whereof wee must all labour diligently aboue all other things to get true faith in Christ that so we may haue approbation at Gods hands without which there is no saluation to be hoped for Secondly here also learne the right way to get testimony approbation and credit with men a thing whereof many are exceeding glad and which the childe of God must not contemne Now the way is this He must first labour to get approbation at GODs hands which indeede hee cannot doe any other way saue onely by a true and liuely faith as wee haue heard before Now the Lord God approouing of him hee hath the hearts of all men in his hands inclining them whither hee will and if it doth stand with his glory hee will cause them to like and to speake well of him that doth beleeue Many indeede get great applause in the world which little regard true faith but in the ende this their glory and applause will be their shame for They that honour me will I honour saith the Lord but he that despiseth me shal be despised 1. Sam. 2.30 Lastly whereas the holy Ghost saith That all these worthy men obtained testimony of God and yet receiued not the promise We are hereby taught that we which now liue in the Church are much more bound in conscience to beleeue than they that liued in the old Testament For wee haue receiued the promise of Christs incarnation They receiued it not and yet beleeued Wherefore in the feare of God let vs labour for true faith But some wil say What should we heare so much of faith we do all beleeue Answ. Indeed we say so much with our mouthes but it is a rare thing to finde true and sound faith in the heart for grosâ—e and palpable ignorance abounds euery where and yet men wil needs be good beleeuers which is a thing impossible for how should faith be without knowledge And as men are ignorant so they haue no care to learne nor to get knowledge that so they might come by true faith Their hearts are wholly takeÌ„ vp with the world for matters of profit and delight that they can spare no time to seeke for this pretious gift of faith Againe many haue knowledge with whom true faith is rare for faith purifies the heart it is ioyned with a good conscience and shewes it selfe by obedience through loue Now to leaue the heart to God where almost is the man that walkes answerable to his knowledge May we not truely say of many that as the word commeth in at the one eare it goeth out at the other And among those which learne and beare away something there is little care to practice it in life But wee must knowe that if wee would be approoued of God wee must beleeue Now so long as wee remaine ignorant or else hauing knowledge doe not ioyne practice therewith in obedience from a good conscience vndoubtedly we haue no sparke of true faith in vs. Wee may make a shewe of faith and so beare the world in hand we beleeue but certainely this will prooue a very dead faith and in the ende and finishing of all appeare to bee nothing but bare lip-faith and meere presumption Now to conclude this point we must know that vnlesse wee get true faith as these beleeuers had which wee must shewe by good fruits as they did euen they shall rise vp in iudgemeÌ„t against vs to condemne vs at the last day For they beleeued though they had not the ground of faith so laid before them as we haue Wherefore let them that want knowledge labour for it and they which haue it let them ioyne obedience with their knowledge that the faith of their hearts may be seene by the fruits of their liues for true faith cannot bee hid but will breake out in good workes VERSE 40. God prouiding a better thing for vs that they without vs should not be made perfect BEcause some man might much maruel that such men as receiued testimony of God for their faith should not yet receiue the promise therefore here the holy Ghost renders a reason thereof to wit the good pleasure of God appointing that Christ should bee incarnate at such a time as was most conuenient for the perfect consummation of the whole Church consisting of Gentiles as well as Iewes For though these ancient beleeuers were in time long before vs yet God prouided Christs incarnation so fitly for vs that they without vs should not haue perfect consummation in glory The Exposition God prouiding a better thing for vs. The word in the originall translated prouiding signifieth properly foreseeing wherein is likewise included Gods decree and ordination Now this we must knowe that it is a peculiar prerogatiue belonging to the true God alone to be able to foresee things to come and that many thousand years before no creature of himselfe can doe it And yet it is true that this propertie to foresee is ascribed vnto God not properly but in regard of our capacitie for if we speake of God properly God cannot be said to foresee any thing because all things bee present to him whether past or to come This prescience or foreknowledge in God puts a difference betweene the true God and all false gods yea betweene the true God and all creatures for the true God foresees all things that are to come so can no creature doe Indeed some creatures foresee and foretell some things yet herein they come short of the diuine property for God foresees all things by himselfe without signes or causes or outward meanes But creatures onely foresee some things not of themselues but by meanes of signes and outward causes or by reuelation from God otherwise can no creature foresee things to come Now as we said before this fore-sight in God includes his decree and ordination for therefore did these things so come to passe because God ordained them Whereby we see that Gods prescience of fore-knowledge is not idle but operatiue and ioyned with his will for Math. 10.29 30 an haire cannot fall from our head nor a sparrow light vpon the ground without his will As all things in time come to passe so God before all worlds willed that is decreed and appointed them And vnder this large extent of Gods will or decree wee must include the sinnefull actions of men for God doth not barely foresee them but decree the beeing of them and so will them after a sort though not to be done by himselfe yet by others When Iudas betrayed Christ and Pilate with the wicked Iewes condemned and reuiled him they sinned grieuously yet herein they did nothing but that which Gods hand and counsell had determined before to be done This point well considered confutes their opinion who indeed inlarge Gods prescience or fore knowledge ouer all things both good and euill but yet exclude sin from without the compasse of his decree and ordination But here we see Gods foresight includes his decree and nothing
