and so louingly embraced is this he whom he saluted with such sweete kisses and teares of ioy was it for him that the fat calfe was killed and is all this feasting and reioycing for his returne as though he had neuer offended surely so it should seeme But what shall man now giue vnto God for so greate loue and fauour or how shall we shew our selues thankfull for such kindnesse vndeserued Surely this is the Lordes doing and it is wonderfull in our eyes but that our profit may encrease to the further instruction of our iudgmente and comfort of our faith we will by the grace of God set downe certain pointes to consider of and by this text to be examined First we will consider how or by what meanes we are come into this fauour with God and how we are come by the knowledge thereof Secondly we will see the exellencie of the children of God aboue other men Thirdly we will enquire what duety the children-of God do owe vnto God their heauenly father wherby they may shew themselues thankful for such fauour restored Fourthly we will consider why the Lord both here and els where vseth these wordes My sonne Last of all we will see what may bee gathered frō them as they bee the words of Solomon How we are made the sonnes of God NOw touching the First point if we be the sonnes of God then God is our father the church of god is our mother the members of the church be our bretheren and the kingdome of heauen is our inheritance This purchase the father hath bestowed vpon vs the sonne hath bought it for vs and the holy ghost hath sealed vnto vs. Of this couenant God is the author the sonne of God is the purchaser and the spirite of God is the certifier It is freely graunted it is fully discharged it is certainely assured and shall be for euer possessed This prerogatiue as it is great so the first cause thereof was the infinite loue of God in his son Iesus Christ. It is the free gift of the father so saith the sonne Feare not litle flocke it is youre fathers pleasure to giue you a kingdome It is the free gift of the sonne so saith the Lord Iesus My sheepe heare my voice and follow me and I giue vnto them eternall life It is also the gift of the Holy Ghost so saith the prophet Dauid Lord let thy good spirite lead me into the land of righteousnesse and therefore it is no way merited or purchased by our selues while we liue nor gotten by any friendes for vs when we are deade as Papists teach for nothing can be more contrary than these To haue it of our selues and to be freely giuen of God The euidence or assurance which we haue to shew for this priuiledge is Gods promise which is surely ratified in heauen by the eternall decree of the holy Trinitie as it were by an euerlasting Act of Parlement neuer to be repealed wherunto the father the word and the spirite do beare sufficient witnesse If therefore we receiue the witnesse of men the witnesse of God is greater The recordes of this charter promise are left among vs here vpon earth in the written word of God contained in the bookes of the old and new testament whereupon all the faithfull must rely as vpon their fathers last will and testament and these we are al cōmaunded to search because they beare witnesse of the loue of God in Christ to our eternal saluation Therefore if any forsake this foundation to build vpon reuellations and dreames as Anabaptistes do or vpon mens traditions as the Papists do or vpon the persuasions of their owne hearts as Atheists do what do they els but builde vppon the sands The proclaimers and publishers of high prerogatiue are pastors and teachers which are appointed to be ministers of the Gospell truly sent of God and lawfully called of Gods church whose badges are knowledge and holines whose feete are beawtifull because they bring the glad tidings of peace The seales of this charter are either outward or inward The outward seales are the Saeraments of Baptisme and the Lordes Supper duely administred according vnto Christs holy institution The inward seales are two one is the spirite of adoption which beareth witnesse to our spirits that we are the sonnes of God and sealeth vp our heartes to the day of redemption The other is a good cōscience in all thinges desiring to liue honestly whereby we know that the spirit of God is in vs. The hand by which we receiue it is faith the closet wherin we keep it is the heart and till the soule may fully possesse it she must lye at the anchor of hope and so much for the first point The excellencie pleasures and beautie of Gods Children NOw let vs take a little viewe of the commodities and benefits which belong vnto this charter and priuiledge of beeing the sonnes of God and then shall we see the excellencie and dignitie of Gods children aboue all other which be not the children of God Their excellent estate and condition doth partly appeare in the very names and titles that be giuen them in the word of God where they be called the citizens of the heauenly Ierusalem a royall priesthood a kingly generatiō the beloued of God the spowse of the lambe Christ the signet of the Lords right hand the apple of his eye the annointed of God the friendes of God the brethrenand sisters of the Lord Iesus his loue his doue and his vndefiled the bodie of Christ the Lordes vineyard his holy ones the saintes of God the seruauntes of the most high and that which passeth all the rest the sons and daughters of God Now as Dauid said when he should haue married Saules daughter Seemeth it to you a light thing to be a kinges sonne seeing that I am a poore man and of small reputation So seemeth it to any a light thing to be sonnes and daughters of God the king of all kinges seeing wee are sinfull men and of no reputation but deserued rather eternall confusion It is a great matter as it seemeth by Dauids words to be a kings son but hee that is sonne and heire to a 1000. kingdomes or 1000. worlds if it were possible cannot compare with the sons of God if they were as naked as euer Iob was or as poore as euer was Lazarus The sonnes of Princes are in great accompt with men but the children of God are in accompt with God and man The children of princes are attended vpon by noble men and garded with strong men yet both but mē whose breth is in their nostrels and their handes cannot accomplish the deuise of their heart The children of God are attended vppon by God himselfe whose eye is alwaies ouer the righteous and they are garded by the angels of God who for their swiftnesse are said to haue wings for their readinesse they are said to
