and praise with all that is inheauen and earth that his is the kingdome and that he excelleth as head ouer althâ—â— both riches and honour come from him and that he reigneth ouer all hath power and strength in his hand and is able to make great and to giue strength vnto all c. 1. Chron. 29. 11. 12. Againe who is the King of glory The Lord strong and mighty euen the Lord mighty in battel Psal 24. 8. And againe The Lord raigneth c. Clouds and darknesse are rounnd about his Righteousnes and iudgement are the foundation of his throne c. Psal 97. 1. c. But why do I thus discourse of his excellency whom the heauen and the heauen of heauens are not able to contain 1 King 8. 27. It is hard to set forth the excellency of the children of God now in hand as it is worthy how impossible then is it to set forth the excellency of God himselfe For is he not so excellent that those creatures which next to himselfe are by creation most excellent I meane the Angels for their excellency called princip lâ—â—es powers and mights c cannot behold his excellency without hiding their faces with their wings from the sight thereof Isa 6. 2. Is he not so excellent that Moses one of the most excellent seruants of God that euer were amongst men hearing his title of mercy The God of Abraham Isaak and Iaakob hid his face being afraid to looke vpon him Exod. 3. 6. Is hee not so excellent that when hee gaue his Law there were thunders and lightnings and a thicke cloud vpon the mount and the sound of a trumpet exceeding loud so that all the people that was in the camp was afraid and that all mount Sinai was on a smoake because the Lord came downe vpon it in fire and the smoake thereof ascended as the smoake of a furnace and all the mount it selfe trembled exceedingly Exod. 19. 16. 18. Is he not so excellent that when hee had so giuen the law and when the people sawe the thunders and the lightning and the sound of the trumpet and the mountaine smoaking they fled and stood a farre off and said vnto Moses Talke thou with God and we will heare but let not God talke with vs lest we die Exod. 20. 18. 19. Is he not so excellent that when he passed by before that great Prophet Eliiah a mighty strong wind rent the mountaines and that after the wind came an earthquake and after the earthquake came fire and after the fire came a still and soft voice which notwithstanding when Eliia heard he couered his face with his mantell 1 Kings 19. 11. 12. 13. If any desire to behold more of the excellency of this God besides the booke of his excellent creatures and besides those things before alleadged out of the booke of his word let him further looke in the said booke of his word vpon the places following Deut. 7. 9. 10. and 32. 4. 2. Chron. 20. 6. c. Nâ—hem 9. 17. and 32. Iob 9. 3. c. and vers 14. and chap. 12. from 13. to the end Psal 47. 3. c. 84. 8. to 16. Isai 40. 9. to 18. and verses 22. 23. 24. Isai 42. 5. and 48. 12. Ierem. 10. 10. c. and 51. 15. c. and 31. 35. c. and 32. 17. c. Dan. 6. 27. Amos 4 13. and 5. 8. c. Reuel 4. 3. c. and vpon many other the like places Let him also consider his most wise powerfull righteous gratious and euery way most admirable administration and gouernment of all things in heauen in earth in the waters and vnder earth and water For as God made all things at the first most excellently so he still gouerneth all things according to his first creation of them If God himselfe be thus excellent how can his children be but excellent For all the children of God are in some measure made like vnto him euen in power wisedome holinesse and righteousnesse as afterward we shall heare And they are not his children by adoption and regeneration that do not in the former things somewhat resemble him Many men indeed haue children nothing like them either in fauour or in conditions But certainly there are none of the children of God but are in part like vnto himselfe yea this is a most certaine note of a child of God to haue the Character and similitude and image of God vpon him and in him As Adam who was the sonne of God by creation Luk. 2. 38. was at the first male and female made and formed in the image and similitude of God so likewise are all these children of God by regeneration of whom now I speake How great therefore is this their dignity The dignity of the sonnes of men is measured according to the dignity of their fathers as also according to their resemblance of them Therefore the dignity of Kings being the greatest dignity of the sonnes of men their children are accounted most honorable and most noble yea to be but sonne in law to a king by mariage onely of a kings daughter is accounted is indeed a very great aduancement especially for a poore and meane man When Saul the first king of Israel and a wicked King giuen in the Lords anger offered his daughter Merab vnto Dauid what answered Dauid Who am I or what is my life or the family of my father in Israel that I should be sonne in law to the King When againe Sauls seruants set a worke by Saul himselfe spake with Dauid secretly to perswade him to take Michael an other of Sauls daughters Merab being giuen to Adriel and said Behold the King hath a fauour vnto thee and all his seruants loue thee Be now therefore the Kings sonne in lawe He answered againe to the same effect that before he had done Seemeth it to you alight thing to be a Kings sonne in lawe seeing I am a poore man and of small reputation 1. Sam. 18 18. 22. 23. So Dauid that could tell how to iudge of things as being then a Prophet and hauing before that written the 9. Psalme vpon the ouerthrow of Goliah accounted it a very great dignity yea too great for him being a meane person to be but sonne in law to a King to the first king of Israel and therefore the least for as naturall things are least at their first birth or springing vp so the dignities of men of Kings and other are least at the first and in time doe increase and grow to a greater state and stature yea also to a wicked King For Saul before that had shewed his wickednesse both in offering sacrifice before Samuels comming contrary to his direction 1. Sam. 13. and also in sparing of Agag and the best of the Amalekites sheepe and Oxen. 1. Sam. 15. Who then can sufficiently expresse the dignity of them that are the children of the most high God King of kings c. by mariage
first combination of man and wife there is exceeding benefit of the one by the other where both parties ioined together are the children of the Lord. For there the husband loueth the wife euen as Christ loueth his Church accounting her as flesh of his flesh and bone of his bone cleauing only vnto her protecting her from all wrong instructing her where she is ignorant touching her saluation increasing the knowledge which shee hath bearing with her in her weaknesse prouoking her to all good duties belonging to her sex and calling So the wife reuerencing the husband is in all things in the Lord subiect vnto him and ordered by him gouerning the things wisely that are committed to her charge for the good of her family not onely bringing foorth children as the Lord blesseth the mariage bed vnto them but much also helping her husband in the Christian education of them in the feare of the Lord. So Bethsheba helped Dauid in the instructing of Salomon Pro. 31. 1. Dauid himselfe being imploied in the publike affaires of the kingdome So Lois the grandmother and Eunice the mother of Timotheus were great helpes or rather more then helpes doing all themselues alone for the instructing of Timothie in the Scripture from his childhood Furthermore the Christian wife is an helpe to her husband by ouerseeing the waies of her seruants and seeing them to doe their worke early and late Both such parties also are comfortable one to another in prosperitie reioicing together in aduersity mourning together and so bearing one anothers burdens that betwixt both it is the lighter This mutuall helpe and benefit that the man and wife being both the children of God haue one by another is more apparent by the great hindrance that the one hath by the other either where they are both wicked or where they are vnequally yoked tâ—e one striuing vpward towards heauen the other drawing downewards euen to hell Yet where there is such an vnequall match sometime the beleeuing wife saueth the vnbeleeuing husband sometime the vnbeleeuing wife is saued by the beleeuing husband the one conuerting the other 1. Cor. 7. 14. Touching the children of such parents oh in how happie state condition be they in respect of the children of other For first of all they are within the Couenant of God made with their parents for this life and for the life to come whereby God doth bind himselfe to be their God and the God of their seed Gen. 17. 78. and to blesse them that blesse them and to curse them that curse them Gen. 12. 3. Yea though but one of the parents be the childe of God and the other none of Gods children yet the children of two such so vnequally yoked are within the Couenant by vertue of that party which is the childe of God 1. Cor 7. 14 Is not this a singular benefit to be within the Couenant of God It was a great honour to Abraham that Abimelech king of Gerar came to him and made a Couenant with him Gen. 21. 27. How great then is this honour that the Lord of heauen and earth the king of kings vouchsafeth to looke downe from heauen yea as it were to come down from heauen and to make a Couenant with man yea with poore miserable man that would neuer so much as once haue looked toward heauen but onely to make warre with heauen and with God that dwelleth in heauen euen with euery man I say and woman that feareth him yea not only with them but also with their posteritie Verily this Couenant is the more because by vertue thereof it is said The children of thy seruants shall continue and then seed shall stand fast in thy sight Psal 101. 28. And againe Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord and delighteth greatly in his Commandemenâ—s his â—â—ed shall be mighty vpon earth the generation of the righteous shall bee blessed Psal 112. 1. 2. If children receiue not benefit by this Couenant it is because they themselues doe breake Couenant with God and doe not honour the God of their Fathers and serue him with a perfect hart and willing mind as Dauid exhorteth Salomoâ— 1. Cron. 28. 9. and in this respect the children of God may be said to fall away from God and to goe backe albeit they themselues neuer had any grace of God neither euer walked with God because by their wickednesse they doe in a manner disclaime and renounce the couenant of God made with their fathers So Manasses at the beginning of his raigne and long before he had repented or entred into the way of walking with God euen when he did euill in the sight of the Lord like the abomination of the heathen c. is said to haue gone backâ— 2. Chro. 33. 2. 3. viz. because he had transgressed the couenant which God had made with his father Ezekiah and walked not in the waies of his said father Notwithstanding although some of the next children of the children of God or the whole next posterity of such do fall away and so renounce the couenant of God yet this doth not altogether abrogate and disanull the said couenant of God made with the good parents of the said children because the efficacy thereof doth not appeare in their next generation For the couenant of God is made to thousands of them that loue him and keepe his commandements Though some boughs of a good tree be broken off and so wither and come to nothing yet the stock and root remaining there may other spring out as good as any at the first so is it with the children of God with whom God hath made his couenant One or two yea many whole generations may be cut off or fall away yet the couenant of God remaineth with the stock or root and first parents This Paul doth excellently handle by this very similitude touching the Iewes Rom. 11. 16. This is further manifested if we consider that after the daies of Salomon there was often succession of euill kings to good kings and yet the couenant made with Dauid remained firme and inuiolated Yea after the daies of Iehoshaphat the kingdome of Iudah continued by succession for many yeers together in the hands of wicked kings none other of the house of Iehoshaphat being mentioned to haue feared God For first succeeded Iehâ—ram 2. Kings 8. 16. and 2. Chro. 21. 1. then Ahaâ—â—ah 2. Kings 8. 24. 2. Chro. 22. 1. then Hathaliah 2. Kings 11. 3. 2. Chro. 22. 10. or rather because she was but an vsurper Ioash 2. Kings 12. 2. 2. Chro 23. 4. Fourthly Amatziah 2. Kings 14. 2. 2. Chro. 25 1. Fiftly Vzziah or rather Azariah 2. Kings 15. 1. 2. Chr. 26. 1. Sixtly Iotham 2. Kings 15. 33. 2. Chr. 27 1. â—â—uenthly Ahaz 2. Kings 16. 1. 2. Chro. 27. and then Hezekiah 2. Kings 18. 1. 2. Chro. 29. 1. So between Iehoshaphat and Ezekiah two good kings of Iudah there were seuen wicked kings all succeeding one another besides
vouchsafe the reading of those more largely handled and of many other contained in the treatise it selfe Pleaseth it your Honors and worships further to see the former point in the glasse of a few examples Behold then I beseech you Moses Ioshua Othniel Ehud Deborah Gideon I phtah Sampson and all the other good Iudges of Israel before the kingdome of Israel established For were they so honourable by being kings fellowes and hauing kingly authority as they were by doing those things which testified their adoption Behold Dauid and Salomon two mighty kings of al Israel with Asa Iehoshaphat Hezekiah and Iosiah all good Kings of Iuda For were these so honorable by being great and mighty princes as they were by being the children of God Behold Ester Mordecai Shadrach Meshach Abednego and Daniel For were they so honorable the one by being a Queene and the wife of a most mighty monarch that had 127. prouinces vnder him the other by beeing in great grace fauor with the like mighty monarchs as they were by shewing themselues the children of God Yea behold Cyrus Artashasht Darius and Ahasbuerosh all heathen Emperors For were they so honorable by being such Emperors though some of them had 127. pro. uinces vnder their gouernment as they were by doing some things for the Church and people of God whereby they did only resemble Gods children and were not so indeed May not the like be said of Iehu King of Israel For was he so honorable by being King of Israel extraordinarily annointed so to bee by the appointment of God as he was by his zeale though only temporary against Baal and his Priests and seruants Behold further Ioseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus For were they so honorable in that the one was a rich man and an honerable Mat. 27. 17. Mark 15. 45. Ioh. 3. 1. 10. counsellor and the other a great Pharisee a ruler of the Iewes and a teacher in Israel as they were in that the one went to Pilat and begged the body of Iesus and the other ioined with him in the honorable buriall thereof Behold the Eunuch of Ethtopia For was he so honorable Actâ— 8. 27. by being the Queen of the Ethiopians chiefe gouernor and her Lord treasurer as hee was by comming out of his owne country a long a chargeable and a dangerous iourny to worship the Lord at Ierusalem by reading the scriptures as hee rode in his chariot whereas such great men for the most part spend such times in vaine sports or in some idle discourses and by his meeke acknowlegement of his ignorance of the Scripture which he did read by his courteous speech to Philip a poore trauelling footman neuer before nor after seen of him and by his like kind taking him vp into his chariot to himselfe to be further instructed by him and by his humble submitting himselfe to bee examined of his faith and to be baptized of him The like may bee said of many Christian Emperors Constantine and other of our late most noble King Edward the sixt and of our more late Queen Elizabeth of most happy and blessed memory To produce the examples of any Princes or nobles liuing would not perhaps bee so well approued as suspected of flatterie or some other sinister meaning What now right Honorable and right Worshipfull shall I say more As Noah said God perswade Iaphet that he may dwell in the tents of Shem so say I If any of Gâ—â—es 9. 27. you to whom I doe in all humilitie present and dedicate these my labours haue not yet receiued the spirit of adoption God perswade such to dwell in the tents of his such children as whose dignitie I doe in this treatise lay foorth as likewise to thinke it a woe vnto them to vemaine in Meshech and to dwell in the tents of Kedar Psal 120 5. The same God also of power maiestie and glory who hath the hearts of all Kings and Nobles and of all other great persons in his hand as the riuers of waters to turne the same whither it pleaseth him euen this God that Father of our Lord Iesus Christ so incline all your hearts Prov. â—1 1. both to consider of the reasons whereby the dignitie of his children is here declared and also to apply the vses of the doctrine thereof to your selues according to your seuerall states and places in this world that as some of you doe sometimes here in earth sit in Parliament with our most gratious Soueraigne King IAMES so yee may all at the last sit with Christ Iesus in heauen euen in his throne as himselfe sitteth Rev. 3. 21. in the throne of his Father and that for euer and euer Much Totham in Essex Aprill 16. 16 10. Your Honors and Worships Most humble in the Lord to be commanded THOMAS STOVGHTON To the inhabitants of those places where at any time especially last of all I haue had a setled MINISTERIE AS in this treatise I speake generally to euery Christian reader so now my deere brethren in the Lord that haue sometimes heard me preach these things which now I haue printed let me more particularly intreate you to vouchsafe the buying and reading of them because in the printing of them I haue had a speciall respect vnto your good I am not able to beslow vpon euery one of you one of these bookes of as small price as they be The most of you do know how truely I amy say with Naomi I was full but the Lord hath made mee emptie and the Almightie hath brought me vnto aduersitie Ruth 1. 21. euen in my latter age requiring most comfort I suppose also that my willing minde for a greater kindnesse is not doubted of by you if my ability were according If I were as I haue beene yet were it easier for the least of many of you to buy one then for me to giue many I shall not neede to tell you for further perswasion in this behalfe that the fruit of well and aduised reading this Treatise will abundantly recompence your cost Ye haue not so learned Christ in whom all of vs haue our adoption as so lightly to esteeme a treatise setting forth the excellencie of the said adoption neither I am sure haue yee forgotten that Esau is pronounced a prophane person for making more account of one portion of meate euen in his extremity of hunger then of his birthright Heb. 12. 17. a pledge and a kinde of Sacrament of this adoption For me also first to gather all these things together then to write afterwards to correct them and last of all to write them againe for the presse is much more then for to lay out a little money and to spend a few howers in reading of them In your loue therefore towards me accept them as a testimony of my vnseined loue towards you and of my like desire of your welfare in the Lord. Such of you as are best able I desire to buy and to