witnesse but rather be excepted against as altogether vnworthy and so would prooue a discredit to his friends cause a shame to himself so it is with vs in Christs cause if we professe in word deny indeed we discredit Christ and his profession shame our selues for euer And therfore we must be carefull not only in word and iudgement but in life conuersation to make a true constant confession of Christ and of his truth And thus much for the exhortation Now followeth the 2. point to be obserued in this verse namely the manner how Gods Church people may put in practice this worthy exhortation of the holy Ghost To be constant in the faith And this consists in three duties 1. They must cast away that which presseth downe 2. They must cast away that sin that hangeth so fast on or sin which so readily doth compasse vs about 3. They must run the race that is set before them with patience Whosoeuer in Gods Church either Iew or Gentile can performe these 3. things shall be able no doubt to follow the counsell of the holy Ghost cōtinue cōstant in the faith vnto the end Of these 3. in order The 1. thing then to be done is this We must cast away that which presseth down or thus Cast away the waight or burthen for so much the word in the originall signifieth euen that burthen which so presseth down the poore Christian that he cannot goe on forward in the course of godlinesse and Christianity By burthen or weight here we must vnderstand 5. things 1. The loue of this temporall life 2. Care for earthly things 3. Riches temporal wealth 4. Worldly honour preferments 5. Worldly delights and pleasures All these are things which lie heauy on mans soule as weighty burthens which presse it downe especially then when the soule should lift vp it self to seek heauenly things So in the Parable of the Sower riches pleasures cares for the things of this life are called thornes which choake the word of God in a mans heart and make it vnfruitfull And surfetting drunkennes are said to be things which oppress the heart and make it heauy And easie it were to shewe by many testimonies that all these fiue things do press down the heart especially then when it should be lifted vp in the seeking of heauenly things Now in this that these 5. things are waighty burdens we may learne first what is the cause that in these our daies euery where the Gospel of Christ being published preached expoūded takes so little place in mēs hearts whether we regard knowledge vnderstanding or affection and obedience For Gods word is a word of power mighty in operation how comes it to passe then that the ground is barren where it is cast why makes it not men learned religious Ans. Surely in euery place where the word of God is preached especially among vs these fiue things possess the hearts of men exercise all the thoghts of the minde and affections of the heart From whence it commeth to passe that after long preaching there is little fruit or profit either for knowledge or obedience for where the heart is pressed downe with the waight of these earthly things there the word of God can take no place nor bring forth fruit And this is generally true among vs though we heare Gods word from year to year and thereby might increase in knowledg obediēce if we would yet in many there is little shew of either and the cause is in these worldly cares which take place in our hearts For this is a most certaine truth that so long as our hearts are addicted to the greedy seeking after these earthly things honour pleasures c. so long will the ground of our hearts bee barren The good seed of Gods word may be sowen therein but little fruit shall come thereof saue briers and weeds which will increase our damnation Again whereas the loue of tēporal life care of earthly things c. are sore burdens pressing downe a mans heart from heauen to earth and making it heauy and sad and dead in regard of all spirituall exercises and contemplations Hereby we are taught oftentimes to giue our selues to eleuate and lift vp our mindes and hearts to God partly by meditation in his word partly by inuocation on his name and partly by thanksgiuing And to doe these things the better we must remember to set apart some speciall time euery day for this speciall worke so as we may say with Dauid Psal. 25.1 Lord I lift vp my heart vnto thee Dauid was well acquinted with this exercise and so was Daniel for both of them vsed this as we may read Psa. 55.17 Euening and morning saith Dauid and at noone wil I pray make a noyse And Daniel vsed to pray vnto God 3. times a day wherein he would heartily vnfainedly call vpon God with thanksgiuing And great reason we should do so for wee liue in this world wherein are innumerable waighty things which press down our hearts frō looking vp to heauen therfore we must often practice our selues in holy meditatiō prayer vnto God that so we may lift vp our soules vnto God from the things of this world To vse a fit cōparisō we know that those who keep clocks if they would haue the clock stil going must once or twice a day winde vp the plūmets which cause the wheels to go about because they are still drawing downward Euen so seeing our hearts haue plummets of lead which are worldly cares and desires to press them down from seeking vp to heauen we must doe with our hearts as the clock-keeper doth with his plummets winde them vp vnto God euery day for this ende must set apart some particular time to do the same in holy duties Why doth God command the 7. day to be sanctified and set apart from all bodily exercises worldly cares vndoubtedly it is for this end to cause men to eleuate their hearts from all wordly things to seeke the things aboue else if the minde should be alwaies pressed down with worldly cares it could neuer attain to heauēs ioys He that hath not cōsciēce on the Lords day to lift vp his heart to heauen by prayer and hearing Gods word with meditation theron cannot possibly haue any soundnes in religion nor his heart firmely settled on heauenly things Thirdly whereas the holy Ghost saith That the Hebrewes must cast away the weight that presseth downe Here wee are taught in what manner and how farre forth wee must vse the things of this life as riches honours and lawfull pleasures yea and all temporall blessings whatsoeuer namely so farre forth as they will further vs in the course of religion and in the exercises of godlinesse and vertue and no further But finding by experience that these temporall things be a burden vnto vs pressing vs downe and making vs vnfit for
it And this is the name which commonly is gotten in the world because men first seeke not a good name with God but that good name which is obtained by faith will stand continue all a mans life and at his death leaue behind it a sweet perfume abideth for euer in the world to come Secondly this maintaines the excellencie of our religion against Atheists and all enemies of it which esteeme call it a base contēptible religion of which cā folow no credit nor estimation But see their malice is here controlled our religion is a most glorious excellent professiō it is the high way to get true credit estimation it makes a mā honorable in the sight of God men for by it our Elders obtained a good report which continueth fresh to this day In the fourth place Were they wel reported of for their faith therefore their faith was not hid in their hearts but manifested in their liues for the world cannot see nor commend them for their faith but for the practice of faith Here it is plaine that men must not be content to keep their faith close in their hearts but they must exercise the fruites of it in the world and then both these together will make a man truly commendable Thy faith approues thee vnto God but the practice of it is that that honours thee and thy profession in the world Lastly in that faith was that which approued our Elders vnto God here is a storehouse of comforts for all true professors of this faith Art thou poore thy faith doth make thee rich in God Art thou simple and of meane reach thy faith is true wisedome before God Art thou any way deformed faith makes thee beautifull vnto God Art thou