taken sometimes personally and sometimes essentially Personally when it is restrained to one of the Persons as to the first Person in the holy and blessed Trinity Matth. 28.19 Ephes 2.3 2 Cor. 13.13 to wit God the Father begetting the Sonne and sending forth the holy Ghost whensoever mention is made of any of the other Persons also Thus likewise it is taken when it is limited to the second Person in Trinity to wit God the Sonne begotten of the Father before all worlds â—say 9.6 as Esay 9.6 Vnto us a Childe is borne unto us a Sonne is given his Name shall be called Wonderfull Counseller the mighty God the everlasting Father And in this sence the holy Ghost the third Person proceeding from the Father and the Sonne may also be called Father because he together with the Father and the Sonne giveth being to all things Sometimes the Word is taken essentially without consideration of any personall relation and then it is referred simply to God and is extended to all the three Persons Deut. 32.6 as Deut. 32.6 Doe yee so reward the Lord Mal. 2.10 Iam. 1.27 O yee foolish people is not he thy Father that hath bought thee and Mal. 2.10 Have yee not all one Father and thus it is taken in this place for the whole God-head the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost who have a Soveraigne Father-hood over the Church loving it defending it delighting in it caring for it bestowing all blessings upon it and withholding nothing that is good from it Doct. 7 This title teacheth us that God is the Father of his Church and Children As a Father loveth his Children to whom hee hath given breath and being as he feedeth and clotheth them nourisheth and layeth up for them so God loveth his Children to whom he hath given their first life their second life and to whom he will give a third life The first life is in the flesh the second in grace the third in glory The first is a naturall life the second a spirituall life the third an eternall life The first is their generation the second their regeneration the third shall be their glorification and therefore he loveth them with a love infinitely above the love of all Parents toward their Children whose love must needs be as finite as themselves when it is at the highest What the love of Parents is toward their Children the Scripture setteth downe by sundry examples 1 King 3.26 2 Sam. 18.23 1 King 3.26 Esay 66.13 Zach. 12.10 2 Sam. 19.37 Gen. 17.18 49.1 1 King 14.2 Esay 49.15 Psal 103.13 17. 68.5 Esay 63.16 69.8 2 Thes 2.6 2 Sam. 18 23. they rejoice at their good Prov. 101. they moutne for their trouble and evill that befalleth them Zach. 12.10 they comfort them in sorrow and anguish Esay 66.13 they procure them what good and preferment they can 2 Sam. 19.37 Gen. 17.18 they provide for the time present and to come Gen. 49.1 they tender them in sicknesse and in health 1 King 14.2 they prevent dangers that doe hang over their heads and may befall them Gen. 27.43 28.2 they regard them in prosperity and adversity in wealth and in poverty so that they cannot leave them nor forget them nor forsake them Esay 49.15 All these being onely in part and unperfectly in men are fully infinitely and perfectly in God as his nature and essence and therefore he commendeth his love to us above all this Esay 49. Matth. 7. of which places before The Prophets and Apostles are full of such testimonies as Psal 103. As a Father pittieth his Children so the Lord pittieth them that feare him and as the Heaven is high above the earth so great is his mercy toward them that feare him And 68.5 A Father of the Fatherlesse and a Judge of the Widdowes is God in his holy habitation So Esay 63.16 Doubtlesse thou art our Father our Redeemer thy Name is from everlasting And 64.8 Thou O Lord art our Father we are the clay and thou our Potter and wee all are the worke of thine hand Thus the Apostle 2 Thes 2.6 The Lord Iesus and God even the Father which hath loved us and hath given us everlasting consolation comfort your hearts This title is indeed proper to God alone Reas 1 that albeit there be that are called Fathers as indeed there be many upon the earth Magistrates Ministers Masters naturall Parents Exod. 20.12 and all Superiours Exod. 20.12 Yet to us as there is but one God and one Lord so there is but one Father as we heard before out of the Prophet to whom this name is properly and peculiarly belonging Matth. 23.9 This Christ himselfe teacheth Matth. 23.9 Call no man Father upon the earth for one is your Father which is in Heaven neither be yee called Masters for one is your Master Obiect even Christ But is it unlawfull to call any Father the Apostle calleth himselfe the Father of the Corinthians 1 Cor. 9.15 1 Cor. 9. Though yee have ten thousand Instructours yet have ye not many Fathers for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the Gospell Answ I answer He doth not simply forbid the appellation but restraine them from ambition neither condemneth he properly the title but absolutely the affecting of the title We may not therefore imagine that Christ would utterly abolish from among Christians the name of Father or Master or Teacher as if it were unlawfull for Children to call those their Fathers of whom they received their beeing or for Servants to call any their Masters to whom they owe their service forasmuch as the Scripture willeth Children to honour their Fathers and Servants to be obedient to their bodily Masters but his purpose is to forbid these names in such sort as the Pharises were called by them who loved or desired to be called Rabbies Fathers and Masters and challenged the names as proper and peculiar to themselves It is not therefore the bare title but their vaine glory that is condemned Againe so to be called Rabbi Father or Master that the people of the Lord should wholly and absolutely depend upon their mouthes 1 Cor. 7.23 to become servants of men and rest slavishly in their opinions and traditions as the onely true Teachers and Fathers of the Church as the Iesuits would be accounted in these dayes may not be admitted in any case or that their doctrines were not subject to triall and examination by the Scripture is wholly to be rejected forasmuch as the spirits of the Prophets are subiect to the Prophets 1 Cor. 14.32 Thus to be called Father or Master agreeth to no mortall man but God is the onely true Father and Christ Iesus the onely true Master as the onely Law-giver that is able to save and to destroy Jam. 4. whose Precepts we must receive and are bound to obey though all the world should teach otherwise God then must be held to be supreme others are
conceale a thing secret Nay in this many miracles on an heape concurre together Is it not a miracle in the body to open the eyes of the blind Math. 10.8 11.5 Act. 26.18 2 Cor. 7.1 Eph. 2.1.5 to restore hearing to the deafe to raise the dead to clense the Lepers The penitent person hath received all these in his soule his eyes are opened his eares are boared he is clensed from his filthinesse and restored to life for being naturally borne dead in sinnes and trespasses he is quickned O how great a change and alteration is this But here a question may be asked Object whether this be a worke and effect of the Law are the threatnings thereof able to do it Answ or is it a fruit of the Gospell I answer the Law helpeth it forward it cannot worke it or bring it forth It prepareth to repentance but produceth it not so that the law is not excluded or quite shut out Rom. 3.20 Gal. 3.24 It serueth to bring us to the knowledge of our sinnes and miseries and thereby fitteth us to receive grace and mercy like eating salues that make way for curing medicines or like the sharpe needle that maketh way for the threed But it is the Gospell that hath the promise of pardon and forgivenesse and worketh repentance from dead workes and therefore it is a fruit of the Gospel The Law knoweth no remission of sins but is a letter that condemneth it promiseth no mercy but threatneth the curse against the transgressors Gal. 3.13 Vse Vse 1 1. This condemneth such as forsake and forget the ordinary way that God hath left to bring us to saluation and gape after miracles or revelations This is all one as if when the Lord heareth the Heauens and they heare the earth Hos 2.21.22 and the earth heareth the corne and the corne the people they will not feed thereof as base food but looke for Manna and bread from heaven are not such worthy to perish Hence it is that Abraham is brought in Luk. 16.31 answering the rich man that would have the dead sent to his brethren to reclaime them and bring them to repentance If they heare not Moses and the Prophets neither will they be perswaded though one rose from the dead How vainely then and idlely doe they prattle who to disgrace the Ministery of the word and the high ordinance of God to teach man by man alledge that they know not whether men speake the truth because all men are lyars and they are not able to try their doctrine but if they should heare the Lord himselfe speake or an Angel from heaven they would beleeve Iudg. 6 2â— 13.22 Gen. 16.2 Esay 6.3 These men neither know their owne weakenesse nor the power of God Not their owne weakenesse that are not able to endure the glory of him that speaketh from heaven nay this was the common voyce of such as heard an Angel We shall surely dy alas because I have seene an Angel of the Lord face to face not the power of God because he is infinite the Angels cover their faces before him the heavens are not cleane in his sight the earth trembleth when he sheweth his glory When the Israelites saw the lightnings and heard the noise of the thunder and sound of the Trumpet waxing lowder and lowder in the mount Exod. 20.18.19 so that Moses himselfe said I exceedingly feare and quake they sayd unto Moses Speake thou unto us and we will heare Heb. 12.21 but let not God speake unto us lest we die Deut. 5.25.26.28.29 If we heare the voyce of the Lord our God any more then we shall die for who is thereof all flesh that hath heard the voyce of the living God and lived This they spake and the Lord said They have well spoken all that they have spoken O that there were such an heart in them that they would feare me and keepe my Commandements alwayes that it might goe wel with them and with their Children for ever If this were wisedome in them to call for Moses to speake to them and not God what a foolish choise doe they make that call for God to speake to them and not Moses But of this also else where Secondly their case is fearefull and dangerous that are without the word there is no vision and therefore the people must needes perish Pro. 29.18 There the sheepe are without a sheepheard See examples Exod. 32.1 2 King 12.2 and none to have compassion upon them Math. 9.36 Neither is their state any better who albeit they are not without it yet regard it not but despise it in their hearts These are both alike saving that the latter is worser and more fearefull then the former The one are without the ordinary meanes the other without the use of the meanes and therefore without hope to come to repentance It was a fearefull judgement when our Saviour commanded the twelue saying Go not into the way of the Gentiles Math. 10.5 and into any City of the Samaritans enter ye not And when the Apostles went through the Cities to preach the Gospel Act. 16.6.7 they were forbidden by the holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia and afterward when they assaied to goe into Bithynia the Spirit suffered them not Was not this in effect as much as if the Lord had sayd give them no bread let them be famished I will not have these converted and consequently saved He that taketh away the meanes of life it is plaine he would not have that man live Woe then to all such retchlesse and carelesse persons as set light by this high ordinance of God that neither have it nor desire it but doubly wretched are they that despise it and wish in their hearts to be without it Can these perswade themselues they have attained to repentance What without the meanes but such is the necessity of repentance that without it we must perish for ever I may therefore say to such as the Apostle doth to the Iewes Well spake the holy Ghost unto our fathers Esay 6.9 Act. 28.26 Go unto this people and say hearing ye shall heare and shall not understand and seeing ye shall see and not perceive for the heart of this people is waxed grosse and their eares are dull of hearing and their eyes have they closed least they should see with their eyes and heare with their eares and understand with their hearts and should be converted and I should heale them Thirdly behold the happy condition of such if they knew their owne happinesse to whomsoever God hath vouchsafed the preaching of the Gospell It is a manifest proofe he hath a people there whom he would have converted For as he shewed the Disciples to whom they should not goe Math. 10.6 Act. 18.9.10 so he sent them to the lost sheepe of the house of Israel Thus also he spake to Paul Act. 18. Be not afraid but speake and
