious manners to keep &s;ilence.</P>
<P>3. <HI>God &s;eeth what is fitte&s;t for us,</HI> if a man &s;hould be left to carve out his own portion, he would be his own greate&s;t enemy; none hath more <HI>love</HI> then God, more <HI>wi&s;edom,</HI> and <HI>ju&s;tice,</HI> then God; therefore count the pre&s;ent e&s;tate be&s;t, becau&s;e 'tis of his chu&s;ing, &s;hould the &s;hepherd chu&s;e the pa&s;tures or the &s;heep? we are all for the delicacies of plea&s;ure and pro&s;perity; children think green fruit the be&s;t diet becau&s;e it &s;uiteth with their appetite; what a &s;trange creature would man be if he were what he would be him|&s;elf? well then, let us leave it to God to chu&s;e our portion and to appoint us what part we &s;hall act in the world, u&s;u|ally we &s;et up a court in our own affections, and enact Laws; pre&s;cribe to providence, we would have this and we would have that, and when our expectations are not
<PB N="464" REF="241">
an&s;wered, we fall a murmuring, 'tis very hard to repeal the decrees of our own will, therefore 'tis good to re&s;ign our &s;elves to the di&s;po&s;al of providence, as <HI>David</HI> doth, 2 <HI>Sam.</HI> 15. 26, 27. and to keep our de&s;ires low, till Gods will be declared; 'tis ea&s;ier to <HI>add</HI> then to <HI>&s;ub&s;tract,</HI> and to a&s;cend with providence, <HI>when the ma&s;ter of the fea&s;t biddeth us to &s;it higher,</HI> then to be compelled to de&s;cend and lye in the du&s;t.</P>
<P>4. <HI>If it be bad, it might have been wor&s;e,</HI> in regard of Gods <HI>ab&s;olute power</HI> and <HI>our de&s;ert;</HI> your <HI>&s;uffrings</HI> are not &s;o great as your <HI>&s;ins,</HI> Ezra. 9. 13. <HI>Thou ha&s;t puni&s;hed us le&s;s then we have de&s;erved&punc;</HI> God is too ju&s;t to do us wrong; if he will exchange <HI>Hell</HI> for <HI>Babylon&punc;</HI> there is much of <HI>mercy</HI> in it nothing of <HI>inju&s;tice;</HI> if you do not de&s;erve this u&s;age from the hands of men, you have de&s;erved this, and much more from God; 'tis de&s;erved of God, and therefore to be born <HI>patiently,</HI> 'tis not de&s;erved of men, therefore to be born <HI>chearfully;</HI> who&s;e cro&s;s would we bear, <HI>Chri&s;ts</HI> or the <HI>Theeves Cro&s;s?</HI> when we &s;uffer de&s;ervedly and as Male|factors, we bear the <HI>Theeves Cro&s;s.</HI></P>
<P>5. <HI>The Lord di&s;po&s;eth all for the benefit of his own people,</HI> &s;o that if it be not good for the pre&s;ent, it will turn to good. <HI>Rom.</HI> 8. 28. if God &s;hould not thus exerci&s;e us, we would have more cau&s;e to complain; he is too gentle a Phy&s;iti|an that lets his Patient dye for want of putting him to the trouble of phy&s;ick; con&s;ult with <HI>Gods aim,</HI> rather then your <HI>pre&s;ent feeling;</HI> let him <HI>cut</HI> and <HI>burn</HI> here, that he may &s;ave hereafter, <HI>Domine hic ure, hic &s;eca,</HI> &amp;c.</P>
<P>6. <HI>Murmuring is &s;o bad in none as in Gods children,</HI> it doth not become their <HI>priviledges&punc;</HI> their <HI>vows,</HI> their <HI>hopes;</HI> God, in covenant, is theirs, and he hath all things that hath him that made all things, all things are compri&s;ed in God; if our <HI>lumber</HI> be changed into <HI>&s;ilver,</HI> our <HI>&s;ilver</HI> into <HI>Gold,</HI> our <HI>gold</HI> into <HI>one rare Pearl,</HI> that's all the other virtually; if God hath given us him&s;elf, his Chri&s;t, his Spirit will not all this content us? It doth not become <HI>our vows,</HI> and <HI>the promi&s;es</HI> which thou m<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">d'&s;t to God when thy terrours were upon thee; then thou did&s;t &s;ay, Oh Lord let me have
<PB N="465" REF="241">
Je&s;us Chri&s;t, and I will be content, though I &s;hould begg my bread, and be reduced to raggs and extremity of want; when thy heart was &s;tung with &s;in, thus de&s;ireous wert thou to reckon upon Chri&s;t as thy all-&s;ufficient portion; how grew the * <HI>con&s;olations of God to be &s;mall with thee,</HI> now God tryeth whether thou wilt &s;tand to thy word, and thou falle&s;t a murmuring; it may be ju&s;t with God to dipp his Arrows in venom and vengeance, and &s;hoot them into thy &s;oul again: Once more, 'tis below <HI>your hopes,</HI> you &s;hould have a &s;pirit as high as Heaven, and will you &s;torm at eve|ry petty lo&s;s, as he &s;aid, <HI>Art thou the Kings &s;on in law, and art &s;o lean from day to day?</HI> are you Heirs of glory, and &s;tand &s;o much upon triffles? it &s;hould not be.</P>
<P>Having given you &s;ome general Con&s;iderations again&s;t murmuring, I now come to particular Ca&s;es.</P>
<P>1. Doe&s;t thou lye under deep pre&s;ting wants? divers have been put to great &s;treights, that have done God more glory: <HI>Mu&s;culas</HI> a great Divine, yet forced to &s;erve a Weaver for his &s;ub&s;i&s;tance: <HI>Paul made Tents</HI> that he might not be burden&s;ome, and &s;o prejudice men again&s;t the Go|&s;pel; the more de&s;titute, the more &s;en&s;ible of the care of providence; God beareth the Pur&s;e for us, when we have but from hand to mouth, we are &s;till &s;upplyed; the more immediately you liue upon God, the more you begin the life of Heaven, where God is all in all: Deep poverty is is the &s;auce of the pre&s;ent life; <HI>Austin</HI> &s;aw a beggar frisk|ing after his belly was filled, he could find no &s;uch delight after the u&s;e of the creatures, being daily and abundantly &s;upplyed; the &s;pectacle much wrought upon him.</P>
<P>2. Ha&s;t thou &s;u&s;tained great lo&s;&s;es? If God hath lent us ble&s;&s;ings, and taken them again, &s;hall we grudge them to the <HI>right owner,</HI> he took part that gave all.</P>
<P>3. Do&s;t thou endure great pains? there is a gradation in mi&s;eries, tho&s;e that lite upon the e&s;tate, do not &s;it &s;o clo&s;e as tho&s;e that lite upon the body, and tho&s;e that lite upon the body are not &s;o terrible as tho&s;e that lite upon the &s;oul; <HI>a wounded &s;pirit who can beat?</HI> bodily pains is the ca&s;e we now &s;peak too, you are full of pains, but Chri&s;t
<PB N="466" REF="242">
on the Cro&s;s &s;uffered more; but he was God-man; the <HI>Martyrs</HI> &s;uffered more, <HI>Heb.</HI> 11. 35. they were tortured, <GAP DESC="foreign">, they were &s;tretched out like a Drum; but tho&s;e were rare in&s;tances, and had a &s;ingular a&s;&s;i&s;tance, <HI>Pauls</HI> was an ordinary ca&s;e, his <HI>thorn in the fle&s;h,</HI> 2 Cor. 12. was &s;ome great bodily pain; but <HI>Paul</HI> was a choice &s;pirit, heathens have born it &s;toutly; <HI>Epicurus</HI> was full of &s;olace in a fit of the Cholick, <HI>ob memoriam inventorum,</HI> by call|ing to mind his inventions in Philo&s;ophy; and <HI>Tully</HI> &s;peak|eth of <HI>Po&s;&s;idoni<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">s</HI> the Philo&s;opher, that whil&s;t he was un|der a great fit of the &s;tone, could di&s;cour&s;e freely that <HI>no|thing was good but vertue, nothing evil but vice,</HI> and when his pain twinged him, would &s;ay, <HI>Nihil agis dolor quamvis &s;is mole&s;tus nunquam confitebor te e&s;&s;e malum; Pain thou do&s;t nothing alter my opinion, though thou art trouble&s;om yet thou art not evil;</HI> but the&s;e were men that ob&s;tinately maintain|ed an in&s;en&s;iblene&s;s; little children have endured great pains, and wilt thou &s;tartle at that which poor little chil|dren have &s;uffered? Be&s;ides all this, 'tis Gods de&s;ign to try you; <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Virtus etiam lecto exhibetur.</NOTE> there is a great deal of valour to be &s;hewed in the &s;ick bed, either the end of it will be <HI>life</HI> or <HI>death,</HI> if <HI>death,</HI> 'tis the la&s;t brunt, bear it patiently, <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Exod. 14. 13.</NOTE> <HI>tho&s;e enemies which ye now &s;ee ye &s;hall them &s;ee no more,</HI> Heaven will make amends for all: <HI>If life,</HI> you will be a&s;hamed when well, that you had no more patience whil&s;t &s;ick; <HI>pa&s;&s;ive valour</HI> is the glory of a Chri&s;tian, <HI>active volour</HI> that is fomented with plenty of blood and &s;pirits, is a poor thing to it, great Souldiers that will venture upon the mouth of a Canon, yet tremble at a di&s;ea&s;e, and lingring death, when they are &s;ick they are under gods arre&s;t, <HI>&amp;c,</HI></P>
<P>That I have given you remedies again&s;t murmuring by way of <HI>con&s;ideration:</HI> Now by <HI>way of practice.</HI></P>
<P>1. Divert the &s;tream another way, as to the <HI>di&s;po&s;ition</HI> of heart, take this rule; Be <HI>&s;till examining thy &s;elf, rather then judging God,</HI> P&s;al. 4. 4. If God &s;eemeth to neglect me, have not I neglected him, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> as to the <HI>outward ex|pre&s;&s;ion of murmuring,</HI> turn the &s;treams again; expre&s;s thy &s;orrows often in a way of <HI>prayer,</HI> thy rejoycings in a way
<PB N="467" REF="242">
of <HI>prai&s;e: prayer</HI> cureth murmuring, for that's a duty where|in we profe&s;s <HI>&s;ubjection</HI> and <HI>dependance;</HI> and be&s;ides, ut|terance giveth ea&s;e to the &s;oul, an Oven &s;topped is the more hot within, complain more <HI>to God,</HI> and we &s;hall not complain <HI>of God:</HI> Prai&s;e cureth murmuring, <HI>Job</HI> 1 23. as long as we can give thanks, we will not be querulous; but when we are <HI>disdainful of ble&s;&s;ings,</HI> and we &s;ay, <HI>what no more? Mal.</HI> 1. 2. the di&s;temper is getting ground upon the &s;oul.</P>
<P>2. Affect rather to be <HI>good</HI> then <HI>great,</HI> none murmur be|cau&s;e of the &s;mallne&s;s of grace, that's not their complaint; but becau&s;e of the lowne&s;s of their condition in the world&punc; a man that looketh after the increa&s;e of grace, he can ble&s;s God for his outward decays, 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 4. 16. and look upon murmurings as wor&s;e then pains or lo&s;&s;es, tho&s;e are afflicti|ons, the&s;e are &s;ins: So much for the fir&s;t crime char|ged.</P>
<P>The next part of their Character is [<HI>walking after their own lusts,</HI>] This is fitly &s;ubjoined to the former; for <HI>lu&s;ts</HI> make men froward and hard to be plea&s;ed; and the per|&s;ons here de&s;cribed were <HI>exact Libertines,</HI> making their lu&s;ts their rule and their law; yea, the mo&s;t bruiti&s;h of all lu&s;ts, the <HI>lu&s;ts of the fle&s;h;</HI> and therefore in <HI>Peter</HI> 'tis 2 <HI>Pet. 2. 10. That walk after the fle&s;h in the lu&s;t of uncleanne&s;s;</HI> how portentous they were for impurities in this kind, we told you before; their [<HI>walking after their lu&s;ts</HI>] implyeth their giving up them&s;elves to &s;uch a cour&s;e, contrary to all fear of God, care of Laws, or re&s;traint of nature.</P>
<P>The Point is, <HI>That 'tis an Argument of ungodline&s;s when men walk after their own lu&s;ts:</HI> The Apo&s;tle appling the Prophe&s;ie of <HI>Enoch</HI> again&s;t ungodly men, bringeth this as a part of the charge, that <HI>they walk after their own lu&s;ts:</HI> I &s;hall enquire</P>
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. What lu&s;ts are.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. What 'tis to walk after their own lu&s;ts.</ITEM>
<ITEM>3. <HI>Prove it to be</HI> a note of ungodline&s;s.</ITEM>
</LIST>
<P>1. What lu&s;ts are? This I have An&s;wered el&s;ewhere;
<PB N="468" REF="243">
&s;ee my Comentary on <HI>James 1. 14. pag</HI> 105. and 106. for the pre&s;ent let it &s;uffice to note, that lu&s;t is either <HI>original,</HI> or <HI>actual.</HI></P>
<P>1. It &s;ignifyeth our <HI>original pronnne&s;s</HI> to all that is evil, <HI>James</HI> 1. 14.</P>
<P>2. <HI>Actual</HI> lu&s;t, &s;o it &s;ignifieth any evil motion of the heart that &s;werveth from the Law of God, more e&s;pecially our inordinate de&s;ires and inclinations to <HI>plea&s;ures, honours</HI> or <HI>profit;</HI> &s;ometimes they are called <HI>fle&s;hly lu&s;ts, 1 Pet.</HI> 2. 11. as carrying us out to the &s;atisfaction of our bodily and bruiti&s;h appetites; &s;ometimes <HI>worldly lusts,</HI> Tit 2. 12. becau&s;e they are &s;tirred by worldly objects; lu&s;ts are the <HI>fever</HI> of the &s;oul, unnatural heats, tran&s;gre&s;&s;ing the Laws of rea&s;on, and bounds of Religion.</P>
<P>2. What doth this walking imply; 'tis el&s;ewhere ex|pre&s;&s;ed by <HI>&s;erving divers lu&s;ts and plea&s;ures,</HI> Tit. 3. 3. and by <HI>fulfilling the de&s;ires of the fle&s;h and the mind,</HI> Ephe&s;. 2. 3. It noteth,</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, a <HI>willing &s;ubjection</HI> to lu&s;t, as <HI>a law</HI> or as <HI>a Master,</HI> the one is implyed in <HI>walking after our lu&s;ts,</HI> the other <HI>in &s;erving our lu&s;ts;</HI> when men do as they plea&s;e, and let their &s;en&s;ual heart give Law to the whole man: a child of God may be overcome by his lu&s;ts, but he doth not walk after them, or &s;erve them, he may be foiled, hut he doth not give over the combate, and is &s;till re&s;i&s;ting, &s;triuing, pray|ing, calling in the help of the &s;pirit, his &s;oul &s;uffereth a rape by lu&s;t, there is not a plenary con&s;ent on his part.</P>
<P>2. <HI>Cu&s;tomary practice</HI> and ob&s;ervance, walking is a pro|gre&s;&s;ive motion, and &s;o implyeth mens cour&s;e, and the tenour of their lives: a child of God, his walking is in the &s;pirit, <HI>Gal.</HI> 5. 16. and doth not fulfil the lu&s;ts of the fle&s;h; but 'tis a wicked mans work and employment.</P>
<P>3. <HI>A fond indulgence;</HI> they are &s;o far from thwarting lu&s;ts that they provide, contrive for them, <HI>Rom. 13. 14. Make not provi&s;ion for the fle&s;h, to fulfil the lu&s;ts thereof,</HI> they nouri&s;h their hearts, fondle lu&s;t, and make a wanton of it, they do not crucifie it, and &s;et up a cour&s;e of morti|fication again&s;t it.</P>
<P><PB N="469" REF="243">Thirdly, This is a <HI>note of unregeneracy,</HI> or a <HI>&s;tate of un|godline&s;s;</HI> the Apo&s;tle de&s;cribeth the natural &s;tate by this <HI>&s;erving,</HI> Tit. 3. 3. and this <HI>fulfilling,</HI> Eph. 2. 3. and when the Holy Gho&s;t doth derive the pride and folly of young<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg"> Job. 15. 11. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"></NOTE> men in giving them&s;elves up to a cour&s;e of lu&s;t and vanity; he &s;aith, go <HI>walk in the way of thine own heart, Eccle&s;.</HI> 11. 9. and the negative or privative work of regeneration is cal|led <HI>a putting off the old man with his deceitful lusts,</HI> Eph. 4. 22 and it &s;tandeth with good rea&s;on.</P>
<P>1. Becau&s;e they that walk after their lu&s;ts &s;eek to cheri&s;h that which Chri&s;t came to de&s;troy, and &s;o go about to de|feat the Redeemer, and to hinder him from obtaining his purpo&s;e in their hearts; Chri&s;t came <HI>to de&s;troy the works of the Devil,</HI> 1 John 3. 8 <GAP DESC="foreign">, to unty and loo&s;en tho&s;e cords of vanity wherewith Satan hath bonnd us; the works of the Devil are lies which are of his in&s;piring and cheri&s;hing, <HI>John</HI> 8. 44. <HI>Ye are of your father the Devil, and the lu&s;ts of your father ye will do:</HI> Now when Chri&s;t com|eth to lo&s;e the&s;e cords, carnal men tye them the fa&s;ter, and therefore certainly are to be reckoned to the devil, and not unto God; every degree of &s;ervice done to Satan, is an act of trea&s;on and di&s;loyalty to Chri&s;t, therefore when men make it their work to fulfil their lu&s;t, they renounce all al|legiance to Chri&s;t.</P>
<P>2. They that walk after their lu&s;ts have not taken the <HI>rule of the new creature</HI> upon them; the new man hath <HI>ano|ther Ma&s;ter</HI> and <HI>another rule,</HI> the renewed &s;oul is not go|verned by lu&s;t, but by the Law of God, <HI>Gal</HI> 6. 16. it we have not changed <HI>our rule,</HI> 'tis a &s;ign we have not changed <HI>our Ma&s;ter.</HI></P>
<P>3. They that walk after their lu&s;ts, never felt the pow|er of grace for the <HI>grace of God teacheth us to deny all un|godline&s;s and worldly lu&s;ts</HI> Tit. 2. 11, 12. how doth it teach us? I An&s;wer, partly by diver&s;ion, by acquainting us with better things in Chri&s;t, <HI>Rom. 13. 14 Put ye on the Lord Je&s;us, and make not provi&s;ion for the lu&s;ts of the fle&s;h;</HI> love cannot lye idle in the &s;oul, the mind of man mu&s;t have &s;ome oblectation and delight, either love runneth out in
<PB N="470" REF="244">
lu&s;t, or in re&s;pects to God; either to heavenly or worldly things: when we only &s;avour the things of the fle&s;h, 'tis a &s;ign we never ta&s;ted how &s;weet God is in Chri&s;t.</P>
<P>2. Partly by <HI>way of help and &s;upply;</HI> it planteth <HI>oppo&s;ite principles</HI> and makes u&s;e of an <HI>oppo&s;ite power,</HI> it plants <HI>oppo&s;ite principles,</HI> a new nature that hath new de&s;ires and delights, 2 <HI>Pet.</HI> 1. 4. and maketh u&s;e of an <HI>oppo&s;ite power,</HI> which is the &s;pirit of God, <HI>Rom.</HI> 8. 13.</P>
<P>3. Partly by <HI>way of argument;</HI> grace out&punc; pleadeth, lu&s;t it urgeth the <HI>un&s;uitablene&s;s of it to our condition,</HI> &s;ee <HI>Rom. 13. 13. 1 Pet.</HI> 4. 3. and 1 <HI>Pet. 1. 14. Rom.</HI> 6. 2. to our <HI>vows;</HI> Bapti&s;m implyeth a renunciation of &s;ins, 1 <HI>Pet</HI> 3. 21. 'tis <HI>an an&s;wer to Gods demands, Credis? Credo, ab re|nuncias? Ab renuncio, &s;pondes? &s;pondeo.</HI> Therefore he that liveth under the full power of lu&s;t, hath forgotten his <HI>Ba|pti&s;mal vows, 2 Pet. 1. 8. forgotten that he was purged from his old &s;ins:</HI> it pleadeth al&s;o the <HI>un&s;uitablene&s;s of it to our hopes, 1 Pet</HI> 2. 11. we are pa&s;&s;ing on to another Country, where we &s;hall enjoy a price, and &s;inle&s;s e&s;tate.</P>
<P>Let us now apply the point.</P>
<P>It di&s;&s;wadeth us from walking after our own lu&s;ts: you<NOTE PLACE="marg">&V;&s;e 1.</NOTE> that are Chri&s;tians &s;hould deny them, and not gratifie them, otherwi&s;e you <HI>renounce your allegiance to God;</HI> Lu&s;t &s;ets up another Lord, and maketh us &s;tand in defiance with the God that made us; his Laws call for one thing, and your lu&s;ts crave another: God &s;aith, <HI>put off the old man with his deceitful lu&s;ts,</HI> and you &s;ay, we will keep them: Can they be good &s;ubjects that live in defiance of their Sove|raigns Laws? If a Prince &s;hould &s;end a me&s;&s;age to a City not to harbour &s;uch and &s;uch Traytors, but to &s;earch them out, and bring them to condigne puni&s;hment, if they ne|ver look after them, yea are angry with tho&s;e that di&s;cover them, it argueth they do inhaunt with Traytors, and are enemies to their Prince: We are often warned in Gods name to look to our &s;inful lu&s;ts, to put them away, and we go home, and never regard it, nay are angry with tho&s;e that grate upon the Con&s;cience: <HI>Herod</HI> would not have his <HI>Herodias</HI> touched; we take it hainou&s;ly when the</P>
<P><PB N="471" REF="244">Word beareth hard upon our hearts, what do we but &s;hew our &s;elves Traytors to the Crown of heaven?</P>
<P>2. <HI>Otherwi&s;e you ren<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">unee your interest in Chri&s;t,</HI> Gal. 5. 24. <HI>They that are Chri&s;ts, have crucified the fle&s;h, with the affestions and lu&s;ts thereof:</HI> He doth not &s;ay, they are Chri&s;ts that take up this opinion and naked belief, that he was cru|cified, or died for &s;inners, but they are Chri&s;ts, <HI>that feel that he was crucified,</HI> that by the vertue of his Cro&s;s do cru|cifie their own lu&s;ts and &s;inful affections; What? a <HI>Chri|&s;tian,</HI> and yet <HI>worldly!</HI> A <HI>Chri&s;tian,</HI> and yet <HI>&s;en&s;ual!</HI> A <HI>Chri&s;tian,</HI> and yet <HI>proud!</HI> You that are <HI>given to plea&s;ures,</HI> do you believe in Chri&s;t that was <HI>a man of &s;orrows?</HI> You that are carried after the <HI>pomp</HI> and <HI>vanity of the world,</HI> do you believe in Chri&s;t, <HI>who&s;e kingdom was not of this world?</HI> You that are <HI>proud</HI> and <HI>lofty,</HI> do you pro&s;e&s;s an intere&s;t in Chri&s;t, who &s;aid, <HI>Learn of me, for I am humble and lowly?</HI> 'Tis in vain for you to talk of his dying for &s;inners, and <HI>boa&s;ting of his Cro&s;s,</HI> when you never felt the vertue of it, <HI>Gal</HI> 6. 14 What experience have you, that his Cro&s;s was the Cro&s;s of the Son of God, when your hearts linger as inordinately after carnal things as ever? Have you gotten any thing by it? Do you feel any weakning of lu&s;ts? Any decay of &s;in? Are you planted into the <HI>efficacy of his death?</HI> Rom. 6 5. If not how can you glory in the Cro&s;s of Chri&s;t?</P>
<P>3. <HI>Otherwi&s;e you are not acquainted with the &s;pirit,</HI> his work is to mortifie lu&s;ts, <HI>Rom.</HI> 8. 13. and <HI>they that are af|ter the fle&s;h, do &s;avour of the things of the fle&s;h; and they that are after the &s;pirit, the things of the &s;pirit;</HI> Rom. 8. 5. Af|ter whom do ye walk? After your own lu&s;ts? Or after the Spirit of God?</P>
<P>4. God doth not only require you <HI>in point of Soveraign|ty,</HI> to put away your lu&s;ts, but al&s;o pleadeth with you upon <HI>terms of grace,</HI> Titus 2. 14. <HI>The grace of God that bring th<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> &s;alvation, teacheth you to deny worldly lu&s;ts:</HI> Grace hath de|nyed us nothing, it hath given us Chri&s;t, and all things with him; and &s;hall we &s;tick at our lu&s;ts, that are not worth the keeping? Nature is much addicted to the&s;e lu&s;ts, but &s;ure|ly God loves Chri&s;t much more then we love the world;
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his love is infinite and unlimitted, like his e&s;&s;ence, yet God gave up the Son of his love; Grace counteth nothing too dear for us, not the <HI>blood of Chri&s;t</HI> the <HI>joys of Heaven,</HI> and &s;hall we count any thing too dear to part with for Graces &s;ake? God forbid. A <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Mat. 5. 19.</NOTE> <HI>right eye,</HI> and a <HI>right hand,</HI> can|not be &s;o dear to us&punc; a&punc; Chri&s;t was to God: At what co&s;t hath Grace been at to redeem us, and &s;ave us! And &s;hall Grace be at all this co&s;t for nothing? If God had com|manded us a greater thing, ought we not to have done it? If to <HI>give the body to be burnt,</HI> to offer <HI>the fir&s;t born for the &s;in of thy &s;oul?</HI> con&s;idering his ab&s;olute right over the cre<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">|ture, he might have require<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> <HI>thy life,</HI> and <HI>thy childrens life,</HI> but he only requireth <HI>thy lu&s;ts,</HI> things not worth the keep|ing, the bane of the &s;oul, a <HI>bad inmate;</HI> which if we know its pe&s;tilent influence, we needed no more arguments to turn it out of doors; thy lu&s;ts God requireth, things we are bound to part with, to pre&s;erve the integrity and perfection of our natures, if God had never dealt with us in a way of grace; but now &s;hall grace plead in vain, when it pre&s;&s;eth to deny lu&s;ts, will be the &s;hame and horrour of the damn|ed to all eternity, that they have &s;tood with God for a tri|fle, that they would not part with <HI>d<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ng</HI> for <HI>gold,</HI> with a lit|tle bruti&s;h contentment, for the con&s;olations of the Spirit, e&s;pecially when grace which hath &s;o deeply p<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">e-engaged us, pleadeth for it.</P>
<P>5. Con&s;ider what lu&s;t is; 'tis the <HI>di&s;ea&s;e of the &s;oul:</HI> Na|tural de&s;ire is like the <HI>Calor vitalis,</HI> the <HI>vi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">l heat</HI> but lu&s;t is like a <HI>feveri&s;h heat,</HI> that oppre&s;&s;eth nature, we &s;hould get rid of it, as we would of a di&s;ea&s;e, the &s;atisfaction of it is &s;weet to carnal nature, &s;o is drink to a man in a fever; who would de&s;ire a Feven to relli&s;h his drink? Better be with|out the di&s;ea&s;e, then enjoy the plea&s;ure of the &s;atisfaction, better mortifie lu&s;t, then &s;atisfie it, in the i&s;&s;ue 'twill be &s;weeter; I am &s;ure the <HI>pains of mortification</HI> will not be &s;o bitter as the <HI>h<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">rrours of everla&s;ting darkne&s;s:</HI> lu&s;t let alone beginneth our hell, 'tis a <HI>burning heat,</HI> that at length break|eth out into <HI>everla&s;ting flames:</HI> Again, lu&s;t is the <HI>di&s;order of nature,</HI> as 'tis mon&s;trous in the body, if the <HI>head</HI> be there
<PB N="473" REF="245">
where the <HI>feet</HI> &s;hould be, and the <HI>feet</HI> there where the <HI>head</HI> &s;hould be; &s;uch a deordination is there in the &s;oul when the affections carry it, and when Rea&s;on &s;hould be in do|minion, we &s;uffer lu&s;t to take the throne; man rightly con&s;tituted, his actions are governed in this manner, the <HI>under&s;tanding</HI> and <HI>con&s;cience</HI> pre&s;cribe to the <HI>Will,</HI> the <HI>Will</HI> according to <HI>right rea&s;on</HI> and <HI>con&s;cience</HI> moveth the <HI>affecti|ons,</HI> the <HI>affections</HI> according to the command and coun&s;el of the <HI>will,</HI> move the <HI>bodily &s;pirits</HI> and <HI>members of the body,</HI> but by corruption there is a manife&s;t inver&s;ion and change, <HI>plea&s;ures</HI> affect the <HI>&s;en&s;es,</HI> the <HI>&s;en&s;es</HI> corrupt the <HI>fanta&s;ie,</HI> the <HI>fanta&s;ie</HI> moveth the <HI>bodily &s;pirits,</HI> they the <HI>affections,</HI> and by their <HI>violence</HI> and <HI>inclination</HI> the <HI>Will</HI> is en&s;laved, and the <HI>mind</HI> blinded, and &s;o man is carried headlong to his own de&s;truction; now &s;hall we cheri&s;h the&s;e lu&s;ts and bruti&s;h appetitions? The Lord forbid.</P>
<P>6. <HI>'Tis lu&s;ts that hinder the peace of the world,</HI> our <HI>own peace:</HI> how quietly and happily would men live, if they were more mortified? Men de&s;ire more then they have, and &s;o are made poor, not by <HI>want,</HI> &s;o much as <HI>de&s;ire;</HI> he that expects little, is &s;oon &s;atisfied: 'tis our own pa&s;&s;ions that rai&s;e a &s;torm in the &s;oul: a man that is vile and little in his own eyes, when others contemn and &s;light him, they do but ratifie his private opinion of him&s;elf, and who can be angry with others, becau&s;e they are of the &s;ame judge|ment with our &s;elves? Take away the <HI>lu&s;t,</HI> and the <HI>trouble</HI> cea&s;eth: What need <HI>Haman</HI> be troubled that <HI>Mordecai</HI> did not bow the knee, but that he looked for it? Nay, Lu&s;ts trouble our <HI>p<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ace of Con&s;cience: Lu&s;ts</HI> let alone, end in <HI>gro&s;s &s;ins,</HI> and <HI>gro&s;s &s;ins</HI> in <HI>de&s;peration: love of plea&s;ures,</HI> if uncontolled will end in <HI>drunkenne&s;s,</HI> or <HI>adultery</HI> and <HI>envy</HI> in <HI>murder</HI> and <HI>violence:</HI> &s;ins unchecked, grow <HI>lic<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ntio<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">s</HI> and <HI>unruly: Judas</HI> allowed his <HI>covetou&s;ne&s;s</HI> and it brought him to betray his Ma&s;ter, and that Brought him to the halter: <HI>Gehazi</HI> was fir&s;t bla&s;ted with <HI>covetou&s;ne&s;s,</HI> and then with <HI>le|pro&s;ie.</HI> and &s;o became a burden to him&s;elf: <HI>Ananias</HI> and <HI>Sap<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ira</HI> taken off by a &s;udden judgeme<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">t: The divel lov|eth by <HI>l<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">st</HI> to bring us to <HI>&s;in,</HI> and by <HI>&s;in</HI> to <HI>&s;hame,</HI> and by
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<HI>&s;hame</HI> to <HI>horrour</HI> and <HI>de&s;pair;</HI> &s;o that if we walk after our lu&s;ts, it proveth a &s;ad walk in the i&s;&s;ue: Again it di&s;turbeth ou<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> <HI>peace with others,</HI> the&s;e Libertines were yokele&s;s, and could not endure re&s;traints, becau&s;e wedded to their own lu&s;ts, 'tis not <HI>opinions</HI> divide the world, &s;o much as <HI>lu&s;ts</HI> and <HI>intere&s;ts.</HI></P>
<P>7. <HI>The more you walk after your lu&s;ts, the more you may:</HI> they are not <HI>quenohed</HI> when they are <HI>&s;atisfied,</HI> but increa&s;ed rather, as the fire is, by laying on of new fewel, the di|&s;temper groweth every day, till you are quite en&s;laved: <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Titus 1. 7. Titus 2. 3.</NOTE> <HI>given to much wine,</HI> 'tis <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>en&s;laved to wine</HI> in the Greek: In this &s;en&s;e we are &s;aid to be brought under <HI>the power of the creature, 1 Cor.</HI> 6. 12. &s;o that what ever &s;hame or lo&s;s en&s;ueth, you cannot leave your lu&s;ts. <HI>Jer. 18. 12. There is no hope,</HI> &amp;c. they &s;ee 'tis bad, and cannot &s;ee how it &s;hould be otherwi&s;e.</P>
<P>8. What can we get by &s;in but a <HI>little plea&s;ure?</HI> Tit. 3. 3. <HI>&s;erving divers lu&s;ts and plea&s;ures,</HI> this is the great Sorcere&s;s that inchants the whole world, the root of all &s;in, <HI>they lo|ved plea&s;ures more then God, 2 Tim.</HI> 3. 4. 'tis not imagina|ble that an intelligent creature &s;hould re&s;t in his own action, we aim at &s;omwhat in walking after our own lu&s;ts, if we balk that which <HI>is honest,</HI> it mu&s;t be <HI>profit</HI> or <HI>plea&s;ure:</HI> now that a man &s;hould en&s;lave him&s;elf forever, and that for <HI>a little plea&s;ure,</HI> which is ba&s;e in it &s;elf, and lo&s;t as &s;oon as en|joyed, is mon&s;trous and ab&s;urd: <HI>Breve e&s;t quod delectat, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ternum quod cruciat;</HI> the <HI>plea&s;ure</HI> is but <HI>&s;hort,</HI> vani&s;hing, but the <HI>pain</HI> is for <HI>ever?</HI> and will you for a thing of nought break with God, and forfeit your immortal &s;ouls? Oh let it not be.</P>
<P>Let all this now per&s;wade you to <HI>deny your lu&s;ts,</HI> rather then to <HI>feed</HI> or <HI>cheri&s;h</HI> them, to <HI>renounce</HI> them, and not to <HI>walk after</HI> them: There are three degrees of this denial: 1. They mu&s;t be <HI>prevented,</HI> and kept from <HI>ri&s;ing. 2. Sup|pre&s;&s;ed,</HI> and kept from <HI>growth.</HI> 3. We mu&s;t not <HI>accompli&s;h</HI> them, and if they gain <HI>con&s;ent,</HI> keep them from <HI>execution:</HI> Suitable to which <HI>three degrees,</HI> there are <HI>three duties, 1. Mortification,</HI> that we may prevent them. 2. <HI>Watch|fulne&s;s,</HI>
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that we may &s;uppre&s;s them. 3. <HI>Re&s;olution,</HI> that we may not accompli&s;h them.</P>
<P>1. To begin with the top and highe&s;t degree is to pre|vent the lu&s;t, 1 <HI>Pet. 2. 11. Ab&s;tain from fle&s;hly lu&s;ts,</HI> 'tis not enough to ab&s;tain from <HI>acts of &s;in,</HI> but we mu&s;t ab&s;tain from <HI>lusts,</HI> yea the root mu&s;t be deadned, <HI>Gal. 5. 24. Cru|cifie the fle&s;h,</HI> &s;he is cha&s;te that checketh an unclean &s;olici|tation, but &s;he is more worthy prai&s;e who&s;e grave carriage forbiddeth all a&s;&s;aults and attempts in that kind, &s;o &s;hould we be &s;o mortified as to prevent a temptation, not to have a lu&s;t &s;tirring: but becau&s;e this cannot always be, 2. The next degree is, <HI>timely to &s;uppre&s;s them, laus e&s;t aliqus in &s;e|cundis &s;tare,</HI> to <HI>conquer lu&s;t</HI> when we cannot <HI>curb</HI> it, and wholly keep it under: <HI>Da&s;h Babylons brats again&s;t the &s;tone,</HI> and take the <HI>little foxes,</HI> &s;mother it in the conception, <HI>Jam.</HI> 1. 15. 'tis a great &s;in to quench the &s;pirits motions, &s;o 'tis a great neglect not to take notice of the <HI>fir&s;t thoughts</HI> and ri|&s;ings of &s;in; the <HI>little &s;ticks kindle fir&s;t, and &s;et the great ones on fire,</HI> cru&s;h the Cockatrice in the egg, <HI>the fle&s;h</HI> ri&s;eth up in arms again&s;t every gracious motion, &s;o &s;hould <HI>the &s;pirit,</HI> the better part, again&s;t every &s;inful motion, <HI>Gal.</HI> 5. 17. chide away your carnal thoughts, and let them not finde harbour; if the envious man throw weeds over the Garden wall, the gardner will not let them root there; if Sathan ca&s;t in thoughts, ca&s;t them out again with indignation.</P>
<P>3. <HI>Let not worldly lu&s;ts be put in execution.</HI> If thou ha&s;t neglected the <HI>mortifica ion</HI> and <HI>deadning</HI> of the affections, if &s;in hath got the &s;tar<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> of thee &amp; gained a con&s;ent, yetat lea&s;t <HI>re&s;train</HI> the practice, <HI>Jam. 1. 15. L<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;t when it hath conceived, bringeth forth &s;in,</HI> that is, an external &s;inful action, there are <HI>works of the fle&s;h, that follow the l<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;ts of the fl<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;h</HI> Gal. 5. 19. 'tis good <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">o &s;top at lu&s;t, though the <HI>lu&s;t</HI> grieveth the &s;pirit of God, yet <HI>the work,</HI> be&s;ide <HI>the grief</HI> b<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ingeth <HI>di&s;honor</HI> to God, giveth an <HI>ill example,</HI> bringeth <HI>&s;candal</HI> to Religion, maketh way for <HI>an habit</HI> and further prone&s;s to &s;in; therefore if thou ha&s;t not prevented the lu&s;t, act not the &s;in, <HI>Micah 2. 1, 2. Wo be to them that devi&s;e evil upon their beds, and when the morning is light, they practi&s;e it:</HI> 'tis naught to <HI>harbour the</HI>
<PB N="476" REF="247">
<HI>motion,</HI> to plot and mu&s;e upon &s;in, but 'tis wor&s;e to <HI>practi&s;e</HI> it, for every <HI>act</HI> &s;trengthens the <HI>inclination,</HI> as a brand that hath been once in the fire, is more ready to burn again, if the divel have kindled a fire in thy bo&s;om, let not the &s;parks fly abroad, but keep the temptation within doors, left thou more betray thy &s;elf into Sathans hands.</P>
<P>The third clau&s;e in this Application of <HI>Enochs</HI> prophe&s;ie is, that [<HI>their mouth &s;peaketh great &s;welling words.</HI>] In <HI>Enochs</HI> prophe&s;ie not only <HI>ungodly deeds</HI> are noted, but <HI>hard &s;peeches;</HI> the&s;e <HI>Gno&s;ticks</HI> were faulty both ways, both in <HI>word</HI> and <HI>deed:</HI> that which is charged here, is a fault in their &s;peech. 'Tis &s;aid <HI>Dan. 11. 36. The King &s;hall &s;peak marvellous things again&s;t the God of gods.</HI> In the Septuagint the &s;ame phra&s;e is u&s;ed that is here, <GAP DESC="foreign"> and &s;o po&s;&s;ibly it may imply their bla&s;phemies again&s;t God, a crime of which the&s;e wretches were guilty in exalting <HI>Si|mon Magus&punc;</HI> above the true God: or el&s;e the&s;e <HI>&s;welling words</HI> may relate to their boa&s;ting of their own knowledge, from whence they were called <HI>Gno&s;ticks,</HI> and <HI>Tertullian</HI> &s;aith of them, <HI>omnes tument, omnes &s;cientiam pollicentur ip&s;ae mulieres haereticae quam &s;unt procaces! They all &s;well with pride, and make o&s;tentation of deeper knowledge, their very women&punc; how conceited are they!</HI> Or el&s;e it may &s;ignifie their <HI>proud cen&s;ures</HI> of <HI>others,</HI> their &s;corning of the <HI>Guides</HI> of the Church, as 'tis &s;aid of &s;ome, <HI>P&s;al. 73. 9. They &s;peak loftily, they &s;et their mouth again&s;t the heavens, their tongue walketh through the earth,</HI> they took a liberty to &s;peak of all things and per&s;ons at plea&s;ure, without any re&s;traint, which was and is the very <HI>genius</HI> of the&s;e and other <HI>Sedu|cers:</HI> rather I &s;uppo&s;e, though not excluding the other &s;en&s;es, the&s;e <HI>&s;welling words</HI> relate to their <HI>phra&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ologie</HI> and <HI>un&s;avoury gibberi&s;h</HI> which they u&s;ed in repre&s;enting their o|pinions, <HI>Peter</HI> calleth them, <HI>&s;welling words of vanity, 2 Pet.</HI> 2. 18. The Note hence is this.</P>
<P><HI>That the pride and vanity of Seducers, is u&s;ually bewray|ed</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 3.</NOTE> <HI>in the fondne&s;s and affectedne&s;s of their expre&s;&s;ions.</HI> The affected language of the <HI>Gno&s;ticks</HI> and <HI>Valentinians,</HI> may be
<PB N="477" REF="247">
&s;een in <HI>Iraeneus;</HI> and how much this pattern hath been im|proved by men of a fanatical &s;pirit, may be found in tho&s;e that have written of the Here&s;ies of &s;ucceeding Ages? <HI>Je|rome</HI> taxeth <HI>Jovinian</HI> with<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Di&s;crip&s;it A|po&s;tolus Jovi|ni<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">num loquen|tem buccis tu|mentibus &amp; inflata verba trutinantem. <HI>Hieron.</HI> lib. 1. adver&s;us <HI>Jovin.</HI></NOTE> <HI>his &s;welling&punc; words:</HI> In times more modern, <HI>Swinkfield</HI> was ob&s;erved to be always talk|ing of <HI>Illumination, Deification</HI> &amp;c. and the <HI>Famuli&s;ts</HI> cant is not unknown, of <HI>being godded with God, and chri&s;ted with Chri&s;t;</HI> &s;o <HI>Jacob Behmens&punc; greening of the inward root,</HI> &amp;c. and <HI>Calvin</HI> &s;aith of the <HI>Libertines</HI> of his time, <HI>communi &s;er|mone &s;preto, exoticum ne&s;cio quid idioma &s;ibi fingunt, interea nihil &s;pirituale afferunt;</HI> they pretend to matter more &s;pi|ritual, and when all cometh to all, 'tis but <HI>noi&s;om errours di&s;gui&s;ed,</HI> or common things repre&s;ented in uncouth forms of &s;peech which the Scriptures own not, rational and truly &s;piritual men under&s;tand not; the &s;ame un&s;avory &amp; unintel|legible forms of &s;peech may be ob&s;erved in a wicked Book, lately put forth by a Knight of this Country, called <HI>The reti|red mans meditations,</HI> wherein the highe&s;t principles of our mo&s;t holy faith are endeavoured to be undermined by this Artifice of covert and affected &s;peech, but that by the pro|vidence of God the Book fell under neglect and &s;corn, pre|&s;ently upon the publication; Now the rea&s;on of this af|fectation is (I &s;uppo&s;e) to amuze the Reader with the pre|tence of <HI>my&s;tery</HI> and <HI>depths, Rev.</HI> 2. 24. that de&s;pi&s;ing the <HI>&s;implicity of the world,</HI> and the <HI>common</HI> and <HI>avowed princi|ples,</HI> he may be the more pliable to their carnal fancies, which if naked y expo&s;ed at fir&s;t, would have nothing of allurement and temptation in them to any well di&s;po&s;ed minds: well then, be not wrapt into admiration with no|vel and conceited expre&s;&s;ions, nor troubled with <HI>oppo&s;itions of &s;cience fal&s;ly &s;o called, 1 Tim.</HI> 6. 20. This is the Devils device, fir&s;t to maze people, (as brids are with a light and a bell in the night) and then to drive them into the net: if you would keep to whol&s;ome Doctrine, keep to a form of whole&s;ome words; and do not place Religion in con|ceited &s;peaking; an <HI>holy dialect</HI> I know becometh Saints; but an <HI>affected p'ra&s;eology</HI> is one of Satans lures, and a means to corrupt many.</P>