weake feeble or sicke thy faith doth make thee strong in God Art thou base in the world and of no account thy faith makes thee honourable in the sight of God and his holy Angels Thus thou art poore and foolish and deformed and sicke and base in the world but marke how God hath recompensed thee he hath giuen thee faith whereby thou art rich and beautifull wise and strong honorable in heauen with God say therfore with Dauid the lot is fallen vnto thee in a faire ground and thou hast a goodly heritage Namely thy faith which thou wouldest not change for all the glory of the world Faith is the true riches the sound strength the lasting beauty the true wisedome the true honour of a Christian man therefore take thy selfe 10000. times more beholden vnto God then if hee had giuen thee the vncertaine riches the crafty and yet foolish wisedome the decaying strength the vanishing beauty the transitory honour of this world If thou hast true faith thou art sure to haue many enemies 1. The wicked of the world will neuer brooke thee but openly or priuily hate hurt thee Thē the diuel is thy sworn enemie how canst thou deale with so powerfull an enemie and all his wicked instruments Here is sound comfort if thou hast faith thou hast God thy friend labour therefore for this true faith and then care not for the diuel and all his power Night and day sleeping and waking by land sea thou art safe and secure the diuel cannot hurt thee thy faith makes thee accepted of God and brings thee within the compasse of his protection That same little sparke of faith which is in so narrow a compasse as thy heart is stronger thē all the power and malice of sathan As for the malice which his instruments wicked mē in this world shew against thee in mocks and abuses much lesse care for them for their nature is to speake euill and cannot doe otherwise looke not therfore at them but looke vp into heauen by the eye of thy soule where thy faith makes thee beloued and approued of God himselfe and honourable in the presence of his holy Angels And thus much of the second action or effect of faith the third followeth VERSE 3. Through faith wee vnderstand that the world was ordained by the word of God so that the things which wee see are not made of things which did appeare IN this verse is contained the third action or effect of faith namely this Faith makes a man to vnderstand things beyond the reach of mans reason This third effect is set out in these words by the instance of a notable exsample namely of the Creation of the world 1. By the word of God 2. Of nothing both which that wee may the better vnderstand let vs consider of the words as they lye in order Through faith 1. By faith in this place as I take it is not meant that sauing faith which iustifies a man before God but a generall faith wherby a man imbraceth Christian religion or wherby a man beleeueth the word of God in the doctrine of the law and the Gospel to be true My reason is because a man that neuer had iustifying and sauing faith and is no member of the catholike Church nor childe of God may haue this gift To beleeue that God by his word made the world of nothing Therefore I thinke that this is an action of a generall and not of sauing faith We vnderstand That is Whereas there are many things beyond the reach of reason and therefore by reason cannot be apprehended or vnderstood yet by vertue of this faith a man is brought to vnderstand them and to beleeue them to be true Now then whereas generall faith brings vnderstanding of many things which reason cannot reach vnto here such as be students in humane learning which labour to attain to the deepenesse and perfection of it are taught with their trauell in humane studies to haue care to ioyne faith and knowledge of religion For there are many things which our vnderstanding by reason cannot conceiue and many truthes which Philosophy cannot reach vnto nay many also which it denies but faith is able to perswade and demonstrate them all and it inlightens the mind and rectifies the iudgement when as Philosophy hath left the mind in darknesse and the iudgement in error Now in whom sound knowledge in Philosophy and this faith in religion do concurre together he is a man of a most rectified iudgement and of a deepe reach in the greatest matters but separate faith from humane knowledge and he will stumble at many truthes though hee had the wit of all the Philosophers in his owne head For exsample that God should make the world of nothing that it should haue beginning ending that God should be eternall and not the world that mans soul being created is immortal These many other truths reasō cānot see therfore Philosophy wil not admit but ioin faith to it then that crooked vnderstanding is rectified made to beleeue it It is therfore good counsel to ioyn both these together Religion hinders not humane learning as some fondly thinke but is
body and soule and for proofe thereof they bring S. Paul where he saith Christ is the first fruits of them that sleepe Answer True indeede of them that sleepe that is of all that die for Christ entred into heauen both in body soule first of all them but Henoch neuer died as the Text here auoucheth therefore that place hinders not but Henoch might be in heauen in his body before Christs humane flesh ascended thither Thirdly they argue out of Saint Iohn No man hath ascended into heauen but he that descended the sonne of man which is in heauen But say they this sonne of man is not Henoch but Christ therefore none but Christ ascended bodily into heauen Answer That place is not meant of corporall ascending but of vnderstanding mysticall and heauenly things no man ascendeth to the full knowledge of heauenly Misteries but Christ alone who descended from heauen from the bosome of his Father And thus we see this opinion hath no strength of Argument to rest vpon but wee may safely hold notwithstanding any thing that can be said against it that Henoch was translated both in body and soule And if any man yet doubt how he could be takē vp in body before he was glorified Wee are to know though he died not yet his body was changed as those men shall be which shall be found aliue at the last day The second opinion is that Henoch was taken vp in soule and body into Paradise some say the heauenly but the most the earthly Paradise and there liues in his mortall and corruptible body and must afore the last day come againe in his body with Elias and fight against Antichrist and when by their doctrine they haue ouercome him hee shall by violence kill them and so they shall die Martyrs And this is the generall receiued opinion of the most Papists But it is a meere conceit and a dreame and there is no ground for it but good argument against it For first as for the Earthly Paradise it was defaced by the flood nor doe we read that euer man was in it but Adam And some of their owne fables tell vs that Seth went to the gates of Paradise when his father Adam was sicke to get some Physicke out of Paradise for his father but hee could not get in Nor doe we finde any mention of it afterwards So that it is likely in all reason that it was defaced by the vniuersall flood And if they meane he was translated into the Heauenly Paradise I answer thither can no vncleane thing come but a mortall body is vncleane and themselues say hee was taken away in his mortall body and in it shal come