and are called with an holy calling by the voice of their Shepheard and set apart by the power of the Word as the Nazarites were by their vow To this purpose it is said of the Church Loe the people shall dwell alone Numb 23 9. and shall not be reckoned among the Nations If then we joyne our selves with the world we disjoyne our selves from the Church Secondly true holinesse is begun in their nature Wee beleeve this in our hearts and wee must practise it in our lives Tit. 3.5 Tit. 3.5 2 Pet. 1.10 Matth. 5.16 Hereby we make our election and calling sure 2 Pet. 1.10 Matth. 5.16 No sanctification no salvation Thirdly the holinesse of Christ and his righteousnesse is imputed unto them Heb. 10.10 being washed and bathed in his blood Heb. 10.10 These rely wholy upon his merits for their righteousnesse and salvation not upon themselves Fourthly they cleave unto such as feare God and worke righteousnesse with unchangeable affections as the onely people in the world with whom they become one body Rom. Rom. 12.5 12.5 For as they are one in Christ so they are one among themselves and love one another in deed and in truth as fellow servants of the same family as fellow berthren of the same Father and as fellow Citizens of the same City with all meeknesse patience gentlenesse lowlinesse long-suffering love concord and unity As sheepe will not be alone so neither will they sort with Swine or Beares or Lyons or Wolves Let all our delight therefore be in the Saints Psal 16. 2 Cor. 6.16 2 Thes 3.14 Heb. 10.39 On the other side let us avoid the society of the wicked Come out from among them and touch no uncleane thing separate from them and have no familiarity with them Fiftly they strive with might and maine by sanctification and holinesse of life to exceed and outstrip the deeds and practices of Turkes Papists and prophane persons of the world 1 Pet. 2.9 Phil. 2.15 that these may see their good workes and glorifie their Father which is in Heaven For except our righteousnesse exceed the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharises Matth. 5.20 wee cannot enter into the Kingdome of Heaven Our workes not our words onely must speake for us and witnesse with us that we are of this one Church And let us take heed lest by our sinfull lives we slander our profession blaspheme the Name of God our Father dishonour Christ our Head and disgrace the Church our Mother Ephes 1.4 Lastly wee must acknowledge our selves to be Pilgrims and strangers in this world Heb. 11.9 10. as the Patriarkes and holy men of God did For albeit we are in the world yet we are none of the world and albeit we live on the earth yet we must not be earthly-minded Phil. 3.20 but have our conversation in Heaven and from thence looke for our Saviour to change our vile bodies and to fashion them like to his glorious body We live here as in a strange Country but we looke for a City which hath foundations whose builder and maker is God We must therefore use this world as though we used it not 1 Cor. 7.31 And thus being members of the Church militant in this life wee shall be parts of the Church triumphant in the life to come there to remaine with Christ Iesus our Head for ever Little flocke The third point of the division followeth which is the limitation it is little Though it be a flocke yet it is but a little flocke It is a company yet but a small company Touching the company or compasse of the Church we are to consider two things First the errors that stand on both sides and the strength of the reason that Christ maketh against all carnall feare of want and famine Touching the errors on both hands as well on the right hand as on the left some goe about to shrinke up the sinewes of this little flocke and so contract it into a lesser roome then Christ himselfe hath folded it into True it is hee hath shut it up into a narrow fold but many have gone about to pin it up and to tye it shorter then he hath done Thus the Iewes that were of the Circumcision offended who went about to gather it into a shorter summe then they ought to have done for they contended with Peter and tooke it grievously Acts 11.2 3. that he went in to men uncircumcised and did eate with them They falsely perswaded themselves that the promises concerning the Messiah pertained to themselves alone because they heard in the Scriptures that they were called the peculiar people to whom pertained the adoption Rom. 9.4 5. the covenants the giving of the Law and the service of God and so they dreamed that the Gentiles were quite excluded from salvation and severed from the Church of God Howbeit this is contrary to the ancient promise and prophesie that God will enlarge Iaphet Gen. 9.27 that hee shall dwell in the Tents of Shem and hereunto doe other Prophets accord Thus also did the Donatists shut up the Church into a corner of the world onely to wit in Africk August De Haeres cap. 69. as if it had beene utterly perished out of the whole earth besides Thus doe the Anabaptists and sundry of the Separation as if there were no true Church upon the earth but among themselves who in truth are the true Donatists of our time as whosoever knoweth the history of them will easily acknowledge For these Sectaries were Separatists who had their Conventicles apart under colour of great corruptions in other places persons and Churches and they imagined contagion and infection to arise by communicating with all others This is a generation that say as it is in the Prophet Esay 65.5 Stand by thy selfe Come not neere to me for I am holier then thou But here good and evill are mingled together as cleane uncleane in the Arke as wheate and chaffe in the floore and must so continue to the end of the World So likewise doe the Romanists abridge it who fasten the Church to the sleeve of the See of Rome and therefore define it to bee a company of men under one Pastor Bellar. lib. 3. De Eccles cap. 2. and subject to the jurisdiction of the Bishop of Rome so that let men beleeve never so orthodoxally and soundly otherwise yet they hold them out of the account of the Church and brand them to bee no better then damnable Heretikes who doe not acknowledge their lord god the Pope to be the Vicar of Christ the head of the Church and their chiefe nay universall Pastor Thus Catholike and Romane with them generall and particular shall be all one which Church when it was at the best Rom. 1.8 and their faith spred abroad thorowout the whole world was never taken to be the Catholike Church but a part thereof which now is no sound part or
