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A17321 Conclusions of peace, betweene God and man containing comfortable meditations for the children of God. By W. Burton. Burton, William, d. 1616. 1594 (1594) STC 4169; ESTC S116868 49,833 152

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it and therefore that all our care and studie must be to aduance him and to direct all our actions to his glorie as he hath directed his glorie to our good So that these wordes My sonne are to be considered after a double manner of speaking First as spoken by God the first authour of them next as proceeding from Salomon the minister of God and so much briefly for the persons by whom they were spokē The persons which are called sonnes NOw we are to consider of the persons that are called by the title of sonnes and because God is first in order we will first see of whom hee speaketh in this place when hee saith My sonne for many be called the sonnes of God in the scripture and they are of three sorts some are by nature the sons of God some are by adoption the sonnes of God and some for their exellencie are called the children of God By nature none is the sonne of God but Iesus Christ onely who was begotten from all eternitie of his fathers nature and substance By adoption all the faithfull are his children whom God hath elected before all worldes that he might call them in his time appointed by the liuely preaching of the Gospell and the effectuall working of his spirite in their hartes vnto the blessed and certaine hope of eternall glorie in the kingdome of heauen being first iustified by the righteousnesse of the Lord Iesus christ the naturall sonne of God These are called sonnes by adoption or made sonnes which before were no sonnes at all As if a king should take in a begger nay a traitor and make him his heire euen so did God with vs and such fauour did he freely shew to so many of the sonnes of Adam as it pleased him to adopte and to make his children wherein appeared the wonderfull loue of God to vs ward of which S. Iohn speaketh by way of administration Behold saith he what loue the father hath giuen to vs that we should be called the sonnes of God as if it were to be wondred at and not to be expressed The Angels are called the children of God Iob 1. 6. Iob 2. chap. and 1 verse When the children of God stood before the Lord Sathan came also and stood amongst them c. And they are so called partly for their excellēt state and condition but principally for their willingnesse and readines to doo the will of God Sometime also the Lord is called our father in respect of our creation onely as in Mat. 2. 10. Haue we not all one father hath not one God made vs and in Esa. 64. 8. But now thou O Lord art our father we are the clay thou art our potter we are the worke of thy handes So Adam is called the sonne of God by immediate creation in the 3 of S. Luke the last verse In this respect God is a common father not onely to all his creatures in generall but to the very reprobate also for he created them also and he made them good saith Salomon but they found out many inuentions but we shal neuer find that God vouchsafed to call any reprobat in the scripture by the name of his sonne Non tam praestanti reprobos dignatur honore He did neuer honour them with so excellent a title Many are so called and so accoumpted amongst men which doe iudge onely by the outwarde appearance but when they come before the Lord whose waies are not our waies and whose thoughts are not our thoughts the case is altered If any shall obiect and say that there is neuer a father without a childe and that they be relatiues and therefore seing as God is called a father of the reprobate in respect of creation the reprobate may at the least be called the sonnes of God though they be not the sonnes of God as the elect are they are to know that some are called fathers in the scriptures Metaphorically which were but the first inuenters of thinges and in that respect they are called fathers as Iaball the sonne of Adah the wife of Lamech is called the father of such as dwell in tents for he was the first inuenter of tents And Iuball his brother is called in the next verse the father of such as play vpon the Harpe and vpon Organes or pipes shall we therefore call the tentes Iabals children or must the organs and pipes be called the sonnes of Iuball So God is called the father of the reprobate because he first created them but yet they can no more be called the children of God than the tentes might be called the children of Iabal or the harps and organs the children of his brother Iubal But when the scriptures do speak of God as he is a father not onely by creation but also by adoption then is the title of sonnes also therewithal bestowed vpon those whom he hath created because he hath also adopted them to be haires of his kingdome through Christ but it is limited onely to the elect which do receiue him by faith as in Iohn 1. 