againe and die Therefore Henoch hauing a mortall and vnglorified bodie cannot be in the highest heauens into which nothing can enter which is not glorified and made immortall If they alleadge Ecclesiasticus 44.16 Enoch pleased God and was translated into Paradise c. I answer we neede not call in question the authoritie of the booke nor answer that it is not in the Canon of faith For the text is corrupted wilfully by some that shewed thēselues in the Latine too bold with the text both there and elsewhere for in the Greeke originall there is no such matter as Paradise but the words are these Enoch pleased God and was translated for an example of repentance to the generations And thus we see this opinion is euery way erroneous and hath no shadow of reason in it nor for it Seeing therefore both these opinions are to bee refused let vs in few words set downe the true and Orthodoxall iudgement of the Church out of the Scriptures in the olde and new testament And it is this That this holy man by Gods special fauour to him was assumed into heauen both body and soule his soule beeing perfectly sanctified and his body glorified in the instant of his translation and there he remaineth in glory expecting the generall resurrection and the full glorification of all Gods elect Out of this translation of Henoch we may learne First that there is a life euerlasting prepared of God for his children wherein they shall liue for euer both in soule body for hereof hath God giuen vs most euident testimonies both here in Enoch and afterward in Elias Elias a Iew Enoch none Enoch in the first world Elias in the second Enoch before the flood Elias after Enoch vncircumcised Elias circumcised Enoch married Elias vnmarried and both were assumed into heauen in soule and body and are there to this day and tarry for vs till the ende of the world assuring vs that our soules liue for euer that our bodies thogh they die shall rise againe to life Here therefore wee haue a notable ground for that last but not the least article of our faith where we professe to belieue life euerlasting Secondly in this example we learne that God is not tied to the order of Nature The order which God established set downe concerning all men after Adams fall is this Dust thou art and to dust shalt thou returne By vertue of this decree all men are to die as sure as they once liue and when that time appointed by God is come all the world cannot saue one man but accordingly die he must But here notwithstanding we see God that tied man to this order is not tied himselfe Enoch and Elias are exempted they die not their bodies neuer turned to dust such is the power of God ouer the order of Nature in all naturall actions Thirdly whereas the Papists holde that all the Fathers who died before Christ were in Limbus a place out of heauen and came not in heauen till Christ fetcht them thence and carried them with him at his ascension Here wee learne it is most false forged For here we see Henoch and afterwards Elias were in heauen both in body and soule many hundred yeares before Christs Incarnation whereby as also by many other euidences that might be brought it is apparant that Limbus Patrum is nothing but a deuise of that hereticall Church of Rome Hitherto hath the holy Ghost auouched the translation of Henoch Now hee proueth substantially that he was taken away Neither was hee found for God had taken him away And for his proofe he first laieth downe his ground then he thereupon frameth his argument consisting of diuers degrees of demonstration The ground is the plaine and euident testimonie of the old Testament in Genesis where the words are these Henoch was not found or not seene for God tooke him away Against this ground being the very wordes of the olde Testament no man can take exception And heere in a word let vs all marke the high and soueraigne authoritie of Gods word which euen the holy Ghost himselfe vouchsafeth to alledge for the confirmation of his owne words It had beene sufficient that the holy Ghost here affirmed Enoch to be taken away but we see
not Christ or knowing him acknowledge him not their onely Sauiour or acknowledging him doe not truely beleeue in him with such a faith as purifieth their hearts are nothing else but as the Fathers called them splendida peccata gilded and glittering drosse and beautifull deformities And how-euer this seemes harsh yet it must needes bee true seeing without faith it is impossible to please God And here also the vanity of some Popish Writers appeares who presumptuously make some Philosophers Saints whereas they should first haue shewed that they beleeued in Christ and then wee would beleeue and teach it as willingly as they but else if they had had all the learning and all the morall vertues in the world this must stand for a truth Without faith it is impossible to please God Lastly here wee learne that the word of God registred in the holy Scriptures doth containe in it sufficient direction for all the actions and duties of a mans life for without faith no man can please God And if no man then no mans actions can please God which are not of faith for whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne Romanes Chapter 14. verse 23. If therefore mens actions must proceede from faith then consequently must they haue their ground warrant from the word for faith and the word are relatiues and the one dependes vpon the other No faith no word to bind no word no faith to beleeue But all actions that please God must bee done in faith therefore all actions that please God haue some ground and direction in the word of God without which word of God there can be no faith And this is true not onely in holy actions but euen in the common actions of mens liues and lawfull callings This is a principle which we must firmely beleeue and receiue And beside this argument here It is also proued by the euident testimonies of the holy Ghost S. Paul to Timothie All Scripture is giuen by inspiration of God and is profitable to teach improue correct and instruct in righteousnesse that the man of God may be absolute and made perfect vnto all good workes How can the sufficiencie of Scripture be more sufficiently in words expressed Againe Euery creature and ordinance of God is good c. For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer Now if the Scripture make a Christian perfect in all good workes how can it be but it giues him sufficient directions for all his workes And if euery action be sanctified by the word how can that be but the word hath warranty and direction for euery action and duty which may fall out in the course of a Christian life And vpon these grounds wee haue good reason to be resolued of this truth But now if any man aske how this can be for the Scriptures were written long agoe and the stories are of particular men nations and times and the Commaundements are knowne to be but tenne how then can the Scriptures yeeld sufficient directions for euery mans particular actions I answer the Scripture giues directions for all actions 2. wayes Either by Rules or by Examples Rules are of two sorts Generall or particular Particular rules for particular callings are many for Kings they must reade Gods booke and not haue many wiues nor gather too much siluer and gold They must be wise and learned and kisse the sonne of God Christ Iesus and many other for Ministers they