either in soule or body but to remember him that of one made multitudes to spring out Therefore when thou art brought neuer so low either in soule or body by any miseries either inward or outward faint not but goe forward in the strength of the Lord thy God Particularly If God haue afflicted thee with pouerty that thou haue almost nothing to begin withall or for thy soule is thy knowledge in religion small thy meanes poore thy feeling of Gods fauour but weake yet faint not but lay fast hold on Gods power promise vse carefully the holy means God hath ordained remembring and relying on him who made millions grow out of one and assure thy self that as Iob saith Though thy beginnings be small yet thy later endes shall greatly encrease Secondly obserue here how old persons are called halfe dead or as good as dead that is true of them many wayes First their yeares and dayes limited them are as good as gone For suppose a man should be as sure to liue 100. yeares as the sunne is to runne all the day long his course and at night to goe downe Yet as when the sunne is past the height and drawing downward wee say it goeth fast downe and the day hasteth away So when a man is past his middle age when the sunne of his life is past the noonsteede he declineth daily and draweth fast away and the night of his life approacheth with hast and much horrour vnlesse he preuent it Secondly their strength vitall powers by which their life is continued and their soules and bodies kept together are so much weakened that they are almost extinguished whereby it comes to passe an olde man may feele a manifest defect in all powers of minde and body Thirdly sicknesses or diseases grow vpon them in olde age and as their strength faileth so the force of diseases is redoubled on them and looke what diseases haue lurked in their bodies which either naturally were bred in them or accidentally taken they now shew themselues more sensibly and the weaker a man is the stronger is his sicknesse In these three respects an olde man or woman is as good as dead The vse hereof is profitable First they must therefore be aduised to prepare themselues for death Euery man is to prepare I confesse then if euerie man especially they that be olde The young man may die the olde man must die the youngest cannot liue alwayes the olde man cannot liue long the aged mans graue is as it were made already his one foote is in it And this is not mans conceit alone but Gods own iudgement who as we see here calls an olde man as good as dead and that not so much in regard that he is sure to die as that he is neere it Therefore as euery man young or olde is to make ready because his time is vnknowne and no man is sure that hee shall liue to be olde and as the Psalmist singeth Euery man in his best estate is altogether vaenity Psal. 39.6 So especially he to whom God hath beene so gracious as to let him see olde age he should thinke of nothing but his end prepare euery day to die in the Lord. His gray haires his wrinkled skin his withered face his ill stomack his weak memorie his crooked body and the manifest most sensible alteration and decay of his whole state of minde and body should hourely all cry in his eares I am halfe dead I will therefore prepare to die in the Lord. It is therefore a miserable sight to see that those who of all men should be most willing to die are for the most part most desirous to liue And those who should be most readie to die are generally most ignorant most couetous and their hearts most of all wedded to the earth and earthly things Secondly olde persons must heere learne S. Pauls lesson 2. Corinth 4. That as the outward man perisheth so the inward man may be renued daily The outward man is the bodie the inward man is the soule and the grace of God in it They must therefore labour that as the strength of their bodies decay so the grace of GOD in their soules may quicken and reuiue But alas the common practice is contrarie For olde men haue generally so misspent their youthes and in their olde age are partly so backward partly so vnfit to learne religion that when they come to their death-beds they are then to be Catechised in the very principles of religion so that when as the body is halfe dead religion hath no being in them and when the body is a dying religion and grace scarce begins to liue in them such men cast all vpon a desperate point But let them that desire a ioyfull departure thinke of these thinges afore-hand and as yeares draw on and so draw life to his end and the body to the graue so let them weane their hearts from the world and lift them vp to GOD and so spend their last dayes in getting knowledge and in seruing God that when their bodies are weakest and fittest for the earth their soules may be the holiest and ripest for heauen To such men shall it neuer be discomfort to see their bodies halfe dead when for recompence thereof they finde their soules halfe in heauen Thus we see the roote or foundotion of this posterity how poore and weake it was Now let vs come to the greatnesse of it Thereof sprang as many in number c. This one olde couple Abraham and Sarah are made by Gods power the father mother of many nations and he and she of whom the world would haue pronounced they should not haue left a name vpō the earth haue now millions of childrē that sprang out of them Here we may learn That though GOD worke ordinarily according to the course of Nature which himselfe hath established yet that he is not bound to it nor will be hee bound it therefore there is no reason it should binde him Here we may see the power and prerogatiue of Gods Maiestie As in the beginning he made to be those things which were not so still he calleth things that are not as though they were Rom. 4.17 and turneth and altreth the state and nature of his creatures as pleaseth him He can take life from the liuing man and leaue him dead hee can giue life to the dead man make him liue againe So hath he dealt for the body and for the soule he hath beene no lesse wonderfull Saul of a bloudy persecuter he cā make a zealous Preacher Acts 9 euen a glorious instrument and a chosen vessell to carie his name vnto the Gentiles euen hee who thought to haue blotted out the name of Christ and all that call on that name from vnder heauen Acts 9.14 Rahab a harlot a cōmon woman yet by Gods work so far altred that her faith is here registred in the 31. ver amongst the most excellent
God would not be called in speciall manner the God of vnfaithfull men but rather would bestowe such a special fauour vpon Beleeuers but that fauour did God vouchsafe to these three Patriarchs therefore doubtlesse they liued and died in that holy faith In that it is said God was not ashamed to be called their God Here first we learn that God doth not vouchsafe his mercie equally to all men but some men haue more prerogagatiue in his fauours and mercies then others Kings make choise among all their subiects of some men whom they wil prefer to be of their counsel or guard to whom they will giue speciall countenance and dispence their fauours more liberally then to all Euen so God among all Abrabrahams kindred maketh choise of these three persons Abraham Isaac and Iacob to bestowe on them such speciall honour as he vouchsafed not to any of their fore-fathers afore them nor posterity after them No meruaile therfore though he bestowe not his speciall mercy vpon all seeing he dispenceth not his inferiour fauours vnto all alike And yet for all this he is no accepter of persons for hee onely is properly said to be an accepter of persons that preferreth one before another in regard of some quality in the person but God vouchsafed this honour vnto these three only of meere mercy and good will and not for any thing he respected in them This confuteth the conceite and errour of many men broached abroad in this age that God doth equally loue all men as they are men and hath chosen all men to saluation as they are men and hath reiected none for say they it standeth with equity and good reason that the Creator should loue all his creatures equally and this opinion they would build vpon the generall promise made to Abraham because that in him God said all the nations of the earth should be blessed Gen. 22.18 But we must vnderstand that All is not alwaies taken generally but sometime indefinitely for many and so Paul speaking of this couenant of grace in Christ saith The Lord made Abraham a father of many nations Rom. 4.17 where repeating the couenant recorded by Moses he putteth many for all Againe graunt that Abraham were the father of all nations and that in him All the kindreds of the earth were blessed Yet it followeth not that therefore God should loue all men equally alike for he may loue the faithfull of all nations yet not loue all men in all nations for in his bountifull mercy in Christ he preferreth some before others And this answer seems the better because we may haue some reason to thinke that God will saue of euery nation some but no ground to imagine he wil saue all of any nation much lesse all of euery nation 2. Here we may see that God honoureth those his seruants that honour him as hee saith to Ely the Priest 1. Sam. 2.30 Which is a point to be marked diligently for this God is the glorious king of heauen and earth yet he abaseth himselfe is content to be named by his Creature aduancing them by abasing himselfe to be called their God the God of Abraham Isaac and Iacob Where we may apparantly see rather then God wil not haue them honoured that honour him he wil abase himself that they therby may be honored Hence we may learn many things First that all that professe religion truly must inure themselues to go through good report and ill report and in all estates to be content for Gods honours sake as Paul saith I haue learned in whatsoeuer state I am therewith to be content I can be abased and I can abound euery where in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry to abound to haue want Thus spake that holy man of God so must we all endeauour to say accordingly to practice And the reason is good because if a man honor God howsoeuer he be contemned or not regarded in the world yet God wil honour him esteeme highly of him that will proue the way to all true honour as it hath done euen in this world to all that tried it Secondly hence we learne which is the true way to get sound honor amongst men namely to honor God Good estimation in the world is not to be contemned for the Lord cōmandeth all inferiours to honour their superiours wherby he also bindeth euery mā to preserue his own dignity Now God honoureth them that honor him therfore the surest way to get true honour among men is this Let a man first lay his foundation well begin with God set all the affections of his heart thoughts on this To honor God Quest. How may a man honor God Answ. By forsaking the rebellious waies of sin vngodlines walking in the way of righteousnesse through the course of his life This doth God take to be an honour vnto his high Maiestie And when a man doth this vnfainedly then God will honour him euen among men so far forth as shal be for his good for God hath all mens hearts in his hād wil make them to honour those that honour him so S. Paul saith If any man therefore purge himselfe from these he shall be a vessell vnto honour not onely in glory eternall after death but also in grace and fauour with Gods Church This confuteth the opinion and condemneth the practice of many who would faine haue good report in the world and be spoken well of by all men but what course I pray you take they to come by this good name They doe not begin with God and lay their foundation by honouring him but they striue to please men whether it bee by doing well or ill they care not their onely care is to please all for that is their rule and resolution all must be pleased and because most men are ill they rather choose oftentimes to doe ill than they will not please the greater sort But he that beginneth to get honour by pleasing men beginneth at a wrong ende for by the testimony of the holy Ghost in this place the way to get sound approbation before men is first to beginne with God and to honour him Thirdly if God wil honour them that honour him then by the contrary consider what a miserable case many a man is in For those that dishonour God God will dishonour them againe as wee may see at large and very plainely in the example of Elie and his two sonnes for them that honour me saith the Lord vnto him I wil honour and they that despise me shall be despised 1. Sam. 2.30 And in Zacharie wee may reade that the man that by blasphemie theft or periurie dishonoureth God the flying curse of the Lord shall enter into his house and remaine in the middest thereof and consume it with the timber thereof and the stones thereof Zach. 5.4 And because Elie did more honour his children than
hitherto intreated Now here and sâ— forward to the end of this chapter is set downe a third order of examples of faith namely of such as liued from the time of the giuing of the Law to the time of the raigne of the Maccabees This 30. verse containes the first example of this ranke namely the example of Iosuahs faith of those that went with him into Canaan And their faith is commended vnto vs by a notable fact of theirs the causing to fall the walls of Iericho the History whereof we may reade at large Iosuah 6. The summe of it is this Whereas the Israelites came vnto Canaan and could not enter into the Land by reason of the strength of Iericho by which they must needs passe nor could win it by reason of the huge walls of Iericho the Lord promiseth to deliuer Iericho into their hands onely the people must doe this they must compasse-about the walls seauen daies carie the Arke of the Lord with them sounding with Rammes hornes and showte and so the walls should fall downe Now the Lord hauing made this promise vnto them the Israelites and specially Iosuah obey his commaundement and beleeue his promise and thus doing by faith the walls of Iericho fell downe after they were compassed-about seauen doyes Indeed the power of GOD was the principall cause of this ruine of the walls but yet because vpon their beleeuing GOD shewed this power therefore is the downfall of them ascribed to their faith Here are many notable points to be learned 1. Whereas the Text saith By faith the walls of Iericho fell downe wee may obserue the wondeâ—full power of true faith Iosuah and the Israelites beleeued Gods promises that hee would ouerturne the walls of Iericho and as they beleeued so it came to passe So our Sauiour Christ saith Matthew 17.20 If a man had but as much faith as a graine of mustard-seed he shall say vnto the mountaine remooue hence and it shall remoue and nothing shall be vnpossible vnto him signifying that by the power of true faith such things as are impossible to mans reason shall be brought to passe if God haue promised them as we see in this place the mighty walls of Iericho fall downe by faith which to mans reason is impossible So the Lord promised to Abraham That he should be the Father of many Nations yea that all the Nations of the earth should be blessed in him This was strange but Abraham beleeued it and as hee beleeued so it came to passe for many Nations descended from him and after the time of Christes ascension when all the Nations of the world were called to the light of the Gospell they were blessed in Christ the promised Seede of Abraham and therefore is hee called the Father of the faithfull in all Nations And to come vnto our selues To miserable men it may seeme a strange thing that the power of the diuell and the strength of the flesh should be ouercome in vs yet let a man beleeue this promise of God God so loued the world that hee gaue his onely begotten sonne that who so beleeued in him should not perish but haue euerlasting life Iohn 3.16 I say let him beleeue this effectually and hee shall finde by faith the Kingdome of sinne Satan in his heart and conscience weakned euery day more and more And therefore S. Iohn saith not without cause This is the victorie that ouercommeth the world euen our faith 1. Iohn 5.4 2. Here obserue that among the causes of the change ouerthrowe of Townes Cities Kingdomes this is one namely faith in Gods promises Many men haue written of the change of Kingdoms do giue diuers reasons therof But most of them omit the principall and that is faith by vertue whereof many times Kingdomes and Townes are brought to ruine and ouerthrow God promised to Abraham to his seed that he would giue theÌ„ the land of Canaan for their inheritance now they beleeued this promise heere wee see it comes to passe as they beleeued Iericho by faith is ouerturned the rest of their Cities the people of CanaaÌ„ dispossessed So that we see faith in Gods promises is a means to Gods people to ouerturn cities kingdoms that are enemies to Christ and to his Gospell God hath made a promise vnto his Church that the whore of Babylon Reuel 18.2 that is the Kingdome of Antichrist shall flourish for a while but after it shall be destroyed yea such a ruine shall come vnto it that the Kings of the earth and all great men and Marchants shall bewaile the destruction thereof Now this promise being receiued by faith and beleeued of Gods Church shall vndoubtedly come to passe It is in some part verified already for we see some Kingdomes and people haue renounced the cursed Doctrine and tyrannie of Rome and many Christian Princes haue alreadie shaken off the Popes yoke yea and this promise shall come to passe daily more and more Let all the Kings of that sort doe what they can and let the people set themselues neuer so much against Gods Church yet Babylon shal downe for God hath promised so to his Church and his Church beleeueth the same and therefore by their faith it shall be brought to passe in despite of the diuell Thirdly here we learne that when any City Towne or Kingdome is to make warre either in defence of themselues or in lawfull assault vpon their enemies a speciall meanes for good successe heerein is true faith Christian policie is a commendable thing in this case but if policy be seuered from faith it is nothing Faith in Gods promises of protection and assistance doth farre surpasse all worldly wisedome And therefore good King Iehosaphat when he was to fight against the huge Armies of the Moabites and Ammonites giues this counsell to his people 2 Chron. 20.20 Put your trust in the Lord your God and ye shall be assured Beleeue his Prophets and ye shall prosper giuing a most notable instruction and shewing that the best help for our defence is faith in God whereby we rest vpon his word and promise that hee will helpe vs yet this taketh not away the vse of meanes but it giues the blessing and efficacie vnto them Faith wee knowe is called a shield among the spiritual armour of God whereby a man awards the blowes of Satan and though that be the principal vertue of it yet is it also a notable shield to defend men euen against their outward visible enemies a most strong engine aginst theÌ„ to work their ouerthrow Hence Dauid saith He will not be afraid for tenne thousand of the people that should beset him round about They therefore that would defend themselues against their enemies yea and ouercome them in lawful assault must embrace obay true religion with Christian policy ioyn faith in Gods promises for by faith we make God our Captain throgh him we shal do
