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he has been every way a workman who needed not be afhamed. The great Mr. Rutherfoord in one of his letters from Aberdeen to the Author's mother fays, "1 re"joice to hear your fen is coming to vifit Chrift, and taste of his love: I hope he fhall not lofe 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 faw Chrift in "him more than in his brethren: Fain would I write to him to ftand by my sweet Mafter; and I wish you would let him read my letter, and the joy I have if he "will appear for and file 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 miniftry. He was fettled 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appears by the dates he puts to his fermons, a large collection whereof, and feveral other practical treatises, are yet unpublished; that the church fhould be deprived of any part of the labours of this eminent divine, is furely a very great pity.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 inferted, it would be certainly valuable and ufeful; but feeing that during the latter part of his life, for his fingular zeal and faithfulness to his Lord and Mafter, he was banished to Holland 1662 t, till about 1679, when he

died

If thou be not a firanger in our Ifrael, whoever thou be, then if either eminency in grace or learning. if vaftnefs 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 fee 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 eftimation, in approving himfelf to God, by a ready and refolute withstanding the corruptions of his time, and oppofing all thefe courfes and contrivances, and thefe unworthy connivings, whereby the caufe hath been prejudged, yea bafely abandoned, and the free courfe and progrefs of the gofpel obftructed; if fingle follicitoufnefs, and strenuous endeavours how to have pare ordinances preferved in this generation, and propagate to the poflerity; in a word, if faithfulness as a fervant in all the house and matters of his God, even that God, who counted him faithful, and put him in the miniftry, and loyalty to his princely Loid and Mafter, (the prerogatives of whofe crow, the privileges of whofe kingdom and the establishment of whofe throne, were more prized by him, more precious and dear unto him, than all other interefts whatsoever; nay, he was fo far from regarding any other intereft, in refpect of that alone valuable one, that as he was never daunted from a plain peremptorinefs in owning thereof, by the dread of poor mortals, or the fear of what the ftated enemy could do unto him; fo he was never demurred into a forbearance, or brow-beaten into a bafe and un-ambaffador becoming filence, by the difpleasure and difcountenancings, even of fuch of his brethren, whom otherwife 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 gofpel, and to the former principles of that church, while the retained first love, and did firft works; yea, he judged it duty (and in this he had the mind of Chrift) to contend earnestly with them, for their not earneft contendings for the faith, tho' for this he fhould have been contemned, and accounted, as he was, a man of contention :) I fay, if thou be fuch an one to whom fuch a bleffed 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 fuch a place in thy foul, and fuch a preference to others, as thou wilt judge it fuperfluous in me to fay any thing to commend what the truly great Elijah of his time, (I mean of this prefent time, when having ferved his generation according to the will of God, he fell asleep) the man jealous for the Lord God of Hofts, above all his brethren whom he hath left behind him, I except not one foul. M Ward's Preface to the Swan-Seng.

On the 6th day of November 1662, the learned, zealous and pious Mr. JOHN BROWN militer at Wamphray, was ordered to be imprifoned for fpeaking against those who countenanced the diocefan affembly's. Great were the hardships he underwent in prifon, for he was denied even the neceffaries of life; and tho', because of the ill treatment he met with, he was brought almoft to the gates of death, yet he could not have the benefit of the free air, until he figned a bond obliging himself to a voluntary banishment without caufe. Crookshank's Hift. vol. I. P. 134.

diel of a lingering difeafe, 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 fo 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 unreafonablenefs of fuch a demand, refused to comply with it .

