Last week, sermon given by William Gouge to the Honorable House of Peers, September 1645, and the text is Ecclesiastes 7, verse 8. Hitherto the doctrinal part of my text, it is time to come to the application thereof, the uses of God's providence in reserving better things to the later times are of manifold and singular use. For first, it affords a demonstration of the detestableness of the Romish religion, which hath directly perverted the aforementioned course of God's providence to his church. For where God provides better for the later times, they make these later times to be far the worse. As they handle the matter, their church under the gospel is many ways in a worse case. than the state of the church was under the law. Among many other instances, I will note only four. First, their public reading of God's word, administering the sacraments, praying and performing other divine services in an unknown tongue, make the mysteries of the gospel less intelligible, more obscure and in every way less edifying than all the rites, types and shadows under the law did. Except ye utter by the tongue words easy to be understood, how shall it be known what is spoken? where ye shall speak into the air, saith the apostle. And again, if I know not the meaning of the voice, I shall be unto him that speaketh a barbarian, and he that speaketh shall be a barbarian unto me. Second, their unbloody sacrifice, as they style it, of a fainted transubstantiated body is far worse than if they had such sacrifices of beasts and fowls as were under the law. Those sacrifices at that time It set out the virtue of Christ's death and nourished their faith and hope and the benefits thereof. But the foresaid popish sacrifice would take away the virtue and efficacy of Christ's sacrifice if it could be taken away. For I demand whether the sacrifice that they pretend to offer be the very same that Christ himself offered upon the cross. If they say the same, what need is there that it should be offered up again? Was not Christ's once offering up of it sufficient? The Apostle doth assuredly intend as much by his frequent mention of this word once which is exclusively to be taken for once for all and not to be reiterated. If it be another sacrifice then the sacrifice of Christ was not perfect for hereby the Apostle proveth the priesthood of the law to be unperfect because another was to succeed in the room of it. Whereas some say that their offering up of the body of Christ is but by way of application. That seems to contradict their own position, for they teach that the aforementioned transubstantiated body offered up by a priest is a true, real, perpetuary sacrifice for the quick and the dead. Besides, the end of Christ's intercession and the virtue thereof is made void. by that which is avouched of the applicatory virtue of their sacrifice. For the continual application of Christ's own sacrifice is the end of Christ's intercession. They think to evade all these absurdities by a distinction betwixt a bloody and unbloody sacrifice, saying that the sacrifice which Christ himself offered up was a bloody sacrifice, but that which they offer up unbloody. To this distinction, I answer, first, it's without any warrant or ground from scripture, and second, it's being applied according to their position to one and the same thing, for they say that the body of Christ, which their priest offereth up, is the very same that Christ offered up on the cross. It implieth contradictory terms, namely, that the same thing should be bloody and unbloody. And third, according to their own position, their sacrifice cannot be unbloody, for they hold that the wine is transubstantiated into blood, as well as the bread into a body, and both make one sacrifice. How can that be unbloody, which consists of blood? Yea, of blood poured out, as their wine is, into the chalice, and out of the chalice into the priest's mouth. Fourth, if it be unbloody, It has no virtue for the taking away of sin, for without shedding of blood is no remission. The third instance of their making the state of the Christian Church worse than that of the Jewish is their unwarrantable and inhumane penance, which oft they enjoin to their penitents for satisfaction. And other barbarous courses whereunto they persuade men upon pretense of merit and perfection They have in these cases some whom they style Aramites who live in remote places from all society and feed upon such fruit, roots and other things that the earth bringeth forth, lodging in caves, dens or cellars, digged out of the ground. Others they call Anchorites who live enclosed betwixt walls and on the Sabbath receive their sustenance for the whole week. Others they either enjoin or persuade to whip their naked backs with scourges of cords, wires, and sharp rundles till the blood run down and skin and flesh be torn from their backs. Others must lie in shirts of hair cloth. Others go barefoot and bare-legged to such and such shrines. Others undertake long pilgrimages to remote lands. Nay, they stick not to send a queen. to Tyburn upon Penance. Did the law ever impose such hard tasks upon any that were under the pedagogy thereof? The last instance that I will give of putting a heavier yoke upon the necks of Christians than the law did upon the Jews shall be the innumerable, unwarrantable and intolerable rites which upon mere human inventions are obtruded upon their people. These must need to be heavier burdens than the rights of the law, in three respects especially. First, in that they lie as dead things upon men's shoulders, which make them heavier. The life of rights