buy it And when wee haue gotten it wee must care to keepe it and therefore must lay it vp in our verie hearts and soules and keeping it wee must reioyce and delight in it aboue the world and all the pleasures of it This is the glorious portion which our God and Father leaueth vs as his children what should all the care of our hearts be but to preserue it Naboth had a little Vineyard that came to him from his Father by inheritance Ahab the King would giue him money or a better Vineyard for it But Naboth would not Nay saith he God forbid I should sell my Fathers inheritance 1. Kings 21.3 c. If he made such account of an earthly inheritance what should we of the heauenly if hee of a poore Vineyard what should wee of the glory of heauen If hee denied the King to sell it for a better should not wee denie the diuell to leaue our part in Christ and his righteousnesse for the world or anie thing that hee can promise vs In all such temptations our answere should be God forbid I should sell away my inheritance which my God and Father gaue mee Thus did blessed Paul who esteemed the world and all in it doung and drosse that hee might winne Christ and be made partaker of this righteousnesse So must wee if wee will be worthie of this inheritance prize and value it aboue this world and thinke basely of all the pompe and pleasures of this world in comparison of it and rather be content to lose the world then to leaue it And lastly when wee haue it and are thus carefull to preserue it where should our content ioy and delight be but in this our inheritance So doth the heire nothing so reioyceth him as to thinke of his inheritance Here therefore the madnesse of carnall men is discouered who reioyce exceedingly in the honours profits and pleasures of this liâ— e as Swine in their bellies and neuer goe further But alas this is not their inheritance if they looke to haue their soules saued Therefore herein they shew themselues voide of grace and of all hope of a better world For if they had they would reioyce in it and not in the vaine and transitory delights of this world which perish in the vsing and are lost with more torment and vexaâ—â—on then they were kept with delight We must learne â—hen to vse this world as though we vsed it not 1. Cor. 7 3â— And â—f â—he Lord vouchsafe vs any portion of pleasures in this world we must take it thankfully as aboue our inheritance must therfore vse it lawfully soberly but haue our hearts the ioy of them vpoÌ„ our inheritance which is in heauen whereof we are made heires by faith and wherin we are fellow heires with this blessed Noah who was made heire of that righteousnes which is of faith And thus haue wee heard the most glorious commendation of Noahs faith and of Noah by his faith and of all the examples before the floud Now follow the second sort of Examples namely such as liued in the second world after the floud They are all of two sorts either such as liued afore the giuing of the Law or after Afore the giuing of the Law here are many wherof as of all the other kinds some are men some women The first of those blessed men after the floud whose faith is here renowned is Abraham that great Father of whom and whose faith because he was a Father of so many faithful more is spoken then of any one Abrahams Faith VERSE 8. By faith Abraham when he was called obayed God to go out into a place which he should afterward receiue for inheritance and he went out not knowing whether he should goe COncerning holy Abraham heere are more examples then one recorded and his faith is renowned many wayes more verses are spent of him then of some fiue others And the reason is because his faith was more excellent then any others that followed him In which regard hee is called the Father of the faithfull oftentimes in the new Testament especially in the Epistles to the Romanes and Galathians The first example of his faith and the fourth in order of the whole is of his leauing his owne natiue Country and how at Gods commaundement he went he knew not whether onely he knew God called him and therfore he would goe wherein appeared a most worthy faith Now concerning this his faith and obedience the Text layeth downe two points 1. The cause or ground thereof which was Gods calling he was called of God 2. The fruite or effect of his faith he harkened and obayed And this his obedience is amplified by diuers particulars 1. The matter of it he went out of his country 2. The end to take possession of a Country which he should not enioy of a long time 3. The manner he went out not knowing whither he should goe The first point is the cause or ground of Abrahams faith in this action and is laid downe in the first words By faith Abraham when he was called This story is taken out of Gen. the 12. chap. The cause of Abrahams faith is Gods calling Gods calling is an action of God whereby he appointeth a man to som certaine coÌ„dition or state of life in this world or after this life And in this regard God is compared to a Generall in the field which assigneth euery Souldier his standing and duty so doth God appoint euery man his place and duty in the Church Concerning these callings let vs see the meanes how hee calleth and the seuerall states whereto he calleth men For the meanes or manner God calleth men 2. wayes immediatly or by meanes Somtime immediatly by himself and his own voice as the extraordinary Prophets in the olde Testament the Apostles in the new So saith S. Paul of himselfe he was called to be an Apostle not of men nor by men but by Iesus Christ and God the Father Galath 1.1 Sometime mediatly by men directed by himselfe furnished or inabled for that duty and so were called the ordinarie Prophets and Priests of the old and the Euangelists Pastors Doctors of the new Testament The first was extraordinary this is ordinary the first is for an vnbeleeuing or a misbeleeuing people the second is for an ordinary established Church Now of these 2. waies God called Abraham immediatly by himselfe from heauen Gen. 12.1 Secondly for the estates of life wherunto God calleth men they are three Generall Particular Personall Gods Generall calling is whereby hee calleth all men to repentance by the Gospell and so to life eternall Of this speaks the Apostle Rom. 8.30 Whom God predestinated them also he called and Rom 11.29 The calling of God is without repentance Heereby hee calls men in this life to the state of grace and to the state of glory in heauen and this is to all His Particular calling is when hee calleth and assigneth
men to some particular estate and duty in Family Church or Common-wealth as when a man is called to be a Magistrate Minister Master of a familie Lawyer Physician c. Thirdly God calleth some men to some priuate Personall duty which he designeth not to others but to be done by them alone Such a calling had hee assigned him Matthew 19.21 that would needes be perfect Goe sell all that thou hast c. Now the calling of Abraham in this place is to be referred to this third kinde For it was a priuate and personall calling to leaue his Country his kindred his lands his possessions and to goe seeke another and to be the Father of the faithfull and to receiue the couenant and this dutie belongs to none but who shal personally by name be called vnto it Yet all these three callings may concuâ—re in one as here in him For he was called to be a Christian for the generall and a gouernour of a great family for the particular calling but that that is in this place vnderstoode is this extraordinarie and personall calling to leaue his Country And in it we are to consider three circumstances 1. Who was called 2. When 3. How he was called For the first Abraham was called the sonne of Terah but neither his father Terah nor his brother Nahor were called but Abraham alone But it may worthily be demaunded why God should not call his Father and his kindred there can be no aunswere but this that the Apostle giueth Rom. 9.18 God hath mercy on whom he will and withholdeth it from whom he will He calleth Isaak and refuseth Ismael loueth Iacob and hateth Esau taketh Abell and leaueth Cain euen because he will and for no cause that wee know But why then calls hee Abraham and not his kindred Is not that partiality I answere he is tied to none hee might refuse all therefore the meruaile is that he calls any But why some and not other why Abraham and not his kindred no reason can be giuen for Gods Iudgements are wonderful But as that that is impossible with man is possible with God Math. 19.26 So that that is iniustice or partiality with man is iustice with God And it is extream folly and intolerable presumption for vs to weigh Gods actions in the balance of our shallow reason For the second But when was Abraham called for the time there are two circumstances worth the obseruation First Abraham was called to this dignity when he liued in Idolatrie with his Fathers So saith Ioshua 24.2 Thus saith the Lord Your Fathers dwelt beyond the floud in old time euen Terah the father of Abraham and serued other Gods If Abraham was called by God when he was an Idolater then it is apparant hee had not purchased Gods fauour by his workes Where we learne that the whole worke of a mans saluation is to be ascribed to Gods meere mercy who as the Prophet saith was found of them that sought him not Esay 65.1 Abraham neuer dreamed of the true God nor of any new couenant of grace and saluation when God called him And so when Paul was going armed with bloudy furie and his furie armed with commissions and authoritie against the Saints then God from heauen called him and of a persecuter made him the principall instrument of his glory Acts 9.2 c. Therefore to apply this to our selues If God haue vouchsafed vs the same grace and taken vs to be his people and made a couenant of saluation with vs which in former times haue beene sinners of the Gentiles wee must learne here to see whence this fauour is and therefore to ascribe nothing to our selues but giue all the glory vnto God And particularly for euery one of vs If God haue been so mercifull to any of vs as when we were Popish or superstitious with our Parents or kindred to open our eyes and bring vs home to his holy truth or when wee weltred in wickednesse and sensuality with the profane world to touch our hearts and to call vs to grace and sanctification let vs often remember and freely acknowledge this his vndeserued mercie and say with the holy Prophet Vnto thâ—e belongeth mercy but vnto vs open shame Secondly for the time when Abraham was called It was when hee was 75. yeeres of age or there-abouts as is manifest in the Storie Genesis 12.4 therefore wee see that God for a long time let him lie in his blindnesse and idolatrie ere he called him It is more then likely that Abraham in that meane time liued ciuilly followed learning other ciuill courses and in that time it is likely he attayned to that measure of knowledge in Astronomie and other learning for which he is renowned in olde Writers But this was the first time that he was called to know and serue the true God in his true seruice Heere wee learne that though a man perseuere in his sinnes for a long time and passe his best yeeres in vanitie without repentance and thereby be in a grieuous and fearefull estate yet true beleeuers and men penitent must not therefore iudge them cast-awayes For Gods mercy calls a man in his old age and toucheth the heart when it pleaseth him Christ in the Parable calls some at the 11. houre Mat. 20.6 and so God calleth men to grace in their old age We must therfore spare these sharp vnsauourie censures which som vnaduisedly cast vpon such men for charity thinketh not euil 1. Corinth 13 where it may thinke or suppose any possibibility of good But contrariwise pray for them and hope of their conuersions because we know that at what time soeuer a sinner repents of his sinne God will forgiue him Ezek. 18.27.28 And yet for all this men must not presume to liue carelesly in their sinnes for that is desperately to tempt God but must follow the holy Counsell of Salomon Eccles. 12.1 To remember their Creator in the dayes of their youth and to turne vnto God when they haue meanes least God take away the meanes and with the meanes his fauour from them Abraham was not called till he was olde but when hee was called hee harkened and obayed So must thou when God calls thee by afflictions or by his word then answere and obay as Abraham did or else Abrahams calling in his old age will be little comfort to thee Thus much for the time Thirdly for the manner of his calling it is laied downe in the Storie of Genesis to be in an earnest kinde of Counsell Goe out saith God from thy kindred and from thy Fathers house vnto the land that I will shew thee Where it is to be obserued he saith not barely Goe or come forth but hee amplifieth and vrgeth it with many wordes and circumstances If any aske why God did so when hee might haue giuen the commaundement in one word I answer the reason is that Abraham might haue cause more seriously to consider of Gods calling and to