<P><PB N="478" REF="248">The fourth Clau&s;e is [<HI>Having mens per&s;on in admiration becau&s;e of advantage.] Junius</HI> applyeth this to tho&s;e that &s;et up Angels and unknown names, and per&s;ons in the Church in&s;tead of Chri&s;t, but I think 'tis rather to be ap|plyed to men; <HI>per&s;on</HI> is therefore put for the outward &s;tate and appearance, in which &s;en&s;e 'tis &s;aid, <HI>Thou &s;halt have no re|&s;pect of per&s;ons in judgment,</HI> that is, of their outward condition and e&s;tate;<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg"><HI>As</HI> Ge. 19. 21. Na&s;hati pane|cha, <HI>the word &s;ignifyeth</HI> I have accepted thy face, <HI>or</HI> lifted up thy face the <HI>Sept. render</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">. <HI>We,</HI> I have ac|cepted thee con|cerning this thing.</NOTE> <HI>accepting of per&s;ons</HI> is rendred by the <HI>Septua|gint</HI> by <GAP DESC="foreign">, wondring at a mans face or out&s;ide, as being overcome and dazled at the &s;plendor of it, accordingly our Apo&s;tle &s;aith here&punc; <HI>Having mens per|&s;on in admiration;</HI> now this they did <HI>for advantage,</HI> that is, either to <HI>gain men to their party,</HI> by crying them up as <HI>holy</HI> and <HI>knowing,</HI> to the contempt of others who were more valuable for the &s;incerity of Religion; or el&s;e for <HI>worldly profits &s;ake,</HI> tho&s;e whom they feared, or from whom they expected any worldly profit, as the rich and powerful, up|on the&s;e would they fawn, and with the&s;e in a &s;ervile man|ner in&s;innuate them&s;elves, commending their <HI>actions,</HI> and magnifying <HI>their per&s;ons.</HI></P>
<P>Having been &s;o long in the former part of the Ver&s;e, I &s;hall but mention the Notes here.</P>
<P>1. <HI>None &s;o fawning and ba&s;e &s;pirited as the proud for their</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 4:</NOTE> <HI>advantage;</HI> the&s;e &s;poke <HI>&s;welling words,</HI> and yet ba&s;ely crouching for profits &s;ake. <HI>Ambro&s;e</HI> noteth it of a &s;pirit of ambition; <HI>ut dominetur aliis prius &s;ervit curvatur ob&s;e|quio ut honore donetur;</HI> none &s;toop &s;o as they that have a mind to ri&s;e,<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg"><HI>Dr.</HI> Jack&s;on <HI>in his</HI> Treati&s;e of faith.</NOTE> one ob&s;erved of our late Prelates, <HI>That they were willing to take Chams cur&s;e upon them to domineer in the Tents of them,</HI> that is, would be <HI>&s;ervants o<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> &s;ervants</HI> &s;laves to great mens &s;ervants, that they might lord it over Gods Heritage; men of proud in&s;ulting &s;pirits, how low for their own ends? as <HI>Ab&s;olom</HI> courteth the people to ju&s;tle his father out of the Throne, 2 <HI>Sam.</HI> 15. 2, 3, 4, 5. and <HI>Tacitus</HI> ob&s;erveth the like of <HI>Othe,</HI> that he did <HI>proiicere o&s;|cula, adorare vulgus &amp; omnia &s;erviliter pro imperio:</HI> adore the people, ki&s;s the meane&s;t, ba&s;ely di&s;pen&s;e his courte&s;ie to the vile&s;t, all to further his de&s;igns upon the Empire;
<PB N="479" REF="248">
&s;o <HI>Ammianus Marcelliuus,</HI> lib. 25. ob&s;erveth the &s;ame of <HI>Julian,</HI> that out of affectation of popularity he delighted to conver&s;e with the meane&s;t of the people; certainly a proud &s;pirit is no great &s;pirit, no more then a &s;woln arme can be accounted big.</P>
<P>2. <HI>Having mens per&s;ons in admiration for advantage, is a</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 5.</NOTE> <HI>&s;in:</HI> we may admire the gifts of God in others, &s;o as to prai&s;e the giver; but not &s;o as to be guilty of <HI>anthropolatry,</HI> or man <HI>wor&s;hip, 1 Cor,</HI> 3. 21. not &s;o as to <HI>de&s;pi&s;e others,</HI> who have their u&s;efulne&s;s, and it may be as excellent a gift in another kind, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 12. 7, 8, 9, 10, 11. not &s;o as to promote our intere&s;ts thereby; this is &s;ervile flattery con|demned in the Text; and <HI>Ho&s;ea</HI> 7. 8. not &s;o as to be afraid to tell them their own, or for their fear or favour to wre&s;t the truth of God&punc; <HI>Mat. 22. 16. Thou teache&s;t the way of God in truth neither care&s;t thou for any man, for thou re|garde&s;t not the per&s;on of men;</HI> let all regard this, e&s;pecially the Mini&s;ters of Chri&s;t.</P>
<P>3. <HI>That &s;educers are apt to in&s;innuate with great per&s;ons,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 6.</NOTE> <HI>and men of power and intere&s;t, that having their ear and countenance, they may ingage them again&s;t the truth:</HI> having not truth of their &s;ide, they u&s;e the more craft: as the Ivy not being able to &s;upport it &s;elf, twineth about the Oak till it &s;ucketh out its heart; Gods Me&s;&s;engers carry it more openly, and with a &s;ingle plainne&s;s, &s;ee 2 <HI>Cor. 1. 12. cree|pers</HI> and <HI>fawning para&s;ites</HI> do but draw a &s;u&s;picion upon them&s;elves; &s;urely Gods cau&s;e is able to &s;tand upon its own legges, and needeth not the &s;upport of &s;o ba&s;e an Arti|fice.</P>
<P><HI>But is it not lawful to u&s;e &s;ome prudence in this kind, and to in&s;innuate with great men for the advantage of a good cau&s;e?</HI></P>
<P><HI>I An&s;wer,</HI> To be over &s;olicitous in this kind, argueth di&s;tru&s;t of Gods providence, and draweth &s;u&s;picion upon the way which we would need maintain; that matter is not very cumbu&s;tible where men blow &s;o hard: what favour commeth in the fai<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> way of Gods providence we may ac|cept; <HI>All men &s;eek the Rulers face, but every mans judg|ment</HI>
<PB N="480" REF="249">
<HI>is of the Lord;</HI> and what may be gotten by <HI>hone&s;t; open,</HI> and <HI>lawful means,</HI> as by humble addre&s;&s;es, and the mag|netick virtue of truth its &s;elf, and the holine&s;s of them that maintain it may be &s;ought after; thus the Apo&s;tles dealt with the Rulers and great ones, to gain their re&s;pect to Chri&s;tianity, that they might with le&s;s prejudice in&s;innuate the truth to the people, <HI>Acts</HI> 18. 8. and <HI>Acts 19. 31. Some of the chief of A&s;ia were friends to Paul:</HI> but now when this re&s;pect is to be gotten by <HI>clamular</HI> and <HI>di&s;hone&s;t arts,</HI> and cannot be kept without flattering them in their &s;ins, or complyance with their lu&s;ts and carnal de&s;igns, and men &s;tretch their con&s;ciences, and make it their bu&s;ine&s;s to hu|mour tho&s;e that they may advance them; and trample up|on all that may be called <HI>right</HI> and <HI>hone&s;ty,</HI> to accompli&s;h their ends, and magnify tho&s;e whom they would have &s;corned, if their &s;tation had not been &s;o high; This is <HI>to have mens per&s;ons in admiration for advantage.</HI></P>
<P>4. <HI>&V;&s;ually men of a fal&s;e way in Religion admire tho&s;e of</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat: 7.</NOTE> <HI>their own party above others of known worth and integrity;</HI> this is one part of the &s;en&s;e; all of their own way they ac|counted <HI>Gno&s;ticks,</HI> that is <HI>knowing per&s;ons,</HI> as if others, how much &s;oever owned by God, as having the &s;tamp and impre&s;s of gifts and graces upon them, were not to be com|pared with them; this is the <HI>genius</HI> of all Sectaries, <HI>illi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> ip&s;um e&s;&s;e e&s;t promereri,</HI> &s;aith <HI>Tertullian, 'tis religion enough to be one of them.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="17" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="481" REF="249">
<EPIGRAPH>
<BIBL>Ver&s;e 17.</BIBL>
<Q>But Beloved remember ye the words which were &s;poken before of the Apo|&s;tles of our Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>HAving de&s;cribed the&s;e Seducers, he exhorteth tho&s;e to whom he wrote, to beware of them, aliedging the warning of <HI>the Apostles,</HI> to &s;hew that not only <HI>Enoch,</HI> who might be &s;uppo&s;ed to &s;peak of the wicked men of his own time; but the Apo&s;tles, who expre&s;ly &s;pake of the pre&s;ent age, foretold that &s;coffers and &s;ons of <HI>Belial</HI> &s;hould ari&s;e in the Church.</P>
<P>There is nothing difficult in this Ver&s;e, only a <HI>doubt</HI> is to be di&s;cu&s;&s;ed; doth not this pa&s;&s;age yeild an Argument again&s;t the Authority of this Epi&s;tle? he &s;peaketh of <HI>Apo|&s;tles,</HI> and <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="foreign">.</NOTE> of <HI>of words &s;poken before</HI> by them, as if he were of an inferiour orbe, and writing long after their publicati|on of the word. I An&s;wer no.</P>
<P>1. <HI>Peter</HI> maketh mention of the Epi&s;tles of <HI>Paul,</HI> yet it doth not weaken his Authority, 2 <HI>Pet.</HI> 3 15, 16.</P>
<P>2. In the place exactly parallel to this, 2 <HI>Pet.</HI> 3. 2, 3. that Apo&s;tle citeth other writings, yet avoweth his Apo|&s;tolical Authority; <HI>Be mindful of the words &s;poken before by the holy Prophets, and the commandment of us the Apo&s;tles of Je&s;us Chri&s;t.</HI></P>
<P>3. This term [<HI>before &s;poken of</HI>] only &s;heweth that he wrote late, when either the Apo&s;tles were dead, or their writings were common in the Church:</P>
<P>But why doth he quote the <HI>words of the Apo&s;tles,</HI> nei|ther urging his own Authority, nor including him&s;elf as <HI>Peter</HI> doth: I An&s;wer, partly out of mode&s;ty to point at the place whence he had taken the&s;e thing<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">, and to &s;hew that he was not a&s;hamed to u&s;e and alledge the writings of his fellow Apo&s;tles.</P>
<P>2. To declare their mutual con&s;ent: <HI>In the mouth of two or three witne&s;&s;es &s;hall every word be e&s;tabli&s;hed.</HI></P>
<P><PB N="482" REF="250">3. His own Authority is implyed in vouching theirs, and before expre&s;&s;ed, when he calleth him&s;elf [<HI>The Brother of James.</HI>]</P>
<P>Notes from this Ver&s;e are the&s;e.</P>
<P>From that [<HI>Beloved</HI>] which compellation is u&s;ed to note his affection in this writing, the like is u&s;ed by <HI>Peter,</HI> 2 Pet. 3. 1. <HI>Beloved I thought meet,</HI> &amp;c. <HI>When we declaim again&s;t errours, we &s;hould do it out of love, and a tender re&s;pect to the good of &s;ouls:</HI> In all conque&s;ts we had need watch our own hearts; people &s;u&s;pect us to act out of <HI>peevi&s;hne&s;s</HI> and <HI>&s;ini|ni&s;ter affections,</HI> to &s;erve a &s;ect and party, and our ingage|ment to be <HI>faction,</HI> not <HI>zeal,</HI> therefore be the more care|ful that the flame be pure, incen&s;e mu&s;t not be kindled with &s;trange fire, nor zealous ingagements ari&s;e from a carnal impul&s;e.</P>
<P>Again, we may be earne&s;t again&s;t errour, when corrupt men are gotten into e&s;teem; but 'tis in love to you, if we expre&s;s our &s;elves with &s;ome warmth and affection, 'tis for God, and your &s;ouls are concerned: 'tis ob&s;ervable <HI>John,</HI> the <HI>Di&s;ciple of love,</HI> is mo&s;t earne&s;t again&s;t deceivers; <HI>bid them not good &s;peed</HI> &s;aith he, 2 Ep. <HI>John</HI> 7. 10. and eve|ry where in his Epi&s;tles, <HI>My little children beleeve not every &s;pirit,</HI> &amp;c. <HI>there are many Anti. Christs, men that lye and have not the truth;</HI> 'tis &s;ad your Mini&s;ters &s;hould be looked upon as enemies, becau&s;e they love you, and warm you; But you will &s;ay 'tis out of <HI>perver&s;ene&s;s,</HI> to &s;erve their facti|on, and to ca&s;t an <HI>odium</HI> upon parties oppo&s;ite to them|&s;elves: I An&s;wer, <HI>Charity thinketh no evil,</HI> we &s;hould not interpret the wor&s;t; tho&s;e that &s;torm at a warning, give a &s;hrewd pre&s;umption of their own guilt: u&s;ually per&s;ons that object thus, are &s;uch as would have us tamely to &s;uf|fer the honour and intere&s;t of our Lord and Ma&s;ter Je&s;us Chri&s;t, to be trampled under foot; but 'tis our hearts de|&s;ire that tender con&s;ciences may know, that 'tis not <HI>the &s;hame</HI> of others, but <HI>their good,</HI> which we aim at.</P>
<P>From that [<HI>Remember,] Sea&s;onable remembrance of truths is a great help and relief to the &s;oul;</HI> John 2. 22. <HI>When he was ri&s;en from the dead, the De&s;ciples remembred,</HI> &amp;c.
<PB N="483" REF="250">
in <HI>events</HI> 'tis good to remember <HI>Prophe&s;ies,</HI> they confirm the &s;oul, and &s;upport it again&s;t the pre&s;ent di&s;tre&s;s and tem|ptation, both <HI>&s;ins</HI> and <HI>di&s;comforts</HI> ari&s;e from forgetfulne&s;s mo&s;tly, and want of actual remembrance; <HI>Have ye for|gotten, Heb.</HI> 12. 5. but now when the &s;pirit is ready with the remedy, as the fle&s;h is with the temptations, 'tis a migh|ty &s;upport; in the debates between the carnal and &s;piritu|al part, <HI>&s;ea&s;onable thoughts</HI> carry it, I do not &s;ay bare thoughts do it, unle&s;s God be in them; there may be gra|cious di&s;&s;allowing thoughts, and yet the fle&s;h go away with the victory for all that; but this is the way by which the &s;pirit of God worketh by fre&s;h and &s;ea&s;onable thoughts, he poy&s;eth the heart, and inclineth it to the better &s;ide: Well then, let your memories be as an Ark or Che&s;t, in which the Tables ore kept; lay up a good &s;tock of know|ledge, that you may have truths always fre&s;h and pre&s;ent with you, will be an <HI>help to prayer,</HI> Eph. 6. 17, 18 <HI>Take the &s;word of the &s;pirit which is the word of God, praying al|ways,</HI> &amp;c. a check to temptations to &s;in, <HI>P&s;al. 119. 9. I have hid thy word in my heart, that I might not &s;in again&s;t thee;</HI> a &s;upport in afflictions, <HI>Heb.</HI> 12. 5. a remedy again&s;t errour, <HI>John</HI> 14, 26.</P>
<P>The next Clau&s;e is [<HI>the words &s;poken before] The Pro|phe&s;ies</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 3.</NOTE> <HI>of Scripture evince the truth of it;</HI> things are there &s;poken long before they fall out, not only before the <HI>event,</HI> but before the <HI>cau&s;es,</HI> or <HI>remor&s;e tendencies</HI> to &s;uch an event; wi&s;e men may <HI>gue&s;s</HI> when they &s;ee probabilities, and fore|tel that which dependeth on <HI>natural cau&s;es;</HI> the Devil can many times &s;hrewdly interpret the <HI>predictions of the word,</HI> but a <HI>certain precience</HI> of what is <HI>future,</HI> and meerly in it &s;elf <HI>contingent,</HI> is the prerogative of God, <HI>I&s;a. 41. 22. Let them foretel things to come,</HI> &amp;c. this is done in the Scripture, <HI>Cyrus</HI> is mentioned by name an hundred years before he was born, <HI>I&s;ai.</HI> 25. 1. The birth of <HI>Jo&s;iah</HI> 300. years before it came to pa&s;s, 1 <HI>King.</HI> 13. 2. The building of <HI>Jericho</HI> 500. years before it was re-edified, <HI>Jo&s;h</HI> 7. 26. with 1 <HI>King</HI> 16. 34. The great promi&s;e of Chri&s;t in Paradice, accompli&s;hed a thou&s;ands of years afterward; the people of the Jews were
<PB N="484" REF="251">
ever warned by Prophe&s;ie of the good or bad that befel them; Scripture was to them not only an <HI>Authentick Re|gister,</HI> but an <HI>infallible progno&s;tication;</HI> the&s;e two &s;ignal providences of the reje<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ion of the Jews, and the calling of the Gentiles, were they not abundantly foretold, and accordingly came to pa&s;s? Can there be any compact here? When the Jews were the keepers of the Oracles of God, would they foy&s;t in Prophe&s;ies again&s;t them&s;elves? Well then, venture upon the truth of the word more than you have done; God hath ever hitherto &s;tood to his word rather then he would go back from it, he would not only ca&s;t off <HI>his ancient people,</HI> but &s;end his <HI>own Son,</HI> to &s;uffer a &s;hameful and an accur&s;ed death; he that hath been faith|ful hither to, is he like to fail at la&s;t?</P>
<P>I go on in the Text, [<HI>of the Apo&s;tle of our Lord Je&s;us,</HI>]<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 4.</NOTE> <HI>That the words of the Apostles are the Rule of faith;</HI> the&s;e were <HI>legati a latere,</HI> &s;ent from the &s;ide of Chri&s;t; they had an extraordinary mi&s;&s;ion and call immediately from Chri&s;t, as Chri&s;t from the Father, <HI>John</HI> 17. 18, and <HI>John</HI> 20. 21. they had <HI>extraordinary gifts,</HI> as infallibility, <HI>quod hoc,</HI> as to the work of an Apo&s;tle, the power of working miracles, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> and ordinary gifts in an extraordinary man|ner, as <HI>tongues,</HI> &amp;c. they were to <HI>write Scripture,</HI> and to con&s;ign a Rule to the u&s;e of the Church in all ages: <HI>This word of the Kingdom mu&s;t be Preached till the end come,</HI> Mat. 24. 14. and Chri&s;t prayed for no more then do <HI>believe through their word,</HI> John 17. 20. and to them he &s;aid, <HI>Matth 28. I am with you to the end of the world,</HI> no other doctrine can we expect till we come to &s;tudy Divinity in the Lambs face.</P>
<P>Once more, the&s;e <HI>Apo&s;tles of the Lord,</HI> were <HI>Paul</HI> and <HI>Peter, 2 Tim. 3. 1, 2, 3, 4 Peter, 2 Pet.</HI> 3. 2, 3. From<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 5.</NOTE> whence <HI>Jude</HI> taketh many pa&s;&s;ages.</P>
<P><HI>'Tis not unlawful to make u&s;e of the writings of other men.</HI> Compare the fifteenth and &s;ixteenth Chapters of <HI>I&s;aiah</HI> with the 48 of <HI>Jeremiah,</HI> e&s;pecially <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 16. 8, 9, 10, 11, ver&s;es, with <HI>Jer.</HI> 48. 32, 33, 34, 35, 36. and you &s;hall &s;ee how they agree almo&s;t word for word; the gifts and la|bours
<PB N="485" REF="251">
of others are for our u&s;e, not to <HI><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">eed lazine&s;s,</HI> but to <HI>exerci&s;e indu&s;try,</HI> in &s;ome ca&s;es if we &s;peak, <HI>ii&s;dem paene literis &amp; &s;yllabis&punc;</HI> (as <HI>Melanchthon</HI> wi&s;hed Divines would) in the &s;ame words, 'tis not a fault in controver&s;ies and po|&s;itive truths, better make u&s;e of <HI>old words,</HI> then coin <HI>n<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">w matter:</HI> many now &s;coff at common truths, as if Preach|ers did but talk like clocks, one after another; Doctrine cannot be varied; <HI>a good &s;cribe indeed mu&s;t bring forth out of his Trea&s;ury things both new and old,</HI> repre&s;ent common things in a fre&s;h &s;avory way; yet 'tis not altogether un|lawful to make u&s;e of the words of others, where they are poinaunt and emphatical, not lazily to go on in the tract, but as improving their conceptions.</P>
<P>Yet again, <HI>Jude an Apo&s;tle&punc; quoteth Apo&s;tles; Daniel</HI> a<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 6.</NOTE> Prophet read in the Prophe&s;ies of <HI>Jeremiah, Dan. 9. 2. Peter</HI> was conver&s;ant in the Epi&s;tles of <HI>Paul, 2 Pet. 3. 16. Paul</HI> him&s;elf had a care of the Parchments, that is (as &s;ome &s;uppo&s;e) the Volumes and Books of Scripture, 1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 4. 13. Certainly the Scripture is not only for <HI>novices</HI> and <HI>young beginners,</HI> but for the highe&s;t, a &s;tudy becomming the mo&s;t eminently gifted; there is a pa&s;&s;age, <HI>P&s;al. 119. 75. Let tho&s;e that fear thy name turn unto me, &amp; tho&s;e that have known thy te&s;timonies;</HI> that <HI>turning to him,</HI> &s;ome under&s;tand of joyning with him in friend&s;hip and familiarity, as certainly godly men by a &s;ecret inclination, are moved to joyn one with another; others make the end of turning to him to behold in him a pattern and example of the Lords grace; but the <HI>Chaldee paraphra&s;e</HI> thus, <HI>turns to my Doctrine&punc;</HI> tho&s;e that know let them come to know more. Well then, do not re&s;t in the light you have, and think that you are above the&s;e helps, you may be further in&s;tructed and e&s;tabli&s;hed, if you had all knowledg there are affections to be wrought upon; you may be <HI>quickned</HI> if not learn; Mini&s;ters and tho&s;e that abound in knowledg may be &s;tirred up by the admonitions and exhortations of others.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="18" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="486" REF="252">
<EPIGRAPH>
<BIBL>Ver&s;e 18.</BIBL>
<Q>How that they told you that there &s;hould be Mockers in the la&s;t time, walking after their own ungodly lusts.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P><HI>HOw that they told you</HI>] he meaneth not in <HI>word</HI> but in <HI>writings;</HI> they told the Church in general, but the Apo&s;tle applyeth it to them, places are every where, 1 <HI>Tim 4. 1. 2 Tim. 3. 1. Acts 20. 29, 30. [in the la&s;t time.</HI>] The days when the Go&s;pel was fir&s;t Preached are &s;o called in a double &s;en&s;e, either with re&s;pect to <HI>the approaching judge|ments</HI> on the Jews, 1 <HI>Iohn 2. 18. Little children now it is the la&s;t time,</HI> the lea&s;e of our mercies was running out a pace; &s;o <HI>James</HI> telleth the carnal Jews, <HI>Iames 5. 3. Ye have heaped up trea&s;ure for the la&s;t days,</HI> when God was pulling down and plucking up, they were &s;cr<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ping and hoarding up wealth, and &s;o became a greater prey to the de&s;troyer. 2. Or becau&s;e then the <HI>la&s;t di&s;pen&s;ation</HI> began, which God would continue without change unto the worlds end, <HI>Heb. 1. 2. He hath in the&s;e la&s;t days &s;poken to us by his Son;</HI> the Lord hath now fully revealed his mind, and the Doctrine of &s;alvation is put into a &s;ettled cour&s;e, never more to be altered.</P>
<P>But why do the Scriptures &s;peak &s;o much of <HI>Scoffers in the la&s;t time?</HI></P>
<P>I An&s;wer, 1. Either by way of <HI>aggravation,</HI> that there &s;hould be &s;coffers then, when God had &s;ealed Doctrine by the comming of his Son, beyond which godly men did not de&s;ire a greater confirmation.</P>
<P>2. Or <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>by way of di&s;tinction,</HI> more Mockers in the la&s;t time rather than another; partly becau&s;e the world was &s;till continued, notwith&s;tanding the threatnings of its de&s;truction, 2 <HI>Pet.</HI> 3. 4. partly becau&s;e the holy peo|ple were then devided, <HI>Jews</HI> and <HI>Chri&s;tians,</HI> and times of divi&s;ion prove times of <HI>Athei&s;m</HI> and <HI>&s;coffing:</HI> partly be|cau&s;e carnal hopes of a ten poral Me&s;&s;iah were di&s;&s;appoint|ed,
<PB N="487" REF="252">
and by that means their a&s;&s;ent was much weakned as to principles of faith.</P>
<P>[<HI>mockers</HI>] &s;ome think it imlyeth <HI>Seducers,</HI> who by de|luding, do as it were, make a mock of men; but I &s;uppo&s;e 'tis rather taken properly, for &s;uch as in the old Te&s;tament are termed <HI>&s;corners,</HI> Prov. 9. or <HI>&s;coffers;</HI> when men &s;light that of which them&s;elves or others have had an high e&s;teem they u&s;ually do it by &s;corning and &s;coffing, thereby the more to deface all feelings of con&s;cience: if you enquire what they mocked at? I An&s;wer in general, it &s;eemeth to be the Lord&s;hip of Chri&s;t; in particular, the glorious ex|erci&s;e of it at the day of judgment; <HI>Where is the promi&s;e of his comming? 2 Pet.</HI> 3. 4. and therefore is <HI>Enochs</HI> Prophe|cy produced, which foretelleth <HI>the Lords comming with ten thou&s;ands of his Saints,</HI> and <HI>Hieron</HI> in <HI>I&s;a&punc;</HI> lib. 14. cap. 51. telleth us of a di&s;cour&s;e between <HI>Peter</HI> and <HI>Simon magus,</HI> (again&s;t who&s;e School and Sect our Apo&s;tle is &s;uppo&s;ed to write) concerning the de&s;truction of the world: <HI>If God be good (&s;aith</HI> Simon) <HI>why will he de&s;troy that which is good; if the world be bad, how is God good that made it</HI> &amp;c.</P>
<P>The&s;e Scorners are &s;aid [<HI>to walk after their own ungodly lu&s;ts] walking</HI> implyeth their &s;etled cour&s;e and daily cu&s;tom of life, and their <HI>lu&s;ts</HI> are called <HI>ungodly lu&s;ts;</HI> partly to note the profane temper of their &s;pirits, and partly to di&s;tingui&s;h them from the motions and lu&s;tings of the new nature.</P>
<P>The Notes are the&s;e.</P>
<P>1. <HI>What is told to the Church in general, we mu&s;t appre|hend</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 1.</NOTE> <HI>it as told to us. Paul</HI> telleth <HI>Timothy,</HI> and <HI>Peter</HI> tell|eth the di&s;tre&s;&s;ed &s;trangers, and <HI>Jude</HI> &s;aith they told you: So Heb. 12. 5. <HI>the exhortation &s;peaketh to you,</HI> &amp;c. As if the Hebrews were the per&s;ons to whom the Proverbs were directly written: the Scriptures &s;peak to <HI>every age, every Church, every per&s;on,</HI> no le&s;s than to tho&s;e to whom they were fir&s;t directed; well then, it &s;heweth us how we &s;hould be affected in reading the word, we &s;hould read it as a letter written by the hand of God from Heaven to us by name, if an Angel &s;hould bring us a letter from Hea|ven&punc;
<PB N="488" REF="253">
certainly we would regard it; the Bible is a Me&s;&s;age &s;en from Heaven to acquaint us with the mind of God, if we own the divine authority of it, why do we regard it no more?</P>
<P>2. <HI>We &s;hould not be troubled at what is foretold,</HI> mon|&s;ters<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 2.</NOTE> expected are not wondered at, expectation as it de|flowreth any good thing that we expect, &s;o it fore armeth the mind again&s;t evil, John 16. 4. <HI>the&s;e things I have told you, that when the time &s;hall come ye may remember. I have told you,</HI> why? what good will that do? <HI>An&s;.</HI> we are the better prepared to entertain evils when we expect them be|fore they come, and the evil to which the mind is accu&s;t|omed &s;eemeth the le&s;s; again, we have an experience of Gods truth in the prediction, which will help us to believe and depend upon other promi&s;es: finally it a&s;&s;ureth us that the Lord hath a hand and a Coun&s;ell in all our troubles, for hee told us of them before.</P>
<P>3. <HI>That the Scriptures speak much of the evil of the lat|ter</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 3.</NOTE> <HI>times,</HI> there is more knowledg and yet more &s;in and error; knowledg where it is not &s;anctified, puffeth up and maketh men curious, and &s;o they have an itch after novel|ties, or el&s;e it maketh men wicked, exa&s;perating our evil affections, and &s;o none &s;o bad as they that &s;in again&s;t light; thence much of the <HI>error</HI> and <HI>profanene&s;s</HI> in the latter dayes: Again the <HI>latter dayes</HI> are as the <HI>bottom</HI> and <HI>&s;ink</HI> that receiv|eth the dregs of foregoing ages, and <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Mundus &s;e|ne&s;cens <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">patitur phanta&s;ias. <HI>Ger&s;on.</HI></NOTE> as the world grow|eth old it is much given to dreams and dotage: Once more much <HI>divi&s;ion</HI> there will be, and <HI>be<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ting their fellow-&s;er|vants,</HI> Matth. 24. 29 much <HI>Libertini&s;m</HI> in&s;tead of ca&s;t|ing off <HI>ceremonies,</HI> they will ca&s;t off <HI>O dinances,</HI> and de&s;ire to be freed not only from the <HI>Popes Laws,</HI> but the very <HI>Law of Chri&s;t.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Among other &s;ins that are found in the latter times, there</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Ob&s;ervat.</HI> 4&punc;</NOTE> <HI>will be many Scoffers.</HI> Partly becau&s;e in times of controver|&s;ie men will lo&s;e all awe, when truths are made que&s;tiona|ble a&s;&s;ent is weakened; partly becau&s;e in times of liberty men will g<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ve vent to their thoughts; partly becau&s;e the <HI>&s;candals</HI> of profe&s;&s;ing Chri&s;tians will make many turn A|thei&s;ts&punc;
<PB N="489" REF="253">
partly becau&s;e fabulous conceits concerning the coming and temporal Kingdom of Chri&s;t will make men que&s;tion the whole doctrine of his coming: Well then, wonder not if you find many &s;coffing at the <HI>authority of the Scriptures, God-head of Chri&s;t, Day of Judgment, the Or|dinances, Fasting and Prayer.</HI> The latter age will yield &s;uch kind of men, and 'tis one of the arts of Sathan, by his In&s;truments to make things of the &s;adde&s;t and mo&s;t &s;erious concernment to &s;eem ridiculous, that when once the awe of the&s;e ble&s;&s;ed truths is weakened, men may be more ea&s;ily induced to ca&s;t off both the concernment and profe&s;&s;ion of them.</P>
<P><HI>Mockers and Scoffers are u&s;ually the wor&s;t of &s;inners.</HI> In<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 5.</NOTE> the fir&s;t <HI>P&s;alm</HI> there are three degrees of &s;inners mention|ed, and the highe&s;t rank are tho&s;e <HI>that &s;it in the &s;eat of &s;in|ners,</HI> P&s;al. 1. 1. the Sept. render there <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>the chair of pe&s;tilence,</HI> the&s;e are the pe&s;ts of mankind, <HI>&s;corning</HI> com|meth from <HI>custom</HI> in &s;inning, and maketh way for <HI>freedom</HI> in &s;inning; when Con&s;cience is &s;eared and men have lo&s;t not only re&s;traints of grace but natural mode&s;ty, then they they fall a &s;coffing; aud when once they are turned <HI>&s;coffers</HI> nothing will reclaim them, reproofs inrage them, <HI>rebuke a Scorner and he will hate thee, Prov.</HI> 9 8. yea, none do the Divel &s;o much &s;ervice in preventing others as they; if your feet have been taken in this &s;nare of death, extricate your &s;elves betimes, beg earne&s;tly for the more grace, there is &s;ome hope, God inviteth Scorners, <HI>Pro.</HI> 1. 22.</P>
<P>Again ob&s;erve, <HI>Tho&s;e that ca&s;t off the awe of the Lords</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 6.</NOTE> <HI>coming will certainly give up them&s;elves to bruiti&s;h lu&s;ts:</HI> Tho&s;e mockers that &s;aid <HI>where is the promi&s;e of his coming,</HI> are &s;aid here to <HI>walk after their own lu&s;ts, N<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">gantes enim pae|nam n<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">gant, &amp; di&s;ciplinam,</HI> &s;aith <HI>Tertullian, de re&s;urrect. cap.</HI> 11. denying the Re&s;urrection of the fle&s;h, they mu&s;t needs be fle&s;hly; for therefore they denyed the day of his coming to avoid the fear of his judgment.</P>
<P><HI>It a<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">gueth a state of wickedne&s;s to walk after our own lu&s;ts.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 7.</NOTE> That is, when &s;in and lu&s;t is our con&s;tant practice, a godly per&s;on may too often do according to his lu&s;ts, but he does
<PB N="490" REF="254">
not walk therein, 'tis not his con&s;tant road and path, pag&punc; 68. 21. <HI>he will wound the head of his enemies and the hairy &s;calp of &s;uch an one as goeth on &s;till in his tre&s;pa&s;&s;es,</HI> &s;uch as <HI>go on &s;till</HI> are there accounted <HI>enemies</HI> to God, but what is to walk in &s;in? <HI>An&s;.</HI> to make lu&s;t our <HI>principle,</HI> our <HI>cour&s;e,</HI> our <HI>end.</HI> Our <HI>principle,</HI> what ever a wicked man goeth a|bout, he doth it out of &s;ome carnal impul&s;e, his good du|ties are either to <HI>hide</HI> a lu&s;t or <HI>feed</HI> a lu&s;t, if he ab&s;tain from one &s;in 'tis to feed another; again, when 'tis our <HI>way</HI> and <HI>cour&s;e</HI> carnal men follow earthly things with greate&s;t ear|ne&s;tne&s;s and delight, but heavenly things in a &s;leight and overly manner, the world and the fle&s;h is their <GAP DESC="foreign">, their bu&s;ine&s;s, all their care and comfort is it; and this is their end to plea&s;e them&s;elves, and to &s;atisfie thei<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> lu&s;ts: Well then, <HI>walk in the &s;pirit that you may not fulfil the lu&s;ts of the fle&s;h.</HI> See ver&s;e 16.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="19" TYPE="verse">
<EPIGRAPH>
<BIBL>Ver&s;e 19.</BIBL>
<Q>The&s;e be they who &s;eparate them&s;elves, &s;en&s;ual, having not the Spirit.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>HEre the Apo&s;tle cometh to inform them who the&s;e <HI>Mockers</HI> were of whom the Apo&s;tles of the Lord &s;pake, he de&s;cribeth them by three notes.</P>
<P>1. They <HI>&s;eparate them&s;elves,</HI> 2. Sen&s;ual. 3. <HI>Not ha|ving the Spirit.</HI></P>
<P>1. [<HI>The&s;e be they who &s;eparate them&s;elves</HI>] <GAP DESC="foreign">, the old Engli&s;h Tran&s;lation had it thus, <HI>the&s;e are the Makers of Sects,</HI> the word &s;ignifieth tho&s;e which di&s;terminate and pluck up <HI>the bounds</HI> which God hath &s;et The Apo&s;tle meaneth tho&s;e that without any nece&s;&s;ity and warrant from God, cut off them&s;elves from the communi|on of the Church.</P>
<P>2 <HI>Sen&s;ual, <GAP DESC="foreign">, animal</HI> or <HI>Soul-men,</HI> men that have nothing but a rea&s;onable Soul which being corrupted, mindeth only the things of the fle&s;h, and &s;o noteth fle&s;h|ly
<PB N="491" REF="254">
corrupt men <HI>Tertullian</HI> when leavened with <HI>Montani&s;m,</HI> called the Orthodox <HI>p&s;ychicos</HI> becau&s;e of they did not with <HI>Montanus,</HI> condemn &s;econd marriages; the word is nota|ble, it will be &s;ome advantage to us to con&s;ider it a little more fully: 'Tis three times u&s;ed in Scripture, as in 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 2. 14. the natural man <GAP DESC="foreign">, who is oppo&s;ed to <GAP DESC="foreign"> the &s;piritual men. So in James 3. 15, <HI>the wi&s;dom that is from above is earthly, &s;en&s;ual, [<GAP DESC="foreign">] diveli&s;h&punc;</HI> and then in this place, the word (as I &s;aid before) pro|perly &s;igni&s;ieth tho&s;e that have a Soul, and <GAP DESC="foreign"> is el&s;e|where u&s;ed for the <HI>&s;en&s;itive Soul,</HI> as where the Apo&s;tle di|&s;tingui&s;heth of <HI>body, Soul,</HI> and <HI>Spirit, 1 The&s;.</HI> 5. 23 <GAP DESC="foreign">, where by <GAP DESC="foreign"> <HI>&s;pirit,</HI> he under&s;tandeth the intellectual or rational part, by <GAP DESC="foreign"> <HI>Soul,</HI> the meer animal or &s;en&s;itive part, or that <HI>&s;en&s;ual appetite</HI> which we have in common with the bea&s;ts, by <GAP DESC="foreign"> <HI>body,</HI> that which is commonly under&s;tood by it, the body as it is the Organ and In&s;trument of the Soul, and this is one rea&s;on why <GAP DESC="foreign"> cometh to &s;ignifie <HI>&s;en&s;ual&punc;</HI> the other is becau&s;e man being left to him&s;elf to meer <HI>Soul-light</HI> or <HI>Soul-inclinations,</HI> can bring forth no other fruits then &s;uch as are carnal; for whil&s;t men are de&s;titute of &s;anctifying grace, <HI>&s;en&s;e</HI> and the <HI>fle&s;h</HI> do raign in their full liberty and power: Well then, the&s;e &s;educers&punc; were &s;en&s;ual&punc; given up to bruiti&s;h lu&s;ts and practi&s;es; they taxed others as carnal, and now none &s;o libidinous, impure and carnal, at they.</P>
<P>3. <HI>Not having the &s;pirit;</HI> this is added, not only to &s;hew that they were de&s;titute of true grace and regeneration: partly to rebuke their <HI>vain pretences;</HI> the <HI>Gno&s;ticks</HI> and other filthy &s;educers of that time, did arrogate to them&punc; &s;elves a &s;ingularity and peculiarity of the &s;pirit, as if all o|thers were carnal, they only had the &s;pirit, whereas indeed the contrary was true, they giving up them&s;elves to &s;uch filthy practi&s;es, &s;hewed that they had nothing of the &s;pi|rit in them; &s;ee <HI>Iraeneus, lib. 1. cap. 9. &s;ect.</HI> 6, 7. Partly to &s;hew the incompatiblene&s;s of the &s;pirit with a fle&s;hly and carnal life.</P>
<P>Notes from hence are the&s;e.</P>
<PB N="492" REF="255">
<P>That &s;eparation or dividing our &s;elves from the fellow|&s;hip of Gods Church is &s;inful, or a work of the fle&s;h: The Apo&s;tle de&s;cribeth carnal per&s;ons, and of them he &s;aith, <HI>They &s;eparate them&s;elves,</HI> and accordingly the Apo&s;tle reckoneth <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>&s;editious here&s;ies.</HI> or <HI>&s;ect|makings</HI> in the Church among the works of the fle&s;h, <HI>Gal.</HI> 5. 20. and with good rea&s;on, to leave the Church is to leave God; <HI>Cain</HI> was the fir&s;t <HI>&s;eparati&s;t</HI> we read of, <HI>Gen. 4. 19. He went out from the pre&s;ence of the Lord,</HI> God is eve|ry where, how, <HI>from his pre&s;ence?</HI> the meading is, from the Church, where <HI>is the pre&s;ence of his grace;</HI> why &s;hould we run from the <HI>Shepherds Tents</HI> where Chri&s;t feedeth at noon? <HI>Cant.</HI> 1. 9. 10. And as 'tis contrary to our love to God, &s;o to our love to the Saints, to which we are &s;o &s;o|lemnly ingaged; the que&s;tion of &s;eparation lyeth much in the dark, but obligations to love are clear and open, &s;ee <HI>Eph.</HI> 4. 4. 5, 6. 'Tis &s;ad that many that pretend much to Religion make no con&s;cience <HI>of Schi&s;m,</HI> and offending the brethren, by withdrawing from them, as if Chri&s;ts pre|cepts of love were not to be &s;tood upon, as certainly they are not by them who draw their liberty to the highe&s;t, and in indifferent matters rather take that cour&s;e which will offend.</P>
<P>Once more, 'tis little for the honour of Chri&s;t, that his body is crumbled into &s;mall bits and portionets; he prayed, <HI>Let them be one that the world may know that thou ha&s;t &s;ent me,</HI> implying that our divi&s;ions and breaking into &s;ects, would breed &s;u&s;picion of the Go&s;pel in the hearts of men, as if that great my&s;tery of redemption by him, were but a well devi&s;ed fable: Yet again, this running into parties and &s;ects, is our great hindrance and di&s;advantage: partly in <HI>&s;piritual things,</HI> for all duties of &s;piritual commerce and communion are fore-born; 'tis &s;aid here, <HI>The&s;e &s;eparate them&s;elves,</HI> but beloved, <HI>do ye edifie one another in your holy faith,</HI> implying that though others withdraw and omit all duty in this kind, tho&s;e that continue in the body will con|tribute their mutual help and care to confirm and build up one another; a draught of wine is be&s;t pre&s;erved in the
<PB N="493" REF="255">
hog&s;head, and Chri&s;tians in their &s;ocieties; coals lying to|gether, keep in the heat, Apo&s;tacy began in for&s;aking the a&s;&s;emblies, <HI>Heb.</HI> 10. 23, and 25. and 1 <HI>Iohn</HI> 2. 19. Partly as to our outward peace and welfare; &s;eparation &s;ets others again&s;t us, and us again&s;t them, it exulcerateth mens minds again&s;t you, when you give out as if you were more pure and holy then others, <HI>I&s;ai. 65. 5. Stand by thy &s;elf, come not near me, for I am holyer then thou: Gracious &s;ingularity</HI> is many times envyed and hated, but certainly <HI>peevi&s;h &s;ingu|larity</HI> draweth a ju&s;t &s;corn upon its &s;elf; and it &s;etteth you again&s;t others, men &s;eldom &s;eparate, but their hearts are much e&s;tranged from tho&s;e from whom they &s;eparate, for Religious ties being once broken are hardly made up again; <HI>civil ruptures</HI> are not carryed on with &s;uch vehemency, and are &s;ooner clo&s;ed again; but Religion being the highe&s;t bond and ligament, when 'tis once violated, the breach is the more irreconcileable.</P>
<P>Thus you &s;ee the evils of <HI>Schi&s;m</HI> or <HI>&s;eparation;</HI> but be|cau&s;e this is many times <HI>perver&s;ely charged,</HI> we mu&s;t look a little more into the nature of it; the Spou&s;e had her Vail rent, and Gods own people have been burdened with the imputation of <HI>Schi&s;m</HI> and <HI>Faction;</HI> it will concern us to &s;tate what <HI>&s;epara<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ion</HI> is &s;inful: In general, &s;uch as di&s;&s;ol|veth that union and love which &s;hould be among Chri&s;ti|ans, <HI>or an unnece&s;&s;ary, unju&s;t or ra&s;h departure from fellow|&s;hip, and communion with one another in the Ordinances of Christ.</HI></P>
