The yong man must Remember his Creator in the daies of youth least the houres come wherein hee shall haue no pleasure in them Iezabel had a time so had Ierusalem Agrippa and many others but when they foreslowed the oportunitie they found not in future time any mercy When God calleth and we will not come we shall cry but we shall not be heard Wofull experience hath taught this truth to many thousands for there is an appointed time for all things vnder the sunne 2. Seeke for what thou wouldst haue at the Lords hands let him be the principall Asa was sicke in his feete Ezekiah at the heart the one seeking to the Phisician first died the other going to God had his life many yeares prolonged Goe not with Saul to a witch at Endor with Iudas to the Pharisees with Ephraim and Iudah to Ashur and Hos 5. 13. king Iareb with the Papist to the Pope or Angell But goe to the Lord for these are miserable comforters and the best of them if the God of all the world the first mouer of all things and chiefe Phisician be absent cannot heale thee or cure thee of thy wound But seek vnto God and he will heare thee helpe thee 3. Goe to him but not like the proud Pharisee with I thanke God I am not so nor so neither with the boasting Papist in the robes of thing owne righteousnes but come vnto him in the name of Christ Iesus the sonne of his loue send him or set him before thee For whatsoeuer thou shalt seeke in his name that is in his worthines it shall be giuen thee For without Christ he is a consuming fire 4. Let the word and that neuer-erring spirit be thy guide If these two lead thee to the Father in the new and euerliuing way of Christ the Sauiour of all that are saued thou shalt find according to thy hearts desire Practise this Rule 5. Haue respect to the manner of thy seeking let it be vpon the feete of faith and affection with the wings of pure zeale and feruency and then thou shalt find assuredly 6. And finally let the end of thy seeking be for the glory of thy God the good and comfort of thy brethren and reformation of all thy wayes the curing and curbing of thy strong corruptions the encrease of all grace and for food friends favour and rayment so farre and no farther as the Lord seeth them to be needfull for thee Obserue these directions and then stay the Lords leysure and be sure of it that as Onesiphorus found Paul so shalt thou the thing thou hast sought after be it what it can in earth or heauen Now whereas Onesiphorus sought Paul at Rome and was permitted to refresh him we may note that Rome heathen was not sobad then as Rome Christian is now Doct. 5. Act. 28. 30. For Paul might be suffered to liue to haue his keeper Reas 1. to leade him in a chaine to dwell in a house all that would were permitted to come vnto him and without let he might preach the kingdome of God the Gospell of Christ But now if a Paul were there he would not be thought worthy to liue no not for an houre Againe wicked men grow worse and worse Reas 2. Vse Let this for euer be as a sure brand for that Beast who is drunkk with the bloud of the Saints that it is he and no other who exalteth himselfe aboue all that is called God and the very Antichrist whom the Lord will consume with the sword of his mouth They boast of piety and pitty when as Cain was no more cruell to Abel then they be to the faithfull Well Let them thinke that they doe God good seruice in putting vs to death yet they are deceiued it that In this we are not that for so doing they shall tast of the very dregs of Gods hottest vengeance spue and fall and dye the second death For Pope and Papists are men according to the Divells owne heart VERS 18. The Lord grant vnto him that he may find mercy with the Lord at that day and in how many things he hath ministred vnto me at Ephesus thou knowest very well WE are now come through the good prouidence The Logicall resolution of God to the last verse of this Chapter In the which two things are comprehended 1. A prayer 2. An Appellation In the Prayer we may obserue 4. things 1. To whom Paul prayed the Lord. 2. For whom he prayed him That is Onesiphorus 3. For what he prayed mercy 4. At what time he would haue his friend to receiue the thing he prayed for at that day In the Appellation we haue these particulars 1. That Onesiphorus relieued Paul 2. The place where it was at Ephesus 3. Wherewith that is many things And 4. The probation of this in the last words These or this thou knowest very well He drawes an argument from Timotheus knowledge to confirme his Testimony The Lord. In Hebrew Adonai is Lord being a word of The Theologicall exposition the plurall number yet often vsed in the forme singular it is deriued of Aeden a base or pillar which sustaineth a thing and our English word Lord hath much like signification being contracted of the old Saxon word Laford which commeth of Laef to support sustaine or cherish so that Lord is a Sustainer refresher supporter cherisher For if God withdraw his power all things come to nothing In the Greeke it properly signifieth one that hath authoritie or on whose authoritie something dependeth or consisteth and so indeed doe all things depend on God and hee is cheife gouernour and owner of all things created Mercy The word in the Hebrew put for mercy doth import a sacred affection of piety fauour benignitie and bountifull good pleasure or will of God towards a man without respect of desert or merit It is also applied to man and then it is meant a pious louing and benigne affection whereby he is moued and inclined to doe good to shew pittie compassion c. or that grace of God the which he hath receiued from the father through Christ which is inherent in him or conferred externally vpon him and then its glory Isai 40. 6. 1 Pet. 1. 24. And it is frequent for the Greeks to vse that word which our Apostle doth here for it the which Christ himselfe alloweth did practise See Hos 6. 6. Math. 9. 13. And the Hebrewes of Chesed which is Mercy call a godly man chasid that is gracious mercifull Psal 4. 4. some read a gracious Saint With the Lord. The like phrase we read Gen. 19. 24. The Lord rained fire and brimstone from the Lord. Paul vseth the like manner of speaking for as iudgement came from the Lord vpon Sodom so he prayes for mercy to befall Onesiphorus from the Lord Yet I haue thought that Lord in the first place is to be vnderstood of the Father and in the second is meant the Sonne
zealous for the law and ceremonies and Paul preached the Gospell called them beggarly and impotent rudiments told that if they were circumcised Christ profited them nothing Why this so tooke downe the pride of man that he should not be iustified by his owne workes but by anothers that Paul was persecuted and hardly entreated of his owne Country men If a skilfull Taylor take measure of a crooked and mishapen person and fit the garment proportionable to the patterne a proud peece of flesh will powte swell and wrangle with the workeman so let the Ministers and men of God doe good devide the word aright high and lofty spirits will be muttering for they cannot endure the light or to be told of their deformities Thus Paul was reputed an enemy for telling them the truth A counterfeite and false glasse is the fittest for old withered and wrinckled Curtezans to view themselues in for if it should shew them their right shapes all things to nothing they split it against the wals And in the last place the goodnes of an action cannot Reas 4. exempt the weldoer from affliction for its a meanes to breake downe the walls of Babel to throw the gates of Hell off her hindges and to weaken the kingdome of Sathan God saith He will set enmity betweene the womans seed and Gen. 3 15. the Serpents and how For thou shalt bruise his head so that breake the Diuels plots and pate by doing good be thou assured he will haue thee by the heele And Paul was the worse entreated for preaching to the Gentiles for the Iewes hated them and Sathan had long held them in his custody and prison of darknes Here we are taught a rule of wisedome and that is Neuer Vse 1. to iudge the goodnes or badnes of an action by the vsage and future entertainment of the Doer for in so doing wee may commend amisse and speake good of evill and evill of good Was not Abel killed Moses forced to flee Iacob ill entreated David derided the Prophets imprisoned Stephen stoned Iames beheaded Christ crucified and many of his innocent members massacred murdered for well doing Iudge not therefore before the time condemne not least thou be condemned But rather vse your censuring in this in not laying a blocke of stumbling before your Brethren Pharaoh a wicked King may haue peace when David the annoynted of the Lord may flee for his life Ahabs foure hundred of false Prophets may haue freedome when faithfull Micaiah may kisse the stockes Christ may be crucified when Barrabas shall be deliuered And so may the guilty sometimes escape when the guiltlesse and guilelesse are in great ieopardy For he that refraineth from evill maketh Isa 59. 15. Mal. 3. 15. himselfe a prey When as they that tempt God and worke wickednes are set vp aduanced deliuered In the next place we see how impossible a thing it is for Vse 2. a good man to liue in peace for wicked men will reward evill for good Let Christ turne the Iewes water into wine he shall haue from them vinegar to drinke tell them the truth they will hire false witnesses to sweare lyes against him If he say hee hath the Spirit of God they will say No he hath a Diuell Let him remit sinne they will cry he blasphemeth If he demaund for which of his good workes they seeke to kill him they will answere that the Diuell goeth about to kill him and not they And did the world thus deale with him who had no sinne neither was any guile found in his mouth then neuer expect thou any good entertainment from the world in this world for shee loueth none but her owne Shall men burne greene boughes and spare those that neuer beare spue out the water of life and tast deepely of the muddy puddle Eclipse the Sun and not puffe at a candle Dig vp the rootes and cherish the branches pierce the head wound the heart slay the heire and shall the members not be mortified the hands nayled and the yonger brethren fouly entreated Wherefore let David arme himselfe for Saul will cast a speare at him for he is the Lords annointed If Nehemiah will repaire his fathers sepulchres build the walles of Ierusalem hee shall meete with a Sanballat a bush in a place here or there a Tobiah that will oppose dissemble write counterfeit letters to hinder him for hee seeketh the welfare of Israel and that 's their griefe Will Paul scatter the Gospell write Epistles preach to the blind and ignorant Gentiles the proud Pharisees then his owne Countrimen will proue his greatest enemies and repute him a plaguy fellow for preaching new doctrine to a new Nation Will Ames Shaphat Peter and Iames leaue their former meane callings to preach and prophecy at the commaund of the Lord shall they not be disgraced What! is Saul among the Prophets how know these the Scriptures Can any good thing come out of Nazareth Amo. 7. 13. And gâ—â— to thy fathers house some Amaziah will cry and eate thy bread and prophecy there but come not at Bethel for it is the kings court And seeing this hath beene done to the best in times past let vs in our dayes expect a part so long as the Diuell and the Pope are at liberty I suffer these things We see here two things 1. Who suffered 2. What hee suffered The Doctrines shall be pointed at and briefly passed The first from the person to bee noted is that Neither learning wisedome piety or externall priviledges Doct. 2. can preserue a man from suffering affliction Math. 23. 34. 35. For Paul was well discended of rare parts singular prudence Phil. 3. 4. 5. and great sanctity yet all these could not exempt him from persecution great tribulation Christ was the fountaine of all wisedome grace and holines yet who euer more vilely entreated then he Moses the meekest man on earth David a man according to Gods owne heart and Iob a iust and perfect man yet all scoffed derided vpbraided and the drunkards made Ballads of them Why the wicked are not respecters of persons all fish Reas 1. are alike that come to their net Nay rather the more holy any is the more be they hated of them A crabbed Kyte will seize on the tenderest carcasse so wicked and profane men make a prey of the most singular person Againe the rarer parts any hath the more doth hee build Reas 2. vp the decaied walls of Ierusalem gather the scattered Saints and repaire the body of Christ and this cannot Sathan neither his instruments tolerate with patience If the great Temple of Diana goe downe Bethel be aduanced let Paul expect the greatest spight that created Natures can complot against him If the Lords annointed call his Nobles for the welfare of our Israel then fire faggot gunpowder shall be prouided If this be thus then how doe they misse the marke and Vse 1. shoote besides the Butt
Minister Master seruant then know the patterne the which God hath appointed for thee in particular and keepe that Why was David stiled a man according to Gods owne heart Why he kept the patterne A good King Why he kept that patterne too Why was Moses counted faithfull in all Gods house Why he made all according to the patterne Why was Paul and his sonne Timothy praise worthy Why they kept the patterne Why is Oneâ—imus prayed for â—hy he kept the patterne Why is there such a Catalogue well Heb. 11. reported of why they kept the patterne Haue not one weight for the Rich another for the poore but keepe iust Ballances equall measures and be not a respecter of persons For as many as walke according to this patterne peace shall Gal. 6. 16. be vpon them and mercy and vpon the whole Israel of God And here it will not be amisse to giue some breife Rules Rules to direct vs in our callings generall particular for direction First for thy generall calling thou must practise two things 1. Beleeue all the promises 2. Obey all the precepts For faith and obedience are the parts of this patterne and to be kept of all whether inferiours or superiours And he that commands one commands all for the like Reason is giuen of both â—nd of the whole aswell as of any part or member in particular And for thy particular câ—lling thou must also vnderstand it and then learne and doe what the Lord requireth of thee Art thou a Magistrate Then thou must doe these things 1. Appoint good and wholesome lawes 2. See them that they be executed Hath the Lord called thee to the Ministery Then thou must 1. Seeke to gather the scattered Saints 2. To build them vp to perfection 1. By doctrine 2. example Is thy calling to gouerne a family Then 1. teach them committed to thy Charge their duties 1. to God 2. to man And 2. Call them to an account how they walke after that patterne If they doe well reward them encourage them if not admonish correct them â—f then no amendment follow cast them out Psal 101. Suppose thou be a father 1. Traine and nurse vp thy children in the feare of God 2. provide an honest calling and conuenient meanes for them and vse all alike vntill thou see the Lord put a difference Let David dandle his Adonijah and Absalon without Reason God will whip him with his owne rod. Finally art thou in subiection Care not for it But 1. giue eare to what thou art commanded that 's lawfull And then 2. Doe it 1. Without answering againe 2. As in obedience to Christ thy greatest master And know that what good thing thou shalt doe the Lord will recompence it either here or at his appearance And let no man thinke that he may warrantably liue out of a calling as some doe being like Drones in Church and Commonwealth eating the hony but flie not into the field to gather any 1. For God at the Creation did not only command Adam immediately to serue him but also to dresse and keepe the Garden I will not say that the neglect of his particular calling as some doe was his first sinne or that the not casting out of the Serpent made way to his fall for he should haue kept the garden that no beast say they of the field should haue entred therefore for not punishing of the Serpent God made him an instrument of his owne death as sometimes we haue seene that he who hath spared a Malefactor worthy of execution that man hath afterward proued the executioner of the person that pitied him But this I may safely affirme that our first parents were to worke in a particular as to performe the dutie of a generall calling 2. After the fall and when the Lord out of his vnsearchable mercy and when Adam expected no such favour for when we least imagine of such a thing God calls vs had receiued them into his loue and giuen them the promise of life did he not send him to till the earth Gen. 3. And is this â—o with the first borne and shall the second Brother liue in idlenes 3. The Angels haue a double calling and no doubt but Christ too wrought as the most write at the Carpenters trade for a season and had a twofold vocation as was but expedient for he was to fulfill all righteousnes and to vndergoe all the meanes of humiliation 4. And why did the Lord write the Commandements in two Tableâ— No doubt to teach this point we haue in hand And be there not precepts in the first that teach vs our duty to God and in the second what we are to performe to our Neighbour Briefe notes on the decalogue 5. It is worthy of our observation to consider how man is tyed with a double bond of obedience 1. to God 2. to his Brother To God he is bound with a fourefold coard The 1. to I. serue God and none other The 2. to serue him with his owne worship and none other The 3. after that manner he willeth and none other for all circumstances of Gods seruice fall within this precept whatsoeuer some affirme The 4. and last is what day principally and wholy and none other And marke how these foure things are necessary in perfect seruice 1. The person serued 2. The worship wherewith or Rule by which he is to be served 3. The manner how And 4. The time when So that here is a strong Reason for the Morality of the Sabbath II. In the next place we shall see man tied to man by a six-fold bond The 1. tyeth superiours and inferiours together The 2. bindeth them by the hands The 3. to their owne bodies for Man and wife are but one flesh The 4. tyeth them to their owne substance The 5. bindeth by the tonges The. 6. and last by the thoughts Or first motions of the will and affections And this breefely may giue some light for our direction in the knowledge and true obedience of this patterne and doth without controuersy prove that All persons are to live in a twofold Calling generall particular Further observe that the breach of the first precept in the first Table is in respect of the obiect the breach of the second precept in the first Table is in regard of the Rule the third in circumstance or manner and the fourth in time It will be said that time is a circumstance therefore a breach Obiect Sol. of the third precept I answere 1. That time though an adjunct yet t is essentiall to an action for no action can be done but in time shorter or longer And take away time all created things would cease For time is an affection that runneth through and measureth all things God onely excepted who was from eternity And thgouh wee read that Time shall be no more yet I take it it is meant of Creation Generation Repentance c. for all things shall
it be infused His essence Reas 2. is not destroyed but his faculties disordered so that being once turned like a wheele that goes backward he will Gods finger being once present easilie be caried the same course as at the creation This doctrine should incourage men to vse the meanes Vse 1. without wearines whereby sinners are converred Wee must instruct them who be contrarie-minded prooving if God at any time will bring them out of the snares of the Devill to 2. Tim. 2. 25. amendement of life Why should we despaire of any person iudge him finally or repute him a reprobate Was not this man with whom we haue to deale as vnlikely to haue proved an Apostle an holy liver as any thou knowest Hee who had seene Paul with the high-Priest and met him with letters trudging to Damascus would haue little thought he would another day haue sealed the Gospell with his blood Let the meanes be vsed and referre the successe to God The prodigall may come to himselfe and returne to his Father at the last Onesimus may be begot in his wandring proue profitable to and abide with his master for ever after Phile. 10. c. This Doctrine is of vse also for such as haue mispent Vse 2. their former time followed the evill fashions of the world and given their members as so many servants to worke wickednesse with greedinesse If they finde in themselues a setled resolution to leaue their former courses and with a purpose of heart to cleaue vnto the Lord it s a truth that Sathan will tempt such and tell them that now it is in vaine to returne from their wonted wayes former wickednesse and alter their crooked pathes But they must not giue credit to his false suggestions and subtillillusions for if they doe they bee vndone Bee of good comfort For thy former evill course shall not make thee miscarry if thy present resolution be to be reformed in all things For as bad lewd profane as thy selfe haue become godly persons excellent people Let this then be a meanes to comfort thee when thy spirit is wounded or thou by Sathan to vtter desperation art tempted Yet caution must heere bee had that this comfortable Cautions to be vsed that grace be not abused doctrine be not abused First take heede that thou doe not learne heereby to deferre thy repentance to extenuate thy sinne or to apply it to all times and persons For this were a sinne with an high hand and in so doing thou shouldst aggrauate thine inâ—quitie and turne the mercie bounty and long-suffering of the Lord into wantonnesse abuse his patience and iustly incurre greater condemnation Wee must not sinne because grace doth abound but rather in the consideration thereof bee led to repentance Secondly as thou desirest to partake of the like grace and favour which others haue done striue thou to be equally qualified as such persons haue beene The choicest receâ—pts are applyed to the sickest weakest The mercie of God is physicke onely for the wounded spirit Wherefore set this example before the eye of thy soule in the greatest temptation hardest conflict and when thy faith in the remembrance of thy former crooked courses the most seemeth to faile thee for then it may stand thee in stead otherwiâ—e not I could also gather from these words That diverse names may for iust and lawfull vses be vndertaken That our owne names and hand is necessarie to bee annexed to our writings but I omit these and proceede further Of Iesus Christ What did the Apostle most reioyce in from what did he deduce arguments to maintaine his dignitie from his Tribe kindred Pharisaicall profession or any carnall and earthly priviledge in no wise but from that he was now the servant of Christ and put into office vnder him whence may be collected that Any vnion relation Doct. 3. or contract in and with Christ is of great importance As Paul doth magnifie his place and person in regard of his master Christ so may we in all other respects whereby we are conioyned and knit by any band vnto him What greater honor to the weaker sex than to be the mother of Luk. 1. 43. 48. our Lord What dignitie is this to fraile man that he passed by the Angels and assumed his nature What priviledge Heb. 2. 16. of more price than to be bone of his bone and flesh Ephes 5. 30. of his flesh to be a branch of such a root a member of such a head and an Ambassadour of so vnmatchable a Monarch 1 Cor. 9. 1. 1 Tim. 1. 12. Rom. 16. 1. Why Is not Christ Iesus God-man the onely Sonne of Reas 1. the Father and the beginning of all creatures Surely the neerer we approach in nature vnion or action to the creator the neerer are we to all perfection and blessednesse that Heb. 1. 14. can befall a creature Againe Are we in his service Wee shall be preserved Reas 2. assisted well rewarded Be we vnited to him We shall never be rent asunder but abide with him and in him for ever Is he our first kinsman and husband What honor to this What profit comparable For thereby God is become our Father heaven our inheritance and salvation eternall our yearely ioynture Here are reprehended many in our dayes who care not Vse 1. a whit for matters of that nature reputing it no reputation to haue relation vnion and communion with Christ Iesus these shew plainly that they be carnall and savour not the things which be of God What boasting will some vse of their pedigree and bloud Yet never dreame of affinitie with Christ or the new birth Extoll themselues that they or theirs are matched in such or such a house yet haue no care at all to be graffed into Christs stocke the Lords familie as of this sort there be millions so they be all miserable This must teach vs who haue any relation with Christ Vse 2. highly to esteeme it and greatly to reioyce in it Thinke it no small thing to be an offâ—cer in his house a labourer in his Vâ—neyard and a member of his bodie for this is true nobilitie vnconceiuable dignitie and the direct path to eternall felicitie Paul a Preacher of Iesus Christ is a name of greater price and prayse than all humane titles and times adâ—uâ—cts though in their nature good in all the world And here we are instructed from this point how to attaine Vse 3. vnto great dignitie we our children must get some office vnder Christ principally endevour to be vnited by faith and affâ—ction vnto him but alas men scorne the Ministery the name Preacher is a word of derision in the Parish and Parents cry out What Make my sonne a Priest I will never doe it Well the calling is of great honor with God though despised of these beastly men And the dayes 1 Sam. 1. vlt. haue beene when to dedicate a sonne to the