imprint it more deepely in his heart least at the first brunt he should haue obayed and afterward haue shrunk back For it is doubtlesse that this calling was harsh to reason and that Abraham found many hindrances and therefore it were dangerous he would haue started back after som trial of these difficulties he must passe throgh if he had had but a bare call commaundement to go But when God saith to him Goe out of thy natiue Country let it not stay thee that thou wast borne there nor hinder thee that thy kinred dwels there but leaue all and come with me forsake all and trust me follow me into the land that I will show thee I take thee from one but I will giue thee another When God I say vseth all these and it may bee many more like words to Abraham its apparant hee would haue him furnished with strength and resolution to goe through with his calling after he had once made entrance into it Out of which practice of God we learne this Instruction that God would haue no man enter vpon any calling or dutie with a fearefull and faint heart nor with a doubtfull minde but with a strong settled resolution to go through stitch with it and not to relent and repent in the midst And for this end God would haue all men afore they enter seriously to consider the place or duty they are to vndertake for the Lord had rather a man should refuse at first then hauing entred to looke backe againe and it is great folly for men hastily and suddainly or humorously to cast themselues vpon any calling and then vpon triall and experience of the dangers and difficulties thereof to be weary and wish they had neuer done it Men in this world are generally wiser in matters of the world If a man bee to build a house hee will not forth-with set vpon building such a house as his humor desireth but wil first of all sit down count the cost then his owne ability to see if the one will counteruaile the other else hee neuer begins it So saith Christ the wisedome of God of the wisedome of this world and the like also he saith for warre that no Prince will fight with his enemie on vnequall tearmes but will knowe himselfe able to sustaine the encounter Luke 14.28.31 So the calling of a Christian is to professe the Gospell of Christ. As the Magistrates is to defend it the Ministers to teach it so all meÌ„s to professe it now it is as impossible to build without cost or to fight without power of men as to profess Christ in any calling either generall or particular without crosses We must therefore consider first what our calling and profession will cost vs it is sure to cost vs a dangering of our credites and estimation in the world it may be our goods our liberties it may be our liues themselues Againe what enemies we haue to encounter in this spirituall warfare the diuell death hell sinne corruption and the crafty malice of wicked men all these we are sure to meete withall Were it not then folly for a man to vndertake this profession and not to consider thus much aforehand The want of this is cause why some put their hands to the plough and after shrinke away and make themselues ridiculous to their enemies corporall and spirituall And for particular callings the case euen standeth so also Some men thinke the calling of a Magistrate a place of honour and therefore ambitiously plot and desire to raise themselues into authority neuer remembring the burden and trouble they are sure to finde Which when they feele to be too heauie for their lazie shoulders to beare with ease they foully fall to plaine carelesnesse and neglect all doing good in their places and wish they had neuer bought honour so deare So others thinke the Ministerie nothing but a place of ease exemption and preferment And in these conceites rush presumptuously rashly into that holy State neuer thinking aforehand of that great charge of soules they are to take nor of that heauie account they are to make for them nor of the hatred and contempt and extreame disgraces they are sure to finde if they doe their duties with conscience And therefore when vpon experience they finde it so to be they either fall to carnall courses with the world and neglect their duties that by these two meanes they may please the world or else they continue in their duties with much griefe and vexation wishing they had chosen rather any calling then the Ministerie and by either of both do expose themselues to shame and much rebuke Whereas contrariwise hee that aforehand casts his account what it will cost him to be a Minister what he must vndertake what he must lose what hee is sure to finde is so settled and resolued afore-hand as hee goeth through all dangers and contempts with comfort courage and contentment Let vs therefore all learne by this practice of God when we thinke to enter vpon any such duty to reason with our selues as God did with Abraham what we are to forsake and what we are to meete withall So shall we not afterward repent vs but goe on with much assurance as Abraham did This point I haue the more inlarged because it is of speciall vse in Christian life Thus much of the Cause of Abrahams faith Gods calling and all the circumstances therein The second point is the excellencie and commendation thereof commended by the fruite and effect It made him yeeld to this calling of God And this obedience of his faith is spoken of two wayes 1. It is laide downe generally Hee obayed God 2. It is further commended by diuers particulars which we shall see in their places Obayed God Here is the obedience of Abrahams faith laide downe in one generall word He obayed that is when God called him to leaue his Country kindred and friends hee yeelded against reason because God bade him When God told him he would carie him into another land he beleeued it and lest a certaine for an vncertaine a possession for an expectation heere was the power and excellencie of his faith appearing in this obedience From hence we learne two instructions First seeing Abraham is the Father of the faithfull Rom. 4.11 and our glory is to be children of faithfull Abraham Therefore wee must all learne as good children to followe our Father in framing our liues according to Gods calling when GOD calleth vs to anie state of life then to obay and when not God but the world or ouâ— owne corrupt hâ—m ours call vs then not to obay For to obay the first is the obedience of faith but to obay the second is the obedience of corruption Therefore against this practice of holy Abraham two sorts of men doe offend and thereby shewe themselues children vnlike their Father Abraham First such men as being called by God to some functions or duties will not obay
for examples wee haue too many To som God saith Leaue thy priuate care which is for none but thy selfe be a Magistrate and vndertake the publike care of the common-wealth but they as though they were born for themselues will not imploy themselues in publike seruice To some God saith Leaue thy ease and thy care of worldlie credit and vndertake the teaching of my people and care not for the contempt of that calling so thou maist saue soules but their carnall carnall credit and ease is more deere vnto them then Abrahams kindred is to him they will not forsake them These and all that doe so may make what shew they will but they are not children of Abraham seeing they want his faith and they want in his faith because they faile in his obedience they must therfore learne to yeeld when God calleth and not to stand vpon such base allegations of wordly matters when Abraham left Country and kindred to obay God Secondly such men as respect not Gods calling but look what the swinge of their natures or the course of the wicked world carie them vnto they presently yeeld and obay not regarding whether it be Gods calling or no. Three sorts of men are most faulty in this kinde First such as are content to grow in wealth either by oppression as vsurie or extortion or by craft and dissembling or by any other such indirect course whereby their brother is hurt looking onely at gaine but not regarding whence it comes Secondly such as liue by dicing carding or by playes and Enterludes thinking any trade lawfull that brings in wealth or that gets money neuer caring whether God allow the calling or no. Thirdly such as liue in no calling but spend their time in eating drinking sleeping and sporting because they haue liuings of their owne and lands left by their parents All these and all such like doe obay indeede but whereunto not vnto Gods calling for alas he neuer called them to these courses but hath often recalled them from it therefore this is the obedience not of faith but of corruption and of the world which is a plaine disobedience vnto God For as the wisedom of the flesh or the world is foolishnesse with God Rom. 8 so obedience to the flesh or the world is disobedience and rebellion against God All such men must know that they are not the children of Abraham because they are not children of his faith Nor can they be heires of his faith because they practice not his obedience for Gods calling and no other rule for our liues must Christian men admit When he calleth they must obay and when he calls not or allowes not a course of gayning or a trade of life though all the world allowed it we must not follow it this will honour them and their profession before God Abrahams faith iustified him before God but his obedience iustified his faith obedience saith Samuel 1. Sam. 25.22.23 is better then sacrifice but disobedience is as the sinne of witchcraft Therefore let all Christians approue their faith by their obedience hanging on Gods mouth and attending on Gods calling for directions of their whole life and resolue with Dauid Psal. 119.105 Thy word is a lanterne to my feete and a light to my pathes When Kings may not liue but by this light of Gods calling and Gods word it is shamefull presumption for ordinary men to frame their liues by lights of their owne making In the second place out of Ahrahams obedience let vs marke By what meanes obayed he by faith Learne here the true nature of true faith it brings forth true obedience where euer it is and therefore Christian obedience is called the obedience of faith Rom. 1.5 And these two cannot be seperated no more then light from the sunne or heate from fire For as the sunne naturally and necessarily giues light and the fire heate no lesse doth true faith yeeld true obedience to Gods commaundements Which being so it teacheth vs for the vse First how our Church and doctrine are slaundered by the Papists who please themselues in saying Wee looke to be saued by sole faith and without workes For we teach that though a man be iustified without respect to his workes yet no man was euer iustified whose faith did not bring forth good and holy workes and wee teach that none is heire of Abrahams faith which is not also of his obedience Therefore God will reward their lying tongue Secondly this teacheth vs that Abrahams faith is rare in these dayes Many make profession of Abrahams religion but it seemes they are as farre deceiued as the Iewes were Iohn 8.39 The Iewes would be Abrahams children because they were of his flesh and men now will be so because they are of his profession but both are farre wide for wee must be children of faithfull Abraham But if we will be like him in faith we must be like him in obedience also when God calls vs to any duty we must forsake our owne natures and denie our owne affections and crosse our owne corruptions to follow Gods calling and to doe our duties So shall wee be true children of Abraham when we are like our Father in his best vertues Thus wee see his obedience laied downe generally Particularly In his Obedience there are laid downe three points 1. The matter of his obedience all which are layde downe directly in the Text. 2. The end of his obedience all which are layde downe directly in the Text. 3. The manner of his obedience all which are layde downe directly in the Text. For the matter of his obedience it followeth in these words To goe out into a place c. The particular matter wherein Abrahams obedience cōsisted was this At Gods commaundement he went out of his owne Country into another for one which hee should inherite he left that which he did inherite Heere many points of good instruction may be learned First see here the power and strength of true faith It was a wonderfull hard thing for Abraham to do thus For first hee was well striken in yeeres 75. yeeres olde Young men delight to be stirring but men growen into yeeres doe loue to settle themselues as birdes in their nests and it is grieuous vnto them to think of remouing or taking long iournies Secondly he must leaue his owne Country where hee was bred borne and brought vp which all men generally doe loue by nature Thirdly hee must leaue his goods and lands and liuings which no doubt were great for hauing liued so long in his natiue Country and being born as he was his estate doubtlesse was very great Fourthly he must leaue his acquaintance with which hee had liued all his life yea his owne kindred and must goe liue amongst strangers These foure considerations were so manie hindrances to his obedience and strong temptations to make him haue looked backward but such is the power of his faith hee is commaunded of God therefore hee obayeth and
into the body of Scripture euen as the three sentences of the heathen Poets alledged by Saint Paul Acts 17.28 1. Corinthians 15.33 Titus 1.12 haue now a diuine truth in them which they had not before But yet will some say the Apostles had these things from the olde Testament by tradition seeing they were not written I answer We may safely graunt it and yet our cause loseth nothing though it may be they had them by inspiration and not by tradition that being as likely or much more then the other Thirdly but for this particular I answere that the Apostle had the words or at least the matter out of the Storie in Genesis For thus goe the words Gâ—d said to Abraham Goe out of thy Country c. into the land that I will shew thee Hee named none to him but told him he would shew him one So then Abraham went out at Gods appointment and God knew but he knew not whither he went he knew well the land he left but he knew not the land he should haue But it may be againe obiected that this is not true for it appeares Gen. 12.5 that Abraham with Sarah his wife and all their substance departed to goe into the land of Canaan and to the land of Canaan they came therefore he knew whither he went namely to that land I answer It is true he went out with purpose and assurance to inherite a land promised him by God but not named to him And whereas it is there said He went out to goe into the land of Canaan that is spoken in respect of the performance when he was come thither not of the first promise made him at his departure or of the time when Moses wrote it not of the time when God spake it to Abraham And that he knew not what land God did mean vntill he cam thither is plain in the seauenth verse where it is said That when Abraham had passed through all the Country and wai come into Canaan then God appeared to him and said this land will I giue vnto thy seede But till then God neuer named it vnto him and therfore we read afore that he beleeued and obayed vpon the generall promise but now when God did particularly specifie and shew what land hee then shewed his thankfulnesse to God and did there build an Altar vnto the God that had appeared vnto him Thus it is cleare that Abraham went out not knowing whither he went Which being so it appeares that Abraham did that which the world would call plaine foolishnesse To leaue knowen friends for vnknowen certaine liuing for vncertaine is a simple course in mans reason at least the world will say he might first haue demaunded of God what land that was which he should haue before he left that which he had but Abraham makes no such questions moues no such doubts but belieueth and obayeth and goeth out of his certaine dwelling at Gods calling though he knew not where to lodge at night This practice of faithfull Abraham hath profitable vse First here we learne that though Gods Commaundements seeme foolish and vnreasonable yet wee must obay them Christ saith If a man will euer come in the Kingdome of heauen he must be borne againe Iohn 3.3 S. Paul saith If any man among you seeme to be wise let him be a foole that he may be wise 1. Corinth 3.18 Christ saith If any man will be my Disciple he must denie himselfe and follow me Luk 9.23 But how can these coÌ„maundements be beleeued or done how can reason beleeue them how can nature doe them So disputed the woman of Samaria with Christ Iohn 4.11 When Christ tolde her he would giue her of the water of life she replied Sir thou hast nothing to drawe with and the Well is deepe whence then hast thou that water of life Thus we obiect and reason against God with carnall obiections and waigh Gods Commaundements in the balance of reason thus God and his commaundements are much abused by vs. And this is the cause wee heare and reade Gods word and profit not by it because we ponder it in our reason and allowe nor follow it no further then it agreeth with our naturall affections As a man that will needs stand vnder a Pent-house hath no water falling on him though it should raine neuer so precious water from heauen So when the water of life out of the word of GOD should drop vpon our soules to comfort our consciences and to wash away our sinnes we haue our deuices out of wit and distinctions out of reason as pent-houses to keepe it from vs that it slides away and neuer hath any worke in vs. But contrariwise we must remember Abraham the Father of our faith and when we heare Gods word we must with him captiuate our reason and subdue our affections to it measure them by Gods word and not it by them and what we cannot yeeld to in the obedience of reason we must obay with the obedience of faith and so shall Gods word haue a gracious and powerfull worke in vs. Secondly here we must learne that though we see no profit come by obaying Gods Commaundements yet wee must obay them For what profit could Abraham see in leauing a certaine liuing for an vncertaintie yet he obayed and went vpon the bare word of God building vpon it that God being his guide he could not goe astray So must wee followe God sincerely and doe his Commaundements though no profit seeme can come thereby But some will say Shall godly men be led like blindefolde fooles shall they refuse all meanes of helpe by wit and policie this is the way to make them ridiculous and asses for the wicked world to ride vpon I answere let godly men vse all their wit and looke with all their eyes in their actions with men of this world But in the obedience of Gods commaundements let them doe as Abraham did Follow Gods calling though it seeme to be to no end In obedience to God we must doe as blindemen doe who followe their guides though it be through woods rocks hills or dales or dangerous places regarding nothing fearing nothing only following trusting their guides who haue eyes for them though they haue none for themselues So must we follow Gods calling and yeeld absolute obedience to his Commaundements fearing nothing but trusting to the faithfulnesse of his power and assuredly beleeuing that he being our blessed guide we shall not be mis-led thus to doe is true faith But alas how contrary is the practice of the world Men deale with God as we doe with loose Chapmen whom wee will not trust without a good pawne So we will not obay Gods Commaundements longer then his religion serues our turne nor will we trust and follow God without the pawnes of profit and pleasure Nay wee doe worse most men esteeme of God no better nor vse him any better then they doe theeues in their houses If a man come