is in them Ierem. 8. 9. So when Saul had made more haste then good speed in offering sacrifice before Samuels comming and that contrary to Samuels direction in that behalfe Samuel feared not to tell him that he had done foolishly because hee had not kept the commandement of God and that the Lord would haue stablished his kingdome for euer but that now his kingdome should not continue c. 1. Sam. 13. 13. 14. Because also Asa though otherwise a worthy king had made a couenant with Benbadad king of Syria to aide him against Baasha King of Israel Hanani the Seer did rebuke him in the very same termes telling him that hee had done foolishly c. as Samuel had reproued Saul 2. Chro. 16. 9. If therefore they were iustly charged to haue done foolishly because they had done that which they did against the commandement of God then by the same reason all naturall men be no better then fooles for asmuch as they doe all neglect and contemne the commandements of God The same is further manifest because Moses exhorteth the Israelites to the keeping of Gods commandements by this argument that they should be their wisedome and their vnderstanding in the sight of the people which hearing all those ordinances should say Onely this people is wise and of vnderstanding Deut. 4. 6. Moreouer Christ Iesus is called the wisedome of his father Luk. 11. 49. he is said to haue all the treasures of wisedome and of knowledge hid in him Coloss 2. 3. Vpon him the spirit of wisedome and vnderstanding the spirit of counsell and strength the spirit of knowledge and of the feare of the Lord doth rest Isai 11. 2. Where the vniting the spirit of wisedome vnderstanding Note counsell and knowledge with the spirit of feare doth teach that where there is not the spirit of feare but the spirit of boldnesse security presumption and other impiety there is not the spirit of wisedome of vnderstanding of counsell or of any true knowledge according to that before said in that behalfe He hath the seuen spirits of God in his hand Reuel â— 2. that is all the gifts of the spirit of God which though he be but one in his essence 1. Cor. 12. 11. Eph. 4. 4. yet is called seuen in respect of the diuersity of his gifts and more specially because of the seuen Churches to which he writeth those seuen Epistles and yet all that variety of gifts is called by the name of spirits because one and the selfe same spirit worketh them all or distributeth them all as the former place to the Corinthians witnesseth As therefore none could haue any corne in Egypt but by the hands of Ioseph so Christ Iesus is the high Lord Treasurer of heauen for the dispensing of all the gifts of the spirit in respect where of none can haue any but such only as come to his gates and giue attendance at the posts of his dores Pro. 8. 33. To comprehend all the arguments hitherto vsed in one thus I argue against all naturall and wicked men They that haue not the vnderstanding of Gods will reuealed in his written word They that feare not the Lord in keeping his commandements They that are without Christ Iesus are vtterly voide of true wisedome and therefore be starke fooles All naturall and wicked men are without vnderstanding of Gods will reuealed in his written word They feare not God in keeping his commandements and they are without Christ Therfore they are vtterly void of true wisedom and be stark fooles If any shall reply and ask how it can be that all before mentioned naturall and wicked men may be said to be without knowledge or vnderstanding I answer as before with addition notwithstanding of Iohns words He that saith I know him and keepeth not his commandements is a lyar and the truth is not in him 1. Ioh. 2. 4. For indeed how can any man say that hee knoweth God to be most iust almighty and able to be reuenged of euery sinne against him and yet dareth to breake his commandements And how can any man say that he knoweth God to be most wise most gratious most kind most mercifull and long suffering and yet doth not loue him Or how can he say he loueth him and keepeth not his commandements Ioh. 14. 15. It is therefore most certaine that no man doth truly know God that doth not loue and obey him But let vs shew the former point all naturall men to be vnwise and foolish by some other reasons Thus therefore I proceed True wisedome maketh them that haue it the better All naturall and wicked men are no whit the better for all the learning and other knowledge they haue They lose all that they do according to such learning and knowledge They get nothing thereby but onely heape vp the more iudgement and condemnation to themselues Luk. 12. 47. Therefore consequently they are vnwise and fooles Doe we not so account of men in the world viz. that they are very simple men and of no vnderstanding yea starke fooles that shall altogether busie themselues and spend their time their strength and their wits and their mony about matters of no profit or that shall toile and moile early and late for trifles and neglect matters of moment great worth The best we say of such is that they are penny wise and pound foolish Why then may we not so iudge and speak of naturall men of all continuing in their natural condition which as was said before by Isaiah lay out siluer and not for bread and labor and be not satisfied Isai 55. 2. and which follow altogether vaine things as Samuel speaketh which shall not profit them 1. Sa. 12. 21. For certainly when they haue done al that they can yet it may be said to them as Paul speaketh to the Romanes What fruit haue you in those things Rom. 621. Yea though they should get neuer so much honour and wealth in the world yea though they should winne the whole world yet what profit shall they haue if they lose their owne soules Mark 8 36. May not God say vnto such for all their reputation for wisedome c. as he said to the rich man that hauing great increase of corne took care only for building his barnes greater and liuing after in pleasures and neuer thought of any thankfulnesse to God or of doing any good with his abundance vnto men O foole c. Luk. 12. 20. Moreouer as the word before translated vnwise Eph. 5. 17. Tit. 3. 3. and foolish Galat. 3. 1. signifieth mad men so in truth naturall men are no better then those whom for distraction or losse of their naturall wits we account mad men yea many distracted in their wits or bereaued of their vnderstanding either by abundance of melancholy or by feares or by some accident or by age c. are in a far better state for the life to come then meere naturall men so long as they doe
might by their good works which they should see glorifie God in the day of their visitation 1. Pet 2. 11. 12. Iames biddeth not only to purge our hearts but also to clense our hands Iames 4. 8. The Apostle to the Hebrewes teacheth that none can draw neere to God in full assurance of faith but only such as whose bodies are as well washed with pure water as their hearts are purged from an euill conscience Heb. 10. 22. that is such as are sanctified as well in their outward behauiour as touching their vnderstanding iudgement thoughts memory and affections This well agreeth with all before said of our faith of our life of our knowledge and wisedome The faith which is without workes is dead Iames 2. 17. and 20. and againe betwixt both viz. vers 18. Shew me thy faith by thy workes With the heart man beleeueth vnto righteousnesse and with the mouth man confesseth to saluation Rom. 10. 10. by confession of the mouth he meaneth the acknowledgement and profession of Christ in all our outward behauiour To the same purpose the Apostle also applieth that of the Psalmist I beleeued therfore I spake and saith We also beleeued and therefore speake Psal 116. 10. 2. Corinth 4. 13. The life of God before handled hath been shewed not onely to be inward but also to shew it selfe outwardly The knowledge also and wisedome of God renewed in the regeneration of the children of God hath been declared to consist in the feare of God and keeping of Gods commandements which concerne as well the good cariage of all the parts and members of our bodie as the disposition of our mindes and hearts This holinesse therefore and righteousnesse must be shewed by the gouernment of euery member of the eie of the eare of the mouth of the hands of the feet and of the whole body according to the rules prescribed in the word for direction of euery such member I forbeare the particular confirmation of these things by shewing the particular scriptures for direction of euery particular member because the labor were too great for me the writer and for any reader For indeed it would require a whole volume by it selfe Yea and Otho Casmannus in the beginning of this treatise mentioned hath learnedly and religiously performed this For his book intituled Hominis Spiritualis anatomia c. The anatomie of a spirituall man is altogether of this argument Whereunto the learned desirous to see the former point more particularly and largely handled may repaire That this holinesse and righteousnesse whereof now wee speake both inward and outward is not alike in all that are regenerated yea that are of the same age in regeneration I shall not need here to speake sith that which hath been said before in that behalfe of the life of God doth also belong to this holinesse and righteousnesse which are but effects or fruits of our said life Now let vs further vnderstand that as all other vertues are comprehended vnder the former life liberty wisedome holinesse and righteousnesse so specially that sobriety that is so commended in the scripture is a principall branch as of all the former generally so particularly of that wisedome The rather because the word translated soberly Tit. 2. 12. signifieth wisely and the like word translated Be sober 1. Pet. 4. 7. signifieth to be wise as also the word translated modesty or sobriety Note 1. Tim. 2. 9. and 15. signifieth wisedome and the same word translated sobernesse or sobriety is opposed to the word that signifieth being mad Acts 26. 25. and 2. Cor. 5. 13. By all these places wherein the holy ghost speaking of sobriety vseth a word that signifieth also wisedome we are taught that sobriety is a speciall point of true wisedome This sobriety notwithstanding that now we speake of is not only the moderation of our selues for drinke which is apposed to that foule sinne of drunkennesse in these daies too too common neither that only which is in apparrell contrary to the disguised attiring of men and women whereby the people of one country conforme themselues to other countries directly against Gods word Zeph. 1. 8. yea like monsters to other creatures at least one sex to another the women especially wearing mens apparell and men suffering their haire to grow like to women both directly also against the word that Deut. 22. 5. and this as contrary to nature it selfe 1. Cor. 11. 14. and whereby likewise the professors of sincerity conforme themselues to the world and to the vanity vsed by the world which is to be vnderstood as well forbidden by the Apostle in apparell as in other things Rom. 12. 2. Neither also is this sobriety now spoken of only that which is repugnant to other lightnesse either in countenance or in gesture condemned with the former of apparell Isai 3. 16. and by it selfe alone generally in all persons by opposition thereunto of the contrary sober and wise gestured Pro. 17 24. and more specially in women as a tricke of harlots Pro. 7. 13. This sobriety I say doth not consist only in these things but it consisteth in moderation of our selues and of all our affections in any slate of life in prosperity and in aduersity that in the one we be not drunken with delights and pleasures with wealth and riches with honors and preferments of this world and that in the other we be neither surfetted with cares and feares nor ouercome with sorrowes and griefes whereby as drunken men wee should be vnfit for other dueties belonging vnto vs. He that is sober in this manner is a wise man indeed And this sobriety is the spring of all other holinesse and righteousnesse or that which comprehendeth them both All the other kinds of sobriety before rehearsed are no other but such as may be and oft times are euen in meere naturall men Many naturall men are as abstemious from wine and all strong drinke and as far from all drunkennesse that way I meane in their outward behauiour as any other men Many are as sober in their apparell and as graue and modest in their countenance gesture speech and all other behauiour as any other so that these kinds of sobriety are not proper and peculiar only to the children of God but common also to other But this sobriety that consisteth in moderation of our selues and of our affections in euery state of life in prosperity and in aduersity especially in such sort as the Scripture commendeth the same is only in them that are new borne of the spirit of God and by incorporation into Iesus Christ are made the sonnes and daughters of God They that are not new borne in their prosperity pride is vnto them as a chaine and cruelty couereth them as agarment Psal 73. 6. The wicked is so proud c. that be thinketh there is no God His waies prosper c. therefore he desieth all his enemies He saith in his heart he shall neuer be moued c. His
sinne as likewise their actuall testimonies and very deeds of kindnesse shewed by them for the better incouragement of other to such euill as themselues doe approoue Of such loue Salomon saith that it is but as the cracking or ratling of thornes vnder a pot though vehement hot and feruent for a time yet by and by euen vpon nothing or at least vpon trifling reasons though sometime also vpon good ground quailed cooled and brought to nothing sometime also turned into extreme hatred Hereof there are many examples At Iakobs first comming to Padan Aram to his vnkle Laban how kindly and louingly was he entertained by Laban what great signes did he shew and what great profession did he make of loue As soone as he heard he was come he tarried not till he came to his house but he ran out to meet him What more he embraced him What more he kissed him What more he brought him to his house What more he said vnto him Thou art my bone and my flesh What more he abode with him the space of a moneth What more He said further vnto him Though thou be my brother shouldst thou serue me for nothing Tell me what shall be thy wages What more At his first asking he gaue him his daughter yea but not the right but Leah for Rahel Yea but presently he gaue him Rahel also Gen. 29. 13 c. Here were great matters who would not haue thought there had been great loue and such as much water would not haue quenched Notwithstanding how his heart was afterward changed how his countenance was estranged and how many waies he delt hardly with him and worse would haue dealt if God had not appeared vnto him and commanded him to doe nothing but good to Iakob we know Saul at the first is said to haue loued Dauid exceedingly 1. Sam. 16. 22. yet afterward when Dauid had much more deserued his loue he hated him as extreamly yea his own sonne Ionathan also for his sake 1. Sam. 20. 30. Yea he so hated all the Lords priests for his sake that for the supposed fault of one he commanded them all to be slaine 1. Sam. 22. 18. yea though he did afterward with teares relent vnto Dauid acknowledging him more righteous then himselfe 1. Sam. 24. 17. and so making a great shew of renuing his first loue yet presently againe he persecuted him as eagerly as before The like may be said of the loue of the said Saul towards his owne Sonne Ionathan to whom he was bound by nature but of this before Iehoram King of Israel one while could call Elisha the Prophet by the name of his father 2. Kings 6. 21. against whom notwithstanding such immediatly almost was his indignation and fury that he said God doe so and more also to me If the head of Elisha the sonne of Shephat shall stand on him this day vers 31. To day Herod could so reuerence Iohn Baptist that he heard him gladly and did many things c. yet the next day he beheaded him vpon the request of an whorish and wanton damsell Mark 6. 20. c Demas one while was the familiar friend of Paul Colos 4. 14. Philem. 24. but not long after he forsooke him and made more account of this present world that is both of the things and also of men of this world 2. Tim. 4. 10. What also may be said of the great fauour of Ahashuerosh towards Haman to whom he did not only command that all his seruants should bow their knees Ester 3. 2. but who also was all in all with him so that he obtained of him letters written in his own name and sealed with his own seale for the destroying of all the Iewes in one day Notwithstanding this great grace did not only die suddenly and with speaking of one word but it was turned also into such vnreconciliable indignation that Haman was hanged in a moment vpon the same gallowes which he had prepared for Mordecas Ester 7. 9. 10. So may all Hamans euen such enemies of the Lord and of the Lords people be disgraced and perish in the end that do not as Paul did before his calling belong vnto the Lord. The like we see by daily experience For be the loue of the wicked either towards the children of God or towards them of their own crue and sort neuer so great neuer so hot neuer so burning yet euery trifle putteth all cleane out and for euery toy they are ready to fall out with their ancientest and the best friends they haue and oft times they become as bitter enemies as euer before they were feruent friends Sometimes they fall out in play somtimes vpon the false reports of tale-bearers somtimes for a matter of profit though perhaps not of a penny value somtimes for an vnkind word somtimes vpon meer suspition somtimes vpon mistaking either of some speeches or some actions and somtimes vpon other occasions But why is the loue of the wicked so variable so mutable and so easily alienated from them towards whom it is Euen because it is not wel rooted grounded neither are they wel rooted grounded in it Ephes 3. 18. They loue for profit or for pleasure or for some other carnall respect Their loue is of the flesh not of the spirit The knot thereof is not made by theeternall spirit of God therfore it is easily dissolued As a stake stuck into the earth not rooted is easily plucked vp As an house without groundâ—ill and good vnderpinning especially standing bleakly subiect to the winds hauing no defence of trees of other buildings or of hills is quickly ouerthrown so is the loue of the wicked straight quailed and with euery little blast quite blown ouer This especially may be said of the loue of the wicked towards the children of God For although such loue on Gods part be not without his speciall prouidence yea and oft times wrought by his speciall power of his speciall goodnesse yet on the wickeds part it is for the most part not grounded vpon the godlinesse or goodnesse of such as they loue but vpon some speciall respect vnto themselues So Potiphar loued Ioseph because he was a good steward for him and the Lord blessed him in that which he took in hand yea all things that Potiphar had for his sake So Pharaoh did afterward loue grace the same Ioseph because he had well interpreted his dreames and had giuen good counsell against the time of dearth signified by one part of the said dreames So Saul loued Dauid for his skill vpon the harpe the same may be said of other Thus then we see what the loue of the wicked and of meer naturall men is and thereby how vile and base their state and condition is For what a dogged nature is it to loue no longer then they see benefit towards them and so to loue one while that presently they hate and oft times do hate more then they did loue as Ammons
