: " he has been every way a workman who needed not be ashamed*. The great Mr. Rutherfoord in one of his letters from Aberdeen to the Author's mother says, "I rejoice to hear your fon is coming to vifit Chrift, and taste of his love: I hope he thall not lose his pains, and rue of that choice.. I had always (as I. faid often to you) a great love to dear Mr. JOHN BROWN, because I thought I saw Christ in " him more than in his brethren: Fain would I write to him to stand by my sweet Master; and I wish you would let him read my letter, and the joy I have if he " will appear for and fide with my LORD JESUS." This letter is dated in the year 1637, about which time 'tis probable the Author had been fetting forward for the ministry. He was settled at Wamphray a good number of years before his banishment, as appears by the dates he puts to his fermons, a large collection whereof, and several other practical treatises, are yet unpublished; that the church should be deprived of any part of the labours of this eminent divine, is surely a very great pity. If a more particular account of the life, fufferings and death of this great man, than what can be got, was here inserted, it would be certainly valuable and useful; but feeing that during the latter part of his life, for his fingular zeal and faithfulness to his Lord and Master, he was banished to Holland 1662 †, till about 1679, when he died * If thou be not a stranger in our Ifrael, whoever thou be, then if either eminency in grace or learning. if vastness or pregnancy of parts, if fervour of zeal according to knowledge, if unwearied diligence in the work of the Lord. (wherein he laboured more abundantly than any of us all, for no man in the church of Scotland hath filled up his measure, even as to that; nor know, nor see I a man who is like to do it, nay, who is in capacity for it) if a holy heroic mifregard of men, and their estimation, in approving himself to God, by a ready and resolute withstanding the corruptions of his time, and opposing all thete courses and contrivances, and these unworthy connivings, whereby the cause hath been prejudged, yea basely abandoned, and the free course and progress of the gospel obstructed; if single follicitousness, and strenuous endeavours how to have pure ordinances preserved in this generation, and propagate to the poflerity; in a word, if faithfulness as a servant in all the house and matters of his God, even that God, who counted him faithful, and put him in the ministry, and loyalty to his princely Lord and Master, (the prerogatives of whose crow, the privileges of whose kingdom and the establishment of whose throne, were more prized by him, more precious and dear unto him, than all other interests whatsoever; nay, he was fo far from segarding any other interest, in respect of that alone valuable one, that as he was never daunted from a plain peremptoriness in owning thereof, by the dread of poor mortals, or the fear of what the stated enemy could do unto him; so he was never demurred into a forbearance, or brow-beaten into a base and un-ambaffador becoming filence, by the displeasure and discountenancings, even of fuch of his brethren, whom otherwise he loved and highly honoured, as to a plain contending with them, wherein he perceived them not to walk uprightly, according to the truth of the gospel, and to the former principles of that church, while the retained first love, and did first works; yea, he judged it duty (and in this he had the mind of Christ) to contend earnestly with them, for their not earnest contendings for the faith, tho' for this he should have been contemned, and accounted, as he was, a man of contention :) I fay, if thou be fuch an one to whom such a blessed conjunction of rare gifts, with fuch a rich and plentiful measure of grace, can endear any man; I then nothing doubt, but Mr. BROWN, great and gracious Mr. BROWN, hath such a place in thy foul, and fuch a preference to others, as thou wilt judge it fuperfluous in me to say any thing to commend what the truly great Elijah of his time, (I mean of this present time, when having ferved his generation according to the will of God, he fell asleep) the man jealous for the Lord God of Hosts, above all his brethren whom he hath left behind him, I except not one foul.. M'Ward's Preface to the Swan-Song. + On the 6th day of November 1662, the learned, zealous and pious Mr. JOHN BROWN mititer at Wamphray, was ordered to be imprisoned for speaking against those who countenanced the diocefan afsembly's. Great were the hardships he underwent in prison, for he was denied even the neceffaries of life; and tho', because of the ill treatment he met with, he was brought almost to the gates of death, yet he could not have the benefit of the free air, until he signed a bond obliging himself to a voluntary banithment without cause. Crookshank's Hist. vol. I. P. 134. 