liue by faith in all our actions from one day to another meditating daily on Gods promises and beleeuing them and relying on them and applying the generalls to our owne selues and practicing faith by making conscience of sinne and inuring our selues to patience and long suffering Thus doing we shall be children of faithfull Abraham who first by faith left his owne Country and then by faith also dwelt still in the Land of Canaan And thus much for the action of his faith Hee abode in the Land of Promise Now followe the circumstances of the action which are two 1. The manner how 2. The Persons with whō The manner is laid downe in two points 1. As a stranger 2. As one that dwelt in tents The first point for the manner is laide downe in these words As in a strange Country The meaning is he esteemed it a strange Country to him and accounted himself a stranger in it Against which it may be obiected that he was familiarly acquainted with Mamre Aner and Eshcol three great mighty men of that Country then he they were confederates together Gen. 14.13 therfore it seemes he liued not like a stranger in the Country Some answere that these three were not Cananites but neere a-kinne to Abraham and had other names but the Text is plaine in that place that Mamre was an Amorite and the other two were his brethren Therefore the answere is that in all likelyhood they three were Proselites and that by Abrahams godly perswasions they had renounced Idolatry and were come to the knowledge of the true God and that they ioyned with Abraham in the worship of the true God and so were his conuerts whereupon Abraham as he might lawfully conuersed with them as his familiar friends And hereof there are two Inducements First it is said Gen. 14.13 that they were confederates with Abraham and it appeared so by their deedes for they ioyned their powers and assisted him in the warre against the the Kings Gen. 14.24 Secondly it is said Gen. 14.13 That Abraham dwelt on the Land of Mamre he was his Tenant or Farmour Now it is more then likely Abraham would not haue so farre beene beholden to them but that they were true Christians and of his owne religion Therefore this hinders not but hee might be a stranger notwithstanding vnto the body of the people and that it is true that Abraham saith of himself vnto some of them Gen. 23.4 I am a stranger and Soiourner amongst you But it may be then demanded Why did Abraham liue amongst them as a stranger and in that Land as a Soiourner I answer the reasons were diuers First he had title giuen to that Land but no possession he therefore contented himselfe with that that God gaue him and chalenged not any possession all the dayes of his life but bought or borrowed of Mamre the place where he liued and dwelt Gen. 14.13 and of the Hittites a place of buriall Gen. 23.3 c. This may teach all men not to be too hasty in seeking for that that it may be is their right let not men prescribe their owne times nor be their owne caruers but leaue their affaires to Gods disposing and enter no further then they see God goeth afore them Abraham must be a stranger in his owne land and thou sometime must be content for a time to be a stranger to that which is thine owne Secondly they were all of them for the most part heathen Idolaters amongst whom Abraham would not conuerse but as sparingly as might be Now if Abraham would be a stranger in his own Country rather then liue familiarly with Idolaters It sheweth how little faith and lesse conscience they haue who can be content to liue in the midst amongst Idolaters where they haue nothing to doe and can conuerse with them in all familiarity without any scruple of conscience Abraham made himselfe a stranger at home to auoide Idolatry but they will make themselues at home in a strange Country to intangle themselues in Idolatry these men will hardly proue the children of Abraham These reasons Abraham himselfe had in this his so doing There is a third a more spirituall or mysticall reason and that reason God had in making Abraham liue in Canaan as a stranger Namely to teach all Christian men their duty to the worlds end Abraham is the Father of the faithfull Rom. 4.11 And this is our honour to be the children of Abraham we must therfore follow our Father in his faith and in the practice of it we must liue in this world as Pilgrimes and Strangers euen in the midst of all our peace prosperity of all our liberty riches lands and possessions yea of all our friends worldly acquaintance If it seeme strange how this can be I answere the practice of it consists in six actions First we must not bathe our selues in the pleasures of this world Pilgrimes take but little delight in their iourneyes because they thinke themselues not at home This is S. Peters argument Dearely beloued as strangers and pilgrimes abstaine from fleshly lusts which fight against the soule 1. Pet. 2.11 For too much delight in fleshly pleasures smothers the grace of God in vs and le ts loose all sinnes and giues life vnto all corruptions Secondly we must vse this world as though we vsed it not that is euen the necessary comforts delights thereof they be the very words of the Apostle 1. Cor. 7.31 For so the Pilgrime when he passeth through a strange Country hath not his minde troubled with looking or thinking on the goods or cōmodities of that Country where he is but vsing as much thereof as is necessary for him all his thoughts are on his owne Country So should we when we are in our best estates in our greatest iollity in the midst of our wealth and abundance of pleasures cast our mindes from them haue our thoughts euen then conuersing in heauen where is the place of our abode This is likewise the Apostles exhortation Philipp 3.20 Worldly men make their belly their God that is drowne themselues in carnall pleasures so farre as they forget any other God any other heauen But we must not doe so our conuersation must be in heauen from whence wee looke for our Sauiour Iesus Christ. Thirdly wee must haue a serious care and endeuour to please God for all the earth is his and wee are but soiourners in his sight therfore as the Pilgrime is carefull to please the Lord of the Country by whose leaue he trauels through it so must we be to please the Lord seeing as God saith Leuit 25.23 The land is his and we are but strangers and soiourners with him And hereunto adde a fourth which is neere a-kinne vnto it We must cast all our care on God seeing that he is Lord of the earth we are but Pilgrimes and Soiourners Dauid saith Psal. 24.1 The earth is the Lords and all that therein is
to remoue from the earth to heauen the sooner the better And this did the Fathers of the old Testament not that they thoght it vnlawfull to build cities or dwell in houses but that they might testifie their religion and their expectation of another world in the midst of that profane age wherein they liued wherein there were almost none that either regarded remembred or acknowledged a world to come And this was not the particular or singular deed of Abraham alone All holy men in those daies liued in tents Gen. 9.21 It is cleere that Noah dwelt in tents though then he was king of all the world And so did Lot also as long as he liued with Abraham Gen. 13.5 Lot hâ—d sheepe and cattell and tents And thus they did because as the Apostle saith they had here no enduring city but they sought for one to come Heb. 13.14 And they thought they euer heard that voice sounding in their eares Micah 2.10 Arise depart for this is not your rest Contrariwise the wicked of the world because they set vp their rest in this world and cared for no other they began presently to build them houses nay cities as Cain did euen in the beginning Ge. 4.17 And the Sodomites had a citie euen walled as is likely for Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodome when the two Angels came to him Gen. 19.1 2. And the Canaanites had cities walled exceeding high Numb 13. But we find not that euer Gods children built them cities vntill they came to haue a settled Church of their owne But contrariwise it is worth obseruing that God promiseth his people that they shall come and dwell in cities which they built not namely which were built by worldly men to their hand And thus wee see the reasons why Abraham dwelt in tents Now let vs see the vse of it First here we learne frugalitie out of the ciuill vse of their tents that is to vse the blessings and comforts of this life as soberly and sparingly as may be and to bestowe as little cost as may be of our selues in such things as perish in the vsing namely meate drinke apparell and houses For what is spent herein is spent only on our selues and being spent is gone therefore the lesse the better alwaies prouided there be a discreet care had of our healths and of the credit of the places wee hold and of our inabling to the duties of our calling Which beeing sufficiently prouided for it is a Christian frugality to spare what further may bespared And he hath the lesse to answer for who spendeth the least in superfluities Again here we are taught contentation in the state which God hath appointed vs not to striue too fast to climbe to wealth These holy men can be content to dwell in tents and tabernacles thogh they might haue compassed much more for they were great and mightie men Abraham had 318. men able to beare a sword in his house daiely with them and a little helpe more hee ouerthrewe diuers kings and rescued Lot Gen. 14.14 He that durst encounter and did ouercome such an hoste How many inhabitants of the countrey could he haue beat out of their houses And how many tenants could hee haue put out of their Liuings And how much of that countrey could he haue inclosed to himselfe Surely euen as much and as many as hee had pleased Yet dooth hee no such thing but contrariwise considering himselfe to bee but a tenant vnder God hee is content to let euery man sit quietly by him and himselfe to dwell in tents rather than to incroach one foote further than God bade him though he had bin able This checketh the pride or couetousnesse or ambition or all of such as ioyne house to house Land to Land Lordship to Lordship Towne to Towne and care not how many mens houses they pull downe to build one of their own nor how many men want land and liuing so they haue their parkes and pastures gardens and orchards and all other delights they can deuise These are so farre from Abrahams minde who desired onely so much land as his tent might stand on might feed his cattell as they can inclose and make seuerall to themselues that which in common should be the liuing of many soules But what can befall such men but that that Esay prophecieth to them Esay 5.8 Woe be vnto them that ioyne house to house and land to land till there bee no place for the poore to dwell in Thirdly in that Abraham liued thus as ready euer to depart into any other countrey when God would call him It sheweth that true faith dooth neuer limit Gods hand either in the greatnesse or length of trialls but submitteth it selfe wholly to his will being resolued conteÌ„t to suffer all trials how great soeuer and how many soeuer God pleaseth to lay vpon a man Reason would haue said I haue left one countrey at Gods word if I must leaue another then I shall neuer knowe an ende nor haue any thing certaine to trust to But faith saith As I haue left one countrey at Gods calling so vpon his worde I will leaue twentie more For God hath as good reason to bid me the second time as the first and his loue cannot faile me he may stil trie me but can neuer leaue me Thus spake Abrahams faith And not he alone For Iob though hee crie out of the violence of his temptation The arrowes of the Almighty are in mee and the venime thereof doth drinke vp my spirits the terrors of God doe fight against me Chap. 6.4 Yet when faith comes to play his part he then protesteth that though God kill him yet he will trust in him he shall be his saluation Chap. 13.15 See Abrahams faith will lead him from countrey to countrey and Iobs will carrie him through life and death And noble Dauid is not behinde for his part for hee will lose his kingdome if God will haue it so 2. Sam. 15.26 If saith Dauid God say I haue no delight in thee loe here I am let him doe to me not what I in my reason could wish but what seemeth good in his eies Behold now in these holy men the practice and obedience of true faith It prescribes not God the measure ther and thus doing wee haue our conuersation in heauen though we liue on the earth And this wee should doe the rather because generally the world is full of such men who as the same place saith doe minde nothing but earthly things Now it is a hard thing for a man to be vnlike the world and to resist multitudes and generall examples but we must still remember wee are Abrahams children and children must labour to bee like their father and not the common multitude and it must more mooue a good child what his father alone doth than what is done by many other Thirdly let vs obserue how God promising Abraham only the Land of
Canaan that is a temporall inheritance hee lookes further for a City in heauen This he did out of his faith for hee knowing that Canaan was but a type of heauen therefore in consideration of the earthly Canaan hee arose to a consideration of the heauenly and in the promise of the earthly apprehended the heauenly This is the true and Christian vse of all Gods blessings giuen in this life in them to behold better things laid vp in heauen and shadowed in the other Men vse for their vse spectacles in reading but they take no pleasure in looking vpon them but at other things by and through them So should Christians through all temporall blessings looke at spirituall and eternall which are promised and shadowed vnder the temporall Thus doth Christ himselfe teach vs in the very order of the Lords praier directing vs to pray for temporall blessings first in the fourth petition and then for eternall in the fift and sixt as though that the one were introductions and passages to the other And this made the Prophets so ordinarily couer spirituall blessings vnder temporall and put temporall deliuerances for spirituall and confusedly oftentimes one for another because that the holy men of the olde Church did neuer rest in view of any temporall promise or blessing but ascended to the contemplation of higher things in them How pittiful then is the practice of worldly men who vse Gods blessings so as they daily abuse and peruert them vsing meate to gluttony raiment to pride learning to vaine-glory speech to flatterie wit to deceipt authoritie to reuenge callings to oppression whereas they are all giuen to be helps in Gods seruice and furtherances in religion and meanes to helpe vs towards heauen These men looke at Gods gifts with the eie of reason and no further but if they looked at them with the eie of faith as Abraham did it would teach them to make a heauenly and spirituall vse of them as he did Lastly in the generall state of the reason and of Abrahams practice obserue how he hauing promise of CanaaÌ„ waited for heauen Now no man waiteth for any thing but that which he hath hope of nor hopeth truly and properly for any thing but that which he hath assurance of for hope maketh not ashamed Rom. 5.5 Noâ— worldly hope for that hath deceiued no more than euer trusted it But Hope in God neuer deceiued man nor went any away disappointed that hoped in God Therfore here it is apparant that hope of heauen goeth with assurance and this assurance must be particular to the beleeuer as the beleefe and faith is But the Papists say This is true indeed of Abraham hee had not only hope but euen full assurance but that came by extraordinary reuelation So that this is a rare example his particular reuelation is no generall warrant to vs. We answer from S. Paul Rom. 4.11 that Abraham is the father of the faithfull and that his faith is a patterne for all Christians to follow for else why doth the Apostle so farre extoll set forth that faith of his aboue 1300. years after his death shall it be only for his commendation and not for our imitation also Therefore euery man that will walke in the steps of holy Abraham may come with him to that measure of faith that he may waite for heauen with assurance to enioy it Now let vs come to the particular description of that heauen which Abraham thus waited for A Citie hauing a foundation whose maker and builder is God The description hath three parts 