12. As many as receiued him to thē he gaue prerogatiue to be called the sons of God So doth the Apostle Paul also restraine the title of Gods children onely to the godly As manie as are led by the spirite of God saith he are the sonnes of God And because the reprobate and all hypocrites wil boast of the spirite as well as the children of God as Zidkijah said hee had the spirit of God as wel as Michaiah therfore the scripture hath put a difference betweene the giftes of the spirite and the spirite of sanctification for Saul may haue the spirite of God that is some giftes and graces of Gods spirit as knowledge iudgement courage strength pollicy wisdome wealth c. as the wicked and thereprobate may haue to their condemnation but the spirite of sanctification or holinesse which worketh newnesse of life and changeth both the affections within and all the actions without that is proper onely to the elect children of God indeed And least anie shoulde deceiue themselues The Lord Iesus hath laid downe an euerlasting rule By their fruits you shall know them And the fruits of the spirite saith S. Paul are these Loue Ioy Peace Long-suffring Patience Goodnesse Gentlenesse Faith Meekenesse Temperance c. Against which there is no law that is to condemne them for they that are Christs haue crucified the fleshe with the affections and Iustes But there is a kinde loue and ioy and peace and suffering c. amongst the children of darkenesse because Sathan in his members can counterfeit whatsoeuer God doth commaund and there is amongst the members of the Church malignant in shew whatsoeuer the church of God militant haue in trueth whē Sathan doth change himselfe into the likenesse of an angel of light it is a hard thing to discerne the one from the other therefore hath the Lord
CONCLVSIONS of peace betweene God and man Containing comfortable meditations for the children of God By W. Burton LONDON Printed for Iohn Hardie dwelling in Paules Church-yard at the signe of the Tygers head 1594. TO THE RIGHT HOnourable Sir Richard Martin Knight nowe the second time L. Maior of the honourable Cittie of London and maister of her maiesties Mint T. C. All increase of honor in this life and in the world to come euerlasting happinesse RIght Honourable hauing heeretofore receiued at your honours hands many fauours altogither vndeserued of my part I haue bin studious along time how to shew some part of my thankefull mind for the same But no occasion was offered me til now that this booke comming to my handes to be printed without anie dedication and the authour dwelling farre off I was bold without his consent to present it to your good lordship aswell to shewe my dutie and thankeful heart towards you as also knowing what fauour your honour hath alwaies borne to such men and their workes The Authour is well knowen and the treatise is sweet and comfortable as your lordship shall find if your great affaires will allow you time to peruse it It resteth that I humbly craue pardon for my boldnesse which I hope I shall the easilier obtain if mine intēt herein be rightly considered Which is only to testifie that I am not vnmindful nor vnthankeful in heart for any benefit receiued Humbly beseeching your lordship to accept it Your Honors most hearty and humble affectionat to command Tobie Cooke Prou. 7. 1. 2. My sonne keepe my words and hide my commandements with thee Keepe my commandements and thou shalt liue THis text containeth an exhortation to the faithful and diligent keeping of Gods commandementes with a promise of life annexed thervnto And the doctrine that is to be gathered from the same ariseth partly from the maner of speaking that is there vsed and partly from the exhortation The manner of speaking is to be considered in the two first wordes My sonne Wherein is to be obserued that whosoeuer is the partie that speaketh he speaketh not like an Emperour nor like a king nor like a Iudge nor like a maister of his absolute power I will and command c. But he persuadeth like a father most louingly and tenderly Hee doth not say My slaue nor my ennemy nor my seruaunt nor my subiect nor my friend nor my brother which is much but he saith My sonne which is more a name of loue and a title of the greatest loue that can be The loue of a Prince is great the loue of a friend is great the loue of a brother is great the loue of husbands and wiues is great but the loue of father and mother to their children is like the loue of Ionathan to Dauid It is wonderfull passing the loue of Princes the loue of brethren the loue of neighbours the loue of husbandes and wiues and passing the loue of women and all loues For saith Esay can a woman forget her child As if he should say it is impossible Therefore hee that here speaketh in the person of a Father and saith My sonne perswadeth by all loues and sheweth that whatsoeuer hee counselleth or reprooueth it is not of mallice or enuy to hurt vs but of singular loue and care to doe vs good We are further to consider of two principall circumstances one is of the person that spake these words the other is of the partie to whom they were spoken Now the question is not of his fatherly affection vnto his children for of that we are persuaded nor of his fatherly authoritie ouer his children for that is graunted nor of his childrens duetie towardes him for that is acknowledged but now the question of his person and who it is that heere saith My sonne that hee might be reuerenced and who they are to whom this title of Sonnes doth belong that they might not neglect to doe their dutie If thou knewest saith the Lord Iesus to the woman of Samaria who it is that saith vnto thee giue mee drinke thou wouldest haue asked of him and hee would haue giuen thee water of life So if wee knewe who it is that heere saith My sonne and giueth counsell like a father in matters of this life we would aske of him and he would giue vs counsell to eternal life Let vs know then who it is that saith My sonne whose voice is it what is it the voice of God or of man is it from heauen or from earth or from whence is it For the better finding out of this point wee are to consider that as these names of Father and Sonne be often vsed in this booke of Prouerbs so they are not alwaies the words of one and the selfe same partie They are somtimes to be vnderstood of God and of his Church as in the 1. chapter verse 8. They are sometimes to be vnderstood of Salomon and the members of Gods Church as chap. 4. ver 1. They are somtime to be vnderstood onely of Dauid the father of Salomon the sonne of Dauid as in cha 4. verse 3. 