IN Ver. 21. the Subject of this Chap. is propos'd, viz. the 10th Provocation or Temptation of God: one was for doubling their Tasks in Egypt; a 2d for the Danger at Pi-habiroth, Exod. 14. the door of Liberty; the 3d, which some count pregnant of 3, was about the Manna; a 4th for Water, and a 5th for Flesh; a 6th for the Idolatrous Calf, Apis; a 7th for the La­bour of their Journey; an 8th for Miriam and Aaron's murmuring at Kibroth hatavae, the Graves of the Lusters; and the 9th their Vio­lation of the Sabbath. This 10th is a Twin-temptation too, they will not go up when God commands to go in and possess the Land, and they will go when he forbids: and all these in one Year and four Months, ver. 33. with chap. 1.1. This 10th Rebellion is elo­quently described, Psal. 106.21. They forgat God their Saviour, who had done great things in Egypt, wonderful things in the Land of Ham, terrible things by the Red Sea: they despis'd the pleasant Land, they be­liev'd not his Word, &c.

This Sedition is the most directly opposite of any to God's De­sign as well as Command: Let us return to Egypt. 2ly. The most provoking, and aggravated after so many Miracles, so many Pro­vocations, and so many Pardons [Surely it's a false Notion in Di­vinity, that a Believer never backslides twice in the same Sin] it is too narrow Charity to send all to Hell that fell in the Wilderness. 3ly. The most universal Apostacy, 4 only excepted, Moses, Aaron, Caleb and Joshua. 4ly. The most furious, and yet most deliberative, Head and Heart are as much united in every Man as they were to [Page 4]one another: they reason'd the Case, and heard the Arguments of the Spies on both Sides; they weep, from a Perswasion there was most Truth on the Ten's side, they consult to choose a Captain, they speak of stoning the few Dissenters.

Ver. 24. Yet Caleb is here excepted: But why alone? why not Moses? or rather Joshua? or both? I answer; 1st. Caleb's Zeal ap­pears most in opposing the Rebels. 2ly. His Courage appears most in forwardness as a Spy, especially, Josh. 14. in viewing the Ana­kims Country; he there (Joshua being Judg) assumes the Work wholly to himself. 3ly. He was then Representative to the chief Tribe Juda, the first in Honour, the most numerous in Multitude, 186400, Ephraim about 40000, and Manasseh about 30000. 4ly. Each of them have their Rewards apart; Moses was chief Ru­ler, Joshua was his Successor, and was made a Knight or a Baron on this very Envoy by Moses; of Hosea (ch. 13.) made Joshua, as Abra­ham of Abram. But Caleb continues a private Person, in a plebei­an Condition, all his Days, tho he died the oldest and ablest Man; the most numerous, honourable, and richest Family of all Israel was his at last. This Difficulty about the Text being remov­ed, the next thing in order is to divide, or rather to observe its Parts as divided already by the same Authority that indited it ^*. 1st. It is divided from the Context foregoing and following by way of Parenthesis; for they cohere, ver. 23, and 25. thus, None of the Rebels shall see it: My Presence shall not protect nor conduct them as before. Now since the Amalekites and a Colony of the Ca­naanites dwell in the Valley, just by you, to morrow be gone, for they will fall upon you and destroy you ^†. 2ly. The greatest division [Page 5]of the Contents within this Parenthesis is between the Work and Reward, the Duty performed, and Blessing promised. 3ly. The Subdivision is thus; the first Member has three Parts, the Per­son, Caleb, his Spirit, Singular, his Practice, Full: the 2d Member has two Parts; the Blessing promised, the individual Land he cou­ragiously spied out, whose Inhabitants so cow'd the Spirits of the rest; and 2ly. the Entail of that Blessing to his Seed. So these with the Particles of Connection afford 6 several Subjects of Dis­course, which I shall explain and apply as briefly as possible.

The first occurring Part is the Person: But as to my Servant Caleb, he is proposed, and by a —֗— distinguish'd from the following Words, as one who abstractly from what follows deserves Consi­deration; and thorough pausing on it by Direction, I find this visible Observation, That it is not Publickness of Persons by Office, their Honourableness by many and great Titles, their Riches, or the Greatness of their Actions, tho good too, that monopolizes the Honour of standing lasting Monuments of Praise, or the Precedency of being singl'd out for Patterns of a Life acceptable to God. Naasson, to whom Caleb was grand Uncle, 1 Chron. 2.10. Mat. 1.4. was the Duke of Judah, Numb. 1.7. and Reason good: for though Caleb was the older Man, yet of the younger Family, being 3d Son of Hezron, 1 Chron. 2.9. Joshua's Name is changed, though it signified honourably before, to wit, Salvation: but Caleb signifieth a Dog, or one led in a String, from Cabal, yet must have no better all his Days: and the Epithet added, my Servant, except what is hid in the Relation my, is of no better note; a Slave, one bought with Money, whose Life is in his Master's Power, one liable to beating or Ignominy; pone Crueem servo. [...] and [...] differ as [...] and [...], a Slave and a Minister. On which the great Gerard has this Note: Paul, says he, calls himself the Servant of Jesus Christ, or Slave, from the Calling to his Office, not from the Work; for he calls himself, Minister, Steward, Ambassador, in that respect; but from the Title Christ had to him, and his Work: Christ had the Title of Conquest; he was a Slave of War, he came sub Gladio, going to Damascus. 2ly. the Title of Purchase; he was not his own, nor any thing could he call his Property: Christ paid the Price of precious Blood for him, he cost him more than Silver and Gold could be any Standard to, or Measure [Page 6]in Value of. Such a Slave was Caleb, a Son of Abraham, brought to the Foot of God, following him like a Dog; Name and Tem­per agreeing, following him fully. This is one Reason why I have chosen this Parallel of Caleb and the Deceased Mrs. Ward: as Plu­tarch illustrates Princes by Parallels, I by Divine Warrant may set forth a Person mean in the Heraldry of the World, yet precious, honourable in the Sight of God: and it is to encourage you mean Persons, poor in the World, rich in Faith, not to be discouraged from serving God, his Church or People, with the scanty Talents and small things that lie within the Compass of your Power or Station; it will bring in as rich a Reward, and as illustrious Honour, as if it were of 10000 times more Value: it's not the Greatness, but Goodness, not the Sumptuousness, but Sincerity of Actions, renders them acceptable to God: he has a Diary for Dorcas's Coats she used to make for the Poor, for Nathaniel's se­cret Prayers under the Tree: a Cup of cold Water given to one under the Name of a Disciple, shall not lose its Reward; nor the Widow's Mite cast into the sacred Treasury escape the watchful Eye of our Lord Jesus Christ. He will bottle up every Tear that drops from a penitent Eye; the Widow's Cake and Cruise, the Shunamite's Table, Stool, Bed, and Candlestick must have Monumental Room in sacred Records for ever; as Christ said of the Woman who poured the Ointment on his Head, Mat. 26. Wheresoever this Gospel shall be preached in the whole World, there shall also this, that this Woman hath done, be told for a Memo­rial of her. And not only Actions immediately terminating on Christ shall be recorded, but also a Servant Elizer's Fidelity to his Master Abraham; and old Deborah Rebecca's Nurse for her Faithful­ness and tender Care in the Family, shall not only have her Dust mingled with the Tears of the Family, but her Funerals recorded by the Spirit of God, Allon Baccuth, the Oak of weeping; and yet a Matter (apparently) of lesser Moment than that, viz. of the Chil­dren that accompanied Christ to Jerusalem with their Boughs and Hosannas. Psal. 8. the Praise from the Mouths of Babes, and Suck­lings shall not only be historically reported, but prophetically foreseen and foretold; it was in his Thoughts from all Eternity. Surely there is no less reason to think the good Deeds of this Wo­man, her Pains and Travel Night and Day for many Years toge­ther, sheltring the Exil'd, relieving the Distressed, hiding them [Page 7]in Danger, supplying them in want, venturing her Neck as Pris­cilla and Aquila, not only for a Paul, but them that were not worthy to carry his Books with Timothy ^*. She was a true Phoebe, a Succour­er of many, and my self also, Rom. 16.2. She has had a Hand at many such a Basket as that which help'd Paul over the Walls of Damascus. She has often hid David's Spies with the good Woman of Baburim, and Joshua's with Rahab: she will never want an Interest in the Scar­let Thread of Salvation from the Window, or Passover-Blood over the Door. And why may not the Mercy be of as spreading a na­ture as Rahab's, to all within the House, to all her Father's and Bre­threns Houshold, if they will come under the same Protecting Roof? I do not at all doubt that she is now a canonized Saint, with­out the least Influence, against the most powerful Anathema's, from Popish Authority. I shall end this Cloud of Witnesses, as Paul, Heb. 11.34. with Rahab; for time would fail to heap together all the Instances of this kind, Job's Perfection, Obedmelech's visit­ing Jeremiah in the Dungeon, and bringing him up with old cast Clouts under his Arm-pits, or Obadiah's hiding the Prophets by fifties in Caves, and feeding them.

Let us then suppose it sufficiently prov'd or granted, that when Godliness is so powerful as to break forth in Acts of Charity, Courage, or publick Usefulness, though in mean Persons, it de­serves to be praised, to be solemnized with Memorials, to be imi­tated as a Pattern. And 2ly. let us suppose that this Person was so indued: what can be done for her? the Canon is now compleated, there is no more an Authentic Accompt from Heaven what Per­sons are enfranchiz'd above: all Scripture, as it was wrote, was put in a Chest by the Side of the Ark, Deut. 31.24. First the five Books of Moses, called the Law, Luke 24.44. 2ly. What added by Samuel, 1 Sam. 10.25. and Joshua 24.26. 3ly. It's likely Daniel came by Jeremiah's Prophecy thus; that Chest being carried to Babylon, thither he sent his MSS. as he had his Deeds of Anathoth, in Faith of a safe Return. Rom. 3.2. unto them were [Page 8]those Records committed, called by the Name of Scripture by way of Eminency in the New Testament; in their room now, the Gentile Churches being engrafted, are become the Pillars and Ground of all inspired Truth, 1 Tim. 3.15. which was concluded by the A­postles: All Writings since are Apocryphal, not put in that sacred Place. Epiphan. de pond. Lib. 4. speaking of Wisdom and Siraci­des, says, they are not in the Number of read Books, viz. every day some part; neither were they put in the Ark. ^*.

A second Honour due, that she was deprived of, was Martyr­dom; two, may be, out of one Congregation was too much. It is well known her Guilt and her Sister Gaunt's were of the same kind [Guilt shall I call it, or Glory?] I am confident just Thoughts of that Affair would fright few that believe in Christ, and have a solid and clear Conscience about the Cause they suffer for; a natural Death (as it is called, for all Death is violent) generally having more Pain and Tediousness attending it, and of­ten wanting that Exercise of Thought and Grace that is a grand Support to the tearing and rending, the Bruises and Breaches suf­fer'd under the parting of a Soul from a Body.

These Negatives may help us to conclude this Positive; That keeping within Bounds of Decency becoming her Station in the World, we cannot be easily guilty of transgressing in the Excess, especially if we again consider it was not a vertuous Action, but a Life of Actions. 2. The Actions were not mean, but great; by Exercise she attained a Capacity of doing more for a Saint in Distress, and for more in number than it lay in the Power of Persons having twenty times her Estate to do. We should come short of the Hypocrites, who build Tombs for dead Prophets when they persecuted the Living, if we should leave her without a Record in our Apocrypha's: we should wrong our selves, if we keep not a living Idea of that Knowledg, Faith, Loving Temper, delight­ing in doing Good, Sweetness in Conversation, a living Idea of that living Root of Grace and Vertue, daily fructifying and flou­rishing in her, and deeply radicated through Humility, soon seen by all but her self.