must be apt to teach watching sober not young schollers and many other and so consequently the most of the callings that are in the common wealth haue their particular directions in plaine rules Generall rules are first the tenne Commaundements which are directions for all sorts and callings of men in all times what to be done what not to be done in all actions towards God and men and besides in the new Testament there are some fewe rules which are generall directions for all men in all ages As Whatsoeuer you would that men should doe to you doe you the same vnto them Againe Whether you eate or drinke or whatsoeuer you doe doe all to the glory of God Againe Let all things be done to edification and without offence of thy brother Againe Let all your workes be done in loue Lastly Let no man seeke his owne alone but euery man anothers wealth Now there is no action in the world nor any duty to be done of a Christian maÌ„ be he a publike or priuate person be it a publike or a priuate action be it towards God or man but if he haue not a particular direction yet it falls within the compasse of some of these rules and by the tenour of some of these hee may frame his worke in such manner as shall be pleasing to God and comfortable to himselfe Secondly besides rules there are Examples which are speciall directions and they are either of God or good men Extraordinarie examples of God namely such as hee did in extraordinarie times or vpon extraordinarie occasions they concerne vs not for these hee did by the power and prerogatiue of the Godhead as bidding of Abraham sacrifice his sonne bidding the Israelites spoile the Egyptians and such like But the ordinarie workes of Gods wisedome in his creatures of his iustice towards sinners of his mercie towards his children of his care and prouidence towards all are excellent rules of direction for vs. Hence wee haue these rules Be ye holy for I am holy Be ye mercifull as your Father in heauen is mercifull Luke 6.36 So for the actions of Christ who was God and man the miraculous actions of his power which argued his Godâ—ead as his walking vpon the water and such like are no directions for vs. Nor againe his actions and workes â—lone as hee was Mediator as his fasting fourtie dayes his passion and his merits these are no directions for vs to do the like But as the first giue vs instruction So these procure vs iustification But the third sort of his actions done by him as a man or as a Iew borne they are both our instruction and imitation and they are good directions for our actions as his obedience his zeale his patience his humility and all other vertues Concerning all which he saith himselfe to vs Learne of me for I am humble and lowely And againe when he had washed his Apostles feete he bad them learne of him to loue one another For saith he I haue giuen you example that you should do euen as I haue done to you These his examples are rules of direction to all men in the like case Now as for the examples of men as the examples of wicked men are euery way to be eschewed so good mens are to be followed for whatsoeuer is written is written for our learning Rom. 15.4 And for them we are to know that their examples or actions contrary to the word are therefore to be auoided
friends or childrens bodies cast into the earth to feede wormes burnt by fire or eaten by fishes reason saith they are gone they can neuer be againe We haue Gods word and assured promise The dead shall rise with their bodies shall they rise Esay Wee must therefore beleeue it if we will be of the faith of Sarah God said to her Age and barronnesse shall haue a childe she beleeued it He saith to vs Dust and rottennesse shall liue againe nay hee hath often said it and shall not our faith acknowledge the voice of our God and beleeue it as she did But let vs come to personall promises as hers was for this is generall God hath promised grace and pardon to euery penitent and beleeuing soule yet no man is partaker of the sweetnesse hereof without the bitternesse of many temptations to the contrary giuing him occasions of doubting and often euen of despairing of Gods fauour What must a man doe in this case euen beleeue though he feele no reason why to beleeue and hope aboue hope Such was Abrahams and Sarahs faith And for it as they were registred in the Storie of Genesis so both here and in the Romanes Chap. 4. remembred againe and commended for it Now suppose that thou after thy comming to God by faith repentance fall into temptations of desertion wherein to thy feeling Gods heauy hand wrath hath seized on thee the diuell layeth thy sins to thy charge tels thee thou art a damned wretch for thou wert euer an hypocrite and neuer hadst faith that therfore God is thy enemy In this case wherein in reason or in feeling there is not the least hope of saluation what must thou doe despaire God forbid For that is the downfall into hell No but hope when there is no hope keepe faith when there is no feeling And to strengthen vs herein remember the faith of Iob tried and sifted so as fewe haue beene who though the arrowes of the almighty stucke in him and the venome thereof drunke vp his spirits Iob 6.4 Yet euen then he beleeued and would not giue ouer nor let goe his hold and said Though thou bring me to dust yet will I not forsake thee no though thou kill me yet will I trust in thee So in the furie of temptations when the venome of Gods wrath seemes to drinke vp our spirits then must we beleeue and in the pangs of death when God seemes ready to kill vs then must wee trust in him In such cases is the life of faith to be shewed when reason and feeling say God is a terrible Iudge faith must say he is a mercifull Father In our health and welfare and feeling of Gods fauour this exhortation may seeme tedious but if wee belong to GOD if it be not past already the time is sure to come when this doctrine will bee needefull for the best of vs all Thus we see the excellencie of this womans faith which is the more commended by reason of these two so great hinderances Now follow the effects of her faith which are diuerse some laide downe in this verse and some in the next Receiued strength to conceiue seede And was deliuered of a childe In these words are two effects First by power of her faith shee was inabled to conceiue which afore she did not though there were the same reasons in nature why she should Secondly shee was deliuered of a childe in her olde age and that childe was Isaac who is therefore called the promised seede and the childe of the promise Out of the consideration of these two we may learne diuerse good instructions for seeing they are so neere a-kin in their natures wee will speake of them both ioyntly together First here we may see that nothing is so hard or difficult which God hath promised but faith can compasse it and bring it to performance Christ bâ—d the blinde see the lame to goe he spake they beleeued and they were healed So here God promiseth a barren olde woman a childe shee beleeueth and loe she conceiueth and brings forth a Sonne The vse of this doctrine is for two sorts of people First many in our Church being ignorant when they are moued to learne religion answere Alas they are simple or not booke-learned or they are dull and heauy witted or they be olde and weake and therefore they can learne nothing or if they doe they cannot remember it But heere