so little Charitie in my selfe and so small respect to you and so hard an hart toward him that no perswasion can mollify me no reason ouercome me no friends turne me The answere to this followeth I haue written vnto thee not because I doubt of thy fauour but because I trust in thy obedience not because I feare thou wilt deny mee but because I know thou wilt pleasure me This perswasion he amplifieth by a comparison drawn from the greater to the lesse as if he should say Nay I am well assured that for my sake thou wilt graunt a greater matter then I craue at thy hands The Reason may be thus contriued If thou be readie to yeelde more then this then I know assuredly thou wilt do this But thou art ready to yeeld more then this Therefore I know assuredly thou wilt do this The meaning of the words Thus much is to be marked of vs touching the method wherein we haue the conclusion of the chiefe matter howbeit adorned with much efficacy of words and strengthned with great force of reasons Now let vs consider the meaning of such thinges as require interptetation Yea Brother This first word is a note of exclamation or an Aduerbe of asking or wishing or beseeching or hoping well as if hee should say Oh my Brother I hope that this my intercession for him shall not be in vaine but carry sufficient waight and authority to worke in thee moderation in relenting and compassion in pardoning of him This word of affirmation is put to garnish the sentence to make the exhortation more powerfull and patheticall When hee saith Let me obtaine this fauour or fruite benefit or pleasure he vseth the Optatiue mood alludeth to the name of Onesimus in the word Onaimen which fitly serueth his purpose Touching these wordes Comfort my Bowels The meaning is receiue him and remit his offences and in so doing thou shalt cheere and reuiue my hart for the receiuing of him is the releeuing and refreshing of my outward parts and of my inward affections so that nothing shall be more pleasing vnto me He addeth in the Lord thereby signifying that the duty required of him is such that it pleaseth God and setteth forth his glorie and may Religiously be performed nay such as coulde not with a safe Conscience be omitted or denied So then hee vnderstandeth heereby that hee should doe him a great pleasure and withall please God and obey him That then which he doth request is commended by two fruites it shall benefite man and it shall be acceptable to God In the 21. Verse he saith Trusting in thine Obedience which is word for word in thy hearkning vnto me expressing wherein Obedience consisteth Namely in hearkning to that which is commanded euen to hearken with a purpose to doe it To this purpose Samuell ioyneth Harkning Obeying together a 1 Sam. 15 22 Hath the Lord as great pleasure in Burnt-offerings and Sacrifices as when the voyce of the Lord is obeyed Behold to Obey is better then Sacrifice and to Harken is better then the fat of Rammes So then the vse of this worde of Obedience is not without great force for thereby he insinuateth that Philemon coulde neuer escape the note of disobedience if he did not yeild to the Apostle of Christ making so honest so equall so iust a request Lastly when he saith Thou wilt do no more then I say the wordes are in the Originall Aboue that I speake that is thou wilt grant more then I aske or demaund at thy hands testifying heereby the free hearts of true Christians that being prouoked to necessarie holy duties they will oftentimes exceed that whereunto they are desired This being the right order and true interpretation of these wordes in these two verses they are thus much in effect Oh my Brother if thou regardest any good to mee or desirest to pleasure me in that which I desire or delight in let me obtain this benefit good turn at thy hands which wil also be accepted of God being a work of mercy allowed commended in his word refresh I beseech thee my bowels and comfort me in my son Onesimus for what thou dost to him heerin shal be as done to me If thou ask me why I vse so many words and whither I do distrust of thy dealing I answeare that I write nothing at all doubting but altogether trusting thou wilt graunt my request yea assuring my selfe thou wilt shew thy selfe willing to grant more then I haue requested euen to set him free if I should require it Generall Obseruations out of these two Verses These wordes are short but the Obseruations that arise from hence might bee many some I will onely point out and afterward handle others perticularly First of all marke the forcible farewell that the Apostle taketh The Conclusions and Perorations that Orators vse are woont to haue the sharpest edge but they are woont for the most part to bee long and tedious and full of wordes but the Apostle in this place vseth the greatest breuitie with the greatest vehemency Wherein hee repeateth againe the same manner of speech Of refreshing his bowels which we had before in the twelfe Verse Thou therefore receiue him that is mine owne Bowelles Likewise as hee saith Let mee obtaine this pleasure in the Lorde so hee doubleth it Comfort my bowelles in the Lorde This teacheth that repetitions of the same Doctrine are good and profitable to the Church according to the practise of Paul b Phil. 3 1. It greeueth me not to write the same things to you and for you it is a sure thing Let it not therefore greeue vs or offend vs to heare the same Exhortations Reprehensions and Threatnings but rather learne to lay better hold of them at the last then we haue done at the first Secondly by these phrases of obtaining a pleasure and refreshing his bowels we may learne what ioy and comfort the godly do feele receiue in themselues by the raising and restoring of a sinner It is as if wee wanted an hand an eye a foote or an arme and had it giuen vnto vs woulde not this reioyce vs and reuiue vs greatly So is it with the faithfull when they beholde a fellow member with them in Christs bodie restored and coupled with the head from whence it receiueth a gracious influence of all spirituall blessings it ministreth occasion of the greatest ioy that can be vnto thē Thus it ought to be with vs when we see any conuerted to the faith we ought to haue a fellow-feeling of the goodnesse of God bestowed vpon them c Luke 15 10. inasmuch as the Angels themselues reioyce when one sinner is conuerted Thirdly marke what words of beseeching entreating he vseth of praying and desiring him to grant his request albeit by his Apostolicall authority he might command him Whereby we learn that the godly and faithfull are more moued with mildnesse gentlenesse and with
ground The like salutation we see in Iudas who had giuen the multitude that came with swords and staues from the High-Priests and Elders of the people a Token saying n Mat 26 48. 49. Whomsoeuer I shall kisse that is he lay hold on him and forthwith hee came to Iesus and said God saue thee Maister and kissed him Thus hee betrayed the sonne of man with a kisse We must haue our words and hearts goe together and not one wander and stray from the other We must not haue our words softer then Oyle hide swords and speares within vs. This is cruell and deceitfull dealing this is farre from true Christianity this is farre from that plaine and simple dealing that ought to be in vs. Such men are the most dangerous and pernitious enemies that are they are hardly knowne and therefore hardly auoyded One of these false hearted Brethren is worse then an hundred open professed aduersaries A pit which is couered so that thou canst not see it is more likely to worke thy hurt and cause thee to fall into it then that which is manifest to be seene Let vs therefore remember that our words bee alwayes seasoned and accompanied with truth Let our mouth speak as the heart thinketh and let vs take heed of lying cogging cozening glozing smoothing and dissembling which are the workes of the deuill the fruits of the flesh and the badges of Hypocrites Thirdly as we haue heard that they are to be reproued that disdaine to speake to others and such as are content to vse friendly greetings in word but their hearts go not with them so likewise such are condemned as vse vnkinde and vncourteous speeches nay foule and vncleane vngodly and prophane communication This the Apostle teacheth Ephes 4. o Ephe. 4 31. Let all bitternesse and anger and wrath crying and euill speaking be put away from you with all maliciousnesse Such was the snappish answere of Caine p Gen. 4 9. Am I my Brothers keeper So for this cause Nabell being a churlish currish man q 1 Sam. 25 10 11. is concluded to be a foole and a wicked man This vnciuill bitter dealing is a great signe and a certaine note of an vnregenerate and carnal man Let vs beware of al railing rotten speeches The mouth is the Messenger of the heart and from the aboundance of the heart the mouth speaketh A filthy tongue argueth a filthy heart an vnbrideled tongue a licentious heart A poysoned tongue that casteth out banning and cursing doth manifest a cursed and corrupt heart The tongue that raueth and rageth beyond all measure and belcheth out blasphemies and vomiteth out pocky and plaguy speech as it were the ouer-charging of a loathsome stomacke doth shew be it spoken with reuerence a pocky and plaguy heart It is a shame almost to speake those thinges I will not say which these men do in secret but which they speake openly publickely euidently And yet alas how common a thing is it when men and women are a little heated and prouoked to wish all euill to fall vpon the persons of their Bretheren and their Cattle nay sometimes vpon their owne wiues their own children their owne Seruants their owne Cattell crying out a vengeance on them a plague of God to come vpon them a Murraine take them the Deuill of hell go with thee and such like which come from an vncircumcised mouth nay from an vncircumcised and vnregenerate Neyther let any alledge for the excuse of their cursed and wretched speeches It is a custome they haue gotten but that they minde and meane no such thing whatsoeuer they speake for first this is a cursed custome and a custome in sinning the greater it is the worse it is The more thou doest accustome thy tongue vnto it the harder it is to be left Our Sauiour teacheth r Mat. 12 35. 36. that A good man out of the good Treasure of his heart bringeth forth good thinges and an euill man out of an euill Treasure bringeth forth euill thinge But I say vnto you that of euery idle word that men shall speake they shall giue account thereof at the day of Iudgement If then we must reckon and account at the end of the World and of our life for idle wordes what madnesse is it for vs to cast out and disgorge blasphemous wicked and cursed speeches which will bring vpon vs horrible plagues and heauy punishments to be suffered in hell fire Hence it is that Christ saith in the wordes following Å¿ Verse 37. By thy wordes thou shalt be iustified and by thy wordes thou shalt be condemned Heere-unto the Apostle Iames agreeth t Iam. 1. 26. Chap. 1. If any man among you seemeth Religious and refraineth not his tongue but deceiueth his owne heart this mans Religion is vaine Neither let them say they thinke not euill they meane not as they speake for this doth not take away the euill but rather increase it in asmuch as they adde sinne vnto sinne hypocrisie to impiety as it were drunkennesse vnto thirst Let such acquaint their hearts with blessiing not with cursing and striue against their corruptions which are growne to an head and haue gotten a custome in them remembring the saying of the Prophet Psal 109. u Psal 109 17 18. As he loued Cursing so shall it come vnto him and as he loued not blessing so shall it bee farre from him as he clothed himselfe with Cursing like a rayment so shall it come into his Bowels like water and like Oyle into his Bones Let vs therefore all of vs put in practise the precept of the Apostle x Ephe. 4 29. Let no corrupt communication proceede out of your mouthes but that which is good to the vse of edefying that it may minister grace vnto the hearers Where he declareth that corrupt speech should be to the eare as vnsauory meat to the stomacke A rotten Sheepe is knowne by his bleating so is an vnregenerate heart by his wordes Wherefore as the tast abhorreth rotten meate so should our mindes loath and detest rotten and vnreuerent talke Vse 3. Lastly seeing we are taught to vse all gentle and curteous communication and all louing salutations and well-wishings one toward another this teacheth vs that we must all diligently study and practise the gouernment of the tongue to order it aright and in due manner This is a worthy study it is an hard study it is a profitable study Hence it is that the Prophet saith y Psal 34 12 13. Psal 34. What man is he that desireth life and loueth long daies for to see good Keepe thy tongue from euill and thy lippes that they speake no guile To this purpose he speaketh in another Psalme z Psal 39 1. I thought I will take heede to my waies that I sinne not with my tongue I will keepe my mouth brideled while the wicked is in my fight The difficulty and hardnesse of this study the
Surely mine Enemy did not defame mee for I could haue borne it neyther did mine Aduersary exalt himselfe against me for I would haue hid mee from him but it was thou ô Man euen my Companion my Guide and my Familiar which delighted in consulting together and went into the house of God as Companions This falsehood haue the faithfull felt in all Ages This had Christ himselfe experience of being betrayed of one of his owne Disciples and Houshold So haue his members continually prooued the same beeing exercised by the deceipt of false Bretheren This was the sinne of Caine n Gen. 4 8. Who spake friendly to his Brother but when he had him alone in the Fielde he rose vp against him and slew him This was the sinne of Ioab o 2 Sam. 20 9. his false and fraudulent dealing with Abner and Amasa he spake peaceably but meant treacherously Art thou in health my Brother And so smote them with the sword that they dyed This was the sinne of Iudas p Mat. 26 48. who had Haile Maister in his mouth and couered the hollownesse and Hypocrisie of his heart with the kindnesse of a Kisse but this was a token of his Treason and the signe that he had giuen to apprehend him It was not a Kisse of loue but a Testimony of his villany and therefore Christ saide vnto him Betrayest thou the Son of Man with a Kisse Hence it is that the Apostle Iohn exhorteth 1. Iohn 3. q 1 Iohn 3 18 19. My little Children let vs not loue in word neither in tongue onely but in deede and in truth for thereby we know that we are of the truth and shall before him assure our hearts This is the true loue which standeth not in word but in deede which lyeth not in the tongue but in the heart which consisteth not in an outward shew but in the inward truth Such was the loue of the godly gathered together after the ascention of Christ they loued together in truth and had all thinges common in the vse For r Acts 2 44 4 32 34 35. all that beleeued were in one place and had all thinges common they were of one heart and of one Soule neyther any of them faide that any thing of that which he possessed was his owne neyther was there any among them that lacked Where the Euangelist declareth that their harts and affections were so ioyned in God that being all members of one body they could not suffer their fellow-members to bee destitute accounting the defeating and defrauding of them as it were a spoyling and robbing of themselues Wee must not deny our helpe to them that are in Christ but shewe our selues ready to cloath him to feede him and to visite him in all his members as wee shewed before otherwise wee are no true members but dead members And to our deare Sister Apphia c. Hitherto we haue spoken of the first and cheefe person to whom the Epistle is directed Now let vs come to such as are lesse principall being ioyned with him which are these first Apphia Secondly Archippus Thirdlie the Familie of Philemon to whom this Epistle was to bee read The first that commeth to bee considered is Apphia whom he calleth a beloued Sister This Woman seemeth to be the Wife of Philemon my reason is because she is placed immediatly after Philemon and before the Minister and Pastor of the Church For no cause can be assigned why she should follow Philemon and goe before Archippus but that she was the Wife of Philemon and therefore the Apostle ioyneth her next vnto him in place as she was ioyned to him by the ordinance of God And this Å¿ Chrysost hom 1. in Phil. Theophyl in Epist Phil. is the iudgement of many Now as Paule before did ioyne with himselfe Timothy so in this place he ioyneth Apphia as a Companion with Philemon that thereby he might make the way more open to obâ—…ine his purpose Good Women ought to doe much with their Husbandes and the Apostle prouoketh her by naming and saluting her to be a moouer and perswader of her Husband to this charitable and Christian duty Doct. 6. Christian women should be helpers of their husbands We learne from hence that it is required of all Christian Women to be helpers and furtherers of good things in their Husbands It is the dutie of Wiues to stirre vp and spurre vp their Husbands to all Christian duties and holie fruites of Religion The ende of her Creation was that she should bee an Helper vnto Man especiallie in the best thinges for the Woman was made for Man and not Man for the Woman and therefore GOD saide from the beginning t Gen. 2 18. It is not good for Man to bee alone let vs make him an Helper meete for him Salomon describing in the Booke of Prouerbes a vertuous Woman whose price is farre aboue u Prou. 31 10 11 26 27. the Pearles he saith The heart of her Husband trusteth in her and hee shall haue no neede of spoile Shee will doe him good and not euill all the daies of her life c. She openeth her Mouth in Wisedome and the Lawe of Grace is in her tongue shee ouer-seeth the waies of her Household and eateth not the Bread of idlenesse An example of this dutie wee haue in the Wife of Manoah the Mother x Iudg. 13 22 23. of Sampson when her Husband was greatly affrighted and astonied at the sight of the glorious departure of the Angell of God who ascended vp in the flame of the Altar and cryed out in the perplexitie of his Spirit and terrour of his heart We shall surely dye because we haue seene the Lord She encouraged him and comforted him being greatly cast downe If the Lord would kill vs he would not haue receiued a burnt offering and a meate offering at our handes neither would hee haue shewed vs all these thinges nor would now haue told vs any such Another example we haue in the Shunamite a Woman of great estimation when she perceiued the Prophet Elisha to come often that way y 2 King 4 9. she saide vnto her Husband Behold I know now that this is an holy Man of God that passeth by vs continuallie let vs make him a little Chamber I pray thee with Walles and let vs set him there a Bed and a Table and a Stoole and a Candlesticke that he may turne in thither when he commeth to vs. Where we see she stirreth vp her Husband to doe good to the Prophet and to prepare him a study by himselfe fit for his Meditations And the Apostles doe often vrge this duty and teach that all Women should bee helpess not hinderers furtherers not discouragers stirrers forward not houlders backeward from good things Reason 1. The Reasons are plaine For first they may by the gracious goodnesse of GOD be blessed Instruments to winne their Husbands to the Faith by beating
73. Psalm Å¿ Psal 73 25 26. Whom haue I in heauen but thee And I haue desired none in the earth with thee my flesh faileth and mine hart also but God is the strength of mine heart and my portion for euer So the Apostle Paul accounteth all thinges as losse and dung in comparison of the grace of God Whereby we see that all men should principally and in the first place seeke wish and intreat for the feeling of Gods fauour in Christ as the blessed Fountaine of all good things to come vpon vs. Reason 1. Let vs consider the causes and Reasons of this point First one drop of his free loue is better worth then all the World and it shall yeelde vs more sweet and sound comfort in the latter end If we should put the grace of God and the glory of the world and peize them together in the ballances the least dramme and drop of the fauour of God toward vs would ouer-weigh and ouer-sway all the whole World and all the thinges that are in the World which worldly men make their chiefest Treasure This the Prophet Dauid found by experience so soone as he had prayed for the louing countenance of GOD hee addeth t Psal 4 7. Thou hast giuen me more ioy of heart then they haue had when their Wheate and their Wine did abound This giueth a man more sound comfort then hee can finde else-where Wee haue a common saying that runneth in euery Mans mouth Giue a man good lucke and throw him into the Sea But this is a Diuine truth Let a man haue the free Grace and fauour of GOD and then neyther Sea nor Land neither Fire nor Water neyther Sword nor Pestilence neyther force nor Famine neyther any other thing shall be able to hurt him We see this e Exod. 14 30. in Moses and the Israelites when they were come to the Red Sea and Pharaoh with his Army followed at their backes they were brought through the Sea as on dry Land and were carried safely in the Wildernesse as on Eagles Winges by the prouidence and protection of God The three Children f Dan. 3 27 6 22. were cast into the Furnance Daniell was thrown into the Lyons denne yet they were not consumed with the Fire neyther he deuoured by the Lyons This made the Prophet say g Psal 23 4. Though I should walke through the Valley of the shaddow of death I will feare none ill for thou art with me thy Rodde and thy Staffe they comfort me All other comfort is no better then discomfort all other ioy is no better then sorrow and vexation of Spirit without this according to the saying of the Wise-man h Eccle. 2 2. I said of laughter Thou art mad and of ioy what is this that thou dost Reason 2. Secondly the grace and loue of God blesseth sanctifieth and furthereth all other thinges vnto vs honour wealth wisedome riches strength fauour friendship and whatsoeuer befall the Sonnes of Men. The Prophet testifieth Psalme 45. Because God had blessed him for euer i Psal 45 2 3. therefore it is said vnto him prosper thou with thy glory ride vppon the word of truth and of meekenesse On the other side the want of the loue and grace of God curseth all other things vnto vs yea defileth and poysoneth them and maketh them deadly our honour it turneth into shame our strength into weakenesse our wisedome into foolishnesse our riches into snares our beauty into vanity our sauour into hatred We haue many examples in the word of God and by daily experience offered vnto vs of this truth the wisedome of Achitophell the honour of Haman the valour of Ioab the beauty of Absolom the knowledge of Iudas all these were good and great blessings of God but all are turned to be cursses vnto them because wanting the free grace of GOD they wanted the sanctified vse of them Seeing therefore the loue of God is of greater price and more excellent value then all the world and seeing his grace sanctifieth and seasoneth all other blessings and the want thereof bringeth a cursse vpon them wee conclude and gather from these reasons that the free fauour and mercy of God in Christ Iesus is first and aboue all other things to be intreated and desired for our selues and others Vse 1. Now let vs make vse of this point First let euerie one of vs seeke to haue our hearts established and setled in this free grace to finde and feele in vs his loue shed in our hearts by his holy Spirit Let this bee our first our chiefe our principall and special care to obtaine the loue and fauour of God that wee may be beloued of him This was the prayer of the Prophet k Psal 51 12. Restore to me the ioy of thy saluation and stablish me with thy free Spirit So the Apostle teacheth l Hebr. 13 9. It is a good thing that the heart bee stablished with grace We see how men are filled and carryed away with naturall presumption euen from their Cradle perswading themselues to stand in a sure estate and thinking to escape the wrath of God but of this free grace they haue no tast no desire no feeling of any want They imagine themselues to stand in no neede thereof they presume they are in the fauour of God they dreame that he cannot chuse but loue them If we want any earthlie blessing the helpe of Friendes the health of bodie the Treasure of this World we can very quickly feele it our senses are sharpe enough to discerne it but though we want the grace of God and his fauour toward vs wee haue no more feeling then dead Men hath wee neyther feele it nor desire it nor once regard it We spend our strength wast our life and consume our daies in seeking riches honours pleasures and preferments but wee neuer looke so high as to the grace of God We lye groueling like the Beastes vpon the Earth wee vse euery day nay euery houre nay euerie minute the blessings of God f Acts 17 28. In whom we liue and mooue and haue our being yet wee will not lift vp our eyes to the chiefe cause of all the Grace of God Let vs therefore aboue all thinges seeke earnestly for the grace of God wherein the Foundation of all our happinesse is laid He that liueth in his fauour hath comfort in all sorrowes and miseries He that dyeth out of his fauour dyeth as a Beast nay worse then a beast and shall haue fellowship with the Deuill and his Angels it had beene good if such a one had neuer beene borne For euen as the rich man in the Gospell desired g Luke 16 24 one drop of Water to quench the fire and to coole his tongue and if he might haue gotten it hee would haue preferred it before the gaining and obtaining of a thousand Worlds so when God shall set our sinnes in order before
delight hath the Nurse then to see her child liue in health grow vp in strength and stature and prosper in the world So there is no comfort like to this comfort no ioy like to this ioy no delight like to this delight to behold the haruest of the Lord the sheepe of Christ the Children of God to flourish and to encrease more and more to grow from faith to faith from grace to grace b Ephe. 4. 13. vntill they all meet together vnto a perfect man and vnto the measure of the age of the fulnes of Christ Hence it is that after the Apostle had testified his ioy and thankes to God for the faith and loue of the Colossians he addeth c Col. 19. 10. for this cause we also since the day we heard of it cease not to pray for you and to desire that ye might be fulfilled with knowledge of his will in all wisedome and spirituall vnderstanding that ye might walke worthy of the Lord and please him in all thinges being fruitfull in all good workes and increasing in the knowledge of God and let vs by this example comfort our selues in such as increase in good thinges and pray for such as are comming forward We liue in a decaying and declining time wherein many haue forgotten their first loue we see the cold season and Winter of all Godlines wherein men are frozen in the dregs of Sinne. Wee may behold with our eyes if we be not starke blinde a generall wasting languishing and consumption of the heate and heart of Religion If then in this common pining of the vital parts we may discerne any reuiuing and refreshing to appeare or any flourishing of Godlines which seemed dead at the root to spring vp let it be a comfort vnto vs and teach vs to giue God the glory who maketh light to come out of darkenesse and life to arise out of death This serueth to reproue those that neuer desire the profiring of their people nor regard what their estate and how their standing is in heauenly thinges they neuer consider whether they goe forward or backward whether they grow vpward or downe-ward to Heauen or to Hell to God or to the Deuill to Saluation or to damnation These are they that feed themselues to the full but regard not to feed the flocke ouer which the holy Ghost hath made them ouerseers These are they that liue of the Alter but care not to minister at the Alter they will be sure to reape carnall things but they haue no conscience to sow spirituall thinges They liue of the Gospell but they will not preach the Gospell The Apostle testifying his longing and thirsting after the saluation of the Church said I seeke not yours but you But these men if they would speake the truth from their hearts might say we seeke not you but yours we care not what become of you so that we may find the sweetnes of that which is yours How farre are these from the zealous affection of the same Apostle who became all thinges to all men if by any meanes he might saue some he teacheth that a necessity lay vpon him to preach the Gospell and denounceth a woe vpon himselfe if he preach not the Gospell Let vs all in our places follow his example and pray vnto God to giue the grace of conuersion to turne the hearts of men to the sauing knowledge of the Gospell and where he hath granted this mercy let vs pray him to encrease it more and more and to continue it vnto the day of Iesus Christ Vse 2. Secondly as the growing in good thinges is matter of ioy so on the other side it is caused of great sorrow and griefe of heart when the professors of the saith and hearers of the word and such as seemed louers of the truth do not profit but reuolt do not goe forward but goe backward do not grow better and better but become worse and worse It must not seeme strange that great sorrow ariseth vnto the seruants of God when men do not profit in good thinges We see what worldly sorrow is found in worldly men that causeth death the least occasion of losse the least feeling of trouble the least crossing of their humors can draw from them abundance of teares But such as are led by the spirit of God are spiritually minded d 2. Cor. 7. 10. they haue godly sorrow that causeth repentance vnto saluation not to be repented of This was in the Prophet Dauid when he saw a decay in Godlines and a growing in wickednesse e Psal 119. 136. mine eyes gush out with Riuers of water because they keepe not thy law This was in the Prophet Ieremy f Ier. 9. 1. and 4. 19. O that mine head were full of water and mine eyes a fountaine of teares that I might weep day and night for the slaine of the Daughter of my people This was in Christ our Sauiour when he came neere to Ierusalem he beheld the Citty and wept for it g Luke 19. 41. 42. O if thou hadst euen knowne at the least in this day those thinges which belong vnto thy peace but now are hid from thine eyes This was in the Apostle Paule when he saw the reuolting and back-sliding of the Galathians h Gal. 4. 19. and 5. 7. O my little Children of whom I trauaile in Birth againe vntill Christ be formed in you I am in feare of you least I haue bestowed on you labour in vaine ye did runne well who did let you that ye did not obey the truth This is a speciall note to discerne and distinguish true Pastors from hirelings and faithfull shepheards from Wolues for the true Ministers of Christ are inwardly touched and grieuously pained to behold the present sinnes of the people and the future iudgments of God hanging ouer their heads This is a great griefe of heart and goeth neere them to see so little growth of Godlines so little fruit of their labours so great encrease of all vngodlines This reproueth those that make a mocke of sinne and can laugh as heartilie at the committing of iniquitie as at the best ieast and the greatest sport If we begin once to laugh at sinne we will not make any conscience to commit it When once we do not sticke to ieast at it we will quickly come to it in good earnest When we can make a play of it there is but a short step to put it in practise The very Heathen i Plutar. in Solone Valer. Maxim lib. 2. Cap. 6. saw thus much that had but halfe an eye that if they suffered euill to be committed merrily and in sport they should finde it practised in their earnest contracts common affaires And many of the heathen by other Heathen are commended k Tacit. in his description of Germany among whom vices were neuer laughed at But how many are there among vs that would be counted and are indeed called Christians
confession and lastly seeing the Gospell of Christ is the instrument of Gods power to woorke in vs saluation it followeth that the Religion of God and the gospel of Christ must not onely be beleeued in heart and embraced in Iudgements but also bee confessed by the mouth and professed in the practise of an holy life Obiections answered Against this truth somewhat may be obiected First if true Religion must openly bee confessed then such as are dumbe and cannot speake can haue no Religion if Confession be a fruite of faith then they must of necessitie want Faith that want the vse of the tongue Answere I answere the Doctrine must be vnderstood of such as haue the vse of the tongue giuen them to glorifie God If God haue giuen vnto vs the freedome of speech hee requireth this dutie at our hands If hee haue giuen vs no more then a sanctified and faithfull heart let vs honour him with the holy Meditations thereof he will exact no more of vs then hee hath giuen vnto vs. Hence it is that the Prophet Dauid sayeth or rather the Lorde himselfe by the Prophet Psalme 81. i Psal 81 10. Open thy Mouth wide and I will fill it In like manner it is sayde k Rom. 10 17 That Faith commeth by Hearing and Hearing by the worde of God yet can God extraordinarily giue faith to those that are deafe and haue not their hearing who is not bound to the outward sences nor tieth his graces to the outward eares but supplieth those wants by the working of his holy spirit to the endlesse comfort of such as haue those infirmities Obiection 2 Againe the Apostle sayth Rom. 14 22. Hast thou Faith Haue it with thy selfe before God Where we see hee seemeth to say that it is sufficient if we haue Faith inwardly in the heart albeit no confession followe outwardly with the mouth Answere I answere the Apostle in this place speaketh of another thing to wit of a perswasion touching Christian liberty in things indifferent as if hee shoulde say Art thou strongly perswaded and assured that all Meats are lawfull to Christians Be it so yet vse it betweene God and thine owne Conscience and hurt not thy Neighbour with it nor offend thy weake Brother by it This serueth nothing at all to maintaine a dumbe Religion without open Confession which some would willingly bring in considering as one l Tertullian sayth that he which doth dissemble faith doth deny it Obiection 3. Lastly it is Obiected that Religion is better to bee concealed that we may giue no offence vnto others and auoyde the troubles that ariseth by Confession Answere I aunswere that is no offence giuen to men but a greeuous sinne committed against God who requireth the profession of his trueth And the Apostle Paule was readie to suffer bandes and imprisonment yea euen death it selfe for the profession of the Gospell of Iesus Christ Thus much breefely shall suffice in answere of the Obiections that are made Vse 1. Now let vs see and marke the Vses that arise from hence First wee learne who are to bee accounted true Christians and true Beleeuers to wit such as shew soorth their Fayth by their Confession It is not left to our owne choyse whether wee will make a solemne and sound profession of the Faith or not no more then it is at our libertie whether wee will beleeue or not or whether wee will bee saued or not It is required of all that belong to God to confesse his name and maintaine his Religion All men must confesse that would be confessed before the Father Christ Iesus will neuer beare and endure that seruant which is ashamed of his seruice The Prophet prophesying of the Kingdome of Christ and shewing how they should grow and multiply as the grasse of the field maketh this as a fruite of their conuersion to the Faith l Esay 44 5. One shall say I am the Lords another shall bee called by the name of Iacob and another shall subscribe with his hand vnto the Lord and name himselfe by the name of Israell This the Apostle m Ro. 10 9 10 also teacheth Rom. 10. If thou shalt confesse with thy mouth the Lorde Iesus and shalt beleeue in thine heart that God raised him vp from the dead thou shalt be saued for with the heart man beleeueth vnto righteousnesse and with the mouth man confesseth to saluation So our Sauiour doth not make it proper to his disciples but common to all to confesse him and his words before men And he doth not say whosoeuer shall confesse mee in heart but with his tongue not inwardly but outwardly not secretly but openly For albeit the Faith of the heart be the principall thing and cheefely required of vs yet the confession of the mouth must not bee separated from it This reprooueth such as account this open confession of the truth to bee of no absolute necessitie but a meere thing indifferent left to our liberty to be practised or not to bee practised These are those Libertines that woulde liue as they list and make it no matter of what Religion they be For if it be indifferent whether wee professe Religion or not it is indifferent whether we beleeue or haue faith and let them hold it indifferent also vnto them whether the Lord Iesus doo professe to know them or not Againe we see that it is not enough for vs not to denie Christ but there is required of vs a farther dutie euen to confesse him before men It is required of a dutifull son to confesse his Father with a sound and vpright hart but yet he must not deny his father before men if he would haue his Father confesse him So is it the part of a true Christian to beleeue to righteousnes and to confesse to saluation Euery one would seeme willing and desirous to be saued but if we looke to be partakers thereof Christ must know vs for his seruants and he will not acknowledge vs in his kingdome vnlesse heere we make confession of him If we will not heere know him he wil say to vs heereafter I know you not depart from me n 2 Tim. 2 12. If we deny him he will deny vs If we be ashamed of him take heede least he also bee ashamed of vs. The Theefe that was vpon the Crosse made open confession of his faith reproued the blasphemy of his Companion and called vpon Christ for saluation Luke 23. he rebuked his fellow saying o Luke 23 40 42 43. Fearest thou not God seeing thou art in the same condemnation We are indeed righteously heer for we receiue things worthy of that we haue done but this man hath done nothing amisse And he sayd vnto Iesus Lord remember mee when thou commest into thy Kingdome And albeit hee were a Theefe and a Malefactor for which hee suffered death yet is not Christ ashamed of him hee doth not stoppe his eares
and refuse to heare him but to shewe himselfe true in his worde and faithfull in his promise hee dooth acknowledge him as his owne because hee confessed him before that sinnefull and wicked generation saying vnto him Verily I say vnto thee to day thou shalt be with me in Paradise The Apostle Iohn liuing when the Deity of our Sauiour beganne to bee doubted of and called into question saith p 1 Ioh. 4 2 3. Euerie Spirit which confesseth that Iesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God and euery spirit that confesseth not that Iesus Christ is come in the Flesh is not of God If therefore wee looke to bee confessed of Christ and to haue our soules saued in the day of the Lord let vs boldly beare and behaue our selues vnder the Crosse and not shrinke in the wetting like deceitfull cloth let vs know that confession and saluation must goe together if wee waite for the one wee must expresse the other if confession go before we may build surely and ground our selues strongly vpon the promise of Christ that the saluation of our soules shall follow after and no man shall take it from vs. This made the Apostle say q 2 Tim. 1 12. For this cause I suffer these things but I am not ashamed for I know whom I haue beleeued and I am perswaded that he is able to keep that which I haue committed to him against that day Vse 2 Secondly seeing our Faith and Religion must be confessed it is a duty that lieth vpon vs to seeke to know the truth and labour to expresse the power of godlinesse otherwise it is vnpossible that euer we should make profession of it For profession of the faith presupposeth a knowledge of the faith for how can we confesse that which we kno not or manifest that to other wherof we are ignorant our selues This controlleth and condemneth those that liue in the Church heare the word and haue the Gospell sounding a long time in their eares yet know not what faith is nor how to beleeue so that whereas in regard of their continuance in the Church in regard of the meanes offred to them and in regard of their age wherewith God hath blessed them r Heb. 5 12. they might haue been teachers of others they haue neede to be taught the beginnings of faith the grounds of religion the principles of the word of God and are become such as haue neede of milke and not of strong meate Alas who can consider without great greefe of heart and anguish of spirit in what state the greatest number of our people stand and remember that after al our planting watering sowing and labouring they are apt and fit to receiue any religion because they are blinde and ignorant and know not God aright or any part of his truth to their soules health They are like the potters Clay which is readie to take any forme and receiue any impression or like the earth which altereth and changeth as the winde or weather as the Spring or Winter shall worke vpon it If they were taught to beleeue and receiue the Cabala of the Iewes the Alcoran of the Turkes the Reuelations of the Anabaptists the Traditions of the Papists or such like rotten trash of mans deuises and if they were countenanced by authoritie of Princes and Lawes of men they were as easie to be wrought vpon as waxe that is readie to receiue any stampe and impression A lamentable case that wee should bee still as Babes and children not knowing the right hand from the left carried about with euerie waue of Doctrine and receiuing the darknesse of errour for the light of the truth But we haue not so learned Christ and the Christian Religion When we haue once giuen entertainment vnto the truth and imbraced it soundly in our hearts we must not denie the faith whatsoeuer befall vs whatsoeuer trouble come vnto vs whether prosperity fawne and flatter vpon vs or whether aduersity pinch vs and paine vs whether the Sunne of peace shine vpon vs or whether the clouds of affliction ouer-shaddow vs wee must alwayes be the same and our standing in the faith should not be wauering or wandering to giue ouer at euery assault and to shrink backe for euery brunt and to deny our Lorde and Maister by euery tentation This serueth to reproue those that knowe nothing and therefore can professe nothing and as they know nothing so they will know nothing of whom we may say as the Apostle doth Å¿ 2 Pet. 3 5. This they wittingly know not and so are wilfully ignorant and shut their eies because they would not see and because the light shold not shine into their hearts For seeing God hath commanded the light to shine out of darknes we may truly say t 2 cor 4 3 4 6 If our Gospell be then hid it is hidde to them that are lost in whom the God of this world hath blinded the mindes that is of the Infidels that the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ which is the Image of God shoulde not shine vnto them Thus doth God send them strong delusion that they shold beleeue lies u 2 Thess 2 11 12. That all they might be damned which beleeued not the trueth but had pleasure in vnrighteousnesse Let vs therefore seeke after knowledge as for great Treasures Let vs search the Scriptures that in them we may find eternall life let vs haue the word of God dwell plentifully in vs which is able to make vs wise vnto Saluation Let vs vse all good meanes to encrease knowledge in vs to begin in Faith to hold out a good confession to maintaine the truth against all the aduersaries that rise against vs. Vse 3. Thirdly seeing it is a duty to open our mouthes and lose our tongues to confesse to his name that hath called vs to his truth it standeth vs vpon continually and constantly to pray for the Spirit of strength or corroboration that we may be made able to stand in the time of danger It is not in all that know and acknowledge the truth to auouch it and to maintaine it to confesse it and to stand to it but onely of such as haue receiued the strengthening power of Christ Hence it is that the Apostle saith of himselfe x Phil 4 13. I am able to doe all thinges through the helpe of Christ which strengthneth me So he prayeth for the Colossians That they might be strengthned with the glorious power of Christ When a man hath once receiued to beleeue hee wanteth a new grace to bee giuen vnto him that the graine of Faith which lyeth hidden in the heart and couered in the Ashes of mans frailty may grow vp openly and bring forth in vs the confession of the mouth This appeareth by the words of the Apostle Iohn who testifieth y Iohn 12 42 43. That euen among the cheefe Rulers many beleeued in him neuerthelesse because of the
Secondly seeing Faith and Loue giue vs a good commendation and report let vs by these and such like graces of Gods spirit seeke after a good name let vs not hunt after the praise of men but that which is of God the other is a blast of wind this is certaine and neuer fadeth This made the Apostle say p 1. Thes 2. 5. 6. 4. We did not vse flattering wordes as ye know nor coloured coueteousnesse God is record neither sought we praise of men neither of you nor of others when wee might haue beene chargeable as the Apostles of Christ wee speake not as they that please men but God which approoueth our heartes This vse and conclusion being well pondred and considered in our heartes it will discouer the great vanity and folly of earthly minded men who seeke rather a great name then a good and godly name Thus did they that builded the Tower of Babel they sought a great name by their great exploits q Gen. 11. 4. for they would build them a Tower that should reach to heauen that is exceeding high to get them a name Thus did Absolom seeke a name by r 2. Sam. 15. 5. adulation and flattery by stealing away the hearts of the people by creeping and crouching to euery one Thus do hypocrites seeke a name by a vizard of holines putting on a shew of Religion Å¿ Reuel 3. 1. who indeed haue a name that they are aliue but they are dead Thus do rich men hope to become famous and to leaue a name behind them by getting goods raising vp their Children t Psal 49. 11. 12. who thinke that their houses their posterities shal continue from generation to generation and cal their Lands and Liuings by their names Thus did Nebucadnezzer seeke a name when in the pride of his heart he said u Dan. 4. 27. Is not this great Babell that I haue built for the house of the Kingdome by the might of my power and for the Honour of my Maiesty Thus did Herod by his smooth words and eloquent speech procure the applause of the people that cried out It is the voyce of God and not of man All these were ignoraunt what a good Name is and therefore they and their Names could not continue in honour but perished like Beasts that die of the rot and murraine Wherefore wee must labour to get a good name by faith in Christ by fauour to the Saints by loue to the Gospell which we shal obtain if we bee carefull to auoide all kinde of sinnes both grosse sinnes and light sinnes and all occasions and enticements that may draw vs vnto them It is vnpossible that wee should haue Faith to please God and to haue praise of God if wee neuer repented of Dead-workes if wee liue in open sinnes against knowledge and against Conscience And howsoeuer wee account some sinnes small and slender as the Church of Rome hold some Veniall yet x Eccl. 10 1. As dead Flies cause to stinke and putrifie the Oyntment of the Apothecarie so dooth a little folly him that is in estimation for Wisedome and for glorie On the other side wee must striue to bee rich in Faith and in Good-Workes for such as endeuour themselues to honour God in these shall receiue Honour from God And if by any weakenesse or infirmity wee bee falne to the losse of a good Name we must haue a care with all speede to repaire it wee must bee humbled by vnfaigned Repentaunce Wee must seeke to be reconciled vnto God to bee washed in the blood of Christ to bee purged in out Consciences and to builde vp the ruines of our decayed life For the care to repayre this good Name being lost must bee no lesse then to obtaine it at the first This wee see in Dauid in Manasses in Peter who turned vnto God with all their hearts who by their rising againe from sinne to Righteousnesse builded that which before they destroyed repayred that which before they impaired and encreased that which before they had diminished Vse 3. Lastly it is a great comfort and consolation to the faithfull and godly to keepe Faith and a good Conscience they are assured that howsoeuer the Wicked shall vndermine and nibble at our good Names and cast some blemish vpon them to defile them yet God vndertaketh the protection and preseruation of our good Names and it resteth not in the power of any creature to spoyle vs of them There are 3. enemies to a good name True it is our good Name is in danger of three great enemies which are as three Catterpillers that wast the fruits of the earth or as so many Locusts that eate vp the grasse of the fielde or as three Canker-Wormes that eate the barkes of the Trees Some are Authors and Inuenters of Slanders and false Tales Others are Walkers and Talkers of them spreading them abroad to the hurt of others A third sort are Hostes and receiuers of the two former beleeuing such Ware to bee good as these Marchants and Brokers bring vnto them But howsoeuer the Children of God are subiect to the venomous tongues of vngodly men whereby they are maligned and slaundered yet they must reioyce and comfort themselues in this that their approbation is in Heauen and their rewarde with their God thorough whose aboundant Mercie they shall be had in perpetuall remembrance This the Apostle putteth vs in minde of when hee sayeth y Phil. 4 8 Whatsoeuer thinges are true whatsoeuer things are Honest whatsoeuer things are pure whatsoeuer things are worthy loue whatsoeuer things are of good report if there bee any Vertue or if there be any praise thinke of these thinges which yee haue both learned and receyued and heard and seene in me For what shoulde it auayle a man to bee praised and commended in the World for Strength for Nobility for Gentrie for Riches for Beautie for Greatnesse which cannot make vs blessed Nothing can giue vs true and euerlasting Honour and cause vs to bee approoued of God and Men but Faith and the fruits thereof that accompany saluation Hence it is that the Apostle speaking of the Fathers that liued in faith and died in faith which followed them euen to their Graues y Heb. 11. 39. saith that all of them through Faith obtained a good report Let vs therefore aboue all thinges seeeke to please God by faith that so we may finde that fauour which neuer shall haue end Faith and Loue We haue shewed before wherein the praise of Philemon standeth to wit in faith and Loue which offereth vnto vs an other profitable consideration in that he ioyneth and annexeth these two vertues together He nameth not faith alone nor Loue alone but he knitteth faith and Loue as it were in one band together So then we see that these two graces giuen by one and the same spirit are remembred to take vp their seat and lodging in one mans heart Doct.
