was but his base borne sonne not in lawfull copulation Thirdly against the Commandement written in his heart Thou shalt not kill Fourthly against the promise Gen. 21 12. In Isaack shall thy seed be called the posteritie propagated by Isaack onely to be reckoned for the seed in which heeâ— would performe the promises made to him which circumstance might directly fight against faith whereby hee beleeved to receive the blessing in the life of Isaack All which notwithstanding he obeyed spedily Gen. 21 3. Abraham rose up early in the same morning c. Hee was not long in resolving neither desired respite but presently addresseth himselfe to this worke Ioseph warned in a dreame to go into Egypt with Iesus and his mother to disappoint Herods bloudy purpose to take away his life hee tooke them by night departed into Egypt Paul when God called him to preach the Gospell among the heathen immediately he consulted not with flesh and bloud but resting in Gods authority hee buckled himselfe to the worke Gal. 1 16. And when hee knew certainly that God called him into Macedonia to preach the Gospell he forthwith prepared to goe Act. 16 10. The Iailor when God converted him tooke Paul and Sylas into his house and washed their wounds and set meate before them the same houre of the night and was baptised straightway with all that were in his house verse 33. It is required in every duty that it be done with forwardnesse Our preaching requires a double aptnesse one for conveying â—itly unto the understanding of others the knowledge which God hath given unto us a grace faculty of communicating our doctrine with apt expression for instruction and edification of others Secondly a willing propension to take all opportunities Meeknesse and long suffering devouring indignities so long as there may be hope 2 Tim. 2 24. 25. Bâ—th wayes doctrine 1 Pet. 5 2. Hearing requires drawing neere to it Eccles. 5 1. Swiftnesse to heare Iames 1 19. Desire to heare 1 Pet. 2 2. In giving almes readie to distribute willing to communicate 1 Tim. 6 18. Not differring the poore of their desires Iob 31 16. not bidding them come againe to morrow if wee have it now to give them Prov. 3. 28. In beleeving in Christ God requires the present time now therefore bee wise kisse the Sonne least hee bee angrie Psal. 2 10. In repentance Now therefore saith the Lord turne ye unto mee Ioel 2 20. First seeke the kingdome of God and his righteousnesse Math. 6 33. Now consider this ye that forget God Psal. 50 22. As saith the holy Ghost which is added for more reverence and quicker yeelding to the exhortation To day if ye will heare his voyce harden not your hearts Heb. 3 7. Ministers are to remember their hearers of this dutie to bee readie to every good worke Titus 3 1 Being made meete for their Lords use by sanctification and prepared to every good worke they should have propension of will and a readie mind to doe good things to Gods glory to be presidents of good works continually given thereunto The writing of the law in their heart is a delivering of them into the forme of the doctrine bringing the commandement and their heart together they agree presently with pleasure and delight Psal. 40 8. This readinesse argues reverence of the Commandement and of Gods authoritie as obedience is set forth by fearing the commandement Prov. 13 13. Ezra 10 3. The feare of God is as the root and the keeping of the Commandements as the fruit Eccles. 12 13. The more reverence the readier obedience Heb. 11 7. It glorifieth the word of the Lord shewing it is lively and mighty by the Spirit going with it Act. 13 48. As when Christ commanding the divell to goe forth of the possessed hee went out the people amazed at it spake among themselves saying What a word is this what new doctrine is this they referre the glory to the doctrine in the powerfull effect of it they saw something in it more than humane so call it new Thus when the Lord commands an adusterer to be chaste and a drunkard to bee sober a niggard to be liberall the profane to be holy and it is as he commands forthwith it is the glory of his word causing that to stand sorth which was not As the kingdome of the Messiah is prophecied of the eyes of the blind shall bee opened and the eares of the deafe shall bee unstopped then shall the lame man leape as an Hart and the tongue of the dumbe sing Esay 35 5 6 And a high way shall bee there and a way and it shall be called the way of holinesse The uncleane shall not passe over it but it shall bee for those the wayfaring men though fooles shall not erre therein v. 8. For 〈…〉 xhortation to sinners to be abrupt in their repentance and not to take dayes for returning fooles to forsake their way readily to walke in the way of understanding they have made haste to sinne good reason they should hast to come to the Lord for life and godlinesse and all that perteines thereunto David professeth that upon consideration of his wayes hee turned his feet unto Gods testimonies he made haste and delaied not to keepe his Commandements His subjoyning a negation of the contrary answerable to that which he affirmed notes his earnestnesse overcomming all impediments and difficulties true zeale burning up his corruptions 1. A man must either turne to God or bee turned into hell if hee repent noâ— hee perisheth and his torment shall bee answerable to his sinnes the impenitent are said to treasure up wrath against the day of wrath Rom. 2 5. So the fire will burne sorer as it is said of the hypocrites in heart They increase or heape up wrath because they cry not when God blinds them Iob 36. 