at the last day set at his right hand neither make them our footstoole that shall sit upon seates Matth. 18.10 1 Cor. 62 3. and iudge the Angels nay the world There are sundry motives to move us to beware of hating and despising them all of them of great force and moment First their Angels in Heaven doe alwaies behold the face of the Father which is in Heaven and they are ready Heb. 1.14 as ministring spirits to minister for them that shall be heires of salvation and are armed with power against them that are their enemies and heires of wrath and destruction For wherefore are they said to behold the face of God but because they stand about the Throne of God as their King waiting his appointment to doe his will and to send them to safegard his servants that are so smally set by of the world Secondly the Sonne of man came to save them Matth. 18.11 therefore wee may not condemne them he loved them with perfect love therefore we may not hate them with perfect hatred Mat. 18.11 It is God that justifieth who shall dare to condemne Matth. 18.5 Thirdly such as receive them doe receive him and contrariwise such as hate them doe hate him such as persecute them Acts 9.5 doe persecute him such as revile them doe revile him because hee accounteth this as done to himselfe and esteemeth himselfe wounded thorow their sides Fourthly woe to such as any way offend these though they bee little ones it were better that a milstone were hung about their necke Matth. 18.6 and that they were drowned in the depth of the Sea An offence is sometimes taken and sometimes given An offence onely taken is not to bee regarded as not being given Matth. 15.14 neither yet in it selfe any sinne The Pharises were offended but Christ Iesus giveth a precept to let them alone Matth. 15.14 For no man must bee hindred from doing his duty because offence is taken thereby forasmuch as that were to subject the Precepts of God to the pleasure of man Christ himselfe and his Gospel were a rocke of offence and a stone to stumble at Esay 8.14 Esay 8.14 15. Rom. 9.32 1 Pet. 2.6 Luke 2.34 1 Cor. 1.23 15. Rom. 9.32 c. Offence was taken sometimes at the meannesse of his person and sometimes at the matter or manner of his doctrine howbeit the fault was not in Christ but in the Iewes and Pharises themselves who looked for a Messiah not such as is described in the Scripture but such as they had framed and hammered in their owne braines by misunderstanding the Scriptures An offence given is in the nature thereof a sinne of which Christ Iesus speaketh in that place of offending the little ones This is sometimes barely given but not taken God preveting the evil that might come thereof sanctifying those with his grace that behold the offence that they are not corrupted by it or intangled in it and sometimes it is both given and taken so that others are taken and overtaken in the same manner This is a sinne against God and man which becommeth so much the greater when it is both offered and accepted of which Paul giveth a charge 1 Cor. 10. Give none offence neither to the Jewes nor to the Gentiles 1 Cor. 10 3â— nor to the Church of God that is to none either within or without to beleevers or unbeleevers Obiect But doth the offence given excuse those from all fault to whom it is given or doth it give them freedome from guilt and punishment being drawne away and entised by others I answer Answ No in no wise This was the sinne of Elies sonnes who by their evill life caused the people to abhorre the offerings of God yet notwithstanding God threatneth to bring an heavy judgement upon Israel at which 1 Sam. 3.11 both the eares of every one that heareth it should tingle As then a woe is denounced against such as give offence so is a woe due to such as take it when it is given For the Commandement of God ought to bee of more force with us to keepe us within the compasse of our duty then all the evill examples of men to corrupt us and hinder us from it that so wee may shew our selves to be the Sonnes of God in the middest of a froward and crooked generation among whom we must shine as lights in the world Phil. 2.15 Secondly let us not marvaile that the world hateth us rather it were to bee marveled if they should not hate us that hate the Lord and cannot abide to be tyed to his Commandements which are most grievous and irkesome and toylesome unto them Neither let us wonder concerning the fiery triall 1 Ioh. 3.13 1 Pet. 1.7 4.12 which is to try us and to make our faith much more precious then gold that perisheth as though some strange thing had hapned unto us but rather let us rejoyce inasmuch as wee are partakers of Christs sufferings that when his glory shall be revealed we may be glad also with exceeding joy 1 Pet. 1.13 Such is our weaknesse and infirmity yea such is our love and liking to our selves and our owne ease that we desire freedome from all troubles and rather are ready to joyne with the wicked then we would willingly suffer any thing or be hated of them We are prone to say in our prosperity Psal 30.6 I shall never bee moved and therefore when wee begin to be evill spoken off for righteousnesse sake and heare slanders and reproaches on every side we take the matter so heavily and hainously and looke so strangely upon it as if we had never heard of any such condition or as if the Saints of God had never endured like persecution or as if the Word of God had never spoken word of enduring affliction or as if it were not the beaten path that bringeth us to salvation or as if Satan and his instruments had put on a new affection and altered their former disposition How have wee forgotten that all the servants of God from righteous Abel to these present times have suffered tribulation and therefore it may not bee thought any novelty Matth. 5.12 forasmuch as they have done this to the Prophets and people that were before us Wee have forgotten what befell our Lord and Master who endured the Crosse and despised the shame Heb. 12.2 and is set downe at the right hand of his Father Wee have forgotten that wee must walke through good report and evill report through honour and dishonour 2 Cor. 6.8 Wee have forgotten that the holy Apostles went away from the Councell reioycing Acts 5.41 that they were accounted worthy to suffer any thing for Christs sake Heb. 10.34 Wee have forgotten that the beleeving Hebrewes suffered with ioy the spoyling of their goods knowing that they had a better inheritance reserved for them in the Heavens and an enduring substance that