in God's service consisteth in divine institution and warrantable signification. But popish rights are neither instituted of God, nor have any warrantable signification, whereupon he that useth them may rest. The rights of the law had both their institution and signification from God. Second, there is no set stint of them, for man's inventions are endless. They have no set and certain rule to be ordered and moderated by. But God set down a distinct number of rights to the Jews, whereunto there was no need to add any other. Third, when all is done that can be done about the foresaid Popish rights, They can give no sound satisfaction to the conscience. If the doers thereof should plead them before God, what other answer could they receive but this? Who hath required this at your hand? Or thus, in vain, they worship me, etc. Much more might be said in manifesting the wrong which in this kind our adversaries do to the Christian Church. and in manifesting the blindness of those that suffer themselves to be led with such blind guides, blessed be God that hath delivered us out of that worse than Egyptian darkness. Progress of God's providence unto the better gives us information in their folly, who on too great admiration of those external glorious types which were under the law, do with the continuance of them still, as such a temple as Solomon built, such cherubims, such altars, such tables, such candlesticks, such labors, such priestly vestments, and other such vessels and instruments as were precious in their matter, being of pure and fine brass, silver, gold, fine linen, silk, scarlet, pearls, precious stones, and very curious in their workmanship, and glorious to the sight. Herein they manifest their folly in that they do not understand nor discern the excellency of those spiritual and celestial things which God hath now provided for his church, whereof those external and earthly, though seemingly glorious types, were but shadows and figures. Herein they show themselves like to our first parents, who were deceived with the fair show and pleasant taste of the forbidden fruit. Some, whom we may well style Jewish Christians, so far manifest their folly in this kind, as they do not only wish those former times, but also actually conform themselves to that servile pedagogy. For what fish, fowl and beast were then forbidden, they still hold unlawful to be eaten, though God hath forbidden us to call that unclean which he hath cleansed. and reckons abstaining from meats which God hath created to be received among doctrines of devils. The last day also of the week they still keep for their Sabbath, though the first day of the week in memorial of Christ's resurrection be expressly set down in the New Testament for Christians wholly assembling together. Too near to these do they come, who though they do not tie themselves to the very same rites and ordinances where to the Jews were bound, yet tread too near upon their heels, and too apishly imitate them, and that in matters about divine service, as in fair embroidered copes and other ministers' vestments, in high standing altars, in low cringings and bowings, in turning to the east as they to the temple when they pray, in variety of musical instruments, in artificial anthems, in multitude of holy days, with the like, whereof even this church stood formerly too guilty. These Jewish Christians do both justify the poor blind Jews who yet retain as many of the mosaical ceremonies as they can, in that Christians have a greater light, the light of the gospel, to discover unto them the abrogation of that law, together with the reason thereof, and also do harden their hearts and make them bold in cleaving to their law when they see such as profess themselves Christians come so near thereunto. God's increasing goodness may give some satisfaction to such as make question of church governors proper and peculiar to the church. This is the third point. Of such I demand whether it be good, useful, and needful thing for the church to have governors of its own. And secondly, whether the church of the Jews had such governors or no. Surely, methinks, neither of these should be denied. Have not families, schools of learning, colleges, universities, cities, towns, all manner of corporations, companies, and societies, governors, proper and peculiar to themselves, besides the public magistrates who are also over them, is it not by experience found that such proper and peculiar governors are needful and useful and so good in their several spheres? And shall the best society on earth, the militant church, be without ecclesiastical governors proper and peculiar to it? I suppose none will deny but that the Church of Israel had such governors, instance their priests and Levites, In Jehoshaphat's time, there is an express distinction made between ecclesiastical and civil governors under these two phrases, matters of the Lord and matters of the King. If church governors were an evidence of God's good providence under the law, surely his providence in this kind would not be more scanty to the church under the gospel. For he hath promised to do better than at her beginnings. A change of governors there may be, and that for the better. But another abolishing of all governors, proper and peculiar to the Church, cannot be to the better. We expressly read that God hath set in His Church, among other good functions, governments. If it be said that under that word governments civil magistrates are understood, I answer that first this phrase, God hath set in the Church, and then the other particulars among which governments are