The particular grounds and caufes why he was thus inhumanly and barbaroufly treated, was his ftrict attachment to, and maintaining the binding force and perpetual obligations of the nations folemn vows and covenants; his refufing acceptation of the then finful Indulgences; his publicly and ftrenuously teftifying against the facrilegious ufurpation of the regal and incommunicable head hip of the Lord Jefus Chrift in and over his church; his public and zealous teftifying against licentious tolerations, and the many other abounding wickedneffes and defections that prevailed (and which alas! continues and are come to a prodigious heigh) for thefe and fuch like, was he violently thurst from his flock: yet the wifdom and goodness of Divine Providence is very remarkable, in that whilft his enemies meant it for evil to him, God meant it for good; tho', like Joseph, fold by unnatural brethren, yet was he sent to preferve 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 treatifes, 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 judicioufnefs and honefty, in being a faithful witnefs 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 difcovers that it is not in the power of the Erions to shake themselves loofe of their facred obligations, either as to the matter or-manner of them; tho' to the great fhame and unfpeakable lofs of these nations, the bulk and body of them have not only once or twice difcovered their contempt of these facred vows to the Moft High, but have ftill perfifted and continued in an open courie of backfliding upwards of thefe hundred years paft *.

II. The next thing fhall be very fummarily to notice the fcope of the infpired epiftle, an 1 the expofition: It is very obfervable that the method of this epistle is, firft doctrinil, and then practical, which however diftinct in themselves, muft never be separated; It is faid, They that know thy name will put their trust in thee, Pfal. ix. 1o. and, If any man do his 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, fuch as the imputation of the Firft Adam's fin to his pofterity; the imputation of the Second Adau's righteoufnefs to all his fpiritual feed and off-fpring, whereby their perfous are accepted and fins pardoned; the doctrine of the adorable Trinity of perfons and unity of effence; the myfterious conftitution of the person of our Lord Jefus Chrift; the doctrine of predeftination; the union of believers with Chrift; perfeverance,, fanctification, glorification. This infpired writer lays the foundation of acceptance and falvation,

See the refolution of the States, inferted in Wodrow's Hift. vol. I. P. 434, 435-
See Apologetical Relation, pages 328, 343. Hift. of the Indulgence, page 132.

not

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 righteoufnefs, obedience and fatisfaction of the Lord Jefus Chrift, Being juftified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Jefus Chrift, Rom. iii. 24. Juftification by faith without the works of the law, and the admiffion of the Gentiles, were the chief things the Jews ftumbled 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 epiftle with neceffary exhortations for Chriftians how to regulate their converfation, either confidered as members of civil or ecclefiaftic fociety. This epiftle by fome has been called The Chriftian's Practical Catechifm. Others have faid of the palms and Paul's epiftles, that they were stars of the first magnitude and differ from the other ftars in glory. It is faid of Chryfoftom that he would have this epiftle 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 fubject very unmeet for ordinary or weak illiterate expofitors to comment upon. What the infpired apoftle Peter fays, may be applied to this epistle, In which are fome things hard to be underflood, which they that are unlearned and unftable wreft, as they do alfo the other fcriptures, unto their own destruction, 2 Pet. iii. 16. It is likewife obfervable, that this epiftle is put before the reft, not on account of its be. ing priorly wrote, but by reason of the great and weighty fubjects it contains, and the dignity of the place whereto it is directed.

Our Expofitor appears, either for method, matter, or ftile, very much a-piece with other Scots divines who commented on the fcriptures, in his time; fuch as Durham, Dickfon, Ferguson, Hutchefon, Nisbet, and others. He first very fummarily fhows the connexion and general fcope of the text, then more fully deduces obfervations, natively arifing from, and contained in the words; wherein the true fenfe and meaning of the text comes to be difcovered. Nice critics, no doubt, will find fault with the fimplicity and plainnefs of speech that the author ufes, 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 cenfure will be very little regarded, as the language and compofition, method and matter, to fober readers, will be found both clear, comprehenfive, and orthodox; and excellently calculate for differencing the law. and the gofpel, and for detecting and confuting Arminian, Socinian, and Antinomian doctrine.