1 i diel of a lingering disease, few particular circumstances concerning him have been tranfmitted to the place of his nativity. The cruel rage of his enemies could not be fatisfied in going this length only with him, but the infamous Sharp was so mad against him and Mr. M'Ward, that he prevailed with the King to write to the States of Holland, to have then removed out of their provinces, but the States being convinced of the unreasonableness of fuch a demand, refused to comply with it 1. The particular grounds and causes why he was thus inhumanly and barbaroufiy treated, was his strict attachment to, and maintaining the binding force and perpetual obligations of the nations folemn vows and covenants; his refusing acceptation of the then finful Indulgences; his publicly and strenuously testifying against the facrilegious ufurpation of the regal and incommunicable headhip of the Lord Jesus Chrift in and over his church; his public and zealous testifying against licentious tolerations, and the many other abounding wickednesses and defections that prevailed (and which alas! continues and are come to a prodigious height) for these and such like, was he violently thurst from his flock: yet the wisdom and goodness of Divine Providence is very remarkable, in that whilst his enemies meant it for evil to him, God meant it for good; tho', like Jofeph, fold by unnatural brethren, yet was he fent to preserve life and comfort among his poor afflicted and perfecuted brethren in Scotland, expofed to the blood-thirity rage and cruelty of their wicked, ungodly and apoftate rulers : He wrote and fent over to Scotland many useful and confolatory treatises, wherein he discovers the true state of the testimony of the church of Scotland, especially his remarkably eminent piece entitled The Life of Faith in the time of trouble, and SwanSong, and a number of others, fome of which the circumstances of the times would not fuffer his name to be prefixed. His fingular judiciousness and honesty, in being a faithful witness and wrestler for the purity of Reformation, appears very obvious in his piece entitled An Apologetical Relation, wherein he holds forth the dreadful and hainous nature of national perjury and covenant-breaking, and convincingly discovers that it is not in the power of the mations to shake themselves loofe of their facred obligations, either as to the matter or manner of them; tho' to the great shane and unspeakable loss of these nations, the bulk and body of them have not only once or twice discovered their contempt of thefe facred vows to the Most High, but have still perfifted and continued in an open courte of backfliding upwards of these hundred years paft *. H. The next thing shall be very fummarily to notice the scope of the inspired epistle, and the exposition: It is very obfervable that the method of this epistle is, first doctrinal, and then practical, which however distinct in themselves, must never be separated; It is faid, They that know thy name will put their trust in thee, Pfal. ix. to. and, If any man do bis will, he shall know the doctrine, John vii. 29. In this epiftle the profound and deep mysteries and foundation principles of the gospel are laid open, such as the impuration of the First Adam's fin to his pofterity; the imputation of the Second Adam's righteousness to all his spiritual feed and off-spring, whereby their perfons are accepred and fins pardoned; the doctrine of the adorable Trinity of perfons and unity of effence; the mysterious constitution of the perfon of our Lord Jesus Chrift; the docwine of predestination; the union of believers with Chrift; perfeverance, fanctification, aglorification. This inspired writer lays the foundation of acceptance and salvation, See the refolution of the States, inserted in Wodrow's Hist. vol. I. P. 434 435.". * See Apologetical Relation, pages 328, 343. Hist. of the Indulgence, page 132. not upon the dim light of the Gentiles law of nature, neither on the Jews works of the law, but folely and wholly upon the perfect righteousness, obedience and fatisfaction of the Lord Jesus Christ, Being justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ, Rom. iii. 24. Juftification by faith without the works of the law, and the admission of the Gentiles, were the chief things the Jews stumbled at, which the inspired writer clears and vindicates from their grofs and carnal notions. After having laid down a fure and stable foundation for practice, he finishes his epistle with necessary exhortations for Christians how to regulate their conversation, either confidered as members of civil or ecclesiastic fociety. This epistle by some has been called The Christian's Practical Catechism. Others have faid of the pialms and