13. Sinning of maliciousnes rooted stubbornesse they doe as it were kindle the fire more and more which shall burne them as the fire will bee hotter by heaping on more wood so by adding sinne to sinne and binding them together they augment the curse which shall consume them God saith enough to interrupt their presumption if they had any heart as that hee will not be mercifull to them his anger and jealosie shall smoke against them and separate them unto evill according to all the curses of the covenant Deut. 29. 19 20 21. That hee will set their sinnes in order before their eyes Psal. 50 21. These things hast thou done These things thou hast not done Math 25. Both sinnes of omission duties not perfourmed and of commission evill workes they shall will they nill they reade the catalogue of them in a distinct order and in the full pitch and degree of evill and perceive by experience that the Lord hath not forgotten any of their workes Amos 8 7. They are sealed up among his treasures Deut. 32 34 Which hee will in due time bring to light Hee
in themselves more holy or by institution under the Law than other dayes And so to observe dayes either by the Churches precept or by voluntary taking up to observe is reproveable for though in respect of institution and use the Saboth is more holy than other dayes yet not in the nature of the day for then it could not have beene chaunged As the water in baptisme by institution and use is holyer than other water so the bread and wine in the Sacrament but not by any inherent holinesse 2. He condemnes the keeping of such daies above other as worship of God of necessitie in conscience as if the not keeping bound to sinne When none but God can give such Lawes as the breach of them blots the conscience where is no Law is no trasgression where the Church and governers appoint or men take them up to observe they bind but as historicall helps and are free without scandal contempt 3. Hee finds fault with the keeping of them as against faith shaddowes of Christ and his benefits for which they were instituted Coloss. 2 16. Christ being come as the body of those shadowes the shadowes must cease But to keepe dayes in memory of benefits past and to stirre up to duties thereby for time to come is not against religion It reproves such as forget both benefits and dayes wherein the Lord wrought them for them Psal. 78 42 They remembred not his hand nor the day wherein hee delivered them from the enemy wee are so apt to forget benefits that wee had neede use al lawfull helps to put us in mind of them consider the charge Deut. 8 10. 11 and David charging his memory Psal. 103 1. Is salvation come The day of calling and salvation is one the same day that a man is called hee is saved 2 Cor. 6 2 Behold this is the accepted time behold this is the day of salvation the day of acceptation in Christ is the day of salvation to him that is so accepted Adoption comprehends all our blessing even the glory of the life to come Rom. 8 We wait for the adoption the redemption of our bodyes But in our calling receiving Christ we receive this dignitie of adoption Iohn 1 12. Calling is the revealing of Gods grace and his will to save us by Christ Iesus in our minds and heart so as we consent to God calling and follow after him for that life in his Sonne and cleave to him for it Comming to Christ and receiving of Christ are coupled together and the contrary not comming not having life but abiding in death 1 Iohn 5 12. Iohn 5 40. Calling is Gods worke inabling a man to performe the condition of the covenant which is to beleeve in Christ and so makes partaker of Christ that hee is of his body partaker of the promise an inheriter also Ephes. 2 6. Hee that beleeveth hath everlasting life is passed from death to life Iohn 5 24. Calling effectuall is the first revelation of predestination to life accompanied with justification and glorification Rom. 8 30. Iustification is unto life Rom. 5 18. Regeneration is Glorification or Salvation begunne Titus 3 5 7. He saved us and called us 2 Tim. 1 9. Hee saved us calling us wee are called to his kingdome and glory 1 Thess. 2 12. To obtaine salvation or the glory of our Lord Iesus Christ 2 Thess. 