In sacred things the Church her Verdict is next to Christ's, a Priest's Lips is the Church's Tongue; this she ought to have. 2. It's an Honour to have a great Train, many Followers; this she deserves. It would be the Happiness of many selfish, covetous, narrow Spirits, to set her as a Pattern; her Publick Spirit has done more Good than they who have left 30000 l. at their Death to build Hospitals and Alms-houses: besides, she had always in her Eye the especially of the Houshold of Faith, Love to Christ was the Spring; really it blows up a Flame in me to think of the Loyal­ty to Jesus Christ they ^* gloried in; the Longing for the Glory of his Kingdom, that rent their Breasts; the Sagacity they searched the Scriptures with about it, allayed with the Patience and Prudence they moderated it with, and the Arms of spiritual Love they im­braced his poor and distressed Members. I hope the Reader will pardon this: I cannot but say what I have seen, heard, felt, and am able to answer for. Excepting one yet alive, (long may it be before she meet with her due Honour) I think few Names have a more radicated Esteem among Nobillity, Gentry, Ministers, Christi­ans of all kind in Scotland. Nor is the Savour of her Ointment con­tained within, or confined to these 3 Kingdoms; Holland, Germa­ny, Sweedland, Denmark, Poland, have heard of her. But if we be wanting and deficient in our Duty below, all is now made up to her above: those Angels that rejoice at a Soul's Conversion, how will they welcome her Entrance into Glory? All the Earth below is but a Point to the Countrey where her Fame will sound, and her Glory shine. But I'm sure she'll be so much entranc'd in ad­miring and adoring that King of Glory, that she will be a self-de­nied Person amidst all her Enjoyments. I was blam'd for not speak­ing more to her Praise; indeed 'twas not for want of Matter, Thought or Words on this Subject; I had always a Heart to indite enough on this and like Subjects. But I shall proceed to the next Subject, lest the next Person say my Pen wants a Bridle, if my Tongue had one.

The second thing in the Words is the greatest Particle of Con­nection in the Text, [...] it's the Word from whence Jacob comes, the Word that signifies Heel, Gen. 3.15. He shall bruise thy Heel. The Subject it affords to be discours'd on, is the relation between a Be­liever's Work and Reward; it's translated, because he was of another [Page 10]Spirit. Indeed I find our Translation favouring a Conditionality often without just Ground; Deut. 30.9, 10. The Lord will again rejoice over thee for good — If thou shalt hearken to the Voice of the Lord thy God: the Original is [...] because thou shalt hearken to the Voice: it is a Chain of Promises one upon another, not the Rela­tion between Duty and Promise. And again in the same Verse, If thou turn unto the Lord; it's because thou shalt turn unto the Lord: and the grand Reason follows, Ver. 11, 12. from the preventing Grace of God, bringing the Commandment nigh to them, which is Old-Testament-Language for being mix'd with Faith in the Heart. Rom. 10. Paul calls it the Word of Faith, and a Word about Gospel-Righteousness, i. e. the Word revealing Christ's going to Hell for us, or bearing equivalent Sufferings, the Curse of the Law; the Word revealing Christ's going to Heaven for us, satisfying Divine Justice, and appeasing Divine Anger, as God is the Rector of the World by the first Adamical Constitution. This Word being engrafted in the Heart by Faith, becomes a Spring of obeying the Commands of God; and both together ren­ders the Soul an harmonious tun'd Instrument for Joy, and amia­ble for Delight. There is a double Cover in the Text: I might in prudence hide my Opinion in this Affair, in a Day, or rather Night of Controversy, which is more prosecuted by Passion than Pains to understand that necessary Question. One is the Word that is as often a Noun as a Particle, and signifies either the consequen­tial End of Means, Psal. 119.33, 112. Keep thy Statutes even unto the end: so this will be the Sense, The end of his being of another Spirit, and following me fully, shall be my bringing him into the Land, &c. Or, 2ly. It signifies the Course and Walk of a Person; Cant. 1.8. the Foot­steps of the Flock; Psal. 56.6. they mark my Steps: so this will be the Sense, The Course and Walk of my Servant Caleb was from another Spirit that was with him, for he follow'd after me. A 2d might be the Mat­ter; it was not pardon of Sin, or Inheritance among the Saints in Heaven, but a Part of, or Portion in the Land of Canaan. But the Difficulty in point of Merit, consists not meerly in what Proportion there may be between Work and Reward, but also in the Relation and Proportion between the Persons; Caleb could not merit one Fur­row of Land from his God. I shall therefore out of Choice give my Opinion in the Affair: and 1st, That there is a near Connection between Holiness and Happiness, is without all Controversy; and [Page 11]the Agreement in that one Point (that without Holiness no Man shall see the Lord; whosoever names Jesus, as pretending to an Interest in him, must depart from Iniquity) would and should allay disturbing and dividing Passions about the Point. But that intolerable Extre­mity of counting Sin a Disease of meer natural Infirmity, and hav­ing God for its Author, as much as he is the Author of judicial Pu­nishment, or fatherly Chastisement, deserves Exilement from Hu­man Society, as well as Excommunication from Sacred, it having the same absurd Consequences with Atheism attending it: for the Belief, or Unbelief rather, of the Non-existence of a God, and of his not being offended with Sin, or morally swaying no Scepter, distributing no Rewards or Punishments by the Measures of moral Laws, are of the like Tendency, and render a Man liable to all Temptations: Robbery, Murder, or Adultery, under the probable prospect of Advantage and Pleasure, with Secrecy or Impunity, must be his common Trade; therefore the Discovery of his Sen­timents is a just Ground of driving him from all Civil Society.

But both by Scripture and Reason, we are not only convinc'd of the Necessity of the Connection, but the several Joints and Links of that Chain or Relation are revealed to us: (1.) Nega­tively; there is not, nor cannot be the Relation of a moral Pro­portion, not in Sinners, not in Adam when innocent, not in An­gels. Mr. Baxter most Orthodoxly says, the Doctrine is blasphe­mous to think that meer Nothing form'd into a Being, and there­by indebted for working or serving Faculties or Capacities, that its putting them in exercise, or that the Fruits and Effects of their Growth, should as much oblige God, as the Subject of them is oblig'd to God. (2.) There is not the Relation that is purely fe­deral by virtue of a Promise; If thou live holily without Spot, thou shalt be happy; that was Man's Condition before Sin in the Covenant of Works: There is not, nor cannot be any such thing in the Covenant of Grace, God having to do therein with guilty Rebels, who have neither Power nor Will to change the Temper of their Minds. Nor (3.) Is there the Relation of Merit, by reason of our Works having an Interest in Christ, as the Papists phrase it, tinct a sanguine Christi; tho we, and all we do, are acceptable to God on that Score: for meriting on that Bottom supposes this, that though we cannot merit at the Hand of God without him, yet we can merit at his Hand; and that is of equal Absurdity with [Page 12]the former, for there is no Proportion between our Service to him, and his for us; he needs not such Service at our Hands, nor re­quires it, nor could we perform it if he did. The Dignity of his doing and suffering was from his Deity: We have nothing in us proportion'd to his Humanity; we are as much his by the Title of Redemption, as God's by Creation, so all we can do is due.

But though these are justly laid aside, the Connection is stronger than a threefold Cord that is not easily broken: for there is, first, a natural Connection, Heaven grows upon Love to God, Hell up­on Hatred, Happiness upon Holiness, as sutably and naturally as the Fruit, Leaves, and Branches of a Tree grow from the Root or Seed of its kind: Be not deceived, God is not mocked; for what a Man sows, that shall he also reap. A Man by sowing the Seed of Darnel, Thistles, or Nettles, may as soon and as truly expect a brave Har­vest of Wheat or Barley, as a Man with an habitual wicked Life may expect Heaven for the sake of Jesus Christ. (2.) There is the Relation between Means and End, Preparation and Possession, a Journey homeward, and Rest at home, to him that's abroad. Suppose one should freely ransom a Slave from Algiers, he can ne­ver enjoy his Privileges, Possessions, and Relations in his own Countrey, without the Pains and Fatigue of a Sea-Voyage, the Danger of the Waves and Billows of the Bay of Biscay. Suppose one freely give an Estate, or a Place of Honour at Court to a Beggar or Stranger, he can never reap the Fruit of it without Pains, he must fit and prepare himself for it. (3.) The Phrases of Connecti­on are of a legal Tenour, by reason of the Remunerableness of the Matter from the Tenour of the old Covenant; as we see the New Testament delights in Old-Testament-Phrase: for instance, buried with him in Baptism, the Jewish Way of baptizing being burying-like. So what is now rewarded of Grace, retains the old Phrase it had when it was by a Covenant of Works. (4.) There is a Rela­tion with respect to the Subject: to such and such Works are pro­mised rich and everlasting Rewards, because he who only can do them, has a Right and Title to the Reward by the Promise and Grace of God. (5.) There is a Relation in respect of Christ, and our being in him. There was a Proportion between Works and Reward in the Mediatorial Covenant, and therein he is considered as our Head. So when one is in Christ, the Promises are made to him in a legal Form by reason of Christ, on whose Account he has [Page 13]a legal Right and Title to them, tho abstractly considered none at all. Thus we may see there are Motives sufficient to drive from Sinfulness, or draw to Holiness, without the Doctrine of Merit, or Legal Conditions; therefore we are to keep that fundamental Doctrine at the Bottom of our Hearts, whenever we go about comparing our Works with the Reward we expect; as we find Caleb did, Josh. 14. he begins to plead for Hebron, as if it were on Merit, I spied out the Land, I brought word again as it was in my Heart, I followed the Lord fully; but bottoms that on Moses's Oath, and that Oath on the Lord's speaking that Word to Moses: but Foundations lie deep, and are not discover'd on all Occasions. If the Lord will, lies latent in the Thoughts of every Believer in all his Enterprizes, yet one would not lightly and customarily express it, lest it turn into a form of prophaning that Sacred Name, and Sacred Assistance, except on solemn Occasions, when the Mind at­tends it with adoring Thoughts; as David, 1 Chron. 29. when he and his Princes had offered for the Temple 13005000 lb. of Gold, and 2537530 lb. of Silver, they offered it willingly, but with solemn Acknowledgments that both it, and the Heart and Willingness to of­fer it, was of God, and humble themselves under the sense of so great a Mercy as that Temper of Mind. I have only these two things to make Application of in this Affair: 1st, That the Woman was very sound in this Faith: 2ly, That she was very holy in her Life.

The 3d Head is the Temper of Caleb's Mind, which is only described from its Diversity, and being alien from the Spirit of the Day; not only another from the Canaanites or Egyptians, but another from the Israelites. Eph. 2. it's the Character of one yet in the Gall of Bitterness, and under the Power of Satan, that he follows the Course of the World: he was none of that Spirit and Temper, his was contrary, and opposite to the Course of the World: they were blind and ignorant, he of great Sa­gacity and Judgment: they Unbelievers, Tempters, Provokers, and Rebels; he a Believer, and an obedient one: they were proud, carnal, selfish; he not.