<P>This &s;eparation 1. Suppo&s;eth that there was <HI>Once an uni|on;</HI> we cannot be &s;aid to &s;eparate from the world of infi|dels, as <HI>Pagans, Turks, Jews,</HI> with whom we were never vnited, as water when the Ice is di&s;&s;olved cannot be &s;aid to be &s;eparated (in the &s;en&s;e we now take it.) from bodies He|terogeneal, as &s;tars, wood, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> becau&s;e never united with them but by accident, <HI>agregation</HI> there is, but not proper|ly a <HI>&s;eparation;</HI> &s;eparation is a <HI>di&s;&s;olution of union,</HI> as when one Church &s;eparateth from another, who are united in the &s;ame body, as parts of the <HI>Church univer&s;al,</HI> or one or more per&s;ons from the &s;ame <HI>particular Congregation</HI> of
<PB N="494" REF="256">
which they are members: I only add to this propo&s;ition, That this union is to be under&s;tood not only of <HI>what it is de facto,</HI> but <HI>what ought to be, de jure;</HI> thus per&s;ons that ought to join them&s;elves but out of &s;chi&s;matical principles do not, nor never did, join them&s;elves to the Churches of Chri&s;t, may be guilty of this &s;inful &s;eparation, becau&s;e there is an union required.</P>
<P>2 <HI>The fault and crime of the Schi&s;m is not always in tho&s;e that do actually &s;eparate and withdraw, but in tho&s;e that cau&s;e it;</HI> a man threatneth death to his wife, hereupon &s;he &s;e|parateth, not <HI>&s;he,</HI> but <HI>he</HI> maketh the &s;eparation; <HI>Rome</HI> ob|&s;tinately continuing her corruptions, and threatning death to tho&s;e that warn her, the cau&s;e of &s;eparation is in <HI>Rome,</HI> not in us; &s;trings in tune mu&s;t not be brought down to &s;trings out of tune, but the other &s;et up to them; <HI>Go not thou to them</HI> (&s;aith God to the Prophet) <HI>but let them return to thee.</HI></P>
<P>3. <HI>Though th<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;e that &s;eparate be the fewer yet that nothing varyeth the ca&s;e; Noah</HI> and eight per&s;ons went into the Ark, and left the world in infidelity; <HI>Lot</HI> got out of <HI>So|dom</HI> with one family; <HI>Elijah</HI> was left alone to conte&s;t with <HI>Baals</HI> Prie&s;ts, not the <HI>greater,</HI> but the <HI>better</HI> part is to be regarded; <HI>Jacobs</HI> family was fewer then the Cananites, and <HI>I&s;rael</HI> le&s;s then the re&s;t of the world; Gods witne&s;&s;es at the fir&s;t may be but a <HI>very handful.</HI></P>
<P>4. <HI>A &s;eparation from corruptions, and a &s;eparation from tho&s;e that are corrupt, are two di&s;tinct things;</HI> a &s;eparation from <HI>corruptions</HI> is always injoyned, but not always from tho&s;e that are <HI>corrupted,</HI> tho&s;e Scriptures, <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 52. 11. and 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 6. 17. &s;peak of a fellow&s;hip with men in evil works; but now a &s;eparation from men that are corrupt, is &s;ome|times lawful, <HI>Rev. 18. 4. Come out of her my people,</HI> &amp;c. and <HI>Jer. 51. 9. She would not be healed,</HI> &amp;c. we may &s;epa|rate from &s;uch as &s;eparate from Chri&s;t, and continue ob+&s;tinate in their corruptions; and &s;ometimes 'tis not law|ful, as when a Church is <HI>is reforming,</HI> and <HI>purging out the&s;e corruptions,</HI> or they are not <HI>of &s;uch moment</HI> as that &s;uch a de&s;parate remedy &s;hould be u&s;ed; a limb is not to be cut
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off as &s;oon as it akerh, but when 'tis rotten and likely to endanger the whole body, when evils are incurable, deadly and contagious; and we can no longer maintain commu|nion without &s;in, at fir&s;t 'tis good to try all things.</P>
<P>5. <HI>There are &s;everal &s;orts of &s;eparation,</HI> as the&s;e di&s;tincti|ons will manife&s;t.  Separation is either
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. Partial.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2 Total.</ITEM>
</LIST>
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. Negative.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. Po&s;itive.</ITEM>
</LIST>
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. &V;niver&s;al.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. Particular.</ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>For the fir&s;t di&s;tinction, there is a <HI>partial &s;eparation</HI> when we withdraw from the communion of the Church in &s;ome Ordinances and not in other, as in the Supper, but not in praving and hearing of the word.</P>
<P>The &s;econd di&s;tinction beareth thus: There is a <HI>negative &s;eparation,</HI> as when men do not hold communion with &s;ome Church, but yet do not joyn el&s;ewhere, but continue wait|ing for the amendment of that Church: <HI>Po&s;itive &s;eparati|on</HI> is when they embody in another Church way, &s;etting up Altar again&s;t Altar, and thre&s;hold again&s;t thre&s;hold.</P>
<P>The third di&s;tinction is to be under&s;tood thus. 1. There is a <HI>particular &s;eparation</HI> whereby men renounce communi|on with the Churches of &s;uch a kind and con&s;titution, <HI>ca|tholick</HI> or <HI>univer&s;al &s;eparation</HI> by which men di&s;claim all Churches extant in the world, as &s;eekers, and many loo&s;e and vagrant per&s;ons, that are as yet to chu&s;e Religion, or look for new me&s;&s;engers from Heaven, to re&s;olve the que|&s;tions that are now on foot.</P>
<P>Now the more unju&s;t <HI>the ground</HI> is, the more aggrava|ted is the &s;in by the <HI>degrees</HI> of it; if our &s;eparation be total and po&s;itive, and to deny all Churches, of what con&s;titu|tion &s;oever, argueth an high degree of pride and Schi&s;m.</P>
<P>6. <HI>Faulty &s;eparation is that which is ra&s;h, &s;inful and un|ju&s;t,</HI>
<PB N="496" REF="257">
<HI>ra&s;h</HI> without any real<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">cau&s;e, meerly for our better ac|commodation, or when we require that of the Church which the Scripture doth not require; <HI>unju&s;t</HI> without any &s;ufficient cau&s;e, occa&s;ioning &s;o many &s;candals and conten|tions for a trifle, and aggravating every di&s;content and di&s;|&s;atisfaction to the highe&s;t; <HI>&s;inful</HI> (I call it) when the <HI>grounds</HI> are as carnal as the practice, as <HI>revenge, per&s;onal di&s;content:</HI> as many in the primitive times went over to the Sect<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> in &s;to|mach and di&s;content; &s;o <HI>Tertullian</HI> (is reported by &s;ome to do) to the Montani&s;ts: Or el&s;e <HI>corrupt aims</HI> to be in the head of a train or troop, <HI>Acts</HI> 20. 28. 'tis ea&s;ie to a|bu&s;e the innocent credulity of the people, and therefore &s;ome wicked &s;pirits make it their work <HI>to draw Di&s;ciples af|ter them:</HI> Or it may be <HI>carnal fear</HI> of the &s;everity of di&s;ci|pline or the cen&s;ures of the Church, or out of <HI>love of gain,</HI> 2 Tim. 4. 10. or affectation of novelty, or an higher way than ordinary Chri&s;tians, or <HI>out of faction, in Corinth &s;ome of Paul. &s;ome of Apollos, &s;ome of Cephas,</HI> 1 Cor. 11. 21.</P>
<P>7. <HI>The only lawful grounds of Preparation are three.</HI></P>
<P>1. <HI>Intolerable per&s;ecution. 2. Damnable Here&s;ie. 3. Gro&s;s Idolatry.</HI></P>
<P>1. <HI>Intolerable per&s;ecution,</HI> <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Under this head is compri|&s;ed <HI>&s;in&s;ul ex|communication.</HI> See Joh. 9. 34. and Joh. 16. 2.</NOTE> when we are <HI>thru&s;t</HI> out Chri&s;t biddeth us <HI>flee into another City.</HI> 2. Damnable He|re&s;ie, we cannot <HI>bidd them God-&s;peed, l &s;t we be partakers of their evil deeds,</HI> John 2. ep. ver&s;e 11. 3. Gro&s;s Idola|try, when we cannot communicate in their wor&s;hip with|out &s;in.</P>
<P>8. <HI>The &s;candals of Profe&s;&s;ors are ground of mourning, but not ground of &s;eparation.</HI> 1 Cor. 5. 2. Church Guides mu&s;t do their Office, di&s;cern between the precious and the vile, that the hearts of the righteous be not made &s;ad, yet if not, you have no ground to &s;eparate, becau&s;e God may own them for a Church though they have many &s;candals among them, as in <HI>Corinth</HI> there was <HI>inc<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;t, here&s;ie, pro|fanene&s;s,</HI> many that <HI>never had repented,</HI> 2 Cor. 12. 21. yet <HI>to the Saints at Corinth:</HI> we may communicate with a Church without &s;in, when we have done our duty, that is, <HI>informed, warned, mourned,</HI> if the&punc; word and Ordinances
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be kept pure for &s;ub&s;tance though the per&s;ons be corrupt, you may communicate without &s;in, the Phari&s;ees held the degree of Doctors and Expo&s;itors of the Law, and &s;o far were to be owned though guilty of much per&s;onal wicked|ne&s;s, <HI>Matth.</HI> 23. 2, 3. The Prophets lived in corrupt times yet did they not &s;eparate from the A&s;&s;emblies of the Church; u&s;ually <HI>lazine&s;s is the ground of &s;eparation,</HI> they are loth to di&s;charge their duty, to take pains, to convince, exhort, and warn their fellow members, or to call upon their Pa&s;tors to <HI>take heed to their Mini&s;try,</HI> and &s;ome Pa&s;t|ors are loth to be at the labour to gain a rugged people to the obedience of the Go&s;pel, to u&s;e that <HI>frequent admoniti|on,</HI> and tho&s;e <HI>&s;erious addre&s;&s;es</HI> which are nece&s;&s;ary for &s;uch a purpo&s;e, and to expo&s;e them&s;elves to encounter <HI>tho&s;e exa&s;|perations</HI> which the di&s;charge of their duty will nece&s;&s;arily draw upon them, and therefore rnn into &s;eparate a&s;&s;emblies where all things may be carried on more ea&s;ily.</P>
<P>9. <HI>Lawful &s;eparation mu&s;t not be &s;uddain,</HI> till all due cour&s;es be tryed, 1. <HI>Cor. 13. 7. Love beareth all things, en|dureth all things, hopeth all things.</HI> Certainly we &s;hould do much, endure much, ere we go off from the communion of any Church; it mu&s;t be <HI>with grief</HI> when Phy&s;icians cut off an arm or leg, they do not de<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ight in it, but are driven to it of nece&s;&s;ity: So when a Judg condemneth a Malefact|or, he delighteth not in the puni&s;hment, in a civil warre though the <HI>cau&s;e</HI> be ju&s;t, yet to delight in the executions that are done upon the enemy is not without &s;in, 1 Cor. 13. 5. <HI>Charity rejoyceth not in evil but rejoyceth in the truth.</HI> <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Ab Eccle&s;i&acirc; Roman&acirc; non alio <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">i&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">&s;&s;imu<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> animo quam ut &s;i correcta ad priorem Eccle|&s;iae jormam re|deat, nos qu<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">|que a<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ill<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">n re|vertamur, <HI>&amp;c. See my Com|ment on James</HI> pag. 405.</NOTE> Again it mu&s;t be with a mind to return when the evil is ta|ken away.</P>
<P>10. <HI>For the degrees of &s;eparation</HI> take the&s;e rules: If a <HI>afew</HI> &s;eparated for a weighty cau&s;e they &s;hould only with+draw, tarrying for the Reformation of the Church, but numerous bodies may go on to <HI>po&s;itive Seperation;</HI> for they ought not to be without Ordinances, but boldly to profe<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> the right way. Again as long as a lower degree of &s;epara|tion will &s;erve the turn, we &s;hould not go to a higher; 'tis a great weakening to the Intere&s;t of Chri&s;t when we pre|&s;ently
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draw things to an extremity: In &s;maller differences we mu&s;t ob&s;erve the Apo&s;tles rule, <HI>Phil.</HI> 3. 16. but enough of this matter,</P>
<P>The next Point is taken from the &s;eond &s;in mentioned<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 2.</NOTE> in this ver&s;e [<HI>&s;en&s;ual</HI>] he chargeth it upon tho&s;e that &s;epa|rate them&s;elves. <HI>Tho&s;e that &s;eparate from the a&s;&s;emblies of the faithful, are u&s;ually &s;en&s;ual,</HI> Di&s;cipline is too &s;traight for them that would live according to their own lu&s;ts; the Raven that was &s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">nt out of the Ark, finding carrion float|ing abroad, had no mind to be cooped up there, and there|fore returned not, &s;o the&s;e finding more liberty abroad, than in the Congregations of the faithful&punc; &s;eparate and in|haunt with &s;uch among whom they may have room for their lu&s;ts: Moreover they lo&s;e the benefit of tho&s;e that &s;hould watch over them, Church communion is a good pre&s;ervative again&s;t lu&s;ts: <HI>Wo to him, that is alone</HI> Eccle&s; 4. 11. Straglers are more ea&s;ily &s;urprized; <HI>they were &s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">a<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">te|red and became meat to the bea&s;ts of the field, Ezek</HI> 34. 6. they that &s;eparate are the more ea&s;ily perverted both in Judgment and practice, they tu<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">n <HI>Famuli&s;ts,</HI> now Famu|li&s;m is but <HI>painted Athei&s;m,</HI> or <HI>Antimoni&s;ts</HI> and Antimoni&s;m is but <HI>&s;in licen&s;ed</HI> and priviledged. Again, 'tis ju&s;t with God to puni&s;h that <HI>pride</HI> wherewith &s;eperation is accom|panied with <HI>bruiti&s;h lusts,</HI> u&s;ually <HI>un&s;ancti&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ed knowledg</HI> runneth into <HI>pride,</HI> and then the affections are not gover|ned; well then, ob&s;erve the providence of God in &s;etting a mark upon tho&s;e that &s;eparate, they are men of unbrid|led affections, and without yoke, and are u&s;ually given up to carnal plea&s;ures; and wonder not if &s;en&s;ual per&s;ons ca&s;t off communion with the Church, when they ca&s;t off com|munion with God him&s;elf, <HI>tho&s;e that spent their dayes in mirth &s;aid unto God dep<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">rt from us, Job</HI> 21. 14. Many now that are come to the height of pride and &s;in, pretend to live to the height of the creature.</P>
<P>The next Note is, <HI>That &s;en&s;ual per&s;ons are evil per&s;ons,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 3.</NOTE> there are three ranks of &s;inners, tho&s;e that are given to to <HI>fle&s;hly lu&s;ts,</HI> and they are the <HI>&s;en&s;ual,</HI> tho&s;e that are gi|ven to the <HI>lu&s;t of the eyes,</HI> and they are the <HI>worldly;</HI> tho&s;e
<PB N="499" REF="258">
that are given to pride of life, and tho&s;e are <HI>the proud,</HI> the <HI>great &s;pirits</HI> of the world, &s;ee 1 <HI>Iohn</HI> 2. 16. and <HI>Jam;</HI> 3. 15. with my comment there: our work now lyeth with the <HI><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">en&s;ual,</HI> who &s;eem to be the wor&s;t &s;ort of &s;inners, and altogether unfit for any worthy action and exploit: To find them out let us con&s;ider what <HI>&s;en&s;uality</HI> is; 'tis <HI>an inordinate de&s;ire and delight in &s;oft and delicate living,</HI> there is a due care of the body to keep it &s;erviceable, and an al|lowed delight in the creature; he that created <HI>water,</HI> cre|ated <HI>wine,</HI> creatures for <HI>our delight</HI> as well as our <HI>nece&s;&s;ity;</HI> and fal&s;e Teachers have often &s;et off them&s;elves with the &s;hew of a <HI>&s;everer ab&s;tinence; Col.</HI> 2. 19. 'tic po&s;&s;ible that by an undue rigor the body may be u&s;ed a little too hardly and di&s;abled for better &s;ervices; but yet we are more u&s;u|ally guilty of the <HI>exce&s;s,</HI> then of the <HI>defect,</HI> plea&s;ure is born and bred with us, and therefore hath a mighty force and inchantment upon the &s;oul; the fir&s;t years of humane life are meerly governed by <HI>&s;en&s;e,</HI> and for a great while all our bu&s;ine&s;s is to live and grow, and therefore mo&s;t men mi&s;|carry by appetite, and an undue liberty in meats, drinks, and &s;ports; now to &s;tate the due bounds, and limits which rea&s;on and Religion hath &s;et, is very hard, different tem|pers and con&s;titutions of body make rules uncertain: in the general, 'tis good to watch, lea&s;t plea&s;ure become a ma&s;ter, and rea&s;on a &s;lave: The two general limits are, 1. <HI>The health of the body,</HI> 2. The <HI>welfare of the &s;oul.</HI></P>
<P>1. <HI>The health of the body</HI> mu&s;t be regarded; too much care for the body de&s;troyeth it, as too much oyl<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">pu<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">s ou<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> the Lamp, <HI>wine and women take away the heart, Ho&s;.</HI> 4. 11. that is, the generou&s;ne&s;s and &s;prighrline&s;s of a man, the vigor of nature is abated, gallant and active &s;pirits effemi|nated, and brave hopes drowned and quenched in the pud|dle of ex<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">e&s;s, and ma&s;culine agilioy and vivacity melted a|way in ea&s;e and plea&s;ure: The Romans were wont to have their &s;unerals at the gates of <HI>Venus</HI> Temple.</P>
<P>2. The <HI>&s;ouls welfare</HI> is of chief con&s;ideration; we mu&s;t take <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">eed that the &s;oul be not either <HI>di&s;fited&punc; for duty</HI> or <HI>di&s;|po&s;ed for &s;in.</HI></P>
<P><PB N="500" REF="259">1. <HI>Di&s; fitted for duty,</HI> when the &s;oul cannot lift up it &s;elf to God and divine things, and findeth le&s;s aptitude for his &s;ervice, you are inordinate: <HI>Luk. 21. 36. Let not your hearts be over charged with &s;urfeitting and drunkenne&s;s,</HI> &amp;c. the heart may be over-charged when the &s;tomach is not; when we are warned of <HI>&s;urfeitting</HI> and <HI>drunkenne&s;s,</HI> we think of <HI>vomiting, &s;taggering, reeling, fauliring in &s;peech, or gate;</HI> Oh Chri&s;tians! you are guilty of it when the <HI>heart is over-charged,</HI> and driveth on heavily in holy things: when we are warned of <HI>adultery</HI> we think only of defiling other mens wives, or &s;cattering our lu&s;ts promi&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">uo<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;ly as the bea&s;ts do; but ala&s;s we are guilty of it when the inordi|nate u&s;e of a lawful wife doth quench our vigor and alacri|ty in our heavenly calling; <HI>&s;i vinum <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">x <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> potheca tua,</HI> &amp;c. a man may drink too freely of his hog&s;head.</P>
<P>2. We mu&s;t take care that the &s;oul be not more <HI>di&s;po|&s;ed to &s;in; diver; lu&s;ts and plea&s;ures</HI> are fitly joined by the Apo&s;tle, <HI>Tit.</HI> 3. 3. if we do not watch over plea&s;ures, the heart groweth more wanton and libidinous, the re&s;traints of grace are weaker, and carnal motions more urgent and violent, the <HI>heart is nouri&s;hed&punc;</HI> &amp;c, <HI>Jam.</HI> 5. 5. the <HI>enemy</HI> put in &s;trength and heart, 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 2. 11.</P>
<P>Well then, let us beware of &s;en&s;uality, other things de|file a part, as <HI>ceveto<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;ne&s;s</HI> the &s;oul, but <HI>&s;ensual lu&s;ts</HI> defile the &s;oul and body to&punc; they leave guilt upon the &s;oul, and di&s;honour upon the body, while 'tis made a <HI>&s;treiner for meats and drinks,</HI> and a channel for lu&s;ts to run in; other lu&s;ts &s;eem to gratifie the ambition of man, and to exalt him, but the&s;e deba&s;e him, and turn him out among the bea&s;ts: to renounce plea&s;ures is the fir&s;t thing you mu&s;t do if you mean to do any thing in Religion, otherwi&s;e you lye open to every temptation, <HI>Pro 25. 18. The water of the Sanctuary</HI> could not heal the <HI>mirery places, Ezek.</HI> 47. 11 which is u&s;ually appled to <HI>&s;en&s;ual hearts;</HI> prea&s;ures bring a brawn, and a deadne&s;s upon the con&s;cience, and a cloud upon the under&s;tanding: <HI>Daniel</HI> that had the high vi&s;ions of God, lived by pul&s;e: <HI>John</HI> Bapti&s;t that had the mo&s;t emi|nent Go&s;pel di&s;pen&s;ation, <HI>Mat.</HI> 11. fed upon locu&s;ts and
<PB N="501" REF="259">
wilde honey; among the Heathens he was counted the mo&s;t accompli&s;hed man <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Ebrietas lon|ge e&s;t a me Do|mine crapula autem nonun|quam &s;urrepit &s;ervo tuo. <HI>Aug</HI> Confe&s;.</NOTE> that &s;pent more oyl in the Lamp<NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="foreign"></NOTE> then wine in the bottle: certainly, the ba&s;er a man is, the more he affects carnal delights, <HI>Eccle&s;. 7. 4. The heart of a &s;o<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">l is in the hou&s;e of mirth,</HI> that which wi&s;e men prefer, is better then that which fools make choice of; plea&s;ures are the choice of fools, wi&s;e men know them to be baits and &s;nares; that if they be not watched they &s;oon put us out of frame, and unfit us for communion with God, <HI>Eccle&s;.</HI> 2. 2. Once more, this &s;ort of &s;ins en&s;laveth, and by cu&s;tome, gaineth upon the heart more then others do, and bringeth us under a power which we cannot ea&s;ily break, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 6. 12 Therefore u&s;e plea&s;ures with care and caution, that when we take them, they may not take us: Gods people (I &s;up|po&s;e) are not &s;o ea&s;ily tempted to adultery and drunken|ne&s;s, but beware of gluttony, the throat is a &s;l<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">pery place, and in&s;tead of &s;upplying nature, we feed lu&s;t; be not too much in the u&s;e of carnal delights, lea&s;t you &s;uffer this di|&s;temper of &s;pirit to take root; <HI>Dives fared deliciou&s;ly every day,</HI> there are times of ab&s;tinence, as well as liberal rejoy+cing in the creature; when our lives are but a diver&s;ion from one plea&s;ure to another, nature groweth wanton and un&s;atisfied, and men live as if they were born <HI>to eat, drink, play, &s;port and &s;leep,</HI> Luk. 17. 27. La&s;tly, take heed of <HI>&s;olliciting lu&s;ts</HI> when you &s;hould <HI>quench</HI> them, <HI>Rom.</HI> 13. 14.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 4.</NOTE></P>
<P>The next thing that we may ob&s;erve, is, That <HI>&s;en&s;ual per&s;ons have not the &s;pirit;</HI> the&s;e two are contrary <HI>fle&s;h</HI> and <HI>&s;pirit,</HI> Gal. 5. 17. and they that cheri&s;h the one, do nece&s;|&s;arily bani&s;h the other, and as they enlarge the one, they &s;treighten the other; the &s;pirit is a free &s;pirit, and &s;en&s;ual per&s;ons are very &s;laves; the &s;pirit is a pure &s;pirit, and they are unclean; the &s;pirit is active, and they are gro&s;s and muddy, of a dull and &s;tupid nature; the &s;pirit worketh in|tellectual and cha&s;t delights, and they are altogether for ba&s;e and dreggy plea&s;ures, &s;uch a perfect contrariety is there between them: more di&s;tinctly take it thus.</P>
<P>1. Sen&s;ual men have little of the <HI>inlightning</HI> of the &s;pi|rit,
<PB N="502" REF="260">
their palate is better then their under&s;tanding, <HI>Eph. 5. 16. Be not drunken with wine, wherein is exce&s;s, but be filled with the &s;pirit;</HI> where the fumes of wine, and the motions of the &s;pirit are compo&s;ed as things incompatible, in mari&s;h countreys we do not expect a clear air; &s;o &s;en&s;ual per&s;ons have &s;eldom any clear and rai&s;ed thoughts of God; men given to plea&s;ures can ta&s;te <HI>meats</HI> and <HI>drinks,</HI> but not <HI>Doctrines.</HI></P>
<P>2. Sen&s;ual men have little of <HI>the quickenings and efficacy of the &s;pirit;</HI> the more they di&s;&s;olve and melt away their precious hours and &s;pirits in plea&s;ures, the more do they grow &s;aple&s;s, dead&punc; and carele&s;s&punc; and loo&s;e all tenderne&s;s of con&s;cience, and livelyne&s;s of affection; they quench the vigor of nature, much more do they quench the &s;pirit; <HI>Voluptuaries</HI> are &s;aid to be <HI>pa&s;t feeling,</HI> Eph. 9. 19.</P>
<P>3. They have little of the <HI>comforts of the Spirit;</HI> the comforts of the &s;pirit ari&s;e from meditating on the works of God, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 104&punc; 34. or ta&s;ting his love, 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 2. 3. or contemplating our great hopes, 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 4. 18. Now carnal men can reli&s;h none of this, they cannot exerci&s;e love or faith, or hope, that they may delight them&s;elves in God, and have &s;ome lively ta&s;ts of eternal life; when the &s;oul lyeth under the dominion of carnal and dreggy plea&s;ures, 'tis un|capable of thinking upon God, and his works, or reli&s;hing inward con&s;olation, love is pre-occupied.</P>
<P>Well then, we &s;hould the more take heed that we be not &s;en&s;ual; never had any &s;en&s;ual per&s;on any great mea|&s;ure and portion of the holy Gho&s;t in gifts or graces; <HI>the Devil ea&s;ily entereth into &s;wine,</HI> but the holy &s;pirit of God will not dwell there; a man is put to his choice which he wil have <HI>plea&s;ures</HI> or the <HI>&s;pirit;</HI> 'twil be &s;ad for you, if you <HI>love plea&s;ures more then God, 2 Tim.</HI> 3. 4. and prefer the&s;e dreggy delights before tho&s;e ma&s;culine joys&punc; which will ac<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">rue to you by communion with God; if we were alto|gether to <HI>renounce</HI> delight, 'twould be more <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters"> &s;ome; no, you are only called to <HI>excharge</HI> it; which will you cau&s;e then, to live at large, and wallow in carnal contentments or be imployed in the &s;erious and grave exerci&s;es of Religi|on?
<PB N="503" REF="260">
&s;urely, one moment&punc; communion with God is better then all the mirth we can get by the pa&s;time of an age.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="20" TYPE="verse">
<EPIGRAPH>
<BIBL>Ver&s;e 20.</BIBL>
<Q>But ye beloved build up your &s;elves in your mo&s;t holy Faith, praying in the Holy Gho&s;t.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>HEre the Apo&s;tle cometh to exhort, as all along, with the de&s;cription of Seducers he intermingleth exhorta|tion, the &s;umme of the exhortation is to quicken them to the u&s;e of the means of <HI>per&s;everance</HI> and <HI>con&s;tancy. [Build up your &s;elves,</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">] the word &s;ignifieth the going on with a building already begun, and fitly noteth that care they &s;hould take for the growth of their &s;piritual e&s;tate [<HI>your &s;elves,</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">] Some tran&s;l<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">t<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> <HI>i<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">vicem,</HI> build up one another, that I confe&s;s is the Apo&s;tles&punc; <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">nte<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">, but fir&s;t to pre&s;s them to a care of their own Salvation, and then mutually to care for one another&punc; See 1 <HI>The&s;. 5. 11. Comfort your &s;elves together and edifie one another, as ye al|&s;o do,</HI> and po&s;&s;ibly this is &s;poken here by way of oppo&s;ition to tho&s;e that &s;eparate them&s;elves [<HI>in your mo&s;t holy Faith</HI>] By <HI>faith</HI> may be meant either the <HI>grate of &s;aith</HI> of the <HI>doct|rine of faith.</HI> I rather &s;uppo&s;e the latter, that true and pure Religion which they had learned from the Apo&s;tles, which was the foundation already laid&punc; unto which they &s;hould keep clo&s;e: If it be meant of <HI><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">aith the grace,</HI> the<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> he per|&s;wadeth them to progre&s;s and to lay hold on the &s;uper|&s;tructure of good works and final per&s;everance. <HI>Matth.</HI> 7. 24. This faith is called [<HI>mo&s;t holy</HI>] in oppo&s;ition to the profane my&s;teries of the <HI>Gno&s;ticks</HI> and <HI>Valentinians&punc;</HI> 'tis an holy rule, and maketh us holy, John 17. 17. <HI>Sanctifie them by thy truth, thy word <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters"> truth. [praying in the Holy Gho&s;t</HI>] <GAP DESC="foreign"> may be <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">nder<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">d, <HI><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">, with,</HI> or <HI>by</HI> the Holy Gho&s;t, that is, by hi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> motion and in&s;piration&punc; and gifts and graces received from him; el&s;ewhere the Holy
<PB N="504" REF="261">
Gho&s;t is &s;aid to pray in us. <HI>Rom</HI> 8. 26. and here we pray in the <HI>Holy Gho&s;t,</HI> he prayeth in us &s;o as we pray in him, he prayeth in us to note the <HI>excitations of his grace,</HI> we pray in him to imply the <HI>concurrence of our faculties,</HI> which is to be noted again&s;t the <HI>Famuli&s;ts</HI> who make the Spirit to be the immediate formal cau&s;e of all our actions, as if in the productions of grace the Spirit did only make u&s;e of us as <HI>Bilhah</HI> did of <HI>Rachel,</HI> to bring forth upon her knees, <HI>Gen.</HI> 30. 3. and the action were wholly his own.</P>
<P>The Notes are the&s;e.</P>
<P>1. <HI>'Tis not &s;ufficient to be e&s;tabli&s;hed or grounded in the</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 1.</NOTE> <HI>faith, but we mu&s;t daily increa&s;e and grow more and more therein;</HI> when the <HI>foundation</HI> is laid the <HI>building</HI> mu&s;t go on piece by piece, they that are contented with a little faith have no faith, graces though imperfect are alwayes grow|ing, <HI>Luk.</HI> 17. 5. 'tis the holy ambition of Chri&s;tians to be more like God every day, certainly their temper is contra|ry to the temper of Gods people, that think they have lear|ned enough, know enough, are holy enough, none are &s;o knowing but they may know more, &s;o e&s;tabli&s;hed but they may be more; here we are in a &s;tate <HI>of progre&s;s</HI> not of re&s;t and perfection, the Corn in the field groweth though in the Barn it doth not, <HI>Eph. 21. 12. 13. Phil.</HI> 3. 13. A Chri&s;ti|an is alwayes reaching forth and pre&s;&s;ing onward, and the nearer he cometh to Heaven, his motions and tendencies arethe more earne&s;t, as a &s;tone moveth fa&s;ter the nearer it cometh to the Center; the more he enjoyeth &s;till he hath new motives to &s;eek more, <HI>Pro. 1. 5. A wi&s;e man will hear and will increa&s;e learning;</HI> a good man would go to Heaven as fa&s;t as he can, not make an <HI>hard &s;hift</HI> but <HI>enter abundantly, 2 Pet.</HI> 1. 11.</P>
<P>2. <HI>To grow in faith is a means to per&s;evere in faith,</HI> man<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 2.</NOTE> is of an active nature, either he groweth better or wor&s;e, we &s;hall not keep what we have received if we do not la|bour to increa&s;e in it, as an hou&s;e begun to be built goeth to decay, and droppeth down more and more if we do not go on to fini&s;h it; do we grow then or decline? Did we ob&s;erve our fir&s;t coolings, the mi&s;chief would not be &s;o
<PB N="505" REF="261">
great, but we like the Hen, as long as there is one egg in the ne&s;t ob&s;erve not how many are taken away, as long as we have any tolerable affections to the things of God, or &s;omewhat to keep us alive we do not con&s;ider how many degrees of grace we have lo&s;t.</P>
<P><HI>Faith</HI> (take it for the grace) <HI>is the proper foundation of holine&s;s and good works.</HI> Works without faith are but a roof without a foundation, and faith without works is a foundation without a building, good fruit &s;uppo&s;eth a good tree, <HI>Math.</HI> 7.</P>
<P><HI>The faith of Christians is a mo&s;t holy faith,</HI> no doctrine hath &s;uch <HI>pure precepts,</HI> &s;uch <HI>high examples,</HI> &s;uch <HI>rai&s;ed mo|tives,</HI> &s;uch <HI>mi&s;terious inforcements,</HI> &s;uch <HI>ble&s;&s;ed rewards,</HI> and all to encourage holine&s;s; if ever any thing were exactly fitted to its purpo&s;e, &s;urely the word is fitted to promote holine&s;s, <HI>the percepts of the Law</HI> require it, the <HI>doctrine of the Go&s;pel</HI> &s;heweth where vertue and power is to be had to perform it, <HI>the promi&s;es</HI> incourage it, the examples of God and Chri&s;t &s;hew the <HI>height</HI> and <HI>exactne&s;s</HI> of it, the <HI>examples of the Saints</HI> &s;hew 'tis <HI>po&s;&s;ible,</HI> the <HI>word</HI> and <HI>ordinances</HI> work it, as being in&s;tituted by God for &s;uch a purpo&s;e, and ac|companied with the power of his grace. <HI>Eph.</HI> 5. 26. God hath re&s;erved this honour of &s;anctifying the heart to the doctrine of the Scriptures, to evidence their divine ori|ginal, James 1. 18. <HI>He hath begotten us to him&s;elf by the word of truth,</HI> this great change which is wrought in the heart of man, is by the word, a <HI>moral Lecture</HI> may a little fa&s;hion the outward man, and reduce him to a civil cour&s;e, as <HI>Xenocrates</HI> his moral Lecture made <HI>Polamo</HI> leave his vi|tious and &s;en&s;ual cour&s;e of life, but <HI>regeneration</HI> is only found in the School of Chri&s;t: Well then, it you will know the be&s;t Religion ob&s;erve where is there mo&s;t holine&s;s <HI>di&s;|covered</HI> and <HI>wrought,</HI> P&s;al. 19. 7, 8&punc; 9. John 17. 17. In the word of God you have the copy of his holine&s;s, there is &s;omewhat of <HI>good life</HI> and moral behaviour among Hea|thens, but nothing of <HI>regeneration</HI> and <HI>genuine holine&s;s.</HI> Once more, an <HI>impure life</HI> will not &s;uite with an <HI>holy faith,</HI> you di&s;honour God and di&s;parage your religion when you
<PB N="506" REF="262">
walk as Heathens: This <HI>holy faith</HI> is be&s;t kept in a <HI>pure con|&s;cience,</HI> 2 Tim. 3. 9.</P>
<P>From that [<HI>building up your &s;elves] In building up that</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 5.</NOTE> <HI>is in growth and per&s;evereance, there is a concurrence of our own endeavours;</HI> we are <HI>living &s;tones, 1 Pet.</HI> 2&punc; 4. after we are converted, and are not altogether dead and pa&s;&s;ive, as in conver&s;ion; after <HI>we have received Chri&s;t we may walk with him, Col.</HI> 2. 6&punc; motion and opperation followeth life, he that made thee without thee will not &s;ave thee without thee.</P>
<P>From the other interpretation of the word [<HI>your &s;elves</HI>]<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 6.</NOTE> that is, <HI>one another;</HI> Ob&s;erve that <HI>Mutual conference is a means of per&s;everance, Solomon</HI> &s;aith, <HI>Eccle&s;. 4. 10. When two lye together they have heat;</HI> &s;urely good company pre|&s;erveth and keepeth up our warmth and vigor&punc; as a reme|dy again&s;t Apo&s;tacy&punc; &s;piritual communion and conference is often pre&s;&s;ed, &s;ee <HI>Hebr.</HI> 3. 13. and <HI>Hebr.</HI> 10. 24, 25. When Gods people did oftner meet and confer together, there was more life in them.</P>
<P>Next to conference, prayer is required; note thence,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 7.</NOTE> <HI>That prayer is a means of e&s;tabli&s;hment;</HI> We are kept by Gods Power, and Gods Power is &s;et a work by prayer, this is the breath that keepeth in the fire; men that neg|lect prayer, finde &s;en&s;ible decays, when they &s;u&s;pected &s;ome di&s;temper upon <HI>Jobs</HI> &s;pirit, they charge him with the neglect of prayer, <HI>Job 15. 4. &s;urely thou re&s;traine&s;t prayer,</HI> no wonder if men grow un&s;avory, worldly, voluptuous, when they let days go, and weeks go, and God never hear|eth from them.</P>
<P>8. Then we pray aright, when we pray in the holy<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 8.</NOTE> Gho&s;t; this concurrence is, nece&s;&s;ary both with re&s;pect to <HI>acceptance</HI> and <HI>a&s;&s;i&s;tance.</HI></P>
<P>1. With re&s;pect to acceptance, God will own nothing in prayer, but what cometh from his &s;pirit, any other voice is &s;trange and barbarous to him, <HI>Rom. 8. 27. He know|eth the mind of the &s;pirit, becau&s;e he maketh interce&s;&s;ion for the Saints according to the will of God,</HI> the Lord delight|eth no<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> in the flaunting of pates, and the un&s;avory belch<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">
<PB N="507" REF="262">
and eructations of an humane Spirit, the tun<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">able caden|cy of words is bu<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">an empty ring in Gods ears, the P&s;almi&s;t &s;aith, <HI>P&s;al. 19&punc; 2. Let my pray<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">r be &s;et forth before thee as <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ncen&s;e:</HI> Now the Cen&s;ers were to be kindled with holy fire before the &s;moak went up, the coal wherewith we are kindled mu&s;t be taken from <HI>the Altar</HI> not from a <HI>common hearth,</HI> and then <HI>our prayer goeth up as incen&s;e:</HI> Gods cour&s;e is to <HI>prepare the heart,</HI> and then to grant the reque&s;t, <HI>P&s;al. 10. 17. Thou w<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">lt prepare their hearts and cau&s;e thine ear to hear,</HI> &s;urely Gods ear will be opened if our hearts be open|ed, when he him&s;elf &s;ets us a work we need not doubt of audience; <HI>fire from Heaven</HI> to con&s;ume the &s;acrifice was the &s;olemn token of acceptance heretofore, fire from Hea|ven is the token &s;till, even an holy ardor wrought in us by the Spirit.</P>
<P>2. In point of a&s;&s;i&s;tance prayer is a work too hard for us, we can <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">abble of our &s;elves, but we cannot pray with|out the Holy Gho&s;t, we can put <HI>words</HI> into prayer, but 'tis he Spirit puts <HI>affections,</HI> without which 'tis but a little cold prattle and <HI>&s;piritle&s;s talk,</HI> our nece&s;&s;ities may <HI>&s;harpen</HI> our prayers, but they cannot <HI>enliven</HI> our prayers, a carhal man may feel the impul&s;ions of a <HI>natural fervency,</HI> and &s;o cry unto God as the <HI>young Ravens</HI> cry unto him, and in all creatures there is a <HI>de&s;ire of relief,</HI> the <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ude Mariners in the tempe&s;t were very earne&s;t, <HI>Jonah</HI> 1. 6. but now <HI>gracious affection</HI> is quite another thing than this <HI>natural fervency;</HI> there may be <HI>cold</HI> and <HI>raw wi&s;hes</HI> after grace, but not <HI>&s;eri|ous volitions</HI> and <HI>&s;piritual de&s;ires,</HI> the&s;e we mu&s;t have from the Holy Gho&s;t&punc; &s;urely if we did con&s;ider what prayer is, we &s;hould &s;ee the need of this a&s;&s;i&s;tance, 'tis a work which will co&s;t us travel of heart, <HI>Acts</HI> 1. 14. <GAP DESC="foreign"> and <HI>James</HI> 5. 16. <GAP DESC="foreign">, 'tis ex|pre&s;&s;ed by <HI>&s;triving,</HI> Rom. 15. 30. <HI>Strive with me in prayers,</HI> and Col. 4. 12. <HI>Labouring for you <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ervently in prayers,</HI> &amp;c. <GAP DESC="foreign">, 'tis a &s;triving with God <HI>him&s;elf,</HI> and then there is no &s;etting upon God but by his own &s;trength, this was figured in <HI>Jacobs</HI> wre&s;tling, Gen. 32. 25. to the end, which is explained, <HI>Ho&s;ea 12. 4. Yea, he had power over</HI>