subordinate unto him Secondly God hath set his whole delight on his to love them above all other people Deut. 10.15 21. and doth great things for them that hee hath not done for the whole world beside Hee hath given his owne Sonne for them and to them which is the fountaine of all his love Joh. 3.16 For he so loved the world Ioh. 3.16 that he gave his onely begotten Sonne that whosoever beleeveth in him should not perish but have everlasting life And 1 Joh. 4.9 10. in this was manifested the love of God toward us because God sent his onely begotten Sonne into the world 1 Ioh. 4.9 10. that we might live through him Herein is love not that we loved him but that he loved us and sent his Sonne to be the propitiation for our sinnes From hence flow all spirituall and eternall blessings as reconciliation and atonement sanctification and likewise our justification consisting in the forgivenesse of sinnes and the imputation of his righteousnesse unto us yea hence doe flow temporall blessings to us as they are blessings so that he careth for us as the Eagle for her Birds Deut. 32.11 12. and tendreth us as the apple of his owne eye Zach. 2.5 Thirdly this truth further appeareth unto us by the titles given to the faithfull For as the Names of God set forth his nature toward us so also doe the names that are given to the Godly The names that he giveth are not like names given by men who onely hope or desire to finde them as they are named but they often prove the contrary as we see in Abshalom who had his name of his Fathers peace but hee sought the destruction of his Father It is not so with God he doth not deceive neither can bee deceived in calling his Children by their names They are called sometimes the Lords portion Deut. 32.9 Exod. 19.5 and the lot of his inheritance Deut. 32. Sometimes his chiefe treasure above all people though all the earth be his Exod. 19 5. sometimes his Sonnes and Daughters 1 Ioh. 3.1 begotten of him to a lively hope of an inheritance unspeakable and glorious 1 Joh. 3.1 sometimes the Spouse of Christ Hos 2.19 23. Ioh. 15.24 Hos 2. sometimes his Jewels Mal. 3. and sometimes also his friends labouring to doe whatsoever he commandeth them Joh. 15.14 All these titles and testimonies teach us how dearely hee loveth and accounteth of his people The uses of this point serve Vse 1 partly for information partly for instruction and partly for consolation First for information or bettering of our knowledge we must consider that from hence wee have boldnesse and confidence in prayer to approach neere to the Throne of Grace that he will give us whatsoever we aske according to his will Hence it is that in the Lords prayer we are willed and warranted to begge the sanctifying of his Name the comming of his Kingdome c. and whatsoever serveth for his glory or our owne good and to call him by the name of our Father Matth. 6. â— to stirre up our faith to come with assurance and without doubting to be heard and helped Will a Father deny his Childe any thing that is good for him God is our Father and we his Children he our Shepheard and we his Flocke hee the Creator and we his creatures Hee seeth what wee have need of and hee knoweth better then our selves what is good for us so that we may boldly come in faith and not waver as the Romanists would have us to doe Now to the end we may approach and appeare before him aright and come unto him as to a Father we must come partly with cheerefulnesse and boldnesse and partly with awefulnesse and reverence And these two must be compounded and mingled together boldnesse with reverence and reverence with boldnesse that we may pray and make supplication to him with a reverent boldnesse and with a bold kinde of reverence lest boldnesse severed from reverence breed basenesse and contempt and reverence severed from boldnesse turne into a slavish and superstitious feare To worke in us boldnesse and willingnesse the Scripture layeth before us the promises of God whereupon we must build as upon a sure foundation To strike in us reverence it propoundeth sundry threatnings and admonitions which we ought to call to minde so often as we goe to praier to prepare us thereunto First we must acquaint our selves with the gracious promises of God which he hath made to us in his holy Word that our dull and dead spirits may thereby be quickned and our unbeleeving hearts may be fully perswaded that hee will deliver our soule from death Psal 116.8 our eyes from teares and our feet from falling For as the amiable Word of a Father implieth a readinesse and willingnesse in God to shew mercy so it should stirre up in us a forwardnesse to come unto him and to aske whatsoever wee want The Scripture is full of such heavenly promises Psal 50.15 Matth. 7.7 Call upon me in the day of trouble and I will heare thee Psal 50.15 Matth. 7.7 If wee humble our selves in his presence and turne from our sinnes and wicked waies then He will heare in Heaven 2 Chron. 7.14 15.2 Esay 65.24 and be mercifull unto our sins 2 Chron. 7. If we seek him He will be found of us 2 Chron. 15. Before we call he will answer and while we speake he will heare Esay 65. If we which are evill can give good gifts to our children Luke 11.13 how much more will our heavenly Father give the holy Ghost to them that desire him Rom. 10.22 Luke 11 He that is Lord of all is rich unto all that call upon him Rom. 10. Draw neere to God and He will draw neere to you Iam. 4.8 Iam. 4. All these are so many encouragements to draw us and to drive us to God who by these and a thousand such other promises inviteth us into his holy presence Againe on the other side we must consider that the Scripture withall giveth us sundry advertisements and threatnings to admonish us to come to him with feare and reverence The name of a Father is a title of familiarity but familiarity many times breedeth too much boldnesse and boldnesse breedeth contempt and contempt a base estimation of God and therefore it must bee seasoned with other considerations lest wee come to him in vaine and to our owne hurt Hence it is that as Christ our Saviour teache thus to call God our Father when we fall down before him so withall he willeth us to remember that he is in Heaven that is of infinite glory power and majesty Let us therefore have before us these and such like meditations If I regard wickednesse in my heart Psal 66.18 26.6 Prov. 1.28 15.8 21.27 the Lord will not heare me Psal 66.18 26.6 and often in the Proverbs They shall call upon me but
