should come forth and incourage the people that their hearts might not faint nor feare nor dread their enemies because of the powerfull presence of God fighting for them The Papists obiect this by way of reproach against Zwinglius who was one of the restorers of the Gospel That hee died in the fielde among Souldiers But this indeed is no reproach but rather a matter of great commendation vnto him in that for the increase of faith and knowledge in them that were weake Christians about him hee was content to hazard his owne life And thus much of the eight effect The ninth effect of faith for which these worthy men are commended is this They turned to flight the Armies of the Alients This may be vnderstoode of the most of the Iudges and of the good Kings of Iuda and Israell But I will make choyse especially of two Gedion and Iehosaphat for Gedion one of the Iudges with three hundred Souldiers Iudges 6. and 7 altogether vnweaponed onely with light pitchers in their hands put to flight a mighty huge Armie of the Midianites And Iehosaphat a godly King being assaulted with a mighty and great Armie of Moabites Ammonites and men of mount Seir knew that by force of armes hee could not withstand them and therefore by faith makes a worthy prayer vnto the Lord and the Lord heard him and set his enemies one against another and so did he put them to flight which hee could neuer haue done by any strength of his owne Heere wee may learne how Kingdomes and people may become able to put to flight their enemies The best way is to put in practice their faith in God by humbling themselues truly for their sinnes past with vnfained confession of them vnto God praying withall earnestly for the pardon of them and for Gods aide assistance protection against their enemies The power of this meanes is euident in Scripture and therefore when Eliah was taken vp Elisha cried My Father my Father the Chariot of Israell and the horse-men thereof 2. Kings 2.12 giuing him this notable commendations that he was as good to Israell by meanes of his faith as all their Chariots and Horse-men Question How could that possibly be true Answer If we reade the Story wee shall finde it to be most true that by his prayers which he made in faith he did as much or more then al the strength of the Land could doe And so it shall be with all Christian Kings and people if they can shew forth their faith by prayer vnto God they shall doe wonderfull much hereby in subduing of their enemies To apply this to our selues wee haue had many and dangerous assaults from Popish enemies both domestical and forraine who haue of long time and no doubt stil doe purpose our ouerthrowe Now how shall wee be able to withstand their might and to escape their malice True it is Christian policy and warlike prouision must be vsed yet our stay and rest must not be thereon but wee must stirre vp our faith both Magistrates and Subiects Prince and people and first of all humble our selues for our sins and shew forth our repentance by new obedience in time to come and then pray for a blessing vpon the outward meanes which shall be vsed This is the right practice of faith in the case of danger by our enemies which we shal finde if we exercise it vnfainedly to be a surer meanes of safety and victory against our enemies then all worldly munition and policie For hereby we shall haue the Lord for our protection and his blessing vpon the outward meanes giuing strength and good successe thereunto when as omitting this duty the Lord will not be with vs and then we shall finde that vaine is the strength or wit of man Let vs not therefore betray our selues wilfully into our enemies hand but by this practice of faith enable our selues against all our enemies whatsoeuer otherwise wee may iustly feare to be deliuered into their hands for a prey vnto their teeth And therefore if we loue our owne safetie and the wel-fare of our Land let vs practice this duty For the prayer of faith auaileth much with God if it be feruent and therefore the Lord saith to Moses when he fell down before him to turne backe the wrath that was broken-in vpon the people Let me alone as though Moses had held or bound the Lords hand by his prayer that hee could not smite his people And thus much for the ninth fruite of faith The faith of the widowe and the Shunamite VERSE 35. The women receiued their dead raised vp to life THis is the tenth and last fruit of their faith which must be vnderstood of these two women especially the widow of Zarephath and the Shunamite The widow of Zarephath giuing entertainment o Eliiah in the great famine had this blessing vouchsafed vnto her for her faith that her dead sonne was restored to life by the Prophet And the Shunamite that prouided lodging for the Prophet Elisha had her onely son restored to life from death by the Prophet through faith Now heere we must obserue that these two women did not only beleeue in the true God but more particularly that God would vse these his seruants as meanes to restore to life their two children that were dead as appeares by this that both of them made means to the Prophet for the reuiuing of their children which they did by faith But some wil say This last effect of faith may seeme to crosse the Scripture else-where which saith that Christ is the first fruites of them that sleepe How then could these that were before Christs incarnation be restored from death to life Answer Saint Pauls meaning is this that Christ is the first of all those that rose from death to life to die no more but to liue for euer So indeede Christ is the first fruites of them that sleepe for he rose to liue for euer As for these two and some other mentioned both in the olde Testament and the new that were raised from death to life they rose not from the sleepe of death to liue for euer but to die againe In this tenth fruite of faith all Parents may learne their duty towards their children in the case of sicknesse or such like They must follow the example of these two godly women and labour especially to shew forth their faith in such duties as God requireth in such a case to wit they must humble themselues for their owne sinnes and for the sinnes of their children and family praying earnestly to God for the pardon of them for GOD may visite the iniquity of the Parents vpon the children in bodily iudgements and entreating the Lord to restore them to health and liberty and withall they must vse the ordinarie lawfull meanes of recouerie in physicke and such like praying to God for a blessing thereupon This is their dutie but alas the manner and practice of
did it not so much as burne their garments or the haire of their heads to cause the same to smel And the like is his goodnesse towards all his seruants Dauid saith The Lord preuented him with liberall blessings that is when Dauid neuer asked such blessings at Gods hand euen then did the Lord bestowe his liberall blessings vpon him as namely this when Dauid was following his Fathers sheepe and walking in his calling he neuer dreamed of any Kingdome yet thence the Lord took him to be King ouer his people Israell So the Israelites hauing been 70. yeares in captiuity neuer thought of returne and yet then were they deliuered and their deliuerance was so strange and miraculous that they were like them that dreame Psal. 126.1 When Peter was cast into prison by Herod and committed to foure quaternions of Souldiers to be kept the Angel of the Lord came and awoke him as he slept and led him out of prison past the watches and through the iron gate and then left him Now this deliuerance was so strange vnto him that he knew not whether it was true but thought he had seene a vision From hence it is that God hath made this gracious promise vnto his Church to answer before they call and to heare while they speake Isay 65.24 So endlesse is his mercy and his goodnesse so vnspeakeable towards his seruants that if they cleaue vnto him vnfainedly they shall finde his bounty farre surpassing all that they could aske or thinke The consideration hereof serues to stirre vp euery one of vs in our places to cleaue vnfainedly vnto the true God with all our hearts by faith in due reuerence and obedience If a seruant were to choose his Master and among an hundred should heare of one that besides his wages would giue vnto his seruants gifts which they would not think of this seruant would forsake all the rest to com vnto this one Behold the Lord our God is this bountifull master who doth not only keep couenant with his seruāts in a full accomplishment of his promises but is exceeding gracious preuenting them with liberall blessings aboue all that they can wish for thēselues wherfore let vs forsake all our bad Masters the world the flesh and the diuell in the seruice of sinne and resigne our selues with full purpose of heart to serue this our good GOD to the end of our dayes There is no man liuing that can haue such cause of true ioy in heart as Gods seruants haue for God shewes more kindenesse vnto them then they can aske or thinke of And take this for truth also there be none that thus giue themselues to serue God faithfully with all their harts but before they die they shal finde this to be true that God is a most mercifull GOD and his goodnesse endlesse towards them aboue their deserts Secondly this endlesse mercy of GOD must mooue vs all to repent vs of our sinnes and to trust in him for the pardon of them be they neuer so many or haynous for they can neuer reach to the multitude of his mercies Though they be in number like the sand of the sea they must not dismay vs from comming to him but considering that his goodnesse is endlesse and his mercy is ouer all his workes we must come vnto him for the pardon of our sinnes For GOD is mercifull to performe his promise yea and beyond his promise to doe for vs more than wee can thinke of Many indeede abuse this mercie of GOD by presuming thereon to goe on in sinne but such deceiue themselues For God will not be mercifull vnto them Deut. 29.20 It is the penitent person that shall finde mercy The sixt effect of their faith is in these words Escaped the edge of the sword The words in the originall are thus Escaped the mouth of the sword which is the Hebrew phrase in the olde Testament and heere followed by the Pen-man of this Epistle and before where he calleth the word of God a two mouthed sword Heb. 4.12 hereby meaning as it is translated a two edged sword This effect must be vnderstood of two worthy Prophets Elias and Elizeus for Elias wee may reade that when he had slaine Baals Priests 1. Kings 19.1 Iezabel the Queene threatened to kill him which he hearing fled into the wildernesse and thence was led to Mount Horeb and there escaped by meanes of his faith And for Elizeus wee may reade that when he disclosed the King of Syriah his counsell to the King of Israel 2. Kings 6. hee was compassed about in Dothan the city where he lay with a huge hoast of Assyrians but praying to the Lord the Lord smote the hoast with blindnesse and so the Prophet led them in safetie to Samaria So then the meaning of this effect is that when these seruāts of God were in distresse danger of death they denied themselues and their owne helpe by faith relied vpō God vnfainedly frō the bottom of their hearts so found deliuerance with God frō the perill of death First here wee learne that God prouides for the safetie and deliuerance of his seruants in the extremitie of peril and danger when both might and multitude are against them This point we haue touched in diuers examples before and therefore doe here onely name it Secondly in that these men in the extremity of danger beleeued and so escaped the edge of the sword we learne that when we are in greatest danger so as we see no way to escape euen then wee must put our trust in the true God and he will saue vs. This wee must doe not onely for the safety of our body but more especially for the saluation of our soule Put the case a man were in despaire of his saluation and that hee sees legions of diuels compassing him about to take him away what must this man doe in this case Answ. Looke what Elias and Elizeus did the same thing must hee doe hee must not lie dead in desperation yielding thereto but at the very same time when such terrors oppresse him hee must by faith lift vp his heart to God and put all his trust and confidence in him thorough Christ. And if hee can this doe hee may assure himselfe that hee shall as certainly escape these fearefull terrors of conscience and the torments of hell as Elias Elizeus did the edge of the sword for let a man put his whole trust in God and whatsoeuer his troubles bee God will deliuer him Great are the troubles of the righteous but the Lord deliuers him out of them all Psal. 34.19 Indeed wee must not limit God for time or manner of deliuerance but waite on GOD by faith accounting his grace sufficient till deliuerance come And thus much of the sixt effect The seauenth effect of their faith is this Of weake were made strong Or thus Of weake were restored to health This must bee vnderstood of Hezekias a worthy king of
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
A CLOVD OF FAITHFVLL WITNESSES LEADING TO THE HEAVENLY CANAAN Or A Commentarie vpon the 11. Chapter to the Hebrewes preached in Cambridge by that Godly and iudicious Divine M. William Perkins Long expected and desired and therefore published at the request of his Executours by Will. Crashawe and Tho. Pierson Preachers of Gods Word who heard him preach it and wrote it from his mouth PHIL. 3.17 Looke on them that so walke as yee haue vs for an example HEB. 13.8 VVhose faith followe considering what hath beene the end of their conuersation AT LONDON Printed by Humfrey Lownes for Leo. Greene. 1607. To the Noble and vertuous Gentlemen Sir Iohn Sheaffield Knight and M. Oliuer S. John Sonnes and Heires to the Right Honourable Edmond Lord Sheaffield Lord President of the North and Oliuer Lord S. Iohn Baron of Bletsho grace and peace THe gracious promises of God Honourable and most worthy Gentlemen made to the holy Patriarchs touching the Land of Canaan were singular comfort to the belieuing Israelites in their bondage of Egypt And the renuing of the same by the hand of Moses whose words God confirmed by so many miracles must needes augment their ioy aboundantly although their bonds at that time encreased But the pledge of Gods presence in the cloudie pillar whereby he led them in the wildernesse both night and day did so farre exceede all his promises for matter of consolation that euen Moses himselfe desired rather to be detained from the promised Land than depriued of the comfort of that his presence in the waie If thy presence sayth hee goe not before vs bid vs not depart hence Now these things being ensamples vnto vs and euident types of our estate who liue vnder the Gospel shew apparantly that howsoeuer Beleeuers bee greatly cheered in their spirituall trauell by the gratious promises which God in Christ hath made vnto them yet this their ioy is much increased by the viewe of those that haue gone before them in the waie of faith who are vnto them as a Cloude of Witnesses or a cloudie Pillar For howsoeuer the truth of God be the only ground of sound consolation yet because we are a-kin to Thomas and will not beleeue vnlesse wee see and feele therfore it is that by the example of Beleeuers wherin is some sensible euidence of the comfort of Gods truth we are farre more cheered than by the promise it selfe alone Heere then beholde what great cause wee haue to cast our eyes vpon this Cloude of Witnesses which the ho-Ghost hath erected as a pledge of his presence a direction to all those that shall followe their steps in the practice of faith til the worlds end Shall Moses affect that Cloude so much which led them only the waie to a temporall inheritance and shall not we much more be rauished with delight in this Cloude which leades vs to the kingdome of heauen In al estates the Iust must liue by faith For We walk by faith and not by sight And what is the hope happinesse of a Christian man but to receiue at last the saluation of our soules which is the end of our faith and period of this walke But any faith will not support vs herein some begin in the Spirit who end in the Flesh going out with Paul for a while but at length returne with Demas to the world neither can they doe otherwise for Apostasie is the Catastrophe of Hypocrisie He that would deceiue in his profession is vsually deceiued of his saluation Wherfore this shal be our wisedom to see to our soules that our faith as the beloued Apostle sayde of loue be not in word and tongue but in deed and in truth And for our better direction in trying the truth of our faith we haue here many notable precedents in this Cloud of Witnesses consisting of most worthy Beleeuers in all ages before CHRIST'S incarnation all which shewed the life of faith by their workes and we in them may see how to put our faith in practice Now the rather must we attende hereunto because in all estates we must practice faith For Without faith it is impossible to please God And what estate of life cā possible befall vs wherin we haue not a liuely patterne and forerunner leading vs the way to Heauen within the compasse of this Cloud Art thou a King or Magistrate beholde DAVID HEZECHIAS and the Iudges art thou a Courtier Looke on MOSES art thou a Martiall-man Beholde SAMSON DAVID IOSVAH Heere is ENOCH NOE and the Prophets for Ministers the Patriarches for Fathers SARA and the Shunamite for mothers ISAAC and IOSEPH for children Heer is ABEL for Shepheards and RAHAB for victuallers Heere are some that liued in honour in peace and plenty some in want some in sicknesse but most of all in persecution because therein is the greatest tryall of faith So that which way soeuer we turne vs if wee walke by faith we haue heere some faithfull witnesse to goe before vs. And to cleare their steps the better to our sight that so we may follow hard towards the mark without wandring we haue heere a notable light in this learned Commentarie which we must confesse is much obscured for lacke of the refining hand of the godly Author himselfe but now seeing that shining light is quenched vse this our Lampe it is fed with such oyle as wee receiued in the Lords Sanctuarie from that Oliue Tree whence many a one did fill his vessell And being importuned to expose the same for the Common good wee haue presumed to place it vnder the shelter of your Honourable names beseeching God it may helpe to guide your feete in the way of peace The religious precedents of your Honourable Parents Right Noble and hopefull Gentlemen must perswade you much to be sound and constant in the faith for declining in religion brings staine of honour and decay euen of temporall portion But labour you to encrease in grace and trust the Lord with your outward greatnesse Honour him and hee will honour you delight in him and hee will giue you your holy hearts desire his faithfulnesse will bee your shielde to the griefe of those that enuie your happinesse But beware of bad example and euill counsell which are the bane and poyson of younger yeares Walk with God like Enoch vse the world as Abraham did and followe Moses in the matters of delight forsaking them when they become the pleasures of sinne So shall you obtaine good reporte and your memories shal be blessed with your Posterities like these faithfull Witnesses NOVEMBER 10. 1607. Yours in the LORD to be commanded WILLIAM CRASHAVV THO. PIERSON A Commentarie vpon the 11. Chapter of the Epistle to the Hebrewes VERSE 1. Now Faith is the ground of things which are hoped for and the euidence of things not seene COncerning Faith 2. points are necessary to be knowne of euery Christian the
owne strength But when we are assaulted by the diuel the world and our owne flesh then we shal find that to resist is a harder matter then we dreamed of for as possible as it is for water to burne or fire to put out it selfe so possible is it for vs of our selues to resist sin insomuch as it is a thousand to one but that at euery assault our nature yeelds Now if it be so hard to rule ouer one sin how shal we do against that sea of temptations that ouerwhelmeth a Christian life this doctrine teacheth thee how namely to stick to thy faith and it wil doe it for thee for if it be the substance of the things thou hopest for which yet neuer were much more wil it yeeld vnto thee spirituall strength substance to make thee stand in all temptations When thou art tempted then call to minde Gods promises beleeue them that is apply them to thy selfe and be resolued that they were made shall be performed euen to thee theÌ„ though thou haue no more power of thy self then fire hath to cease to burne yet whilst thou doest thus thou shalt feele thy soule spiritually strengthned against all temptations feeling the experience of this deny theÌ„ thine own strength magnifie the power that God hath giuen vnto true faith Againe though now we are most of vs quiet vnder our owne vines and figtrees yet we know not how soon the hand of the Lord may be vpon any of vs in pouerty sicknesse imprisonment banishment losses famines or how it pleaseth him how shal a poore Christian stand and buckle himselfe to beare these I answer true sauing faith resting on the word of God beleeuing the promises not formally but truly wil put such substantiall spirituall strength into him as that at first though he bow vnder it yet shal he be able to recouer himself again buckle himself to go forward in his profession shal follow Christ manfully with this his crosse This wonderful power hath God giuen to sauing faith both to resist temptations and to vndergoe all crosses And thus much of the first action or effect of faith the second foloweth VERSE 2. For by it our Elders were well reported of THis verse containeth the second effect of sauing faith which is that faith is a meanes whereby a beleeuer is approued of God This verse hath speciall relation to the fift verse For that that is said here of all the Elders in generall is there affirmed specially of Enoch namely that hee was reported of to haue pleased God Let vs first search the true meaning of the words Elders That is all such men as liuing vnder the old testament beleeued in Christ amongst which though all be vnderstood yet some were more excellent in faith obedience then others so more honorable and of higher estimation with God and men and of them it is specially vnderstood Now concerning these Elders it is further said that they were well reported of hereby are meant three things 1. That God approued and allowed of them 2. That God did approue of them because of their faith in the Messias 3. That God gaue a testimony and declared that hee approued of them For the 1. it may be asked How were they approued of God Ans. Christ the sonne of God is he in whom the Father is well pleased Now they beleeuing in Christ their sinnes were laid on him and made his by imputation and contrariwise his holinesse obedience and satisfaction were imputed to them and by the same imputation made theirs Now that being theirs God being so well pleased with Christ could not but also for Christs sake approue of them If this seeme hard vnto any I make it plain by this comparison Looke as Iacob a yonger brother puts on Esaus garment the elder brother in it was takeÌ„ for Esau obtained his fathers blessing patrimony which by himselfe he could not haue got euen so we are as younger brethren Christ is our elder brother we haue no right nor title to our fathers blessing nor to the kingdome of heauen wee must put on the robe of perfect righteousnesse which is the garment of Christ our elder brother we standing clothed with 〈◊〉 purchase our fathers fauour and with his fauour his bleâ—â—â—ng and his blessing is the right and title to euerlasting life And thus by Christ they were approued Secondly for what were they approued The text saith By faith not because faith is an action of a sanctified minde and a good grace of God for so are humility loue feare of God al which are graces of the sanctifying spirit as faith is but because it is a worthy instrument in the heart of the beleeuer which apprehends and applieth to the soule that righteousnesse of Christ by which he is iustified thus it being the hand and instrument of their iustification by it it is said they were approued 3. The text addeth that God did not onely approue of them but that he testified and made it manifest to all the world that he did so And this testimony God gaue of them 1. In his word 2. In their owne consciences The truth of the first is manifest in that not onely in this chapter but often also in the old testament God hath mâ—de such honourable mention and giuen such honourable titles vnto many of these Elders calling Abraham the friend of God 2. Chron. 20.7 And Dauid a man after Gods own heart â— Sam. 13.14 and them all his anointed and deare chosen children Psalm 105.15 Thus God hath testified of them in his word 2. God testified it to their owne consciences in that hee gaue them his spirit inwardly to assure their coÌ„sciences that he did accept them in the Messias to come and thus these elders receiued a testimonie both outward to all the world inward to their consciences that God in Christ approued and loued them so the sense is plaine the vse hereof manifold 1. In that it is said these Elders were approued by faith here wee learne what is the olde and ancient way the right and straight way that hath no by-wayes to life euerlasting namely this only To rely on the mercy of God in Christ for pardon of sin this is the way wherein all the ancient Elders walked to heauen this is the way that God hath opened made vnto his Court it is the Kings high way the beaten way common to euery one that knowes how to walke in it deceiued none that euer went in it beside which there is no other Seeing then God hath consecrated it our Elders haue trode this way before vs let vs folow them that so we may attain that kingdom wherto it hath brought them If any yet doubt whether this be the way or no the spirit of God puts it out of doubt Esay 30.21 First affirming peremptorily This is the way Secondly bidding vs therefore walke in the same This is