6. Faith Loue do alwayes go together We learne hereby that faith and Loue are allwaies coupled together faith is not without Loue nor Loue without faith but faith and Loue goe together in all the seruants of God and can neuer be seperated and put asunder When Paule praied for the Thessalonians he remembred these two z 1. Thes 1. 3. to be in them their effectuall faith and their diligent loue It is said of the Church gathered together after the assention of Christ a Acts. 2 44. that all they which beleeued were in one place and had all things common Such as were true beleeuers were also commoners together such as had Faith in Christ had Loue toward the Saints This Luke sheweth more plainly afterward b Act. 4. 32. The multitude of them that beleeued were of one heart and of one soule neither any of them said that any thing of that which he possessed was his owne but they had all thinges common Heere we see Faith and the manifestation of Faith by the fruits of Charity ioyned together To this purpose the Apostle saith c Gal. 5. 6. In Iesus Christ neither Circumcision auayleth any thing neither vncircumcision but faith which worketh by Loue. Heere also he coupleth Faith with Loue in one Yoake declaring that Faith is effectuall in the duties of Loue. So the Apostle Iohn teacheth that faith in Christ and Loue one toward another are thinges euer ioyned together d Iohn 3. 23. This is then his Commandement that wee beleeue in the Name of his sonne Iesus Christ and loue one another as he gaue Commaundement And the Apostle Iames speaking of the effectuall faith of Abraham whereby he beleeued and was iustifyed declareth that e Iam. 2. 22. the Faith wrought with his workes and through the workes was the Faith made perfect All these Texts and Testimonies of Scripture serue to teach vs that our faith must be accompanied with Loue and the one not deuided from the other Reason 1. The truth heereof will better appeare to euery one of vs If wee consider the Reasons For first they are as the Tree and the Fruite as the Roote and the Branch as the Fountaine and the Streame as the cause and the effect Faith is the Tree the Roote the Fountaine the cause Loue is the Fruite the Branch the Streame the effect The cause and the effect are Relatiues and haue relation and reference either to otherâ— so that the cause cannot be without his effect nor the effect without his cause and therefore both these must goe together The Prophet describeth the blessed man f Psal 1. 3. to be like a Tree planted by the Riuers of Waters that will bring forth her friute in due season whose Leafe shall not fade so whatsoeuer he shall do shall prosper Reason 2. Secondly faith separated from Loue or Loue separated from faith is a false faith and a false Loue. Faith without Loue or separated from the fruits of Loue is dead and without life a naked name without the thing an empty shaddow without substance a dead carcasse without breath It is nothing worth without Loue. The Apostle saith If a man had all faith so that he could remoue Mountaines g 1. Cor. 13. 1. 2. and had not Loue it were nothing he should be as sounding Brasse or a tinkeling Cymball So we read in the Epistle of Iames i Iames 2 20. That the Faith which is without workes is dead it is a Bastard Fayth a counterfet Faith an idle Faith which is no true Faith indeede but onely in Name For as a painted hand is no hand so a seeming Faith is no Faith Againe Loue without Faith is without his right order yea without his life soule his true cause and forme and so not good but euill not approued but reiected of God k Heb. 11 6. Rom. 14 23. For without Faith it is vnpossible to please God and whatsoeuer is not of Faith is sinne All workes of Iustice Mercy Righteousnesse to releeue the poore to feed the hungry to cloath the naked without Fayth are nothing worth nay all these beautifull shewes are beautifull sinnes except they be seasoned with Faith Againe to afflict thy soule to humble thy selfe to heare the word to receiue the Sacraments without Loue that is to do the duties of the first Table and to neglect them of the second Table is but Hypocrisie and maketh vs abhominable in the sight of God Seeing then Faith and Loue are as the cause and the effect that liue together seeing they loose their Names and Natures being disioyned and diuided one from another wee see it euidently and strongly to appeare that Faith in Christ and Loue to the Brethren as Mother and Daughter are ioyned together in euery true Christian Vse 1. The Vses are now to be considered First seeing these two guiftes are coupled together one with another it followeth that they must neuer be separated in a Christian man He that is ioyned with the head must also bee ioyned with the members and hee that hath his part in the Communion of Saints hath his fellowship also with Christ If it be a generall rule deliuered by Christ l Math. 19 6. that the thinges which God hath coupled together no man must separate it holdeth in this particular that Faith and Loue are not to be disioyned and dismembered forasmuch as God hath lodged them as two ghests in one house locked them vp as two Pearles and Iewels in one Closset It is a rule published by the m Cicer. de offic lib. 2. Heathen that all Vertues are knit together in one Chaine so that he which hath one hath all of them hee that wanteth one of them wanteth all so is it with this worthy paire of Heauenly graces we must not haue a Faith without Workes nor Workes without Faith but our Faith must be fruitfull to bring forth Workes and our Workes must bee thankfull to confesse them to be receyued from Faith Our Faith worketh by Loue our Loue liueth by Faith our Faith respecteth Christ our Loue respecteth the Saints Thus must these two be found in euery one of vs for they meete together in all such as shall be saued This n Titus 3 8. made the Apostle say in his Epistle to Titus Chap. 3. This is a true saying and these thinges I will thou shouldest affirme that they which haue beleeued God might bee carefull to shew forth Good-Workes These thinges are good and profitable vnto men Let vs examine our owne hearts whether we finde these two graces in vs which must bee as two twins that reioyce and take delight to bee together or two Sisters that accompanie one with another like Martha and Marie in one house so must these be two Vertues in one heart Hence it is that the Apostle Iohn saith in his first Epistle o 1 Iohn 4 20 21. If any man say I Loue
suffered to continue consumeth al things that are neere vnto it We must shew our selues ready to bring water to quench this fire We must stop the Flood-gates that the streames of contention doo not ouer-flow and in the end drowne vs as in the deepe waters It is a deceitfull snare and wonderfull subtilty of Satan to cast matters of dissention betweene the Minister and people as it were a bone to gnaw vpon that so though the word bee among them yet that it may by that meanes be with lesse fruit and profit with them Well doth this enemy of mankind know that where there is hatred to the person there can be no loue to his preaching and where there is desire of contention there can be no hope of edification For whome the people hate they regard not to heare and where there is no liking to the man there will follow a loathing of his Ministry We see this in the example of Ahab toward Eliah and Micaiah e 1 Kin. 21 19 20. 22 7 8. whom he hated to the death and professeth his enmity toward them and therefore despised the word that came from their mouths When Eliah reproued him for killing of Naboth and taking possession of the Vineyard he saide Hast thou found me O mine enemy So when Iehoshaphat asked if there were not a Prophet of the Lord that they might enquire of him Ahab who had sold himselfe to worke wickednesse in the sight of the Lord aunswered There is yet one man Michaiah the Sonne of Imlah by whom we may aske counsell of the Lord but I hate him for hee dooth not prophesie good vnto me but euill Where we see he hated the Prophet and therfore abhorred his prophesie and regarded not to haue him in his presence We may behold this in the example of the Scribes and Pharisees toward Paule they could not abide him nor his doctrine so that he was employed principally among the Gentiles On the other side as the people loue the Ministers from the heart so for the most part they profit by them The Apostle giueth this Testimony of the Galathians that they loued him exceedingly and therefore regarded his Doctrine accordingly f Gal. 4 14 15 The triall of me which was in my flesh ye despised not neither abhorred but ye receiued me as an Angell of GOD yea as Christ Iesus what was then your felicity For I beare ye record that if it had bin possible ye would haue plucked out your owne eyes and haue giuen them vnto mee Hence it is that Christ and his Apostles labour to plant this truth and to settle this perswasion in the hearts of those whome they taught that they vvere dearely beloued to them When the Disciples were afraid at Christs words he answered again said vnto them g Mark 10 24 Children how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdome of God So the Prophet Esay speaketh h Esay 8 18. Behold I and the children whom the Lord hath giuen mee are as signes and as wonders in Israel Thus do the Apostles write in this manner to the Churches calling them beloued brethren and deare children As we haue louing words in our mouthes so we should haue louing affections in our hearts It is a pittiful sight lamentable condition when the Pastor in any place setteth himselfe against the people and the people against the Pastor when they that should loue together as Father and Son do wrangle together as Cats and Dogs and are euer snarling and byting one of another If a priuate house be diuided against it selfe it cannot stand so if a particular Church be in a bitter mutiny it runneth to ruine and is miserably torn in peeces It is a great praise of that congregation where they are at peace and vnity ioyne together in the word Sacraments and sing the Psalmes and songs of God to his endlesse praise It is a comfortable thing when the people reioyce in their Minister the Minister in his people when the people desire and delight in the companie of their Minister and the Minister in the company of his people and so take comfort in the sweet society one of another This reproueth those that vpon euery slight occasion for euery slender profit yea for euery toy trifle follow suits of Law and bring actions of trespasse one against another whereby they trouble not onely their neighbours at home but the Countrey abroad These haue forgotten the words of Abraham to Lot when a debate arose among their Heard-men i Gen. 13 8. Let there be no strife I pray thee betweene thee me neither betweene mine Heard-men and thine Heard-men for wee are Bretheren It is therefore a great shame and reproach to heare of such iarres and ciuill wars as are in many parishes It is a plaine argument that there is little loue betweene them and lesse good wrought among them The Minister accounteth them not as his Sonnes and Daughters he seeketh not to winne them to the faith he esteemeth them not as his Crown in the day of the Lord. On the other side the people do not reuerence their Minister as their father but hate him as their enemy God is not among such Ministers and people but is gon farre from them and they are departed farre from him God is k 1 Ioh. 4 16 12. loue they that dwell in loue dwell in God and God in them If we loue one another God dwelleth in vs and his loue is perfect in vs. The Deuill is the Father fountaine of all debate and hatred c Iames 4. 16. For where enuying and strife is there is sedition and all manner of euill workes How then can wee otherwise thinke but that Sathan beareth rule among them and possesseth the cheefe holde of their hearts seeing so small tokens of loue and so great fruits of the Old man nay of the old Serpent appeare among them Wherefore to return thither from whence we began we must remember the amiable names giuen to the Pastor and people they must consider they are as Father and Son neerely coupled and ioyned together and thereby stirre vppe themselues and admonish one another of their duties to open their hearts in loue and againe to shut them vp that hatred haue no entrance into them hnd that mallice do not abide in them Vse 2. Secondly these most louing Titles applied to the Minister and people shew the duties required of Pastors toward their charge and teach them to loue them as their children to tender their good to exhort them to lay vp for themselues spirituall riches Great is the loue of Parents towardes their Children If the Childe be sicke or wayward they doe not cast him out of doores or withdraw their affections from him Hence it is that Christ when he saw the people scattered abroad and dispersed heere and there as Sheepe without a Shepheard d Math. 9 36.
haue saide he was some couzener or Coniurer some Impostor or deceiuer as often before they had falsely and blasphemously charged him Or had they faith in their owne power to beleeue when they would and to receiue him to be the Sauiour of the world These carnall men do resemble and reason like vnto the Scribes and Pharisees If God would descend from heauen as they wold haue Christ come downe from the Crosse then they would immediately beleeue then they would no longer lye in their sinnes But if God should with his dreadfull and terrible voice speake vnto vs we were not able to appear before him nor to abide the hearing of it but should bee swallowed vp with feare and stand amazed as dead men When God spake vnto the Children of Israell in the Mount they fledde from him and could not endure his presence they stood a farre off and cried vnto Moses g Ex. 20 18 19. Talke thou with vs and we will heare but let not God talke with vs least we die Shall we then in the foolishnesse and pride of our own harts challenge the Lord to come foorth vnto vs and presume to settle our selues to enter talke and communication with him when the earth quaketh at his voyce and trembleth vnder him When the Mountaines are remooued before him h Esay 6 2. and the Angels couer their faces from him If we wil not belieue the preachers of the worde nor content our selues with this ordinance of God but woulde haue eyther reuelation from Heauen or the presence of God or the person of Christ or the glorie of an Angell or the appearaunce of the dead or wee know not what we shall neuer bee partakers of the benefits of Christ we shall neuer receiue to beleeue wee shall neuer haue the grace of regeneration bestowed vpon vs. God hath not left vs to the preaching of Angelles but to the Ministry of men If we will not yeelde obedience to the voyce of God speaking to vs in his Ministers wee would not regard his owne immediate voyce thundring downe vppon vs nor beleeue if a damned soule or ghost shal come out of hell to preach vnto vs. If we will not beleeue Moses and the Prophets i Luke 16 31. we would not beleeue though one came vnto vs from the dead Wherefore let vs leaue this vanity and in a conscience to God and obedience to his ordinance in a loue to our own souls and desire of our own saluatiō let vs euery one be swift to hear slow to speak slow to wrath Now to the end we may heare aright k Three things required to be good hearers of the word of God three thinges are required of vs Preparation Attention and Meditation ioyned with practise Preparation before we heare Attention in the time of hearing Meditation and practise after our hearing When Christ had propounded the parable of the Sower and the seed in the end he gathered from thence this note and draweth this conclusion and admonition l Luke 8 18. Take heede how ye heare For some present themselues to the Ministery of the Word for forme and fashion for company and custome without conscience others thinke it enough to bee present howsoeuer they be affected in the hearing or mooued after the hearing It is therefore necessary that we should be prepared before we come Now to this preparation three thinges are necessary Faith Feare and Desire first we must haue Faith without which the Word is as a dead Letter without life and as an empty sound without power and if we doe not giue credit vnto it m Heb. 6 4 2. it cannot profit the hearers Secondly we must come with feare that we may feare God in his word and auoyd the breach of it For the Lord hath n Esay 66 2. respect vnto them that are of humble and contrite hearts and tremble at his word We must set our selues o Act. 10 33. in the presence of God and heare as if we saw him present before vs and so receiue the word as from Christ himselfe the Teacher of his Church Thirdly we must come with good stomackes as vnto a feast prepared for vs we must hunger and thirst after the word to feede our empty Soules desiring it and longing after it as doth the dry ground after the Dew of heauen and the shewers of Raine This the Apostle Peter teacheth p 1 Pet. 2 2. Desire the sincere Milke of the word of God that ye may grow thereby Hee that thinketh himselfe full before he come to the Lords house is no fit Guest to be partakers of his dainty fare In hearing the word we must be attentiue and intentiue to that which we heare As we are present in bodie so we must be present in minde God opened the heart of Lydia to attend to those things that were deliuered by Paule This is very profitable q Three benefits of attention many waies and helpeth as a Soueraigne remedy against the rouing cogitations of the minde against the entertaining of other actions of another Nature and against the loathsomnesse and wearinesse that for the most part accompanyeth the most holie thinges of God First we are subiect to vnconstancy and lenity of minde our hearts are ready to wander and goe astray from the present work in hand and oftentimes are carried away from the best matters so that wee neither remember where we are nor consider what we doe nor endeuour to profit as we ought Secondly it auayleth against those deceits and destructions whereby we entertaine other actions of piety which with-draw vs from the present occasion and duty of hearing required of vs. For some thinke they do God good seruice when they offer vnto him no bettet then a will worship which is abhominable before him Hence it is that many thinke it enough to be present with the assembly and regard not how they be occupyed so that whlie the Congregation is imployed one way they are imployed another while it performeth a publike action they are exercised in some priuate deuotion as for example when the Church is hearing they are praying or when the Church is praying they are reading This is to offer the Sacrifice r Eccle. 4 17. of Fooles For the publique actions of the Church must be publikely attended of all the assemblie and there is neither time nor place vnto any thing that is priuate or proper to one or to few For the Minister beeing a a publike person is alwaies either the mouth of God or the mouth of the the people the mouth of God to speake vnto vs from him and to deliuer the word in his name the mouth of the people and Congregation to speak vnto the Lord for vs so that the action is common to the whole Church So then it cannot stand with the rules of the word and the comely order that God hath left to his Church that in the time of publique
the weakenesse to asswage the sorrow to beare the infirmitie and to releeue the misery of our Brother It is the manner of vngodly persons to make it their daily sport in their deuillish meetings to insult ouer him and to leape vpon his backe with all the reproach and infamy that they can deuise to lay vpon him But it skilleth not what such foule mouths do vtter they shall one day reap the reward of their mallice and the penitent person that holdeth his peace shall find in the end the fruit of his patience Vse 3. Thirdly it teacheth vs for our obedience to repent betimes and not to delay the time thereof but while the acceptable season is to bring forth the fruites of amendment of life For seeing wee are not to make the most or speake the worst of the fals of our penitent Bretheren it serueth as a good encouragement and a profitable inducement to leade vs and guide vs vnto true repentance that so our sinnes may be put away Sinne is as a most filthy Leprosie but when we repent we are cleansed of that Leprosie It is as vnsauory Dung that stencheth the earth and the euill sauour thereof ascendeth vp to Heauen but when we repent we smell pleasantly as a sweet perfume in the Nosthrils of God It is as filthy Mire that soyleth the Soule corrupteth the Body and spotteth the Garment but when wee repent the staine and blemishes of sinne are put out of his sight and blotted out of his remembrance For when God forgiueth iniquity transgression and sin r Mich. 7 19. Ier. 31 33 34. he throweth it into the Sea into the bottome of the Sea that it may neuer arise againe to our confusion and condemnation and hee remembreth it no more As farre as the East is from the West Å¿ Psal 103 12. and 32 1 2. so farre hath he remooued our sins from vs as the Prophet speaketh so that they are so far taken out of his sight that they and we shall neuer meet together He couereth them and will not impute them vnto vs t Col. 1 21 22 So that we which were in times past strangers and enemies are now reconciled beeing made holy and vnblameable and without fault in his sight If then God doe couer them when we repent who are we that goe about to vncouer them If he doe not impute them why should we lay them to their charge who haue a discharge from God who hath cancelled the band and hand-writing that was against them If God haue washed and wiped away the filthinesse of them why should any man cast the mire of them in their faces againe The most expert and excellent Phisitian cannot cure a deep wound a festered sore but some scarre will remain and some print in the flesh is left behinde but God so healeth our infirmities that he taketh away the staine the guilt and the punishment that no token no marke no signe of his wrath and indignation euer appeareth to appall vs or dismay vs. This is the great loue and vnspeakeable mercy of God toward the broken heart and contrite Spirit He that hath beene an Adulterer and hath repented of his vncleannesse is no Adulterer He that hath beene a Drunkard and repenteth of the beastlinesse and abuse of the good Creatures of GOD is no longer a Drunkard He that hath beene an Enemy and hinderer of Gods word and now loueth it aboue Siluer and Gold is no more an enemy but a friend of the Gospell He that hath beene a Swearer and Blasphemer and repenteth of his blasphemies is not a blasphemer He that hath beene a prophaner of the Lordes Sabbaoths and now is carefull to sanctifie them and spend them in holie exercises is no longer a prophane person True it is these men haue beene such but when they see their sinnes hate them forsake them are greeued for them and are departed from them true repentance is as the Fullers Sope to wash them and to make them whiter then the Snow We must therefore make a great difference betweene that which they haue beene and that which they are Shall we say that he who is come to mans estate and hath put away childishnesse is still a Babe and Suckling as Infant and Child because once he was so Or shall we say that hee who is made a Free-man and had serued out his Prentishippe is a Bond-man still and vnder the iurisdiction of another because that once he was so In like manner shall wee change our Bretheren to be Children in knowledge to be the Seruants of sinne and Bond-slaues of Sathan because they were so in the time of their ignorance before God gaue vnto them repentance that they might come out of these snares wherein they were holden Captiues Nay I will say more whosoeuer reuileth and reprocheth him with his Adultery Idolatry Blasphemy Drunkennesse or Prophanesse that hath fallen into these offences but dwelleth not nor delighteth in them is a malicious enemie a false accuser a slanderer and lyer against his Brother The Apostle Peter u Math. 26 69. denied his Maister as we shewed before he forsware him and curssed himselfe if he knew the Man which he did through feare to saue his life But because he went immediatly out of the High-Priests Hall and wept bitterlie did any of the rest euer vpbraid him and reproach him with Apostacy with swearing with curssing with his infirmitie and presumption All they therefore are led by another Spirit then the Disciples were who despightfullie cast them in the teeth with their sinnes which are more odious and greeuous to them then to those that set them afoote and blaze them abroad to their disgrace This is a great comfort and bringeth wonderfull peace of conscience to all those that truely repent of all their sinnes past which they haue followed with greedinesse seeing that as God forgiueth them so he will not haue others to charge them with them For if the Lord and Maister of vs all remit them we are not to charge our Fellow-Seruants with them If the Prince forgiue vpon the sorrow and submission of his Vassall the Treason intended against his person shall the subiect dare to call him Traytor seeing the Princes pardon is the Subiects protection and discharge If the Father forgiue the Childe his disobedience x Luke 15 29. shall the rest of his Brethren speake euill of him and alwaies keepe it in fresh remembrance If these thinges were duelie regarded and rightlie considered of vs we would not lye one houre in our sinnes but make hast to be reconciled vnto God that so we may abolish the guiltinesse and greeuousnesse together with the infamy of them Hence it is that the Apostle saith y Rom. 6 19 20 21 22. As ye haue giuen your members seruants to vncleannesse and to iniquitie to commit iniquitie so now giue your members seruants vnto righteousnesse in holinesse for when yee were the Seruants of sinne yee
see a plaine confirmation of it by sundry reasons For first it is a common Prouerbe among vs Fast binde fast finde That which is loosely bounde is lightly lost but a three-fold Cord well tyed and twisted by worde by writing by seale is not easily broken A word affirmeth a writing confirmeth a seale assureth and euery one of them bindeth to performe our promise We see by daily experience that men are both mortall and mutable and wordes proue oftentimes but winde albeit ratified with the greatest solemnitie True it is our word ought to be as good as a thousand Obligations but deceite is bred naturally in our hearts so that we cannot ground vpon the bare word of men to finde good dealing Otherwise the Lord would neuer haue giuen Å¿ Leuit. 19 11 13. so many Lawes to restraine wrong and Iniustice fraud and oppression All these or at least a great part of them are preuented by setting downe our Couenants and Agreements in Writing vnder our hands and seales Reason 2. Secondly it is needfull to haue this manner of dealing among vs to the end that equity and vpright dealing might be obserued among vs and that all occasions of wrangling and wresting of wordes and bargaines may bee cut off as with the sword of Iustice This is it which the Prophet Ieremy expresseth in the 32. Chapter of his prophesies mentioned before where the Doctrine hath his confirmation t Ier. 32 14. Thus saith the Lord of Hoastes the God of Israell Take the writings euen this Booke of the possession both that is sealed and this Booke that is open and put them in an earthen vessell that they may continue a long time Where he maketh mention of a double writing or instrument which is heere called aftet the manner of the Hebrewes A Booke One of them was vnsealed the other was sealed and so concealed both of them were euidences to assure vnto him the Land that he bought and purchased That which was sealed seemeth to be the Original and as it were the Court Rolles authentically recorded and laide vp for the perpetuall rememberance of the matter That which was open and vnsealed seemeth to bee a Coppie deliuered and taken word for word out of the former to bee carried about with them into Captiuitie The end of both was for continuance that the bargaine and sale that passed betweene them might neuer bee forgotten Reason 3. Thirdly that all occasion of Controuersie and couzenage might bee taken away For if there were no writinges to shew the memories of men being fraile and their practises being vnfaithfull the world would bee full of all loose dealings and concord would bee banished from among men The end why Abraham set seauen Lambes by themselues u Gen. 21 30. was because Abimelech should receiue them at his handes to be a witnesse of their agreement and that all controuersies were finished and ended betweene them It appeareth many times when proofes in writing faile that false witnesses are suborned and so the seates of Iustice are subuerted all which are easily remedied when good assurances are at the first taken Reason 4. Fourthly good assurance is to be allowed and receiued to the end wee may safely dispose of such thinges as are in our power and possession eyther to our posteritie or otherwise Hence hath beene in all ages the lawdable and commendale vse of making Willes and Testaments which the word of God approoueth by deliuering diuers rules belonging to that profession The Law of God and of Nature hath taught that the Will and Testament of the dead ought x Gal. 3 15. not to be abrogated or altered and that no y Heb. 9 13. Will is of force vntil the Testator be dead Now we know not whether the gifts that we giue the Legacies that we bequeath be of our own proper goods or the goods of other men except we haue before hand a sufficient assurance of them made vnto vs. Seeing therefore where there is a fast knot there is a sure keeping seeing vpright dealing is to bee obserued seeing occasions of quarrels and contentions are to be stopped and seeing the goods that God hath giuen vnto vs are rightly to be bestowed it followeth that euery one is to prouide for the security and quietnesse of his estate by all lawful means not onely by word of mouth but by assurance in writing that thereby hee may foresee the danger that may come vpon him and be wary and circumspect in all his doings according to the saying of Christ the Teacher and Author of true wisedome z Math. 10 16 Be ye wise as Serpents and innocent as Doues For if wisedome doe season all our affaires then also our contracts that are common in this life Vse 1. We haue heard this Doctrine confirmed Now let vs see how it may bee applyed and what vses may be concluded out of it First of all it setueth for reproofe of the Anabaptists who are heereby directly ouerthrowne that condemne the propertie of goods and possessions together with all contracts and conditions that passe from one to another For we haue shewed that bargaines and sales are lawfull not onely among the Gentiles but euen among the Christians not onely vnder the rudiments of the Law but in the times of the Gospell The end of such writings Obligatory is nothing else but to assure euery one of his owne and to make it appeare what belongeth to another man If then it be lawfull to possesse House and Landes Money and moounables as our owne substance it is as lawfull to craue and take assurance of the possession of them that they may not by fraudulent meanes be alienated from vs. But of this we haue spoken before Secondlie they are reprehended who are offended that men in these cases will not trust them and relye vpon their wordes without farther assurance in writing and refuse to giue men good security For all is little enough and many times too little I haue heard it credibly affirmed and auouched by some Maister of that profession that albeit a conueyance of Land a deede of estate an Indenture of Couenants be drawne as sure and certaine as learned counsell can deuise and contriue yet it is an easie matter to picke holes in them and to take aduantage of them We see daily what quirkes and trickes of Law are broached and inuented whereby such as are simply and honestly minded are defrauded and defeated of Houses Landes and other Chattels Neuer was there so a Psal 62 9. little truth and so great craft and cozenage in the World as in these daies Sathan himselfe seemeth now to haue opened all his packe of deuises and his Instruments as good Schollers of so bad a Maister haue learned sundry deuillish practises whereby true meaning men are oftentimes notoriously gulled Some there are that are thought to study little else then to finde wantes and imperfections in Statutes in Leafes in Lands
to preach to the lost Sheepe of the house of Israell and afterwarde appointed seauentie Disciples to second their Labors he willed them to salute the places whether they came x Math. 10. 11 12. with Luke 10 5. Into whatsoeuer Citty or Towne ye shall come enquire who is worthy in it and there abide till ye go thence and when ye come into an house salute the same and first say Peace be to this house That which Christ commandeth his Disciples himself practiseth toward his Disciples for when he appeared to his Disciples after his resurrection y Iohn 20 21. he saide Peace be vnto you The Apostle writing to the Romaines spendeth the greatest part of the sixteenth Chapter in Salutations Commendations sent too and fro among the Saints Thus hee concludeth another of his Epistles z 2 Cor. 13 11 12. Finally Brethren fare ye well be perfect bee of good comfort be of one minde liue in peace and the God of Loue and Peace shall bee with you greet one another with an holy kisse all the Saints salute you All these examples teach vs this as an vndoubted truth that the vse of kinde and curteous speeches are beseeming the seruants of God and becommeth their profession Reason 1. We shall not neede to seeke farre to finde out the true causes and reasons of this Doctrine First our well wishing one to another is a fruit of our loue and a meanes to maintaine and continue loue among vs. To this purpose the Apostle Peter doth command not onely that they should salute one another but such as they loued and such as loued them Chap. 5. a 1 Pet 5 14. Greet ye one another with the kisse of loue If we would maintaine loue we must wisely and carefully entertaine such helpes as may further vs in the perfourmance of that duty whereof this that now we speake off is one so that we are to expresse our inward loue by outward tokens to the end it may bee seene and appeare vnto others Reason 2 Secondly our salutations are remembrances of our care and good affections toward these whom we greet well It is a signe that wee are not forgetfull of them but doe greatly regard and respect them This doth the Apostle Paule signifie Colos 4 12. Epaphras the seruant of Christ which is one of you b Col. 4 12. saluteth you and alwaies striueth for you in praiers that ye may stand perfect and full in all the will of God Where we see he ioyneth these two thinges together as depending one vpon the other his saluting of them and his praying for them Reason 3. Lastly to desire the good of others from the heart is both a fruit of the spirit and a good signe and testimony to our owne selues that we are chosen of God to eternall life To this purpose the Apostle numbring vp many notable fruits of the spirit maketh mention c Gal 5 22. of Loue Peace Gentlenesse Goodnesse meeknesse Long Suffering And in another place he exhorteth them d Col. 3 12. as the elect of God holy and beloued to put on the bowels of mercies Kindnesse Humblenesse of minde Meeknesse Long-Suffering Forbearing one another and forgiuing one another So then if we shall consider that courteous speeches are tokens of loue remembrances of our affection fruits of the spirit and testimonies of our election we may conclude that it is the duty of one Church to wish well to another and of one Christian to speake kindly to another We haue heard the Doctrine confirmed but before we come to the vses that arise from hence it shall not be amisse briefly to answeare an Obiection or two that may stand in our way which may seeme to restraine and forbid that which heere is commanded and allowed Obiection 1. We read in the booke of the Kings that when Ellisha sent his seruant Gehazi to the Shunamites house e 2. King 4 29. Luke 10 4. he bad him if he met any not to salute him and if any man saluted him he should answere him nothing And when Christ sent out his disciples to preach he gaue them the same charge and willed them to Salute no man by the way Where the duty which is heere approued may seeme there to be reprooued Answere I answeare the drift and scope of those places is to be considered and not the bare wordes to be vrged The intent of the Prophet speaking to his seruant and of Christ to his Disciples is to enioyne those persons to omit for that time the practise of duties of common curtesie and ciuility so farre forth as they might stay or any way delay the perfourmance of waightier affaires enioyned vnto them We must therefore vnderstand the meaning of them comparatiuely as if it had beene said Rather then you should any way hinder the quicke dispatch and speedy practise of that businesse which is laid vpon you speake to no man in the way So then the meaning of the places is not simply and absolutely to forbid men to salute others but so farre to require the omitting of it as it should be a let and an impediment vnto them in doing their duties Obiection 2. Secondly we read in the Apostle Iohn in his second Epistle f 2 Iohn 10. If there come any and bring not this Doctrine receiue him not to house neither bid him God speed for he that biddeth him God speede is partaker of his euill Heere againe seemeth to be another prohibition contrary to the precept and Iniunction in this place Answere I answere this place doth not forbid salutations courtesie of man to man but familiarity and acquaintance with Hereticks euen such ioyning and closing with them as may seeme to giue the least applause and approbation to their bad proceedings and wicked opinions Thus much of the loosing of these knottes and aunswering the Obiections that seeme to contradict the Doctrine taught out of this place Now let vs handle the Vses Vse 1 First we learne that courtesie with ciuill gentle friendly soft speeches are to be entertained of the seruants of God This is it which Salomon teacheth in sundry places of the Prouerbes g Prou. 15 1. 25 15. A soft answer putteth away wrath but grieuous words stirre vp anger And Cha. 25. A Prince is pacified by staying of anger and a soft tongue breaketh the bones This is the commaundement that the Apostle giueth h Ephes 4 32 Bee ye courteous one to another and tender-hearted This is the commendation of Gideon against the rage of the Ephraemites that were greeuously incensed and sharpely set against him hee answered them mildly and gently i Iudges 8 3. and thereby their spirits abated towardes him The like we see in Abigail when Dauids wrath was kindled against her husband and houshold she pacified him by her louing and lowly aunswere k 1 Sam. 25 32 so that he blessed
easily bee resisted by the power of man nay it would in time fall downe of it selfe But seeing the whose Scripture is inspired of God and the doctrine thereof hath him for the Authour the light of it cannot be quenched Thus doth Gamaliell reason in the Councell f Acts 5 39. If this be of God ye cannot destroy it least ye be found euen fighters against God Who can prosper that prouoketh God Or who can look for good successe that fighteth against God and against his ordinances Reason 2. Againe God will bring their deuises to naught and confound all their endeuours that goe about to hinder the course of his word Although they band themselues together and assemble against the Lord and against his annointed yet he that dwelleth in the Heauens shall laugh and haue them in derision hee will breake their bandes and crush them in peeces like a Potters Vessell This the Prophet teacheth Psal 33. g Psal 33 10 11. The Lord breaketh the Counsell of the Heathen and bringeth to naught the deuises of the people The Counsell of the Lord shall stand for euer and the thoughts of his heart throughout all Ages Seeing therefore that the Doctrine of the Gospell is of God and that hee will dash them in peeces with a Scepter of Iron that stop the course of it we may truly conclude that the course thereof cannot be hindered Vse 1. The Vses of this point are many which I purpose breefely to point out that we may proceede First waigh with mee from hence the excellency of the word of God Who is ignorant what opposition hath been and is made against it What resisting and contradiction Yet it keepes on his course and hath his passage in the world and runneth through the whole Earth The Apostle declareth That the thinges which came vnto him turned rather to the furthering then to the hindring of the Gospell h Phil. 1 13. so that his bands in Christ were famous throughout all the Iudgement Hall and in all other places So he saith afterward in this Epistle which we haue in hand I beseech thee for my Sonne Onesimus whom I haue begotten in my bondes Was it not enough for the Apostle to labour when he was free and his Feete at liberty but hee must also spread the Net to catch men in Prison The light of Gods truth can neuer be put out the heat of it cannot bee smothered the power of it cannot bee broken Though the Teachers and Preachers of the word may bee stocked and stoned hewen asunder burned with the Fire slaine with the Sword clapt vp in Prison and fettered in chaines yet the word it selfe i Heb. 4 12. is liuelie and mighty in operation it entreth deepely it discerneth sharpely the thoughts and intentes of the heart True it is therefore the Ministers of the Gospell may be bound but the Gospell it selfe cannot be bound Their hands are bound and their feete are chained when the tongue is at liberty to vtter the gracious and glorious promises of the Gospell Nothing can binde the tongue but feare and infidelity If a man binde an Husbandman he hinders his sowing for he soweth with his handes but the teachers being bound the word is not bound for they sow with the tongue Let vt therefore acknowledge that the preaching of the Gospell hath in it a Diuine power nothing can be matched with it nothing can be compared vnto it The Deuill is called in the Scriptures by sundry Names to declare his power the God of the World the Prince of the Ayre the strong man that ruleth the House and he cannot be displaced and dispossessed but by a stronger But the Gospell is stronger then all the power of Sathan and is able to throw him out for it gathereth a Church where he hath his Throne and ruleth in the hearts of the Children of disobedience it deliuereth men from the power of the Deuill and bringeth them into the glorious liberty of the Sonnes of God If a man were in the shaddow of death and had one foote in Hell the word of God is able to bring him backe againe This is it which our Sauiour said to the seauentie Disciples when they returned from preaching the Gospell and confirming it by Miracles that followed it i Luke 10 18. I saw Sathan like Lightning fall downe from Heauen Where he teacheth that albeit Sathan be strong yet the Gospell is stronger so that he cannot stand before it He hath his ouerthrow by it and falleth downe before it as Dagon did before the Arke So the Apostle sheweth k Act. 26 18. that he was called and sent to Open the eyes of the blind that they might be turned from darknesse to light and from the power of Sathan vnto God We see it also in the example of Christ himselfe vpon the Crosse who conuerted the Theefe gaue him faith and repentance and assured him of eternall blessednesse in the heauens The Apostles were forbidden to preach the Gospell through the mallice and madnesse of the High-priestes they were apprehended and imprisoned they were scourged and euilly intreated yet they regarded not the wordes they despised the threatnings of all their enemies and continued to sound out the Gospell in all places Paul and Silas praied and sung Psalmes vnto God in prison and I gained the Iayler to the Faith l Acts 16 30. verifying that which the Apostle speaks in another place m 2 Tim. 2 9. I suffer trouble as an euill doer euen vnto bondes but the word of God is not bound Indeede sometimes it falleth out that the holy Seruants of God haue their hands tyed their feet fettered their bodies imprisoned their tongues cut out that they cannot speake to the people but euen then the word is not bound for then their constant suffering and patient bearing of the crosse doth as by a liuely voyce publish and proclaime the truth of the Gospell for which they suffer and serueth to win many to the Faith of Christ So then the patient suffering of the faithfull though they speake not with their tongues is as a solemne preaching and hath the nature of an effectuall Sermon to gaine many to the Faith Vse 2. Secondly wee see it is in vaine to set our selues against the Gospell of Christ and the Ministers of God that bring it vnto vs. True it is the World endeuoreth nothing more then to hinder the truth and to drowne all memory of the glad tidings of saluation but all their labour is lost and all their purposes shal be frustrate The Tyrants of the Earth may bind the professors of the Gospell but the Gospell it selfe they cannot binde and the course of it they cannot withstand Paul was cast into prison yet he freely preached the Gospell of the Kingdome to all that came vnto him Let all those that say it is in vaine to serue God and to pray vnto him know for a surety that it
that repent had his hart opened and was by Gods blessing conuerted to the Faith became a sound and sincere Christian and performed sundry duties of loue to Paul ministring continually vnto him in the time of his Captiuity as a dutifull Sonne to his spirituall Father But after the Apostle vnderstood that hee was another Mans Seruaunt and belonged vnto him as it were a part of his possession though he found him in his distressed and afflicted estate very profitable comfortable and necessary vnto him yet he would not detaine him from his Mayster to whom by the Word of God by the light of Nature and by the Law of all Nations he appertained Hence it is that hee sent him backe againe to his Maister with this Epistle in which the Apostle dooth by force of reasons and vehemency of words vrge Philemon to entertaine and retaine with him his fugitiue and offensiue Seruant but now greatly altered and throughly changed by the power of Gods word z Psal 19. 7. Which conuerteth the Soule and giueth wisedome vnto the simple as the Prophet teacheth vs. The vses of the former Argument of this Epistle Thus we see how Paule intreateth and obtaineth pardon for Onesimus a Seruant that was conuerted by the preaching of the Apostle which offereth vnto vs diuers good and profitable vses Vse 1. First we see that Christ Iesus reiecteth none that come vnto him how base and simple soeuer they be All such as repent and beleeue the Gospell whether Maisters or Seruants high or low rich or poore are accepted of him who is Lord of all and with whom is no respect of persons A notable comfort to all of low place and meane condition to consider with themselues that howsoeuer the men of this World haue many times no respect vnto them yet they are deare to God and regarded of him who openeth to them the doore of saluation and reserueth for them a Crowne of righteousnesse He appointeth his Word and Sacraments for them as well as for others and hence it is that for the most part the poore receiue the Gospell a Gal. 3 28. There is neither Iew nor Graecian there is neither bond nor free there is neither Male nor Female for ye are all one in Christ Iesus Vse 2. Secondly this instructeth vs not to contemne or despise any how vile soeuer they may seeme in our eyes but to be carefull for their good and to further their conuersion b Mat 18 10. according to the counsell of Christ our Sauiour Math. 18. See that ye despise not one of these little ones for I say vnto you that in Heauen their Angels alwaies behold the Face of my Father which is in Heauen For the Sonne of Man is come to saue that which was lost Many are basely and badly thought off in this World who are in great price and estimation with GOD. Many are wronged and oppressed of Men of whom the high God of Heauen taketh care and charge We are ready to respect the outward face and person of Men but he regardeth the heart God the Father loueth them woe therefore to them that hate them Christ Iesus came to saue and redeeme them woe therefore to all them that seeke to hurt and destroy them It pleaseth God oftentimes to call the Seruant and to let the Maister alone suffering him to perrish in his sinnes This is the cause that the blessed Virgine magnifieth the Lord and that her Spirit reioyceth in God her Sauiour c Luke 1. 52 53. Because he looked on the poore degree of his Seruaunt and had doone great thinges for her Hee pulleth downe the mightie from their Seates and exalteth them of low degree He filleth the hungry with good things and sendeth away the Rich empty Vse 3. Thirdly we learne that no man ought vnder any colour of Religion and pretence of godlinesse to keepe away other mens Seruants from their owne Maisters Paule found the Seruant of Onesimus faithfull to helpe him and forward to Minister vnto him yea he might be bold with Philemon his Mayster yet he would not detaine him with him without his allowance and approbation The Gospell then doth not destroy and disanull the diuers degrees and orders established in the World but rather confirmeth and strengthneth them It alloweth not the Seruant to resist and rise vp against the Maister although hee should be a beleeuer and his Maister an vnbeleeuer or he be a beleeuer as well as his Maister and in knowledge of godlinesse be equall vnto him but teacheth him to obey for conscience sake d 1 Tim. 6 1 2. and to Count his Maister worthy of all honour that the Name of God and his Doctrine be not euill spoken of And they which haue beleeuing Maisters let them not despise them because they are Brethren but rather do seruice because they are faithfull and beloued and partakers of the benefit These things teach and exhort Vse 4. Fourthly we are to marke that the Lord requireth of vs to bee ready to forgiue and forget the wronges and iniuries that are done vnto vs. Let vs put from vs all rancor and mallice and not suffer the Sunne to goe downe vpon our wrath O how e Math. 18 27 great is the mercy of God toward vs How great is our debt toward him Let vs put on the bowels of pitty and compassion forbearing one another and forgiuing one another f Col. 3 13. If any Man haue a quarrell vnto another euen as Christ forgaue euen so doe ye If we come to any of the exercises of our Religion to heare the Word to receiue the Sacraments or to call vpon the Name of God if the Leauen of maliciousnesse haue infected our heartes the word of life is made the sauour of death the Sacraments are made Instruments of Wrath and our Prayers are turned into Sinne. We are taught in our Prayers to aske g Chrysost hom 1. in Philem. forgiuenesse at the hands of God as we our selues performe this duty toward our Brethren The promise of forgiuenesse is made to them that doe forgiue h Mark 11 25 When ye shall stand and pray forgiue if ye haue any thing against any man that your Father also which is in Heauen may forgiue you your trespasses For if ye will not forgiue your Father which is in Heauen will not pardon you your trespasses This accordeth with the precept of Christ Math. 5. If thou bring thy guift to the Altar and there remembrest that thy Brother hath ought against thee i Math. 5 24. Leaue there thine offering before the Altar and goe thy way first be reconciled to thy Brother and then come and offer thy guift If we desire As new borne Babes the sincere Milke of the word that we may grow thereby k 1 Pet. 2 1 2. We must lay aside all maliciousnesse and all guile and dissimulation and enuy and all euill speaking If we would be
doers of the word and not hearers onely deceiuing our owne soules we must l Iam. 1 21. Lay apart all filthinesse and superfluity of maliciousnesse and receiue with meekenesse the word that is grafted in vs which is able to saue our Soules Now we haue in this Epistle m Illyr arg in hanc Epistol a most worthy example of receiuing them that are fallen of forgiuing the penitent of the pardoning of iniuries of ioy for the conuersion of a Sinner Yea we learne not onely to be louers of peace but to be makers of peace as Paul doth betweene the Maister and the Seruant Our Sauiour pronounceth them blessed n Math. 5 9. That are Peace-makers for they shall be called the Children of God We are charged not onely to seeke peace our selues but to make peace with others whereby we beare the liuely Image of God who is called the God of peace we are made like vnto Christ who is our peace and hath reconciled vs vnto his Father Vse 5. Fiftly we are taught to take heede we doe not rashly sit in iudgement vpon any This euill Seruant had picked and purloyned from his Maister and when he had done ranne his waies yet GOD found him out and gaue him repentance when he sought not after God It is a common Prouerb He runneth farre that neuer returneth Christ Iesus calleth some at the leaueth houre as hee did the Theefe that hung with him vpon the Crosse The Apostle chargeth that o 1 Cor. 4 5. We iudge nothing before the time vntill the Lord come who will lighten things that are hidden in darknesse and make the counsels of the heart manifest and then shall euery man haue praise of God And in another place p Rom. 14 4. Who art thou that condemnest another mans seruant He standeth or falleth to his owne Maister All men are in the hand of God and all times and seasons are disposed by him The Husbandman Tilleth the ground and soweth his Corne but it doth not by and by gtow vp The Disciples of Christ heard many things of his mouth which seemed buried and forgotten but the precious fruit thereof appeared plentifullie afterward Let vs not limit vnto God his times and seasons nor goe about to teach him knowledge Paul was a Persecuter of the truth a Blasphemer of God an oppressor of the Church yet in the end he was called by the voyce of Christ Let vs therefore condemne no man nor iudge any rashly least we be iudged Vse 6. Lastly we see euidently as in a Glasse in this Epistle that all that are elected of God to eternall life shal in Gods good time be called effectually to the knowledge of the truth God hath made all things in number waight and measure As no more shall be saued then he hath appointed so not one of them shall bee lost that he hath prepared to be heires of glory God hath many waies to pull them out of the fire whom he will haue saued So many as belong to him he will at one time or other send them and offer them the meanes of their saluation yea when we least of all seeke our owne good and intend our owne conuersion it pleaseth God to call vs and to gather vs into the bosome of the Church The Parable q Math. 20 1. of the Housholder hiring labourers into his Vineyard teacheth that he calleth at all times and houres of the day We see it in the example of Paul when Christ Iesus called vnto him from the Heauens he thought nothing of his owne conuersion but of the Churches subuersion Wee see it in the Penitent Theefe in Manasseth in Mary Magdalen and many others VVe see it in Onesimus in this place Who would haue imagined that this man playing the vile Runna-gate and the false Theefe and departing out of the religious House of godly Philemon which is honoured with the Name of a Church would euer haue turned a new leafe and come to the acknowledgement of the truth who would haue thought that the prodigal Son r Luke 15 24. going from his Father forsaking his Brother wasting his patrimony and spending his strength and wealth vpon Harlots would euer haue seene his owne folly and that it should be said of him My Son was dead and is aliue againe he was lost but he is found This is that which is set downe in the Actes of the Apostles Å¿ Acts 13 48. When the Gentiles heard it they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord and as many as were ordained to eternall life beleeued God is able to make a way for the execution of his purposes and knoweth how to accomplish his decrees Thus much of the circumstances of time and place as also of the Argument of this Epistle Now let vs come to the words 1 Paul a Prisoner of Iesus Christ and Brother Timotheus vnto Philemon our deare friend and fellow helper 2 And to our beloued Apphia and to Archippus our Fellow-Souldier and to the Church that is in thine House The order of the words and interpretation of them In this Epistle we are to consider two thinges First the Praeface in the three first verses Secondly the substance and matter of the Epistle in the rest The Praeface or entrance containeth the inscription or Title in these two verses sundry prayers in the foure verses following The inscription remembreth both the parties writing to wit Paul and Timothy and likewise the persons to whom the Epistle is written Philemon Apphia Archippus and the Church that was in Philemons house These persons as well writing as written vnto are not barely and nakedly set downe but are described by their seuerall notes and titles giuen vnto them wherein are contained seuerall Arguments of perswasion to mooue Philemon to that whereunto he exhorteth and intreateth him And first for himselfe a Captiue and Prisoner hee mooueth him to respect his suit in regard it was the suit of one vnder persecution bound in chaines and kept in thraldome whom he ought to pitty especially seeing he was a Prisoner of Iesus Christ that is not for any bad cause but for the professing and Preaching of the glorious Gospell of Christ Secondly he ioyneth in this suit with him Timothy a Brother nay more then a Brother a famous Euangelist whose commendation was thoroughout all the Churches who with him intreated for his Seruant Moreouer concerning those to whom this Epistle is written first Philemon himselfe is mentioned with whom he presumeth to preuaile both because there is mutuall loue between them louing one another in the truth and Christian Faith and because he is a fellow-helper seeking to promote and further by all good meanes the course of the Gospell in both which respects there should be a neere familiarity and speciall interest one with another Secondly to him he ioyneth Apphia which seemeth to be his Wife both because she hath the second place after Philemon and
is the best friendshippe These loue in the Faith and therefore cannot start backe Such friendshippe as beginneth in the Flesh and ariseth vpon carnall causes and worldly respectes is easily broken and dissolued the least displeasure dooth ouer-turne it but the friendship which is in God and for God endureth for euer no enuy shall vndoe it no occasion shall breake it no time shall dissolue it This appeareth f Prou. 18 24. by the wordes of the Wise-man Prouerb 18. 24. A man that hath friends ought to shew himselfe friendly but a friend is neerer then a Brother Seeke such friends as feare God and be Christianly minded Chuse none to be thy friend but him that is the friend of God Let none be thy Brother that is not the Brother of Christ One such friend is worth ten thousand others If thou haue in all thy life found by tryall and experience such an one make more account and reckoning of him then of a naturall Brother which band is but in the flesh assuring thy selfe that grace will worke aboue nature and therefore prefer him before al earthly treasure If then thou be careful to keep thy temporal Riches and Possessions much more oughtest thou to bee carefull to keepe a faithfull friend and ioyne thy selfe in amity with him True it is there is a kinde of friendship and familiarity among Drunkards among Adulterers among Robbers and among all Malefactors as g Prou. 1 14. Salomon teacheth Prouerb 1. 14. These sometimes seeme most neerely ioyned but by the least occasion that can be they are easily separated There is in all places and parishes almost a band and knot of these friendes and good fellowes But such as the word of God maketh Friendes and the band of the Spirite gleweth together are not easily sundred and disioyned but haue a sure and stedfast coniunction and are builded vppon a strong and stable foundation These loue more in aduersity then in prosperity in time of need do shew what their friendship is whereas the friendship arising vpon worldly causes will faile and abate when wealth decayeth when the world lowreth when trouble commeth so shew themselues not to haue beene the friendes of vs but of our wealth not of our persons but of our prosperity Vse 2. Secondly we learne from hence to be bold with all Christian friends and to suffer them to be bold with vs. It is a true note of a true Friend of a faithfull friend to deale plainely to reprooue comfort exhort commend without flattery without partiality There is none of vs all how great soeuer our knowledge be how great soeuer our graces bee how much soeuer wee haue profited in the faith of Christ but sometimes we haue need to be instructed sometimes to be comforted sometimes to be reprooued and sometimes to be threatned It is a great blessing of God when hee giueth a friend by whom as by a true Glasse wee may perceiue and know our wants and blemishes We shall find euery where such as will be ready to sooth and flatter vs in our offences to tell vs all is well done but few there are that will deale faithfully with vs. This a great plague and a great iudgement commonly waiting vppon great men and rich men that they finde few or none that dare admonish them of their faults or tell them of their offences and so many times are suffered to runne on to their destruction Let vs account it as a speciall blessing sent vnto vs of God when wee haue a friende by whom wee may heare what is amisse in vs. We could giue him thankes that would tell vs of some spot in our faces or blemish on our Garments and shall wee enuy or maligne him that will discouer vnto vs the sinnes of our Soules which doe more soile and defile vs then all the blemishes of the Body The Prophet Dauid hauing found the benefit and comfort of a godly reproofe when hee was reprooued by Nathan the Prophet saith h Psal 141 5. Let the righteous smite me for that is a benefite and let him reprooue me and it shall be a precious Oyle that shall not breake mine head To this end speaketh Salomon in the Prouerbes i Prou. 9 8. Rebuke not a Scorner least he hate thee but rebuke a wise Man and he will loue thee The correction of a Friend is as the Rodde of a Father the end is not to destroy but to saue not to ouerthrow but to deliuer from death We are all of vs bound as it were in a bond or Obligation to performe this duty one to another and wee must in humility submit our selues vnder the reproofe of our Christian friends We cannot better make manifest our loue vnto our Bretheren then by admonishing of them and reproouing of them This is it which Moses teacheth in the Booke of Leuiticus k Leu. 19 17. Thou shalt not hate thy Brother in thy heart but thou shalt plainely rebuke thy Neighbour and suffer him not to sinne Can a Physition shew his loue better then by telling his patient his disease and declaring vnto him the meanes whereby to cure it Can a Man meeting his Brother wandering out of his way in Hilles and Dales in Woodes and Wildernesse shewe his loue better vnto him then by bringing him into the way and laying his errour before his face So that no man can giue a sounder Testimony of his sincere heart and vnfained loue toward his Brother then by dealing plainely with him when he walketh not vprightly For a Friende is vnto the Soule as Phisicke is to the Body and the admonishing of our Brother is as the directing of a Trauailer Let vs therefore suffer the word of exhortation k 1 Thes 5 14 Knowing that such as are out of order must be admonished the feeble-minded must bee comforted the weake must bee strengthned the euill must be reprooued the obstinate must be terrified and threatned And let vs not fret and rage against our Bretheren when we are checked and controlled for our sinnes It is a signe wee are perswaded and resolued to continue in our sinnes when we cannot abide to be reprooued but are ready to say with Ahab Hast thou found me ô mine Enemy The word of God is good to him that walketh vprightly and wee shall finde in the ende l Prou. 27 5. That open rebuke is better then secret loue yea that the Woundes of a Louer are faithfull and the Kisses of an Enemy are pleasant Vse 3. Lastly seeing one Friende especiallie a Christian Friend may challenge and claime much from his Friende wee must know that it is a fearefull sinne vnder colour and shew of friendship to betray or vndermine one another Of such false and fained Friendes Dauid complaineth in sundry places of the Psalmes m Psal 41 9 55 12 13 14. My familiar Friende whom I trusted which did eate my Bread hath lift vp the heele against me