4. Sometime they are the wordes of Bethsheba Salomons mother vnto Salomon her sonne as in chap. 30. ver 1. But most commonly they are the wordes of God and Salomon togither and are spoken to the members of the Church in generall and so they are to be vnderstoode when there is no manifest difference as there is in the places before mentioned In this exhortation these words My sonne are to be takē as the words of God the common father of all his creatures but especially of his Church in generall and they are also the wordes of Salomon a notable instrument in the Church of God My sonne saith God my son saith Salomon for this is Gods worde though Salomons writing because Salomon writeth as the holy Ghost inditeth My sonne saith God by the ministery of Salomon naming no body because he speakes to euery one that will follow his counsell of what nation or of what countrie or of what language or of what yeares of what estate and conditition soeuer he be My sonne saith Salomon in the person of God naming no body yet speaking to all that shal either heare or read his writings that at the verie entrance the dores being of loue they may be in loue with the whole frame of his counsell haue a delight to dwell therein My sonne saith God by the ministerie of Salomon that wee might perceiue what loue hee beareth to vs and knowe what dutie we beare to him My son saith Salomon in the person of God to teach all teachers with what affection to teach the Lords people and to shewe all hearers what accompt they must make of their teachers My sonne saith God to teach vs that all his care is to doe vs good and if we follow his counsell it is the better for our selues hee is neuer the better for
and so louingly embraced is this he whom he saluted with such sweete kisses and teares of ioy was it for him that the fat calfe was killed and is all this feasting and reioycing for his returne as though he had neuer offended surely so it should seeme But what shall man now giue vnto God for so greate loue and fauour or how shall we shew our selues thankfull for such kindnesse vndeserued Surely this is the Lordes doing and it is wonderfull in our eyes but that our profit may encrease to the further instruction of our iudgmente and comfort of our faith we will by the grace of God set downe certain pointes to consider of and by this text to be examined First we will consider how or by what meanes we are come into this fauour with God and how we are come by the knowledge thereof Secondly we will see the exellencie of the children of God aboue other men Thirdly we will enquire what duety the children-of God do owe vnto God their heauenly father wherby they may shew themselues thankful for such fauour restored Fourthly we will consider why the Lord both here and els where vseth these wordes My sonne Last of all we will see what may bee gathered frō them as they bee the words of Solomon How we are made the sonnes of God NOw touching the First point if we be the sonnes of God then God is our father the church of god is our mother the members of the church be our bretheren and the kingdome of heauen is our inheritance This purchase the father hath bestowed vpon vs the sonne hath bought it for vs and the holy ghost hath sealed vnto vs. Of this couenant God is the author the sonne of God is the purchaser and the spirite of God is the certifier It is freely graunted it is fully discharged it is certainely assured and shall be for euer possessed This prerogatiue as it is great so the first cause thereof was the infinite loue of God in his son Iesus Christ. It is the free gift of the father so saith the sonne Feare not litle flocke it is youre fathers pleasure to giue you a kingdome It is the free gift of the sonne so saith the Lord Iesus My sheepe heare my voice and follow me and I giue vnto them eternall life It is also the gift of the Holy Ghost so saith the prophet Dauid Lord let thy good spirite lead me into the land of righteousnesse and therefore it is no way merited or purchased by our selues while we liue nor gotten by any friendes for vs when we are deade as Papists teach for nothing can be more contrary than these To haue it of our selues and to be freely giuen of God The euidence or assurance which we haue to shew for this priuiledge is Gods promise which is surely ratified in heauen by the eternall decree of the holy Trinitie as it were by an euerlasting Act of Parlement neuer to be repealed wherunto the father the word and the spirite do beare sufficient witnesse If therefore we receiue the witnesse of men the witnesse of God is greater The recordes of this charter promise are left among vs here vpon earth in the written word of God contained in the bookes of the old and new testament whereupon all the faithfull must rely as vpon their fathers last will and testament and these we are al cōmaunded to search because they beare witnesse of the loue of God in Christ to our eternal saluation Therefore if any forsake this foundation to build vpon reuellations and dreames as Anabaptistes do or vpon mens traditions as the Papists do or vpon the persuasions of their owne hearts as Atheists do what do they els but builde vppon the sands The proclaimers and publishers of high prerogatiue are pastors and teachers which are appointed to be ministers of the Gospell truly sent of God and lawfully called of Gods church whose badges are knowledge and holines whose feete are beawtifull because they bring the glad tidings of peace The seales of this charter