1st. A Spirit of Discerning, a Spirit of Judgment and sound Mind was with him: indeed there was little Opportunity for dis­covering this, until the Wars and Wilderness were at an End; yet his Judgment and Reason (the grand Foundations of Learning) [Page 14]outshin'd no less than 603550 Persons, and all the Spies selected for Wisdom and Discretion: but afterwards he and his most illustri­ously shine as the grand Patriots of Learning in the World. San­contathon the Phenician, about the Time of Judg Gideon, is rec­kon'd the most antient of Human Writers. Philo Byblius, who liv'd in Adrian's Time, about the time of concluding the New-Testament-Canon, turn'd it into Greek: this Man liv'd 5 or 6 Ge­nerations after Caleb. Berosus is another fam'd Author for Anti­quity in the Chaldean Story, yet liv'd not before Ptolomy Philadelphus in the time of the Grecian Monarchy. At the same time Manetho an Egyptian flourish'd, who is epitomiz'd by Africanus, that liv'd about 200 Years after Christ. We have nothing but Fragments of the former in Josephus and Eusebius. Annius Viterbiensis about the time of the Reformation, wrote 27 Books of Antiquity, and pretends (but without Credit) to give Compendiums of these Authors. But Caleb is more antient than they, or Thales the Philosopher, or Ho­mer the Poet in the time of King Jotham. The Pillars of Seth, from whence it's said these Men deriv'd their greatest Antiquities, stood within this Man's Mannors. Debir was the City of Pagan Learning, the most antient Treasure of their Hieroglyphicks, and the Mysteries of their Religion were treasur'd up there. Caleb gave Ptolomy (who got the Old Testament to be first turn'd into Greek, and sanctified his great Library with that Oracle) a Pattern, for he turned Kirjath Sepher, the City of the Book, into Debir, the Sacred Word, or Oracle, from a Copy of the Law he kept there, as may appear from the Scribes of Jabez, a very near Branch of Ca­leb, and the first we find of that Office, 1 Chron. 2.55. & 4.10. he was the Inventer of it, and on that Account more honourable than his Brethren, and left us a Form of Prayer, a Monument of his Devotion, O that thou wouldst bless me indeed, that thou wouldst keep me from Evil, that it may not grieve me; at once a Pattern of Piety, and Propagater of Writing next to Moses, who received the Art with the Law from God. The Work of a Scribe was to copy out holy Scripture from the Originals; tho since printing a Bible is an easy Purchase, yet 400 Years after Christ, a Bible was a Gift not un­worthy of an Emperor; and 100 Years before Christ, Ptolomy of E­gypt was the only King had one in his Power. And yet above 1000 Years before that Caleb has got one in his City, and has there set up a School of Scribes for propagating Copies of it through the [Page 15]Land of Israel ^*, and together with it in Hebron a more antient City than the most antient Zoan or Tanais in Egypt, whither the Old Philosophers travelled to gather the Traditions and Dictates of the Antients. Heaps of the greatest Antiquities in the World were to be found in Hebron; so that in this he seems preferable to Moses, who was instructed in all the Learning of Egypt; for he was instruct­ed in all the Learning of Hebron or Kirjath-arba, where the Pillars of Seth stood, on which the History of Affairs before the Flood were wrote, Adam and Eve, Abraham and Sarab buried, from thence called Kirjath-arba, or the City of the 4 famous Persons. Altho there is as much Disparity between the Lines of my proposed Parallels, as between the Years of Life in that Age and this; yet if we throw in the Advantage of Gospel-Light, there was not a Scribe at Jabez, that knew more, or as much as She; tho Joseph was called a Zophna Paaneah, an Inspecter into the hid things of God, and Daniel, a Belteshazzar, one who had the Treasures of Bell reveal'd to him: for we with open Face, behold as in a Glass greater things than they. What Daniel obtain'd by Prayer and Supplication, with Fasting, [Page 16]Sackcloth and Ashes, as one greatly beloved, to wit, a crucified Christ, an everlasting Righteousness brought in by him, Dan. 9. and what Discovery he obtain'd of the Churches Vicissitudes, and the World's Revolutions until the standing up of Michael the Prince, we have all in clear History, excepting 2 Turns that begin almost to look upon us thro' the Dispensations of Providence: and in both of these I may safely affirm, that she had Knowledg beyond the common Attainments of her Sex; and I have often thought it was through the defect of her Library, that her Judgment and Sagacity did not render her very conspicuous in the World. This Knowledg is so necessary a Step to all Goodness, that it's both Sin and Shame, a present Loss, and Danger of eternal, not to imitate, or endeavour to outrun her in it: for a Man may have a kind of Knowledg without being good or gracious; but without Knowledg the Scripture asserts the Heart is not Good. A blind Eye is as good as an ignorant Spirit; it is this kind of Dark­ness makes up a spiritual Hell. The Lord says, his People were de­stroyed for lack of Knowledg: and as a Soul cannot be good, so nei­ther can it do good; we cannot worship God: the Athenian Worship of an unknown God, and a blind Sacrifice, are both alike unacceptable to him. What a Nullity does Christ put upon the Samaritan Worship, when he told them, they worshipt they knew not what? And as it cannot do good, it cannot receive Good. Faith is the Soul's Hand; but a Hand without the Conduct of an Eye, may lay hold on that which never will support it. It's by Knowledg many are justified; it's by Knowledg eternal Life is begun. It is necessary in our Days, if we would be able to defend the Truth, or withstand the Gainsayers, to be not only acquaint­ed with the Fundamentals of Religion, and the way of a Sinner's Salvation, but to extend our Pains to the uttermost Compass of things contained within Sacred Writ: for surely what God thought fit to reveal, and record in a peculiar manner for our use, it be­comes us to study: we cannot count it mispent time to learn, when Omniscience condescends to be Teacher. But besides, there is this peculiar Reason for it, because the Deists, and they who deny the Divinity of the Scriptures, derogate so far from them, as to leave uncertain what's Divine, what not; of this kind are Eben Esra, Hobs, Spinosa, Father Simon, the Author of the Five Let­ters, &c. for the Grounds of their Unbelief are generally built [Page 17]upon the Circumstances in ^* Scripture least minded by Transla­tors or Interpreters, as being of little Moment, some apparent Contradictions in Time, Place, Genealogies, or Titles; for In­stance, Gen. 12.6. And the Canaanite was then in the Land: hence would they infer that Moses was not the Author of all wrote in these Books that bear his Name, and what is superadded by we know not whom, is not to be received as infallible. But there is no Foundation in the Text for their Conclusion; for what Absur­dity is it for Moses to tell us the Canaanite was in the Land, when Abraham passed through it? neither is Reason wanting for it, viz. to give account of God's Fidelity to him in protecting of him when he passed even through it to take Seizin of it, though the Ca­naanite was there, whom he came to disinherit.