who come farre behind the blinde Infidels who are open ieasters at euill and deriders of good This laughing is the beginning of euill when ieastes turne to good earnest and wordes into deeds These men are farre from the practise of those whom we heard before commended out of the word of God and from the Godly affection of Dauid and Ieremy of Paule and Christ himselfe who mourned in soule to behold the sinnes that raigned and were commonly practised in their daies This is a notable signe and assurance to our owne hearts that we hate them indeede when they do draw out of vs buckets of water and riuers of teares This griefe of heart was in the Apostle writing to the Phillippians when he saw the loose behauiour of of many that professed Christ in word but denied him in deed of whom he saith l Phil. 3. 18. Many walke of whom I haue told you often and now tell you weeping that they are the enemies of the Crosse of Christ whose end is damnation whose God is their belly whose glory is to their shame which mind earthly thinges Now it cannot be but the hearts of the faithfull Ministers and godly bretheren will be greatly grieued and vexed when they see God dishonoured by our carelesse walking and standing still idle all the day long withou a labouring in his Vineyard We must daily increase and grow strong in faith or else we decrease and grow weake in saith If we wax not euery day better we fall to be worse and worse We neuer stand at one stay If we walke not forward we runne backeward like the water of the Sea that if it do not flow it ebbeth or like vnto the life of man if strength encreaseth not it decayeth So then if any would come to mans full and perfect stature he must grow vp by little and little from one measure to another So if any would m Ephe. 4. 15. 16. become a perfect man in Christ he must follow the truth in Loue and in all thinges grow vp into him which is the head that is Christ by whom all the body being coupled and knit together by euery ioynt receiueth encrease of the body vnto the edifying of it selfe in loue Let vs therefore take heede to our selues that we greeue not the hearts of the faithfull and by our sinnes quench their affections toward vs as it were by pouring Water vpon them Let vs seeke to grow vp in knowledge and in obedience that we be not as Dwarfes or Vrchins neuer comming to any growth nor profiting any whit in the Schoole of Christ nor be as idle Drones that neuer labour but liue vnprofitably to themselues and others Vse 3. Thirdly it is the dutie of all Gods people by striuing to goe forward in good thinges to delight the heartes of their Teachers and the rest of the Brethren So long as we encrease and proceede vnto a perfect man and vnto the measure of the age of the fulnesse of Christ that we bee hence-forth no more Children wauering and carried about with euery winde of Doctrine by the deceit of men and with craftinesse whereby they lay in waite to deceiue we make Christ glad we reioyce the Spirit of God wee make glad the Angels we comfort and cheere vp the hearts of the godly and we bring that peace to our owne hearts which passeth all vnderstanding On the other side if we grow backward and decline by little and little from the holy profession of the truth which we haue receiued we crucifie Christ wee quench the Spirit we greeue the Angels wee offend the faithfull and wee wound our owne Soules This dutie vrged from this Doctrine reprooueth sundry sorts of people that doe not desire to delight the hearts of those that haue instructed them and to comfort them that haue laboured in the word and Doctrine among them First such as haue continued long in the Church and grow in yeares but not in knowledge What comfort can these men bring to their Teachers and Instructers when no increase is seene or can be marked in them It is a common but a most fearefull sinne not to profit and proceede in the waies of godlinesse and yet it is to bee feared that not one of an hundred commeth with any desire of instruction with any care of sanctification with any purpose of reformation with any hunger after saluation If men goe to the the Market to buy their prouision and to supply the necessities of the body we see what they bring home we see they returne not empty we see they come backe laden But when they goe to the House of God and frequent the exercises of his word how often doe they returne with empty handes nay with empty hearts nay with hard hearts and so worse then they came vnto them This is it which the Apostle n Heb. 6 7 8. teacheth Hebr. 6. The earth which drinketh in the Raine that commeth oft vpon it and bringeth forth Hearbs meete for them by whom it is dressed receiueth blessing of God but that which beareth Thornes and Bryars is reprooued and is neere vnto curssing whose ende is to bee burned Secondly heereby is condemned the want of the fruits of kindnesse toward the Pastors whereby they may bee encouraged and made cheerefull and comfortable in their calling Some there are whom we may well account of the better or at least none of the worser sort who abstaine from hurting wronging and molesting their Ministers but they withall abstaine from shewing succour helpe or countenance toward them they will indeed doe them no euill but likewise they will doe them no good contemning them in their heart they will not be open enemies professing hatred toward them but withall they are not their friendes to giue them any comfort they vse them strangely and vnciuilly as base abiects in their sight when as their calling is as much honored and magnified in the word by the mouth of God as any calling vnder Heauen This was the sin of the Corinthians for a time who wanted loue kindnesse in supporting the Apostle vnder the waight of his calling so that he was constrained to stand vpon the commending of himselfe and the extolling of his Ministry o 2 Cor. 12 11 I was a foole to boast my selfe yee haue compelled mee for I ought to haue beene commended of you for in nothing was I inferiour vnto the very chiefe Apostles though I be nothing This also the same Apostle complaineth of in another place p 2 Tim. 4 16 At my first answearing no man assisted me but all forsooke mee I pray God that it may not be layde vnto their charge These men did not dispraise him but they would not commend him They would not renounce him yet they would not defend him as they wold not disclaime him so likewise they would not assist him Of this sort are manie that liue among vs who thinke they haue discharged a worthy duty toward
the Minister if they do him no harme if they offer him no wrong if they abstaine from iniurie toward him It was farre otherwise with the Galathians who loued Paule so dearly and entirely that they accounted nothing to bee too precious for him q Gal. 4 14 15 The triall of me which was in my flesh ye despised not neither abhorred but ye receiued me as an Angell of God yea as Christ Iesus what was then your felicity For I beare you record that if it had beene possible ye would haue plucked out your owne eyes and haue giuen them vnto me But in these daies wherein we liue it were well or not much amisse for the faithfull Ministers of the Gospell if such as should support them would not subuert them if such as should help them would not hinder them if such as should raise them vp were not ready to cast them downe and if such as should refresh them were not rather giuen to reuile them and disgrace them Heere then is condemned all hard and bitter dealing toward them whereby their calling which is an honourable office is made an irksome burthen vnto them to bear against such as taunt and scorne them that iest and mocke at the worke of their ministry which is the wisedome of God and the power of God against those that delight to vex the seruants of God to mingle their bread with grauell their drinke with gall and their life with reproach This made the Prophets and Apostles cry out continually to see themselues abused their Ministery contemned the word of God himselfe refused all Religion prophaned When Eliah saw that the children of Israell had forsaken the Couenant of God cast downe his Altars and slaine his Prophets he desired God to kill him r 1 King 19 4 It is now enough O Lord take my soule for I am no better then my fathers The prophet Å¿ Esay 65 2. 53 1. 49 4. Esay saith I haue spred out my hands all the day to a rebellious people which walked in away that was not good euen after their owne imaginations Lord who hath beleeued our report and to whom is the arme of the Lord reuealed I haue laboured in vaine I haue spent my strength in vaine and for nothing but my iudgement is with the Lord and my worke with my God The Lord sayth to Ezekiell t Ezek. 33 31 32. The Children of thy people talke of thee by the walles and in the doores of houses they sit before thee and heare thy words but they will not doo them for vvith their mouths they make iests and thou art vnto them as a iesting song of one that hath a pleasant voice and can sing well for they heare thy words but they do them not and when this commeth to passe for loe it will come then shall they know that a prophet hath beene among them So when Paule came to Athens u Acts 17 18. and saw the City full of Idols he preached vnto them the knowledge of God and the resurrection of the dead but they said What will this babler say And others worse then those that scorne and scoffe at the word of life which they should heare with feare and reuerence are falne into this horrible depth of sinne that thorough malice to the word it selfe do come vnto them to heare them not to learne but to trap and intangle them not to edifie themselues but to misreport and accuse them not to receiue profit but to finde occasion to persecute them as the Iewes did with Christ and his Apostles who came not to heare them but to tempt them not to beleeue them but to belye them Many such Iewes and Iudasses wee meete withall in our dayes who are so farre from reioycing the hearts of their Ministers that they may doo the worke of their calling wil ingly not grudgingly cheerefully not heauily u Heb. 13 17. with ioy not with greefel that they thinke it a great duty done vnto them if they doo not disgrace them or molest them It is a great sinne not to helpe them not to countenance them not to stand with them in good causes but to suffer euery base companion and beastly liuer to insult vpon them as their footstool but it is more greeuous to scorne them and deride them to make them their Table-talke and their Tauern-talke to declaime against them from the Tribunall of their Ale-bench but it is most fearefull of all to come to them to catch them and intrap them to hunt after words and Syllables and to wrest them against the minde and meaning of the speaker Let vs beware of these sinnes let vs not be in the number of such as are set downe in the seat of scorners and false accusers If they shall not escape that do no good if they shall not be excused that do not reioyce them surely they shall bee guilty of a sorer and seuerer punnishment that malice them that mocke them that misinforme others of them and euery way misvse them and contemne them Vse 4. Lastly seeing we are all bound to reioyce in the proceeding of the faithfull it followeth from hence necessarily that wee are not to enuie and repine at the growth of the Church or of any member of the Church This is a great fault and folly in many when they see any parts of the Church flourish and behold greater encrease in others then in themselues by and by they grudge and repine at it and haue their owne eye euil because the Lords eie is good These are like to those Labourers that were hyred into the Vine-yard who when they saw such as were hyred about the eleauenth houre to receiue their penny and to be made equall with them who had borne the brunt and burthen of the day x 1 Mat. 28 20 11. and had endured the heat and sweate of the worke they enuied at the Seruants and murmured against the Mayster of the house We must enuy no mans good wee must repine at no mans Saluation The calling and conuersion of the Gentiles y Acts 11 3. 15 1. was such a stumbling-blocke in the way and n Mote nay a Beame in the eyes of the Iewes that they had rather renounce the Gospell and depart from Christ then to receyue them into a fellowshippe of the same Faith and make them partakers of the Kingdome of Heauen So did the Scribes and Pharisees z Math. 9 11. Luke 7 39. take it greeuously that the grace of God and Remission of sinnes and the Mysteries of Saluation should be preached and published to Publicans and Sinners There is no guift or benefit bestowed vpon any but it is giuen for the good and comfort of the whole Church so that wee should reioyce therein not repine thereat forasmuch as we haue our portion and profite in it Neuerthelesse what is more common and vsuall then to make the blessinges of God vppon others a great
Pharisies they did not confesse him least they should be cast out of the Sinagogue for they loued the praise of men more then the praise of God He speaketh in this place of such as were true beleeuers as appeareth both by the phrase of speaking and the opposition made betweene these and those that beleeued not z Verse 37. mentioned before Verse 37. where it is said That though he did many miracles before them yet they beleeued not on him The Euangelist noteth two lets and impediments that hindred them from the open manifestation of their Faith to wit the shame of the Crosse and the glory of the world Thus we see that sometimes the deere Seruants of God are for a time afraid to confesse him and to bewray themselues what they holde and how they beleeue When Peter was come into the High-Priests Hall and saw himselfe in danger of death he was so farre from confessing that hee fell to open denying of his Mayster he beleeued in him no doubt in his hart but he gaue not glory vnto him as he ought with his mouth This wee haue heard to be in some of the blessed Martyrs who gaue their liues to the death they haue sometimes staggered and felt the weaknesse of the flesh before they haue beene throughly strengthned in the Inner man Nicodemus a Ruler of the Iewes and a Maister in Israell bearing a loue vnto Christ a Iohn 3 2. 7 50. 19 38 came vnto him by night and closely as it were by stealth So Ioseph of Aramathia was first a Disciple of Christ secretly for feare of the Iewes yet afterward being stirred vp with those things that they saw at the death and passion of Christ both of them shewed themselues more boldly confidently in his cause and in the end forsooke all to follow him and resolued to cleaue vnto him with the losse of all thinges that might be precious and deere vnto them Such then as our Faith is such is our confession A weake Faith a weake confession a strong Faith a strong confession no Faith no confession a staggering Faith a wauering confession Wherefore it belongeth vnto vs to call vpon God to giue vs his Spirit which is called b Esay 11 2. The spirit of strength whereby we shall bee inabled to beare the Crosse patiently and to confesse the Faith constantly For when once wee are sustained and supported by the Spirit of Christ no Crosse shall daunt vs no tentation shall ouerwhelme vs but we shall endure all thinges with a contented mind and perseuer vnto the end Vse 4. Lastly we must shew our selues ready and resolute to giue a reckoning of our faith and hope of our profession and Religion when we shall be required This is greatly to the honour of God when his Seruants prepare themselues to set forth his truth and are not afraide of the threatnings of their enimies This is it which the Apostle Peter teacheth vs c 1 Pet. 3 15. Sanctifie the Lord in your hearts and be readie alwayes to giue an answere to euerie man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekenesse and reuerence This constant and Christian resolution was in Paule when he was brought before rulers for Christs sake though when he came to his answere no man assisted him but some fled from him and others were ashamed of him yet he quit himselfe like a man and shewed himselfe a faithfull witnesse of that truth which hee beleeued This vse meeteth with many corruptions and reprooueth sundry practises that raigne among vs. The first reproofe First it conuinceth such as think they are not to be blamed but excused not to be controlled but defended albeit they deny the truth of God for feare of men in time of persecution so that they cleaue to it in heart and embrace it in their soules so that they inwardly beleeue it like of it and hold it to themselues Yet we heard before that it is not enough for vs not to deny the faith but it is required of vs to confesse it It is not enough for vs to abstaine from that which is euill vnlesse we be carefull to do that which is good The Apostle Iohn teacheth d Reuel 21 8 That all the fearefull and vnbeleeuing the abhominable and murtherers the Whore-mongers and Sorcerers the Idolaters and lyars shall haue their part in the Lake which burneth with fire and Brimstone which is the second death Heere we see that among these wicked persons which hee nameth hee nameth in the first place fearefull persons which feare men more then God these are ouercom by Satan and led to hell and destruction Hence it is that the Apostle chargeth vs as we heard before not onely to keepe our faith e Heb. 10 23. but to keepe the profession of our faith And Paule when he came to his first answearing dooth not reprooue the Brethren because they openly denied the Faith but because they secretly forsooke him f 2 Tim. 4 16 and did not assist him and he prayeth God that this sin may not be laide to their charge So the Angell of the Church of Pergamus is commended who dwelt where Satans throne was set vp g Reuel 2 13. because hee kept the name of Christ and denied not his Faith euen in those dayes when Antipas his faithfull Martyr was slaine among them where Satan dwelleth It is not enough therefore not to deny the faith or not to abiure the Doctrine of Christ we must giue an account of a farther duty and know that God requireth of vs the confession of his truth if we wold haue him confesse vs in the resurrection of the iust The second reproofe Secondly it reprooueth such as keep their Faith and Conscience to themselues and will not bewray it to others A man shall liue many years among them and yet not know what Religion they are of These are they that hide their Religion and bury their Talent in the earth and thereby make themselues ready for euery change and alteration like the Weather-cocke which turneth with euery blast of winde These are they that thinke themselues wise and wary men by keeping them-selues close and priuate to themselues and yet euery simple man nay euery childe may plainly perceiue that they are indeede of no Religion For that faith which alwayes is kept secret is no faith at all It is required not onely that euery knee should bowe but that euery tongue should confesse that Iesus Christ is the Lord vnto the glory of God the Father Phil. 2 10 11. Such as neuer professe any thing do plainly make it manifest and as it were light a Candle to others to discouer the secrets of their hearts Sometimes they will bee Gospellers sometimes they will be Papists sometimes they will be Newters such it is to bee feared at all times are Atheists or at least in the right way and broad path that leadeth vnto
God and hate his Brother hee is a Lyar for howe can hee that loueth not his Brother whom hee hath seene Loue God whom hee hath not seene And this Commaundement haue wee of him that he that loueth God should Loue his Brother also Where hee teacheth that the loue of God and the loue of our Bretheren are knit together with such a fast knot as can neuer bee loosed and dissolued the Workes of the first Table cannot be pulled assunder from the Workes of the second Table The Apostle Peter moouing the dispersed Iewes to giue dilligence to make their Election sure and their calling certaine that so they might neuer fall away p 2 Pet. 1 5 6 7. exhorteth them To ioyne Vertue with their Faith and with Fayth Knowledge and with Knowledge Temperance and with Temperance Patience and with Patience Godlinesse and with Godlynesse Brotherly Kindnesse and vvith Brotherly kindnesse Loue. These Christian graces of Gods Spirit he would haue in them and not onely to be found in them but to abound in them and not onely some of them but they must endeuour to get them all and to ioyne one of them to another that so we may bee fruitfull in all good Workes It is not therefore enough for vs to haue one guift alone and then think we are well Let vs not flatter our selues and boast of our Religion to say wee haue Faith or Knowledge or Temperance or Loue. Hee that hath but one of them hath indeede none of them We must haue many or else wee cannot assure our selues that we haue any at all For as hee that is reformed in one sinne is reformed in all knowne sinnes and he that truely repenteth of one truely repenteth of all so hee that hath obtayned one gift hath gotten many One sinne commonly goeth not alone so one Vertue goeth not alone When Fayth commeth there commeth a Traine with it it is as a Royall Queene that neuer trauaileth abroad without her traine Faith layeth holde vpon Christ in whome q Col. 1 19. 2 3. all Treasures of Knowledge Wisedome are hidden Whosoeuer possesseth him and hath him dwelling in his heart hee possesseth all thinges If then wee by attending on the ordinance of God haue gotten Faith r Rom. 20 17. which commeth by hearing and hearing by the Word so soone as Faith is entred a great multitude and mightie Armie of Gods Graces stande about vs and throng at the doore of our hearts as it were striuing and thrusting which of them shoulde enter first and they neuer giue ouer vntill they bee all come in and haue taken vp their lodging there neuer after to bee dislodged and dispossessed of that place Let vs not therefore bee so sparing and niggardly to thinke one grace of God sufficient for vs we serue a liberall Lorde and bountifull Maister that offereth to make vs partakers of all his Treasures and to bestow vppon vs all the riches of his house We may put our hands into his Coffers and store our selues with plenty and aboundance Wee see howe they that couer their houses Å¿ Plaut in Trinum Benefacta benefactis alijs pertegito ne perpluant do lay Tile vpon Tile or Stone vpon Stone or Strawe vppon Straw so thicke that it may not raine thorow and that they may be defended from winde and weather so should it bee with vs that are setting vppe a Christian building when we haue laide a good foundation wee must couer our houses with a strong couering wee must lay Grace vppon Grace and ioyne Vertue to Vertue that though the stormes of tentations beate vpon vs yet they may not preuaile against vs though the Raine of afflictions fall vpon vs yet it may not enter into vs and although the Windes of wickednesse doo oftentimes blow vpon vs yet they may not ouer-turne and ouerthrow vs. Vse 2. Secondly seeing Faith and Loue go together and dwell together we are put in minde of a notable dutie and are thereby directed to prooue our Faith by our Loue and our Loue by our Faith and to make one of them serue to assure the other The cause wil proue the effect and the effect will manifest the cause We may proue fire by the heat and the heat by the fire a good tree by his fruit the fruit by his tree Many wil seeme faithful religious they will glorify that they beleeue boast of their piety and godlinesse yet come to their liues you shal find therein no fruits of mercy no works of charity no tokens testimonies of their loue appearing in them This mans religion is in vaine his faith is in vaine his shew of godlinesse is in vaine for pure t Iam. 1 27 2 16. Religion and vndefiled before God the Father is this to visit the fatherles widdowes in their aduersity to keep himself vnspotted of the world And the same Apostle in the next chapter teacheth That it shal not profit any man to say he hath Faith when his Faith bringeth forth no Good-workes Againe many will shew some fruites of Loue to their Brethren in Almes in liberality in giuing vnto the poore in dealing iustly and vprightly and yet haue no faith they doo them as naturall men mooued by a naturall affection or stirred vp by vaine glory or hunting after the praise of men or constrained by the lawes of Princes or fearing the reproach of the world or seeking the merit of their owne saluation All such haue their reward according to their worke but not according to their hope They haue their reward already they must look for no other they haue it among men they shall loose it with God they haue the applause of the world but they must passe another doome in the life to come Such faith before spoken of without loue is but a shadow of faith and such loue without faith is but a shadow of loue both are naught and nothing worth if they be assunder The roote ioyned to the Tree are both good and make the branches fruitfull but seperate the one from the other pull the root from the Tree and you destroy them both you kill them both This is that vse u Iames 2 18. which S. Iames vrgeth chap. 2. Some man might say Thou hast the Faith and I haue workes shew me thy faith out of thy workes and I will shew thee my faith by my workes Whereby we are taught to try the truth of our faith the sincerity of our loue that we be not deceiued in the one or in the other But how shall this triall be made Surely by making one the Touchstone to the other laying one to the other and waighing one in the ballance with the other For the Apostle willeth the vaine Christian who hath nothing but the name of faith to glory in like a poore Begger that boasteth of great riches to shew the goodnesse of his Faith by the fruits of Good-workes or else his
threw him into the water to drowne him and at all times sought to destroy him when he beheld with the eyes of a Father that his childe fomed at the mouth gnashed with his teeth pined away in his body and was bruised in his bones hee was tempted with vnbeleefe and this made him cry out with teares a Marke 9 24 Lord I beleeue helpe mine vnbeleefe This is it wherein the Lord forewarned and fore-armed Peter b Luke 22 32. Behold Satan hath desired you to winnow you as Wheat but I haue prayed for thee that thy faith faile not He prayed not that their Faith should not be tried but that it should not be destroyed forasmuch as they must on euery side be assayled But the Faith of many is such that they say they perfectly beleeue and they thanke God they neuer doubted in all their life This Fath is no Faith it is an idle conceite a vaine perswasion a foolish presumption Lastly the true Faith encreaseth by degrees it is like vnto a graine of mustard seede which at the first is the least of all seedes c Math. 13 31 which afterward groweth vnto a Tree that the Birdes of the Ayre come and builde their Nestes in it and therefore wee must d Rom. 1 17. proceede from Faith to Faith But many amongst vs that will needes be in the number of the faithfull neuer feele these Degrees of Faith they see not any encreasing or decreasing any shining or ecclipsing of their Faith Nay they neuer examine themselues whether they be in the Faith or not They neuer consider whether they go forwarde or backeward in the wayes of Godlinesse they can cast vp their accounts euerie Weeke with the worlde but they can suffer whole moneths and yeares to passe ouer their heades and neuer once offer to make leuell with the Lord. If wee will assure our owne hearts that wee haue this true and perfect Faith in Christ let vs obserue the manner and measure of it the steppes and degrees of it how we walke by it and labour by all holy meanes to encrease it in vs. Thus much touching the Obiect of Faith Now let vs consider the Obiect of Loue. Loue toward the Saints The meaning of these words is first to be obserued and then the Doctrines are to be gathred which the Spirit of God offereth in this place to our considerations By loue we are to vnderstand the fruits of loue mercy consolation compassion brotherly kindnes reliefe pity and whatsoeuer fruits of charity we see them want stand in need of It standeth in the affection of the mind in the words of the mouth and in the workes of the hand By Saints we do not vnderstand such as are deade and deceased but those that are liuing not such as are of the Church Triumphant but in the Church Militant not such as are crownd with glory in heauen but those that dwell vpon the earth not such as are inrolled in the Popes Register and stand in redde Letters in the Popish Kalender but the faithfull whose Names are Written in the Booke of life which are the true members of Iesus Christ Thus much touching the true Interpretation of the Wordes We see heere that Loue is described by the Obiect thereof to wit the Saintes For as Christ is not the Obiect of our Charity e Psal 16 2. for our wel-dooing extendeth not vnto him so the Saints are not the Obiect of our Faith but as Faith hath respect and relation to Christ so hath loue reference to the Saints Now we haue shewed already that Philemons loue is commended toward the Saints because he had a principall and speciall care of them True it is he neglected not others but he was most of all mindfull of the godly poore and distressed Brethren Doct. 8. The works of mercy are especially to bee shewed to the poore that are godly We learne heereby that the workes of mercy are especially to be shewed to the poore among vs that are faithfull which may bee accounted of the fellowship and Communion of the Saints Howsoeuer all such as are poore are in their pouertie to bee regarded inasmuch as Christ hath taught vs that the poore we shall haue alwayes with vs yet the Godly poore that haue piety ioyned with their pouertie are before others and aboue others to be respected and releeued In the performance of this duty we see the practise of the Prophet Dauid going before vs a psal 16 2 3. and leading vs the way O my soule thou hast said vnto the Lord thou art my Lord my well-dooing extendeth not to thee but to the Saintes that are in the earth and to the excellent all my delight is in them In like manner also our Sauiour Christ describing the manner of the last Iudgement when hee shall giue to euerie one according to his Workes b Math. 25 40 declareth that the fruites of mercie bestowed vpon the members of Christ beeing sicke imprisoned hungrie thirstie naked and in necessity are allowed as notable fruites of a iustifying Faith and of a true loue and accepted as done to Christ himself So the Euangelist Luke testifieth in the Acts that c Acts 4 32. the multitude of them that beleeued were of one heart and of one mind they had all thinges common no man accounted any thing he possessed his owne but to serue the necessary vse of the Saints The Apostle hauing prooued in the Epistle to the Romanes that we are iustified freely by the grace of God without the works of the Law wherby we are at peace with God commeth to set down the fruits of Faith Chap. 12. Reioycing in hope continuing in Prayer d Rom. 12 13 distributing vnto the necessities of the Saints giuing your selues to Hospitality Heereunto come diuers Lawes which God ordained among his people e Deut. 15 17 If one of thy Brethren with thee be poore within any of thy gates in thy Land which the Lord thy God giueth thee thou shalt not harden thine heart nor shut thine hand from thy poore brother but thou shalt open thine hand vnto him and shalt lend him sufficient for his need All these testimonies of Scripture doo proue that the poore which are godly are most of all to bee succoured and sustained as they that for the most part stand in greatest need to be helped Reason 1. The Reasons heereof are to be considered First it is a fruit of our election which we ought to assure to our selues more and more The Apostle Iohn testifieth this f 1 Iohn 3 14. We know that wee are translated from death to life because wee loue the Brethren he that loueth not his Brother abideth in death We ought daily to gather arguments to perswade our hearts of Gods loue towardes vs which we shall see by our loue toward our brethren The election of God is hidden in himselfe the cause of it is not in our selues but we
charged to haue a care of all mankinde but as it is fit and conuenient that they which are of the same family should be helpfull and beneficiall one to another rather then to such as are of another family which are not so neerely ioyned vnto them so we must haue a care to doe good to all the sons of men but it is requisite that those which are members of the same body nay which are Sonnes and Daughters Bretheren and Sisters hauing the same God for their Father the same Church for their Mother the same Christ for their elder Brother which are begotten of the same immortall seede nourished with the same Milke and gathered together in one hope should be beneficiall and bountifull one to another rather then to those that are forraigners and Strangers not linked to them by the bond of Faith nor ioyned with them in the bodie of Christ Wherefore the Apostle saith to the Phillippians p Phil. 2 1 2. If there bee any consolation in Christ if any comfort of Loue if any fellowship of the Spirite if any Compassion and Mercie fulfill my ioy that ye be like minded hauing the same Loue being of one accord and of one iudgement He teacheth vs to haue one minde and heart he admonisheth vs to cleaue together and to hold together We see how those of the Kingdome of darknesse and destruction do couple and combine themselues together against the Church and chosen Children of God for doubtlesse q Acts 4 27. we may say as the Apostle did Against thy Sonne Iesus whom thou hast annointed both Herod and Pontius Pilate with the Gentles and the people of Israell gathered themselues together And as the Prophet speaketh r Psal 83 5 6. They haue consulted together in heart and haue made a league against thee the Tabernacles of Edom and the Ismaelites Moaâ— and the Agarims Gebal and Amalech the Philistims and the inhabitants of Tyrus c. So is it in these dayes the vngodly rabble of prophane persons haue ioyned together and make as it were a Conspiracie against the godly the prophane and Atheistes the Papistes and Libertines set themseâ—…es against the faithfull of the Lande and open their mouths against heaueâ— they deuise all horrible and detastable slaunders to worke their confusioâ— Wee finde hard entertainment in the World because wee are chosen out of the World Wee are hated of them because we are not Companions with them in euill We are reuiled and slaundered of them because wee will â—ot followe all excesse of ryot to the slaunder of our profession and to the dâ—shonour of God Wherefore the Children of light should company and consort together beeing the Sonnes of God heyres of his Kingdome members of Christ Temples of the Holy-Ghost The vnreasonable Creatâ—res may condemne vs. We see Cattle heard together Sheepe flocke togethâ—r Fishes shole together and Birds of a Feather will flye together O what a sâ—…me is it then for vs to make a rent and diuision in the bodye of Christ by seperating our selues one from another in affection of heart and practise of life A true Christian man or woman is like a Candle that consumeth it selfe to giue light to others So must Gods people spend those gifts which God hath giuen them for the benefit of their Brethren This Å¿ Wherein the communion of Saints standeth Communion which we are to yeeld to the Saints standeth in two things not to speak of the Communion that we haue with Christ our head but one toward another Fitst in affection Secondly in gifts In mind and affections wee must be of one heart to mourne with them that doo lament and to reioyce with those that God doth comfort We see this to be in the natural members of our body if one member do suffer the rest are pained if one reioyce the other are comforted This dutie the Apostle remembreth vnto vs t Rom. 12 15 16. Reioyce with them that reioyce and weepe with them that weepe be of like affection one toward another So the writer to the Hebrewes moueth vs u Heb. 13 3. to Remember them that are in bonds as though we were bound with them and them that are in affliction as if we were also afflicted in the body If our selues were in prison we would haue a sensible feeling of our imprisonment and wee would be readie to complaine of the want of the fruits of loue in others toward vs if we were not visited and comforted Let vs therefore practise that toward others which wee would haue practised toward our selues This must all true Christians haue in minde that they must haue tender harts and compassionate affections putting on the bowels of mercie and commisseration in regard of the miseries that befall the Church in generall or our Brethren in particular Christ Iesus is touched with a feeling of their miseries and accounteth them as done to himselfe as appeareth when he said x Acts 9 4. Saule Saul why persecutest thou me This reprooueth those that weepe when the Church reioyceth or reioyce when the Church weepeth The Prophet Amos complaineth of this deadnesse of hart in his dayes y Amos 6 6. The people drank wine in bowls they annointed themselues with the chiefe oyntments they stretched themselues vpon Beds of Iuory but no man was sorry for the affliction of Ioseph If we be not touched with a sight sence of the Churches miseries it is a plaine argument that we are dead members not liuing rotten members not sound sencelesse members not feeling The second part of the Communion of the Saints standeth in the communication of gifts The gifts of God to be imparted to our Brethren are of two sorts For as we consist of two parts the soule and the body so the gifts are of two kinds Spirituall graces and temporall Blessings Wee must bestow vpon them spirituall gifts procuring their good by example exhortation comfort prayer reproofe We are z Heb. 3 13. Gal. 6 1. willed to exhort one another while it is called to day wee are admonished when any man is fallen by occasion into any fault as spiritual men to restore such a one with meeknesse considering out selues least we also be tempted Touching temporal blessings we must be ready content to bestow such goods as God hath bestowed vpon vs for the good of our fellow-members If we haue this worlds good we must not hide our compassion from them for then wee cannot assure our selues that the loue of God dwelleth in vs. Vse 2. Secondly seeing we are charged to prouide for the goodly poore and not to see them want it teacheth that we are all the Lordes Stewards to dispense and dispose his blessings to others We holde all that we haue of him and we hold all at his will and during his pleasure hee may thrust vs out of our houses when he listeth For properly we are not Lordes but Tenants not Owners but Stewards not Possessors but
the Prophet lament his owne condition r Psal 120 5 6 7. Woe is to me that I remaine in Meshech dwell in the tents of Kedar my soule hath too long dwelt with him that hateth peace I seeke peace when I speake thereof they are bent to warre These corrupt and contagious societies are manifold in the world which we are to auoid more then a place of infection that may indanger the body among the which there is a knot and band of such leud companions and loose mates as accompany together in drinking gaming swearing whoring rioting reuelling and railing at all religion and at the seruants of God that are the professors of religion This society in euill is to be found in euery place but this society is not of God but of the deuill it is not the communion of Saints but the company of sinners that make a practise of all wickednes Againe there is another sort who albeit they bee not so fully fouly disordered yet are as far from the kingdom of God For when they should accompany the faithful in the assembly of the Saints they keep company with their catle beasts swine When the faithful on the lords day are going into the house of God they are going into their fieldes when they should be with their brethren they are looking on their bullocks shew no more conscience to religion then if they had no other soules then their Swine or dogs haue A lamentable case that such prophanesse shold be found in places where the precious word of God is preached and yet it were easie to point out such prophan persons among vs. These haue the harts of Esau ſ Heb. 12. who preferred a messe of pottage before his birthright If these be busie in their bargaining and buying or be with their friends gossips at home it is held no good maners to part company Many of our poore brethren in other places would greatly reioyce to heare the word that are barred from it and wold giue god thanks if they might be suffred publickly to professe it with freedom of heart and liberty of conscience which we proudly and scornfully cast from vs as a contemptible thing And yet if a suruey of most of our parishes were made a view taken of them it is to be feared that both these sorts would take vp the greatest company and the fewest sort be found of those that with good honest harts attend to the word with diligence and reuerence These men that thus absent themselues from the church of God deserue to be separated from the Saints and Sacraments from the word and prayers that they may learne not to be so prophane and be ashamed of their euill 6 That the fellowship of thy faith may be made effectuall that whatsoeuer good thing is in you through Christ Iesus may be knowne 7 For wee haue great ioy and consolation in thy loue because by thee Brother the Saints bowels are comforted The method and meaning of the words IN this place we haue the shutting vp of the entrance of this Epistle Wee heard before how Paul gaue thanks to God for Philemon he praied for him that daily he praised greatly his Faith toward Christ and his Loue toward the Saints that is the poore and distressed christians These words do depend vpon the fourth verse For we must know that the Apostle goeth not on in the praise and commendation of Philemon begun in the former verse magnifying his Faith and Loue whereof hee had heard by the report of the Church but they agree with that which he had spoken before namely that he is mindfull of him in his Prayers For if it bee asked for what cause did hee pray for Philemon The answer is to the end that his Faith shewing forth good fruites might not be found counterfetted but approued to be true We haue therefore in these two verses these two things to consider first what was the matter of his prayers what was the substaunce and contents of them to wit that he might manifest his Faith not to lye ydle but to be extended to others Secondly the reason why he made that the matter of his praiers wherefore he prayeth that his faith might be effectual Touching the first point which is the matter of his praiers he craued two things first that his faith might bee made common to many the benefit of it might comfortably flow to the refreshing of many soules For although faith haue her secret and hidden dwelling in the hart yet the fruits of it are imparted to others Secondly that it might be effectual now faith is effectual when it worketh by Loue bringeth foorth good works to the releeuing of others as if the Apostle shold haue said that thy Faith by communicating it selfe to others not remaining with thy selfe alone may more more shew the vertue force and power therof in al goodnes Thus he praieth not only for grace but for the increase of grace to be giuen vnto him Then he declareth wherein this effectuall faith standeth consisteth to wit in the acknowledging of those good things which were in him that so they may be brought into the light to be seen of al men to be felt of those that were in need For the apostle Iames as we haue shewed calleth that not an effectual or liuing faith t Iames 2 20. but a dead idle faith which is not declared and professed by works In the last place he addeth through Iesus Christ wherby he meaneth that whatsoeuer good thing we haue in vs we haue it by christ without whom we haue nothing that is good Touching the second point which is the reason why he praieth for an effectuall Faith in him because the loue that appeared to be in him had wrought great ioy and gladnesse of hart in him which loue of his he commendeth by the effect The bowels of the Saints were comforted through him This fact of his the Apostle commendeth first by the consideration of the persons to whō his loue was manifested not to those out of the church but to the saints For charity to the Saints is to be commended inasmuch as it cannot be bestowed on a better subiect they do stand in the place of Christ who accepteth of our loue liberality as extended toward himselfe Secondly his loue is commended by the name of bowels wherby the extreame necessity of the Saints is signified who were as it were pained in their bowels and inward parts Now the great pouerty penury of those vpon whom we bestow our charity increaseth and maketh it the greater Thirdly u Math. 11 28 the word of comforting refreshing and cherrishing the heart is a matter of great commendation For it is no smal thing to comfort and strengthen the weak and feeble and to giue rest to the soul body that hath bin tost trobled with much affliction Thus doth
the Apostle set forth the fruits of Philemons loue most effectualy This is to be obserued of vs concerning the method and meaning of these words which are thus much in effect If thou wouldest more fully know the cause of my giuing thanks and the remembrance of thee in my praiers surely it is this that as God in mercy hath bestowed vpon thee a true sauing faith so my earnest desire and humble request is vnto him that the offices fruits and duties of thy faith may bee more and more communicated and fitted to the benefit of the poore Saints that so whatsoeuer good thing is to be found in thee through the grace and working of Iesus Christ may bee acknowledged manifested and published abroade to the glory of God the comfort of the faithful and the prouocation of others For indeed thy loue giueth me great occasion of much ioy because thou my brother dost not only cheere the Saints and reioycest them but cause their very harts and bowels euen their secret and inward parts to be refreshed reioyced Diuers points to be obserued out of these Verses But before we handle the doctrines arising in this diuision it shal not be amisse a litle to examine the force of the words and the maner that Paule hath obserued in the penning of them First obserue that he saith not simply thy faith may bee made effectuall but The fellowship of thy Faith that the fruit thereof might redown and returne to many Secondly he saith not barely That his Faith might be knowne but Euery good thing that is euery grace that was in his heart because when Faith is made knowne to others and brought into sight open light many other guifts of the Holy-Ghost are made knowne as Loue Patience Liberality and such like For the grace of Faith is neuer alone in the heart but is garded with a troope and company of all other vertues and when it commeth as it were out of the doores it commeth abroad with a band and traine of all other graces Thirdly he declareth the author and cause of all these blessings from whence they proceed to wit from Christ that we shold learne not to thinke or speake of any benefite without making mention of Christ Fourthly he draweth an argument or reason why hee prayed for the efficacy of his Faith from the former experience of his Loue which was as effectuall as his Faith teaching that the experience of grace already giuen should mooue vs to begge and craue the encrease of that Grace and a perseuerance and continuance in that grace and therefore wee must not bee so simple or sencelesse to imagine when we see grace bestowed vpon any man that we haue no more neede to pray for the encreasing and growing of that grace For wee must know that there are degrees of grace there is a first Grace there is a second Grace Now that Grace may bee multiplyed and a continuall encrease and accesse to it may be added we must make daily praiers we must pray that we may haue Faith and when we haue it we must not be secure but pray that it may be effectuall and working by loue Last of al in the commending of Philemons liberality x Theophil in hunc locum he dooth not nakedly say that he gaue to the poore but To the poore Saints for all that are poore are not poore Saints many are poore that are wretched and vngodly and haue no part of sanctification neither doth he say onely that he gaue to the Saints but he refreshed them and not only that he refreshed the Saints but the very bowels of the Saints Now let vs come to the Doctrines That the fellowship of thy Faith may bee made effectuall Heere the Apostle remembreth the matter and substance of his prayer what it was that hee besought and requested of God where we see hee affirmeth that it consisted in this that the fruits of his Faith might be encreased continually augmented Doctrine 1. It is our dutie to stirre vp our selus others to increase in good things We learne from this place that it is the duty of all men earnestly to desire wish and procure the good of others and to stirre vp our selues others to encrease in the graces of Gods spirit The growing and proceeding of our brethren in the best things should be sought for of vs. When Moses had word brought vnto him that som in the host did prophesy that is had receiued notable gifts of the spirit for the guiding and directing of his people he saide a Num. 12 29 I would to God that not only these but that all the Lords people were Prophets and that he would poure out his spirit vpon them The Apostle writing to the Thessalonians saith b 1 Thess 4 1. Furthermore I beseech you Brethren and exhort you in the Lord Iesus that ye encrease more and more as ye haue receiued of vs how yee ought to walke and to please God They had encreased already exceedingly they had gained in the Faith and were growne to a perfect age they receiue this Testimony and commendation c 1 Thess 1 6 7 8. 2 13. 5 1 2. 4 9 10. 3 10 11 that they became followers of the Apostles of the Lord They receiued the word in much affliction with ioy of the Holy-Ghost They were as ensamples to all that beleeue in Macedonia from them sounded out the word into al quarters they receiued it not as the word of men but as it is indeede the word of God which worketh in them that beleeue Touching the times and seasons he had no neede to write vnto them because they knew perfectly that the day of the Lord should come as a theef in the night Touching brotherly loue they had no neede he should write vnto them for they were taught of God to loue one another yet he prayeth to God still to encrease them and make them abound in loue one towardes another and toward all men yea he desired exceedingly night and day that he might see their face and might accomplish that was lacking in their faith Heereunto tendeth the exhortation that Paule giueth to Timothy d 1 Tim. 4 14 15. Despise not the gift that is in thee which was giuen thee by prophesie with the laying on of the hands of the company of the Eldership these things exercise and giue thy selfe vnto them that it may be seene how thou profitest among all men When the writer to the Hebrewes had reprooued the sluggishnesse of that people hee addeth e Heb. 6 1. Therefore leauing the Doctrine of the beginning of Christ let vs be led forward vnto perfection not laying againe the foundation of repentance from dead-workes and of Faith toward God All these places of Scripture serue to teach vs the truth of this Doctrine that we must all labour to perfection that wee may be perfect as our heauenly Father is
in life more backward in good thinges more prophane in heart more contemning the word of God and loathing the meanes of saluation then they were in the beginning of their dayes This is our estate and condition most lamentable and fearefull and yet wee can complaine of Idle boyes and sluggish Schollers that thinke they take to much learning for their money and neuer consider that we are the men and that the prouerbe concerneth our selues God will enter into iudgement with vs and if we be not learners in his Schoole he will remoue vs and discharge vs out of his Schoole It had beene better for vs that we had neuer knowne God that we had neuer receiued his truth nay it had beene better for vs that we had neuer beene borne or beene borne Turkes and Canibals Pagans and Infidels then to haue the Gospell among vs and not to heare it or to heare it and not to learne by it or to learne by it and not to obey it and grow daily in the practise of it This appeareth by the greeuous threatnings denounced by Christ our Sauiour against those Citties where his word had beene preached and professed and his great miracles had beene wrought and shewed n Mat. 11. 21. 22. 23. 24. Woe be to thee Corazin woe be to thee Bethsaida for if the great workes which were done in you had beene done in Tyrus and Sidon they had repented long agone in sackecloth and ashes but I say vnto you it shall be easier for them at the day of iudgement then for you And thou Capernaum which art lifted vp vnto Heauen shalt be brought downe to Hell for if the great workes which haue beene done in thee had beene done among them of Sodome they had remained to this day But I say vnto you that it shall be easier for them of the Land of Sodome in the day of iudgement then for thee He compareth heere Corazin and Bethsaida with Tyre and Sydon likewise Capernaum with Sodom that is the places where Christ had dwelled where the Gospell had beene offered where many of his miracles had beene manifested with such Citties as neuer had the Law neuer heard the Gospell neuer saw the Prophets neuer knew the Doctrine of saluation but liued in ignorance and in idolatry And in this comparison he teacheth that such Townes and Villages as haue had the preaching of the word and the ministry of the Gospell among them shall receiue greater punishment in the day of iudgement then other poore blind wretches that neuer had these meanes offered vnto them We would all of vs thinke it a very harsh and homely comparison and farre from all likely-hood of truth if I should compare vs euen vs of Isfield with Sodome and Gomorrah wee know o Ezek. 16. 49. how foule and filthy these places were we confesse they are loathsome in our eyes and odious in our eares we know that for their wickednesse they p Gen. 19 â—4 were destroyed with fire and brimstone from heauen and yet I say vnto you in the name of God from the warrant of his sacred word by which we shall all be iudged that if we liue in this contempt of the truth that is preached vnto vs and do not bring forth the fruits of the Gospell it had been better we had beene borne Sodomites and Gomorrheans for our iudgement shall be greater and our punishment heauier because our sinne is heinouser No sinne greater then the contempt of the Gospel as no mercy is greater then the peaceable enioying of the liberty of the Gospell and therefore no reward of sinne shall be more horrible So that we may truely say from the mouth of Christ it shall be easier for Sodome in the day of iudgement then for our Village Let vs apply this to our selues and lay it to our heartes to worke in vs true repentance Corazin Bethsaida and Capernaum had many priuiledges and might glory as much as we in the fauours vouchsafed vnto them and yet they are vpbraided by Christ with their vnthanke-fulnesse toward the Gospell so that the case of Sodome is made better Take heed therefore least we contemne the Gospell and so committing one of the greatest sinnes wee make our selues guilty of the greatest iudgementes that can fal vpon mankind The contempt of the Gospell hath brought the heauy hand of God vpon the Iewes that were Gods owne people Let vs not be high minded we are no whit better but rather feare least God spare not vs and tremble vnder his grieuous but yet righteous iudgements who spareth not those that are deere vnto him when they sinne against him Vse 2. Secondly we are bound to vse the meanes that may further these guiftes in vs that is the ministry of the word which being reuerently vsed hath a promise of blessing It is a light vnto our feet and a lanthorne vnto our paths it setteth vs in our way and directeth vs vnto our iourneies end The Apostle teacheth q 1 Cor 3. 6. that Paule planteth Apollos watereth but it is God that giueth the encrease to wit by the planting and watering of the Ministers The Husbandman tilleth and toyleth about his ground he soweth his Corne but he cannot make it spring vp nor send the earely and latter raine So is it with the Ministers of the Gospell the Lordes Husbandmen they must labour in his field which is the Church that the people may grow in faith and grace This reproueth those that attend not to the ordinance of God with care and diligence but neglect the worke of the Lord in them They will not suffer themselues to be ploughed and tilled that grace may grow in their hearts as Corne doth in the Fieldes They say they increase and proceed in the waies of Godlinesse but they will not vse the meanes which God hath ordained and therefore they do deceiue themselues He that heareth not at all doth not grow at all he that heareth negligently groweth slowly in any good thing For as we sow so we shall reape Againe this checketh the dulnesse and drowsinesse of such as when they haue begun in the spirit would end in the flesh which say the word is profitable and necessary to gather a Church but not to continue it to begin faith but when it is begun and begotten in vs we need not heare still we haue faith already by the preaching of the word we shall not therefore need to frequent the preaching of it still we haue that wrought in vs which the word is appointed to worke These men vnder a colour of hauing faith do scorne and deride the preaching of faith But the word is not onely the immortall seed to beget vs but wholesome food to sustaine vs it is milke for such as are weake and strong meate for such as are of riper yeares He neuer had faith by the word that seeketh not the strengthning of it by the word It is not enough to haue saith but we must