It is needlesse For the man is good alreadie else the worke could not haue beene good Wee may therefore say workes are rather iustified by the person of a man then his person by the works and it is a most vaine thing to looke for Iustification from that which thou thy selfe must first iustifie afore it be iust if wee had no other reasons against iustification by workes but this this were sufficient Secondly hence we learne that till a man bee called and his person iustified and sanctified all that euer hee doth is sinne 1. His common actions his eating drinking sleeping walking talking are all sinnes Yea 2. The workes of his calling his labor in the same though neuer so iust equal and vpright 3. Further his ciuill actions namely the practice of ciuill vertues his outward grauitie meekenesse sobrietie temperance quietnesse vprightnesse and all outward conformitie are all sinnes Yea more then all this his best actions namely his practicing of the parts of Gods worship or his deeds of charitie his praier his hearing the word his receiuing the sacraments his giuing of almes they are all sinnes vnto him if hee haue not a belieuing and penitent heart yea such sinnes as shall condemne hâ—m if hee had no other Obiect This should seeme strange diuinity that the most holy actions as praier c. should be damnable sinnes I answer they are in themselues holy and good and as farre forth as God hath commanded them yet in the doer they are sinnes because hee doth them from a fowle vnholy heart for the same action may be holy in it selfe and in regard of God the author of it and yet a sin in him that is the doer of it As cleere water pure in the fountaine is corrupted or poisoned by running through a filthy and polluted channell so are euen the best actions sinnes as euen the preaching of the word to a minister whose heart is not cleansed by faith and his person accepted of God it is a sin vnto him and if he repent not shall be his condemnation Cain sinned not onely in hating and murthering his brother in lying and dissembling with God but Cain sinned also euen in offering sacrifice And Abels sacrifice had beene a damnable sinne but that his person was iustified before God And the reason of all this is good for nothing in the worke is able to make an action acceptable to God but onely the acceptation of the person by Christ. This being so it stands vs euery one in hand to looke to our selues and to labour aboue all things for faith and repentance that so our persons may be accepted righteous before God and thereby our actions accepted also If it be a miserable thing that all thy actions euen holy actions should be sinnes then labour to be iustified for that onely can make thy workes accepted if not then though thou labour neuer so much to be approued in the world set neuer so glorious a shew vpon thy workes to the eyes of men they are all abhominable sinnes in the sight of God and at the day of iudgement they shall goe for no better Preach and teach all thy life long nay giue thy life to die for religion Giue all thy goods to the poore depriue thy flesh of all delights build Churches Colledges Bridges High-wayes c. and there may come a poore shepheard and for his keeping of his sheepe be accepted when thou with all this pompe of outward holinesse maist be reiected And why this only because he had faith thou hast none his person was iustified before God and thine is not Therefore let this be my counsell from Abell Labour not so much to worke glorious workes as that which thou doest doe it in faith Faith makes the meanest worke accepted and want of faith makes the most glorious worke reiected for so faith the Text. Abell must be accepted else his sacrifice is not Thus wee see Abell was iust and God so accounted him The second point is That God gaue testimonie hee was so In these words God giuing testimonie What testimonie it was that God gaue of Abell and his gift it is not expressed in the word and so it is not certaine but it is very likely that wheÌ„ he Cain offred God in speciall mercy sent fire from heauen and burnt vp Abels sacrifice but not Cains for so it pleased the Lord often afterward when he would shew that he accepted any man or his worke he answered them by fire from heauen So he burnt vp the first sacrifice that Aaron offred Leuit. 9.24 So he answered Salomon 2. Chron. 7.1 And so Elias 2. Kings 18.28 And so it is likely that he gaue this testimonie that he accepted Abell and his offring This was a great prerogatiue that Abell and the Fathers in the old testament had We haue not this but wee haue a greater for wee haue that that is the substance and truth and body of this For wee haue also the fire of God that is his spirit comes downe into our hearts euery day not visibly but spiritually and burnes vp in the heart of a beleeuer his sinnes and corruptions and lights the light of true faith that shall neuer be put out The vse hereof is this As no sacrifice in the old law pleased God but such as was burnt by fire from heauen sent downe either then or afore so our sacrifices of the new Testament that is our inuocation of Gods name our sacrifice of praise our duties of religion our workes of mercy and loue neuer please God vnlesse they proceede from a heart purged by the fire of Gods spirit that is from a beleeuing and repentant heart both which are kindled and lighted and daily continued by that fire of Gods spirit Therefore it is that Paul saith 1. Tim. 1.4 That loue must come out of a pure heart and good conscience and faith vnfained The duties of religion and works of loue comming from this purged heart ascend into the presence of God as a smoake of most acceptable sacrifices and are as a sweet perfume in the nosethrils of the Lord. Now of what did God thus testifie Of his gift It may here be asked at the first how can Abell giue a gift to God hath the Lord neede of any thing and are not all things his I answer God is soueraigne Lord of heauen and earth and all creatures yet hath hee so giuen his creatures vnto man to vse as that they become mans owne and so he may esteeme vse them and being mans a man may in token of his thankfulnes return them again to God especially seeing God accepts them being so offred as most free gifts This sheweth vs first the wonderfull mercy of God that whereas we can offer him nothing but his owne he vouchsafeth to accept a gift offred of his owne euen as though we had of our owne to offer 2. See here a difference betwixt the sacrifices of the old and
hee will take heede what he doth and that God heareth him hee will temper his tongue and that God beholdeth all his dealings in the world hee will take heede how hee borroweth lendeth buieth or selleth and what hee doth in all his actions and the very cause of all carelesnesse in these and all other duties in the world is because men are perswaded God seeth them not To vrge vs therefore to this excellent dutie we haue First Gods Commaundement Walke before mee and be vpright saith God to Abraham and in him to all the children of his faith Againe wee haue the examples of Gods children who are renowned for the obedience of this Commaundement Henoch here after him Abraham and after him Dauid who testifieth of himselfe I will walke before God in the land of the liuing Thirdly as it is both commaunded by precept and practiced by exsample so the proofe of it is most comfortable to all that practice it for it will make them prosper in all they goe about For as hee that is alwaies in the Kings presence and companie cannot but bee in his fauour and therefore cannot but succeede well in all his affaires so hee that walkes with God cannot but prosper in whatsoeuer hee sets his heart and hand vnto Blessed Abraham found this most true when he assured his seruant whom he sent to prouide Isaac a wife in a long and doubtfull and dangerous iourney The Lord before whom I walke will send his Angell with thee and prosper thy iourney and euen so may euery child of God say with confidence The Lord before whom I walke will send his Angell with mee and prosper mee in my proceedings Fourthly this walking with God is a good meanes to make a man beare the crosse with patience For if hee be perswaded that God seeth how wrongfully he is persecuted or oppressed and that Gods prouidence is alwayes present so as no affliction can com vnto him but by his appointment and againe that his prouidence disposeth of all things to his good how can he but receiue with patience that portion of afflictions which God shall lay vpon him For as hee that walkes with the King who dare offer him wrong so he that walkes with God what euill can touch him This is Iosephs argument to his brethren when they were discomforted and feared he would punish them after their Fathers death Feare not saith he for am not I vnder God as though he had said Doe not I walke in Gods presence and acknowledge my selfe vnder his power and that God when you thought euill against me disposed it to good where the ground of Iosephs reason is that he walking with God his affliction turned to his good Lastly this is a meanes to bring a man to make conscience of all sinne in thought word and deede and in all his dealings when he perswades himselfe to walke in the presence of God When Ioseph was allured to sinne by his Mistresse his answere was How shall I commit this great wickednesse and so sin against God The bridle that restrained him was the feare of that God in whose presence he walked And because hee walked with God he would not walke with her in her wicked way and because he kept a holy company with God therefore he would not keepe her company nor be allured by her temptations So then seeing this way of walking with God is euery way so excellent and so profitable let vs learne it not in iudgement and knowledge onely to be able to talke of it which is soone learned but in conscience and practice as dutifull children doe before their parents so let vs in a heauenly awe a child-like reuerence walke before God labouring for a true perswasion of his presence and prouidence to be alwayes ouer vs and our whole liues The want hereof is the cause of all sinne And if we doe thus walke with God and so please him as Henoch here did then shall wee be sure though not after the same manner that Henoch was yet in soule first and afterwards in soule body both to be translated into eternall life But if we will not walke this way with Henoch in this life let vs neuer looke to liue in heauen with him but assure our selues that as the way of holinesse is the way to glory so the way of wickednesse is the way to eternall perdition And thus much of the second degree But without faith it is impossible to please God These words containe the third degree or the third part of the reason And this degree consists of a generall Maxime or Canon of Diuinitie and the holy Ghost first layeth it downe and then because it is one of the waightiest principles in religion he proueth it substantially in the words following In the Canon it selfe let vs first examine the meaning and then vnfold the manifold vse of it Without faith By faith is meant here the same faith as afore namely true sauing faith in the Messias And without this sauing faith It is impossible to please God Impossible how not in regard of the absolute infinite and indeterminable power of God which hath no limits but his owne will but in regard of that order of the causes and meanes of saluation set downe by God in his word which is this 1. Man by sinne hath displeased God 2. God must be pleased againe else a man cannot be saued 3. He that will please God must please him in Christ the Mediator else he cannot therefore he that wil please God and be saued must needes beleeue in Christ. And thus by this order it is impossible We denie not but in regard of Gods absolute power hee could saue a man without faith as hee can lighten the world without the sunne But as if he keepe that order of nature which his owne wisedome hath appointed it is impossible to giue light to the world without the sunne so if he keepe that order for saluation which his own Iustice hath appointed it is impossible to please God without faith in Christ. So then the meaning is laide downe and now appeares the strength and force of the holy Ghosts argument Hee that will be saued and come to heauen must first please God But without faith it is impossible to please God Therefore without faith no man can be saued nor come in heauen and by consequent therefore Henoch being taken into heauen must needes be taken away by faith Now the vse of this Canon rightly vnderstood is manifold and of great profit First here wee learne that faith is simply and absolutely necessarie to saluation and most necessary of all other giftes and graces of God whatsoeuer And though many be required yet amongst all holy graces this is the principall and more necessarie in some respects then any other For howsoeuer hope and loue and zeale and many other graces of God are required to make the state of a Christian complete and
though they all haue their seuerall commendations in the word Yet of none of them all is it saide in the whole Scripture as it is heere said of faith that without it it is impossible to please God And no meruaile for it is the roote and ground of all other graces and giues them their life and being for therefore doth a man feare God therefore doth he loue God therefore is he zealous for Gods glory because hee beleeueth that God loueth him in Christ the redeemer Now then if faith be thus necessary then it followeth that those that liue in ignorance and so haue no sound faith but a foolish presumption are in a miserable case for how-euer they may flatter themselues with conceites of their deuotions and good meanings and good intents it is faith with which they must please God and nothing can without it It stands them therefore in hand to lay-off ignorance and presumption and labour for a sound and sauing faith and that will bring them to the fauour of God And againe as for such as haue receiued grace to beleeue seeing faith is of such necessitie and that they hauing faith must needes haue knowledge they therefore must looke and examine by their knowledge whether their faith be a sound faith or no for herein many that haue knowledge deceiue themselues and thinke they haue true faith when they haue not Now if any man would knowe whether his faith be sound and sauing or no It is knowne by this If it purifie the heart for so saith S. Peter That God by faith did purifie the hearts of the profane and filthy Gentiles If then thy faith doe not purifie thy heart and cleanse thy life and cause thee to abound in good workes it is no sound nor sauing faith it is but a generall faith it is but an historicall knowledge and cannot saue the soule hee therefore that vpon examination of his heart and life findeth his faith to be such let him not content himselfe but turne his generall faith into a sauing faith which in this world will purifie his heart and at the last day will saue his soule And this must euery man the rather doe because what knowledge or what other gifts of God soeuer any many hath without faith in Christ all are nothing for it is faith that seasoneth them all and makes both them and the person himselfe to please God Secondly if it be impossible without faith to please God then here wee see the fond and foolish hypocrisie of the world who will please God by other meanes some thinke if they be glorious in the world either for their wealth or their wit or their honour or their authority or their learning they presently bring themselues into a fooles Paradise and because the world makes account of them and they please themselues therefore they thinke it certaine they must needes please God But alas though all the world admire them and they be neuer so farre in loue with themselues He that sits in heauen laugheth them to scorne For not all the pompe and glory nor all the millions and mountaines of gold in the world can please the Lord for one of the least of their many thousand sinnes wherewith they haue prouoked him Let these men aske Nabuchadnezzer if his pompous pride or Achitophel if his actiue head and crafty wit or Absalom if his golden lockes or Iezabell if her painted face and courtly attire or Naball if his flockes of sheepe or the Philosophers if their naturall learning if all of these or any of these did euer please God Nay alas they all haue found and felt that without faith it is impossible to please God Thirdly it is the opinion not of the Turke alone in his Alcaron but of many other as ill that euery man shall be saued by his owne religion if he be deuout therein be hee Turke Iewe or Christian Papist or Protestant But this is a ground and rule of Atheisme and appeares here to be most false for no saluation without pleasing of God and without faith it is impossible to please God therfore no religion can saue a man but that which teacheth a man rightly to beleeue in Christ and consequently to please God But euery religion teacheth not to beleeue in Christ some not at all and some not aright and therefore it is impossible for such a religion to saue a man Againe be a man what hee can be vnlesse he be within the couenant of grace he cannot be saued But hee cannot be within the couenant but by faith therefore no man can bee saued by any meanes but by true faith nor in any religion but that which teacheth true faith Here therefore not onely Turkes and Iewes are excluded but this also sheweth many Papists and many carnall Gospellers in our Church how short they come of that religion which must saue their soules For this is the conceite of the most men that if they doe some good workes which carie a faire shew to the world as liberality to learning or charity to the poore straight they thinke they haue leaue to liue as they list and God is bound to forgiue their sinnes and to giue them heauen and this they imagine though they knowe not what it is to beleeue in Christ or to repent of their sinnes One of this religion came to the Prophet Micha in his dayes and asked him this question vttring that plainely which all such men thinke in their hearts Wherewithall shall I come before the Lord and bowe my selfe before the high God shall I come before him with thousands of Rams and tenne thousand riuers of oile Hee makes the question and would faine make answere himselfe nay hee goeth further and offers more Shall I giue my first borne for my transgression and the fruite of my body for the sinne of my soule But the Prophet answers him shewing him his follie and how little God regards such workes without a contrite heart Hee hath shewed thee O man what is good and what the Lord requireth of thee Surely to doe iustly to loue mercie to humble thy selfe and walke with thy God Marke how that answere fits this example of Henoch Hee pleased God he walked with God and was taken away So answereth the Prophet if thou wouldest please thy God and come to heauen by his fauour neuer stand vpon thousands of Rams and Riuers of oile vpon thy gay and glorious workes but humble thy selfe and walke with thy God No walking with God saith Micha no pleasing of God what is it but all one as if hee had said Without faith it is impossible to please God Here then is no disallowance of good workes but of workes without faith and true repentance which though they be neuer so faire and flourishing yet is it impossible that without faith they should please God Hereby it is also manifest that all the vertues of the heathen and the workes of such men as either knowe