I will not answer the prayer of the wicked is abominable And Ioh. 9.31 We know that God heareth not sinners Ioh. 9.31 but if any man be a Worshipper of God and doth his will him he heareth Thus James speaketh Chap. 4. Iam. 4.3 Yee aske and receive not because yee aske amisse that ye may consume it upon your lusts So Christ himselfe teacheth This people draweth neere to me with their mouthes Matth. 15.8 9. and honour me with their lips but their heart is farre from mee in vaine doe they worship me And the Prophet long before When yee spread forth your hands Esay 1.11 12 15. I will hide mine eyes from you yea when ye make many prayers I will not heare These and such like places comming every where to hand are so many threatnings and watchwords and must be our continuall study and meditation whensoever we goe to prayer to awake us and rowze us up to come unto God as to a Father with the more reverence and godly feare and to assure us that if we take not good heed we may tread in his Courts and appeare in his presence and yet receive no gracious answer from him because we doe no other nor no better then take his name in vaine Secondly hence proceed sundry instructions to sundry duties which we may referre to these heads Our duty to God learned out of this Title some belonging to God some to our selves and some to our brethren Touching God it leadeth us as it were by the hand to honour reverence and obey him as Children doe their earthly Parents Ephes 6.1 2. This the Prophet Malachi teacheth Mal. 1.6 1 Pet. 1.14 15 16 17. Chap. 1. A Sonne honoureth his Father and a Servant his Master If then I be a Father where is mine honour and if I be a Master where is my feare saith the Lord of Hosts And if wee take his name in our mouthes and call him Father let us not fashion our selves according to the former lusts but passe the time of our sojourning here in feare and as he that calleth us is holy so let us be holy in all manner of conversation because it is written Be yee holy for I am holy If then we beleeve God to be our Father in Christ Iesus we must as good and obedient Children submit our selves to his holy Will and pleasure Hee that doth the Will of the Father that is in Heaven he is the Childe of God and every one that calleth him Father Ioh. 4.44 he that doth the will of the Devill is the childe of the Devill Ioh. 8. For know ye not that to whomsoever yee give your selves as servants to obey his servants yee are to whom yee obey Rom. 6.16 whether it bee of sinne unto death or of obedience unto righteousnesse It is a grievous and heavy charge to have it said to us as Christ doth to the Iewes Yee are of your father the Devill But doe we thinke that this charge lyeth heavy upon them alone or that they onely may justly bee upbraided with this reproach Nay doubtlesse all such as follow their steps must be content to beare and borrow the same name If then this saying fall fully upon us Obiect woe unto us But now how may wee know whether we be the Children of God or not for all will lay claime unto it alike even the children of the Devill will usurpe it wherein then lyeth the difference I answer Answ We shall know it by these particulars First if we labour to know his will How to knovv whether vve be Gods Children which is the groundworke of the doing thereof First we regard not to know it how or when shall we practise and performe it Hee that hath not as yet laid the foundation when will he set up the rest of the building Hence it is that Christ saith Ioh. 13.17 If yee know these things happy are ye Ioh. 13 1â— if yee doe them The Sonne and Heire will search and know the Will and Testament of his earthly Father that he may not be ignorant what is left unto him So ought we to doe we must be alwaies looking into the Will of our Heavenly Father that we may know what is befallen us and what is acceptable in his sight This is one evident signe of our adoption Secondly The second signe Psal 119.6 if wee labour to please him in all things and have respect to all his Commandements If wee regard his will in some things but displease and despise him and dispence with our selves in the rest he hath no respect to us neither to our obedience For this is not the obedience of Sonnes but rather to serve two Fathers Matth. 6.24 while wee love the one we hate the other and while wee cleave to the one we neglect the other and therefore God will not be a Father to such Thirdly The third signe wee must feare to offend him because hee is a Father and loveth us and because we love his Commandements If we feare him onely because hee can and will and doth punish such as commit sinne we are rather slaves then sonnes For this is a servile feare not a child-like feare Wicked men oftentimes feare to offend but it is onely or chiefely for feare of punishment Rom. 8.15 which proceedeth from the spirit of bondage that ingendreth feare not from the Spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba Father Rom. 8.15 The godly feare to offend because they love God and his Lawes and they know hee loveth them againe they know he is ready to forgive and not to powre out all his wrath and therefore they feare him Fourthly if we unfainedly take God for our Father The fourth signe Psal 119.136 we must be greatly grieved when by sinne wee displease him or see others displease him and transgresse his Commandements No other crosse or calamity should goe so neere us as to dishonour and disobey him No losse of friends so great as to lose his favour No want so great as to want his love and protection and the light of his countenance The greatest griefe that possessed the Prodigall Sonne was this that he had offended his loving Father by sinning against him Luke 15.20 this strooke him more to the heart then the wasting of his wealth and that he began to be pinched with poverty This was the beginning of his repentance and of his comming to himselfe And as it was with him so it must be with us also This must bee our griefe and hereby we must shew our repentance The fifth signe Fiftly we may not nay we will not nor cannot be silent when wee heare the holy Name of God dishonoured His love hath so ravished our hearts Cant. 5.8 that we are even sicke of love it is such a fire kindled in our brests that much water cannot quench it for albeit wee would hide it it cannot be smothered and though