are either outward or inward The outward seales are the Saeraments of Baptisme and the Lordes Supper duely administred according vnto Christs holy institution The inward seales are two one is the spirite of adoption which beareth witnesse to our spirits that we are the sonnes of God and sealeth vp our heartes to the day of redemption The other is a good cōscience in all thinges desiring to liue honestly whereby we know that the spirit of God is in vs. The hand by which we receiue it is faith the closet wherin we keep it is the heart and till the soule may fully possesse it she must lye at the anchor of hope and so much for the first point The excellencie pleasures and beautie of Gods Children NOw let vs take a little viewe of the commodities and benefits which belong vnto this charter and priuiledge of beeing the sonnes of God and then shall we see the excellencie and dignitie of Gods children aboue all other which be not the children of God Their excellent estate and condition doth partly appeare in the very names and titles that be giuen them in the word of God where they be called the citizens of the heauenly Ierusalem a royall priesthood a kingly generatiō the beloued of God the spowse of the lambe Christ the signet of the Lords right hand the apple of his eye the annointed of God the friendes of God the brethrenand sisters of the Lord Iesus his loue his doue and his vndefiled the bodie of Christ the Lordes vineyard his holy ones the saintes of God the seruauntes of the most high and that which passeth all the rest the sons and daughters of God Now as Dauid said when he should haue married Saules daughter Seemeth it to you a light thing to be a kinges sonne seeing that I am a poore man and of small reputation So seemeth it to any a light thing to be sonnes and daughters of God the king of all kinges seeing wee are sinfull men and of no reputation but deserued rather eternall confusion It is a great matter as it seemeth by Dauids words to be a kings son but hee that is sonne and heire to a 1000. kingdomes or 1000. worlds if it were possible cannot compare with the sons of God if they were as naked as euer Iob was or as poore as euer was Lazarus The sonnes of Princes are in great accompt with men but the children of God are in accompt with God and man The children of princes are attended vpon by noble men and garded with strong men yet both but mē whose breth is in their nostrels and their handes cannot accomplish the deuise of their heart The children of God are attended vppon by God himselfe whose eye is alwaies ouer the righteous and they are garded by the angels of God who for their swiftnesse are said to haue wings for their readinesse they are said to
yea he taketh vpon him the person of a father and speaketh like a father most louingly kindly and alluringly saying My sonne partly to persuade vs to heare our duetie partly to encourage and confirme vs in the discharge of our duetie partly to comfort vs when we be in troble for doing our duetie but principally to teach vs that whatsoeuer obedience we yeeld vnto God wee must performe it with a sonne-like affection and whatsoeuer fauour God sheweth vnto vs it commeth from a fatherly compassion And lastly that al our obedience is accepted of him and all his loue is bestowed vppon vs onely because wee are his children in Christ but for no cause of worthinesse that is in our selues So that these wordes My sonne proceeding from God to men are words of persuasion they are words of encouragement they are wordes of comfort and they are wordes of instruction They are in a word like the tree of life in the Reuelation that beareth twelue manner of fruit euerie moneth whose very leaues do serue to cure the Nations If any shall say Can all this come out of these two wordes I say to them as Philp saide in another case to Nathaniel Come and see But are they not of power sufficient to persuade Surely where the spirite of grace is they are sufficient for when nothing can preuaile with a childe the loue and authoritie of his father shall preuaile with him especially if the thing be honest and lawfull which is commanded One word of his fathers mouth shall persuade more than 1000. of another How these wordes My sonne do serue to persuade and to moue affection NOw our heauenly father commandeth vs nothing but things honest lawfull neither can he cōmand any thing els for it is against his nature but our rebellious hearts naturally doe go against the hearing of them therefore wee had need of some oratour to persuade vs and that might vse some good argumentes and strong reasons to moue our affections The Lord doth therfore become that Oratour himselfe but all the fine eloquence and al the strong argumentes by which hee would mooue affection are in these wordes My sonne as if he should say If thou wilt heare no bodie O thou rebellious person yet thou wilt harken to the voyce of thy father if thou wilt not regard thy Father which begat thee and brought thee vp whom wilt thou regarde Thy father speaketh heare him I loue thee with a fathers loue therefore heare I haue a fathers aucthoritie ouer thee therefore heare mee I haue a fathers interest in thee therefore regard what I say I haue a fathers care ouer thee therefore giue eare vnto me If thou be my sonne heare me and if thou louest me as I loue thee heare mee If thou hast felt the power of my loue if thou haue tasted the sweetnesse of my loue If thou haue known the greatnesse of my loue which I haue shed abundantly vpon thee when I gaue Iesus Christ for thee I know thou wilt not stoppe thy eares but wilt both regard me and obey me whatsouer reasons or persuasions thou hast receiued or maiest receiue