glorie And thus much for the first point How we must seeke God The second is How he is a rewarder of them that seeke him I answer God rewards them that seeke him First by offring himselfe graciously to be found of them that seeke him for he neuer hides himselfe nor turnes away from the soule that seeketh him but rather turnes to him and meetes him that comes to him hee is that good Father which saw the prodigall Sonne afarre off and met him and receiued him Luke 16. Yea rather is it true that He is found of them that sought him not then euer sought by any that found him not And hereby God much magnifieth his grace and mercy to mankinde in being so assuredly found when men seeke him For in this world it is not so All men seeke the face of the Prince saith Salomon true but all men finde it not No. Accesse to great men is not so easie they and their fauour are so inclosed that men may long seeke afore they finde either them or it but God here is not so inclosed as he will not be seene nor spoke to hee is found of them that seeke him And as hereby hee honoureth himselfe so hee highly rewardeth his seruants for there is no greater contentment to a subiect then to perceiue his seruice pleaseth his Prince nor greater ioy then to finde his gratious fauour when they seeke it Let then this practice of the great God of heauen First of all teach the great ones of this world to be willing to be found when they are sought vnto thereby shall they honour themselues and cheere vp the hearts of their people who seeke vnto them And againe it may be a rich comfort to the poore ones of this earth who when they see they must long looke and waite and pray and pay and seeke the face and fauour of great men and cannot finde may then remember yet they haue a God who will not shut the dore vpon them will not turne away will not keepe secret will not feare them away with a rough answer or a sower looke but hath this honourable and princely grace He wil be found of them that seeke him Secondly hee rewardeth them that seeke him by bestowing his loue and fauour on them not onely he but his fauour shall be found of all that seeke him It is Gods fauour that Gods children seeke and his fauour they shall be sure to finde This is no small reward vnto them for in this world a man thinkes he hath enough if he haue the Princes fauour And therefore it was the cōmon phrase in old time Let me finde grace or fauour in the eyes of my Lord the King So speake Gods children vnto the Lord. It is not wealth nor honours we seeke-for at Gods hand but let vs finde fauour in the eyes of the Lord our God and so they doe what-euer they finde in this world Thirdly he rewardeth them not with his naked fauour but with the most gracious testimonies thereof that can be which are two Forgiuenesse of their sinnes and eternall life and glory with himselfe This is all a Prince can doe to his subiect who hath offended him To forgiue him the fault and remit the punishment and to aduance him to honour This doth the Lord to all that seeke him he forgiues them the debt they owe him whereby life and soule and all was forfaited to him and giues them also life euerlasting So plentiful a reward is giuen them from that God vnder whose wings they are come to trust Fourthly hee rewardeth them with the beginnings of heauen and happinesse euen in this world A good conscience and ioy in the holy Ghost the comfort whereof is more euen in the bitterest affliction then all the pleasures and contentments in the world Lastly with the appurtenances of heauen and of eternall life namely the good blessings of this life a competent portion whereof God giueth his children in this world as tokens of his fauour and as rewards of their seruice and seeking him Now as this place doth ayme at all these rewards so principally and directly the holy Ghost meaneth eternall life as though hee had said Hee that commeth to God must stedfastly beleeue that God is able and most willing to reward all that come to him with a better reward then this worlde can yeeld euen with eternall life and glory for his sonnes sake But then will some obiect God rewardeth vs therefore we merit therefore good works deserue I answere this place indeede is grosly abused by the Papists for that purpose but we are to know the truth is farre otherwise for God rewardeth men for two causes First for his promise sake and that is for his owne sake for it was his owne goodnesse that made him promise and no former debt he owed to man Againe hee rewardeth our good works not for our merits for they are nothing but of death and curses but for Christ and his merits for their worthinesse are our good workes rewarded So then here are two causes of Gods rewarding and yet mans merits are neither of both and so the argument is nought That God rewardeth therefore we merit for God doth it for other causes Thus these spiders gather poison out of this flower but let vs sucke the honey for this notable sentence hath excellent vse First if God be a rewarder of them that seeke him then not of them that seeke him not Who seeke not God wicked and vngodly men seeke him not but rather seeke to auoide him and his seruice this sentence therefore is heauie against them For when they heare it their conscience answereth But wee seeke not God Therefore wee can looke for no reward from him Doest thou seeke the world then must the world be thy rewarder Doest thou seeke to please thy selfe then must thou reward thy selfe And if thou wilt please the diuell by liuing in sinne then must hee be thy pay-maister alas pitifull and fearefull will these rewards be Againe if God reward none but them that seeke him here appeares the reason why so many Papists die in our religion and with vs cleaue to Christes merits alone when they come to die because their conscience then tells them that by their pilgrimages reliques will-worships and manie more of their courses ordinarie in Poperie they did neuer seeke God but themselues their owne honour gaine and credite and full well knew they that there is no reward due for such seruice and therefore by their practice they make it a true saying that It is good liuing a Papist but dying a Protestant Secondly if God be a rewarder of them that seeke him Then wee see it is most true which the Apostle saith It is not in vaine to serue God 1. Cor. 15.58 for God is a rewarder of them that seeke and serue him Therefore the Atheist and profane men of this world who say It is in vaine to serue God and what profit
For he being a righteous man in that wicked age wherein all the world weltred in wickednesse and walking before God in great holinesse when no man cared for religion hee had this speciall fauour from God that when hee purposed to destroy the world for their sinne hee first of all reuealed to righteous Noah that purpose of his So that these words haue reference to the reuelation which Noah had from God in the 6. of Genesis For this message came not from God by any Prophet for wee know none in those euill dayes except Noah himselfe but either by the Ministerie of an Angell or else by immediate reuelation from God himselfe and this fauour he receiued from God not for any cause in the world but because he was a holy and righteous man From hence wee may learne diuers excellent instructions First whereas God maketh choise of Noah to reueale vnto him his counsell and his iudgements to come wee learne that this is a prerogatiue which God bestoweth on such as feare him he reuealeth his counsels to them in a speciall manner whether they be purposes of Iudgements vpon his enemies or of mercies vnto his Church Thus dealt he with Abraham Gen. 18.19 Shall I saith God hide from Abraham the thing that I will doe which thing was the destruction of Sodome and her sisters And so when the Sodomites liued in wanton carelesnesse and put farre from them the euill day then Abraham knew from God their destruction was at hand And as in that for is it generally true in all his great workes that the Lord God will doe nothing but he reueales his secrets to his seruants the Prophets Amos 3.7 Now this is not a prerogatiue of Prophets alone or of such as were extraordinary men as Abraham was but the secrets of the Lord are amongst such as feare him Psalme 25.14 All that feare the holy name of God are Gods friends and of his Counsaile and therefore not Abraham onely is called the friend of God Iames 2.23 But of all true beleeuers saith Christ Iohn 15.14.15 You are my friends If you doe what I commaund you henceforth I call you not seruants but friends for the seruant knoweth not what his Maister doth but all things that I haue heard of my Father haue I made knowne vnto you As if he had said I will communicate and impart my secrets vnto you as one friend doth vnto another as farre as shall be fit for you to know And the Apostle saith 1. Corinth 2.15 A faithfull and a holy man discerneth into the deepe counsailes of God which are reuealed vnto them as much as concerneth their saluations and sometimes more as here vnto Noah who was fore-warned of God of things then not seene This prerogatiue of Gods children is to be vnderstoode with some cautions First that this is more proper to Prophets and holy Ministers of God then to ordinary Christians Secondly that it was more ordinary in the old testament then now in the dayes of the Gospell If any obiect Then the state of the Church afore Christ was better then it is now vnder Christ I answere Not so for first we are recompenced by hauing the Scriptures perfect and complete which they had not and by hauing the substance of their shadowes and the performance of their promises in which respects our state is farre more excellent then theirs And secondly for this particular I answere they indeede had more ordinarie reuelation of matters personall and priuate and not directly touching saluation but of such things as are generall and doe necessarily concerne saluation wee in the time of the new Testament haue more euident demonstration and more full reuelation then they had afore Christ. For exsample particular mercies to some faithfull men or particular iudgements on Gods enemies whether particular men or whole kingdomes were after reuealed to godly men in those dayes as here to Noah but saluation by the Messias and the manner how the Messias should saue his Church is more fully and plainly reuealed now then in those dayes Out of which consideration ariseth the third caution which is that reuelations of Gods will to be expected now vnder the Gospell are ordinarily nothing else but these the true meaning of Scripture a discerning of true Scripture from forged of true Sacraments from supposed of true doctrine from false of true Pastors from false Prophets These such like as farre forth as they are necessary to saluation all true and faithfull beleeuers which out of an humbled heart by deuoute prayer doe seeke it at Gods hand are sure to haue reuealed vnto them from God But as for other purposes of God of personall and particular matters or what shall be his blessings or what his iudgements to these and these men families Cities or Kingdomes or when or how he will change States or translate kingdomes Or by what extraordinarie meanes hee will haue his Gospell propagated or a declining Church or State vpholden these we are not to expect nor easily to belieue any that shall say such things are reuealed vnto them And yet wee tye not the Lord in such straite bonds but that hee may sometime extraordinarily reueale his purpose therein to some his selected seruants yet prouided that that reuelation be examined and allowed of the Church But as for such things as concerne immediatly the saluation of our soules Gods spirit doth most comfortably reueale them vnto vs in our prayers in his word and in his Sacraments of all which it is most true that the secrets of God are amongst them that feare him The vse of this doctrine is double for instruction and for exhortation For our instruction here we learne how to answere the Church of Rome they aske vs how doe wee know true religion from erroneous or true Scripture or Sacraments from forged We answere first by it selfe by sight and sense of the excellencie thereof as we know gold from brasse or siluer from lead But what if the brasse or tinne be gilded ouer I then answere secondly wee can know gold from brasse and siluer from tinne by the sound and smell and hardnesse to endure and by the operation so there is a spirituall sound of the Scriptures in the eares of a Christian a spiritual comfort and taste in true religion a spirituall operation in holy mens hearts of the true Sacraments But what if false Prophets come in sheepes cloathing and by lying wonders seeme to giue the same sound taste smell vertue and operation vnto their forgeries or at least chalenge it and say that theirs is true I answere lastly Then we know true Religion true Scripture true Sacraments true Prophets true Doctrines from false by a holy and supernaturall reuelation from Gods spirit which by euident and powerfull demonstration assureth vs what is true and what is false for the substance of saluation And this spirit is giuen to all that in true humility doe seeke it in holy prayer and in a
The second point is that faith alone and no other vertue nor spirituall power in mans soule is able to doe this And this may be proued by comparing it with all the principall vertues of the soule for amongst all there are none that may come into comparison with faith but hope and loue both which especially loue haue their seuerall and special excellencies yet haue neither of them nor both of them this vertue to apprehend and apply Christes righteousnesse The property of loue is to extend it selfe and with it selfe to carie manie passions or affections of the heart and to place them vpon the thing that is loued yet cannot loue be said properly to apprehend Christ for he must needes be apprehended before he can be loued And the proper action of Hope is to waite and expect for a blessing to come so hope waites for saluation but properly apprehends it not For saluation must first be beleeued and then hoped or expected so saith Ieremie Lament 3.26 It is good both to trust and to waite for the saluation of the Lord To trust that is to beleeue assuredly it will come there is the action of faith and to waite till it doe come that is the action of Hope Thus we see the seuerall natures and actions of these two worthy vertues But the proper action of faith is to apprehend and lay hold on Christ and his righteousnesse and to apply them to a mans owne soule and that being done then come Loue and Hope do their duties And so though loue last longer then faith doth yet faith is afore loue and makes the way for it To conclude this second point Faith is a hand to take hold on Christ his benefits Loue is a hand to giue out tokens of faith both to God and man For 1. Cor. 13.5 Loue seeketh not her owne but others good namely the good of them that are loued Hope is an eye looking out and wayting for the good things promised So that as faith is the hand of the soule so loue is the hand and hope is the eye of faith Loue the hand wherby it worketh and Hope the eye whereby it waiteth and looketh for the performance of such things as faith hath apprehended and beleeued If the Church of Rome thinke this any wrong to this holy vertue of loue to be the hand of faith let them know it is not ours it is the doctrine of the Apostle where he saith Faith worketh by loue If faith worke by it then surely loue is the hand of faith Thus faith worketh by loue waiteth by hope but beleeueth by it selfe And for this cause the righteousnesse that makes vs righteous before God is rather called the righteousnesse of faith then of any other Christian vertue or grace of the spirit And for the same cause is it that so often in S. Pauls Epistles it is called by the same name as Philipp 3.9 The third and last point concerning Noahs faith is that Noah was made heire of this righteousnesse A speciall commendation of his faith It made him heire of true and sauing righteousnesse that is it gaue him a true title vnto it made him heire apparant of that glory which it assureth euery one that apprehends it by this true faith and so he was made as certainly and as truly partaker of it as the young Prince is assured of his Crowne and Kingdom at his time or the heire of his Fathers lands Here two most worthy doctrines doe offer themselues to our view 1. The excellencie of faith 2. The excellencie of a Christian mans estate The excellencie of faith appeares thus It makes a holy man assured certaine of his saluation by Christ Iesus The Church of Rome saith it is presumption in any man to thinke so vnlesse he haue an extraordinary reuelation but we learne from the Scripture that if a man haue true faith that is able to assure him of saluation For faith makes him an heire of true righteousnesse and of saluation thereby Now we know the heire is most sure and certaine of his inheritance what-euer hee gets or loseth he is sure of that But this righteousnesse and saluation by it is his inheritance therefore he may be and is by faith assured of it The Papists therefore doe wrong vnto this doctrine and derogaâ—e from the dignitie of true faith But this is their custome they will extoll any thing rather then that which the holy Scripture so much extolleth namely true faith For if they knew what it is trulie to know Christ and to beleeue in him by that faith which worketh by loue they would then know that faith makes a man heire of happinesse and therefore most assured of it Secondly here we may see the excellencie of a Christian mans estate he is not naked nor destitute of comforts but is heire of a glorious inheritance by meanes of his faith and a Christian mans inheritance is Christs righteousnesse Out of which we learne First that no man by any good workes done by or in himselfe can merit true and iustifying righteousnesse the Pharisaical Papists teach so but their conceit is here ouerthrowen by the doctrine of the holy Ghost For sauing righteousnesse is his inheritance which we know is alwaies gotten by the Father and descends from the Father to the Sonne as a free token of his loue And it were scornfull and absurd to see a Sonne offer to buy his inheritance of his Father it being against the nature of an inheritance to come any other wayes but by free gift from the Father to the Sonne therefore our righteousnesse that must saue vs being as wee see here our inheritance let vs resolue of it we cannot buie nor merit it Againe heere is sure and solide comfort against all the grieâ—â—s and crosses and losses of this world Gods children must needes haue their portion of afflictions in this life But here is their comfort they may lose their goods liuings possessions their good names their healths their liues but their inheritance standeth sure and firme and cannot be lost Let them therfore here learne not to grieue out of measure for a holy man may say thus to himselfe and that most truly My Father may frowne on me for my faults and chastice me for my sinnes but I am sure he will not disenherite me for I am heire by faith of Christs righteousnesse and I may lose many things but I shall not lose that Thirdly and lastly here must Gods children learne their duties They are heires to a godly and glorious inheritance and Christes righteousnesse is their inheritance therefore they must learne to set and settle all their affections on this inheritance For there is nothing in the world more worthy to be affected then a faire inheritance We must therefore first labour aboue all worldly things for this inheritance namely to be made partakers of this righteousnesse This is that pearle which wee hauing found must sell all we haue to
beleeuers that haue bin in the world Let this teach vs whē we see our own sins how hideous monstrous they be yet not to despaire And whē we see other men liue in extream dissolutenes yet not to iudge of them before the time but euen then with hope and comfort remember that God who quickneth the dead and calleth things that are not as though they were And in that hope let vs perswade our selues that he may quicken our dead hearts and reuiue vs by his grace And therefore in that hope let vs raise vp our selues to vse all holy meanes of Gods Word Sacraments and Prayer which if we carefully and continually doe wee shall see wonders wrought in vs that as they saide of Paul This man preacheth the faith which afore he destroyed and therefore glorified God for him Galath 1.22.23 So shall men say of vs This man hates the profanenesse that afore he liued in and loues the religion that afore hee mocked Such miracles will the Lord worke in vs if with faith and diligence wee vse the holy meanes that so all that see vs shall Glorifie GOD for vs. Thus wee see generally how great the issue and posterity of Sarah was But it is more particularly inlarged by two comparisons As many as the starres in the skie or as the sands by the sea shore which are innumerable His comparisons are two One taken from the heauens as many as the starres in the skie The other from the earth as the sands in the Sea And these two are vsed by the holy Ghost being things of incredible number to expresse the multitude of the Israelites that came all from Sarah Not but that other things also are of as great number as the drops of water dust of the earth hairs of mens heads c but these two are most common and prouerbiall phrases whereby to expresse a multitude And againe the starres of the skie are rather named then any other because God himself in the beginning pleased to vse it to Abraham when he had neuer a childe Gen. 15.8 God caried Abraham forth in the night and bad him count the starres if he could and said so shall thy seede be And Moses afterwards vseth the same comparison Deut. 10.22 Our Fathers went downe into Egypt 70. persons and now the Lord hath made vs as the starres of the skie in multitude Now because all men are not Astronomers as Abraham and Moses were and that ignorant men might say they can perceiue no such matter in the starres Therefore hee vseth another comparison which euery Country-man may discerne how innumerable they be namely the sands of the Sea-shore And least any should say I dwell in the mid-land Country and neuer saw the sea sand and am ignorant and so cannot iudge of the starres therefore to put him out of doubt the holy Ghost assures him in the end of the verse that they are both innumerable that is not in themselues or to God but in regard of man and mans skill vnable to be counted Concerning these two comparisons let vs obserue the manner or the phrase of speech in them vsed Secondly the matter in them intended For the first wee are to knowe that the speech is not proper but figuratiue For properly they were not as manie as the starres or as the sands neither are the starres or sands innumerable but it is a figure called by the Rhetoricians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is an excesse of finenesse of speech or an excessiue elegancie And as it is ordinarie in all Writers and euen in common speech so it is not refused by the holy Ghost but vsed both heere and in the two forenamed places and the like also of the same nature but in other phrases in other places as Saint Iohn 21.25 I suppose saith hee if all the sayings and doings of Christ were written the world could not containe the bookes that would be written Meaning they would be exceeding many and more then would be needefull for saluation And Deuteronomie 9. verse 1. Moses saith That the Cities of the Canaanites were great and walled vp to heauen Meaning that they were very high and so high as was possible for Cities walles to be and as was impossible to haue beene scaled in all mennes reason had not GOD fought for them These and such like are common in the Scripture and seeing wee allowe that libertie to all Writers and to our selues in common speeche no reason to denie it to the Scripture which was written for all mens vnderstanding and therfore in such phrases as are vsuall and ordinarie with all men And the like liberty is heere taken also in another figure as many as the sands by the shore of the sea the word properly signifieth and soundeth the lippe of the Sea Now the sea hath no lippe but it is a speech taken or borrowed from man or beast who haue lippes and the sea shore resembleth a lippe For looke what a lippe is to them the shores are to the sea as the two lippes doe inclose the mouth so the two shores on both sides doe inclose the Sea which lieth as in a mouth betwixt them From hence we may learne profitable instructions First that therefore Rhetoricke is a warrantable good and lawfull Art and it ariseth thus That which the holy Ghost practiceth must needes be not onely not euill but good and warrantable But the holy Ghost vseth and practiceth Rhetoricke heere and in many places else of the Scripture Therefore it is a good and lawfull Arte. The proposition is vndoubted the assumption is cleare both by these places and almost the whole body of the Scripture many of Saint Pauls Epistles many of Christes owne Sermons Saint Iohns Gospell many of the Prophets especially Esayah haue as much and as elegant Rhetoricke in them as any VVriters in the vvorlde and beside all other vertue and Diuine power in them doe euen for figures and ornaments of Arte match any Oratours that haue vvritten in the Greekes or Latines Nor would it bee anie hard taske to vndertake to prooue and illustrate euery approued rule of Rhetorick out of some part of Scripture Now if it be lawfull to practice the rules of Rhetorick then is it lawfull also to collect those rules together to pen them and to make an Art of them They therefore that holding the contrary doe say or teach or write it is vnlawfull goe against the streame and common practice of the Scripture and rules of common reason Secondly heere it is apparant that in preaching Gods word it is lawfull and warrātable for a Minister to vse Rhetoricke and eloquence And the reason is good for that which the holy Ghost vseth in penning of the Scripture the same may Gods Ministers vse also in preaching the same They therefore that denie that liberty to Ministers are too rough and rugged and pull out of the hand of the Ministers one of his weapons out of the wings of the