vsed as the end of our predestination onely but also of the end whereunto wee were predestinated namely that we might be adopted or made the children of God Afterward also in the same Chapter the Apostle repeateth the same end of our election viz. that wee Which first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of his glory Not much vnlike also is that place before alledged touching the end of our deliuerance from our enemies namely that we might serue him c. Luk. 1. 74. For that of our deliuery from our enemies doth import our adoption because all not adopted are still in the hands of their enemies and all that are deliuered from their enemies are the children of God When the Lord also saith If I be a father where is mine honor Malac. 1. 6. doth he not insinuate that this was the end why he had made them his children namely that they should honor him But of all other places that of Iames is most pregnant in this behalfe Of his owne will begat he vs with the word of truth that we should be vnto him as the first fruits of the creatures Iames 1. 18. In this place the Apostle speaketh directly of our begetting againe noting God himselfe to be the author thereof his owne will to be the mouing cause of him there unto the word of truth to be the meaâ—s all which haue been obserued before and that wee might be the first fruits of his creatures to be the end What is it to be the first fruits of his creatures Euen to be set apart in speciall manner for his seruice and glory as in the time of the law the first fruits were separated from all other and set apart from all common vses whereto other fruits might be applied and dedicated only to the speciall seruice of Gods worship Exod. 34. 25. Deut. 12 17 What can be greater then to honor or glorifie God In that our Sauiour teacheth vs in the first place and before all vea before the forgiuenesse of our sinnes to pray Hallowed be thy name or Glorified be thy name doth he not thereby plainly teach vs that the hallowing or glorifying of the name of God is more then all other things Doth not the Apostle teach that this ought to be the end of all the fruits of righteousnesse which are by Iesus Christ viz. the glory and praise of God Phil. 1. 11. Doth not our Sauiour himselfe complaine of the great trouble of his soule and pray thus vnto his father Now is my soule troubled and what shall I say Father saue me from this houre but therefore came I to this houre Father glorifie thy name Ioh. 12. 27. 28. We see in this praâ—er Christ to be in such an agony that as he was man he could scarce tell what he said yea that hauing praied the father to saue him from that houre he correcteth himselfe not as acknowledging his former petition to haue beene euill but onely to make that better that was good before that I say he so correcteth himselfe by remembring that houre from which hee praied to be deliuered to be the end of his comming And by the last clause notwithstanding of the said praier Father glorifie thy name we see further that hee preserreth the glorifying of his fathers name to the deliuerance from that houre against which before he praied Doth he not thereby teach that hee regarded not himselfe but was well content still to indure that agonie so that thereby he might glorify the name of his father If Christ therefore did so highly esteeme of the glory of God is it a small matter that we are made the children of God for the glory of God Doth not the Apostle further command that whether we eate or drinke or what soeuer doe wee should doe all to the glory of God 1. Cor. 10. 31. If then this ought to be the end of all things we doe must it not be acknowledged to be more excellent then all things that we doe For who will or can deny the end of things to be more excellent then the things referred to the end Againe what can be more honourable and glorious then to serue him that is most honourable and glorious The greater that men are the more honourable it is to serue them therefore to serue a king is more honourable then to serue any other How honourable a thing then is it to serue the king of kings Yea buâ— will some man say The Lord hath made all things for his owne sake Pro. 16. 4. that is for his owne seruice and glorie Nebuchadnezer also a reprobate and a most wicked man is called for all that the seruant of the Lord euen in and for the destruction of Ierusalem Ier. 27. 6. and 43. 10. yea the diuels in some sort doe the workes of God in executing the commission which God giueth them 1. Kings 22. 22. at least in performing the decree of God Acts. 2. 23. If these things bee so as indeed they are what singular thing or what preferment or prerogatiue is it for the children of God to bee borne or made the children of God for the glory of God and to serue God For do not all things yea do not the most wicked men yea do not the diuels themselues the same I answer that this that I speake of the end of the adoption of the children of God for Gods glory and seruice is to be vnderstood of their seruing and glorifying God in a more speciall and excellent manner then other do euen so much more as they are neerer to God and more dignified and aduanced by God then other are How is this Not by force as it were and only constrained by the ouerruling hand and power of God but willingly and cheerfully with a minde to serue and glorifie God in that which they do and being guided and directed thereunto by the same gratious spirit of God whereby they are made the children of God In the greater place that any is emploied about an earthly king or for an earthly king the greater honor is such emploiment for him that is so emploied So likewise the neerer the seruice of any is to the kings own person the more honorable is the same seruice God hath no greater emploiments neither any neerer to his owne person here vpon the earth then those things are wherein he emploieth his children Then such emploiment therfore cannot but be very honorable vnto them Though all things be made to the glory of God in a generall respect and so accordingly do serue his prouidence yet the elect and children of God in a speciall manner and meaning are called vessels of honor as contrarily the reprobate are called vessels of dishonor 2. Tim. 2. 20. Though therefore thereprobate themselues do also serue God in manner aforesaid vet their seruice it is but base in respect of the seruice of his children because such seruice is altogether seruise In the time of the law all
not this then a great dignity For this is one of the specialest promises that God hath made vnto his people namely that he will set his tabernacle among them and that his soule shall not loath them that also he will walke among them c. Leuit. 26. 11. 12. So then they with whom God hath such communion as to set his tabernacle among them and dwell with them may assure themselues that God will neuer loath them nor leaue them Yea we doe thereby further see that he promiseth not only his presence but also his gratious presence by his power to vphold them by his grace to direct them and by his goodnesse to giue them euery good thing For hee is greater then all Ioh. 10. 29. both in power and wisedome Who therefore can destroy or hurt them whom he will preserue In a strange country and in places of danger oh how great a comfort is it to haue some companie In such a place the truth of that is most apparant that Two are better then one because if they fall the one will lift vp his fellow Eccles 4. 9. 10. But alas what is all the company of man in respect of the society of God They that haue God so with them may truly say If God be with vs who can be or what skilleth it who be against vs God is light and in him is no darknesse 1. Ioh. 1. 5. If therefore we haue him alwaies with vs we shall be sure of light whereby so to see our waies that we may not erre Yea God is the father of lights from whom commeth euery good and perfect gift Iames 1. 17. Therefore they that haue him their shepheard may assure themselues they shall want nothing but that he will make them to rest in green pastures and lead them by the still waters of life restoring their soules and guiding them into the paths of righteousnesse Psal 23. 1. c. Yea they that haue thus God their shepheard shall be sure not only of green pastures and water but also that he will giue them that wine and milke and bread c. whereby their soules may liue and be made fat to eternall life Isai 55. 1. 2. What a priuiledge is this It is a great prerogatiue of the children of God to be garded by an Angel as afterward wee shall heare But alas smal cōfort is there in the presence of an Angel if God himselfe be not with vs. When the Israelites had so offended God and prouoked his wrath against them by making a molten calfe that he denied to go himselfe with them vnto the land which he had promised them and yet at the praier of Moses was content to send an Angell before them to cast out the Canaanites the Amerites the Hittites c. How I pray you did they take this It is said that when they heard this tidings they sorrowed and no man put on his best raiment Exod. 33. 1. c. There is therefore no comfort in the presence of any creature whatsoeuer if God himselfe be not graciously present with the eies of his fauour to behold them and their slate with the eares of his grace to heare their crie Psal 34. 15. and with the right hand of his power to support them Psal 144. 7. and to fill them with good things Psal 104. 28. and 145 16. Therefore Moses himselfe in the three and thirtith of Exodus before alledged vpon Gods deniall of his going in person with the Israelites offering notwithstanding to send an Angell before them Moses himselfe I say reasoneth the case with God in these words saying Wherein shall it be knowen that I and thy people haue found fauour in thy sight Shall it not be when thou goest with vs So I and thy people shall haue preheminence before all the people that are vpon the earth vers 16. As the former sorrowing of the people in the beginning of the Chapter sheweth how heauy a thing it is to want Gods companie though we haue the company of Angels so what can be more plainly spoken then these words of Moses to shew how great preheminence there is in that gratious presence of God wherof now we speake This priuiledge is the more because as all the points before handled so this is both common to all the children of God and also peculiar to them only For it is apropriated to them that are elected called instified and which shall be glorified Rom. 8. 31. and therefore before our calling as wee haue heard we are said to be without God in the world Ephes 2. 12. and it is before obserued that the promise of Gods dwelling with men and making them his tabernacles and temple is ioined with another of making them also his sonnes and his daughters 2. Cor. 6. 18. as noting that it is both common to them all and also proper to them only Therefore the wicked haue no more part in this priuiledge then in the former As the children of God may say that when they are alone they are not alone because God euen the fafather sonne and holy ghost is alwaies with them so whatsoeuer company else the wicked haue yet they may truly say they are alone because God euen the father Sonne and holy Ghost is absent from them As God is infinit and filleth all places so he cannot but be wheresoeuer the wicked are But cold is the comfort of this his presence only For if their eies were opened to see him they should see him no otherwise then Dauid saw the Angell of the Lord between the earth and the heauen with his sword drawen in his hand and stretched out toward Ierusalem 1. Chron. 21. 16. What to do had the Angell of the Lord his hand so stretched out toward Ierusalem euen to destroy it 2. Sam. 24. 16. Neither any otherwise should the wicked see the Lord to be present if their eies were opened then Balaams Asse saw also the same or another Angell of the Lord stand in the way and a sword drawn in his hand at the sight whereof the Asse being stricken with feare flung the first time out of the way into the field and the second time dasnt her masters foot against the wall and the third time lay down vnder him not daring to go in the way Numb 22. 23. Thus I say and no otherwise should the wicked see the Lord present with them not to do them any good but to be reuenged of them for all their wickednesse Thereby they should be so filled and possessed with feare that they should be ready to fly if it were possible and to run away from his presence But whither should they flie from his presence If they should ascend into heauen be is there If they should goe down into hell or make their bed in the graue hee is there If they should take the wings of the morning and dwell in the vttermost parts of the sea yet thither should his hand follow them and
It is also to be obserued that he saith not that we are redeemed by him but that wee haue redemption in him For therby he the better noteth that wee are not onely redeemed by Christ that is that Christ hath not onely bought and paide for the forgiuenes of our sinnes which one day we shall haue but that all already borne againe alreadie also are in possession of the sayd redemption and already haue the forgiuenes of sinnes and that so our sayd forgiuenesse of sinnes is the more certaine vnto vs. Last of al this phrase in him is very significant as nothing our redemption and iustification there spoken of not onelie to be by Christ but also in Christ nothing at all in vs but wholly without vs and altogether in Christ as the sinnes for which Christ was put to death in our behalfe were altogether without him and in vs nothing at all in himselfe This redemption the forgiuenesse of sinnes is to be accounted as the fountaine of all other benefits following the same and belongeth onely to the children of God Touching the first that forgiuenes of sins is the fountain of all other benefits following the same the Lord promising to make a couenant with his people for putting his lawes into their inward parts and writing them in their hearts and for himselfe to be their God and them to be his people he addeth this as the reason and fountaine of all the former articles of his sayd newe couenant that he would forgiue their iniquity and remember their sinnes no more Ierem. 31. 33. 34. The Prophet Dauid also prouoking his owne soule to praise the Lord and all that was within him to praise his holy name and not to forget his benefits setteth the forgiuenes of all his sinnes in the first place before the healing of all his infirmittes the redeeming his life from the graue and diuers other benefits following Psal 103. 3. c. thereby noting the forgiuenes of sins to be the first the cause of al the other That this forgiuenes of sins is proper onely to the children of God as it doth appeare by the place of Ieremie before mentioned where it is ioyned with writing his lawes in their hearts and Gods being their God and their being his people which to be all one with his being their Father and their beeing his children hath beene shewed before 2. Cor. 6. 18. and as the same is also apparent by other scriptures before produced wherein the forgiuenes of sins is ioyned with our purging or clensing froÌ„ sin a thing peculiar onely to Gods children so the sayd point is further euident because Dauid also ioyneth the forgiuenesse of sinnes with an heart without guile Psal 32. 1. 2. The mercy of God likewise which chiefly consisteth in the fâ—rgiuenesse of sinnes is restrained in Psal 103. 11. 12. to them only that truely feare God The children of God doe onely feare God truly therefore the children of God haue only interest in the forgiuenes of sinnes and in remoouing them as farre from them as the East is from the West Therefore also all these three the grace faith the title sonne and the forgiuenesse of sins are ioined all together When Iesus saw their faith viz. the faith of them that brought the palsie man and the faith of the palsie man himselfe hee said vnto him Sonne thy sinnes are forgiuen Mat. 9. 2. Mark 2. 5. Yea the same point is further manifest by Ephe. 1. 7. before alledged because these words we haue must be vnderstood onely of himselfe and other whom before he had said to be elected to the adoption of sonnes Naturally the children of God are as well the children of wrath as any other Ephes 2. 3. viz. before their actuall adoption yea sometimes before their said actuall adoption and conuersion they are greater sinners then other Is not this manifest by the example of Manasses of Mary Magdalen of Paul of the theese vpon the Crosse of Onesimus that ran away from his master and carried also with him some of his goods and that for some other such like thing seemeth to haue been committed to the prison where Paul was and where Paul in his bonds conuerted him And this the Lord doth the more to magnifie the riches of his grace towards such for the better encouragement of other to seeke for the like mercy 1. Tim. 1. 16. as also to teach them that haue such experience of his mercy in forgiuing them their so great sinnes both to loue him much according to that much that is forgiuen them Luk. 7. 47. and also to loue their brethren the more and to be the more tender towards them and the more ready to forgiue them wherein soeuer they shall trespasse against them Mat. 18. 32. 33. Ephes 4. 32. Hauing thus shewed the forgiuenesse of sinnes to be onely in Christ and by our communion with him c. as also to be the fountaine of all other benefits and proper and peculiar only to the children of God let vs now also see the greatnesse of this benefit This therefore is manifest because Dauid pronounceth him blessed whose wickednesse is forgiuen whose sinne is couered and to whom the Lord imputeth not his iniquity Psal 32. 1. 2. What can be more then to be blessed The same likewise appeareth by diuers comparisons of sinne in the Scripture For it is compared to sicknesse The whole need not the phisitian but the sicke Mat. 9. 12. And the reasons of this comparison seem to be these As sicknesse taketh away our stomacks from bodily meat so doth sinne from the food of our soules and from the meat that abideth to eternall life Yea it maketh such spirituall food to be much more loathsom vnto vs then all or any bodily meat is to any sicke of any bodily disease As sicknesse taketh away our taste and rellish of all bodily nourishment both meat and drinke making that which sometime we thought very pleasant and which is so in it selfe to be bitter and most vnsauory so sinne maketh the very word of God in itselfe sweeter then hony and the hony combe Psal 19. 10. to be as gall or wormwood vnto vs. As sicknesse taketh away the strength of the yongest and lustiest and maketh them not able to goe vp and downe the house much lesse to beare any burdens or to defend themselues against their enemies c. so sinne disableth a man from going about the works of God and of his own saluation from bearing any crosses either from God or from men and from resisting the enemies that fight against his soule As sicknesse taketh away a mans knowledge and memory euen of his best friends and maketh him to speake idely with his tongue and with his hand to reach and to ketch he cannot tell at what so by sinne we are bereaued of all good knowledge and memory yea and speake idly and wickedly and doe occupie our hands and other members with matters altogether vnprofitable
