The Worlds Resurrection, Section 36 – Section 37
Verse 16.If the first fruites be holy so is the whole lumpe, &c.
Obs. Heere is commended the goodnesse of GOD and the truth of his couenant of grace, that doth redound and extend it selfe to posteritie and succeeding generations, euen from generation to generation Exod 20. Psal. 3. Ver. 9. Psal. 89. Ver. 33.34. Psal. 103 Ver. 17.
The reason hereof is, his truth and couenant doth not depend vppon any creature or thing, without himselfe, but onelyonly vppon him-selfe and therefore can by no outward meanes be nullified or made frustrate.
Vse. Seeing that GOD is vnchangeable, true, and cannot deceiue in word or deede;Heb. 13. Ver. 5.6. we are put in minde of our duty, namely to trust in GOD who neuer faileth nor forsaketh them that relye vppon him; and not in men who are lyars, hollow hearted and lighter then vanitie it selfe, Psalme. 62▪ 9. Psalme 146.3.4.5.
Vse. 2 Lette vsus then by our pietie, godlynesse and goodnesse, labour to bring a blessing vppon our posteritie: For the children and posteritie many times fare the better and are respected for their beleeuing and holy fathers sake: woe then to ignorant, Popish, Atheisticall, lewd, licentious, blaspheming and filthy minded and liuing parents, who by their ill example not onelyonly peruert and poyson their children, but also bring vppon and deriue the cursse of GOD vntounto them who doth visit the iniquitie of the Fathers vponupon the Children vntounto the third and fourth generation of them that hate him.Exod. 20. v. 5
Vse. 3. Wee must bee admonished and aduised hereby, that wee doe not from mens vnworthynesse and present condition take occasion rashly to condemne them, and imperiously to insult ouer them. But rather ascend higher, and consider the roote and foundation of the couenant, and proceed to their holy Ancestors, that wee may know that the blessing of the couenant remaineth in them:Rom 3. V. 3. For no mens sinnes and vnworthynesse can make GODS faith and couenant frustrate▪ yea many times where sinne abounded, grace (by GODS mercifull disposition) abounded much more, not to incourage any man in sinne, but that it might appeare that in the matter of iustification and saluation, Gods mercy is all in all.
Vers. 17. And though some of the branches bee broken of and thou being a wilde Oliue tree, was graft into [or for] them, and made partaker of the roote and fatnesse of the Oliue tree.
Vers. 18. Boast not thy selfe against the branches, and if thou boast thy selfe, thou bearest not the roote, but the roote thee.
Paraph.Though some of the branches, that are hypocrites and voyde of good workes bee broken of, id est. reiected and cease to bee a Church by reason of their vnbeliefe, and thou being a wilde Oliue. i. a branche and bough of it, and therefore naturally barren, vnfruitfull, and bearing nothing but bitter leaues, was graft in for them, and partaker of the roote i. of the iuice that commeth from the roote Abraham, and floweth vntounto all the branches, and of the fatnesse, i. of the graces, promises, and all the benefits, and good things spirituall and outward made vntounto vsus in Abraham, of the Oliue tree, the Church of the Israelites which sprang from him.
Ver. 19.Boast not thy selfe against the branches, i. (according to the meaning of the Greeke word foreign) do not shake thy necke against them by insulting, triumphing, and crowing ouer them, for if thou boastest thy selfe, thou bearest not the roote. i. if you proudly glory and vaunt that some branches being broken of, thou art ingrafted into the tree of the Church, know thou that the Church of the Iewes receiueth nothing from thee, but the roote thee, i. thou hast thy foundation and sustentation, and whatsoeuer thou hast from this, that thou without any merite of thine art ingrafted into the Church of God: neither doth the Church need thee, but thou needest the Church, that thou maiest be a member of it, therfore thou must not for the vnbeliefe of some Iewes scornefully and proudly contemne and rage against the whole body of the people.
Q. Some of the branches bee broken off. Can the true members of the Church become Infidels, and so bee broken off from the fellowship of the Church?