A 2d Ingredient in this singular Temper of Mind was Faith, ver. 11. How long will it be ere they believe? Heb. 3.18. To whom sware he, that they should not enter into his Rest, but to them that believed not? But Caleb was not of that Spirit. V. 9. Their Defence is departed from them, and the Lord is with us; fear them not. Heb. 3.16. Howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses did provoke and disbelieve. And Heb. 4.3. They which believed did enter into Rest. He could not follow the Lord fully without Faith, nor was his Courage against so powerful an Enemy founded on any other Bottom: by human Eyes they were like a David before Goliah; nay in their own Esteem, and in the Esteem of the Anakims their Enemies, they were like Grashopers, Chap. 13.33. But by the Eye of Faith he saw God as a sufficient Confederate and Assistant against all the Strength of Canaan; the Anakims were like Grashopers in comparison of God, and the meanest Worm he assists. Caleb's Knowledg was qualified or spe­cified by Faith: It is a common Axiom, that Knowledg may be without Faith, but not Faith without Knowledg; they are re­lated as a living Creature and a rational Creature; [...]e may live without Reason, but not exert Reason without Life. This was [Page 18]a Grace in my Parallel, not only well rooted, but well fruited; the Service she delighted in, could only receive its Reward in the other Life. Jesus Christ was at once the Object of her Love and Trust; her Lot, with the most of Believers, had its wildersome Circumstances, and through it she travelled, leaning on her Beloved. The sacred Oracles, which are the Directors and Grounds of Faith, were the Objects of her daily Study. Peace with God, as the Mediator's Purchase, was the great Expectation of her Hope, to­gether with the seeing King Solomon, with the Crown upon his Head, glorified in his Saints, and admired of all that believe: through whom her Faith was finally and ultimately termina­ted on God as a faithful Creator, from whom originally all Ful­ness flowed on the Head and Members of the Church, which she longed to see presented without Spot or Wrinkle. This is what of necessity we must imitate our Caleb in; without Faith there is no pleasing of God: they that believe not, are condemned al­ready. Heb. 12.1. not only this, but all the Elders from Abel are proposed as the Cloud in the Wilderness to follow; nor is Adam and Eve to be excluded from being Drops of that dewy Cloud; for though on Marriage he called his Wife Ishah, of Man, or Woeman, yet after the Promise of the Redeeming Seed of the Woman, he calls her Eve, the Mother of him that quickens or enlivens all; and the like Faith she professes and writes on her el­dest Son Cain, I have gotten that Seed, the Man the Lord, I have born Immanuel, Gen. 4.1. as the most Critical do interpret the Words. The only Exception about this universal Necessity, at least among whom I have now to do, is Infants; it is supposed many of them are saved, but questioned if Faith have any Instru­mentality in their Salvation, since Faith supposes Knowledg: nay the Apostle, Rom. 10. says, it comes by Hearing, which supposes not only the Exercise of a Spirit, but of bodily Organs. I shall say the more to it, having just now received a Letter about it, and two days ago another, beside Visits. I do profess it to be my O­pinion, but not a necessary Foundation, no not to any Doctrine I then proposed; for Charity for their Salvation through the Righte­ousness of Christ, which the Letter grants, is sufficient for all the Intents I mentioned it for: however I shall shew my Opinion is neither singular, nor wants Probability. As to the first, it's the common Opinion of the Papists, as we may see from Bellarmine [Page 19]and Gregorius de Valentia on Baptism; so Suarez on Thomas; and the Conference at Ratisbon, they deny that Infants have actual Faith, but grant habitual, which is sufficient for my Intent: but if we go to the Lutheran Churches, they universally ascribe an actual Faith to Infants; their Arguments are, that the Spirit of God which asserts that they that have not Faith are in a State of Condemnation, Mark 16.16. John 3.18. does assert that little ones have Faith, Mat. 18.6. Whoso shall offend one of those little ones that believe on me; the like in Mark 9.42. Ver. 36. we find that it was such a Child that Christ took in his Arms, such an one that has Angels for its Guardians, such an one as the Scripture calls [...], Luke 18.15. such as were brought to Christ in the Arms of others, not on their own Feet; the Bringers whereof the Disciples rebuk'd, not themselves, being uncapable of Converse: Jesus says, the Kingdom of God consists of such. And if there were no actual Sin in them, I should be apt to have Charity for all of them: for the much more on the second Adam's Side will scarce suffer any to be condemned where that is alone, without the least Fruit or Effect. The greatest Objection lying against these Texts is, that the In­fants spoken of, seem to be capable of Offence: to which, if we take the Interpretation of Chrysostom, with other Fathers, for an answer; to offend here is not barely to give an evil Example, but to reject, which was a Fault Christ reproves his Disciples for: the Interpretation is the more receptible, because Offending and Re­ceiving are put in opposition to one another. The common O­pinion of Calvinists is, that they have the Seeds of Faith, or some Gift like Faith, or a certain Inclination to Faith: so that there is scarce any Party left but Socinians to join with in deny­ing Infants to have any Faith ^*. Indeed Socinus says about the State of Adam, that it's ridiculous to attribute Faith in God to Infants, and is like to the Dream of a feverish Man: but I cannot dream of any particular Persons interested in the Righteousness of Christ without an Union to Christ; and how one can be in Christ without Faith, or the Spirit which works Faith, is more than I can con­ceive [Page 20]of, or than the Scripture informs me of, which as generally attributes the Applicatory Work of Grace to the Spirit as the Redemptory to the Son. (2) I find some sanctified from the Womb, and even that sanctifying Grace in such Exercise, as to move the very Organs of an Embryo in the Womb. Luke 1.44. The Babe leaped in my Womb for Joy. Jer. 1.5. Before thou camest out of the Womb, I sanctified thee. How Sanctification can be without Faith is inconceivable, that being it the Heart is purified by, that the Soul lives by, that we are clothed with Righteousness by: there can no Assertion be more without Exception than that John 3.5. Except a Man be born of Water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. Flesh and Blood cannot enter there; and whatsoever is born of the Flesh is Flesh: so that one must be born of the Spirit before he can enter thither. But 'tis observable, that the Spirit blows where he listeth; neither the Indisposition of the Bo­dy, nor the Corruption of the Soul can impede his Creative Influ­ence: and it seems to me very unreasonable to deny a Spirit's Con­verse with the Father of Spirits, without a Capacity of conver­sing with Man: in order to the one, the Soul must learn how the Glass of the Senses represents such Objects to it; nay there is need of Learning and Observation to know the right Hand from the Left, it's a Relation few of 40 Years understand: a Hand is a necessa­ry Organ to the Body, but a very foreign extrinsical thing to the Soul. If we come from Scripture to Experience and Observation, we find it essential and necessary to the Soul to think; it's as natural for a Spirit to think, as for a Body to be long, broad, and thick. 2ly. Wherever Thoughts are, they are good or bad: Gen. 6. The Imagination of the Thoughts of their Heart are evil continually: All that proceeds from a Spirit, is moral. Christ says, that defiles not a Man which goes in at his Mouth, but what comes out of his Heart. 1 Cor. 15. As the Father of Spirits is a quickning Spirit, the Soul is a living Spirit, the Image of him who is a pure Act. How can it live without Thought? (our Body cannot without Motion) or be sanctified without good Thoughts? If that sleep, what can awake it? 3ly. We find it was a common Opinion in Christ's Time, that an Infant was capable of sinning before it was born, which he ne­ver thought worthy Refutation or Denial; Did this Man sin, or his Parents, that he was born blind? If being born blind, was the Punishment of foregoing Sin, then the Infant could act Sin; why [Page 21]not Faith too? 4ly. Can they inform us of the Difference between a Soul newly formed by the Hand of God, and after ten or twenty Years of Age, that a Creative Operation of God should be need­ful to work Faith in the one, but not able enough to create it in the other? One should not make Exceptions to the Scriptures ge­neral Assertions, without some clear and solid Reason; this the Socinians grant. His common way of saving is by Faith, and common way of working Faith is by Creation; and what Impedi­ment can resist or render the Subject uncapable of that Influence? Original Sin is more powerful by Habits radicated in the Adult than in Infants; the part of this now under Consideration is the Want of that most like Image of God (the Sense of Likeness and Image, an Hebraism;) God cures that Privation by planting it in the Soul: the Scripture informs us it consists in Knowledg, Righte­ousness and Holiness. Are the Infants sanctified without being transformed into the Likeness of God? that is a Contradiction; and it is as great a one to imagine the Image of God with­out Knowledg. Psal. 8.3. Out of the Mouths of Babes and Suck­lings thou hast ordained Praise. This is not objectively only, as the Heavens declare God's Glory, but actively with their Mouths; which (Mat. 21.15.) was fulfilled by the little Children that went with their Mothers to the Temple: though (Luke 18.) the Disciples began (it's like) the Hosannas, yet even Sucklings of two or three Years old filled up the Chorus: And could their Tongues praise him, and not their Souls think of him? I cannot imagine, that the Difference between a Suckling's Soul and a new­born or unborn Babe's is much. 5ly. Can all the Pains of an un­regenerate Man study himself into a Spiritual discerning? 1 Cor. 2.12. The natural Man knoweth not, &c. And can the want of that Pains hinder the Holy Ghost from induing the Soul with that holy Unction? Suppose the Child die, and be carried in the Arms of its Angels to Glory, will it want Knowledg there? or do the unprepared Organs, while in the Body, prevent the Holy Spirit's Influence? 6ly. Take the Experiment of a pregnant long­ing Woman, and we may find Willings and Nillings, Incli­nations and Aversions as powerful in an Infant unborn, as in the most adult Age. Is the Soul already able by its Maker's ordinary Influence to reach, and govern the Imagination of Child and Mo­ther [Page 22]both so early ^*, and his regenerating Influence not create as powerful spiritual Inclinations towards himself? May not the Ob­ject be as particularly distinguish'd and determin'd, and as closely ap­prehended in Spirituals? and shall not that be called Faith? 7ly. It is a common Dictate, that many Probabilities make a Demonstration, or sure Argument; and I shall give as many more when these are answer'd: but I am afraid I have given too many for such an end.

I shall conclude with Rom. 9.11. from which I make these Re­marks: 1. He denies not thinking, but doing. 2. He denies not that Infants may do Good or Evil in the Womb, for he makes two Negations, neither. 3. He asserts that God had both elected and cal­led the one; 1st, Before Birth: 2ly, Yet more early, before doing Good or Evil (says Jac. Alt.) before the strugling in the Womb, Gen. 25. God having called the one in the Womb. The Enmity between the two Seeds made Rebecca's Belly the Stage of the begun War; the Lord tells her, there were two manner of People in her Womb; this Text tells us that God's Calling made the Diffe­rence ^†. Faith is always esteem'd the immediate Effect of Calling. Now here were Works and War in the Womb: Works and Victory are through Faith, for the Children being not yet born, neither having done Good or Evil, that the Purpose of God according to Election might stand, not of Works, but of him that calleth. I have treated this as an Opini­on [Page 23]all along for Faith as it is God's Gift; the Father's drawing to the Son, by perswading and alluring, and the Son's apprehending the Soul immediately, is all that I think necessary to plead for, since Faith justifies as it unites to Christ; and I am sure if the Father's drawing, and the Son's apprehending unite not our coming, our believing which is the Fruit of it, will not: his Calling unites as much as our answering; and the Denial of this in Infants seems ve­ry strange: it is safe enough to assert Salvation in some without Means, or under other Means than we enjoy; but to assert Salva­tion without Grace, either redeeming Grace in the Son, or apply­ing Grace in the Spirit, is trampling on Christ's Blood, and doing despite to the Spirit, setting up another Gospel; and to think the Spirit works different Effects in different Souls, is as absurd: there is one Faith, as there is one Spirit; what are contrary to the Effects of the Spirit in the Gospel are Fruits of the Flesh, and Faith is the first Fruit of the Spirit: or to think that the Spirit of God is in a Soul, dwells there, works there without Effects, is as strange. I have always, as Hen. Alt. put this among my Problems, i. e. abstruse Questions, yet do think it of greater moment, than that about In­fant-Baptism; for the one is about the manner of a Gospel-Ordi­nance, the great Virtue whereof lies in doing it with a good Consci­ence, there is nothing in the Ceremony of moment, abstractly con­sidered: the other is about Gospel-Grace; if one kind of Grace for the Old, another for the Young; one kind for the Dumb, Deaf, Distracted, and who had no Opportunity of exercising their Senses about external Means of Grace, another for them who have; if God, who has not limited Means by Grace, has limited Grace by Means; if the Spirit cannot sanctify my Soul, and fill it with Faith, Love and Patience, because when an Infant I lost my hearing; if one Man can be justified by another's Faith, viz. the Parents, or Christ's, as Antin. say, as well as another's Righteousness, viz. his; 1 Kings 14. there was some good thing, a real, spiritual, acceptable Good in Jeroboam's young Child; there is little reason to think it was con­vey'd by means of Grace, the Education of a Pagan Idolatrous Fa­mily did not afford it, tho under some Places of Popery it may; the Child may be was not yet capable of any.

But I shall return to the Adult. If Faith be necessary in Infants, surely it's necessary in the Adult: if without Hope, we are with­out God; if without Faith, we are without Christ, the Word [Page 24]preach'd has never profited us, the Gospel is in vain, and its Grace too to us, if not mix'd with Faith: but where it is, all things are chang'd from a State of Death to Life, the Soul lives by Faith; it's worse than a dead stinking Carcase, until Faith dawn in it. 2ly. It brings Light into the Soul, that was like a Dungeon before; it is the Evidence of things not seen. 3ly. It's an humbling Grace, for by it the Soul is convinc'd of its Sin and Guilt: a Man will never own that he was conceiv'd in Sin, born in Iniquity, by nature a Child of Wrath, until the Light of Faith shine; that will make the Soul say with Job, I have heard of thee by the hearing of the Ear, but now having seen thee, I abhor my self in Dust and Ashes. 4ly. By Faith the Soul glorifies God, Rom. 4.20. as Abraham did, it will honour him in his Precepts, Promises, Providences; it will bring every Imagi­nation, every Thought and carnal Reasoning into subjection to Christ. 5ly. By it the Soul is preserv'd in danger, 1 Pet. 1.5. it's the Soul's Shield of Defence, and Sword of Defiance. 6ly. By this we have Access to God, and approach the Throne of Grace with Boldness. 7ly. By this we are patient in Tribulation; we can suffer Reproaches, while we trust in the Living God, and have hop'd-for things realiz'd and presented to the Soul. 8ly. It's a Rarity, and yet a very seasonable Grace. Egypt was a Type of Popery, and the Wilderness a Type of the Brinks of the Church's Deliverance: Faith was then rare, but 2 of 700000 entred Ca­naan for want of it, Heb. 4. So Christ says, When he comes, scarce shall Faith be found upon the Earth. Would we know the Reason of our turning thus into the Wilderness again, when we thought we were on Mount Pisga? we want Faith. It's the very time for the Faith and Patience of the Saints, and they want it; like the fool­ish Virgins, some want Oil, all are asleep when the Bridegroom calls. 9ly. As it's rare, it's difficult: it's as easy for God to produce it in the youngest Infant as in the oldest Man; it's a Fruit of the Spirit of God, not of our Spirits: all things in Man are against it, no­thing for it; the stronger his carnal Reasonings grow, the more difficult is the Work of Faith: The Philosophers were the Gospel's greatest Enemies. To suppose it in Adam before the Fall, had been to suppose what was repugnant to, and would have over­thrown his State. Fallen Man needs the Spirit to convince him that he is in Unbelief, needs Christ being given for him, needs a be­ing given and drawn to Christ by the Powerful Arm of the Lord. [Page 25]Let not us be among the common sort of Israelites, that despised the pleasant Land, and believed not his Word, Psal. 106.24. who could not enter in because of Unbelief, Heb. 3. last. Zachariah, who walk'd in all the Ordinances blameless, was struck dumb 9 Months for an Act of Unbelief, Luk. 1.20. Christ upbraids his Disciples for de­fect in another Act, Mark 16.14. We have great and precious Promises of a better Canaan, a more glorious Theocracy; let us strive to enter by Faith. The Emperor's Victory over the Turks, his planting his Ephodical Tent between the Seas in the glorious Land, would open a Pisga Sight of it to us, Dan. 11.45. Shall not we be­lieve God's Word? or can we deny his giving of it? His Word, his Promise, his Covenant, his Oath we have, his Seal we have, the Ex­perience of our Fathers we have. Was not God always faithful?