of the sobriety of Gods children in prosperity and in aduersity as also of that watchfulnesse which doth alwaies accompany and associate the said sobriety For whereas the wicked in prosperity swell and rage are proud and insolent contemning and despising all men as if they would beare down all before them and so do fall into infinit outrages the children of God looking to him that giueth prosperity considering for what end they haue more then other regarding the vncertainty of all that they haue and remembring before the account that one day they shall make of the emploiment of all that they haue receiued are kept from the former euils So whereas the wicked in aduersity do mutter and murmur against him that sendeth the same and particularly in the times of need and great penury do occupy their heads with many wicked imaginations and put in practise many vnlawfull shifts of stealing of borrowing without purpose of paying againe of promising much and performing nothing of deceiuing cosening and such like the children of God liuing euen this life by their faith and belieuing the promises of God as well for this life as for the life to come and remembring the performance of them in all ages and calling to mind the experience that themselues haue had of Gods prouidence c. do so commit their waies vnto him and cast their care vpon him that they are kept from those former scandalous euils These things might be prosecuted more at large but the religious reader by these instances may consider of other the like Touching the other point before named the raising againe of them that after regeneration doe fall to disgracefull sinnes Dauid also is a most worthy example thereof For how gratiously he was raised after his foule adultery with Bathsheba and his most horrible murder of her husband Vriiah it is manifest by the confession of his sinne to Nathan the Prophet 2. Sam. 12. 13. and by that dolefull and no lesse heauy then heauenly one and fifty Psalme written afterward by him in further testimony of his most serious and vnsained repentance When he was againe afterward ouertaken with numbring of the people yea though Ioab coūselled him very grauely to the contrary how was he raised out of the same being admonished thereof by Nathan and corrected with a great pestilence amongst his people by the angell of the Lord Yea did he he testifie that his rising againe by acknowledgement of his sinne and by praying for the people that the hand of might be turned from them vpon himselfe and his own house saying I haue done wickedly but these sheepe what haue they done Let thine hand I pray thee be against me and my fathers house 2 Sam. 24. 17. How did Hezekiah humble himselfe and cause the inhabitants of Ierusalem to humble themselues when hee saw wrath to come from the Lord vpon him and Ierusalem because he had not rendred vnto the Lord according to the reward of health miraculously bestowed vpon him 2. Chroni 32. 25. 26. How bitterly did Peter weepe after his foule and shamefull denying and forswearing of his master Yea how zealous was he from that time forward for him For being with other and Christ being there vnknown to his disciples and hauing bidden them to cast out their net on the right side of the ship with promise to finde for they had laboured all night and taken nothing and the net according to the former promise of Christ hauing comprehended a great multitude of fishes whereby Iohn discerned him to be Christ that had so spoken vnto them Peter no sooner heard Iohn say It is the Lord but presently he girded his garment vnto him and leapt into the sea and so came swimming vnto Christ whereas all the rest staied in the ship and so at leisure brought it and came themselues therein vnto the land Ioh 21. 1. To these things let me heere insert this one point more viz. that whereas the children of God regenerated doe sometimes fall into greater sins then the common sort of eiuill men not regenerated as Dauid in the things before spoken of and Salomon in many things this falleth out by the speciall prouidence and wisedome of God the better to teach what men are of themselues without God and beeing left vnto themselues as also to admonish such as thinke they stand to take heede lest they fall 1. Cor. 10. 12. and to instruct all to finish ther saluation with the more feare and trembling Phill. p. 2. 12. So by their sinnes they are made schoolemasters vnto other Is not this a singular priuiledge so to haue the old man more and more mortified so to bee preserued from great sinnes after regeneration So to arise out of them being by frailty and naturall corruption fallen into them and so by falling into them to bee made schoolemasters of such excellent things vnto other Verily we cannot but acknowledge it to be a great priuiledge if we shall consider with what greedinesse all the wicked and vnregenerate commit sinne continue in sinne and like wilde horses doe runne on and proceed from one sinne to another without any restraint But to proceed yet further as the childrenof God do daily more and more die vnto sinne and are preserued from notorious euils wherein the wicked wallow and welter themselues like filthy swine in the mire and will not be plucked out or if they fall into such euils yet they rise againe As I say the children of God do thus so also hauing by the vertue of their regeneration once brought foorth the fruits of the spirit and of righteousnesse they are made more and more abundant in them As the Apostle hath often exhorted the children of God so to doe viz. to abound alwaies in the works of the Lord 1. Cor. 15. 58. to encrease more and more c. 1. Thes 4. 1. to bee rich in good works c. 1. Tim. 6. 18. to consider one another to prouoke to loue and to doe good works Heb. 10. 24. to toyne vertue with faith and with vertue knowledge with knowledge temperance with temperance patience with patience godlinesse with godlines brotherly kindnes with brotherly kindnes loue and not onely to haue all these things but that also these things should abound in them 2. Pet. 1. 6. 7. 8. And as the Apostle praied most earnestly to be with the Philippians to this end that their loue might abound more and more in knowledge and iudgement and that to these ends first that touching their inward man their minds might be able to iudge things that differ and their hearts might be pure as the Sunne Cantic 6. 9. that is cleer and sincere without mixture of hypocrisie and touching their outward man both without offence euen till the comming of Christ and also filled with the fruits of righteousnesse Philip. 1. 9. 10. 11. As I say the Apostles haue exhorted the children of God so to abound in all goodnesse as also whiles they liued praied
thereof verily it was and therefore the remembrance of it afterward was that whereby he was healed of that wound Mat. 26. 75. What was the cause why the angell of the Church of Sardi was so wounded that though he had a name to be aliue yet hee was dead that is ready to die and at the point of death Euen because he had let go his hold of the sword of the spirit Therfore for curing of his said wound our Sauiour biddeth him to remember how he had receiued and heard to hold fast c. Reuel 3. 2. 3. the like may be said of all wounds of any other of the children of God at any time Thus the children of God must vse the word of God viz. not as a thing to play or sport with or whereof to make iests Note for the mirth of other but as a weapon and as a sword to fight with yea thus they will vse it that are indeede the children of God If at any time they be prouoked by other or by their owne hearts to distrust Gods prouidence they will defend themselues by many precepts for trusting in the Lord Psal 37. 3. and 62. 8. and for casting their care vpon God Psal 37. 5. and 52. 22. and 1. Pet. 5. 6. and by such sentences of scripture as pronounce him blessed that trusteth in the Lord Psalm 40. 4. and 84. 5. and 12. by many promises to them that so do annexed expresly for the most part to the former commādements by the iudgements of God vpon such as haue murmured against God Num. 11. 1. vpon such as haue doubted of Gods promises as vpon the noble man of Samaria that would not beleeue the Prophet in the name of the Lord prophecying of great plenty the next day 2. Kings 7. 2. and 20. yea vpon Moses himselfe for his distrust Num. 20. 12. and 27. 14. and Deut. 32. 50. 51. and lastly by the prouidence of God towards the widow of Zarepta and the Prophet Elijah 1 Kings 17. 6. and 8. c. and towards a widdowe of one of the sonnes of the prophets 2. Kings 4 1. c. and towards many thousands that following our Sauiour for foode of their soules were fed likewise abundantly and miraculously with corporall foode Mark. 6. 36. and 8. 2. c. If they be prouoked to security they can draw out this sword and plead Blessed is the man that feareth alway c. Pro. 28. 14. and that they are commanded to spend the time of their welling here in feare 1. Pet. 1. 17. and the iudgement of God threatned to them that were at ease in Zion c. Amos 6. 1. c. and the fearefull fall of Dauid by security 2. Sam. 11. 2. c. If they be prouoked to idolatry they can draw out the second commandement and many other scriptures as commentaries vpon the said commandement so also that that is written of the wrath of God against Israel for their golden Calfe Exod. 32. and for their other idolatry Iudg. 10. and often els where The like is to be said of tentations against the third and fourth commandement When they are moued to pride they can call to mind the manifold precepts and sentences against it Deut. 8. 14. Psal 75. 4. Pro. 6. 17. and 16. 5. Iames 4. 6. 1. Pet. 5. 5. so also the examples of Haman and Nebuchadnezer with Sancherib and the iudgements of God not onely vpon them but also vpon Vzzia King of Iuda for presuming to meddle with the Priests office in offering of sacrifice 2. Chron. 26. 20. and vpon Dauid for numbring the people in a kind of pride 2. Sam. 24. and vpon Hezekiah for hauing his heart lifted vp after the recouery of his health 2. Chron. 32. 25. c. Being tempted to dishonor of parents they can repell such tentations by the fift commandement and by many other Scriptures against the same sinne as also by Agars curse against the eye that mocketh his father and despiseth the instruction of his mother viz. that the rauens of the valley shall pluck it out and that the yong Eagles shall eat it Pro. 30. 17. as also they can remember the examples of Absalom and of Adonijah and the iudgements of God vpon them Being enticed by Papists or other to rebellion treason or lifting vp their hand against Princes and the Lords annointed they can oppose the contrary commandements for obedience and subiection in the Lord of euery soule to the higher powers Rom. 13. 1. 1. Pet. 2. 13. and the fearefull iudgements of God vpon Corah Dathan and Abiram with their complices yea the deposing also of Abiathar the high Priest from the priesthood by Salomon because he had ioyned with Adonija for preuenting Salomon of the Crowne before he was King 1. Kings 1. 7. and 2. 35. If either their owne hearts or any other perswade them to contempt of the ministers of the Gospell either for plaine rebuking them for their sinnes or for any other causes they can obiect that the Lord hath commanded such to be had in singular loue for their works sake 1. Thes 5. 12. 13. that our Sauiour hath said He that heareth you heareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me Luk 10. 16. and that It shall be easier for them of the land of Sodome and Gomorrha in the day of iudgement then for that City and consequently for that family and for those persons that shall not receiue such nor heare their words Mat. 10. 13. 14. and that likewise the Lord did not only not prosper good king Asa after that he had put Hanani the Seer into prison for rebuking him for resting vpon the king of Aram c. 2. Chro. 16. 10. but that also he did send two beares out of the forrest that tare in pieces 42. of those wanton children that had reuiled mocked the Prophet Elisha and said vnto him Come vp thou bald-head Com vp thou bald-head 2. King 2. 23. 24. and that yet the least minister of the gospell is greater then Iohn Baptist who notwithstanding was greater then any Prophet Mat. 11. 11. Being moued to murder or to any other cruelty they can hold out the sixt commandement Luk. 6. 36. the commendation of mercy aboue sacrifice Hose 6. 6. and that Iames saith there shall be iudgement or condemnation mercilesse to him that sheweth no mercy Iam. 2. 13. the iudgement of God vpon Cain for the murder of Abel Gen. 4. and vpon the Egyptiās for their cruelty towards the Israelites and vpon all Israel by a great famine towards the latter end of the raign of Dauid for the cruelty of Saul against the Gibeonites 2. Sam. 21. 1. c. and after that vpon Iuda long after the death of Manasses as for other sinnes of Manasses so also for the innocent blood that he had shed 2. Kings 24. 4. Against temptations to adultery fornication and other vncleannesse
more therefore are we forbidden the worship of dead and helplesse images Thirdly because there should be some resemblance betwixt that that putteth vs in mind of another thing and the thing it selfe whereof it putteth vs in mind But there is not so much similitude betwixt God and images as there is according to our common speech betwixt an apple and an oyster For both these are the good creatures of God they are both meat for man either of both are beyond the power of man to make But there is no agreement at all betwixt God and idols or images What fellowship hath righteousnesse with vnrighteousnesse and what communion hath light with darknes c. 2. Cor. 6. 14. c. Images haue mouthes and speake not eies and see not eares and heare not hands and handle not feet and walke not as before we heard Deut. 4. 28. Psal 15. 5. c. But God hath no eies and yet seeth all things no eares and yet heareth all things no mouth and yet speaketh vnto vs by his word no hands and yet doth and ruleth all things he hath no feet and yet is euery where Last of all for images to put vs in mind of God is derogatory to the Sacraments especially to the supper of the Lord which Christ himselfe instituted chiefly in remembrance of him That which I haue said of some of the chiefe heresies of Popery I might shew of the rest so likewise of other heresies To deale in like manner with all would be too large for this place By these things but thus briefly written other may be vnderstood And thus we see what an excellent priuiledge the children of God haue by the word of God being such an armor of proofe as we haue heard it to be for defence of themselues against all sinnes both of practise and also of iudgement Yea this priuiledge is the greater because all the wicked and meer naturall men being without this word are therfore in a wofull state altogether vnarmed naked lying open to the enemy of their soules yea being indeed in his posession as before we haue often heard For although the Apostle doe describe other parts of the christian armor yet none can haue any of those other parts except he haue the word The word is the most principall of all the rest as being the meanes as before hath been shewed of all the rest Thus much for the second consideration of the word in this place viz. as it is a speciall part of our spirituall armor to defend our selues against the enemies of our saluation CHAP. XX. Of the word as it is giuen for consolation and comfort of the children of God in their afflictions and also of the Sacraments THe third consideration of the word before mentioned yet remaining is as it is the speciallest consolation and comfort of the children of God in their afflictions This I haue reserued for this last place because it ariseth from the two former For if the word of God be so perfect as before wee heard then it must needs be a word of comfort If also it be such a speciall part of our christian armor for our defence as before also we haue seen it to be then it cannot but minister likewise great comfort vnto vs. For where a man hath many and mighty enemies there cannot but be great feare where there is great feare there cannot but be great heauinesse also Yea what almost is feare but the heauinesse of heart from the expectation of some euill So far therefore as the word doth arme vs against our enemies whom we haue most cause to feare so far it cannot but be a great comfort vnto vs. This that I speake of the comfort of the children of God by the word of God Dauid testifieth Psal 19. both saying that the statutes of the Lord are right and reioice the heart verse 8. and also adding that they are sweeter then the hony and the hony combe vers 10. But we are there to obserue these commendations to bee placed after some other attributes and effects for which in the same Psalme he had before commended the word viz. after the perfection of it and the conuersion of the soule thereby after the faithfulnesse or surenesse of it and the giuing wisedome vnto the simple c. Thereby the Prophet giueth vs to vnderstand that the word of God doth reioice and comfort the heart only of those whom first it hath inwardly conuerted or restored whom first it hath made wise vnto saluation c. Therfore also he saith againe This is my comfort in my trouble that thy promise or thy word doth quicken me Psal 119. 50. that whereas by nature I am dead in sinnes and trespasses thy word hath awakened me and restored me to life and so giuen me much comfort and againe This is my comfort that I keep thy commandement verse 56. and againe Except thy lawes had been my delight or my comfort I had long sithence perished in mine afflictions verse 92 Paul also doth not obscurely signifie the word of God to be the word of comfort when he saith that whatsoeuer things are written afore time are written for our learning that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might haue hope Rom. 15. 4. Do we not here plainly see true comfort to be called the comfort of the scriptures Another Apostle also setteth down the word for one of the two immutable things whereby we might haue strong consolation c. Heb. 6. 18. But what shall I need to stand long vpon this point For as afterward in the vses of this dignity of Gods children we shall heare this whole treatise is as well for comfort as for instruction And how shall we know that God hath so loued vs as to make vs his children but by the word How are we made the children of God but by the word How doe we vnderstand any thing else either before or after in this treatise concerning the dignitie of Gods children but by the word Yea and that all true comfort is to be had by the word our Sauiour seemeth to insinuate because his disciples being in great feare partly by a great tempest vpon the sea partly and more specially because seeing him come towards them walking vpon the sea they imagined him to be a spirit though our sauiour by his bodily eies seeing their trouble by the tempest and by his diuine nature vnderstanding their imagination of him could secretly by his said diuine nature and power haue taken all feare from them and comforted them yet he did rather comfort them by his word and speech Note saying vnto them Be of good comfort it is I bee not afraid Matth. 14. 27. Wherefore did hee thus rather then otherwise comfort them Euen the better to sanctifie and commend the word for the word of comfort for euer to his disciples and to all other in any feare or heauinesse that so all might alwaies seek comfort at