reckoned, being all proper and peculiar to the Church, admit not such an interpretation thereof. To them which ask where any mention is made of a ruling elder, I allege these words of an apostle in 1 Timothy 5.17, the elders that rule well, etc. Apply them as you please to ministers or others. There are ruling elders. The word twice used by an apostle in Hebrews 13, 7 and 17, and translated by our last and best translators of the Bible, them that have rule, showeth that ministers of the gospel are church governors, for Christians are required to obey them, and that ministers are there meant as evident by these phrases, they have spoken unto you the word of God, and they watch for your souls. To show that this kind of government does not entrench upon the authority of the civil magistrate, let the difference betwixt them be well observed, and that in these three particulars. Civil magistrates command in their own name, or in the name of a superior civil magistrate, thus I charge you in the name of the King, but church governors in the name of Christ. Second, civil magistrates require obedience to themselves, church governors to Christ, Third, civil magistrates press on their subjects their own laws as statutes and ordinances made by themselves, church governors, the ordinances of Christ. Fourth, the progress of God's providence to the better is a great aggravation of the ungracious and ungrateful disposition of many people, if not of most, whom God hath reserved to these later times. God hath graciously done better for them, and they deal worse with God. Such are first they who remain blind and ignorant under the clear light of the gospel. A wonder it is that there should be so little knowledge where there is so plentiful means of knowledge. Note an apostle's doom of such. If our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost. whose eyes the God of this world hath blinded. Second, they who are unstable and carried about with every wind of doctrine, notwithstanding the evident demonstration of the truth now made known unto us. The apostle resembles them to children, whereas for the time we ought to be as grown strong men. And third, such as are ever weak, in the faith, full of doubts and fears. Oft doth Christ check his disciples for this. Such come far short in strength of faith of those who lived before these better times. Witness that catalogue of believers which the Apostle maketh in Hebrews 11. For such as take advantage from the abundance of God's mercy to exceed in sin. In the Apostle's time upon This gracious extent of grace to great sinners, where sin abounded, grace did much more abound. Some made this impious and unjust inference, let us continue in sin and grace may abound. These make sin the proper procuring cause of God's grace, which is every way free. Only God takes occasion from the misery wherein to sin implungeth man to extend mercy unto him. And that abundance of sin may not hinder the current of his grace, he causeth it to abound. Besides, they who infer the foresaid unjust consequence apply that to sin's future, which is spoken of sin's past, and extend that to obstinate and impenitent sinners, which is intended to such as groan under the burden of their sins. Five. such as from the comfortable doctrine of election to life, infer that they shall assuredly be saved, though they live never so lewdly, not considering that they who are ordained to the end are ordained to the means that bring to that end. Sixth, such as from God's wisdom in bringing good out of evil, take occasion to do evil upon this pretense that good may come. The apostle most justly makes this inference upon theirs whose damnation is just, implying thereby that damnation is their due, and that most justly. Seven, such as upon God's pardoning a sinner, whensoever he repents, put off the repentance, not considering that men have not power to repent when they will. So as such may never repent, and never be pardoned. Eight, such as from that liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free. Imagine that they are freed from all obedience to the moral law. Whereas that liberty is only from the rigor of the law, which binds to a perfect fulfilling thereof in every part, point and degree of it, and from the curse thereof. Nine, such as deny the morality of the Christian Sabbath, and profane it with all manner of sports, because the ancient day is changed by virtue of Christ's resurrection. All these and other like them turn the grace of God into lasciviousness, that is, into all kind of licentious living. An apostle gives his verdict of them, they were of old ordained to condemnation. And ten, all that having escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, are again entangled therein and overcome and willfully sin after they have received the knowledge of the truth. In a word, all apostates from the true faith deal most ungraciously and ungratefully with God. I may well use Moses' expropriation against them. Do ye thus requite the Lord, O foolish people and unwise? The forementioned gospel sins and others like unto them do much grieve the good Spirit of God. They that commit them go far in treading underfoot the Son of God and counting the blood of the covenant wherewith they were sanctified, an unholy thing. By the means of grace they are exalted into heaven, but by their abuse thereof they are brought down to hell. So as the woe denounced against those among whom the Christ much conversed may be applied to these. The inference which the apostle maketh upon gospel sinners cannot but terrify such as he did. It is this, he that despised Moses' law died without mercy. Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy who hath trodden underfoot the Son of God? From these uses of error and terror I proceed to uses of another kind. much consolation may be gathered by faithful ones from the continual increase of God's providence. In such sad, doubtful, dangerous days as our days are, for we may with confidence expect better things. The days wherein the Prophet first uttered this prophecy were worse days than ours. And to comfort the faithful that then lived and such others as should from age to age live after them, he revealed this promise. There are more particular promises concerning a future glory of the Christian Church set down by the prophets in the Old Testament and by Christ and his apostles in the New, especially in the book of Revelation when we have either heard of or seen in our days to be accomplished. The glorious city described in Revelation 21.10 is by many judicious divines taken for a type of a spiritual glorious estate of the Church of Christ under the gospel yet to come, and that before his last coming to judgment. I pass by all conceits of our later Chileists, or millenaries, whom in English we may call thousandaries, who imagine that Christ shall personally come down from heaven in that nature, in which after his resurrection he ascended into heaven, and reign here a thousand years with his saints. The certainty of this I leave to be proved by them who are the broachers thereof. But this is most certain that there are yet better things to come than have been since the first calling of the Gentiles. Among other better things to come, the recalling of the Jews is most clearly and plentifully foretold by the prophets. Many apply sundry prophecies that tend that way to the delivery of the Jews from the Babylonian captivity, and others to the spiritual Israel consisting of Gentiles. But assuredly, such prophecies as foretell the reuniting of Judah and Ephraim together, have a special reference to the foresaid recalling of the Jews, as that parable whereof this our prophet maketh mention about joining two sticks on the one whereof it was written for Judah and for the children of Israel, his companions, and on the other for Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel, his companions. That parable, the prophet thus applyeth, I will make them one nation and one king shall be king to them all. But if any shall question this and other prophecies of the ancient prophets, The Apostle Paul hath so expressly foretold a recalling of the Jews, and thereupon a bringing in a fullness of the Gentiles, as no question can be made thereof. And he doth after such a manner express these as apparently declareth a future glory of the Christian Church. Some particular expressions of this in the 11th to the Romans are these. Verse 11, having propounded this question concerning the Jews, have they stumbled that they should fall? namely totally and finally never to be raised again, he gives this answer, God forbid, whereby he implieth that assuredly they shall be raised up again, that is, they shall be made a visible church of Christ and submit themselves to his ordinances. Verse 12, this supposition, if the fall of them be riches of the world and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles, how much more their fullness? By their fullness he meaneth their bringing them into the church of Christ, consisting of Gentiles, and thereby making that church full, when both Gentiles and Jews shall be joined together. Verse 15, this question, What shall be the receiving of them be but life from the dead? Doth take it for granted that they shall be received and taken into the church of Christ, and that this restoration of theirs will be as anew, glorious resurrection. Verse 23 it is said they also shall be grafted in namely into the body of the Christian Church and a proof thereof is taken from God's omnipotency for God is able to graft them in again. Verse 24 this emphatical interrogation how much more shall these which be the natural branches be grafted in to their own olive tree Doth put it out of all question that the Jews shall again be brought to be of the true church, which is the olive tree here intended. Verse 25, this restrictive particle, in part, blindness in part, has happened unto Israel. Doth import that they shall not be finally blinded, but that at length they shall come to have their eyes opened as they shall know and believe in Jesus Christ. This is further manifested by expressing the period of this limitation, thus until the fullness of the Gentiles become in. Verse 26, this general phrase, all Israel shall be saved, showeth there is a time to come when not only two or three, or a few Jews here and there throughout the Christian church, as have been in all ages thereof, but the whole nation shall be called. In verse 31, this phrase, through your mercy they also may obtain mercy, showeth that God purposely suffered them some time to abide in their unbelief, that when they should be brought to believe, this grace and honor might appear to arise from God's mere mercy and free grace. The words following in the next verse do show as much. They are these, For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all. Thus we see that there is a calling of the Jews to come, and that their calling shall be as a resurrection from the dead, as an incision of many more branches into a glorious tree, that it shall be a universal, conspicuous calling of a whole nation, wherein the freeness and largeness of God's grace and mercy shall be evidently