<PB N="508" REF="263">
<HI>the Angel and prevailed, yea, he wept and made &s;upplicati|on,</HI> the party that <HI>Jacob</HI> wre&s;tled with is called <HI>a man, an Angel,</HI> and <HI>God; a man</HI> for the &s;hape and form a&s;&s;umed, an <HI>Angel</HI> to note the &s;econd per&s;on who is the <HI>Me&s;&s;enger of the Covenant,</HI> and <HI>God,</HI> Gen. 32. 30. 'Twas &s;uch an An|gel as ble&s;&s;ed him, which is proper to God, now in the a&s;|&s;umed body <HI>Jacob</HI> wre&s;tled with him, which was &s;ymboli|cal; the Prophet referreth it to his Prayers, but how is it &s;aid he <HI>could not prevail again&s;t Jacob?</HI> With a bla&s;t of his mouth he might have confounded him, and it had been as ea&s;ie for him to maim and de&s;troy every joynt, as to make him halt and &s;ame of one thigh. I an&s;wer, he could not becau&s;e he would not, he gave out but &s;uch a mea&s;ure of &s;trength to the body a&s;&s;umed, and the Lord did wre&s;tle both <HI>in</HI> and <HI>again&s;t Jacob, in Jacobo Deus e&s;t &s;eip&s;o fortior,</HI> he wre&s;tleth again&s;t us with his left hand, and &s;trengthen|eth us with his right, &s;o that Gods power prevaileth over him&s;elf; all this is &s;poken to &s;hew what need we have of a divine power; when we &s;trive with God.</P>
<P>But now what is it <HI>to pray in the Holy Ghost?</HI> I &s;hall an|&s;wer it in a word, the Spirit helpeth us in prayer in a way of <HI>gifts</HI> or <HI>graces,</HI> in a way of <HI>gifts,</HI> that the heart may not be bound up, and that we may have nece&s;&s;ary words to give vent to affections: <HI>Adam</HI> maimed us both as to <HI>gifts</HI> as well as <HI>graces,</HI> and therefore that our &s;upplies in Chri&s;t may be an&s;werable, the Spirit be&s;toweth upon us the <HI>gift of prayer,</HI> that we may inlarge our &s;elves to God on all onca&s;ions, this gift was either <HI>extraordinary</HI> and pro|per to the fir&s;t times of the Go&s;pel, when they were able of a &s;udden to dictate a prayer in a &s;trange Language which they had never learned; &s;o 'tis &s;aid 1 <HI>Cor. 14. 15. I will pray with the Spirit, and with understanding al&s;o:</HI> Many did pray with the Spirit, that is, made u&s;e of this gift, but to the neglect of edifying, they did not pray &s;o as they might be under&s;tood by the Hearers: Now &s;aith the Apo&s;tle I would u&s;e the gift, but to edification, &s;o as the under&s;tanding of the Auditory may go along with me.</P>
<P>2. The <HI>ordinary gift of the Spirit,</HI> is that &s;pecial dexteri|ty
<PB N="509" REF="263">
whereby men are able to put their meaning into apt words; 'tis not of &s;uch a miraculous infu&s;ion and &s;o won|derful in its &s;elf as the former, becau&s;e it dependeth much upon the temper and &s;uitable con&s;titution of the body; and is much bettered by indu&s;try, hearing, reading, meditati|on, conference, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> As all other ordinary habits are, but &s;uch a gift there is in the Church as we find by plain experience, many mens tongues being as <HI>the pen of a ready Writer, P&s;al.</HI> 45. 1. All miraculous gifts are now turned into ordinary gifts &s;omewhat like them, as <HI>di&s;cerning of Spirits</HI> into a <HI>&s;agacity</HI> and <HI>ca<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">telous prudence,</HI> gifts of tongues into a &s;pecial dexterity that way, and <HI>gifts of heal|ing</HI> into <HI>skill in phy&s;ick<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> &s;o &s;traying with the spirit</HI> into readi|ne&s;s of utterance and freedom of &s;peech: Now though we we are to covet the be&s;t gifts and &s;trive after them, yet we mu&s;t be contented with our mea&s;ures: Sometimes this gift is given to carnal men, becau&s;e of their&punc; &s;ervice in the Church, gifts are for the body, they may have great abili|ties to pray and preach, and may be carried on with full gales of outward a&s;&s;i&s;tance: U&s;ually 'tis given unto men ac|cording to their con&s;titution and <HI>natural receptivity,</HI> all cannot expect a like quickne&s;s and inlargement of &s;peech, in the Pen-men of Scripture you may ob&s;erve a difference of character and &s;tile according to their temper and educa|tion, though there a&s;&s;i&s;tance as to words was al&s;o infalli|ble, <HI>I&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">y</HI> writeth in a <HI>courtly stile,</HI> and <HI>Jeremiah</HI> in a prie&s;t|ly. and <HI>Amos</HI> his manner of &s;peech reli&s;heth of his calling; in the new Te&s;tament <HI>John</HI> is <HI>Seraphical, Paul argumenta|tive,</HI> and <HI>Peter</HI> writeth in a milky, &s;weet, middle-way &amp;c.</P>
<P>2. There is the gracious a&s;&s;i&s;tance of the holy Gho&s;t; now this is either <HI>Habitual</HI> or <HI>Actual.</HI></P>
<P>1. Habitual grace is nece&s;&s;ary to prayer, <HI>Zech. 12. 10. I will pour upon them a &s;pirit of grace and &s;upplications;</HI> where there <HI>is grace</HI> there will be <HI>&s;upplications,</HI> as &s;oon as we are new born we fall a crying: <HI>Behold he prayeth,</HI> Acts. 9. 11. is the fir&s;t news we hear of <HI>Paul</HI> after his conver|&s;ion; prayer is a kindly duty to the new creature, things of <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">n airy and fiery nature, a little thing will carry them
<PB N="510" REF="264">
upward; <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 span"> their natural motion and tendency; the re|generate are ea&s;ily drawn into Gods pre&s;ence, 'tis the vent and utterance by which we di&s;cover the impre&s;&s;ion that is upon us; the Prie&s;ts were to wa&s;h in <HI>the great l<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">vour,</HI> be|fore they went to th<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> Altar; <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Tit. 3. 5.</NOTE> we are w<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;hed in <HI>the lavor of regeneration,</HI> and <HI>renewed by the holy Gho&s;t,</HI> and &s;o made fit to offer &s;piritual &s;acrifices, acceptable to God by Je&s;us Chri&s;t.</P>
<P>2. There is <HI>actual help and a&s;&s;istance</HI> which we have from the &s;pirit; though a man be regenerate, yet he can|not pray as he ought unle&s;s we be &s;till moved and a&s;&s;i&s;ted by the holy Gho&s;t; this is continual, for we &s;oon work out the &s;trength which we have received: Now the&s;e <HI>actu|al motions</HI> do either concern the <HI>time</HI> of prayer, or the <HI>mat|ter</HI> and the <HI>manner of it.</HI> 1. The <HI>time of p<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ayer,</HI> the &s;pirit &s;ugge&s;teth the fitte&s;t &s;ea&s;ons, he that &s;earcheth out the deep things of God, knoweth the acceptable times, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 32. 6. and accordingly giveth notice to the heart, by &s;et|ting it a work in &s;erious addre&s;&s;es to God, <HI>P&s;al. 27. 8. Thou &s;aid&s;t &s;eek ye my face, and my heart &s;aid, thy face Lord will I &s;eek;</HI> god &s;peaketh to us by holy motions, and the impul&s;ions of his grace, and we an&s;wer God by a ready obedience; 'tis the wor&s;t &s;corn we can put upon one whom we hate, when we deny to &s;peak with him when he &s;end|eth for us; by the&s;e motions we are invited to come and confer with God, do not &s;ay <HI>I am not at lea&s;ure;</HI> I would not have this interpreted, as if <HI>every motion</HI> to prayer were from the &s;pirit; 'tis po&s;&s;ible Satan may oppre&s;s an anxious &s;oul with the tyranny of unrea&s;onable impul&s;ions to duty, I only under&s;tand &s;uch motions as are regular and accord|ing to the word; neither would I again be &s;o under&s;tood as if God were never to be called upon, or we were never to pray but when the &s;pirit moveth us, that's one of the carnal fancies of many wretches now; no, no, God mu&s;t have his dayly acknowledgment, <HI>give us this day our dayly bread;</HI> but my meaning is, that &s;uch a &s;ea&s;on when we are &s;o &s;trongly moved by the &s;pirit of God, &s;hould not be neg|lected.</P>
<P><PB N="511" REF="264">2. Thy <HI>matter</HI> of prayer is &s;ugge&s;ted by the holy Gho&s;t, let a man alone and he will &s;oon run into a temptation, and cry for that which it were cruelty in God to give him; therefore the direction of the holy Gho&s;t is nece&s;&s;ary that we may not ask a <HI>&s;corpion</HI> in&s;tead of a <HI>fi&s;h,</HI> and a <HI>&s;tone</HI> in|&s;tead of <HI>bread,</HI> Rom. 8. 27&punc; <HI>He maketh interce&s;&s;ion for the Saints, according to the will of God.</HI> We take coun&s;el of our lu&s;ts and intere&s;ts when we are left to our own private &s;pi|rit, and &s;o would have God to be <HI>a Minister of our car|nal de&s;ires,</HI> and would engage him in our quarrels and pri|vate revenges: or el&s;e <HI>ask meat for our lu&s;ts;</HI> now the ho|ly Gho&s;t teacheth us to ask not only what is lawful, but what is expedient for us, that &s;o the will of God may take place before our inclinations.</P>
<P>3. For the manner in every moral action; the manner of working is a chief circum&s;tance, a man may &s;in in doing good, but not in doing well: now in prayer where we have immediately to do with God, we &s;hould take great heed in what manner we come to him; the right manner is when we come with <HI>affection,</HI> with <HI>confidence,</HI> with <HI>re|verence.</HI></P>
<P>1. With <HI>affection,</HI> 'tis the holy Gho&s;t &s;et us a groaning, Rom. 8. 26. <HI>He maketh interce&s;&s;ion for the Saints with &s;uch &s;ighs and groans as cannot be uttered;</HI> words are but the out&s;ide of prayer, &s;ighs and groans are the language which God will under&s;tand, and the&s;e are the prayers which the holy Gho&s;t maketh for us, and in us; we learn to mourn from the Turtle, from him that de&s;cended in the form of a Dove, he draweth &s;ighs from the heart and tears from the eyes; parts may furni&s;h us with eloquence, but the &s;pirit giveth affection, that earne&s;t reaching forth of &s;oul, that holy importunity, that &s;piritual violence, 'tis all of his working, many a prayer is neatly ordered, and tuna|bly delivered, but this artifice of words &s;melleth of the man, then it &s;avoreth of the holy Gho&s;t, when there is life and power in it, and the poor &s;upplicant &s;ets him&s;elf to wre&s;tle with God, as if he would overcome him by his own &s;trength.</P>
<P><PB N="512" REF="265">2. With <HI>confidence,</HI> when we come in a child-like man|ner and call God <HI>father,</HI> Rom. 8. 16. <HI>We have received the Spi|rit of adoption whereby we cry Abba Father:</HI> U&s;ually we do not minde this part of the Spirits help in Prayer, we look to gifts and inlargements, but not to this <HI>child-like confi|dence,</HI> that we maybe able to cal God <HI>father</HI> without bla&s;phe|my and reproach, tis an ea&s;ie matter to language it with our mouths, but to have the &s;en&s;e of our adoption in our hearts is a difficult thing, &s;ometimes the Spirit witne&s;&s;eth it more explicetly by <HI>expre&s;&s;ions,</HI> as if it were &s;aid when we go to prayer, Be of good cheer, thy &s;ins are pardoned, God is thy God at other times by impre&s;&s;ions or more &s;ecret in|&s;tincts, if not by working <HI>child like confidence</HI> yet <HI>child like affection, optando &s;i non affirmando,</HI> that we may call God Father by <HI>option</HI> and <HI>choi&s;e,</HI> if not by <HI>direct affirmation</HI> or a clear &s;en&s;e of our adoption.</P>
<P>2. <HI>With reverence,</HI> that we may be &s;erious and awful, God is be&s;t &s;een in the light of his own Spirit; the Heathens could &s;ay <HI>non loquendum de Deo &s;ine lumine,</HI> we need light from God when we come to &s;peak of or to God. That &s;en&s;e of the Lords greatne&s;s and tho&s;e fre&s;h and awful thoughts that we have of his Maje&s;ty in prayer they are &s;tirred up in us by the Holy Gho&s;t, he uniteth and gather|eth our hearts together, that they may not be ravelled and flittered abroad by impertinent and vain thoughts, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 86. 11. Leave men to them&s;elves and they will do as fool|i&s;hly as a man that is to gather a po&s;ie for his friend and filleth it fuller of &s;tinking weeds than flowers, we &s;hall mingle many unfavoury worldly thoughts, or deal as ba&s;e|ly and affrontingly with God, as if a man under the Law &s;hould mingle Sulphure and Brim&s;tone with the &s;weet per|fumes that were in the Cen&s;er, lu&s;t will be interpo&s;ing in prayer, and out-talking grace; therefore that we may be reverend and heedful, we mu&s;t u&s;e the help of the Spirit, <HI>praying in the Spirit and watching thereunto with all per&s;eve|rance,</HI> Eph. 6. 18.</P>
<P>Well then, when thou goe&s;t to prayer look upon the Holy Gho&s;t as <HI>appointed</HI> by the Father and <HI>purcha&s;ed</HI> by the
<PB N="513" REF="265">
Son to help thee in this &s;weet and comfortable &s;ervice, <HI>Rom. 8. 26. the Spirit helpeth our infirmities,</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">, goeth to the other end of the &s;taff and beareth a part of the burden, we are tugging and wre&s;tling at it and can make no work of it, but the Spirit cometh and puts under his &s;houlder, and then it cometh off kindly.</P>
<P>2. It informeth us how much they &s;in that are &s;o far from praying with the Holy Gho&s;t, that they do not pray with their <HI>own &s;pirit,</HI> alas this is but babling when the heart doth not go along with the lips.</P>
<P>3. It informeth us of the priviledges of the Saints. God is their <HI>Father,</HI> willing to hear prayers, Chri&s;t is their <HI>ad|vocate</HI> willing to pre&s;ent their reque&s;ts in Court and the Spirit a <HI>Notary</HI> to indite and draw up their reque&s;ts for them, oh what incouragement have we to go to the throne of Grace! Surely we do not improve our priviledges or el&s;e we might have more comfortable acce&s;s to <HI>the Father through Chri&s;t by the Spirit,</HI> Eph. 2. 18.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="21" TYPE="verse">
<EPIGRAPH>
<BIBL>Ver&s;e 21.</BIBL>
<Q>Keep your &s;elves in the Love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t unto eternal life.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>THe Apo&s;tle goeth on directing to the means of per&s;e|verance, as before he mentioned two duties, Confe|rence and Prayer, &s;o here two graces, <HI><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ove and Hope.</HI></P>
<P>[<HI>Keep your &s;elves</HI>] that is, u&s;e the means <HI>we are kept by the power of God unto Salvation,</HI> but becau&s;e of the con|currence of ou<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> endeavours 'tis a&s;cribed to us [<HI>your &s;elves</HI>] Some interpret it as before, <HI>alii alios</HI> keep one another, [<HI>In the Love of God</HI>] it may be taken for that love which God beareth to us, or el&s;e for the Love wherewith we love God, which is fitly called the <HI>Love of God;</HI> partly becau&s;e God is the object of it, partly becau&s;e the <HI>Author</HI> of it be <HI>commandeth,</HI> or <HI>begetteth</HI> it, <HI>increa&s;eth</HI> it, <HI>perfecteth</HI> it in
<PB N="514" REF="266">
the Soul, in this &s;econd &s;en&s;e I take the Love of God here, namely for that grace wrought in us, and the great work committed to our care is to keep it, encrea&s;e it, and di&s;co|ver it in all the operations of it [<HI>looking</HI>] the formal act of hope, [<HI>for the m<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">rcy</HI>] the <HI>cau&s;e</HI> is put for the <HI>effect,</HI> for all that good which we &s;hall receive at Chri&s;ts coming, 'tis called <HI>mercy</HI> becau&s;e his proceeding with the Elect at the la&s;t day will be upon terms of grace [<HI>of our Lord Je&s;us Christ</HI>] 'Tis &s;o called becau&s;e 'tis <HI>purcha&s;ed</HI> by Chri&s;t and <HI>di&s;p<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">n&s;ed</HI> by him John 17 2 <HI>he h<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">th power to give eternal lif<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">,</HI> and at his coming he introduceth his people into their happy e&s;tate, <HI>John</HI> 14 3 [<HI>unto everla&s;ting lif<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"></HI>] our hap|pine&s;s in Heaven is &s;ometimes called <HI>everla&s;ting life,</HI> at o|ther times, <HI>everla&s;ting glory.</HI></P>
<P>Ob&s;erve hence, 1. <HI>In per&s;everance there is a concurrence</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 1.</NOTE> <HI>of our care and diligence,</HI> Ph<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">l. 2. 12, 13 <HI>Work out your own Salvation with fear and trembling for,</HI> &amp;c. The main work is Gods, he that hath <HI>begun a good work</HI> mu&s;t <HI>perfect it, Phil.</HI> 1. 6. and the &s;ame Je&s;us that i<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> <HI>author</HI> is al&s;o <HI>fini&s;h|er,</HI> Heb. 12. 2. the <HI>deeper radication</HI> of the habit the <HI>de|fence</HI> of it, the <HI>growth</HI> and <HI>perfection</HI> of it, the <HI>ability</HI> to act is all from God, 1 <HI>Pet. 5. 10. The God of all grace make you perfect, &s;tabli&s;h, &s;trengthen and &s;ettle you;</HI> but yet a concurrence there is of our care and endeavours, a child in the womb is nouri&s;hed by the mother, liveth by the life of the mother, feedeth by the food of the mother, but a child born liveth a more di&s;tinct and &s;eparate life of its own though it &s;till be under the mothers care and provi&s;ion; &s;o 'tis with us after grace received, we have a power to act and do what is nece&s;&s;ary for the pre&s;ervation of the &s;piritu|al life: Well then, let us not neglect the means, you mu&s;t not lye upon the bed of ea&s;e and think that God mu&s;t do all, he doth all indeed, but <HI>in us</HI> and <HI>by us.</HI> Idle wi&s;hes will do us no good as long as <HI>our hands refu&s;e to labour.</HI></P>
<P>Again, <HI>Men that have grace had need look to the keeping</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 2.</NOTE> <HI>of it.</HI> Why? fir&s;t we our &s;elves are prone to revolt <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Jer. 14. 10.</NOTE> <HI>this people loveth to wander,</HI> and <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 95. 10.</NOTE> <HI>they erre in their hearts</HI> though under the immediate conduct of God: 'Tis noteable in
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Scripture that we read of a decay both of <HI>faith, love,</HI> and <HI>obedience;</HI> which are the three main graces; &s;ome that <HI>left their fir&s;t faith,</HI> 1 Tim. 5. 12. Others that <HI>left their fir&s;t love,</HI> Rev. 2. 4. and as to obedience we read of the <HI>fir&s;t wayes of David,</HI> a<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> di&s;tingui&s;hed from his latter, 2 <HI>C<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ron. 17. 3. he walked in the fir&s;t wayes of his father David, David</HI> in his latter time fell into &s;candalous crimes.</P>
<P>2. We are a&s;&s;aulted with <HI>continual temptations;</HI> an <HI>im|portunate &s;uiter</HI> by per&s;everance in his &s;uit may at length prevail, Sathan will lo&s;e nothing for want of asking, tho&s;e that refu&s;ed at fir&s;t may yield afterward: Long conver&s;ing with the world may taine the Spirit, a deformed object when we are u&s;ed to it &s;eemeth le&s;s deformed, in dwelling lu&s;t though long re&s;trained breaketh out afterward with the more violence: Ro&s;e trees &s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ipt in <HI>June,</HI> bear in the winter, many that in youth have held an hard hand over &s;in, in their very old age have found their lu&s;ts more vio|lent.</P>
<P>3. A man of long &s;tanding is apt to grow &s;ecure and negligent, as if he were now pa&s;t danger, when his condi|tion was doubtful he &s;eemed to be more diligent and &s;eri|ous; but when the labours and difficulties of our fir&s;t ente|ring into favour with God are well over, and a man hath gotten &s;ome freedom from the terrors of the Law and &s;ome peace and confidence, he is in danger of &s;ecurity, by which all runneth to wa&s;te in the Soul, &s;ee <HI>Rev.</HI> 3. 17, 18, 19. Well then, this life is never exempted from care, either to <HI>get grace</HI> or to <HI>keep it,</HI> we need to be watchful and diligent to the very la&s;t; man is a changeable creature and Sathan is re&s;tle&s;s, either he continueth the <HI>old &s;uite</HI> or <HI>altereth the cour&s;e of temptations,</HI> 'tis his &s;ubtilety in that he doth not al|ways play the &s;ame game, a man may &s;tand one brunt and fail in another: <HI>Joab turned after Adonijah though not af|ter Ab&s;olon, 1 Kings</HI> 2. 28. every <HI>new condition</HI> bringeth <HI>new &s;nares, Ephraim is a cake not turned, Ho&s;ea</HI> 7. 8. A man may be well baked of one &s;ide and yet quite dough of another, the children of God pro&s;perous, differ from the children of God afflicted, <HI>Phil.</HI> 4. 12. we had need to learn
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how to walk up hill and down hill, that we may keep with God upon all grounds: again, corruptions may be di&s;|gui&s;ed, a man may with&s;tand open enemies and yet fail by the in&s;inuations of tho&s;e that have a &s;hew of goodne&s;s; the young Prophet with&s;tood the <HI>King</HI> &s;toutly, but yet was perverted by the in&s;inuations of the <HI>old Prophet,</HI> 1 <HI>Kings</HI> 13. 4. with nineteenth ver&s;e.</P>
<P><HI>Meletius</HI> a Sufferer under Pagans but went over to the Arrians.</P>
<P>Again where there &s;eemeth to be lea&s;t danger there is mo&s;t cau&s;e of fear. <HI>Lot</HI> that was <HI>cha&s;t in Sodom</HI> mi&s;carried in <HI>the mountains,</HI> where there were none but his own fami|ly: Con&s;cience that is now tender may be &s;trangely deaded and layed by for a time. Who would have thought that he who&s;e heart &s;mote him, for cutting off the lap of <HI>Sauls</HI> garment, &s;hould afterward fall into uncleanne&s;s and blood, and lye a&s;leep in it for a long time: Confidence is &s;ure to be di&s;mounted, <HI>Peter</HI> is a &s;ad in&s;tance, he told his Ma&s;ter <HI>if all men deny thee yet not I,</HI> and he meant as he &s;poke&punc; he ventureth on a band of men with a ru&s;ty blade, followeth Chri&s;t into the high Prie&s;ts Hall, who more &s;ecure than <HI>Pe|ter?</HI> but all this confidence failed though it met but with a weak tryal, <HI>the &s;oft words of a Dam&s;els que&s;tion;</HI> &s;uch fea|thers are we when the b<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">a&s;t of a temptation is let loo&s;e up|on us. Upon all the&s;e con&s;iderations now let us make it our care to keep what graces we have gotten, which will never be done without watchfulne&s;s and diligence: to quick|en you further to it.</P>
<P>1. Unle&s;s you keep it <HI>all is in vain if &s;o be it be in vain:</HI> Gal. 3. 4. <HI>'tis in vain</HI> as to the final reward, 'tis <HI>not in vain</HI> as to the increa&s;e of puni&s;hment; you will lo&s;e all your co&s;t you have been at for Chri&s;t, <HI>Ezek&punc;</HI> 18. 24. <HI>John</HI> 2. <HI><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">p</HI> 8. your watchings, &s;trivings&punc; prayings, &s;ufferings come to nothing, the Nazarite was to begin all anew if the dayes of his &s;eparation were defiled, <HI>Numb.</HI> 6. 12. nay 'tis not in vain as to puni&s;hment, 2 <HI>Pet.</HI> 2. 20. 21, 22.</P>
<P>2. To lo&s;e <HI>any degrees of grace</HI> is a great lo&s;s, 'tis the mo&s;t precious gift, 2 <HI>Pet.</HI> 1. 1. conduceth to the highe&s;t
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ends, eternal happine&s;s, fitteth us for communion with God, all the world cannot repair this lo&s;s, or purcha&s;e a &s;upply for us; we are to be accountable for degrees as well as for the grace it &s;elf, they that had <HI>five talents</HI> reckoned for five, a Factor that giveth an account only for a part of the e&s;tate received, is not accounted faithful: we may not be intru&s;ted with &s;o much again: a man that hath faln may recover his peace and joy but in a lower degree; a Prodi|gal that hath once broken is not tru&s;ted with a like &s;tock again, &amp; a man after a great di&s;ea&s;e may never come to the &s;ame degree and pitch of health; &s;o Chri&s;tians may not re|cover that largene&s;s of Spirit after their foul falls and fulne&s;s of inward &s;trength and comfort.</P>
<P>3. Tho&s;e that have made profe&s;&s;ion of Love to God, and yet afterwards break with him, bring an ill report up|on the Lord, as if he were an ill Ma&s;ter: I am per&s;waded that the Divel in policy lets many men alone for a while to make a &s;trict profe&s;&s;ion, and &s;eem to be full of zeal and ho|line&s;s, that they may afterwards do Religion a mi&s;chief, while&s;t they act for God though they do &s;ome things ex|cellently, Sathan never troubleth them, he is at truce with them, till they have gotten a name for the profe&s;&s;ion of Godline&s;s and &s;trictne&s;s of conver&s;ation, and when once they have gotten a name, their fall will be more &s;candalous, more ignominious to them&s;elves, and di&s;graceful to Religi|on, verily this is a common experience, we &s;ee many for|ward; hot and carried out with great impul&s;ions of zeal, and all this while Sathan lets them alone, he knoweth how mutable men are, and how &s;oon they begin to tire in the ways of God, therefore lets them alone till they have run them&s;elves out of breath, that afterward by a more notable defection they may &s;hame them&s;elves and harden others: If <HI>Judas</HI> will be a Di&s;ciple he lets him alone, if <HI>Simon Ma|gus</HI> will be baptized and <HI>Nicholas</HI> bear Office in the Church he lets them alone, he knoweth the be&s;t are mutable, that many take up their Religion out of intere&s;t, that men are &s;oon weary of their own &s;crupulou&s;ne&s;s and rigid ob&s;er|vances, that they fir&s;t make Con&s;cience of all things and
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then of nothing, and therefore he lets them go on without any notable defect or failing, to fly &s;ome youthful lu&s;ts, to renounce &s;ome intere&s;ts, till they have gotten credit e|nough to di&s;credit Religion&punc; &s;ee 2 <HI>Tim.</HI> 2. 18. Oh Chri&s;ti|ans, if you are not moved with re&s;pect to God, yet for your own cau&s;e, after a blaze will you go one in a &s;tench? an hou&s;e begun and not fini&s;hed is an habitation for &s;creech Owls; but on the contrary, what an honour is it to hold out to the la&s;t to be like <HI>MNa&s;on an old Di&s;ciple?</HI></P>
<P>4. The wor&s;t is pa&s;t, we have but a few years &s;ervice more, and we &s;hall be happy for ever; <HI>Your &s;alvation is neerer then it was when you fir&s;t beleeved,</HI> Rom. 13. 11. a little more and you will land &s;afe at the expected Haven; if we have a <HI>rough</HI> pa&s;&s;age, 'tis a <HI>&s;hort</HI> one; <HI>What will you not watch with me one hour,</HI> &s;aith Chri&s;t to his Apo&s;tles, the longe&s;t life is no more in compari&s;on of eternity. <HI>Enoch</HI> lived longer then mo&s;t men do, he lived 365. years&punc; <HI>Gen.</HI> 5. 22. but all that while <HI>he walked with God,</HI> and is it &s;o tedious to us co tell ouer a few &s;ummers and winters before we come to Heaven.</P>
<P>The next Point is more particular and expre&s;s: <HI>That of</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 3.</NOTE> <HI>all graces, Love needeth keeping:</HI> Why? 1. Becau&s;e of all graces 'tis mo&s;t decaying. <HI>Mat.</HI> 24. 12. <HI>Rev.</HI> 2. 4. Flame is &s;oon &s;pent, graces that act mo&s;t &s;trongly, require mo&s;t influence, as being mo&s;t &s;ubject to abatemen<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">; we &s;ooner loo&s;e our affections then any thing el&s;e. 2. Becau&s;e love is a grace that we can ill &s;pare&punc; 'tis the &s;pring and ri&s;e of all duties to <HI>God</HI> &amp; <HI>Man.</HI> 1. To <HI>God,</HI> love is the fir&s;t affection cor|rupted and renewed; the Schoolmen di&s;pute whether there be any thing a man doth, that had not its fir&s;t ri&s;e from love; 'tis love maketh us <HI>angry,</HI> and 'tis love maketh us <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 97. 10.</NOTE> <HI>hate,</HI> and <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Joh. 11. 35, 36.</NOTE> love maketh us <HI>grieve,</HI> much more is it love that maketh us <HI>hope</HI> and <HI>de&s;ire,</HI> and <HI>delight,</HI> &s;o 'tis gracious <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Luk. 7. 47.</NOTE> love that &s;ets us a <HI>mourning for &s;in,</HI> puts us upon <HI>hatred of evil,</HI> delighting in God and in his Laws, &s;ee 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 4&punc; 14. 1 <HI>Ioh.</HI> 5. 3. <HI>Gal.</HI> 5. 6. <HI>faith worketh by love,</HI> faith <HI>receiveth</HI> grace and love, exerci&s;eth it; if we would do any thing in the <HI>re|&s;i&s;tance of &s;in,</HI> in <HI>keeping the Commandments,</HI> we cannot &s;pare
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our love. 2. <HI>As to man,</HI> love is a grace that will make us indu&s;trious for the good of others, and therefore we read of the <HI>labour of love,</HI> 1 The&s;. 1 3. 'tis <HI>gluten animarum,</HI> the glue of the &s;ouls, the <HI>cement,</HI> and <HI>&s;oder of the Church;</HI> the jointing that runneth throughout all the living and &s;quared &s;tones, <HI>Col</HI> 3. 14. by this &s;ouls are mingled&punc; and all mutual offices done cheerfully: want of love to the Saints is the cau&s;e of Apo&s;tacy, for the le&s;s we love them, the more we a&s;&s;ociate to the wicked, and then zea<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> is dam|nifi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">d and abated.</P>
<P>Well then, watch the more earne&s;tly again&s;t the decays and abatements of love; <HI>leaving our fir&s;t love</HI> is a di&s;ea&s;e not only incident to <HI>Hypocri<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">es,</HI> but &s;ometimes to <HI>Gods own children&punc;</HI> Chri&s;tians go backward in the heat and light of their graces ten degrees, either through the <HI>badne&s;s of the times,</HI> Mat. 24. 12. or through a <HI>cur&s;ed <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">a<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">i<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ty</HI> that is apt to creep upon us, aff<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ctions are deadned to things to which we are ac<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">u&s;tomed; the I&s;raelites cryed out <HI>nothing but this Manna,</HI> our de&s;ires are not &s;o fre&s;h and lively&punc; after long acquaintance: Sometimes it cometh from <HI>neglig<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">nce,</HI> or a <HI>&s;luggi&s;h carele&s;ne&s;s,</HI> we do not take pains to keep gra|ces alive, nor <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>&s;tir up the gift that is in us,</HI> 2 Tim. 1. 6. as the Prie<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">s in the Temple were to keep in the <HI>holy fire,</HI> &s;o are we by <HI>prayers,</HI> and <HI>meditation,</HI> and <HI>con&s;tant wo<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">k,</HI> to keep our love al<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ve; but when the&s;e exerci&s;es are neglected, it decrea&s;eth: Sometimes it falleth out through <HI>freene&s;s in &s;inning;</HI> neglect is like <HI>not blowing up the coals,</HI> &s;inning is like <HI>pouring on waters,</HI> a very <HI>quenching of the &s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">i|rit,</HI> 1 <HI>The&s;&punc;</HI> 5. 13. Again, <HI>through &s;ecure dalliance with the plea&s;ures of &s;in,</HI> or <HI>cumbring the &s;oul with the cares of the world&punc;</HI> when the heart runneth out too much upon the creature God is neglected; Thus it may fall out.</P>
<P>But now the decay of love is &s;een in two things. 1. The <HI>remi&s;&s;ion of the degrees of love.</HI> 2. The <HI>intermi&s;&s;ion of the acts of love.</HI></P>
<P>1. <HI>A remi&s;&s;ion of the degrees</HI> when the heart groweth cold, li&s;tle&s;s, and loo&s;e; when there is not &s;uch a <HI>&s;trong tendency</HI> and <HI>bent of &s;oul</HI> towards God as formerly, not &s;uch
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a <HI>&s;en&s;e of unkindne&s;s,</HI> &s;uch an <HI>awful re&s;pect to God, a care to plea&s;e him,</HI> and <HI>de&s;ire to enjoy him;</HI> nor &s;uch <HI>complacency</HI> and <HI>delight</HI> in the thoughts of God; but now <HI>every lo&s;s</HI> or <HI>abatement of degree</HI> doth not mount to a <HI>leaving of our fir&s;t love,</HI> there are certain <HI>ravi&s;hments</HI> and <HI>tran&s;ports of &s;oul,</HI> which we feel upon the <HI>fir&s;t evidence</HI> of our being recon|ciled to God, or are &s;tirred up upon <HI>ther &s;pecial occa&s;ions;</HI> the&s;e are <HI>accidental overflowings,</HI> which may come and go, we cannot always bear up under them, <HI>new things</HI> &s;trangely affect us, love is afterward <HI>more &s;ettled</HI> and <HI>d<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ffu&s;ed</HI> in the channels of obedience, and therefore no wonder if it do not run with &s;o <HI>full a<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">yd<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"></HI> and <HI>current;</HI> this <HI>remi&s;&s;ion of de|grees</HI> then mu&s;t be under&s;tood with re&s;pect to the&s;e <HI>con&s;tant dispo&s;itions</HI> of love, as <HI>care</HI> to plea&s;e, <HI>fear</HI> to offend, <HI>de&s;ire</HI> of, and <HI>delight</HI> in God, when the&s;e fail as to any degree, love is a chilling or growing cold.</P>
<P>2. An <HI>intermi&s;&s;ion of the acts and exerci&s;e of love,</HI> when <HI>God is forg<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">tten, duty neglected, &s;in unmo<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">tified, no ca<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">e of;</HI> or <HI>frequency in private communi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">n with God,</HI> no <HI>&s;weet thoughts</HI> of him, <HI>P&s;al. 63. 6. P&s;al:</HI> 104. 34. where we love there will be <HI>mu&s;ing</HI> on the object beloved, there will be <HI>familiarity</HI> and intimatene&s;s of conver&s;e, there is not a day can pa&s;s but love will find &s;ome errand and occa&s;ion to confer with God, either to <HI>implore his help or ask his coun&s;el;</HI> but now when men can pa&s;s over whole days and weeks, and never give God a vi&s;it, &s;uch &s;trangene&s;s argu|eth little love: Again, when there is no care of glorifying God, no plo<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">tings and contrivings how we may be mo&s;t u&s;eful for him; when we do not mourn over &s;in as we were wont to do, are not &s;o &s;en&s;ible of offences, have not the&s;e meltings of heart, are not &s;o careful to avoid all occa&s;i|ons of offending God, are not &s;o watchful, &s;o zealous, as we were wont to be, do not ri&s;e up in arms again&s;t <HI>tempta|tions</HI> and <HI>carnal thoughts,</HI> love is decayed certainly, when the &s;en&s;e of our obligations to Chri&s;t is warm upon the heart, &s;in doth not &s;cape &s;o freely, love will not endure it to live and act in the <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ear, <HI>Tit. 2 11. 12. Gen.</HI> 39, 9. but now as this is worn off, the <HI>heart</HI> is not <HI>watched;</HI> the
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<HI>tongue</HI> is not <HI>bridled, &s;peeches</HI> are <HI>idle,</HI> yea <HI>rotten</HI> and <HI>pro|phane, wrath</HI> and <HI>envy</HI> tyrannize over the Soul, all runneth to riot in the poor neglected heart; yea further, Gods <HI>publick wor&s;hip</HI> is performed <HI>perfunctorily,</HI> and in a <HI>carele&s;s stupid manner, &s;in confe&s;&s;ed without remor&s;e</HI> and <HI>&s;en&s;e of the wrong done to God, prayer</HI> made for <HI>&s;piritual ble&s;&s;ings</HI> with|out <HI>de&s;ire</HI> of obtaining, <HI>wrath deprecated</HI> without <HI>any fear of the danger, interce&s;&s;ion for others</HI> without any <HI>&s;ympathy</HI> or <HI>bro|therly Love, thanks</HI> given without any <HI>esteem of the benefits</HI> or <HI>affection to God</HI> in the remembrance of them, <HI>conference of holy things</HI> is either <HI>none at all,</HI> or very <HI>&s;light</HI> and <HI>carele&s;s, hearing</HI> without <HI>attention, reading</HI> without a <HI>de&s;ire of profit, &s;inging</HI> without any <HI>delight</HI> or <HI>melody of heart.</HI> All this is but the ju&s;t account of an heart declining in the love of God.</P>
<P>Now as you love your own Souls beware of this great evil, to this end. 1. Be <HI>rooted and grounded in love, Eph.</HI> 3. 17. Do not content your &s;elves with fla&s;hes and good moods and meltings at a Sermon, but get &s;olid grace and thorow experiences, <HI>glances</HI> and <HI>&s;uddain affections</HI> will come to nothing, <HI>Matth.</HI> 13. 4. 5. with 20. 21. A tree that hath <HI>taken root</HI> is in le&s;s danger of withering.</P>
<P>2. <HI>Increa&s;e and grow in love, 1 The&s;&s;a.</HI> 4. 10. Nothing conduceth to a decay more than contentment with what we have received, every day you &s;hould love <HI>&s;in le&s;s, &s;elf le&s;s, world</HI> le&s;s, but <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> more and more.</P>
<P>3. Ob&s;erve the <HI>fir&s;t declinings,</HI> for the&s;e are cau&s;e of all the re&s;t, evil is be&s;t &s;topped in the beginning; if when we fir&s;t began to grow carele&s;s, we had taken heed, then it would never have come to this, an <HI>heavy body</HI> moving downward, <HI>vires a<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">quirit <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">undo,</HI> it gathers &s;trength by running, and &s;till moveth fa&s;ter and fa&s;ter, look then to your fir&s;t breaking off from God, and <HI>remitting your watch</HI> and <HI>&s;piritual fervour;</HI> 'tis ea&s;ier to cru&s;h the <HI>egg</HI> than to kill the <HI>&s;erpent:</HI> He that keepeth an hou&s;e in con&s;tant re|pair, prevents the ruine and fall of it, &s;top every hole and chinck before the mi&s;chief &s;pread further.</P>
<P>4. <HI>Plead with thy heart,</HI> the highe&s;t degree of love doth
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not an&s;wer the <HI>dignity of Chri&s;t</HI> nor the <HI>duty</HI> that we owe to him; he is to be <HI>loved with all the Soul, and all the heart, and all the might;</HI> 'tis a di&s;grace to him to give him le&s;s, &s;urely he looketh to be much loved again who hath loved us &s;o intirely, and <HI>tran&s;lated us out of darkne&s;s into marve|lous light.</HI></P>
<P>5. In ca&s;e of decay take the advice which the holy Gho&s;t hath given you, <HI>Rev.</HI> 2. 5. where three things are requi|red, 1. <HI>Con&s;ideration. 2. Humiliation. 3. Reformation.</HI></P>