no other fountaine then at the word of God By the same meanes from time to time hath the Lord comforted his children Abraham Isack Iacob Dauid Hezekiah Paul and other in their afflictions euen by his word and by speaking vnto them When Iohn also wept much because no man was found worthy to open to read and to looke on the booke which before he had seen in the right hand of him that sate vpon the throne c. how was he comforted Not inwardly only by Gods spirit but outwardly also by one of the elders speaking vnto him and saying Weep not behold that Lyon which is of the tribe of Iuda that roote of Dauid hath obtained to open the booke and to open the seuen seales thereof Reuel 5. 5. Here is a double argument to proue the word of God to be the word of comfort First because Iohn in his heauinesse is comforted by the speech of one of the elders vnto him Secondly in respect of the matter of the said speech viz. that there was one found to open the booke and the seuen seales thereof For thereby the holy ghost signifieth that without opening of the book before shewed to Iohn there was nothing to haue comforted him Whatsoeuer benefits therfore whatsoeuer friends whatsoeuer outward delights whatsoeuer learning or other thing men haue yet nothing will soundly comfort them that are heauy hearted or exercised with feares but the word The woman in the Gospell healed of her bloudy issue for healing whereof she had spent all that she had vpon the physitians and was nothing the better doth sufficiently iustifie this For when our Sauiour hauing so healed her for nothing euen so perfectly healed her that she sensibly felt her selfe to be healed when I say our Sauiour hauing thus healed her did but aske who had touched him because he had felt vertue to goe from him she had no more comfort then before but for all the benefit Note of health so miraculously wrought in her she was possessed with great feare and trembling till she came to our Sauiour and till he spake vnto her saying Daughter be of good comfort thy faith hath saued thee Luk 8. 47. 48. So then the former benefit did not comfort her though she had long desired it yea it seemeth she had more feare then before but the word that our sauiour spake was it that tooke away the feare and which did comfort her I might here also speake of Belshazar in what case he was Dan. 5. hauing no comfort in the word but of him and other like more afterward In the meane time let vs vnderstand that the word hath comforts of all sorts and for all afflictions of this life and of the life to come for body and for soule Is any of Gods children poore he can comfort himselfe with the word saying Feare the Lord yee his Saints for no good thing wanteth to them that feare him c. Psal 34. 9. So with those manifold comforts Mat. 6. 25. c. Luk. 12. 32. c. So also with the examples of Iacob Gen. 32. 10. of Elija of the widow of Zarepta and of the other widdow of one of the sonnes of the Prophets before mentioned and with Gods mighty prouidence towards the Israelites in the wildernesse in feeding them with Manna and quailes and in giuing them water out of the rocke Is any child of God in disgrace or in base condition he can comfort himselfe with 1. Pet. 5. 5. and 6. and with the examples of Ioseph Dauid Ester and Mordecai whom the Lord raised vp from the dust and made to sit with Princes yea and some of them to be Princes Is any of them in prison He can comfort himselfe with the examples of Ioseph Ieremiah Peter and Paul who were not only in prison but whom also the Lord most mightily deliuered out of prison Hath any many and great aduersaries He can consider that If God be with him he need not feare who is against him Rom. 8. 29. and that The Lord is alwaies at hand Philip. 4. 6. And how the Lord deliuered Iacob from Esau and from the Sechemites and Dauid from many mighty enemies Is any sicke and sicke vnto death He can call to mind how Hezekiah being so and told also by the word of God that he should die was vpon his praier miraculously restored to health and had his life drawn out for fifteen yeeres more 2. Chron. 32. 24. c. He can also remember that Dauids soule was deliuered from the graue Psal 103. 4. and that Epaphroditus being sicke and neere vnto death God had mercy on him Phil. 2. 27. Hath any man lost all his goods in one day yea children also c. He can comfort himselfe with Psal 24. 1. and with the example of Iob who hauing lost goods and children did not only say The Lord hath giuen and the Lord hath taken Blessed be the name of the Lord Iob. 1. 21. but who also had all and more then all restored vnto him at the last Iob. 42. 10. Is any man heauy loaden with his sinnes doth he feare the wrath of God and euerlasting condemnation and doth he not find or feele any comfort yea doth he feele the terrors of death Oh how may he comfort himselfe with the doctrine of Gods mercy Psal 103. 9. c. before handled with the end of Christs comming to heale them that are sicke not the whole to call sinners not the righteous to repentance Mat. 9. 12. 13. to seeke and to saue that which was lost Luk. 19. 10. that euery one that beleeueth in him might not perish but haue euerlasting life Iohn 3. 6. with the words also of the Prophet Ho euery one that thirsteth c. Isai 5. 5. 1. with the words of our Sauiour Come vnto me all ye that are weary and laden and I will refresh you Mat. 11. 28. And lastly with the examples of such as haue found comfort in such an heauy condition and against great and many sins viz. of Dauid of Salomon of Manasses of Peter of Mary Magdalen of Zacheus of Paul and of diuers other Seing then the word of God hath such excellent and such sweet comforts for euery malady for euery affliction for euery heauinesse who can sufficiently expresse the dignity and prerogatiue of the children of God thereby For they only can receiue comfort by it The childrens bread doth not belong to whelpes Mat. 15. 26. Neither do the holy things of God belong to dogs neither doe such pearles become swine Mat. 7. 6. All this hitherto said of the word is the more both in respect of the writing thereof and also of the preaching thereof In both these respects I say the prerogatiue of the children of God by the word is the greater For as touching the writing thereof howsoeuer the Papists would perswade that it was written onely by the voluntary accord of man not by any expresse commandement of God 〈◊〉 and that therefore it
preferments of the Iewes aboue the Gentiles before the comming of Christ that the Lord gaue them his word his statutes and his iudgements Psal 147. 19. and that to them were committed the Oracles of God Rom. 3. 2. viz. outwardly and concerning the letter to be kept by them whereas no other nation had the like benefit then how great is this priuiledge of the children of God aboue the wicked that they only haue the keeping of his word in the closets and cofers of their hearts to their euerlasting good Thus much of the dignity of Gods children by the word of God It remaineth now to speake of the Sacraments wherein I may and will be the shorter because they are only seales for confirmation of the word and either to strengthen our faith the more in the promises of God or to quicken our obedience the more vnto the commandements of God For as touching baptisme it is instituted first of all the better to assure vs of the forgiuenesse of our sinnes by the bloud of Christ by that visible element of water which therein is to be vsed This Peter teacheth when he exhorteth them that by his sermon were pricked in their hearts to bee baptized in the name of Iesus Christ for the remission of sinnes Acts 2. 38. because as the water washeth away the filth of the body so the bloud of Christ clenseth vs from all our sinnes Rom. 5. 9. Ephes 1. 7. Coloss 1. 20. 1 Iohn 1. 7. Reuel 1. 5. Secondly baptisme was instituted as a Sacrament also of repentance and regeneration because the bloud of Christ doth not onely wash vs from the guilt of our sinnes but also from the spot and blemish of them as we haue heard before And therefore Peter saith that we were elect or select viz. in our calling vnto sanctification of the spirit through the obedience and sprinkling of the bloud of Christ 1. Pet. 1. 2. and againe that We were redeemed from our vaine conuersation receiued by tradition of our fathers by the pretious bloud of Christ c. verse 18. 19. Another Apostle also saith that the bloud of Christ shall purge our consciences from dead works to serue the liuing God Heb. 9. 14. Therfore to apply these things vnto baptisme the baptisme of Iohn is called the baptisme of repentance Acts 19 4. and Iohn neuer baptized but hee preached repentance Mat. 3. 8. Luk. 3. 8. Therefore also baptisme is said to teach vs to die vnto sinne and to liue vnto righteousnesse Rom. 3. 4. Gal. 3. 27. Col. 2. 12. In the same respect Paul saith that Christ gaue himselfe for the Church that he might sanctifie it and clense it by the washing of water through the word Ephes 5. 26. In which words the Apostle at least alludeth vnto baptisme and againe he seemeth to vnderstand baptisme by the washing of the new birth Tit. 3. 5. The Apostle also to the Hebrews seemeth to allude to baptisme when hee saith that wee are purged in our hearts from an euill conscience and washed in our bodies with pure water Hebr. 10. 22. Finally touching both the former ends of baptisme baptisme is said to bee the baptisme of repentance and forgiunesse of sinnes Mark 1. 4. As baptisme so serueth for confirmation of faith and instruction in godlinesse so doth also the supper of the Lord. The bread that wee eate and the wine that wee drinke in a religious manner according to Christs institution doth teach vs that as the bread and wine are incorporated into our bodies and made one with them so Christs his flesh and blood are spiritually incorporated into vs and wee into Christ through faith whereby it is said as wee heard before that Christ dwelleth in our hearts Ephes 3. 17. In which respect the cup of blessing which the Minister in the celebration of the Supper blesseth that is which hee praieth God to blesse to that speciall and holy vse is said to bee the communion of the blood of Christ and that the bread which he so blesseth is said to be the communion of the body of Christ 1. Cor. 10. 16. And indeed the Supper of the Lord by the visible elements and the visible actions therein commanded by Christ himselfe putting vs better in remembrance of all that Christ hath done for vs and better shewing his death till he come 1. Cor. 11. 24. 25. 26. then bare preaching would doe for so our eies doe see our hands doe handle our tongues doe taste and our stomaks by the vertue of the bread and wine do feele that which in the word preached our eares doe heare it cannot but be a maruellous and most comfortable confirmation of our faith both for euerlasting saluation in the world to come and also for all things necessary for this life in this present world For how can we doubt of saluation which Christ Iesus hath so deerly purchased for vs and the price whereof we see in so liuely manner represented vnto vs by the bread and the wine by the breaking of the one and the pouring out of the other would he giue so much for vs and then leaue vs in the suds or in danger Yea do not the bread and the wine with the eating of the one and drinking of the other teach vs that Christs flesh and bloud are meat indeed and drinke indeed to preserue vs to that eternall life which he by his death hath purchased for vs Ioh. 6. 51. 52. 53. 54. 55. 56. Hath Christ paid so deerly for vs and doth he feed vs so daintily and with such costly diet better then Angels food and will he lose vs and suffer vs to perish and to be taken out of his hands yea sith we that eat his flesh and drinke his bloud spiritually not only in the word but also in the Sacrament doe dwell in Christ and haue Christ dwelling in vs as Christ himselfe in the place before alledged doth testifie will he dispossesse himselfe of his habitation or hauing all power in heauen in earth and euery where els in his hands can he violently by any other power be thrust out of his house and home yea sith as we haue heard the supper of the Lord doth plainly teach vs that wee are flesh of his flesh c. can we perish and he not also perish Touching things necessary for this life whiles we liue in this world the supper of the Lord by putting vs in such remembrance of Christ himselfe doth also most comfortably assure vs of them For he that spared not his owne sonne but gaue him for vs all how shall he not with him giue vs all other things also Rom. 8. 32. And he that spared not his owne life and his owne soule but gaue them for vs and daily doth giue them vnto vs by faith how shall he not being made the heire of all things Heb. 1. 2. and hauing all things in his power and at his disposition how shall hee not I say with himselfe giue
for them Touching the first of these thus it is written who so dwelleth in the secret of the most high shall abide in the shaddow of the Almighty Psal 91. 1. Surely hee will deliuer thee from the snare of the hunter and from the noisome pestilence Hee will couer thee vnder his wings and thou shalt bee sure vnder his feathers his truth shall bee thy shield and buckler Thou shalt not bee afraid of the feare of the night nor of the arrow that flyeth by day verse 3. c. For indeede that whole Psalme is specially occupied in the argument of the safety of Gods children as touching the euils of this life and in declaring the contrary dangers of the wicked The like promise for the children of God is in Psalme 97. Yee that loue the Lord hate euill hee preserueth the soules of his Saints hee will deliuer them from the hand of the wicked verse 10. The whole 121. Psalme is also of this argument For there the Prophet assureth all the children of God that the Lord will not suffer their foot to slip that hee will so keepe them that the Sunne shall not smite them by day nor the Moone by night Yea hee saith verse 7. that the Lord shall preserue them from all euill c. Yea that he shall preserue their going out and their comming in The same is likewise euident by the couenant that God maketh with all creatures euen the fiercest and cruellest for his childrens sake But of this more afterward The Prophet Isaiah also saith of the same point But now thus saith the Lord that created thee and hee that formed thee O Israel feare not for I haue redeemed thee I haue called thee by thy name thou art mine When thou passest through the waters I will bee with thee and through the floods that they doe not ouerflow thee When thou walkest through the very fire thou shalt not bee burnt neither shall the flame kindle vpon thee Isai 43. 1. 2. What meaneth the Lord by these words but that his children should haue no hurt by those things that doe most deuoure and consume other I might adde many other Scriptures to the same purpose but these shall be sufficient Besides those and the like Scriptures and promises the same is manifest by great reason For sith all the afflictions of this life are part of the curse and punishment that is due to our sinnes and sith Christ Iesus tooke vpon him and came into the world to suffer the whole curse of God both of this life and of the life to come that wee had deserued and hauing accordingly indeed borne our infirmities and caried our sorrowes and was wounded for our transgressions and broken for our infirmities and had the chastisement of our peace vpon him Isai 53. 4. 5. and did himselfe beare our sinnes that is the full punishment of our sinnes in his body on the tree 1. Pet. 2. 24. therefore it standeth no more with the iustice of God to cast such afflictions vpon vs as punishments of our sinnes then it agreeth with the iustice of man to receiue his debt of the surety and yet after to require the same of the principall debter or to punish him for not paying the same yea forasmuch as the higher and greater any Iudge is the more it behoueth him to doe iustice and iudgement and sith God is the Iudge of all the world Genes 18. 25. therefore if it agree not with the iustice of man to demand that debt of one that is paied by another much lesse doth the like stand with the iustice of God The former point is likewise manifest by many examples Noah and a few of his were kept in the great floud that drowned all the world besides Lot with some of his were preserued in Sodom and Gomorra whereall other inhabitants of those cities were consumed by fire from heauen The widdow of Sarephta with the Prophet Elija was fed in that great dearth and famine when many other were in great extremity Ieremiah and Ebedmelech were well prouided for and had great liberty when the great nobles and Princes of Ierusalem with many other of the common people which before had reiected the word of the Lord were either cruelly put to the sword or slauishly carried away captiue Iehoshaphat was preserued from the Aramites though in great danger of them when Ahab was wounded to death by them The red sea gaue way to the Israelites and stood vpon heapes like a wall for their safe passage through it when Pharao and all his host were ouerwhelmed in it Againe to some speciall sinnes there are some speciall afflictions belonging To drunkennesse belongeth woe sorrowes strife murmuring or much talke wounds without cause or wounds without punishment rednesse of eies Pro. 23. 29. So likewise to it and to all other intemperancy there belong many noisome diseases as the dropsie the gout apoplexies and such like yea not only diseases but deformity also of body blockishnesse of wit and dulnesse of vnderstanding of how sharpe wit and quick capacity soeuer they were before with hardnesse of heart like to brawne so that hauing many sorrowes yet they shall feele none Adultery likewise and all incontinency is accompanied with some foule diseases and many other euils Boldnesse and rashnesse is not without many great dangers To those also and to diuers other sinnes belong pouerty great shame disgrace reproch and contempt with men The like may be said of many other sinnes as hauing many speciall calamities attenâ—ing vpon them For as much then as before we haue heard that the children of God are freed from such sins it followeth likewise that they are the more safe from those euils that they doe specially meet with that fall into such sinnes Thus much briefly for the immunity of the children of God from the euils of this life Touching the second sort of benefits for this life belonging to the children of God they are as before I said all the blessings of this life far foorth as they are good for them and may be accounted benefits not only in their own nature but also to the children of God These are length of daies health peace safety liberty riches credit honors authority friends and such like All these do belong only to the children of God and that by a double right First by promise Secondly by participation of Christ and that communion with him before handled in whom all the promises of God belong vnto men and are said to be yea and Amen that is begun and accomplished 2. Cor. 1. 10. Touching the right of those blessings by promise the Apostle saith that godlinesse hath the promise not only of the life that is to come but also of the life present 1. Tim. 4. 8. If ye require where they are promised looke these places specially Leuit. 26. 3. to vers 14. Deut. 28. 3. to verse also 14. Iob. 11. 13. c. and 22. 23. c. Psal also 34. 9.