themselues may want if they shold be liberal in giuing Answere I answer this proceedeth from the bitter root of infidelity God hath promised to rewarde the liberall giuer but these men haue not hearts to beleeue him to consider that he is true of his word They thinke that by giuing almes they shall be wasted but the spirite of God pronounceth that their wealth shal be increased He that giueth to the poore k Prou. 28. 27 and 11 25. lendeth to the Lord shall neuer lacke The liberal person shal haue plenty and hee that watereth shal haue raine There is that scattereth and more is encreased but he that spareth more then is meet surely commeth to pouerty Whatsoeuer is bestowed vpon the poore is accounted as giuen to Christ who is a rich Rewarder of all that seeke him Hence it is that the Apostle saith l 2 Cor. 9 9 10 Hee hath dispersed abroad and hath giuen to the poor his beneuolence remaineth for euer also he that findeth seed to the sower will minister likewise Bread for food and multiply your seed and encrease the fruites of your beneuolence The Wise man teacheth that if our bread and our bountifulnesse were cast vpon the waters yet after many dayes we shall finde them againe The Husbandman casteth his seed in the earth and burieth it almost an whole year before hee receiueth reapeth the fruit of that he hath sowne Therefore let not those that vse to giue releefe to others feare that they shall want the releefe of others Obiection Again others plead and pretend that they are poore and needie themselues they are rather constrained to receiue then to giue to take then to distribute to accept then to bestow for he that hath but little cannot minister to others But this cannot excuse the neglect of this dutie Answere Let such knowe that if there bee a willing minde m 2 Cor. 12. A Man is accepted according to that which hee hath and not according to that which hee hath not The poore Widdowe mentioned in the Gospell cast but one Mite into the Treesury and yet that which she gaue of her penurie n Luke 21 3. was more respected of Christ then all the aboundance of the Rich. The Churches of Macedonia were themselues o 2 Cor. 8 9. in extream necessity and in great pouertie yet sent releefe to others aboue their abilitie They that were conuerted to the Faith after Christes ascension diminished their owne substance when they solde their possessions o Acts 4 5. and distributed the money among the poore according to the necessities of euery one Euerie man is bound to minister to his neighbour and to supply his wantes as God hath enabled him Obiection 3. Thirdly others alledge for themselues that they haue a great charge and heauy burthen lying vppon their shoulders they must prouide for Wife and Children they haue Father and Mother and Kindered to releeue and if they should not sustaine them they are made worse then Infidels and haue denied the Faith Answere These shiftes cannot serue our turne nor iustifie vs in our euill doing True it is these thinges must bee done but the other must not bee left vndone The Church gathered by Peters preaching after Christs ascending into Heauen not onely spent of their superfluity but solde their patrimonie to releeue the poore yet no doubt they had Wife and Children of their owne to prouide for So no doubt had the Macedonians who not onely according to their power but also beyond their power were willing to doo others good Wee must commit our Children vnto him that hath promised to bee a Father vnto them Hee hath promised that he will not leaue vs nor forsake vs but be our deliuerer p Heb. 13. So that vvee shall not feare what Man can doo vnto vs. Wee haue a full assuraunce of his worde That the righteous q Psal 37 25. shall not bee forsaken nor his seede begge their Bread Such therefore as set their hearts to prepare and prouide much for their posterity do withdraw themselues commonly from helping the poore and by this meanes do oftentimes bring a curse vpon their owne goods so that some of their Children or of their Childrens Children riotously wast them make hauocke of all most vnthriftily Obiection 4. Fourthly some there are that hang backe and will giue no Almes because the poore are lewde and wicked they are Idle and abuse their almes they haue bad tongues and are vnthankful persons towards such as releeue them Answere I aunswere wee must in our giuing respect more the Commaundement of God then the personnes of men and though it fall out that their tongues cursse vs yet if wee succour them in their necessitie the loynes of the poore shall blesse vs and wee shall thereby heape Coales of fire vpon their head and make them ashamed of their euill We are likewise commaunded to loue our Neighbor it is not mentioned in the gospell that we should not loue him except he bee godly We are commaunded to set before vs the example of God r Math. 5. Who maketh the Sun to shine rain to fall vpon the iust and vniust vpon the godly and the vngodly that so we may bee perfect as our heauenly Father is perfect Againe the Apostle Paule hauing taught that ydle personnes which will not labour should not eate Å¿ 2 Thes 3 13. addeth one thing further to bee practised That we should not bee wearie of well-dooing Let vs not therefore so much looke vpon the person of the men as consider the greatnesse of their want Let vs not looke for a recompence from them but from him that hath promised vnto vs that a Cuppe of colde Water shall bee respected and rewarded by him This is it which Salomon meaneth Eccles. 11 3. when hee sayeth t Eccles. 11 3 If the Clowdes bee full they will poure foorth Raine vppon the Earth and if the Tree do fall towardes the South or towardet the North in the place that the Tree falleth there it shall bee In this place the Wiseman perswadeth the Church to liberality toward the poore the Clowds when they are full of water doo not keepe it to themselues but poure it on the earth that gapeth for the raine as if it were a thirst and openeth his mouth to bee refreshed so when men are laden with wealth they are bound to cherish their bretheren as it were pined away with hunger third Then he preuenteth that obiection which Couetous men make to stay their hands from shewing mercie and to shut vp their compassion from the needy because they are wicked and vnworthy of any fauour that they will abuse it to Whoredome to Drunkennesse and to excesse For hee telleth them of the profite and reward that they shall receiue because as the Tree howsoeuer it falleth on the right hande or on the left on the North
his kingdome The fourth reproofe Fourthly if it be a calling of such dignity it reprooueth those that run before they be sent and wait not a lawful calling from God that they discharge it afterward with peace of heart and comfort of Conscience We see manie young men make more hast then good speede in entring into the Ministery who for the most part want that iudgment staydnesse experience grauity moderation that is meet to be in men of that profession Hence it is that they are called by the name of Elders in the Scripture The Apostle thought it necessary to giue this charge to Timothy a young man though he were of rare hope and of excellent guifts u 2 Tim. 2 22. To fly the lusts of youth and to follow after righteousnesse Faith Loue and peace with all them that call on the Lord with a pure heart And in another place he saith x 1 Tim. 4 12. Let no man despise thy youth but be vnto them that beleeue an ensample in word in conuersation in Loue in Spirite in Faith in Purenesse If hee had this neede of instruction howe much more others The fift reproofe Fiftly it reproueth those that are so hand-fasted that they repine at their maintenance that labour among them How many places and Parishes are there that regard not how they be taught or whether they be taught or not so they may be well dealt withall in their Tithes that is if they might pay little or nothing to maintaine their Minister There is growne in many congregations this agreement and bargaine betweene the Pastor and the people if he will spare them in temporall things they regarde not how hee deale with them in spirituall things If they may pay little they are content hee shall preach little If they may enioy their Tithes at a low rate they are well pleased that he take his ease and teach them seldome But albeit he preach in season and out of season and do his dutie with all diligence yet they murmure and repine at his allowaunce and thinke euery thing too much that is bestowed that way The sixt reproofe Lastly it reproueth such as regard not the censures of the Church inflicted vpon euill doers The censures of the Church are made as a scar-Crow and esteemed of many as a mocke But if that power and authority were regarded in the Ministers hand that the word of God alloweth and appointeth wherby he is authorized to exercise spirituall iurisdiction in Church-matters not onely to preach but to punish not onely to teach but to correct not onely to instruct but to excommunicate then would the Office be magnified then would the Ministry be esteemed according to the institution of them Our Sauiour giuing order and direction to informe the Gouernors of the Church when scandals and offences arose among them addeth y Math. 18 18 Verily I say vnto you whatsoeaer ye binde on earth shall be bound in Heauen and whatsoeuer ye loose on earth shall be loosed in Heauen We see God promiseth to ratifie the sentence pronounced and denounced in his name The abridgement of this power is the contempt of the men and of their Ministry and the curbing cutting short of their authority doth open a gappe to all contumely and reproach of their persons and office If a Magistrate shoulde prescribe and ordaine that Law which is wholesome and profitable to the Common-wealth and haue no power at all to punish the Malefactors and misdoers that transgresse who is it that would regard the Commandement If a School-maister had authority onely to rule and to teach but were restrained to take vp the rod to correct and chastise the obstinat sluggard what Scholler would harken or giue eare to his teaching In like manner so long as the Minister is allowed only to speake the word or to threaten but stinted that he shall go no farther his Ministry will be little regarded as if a Maister should tell some of his Schollers of their shrewde trickes but were not licensed to punnish their euill doing God hath ioyned authority to the Pastors office put into his hand the discipline of the Church and the Ministers of God haue exercised executed the same according to his ordinance Hence it is that the Apostle reprouing an heinous offence amongst the Corinthians and shewing the vse of Ecclesiasticall correction saith z 2 Cor. 4 21 What will ye Shall I com vnto you with a rod or in loue and in the spirit of meekenesse Vse 2. Secondly seeing boldnesse to command vnder Christ belongeth to the office of the Minister it teacheth vs and putteth vs in minde of manie good duties as first to aske this guift of God and craue of him to indue vs with the zeale of his glory and other graces of his spirit that we may speake the word a Ephes 6 20. boldly as we ought to speake We see an example heereof in the Apostles when they heard the threatnings of the enemies of the Gospel b Acts 4 29. 5 28 29. They lift vp their voices to God with one accord and said O Lord thou art the God which hast made the heauen and the earth the sea and all things that are in them beholde their threatnings and graunt vnto thy seruants with all boldnesse to speak thy word So when the cheefe Priests said Did not we straightly commaund you that yee should not teach in his name And behold ye haue filled Ierusalem with yoar Doctrine and ye would bring this mans bloud vpon vs. Then Peter and the Apostles answerd We ought rather to obey God then mē Many men are endued with great gifts of learning and knowledge but they want the tongue of the Learned to minister a worde in season they want zeale and vtteraunce to deliuer the word of God to the people Let euery one therefore seeke to fit and furnish himselfe to this calling and in Christ Iesus be bold to do this dutie This the Prophet saith c Esay 58 1. Crie alowd spare not lift vp thy voice like a Trumpet and shew my people their transgression and the house of Iacob their sinnes This reproueth those that haue the worde in respect of persons who dare not do their duties and are afraid of mens faces They would be counted the Embassadors of God but they are affraide to do their Maisters message Let such learne of Iohn Baptist who shrunke not backe but was bold to tell Herod that it was not lawfull for him to take his Brothers Wife Wee must not bee Dastards and faint-hearted souldiers to fight the Lords battels but first be sure we haue a good warrant out of the word and then go boldly into the fielde and feare not to looke the enemy in the face True it is if wee haue not our Commission signed and sealed vnto vs wee haue iust cause to feare we speake in our owne names and not in the name
God went out to warre y Deut 20 10 the Lord commanded them to offer conditions of peace to that Citty if it refuse to make peace they should besiege it smite it and destroy it So should we when we execute our Office first offer peace before we proclaime warre first allure by Gentlenesse before we thunder out iudgements first exhort before we threaten In the materiall building all the stones that are to be fitted to the building are not of one nature some are soft and easie to be hewed and hammered others more hard and of a flintier marble disposition they require sharp tooles strong blowes sturdy armes before they can bc brought into forme or be squared for their place which they are to hold So it is with the liuely stones of the spirituall Temple of God some haue soft hearts of flesh are of humble contrite spirits like the bruised reed or the smoaking flaxe others haue hearts hard as the Adament and cannot easily be brought to feele the strokes of the word of God These are not to be dealt withall and handled alike but after a diuerse maÌ„ner This is the counsel of the Apostle Iude z Iude 1 22. Haue compassion of some in putting difference and other saue with feare pulling them out of the fire and hate euen that Garment which is spotted by the flesh This serueth to reproue first such as vse vnseasonable lenity when Godly seuerity is required Some diseases require sharpe medicines This is a great sinne whether it be in the family in the common Wealth or in the Church Ely heard many complaints against his sonnes that they sinned against God and caused his people to abhorre his offerings yet he did beare with them and was not sharpe toward them as he ought to haue beene a 1 Sam 2 23. he said vnto them Why do ye such things for of all this people I heare euill reports of you do no more my sonnes for it is no good report that I heare which is that ye make the Lordes people to trespasse He shewed mercy where he should shew seuerity and he winked at those that were worthy to be punished This proceedeth not from a loue to our Children but rather from a loosenesse in our selues and a carelesnesse of their good and saluation This causeth vice to encrease and maketh sinne grow in all places The like wee see in Ahab King of Israell when God had deliuered a cruell enemy into his hand he spared him b 1 King 20 42. and suffered him to escape out of his hands a man whom God appointed to die and thereby is threatned that his owne life should redeeme and ransome the life of his enimy and so the one pay the price of the other The like we might handle in Saule who receiuing a commandement to destroy Agag and his substance together with the Amalekites c 1 Sam 15. he gaue life to those that God would haue him put to death and shewed mercy to such as should be smitten with the sword This negligence in punishing offenders is too common in the common Wealth and is a meanes to increase sinne to see sinne punished It is a true saying of the wise man d Prou 20 30 The blewnesse of the wound serueth to purge the euill and the stripes within the bowels of the Belly Thus it falleth out also oftentimes in the Church When the incestuous person among the Corrinthians was according to the Ordinance of God to be cast out he was suffered in the Church and had not the censures of the Church executed against him e 1 Cor 5 6. so that the Apostle telleth them that their reioycing was not good Know ye not that a little leauen leaueneth the whole lumpe purge out therefore the old leauen that ye may be a new lumpe Such was the carelesnesse and coldnesse in many of the Churches of Asia f Reuel 2 4 they were too milde toward Heretikes and euill liuers and suffered the sword of excommunication to rust in the sheath which should be drawne out to the terrour and feare of all stubborne and vnrepentant sinners Secondly it reproueth such as are too sharpe and rigorous against offenders and forget all rules of Charity toward them All lawes must not be written with bloud The law of God albeit it did not stint what stripes euery offender should haue that deserued stripes yet it limiteth and restraineth what number they should not exceed that the offender might thinke himselfe loued not hated all the Corrections that God laieth vpon his Church come from loue True it is the Pastors and Ministers are to rebuke such as are fallen but when they see sorrow for sinne and repentance from dead workes wrought in them they should begin to raise them vp againe and comfort them with the precious promises of the Gospel least they should be ouerwhelmed with despaire be â—wallowed vp with ouer-much heauinesse Our Sauiour hath set downe an order perpetually to be obserued touching offenders g Mat 18 15. If thy brother trespasse against thee go and tell him his fault betweene thee and him if he heare thee thou hast wonne thy brother but if he heare thee not take yet with thee one or two that by the mouth of two or three Witnesses euery word may be confirmed c. We must proceed slowly and as it were with a leaden foot against our brethen and beware of rash and hasty iudgement The auncient Church in former times offended this way being so austere and seuere against offenders who for small offences enioyned punishment for the space of many yeares This is the sinne of such as are of the separation and haue departed from our Churches condemning our Church to be no Church our Ministers to be no Ministers our sacraments to be no sacraments refusing to heare the word at our mouthes to pray and communicate with our people and to performe other religious duties with vs. Thus they haue noted and marked vs out with the blacke cole of condemnation who deserue rather to be excommunicated by vs had they not voluntarily excommunicated themselues from vs. On the other side it behoueth vs to shew compassion to them that sinne of ignorance or infirmity and to season our admonitions and exhortations with a louing affection let vs beare with them so long as we see any hope of amendment following the example of Moses h Exod 32 31. who mourned and prayed for the Isralites fallen in Idolatry and of Christ i Luke 19 41. who wept ouer Ierusalem to make them weepe for their sinnes who seemed to haue no sight or feeling of them Lastly it reprooueth the Church of Rome who are very Tirants and Tormenters of the people of God for as they haue burdened them from time to time with mens Traditions so for euery slight matter they haue thundred against them with their excommunications and thereby made themselues terrible to the
whole world Hence it is that the Pope and his Bishops threaten Princes chalenge authority to excommunicate them to depose them and to discharge their subiects of subiection and alleageance This is cruelty ioyned with impiety this is seuerity accompanied with Hipocrisie this is cursing and banning contrary to the Christian faith and therefore being causelesse they cannot come Vse 3. Thirdly and last of all we learne for our obedience that whensoeuer entreating beseeching gentle or louing dealing is vsed to call men home to God and to themselues it is their duty to yeeld themselues and to embrace earnestly the mercies of God offered vnto them The sinne of contempt and contumacy is fearefull when the bountifulnesse of God is despised his mercies loathed his patience and long suffering abused If we will not heare when he crieth to vs k Prou 1 28. we shall cry also in the daies of our misery and he will not heare vs in our trouble but mocke at our affliction Our Sauiour remembreth the Iewes that he would often haue gathered them together as an Hen gathereth her Chickens vnder her winges but they would not and therefore their Habitation should be left vnto them desolate First he preached mercy then iudgement first he gathereth then he scattereth first he counselleth then he confoundeth This is the order which the Apostle teacheth to be obserued by the Lord himselfe in the first place by patience and long suffering he calleth men to repentance neuerthelesse if they will not turne vnto him but harden their hearts against the meanes and Ministry that he vseth to call them he hoardeth and heapeth vp wrath for them against the day of wrath This hath beene the dealing of God with vs in this Land more then fifty years he hath preached vnto vs by his mercies he hath intreated vs and prouoked vs by peace by plenty by patience by temporall blessings by spirituall blessings by prosperity which the glorious Gospell of Christ hath brought with it he hath planted his Vine among vs he hath looked for good fruit answearable to such great meanes and long mercies But what haue we perfourmed according to that which God hath expected and how haue we behaued our selues in respect of this bountifulnesse which we haue tasted and receiued Surely we become euery yeare worse then other l Esay 5 4. more barren and lesse fruitfull we are not onely void of good fruits but full of euill fruits bearing nothing but leaues of vanity and shewes of Hipocrisie We cannot deny but God as a carefull dresser of his Vineyard hath often times beene constrained to take his pruning knife into his handes he hath scourged vs by famine and chastened vs by plague and pestilence yea still doth visit vs in sundry places and yet though he haue put vs into the furnace and tried vs with the fire of his iudgements he cannot purge out our drosse or take away our tinne or cleanse away our corruptions from vs but still we swarue from him swarue with blasphemies with oathes with prophanenesse with drunkennesse with whoredome with contempt of the Gospell we abound with the fruits of the flesh and workes of darknesse which agree not with that light into which we are brought The word of God was more reuerently esteemed better regarded and more carefully practised thirty yea forty yeares agone then it is in these declining times in which we liue We haue a long time gone backward and not forward we grow downeward and not vpward wee are farther from the Kingdome of Heauen and not neerer What then remaineth for vs m Heb 10 27. but a fearefull looking for of iudgment and violent fire which shall destroy his aduersaries If he open the Treasures of his wrath and the store-houses of his iudgements if he bring forth the arrowes of his quiuer and draw his sword out of his sheath let vs prepare to meet our God by vnfained repentance let vs forsake our sinnes which bring all curses and callamities vpon vs. If his mercies will not moue vs his iudgements shall remoue vs out of our places The Figge-Tree is first n Luk 13 9. Husbanded and digged about if the digging and dunging of it will not make it bring forth fruite it is appointed to be cut downe The patience of the Lord goeth before denuntiation of iudgement or execution of punishment A Phisition neuer aduentureth vpon a desperate Phisicke but in a desperate disease A Surgeon applieth salues and all possible remedies before he proceed to the cutting off of Arme or Leg So hath the Lord dealt with vs so he doth deale with vs if his word could conuert vs his iudgements should not ouertake vs if his mercy could turne vs his iustice should not destroy vs if his loue could saue vs his wrath should not condemne vs. Being such a one euen Paule aged and now also a Prisoner of Iesus Christ We heard in the wordes before Paules beseeching of Philemon amplified by a diuerse reason of commanding Now we haue to consider the second part of the sentence which is a description of his person generally and particularly which hath great force to moue him and instruct him He mentioneth his age and the tearme of his life now almost ended together with his afflictions and bands for Christs sake and the Gospels thereby to teach him not to be ashamed of him or to be offended at him but to reuerence his person and to and to obey his word Heere then we see that the Apostle doth chalenge much to be due vnto him which he might iustly doe in regard of sundry priuiledges of his calling of his age of his sufferings and imprisonment that he sustained for the cause of Christ Doctrine 3. Superiors in guiftes age are to be reuerenced aboue others Heereby we learne that such as God hath marked out from others by age guiftes or other priuiledges are much to be regarded and reuerenced We must acknowledge it to be a duty belonging vnto vs to yeeld much to such as God hath distinguished and seperated from the common order of men by length of life by greatnesse of guiftes or other worthy respects which they haue receiued The Apostle teacheth that the King and Magistrate are to be honoured a Rom 13 1. Let euery soule be subiect to the higher powers for there is no power but of God and the powers that be are ordained of God And 1 Pet. 2. 17. Honour b 1 Pet 17 2 13 14. all men loue brotherly fellowship feare God honour the King Thus also he speaketh a little before Submit your selues vnto all manner Ordinance of man for the Lords sake whether it be vnto the King as vnto the superior or vnto Gouernours as vnto them that are sent of him for the punnishment of euill doers and for the praise of them that do well Touching such as are superiors in age it is a precept giuen by Moses c Leuit 19 32
He had compassion vpon them and shewed great loue toward them We see how Christ applyeth this to the Conscience of Peter e Iohn 21 15 16. willeth him to try his loue toward him by feeding his Sheepe and Lambes thereby assuring him that if he perswaded himselfe to loue Christ Iesus and yet was not carefull to teach his people he deceiued himselfe and lyed to the Holy-Ghost who would finde him out in his sinne This serueth to reproue sundry corruptions and to meete with many abuses in the Ministers that make them vnworthy of the name of Fathers and testifie that their hearts are empty of this vnfaigned loue that ought to bee in them towards Gods people whom they should affect as deare Children First f What Non-residency is it condemneth the wilfull and ordinary absence of the Pastor from his flocke that is committed to his care and charge whereby the duties of teaching and example of life in his owne person are neglected True it is there may iust and lawfull causes of the Pastors absence sometimes fall out so that the Church be not endamaged but as farre as is possible be sufficiently prouided for as sickenesse g Concil Mogunt Can. 25. August epist 138. Tripart hist lib 6. cap. 22. of body whereby he is restrained Church affayres whereby hee is hindered Persecution whereby he is enforced to flye Priuate affaires whereby he is necessarily constrained for a time to be absent but a wilfull long and continued Non-residency from that particular Congregation enioyned him to feed is euidently conuinced by many Reasons grounded vpon the word of God and the practise of the Church of Christ The Scriptures of the olde and new Testament do directly forbid it The Lord saith by his Prophet Esay h Esay 61 6. Ezek. 44 8. Zac. 11 16 17 I haue set Watchmen vpon the walles O Ierusalem which all the day and all the night continually shall not cease ye that are mindfull of the Lord keepe not silence and giue him no rest till he repaire and till he set vp Ierusalem the praise of the world The Prophet Ezekiell is plentifull in this argument who speaking of vnfaithfull Leuites saith Ye haue not kept the ordinances of mine holy things but you your selues haue set others to take the charge of my Sanctuary So the Prophet Zachary setteth downe this as a great iudgement of the Lord I will raise vp a Shepheard in the Land which shall not looke for the thnig that is lost nor seeke the tender Lambes nor heale that which is hurt nor feede that which standeth vppe but hee shall eate the flesh of the fat and teare their Clawes in peeces It is noted of Salomon i 1 Kings 6 10 1 Chro. 28 11 12 13 19. when hee builded the Temple to bee the place of preaching and Prayer which he did according to the word of God he also builded Houses and Chambers round about the Temple ioyned vnto it to teach the Priestes and Leuites that they should bee neere vnto their charges For this cause also it is expressed k 1 Sa. 1 9 12 That Eli the Priest of God sate at the doore of the Tabernacle to espy the manners and to aunswere the doubts of those that came and resorted vnto him And the Apostle Paul expressing the Priests function saith l 1 Cor. 9 13. They did minister about the holy things and did wait at the altar He m Prosedreuontes vseth a word of great force and strength that bindeth them to a continuall residency and sitting at their charge If wee come to the New Testament we shall see sundry directions importing and implying the Pastours presence with his people The Apostle speaking to the Elders of Ephesus n Act. 20. 28 29. saith Take heed vnto your selues and to all the Flocke whereof the holy Ghost hath made you Ouer-seers to feede the Church of God which he hath purchased with his owne bloud for I know this that after my departing shall grieuous Wolues enter in among you not sparing the Flocke The Apostle Peter likewise exhorteth the Elders o 1 Pet 5 2 3 Feede the Flocke of God which dependeth vpon you caring for it not by constraint but willingly not for filthy lucre but of a ready mind The Apostle to the Hebrewes warneth the Church p Heb. 1 3 17. To obey them that haue the ouer-sight of them and submit themselues for they watch for their Soules as they that must giue accounts It is a great wonder that negligent Pastors reading these places and considering these charges laid vpon their shoulders can so easily shake them off or so slightly passe them ouer or so soone forget them They may seeme more then sufficient to conuince them of want of loue of abundance of couetousnesse of excesse of idlenesse of hardnesse of heart of contempt of the word which they should teach to others A great and heauy iudgement of God is vpon them that can passe ouer this duty without feare and trembling that can see neyther the daunger of their owne soules nor the danger of the peoples Soules through want of instruction Againe the Titles giuen to the Ministers vnder the Gospell as also to the Prophets and Priestes vnder the Law doe vrge diligence faithfulnesse and carefull attendance and consequently the personall presence of the Pastor They are called q Ephe. 4 11. Shepheards r Ezek. 33. Watch-men Å¿ Luke 12 42. Stewards t Heb. 13 17. Captains u 1 Cor. 3 9. Builders x 2 Cor. 5 12. Embassadours and such like so that though they teach oftentimes by themselues and continually and constantly by others they are not excused The office of the Minister is set forth in the Picture of a Shepheard who by reason of the multitude of rauenous Wolus other hurtfull Beasts keepeth watch day and night ouer his flocke He is a Watch-man set in his Watch-Tower to discry the enemy and to giue warning of the danger He is a Steward to prouide for the Family and to giue them their portion of meat in due season He is a Captaine of the Lords Hoast to lead them into the obedience of godlinesse and to goe before them in example of life He is a Builder to frame them and fit them to be stones in the Lordes building He is an Ambassadour to deliuer the will of him that sent him and to speak being called as the words of God These comparisons as they serue to teach diligence and continuance in preaching so they are forcible to presse him to attend vpon his charge that attendeth vpon him Thirdly the Apostle speaking of the office of the Minister saith y 2 Cor. 2 16. Who is sufficient for these thinges When he hath done all he can and imployed himselfe to the vtmost of his power yet he shall come farre short of his duty how much more when hee is ordinarily absent from his charge
like to the Priestes c Num. 7 9. 2 Sam. 6 3. who beeing commaunded to beare the Arke vppon their owne Shoulders did set it vpon a Cart and draw it with Oxen. So ought the Ministers to feede their Flockes themselues and not put them to bee fed of others Some d Damasus epist 4. compare such foolish and idle Pastours that put ouer their charges to others vnto Harlots which so soone as they haue brought forth their Children by and by commit them to be kept and nourished of others that they may sooner giue themselues to their lusts againe Others resemble them to a e Espenc lib. 3. digress ad 1. Timoth. man that doth marry a Wife and being himselfe vnapt for generation or vnwilling to giue due beneuolence is content she become fruitfull and made the Mother of many Children by another Father so is he accounted and presumed to be as vaine a man who being espoused and married to a Church as a man to his Wife doth vse the help of others in getting spirituall Children vnto God Christ Iesus is the Shepheard f 1 Pet. 5 4. the cheefe and great Shepheard of the Sheepe all other Pastours are but his Seruants and Substitutes and therefore themselues being his Deputies they cannot make a Deputy no more then one Seruant discharge himselfe by another So then we must know that they can no more be saide to preach the Word that preach by others then to be resident that are resident by others or to bee godly that lead a godly life by others and thus they may be saued by others and themselues goe to Hell But as euery man is bound to liue godly himselfe so is euery Pastour bound to preach in his owne person This appeareth vnder the comparisons and similitudes of Builders Captaines Ambassadours Stewards and Shepheards which wee spake of before When a man hath made choyce of a skilfull and cunning Builder to build his house the Worke-man hath not done his duty if he put it out to bee finished by another When a Prince hath made choyce of a Generall to lead his Army against the Enemy he may not send another in his roome and himselfe sit idle at home but his alleageance bindeth him to goe in his owne person The like we might say of the rest Thus we haue seene at large that the loue betweene the Pastour and people ouerthroweth the ordinary absence without iust and conscionable causes the one from the other so that if the Minister would assure his owne heart that he loueth the sheepe which he hath taken vpon him to teach he must shew it by feeding them with the wholesome and heauenly pastures of the word of God Secondly it reprooueth such as outwardly are in sheepes cloathing but inwardly are rauening Wolues vnto the Flocke not carefull Pastours not louing Parents but such as haue no prouision no store no food no Bread of Life to breake vnto them but seeke to starue and famish them through want of Milke and meat to put in their mouthes If they be resident and remaine with them and yet doe not instruct them and preach vnto them it is all one as if they were absent from them If there be meat and drinke in the house and none set vpon the Table or giuen to the Children they may dye and perish for hunger These idle Drones are no better then Murtherers and Man-slayers nay Soule-slayers which is the greatest and most bloody Murther For as the Steward that should feede the bodies of such as are in the Family and pineth them to death is a Murtherer and the Nurse that vndertaketh the nourishing of the Childe and yet eyther through daintinesse or idlenesse or wilfulnesse will not draw out the breast but suffereth the Child to languish and perish is a Murtherer of the Childe so such as are Stewards of Gods house and Nurses of Gods people yet feede not their Soules but starue them to death are Bloud-suckers and Murtherers in the highest degree They are worse then the Canibals that liue vpon bloud for these liue vpon the soules of men and carry them head-long to Hell The Lord complaineth in the Prophet g Hos 4 6. That the people perish through want of knowledge Such as are blindely led doe fall into the Ditch with their blind Leaders The bloud of such as perish in their ignorance through want of teaching h Ezek. 3 18. shall be required at the Watch-mans hand The Prophet Dauid hauing the Water of the well of Bethlehem that he longed and lusted to tast brought vnto him i 2 Sam. 23 17 yet would not drinke thereof when he had it but poured it for an offering vnto the Lord because it was the bloud of the men that went in ieopardy of their liues O that these men would consider of their sinne and had a feeling of their iniquity that they eate and drinke the bloud of Men and maintaine themselues by the destruction of their soules Suppose he lead an vnblameable life giue good example to others keepe hospitality fill their bellies make peace among his Neighbours be able priuately to exhort and comfort them and to performe other common workes of Charity yet he hath not discharged the duty of a Minister vnlesse he preach vnto them diligently and faithfully and diuide the word of truth aright Vse 3. Lastly seeing the Minister and people ought to be as Father and Sonne this sheweth the duty of the people that are vnder their Ministery that they regard their Ministers as their Parents honouring them yeelding them due recompence esteeming them as Fellow-workers with God to beget them to Christ to turne them to Saluation to nourish them vp and continue them in the estate of Christ Nay we should account of them if it be possible more then of naturall Parents Of our Parents wee haue receiued onely to be Of our Ministers we haue receiued to be well Of our Parents we haue taken our first birth of our Ministers we haue obtained our second birth Of our Parents we haue beene brought into the World by Generation of our Ministers we haue bin brought into the Church by Regeneration Our first begetting was to death our second or new birth is to Life and Saluation By the first birth wee are Heires of Wrath by the second we are made the Sonnes of God So then if it be better for vs to be borne againe of Water and the Holy Ghost k Iohn 1 13. which cannot proceede from the will of the flesh nor from the will of Man but of God we ought to esteeme of those that are Instruments of our Regeneration as dearelie and tenderly as if they were our Parents and to say with the Apostle l Rom. 10 15 How beautifull are the Feete of them which bring glad tydings of pcace and bring glad tydings of good thinges Hence it is that he speaketh to the Thessalonians m 1 Thes 5 12 We
to the Gospell and by submitting our selues to the Ministery of our owne Pastours to Minister all comfort and giue them cause of reioycing in their labours But if wee seuer our selues from them and refuse their Ministery we greeue them not comfort them we discourage them not encourage them we afflict them not reioyce them It is therefore a most vaine pretence and great folly of such as being reprooued for their negligence in resorting to their owne Pastours answere that they can profit more by another they can be edifyed better by hearing in another place whereas peraduenture they regard not to heare any man and contemne the Gospell out of whose mouth soeuer it proceed and be vttered Besides we haue greatest hope of receiuing blessing from our owne Pastour and euery member of the same assembly must seeke the Lord and serue him in the place appointed vnto vs for that purpose and therefore wee ought not to with-draw our selues from thence where our presence is required If God haue put the word of x 2 Cor. 5 15. Reconciliation into his mouth to say vnto vs in the Name of the Lord be ye reconciled vnto God and haue made an Ambassadour to speake in his Name who is he that shall ouer-rule the ordinance and counsell of God or refuse to submit himselfe vnto his most holy and mercifull assignement Secondly this conuinceth and reprooueth those that contemne deride scorne abase abuse and reuile their Ministers These are vngodly and vngratious Children that thus behaue themselues toward their spirituall Fathers and bereaue themselues of the blessinges that belong to such as obey their Parents These are like to curssed Cham that mocked his Father and heard an horrible cursse denounced against him which tooke effect afterward in his season or to those malicious Children y 2 King 2 24 which mocked the Prophet scorned him and his calling and brought vpon themselues the iudgements of God If we follow their sinne let vs looke for their end if we walke in their waies we must be assured of their wages and if we imitate their deedes wee shall be partakers of their destruction How many are there among vs that are growne to that hight of sinne that they regard not the doctrine that is deliuered but set themselues against the Minister that doth deliuer it These men are growne to bee shamelesse and impudent that regard not the meanes of saluation nor esteeme of the ordinance of God nor desire to heare of their sinnes These haue stiffe neckes and hard hearts they are come to sit downe in the seat of the Scorners and they shall haue the reward of Scorners And let all such as will know nothing else learne this as a certaine rule gathered out of a continual Tenor of the Scriptures and the constant course of Gods iudgements that when once they beginne to make a mocke of sinne and of the meanes that should recouer them out of their sinne then wrath is not farre from them but is neere vnto them The more presumptuous and secure they are the neerer to destruction We see this in the people of Israell 2. Chron. 36. 16. When once they began to dally with God nay with their owne soules z 2 Chron. 36 16. and mocked the Messengers that the Lord God of their Fathers sent to them rising early and late for he had compassion on his people and on his habitation he brought vpon them the King of the Caldeans who spared neither young man nor Virgine neither auncient nor aged God gaue all into his handes This is a fearefull example of his iudgements that fell vpon this people for their contempt of the word and misusing the Messengers that were sent vnto them to teach all men to beware and be warned of falling into the same sinne and returne betimes that if it be possible his plagues may be preuented by timely repentance Few that runne thus farre looke backe againe to say what haue we done When the measure of sinne is perfected the time of iudgement is hastned Howbeit God is able to touch and to turne their hearts and his word before contemned if now it be beleeued is able to saue their Soules Whom I haue begotten in my bondes Before wee heard how the Apostle calleth Onesimus his Sonne In these wordes he expresseth how he became his Sonne namely that by his Ministery hee begat him to God and turned him to beleeue the Gospell Hee setteth downe the force and efficacy of the Ministery of the word and sheweth that it is not an empty sound and an idle noyse of wast words vanished in the ayre without fruit or profit as foolish and franticke Spirits doe blasphemously report but is an effectuall instrument whereby God worketh the Regeneration Conuersion and Saluation of Men. Heereby we learne a Doctrine 3. The preaching of the word is the meanes of regeneration that men are regenerated and borne a-new by the Ministery of the Word to bee the Children of God and Coheires with Christ of eternall life God working by the meanes of his word and by the Ministery of his Seruants whereby hee conueyeth it vnto vs his Spirit being the powerfull Applyer Blesser and Effectour of this new-birth So the Apostle saith b 1 Cor. 4 15. In Christ Iesus through the Gospell I haue begotten you The Prophet Ieremy teacheth That his c Ier. 23 29. Word is like a fire and like an Hammer that breaketh the Stones It is able to burne vp and consume our corruption and to mollifie our stony hearts that we may haue hearts of Flesh This the Apostle Peter speaketh d 1 Pet. 1 23 25. Wee are borne againe not of Mortall but of immortall Seede by the word of God which endureth for euer and this is the word which is preached among you In like manner Iames saith e Iam. 1 18. Of his owne will begat he vs with the word of truth that we should be as the first Fruites of his Creatures To conclude Elihu setting downe diuers meanes that God hath and vseth to instruct Man and to draw him out of sinne vnto himselfe maketh this one and one of the principall f Iob. 33 23 24. If there be a Messenger with him or an Interpretour one of a thousand to declare vnto man his righteousnesse then will he haue mercy vpon him and will say Deliuer him that he goe not downe into the pit for I haue receiued a reconciliation These testimonies both of the Prophets and Apostles are plaine to proue that the word preached is the ordinary Instrumentall cause of our conuersion and regeneration and the meanes that God hath sanctified to bring vs to bee members of the Church and Heires of Saluation Reason 1. The Reasons are very plaine to confirme this point of Doctrine First the word is of a most powerfull and piercing Nature it is hotter then the fire it is stronger then the Hammer it is sharper then the Sword it
prayer of hearing the preaching of receiuing the Sacraments of singing of Psalmes any should exercise and busie themselues otherwise then as the whole assembly doth in their priuate reading or in priuate prayer or in priuate meditation thereby seuering themselues in deuotion and action from their brethren with whom they haue ioyned themselues in bodily presence Our Sauiour Christ speaking of priuate Prayer giueth this direction Å¿ Math. 6 6. When thou prayest enter into thy Chamber and when thou hast shut thy doore pray vnto thy Father which is in secret and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly For it is a manifest contempt of the ordinance of God a disdaining of our Bretheren and a diuiding of our selues from the Communion of Saints to worship God in publique place alone by our selues and it were better for vs to hearken then to wander and to vse our eares then our eyes Thirdly this earnest attention helpeth against the common disease of wearinesse and irkesomenesse of hearing whereby it falleth out that we sit in our Seates as men placed vpon Thornes impatient discontent moouing hither and thither and angry that we are detained so long from that which we more desire If wee would examine our owne hearts how earnest oftentimes we are and not in following our owne vanities and idle pastimes to note them with no worse Title that we can spend whole daies and nights in them without tediousnesse it might worthily make vs ashamed not to be able to stay and abide an houre or two in the house of God for the increase of our Faith and the furthering of our saluation Hence it is that we make such hast to be gone and thinke euery minute and moment of time an houre till we depart we abide not the Prayer after the Sermon to craue of God his blessing vpon our hearing which as it is a necessary part of the Ministers duty so the people with all reuerence and humility ought to ioyne therein For he that will not wait and stay to craue the blessing of God dooth carry home with him to his house the cursse of God and neuer profiteth by that which he hath heard After our hearing is required Meditation and practise of that which we haue heard that wee may be bettered in iudgement in knowledge in affection We should be carefull t Psal 119 11 24. to remember it to ponder vpon it to lay it vp in our hearts and to frame all our doings by it There is a double vse and benefit of Meditation It serueth vs against the negligence and security of those that hold the Word no longer in the mind then the sound is in the eares and remember the instructions no longer then they abide in the Church like riuen and rotten Vessels that leake and let out the liquor as fast as they receiued it For they are no sooner dismissed and risen from their seates but their hearts are strayed and their tongues applyed after earthly nay after prophane things according to their seuerall affections and vaine delights Again it helpeth more deeply to imprint in our minds and engraue in our memories that Doctrine which we haue heard and it furthereth vs in a wise and profitable application of euery point taught vnto our selues He proueth the best Scholler that thinketh often vpon his Lesson after he hath had it And touching practise which is the end of our hearing preparation attention and meditation Christ himselfe hath saide u Luke 11 28. Iames 1 22. Psa 119 105 Blessed are they that heare the word of God and keepe it Likewise the Apostle Iames pronounceth those onely to be blessed Which are not forgetfull hearers but doers of the word So then it is plaine that the end of hearing is not vaine speculation or a bare knowledge of the will of God but a care to obey it and performe it For which cause the word is called a light for our paths and a Lanthorne for our steppes to the end we should walke in it and liue by it and seeke direction from it Vse 4. Lastly this Doctrine giueth good direction to such as haue authoritie either to ordaine and appoint fit persons or to present them to certaine places For seeing the regeneration of man is wrought by the preaching of the Word it teacheth the ouer-seers of the Church to looke to their office and to take heede that they do not rashly lay their hands vpon ignorant and vn-sufficient persons or such as are scandalous and loose Liuers and then thrust them vpon the people to looke to their Soules which are not worthy to feede their Cattle or to wipe their shooes The Apostle giueth this rule to Timothy x 1 Tim. 5 22 Lay handes suddenly on no Man neither be partaker of other mens sinnes keepe thy selfe pure Moreouer he would not y 1 Tim. 3 10 haue the Deacons to haue the office of attending on the poore vnlesse they were first tryed examined and after tryall approoued let them saith he first be proued then let them Minister if they be found blamelesse therefore much rather ought the Ministers themselues to be proued before they be approued as the calling is higher and the danger greater if they be found vnfaithfull and vnworthy They must not be carried away by friendship or fauour or Letters of commendation but approued onely of such as are apt to teach and vnblameable in life The Apostle giueth this as an vnchangeable rule neuer to be broken z 1 Tim. 3 2. 3. Tit. 1 6 7 8 9. A Byshop must be vnreproueable apt to teach not giuen to Wine no striker not giuen to filthy lucre c. For when an vnfit man contrary to this order is put into the Ministry he is as much to be reproued that doth admit him as he that doth present him and as he that is represented and admitted seeing he maketh himselfe partaker of his sinnes But to passe this ouer let vs come to such as are Patrones and haue the bestowing of Church-liuings it standeth them vpon to make choyce of all Teachers that may bring the people to Faith and repentance least it come to passe through their meanes that the people be vntaught and least the Prophet complaine of them as hee did of the cheefe Rulers and Leaders after their returne from Captiuity when euery one sought their owne priuate profits and pleasures but had no time or at least would spare no leisure to prouide for the setting vp of the Temple of God a Hag. 1 4. Is it time for your selues to dwell in your Fielde-houses and this House lie wast This offence and abuse commeth from three cheefe heads and issueth from three Fountaines for it proceedeth partly from ignorance partly from carelesnesse and partly from couetousnesse By ignorance when they knowe not what care is committed vnto them and what trust is reposed in them By negligence when they feele not the greatnesse of
were filled with the Spirit of God in wisedom in vnderstanding in knowledge and in al workmanship If couetousnes be the cause of placing such blind guids which is as great an ouer-sight as to set a blind man to be a Watch-man or a dumb man to be a Messenger or a Lame man to be a Post or a deafe man to bee a Iudge we must obserue that the Lord compiaineth in the Prophet n Mal. 3 8. that he was spoyled and robbed when the Tithes and offerings were taken away from the true vse and from the right Owners and therefore would visit it with a greeuous plague and heauy iudgement The Iewes in the Gospell alledge it vnto Christ as an Argument of loue to them and their Nation that the Centurian whose Seruant was sicke o Luke 7 5. had built them a Synagogue so that on the otherside they would haue branded him with the note of hating them and their Nation if he had spoiled the Synagogue or taken away the priuiledges belonging vnto it The Prophet Dauid as we heard before would not drinke p 1 Chron. 11 16. of the Water of Bethleem because it was gotten with the danger of some few mens Temporall liues Ought not this to teach a great conscience to euery one to take heede that he doe not eate and drinke that which hazzardeth the Soules and bodies of many of their Brethren and to make them afraid to cloath themselues and their families by leauing the people naked to their enemies to be a pray vnto them and to be destroyed by them It is noted as a thing worthy of note and memory q Possid in vita August 10. 24. in the life of S. Austine that he sharpely rebuked and reproued a Gentleman in his time for re-calling and taking away his owne guift which before he had giuen to the maintenance of his Church how much more would he haue beene offended if he had liued in our daies wherein many are as friendlie and fauourable to the Ministery as the East wind is to the fruits of the earth how much more seuerely would hee haue censured those Caterpillers and Cormorants that take away by iniurious customes and corruptions the maintenance of the Church which neither they nor their Fathers haue giuen The ancient Romaines by the light of Nature as Liuy r Decad. 5. lib. 2 testifieth disliked and checked Qu. Fuluius Flaccus because he had vncouered a part of Iunoes Temple to couer another Temple of Fortune with the same Tiles they tolde him that Pirrhus or Hanniball would not haue done the like and that it had bin too much for him to haue done it to a priuate Cittizens house being a place farre inferior to a Temple and in conclusion forced compelled him to send home those Tiles againe by a publike decree of the Senate Let those things be duely waied and make these men ashamed to come behinde the Heathen who did more to their Idols then they will doe for the honour of the true God If they be not hewen out of Oakes and haue hearts of Flint let them open their eyes and behold the oppressions of the Church and the pulling away in whole or in part the prouision appointed for the Pastor whereby it commeth to passe that many places want the preaching of the Word and many Soules perrish for the want thereof When the Å¿ 1 Sam. 6 3. Philistims sent home Gods Arke from them they sent it not backe empty they returned it not without a guift When Zaccheus repented of his iniurious dealing t Luke 19 8. hee offered to restore foure-folde If these Church-pollers who haue robbed the Church and enriched themselues with the spoiles thereof will not restore that which they haue wrongfully taken and make vp the breaches which they haue wastfully made beeing without the feare of God and any fruit of true Religion they shall in the end receiue iudgement according to their workes and in the meane season their owne consciences shall sting and torment them It goeth indeede hard with the poore Church that is oppressed and it groneth and sigheth vnder the burden of her oppression yet in the end when the Lord cheefe-Iustice of Heauen and Earth shall pronounce sentence against them it shall bee knowne that they who oppresse others do u August epist 211. more hurt themselues then those whom they oppresse in as much as the sorrow and smart of the oppressed haue an ende but the woe and torment of the oppressour shall be euerlasting because he heapeth vnto himselfe wrath against the day of wrath and of the declaration of the iust iudgement of God 11 Which in times past was to thee vnprofitable but now very profitable both to thee and to me 12 Whom I haue sent againe thou therefore receiue him that is mine owne Bowels The order of the Words HItherto we haue heard the cheefe matter of this Epistle propounded and amplified Now let vs see how it is proued and confirmed The matter handled is that Onesimus should be receiued and entertained againe by his Maister This is first strengthned and then concluded To effect his purpose Paule draweth diuers reasons some taken from Onesimus others from the Apostle himselfe From Onesimus in the eleauenth verse because he should find him very profitable and seruiceable which is amplified by the contrary albeit he haue beene vnprofitable and vnthrifty vnto thee The reason may be thus framed If he will proue profitable vnto thee then thou oughtest to receiue him least thou be found an enemy to thine owne profit But he will proue profitable vnto thee Receiue him therefore This hath included in it the force of a close and secret Obiection Obiection For Philemon might obiect I haue found him hurtfull why then should I receiue into my House as a member of my Family that Seruant which will cause more harme then bring profit I haue had experience of the damage that he hath done me what homage he will doe me I know not Answere To this the Apostle maketh a double answer first by graunting then by correcting that which he had graunted and both waies by comparing the time past with the time present the time before he embraced Religion with the time of his conuersion as if he should say true it is and I grant he was once vnprofible to thee for while he was vnfaithfull to God he could do no faithfull seruice vnto thee but why dost thou vrge the time of his ignorance And why dost thou consider so much what he hath beene For now hee is become a new man he hath tasted of the true Religion he hath learned to know God to know himselfe to know thee and to know me To know God his mercifull Creatour to know himselfe a wretched Sinner to know thee his louing Maister to know me his spirituall Father whereas in former times he was ignorant of all these As he regarded not to know
God so hee could not regard thy good but now thou shalt receiue a new Onesimus a new Seruant a new man the same in substance but renewed in quality and altered from the Crowne of the head to the sole of the foote He was not before so vnprofitable but now thou shalt finde him as profitable vnto thee as I haue found him both diligent and dutifull vnto me in my bonds and imprisonment The reasons taken from the Apostle himselfe are of two sorts first from his action of sending him secondly from the Communion and fellowship which Paule had with Philemon The first touching his present sending of his Seruant backe is propounded and then the obiections that might be alleaged are preuented The reason may thus be concluded If I haue sent him backe againe then thou oughtest to receiue him at my hands But I haue sent him backe againe vnto thee Verse 12. Receiue him therefore The meaning of the wordes This is the reason the preuenting of the Obiections is in the three Verses following which come afterward to be considered This is the order of the words it remaineth breefly to vnfolde the meaning Interpretation of thē When he saith of Onesimus That he was in times past vnprofitable he meaneth in the time of his ignorance before his conuersion before his calling by the preaching of the Gospel and before he came to the knowledge and vnderstanding of true Religion By Vnprofitable we must vnderstand leud vntrusty vnfaithfull stubborne dissolute and euery way carnall Againe when he saith But now he meaneth since his conuersion and since a new-birth was wrought in him he is made Profitable that is honest helpfull dutifull faithfull seruiceable so that he opposeth and compareth the State and condition of Regenerate Onesimus with the State and condition of vnregenerate Onesimus and maketh the one contrary to the other When he willeth Philemon to receiue him he meaneth to grace and fauour forgiuing and forgetting his former faults and bad dealing Lastlie when he calleth Onesimus his owne Bowels he meaneth as deare to him as his owne Bowels who although he were a poore Slaue and abiect Seruant by calling and a Fugitiue and Runna-grate by his former condition yet now greatly beloued of the Apostle euen as himselfe As if he should say If thou louest mee account of him no other-wise then thou dost of me entertaine him as mine owne heart receiue him as my Sonne and as if hee were begotten of mine owne bowels Diuers pointes to be obserued In these two Verses containing two reasons to perswade Philemon to receiue his Seruant being made much better by his departure from him wee are to obserue diuers pointes woorthy of our diligent obseruation and of our carefull consideration First we are to marke how the Apostle speaking of the offence of Onesimus and of his former State before his conuersion doth mittigate the greatnesse of his sinne by the mildenesse of the word For whereas hee might haue called him a Theefe a Rogue and a Runna-gate he dooth allay it and expresse it vnder a gentler Name as we shall see better afterward to teach vs that when we haue to do with Sinners that are conuerted vnto Christ truely and haue repented of their sinnes vnfainedly we should deale fauourably with them we should not racke and stretch their offences but after a sort couer them with the cloake of charity and bury them in the Graue of forgetfulnesse Secondly we may obserue how the Apostle speaking of his Conuersion and Regeneration doth set it out to the full not onely that Philemon should be perswaded but that Onesimus might be comforted Wherefore he doth not onely say that he was become profitable but very profitable or exceeding profitable And he addeth not onely very profitable to Philemon but to himselfe euen to them both whereof Paule had experience already Philemon should haue heereafter which teacheth vs to vse all good and louing meanes to strengthen such as are newly conuerted and to remember for their comfort and encouragement such good thinges as appeare to haue beene in them not to diminish or lessen them but fully to expresse and declare them to others that God may be glorified in their calling and they themselues may be strengthned in all well doing Thirdlie we see in the strength of the first reason that men are greatly moued to doe any thing by hope of receiuing profit and commodity It is an Argument not onely to induce prophane and vngodly men to commit wickednesse but to perswade the godly and faithfull to follow holinesse of life Whatsoeuer is offered vnto vs vnder the Title of profit doth carry with it a certaine force and power to lead vs to the practise of it whereby we ought to learne that in moouing men to well doing wee may lawfully lay before them the hope of Heauen and assurance of profit yea all men for their better encouragement in the workes of godlinesse may haue respect to the profit of their labour and the recompence of reward True it is the glory of God and the discharge of our dutie ought to be the principall meanes to moue vs but the consideration of our owne profit should not be neglected Hence it is that the Apostle x Tit. 3 8 9. mouing all that haue beleeued to be carefull to shew forth good workes addeth These thinges are good and profitable vnto men on the other side remoouing them from foolish questions and Genealogies and contentions and brawlings about the Law he concludeth for they are vnprofitable and vaine So the Apostle declaring the wonderfull Faith of Moses who refused to be called the Sonne of y Heb. 11 26. Pharoahs Daughter chose rather to suffer aduersity with the people of God and esteemed the rebuke of Christ greater riches then the treasures of Aegipt sheweth that he had respect to the recompence of the reward Fourthly Paules sending is made a reason for Philemons receiuing and he concludeth that he is to bee receiued of his Maister because hee is sent backe by Paule himselfe For seeing Onesimus returned not of his owne accord or through compulsion of others or through danger of law or through feare of punishment but by the purpose and appointment of Paul and came not againe empty but laden with letters of commendation it serueth highly to set forth the matter To present himselfe in this sort before his Maister by the direction and aduise of Paule was more then if he had returned of his owne head and it was more effectuall to mooue Philemon to receiue him which teacheth vs that the authour and perswader of any iourney or embassage doth serue greatly to commend the iourney and to set forth the embassage it selfe and therefore a message sent from a faithfull and good man is not lightly to be passed ouer or rashly to bee contemned or vnreuerently to be receiued of him to whom it is sent Lastly we are to obserue the tender and inward affection