Obj. But we cannot believe of our selves.

Answ. 1st. We can forbear many things which may hinder the Exercise of it, as a Woman may prevent Miscarriage. 2ly. We can be humbled for gross Sins, and let Convictions take place. 3ly. We can use Means, and be diligent in the practice of all Or­dinances. 4ly. We can be watchful in the use of them, waiting with Fear and Trembling, if the Angel will move in these Waters. 5ly. We can try it, endeavour, go about it, seek out the Promises, meditate on them, propose them. 6ly. We can do this in subordi­nation to God, waiting if he will bless the Loaves in the eating. 7ly. Exercise Acts of Self-renouncing in the Performances, Gal. 2.16. even the very Act it self: That we might be justified not by the Works of the Law, but by the Faith of Jesus Christ.

3. A great Esteem of Divine Blessings and Favours: They despis'd the pleasant Land, Psal. 106.24. Deut. 8.7. Hos. 2.8. This Caleb did not, he greatly esteem'd the Land: there is yet a better Coun­try and City (Heb. 11.) in our Promises. My Parallel was a great Admirer of this New Jerusalem, and no unthankful Undervaluer of our Day of small things; she was not of his Temper, who pre­ferr'd a part of Paris to a Portion in Paradise. All come short of this Pattern, who love Egypt. If any Man love the World, the Love of God is not in him. 2. If any are lazy, and strive not to enter by the strait Gate into this Rest. 3. When Heaven is not counted worthy the Dangers and Difficulties we incur by the way, when the Ana­kims conquer our Faith. Let us think on singing the Song of Mo­ses and the Lamb, of the 5th Kingdom in Succession.

[Page 26]4. A Publick Spirit: Her Pains were not so much for building her own Family as the Church of God; a great and pious Zeal of this kind was like the Sacred Fire on the Altar that never went out: I may say, she went about continually doing good; to the Rich, minding them of their Duty with that Prudence, that I never heard her complain'd of as a busy Body or the like; to the Poor, relieving them: the Decay of this is of a mighty threatning As­pect. Many counted Patriots of their Countrey, have discovered Self too much, a powerful End and Principle, and the Effect of it is among the Body of the People; they think there is no such thing as Tribuni Plebis: If any Man seem to shew a Zeal for his Countrey, the Vulgar Verdict is, Does he want a Place? never was a Nation less liable to idolize the Princes of their Tribes, yet no doubt there are Calebs among them; without some remarkable Revoluti­on, none or one is like to be our Lot. The Heat of Contention between Non and Con never did appear more abated: this Go­vernment seems like the Tree that sweetned the Waters of Mara; yet where is the Man of so publick a Spirit, as to reform the A­buses both Sides complain of? One is that the Curses of the Law should stand in place of the Discipline of the Gospel: publick Prayers are constantly according to form said in Lent for mending this; hence is a publick Acknowledgment that the Church wants the primitive Discipline. 2ly. That there should be no Partition between the World and Church of Christ, no Door of Entrance into the sacred Society of Saints: this has made the Church the World, the vilest and most abominable of Men (like the Abomi­nation that maketh desolate) sitting where they ought not, pro­faning the Lord's Table, confirming their own Damnation: it were a Season to perpetuate the Honour of some Publick Spirit; but most mind their own things, few Christ's.

5. Of a Peaceable Spirit. Caleb was none of the seditious Rebels that were for casting off Moses, and making another Captain, un­der whom they might return to Egypt. My Parallel imitating our unerring Pattern, has often rebuk'd such hasty Disciples, that were immediately for bringing Fire from Heaven on Samaria; she was no Despiser of Authority, though a Longer for that fifth kind of Government, that all the Kings of the World shall never prevent: happy they who kiss the Son, and put their Trust in him. It is nigh and necessary: Let us follow Caleb's Example, not a [Page 27] Corah's or an Absalom's, filling our own Place, doing our own Business, and with Faith, Prayer, and Patience wait for Christ's second Coming.

6. A Spirit of Courage and Charity: he would have ventured against the Sons of Anak; he run the Risk of the turbulent Rabble, when nothing but God's immediate appearing could have saved his Life. He would fain have saved Israel, and have perswaded them not to rebel against God, whatever was the Consequence. Moses shewed yet more of this Spirit, who preferr'd the saving of the People to the monopolizing all the Promises, and the whole fruitful Land for his own Family.

7. Of an healing uniting Spirit. If she found any to be of the Houshold of Faith, it was not in her Power to shut up Bowels of Compassion; though she was settled in particular Fellowship with them whose Customs her own Judgment most harmonized with, yet she was for a Bond of Peace wherever there was Union through the Cement of the Holy Spirit: she was not for rejecting whom Christ had received, a great Rule for Communion. Rom. 15.7. Though their Faith be weak, yet (Rom. 14.1.) they are to be received, and not tormented and vexed with doubtful Disputations about Meats, or keeping Days, or some one particular Ordinance, as that of Circumcision. At first the believing Jews rejected the Fellowship of the Gentiles for want of it, they unjustly compelled them to it: But afterwards, when the Roman Governours began to distinguish between the Jews and Christians thro' Pliny's Informa­tion, and that the Jews were hated of the Romans, and cut off for their cruel Murders and Slaughter, but the Christians more favoured for their peaceful Tempers; some of the Gentile Believers, though unjustly too, rejected the Communion of the Jews, this was Diotrephes's Fault, 3 John ver. 10. Ecclesi­astick ^* Authors inform us, that his Pride in doing by himself what was only in the Power of the whole Church to do, was his great Sin. There is in our Day the like Fault among some about Infant-Baptism; the less the Difference is, the greater the Sin is in making that Difference a Partition-wall of Division. The Dif­ference is not about the total neglect of the Ordinance [though I do hear some are run to that Extremity] both Sides grant its Ne­cessity [Page 28]and Use as an initiating Ordinance, the first visible Mark of a Disciple or Christian; he that utterly omits it, is by Profession a Pagan, though it may be a Believer: indeed he deals basely by the Saviour he believes in. 2ly. The Difference is not about the Sub­ject (I confess some run to the Extremity here too, baptizing all presented to them) viz. Believers; for if we did not think that some Infants had Faith, we should baptize none of them: The Question is then about the Objects or Grounds of Charity. Now let the Error be on which Side soever; the Question is whether it be a sufficient Ground of Separation, or refusing Communion, be­cause my Charity is more extensive than yours. I (may be) think, since God has revealed it, and we see it fulfilled, (though not without many Exceptions of bad Children) that God's common Road and Method of bringing his Elect upon the Stage of being, is thro' the Loins and Bowels of them that are Elect and Believers, though he has not tied himself to it, (then indeed it would be more than a Ground of Charity) there being many Proselytes in all A­ges, even out of Cham's Line; yet this is the King's high Road: and indeed the Stop that was put to it (in cutting off this Entail among the Jews, and beginning afresh with the Gentiles, en­grafting these formerly wild Branches to suck fully as much Spi­rit and Oil from the Root as the native Branches) was such a Deviation from this wonted way of Divine Influence, that it has been but once in the World, will never be again, was not without repeated Prophecies to prevent stumbling about it; and that once was not a total Deviation from the common Road, ma­ny being continued. 2ly. Because it was for a time only: touching the Election, they are beloved for the Fathers; there is a Life and Re­surrection to come to their Dead ^*. 3ly. They have no gross Ini­quities, no visible Outbreakings, no apparent Blains or Boils from the bitter Root of Original Sin; they have only against them what is conveyed through the first Adam, and what secret Emanations from it are contained within the Compass and Sphere of pure Thought or Imagination. But then we have the much more of a­bundant Grace, the much more of the second Adam for them. I do assert that this Extent of Charity in any Man, though pro­fessed [Page 29]and put in practice, ought not to be a Bar for which any Chri­stian Church should refuse him Fellowship and Communion.

The second Difference is about the Manner or Quantity of Wa­ter this initiating Ceremony is to be performed with, if Dipt or Sprinkled. Let us now take a like Case we can think on without Prejudice, viz. the Cup in the Lord's Supper: Suppose then some scrutinous Mind, and scrupling Conscience should question whether any receive the Lord's Supper, who drink not a whole Cup; it is said, Drink this Cup: Is sipping drinking? or is a Sip a Cup? Would it not be unreasonable to refuse a Man Communion that would on­ly take a Sip, when the Body of the Church were for each drink­ing a Cup? It would be of this Importance; Sir, you shall not be of our Church, if you take not off your Cup. Some Controver­sy like this was between the Gentile Christians and Jewish, not­withstanding which Paul (Eph. 4.) informs them the Baptism was one, One Lord, one Faith, one Baptism. From Mount Sinai until Christ's Resurrection, that is, during the Jewish Church-Constitu­tion, Dipping was the manner; after Christ's Resurrection (Mat. 28.) he gives a new Institution more sutable to the Constitution wherein he intended to make light Burdens and easy Yokes; after which we hear not of their going to the Water, but the Water coming to them, Acts 10.47. Some other differences (Acts. 19.) there were between John's Baptism and Christ's, but that is not my Business; it is Union, Love, Peace, notwithstanding that Difference, that is my Business, and shall conclude it with a Saying of a Friend and Brother, If a Seal should be set to a Blank some­times, and God afterward condescend to fill up the Bond, how­ever valid such an Act might be among Men, no doubt it's good in the Sight of God.