them in nothing to feare their aduersaries Why so Because saith he this is to them a token of perdition but to you of saluation Philip. 1. 28. So he sheweth by an argument taken from comparison of equals that euen as to be an aduersary to the children of God and to persecute them is a token and manifest testimony to such so long as they continue such that they shall perish so to be hated of them and persecuted by them is a great assurance of saluation Only this is the difference that they that by hatred and persecution of the children of God haue a great signe of perdition may for all that by faith working repentance be saued but they that once by any good testimony be assured of saluation shall neuer perish Sixtly by suffering a little smart of the fruit of sinne heere they doe the better learne both what all is that they haue deserued in the life to come and also what Christ hath suffered for them in bearing the whole punishment of all their sinnes and therefore how they ought to loue him in that behalfe and how thankfull they ought to bee to God for their deliuerance from euerlasting torments in respect whereof these light and momentany afflictions of this life are but as fillips and fleabites and consequently also they learne how they are to pity them that are going towards the place of such torments and how in pity they are to labor their reclaiming and conuerting These are the principall particular points of the lawe of God which the children of God doe learne by the afflictions of this life the least whereof is more worth then all outward prosperity and all which might be much more enlarged but finding this treatise to arise to a far greater volume then at the first I made account of I am thereby forced in many things to write the more briefly By this that I haue thus briefly set downe in that behalfe it may sufficiently appeare that the exchange sometimes of momentany afflictions for temporary blessings is no detriment to the children of God but rather an exceeding gaine and benefit If it be obiected that some of Gods children are subiect also to extraordinary deaths as Eli brake his neck falling backwardâ— 1. Sam. 4. 18. The Prophet that had done contrary to the word of God was killed by a lyon 1. Kings 13. 24. Noble Iosiah died of the wound that he had taken by the sword of the vncircumcised Egyptians 2. King 23. 29. and that for going somewhat obstinately as it seemeth against Pharo Neco 2. Chron. 35. 2. Many of the Corinthians are said to haue slept that is to haue died somwhat extraordinarily by an vntimely death for abuse and disorder in the supper of the Lord 1. Cor. 11. 30. If I say this be obiected and so confirmed by these former and other the like examples and vpon those grounds it be further demanded how such things can be for the good of the children of God and for the learning any thing out of the word of God sith the dead praise not God neither is there any remembrance of God in death Psal 6. 5. and 30. 9. To this I answer briefly that although after death there be no learning any thing except only either of torments to the wicked or of ioy and happinesse to the godly and that by sense and feeling as the rich man and Lazarus did Luk. 16. 23. yet in such sicknes vnto death there may be before death and no doubt is repentance in al the children of God of such particular sinnes as whereby they see they haue procured such particular chastisements vpon themselues and so by iudging of themselues for the said sins they haue the better assurance that they shall not be iudged of the Lord. Therefore the Apostle saith in the place before alledged after mention of sicknesse and death when we are iudged we are chastned of the Lord that we should not be condemned with the world 1. Cor. 11. 32. which is all one with the generall end of afflictions before mentioned viz. that we may liue Heb. 12. 9. Againe both further to amplifie that answer to the former obiection and also now to shew some other vses of the afflictions of Gods children in respect of other they are so afflicted especially for particular sins that other as well as themselues liuing after their said vntimely death seeing how he whom they call father iudgeth euerie man as well his own children as other according to their worke in this world without respect of persons may afterward passe the time of their dwelling here in the more feare 1. Pet. 1. 17. and make an end of their saluation with the more trembling Philip. 2. 12. Secondly in respect of other they are afflicted and loaden with affliction for the manifestation of their faith patience and other graces to such as did before doubt thereof as thinking all that they did in the worship of God to be in hypocrisie and rather because God had so compassed and walled them about with his mercies then in a simple and a pure loue towards God himselfe Is not this euident by the answer of satan vnto God when God had asked him if he had not considered Iob and all his vprightnesse c. Doth Iob saith satan feare God for nought Hast thou not made an hedge about him and about all that he hath on euery side Thou hast blessed the worke of his hands and his substance is encreased in the land But stretch out now thine hand and touch all that he hath to see if hee will not blaspheme thee to thy face Iob 1. 8. 9. 10. Doth not satan in these words plainly accuse Iob to haue done all that he had done only in hypocrisie c Therefore the Lord gaue him leaue to try Iob to exercise him with many afflictions one after another one in the neck of another for the confutation of that slanderous accusation of Iob by satan for declaration of his integrity to al the world Yea by this occasion to insert here another benefit by afflictions to the children of God concerning themselues as by wrastling a man somtimes knoweth his own strength better then before he did so oftentimes by afflictions a man better knoweth his owne faith and other graces of God in himself for his further comfort then before he did Thirdly in respect of other sometimes the children of God are so afflicted that the workes of God may be shewed on them Our Sauiour being asked by his disciples of the man that was borne blind whether he or his parents had sinned that he was borne blind answered Neither hath this man sinned nor his parents but that the worke of God might be shewed on him Ioh. 9. 2. 3. So it seemeth that Lazarus was therefore sick died of his sicknesse sooner then by the course of nature he should haue died not for any speciall sinne of his owne but for the
that any thing shall hurt vs therefore nothing can hurt vs. He will euery thing shall doe vs good therefore euery thing shall doe vs good The prouidence of the Lord is so ouer all that neither a sparrow lighteth vpon the house top nor an haire falleth from our head without his said prouidence Mat. 10. 29. 30. If we that are euill be ready to doe any good that is in our power to our children shall not God much more be willing to doe any good to his children Mat. 7. 11. If then God will do his children good who can hurt For who can resist his will His counsell shall stand and he will do whatsoeuer he will Isai 46. 10. Againe if any thing will hurt vs is it not to be feared from our enemies yet our most deadly enemies can God restraine from doing vs any hurt yea he can force them to do vs good If satan himselfe euen with a great army an whole legion of his angels could not enter into the heard of the faithlesse Gadarens swine without leaue from Christ shall we thinke that he can doe any hurt to them either touching their persons or touching their goods that beleeuing in Christ are members of his body without leaue from him It is manifest that he cannot by the history of Iob yea by that history it is euident that albeit satans malice be vnchangeable so that he cannot but in affection bee an enemy to all the children of God yet by the wise and gratious prouidence of God he worketh the good of Gods children and in that respect his malice may be said to be turned into friendship For was not Iob so much the more blessed in the end euen in his outward state by how much the more satan had as it were cursed him before The like may be truly said of all other enemies of flesh For all such enemies are but satans souldiers which doe nothing but by his appointment and therefore that which they are by Gods prouidence forced to do for Gods children may be said to be done by satan himselfe The same is also manifest by the curses of satans eldest son against vs here in England For as all the while we had the Popes blessing we fared the worse in soule and in body for this life and for the life to come so haue we not seen by experience that the more he hath cursed vs the more God hath blessed vs with peace with honour in the eies of all nations with increase of people and abundance of all blessings Touching such enemies therefore of flesh God can either make them friends to his children Pro. 16. 7. yea though they continue still vassals vnto satan as he did Esau vnto Iaakob and the Egyptians to the Israelites for the lending vnto them their iewels c. or he can confound them as he did the Egyptians afterward returning againe to their former hatred against the Israelites And as he did Sanaherib and his army or he can so restrain them that though their hatred with all the practises therof do continue yet all shall be in vaine touching any hurt to the children of God and in the end for their good The more maliciously that the Egyptians pursued the Israelites being departed out of Egypt the more glorious deliuerance did the Lord giue to the Israelites The persecution of Dauid by Saul made the more to Dauids aduancement All that satan did by Haman against Mordecai and the rest of the Iewes wrought together for the further good of Mordecai and the other Iewes For thereby they had a greater liberty and a greater hand against all their enemies then euer before they had Yea when satan also getteth some of the children of God to be his instruments and factors as it were to worke some mischiefe against some of the better children of God God doth no more fauor this proceeding then if it were altogether by satan himselfe by such as do belong vnto him yea though such things be begun by some of the children of God themselues and afterward seconded by some other altogether wicked yet this shal not procure the hurt of those better children of God but rather the further good both of them and also of those whom satan draweth to practise mischiefe against them whom he especially hateth Is not al this manifest by the history of Ioseph For did not satan first prouoke Iosephs brethren against him euen to sell him out of the country to certaine Ishmaelite merchants Did not these second the former practise of Iosephs brethren by selling him further off namely to Potiphar in Egypt Was not all that seconded againe by Potiphars wife first most wickedly tempting Ioseph to adultery and secondly when that way she could do nothing by false accusing him to her husband of a rape offered by him vnto her was not that also seconded by the vniust dealing of Potiphar in committing Ioseph to the kings prison without any examination of the complaint of his wife When Ioseph had lien long there and at last interpreted the dreames of Pharaohs butler baker might not all the former hard dealing against him seem to be yet furthered by the butlers long forgetfulnesse of him yet al these things wrought together at the last both for the great aduancement of Ioseph according to his former dreames the cause of all the former hatred of his brethren against him and also for the good of his brethren themselues and of all their houses So we see that God that fetcheth light out of darknes can make the sins of his children somtime to worke for their outward good not to incourage any to sinne but to comfort all belonging vnto him against too much feare of the iudgements deserued by sinne and to shew the exceeding priuilege of his children in this behalfe Thus much of the working together of the practises of satan of his instruments for the good of the children of God whereby the said children of God may the better assure themselues that much more wil other creatures worke for their good I shall not need to speak any thing in this behalfe of the Angels in heauen For no man will make any question of their working together for the good of Gods childrē euen for their good in this life and of this life which is the point now principally in hand sith they pitch their tents round about them to preserue them from dangers do otherwise attend vpon them for their good both aliue and dead as afterward we shall heare Touching vnreasonable creatures we read how the rich mans dog in the Gospell came and licked the sores of poore Lazarus Luk. 16. 21. Balaams Asses mouth was opened to reproue Balaam for going to curse the Israelites Numb 22. 28. The greedy rauens that are ready to take meat from men brought bread flesh to Elija morning euening 1. Ki◠7. 6. Th Lord did so bind the fierce roring lions to the peace towards
spoken of condemnation especially of the extreme punishment of the wicked with the perpetuity thereof by the extremity of diuers bodily paines here in this life euen in some one member and but for a time as of extreme tooth-ache of the strangullion of the stone in the bladder or in the kidneys of the gout of the collick and such like For if these things but in one part of the body and but for a time be so intollerable what alas shall we thinke of the euerlasting torments of euery member of the body and soule and the whole man for euer and euer But it shall be sufficient thus only to haue pointed at these things Thus much for the first benefit of the children of God in the life to come viz. for their freedome from condemnation CHAP. XXVI Of the inheritance of the children of God in the life to come THe second benefit of the children of God in the life to come is that they shall be all heires and haue a great inheritance So saith the Apostle If we be children wee are also heires euen heires of God and heires annexed with Christ Rom. 8. 17. and againe If thou be a sonne thou art also an heire of God through Christ Galat. 4. 7. So Peter ioineth together the worke of our regeneration and the hope of an inheritance 1. Pet. 1. 4. Touching this inheritance as before we noted certaine degrees of that condemnation from which wee heard the children of God to be freed the better to set forth their dignity in that their deliuerance so let vs now also obserue certaine circumstances pertaining to this inheritance for the better illustration of the dignity of the children of God in respect of the said inheritance Although therefore we did not before note the placing of the reprobate at the left hand of Christ as any degree of their condemnation because it is not alwaies a dishonor to be placed at the left hand of Princes in which respect Iames and Iohn desired to be placed the one at the right hand the other at the left hand of Christ yet to be placed at the right hand of Christ Iesus when he shall come to iudge the quick and the dead may well be accounted for a principall honor of them that shall be so placed So great an honor is it to be placed at the right hand of mortal Princes that by a metaphor taken from the same the whole exaltation and glorification of Christ Iesus is often described and expressed by sitting at the right hand of his Father Is it not then a great honour for all the elect at the day of iudgement to be placed at the right hand of Iesus Christ when hee shall come in the glory of his Father with the holy Angels The second circumstance of the inheritance of Gods children is contrary to the first degree before mentioned of the condemnation of the wicked viz. that Christ Iesus shall grace them with a most amiable countenance and most gratiously speake vnto them Come ye blessed of my Father c. The fauour of a King is like the dewe vpon the grasse Prou. 19. 12. How great then is the fauour of God Dauid opposeth the light of Gods countenance to all worldly prosperitie desired by the greatest sort of men and professeth that he had or should haue more ioy of heart thereby than the men of the world haue in the day of their haruest and when their corne and wine doe encrease Psal 4. 6 7. Both these circumstances are the more because Christ himselfe shall so place them at his right hand and so speake vnto them publikely in the presence of his Father and before all men and angels good and bad euen before all their aduersaries The more publikely and in the greater company that the Lord Cromwell did grace his old benefactor Francis Frescobald the Italian merchant first in the open street in London dismounting from his horse embracing him most familiarly speaking most kindly vnto him and inuiting him the same day to dinner before all the Lords and other attendants vpon him and afterward at his comming to dine with him embracing him againe and speaking also most kindly as before and declaring to the Lord Admirall and other nobles with him what the said Frescobald had done for him and at dinner placing him next to himselfe The more publikely I say and before the more company that the said Lord Cromwell did so grace that poore decaied merchant the greater honour it was to the said merchant to be so graced How great then shall the honour of all Gods children bee to be placed at the right hand of Iesus Christ and to bee so gratiously spoken vnto by Iesus Christ himselfe in the presence of all the world before all kings and princes as well as before all other the meaner sort of men as likewise before his owne Father before all his holy angels and before the diuels themselues the whole army of hell The third circumstance concerning the inheritance of the children of God is that they shall haue a more neere communion with God and with Christ Iesus himselfe than euer before they had viz. not only spirituall but also locall beeing there where himselfe is in all glory and maiestie This is signified by the words of our Sauiour before alleadged Come yee blessed of my father c. The same is likewise plaine by the praier of our Sauiour for all Gods children Father I will that they which thou hast giuen me bee with mee euen where I am that they may behold my glory c. Ioh. 17. 24. It is a great honour for a subiect to be imployed in any seruice of his prince but it is much more to be alwaies neere vnto him in his chamber of Presence and in his Priuie chamber Who therfore can expresse the honor of Gods children to be in heauen it selfe Gods Priuie chamber and alwaies to behold his glory and excellency But of this further communion of Gods children with God and Christ Iesus and so consequently also with the holy angels more shall be spoken afterward In the meane time this shall suffice to haue beene spoken of these circumstances of the inheritance of Gods children Now to speake more largely of the said inheritance it selfe and so to come euen to the more ample declaration of their foresaid communion with God let vs vnderstand the said inheritance to be the greater honour because it is called the inheritance of God and men therby in the two first places before alleadged are called the heires of God The greater that any man is in the world the greater thing it is to bee heire vnto him how great a thing then is it to be the heire of God Herein the children of God differ from the children of men and of great men in the world euen from the sonnes of the mightie as they are called Psal 29. 1. For there is no man so great or mightie but that hauing many