Paul's epistles, that they were stars of the first magnitude and differ from the other stars in glory. It is said of Chryfoftom that he would have this epistle to the Romans read over to him twice a week. It will readily be granted that the deep and profound mysteries therein contained, render it a subject very unmeet for ordinary or weak illiterate expofitors to comment upon. What the inspired apostle Peter fays, may be applied to this epistle, In which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unftable wrest, as they de alfo the other fcriptures, unto their own destruction, 2 Pet. iii. 16. It is likewife obfervable, that this epistle is put before the rest, not on account of its be. ing priorly wrote, but by reason of the great and weighty subjects it contains, and the dignity of the place whereto it is directed. Our Expofitor appears, either for method, matter, or stile, very much a-piece with other Scots divines who commented on the scriptures, in his time; fuch as Durham, Dickson, Ferguson, Hutchefon, Nisbet, and others. He first very fummarily shows the connexion and general scope of the text, then more fully deduces observations, natively arifing from, and contained in the words; wherein the true sense and meaning of the text comes to be discovered. Nice critics, no doubt, will find fault with the fimplicity and plainness of speech that the author uses, and because they will not find in this expofition, their favourable and presently fashionable embellishment, of what they call fine language; but it is prefumed their censure will be very little regarded, as the language and composition, method and matter, to fober readers, will be found both elear, comprehenfive, and orthodox; and excellently calculate for differencing the law and the gospel, and for detecting and confuting Arminian, Socinian, and Antinomian doctrine. III. We shall now point out some of the grounds and reasons that feem to give осcafion for this publication. 1. From what has been noticed above, concerning this place of facred writing, it appears, that fuch an expofition as the following, at this time, is very necessary, as none hitherto, in such a full and practical way, on this epistle, has been offered to the public. We have indeed the expositions of some of the author's venerable contemporaries, such as were just now mentioned, upon other places of facred writing, but none of them on this place, except Mr. Dickson, in a very short way of paraphrafe. Mr. Henry died when he advanced this length in the New Teftament, and it is generally acknowledged his Continuators are confiderably inferior to himself. 2. At a time when so many false teachers, and false doctrines anent juftification and justifying faith, prevail and abound to fuch a great height, there teems to be a neceffary and particular call in providence, for both publishing and perusing scriptural and orthodox expofitions, both for information and confirmation of the church and people of God, when so imminently exposed to hurt and injury, by the flight and cunning craf tiness of men, whereby they lie in wait to deceive, by their good words and fair speeches, the hearts of the fimple. 3. When the beautiful hedge of the government and difcipline of the church is broken down and torn, fo that the foulest principles and doctrines get leave to take place, and are entertained by such as thould be as he-goats before the flock, there is furely a loud call for every one who regard the welfare and falvation of their immortal fouls, to take heed of what doctrines and spirits they receive, and try whether or not they be of God; as it is foretold by the Holy Ghost, that false teachers shall come in among the people, who privily shall bring in damnable herefies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves fwift deftruction;---and many shall folloro after their pernicious ways, by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of, 2 Pet. ii, 1. 2. When the generality and bulk of a nation are left to poison their fouls in eating and drinking what their shepherds have trodden and defiled with their feer, it is furely a called-for season to entertain wholesome truth and doctrine, fuch as has been already drunk in by the church for her real health and comfort. It is the counfel of the good Shepherd who laid down his life for his sheep, If thou know not, Ο thou fairest among women, go thy way forth by the footsteps of the flock, Song i. 8. He tells us likewife, That no man also having drunk old wine will streightway defire new : for he faith, The old is better, Luke v. 39. 