2 13 14. To high things Phil. 3. The calling is therefore called heavenly Heb. 3 1. Not onely as from heaven but unto heaven Come up hither and then they ascend in the sight of others Revel 11. Wee are called in hope of heaven Coloss. 1 4 5. And by hope we are saved Rom. 8 24. If calling and saving in respect of beginning and certaine accomplishment bee contemporarie then bee exhorted to make your calling sure that you may be sure of your salvation with it 2 Pet 1 10. Try your selves by these signes 1. An eccho like answering to the Lord revealing his grace and will to save you by Christ Psal. 27 6 7. Hos. 2. ult Zach 13 9. Esay 44 5. God speakes first in the heart then the heart answers againe to the Lord and a man is readie to underwrite to the Lord if hee say thou art mine I have given my Sonne for thee as proofe of it The heart will say I am thine with admiration of thy love receive I thy Sonne given to mee This will further by strife against unbeleefe and the love of God and a carefull applying of our soules as given to God to doe his wil appeare though wee yet feele not our faith Vnbeleefe and other sinnes have no quiet setling no dominion over us wee labour to cast them out and linger after the Lord as having our hearts toucht by him to receive him as our King to save us as they followed Saul whose hearts the Lord had toucht 1 Sam. 10 26. As Elisha at plough after Eliah had cast his mantle upon him as a signe of Gods calling him to be a Prophet could not but follow and durst not so much as goe home without his leave 2. A standing up from the world unto new workes whereunto God called us wee forsake the worlds fashion and manner of life wee can bee no longer of one mind and heart with them Be they Heretickes civill men without religion or professing religion without power God in calling selects us from the world we cannot count them our deare companions our hearts and wayes do so disagree that we are abomination or matter of pittie one to another We are as first fruits to God 3. A Spirit sitting us for that unto which wee bee called by which wee savour things of the spirit aspire to heavenly righteousnesse not satisfyed with measure but to bee filled with the fullnes of God following apprehend that for which wee are apprehended wee meditate now high things a crowne a kingdome heavenly inheritance lower things are too meane to hold us to them Bee thankefull you that know your calling 1 Tim. 1. I thanke him The promise is to them that the Lord calls bee they neere or farre off Act. 2 39. That when you heare the promises you ought to prayse the Lord that made you true heires of them that you may say Salvation belongs to me for the promise belongs to mee in that I am called Prayse God for the fellowship with Christ Iesus his Sonne to that hee hath called you 1 Cor. 1. 8. This calling is a speciall character of Gods love the first speciall evidence of it Worldlings falsly conclude speciall love from common blessings against which Solomon opposeth Eccles. 9 1. And our Saviour Math. 5 44. And the Rhemists note is good there that outward prosperitie is certaine either of a better man or better religion but effectuall calling is an infallible evidence of Gods love from election to salvation Bee studiously thankfull for this which the Apostle puts the Romans in mind that among
all according to the Oracle A father of many nations have I madethee He is the father of all the faithfull not effectually to beget them and to worke their faith and conversion so God onely is their Father begetting them by his Spirit But analogically and by proportion that as fathers doe transmit to their naturall Children inheritance and other rights of theirs so hee for the grace of the covenant given to him should as a father transmit to the beleevers the righteousnesse and blessednesse promised and given to him That which is proper to Christ is spoken of him In him shall all the Nations of the earth bee blessed Gen. 18 18. In thy seed that is Christ as Paul interprets shall all the Nations of the earth bee blessed Gen. 22 18. So he is called the heire of the world Rom. 4 13. Act. 7 Of Canaan a type of heaven and as the best part of the earth as a type of the whole world to bee possessed of Abraham and his seed specially the head of that seede Christ. This inheritance of heaven and earth he receiveth from God through the righteousnesse of faith and transmitts it to all his Children in all the Nations of the earth that is such as beleeve unto righteousnesse and so are adopted Children and heires of heaven and earth Psal. 37 20. 