of Paul toward Onesimus who was as deare vnto him as his owne bowels and therefore would haue him so receiued and respected as hee would receiue and respect his owne bowels Where we see that together with his petition he bewraieth and discloseth his affection toward him for whom hee maketh request This teacheth vs partly that to the end our request and commendation may take place and worke in him whom we beseech and entreat wee ought to shew our loue and make manifest our deare affection for him in the manner of making of our suit and supplication and partly that whosoeuer is truelie turned vnto God and repenteth of his sinnes from the bottome of his heart ought to be dearely beloued of vs yea albeit he were a Seruant a Fugitiue and one stained with much wickednesse For a sound conuersion of the hart doth blot out all reproach from the penitent and raseth out of our minds all remembrance of former offences as if they had neuer beene committed These are the generall obseruations now let vs discend to the particular doctrines Which in times past was to thee vnprofitable but now very profitable both to thee and to me We heard before that in these wordes one Argument is included to perswade Philemon to receiue his Seruant which is because howsoeuer he had beene vnprofitable now he was turned to be most profitable In which Wordes the Apostle maketh an allusion to name Onesimus which in the originall signifieth profitable It is an vsuall and common thing in the Prophets to allude to the Names of Men and Women of Citties and Countries and from thence to draw some profitable consideration and conclusion that thereby they may mooue to some vertue or condeme some vice or giue warning of some iudgement or set forth some mercy of God The like it were easie to shew in the New-Testament So in this place the Apostle putting Philemon in hope of receiuing profit by him alludeth to the Name of Onesimus that is profitable In like manner z Sophocles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one of the Heathen Poets vsing this Name hath a wise and worthy sentence The gifts of Enemies are not guifts nor profitable The last word is the same with the Name of this Seruant wherefore it is as much as if the Apostle should haue saide I doe not feare and doe not thou doubt but he will behaue himselfe answerable to my expectation and commendation giuen of him beseeming the profession of the Faith worthy his owne Name and will approoue himselfe vnto thee to be a right Onesimus that is thrifty and profitable Before he was Onesimus in name now he is so in deede before he held the Title now hee hath the truth before thou sawest the shaddow now thou shalt see the substance thou hast had experience of his vnprofitablenesse now shalt thou haue the benefit of the profit that he bringeth with him being made a new Creature in Christ Iesus We learne from hence a Doctrine 1. Christian religion maketh a man profitable and helpefull to others that before hath beene iniutious and hurtfull that Christian Faith or Religion of a man vnprofitable maketh him profitable and of one vnfit maketh him fit to euery good woorke The conuersion of men to the true Faith worketh the greatest change and alteration that can be and maketh them good profitable and helpefull vnto others that haue beene before vniust iniurious cruell and hurtfull This appeareth by the Prophesie of Esaias b Esay 11 6 7. where hee sheweth That the Wolfe shall dwell with the Lambe and the Leopard shall lie with the Kidde and the Calfe and the Lyon and the fat Beast together and a little Childe shall leade them the Cow and the Beare shall feede and their young ones shall lie together and the Lyon shall eate Straw like the Bullocke the Suckling Child shal play vpon the hole of the Aspe and the weined Childe shall put his hand in the Cockatrice hole These things are not litterally to be vnderstood but he meaneth by these Beastes men of a rauenous and brutish Nature who when they shall bee brought into the Kingdome of God and Church of Christ they shall lay aside their wicked and Woluish properties and become louing gentle kind and curteous one to another This the Apostle teacheth Ephe. 2 11. c Ephe. 2 11 12 13. Col. 1 21 22. Remember that ye being in times past Gentiles in the Flesh and called vncircumcision of them which are called Circumcision in the Flesh made with handes that ye were at that time without Christ and were Aliants from the Common-wealth of Israell and were Strangers from the Couenants of promise and had no hope and were without GOD in the World but now in Christ Iesus ye which once were farre off are made neere by the blood of Christ It is noted in the Words of the Prophet and of the Angell d Mal. 4 6. Luke 1 17. That Iohn the Baptist by the power and force of his Ministry shall turne the hearts of the Fathers to the Children and the disobedient to the wisedome of the iust Men to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. This truth is farther confirmed vnto vs by sundry examples as by the example of Paule toward others and others toward Paule Let vs looke vpon the example of Paule no man is ignorant that before his conuersion to the true Faith of Christ he was e 1 Tim. 1 13 1 Cor. 15 9. Actes 9 1 2. a bloody Persecuter an horrible Blasphemer and a cruell Oppressor one that made hauocke of the Church of God and sought to ouerthrow Religion but after hee was called to the knowledge of Christ he was turned into a new man he became gentle vnto all hee thirsted after their Saluation which is the sincerest Testimony of the soundest loue The like affection we see in the Iayler after his conuersion He had executed his office with all rigour and extreamity f Actes 16 24 33. He cast the Apostles into the inner Prison und made their Feete fast in the Stockes because hee would be more sure of them but immediatly after the feeling of the Earthquake the hearing of Paule the opening of the Prison the preaching of the Faith and turning of his heart He tooke them the same houre of the night and washed their stripes and was baptized with all that belonged vnto him Whereby we see the fruit of his vnfained loue after the truth of his vnfained conuersion Before he shewed his cruelty now he testifieth his Charitie before he manifested his rage now he declareth his Religion before we heard of his fury now we see his Faith The Iewes that crucified the Lorde of glory and shed innocent blood euen the blood of the Sonne of God g Act. 2 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47. when they were exhorted to amend their liues and to saue themselues from that froward Generation they receiued his word they
were added to the Church they continued in the Doctrine of the Apostles in the fellowship of the faithfull in the singlenesse of heart in the breaking of Bread in the communication of goods in the praising of God in the selling of their possessions and in the distribution of them to all men as euery one had neede The like we see in Zaccheus he was at the first a Publican a cheefe receiuer of the tribute and a cheefe deceiuer of the people he had robbed many by false accusations h Luke 19 2 7 8. so that he was growne rich and by his Riches into reproach and hatred but when Christ had reueiled himselfe vnto him he stood forth and saide vnto the Lord Behold Lord halfe my goods I giue vnto the poore and if I haue taken from any man by forged cauillation I restore him fourefold This is a great worke of God that he worketh at our conuersion which the i 1 Cor. 6 10 11. Apostle speaketh off 1. Corin. 6 10 11. Be not deceiued neither Fornicatours nor Idolatours nor Adulterers nor Wantons nor Buggerers nor Theeues nor Couetous nor Drunkards shall inherit the Kingdome of GOD and such were some of you but ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are iustified in the Name of the Lord Iesus and by the Spirit of our GOD. All these Testimonies and examples teach vs that where is a right conuersion of the heart there is also a true alteration of the life and where there is an embracing of the true Christian Religion there is a change of our conuersation Reason 1. The Reasons of this Doctrine are euident and shine as cleerely as the Sunne at Noone-day For first if we consider our naturall estate and condition what we are before our conuersion wee shall easily be brought to acknowledge both where and what and whence the change is For naturallie we hate the truth and the professours of the truth k Ro. 1 29 10 2 Tim. 3 2 3 4 Beeing full of all vnrighteousnesse Fornication wickednesse couetousnesse maliciousnesse full of Enuy of Murther of Debate of deceit taking all thinges in the euill part Whisperers Backe-biters Haters of GOD Doers of wrong proud Boasters Inuenters of euill thinges disobedient to Parents without vnderstanding Couenant-breakers without naturall affection such as can neuer be appeased mercilesse Louers of themselues curssed speakers vnthankefull vnholy false accusers intemperate fierce no louers at all of them which are good Traytors heady high-minded louers of pleasures more then louers of God hauing a shew of godlinesse but haue denyed the power thereof Behold heere a Glasse to behold our selues in a perfect Glasse to looke vpon that we may see our selues and know our selues what we are And albeit all these sinnes doe not actually breake out of vs yet they are all originallie bred in vs and albeit the fruit of them doe not appeare outwardly yet the very Spawne and Seede of them remaineth inwardly and albeit we doe not feele the Branches yet we haue cause to feare the bitter Rootes and Remnants and Reliques of them that are deepely setled in the Garden and Ground of our hearts Seeing therefore our Nature is thus corrupt and we so farre alienated and estranged one from another we cannot be healthfull or profitable to any of Gods people and Children Our Sauiour teacheth l Iohn 15 19. and 10 2. That the Men of this World should alwaies hate his Seruants and be vnto to them as Wolues to the Lambs yea that the time should come that they which kill them should thinke they did God good seruice This is it which the Apostle speaketh and confesseth as well of himselfe as of others m Tit. 3 3 4. We our selues also were in times past vnwise disobedient deceiued seruing the lustes and diuerse pleasures liuing in maliciousnesse and enuy hatefull and hating one another vntill the bountifulnesse and loue of GOD our Sauiour appeared who according to his mercy saued vs by the washing of the Newe-birth and renewing of the Holie-Ghost This is our naturall condition before wee haue freedome from this thraldome and deliuerance out of this misery which we bring with vs and vpon vs. Reason 2. Secondly when men are truely conuerted they will make conscience of hurting they will abstaine from wronges and iniuries they will be ready to doe good to others to profit others to walke in all the duties of their callinges and to keepe a good conscience toware God and man This appeareth in the Prophet Esay Chapter 65. where this Doctrine hath his confirmation when he hath saide n Esay 65 25. Actes 24 16. That the Wolfe and the Lambe shall feede together and the Lyon shall eate Straw like the Bullocke and to the Serpent Dust shall be his Meate Hee addeth They shall no more hurt nor destroy in all mine holy Mountaine saith the Lord. The Apostle saith Actes 24 16. I endeuour my selfe to haue alwayes a cleere conscience toward God and toward men Christ Iesus himselfe saith o Iohn 4 34. My meate is that I may doe the will of him that sent me and finish his worke So it is and will be meate and drinke to euery one of vs if we belong vnto him to doe good vnto all Men yea euen our Enemies and Persecutours as appeareth in the example of Stephen who prayed for his vtter Enemies that hated him with deadly hatred and stoned him to death and in the example of Ioseph when his Brethren feared reuenge and to be rewarded euill for euill according to their deserts he said Feare not for am not I vnder God Thus hee comforted them and spake kindelie vnto them Reason 3. Thirdly true conuersion worketh in vs the loue of God and men and so maketh vs fruitfull in all good workes it suffereth vs not to bee barren and vnfruitfull and it subdueth the rage and corruption of our sinfull Nature For such as performe not their duties to God in the seuerall partes of his worshippe nor abstaine from violence toward men whom they ought to loue as their Bretheren doe make it plaine and manifest that they were neuer rightly conuerted Such as are rightly conuerted are truely sanctified and therefore that is a false conuersion where there is want of sanctification When the Prophet hath sore-shewed the wonderfull change and alteration that the Gospell of Christ should make he maketh this the cause p Esay 11 9. For the Earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the Waters that couer the Sea We saw and shewed this before in the example of Paule we cannot doubt but he was before his conuersion as a roaring Lyon and as a raging Wolfe against the poore Lambes of Christ but being made a Christian and called to the knowledge of the truth from Heauen he couched down quietly with them so that we may truely say with the Prophet That the wolfe did dwell the Lambe the Leopard did lie
both what may bee learned by it and how it may bee applyed vnto vs. First of all it teatheth that though education bee a notable meanes of reformation and working good in the hearts of those that heare instruction and albeit Parents and Maysters bee thereby discharged as they that haue done their dutie yet bare teaching is not sufficient to conuert the soule and to settle the Conscience in good thinges Noah was as carefull for the instruction of Cham and Canaan as of the rest that were of his house belonged to his charge yet they followed not his Doctrine but scoffed at him that was both Pastor and Parent Dauid a man after Gods owne heart walked in the middest of his house in the vprightnesse of his Conscience yet he had an incestuous Ammon a Rebellious Absolom a licentious Adoniah all of them vngodly and vngracious Children So then although education be a good meanes yet it is not a sufficient meanes to worke reformation He that laboureth in planting and watering is nothing except God giue the blessing of encrease We see this euidently in the publicke assembly as well as in the priuate family in the house of God as well as in the house of man There is a difference of hearers according to their diuers dispositions f Math. 13 13 14. some are deafe hearers that haue not their eares boared through to the heart they haue onely outward eares and regarde no more but outward hearing and are no way mooued with that which is spoken dead-hearted dull-eared dim-sighted heauy-headed Others beside their bodily eares haue the eares of their hearts opened by the word and worke of the Spirit made plyable and tractable to receiue imbrace and beleeue that which they heare So is it in the priuate instruction vsed in priuate Families all that heare with the outwarde eare are not reformed all that are instructed are not conuerted Obiection What then Shall not Fathers teach their Children and Maisters their Seruants and Householders their Families because some haue not beleeued and many remaine as blinde and blockish as they were at the first Answere Yes it is their dutie to bee dilligent in teaching them and in laying the foundation of Christian Religion among them howsoeuer it bee receyued or reiected of such as bee in their houses and belong vnto them Were not he a simple Husbandman that would neglect to sowe his Ground because hee knoweth that some of the Corne will neuer grow vppe to bring foorth fruite but dye in the earth Or were not hee an vnwise Law-giuer that will not haue wholesome Lawes enacted and established because some transgresse them and disobey them and make no account of them Or were not hee a very foolish Father who because hee hath one rude and riotous Sonne that will not reuerence his person nor fulfill his Commaundements nor regarde his Authoritie nor feare his threatninges woulde therefore holde his peace and refraine himselfe from instructing and informing his other Children in the wayes of Godlinesse Or were hee not a badde Gardiner who because some of his Ground bringeth forth Weeds and Nettles would therefore refuse to water the Hearbes that are meete for the vse of man When the Lorde sent his holy Prophets to reprooue the stubborne and stiffe-necked Iewes hee knewe what entertainement them-selues shoulde finde and what effect their Doctrine woulde haue taken yet to make them without excuse they were commanded to go that they might be conuinced of sinne seeing there had beene a Prophet among them The Prophet Ieremy being called of God to preach the word is told afore-hand that they shoulde not obey his word g Ier. 1 19. Ezek. 2 5 7. and 3 7. but fight against him Likewise Ezekiell being sent to the children of Israel is shewed that they would not heare him nor cease from their waies Whereby we see that howsoeuer the people were stiffe-necked and stif-harted howsoeuer their faces were stronger then the Flint and their fore-heads were harder then the Adamant yet God would haue his worde offered vnto them and laid before them He hath mo endes then one of the preaching of his word sometimes he vseth it to soften and sometimes to harden sometimes to saue and sometimes to condemne somtimes to be h 2 Cor. 2 16 the sauor of life vnto life and sometimes to be the sauor of death vnto death So should it be with all godly housholders howsoeuer they haue many that harbour in their houses are entertained within their wals that regard not the fear of God but pull away their shoulders from the sweet yoak of God yet they are not to surcease or wax faint and weary but to continue the instruction of them the powring of water vpon the hard stone proouing if God at anytime will soften their harts and giue them repentance that they may come out of the snares of the Deuil of whom they are holdē captiues We know not at what time God may work in them and call them to a sight of their sinnes and to a turning from their sins They may heare that in the time of their ignorance which they may practise in the time of their knowledge They may hear that Doctrine which though it lye hid and couered as Corn in the earth or as fire in the ashes a long time and seeme buried in perpetuall forgetfulnesse yet it may afterwardes break forth as the light and kindle in their harts as a mightie flame Thus peraduenture it might be with this Onesimus when he was conuerted by the Ministry of the Apostle to the Faith of Christ he might cal to his remembrance many good thinges that hee had heard before but neuer a whit regarded nor respected and now profit by that Doctrine that before he had despised and derided The Disciples of Christ did not by and by receiue nor conceiue of his preaching but when i Iohn 2 22. hee was risen againe they remembered what hee had deliuered vnto them So ought wee to deale toward such as are committed vnto vs let vs plant and water committing and commending the successe and encrease of all our labours vnto God Vse 2 Secondly seeing where there are good meanes are many times godlesse and gracelesse men we learne that to heare to saluation and to receiue willingly instruction is no generall or common grace no man can beleeue sauing hee to whom it is giuen It is the guift of God that must open the vnderstanding and boare through the eare and sanctify the heart before any can heare with a desire to vnderstand or lay it vppe with a purpose to practise and obey Hence it is that the Prophet saith k Esay 50 5. The Lord GOD hath opened mine eare and I was not rebellious neyther turned I backe The Euangelist Luke teacheth that when the Apostles preached the Gospell so many as were appointed to saluation beleeued which was a fruite of their election others mocked which was a
multitude of his compassions Doth he see vs any better by Nature then others whome hee hath reiected and refused No in no wise We are of the same moulde with them and by nature no better then they Let vs not stand vpon the righteousnesse of our owne nature or the deserts of our own works or the goodnesse of our Ancestors but seeke to haue grace in our hearts x Ouid. Metamorph lib. 13. Quae non fecimus ipsi vix ea nostra voco and not to call that our owne which we our selues haue not done The Father shall not be saued by the Childe nor the Childe by the Father y Ezek. 18 25 26 27. but euery man shall confesse the wayes of God to bee equall and giue an account for himselfe Manie godly and faithfull parents haue had children appointed to wrath and reserued to destruction and therefore whether our fore-fathers were beleeuers or vnbeleeuers let not vs looke so much vpon them to glory in them or to rest vpon them or think to be saued by them as enter into our selues and labor to approue our obedience in the sight of God Vse 3. Thirdly seeing that in good houses are found euill persons it putteth all Parents and Maisters in minde of a necessary duty and offereth them comfort in the discharge of their duty Their duty is not to forget or neglect to pray vnto God earnestly constantly and continually for Gods blessing vpon his labours in their family For when wee haue doone our best endeuours and vsed the greatest diligence there remaineth somwhat behinde to be performed for our Children and people euen to wait for the encrease of our labors and the worke of Gods Spirit to season and sanctifie their hearts that belong vnto vs. It is not the outward worke of teaching that can conuert the soule and reforme the life We can but speake vnto the eare it is God that speaketh vnto the heart Hence it is that some beleeue and others blaspheme some are bettered by the word others are made worse by instruction and become desperate and extreamly wicked as the Sun that softneth the wax and hardneth the Clay The Iewes that were fedde by the word z Acts 13 45. and 19 9. were filled with enuie and contemned the ordinance of God offered vnto them and spake euill of the way of God and the meanes of saluation So it was with Pharaoh the more Moses and Aaron spake vnto him so much the more his heart was hardened For the word thorough the corruption of our nature is as an Hammer that hardeneth the Anuile as a fire that consumeth the Stubble and as a Raine that bringeth vppe briars and bushes that are reserued to be burned There is no godly Housholder but if he be diligent to marke the manners and to know the behauiour of the people about him he shall espy not onely many vnreformed in themselues but secret enemies to reformation in others So that it is their parts to entreat God both before and after the meanes vsed to make them effectuall and profitable and to desire him to encline their hearts to practise and obedience We must follow the example of the Husbandman who after the sowing of his seede and Tilling of his ground a Iames 5 7. looketh for the early and the latter raine to come from heauen so must we call vpon God our Heauenly Father to send a gracious raine to moysten their hard hearts and so to soften them as that they may bee fit to receyue instruction This the Prophet Ieremy teacheth b Ier. 31 18. I haue heard Ephraim lamenting thus Thou hast corrected me and I was chastised as an vntamed Calfe conuert thou me and I shall be conuerted for thou art the Lord my God And in another place the Church saith c Lamen 5 21 Turne thou vnto vs O Lord and we shall be turned renew our dayes as of old Whereby we see that we must depend vppon God to poure out his grace vpon them and to beginne in them the work of regeneration Moreouer this serueth to comfort all faithfull Parents and godly Maysters who haue with a good conscience beene carefull to discharge their duties and to reforme their families albeit many remaine obstinate and continue setled in the Dregges of their sinnes It is vnpossible for the d Ier. 13 23. blacke Moore to change his skin and the Leopard his spots it is hard for them to do good that are accustomed to do euill Our labour shall not bee in vaine to our selues albeit it be in vaine to others our worke shall return into our owne bosome albeit it will not enter into the bosome and breast of others This is it which Christ our Sauiour saide to his Disciples whom he sent vnto the lost Sheepe of the house of Israell When e Math. 10 12 13. ye come into an house salute the same and if the house be worthy let your peace come vpon it but if it be not worthy let your peace returne to you Our carefull endeuours shall be rewarded of God albeit they be smally regarded of men they are approued in Heauen albeit reproued reiected in earth When the Prophet Esay bringeth in the Lord Iesus complaining that his preaching tooke none effect among the vnthankfull people of his owne hard-hearted Nation hee comforteth himselfe in this assurance that he knew his labors should not be in vain in the Lord f Esay 49 4. I said I haue laboured in vaine I haue spent my strength in vaine and for nothing but my iudgement is with the Lord and my work with my God So shal it be with euery one of vs that are deuout and diligent in doing our duties and in instructing our families God will not measure our paines by their profit nor reward our diligence according to their negligence g 1 Cor. 3 8. For euery man shall receiue his wages according to his labour This ought to be an encoragement to al men to take pains with their people and to comfort them against al discomforts that arise in their way to slake their diligence to cool their zeal to hinder their paines and to stop the course that happily they haue begun to win their families to a loue of the truth Vse 4. Lastly seeing euill persons are found where good meanes are vsed it teacheth all those that are vnder the gouernment of godly Masters not to blesse themselues as though they were happy because they dwell not in prophane places because they serue not prophane Maisters because they are partakers of instruction which many thousandes want but it belongeth vnto them to labor by all meanes to make the vse of the meanes offered vnto them to bee fruitfull and effectual for their saluation For as when we come into the congregation of the faithfull we ought to bee prepared and fitted to receiue the spirituall food of our soules so in comming to the priuate exercises of
Catechizing instruction we are not to present our selues rashly and vnreuently as if wee went to heare a Play or to see some pastime or to dispatch some worldly busines but we must performe these holy actions with a conscience of our duties to God with a care of our own saluation We haue not of our selues eares to heare nor eyes to see nor hearts to vnderstand we are not able to conceiue the things that are of God without the assisting and strengthening Spirit of God Before we come to heare the word read vnto vs or the principles of Religion laid before vs or to ioyn in prayer with our Brethren h Iames 1 19. 1 Pet. 2 1. Eccle. 4 17. Exod. 19 10 we must purge our affections of wrath filthinesse maliciousnesse dissimulation hypocrisie enuy and euill speaking For so long as these corruptions are found in vs to offer vnto vs the Word is all one as if most pure Waters were powred into a stinking and polluted Vessell whereby they are made vnprofitable We must vse earnest and hearty prayer vnto the Lord to open our blind eyes and deafe eares i Psa 119 18. That we may vnderstand the wonderfull things of his Law k Ezek. 36 26 That he would take away our stony hearts and giue vs hearts of Flesh in which his Word may be deepely imprinted And whensoeuer we are performing these heauenly duties l Actes 10 33 1 Thes 2 13. Luke 10 16. we must account our selues to be in Gods presence wee must remember that he is either speaking to vs or we are speaking to him and we must stirre vp our selues to all attention Thus it shall come to passe that the word of God which worketh in many to condemnation shall bee to vs the Seede of regeneration the food of the soule the curing of our corruptions the light of our waies and the meanes of working in vs all necessary graces of God in this life and of assuring vnto vs euerlasting happinesse in the life to come Verse 12. Whom I haue sent againe thou therefore receiue him that is mine owne Bowels Hitherto the Apostle hath named and described the party or person for whom he prayeth Now he sheweth breefely the matter of his request and the account that he maketh of him The request is that he would receiue him into his House and retaine him into his seruice againe the account made of him that he was to him as his Bowels euen most deare and tender being made a member of Christ though a poore Slaue and abiect Seruant by his calling and a Fugitiue Runna-gate by his former condition whereby we see the louing affection and tender compassion of Paule toward him for our imitation As if he should haue said If I thought or imagined that he would be as vnprofitable vnto thee hereafter as he hath beene heeretofore I would neuer haue giuen him my Letters of commendation nor haue sent him backe vnto thee in this manner For I should be of this mind rather to haue him punished then receiued But now I am not afraid of it or discouraged from sending him vnto thee I haue had a comfortable experience of his faithfull seruice who ministred vnto me in my necessities I haue therefore good cause to conceiue a good opinion of him and to giue this testimony of him that hee was neuer so vnprofitable to thee as I haue found him profitable to me Doctrine 3. Former offences vppon true repentance are to be forgiuen and forgotten We learne from hence that former offences vpon true repentance and amendment of life are to bee remitted and pardoned by all true Christians Whensoeuer our Bretheren haue trespassed against vs and offended vs it is our duty vpon their vnfained repentance to forgiue them to forget their iniuries and to receiue them into fauour againe Whereas Onesimus fled from his Maister it was a sinne from so good a Maister it was a greater sinne but whereas he conueyed away with him his Maisters goods and did steale from him at his departure this was more heynous and made his offence worst of all yet vpon his repentance he laboureth to haue him forgiuen and to haue his trespasse put out of remembrance This is offered to our considerations in the Parable of the prodigall Sonne when once hee resolued to leaue his loose life and to returne backe to his m Luke 15 20 Fathers house from which he shamefully departed he was entertained with a kisse and receiued into fauour and had his former misdoings and misdemeanours forgiuen When Peter came to Christ and said n Math. 18 21 22. Maister how oft shall my Brother sinne against me and I shall forgiue him Vnto seauen times Iesus saide vnto him I say not vnto thee Vnto seauen times but vnto seauenty times seauen times To this purpose Christ propounded a parable of a certaine King o Verse 23 32 33 34 35. which would take an account of his Seruants and finding one that was vnmercifull and hard-hearted to one of his Fellow-Seruants he called him vnto him and saide vnto him O euill Seruant I forgaue thee all that debt because thou prayedst me oughtest not thou also to haue had pitty on thy Fellow-Seruant euen as I had pitty on thee So his Lord was wroth and deliuered him to the Tormentours till he should pay all that was due to him so likewise shall mine heauenly Father doe vnto you except ye forgiue from your hearts each one to his Brother their Trespasses We haue in the Scriptures sundry examples of the practise of this Doctrine and of the performance of this duty We see this in Ioseph toward his brethren when they desired forgiuenesse and craued pardon at his handes after the death of their Father p Gen. 50 20 21. he said vnto them When ye thought euill against mee God disposed it to good that hee might bring to passe as it is at this day and saue much people Feare not now therefore I will nourish you and your Children and he comforted them and spake kindely vnto them This Paule himselfe practised and moued others to practise toward the incestious Corinthians q 2. Cor. 2 7 8 9 10. It is sufficient vnto the same man that he was rebuked of many so that now contrary-wise ye ought rather to forgiue him and comfort him least the same should bee swallowed vp with ouer much heauinesse Wherefore I pray you that you would confirme your loue toward him to whom ye forgiue any thing I forgiue also for verily if I forgaue any thing to whom I forgaue it for your sakes forgaue I it in the sight of Christ To this purpose the same Apostle saith r Ephe. 4 26 27 31 32. Be angry but sinne not let not the Sunne goe downe vpon your wrath neither giue place to the Deuill And afterward Let all bitternesse and anger and wrath and crying and euill speaking be put away from you with all
he He layeth all these aside and resolueth thus Are not we Bretheren And shall we striue What a shame would this be to vs What a dishonour to God What an euill example to these Nations that liue among vs What a stumbling blocke of offence shall we lay before them to cause them to blaspheme God and to speake euill of vs of our Religion and of our holy profession Let not vs therefore tarry till others come and offer conditions of peace but let vs seeke peace and ensue it Shall we stand aloofe and hang backe from agreement with them because we take our selues to be abused wronged slandered and iniured Shall God commaund vs to forgiue and will we answere presumptuously we will not forgiue Shall the Lord say vnto vs Thou shalt not hate thy Brother in thine heart and will we reply audaciously we will hate him Or if we doe not scorne God to his face what will we what can we alledge or what shall we bring for our defence that Abraham might not haue brought as well as we Will we say we are more excellent and therefore reason it is that they should bow the knee vnto vs Will we say we are the better men So was Abraham Are we richer and wealthier So was Abraham Are we elder in yeares and so looke that the younger should yeelde So was Abraham Haue we many Friendes to ioyne with vs to see wee shall haue no wrong and to take our partes So had Abraham Are we mighter in force and power So was Abraham he went euery way beyond Lot Now then if we be the Children of Abraham h Iohn 8 39. we must doe the workes of Abraham Whatsoeuer priuiledges we haue to aduance vs aboue our Brethren vnder colour whereof we shroud the corruption of our Nature and the mallice of our heartes let vs lay all aside and cast them into the Dust let vs renounce age and honour let vs cast from vs birth and yeares let vs deny wealth and worship to the end we may be little and lowly in our eyes Abraham got more true honour by yeelding then we can doe by our proude lookes lofty stomackes and corrupt mindes He that hath most godlinesse will relent soonest Let vs striue who shall goe before another in mercy and forgiuenesse and put farre away all bitternesse of Spirit and put on all humblenesse of minde But alasse where is this meekenesse and long-suffering while we raile and rage one against another If the least occasion of contention and iarre be offered how ready are we to embrace it to nourish it to prosecute it with all extreamity When we are a little mooued are these the wordes of Brethren I will not take this abuse at his handes I will neuer put vp this iniury I will not be made such a Noddy I will sue him at the Law I will not leaue him worth a Groat I will make Dice of his Bones I will tread vpon his Graue and shall I yeeld vnto him I will neuer doe it O my Brethren is this to follow the steppes of faithfull Abraham or to be like him who was so wise so meeke so great a louer of peace and concord If we be ashamed to tread in his pathes take heede least the God of Abraham bee ashamed of vs both in this life and in his Kingdome for euer We boast our selues to be the Children of Abraham we account our selues to be true Christians and yet we will neither follow the example of Abraham nor obey the commaundement of Christ The Lord remitteth the debtes that we are not able to pay and will we require the vtmost farthing He forgiueth ten thousand Talents and will not we forbeare an hundred pence It is the Maister and Lord of all that is so mercifull and shall the Seruant be so cruell and hard-harted to his Fellow-Seruant Let vs take heed least our mallice and vnmercifulnesse vnto others do cry out for vengeance against vs and shut vp the mercy and compassion of God toward vs rendering seauen folde into our bosomes and barring vs from any accesse to the Throne of his Grace For if we forgiue not men their trespasses our praiers shall be abhominable our religious exercises shall be turned into sinne and our offences shall not be forgiuen i Three profitable Meditations To conclude let vs consider these three pointes First that no Man can offend vs as we daily offend God in thought word and deede Secondlie that we may fall and perhaps haue fallen already into the like offence that we blame and reprooue in others Thirdly we would be greatly greeued not to be respected and releeued in the bitternesse of our hearts therefore we should regard the sorrow and supplication of others crauing mercy and commiseration at our handes If we suffer our Bretheren to call to vs and we be deafe stopping our cares against them we greatly deceiue our selues if we thinke to finde the Lord other-wise minded toward vs. Thou therefore receiue him that is mine owne Bowels He calleth Onesimus his Bowels or Entrals being nothing of Kinne to him in the Flesh in respect of his earnest and feruent loue that he beareth to him in Christ beeing a true professour of the Faith He knew well the leud disposition of Seruaunts for the most part in those dayes as the Maisters were cruell to them so they were vnfaithfull to their Maisters It was found commonly true by common experience which churlish and couetous Naball spake falsely of Dauid 1. Sam. 25 10. Who is Dauid And who is the Sonne of Ishai There be many Seruant now-a-daies that breake away euery Man from his Maister The like we see in the Seruants of Shemei 1. King 2 39. Who fled away from him to Gath. It was therefore a rare thing and consequentlie more wonderfull to find a man of this quality so well qualified and a man of so bad note to be so notable which made the Apostle so earnest in speaking for him and in commendinh of him For nothing could haue beene said more effectuall to pacifie the wrath and to mollifie the heart of Philemon in as much as he inferreth that if he would not be appeased at his request he had raged by this meanes on the very bowels of Paule Behold therefore in this place the coniunction of two heauenly vertues in the Apostle to wit Humility and Loue that it is hard to say which was the greater so that he was not ashamed to receiue as into his Bosome and Bowels a base Bond-slaue and besides a Theefe and a Runna-gate to the end he might protect and defend him from the displeasure of his Maister And doubtlesse if the conuersion and turning of man vnto God were as highly prized and worthily esteemed of vs as it ought to be wee would louingly tender and charitably embrace and such as we see truely without hypocrisie conuerted vnto God Doctrine 4. Our loue to to the Saints especially such as haue beene
conuerted by vs ought to be deare and feruent We learne from hence that the loue which Christians ought to beare to all the Saints especially to those whom they haue beene meanes to conuert ought to be entire deare hearty earnest most faithfull and most feruent It is our duty to loue all men more especiallie the Saints but most especially such as haue beene gained to the Faith by vs. The Lord himselfe testifieth his tender compassion toward his Children to prouoke them to follow his example The Prophets declare l Deut. 32 10. Zach. 2 8. That he which toucheth them toucheth the apple of his eye So Zachariah blessed the God of Israell m Luke 1 78. Who through his tender mercy gaue life to them that sate in darkenesse and in the shaddow of death and guided their feete into the way of peace This appeareth notably in Christ Iesus n Heb. 2 17. Who was made like vnto his Brethren that he might be mercifull he will not breake the bruised Reede nor quench the smoaking Flaxe o Iohn 15 12 13. and 13 34. These thinges saith he haue I spoken vnto you that my ioy might remaine in you this is my Commaundement that ye loue one another as I haue loued you greater loue then this hath no man when any man bestoweth his life for his friends This affection we finde in many places in the Apostle p Phil. 1 8 9. 1 Thess 3 7 8 God is my record how I long after you all from the very heart-roote in Iesus Christ we had consolation in you in al our affliction necessity through your Faith for now are we aliue if ye stand fast in the Lord. The Euangelist Luke describing the Church of God gathered together after the ascention of Christ saith q Act. 2 44 45 All that beleeued were in one place and had all thinges common and they sold their possessions and goods and parted them to all men as euery one had neede This is a precept giuen in the Law and no duty more often vrged and touched in the Gospell Moses saith r Leuit. 19 18 Math. 5 43. Rom. 13 9. Gal. 5 14. Thou shalt not auenge nor bee mindfull of wrong against the Children of thy people but shall loue thy Neighbour as thy selfe I am the Lord. The Apostle Paule among many precepts that he giueth this is one of the chiefe and principall Å¿ Rom. 12 9 10. and 13 8. Let loue bee without dissimulation abhorre that which is euill and cleane vnto that which is good be affectioned to loue one another with brotherlie loue All these testimonies of God the Father of Christ Iesus our Lord of the Apostle of other Christians and of the whole Church doe sufficiently teach vs that howsoeuer all the Saints of God are to be loued yet those especially that haue beene conuerted to vs. Reason 1. The reasons that may be rendred to vphold as firme pillers to strengthen this Doctrine are many and infallible For first there is great labour imployed long time spent many meanes vsed and continuall care bestowed to conuert a Soule to God It is no idle worke it is not brought to passe without much adoe A Woman hauing had an hard labour with her child doth loue it the more and will vse speech accordinglie saying This was a very deere Childe vnto me I must needes loue it yea her loue t Iohn 16 21. is so heartie and entire that shee forgetteth the paines and sorrow that shee hath sustained Beniamin among all the Sonnes of Iacob was most tenderly beloued in whose byrth the Mother dyed the fruite was saued but the Tree withered and fell downe he cost Iacob therefore dear euen his best beloued wife and indeed his onely lawfull wife whom Laban promised for whom he serued u Gen. 35 18. so that he called him Beniamin the sonne of his right hand If then that which is dearly bought be deepely beloued it is no maruell if it worke effectually in spirituall things where the greatest paines and labor is shewed We see this in the Galathians who had put the Apostle to much trouble and exceeding torment in their recouery to Christ x Gal. 4 11 19 are by him called his Little Children of whom he trauailed in birth againe vntill Christ were formed in them and he was in much feare and perplexity least hee had bestowed on them labour in vaine This appeareth in his behauiour toward the Israelites to whom pertaineth the adoption the glory and the Couenants y Ro. 9 1 2 3. I say the truth in Christ I lye not my Conscience bearing me witnesse in the Holyghost that I haue great heauinesse and continuall sorrow in mine heart for I would wish my selfe to bee separated from Christ for my Brethren that are my Kinsmen according to the flesh The like affection is bewrayed in Moses toward Gods people who had carried them in his bosome as a Nursse doth the sucking Childe when God was offended with them and threatned to consume them he cried vnto the Lord z Ex. 32 31 32 Oh this people haue sinned a great sinne and haue made them Gods of Golde therefore now if thou pardon their sinne thy mercy shall appeare but if thou wilte not I pray thee rase me out of thy Booke which thou hast written Thus he shewed the bowels of his loue toward that people with whom hee had taken so great paines for whom he had so often prayed and by whom he had been so oftentimes prouoked Reason 2. Secondly by testifying of our loue and shewing forth the fruites thereof we gather great assurance that we are of the company of the faithfull of the Communion of Saints and of the society of them that belong to the trueth when we loue vnfaignedly those that are of the truth The Apostle Iohn teacheth that our loue to the brethren is a fruite of true faith a 1 Iohn 3 14 19. Heereby we know that we are of the truth and shall before him assure our hearts And againe hee saith We know we are translated from death vnto life because wee loue the Brethren he that loueth not his Brother abideth in death Whereby hee sheweth that we are assured that we belong to God are his children by the fruites of loue which are certaine tokens of our election to eternall life Reason 3. Thirdly loue is the liuery of Christ and as it were the badge and cognizance whereby we are knowne to be his Disciples and to be taught and directed by his spirit This agreeth with the Doctrine of Christ b Ioh. 13 34 35. A newe Commandement giue I vnto you that yee loue one another as I haue loued you that ye also loue another by this shall all men knowe that ye are my Disciples if yee haue loue one to another Christ Iesus did instruct his Disciples especially in loue and did as it were graft it and engraue
the knowledge of the Gospell the name of God and his Doctrine is blasphemed and euill spoken of Likewise speaking of beleeuing Wiues that haue vnbeleeuing Husbands he putteth them in minde of subiection to the end that by their holy conuersion they may winne their husbandes to embrace true Religion To this purpose the Apostle Paul teacheth seruants to be obedient to them that are their Maisters according to the flesh and chargeth them z Col. 3 22 23 that whatsoeuer they do they do it heartily as to the Lord and not to men Seeing therefore that God is the authour of order not of confusion seeing Christ came not to abolish but to establish the Lawe and lastly seeing the Gospell teacheth subiection and doth not release or acquite any of their duty it followeth that the gospel doth not bring in parity and equality among al the Mother of al mischiefe but discerneth and distinguisheth of the Callings of men it doth not giue liberty to peruert all order it maketh not Seruants to be Maisters and Maisters to be seruants but directeth euery one to keepe his place and to abide in his vocation Vse 1. Seeing this is the honor commendation of the gospel let vs see what Vses arise from the knoledge of this point First of al we conclude from hence necessarily that it hath alwaies bin a lying deuise and diuellish slander to Christian religion to be the author and fauorer of carnal liberty and to Christian professors to be enemies to states and commonwealths to magistrats lawes ciuil ordinances This hath alwaies bin the accusation of slāderous tongs to brand the Gospell as the breeder and bringer in of all vprores and conspiracies yet there is no Doctrine vnder the Heauen that lesse deserueth to bee defamed For the Gospell was a friend to Princes when Princes were enemies to the Gospell it teacheth to be subiect vnto them to pray to God for them to obey all their godly constitutions and therefore it is the Father of lies and enemy of al truth that hath sought to disgrace discredit the holy truth of God and such as in truth do embrace it Hee seeth and perceiueth that if the Gospel stand his kingdome must fal if the Gospel florish his kingdome must decay Hence it is that the church people of God haue in al ages and times of the world bin accused of rebellions treasons seditions insurrections many other greeuous impieties Heerof the scripture experience affoord plentiful examples In the book of Ezra the enemies accuse the guiltles Iewes z Ezra 4 15. 1 King 18 17. Ester 3 6. to be a rebellious people that they haue of old bin alwaies giuen to sedition Ahab burdeneth Elias that it was he his fathers house that trobled Israel Haman suggesteth vnto the king against the Iewes that their lawes were diuers from al people that they did not obserue the kings lawes and therfore it was not for the kings profit to suffer them The Apostles are accused to be authors of sedition troublers of cities raisers of tumults causers of rebellion breakers of lawes and teachers of ordinances not lawful to receiue they said of them b Acts 16 19 20. and 24 5. These men that are Iewes trouble our City they preach ordinances which are not lawful for vs to receiue neither to obserue seeing we are Romans Where we see they couer their couetousnesse with a shadowe pretence of standing against innouation but they discouer the hollownesse hypocrisie of their harts when they ioyn trobling of the state and preaching of the gospell together Whereby it appeareth that their troubling of the city was nothing els but because they preached the word which the deuill his instruments could not beare and abide Paule is accused by Tertullus to be a pestilent fellow and a moouer of sedition among all the Iewes thoroughout the world and that he taught al men euery where against the law of Moses And no maruel for thus they dealt with the son of God when he taught the truth without mixture of error and without respect of person he was accounted accused not onely to be a Sorcerer a Samaritan a Drunkard a glutton a deceiuer a deuil c Luke 23 2. but an enemy to Caesar and a troubler of the publick peace Now al these things being considered let vs remember what the Lord Iesus sayth to vs d Iohn 15 20. The seruant is not greater then his maister if they haue persecuted me they will also persecute you The heathē after Christs time cried out against the christians that they were the authors and causes of al publick plagues calamities that fel vpon kingdoms countries If Nilus flowed not ouer the fields if the heauen stayed if the earth quaked if famine encreased if the pestilence continued by and by the poor Christians as the sheep of Christ were cast vnto the lyons They charged them to make priuy conspiracies e Euseb lib. 5. cap. 11. Tertulli in Apologel Cyprian contra Demetrian to deuise secret counsels against the commonwealth to murther children to feed themselues with mans flesh and to practise all Iniquity they were so blinded that they could not perceiue that their Idolatries brought Gods iudgments Thus we see how the church hath lien open to all false surmises and suggestions of sedition But what can be immagined more vniust or vetrue If there be any peace in this world in any lande it is for the Gospels sake and it commeth through the bountifulnesse of God for his peoples sake that call vppon him Neuerthelesse as the Gentiles dealt with the Iewes and Christians from time to time so doe the wicked in these dayes with the godly they lay to their charge that they keep no lawes that they disobey Princes that they are seditious and tumultuous and enemies to the State If we see or heare the Saints of God thus handled and euilly intreated we must know that this is an olde deuise of the deuill practised against the Prophets against Christ against the Apostles and against all true Christians euen from the beginning And let this serue to comfort vs when wee finde such slaunderous imputations and accusations layde to our charge considering that thus they haue reuiled and railed vppon the Seruants of GOD that haue beene before vs in all times and that wee haue Christ Iesus the witnesse of our innocency who if not in this life yet in the life to come will reueale the thinges that are hidden in darknesse and bring to light the things that are couered In the mean season we must remember f Math. 5 11. that they are pronounced blessed that are reuiled and persecuted for righteousnesse sake and wee must labour to conuince them not so much by words as by deeds g Demosth de corona answearing the falshood of their slanders by the vprightnesse of our liues which shal be able to speak
with me that in thy stead he might haue ministred vtno me in the bonds of the Gospell 14 But without thy mind would I doe nothing that thy benefit should not be as it were of necessitie but willingly The order of the words in this diuision HItherto we haue spoken of the reason that Paule vrgeth to Philemon to receiue his Seruant drawn from the action of his sending of him back Now followeth the preuenting of Obiections taken eyther from Paule his retaining of him Verse 13. and 14. or from Onesimus his departing from his Maister Verse 15. and 16. The first obiection is concerning the keeping and retaining of Onesimus the obiection is wanting and may be thus supplyed For Philemon might haue saide I heare many words how profitable he is to me how deare to thee I know no such profit in him I can see no benefit that I am like to receiue by him of this I am well assured I haue sustained great losse by him If then he be so necessary and profitable and if he be as deare vnto thee as the Sonne that commeth out of the Bowels of the father why didst thou not retaine him still with thee To this the Apostle maketh a double answere first he graunteth and then he reuoketh that which he had graunted For hee confesseth that his desire was to haue detained him which he maketh plaine by a reason drawne from the end that he might haue continued To minister vnto him in the bonds of the Gospell In the next verse he ioyneth a correcting of that which he had granted to wit that he would doe nothing in this matter without the assent and consent of Philemon his Maister which reuocation he amplyfieth by an Argument from the end That thy benefit should not bee as it were of necessitie which also is declared by the contrary but willingly In these wordes howsoeuer they bee naturally the preuenting of an obiection is included also a certaine reason For the Apostle in this Epistle vseth more shew of Art and force of perswading and power of reasoning and skill of creeping into the heart of Philemon then he vseth ordinarily in other places and therefore in remoouing obiections hee argueth and in arguing he remooueth Obiections This appeareth euidently in this place For he reasoneth and strengthneth his request by this Argument Whom I desire for the good parts that I see in him to retaine that in thy place he might serue me in the bonds or cause of the Gospell him thou oughtest to receiue louingly and willingly But Onesimus for whom I intreat is such a one Therefore thou oughtest to receiue him louingly and willingly The meaning of the words This is to be considered of vs touching the order of the wordes Now let vs see what is to be knowne concerning the meaning of them When he saith Whom I would haue retained he sheweth againe what great account he maketh of Onesimus being as it were the onely man whom he would haue made choise off if it had beene in his liberty to haue comforted him and ministred vnto him in the time of his affliction and imprisonment Againe when he saith For thee or in thy stead he inferreth that Philemon himselfe did owe vnto him that duty if he should require it of him and vrge it from him He mentioneth The bondes of the Gospell meaning thereby the afflictions which the Gospell had brought him wherein the Genetiue case doth note the cause as we saw before verse 1. and 9. As if he should say the cause why I am prisoner and put in bands is the preaching of the Gospell In the 14. verse he saith Without thy mind I would doe nothing where by the generall put for the special he meaneth without thy counsell and consent I would not doe this thing that is retaine Onesimus with me I would doe nothing touching the keeping of him from thee to whom as thy Seruant he doth properly belong Lastly he addeth Least it should be of necessity that is least I should extort and wring it from thee against thy will and so seeme to compell thee hereunto whereas thou shouldst doe it cheerefully and willingly This is the Method and meaning of this diuision according to which order and Interpretation the words are thus much in effect If thou aske a reason why I kept not Onesimus with me seeing I make him so profitable and worthy to be loued and liked so comfortable trusty and seruiceable I aunswere I could haue beene content with all my heart to haue done so he is my Son and I his Father but withall he is thy Seruant and not mine and thou art his Maister and not I and therefore I ought not without thy leaue knowledge and consent to keepe him for the Gospell maintaineth and not dissolueth politicke order and houshold gouernment which both are the ordinance of God Besides a benefit and good turne should come with a cheerefull heart and a willing mind and ought not to be gotten by constraint and compulsion and therefore I would know thy will before I kept him to my selfe Diuers pointes to be obserued Before we come to the particular handling of the Doctrines that arise from hence some thinges breefely are to be noted which I will breefely obserue without any long and large application First of all the Apostle intimateth his desire to haue retained Onesimus with him and that he was loath to suffer him to depart from him which declareth that the presence of those that are deare vnto vs in Christ is welcome pleasant comfortable much set by and we greatly desire to keepe them continually with vs. For as loue is the knot of coniunction that bindeth vs together though we be absent and farre seuered one from another so it craueth and requireth the bodilie presence of those whom we entirely loue which howsoeuer wee cannot obtaine in this life for as much as our earthly affaires will not suffer it yet wee shall be sure to enioy it perpetually and without ende in the life to come when we shall haue the greatest ioy and comfort one in another that can be wished or desired such as the eye hath not seene nor the eare heard neither hath it entred into the heart of man to conceiue Secondly note with me the end why he desired to retaine Onesimus with him that the Seruant might doe seruice to him in the Maisters stead The end then is the Ministery and attendance which Paule might of duty require of Philemon himselfe If then the Maister be bound to doe his seruice and wait vpon the Apostle much more the Seruant Whereby we may note and marke how great right and iurisdiction hee that hath gotten and gained a man to Christ hath ouer him whom hee hath gained so that he may challenge not onely one of his Seruants but himselfe to Minister vnto him and to help him in temporall and transitory things For he that hath receiued spirituall blessings cannot without