4. May it not be allowed a proper and necessary season for publishing and perusing the orthodox expositions and labours of those who have acted fuch a noble part, for maintaining the purity of the doctrine, worship, difcipline and government of Christ's church, as to fubject themselves to the trial of cruel mockings, bonds, and imprifon mets, rather than betray the cause and interest of their Lord and Master; when the fad marks of divine anger and wrath are gone forth against our guilty lands, where fome who bear the name of Presbyterian ministers, go the dreadful length of flatly de. nying the binding obligation of our national, folemn, sacred Covenants, and bonds of allegiance to the Most High; and scurrilously give out to the world, that our honoured reformers and martyrs for truth, in their framing and favouring these Covenants, were moved more with political and mercenary views therein, than the honour and glory of the church's Head and Lord. How sad an appearance is it, that fuch are so keenly difposed to have Christ in his truths and members crucified, that they are crying, Away with him; we will not have this man to reign over us. By fober thinking perfons, our Covenants have been sustained as the antient land-marks which our fathers have fet, and which were made the perpetual basis of our national constitution and government, which none may dare or presume to lift, alter, or model at their pleasure, but at the expence of the dreadful anathema entailed on all fuch. When once the bulwarks of a church and nation's constitution come to be removed, what a prey will they foon be for every destroying enemy to enter thereinto, and spoil and waste at their pleasure. Ever since the decline of our national reformation, a set of pulpit men have arisen, who set themselves in direct opposition to the gospel and doctrine of Christ: instead of knowing nothing but Jesus Christ, and him crucified, they appear determined to know and teach some other thing of their own framing and invention; rarely do they mention the name of Christ in their pulpit harangues, as if they were ashamed of this glórious name; or when they mention him, it is only under the notion of a heavenly teacher and pattern of imitation, robbing him of the glory of his Deity and Godhead, and the merit of his obedience and righteousness; and thereby do they frame a gofpel of their own fancy, intirely eversive of the gospel of the grace of God; not regarding the 1 the terrible anathema, That if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach any other gospel, let him be accursed. i Morality in its finest dress, and true godliness in its greatest simplicity, do widely differ, both as to their spring and tendency; the one is bred in, and fomented by a carnal proud heart, the other flowing from a new covenant state of union to, and interest in Chrift; the one tending to exalt self, whilst the other ascribes all to God, and the sove reignty of his grace. The tendency of an evangelic and legal spirit and principle, will be found likewife vastly different: The true, filial, and heaven-born principle, will be for obtaining heaven and falvation in no other way, or upon any other terms, than the gospel proposes, which is without money or price; whereas the nature of a legal spirit will be for terms of its own, and for happiness without holiness; for refting on attainments and duties for its saviours, and for minching and modelling the covenant of grace into the old covenant of works; whilst the native tendency and language of a gracious principle will be, Let me have Chrift, else I die. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss, for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, &c. Philip. iii. 8. 9. It may be justly lamented, that few know the meaning of true religion in its power and efficacy upon the heart, the generality being either carried down in a deluge of defection, inconfideration, and ignorance of a God in Chrift, or else driven to wild heights, extravagancies, and headstrong rigidness, busy in kindling and fomenting strife and division in the church; yet all the true lovers of Christ and his truths, may depend on the promise of him who is faithful, that they shall be kept safely, and when ready to be ensnared on the right hand or on the left, they shall hear a voice behind them, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it. Judicious expositions of the holy scriptures have been reckoned the church's great treasure, and, when accompanied with the divine blessing, are a happy mean for understanding the mind and will of God revealed. May the perusal of the following Lectures be accompanied with a remarkable blessing, for the glory of God, and the benefit of immortal fouls; and may the great Lord of the harvest send forth moe faithful labourers, and preserve a feed in the ministry, and out of it, that, from time to time, shall be reckoned to him for a generation: To whom be glory in the church by Chrift Jefus, throughout all ages, world without end. Amen. : AN : |