euery sinne by the practice of true repentance and so make our selues fit pilgrimes for the way to heauen Thirdly we must learne contentation of heart in euery estate of life which God shall send vpon vs we must bee contented as well in sickenesse as in health in pouerty as in plentie in trouble as in peace and in good report and ill report and in all estates of life and death A pilgrime in his way taketh all things patiently that befall him and if he be iniuried any way he puts it vp quietly without seeking reuenge or making complaint till hee come home where he knowes hee shall haue audience and redresse Euen so must we behaue our selues in this our pilgrimage to heauen in hope of that redresse and rest we shall haue we must beare all things patiently that befall vs in this life which is the way and doing these three things we shal become good pilgrimes and strangers in this world Here two questions offer themselues to be considered First if euery man both in profession and practice must shew himselfe to bee a pilgrime and stranger in this world Whether then is it not a good estate of life for a man to contemne the world and all things in it and to betake himselfe to perpetuall beggerie and voluntary pouertie Answ. The world in Scripture is taken diuers waies first for the corruptions and sinnes in the world and these must be contemned by all meanes possible yea that is the best religion which teacheth best how to contemne these and he the best man who most forsakes them in what calling soeuer he liues Secondly for temporal blessings as money lands wealth sustenance and such like outward things as concerne the necessarie or conuenient maintenance of this naturall life And in this sense the world is not to bee contemned for in themselues these earthly things are the good gifts of God which no man can simply contemne without iniurie to Gods disposing hand and prouidence who hath ordained them for naturall life The Papists esteeme it an Angelical state of perfection approaching neere to the state of glory when a man forsaketh all and betakes himselfe to voluntarie pouertie as begging Friers do But indeed it is a meere deuice of mans braine and hath no warrant in Gods word which decreeth thus that he that will not labour in some lawfull calling shall not eate Obiect But here they will say that our Sauiour Christ speaking to the young rich man bade him goe and sell all that he had and giue to the poore and hee should haue treasure in heauen Mar. 10. Answ. That commandement was not ordinarie but speciall belonging to that yong man It was a commandement of triall giuen to him onely as this was to Abraham when God said Abraham kill thy sonne Gen. 22.2 And the reason of that commandement was peculiar to him namely to shew him his corruption and to discouer his hypocrisie Againe howsoeuer the yong man was commanded to sell all yet he is not commanded to giue all but onely thus Sell all giue to the poore 2. Obiect Againe they obiect that Christ himselfe was a beggar and his Disciples also and had nothing of their owne but went vp and downe the world as beggars and liued of that which others ministred vnto them Answ. This is a meere forgerie and cannot be proued out of the word of God The bagge which Iudas carried doeth prooue the contrary for he was as it were the steward in Christs family who looked to their prouision and to their contribution to the poore as may be seene Ioh. 13.27 28 29. Yea Christs Disciples though they left the present vse of their houses and places yet they gaue not ouer their title and possession in them for Christ went to Peters house where he healed his wiues mother Math. 8.14 And after the time of Christs passion Peter and the other Disciples returned to their ships againe and became fishers for a time For Christ Iohn 21. after his resurrection appeared to them while they were fishing 2. Quest. Whether may a man lawfully seeke to bee rich seeing we must professe our selues to bee pilgrimes and strangers in this life Ans. Riches are taken two waies 1. for things sufficient 2. for aboundance For the first by things sufficient I meane things necessarie and meete for a mans estate to maintaine him and his family and thus a man may seeke to be rich for so wee are taught to pray in the fourth Petition Giue vs this day our daily bread that is things meete and needfull for the day From whence I reason thus That which wee may lawfully aske at Gods hands wee may lawfully seeke for But we may lawfully aske of God all things necessary to this life Therefore wee may lawfully vse the meanes to attaine vnto them And this Agurs praier sheweth also Giue me not pouertie nor riches feede mee with food conuenient for me Where wee see it is requisite a man should labour for things necessary to this life Now because mans corrupt nature is so gripple that hee would not bee contented with the whole world though it were all his therfore we must learne this rule of contentation for worldly things namely to followe the counsell and example of wise and godly men who are neither couetous nor riotous but rest contented with that which is sufficiēt As for the wearing of apparel we haue no speciall rule nor precept in Gods word and therefore our direction must bee the example and fashion of the most graue and godly in that calling whereof wee are whose president must be our direction in all cases wherof we haue no precept nor rule in Gods word But if riches bee taken in the second sense for aboundance aboue that which is competent and sufficient then it is not lawfull for a man to seeke to bee rich for proofe hereof we haue the plaine testimony of the word of God Paul saith 1. Tim. 6.8 9. When we haue food and raiment wee must therewith be contented for they that will bee rich fall into tentation and snares and into many foolish and noysome lusts which drowne men in perdition and destruction Where the Apostle dooth not simply condemne a rich estate but rather the desire to be rich that is a desire to haue more than is necessarie for the maintaining of a mans estate Yet this is the common sinne of the world men are so couetous that they wil not be contented with that which is enough but still toyle and moyle for more till they haue gotten so much vnder their hands as would honestly and sufficiently maintaine ten men of their estate and calling But all such are condemned by the testimony of the holy Ghost in the place afore named Quest. What if God giue abundance to a man by lawfull meanes what must such a man doe Answ. When God sendeth riches in aboundance to any man hee must thinke himselfe to be appointed of God as a
remember his sinnes but with dislike and detestation being grieued with them and angry with himselfe for them or else to teach others how to auoide them And as this kinde of Forgetfulnesse is a good vertue so there is also a vertuous and good Remembrance namely to be mindefull of that which may please God as of Gods Iudgements to be humbled thereby and of his Mercies to bee thankefull vnto Almightie God for them and of his Commandements to become obedient to his will These things therefore we ought to imprint by diligence in our memories Secondly here obserue God calleth them out of their owne countrie and biddeth them liue in the land of Canaan as strangers and pilgrimes and so they doe abiding there without any purpose to returne nay they are not mindfull of their former home Hence wee are taught to bee constant in that calling whereunto God hath called vs. It is a fearefull sinne for a man to goe backe from that calling in which God hath placed him When the Israelites abode not patiently and constantly with God in the wildernesse but desired to shake off the calling of God to returne to Egypt there to sit by the flesh-pots againe they had Gods hand vpon them grieuously as we may read at large Psalm 78. Lots wife for looking backe when shee was commanded to the contrary was fearefully and strangely punished beeing turned into a pillar of salt Gen. 19.26 And our Sauiour Christ saith Luk. 9.62 No man that putteth his hand to the Lords plough and looketh backe againe is apt to the kingdome of God As though he had said He that starteth from the plough is not fit for the field no more is he that shifteth from his calling fit for Gods seruice To apply this to our selues God hath called vs to professe Christian religion whence wee are called Protestants We therfore must professe the same constantly and hold it fast without wauering or doubting euen without beeing mindefull of that spirituall Egypt of darkenes and superstition whence we are deliuered much more without turning to any other this beeing the true religion which is grounded on Gods word Againe in this our calling of Christianitie wee haue vowed vnto God for our selues to renounce the flesh the world and the deuill Now this beeing our calling as wee haue promised and vndertaken it so wee must obey it in our liues fighting manfully euery day against the world the flesh and the diuell For if wee professe religion in word and doe not obey it in deed we make our selues vnfit for the kingdome of heauen But alas men are like to the Swine that returneth to the puddle thogh he be washed neuer so cleane and to the Dogge that returneth to his vomite for most men do but serue the flesh the world and the lusts thereof therein is their ioy and their hearts ease take away these things from them and take away their liues so farre are they from seeking the kingdome of heauen as these Patriarchs did Thus much for the first part of the reason Now followeth the second part which is this But they sought not a place in earth and therefore the conclusion followeth That they desire a countrey which is heauen in these words But now they desire a better But some will say the Patriarchs were dead many hundred yeares before this was written How then can they be now said to desire a countrey Answ. The Author of this Epistle here obserueth and followeth the manner of them that write Histories who speake of things past long agoe as though they were now present Now it is said they desired a better countrey These Patriarchs had laid before them two countries the Land of Canaan and the kingdome of Heauen and of these two they might choose whether they would to be their portion and inheritance vpon which they would bestow their hearts Now they esteemed heauen though it was to come better than Canaan though present and therefore made choice of heauen and longed for it Where we learne that as we must be thankefull to God for all his blessings so among them all wee should choose the best This Dauid doth for beeing put to choose whether hee had rather liue in safe-guard and in solace with the wicked and vngodly than in base estate and in great danger neere to Gods sanctuarie He saith Psal. 84.10 Hee had rather bee a doore-keeper in the house of his God than to dwell in the Tabernacles of wickednesse And Salomon is highly cōmended by the holy Ghost 1. King 3.10.11 for choosing a wise and vnderstanding heart before riches and honour Moses also as we shal see afterward had his choyce whether he wold liue gloriously at ease in Pharohs court or with the Church of God in aduersitie now Moses hauing the gift of discerning refused to bee called the sonne of Pharaohs daughter and chose rather to suffer aduersitie with the people of God than to enioy the pleasures of sinne for a season Which holy examples doe all teach vs that when God setteth before vs diuers sorts of his blessings wee in spirituall wisdome must make choyce of the best On the contrary Esau had this choyce set before him his brothers red broth and his birth-right but he chose the worse therefore in the new Testament the holy Ghost noteth him with this marke to be profane Esau for his labour And the Gaderens also are branded with a note of infamie to all ages for choosing their hogs before Christ and his saluation And the like choyce is set before vs euery day for God of his mercy in the preaching of the word for his part doth set forth vnto vs Christ Iesus crucified and in him remission of sinnes and saluation Now on the other side commeth the diuell and setteth before vs all sorts of vaine pleasures and delights shewing to euery man those sinnes to which he is giuen and with them all the profits or pleasures that vsually accompany such sinnes Now most men hauing this choyce set before them doe leaue the true and substantiall blessings of God and come to Sathans painted Pageants and there make choyce of sin with those base companions that doe attend her This is too apparant to be denied for howsoeuer the word of God be preached vnto vs and we doe heare the same yet wee preferre the vanities and pleasures of the sinnefull world before Christ crucified making no account of him nor of our owne saluation by him in comparison of the present profits and pleasures of sinne But wee must pray to God to giue vs spirituall wisedome and the gift of discerning that now when God sets before vs thinges so farre differing we may haue grace to discerne betweene them and withall to preferre and make choise of the best and to refuse the worst But as for them that are so mad in their choise that they now preferre sinne before the blessings of God in Christ they shal see the day when they would
wish themselues to be Dogges Toades or Serpents rather then men and women and yet though they would be glad of that exchange of state they shall neuer compasse it but shall remaine woefull men and women for euermore because that once they made so profane a choise when the path of life was set before them they chose the way of death rather then of life and therefore when they would desire death they shall not haue it but shall liue a life more bitter for euer then any death in the greatest pangs Thus wee see in generall their choise was of the better Particularly the Text addeth That is an heauenly In which words is laid downe the last and chiefe point in this reason to wit that the Patriarchs desired a better Country then the Land of Canaan and that was an heauenly Country euen heauen it selfe the proofe whereof is principally intended in this place Now whereas the Patriarchs being our fore-fathers in faith and patternes whom we must followe did desire heauen by their example euery one of vs is taught the same duty to aime at another and a better Country then that in which we liue euen at the kingdome of heauen and not to thinke that this world is the Country we are borne for This better Country we must all seeke for whatsoeuer we be high and lowe young and olde learned and vnlearned if we will followe these godly Patriarchs And this wee must doe not at death onely seeking this world all our life long for that is to despise heauen but euen in the time of our youth strength of our daies must we set our hearts on heauen endeauouring so to vse this world and the things thereof that when we die we may come to heauen that blessed countrie which we desired and sought for in our liues And to perswade vs hereunto consider the reasons following First worldly wisdome teacheth this If a man dwell on his owne land and in his owne house he is carelesse But if in another mans house whereof hee hath no lease but contrariwise is certaine to be put out hee knoweth not when this man wil in time prouide himselfe of another that so he may remooue into it and not be destitute and if it be within his power he will prouide a better that so he may not remooue for the worse Beholde while wee liue in this world our bodies are tents and tabernacles wherein our soules doe dwell for a time and besides this time is vncertaine for there is no man that can say certainly he shall liue to the next houre Therefore we must euery one of vs prouide for himselfe a dwelling place in heauen where we may abide for euer in all blessednesse Again consider the state of all sorts of men in the world for sinne Atheisme and profanenesse abound euery where the blaspheming of Gods holy name and the breaking of his Sabbath besides daily sinnes against the second table Now all these crie continually for vengeance and for Gods iudgements to be inflicted vpon vs and we know not how God will deale with vs for owne sinnes whether he will take from vs our goods and good name our health friends or life it selfe and therefore it standeth vs in hand to prouide for our selues a resting place wherein we may abide for euer after this fraile life full of misery is ended Thirdly if we shall not doe this marke what followeth this and no other is our estate By nature wee are the children of wrath and of the deuill and by our manifolde sinnes we haue made our ease farre worse Now what is due vnto vs for this corruption and for these transgressions Surely not heauen but another place euen the contrary the place of eternall woe and destruction the bottomlesse pit of hell Now if this be our due by nature then let not sinne nor Sathan deceiue vs perswading vs that wee may come to heauen and still continue in the state of our corrupt nature but let vs labour by all meanes to eschew this place which is due vnto vs by nature that thorough the gift of faith in Christ we may come to the heauēly citie which these godly Patriarchs so seriously soght for But if we remaine in our sinnes and so die we are sure to goe to the place of destruction and there to remaine in woe and torments with the diuell and his angels for euermore so that it stands vs in hand to vse all good meanes to come to heauen or else our case will be the most miserable of all creatures for perdition and destruction will bee our portion world without ende This must awake and stirre vp our dead and drowsie hearts that are so besotted with sinne that though wee heare yet wee neither learne nor practice In worldly things we can take care and paines but if we will doe any thing for our owne euerlasting good let vs labour by all meanes to come to heauen for if wee misse of that citie it had beene good for vs we had neuer beene borne or that we had beene the vilest creatures in the world rather than men For when the vnreasonable creatures die there is an ende of all their miserie but if we die and be not prepared for that place our death will be vnto vs the beginning of all woe and miserie Wherefore God is not ashamed of them to be called 〈◊〉 their God for hee hath prepared for them a citie In these words is laid downe a second reason whereby is prooued that these Patriarchs died in the faith seeking their countrie in heauen The reason is drawen from the testimony of God himselfe recorded by Moses in the booke of Exodus where God saith He is the God of their Fathers the God of Abraham Isaac and Iacob Exodus 3.16 The exposition Wherefore that is that this might appeare and be euident that these Patriarchs died in the faith and sought this Country of heauen God was cōtent to vouchsafe grant vnto them this fauour to be called their God Was not ashamed To be or not to be ashamed of one properly belongs to men and it cannot be affirmed properly of God that hee is ashamed or blusheth as the word signifieth but the meaning is that God vouchsafed vnto them this fauour and shewed them this honour and dignity Quest. What was this honour and dignity which he shewed vnto them Answer To be called their God By which is meant thus much that God accepted them in his mercy to be such with whom hee would make his couenant of saluation and not with them alone but with their seed after them Secondly that he chose them to make the couenant in their names for all the rest Thirdly he vouchsafed them a speciall and extraordinary fauour euen that himself would beare their names they should beare his making his glorious name renowmed to the worlds end by this title The God of Abraham Isaac Iacob Hereupon the reason is framed thus