is nothing but vaine excuses For they want not wit to learne religion if they haue wit to buy and sell to knowe a faire day from a foule good meate from ill deere from cheape Winter from Sommer If they haue wit to practice the ciuill actions of the world they haue wit enough to conceiue the grounds of religion and to get so much knowledge as may suffice for a ground of that faith which will saue their soules So that they want nothing but grace and diligence to vse the meanes To them therfore here is matter of good aduice Let such a man learne but one promise of God out of the holy Scripture as this Seeke first the Kingdome of God and all things else shall be giuen vnto you Math. 6.33 or this Cast all your care on him for he careth for you 1. Pet. 5.7 or this He that coÌ„meth vnto me I cast him not away Iohn 6.37 or but this Aske and ye shall haue seeke and ye shall finde Math. 7. Let him learne but one of these when they haue learned it beleeue it and let their soules daily feede on that faith And they shall see what will followe euen a wonderfull blessing vpon that poore beginning This their faith will so content and please their hearts that it will vrge them forward to get more and will make them both desirous capable of more knowledge and grace and will make them euen hunger and thirst after knowledge and grace whereas he that knoweth no promise nor beleeues it contents himselfe in ignorance and errour And this shall euery one finde that will carefully vse the meanes that God appoints and will begin to learne but one lesson at the first For as olde barren Sarah beleeuing Gods promise conceiues and brings forth So olde simple plaine dull Country-men beleeuing but one promise of Gods word shall conceiue and bring forth daily more and more blessed fruites of knowledge and grace Secondly others who haue made better proceedings in religion doe see their sinnes and doe much bewaile them but they cannot ouercome their corruptions yea many there are to whom their sinnes and inward corruptions are more greeuous and burdensome then all bodily wants or miseries in the world yet see they not how to conquer their corruptions but alas are oftentimes foiled by them to their great discomfort Let these men know the want of faith is the cause hereof for that they doe not sufficiently ruminate and consider the promises of God made in that behalfe nor vse the meanes
they all know and some confesse it is surest and safest to die in our religion Let vs therefore cheerefully and comfortably liue in that religion and faith wherein wee may so boldly die that euen our aduersaries confesse it to be safest Now follow the foure effects and fruits of their faith The first is this that They receiued not the promises but saw them afarre off By Promises we vnderstād first the promises of the Land of Canaan Secondly the spirituall promises of the kingdome of Christ. These they did not receiue that is fully thogh in part they did for true faith doth alwaies receiue apprehend and apply vnto it selfe truely though not fully the thing promised God said hee would giue them the Land of Canaan but they did not fully enioy and possesse it So likewise the Messias was promised vnto them but they neuer saw his comming in the flesh and yet they beleeued Gods promise and died in that faith Where wee may see the inuincible force of their faith that cleaued fast vnto the promise of God euen vnto death though they neuer enioyed the things promised in this life which plainely condemnes our age of vnbeleefe for we haue more accomplished vnto vs than euer they had Abraham neuer saw Christ but afarre off yet wee haue him exhibited in the flesh we see and knowe hee liued and died rose againe and ascended and now makes continuall intercession for vs and we haue the true sacraments which shall last for euer pledges of him and of life euerlasting by him And for temporall promises wee haue farre more accomplished vnto vs than euer he had But though wee goe before Abraham in the fruition of Gods promises yet we come farre behinde him in beleefe for faith worketh by loue and loue is seene in true obedience but generally this is too true men make no conscience of obedience which sheweth vndoubtedly that there is little sound faith among vs. And it may be feared that these notable men Abraham Isaac and Iaacob shall stand in iudgement against vs to our further condemnation for they neuer receiued the accomplishing of Gods promises and yet they beleeued but we doe see the same fulfilled exhibited vnto vs and yet we will not beleeue But saw them afarre off Here is the propertie of their faith and the power of it the promises were afarre off and yet they saw them The phrase here vsed is borrowed from Mariners who beeing far on the sea cannot descrie towns and coasts afarre off but only by help of some tower or hie place which their eie will sooner discerne thogh it be afarre off And so Abraham Sarah Isaac and Iaacob beeing long before the day of Christs incarnation could not other waies see Christ but afarre off by the eie of faith in the promises of the Messias for this is the propertie of faith to make a thing absent to be present after a sort Faith beeing the ground of things hoped for and the euidence of things which are not seene Here then wee may learne a difference betweene the Church in the olde Testament and in the newe Wee in the newe Testament haue greater measure of knowledge more liuely discerning of the Messias and a clearer light of vnderstanding in the mystery of our saluation by Christ than the Church had vnder the olde Testament howsoeuer they excelled in faith yet in the knowledge and discerning of Christ they were inferiour vnto vs. And therfore the Lord made this promise to the time of the Gospel long before that thē the earth shall be ful of the knowledg of the Lord as the waters that couer the sea And Saint Paul prooues this performed when he affirmeth of the Church of the new Testament 2. Corinth 3.18 But all wee as in a mirrour behold the glory of the Lord with open face And Christ Ioh. 6.45 They shall be all taught of God If this bee true that knowledge should so abound in the time of the Gospell then all ignorant persons of this latter age of the world must knowe that they haue much to answer for at the day of iudgment for God in the new testament hath made his Church to abound in knowledge so that their ignorance for which they thinke God will hold them excused shall be a bill of inditement against them at the last day to their further condemnation because the light of the Gospell is so clearely and plentifully reuealed in these dayes that whereas the most excellent Patriarchs of all could then but see Christ afarre off the most simple may now see him neere vnto them Again where is more knowledge there should be more obedience therefore it concerneth all those that professe themselues to be Christians submit themselues to heare and learne the word of God taught vnto them not content themselues with bare knowledge though it be neuer so much But withall to bring forth the fruites of obedience in their liues cōuersations For though Abraham Isaac and Iacob in regard of faith did goe farre before vs yet seeing we haue more knowledge then they had in the Messias we must labour to becom like vnto them in the obedience of our liues Their faith was stronger then ours but our obedience should