manifested. at which time there shall be also such a number of Gentiles brought in as may well be called the fullness of the Gentiles. This certainly shall be a most glorious condition of the Christian church and this is yet to come. Therefore God will yet do better things for us in expectation whereof we may comfort ourselves though for a while thick clouds of troubles do overspread the face of the church and somewhat eclipse the glorious brightness thereof. Yea, further, we may expect better things than yet we do enjoy upon the aforementioned progress of God's good providence before that glorious calling of the Jews be accomplished. For the Jews, after this promise made before the first coming of the Messiah and calling of the Gentiles, had conferred upon them many better things than before. They were brought out of captivity into their own land. The second temple was built. The law was restored unto them by Ezra. Many other blessings. So after Christ's first coming, the gospel was preached in many nations. Multitudes of churches were erected and established. The gospel confirmed by many undaunted martyrs. Yea, after much persecution, the church had great rest and liberty. In Constantine's and other Christian emperors' times. And though that rest and liberty were in time exceedingly abused, by the ambition of Prelates, which at length brought it to the height of papacy. Yet God, by a reformation in these later times, showed that he was mindful of this, his promise, and did better things for her than before. This may be further exemplified by God's doing better for us here in England than at our beginnings. For as the thick, dark cloud of anti-Christianism overspread the sky, of the whole church for many years together. So did it clean, keep away the bright shining of the gospel from England. But it pleased God almost 300 years ago in the reign of Edward III to raise up John Wycliffe, a professor at Oxford, to hold out the light of the gospel. So as many in those days were much enlightened thereby. Among other principles wherein he instructed the people were these some. First, the Eucharist, after consecration, is not the very body of Christ, but figuratively. Second, the Church of Rome is not the head of all churches, more than any church is, nor hath Peter any more power given of Christ than any other apostle hath. Third, the Pope of Rome hath no more in the keys of the Church than any other within the order of priesthood. Fourth, the Gospel is a rule sufficient of itself. to rule the life of every Christian man here without any other rule. Five, all other rules under whose observances diverse religious persons be governed do add no more perfection to the gospel than doth the white color to the wall. These and other like positions wrought so effectually upon the hearts of noble and mean persons, as this may be accounted a good beginning were in many rejoiced, but no public reformation was wrought thereupon. About 150 years after, the Lord did better than at the beginning, for he stirred up both King and Parliament to go further in suppressing potpourri and advancing the gospel. Witness that act of Parliament in Henry VIII's days, whereby the Pope's usurped authority in England was taken away, and liberty given to the King to reform abuses crept into the Church. The King, by virtue thereof, sent out injunctions for removing images, reading the Holy Scriptures, and performing all divine service in English, preaching God's Word, catechizing children, and observing other duties of piety, so as the Gospel began to shine forth somewhat brightly in England. Only it was much obscured by another act of Parliament, even in that King's time, which established transubstantiation communion in one kind, private masses, auricular confession, vows of chastity and prohibiting priests' marriages. About seven years after that king being dead and his son King Edward VI, a child of nine years old, yet another Josiah, sat on the throne. God did better for England than before. For the aforesaid act, commonly called the scourge with six strings, was repealed, and a more thorough reformation established. But even then many of the people's hearts so lingered after Romish superstition, as the Israelites did after the high places in the reign of Asa, Jehoshaphat, and other good kings. So as this goodly reformation continued but six years, for God took away that good young king, after whose death a popish, bloody queen, utterly defaced the foresaid reformation and brought him that dark cloud of popery which overshadowed this whole land. God, being mindful of his goodness to his church, within five years after, raised up blessed Queen Elizabeth, in whose reign that dark cloud of popery was more thoroughly dispelled than ever before. and religion in regard of the truth and soundness of doctrine was restored to as full an integrity as ever it was in the Christian Church since the Apostles' time. A grave, learned, and judicious outlandish divine giveth his testimony of Queen Elizabeth, that under her was granted to her kingdom which he knew not whether it were given to any other kingdom. Namely, an entire profession of the true and sincere doctrine of the gospel. More learned and stout champions were in her reign raised up to maintain the same faith than ever before in this kingdom. Fifth, there is yet another reformation now begun in this land, which being added to the former evidently demonstrates that God doth intend better things than at our beginnings. This is the reformation of the discipline and government of the church. concerning which the foresaid judicious