<P>1. Con&s;ideration, <HI>Remember whence thou art fallen,</HI> pon|der the ca&s;e; in examination we compare <HI>our &s;elves</HI> and <HI>the Law</HI> together, but in this <HI>recollection, our &s;elves</HI> and <HI>our &s;elves</HI> together; &s;adly con&s;ider then what a difference there is between thee and thy &s;elf, recall former experiences and &s;ay as Job 29. 2. 3. <HI>Oh that I were as in moneths pa&s;t, in the dayes when God pre&s;erved me, when his candle &s;hined on my head,</HI> or as the Churce, <HI>Ho&s;ea&punc; 2. 7. It was better with me than now,</HI> in our &s;erious &s;eque&s;tration and retirements we &s;hould have &s;uch thoughts as the&s;e are, <HI>I was wont to &s;pend &s;ome time every day with God, I remember when 'twas a de|light to me to think of him, now I have no heart to pray or me|ditate, no reli&s;h of communion with his ble&s;&s;ed maje&s;ty; 'twas the joy of my Soul to be at an Ordinance, the returns of the Sabbath were welcome to me, but now what a wearine&s;s is it! time was when I had &s;weet experiences, and the graces of Gods Spirit were more lively in me, but now all is dead and ineffi|cacious; time was when a vain thought was burden&s;ome unto me, but now I can away with &s;inful actions; time was when the mi&s;pence of ordinary time was a grief unto my Soul, now I can &s;pend the Sabbath unprofitably and never be troubled,</HI> &amp;c. Thus &s;hould you con&s;ider your e&s;tate.</P>
<P>2. <HI>Humiliation</HI> intimated in the word <HI>repent;</HI> 'tis not e|nough to know your &s;elves faln, many are convinced of their <HI>collap&s;ed</HI> and <HI>decayed e&s;tate,</HI> but do not judg them&s;elves for it in Gods pre&s;ence, go bewail it to God, &s;mite upon the thigh, praying for pardon; thats the notion of the word [<HI>repent</HI>] here, 'tis not enough to repent of <HI>gro&s;s whoredom, theft, drunkenne&s;s,</HI> we mu&s;t repent al&s;o of the
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<HI>decayes of love,</HI> the blind world thinketh we are to repent of nothing but what is publikely odious: In friend&s;hip <HI>cold|ne&s;s</HI> is taken for a <HI>great injury,</HI> go arraign thy &s;elf before God for growing cold in his Love and Service.</P>
<P>3. <HI>Reformation, do thy first works,</HI> we mu&s;t not &s;pend the time in idle complaints; many are <HI>&s;en&s;ible</HI> that do not <HI>repent,</HI> &s;ome may <HI>repent</HI> that do not <HI>reform,</HI> you mu&s;t not be quiet till you recover your former &s;tation; Chri&s;t puts <HI>Peter</HI> upon a <HI>trebble profe&s;&s;ion</HI> becau&s;e of his <HI>trebble de|nyal, John</HI> 21. 17.</P>
<P>The next note is from the coupling of the&s;e two, the <HI>love</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 4.</NOTE> <HI>of God, and looking for the mercy of Chri&s;t unto eternal life.</HI> Thence ob&s;erve, <HI>That love to God will put us upon looking for Chri&s;ts &s;econd coming when this mercy is to be di&s;pen&s;ed to us.</HI> See the like connection el&s;ewhere; 2 <HI>The&s;. 3, 5. the Lord direct your hearts to the Love of God, and the patient waiting for Christ.</HI> Two rea&s;ons may be given of it.</P>
<P>1. <HI>Love allayeth fear, 1 John</HI> 4. 17. 18. of whom &s;hould a Chri&s;tian be afraid at that day? of <HI>the Divel? he is held in chains of darkne&s;s,</HI> and <HI>judged by the Saints together with</HI> Chri&s;t; of Chri&s;t? Shall the <HI>members</HI> be afraid of their <HI>head?</HI> the ran&s;omed of their Redeemer? the <HI>beloved</HI> of of their <HI>Saviour?</HI> Oh but then he cometh as <HI>a Judg,</HI> but 'tis to plead their cau&s;e, to right their wrongs, to <HI>revenge their enemies,</HI> to <HI>reward their &s;ervices;</HI> if he be then your <HI>Judg</HI> he hath ever been <HI>your Advocate</HI> hitherto, and &s;ure|ly he that hath <HI>interceded</HI> for you, will not <HI>cond<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">mn</HI> you.</P>
<P>2. <HI>Love quickeneth de&s;ire,</HI> 2. Pet. 3. 12, <HI>Looking for and ha&s;tening the coming of the Lord.</HI> &s;ee Cant. 8, 14. Rev. 22. 20 <HI>An Harlot</HI> would have her husband deferre his com|ing, but a <HI>cha&s;t &s;pou&s;e</HI> thinketh he can never come &s;oon e|nough, they that go an whoring after the world, neither <HI>d<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;ire Chri&s;ts coming nor love his appearing;</HI> but <HI>the Spirit of the Bride &s;aith come,</HI> they that love God <HI>look</HI> for it, <HI>Phil. 3. 20. long</HI> for it, 2 <HI>Tim 4. 8. they love his appearing,</HI> cor|rupt nature &s;aith <HI>depart, Job</HI> 22. 14. but grace &s;aith <HI>come;</HI> the children of God would fain &s;ee him of whom they have <HI>heard</HI> &s;o often, and &s;o much, and of who&s;e &s;weetne&s;s they
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have <HI>ta&s;ted;</HI> they know him by <HI>hear-&s;ay</HI> and by <HI>&s;piritual ex|perience,</HI> but they would fain <HI>&s;ee his per&s;on.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">1. &V;&s;e</NOTE></P>
<P>This now <HI>informeth</HI> us what a difference there is between a child of God and wicked men, they wi&s;h this day would never come, and would be glad in their hearts to hear &s;uch news, the thought of Chri&s;ts coming is their burden and torment, they have the <HI>spirit of the Divel</HI> in them, <HI>art thou come to torment us before our time, Matth.</HI> 8. 31. They cannot endure to hear or think of it; if it might go by voices whether Chri&s;t &s;hould come or no, would they give their voice this way, and &s;ay <HI>Come Lord Je&s;us, yea, come quickly?</HI> If Thiefs and Malefactors &s;hould have the liberty to chu&s;e whither the A&s;&s;izes &s;hould be kept or no, would they ever fix it? and look for and long for the time of its approach? No no, but a child of God is <HI>waiting</HI> and <HI>looking</HI> for this happy time.</P>
<P>But now here is an Objection, are Chri&s;tians alwayes in<NOTE PLACE="marg">Object.</NOTE> this frame? What &s;hall we &s;ay then to tho&s;e weak ones that <HI>tremble at the thought of it,</HI> for want of the a&s;&s;urance of Gods Love, and the be&s;t Saints that do not alwayes feel &s;uch an <HI>actual inclination</HI> and <HI>&s;trength of de&s;ire?</HI></P>
<P>I an&s;wer, the meane&s;t Saint hath &s;ome inclination this<NOTE PLACE="marg">Sol.</NOTE> way, can a man de&s;ire that Chri&s;t &s;hould come into his heart and not come to Judgment? Since <HI>comfort</HI> and <HI>re|ward</HI> is more naturally embraced than <HI>duty,</HI> the fir&s;t work of grace is to rai&s;e us up to this hope, 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 1. 3. but yet &s;ometimes there may be a <HI>drow&s;ine&s;s</HI> and <HI>indi&s;po&s;ition,</HI> and then, their <HI>lamps may not be kept burning, Luc.</HI> 12. 35, 36. The wi&s;e Virgins <HI>&s;tept</HI> as well as <HI>the fooli&s;h, Matth.</HI> 25. oftentimes they find them&s;elves indi&s;po&s;ed for his coming by carele&s;s carriage, remi&s;&s;ion of their watch, and &s;catter|ing their Love to the Creature; yea, much of their <HI>old b<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ndage</HI> may remain through the imperfection of their Love; for his <HI>perfect love casteth out fear:</HI> A wife de&s;ireth her husbands coming home, but it may be all things are not ready, and in &s;o good order as they &s;hould be, all Chri&s;tians de&s;ire the coming of Chri&s;t, but &s;ometimes they are not &s;o exact and watchful, and therefore their affecti|ons are not &s;o lively.</P>
<P><PB N="525" REF="271">Here is a <HI>note of tryal</HI> whether we love God or Chri&s;t,<NOTE PLACE="marg">&V;&s;e. 2.</NOTE> how do we &s;tand affected towards his appearing; the world cannot &s;atisfie Chri&s;tians, they look beyond it; in things to come we are apt to feign, and becau&s;e we have not a <HI>&s;ufficient &s;en&s;e</HI> of them, we think we have <HI>an affection</HI> to them, when we have them not, if there be <HI>looking,</HI> there will be <HI>preparing;</HI> when you expect a great e&s;tate for your children, you breed them accordingly; or rather thus, a man that expecteth the comming of a King to his hou&s;e will make all things ready, &s;urely you look for no body when you are not fitting and preparing your &s;elves; what have you done again&s;t this great day? do you <HI>judge your &s;elves?</HI> 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 11. 31. do you get into Chri&s;t? <HI>Rom</HI> 8. 1. that you may be intere&s;ted in <HI>Chri&s;ts Righteou&s;ne&s;s</HI> again&s;t you come to undergo <HI>Christs judgement?</HI> what purging of heart and life? 2 <HI>Pet.</HI> 3. 11. art thou in &s;uch a ca&s;e wherein thou would&s;t <HI>be found of Chri&s;t?</HI></P>
<P>To exhort tho&s;e that love God to look earne&s;tly for the comming of Chri&s;t; to this end 1. Con&s;ider <HI>our relations</HI> to him, he is our <HI>Ma&s;ter,</HI> we are his <HI>&s;ervants,</HI> and good &s;ervants <HI>will wait for their Ma&s;ters comming, Mat.</HI> 24. 45. here we have our <HI>meals,</HI> but then our <HI>wages;</HI> 'tis but <HI>pre|&s;ent maintenance</HI> which we have now, but <HI>behold I come and my reward is with me,</HI> Chri&s;t will not come empty handed: Again, he is our <HI>Husband,</HI> we his <HI>Spou&s;e,</HI> the <HI>Bride &s;aith come,</HI> Rev. 22. 17. we are now but <HI>contracted</HI> to Chri&s;t, then is the day of <HI>&s;olemn E&s;pou&s;als:</HI> The Judge is the wicked mens <HI>enemy,</HI> but your <HI>Redeemer.</HI> 2. Con&s;ider the priviledg|es we &s;hall then enjoy; the day of Chri&s;ts coming is</P>
<P>1. <HI>A day of manife&s;tation,</HI> Rom&punc; 8 19. all is now hidden, Chri&s;t is hidden, the Saints are hidden, their <HI>life</HI> is hidden, <HI>Col.</HI> 3. 3. their <HI>glory</HI> is hidden, 1 <HI>John</HI> 3. 2. but then Chri&s;t &s;hall appear, and we &s;hall appear with him in glory, as <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> told the Rebels, <HI>Numb.</HI> 16. <HI>To morrow the Lord will &s;hew who are his;</HI> Chri&s;t as the natural &s;on &s;hall then appear in all his Royalty and Glory, as the <HI>great God</HI> and <HI>Saviour of the world;</HI> &s;o &s;hall the Saints put on <HI>their be&s;t robes;</HI> in <HI>winter</HI> the tree appeareth not what it is, the <HI>&s;ap</HI>
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and <HI>life</HI> is hidden in the root, but when <HI>&s;ummer</HI> cometh, all is di&s;covered.</P>
<P>2. <HI>'Tis a day of perfection,</HI> every thing tendeth to its perfect e&s;tate; the <HI>little &s;eed</HI> that is &s;own in the ground, breaketh through the clods that it may be <HI>in flower</HI> and <HI>per|fection,</HI> &s;o a Chri&s;tian is working through, that he may come to an e&s;tate of <HI>perfect holine&s;s,</HI> and <HI>perfect freedom;</HI> here we are very weak, yea even to glorified &s;pirits he is but a <HI>Saviour in part,</HI> there is &s;ome fruit of &s;in continued upon the body, but then <HI>body</HI> and <HI>&s;oul</HI> are united and perfectly glorified to prai&s;e God in Heaven, Chri&s;t cometh to make an end of what he hath begun he came fir&s;t <HI>to redeem our &s;ouls from &s;in,</HI> but then <HI>our bodies from corruption;</HI> then all priviledges are perfect <HI>regeneration, Mat.</HI> 19. 27. when Heaven's new, earth new, bodies new, &s;ouls new, that's a regeneration indeed; &s;o <HI>adoption,</HI> we are <HI>&s;ons&punc;</HI> but handled as <HI>&s;ervants, looking for the adoption, Rom.</HI> 8. 23. &s;o <HI>ju&s;tifi|cation,</HI> our pardon &s;hall be proclaimed at the <HI>market cro&s;s,</HI> publi&s;hed before all the world, <HI>Acts&punc;</HI> 3. 19. &s;o for <HI>Redempti|on, Luk.</HI> 21. 28. the body is a <HI>captive,</HI> when the &s;oul is &s;et at liberty, the body is held under death till that day.</P>
<P>3. 'Tis a <HI>day of Congregation,</HI> or gathering together; the Saints are now &s;cattered, they live in <HI>divers Countreys,</HI> and in <HI>divers ages,</HI> but then all meet in one A&s;&s;embly and Congregation <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 1. 6. but of the&s;e things more largely, ver&s;e 16. on the&s;e words [<HI>the great day.</HI>]</P>
<P>From that [<HI>looking for the mercy, &amp;c.</HI>] Ob&s;erve, <HI>That</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 5.</NOTE> <HI>looking earne&s;tly for eteanal life, is a good means of per&s;eve|rance;</HI> for to that end is it urged by the Apo&s;tle here; I &s;hall enquire 1. What this <HI>looking</HI> is. 2. <HI>What influence</HI> it hath upon our per&s;everance.</P>
<P>1. What this looking is, it implyeth <HI>patience,</HI> but chief|ly <HI>hope.</HI></P>
<P>1. <HI>Patience,</HI> in waiting Gods lei&s;ure in the mid&s;t of pre|&s;ent difficulties, <HI>Heb.</HI> 10. 36. <HI>Luke.</HI> 8. 15. 1 <HI>The&s;.</HI> 1. 3. <HI>Rom.</HI> 8. 25.</P>
<P>2. <HI>Hope&punc;</HI> now becau&s;e there is a <HI>blind hope,</HI> and a <HI>good hope,</HI> a <HI>ba&s;tard hope,</HI> and a <HI>genuine hope, good hope through</HI>
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<HI>grace,</HI> &s;aith the Apo&s;tle, 2 The&s;. 2. 16. Let me tell you that this <HI>looking</HI> or <HI>expectation</HI> is not that <HI>blind hope</HI> that is found in men ignorant and pre&s;umptuous, that regard not what they do, pre&s;umption is a <HI>child of darkne&s;s,</HI> the fruit of <HI>ignorance</HI> and <HI>incon&s;ideration,</HI> when men are once &s;erious they find it an hard matter to fix an <HI>advi&s;ed hope</HI> on things to come; for guilty nature is more inclinable to fear than to hope; this blind hope will certainly fail us, 'tis compa|red, to a <HI>Spiders web, Job</HI> 8. 12, 13. The Spider &s;pinneth a web out of his own bowels, which is &s;wept away as &s;oon as the be&s;om cometh, &s;o do carnal men conceive a few ra&s;h and ungrounded hopes, but when <HI>death</HI> cometh or a <HI>little trouble of Con&s;cience,</HI> the&s;e vain conceits are &s;wept away; this hope which I pre&s;s you to is a <HI>&s;erious act</HI> ari&s;ing from grace aiming at its own perfection: again this <HI>looking</HI> is not <HI>&s;ome glances</HI> upon Heaven, &s;uch as are &s;ound in worldly and &s;en&s;ual per&s;ons, who now and then have their <HI>lucida intervalla,</HI> their <HI>good moods</HI> and <HI>&s;ober thoughts,</HI> as <HI>Balaam,</HI> Numb. 23. 10. a <HI>ta&s;te</HI> they may have, <HI>Heb.</HI> 6. 4. a &s;match of the &s;weetne&s;s of Heaven and &s;piritual comforts; the mo&s;t wretched worldlings have their wi&s;hes and &s;uddain rap<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">s of Soul, but alas the&s;e <HI>&s;uddain motions</HI> are no<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> operative, they come but &s;eldom and leave no warmth upon the Soul, as fruit is not ripened that <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ath but a g<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">a<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ce of the Sun, and a <HI>&s;uddain light</HI> rather blindeth a man than &s;heweth him the way. So the&s;e &s;uddain indeliberate thoughts vani&s;h and leave men never the better: again 'tis not a <HI>loo&s;e hope</HI> or <HI>a probable conjecture;</HI> this hath no efficacy upon the Soul; men that are under an anxious doubtful po&s;ture of Spirit will be very uneven in their walkings, <HI>James</HI> 1. 8. when men are di&s;couraged in a race they begin to &s;lacken their pace; to which the Apo&s;tle alludeth when he &s;aith, <HI>I run not as once, that is uncertain&punc;</HI> 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 9, 26. but when they begin &s;en&s;ibly to get ground, they hold on their cour&s;e the more chearfully.</P>
<P>Thus <HI>negatively</HI> I have &s;hewed you what 'tis not, but now <HI>po&s;itively,</HI> tis <HI>an earnest well grounded expectation of ble&s;&s;edne&s;s to come,</HI> it bewrayeth it &s;elf, 1. by <HI>frequent and</HI>
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<HI>&s;erious thoughts,</HI> thoughts are the <HI>&s;pyes</HI> and <HI>me&s;&s;engers</HI> of hope, it &s;endeth them into the <HI>promi&s;ed land</HI> to bring the &s;oul tydings from thence; 'tis impo&s;&s;ible a man can hope for a thing, but he will be thinking of it, by this means we prae-occupy and fore&s;tall the contentment of what we expect, and fea&s;t the &s;oul with images and &s;uppo&s;itions of what is to come, as if it were already pre&s;ent; if a beggar were adopted into the &s;ucce&s;&s;ion of a Crown, he would plea&s;e him&s;elf in imagining the happine&s;s and honour, and plea&s;ure of the Kingly State, &s;o certainly if we did look up|on our &s;elves as <HI>Hoirs of the Kingdom of Heaven,</HI> and <HI>co|heirs with Christ,</HI> we would think of that happy &s;tate more then we do, and by a <HI>&s;erious contemplation,</HI> our hearts would carry us above the clouds, and &s;et us in the mid&s;t of the glory of the world to come, as if we did &s;ee <HI>Chri&s;t upon his Throne,</HI> and <HI>Paul</HI> with his <HI>Crown of righteou&s;ne&s;s</HI> upon his head, and all the ble&s;&s;ed leaning in <HI>Abrahams bo&s;ome:</HI> a <HI>carnal expectation</HI> filleth men with <HI>carnal, mu&s;ings</HI> and <HI>pro|jects,</HI> as <HI>Luk</HI> 12. 18. <GAP DESC="foreign">, he was <HI>dialoguing</HI> and di&s;cour&s;ing with him&s;elf of <HI>pulling down Barns, and build|ing greater,</HI> of be&s;towing his fruits and goods, &s;ee the like. <HI>James</HI> 4. 13. 'tis u&s;ual with men to fore&s;tall the plea&s;ure of their hopes, as young riotous heirs &s;pend upon their e&s;tates before they come in hand; now &s;o 'tis al&s;o in Heavenly things, men that expect them will be entertaining their &s;pi|rits with the thoughts of them.</P>
<P>2. By <HI>hearty groans,</HI> and <HI>&s;ighs,</HI> and <HI>longings,</HI> Rom. 8. 23. <HI>We groan in our &s;elves, waiting for the adoption, the redem|ption of our bodies,</HI> they have had a ta&s;t of the <HI>clu&s;ters of Ca|naan,</HI> and therefore long for more, they can never be &s;oon enough with Chri&s;t, when &s;hall it once be, the nearer en|joyment the more impatient of the want of his company; as the decays of nature do put them in mind of another world, they begin to lift up the head and look out, <HI>Rom.</HI> 8. 19. <GAP DESC="foreign">, the <HI>earne&s;t expectation of the creature&punc;</HI> the word &s;ignifieth the puffing out of the head to &s;ee if it can &s;pye a thing a great way of, and noteth the <HI>exten&s;ion of the &s;oul</HI> towards the fruition of things hoped for,
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they would have a fuller draught of the con&s;olations of the &s;pirit, more freedom from &s;in, more perfection of grace, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<P>3. By <HI>lively ta&s;ts</HI> and <HI>feelings,</HI> <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">John <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">.</NOTE> <HI>a beleever hath eternal life,</HI> he beginneth it here; hope is called a <HI>lively hope,</HI> not only living, but lively, 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 1. 3. becau&s;e it quickeneth the heart, and maketh us chearful and &s;prightly, <HI>Rom. 5. 2. We rejoyce under the hope of the glory of God;</HI> joy is for en|joyment and po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion; but yet that <HI>pre-po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion</HI> which hope getteth, cau&s;eth all joy, &s;ee 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 1. 8. I confe&s;s all feel it not in <HI>a like degree,</HI> becau&s;e it dependeth upon <HI>a &s;en&s;e of grace,</HI> which beleevers always have not, yet all find a <HI>&s;weetne&s;s</HI> and <HI>&s;ome comfort,</HI> when they think of what they look for: worldly hope is but <HI>the dream of a &s;hadow,</HI> there is <HI>pain</HI> and <HI>trouble</HI> in the <HI>expectation,</HI> and no <HI>&s;atisfaction</HI> in the <HI>fruition.</HI></P>
<P>2. Let me &s;hew you the influence it hath upon per&s;eve|rance. 1. It &s;ets us a work to purge out &s;in, 1 John 3. 3. <HI>Every one that hath this hope purifi<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="missing" EXTENT="1 letter">th him&s;elf as Chri&s;t is pure;</HI> the things that we look for are holy, 'tis a great part of our portion in Heaven, to be free from &s;in, and to be Con&s;orts of the immaculate Lamb; can we hope for the&s;e things and cheri&s;h wotldly lu&s;ts? if we did we look for a <HI>&s;en&s;ual Paradi&s;e,</HI> then we might indulge our lu&s;ts with|out any defyance of our hopes: but we look for a <HI>pure</HI> and <HI>holy</HI> as well as a <HI>glorious</HI> and <HI>ble&s;&s;ed</HI> e&s;tate, and therefore we &s;hould begin to purifie our &s;elves.</P>
<P>2. It withdraweth our hearts from pre&s;ent things, <HI>Phil. 2. 20. Our conver&s;ation is in Heaven, from wh<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="missing" EXTENT="1 letter">nce we look for a Saviour;</HI> a man that hath been looking upon the &s;un, findeth his eyes dazled that he cannot behold an object le&s;s glorious, the oftner we look within this vail, the more is the glory of the world ob&s;cured; <HI>Abraham</HI> lived as a <HI>&s;tran|ger in the promi&s;ed land,</HI> why? becau&s;e <HI>he looked for a Ci|ty</HI> &amp;c. <HI>H<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="missing" EXTENT="1 letter">b. 11. 9, 10 deny deadly lu&s;ts</HI> (&s;aith the Apo&s;tle) <HI>looking for the ble&s;&s;ed hope, Tit.</HI> 2. 12, 13. a man who is much in Heaven, his affections are pre-ingaged and there|fore the world doth him little hurt; <HI>birds are &s;eldom taken</HI>
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<HI>in their flight,</HI> the more we are upon the wing of heavenly thoughts, the more we e&s;cape &s;nares, hope &s;ets the wheels a going, <HI>Phil. 3. 13. I pre&s;s onward becau&s;e of the high price of our calling;</HI> the thought of <HI>the end</HI> quickeneth to the <HI>u&s;e of means,</HI> we faint becau&s;e we do not con&s;ider it more, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 15. 58. Heaven will pay for all.</P>
<P>4. It <HI>maketh us upright and &s;incere,</HI> looking a &s;quint on &s;ecular rewards is the cau&s;e of all our declinings, <HI>Mat.</HI> 6. 2. <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">See the larger annotations.</NOTE> <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>they have their reward,</HI> hired Servants do not look for the inheritance, and therefore mu&s;t have pay in hand, if they may have the world and live in honour and plea&s;ure, they will di&s;charge God from all other promi&s;es; a &s;incere man maketh God his Pay ma&s;ter, and that chief|ly in the other world, <HI>Col.</HI> 3. 24. we have a Ma&s;ter good enough in him, we need not look for pay el&s;ewhere.</P>
<P>5. <HI>It &s;upporteth us under tho&s;e difficulties and afflictions which are wont to befall us in a cour&s;e of godline&s;s,</HI> we can counterballance what <HI>we feel</HI> with what <HI>we expect,</HI> we feel nothing but <HI>trouble</HI> and that which we expect is <HI>life</HI> and <HI>glory, Rom. 8. 18. 2 Cor.</HI> 4. 17, 18. in this re&s;pect hope is called an <HI>Anchor, Heb</HI> 6. 19. in the &s;tormy gu&s;ts of temptation it &s;tayeth the Soul, <HI>which hope we have as anchor of the Soul both &s;ure and stedf<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;t, and entereth into that which is within the vail,</HI> 'tis a <HI>weighty anchor</HI> that will not bow or break, and the <HI>ground is good,</HI> it <HI>entereth into that within the vail,</HI> and therefore though tempe&s;ts ari&s;e it will keep us from floating and da&s;hing again&s;t the rocks: again 'tis cal|led a <HI>Helmet, Eph. 6. 17. the Helmet of Salvation,</HI> &s;o 1 <HI>The&s;&s;.</HI> 5. 8. the Helmet is for <HI>the Head,</HI> in conflict<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">, as long as we can lift up our heads and look to Heaven we are &s;afe.</P>
<P>6. It helpeth us <HI>to re&s;i&s;t temptations,</HI> &s;in maketh many promi&s;es, and prevaileth by carnal hope, <HI>Balaam</HI> was en|livened by promi&s;es to cur&s;e Gods people, <HI>Babylons forni|cations</HI> are pre&s;ented in a <HI>golden cup,</HI> men are corrupted with promi&s;es of preferment, and greatne&s;s, and pre&s;ent accomodations; now hope &s;ets promi&s;e again&s;t promi&s;e, <HI>Heaven</HI> again&s;t <HI>earth, plea&s;ures at Gods right hand</HI> again&s;t
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<HI>carnal delights</HI> and <HI>taking our f<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ll of loves,</HI> as one hall driv|eth out another, &s;o doth hope defeat the promi&s;es of the world by propounding the promi&s;es of God.</P>
<P>Let us now apply this.</P>
<P>1. It informeth us, <HI>that we may look for the reward with|out &s;in.</HI> Tho&s;e men would be wi&s;er than God that deny<NOTE PLACE="marg">&V;&s;e 1.</NOTE> us a liberty to make u&s;e of the <HI>Spirits motives,</HI> they begrudg Gods bounty, to what end &s;hould the Lord propound re|wards but that we &s;hould clo&s;e with them by faith, <HI>graces</HI> may be exerci&s;ed about their proper <HI>objects</HI> without &s;in, it requireth &s;ome faith to aim at <HI>things not &s;een,</HI> the <HI>world</HI> is drowned in <HI>&s;en&s;e</HI> and <HI>pre&s;ent &s;atisfactions;</HI> they are Mer|cenaries that mu&s;t have pay in hand, their Souls droop and langui&s;h if they do not meet with <HI>credit, applau&s;e,</HI> and <HI>pro|fit,</HI> they make man their pay ma&s;ter, they have the <HI>&s;pirit of a &s;ervant</HI> that prefer <HI>pre&s;ent wages</HI> before <HI>the inheritance;</HI> but to do all upon the incouragements <HI>of the mercy of Je&s;us Chri&s;t unto eternal life</HI> argueth grace: 'Twas a relief to the Soul of Chri&s;t to think of the reward, Heb. 12. 2. Chri&s;t, <HI>as man,</HI> was to have <HI>rational comforts</HI> and <HI>humane incourage|ments;</HI> that is, &s;inful indeed when we would have the <HI>re|ward</HI> but neglect <HI>the work,</HI> when we would be <HI>Mercenarii</HI> but not <HI>Operarii,</HI> we &s;ever the reward from the duty, &amp; like <HI>Ephraim</HI> are <HI>willing to <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">ead the corn</HI> but <HI>not break the clods, Ho&s;.</HI> 10. 11. Again, we look ami&s;s upon the reward when we have <HI>a carnal notion</HI> of heaven, as &s;ome Jews looked for a <HI>car|nal Me&s;&s;iah,</HI> &s;o do &s;ome Chri&s;tians for a <HI>carnal Heaven,</HI> for ba&s;e plea&s;ure and fle&s;hly delights, for a <HI>Turki&s;h Paradi&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">,</HI> &s;uch kind of hopes deba&s;e the heart, or el&s;e when we look for it as merited by us, as if we could challenge it by our works, then we are <HI>Mercinaries indeed,</HI> 'tis here <HI>looking for the mercy of Je&s;us Chri&s;t,</HI> &amp;c.</P>
<P>Again, our <HI>own happine&s;s</HI> mu&s;t not be our <HI>la&s;t end,</HI> there is a <HI>per&s;onal happine&s;s</HI> that re&s;ults to us from the enjoyment of God, now the <HI>glory of God</HI> mu&s;t be preferred before it.</P>
<P>2. If you would per&s;evere in the love of God and a good frame of heart, revive your hopes, and &s;et the Soul a look|ing<NOTE PLACE="marg">&V;&s;e 2.</NOTE> and a longing for eternal life, if we <HI>keep the rejoycing of</HI>
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<HI>our hope firm to the end</HI> then we are &s;afe, <HI>Heb.</HI> 3. 6. Courti|ers are more polite in their manners than ordinary &s;ubjects, becau&s;e they are more in their Princes eye and company; the oftner we are in Gods Court the more holy: Well, then be as much as you can in actual expectation of this ble&s;&s;ed|ne&s;s.</P>
<P>To this end, 1. <HI>Believe it,</HI> there is a mi&s;t upon eternity to a carnal heart, they are led by &s;en&s;e and rea&s;on, and be|lieve no more than is evident to a natural principle, but now <HI>faith is the evidence of things not &s;een,</HI> Heb. 11. 1. <HI>fan|cy</HI> and <HI>nature</HI> cannot ou<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">-&s;ee time and look beyond death, <HI>faith</HI> holdeth the candle <HI>to hope,</HI> and then we have a pro&s;|pect into the other world, and can &s;ee an happy e&s;tate to come.</P>
<P>2. <HI>Apply</HI> it, 'tis a poor, comfortle&s;s meditation to think of a <HI>ble&s;&s;ed hope</HI> and the <HI>certainty</HI> of it, unle&s;s we have an intere&s;t in the&s;e things, an hungry man taketh little plea|&s;ure in gazing upon a fea&s;t when he ta&s;tes not of it; the reprobate hereafter are <HI>lookers on,</HI> and <HI>David</HI> &s;peaketh of a <HI>table &s;pread for him in the &s;ight of his enemies;</HI> hope hath ne|ver a more lively influence than when we can make out our own propriety and intere&s;t, 1. Job 19. 26. <HI>I know that my Redeemer liveth.</HI> 2 Cor 5. 1. <HI>We know that if this earthly Tabernacle were di&s;&s;olved, we have a building not made with hands, eternal in the Heavens.</HI> 2 Tim. 4. 8. <HI>Hence forth there is laid up for me:</HI> &amp;c, they do not only believe there is an Heaven, but apply it <HI>for me.</HI> You will &s;ay is <HI>hope</HI> only the fruit <HI>a&s;&s;urance.</HI> I an&s;wer 'tis the fruit of <HI>faith</HI> as well as of <HI>a&s;&s;u|rance</HI> or <HI>experience,</HI> but <HI>the &s;en&s;e of our intere&s;t</HI> is very com|fortable, and in &s;ome &s;ort nece&s;&s;ary, before we can hope any thing for our &s;elves, our <HI>qualification</HI> is to be &s;uppo&s;ed; in a matter of &s;uch moment a man &s;hould not be at an un|certainty, can&s;t thou <HI>be quiet</HI> and not <HI>&s;ure of Heaven?</HI> not to look after it is a bad &s;ign, a godly man may <HI>want</HI> it but a godly man cannot <HI>&s;light</HI> it: 'Tis po&s;&s;ible a man may make an hard <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">hift to creep to Heaven through <HI>doubts</HI> and <HI>fears,</HI> and may be <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">2 Pet. 4. 17.</NOTE> <HI>&s;carcely &s;aved,</HI> while&s;t others have an <HI>abun|dant entrance,</HI> but then you lo&s;e your <HI>Heaven upon earth,</HI>
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which con&s;i&s;teth in <HI>peace</HI> and <HI>joy in the Holy Gho&s;t,</HI> and lo&s;e much of the <HI>efficacy of hope;</HI> for uncertain wavering thoughts work little, therefore a&s;&s;urance cannot be &s;leighted: fur|ther I adde by &s;hewing what <HI>application</HI> there mu&s;t be if we cannot attain to <HI>a&s;&s;urance,</HI> there are three deg<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ees of <HI>ap|plication</HI> beneath <HI>a&s;&s;urance,</HI> there is <HI>acceptation, adherence,</HI> and <HI>affiance.</HI></P>
<P>1. <HI>Acceptation</HI> of Gods offer upon Gods terms, <HI>Job 5. 27. Know thou it for thy good,</HI> put in for the&s;e hopes and take God to his word upon this confidence, make good thy part of the &s;tipation in the Covenant, and he will not fail thee, this application there mu&s;t be in all, an an&s;wer to the demands of the Covenant, 1 <HI>Pet. 3. 21. Exod.</HI> 24. 6, 7, 8.</P>
<P>2. <HI>Adherence,</HI> Stick clo&s;e to this hope in a cour&s;e of obe|dience, if we do Gods <HI>work</HI> we &s;hall not fail of wages, 1 <HI>Car. 9. 26. I run not as one that is uncertain.</HI></P>
<P>3. <HI>Affiance,</HI> re&s;ting, waiting upon God for the accom|pli&s;hment of this ble&s;&s;edne&s;s, though not without &s;ome doubts and fears as to our own intere&s;t, though you cannot &s;ay <HI>'tis yours,</HI> yet you will ca&s;t your &s;elf <HI>upon the mercy of God in Chri&s;t</HI> as 'tis in the Text. <HI>Looking for the mercy of Chri&s;t,</HI> you dare venture your Soul in that bottom, this is that <HI>committing your &s;elves to him as unto a merciful and faithful Creator,</HI> which the Apo&s;tle &s;peaketh of, 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 4. 18. You will go on with your work and put your &s;elves in Gods hand for your eternal happine&s;s, becau&s;e he is merciful, faithful: See al&s;o <HI>Rom.</HI> 2. 7.</P>
<P>3. <HI>Meditate on it often,</HI> med ta<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ion is a <HI>temperate exta|&s;ie,</HI> a &s;urvey of the Land of promi&s;e, God biddeth <HI>Abra|ham</HI> take a view of <HI>Canaan, Gen.</HI> 13. 14, 15. Surely the more we lift up our thoughts in the contemplation of this ble&s;&s;ed e&s;tate, the more lively will our hopes be, if every morning we &s;pent a thought this way, it would &s;ea&s;on the heart again&s;t the love of pre&s;ent things, the morning is an <HI>emblem of the Re&s;urrection,</HI> when we awake out of the &s;leep of death, and the day cometh which will never have night more, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 17. 15. So <HI>in time of troubles</HI> we &s;hould
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be reckoning upon a better e&s;tate, <HI>Rom.</HI> 8. 18, &s;o when you are by <HI>bodily &s;ickne&s;s</HI> &s;ummoned to the grave, and you are going down to conver&s;e with <HI>worms</HI> and <HI>skulls,</HI> then think of a <HI>ble&s;&s;ed eternity,</HI> Job 19. 26.</P>
<P>The next Point is from that elau&s;e [<HI>the mercy] The</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 6.</NOTE> <HI>ground of our waiting and looking for eternal life is Gods mer|cy, not for any works and merits of ours,</HI> we cannot challenge it as a debt: <HI>&s;in</HI> and <HI>death</HI> are as <HI>work</HI> and <HI>wages,</HI> but <HI>eternal life</HI> is a <HI>donative, Rom.</HI> 6. 23. eternal life is not the <HI>wages of obedience,</HI> as <HI>damnation</HI> is the <HI>wageso<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> &s;in;</HI> why: wherein lyeth the difference? I an&s;wer, wicked men &s;tand upon their <HI>own bottom,</HI> but Chri&s;t hath obtained this priviledge for us: Wicked works are ours, and they are meerly evil, the good that we do is <HI>imp<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">rfect,</HI> and Gods grace hath the main &s;troak, &s;o that we are rewarded, rather according to what we have <HI>received,</HI> then what we <HI>have done;</HI> a &s;ervant is <HI>under a covenant of obed ence,</HI> and <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">radeth with his <HI>ma&s;ters e&s;tate,</HI> he doth but his duty, he de&s;erveth &s;omething: we are bound to do good, and forbidden to &s;in; when we do what is forbidden, we de&s;erve puni&s;hment; but when we do what is commanded, <HI>we do not de&s;erve the reward,</HI> be|cau&s;e we <HI>are bound,</HI> and becau&s;e we <HI>have all</HI> from Gods grace: as you mu&s;t <HI>pray for eternal life,</HI> &s;o mu&s;t you <HI>look for eternal life;</HI> if you &s;hould &s;ay <HI>give me Heaven for I de|&s;erve it;</HI> natural con&s;cience would blu&s;h at the immode&s;ty of &s;uch a reque&s;t; 'tis as great an ab&s;urdity when you make your own works <HI>the ground of your hope,</HI> for in prayer our de&s;ires and hopes are put into language, and made more explicite; &s;o that which is <HI>our plea in prayer,</HI> mu&s;t be the <HI>ground of our claim in point of confidence,</HI> unle&s;s we mean to complement with God.</P>
<P>Well then, 1. Let this encourage us to wait with hope, notwith&s;tanding <HI>infirmities</HI> as well as <HI>affictions;</HI> what a good ma&s;ter do we &s;erve? he hath provided comforts not only again&s;t <HI>our mi&s;ery,</HI> but again&s;t <HI>our unworthine&s;s,</HI> not on|ly <HI>glory</HI> as a reward, but <HI>mercy</HI> as the cau&s;e of it, that we may take <HI>glory</HI> out of the <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ands of <HI>mercy;</HI> he looked upon us not only as liable to <HI>&s;uffering</HI> but <HI>&s;inning,</HI> and therefore
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as he hath provided <HI>life and &s;afety</HI> for us, &s;o upon <HI>tearms of grace.</HI></P>
<P>2. It &s;heweth us how we &s;hould a&s;cribe all to mercy, from the beginning to the end of our &s;alvation: we were taken into a &s;tate of grace at fir&s;t out of meer mercy, 1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 1. 13. <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>I was all to be mercy'd,</HI> Tit. 3. 5. <HI>Not by works of righteou&s;ne&s;s that we have done, but according to his mercy he &s;aved us:</HI> he doth not barely &s;ay, not for our works, but not for our works, <GAP DESC="foreign">, not for our be&s;t works, tho&s;e <HI>works</HI> of righteou&s;ne&s;s which might be &s;uppo&s;ed to be fore&s;een as done by us: &s;o al&s;o when we are taken into a <HI>&s;tate of glory,</HI> 'tis &s;till mercy, we can merit no more after grace then before, 2 <HI>Tim. 1. 18, The Lord grant him that he may find mercy of the Lord in that day.</HI></P>
<P>Once more this <HI>mercy</HI> is called [<HI>the mercy of our Lord Je|&s;us</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 7.</NOTE> <HI>Chri&s;t.</HI>] Thence ob&s;erve, <HI>That this mercy which we look for is di&s;pen&s;ed by Je&s;us Chri&s;t;</HI> he purcha&s;ed it, and he hath the managing of it in the whole oeconomy of grace: <HI>he &s;hall take of mine,</HI> &s;aith he, concerning the holy Gho&s;t, and in the la&s;t day he di&s;tributeth to &s;ome <HI>judgment without mercy,</HI> to others <HI>mercy,</HI> they are judged upon <HI>Go&s;pel terms.</HI></P>
<P>Well then, 1. <HI>Get an intere&s;t in Chri&s;t,</HI> otherwi&s;e we cannot look for mercy in that great day, 1 <HI>Iohn 2. 28. If we abide in him then &s;hall we have boldne&s;s;</HI> they that &s;leight Chri&s;t in the offers of the Go&s;pel have no rea&s;on to look for benefit by him, you will howl and tremble then, and call upon the mountains to hide you from the <HI>wrath of him that &s;itteth upon the throne;</HI> they that prize the mercy of Chri&s;t now, they find it to be the very la&s;t, mercy that <HI>planted g<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ace</HI> in their hearts, will then <HI>put the crown</HI> upon their heads; here 'twas their care to <HI>glorifie Chri&s;t,</HI> and to ho|nour him though with the lo&s;s of all, there will Chri&s;t <HI>glo|rifie them</HI> in the pre&s;ence of all the world.</P>
<P>2. It maketh <HI>for the cemfort</HI> of Chri&s;ts people and mem|bers; our ble&s;&s;ed hopes are founded upon the mercy of our Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t, and in his hands to di&s;pence them: from thence you may collect,</P>
<P><PB N="536" REF="277">1. <HI>The fulne&s;s of this bl<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;&s;edne&s;s,</HI> and <HI>infinite merit,</HI> pur|cha&s;ed it, an <HI>infinite mercy</HI> be&s;toweth it: &s;urely the build|ing will be an&s;werable to the foundation; 'tis no &s;mall thing that we may expect from <HI>infinite mercy</HI> and <HI>infinite merit;</HI> would <HI>an Emperour give bra&s;s farthings?</HI> do men that under&s;tand them&s;elves give <HI>vast &s;ums for trifles?</HI></P>
<P>2. The <HI>certainty of this ble&s;&s;edne&s;s,</HI> Chri&s;t hath the ma|naging of it; he never di&s;covered any <HI>backwardne&s;s to thy good,</HI> nor <HI>inclination to thy ruine;</HI> he <HI>dyed for thee</HI> before thou wert born, he <HI>called</HI> thee when thou wert <HI>unworthy, warned</HI> thee of dangers which thou never feared&s;t, in&s;tead of <HI>de&s;erved wrath</HI> &s;hewed thee <HI>unde&s;erved mercy, interceedeth</HI> for thee when thou little thinke&s;t of it, hath been tender of thee in the whole <HI>conduct of his providence, vi&s;ited</HI> thee in Ordinances, is <HI>mindful</HI> of thee at every turn, and will he be har&s;h to thee at la&s;t?</P>
<P>The la&s;t Note is from that clau&s;e [<HI>unto eternal life] The great binefit which we have by Chri&s;t is eternal life.</HI></P>
<P>1. There <HI>is life,</HI> all that you labour for is for <HI>life,</HI> that which you prize above other things <HI>is life; Skin for skin, all that a man hath will he give for his life;</HI> That is, he will part with all things, even to his very skin to &s;ave his life.</P>