of the worlde or the deuill or thy owne false heart to the contrarie Nowe when the Lorde woulde speake all this in one worde hee sayth My sonne Therefore let vs remember that GOD calleth vs sonnes and wee call him father for wee say Our father c. and it sufficeth Nay more saith the Lord Remember that I call thee not onely a sonne but my sonne and remember that thou haue not onely a father but that I am thy father no man nor Angell nor anie person of meane estate but the almightie God of heauen and earth the King of kinges and Lord of lords euen the King of glorie and the Lord of hostes mightie in battaile whose glorie is infinite and his Maiestie is incomprehensible who filleth the earth with the riches of his mercie whose wisedome power and goodnesse doth shine in euery part of the worlde who telleth the Starres and calleth them all by their names whose dwelling is in the Heauens and the Earth is his footstoole at whose presence the Heauens and the Earth are mooued and melted euen such a one is thy Father and if thou wilt not be mooued when suche a one speaketh and calleth thee his Sonne then it goeth hard Remember againe that I am thy father and such a one doth call thee his sonne as might haue forsaken thee for euer but hee did not he could haue destroyed thee in thy sinnes but he did not hee could haue made thee a prey to the deuill but hee did not hee coulde haue plagued thee with infinite plagues but hee did not he coulde haue shut vp thy bodie and soule in the chaines of darkenesse in Hell fire for euer but hee did not Againe hee was not bound to make thee his son and heire yet he did it he was not compelled to spare thee yet he did it he sawe no reason why he should blesse thee so many ways yet he hath blessed thee manie waies thou couldst not persuade him yet hee was persuaded thou hadst nothing to say for thy selfe yet hee was satisfied thou wert his ennemie yet hee became thy friend in a worde thou wert the childe of the Diuell and the heire of endlesse perdition yet hee made thee the childe of God and an heire of euerlasting saluation such a one is thy father therefore if thou contemnest the wordes of such a Father remember whom thou contemnest I coulde presse thee with my power but I doe woo thee by my loue I might haue displaied my flagge of defiance against thee and haue saide my rebell but loe I haue put out a flagge of truce and displaied my colours of loue when I call thee My sonne Remember this My sonne and be persuaded Thus wee see howe the Lord doth as it were adiure vs by the loue and authoritie of a father and by the loue and duetie of a sonne to heare his word and obey his commandementes Therefore doe these two words My sonne runne from one to another so often in this booke of Prouerbs whatsoeuer matter almost he hath in hand Father and Sonne must go before as common Oratours to get attention and to mooue affection to shew vs that if anie thing will draw a man to God it is the feeling and consideration of his loue in Christ and hee that will not yeeld when hee is thus charmed will hee euer be wonne And hee that shall runne from God when hee seeth the white auncient with the colours of mercie and fauour displaied when wil he come and humble himselfe to God Therefore Salomon saith That louing fauor is aboue gold and siluer meaning that it is not onely more worth but that it is of greater force and will bring greater matters to passe and yet we know that money will doe much but is not the kings fauour without his paie better than the
kings paie without his fauour and what good shall the goodes of his subiectes doe him without their heartes and good will This knew the old counsellers of Salomon well inough and therefore when Rehoboam who succeeded Salomon asked them what course he should take to winne the heartes of the people they gaue him counsell to speak kindly vnto them at the first and they would be his seruantes for euer meaning that some token of loue or shewe of a kind affection towardes them would more preuaile with them than any thing els Shall the hope of Rehoboams loue make his subiects serue him for euer and shall not the assurance of Gods loue make vs serue him for euer Shall the kind words of Rehoboam the king of Ifrael win the heartes of his people for euer and shal not the kind wordes of Iehouah the king of heauen and earth win the hearts of his people for euer and for euer vnto himselfe besides that Rehoboam had neede to speake kindly to his subiects or els it is the worse for himselfe Iehouah needeth not to speake so for if we neuer loue him it is not the worse for him but for our selues yea if we be righteous we are righteous for our selues and if we all perish God wil not loose a whit of his glory shall we not then listen vnto the Lord when he speaketh so kindly vnto vs and hath displayed the flagge of Truce with My sonne the badge of loue vpon it When God commaunded Abraham to sacrifice his sonne Isaac he was ready to do it So deare was the loue of God vnto him but if all the world besides had persuaded him therevnto he would neuer haue yeelded God doth not commaund vs to sacrifice our sonnes but our sinnes least they sacrifice vs now if we thinke our selues as much beholding to God as Abraham was we wil not spare them though they be as necessarie for vs as our right hand or as profitable vnto vs as our right eye If Iudas had been the child of God as he was the child of perdition would he haue sold the loue of Christ for 30 pieces of siluer no nor yet for 30 thousande worldes but so it is with all Hipocrites and reprobate persons which are best knowne to the searcher of hearts They cannot be persuaded that God is their father in Christ their spirites are not assured by Gods spirit that God doth loue them They conceiue of the Lord as of their enemie and therefore as they could neuer feele the sweetenesse of Gods loue in their soules so they can neuer afford him their loue in their liues Whervpon it commeth to passe that the least temptation in the world the least feare of mans displeasure and the least shew of pleasure and profit doe easily persuade them to doe any thing against god against his glory against his word and against his feruantes as Baalam did who serued for the wages of iniquitie But the faithfull indeed hearing God calling them his sonnes and his daughters hauing the spirit of sanctification to assure them of their adoption they I say do fall into the reckoning of Gods vnspeakable loue in Christ vnto them howbeit not all at one time nor alwaies alike he that is not now may be hereafter but when they consider of it indeed they do therewithall resolue with themselues in token of thankfullnesse to serue the Lord in righteousnesse and true holines all the daies of their life yet still depēding vpon God by prayer and herein through Gods grace they are resolute whatsoeuer dislike of men or hinderance in the world or daunger to their owne liues they might purchase for their labor And thus wee see what an Orator the loue of God is Therfore when the Lord saith My son let vs looke for no more eloquēce to entice vs nor reasons to persuade vs for heare is eloquence inough reasons inow and learning inough and fathers inow to persuade any man that hath the spirit of God in him and whosoeuer doth not find the cords of Gods loue and authoritie strong inough to knit his hearte vnto the statutes of the Lord he hath good cause to suspect himselfe as yet that he is not the child of God Why My sonne in the singular number and not my sonnes NOw we will see why the Lord saith not My sonnes in the plurall number seeing as he speaketh to all his childrē but My sonne as if it concerned but onely one body This is partly for the particular encouragement and confirmation of euery one in his duety and partly for the particular comfort of euery one of Gods children when he shall be troubled for doing of his duety for when the Lord in particular shall giue euery one his charge then if any man be offended at him he may shew his warrant and say thus Sir the Lord did not speake generally to all least one should post it off to another but he speaketh particularly to me aswell as to another and therefore I am discharged for when the Lord speaketh indefinitly meaning none he excepteth none But in this particular kind of speaking the Lord doth binde euery one of his children in particular wholy to serue him and none els so therewithall he giueth vs to vnderstand that he hath a speciall eye and fatherly care ouer euery one in particular that is his childe and will surely protect and defend him as his childe against all annoiances watsoeuer than the which there can be no greater comfort whensoeuer the crosse shall come But we will first see how they doe binde vs wholy to God and afterwarde we will see how God hath bound himselfe to vs and euery one of vs if we be all his children as I hope we be Some thinke it lawfull to serue God and the worlde too to be of this Reiiglon and of that Religion too to goe to Bethell the house of God and to Bethauen the house of Idolitrie To goe with Barnabas and Barrabas and to ioyne with Simon Magus as with Simon Peter thinking themselues sufficiently discharged if they serue God a little now and then or if they keepe their consciences to themselues and giue God their heartes like Protestantes at large which thinke they need not heare a sermon because they heard seruice or they need not come in the after noone because they came in the forenoone or like the most which think when they haue heard a sermon they are then at libertie to do what they will or like those men which will heare a Masse and worshippe the crosse at the least in other countries that they may get commodities thereby but they will keep their consciences to themselues as our church Papists doe here amongst vs but all these men are deceiued for no man can serue ij maisters Therefore my good brother when any such temptations do beginne to fawne vpon thee Remember that God doth here call euerie particular member of the church
are but instrumentes of our good vnder God what honour is due to our heauenly father in whom our Parentes and we doe liue and moue and haue our being Euerie one will say that God is their father and they are Gods children God forbid els they say and yet many of them care not how litle they heare his worde except they may heare when they list or from whom they list Some say vrge doctrine let application alone some say teach maners but let doctrine alone and some care for neither of both some say preach mercie not iudgement we will heare the Gospel but not the lawe and some are indifferent what they heare so that it doth not touch them And most men are like Ezechiels auditors that do heare as the people vse to do but with their mouthes they iest it out and as much reckoning doe they make of the preacher his sermon as they doe of a fidler and his song and not so much for they will giue him the hearing but they meane to doe stil as they did say God what he wil. What do these men say in effect but thus much O Lord we are content to be children and thou shalt be our father so that we may haue what we will and say what we will and do what we will like Naash the Ammonite who would make a couenant with the men of Iabesh Gilead vpon conditiō that he might put out all their right eies and bring all that shame vpon Israel But what