The 4th Branch is the Practice that flowed from this Temper of Mind: He followed the Lord fully, wholly, constantly, upright­ly; there was a Fulness in what Good he did. This Fulness ^* re­spects [Page 30]the Rule of our Practice and Profession; he was not for half-work, almost a Christian, he was for all the Parts of our Duty to God and Man, a sound Faith, a holy Life, pure Wor­ship, and appointed Government. Search most of Professors, and you will find them lame in some of these. But I must say of this good Woman, she was good at this too; though she was of large Charity to others, she laid strict Bonds on her own Neck, and was faithful to the Light God gave her. And this is a singular thing in our Day: many think Doctrine and Practice are to be minded, but the other two, especially Church-Government, is a Matter of Indifferency; and yet it's visibly from a Defect in that, that this Nation is so full of Unholiness, the sacred Privileges proper to Believers being thrown to worse than Dogs, before whom such Pearls are not to be cast. I shall propose to every conscientious Christian the Method of Turetin's defending the Reformation from Popery: ‘It pleased God (says he) to open the Eyes of some, who saw themselves instead of being in a Church of Christ, to be in a Society that had Error in its Doctrine, Idolatry in its Worship, Tyranny in its Government; it was unlawful to live in that, and unlawful to live without publick Worship: to pre­vent Sin in either Extreme, we did confederate into Societies for publick Worship, and called whom God had enabled and sent to publick and sacred Office, for administring Ordinances and Dis­cipline among us.’ The like says Mr. Claud on the same Subject. Strauchus adds, that the Civil Comitia of Spire had no Power over them in Matters of Faith or Worship, and therefore the Prote­stants, tho fewer in Number, acted nothing repugnant to the Consti­tution of the Empire. Nor has a Synod to do with any thing but the Churches they represent in the Affairs that are sacred. ^* It is true, this Affair is but a Hedg, but we have a most doleful Prospect of the Flock's Condition by its Removal, or never being built. [Page 31]See you that design the Good of your own Souls or Posterities, who value Loyalty to Christ as King, who would do as much as you can to reform a Nation, get into, or build up Church-Socie­ties with Walls of Government, Doors, or Ways of Entrance to the Good, all the really Good, and thundring Exits to profane Hypocrites, when their Vileness discovers them. It is neither the Interest nor the Duty of a Magistrate to meddle in this: they sweam on the Peoples Inclination, the Sin lies at the Door of Well-wishers to Reformation; the hunting out of bad Houses is a good thing, but it will never do the 10th part of Service, tho it should succeed, that this will. This may be my last Sermon too, and I leave it as my Advice; nay, the Counsel of Jesus is rejected in the neglect of it. You have here a double Pattern, a Caleb in the old Church, in the Egyptian Wilderness, contending for Obedi­ence to the Theocracy they were under; and a Parallel of exact Con­scientiousness to our Gospel-Christocracy. Civil Government is but human, in comparison of its Divinity. The Church at first had her Customs, 1 Cor. 11.16. and these were copied from Paul's, 1 Cor. 4.17. that were uniform in every Church, and Paul's from Christ, 1 Cor. 11.23. The Form of the one is Arbitrary, for the Good of the People: the Form of the other settled by him that is the Wisdom of God, and cannot err in what Means conduce most to Souls Good; his is the only way of correcting abounding Of­fences: the Magistrate's Sword is the Medicine for Injuries. Let us leave Sin to God's alone immediate Government; Against thee, thee only have I sinned ^*. Let us be like Zachariahs and Elizabeths, walking in all the Ordinances of God blamelesly; this is our Lord Jesus Christ's great Ordinance, Mat. 18. at large. If I be off of my Subject, I am in in my Duty, as is every one that loves our Lord Jesus Christ. And though the Person I speak of was a Woman, I may say I know not whether her Skill, her Zeal or Conscience did most outshine in this very thing. And when I again consider, I stand amaz'd to see Men of grey Hairs, good Men, serious [Page 32]Men, that excepting hearing a Sermon, or going to Prayer, ne­ver make Conscience of any other Ordinance, as if the rest had been appointed by some other Authority; they pray, and cry for the Seal of the Spirit, but will want it before they subject to a seal­ing Ordinance: they are griev'd for abounding Scandals; while their Slight and Contempt of Ordinances is as influencive an Of­fence as Whoring or Drinking. Surely, says a young Convert, there is little Religion, or Acceptableness with God in such Duties, else such and such a good Man would not contemn them so. Such Professors in neighbouring Nations would be counted Atheists, however we esteem them here. He that dare to pick and choose, may on the same bottom throw off all. My Judgment leaves a great Bulk of the Nation's Profanity at such Mens Doors, what­ever they think of it.

2ly. A fulness in following the Lord comprehends true Principles and Ends in our Profession and Practice. Israel was an empty Vine, bringing forth Fruit to her self. A selfish End makes an empty Action. This is chiefly to be regarded in our Profession, for a Man's own Soul is not edified by that; it's to glorify God in the Edification of others. A good Man is satisfied from within him­self. A Soul is strengthned, increas'd in Knowledg, Holiness, Heavenliness, comforted, assur'd in Faith by the Ideas and Thoughts God raises up within the Soul: but the publick Show or Appea­rance a Believer makes by his profess'd Subjection to every Ordi­nance of Christ's Appointment, is to edify others. God makes Men Lights, to be set in Candlesticks for others. Churches are set up out of Loyalty to Christ; but what is the End, but the Growth of one another, and the Conversion of Strangers? I should say more than would be believ'd by Srangers, if I should give account of this Woman's Charity to Souls; and as there was a Fulness with respect to the End, so to the Principle; tho harmless as a Dove, yet not like Ephraim, a silly Dove without Heart. Her Comfort under her Crosses, her Constancy under Discouragements, her conscien­tious Subjection to Ordinances, in the World's Esteem, and bulk of Professors, too vile and contemptible, her Courage under Persecu­tions, her Contentment under Circumstances that would have fill'd hundreds with anxious Care, her Charity never abating upon Temptations from straitning Difficulties at home, which at last her Faith may be said to conquer more than her Pains, no Hypocrite [Page 33]could ever paint the Fruits of the Spirit, to such a Life, Heat and Motion, never yet were drawn by any Pencil: Her Pulse and Zeal, Warmth and Works, left no may be's in any Soul that had the Spirit of discerning. One of her Christian Sisters had as­surance without Clouds (tho with a most painful torturing Distem­per) 40 years together. Her own Life of Faith wanted neither Joy nor Peace. I wish that some poor Earth-worm, some cove­tous Miser might lay to Heart the Ease and Pleasure that consists in being a faithful Steward; that the rampant Prodigal would consider, that tho he may rebel, the Godly only doth rejoice. Theirs is like the crackling of Thorns under a Pot, a Noise not ve­ry harmonious nor delightful; and the end is Ashes: but the Joy of the Believer is all his Life, is in his Death; Death's Ghostly looks, his severe Blows, his tormenting Wracks, cannot imbitter this Cup of Joy: as I am inform'd it was with her; my Joy in the end, is Joy without end. This is another Ingredient of Fulness, a Fulness in degree, a Fulness of Joy, when all our Sorrow flows only from want of more Holiness, when with Lot it's only from the Sins of the Sodomites we live among; our Tears with David are either because the Wicked transgress the Law of God, or our own Infirmities prevail into Deformities. Consider, O secure Sin­ner, that every converted one is a Child of Light, begotten of the Father of Lights; and the Seed of Grace is a Seed of Light. Now the meanest Light in the World will dispel Darkness from it self, and in some measure communicate it to others: the Stars will sparkle in the darkest Night, a Candle will conquer a large Room of Darkness; nay, the faintest Light of a dri'd or scaly Fish, or rotten Wood, will remain invincible against all the Power of Darkness: there is no Faith without some Assurance, nor no Grace without some secret Joy. If our Joy and our Hopes be in the se­rene Air of Heaven, the Tempests below cannot extinguish it.

3ly. A following the Lord uniformly, and proportionably, is a fol­lowing the Lord fully. 1 Tim. 5.21. That thou observe all these things, without preferring one before another; and that thou do nothing partially. The new Creature is neither maim'd nor monstrous; there is a comely Symmetry in a Christian's Growth; all his Zeal and Devoti­on is not terminated on one Ordinance; according to the Weight and Moment of the Matters of the Law, they are of Value with him: he is no Pharisee to neglect the weightier Matters: he values an In­terest [Page 34]in Christ above all: next an holy Life, he esteems a Profes­sion under all Marks of Christianity, and is jealous of every other Mark, lest it be the Beast's and Dragon's: he prefers a whole Set and Species of Precepts and Ordinances to the Mode of one, that may be debatable too. The Churches Hedg has many Stakes in it: the neglect of that is not the neglect of one Command, but of a whole Series, and the Means of quickning and giving Life to all.

4ly. A following the Lord fully, is to follow him in all Places and Times; whether the Company be for Truth or against it, they are for it, not imprudently casting Pearls before Swine. But Truth is then like a Fire in the Breast, and a Flame shut up in the Bones, when derided and oppos'd; and when Season requires, is defend­ed and vindicated. Religion rules the Conversation in the Shop or Market, Court or Kitchin, as well as in Church, [...], says Aristotle in his Ethics. A Caleb is a true Cube; throw him where you will, he falls on a Square. True Gold wastes not in the Fire, rusts not in the Water. He is not a Pharisee, good in open view, nought in secret; nor of the vain Religion James speaks of, that lies all in the Tongue, and yet not able to govern or steer that aright. He always minds an over-looking and over­hearing God; he fears continually, and his Faith and Love keep pace with his Fear.

5ly. A following the Lord fully consists in a constant Desire and Endeavour after a Fulness; fully and following after will consist (without repugnancy) in no other sense. We find the Angels following after Knowledg, prying and searching into Divine My­steries; and we read of them rejoicing in their [...]'s, I have found him, I have found him, 4000 Years after their Creations at least, Eph. 3. And shall the Angels in the triumphing Church above run to and fro for the Increase of Knowledg, and the Angels below stand at a stay, and say, it is enough? Did the Prophets in the Old Testament, search into Brim and Bottom, Time and Place, Manner and Matter of their own Prophecies, and shall not we? A thriving Ministry would make a thriving People, and a thriving People would make a diligent Ministry. Do not cry to your Mi­nisters, Pray preach easy things, and smooth things: do not satis­fy your selves only with old repeated things, when it's the Com­mand of Christ that the Scribe be Learned, and able to bring forth New and Old. Make your Pastors live without Care, in caring [Page 35]for them in worldly things, that their Care may be alone spent in providing Food for your Souls. It is not to be told in Gath what Grashopers we are in comparison of our Fathers, by this very thing. Heb. 6.1. how pathetically does Paul exhort the converted Hebrews to leave the Principles of the Doctrine of Christ, and go on to Per­fection? Is there not some Truth in the false Calumnies of the Pro­fane, who spend their Sabbaths in the Fields, Beds, or Taverns; who say, We can tell all that we shall hear at Church, we know more than we can do? But new Arguments might make them believe that more firmly; and if they believ'd what they pretend to know, their Faith would make a new Life. Did they believe that the Lord is good to those that wait on him, and to the Soul that seeketh him, they would not slight such a gainful Trade. Let us then through Hearing, Reading, Praying, and Meditating, follow on to know more fully, to believe more fully: Let our Faith grow more stable and fix'd at the Root, by clear Evidence and powerful Arguments, water'd with the Dew of Heaven, until it come to a Demonstration of the Spirit, and full Assurance of Faith: Let it be like the spreading Vine, stretching it self, and by its tendrel Fingers laying hold of every Promise: Let it flourish in Comforts, and fructify like the Clusters of Eshcol, that were planted by the upper and nether Springs: To have a more full and perfect Patience, until we are capable to possess our Souls, and our Souls possess us in Want and Weariness, in Reproach and Flattery, that the things of the World, and Persons too, may still be an Obiter in Comparison: To have a more full Practice, do not say like Balaam, Let me die the Death of the Righteous; come, let us live their Life, a holy Life, a penitential Life, a self-deny'd Life, a Life not like others: The World's Custom and Course is the high way to Hell; If we do his Will, then shall we know the Doctrine. But let us look to the Earth's excellent Ones, its few Names who forget all that is past, and count­ed the Victories over Temptations already attain'd nothing, the Knowledg nothing, Diligence nothing, and therefore they pressed on to what was before; never, with Laodicea, crying, I am rich, and full, and need nothing: no, the Blessing is to them that hunger and thirst. This is to follow the Lord fully, to grow in Grace, and in the Knowledg of our Lord Jesus Christ, to pierce the Sun with Eagles Eyes, and soar towards him with Eagles Wings.

Lastly, A feeling Sense of our Defectiveness; this necessarily [Page 36]flows from the former. Who will ever follow hard after what he feels no want of? Will ever the Man that thinks he knows all the Scriptures, cry out at a new Discovery, I rejoice at thy Word as one that findeth great Spoil? Psal. 119. or under Darkness and Difficul­ties, Lord, teach thou me thy Statutes, make me understand thy Law? No, he flattereth himself in his own Eyes, and refuseth to understand. He that sees not his own Sin as odious and troublesome as the Burden of a Twin-Carcase already dead, will never cry out, Who will de­liver me from this Body of Death? It is a true Saying of a Blush, that it is malae Causae bonum Signum; or, as Homer phrases it, an honest Heart has a weak Forehead. He that is acquainted with the Deceit­fulness of his own Heart, is jealous he may be guilty, he is consci­ous of so much Guilt; Is it I, Lord? is it I? says every honest Dis­ciple. O let my Heart be upright in thy Statutes! says an upright David; and elsewhere, When thou takest away the wicked like Dross, my Flesh trembles for fear of thee, and I am horribly afraid of thy Judg­ments. When Men can look back on their Sins, as Lombard's Mo­ther on her three Bastards, with Pleasure (she could not repent of the Act which had such brave Effects and Fruits) it is very sad; and forward on their Duties like Dreamers, who find flying as easy as walking; it is very dangerous. Heal me, for I have sinned, my Bones are broken with it; help me, for I am weak, is the Language of him who follows the Lord fully.