1. It is said to be a Citie 2. That hath a foundation 3. That God made and built it For the first Abraham by his faith waited for heauen But for which For there are three heauens or differences of heauen in the scripture The first that wherein we liue and breath birds flie and clouds mooue The second that wherein the starres are The third is that that is aboue them both and is invisible the seat of Gods glory where God reuealeth his Maiestie in speciall manner to men and Angels This heauen Abraham waited for For as for the first he liued in it And for the second he knew it as well as most men for it is credibly thought he was a notable Astronomer So that it was the third and highest heauen hee waited for which hee knewe this world could not giue him and therefore expected it in another Now this heauen which was Abrahams hope is called a Citie A Citie properly is a place for the habitation of men compassed with walles and distinguished by streetes and houses Now properly heauen or the estate of holy men in heauen is not a city but as elsewhere in the scripture it is called a house a tabernacle a temple an inheritance a kingdome so is it here called a city namely for the resemblance it hath therunto which consisteth specially in foure points 1 A Citie hath many houses greater lesse and for all sorts So in heauen also there are many mansions Ioh. 14.2 Places of glory for all men none neede to feare that hee shall not haue fulnesse of ioy and perfect happinesse A Citie is built and at first was ordained to this end that many citizens might liue together in concord and amitie So the kingdome of heauen is a heauenly city where the Saints of God shall liue in perfect peace and loâ—e with fulnesse of ioy euery one in himselfe and each one in another 3 The goodnesse or excellency of a City consists in this To haue good lawes good Magistrates to execute them and good people performing subiection and obedience Therefore the kingdome of heauen is the most perfect Citie wherein Gods lawes are the onely lawes and they shall be written in mens hearts where each one is a sufficient gouernour of himselfe yet all subiect to God and their God vnto them all in all 4 A City is a place where generally are all necessaries and comforts for mans life one part of the countrey hath this commoditie another that but in the citie are all either brought into it or of it selfe So in heauen are all parts of perfection and all complements of happinesse to make the state of Gods children there infinitely blessed Such a glorious place is the Citie that was Abrahams hope Now for the vse hereof First Is heauen such a City Here is a notable comfort to the poore and plaine countrey-man who liues in the simplicity of the countrey life tilling the ground or keeping cattell and it may be neuer sawe or at the least neuer tasted of the pleasures and delights of cities If he serue God and keepe a good conscience here is his happinesse hee shall be citizen in the high and heauenly Ierusalem that City which was the hope of the holy men of God in all ages Secondly this may teach Citizens in the great populous and pompous cities of this world to labour also to be Citizens in heauen for that is
with his lusts and bee renewed in holinesse We must become penitent sinners for our liues past and newe men for hereafter or else let vs not looke to haue any part in heauen And good reason for God is the maker and builder of it But hee is not the maker of sinne but the diuell and our selues brought it out and thinke we the diuels worke shall come in heauen or that God will build a house for the diuels slaues to dwell in Let vs not be deceiued But contrariwise grace and holinesse is Gods worke as our soules and bodies were the worke of his hands so our regeneration is much more the worke of his owne power and mercie That man therefore who can say God as once hee made me a man so hee hath againe made and built me a new man and a new creature that man is he that shal be an inhabitant in that heauenly city whose maker and builder is the same God In this holy way of faith and repentance did the holy Fathers walke to this city as Dauid saith in the name of them all Thus I will waite for thee in holinesse Psalm And thus doubtlesse did the noble Patriarke Abraham who as hee was the father of our faith so was hee also a patterne of repentance holy life in that holines he waited for this city that hath a foundation whose maker and builder is God Hitherto we haue heard the holy practice of Abrahams faith in two examples There is much more spoken of the excellency of his faith but by the way the holy Ghost interlaceth a worthy example euen of a womans faith namely Sarah his wife The sixt Example in the order of the whole followeth in the words of the two next verses Sarahs Faith VERSE 11. By faith euen Sarah also receiued strength to conceiue seede and was deliuered of a childe when she was past age because shee iudged him faithfull which had promised NExt to Abraham who is called the father of our faith or of faithful meÌ„ followeth Sarah who was also mystically the mother of beleeuers next to the husband followeth the wife nay Abrahams faith is commended both before her and after her and hers inclosed in the midst By the way here obserue how God honours holy mariage and obserues the decorum and dignitie of it Hee not only allowes or commends the faith of Abel who it may be was vnmaried but as wee see of maried men also And it is worthy our obseruation that of all these whom the holy Ghost here records for their faith and holinesse they were all maried except Abel of whom it is not certaine whether he were or no. It appears therefore that God as he ordained holy mariage so he alwaies honored it both with his grace on earth and his glory in heauen as well if not better than any other state of life They therefore doe spit in the face of God himselfe who any way disgrace it and they especially who allow fornication or adulterie in any sort of men rather than it as some Papists doe But here wee may obserue further how God maintaines the dignity decorum of it he placeth Abraham and Sarah together and puts none betwixt them to shewe the inseparable vnitie that is to be betwixt them so farre as that eueâ— in storie they are to be set together and how hainous their presumption is that darâ— any way attempt to separate or part that vnitie He placeth Abraham first to shewe the dignitie and preheminence of the man whom for her sinne God hath set ouer her not only for her head but for her guide gouernour and to teach the man that he and his example should be first and should bee a light vnto her to shame them who come behinde their wiues in faith and holines He placeth Abraham both afore and after her and her in the midst to teach her that her glory and honour euery way is in the vertue and worthinesse of her husband her head vnder God who is to goe before her to giue her good example and to come after to ouersee her courses and on all sides to be a shelter and defence vnto her These things may not vnfitly be noted in this contextion Now let vs come to the words wherein are these points 1. Who beleeued Euen Sarah 2. What shee beleeued Gods promise to beare Isaac 3. The impediments of that faith which were two 1. Her age 2. Her barrennesse 4. The effects of this her faith which were three 1. Thereby shee conceiued seed 2. Brought forth Isaac 3. Had a great â—ssue and posteritie by him 5 The ground of her faith shee iudged him faithfull which had promised All these are laid downe in this verse or the next The first point is the person of whom this storie is Sarah a woman euen shee beleeued We haue heard some examples of notable men but he hold here a woman chronicled for her faith and holy obedience as well as men Where we learne that sauing faith and consequently saluation it selfe is not proper to one sexe but to both man woman The woman indeed was the first that brought in sin and beeing deceiued her selfe by the diuell shee deceiued man In which sense the Apostle saith 1. Tim. 2.14 The man was not deceiued but the woman and shee was in the transgression And for that cause grieuous calamities and much bitternesse was laid vpon that sexe in bearing and bringing vp children and in subiection In which regards they might thinke themselues forsaken of God for their fault For the preuenting whereof the Apostle here or rather the holy Ghost by him teacheth vs that true faith and saluation by the Messias belongeth to Sarah as well as Abraham to women as well as to men And Saint Peter also most plainely 1. Pet. 3.7 teacheth vs that they are heires together with their husbands of the grace of life The vse whereof as it discouereth the monstrous and vnnaturall madnesse of some men who haue called into question the possibility of their saluation yea some whether they haue soules or no so it giueth encouragement to women to serue that God in zeale and sinceritie which hath bin so mercifull vnto their sinne and who though he hath subiected them in body vnto their husdands yet hath made their soules partakers with them of the same hope of immortall life Yet withall we may obserue how few the holy Ghost here recordeth namely but one or two women amongst many men For so it hath beene in all ages those that haue beene good were excellent but they were fewe in comparison of men which as it is the more commendation to them that are good so it must stirre vp all women professing religion to labour in the imitation of the faith of their grandmother Sarah that so they may be some of those fewe But let vs enter into further and more particular consideration who this Sarah was especially seeing shee is the onely woman
beleeuers that haue bin in the world Let this teach vs whē we see our own sins how hideous monstrous they be yet not to despaire And whē we see other men liue in extream dissolutenes yet not to iudge of them before the time but euen then with hope and comfort remember that God who quickneth the dead and calleth things that are not as though they were And in that hope let vs perswade our selues that he may quicken our dead hearts and reuiue vs by his grace And therefore in that hope let vs raise vp our selues to vse all holy meanes of Gods Word Sacraments and Prayer which if we carefully and continually doe wee shall see wonders wrought in vs that as they saide of Paul This man preacheth the faith which afore he destroyed and therefore glorified God for him Galath 1.22.23 So shall men say of vs This man hates the profanenesse that afore he liued in and loues the religion that afore hee mocked Such miracles will the Lord worke in vs if with faith and diligence wee vse the holy meanes that so all that see vs shall Glorifie GOD for vs. Thus wee see generally how great the issue and posterity of Sarah was But it is more particularly inlarged by two comparisons As many as the starres in the skie or as the sands by the sea shore which are innumerable His comparisons are two One taken from the heauens as many as the starres in the skie The other from the earth as the sands in the Sea And these two are vsed by the holy Ghost being things of incredible number to expresse the multitude of the Israelites that came all from Sarah Not but that other things also are of as great number as the drops of water dust of the earth hairs of mens heads c but these two are most common and prouerbiall phrases whereby to expresse a multitude And againe the starres of the skie are rather named then any other because God himself in the beginning pleased to vse it to Abraham when he had neuer a childe Gen. 15.8 God caried Abraham forth in the night and bad him count the starres if he could and said so shall thy seede be And Moses afterwards vseth the same comparison Deut. 10.22 Our Fathers went downe into Egypt 70. persons and now the Lord hath made vs as the starres of the skie in multitude Now because all men are not Astronomers as Abraham and Moses were and that ignorant men might say they can perceiue no such matter in the starres Therefore hee vseth another comparison which euery Country-man may discerne how innumerable they be namely the sands of the Sea-shore And least any should say I dwell in the mid-land Country and neuer saw the sea sand and am ignorant and so cannot iudge of the starres therefore to put him out of doubt the holy Ghost assures him in the end of the verse that they are both innumerable that is not in themselues or to God but in regard of man and mans skill vnable to be counted Concerning these two comparisons let vs obserue the manner or the phrase of speech in them vsed Secondly the matter in them intended For the first wee are to knowe that the speech is not proper but figuratiue For properly they were not as manie as the starres or as the sands neither are the starres or sands innumerable but it is a figure called by the Rhetoricians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is an excesse of finenesse of speech or an excessiue elegancie And as it is ordinarie in all Writers and euen in common speech so it is not refused by the holy Ghost but vsed both heere and in the two forenamed places and the like also of the same nature but in other phrases in other places as Saint Iohn 21.25 I suppose saith hee if all the sayings and doings of Christ were written the world could not containe the bookes that would be written Meaning they would be exceeding many and more then would be needefull for saluation And Deuteronomie 9. verse 1. Moses saith That the Cities of the Canaanites were great and walled vp to heauen Meaning that they were very high and so high as was possible for Cities walles to be and as was impossible to haue beene scaled in all mennes reason had not GOD fought for them These and such like are common in the Scripture and seeing wee allowe that libertie to all Writers and to our selues in common speeche no reason to denie it to the Scripture which was written for all mens vnderstanding and therfore in such phrases as are vsuall and ordinarie with all men And the like liberty is heere taken also in another figure as many as the sands by the shore of the sea the word properly signifieth and soundeth the lippe of the Sea Now the sea hath no lippe but it is a speech taken or borrowed from man or beast who haue lippes and the sea shore resembleth a lippe For looke what a lippe is to them the shores are to the sea as the two lippes doe inclose the mouth so the two shores on both sides doe inclose the Sea which lieth as in a mouth betwixt them From hence we may learne profitable instructions First that therefore Rhetoricke is a warrantable good and lawfull Art and it ariseth thus That which the holy Ghost practiceth must needes be not onely not euill but good and warrantable But the holy Ghost vseth and practiceth Rhetoricke heere and in many places else of the Scripture Therefore it is a good and lawfull Arte. The proposition is vndoubted the assumption is cleare both by these places and almost the whole body of the Scripture many of Saint Pauls Epistles many of Christes owne Sermons Saint Iohns Gospell many of the Prophets especially Esayah haue as much and as elegant Rhetoricke in them as any VVriters in the vvorlde and beside all other vertue and Diuine power in them doe euen for figures and ornaments of Arte match any Oratours that haue vvritten in the Greekes or Latines Nor would it bee anie hard taske to vndertake to prooue and illustrate euery approued rule of Rhetorick out of some part of Scripture Now if it be lawfull to practice the rules of Rhetorick then is it lawfull also to collect those rules together to pen them and to make an Art of them They therefore that holding the contrary doe say or teach or write it is vnlawfull goe against the streame and common practice of the Scripture and rules of common reason Secondly heere it is apparant that in preaching Gods word it is lawfull and warrātable for a Minister to vse Rhetoricke and eloquence And the reason is good for that which the holy Ghost vseth in penning of the Scripture the same may Gods Ministers vse also in preaching the same They therefore that denie that liberty to Ministers are too rough and rugged and pull out of the hand of the Ministers one of his weapons out of the wings of the