God would not be called in speciall manner the God of vnfaithfull men but rather would bestowe such a special fauour vpon Beleeuers but that fauour did God vouchsafe to these three Patriarchs therefore doubtlesse they liued and died in that holy faith In that it is said God was not ashamed to be called their God Here first we learn that God doth not vouchsafe his mercie equally to all men but some men haue more prerogagatiue in his fauours and mercies then others Kings make choise among all their subiects of some men whom they wil prefer to be of their counsel or guard to whom they will giue speciall countenance and dispence their fauours more liberally then to all Euen so God among all Abrabrahams kindred maketh choise of these three persons Abraham Isaac and Iacob to bestowe on them such speciall honour as he vouchsafed not to any of their fore-fathers afore them nor posterity after them No meruaile therfore though he bestowe not his speciall mercy vpon all seeing he dispenceth not his inferiour fauours vnto all alike And yet for all this he is no accepter of persons for hee onely is properly said to be an accepter of persons that preferreth one before another in regard of some quality in the person but God vouchsafed this honour vnto these three only of meere mercy and good will and not for any thing he respected in them This confuteth the conceite and errour of many men broached abroad in this age that God doth equally loue all men as they are men and hath chosen all men to saluation as they are men and hath reiected none for say they it standeth with equity and good reason that the Creator should loue all his creatures equally and this opinion they would build vpon the generall promise made to Abraham because that in him God said all the nations of the earth should be blessed Gen. 22.18 But we must vnderstand that All is not alwaies taken generally but sometime indefinitely for many and so Paul speaking of this couenant of grace in Christ saith The Lord made Abraham a father of many nations Rom. 4.17 where repeating the couenant recorded by Moses he putteth many for all Againe graunt that Abraham were the father of all nations and that in him All the kindreds of the earth were blessed Yet it followeth not that therefore God should loue all men equally alike for he may loue the faithfull of all nations yet not loue all men in all nations for in his bountifull mercy in Christ he preferreth some before others And this answer seems the better because we may haue some reason to thinke that God will saue of euery nation some but no ground to imagine he wil saue all of any nation much lesse all of euery nation 2. Here we may see that God honoureth those his seruants that honour him as hee saith to Ely the Priest 1. Sam. 2.30 Which is a point to be marked diligently for this God is the glorious king of heauen and earth yet he abaseth himselfe is content to be named by his Creature aduancing them by abasing himselfe to be called their God the God of Abraham Isaac and Iacob Where we may apparantly see rather then God wil not haue them honoured that honour him he wil abase himself that they therby may be honored Hence we may learn many things First that all that professe religion truly must inure themselues to go through good report and ill report and in all estates to be content for Gods honours sake as Paul saith I haue learned in whatsoeuer state I am therewith to be content I can be abased and I can abound euery where in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry to abound to haue want Thus spake that holy man of God so must we all endeauour to say accordingly to practice And the reason is good because if a man honor God howsoeuer he be contemned or not regarded in the world yet God wil honour him esteeme highly of him that will proue the way to all true honour as it hath done euen in this world to all that tried it Secondly hence we learne which is the true way to get sound honor amongst men namely to honor God Good estimation in the world is not to be contemned for the Lord cōmandeth all inferiours to honour their superiours wherby he also bindeth euery mā to preserue his own dignity Now God honoureth them that honor him therfore the surest way to get true honour among men is this Let a man first lay his foundation well begin with God set all the affections of his heart thoughts on this To honor God Quest. How may a man honor God Answ. By forsaking the rebellious waies of sin vngodlines walking in the way of righteousnesse through the course of his life This doth God take to be an honour vnto his high Maiestie And when a man doth this vnfainedly then God will honour him euen among men so far forth as shal be for his good for God hath all mens hearts in his hād wil make them to honour those that honour him so S. Paul saith If any man therefore purge himselfe from these he shall be a vessell vnto honour not onely in glory eternall after death but also in grace and fauour with Gods Church This confuteth the opinion and condemneth the practice of many who would faine haue good report in the world and be spoken well of by all men but what course I pray you take they to come by this good name They doe not begin with God and lay their foundation by honouring him but they striue to please men whether it bee by doing well or ill they care not their onely care is to please all for that is their rule and resolution all must be pleased and because most men are ill they rather choose oftentimes to doe ill than they will not please the greater sort But he that beginneth to get honour by pleasing men beginneth at a wrong ende for by the testimony of the holy Ghost in this place the way to get sound approbation before men is first to beginne with God and to honour him Thirdly if God wil honour them that honour him then by the contrary consider what a miserable case many a man is in For those that dishonour God God will dishonour them againe as wee may see at large and very plainely in the example of Elie and his two sonnes for them that honour me saith the Lord vnto him I wil honour and they that despise me shall be despised 1. Sam. 2.30 And in Zacharie wee may reade that the man that by blasphemie theft or periurie dishonoureth God the flying curse of the Lord shall enter into his house and remaine in the middest thereof and consume it with the timber thereof and the stones thereof Zach. 5.4 And because Elie did more honour his children than
Parents prolong their childrens dayes by blessing them that is by teaching and instructing them in religion and by praying vnto God for a blessing vpon them that hee would blesse them Secondly there is a publike kinde of blessing which is done by the minister of GOD in the name of God And after this sort Melchisedech blessed Abraham as he returned from the slaughter of the Kings Heb. 7.1 and without all contradiction saith the Author of this Epistle the lesse is blessed of the greater Verse 7 Further these publike kinde of blessings are of two sorts either ordinarie or extraordinarie An ordinarie kinde of publike blessing is that which is pronounced and vttered out of Gods word by an ordinary minister vpon the people Example of this we haue in the ordinary Priests in the olde Testament whose duty was in the seruice of God to blesse the people before their departing And the forme of blessing which they should vse is prescribed vnto them by Moses after this manner from the Lord Thus shall ye blesse the children of Israell and say vnto them The Lord blesse thee and keepe thee the Lord make his face to shine vpon thee and be mercifull vnto thee The Lord lift vp his countenance vpon thee and giue thee peace Where wee see the manner of the Priest was to blesse the people not in his owne name but in the name of God stretching out his hand ouer the heads of the people This kinde of blessing was then ordinarie and yet some way figuratiue signifying vnto them the blessings which Christ Iesus the Mediatour God and man should not onely pronounce but euen giue vnto the Church in the new Testament which our Sauiour accordingly performed to his disciples at his Ascension For the Story saith When he was risen againe he led them to Bethania where he ascended and lift vp his hands and blessed them And S. Paul declareth this blessing of Christ more at large saying Ephes. 4.8.11.12 Christ ascended on high led captiuity captiue and gaue gifts vnto men some to be Apostles some Prophets and some Euangelists and some Pastors and teachers for the gathering together of the Saints for the worke of the ministerie and for the edification of the body of Christ. Where we see that our Sauiour Christ did not onely pronounce a blessing vpon his Church but was also the author thereof from God his father And as the Priestes in the old testament had an ordinary kinde of blessing the people so the ministers of GOD in the newe Testament they haue the same in substance for the ministers may blesse their people two waies First by praying vnto GOD for them Secondly by pronouncing a blessing vpon them according to GODs holy word A forme of this blessing wee haue from the Apostle Saint Paul who blessed the Corinthians after this sort The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ and the loue of God and the communion or fellowshippe of the holy Ghost be with you all 2. Corinthians 13.13 Secondly an extraordinary kinde of blessing is when an extraordinary Prophet or seruant of GOD doth set downe and pronounce a blessing vnto any and foretelleth their estate from GOD. Thus did Noe blesse his two sonnes Shem and Iaphet Gen. 9.25 26 27. and pronounced a curse vpon wicked Canaan This hee did not as an ordinary father but as an extraordinarie Prophet not onely praying for a blessing vpon his two sonnes but also foretelling them what should be their condition or estate afterward So in this place whereas Isaac blesseth Iaacob and Esau it is no priuate blessing but a publike and yet indeede not an ordinary publike blessing but extraordinary by telling vnto Iaacob and Esau before hand what should be their particular estates and conditions and what blessings they should haue from GOD both in this life and in the life to come For wee must not here conceiue of Isaac as an ordinary father but as a holy Patriarch and Prophet of the Lord and an extraordinarie man foreseeing foretelling by the spirit of prophecie the particular estate of his two sonnes and also what particular blessings they and their posteritie should receiue from God The meaning then of these words Isaac blessed Iaacob Esau is this that Isaac beeing a Prophet an extraordinary man and a famous Patriarch did by the spirit of Prophecie foresee and set down and tel before hand what should be the particular estate of his two sonnes Iaacob and Esau and as hee did foretell it so likewise hee praied vnto God that the same might come to passe as it did afterward And thus much for the meaning Nowe though this were an extraordinary kinde of blessing which Isaac vsed yet from hence we may all of vs learne an ordinary duty for looke as Isaac blessed his two sonnes so wee by his example must learne to abstaine from all wicked speeches as cursing and banning and exercise our tongues in blessing not making them the instruments of sinne to curse and reuile as many doe for vengeance is mine saith the Lord Hee must curse that hath absolute power and authoritie to inflict the same when hee will But wee are not absolute Lords ouer any man or any creature and therefore we must remember Saint Peters lesson 1. Pet. 3.9 Wee must not render euill for euill nor rebuke for rebuke But contrariwise blesse and he rendreth a reason Knowing that wee are thereunto called to bee heires of blessing Farre be it from vs therfore to open our mouthes to curse either men or any of Gods creatures and indeede vile and abhominable is the practice of many who exercise their tongues in cursing and banning not onely men but also other creatures of God But let such as feare God both learne and practice the contrary The second point to be considered is the cause of this blessing to wit Isaacs faith By faith Isaac blessed Iaacob and Esau. Here first wee are to consider how Isaacs faith blessed Iaacob and Esau surely thus He did most notably gather together all the promises of God made to him and to his two children which were specially three First I will be thy God and the God of thy seed 2. God had promised that he and his seed should possesse the promised Land of Canaan 3. That his two children should be two mighty Nations and that the elder should serue the younger Now Isaac doth not consider these blessings a-part one from another but hath them all in memory and on them all receiuing them by a liuely faith he builds his blessings for by faith in these promises hee did certainly fore-see what should be the future estate of his two sonnes and accordingly doth hee pronounce particular blessings vpon them both But it may be thought that Isaac did not blesse his sonnes by faith for if we reade the History in Genesis wee shall see that he blessed them by errour and was deceiued therein for hee was purposed to haue blessed Esau onely
quite degenerate from that they ought to bee when they are babes in knowledge voide of spirituall wisdome Indeed we must grant that our aged persons are worldly wise hee must haue a cunning head and as wee say rise early that herein goes beyonde them But bring them to the booke of God and to giue a reason of their actions that they are done in faith herein they are meere babes and ignorant neither can they tell what it is to doe a thing in faith so as it may be acceptable to God Heerein many that are yong in yeares doe quite out-strippe them What would wee thinke or say of a childe that beeing set to a good schoole should still bee in the lowest forme though he had long continued at it Surely wee would iudge him either exceeding negligent or destitute of ordinary capacity Behold the Church of God is the schoole of Christ if a man haue liued long therein as twentie or fourtie yeares and yet be no wiser in religion than a yong child is it not a shame vnto him and shall wee not condemne him of great negligence Wherefore let all aged persons here learne their duty which is to growe to ripenesse in spirituall wisdome that so their age may be to them a crowne of glory beeing found in the way of righteousnesse Prou. 16.31 VERSE 25. And chose rather to suffer aduersities with the people of God than to enioy the pleasures of sinne for a season THe meaning of these words is this Moses cast with himselfe that if hee should yield to become heire to Pharaohs daughter he must liue with her and please her in all things and so altogether leaue Gods Church and people and gods holy religion which thing to doe he abhorred in his heart and withall hee must leaue and lose the eternall blessednesse of Gods children for the honours sinnefull pleasures of the Court which were but momentany These things considered hee chooseth rather to bee in affliction and misery with the people of God than vpon these conditions to liue in Pharaohs Court to becom his daughters sonne and heire And because this may seeme a strange choice the holy Ghost doth afterward render a reason hereof which is this Because Moses liked rather to inioy the prerogatiues of Gods Church though it were in misery than to enioy any honour in a wicked Court such as indeede Pharaohs was In this verse therefore wee are to note a second fruit of Moses faith to wit that hee preferred the fellowship and communion of Gods Saints before all other societies in the world The same also was Dauids practice Psal. 16.3 All my delight saith he is in the Saints that dwell on the earth This fruite of Moses faith doth discouer vnto vs a grieuous fault which raigneth in this age to wit the neglect and contempt of the communion and societie of Saints There is a societie and fellowship that is loued and magnified among vs but what manner of societie is that surely of such as giue themselues to drinking iesting scoffing riot mirth and gaming This is the common and generall good fellowship through which God is greatly dishonoured For most men set their delight therein and are neuer merry but in such company wherein indeede they delight themselues in their sensuality True it is men pleade that this good fellowship is a vertue But then was Moses farre ouer-seene for in Pharaohs Court he might haue had all kinde of such good fellowship and company yet hee likes it not but rather chooseth affliction and misery with the people of God then to enioy such fellowship in Pharaohs Court And as for the goodnesse of it it is neither so esteemed nor called by any but by them that call good euill and euill good We see Moses a man of wisedome and learning Acts 7.23 no childe but a man of xl yeares olde hates and abhorres this good fellowship as the worst estate in the world rather chusing the societie of a miserable and persecuted Church then the best of that fellowship which a Kings Court could yeeld Let vs therefore learne more wisedome out of his practice Some say this good fellowship is harmlesse and such men who thus merrily passe their times doe no such hurt as many others doe But I answere men are borne to doe good Againe to misspend time wealth and wit are not these euill harmfull both in themselues and in the example And which is worst of all it is no fellowship with God nor any part of the communion of Saints but rather a fellowship with Satan therefore let all that will like true Christians haue true comfort in that article of their Creede the communion of Saints esteeme the fellowship of good and holy men aboue all other For by this communion with Gods Saints a man reapes great profit when as the other brings to a man the ruine both of his body and soule By the societie of the godly wee are first made partakers of their giftes and holy graces and secondly of their prayers and the blessings of God vpon them which things if there were no other might moue vs to embrace this blessed society before all other And yet further by being of this society a man auoids many of Gods iudgments If there had beene ten righteous men in Sodome they had all beene spared from destruction Wherein we may see that they that cleaue to such as feare the Lord indeed neuer receiue harm by them but rather much good for for the elects sake it is that the world yet standeth and if they were gathered heauen and earth would go together but for the calling of the Elect the hand of God is yet staied Why then should not Moses example be our rule Aboue all worldly pleasure to reioice in the society of Gods Saints Thus much in generall Now in the particular words are many notable points of doctrine which wee will touch in their order And chose rather c. Marke heere a rare and strange choise as euer wee shall reade of There are two things propounded to Moses The first is honour and preferment in Pharaohs Court to be sonne and heire to Pharahs daughter wherewith hee might haue enioyed all earthly pleasures and delights The second is the miserable afflicted condition of GODs Church and people And of these two Moses must needes choose the one well what chooseth hee Surely hee refuseth the prerogatiues and dignitie that hee might haue had in Pharaohs Court and makes choise of the miserie and affliction of GODs people in aduersitie that so hee may enioy the priuiledges of GODs Church A wonderfull choise for which his faith is heere commended and hee renowmed to all posteritie The same choise hath GOD set before men in all ages In former times GOD set before Esau two things A messe of red broth and his birth-right but profane Esau chooseth the worser he forgoes his birth-right so he may haue the broth But farre worse
of the bloud of the Paschal Lamb which was a notable rite ceremony vsed in this first Passe-ouer after this māner The bloud of euery Lamb was put into a bason sprinkled with a bunch of Hysope vpon the doore posts of euery mans house among the Iewes Now this rite did not continue alwaies but was peculiar proper to this first passe-ouer kept in Egypt at the institution thereof being then practiced but not after in regard of that speciall deliuerance then at hand wherof it was an assurance for it signified vnto them that the Angel of the Lord cōming to destroy the first born of Egypt seeing that bloud so sprinked should passe ouer their houses and touch none of their first borne of man nor beast This end of the sprinkling of this bloud is here likewise set down in these words Lest he that destroyed the first born shold touch them He that is the Angell of the Lord who was sent to destroy the first born throughout all Egypt both of man and beast saue onely of those who had their door posts sprinkled with bloud And thus much for the meaning of the words First obserue what the H. ghost saith of this fact of Moses in ordaining the Passe-ouer namely that he did it by faith Hence we learne that the Sacraments of the new Testament must be celebrated in faith for herein we are to seek to be acceptable to God as Moses was The L. supper in the new Testament succeedeth the Passe-ouer in the olde for that was a signe to the Iews that Iesus Christ the immaculate Lamb of God should afterward be sacrificed for their sinnes and this is to vs a signe of Christ already sacrificed Now look as that was ordained receiued vnder the Law so must this be administred receiued vnder the Gospell But in the olde Testament Moses celebrates the Passe-ouer through faith enioines the Israelites so to doe therefore accordingly must wee by faith celebrate and receiue the Lords supper vnder the Gospel Cains sacrifice was fruitlesse to him and odious to God because he offered not in faith no lesse were all other faithlesse sacrifices euen so euery Sacrament and spirituall sacrifice receiued or offered in time of the Gospell is vnprofitable to man and vnacceptable vnto GOD if it be not receiued in faith In euery Sacrament wee receiue some thing from God as in euery sacrifice we giue some thing to God In the Lords supper as the minister giues the bread and wine into the hand of the receiuer so the Lord God giues his sonne vnto their hearts Now if faith be wanting Christ crucified is not receiued for faith is the hand of the soule without which there is no receiuing of Christ his benefits but contrariwise a heauy and feareful sinne heaping vp Gods wrath against vs. Hereby we learne how sundry sorts of people sin most grieuously against God for many come to receiue the Lords supper who are altogether ignorant in the nature vse thereof not knowing what the sacrament meaneth yet because it is a custom in the church they will receiue at least once a yeare though they know nothing therein as they ought Now such persons must know they ought to come in faith which they cannot do because they want knowledge and therefore in receiuing it so they commit a grieuous sin so indanger their own soules because they receiue it vnworthily And this is not the fault of young ones onely but of many whose yeares might shame them for their ignorance if they were not past all feeling of spirituall wants A second sort there are who receiue the Lords supper say they will doe so because they haue faith But these are like the former for their faith is nothing but honest dealing among men thinking that if they bring that to the L. Supper though they haue no more yet all is well The greatest sort are of this minde taking fidelitie for true faith it is a plaine point of popery so common as almost in euery place men do embrace it But these deceiue themselues for another kinde of faith is required of those that receiue the Lords supper worthily namely such a faith wherby we doe not onely beleeue the remission of sins in Christs blood but also are assured that the bread wine receiued worthily are signes and seales of the same blessing exhibited vnto vs by Christ. He that comes onely in a good meaning deceiues himselfe receiues to his condemnatiō And yet alas many euen of the ancient sort haue no other faith but their good meaning A third sort there are who yet goe further and knowing the vanitie of this opinion that a mans fidelitie in his dealing with men should bee his faith to commend him vnto God they hold know that true faith is to beleeue their owne saluation in the blood of Christ and these are to bee commended in respect of the former But herein they faile that comming to receiue they bring not with them a liuely faith for it is not only required in a communicant that hee professe the faith of Christ aright but a worthy receiuer must looke to his owne heart that his faith therein be a liuing faith such as worketh by loue and shewes it selfe by obedience Now herein many that haue good knowledge doe grieuously offend That howsoeuer they make a shew of faith in an orderly and religious carriage of thēselues on the Cōmuniō day yet whē that time is a little past they returne to their former sinnes againe neuer els hauing any care nay not so much as making any shew of laying away their sinnes saue onely at the receiuing of the Lords supper And thus do too many of those who make a faire profession These men bring faith in profession but yet their faith is dead for if it were a liuely faith it would purifie their hearts cause a change in them from euil to good and from good to better euery day more and more But blessed be God by whose mercy it comes to passe that there are some in his Church who come with such a faith and thereby communicate acceptably to God and fruitfully to themselues Yet wee must confesse they are but fewe in comparison But as for all the other three sorts of people they sinne grieuously because they bring not the hand of a liuely faith to receiue those things which their God offereth vnto them Wee therefore in this example are admonished to celebrate receiue the Lords supper in such sort as Moses did namely in faith and that not in an idle or dead but in a liuely faith which may both before and after the receiuing of this sacrament bring forth good fruits to the reforming of our liues in continuall obedience for Gods glory and our owne comfort and saluation in Christ. 2 Obserue further Moses ordained and made the Passe-ouer We may not thinke that Moses killed all the lambes that were