III. We fhall now point out fome of the grounds and reafons that seem to give occafion 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 neceflary, as none hitherto, in fuch a full and practical way, on this epiftle, has been offered to the public. We have indeed the expofi ions of fome of the author's venerable contemporaries, fuch as were just now mentioned, upon other places of facred writing, but none of them on this place, except Mr. Dickfon, 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 fo many falfe teachers, and falfe doctrines anent juftification and juftifying faith, prevail and abound to fuch a great height, there teems to be a neceffary and particular call in providence, for both publishing and perufing fcriptural and orthodox expofitions, both for information and confirmation of the church and people of God, when fo imminently expofed to hurt and injury, by the flight and cunning craf

tinefs 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 fouleft principles and doctrines get leave to take place, and are entertained by fuch as fhould 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 fpirits they receive, and try whether or not they be of God; as it is foretold by the Holy Ghoit, that falfe teachers fhall come in among the people, who privily fhall bring in damnable herefies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themfelves fwift deftruction; ---and many fhall follow after their pernicious ways, by reafon of whom the way of truth fhall be evil spoken of, 2 Pet. ii. 1. 2. When the generality and bulk of a nation are left to poifon their fouls in eating and drinking what their fhepherds have trodden and defiled with their feet, it is furely a called-for feafon to entertain wholefome 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 fheep, If thou know not, O thou fairest among women, go thy way forth by the footsteps of the flock, Song i. 8. He tells us likewife, That no man alfo having drunk old wine will freightway defire new: for he faith, The old is better, Luke v. 39.

4. May it not be allowed a proper and neceffary feafon for publishing and perufing the orthodox expofitions and labours of thofe 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 themfelves to the trial of cruel mockings, bonds, and imprifon, mets, rather than betray the caufe and intereft of their Lord and Mafter; when the fad marks of divine anger and wrath are gone forth against our guilty lands, where fome who bear the name of Presbyterian minifters, go the dreadful length of flatly de. nying the binding obligation of our national, folemn, facred Covenants, and bonds of allegiance to the Moft High; and fcurriloufly 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 fad an appearance is it, that fuch are fo keenly difpofed to have Chrift 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 perfon, our Covenants have been fuftained as the antient land-marks which our fathers have fet, and which were made the perpetual basis of our national conftitution 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 conftitution come to be removed, what a prey will they foon be for every destroying enemy to enter thereinto, and fpoil and wafte at their pleasure. Ever fince the decline of our national reformation, a fet of pulpit men have arisen, who fet themselves in direct oppofition to the gospel and doctrine of Chrift: instead of knowing nothing but Jefus Chrift, and him crucified, they appear determined to know and teach fome other thing of their own framing and invention; rarely do they mention the name of Chrift in their pulpit harangues, as if they were afhamed of this glorious 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 righteoufnefs; and thereby do they frame a gospel of their own fancy, intirely everfive of the gospel of the grace of God; not regarding

the

the terrible anathema, That if we, or an angel from heaven, fhould preach any other gofpel, let him be accurfed.

Morality in its finest drefs, and true godlinefs in its greatest fimplicity, do widely differ, both as to their fpring and tendency; the one is bred in, and fomented by a carnal proud heart, the other flowing from a new covenant flate of union to, and interest in Chrift; the one tending to exalt felf, whilft the other afcribes all to God, and the fovereignty of his grace.

The tendency of an evangelic and legal fpirit and principle, will be found likewife vaftly 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 propofes, which is without money or price; whereas the nature of a legal fpirit will be for terms of its own, and for happiness without holiness; for refting on attainments and duties for its faviours, and for minching and modelling the covenant of grace into the old covenant of works; whilft the native tendency and language of a gracious principle will be, Let me have Chrift, elfe I die. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but lofs, for the excellency of the knowledge of Chrift Jefus my Lord, &c. Philip. iii. 8. 9.

It may be juftly 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 elfe driven to wild heights, extravagancies, and headstrong rigidnefs, bufy in kindling and fomenting ftrife and divifion in the church; yet all the true lovers of Chrift and his truths, may depend on the promife of him who is faithful, that they fhall be kept fafely, and when ready to be enfnared on the right hand or on the left, they fhall hear a voice behind them, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it.

Judicious expofitions of the holy fcriptures have been reckoned the church's great treasure, and, when accompanied with the divine bleffing, are a happy mean for underftanding the mind and will of God revealed. May the perufal of the following Lectures be accompanied with a remarkable bleffing, 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 Christ Jefus, throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

AN

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