mother of Iames and Iohn petitioned to our Sauiour for her said two sonnes that one might sit at his right hand the other at his left hand in his kingdome that is because shee dreamed Christs kingdome to be an earthly kingdome that they might bee the two second persons next to himselfe in his kingdome one as it were the Lord Chancellor and the other Lord Treasurer our Sauiour answered after some questions had with them that to sit at his right hand and at his left hand was not his to giue but should be giuen to them for whom it was prepared of his father Matth. 20. 20. c. What meant our Sauiour by this answere Euen this not only that he came to be an example and patterne of humilitie and therefore not to take vpon him the bestowing of earthly offices and dignities neither onely that to conferre or bestowe these preferments of sitting at his right hand and at his left hand in his kingdome in heauen was not in him as hee was onely man in which respect he denieth himselfe to knowe the day and houre of his second comming Mar. 13. 32. and in which respect onely it seemed that this woman with her two sonnes came vnto Christ scarce so much as dreaming of his diuine nature and of his kingdome in heauen but he also meaneth that the distinction Note and degrees of honour in the kingdome of heauen beeing already disposed by his Father viz. before all worlds when he made his generall decree of election vnto saluation it was not now in his power to alter or change the same This I say seemeth plainely to haue beene the meaning of Christ by the opposition which he maketh betwixt the deniall thereof to be in his hands and the acknowledgement of the giuing thereof to them for whom it was prepared of his Father For so he signifieth that the counsell of God touching the sitting at the right hand or at the left hand of Christ should stand could no more be altered by Christ himselfe than the general decree of God of election and reprobation If then Christ cannot alter the decree of God touching the particular place of any in the kingdome of God by giuing that degree of honour to one that the Father had prepared for another how much lesse can hee giue the inheritance of his kingdome generally to any for whom God hath not prepared the same To speake yet more of this inheritance of the children of God as it is said of Absalom in respect of his beauty that there was none in all Israel to be so much praised for beauty as Absalom and that from the sole of the foote to the crowne of the head there was no blemish in him 2. Sam. 14. 25. so it may be said of this inheritance touching the perfection thereof that amongst all the inheritances of the world there is none so much to be praised as this inheritance wherof now we speak of the children of God because from one end to another and from one side to another there is no blemish in it That which Dauid speaketh of his portion as he was one of Gods children may all and euery one of Gods children say of this inheritance The lines are fallen vnto me in pleasant places yea I haue a faire heritage Psal 16. 6. All this is manifest by those foure attributes whereby Peter describeth and commendeth this inheritance calling it immortall vndefiled not withering reserued in heauen 1. Pet. 1. 4. Of what inheritance of what kingdome in all the world can all these things or any of these things be truly spoken Neither is this inheritance thus commended in respect of it selfe only but also in respect of all things therein For are not all things in this inheritance immortall vndefiled not withering and heauenly To speake particularly and briefly of the former commendations First it is called immortall because it is euerlasting and without end as before we heard the condemnation of the wicked to be Though it haue a beginning yet it shall continue for euer How long soeuer any shall be in possession thereof yet the time still remaining shall be more then the time past What an excellent commendation this is may without further amplification appeare by that before spoken of condemnation in respect of the same circumstance In earthly benefits as here this commendation for time is set first so we do first enquire how long any thing will last Euery thing is accounted the better the more durable the same is Of euils the longer is more feared and shunned of good things the longer is more desired and laboured for In question of leases other things being like the longer is more worth Lands in fee simple to a man and his heires are more esteemed then leases or other chattels As this inheritance is immortall in it selfe so it shall be to the children of God for whom it is prepared and that are borne vnto it because they also shall be made immortall as well in their bodies as they are already in their soules that so they may enioy it for euer in their own persons for their bodies and for their soules and not in the person of any heires or successors as it is in the inheritances of this world But of this more afterward vpon the second verse The second attribute vndefiled signifieth that there is no spot or blemish in it Yea as the originall word being substantiuely taken as somtimes it is signifieth a certaine gemme or pretious stone that is vncapable of any pollution and that being cast into the fire will neither be corrupted nor wasted so may it be said of this inheritance Yea it is so pure that as it is said of Ireland that it will not suffer any toad snake adder or any other venemous thing in it so this inheritance will not admit or entertaine any thing that is polluted or defiled This I say brethren saith Paul that flesh and bloud cannot inherit the kingdome of God neither doth corruption inherit incorruption 1. Cor. 15. 50. This attribute seemeth to be a reason of the former For as any thing is pure and vndefiled so it is also durable And that which is altogether pure and vndefiled is also altogether durable that is immortall and euerlasting This word also being vnderstood of this inheritance not only in it selfe but in respect of the heires that shall enioy it importeth that when once they shall come to the full possession thereof they shall be altogether freed from sorrow and labor whereto here they were subiect so long as themselues were defiled and so long as they liued here where all things by them are polluted and defiled This is manifest by the answer of one of the Elders vnto Iohn touching them which he had seen arraied in long white robes These are they saith the Elder which came out of great tribulation and haue washed their long robes and haue made their long robes white in the bloud
Hathaliah that immediatly after Ahaziah vsurped the kingdome All these seuen kings I say were euill and vngodly though some of them at their entrance into their kingdomes made great shewes of godlinesse Neither had any of these seuen any good child for ought that we know but only Ahaz whom Ezekiâ—h his sonne succeeded Yet in the daies of Hezekiah the Lord comforteth him against Zenaherib and promiseth to saue Ierusalem for his owne sake and for Dauid his seruants sake 2. Kings 19. 34. So he noteth that all the former succession of euill kings so long togither euen for the space of about 155 yeers at least not much lesse had not disanulled and made voide the former couenant of God made with Dauid Yea we may say more that sometime the promise of the Lord made to the wicked though indeed as they in some things resemble the children of God is kept with their posterity and they also haue the benefit of it This hath been shewed before by the performance of Gods promise made to Iehu euen to his sonnes afterward though all wicked to the fourth generation What a gratious priuiledge then is it to them that are the children of God indeed that euen their children are by their parents within the couenant of God Although also wicked children of good parents doe depriue themselues of all benefits of Gods couenant touching the life to come yet they do receiue many by the same couenant touching this present life Ismael had not only the seale of the couenant circumcision but for the couenants sake made with Abraham God heard him praying for Ismael that he might liue in his sight and answered him most gratiously saying As concerning Ismael I haue heard thee lo◠〈◊〉 blessed him and will make him fruitfull and will multiply him exceedingly twelue Princes shall he beget and I wiâ—â— make a great nation of him Gen. 17. 18. By the said example of Ismael and by the benefit he had by the praiers of Abraham praying for him wee see the posterity of the children of God to haue great benefit by the praiers of their parents If the praier of the righteous auaileth much for any if it bâ— feâ—â—ent Iames 5. 17. much more may wee assure our selues that the praiers of the righteous parents for their children doe auaile much because they will pray most feruently for them If God heard Abraham praying for wicked Ismael he will also doubtlesse heare other parents praying for their children in the saith of Abraham especially for such children as doe themselues also beleeue Therefore the Gospell testifieth how many children were sometime restored from death to life and somtime were released from a bodily possession of satan by the suit of their godly parents to our sauiour in their behalfe Mat. 9. 18. Mat. 15. 22. Mat. 17. 14. Mark 9. 17. Great likewise is the benefit of Gods childrens children by better education better precepts better exercises of religion better chastisements and corrections and better example of life and conuersation then the children of the wicked for the most part haue As the children of such parents as are themselues the children of God haue these benefits by their such parents so likewise great is the benefit and comfort that such parents haue by their children that walke in the couenant of God viz. by their feare of God by their obedience to them and their praiers for them and by their good behauiours towards all other in which respect Salomon doth often commend such children in the book of the Prouerbs A wise sonne maketh a glad father Prou. 10. 1. and 15. 20. My sonne if thou be wise mine heart shall reioice and I also Pro. 23. 15. and againe the father of the righteous shall reioice he that begetteth a wise sonne shall haue ioy of heart thy father and thy mother shall be glad and she that bare thee shall reioice verse 24 25. My sonne be wise and reioice mine heart that I may answer him that reprooueth me Pro. 27. 11. and 29. 3. sometime also it commeth to passe that good children become parents to their parents by releeuing them in their necessities and helping them in their outward state so Ioseph is said to haue nourished his father Iacob and all the rest of his sonnes and their families Gen. 45. 18. and 47. 12. so likewise Ruth was a great helpe for maintenance to her mother in law Naomi and much other comfort had Naomi by her in her old age The contrary is manifest of wicked children both by many sentences in the Prouerbs before alleged and also by many examples of Ismael Esau the sonnes of Eli Hophni and Phine as Amnon and Absolon the sonnes of Dauid and of many other As it is thus betweene the husband and the wife and parents and children that are themselues the children of God so the master and seruant that are the children of God haue much greater benefit one by another then wicked masters and seruants haue for how great was the mutuall comfort both that Abraham had by the faithfull seruice that his seruant performed whom he imploied about a wife for his sonne Isaac and also that the same seruant had by the former instruction and example of Abraham whereby no doubt he was brought to make such conscience of faithfull seruice vnto Abraham For doth not the Lord himselfe say of Abraham I know him that he will command his seruants and his house after him that they keepe the way of the Lord to doe righteousnesse and iudgement Gen. 18. 19. Yea wicked masters haue great benefit by such seruants as are the children of God Laban an Idolater could say of Iacobs seruice I haue perceiued that the Lord hath blessed mee for thy sake Gen. 30. 27. Potiphar Iosephs master saw that the Lord was with Ioseph and that the Lord made all to prosper that was in his hand and so Ioseph found fauour in his sight and serued him and he made him Ruler ouer his house and put all that he had in his hand and from that time that hee made him Ruler ouer his house and ouer all that hee had the Lord blessed the Egyptians house for Iosephs sake and the blessing of the Lord was vpon all that he had in his house and in the field Gen. 39. 2. Yea Potiphar had a further benefit by Ioseph because when his wife most impudently inticed him to filthinesse with her Ioseph most gratiouslie denied it and said Behold my master knoweth not what he hath in the house with me but hath committed all that he hath to mine hand There is no man greater in this house then I neither hath he kept any thing from mee but only thee because thou art his wife how then can I doe this great wickednesse and so sinne against God And albeit she spake to Ioseph day by day yet hee hearkned not vntâ— her to lie with her nor to be in her companie Ge. 39. 8. 9. 10. Was not this a great
their liues Though these viz. that disgrace otherwise wrong the children of God escape a while vnpunished seeme to laugh in their sleeues and to shew their faces in all companies plesantly with Agag to say in their harts as he spake with his tongue Truly the bitternes of death is past 1. Sa. 15. 32. yetwofull without repentance shall their reward be at the last when they shal find that they had beene better the greatest the proudest and mightiest of them all to haue bitten their fingers ends to the bones to haue eaten the flesh from their armes or to haue gone a thousand miles of an errand that on their bare feet all the while vpon thornes then to haue done any hurt to the least to the poorest and to the meanest of Gods children Last of all the more any king rewardeth any kindnesse done to any of his children or punisheth any indignitie offred vnto them the more hee sheweth himselfe to regard such as haue receiued such kindnesse or met with such indignity and the more hee doth grace and honour them before his people that see his rewards vpon such as haue shewed that kindnesse or that heare of his seuerity against such as haue offred that indignitie I conclude therefore the like of the dignity and honourable state of the children of God in respect of his gracious promises made and performed to any that shew but the least kindnesse towards the least of his children as likewise in respect of his indignation threatned and executed vpon all that doe any of them any wrong Thus much for this point and thus much also for all the arguments whereby I thought good to lay foorth the doctrine of the dignitie of Gods children CHAP. XXXI Of the vses of the former doctrine concerning the dignity of Gods children IT remaineth now according to my order before insinuated in the beginning of the fourth Chapt. that I shew the vse of all the doctrine hitherto handled concerning the dignity of Gods children These I will only touch and as it were but point at with the finger leauing the further inlarging of them to the better consideration of the reader as also of such as shall haue occasion more to apply and presse them then it is fit for me to doe in this Treatise Thesevses are generally of two sorts viz. either common to all euen to the wicked as well as to the children of God or speciall either to the wicked alone or to the godly alone Touching common vses this doctrine first of all serueth to correct the base opinion that most men haue conceiued of the children of God and to teach vs to thinke and esteeme of them according to those things before spoken All men for the most part regard men more according to their state in the world that is according to their riches to their honour and credit with great men in the world to their power and authority for doing of worldly matters All men I say for the most part doe more regard men according to these things then according to their adoption according to their graces whereby they shew foorth their adoption and according to that estimation in which the said graces accompanying adoption doe declare them to be with God himselfe Neither is this the fault onely of naturall men such as are not the children of God themselues but euen sometimes of them that are themselues regenerated and sealed with the spirit of adoption euen they I say doe not so regard one another as they ought to doe in respect of their adoption yea the children of God doe often times thinke the more basely of themselues and are the more deiected in their owne hearts because they are so little regarded by other But sith wee haue heard before how honourable their state and condition is and how God hath most highly dignified and aduanced them why should they not be so regarded of other Why should they not so esteeme of themselues Not any whit to puffe themselues vp and to make themselues to set vp their bristles as it were with contempt against any other but rather to comfort themselues the more against such contempt disgrace and indignity as they meet with in the world at the hands of other This vse the Apostle Iames commendeth when hee exhorteth not to haue the faith of our Lord Iesus Christ in respect of persons or to esteeme of men according to their ccstly apparell or outward countenance which they did beare in the world but according to their riches of faith and according to their in heritance in the kingdome which God hath promised to them that loue him Iames 2. 1. c. Vnder this opinion I comprehend also loue of the heart and honour of the outward man agreeable to the said opinion For so much Iames signifieth in the placâ— before alleged by hauing the faith of Christ inrespect of persons which appeareth plainly by his words immediately following viz. For if there come into your company saith hee a man with a gold ring and in good apparell and there come in also a poore man in vile raiment and ye haue respect vnto â—im that weareth gay clothing and ye say vnto him Sit thou heere in a good place and sâ—y vnto the poore Stand thou heere or Sit heere vnder my footstoole These words I say of the Apostle doe plainly shew that hee reprooueth not only a base opinion inwardly of the children of God but also the outward abasing and disgracing of them by preferring men before them according to their riches and costly apparell c. And this Iames wrote not to heathen men nor to meere naturals but to them whom God of his owne will had begotten with the word of truth to bee as the first fruits of his creatures chap. 1. 18. thereby shewing that it is a fault not onely amongst the men of the world too lightly both in their iudgments and in their affections and also in their outward carriage to regard the children of God but also in them that are of the same father and haue the same in hert ance And this indeed in these daies is a fault not onely amongst prophane men that contemne all goodnesse nor amongst Papists and professed Atheists but also amongst professors themselues euen of the best sort viz. too much to esteeme the gay men of the world and such as are gentlemen borne and haue good estates in the world though they bee neuer so wicked and vngodly and despisers of all grace and too basely to esteeme and too little to regard the most apparant children of God knowen to bee vertuous and shewing many tokens that they are turned from darknesse to light and from the power of Satan vnto God and haue receiued â—orgiuenesse of sinnes and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith in Christ Acts 26. 18. Whom a king will honour all his subiects also honour much more Therefore it is said that when Ahashuerosh promoted Haman