Epistle principally for thy benefit who art my beloved sonne and that not without reason haue I writ vnto thee or doe thus stile thee for thou art a man that hast beene trained vp in the holy Scripture of a childe well reported of by many of the faithfull one of great hopes in the Church being a Minister of the Word and none more than thy selfe like-minaed vnto me And why then should I for beare to direct an Epistle vnto thee or entitle thee my sonne For haue not I also confirmed thee by instruction Loved thee with entire affection Am not I thine ancient in yeares And we like father and child aime at one end make the same scope of all our proceedings And I doe further vnfeignedly wish thee whatsoever may make for thy good in this or glory in the world to come from the first fountaine of all grace and spring of all true peace God the Father and Christ Iesus our Lord. To Timothie Whereas Paul in this place writes to Doctrines deduced Timotheus a yong man well reported of and of great hopes we obserue that Such persons as are likely to proue good and excellent instruments Doct. 1. in the Church are principally to be instructed and incouraged Wee will water that plant most hedge about it and prune it which is likeliest to bring forth much and good Exod. 2. 2. 1 Chron. 28. 9 fruit the beast of best hopes shal be put in the best pasture the other turned to runne in the common field and barrenest ground And why not for such will if God giue good successe Reas 1. to a mans indevours proue instruments most profitable and are not those principally to be respected instructed Besides Sathan will labour to make them of his kingdome Reas 2. aboue all others he will picke the finest wits to doe wickedly hence it is for the most part that our Iesuits be such deepe-headed sound-witted persons not many comparable to them This reproues the carelessenesse of many in our dayes Vse 1. who altogether neglect this dutie haue we not some that rather set the best wits to the meanest basest or no calling at all certainely the Papist shall rise vp in iudgement against these for they are more carefull to practise this for Antichrist and his then we for Christ and his kingdome Let vs all chiefly parents put this point in practise and imitate Paul and David herein consider who is likeliest to Vse 2. doe good the best service one day and labour that they may be sanctified season them with instruction learne them the holy Scriptures of children that is to doe well and wisely Let it be further noted where Paul cals him sonne who was not his sonne by naturall propagation but rather in that he had begot him to or confirmed him in the doctrine of the Gospell that As there is a naturall so there is a spirituall generation and kinred in the world Doct. 2. Some be of the flesh others borne of the spirit Mat. 12. vlt. Rom. 9. 3. Io 3. 6. For be there not spirituall and carnall fathers in the world Reas 1. Ezek. 16. 20. 1. Cor. 4. 15. But Christ forbids to call any man on the earth Father Obiect Resol Christ condemnes over-ruling fathers such as were some masters Iames. 3. 1. Againe we cannot haue two contrarie fathers that command contrarie things 3. Christ would haue them principally to esteeme God to be their Father in conclusion he would haue such called Fathers as beget sonnes to God not like the Pharises and Papists who beget children in Babylon and spirituall whoredome and offer them to Molech their sonnes are the feede of Sathan murtherers and lyers from the beginning Also doe wee not reade of spirituall seede Iohn 3. 9 of Reas 2. a spirituall conception Gal 4. 19. why then there must needs be a spirituall kinred in the world This reproues the grosse ignorance of many in our Vse 1. dayes who never take knowledge of this truth yet they are well enough acquainted with their kinred in the flesh But it meeteth especially with those blacke-mouthed persons who can scoffe and fleere and say there goes a brother or sister in the Lord Is not this to make a mocke of the truth of God to kick against the prick and to incurre the iust iudgement of God doth not the holy Ghost call them holy Brethren sonnes of the most High O times O manners Hâ—b 3. 1. Heere we are taught to discerne betwixt men that differ Vse 2. to seeke out our spirituall kindred and to make much of such every profane person will be acquainted with their lewd consorts and damnable crew But especially let vs examine and proue our selues whether wee bee borne againe otherwise it had beene good we had never beene borne at all and by these notes try thy selfe First Hast thou conceived aright in the wombe of thy vnderstanding what iudgement hast thou to see into the mysteries of salvation Secondly doest thou beare Christ in thy heart by vnfained affection canst thou say I loue the Lord aboue all things in earth or heaven Thirdly art thou troubled to bring him forth and travellest of him in thy will is this spiritual delivery thy chiefest care Fourthly and doest thou manifest to the world that thou hast brought forth this babe in thy life and conversation by doing of iustice loving of mercie humbling thy selfe and walking Mich. 6. 8. with thy God why then thou needest not to feare but that thou art of the free-womans seede and princely line of the most High But if those things be not to be found in thee and to proceede from thee thou art the childe of wrath and thy present condition is fearefull for if Christ be not conceived in the vnderstanding framed and borne in the heart travailed of in the will and brought forth in the forme of a well-mended life thou art but Sathans slaue and not the Lords adopted sonne My beloved sonne Observe also out of these words that Preachers are to affect those especially whom they haue begot Doct. 3. or confirmed in the faith They are to pittie all pray for all none excepted but such as are their spirituall children are to haue the chiefest seate in their affection hence doth Paul write so largely to the Corinthians so long a letter to the Galathians and Peter a first and second Epistle to the converted Iewes For such be the seale of their ministery 2. Such will the Reas 1. most re-affect them 3. Such haue the very image of God 2. imprinted on them and lastly doth not every cause naturally 3. cleaue vnto its proper and peculiar effect in a word 4. such are their ioy their crowne or should be Let this checke them who say they haue spirituall issue Vse 1. and cannot endure them care not for them are ashamed of them whom should they affect countenance or reioyce in
if in any of their flocke much more in those that are of the houshold of faith This must direct Preachers to haue an â—ye how the Vse 2. word workes who are called or edified that they may know how to put a difference betwixt them of their flock whom to encourage respect and imbrace in a peculiar manner for one of these is worth a thousand of the other if a minister make these sory who shall make him glad and if he disaffect them who are to be beloved of him Grace mercie and peace Heere is to be noted the salutation in forme of a prayer and the order in it from the words in generall we collect this Doctrine that Salutations are not for complement but pietie Doct. 4. They are to be vsed in a religious manner and not cursorilie and they be of two kinds first with a kisse Rom. 16. 16. secondly or by word and that either spoken The Lord be with you Ruth 2. 4. or written the salutation of me Paul 2 Thes 3. 7. with mine owne hand For be they not testimonies of our loue and affection Reas 1. doe wee not thereby declare the disposition of our mind yea the very Heathen to this ende haue vsed them And againe are they not in forme of a prayer doe we Reas 2. not wish well to our friends in the vse of them and may not the Lord adde a blessing to our friends in the right performance of them who dares denie it Two sorts of persons by this point are reproved First Vse 1. such as never vse them Secondly those that onely take them vp for complement or villanie as the great that I say not gracelesse gallants of our times or like Iudas that in pretence of friendship make it a cover to doe mischiefe Mat. 26. 48. But let vs put this in practise according to the example Vse 2 and patterne of our Apostle and say with the Angell to Gedeon the Lord is with thee thou valiant man Iudg. 6. 12. But may we salute all men Quest Ans There is a two-fold limitation the one in regard of time the other of person for time we may omit them in matters that require expedition 2 King 4. 29. When we be in hast Luk. 10. 4. For person if there come any to vs that brings not the doctrine of Christ We may not bid him God speed 2 Ioh. 10. Rom. 16. 17. What if we doe not know them may we then salute Quest them Yes and if they be not worthy the blessing shall returne Ans to our selues Mat. 10. 13. Make we then more conscience of this dutie for assuredly if it be vsed in an holy and reverend manner if we haue an eye to the Lord and speake affectionately from our hearts and wish a blessing to those we salute the Lord will grant our desires for the good of vs that salute and of them that be saluted as experience doth manifestly declare and thus come we to the matter of the salutation Grace mercie peace Grace being placed first in order we gather thence that The grace of God aboue all things is to be wished for Doct. 5. Hence it is that the Apostles vsually beginne and conclude their Epistles with wishing of them grace and mercie and all good Ministers their Sermons in the same manner For he that is assured of Gods favour may then thinke Reas 1. vpon all his attributes as his omnipresence omniscience omnipotence yea of his justice with comfort Then may we conclude that all things shall worke together Reas 2. for our good Rom. 8. 28. For if grace be within vs who or what can be against vs This condemnes the custome of many who seldome Vse 1. if ever wish and desire the grace of God for themselues and others yet of all things it is the most excellent necessary For what are goods without grace but fewell to burne vp thy soule What would a stately building a faire possession Heards of Cattell or heapes of gold and silver profit thee or thine and in the meane time want the free favour of God He that hath much for many yeares but is not rich in God shall dye a foole Luk. 1â— 12. Aboue all things then let vs seeke the grace and favour Vse 2. Psal 4. of God Pray we with the Prophet Lord lift vp thy countenance vpon me for the gaine thereof is better than gold and all that thou canst desire is not to be compared vnto it grace giveth life pacifies the heart conquers the world quencheth the darts of the deuill of weake it makes strong driues away despayre cheareth the minde provokes to all good it bringeth comfortable tydings and is never proud or weary of well-doing What shall I more say It iustifies saveth raiseth the dead and carieth the soule and bodie into the presence of God and the spirits of iust and perfect men Wherein differs man from beasts or man from man yea Angell from Angell but in the qualitie of grace For grace is the very essentiall forme of a creature And that thou maist partake of it doe as followeth How grace may be got First Heare the Word search the Scriptures reade good 1. Bookes receiue the Sacraments pray conferre for these be as so many Conduits wherby the Creator conveyeth grace into the soule of the creature Secondly avoyde pride for God giueth grace to the humble 2. sends the rich in their owne conceit emptie away full vessels cannot receiue this precious liquor Iam. 4. 6. Thirdly the spirit must not be quenched despighted grieued 3. nor resisted good motions are to be entertained cherished so like a little sparke they will increase to a great flame Heb. 10. 28. Isaiah 30. 21. Finally get into the covenant of grace for as the Mercy-seat 4. was no larger than the Arke so the grace of God extends no further than the covenant Exod. 25. 10. 17. To neglect these helpes is to sinne that grace may abound or at the least to turne the good meanes of grace into wantonnesse Iud. 4. Mercie Hence collect wee that As grace so mercie is a speciall thing to be desired Doct. 6. Vnderstand by mercie a sensible apprehension of Gods sacred affection or a loving inclination flowing from his free grace and favour than which what more desirable For by mercie we are allured to performe euery good dutie Reas 1. towards God and towards man For he who hath tasted of mercy will loue God beleeue in him and mourne that he hath offended him and be mercifull to others as God hath beene mercifull to him And is it not mercie that frees from all misery Never was 2. man miserable who had it blessed without it Hence may we checke the great carelesnesse and worldly Vse 1. mindednesse of many who wish and seeke for any thing soever than the mercy of God Some desire pleasure others profit the
to him for therein we acknowledge euery good perfect gift to come from him and so glorifie his name Psal 91. 1. Iam. 1. 17. Also it s the best time spent that is spent in this dutie for Reas 3. therein we resemble the Saints and Angels in heaven who continually say Glory be to God and prayse to the Lambe that sitteth on the throne for evermore and hence it followeth that the more gratefull the more gracious is the person Rev. 19. Moreover is it not a meane to receiue more and greater Reas 4. favours What lost the Leper in returning backe to Christ Or the blind man in acknowledging his kindnesse And who will not be liberall to a gratefull person Ioh. 9. Luk. 17. Thankefulnesse is a voluntarie retribution of one good thing Thankfulnes defined for another First I say it is a retribution what shall I render or retribute to the Lord Psal 116. 12. for first it alwayes presupposeth a benefit receiued secondly or else it were a giving rather then a thanksgiving Secondly And it must bee voluntary not coacted it must be a free will-offering Ezra 2. 68. first for the giver and receiver in this are to be like minded freely ye haue Mat. 10. 8. received freely giue againe God respects the affection of the action more then the thing given for a wicked man may doe the one but not the other he loues a cheerefull giver 2 Cor. 9. 7. Thirdly The matter or thing rendred must bee good first we may not render evill for evill much lesse evill for good secondly againe iustice requires it and the very law of nature to doe as we would be done vnto Who is he that would bee content to receiue evill for good or what proportion is there betwixt them are they not the greatest opposites Fourthly The last thing in this definition is that wee must render good things for good things for though we may doe good for evill yet wee must not giue thankes for evill first for it is naught in it owne nature secondly and that were follie in vs and might moue the authour of it either to scoffe at vs or harden him in a course of evill doing But it may be obiected that Gods children haue given Obiect thankes for afflictions and they are evill True they haue done so yet not simply for afflictions Resol but first as they bee tokens of Gods loue for if wee were without corrections whereof all are partakers then were we bastards and not sonnes Heb. 12. 8. Secondly the Lord will cause them to worke for the good of his and in that they are to thanke him for them else not Rom. 8. 28. Psal 119. 21. Obserue further that good things are either exhibited or promised so that we are to prayse God for his promises as for performances first for they are good things secondly they shall all be accomplished in a convenient season and this duty haue the Saints also practised Luk 1. 46. Tim 4 8. Thankefulnesse is either conceived or manifested conceived Thankfulnes distributed in will and resolution manifested in word or deede The first kind is hid from man yet knowne to God and is the cause of the other that followes and in some sence the least degree of thankefulnesse for what is in the heart will vpon iust occasion breake forth into speech yea if there be abilitie into action also as in erecting of schooles hospitals building of churches colledges maintaining of ministers receiving of the poore and the like Againe thankefulnesse is either sincere or hypocriticall what one doth in truth another may in appearance as we reade of the Pharisee who stopped into the Temple with a Lord I thanke thee c. Luke 18. 11. This checkes the current of our times which is alwaies Vse 1. craving but never restoring many pray yet doe not pay For what are thankes but pence God sels his favour for we haue not onely nine but nintie times nine who never Luk. 17. 17. returne praise for their cleansing many and it s good intreat others to pray for them yet which were better never find time to desire men to giue thankes for them How many favours haue we received how many pretious promises are vnto vs exhibited whereof wee take no knowledge Is not this the signe of an vngratefull minde I had almost said of a gracelesse heart But to leaue such let vs studie and practise this dutie Vse 2. and say with that good man What shall we render to the Lord Psal 116. 12. Psal 148. 1. c. for all his benefits He would call vpon all creatures to praise him in their kinde No surer signe of sound grace than to be frequent in this action doubtlesse a gratefull heart hath set times to praise God as to pray vnto him they thinke no houres better spent than in thus doing O how will such reioyce when they finde their hearts enlarged and their lips opened to prayse God Such a day to them is of more worth than a thousand others but because to doe this is no easie matter remoue we the impediments that hinder vse the helpes that further this action and they be such as these following 1. When as we thinke that our owne handes haue procured Impediments of thankfulnesse vs our abundance Is not this Babell which I built by the might of my power When as except the Lord build the house man labours in vaine When men doe not know that all comes from God they will sacrifice to their owne nets Deut. 8. 17. Dan. 4. 30. Psal 127. 1. Hab. 1. 16. 2. A second is vnmindfulnesse of Gods mercies he that forgetteth a kindnesse done it is all one for the present as if he never received any whence springs these speeches truely I had thanked you but it was out of my minde I had quite forgot I pray you pardon me 3. A third is discontent when this rules in the heart no thankes is to be had a contented minde is alwayes a thankfull minde Whence it commeth to passe that proud men covetous men or ambitious men are vngratefull men The bird will not prune sing till she haue tooke a stand that giues her full content When wee can say with Iacob Gen. 33. 11. We haue all things then we will giue thankes for all things 4. And not to mention any more ignorance of our misery were we deprived of present favours is a great blocke in the way what were a man if he were stript of his clothes and turned without food but a day or two into the fields Should we but lodge one night in Egypt England would be a good Countrey were we in such a famine as was in Samaria that the Mother must famish or eat the fruit of her 2 King 6. 28. owne wombe then food would be worth thankesgiving But we haue lost our tast and that 's the reason we cry giue me my will as
Rachell did sonnes or else we die being still Gen. 30. 1. petitioning never repaying We are like the earth that receiues many bodies but without a miracle wrought will not yeeld vp one so must God pull thankes by violence out of our hearts if he will haue any Helpes to true thankefulnesse To consider that the Lord hath chosen thee whereas he 1. hath reiected thousands before the world was and to what to inherit a Kingdome David though no small thing to be sonne-in-law to a King 1 Sam. 18. 23. Secondly take knowledge of the Lords dealing with thee 2. in giving thee a being of nothing and that in a comely maner are all creatures men and women Haue all at their birth that be eyes to see tongues to speake c Why wast thou not borne dumbe or blind Thirdly Looke backe and see what the Lord hath done for 3. thee since thy birth how comes it to passe that thou art now aliue Why was not thy bodie long agoe turned into small dust Art thou not made of the same mould Dost thou not feed on the same food and breath in the same ayre The consideration of these things like a loadstone should moue vs to lift vp our hearts to God Fourthly Thinke of thy present condition hast thou food 4. and rayment in abundance Why doe others want it who feeds thee with this Mannah that so many of thy brethren never tasted of Who brought thee into these large pastures causeth thy cup to flow over But let me come nearer thee Psal 23. 5. yet art thou in the libertie of Gods sonnes Hast thou the saving graces peculiar to the Lords chosen Hath the spirit sealed thee a Quittance for the pardon of all thy sinnes and assured thee of salvation Why Is this the lot of all the seed of Adam Doth every man enioy the like portion And are these common favours Wast thou ever wounded in spirit Then who healed and helped thee Did sin ever presse thee to the pit of hell How or by what meanes wast thou eased Beloved I haue but given you a tast of the vnsearchable and vnvaluable gifts the Lord hath imparted vpon you wherefore take words of thankfulnesse to your Hosea 14. 2. selues and say with the Prophet My soule prayse the Lord Psal 103. 1. and all that is within me magnifie his holy name yea let this alway be thy vow I will prayse the Lord while I liue for he hath done wonderfull things for my soule but if all this will not moue vs to be more mindfull of and carefull to discharge this duty I can say no more saue this I pray God that the time may not come when want shall cause thee to promise any thing and yet the Lord in mercy will giue thee nothing Whom I serue from mine elders with pure Conscience These words are inserted by the Apostle to maintaine his dignity against the scandall of such as reputed him to be an Apostata and fallen from his profession whence ariseth this Doctrine that Carnall friends will become foes if a man embrace the Gospell Doct. 2. He that in sinceritie will set himselfe to serue God shall haue his former friends to be his greatest enemies so long as Paul was a proud Pharisee his brethren and acquaintance highly esteemed him but after he became an Apostle they reputed him a plaguy fellow one not worthy to liue thus Actâ— 22. 22. did the Papists deale with Luther so true is the speech of Christ That a mans enemies shall be they of his owne house Luk. 12. 53. Acts. â—3 14. and 26. 5. c. For in so doing he condemneth his former courses and Reas 1. consequently them that professe them this is to giue testimony that their estate is miserable and that cannot of wicked men be indured Ioh. 7. 7. This hath made the Papists cry out What are all our forefathers damned because wee tread not in their footsteps of errour ignorance Because then they will cast off their societie and take part Reas 2. with the pious and that stirreth and worketh strangely when men will not runne with them to the same excesse of ryot 1 Pet. 4. 4. or be in league as in times past Learne then you that haue embraced the Gospell not to Vse 1. â—â—aâ—vaile if carnall friends be now your greatest adversaries for so it hath beene and will continue in future ages for you are not of the world therefore the world hateth you as she lulleth her owne in her lappe so she casteth out them the Lord receiveth Let such also as resolue to be truely religious and to cast Vse 2. off their former courses and companions prepare to vndergoe many taunts and iniuries he that feares the tongues of such shall never be a resolute Christian souldier whilest the bird is in the egge the Kite cares not for her but if once she be disclosed grow fledged and fly abroad beware of devouring And where Paul maintaines his owne cause from his example we may learne that The truth of our profession is to be maintained against all opposition Doct. 3. Did not Elijah this against Ahab and his foure hundred false Prophets This did the Apostles in many places and Christ himselfe when as was given iust occasion see 1 King 18. 18. Act. 5. 29. Mark 2. 10. Gal. 1. 8. 2 Pet. 3. 2. 3 4. c. Why It s the best thing we haue and what of greater Reas 1. worth in all the world It s our bread and meat life and living And so doing we approue of the truth of our profession Reas 2. and the vprightnesse of our hearts yea it may be of force either to convert or abate the rigour of our carping adversaries Acts. 16. 39. Let this condemne the timorousnesse and imbecillitie of Vse 1. the most in our dayes who haue no hearts to maintaine what they professe What would such doe if it came to fire and fagot that are dumbe in these dayes at the truths opposition Fie fie Never was this dutie lesse regarded I wonder for whom or for what men keepe their resolution Is not this worthy of it Take we then knowledge of this and let purse speech Vse 2. and person defend the truth in all contrary opposition Buy the truth and through covetousnesse or fearefulnesse sell it not for this is to set thy soule to sale to thine enemie Sathan for he that loseth the one cannot soue the other Let not the devils old scandals skare thee who more opposed than the best from the beginning was Christ free wouldst thou then These words are also a commendation to the Apostle and vttered to maintaine his reputation and dignitie whence it may be observed that It s an honour for man to be the servant of God Doct. 4. What matter of more moment Worke of greater worth or thing equall to it Moses the Lords servant is a
title great and good enough these are the servants of the most high God was no small commendation Mala. 4. 4. Acts. 16. 17. For what is God Is he not the first cause of all things Reas 1. And supreme governour of the world The King of Kings and Lord of Lords And is it no honour immediatly to attend vpon him Is it a small honor to be next to our Soveraigne What then shall it be to be so vnto God He that serveth God may better his estate in so doing Reas 2. yea were he an Angell therefore it is no base but an honorable thing His actions shall be guided by the golden Rule and silver Reas 3. Precept of his Word and such as the one is the other is to be accounted for if the Rule be excellent the thing ruled by it is so too of necessitie And it is honor in this for all the creatures shall be their Reas 4. attendants and subiect to them Sathan shall not dare in his liuery like a Serieant to arrest them and the good Angels Psal â—1 11. shall preserue them and pitch their tents about them till they take possession of heaven Away then with that to be abhorred Proverbe What Vse 1. profit in serving the Almightie What honor in an holy life Let men thinke what they will holines to God is an honor vnto man and never was man dishonoured who in sinceritie served this Master Here let the Lords servants though poore and base in other Vse 2. respects yet reioyce in this that they serue the Lord. For this is to be of the true line Princely bloud and noblest familie He that can truely say I serue God giues himselfe the greatest title of dignitie This should moue all men poore especially to become Vse 3. the Lords servants for this is the onely way to honor and all promotion O that men did thinke so then fewer words would winne them from the world to attend on this never to be praysed-enough Master And this point should moue Parents to make their sons Vse 4. the Lords servants We esteeme it a wonderfull honor and so it is indeede if wee haue a childe that attendeth on his Prince returneth to his Countrey being clothed in silke and sattin and having one of the Kings rich coates vpon his backe what should we then esteeme it to haue a sonne clothed with the righteousnesse of Christ and enriched with all the saving graces of the spirit Angels attending on him and a Kingdome prepared for him Is this nothing Then labour for it for your selues for your children I serue Out of the word serue I obserue that A Christians course is not idle but laborious Doct. 5. Service is laborious a religious course is service therefore laborious Name what you will in religion and it requireth labour diligence Are we not commanded to enquire seeke knocke worke and create It is as it were a new creation Ier. 6. 16. Mat. 6. 33. 7. 7. Phil. 2. 12. Because its a difficult thing to get faith keepe faith or to Reas 1. liue by faith faith comes not by nature it growes not in every mans heart neither is it as some iudge so easily to be had he that will haue it must haue a broken heart rent by the Law for as a man doth not plant Trees on rockie mountaines no more doth the Lord sow this seed in stony and hard hearts he that will possesse it must attend diligently Pro. 8. 34. at the postes of Gods house for it comes first and is begot by hearing of the Word Preached and then prayer Rom. 10. 17. and the Sacraments will conserue it increase it Lord I beleeue helpe my vnbeliefe and Lord increase our faith But it s Mark 9. 24. Luk. 17. 5. a prettie piece of service to liue by faith when all reason failes vs then to cast our selues vpon the Lord and to depend vpon his bare promise as I may say is a worke of wonderfull difficultie haue not the best of Gods servants Psal 7â— 2. staggered and almost fainted in this piece of service Some cry tush I never doubted I will never be moved Well to such I say nothing for though they bragge they beleeue every thing yet I know that if I should tell them their estates they will not beleeue that one thing And as it is a hard taske to get faith keepe faith and liue Reas 2. by faith so it is no lesse labour to get a sound knowledge of the Precepts to keepe it and practise it Paul knew the Law of God but what a stirre had he to obey it And if we must cry and call for knowledge seeke and search for her Prov. 2. 4. as for silver oare in the earth bowels will it be a matter of lesse moment to put it in practise No no. The vnderstanding like a needle will pierce thorow and into the Precept when the will like a knottie and ill-twisted threed comes churlishly after It s hard to find out a narrow and vntroden path but more difficult to walke in it and not either to be weary or wander the Vses follow And seeing a religious course is not idle but laborious Vse 1. what shall we say of such as take no paines at all in service of that nature How few know their Master or his will And then how can such serue him Who inquireth and cryeth after the vnderstanding of the rules of this great Art by which this worke of religion is to be squared Haue we not more shuffling of cards than searching the Scriptures Playing than praying Feasting than religious fasting Running after goods but fleeing from all grace and goodnesse Some will not set a foot within the Lords vineyard gather one grape of sound knowledge or an eare of vnderstanding if they doe this is their service We haue beene at service And if they kneele downe lift vp their hands and stay till the worship of God be ended though their minds wander their hearts be at home and they returne never the wiser I ween the worser yet they doubt not but God on their part is well served and for his part very well pleased Why should not these men be thus deluded who know they doe little if any thing in Gods service and yet hope to be rewarded And is to serue God laborious Wee must then be of Vse 2. good courage gather strength and quit vs like men he that hath an hard taske will proportion his power according to the toyle The longer the ground hath lien fallow the stronger must be the Teame to teare it in sunder and the farther we take a iourney the more pence must wee put in our purse so the more difficult this dutie is the more must we looke about vs arme our selues and be prepared for the well performance of it And for the better discharge thereof we must labour for What is