Saul persecuted Dauid but his end was to kill himselfe with his own sword 1. Samuel 30.4 And Iesabell she persecutes the Prophets children of God but her end was this the dogs did eate her flesh The whole stock of the Herods were great enemies to Christ But their name was soone rooted out and Herod called Agrippa that slew Iames and persecuted Peter was eaten vp of wormes Many great Emperours in the primatiue Church were persecuters but they died desperatly And Iulian for one once a Christian died blaspheming Christ casting his bloud vp towards heauen cried Thou hast ouercome ô Galilean thou hast ouercome And to come neerer these times what reward from God the persecuters of the Church haue had we may reade in the booke of Acts monuments which was penned for that purpose And to come to these our daies the whole band of those that call thēselues leaguers in Fraunce Italy Spaine c. like the Tabernacles of Edom and the Ismaelites Moab and the Agarims c. Psal. 83.5 6 they vow the destruction persecution of Gods Church but yet Gods Church stands he so cōtriues the matter that they draw swords against thēselues slay poyson one another Herein doth God graciously make good his promise to his Church that the weapons made against her shal not prosper And Zachary 12.3 there is a prophecie of the Church in the new Testament the Lord saith He wil make Ierusalem that is his Church an heauy stone for all people that lift it vp shal be torn though all the people of the earth be gathered against it where the Prophet setteth down notably what shal be the condition of those that persecute Gods Church the more they persecute her the more they shall haue Gods hand against them to confound them Dan. 2.34 there is mention made of a stone hewen out of a rocke without hands which smote the image vpon the feete which were of yron clay brake them to peeces By that stone is meant the kingdom of Christ which shall dash in peeces the kingdomes of the earth which set themselues against Christ and his kingdome For Christ must raigne till hee haue put all his enemies vnder his feete so that destruction is the ende of the enemies of Gods Church For the hand of the Lord shall bee knowen among his seruants and his indignation against his enemies Isay 66.14 And thus much of the 2. circumstance Now in this whole fact of the Israelites passing thorough the red sea towards the Land of Canaan there is a notable thing signified namely Baptisme So Paul saith The Israelites were baptized vnto Moses in the sea 1. Cor. 10.2 Yet wee must remember it was not ordinary Baptisme but extraordinary neuer administred before and neuer shall be so again for ought we know The Minister of this Baptisme was Moses an extraordinary Minister as the Baptisme was extraordinary The outwarde signe was the red sea or rather the water of the redde sea The departing of the children of Israel out of Egypt thorough the redde sea signifieth the departing of the children of GOD out of the kingdome of darkenesse from the power of sin and Satan And the drowning of Pharaoh with all his hoste in the redde sea signified the subduing of the power of all spirituall enemies with the pardon and death of sinne which stands partly in the abolishing of sinne and partly in newnesse of life And to this alludeth the Prophet Micah saying He will subdue our iniquities and cast all their sinnes into the bottome of the sea Micah 7.19 As if he should say Looke as God subdued Pharaoh and all his hoste in the bottome of the sea so will he cast and put away the sinnes of his people From this we learne two points 1 That the Baptisme of infants hath warrāt in Gods word howsoeuer some mē be of a contrary opinion for here we see all the Israelites were baptized in the sea and among them no doubt were many children If it be said this baptisme was extraordinary and is no ground for ours Answ. True it was extraordinary for the manner but yet herein the matter and substance and the thing signified is ordinary and the end all one with ours and therefore the baptizing of infants in the red sea is some warrant for the baptisme of infants in the Church now adaies Secondly here we may learne another instruction As the Israelites went through the red sea as through a graue to the promised land of Canaan so we must know that the way to the spirituall Canaan euen the kingdome of heauen is by dying vnto sinne This is a speciall point to bee considered of euery one of vs we professe our selues to be Christians wee heare Gods word and receiue the sacraments which are the outward badges of Christians and we perswade our selues of life euerlasting after death wel if we would haue that to be the ende of our iourney then we must take the Lords plaine way in this life which is to die vnto all our sinnes So it is said they which are Christs haue crucified the flesh with the affections and lustes thereof where this duty is inioyned to euery Christian hee must crucifie the lusts and affections of the flesh and not liue in sinne For a man cannot walke in sinne and so runne the broad way to hell and yet waite for the kingdome of heauen these two will not stand together and therefore if we would walke worthy the calling of Christianitie wee must haue care that all our sins whether they bee of heart or life little or great new or olde may be mortified and abolished Many will for a time become ciuill and seeme to be religious especially when they are to receiue the Lords supper but when that time of the sacrament is past then they returne to their old custome in sinning againe wherby it appeares that their change was but in shew to blind the eies of men And doe we not each Sabbaoth professe our selues good Christians and seeme to glory in it by keeping this day with such solemnitie But alas as soone as that day is past many some euen this day runne into all ryot This is not Christianity this is not the way to heauen but if euer we thinke to come to Canaan we must kill and bury our sinnes we must die vnto them or else we shal neuer come to the ende of Christianity namely eternall life And thus much of this circumstance and also of the example it selfe Iosuahs Faith VERSE 30. By faith the walls of Iericho fel down after they were compassed about seuen daies FRom the beginning of this chapter to this 30. verse we haue heard two sorts of examples of faith the first of beleeuers from the beginnning of the world to the flood The second of such as were from the time of the floode to the giuing of the Lawe in Mount Sina and of both these we haue
hitherto intreated Now here and sâ— forward to the end of this chapter is set downe a third order of examples of faith namely of such as liued from the time of the giuing of the Law to the time of the raigne of the Maccabees This 30. verse containes the first example of this ranke namely the example of Iosuahs faith of those that went with him into Canaan And their faith is commended vnto vs by a notable fact of theirs the causing to fall the walls of Iericho the History whereof we may reade at large Iosuah 6. The summe of it is this Whereas the Israelites came vnto Canaan and could not enter into the Land by reason of the strength of Iericho by which they must needs passe nor could win it by reason of the huge walls of Iericho the Lord promiseth to deliuer Iericho into their hands onely the people must doe this they must compasse-about the walls seauen daies carie the Arke of the Lord with them sounding with Rammes hornes and showte and so the walls should fall downe Now the Lord hauing made this promise vnto them the Israelites and specially Iosuah obey his commaundement and beleeue his promise and thus doing by faith the walls of Iericho fell downe after they were compassed-about seauen doyes Indeed the power of GOD was the principall cause of this ruine of the walls but yet because vpon their beleeuing GOD shewed this power therefore is the downfall of them ascribed to their faith Here are many notable points to be learned 1. Whereas the Text saith By faith the walls of Iericho fell downe wee may obserue the wondeâ—full power of true faith Iosuah and the Israelites beleeued Gods promises that hee would ouerturne the walls of Iericho and as they beleeued so it came to passe So our Sauiour Christ saith Matthew 17.20 If a man had but as much faith as a graine of mustard-seed he shall say vnto the mountaine remooue hence and it shall remoue and nothing shall be vnpossible vnto him signifying that by the power of true faith such things as are impossible to mans reason shall be brought to passe if God haue promised them as we see in this place the mighty walls of Iericho fall downe by faith which to mans reason is impossible So the Lord promised to Abraham That he should be the Father of many Nations yea that all the Nations of the earth should be blessed in him This was strange but Abraham beleeued it and as hee beleeued so it came to passe for many Nations descended from him and after the time of Christes ascension when all the Nations of the world were called to the light of the Gospell they were blessed in Christ the promised Seede of Abraham and therefore is hee called the Father of the faithfull in all Nations And to come vnto our selues To miserable men it may seeme a strange thing that the power of the diuell and the strength of the flesh should be ouercome in vs yet let a man beleeue this promise of God God so loued the world that hee gaue his onely begotten sonne that who so beleeued in him should not perish but haue euerlasting life Iohn 3.16 I say let him beleeue this effectually and hee shall finde by faith the Kingdome of sinne Satan in his heart and conscience weakned euery day more and more And therefore S. Iohn saith not without cause This is the victorie that ouercommeth the world euen our faith 1. Iohn 5.4 2. Here obserue that among the causes of the change ouerthrowe of Townes Cities Kingdomes this is one namely faith in Gods promises Many men haue written of the change of Kingdoms do giue diuers reasons therof But most of them omit the principall and that is faith by vertue whereof many times Kingdomes and Townes are brought to ruine and ouerthrow God promised to Abraham to his seed that he would giue theÌ„ the land of Canaan for their inheritance now they beleeued this promise heere wee see it comes to passe as they beleeued Iericho by faith is ouerturned the rest of their Cities the people of CanaaÌ„ dispossessed So that we see faith in Gods promises is a means to Gods people to ouerturn cities kingdoms that are enemies to Christ and to his Gospell God hath made a promise vnto his Church that the whore of Babylon Reuel 18.2 that is the Kingdome of Antichrist shall flourish for a while but after it shall be destroyed yea such a ruine shall come vnto it that the Kings of the earth and all great men and Marchants shall bewaile the destruction thereof Now this promise being receiued by faith and beleeued of Gods Church shall vndoubtedly come to passe It is in some part verified already for we see some Kingdomes and people haue renounced the cursed Doctrine and tyrannie of Rome and many Christian Princes haue alreadie shaken off the Popes yoke yea and this promise shall come to passe daily more and more Let all the Kings of that sort doe what they can and let the people set themselues neuer so much against Gods Church yet Babylon shal downe for God hath promised so to his Church and his Church beleeueth the same and therefore by their faith it shall be brought to passe in despite of the diuell Thirdly here we learne that when any City Towne or Kingdome is to make warre either in defence of themselues or in lawfull assault vpon their enemies a speciall meanes for good successe heerein is true faith Christian policie is a commendable thing in this case but if policy be seuered from faith it is nothing Faith in Gods promises of protection and assistance doth farre surpasse all worldly wisedome And therefore good King Iehosaphat when he was to fight against the huge Armies of the Moabites and Ammonites giues this counsell to his people 2 Chron. 20.20 Put your trust in the Lord your God and ye shall be assured Beleeue his Prophets and ye shall prosper giuing a most notable instruction and shewing that the best help for our defence is faith in God whereby we rest vpon his word and promise that hee will helpe vs yet this taketh not away the vse of meanes but it giues the blessing and efficacie vnto them Faith wee knowe is called a shield among the spiritual armour of God whereby a man awards the blowes of Satan and though that be the principal vertue of it yet is it also a notable shield to defend men euen against their outward visible enemies a most strong engine aginst theÌ„ to work their ouerthrow Hence Dauid saith He will not be afraid for tenne thousand of the people that should beset him round about They therefore that would defend themselues against their enemies yea and ouercome them in lawful assault must embrace obay true religion with Christian policy ioyn faith in Gods promises for by faith we make God our Captain throgh him we shal do
priuat reuenge and so it maketh nothing against lawfull warre For what though a priuate man may not reuenge himselfe nor make warre yet that hindereth not but that a Magistrate who beares the sword may lawfully vse it Againe it is friuolous to imagine that resisting is onely by a weapon for the chiefe resistance that God respecteth is in the heart and affection And a priuat man may resist that is breake this commandement by vnlawful resistance though he carry no weapon and the publike person breake it not though he make warre Obiect 2. Secondly they obiect the prophecy of Isay who speaking of the kingdome of Christ vnder the Gospel saith That then they shall turne their swords into scithes and their spears into mattocks therfore say they there must be no warre vnder the Gospel Ans. That Prophecy signifies that in Christs kingdom there must be great loue and peace wonderfull concord among all the true seruants of God But here they take aduantage say If this be so what then needeth any warre Ans. We must knowe that as there bee two kindes of Kingdomes a spirituall kingdome and a politicke so there be two kindes of peace spirituall and politicke Spirituall peace is inward in the Church and politicke peace is outward in the common wealth Spirituall peace i◠begun and preserued by spirituall meanes of grace in the ministery of the Church but warre is an ordinary meanes for the establishing and preseruing of politicke peace Secondly hence wee learne that Gods people may make warre not onely by way of defence but also in assault vpon their enemies that according to Gods word For here it is said that Gedeon Sampson Dauid the rest by faith subdued Kingdoms making warre against them by way of assault and not in defence onely Indeede speciall care ought to bee had that offensiue warre in assaulting an enemie be made vpon iust good grounds one speciall ground or cause is heere implied in this worke of faith to wit the recouery of iust right in matters of importance for the Kingdoms of Canaan were giuen to the Israelites by God himselfe and for the recouery of them they made warre by way of assault So when Lot was taken Captiue by Keder-laomer the Kings of the Nations Abraham Lots kinsman gathers his seruants together and pursues the Kings and ouertaking them destroyed them for the recouerie of Lot and his goods Other respects there be for which offensiue warre in assault may be made but because they are not heere mentioned I will not propound them The second fruite of their faith is this they wrought righteousnesse that is some of these men in their places wherein God had set them gaue to euery man his owne This working of righteousnesse consists in two things First in giuing rewards to such as deserued them Secondly in inflicting due punishment according to mens deserts In both these the men before named did all excell but especially two of them Dauid and Samuel for Dauid it is a wonder to see how righteous he was for when he was anointed King in Sauls steed and Saul reiected how did hee behaue himselfe towards Saul Did hee seeke Sauls blood No But when Saul hunted him as the hunter doth the Partridge Dauid euen then gaue himselfe to studie and practice righteousnesse yea when Saul was fallen into his hands both in the Caue and asleepe in the campe 1. Samuel chapter 24. verses 5 6. c. and chapter 26. verses 7 8 he would not touch him nor suffer others to doe him hurt because hee was the Lords anointed yea so righteous was Dauid towards Saul that his heart smote him for cutting off but the lappe of his coate Therefore Dauid is heere commended especiallie for this effect of faith the working of righteousnesse To apply this vnto our times If this be a fruite of faith thus to worke righteousnesse then what may be saide of the Church of Rome and of the Popish sort among vs They pretend the auncient faith and none must be so good beleeuers and Catholikes as they but how doe they shewe this their faith Is it by the practice of righteousnesse Doe they giue to euery one his due Nay verily but they set themselues to worke the ruine of Kingdomes that ioyne not with them in religion This witnesse their manifolde diuellish plots against our State from time to time This did not Dauid no not against Saul though hee were reiected of God and also most vniustly sought his death But they haue many times sought the death of the Lords anointed ouer vs whereby they declare their state to all the world that they haue no sparke of true faith at all for true faith will make a man practice righteousnesse and innocencie And therefore we may iudge of them and all their adherents that be of this mind to allow such practices that they haue none other but the faith of diuels which is to beleeue the word of God to be true This the diuels do with trembling And as their faith is diuellish so are the fruites thereof namely treachery and falshood such as the diuel most approues But we must learne that true faith is especially commended by these fruites The study and practice of innocency and the maintaining of peace in Christian estates for true faith and treachery and contention wil no more stand together than light and darknesse Secondly Samuel also wrought righteousnesse as appeareth by his protestatio before all Israel whē he gaue vp his office of gouernment ouer them vnto Saul 1. Sam. 12.3 Behold saith hee heere am I beare record of mee before the Lord and before his anointed whose Oxe haue I taken or whose Asse haue I taken or whom haue I done wrong to or whom haue I hurt or of whose hand haue I receiued any bribe to blinde mine eyes therewith and I will restore it Now as these two Samuel and Dauid were famous for this fruite of faith in working righteousnesse So likewise were the Iudges and Prophets before named in their places carefull of this vertue and did practice the same partly in rewarding the good and partly in punishing the wicked But some will say To worke righteousnesse cannot be a fruit of faith for the very Heathen which neuer heard of Christ by the light of nature haue done Iustice and are highly commended by Heathen Writers for the same Now that which the Heathen can doe by the light of nature is not thus to be extolled as a fruite of faith Answer True it is the Heathen haue done many workes of iustice but we must wisely consider that euery iust worke is not a fruite of faith vnlesse it be done by a righteous person in obedience to God and for his glory But in all these the Heathen failed in their workes For though the things they did were good in themselues yet seeing the Heathen were corrupt trees remaining in the sinfull state of corrupt nature their workes