ministers of the word by the children of God instrumentally begotten by them to God as before we amplified the dignity of Gods children by the honor of the ministers of the word This is the more to be obserued because in the first creation of man God did all himselfe alone not vsing therein the ministery of any Angell That now therefore in the second creation and restoring of man he imploieth men to effect the same it is no small grace and credit to them whom he doth so imploy the rather because it hath been before shewed that this second creation of man in the iudgement of man cannot but be acknowledged a far greater worke then the first creation either of man only or of all other things Had I not been so plentifull as I haue been already in the former part of this treatise and were not some other things remaining not altogether to be omitted the manifold indignities that in these last daies are euery where offered as generally to all the children of God so specially to the ministers of the word would require this vse to be much stood vpon Of many indignities so offered vnto the ministers of the word it is not the least but rather the chiefest and that which woundeth most that ariseth from the people themselues where such ministers haue exercised their gifts and spent their strength and perhaps also for example of liberality to other or by necessary charges exhausted their owne outward states hauing either nothing or very little left for maintenance os themselues in their age when they most need comfort or at least not hauing halfe so much to leaue to many children as their parents left to them alone For such to be neglected and contemned yea also oppugned and pursued by their owne people with many vnkindnesses cannot but be a grieuous sinne against God and an heauy discouragement of such ministers This indignity also is the greater if it be at such times as when such Ministers are vnder other afflictions either publike or priuÌ„ate For what is this but to adde affliction to the afflâ—cted Psal 69. 26. and 109. 16. whom rather they should comfort verily this cannot be excused but must be acknowledged an hainous sinne yea though it be not doneroughly and as it were with stones or staues to pelt them away or otherwise violently to driue them out of their townes but rather vpon other pretenses after a curteous manner to intreat them to depart and as it were to goe out of their coasts Did not the Gergasens or Gadarens so to Christ Mat. 8. 34 Mark 5 17. Did not the gouernors of Philippâ— the like to Paul and Silas Acts 16 34. yet either of them had some colour at least of carnall reason to do as they did The Gergasens or Gadarens had as then receiued but little benefithy Christ onlv he had cured one man in their coasts that was bodily possessed of a legion of diuels the working of which cure had cost them the losse of an heard of swine of about â—000 Mark 5. 13. The Philippian magistrates hauing ouershot themselues in beating and imprisoning Paul and Silâ—s being Romanes and in that respect exempted from all such indignities in all places vnder the Roman iurisdiction might feare great danger to themselues by their said hard dealing with Paul and Silas if Paul and Silas should haue taken aduantage against them and might haue had the benefit of the Roman law for their said aduantage Yet hath the Scripture recorded these things both of the Gergasens of Gadarens and also of the Rulers of Philippi as great barbarisme vnder the pretext and cloke of a certaine kinde of humanitie what then is to bee said of such in these daies of the cleere light of the Gospell that shall vse the like smooth discouragements of their Ministers that haue faithfully preached the Gospell to them and theirs that haue neuer hindred them the worth of a little pigge but rather perhaps haue sustained much losse at some of their hands and at whose hands they need not to feare any manner of danger by their stay amongst them or their taking any aduantage against them Let all such vnthankfull people towards their faithfull Ministers well consider what is said of the children of Israel for not shewing kindnesse to the posterity of Gideon otherwise called Ierubbaal euen after the death of the said Gideon or lerubbaal The children of Israel saith the holy historie remembred not the Lord their God which had deliuered them out of the hands of all their enemies on euery side Neither shewed they mercy on the bouse of Ierubbaal or Gideon according to all the goodnesse which he had shewed vnto Israel Iudg. 8. 34. 35. If the Israelites not shewing kindnesse to the house of Ierubbaal or Gideon were so noted and obserued yea so blamed and censured by the holy Ghost as also ioined with their not remembring God himselfe when as Ierubbaal or Gideon had onely deliuered them from bodily enemies wil not the Lord note and obserue much more all inhumanity and vnkindnesse shewed not to the posteritie of godly Ministers but to such Ministers themselues in their owne persons but to such Ministers themselues in their owne persons by whom instrumentally God hath deliuered or at least offred to deliuer such people out of the hands and from the power bondage and thraldome of their spirituall enemies that so they might be children to God himselfe Yea such may rather feare lest by such discouragements offred to their Ministers whereby they are forced to depart and to seeke for more peace and comfort elswhere the Lord Iesus Christ may say vnto them in behalfe of such Ministers as sometimes he said to the Iewes touching himselfe viz. that when such are so gone from them then they seeke them and shall not fâ—â—de them Iob. 7. 34. that is then they wish they had them againe but shall not haue their desires Especially it were well that all such would feare in time that which followeth in the same place viz. that where they shall be when God shall haue taken them to himselfe into heauen they cannot come But wishing and praying for better things to the most mortall enemies of any ministers of the word I do thus leaue this vse and proceed now to other Another common vse therfore of this doctrine of the dignity of the children of God is that the more excellent we hear their state and condition to be the more all sorts of men should take delight and pleasure in their society and fellowship The rather because it is no small meanes both to make them that are not the children of God to be his children For he that walketh with the wise shall be wise proâ— 13. 20. and also to strengthen them that are already the children of God the better so to continue and the more to grow in all those things wherein doth consist the being of the children of God and which are the notes and
a Iew and say Wee will goe with you for wee haue heard that God is with you Zecbar 8. 23. Other Prophets also before had written to the same purpose thus It shall bee in the last daies that the mountainâ— of the house of the Lord shall bee prepared in the top of the mountaines and shall bee exalted aboue the hilles and all nations shall flow vnto it And many people shall goe and say Come and let vs goe vp to the mountaine of the Lord to the house of the God of Iaakob and be will teach vs his waies and we will walke in his pathes c. Isa 2. 2. Mich 4 1. Many other the like promises there are for the incouragement of all how wicked soeuer to change their state and to make haste in that behalfe before they perish in their wicked condition The examples likewise of those Act. 2. 37. of the gaoler Act. 16. 27. of Paul him-selfe of Mary Magdalen of all the heathen conuerted by the Apostles and infinit other may further encourage men vnto this hast for entring into the way of adoption If once they enter let them proceed and goe forward not halfe way but throughout and to the end Agrippa was halfe yea almost perswaded to bee a Christian Act. 26. 28. but wee read not that hee was altogether perswaded so to bee a Christian Though wee may not absolutely say that hee neuer afterward fully and wholly became a Christian yet that but almost mentioned in the Scripture and no more either there or in any other place being testified of his perfect conuersion may iustly make vs all the more to doubt of him Many in the daies of Christ were his Disciples for a time who at the last tooke such offence at his Doctrine that they went backe and walked no more with him Iohn 6. 66. After that many were followers of the Apostles who afterward forsooke them 2. Tim 4 6. Heb. 10. 25. 1. Ioh. 2. 19. It is a dangerous thing thus to enter and not to go forward No man that putteth his hand to the plough and looketh backe is apt to the Kingdome of God Luk. 9. 62. As this is true in the particular calling to the ministery so much more in the generall to Christianity If any after they haue escaped from the filthinesse of the world that is after they made profession of renouncing the filthinesse of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and of the Sauiour Iesus Christ are yet intangled therein againe and ouercome the latter end is worse with them then the beginning c. 2. Pet. 2. 20. The meanes whereby they that are wicked may be released of the bondage of their sinne and made the children of God is as wee haue heard principally the ministerie of the word So likewise the societie and fellowship of them that are the children of God already as before wee heard If notwithstanding all hitherto said they that are wicked will not forsake their wickednesse but will still remaine such as they are yet let them take heed of all wrongs and iniuries against them that are the children of God lest in the end it be to their cost and they repent as Iudas did when it is too late But of this point also before Thus much for the vses of the doctrine of the dignitie of Gods children which are proper and speciall to the wicked Touching them that are the children of God indeed let them especially first of all take heed that they fall not from their excellent state It is true indeed that they that are once truly the children of God shall euer so continue and cannot fall away Howbeit we are exhorted often to take heed to our selues in this behalfe Heb. 3. 12. and 10. 23. and 12 15. and elswhere because exhortations are the speciallest meanes for our vpholding Wee condemne all that being but base and beggarly and yet taken into some noble mans or gentlemans house and seruice where they are in the way to preferment cannot keepe themselues well whiles they are well Especially wee condemne them that hauing found such fauour with Princes as that from a low degree they are aduanced to some honourable condition as the Earle of TERONE and other cannot containe themselues but breake their lists and so bring themselues to their former basenesse How much more then may they be condemned that being translated from death to life from darkenesse to light from bondage to libertie from seruants and slaues of the Diuell to bee the sonnes and daughters of God from Hell to Heauen doe what in themlieth to returne againe to their former miserie Although indeed the true children of God can neuer bee altogether vnchilded as it were and vtterly degraded yet they in particular things so fall yea generally for a time so decline that they may seeme and often times seeme to other and to themselues neuer to haue beene the children of God All this is by negligence and securitie For as Blessed is the man that feareth alwaies Prou. 28. 14. so it is wofull euen a thing that bringeth much woe often times to the children of God to bee at any time but a little sleepie drowsie secure and watchlesse A second speciall vse for the children of God is that hauing found this loue before spoken of with God to be made his children they trust in him and depend on him not fearing but that hee that hath made them his children and will giue them a kingdome fit for such children wil also and much more giue them all things for this life Luk 12. 32. Our little children when they rise in the morning yea our seruants also take no care what they shall eat or what they shall drinke but they leaue all such care to vs their fathers and their masters and it is indeed our duty to prouide all such things for them For he that prouideth not for his owne and namely for them of his houshold denieth the faith and is worse then an infiâ—ell 1. Tim. 5. 8. Hitherto belongeth the speech of Moses vnto God Num. 11. 12. 13. and the practise of Bathshebaes huswife Prou. 31. 15. Why then should not we much more that professe our selues the children of God cast all our care vpon our heauenlie father that careth for vs 1. Pet. 5. 7. Vnder this vse I comprehend infinite comfort of the children of God The grounds of this comfort being handled before and some of them to be touched againe in the next verse I shall not need to stand vpon them now Yea with this trust in God and comfort from God we may ioine patience both towards God and also towards men Towards God because we haue heard before that he correcteth vr onely in loue and for our great good that wee may not bee condemned with the world 1. Cor. 11. 12. Towards man because hee is but Gods hand to chastise vs and cannot goe beyond his commission and last of all shall himselfe be called
the snow euen so white as no fuller can make vpon the earth Mark 9. 3. but Moses also and Elias appeared and were talking with him both which likewise are said to haue appeared in glory Luk 9. 31. For that they appeared not in soule only but also in body it is cleere first by that that they were visibly seene of those Apostles Secondly because it is further said that they talked with Christ Thirdly because Luke also expresly calleth them by the name not of two spirits but of two men This our likenesse also vnto Christ Christ himselfe promiseth to those few names in Sardi which had not defiled their garments saying of them that they should walke with him in white Reuel 4. 34. What is it to be clothed in white and to walke in white with Christ but in glory to be made like vnto Christ who before in his transfiguration had shewed himselfe in white And by this colour of white is the glory of Christ and of Gods children rather described then by any other colour because Princes and great potentates of the earth when they would shew themselues in their greatest pompe and glory did vse to cloath themselues in white yea so did our late most renowned Queene oftentime at the entertainment of some great Embassadors and other great solemnities This our likenes likewise vnto Christ is further promised in the same chapter verse 21. to euery one that ouer commeth namely in these words that to such Christ will giue to sit yea to sit with him in his throne What more as himselfe sitteth in the throne of his Father So then as Christ is in glory like to his Father so shall the children of God also be like vnto Christ This point of our likenesse vnto Christ is a most sweet and heauenly point so full of comfort that it is able to comfort vs though neuer so much compassed with sorrowes and loaden with griefes It is able to recouer vs though neuer so sicke of sinne It is able to reuiue and restore vs though not only halfe dead but also altogether dead in sinnes and trespasses It is much that wee shall shine as the brightnesse of the firmament and as the starres for euer Dan. 12. as also that we shall shine as the Sunne it selfe in the kingdome of our Father Mat. 13. 34. It is more that we shall be like to the Angels of God in heauen Mat. 22. 30. of whose great glory we haue heard before Who therfore can expresse or conceiue this that is here spoken that we shall be like vnto Christ himselfe For what is the brightnes of the firmament what is the glistering of the starres what is the light of the Sunne in the greatest and cleerest height thereof what is the glory of the Angels in respect of Christ Iesus When he was in the shape of a seruant he taught with such power and authority that all that heard him were astonied at his doctrine Mat. 7. 28. 29. and wondred at the gratious words that proceeded out of his mouth Luk 4. 22. Yea the very officers of the high Priests and Pharisies that were sent to take him being rauished with his words returned without him and being asked why they had not brought him they answered Neuer man spake like this man Iohn 7. 32. 45. Afterward also his aduersaries that came out to apprehend him with one word of his mouth were turned backe and fell to the ground Ioh. 18. 6. I omit heere the amplification of this point by the glory of Moses his face comming from receiuing the law which Moses was but a seruant as also by the rauishment of Peter Iames and Iohn with the transfiguration of Christ in the mount to giue them a tast of his glory These things I say I do omit as hauing spoken of them before Neither also is it to any great purpose to compare the glory of Christ with the glory of the Monarchs of the world and so thereby to amplifie our glory in regard that we shall be like vnto Christ For alas all the glory of earthly Princes is not so much as a picture or a shadow of the glory of Christ who is the first begotten of the dead the Prince of the kings of the earth Reu. 1. 5. and who walketh in middes of the seuen candlestickes is cloathed with a garment downe to the feete and girded about the pappes with a golden girdle whose head and haire are white as white as wooll and as snowe and his eies as a flame of fire and his feete like vnto fiâ—e brasse burning as in a fornace and his voice as the sound of many waters hauing in his right hand seuen starres and a sharpe two-edged sword going out of his mouth and whose face shineth as the Sunne in his strength Reuel 1. 13. c. To whom also being newlie borne certaine wise men did not only come out of the East but also fell downe and worshipped him opening their treasures and presenting vnto him gifts of gold and incense and myrrhe Mat. 2. 1. and 11. Yea who is so excellent that not only a multitude of heauenly souldiers sang at his birth though he were borne in a stable and laid in a manger Glory to God in the high heauens and peace in earth and towards men good will Luke 2. 14. but also that afterward the foure and twenty Elders did sing vnto him a new song saying Thou art worthy to take the booke viz. which before Iohn had seene in the right hand of him that sate vpon the throne written within and on the backeside sealed with seauen seales and which none in heauen and in earth or vnder the earth was worthie to open and to open the seales thereof because thou wast killed and hast redeemed vs to God by thy bloud out of euerie kindred and tongue and people and nation and hast made vs vnto our God Kings and Priests c. Reuelat. 5. 9. 10. Yea whose excellencie and glorie and worthinesse is such that not only they did so sing but that also Iohn did heare many other Angels round about the throne c. euen thousand thousands to sing with a loud voice saying Worthy is the lambe that was killed to receiue power and riches and wisedome and strength and honor and glory and praise Yea concerning whom also he heard all creatures in heauen on earth and vnder the earth and in the sea c. saying Praise and honor and glory and power be vnto him that sitteth vpon the throne and vnto the Lambe for euermore verse 11. c. If Christ himselfe be thus excellent shall not we also be excellent that shall be like vnto him Why then should we be dismaied why should we feare why should any affliction any disgrace with men any threatning of men any pouerty any banishment any imprisonment any losses or any other calamities make vs to hang down our head yea why should any thing take away our ioy from vs why should we