divine, thus, if to the profession of true doctrine a full reformation of ecclesiastical discipline be also added, surely I see not what England can more desire. If any shall object that in many respects the state of our church hath grown worse and worse, I answer that by reason of our sluggishness, want of zeal, an unworthy walking of that light which God graciously afforded, clouds of error and superstition gathered together, as by the negligence and wickedness of the Israelites, the Canaanites were not utterly destroyed, but proved to be snares and traps unto them, and scourges in their sides, and thorns in their eyes, yet God did time after time remove those impediments, and caused the light of his gospel more and more brightly to shine forth. Why then may we not look Yet, for better things than at the beginning of our Reformation. And hope that as then, the doctrine of the Gospel was restored to the purity of it, so the government also of the Church be restored to its purity. Comfort yourselves in these sad times with this hope. 6. God's reserving His better things to the later times, ministereth unto us who have been reserved unto these later times. much a matter of gratulation, the least of us, which live in this kingdom of God, styled for the celestial excellency thereof, the kingdom of heaven. The least of us, I say, is greater than he, of whom it is said among them that are born of women, there hath not risen a greater. Had we lived in the ancient former times and believed the promises of things exhibited in these times, how should we have inquired and searched after them? The prophets, so did. How should we have desired to see them? The many prophets and kings, so did. How should we have rejoiced to see this day? Abraham, so did. Now that we are reserved to live in this time, to hear, see and enjoy these better things, should not our hearts be filled with praises and our mouths opened to utter the same? God hath made an abundant recompense unto us who live in these later days for putting off our time of living in this world so long. It is to our unspeakable advantage and benefit. And shall not God have the praise thereof? True believers now have greater cause than old Zachary had to sing and say, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he hath visited and redeemed his people. Yea, then old Simeon had to say, Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, for mine eyes have seen thy salvation. These old men saw but the sun rising of the gospel. We see it shining forth in the full brightness thereof. Should not we then be thankful even for the times wherein we live? Well may I, from the forementioned doctrine, raise an exhortation of worthy walking That is of carrying ourselves answerably to this good providence of God, in reserving unto us to the enjoying of better things. This worthy walking in general is much pressed in scripture. We charge you to walk worthy of God, who has called you to his kingdom and glory. We cease not to desire that you might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing. I beseech ye that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called. This word worthy does not intend any merit, but a mere meekness, no condignity, but a congruity and correspondency to that whereunto it is referred. This is evident by that phrase which the Baptist useth where he exhorteth to bring forth fruits worthy of repentance. which our last and best translators thus termed fruits meet for repentance. And in the margin thus fruits answerable to amendment of life. If in that place worthy should be taken for any matter of desert, might be thus translated fruits which deserve repentance, that is such as are to be repented of. And what are those fruits, think ye, surely evil? Such as those were of the apostle, thus saith what fruit had you then? of those things whereof you are now ashamed, for the end of those things is death. A catalogue of them is reckoned up in Galatians 5, 19, 20 and 21. But the word axios is derived from a word which signifieth to poise, and the metaphor is taken from things equally poised, there being the like weight in each balance, they stand even. Thus, when man's inward disposition and outward conversation is answerable to God's gracious dispensation, it is in scripture dialect called a worthy walking. Hereby, therefore, it is intended that we, who live in these later times and enjoy the better things which God has provided for His Church, should more abound in knowledge, be more strengthened in faith, be more established in hope, be more enlarged in our hearts with a zeal of God's glory. be more conformable in our lives to His holy will, be more charitable to such as stand in need, be more diligent and faithful in employing and improving our talent, more patient under crosses, more ready and forward to suffer for the name of Christ, and to seal up our holy profession even with our blood, if we be called thereunto. It is not enough for us to be followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises, but we must strive to outstrip them. As we have more means of grace, so we must more abound in the measure of all Christian graces. The aforementioned worthy walking intends this much. But may some say, is this possible? Can the best of us now come near to Abraham, other patriarchs and prophets in knowledge, faith, patience and other light graces? I answer first that indeed some had the Spirit in such an extraordinary manner and measure bestowed on them as they might excel such as live under the gospel. But the comparison is not so much betwixt person and person