Word is truth both in the threatnings and promises and shall be accomplished accordingly as we keepe the conditions And by obedience I doe vnderstand a conscionable care to beleeue threat and promise aswell as to obey the precept for to beleeue is to obey and to liue by faith may be called the obedience of the Gospell 2 Thes 1. 8. Many haue some care in somethings to obey the Precept but never regard to liue by faith and if they can say they beleeue in Christ Iesus then they thinke all is sure and their dutie discharged as though a man must never vse his hand but in holding fruit in it and not in applying it to the mouth assuredly faith hath a worke in every action that we performe and that not onely in assuring vs the thing is lawfull we doe but in perswading the Lord will performe his promise to vs when wee haue kept the covenant with him And vnderstand this that if we could beleeue more wee should obey more for all life motion and spirituall action comes from faith as all naturall acts are said to proceede from the forme If then these things were looked into who dares deâ—ie that a Christians course is leborious painefull and requires great diligence on their parts that will serue the Lord For knowledge of God and of his will must be had and faith and obedience too in him and his word both in the threats and promises as well as in the Precepts else no good servants From mine elders It may here be demanded if Paul served God with a pure Conscience before his Conversion I thinke it may be vnderstood of both for so farre forth as the Letter of the Law directed he was obedient liuing after Acts. 26. 4. 5. the most strict sect of a Pharisee and what he did against the 2 Tim. 1. 13. Saints was through ignorance wherefore the Lord had the rather mercie on him but it is principally meant after his Conversion For the Pharisees of which number he himselfe was vnderstood the Law according to the Letter neither could he away with the Gospell till the Lord in a wonderfull manner had compassion Acts 9. on him The Doctrine that we gather hence vnderstanding by Elders the auncient Patriarches and beleeving Iewes is that The Church before Christ had the same faith which now it hath Doct. 6. after his comming Did they not all eate the same spirituall meate And all drinke of the same spirituall drinke For they dranke of that rocke which followed them and that rocke was Christ It differed nothing in truth but in degree as a childe and an aged person 1 Cor. 10. 3. 4. Else God should be changeable but there is no variablenes Reas â— nor shadow of turning with him Iam. 1. 17. And were it not thus man should be saved after a divers Reas 2. manner which may not be admitted And did not Christ and his Apostles confirme their Reas 3. doctrine by Moses and the Prophets This confuteth the Maniches who hold that an evill Vse 1. God writ the old Testament and a good the New but one God was the Author of them both and what was darkely included in the former is more clearely manifested in the latter And this may confirme the salvation of our forefathers Vse 2. who kept the faith and to doubt no more of them than of our selues The Papists bring in this place for their Parents wherevnto we reply 1. That they were not beleevers 2. They are degenerate and fallen from the ancient faith 3. There was a Prophecie of a generall Apostasie and so their Elders are by the streame of time corrupted 4. And the antiquitie of a few or 500. yeares is not sufficient From mine Elders That Abraham Isaac Iacob whence it ariseth that The name of the righteous shall be had in remembrance Doct. 7. What though the names of the wicked rot Shall not the memory of the iust be blessed Yes it shall grow vp and flourish from generation to generation Prov. 10. 7. Psal 112. 6. For God will honour them that honour him 1 Sam. 2. 30. Reas 1. Reas 2. Also one good man will perpetuate the name of another vnto their succeeding posteritie and tell it to his children Furthermore such leaue noble and worthy Monuments Reas 3. behind them either by doing or suffering which spread their fame into all quarters and future generations And the wicked may haue an hand in this action for Reas 4. some of them may thinke well of such and register their names others as Pilate by Gods over-ruling-hand may write the truth which shall stand for ever Doe they not then labour in vaine who seeke to blot out Vse 1. the memoriall of the iust with taunts scoffes and reproaches as men doe the engraving vpon Tombes with their foule shoes Let them doe their worst spet their venome weaue a deceitfull webbe yet shall they never effect their purpose for What is written shall be written maugre all their malice the names of the wicked are written in the earth each foot shall scatter them but for the righteous they are engraven in stone with a pen of yron and for ever shall flourish Here may a man take direction that will lead him to true Vse 2. honor eternall doe iustice loue mercie walke vprightly serue in truth of heart the Lord God of thy Fathers and thy same shall ever remaine build Bethel pull downe Babel and thy name shall be everlasting Who would haue his name to rot His memoriall perish Not any then serue God from thy elders with a pure Conscience Many like Nimrod seeke a name but they in not taking the right way lose both it and themselues What person so poore if religious but is had in everlasting remembrance And who so great if vngodly but are either forgot or their names continued to their everlasting shame For when men by indirect meanes seeke prayse they lose it and purchase perpetuall reproach With pure Conscience Here is laid downe the manner how Paul served God whence the collection is that The service of God is then commendable when it is accompanied Doct. 8. with a pure Conscience These two like Naomi and Ruth must run together What tast without salt in the white of an egge What praise in that service that wanteth sinceritie And who ever in merchandizing lost so much credit as Himeneus and Philetus that made shipwracke of faith and a good Conscience The Hebrewes still put heart for conscience having no particular word for it and so doth the Evangelist so that a pure heart and a pure conscience are equivalent termes Prov. 15. 15. 1 Ioh. 3. 20. Isa 38. 3. Iob. 27. 4. 5. Acts. 24. 16. Heb. 13. 18. For otherwise the life were led either in close hypocrisie Reas 1. or open profanenesse and can that deserue praise which hath no similitude with God Nay he condemnes that which hath not
peace of a good one and these contrary effects though to be found in one and the same person yet doe they spring from divers repugnant principles and not from the selfe same causes A good Conscience is a seeing of an act according with the A good Conscience What it is rule And here we are to obserue that in a good Conscience these particulars are required 1. A man must haue knowledge of some rule 2. The rule must be sound and infallible 3. He is to performe an act in every respect answerable to the truth of the rule And 4. he must apply the act to the rule the which being done the seeing of their agreement is a good Conscience Moses made all things according to the patterne the which when he beheld he had a good conscience for there was a proportion and correspondency betwixt the frame of his worke and the patterne GOD gaue him An evill Conscience is a seeing of an act disaccording with the An evill Conscience What it iâ— rule Suppose a man to haue vnderstanding of a true and perfect rule yet if his act should not be answerable but in some part divert from it so farre as it wants proportion or similitude to the foresaid rule so farre he hath a bad Conscience or evill seeing together and hence will follow the kindes or degrees of an evill Conscience 1. For the more sound knowledge and the lesse sincere obedience the worse is that Conscience and from hence might spring the name of an erroneous Conscience because the actions swerue from the rule 2. From obedience without a certaine apprehension of some precedent Precept ariseth the terme of a blind Conscience though properly it cannot be called Conscience 3. And from this definition we see that there may be some good in a bad Conscience For knowledge of the rule is good acts are good but as they erre from the rule by which they are to be guided they are evill and in regard such Consciences haue a threat denounced against them Yea the sight of sweruing from the rule may be good because it may be a meanes of reformation in future season A good Conscience is Legall or Evangelicall A good Conscience divided The rule whereby man at his Creation was to be guided was the Law the which had he obeyed he might haue purchased a good Legall Conscience now since his Apostasie and fall the Lord hath given him a new Commandemâ—â— for his recoverie being observed which is the Gospell and thus you may Kennâ— the ground of this distribution As for the law naturall the remnants wherof remained in the heart of the Gentiles and the law morall engraven in Tables of stone and given to the Iewes is the same for substance being but a distribution from the subiects yet they differ iâ— these particulars 1. The one is perfect the other not for much of it in time is obliterate worne out of mans heart whereas that written by Gods owne finger is complete The one is got by reading hearing studie c. The other comes by generation and imprinted in mans minde from the very wombs and as Riâ—â—bilitie is inseparable adiunct to him and this is the true cause why all men covet a kind of Religion and performe some workes that are commendable warrantable For matter therefore these two are the same as a remnant with the whole piece or some few Prâ—câ—pts with the whole of that Art A Legall good Conscience is a seeing of an act according to the What a Legall good Conscience is rule of the Law He who vnderstandeth any one Precept of the Decalogue and giueth obedience thereto may be said to haue a Legall good Conscience This we see affirmed of the Gentilâ—s who walked but according to the small reliques of the law which remained in their hearts Rom. 2. 14. 15. A Legall good Conscience is either Complete oâ— Incomplete A legall good Conscience distributed This distribution may not be omitted being of great vse For its one thing to haue a Legal good Conscience another to haue a complete Legall good Conscience the which we will define that so the difference may appeare A complete Legall good Conscience is a seeing of all acts according A complete Legall good Conscience defined with the rules of the Law But Conscience that as a Boy the Bird in his hand wee may not lose thee while we are talking of thee we will declare how many ingredients concurre for thy confection whether a complete Legall or Evangelicall But first for Legall 1. Knowledge must here be had as the ring-leader Light was the first good thing the Lord made at the Creation and saw to be good so is Knowledge in this worthie frame of a good Conscience Ignorance like the bodie of Amasa the passengers stops the way of this Worke or as darkenesse in the beginning did light in the structure of nature that it cannot be effected Blind sir Iohns neither haue nor can make others haue a pure Conscience the rule must be exactly vnderstood all the particulars thereof distinctly learned or else men will haue at the best but blind Consciences For why is Conscience called blind except in this that people act without knowledge of the rule This caused the Prophet so often so earnestly to pray Lord open mine eyes teach Psal 119. 18. c. me the way of thy statutes hide not thy Commandements fromme Salomon to cry Get knowledge get vnderstanding forget Prov. 4 5. And 30. 2. 3. not Agur to confesse he was more foolish than any man being ignorant of holy things and Paul the elect vessel chiefe Patrone of a good Conscience to esteeme of all things as drosse and dung for the excellent Knowledge of the Law and Phil. 3. 10. the Gospell For without this ingredient Conscience is naught starke naught For how can a man act according to the rule that is ignorant of it And is not damnation threatned to them who liue in blindnesse read and see wherefore 2 Thes 1. 8. if thy science be darke how darke is thy Conscience 2. After Knowledge must follow Obedience These two in a good Conscience cannot be separated the first maketh science the second Conscience For what is knowledge of the rule without obedience but a patterne without a building a cypher without a figure which stands for nothing Hence Acts. 24. 16. it is that our Apostle did lay his policie bend his forces and exercise himselfe to keepe a good Conscience a Conscience without tripping without stumbling Men must learne the Word and then fall to worke according to its directions apply the acts and Precepts â—â—ew them â—oth at once with the eye of reason and then as God did all the creatures they shall see their Consciences good and very good All the springs and brookes of our actions speeches resolutions and cogitations must runne by the banke and channell of Gods Precepts neither may we
Evangelical good conscience what it is with the rule of the Gospell For the better vnderstanding of this know O ye sonnes of Adam that God when he had created man gaue him a Law written in his heart the which had he perfectly obeyed he should haue stood for ever But he falling from the rule of gubernation fell also from conservation and so became with all his posteritie hable to death neither is there any abilitie remaining in him to recouer his former condition For knowledge is obliterated the will weakened at the least peruerted and each wheele of soule and bodie exorbitated turned out of his way onely so much light he hath left him like one of Iobs messengers as to tell him that his Josse is great and condition miserable But marke the mercie of God who hath given spoiled man another rule whereby he might purchase a good Conscience procure as great an estate and much better and that is the doctrine of the Gospell 2. In the second place To the making vp of an Evangelicall good Conscience these particulars are necessary 1. Knowledge of the Gospell else why should Paul so highly prize it So much covet it And doth not our Saviour Christ place eternall life in the Ioh. 17. 3. having of it 2. Obedience is necessary also for the Gospell requires that as well as the Law these two may not be disioyned so that thus farre a Legall and an Evangelicall good Conscience accord for whatsoever is in the genus is in the species though the species may include more in it than is to be found in the genus Grant we that animal is the genus of man and beast yet man hath more in him than animal hath to wit reason notwithstanding animal communicates his whole nature to both the species 3. In the third place let vs see the differences 1. The first is in the ground of obedience for that in Adam before his apostasie proceeded from the image of God wherein he was created but in vs vnder the Gospell it springs from faith that these two differ is evident but how is not easily discerned and who did ever affirme that they were one and the same For doth not the former come by Creation the latter by Regeneration 2. There is a reall difference in regard of the act for the Law runnes on this wise Doe and liue the Gospell thus Beleeue and liue And though to beleeue in the Gospell be a kinde of obedience because God so commandes yet the holy Ghost in the Scripture makes a distinction betwixt them And doubtlesse the head Christ obeyed the Law after another manner than we his members doe the Gospell 3. The third difference is the Obiect about which the act is conversant for the Law giueth particular Precepts how to direct all our actions The Gospell is as a staffe or stay whereon the act resteth and cleaueth vnto Hence is this phrase so frequent in the Gospell Beleeue in me and Ioh. 9. 35. Act. 16. 31. they that beleeue in or on the sonne of God c. So that the Law giues rules for the acts direction the Gospell for its supportation 4. Moreover a complete Legall good Conscience requires many acts to the perfecting of it for if one commanded be omitted or the contrary committed Conscience is spoyled shipwrackt Now an Evangelicall requires but one onely to the making of it complete For one act of beleeuing will vnite to Christ by which vnion man is made partaker of the all-sufficient obedience of Christ which is the sole and absolute obiect matter of an Evangelical good conscience For as one act of Adam brake the whole decalogue so one act of faith in Christ will perfectly fulfill it Where note that the habit of faith neither its act without its obiect makes an Evangelicall good conscience and consequently iustifies not For the whole obedience of Christ is it that satisfies the iustice of the law the which when we by faith are conioyned to him is made all ours and so are we quit from the rigor of the law by the satisfaction of Christ our furetie and that by one onely act of faith in him which is the condition on our parts to be performed for the purchasing of an Evangelicall good conscience Was not the brasen serpent a prototype of Christ and would it cure any without the act of the eye fixed on it Also would not one act of looking on it heale him that was stung with many serpents in that wildernes so the act of faith separated from Christ cures none and one act of credence in him as he is our surety will though our sinnes be great and many make vs sound perfect and helpe vs against all our maladies 4. In the fourth place for the procuring of an Evangelicall conscience wee must haue 1. Knowledge and that both of the Law and Gospell For he that vnderstands not the Lawes precepts and what it requireth can neither see his sinne or be constrained to runne vnto the Gospell for reliefe in the time of neede And though our Father Adam before his fall had hee observed the rules of the law might haue procured a legall good conscience without any vnderstanding of the Gospell yet it is otherwise with vs. For we must see our debt before wee can haue a mind either by our selues or any other to discharge it and without knowledge of the law this will not be effected And the Gospell must also be learned of vs. For it is the new couenant the law of libertie to set vs free who are in spirituall bondage And as knowledge of the law was necessarie for Adam that hee might obey and liue so is it of the Gospell that we might beleeue and liue Obserue here that a more exact knowledge especially of the three persons in the Godhead of their relatiue properties and peculiar operations is required of vs since the fall than before it For though we dare not denie to Adam the certaine vnderstanding of the Trinitie yet in the perfect knowledge of God simplie considered and of his will in the obedience whereof he might haue obtained a legall good conscience But now we are to goe a step further for our restauration because man being fallen wee are to conceiue how God the father is primarily offended how the Sonne assumed our nature to make an atonement for vs to him and how the holy Ghost doth apply the redemption purchased by Christ Iesus For in these and the like particulars consisteth the whole subiect of the Gospell and therefore of absolute necessitie in some degree to bee vnderstood and learned of vs. For this is eternall life to know God and whom he hath sent Iesus Christ and no man can say Iohn 17. 3. 1 Cor. 12. 3. that Christ is the Lord but by the holy Ghost The second ingredient for the completion of an Evangelicall good conscience is faith not that poore depraved faith which may be found in apostata men
Calling This calling is either with the tongue or with the heart Calling distributed Whence ariseth this distinction of mentall and vocall prayer confirmed by the mouth of Christ This people honoreth me with their lips but their hearts are farre from me Mat. 15. 8. We are to call vpon God with the tongue 1. For we haue In calling on God we must vse the tongue and why this priviledge aboue all other creatures and shall wee not imploy it in the Lords service 2. We are to giue vp all our members as so many weapons of righteousnesse to glorifie him and is not this one of the principall And some-where David calls his tongue his glory Psal 30. 13. And it is good for vs so to doe 1. It will be a meanes to keepe our minds from wandring 2. The voyce stirres vp affections and raiseth them to an higher temper 3. In so doing we shall find the Lord putting phrases in our mouth guiding it now and then in a wonderfull manner farre beyond all naturall apprehension 4. And how can others ioyne with vs or know when to say Amen should we be silent When thou prayest alone imitate Hannah let thy lips moue not thy words 1 Sâ—m 1. 13. be heard else it may seeme a sensible signe of Pharisaicall palpable hypocrisie And the heart may not be separated in this action 1. For Also the heart and why such prayers are most acceptable to God 2. They onely haue the promise to be heard 3. Otherwise they cannot be fervent let a mans breath flow from his mouth by a narrow passage were the hands hot it would coole them but if it proceed from the heart the lips being wide open were they cold it would warme them so prayer that springs from the heart is hot from the tongue onely cold as ice 4. As the Lord is the highest obiect we looke at in Prayer so the heart is the lowest center he regards in this dutie these two in all holy actions of this nature may not be disioyned 1. Vaine then are the prayers of many who call vpon God but with the tongue onely If this be not profane babling what can be Thus pray our Papists and rude ignorant Protestants so prayed the old Pharisees Christ checkes them yet their custome continues vnto this day But let vs conioyne heart and tongue else wee doe but labour in vaine What profit can wee expect in bending the knee bowing the bodie spreading the hands and smiting of the breast when our hearts are roauing from the Lord Is this to pray Is this to call aright Is this to please God Nothing lesse What is the tongue but the hearts messenger He therefore that vseth the one and not the other is like to him that runnes before he hath his errand These men may seeme to pray in the iudgement of others but before GOD they are but vaine bablers Vpon God To him is it and to no other that wee must II. pray Obserue here how God is one in essence three in subsistence the essence is not divided but distinguished When as wee say East West and North these are not parts essentiall to the world but names onely of distinction so may we say of the former in regard of GOD for the Sonne and the holy Ghost are the same individuall essence with the Father and hence it will follow that he that prayeth to one prayeth to all but as the Apostle speaketh of another thing to every one in his owne order 1 Cor. 15. 23. Vnderstand that in this definition we speake of God the Father for teachings sake And vpon God must we call First For who but He 1 King 8. 39. discerneth the spirit of man Who but He knoweth all the hearts of the sonnes of men Iâ—â— onely he that is acquainted with all our wants and vnderstandeth what is best for vs. Secondly He is also present at all times in all places to heare vs helpe vs the Lord is alwayes neare at hand so is neither Saint nor Angell Thirdly And is not God sole Lord of all things both in earth and heaven Who made vs but He Who hath wherewith to satisfie vs but He And then vpon whom should we call but He Fourthly Is not He also the obiect of our faith Shall we then beleeue in one and pray to another Will that stand with sound reason Sith then that God is omniscient omnipresent omnipotent and the principall Obiect of our Faith it followes wee are onely bound to pray to Him 1. Whence by the way wee may confute the Romanists who pray to Saints to Angels but doe they vnderstand our wants Are they present in all places What haue they they haue not received And may wee put our confidence in creatures Were not this to seeke to a blind guide Relie on a bruised Reed And when the Sunne shineth brighteâ—â— to light a Waxe-candle It is a never-â—rring Canon thaâ— He Exod. 22. 20. who sacrificeth to any gods saue vnto the Lord onely shall vtterly be destroyed they that will doe the first let them expect the second ther is but one to God the father namely Christ but many to the sonne comparing him to a Prince that hath seuerall petitions preferred vnto him by the common subiects that passe through the hands of his neerest fauorites And they say that he is a bad sonne meaning Christ who wil doe nothing for the entreaty of his mother vnderstanding the blessed Virgin but doth not Christ bid vs come vnto Mat. 12. 28. him that he will pray to the father for vs to whom then should we goe is he not our neerest kinsman our eldest brother our head our husband But if any lust to be contentious we haue no such custom neither the Churches of God 2. Againe here is censured and condemned too the ignorant amongst vs. How many may wee heare cry God blesse me father of heauen haue mercy on me Lord forgiue me which words be good we grant but hauing no knowledge of or relation to Christ are no better then vaine babling the truth is that in all our petitions wee should haue reference to him though not alwayes expressed in words yet conceiued and retained in our minds this may be the cause why Daniel looked out of the window when he prayed towards the Temple because it was a type of Christ and thereby would teach vs that there is no going to God without Christ Iesus And as we speake to the soule of man by way and meanes of the bodie so must we to the father of all spirits through the vaile of the humanitie of Christ our mediatour 3. And by this wee may iudge what to thinke of the prayers of the Iewes and Turke and heathen who either haue not heard of Christ or deny him are not their petitions to no purpose shall they speed and preuaile before God can they expect Cornelius his answer thy prayers are Acts. 10. 4. heard thy