I come now to the second Part of the Text, the Reward, and 5th Member in the Subdivision proposed for a General Head: Him will I bring into the Land whereinto he went. Here is a poor indigent Jacob travelling with his Staff in his Hand, and a Stone for his Pil­low, made two, nay twenty Troops. Here is a mean Caleb, (not all Heart, as Fuller says, for then it would be Calleb) mean in Name, mean in Birth, the youngest of three, mean in Possession, mean in Place, a Spy: he has first gotten his Portion carved out to him, and a large one too, several Cities, several Kingdoms, Hebron one, Debir one, Bethlehem one; the very Possessions of old Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the Oaks of Mamre, and the Wells of the South, viz. Isaac's, are all his, and the Title the best in the World, he holds of none but God: but in Gratitude, or by way of quit-rent, he gives the Priests a large Share with him. Here is a great Lesson for Men advanced from Poverty to Riches, a low Estate to Honour, [Page 37]a private Caleb to be the greatest Prince of Judah, nay the greatest Part of Judah ^*; for it was his Inheritance, 1 Sam. 30.14. We made an Invasion upon the South of the Cherethites (i. e. Philistins) upon that of it which belonged to Judah, or which is the South of Caleb. Indeed his elder Brother Ram, or Aram, got the Honour of the Crown, David's Line came from that Root; yet Caleb wanted not the Honour to have Judges of Israel of his Posterity, even in his own Day, Othniel his Son-in-law. It was not the first time the younger Brother became the better Man for Time, and Eternity too: but the Lesson we are taught, is not to forget our Original, and to remember it came through the gracious Promises, not merito­rious Purchase or Birth-right; to remember, Psal. 113.7. that he raiseth up the Poor out of the Dust, and lifteth the Needy out of the Dunghil, that he may set him with Princes: To remember the Pit out of which we were digged, and the Rock from whence hewen. This might be a great Remedy to some Peoples haughty Spirits, their insolent Looks towards their own Flesh and Blood, their im­perious scornful Carriage towards others, not long ago their Fel­lows, if not Superiours or Supporters, lest they hear of God as Saul, When thou wast mean I advanced thee: he had better have kept Asses all his Days, than to have been a King: his End was lower than before; so will be thine, pitiful, not pitied, the Subject of Misery, and Object of Mockery, miserable without Commisera­tion, envied now, and odious then, if Humility of Mind attend not the Advancement of thy Condition, and a faithful Improve­ment of thy Stewardship. If I had Room for Inlargement, there are here two Rivulets (like the Brook Bezors, that encompass the most fertil Land of Caleb) or Subjects that meet in my Text: one is the Pregnancy of the Promise, the Bountifulness of the Blessing: The 2d is the Proportion or Sutableness to the Work [Page 38]and Actions to which they were promised; there was an Identity and Sameness in it, Into the Land whereinto he went.

As to the first, the South of Judah was a rich Inheritance; Judah and Benjamin possessed the Royalties and Dominions of fifteen Kings; there were but 31 Royolets of all, his Share was largest; and as Sandys says in his Travels, the most fruitful still of all Canaan, if not of all the World, are the Valleys and Banks of Bezor. Now when God has made a fruitful Land barren for the Wickedness of them that dwell therein, Caleb's Countrey remains the Monument of what it was before the Curse. It is said, Num. 13.23. That it was a Land that eateth up its Inhabitants; but so fertil it was they could not eat it up, the Goodness of the Land engaged them to fight for it. The Desarts of Judea were like English Parks, and the Hills like big Bellies, pregnant with Minerals, Salt-peter, Brass, Iron, &c. and the Surface covered with the streight Cedars, strong Oaks, shady Palms, and sweet Firs, or more fruitful Trees; and their Valleys enriched with all things useful. The greatest Questi­on is about Water, since the Jews Wells were in the Tops of their Houses; on which account some deny it possible to have dipped the Eunuch between Jerusalem and Gaza Acts 8.36, 26. As they went on their way, viz. in the Road between Jerusa­lem and Gaza, they came unto [...], aliquid Aquae, some Water: The Journey was 24 Miles. The Question is, whether there was in that Road sufficient Water for the Purpose? They confirm the Objection with this, that Mat. 3. John Baptist, who needed much Water to the legal way, went to Jordan to baptize, when he preach­ed in this Countrey. I answer, 1st. That the Land, Deut. 8.7. was a Land of Brooks and Fountains: and though no Land is more narrowly searched into by Choro­graphers than it, yet there might be a Place in 24 Miles fit for the Purpose, that is neither in our Maps nor Histories. 2ly. They do mention many not far out of his Road: it is true Isaac's Wells were further South beyond Gaza, and some Miles out of the Road; and the Well of Siriah, fatal to brave Abner, was too much westward, nor had they been proper: as far West were the Brook of Jeruel, and the Fish-Pools of Hebron. But the Eunuch kept the streight Road, he drove not out of the Way. 3ly. I will then find you three Brooks in this little Journey; first the River of the Phi­listins, that rose about 2 or 3 Miles from Jerusalem about the Rock Bethzur, or Val­ley of Rephaim, where the Angel was heard on the Top of the Mulberry Trees; this River was so big, that it made a considerable Stop between the Armies of the Pagans and Israelites in the time of the Maccabees: Now though his Road was by the Head of it, yet there were many Pools in that Place, from thence called Baca, Psal. 84.6. mentioned in no History, who passing through the Valley of Baca, &c. But it may be thought here was too little Space from Jerusalem for a Chariot and Six, to preach a Sermon in; and 2ly, may be Bezor was too far off, being the River that Gaza stood on. We will then fix on Sorek, or Esheol, that came into it, or some Spring about the Head of it, which was in Caleb's Territories too, which would render it both possible and probable. But the Matter of Fact is struck down by two Witnes­ses, holy, good, honest Men, who lived next to that Age, of any Testimony we have, who could not be imposed on as to the Circumstances of the Water, the one living at Bethlehem, the other at Caesarea, both on the Confines of the Place. The Persons are Eusebius and Jerome: their Testimony is this; their Design is the Cho­rography of the Land; their Words in effect agree, and are thus in English: ‘Bethsoron is a Village as we go from Aelia (i. e. Jerusalem) to Hebron in the 20th Stone (i. e. two Miles from Hebron) just by which there is a Spring at the Roots of the Mountain, that is sipped up by the same Ground out of which it bubbles, or boils forth: here was the Eunuch (the great Minister of State to Queen Can­dace) baptized by Philip.’ She was blind of an Eye; it were well for some they were blind of both, to have such Spectacles: She was another Elizabeth for Love to and from her Subjects, and Esteem from others even a Tiberius. The best Con­jecture I can make is, that it was Enhakkore, Judg. 15.19. where Sampson was refresh'd with Water: Circumstances agree, for they were very nigh, if not the same. 2ly. Philip was carried to Ashdod down the River, as Sampson came up from it to that Place.. But if it had been 10 [Page 39]times better, nay all Canaan his, it had not contained Fulness enough to make up Caleb's Inheritance; the Typicalness of the Land, the Temper of his Mind, the Fulness of his following God, bespeaks God to be his God, and Heaven to be his home; all Canaan, all Adam's Paradise just by, on Jordan or Euphrates, was but a Picture, a Map of this: nay, all the World, and all the World in its Spring split, new drawn by infinite Art, is but a Shadow of the Inheri­tance of the Saints in Light, Saints in Love, Saints in Rest: How else could Abraham and his Seed by Faith be Heirs of the World? Rom. 4.13. The Promise that he should be Heir of the World — was to him and his Seed, through the Righteousness of Faith? I. R. thus. The World was Adam's and his Seed, but was forefaulted by Re­bellion; this Forfeiture is taken off through Faith in Christ, which Redemption cost him so dear, that it's called a new Purchase, Eph. 1.14. World then must either be taken for all the Earth as a Type of Heaven, or rather comprehending all its several Globes: our Bodies, after glorified, may as easily pass from one Globe to another as now from one House to another to make a Visit. Caleb had Right to Abraham's Promise, that is, the World; he was a Son of Abraham, and my Parallel a Daughter of Abraham. For Application, I shall on­ly set Caleb's best Privileges in this Life and yours together, not only [Page 40]his Land but Israelitish State, to whom belonged the Oracles, the Or­dinances, the Promises and Covenant, or Church-Privileges, all which highly advance the Price of Caleb's Portion: as to the other Life, it is one to Believers in both Old and New-Testament-State (except the Progress they have made by being in Heaven so long before us, sets them in a higher Form) they looked for another City than Jerusalem, one that had better Foundations, tho all true living Rock, Heb. 13.14. and another Countrey than Canaan: they were Pilgrims even in Canaan, they desired a better Country, that is an Heavenly, Heb. 11.16. To press to Caleb's Spirit and Practice from this, is so big, I cannot speak what becomes it; Faith is so weak, it appears at a great Distance, and therefore little. In short, my Use is this, We are more obliged to be full in our following God, than Caleb was from his temporal Portion, Estate, Church-State, Politick State. 1st. It's the Substance that is in our Expectation, the Shadow and Type was immediately in his. 2ly. Forty Years was he to wander in the Wilderness before he set one Foot upon the Land: I could never see from the true Canons of Chronology, Scripture or Pro­vidence, any Ground to countenance the Prophecy of 1697; in­deed this is truly 1699, but yet I cannot think we shall continue 40 Years in the Wilderness. 3ly. Our present Circumstances are full of Straits, Want of Trade, Money, full of Fears, assaulted with a powerful Enemy, no Appearance of Victory, Distress in our Na­on, abounding Sin and Judgments. but I. R. was it worse than theirs in the Wilderness? All second Causes against them, and their Pil­grimage, under the Commination of God to destroy them all, before these Years were at an End, or they see the Land of Promise. 4ly. Compare their Means of Salvation with ours, their Light and Hope of Salvation with ours, and our Condition is not only better than their Wilderness-Condition, but better than their State under a triumphant David, or a peaceful Solomon: for (1.) We have the Exhibition, and the History of that Perfect Righteousness, that Everlasting Righteousness, that Eternal and Plentiful Redemp­tion that they could only look at in a Prophecy, and it may be un­derstand as little as we do of his glorious Reign, when he shall ap­pear the second Time without Sin. (2.) We have a full Remission of Sin; their Remission was a kind of Pretermission, or Preteri­tion of Sin, which (Rom. 3.25.) is called the Forbearance of God. The Difference seems to lie in these things: 1st. The Price was not [Page 41]yet paid. 2ly. The same Sins for which they had offered Sacrifice were brought to their Remembrance again by new Sacrifices, im­plying their not being in a constant State of Favour with God: hence their Consciences did perpetually accuse them, Heb. 10.2. and their Fears torment them. 3ly. They were under a Typical Curse for non-observance of some Ceremonial Law, which was al­most impossible to observe: but under the New Testament there is no kind of Condemnation to them that are in Christ, there is no more Sacrifice for Sin; which imports Divine Justice to be fully satisfied, Divine Wrath fully appeased; all things are ready, and we are invited to the Marriage-Feast. Remission in this full Emphatick Sense, is promised as the Due of the New Testament, Jer. 31.34. and historised as its Privilege, Col. 1.14. Heb. 9.22. Christ to us is a full Surety, an [...], Fidejussor, & Expromissor: hence Believers under the New Testament, who grow in Grace and Knowledg, enjoy a more perfected, tranquil, secure and peace­able Conscience; though thro Backslidings they sometimes doubt if they be the Men, but doubt not about the Validity and Accept­ableness of the Sacrifice. 4ly. Our Light is much more clear, our Vail is thinner, and our Stile more familiar: the Contrivance of Divine Wisdom in the Salvation of Man is more perspicuously de­clared, since he who was from Eternity in the Bosom of the Father, is become a Preacher of it, I will declare thy Name unto my Brethren, I have made known thy Name unto them. A 5th Advantage is the Manner of teaching, by Effusion of the Holy Spirit on the Hearts of Men, to convince of Sin, Righteousness and Judgment: this is the Gospel's Glory, this makes Believers Christ's Epistles, this makes our Subjection to all his Ordinances a willing Obedience. We see a Reason for it, as well as Authority for it, which renders all our Service a reasonable Service, even the severest bearing of the Cross. The Difference is so great, that our State eminently is called the State of Faith, Gal. 3.23. After that Faith is come, and before that Faith was. Their State is a State of Hope, By Hope we are saved: for Christ who was the Hope of Israel, and whom they looked at as future and to come, is present to our Faith: we hope for eternal Life through him, but we believe in him as already having given Satisfaction, and now sitting at the right Hand of God, our Intercessor: It may be on this account we are call­ed perfect, they Children in Christ. A 6th Advantage is the Diffe­rence [Page 42]between their Church-State and ours. I do humbly conceive that in many places where two Covenants are mentioned, the dif­ference is not between the Covenant of Works under the first Adam and the Covenant of Grace, but between the Church-Cove­nant under the Law, and under the Gospel: by the former all that were of Israel, were of the Church, they came in by Generation and Birth; the second Covenant-Constitution requires Regene­ration: the former filled the Church with profane Persons, and therefore required a rigid Yoak, severe Discipline, frequent Ejecti­ons; the other is more holy and Heaven-like. Church-Members are more like Sons having a Spirit and Air of Liberty; they had Fa­thers of their Flesh, who chastised them at pleasure; we own no Pastour to have paternal Authority, that is, to chastise at Pleasure: Call no Man your Father upon Earth, for one is your Father which is in Heaven, and one your Master even Christ; hence frequently Christ forbids to imitate the Gentile Lordship in his Kingdom, and the Apostles to exercise Lordship over God's Inheritance.