take away comfort from every Christian soule and leaue them in state no better then the damned nay then the Deuils Difference betweene the faith of Devils and true beleevers To this purpose I pray you consider briefely what is the faith of the Deuils and what is the faith of true beleevers touching the Articles of the Creed For the Devils beleeve and man beleeveth But as Christ telleth his Disciples Except your righteousnesse exceed the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharises ye cannot enter into the Kingdome of heauen so may I say Except our faith exceed the faith of the Deuils and of all the Romanists and Reprobates we cannot be saued For there is no faith taught in the Church of Rome but a man may have it and yet be damned Now I will shew what the Devils beleeve and how farre they proceed They beleeve there is one God that God is a Father that Christ Iesus is a Saviour and Redeemer and the holy Ghost a Sanctifier they beleeve there is now hath beene before and euer shall be a Church a true Church they beleeve the Communion of Saints and forgivenesse of sinnes they beleeve there shall be a resurrection of mens bodies and everlasting life All these they steadfastly beleeve without any wavering or doubting Obiect But some will say Is not this enough is not this faith sufficient Answ what is then wanting I answer A man may beleeve all these and yet goe to hell as a damned creature that it had beene better hee had never beene borne as it is said of Judas For this is but the historicall faith to beleeve the Scriptures to be true The Devill himselfe doth this and yet hath no benefit by it Obiect nor comfort in it What then Is this common faith to be condemned because the Devils have it Answ No in no wise For albeit wee cannot be saved by it yet we cannot be saved without it and therefore it is not to be condemned nay the Apostle James commendeth it Iam. 2.19 Thou beleevest one God thou dost well in it This indeed must be embraced but there is more then this not to be omitted Christ our Saviour saith If yee love them that love you Luke 6.32 what thanke have yee for sinners also love those that love them What then doth he forbid us to love such againe as love us or doth he reiect this as euill No but he meaneth this is not sufficient if we proceed no further as Lots wife is punished not because she went out of Sodom not because she pased it for a time with her husband not because she went so farre but because she stood still and looked backe Gen. 19.26 and went no further So then where the Devils end we must begin or rather proceed True it is wee must haue this common faith not because the Deuils haue it but because God hath commanded it as Peter confessed Christ to be the Sonne of God not because the Deuils confessed it but because the Father had revealed it unto him This common faith is a good preparative to saving faith and layeth after a sort the foundation thereof and we must have it not because of it selfe it is sufficient or we may not rest there as if wee were come to our iournies end but must proceed forward in our way For we must beleeve not onely that there is a God but likewise that he is our God not onely that he is a Father but that he is our Father not onely that Christ is a Saviour but that he is our Saviour not onely that there is a Church but that we are parts and members of it that we are of the Communion of the Saints and that our sinnes shall be forgiven that our bodies shall be raised and that we shall have eternall life given unto us This truth the grounds before delivered are sufficient to manifest if any thing can bee sufficient and to shew that there must be of necessity an application Obiect But the Romanists alledge against these things that in the Gospell all runneth in generall and that it is not therein written that such a man is Gods and such a man shall haue his sinnes forgiven and have benefit by Christ I answer Answ whereas they confesse there is a generall in the Gospell we conclude that therefore there is of necessity a particular included in the generall As for example the Gospell teacheth this Whosoever beleeveth and repenteth Mark 16.16 hath Christ Iesus for his Saviour therefore there is this particular Peter Paul Cornelius and the rest did beleeve and repent therefore certainely they are saved by this their application The Apostle Paul saith to the Iayler Act. 16.31 Act. 16. If thou beleevest in the Lord Jesus thou shalt be saved and all thine house But he might presently have rejoined by the doctrine of these doting Doctors to the Apostles Sirs how doe you know this is my name written in so many letters and syllables in the Scripture But doubtlesse Paul and Silas would have shaped him this answere This is as true and certaine by the generall rules as if thy name were written therein As for the particular faith it is written in our hearts not in the Scriptures But let us deale with them according to their owne practice The Romish Priests take authority to themselves to forgive sinnes to binde and to loose Aske any particular Priest for his warrant Ioh. 20.23 Matth. 18.18 hee will alleadge a generall Commission Whose sinnes ye remit they are remitted and whose sinnes ye retaine they are retained John 20.23 And he supposed this to be sufficient albeit his owne name be not read and registred therein So then if a man should demand by what authority they absolve or who gaue them this authority they thinke they have answered fully that they are the successors of the Apostles and that therefore whatsoeuer they did they also have power and authority to doe the same and yet neither their names nor of such as are absolved by them neither of the pardoners nor of the pardoned are written in holy Scripture What then May not we apply to our selves and to our comfort and salvation that which they doe to others for gaine and for money Lastly this objection overthroweth all piety and Religion For if we be not bound to be assured of our salvation because it is not said in the Scripture by name that we shall be saved then it wil follow that we are not bound to be holy nor to feare God nor to be religious because it is said in Scripture by name that we ought to be so O but it will be said Obiect Many are deceived that apply the promises to themselves when indeed and in truth they doe not belong unto them Answ I answer Be it so yet a false claime cannot barre by any Law the true owner from his right This ought to drive us to take heed wee doe not deceive our selves but