the fundamentall points of religion of God of the Creation the Fall the immortalitie of the Soule the two Couenants of workes by the Lawe of Grace by the Mediator and such other substantiall points touching God his Word Sacraments Law Gospel Praier good Workes c. as the Scriptures and the Creeds and Catechismes out of the scripture doe yeeld vnto vs. Herein the case of the common people of all nations is miserable In Poperie their Clergie is so fat and full they will not In our Churches the Ministerie a great part of it so poore and ill prouided for they cannot teach Betwixt both the people of the world do perish for lacke of knowledge for how can they but perish that die not in faith How can they die so that liue not in faith And how can they euer haue faith that haue no knowledge seeing knowledge is the foundation of faith Therefore it needes the helpe of those that may and the praiers of all that our Church may haue Teachers and our people Catechisers for without learning the Catechisme it is impossible to learne religion Secondly when wee haue got knowledge and so laid the foundation then must we learne the promises of God for saluation and we must hide them in our hearts as the Iewels of life and saluation We must beleeue them to be true and effectuall to all that will take hold of them and wee our selues must therefore take hold of them and apply them to our soules Thirdly after both these wee must conforme our selues throughout heart and life vnto the holy lawes of God we must leaue all bad waies and vngodly courses though they be neuer so deare vnto vs or so commoÌ„ in the world and must make conscience of all sinne and endeauour to doe all duties to God and man The first of these is the ground of faith the second is faith it selfe the last the fruit and effect of it and an assured testimony of it to God to his Church and to a mans owne conscience And to doe these three things is to walke in the olde and holy way consecrated by Christs blood and troden in by all the holy Fathers and Popery nor any other religion can appoint so â—aâ—e so sure nor so direct a way Thus liued Abraham Sarah Isaac and Iaacob and after this course they died in faith and now liue in glory and so shall we with them if wee will liue in faith as they did but else we may long looke for heauen before wee come there Indeed God can make a man that liued not in faith die in faith but the matter is not what he can doe but what is his ordinary course that is this They that liue in faith die in faith Therfore let vs take the ordinary course and repent and turne betimes and liue the life of faith and leaue late repentance to them that thinke it but a sport to venture a soule that course may speed but this course is sure to speed he that liues in sin may happe to die in faith but he that liues in faith is sure to die in faith and to liue in glory for euer Secondly obserue how it is said All these died in faith not some but all Abraham the father and the roote and with him the wife the child and the grand-child behold a true noble blood a holy kinred a blessed generation worthy is Abraham of all the honour hee hath who was the roote of such a noble and blessed brood And worthy are Isaac and Iaacob of so good a father who stained not their blood by forsaking their faith but held it as they receiued it and liued and died in it Let this teach vs first if we bee fathers to shine before our children in a holy religion true faith and good life and it is great hope that our wiues and children will follow vs in the same Secondly if wee be sonnes to looke which of our fore-fathers and auncestors imbraced the most holy religion and to choose and liue and die in their faith Most of our yong Papists can say no more for their religion but this my father and grand-father were of that religion But they must looke to all their fore-fathers Isaac and Iaacob would not be of their great grand-fathers Nahors or Terahs religion but of their father Abrahams and Abraham himselfe would not be of his father Terahs or his grand father Nahors religion but he went vp a great deale higher to his fore-fathers to the tenth generation Noah and Shem and imbraced their religion So that we see it is nothing to say I am of my fathers or grand-fathers religion vnlesse first I prooue that theirs was of God and then hee is a Noble Christian man which knowing that will not forsake it but will liue and die in it Thirdly see here true honour and gentry is to liue and die in the true faith and holy religion of our auncestors here is the fountaine of honour to doe as these did Abraham perceiues he is wrong and erred with his fathers hee therefore leaues his fathers and grand-fathers religion goeth vp higher and takes a better Isaac his sonne makes himselfe heire not of his land alone but of his fathers religion also Iaacob the grand-childe follows both and dieth in faith with them Behold here Iaacob a true gentleman in blood his holinesse and religion is in the third descent Let vs all learne to adorne our gentilitie and nobilitie with these ensignes of true honour And let all them that shame to staine their blood by treasons or misdemeanors shame also to let their forefathers religion holinesse or vertues faile in them but let them all so liue in them that with Iaacob they may die in their fathers faith Lastly obserue how it is said they died in faith they afore liued in it but now their principall commendation is they died in it Let vs learne here to hold on in a good course when we haue entred into it for constancy and continuance is the true commendatioÌ„ he that dieth in faith is he that receiues the crowne To this ende let vs stirre vp our selues with the Apostles exhortation Galath 6.9 Let vs not be weary of well doing for in due time we shall reape if wee faint not And further let this teach vs all to choose that faith to liue in with these holy Patriarchs that wee may boldly die in It is a true obseruation that Poperie is a good religion to liue in but ours to die in The Papists vsurpe this saying and turne it the contrary way but they haue as much right to it as the thiefe to the true mans purse The liberty the pardons dispensations sanctuaries the pompe and outward glory of their Church and their fasting outward austerities beeing fowle and fained hypocrisies and indeede open licentiousnesse these and many things more may allure any naturall man in the world to liue in their religion but when they come to die then
obey And thus much of the third fruite of the Patriarchs faith The fourth fruite of their faith followeth And confessed that they were strangers and Pilgrimes on the earth Heerein we are to consider diuers points 1. The Text saith They confessed that is they professed openly what they were and what their religion was and that not onely amongst themselues but before the face of Gods enemies and heathen men Gen. 23.4 Abraham tolde the people of the Land of Canaan that he was a stranger and a forrainer among them And when Iacob came before Pharaoh hee confessed that both his dayes the dayes of his Fathers were dayes of Pilgrimage Gen. 47.9 Now affirming so openly that they were strangers in those Countries they intimated a plaine deniall and dislike of the religion and idolatry of those heathen Countries and proclaimed themselues to be of another religion so that this is true which here is said of them that they made confession and profession of their estate and their faith and that to the enemies of God Hence we learne that we are not to be ashamed of that holy profession of Christian religion to which wee are called Our calling is to professe the Gospell and religion of Christ now to many it is a reproach ignominie but we must learn this special lesson by the example of these men that howsoeuer the world iudge of Christ and his religion yet we hauing entred into this holy profession and being called hereunto must neuer be ashamed of it much lesse denie or forsake the same In the primitiue Church it was a cōtemptible thing both among the Iewes Grecians to be a Christian to the one the Gospell was a stumbling blocke to the other a laughing-stocke 1. Corin. 1.23 And yet Paul professed openly that hee was not ashamed of that holy Gospell Rom. 1.16 And so it ought to be with vs we professe Christes religion and therefore wee must not be ashamed of it Some there be that knowe but little yet haue a good minde to religion but when they see some do nothing else but make a mocke and a iest of religion they are thereby daunted and held back from the open profession and embracing of it But if we looke to be saued by faith as these men were we must learne by their example not to be ashamed of the profession of Christianitie whereto wee are called but must followe this notable example of Abraham and the Patriarchs who were not ashamed nor afraid to testifie their profession among the Heathen whensoeuer any occasion was offered for whosoeuer is ashamed of Christ in this world Christ will be ashamed of him at the day of Iudgement be-his Father in the world to come Luke 9.26 To goe further These Patriarchs professe two things 1. That they were strangers 2. That they were Pilgrimes A stranger is one that hath his abode not in his owne but in a strange Country though he trauaile not And a Pilgrime is one that is going through a forraine Country to his owne home Abraham Isaac Iacob were strangers because they dwelt as strangers in Tents not in their owne Countries where they were borne but in that strange Country whither God had called them and they were Pilgrimes because they were alwaies ready to goe thence whithersoeuer GOD would call them and in all places wheresoeuer they were still they waited on God and sought to him for the kingdome of heauen Now this was not proper to these Patriarchs but is also common to all Christians that looke to be saued by the same faith for Dauid long after them cōfesseth vnto God Psal. 39.12 that he is a Stranger and a Pilgrime or soiourner with him as all his Fathers were And euen we also must followe their faith in the practice of this profession dwelling here on the earth we must testifie professe our selues to be both Strangers and Pilgrimes But how will some say shall we be answerable to this profession Answer For the practice hereof we must doe these 3. things 1. We must vse this world and the things therof as though we vsed them not 1. Cor 7.31 The temporall blessings we here enioy wee must so vse as though they were not ours but as strangers doe onely for the present occasion but we must not set our hearts thereon And the rather to perswade vs heereunto let vs consider the practice of these godly Patriarchs They had the promise of the Land of Canaan distinctly absolutely so as no man in the world hath more right to any thing that he possesseth then they had to this Land yet when they came into it they enioyed it and all things therein as strangers and possessed nothing but did euen buy ground to bury their dead in And so must wee vse the things that wee haue in this world for our houses we must vse them as Strangers doe an Inne and for our goods we must vse them as Pilgrimes doe other mens goods where they stay for a night we must so vse them alwaies as being ready and willing to leaue them the next morning or at any time when God shall call vs away Secondly we must cast off all things in this world that may any whit hinder vs in our iourney to the kingdome of heauen like vnto good trauailers who will carie nothing with them in the way but that which may further them to their iourneyes end and if any thing hinder them in the way they will cast it from them and rather lose it then be hindred from their home But what is that which is burdensome vnto vs in this our iourney to heauen This S. Paul sheweth when he saith 2. Tim. 3.6 that certaine simple women are laden with sinne Behold sinne is that that ladeth v◠and the Author to the Hebrewes calleth sinne the thing that hangeth on so fast and presseth vs downe Heb. 1◠1◠Therefore if we will be good trauellers and pilgrimes towards the kingdome of heauen wee must take heed of all sinne for that will hold vs downe that we cannot goe one step forward but will draw vs backeward vnto hell for the way is straite that leadeth vnto life and the gate narrow and few there be that can enter into it Math. 7.13 He that would come hither must come with an humble and pure heart for the gate will not suffer any that is laden with sinne to enter therein The prowd man whose heart is puffed vp with pride and the couetous man whose heart is enlarged with desire of gaine the ambitious man who i◠with childe with worldly pompe state and the luxurious and voluptuous man who fats himselfe with earthly and carnall pleasures all these are growen too big to enter into this straite gate But the meeke in spirit who lead an humble and innocent life these shall tread this path though it bee narrow and enter in at this doore though it be straite And therefore we must cast off
offred him for though the common opinion be that he was but 13. yeares olde yet the more receiued opinion of the best Writers is that Isaac was 25. or 27. yeares olde How then could Abraham being an olde man of more then 120. yeares be able to binde Isaac being a young and lusty man and lay him on the altar to kill him For though Abraham had a commaundement to kill Isaac yet wee finde not that God commaunded Isaac to suffer himselfe to be killed now Nature moues euery one to seeke to saue his owne life and to resist such as would kill vs. How then was Isaac brought to yeeld thus farre to his Father For answere heereunto wee are to knowe that Abraham was no ordinarie man but a Prophet and that an excellent and extraordinary Prophet So God himselfe testifieth of him to Abimelech Hee is a Prophet and he shall pray for thee yea he was esteemed and reuerenced as a Prophet an honourable man euen of the heathen The Hittites tell him Thou art a Prince of God amongst vs. Genesis 23.6 Now being a man of so high place and so great regard euen in the world doubtlesse hee was of much more authoritie in his owne house It is therefore very likely that hee tells Isaac his sonne that hee had a speciall commaundement from GOD to kill him in sacrifice Now Isaac being an holy man and well brought vp hearing this is contented to be sacrificed and obayes his Father herein This I speake not as certaine but as most probable and it is the iudgment of best learned who haue had good experience in the Scripture This circumstance well obserued serues greatly for the commendation of them both of Abraham the Father that had so religiouslie brought vp his onelie Sonne that was most deere vnto him that hee would not resist the will of GOD reuealed vnto him though it cost him his life Oh that Parents would followe Abraham in so doing to their children then would it goe well with the Church of GOD. Againe Isaacs behauiour is heere admirable that hee would not resist his weake and aged Father but suffereth him to binde him and to lay him on the Altar yeelding himselfe vnto death when his Father tolde him My sonne GOD will haue it so This example must bee a patterne of obedience not onely for children towards their parents but for vs all towards Gods ministers when they shall tell vs what God would haue vs doe we must submit our selues and yielde though it turne to our bodily paine and griefe for Isaac yeelds though it were to the losse of his life But alas who will follow Isaac For let the minister speake against our carnall pleasure and vnlawfull gaine let him crosse our humour and affections then wee refuse to heare and will not obey Nay if the minister of God as the Lords priest come with the sacrificing knife of Gods word to the throat of our sin to kill the same in vs that so we may bee pure and acceptable sacrifices vnto God doe we not resist him and say in our hearts Wee will none of this doctrine Or if he like a Prophet of God come and offer to binde our consciences with the cordes of obedience and to lay our affections on the altar of the Law then we resist and are either too yong or too olde too rich or too learned or too great to be taught and bound to obedience But let vs know that if wee will bee true Isaacs euen the sonnes of faith and obedience and the true heires of Abrahams faith as wee would beare the world in hand then as he did submit himselfe to be bound of his father so must wee yield our selues to the ministers of God to bee bound by his word and suffer the same word to be in vs the two edged sword of the spirit to cut downe sinne and corruption in vs and to make vs newe creatures that so both in body and soule wee may become pure and acceptable sacrifices vnto our God Thus much of the facte it selfe wherein Abrahams faith is set forth Now follow the Arguments or reasons whereby the same worke of faith is commended vnto vs. The first Argument is taken from the great impediments which might hinder his faith and they are in number three First that he was brought to this worke not by ordinary command but by an extraordinary course in temptation Beeing tempted Secondly that he was to offer his own childe yea his onely begotten sonne Thirdly that he who had receiued the promises must offer him and kill him in whom the promise was made For the first impediment In the ordinarie translation it is read thus When he was tried But that is not so fit beeing rather an exposition of the meaning than a translation of the word For the very word signifieth to be tempted and the meaning is when he was tried I would therefore rather read it thus when he was tempted or beeing tempted as the word signifies In the handling hereof first wee will intreat of the nature of this temptation and then come to the circumstances belonging to the same Temptation as it is here vsed may be thus described It is an action of God whereby he prooueth and makes experience of the loyaltie and obedience of his seruants First I say it is an action of God This is plaine by the testimony of Moses in Genesis Gen. 22.1 where if we read the history we shall finde that God did prooue Abraham Obiect But against this it may be obiected that Saint Iames saith Iames 1.13 God tempteth no man and therefore no temptation is the action of God Answ. That place in Iames is thus to bee vnderstood God tempteth no man that is God doth not stirre vp or mooue any mans heart to sinne Yet further it will be said That temptation is an action of Satan for so in the Gospel wee may read Mat. 4.3 that hee is called the tempter Answ. Some temptations are the actions of God and some the actions of Satan God tempteth and Satan tempteth but there is great difference in their temptations first in the manner for Satan tempteth a man to sinne against the will of God and to doe some euill God tempteth a man to doe something which shall be onely against his owne affections or his reason Secondly God tempteth for the good of his seruants but Satan tempteth for the destruction both of their bodies and soules Againe I say Whereby he makes triall c. Here some will say God knowes euery mans heart and what is in them and what they will doe long before and therefore hee needeth not to make triall of any man Answ. God makes triall of his seruants not because hee is ignorant of that which is in their heart for hee vnderstandeth their thoughts long before but because he will haue their obedience made knowen partly to themselues and partly to the world so that hee makes triall of his seruants