be done before Prayer owne basenesse 3. Of thy present condition and 4. Of the former successe which thou thy selfe and others haue had in the done despaire to speed for it s not enough to haue faith but in every action to vse it now when the vnderstanding is misguided marke this then faith is idle not exercised The last thing that must accompany prayers is fervency Iaâ— 5. 26. The energeticall operatiue fervent Prayer is it which speedeth prevaileth This is the fire which must heat it concoct it else God will reiect it never regard it reward it the which may by these subsequent helpes be procured 1. Vnderstand the worth of what thou desirest crauest Helpes to pray with fervencie for that will fire our affections set an edge on our petitions He who knowes the excellency of grace mercy and peace of the remission remotion and prevention of sinne and the effects of sinne cannot but open his mouth wide send forth his petitions with sighes and groanes and strong cryes 2. Thinke how necessary these things of worth are for thee Why doe beggars cry so earnestly but from an apprehension of their present necessitie great misery Is it not Mat. 8. 28. Luk. 18. 41. evident What caused the blind man to cry O thou sonne of David haue mercie on me The Apostle Helpe Lord or else I perish but the want and worth of that they desired 3. Get loue to the thing thou askest strong affections cause fervent prayers earnest petitions Christ louing Lazarus well wept and groaned in spirit when he prayed for Iob. 11. 33. 34 him David did the like for his sonne Where affection is wanting there will be cold praying Doe we not see this in Sutors 4. Be humble in thine owne eyes conceiue thou art lesse than the least of Gods mercies Proud persons either never pray or but coldly luke warmely He that would leape highest stoopes lowest so he that would pray with fervencie must haue humilitie 2 Chron. 33. 11. 12. 5. Increase thy faith for as Powder the shot so faith sendeth out prayers furiously fervently a great faith will cause men to burne in the spirit and to cry mightily to the Lord God of heaven Mat. 15. 28. 6. In one word Cherish no sinne in thee He who steales his bread will pray coldly for a blessing on 't more might be added but these shall suffice And after Prayer somewhat is to be observed also 1. We What after must vse all lawfull meanes for the procuring of what we Prayer Ezech. 36. 37. haue prayed for He that keepeth not the condition may not expect the performance of the promise or band 2. And we must watch and waite for the things we haue asked at the hands of God these two are often coupled together Ephes 6. 18. Col. 4. 2. Pray and watch Were it not madnesse to preferre a petition to a Prince yet never attend an answer To craue an Almes and not looke and stay for the giuers pleasure 3. If thy demand be not granted at the first thou must not faint despayre but pray still hope and waite still great Luk. 18. 1. men doe not alwayes reward the Musitian at the first sound or ditty for then he would straight be gone mis-spend the gift and play at another Window so dealeth the Lord for we are apt to cease praying and things easily got are soone forgot little regarded 4. And when thy request is granted thou must be thankfull Prayer Watching and Prayses are linked together some fayle in the first many in the second but the most in the last David â—ould blesse the Lord when he had heard Psal 116. 12. his petition so must we In the third place wee are to declare why Prayer is so Prayer is a difficult dutie difficult a dutie to be performed 1. For man must deny himselfe goe in the forme of a beggar acknowledge a superiour and his heart naturally being proud he is not easily brought on his knees constreined to stoope to so meane and low a pitch Who is the Lord cryed Pharaoh that I a King should serue him 2. We exercise every facultie of the soule and member of the bodie in this action as the invention iudgement memorie will tongue hand and all The more strings on an Instrument the more difficult to well tune and strike them many pinnes to the lace makes it hard in weaving 3. It s a most holy dutie wherefore the harder What do the Saints in heaven more then praise God And as that life they liue is most excellent so most difficult for by how much it exceeds other actions in holinesse by so much its many earnest words in prayer for the Preacher as they doe in taxing and condemning of him who knoweth how the Lord might poure his spirit on him loose the root of his tongue and make him one of a thousand Wherefore pray for all men but especially for Princes for Preachers He that doth not this is an enemie to the Church no friend to his owne soule And pray thou that the spirit of prophecie may rest vpon him that hee may deliver the word with all boldnesse be freed from the hands of vnreasonable men and so speake and so doe as that he may saue his own soule and them that heare him Of thee Another may be hence collected that Whom we affect we will pray for Doct. 11. Yea the more fervently we loue another the more earnestly and often we shall pray for that person God forbid sayd Samuell that I should cease to pray for you What could 1. Sam. 12. 23. moue him to doe this but affection see this in David in Ionathan in Iesus and in all the faithfull For truth of affection will vse all meanes lawfull to doe Reas 1. that party good who is affected and is not this one if not the chiefe among many Againe the lover and the beloved are as it were but one Reas 2. subiect so that if wee can pray for our selues wee shall for them whom wee affect This shewes that true loue is rare and hard to be found Vse 1. Many boast of it who never had it to vse the wordes of Dalilab how canst thou say thou louest Father or friend brother or sister wife or children and dost not this thing for them He that affirmes he loueth and prayes not for that person shall be found a lyar and no affection is there in him Make triall of the truth of thy loue by this doctrine canst Vse 2. thou pray for him or her thou affectest without ceasing night and day Then thy loue is sound if not but carnall Many a man tels his wife she her husband Preacher people and they the Preacher one another that they loue them but where be their Prayers When call they on God for them I dare peremptorily avouch that all these are lyers It s 〈◊〉 possible for a man to loue his friend
to doe that which is good shall not inherit the kingdome of God for without shall be the fearefull and faint-hearted aswell as the whoremongers murtherers and faithlesse persons and shall tast Rev. 21. 8. of the second death This reproues the timorousnes of our daies and pusillanimitie Vse 1. that is in many persons The Magistrate like Pilate sometimes feares the people and so quits the guilty condemnes the innocent The Minister too often cryes peace peace when there is a sound of much warre powres in oyle when vinegar were fitter and all because hee feareth the Auditors Peter thus denyes his Master and Pauls friends doe forsake him Yea this evill is but too generall vnder the Sunne But let it not be so with vs Beloued least what we most Vse 2. feare fall to be our portion Let vs be diligent in our seuerall courses For he that walketh in the day stumbleth not We Ioh. 11. cry out against him that first breaketh the Rancke count him and call him a white-liuered and faint-hearted Souldier then let vs avoyde what we so much condemne and dislike in others For that which thou detestest in another by others shall bee as much detested if it be found in thee also And learne to feare God so shall hee make all creatures to stand in awe of thee For as Moses serpent did devoure all the false so will this true feare eate vp all that is counterfeite The next thing we note out of the words is this that Growne Christians haue not the Spirit of servile feare Doct. 2. Rom. 8. 15. Psal 23. 4. 112. 7. Yet such as be lately converted and weake haue much and many troubles and inward terrors Carnall persons are full of despaire and feare but men of age and grace are freed from it at the least in a great degree Reas 1. 1 Tim. 1. 9. Rom. 6. 14. For such are not vnder the Law subiect to the curse but vnder the Gospell of grace and mercy Hee that varieth the obiect and altereth his habitation shall find in his naturall body a diuers operation so they that come vnder the act of Gods loue and fauour are freed from their former feare Reas 2. Againe they haue the spirit of adoption whereby they be certified that they are the sonnes of God and in state of Gal. 4. 5. Salvation Now may they eate their bread with ioy and drinke their drinke with a glad heart for the Lord accepteth them Eccl. 9. 7. The favour of a Prince maketh the subiect merry and shall not the loving kindnes of the most High expell all mourning First by this we may try the truth and strength of grace Vse 1. in vs. Are we full of terror Doe we tremble at the evill tidings and quake in the remembrance of death iudgement and hell Then wee are either weake or no Chrians at all for faith and Gods favour maketh a glad heart and a chearefull countenance They that are alwayes trembling haue the spirit of feare and cruell bondage And in the second place We are directed how to expell Vse 2. feare and blow away the thicke mists of terror why get a growth in all grace striue to be a strong man in the Lord. Cripples are afraid of every thing so weake Christians and wicked persons quake at the wagging of a leafe at every little sound A third thing from the former part of this verse wee gather which is that Freedome from slauish feare is no small favour Doct. 3. Rom 8 15. Ioâ— 13. 2â— Paul Doth make mention of it as of a matter of much moment and a thing not lightly to be passed from the which they were deliuered Because its a fruit of sinne and an heauy curse incident Reas 1. to the wicked For if man had not offended he had never feared either the remotion of good or the infliction of evill Gen. 3. 10. the proper obiects about which this passion is conversant exercised Besides doth not this feare wound the Spirit eate and Reas 2. gnaw out the very heart consume the bones dry vp the marrow and make the face looke pale wanne griesly ghostly Psal 39. 11. and the whole body to consume and wast away And is it not an opposite to boldnes hope ioy and that Reas 3. inward peace that passeth all vnderstanding For no Chastisement of this kind is for the present ioyous but grieuous Heb. 12. 11. What can peirce the soule more then this dart enter so deepely into the secrets as this keene arrow Let Cain's Gen. 4. 14. flight further confirme it and our owne experience speake the trueth of this thing Fourthly doth it not hinder a man from the doing of Reas 4. Ioh 3. 1. 2. Luk. 19. 21. many good duties why doe we run from God often lay his honour in the dust forsake our brethen deny the truth and omit diuers good actions holy excercises Why feare Gen. 20. 11. 1 Sam. 21. 12. Math. 26. 59. constraines vs. Why did Abraham call his wife Sister David faine himselfe madde Peter curse and banne Oh! it was a slauish feare that produced these effects Then let such as are freed from it prayse God and repute Vse 1. it no common favour Freedome from this evill is either thanks-worthy or nothing You that sometime haue felt the force of it cast your eye behind you and forget not the the dayes of old What would not a man giue to be rid of this guest when he lodgeth in the house of his heart Nothing would be too deare at such a season And shall God dispossesse him and we proue in gratefull well take heed what thou doest for God can cause him to returne with a double sting and vexe thee more then in former time And here we must learne to avoyd all occasions that may Vse 2. procure it and to vse the meanes that will expell it driue it away Take heed of the omission of good or the least commission of euill for these two be the naturall parents that produce it conserue it For as euery body hath his shadow each Bee her sting so euery sinne hath feare for his attendant wouldest thou sleepe securely lay thee downe in peace liue with ioy and dye with comfort Then learne to doe good cease from euill Heare is yet another poynt to be noted out of Pauls manner of reasoning Why doth he couple himselfe with Timotheus saying for God hath not giuen vs and not thee I take it to incourage him the more to stirre vp the gift of God in him whence obserue that There is a wise handling of a matter to be obserued in the prouoking Doct. 4. of others to good duties It is worthy of our consideration to marke how our Apostle Neh. 2. 3. Act. 22. 26. 27. sometimes seuereth himselfe sometimes coupleth himselfe with others in his Exhortations Prouocations Reprehensions Why did Paul say to
Will as the Center And when man workes to God and for him his act beginnes at the Will but ends at the externall and extreame parts and members 5. In the next place it will follow from the fore going definition that They who loue God haue inward ioy for loue alwayes receiues its obiect with great delight And little doth the world know what melodie the children of God haue in their hearts no stranger can intermeddle with their ioy For from the best intellect and best obiect proceeds the most comfort and the faithfull haue both 6. And lastly we may safely gather that Such people as doe not embrace the Lord and endeuour not still to be vnited to him did neuer truely loue him For the nature of loue is to be alwayes present and to become one with the thing shee loueth Christ louing vs became Emanuel God with vs and hath promised neuer to leaue nor forsake vs. And if Iacob affect Rachel he would be espoused to her For by marriage they are made one flesh vnited in the neerest bond In the next place we come to handle Loue as it hath relation to its obiect Whence we may note that Gods children loue God Doct. 6. This is a short point in words but long in worke soone proued of many confessed yet of a few practised Psal 46. 7. 73. 25. 97. 10. Col. 3. 14. 1 Io. 4. 19. For they haue the best intellect therefore affect the best Reas 1. obiect which is God the acutest eye couets the choicest colours the quickest sence the sweetest smell so the best vnderstanding the best obiect Againe they preferre many Petitions to him and he Reas 2. granteth their desires by the remotion of euill and the donation of good Hence Dauid I loue the Lord because he hath heard my Prayer will we not loue him that neuer denies vs any thing we request Psal 116. 1. Before we apply the point we will lay downe some sound signes inseparable properties of this loue 1. What thing doe we see in God worthy of our affection Trials of the loue of God When the sonnes of God saw the daughters of men to be faire then they made choice of them Doe we loue his attributes of mercy and knowledge and presence and iustice for he that loues God loues all that is in God and seeth nothing but good in him 2. Doe we desire to be acquainted with him and he with vs For this is the propertie of true affection that as we know and would better know him whom we affect so we would be knowne of him that loueth vs they that are strangers in this are strangers from the grace of loue 3. Would we haue God to loue vs reciprocally For if we loue any we would be equally affected of him els our loue should be lost and our ioy not full Is it not so betwixt friend and friend how should it be otherwise than betwixt the sonnes of God and their heaâ—enly Father 4. Furthermore if we loue God we then desire to be like him 1. In nature being conformed into his image 2. In actions too into the consimilitude of his proceedings For we haue such a deepe consideration and good perswasion of what we affect that we thinke all perfection to be in it and to flow from it 5. Againe they that truely loue the Lord thinke all others should doe the same See this in Mary she thought Ioh. 20. 15. others mindes were busied about no other thing but her Lord the Church in the Canticles did the same For they see admirable things in the obiect beloued to be desired 6. In conclusion if God be affected of vs we will vse all meanes to please him to retaine his fauour and doe nothing to discontent him yea the nature of loue is such that it reioyceth greatly to haue any occasion offered whereby it may manifest its vnfeigned affection to the subiect beloued And are these things true then vndoubtedly the loue of Vse 1. God is rare in the world it is not like fire kindled on the hearth of euery mans heart or grasle that groweth in each kinde of ground Euery one will cry he knoweth as much as the Preacher can teach him viz To loue God aboue all and his neighbour as himselfe But what admirable things doe these see in God What desire haue they to know him and he knowne of him that the Lord would loue them or they to become like him in person and action doe they wonder that others do not loue him take they care to please him in al things to offend him in nothing the contrarie is manifest Wherefore whatsoeuer they bragge and boast the loue wee speake of was neuer shed abroad in their hearts this herbe is a stranger from the garden of their mindes Be not then deceiued for if these things be not in truth though not in degree found in thee thou art an hater of him and a louer of profit and pleasure and not of God Davids heart gushed out teares when others kept not his law these themselues rent his precepts like the vaile of the Temple from the toppe to the bottome Dauid set him alwaies at his right hand these neuer haue him in their thoughts David trembled at his word these feare not to sweare by his holy name David did meditate of him day and night these cry Depart from me we will none of thy wayes David made songes to praise him these write bookes and coyne oathes to dishonour him David bad the louers of God to hate iniquitie these call others to commit all villany Shall they then haue Davids portion nay how can they escape swift damnation In the second place seeing wee haue seene what it is to Vse 2. loue the Lord and the true attendants that accompanie the same let vs neuer be at rest or quiet vntill these letters of loue be engrauen on the tables of our affections and imprinted in the leaues of our mindes and to moue thee to this take these directions following 1. We must of necessitie loue something for as no place Motiues to loue God in nature will admit of a vacuitie so all mens affections will couet some obiect then loue God for hee is the best thing Take what goodnesse is in all the creatures it s no more equall to him than a drop of water to the whole Ocean he is all faire and there is nothing vnlouely in him 2. Consider also what a neere vnion is betwixt vs and him hath not he tooke vpon him our nature married vs to himselfe is he not bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh and shall not this moue vs to loue him what neerer or more honorable bond what can be of greater force to allure our affection shall the creator thus stoupe to the creature and we not loue him 3. They that loue him shall not lose their labour and is not this something sometime we loue him
and her setting on our affections as the Bee her sting but lose our labour and as Paul of the Corinthians are lesse beloued the which makes vs to cry my sighes are many and my heart is heauie But loue God and thou shalt be beloued for in this loue is no losse 4. He onely can giue vs content For as the foote is neuer stable till it be pitcht on firme Land so our affections are euer wauering vntill they be fixt on God who is the first Being the sustainer of the soule 5. Call to mind how he hath loued vs Shall he choose vs from eternity and we reiect him in time Nay rather let his loue to vs worke in vs a reciprocall loue of him and so it will in all his chosen let me but giue warmth to my clothes and shall I not receiue heat by way of reflexion 6. He is alwaies with vs in vs and neither will nor can be absent from vs What a griefe it is experience tels not to bee present with the thing beloued This diuision like Reubens causeth many thoughts of heart For personall presence when friends affect aboue all things is desired and here onely and no where else it is to be obtained Ne thinkes these thinges should like the Load stone yron draw and knit our hearts vnto the Lord were they well weighed But if all this will not let vs further consider this that if he be not the obiect of our affection we shall be the subiects of his eternall wrath and indignation This may suffice to haue beene spoken of loue as it looketh towards God now we will handle it as it hath relation to man where we obserue that The Children of God loue one another Doct. 8. Mat. 22. 39. Rom. 13 8. Psal 16. 3. 10. 15. 10. Reasons This point is but short in speech but long in practise we must owe nothing to any man but that we loue one another Loue is a debt alwaies to be payd yet euer to be owing 1. For are they not sonnes of one father 2. Members of one body 3. Temples of one spirit 4. And heires of one and the same kingdome 5. Doth not the image of God shine in them 6. And are they not beloued of him And shall the creator loue that which the creature will not What then shall we iudge of some among vs that scoffe Vse 1. deride persecute and thinke they doe God good service in putting of his Children to death are these the sonnes of the most high or rather be they not bastards haue such the spirit of loue who hate the holy despise the most sincere religious verily they are as yet strangers and aliants from the houshold of faith and common-wealth of Israel Learne how we are to loue one another that wee deceiue Vse 2. not our selues in this dutie thinking we loue when we doe nothing lesse 1. Rule is As thy selfe Mat. 19. 19. The rule whereby we loue our selues must be the same in louing one another and this may appeare either affirmatiuely in what we will doe for our selues or negatiuely in what we will not doe to our selues for the first affirmatiuely 1. A man will cloth himselfe 2. Feede himselfe 3. Lodge himselfe 4. Prayse God and pray to God for himselfe 5. grow in and gather grace for himselfe 6. And for heauen he will daily prepare and fit himselfe For the second Negatiuely 1. A good man will not quarrell with or kill himselfe 2. He will not steale from and rob himselfe 3. Nor lye and beare false witnesse against himselfe 4. Hee will not vrge and carowse to make drunke himselfe 5. He will not slander and discredit himselfe 6. And lastly he will not goe to law and sute with himselfe But may not one Christian goe to law with another Quest Resol Yes but if it may be hee must preuent it 1. And that by dealing with his aduersarie hand to hand prouing if he may prevaile 2. Then if not tell the case to two or three to see if they can ende the controuersie 3. But if these two waies faile then he must tell the elders of the Church the which as some will are the Presbyterie others all the setled congregation and if they cannot make peace then may a Christian goe to law else it seemes not for Paul checkes the Corinthians 1 Cor. 6. for going to law one brother with another But hauing vsed all the former meanes account him thy aduersarie a Publican and no brother if thou canst not winne him appease him The second Rule whereby we are to loue one another is As Christ hath loued vs. Ioh. 13. 34. 1. For order Christ loued vs before we loued him for we loue him because he loued vs first so should wee loue our brother before we be beloued of him 2. In the end he loues vs to doe vs good not that hee receiues good from vs. As Iob of righteousnesse so we say of loue Our loue may profit the sonne of man but if we loue the Lord what receiueth he at our hands Iob. 35. 7. 3. It must be in sinceritie that is not in hypocrisie or dissimulation our loue must be pure not mixed not in word but indeed and truth 4. And we must haue regard to the degree of loue Paul tels vs of the height bredth depth and length of his loue and this will thus better appeare in these things 1. He being God became man that by this his pouerty wee might bee made rich What a degree of humilitie was this 2. He died for vs and herein is the loue of Christ made manifest For greater loue than this can no man shew to lay downe his life for his friends Nay for vs who were his enemies 3. Christ loued vs without measure for who can limit his loue and say hither came it and no further this is a great bredth 4. And he loueth vs for euer in persecution of wicked men temptation of Sathan nor yet the infinite wrath of his father could either stay or interrupt it here 's the length of it without end it is from eternitie to eternitie hath hee loued vs and the quantitie of it is vnmeasurable Should we trie the loue of our dayes by the first rule wee shall finde but little if by the second much lesse for who clotheth his neighbours may not many a member complaine with the head they haue parted my rayment and on my garment haue they cast lots We haue few Iobes or Dorcasses that make coates to cloth the poore Shew me the man that if his neighbour be hungry will giue him meate if he thirst will make him to drinke so our backes be clothed and our bellies filled we forget the afflictions of Ioseph How farre might we trauaile to finde out a Centurion who hath built the poore a Synagogue a Paul who will make mention of his friend Timothie in his prayers night and day Where is he and what is his name
thing of great worth and of the Reas 2. faithfull principally desired and therefore casting the eye of their mindes vpon that they will endure any sorrow Why did not Paul and others faint Why they accounted that the 2 Cor. 4 vlt. afflictions of this life were not worthy of the weight of glory that way layd vp for them in the heauens Here we see what enemies those be to themselues Who Vse 1. are alwaies casting their eye on their present miseries but neuer looke vp to the heauens If the husband man would neuer haue thought on the day of reaping hee would haue small comfort in plowing sowing c. And this is to direct vs what to doe in the sad times of affliction Vse 2. namely to thinke on our salvation David had vtterly fainted but that hee expected to see the goodnes of God Psal 27. in the land of the living and so shall wee in troublesome times haue we no eye towards the land of Canaan the new Ierusalem He that wades through a strong and swiftriuer must looke to the shoare not downe vnder his feete For then his head would grow giddy his eyes dazell and he be in perill of drowning so when the strong streames of affliction compasse vs on cuery side if we would not faint and fall cast we our eyes on the banke and coast of heauen And this thing is worth our daily observation for we shall haue some rubs lesser or greater continually This poynt then is physicke for each time euery malady Thus we proceed to handle the words without any relatition to the verses foregoing Who. The note is that God is the Author of mans Saluation whither temporall orâ—ternall Doct. 4. totall or partiall All the Prophers beare witnesse to this David cryeth Salvation Psal 3 vlt and 27. 1. Isaâ— 12. 2. is from the Lord The Lord is my Salvation Isaiah God is my Saluation and the Saviour of all men 1. Tim. 4. 10. For he found out that new and everliuing way when man Reas 1. Gen. 3. 15. had lost himselfe into which Satâ—an could not pry and the Angels desired to peepe into And as he found out the way so he prepared the meanes Reas 2. â—oh 3. 16. for he sent his sonne made of a woman that they that beleeued in him might be saued Thirdly he was contented to take a satisfaction of the Reas 3. surety whereas he might haue required it at the debtors hands and then no flesh had beene saued for none could haue made an infinit satisfaction What shall I more say he hath sent his word law and Reas 4. Gospell he hath fitted and thrust foorth Ministers to diuide it aright and to discouer the hidden mysteries in the same finally hee hath giuen vs of his Spirit and by the finger of the Holy-ghost in some measure made vs for the present capable of his kingdome it s he and none but hee that saveth Israel For the father he saveth vs by grace Christ by Note purchase the Holy-ghost by application This serveth to confute the Papists who ascribe too much Vse 1. vnto man for the worke of his salvation but wee passe by that And is God the principall agent in mans salvation Then Vse 2. not vnto vs not vnto vs but vnto his name giue wee the praise For what power had we to giue our selues a being to preserue our selues since we were borne to worke out our saluation why were not we reiected with many borne in a land of darkenesse or strangled sucking of our Mothers brests who tooke the veile of ignorance from our eyes caused the light of the glorious Gospell to shine into our soules and made vs who sometime were fooles wise vnto salvation why then with a gratefull heart say with the Prophet It is the Lords mercy I was not long agoe consumed and hee is my God and my Salvation And would we all be saued why then seeke vnto God Vse 3. rely vpon him yet vse thou all other helpes that hee hath prescribed Doe the best thou canst but still depend vpon him not on the meanes the which without his finger as Moses rod will worke nothing And is God the author of mans saluation why then let Vse 4. the righteous be of good comfort for they shall be saued What can hinder who can prevent his resolution Let Sathan and all the Spirits of the infernall pit gather their wit power and forces together cast riuers of water out of their mouthes breath fire at their nosthrills spet venome as fast as words yet God shall plucke off their Chariot wheeles smite them in the hinder parts they shall in heapes lye dead and stinking on the shore when the waters shall giue way that all the Israel of God may safely passe and possesse heauen And though sometimes we may seeme to be in great dangers as Paul and the people were in the ship yet Act. 27. as they did to land at the length so shall we come safe to the land of the liuing For not one whom the father hath chosen and his sonne redeemed but in the time appointed they shall be saued Not one of these souldiers shall become captiues none of these children shall bee disinherited Feare not them little flocke seeing nothing can depriue you of saluation Hath Out of this word it may be gathered that The Salvation of the faithfull is certaine and not doubtfull Doct. 1. Paul speakes of it as of a thing perfected finished And it is vsuall in the Scripture to call things that are not as Num. 23. 10. though they were Balâ—â—â— made no question of thiâ— God saith he will put his feare into them and they shall never mâ—â—ke Ier. 32. 29. 40. that depart from him He hath promised to marry himselfe to them in faithfulnes that is in a couenant that shall not bee Hos 2. 19. 20. broken and to such there is no condemnation And for the Rom. 8. 1. certainty of this poynt wee may produce many worthy reasons And first from God the father thus we argue 1. Hath hee Reas 1. not chosen them 2 Tim. 2. 19. and shall he at any time reiect his people Why then doth he not make a new election why for his counsell shall stand 2. He loueth them and whom he once loueth doth he not loue them with an everlasting loue Ier. 31. 3. 3. He cannot repent of what he hath promised or faile of his word Rom. 11. 29. and 4. Is not his iustice satisfied hath not Christ paid the full debt and shall God require it againe of the debtor Rom. 5. 8. And if God hath chosen them loved them his iustice bee satisfied for them and he hath promised to saue them shall then any of them perish on Gods part I trow this is plaine to euery mans capacity that they shall not nor cannot A second maine Reason or rather many may