faces from the faithfull as the Priest and Leuite did in the Gospell but be ready to helpe as God giueth ability and offereth opportunity Nay it is not enough for vs to succor such religious Saints as we see want succour but we must learne and labour to know the state of the Church and aske of others howe it fareth with the godly poore among vs. The children of God haue gone before vs in the doing of this dutie It is noted of Abraham the Father of the faithfull that he waited not till the strangers craued entertainment at his hands but he ran to meete them from the Tent doore and prayed them to take some refreshing at his hands z Ge. 18 19 Heb. 13 2. whereby he receiued Angels into his house at vnawares If we beleeue him to be the Father of the faithfull as the Scripture calleth him that we would be accounted as his children wee must be carefull to doo the workes of Abraham They are not children that tread not in his steps and follow not his example The like we might say of Lot who sat at the gate of Sodom and rose vp to meete the men and prayed them to turne into their seruants house and to lodge with him all night The holy man Iob iustifieth his innocency cleareth himselfe from Hypocrisie a Iob. 31 32 That he suffered not the stranger to lodge in the street but opened his doores vnto him that went by the way Nehemiah was carefull to know the state of the Church b Nehem. 1 2. and asked his brethren that came from Ierusalem concerning the Iewes that were deliuered which were of the residue of the captiuity by whom he heard that they liued in great affliction in reproach that the Citty was broken downe and the gates thereof burnt with fire So the Shunamite hauing prepared a Chamber for Elisha to lodge him and set therein a bed and a Table a Stoole and a Candlesticke constrained him to come into her house to eate bread We see how Lazarus and his two Sisters Martha and Mary receiued the Lord Iesus to house c Luke 10 38. Iohn 11 3. ministred vnto him They fed him and hee fed them they gaue him the meate that perisheth but he gaue them the bread of life and the meate that endureth for euer Likewise the Euangelist Luke noteth in the Acts of the Apostles that when the heart of Lydia was opened to attend to the thinges that Paule deliuered she besought them saying d Acts 16 15. If ye iudged me to be faithfull to the Lord come into my house and abide there and she constrained them These are worthy examples of faithfull men and women that teach vs by their owne practise what maner of seruice is due to the Saints not onely to helpe those whose miserie we know but to enquire of them whose state we do not know This indeed is pure and perfect loue when we do to our brethren as we desire they shold deale toward vs. The Wise-man would haue euery one e Prou. 27 23 to bee diligent to know the state of his flocke much more it is required of vs to enquire the state of Gods flocke which is his Church that hee hath redeemed with his precious blood It is not therefore enough for vs to say wee knew not their wants seeing all those are wilfully ignoraunt that haue the meanes to come knowledge and yet will not vse the meanes We may oftentimes know the necessities of the Saints but we will not enquire of them because we wil not know them This shal not excuse vs in the sight of God but accuse the more because our ignorance is affected ignorance inasmuch as we might knowe and yet we do not desire to know Verse 14. But without thy minde would I do nothing that thy benefit should not be as it were of necessitie but willingly We haue seene already the reason why Paul was desirous to haue retained Onesimus with him to wit that hee might haue ministred vnto him and serued him in his afflictions that did befall him for the Gospels sake Now he declareth the reason why without the knowledge and consent of Philemon he would not detaine him to the end that the dutie or good turne which he might that way receiue at his handes might be done freely willingly and chearefully not by constraint and compulsion Doctrine 2. All Christian duties done to God or man must be done willingly and cheerefully Heereby we learne that all Christian duties doone to God or man must be done with a free willing chearefull and hearty affection This is it which the Lord requireth Deut. 6. Heare ô Israell the Lord our God is Lorde onely And thou shalt loue the Lord thy God f Deut. 6 5. Math. 22 37. with all thine hart and with all thy soule and with all thy might So the Prophet Dauid g Psa 119 108 prayeth O Lord I beseech thee accept the free offerings of my mouth and teach me thy iudgments No other Sacrifices please God but such as are free and voluntary all things must bee done in loue with a ready minde The Apostle teacheth that h Rom. 12 8. Hee that distributeth must do it with simplicity he that ruleth with diligence he that sheweth mercie with chearefulnesse This also was figured out vnto vs in the shadowes and Ceremonies of the Law when the people were commaunded to offer a male without blemish presenting him i Leuitic 1 3. of his owne voluntarily vvill at the doore of the Tabernacle of the congregation before the Lorde declaring thereby that our seruing of him must not be grudgingly but wee must performe it frankly and freely and with a willing minde The Apostle moouing the Corinthians to bountifulnesse toward the poor Saints at Ierusalem teacheth them that they must offer a free will offring k 2 Cor 8 19 I sent the brother whose praise is in the Gospell which seemeth to bee l Acts 13 2. Barnabas who is also chosen of the Churches to be a fellow in our iourney concerning this grace which is ministred by vs vnto the glory of the same Lord and declaration of your prompt minde All these vvords of Scripture are vvitnesses of this trueth beyond all exception that God neuer liketh of constrained seruice but will haue men to doo their duties to him voluntarily as is fit to be performed of the creature toward his Creator and of the Childe tovvard his Father Reason 1. Let vs see hovv the reasons vvil make this better to appeare vnto vs that vve may haue strong proofe to put the matter out of all doubt First God loueth a cheerefull giuer a cheerefull seruant a cheerfull seruice It is the hart and the invvard affections that he accepteth regardeth vvhich is the principall part of a man and the fountaine from whence al outward actions proceed He will haue the heart or else he will
haue nothing of vs. This is the reason vrged by the Apostle to the Corinthians l 2 Cor. 9 7. As euery man wisheth in his heart so let him giue not grudgingly or of necessitie for God loueth a chearefull giuer Now that which the Apostle speaketh of charity and of almes may as truely be spoken of euery dutie that God requireth of vs. When wee pray we must call vpon God chearefully for he loueth a cheerefull prayer When we giue thankes to his name for blessings receiued wee must thanke him chearefully for he loueth a chearful giuer of thankes and albeit these be notable parts of Gods worship and excellent duties commaunded of him and required of vs yet without this chearfulnesse they are as a dead thing not regarded Reason 2. Secondly our obedience vnto God must bee answereable to the obedience of Christ that hee performed to his Father for hee hath therein giuen vs an example and taught vs how to obey The maner of his obedience was willing and done of his own accord not extorted and wrested from him for then it could not haue beene accepted of God nor merritorious for vs nor praised in him Hence it is that the Apostle saith m Heb. 10 9 10. Then saide he Loe I come to do thy will ô God he taketh away the first that hee may establish the second By the which will we are sanctified euen by the offering of the body of Iesus Christ once made Thus Christ himselfe speaketh in the Gospell n Iohn 10 17 18. Therefore dooth my Father loue me because I lay downe my life that I might take it again No man taketh it from me but I lay it downe of my selfe I haue power to lay it down haue power to take it againe Where he sheweth that the cause wherefore he suffered was not because Caiphas conuented him or the witnesses accused him or Pilate condemned him or the Iewes executed him but because it pleased his Father and himselfe to make himselfe an offering for sinne For except hee had died willingly all his aduersaries had bin too weake to work any thing against him o Iohn 18 6. as appeareth in euidently the Garden when hee cast them all downe to the ground with a word of his mouth Heere is set down a pattern for vs to follow we must performe the like obedience that he did as his was voluntarily and willing so ought ours likewise to be that it may be acceptable in the sight of God Reason 3 Thirdly the things that are not done in Faith and Loue are sinne For without faith it is vnpossible p Heb 11 6 to please God And though I had the guifts of prophesy and knew al secrets and al knowledge yea if I had al faith so that if I could remoue mountaines q 1 Cor. 13 2 3 and had not loue I were nothing though I feede the poore with all my goods and though I giue my body that I bee burned and haue not loue it profiteth nothing So then we see that no dutie is acceptable without Faith and Loue. But nothing done vnwillingly vncomfortably or hypocritically can be done in Faith and Loue. And therefore such duties as are thus perfourmed haue no life nor vertue in them to giue them any grace or acceptation with God Reason 4 Lastly God knoweth our hearts and seeth hovv vve bring our guifts offer our offerings He looketh not vpon the outward vvorke but regardeth the intent of the heart When Caine brought vnto God an oblation of the fruites of the ground r Gen 4 5. he had no regard to him nor to his offring because he savv the hollownesse and hypocrisie of his heart This is the reason that Dauid vseth to perswade Salomon his sonne to haue a care to learn and to practise the will of God 1 Chro. 28 8. And thou Salomon my sonne know thou the God of thy Father and serue him with a perfect heart and with a willing minde for the Lord searcheth all harts and vnderstandeth al the imaginations of thoghts if thou seeke him he will be found of thee but if thou forsake him he will cast thee off for euer Where we see the Father carefull for the future good of his son mooueth him to endeuour and striue to know God by learning what he willeth to serue him vprightly and willingly by practising as hee enableth because our thoughts are not hidden from the all-seeing eye of God and because he offereth himselfe to them that seeke him but forsaketh them that refuse him when he is offered We may easily deceiue the eye of man that looketh only to the person and beholdeth only the outward worke but it is vnpossible to deceiue the searcher of hearts If then we gather al these reasons into a short sum and set them as in a Table before our eyes if we consider that God loueth a chearfull seruice that Christ performed a willing obedience that faith and loue giueth acceptance to the work and lastly that God giueth recompence according to the heart which he knoweth we see that the strength of them will beare the ful waight of this conclusion that the duties of our Religion must not be performed constrainedly but freely not grudgingly but chearefully not vnwillingly but readily not of necessity but voluntarily Vse 1. Now we are to make Vse of this Doctrine First seeing no man must performe any holy duty to God or man vpon compulsion or against his will but with all his minde and might we learne that euery action or dutie is accounted of by God not according to the greatnesse of the worker or outwarde shew of the worke but according to the will and affection of the dooer it is the manner of dooing that God more accepteth then the action or deede it selfe A Childe in his obedience to his Father is esteemed for his reuerent louing obedient and dutifull heart and not for the greatnesse or worthines of his worke For what can he do when hee hath endeuoured to the vtmost to pleasure his Father So is it with vs when we haue done all that wee can we must confesse we haue bin vnptofitable seruants and therefore God more respecteth the intention then the action the Worke-man then the worke the affection then the effect Mary is commended of Christ t Luke 7 47 and 21 3 4. because shee loued much The poore widdow that cast into the treasury one mite is praised by Christ aboue the rest that offered of their substance and superfluity He that giueth a cup of cold water in the name of a Disciple to a Disciple u Math. 10 42 shall not loese his reward What is the bestowing of a Mite Or what is a cup of colde water Are they of themselues in themselues considered any thing worth Or can they deserue to be accepted No in no wise but God accepteth the manner more then the matter how
trauailing to the place of Gods worship n Psal 84 6 10 passed throgh many dangers endured much heat and suffered many wants in the wildernes for the pleasure that they took in his seruice The profit they reaped did swallow vp the tediousnes of the paines the loue to his court◠did mittigate the greatnes of the labor This made thē say A day in thy Courts is better then a thousand other where I had rather be a door-keeper in the house of my God then to dwel in the tabernacles of wickednes Where is this zeale to be found among vs Who sheweth this forwardnesse to Gods seruice Or whom can a man single out to say of him that no want or weather doeth hinder him from the exercises of godlinesse Wee are growne vnto that loathing of the heauenly Manna that albeit it fall in the middest of our Campe and round about our habitations yet wee will not steppe out of the doores to see it nor open our mouthes to taste it nor stretch out our handes to gather it either the blasts of winde do trouble vs or the feare of raine doth hinder vs or the heate of Summer doth burne vs or the colde of Winter doth pinch vs or a Lyon in the way doth stay vs and euery trifle stoppeth our iourney If our heart were in the house of God it would quickly moue our feet to carry vs thither But where the heart is not euery member is heauy and hardlie drawne to do their dutie The Deuils do the will of God by constraint and against their wils it must be otherwise with vs. Where the heart is there is our delight The Prophet describing the flourishing estate of the Church sayth o Psal 10 2 3 The Lord shall send the rod of thy power out of Sion bee thou Ruler in the middest of thine enemies thy people shall come willingly at the time of assembling thine Armie in holy beauty the youth of thy wombe shall bee as the Morning Dew Where he sheweth that the people of God were wont to come to the hearing of the word to the partaking of the Sacrifices to the receiuing of the Sacraments and to the exercises of Religion they assembled and gathered themselues together freely and of their owne accord to present themselues before the Lord. This duty is required of vs we must come willingly to Christ to heare him speake vnto vs. It is one vertue to come into the house of God but to come chearfully and comfortably as to a feast is a double vertue and that which giueth life vnto her comming If we come vnwillingly and be drawn to our duty on the Lords day either by shame of the world or by fear of law we come as dead men that are without working of the spirit or desire of profit or feeling of comfort or encrease of Faith or bettering of obedience If the danger of law did not more compel thē then the conscience of their duty or the loue of religion allure them many among vs would sildome or neuer keep the Lords Saboths nor attend vpon his ordinances they com to them as willingly as the Beare goeth to the stake as chearfully as the malefactor passeth to the place of execution Hence it is that some come to this place once a month others once a quarter others only vpon high daies solemne feasts more I think to shew themselus then to labor to saue their souls Such was the zeale of our brethren to the gospell in the daies of persecution that they went more willingly to the fire flame then these men in the dayes of peace com to the hearing of the word and to the house of prayer They were more chearful in suffring of death then these are in seeking the means of life Hence it is that some linger so long before they come are afraid they shall be there too soon Others when they are present giue litle attention not at al regard to profit themselues Others are ready to depart and be gone before the assembly is dismissed and think they haue learned enough These are they that think they are at liberty to do what they list to go and com when they list They make no conscience to begin end the exercises of religion together and so profit accordingly hauing litle more knoledge then brute beasts Vse 3 Thirdly this confuteth the common aduersary which ascribe al to the work done regard nothing at al either the mind of the doer or the maner of doing as their blind distinction de congruo condigno teacheth They hold that the bare presence at the sacrifice of the Masse without any good intention of the mind is meritorious in the sight of God This is their opus operatum the which is indeed the cutthroat of al true religion For admit once into the worship of God an outward resting in the worke done who wil regard the reformation of the hart But this fitteth wel enough the new Roman religion which consisteth wholy in externall obseruations in delighting the eye in pleasing the eare the other senses but requireth nothing aright which may not be performed of a Reprobat God is a spirit p Iohn 4 24. they that worship him must worship him in spirit truth so that whatsoeuer religion resteth teacheth men to rest in ceremonial and carnal obseruations is a false religion inuented by the deuil This also is the error of the ignorant people that wil not be accounted Papists yet are as ignoraunt as they in their practise and as superstitious in their deuotions and as corrupt in their opinions They neuer looke to their harts to purge them nor to their affections to order them aright when they come to the seruice of God If they can say oh we haue heard the worde we haue bin at the church we haue prayed to God they think al is well and that God can require no more at their hands They dreame the whole seruice of God to stand in outward things only as though they were the things wherein the Lord delighteth and not rather the truth and vprightnesse of the hart This is it for which the Prophet Esay reprooueth the people in his time and compareth them to the Princes of Sodom and to the people of Gomorra notwithstanding a zealous obseruation of the outwarde ordinances that they practised God commanded q Esay 1 11 12 13. What haue I to doe with the multitude of your Sacrifices I am full of your burnt offerings and the fat of Rams I desire not the blood of Bullockes Goats and Lambes when you come to appeare before mee who required this at your hands Bring no oblations in vain Incense is an abhomination vnto me I cannot suffer your New-Moones nor Saboths nor solemne assemblies I am weary to beare them because your works are euill But wash you make you clean take away the euill of your works from
serueth greatly to comfort vs both in prosperity and aduersitie and that for the time to come wee should repose our whole hope in God For seeing all thinges come to passe by the prouidence of God so that not so much as sinne it selfe is committed without his will it is a great comfort many waies to Gods Church and chosen Children Wee know that hee can moderate and will moderate the rage of the Deuill and the mallice of wicked men that they shall not hurt or hinder their Saluation For the Deuill is the Lordes Seruant or slaue to worke his will albeit he do it vnwillingly and by compulsion The Prophet Dauid saith c Psal 16 8. The Lorde is at my right hand therefore I shall not slide And when his Souldiers were purposed to stone him to death he was in great sorrow and heauinesse d 1 Sam. 30 6 But he comforted himselfe in the Lord his GOD. If then we cast vp our eyes and behold the prouidence of God euermore watching ouer vs wee shall not doubt of the loue and goodnesse of God nor of deliuerance to come from his hand albeit we see no ordinary meanes but all thinges goe a contrarie way This made the holie Man Iob say e Iob 13 15. Though the Lorde would kill mee yet will I trust in him And the Prophet f Psal 23. Though thou cast me into the place of Dragons and into the shaddow of death yet will I feare none euill The church being in great perplexity and danger in the daies of Mordecay he was not without comfort he liued not without hope hee ceased not to vse lawfull meanes for the deliuerie of it he was not at his wits end nor dispaired of an happy issue because his heart was grounded and established in the Doctrine of Gods prouidence as appeareth by his wordes to Ester g Est 4 13 14 Thinke not with thy selfe that thou shalt escape in the Kinges House more then all the Iewes for if thou holdst thy peace at this time comfort and deliuerance shall appeare to the Iewes out of another place but thou and thy Fathers House shall perrish and who knoweth whether thou art come to the Kingdome for such a time Againe this prouidence of God in euery thing teacheth contentation of minde in euery estate yea in aduersity when we lie vnder the Crosse so that all thinges goe against vs forasmuch as Gods prouidence hath appointed vs our lot and portion When we liue in peace and haue abundance of outward meanes to maintaine vs as plenty riches health pleasure friends libertie and such like we must remember from whom they come and so be put in mind to be thankfull for them because they come not to vs by chance but by Gods prouidence so that we must not barely looke vpon them nor wholely rest vpon them but behold his goodnesse and blessing in them For if wee consider that all prosperitie commeth from him as Meate Drinke ease peace and all plenty who is not pricked forward and stirred vp vnto Thankesgiuing towards so louing and bountifull a Father Hence it is that the Apostle saith h 1 Thes 5 18 In all thinges giue thankes for this is the will of God in Christ Iesus The Prophet Esay complayneth of the vnthankefulnesse of the Iewes towards GOD i Esa 1 4 5 6 7 I haue nourished and brought vp Children but they haue rebelled against mee the Oxe knoweth his Owner and the Asse his Maisters Cribbe but Israell hath not knowne mee my people hath not obeyed mee The Prophet Dauid dealt otherwise and behaued himselfe with greater dutie teaching vs all what to doe when hee saith k Psal 116 12 What shall I render vnto the Lord for all his benefits toward me I will take vp the cup of saluation and prayse the name of the Lord. But when these outward things whereby life is maintained do faile vs we must not faile to remember whence famine warre pestilence sicknesse trouble and affliction come that there is no euill in the City which the Lord hath not done Moreouer let vs depend vpon him for the time to come assuring our selues that he will not leaue vs nor forsake vs. He giueth vs euery day experience of his mercies so that by remembrance of benefits receiued from him wee cannot doubt of his fauour toward vs. Lastly this should bee a very strong reason vnto vs not to be vnmeasurably dismayed nor excessiuely offended when offences and great euils breake out among vs as oftentimes it falleth out whereby many are ready to shrinke backe and others are much disquieted to see the Church of God so troubled We are not to thinke it strange or to forsake the faith through these scandals for God would not suffer any euill to come to passe vnlesse out of that euill hee were able to bring good and out of that sinne to bring forth righteousnesse to the glory of his great name and for the saluation of his deere Church Hee would neuer haue left Adam vnto himselfe if he had not determined out of his fal to gaine praise to himselfe and to prouide better for his people It is necessary that offences come but woe to that man by whome they come Let vs not therefore fret our selues because of the wicked men neyther be enuious for the euill doers for they shall soone be cut downe like grasse and shall wither as the greene hearbe And we must rest and be resolued assuredly that God dooth not allow or fauour their sinne nor purposeth to free them from the guilt and punnishment of sin howsoeuer he turneth their wicked purpose to a good end For sinne l 1 Iohn 3 4 Iohn 8 44. is the transgression of his Law But God neuer swarueth nor stayeth from the strait rule of his owne will neither putteth wickednes into man but as the earth affoording sap and moysture as well to the euill trees as the good cannot be reproued because the cause why the euill trees bring forth euil fruit is of themselues and their owne nature or as the Sunne that rayseth euill smels and noysome fauors from vnsauoury puddles cannot iustly bee found fault withall because the reason thereof is not in the Sun beames but in those corrupt places euen so when God disposeth to good endes the sins of men that proceed from the instigation of the Deuill and abide in the vngodly themselues he cannot be called the cause or author of sinne although by his prouidence he moueth all thinges yea euen the vngodly that are not able to moue or remoue themselues Vse 3 Lastly seeing Gods prouidence extendeth to euery thing that is and disposeth it according to his owne pleasure it directeth vs in our obedience putteth vs in mind of a Christian duty namely to be patient in al aduersity If we consider that nothing can befal vs but that which is sent by the fatherly wil and counsell of God who hath alwaies iust
hath made our brethren not to shew more mercy to our Cattle for our commodity sake then to man made after the Image of God for his sake To conclude let vs from this Christian equality learne Christian mercy and know the estate of them that suffer any kind of misery For what is the cause that we tyranize ouer those that are our Inferiors but because we forget that we are their bretheren and that in this respect they are equall vnto vs Vse 3. Thirdly this Title of Brethren communicated to all the faithfull serueth as a comfort and consolation to all Inferiours and to teach them this dutie that they ought not to grudge or to bee greeued that they are placed in a lowe estate as though they were therefore lesse esteemed and regarded of God For seeing God hath thus farre prouided for them to call them their Bretheren and to make them equall with those of greater Callinges they are to bee contented with their places It is a great Honour to be so greatly in his fauour and to bee so highly regarded of him who reiecteth no man for his poore degree for his low estate for his meane condition This is it which the Apostle Paule setteth downe 1. Cor. 7 21 22. Art thou called being a Seruant Care not for it but if yet thou maist be free vse it rather for he that is called in the Lord being a Seruant is the Lords freeman Likewise also be that is called beeing free is Christs Seruant Where he sheweth that no mans poore calling should be his discouragement but this must be his comfort and bring peace vnto his soule that if hee be a true beleeuer although he be mans seruant yet he is Gods free man And whomsoeuer the sonne b Iohn 8 34 36. maketh free he is free indeede For wee must know that whosoeuer committeth sinne with greedinesse and draweth iniquitie as with Cart-ropes he is the seruant of sinne though he were the Maister of a family or the Ruler of a kingdome And on the other side whosoeuer is freed from the bondage of sinne and the slauery of the Deuill he is a right free-man although he be a Captiue a Prisoner or a Seruant If wee haue our part in Christ we haue our part in this comfort seeing the Seruant is saued as well as â—…e Maister if he beleeue Furthermoâ—… we must consider these two thinges both that whatsoeuer our calling be wherein we abide whether it bee high or low wee haue it from God we are alotted vnto it by his appointment and that hee seeth it and knoweth it to be the fittest place and best calling for vs vnder the Heauens For he respecteth in all his purposes his owne glory and our profite If he saw any condition of life to be better for vs or a meanes to further vs in our holy faith and saluation he would not keepe vs from it he would not deny it vnto vs he would not restraine vs of it It is a spice of the Deuils poyson which he inspired instilled into the minds of our first parents to conceiue hardly of Gods dealing toward vs as if of malice or enuy he had helde vs from the greater good and bestowed vpon vs the lesser He came to them in the Garden and told them c Gen. 3 5. That God doth know that when they should eate of the tree of knowledge of good euill in the middest of the Paradice of God their eyes should be opened and they should be as Gods knowing good and euill So when we grow discontented and dislike our callings which God hath appointed vnto vs we begin to be inueigled by the subtilty of Satan and shal be alwaies aspiring higher then God hath iudged to be meet for vs. Let this serue vs suffice vnto vs that how lowe soeuer in our owne eyes and little in the eyes of others our condition is yet God hath made them equall with vs and vs Brethren with them to our great and endlesse comfort This is that vse which the Apostle maketh to encourage and strengthen seruants in their duties d Ephes 6 5 6 7 8. Seruants be obedient vnto them that are your Maisters according to the flesh with feare and trembling in singlenesse of your hearts as vnto Christ Not with seruice to the eie as men pleasers but as the seruants of Christ doing the will of God from the hart with good will seruing the Lord not men And know ye that whatsoeuer good thing any man doth that same shall he receiue of the Lord whether hee be bond or free Whereby he declareth that the obedience of such as are bond is no lesse acceptable to god then the obedience of such as are free he looketh not so much to our persons as to our actions nor so much to our actions as to the manner of our doing of them Hee liketh and alloweth that which is done of the seruant as well as that which proceedeth from the Maister and he that is of low degree pleaseth God in the duties of his calling as well as the man that is of greatest reputation in the world and highly magnified for his Riches and Honors Vse 4. Lastly seeing God respecteth all alike and hath made all as one and as Brethren that are in Christ it serueth as a reproofe and threatning and terror to all drowsie and secure persons that thinke they shall escape the iudgments of God for their high places There is no difference with God there is no inequality with Christ to them that are in Christ high and low are all alike with him None are saued for their highnesse none are condemned for their lownesse Christ Iesus accepteth no man for his glory he reiecteth no man for his ignominy Let vs therefore not beare our selues bold and confident vpon our outward excellency but stand in feare of his iudgements and prepare our selues with all reuerence and diligence that we may bee found worthy to stand before the great God in that great day of account For wee must z 2 Cor. 5 10. all appear before him when he will iudge euery man according to his works When we shal come personally before his Throne of glory and seat of iudgment hee will haue no respect to the Noblenesse of our birth to the greatnesse of our learning to the beauty of our faces to the strength of our bodies to the largenesse of our liuings to the aboundance of our Riches or to any outward priuiledges and dignities of our persons Then shall all flesh be gathered together from the foure windes and stand before the Iudge of all the world God will respect vs as we are not as we appeare to be not as others haue accounted of vs but as he shall manifest vs to haue bin when the secrets of all hearts shall be disclosed and hidden things shall bee reuealed Then must euery man answere for himselfe and plead guilty or not guiltie when no
according as the Apostle speaketh n Titus 1 16. They professe that they know God but by workes they deny him and are abhominable and disobedient and vnto euerie good worke Reprobate This profession is vaine and hyppocritall and no more regarded of God then the leaues of a Tree of him that looketh to finde fruite vpon it So then seeing two are better then one seeing it is a thing wel pleasing with God and last of all seeing the Faith is denied of those that regard such as are nearest to them nothing at al we learne howsoeuer we owe somwhat to all mankind and there is a common band that knitteth vs fast togither yet where the debt is greatest there we are bound to pay most where the Obligation is straightest there we are to performe the greatest duties Vse 1. The Vses remaine to be considered First of all if it be a dutie of man toward man to require most where most is committed and to yeelde the greatest loue againe where are the greatest occasions to couple and combine vs together then much more are we bound vnto the Lord of whom we haue receiued all to whom we doe owne all and by whom we doe enioy all We must doe homage to him as to our King we must giue honour to him as to our Father o Mal. 1 6. we must yeeld him feare as to our Maister we must performe subiection to him as to our Creator we must shew obedience to him as to our Law-giuer He would be holden as a man vtterlie voyde of all wit and wisedome who being indebted vnto many men and owing to some more and to others lesse bound to some in one band to others in two to others in many bands to some owing all that he hath and to others more then he hath or is able to pay would begin to pay his debts without difference and discretion deliuering much to whom he oweth little and little to whom he oweth much satisfying two bands where he is bound in one onely and regarding onely to haue one cancelled where many other are required at his hands Thus it fareth with euery one of vs to one we owe one Talent to another three Tallents to another fiue Tallents but to God we are aboue all others most deepely indebted we owe vnto him our goods our good Names our substance our libertie our liues our selues our soules our bodies and when wee haue giuen him all all will not serue to pay him seeing we owe vnto him more then we haue Hence it is that our Sauiour saith p Math. 22 37 38 39. Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with all thine heart with all thy Soule and with all thy minde this is the first and the great Commaundement and the second like vnto this Thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe We see then the order of the Commaundements set downe by the God of order that God hath the first place and man the second the duties we owe vnto him are preferred before the duties we owe to our Brethren And if we marke the Lords prayer and the order which we are taught to obserue in our Prayers and Petitions we shall finde those ranged in the first place that touch the honour of his Name before such as belong to our necessities so that the duties are greater the Chaines are stronger the bands are faster and the reasons are firmer to binde vs and knit vs vnto God In him q Acts 17 28. and 14 17. we liue and mooue and haue our being He sendeth Raine and fruitfull seasons he filleth our hearts with ioy and gladnesse He made vs and not we our selues he made vs of nothing and when we became deformed hee reformed vs. He hath written his Lawes in our hearts and our sinnes and iniquities he will remember no more What wrong and iniury hath the Lord done vs that hauing receiued so many pledges of his fauour and sealed so many bands acknowledging the infinite debts that ws owe vnto him wee should preferre Dust and Ashes before him and set vp proud flesh in disgrace and despite of him We see what mightie and waightie reasons wee haue to magnify him aboue all Creatures in Heauen and Earth and to aduance him aboue all excellency that is in man whose breath is in his Nosthrils and yet who is it that giueth him his due and doth not extoll the Creature aboue the Creator who is blessed for euer True it is euery man will pretend loue to God as to him that hath elected him created him redeemed him called him adopted him iustified him sanctified him and preserued him But doe we loue his word aboue our owne pastimes and pleasures Our Sauiour saith r Iohn 14 23. If any Man loue mee hee will keepe my word and my Father will loue him and we will come and dwell with him he that loueth not me keepeth not my word If then we preferre the following of our owne vanities before the hearing of his truth we plainely bewray the hypocrisie of our hearts and shew that our loue is fastned vpon the Earth We will all seeme to loue the Lord and his word least all men should condemne vs and cry shame of vs but this our loue continueth no longer then till some profit or pleasure round vs in the eare and come in comparison as it were to be waighed in the ballance together then farewell God and his Word and his Sabbaoths we will none of them so long as we haue the other to follow after What is more common in continuall practise then this Will not a drunken Feast a ryotous company of prophane Fellowes sooner draw vs to their Lure then a conscience of our duty to God to keepe vs at home to attend to his ordinances for the saluation of our Soules Euery man almost can say the Commandements and pronounce the words but they consider not the meaning of them and how large they are They know the Law Å¿ Exod. 20 3. Thou shalt haue no other Gods but me and they would complain of the iniurie done them if they should be charged to breake the same Neuerthelesse if we loue the World more then we loue God or delight in our Riches more then in his Worship if we trust in the Creature more then in the Creator or if we feare men more then God we offend him and transgresse his Commaundement Let vs now consider with our selues how deeply we are indebted vnto God and remember that we owe many duties vnto him he hath giuen vs much so that he may require much of vs again he hath bestowed many blessings vpon vs and therefore he looketh for the greater seruice at our hands Vse 2 Secondly seeing the Band and Obligation is much more powerfull and astringent to some then vnto others albeit we are required and charged to loue all men as they are men and to wish well vnto them according to the diuers degrees whereby they
are Seruants to sinne other are Seruants to righteousnesse and whosoeuer is Seruant to one cannot be Seruant to the other they are so opposite and contrary the one to the other that no man can serue these two Maisters This is it which the Apostle Iohn handleth He that Å¿ 1 Iohn 3 8. committeth sinne is of the Deuill for the Deuill sinneth from the beginning for this purpose was made manifest that Son of God that he might loose the workes of the Deuill Let vs all suffer the Ministers of the Gospell to take vs out of the hands of Sathan and to subdue vs to the Kingdome of Christ by the two-edged Sword that goeth out of his mouth Thus much may suffice for the generall obseruations which arise out of the words and might be stood vpon at large but I haue onely breefelie pointed them out Now let vs particularly lay open such doctrins as are more especially aymed at in these words If he hath hurt thee or oweth thee ought c. In the former verse we haue heard how the Apostle hath reasoned on this manner with Philemon If our things be common thou oughtest to receiue him to fauour whom I haue so great cause to fauour vrging a community and fellowship in all Gods blessings But in this verse he acknowledgeth a debt to Philemon from Onesimus and doth take it vpon himselfe to answere it Doctrine 1. The communion of the Saints doth not take away the possession interest that is in the things of this life We learne from hence that the communion which is among the faithfull Saints doth not take away the priuate possession dominion distinction and interest in the things of this life Albeit the things belonging to this temporall life be in some respect common yet in another respect they are priuate They are common touching vse they are priuate touching possession This appeareth in the practise of the Fathers that liued after the flood as Abraham Isaac Iacob Iob Dauid and diuers others who albeit they willingly imparted to their Brethren the blessings of God bestowed vpon them yet they had their speciall houses of abode inheritances of lands possessions of goods Flocks of Sheep heards of Cattell and distinction of Seruants Mark this in the order that God tooke with his owne people when he had subdued their Enemies and brought them into the Land t Num. 32. and 34. euery Tribe had his seuerall inheritance and euery Family in the Tribe had his peculiar possession deuided vnto him by lot to auoyd all Controuersie and contention among them When Naboth was vrged by Ahab to passe his Vineyard to him eyther by sale or by exchange he answered u 1 King 21 3. The Lord keepe me from giuing the Inheritance of my Fathers vnto thee This is it which Salomon speaketh in the Prouerbs x Prâ—… 5 15 16 17. Drinke the Water of thy Cesterne and of the Riuers of Waters in the streetes but let them bee thine euen thine onely and not the Strangers with thee He teacheth the faithfull to liue of their owne labours and to be helpefull to the godly that want Great were the wants and miseries of the poore Saints of God as we see in the Actes of the Apostles so that many solde their possessions to releeue the distressed Members of the Church yet the Apostle Peter saith to Annanias who had kept backe a part of the price of that he had sold y Acts 5 4. Whilst it remained appertained it not vnto thee And after it was solde was it not in thine owne power How is it that thou hast conceiued this thing in thine heart Thou hast not lied vnto men but vnto God By which words it is manifest that albeit the Saints accounted nothing their owne but had all thinges common among themselues yet they alwaies retained a seuerall right and propriety in those things that they possessed Reason 1. This truth will yet further and better appeare vnto vs if we enter into the consideration of the Reasons that serue to strengthen it First it is confirmed by the Commaundements of God and by the fourth petition of the Lords Prayer The z Exod. 20 15 eight Commaundement forbiddeth vs to steale away our Neighbours goods and to do him the least hurt therein The tenth commandement a Exod. 20 17. restraineth the inward lusts motions that arise in our minds and condemneth the coueting of his house of his wife of his seruant of his oxe of his asse or of any thing that belongeth vnto him If then God commandeth the preseruation of euery mans goods and forbiddeth all iniuries to be offered vnto them it standeth vs vpon to acknowledge a right and interest that euery one hath in earthly things giuen vnto him Likewise our Sauiour Christ teacheth vs b Mat. 6 11. daily to aske our daily bread so that no man ought to desire that which is anothers bread but euery one to know his owne what God hath giuen him and what he hath giuen to others If then there be bread that is ours then also there is bread that is not ours And if somewhat be ours and somewhat not ours it followeth that euery one hath an interest in his owne goods and cannot lay hold on another mans Reason 2. Secondly the inuading of other mens inheritances and the incroaching vpon their priuate possessions is the fruit either of a confused Anarchy or of a loose gouernment and both of them are contrary to that ordinance which God establisheth and the order that he requireth This we see in the latter end of the booke of Iudges where it is recorded and oftentimes repeated that c Iudg. 17 6 18. 1. 19 1. 21 25. In those daies there was no King in Israell but euery man did that which was good in his owne eyes And what I pray you was that Euen that which was starke naught they brake out into open outrages riots vsurpations oppressions and community of women All thinges were out of course no man ordered his life aright euery man followed his owne lustes But God is a God of order and not of confusion d 1. Cor 14 33 40. as the Apostle teacheth 1. Cor. 14 God is not the author of confusion but of peace as we see in all the Churches of the Saintes let all thinges be done honestly and in order But if euery man may enter vpon the labours of other men and take to himselfe what he pleaseth it would bring as great a confusion of families and common wealths e Gen. 11 8. as once there was of tongues when one did not vnderstand another so that they were constrained to breake off the worke they had begun Reason 3. Thirdly euery one hath a proper and peculiar possession his owne seruants to order his owne ground to till his owne fieldes to husband his own family to gouerne and his owne domesticall affaires to manage that
in it owne nature lawdable and lawfull may be vsed wickedly vnwarrantably and vnlawfully The Apostle Paule speaking of the Law saith c 1 Tim. 1 8. We know that the Lawe is good if a man vse it lawfully The thing that is good may be vsed in a manner that is not good But it is a true and common Prouerbe That the faults of the Artificers are not to be ascribed to the Arts themselues The Law is not to be blamed but the Teachers of the Law who did falsely apply it and wrongfully wrest it and ignorantly corrupt it Now that which the Apostle speaketh of the Law may rightly be spoken of suretyship It is good and lawfull if a man vse it well and lawfully But if wee vse it and enter into it rashly not rightly ordinarily not warily foolishly not wisely desperately not discreetly if we entangle our selues with it without much deliberation without good circumspection and without due consideration it becommeth vnlawfull vnto vs. True it is it is not euill in it selfe but to him it turneth to bee euill that vseth it euilly according to that which the Lord saith by the Prophet d Ezek. 20 25. I gaue them Statutes which were not good and Iudgements wherein they shoulde not liue because they brake them and abused them and were made more inexcuseable without them in that they framed not their liues according to the obedience of them It falleth out oftentimes that such as haue incombred themselues with rash promises and vnaduised suretyshippe seldome liue in peace and quietnesse without distraction of minde or feare of trouble or daunger of losse or feeling of misery Hence it is that Salomon teacheth vs to behaue our selues wisely and warily in this point and beateth vppon no Doctrine more often more earnestly more effectually then hee doth vpon this matter that wc haue in hand In the sixt Chapter of the Prouerbes hee sayeth e Prou. 6 1. My Sonne if thou be surety for thy Neighbor and hast stricken hande with the Stranger thou art snared with the wordes of thy Mouth and art taken with the words of thine owne mouth Where he compareth him that is free from bils and bands and bookes of the Creditors free from suretyship and fuch like bondage to a Bird that hath the liberty of the whole aire to flie therein at her owne pleasure but he that is bound by Promise or Couenant or Statute is like a bird in the net of the Fowler the which albeit she flutter with hir wing and cry with her voyce and hop with her foot yet is fast caught and may be killed or put in the Cage So is it with him that is entred into bandes or hath giuen his word for another he hath after a sort lost his freedome hee standeth in danger of falling into mischiefe Wherefore that this giuing of assurance to others and for others either by our word or hande may bee performed lawfully to the good of others and not to the hurt of our selues f Two thinges to be obserued in suretyship wee must marke remember and practise two points First consider the persons of others for whom it is doone Secondly our owne persons that doe it Touching those persons for whom we become sureties we must know that we are not to engage our selues and our credite for euery one that will craue it at our handes or will desire vs to pawne our Word and enter into bandes for them and promise vs faire to see vs discharged but in such men who oftentimes haue a greater feeling of their owne wantes and necessities then of freeing them out of woe that haue pledged themselues for them g In the persons for whō we are bound we must consider three things wee are to obserue three things First that they be well knowne Secondly that they bee honest and godly Thirdly that they bee suffient to pay that which they woulde haue vs bound vnto another to assure him that they will pay These are the persons that we are bound to helpe either for Piety or Charitie or Honestie or Amitie or Consanguinity or Affinity all which bandes do binde vs one to another and require some dutie to bee performed towardes them This is set downe as a singular point of true Wisedome by the Wiseman Prou. 11 15. Hee shall bee sore vexed that is surety for a Stranger and he that hateth suretyship is sure And afterward in the same Booke to the same effect h Prou. 20 16. and 27 13. Take his Garment that is suretie for a Stranger and a pledge of him for the straunger As if he should say pitty him not let him feele the smart of his folly and rashnesse and let him beare the punishment of his headinesse and heedlesnesse according to that which is set downe in another place i Prou. 17 18. A Man destitute of vnderstanding toucheth the hand and becommeth suretie for his Neighbour Whereby wee see that we must not bee so ouer-seene to vndertake for all men hand ouer head without difference but for such as are well and thoroughly knowne vnto vs within and without with whom we haue liued and beene long conuersant and eaten as it is k Cicer. lib. de amicitia in the Prouerbe a Bushell of Salt of whose care and Conscience in his dealings with others either in the same or in the like cases we haue had some good triall and experience Hee that doth engage himselfe farre for a stranger whom he doth not know shall repent afterward when it is too late And if we haue seene or heard of his vnfaithfulnesse in former times to others we are deceiued if we expect any better dealing 2. Againe we are to obserue that Salomon by the word Stranger doth not onely vnderstand such an one as is vnknowne vnto vs but would haue vs beware of those that are lewd and vngodly For so throughout the whol book of the Prouerbes for the most part hee taketh and vseth that word By the m Prou. 2 16. Strange Woman he meaneth a wicked Woman So in the former places his purpose is to teach vs to looke to our selues that they be not of prophane life and loose behauiour for whom we promise to become sureties they ought to bee knowne vnto vs for their honesty and piety that so our hearts may trust and rest in them But such as are vngodly and giuen ouer to all licentiousnesse and spend their dayes and wealth in beastly drunkennesse will neuer make conscience of their word or band to saue vs harmlesse They may well flatter vs till we be bound but they regarde not to discharge vs after we are bound They are vnfaithfull to God and therefore we cannot looke to finde them faithfull to our selues Whereby we see how grosly they are deceiued and how greatly they are deluded and how sencelessely they are besotted that will sooner be bound for Shifters Gamsters Bankerouts Tosse-pots and other base
Seruants vnto their Creditors To conclude if we shew our selues readie and willing to put in practise the Rules giuen vnto vs to bring vs out of the Briars and bondage of suretyshippe wee shall finde rest to our soules and God will encline the heart of our Creditors to shewe fauour vnto vs who hath the hearts of all men in his owne handes Verse 19. I Paule haue written this with mine owne hand I will recompence it Philemon might well haue contented himselfe with the bare word and naked Promise of Paule forasmuch as his word and deede did not differ one from the other This is the defence that he maketh for himselfe to the Corinthians when he was accused of lightnesse and inconstancy promising to come vnto them and yet hee came not l 2 Cor. 1 17 18. When I was thus minded to come vnto you did I vse lightnesse Or minde I those thinges which I mind according to the Flesh that with mee should bee yea and nay Yea GOD is faithfull that our worde toward you was not yea and nay Notwithstanding albeit his word was as good as his bande and his saying accorded with his doing and his promise were as strong as an Obligation so that hee dealt not as men vsually doe which will rashly auouch any thing that commeth into their head and by and by chaunge their purpose in the turning of an hande Wee see in this place how hee promising to satisfie Philemons dammage and willing to leaue no scruple or doubt in him doeth farther confirme it and assureth him by his hand-writing and Couenants albeit they two were great and neare friends and had good interest one in another Doctrine 3. Couenants in writing for debts bargains and sales are honest lawfull We learne from hence that ciuill Instruments and Couenants in writing together with other assurances that may bee asked and graunted are good and lawfull euen amongst the best and greatest Friends I say when Debtes are owing when bargaines are made when money is lent when Lands are solde and when there are mutuall Contracts betweene man and man betweene Friend and Friend betweene Kinsman and Kinsman assurance in writing with hand and seale may be enterchangeably giuen and receiued This we see in the practise of all people in former times When Abraham had made a Couenant of peace and vnitie with Abimelech K. of Gerar he did deliuer vnto him seauen Lambes m Gen. 21 39 23. That the taking of them might be a witnesse of the truth and an assurance vnto him that he hadde digged that Well of waters To this purpose did the King require Abraham to take an Oath and solemnely to sweare by the name of God that hee woulde not deale falsely and fraudulently with him nor hurt him nor his Children nor his Childrens Children The like or rather greater assuraunce is required and yeelded in the 23. Chapter of the same Booke where Abraham buying a fielde of Ephron the Hittite requireth an Instrument with witnesses and a deliuerie of the possession The Field of Ephron n Gen. 23 17 18 20. which was in Machpelah and ouer against Mamre euen the Fielde and the Caue that was therein and all the Trees that were in the Fielde which were in all the Borders round about was made sure vnto Abraham for a possession in the sight of the Hittites euen of all that went in at the gates of his Cittie Where we see all the circumstances and manner of the contract which Abraham maketh are set downe and expressed First we see a large description of the place that was bought together with the bounding and confronting of the place as also the appurtenances Namely the Trees that grew therein Secondly wee see the name of the seller set downe who did openly auouch the sale thereof as being his owne Thirdly the name of the buyer that no doubt might be left Lastly the witnesses are recorded of this bargaine and sale that none might heereaftet lay claime vnto it or denie vnto Abraham the lawful possession of it and the holding of it to him and his And if we would yet see this more clearly wee haue more euident confirmation of it in the prophesies of Ieremie where to shew the certainety of the returne of the Israelites into their Lande and Countrey againe hee maketh a solemne purchase o Ier. 32 9 10. I bought the Fielde of Hanameel mine Vncles sonne and waighed him Siluer euen seauen Shekels ten peeces of Siluer and I writ in the Booke and signed it and tooke witnesses and I gaue the Booke of the possession vnto Baruch in the sight of Hanameel mine Vnckles Sonne and in the presence of the Witnesses which were vvritten in the Booke of the possession before all the Iewes that sate in the Court of the Prison In these wordes which are more at large related in the Prophet wee see what assuraunce and securitie was taken and giuen with VVriting Sealing VVitnesses deliuerie and keeping the Rolles and Records thereof This is set downe likewise in the latter end of the same Chapter Ieremy 32. 43 44. where he saith The Fields shall bee possessed in this Lande whereof ye say It is desolate without Man or Beast and shall bee giuen into the hand of the Caldeans Men shall buy Fieldes for Siluer and make Writinges and seale them and take witnesses in the Lande of Beniamin and rounde about Ierusalem c. for I will cause their Captiuitie to returne sayth the Lord. This discouereth the practise of those times and deliuereth the formes and fashions obserued among that people VVhen Iacob and Laban made a Couenant eyther with other p Ge 31 51 52 which might be a witnesse betweene them both they confirmed it by Oath and set vp an heape of stones to testify the amity and friendship renewed betweene both parties In the Parable of the vniust Steward it is remembred that all Debters and Debts were recorded in writing with the summe that euery one owed r Lu. 16 5 6 7 For hee called vnto euerie one of his Maisters Debters and saide vnto the first How much owest thou vnto my Maister And he saide An hundred measures of Oyle And he said to him Take thy writing and sit downe quickly and write fifty Then saide he to another How much owest thou And he saide An hundred measures of Wheate Then he saide to him take thy writing and write fourescore In this Parable wee see the manner that was vsed in the dayes of old namely that Bookes of recknings and accounts were commonly kept and vsually brought foorth when men did leuell their debts and make euen one with another All which Testimonies ratifying the practise of former times persons serue to teach vs that it is lawfull for the faithfull to vse all circumspection to assure their debts bargaines and contracts one with another Reason 1 And if we would enter into a further consideration of this truth we shall
hath beene his Maister This will be the behauiour of all such as haue felt the burthen of their sinnes and beene humbled vnder the heauy stroke of Gods hand and felt the vnsearchable depth of the sore festering and fretting within them They are the onely men that know what necessary vse there is of the Ministers to search their wounds to raise vp with comfort to binde vppe the broken-hearted and strengthen them that are weake and ready to fall As for those that neuer knew what the Nature of sinne is nor felt the intollerable burthen of it but thinke themselues sound and not sicke heart-whole and not diseased Liuing men by Nature and not dead in sinnes and trespasses they take themselues to bee in good case according to the saying of Christ our Sauiour h Math. 9 12. The whole neede not the Phisitian but they that are sicke Thus then we see how we may proue our selues whether we be in the Faith or not euen by the good estimation that we haue of such as are the bringers of it Secondly we may gather from hence that the greatest part of the world lyeth deepely and dangerously in condemnation because such hath been the vnthankefulnesse thereof toward the Ministers and Messengers of Saluation that bring glad tydings of peace vnto vs that it neuer respected them or gaue them any reuerence We see this by the examples of the Prophets of the Apostles and of Christ himselfe So long as men resolue to entertaine their sinnes so long they will neuer bee willing to entertaine the Preachers of the Gospell whose Office is to beat downe the Kingdome of sinne and Sathan and to set vp the Kingdome of Christ Iesus in the harts of Men. When Herod was determined to keepe his Brothers Wife i Math. 14 4 5 he could not abide to heare Iohn preach vnto him but committed him to prison It is an euident signe of a corrupt conscience and of a prophane hart to account vilely of those whom God hath highly aduanced The Ministers of the Gospell were neuer so much hated scorned and abhorred they are made a common reproach and by-word for euery base Fellow they are set forth as vppon a Stage or Scaffold to be derided of euery Man k 1. Cor. 4 13. They are made as the filth of the world and the off-scowring of all things vnto this time If this be the estate of the Ministers wee may giue a true iudgement in what estate the cause of Religion standeth among vs and what harbour it findeth with the men of this age Such as esteeme of the Ministers as the filth and off-scowring of the earth doe also account the knowledge of the word as the Dregges and drauery of all other thinges Such as respect not those that are the meanes of faith will also reiect faith it selfe The Ministers of the word and true Religion grow vp as two Plants together so long as the one is countenanced and vpholden so long the other will flourish and spread abroad and prosper But if the Ministers that are as the Lordes Gardiners or the dressers of his Vine be euilly intreated maliciously slandered despightfully handled and scornefullie reproached Religion it selfe beginneth to faint and to languish and cannot long goe free Let vs know therefore by this signe the sicknesse of this age and the dangerous declining of all good things There cannot be a more certaine token of the ruine of the Church then when we see the maine posts and cheefe pillers thereof set at naught It is an easie matter to giue iudgement what will be the issue of this disease it is no hard thing to feele the pulses of this Generation and to tell them that the very pangs of death are vpon them so long as the spirituall Phisitions of their Soules are base in their eyes that desire nothing more then to recouer them out of that desperate consumption into which they are fallen There is no man hath his vitall Spirits so farre spent and the naturall heat so much wasted but is willing to heare of a Physition that is able and willing to set him on foote againe and to restore his strength vnto him that hee had before But we are become so senselesse or shamelesse and so dead in our sinnes that we haue no desire of health nor seeke after any spirituall Surgeons or Phisitions to looke vnto vs in time of sicknes There is no disease without cure if men of knowledge be enquired after who haue the tongue of the learned to minister a word in due season Vse 2. Secondly as this Doctrine serueth to teach so it is profitable to reprooue diuers sorts of men but I will onely touch these three The first reproofe First it maketh against fuch as make a bad and base account of the Ministers of God and think they owe no dutie to their Pastours but reckon them as their Vassals and Seruants suppose that they are bound to please them and follow their humours and account their Teachers beholden vnto them for vouchsafing to heare them as crediting their Ministery by their presence It must not therefore seeme a strange thing vnto vs when we see the Ambassadours of God contemned when we heare them reuiled and all manner of euill done to their persons We know our calling to be of GOD acceptable in his sight and precious with all faithfull men Wee are the sweete l 2 Cor. 2 15. sauour of God as well in them that perrish as in them that are saued we know that m 1 Cor. 1 24. howsoeuer the preaching of the Word be a stumbling blocke to the Iewes and foolishnesse to the Graecians and both a stumbling blocke and foolishnesse to the filthy Libertines and carnall Gospellers yet to them that are effectuallie called it is the power of God and the wisedome of God We know what Christ hath pronounced of our Ministery so long as we deliuer the truth of God Luke 10 16. n Luke 10 16 He that heareth you heareth me and hee that despiseth you despiseth me and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me If a Man abuse an Ambassadour of a Prince and set him at naught it is reputed and reuenged as a disgrace and dishonour done to the Prince himselfe so if we shall abase and disgrace the Ministers of the Gospell which are the Messengers of God we shall neuer escape without punishment but bring vpon our selues swift damnation Is not he a godlesse and vngracious Childe that mocketh and despiseth his Father after the example of curssed Cham o Gen. 9 22. who tasted of Gods wrath for this contempt The Lord pronounceth a fearefull threatning against this fearefull sinne The eye p Prou. 30 17. that mocketh his Father and despiseth the instruction of his Mother let the Rauens of the valley picke it out and the young Eagles eate it In like manner he is an vngodly and vnregenerate hearer that controlleth and