be greater then theirs because wee haue more cause to belieue then they S. Paul saith We all behold as in a mirror the glory of the Lord with open face And the end thereof is this that we may be transformed into the same image from glory to glory as by the spirit of the Lord. So that the more knowledge wee haue the more sanctification wee ought to haue and the more hatred of sinne more obedience to Gods commaundements But the more is the pitie the case goeth farre otherwise with the world for euen many among vs that are no Students by profession haue great and commendable knowledge in religion But where is the fruite hereof in holy obedience to the Lawes of God God by calling hath made vs a pleasant vine but the sower Grapes of sinne are our ordinarie fruite they be the Grapes of gall as Moses saith For Atheisme blasphemie contempt of Gods word and worship with open profaning of Gods Sabaoth doe euery where abound to omit the hainous crimes against the second table as oppression adultery and bloud touching bloud for all which wee may iustly feare that the Lord will either remoue his Candlesticke from vs and so of a Church and people of God make vs no Church or else sweepe vs away by some fearefull iudgement as with the besome of destruction because we withhold the truth in vnrighteousnesse Rom. 1.18 For better it were not to haue knowen the way of righteousnesse then to turne from the holy commaundement giuen vnto vs let vs therefore ioyne with our knowledge obedience that so wee may shew forth our faith in doing the duties of pietie vnto God and of brotherly loue and Christianity vnto our brethren Thus much of
during prime of his age is giuen to nothing but to his pleasure that is as good to him as Iacobs redde broth was to Esau take this pleasure frō him and take away his life herein is all his ioy and he delighteth in nothing so much as to spend his time in hunting hawking dicing gaming wantonnesse and drinking Now know for certaine this is a right Esau and yet many such haue wee among vs who thinke of themselues that they are they iolly fellowes and they onely carrie the braue minde but as for Iaacob and such as make conscience of their waies and words those alas are silly fellows Now what is to be said or thought of these Surely this if they doe not and that in time looke to their estates and to themselues it will cost them their liues euen the life of their soules Esau lost his birth-right by his profanenesse and so will these men doe if they continue in this estate they will blot their names out of the booke of life and roote themselues quite out of the kingdome of heauen Therefore let all yong men whatsoeuer they bee high or lowe take heede how they liue in sinne and goe on in their wickednesse for if they take Esaus course and continue in profanenesse doubtlesse they will haue Esaus end How wonderfully doth Satan bewitch them that while they goe on in sinne they should thinke so highly of themselues and so basely of those that make conscience of their waies Wherefore in the feare of God let such betime redresse their waies and courses lest when Gods curse is vpon them they crie too late for mercy And thus much of the parties blessed The fourth point to be considered is the nature or matter of this blessing in the ende of the verse Concerning things to come The meaning of these wordes is this That olde Isaac their father did pronounce blessings vpon his sonnes not onely for the time present but also for the time to come in blessings temporall and spirituall as wee may read Gen. 27. vers 28 39. where hee giueth to them both the fatnesse of the Land and plentie of wheat and wine and especially to Iaacob that he should be Lord ouer his brethren But some will say it may seeme to prooue otherwise for while Iaacob liued he was alwaies humble and subiect to Esau and when he came to his owne countrie from among the Aramites as he met with Esau he sent presents to him and when he saw him he went before and bowed himselfe to the ground 7. times vntill hee came neere to his brother Answ. That prophecie of Iaacob and Esau that the elder should serue the yonger must not be restrained to the persons of Iaacob and Esau but referred to their posteritie especially in the daies of Dauid and Salomon for then were the Edomites who came of Esau in subiection to the Israelites the posteritie of olde Ismael Whereupon Dauid speaking as a King saith Psal. 60.8 Moab shall be my wash-pot ouer Edom will I cast my shooe meaning thereby that hee would bring the posteritie of Esau into a base and lowe estate of subiection vnto him according as we may see verified 2. Sam. 8.14 But some will say that Isaac when he blessed Esau pronounced that he should haue a fertile soile and the fatnes of the earth should be his dwelling place Gen. 27.39 whereas in Malachie the Lord saith Mal. 1.3 he hated Esau. And a token thereof was this that hee had made his mountaines waste and his heritage a wildernesse for dragons meaning that he should dwell in a barren Land How can these two agree Answ. First wee may say thus That the land of Edom was a fertile land but yet in respect of the Land of Canaan but a barren and waste Land Secondly Isaac speaks here of Idumea as it was in his time not as it was afterward for it might be fertile in Isaacs time 〈◊〉 yet after become barren for God will curse a Land by turning fruitfulnesse into barrennesse for the wickednesse of them that dwell therein Psal. 107.34 And thus much for the example of Isaacs faith Now follow the examples of the faith of Iacob Iacobs Faith VERSE 21. By faith Iacob when he was dying blessed both the sonnes of Ioseph and worshipped on the end of his staffe IN these words the holy Ghost layes downe the notable and worthie example of Iacobs faith which is heere commended by two actions First his blessing of the two sonnes of Ioseph Secondly his adoring or worshipping of God In the first action consider these points 1. The blessing it selfe 2. The circumstances belonging to the same As 1. the time when Iacob blessed them that is when hee was dying secondly by what meanes did hee blesse them namely by faith thirdly the parties blessed Ephraim and Manasses Of these in order First for the blessing Of this kinde of blessing wee entreated in the former verse in the example of Isaacs faith and therefore neede not now repeate the same Onely this wee must remember that this blessing of Iacob is not the common or ordinarie blessing of a Father but the extraordinarie blessing of an holy Patriarch and Prophet of God The blessing it self stands in three things 1. Iacob makes the sonnes of Ioseph his own sonnes adopting them and taking them into his family And this is the meaning of those words in Genesis where Iacob saith as hee is blessing them Let my name be named vpon them and the name of my Fathers Abraham and Isaac Gen. 48.16 that is they shall be receiued into my family and be my children called after my name 2. He giues them two portions in the Land of Canaan for Iacob was made an instrument of God by way of prophecie to distinguish and diuide the Land of Canaan among his children 3. He doth as a Prophet by the spirit of prophecie foretell the condition and estate of Ephraim and Manasses in their posterity to wit that they should be great Nations and of them should come two great people in these three things doth Iacobs blessing consist Out of this blessing of Iacob we learne two things First that God alloweth this liberty to a master of a family to adopt and chuse for the vpholding of his house a childe or children in the want of issue from his owne body For here olde Iacob for the continuance of his posterity and the enlarging of the Church of God adopteth his sonnes sonnes into his own family to be his own sonnes And this he doth by faith And therefore a Lord and Master in his family may doe the like but yet with this caueat hee must euer take heede that in this adopting he doe not vniustly hinder his owne issue or kindred Againe whereas Iacob blesseth these two sonnes of Ioseph by fore-telling the particular estate of their posterity for their portion in the Land of Canaan here wee learne that in many things God doth vouchsafe to reueale his