that God so loued the world that he gaue his onely begotten Sonne that whosoeuer beleeued in him should not perish but haue euerlasting life This is Gods promise and it shall neuer be changed Now therefore howsoeuer my case be heauie and desolate yet God is able to comfort me and to bring my soule out of hell and from this case of desperation therefore though he kill me I will trust in him and I will vse all holy meanes whereby I may ouercome this hard and grieuous temptation So if it shall please God to call vs to suffer any thing for the name of Christ and his holy profession flesh and bloud we know is weake and Nature will make this obiection that life is sweete what course therefore shall we take we must doe as Abraham here doth vnto the certainty of Gods promise we must adioine his power and reason thus God hath made this promise that he will be with them that suffer any thing for his owne names sake and I knowe that hee is able to deliuer me and though he will not yet he can make me able to beare it therefore I will patiently suffer and abide whatsoeuer his holy hand shall lay vpon me Thirdly is a man so troubled with some sinne that he cannot get out nor ouercome it Then also let him set before him this fact of Abraham and vnfainedly endeuour to doe heereafter For that which is past let him labour to beleeue this promise of God At what time soeuer a sinner doth repent him of his sinne hee will put all his wickednesse out of his remembrance And for the time to come being first resolued that God can inable him to leaue his sinnes let him striue by good meanes to leaue his sinne auoiding the occasions of it and praying against it and this will be as a cable-rope to drawe him out of the pit of sinne This course wee must take and this doe in euery hard case that shall befall vs. And thus much of the meanes whereby Abraham induced himselfe to obey God The third and last reason whereby Abrahams faith is commended vnto vs is the issue and euent thereof in these words From whence he receiued him also after a sort From whence that is from death After a sort or as it may be read in some shewe This is said because Isaac in the thought and purpose of Abraham was but a dead man for Abraham was fully resolued with himselfe vpon Gods commaund to haue sacrificed him yea hee had gone so farre as to put the sacrificing knife vnto his sonnes throate and had slaine him indeede had not the Angell of God staid his hand and therefore when the Angell said Lay not thy hand vpon the childe neither doe any thing to him euen then did Abraham in some shew receiue Isaac from death Here we learne diuers points 1 That whosoeuer shall rest on Gods prouidence and good pleasure euen in cases of extremitie when he shall be out of all hope with himselfe shall at the last haue a good issue This wee see to bee true by Abrahams example in this place As wee said before he himselfe no doubt had rather haue died ten thousand times than to haue Isaac slaine in whom the promise was made but yet beleeuing Gods promise that that should neuer change hee rests himselfe on Gods good pleasure and prouidence and goes on in obedience and so in the end receiued a blessed issue This is very cleerely set downe vnto vs in the History recorded by Moses For when Abraham had gone three daies iourney in the wildernesse and had built an Altar then Isaac said vnto Abraham Gen. 22.7 Father here is the fire and the wood but where is the lambe for the burnt offering Then Abraham said My sonne God will prouide him a lambe for a burnt offering Vers. 8. And thus yeelding himselfe to Gods good pleasure and prouidence he receiued his sonne againe as a dead childe restored to life So when we are in cases of extremitie when all goes against vs and when we can see no hope of any good issue or ende and all good meanes seeme to faile vs if wee can then cast our selues on Gods prouidence and rowle our selues vpon God we shall haue comfort in the ende and a good issue out of all Wee doe all of vs in word acknowledge Gods prouidence but whē wee come to the pinch that wee fall into cases of extremitie then wee vse vnlawfull meanes and doe not with Abraham cast our selues vpon God but seeke helpe of the diuell and wicked men But all such persons must looke for a cursed issue They therefore that feare the Lord beeing put to any plunge or extremitie must cast themselues vpon God wholly and waite for his good time and pleasure and then will the issue be both ioyous and comfortable vnto their soules Here some circumstances of this fact are to bee considered out of the larger story The first is this What did God vnto Abraham at this time when he was about to kill his sonne Answ. God now gaue him a commandement to stay his hand and not to slay his sonne By vertue whereof Abraham staies his hand God before commanded him to goe three daies iourney in the wildernesse and there to sacrifice his sonne Hereupon Abraham goes but now beeing come to the place hauing bound his sonne and is ready to cut his throat God bids him stay his hand and then also Abraham obeyeth God and doeth not kill his sonne Here we see Abraham is at Gods commande and as wee say at his becke Hee doeth not follow his owne will and pleasure but when God calles he is wonderfull pliable to doe Gods commaund whatsoeuer it bee one way or other This practice of Abraham must bee a looking glasse for vs wherein to see what manner of persons wee ought to be Looke what God commaunds vs to doe that wee must doe and what hee forbids vs that wee must not doe But this is a rare thing to bee found in these daies our practice generally is contrary for in our liues wee followe our owne humors and affections neuer regarding what God doth either will or nill But if wee will be Abrahams children we must follow Abrahams practice in this place For the sonnes of Abraham will doe the workes of Abraham Iohn 8.39 Good seruants will come and goe doe and vndo at their Lords pleasure and forget themselues to obey their masters And so must it be with vs if we call God our good Lord and master Luk. 6.46 The second circumstance to bee considered is the time when Abraham receiued his sonne from death to wit at the very same time when his knife was at his sons throate and he himselfe ready to offer him vp for a sacrifice vnto the Lord at that same instant God spake vnto him by his Angell from heauen and said Abraham stay thy hand Gen. 22.10 This circumstance is worth the marking for God lets
kill a man not presently but a weeke or a moneth or a quarter of a yeare after as appeares by the confession of those that haue giuen themselues to studie and practice such hurtful deuises And it is worth the marking that the principall inuentors and practicers of such hurtfull inuentions haue been of the Romish religion The second circumstance to be obserued is the Time of this exploite It was not on any of the first sixe daies but on the seuenth and that after they had that day compassed the citie about seuen times then when the Priests blew the trumpets and all the people showted as Iosuah bade them the walles of Iericho fell downe for this was the time which God had appointed for this exploit The reason why God appointed seuen daies and seuen times cōpassing on the seuenth day is not reuealed vnto vs in the word of God and therefore wee may not curiously prie into it nor yet as some doe hence gather that seuen is a perfect number But from the consideration of the very time wherein the walles fell downe wee may learne this that if we would haue God to accomplish his promises vnto vs we must waite for that time season which he hath appointed we must not thinke that God wil accomplish them when we appoint But we must beleeue Gods promise and also waite his good leisure and then will it come to passe The Israelites compassed about Iericho one day and the walles neuer stirre yea they doe so sixe daies together and sixe times more on the seuenth day yet they stand fast The reason is Because Gods appointed time was not yet come But on the seuenth day when they had compassed them about the seuenth time all the people gaue vp the showt then they fel down because that was the particular set time wherein God would accomplish his promise Further whereas they compasse about the walles seuen daies together it must needes be that they went about them on the Sabbaoth day for that was one of the seuen Now here a doubt ariseth for this was a seruile worke vpon the Sabbaoth contrary to Gods commandement which inioyned so strict a rest vpon the Sabbaoth day that they might not kindle a fire thereon how then could they lawfully compasse the city on the Sabbaoth day Answ. All Gods commandements in the morall lawe must be vnderstood with this exception Thou shalt doe thus and thus vnlesse I the Lord command thee otherwise for God is an absolute Lord and so aboue the Lawe and therefore may lawfully commaund that which the Lawe forbiddeth In the second commandement he saith Thou shalt not make to thy selfe any grauen image c. And yet Moses by Gods speciall appointment set vp a brasen serpent which was a figure of Christ. Vpon such a speciall command Abraham lawfully offers to kill Isaac the Israelites at their departure spoyle and robbe the Egyptians and Iosuah with the people here compasse the walles of Iericho on the Sabbaoth day Rahabs Faith VERSE 31. By faith Rahab the harlot perished not with them which obeyed not when shee had receiued the Spies peaceably IN this verse the holy Ghost proceedes further in declaring the power of faith and for this ende commends vnto vs the faith of Rahab The words contain the summe and abbridgement of the second and sixt chapters of Iosua the meaning of them is plaine The points herein to be considered are three 1. The person beleeuing to wit Rahab 2. The reward of her faith giuen by Iosuah Shee perished not but was preserued in the destruction of Iericho 3. The testimonie of her faith so called by Saint Iames chapter 2. verse 25 and set down in the end of this verse When shee had receiued the spies peaceably For the person Rahab was a woman of Canaan dwelling in Iericho as wee may reade Iosuah 2 there shee liued and had her abode shee was no Israelite but a forrainer in regard of her birth and a Stranger from GODs Church How then comes it to passe that she is commended for her faith and here put into the Catalogue of these renowned beleeuers Why are not the rest of the Cananites preferred to this honour as well as shee Answere Wee must knowe this that from the beginning of the world to the time of Christes ascension the Church of God was small sometime shut vp in some fewe families as from the floud to the giuing of the Law and after limited to a small Kingdom and people in the Land of Canaan where the Lords people dwelt During which time all other Nations and people of the world besides this little company were no people of God but strangers from the couenant of promise and as Pau◠saith Without God in the world And howsoeuer Gods Church was thus shut vp as it were in a corner yet now and then it pleased God to reach out his mercifull hand to some of the heathen calling them into his Church and receiuing them into his couenant and they are called in the newe testament Proselytes In Abrahams family his bond-men and seruants were circumcised and made members of the Church of GOD. And in Moses dayes Iethro Moses father in Law a Priest of Midian obtained this at Gods hands to be ioyned vnto Gods Church and so was Ruth the Moabite Ruth 1.16 and Naaman the Assyrian 2. Kings 5.17 and as some think Nabuchadonozer Daniel 4.3 but that is not so certaine And so was the Eunuch of Ethiopia Candaces the Queene of Ethiopias chiefe gouernour Acts 8.27 Now as God in mercy dealt with these so did he in like mercy call Rahab the harlot aboue all the people of Iericho for they trusted to their strong walls and therefore died but Rahab beleeued that the God of Israell was the true God and so had mercy shewed vnto her Now after the time of Christes ascension God dealt more bountifully with the world for he sent the light of his Gospell into all Nations and as the Scripture saith their sound went through all the earth and their words to the ends of the world Rom. 10.18 The consideration of this limited estate of the Church of God for so long a time serues to discouer vnto vs the errour of those that maintaine and hold vniuersall calling of all and euery man to the state of grace and saluation but if that were so then in former ages the Gentiles would haue beleeued whereas we see that before the ascension of Christ the Church of God was but a small remnant among the people of the Iewes onely and not one of tenne thousand beleeued among the Gentiles Now if all men had beene effectually called then all would haue receiued the promise of the Gospell but many Nations in former ages neuer heard of Christ and therefore there was neuer in all ages a generall effectuall calling of all men Obiect Paul saith God reconciled the world vnto himselfe by Christ 2. Cor. 5.19 and if that
gathered it out of the Stories and Records of men which howsoeuer they bee not now extant yet in his dayes in the Primitiue Church were extant knowen and approoued Neither must this seeme strange vnto vs for the spirit of God in the olde Testament speaking of men hath oftentimes reference and relation therein to humane Writings as this phrase The rest of the actes of such and such are they not written in the bookes of the Chronicles of the Kings of Iuda and Israell so often vsed in the bookes of Kings and Chronicles doth euidently declare Nowe those bookes of Chronicles were not parcelles of holy Scripture but ciuill or ecclesiasticall Stories like to our bookes of Martyrs and Chronicles 2. Timothie chapter 3. verse 8 Saint Paul saith Iannes and Iambres resisted Moses Nowe in the booke of Exodus wee shall not finde the Sorcerers that withstoode Moses once named And Saint Iude maketh mention of a Prophecie of Enoch Iude verse 14 which in all the olde Testament is not recorded and it is like that Moses was the first Penne-manne of holie Scripture Whence then had these Apostles these things Answere No doubt the holy Ghost might reueale such things vnto them though they had beene vnknowen in those times but it is more probable that the Apostles had them out of some Iewish Writers or records then extant and approued among the Iewes So Paul preaching to the Athenians alledgeth the saying of Aratus an Athenian Poet For wee are his generation And to the Corinthians he propoundeth a sentence of Menander Euill words corrupt good manners 1. Cor. 15. And to Titus hee alledgeth Epimenides a Cretian Poet The Cretians are alwaies liers euill beasts slowe bellies Titus 1.12 Now whereas the spirit of God taketh these sentences out of the writings of men we may learne that to read the writings of men is not vnlawfull but a thing of good vse to the seruāts of God But wheras som would hence proue that their authority may be alledged ordinarily at euery mans pleasure in the publique ministerie it hath no ground in these places For first the Apostles were so guided by the holy Ghost in their publique Ministerie that they could not erre but no Ministers at this day haue such a priuiledge Secondly the Apostles alledging or recording the sayings of men in their Sermons or Writings did thereby sanctifie them and make them to become a part of holy Scripture This no ordinarie Minister can doe but let him alledge a humane testimonie tenne thousand times yet still it remaines humane and is not Gods word Thirdly they that would warrant their practice in alledging humane testimonies in their Sermons by the Apostles ought to follow the Apostles in their manner of allegations Now the Apostles were so sparing heerein that in many bookes wee shall