that after the Thessalonians had heard the Gospell of Christ published vnto them so many of them as were ordained vnto eternall life beleeued and submitted themselues to be duided and reformed by it This dutie hath c Foure degrees of submitting our selues to the Gospell manie branches First it is required of vs to heare the worde of God with patience This is the first step and degree that leadeth vnto life and it proceedeth from the meere grace and fauour of God whensoeuer it is wrought in our hearts For how many are there that when they heare stop their eares That when they see shut their eyes That when they vnderstand doe harden their hearts When Stephen made a defence for himselfe before the chiefe Priests that sat in the Counsel d Acts 7 57. They gaue a shout with a loud voyce and stopped their eares and ran violently vpon him all at once and cast him out of the Citty and stoned him with stones When one Alexander a Iew beckned with the hand prepared himselfe to speak and would haue excused the Apostles e Acts 19 33 There arose a great shout almost for the space of two houres of all men crying Great is Diana of the Ephesians Likewise when Paule made a perticuler rehearsal of the manner of his conuersion to the faith before the Iewes they heard him quietly and with silence vntill he said He was sent to the Gentiles but then thorough impatience f Acts 22 23. they cried out they cast off their cloathes and threw dust into the ayre and lift vp their voices saying Away with such a fellow from the earth for it is not meet that he should liue We see by these examples that it is a token of Gods goodnesse when he giueth vs circumcised eares to listen and attend to the word preached vnto vs with patience and perseuerance vnto the end albeit we heare our sins reproued our secret thoughts opened vnto vs. It is our dutie to shew our selues swift to heare but slow to speake and slow to wrath We must be slow to speake against that which hath bin deliuered and we must be slow to anger and indignation against those that haue deliuered the truth vnto vs. Secondly it is required that we receiue the word that we haue heard assent vnto it as to the word of truth and acknowledge it to bee good and true euen that part of the word that containeth his iudgements his threatnings his cursses his punnishments This is to be craued of God as being a special worke of grace in those that belong to his kingdom For many there are that heare and haue their eares open to attend these are not dull hearers that marke nothing but ate ready to listen and giue care and yet they will not giue their assent to that which they haue heard The Apostle teacheth g 1 Cor. 2 14. That the naturall man perceiueth not the things of the spirit of God for they are foolishnesse vnto him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned When Paule preached at Athens in the hearing of the Stoikes and Epicures touching the resurrection from the dead they saide h Acts 17 18 What will this Babler say A great part of our ordinary hearers may be placed in this rank who are content to heare and then sit in iudgement vppon that which they haue heard and neuer giue credit vnto it but measure the truth of God by their carnall conceits and naturall reasons Thirdly it is farther required of vs to embrace the truth in our hearts carefully to apply it to our owne soules It belongeth vnto vs not onely to heare it with the eare and to assent to it with the mind but to lay it vp deeply rooted in vs and to make it our owne by a speciall application This is the right vse of the word this is peculiar to the elect and this is a work of grace in our hearts The Hystoricall faith giueth a generall consent to the truth of God but neuer goeth farther to apprehend it as we see in Simon the Sorcerer who is said to haue beleeued that is in a generall maner to haue consented to the Gospell and yet Peter telleth him i Acts 8 21. That his heart was vpright and that he remained in the gall of bitternesse Let vs not therefore approbriate the word of grace that is able to build farther vnto our owne selues otherwise we shall haue no more comfort then the Reprobates haue who come so farre as to confesse the word to be true and that God by his Sonne will saue the Vessels of mercy Lastly it is required in this speciall manner to entertaine the worde to wit as the word of God Many receiue the word and imbrace it willingly readily chearfully and ioyfully but not as the word of God I wil not stand to speake of the Church of Rome which holdeth that the word written hath not authority in it selfe vnlesse the Church approue it and therefore albeit it embraceth the word of God yet it embraceth it not as the word of God For how many are there among our selues that receiue not the word of God with that reuerence and obedience that they ought as appeareth by the euil practises of their liues These men do not receiue the word of God as the word of God who if they did in truth sincerity acknowledge this truth to be of God to haue him for the author thereof they would lead their liues in another maner then they do they would be afraid to rush forward to run headlong as it were with violence into the breach transgression thereof They would consider that God will not beare and endure the contempt of his word but reuenge the dishonor done to his name with great plagues and most grieuous iudgments These are the duties that are to be performed of vs and the foure degrees that testifie our submitting of our selues to the truth of the Gospel preached deliuered vnto vs by the Ministers of Christ Vse 4 Lastly seeing they by whose ministry we are gained to God and preserued in the state of saluation being gained ought to be most deare to vs we owing vnto them our owne selues This must teach the Ministers of God a necessary duty and lesson to be marked of them to wit to endeuor by their daily diligence and continuall preaching of the Gospel to make the people indebted vnto them For how do the people come so much in their debt but that they receiue heauenly Doctrine by their Ministry as from the mouth of God Such as haue need of admonition must be exhorted such as are weak in the faith must be strengthned such as need comfort ought to be comforted such as are ignorant must be instructed such as are willing to be taught must be beseeched and intreated and euery one must be handled according to his nature and condition according to the rule
aliue he shall be blessed vpon the Earth c. the Lord will strengthen him vpon the Bed of sorrow thou hast turned all his Bed in his sicknesse Secondly this Doctrine is against those that count themselues cleere and beyond all all reproofe if they keepe the Letter of the Positiue Law being notwithstanding therein cruell vniust and vnmercifull Extreame Law is extreame wrong and great cruelty for euen the lawes themselues require to be mitigated with equity and tempered with reason and seasoned with conscience It is not enough for vs to say I doe but Iustice I doe him no wrong I seeke but mine owne This cannot excuse our extreame courses nor make our wicked wordes and workes warrantable The times and occasions may be such as may make the seeking of our owne to be theft yea Murther when it taketh away the Bread of the poore which is their liuing We see how the Prophet maketh it vnlawfull for all persons at all times to require all their debts of all sorts of men We see that the Seruant in the Gospell is punished for requiring al his owne he cast his Fellow-seruant into Prison by a warrant of Lawe and a strict course of Iustice he exacted no more then was due vnto him he required not two hundred pence when an hundred onely would haue discharged the debt yet himselfe was therefore throwne into vtter darknesse where shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth For the times may be so hard our Bretheren may be so poore and we may be so wealthy that we ought to be content to depart from our right and to yeelde to the necessity of such as are in want and to say with the Prophet g 2 King 5 26 Is this a time to take Money and to receiue Garments and Oliues and Vineyards and Sheepe and Oxen and Men-Seruants and Maid-Seruants The creditor could say thus much for himself lay this for his defence that came to take away the Children of the poore Widdow to make them his Bond-men He required but his owne The Apostle condemning the contentions that were among the Corinthians in Law-matters saith h 1 Cor. 6 7. Why rather suffer ye not wrong Why rather sustaine ye not harme Nay ye your selues doe wrong and doe harme and that to your Brethren Wherefore when we see mens pouerty so extreame that they haue neede to haue all forgiuen vnto them we must be content not by constraint but willingly to loose sometimes the principall It is a silly shift to say I do nothing but that which Law warranteth me for we must also be able to say I haue done nothing but that which a good conscience hath warrented me which equity hath warranted mee which loue hath warranted me and that which is more then all the rest I haue doone nothing but that which the profession of the Gospell of Christ hath warranted me If we can say this truely we haue comfort in God and peace in our owne hearts This is it which the Apostle speaketh touching himselfe and his owne practise i 1 Cor. 9 12. Wee haue not vsed this power but suffer all thinges that we should not hinder the Gospell of Christ. We must diligentlie consider our calling and labour to bring forth the fruits of the Gospell that the name of God be not euill spoken off Vse 3 Thirdly albeit we ought not to be rough or rash in exacting our owne but to deale mercifully and to beare patiently with the poore yet this must not giue men liberty to gather other mens goods into their hands and then to defraud them as much as they can There be some that vnder a colour of Religion will cozen and deceiue creeping into mens bosomes borrowing and getting from them what they can with a corrupt minde and a guilefull conscience and spending it in idlenesse in ryotousnesse in drunkennesse such like leudnesse These are they that when they are demaunded to pay their due will be ready to cursse their Creditours and to keepe from them their goods with a strong hand and then vpbraid them with couetousnesse with miserablenesse with extortion with oppression Yea some are so vnthankfull so proud and so wicked that they receiue the fauours of men and their friendship toward them as matters of duty insomuch that some will say what haue these Rich men done vnto me but they were bound to doe that and more also And what is this in comparison of that which by the Commaundement of God they owe vnto me Thus while these men aske releefe they thinke they require nothing but their owne and that others are much indebted and greatly beholden vnto them that they will take an almes at their handes Others who yet are more proud and prophane do shamefully abuse not onely the liberality of the rich but the very word of God it selfe framing it to serue their owne turne and wresting it to please their own humours pretending that they k Luke 6 35. Ought to lend looking for nothing againe Thus they bend their Scriptures which way they list not knowing what they say nor vnderstanding the purpose of Christ For first to speake properlie when wee looke for nothing againe we doe not lend but giue When a Man lendeth he may looke for his owne whereas he that giueth doth it freelie Againe the purpose of our Sauiour is to be considered who in that place moueth vs to doe good one to another with a single eye and with a simple heart not to loue because we would be loued nor to do pleasure because we would receiue the like but to loue euen our enemies of whom we haue no kindnesse againe For in the wordes going before he saith l Luke 6 32 33 34. If yee loue them which loue you what thanke shall ye haue For euen the Sinners loue those that loue them c. And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receiue what thank shall ye haue For euen the Sinners lend to Sinners to receiue the like Then afterward followeth the former sentence which these men alledge Loue yee your Enemies and doe good and lend looking for nothing againe that is for no such pleasure at their hands doe not lend to them at one time to the end that they may lend to you another time for this were to respect more our owne commoditie then their necessitie and the loue of our selues more then the loue we beare to our Brethren It standeth not with the rule of Charitie to giue away part of our goods with this condition that hee pleasure vs in the like with that which he hath For these giue or lend nothing but to those of whom they hope to receiue the like and therefore obey not the counsell of Christ that would haue those called and inuited to our Tables which cannot bid vs againe nor giue vs any recompence So then we must shew our selues willing to make the poor partakers of that we haue although they
3. Thirdlie such motions receiue a blessing from God If we craue and desire nothing at the handes of others but that which is right our perswasions shall be accepted of God who hath the hearts of all men in his owne power to change and alter as it pleaseth him When Ester asked of the King to haue k Ester 7 3. her life giuen her at her petition and her people at her request shee had it granted and more also then she asked On the other side vnlawfull and vngodly suits do oftentimes turne to the confusion of such as obtaine them albeit they may florish for a time yet in the end they are snared with the words of their owne mouth We see this in the example of Haman who after he was exalted in honour next vnto the King he craued of the King very earnestlie l Ester 3 9. That all the Iewes should be slaine and put to death in one day this he obtained and preuailed in his suit but he neuer liued to put it in execution but was hanged on the tree which he had prouided and prepared for Mordecai Wherfore seeing it is a cheefe and principall rule in friendship to request and require onely honest thinges seeing such requestes though they bee great giue comfort and assurance of obtaining and seeing they receiue a blessing at the handes of God it followeth that whatsoeuer we prouoke or procure men to doe must haue a faire warrant and be agreeable to the will of God Vse 1. The vses of this doctrine are not to be omitted First we learne from hence other truths for the strengthning of our Faith So long as any of our Bretheren aske that which is good craue of vs to giue our consent to that which is lawfull we ought to haue our eares and our hearts opened to hearken vnto them No request among ten thousand is more reasonable then when the word of exhortation is offered vnto vs and we are moued to repent and bring forth the fruits of amendment of life So long as we follow our owne lustes and delight in the prophanenesse of our corrupt hearts wee walke in darkenesse and in the shaddow of death and runne the way that leadeth to destruction If then any come vnto vs and perswade vs to turne vnto God and to forsake our former waies who are better or greater or surer Friends vnto vs then these For who can wish vs greater good or procure vs greater benefit then to seeke to saue our soules and to make vs inheritors of Gods Kingdome Wee ought therefore to make much of them and not send them away from vs weeping These seeke not themselues but vs they ayme not at their owne profit but ours it is our duty one to another to exhort one another while it is called To day Are they charged and commanded to haue mouths to speak vnto vs and ought not we to haue eares to hear them and hearts to obey them On the other side it is necessary to deny whatsoeuer is vniust and vnhonest and vnreasonable whatsoeuer we are required and by whomsoeuer we are importuned For as it is a commendable vertue not to deny m Prou. 3 28 or delay a Christian request put vp vnto vs so is it as praise-worthy to refuse to hearken and yeelde to any vnlawfull and wicked desire What though we be deare friendes or great acquaintance or neere Brethren What though we haue a mutuall communion of good thinges among vs Should we therefore abuse this coniunction that we haue one with another It is accounted by the Heathen Philosophers n Haec prima lex in amicitia sanciatur vt neque rogemus res turpes nec faciamus rogati Cicer de amicit as the first Law to be obserued in friendship that we neither request things shamefull and dishonest neyther doe them when we are requested It is an absurd thing to imagine that they which refuse to gratifie vs in vngodly things and to follow our corrupt minds and to be ready at our pleasure to call light darkenesse and darkenesse light good euill and euill good should be saide to part friendship and to transgresse the limits of peace and concord For it is a base and blinde excuse and a weake pretence not to bee allowed for a man when he hath done euill to confesse he did it for his friendes cause or at his friendes request There is no man so closely tyed vnto any that for their sakes he should submit himselfe to that which is euill and so make himselfe partaker of their sinnes There is little difference betweene him that committeth euill and another that yeeldeth to the committing of it Let vs therefore know that God requireth of vs this dutie to take diligent heed that we giue no consent to euill nor incline our hearts to obey those that would prouoke vs vnto it They are Instruments of the Deuill that would draw vs to iniquitie and pull vpon our owne heads the heauy wrath and displeasure of God so that we ought as much to abhorre them and to fly from them as if we heard the Deuill himselfe speake vnto vs and therefore to say vnto them Come behinde mee Sathan or auoyde Sathan thou art an offence vnto me We haue a worthy example of this in Ioseph when his Maisters Wife cast her eyes vpon him and saide Lye with me he hearkned not vnto her but denied her request and refused to be in her company Behold saith hee o Gen. 39 8 9 my Maister knoweth not what he hath in the House with me and hath committed all he hath to mine hand there is no Man greater in this House then I neither hath he kept any thing from mee but onely thee because thou art his Wife how then can I doe this great wickednesse and so sinne against GOD. A Carnall Man that is nothing else but a Lumpe of Nature and a Masse of Flesh and an heape of corruption would maruaile much at the great simplicitie of Ioseph in this place and thinke hee dealt like an vnwise man who by obeying his Mistresse might haue gotten great honour purchased much fauour and rid himselfe from much trouble which afterward hee fell into as well through the false accusation and information of his Mistresse as also through the rashnesse and hastinesse of his Maister Yea Ioseph himselfe if he had looked no farther then to the beholding of glory and prosperity might haue reasoned thus with himselfe What shall I doe in this case I am in great trouble on euery side If I doe not consent vnto her I shall be falsely accused euilly intreated hardly imprisoned and cruelly handled I shall liue in all woe and misery all the daies of my life were I not therefore better to hearken vnto her voyce and thereby auoyd all these troubles that hang ouer mine head whereas on the other side I am likely by her meanes to come to honor and preferment and to be in greater
Superior power which is aboue all power in Heauen and earth Whatsoeuer they are commaunded to do can bind the conscience no farther then standeth with the pleasure of God It is not enough for them to say I was moued to it by others I was commanded to do it it lay not in my power to preuent it or resist it I am vnder the iurisdiction of others and am tyed to obey This will not goe for currant payment but beareth a counterfeit stampe it is like the Figge-leaues of Adam where-with he couered himselfe which serued his turne well enough vntill God came to examine him and to enter into iudgement with him So these weake excuses seeme wise reasons to iustifie our wicked obedience vntill they come to be searched and sifted by the light of Gods word For this cause the Apostle teaching subiection to Parents saith z Ephe. 6. 1. Children obey your Parents in the Lord for this is right Whereby we learne how to vnderstand that precept which seemeth to exact a generall or vniuersall obedience Coloss 3. Children obey your Parents in all thinges namely that it must be in good and lawfull things In like manner as the obedience of Inferiours is instinted and restrained not left at randome and at libertie so the iurisdiction of such as are in Superiour places is not so great as to tyrannize ouer mens consciences to require what they please and to commaund what seemeth good in their own eies but it must know the bounds that God hath appointed and not exceede the same This made the Apostle say to the Church of the Corinthians a 1 Cor. 11 1 Be ye followers of me as I am of Christ He chargeth them to goe no farther with him then they saw him to walke with Christ and therefore in another place he sheweth b Gal. 1 9. That if any Man or any Angell from Heauen should Preach otherwise then they had receiued he must be holden accursed This serueth to reprooue all such as binde their Inferiours to doe whatsoeuer they commaund This is to set vppe our selues in stead of GOD. Absolute obedience in all thinges without restraint is due to none but vnto him that hath an absolute power and commaund ouer all Creatures His authoritie is infinite and receiueth no limitation As for the Sonnes of men how great soeuer their power be yet it is finite and it vrgeth vs no farther then they haue warrant to commaund vs. Wherefore they are greatly deceiued and take too much vpon them that thinke themselues abused their places contemned and their authority diminished when they are not in all things obeyed Nay they themselues doe not sufficiently know themselues nor their high callings that looke for more then is due vnto them and require of their Inferiours so much as they with a good conscience cannot performe These are they that say Doe they not owe vs a dutie Are they not vnder vs Haue not wee power ouer them May not we commaund subiection and obedience vnto vs True it is all reuerence and obedience is due vnto them in the Lorde but if they will haue subiection against the Lord and against his will they forget their places they take too much vppon them and they vsurpe a Dominion that was neuer committed and communicated vnto them Let all that are in authoritie beware of this pride of hart and aduancing thēselues aboue that which ought to be in them This we see to haue beene in Saule as he persecuted Dauid from place to place so he commaunded c 1 Sam. 22 17 the Sergeants that stood about him To turne and slay the Priestes of the Lorde as if they were bound to doe it at his desire The like appeareth in Absalom when he would satisfie his owne mallice and reuenge the dishonour done to his Sister Tamar d 2 Sam. 13 28 he commaunded his seruants saying Marke now when Amnons heart is merry with Wine and when I say vnto you Smite Amnon kill him feare not for haue not I commaunded you Be bold therefore and play the Men. He doth not goe about to perswade their consciences of the lawfulnesse of the fact but he is blinde himselfe and seeketh to blinde the eyes of other he is carried away with mallice and filleth the handes of others with blood Thus are the wicked possessed with pride and presume in the height of their iniquity that all their vngodly commaundements whatsoeuer are to be obeyed But as they are reprooued that execute whatsoeuer they are required to doe so are they reprehended that will require euery thing that they list to glut their owne anger and mallice They that do commaund and such as are commaunded are both culpable of iudgement Saul in commaunding to slay the Priestes of the Lord was an horrible Murtherer so was also Doeg the Executioner of it Absalom charging his Seruants to kill his Brother was a detestible Parricide so also the Seruants had their handes defiled with blood that obeyed his commaundement Let vs therefore all of vs remember the rule of the Apostle 2 Cor. 13. 8. e 2 Cor. 13 8. We cannot doe any thing against the truth but for the truth So let all Superiors say We can commaund nothing against the Lord but for the Lord. And let all Inferiours say we cannot obey against the Lord but in the Lord and whether it be better to obey God or Man iudge you We must all consider before we require obedience what it is that wee would haue done that we may haue warrant to exact it and others comfort to execute it Refresh my Bowels in the Lord. This is another variable phrase whereby the Apostle requireth that Onesimus be receiued againe into his Maisters seruice This earnestnesse for him argueth both that the Man before his calling was most wicked but now after his conuersion was turned to bee most godlie and religious besides that his Maisters heart was wonderfullie estranged from him So then wee are heerein to consider two thinges first that vnlesse he had greatly wronged his Maister and done him iniurie in some heynous manner the Apostle would not haue been so vehement nor haue doubled his request for him Secondlie vnlesse he had beene throughlie assured and perswaded of his vnfained repentance doubtlesse he would neuer haue pleaded his cause with such effectuall Reasons earnest asseuerations and often repetitions Now in these wordes of comforting and refreshing his Bowels he witnesseth that he should receiue exceeding great ioy if Philemon would release Onesimus and receiue him into his loue and fauour againe as he desired of him Doctrine 3. Men ought greatly to reioyce at the good and benefit of their Brethren in temporall and eternall blessings We learne from hence that it is a speciall dutie required of vs to reioyce at the good and benefit of our Bretheren both in Temporall and Eternall blessinges When we see any good befall them in matters concerning this life or the life
in Gods Mercie by the example of those that were called at the last houre of the day Marke that so soone as the theefe and Laborers were called u Math. 20. 7. by by they repented the reason why they turned from their sinnes no sooner was because grace was no sooner offered vnto them but when God spake they heard his voice when God called they answeared without delay whereas these impenitent persons haue had the meanes oftentimes offered vnto them and yet refuse the calling of the Lord. Thirdly we are to hope the best of our brethren to commend them vnto God to pray for their conuersion There cannot be a greater iniury done vnto them then to passe the sentence of condemnation vpon them and as much as lieth in vs to blot them out of the booke of Life Hence it is that the Apostle saith 1. Cor. 4. x 1 Cor. 4 5. Iudge nothing before the time vntill the Lord come who will lighten thinges that are hid in darknesse and make the counsels of the heart manifest and then shall euery man haue praise of God The secrets of God belong vnto him wee are not to search into them but to adore them Knowing that thou wilt doe euen more then I say This is a confirmation of the former conclusion drawne from a comparison of the greater to the lesse in this manner I doubt not but thou wilt receiue him because thou art ready to perfourme more then I require at thy handes which is amplified and enlarged by an humane testimony I know it well enough Heere then wee may see the good opinion that Paule had conceiued of Philemon that he was willing not onely to graunt whatsoeuer he craued of him but to yeeld more then he required Doctrine 5. The Faithfull being moued to Christian duties haue yeelded more then hath bin required of them The Doctrine arising from hence is this that righteous men being mooued to Honest Charitable Iust and necessary duties will yeeld more then men can well request and require them to doe The people of God haue from time to time shewed themselues ready not onely to do what they haue beene commanded but to practise more then hath beene charged vpon them This we see in the Children of Israell when they were required to bring their Offerings y Exod. 35 5 36 5 6. to the Lord with a willing heart they brought too much more then enough for the vse of the worke and the building of the Tabernacle They were not slacke and backward in furthering the seruice of the Sanctuary but zealous and forward in promoting the glory of God and the place of his worship so that they prepared and presented more then was looked for at their handes When Dauid saw that the plague was stayed and the hand of God remooued from him and his people he was willed to go vp and reare an Altar vnto the Lord in the threshing floore of Araunah the Iebusite where the Angell stood being commanded to stay his hand which he desired to buy with his money but Araunah said vnto Dauid z 2 Sam. 24 21 22. Let my Lord the King take and offer what seemeth him good in his eyes Behold the Oxen for the burnt Offering and Chariots and the Oxen for Wood all these thinges as a King he gaue vnto the King True it is Dauid would not accept of this kindnesse nor offer a burnt offering vnto the Lord his God of that which cost him nothing so that he boght the threshing floore the Oxen of him at a price notwithstanding it sheweth the readinesse willingnesse and forwardnesse of this good man to doo more then was required at his hands And as we saw the free-heartednesse of the people at the building of the Tabernacle so we may see the same in preparing for the building of the Temple for when Dauid prouoked thē by word and example to offer freely and said a 1 Chro. 29 20 21. Who is willing to fill his hand to day vnto the Lord The Princes of the families and the Princes of the Tribes of Israell and the Captaines of thousands and of hundreths with the Rulers of the Kings worke offered willingly and they gaue for the seruice of the house of God fiue thousand Talents of Gold c. and they with whom precious stones were found gaue them to the Treasure of the house of the Lord c. So that among them they brought more to the helping forward of the building of the Temple then Dauid looked for The like we see in the practise of the Churches of Macedonia who prouided for the Saints of Ierusalem not onely as they were able but beyonde that which they were able for though themselues were brought to great misery and extreame pouerty yet they fainted not but became so forward that he saith of them b 2 Cor. 8 3 4. I beare them record that to their power yea and beyond their power they were willing and they prayed vs with great instance that we would receiue the grace and fellowspip of the Ministring which is towardes the Saints The Apostle craueth of them a little and they performe much hee beseecheth them to do according to their power and they bring vnto him beyond their power By all these examples as by a Iury of many witnesses it appeareth that the faithfull will not hang backe but be ready to performe and practise more then is required of them they will not do lesse but more then is looked for at their hands Reason 1. Though this truth be plaine in it selfe yet it will bee made much plainer by reasons First of all the obedience of the faithfull will super-abound because they set before them the example of God and delight to come neere vnto him They haue experience of his bountifull dealing toward them he is ready to graunt not onely what they aske but more then they aske They finde him not onely willing to heare them when they pray c Psal 21 3. But forwarde to preuent them with his blessings before they pray When Salomon desired a wise heart to go in and out before his people he gaue him Wisedome Riches Honour Seeing therefore the godly do feele this vnspeakable liberality of God toward them that he heareth before we call and granteth before wee aske and answereth before we request wee ought to resemble our heauenly Father and to put on his Image that we may shew our selues like vnto him in yeelding more at the suite of our brethren then can be required of vs. Reason 2 Secondly the Children of God haue a free and willing minde and seeke to walke before him with a perfect heart And what will not a willing heart do Will it not striue to attaine to perfection When Moses setteth downe the forwardnesse of the people in offering to the Lord for the worke of the Tabernacle of the Congregation he maketh this to be the cause d
It is a property of the good and diligent seruant who being bidden to go will run about his businesse or being required to do little will gird vp his loynes and doe more as on the other side the Wiseman teacheth Prou. 10 26. that as Vineger is to the Teeth and smoake to the eyes so is the slouthfull to them that send him When we behold such an encrease in godlinesse and a running in the race of Christian duties let vs be mindfull to giue God the glory and the praise who hath touched their hearts to bring forth so great fruits Contrarywise it is the cause of much griefe and sorrow when men deceiue the hope and expectation that is conceiued of them in the best thinges when we looke for a plentifull Haruest and finde onely a few blasted eares when wee expect an encrease and see nothing but a fearefull fainting and languishing in honest and holy duties This is it which the Author of the Epistle to the Hebrewes reproueth in them p Heb. 5 21. When as concerning the time ye ought to bee Teachers yet haue ye need againe that we teach you what are the first principles of the worde of GOD and are become such as haue neede of Milke and not of strong Meate The like reproofe is cast vpon the Galathians Chap. 3 1. O foolish Galathians who hath bewitched you that ye should not obey the trueth to whom Iesus Christ was before described in your sight and among you crucified Oh! see see the misery of our dayes all come short of the duties that are required of them be they neuer so iust honest necessarie so greatly to Gods glorie and the aduancement of true Religion If men would come thus farre to yeeld halfe so much as is requested of them or as farre as they should wee should iudge it much and it would appeare greater then it is Beholde the barrennesse and backwardnesse of our daies that yeeld no better fruit If a man would take a Light and search vppe and downe from house to house where shall he finde a true-hearted Philemon of whom we may boldly say as Paule doth in this place I know that thou wilt do euen more then I say I would we were come thus farre to say of our professors I know thou wilt do as much as I say We haue not learned to performe so much we have started backe from our former zeale we are fallen from much to little and from little to nothing at all and from nothing to lesse then nothing that is from no good to much euill For how many might a man single out by name and point out with the finger who nothwithstanding their happy beginnings raysing a woonderfull expectation of a glorious end are now become dry and withered of whom we may say I knowe thou wilt doe nothing I know there is nothing in them I know they haue embraced this present World These are q Iob 6 15 16 c. like those Streames or Channelles which immediately after a showre of Raine runne swiftly and promise to the poore Traueller that wandereth in the VVildernesse a most comfortable refreshing but in time of neede deceiue him So is it with such as haue embraced the Faith and seeme to haue receyued into their drie heartes the sweet r Deut. 32 2. Dewes and pleasant showers of the Word who appeare zealous for a time and afterward fall away they deceiue the hope that hath beene conconceiued of them and the end with them is worse then the beginning The Doctrine that hath dropped vpon them as the raine vpon the hearbes and the great raine vpon the grasse is quite dried vp and no remnants therof are to be discerned according to the saying of Christ Å¿ Math. 25 29. Vnto euery man that hath it shall be giuen and he shall haue abundance but from him that hath not euen that he hath shal be taken away This is notably expressed in the parable of the Man that going into a strange Country called his seruants deliuered and deuided to them his goods and when one of them went his way and hidde his Talent in the earth it was taken from him that had beene slouthfull and giuen to him that had gained fiue Talents Againe if the time would serue it were easie to shew how sumptuous costly and full of expenses men are to maintaine their vanities pleasures and delights aboue that we can desire or imagine but in other thinges most nigh and niggardly and hand-fasted We see how wasting and prodigall they are in the pursuit of their carnall lustes they thinke no cost to be too much no charges too great Vse 3. Lastly it is the duty of euery man to labour to be answearable at the least to the expectation that the Church hath had of him and to endeuour to be as good as he hath made shew off perfourming therein the practise of his profession not deceiuing any of the Seruants of God therein This requireth of vs a carefull obseruation and marking of the manners of men both of their beginnings and proceedings and not to stand as idle behoulders gazing in the aire that we may vnderstand the time the meanes the forwardnesse the knowledge the shew that hath beene in many all which haue promised much and caused vs to expect good thinges at their handes and yet oftentimes in vaine This appeareth in the song of the Prophet Esay Chap. 5. Wherein he setteth before the peoples eyes their great vnthankfulnesse t Esay 5 4. that albeit the Lord had done for his Vineyard what he could yet it brought forth wilde Grapes in stead of good Fruit and therfore he threatneth that the Thornes shall ouergrow it the Beastes should spoile it the Raine shall not nourish it Thus also the Apostle speaketh to the Hebrewes who as hee exhorteth them that leauing the Doctrine of the beginning of Christ they should be led forward vnto perfection so he threatneth such as turne backward with an horrible iudgement that shall come vpon them a fearefull curse that shall ouertake them u Heb. 6 7 8. For the earth saith he that drinketh in the raine that commeth oft vpon it and bringeth forth Hearbes meet for them by whom it is dressed receiueth blessing of God but that which beareth Thornes and Briars is reproued and is neere vnto cursing whose end is to be burned Whereby we see that an heauy curse belongeth vnto all such as answeare not the hope that is conceiued of them they deceiue men much they deceiue as farre as lieth in them God himselfe but especially they deceiue their owne soules We pitty those greatly whom we haue seene fresh and lusty strong and sturdy of body when they grow weake faint sickly and decaying in age and strength but much more ought we to lament to see those that haue beene forward and gone before many others to haue need to be taught againe the first principles of Religion and to
It is a propertie of God to loue Strangers and therefore to be imitated and followed of all that belong vnto him This reason is expressed in the Booke of Deuteronomy Chapt 10 18. The Lord our God is God of Gods and Lord of Lords a great God mighty and terrible who doth t Deut. 10 18. right vnto the Fatherlesse and Widdow and loueth the Stranger giuing him foode and rayment loue ye therefore the Stranger Where we see he vrgeth this duty to loue the stranger mooued by the example of God himselfe who is alwaies ready to helpe him and to defend him so that it ought to bee our desire and delight to study to be like vnto our heauenly Father Reason 3. Thirdly God doth greatly honour such as honour Strangers they haue beene so farre honored by God as that Angels haue entred into their houses been entertained by them and haue blessed them This the Apostle teacheth Heb. 13. u Heb. 13 2. Be not forgetfull to entertaine Strangers for thereby some haue receiued Angels into their Houses vnawares Declaring heereby that they which in the simplicitie of their hearts serue God and comfort his Saintes in the duties of Hospitalitie and other fruites of loue shall obtaine great honour and many blessings from GOD euen more then euer they thought of or could expect at his handes as we see in Abraham and Lot who became the Hoasts of his speciall Seruants most deare vnto him euen the most glorious Angels nay of the Lord Iesus Christ who was among them Thus doth the Lord honour them that honour him Seeing therefore God commaundeth this duty in his word approueth of it by his example and honoureth the performance of it in his Seruants it teacheth that the kinde entertainement of such as are desolate and destitute Strangers poore Widdows or fatherlesse friendlesse and comfortlesse Orphans is an acceptable seruice approued in the eies of God Vse 1 The doctrine being thus cleered the Vses remaine to bee shewed First this declareth that Hospitality is a commendable vertue and a worthy fruit of loue yea an excellent ornament in the Children of God whereby they receiue good report of the Church We see this in Rahab x Heb. 11 31. Who by Faith receiued the Spies peaceably and sent them out another way We see this in the old Man of Mount Ephraim that dwelt in Gibeah y Iudg. 19 20. who wished peace vnto the Leuite and his wife and brought him into his house and gaue Fodder vnto the Asses there they washed their feete there they did eate and drinke and there their harts were merry So the Apostle Rom. 16. commendeth Phebe a deare Sister to the Romans z Rom. 16 2. That they receiue her in the Lord as it becommeth Saints and that they assist her in whatsoeuer businesse she needeth of their ayd for she hath giuen Hospitalitie vnto many and vnto himselfe also Likewise Gaius is commended a Rom. 16 23 3 Iohn 5. to the Host of Paule and of the whole Church yea to bee faithfull to all the Brethren and to Straungers which did beare witnesse of his loue The Church was then in persecution the people of God were often driuen into banishment There were in those daies no Innes to receiue Straungers and to entertaine Trauailers as there were afterward and now are in all places Euery godlie mans house ought to be their Inne to receiue them We loue the truth as we loue the entertainement of those that professe it and suffer for it Especially it is required of vs to make much of the true Ministers of Christ Iesus when we see them made as Straungers to want house liuing maintenance Seeing therefore many troubles were raised through the tyranny of the Enemies against the Saintes so that they were constrained to forsake their Country and Kindred to enioy the profession of the Faith and the peace of a good conscience the Apostles of Christ do oftentimes beat vppon this point and require this duty to receiue such to our houses as the World reiected and accounted vnworthy of the company of men If we do good to these poore members of Christ that b Heb. 11 37 38. are glad to wander vp and downe in sheeps skins and in Goats skins being destitute afflicted and tormented who to saue their liues from the rage of the oppressour and the sword of the persecuter were driuen to hide their heads in Wildernesses and Mountaines and Dennes and Caues of the Earth we testifie our vnfained loue to the truth and to the Bretheren nay to Christ Iesus himselfe as we shall see and shew afterward But if we do good to such as are able to requite it and to such as are linked vnto vs by Kindred or any other band it is no true triall no due proofe no perfect testimony of our charity True it is kindnesse and humanity are good if they be ordered aright and ruled according to pietie and godlinesse but when they extend farther euen to such as are not able to recompence it and to such as are vnknowne vnto vs therein wee make demonstration that we serue God in sinceritie and hold fast the right rule of Charity Such as are at home in their owne Countrey shall finde releefe enough they shall haue Kinsfolke to minister help and succor vnto them according to the saying of the Shunamite when the Prophet said vnto her c 2 Kin. 4 14. Behold thou hast had all this great care for vs what shall we do for thee Is there any thing to be spoken for thee to the King or to the Captaine of the Host she answered I dwell among mine owne people But such as are poore godly strangers are destitute of help they haue neither Friends nor Kinsfolkes they haue neither aide nor fauour shewed vnto them they lie open to all iniuries and indignities The poore Children of God are often exiled and banished from their houses and are as sillie Birds whose nests are taken so that they know not whether to go or what to doe or whom to flie vnto or vnder whose roofe to shroude themselues from the storme and tempest that hath ouertaken them Now the greater their miserie is the more accepted is our charity and the more heauy their persecution is the better accounted is our compassion which shall neuer be forgotten but receiue a reward This is that promise which Christ our Sauiour maketh d Math. 10 42. Whosoeuer shall giue vnto one of these little ones to drinke a Cup of cold Water onely in the name of a Disciple verily I say vnto you he shall not lose his reward Let vs therfore delight in shewing the workes of mercy that GOD may delight in vs and succour the poore Saints that are distressed that we also our selues may finde helpe in time of need Vse 2. Secondly this Doctrine serueth for reproofe First of all of such as think that Hospitality consisteth in feasting and keeping
eies by bowing downe the knees and such other gestures as testified the sequestring of all their thoughts from the earth and earthly cogitations and the bringing of all their mind to the meditation of heauen and heauenly things Secondly we haue need in prayer of perseuerance continuance Wee must not giue ouer and wax weary It pleaseth the Lord oftentimes to defer to heare to helpe vs not that he neglecteth vs or forgetteth vs or wisheth our hurt but to exercise our Faith by delaying Wherefore all rash presumption ought to be far from vs which dareth to prescribe vnto God either the time or the maner of our deliuerance and of granting our requests It is our duty to wait patiently vpon the Lord and to refer vnto him the meanes and maner of helping of vs. The woman of Canaan n Math. 15 22. is a notable example to teach vs to continue in prayer euen then when wee seeme to haue the repulse and deniall The Widdow in the Gospell is a o Luke 18 1 2 worthy president to this purpose to moue vs to this perseuerance and not to giue ouer Lastly we must beware that we aske no more then God giueth vs leaue to aske in his word We must require those things that are fitting vs to craue and beseeming God to grant Many men neuer consider these things but are rash and heady in their petitions regarding neither what he in goodnesse and Iustice can giue neither what is profitable for themselues to receiue Some craue riches to spend in lust and riot other wish for strength to be reuenged of their enimies p Rom. 12 21 whom they ought to receiue with goodnesse Others are not ashamed to ask foule and filthy things which one would blush to aske of a mortal man which the Heathen q Pers Satyr 2. themselues haue condemned These are the causes why our prayers are not heard because we aske amisse and do not submit our willes to his will Our wils are carnall and corrupt his will is pure and holy and the rule of all righteousnesse The 3. thing required in prayer The third point to be obserued in prayer is that it proceed from an humble and contrite heart If pride do compasse vs as a Chain and an high conceit of our selues possesse vs we are deceiued if we suppose to obtaine anie thing at the hands of God A proud Begger is hated of God and scorned of men There can nothing be seene more deformed and despised then a poor man that is proud There is nothing can worse sort together then a proude heart and a beggers purse God euer-more resisteth the proud and giueth grace vnto the humble and lowly The Prophet Dauid declareth this Psal 51 16 17. Thou desirest no Sacrifice though I would giue it thou delightest not in Burnt Offerings The Sacrifices of God are a contrite spirite a contrite and a broken heart O Lord thou wilt not despise We must learne therefore truely to feele our owne pouerty and misery let vs consider that we neede all things that we aske and so ioyne an earnest and feruent affection and desire of obtaining Indeed wee cannot alwayes haue a like feeling but wee must alwayes striue against deadnesse of heart and dulnesse of spirit Let vs shake off all vaine-glory and pride and giue all the glory to God as the poore Publican did in the Gospell Thus haue the faithfull done r Psal 143 2. Dan. 6 17. Esay 64 5. Ier. 14 7. as appeareth in Dauid Daniell Esay Ieremy We must not bee like the proud Pharisie Å¿ Luke 16 11. that stood vpon his owne righteousnesse and condemned other of wickednesse and prophanenesse Let vs also come with Repentaunce not onely crauing pardon for sins past and making an humble Confession of faults present but desiring grace to be strengthned in time to come Lastly let not our prayer be a lip-labour for forme and fashion sake but earnest and feruent When Saneherib inuaded Iudah and besieged the strong Citties and thought to win them for him-selfe Hezekiah and the Prophet Esay with him t 2 Chr. 32 20 cried to heauen Thus doth the Prophet Ieremy speake u Lam. 2 19. Arise cry in the night in the beginning of the Watches poure out thine heart like water before the face of the Lord lift vp thine hands toward him c. Heerunto accordeth the Apostle Rom. 8 26 27. The spirit helpeth our infirmities for we know not how to pray as we ought but the spirit it selfe maketh request for vs with sights which cannot be expressed but he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the meaning of the spirit for he maketh request for the Saints according to the will of God Thus it appeareth out of the practise of the Prophets Apostles what kinde of prayers God accepteth True it is they auaile much howbeit they must be feruent Cold prayers turne into sinne and neuer bring with them any blessing We will seeme to drawe neere to God and to honor him howbeit it is only with our mouths and lips which is a vaine woorshipping of him We will needs cal vpon his name but our prayers freeze betweene our teeth and are vttered without zeale These are they that pray but it is in such sort as if they neuer meant to speed If a Child should craue any thing of his parents in that manner they would take them-selues to bee abused The fourth thing required in prayer The 4. thing expressed in the former description of praier is that it must be put vp in the name of Christ Iesus He is the Mediator of the new Testament he standeth between the wrath of his Father vs he maketh continuall intercession for vs. If then we would haue our prayers accepted we must come in his name he is the High-priest of our profession he offereth them vp vnto his Father who accepteth them not for their woorthinesse but for his worthinesse not for their merits but for his merits as wee shall shew farther in the Doctrine following In his Name did the Fathers come to the Throne of Grace and presented their prayers before God assuring themselues to bee heard for his sake This is manifest in the prayer that Daniell maketh Chap. 9. 17. Now therefore O our God hear the Prayer of thy seruant and his supplications and cause thy face to shine vppon thy Sanctuary that lyeth wast for the Lords sake He acknowledgeth Christ Iesus to be the heire and Lord of all things in whom and through whom God would accept his praiers This we might farther Å¿ 1 Sam. 3 21. 2 Sam. 7 21. shew by other examples yea it is taught vs by the mouth of Christ himselfe t Iohn 16 23. Verily verily I say vnto you whatsoeuer ye shaâ—… aske the Father in my name he will giue it you As no man can come to the Father but by him so no man can obtaine any thing but by him
if he goe about to perswade vs that wee shall merit eternall life by our faithfulnesse in our Ministry and by diligent instructing of the people committing to our charge q Lib. de obitu Knoxi we must resist the subtill Serpent and defie him and deny his merrits It is the duty of all the godly that haue this Worlds goods to giue almes to the poore especially to the godly poore but if he mooue vs to giue Almes that we may get Heauen or gaine the praise of men we must striue against his tentation and not suffer our selues to be deluded by him For this is as much as if he should say vnto vs I would haue thee pray but thou shalt obtaine nothing I would haue thee giue almes but thou shalt haue no reward Seeing then we are subiect to a double tentation of Sathan who goeth about like a roaring Lion seeking whom he may deuour so that he will if it be possible hinder vs from Prayers or if he cannot will corrupt them with his Leauen of merrit we must prepare to resist him r The meanes how to resist Satan in his tentations both waies Whensoeuer he goeth about to stay vs from praying vnto our heauenly Father we must resist him strong in faith and oppose against him these Meditations Let vs remember Gods most holy commaundement to call vpon him in the day ſ Psal 50 15. of trouble and that wee are continually to watch and pray t Luke 22 40 46. least we fall into tentation We haue together with the precept a promise annexed for our comfort and greater encouragement to this duty that he is neere to all that call vpon him euen to all that call vpon him in truth yea the eies of the Lord are vpon the iust and his eares are open vnto their prayers Let vs consider that there is an absolute necessity of the inuocation of his Name and of crauing his assistance that we may be freed and deliuered from the snares and assaults of the Deuill and that hee would giue vs strength to ouercome them and not suffer vs to be tempted aboue our power but giue a blessed issue of the tentation that we may be made able to beare it And as the necessitie is great to call vpon him daily In whom we line and mooue and haue our beeing so the profit thereof is no lesse it bringeth a blessed experience and tryall of Gods goodnesse and mercy toward vs It encreaseth his spirituall graces in vs and maketh vs zealous in all good workes It obtaineth those thinges that we want and remooueth the iudgements that hang ouer vs or are vpon vs. We haue the examples of all the faithfull as a Cloud of Witnesses to incite vs to this duty And if we put foorth our hands to take and vse any of the Creatures or blessings of God without asking him leaue we are no better then Theeues and Robbers These and such like Motiues serue to kindle our zeale in Prayer to quench the fiery darts of the Deuill which he casteth at vs. If he go about to puffe vs vp with pride through an opinion merriting by any euen our best workes of Prayer or Preaching or Almes-deedes wee must know that all our workes are vnperfect and that the good thinges in vs are his owne guifts Hence it is that the Apostle saith of himselfe and all his labours u 1 Cor. 15 9 10. I am the least of the Apostles by the Grace of God I am that I am and his Grace which is in me was not in vaine I laboured more aboundantly then they all yet not I but the Grace of God which is with me And in another place x 1 Cor. 3 7. Neither is he that planteth any thing neither he that watereth but God that giueth the encrease Againe y 1 Cor. 4 7. What hast thou that thou hast not receiued If thou hast receiued it why boastest thou as though thou hadst not receiued it It is a worthy saying set downe by our Sauiour z Luke 17 10. When ye haue done all those things which are commaunded you say We are vnprofitable Seruants wee haue done that which was our duty to doe Wherefore we must labour in all our workes to see our imperfections to cast downe ourselues in humility before the Iudgement seat of God and to referre all things to his glory The Apostle giueth this generall rule a 1 Cor. 10 31 Whether ye eate or drinke or whatsoeuer ye doe doe all to the glorie of God And if in these ordinary and naturall workes we must ayme at that end as at a marke how much more in the Mysteries of our saluation and the great keyes of our Religion ought wee to giue thankes vnto God for blessing vs with spirituall blessings in heauenly thinges We are not able to inspire Grace into our barren hearts it is the guift of God and therefore he must be confessed the giuer of euery good giuing and perfect guift to the glory of his owne Name And for our selues let vs in all duties of our obedience Prayer Almes or whatsoeuer workes approoued of God prepare our selues to bring humble and broken hearts freed from the Thornes of pride and vaine-glory This is taught by Dauid in the Psalme b Psal 51 17. The Sacrifices of God are a contrite Spirit a contrite and a broken heart ô God thou wilt not despise The like we see Esay 66. c Esay 66 2. To him will I looke saith the Lord euen to him that is poore and of a contrite spirit and trembleth at my wordes And thus was the practise of Daniell in his Prayer d Dan. 9 18. O Lorde encline thine eare open thine eyes and behold our desolations for we doe not present our supplications before thee for our owne righteousnesse but for thy great tender mercies This humility shall appeare to be in vs if we referre the end of all our actions to the honour of God and make that to be the scope Let the principall end be the glory of God the next the saluation of our Soules the third the edification of our Brethren in Christ Iesus Let vs cause our light so to shine before men that they may glorifie our Father which is in Heauen and then let vs follow those thinges which concerne peace and where-with one may edifie another Vse 2. Secondly as by the free bestowing of the graces of God we are taught to giue him all possible praise so it taketh away all opinion of the merits of workes wherein proud flesh is ready to trust For to place Merit and Iustification in our owne workes is to rase down a cheefe Foundation and principall Piller of Christian Religion both because thereby we abolish Grace and renounce saluation by Christ and make euery man a Sauiour to himselfe and so exclude saluation by Christ all which are shamefull Heresies and horrible blasphemies and detestable abhominations As many