1 Cor. 3 21. So in death the faithfull were gathered into the bosome of Abraham their father and sitte with him in the kingdome of heaven the Church gathered out of the universall as his Children for number like the starres of heaven In this is set forth the dignitie and felicitie of Abraham in his paternitie that all the Nations of the world beleeving should bee his Children whereby appeares that all have not equall honour and felicitie that have saith equally precious Abraham and all the faithfull are equally just by imputation of the righteousnesse of Christ unto them But they are not in this honour with him to have the place of paternitie to all the faithfull The Pope usurpes in calling himselfe the head of all the faithfull it was never given him of God it is his miserie that so many flatter him in his unjust usurpation It implyeth that there is but one faith and way of salvation under the Law and Gospell Heb. 13 8. Acts 15 11. Heb. 6 12 and 11. By faith they obteined testimonie y t they were righteous and stand as so many witnesses that onely by beleving in Christ resting the soule wholy on his obedience for our whole felicitie is the way to life from that promise The seede of the woman shall breake the Serpents head By what faith Abraham was saved his seed are saved There is one saith both for that which is beleeved common faith once given to Saints Titus 1 4. Iude. v. 3. And in respect of that kind of faith by which wee doe beleeve though for number there bee so many faiths as there bee beleevers yet for kind Abrahams faith and all that have savingly beleived is one and the same for ever not in degree his measure was strength in faith most beleevers now are weake in faith Papists are to prove their right in claiming to be children of Abraham seing they have not nor teach twice damnable teaching contrary to the faith of Abraham applying Christ the blessed seed to himselfe laughing in joy of his felicitie of which his Sonne was called Isaack and Christ in whom hee beleeved testifyeth that hee saw his day with rejoycing though a farre off yet with gladnesse in respect of his owne salvation in him To that purpose Christ urgeth his example to the Iewes that would not beleeve their owne salvation in him you will not come to mee that you might have life Iohn 5. They make two other claimes to heaven merit of person in Children or such as newly converted are taken away by death that working is prevented and merit of workes both concurring augments they say glory and the latter confirmes the former that it is not lost a straunge voyce not heard of Gods people that will not go after a straunger because they know not his voyce They blaspheame imputed righteousnesse It followes that to have comfortable assurance of salvation we must prove our sâ—lves Children of Abraham that proved the other is sure that is 1. By being of faith to rest on Christs merit inherent in his owne person without any worke done out of grace or in grace of ours trusted in as any part of cause to salvation As God preached the Gospell to Abraham and hee beleeved Gal. 3 7 8 9. Rom. 4 1 2 5. To be borne by vertue of the promise as Isaack Gal. 4. Rom. 9. 2 By being in Christ by faith Gal. 3 29. If yee be Christs then are ye Abrahams seed and heires by promise Which is to bee knowne by having the Spirit of Christ in us to doe the workes of Abraham Iohn 8. 39. Michah 2 7. Iames 2 22. By the illumination of the Spirit annointing and healing our minds to discerne difference of things true or false good or evill 1 Iohn 2 20 27. To preserve us from evill wayes and evill men Prov. 2. 2 By regeneration in giving and increasing the godly nature 3. By governing or leading Rom. 8 14. 4 By consolation Iohn 14. The comforter 5 By confirmation giving a constancie in the worke of righteousnesse to worke righteousnesse at all times Ps. 106. Verse 10. The Sonne of man is come to seeke and save that which was lost This is a defence of the action of Christ in his going in to Zacheus hee came for lost sinners Zaccheus and his household are such Ergo he offends not he doth nothing against his office in going in to him Though wee may not for a passive scandall which is 1. By ignorance of some 2. By malice in others forbeare the duties enjoyned us by the Lord as appeareth Math. 15 Yet as occasion is wee are to give a reason of our doing in generall for holding and professing truth contrary to the worlds opinion as why wee are not as the Pagans as the Iewes as the Papists as prophane men in the number of them that are in profession of true religion 1 Pet. 3 15 Bee readie to give a reason of the hope that is in you Our Saviour submitts himselfe to this order Mat. 9 11 12. Why eates your Master with Publicans and Sâ—ners his defence is it is the calling of Phisitians to be with the sicke that have neede of him 2. Mercie is preferred to Sacrifice 3. I am come to call sinners to repentance verse 13. So Luke 15 By three parables hee justifieth his mercie to sinners by their diligence that seeke things lost which they would recover and that graduallie 1. The woman her groat lost out of ten the sheepeheard his sheepe out of an hundred the father and the fathers joyfull receiving of a dead and lost sonne His answere and defence of the womans