of the world or with the Iew in Babilon haue thy parents reiected thee thy friends cast thee off and all thy familiars waite for thy halting Yet grace shall neuer leaue thee or the Lord forsake thee but preserue thee to eternall glory Let Rachel die in trauell Abel be slaine of his brother Iames be beheaded Christ crucified and Eli breake his necke yet they shall be saued And if thou be faithfull God shall deliuer thee from every evill worke and preserue thee to his heauenly kingdome Then be of good comfort for if earthly priviledges breed such ioy what should these heauenly doe Why where bee our hearts and what doe we thinke vpon And this should teach vs thankfulnes to God who hath Vse 3. now made our spirituall estate more certaine in Christ our surety then it was at the first in Adam our father The Pope gets large summes for long pardons the Landlord great fines for a lease for many yeares But we haue a pardon and lease that are of force for euer and euer ours be signed sealed and deliuered by the finger of the Spirit through the bloud of Christ Iesus and with the full and free consent and presence of God the father Then say with the Apostle vpon the same ground To whom be praise for euer and euer Amen And is our salvation certaine How then should wee be Vse 4. pricked forward to goe on in the constant and cheerefull vse of all meanes that may effect it for doth not expectation and assurance of the end set all a worke who would plow if he had no hope of a haruest crosse the dangerous seas if he were out of all heart for his returne in safety or take Physicke should hee not thereby expect recouery of some present sicknes or the remouall of some future disease feared And had we no hope then we might be out of heart But seeing not one of our haires shall perish as Paul said Acts 27. concerning corporall safetie let vs eate and drinke with gladnes be of good courage and vse all helpes prescribed for as the wicked haue no minde to vse the meanes because they haue no hope to inherite heauen so wee by the contrary ground should be stirred and enliued to cast off sinne grow in grace suffer affliction and if need be to resist vnto blood in as much that we be assured and know that our labour is not in vaine in the Lord. And with what willingnes will man and beast bauke and hunt being in hope to finde and catch the prey shall we then hauing such a prize in our hands haue no hearts surely it should not nor it must not be so Saved Hence let it be noted that The Salvation of man is a rare and great blessing Doct. 6. No doubt but Paul doth mention it as a speciall fauour from the Lord. And seeing in these words he seemeth to vse a Reason to moue Timotheus to be resolute in al good duties if he had knowne a better or more forcible argument hee would haue produced it for his purpose See Gen. 49. 18. Which place the two Caldee Paraphrasts expound not of Gedeon or Sampsons deliuery that were temporall and transitory but the salvation by Christ which is eternall and permanent 1 Pet. 4. 18. Io. 4. 5. Phil. 2. 12. Isai 45. 17. and this will further appeare by many reasons Let vs consider it in the causes 1. We were not redeemed Reas 1. with gold and siluer but with the precious bloud of Christ as of a Lambe vndefiled 1 Pet. 1. 18. 19. 2. Doth not the word the good word of God and the Spirit effect and apply it and was not the best message that euer Angels brought Saluation to mankind And are not all times meanes and things subordinate to Reas 2. the same this is the end of all ends Gods glory being excepted and yet his glory is procured by the same The more generall a thing is the better it is for begetting conceiuing bearing baptizing calling and iustifying yea Sanctification preceede it And is it not then the best thing And is it not directly opposed to damnation the worst Reas 3. thing that can be named the wicked shall be in hell amongst the damned Divells and suffer the vengeance of eternall fire on the contrary the Godly shall inherite heauen enioy the communion of the blessed Angells for ever and ever Finally consider what it is to be saued 1. Shall not the Reas 4. image of God in such be perfectly renewed Psal 17. vlt 2. Their ioy shall it not be full Psal 16. vlt Their habitation of pure gold and the fruition of all eternall and now lay all these together and will not the point be a trueth that mans chiefest blessednes consisteth in his saluation Come we to the vse Where we reprehend many that esteeme it a matter of no Vse 1. moment or estimation Is it a thing of weight to preserue a yong plant from withering a beast from drowning the body from dying and nothing of importance to saue the whole man from damning The ignorant man as hee vnderstands not the worth of it so hee neuer seeketh after it The Couetous cryeth its good to bee here gaine is great godlines The Epicure hee goeth in purple and fine linnen euery day fareth delicately drinketh wine in bowles spendeth his time in pleasure and altogether forgetteth his latter end The voluptuous man maketh merry saying The next day shall be as this we will haue our fill of loue and neuer once mindeth his salvation As for the drunkard biting vsurer and the swearer they long agone haue made a league with hell and a couenant with death boasting Tush God will doe neither good nor euil Zeph. 1. 12. and is there wisedome in the most high This poynt may iustifie the courses of such as take paines Vse 2. to worke out their saluation and to make their calling and election sure Goe yee on and the good Lord shall be with you Let it neuer be said of any of you ye began well but who did let you It s a fearefull thing to begin in the spirit and to end in the flesh This might move Parents to make their children the Vse 3. subiects of salvation for would you not haue them to bee heires of great things Say then with Abraham Oh that Ismael might live with Noah God perswade Iapheth to dwel in the tents of Sheâ— All call with David Come hearken vnto me ye little children and I will teach you the feare of the Lord. For those be the best parents that can vse the meanes to bring their sonnes and daughters to be coheires with Christ of the kingdome of God and to participate of endlesse salvation Whereas our Lord said Weepe for your selues and for your children So say I Get salvation for your selues and for your children And from this ground wee are all to be intreated and instructed Vse 4. to
of it in that measure 6. Finally some men haue most excellent and acute vnderstandings now the more clearely the intellect receiueth a fearefull obiect the more will the heart be troubled If one through the dimnes of the eye take a Lyon for a tame beast he wil not be shaken with equall terrour as he wil that by the clearenes of his sight discerneth the beast in his owne kind and nature And this is a most true position that the best wits be the most wounded in heart at their effectuall calling because sin and the punishment be the more clearely apprehended and men ordinarily more then women from the acutenes of the vnderstanding But some may obiect It s from God not man that one is Obiect 1. thus humbled for God in this doth all True yet the Lord worketh according to the condition Sol. of the subiect about which he is excercised And women are often more cast downe then men be at Obiect 2. this season We grant it Yet that comes from the weaknes of the sexe Sol. And shall you not see one more terrified at the drawing of the sword then another is in beholding it sheathed into the very bowells Thus you haue heard how the Lord prepareth a sinner before effectuall vocation cutting off and fitting of him to be grafted a new at which time he is like a branch slâ—pped from the body of the tree and ready to wither and dye in his owne apprehension And then the Lord speaketh vnto the poore perplexed soule by his Spirit in the promises of the Gospell and that peraduenture when he the least expecteth any such comfortable tydings secretly saying and whispering the sinner in the eare of his soule Be of good comfort for thy sinnes are forgiuen thee Now hee giueth Christ to him and him vnto Christ so that the penitent person is come home into his desired place and the liberty of Gods children Now from this that hath beene said we may deduce many Conclusions from the precedent discourse things for our further instruction and to confirme vs concerning the certainty of our effectuall vocation 1. Here we see that the law is necessary to be preached that like a schoolemaster it may whip vs to Christ for to find comfort in the time of neede 2. That the true sight of our sinnes and humiliation is a companion of effectuall vocation for the sicke haue need of the Phisition and Christ calleth none but such as are lost in their present apprehension 3. That euery sigh for sinne and compunction of spirit is not to be effectually called for Reprobates like Ahab and Iudas may for a time be much deiected yet neuer receiue Christ whereby to be truly iustified 4. We learne from hence that effectuall vocation is an action sensibly to be felt by the persons who be the proper subiects of it and a worke though on Gods part secretly effected yet on mans easily apprehended 5. And here men that haue not endured so much humiliation as others yet are not to despaire of their spirituall condition for the Lord doth not call all his a like To one hee reveileth some little sinne at the first least he should be swallowed vp of overmuch heauines yet by the punishment thereof he commeth to coniecture what is due vnto him for the rest And when the poore sinner hath got power against this then he will reveale vnto him some other of greater nature for hauing had experience of Gods former mercy he is made the more bold and able for to wrestle with greater transgressions and Sathans more fell and fierce temptations the which vsually come in the latter end of this spirituall combate For like a cunning Captaine that would raze downe the walls he first dischargeth his lesser pieces and if they will not effect it then he giueth fire to his greatest Ordinances and roaring Cannons 6. And for conclusion let him that is neuer so much deiected not be out of heart as though the Lord could not raise thee vp againe and comfort thy soule for as his mercy so his power is infinite The deeper the foâ—â—dation is layed the firmer will the building be and the more we be huâ—â—led and broken at our preparation the more shall we be â—â—le to stand fast after our effectuall vocation Wherefore read pray meditate heare the word receiue the Sacraments and seeke to the Phisition of thy soule and at one time or other through one of these conducts he will seale to thy soule a certificate for the remission of all thy sinne and thou with comfort shalt say Now soule returne vnto thy rest Doâ— but vse the meanes tarry the Lords leisure and he shall come that will come and comfort thy heart say not that no man euer felt what thou doest for many haue and found pardon peace vnspeakeable But when thou are come home to thy long desire hâ—uen A Caution and the Lord hath heard the voyâ—â— of thy weeping then see 1. thou faile not to performe the vâ—â—es that thou madest â—â— him in the daies of thy former affliction least a worse â—hing follow Neither thinkâ— it thine honour that thou hâ—st bâ—â—â—e 2. more teâ—â—efied and deiected in thy preparation then thy brethren as the manner of â—oâ—e iâ— but be thou the moâ—e ashamed that thy heaâ—t was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thâ—◠〈◊〉 â—ust exhibite more power to â—â—ll â—hâ—â— hoâ—e then â—he rest oâ— his children And by how â—uâ—h the more 〈◊〉 Lord â—â—th â—â—mbled 3. thee aboue others be â—hou so 〈◊〉 the more 〈◊〉 in all good workes For the more pâ—ines and labour the Husbandman taketh in tilling his ground the more corne he expectâ—th from it at the time of harueâ—â— and shall â—ot the Lord looke for the like from alâ— his manured and well â—â—lled closes yes vndoubâ—â—â—ly And here I will adde some particulars that he who is of where in the that is called hath experience fectually called knoweth by experience whereof men in the estate of nature are ignorant 1. He knoweth now what a featefull thing it is to be a stranger from the life of God and to haue him for his enemie and would not for the 〈◊〉 of a world be one â—â—ture in his former condition 2. How vnable he is of himselfe either â—â— answre the Lords call or to beleeue in him though he would and find in himselfe a mind to both 3. What an enemy sin and Sathan is to the sonnes of men Now he perceiueth the sting of the one and the fiery darts of the other and how deepe they will strike pierce into the very ioynts and the marrow 4. He can tell you that a wounded spirit is the extreamest of all extreamities and that peace with God passeth all vnderstanding 5. That Christ was God aswell as man or els he had not beene able to haue borne the full burden of one mans sins much lesse of the whole world of the elect this is a
secret which by experience he hath search't into 6. He is able to comfort others by the same meanes and with the same comforts he was comforted of the Lord. And from this knowledge of experience a poore vnlettered man may be a more skilfull Pâ—â—â—ition to a wounded spirit then a more learned Clearke can These things and many more doth the 〈◊〉 called know by his owne experience And this is that preaching and wisedome which the world coâ—â—â—s foolishnes and not many as Paul sayth great men 1 Cor. 1. 23. 26. wise men and noblemen are called vnto But yet for all this that hath beene said least some man might deceiue himselfe and not make his calling and election sure I will further set downe some inseparable effects that accompany effectuall vocation 1. He is in a wonderfull admiration to see what an alteration Fruites or effects of effectuall calling the Lord hath wrought in him Peter neuer admired more at his strange deliuery by the Angel out of that strong prison then that man doth in being brought into the kingdome of freedome out of spirituall bondage and darknesse 2. He hath mixt affections terror and feare in looking backe on the obiect of his former condition and ioy vnspeakeable glorious in consideration of his present good condition Now he can both sigh and reioyce at one and the same instant like the men at the building of the second Temple Ezr. 3. 13. 3. Now he will eate his meate with a glad heart follow the duties of his calling with readines sing Psalmes of praise for his late and great deliuery sleepe and rest in peace for the Lord accepteth him And we are the most forward to all good duties when we are most assured of the Lords fauour and our owne salvation And this the reason why Sathan Note so strongly tempteth the faithfull to doubt and despaire 4. If he haue in former time liued in none or an vnlawfull calling now will he alter his course and take a better for note this when God calls any to mercy as hee did Adam he sets them againe in a lawfull calling He neuer called the Deuill therefore let him goe compasse the world and so doth the Rabble of Fryers disordered people as Bearewards players and idle persons liue out of a calling and goe a compassing its likely in that God hath not yet effectually called them for if he had they would haue gone to work And there is no surer signe of one effectually called by God then to liue in and worke and performe the duties of a lawfull calling and no more fearefull note of a man not called to mercy then to haue none or to abide in an vnlawfull calling 5. He now with Lydia will attend to Pauls voice depend vpon the word and in nothing reioyceth more then to heare the Lord speake to him in his ordinances Nay he will not omitt any meanes to further him in the course of Godlines 6. Finally he will often call vpon God by praier praise him for his great deliuerance shew what the Lord hath done for his soule and as much as in him lyeth seeke to call home others that God might be glorified and they with him saued I haue the longer insisted vpon this point because it is the very first entrance to all true blessednesse and the onely ground of our sound comfort and great reioycing With an holy calling Whence we gather that The calling wherwith Gods children are called is an holy calling Doct. 10. The Author of the Hebrewes stiles it a celestiall calling and elsewhere it s said to be an honourable or high calling See Heb. 3. 1. Phil. 3. 14. 2 Thes 1. 11. For the causes of it are holy God Christ the Spirit and Reas 1. the word are all said to be holy And the Ministers for the most part are holy who be instruments in this action I say for the most part for a man not called I iudge may Whether Preachers not called can call others call others For 1. I dare not tye the Spirit to the dignitie of any mans person 2. Such may be fitted for the Ministery and sent of God shall they not attaine to their end 3. Paul reioyced that Christ though by the false Apostles of enuy was preached why did he this if they could not call others at the loast build vp others 4. And lastly hee that holdes the contraly cannot be assured oâ— the truth of his owne conversion for we are not infallibly certified what Ministers be truly called For 1. Some mens sinnes goe before hand others follow after 2. God only knoweth the hearts of all the sonnes of men 3. No man knoweth the thoughts of man but the Spirit that is in him And he that is not certaine of this cannot be assured of the other for so long as I doubt of the Ministers conversion holding this I must needs call my owne in question because God vseth man in the conuersion of man I am not ignorant of some who hold the contrary and of their obiections and Scripture against this position But yet I hold that an vnconverted Minister may convert though few and seldome as we see by experince in former times and in our daies also And in regard of the end too the subiects from which we are called and to which we be called it s an holy calling For 1. We are called from darknes to light 2. From vncleannes Reas 2. 1 Pet. 2. 9. 1 Thes 4. 7. Heb. 3. 1. Psal 15. 1. to holines 3. From wicked men and Dinels to the communion of Saints and Angels 4. We are called from earth that is polluted vnto heauen the holy Mountaine of the Lord. This serveth first to answere an obiection of wicked men Vse 1. who demand why men will not run with them to the same excesse of ryot Why the Reason is In that they be called with an holy calling Wicked and lewd persons tumble in their sinne like the sow in the mire but what mervaile seing they be not the called of the Lord When men haue had an holy calling then will they haue an holy conversation And by this Doctrine we may try the truth of our calling Vse 2. Have we cast off the wayes of darkenesse singled our selues from the profaine multitude and left sinne and vncleannes behind 's Doe we purge our selues as Christ is pure striue to be cleansed from the filthines of the flesh and spirit and to be presented without spot and blamelesâ—e in the day of our Lord why then we are called with an holy calling for as effectuall vocation is a true signe of salvation so is holines of our effectuall vocation This Doctrine may be of great comfort to such as doubt Vse 3. of the truth of their calling Some because they are not able precisely to say I was called such a time by such a man and in such a manner feare they were neuer called at all
excell the principall in some one thing as the foote by fleeing may saue the body when the head cannot moue without it So the least of Gods ordinances in one thing or other may be more profitable then the highest For â—xample For the plantation of a Church the conuersion of the sinner the begetting of faith the information of the iudgement and the directing of man in the pathes of righteousnes Preaching doubtlesse hath the preheminence But in easing of the troubled heart by confession in recounting the great and many things the Lord hath done for vs in praysing him for his benefits and obtaining of comfort and helpe in the time of need and to a sinner converted prayer I thinke is the more profitable Obiect Sol. It will be said We cannot pray without preaching True not well neither can wee preach well without praying Againe faith comes by preaching and without faith no Obiect prayer We grant it yet prayer doth preserue it increase it Preaching Sol. is the procreant but Prayer the conservant cause of faith the one is as the Mother the other as the Nurse We in preaching heare God speake to vs in praying we Obiect 3. speake to him True it is that the Lord in the word truly preached speaketh Sol. to man yet not immediately And so in praying doth God speake also For the Spirit of God doth direct and assist all the faithfull to pray And in this following respect Prayer seemes to haue the prayse For in Preaching God by man speaketh vnto man But in Praying Man by the Holy Ghost doth speake vnto God the Father And on the other part Obiections are brought as this Obiect That which is for another thing is of lesse value then that thing for which it is But preaching is for prayer therefore not to be preferd aboue it This rule seemes to me not alwaies to hold true Example Sol. The father and the Mother are for the sonne therefore the sonne is better then they God was in Christ and redeemed the world by him therefore the world is more worth then the sonne of God This were a doubtfull if not a blasphemous consequence Yet obserue this that one thing may be for diuers ends as the Redemption of man by Christ was not solely for the good of man but for his owne and the glory of his father and Christ as he was God was both the end and the meanes so that sometimes things be not as they seeme to be I will to and fro dispute the question no longer for my first generall answere shall stand for all And none needs to doubt of the truth of it Onely thus let vs conclude that as Christ said Giue that to Caesar which is Caesars and to God that which is is Gods So giue we to preaching that which is its due and to prayer its priviledge also And in the second place this should teach vs thankfulnes Vse 2. to God for the word preached Alas what were all other fauours worth if we had not the Gospell to conuert vs and to sanctifie vs to God all things to vs We esteeme not of this fauour as we ought and as it deserveth Haue wee a guide to direct vs being out of the way a Phisitian to remoue some dangerous disease or but a remedy to turne our cloth into a better colour We esteeme highly of such things But haue too little respect vnto the word taught the onely meanes to heale our spirituall maladies and to conuert vs vnto the Lord. And if this be not thanksworthy then all we haue is of no worth Praise wee the Lord therefore that our visions faile not Againe would we and our children be converted and Vse 3. healed then let vs depend on the word taught Moses Rod in Moses hand did worke miracles and so the word in the mouth of the men of God will destroy the cursed worke of Sathan in vs and make vs in mind and life like vnto Christ Iesus We must wash in this poole attend at this porch and suffer this water to fall vpon vs so shall the Leprosie of our sinne be washt away and we be transformed into the image of the Lord wherin we were at the first created But how few mind or practise these things Yet it s a truth that there is no way to bring vs ordinarily vnto heauen but the diligent hearing of the word preached Last of all Let vs all strive to continue the word taught Vse 4. amongst vs for if it faile the people perish Nay we should to the vttermost of our power with the Thessalonians cause the Gospell to run and abound in all places this is a worke of worth and great necessity You often and it s good speake in the praise of that in his Art matchlesse Peere Sir Francis Drake for deriving the water into your Corporation and you are at daily expence to repaire the breaches of its passage And shall we then neuer be at any charge to cause the water of life to slow through the Townes and places about vs by the Conduits of faithfull preachers Nay would to God some did not stop this wells mouth or rather hinder the passage But woe to them whosoeuer they be Of the Gentiles We might gather diuers things from these few words being diuersly considered but the cheife I take is this that When the Lord will call and saue a people hee rayseth vp the Doct. 6. fittest instruments for that purpose Who fitter then Paul to be a Preacher to the Gentiles or to deliuer Israel then Moses being skilfull in all their learning Peter was a man resolute and fiery therefore the more meete to deale with the stiffnecked Iewes And the Lord sent Papists to Pp ' for their conuersion for they knew their iuglings and were able to beate them with their owne weapons Because the Lord is wise in all his wayes and skilfull in Reas 1. all his enterprises A man of vnderstanding will doe his best to haue his matters effected and shall not the fountaine of all wisedome worke wisely Againe the Lord doth this in respect of the people for Reas 2. they naturally are subiect to quarrell to make objections and to deny the meanes of their conuersion Now a man well qualified will remoue their doubts conuince them in iudgment discouer their folly and so the sooner draw them to repentance For though God can worke and sometimes doth with weake or no meanes at all yet this is his Method in his ordinary course of proceeding By this poynt we may partly tell what to iudge of many Vse 1. places and people in the world Doth the Lord send them fit Pastors then hope the best but if not feare the worst This must teach vs to reuerence the Lord in his workes Vse 2. and not to passe by without casting our eye on his wise prouidence For its worthy of our obseruation and imitation I feare
answered No Lord. When a poore man hath beene alwayes in his want relieued by his rich friend will it not make him the more boldly to rely on him for helpe in time to come 2. Consider how he hath giuen thee knowledge when thou wast ignorant infused faith into thine heart being before an infidell and preserued his graces in thee from perishing For the calling to minde the dayes of old is a notable helpe for this thing Is it possible that he who hath begun to doe well will now waxe weary in so doing What man planteth a tree and will not labour to preserue the same from withering And shall the Lord suffer his pleasant plants after he hath so often pruned watered and dunged them to dye and perish for want of dressing II. Call to minde the many dangers from the which he hath deliuered thee Why mightest not thou haue beene buried in thy Mothers wombe beene drowned in the waters or deuoured on the land the theefe might haue slaine thee some crumbe choaked thee or a thousand diseases beene thy death And shall not the fresh remembrance of these things worke powerfully in thee When our Apostle had beene deliuered out of the mouth of the Lyon he gathered strength thence that the Lord would deliuer him from euery evill worke and preserue him vnto his heavenly Kingdome 2 Tim. 4. 17. 18. III. Take a view how in times past he hath dealt with his children run to and fro through the stories and acts of holy Writ and as he hath done to his servants of olde so will he doe to thee assuredly I wish that this were well thought on for its a notable remedie Psal 37. 25. IV. Conferre with grounded Christians Demand of them how the Lord hath dealt with them in some particulars for they can teach thee by experience their comforts will comfort thee also A timerous patient will be encouraged to swallow the bitterest pill when another standeth by that hath beene cured of the like disease that he now is annoyed with telleth him the experiment V. Take a view of the vanitie of all other things Our Ioh. 6. fathers ate Manna in the wildernesse and are dead For in so doing thou shalt get experience of Gods constancy the Creature is changeable sometimes killing another whiles curing But the Lord is one and the same for euer VI. Finally and aboue all Consider how the Lord dealeth with thee in the vse of all his ordinances Marke what power the Word hath in working in thy soule how it weakeneth corruption strengtheneth the new man Obserue how the Lord hath heard thy prayer in time past and now how he enableth thee to call vpon him being in the like condition Dauid from this ground cryeth out The Psal 6. 9. Lord hath heard my petition for grace the Lord will receiuâ— my prayer and therefore as one refreshed biddeth the workers of iniquitie be gone Canst thou pray at this present as in times past when he heard the voyce of thy weeping then doubt not but he will deale fauourably with thee For when the Lord intendeth to conferre a fauour vpon his children he will alwayes giue them hearts for to vse the meanes whereby he doth ordinarily convey the same vnto them and wherevnto he hath annexed his promise If Hannah prevaile for a sonne or Abraham either they shall first be enabled a long season to powre out their soules by prayer vnto the Lord. And so it is in all other things whatsoeuer I wish that every one had but the experience of this engrauen in their mindes for it would be profitable for them every manner of way And true it is that this experimentall knowledge of God is the very food and spirit and life of a Christian from which all faith patience and resolution in the times of trouble spring and flow as from their proper fountaine and roote Then striue for it in the vse of the forenamed meanes and when thou hast obtained it wonderfull and vnspeakeable are the effects that it will produce and thou shalt taste of Againe in these words wee see Paul placeth knowledge before beliefe whence we may collect this doctrine that The knowledge of God precedeth faith in him Doct. 8. How can they beleeue in him of whom they haue not heard And for this cause Knowledge in Scripture is many times put for faith Rom. 10. 14. Ioh. 17. 3. Io. 4. 10. Reas 1. Because the act of faith in beleeuing followeth the act of the vnderstanding rightly guided Knowledge is like the needle which maketh the way faith the threed that tyeth and vniteth things together And as whatsoeuer by ordinary working is in the inward senses was first in the outward so whatsoever comes to the will the proper seate of faith must first be in the vnderstanding And if this were not so then might an ignorant man be Reas 2. saued and haue faith the which the whole current of Scripture runs against As My people are cut off for want of knowledge and God shall come in flaming fire to render vengeance on them that know him not Hos 4. 6. 2 Thes 1. 8. and many more to that purpose This confuteth Bellarmine and his adherents who say Vse 1. A man may better beleeue things whereof he is ignorant then those which he knoweth If he had spoken it of the things recorded in their leaden Legend I should easily haue consented with him for I thinke that when men haue heard them they more doubt of them then when they were ignorant of them To name some of thâ—ir ridiculous fables we read of one that was sicke his stomacke would vomit vp whatsoeuer he receiued so that he being willing to receiue the Sacrament yet doubting he should not retaine it if he receiued it by ordinary course it was put the consecrated Hoste I meane to his side the which opened and after the receipt thereof closed as before And there is mention made of a woman whose Bees were sicke of the Murraine who tooke also an Hoste put it into the hiue and marke this they within a few dayes were not onely cured of the danger of the disease but there was a miraculous encrease of them in number and they had built a Chappell and steeple and bells and an Altar and layd the Hoste thereon and the Bees sung their Canonicall houres about it iust as the Monkes vse to doe in their Cloysters I could relate the like of the Lady of Loretto for ther 's bookes of her too in Folio It s reported that shee sometime vnderstand the house too being discontented displaced her selfe and passing by a wood all the trees in reuerence bended and stooped with their heads to the very earth vnto her wonder it was they had not rent themselues vp by the rootes and proffered her their standings Also the Booke sayth that one being prisoner in Turkey and there having his bowells ript out by the ayde of a prayer that he made