Ans. No, if they be liuing members, and be truely by faith ingrasted into Christ; for Christ will loose none of those that the Father hath giuen him to bee saued, Iohn. 17. but these that fall away and are broken off, are onelyonly branches and members in regarde of the couenant, and in their owne conceit, and the charitable opinion of the Church, but not truely and really, and before God, seeing they are none of Gods elect, and are destitute of faith, and the spirit of Christ.
Quest, Who▪ and how many sortes of people are or may bee cut off and fall away from the Church?
Ans. Two sorts. First, those that be ingrafted into the Church by the tenor and authoritie of the Generall couenant onelyonly, whereby God promiseth that hee will be their God, and the God of their seede,Gal. 4.28. & 29. but yet are not elected, for eueryevery one that is Abrahams sonne according to the flesh, is not a sonne of promise.
Secondly, they that indeed receiue the seede of the word [as many reprobates doe] but they mixe it not with faith, and it hath no roote in them, neither are they renued and inwardly changed by it. The word in these may be, and soone is either vtterly lost, or else choaked and peruerted, and so they may be cut off, and fall away finally and wholy.
And (to conclude all in a word,) they are only & alone cut and broken off, that are Abrahams sonnes according to the flesh onelyonly [as the body of the Iewes generally were in Saint Pauls time, and sithence] but the sonnes of promise, or Abrahams sonnes by faith neuer are, nor euer can bee broken off, bee their number neuer so small, nor their temptations neuer so great and permanent.
3. Quest. How are men ingrafted into the Church?
Ans. First, by an outward calling, and by an outward profession and approbation of the word and sacraments. Secondly by Baptisme, as a seale of our adoption and entrance or matriculation into the Church. Thirdly, by the testimony and in the opinion of the Church, and so may a reprobate or hypocrite be ingrafted. Fourthly, in Gods secret counsell and by the spirrit of faith and seale of Gods holy and spirit. hereby men with a prepared and sanctified hart receiue Gods word and keepe it, these alone Christ draweth vntounto him and inwardly changeth and transnatureth them vntill hee perfect them and bring them to the end of their hope, that is, the saluation of their soules. and thus are the Elect onelyonly ingrafted and therefore can neuer perish.
Doct.Some branches are broken of.
Seeing that Christ cannot abide barren and fruitlesse vines,Iohn 15.2. that are deuoid of faith and repentance, and hath by reason hereof cut off and reiected not onelyonly the nation of the Iewes generally (for the time) but also many countries and kingdomes amongst vsus Gentiles,Luke 3. Ver. 7.9. wee must make vse hereof and learne hereby both to abound and increase in faith and good workes. Iohn 15.2.
The reason hereof is, for that the anger and indignation of God goeth with it, and temporall plagues and punishments (which are but forerunners of euerlasting iudgement otherwise) surprize and ceaze vppon vsus.Math. 23.23. Math. 3. V. 8. Math. 7.21. Math. 21 41.43.
Secondly all our faith and profession without works and fruites is not sincere and sound before God, but copper and counterfeyt. For true faith and regeneration can no more in their proper time & opportunity be without fruite and obedience, then the sun without light, the fire without heat & the springing fountaine without water.
Vse. 1. Wherefore let vsus to our outward profession of the Gospell adde and associate the continuall traine and attendant of good workes of pietie & deuotion towards God, and of louelove and iustice towards men.
Thus God hath commanded, our faith requireth (for the testimony and cherishing of it) our neighbours need it, and God both regardeth and (in fauor) rewardeth it: otherwise, if we bring forth no fruit of godlinesse & goodnesse, it followeth that we neuer had true communion with Christ, and therefore in time we shall bee disclosed and discouered to hauehave beene but meere hypocrites, and it shall be notified to our selues and to others, that wee neuer did appertaine vntounto him, and therefore we shal neuer bee admitted into the Court and Pallace of heauen, but, as vnprofitable seruants, cast into h…ll fire.