not finde one for there are onely three in all the new Testament Againe the Apostles did it without ostentation for the names of the Authors are concealed whence they tooke their testimonies And lastly the Apostles did it vpon weighty cause and iust occasion to wit when they were perswaded in conscience that those testimonies would conuince the consciences of their hearer in those things for which they alledged them Now how farre many differ from the Apostles in their allegations let the world iudge Yet before wee come to speake of these examples of faith in particular there are sundry generall points to be handled In the three former verses the spirit of GOD hath sette downe the prosperous successe of beleeuers through faith But heere hee comes to acquaint vs with a different estate of other beleeuers vnder greeuous persecutions and torments euen vnto most cruell and bitter kindes of death From this which the Apostle heere obserueth wee may take a view of the state of Gods Church and people heere in this world For GOD vouchsafeth peace and prosperous successe to some as a iust reward of faith and obedience but others must want the comfort of outward peace and welfare and vndergoe most greeuous trials and persecutions Looke as there is a continuall interchange betweene day and night and the one doth constantly follow the other so as it is one while day and an other while night so is it with the Church of God and with true beleeuers in this world somtime they haue peace and prosperity and this continueth not alway but another while they are in trouble miserie and persecution To make this point more plaine because it is of some importance wee may beholde the truth of it in the Church of GOD from the beginning Adams familie was GODs Church and therein was first notable peace but when GOD accepted Abels sacrifice and refused Cains then persecution began and Cain slew his brother Abell Abraham is called the Father of the faithfull and his family in those daies was the true Church of God wherin we may notably see this changeable estate for Gods calls him out of Charran to dwell in the land of Canaan Exod. 12.1 10. But within a while the family was so great in the Land that hee was faine to goe downe into Egypt to soiourne there And there the Lord blessed him exceedingly and inriched him so greatly that he became a mighty Prince able to encounter with the Kings of those nations in battell after his returne to Canaan Exod. 14. The Israelites Gods chosen people were 400. yeare in bondage in Egypt but at the appointed time God gaue them a glorious deliuerance and yet they were tried in the wildernes 40. yeares after which time they were plāted safely in the fruitfull Land of Canaan a Land that flowed with milke and hony And there also the Church of God was in this case sometime in prosperitie and otherwhiles in aduersity for when it was ruled by Iudges as in that booke appeares for ten twenty thirty or fourty yeares together the Israelites for their sinnes were in subiection bondage to the nations about them as the Moabites the Philistims the Ammonites c. Yet then when they cried to God he sent them some mighty iudge to deliuer them for so long time againe This was the interchangeable estate of the Church all the time of the Iudges And afterward when it was gouerned by Kings it was in the same case for one while God gaue them good Kings who would aduance religion and maintaine and cherish the Priests and Prophets of God and for their time the Church prospered But otherwhiles for their sinnes God would send them wicked Princes which persecuted the Prophets and the godly in the Land This is plaine in the bookes of the Kings and Chronicles After the raign of good king Iosias cam the captiuity into Babylō 70 years expired the Lord by K. Cyrus returned thē againe After their returne they were one while in peace and another while in distresse as we may see in the bookes of Ezra and Nehemias but aboue all other that persecution of Antiochus Epiphanes was
nations for my names sake Iohn chapter 16 verse 2 They shall excommunicate you yea the time shall come that whosoeuer killeth you shall thinke hee doth God good seruice Acts chapter 22. verse 22 Away say the Iewes of Paul with such a followe from the earth it is not meete that he should liue And hence hee saith of himselfe and the other Apostles 1. Corinthians chapter 4. verse 13 They were made the filth of the worlde and the off-scouring of all things In the time of the persecuting Emperours in the Primitiue Church when any common calamity befell the people or State as famine dearth pestilence or such like they straight-way imputed it to the Christians saying That they and their wicked religion were the cause thereof And though wee haue religion maintained among vs yet the poore seruants of God finde the like welcom in the world for thus the wicked censure them euery where That they are dissembling hypocrites and none so bad and vile persons as they are Now if any man aske how comes it to passe that the world should slander them so and thinke so vilely of them Answer First because they be taken out of the world in regard of state and condition in grace Ioh. 15.19 therefore the world hateth them Ioh. 15.19 Secondly the world knowes them not 1. Ioâ— 3.1 and therefore speakes euil of them Iude 10. Thirdly the wicked measure others by themselues and therefore despise the godly that ioyn not with them 1. Pet. 4.3 Lastly there is a secret enmitie betweene the seed of the wicked the seede of the Church 1. Ioh. 3.12 the wicked are of that euill one the diuell and therefore must needes hate the godly who are borne of God So that when wee shall see or heare that vngodly persons shall in any such sort abuse the children of God we must not maruell nor be troubled at it for it is no newe thing it hath been from the beginning but we must pray that God would open their eies that they might turne from their sinnes to repentance and then no doubt they will change their conceit and alter their behauiour towards them as Paul did Gal. 1.13 15. Act. 9.1 26. To come to the words more particularly the Holy Ghost saith The world was not worthy of them that is the company of vngodly liuers without Christ and voyde of grace were not worthy the societie of these holy ones for this cause did the Lord take them from among them Here note a singular fruite of true faith it brings a man to that estate and giues him that excellency that hee is more worth than the whole world I meane by the whole world the estate of all those that liue in the world out of Christ. If then a man would haue true and stable dignity let him labour for true faith for faith hath this priuiledge to aduance a beleeuer to true honour excellency And therefore our Sauiour saith As many as receiued him by faith to them he gaue power or prerogatiue to bee the sonnes of God We take it for a great prerogatiue to be the childe of an earthly prince and so it is but to be the sonne of God who is King of Kings is a preheminence and dignitie aboue all dignities and no tongue can expresse the excellency therof For what more can a man desire than to bee heire of glory in life euerlasting and yet true faith bringeth this to a beleeuer It is an excellent dignity to be matched with Angels and no prince in the world by all humane wit or power can attaine vnto it but yet the childe of God can being ioyned to God by faith in Christ wherby in some sort he is aboue the Angels themselues for our nature in Christ is aduanced aboue the nature of angels Honours and dignities in Politicke or ciuill estates are the good gifts of God and his owne ordinances wherby men are in higher places and in account are aboue another but yet all the dignity honour and pompe of the world seuered from that dignitie which faith bringeth to the beleeuer is nothing worth Indeed if worldly preheminence be ioyned with faith it is a great and excellent prerogatiue for faith makes it acceptable vnto God but seuer faith from worldly dignities and what are they but vanitie of vanities which will turne to the greater condemnation of him that enioyeth them If a man haue fauour in the Court and yet want the Kings fauour it is nothing and such are all temporall dignities without Gods fauour for at his indignation they vanish away Now his fauour without faith can no man haue for he that commeth vnto God must beleeue vers 6. Here all these that are in place aboue others either by birth or speciall calling must learne aboue all things to labour for the dignity of faith When wee haue such things wherein we delight wee desire continuance of them Behold the dignity of faith is euerlasting and besides it sanctifies all ciuill dignities and makes the owners of them glorious acceptable both before God and man when as otherwise without faith they are nothing and they that haue them can doe nothing but abuse them Againe the holy Ghost saith The world was not worthy of these men for another cause and that is this Euery Christian man by his faith brings many blessings among those parties and to that place where he liueth now the world deserues no such blessings and therefore is vnworthy of the persons by whom they come Question How doe Christians bring blessings to places where they liue Answere First by their presence for as GOD saide to Abraham the Father of the faithfull Thou shalt be a blessing Gen. 12.3 so is it with all beleeuers Laban confesseth that hee perceiued that the Lord had blessed him for Iacobs sake Gen. 30.27 And Potiphar sawe that Ioseph was a blessing in his house For the Lord made all that he did to prosper Gen. 39.2.3 While Lot was in Sodome the Angell could not destroy it Gen 19.22 And if there had beene tenne beleeuers in Sodome the Lord would haue spared all for tennes sake Gen. 18.32 Now bringing good things and keeping backe Gods iudgements by their presence they are thereby blessings Secondly they are blessings by their prayers Abraham prayed for Abimelech Gen. 20.17.18 and God healed him and his family of barrennesse At Moses prayer Gods iudgements were taken from Egypt Exod. 7.12.13.30 and his wrath appeased toward his people Exod. 32.11 14. And some thinke that Stephens prayer at his death for his persecuters was one meanes for mercy vnto Saul that then consented to his death Acts 7 60. and 8.1 Thirdly they bring blessings vpon a place by their example for when men shall see godly persons walking before them in the feare of GOD and making conscience of all manner of sinne it is a speciall meanes to cause others to turne from their wicked wayes to newnesse of life And therefore
the Apostle speaketh that the beleeuers liuing in these last dayes might haue time of being in the Church to be called iustified and sanctified that so they might bee glorified with them that liued before For put the case that Christ had suffered in the dayes of Abraham or Dauid or there-about then the end of the world must needes haue come the sooner for so it was foretolde that Christ should come in the later ages of the world 1. Pet 1 20. Now if the world had beene sooner cut off then had there not beene time of birth and calling for all the elect that now liue and shall liue therefore for their sakes was Christs comming deferred till the fulnesse of time And this I take to be the meaning of the words Now in that the holy Ghost here saith The members of Christ in the new Testament must bee perfected with all the ancient beleeuers in the olde wee must heereby be admonished to conforme our selues vnto these ancient Fathers in the participation of grace practice of obedience in this life For how can we looke to be glorified with them after this life if heere wee be not like them in grace Christ tells his followers that many should come from the East and from the West to sit with Abraham Isaac and Iacob in the kingdome of heauen Math 8.11 12 because they were followers of these Patriarchs in the faith when as the children of the Kingdome that is many Iewes by birth borne in the Church should be cast into vtter darknesse Now if Christ denie to glorifie the children and posterity of these ancient beleeuers because they did not follow them in grace and in obedience how can we which are by nature sinners of the Gentiles looke to bee glorified with them vnlesse in grace and obedience we conforme our selues vnto them Thus much for these examples of faith Now something must be added out of the next Chapter because there the holy Ghost makes vse of all these worthy examples A Commentarie vpon part of the 12. Chapter to the Hebrewes VERSE 1. Wherfore let vs also seeing wee are compassed with so great a clowd of witnesses cast away euery thing that presseth down and that sinne that hangeth so fast on let vs runne with patience the race that is set before vs. IN these words the holy Ghost propoundeth a worthy exhortation to the Christians of the newe Testament that they should labour to be constant in the profession of the faith that is in holding embracing and beeleeuing true Christian religion And his reason is framed thus The Saints of God in the olde Testament were constant in the faith and therefore you must likewise be constant in the faith that liue in the new Testament The first part of the reason is laid downe in all the exāples of the former chapter The conclusion or sequel is contained in this 1. verse Wherein wee may obserue two points an exhortation vnto constancy in true religion and the way or meanes to attaine thereunto The exhortation is inferred vpon the former examples which are all here applied as precedents and directions vnto vs for constancy and perseuerance in the faith in these words Wherefore seeing we are compassed about with such a cloud of witnesses that is Seeing Abel Enoch Noe Abraham and all the rest of the holy Fathers who are a clowd of witnesses vnto vs that is lights and leaders before vs were constant in true religion whether we respect their faith in Gods promises or obedience to his commandements therefore we also must be constant in the faith The way or meanes hereunto stands in three duties in the words following Let vs cast away c. For the exhortation First in generall the very inferring of it from the former examples teacheth vs this speciall duty That euery one in Gods Church must apply vnto himselfe those instructions that are laid downe either generally in doctrine or particularly in example And therfore the holy Ghost here saith not Let the Galatians or the Corinthians which were renowmed Churches bee constant in the faith but Let vs that is you Hebrewes with my selfe bee constant in the faith following the example of your ancient fathers It is said of the ancient Iewes that many of them heard Gods word but it was not profitable vnto them because it was not mingled with faith in them What is it to mingle the word with faith It is not onely to receiue it by faith beleeuing it to be true but also by the same hand of faith to apply it to a mans own soule to his heart and life And vndoubtedly Gods word thus applied to a mans particular person hath in it great power and fruite whether we regard information of iudgement or reformation of life But it is a hard thing to doe and rare to finde a man that doth sincerely apply vnto himselfe either generall doctrines or particular examples We are all prone to shift it from our selues and to lay it vpon others saying This is a good Item or a good lesson for such a one or such a one if hee were here or if he would marke it In the meane while what benefit reape we to our owne soules for the word not applied to our selues doth vs no good it is like Physicke not taken or food not eaten And hence it coms to passe that though we heare much yet wee profit little by the ministery of Gods word We must therefore learne to follow Maries example who pondered Christs words and laid them vp in her owne heart When an exhortation is giuē we must not post it off and lay it vpon others mens shoulders but apply it to our selues and lay it to our owne hearts saying This instruction is for me Hereby no doubt wee should feele greater blessings vpon the preaching of the word than yet wee doe And to mooue vs hereunto let vs consider that Satan our vtter enemie who seekes nothing but our destruction is most busie to hinder this application of the word either by the minister or by a mans owne conscience As for example when the minister by occasion out of Gods word shall confute either errour in iudgement or misdemeanour in life then men that heare and are guilty thereof should say This is mine errour or my fault now am I confuted or reproued And God no doubt if men would thus do would make it effectuall vnto them at the length But in stead of this applying to our selues either through our owne corruption or Satans suggestion or both we shift it from our selues and say Now hee reprooues such a one and such a one and speakes against such and such and indeed Satan by his good will would neuer haue a man to apply the word rightly to himselfe Therefore seeing Satan is so busie and this is his deceit to make a man shift off an exhortation or reproofe from himselfe and to lay it on others wee must be as carefull to apply it to