to it so that the secret will of God may be the revealed For before the Creation of the world Gods whole will was hidden in himselfe that afterward became manifest It was in Davids heart to build the Lord an house when he did declare it to the people it was then but one and the same will In the secret will of God two things are to be obserued And from all that hath beene said will many profitable lessons follow 1. We must take heede that we doe not conclude as if the Lord did worke all outward things of necessitie For his Will is free in respect of the outward obiect Gen. 45. 5. Act. 2. 23. Isai 10. 6. 7. 2. Because it is the first mover that therefore we conclude not He is the Author of sinne For God can doe the same which man doth yet free from iniquitie And 3. we must avoyde the error of those who imagine that because Gods Will worketh in all things that therefore God willeth sinne and punishment absolutely without any condition on mans part And 4. of them and their opinion wee must beware who thinke that Gods Will can make any thing lawfull be it neuer so vniust 5. Of those also who because Gods Will is vnchangeable therefore will vse no meanes at all for what they would pertake of 6. And finally Let vs all take heed that we maintaine not the heresie of the Monothelites who held because Christ was God therefore his Will was but one when as our Lord himselfe witnesseth the contrary Ioh. 6. 38. Math. 26. 39. And seeing that Gods Will is free and the first moving Vse 2. cause of all goodnesse Let vs. 1. prayse him for the good he hath bestowed on vs or at any time done by vs. 2. Depend vpon him for direction and abilitie in all our proceedings 3. Reverence the extraordinary acts of his Providence 4. Yeeld our selues and all our wayes with willingnes to be ruled and disposed as shall seeme best in his eyes 5. And as he willeth good and nilleth evill so let vs doe the same 6. In conclusion let vs alwayes pray Lord thy will be done and not ours If we doe these things we shall never fall but with our Apostle be confident in the assurance of the conservation of our soules which wee commit to him at the last day Let thy faith be fixed on Gods power and Will and then thou shalt haue the desires of thy heart and Will We might now come to speake of Pauls perswasion and assurance he had in God for his preservation Some of our Divines make fiue degrees of faith 1. A credence 2. an assurance 3. an affiance 4. a confidence and 5. a perswasion Perswasion seemes to be the greatest so that wee may collect that Of Faith there be distinct degrees Mat. 6. 30. 15. 28. Doct. 13. Mat. 8. 10. 13. 32. We reade of a faith no bigger then a graine of Mustard-seed and of a Plerophorie or full perswasion And in the Gospell mention is made of a little faith and of a great faith So that this point is manifest that there is two at the least distinct degrees of faith And not without Reason For some haue had greater meanes and liued longer vnder Reas 1. the powerfull Preaching of the Word then others who thereby are become strong in faith For as we see that trees which be planted in a good soyle neare the pleasant rivers and haue stood long doe flourish and spread more then they that haue growne in barren ground wanted watering and a shorter season so is it with the flower of faith Great meanes great faith little meanes the lesse faith except the Lord as sometimes he doth worke extraordinarily Some after their effectuall call haue beene more frequent Reas 2. and diligent in the vse of Gods ordinances then others more forward to doe good carefull to absteine from the least appearance of evill so that their faith is growne mightie Twinnes of equall age will outstrip one another by carefull attendance And this is to comfort the feeble minded and to support Vse 1. the weake in faith Be not deiected though thy faith carry thee not with a full gale to the kingdome of God for as all ships haue not alike sailes and winde all birds equally winged and all women infants of like proportion in every part so haue not all Christians the same degree of saving faith yet the weakest minde and lowest saile will carry the ship to shore as securely though not so speedily as if they were greater and the least true faith and hope will bring the sanctified soule to the haven of heaven as certainely though not so comfortably as the greatest But yet wee must not content our selues with this weake degâ—â—e we are to endevour for the strongest faith and the greatest measure goeth to the sea for water will not feare that he shall returne with his vessell emptie For what heate can dry vp the same And shall we doubt of grace when we goe to the fountaine it selfe whose depth is vnsearchable past sounding When we cast vp our heads the Sunne shineth in our faces and doth refresh and heate vs so by the act of Meditation we come vnder the beames of Gods mercy that shall confirme our feeble faith 2. Consider that Christ hath satisfied the Fathers iustice payd the full debt cancelled the bond and is making intercession for all repentant sinners Therefore in his Name Heb. 4. 16. goe boldly to the throne of grace What if it be called a Throne for greatnes Is it not a throne of Grace that resembles goodnes When Esau had killed Venison in his hand he went boldly for his blessing though he mist it But take thou Christ the Lambe of God and come with and in him vnto the Father and none can steale away thy blessing for God cannot be deceiued neither wanteth he mercy in store for such 3. Call to minde that the promises belong to such as are Mat. 11. 28. in doubt Come vnto me all that are weary and heavy laden and I will ease you Whom came Christ to saue Such as in their owne feeling not in Gods purpose were lost Whom will the Physician heale They that be sicke Vnto whom hath the Lord promised comfort to the mourners in Sion And who ever in godly sorrow sought the Lord but he returned Mat. 9. 2. with this encouragement My sonne be of good comfort for thy sinnes are forgiuen thee Salvation is entred into thy house 4. Finally Pray often in private for as the slender and still dew that falleth in the night doth more refresh the yong sprouting and tender buddes then more wet that falleth or a greater shower in the day So oftentimes the prayer made in secret prevaileth with God more then the publike for the encrease of faith Paul at his conversion prayed three dayes and three nights Yet vse all the ordinances of God for it sometimes
that patterne consisting of sound words being so in themselues as likewise able to worke and preserue soundnesse in thee To the knowledge whereof thou camest by the writings especiallie that thou hast receiued at my hands And know thou that this patterne cannot any wayes else bee obserued but by the aide and helpe of that faith and loue the which God the father hath shed abroad in thy heart not for any desert of thine but through his meere mercie hath confer'd them on thee by Christ Iesus Where as Paul hath disswaded and perswaded and now Doctrines dediâ—â—d giues Timothie a rule by which he may be directed in his proceedings we first note from his example that Perswasion and disswasion are to be accompanied with direction Doct. 1. 1 Cor. 12. vlt. Heb. 6. 1. 1 Tim. 6. 2 It s not sufficient for a man to say doe this and not that but he must lay downe rules and helpes whereby he with whom he is to deale may be inabled for the dutie For otherwise a man will either stand still and doe nothing Reas 1. or if he doe not so yet he shall worke out of all good order Againe else the minister should not deliuer the counsell of Acts 20. 27. God guilty should he be of the peoples blood and so consequentlie without sound comfort This correcteth the hot and fierie spirits of some who like Vse 1. an vnskilfull rider be alwayes spurring but neuer guiding They cry why will ye doe that and wherefore doe you this but doe not giue them direction how to auoyd the one or performe the other And so it fals out that the one hath no profit the other as little comfort Let vs then learne as to perswade and disswade so to direct Vse 2. others God willed that Moses should build him a tabernacle yet he gaue him a patterne how to be directed in the perfecting of the same So let ministers haue an eye to this that their people may doe all things in comelinesse and in order Keepe thou the patterne c. As these words be a direction we gather that The best way to maintaine the puritie of Religion is to haue a Doct. 2. patterne Exod. 20. Ier. 6. 16. Gal. 6. 16. Psal 119. 9. For God at the first writ the patterne in mans heart by the Reas 1. Adam had the the law writ in his heart at the creation Rom. 2. 15. which he might haue beene kept from all sinne and impuritie as may be thus proued For 1. The Gentiles many yeares after had some remainders of the law by which they were guided in their hearts the which could not haue beene had it not beene engrauen in Adams at the creation 2. Those to whom the Lord will shew mercy he hath promised that he will put his law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts Ier. 31. 33. Heb. â— 10. 3. We are commanded to write it vpon the tables of our hearts Pro. 3. 3. and the Prophet saith He hid the word in his heart Psal 119. 11. 4. Euery creature had the rule created with him and in him whereby he was to be guided in all his actions But man sinning broke the patterne and obliterated these excellent rules that were perfect in him at his creation And if the rule was not within him where was it or why should God guide all his other creatures by an internall precept and not man And euerie good man may find this in himselfe and see it in others that the more holy they grow the more shall they find the word of God imprinted in their hearts And doubtlesse when that a man is perfectlie sanctified which will not be here he shall haue the law absolutelie 1 Cor. 13. 9. 10. renewed and engrauen in him so that in this sence the word may be said to abide for euer And here we might adde the iudgement of the Hebrew Pirke R Eliezer in Gen. 2. doctors and the most that euer writ for the further confirmation of this that Adam at his creation had the law writ in his heart and was to haue beene guided by it The reason I stand to proue this is in that those who hold that Christs actiue and passiue obedience doe not concurre both of them to mans iustification seeke to maintaine that Adam had no law in him or out of him to guide him except the trees of life and death good and euill But certainly this is a farre fetcht shift and as farre from the truth 1. For the trees were as Sacraments to seale life or death vpon the breach or obseruation of the law as ours be Adam broke the morall law 2. When Adam ate the forbidden fruite did he not breake all the Decalogue 3. Sathan was subtile and tempted Adam to breake the kings seale for that spoiled all the rest And the blotting out of a word or sentence is not so great an offence in any deed or writing as to destroy spoile and abuse the seale 4. Why did God giue the tables in stone afterwards if man was not to be guided by them in his creation Was he then bound to God and his brother and not before or did God make a new law or set Adams sonnes a taske their father neuer had But we let this passe and proceed to giue further reasons of the point in hand Againe the naturall powers of man are much weakened Reas 2. much more the spirituall since Adams fall And the Lord seeing that gaue his people a law writ in two tables of stone for a patterne and why then 1. Because the children of Israell were multiplied as the Why the law was writ in Moses time sand by the sea shore according to his promise made vnto Abraham 2. In that the gouernours of families were growne negligent and would not teach their house and children the lawes of God 3. And especiallie in regard at that day there was scarce any print or footesteps of the law left remaining in the hearts of the sonnes of men For processe of time had worne them out 4. And finallie for that the people began to murmur at the doctrine of Moses and Aaron crying they tooke too much vpon them as if they had bound heauier burdens than the Lord himselfe prescribed to them Besides in the course of our Pilgrimage we shall meete Reas 3. with many false teachers infinite and innumerable errours and heresies and how can these things be discerned otherwise than by a true and infallible rule Furthermore doe we not see how that grounds are good Reason 4. in all beginnings as to dispute speake c And last of all patternes helpe our darke iudgements â—eas 5. better our affections confirme our memcries and yeeld vs comfort and incouragement in all our proceedings This serueth to confute our aduersaries who denie the Vse 1. people the patterne of all puritie the word of truth They may be likened
Iudg. 17. vlt. me seeing I haue a Leuite to be my Priest And shall it not then be said of euery faithfull man and woman I am sure it will goe well with mee seeing I haue the Spirit of God in my heart And this Doctrine must teach the faithfull diuers lessons Vse 3. 1. They must take heed that they greiue not the holy spirit of God For neuer had any a better guest 2. To marry in the Lord for shall they make the Temple of the Holy Ghost the member of an harlot 3. To keepe their vessels in comelines and honour and to touch no vnholy thing For shall we defile the Temple of God 4. And finally to vse all meanes that it may be continued and preserued both from destruction and pollution Againe Let not a man disdaine to entertaine the faithfull Vse 4. When the Author of the Hebrewes would perswade the people to giue lodging to strangers he produceth this as Heb. 13. 2. an argument to moue them for saith he some in so doing haue receiued Angels into their houses Was this of force why then let the consideration of the poynt we haue in hand be powerfull to perswade to the same duty It went well with that family where Ioseph was so shall it with those that entertaine such in whom is the Spirit of God And here let man learne a lesson and wonder Is the Vse 5. Spirit of God in Paul and others where the spirit of all vncleannes not long before ruled Admire his humility that would descend so low as to dwell in so meane an habitation He that dwells in that light that none can attaine vnto now dwelleth where was a palpable darknes Salomon on this consideration broke out Is it so that the most high will dwell with the sonnes of men and shall not we doe the like from the same ground 1 King 8. 27. In the last place Let vs examine our selues whether we Vse 6. be Temples of this Spirit or not for if he dwell in the faithfull it 's reason we should proue if we our selues be not seduced And let these tryalls following decide the matter Signes if the spirit dwell in vs. 1. Where he dwelleth there is peace that passeth all vnderstanding ioy that 's vnspeakeable glorious 2. There is liberty not to sinne but to all holy actions 1. They can pray with sighes and groanes which cannot be expressed 2. Prayse God with an heart enlarged and with a willing Rom. 8. 26. minde 3. Runne all the wayes of Gods precepts chearefully and 4. Are resolute in the greatest and most desperate opposition for God his truth and their brethren 3. Where he takes vp his lodging there is holines He doth not dwell in Drunkards Epicures Vsurers fornicators or any vncleane person This fire purifieth the heart cleanseth the inward man though neuer so full of filthines in former time 1 Cor. 6. 11. Eph. 5. 18. 4. In a word where he inhabiteth he alwaies moueth the mind to doe good refresheth the soule after the performance of any holy action with a secret content and hidden approbation opposeth all evill iniections in the first apprehension as of Atheisme merit murder c. and in Conclusion he alwaies allureth that person in whom he is to bring all his actions words gestures thoughts and intentions to the word of God reuealed for that 's his owne Rule and by that we may know if he be in vs had we no other tryall We may gather another Note of great consequence out of the word Dwell which is that Where the Spirit of God taketh true and speciall possession he Doct. 5. is not cast out for euer For the word Dewll importeth not onely possession but continuance David Abraham Iacob with all the faithfull were neuer totally and finally depriued of the Spirit or the graces of the Spirit after they once were the subiects of the same Ioh. 16. 13. Math. 28. 20. First because he delighteth in his habitation and where Reas 1. that is in the inhabitant he will not be remoued from his home Who is able to dispossesse him is there any greater then Reas 2. he he it is that hath cast out the strong man Sathan and will neuer suffer him againe to reenter But it s said that Sathan findeth the house swept bringeth Obiect seuen spirits worse them himselfe and dwelleth there Math. 12. 44. c. To omit the diuers interpretations of that place this I Sol. take to be the truest Sathan is compared to a wayfaring man or traueller who wandreth vp and downe the Moores and Marshes to find water yet when his hope is frustrate it being dry land he then returneth to home his own habitation the which is garnished to his minde So the Deuill when he cannot take possession of other persons he like a sow returnes to his former muddy poole and findeth it swept but from all goodnes therefore he resteth there with greater content then he had in his progresse He hath malice enough to seeke a dwelling in all the elect temples of Gods spirit but that fire from aboue hath dryed vp the spring of sinne he cannot finde reentry therefore he makes a regresse to that person or Nation where he shall certainly enter For if the Spirit had swept and garnished the house from the power of sinne and adorn'd it with his gifts that are peculiar to the elect the Diuell might knocke at the doore but he should neuer be admitted to entrance much lesse to dwell there This might serve to confute the Papists who hold that Vse 1. the Spirit may be lost and cast out but we haue elsewhere spoken more at large of this poynt then here we will And this may confirme the salvation of Salomon as also Vse 2. teach vs what to thinke of those that began in the spirit yet ended in the flesh assuredly their gifts were generall not speciall neither did the Holy Ghost euer in a peculiar manner dwell in their hearts This may be of good vse to all the godly for their saluation Vse 3. is sure the Spirit shall neuer leaue them vntill nor then neither he hath safely conducted them to the hauen of heauen Oh that we knew the worth of salvation then this doctrine would rauish our soules and in the greatest stormes of temptations yeeld vs boldnes Were a great Merchant assured that his pilot would and could bring his ship safe to shore oh how would it reioyce his heart and glad the soule and shall we haue no ioy in the consideration of the certainty of our saluation Sure then it is because we know not the worth of heauen or misery of shipwracke at the gates of hell Would it not haue comforted David or Iacob to haue had a Ionathan in their iourney And shall it be no matter of mirth to vs that the Spirit of truth will lead vs into all truth This made the man
pricks or keene kniues they they pierce and strike it through the heart if God shew not greater mercy with deadly wounds temporall eternall Why then weepe for your selues and doe good for your selues and for your children Yet for all our preaching and pressing of parents to piety some houses are like little hells and diuers gouernours worse then Achitophel who though he hanged himselfe had a care first to set his house in order Furthermore this doctrine should instruct vs to pray for good gouernours godly parents For woe to that society Vse 4. where the Ruler of it is ignorant profane or a child in vnderstanding Such good men are little regarded respected men esteeme of them at too small a valuation Corke is light yet it keepeth the net from sinking to the bottome of the sea so good gouernours are too little esteemed of Notwithstanding were they remoued fire and brimstone should fall downe from heauen and heapes be tumbled into the nethermost hell When good Iosiah was taken away the people as men sensible of their owne misery mourned so that it became a proverb like Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddo for his death did presage future and fearefull evilles to follow When Lot was gone to Zoar what befell the inhabitants and if Paul had not beene in the ship who had come safe to shore Wherefore make much of such pray often and earnestly for such mourne and spare not for the departure of such and let all the men of God in their preaching ayme especially at the conuersion of such For one good King godly gouernour holy father is worth ten thousand of the inferiour people for all the world will be tapt to imitate the Rulers and great men being good will doe the more good by their speech example and authoritie Why did King Dauid a little before his death giue his sonne Salomon a charge to serue the Lord God of Israel in such a particular and speciall manner Why for hee was to succeed him in the kingdome to build the Temple therefore he was so vrgent to presse him to piety Let vs in the like case do the same In a word if they that gouerne houses Colledges or Kingdomes be godly pray for them praise God for them but if not mourne and entreat the Lord to amend them And the higher place thy sonne is to haue in the Church or commonwealth striue thou the more to teach him the knowledge and seruice of God And may a good governour bring a blessing to he Vse 5. whole house then depart not out of such a family from vnder such a mans protection for if thou doest thou maist draw iudgements vpon thine owne pate Some cannot endure such Masters as well curbe them of vnlawfull pleasures presse them to the performance of holy duties but will like the prodigall vp and be gone These out-runne the shower of Gods grace and thinke they doe well when alas as much as they can they drowne themselues in perdition and endlesse destruction They had rather eate and drinke and deuoure beefe and garlike in Aegypt then the water of life and Manna from heauen vnder the conduct of Moses Are thou one of this minde then alter thy manners for feare a worse thing follow Finally this must teach those that liue in bad houses to Vse 6. be vp and gone Is the gouernour a Papist or Athiest a swearer or filthy person carry not with him except a forced necessity compell thee For as the Lepers said in another case if thou abide in such aâ— place some mischi of evill light vpon thee 2 King 7. 9. Thou wilt say vnto me how shall I know a godly Quest family Well enough and that by these markes Answ 1. Is there in it more good bookes and Bibles then payres of cards and tables 2. Is there more praying then playing searching of Scriptures then shufling of cards turning ouer of the holy papers then tossing of tables singing of Psalmes then obscene songs and sonnets desire and endeauour to grow in grace more then to gather goods 3. Is there constant prayer morning and euening sanctifying of the creatures before they be receiued casting out of the bad receiuing in the good And last of all Is the Sabbath strictly obserued of all strangers that rest there as of the daily inhabitants then conclude that the feare of God is in that place and if thou maist lodge and cate thy bread there That house that hath neither Bible or good booke reading praying or singing of Psalmes instruction catechising nor care to keepe holy the Lords day is that place where Sathans throne is and the Deuill dwelleth And not to belye them such filthy and infectious habitations be the families of Papists yea all that I haue beene acquainted with of which sort the Norherne parts are but too fully replenished Rome hath two much roome there amongst them Abraham did teach his family Ieremiah imprecates the Lord to poure downe his fury vpon the families that cal not on his name David did the like See Ier. 10. vlt. But passing this poynt we come to handle another which is that True affection is of a spreading nature Act. 26. 29. Rom. 2. 3. Paul loued Oresiphorus well and from the head we see it enlarged it selfe to the whole house all the members Hence it is that in the Scriptures it 's compared to water for loue is said to be shed in the heart or to oile that being Rom. 5. 5. Psal 133. 1. c. powred on the head runneth downe all the garments Certainely he that in truth loueth the parents cannot but affect the children For at the first it was so created As the vnderstanding Reas 1. was to see all truth in all things so was the affection framed to effect all things the which reason approued Those two were to be proportionable like the patterne and the thing made by it Now at our Regeneration Loue in some degree is restored to that perfection it had at the Creation therefore spreadeth Because that Loue is nimble subtile actiue therefore likened Reas 2. to fire that would conuert all contrary elements and subiects into its selfe It s hotter then the coales of Iuniper it compasseth the creatures as a garment it will dilate it selfe farre and neere For of all simple elements fire is the most actiue and spreadeth as we may see by a candle the furthest and so will true and feruent affection Againe Loue shouldreth out enuy the which a pinching Reason 3. and cold frost freezeth and holdeth things together from spreading Enuy would draw all good from others to it selfe but loue doth breake those bonds and sets the heart at liberty And is not Loue true loue one of the most sacred attributes Reason 4. in God yea God is called Loue. And did not the Lord before sin brake the condition extend his affection to all creatures Why then a sparke of that true fire in the