saith the Lord If I be your father where is mine honour to shewe that they cannot be the children of God which would so dishonor him and bring such a shame vpon him therefore where is my honour saith God if you be my children In effect it is as much as if he should say Why doe you not listen to my commandements and obey them Why do you not receiue my instructions and beare my reprehensions But as though I had no authority ouer you will you cast off the yoke of my gouernment as though you were wiser than I will you cast behinde you all my counsels As though I knew not what I did will you censure and controll me and my waies will you appoint me how I shal be worshipped must all be as you will Hiccene honos qui debetur mihi doe my children thus honour me or am I a father vnto such children No saith the Lord I am no father to such except you wil regard all my counsels and obey all my lawes and that continually at all times and faithfully in all places and constantly before all persons and wisely according to all circumstances you do not yeeld me that honor which is due vnto me therefore striue vnto this or els call me no more your father Now if wee could remember alwaies with what titles of honor the Lord hath honoured vs it would make vs ashamed to serue the world or the deuill or our selues in anie thing When some went about to persuade Nehemiah to flie hee because he was a Magistrate answered and said Should such a man as I flie So when Gods children are tempted by the world or by the deuill or by their owne heartes to commit anie sinne or to go against their owne consciences in any thing Let them say as Nehemiah saide Shall such a man as I yeeld shall the sonnes and daughters of the most high be so base minded or so beastly affected No be ye holy for I am holy saith the Lord to shew that vnholinesse doth no more become the Children of God than God himselfe how doth it then become the professors of the Gospell to be blasphemers of their fathers sacred name or to bee common swearers or liers or drunkards or whormongers or vsurers or prophaners of the Lordes Sabboths Then say thus with thy self Should I be couetous or malitious or enuious or proud or disdainfull as though my father were such a one and loued such things Should I be familiar with Athists or Papists or Belly-gods or scoffers at religion as though they wer my fathers frends when they bee his deadly foes Shoulde I carry two faces in one hood Should I ioyne handes with the enemies of God against his seruants and ministers Should I stop my eares when God speaketh shall I disobey when God cōmandeth shall I venture when God forbiddeth shall I presume when God threatneth and shal I distrust when God promiseth Is this a life for the seruauntes of God if not for his seruauntes much lesse for his children If the children of God doe thus lead their liues how doe the diuels children liue A heathen man being asked why he did weare such a long bushie beard he aunswered that so often as he beheld it he might commit nothinn vnworthie the grauitie of the same he would not be like a Tauerne with a bushe at the dore and no wine within So now if any man aske vs why God hath giuen vs the titles of Gods children and why we are called christians the church of Christ the spouse of Christ Citizens of heauen and by such like names of loue and honour let vs aunswere as he did that so often as we remember our names and our titles we might cōmit nothing vnworthie the grauity and maiesty of the same And that is one speciall reason why euery man hath his name giuen him in his baptisme that so often as we are called by our names we might cal to mind our baptisme and what we promised there It shuld seem that the papists some Protestants too which be popishly affected do not remember what titles they haue nor by what names they are called and therefore they must haue puppits and images in their churches and houses to put them in mind of their duety to God so some mens relion and holinesse is all in their titles of Gods children and in the names of Christians which onely they retaine when all Christianitie is banished and is not this a shame for the sonnes of God It is counted a shame for a citizen to go like a courtier or for a courtier to go like a carter but if a man put on womans apparrell or a woman put on mans apparrell that is an abomination And shall it not be a greater shame for the Citixens of heauen to go after the fashion of the Courtiers of hell And if it be an abomination for a man to go in womans apparrell what an abomination is it before the Lord for the children of light to put vpon them the workes of darkenesse and to couer thēselues with iniquitie as with a garment and for the sons of God to go in that apparrell which doth belong vnto the childrē of the deuil When the Lord of life was put to death there was darknesse vpon the face of the earth the vaile of the Temple rent the graues opened and the dead arose and went forth with other things which were seene