<P>2. <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Called there|fore <HI>a Crown of life,</HI> Rom. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">. 10.</NOTE> 'Tis an <HI>excellent life,</HI> the <HI>life of &s;en&s;e,</HI> which is the bea&s;ts, is better then that <HI>vegetative life</HI> which is in the plants, and the <HI>rational life</HI> which is in men, is better then thee <HI>&s;en&s;itive,</HI> and the <HI>&s;piritual</HI> exceedeth the <HI>rational,</HI> and the <HI>glorious life</HI> the <HI>&s;piritual.</HI> Vegetative life is the <HI>vigor of the &s;ap,</HI> &s;en&s;itive life is the <HI>vigor of the blood,</HI> rational life is <HI>the union of the &s;oul with the body,</HI> &s;piritual life is the <HI>union of the &s;oul with Chri&s;t,</HI> and the life of glory exceedeth that in degree, for it &s;tandeth in the <HI>immediate fruition of God.</HI></P>
<P>3. <HI>'Tis an happy life,</HI> not &s;ubjected to the nece&s;&s;ities of meat and drink, we have then <HI>&s;piritual bodies,</HI> 1 Cor. 15. 45. 'Tis not <HI>encumbered with mi&s;eries,</HI> as the pre&s;ent life is <HI>Gen.</HI> 47. 9 'tis a life which we are never weary of; in deep di&s;tre&s;&s;es life it &s;elf may become a burden, <HI>Elijah</HI> &s;aid, <HI>Take away my li<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">e,</HI> 1 Kings 19. 4. but this life cannot be a burden.</P>
<P><PB N="537" REF="277">4. 'Tis <HI>eternal life,</HI> this life is but <HI>a flower</HI> that is &s;oon withered, <HI>a vapour</HI> that is &s;oon blown over; but this is for ever and ever, as eternity increa&s;eth the <HI>torment</HI> of the wicked, &s;o the <HI>ble&s;&s;edne&s;s</HI> of the godly: Well then, let this pre&s;s you to keep your &s;elves in the love of God, till this happy e&s;tate come about.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="22-23" TYPE="verse">
<EPIGRAPH>
<BIBL>Ver&s;e 22.</BIBL>
<Q>And of &s;ome have compa&s;&s;ion, making a difference.</Q>
<BIBL>Ver&s;e 23.</BIBL>
<Q>And others &s;ave with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment &s;potted by the fle&s;h.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>HEre is the &s;econd part of the Exhortation, explaining their duty towards others, or teaching them how to behave them&s;elves to them that were gone a&s;tray.</P>
<P>[<HI>Of &s;ome have compa&s;&s;ion</HI>] the vulgar readeth quite to to another &s;en&s;e, <HI>and &s;ome being reproved: Beza</HI> &s;aith, that in &s;ome Greek Copies he found it <GAP DESC="foreign">; but the reading which we follow is to be prefer|red; the other is but in few Copies, is har&s;h in con&s;tructi|on, and mangleth the whole context: <GAP DESC="foreign"> on <HI>the&s;e have mercy;</HI> 'tis a word that cometh from another word that &s;ignifyeth <HI>bowels,</HI> and &s;o noteth not only the <HI>gentle|ne&s;s of the cen&s;ure,</HI> but the <HI>inward affection,</HI> or as we render it, <HI>the compa&s;&s;ion</HI> which we &s;hould have over them: [<HI>put|ting a difference</HI>] <GAP DESC="foreign">, the word hath many &s;igni|fication<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">, <HI>judging, di&s;cerning,</HI> we mo&s;t fitly render it accor|ding to its u&s;ual &s;en&s;e, and the Apo&s;tles &s;cope.</P>
<P>From the 22. ver&s;e ob&s;erve.</P>
<P>1. <HI>That reproofs mu&s;t be managed with compa&s;&s;ion and holy</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 1.</NOTE> <HI>grief;</HI> ou<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> words mu&s;t have bowels in them; this is like God; <HI>He doth not afflict willingly, nor g<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ieve the children of</HI>
<PB N="538" REF="278">
<HI>men, Lam.</HI> 3. 33. there are <HI>tears</HI> in his eyes when he hath <HI>a rod</HI> in his hand; 'tis like Chri&s;t, <HI>He wept when he drew near the City Luk.</HI> 19 41. the Jews were his enemies, and that was the day of his &s;olemn tryumph, yet he <HI>wept, Oh that thou ha<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> known the things of thy peace;</HI> 'tis &s;uitable to the di&s;po&s;ition of Gods &s;ervants in all ages: <HI>Samuel</HI> left <HI>Saul,</HI> but <HI>wept</HI> for him, 1 <HI>Sam.</HI> 25. 35. <HI>Paul</HI> &s;peaketh of very wretches that made a de&s;ign of the Go&s;pel, to gratifie their belly concernments: <HI>I tell you weeping,</HI> &s;aith he, <HI>Phil.</HI> 3. 18, 19, There are three grounds of this holy grief.</P>
<P>1. <HI>The di&s;honour done to God,</HI> P&s;al. 1<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">9. 136. love will be affected with the wrong of the party loved; if we &s;ee a man kill a friend or child whom we love, the <HI>&s;word would pa&s;s through our own hearts,</HI> Luk. 2. 35. Shall we &s;ee them &s;trike at God and not be troubled?</P>
<P>2. <HI>The harm</HI> and <HI>de&s;truction</HI> men bring upon them&s;elves, that they have no care of their own &s;ouls, <HI>Jer.</HI> 13. 17.</P>
<P>3. <HI>The pronene&s;s</HI> that is in our nature to the &s;ame &s;in, <HI>Gal.</HI> 6. 1. <HI>Bernards</HI> good man would weep <HI>ille hodie &amp; ergo cras,</HI> he to day and I to morrow; there is no &s;in in their lives, but was in your nature. Well then, it checketh them that &s;peak of others &s;ins by way of reproof or cen&s;ure; but with delight or <HI>petulancy of &s;pirit,</HI> many reproofs are lo&s;t, becau&s;e there is more of <HI>pa&s;&s;ion</HI> then of <HI>compa&s;&s;ion</HI> in them; 'tis &s;piritual cruelty when you can turn a finger in your bro|thers wound without grief; reproofs are delightful &s;ome|times out of the &s;weetne&s;s <HI>of revenge,</HI> or <HI>hatred,</HI> and <HI>ill will</HI> to the per&s;ons of men, &s;ometimes out of pride, or a de&s;ire to vaunt it, and in&s;ult over others; &s;ometimes from &s;elf. conceit, and non con&s;ideration of our own faultine&s;s: Oh con&s;ider this is not Chri&s;tian dealing, <HI>Paul</HI> &s;aith, <HI>I am a|fraid lea&s;t when I come among you, my God will humble me, and that I &s;hall bewail many,</HI> &amp;c. 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 12. 21. Many a proud Phari&s;ee would have blu&s;tred, and threatned them with the &s;everity of di&s;cipline; but <HI>Paul</HI> was afraid he &s;hould have a heavy load upon his own &s;oul.</P>
<P>Again, and more expre&s;ly ob&s;erve, <HI>That in reproving</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 2.</NOTE> <HI>&s;ome mu&s;t be handled gently:</HI> But who are tho&s;e that mu&s;t
<PB N="539" REF="278">
be handled gently? 1. With the mo&s;t notorious 'tis good to begin mildly, that they may &s;ee our good will and de|&s;ire of their Salvation, 2 <HI>Tim.</HI> 2. 25. ha&s;ty Spirits cannot brook the lea&s;t oppo&s;ition, and therefore are all a fire pre&s;ently, how did God deal with us in our natural condi|tion? with what lenity and mildne&s;s? and <HI>spake comforta|tably</HI> to us, to allure us out of the Divels &s;na<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">e, <HI>Ho&s;ea</HI> 2 15.</P>
<P>2. The per&s;ons whom we &s;hould treat with much com|pa&s;&s;ion are the&s;e.</P>
<P>1. <HI>The ignorant</HI> and <HI>&s;educed,</HI> &s;ome are of a &s;imple and weak heart; the young men that went with <HI>Ab&s;alon went in the &s;implicity of their hearts, and knew not any thing,</HI> 2 <HI>S<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">m.</HI> 15. 11. though &s;wine or dogs be driven with vio|lence, yet poor &s;tray Lambs mu&s;t be brought home, as the Shepherd brought home his two lo&s;t &s;heep <HI>upon his &s;houlders rejoycing, Luc.</HI> 15. Many well meaning men may erre, be not too &s;evere with them, le<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">t <HI>prejudice</HI> make them <HI>ob&s;tinate,</HI> and &s;o from <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Errare po&s;&s;um Hereticus e&s;&s;e nolo.</NOTE> <HI>erring brethren</HI> they become <HI>heretical.</HI></P>
<P>2. <HI>Tho&s;e that &s;lip of infirmity,</HI> members mu&s;t be <HI>&s;et in joint tenderly, Gal.</HI> 6. 1. the carnal world reflects with mo&s;t &s;harpne&s;s upon the infirmities of Gods people, the late Bi&s;hops Courts were chiefly bent again&s;t the godly, a <HI>Drunkard</HI> and an <HI>Adulteror</HI> found more favour than a <HI>godly Inconformi&s;t;</HI> let us learn to di&s;tingui&s;h betwixt an <HI>evil cour&s;e</HI> and <HI>incon&s;iderate &s;lips,</HI> and as long as there is a|ny thing of Chri&s;t be not too &s;evere, 2 <HI>The&s;&s;.</HI> 3. 15.</P>
<P>3. <HI>The afflicted in Con&s;cience,</HI> we mu&s;t not &s;peak to the <HI>grief of tho&s;e whom God hath wounded,</HI> the Apo&s;tle would have <HI>the ince&s;tuous per&s;on</HI> comforted le&s;t he &s;hould be <HI>&s;wal|lowed up of too much grief,</HI> 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 2. 17. When <HI>Adam</HI> was troubled though God reproved him yet he made him a <HI>coat of skins</HI> to cover his nakedne&s;s, when <HI>Peter</HI> was <HI>weep|ing</HI> Chri&s;t &s;endeth a comfortable me&s;&s;age to him, <HI>Go tell my di&s;ciples and Peter,</HI> &amp;c. Mark 16. 7.</P>
<P>4. <HI>If they erre in &s;maller matters,</HI> we mu&s;t not deal with <HI>motes</HI> as with <HI>beams,</HI> and put the <HI>wicked</HI> and <HI>the &s;crupulous</HI>
<PB N="540" REF="279">
in the &s;ame rank, nor the <HI>gro&s;s Heretick,</HI> and tho&s;e that mi&s;take in point of <HI>Church order,</HI> while the judgement is &s;ound in <HI>Fundamentals,</HI> and the practice is reformed, we &s;hould u&s;e meekne&s;s till God <HI>reveal the &s;ame thing, Phil.</HI> 3. 15, 16. God hath given them light in <HI>mo&s;t things</HI> and tho&s;e which are <HI>mo&s;t nece&s;&s;ary</HI> and no time will di&s;cover tho&s;e truths to them whereof they are yet ignorant.</P>
<P>5. <HI>The tractable,</HI> and tho&s;e of whom we have any hopes, <HI>Rehoboam</HI> would deal roughly, and &s;o lo&s;t <HI>ten tribes. Ter|tullian</HI> was even forced into the tents of the <HI>Montanists,</HI> by the indi&s;creet zeal of &s;ome who were too forward with <HI>cen|&s;ures,</HI> and &s;till men are lo&s;t that otherwi&s;e would be reclaim|ed; differences are made irreconcileable by the <HI>imperious &s;owrene&s;s</HI> and bitterne&s;s of tho&s;e that manage them, <HI>da&s;hing &s;torms</HI> wa&s;h away the &s;eed, whereas <HI>gentle &s;howers</HI> refre&s;h the earth, men left without hope grow de&s;perate.</P>
<P>From that [<HI>putting a difference] In all cen&s;ures and pu|ni&s;hments there mu&s;t be choi&s;e u&s;ed and di&s;cretion.</HI> Prudence is the Queen of graces, <HI>different tempers</HI> require <HI>different re|medies;</HI> <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">I&s;a. 8. 27.</NOTE> the Prophet &s;aith, in Husbandry <HI>the fitches are not tre&s;hed with a thre&s;hing in&s;trument, neither is a cart wheel turned about upon the Cummin, but the fitches are beaten out with a &s;taff, and the Cummin with a rod;</HI> &s;o all tempers do not need a like di&s;pen&s;ation, God him&s;elf <HI>putteth a diffe|rence,</HI> &s;ome are brought in with violence, others gently, grace forceth open the door of the heart &s;ometimes, and cometh in like a <HI>mighty ru&s;hing wind</HI> at other times, it breatheth upon the Soul with <HI>a gentler bla&s;t,</HI> &s;ome are <HI>caught with guil,</HI> 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 12. 16. Others directly knocked down, this &s;heweth,</P>
<P>1. That <HI>Mini&s;ters had need be wi&s;e</HI> to know how to &s;uite their doctrine, to di&s;tingui&s;h between per&s;ons, acti|ons, circum&s;tances; <HI>deep learning, much godline&s;s, and great prudence</HI> make an accompli&s;hed Mini&s;ter; 'twas &s;aid of <HI>Chry&s;o&s;tom,</HI> that he was <GAP DESC="foreign">, too ea&s;ie, and &s;o did not many times mannage things &s;o wi&s;ely, and &s;o of <HI>Epiphanius,</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">, 'tis good to be well read <HI>in per&s;ons,</HI> to note <HI>circum&s;tances,</HI>
<PB N="541" REF="279">
and <HI>times; Paul</HI> &s;triketh in with <HI>Felix,</HI> treateth of an apt le&s;&s;on before him and <HI>Dru&s;illa. Acts</HI> 25. 25. <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Tacitus <HI>&s;aith that he did</HI> &s;ervili animo exercere impe|riumper libi|dinem &amp; &s;evi|tiam.</NOTE> <HI>Felix</HI> was a very <HI>incontinent</HI> per&s;on and <HI>very unju&s;t, Paul,</HI> to give him his due, treateth of <HI>righteou&s;ne&s;s</HI> and <HI>temperance,</HI> and <HI>judgment to come.</HI></P>
<P>2. That <HI>Mini&s;ters &s;hould give every one their portion, Zuinglius</HI> when he had fla&s;hed <HI>terrors</HI> in the face of the <HI>hardened &s;inner,</HI> would adde <HI>Bone Chri&s;tiane haec nihil ad te,</HI> tender Con&s;cience this is not for thee: <HI>We mu&s;t rightly di|vide the word of truth,</HI> that is not by crumbling and mincing<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg"> Tim. 2. 15.</NOTE> a Text of Scripture, but giving every one their portion, <HI>terror to whom terror belongeth, and comfort to whom comfort</HI></P>
<P>3. It &s;heweth what care we &s;hould take to <HI>know the &s;tate of our flock,</HI> that we may know how to apply our &s;elves to<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Pro. 27. 23</NOTE> them, <HI>Col.</HI> 4. 8. <HI>Tychichus</HI> was &s;ent to the Colo&s;&s;ians to <HI>know their &s;tate,</HI> it al&s;o obligeth private Chri&s;tians to con&s;i|der each others <HI>temper, gifts, frame of heart</HI> that we may the better &s;uite our &s;elves to do and receive good. See <HI>Heb.</HI> 10. 24, 25.</P>
<P>In the twenty third ver&s;e is the other part of that duty which they owed to &s;traying Brethren. [<HI>And others</HI>] tho&s;e that are of another &s;train and temper [<HI>&s;ave</HI>] that is, do your endeavour to be in&s;truments of their Salvation, See 1 Tim. 4. 16. <HI>Thou &s;halt &s;ave thy &s;elf, and them that hear thee [with fear</HI>] that is, by &s;ome more &s;evere cour&s;e either making the <HI>admonition more &s;harp,</HI> or <HI>denouncing judgment again&s;t them,</HI> or by the reverend u&s;e of <HI>Church cen&s;ures,</HI> which were then dreadful, as being &s;olemnly managed and ac|companied with &s;ome <HI>&s;en&s;ible marks of Gods vengeance,</HI> 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 5, 5. angui&s;h of Spirit or po&s;&s;ibly <HI>torments of body. [pulling them out of the fire</HI>] &s;ome make it an allu&s;ion to the &s;everal ways of purgation by <HI>water</HI> or by <HI>fire&punc;</HI> the&s;e lat|ter like the harder mettals are to be pulled out of the fire, but this &s;eemeth to be forced: Rather 'tis an allu&s;ion to the &s;natching of a man whom we would &s;ave, out the fire where he is likely to be burned; we then not only nicely reach out the hand, but pluck them out <HI>with violence,</HI> or it may be an alu&s;ion to <HI>Lots</HI> being plucked out of <HI>Sodom</HI>
<PB N="542" REF="280">
by <HI>Angels, Gen.</HI> 19. 16. [<HI>hating the garment &s;potted by the fle&s;h</HI>] 'tis a figurative &s;peech, &s;ome apply it to the avoiding of the <HI>appearance of evil;</HI> there is a &s;tory of <HI>Valentinian</HI> in <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Theod. lib. 3 15.</NOTE> <HI>Theodoret,</HI> who accompanying <HI>Julian the Apostate</HI> to the <HI>Temple of Fortune,</HI> and tho&s;e that had charge of the hou&s;e &s;prinkled their holy water upon the Emperour, a drop fal|ling upon his garment, he beat the Officer, <GAP DESC="foreign">, &s;aying, <HI>that he was polluted, not purged,</HI> and tore off the piece of his garment upon which the drop lighted, <HI>hating</HI> (&s;aith the Hi&s;torian) <HI>the garment &s;potted by the fle&s;h:</HI> But rather the expre&s;&s;ion alludeth to the old Law concerning legal uncleanne&s;s, <HI>Lev.</HI> 15. 4. <HI>The bed whereon he lyeth is unclean,</HI> and Ver&s;e 17. <HI>every garment is unclean,</HI> and therefore I &s;uppo&s;e it noteth their avoiding the &s;ociety of &s;uch evil per&s;ons as in the <HI>greater excommunication</HI> they were wont to do, which &s;eparation was a &s;olemn profe&s;&s;i|on how much the Church did dete&s;t the wickedne&s;s.</P>
<P>Ob&s;ervation 1. <HI>There is a time when we may u&s;e &s;everity; others &s;ave with fear,</HI> weak Phy&s;ick doth but &s;tir bad hu|mours, not <HI>purge them out;</HI> nettles if gentle touched, &s;ting the more; <HI>fair, plau&s;ible lectures</HI> do hurt to <HI>&s;eared Hypo|crites,</HI> there is a time for <HI>the Trumpet</HI> as well as the <HI>Pipe;</HI> when we pipe to men in the <HI>alluring &s;trains</HI> of grace, and they dance not, <HI>Then cry aloud, &s;pare not, lift up thy voice like a Trumpet, I&s;a.</HI> 58. 1, but who are the&s;e <HI>others,</HI> who mu&s;t be dealt with roughly? I An&s;er,</P>
<P>1. The <HI>Seducers</HI> them&s;elves, the&s;e mu&s;t be layd forth in their colours, though the <HI>&s;educed</HI> mu&s;t be pittied, &s;ee <HI>Titus</HI> 1. 11. with 13. <HI>They &s;ubvert whole hou&s;es, teach things which they ought not, them rebuke &s;harply;</HI> the Prophet flouteth at <HI>Baals</HI> Prie&s;ts, 1 <HI>Kings</HI> 18. 27. and Chri&s;t every where giveth the Phari&s;ees their due load, <HI>Oh ye generation of Vi|pers, and Scribes and Phari&s;ees, and Hypocrites.</HI></P>
<P>2. Tho&s;e that are <HI>hardned,</HI> and grown <HI>perver&s;e</HI> and <HI>&s;tub|born;</HI> when the iron is blunt we put to the more &s;trength, &s;ofter &s;trains would but harden the&s;e more.</P>
<P>3. Tho&s;e that are <HI>&s;ecure Libertines,</HI> wallowing in &s;in and plea&s;ure, we had need <HI>put them in fear,</HI> though it be <HI>di&s;|tastful</HI>
<PB N="543" REF="280">
to the <HI>fle&s;h,</HI> 'tis <HI>healthful</HI> for the <HI>&s;oul;</HI> none hate you wor&s;e then tho&s;e that <HI>&s;uffer &s;in upon you,</HI> if phy&s;ick gripe the bowels 'tis for your good; if the Ch<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">rurgeon launce and cut you, yet he doth not hate you.</P>
<P>2. Ob&s;erve <HI>this &s;everity mu&s;t ari&s;e from zeal,</HI> a de&s;ire of <HI>Gods glory,</HI> and <HI>their &s;alvation; &s;ave them with fear,</HI> (&s;aith the Apo&s;tle) <HI>plucking them out of the fire,</HI> &s;ee a Cor. 10. 8. <HI>The Lord hath given us an Authority for your edification, not de&s;truction,</HI> &s;o that either God will have us u&s;e <HI>gentle means,</HI> or <HI>violent</HI> to a <HI>gentle purpo&s;e,</HI> Tit. 1. 13. <HI>Rebuke them &s;harp|ly, that they may be &s;ound in the faith.</HI> Well then&punc; 1. Take Admonitions in good part, 'tis a &s;harpne&s;s needful and pro|fitable and needful, he is not a friend that dealeth mannerly with you when you are in the fire.</P>
<P>2. It reproveth the <HI>undue u&s;e</HI> of Church cen&s;ures; <HI>weigh|ty Ordinances</HI> are not to <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">cquy upon <HI>trifles,</HI> nor to be pro|&s;tituted to <HI>carnal ends;</HI> the <HI>power of the keys</HI> is a great tru&s;t, and is to be faith<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ully mannaged; we read of abu&s;es of this power in Scripture, <HI>Iohn</HI> 9. 34. and 16. 2. 2 <HI>Ep. Ioh.</HI> 10. <HI>The watch men</HI> may take away the Spou&s;es, <HI>Cant.</HI> 5.</P>
<P>Again ob&s;erve, <HI>That fear is a way to reclaim ob&s;tinate &s;inners,</HI> 'tis &s;weet to u&s;e <HI>arguments of love,</HI> but &s;ometimes we mu&s;t lay before men the <HI>terrors of the Lord,</HI> 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 5. 11: <HI>Paul</HI> an <HI>elect ve&s;&s;el</HI> made u&s;e of <HI>threatnings,</HI> 1 <HI>Cor,</HI> 9. 27. Surely men have a mind to &s;leep in &s;in, when they would always have us come in the <HI>still voice. Dives</HI> was more charitable than they would have us to be, he would fain di&s;mi&s;s a flamy Me&s;&s;enger to his Brethren, <HI>Luc.</HI> 16. 27, 28. Sluggi&s;h Creatures need the <HI>go<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">d;</HI> in innocency God &s;aw it meet to propound <HI>a threatning,</HI> and fenced the <HI>forbidden fruit</HI> with a <HI>cur&s;e, Gen.</HI> 2. 17. if a boi&s;trous lu&s;t bear down all milder motives, 'tis good to &s;care the &s;oul with threatnings of the Law; fear is good, but the &s;ervi|lity or &s;lavi&s;hne&s;s of it is &s;inful; fear it &s;elf, or a <HI>tender &s;en&s;e of Gods wrath and di&s;plea&s;ure again&s;t &s;in,</HI> is &s;o far from be|ing <HI>a &s;in,</HI> that it is <HI>a grace</HI> rightly conver&s;ant with its object: <HI>Gods wrath</HI> and <HI>vindicative ju&s;tice,</HI> is the proper object of fear, and &s;o it mu&s;t be looked upon by the converted and
<PB N="544" REF="281">
unconverted. 1. For the <HI>unconverted,</HI> 'tis the great fault and &s;ecurity that they do not con&s;ider what a dreadful thing it is to lye under the wrath and di&s;plea&s;ure of God, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 90. 11. there is but a &s;tep between them and Hell, and they mind it not; tell them of their danger, and they &s;corn it. 2. The <HI>converted</HI> are to fear Gods wrath, <HI>Mat.</HI> 10. 28. 'tis a duty Chri&s;t injoyneth to his own Di&s;ciples; the words do not only contain a <HI>de&s;cription of the per&s;on</HI> who ought to be feared, but of the ground and rea&s;on why he ought to be feared; <HI>Fear him who is able to ca&s;t body and &s;oul into hell fire,</HI> is as much as <HI>becau&s;e he is able to cast body and &s;oul into hell fire,</HI> as appeareth by the <HI>Antithe&s;is, Fear not them that kill the body,</HI> that is, <HI>becau&s;e they are able to kill the body,</HI> &s;ee al&s;o, <HI>Heb.</HI> 12 28, 29. Though we are to fear Hell as an evil likely to fall upon us (when we are a&s;&s;ured from Gods favour) yet we mu&s;t fear it, as an <HI>evil which God hath pow|er to inflict,</HI> and will certainly upon tho&s;e that di&s;obey him; we are to fear it, &s;o as to e&s;chew it with a <HI>fear of flight</HI> and <HI>aver&s;ation,</HI> not with a <HI>perplexing</HI> and <HI>doubting fear.</HI></P>
<P>Well then, &s;o far 'tis good, but now the <HI>&s;ervility</HI> that is &s;inful; the <HI>&s;ervility</HI> is &s;een partly in the <HI>di&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ingenuity</HI> of it, when our <HI>own &s;mart</HI> and <HI>torture</HI> is more feared then the <HI>displea&s;ing</HI> of God, as a &s;lave careth not how his ma&s;ters goods go to wrack, &s;o he may avoid &s;tripes: Partly be|cau&s;e 'tis accompanied with an <HI>enmity against God&punc;</HI> &s;lavi&s;h fear hateth God for his <HI>holine&s;s,</HI> and <HI>feareth him</HI> for his <HI>wrath;</HI> they wi&s;h his de&s;truction, that there were no God: Partly becau&s;e it cau&s;eth but an <HI>incompleat reformation,</HI> it makes a man <HI>fotbear &s;in,</HI> but not <HI>hate &s;in;</HI> a wolf may be &s;cared from the prey, that yet keepeth his preying and de|vouring nature: Partly becau&s;e there is <HI>torment</HI> and <HI>p<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">r|plexity</HI> in it, 1 <HI>John</HI> 4. 18. a <HI>tend<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">r con&s;cience</HI> is a ble&s;&s;ing, but a <HI>&s;tormy con&s;cience</HI> is a judgment &s;laves are exerci&s;ed with the torture and rack of perplexing fears.</P>
<P>Again from that [<HI>pulling them out of the fire] A poor</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 4.</NOTE> <HI>guilty &s;ecure &s;inner is like a drunken man that is fallen into the fire:</HI> he is &s;o in three re&s;pects.</P>
<P>1. <HI>In point of &s;ecurity,</HI> a drunkard is ready to be burned,
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but he feeleth it not, &s;o they are upon the brink of hell, but are not &s;en&s;ible of it, Eph. 4. 19. <HI>pa&s;t &s;eeling.</HI></P>
<P>2. <HI>In point of danger,</HI> &s;inners are often compared to a <HI>brand in the burning, Zech. 3. 2. Amos</HI> 4. 11. they are al|ready under the wrath of God, as a beleever <HI>hath eternal life,</HI> whil&s;t he is here in the world; they are in <HI>the &s;uburbs of hell,</HI> the fire is already kindled.</P>
<P>3. <HI>In point of impotency,</HI> and <HI>inability</HI> to help them|&s;elves; a &s;otti&s;h drunkard that is ouer-poy&s;ed by his own exce&s;s, lyeth where he falleth, and except &s;ome friendly hand lift him up, there he peri&s;h; and ju&s;t &s;o 'tis with &s;in|ners, they are plea&s;ed with their condition, and if they be not <HI>&s;oundly row&s;ed up,</HI> and awakened; they <HI>lye</HI> and <HI>dye,</HI> and <HI>fry</HI> in their &s;ins: Oh then pluck them out of the fire, <HI>warn them to flee from wrath to come.</HI> Mat. 3. 7. <HI>Mini&s;ter</HI> art thou &s;en&s;ible of the <HI>danger of &s;ouls?</HI> are thy words as <HI>burning coals?</HI> do they fret through the heart of a &s;inner? <HI>Chri&s;ti|an,</HI> art thou &s;en&s;ible of the danger of thy <HI>carnal neighbours?</HI> they are burning in their beds, and thou wilt not <HI>cry fire fire!</HI> they are be&s;otted with <HI>lu&s;t</HI> and <HI>error,</HI> and wilt thou let them alone? Oh unkind!</P>
<P>The next Point is from the la&s;t clau&s;e, [<HI>hating the gar|ment</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 5.</NOTE> <HI>&s;potted by the fle&s;h,] Some &s;inners are &s;o unclean, that we cannot keep company with them without defilement;</HI> &s;ee 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 5. 9, 10, 11. &s;o 2 <HI>The&s;.</HI> 3. 14. &amp; 2 <HI>Tim. 3. 5. From &s;uch turn away:</HI> now the rea&s;on is partly for our <HI>own caution;</HI> evils made familiar by a <HI>cu&s;tomary conver&s;e,</HI> &s;eem le&s;s odious: Partly <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg"><HI>The&s;e</HI> are &s;pots in your love-fea&s;ts, <HI>ver&s;e 12.</HI></NOTE> to <HI>vindicate the honour of Chri&s;t,</HI> and the <HI>&s;o&s;cieties of his people;</HI> the blemi&s;hes of their mi&s;carriages redounds to the <HI>whole Church,</HI> Heb. 12. 15. till they be di&s;claimed: Partly to puni&s;h the offenders, that it may be a means to reduce them, 2 <HI>The&s;.</HI> 3. 14. 'tis a &s;ad thing to live an <HI>out|ca&s;t</HI> from Gods people; let <HI>ob&s;tinate</HI> and <HI>&s;candalous</HI> &s;in|ners think of it; and let others learn to bear reverence to <HI>Church-cen&s;ures.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="24" TYPE="verse">
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<EPIGRAPH>
<BIBL>Ver&s;e 94.</BIBL>
<Q>Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to pre&s;ent you fault|le&s;s before the pre&s;ence of his glory, with exceeding joy.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>THe Apo&s;tle having per&s;waded them to duty, now com|mendeth them to the divine grace, as 'tis u&s;ual with the Apo&s;tles to &s;hut up their <HI>Exhortations</HI> with <HI>prayer,</HI> to intimate that the fruit of all mu&s;t be expected from God, without who&s;e ble&s;&s;ing <HI>Exhortations</HI> or <HI>Endeavours</HI> would be nothing.</P>
<P>[<HI>To him that is able to keep you</HI>] it may be referred either to God or to Chri&s;t, as Mediatour: [<HI>from falling,</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign"> that is, from <HI>total Apostacy,</HI> God is able to keep us alto|gether from &s;in, if we &s;peak of his <HI>ab&s;olute power;</HI> but he &s;peaketh here of &s;uch a power as is ingaged by <HI>promi&s;e</HI> and <HI>office:</HI> Chri&s;t who is the Guardian of beleevers, hath re|ceived <HI>a charge</HI> concerning them, and is to pre&s;erve them from <HI>total de&s;truction. [And to pre&s;ent you faultle&s;s.</HI>] This Clau&s;e &s;heweth more clearly that Chri&s;t is intended in the&s;e expre&s;&s;ions, for 'tis his office to keep the Church till it be pre&s;ented to the Father, and at length will pre&s;ent them [<HI>faultle&s;s,</HI>] 'tis Eph. 5. 27. <HI>Without &s;pot and blemi&s;h: [be|fore the pre&s;ence of his glory,</HI>] that is, at his glorious ap|pearance, <HI>Col.</HI> 3. 4. when he &s;hall come to judge the world: [<HI>with exceeding joy</HI>] is meant rather <HI>pa&s;&s;ively</HI> on <HI>our part,</HI> then <HI>on Chri&s;ts,</HI> though it will be a &s;weet interview between Chri&s;t and Beleevers, and he will rejoyce to &s;ee us, as we to &s;ee him.</P>
<P>The Ob&s;ervations are the&s;e.</P>
<P>1. <HI>All means without the Lords grace will not keep us from</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 1.</NOTE> <HI>falling:</HI> The Apo&s;tle <HI>requireth duty</HI> of the faithful, but <HI>ask|eth grace</HI> of God; he had before &s;aid, <HI>keep your &s;elves in the love of God,</HI> and now <HI>to him that is able to keep from fal|ling,</HI>
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&amp;c. we fall not becau&s;e God doth not let go his hold; our <HI>nece&s;&s;ities</HI> and <HI>difficulties</HI> are &s;o great, that nothing le&s;s then a divine power can &s;upport us, 1 <HI>Pet. 1. 5. Ye are kept by the power of God through faith unto &s;alvation:</HI> This <HI>power of God</HI> is &s;et a work to <HI>encourage hope,</HI> not to <HI>check indu&s;try,</HI> u&s;e means, but look for his ble&s;&s;ing: We cannot &s;tand a moment longer then God upholdeth us, we are as <HI>a &s;taff</HI> in the hand of a man, take away the hand and the &s;taff falleth to the ground, or rather as a <HI>little infant</HI> in the Nur&s;es hand, <HI>Ho&s;ea</HI> 11. 3. if we are left to our own feet, we &s;hall &s;oon fall and get a knock; <HI>created grace</HI> will never hold out a|gain&s;t &s;o <HI>many difficulties:</HI> One of the Fathers bringeth in the <HI>fle&s;h,</HI> &s;aying, <HI>ego deficiam,</HI> I &s;hall fail; the world, <HI>ego dicipian,</HI> I will deceive them; the Devil, <HI>ego eripiam,</HI> I will take them away; but <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 span"> &s;aith, <HI>ego cu&s;todium,</HI> I will keep them, never fail them, nor for&s;ake them, and there lyeth our &s;afety; the world is full of &s;nares, we are carnal, and there are carnal per&s;ons about us, and the Devil is a re&s;tle&s;s enemy, watching all advantages; and &s;urely having &s;o much pride in us, and love of plea&s;ures, and &s;o many worldly de|&s;ires, we give them him but too too often, therefore un|le&s;s God keep us, we &s;hall be to&s;&s;ed too and fro like fea|thers, with the wind of every temptation.</P>
<P>2. Ob&s;erve, <HI>That 'tis a great releif to faith, to con&s;ider that God is able to keep us,</HI> accordingly you find it urged in<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 2.</NOTE> Scripture, &s;ee <HI>Iohn 10. 28, 29. 1 Pet. 1. 5. Rom. 14. 4. He &s;hall be holden up, for God is able to make him &s;tand;</HI> the two Pillars of the Temple were <HI>Boez</HI> and <HI>Jachin, &s;trength,</HI> and <HI>he will e&s;tabli&s;h;</HI> the <HI>power of God,</HI> and <HI>mercy of God,</HI> are the two Pillars upon which our confidence &s;tandeth: the power of God is a r<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">liefe upon a threefold acount.</P>
<P>1. Becau&s;e the great trouble of the &s;oul ari&s;eth from a <HI>di&s;-belief of Gods power;</HI> we &s;tumble at his <HI>can,</HI> rather then at <HI>his will;</HI> one &s;aid, <HI>Mat. 8. 2. Lord if thou wilt thou can&s;t,</HI> but another &s;aid, <HI>Mark 9. 22. If thou can&s;t do any thing help us;</HI> when we con&s;ider our <HI>own infirmities,</HI> and <HI>cor|rupt inclinations,</HI> and the <HI>&s;undry temptations</HI> and <HI>allurements</HI> that we meet with in the world; the <HI>many lets</HI> and <HI>di&s;cou|ragements</HI>
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which befall us in our heavenly cour&s;e, we think we &s;hall never hold out to the end, &s;o that want of power is our greate&s;t trouble, but when we <HI>&s;tay our &s;elves upon the name of God,</HI> and con&s;ider how almighty his power is to bear down all created oppo&s;ition, 'tis a great relief to the Soul.</P>
<P>2. Becau&s;e <HI>the power of God is ingaged to help us,</HI> it doth not &s;imply follow that becau&s;e God <HI>can</HI> keep us, that therefore he <HI>will</HI> keep us, but God hath promi&s;ed to keep us, <HI>Jer.</HI> 32. 40. and he hath power enough to make good his word, and therefore we cannot mi&s;carry.</P>
<P>2. <HI>There is a charge</HI> laid upon Chri&s;t, we are put into <HI>his hands, John</HI> 10. 28. he hath not only <HI>leave</HI> to &s;ave the Elect, but a charge to &s;ave the Elect, &s;ee <HI>John</HI> 6. 37, 38. 40. they are under his care, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 span"> he will imploy the whole power of the God-head rather than be unfaithful, he is to be an&s;werable for <HI>tho&s;e that are given to him</HI> at the la&s;t day.</P>
<P>3. The <HI>invincible power</HI> of God is &s;et a work by his <HI>un|changeable love,</HI> &s;o that we may be confident that he, what he is able to do, he will do for us; the power and authori|ty of a relation or friend of ours in Court, is an incourage|ment, while&s;t the friend&s;hip and relation la&s;teth.</P>
<P>3. The la&s;t rea&s;on is, becau&s;e the power of God is many ways exerci&s;ed for our pre&s;ervation, partly by way of <HI>in|ternal influence,</HI> &s;waying the heart, and inclining it to his fear, if the will of man were exempt from the dominion of God, then God had made a creature too hard for him&s;elf; partly in <HI>over-ruling</HI> and <HI>di&s;po&s;ing the temptation</HI> that it &s;hall not be too great for us, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 10. 13. <HI>Faithful is God who will not &s;uffer you to be tempted ab<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="3 letters"> what you are able to bear;</HI> partly, in <HI>removing the temptation,</HI> rebuking Sathan and his In&s;truments, &amp;c. Well then, commit your Souls to Chri&s;t with the more confidence, 2 Tim. 1. 12. <HI>I know whom I have believed, and that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him unto that day;</HI> when the difficul|ties of Salvation are &s;ufficiently under&s;tood, there will need <HI>explicite thoughts of the divine power</HI> before we can with any
<PB N="549" REF="283">
confidence tru&s;t our &s;elves with Chri&s;t, and go on with in|couragement in well doing.</P>
<P>3. Ob&s;erve, <HI>Je&s;us Chri&s;t will one day make a &s;olemn pre|&s;ervation</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 3.</NOTE> <HI>of his people to God,</HI> the Apo&s;tle &s;aith here <HI>he will pre&s;ent you:</HI> There is a three-fold pre&s;entation &s;poken of in Scripture. 1. One made by <HI>believers them&s;elves,</HI> Rom. 12 1. <HI>I be&s;eech you by the mercies of God that ye pre&s;ent your bodies a living &s;acrifice&punc;</HI> and Rom. 6. 13. <HI>yield your &s;elves unto God,</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">. When we con|&s;ent to &s;et apart our &s;elves for Gods u&s;e, to be his in all e&s;tates, to act for him in all his bu&s;ine&s;&s;es, then we are &s;aid to <HI>yield up</HI> or <HI>pre&s;ent our &s;elves to God.</HI></P>
<P>2. By <HI>Chri&s;ts Me&s;&s;engers,</HI> they have <HI>a charge,</HI> and when they have done their work they pre&s;ent u&punc; to God, 2 Cor. 11. 3. <HI>that I may pre&s;ent you a cha&s;t Virgin to Chri&s;t,</HI> 'tis &s;weet when Mini&s;ters can &s;ay here are the fruits of my la|bours, the pledges of my faithfulne&s;s.</P>
<P>3. This <HI>pre&s;entation</HI> is applyed to Chri&s;t him&s;elf, now two ways is Chri&s;t &s;aid to pre&s;ent us.</P>
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. To <HI>him&s;elf.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. To <HI>God.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST>
<P>1. To him&s;elf, Eph. 5. 27. <HI>that he might pre&s;ent it to him&s;elf a glorious Church,</HI> in that place our intere&s;t in Chri&s;t and his intere&s;t in us is repre&s;ented by marriage, in the world we are <HI>contracted,</HI> but there <HI>pre&s;ented,</HI> actually brought to him when fitted for his u&s;e; as <HI>E&s;ther</HI> when &s;he was cho&s;en out from among the Virgins to be wife to the King, &s;he was fir&s;t purified and &s;upplyed with <HI>garments, odours,</HI> and <HI>&s;weet&punc; ointments</HI> out of the Kings hou&s;e, and then when the <HI>Moneths of her purification</HI> were accompli&s;h|ed, was pre&s;ented to him, <HI>E&s;ther</HI> 2. from 9. to 12. ver&s;e, &s;o we are <HI>cho&s;en, elected to grace,</HI> and then <HI>purified</HI> and <HI>pre|pared,</HI> but at the Kings co&s;t, we have garments of Salvati|on out of Chri&s;ts ward-Robe, and odours and &s;weet oint|ments out of his Store-hou&s;e, and then when &s;pot and wrinckle is done away, we are <HI>pre&s;ented</HI> to him, he is &s;aid to do it, becau&s;e he hath the main &s;troke in this work.</P>
<P>2&punc; <HI>To God,</HI> &s;o 'tis &s;aid Col. 1, 22. <HI>that he may pre&s;ent you</HI>
<PB N="550" REF="284">
<HI>in his &s;ight;</HI> that is, in the &s;ight of God the Father; for the <HI>antecedent</HI> you find in ver&s;e 19. <HI>It plea&s;ed the Father, &amp;c.</HI> Thus Chri&s;t is &s;aid <HI>to give up the Kingdom to the Fa|ther, 1 Cor.</HI> 15. 24. to 28. that is, the Church, the <HI>King|dom</HI> is put for the <HI>&s;ubjects governed:</HI> Now Chri&s;ts pre&s;ent|ing us to God may be looked upon either <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters"> as an <HI>account of his charge</HI> in effect he &s;aith, <HI>I have done the work for which thou ha&s;t &s;ent me.</HI> Chri&s;t is under an office and obli|gation of faithfulne&s;s, he hath a tru&s;t of which he mu&s;t give an account, he is to take care of the per&s;ons of the Elect to ju&s;tifie, &s;anctifie, and glorifie them in his own day, now that it may appear that he is not unfaithful in his tru&s;t, he doth pre&s;ent them to God as having fully done his work, &s;o that no <HI>doubt of his unwillingne&s;s</HI> to pardon or &s;anctifie, or glorifie, is in effect to charge unfaithfulne&s;s and di&s;obe|dience upon him; for Chri&s;t as Mediator is &s;ubordinate, <HI>he is Gods,</HI> 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 3. 18&punc; and 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 11. 3. The <HI>head of Chri&s;t is God,</HI> namely with re&s;pect to this office and charge, &s;o he is under God and to give an account to him; he hath undertaken to make up all breaches between God and us; as to the <HI>merit</HI> and <HI>&s;atisfaction</HI> he gave an account a little before his going to Heaven, <HI>John</HI> 17. 4. but as to the ap|plication, to every party concerned he will give an account in the la&s;t day, when he will pre&s;ent him&s;elf and all his flook, &s;aying, <HI>Behold I and all the little ones which thou ha&s;t given me, Heb.</HI> 2. 13&punc; when all the Elect are gathered into one troop and company, and not one wanting.</P>
<P>2. As <HI>an act of delight and rejoycing in his own &s;ucce&s;s,</HI> that all that were given to him are now fit to be &s;ettled in their ble&s;&s;ed and glorious e&s;tate, Chri&s;t taketh a great deal of delight to &s;ee the <HI>proof and vertue of his death,</HI> and that his blood is not &s;hed in vain, as a Mini&s;ter taketh delight in tho&s;e whom he hath gained to God, <HI>what is our hope, our joy, our crown of rejoycing, are not ye in the day of the Lord,</HI> 1 <HI>The&s;&s;.</HI> 2. 19. if we rejoyce thus in the fruit of our Mini|&s;terial labours, &s;urely Chri&s;t much more, we have not <HI>&s;uch an intere&s;t</HI> in them as Chri&s;t hath, and the <HI>main ver|tue</HI> came from his <HI>death</HI> and <HI>&s;pirit;</HI> 'tis &s;aid <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 53. 11.