creature cannot but haue a large extent a spreading operation This may informe vs what to judge of many in these Vse 1. dayes surely they haue little or none of this oyle or fire abroad and kindled in their hearts for if they had we should fee it's spreading We may truly say with Christ that Loue is waxen cold Many boast much of it but where shall we finde a faithfull louing man for all seeke their owne and not the good of their brethren We haue a prouerbe Loue me and loue my dog I wish some did not more loue their dogs then the Lords children And by this doctrine in the impartiall examination of Vse 2. our selues we may try the trueth of our Loue. Canst thou that art a Magistrate say with Moses Oh! that there were such an heart in my people to serue God being a preacher canst thou breake out with Paul I would to God that all that heare me this day were such as I am the children of the Lord Hath the Lord made thee a father and canst thou pray with Abraham and Noah Oh that Ismael might liue and Iapheth dwell in the tents of Shem that is that my disobedient seed might know the Lord God of their father serue him and be saued you that are Gouernours of families is it in your hearts and hands for you and your people to follow God doe you labour like Cornelius that all your family might feare the Lord And you that are single persons doe you helpe one another to get grace and to grow vp in godlines then this fire of true affection is from Gods owne altar descended on you this loue is shed abroad in your hearts the oyle of amity hath annointed your garments and you are of that number which with ioy vnspeakeable shall one day behold the face of God But if this desired spreading be absent your hearts are stuffed with hatred cold envy hath benummed your subtile and actiue affections and therefore take heed of this that you be not found haters of God and louers of pleasure aboue him or his If you be heare your doome Depart from me into euerlasting fire for I know you not you did neuer visit me in my members cloath me feede me or build vp my decaied body by prayer instruction example nor in affection therefore you haue no loue in you neither shall ye receiue any fauour at my hands for the head and members make but one obiect Thou wilt say vnto me How farre will loue spread it Quest Answ selfe Why from God the Father to all his children Christ the head to all his members from the beginning of Gods booke to the last letter in breife from one end of the world from one part of the large heauens vnto the other true loue would haue al sexes persons countries and kingdomes so farre forth as it may stand with the will of God the Father to be sanctified and for euer blessed for there is no bounds in loue Affection vnlesse God chaine it the which he may and doth for mans vnworthines is without limits spreading it selfe from the externall conuexe of the highest throne round about and thence descendeth to the earth's lowest center yea Loue embraceth the Lord who is infinite incomprehensible so farre forth as sound reason doth rightly guide it direct it It is a garment that doth cloth all creatures and to the vttermost of its power wrap within its louely armes the eternall Creatour He that findeth this in himselfe findeth a good thing and but that very character which is imprinted in the heart of euery true beleeuer and faithfull person I might deduct another doctrine out of the matter of this petition which is that The mercy of God is principally to be desired for our friends Doct. 5. For what Paul prayed for for his friends we should request also for ours Rom. 1. 7. 1 Cor. 1. 3. Gal. 1. 3. For if we receiue mercy from God we shall want no Reas 1. manner of thing For to whom the Lord shewes mercy to that man he will giue all gifts spirituall and corporall whateuer so farre as they be good for him Againe had we all other fauours the world can affoard Reas 2. yet without the mercy of God they would but proue curses to vs in the end for without mercy we are no members of Christ so no sonnes and consequently no heires of heauen This checkes the preposterous course of many in these Vse 1. times The Papist he entreates God that his friend may haue his Purgatory here or in another world but omits the mercy of God in the beginning The common Christian or earth-worme wisheth his kinred and companions strong bodies large possessions heapes of siluer and long life but no mention of Gods mercy all this while that is least thought on seldome prayed for He that obserueth but the custome of many in their best wishes shall heare them ordinarily crosse this Canon and method of our Apostle Let this then be a derection to thee what chiefly and Vse 2. first of all to beg of God for thy friends Aske not that thy sonnes may sit at the right hand of Christ in his earthly kingdome for it is not of this world Cry not for Quailes in the wildernesse for they may choake thee and thine nor for riches for the theefe may breake through thy wall carry them away seeke not long life or like Saul the honour of the people But cry to the Lord for grace and mercy this this is that one thing necessary for thy selfe for all thy friends And though few doe thinke so yet it is so for if the Lord doe not deny thee this then hee will deny thee nothing and hee that hath this shall haue all things This will wash away thy sinnes cloath thee with the righteousnesse of Christ enrich thee with the sauing graces of the Spirit procure thee food and rayment sanctifie all things to thee affliction and sinne it selfe giue thee comfort in trouble hope in death and carry thee to the throne of God where in his presence thou and thy friends shall haue fulnesse of ioy for euermore Then when thou prayest say The Lord giue mercy to me and my friends to them and their families For hee oft refreshed me In these words wee will briefly point out the Doctrines and handle some of them From the person refreshed Paul we gather that Want may befall Gods dearest children Doct. 6. Iacob sometime went ouer Iordan with his staffe Ioseph was once no rich man the widow of Sarepta was in a great Gen 32. 10. 1 King 17. 6. Luk. 16. 20. strait Lazarus was poore and it is said the women did minister to Christ Luke 8. 3. of their substance The Lord doth it for many Reasons First to correct his for the abuse of his creatures for Reas 1. when wee haue like the Prodigall mis-spent abused or surfetted on them the Lord in
he sought him out found him And here it may seeme to appeare that these people were at Rome when they forsooke Paul and also probably that they met with him with his chaine and would not take knowledge of him but turned themselues from him and that by the opposing of these seuerall persons actions directly one against another Now in this Verse we haue a description of Onesiphorus The Logicall resolution 1. It s said that he was at Rome that was the subiect place where for a time he abode 2. He is described by an effect For he sought 3. By the manner how very diligently And 4. By the successe of his seeking he found whom he sought Againe here be two things layd downe in these words concerning Paul the one that he was at Rome the other that he was prisoner and in distresse there But when he was at Rome This word But is diuersly vsed The Theologicall exposition in Scripture Sometime exclusiuely I haue lost none that thou gauest me But the sonne of perdition 2. Inclusiuely Now is layd vp for me a crowne of righteouses and not for me only But for al them that loue his appearing 3. Discretiuely He gaue them all none excepted change of rayment But vnto Beniamin three hundred pieces of siluer 4. Oppositiuely Not Iesus But Barrabbas And in the last sense it seemes to be taken here They of Asia sought me not or He was not ashamed But c. opposing it to shame and then the arguments are diuâ—rs I haue thought it might be read For making it the third argument of a Syllogisme or Reason to proue that Onesiphorus was not ashamed of Pauls chaine He sought me out very diligently To seeke in Scripture is sometimes taken in the worst sense also for prayer c. Here it signifies searching and going from place to place very studiously and inquisitiuely And found me That is came where I was and did meete with me The Difference betwixt Inuenire and Reperire is this When we goe on a thing we doe inuenire when a thing comes on vs we doe reperire The one seemes to be an act per se the other per accidens Let no man once doubt that Onesiphorus was ashamed The Metaphrase of me being poore in bonds for he being at Rome where I was prisoner in chaines very diligently and studiously inquired for me and trudged from place to place vntill he had met me found me out And would hee ever haue done this if he had beene ashamed of me or scorned me No verily be thou assured of that my sonne For hee being at Rome c or when he was at Rome When Doctrines deduced he was there and heard or knew of Pauls troubles he then sought him and refreshed him whence note that When the faithfull are afflicted then they are to be refreshed Doct. 1. Say not vnto thy neighbour Goe and come againe to morrow will giue thee if thou now haue it Prou. 3. 28. I am 2. 15. c. For that 's the fittest time Now a morsell of bread or cup Reas 1. of cold water to a dry and hungry stomacke will be right welcome comfortable A word now spoken to the weary and wounded soule is in its sittest season and how gladly will it be receiued Againe we know not what a day or hower may bring Reason 2. forth our brother may be dead or swallowed vp of ouermuch heauines in the meane time And will not that be pitifull fearefull Now sleepe hence forward the houre is come c. could not but pierce the sluggish hearts of Peter and Iohn Besides we may haue our goods taken from vs or in Reason 3. future time want all oportunity to doe good when we be willing the which though the world neuer dreame of such a thing is an heauy curse Would it not greeue the husband to much haue good seed and yet want ground and time to sowe it In so doing we make God our debtor and the sooner Reas 4. the better is it not And here the best may be taxed for omitting of the Vse 1. present occasion or poore mans necessity We are prone to commit sin instantly and to put off good and charitable duties from time to time and to doe them lingringly But beloued this should not be so we gather fruit when it is the ripest cut downe corne when it is hardest let bloud when it groweth ranckest and shall we not refresh our brethren being poorest Let vs be otherwise minded Is thy brother hungry now Vse 2. feed him thirstly now giue him drinke burdened with sinne now comfort him sicke or in bonds now visit him And doe but obserue the Lords proceeding and thou shalt see that alwayes in the greatest straites then he hath declared his arme of mercy In the middest of the sorrowes sayth the Prophet of my heart the Lord comforted my soule In my daies marke the best haue their dayes of affliction he heard me Then goe thou and doe likewise Canst thou tell how it may fall out with thee in future time Death will come and it s a righteous thing with the Lord to depriue those of meanes of comfort then when as they would not comfort others in great sorrow at that houre Wee may runne from the poore and his homely bed and cottage but God and his swift curse will one day overtake vs. Wherefore I in the name and mercy of God beseech you to minde this thing Say not Pharisaically see to it thy selfe Little doest thou know how the very presence of thy friend in time to come may comfort thee And I wish that the experience of the want of it may sometime teach thee the worth of it I may truly say that if men knew the sting of death burden of sin or extremitie of hunger by experience they would runne to and fro to comfort and refresh the afflicted but men haue not felt the one therefore they neglect the other A morsell of bread or cup of small beere nay a word spoken in due season may not saue the body but a soule from death Then seriously assiduously minde this one thing Thou wilt reply we shall endanger our selues in so doing Obiect 1. Sol. 1. Onesiphorus might haue said so being at Rome but would that haue serued his turne 2. Thou therefore must do it and leaue the euent to God Epaphroditus was neare vnto death and regarded not his life in this case for the service of his brethren Phil. 2. 30. But they are visited with strange and noysome diseases Obiect 2. Sol. Why such haue most need of all others the greater miserie the more need of mercy I am a Minister and my people haue the plague may I Quest 1. visit such It s generally held no thou maist not being a publike Answ person for thy death may be the death in mans iudgement of many a soule And a generall
good is alwaies to be preferred before a particular Yet thou must see that such by some trusty keeper may be respected well attended at the least May a Minister liue in a corrupted aire Quest 2. Answ Yes For 1. It s as good for him as for the people 2. And God would haue such saued He sought me c. We will collect hence that The faithfull where we trauell from home are to be sought for We haue in the Scripture both precept and example to this purpose and to confirme the point See Act. 21. 4. 8. Math. 10. 11. For they be of our kinred we are children of one father Reas 1. and will not euery one be desirous to see and be acquainted with his nearest friends We shall receiue comfort from them and they from Reas 2. vs for they will tell vs what great workes of mercy the Lord hath done in that place how the word runs what faithfull Men Magistrates Ministers c. the Lord of his good prouidence hath sent amongst them And thus when the Saints haue met they haue as we reade refreshed one another and builded vp one another in their holy faith This checketh those that neuer doe it nor can endure others Vse 1. to doe it Such a one was Diotrephes 3 Ioh. 3. 9. 10. Then when we goe into a farre country let vs enquire Vse 2. who are worthy that is honest men For its profitable many waies in buying selling borrowing lending in comforting and being comforted You shall haue the drunkards gamsters whoremasters and the like enquire out one another and shall not we such as be faithfull truly religious This point is of good vse but seldome practised and the best in the neglect of it may be a great enemy to himselfe euen in temporall affaires How shall I know such Quest Ans 1. If the best report well of them 2. If the worst say ill of them 3. By their speech and carriage for wisedome and grace will appeare in the words and face as the wiseman saith Yet beleeue not euery report faire shew good word For some mens sinnes follow afterward as others goe before 1 Tim. 5. 24. Very diligently The point is that Whom we affect truly we will seeke for diligently speedily Doct. 3. For so the word may be rendred This will hold in all things whateuer David loued the Lord and he would seeke him early at midnight and all seasons Elisha loued his Master therefore sought him The parents of Christ loued Luk. 2. 48. him and did they not seeke him with heauy hearts the Bride loued her Husband and so sought him and we Cant. 3. 1 2. may say the like of what can be named Because the affections are implacable vnlesse the obiect Reas 1. be enioyed which they most affect It is the nature of loue to delight in the present fruition of that it most affecteth And as euery graue thing is in motion vntill it come to the Center so are the affections stirring vntill they claspe about the subiect they affect Againe true affection desireth to manifest its selfe to the Reas 2. thing it loueth and to make it the better yea to bee if possible made one with it But how can this bee if they two bee separated therefore the affections will wooe and importune the will to worke for the bringing of them together What then shall we say of those who neuer sought the Vse 1. Lord saith grace or the kingdome of heauen in all their liues doe they loue the one or other Is their cafe blessed or cursed for the present It pittieth mee to thinke of the misery that many be in yet beleeue it not or know it not Where doe the most men seeke him their soules best loue when doe they seeke him how doe they seeke him Did Onesiphorus thus seeke Paul because he loued him and doe wee loue Christ and neuer enquire after him in his Word or in heauen Surely it cannot be Would we then vnderstand the soundnes of our affection Vse 2. vnto God his truth graces and children then let vs try it by the diligent search wee make after these things Doest thou seeke after God search the Scriptures and vse all other meanes for the hauing of them then thy loue is seruent not sained But if thou doe not labour the enioying of them of a truth the loue of them was neuer entertained in thy heart or saluation entred into thy soule Dauâ—d could say Oh how I long for God and When shall I appeare in his presence I meditate in the law day and night Paul Iâ—couet to bee with Christ and the Saints haue vsed to cry Come let vs goe into the house of the Lord. Cold is that loue weake is that affection which neuer worketh or endeuoureth to obtaine and possesse the thing it loueth And sound me Here is laid downe the successe that Onesiphorus had in his diligent search whence collect wee that They that seeke shall finde all conuenient circumstances being Doct. 4. also obserued For some shall seeke to enter and shall not be able because they either seeke amisse and that in regard of the meanes or end or in that they take not the acceptable time For these cautions must be considered and then the point is firme sound Mat. 7. 7. Psal 50. 15. Because the Lord cannot lie deny himselfe or breake Reas 1. promise his word is gone out and it shall stand therfore those that seeke shall finde And if it were not so then who would vse the meanes Reason 2. depend on the Lords promise or could be saued This Doctrines Vse serueth first to cleere the Lord against Vse 1. all false imputations that the Atheisticall people haue or may obiect against his promise For vndoubtedly hee that seeketh shall not lose his labour in the end Say not then with the idle seruant who digged his talent in the earth that the Lord is an hard Master for he is true of his word faithfull to all that with honest hearts doe or euer shall seeke him or his This may be in the next place a ground of great comfort Vse 2. to all the faithfull and vpright hearted for in whatsoeuer they goe about they shall prosper Wee may apply it to all things as well as to this particular and that by the warrant of the Prophets and Apostles themselues Doest thou seeke after the Lord doest thou desire his fauour callest thou for grace or mercy cryest thou after wisdome and vnderstanding followest thou after faith loue and the the like gifts pursuest thou and pressest thou the God of Abraham for wife children food rayment for earth and heauen why feare not but hope still in the Lord and thy heart shall be satisfied with these things But here let these rules be obserued 1. Take the present time Seeke the Lord while he may be Rules to be obserued in seeking found
for he is the iudge of the world As if our Apostle had thus prayed Now God the Father grant that Onesiphorus may find mercy of his sonne at his appearing vnto whom he hath committed all iudgement For Paul knew this that Christ must iudge the world might therefore distinguish thus in his vnderstanding when he prayed But howeuer the sense is good and sound At that day Some thinke at what time he should also be afflicted for at one time or other Paul thought he might also suffer for the Gospell though for the present he escaped Others haue conceiued at the day of death I rather would take it to be meant at the day of iudgement for then is the righteous rewarded for his workes and that is a day wherein if it goe well with vs it will be well with vs for euer And its vsuall for good men to haue their minds in trouble set vpon that obiect of the generall freedome from all misery and fruition of all felicity And in how many things or how much By things may be vnderstood money meate apparell and the like or parchment papers bookes conference encouragement c. The sense is very aboundantly liberally He hath ministred vnto me at Ephesus That is freely louingly imparted and conferred vpon me when I was personally there present Thou knowest very well Here Paul appeales to Timotheus for the truth of his testimony and confession To speake my priuate opinion This Appellation I thinke hath reference to that in the 15. verse And thus the sense seemeth to me Thou knowest how many fell from me of Asia at Rome But thou art better or very well acquainted in how many things or how much I was relieued by Onesiphorus at Ephesus For peraduenture Timothy saw not them when they reiected Paul and cast off their profession but heard it or if he did it might be but once yet he being Preacher at Ephesus and abiding there long might often see Paul releeued by Onesiphorus And this I take to be the reason why Paul saying here as in the 15. verse thou knowest doth in this adde better or very well which he omitted there For it seemes to be a comparison The one thou knowest well the other better or very well or Timothy might heare of the first yet saw the second Though it be not in my power to make requitall to my The Metaphrase good friend Onesiphorus for many his kindnesses yet my hearts desire and my prayer to God is that hee would shew him favour and mercy by the hand of his sonne in that great day when and wherein he shall come to iudge all the world And good reason haue I thus to petition the Lord for him for thou art very well acquainted how abundantly he administred vnto my necessities being at Ephesus as thou art not altogether ignorant how all Asia fell from me and forsooke me at Rome The Lord grant vnto him that he may find mercy with the Doctrines deduced Lord at that day For our better and more methodicall proceeding we will first beginne with the time when Paul would haue his friend to finde mercy whence this is the point to be collected that There is a distinct time wherein the world shall be iudged Or Doct. 1. There is a day of Iudgement Eccles 11. 9. Dan. 7. 13. Math. 24. 37. 2 Pet. 3. 10. And that for these following Reasons That the creatures might be freed from bondage and all Reas 1. maner of groning for till then they be subiect vnto much sorrow going against the proper end of their first creation whereby the Lord is much through the abuse of them by the Reprobates dishonoured They be the great Booke of God alwayes vnfolded wherein the wicked might reade his power Deitie and wonders if they would they are oftentimes punished for mans offences the earth is barren groning like a woman with childe yet cannot bring forth her fruite the Sea rageth and the springs are dryed vp the beasts of the field mourne the fish of the waters die and smell the fowles of the ayre perish and the very heauens become as brasse The good Angels are till then ministring spirits take many a iourney from heauen to earth place to place and from person to person to comfort and kill preserue and slay And some but without grounds haue conceiued that they mooue vntill that day the Orbes and celestiall spheares when as it's probable no such things be For thus I would reason 1. If there bee materiall Orbes wherein the starres as If Angels moue the Orbes nayles in a wheele be fixed then they must be either more crasse and solid or more subtill and rare then the Element of fire If they affirme that they be more solid then how can a more graue body ascend aboue that which is lighter And if they hold they be more subtill then the fire aboue which they say they are placed then how can the stars be fixed in them for wee cannot fallen them in the ayre much lesse then in a fineâ— subiect 2. We see fishes in the sea beasts placed on the earth fowles in the ayre and Angels in heauen Why then should the element of fire bee created to bee voyd since euery element is replenished with its proper and peculiar creatures Earthly bodies be on earth watery bodies in water aiery in the ayre heauenly in heauen so that by proportion method the Sunne Moone and Starres should be in the element of fire and running their circular and swift motion they cast downe the fire which otherwise of its nature would not descend participating more of fire and being without sense for otherwise the fire would consume them then any other element For if we marke we shall see the Lord doth maruailously fit euery creature for its subiect And this may seeme to bee the reason why the Moone is spotted and no planet besides in that she runnes her motion in the very ebbe as I may say and dregs of the element of fire for the purest as we see in water is highest And why the starres neerest the Poles doe twinckle and looke bright may also be in that the fire being moued there by the reflexe doth enlighten them more fully And whereas some seeme to wander it is not because they are not mooued with a circular Motion but they come short going a lesser compasse and therefore we thinke that they goe forward and backward We may see the truth of this in those people that in diuerse pathes one distant from another doe runne with a circular motion about a post or pole 3. It is the position of those that doe maintaine Orbes and Epicicles that No violent motion is perpetuall how then if the Angels or Intelligences did moue the Orbes wherein they hold the starres be fixed should this motion bee so constant permanent 4. Finally God made euery creature very good able by an internall faculty or principle to accomplish its end
others to returne that you may escape the dreadfull and importable wrath to come But alas wicked men for all that man or God can say or threaten they are like Iobs horse Iob 39. 21. c. they walke in the valley of sinne and reioyce in their strength of iniquity they goe out to meet the harnessed man Christ with the reuenging Scepter of iustice in his hand they swallow and breake the ground of Gods precepts with their fiercenesse they account brasse as straw iron as rotten wood they thinke that they can drinke vp as the Leviathan doth Iordan the Riuers of Gods wrath with their mouthes they smell this great battell afarre off and cry Ha ha at the sound of the last trumpet and say Tush wee shall neuer bee mooued the Lord neither thinketh good or euill But for all this God who sits on high hath girded himselfe with the garment of vengeance his sword is whetted his bow bent he will therefore make his shafts drunke with their purple blood and will for euer haue them in derision And seeing these things are so What manner of men ought we to be in holinesse of life and blamelesse conuersation Oh now consider this yee that forget this day lest thee strong God teare you in peeces and there be none that can deliuer you And is there a day wherein the Lord shall iudge the Vse 6. world why then on the contrary heere is a world of comfort to the iust and perfect man In all thy crosses wrongs iniuries troubles persecutions sicknesses and in the houre of death look vp to this hill soare to this height and haue this continually in thy remembrance For now shall thy wounds bee cured thy infirmities healed thy enemies reuenged and all thy honest workes rewarded Now shall Sathan bee trod vnder thy foot his instruments bound in euerlasting chaines of darkenesse and thou with thy Lord and Master Christ bee carried into the holy of holies filled with ioy and bathe thy soule in the riuers of pleasure for all eternity All the men of God in their greatest anguish here below haue fetched comfort by the eye of faith at this Mountaine Iob reioyced being cast on the dunghill that his Redeemer liued and that hee should see him stand the last on earth Dauids heart was glad and his flesh did rest in hope because his soule should not bee left in deadlihead nor his body see corruption Iohn longed and cryed Come Lord Iesus come quickly and had wee the same precious faith wee haue the same precious promises why then are wee not rauished with the remembrance of these things Let the minde of the righteous wander whither it will or can this will bee the spring where to coole its thirst the poole to wash away its filthinesse the stay whereon to rest like the Arke on Mount Ararat after all its stormes and tempests This is the acceptable day of the Lord the yeere of Iubilee and the very time when all things in an vnchangeable eternall and neuer-fading condition shall be setled established Wherefore be stedfast immoueable resolute in good patient in suffering euil for this is the day that will pay for all And thus we come to handle a second doctrine Where Paul saith that day adding the Article That wee note as others from the like grounds doe that The day of iudgement shall be great and wonderfull Doct. 2. It is elsew here called the great day of the Lord. Iudè 6. Reu. 6. 17. and 16. 14. And it may bee so stiled for diuerse Reasons First if wee consider the Iudge for that addeth to the Reas 1. dayes excellency and greatnesse and that 1. for his person is hee not God and Man Wonderfull Councellor the almighty God the euerlasting Father the Prince of peace Isa 9. 6 This is hee who made all things of nothing the first and the last who though hee was deade yet now liueth for euermore Reu. 1. 18. 2. Where is his habitation and from whence doth hee come hee dwelleth in that light which no man can attaine vnto and whither can wee flee from his presence 3. How shall hee bee attended What will he come like Nehemiah with one or two poore attendants or as Naomi with Ruth or like Dauid to the King of Gath all alone No he will be accompanied with two bands like Iacob hauing a thousand thousands of Angels with him his scepter shall be in his hand to breake his enemies in pieces like a potters vessell 4. And where shall he come from Ierusalem to Iericho from Aegypt to Canaan from the East to Bethlehem No he descendeth from the highest throne riding on the wings of the wind passeth through the thicke clouds and his way shall be in the aire Then shall his signes appeare by which I vnderstand not the Crosse with the cursed Papist but that splendour which shall flow from his glorious person that like the Sun with his beames when he riseth shall enlighten all the world And it may be called great if we minde who shall be Reas 2. iudged not Paul before Festus Iohn of Herod or the Prince of the Pope But all creatures men and Angells The sea the earth death and hell shall giue vp their dead so that all euill spirits Men women and children that haue beene are or shall be must appeare before him Kings Nobles Iudges Bishops without their crownes rochets scarlet robes and worthy ensignes of honour And what acts and enditements shall be preferr'd All Reas 3. and euery one that hath beene done good or euill from the very beginning of the world vntill that day all shall be examined cleered not one omitted The booke of each mans Conscience shall be opened and Gods eternall Register so that the most secret sinne or hidden act shall come to light And doth not this adde to the daies greatnes Finally if we consider the words or matter of the sentence Reas 4. it will aggrauate the merueilousnes of the iudgment day For the Reprobate shall be rewarded with eternall torment and the elect with immortall glory the one shall haue as much misery and the other as great felicity as created natures are capable of And will this day be such and so great Are not those Vse 1. then to be checked who neuer haue it in their mindes neither make the least preparation All times seasons moneths and dayes be thought on longed and prouided for yet this that surmounteth all is forgot not regarded What prouision shall we see for the Sessions or Assizes of one little County or Citty and yet none for this generall vniuersall gaole-deliuery of the whole world where be mens wits or what doe they thinke on For to what end doth God place them here below and affoard them time and meanes but to stand spotles blamelesse at that day Yet men be vnwise and neuer consider their latter end Deut. 32. 29. If a Master should set a light vpon a Candlesticke