talked of him or with him but to shew their vtter dislike of him they vsed to say Is this he or art thou hee that wilt doe such a thing Is not this hee whom they go about to kill They woulde not say Is not this Iesus Christ or the sonne of God Againe whither will hee go that we shall not finde him This is a most despightfull kinde of speaking and doth bewray a bundance of malice that is hidden in the heart And is it not so betweene some Husbandes and Wiues and their neighbours they coulde speake one to another but disdaine and anger will not suffer the one to affoord vnto the other their names and their titles least they shoulde be put in minde of those dueties which these names require whereout Sathan sucketh no small aduauntage and these are like the spirituall Iewes Whereas manie times the verie name of husband or wife or brother or sister or neighbour or sonne or seruaunt or maister doth helpe not a little to persuade the minde and to win the affection yea the verie mentioning of those names doth oftentimes leaue a print of duety behind in the conscience Many think themselues sufficiently discharged if they speake the truth It is no matter they thinke after what maner it be done thinking to preuaile by boysterous terms nicke-names and wordes of disgrace but they are deceiued for if termes of loue and kindnesse will not preuaile words of reproch and hatred shall neuer preuaile except it be to make thinges worse and this will be the end of it while they doe so vnkindly hunt one another the diuell doth hunt them both vntill both of them become a praie vnto the diuell like men which make themselues a pray vnto the Lawyers while they striue to eate vp one another at law Now on the other side if teachers must shew themselues like Fathers then by the same lawe the people must shew themselues like children If the minister must for his parte seeke them with a fathers affection then they for their parte must not be wanting with a sonnelike affection His authoritie for God bindeth them to reuerēce him as the minister of God to obay him as if God himselfe did commaund them for for they are embassadours for Christ or in Christs stead and do entreate vs to be reconciled vnto God And in the 2. Cor. 5. 20. the Apostle saith that God doth beseech vs through them We must know then when Gods minister in the excercise of his ministerie doth persuade God doth persuade when he doth threaten vs God doth threaten vs when he doth promise vs any thing God doth promise it when he doth shew patience it is Gods patience if he doth forbeare thee God doth forbeare thee and all this is done for thy good therefore they that abuse the ministers patience as he is a minister do abuse Gods patience which God vseth towards vs for no other purpose but to draw vs to repentance which if we abuse to serue our own turn we do but heape vnto our selues wrath against the day of wrath Your murmurings are not against vs saith Moses but against God He that receiueth me saith Christ c. He that despiseth you despiseth me Therefore touch not mine annointed saith God and do my Prophets no harme because they are my Prophets not to prophesie vnto me but for me vnto you Are we now at libertie thinke we to here them or not to heare them at our pleasure because some speake roughlye and some smoothlye may we now without sinne censure the preachers of the word buy and sell them behinde their backes or gibe and iest at them with our mouthes may we descant and play vpon their wordes as the maner of some is and escape in the end may we ly in waite for them and betray them may we smite them with our tongues as the Iewes do smite Ieremie may we thinke any thing wel gotten that is gottē from them Or may we make more account of any yea of the oddest companion in the worlde than of Gods minister May any thinke to doe this and a great deale more which is vsed in the world and not to be called to account for it one day Will there not be bitternes in the end as Abner said to Ioab But stay thou art a father and hast children and doest trye by all waies and meanes to do them good what if thy child shuld mock thee or iest at thee when thou doest speak in earnest to him for his good wouldst thou be contented what if he should turne his backe vpon thee in contempt and goe his way when thou callest him Or what if he should turne againe and smite thee when thou doest reproue him for his faulte but what if he should betray thee into the handes of his enemies wouldst not thou thinke thy cost well bestowed vpon him wouldst thou take pleasure in such a monster Nay wouldst thou not wish rather that he had neuer seene the sunne But if a child ought not so to handle his naturall parentes which haue begotten him and brought him forth into the worlde shall any man thinke it lawfull so to handle his spiritual father by whom he is begotten to God and brought vp to the hope of life euerlasting The eye saith Salomon that mocketh his father despiseth the instruction of his mother let the Rauens of the valley pickè it out and the young Eagles deuoure it But the eye that mocketh the counsell of God his heauenly father or despiseth the instruction of Gods minister his spirituall father let the Deuils of hel picke that out and except he repent let the infernall Spirits deuour it But some will say if he were learned as other men be if he were of yeares and grauitie as some men be if he were a good fellow as some men be if he would flatter please as some men do if he would preach seldome as some men doe if he were in place of authoritie as some men be and did come with countenaunce and credite as some men do then would we heare him and reuerence him and regard him and maintaine him as now we do not Now imagin that thy child should make such an apoligie for himsefe when he hath dishonored thee and say father do not meruaile though I regard you not more than I do for you are but a young man you are but a plain man you are but a poore man you are but a simple man and haue no learning I haue more learning than you and can teach you what though you giue me meate and drinke apparell what though you haue brought me vp to learning yet it is not in such plentifull and fine maner as some haue nor you do not handle me so daintilie nor make so much of me as some do vse their children c. Therfore I care not for you if you had these properties as you haue not I