<PB N="551" REF="284">
<HI>He &s;hall &s;ee of the travel of his Soul, and be &s;atisfied,</HI> that may be under&s;tood either of his <HI>fore-&s;eeing</HI> from all eterni|ty, or of his <HI>actual &s;eeing</HI> when the whole is accompli&s;hed, if you under&s;tand it of his <HI>fore&s;eeing,</HI> the expre&s;&s;ion is not altogether alien from the point in hand; when Chri&s;t fore|&s;aw the good &s;ucce&s;s of the Go&s;pel, and what a company he &s;hould gain to him&s;elf in all ages, he rejoyced at the thought ofit; well, &s;aith he, <HI>I will go down and &s;uffer for poor creatures upon the&s;e tearms;</HI> but rather I under&s;tand it of his &s;ight of the thing when it is accompli&s;hed; when he &s;hall &s;ee his whole family together, met in one Congrega|tion: now (&s;aith he) <HI>I count my blood well bestowed, my bitter agonie well recompenced, the&s;e are my Crown and my rejoycing:</HI> Look as the <HI>fir&s;t per&s;on</HI> delighted in the fruits of his <HI>per&s;onal operation,</HI> for &s;o 'tis &s;aid, <HI>Exod.</HI> 31. 17. <HI>In &s;ix days God made Heaven, and on the &s;eventh day he re&s;ted and was refre&s;hed;</HI> he was <HI>refre&s;hed,</HI> not in point of <HI>wearine&s;s,</HI> but <HI>delectation;</HI> he rejoyced in the product of his <HI>wi&s;dom, power,</HI> and <HI>goodne&s;s;</HI> &s;o Chri&s;t in the work of redemption, when his death turneth to a good account, he will delight|fully pre&s;ent you to God as the proof of it: <HI>The&s;e are tho&s;e whom I have redeemed, &s;anctified and kept,</HI> &amp;c.</P>
<P>3. 'Tis an <HI>Act of his love,</HI> and <HI>recompence to the&punc; faithful,</HI> they have owned him in the world, and Chri&s;t wil own them before God, men, and Angels, there is no Saint &s;o mean but Chri&s;t will own him, <HI>Luke</HI> 12. 8. <HI>The Son of man &s;hall confe&s;s him,</HI> &amp;c. Father this is one of mine; as for his ene|mies Chri&s;t will &s;ee execution done upon them; <HI>&s;lay them before my face, Luk.</HI> 14. 27. to his friends he will own them publickly, and that <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 span"> be honoured <HI>before the pre&s;ence of his glory.</HI></P>
<P>Well then, &s;ee that you be of the number of tho&s;e whom Chri&s;t will pre&s;ent to God, if he hath <HI>purified you to him&s;elf, Tit.</HI> 2. 14&punc; he will pre&s;ent you to him&s;elf, if you be <HI>&s;et a part for God,</HI> P&s;al. 4. 3&punc; you &s;hall be brought to God, the work is begun here; privately 'tis done at our deaths; when the foul as &s;oon as 'tis out of the body, is conveyed by An|gels to Chri&s;t, and by Chri&s;t to God, and publikely and &s;o|lemnly
<PB N="552" REF="285">
at the day of his coming, then he pre&s;ents the E|lect as a prey &s;natch'd out of the teeth of Lyons, but <HI>&s;pi|ritually</HI> the foundation is laid, when you <HI>dedicate your &s;elves</HI> to God, <HI>Rom.</HI> 12. 1. and walk &s;o as Chri&s;t may own you with honour and credit in that great day; if you be the <HI>&s;candal of his Ordinances,</HI> the <HI>reproach of your profe&s;&s;i|on,</HI> can Chri&s;t glory in you then as <HI>a &s;ample of the vertue of his death?</HI> Surely no.</P>
<P>Again ob&s;erve, <HI>That when Chri&s;t pre&s;enteth the Elect, he</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 4.</NOTE> <HI>will pre&s;ent them faultle&s;s,</HI> that is, both in re&s;pect of <HI>ju&s;ti|fication</HI> and <HI>&s;anctification;</HI> this was intended before the world was, Eph. 1. 4. <HI>he hath cho&s;en us before the foundati|on of the world, that we &s;hould be holy and without blame be|fore him in Love,</HI> but is not accompli&s;hed till then, now we are humbled with many infirmities and &s;ins, but then <HI>pre&s;ented holy, unblameable. and unreproveable in his &s;ight,</HI> Col. 1. 22. the work is undertaken by Chri&s;t, and he will carry it on till it be compleat; here the wedding garments are a making, but then put on.</P>
<P>1. The work mu&s;t be <HI>begun,</HI> here the foundation is laid as &s;oon as we are converted unto God, 1 <HI>Cor</HI> 6. 11.</P>
<P>2. This work increa&s;eth daily more and more, 1 <HI>The&s;&s;.</HI> 5. 23. 24. we are not <HI>faultle&s;s,</HI> but Chri&s;t will not re&s;t till we be <HI>faultle&s;s,</HI> he is &s;anctifying further and further, that we may be <HI>blamele&s;s at his coming,</HI> he will pur&s;ue the work clo&s;e till it be done.</P>
<P>3. 'Tis &s;o carried on for the pre&s;ent, that our <HI>ju&s;tificati|on</HI> and <HI>&s;anctification</HI> may help one another, the benefit of <HI>ju&s;tification</HI> would be much le&s;&s;ened if our <HI>&s;anctification</HI> were compleat, and our <HI>&s;anctification</HI> is carried on the more kindly becau&s;e the benefit of <HI>ju&s;tification</HI> needeth &s;o often to be renewed and applyed to us; <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 span"> <HI>inherent righte|ou&s;ne&s;s</HI> were more perfect, <HI>imputed righteou&s;ne&s;s</HI> would be le&s;s &s;et by, in this great imperfection under which we now are, we are too apt to fetch all our peace and comfort from our own works, to the great neglect of Chri&s;t and his righteou&s;ne&s;s, therefore doth the Lord by little and little carry on the work of grace, that by the continual &s;en&s;e of
<PB N="553" REF="285">
our defects, and the often making u&s;e of Ju&s;tification we may have the higher apprehen&s;ions of Gods Love in ac|cepting us in Chri&s;t, the reliques of &s;in trouble us as long as we are in the world, and &s;o the benefit is made <HI>new</HI> to us, which otherwi&s;e would wax old and out of date, and the benefit being made new, increa&s;eth our <HI>love to God,</HI> Luc. 7. 47. and putteth us upon the &s;tudy of holine&s;s.</P>
<P>4. At the la&s;t day all is fully accompli&s;hed, 1 <HI>Col.</HI> 22. Well then, let us wait upon God with incouragement, and pre&s;s on to perfection upon the&s;e hopes, &s;urely we &s;hall be <HI>faultle&s;s,</HI> Chri&s;t would never have given us <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">2 Cor. 1. 22.</NOTE> <HI>earnest</HI> if he meant not to &s;tand to his bargain.</P>
<P>The next clau&s;e is [<HI>before the pre&s;ence of his glory&punc;</HI>] note<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 5.</NOTE> thence, that <HI>Chri&s;ts pre&s;ence at the day of Judgment will be exceeding glorious;</HI> for he will then appear not only as the <HI>Son of man</HI> but as the <HI>Son of God,</HI> Matth. 16 27. he will then appear not only as <HI>the Saviour</HI> but as the <HI>Judg of the world,</HI> both for the <HI>terror of the wicked, 2 The&s;&s;.</HI> 1. 8. and as <HI>a pattern</HI> of that glory which &s;hall be put upon the godly, <HI>Col.</HI> 3. 4. and <HI>Phil.</HI> 3. 21. Well then, let us not de&s;pi&s;e Chri&s;t, now he lieth hid under the <HI>vail of the Gospel,</HI> but with comfort let us expect his coming; for when he is glo|rious we &s;hall &s;hare with him, and <HI>appear al&s;o in glory:</HI> And let us not think &s;hame of his &s;ervice, what ever di&s;ire|putation the world &s;hall put upon it.</P>
<P>The la&s;t particle in the words, is that [<HI>with exceeding</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 6.</NOTE> <HI>joy</HI>] from thence note, <HI>The day of Chri&s;t to the godly is a joyful day;</HI> when others <HI>howl,</HI> you &s;hall <HI>triumph,</HI> when o|thers are dejected, and <HI>call upon the Mountains to cover them, Rev.</HI> 6. 16. you &s;hall lift <HI>up the head for your redemp|tion draweth nigh, Luc.</HI> 21. 28. Chri&s;t will be glad to &s;ee you, whom he hath carried in his heart from all eternity, for who&s;e &s;ake he came into the world and dyed, and for whom he went back again into Heaven, that he might ne|gotiate with God in your behalf, and whom he now com|eth to receive unto him&s;elf, that you may be for ever <HI>there where he is;</HI> and &s;urely you that have <HI>received Chri&s;t</HI> into your hearts, and <HI>loved</HI> him though <HI>un&s;een,</HI> and <HI>&s;erved</HI> him
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though with the <HI>lo&s;s</HI> and <HI>hazard</HI> of all, will be glad to &s;ee him in all his glory and royalty, e&s;pecially when you &s;hall hear him calling upon you, <HI>Come, ye ble&s;&s;ed of my Father, enter into the Kingdom prepared for you.</HI> Oh that we could act over this joy aforehand! faith is a bird that can &s;ing in winter; before Chri&s;t came in the fle&s;h the Patriarchs got a &s;ight of him by the Eagle-eye of faith, and rejoyced at the thought of it, <HI>John</HI> 8. 56. <HI>Your Father Abraham rejoyced to &s;ee my day, and he &s;aw it and was glad.</HI> Oh &s;ure|ly our hearts &s;hould be warmed with the thought of that ble&s;&s;ed day, when we &s;hall be able to &s;ay, <HI>Yonder, even there is our great Lord!</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="25" TYPE="verse">
<EPIGRAPH>
<BIBL>Ver&s;e 25.</BIBL>
<Q>To the only wi&s;e God, our Saviour, be glory and maje&s;ty, dominion and pow|er, now and ever, Amen.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>THe Apo&s;tle in this ver&s;e goeth on with that <HI>doxology</HI> which he had begun in the former, here you may take notice of <HI>the de&s;cription of the per&s;on</HI> to whom the prai&s;e is given, he is di&s;cribed 1. By his excellency, <HI>the only wi&s;e God.</HI> 2. By <HI>our intere&s;t</HI> and the benefit we receive by him, <HI>and our Saviour.</HI></P>
<P>2. The <HI>a&s;cription of prai&s;e, Be glory,</HI> &amp;c. there is 1. what is a&s;cribed, <HI>glory majesty, dominion, and power.</HI></P>
<P>2. The <HI>duration,</HI> how long he would have this a&s;cribed, <HI>now and ever.</HI></P>
<P>3. <HI>Manner,</HI> in what fa&s;hion 'tis a&s;cribed, in the parti|cle, <HI>Amen,</HI> with which all is &s;ealed and clo&s;ed up, this par|ticle implieth, 1. <HI>Our confidence,</HI> that it &s;hall be &s;o, 2. our <HI>hearty affection</HI> that it might be &s;o, <HI>love</HI> &s;aith let it be, and <HI>faith</HI> it &s;hall be; for faith is a <HI>prophetick grace,</HI> in prayer it an&s;wereth its &s;elf.</P>
<P>But let us go over the&s;e particulars more fully and di|&s;tinctly, from the de&s;cription of the per&s;on [<HI>to the only wi&s;e</HI>
<PB N="555" REF="286">
<HI>God our Saviour</HI>] that Chri&s;t is God, we proved before on ver&s;e 4. &s;ee pag. 222. and 230, 231, 232, 233, 234&punc; and that Chri&s;t is a Saviour, and how, on the &s;ame ver&s;e, pag. 227, 228, 229, I &s;hall only now ob&s;erve.</P>
<P>1. <HI>That God is wi&s;e.</HI> 2. <HI>That God is only wi&s;e.</HI> 3. <HI>That</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 1.</NOTE> <HI>Je&s;us Chri&s;t as Mediator hath a right to this attribute.</HI></P>
<P>I begin with the fir&s;t, That <HI>wi&s;dom is a&s;cribed to God, Gods wi&s;dom</HI> is a di&s;tinct notion from his <HI>knowledge</HI> he doth not only <HI>know</HI> all things, but hath <HI>ordered</HI> and <HI>dispo&s;ed</HI> them with much coun&s;el, the wi&s;dom of God is <HI>a&s;&s;erted in the word, Job</HI> 9. 4. and <HI>Job</HI> 12, 13&punc; and <HI>proved</HI> there by what he hath be&s;towed upon man, <HI>he that teacheth man knowledg, &s;hall not he know? P&s;al.</HI> 94. 10. what ever man hath from God, God hath it in him&s;elf in a more eminent degree: and 'tis al&s;o <HI>evidenced by the works of God,</HI> as in the works of <HI>creation, providence&punc;</HI> and the <HI>methods of his graces.</HI></P>
<P>1. Much of his <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 104. 24 1 Cor. 1. 21.</NOTE> wi&s;dom is &s;een in <HI>creation,</HI> there his wi&s;dom is di&s;covered in the <HI>excellent order</HI> of all his works, their <HI>mutual corre&s;pondence</HI> and <HI>fitne&s;s for the &s;everal ends and &s;ervices for</HI> which they were appointed; the <HI>order</HI> of the world &s;heweth the wi&s;dom of God, the order of <HI>pla|cing</HI> the creatures, &s;ee Pro. 3. 19, 20. <HI>the Lord by wi&s;dom hath founded the earth, by under&s;tanding hath he e&s;tabli&s;hed the Heavens, by his knowledg the depths are broken up and the clouds drop down the dew;</HI> the earth is &s;et lowermo&s;t as the foundation of all the re&s;t, the Sea pent up within its channels, the air above them both, and the Heavens high|er than all&punc; the Stars and Planets placed in the Firmament, and the fi&s;hes in the Sea; the order of <HI>making,</HI> God pro|ceeding from things imperfect to perfect, fir&s;t the <HI>rude ma&s;s,</HI> then the <HI>Heavens</HI> and the <HI>va&s;t earth,</HI> and glorious creatures, but without <HI>life,</HI> then the <HI>herbs</HI> and <HI>plants</HI> that have <HI>life</HI> but not <HI>&s;en&s;e</HI> and <HI>motion,</HI> then the <HI>brute creatures,</HI> that have <HI>&s;en&s;e</HI> and <HI>motion</HI> but not rea&s;on, then man with a <HI>rea&s;onable Soul,</HI> after his own image; in this order you may ob&s;erve, fir&s;t the <HI>dwelling place</HI> is appointed, then the <HI>food,</HI> then the <HI>creature</HI> that feedeth upon it, the <HI>bea&s;ts</HI> up|on the <HI>herbs,</HI> and <HI>man</HI> upon the <HI>bea&s;ts:</HI> The Queen of
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<HI>Sheba</HI> was a&s;toni&s;hed at <HI>Solomons</HI> wi&s;dom, when &s;he per|ceived the well ordering of his family, certainly if we did ob&s;erve the order of nature, we would &s;tand wondering more at the wi&s;dom of God: Next ob&s;erve the <HI>corre&s;pon|dence</HI> that is between all the parts of the world, compared &s;ometimes to <HI>a building,</HI> wherefore God is called <GAP DESC="foreign">, an <HI>artificial Builder,</HI> Heb. 11. 10. In this <HI>great hou&s;e</HI> every part con&s;pireth to the <HI>beauty, &s;ervice,</HI> and <HI>dece<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">cy</HI> of the whole, the <HI>roof</HI> is <HI>Heaven,</HI> and therefore the <HI>Spheres</HI> are called <HI>chambers</HI> and <HI>&s;tories in the Heavens,</HI> Amos 9. 6. The <HI>foundation is earth,</HI> Job 38. 5, 6. The <HI>Stars</HI> and glo|rious Luminaries are the <HI>windows,</HI> the <HI>Sea</HI> the <HI>water cour&s;e,</HI> &amp;c. Sometimes 'tis compared to the frame and &s;tructure of mans body, <HI>Heb. 11. 3. The worlds were framed,</HI> 'tis in the original, <GAP DESC="foreign">, &s;et in joynt, as all the members of the body are tied together by &s;everal ligaments, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> Sometimes to an <HI>Army, Gen. 2. 1. The Heavens were fi|ni&s;hed and all the hoa&s;t of them.</HI> Order is nece&s;&s;ary every where but e&s;pecially in <HI>an hoa&s;t,</HI> there every one mu&s;t keep in his rank and &s;tation, thus the <HI>Stars</HI> have <HI>their cour&s;es,</HI> Judges 5. 20. and the <HI>clouds</HI> their cour&s;es, Job 37. 12. yea, <HI>the Gra&s;hoppers</HI> march as an <HI>army,</HI> Joel 2. 15. The next thing that &s;heweth the wi&s;dom of God, is <HI>their fitne&s;s for u&s;e and &s;ervice,</HI> the work mans skill is as much commended in the <HI>u&s;e</HI> of an in&s;trument as in the <HI>making</HI> and framing of it; the <HI>upper Heaven'<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"></HI> fitted to be the everla&s;ting man&s;ion of the Saints, the <HI>middle Heaven</HI> to give us <HI>light,</HI> and <HI>heat</HI> and <HI>influence,</HI> the <HI>air,</HI> or <HI>lower Heaven,</HI> for <HI>breath,</HI> the <HI>earth</HI> for <HI>habitation,</HI> the <HI>Seas</HI> for <HI>navigation,</HI> the herbs and plants for <HI>food</HI> and <HI>medicine,</HI> &amp;c. Look upon the <HI>bodies</HI> of <HI>living creatures</HI> and tell me if there be not a wi&s;e God; <HI>Galen</HI> &s;aith there are 600 <HI>mu&s;cles</HI> in the body of man, and every one fitted for <HI>ten u&s;es;</HI> &s;o for <HI>bones, nerves, arteries</HI> and <HI>veins,</HI> who&s;oever ob&s;erveth their <HI>u&s;e, &s;cituation,</HI> and <HI>cor|re&s;pondence</HI> of them, cannot but fall into admiration of the wi&s;dom of the Maker, who hath thus exactly&punc; framed all things at fir&s;t <HI>out of nothing,</HI> and &s;till out of the <HI>froth of the blood:</HI> The wi&s;dom of men and Angels cannot mend the
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lea&s;t thing in a flye; the <HI>figure, colour, quality, quantity,</HI> of every worm, and every flower, with what exactne&s;s is it ordered? as if God had nothing el&s;e to do but to bring forth &s;uch a creature into the world as the product of his infinite Wi&s;dom.</P>
<P>2. <HI>Providence,</HI> Gods wi&s;dom is much &s;een in the &s;u&s;ten|tation and governing of all things, <HI>Eph. 1. 11. He worketh all things according to the Council of his will;</HI> do but ob&s;erve a little now all things are put into a &s;ub&s;erviency to Gods purpo&s;e, &s;ometimes the <HI>&s;malle&s;t things</HI> occa&s;ion events of the highe&s;t concernment; the occa&s;ion of <HI>Jo&s;ephs</HI> greatne&s;s in <HI>Egypt was a dream&punc; a lye</HI> ca&s;t him into pri&s;on, and a <HI>dream</HI> fetched him out: &s;ometimes the mo&s;t <HI>ca&s;ual things</HI> to us are the mo&s;t nece&s;&s;ary means to accompli&s;h that which God aimeth at; <HI>A certain man drew a bow at peradventure, and &s;lew the King of I&s;rael between the joints of the harne&s;s,</HI> 1 King. 22. 24. <HI>Contingencies to us are infallihle events</HI> as to the purpo&s;es of God: <HI>voluntary things</HI> that depend up|on the <HI>will of man,</HI> fall under the ordination of the <HI>will of God;</HI> there is more wi&s;dom &s;hewn in <HI>ruling a skitti&s;h hor&s;e,</HI> then in <HI>rolling a &s;tone</HI> or dead thing; God &s;heweth his wi&s;|dom in guiding the cour&s;es of the &s;tars, but much more in di&s;po&s;ing the heart of man, <HI>Prov.</HI> 21. 1. there is nothing <HI>&s;o confu&s;ed,</HI> but if you look upon it in its re&s;ult and <HI>final ten|dency,</HI> there is beauty and order in it, the tumults of the world, the pro&s;perity of the wicked, carnal men think them the <HI>di&s;grace and blemi&s;h of providence,</HI> whereas they are the <HI>ornament</HI> of it, P&s;al. 92. 5. <HI>Lord how glorious are thy works? thy thoughts are very deep!</HI> man is di&s;contented becau&s;e he cannot fathom the deep thoughts of providence: nothing <HI>&s;o oppo&s;ite, &s;o bad,</HI> but God can bring good out of it; the <HI>&s;ins</HI> of men &s;et forth the beauty of providence, as &s;hadows and black lines in a Picture &s;et it off the more, &s;ee <HI>Acts</HI> 4. 28, and <HI>Job</HI> 5. 12, 13. Chri&s;t hath been beholding to <HI>his enemies</HI> as much as <HI>to his friends,</HI> their potent oppo&s;ition hath occa&s;ioned the further increa&s;e of his Kingdom.</P>
<P>3. In the <HI>methods of his grace,</HI> &s;o I call all the tran&s;acti|ons of God about the &s;alvation of &s;inners from fir&s;t to la&s;t;
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the <HI>rejection of the Jews, and calling of the Gentiles.</HI> Rom. 11. 33. <HI>Oh the depth of the riches of the wi&s;dom and knowledg of God:</HI> the various di&s;pen&s;ations u&s;ed in the Church before the Law, under the Law, and time of the Go&s;pel, the&s;e are called <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>the manifold wi&s;dom of God, Eph. 3. 10. Redemption</HI> by Chri&s;t, the great plots of Hea|ven, called the <HI>hidden wi&s;dom of God in a my&s;tery,</HI> and <HI>with|out controver&s;ie a great my&s;tery,</HI> 1 Tim. 3. 16. that which An|gels <HI>de&s;ire to pry into;</HI> Gods Ma&s;ter piece, wherein all things by a rare contrivance, are ordered for Gods glory, and mans good, the wonder of it will take up our hearts to all eternity; to &s;ee the ruins of the fall &s;o exactly repaired, the glory of God &s;alved, the comfort of man provided for, <GAP DESC="foreign">, Oh the depth of this glorious mi&s;tery!</P>
<P>Again&punc; <HI>The various acts of love,</HI> whereby God &s;ubdueth &s;inners to him&s;elf; this taking &s;inners in <HI>their moneth,</HI> and di&s;po&s;ing of unthought of circum&s;tances and pa&s;&s;ages of providence in order to their conver&s;ion: Once more, the over-ruling of all events to further the eternal ble&s;&s;edne&s;s of the Saints, <HI>Rom.</HI> 8. 28. In all the&s;e I have forborn par|ticular illu&s;trations, that the di&s;cour&s;e may not &s;well up into too great a bulk.</P>
<P>Now who&s;oever &s;hall &s;eriou&s;ly con&s;ider the&s;e things, will certainly conclude <HI>God is wi&s;e;</HI> but further, con&s;ider the u&s;ual concomitants of Gods&punc; wi&s;dom, and then we may come to make &s;ome u&s;e of this meditation.</P>
<P><HI>Wi&s;dom</HI> in God is accompanied with <HI>immaculate holine&s;s, and infinite power;</HI> in the Devils there is <HI>great cunning great power, and much wickedne&s;s;</HI> in man there is <HI>much &s;hame, little power, and le&s;s wi&s;dom;</HI> Gods <HI>power and wi&s;dom</HI> are often counted in the expre&s;&s;ions of Scripture, <HI>Job 9, 4. He is wi&s;e in heart,</HI> and <HI>mighty in power,</HI> &s;o Job 3<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> 5. He is <HI>mighty in &s;trength and wi&s;dom</HI> the two <HI>for midable proper|ties</HI><NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg"><HI>Dolus an vir|tus quis in ho&s;te requirit?</HI></NOTE> in an adver&s;ary, and the <HI>de&s;ire able properties</HI> in a friend, &s;o &s;ee 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 1. 25. Again, 'tis joyned with <HI>holine&s;s he is mo&s;t wi&s;e, and mo&s;t holy, glorious in holine&s;s,</HI> and rich in <HI>wi&s;dom.</HI></P>
<P>Well then, let us often admire the Wi&s;dom of God;<NOTE PLACE="marg">&V;&s;e 1.</NOTE>
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look up to <HI>the Heavens,</HI> and what do you find there? The work of a wi&s;e God. <HI>Jer.</HI> 10. 12. Look to the &s;tructure of all things round about you, and what offereth its &s;elf to your thoughts? by his <HI>wi&s;dom he hath e&s;tabli&s;hed the world. Jer.</HI> 10. 12. Look within you and you cannot chu&s;e but &s;ay, <HI>Oh God I will prai&s;e thee, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made,</HI> P&s;al. 139. 14. Look into the <HI>Scriptures</HI> and con&s;i|der the &s;tupendious my&s;teries that are revealed there; of the <HI>Trinity in unity, God manife&s;ted in our fle&s;h, a Virgin con|ceiving, Chri&s;t dying,</HI> and can you hold from crying out, <HI>Oh the depth of the riches, both of the wi&s;dom and knowledg of God?</HI> Rom. 11. 33. view the&s;e things again and again; we cannot take up all of God, in one, or many, or all our meditations.</P>
<P>2. Let not it be a bare &s;peculation, but improve it, 1. To<NOTE PLACE="marg">&V;&s;e 2.</NOTE> quicken you to prayer, where &s;hould we go for wi&s;dom when we need it, but to the wi&s;e God? &s;ee <HI>Job</HI> 28. 12. <HI>James</HI> 1. 5. <HI>Job</HI> 329. <HI>Solomon</HI> asked wi&s;dom and had it 2. Improve it to thanks; when you are able to di&s;cern your way and your work, <HI>P. ov.</HI> 2. 6. 3&punc; Improve it to waiting, <HI>I&s;a</HI> 30 8 <HI>He is a God of judgment, ble&s;&s;ed are all they that wait for him;</HI> when things grow cro&s;s, let the wi&s;e God alone till you &s;ee the end of his work; will you be his <HI>Councellor,</HI> and teach him how to mannage his affairs? <HI>he knoweth how to deliver the godly,</HI> &amp;c. 2 <HI>Pet.</HI> 2. 9. 4. Improue it to <HI>patience</HI> and <HI>contentation;</HI> the wi&s;e God knoweth how to make u&s;e of thee in every condition, where ever thou art &s;ay, <HI>I am there where God hath &s;et me,</HI> God knoweth what is better for me, then I do my &s;elf, he that hath put all things in their places, hath put me in this peace, and here I will glo|rifie him, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 7. 22. euery cro&s;s is cho&s;en and elected, as well as <HI>your per&s;ons,</HI> there are <HI>&s;ecrets of wi&s;dom in providence</HI> that are not always to be found in the &s;urface and out &s;ide of it, <HI>Job</HI> 11. 6. though it appear in a way of rigor, yet God may have a de&s;ign in it of <HI>mercy</HI> to me, and glory to him&s;elf.</P>
<P>The nex Point is, That <HI>God is only wi&s;e,</HI> &s;ee the &s;ame<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 2.</NOTE> expre&s;&s;ion, 1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 7. 17. and <HI>Rom.</HI> 16. 27. why you will
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&s;ay this is a <HI>communicable Attribute,</HI> God hath endowed man with a &s;pirit of wi&s;dom, and <HI>humane prudence</HI> is an emblem and re&s;emblance of <HI>divine providence,</HI> how then <HI>is God only wi&s;e?</HI> I An&s;wer, wi&s;dom in God is in &s;uch an infinitene&s;s and exce&s;s that wi&s;dom in man is but <HI>folly</HI> in com|pari&s;on of it, there is none <HI>as he,</HI> there is none wi&s;e but <HI>from him;</HI> in &s;hort, God in three re&s;pects is <HI>only wi&s;e.</HI></P>
<P>1. <HI>Originally,</HI> and <HI>independently</HI> wi&s;e, not by commu|nication from another, but of him&s;elf; our wi&s;dom is but <HI>aray</HI> communicated from the <HI>father of lights, James</HI> 1. 17. a drop from the Ocean, a beam from the Sun, the whole knowledge of the Angels is but <HI>a &s;park of this light.</HI></P>
<P>2. God is <HI>e&s;&s;entially wi&s;e,</HI> and &s;o <HI>only wi&s;e:</HI> do not un|der&s;tand God to be wi&s;e as if wi&s;dom had made him wi&s;e, as it happeneth among the creatures, in them wi&s;dom is a <HI>&s;e|parable quality,</HI> di&s;tinct from their E&s;&s;ence: now Gods Wi&s;dom is Him&s;elf, and Him&s;elf is his Wi&s;dom, the per|fections of the creature, are like the <HI>gilding</HI> which may be layed on upon ve&s;&s;els of wood or &s;tone, the matter is one thing, and the varni&s;h or ornament is another; but the perfections of God are like a ve&s;&s;el made of pure beat|en gold, where the matter and the &s;plendor, or adorning, is the &s;ame.</P>
<P>3. God is <HI>infinitely wi&s;e,</HI> and &s;o only wi&s;e, as the Can|dle giveth no light when the &s;un &s;hineth, our wi&s;dom is bounded within narrow limits, and extendeth but to a few things, but Gods to all things; we count them fools that can only mannage petty matters, buy and &s;ell, and keep out of harms way; &s;uch fools are all creatures to God, who&s;e wi&s;dom is unlimitted and incomprehen&s;ible; they that can mannage a &s;mall Common-wealth with Advice&punc; and Council, are cryed up &s;or wi&s;e men; but now God manna|geth the affairs of the whole world, both vi&s;ible and invi|&s;ible; he careth for all things, from the <HI>Ant</HI> to the <HI>Angels,</HI> nothing &s;o <HI>&s;mall</HI> as to e&s;cape his knowledge, nothing &s;o <HI>great</HI> as to burden his mind, the &s;un doth with the &s;ame ea&s;ine&s;s &s;hine upon the whole world, as upon one field: &s;o doth God mannage the government of the whole world
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as of one per&s;on or creature: our wi&s;dom is <HI>gotten by learn|ing,</HI> but <HI>who hath directed the &s;pirit of the Lord, I&s;a&punc;</HI> 40. 17. our wi&s;dom is <HI>bettered by experience,</HI> therefore old men are mo&s;t prudent; but Gods wi&s;dom is uncapable of increa&s;e, as being in an infinite fullne&s;s; we are often deceived; men of the greate&s;t &s;egacity and cunning, fail in their plots and enterpri&s;es, and &s;o their <HI>wi&s;dom is turned into folly;</HI> but 'tis not &s;o with God, <HI>His Council &s;hall &s;tand,</HI> P&s;al. 33. 11. there can no difficulty occur, but what is fore&s;een: he go|eth not upon <HI>probability</HI> and <HI>conjecture,</HI> but <HI>certain fore|knowledg:</HI> Man can attend but upon one care at once, <HI>va|rious thoughts &s;catter</HI> the mind, and <HI>weaken it,</HI> but God in <HI>one moment of under standing</HI> &s;eeth all things, and wi&s;ely di&s;|po&s;eth of all things; Gods wi&s;dom doth not deliberate with <HI>he&s;itancy,</HI> or con&s;ult with <HI>doubt,</HI> his thoughts are <HI>&s;im|ple,</HI> and not <HI>&s;ucce&s;&s;ive,</HI> and in their way of di&s;cour&s;e. Thus you &s;ee what good rea&s;on there is why God &s;hould be &s;aid to be only wi&s;e.</P>
<P>Well then, let not the creature &s;eem wi&s;er then God, and cavil at what he hath revealed, becau&s;e we under&s;tand it not; we cannot know the nature of an Ant, we are puz|zled in the lea&s;t creature, no wonder then if humane rea&s;on grow giddy, when it pryeth into the deeps of God; there &s;hould be <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>the obedience of faith</HI> to all that is revealed; and divine truth, like Pills, mu&s;t be <HI>&s;wallowed</HI> ra|ther then <HI>chewed,</HI> received upon Gods <HI>&s;ingle Authority,</HI> when we &s;ee no rea&s;on for them, for God is <HI>only wi&s;e:</HI> Again, when you think of the perfections of God you mu&s;t rai&s;e your thoughts above the Law, and all manner of all created beings.</P>
<P>The next Point is, <HI>That Chri&s;t Je&s;us our Saviour is wor|thy</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 3.</NOTE> <HI>to be accounted the only wi&s;e God:</HI> Chri&s;t is wi&s;e as he is <HI>God,</HI> and as he is <HI>Man.</HI></P>
<P>1. As he is God, &s;o he is called the <HI>wi&s;dom of the Father, 1 Cor.</HI> 1. 24. and repre&s;ented to the antient Church under this title, as <HI>Prov.</HI> 1. 20. and <HI>Prov. 8. per totum,</HI> wi&s;dom is there &s;poken of as a <HI>per&s;on,</HI> and the di&s;criptions there u&s;ed are proper to Je&s;us Chri&s;t; &s;ome &s;uppo&s;e the Heathens had
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&s;ome <HI>traditional knowledg</HI> of this my&s;tery and appellation; for as Chri&s;t the wi&s;dom of the Father was eternally and ineffectably begotten in the divine E&s;&s;ence, &s;o they wor|&s;hipped a <HI>Godde&s;s</HI> whom they called the <HI>Godde&s;s of&punc; wi&s;dom,</HI> and fained that &s;he was begotten by <HI>Jupiter</HI> of his own brain, and they called her <GAP DESC="foreign">&punc; which word is much like in &s;ound with the Hebrew word, <HI>Adonai</HI> Lord.</P>
<P>2. As he is man, he received the habits of all created knowledg and wi&s;dom, as all other graces without mea&s;ure, <HI>John</HI> 3. and &s;o 'tis &s;aid, Col. 2. 3. <HI>In him are hid all the trea&s;ures of wi&s;dom and knowledg.</HI> Well then, &s;ince Chri&s;t hath brought down wi&s;dom to us in our own nature, let us be more &s;tudious to get it into our hearts: As Mediator, he is fitted to make us wi&s;e to Salvation, and appointed by God to be wi&s;dom to us, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 1. 30.</P>
<P>Once note more from the other title, that is here given<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 4.</NOTE> to Chri&s;t [<HI>our Saviour] Tho&s;e that have had any benefit by Chri&s;t will be very much affected with his prai&s;e;</HI> there is a double ground of exalting Chri&s;t, <HI>a &s;ight of his excellency,</HI> and <HI>a &s;en&s;e of his benefits;</HI> and there is a double notion by which our honouring of Chri&s;t is &s;et forth, <HI>prai&s;e</HI> and <HI>ble&s;|&s;ing; prai&s;e</HI> hath re&s;pect to his <HI>excellency&punc;</HI> and <HI>ble&s;&s;ing</HI> to his <HI>benefits, Eph</HI> 1. 3. We may prai&s;e a man for his worth, though we have no benefit by him, and &s;o we are bound to prai&s;e God for the excellency of his nature, though he had never done us good; but now when he is <HI>our God</HI> and <HI>our Saviour,</HI> and hath &s;hewed us &s;o much of his goodne&s;s and mercy in Chri&s;t, we &s;hould be ever prai|&s;ing him, <HI>Phil. 4. 20. Now unto God and our Father be glo|ry for ever and ever, Amen;</HI> Glory is due to him as <HI>God,</HI> much more as our <HI>Father,</HI> his <HI>worth</HI> and <HI>excellency,</HI> though he were a &s;tranger to us doth de&s;erve an acknowledgment, but when we con&s;ider what he is to us&punc; and what he hath done for us, then we can hold no longer, the heart being affected with a &s;en&s;e of his kindne&s;s, breaketh out, to <HI>our Father,</HI> to <HI>our Saviour,</HI> be glory for ever and ever. Well then con&s;ider the Lords excellencies more, and ob&s;erve his benefits, and work them upon the heart till you be fil|led
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with a deep &s;en&s;e of his love, and find &s;uch an impul&s;ion in your Spirits as you cannot hold from breaking out into his prai&s;e.</P>
<P>I come now from the <HI>de&s;cription</HI> to the <HI>a&s;cription&punc;</HI> to him<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 5.</NOTE> <HI>be glory,</HI> &amp;c. Can we be&s;tow any thing upon God? or wi&s;h any real worth and excellency to be &s;uper-added to him? I an&s;wer no, the meaning is, that tho&s;e which are in God already may be fir&s;t more <HI>&s;en&s;ibly manife&s;ted.</HI> I&s;a. 64. 2. <HI>Make thy name known among the nations.</HI> 'Tis a great &s;atisfaction to Gods people, when any thing of God is di&s;covered, they value it above their <HI>own benefit</HI> and &s;afe|ty, &s;ee <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 115. 1. they preferre the glory of <HI>mercy</HI> and <HI>truth</HI> before their deliverance.</P>
<P>2. More <HI>&s;eriou&s;ly</HI> and <HI>frequently acknowledged,</HI> 'tis a great plea&s;ure to the Saints to &s;ee others prai&s;e God, P&s;al. 107. 8. <HI>Oh that men would prai&s;e the Lord for his goodne&s;s, and for his wonderful works to the children of men.</HI></P>
<P>3. More <HI>deeply e&s;teemed,</HI> that God may be more in re|que&s;t, more in the hearts of men and Angels, Gods chil|dren no not count it enough that God is glorified by them|&s;elves, but they de&s;ire al&s;o that God may be glorified by others; as fire turneth all things near it into its own na|ture, &s;o is grace diffu&s;ive; good men are loath to go to Heaven alone, they would travel thither by troops and in company.</P>
<P>But let us more particularly take a view of this a&s;cripti|on, and &s;o fir&s;t what is a&s;cribed, <HI>glory, maje&s;ty, dominion,</HI> and <HI>power.</HI> Let us open the&s;e words. <HI>Glory</HI> is <HI>clara cum laude notitia,</HI> excellency di&s;covered with prai&s;e and appro|bation&punc; and notech that high honour and e&s;teem that is due to Chri&s;t. <HI>Majesty</HI> is the next word, which implieth &s;uch greatne&s;s &amp; excellency as maketh one honoured &amp; preferr'd above all, therefore a &s;tile u&s;ually given to <HI>Kings,</HI> but none &s;o due as unto Chri&s;t, who is <HI>King of Kings</HI> and <HI>Lord of our Lords.</HI> The third term is <HI>dominion,</HI> which implieth the foveraignty of Chri&s;t over all things, e&s;pecially over the people whom he hath purcha&s;ed with his blood. The la&s;t word is, <HI>power,</HI> which &s;ignifieth that all &s;ufficiency in God,
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whereby he is able to do all things according to the good plea&s;ure of his will.</P>
<P>From hence ob&s;erve,</P>
<P>1. <HI>A gracious heart hath &s;uch a &s;en&s;e of Gods worth and</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 6.</NOTE> <HI>perfection, that it would have all things that are honourable and glorious, a&s;cribed to him,</HI> therefore are divers words here u&s;ed&punc; When we have done our utmo&s;t we come &s;hort; for Gods <HI>name is exalted above all ble&s;&s;ing, and above all prai&s;e, Nehem.</HI> 9. 5. Yet 'tis good to do as much as we can: Love to God will not be &s;atisfied with a little prai&s;e, <HI>I will prai&s;e him yet more and more,</HI> love inlargeth the heart towards God, if there be any thing more excellent he &s;hall have it; well then 'tis a &s;ign of a dead heart to be a <HI>nig|gard in prai&s;es,</HI> to be &s;paring, carele&s;s, or cold this way.</P>
<P>2. <HI>When we think of God, 'tis a relief to the Soul to con&s;ider</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 7.</NOTE> <HI>of his glory&punc; maje&s;ty, dominion and power;</HI> for this is that which the Apo&s;tle would have to be <HI>manife&s;ted, acknowled|ged,</HI> and <HI>esteemed</HI> in God, as the ground of our re&s;pect to him; <HI>it incourageth us in our &s;ervice,</HI> we need not think &s;hame of his &s;ervice to whom <HI>glory,</HI> and <HI>power</HI> and <HI>majesty</HI> and <HI>dominion</HI> belongeth: It <HI>hearteneth us again&s;t dangers;</HI> &s;urely the great and glorious God will bear us out in his work; it <HI>increa&s;eth our awe and reverence,</HI> &s;hall we &s;erve God in &s;uch &s;light fa&s;hion as we would not &s;erve the Go|vernour? <HI>Mal.</HI> 1. 8. 'tis a le&s;&s;ening of Gods maje&s;ty, you do not treat him as a <HI>great</HI> and <HI>glorious Potentate,</HI> Mal. 1. 14. <HI>It inviteth our Prayers,</HI> to whom &s;hould we go in our nece&s;&s;ities but to him that hath <HI>Dominion</HI> over all things, and <HI>power</HI> to di&s;po&s;e of them for the <HI>glory</HI> of his <HI>majesty: It increa&s;eth our Dependance,</HI> God is glorious, and will maintain the honour of his name and truth of his promi&s;es: When we are daunted by earthly Potentates 'tis a relief to think of the <HI>maje&s;ty of God,</HI> in compari&s;on of which all <HI>earthly Grandure</HI> is but the dream of a &s;hadow: Again, God that hath a <HI>&s;overaignty&punc;</HI> over all things, and &s;uch an <HI>almighty power</HI> to back it, will not be wanting to do that which &s;hall make for his glory.</P>
<P>2. The next con&s;ideration in this A&s;cription, is the du|ration,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 8.</NOTE>
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<HI>now and ever:</HI> Thence note, <HI>The Saints have &s;uch large de&s;ires for Gods glory, that they would have him glori|fied everla&s;tingly, and without cea&s;ing,</HI> they de&s;ire the <HI>pre, &s;ent age</HI> may not only glorifie God, but <HI>the future,</HI> when they are dead and gone the Lord remaineth, and they would not have him remain without honour; they do not take death &s;o bitterly, if there be any hopes that God will have a people to prai&s;e him: and their great comfort now is the expectation of a <HI>great Congregation,</HI> gathered from <HI>the four winds,</HI> united to Chri&s;t, pre&s;ented to God, that they may remain with him, and glorifie him for evermore; 'tis the comfort of their hearts to &s;ee this Congregation a ma|king up every day, that there are <HI>Saints</HI> and <HI>Angels</HI> to prai&s;e God, while&s;t others grieve and di&s;honour him; they prize their own &s;alvation, upon this ground that they &s;hall live for ever, to glorifie God for ever, &s;ee <HI>Eph.</HI> 3. 21. <HI>P&s;.</HI> 41. 13 <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 106, 48. Now this they do, partly from their love to <HI>Gods glory,</HI> which they prize above their <HI>own &s;alvation, Rom.</HI> 9. 3. Partly in thankfulne&s;s to God for his <HI>everla&s;ting love</HI> to them; God is from everla&s;ting to everla&s;ting, and his love is <HI>from everla&s;ting to everlasting,</HI> P&s;al. 10<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">. 17. he was their God, and will be their God for ever and ever, and therefore they purpo&s;e to be his people, and to prai&s;e him for ever and ever. Well then, get the&s;e large de&s;ires for Gods glory, that he may be honoured in <HI>all ages,</HI> and in all <HI>places, P&s;al.</HI> 113. 2, 3. What have ye done in a tendency here unto, that pro&s;perity may prai&s;e God? do you labour to promote the <HI>knowledg<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> of Chri&s;t,</HI> and the <HI>&s;ucce&s;&s;ion of Church|es,</HI> all the ways that you can? zeal in your place is a good argument that you are well&punc; affected in this kind; as a <HI>Ma|&s;ter of a family</HI> ha&s;t thou taken care to keep Religion alive among thy children when thou art dead and gone? <HI>Gen.</HI> 18. 19. as a <HI>Merchant</HI> ha&s;t thou promoted <HI>Religion</HI> with thy&punc; <HI>Traffique?</HI> Deut. 33. 18, 19. as <HI>a Magi&s;trate</HI> doe&s;t thou take care to &s;ecure the intere&s;t of Chri&s;t to po&s;terity that the &s;ucce&s;&s;ion of Churches may not be cut off; <HI>Mini&s;ters,</HI> have you been <HI>witne&s;&s;es</HI> for God to the pre&s;ent age? and beha|ved your &s;elves as <HI>Tru&s;tees</HI> for the next Age? Have you ta|ken
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care that God may be honoured then? that we do not tran&s;mit prejudices again&s;t the ways of God, and corrup|tions in Doctrine and wor&s;hip to po&s;terity? Oh where is this affection, this wi&s;hing, <HI>To him be glory now and ever?</HI></P>
<P>The la&s;t thing in this In&s;cription, is the Particle <HI>Amen,</HI> which is <HI>&s;ignaculum fidei &amp; votum de&s;iderii no&s;tri,</HI> it &s;ignifi|eth an <HI>hearty con&s;ent to Gods promi&s;e,</HI> and a <HI>&s;teady belief</HI> that it will continue to all generations: this word is often put at the end of <HI>Prayers</HI> and <HI>Doxologies</HI> in Scripture, &s;ee <HI>Rev.</HI> 5. 13, 14. <HI>Rom.</HI> 16. 27. <HI>Phil.</HI> 4. 20. <HI>&amp;c.</HI> and &s;ometimes 'tis doubled for the greater vehemency, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 51. 13. <HI>P&s;.</HI> 72. 19. <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 89. 52. and it &s;eemeth by that pa&s;&s;age oft he Apo&s;tle that antiently it was <HI>audibly pronounced</HI> by the people in publick A&s;&s;emblies, at the conclu&s;ion of prayers, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 14. 16. and &s;ince that <HI>Hierom</HI> telleth us that <HI>Amen eccle&s;iae in+&s;tar t<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">ni<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">ru<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">reboabat,</HI> that the <HI>Amen</HI> was &s;o heartily &s;ounded<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 9.</NOTE> out by the Church, that it &s;eemed like <HI>a crack of thunder:</HI> Certainly <HI>'tis good to conclude holy exerci&s;es with &s;ome vigor and warmth;</HI> natural motion is &s;wifter in the end and clo&s;e, &s;o &s;hould our &s;piritual affctions be more vehement, as we draw to a conclu&s;ion, and when the Prayer is done, put out the efficacy of our faith and holy de&s;ires in a <HI>&s;trong Amen,</HI> that it may be to you according to the reque&s;ts of your hearts, and you may come away from the Throne of grace as tho&s;e that have had &s;ome feeling of Gods love in your Con&s;ciences, and are per&s;waded that he will accept you, and do you good in Je&s;us Chri&s;t.</P>
<P>Again ob&s;erve, <HI>There &s;hould be an Amen to our prai&s;es, as</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 10</NOTE> <HI>well as to our prayers,</HI> that we may expre&s;s our zeal and af|fection to <HI>Gods glory,</HI> as well as to our <HI>own profit;</HI> many with the Leapers will &s;ay <HI>Amen,</HI> to <HI>Je&s;us, Ma&s;ter have mer|cy on us,</HI> but we are not as ready to &s;ay <HI>Amen,</HI> to this <HI>to whom be glory,</HI> &amp;c. our <HI>Hallelujahs</HI> &s;hould &s;ound as loud as our <HI>Supplications,</HI> and we &s;hould as heartily con&s;ent to <HI>Gods prai&s;es,</HI> as to our own <HI>requests.</HI></P>