his life and when he dieth he shal be able to worship praise God On the other side take notice of it he that liues in couetousnes in profanenesse in fornication and wantonnes for the most part so dies Come to a couetous man at his death and talke with him and you shall finde nothing in him ordinarily but rauing talking about his bargaines his billes and indentures other worldly things And so wee may say of other lewd liuers looke what minde they had while they were liuing that shall you find most in their mouthes while they are dying which shewes plainely that as men liue so they die But some will say that oftentimes the godly man raues and speakes lewdly and it may be profanely before his death Ans. It is true indeed the best man is not freed from any kind of bodily sicknesse but is subiect to them as well as the wicked as to burning feuers and such like by the violence and rage of which diseases they are often driuen to raue to speake fondly and sometimes lewdly yea it may be profanely But what is that to the purpose for thogh a godly man for the time of his fit cannot expresse the grace of his heart but rather the corruption of his nature yet whē he hath recouered himselfe he is sory for the same is then ready willing to praise God with all his heart So that if wee would die well as Iacob did praising God then let vs lead our liues as he did namely by faith and the direction of his word and promises Then come death when it will and how it will wee may indeede be sore assaulted by sickenesse and temptation but yet we shall neuer be ouercome for God is faithfull that hath promised an issue to his children in temptatiō 1. Corinth 10.13 Lastly whereas Iacob worshipped God at his death Here we learne that sound zeale will neuer decay Many men haue zeale indeede but it comes onely from the strength and soundnesse of their bodily constitution and looke as strength decaies so doth that kind of zeale But sound zeale will not decay and weaken with the body but as Dauid saith of the righteous Psal. 92.13 15. will flourish like a palme tree and growe like a Cedar in Libanon it shall still bring forth fruit in a mans age and flourish This wee see was true in Iacob for though he were old and feeble with sicknesse yet he sheweth forth sound zeale in his heart at the houre of his death Euen so will it be with vs that professe religion if zeale be sound in our hearts it will shew it selfe and the older wee are the more fruits of grace wee shall bring forth and then shew forth more true zeale than in yonger yeares For though bodily strength decay yet sound zeale will neuer decay but when strength faileth then will zeale flourish if it bee sound like to the palme tree which will bud and sprout though the roots of it bee cut off Wherefore if wee would shew forth zeale in our age we must get soundnesse of it in our youth for that will put forth it selfe in the time of death And thus much of Iacobs example Iosephs Faith VERSE 22. By faith Ioseph when he died made mention of the departing of the children of Israel and gaue commandement of his bones WEe haue heard in the former verses the seuerall examples of the faith of the three Patriarchs Abraham Isaac and Iacob Now in this verse the holy Ghost setteth downe the example of Iosephs faith The words in this verse are plaine and easie neede no exposition They are a plaine and briefe summe of the ende of the 50. Chapter of Genesis Let vs therefore come to the points of doctrine and instructions which are to bee learned and gathered forth of the words First note in generall the great resemblance of this example with the former of Ioseph a godly sonne with Iacob a godly father for both of them shew forth their faith when they die For it is said of both By faith when hee died So that in ground and circumstance of time they both agree Herein we may obserue first that the good examples of Superiours vvhether they be ciuill or Ecclesiasticall are of great force to bring other men on and to make them forward in the duties of religion their zeale as Paul saith to the Corinthians in the case of almes prouoketh many Iacob the father beeing a worthy Prophet and Patriarch giuing an holy and blessed example vnto Ioseph and his children doth shew forth at his death most notable behauiour wherein hee worthily expresseth the trueth of his faith Now his example works with Ioseph and he in his death behaues himselfe in the same manner that his godly father did before him and therfore superiours must look to all their sayings and doings carefully that they may bee worthy examples to their inferiours to drawe them on in religion and in the feare of God Secondly hence inferiors also must learne to follow the godly holy and religious examples of their gouernours and superious whether they be ciuill or Ecclesiasticall as we may see in this place Ioseph doth imitate the godly example of his father Iacob Hereof Saint Paul giueth straite charge vnto the Philippians saying Brethren be followers of me and looke on them which walke so as ye haue vs for an example Phil. 3.17 And in the next Chapter exhorting them to honest conuersation hee biddes them doe those things which they had heard receiued and seene in him But are these duties practiced among vs bee the elder sort teachers of good things to the yonger doe the yonger follow their elders in wel-doing nay verily but such are our times too many among vs both those that giue and those which follow good examples are as signes wonders as the Prophet speaketh they are made a reproach a by-word among men and are foully disgraced by odious tearmes Isay 8.18 But this indeede is a practice of Ismael that mocked Isaac Genesis 21. ver 9. And we againe must vndoubtedly know that vnlesse it be reformed that hand of God which hath beene stretched out against vs in manie fearefull iudgements will not be pulled backe but stretched out still till it bring vs to destruction for God will not suffer his ordinances to be contemned and his holy ones to be abused hee looketh for better fruites at our hands and therefore wee must learne of these godly Patriarches both to giue and to followe good examples In the example of Ioseph more particularly wee are to obserue two points 1. Iosephs faith 2. The actions of his faith whereby it is commended For the first it is saide that by faith Ioseph when hee died c. Ioseph for ought wee finde in Scripture had not such meanes to come by faith as his Auncestors had before him For the three Patriarches Abraham Isaac and Iacob had otherwhiles the appearance of GOD vnto