as betwixt body and body. So as the point intended is that God's people in these times should excel his people in those times. Again, though in some particular extraordinary gifts and revelations some of them excelled, yet in a full and distinct knowledge of all the mysteries of the gospel and in other graces we may and ought to excel them. If you be persuaded to the foresaid worthy walking, I will make bold to set before you a direction whereby you may be much helped thereunto. In general it is this. that in every of the four set days of the great week of the world, you observe the most eminent persons recorded in the sacred scripture, and the most excellent graces for which they are commended, and thereby be stirred up to unholy emulation. This that you may better do, I will endeavor to set before you, as the Apostle doth in Hebrews 11, some of the prime patterns in every day. The first day, note especially Abel, Enosh, and Enoch. Abel so ordered his offering, as his person and offering was accepted, his faith occasioned it. Enoch gathered assemblies together to worship God and frequented the same. Enoch, in all that he did, had his eye on God, to approve himself unto God. The second day observed Noah, Japheth, Shem, Melchizedek. Noah shined as a bright light in a dark and wicked world. Japheth with his brother Shem covered his father's infirmity. Melchizedek blessed God for Abraham's victory and encouraged his soldiers. In the third day very many are set before us as the three great patriarchs who all with much patience passed through many trials and long lived and died in the faith of those promises which after their days were to be accomplished. in an impious and idolatrous land kept his integrity. Caleb was a man of an invincible spirit in God's cause. Joshua also with his household would serve the Lord, though none else did. How careful were the judges to draw people from idolatry and to keep them close to God. Ruth, after she had been instructed in true religion, went from her own country with a poor mother-in-law to the true Church. In the fourth day we have excellent patterns of singular governors as David, Solomon, Jehoshaphat, Hezekiah, Josiah and others who made it their main end and put forth their utmost power to advance God's glory, settle and restore true religion and peace, and procure good to their people. In that day also there were multitudes of faithful prophets who held close to God's word and would not falsify it for fear or favor. Such were Elijah, Elisha, Micaiah, Isaiah, Jeremiah, etc. In the fifth day there were worthy restorers and reformers of religion, builders up of the house of God, and redressers of grievances in state, and preservers of God's people from pernicious plots of adversaries. Such were Zerubbabel, Jehoshua, Ezra, Nehemiah, Mordecai, Esther, etc. In the beginning of the sixth day there were painful and faithful preachers of the gospel, zealous and pious professors of the true faith, merciful and charitable brethren, constant and courageous martyrs, These being reserved to the beginning of the last day, wherein the better things were exhibited, answerably carried themselves, and were in many respects better than such as lived before them. Should not we then, who live in the later part of the last day, to which better things are reserved then, in the former part, endeavor to be better than all the former? What a shame it is! to be ignorant, so superstitious, so doubtful, so fearful, so cold and backward to do good, so impatient, so discontent, so worldly, so wicked, as many of us are. If the men of Nineveh and the Queen of the South shall rise up in judgment against the Jews who lived in Christ's time, much more shall such as lived either in the beginning of this last day or in other days before it rise up in judgment against us. I will conclude this point in my sermon two with that inference which an apostle makes upon a light ground in these words. Wherefore, seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight in the sin which does so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us. 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And remember that John Kelvin, in defending the Reformation's regulative principle of worship, or what is sometimes called the scriptural law of worship, commenting on the words of God, which I commanded them not, neither came into my heart, from his commentary on Jeremiah 731, writes, God here cuts off from men every occasion for making evasions. since he condemns by this one phrase, I have not commanded them, whatever the Jews devised. There is then no other argument needed to condemn superstitions than that they are not commanded by God. For when men allow themselves to worship God according to their own fancies, and attend not to His commands, they pervert true religion. And if this principle was adopted by the papists, all those fictitious modes of worship in which they absurdly exercise themselves would fall to the ground. It is indeed a horrible thing for the Papists to seek to discharge their duties towards God by performing their own superstitions. There is an immense number of them, as it is well known, and as it manifestly appears. Were they to admit this principle, that we cannot rightly worship God except by obeying His word, they would be delivered from their deep abyss of error. The Prophet's words, then, are very important. When he says that God had commanded no such thing, and that it never came to his mind, as though he had said that men assume too much wisdom when they devise what he never required, nay what he never knew.