If a man see his Corne that is in the fielde stand at a stay and not shoote forward he conceiueth little hope of any plentifull Haruest If we set a Scholler to Schoole and he alwaies continue in the same forme and neuer come forth in his learning we will by and by coniecture he will prooue a Dunce Or if we see a Child that doth not grow in strength and stature we vse to say he will neuer be a tall man he will neuer be but a Dwarfe So is it with all those that haue Å¿ Ieremy 4 4. had the plough of Gods word brought in among them and the ground of their hearts sowed with the precious and immortall seed t Luke 8 11. of the word and their hearts moystned with a gratious raine u Deut. 32 2. as it were the showre vpon the hearbs and yet continue dry and barren without any fruit it is to be feared that they will shortly fall backe and wither away If we haue beene brought vp in the Schoole of Christ and haue heard the x Acts 13 25. Lecture of the Law and Prophets nay of Christ and his Apostles read vnto vs and often sounding in our eares and yet find no accesse of knowledge or encrease of obedience we may looke euery day to be thrust out of this Schoole yea to see the Schoole dissolued and turned to another vse If we haue had both y 1 Cor. 3 2. Heb. 5 13 14. Milke and Meate brought vnto vs and placed at the Table of the Lord full fraught with all delicates z 1 Pet. 2 2. And yet neither as New-borne Babes desire that sincere Milke of the word that we may grow thereby nor yet know that strong meat belongeth to them that are of age that in the end we may a Ephe. 4 13. all meete together vnto a perfect Man and vnto the measure of the age of the fulnesse of Christ certainely we shall alwaies remaine as Children wauering and carried about with euery winde of Doctrine by the deceit of men and with craftinesse whereby they lay in wait to deceiue But if wee feele the weakenesse of our Faith and the rest of the Graces of Gods Spirit and vnfainedly desire the encrease and supply of them he will fulfill our desire and we shall know to our endlesse comfort that our desire is not in vaine yea to feele the weaknesse of Grace is of Grace to see the weakenesse of Faith is of Faith and that which is yet more hee accepteth the desire to beleeue in Christ as Faith it selfe the desire to repent from dead works as repentance it selfe the desire to be reconciled to God as reconciliation it selfe They are pronounced b Math. 5. Blessed that hunger and thirst after righteousnesse because they shall be satisfied Whosoeuer is a thirst hath promise made vnto him c Reuel 12 6. Iohn 7 38. That he shall haue the Well of the Water of life freely giuen We know by a naturall feeling what hunger and thirst is and when wee are hungry when thirsty and when not Properly we are d who are said to hunger after righteousnesse hungry when we are empty and thereby waxe faint and feeble and finding both our emptinesse and weakenesse desire meate to satisfy and content vs. Properly we are thirsty when we feele a drowth or drynesse in vs and desire some drinke to refresh vs. In like manner and by good proportion they are said to hunger and thirst after righteousnesse that feele they want it and would faine haue it If wee feele our selues to be out of Christ and doe long after the blood of Christ to be redeemed with it and to be iustifyed by it then we truely doe hunger after Christ Thus much touching this Doctrine which ariseth onely by comparing this Salutation with other Scriptures Demas and Luke my fellow-helpers In these wordes also by conference of other places ariseth a good instruction to vs that professe the Gospell of Christ Iesus For this is he of whom he was forsaken as he sheweth 2. Tim. 4 10. e 2. Tim. 4 10. Demas hath forsaken me c. Hee is called in this place a fellow-helper of Paul yet the vanity of this world drew him backe being ouercome with the toyle and trouble that accompanied the professors of the truth and the preachers thereof He doth not meane that he had cleane renounced the Gospell and was become a back-slider and cut off from the Church as a rotten member but he shrunke backe for his aduantage or because he was loath to suffer aduersity with the people of God as it he should haue said he preferred the loue of the world before the loue of God But whether euer he recouered himselfe or not and renounced the world which he ouermuch loued we haue not so full and faire a warrant as we haue for Marke seeing Paule endeth with forsaking of him and the Scripture leaueth him in the imbracing of this present euill world so that his repentance is vncertaine vnto vs. Beholde heere how this man is set as vpon a Stage or Scaffold a and marke of infamy branded vpon him for euer so long as the world shall continue and the name of Christ Iesus shal be preached because he withdrew himselfe from the paines and publishing of the Gospell and from the company of Paule waxing dainty and delicate louing his owne ease and pleasure too much Doctrine 3. Many that seeme forward in the profession doe afterward fal backward From hence we learne that many which seeme faithfull and forward in the profession doe afterward fall backe and giue ouer Such as seemed to haue life in them are become dead such as seemed to haue heat in them are starke cold such as did runne a great pace and led the way to others doe now some of them stand still many runne back-ward and others doe wander out of the way and others hinder those that would enter into the right way These first giue their names to Christ and afterward shake handes with the world and imbrace the friendship thereof We see this truth verified vnto vs by sundry examples and lamentable experience of all times Iudas was chosen to be one of the twelue Apostles yet he fell away dangerously and desperately he became a Traitor and a Deuill according to the saying of our Sauiour f Iohn 6 7. Haue not I chosen you twelue and one of you is a Deuill To this purpose the Apostle Iohn describeth such back-sliders Chap. 2. g 1 Iohn 2 19. They went out from vs but they were not of vs for if they had beene of vs they should haue continued with vs. Heereunto commeth the Parable propounded by Christ Math. 21 28. h Mat. 21 28. A certaine man had two sonnes and came to the elder and said Sonne goe and worke to day in my Vineyard but he answered and said I will not yet afterward he repented himselfe and
went Then came he to the second and said likewise and he answeared I will sir yet he went not He seemed forward but he hung backe hee promised much but he perfourmed nothing at all The like we might say of the rich man he came vnto Christ i Math. 19 16. and said vnto him Good maister what good thing shall I doe that I may haue eternall life yet when he was tried hee went away sorrowfull and his good beginnings were as the morning dew verifying that which is spoken in the same Chapter k Verse 30. Many that are first shal be last and the last shal be first Reason 1. Our Sauiour setting downe the parable of the sower yeeldeth diuerse effectuall reasons to moue vs to imbrace this truth For first the Deuill is a subtle enemy that stealeth vpon vs and goeth about like a roaring Lyon seeking whom he may deuoure If the word be not deeply rooted in our hearts but doe onely swimme in our braines and abide in our mouthes it is in continuall danger to be taken away from vs. Hence it is that Christ saith l Math. 13 19 Whensoeuer any man heareth the word of that Kingdome and vnderstandeth it not that euill one commeth and catcheth away that which was sowen in his heart and this is he which hath receiued the seede by the way side This enimy is euer busie with vs and will neuer suffer vs to haue any rest so long as any good thing appeareth in vs. Reason 2 Secondly the Crosse is for the most part the companion of the Gospell which while some seeke to auoid they make shipwracke of faith and a good conscience Our Sauiour describing another sort of hearers saith m Mat 13 20 21. Hee that receiued seede in the stony ground is he which heareth the word and incontinently with ioy receiueth it yet hath he no roote in himselfe and endureth but a season for as soone as tribulation or persecution commeth because of the word by and by â—e is offended So long as we may professe the truth with peace and liberty of conscience and with the fauour of men it is an easie and ordinary matter to be a professor of the Gospell and an hearer of the word But when troubles and tentations arise they that are not throughly grounded do quickly fall away Reason 3. Thirdly as persecutions doe follow the Gospell so for the most part doth shame reproach and pouerty And as it is a common thing with vs to desire the ease of the flesh and the pleasures of the body so we are inclined to couet the profits and commodities of this life This caused Demas to forsake Paule because he imbraced this present world Heerevnto commeth that which Christ teacheth Math. 13. n Mat. 13 22. He that receiued the seede among Thornes is he that heareth the word but the cares of this world and the deceitfulnesse of riches choke the word and he is made vnfruitfull So long as the world as a ranke Thorne sticketh in our throats or rather in our heartes and we begin to preferre it in our thoughts and practises before the truth it is vnpossible that we should holde out our profession vnto the end Wherfore seeing the Deuill is alwaies ready to fist vs persecution to try vs and the world to ensnare vs we must know that for these causes it commeth to passe that many fall backe which seemed forward in the faith Vse 1 The Vses are many that may be made heereof First we may conclude that wofull is their estate and condition that shrinke away and melt as wax before the Sunne The estate of such men is most fearefull inasmuch as they are become very Dogges and Swine It had beene better for them that they had neuer knowne the truth nay it had beene better if they had neuer beene borne as our Sauiour speaketh of Iudas This the Apostle Peter setteth downe in his second Epistle Chapter 2. o 2 Pet. 2 20 21 22. If they after they haue escaped from the filthinesse of the world through the acknowledging of the Lord and of the Sauiour Iesus Christ are yet tangled againe therein and ouercome the latter end is worse with them then the beginning For it had beene better for them not to haue acknowledged the way of righteousnesse then after they haue acknowledged it to turne away from the holy commandement giuen vnto them But it is come vnto them according vnto the true Prouerbe the Dogge is returned vnto his owne vomit and the Sow that was washed to the wallowing in the myre It is a notable comfort vnto vs when we are as faithfull trees in the Garden of God That will bring forth their fruit in due season p Psal 1 3. whose lease shal neuer fade when we do not suffer euery one to go before vs but haue an holy emulation and striuing to go before others and euen to out-goe our selues so it is an euill signe and a fearefull forerunner of condemnation to run and then to giue ouer running to wrastle and then to giue ouer wrastling It is an hard thing to make a good beginning wee are not easily brought to set forward but to trip while we are in our iourney and to waxe weary of proceeding is the common custome of our common professours We see this in the Children of Israell while they were in the Wildernesse going to the Land of Canaan they did not keepe a constant course but sometimes they stoode at a stay and sometimes they went backeward and sometimes they wished themselues againe in the Land of Egypt Thus it fareth with vs that are Pilgrimes and Strangers in this life when we haue once giuen our hand to the Plough we are ready to looke backe as Lots wife did when shee was gone out of Sodome Euery little thing is able to turne vs out of the way and being once turned out of it it is harder to bring vs into it againe then if we were neuer entred into it Wo therefore be vnto such as follow Demas q Luk. 14 30. That beginne to build but are not able to make an ende Great plagues and greeuous iudgements hang ouer their heades they do not returne And repent r Reuel 2 5. and do their first workes and redeeme the time because the daies are euill Hee that knoweth his Maisters will and doth it not shall bee beaten with many stripes Yea often-times God giueth ouer such time-seruers and backe-sliders into a reprobate sence and taketh away his holy spirit from them so that they proue meere Monsters and worse then sauage beastes Who were greater enemies to the Gospell then the Iewes that hade the light among them and offered vnto them whereas by their calling they were the outward Church and the professed people of God Iudas being an Apostle of Christ became the most deuelish man vpon the earth exceeding all the Iewes in treachery and impiety This a greeuous
those safe and sure which he hath chosen to himselfe As for others that are vnconstant and giue ouer they were neuer true beleeuers but Hypocrites which heere are for a season mingled together vntill the time of separation But the guiftes of God bestowed vpon his people whose saluation is surely laide vp with him z Rom. 11 29. are without repentance Our Sauiour handleth this point at large a Iohn 6 37. and 10 28. Iohn 6 and 10. All that the Father giueth me shall come to me and him that commeth too me I cast not away And againe in another place I giue vnto my sheepe eternall life and they shall neuer perish neither shall any plucke them out of mine hand my Father which gaue them me is greater then all and none is able to take them out of my Fathers hand So then whensoeuer any among them that were iudged most forward and vpholders of others giue backe and become vnbeleeuers we must not by and by dreame that the Church of God falleth he will alwaies haue a people to call vpon him and worship him b Psal 72 4. so long as the Sunne and Moone endureth from generation to generation The Church is grounded vpon God and vpon no condition of man Our saluation is setled vpon the election of God and founded vpon his vnchangeable decree which can neuer be altered or disappointed Vse 4. Fourthly seeing the Church hath alwaies had back-sliders we learne heereby to beware of all allurements and entisements that may be meanes to draw vs backe from the truth which we haue imbraced Demas of whom mention is made in this place had beene in good account he hath an excellent witnesse euen of Saint Paules mouh to be an helper to the truth Is it a small commendation to be called the fellow of such an Apostle Is it a little matter to be set vp in the middest of the house of God as a burning Lampe or a shining Candle to giue light to others in the Church yet after all this estimation that was had of him he loued the world better then the word Let vs therefore walke warily and looke vpon our selues in the person of this Demas as in a looking Glasse who is cast in the teeth with his imbracing the profit and pleasures of this life that hindred him in the worke whervnto he was called We must take heede that thinges present do not swallow vp the loue of thinges to come as they doe in many who wax colde and haue no desire of the Kingdome of Heauen These are they that haue their eyes so dazeled and darkened with these flitting thinges that they breake out in an admiration of them and say It is good for vs to be heere but neuer thinke that these delights must haue an end and that the world shal be restored The Apostle Paule teacheth vs that the present estate of the world is like a woman in trauaile c Rom. 8 22 Rom. 8. We know that euery creature groneth with vs also and trauaileth in paine together vnto this present The Creatures as now they abide are not in their perfection by reason of Adams sinne which brought in al disorder and confusion There is nothing but is subiect to vanity and misery euery thing hath some blot of corruption What a shame then is it for vs that are the Children of God and haue receiued the first fruits of the Spirit not to draw toward perfection and not to keepe company with the sencelesse Creatures Let vs learne so to loue the truth as that we prize it aboue all corruptible thinges that must haue an end so as this present world may not stay vs from desiring and longing after spirituall blessings Among all the baites and snares wherewith many are taken nothing is so dangerous or so common as the loue of this world Take a veiw of many that did runne well but now runne not at all and you shall finde they are right Demasses the world is a beame in their eyes that they cannot see a Thorne in their feete that they cannot walke a canker in their mouthes that they cannot speak a clogge to their consciences that they cannot proceede and a snare to their soules that they cannot profit or prosper in good thinges Our daies are full of two many examples of men that are fallen into a deepe sleepe of carnall security so that nothing can wake them Others there are that shrinke backe for feare of troubles and crosses as it may appeare this Demas also did He saw many stormes come toward him and he thought it best to put into some Hauen or harbour In the time of peace and prosperity in quiet and ioyfull times and in such golden daies as our eyes haue seene and our hearts haue enioyed many will seeme and doe seeme to perseuer in the faith and to embrace the word but when the Sunne ariseth in his strength and persecution commeth for the wordes sake by and by they are offended Sathan is priuy to this corruption lying hidden in our Nature For when as God said vnto him b Iob 1 8 9. Hast thou not considered my Seruant Iob how none is like him in the Earth An vpright and iust Man fearing God and eschewing euill He aunswered the Lord and said Doth Iob feare God for nought Thou hast blessed the workes of his handes and his substance is encreased but stretch out now thine hand and touch all that he hath to see if he will not blaspheme thee to thy Face We see heeerby that God will haue those that thinke they beleeue and would haue others to thinke so also to be tryed and knowne what they are Dost thou make shew of Religion Dost thou glory in thy profession It pleaseth God to offer thee the meanes and occasions to try thee he sendeth the persecution of the tongue thou art reuiled scorned slandered and derided for professing the truth for hearing the word for frequenting of Sermons and then it commeth to passe that rather then they with endure these crosses they shrinke away and strike hands will euill men and embrace the friendship of this present euill World Thus we see how Sathan busieth himselfe to vndermine vs and to ouerthrow vs and what tentations he setteth before vs on the right hand and on the left hand on the right hand the profits of the World and the pleasures of the Flesh on the left hand crosses and persecutions for the words sake These are the meanes that he vseth these are the allurements whereby he preuaileth these are the discouragements whereby he terrifieth vs. Vse 5. Fiftly seeing we are ready to reuolt and slacke our peace that wee haue runne toward the marke that is set before vs let no man be secure and carelesse or presume too much vppon his owne strength as though it were vnpossible for him to fall but let euery man grow circumspect and beware of Carnall securitie Hence it is that the Apostle
as the Well-spring we haue it not of our selues we haue it from him according to that which the Euangelist Iohn setteth downe r Iohn 1 16. Of his fulnesse we haue all receiued and Grace for Grace Secondly it is called the Grace of Christ not of God the father not of God the Holie-Ghost but of Iesus Christ our Lord because hee is the meanes or as the Cunduit-pipe whereby he it is brought and conueyed vnto vs Thus the same Euangelist speaketh in the wordes following Å¿ Iohn 1 17. The Law was giuen by Moses but Grace and Truth came by Iesus Christ. He it is that is the Mediation and Propitiation for our sinnes he hath purchased the fauour of God he hath wrought reconciliation for vs so that through him we are accepted of God the Father and beloued in his beloued Ephe. 1. 6. Thirdly we must consider the Title giuen to Christ Iesus hee is called a Lord or Ruler and that in many respects First by creation in that he made vs of nothing when we had no being t Iohn 1 3. For all thinges were made by him and without him was nothing made that was made Secondly by right of Inheritance u Heb. 1 2. Psal 2 8. For he is made Heire of all thinges Thirdly by right of Dominion for he hath Dominion ouer all things and ouer vs also so that he ruleth preserueth and keepeth vs as his owne to eternall life being bought with his most preciour blood None of them can bee lost that are committed vnto him neither can any plucke them out of his hands All thinges are put vnder his feet and subiect vnto him Fourthly he is said to be our Lord he is not onely a Lord hauing right and might graunted vnto him ouer others but hee s called our Lord. First because the Father gaue him a people and chosen Generation ouer whom he should rule So then by reason of this donation appointed vnto him before all worlds he is truely called our Lord. Secondly in regard of the work of redemption which he hath wrought for vs he alone hath paid the ransom for vs and deliuered vs from the power of the Deuill so that hee hath the greatest right of possession in vs. Lastly we are thereby put in mind that we ought so to beleeue in Christ our Lord that we put our trust and confidence in him and that we rest throughly perswaded that by him we are throughly freed and deliuered from all euill It is not enough for vs or sufficient to saluation to beleeue Christ Iesus to be a Lord but we must beleeue him to be our Lord. For wee all knowe and beleeue that the Deuill is a Lord and ruleth in the hearts of the Children of disobedience he is the God of this World and a Prince that beareth great sway but wee doe neyther know nor beleeue him to be our Lord as we beleeue Christ Iesus to bee the Lord of vs all Fiftly he addeth With your Spirit He craueth this Grace to be with his Spirit whereby he meaneth as much as if he had said with you one part of man being named for the whole the more principall part being put for the whole person For man consisteth of two essentiall parts of Soule and Body True it is the Apostle Paule doth sometimes deuide man into three partes the Spirit the Soule the Body as when he prayeth for the Thessalonians x 1 Thes 5 23. That their whole Spirit and Soule and Body should be kept blamelesse vnto the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ. By the Spirit he vnderstandeth the mind reason or vnderstanding which else-where hee calleth the y Ephe. 4 23. Heb. 4 12. Ephe. 4. 17 18. Spirit of your mind This is nothing else but a faculty of the reasonable soule which is seen in inuention and iudgement By the the Soule he vnderstandeth the inferior faculties and powers as the will and affections both which followeth the body which is the Instrument whereby the Spirit and Soule do worke By the Spirit in this place is not meant onely the minde or onely the Soule but the whole man is to be vnderstood as it is expounded Phil. 4. 23. The Grace of our Lord Iesus Christ be with you all And Col. 4 18. Grace be with you yet he nameth the spirit because it is the principall subiect and seat of grace Sixtly the Apostle proceedeth and saith Your spirit hee speaketh not to Philemon alone saying With thy Spirit but he enlargeth his heart and saith With your Spirit as speaking to many Whereby wee are to vnderstand those to whom this Epistle is written and deliuered to wit cheefly to Philemon whose Title it beareth and to Apphia his wife to Archippus the Minister and to the Church that was in his house to all these he wisheth the Grace of Christ Lastly he endeth with the word Amen which is as much as euen so or so be it or so it shall be Indeede it is no part of the former prayer but it betokeneth and signifieth two things First an hearty desire whereby we wish that we may be heard and that God would answere vnto our requests Secondly the certainty of our confidence and the confirmation of our Faith whereby we trust that we shall be heard It is an Hebrew worde retained by the Apostles in their Epistles and in other places wherewith we are taught to conclude our Prayers withall by Christ our Sauiour It is added to shew that we should come with boldnesse and beleeue that we shall obtaine trusting in the truth of Gods promises The postscript of the Epistle Hauing thus laide open the sense and meaning of the wordes in this last Verse it shall not be amisse to speake some-what of the wordes following which are the subscription and vnder-writing of this Epistle in these wordes Written from Rome to Philemon and sent by Onesimus a Seruant It is most likely that this Epistle was written and sent at one and the same time with that entituled to the Colossians both because the same persons are named in both the Epistles the same persons writing and the same persons sending salutations to others and both of them in the Post-script are sayde to be sent by Onesimus as it were by a Carrier only heerein resteth the difference that this Epistle was deliuered to Onesimus alone to bee carried to Philemon a priuate man but the other was conueyed by Tychicus and Onesimus to the whole Church of the Colossians whereof Philemon and his Family were but one part But touching this subscription as also others in other Epistles we must vnderstand that they were added by men and are no part of the Cannonicall Scripture which is the rule of our faith to which we must yeeld without all contention or contradiction and from which we cannot appeale without intollerable iniury to the spirit of God For howsoeuer diuers of these Post-scripts may be true yet it is very plaine and
they are in death Å¿ Dan. 5 6. like Belshazzar who in the middest of his Feast and fulnesse saw the hand-writing vpon the wall as a Prognosticate of his destruction Lastly albeit they haue the blessings of God and keep them in bondage yet withall they possesse the Cursse of God which alwaies waiteth vppon them and is ready to seize vpon them The Theefe liueth alwaies in feare of the Iudge and of the day of Assises so doe these men liue in continuall daunger of Gods Iudgement and punnishment which shall one day meete with them Sixtly obserue that he desireth grace to rest in their spirits and albeit he meane heeereby their whole persons as we haue shewed before in setting downe the Interpretation of the wordes yet heereby he assigneth the proper Seat of Grace to be the Soule For the Grace of Christ is an inward and spirituall thing and therefore taketh vp the inward and spirituall part of man Indeed when once grace is entred into the heart and sitteth there as a Queen to order all our thoughts and affections it wil spread it selfe through the whole man and afterward as it were goe out of the dores into the outward actions We see heereby where grace is especially felt for as the Soule is the subiect of it so the Soule hath the especiall feeling of it Our Iustification and forgiuenesse of sinnes the peace of conscience which passeth all vnderstanding is felt in the Soule yea Glorification and eternall life throgh Iesus Christ is felt in the Soule This teacheth vs to labour earnestly t Heb. 13 9. to haue grace in the heart that from thence it may flow into all our actions It is not enongh to haue gratious tongues gratious wordes gratious mouths we must first haue grace within and giue vnto God our heartes Nothing is more detestable to God and man then Hypocrisie there appeareth grace without but there dwelleth none within there is great shew but little truth or rather no truth at all Lastly obserue with me the last word whereby the Apostle shutteth vp the Salutation and the whole Epistle to wit Amen This is set downe in a word and yet it containeth more then the prayer it selfe For in prayer we testifie our desire by this we witnesse our Faith By this we obserue that vnto our requests and petitions in prayer must be ioyned Faith and Beleefe that God will grant the thinges craued This appeareth in the Prophet u Psal 89 52. Psal 89. Praised be the Lord for euermore So be it euen so be it Wee are taught thus to shut vp our prayers by Christ our Sauiour in that platforme which he hath left vs. Thus the Apostle closeth and concludeth his Epistle x 2 Cor 13 13 The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ and the loue of God and the communion of the Holy Ghost be with you all Amen And indeed praier auaileth onely in them that beleeue y Iam. 1 6 and 5 16. It is the prayer of faith preuaileth much if it be feruent yea we must aske in faith and not wauer if we thinke to obtaine any thing at his handes From hence we learne that we ought alwaies to labour to giue assent to Gods promises when we pray and to striue against doubting and infidelity All the promises of God z 2 Cor. 1 20. are in Christ yea and are in him Amen vnto the glory of God through vs. This we see in the Father of the Child possessed Mark 9. When Christ Iesus said vnto him a Mark 9 23. 24. If thou canst beleeue all thinges are possible to him that beleeueth he answeared Lord I beleeue helpe mine vnbeleefe To pray without Faith is not to pray at all And to say Amen in the end of our prayers and yet to pray with doubting and without beleeuing is to make a lie and to teach our tongues to deceiue our hearts For this is a great iarre and discord when infidelity is in the heart and faith in the tongue when inwardly we wauer and outwardly the mouth vttereth Amen More-ouer so often as we vse publike prayers they must be pronounced and deliuered with that plainenesse feeling and zeale as that the people being thereby moued and their faith and affections going with that which is deliuered and prayed for may answere Amen vnto that which is desired This is it which the Apostle toucheth 1 Cor. 14. b 1 Cor. 14 15 16. I will pray with the spirit but I will pray with the vnderstanding also I will sing with the spirit but I will sing with the vnderstanding also Else when thou blessest with the Spirit how shall he that occupieth the Roome of the vnlearned say Amen at thy giuing of thankes seeing he knoweth not what thou saiest This reprooueth the Popish and Romish Liturgy that vse in diuine seruice a strange and vnknowne tongue whereby the people are nuzeled in ignorance and can receiue no c 1 Cor 14 19 1â— edification or instruction And heereby consider the deepe deuise of the Deuill how farre he hath preuailed in this false Church For when he saw he could not thus farre haue the vpper hand as vtterly to cast the word out of the Church and to take away the vse of prayer when he perceiued it to be vnpossible to roote out the word of God and to abolish the inuocation of his holy name he fell to worke another way and that is to suffer the thinges to remaine and to take away the right and profitable vse of them so that albeit the word is read it is read without knoledge and albeit prayers be made yet they are made without comfort Thus the names of the worde and prayer remaining the benifite of them is taken away The like we might say of the Sacraments especially of the Supper of the Lord they will seeme to haue it yet in truth they want it to allow of it and yet they destroy it and abolish it If the Deuill should vtterly remoue these thinges out of the way so that the names neither of the word nor of prayers nor of the Sacraments were heard among them all men might discouer this deceit no man would easily be seduced by this palpable grossenesse but he is a more cunning worke-man he can hide his snares from being seene so that he will not haue them vtterly remooued and renounced that the people might say we haue the word reade vnto vs wee haue good prayers saide among vs we haue the Sacraments with vs yet all is done in a strange manner the Priest vseth a strange tongue and the people are nurtured in strange ignorance For the word is heard ignorantly praiers are made ignorantly and the Sacraments are receiued ignorantly The whole frame of the Popish Religion is maintained by ignorance Thus much of the generall obseruations that might be enlarged and farther amplified which I haue briefly pointed out and albeit all of them be very pertinent yet I will
of God when we minde not the Kingdome that the father hath prepared for vs and the sonne hath purchased vnto vs. The Beastes were borne and fashioned to looke downe-ward man created after the Image of God looketh vpward and beholdeth the Heauens It is a great discord and iarre betweene the eye and the heart which should goe together when the eye is cast vpward and the heart of man groweth downeward the eye is fixed aboue and the heart delighteth to be alwaies groueling vpon the ground and glued vnto the earth Secondly as this Doctrine meeteth with their corruption that haue their conuersation below in the center and bowels of the earth y Phil. 3 20. y The 2. reprofe whereas it should be in heauen from whence we looke for a Sauiour euen the Lord Iesus Christ so it reprooueth such as regard not the obedience to the first Table and duties of piety and holinesse which are to be perfourmed immediately to God Our Sauiour speaking of the first Table of the Law calleth it the first and great commandement first in dignity and order in dignity because it comprehendeth and containeth the duties we owe to God In order of Nature because from the loue of God proceedeth the loue to our Neighbour Likewise great because it is of greatest waight and stretcheth farthest and is chiefly to be respected of vs. Hence it is that when an expounder of the law asked him a question z Math 22 36 37 38. Maister which is the greatest commandement in the Law He answered him Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with all thine heart with all thy soule and with all thy minde this is the first the great commandement These precepts are first commanded but they are last practised and least regarded They are called of Christ great but they are very small and little in the eyes of the greatest part and sort of men If they lead an honest and ciuill life before men if they deale iustly and truely with their Neighbours they thinke all is well they esteeme themselues as perfect men though they liue ignorantly prophanely and irreligiously though they haue no knowledge of God and of his worde though they regard not his worshippe priuatelie or publikelie If they can say wee are no Theeues or Murtherers we are not defiled with Fornication and Adultery we pay euery man his owne and do as we would be done vnto they suppose they beare as good a Soule to God as the best and shall bee saued as soone as any But aske them any thing of the worship of God or marke what their practise is touching his worship they haue no loue to it they take no delight in it their meditation is not vpon the word their care is not to sanctifie the Sabboath and consequently the duties which they perfourme toward men haue no right ground to stand vpon and therefore though they may bring profit to others yet can they minister no comfort to themselues The first Table is the heart of all Religion and the foundation whereupon the duties of Righteousnesse are builded If they proceed not from a religious respect to God they are as an house set vpon the Sand which wanteth a sure ground-worke Vse 2. Secondly we are put in mind from hence not to care ouer much for earthly thinges or to runne so farre after them that we forget our selues where we are True it is wee are bounde and charged in duty to vse the meanes that God hath appointed for vs and to exercise our selues with diligence labour and industry in our callings but we must not trust in these meanes and put our confidence in them and distrust the care and prouidence of God toward vs. There is a double care for the thinges of this Life there is a good and godly care which is necessary for euery one the contrary whereof is to be carelesse idle wasting and spending vnthristily and wickedly such thinges as are gotten by our labour This prouidence and fore-cast is commended and commanded in many places of the Scripture This the Apostle teacheth and speaketh off 1. Tim. 5. a 1 Tim 5 8. If there be any that prouideth not for his owne and namely for them of his houshold he denyeth the faith and is worse then an Infidell The other sort of care is a care ioyned with griefe and pensiuenesse and of this the Apostle saith b 1 Cor 7 32. I would haue you without care This care is an ouer-great care disquieting the heart and maketh it bond to the vnrighteous Mammon this is alwaies to be condemned as that which breedeth in vs a distrust in Gods prouidence and choaketh the loue of heauenly thinges and therefore is hurtfull and pernicious This our Sauiour reproueth in the Gospell according to Mathew Chap. 6. c Math 6 25. I say vnto you be not carefull for your life what ye shall eate or what ye shall drinke nor yet for your Body what ye shall put on c. Behold the Foules of the Heauen for they neither sow nor reape Which of you by taking care can adde one Cubite to his stature And why care ye for Raiment Behold how the Lillies of the field do grow and yet they neither labour nor spinne Therefore take no thought what ye shall eate or what ye shall drinke or wherewith ye shall be cloathed for your Heauenly Father knoweth that ye haue need of all these thinges c. Wee haue the Lord to care for vs who knoweth our wants and the meanes how to supply them He made all thinges before we had our being to teach vs his prouidence All the Mines of Siluer and Gold that lye in the heart of the earth are his and at his commandement Hence it is that the Apostle saith Heb. 13 d Heb 13 5 6 7. Haue your conuersation without Coueteousnesse and bee content with those thinges that ye haue for he hath said I will not faile thee neither forsake thee so that we may boldly say The Lord is mine helper neither will I feare what man can do vnto me Can we therefore doubt of his succouring of vs and the supplying of our wants If we consider his power he is God if his will he is our Father Will God forsake or forget his Creatures Or can a father be vnmindfull or vnmercifull toward his Children This were to make him no God no Father which is Blasphemy and impiety The Prophet Dauid hauing himselfe had a long experience of Gods watchfull eye ouer him teacheth vs also to depend vpon him Psal 55. e Psal 55 22. Cast thy burden vpon the Lord and he shall nourish thee he will not suffer the righteous to fall for euer It is great vanity to be ouergreedy and gaping after the transitory thinges of this world to be carking and caring in the seeking for them and to eate the bread of sorrow in going about them We should vse them as though we vsed them
Ibid. Faith is mingled with doubting 110. Many thinke they haue it who want it 108 259. Being weake it is auaileable 285. Not to be had in respect of persons 188 Faithfull are peaceable 110. They are Saints 117. They yeeld more then is requested of them 431. Therein they follow Gods example 432 Faithfull accused of sedition 26â— Whether they can fall away 491 Families of Christians a particular Church 8. being reformed they haue in them persons vnreformed 237. How made obedient 234 Fathers must make their Children religious 43. They are many times murderers of them 44 Famine of the word 214 Famine some are glad of 409 Familiarity with the Saints who regard not 355 Fauour of God cause of all blessings 56. Seeke it aboue all thinges 57 465. Wretched to be without it â—9 Fearefull persons 92 Feeling of Churches troubles 275 Flattring men in sinne 321 Forgiuenesse of offences required 6 245 249. How man forgiueth 247 Fortune 299. Forefathers 42 Forward sometimes fall back 484 Forwardnesse in good thinges 433 Friends are as our owne Soule 26. they will admonish 27 Friendship counterfeit 28 Friends to Princes who are 269. of what sort we must chuse them 326. They haue all things common 350. They must require no more then God alloweth 415 416 Friendship among the Heathen what 352. How it differs from loue Ibid Freedome properly belongs to the godly 115 Fruits of loue to bee shewed cheefely to the Saints 67. And not to the vngodly 325 Fruitfulnesse in good workes 101 Freedome in a Christian wherein 115 G Gaine of soules 482 Gentiles Idolatry and Papists like 63 Gifts to be communicated to the Saints 114. they are of 2 sorts Ibid. the faithfull are Gods Stewards to despense his guifts 114 Giftes receiued must be imployed to the good of others 1 134. Not to their hinderance 138. They must not lye still Ibid. Gifts of God must be stirred vp 133 483 Guifts are bestowed to profit withal 273 Gladnesse See Ioy. Glory of God to be sought in all things 64 147 God loueth a cheerefull giuer 282 God is not the Author of sinne 300 He worketh in sin three waies Ibid. Hee moueth none to sinne 301. He disposeth euer to good the sinnes of Men. 303. He punisheth sin with sinne 486 God heares our prayers two waies 453 God recompenseth outward wants 310 He accepteth no mans person 531. he forgiues the penitent 414 Gods loue reconciles all his Creatures 5â— He loueth all his Creatures and how 86 323. He is not benefited by our well-doing 112 Godly charged wich rebellion 26â— they are friends to the Prince and the reasons 269 Godly must abound in graces 10â— They are most to be beloued 112. they are neuer barren 123. They often dye quickly the reasons of it 303 Godlinesse sweetens the bitternesse of the Crosse 116 Goers backeward 130 Good name hath many enemies 417 Good things must be carefully and earnestly followed 9. Reasons and vses 10 The goodnes of God to vs must be made knowne 142. The benefits thereof 142 143 Gospell cannot be bound 2. It is stronger then the Deuill 2 3. It abolisheth not ciuill ordinances 202. Obedience to them adornes the Gospell 263 Gospell brings peace 264 Gouernment of the tongue 476. Rules to obserue to attaine to it 477 Grace of two sortes 492 It signifieth sometimes the free fauour of God and sometimes his guifts in vs. 48. It is chiefly to be desired Ibid. It sanctifieth all other good things 51 The want of it is a cursse Ibid. It is the foundation of all our happinesse 52 53. Three steps leading vs to finde grace 52. It giueth contentment to the soule 54. Why called the grace of Christ â—92 the more it appears in any the more to be loued 322. 323. It is giuen freely 457 Graces of God are fruites of election 70. Bestowed vpon other they must reioyce vs See Spirituall graces We must grow in them 482. The seate of them is the Soule 498 Griefe to behold the vnregenerate 187 Grief to see any decay in grace 435 436 Grudge not at others good 153 H Hatred betweene Minister and people hinders profiting 193 Helpe of others to be sought 22 Heathen and Christian Religion howe they differ 156 Hearers must performe three duties 219. They must heare the word willingly 287 Difference of hearers 338. It is no common Grace 3â—0 Against hearing false tales 428 Where the Hart is there is our delight 288 Heart and word must goe together 457 Historicall Faith 78 Hindrances of Prayer 460 And of hearing 484 An honour to suffer for Christ 18 Honoring of Saints 145 Honour the Minister 296 Houses of the godly what 38 45. And of the vngodly 46 Housholders must teach their housholds 38. They must first reform themselues 4â— They must bring thir Families to the Church 47 All their houses the Christians sold not 367 368 Hope the best of others 426. It is a property of loue Ibid. Hospitality 440. It consisteth not in feasting 4. 2. It is cheefely required of Ministers 444 Hospitals none among the Heathen 157 Husband and Wife Yoke-fellowes 30 Husbands 328 Hunger after grace one step to it 53 Who are said to hunger 483 Hypocrites 486 I Idol-Shepheards 35 Idle persons haue their gifts diminished 13â— Idolatry of Gentiles and Papist alike 64. Iesting at sin 72 Iesuits enemies to Princes 266. They are Cormorants 340 Iesus what to be learned by it 495 Ignorance 78 90 Ignorant people ready to receiue any Religion â—… Ignorant Ministers 201 Imprisonment for the Gospell 12 13 Implicit Faith 77. Imprecations 175 Imputation of Christs righteousnes 363 364 Instruction profitable 40 Inuocation of Saints 66 Indulgence 1â—6 See Lenity Inferiors owe honor 179. 34 they must be content with their places 335 Iniuries See Reuenge Infirmities obiect not 315 Inferiors not bound to obey in euil 420 Beeing vnbeleeuers they yeelde but halfe obedience 344 Ioy to see the faithfall grow in grace 68 Israell oppressed 330 Interest in his owne good euery man hath 365 Iudge not before the time 430 Iudgement of the wicked touching the Crosse 14 Iustification by Faith condemned by the Papists 102. How Faith iustifieth 103. Paule and Iames reconciled 104 105. It is no doctrine of Liberty 105 K Keyes of the kingdome of heauen 166. How committed to the Minister Ibid. Kindred must be respected 338 340 Kings Nurses to the Church 273 Knowledge necessary 90. where it is not there is no faith 78. Being abused it bringeth iudgement 129 Knowledge of propriety in goods increseth the care of them 367 L Lame persons comforted 311 Law 246 Lawyers 389. Rules belonging vnto them 360 Least measure of grace 482 A Lesson for persecutors 17 Libertines 106 â—99 Lenity in winking at offenders 176 Liberality 160. How bestowed amisse 116 Liberall maintenance to be allowed the Minister 287 Life of the godly often short 308. How the promise is kept to them 109 Loue to be shewed specially to the saints 67. Generally to
be extended to all 86 A fruit of loue to admonish 27 We must loue most where God loueth most 112. Not the vngodly most 115 Loue betweene Pastour and people 192 193 Loue those that haue conuerted vs 261 Loue one another 332 355. It is a Christians badge 356 355 Loue God aboue all 340 Loue to the Saints must be feruent 254 257. What it is 256. The manner how we must loue 257 258 Long life a punishment to the vngodlie 308 Losses See comfort in losses Lowest member in the Church must bee respected 184 329 The low estate comforted 1â—0 Luke-warme 433 M A Magistrate sustaines two persons 247 Man by Nature sociable 22 A Martyr who is 19 20 Markes of Christ what 18 Marriage must be in the Lord. 32 English Martirs canonized by the Pope were deuillish Traytors 121 Mankind stand in neede one of another 83 Masse 93 Maintenance of the Minister 400 Maner of doing God accepts more then the deede 284 Maisters must pray for their Families 241. They haue comfort in teaching them 242. they are Ministers in their owne houses 45 Meditations to mooue vs to Prayer 462 Necessary after hearing 220. For Patrons 222 A meane to be kept 76 Meanes must be vsed to bring vs to faith 108 109. To further his guifts in vs 129 Members we are one of another 173 Mercilesse men 276 Mercifull men 280 Meritorious workes 458 Merits taught in the Church of Rome 463 Ministers calling painfull 33. they must not entangle themselues in worldlie things 37. They must seeke cheefely the profit of their people 70. It is a greefe to see them go backward 71 Ministers must preach willingly 286. They are Gods Instruments to conuert Soules 165. They must be maintained 287. Giuen to Hospitality 444. Being idle their guiftes are diminished 136 they haue no right to be maintained 137 Ministers must loue the people as Children 194 They must be faithful 216 They shall giue an account for soules 216. They haue comfort in labouring 242 Ministry a worthy calling 165 Ministers are Gods Ambassadours 171 How to be esteemed 171. They must vse mildenesse and gentlenesse 172 173 Mitigation of offences required 363 Three rules belonging thereto Ibid. Mishapen Children See Children deformed Monkish life See Solitary Mocking the Ministers 204 Multitude no rule to try truth 90 N Name that is good onely the godly haue 96 It hath many enemies 427. Euill men haue an euill Name 96. Against such as take away the good Name of the godly 96 Vngodlinesse brings a blot to mens names 97. ciuil men are ignorant of a good Name Ibid Seeke aster a good name 97. how many waies men are deceiued in it Ibid Wherein a good name consisteth 98 The enemies to it Ibid Naturall condition what 299 Negligence in Religion 11 Neglect of Prayer 456 Neighbour who is 256 Nicodemus 481 Niggardlinesse See Couetousnesse Non proficients 128 324 Non residency what it is 194 Notes to proue men voide of Faith 108 Nouatians 317 O Obiections answered pretending that ministers liue idely 35. that they need not heare that haue faith already 130 Obiections against instructing families 40. of them that say they spend nothing but their owne 115. Of miserable men against liberality 158 190. of Non residents 197 Obiections brought to prooue preaching not the ordinary meanes of regeneration 207 Obiections of Anabaptists 265. 367 Obiections made against forgiuing offenders 246. against vsing salutations 247 Obligations lawfull 385 Occasions of doing good must be sought 31. of contention must be cut off 251 Odious tearmes not to be vsed against the penitent 311 Offences of penitents not to be aggrauated 293. they are to be forgiuen 243 Offences forgiuen two wayes 247. they will arise many wayes 487 Old age honourable 178 Old men instead of Fathers 18. their Duties and sins 181 491. their long life is a testimony of Gods mercy 182 Oppression 393 Opportunity 444 Order in praying for blessings 505 Ouer-seers of the Church 221 Outward blessings recompenced with inward 305 P Painims religion what 156. they regard not the poore Ibid Papists no friends to Princes 266. falsely called Catholicks 322. they seuer faith and loue 102 104. they slander vs about Good-workes 105 Parents of deformed children comforted 311 316. they must not reproue their children for good thinges 328. they must pray for their families 241 Pardon open for penitents 217 Pastors ioy 69 Pastors and people are as Father and son 189. they are tied to a particular charge 199. not to discourage people that are forward 329 Pastors of meane guifts must bee heard 203 Patrons admonished 221. whence they had their names Peace giuen to the faithfull 55 58 The three Persons in Trinity worke our saluation 61. the distinction betweene them must be knowne 62 Peace is brought by the Gospel 264 Penitent persons not to be reproached 317. their confession not to be reueiled 321. abuse of the church of Rom therein Ibid. â—alse perswasion of Faith set downe by certaine notes 108. Peters being at Rome vncertaine 46â— disagreement of Popish writers about it 471 Persecutions of Christians are the persecutions of Christ 15 Popish Idolatry like the Gentiles 63 Popishe assertions touching the Scriptures 78 Pope held to bee the Saint-maker 121. he is enemy to Princes 266 Popish deuotion 288. Martyrs 10. Religion which giues liberty to sin 105 Church what it is 470. The Popes Supremacy 470. his Saints 120 Poore Saints to be relieued 154. What those poore are 161. Poorest beleeuer is rich 189. the godly are specially to be respected 1â—1 Pray for the free passage of the gosp 3â—… Praier necessary 63. 437. it must bee made to God for others 82. it is a part of spirituall armour 83. the vse of it ibid. other mens to be intreated 84. We must pray for spirituall strength 91. and for spirituall things 505 Praier what it is 447. it is a medicine against all diseases 83. how made vnprofitable 461. what is required in it 449. why God defers to heare 453. Popish prayers Idolatrous 452 Prayer heard two waies 453 Prayer contemned 454 Prayer to Saints 454. It robbeth God of his honor 155. It cannot merit People must maintaine their Ministers 38. They must delight the heartes of their Teachers 73. They must not thinke it enough not to hurt them 74. They come to entrap them Ibid Howe many waies they grieue their Pastors 75 People must employ their guifts 139. They must not despise the Ministry of the word 170. They must honor their Pastors 202. They must attend theyr owne Pastors 203. they are in the ministers debt 402 Poore vnthankfull 412 Precisenesse not to bee obiected against Professors 93 Presence of the Pastour necessary 190 191. Preaching of the word the meanes of regeneration 205. A token of Gods loue 215 Preachers preach to themselues as well as to others 210 Preaching Ministery necessary to saluation 213 Preparation before hearing 219 Priuiledges of the godly 58 Profession of Faith See Confession
before mine eyes cease to doe euill learn to do well All these were but as outwarde Ceremonies without substance which the Prophet Ieremy r Ier. 7 8. calleth Lying words that cannot profit Outward obseruations of religion wil deeeiue vs if we rest vpon them put our trust in them If we performe a worship to God without the heart we dishonor God we deceiue our owne soules and wee encrease our condemnation We draw neere Å¿ Esay 29 13. Math. 15 7 8 to God with our mouths and honor him with our lippes but our heart is farre from him and therefore wee worship him in vaine who is not delighted with outwarde shewes and with ydle shadowes but requireth the singlenesse of the soule and the willingnesse of the minde He looketh vpon the heart when we come before him Wee see how carefull men and weomen commonly are when they come to the place of Gods worship to haue all things in the outward man decent and cleanly they looke vppon themselues that their faces be washed their Garments brushed their linnen white that no spot no blemish no want no wrinckle may appeare in them but if wee go no farther we are but Hypocrites and dissemblers in the sight of God all our glorious shewes are no better then abhomination before him So then as the wiseman teacheth it standeth vs vpon to giue to God our harts which is the best present we can offer vnto him We are taught in the Lordes Prayer to pray vnto God t Math. 6 10. that we may do his will vpon the earth as the Angels do which are in heauen They performe the will of God readily and without any grudging they obey his commandements whensoeuer he sendeth employeth them faithfully and chearefully No one of them slacketh in his function but is diligent in the execution of that which is giuen him in charge Thus it ought to be with all of vs we must delight in Gods worship and encourage others to delight therein We must make the house of God a place of pleasure wee must make his word our meate and drinke and our continuall hearing must be a daily refreshing vnto our soules Vse 4 Lastly seeing all Christian duties must be performed of vs willingly wee are heereby guided and directed in our obedience that we are not to hinder the necessary duties of Christianity belonging vnto vs by obiecting fleshly reasons as it were laying stumbling blockes in our owne wayes to keep vs backe from a willing free and chearfull going forward in the works of our calling and in the parts of Gods worship We see when many are called to a new course of life and told of the necessity of labouring to get knowledge and hearing the worde of God they can obiect for themselues I shall loose my time neglect my businesse hinder my estate make my selfe a laughing stocke vnto others I shall misse such a bargaine I shall omit such a iourney I shall want such a meeting of Good-fellowes of Friendes and of Neighbours These are like u Mat. 22 5 6. Luk. 14 16 17 to those Guesse mentioned in the Gospell who beeing bid to the banket made their excuses and woulde not come they made light of it and went their wayes one vnto his Farme and another about his Merchandize Our Sauiour teacheth that when the word of God is preached vnto vs x Math. 13 22 the cares of this world the deceitfulnes of riches and the lusts of other things choake the word and it is made vnfruitful The world is a deceitfull baite and the glory thereof dazleth our eyes that wee cannot discerne the vanity thereof Againe when the duties of Loue and Charity ought to be extended toward those that want releefe and the fruits of mercie they are readie to obiect I shall weaken by giuing to others the means of my maintenance I shal disable my selfe I shall hinder my family and Children whom I must prouide for or else I should be worse then an Infidell and thereby giue cause to my aduersaries to reioyce and triumph ouer mee Thus euery one is wise in his owne eyes and carnall reason is apt enough to Minister fleshly obiections to slake our zeale and to hinder our course of obedience But let vs stop our eares against the songs of these enchanters which seeme to bewitch not our bodies but our soules These are nothing else but words full of distrust and doubting proceeding from Infidelity Let vs learn to rest vpon Gods prouidence by wel-dooing and looke for his blessing This is it which the Apostle remembreth where he laboureth to moue the Corinthians to releeue the distresses of the Saints y 2 Cor. 9 7 8 Giue not grudgingly or of necessitie and God is able to make all graces to abound toward you yet yee alwayes hauing all sufficiencie in all things may abound in euery good work As it is written he hath sparsed abroad and hath giuen to the poore his beneuolence remaineth for euer Such as liued in the Church in the dayes of the Apostles when there were many poore many extreamly poore z Acts 4 5 2 were moued to be liberall yea very liberall and bountifull vnto them so that they that had possessions solde them and distributed them as euery one had neede Many of them no doubt had wiues Children and were burthened with charge and family of their owne yet they accounted nothing peculiarly their owne but they had all things common they had them not only for themselues but for their brethren To conclude therefore we must beware wee be not led aside by the subtlety of Satan and the corrupt immagination of our owne Nature to bee hindered thereby from practising such duties as are required at our hands He that wil not follow the calling of God vntill the flesh minister no obiection against it shall neuer haue the commendation of obedience He shal neuer go about any good duty but we shall finde somwhat stand in the way to crosse it either our pleasure or profit or somewhat else will round vs in the eare to make vs forsake it or delay it or condemne it When the word of God reproueth any sinne in vs that seemeth sweete vnto the flesh we shall meete with a thousand tentations to perswade with vs to continue in it with greedinesse and to follow after it with all eagernesse Wherefore so soone as wee know the will of our heauenly Father let vs prepare our selues to do it and to delight in it and step ouer the rockes of offence that stand before vs to make vs fall that so God may be delighted with vs take pleasure in our obedience proceeding from the heart 15 It may be that he therefore departed for a season that thou shouldest receiue him for euer 16 Not now as a Seruant but aboue a Seruant euen as a Brother beloued especially to me how much more then vnto thee both in the flesh and in the
Lord The order of the words IN the words going before we haue already handled the remoouing of the first Obiection which ariseth from Paules sending of Onesimus back againe to his Maister The next Obiection is touching his departure from his Maister mentioned in these two Verses wherein hee both aunsweareth the Obiection maketh a newe reason and seeketh to extenuate the displeasure that Philemon hadde conceiued against him The Apostle aunswereth heere in this place that Obiection which might bee made and mooued from the former matter of this suit Hee hath intreated Philemon as we haue heard to receiue Onesimus he might hereunto haue said But why should I receiue him Shall I entertaine a Runna-gate Seruant a base Varlet that hath wasted and purloyned my goods and sought to vndoe me If hee were well with mē why did he depart from me If not well why will he returne to me againe Hee that is once euill is alwaies presumed to be euill Answere This is the Obiection whereunto the Apostle maketh a double answere as he did before first by way of granting and yeelding to Philemon secondly by a kind of correcting his former grant The granting is I confesse and acknowledge willingly that hee departed from thee and would not tarrie with thee The correcting is though he did depart it was not for euer it was but a very short time as thou seest So then the answer is from the adioynt of time he went from thee for a little season which is not barely set downe but with an illustrastion added vnto it from the ende That thou shouldst receiue him for euer which also is enlarged by a comparison from the greater Not so much as a Seruant but as more then a Seruant The latter part of this enlargement being the second part of the comparison is declared by the speciall A beloued Brother more then a Seruant for a Brother carryeth with it a better respect and a farther regard then the name of a Seruant This also is enlarged by a comparison from the greater to the lesse especially to mee which comparison also is amplified by another from the greater how much more to thee which is farther strengthned by a diuision or distribution of the Subiect shewing wherein he was more bound to Philemon then to Paul himselfe Both in the flesh and in the Spirit Thus we haue seene the resolution of these Verses The meaning of the wordes and the order which is propounded in them Now let vs see what are the points that require interpretation First he saith He departed he vseth a kind of diminution called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or a qualification of his fact and fault committed against his Maister For he vseth a more gentle and friendly word to lessen the offence that it might not appeare to Philemon so great as it was calling his running away a departure from his Maister Now the Apostle saith It may be that he departed or peraduenture he departed The word vsed in this place is also found Rom 5 8. where he saith a Rom. 5 8. Doubtlesse one will scarce dye for a righteous man but yet for a good man it may be that one dare dye Properly b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it signifieth quickly or speedily or hastily but that signification cannot fitly agree to these places and therefore it must be turned and translated It may be he departed Where the Apostle doth not speake of this secret worke of God precisely and peremptorily but with an exception or limitation warily and reuerentlie least offence should be taken and encouragement giuen thereby to the committing of euill For if he had said simply and absolutely he departed for this end and he fled away that he might be conuerted other Seruants might haue beene emboldned in wickednesse and haue pretended the same cause and haue runne away from their Maisters who beeing asked the cause why they tooke them to their heeles would readily answere It was that I might be conuerted to the Faith as Onesimus was hee ran away from his Maister and was saued I ranne away also that I might be saued So then the Apostle by this word noteth out the speciall prouidence and meere goodnesse of God ordering and gouerning this Fact which is not to bee drawne into a generall practise In the next place he addeth For a season the word signifieth for an houre that is for a small time euen so much as Onesimus was trauailing from Colosse to Rome from his Maister to Paule by whom being conuerted he was immediatly sent backe which was no long time but a very little while euen as it were an houre in comparison both of the time that he before had beene with him and of the time hee was like to stay with him hereafter Wherein also he seeketh farther to lessen his fault offence by the circumstance of the time as if he should say If he had beene from thee any long time or that thou hadst missed him many yeares thy wrath might be harder to be appeased but he hath beene from thee a small time it is but as it were one houre and therefore haue patience toward him especially considering by his absence thou shalt gaine this that he shall neuer depart from thee hereafter but remaine faithfull profitable vnto thee many yeares Thou maist well beare the lacke of him one houre seeing thou shalt thereby get the aduantage of many months and yeares Therefore he addeth That thou shouldst receiue him for euer that is all the dayes of his life vnto his death Thus the phrase is taken in sundry places of the Olde Testament c Gene. 17 7. when circumcision is called an euerlasting Couenant the Passe-ouer is commaunded to bee kept holy by an ordinance d Exod. 12 14 for euer whereby hee meaneth a long time euen vnto the comming of Christ in the flesh So if a Seruant would not go away from his Maister because he loued him and was well with him the Maister should take an Aule and pierce his eare through against the doore and he shall be his seruant e Deut. 15 17. for euer that is to the yeare of Iubile So in this place the Apostle saith Philemons Seruant should remaine with him for euer that is a long time euen so long as hee should liue vpon the face of the earth Lastly when Paule saith hee must be beloued In the Flesh and in the Lord he meaneth both in thinges appertaining to this life and the life to come In the Flesh in regard of his seruice which he shall performe to his Maister in matters belonging to this Mortall life In the Lord in respect of the common faith in Christ This is the meaning of the words in this diuision wherein as we noted before howsoeuer the Apostle doth purposely answere an obiection yet in this answere also he propoundeth two new reasons to moue Philemon to receiue his seruant One is in the 15. verse taken