many Parents is farre otherwise for whereas they should first seeke vnto the Lord and come to his Prophet they either runne first to the ordinary meanes of physicke or being worse disposed seeke help of wizards blessers by their charmes and sorceries forsaking GOD and running to the Diuell Indeede the vse of lawfull meanes is not to be discommended simply but this preposterous course is blame-worthy and depriues many of Gods blessing in the meanes That they seeke helpe of Physick before they haue sought to the Lord in this holy practice of faith Quest. But how can the parents faith benefit the childe Answ. It cannot procure vnto it eternall life for euery one must bee saued by his owne faith in Christ. And yet the childe receiues many a good blessing at Gods hand by meanes of the Parents faith as namely the benefit of the couenant of grace in the seales thereof besides the fruition of many temporall blessings as life it selfe in this place The consideration hereof must mooue all parents aboue all things to labour for true faith for by the practice hereof they shall be able to bring the greatest blessing vpon themselues and their children and vpon the lawfull meanes which they shall vse for their good Say the Lord shall lay his hand vpon children and seruants in a family what must parents and masters doe Surely the best way for helpe is the practice of faith in true humiliation for sinne and prayer to God for mercy and for a blessing vpon the meanes which they shall vse In all societies this is true that by the faith of the gouernors many curses are remooued and many blessings procured God sends his Iudgements among vs daily and we knowe not when other moe shall befall vs but for the remoueall and preuēting of them we must giue our selues to true humiliation and praier and so shal we finde the Lords mercy towards vs as these two women did And thus much of this tenth fruit of faith and of them all seuerally Now from them all ioyntly together obserue this speciall point That faith is such a grace of God as doth bring downe from heauen vpon euery beleeuer all Gods blessings that are needfull for him Who is hee that desires not to bee made partaker of GODs blessing◠needfull for him both in soule and body Well the onely way and meanes hereto is to get a true and liuely faith and to put the same in practice in all such duties as God shall require at our hands The worthy men before named obtained al the former most wonderfull blessings by meanes of their faith By it they scaped the edge of the sword they quenched the violence of the fire waxed mighty in battel c. as wee haue heard Now if faith be such a notable grace of God then aboue all things in this world let vs labour for it We must not content our selues with lip-faith and so presume vpon Gods mercies but wee must labour for a true and liuely faith in Christ which may purifie our hearts and bring forth fruit in our lyues Here are strong motiues to perswade vs hereunto for what doe wee desire riches honour or fauour and grace in the world would wee haue health and strength nay the fauour of God which is all in all then looke to get true faith for in the practice thereof thou shalt obtaine of God all needfull blessings both temporall and spirituall Many toyle themselues exceedingly by worldly meanes to get temporall blessings as health wealth honour c. and yet neuer attaine thereto because they seeke them not by faith I confesse naturall men get many good things but to them they are no blessings because they want faith both in getting and keeping of them for they lay all religion aside and toyle themselues wholly in worldly meanes This course the childe of God must beware of Say that a Prince bids one of his seruants goe to his Treasurie and there inrich himselfe with Iewels with gold and siluer and with whatsoeuer he lacketh what will this man doe Surely first hee will call for the keyes wherby he may vnlocke the doors and chests for else he can get nothing Behold in the Ministerie of his word God shewes vs his full treasury wherin wee may inrich our selues with all his blessings Now wee must not with the foole runne without the key but labour first for true faith which is that key whereby Gods heauenly treasures are opened vnto vs and we must be sure that we haue a sound key that is a true and sound faith which may strongly turn about the lockes of Gods treasury For this is most certaine he that doth vnfainedly beleeue shall neuer want any thing either in body or soule that is good for him to haue Euery one will say hee beleeues but the truth is that true faith is rare for mens hearts are not purified nor their lyues changed but they remaine as sinnefull as ever they were which causeth Gods iudgements to be rife among vs. Wherefore as we desire our owne good both in soule and body so let vs labour for true faith and shewe forth the power of it in our lyues And thus much of these Iudges and Prophets and of the fruits of their faith Beleeuers vnder the Maccabees VERSE 35. Others also were racked and would not bee deliuered that they might receiue a better resurrection IN these words the author of this Epistle proceedes to the fourth order of Examples of faith contained in this Chapter wherein as in the former lastly handled hee proceedes briefly heaping vp in fewe words many worthy exāples of faith cōcealing the names of the parties onely setting downe those things for which their faith is commended vnto vs. And this fourth and last order of examples comprehendeth such beleeuers as liued vnder the regiment of the Maccabees and afterward to the comming of Christ. For of beleeuers in former times it cannot be vnderstoode because there is a manifest distinction put betweene these beleeuers and the former Iudges Kings and Prophets in these words others also whereby it is plaine that heere he propounds examples of beleeuers different from those which hee mentioned before And it is also plaine that these beleeuers liued before the comming of Christ. For howsoeuer the Christians in the Primitiue Church were racked scourged and tormented after this sort yet of them this place cannot be vnderstoode because they enioyed the promise of the Messias but these heere mentioned enioyed not that promise in their dayes but wayted for it by faith and therein died Verse 39. And indeede in the time of the Maccabees the Church of the Iewes was wonderfully persecuted by Antiochus about two hundred yeares before Christ as we may see 2. Maccabees 4. and 6. chapters Question Where had the Author of this Epistle this large narration of these strange persecutions seeing they are not registred in the bookes of the olde Testament Answere Wee may iudge that hee
scourged The fourth is Bonds and imprisonment The fift is stoning verse 37 They were stoned The sixt is this They were hewen asunder These were all worthy fruits of faith being endured for religions sake but the particular points might heere be obserued haue beene handled before and therefore I pasâ—e them ouer The seauenth kinde of suffering is this they were tempted These words by the change of a letter in the originall may be reade thus They were burned And some doe so translate it thinking that they that writ or copied out this Epistle at the first did put one letter for another Their reason is because examples of grieuous punishments are mentioned both before and after this and therfore they thinke this should be burning which is a sore and grieuous death But wee may safely and truly reade the words thus They were tempted conceiuing heereby that they were enticed and allured by faire promises of life to forsake their religion So the same word is vsed by Saint Iames saying Euery man is tempted when hee is drawen away by his owne concupiscence and is entiâ—ed Iames 1.14 If any aske why this kinde of triall in tempting should bee placed among such cruell torments I answere because it is as great a triall as any can be For it is as dangerous a temptation to ouerthrow religion and a good conscience as any punishment in the world This appeares plainly in Christs temptations by the Diuell for in those three Satan bewraies his malice and craft against Christ and his Church most notably Now Satan not preuailing with the two first makes his third and last assault from the glory and dignity of the world for shewing vnto Christ all the Kingdomes of the world and the glory of them hee saith All these will I giue thee if thou wilt fall downe and worship me Math. 4.9 Indeede Christes holy heart would not yeeld vnto it but that it was a grieuous temptation appeares by Christs answeres For in the former temptations he onely disputed with Satan out of Scripture but when this temptation comes Christ bids him as it were in passion auoide Satan signifying thereby not onely his abhorring of that sinne but also the danger of that assault by the world And indeede these temptations on the right hand as wee may call them will most dangerously creepe into the heart and cause shipwracke of faith and a good conscience All Dauids troubles and persecutions could not bring him to so greeuous sins as did a little ease rest A huge great Armie cannot so soone giue entrance to an enemie into a Citie as riches and faire promises neither can bodily torments so soone preuaile against a good conscience as will worldly pleasures and faire promises In regarde whereof wee must take heede that wee bee not deceiued by the world for the view of the glory and pompe thereof will sooner steale from a man both religion and good conscience then any persecution possibly can do And indeede who doe so oft change their religion when trialls come as they that haue the world at will The eight example of suffering is this They were slaine with the sword There can be nothing saide of this which hath not beene spoken in the former examples and therefore I omit it The ninth and last example of suffering is this They wandred vp and downe in sheepes skinnes and Goates skinnes being destitute afflicted and tormented That is being either banished or constrained by flight to saue their liues they wandred vp and down in base attire and were destitute of ordinary foode and comfort and so in great affliction and torment Heere wee see these seruants of GOD were driuen from their owne Country friends and families by persecution Whence we obserue that in time of persecution a Christian man may lawfully flie for his safety if hee be not hindred by the bond of priuate or publique calling For these seruants of God here coÌ„mended for their faith did flie when they were persecuted and that by faith therfore the action is lawfull as I might prooue at large but that I haue spoken of it heeretofore VVhen our Sauiour Christ knewe that the Pharisies heard of the multitude of Disciples which he made Ioh. 4.1.3 hee left Iudea where they had greatest iurisdiction and came into Galile for his safety The Prophet in the old testament did fly as Elias from Iezabel 1. King 19.3 And so did the Apostles in the new and that by Christs direction Math. 10.23 Obiect 1 But some will say Persecution is the hand of God therfore no man may flie from it for so he should seeme to flie from God himselfe Ans. Wee must consider persecution two waies first as it is the hand of God secoÌ„condly as it is the worke of the wicked enemies of Gods Church For them God vseth sometimes aâ— instruments in laying his hand vpon his Church either for chastisement or for triall Now a Christian being persecuted for the truth and hauing libertie to flie cannot bee said to flie from Gods hand vnlesse he went away contrary to Gods command as Ionas did beeing sent to Niniue and beside he knowes that is impossible But his intent is to flie from the wrath of his enemies to saue his life for the further good of Gods Church Again the reason is not good To say persecution is the hand of God therefore a man may not flie from it For so might a man conclude that nonâ— ought to flie from sicknesse or from warre both which a man may doe with a safe conscience not beeing hindred by some speciall calling Obiect 2 But euery one is bound to testifie his faith religion before his enemies and therefore may not flie in persecution Answ. True indeede a Christian man must so testifie his faith if he bee called thereto of God but if God giue him liberty and opportunitie to flie then he will not haue him at that time to iustifie his religion by that meanes Obiect 3 But if it be lawfull to flie how then comes it to passe that some of Gods children when they might haue fled would not but haue stood to iustifie their profession vnto death Ans. We must iudge reuereÌ„tly of theÌ„ thinke they did it by som special instinct motioÌ„ of Gods spirit as appeareth by their patience constancy in their greatest torments Examples hereof wee haue in our English Acts and Monuments in men worthy of notable commendations for their constancy and zeale for the truth of the Gospel Quest. If flight in persecution may bee an action of faith Whether may not the minister of Gods word fly in time of persecution Answ. There be some cases wherein the Minister may lawfully fly 1 When that particular Church and congregation ouer which he is placed is dispersed by the Enemies so as he hath no hope to gather and call them back againe then no doubt hee may flie till his congregation be gathered againe 2 If the persecutors doe specially
sinnes and the infusion of inward righteousnesse standing in hope and charity especially And the second wherby of a good man one is made better and more iust and this they say may proceede from the merite of a mans owne workes of grace and hereby they hold a man stands righteous before God But looke how it standes with grace in vs in this life so likewise shal it stand with the same graces at the last day if they bee imperfect now and so not able to iustifie vs before GOD they shall also be found imperfecte then to that purpose and effecte But now they are imperfect as hath beene shewed and therefore cannot then stand for our righteousnesse vnlesse we will imagine that God will then accept of an imperfect Iustice. Wherefore their Doctrine is erroneous a doctrine of all terrour and desperation for who dare aduenture the saluation of his soule vpon his owne righteousnesse Wee denie not but that God accepteth of our sanctification yet not as the matter of our iustification vnto life that onely is the obedience and righteousnesse of Iesus Christ accepted of God for vs and made ours by faith for that alone is aunswerable to the rigour of the Law Thirdly this also sheweth the errour of those who hold that concupiscence or originall sinne is not a quality but an essence or substance liuing and subsisting by it selfe For here wee see a plaine difference betweene a mans body and soule and originall sinne that compasseth them else the holy Ghost would not bid vs to cast off this sinne for that which is of the substance of man cannot by man bee cast off And to make this more plaine we must knowe that in man descending from Adam there be three things 1. The substance of his soule and body 2. The powers and faculties in them both 3. The corruption or bad disposition in those powers and faculties whereby a man is vnconformable to the will of his Creator and prone to that which is euill And this third thing is it which is here spoken of different from mans substance and faculties and so is not a substance in man or mans nature corrupted but an ill disposition therein Fourthly hence also wee learne what a regenerate man doth most feele in himselfe namely originall sinne the corruption of his nature for that hangs on fast and hinders him in the practice of all good duties This Paul knew well and therefore confesseth that hee saw another Law in his members rebelling against the Law of his minde and leading him captiue vnto the Law of sinne which was in his members Rom. 7.23 This caused him to leaue vndone the good which he would haue done and to do the euill which he would not doe Verse 19. And Dauid felt the same thing when he saide I will runne the way of thy commaundements when thou shalt enlarge my heart Why doth Dauid speak of the enlarging of his heart Surely he felt in himselfe this originall sinne which did streicten his good affections so as hee could not put them forth so much as hee would toward the Law of God And when hee saith Psal. 51.12 Stablish me oh Lord by thy free spirit he would giue vs to vnderstand that by originall corruption hee was restrained of his Christian liberty and hindred in all good affections holy actions and heauenly meditations which causeth him to pray for liberty and freedome by the spirit So that it is plaine the seruant of God feeles this corruption clogging and hindering him from all good duties 1. This serues to admonish all secure persons which neuer felt sinne to bee a clogge or burthen vnto them of their fearfull and dangerous estate For to euery childe of God originall corruption is a grieuous burthen Now conferre with a natural man and aske him what imperfections and wants he feeles in himselfe his answer is he neuer was hindered by any corruption in all his life he neuer felt doubting or want of loue either to God or to his brethren he feeles no pride of heart no guile or hypocrisie nor vaine-glory c. If wee take these men vpon their words they are Angels among men but indeede they are blinde and ignorant and wonderfully deceiued by Satan for all Gods seruants in this life doe continually bewaile the corruption of their nature crying out against originall sinne that it hinders them in doing the good things which they would doe and causing them to doe that euill which they would not These men therefore that are neuer troubled with corruption but to their owne thinking haue grace at will are in a fearefull case their mindes are still blinded and their hearts hardned they are dead in sin abiding in darknesse vnto this houre And if they goe thus on to death they shall finde that sinne will vnvizor himselfe and then they shall knowe what sinne meanes and finde the terrour and feele the burthen of it when it is too late like the foolish virgines that knew what the want of oyle meant when the doores were shut Secondly this shewes vnto vs what is the state and condition of the childe of God in this life He is not heere a Saint feeling no corruption perfectly sanctified freed from all sinne but such a one as feeles the burthen of corruption hindering him in his Christian course vnder which hee sighes and groanes labouring by all good meanes to bee disburthened and to cast it off It is indeede a matter of great comfort for a man to feele Gods graces in himselfe as faith loue repentance sanctification and such like but no childe of GOD can alwayes or alone feele the comfort of grace most commonly hee shall be troubled with sinne if he be Gods childe Now if feeling it hee dislike himselfe and striue to bee eased of it this is a sure argument of his happy estate Fiftly this commaundement to cast away sinne that presseth downe teacheth euery childe of GOD to labour earnestly for the gouernment and direction of Gods spirit for wee haue within vs originall corruption that like an armed man besets vs about and hindereth vs in euerie good thing wee take in hand Wee must therefore pray vnto GOD daily that hee would guide vs by his good spirit for by reason of the corruption of our nature and the deceitfulnesse of sinne wee shall vtterly faile vnlesse Gods spirit gouerne vs both in the thoughts of our hearts in the words of our mouthes and the actions of our liues This Dauid knew well and therefore prayeth to the Lord for his good spirit to leade him into the Land of Righteousnesse Psal. 143.10 Lastly seeing wee haue this corruption of nature in vs wee must keepe our hearts with all diligence and set watch and ward about them So Salomon saith Counterguard thy heart my sonne Prouerbs 4.23 Why doth Salomon giue this commandement Surely for special cause for euery man while he liues on earth is compassed about with his owne corrupt nature which like a
that God so loued the world that he gaue his onely begotten Sonne that whosoeuer beleeued in him should not perish but haue euerlasting life This is Gods promise and it shall neuer be changed Now therefore howsoeuer my case be heauie and desolate yet God is able to comfort me and to bring my soule out of hell and from this case of desperation therefore though he kill me I will trust in him and I will vse all holy meanes whereby I may ouercome this hard and grieuous temptation So if it shall please God to call vs to suffer any thing for the name of Christ and his holy profession flesh and bloud we know is weake and Nature will make this obiection that life is sweete what course therefore shall we take we must doe as Abraham here doth vnto the certainty of Gods promise we must adioine his power and reason thus God hath made this promise that he will be with them that suffer any thing for his owne names sake and I knowe that hee is able to deliuer me and though he will not yet he can make me able to beare it therefore I will patiently suffer and abide whatsoeuer his holy hand shall lay vpon me Thirdly is a man so troubled with some sinne that he cannot get out nor ouercome it Then also let him set before him this fact of Abraham and vnfainedly endeuour to doe heereafter For that which is past let him labour to beleeue this promise of God At what time soeuer a sinner doth repent him of his sinne hee will put all his wickednesse out of his remembrance And for the time to come being first resolued that God can inable him to leaue his sinnes let him striue by good meanes to leaue his sinne auoiding the occasions of it and praying against it and this will be as a cable-rope to drawe him out of the pit of sinne This course wee must take and this doe in euery hard case that shall befall vs. And thus much of the meanes whereby Abraham induced himselfe to obey God The third and last reason whereby Abrahams faith is commended vnto vs is the issue and euent thereof in these words From whence he receiued him also after a sort From whence that is from death After a sort or as it may be read in some shewe This is said because Isaac in the thought and purpose of Abraham was but a dead man for Abraham was fully resolued with himselfe vpon Gods commaund to haue sacrificed him yea hee had gone so farre as to put the sacrificing knife vnto his sonnes throate and had slaine him indeede had not the Angell of God staid his hand and therefore when the Angell said Lay not thy hand vpon the childe neither doe any thing to him euen then did Abraham in some shew receiue Isaac from death Here we learne diuers points 1 That whosoeuer shall rest on Gods prouidence and good pleasure euen in cases of extremitie when he shall be out of all hope with himselfe shall at the last haue a good issue This wee see to bee true by Abrahams example in this place As wee said before he himselfe no doubt had rather haue died ten thousand times than to haue Isaac slaine in whom the promise was made but yet beleeuing Gods promise that that should neuer change hee rests himselfe on Gods good pleasure and prouidence and goes on in obedience and so in the end receiued a blessed issue This is very cleerely set downe vnto vs in the History recorded by Moses For when Abraham had gone three daies iourney in the wildernesse and had built an Altar then Isaac said vnto Abraham Gen. 22.7 Father here is the fire and the wood but where is the lambe for the burnt offering Then Abraham said My sonne God will prouide him a lambe for a burnt offering Vers. 8. And thus yeelding himselfe to Gods good pleasure and prouidence he receiued his sonne againe as a dead childe restored to life So when we are in cases of extremitie when all goes against vs and when we can see no hope of any good issue or ende and all good meanes seeme to faile vs if wee can then cast our selues on Gods prouidence and rowle our selues vpon God we shall haue comfort in the ende and a good issue out of all Wee doe all of vs in word acknowledge Gods prouidence but whē wee come to the pinch that wee fall into cases of extremitie then wee vse vnlawfull meanes and doe not with Abraham cast our selues vpon God but seeke helpe of the diuell and wicked men But all such persons must looke for a cursed issue They therefore that feare the Lord beeing put to any plunge or extremitie must cast themselues vpon God wholly and waite for his good time and pleasure and then will the issue be both ioyous and comfortable vnto their soules Here some circumstances of this fact are to bee considered out of the larger story The first is this What did God vnto Abraham at this time when he was about to kill his sonne Answ. God now gaue him a commandement to stay his hand and not to slay his sonne By vertue whereof Abraham staies his hand God before commanded him to goe three daies iourney in the wildernesse and there to sacrifice his sonne Hereupon Abraham goes but now beeing come to the place hauing bound his sonne and is ready to cut his throat God bids him stay his hand and then also Abraham obeyeth God and doeth not kill his sonne Here we see Abraham is at Gods commande and as wee say at his becke Hee doeth not follow his owne will and pleasure but when God calles he is wonderfull pliable to doe Gods commaund whatsoeuer it bee one way or other This practice of Abraham must bee a looking glasse for vs wherein to see what manner of persons wee ought to be Looke what God commaunds vs to doe that wee must doe and what hee forbids vs that wee must not doe But this is a rare thing to bee found in these daies our practice generally is contrary for in our liues wee followe our owne humors and affections neuer regarding what God doth either will or nill But if wee will be Abrahams children we must follow Abrahams practice in this place For the sonnes of Abraham will doe the workes of Abraham Iohn 8.39 Good seruants will come and goe doe and vndo at their Lords pleasure and forget themselues to obey their masters And so must it be with vs if we call God our good Lord and master Luk. 6.46 The second circumstance to bee considered is the time when Abraham receiued his sonne from death to wit at the very same time when his knife was at his sons throate and he himselfe ready to offer him vp for a sacrifice vnto the Lord at that same instant God spake vnto him by his Angell from heauen and said Abraham stay thy hand Gen. 22.10 This circumstance is worth the marking for God lets