How powerful should these Motives be to undertake his light Burden and easy Yoak, to follow him fully in every Ordinance of his Institution, to follow the Lamb whithersoever he leads us, to bear whatever Cross his Providence imposes?

But yet the 2d thing is the more native Subject of this part of the Text, the Correspondency, Proportion, or Identity, between the Work and Reward; what he ventured for, he shall enjoy. Solo­mon makes the true Moral of it, The Backslider in Heart shall be fil­led with his own ways, and a good Man shall be satisfied from himself. If there be not a heavenliness in a Man's Temper before he die, his Hope may deceive him in expecting it then. They that plough Iniquity, and sow Wickedness, reap the same: but the Righteous shall eat the Fruit of his Doings. Sin and Hell, Holiness and Heaven, agree like Con­ception and Birth; When Lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth Sin, and Sin when 'tis finished brings forth Death: as hatred to God unfits for obedience to God, so it incapacitates to enjoy God. Can he that has Enmity of God in his Heart, take pleasure in the Fruition of his Company? Is not the Place of Darkness most sutable to them that love Darkness rather than Light? Is it a cruel Sentence for God to say, Depart from me, to them whose Souls say to God, De­part from us? When Christ has long importuned us to use him as our Advocate and Reconciler, is it harsh to say, I will not speak [Page 43]a word for you? If the Spirit of God hath striven with us, 20, 30 Years in our Consciences, and under Ordinances, Will his leaving of us be unjust? Or is it unmerciful to leave us, when we have so long grieved him, vex'd him and provoked him? When a Man's natural Temper is being dead to God, and alive to the World, is it not natural for that native Temper to grow more compleat and perfect? and what is Hell but the Perfection? Poiret reckons it to be the easiest Rule of Government, and the first Rule of Justice, to let every Man have what he will. O Sinner! consi­der, Hell is thy choice; the worst Sentence at the Day of Judg­ment is to let thee have thy Liking: thou likest not Believers Com­pany, nor Church-Communion; thou shalt have the Company of them thou didst like: thou preferrest the Tyranny of Satan to the Government of God; the Law of Sin is writ in thy Heart, not the Law of God; thou shalt have thy Choice. Consider, Sinner, it's thy own Doings that dries thee, and renders thee combustible to the Flames of Divine Wrath; thy Hell is begun already, thou woundest thy Conscience now, it only smarts more by a never-dy­ing Worm there; now thy Passions master thee, their Dominion only will be more tyrannical: thou art uneasy now with a never-satisfied Desire, it will then only crave more cruelly, like a Vul­ture eating out thy Heart: thou enviest the Prosperity of the God­ly now, it shall be only then in Maturity; thou wilt not hope now, thou shalt but then despair.

The same Relation lies between Grace and Glory, that lies be­tween Sin and Hell. Love is fully as much the Principle of Obe­dience and Fruition, as Hatred is of Rebellion and spiritual Di­stance. Light is sown for the Righteous, and Joy for the Ʋpright in Heart. Faith and Vision differ only as the Seed and Shock of Corn: Grace is the Father's drawing of the Heart to himself; There is none in Heaven and Earth (saith the Soul) that I desire but thee; Thou shalt have me, saith the Sentence of the Judg. I shall leave the rest to thy Meditation; only consider, that in all the typical­ness of the Land of Canaan, there is nothing seems so sutable to typify the Identity between Work and Reward, the Temper of Mind in time, and the Consummation of it in Eternity, as Caleb's having the very same Land he spied out, and contended for.

The 6th and last Head is the Entail of the Promise: His Seed shall [Page 44]possess it. This, if we take without an Emphasis, is no more than what is promised to the rest, that their Seed should possess the Land: indeed if we, take it in Conjunction, that both he and they should, then the Emphasis is spoken to before, for it lies in his possession of it. But Promises are usually from a God very preg­nant things; and I am under Apprehensions that there will be dis­cover'd Mountains of Divine Goodness, both as to Extent and Intenseness in Promises, that we look on as Mole-hills: it's like then a distinguishing and singular length of Time and Number of Generations is implied in it; which we may thus confirm, the Fa­milies of Jabez ^* came of Caleb, and the Rechabites came of Jabez, 1 Chron. 2.55. We find them of great Note in Jehu's Reign for Interest and Piety, 2 King. 10.15. he was Jehu's Minister of State, as far as his Reformation went; these were the Men he flatter'd with that Saying, Come, see my Zeal for the Lord. We find them in Nebuchadnezzar's time constant and zealous in their Piety, Jer. 35.11. and then this Promise of Entail, when it had lasted about 1000 Years, is repeated with a more powerful Emphasis than before, Jer. 35.19. Jonadab, the Son of Rechab, shall not want a Man to stand before me for ever. The Fruits of former entail'd Grace have begotten Promises of greater Grace: it is not a Promise of Office in the Priesthood, that was not to stand for ever, but a Place within the Church of God. How it is this Day fulfilled, when neither Jew nor Gentile can give account of their Families for any conside­rable time (a few being excepted) the God who can distinguish the Dust of every Individual at the Resurrection, only knows; no doubt these Springs that run under ground invisible to Man, will then be set forth in harmonious Lines and lively Colours. There [Page 45]is an Entail of a Curse from the first Adam, and an Entail of a Bles­sing from the Second, Rom. 5. Among all the Entails by Promise or Covenant, that of Abraham's seems to have the most Variety of Branches, some Spiritual, some Ecclesiastick, some Earthly, some by natural Generation, some by Ingrafture, and the most Turn­ings and Windings, the most Interruptions and Breaches ap­parently, and yet the Tenor and Title the most fix'd and perse­vering. Rom. 11.28. As concerning the Gospel they are Enemies, but as touching Election, they are belov'd for the Fathers. It's no wonder that the 70 Years Captivity, which made the People of Israel a Loammi, not my People in respect of the National Covenant at Sinai, could not violate the Family-Covenant of Abraham, Gal. 3. since this sad Desolation for 1500 Years upon that People has not drawn the Spirit and Fatness of that Root dry. Rom. 11.16. If the Root (that one Abraham, says Jac. Alt. in Loc.) be holy, so the Branches, ver. 17, 26, 29. Gen. 17.7. A thousand Generations are not yet come; there were but about 54 from Abraham to Christ, not above 200 to this Day, Lev. 26.42, 44. That Cove­nant will bring them out of this Distress. It is the common Opi­nion of Men under the Name Christian, that one part of that Promise's Fatness is, that this Root's Boughs bear Twigs or smal­ler Branches, Act. 2.39. 1 Cor. 7.14. but that I shall forbear, for the sincere Love (in the Sight of God) I bear to them of another Opinion, of whom this pious Matron and Mother of Israel was. I confess I have heard many of them blam'd for idolizing this Or­dinance of Professors Baptism only, and placing all their Religion in it; but I must profess, to the Honour of this good Woman, and all them of my acquaintance (excepting some very few whose spiritual Baptism my Charity can scarce reach, as I may say the like of some of every Denomination) I never did observe any such Infir­mity, but on the contrary a most facile and easy bearing their ^* Infir­mity, [Page 46]whose Zeal on the contrary exceeded Knowledg.

But I have exceeded the Bulk of Discourses usual of this kind, and wasted my Strength thorow Shortness of Time, and Smalness of Health. But I should glory in all, if I could raise up, or awa­ken one Caleb, one to be first (Numb. 13.30.) in stopping our run­ning back towards Egypt, disbelieving and despising the precious Promises and pleasant Land, to be a Lot in our Sodom, a Noah in our Day, a Nicodemus outed of his worldly Policy, or a Joseph of Arimathea shewing himself for a crucified Christ: and where there is any such Temper, I would beg Caleb's Perseverance, that they would not take in evil part the Temper of their Brethren, that would rather stone them than reward them. Caleb met with no better, nor Luther in Saxony, nor Zuinglius in Helvetia, nor Huss in Bohemia. Consider, a Primacy and Perpe­tuity in Reward, requires a Primacy and Constancy in acting for God. O to be first, and to be full too in following God, is a great Reward in it self! We can chalk out many Men first in such and such a Sin, one in Knavery, another in Idolatry, a 3d in Hypocrisy, and a 4th with the Daughters of Zion in Vanity, a 5th in Treachery; Joh. 19.11. He that delivered me unto thee, hath the greater Sin. The Spies first in Sin shall die first of the Plague, Num. 14.37. but whom God will make the first Instrument in Is­rael's Redemption, is yet in the dark. As we would make up a part of the two Witnesses in the Wilderness, Rev. 11. we should follow Caleb and Joshua, who follow'd the Lord fully; they were the Witnesses in their Day. When the Witnesses Obedience is come to a Fulness, the Sins of the Amorites will be full too; 2 Cor. 10.6. Having in a Readiness to revenge all Disobedience, when your Obedience is fulfilled.