giue his seruant wherewith to worke affoard time food and all things conuenient yet when he comes to see if his taske be finished he findes that the meate is wasted the time ended the Candle to the very socket burned and yet little or nothing of the worke furthered how would such a seruant excuse himselfe to his Master And is it not so with many of vs God hath giuen vs meate and drinke time and matter candle and fire But what haue we done Is not the lamp of our life almost consumed the Sunne of the Gospell about to set at the least from vs and yet we haue not finished the worke that was giuen vs to doe We are without our wedding garment polluted in our bloud and in regard of cloake or couer of grace starke naked How shall we then expect to avoyd that fearefull sentence Friend how camest thou hither without thy wedding garment Take him bind him hand and foote and cast him into vtter darkenes And is that day so great Then let vs all prepare for it Vse 2. before it come finish our worke be cloathed and not found idle or naked For blessed shall that seruant be whom his Master shall finde so and so doing Say not with the foole that there is no God Make not a league with hell and a couenant with death Beleeue not Hymeneus or Philetus that the Resurrection is past already neither cry with the scoffers and mockers Where is the promise of his comming Doubt not of the day and the certainty of its approaching For doth not the drowning of the old world declare it the deuouring of Sodom by fire and brimstone proue it the destruction of Ierusalem confirme it the curse vpon the Iew at this day ratifie it the hot plagues invndations of waters earthquakes extraordinary frosts the blazing starre and many petty iudgements that hourely haue and doe befall the wicked seale it Oh therefore as thou doest beleeue it so prepare for it Now time is present meanes at at hand the Lord allures thee But will it be shall he doe so euer No no Remember the foolish virgins get oyle in thy lampe grace in thy heart righteousnes on thy person and a good conscience to thy companion or else it had beene good for thee thou hadst neuer beene bred or borne For without these the iudge will frowne bend his browe and be a consuming fire The next instruction we gather is this that Christ the Lord shall iudge the world Act. 17. 31. 1 Cor. 1. Doct. 3. 7. Math. 28. 18. 2 Cor. 5. 10. 1 Thes 4. 15. If we vnderstand by Lord in the second place the sonne of God then the point is plaine But howeuer its a sound position For if we expound the word to be meant of God the Father yet he will shew mercy and iudgement by his sonne For he hath committed all things to his hands For by him at first were all things made by him since Reas 1. was Man redeemed therefore it s most meete they should be iudged by him The iudgement shall be visible so that its most conuenient Reas 2. the iudge should be so too Now the Fathers invisible but the Sonne in our nature is not And shall Christ the Lord iudge the world What then Vse 1. shall become of those that haue crucified him and persecuted him in his 〈◊〉 that haue trod vnder foote the Sonne of God 〈◊〉 a mocke of the bloud of his Couenant that 〈◊〉 â—â—spighted his Spirit and disobeyed his Gospell that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as it were betweene their teeth his flesh by their cruell oathes and would not haue him to raigne ouer them Woâ—ull and vnutterable will their condition be fearefull lamentable shall be their portion Did Moses tremble at the Mount Iohn fall downe troubled at the sight of an Angell Felix shudder before Paul and the stubborne Iewes fall at the voice of Christ backward What will the prophane men doe when he shall come to be reuenged on them and to reward them according to the number and greatnes of their sinnes Shall a man cloathed in purple or scarlet whose throne is in the dust and his breath in his nosthrills make a guilty conscience to quake and tremble shall not then the Iudge of all the world enwrapped with glory couered with iealousie and hauing the keene sword of reuenging iustice in his strong hand make the hearts of such as neuer would obey his lawes to faile them for feare shall they not wish that the Mountaines might fall on them and the hills couer and conuey them from his presence would not they be glad if they might creepe into the crannies and close caues of the earth from his reuenging and impartiall iustice And if a Lord haue mercy vpon thee a Take him away Iailor will cause such shedding of teares folding of armes and wringing of hands what will that irreuocable sentence doe Goe ye cursed into eternall fire prepared for the Devill and his Angels I could wish that those words were grauen with a pen of iron in the palmes and foreheads of euery impenitent sinner of euery dissolute and godlesse person And shall Christ iudge the world shall he that redeemed Vse 2. thee sit vpon thee then be of good comfort for it cannot but goe well with thee No man euer hated his owne flesh consumed his reall and royall members or put away a chast virgin Assure thy selfe then that thy head and husband Iesus shall neither leaue thee or forsake thee or euer be diuorced from thee This vse is worthy our best consideration and a ground to euery honest and vpright heart of vnspeakeable comfort Therefore when Sathan Death Iudgement and hell looke thee in the face thinke vpon this thing And shall Christ iudge thee Then Agree with thine aduersary Vse 3. quickly whiles thou art in the way with him least he deliuer thee to the Iudge and the Iudge deliuer thee to the Iailor and he cast thee into prison For verily thou shalt not depart thence vntill thou hast paid the vttermost farthing And when will that be Neuer neuer And might not this word breake thine heart and moue thee to doe it When Ioseph was to goe before Pharaoh he shaued his head and put vpon him another robe or change of raiment When Hester went vnto the King she cloathed her selfe with her royall apparell And shall we meete the King of Kings wrapped in the stinking weedes of drunkennes swearing and lying couered with the monstrous clouts of fornication adultery and all vncleannes Surely if we doe we shall neuer find fauour in his eyes Let him then that hath stolne steale no more but labour with his hands And that I say to one to all I say it Change your minds and turne that your sinnes may be put away when the time of refreshing shall come from the presance of the Lord and he shall send his sonne Iesus the which is now preached vnto you to
be The Iudge of all the world But in regard the most little consider this day or dreame of their latter end or if they doe vsually like Agrippa put it off vntill it be too late let these following Motiues somewhat preuaile with thee to practise it speedily 1. Remember that he may come suddenly in the dead of Motiues to prepare for the day of iudgment the night when thou little dreamest of such a matter Was it not a dreadfull summoning to the rich foole This night shall thy soule be fetched from thee Suddennes makes an evill a double curse We may die in our sleepe and what a fearefull thing would this be if we be tooke away in our sinnes for as death leaueth vs so shall iudgement find vs. 2. We cannot hide our selues or the least of our sinnes from his all-seeing eye For all things are naked and bare before him with whom we haue to deale 3. Consider his power he can send his Angells to fetch vs before him from the foure endes of the world be we neuer so strong in might or potent for number 4. Call to minde that he is strict and iust in all his proceedings not one can escape death if sinne be found vpon him 5. That there shall be no delay or bayle when he commeth iudgment shall be executed speedily 6. And last of all let it be well thought on what the iudgment is where the torments shall be with whom and how long The paine shall be in soule and body the place that darke and infernall pit the persons Sathan and all the damned from the presence of God and the spirits of iust and perfect men and the continuance for all eternity What heart so hardened conscience so seared or person so desperate reprobate weighing these things in the equall ballance of his owne minde and consideration that would goe on in a sinfull course and not amend Yet if this will moue nothing I say no more but the Lord haue mercy vpon thee for thy case is fearefull dreadfull The fourth Note we obserue is that The best man is not to rely vpon the merit of his workes but Doct. 4. the free mercy of God at the day of iudgement Math. 25. 37. 38. c. For he hath many falls into euill If we say we haue no sinne Reas 1. we deceiue our owne selues and the truth is not in vs And There is none that doth good and sinneth not no not one Even in many things we sinne all Besides our sinnes the best workes we performe be imperfect Reas 2. For as chaffe groweth vp with the corne so doth sinne cleaue to our perfectest actions Grace and corruption like fire and water mixed hinder the acts one of another from absolute perfection Away then with the Merit Mongers that plead through Vse 1. desert for saluation Had Onesiphorus neede of mercy that did so many good workes shal the Papist hold workes of supererogation We might say of Supererogation Canst thou stay the Sunne in his swiftest motion gather the wind in thy fist remoue the earth out of its center or stoppe the hot burning fornace with straw and stubble then plead afterward for merit yet these things be easier to mortall man then the other yet both impossible But they obiect Why then doth Daniel exhort the King Obiect 1. to Redeeme his sinnes by righteousnes Dan. 4. 27. 1. The Hebrew phrase is not truly turned Sol. 2. It s but an exhortation to repentance inducing him for to breake off his former cruelty he had committed the which is needfull for all persons 2 Tim. 2. 25. Christ bids the people to Make them friends of their riches Obiect 2. of iniquitie that when they want they may receiue them into everlasting habitations Luk. 16. 9. Sol. 1. They is not to be referred to the riches but to the persons as is plaine by the parable's application 2. No other thing is meant but that they would testifie of their goodnes and charitie towards them and pray for them Why then doth God command good workes Obiect 3. Sol. 1. To manifest that he approueth and alloweth them 2. That we might be prouoked to doe them 3. To comfort vs in the assurance of the truth of our faith 4. To strengthen the weaknes of our beleefe that often staggereth But God hath promised a reward to them Obiect 4. True but 1. It s of his free mercy not for our merits Sol. 2. He crownes his owne graces in vs. And we cannot Merit for 1. He workes both the will and deed of his good pleasure 2. There is no equall proportion betwixt our workes and salvation For they be finite imperfect temporall it is infinite perfect eternall 3. A worke of merit must be aboue that which is required at our hands aboue Gods due we haue none such For God hath created redeemed sanctified vs freely 4. We confesse that God might condemne the best for if he should Marke what is done amisse no meere man could abide it And he of his mercy can saue the worst Let the best therefore not presume neither the worst vtterly despaire 5. And we read of a threefold promise of reward 1. Vnder the Couenant of workes 2. Of faith 3. After we beleeue in Christ But this is all out of the Lords mercy and dignity not for our merits or desert 6. And if that be a truth that Christs merits doe not proceede from him or are procured by him without relation to the free promise of his Father the which some hold how then can man merit condignely Yet the Protestants maintaine good workes and no barren faith doe they allow as the lying Aduerâ—aries know well enough though they send vs all to hell with our fruitles faith Onely we say that by faith we are iustified without the workes of the law for were it otherwise Christ had died in vaine And this is our firme position that as fire cannot be without heate ayre without leuity water voyd of humidity or the earth be abstracted from all gravity No more can a true liuely faith be without some fruites worthy amendment of life Good workes are the way to heauen and a necessary condition if man haue time and meanes to be obserued yet they are not the sole cause of raigning When the Figtree saith our Lord puts foorth his leaues ye know that the spring draweth neere But is that a cause of the spring or the spring of that So when we bring foorth good workes we know we haue a true faith but faith is the cause thereof not the contrary and so consequently of mans salvation Bellarmine himselfe saith that in regard of the vncertainty of mans workes and our owne presumption the safest way is to depend on the mercy of God Thus by the ouerruling hand of God a second Caiphas hath once againe prophecied aright And let this doctrine reach vs to practise Christs lesson Vse 2.
which is that When we haue done all we can to confesse our selues vnprofitable seruants Let vs neuer dispute with our Maker plead perfection or by our selues iustifie our selues or expect the least reward Surely he that is well acquainted with his owne inward corruption and actuall transgressions will neuer boast of his owne worthines And no one point which the Papist doth defend hath caused me to doubt more of their finall good estate then this For if they were borne againe of the water and spirit they by their owne frailty would haue learned experience to haue beene farre from the least thought of merit Wherefore in thy best condition say Lord thy mercy is my merit thy free fauour my felicity Where Paul in the twelfth verse and now againe in this maketh mention of the last day we note that A good mans minde is often carried to thinke on the day of Doct. 5. iudgement Iob. 19. 25. Psal 17. vlt. 2 Cor. 5. 2. Phil. 3. vlt. For when they cast their eye on the poore creatures the Reas 1. which groane for our sinnes and shall not be freed vntill that time how should a good man who is mercifull to his beast but remember that day wherein they shall be deliuered into the liberty of Gods sonnes Gods children haue many false tales father'd on them and Reason 2. with strange aspersions are they besprinkled the which as vpon Eagles wings fly through towne and tauerne country and citie Gath and Ascalon vnder the great broad seale of good fellowship neuer to be reuerst or contrould vntill the Ancient of daies the searcher of all hearts that impartiall iudge haue the hearing of the case which must be at that day The faithfull feele and find in themselues many great infirmities Reason 3. of soule and body the which shall neuer be perfectly cured till Christ shall appeare So that the very losse of a tooth or of the least member will carry a good mans minde to that day wherein he beleeueth to be made perfect And he is so affected with his Sauiour he hath such a secret Reason 4. loue to all the Saints of God the which he neuer saw and a desire to behold the great possession his Father hath prepared for him the which he shall not fully behold and in soule and body absolutely pertake of and ioyntly enioy vntill Iesus come to iudge the world that his minde is often carried thither And is it not the great day of reaping the yeere of Iubilee and the marriage of the Lambe and his beloued Shall not the Diuell and all his soule spirits that haue persecuted the Saints of God be rewarded according as they haue rewarded vs and all the faithfull take possession of that glorious and immortall kingdom where they shal all with one tongue and heart with ioy vnspeakeable and glorious sing glory to God praise to the Lambe without the least inward opposition or interruption the which is their chiefe desire that heere on earth they ayme at that wherein their greatest blessednesse consisteth for euermore So that wonder not then if the faithfull haue their mindes often carryed to thinke on the day of iudgement And if this bee thus as it is indeede What shall wee Vse 1. thinke of such who neuer minde this day verily they are much affected with earthly pleasures and profits and haue little regard of the greatest good Many men in the Inne of this world are like the swaggerers and prodigals in a Tauerne who call freely eate and drinke laugh and are fat but neuer minde either the reckoning or the time of haruest for they haue sowne no good seed neither haue wherewith to discharge the shot therefore suffer these things willingly to slip and absent themselues out from their mindes because they haue or can expect no commodity by either But the faithfull man is of a contrary mind for he is sparing in expence and hath scattered much good graine the which will bring a goodly crop at his Masters appearing the great day of reaping both of which cause him often to looke vpward And by this Doctrine wee may proue whether wee bee Vse 2. like minded or not to the most faithfull person Doest thou againe and againe thinke on this day Is thy minde often carried to this obiect So arest thou on high with the wings of faith and a sound eye to this hill why then thou art a right bird truely bred and not of the bastard brood Euery crosse base imputation false report ach in the ioynts corruption in the flesh and spirit each good action faithfull prayer motion of true affection towardes Christ and his members heauen and holinesse will carry the mind of him or her that's truely religious vpright hearted to this Mountaine Marriage day and time of refreshing So that findest thou this in thy selfe then be of good cōfort for thou art of the Brides company and one that shall see the euerlasting light sit downe and reape ioy and gladnes life and glory in the largest fields of Gods goodnesse the heauenly Canaan the new Ierusalem which is aboue But if thou art destitute of these kinde of motions eleuations then striue for these properties that are the inseparable breathings and mouings of an holy heart sound minde and blessed person The very frame of nature stretcheth forth her necke and peepeth vpward to this season And shall the Eagles of the Churches owne breeding neuer flutter with their wings and cast vp their piercing eyes to this rich prey but stand a pruning that were a thing incredible Therefore haue this in thy selfe and bee blessed for euer We may further collect where Paul prayeth for mercy against that day that All our prayers are to be grounded on Gods promises Gen. 23. Doct. 6. 9. 12. 2 Sam. 7. 25. 1 King 8. 25 c. For our Apostle knew full well that such a time would come and that the Lord would reward euery good worke at that season by vertue of his former promises Because that they are all Yea and Amen in Christ Iesus Reas 1. not one but shall be performed sooner or latter Againe otherwise wee can haue no hope to bee heard Reas 2. For no faculty can or ought to extend it selfe beyond its adequate and proper obiect it is limited by its peculiar Rules The eye of the vnderstanding and foote or hand of faith may leade vs to God the first Ens and cause of all things but beyond that they cannot passe for there is nothing further to act or rest on Hee therefore that prayeth without a promise denyeth his owne request What madnes then is it for the Papist to pray to Saint Vse 1. and Angell Can they make promises in Christ or haue we any such ground giuen vs of God Vaine wishes are reprehended hence as when men pray for impossibilities and this doth meete with those that vse vnlawfull imprecations and also the blind devotion of
suffer the least riveret of our thoughts to be dreined another way We must with proud scorne neglect the counsels of flesh and bloud and attend to the commissions of our maker not daring to be idle or to attempt any thing without his warrant for else as Himeneus and Philetus we shall make shipwracke of faith and a good Conscience Who hath more science than the Devils and yet none a worser Conscience Walke therefore after this Canon and thou shalt haue for thy companion a good Conscience And this obedience must haue a two fold concomitant 1. Generalitie 2. Constancie 1. Vniversall knowledge must be seconded with vniversall Companions of obedience Psal 119. 6. Heb. 13. 1â— obedience had not David respect to all the Commandements Did not the Author to the Hebrewes with his fellow-brethren desire in all things to liue honestly Or else men should haue but halfe and imperfect Consciences Doth not every Artist striue to vnderstand all the Precepts in his Art Put them in practise that the frame may be perfect and complete Not one tittle in the rule but is of force each branch must haue a place in this building A good appetite covets to taste of every dish a sound sense to smell all kinde of flowers and to participate of what goodnesse is in the creatures We must eate all this Booke drinke every drop of this water else we shall haue but partiall Consciences We may not separate what God coupleth be our owne Carvers in this feast but fâ—ed fully liberally An Herod will doe many things but he that is anointed of the Lord will performe all for else he shall haue but a maimed Conscience Painters will not omit a finger in the picture Mâ—sicians a chrochet nor Grammarians a syllable a letter a comma So must our obedience to the rule be generall vniversall All this Mercy seat must bâ— covered with Gold no part left vnwashed Thinke yee on this who boast so much of good meanings honest hearts and workes of supererogation and then you may confesse with shame that you come farre short of the patterne and haue but the remnants of a good Conscience 2. The second concomitant for the making vp of this edifice is continuance constancie We must endure alwayes in all things not be weary in well-doing for cursed is he that continueth not in all things that are written and the threat was Gal. 3. 10. at what time thou shalt â—ate in dying thou shalt die Some hold Gen. 2. 17. that Adam did no morall act before he fell because he must haue nothing towardes his debt all must be discharged by Christ the sureties skore And say they had he done one good theologicall act he had then pleased God infinitely and so could he never haue beene displeased for Gods complacentia is himselfe Sure I am he never persevered in generall obedience and therefore wanted a necessary companion of a complete good Conscience For as we are tyed to know all obey all the particular rules of this worthy art so are we to perpetuall obedience We must be faithfull to Rev. 2. 10. death or else possesse no crowâ—e of life We are sure that perseverance in all things will â—ake vp and preferue a good Conscience And when God would haue confirmed Adam had he obeyed the Law vniversally is not to me revealed By this Discourse you may see what a Legall good Conscience requireth to wit a distinct and vniversall knowledge of every branch of the Law Secondly generall and constant obedience to all the Precepts For he who is ignorant of the least tittle or transgresseth in one particular by omitting what the Law commandeth or committing what it prohibiteth is guiltie of all and so consequently hath not Iam. 2. 10. a complete Legall good Conscience because it is as you haue heard a feeing of all our actions according with the rules of the Law Whence follow these Conclusions 1. A double errour in the Romanists who hold that men may haue a complete Legall good Conscience and consequently be iustified by their owne workes But can any man since Adams fall vnderstand the whole Law Or if he could giue generall and constant obedience to every Precept Is there any that sinneth not in some thing May not the best cry with David Who can vnderstand his â—rrours Psal 19. 12. and if thou Lord should marke what is done amâ—sse were any Psal 143. 2. able to appeare in iudgement answere one for a thousand And if they cannot thus say and thus doe as in truth they cannot is not their Doctrine false and to be reiected Also doe they not with-hold the Bible from the common people Which when they doâ— so how can they procure a Legall good Conscience For whatsoever action is not guided by a rule is evill before God and haue you not heard that knowledge â—ust precede obedience and is absolutely necessary for the obtaining of a good Conscience 2. That not any since the fall of Man Christ excepted ever had a complete Legall good Conscience For the best know but in part and their obedience for the most comes 1 Cor. 13. 9. short of their knowledge Christ indeed vnderstood the whole will of his Father fulfilled all righteousnesse no corruption Mat. 3. 15. was in him nor any sin ever proceeded from him so that he and none but he except we should include the blessed Angels ever had a complete Legall good Conscience for his person and actions in every respect were proportionable and correspondent to the whole Law he failed not in the least tittle 3. Hence we may cleare the Lord from all iniustice in the condemnation of so many millions of men and women for doe they know his will Perfectly obey it Haue they never erred in iudgement or gone astray in their conversation If they haue done both may he not then in his iustice condemne them If any want this forenamed Conscience the Lord may in his iust iudgement inflict eternall torment vpon them For haue they not lost his Image Runne they not daily on his skore Let vs then rather admire his mercie than quarrell with his iustice that we all were not long agone consumed 4. Finally we conclude hence that the safest and securest way for vs is to denie our Legall good consciences striue to obtaine the Evangelicall that we may be iustified saved This is the true and onely way neither haue wee a better For though the law be of power to giue life yet we are ignorant weake and not able to fulfill it if we were then Christ dyed in vaine Now what an Evangelicall good conscience is we will paint forth what concurres to the making vp of it wherein it differs from the Legall what must be done to procure it and how an Evangelicall and Legall are not to be separated in a Christian 1. For the first An Evangelicall good Conscience is a seeing of an act according An