him alone three whole daies in great perplexity and Abraham goes forward according to Gods commād euen to lay his knife to his sonnes throat Here then we see what is the Lords dealing with his seruants Hee lets them alone for a long season in temptation and pittifull distresse and at the length when it comes euen to the extremitie and when the knife is as it were at the throate then hee shewes himselfe and brings comfort vnto them The Spouse in the Canticles which is the Church of God or a true Christian soule whether you will for it is true both in the generall and particular Cant. 3.2.3 Shee seekes Christ euery where in the streetes and open places but shee findes him not then shee goes to the watch-men which are Gods ministers and there inquires after him whom her soule loued and they cannot tell her where shee might finde him so that now all hope of finding him might seeme to be past but when shee was a little from them then shee found him and Christ comes to her when shee was most in feare not to haue found him at all The people of Israel were many yeares in bondage in Egypt and when the time came that Moses was sent of God to fetch them thence and to be their guide and deliuerer when he had brought them out and carried them to the red sea then came Pharaoh with a huge armie after them to destroy them Exod. 14.25 Before they had beene in great affliction and bondage but nowe they were quite past all hope of recouery for they had before them the redde sea and on each side of them great hilles and mountaines and behinde them the huge hoast of Pharaoh and therefore they cried out vnto Moses who then by GODs commaundement did diuide the redde sea and made it drie land and deliuered them through the middest of the redde sea but as for their enemies Pharaoh and all his hoast the Lord drowned them in the middest thereof So for our selues when God shall exercise any of vs in cases of extremitie wee must looke to bee so dealt withall at Gods hand Hee will let vs alone for a time and neuer helpe vs till the last pinch and therefore we must waite for his good pleasure with patience for this he will doe to trie vs to the full and to make manifest the graces of God wrought in vs. The third circumstance to be considered is this In what manner did Abraham receiue his sonne from the dead This we may read of Gen. 22.13 Hee must take a Ramme that was caught behinde him in a bush and offer him in stead of Isaac so Isaac is saued and the Ramme is sacrificed and slaine Now whereas Abraham offered Isaac in sacrifice to God and yet Isaac liueth and the Ramme is slaine in his stead Hence some gather this vse and we may profitably consider of the same to wit that the sacrifices which wee offer vnto God now vnder the Gospel must be liuing sacrifices for Isaac he was offered in sacrifice to God yet he liued and died not but the Ramme is slaine for him So must we offer our selues in sacrifice vnto God not dead in sinne but liuing vnto God in righteousnesse and true holinesse And thus shall we offer vp our selues liuing sacrifices vnto God when as we consecrate our selues vnto Gods seruice and obey him in our liues and callings And looke as vnder the Law the burnt offerings were burnt all to smoake and ashes so must wee in our liues wholly and altogether giue our selues vnto God and renouncing our selues be nothing to the world but wholly dedicated to God Neither must wee come vnto him in our sinnes for sinne makes our sacrifice dead lame halt and blinde which God doth abhorre but wee must bring our selues liuing sacrifices vnto God as Paul saith Ro. 12.1 I beseech you brethren by the mercies of God that you giue vp your bodies a liuing sacrifice holy acceptable vnto God which is your reasonable seruing of God Hence also some gather that this sacrificing of Isaac was a signe and type of Christs sacrifice vpō the crosse For as Isaac was sacrificed and liued so did Christ though he died yet rose againe and now liueth for euer but because it hath no ground in this place though it be true which is said of both therefore I will not stand to vrge the same And thus much of this third reason whereby Abrahams faith is commended with the circumstances thereof and consequently of all the examples of holy Abrahams faith Isaacs Faith VERSE 20. By faith Isaac blessed Iacob and Esau concerning things to come IN the three former verses the holy Ghost hath particularly commended the faith of Abraham Now in this verse hee proceedes to set downe vnto vs the faith of Isaac particularly also Wherein we are to marke these foure points First a blessing wherwith Isaac blessed Iacob and Esau Secondly the cause of this blessing that is his faith Thirdly the parties blessed which are Iacob and Esau Fourthly the nature and matter of this blessing in the end of the verse Concerning things to come Of these in order First for the blessing That we may knowe the nature and quality of it wee must search out the kindes of blessings how many they be In Gods word wee finde three kindes of blessings 1. whereby God blesseth man Now God blesseth man by giuing vnto him gifts and benefits either temporall or spirituall and so he blessed all his creatures in the beginning but especially man The 2. kinde of blessing is that whereby man blesseth God and this man doth by praising God and giuing thankes vnto him who is the Author of all blessings So Paul saith Blessed be God euen the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ which hath blessed vs with all spirituall blessings in heauenly things in Christ Ephes. 1.3 beginning his Epistle with this kinde of blessing that is by praising God And so Zachary after the birth of his sonne and the receiuing of his sight hee sings vnto God this song of praise Blessed be the Lord God of Israell Luk 1.68 that is praise and thanksgiuing be vnto the Lord c. The third kinde of blessing is that whereby one man doth blesse another and vnder this kinde we must vnderstand Isaacs blessings in this place Now further this kinde of blessing whereby one man blesseth another is either priuate or publike A priuate blessing is that whereby one priuate man whatsoeuer he be in his place prayes to God for a blessing vpon another And this is common to all men for euery man may blesse another that is pray to God for a blessing vpon another but especially it belongeth to Parents thus to blesse their children by praying to GOD for a blessing vpon them And therefore the Commaundement goes thus Honour thy fa-thy father and thy mother that they may prolong thy dayes in the Land which the Lord thy God giueth thee Exod. 20.12 Now
set down vnto vs examples of faith more at large But from this verse to the end of this Chapter he heapes vp briefely together many examples of faith one vpon another The reason whereof is First because the number of true beleeuers which are mentioned in Scripture is very great and therefore he could not here stand to set them downe in order one by one Secondly by handling all the examples at large which the Author propoundeth in this short Epistle hee should haue seemed to haue restrained the name and title of faith to a very few for all that are here named and commended for their faith are but few in comparison of all that truely beleeued in the olde Testament And therefore hee heapes vp the rest together to intimate that the number of beleeuers was more than he could record And this hee doth by a Rhetoricall preterition or passing ouer called in Schooles Paralepsis whereby matters are briefly dispatched and passed ouer with the very naming only What shall I say more That is as if hee had said I haue propounded diuers worthy examples of faith and besides these there are also many more but the time of writing an Epistle will not suffer me to handle them all at large First in this particular quicke dispatch of beleeuers by our Apostle wee may obserue a difference betweene the infinite vnderstanding of God and the created vnderstanding that is in mans minde Man indeed vnderstands the things that are reuealed to him of God but yet in a manner and order farre different from that which is in God for man cannot conceiue in his minde all the things hee knowes at once by one acte of his vnderstanding but must haue distinct time to conceiue of them one by one distinctly For looke as he vtters them distinctly one by one as we see in this place so likewise doth he apprehend them in conceit and vnderstanding But with God it is not so for God at once by one acte of vnderstanding without distinction of time doth conceiue of all things at once both past present and to come and so could vtter and expresse them if any creature were able in conceit so to comprehend them Secondly whereas the holy Ghost saith The time would be too short c. Hee giues vs to vnderstand that the number of beleeuers is very great and that a long time would not serue to repeat them or to write of them This directeth vs vnto a good answer to a question which much troubleth our common people to wit How great is the number of them that shall be saued whether is it greater than the number of them that shal be damned Ans. We must consider the nūber of the elect 2. wais 1. in cōparison of them that shall be condemned secondly in themselues If we compare the elect with the reprobate the number of the elect is but a small nūber for in most ages the church of God hath beene but a handfull to the rest of the world And in the Church this likewise is true Many are called but few chosen in respect of them that are called But yet consider the elect as they are in themselues and they are a huge great number yea innumerable as Saint Iohn saith speaking of the elect among the Gentiles beside the chosen Iewes for all that doe truely beleeue shall bee saued Now beleeuers are innumerable This the Author of this Epistle would insinuate vnto vs by his phrase of speech What shall I say more c. In handling these examples wee must obserue the order here vsed by the holy Ghost for in this 32. verse hee sets down the names of the persons that beleeue all ioyntly together rehearsing them one by one And in the 33 34 45 verses he laies downe briefly the fruits of all their faith in number tenne most notable actions seruing all and euery one of them most worthily to commend their faith In the handling of them wee will follow the order obserued by the holy Ghost and first speake of the persons then of their actions The foure first are these Gedeon Barac Samson and Iephte These foure were Iudges in Israel the fift is Dauid who was both a Prophet and a King the sixt is Samuel both a Iudge and a Prophet lastly the Prophets generally by whom wee must vnderstand especially these three Elias Eliseus and Daniel In speaking of these persons here commended vnto vs first we will intreate of them generally and then in particular In generall let vs first obserue the order which the holy Ghost here vseth in naming them Gedeon for time was after Barac and yet here he is first named so Samson was after Iephte and yet here he is put before him This the holy Ghost would neuer doe without some special cause We therefore must knowe that the Scripture vseth a two-fold order in reckoning vp of persons to wit the order of time when as hee that liued first is first named and the order of dignity when the most worthy and excellent is named first though he were later in time Now the Scripture accounteth best of them that did excell in faith and in the fruits thereof so in this place whereas Gedeon is set before Barac Samson before Iephte the holy Ghost obserues not the order of time but the order of dignity according to the excellency of their faith naming them in the first place that were most famous for this grace of faith and did exceed the other in the fruits thereof Here we learne this speciall point That the more men excell in faith and other graces of God the more God will honour them for looke who most honour God shall be most honoured of him but the more a man excels in grace the more he honours God And for this cause is Gedeon preferred before Barac and Samson before Iephte because they were more plentifull in the fruits of faith This must mooue vs not onely to seeke to haue faith but to labour euery day more and more for the increase of faith and of obedience for the more a man abounds in grace before God the more will God honour him both here and in heauen And thus much for the order wherein they are propounded Secondly let vs consider what manner of persons these were Gedeon Barac and the rest They were extraordinary men in their time raised vp by God for the speciall good of his Church and the common wealth of the Iewes that they might help and defend them in distresse And therefore as their calling was extraordinary so God indued them with extraordinary gifts of wisdome strength zeale and authority for which they are here renowmed in this Catalogue of most worthy beleeuers In their example wee may obserue this point That whom God doth raise vp extraordinarily for some speciall good in his Church them he endues with extraordinarie gifts to discharge that calling and withall hee giues them the spirit of grace with a true and liuely faith
This besides the instance we haue in hand appeares plainly in Christes Apostles they were called by Christ to preach the Gospell to all the world and to plant his Church vniuersally and thereupon howsoeuer they were simple men before were furnished with extraordinary gifts of wisedome zeale knowledge and with this excellent grace of sauing faith which did sanctifie their other gifts for howsoeuer Iudas was numbred among them hauing been a Disciple yet he neuer came to the execution of the Apostleship but went astray from that ministration Acts 1.25 And in these later dayes when God restored his Gospell to light out of the darke myst of Popery hee raised vp extraordinarie men whom he endued with wisedome zeale and iudgement which gifts also he sealed vp in them by a liuely faith which they testified by their piety and godlinesse in life conuersation And this course he obserueth vsually in all those whom hee raiseth vp extraordinarily for the good of his Church This we must obserue to acquaint vs with a special difference betweene those whom God raiseth vp extraordinarily for speciall good and all arch heretiques and traytors that set vp themselues vnsent of God For many such wretches haue excelled in wisedome in worldly policy in zeale and authority whereupon they haue pretended and perswaded many that they were called of God But hereby especially they are to be discouered that they are voide of this rare gift of true sauing faith for look at their lyues and ordinarily for impiety they haue beene and are arch-diuels So that though they wanted not authority or outward zeale and wisedome yet they wanted faith which should purifie their hearts or else they would neuer haue liued in such notorious sinnes as they were discouered to doe And this is the triall which our Sauiour Christ directs vs vnto saying Ye shall knowe them by their fruites Math. 7.16 Let them therefore pretend what knowledge what zeale or authority soeuer they will if the fruits of faith appeare not in their lyues by obedience they are not called of God for the speciall good of his Church Thus much of these men in generall now wee come to entreate of them seuerally as they are propounded in the Text. THe first person here commended vnto vs is Gedeon the History of whose acts is laid down at large Iudges chap. 6. In his example note one point especially to acquaint vs with the manner which God vseth in begetting and encreasing true faith in the hearts of his children If we reade the Story we shal see that the Lord in the likenesse of an Angel called Gedeon once twice yea thrice to be a Iudge to his people But Gedeō greatly doubts of his calling therefore desires a signe of the Lord which God gaue him For the sacrifice which he offered was burned vp with fire from heauen yet still hee doubted and was in a greater feare then before euen of death it selfe but being confirmed by the Angell and set a-worke he brake down the Altar of Baall and built one to the true GOD and thereon offered sacrifice as God commaunded though with some feare And when the Midianites and Amalekites came armed against Israell hee is stirred vp by the spirit of God for their defence but yet still hee doubted of his calling and therefore againe asked a signe at Gods hands and had it and after that asked another which GOD also graunted Nowe hauing all these one in the necke of another at length hee knowes his calling and so goes in faith and defends Israell so that hee got the assurance of his calling by sundry particular signes and confirmations of his faith And though hee doubted greatly at the first yet after hee beleeues not onely that hee should bee a Iudge and Deliuerer of Gods people out of the hands of their enemies but this principally that God was his God and would giue vnto him euerlasting life Here then we haue a notable precedent of the manner of Gods working true and sound faith in the hearts of his children They receiue not this grace at once but by degrees God works it in them by little and little When a man is first called of GOD hee hath much doubting and feare but then God sends sundry helpes to weaken this feare and doubting and as they decrease so is faith encreased No man beleeues soundly at the first but weakely euen as he growes in yeares so he must grow in faith and the encrease of our faith is by continuance in the meanes and by experience of Gods loue and fauour And indeed the more faith encreaseth the more wee vse the meanes to grow therein and the more we delight in the meanes and at length after long experience of Gods mercy wee shall haue wrought in our hearts this gift of true liuely faith which shall be able to preuaile against all feare and doubting And thus much for the person of Gedeon The second person commended vnto vs is Barac of whom wee may reade Iudges 4. His Storie is large and plaine enough and therefore wee will not stand vpon it The third person is Samson of whom wee may also reade Iudges 13.14 c. Now touching Samson this question may well be asked how hee can be iustly commended for his faith seeing it may seeme hee killed himselfe Answere Samson did not kill himselfe for hee was called extraordinarily to be a Iudge ouer Israell for their defence and deliuerie out of the hands of the Philistimes Now when the Princes of the Philistimes were gathered together being his enemies and the enemies of God and his people hee cast the house downe vpon their heads to kill them therein because beeing blinde hee could not pursue them in battaile And therefore hauing them by Gods prouidence in his hands hee destroyed them as his calling was albeit hee lost his owne life in the same action Againe Samson in pulling downe the house purposed not directly and wilfully to kill himselfe but to aduenture his owne life by taking iust reuenge vpon his enemies and the enemies of God and therefore as Gods seruant he prayed first vnto God and so did no more thā the Souldier in the field ought to doe who bearing a louing minde towards his Countrey is content to aduenture his owne life for the destruction of his enemies in the defence of his Countrey and is resolued that if hee die in that defence hee dieth in his lawfull place and calling and dieth Gods seruant yea Gods Champion This did Samson and therefore may iustly be commended for his faith neither is this fact of his any disgrace but rather a notable commendation of his faith and an euidence of great zeale for Gods glory and of singular loue to his people The fourth person commended heere is Iephte of whom wee may reade Iudges 11. Iephte was the base sonne of Gilead borne of an harlot To be base borne is noted in Scripture as a matter of reproach and