<P>La&s;tly, <HI>In de&s;iring the glory of God to all ages, we &s;hould</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;ervat. 11</NOTE> <HI>expre&s;s both our faith and love, faith</HI> in <HI>determining</HI> that it &s;hall be, and <HI>love</HI> in <HI>de&s;iring</HI> that it may be &s;o with all our
<PB N="567" REF="292">
hearts, both are implyed to the word <HI>Amen;</HI> it will be &s;o what ever changes happen in the world, God will be glo|rious; the Scene is often &s;hifted, and furni&s;hed with new Actors&punc; but &s;till God hath tho&s;e that prai&s;e him, and will have to all eternity. Well then, let your faith &s;ub&s;cribe, and put it to its &s;eal to the glory of God in Chri&s;t: and let <HI>earne&s;t love</HI> interpo&s;e: Lord let it be &s;o, yea Lord let it be &s;o; heartily de&s;ire it, and with the whole &s;trength of your &s;ouls; &s;et to your &s;eals without fear, 'tis a reque&s;t that cannot mi&s;carry, and follow it with your <HI>hearty accla|mations;</HI> the world &s;hall continue no longer, when God &s;hall have no more glory by it; here you may be &s;ure you pray according to Gods Will, and therefore may take it for granted&punc; only <HI>follow it earne&s;tly,</HI> &s;ay, Lord what ever become of us, and our matters, yet let thy Name be glo|rified: <HI>Amen,</HI> Lord let it be even &s;o. Now</P>
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q>Ble&s;&s;ed be his glorious Name for ever, and let the whole earth be filled with his glory: <HI>Amen,</HI> and <HI>Amen,</HI></Q>
<BIBL>P&s;al. 72. 19.</BIBL>
</EPIGRAPH>
</DIV2>
</DIV1>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
</BODY>
<BACK>
<DIV1 TYPE="index">
<PB REF="293">
<PB REF="293">
<HEAD>An Alphabetical Table.</HEAD>
<LIST>
<HEAD>A</HEAD>
<ITEM><HI>ABu&s;e</HI> of the Go&s;pel, <HI>p.</HI> 206, 207, 208, 209. &s;ee <HI>Grace.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Adultery</HI> how di&s;plea&s;ing to God, 327, 328, 329, 330. How <HI>defiling</HI> to man, 345, 346.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Ambition</HI> breedeth facti|on, 405. engageth men again&s;t Magi&s;tracy and Mini&s;try, 405, 406</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Angels,</HI> the bad, their <HI>&s;in,</HI> 275, 276, 277, 278, 279, 280. U&s;es of it, 280, 281, 282, 283, 284. Their&punc; <HI>puni&s;hment</HI> of <HI>lo&s;s,</HI> 284, 285, 286, 287, 288. U&s;es of it, 288, 289, 290, 291, 292. of <HI>Sen&s;e,</HI> 292, 293, 294, 295. U&s;es of it, 296, 297, 298, 299 Their puni&s;hment fur|ther amplified, by <HI>dark|ne&s;s,</HI> 299, 300, 301, 302. U&s;es of it, 303, 304, 305. Their pu|ni&s;hment will be greater at the day of Judgment, 306, 307, 308</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Angels</HI> the good, how rea|dy they are to defend a good cau&s;e, 363, 364, 365. Their <HI>Mini&s;try</HI> about the Saints, 365, 366, 367, 368, 369, 370. U&s;es of it, 370, 371, 372. There is an <HI>Order</HI> among the <HI>An|gels,</HI> 372, 373. Their
<PB REF="294">
<HI>holine&s;s,</HI> 380, 381, 382. The U&s;es of it, 382 383, 384&punc;</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Apo&s;tacy</HI> dangerous, 421 422.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Apo&s;tles,</HI> their Office and Priviledges, 484.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Application,</HI> how many degrees of it there are beneath a&s;surance 533.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>A&s;&s;urance,</HI> whether Gods children always have it, 16, 17, 18, 19. How far nece&s;&s;ary to our hope and comfort, 532, 533.</ITEM>
</LIST>
<LIST>
<HEAD>B</HEAD>
<ITEM>IN what re&s;pect a wicked man is as a <HI>Bea&s;t,</HI> 388, 589.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Spiritual <HI>Ble&s;&s;ings&punc;</HI> the best ble&s;&s;ings 68, 69.</ITEM>
</LIST>
<LIST>
<HEAD>C</HEAD>
<ITEM>EFfectual <HI>Calling</HI> the nature and u&s;es of it, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14. An evidence of our E|lection 15, 16. How it may be known 18, 19, 20. Notes of it, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Carnal men</HI> ill skilled in con&s;equences, 207, 208</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Church</HI> admi&s;&s;ions into it &s;hould not be too ea&s;ie, 170, 171.</ITEM>
<ITEM>The re&s;pect due to <HI>Church Officers,</HI> 339, 340, 355, 356.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> eternal life is of his be&s;towing, 535. Com|forts thence, 536.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Chri&s;t</HI> will be glorious at the day of Judgement, 553. He is a <HI>Saviour,</HI> and how, 227, 228. His threefold <HI>Office,</HI> 229, 230. His <HI>God-head</HI> proved, 221, 222, 223, 230, 231, 232, 233. How he may be denied both in Opinion and Practice, 234, 235, 236 237, 238, 240. He is <HI>Lord</HI> and <HI>Ma&s;ter,</HI> 224. <HI>Lord</HI> and <HI>Je&s;us,</HI> 224 225, 226.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Civility</HI> di&s;tinct from ho|line&s;s, 40, 41, 42.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Communion</HI> with God is the ready way to know
<PB REF="294">
his mind 436.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Communion</HI> with God is the ready way to know his mind, 436.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Conference</HI> an help to per&s;everance, 506.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Covetou&s;ne&s;s</HI> the root of Sect-making, 404. 'Tis a violent head-&s;trong lu&s;t, 404, 405.</ITEM>
</LIST>
<LIST>
<HEAD>D</HEAD>
<ITEM><HI>DReams</HI> of Carnal men, e&s;pecially&punc; O|pinioni&s;ts, 341, 342, 343, 344.</ITEM>
</LIST>
<LIST>
<HEAD>E</HEAD>
<ITEM><HI>ERror</HI> di&s;po&s;eth to un|cleane&s;s, and impurity of life, 344, 345. 417, 418, 419. Maketh men unruly, and anti&punc; Magi|&s;tratical, 346, 347, 348 349, 350.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Erroneous</HI> per&s;ons u&s;ually &s;en&s;ual, 397.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Errors</HI> end in &s;hame, 426, 427.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Erroneous</HI> per&s;ons, and <HI>Libertines</HI> are u&s;ually bloody, 402, 403. See <HI>Seducers.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Error</HI> in judgement, whe|ther puni&s;hable by the Magi&s;trate, See <HI>Magi|&s;trate.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>Reproofs of <HI>Error</HI> &s;hould be &s;ea&s;oned with love, 482.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Errors</HI> fall not out by chance, but according to the certain pre ordina|tion and fore&punc; knowledg of God, 175, 176, 178, 179.</ITEM>
</LIST>
<LIST>
<HEAD>F</HEAD>
<ITEM><HI>FAction</HI> bringeth men to ruine, 406.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Faith</HI> to be contended for, that duty opened and pre&s;&s;ed, with the cau&s;es incident di&s;cu&s;&s;ed, 158, 159, 160, 161, 162, 163 164, 165, 166, 167, 168.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Faith</HI> of Chri&s;tians an ho|ly faith, 505, 506.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Fear</HI> of Gods wrath, its u&s;e, 543 When 'tis &s;la|vi&s;h,
<PB REF="295">
and when not, 544</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Fea&s;ts</HI> &s;hould be &s;ea&s;oned with grace, 411.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Feeding,</HI> what <HI>fear</HI> and <HI>caution</HI> to be u&s;ed ther|in, 412, 413, 414.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Formality</HI> what, and how known, 42, 43, 44.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Evils <HI>foretold</HI> are more comportable, 488.</ITEM>
</LIST>
<LIST>
<HEAD>G</HEAD>
<ITEM><HI>GRace</HI> re&s;training, 44.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Grace</HI> common, how differenced from &s;aving 44. 45, 46.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Grace</HI> of God, how it may be abu&s;ed, 204, 205, 206, 207, 208, 209. <HI>Rea&s;ons</HI> of this abu&s;e, 210, 211. <HI>Kinds</HI> of it, 211, 212, 213, 214, 215, 216. Di&s;&s;wa&s;ives from it, 216, 217. Signs of it, 218, 219, 220.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Growth</HI> in <HI>Grace,</HI> rea&s;ons per&s;wading to it, 118, 119, 120, 121. Ob&s;er|vations about it, 122, 123, 124, 125, 126, U&s;es, 127. <HI>Nece&s;&s;ity</HI> of it, 504, 505.</ITEM>
</LIST>
<LIST>
<HEAD>H</HEAD>
<ITEM><HI>HEll</HI> de&s;cribed, 331, 332. and 429, 430, 431.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Hope,</HI> the nature of it, 526, 527, 528, 529. the influence it hath on our per&s;everance in a &s;tate of grace, 529, 530 531. U&s;es of it, 531, 532. Means to get it, 532, 533.</ITEM>
</LIST>
<LIST>
<HEAD>I</HEAD>
<ITEM>THe Divel loves <HI>I|dolatry,</HI> 573, 574, 575, 576.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Dead bodies of the Saints abu&s;ed to <HI>Idolatry,</HI> 376 377, 378.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Judgements</HI> ancient are our warnings, 241, 242 243. and 406, 407.</ITEM>
<ITEM>The impartiality of <HI>Di|vine Judgements,</HI> 243, 244. They come on pla|ces for the peoples &s;ake,
<PB REF="295">
324, 325, 326. Fel|low&s;hip in evil, bring|eth on fellow&s;hip in <HI>Judgements,</HI> 326, 327.</ITEM>
<ITEM>The day of <HI>Judgement</HI> is a great day, 308, 309, 310, 311, 312, 313, 314, 315, 316, 317, 318, 319, 320, 321. The doctrine of it anci|ent, 435, 436. We &s;hould be mindful of it, 436, 437. The Proce&s;s of that day de&s;cribed, as to the conviction of &s;in|ners, 441, 442, 443. The coming of Christ to <HI>Judgement</HI> mu&s;t be looked for, 525, 526, 'Tis a joyful day to the godly, 553, 554. Saints <HI>Judge</HI> the world toge|ther with Chri&s;t, 437, 438.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Infirmities</HI> and <HI>Iniquities</HI> differenced, 444.</ITEM>
</LIST>
<LIST>
<HEAD>K</HEAD>
<ITEM><HI>KEeping</HI> that grace we have received, is our duty, 514. What need there is of care and cau|tion therein, 515, 516, 517, 518, &amp;c.</ITEM>
</LIST>
<LIST>
<HEAD>L</HEAD>
<ITEM><HI>LAtter</HI> times evil, 488 A <HI>Levelling</HI> humour no new thing, 406,</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Life eternal,</HI> 536, 537.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Love</HI> to God, the nature of it, 96, 97, 98. Rea&s;ons per&s;wading to it, 98, 99 100, 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 110, 111, 112, 113, 114. Evi|dences of <HI>it,</HI> 115, 116, 117.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Decay of Love to God,</HI> how ea&s;ie, and yet how dangerous, 418, 419. Whence it proceedeth, what is decay of love to God, 519, 520, 521. Pre&s;ervatives again&s;t it, 521, 522, 523. They that <HI>Love</HI> Chri&s;t, look for his coming, 523, 524. Whether they al|ways be in this frame,
<PB REF="296">
524, 525. <HI>Love</HI> from Christians one to ano|ther, 129, 130, 131, 132, 133.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Lu&s;ts,</HI> what they are, 467, 468. What 'tis to walk after them, 468, 469. 489, 490. This a note of unregeneracy, 469, 470. Di&s;&s;wa&s;ives from them, 470, 471, 472, 473, 474. Directions about the &s;uppre&s;&s;ion of them, 474, 475, 476.</ITEM>
</LIST>
<LIST>
<HEAD>M</HEAD>
<ITEM>WHether the <HI>Magi|&s;trate</HI> may inter|po&s;e in the ca&s;e of <HI>Error</HI> and how far, 350, 351, 352, 353, 354.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Magi&s;tracy</HI> and <HI>Magi|&s;trates</HI> not to be de&s;pi&s;ed 354, 355.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Magi&s;trates</HI> duty about the truth, 167, 168.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Mercy</HI> of God to &s;inners &s;et forth, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82. U&s;es of <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">, 82, 83, 84, 85. How we may wrong <HI>Mercy,</HI> 86, 87, 88. Great Mereies abu&s;ed, bring great Judgements, 251, 252.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Mini&s;ters</HI> &s;hould be tempe|rate, 410, 411. <HI>Stars,</HI> but not wandring &s;tars, 427, 429, 429. They are <HI>Remembrancers,</HI> 245, 246, 247. Their Office ancient, 434, 435, &amp;c.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Murmuring,</HI> what it is, 447, 448. The <HI>kinds</HI> of it, 448, 449, 450, 451, 452. The <HI>cau&s;es</HI> of it, 453, 454. The <HI>evil</HI> of it, 454, 455, 456. <HI>Murmuring</HI> at the times taxed, and &s;tated, with remedies again&s;t it, 457, 458, 459, 460 461, 462.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Murmuring</HI> in a private ca&s;e, with remedies a|gainst it, 463, 464, 465. Particular <HI>reme|dies</HI> for particular ca&s;es 465, 466, 467.</ITEM>
</LIST>
<LIST>
<PB REF="296">
<HEAD>N</HEAD>
<ITEM><HI>NAtural men</HI> left to them&s;elves, grow to be more corrupt, 397.</ITEM>
</LIST>
<LIST>
<HEAD>P</HEAD>
<ITEM><HI>PEace</HI> of God, what i<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> is, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93. U&s;es of it, 93, 94, 95, 96.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Of the Doctrine of <HI>Per&s;e|verance,</HI> how Chri&s;t is concerned in it, 52. Na|ture of it, 53, 54, 55, 56. The grounds of it, 57, 58, 59. U&s;es of it, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65. When to apply the com|fort of it, 65, 66, 67.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Power of God,</HI> to keep us a relief to the &s;oul, and how, 547, 548, 549.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Praying in the holy Gho&s;t</HI> opened at large, with Rea&s;ons and U&s;es, 506, 507, 508, 509, 510.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Pride</HI> in them of low de|gree is le&s;s tolerable, 361, 362, 363.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Proud men</HI> for advan|tage mo&s;t fawning, 478 479.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Pre&s;entation</HI> of the Elect by Christ at the la&s;t day 549, 550, 551, 552, Who are then faultle&s;s, 552, 553.</ITEM>
</LIST>
<LIST>
<HEAD>R</HEAD>
<ITEM><HI>RAiling</HI> and <HI>Reproa|ches,</HI> e&s;pecially in controver&s;ies about Re|ligion, mo&s;t culpable, 384, 385, 386, 387, 388, 389. Cautions a|bout it, 390, 391, 302.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Reproofs</HI> managed with compa&s;&s;ion, 537, 538. The difference to be ob|&s;erved in the di&s;pencing <HI>Reproofs,</HI> 538, 539, 540, 541. When &s;eve|ri<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">y is to be u&s;ed in them, 542, 543.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Reprobation,</HI> the dostrine of it a&s;&s;erted, vindica|ted, and applyed, 179, 180, 181, 182, 183, 184, 185, 186, 187, 188.</ITEM>
<ITEM><PB REF="297"><HI>Repetition</HI> nece&s;&s;ary, 249, 250.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Remembrance</HI> of truths, if &s;ea&s;onable, a great help, 482, 483.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Re&s;pect</HI> to per&s;ons a &s;in, 479.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Reward,</HI> we may look to it, 531.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Retaliation,</HI> Gods way of puni&s;hing, 432.</ITEM>
</LIST>
<LIST>
<HEAD>S</HEAD>
<ITEM><HI>SAints</HI> fitte&s;t to pre|&s;erve, propagate, and defend the truth, 155, 156, 157, 158.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Sanctification,</HI> the nature of it, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34. Rea&s;ons why it &s;hould be looked after, 35, 36, 37, 38. The bad e&s;tate of the enemies of it, 39, 40. How God the Father is Intere&s;ted in it, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Salvation,</HI> how common, 137, 138, 139, 140, 141.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Seducers,</HI> their pretences, 171, 172, 173. are like clouds without rain, 415, 416. Boa&s;ter, 423, 424 Un&s;etled and un|certain in their opini|ons, 424, 425. Re&s;tle&s;s 425. Turbulent, 425, 426. They bewray them|&s;elves by their affected expre&s;&s;ions, and un|couth expre&s;&s;ions, 477. Are apt to in&s;inuate with great per&s;ons, and men of power and inte|re&s;t, 479, 480. Admire them of their own party, 680.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Scriptures,</HI> Providence of God about them in wri|ting, and pre&s;erving them from age to age, 147, 148, 149, 150, 151. U&s;e of it, 152. The office of the Church about the <HI>Scriptures,</HI> 152, 153, 154.</ITEM>
<ITEM>The <HI>Scriptures</HI> a perpetu|al &s;etled <HI>Rule,</HI> our duty to be acquainted with the <HI>Scriptures,</HI> 247, 248.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Truth of <HI>Scripture</HI> evi|denced by accompli&s;h|ment of prophe&s;ies, 408, 409.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Scoffing</HI> a common &s;in in
<PB REF="297">
the latter times, 488, 489. a great &s;in, 489.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Sen&s;uality</HI> tendeth to death and corruption, 399, 400.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Sen&s;ual per&s;ons</HI> the &s;pots and &s;tain of Chri&s;tia|nity, 408, 409.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Sen&s;uality</HI> maketh men &s;e|cure, 412, and impudent 413.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Sen&s;ual per&s;ons</HI> have lit|tle of the Spirit, 501, 502, 503.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Sen&s;uality,</HI> what it is, 499 500. Evil of it, 500, 501, 502.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Separation,</HI> the &s;infulne&s;s of it when unju&s;t, 492, 493, 494. When it is unju&s;t, 493, 494, 495, 496, 497, 498.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Separati&s;ts</HI> are often <HI>Sen|&s;uali&s;ts,</HI> 498.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Service</HI> of Chri&s;t, 2, 3. The honour of it, 4. Na|ture of it, 5, 6, 7, 8.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Sins</HI> of Great Ones ea&s;ily imitated, 328.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Sin</HI> is never at a &s;tay, 330, 331, 421. A defilement 345. 'Tis a bold conte&s;t or daring of God, 378, 379, 380. It turneth a man into a Bea&s;t, 398, 399.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Men <HI>&s;in</HI> with earne&s;tne&s;s, 404.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Dangerous condition of a <HI>&s;ecure &s;inner,</HI> 544, 545</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Sodoms de&s;truction</HI> is the Worlds example, 332, 333, 334, 335, 336, 337.</ITEM>
</LIST>
<LIST>
<HEAD>T</HEAD>
<ITEM><HI>TErrors</HI> of the Law, how differently di|&s;penced, 17, 18.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Truth</HI> u&s;ually &s;landered out of Ignorance, 395, 396.</ITEM>
</LIST>
<LIST>
<HEAD>V</HEAD>
<ITEM><HI>UNbelief,</HI> the hai|nou&s;ne&s;s of it, 253, 254, 255, 256. Di&s;co|vertes of it, 255, 256, 257, 258, 259. Parti|cular aggravations of it, 259, 260, 261, 262. The kinds of it, 263,
<PB REF="298">
264, 265. Reigning <HI>Unbelief,</HI> with its notes 264, 265, 266, 267. The reliques of it in the godly, with notes of it, 267, 268, 269. The Cure of it, 269, 270, 271, 272.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Unfruitfulne&s;s</HI> an ill &s;ign, 419. How to avoid it, 420.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Ungodline&s;s</HI> what, in all the branches of it, 189, 190, 191, 192, 193, 194, 195, 196, 197, 198, 199, 200, 201. Remedies again&s;t it, 201, 202, 203, 204. A chief thing taken no|tice of in the day of Judgement, 443, 444.</ITEM>
</LIST>
<LIST>
<HEAD>W</HEAD>
<ITEM><HI>VVI&s;dom</HI> of God what it is, 555. Proofs of it, 555, 556, 557. U&s;es of it, 558, 559.</ITEM>
<ITEM>How God is only <HI>Wi&s;e,</HI> 559, 560, 561, 562.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Trea&s;ures of <HI>Wi&s;dom</HI> in Chri&s;t, 562, 563.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Words</HI> brought into judg|ment, 445, 446.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Word of God</HI> like rain, 414, 415. Generals, there &s;hould be applyed, 434, 487.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Wicked men</HI> in all ages are &s;till the &s;ame, 401, 402.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Writing</HI> an help to the Church, 134, 135, 136, 137.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Writings</HI> of others, how they &s;hould be made u&s;e of, 484, 485.</ITEM>
</LIST>
<LIST>
<HEAD>Z</HEAD>
<ITEM><HI>ZEal</HI> for God, quickned by Intere&s;t in God, 220, 221.</ITEM>
</LIST>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="table of biblical references">
<PB REF="298">
<HEAD>The names of &s;uch places of Scrip|ture, as are occa&s;ionally explained and opened in this Treati&s;e.</HEAD>
<P><TABLE>
<HEAD>Gene&s;is.</HEAD>
<ROW>
<CELL>Chap.</CELL>
<CELL>Ver&s;e</CELL>
<CELL>Page</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>4.</CELL>
<CELL>19.</CELL>
<CELL>492</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>32</CELL>
<CELL>25</CELL>
<CELL>507, 508</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>48</CELL>
<CELL>16</CELL>
<CELL>367</CELL>
</ROW>
</TABLE></P>
<P><TABLE>
<HEAD>Exodus.</HEAD>
<ROW>
<CELL>Chap.</CELL>
<CELL>Ver&s;e</CELL>
<CELL>Page</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>15</CELL>
<CELL>11</CELL>
<CELL>36</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>32</CELL>
<CELL>7</CELL>
<CELL>244</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>34</CELL>
<CELL>5, 6</CELL>
<CELL>73</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>&nbsp;</CELL>
<CELL>7</CELL>
<CELL>79, 80</CELL>
</ROW>
</TABLE></P>
<P><TABLE>
<HEAD>Leviticus.</HEAD>
<ROW>
<CELL>Chap.</CELL>
<CELL>Ver&s;e</CELL>
<CELL>Page</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>25</CELL>
<CELL>23</CELL>
<CELL>65</CELL>
</ROW>
</TABLE></P>
<P><TABLE>
<HEAD>Job.</HEAD>
<ROW>
<CELL>Chap.</CELL>
<CELL>Ver&s;e</CELL>
<CELL>Page</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>11</CELL>
<CELL>12</CELL>
<CELL>348</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>31</CELL>
<CELL>34</CELL>
<CELL>193</CELL>
</ROW>
</TABLE></P>
<P><TABLE>
<HEAD>P&s;alms.</HEAD>
<ROW>
<CELL>Chap.</CELL>
<CELL>Ver&s;e</CELL>
<CELL>Page</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>1</CELL>
<CELL>5</CELL>
<CELL>201</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>&nbsp;</CELL>
<CELL>6</CELL>
<CELL>312</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>2</CELL>
<CELL>10, 11</CELL>
<CELL>168</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>27</CELL>
<CELL>8</CELL>
<CELL>19, 20</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>78</CELL>
<CELL>38</CELL>
<CELL>82</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>103</CELL>
<CELL>21</CELL>
<CELL>369</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>119</CELL>
<CELL>57</CELL>
<CELL>25</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>&nbsp;</CELL>
<CELL>75</CELL>
<CELL>485</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>&nbsp;</CELL>
<CELL>93</CELL>
<CELL>22</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>&nbsp;</CELL>
<CELL>176</CELL>
<CELL>60, 61</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>141</CELL>
<CELL>2</CELL>
<CELL>507</CELL>
</ROW>
</TABLE></P>
<P><TABLE>
<HEAD>Proverbs</HEAD>
<ROW>
<CELL>Chap.</CELL>
<CELL>Ver&s;e</CELL>
<CELL>Page</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>1</CELL>
<CELL>25, 26</CELL>
<CELL>13</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>16</CELL>
<CELL>9</CELL>
<CELL>312</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>26</CELL>
<CELL>4, 5</CELL>
<CELL>388, 389</CELL>
</ROW>
</TABLE></P>
<P><PB REF="299">
<TABLE>
<HEAD>Eccle&s;ia&s;t.</HEAD>
<ROW>
<CELL>Chap.</CELL>
<CELL>Ver&s;e</CELL>
<CELL>Page</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>7</CELL>
<CELL>10</CELL>
<CELL>457, 458 459</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>&nbsp;</CELL>
<CELL>16</CELL>
<CELL>120</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>12</CELL>
<CELL>1</CELL>
<CELL>105</CELL>
</ROW>
</TABLE></P>
<P><TABLE>
<HEAD>Canticles.</HEAD>
<ROW>
<CELL>Chap.</CELL>
<CELL>Ver&s;e</CELL>
<CELL>Page</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>5</CELL>
<CELL>6</CELL>
<CELL>21, 22</CELL>
</ROW>
</TABLE></P>
<P><TABLE>
<HEAD>I&s;aiah.</HEAD>
<ROW>
<CELL>Chap.</CELL>
<CELL>Ver&s;e</CELL>
<CELL>Page</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>28</CELL>
<CELL>21</CELL>
<CELL>73</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>45</CELL>
<CELL>22, 23</CELL>
<CELL>225, 309 550, 551</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>53</CELL>
<CELL>11</CELL>
<CELL>109</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>57</CELL>
<CELL>17</CELL>
<CELL>201</CELL>
</ROW>
</TABLE></P>
<P><TABLE>
<HEAD>Jeremiah.</HEAD>
<ROW>
<CELL>Chap.</CELL>
<CELL>Ver&s;e</CELL>
<CELL>Page</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>4</CELL>
<CELL>10</CELL>
<CELL>217</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>23</CELL>
<CELL>33</CELL>
<CELL>446 447</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>31</CELL>
<CELL>9</CELL>
<CELL>23, 24</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>32</CELL>
<CELL>40</CELL>
<CELL>56, 57</CELL>
</ROW>
</TABLE></P>
<P><TABLE>
<HEAD>Ho&s;ea.</HEAD>
<ROW>
<CELL>Chap.</CELL>
<CELL>Ver&s;e</CELL>
<CELL>Page</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>4</CELL>
<CELL>11</CELL>
<CELL>329</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>7</CELL>
<CELL>14</CELL>
<CELL>33</CELL>
</ROW>
</TABLE></P>
<P><TABLE>
<HEAD>Jonah.</HEAD>
<ROW>
<CELL>Chap.</CELL>
<CELL>Ver&s;e</CELL>
<CELL>Page</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>4</CELL>
<CELL>2</CELL>
<CELL>74</CELL>
</ROW>
</TABLE></P>
<P><TABLE>
<HEAD>Zephan.</HEAD>
<ROW>
<CELL>Chap.</CELL>
<CELL>Ver&s;e</CELL>
<CELL>Page</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>1</CELL>
<CELL>11</CELL>
<CELL>370</CELL>
</ROW>
</TABLE></P>
<P><TABLE>
<HEAD>Malachi.</HEAD>
<ROW>
<CELL>Chap.</CELL>
<CELL>Ver&s;e</CELL>
<CELL>Page</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>1</CELL>
<CELL>14</CELL>
<CELL>199</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>2</CELL>
<CELL>15</CELL>
<CELL>213</CELL>
</ROW>
</TABLE></P>
<P><TABLE>
<HEAD>Matthew.</HEAD>
<ROW>
<CELL>Chap.</CELL>
<CELL>Ver&s;e</CELL>
<CELL>Page</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>5</CELL>
<CELL>22</CELL>
<CELL>585, 586, 587</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>6</CELL>
<CELL>2</CELL>
<CELL>33</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>&nbsp;</CELL>
<CELL>33</CELL>
<CELL>68</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>&nbsp;</CELL>
<CELL>46</CELL>
<CELL>131</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>7</CELL>
<CELL>16</CELL>
<CELL>417</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>10</CELL>
<CELL>25</CELL>
<CELL>278</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>&nbsp;</CELL>
<CELL>28</CELL>
<CELL>544</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>16</CELL>
<CELL>18</CELL>
<CELL>426</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>&nbsp;</CELL>
<CELL>22</CELL>
<CELL>109</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>19</CELL>
<CELL>27, 28</CELL>
<CELL>309</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>20</CELL>
<CELL>16</CELL>
<CELL>10</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>23</CELL>
<CELL>36</CELL>
<CELL>98, 99</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>24</CELL>
<CELL>35</CELL>
<CELL>244</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>&nbsp;</CELL>
<CELL>24</CELL>
<CELL>70</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>&nbsp;</CELL>
<CELL>30</CELL>
<CELL>311</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>&nbsp;</CELL>
<CELL>31</CELL>
<CELL>310</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>26</CELL>
<CELL>53</CELL>
<CELL>368</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>9</CELL>
<CELL>44</CELL>
<CELL>331</CELL>
</ROW>
</TABLE></P>
<P><TABLE>
<HEAD>Luke.</HEAD>
<ROW>
<CELL>Chap.</CELL>
<CELL>Ver&s;e</CELL>
<CELL>Page</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>2</CELL>
<CELL>14</CELL>
<CELL>72, 89</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>&nbsp;</CELL>
<CELL>40</CELL>
<CELL>121</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>11</CELL>
<CELL>8</CELL>
<CELL>with 84, 85</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>18</CELL>
<CELL>5</CELL>
<CELL>with 84, 85</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>19</CELL>
<CELL>16</CELL>
<CELL>87</CELL>
</ROW>
</TABLE></P>
<P><PB REF="299">
<TABLE>
<HEAD>John</HEAD>
<ROW>
<CELL>Chap.</CELL>
<CELL>Ver&s;e</CELL>
<CELL>Page</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>6</CELL>
<CELL>39</CELL>
<CELL>59</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>10</CELL>
<CELL>3</CELL>
<CELL>14</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>&nbsp;</CELL>
<CELL>28</CELL>
<CELL>54</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>12</CELL>
<CELL>44</CELL>
<CELL>49</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>13</CELL>
<CELL>10</CELL>
<CELL>29</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>&nbsp;</CELL>
<CELL>34</CELL>
<CELL>131</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>14</CELL>
<CELL>1</CELL>
<CELL>49</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>14</CELL>
<CELL>17</CELL>
<CELL>131</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>16</CELL>
<CELL>8</CELL>
<CELL>20</CELL>
</ROW>
</TABLE></P>
<P><TABLE>
<HEAD>Acts.</HEAD>
<ROW>
<CELL>Chap.</CELL>
<CELL>Ver&s;e</CELL>
<CELL>Page</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>12</CELL>
<CELL>15</CELL>
<CELL>67</CELL>
</ROW>
</TABLE></P>
<P><TABLE>
<HEAD>Romans.</HEAD>
<ROW>
<CELL>Chap.</CELL>
<CELL>Ver&s;e</CELL>
<CELL>Page</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>2</CELL>
<CELL>14</CELL>
<CELL>34</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>5</CELL>
<CELL>9</CELL>
<CELL>189, 190</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>8</CELL>
<CELL>16</CELL>
<CELL>84</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>&nbsp;</CELL>
<CELL>26</CELL>
<CELL>504, 511, 513</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>10</CELL>
<CELL>3</CELL>
<CELL>14</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>11</CELL>
<CELL>29</CELL>
<CELL>57</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>&nbsp;</CELL>
<CELL>35</CELL>
<CELL>83</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>18</CELL>
<CELL>19</CELL>
<CELL>313</CELL>
</ROW>
</TABLE></P>
<P><TABLE>
<HEAD>1 Corinthians.</HEAD>
<ROW>
<CELL>Chap.</CELL>
<CELL>Ver&s;e</CELL>
<CELL>Page</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>3</CELL>
<CELL>3</CELL>
<CELL>26</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>&nbsp;</CELL>
<CELL>13</CELL>
<CELL>426</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>6</CELL>
<CELL>18</CELL>
<CELL>328, 345</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>11</CELL>
<CELL>12</CELL>
<CELL>55</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>12</CELL>
<CELL>31</CELL>
<CELL>63</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>13</CELL>
<CELL>1</CELL>
<CELL>275</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>15</CELL>
<CELL><HI>from 24 to</HI> 28</CELL>
<CELL>316</CELL>
</ROW>
</TABLE></P>
<P><TABLE>
<HEAD>2 Corinthians.</HEAD>
<ROW>
<CELL>Chap.</CELL>
<CELL>Ver&s;e</CELL>
<CELL>Page</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>1</CELL>
<CELL>3</CELL>
<CELL>72</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>1</CELL>
<CELL>3</CELL>
<CELL>73</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>&nbsp;</CELL>
<CELL>22</CELL>
<CELL>59</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>5</CELL>
<CELL>19</CELL>
<CELL>90, 91</CELL>
</ROW>
</TABLE></P>
<P><TABLE>
<HEAD>Galatheans.</HEAD>
<ROW>
<CELL>Chap.</CELL>
<CELL>Ver&s;e</CELL>
<CELL>Page</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>3</CELL>
<CELL>4</CELL>
<CELL>516</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>5</CELL>
<CELL>17</CELL>
<CELL>445</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>&nbsp;</CELL>
<CELL>24</CELL>
<CELL>471</CELL>
</ROW>
</TABLE></P>
<P><TABLE>
<HEAD>Ephe&s;ians.</HEAD>
<ROW>
<CELL>Chap.</CELL>
<CELL>Ver&s;e</CELL>
<CELL>Page</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>4</CELL>
<CELL>1</CELL>
<CELL>25, 26</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>&nbsp;</CELL>
<CELL>4, 5, 6</CELL>
<CELL>129, 130</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>5</CELL>
<CELL>3</CELL>
<CELL>19<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"></CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>&nbsp;</CELL>
<CELL>16</CELL>
<CELL>458</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>&nbsp;</CELL>
<CELL>18</CELL>
<CELL>502</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>&nbsp;</CELL>
<CELL>26</CELL>
<CELL>29, 36</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>&nbsp;</CELL>
<CELL>27</CELL>
<CELL>36</CELL>
</ROW>
</TABLE></P>
<P><TABLE>
<HEAD>Philippians.</HEAD>
<ROW>
<CELL>Chap.</CELL>
<CELL>Ver&s;e</CELL>
<CELL>Page</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>3</CELL>
<CELL>7</CELL>
<CELL>41</CELL>
</ROW>
</TABLE></P>
<P><TABLE>
<HEAD>1 The&s;&s;alonians.</HEAD>
<ROW>
<CELL>Chap.</CELL>
<CELL>Ver&s;e</CELL>
<CELL>Page</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>4</CELL>
<CELL>7</CELL>
<CELL>12</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>&nbsp;</CELL>
<CELL>16</CELL>
<CELL>310</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>5</CELL>
<CELL>23</CELL>
<CELL>30, 491</CELL>
</ROW>
</TABLE></P>
<P><TABLE>
<HEAD>2 The&s;&s;alonians.</HEAD>
<ROW>
<CELL>Chap.</CELL>
<CELL>Ver&s;e</CELL>
<CELL>Page</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>2</CELL>
<CELL>2</CELL>
<CELL>163, 437</CELL>
</ROW>
</TABLE></P>
<P><PB REF="300">
<TABLE>
<HEAD>1 Timothy.</HEAD>
<ROW>
<CELL>Chap.</CELL>
<CELL>Ver&s;e</CELL>
<CELL>Page</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>3</CELL>
<CELL>6</CELL>
<CELL>277</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>6</CELL>
<CELL>18</CELL>
<CELL>63</CELL>
</ROW>
</TABLE></P>
<P><TABLE>
<HEAD>2 Timothy.</HEAD>
<ROW>
<CELL>Chap.</CELL>
<CELL>Ver&s;e</CELL>
<CELL>Page</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>2</CELL>
<CELL>16</CELL>
<CELL>541</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>3</CELL>
<CELL><HI>from 1 to</HI> 5</CELL>
<CELL>403</CELL>
</ROW>
</TABLE></P>
<P><TABLE>
<HEAD>Titus.</HEAD>
<ROW>
<CELL>Chap.</CELL>
<CELL>Ver&s;e</CELL>
<CELL>Page</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>2</CELL>
<CELL>11, 12,</CELL>
<CELL>469, 470 471, 472</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>3</CELL>
<CELL>5</CELL>
<CELL>535</CELL>
</ROW>
</TABLE></P>
<P><TABLE>
<HEAD>Hebrews.</HEAD>
<ROW>
<CELL>Chap.</CELL>
<CELL>Ver&s;e</CELL>
<CELL>Page</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>1</CELL>
<CELL>14</CELL>
<CELL>91</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>6</CELL>
<CELL>4, 5</CELL>
<CELL>45, 46</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>&nbsp;</CELL>
<CELL>19</CELL>
<CELL>530</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>7</CELL>
<CELL>25</CELL>
<CELL>58</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>9</CELL>
<CELL>12</CELL>
<CELL>ibid.</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>10</CELL>
<CELL>14</CELL>
<CELL>ibid.</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>12</CELL>
<CELL>14</CELL>
<CELL>38</CELL>
</ROW>
</TABLE></P>
<P><TABLE>
<HEAD>1 Peter.</HEAD>
<ROW>
<CELL>Chap.</CELL>
<CELL>Ver&s;e</CELL>
<CELL>Page</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>2</CELL>
<CELL>9</CELL>
<CELL>44</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>3</CELL>
<CELL>21</CELL>
<CELL>470</CELL>
</ROW>
</TABLE></P>
<P><TABLE>
<HEAD>2 Peter.</HEAD>
<ROW>
<CELL>Chap.</CELL>
<CELL>Ver&s;e</CELL>
<CELL>Page</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>1</CELL>
<CELL>3</CELL>
<CELL>103</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>&nbsp;</CELL>
<CELL>11</CELL>
<CELL>119</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>3</CELL>
<CELL>11</CELL>
<CELL>444</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>3</CELL>
<CELL>Chap. <HI>tot.</HI></CELL>
<CELL>316, 317</CELL>
</ROW>
</TABLE></P>
<P><TABLE>
<HEAD>1 Iohn.</HEAD>
<ROW>
<CELL>Chap.</CELL>
<CELL>Ver&s;e</CELL>
<CELL>Page</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>3</CELL>
<CELL>3</CELL>
<CELL>38</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>&nbsp;</CELL>
<CELL>8</CELL>
<CELL>39, 469</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>&nbsp;</CELL>
<CELL>9</CELL>
<CELL>62</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>&nbsp;</CELL>
<CELL>23</CELL>
<CELL>131</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>4.</CELL>
<CELL>10</CELL>
<CELL>108</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>5</CELL>
<CELL>10</CELL>
<CELL>253</CELL>
</ROW>
</TABLE></P>
<P><TABLE>
<HEAD>Revelations.</HEAD>
<ROW>
<CELL>Chap.</CELL>
<CELL>Ver&s;e</CELL>
<CELL>Page</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>2</CELL>
<CELL>5</CELL>
<CELL>522</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>20</CELL>
<CELL>12</CELL>
<CELL>271, 441</CELL>
</ROW>
</TABLE></P>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="errata">
<PB REF="300">
<HEAD>ERRATA.</HEAD>
<P>PAge 31. line 33. <HI>for halting</HI> read Ha&s;tning. p. 6<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">. l. 32. <HI>for &s;urrecti|on</HI> r. &s;urreption. p. 84 l. 2. <HI>for <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">hy</HI> r. thy <HI>for and al&s;o</HI> r. and &s;o. p. 92. l. 4. <HI>add</HI> may be. p. 95. l. 16. <HI>for &s;uiteth not</HI> r. &s;miteth not and &s;. 23. <HI>for up</HI> r. upon p. 104. l. 33. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> <HI>for benefit</HI> r. bonefire p. 105 l. 36. <HI>for awe</HI> r. aca p. 115. l. 21. <HI>for Hulking</HI> r. hucking p. 126. l. 4. <HI>far la&s;t of all</HI> r. lu&s;t of all p. 128. l. 26. r. one with us in Chri&s;t p. 133. l. 2. <HI>for wards</HI> r. cords p. 134. l. la&s;t. <HI>before helps</HI> add mu&s;t u&s;e p. 135. l. 11. <HI>for uniting</HI> r. writing p. 136. l. 17. <HI>for care</HI> r. calling ibid. <HI>for Jeremy</HI> r. Jerom p. 138. l. 19. <HI>for righteous</HI> r. righteou&s;ne&s;s p. 140. l. 25. <HI>for Mollifica,</HI> r. Millificas p. 143. l. 4. <HI>for not</HI> r. but p. 141. l. 25. <HI>for Gon<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"></HI> r. Love p. 148. l. 37. <HI>for ancient</HI> r. eminent p. 158. l. 25. <HI>add</HI> have p. 169. l. 3. <HI>for the help</HI> r. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">n help p. 178. l. 22. <HI>for men foolli&s;h</HI> r. men fool it p. 28<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">. l. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">7. <HI>for &s;ecurity</HI> r. &s;everity p. 189. l. 28. <HI>for his</HI> r. this p. 198. l. 30. r. not accept of it p. 199. l. 36. <HI>for though to</HI> r. thought that p. 200. l. 9. <HI>for righteous to the la&s;t</HI> r. righteous from the Ea&s;t <HI>for &s;tore</HI> r. &s;tone p. 204. l. 27. <HI>for when he</HI> r. which is l. 22. <HI>for commit.</HI> r. compri&s;e p. 208. l. 35. <HI>for world</HI> r. word p. 218. l. 13. <HI>blot out</HI> &s;hees p. 221. l. 2. <HI>for meet</HI> r. neer l. 7. <HI>for heart</HI> r. harth p. 222. l. 17. <HI>for &s;ex</HI> r. &s;ects p. 224. l 20. <HI>for wave</HI> r. roar p. 231. l. 11. <HI>for mothers right</HI> r. anothers right p. 239. l. 33. <HI>for will</HI> r. &s;will p. 239. l. 37. <HI>for tho&s;e</HI> r. cho&s;e p. 278. l. 2. <HI>for a&s;&s;ected</HI> r. a&s;&s;erted p. 281. l. 36. <HI>for approbation</HI> r. rep obation p. 283. l. 33. <HI>for an image</HI> r. his image read <HI>O preclorum illium diem, cum ad illum animarum concilium, caetumque profici&s;car!</HI> p. 199, <GAP DESC="foreign"> p. 324. l. 11. <HI>for all</HI> r. aim p. 324. l. 11. <HI>for Apo&s;tles</HI> r. Apo&s;tates p. 326. <HI>for dele|cit</HI> r. delexit p. 331. <HI>for prae&s;tutiun</HI> r. prae&s;entium p. 331. l. la&s;t <HI>for be|ing</HI> r. bearing p. 332. <HI>l. 3. for witholdeth</HI> r. upholdeth <HI>and</HI> l. 14. <HI>for u&s;ed</HI> r. and p. 334. l. 22. <HI>for times</HI> r. &s;ins p. 337. l. 30. <HI>before otherwi&s;e</HI> add &s;aith p. 339. l. 8. <HI>for cau&s;e</HI> r. clau&s;e p. 343. 1. <HI>for immoderating</HI> r. immoderati|ons p. 346. <HI>for vinim</HI> r. vinum p. 347. l 30. <HI>for loo&s;eth</HI> r. to &s;ee the p. 351. 2<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">|<HI>for propo&s;e</HI> r. proper p. 355. l. 18. <HI>for may</HI> r. many p. 358. l. 12. <HI>for altera|tion</HI> r. altercation p. 359. l. 18. <HI>for try</HI> r. urge p. 362. l. 19. <HI>for your come+ly plain</HI> r. their comely plainne&s;s p. 366. l. 35. <HI>for &s;ad</HI> r. Lad p. 396. l. 35 <HI>for ways</HI> r. words p. 391. l. la&s;t <HI>for purity</HI> r. party p 355. l. 11. <HI>for drive</HI> r. draw <HI>and</HI> l. 14. <HI>oppo&s;ite</HI> r. appetite p, 400. l. 26. <HI>for the providence of Gods la&s;t judgment</HI> r. the providence of God and the la&s;t judgment p. 409. l. 1. read, <HI>therefore when &s;uch are di&s;covered they are to be ca&s;t out. and</HI> l. 28. <HI>for hos.</HI> r. nos p. 418. l. 31. <HI>for pure</HI> r. &s;ure p. 419. l. 7. <HI>for wrackne&s;s</HI> r. loo&s;ene&s;s p. 423. l. 22. <HI>for edification</HI> r. deification p. 444. l. 3. <HI>for com|mand</HI> r. order <HI>and</HI> l. 9. <HI>for pecul<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">tive and pra&s;tical</HI> r. Athei&s;ts &s;peculative and practical <HI>and</HI> l. 34. <HI>for enlivened</HI> r. unfeigned p. 448. l. 33. <HI>for take</HI> r. rake p 499. l. 30. r. <HI>will not</HI> p. 450. l. 25. r. <HI>David though a&s;terwards</HI> p. 452. l. 26. <HI>for &s;aid</HI> r. fair p. 453. l. 2. <HI>for goeth</HI> r. giveth p. 459. l. 19. <HI>before Roman Empire</HI> add the Pagans &s;aid that the &amp;c. p. 464. l. 4. <HI>for derive</HI> r. deride p. 469. l. 16. <HI>for lyes</HI> r. lu&s;ts p. 475. l. 32. <HI>for lu&s;t</HI> r. la&s;t p. 480. l. 9. r. <HI>clancular</HI> p. 482. l. 9. r. <HI>conte&s;ts</HI> p. 483. l. 26. r. <HI>remote</HI> p. 484. l. 20. r. <HI>quo ad hoc</HI> p. 491. l. 29. <HI>before partly</HI> r. But p. 493. l. 33 <HI>for &s;tars</HI> r. &s;traws p. 496. l. 19. r. <HI>&s;eparation</HI> p. 509. l. 13. <HI>for &s;trange</HI> r. pray|ing p. 529. l. 35. <HI>for deadly</HI> r. worldly p. 530. l. 33. <HI>for enlivened</HI> r. enti|&s;ed 539. l. 16. <HI>dele</HI> two p. 540. l. 6. r. <HI>in time</HI> p. 549. l. 4. r. <HI>pre&s;entation</HI> p. 550. l. 14. r. to doubt.</P>
</DIV1>
</BACK>
</TEXT>
</EEBO>
</ETS>