18.24 1 Cor. 3.6 yet Aquila and Priscilla tooke him unto them and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly It was an evident signe that Job was humble in his owne eyes Iob 31.13 15. in that he did not despise the cause of his Man-servant or of his Maide when they contended with him but considered with himselfe that he which made him in the wombe fashioned them also and that one formed them all Thirdly if we submit our selves to bee governed by the wisedome of God revealed in his Word This submitting and subjecting of our selves maketh simple men become wise yong men to be wiser then their Elders and such as have beene taught Psal 119.98 99. 19.7 Prov. 1.4 wiser then their Teachers and such as have enemies to goe beyond all their deepe policies and to prevent all their cunning devices On the other side if wee reject the Word and will not bee obedient unto it making it a lampe unto our feet and a light unto our pathes Psal 119.105 Ier. 8.9 2 Tim. 3.15 there is no true wisedome at all in us Jer. 8.9 The Word is able to make us wise to salvation 1 Tim. 3.15 which is the greatest wisedome that can be He that is not wise for his soule is a foole let him be never so wise and wary for the body and let him have never so great reputation for a wise man in the world yet is his wisedome disprooved Fourthly if we deny our selves and our owne naturall and fleshly wisedome It is a very hard matter to deny our selves and our carnall wisedome but it must of necessity bee done if ever wee desire to come to the Kingdome of Heaven Therefore the Apostle saith Let no man deceive himselfe 1 Cor. 8.13 2 Cor. 10.32 If any man among you seeme to be wise let him become a foole that he may be wise For our high thoughts must be cast downe that exalt themselves against the knowledge of God and bee brought into captivity to the obedience of Christ Lastly let us study to decke our selves with humility as with a precious robe and to crowne our selves with humblenesse of minde as with a garland And so much the rather because this adorneth all other graces yea without this grace is no grace This is the direction of the Apostle Peter 1 Pet. 5.5 6. Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God that hee may exalt you in due time and cloathe yourselves with humility 1 Pet. 5.5 6. And we have sundry motives to stirre us up unto it First no good thing dwelleth in our flesh Rom. 7.18 but evill dwelleth in us abundantly and plentifully All the thoughts of mans heart are onely evill Gen. 6.5 and that continually The water can arise no higher then nature will give it leave so there is an impotency and disability in our nature to ascend above it selfe to that which is good as unpossible as for the streame to climbe up to the top of an high mountaine or for a stone by its owne strength to mount into the aire For that which is of the flesh is onely flesh Our natur is stained and defiled with all manner of sinne and a pronenesse to all sorts of sinnes from our birth Iob 14.4 15.14 Psal 51.5 nay from our conception which hath over-spred us as a filthy leprosie The minde and understanding the will and affections the memory and conscience the whole soule and body are infected Rom. 8.7 so that the naturall man understandeth not the things of God for they are foolishnesse unto him and are spiritually discerned Secondly God resisteth the proud and professeth himfelfe to be an enemy to them Iam. 4.6 Prov. 3.34 1 Pet. 5.5 but hee giveth grace unto the humble Iam. 4.6 Thirdly our best gifts are wonderfully tainted and defiled We know nothing if wee be ignorant hereof What is our faith our repentance our sanctification our love our temperance our patience our hope our knowledge but as it were the foundation or beginning of a great building or the seed of grace sowne in our hearts rather then grace it selfe being compared with perfection We know nothing as we ought to know 1 Cor. 8.2 howsoever wee may thinke wee know all things Our faith is little and soone shaken with many doubtings and with much unbeleefe Lastly Marke 9.24 such onely as are humble shall be exalted and lifted up in due time Luke 1.51 As the proud are scattered in the imagination of their hearts so the humble shall be advanced It is a common saying of Christ oftentimes uttered by him and repeated by the Evangelists Matth. 23.12 Luke 24.11 18.14 Hee that lifteth up himselfe shall be cast downe and he that humbleth himselfe shall be exalted As pride goeth before destruction and an high minde before the fall Prov. 16. so on the other side humility goeth before exaltation and leadeth the way before it All are desirous to passe into the house of glory but they are unwilling to enter in at the gate of humility By this gate Christ himselfe entred and this way he hath consecrated to all his children For it is your Fathers These words containe the reason which is the promise of a great and wonderfull blessing greater then all the world besides For what is this world without respect and reference to the World to come or what is all the glory of this life without the glory of the next Life or what is an earthly Kingdome without the Kingdome of Heaven Now touching the force and strength of this reason see afterward in the last branch This promise which is a promise of promises or the perfection of all promises as a spring or fountaine hath many streames or chanels issuing out of it as hath beene observed before in the beginning The first is the Author of the promise not Man not Angels not Princes not any creature for this is greater then all the Angels of Heaven and all the Kings and mighty men of the earth are able to promise and performe it is God that hath promised who also will accomplish whatsoever he hath spoken And to the intent this promise might take the deeper root in our hearts Christ Iâ—sus doth not call him the mighty Lord the righteous Iudge the God of revenge or such like but a mercifull Father For as before we shewed that God sheweth himselfe a Shepheard to teach that his Sheepe shall not want so here the Lord Iesus calleth him a Father 2 Cor. 12.14 to shew that as a Father provideth for his Chlldren so God loveth his and will provide for all of them He were a bad Shepheard that would feed himselfe but starve and famish his Sheepe so he were an evill father that would bee carefull for himselfe but carelesse altogether for his children The meaning of the word Father Now touching the meaning this word Father so farre as it is ascribed to God is