ioyned his word and his spirit togither by which as by a true tuchstone all false loue is discerned from true loue and all false peace and false ioy is tried from true peace and true ioy and so of the rest and therfore is the word called the sword of the spirite because it doth not try nothing nor worke any thing ordinarily but by the word of God And last of al least Sathan should abuse delude the children of God with the manifold corruptions imperfections and rebellious thoughtes of their heartes and make them conclude thereupon that they haue not the spirit of God They are to know that the spirite of God in the elect is not alwaies felt in themselues nor perceiued in them by others in a like measure but it is in them as the sunne which sometime shineth and sendeth foorth her light dispersing the clouds and somtimes againe is hidden vnder the cloudes It is in them as the ebbing and flowing of the sea It is in them as the waxing and waning of the Moone It is in them as the fire when it is kindled and when it is raked vp in the ashes And it is within them as the sap of the tree is in Winter and Sommer sometime in all the branches and sometime gone to the roote And as the elect are like Trees planted by the waters side which doe bring forth fruite in due season so the same trees haue both a summering and a wintering a spring time and a fall of the leafe when winter come they seeme as though they were dead but in summer they shall waxe fresh and greene againe The fruits of the spirite in the elect children of God are likewise like the fruit of the tree which is first in the sap only then it commeth into buds and then into blossomes whereof some are smitten with blasting some are nipped with frost cold some are eaten with worms but if they escape al these then from blossoms they come to be appls and at the first they are green and louely and many doe lust to eate of them but they are still hard and harshe but in time they come to their full growth And when they are ripe then are they eyther shaken downe with the winde and swine deuour them or beaten downe with cudgels and theeues do steale them or if they be fairely gathered yet are they pluckt from the tree that hath borne them then are they bought and sold whereof some perish and are cast out of dores the fairest and the sweetest is brought either to fire to be rosted or to the boord to be pared and cut in peeces and so to be eaten then the tree is naked and seemeth to be dead but the next spring doth fetch all againe So are the fruites of the spirite in the adopted children of God first in the sap of faith only which is hidden in the heart then it commeth into good thoughtes then into good wordes then into good workes by degrees but many times they are nipped and smitten in the bud or in the blossome that is either in thoughts or wordes that they neuer come into workes The workes likewise of the godly are at the first faire and freshe but yet hard and harsh and when they are come to any perfectiō they are either wind-shaken and deuoured by beasts or smitten with persecution then are they bought and solde and euerie man handleth them as they list In a worde the fairest the pleasantest and the best of our workes must be pared and picked for dainty mouths and queasie stomackes and in the end consumed of all and then are our labours come to their perfection wherher they be of Church or common-wealth and then doe many of Gods children thinke themselues naked and dead but there is no cause why they should for as all that fruit when it is so and so handled doe prooue that sap is in the tree so all the fruites of the elect whether they perishin the bud or in the blossome or in the ripening or howsoeuer they be handled yet they proue that the sap of Gods spirite is in them and the next spring of Gods grace will fetch all againe But then they doubt of themselues because perhappes they haue not so much fruit as they had or so much as others haue but there is no cause why they shold doubt of thēselues for though they haue not so much as they had yet it is as good and sound as that which they had it is not counterfait and fained but it is in trueth that which it seemeth to be and so long they may care but they neede not to feare the want of Gods spirite in them for it is not so materiall how much faith or howe much zeale or how much loue or how much patience a man hath but how good faith howe good zeale how good loue how good patience a man hath whether the faith loue zeale c. be true or counterfeit from the heart or in hypocrisie must be the question That as men say of fruit this is but little but it is good heere be not many of them but those that are of them are verie daintie they are right of such and such a kind So the children of God may say My faith is but little and weake my loue is not so much as I would it were my zeale is but litle and my patience is but small but it is true faith and true loue and true zeale and true patience euen from the verie heart root without dissembling O Lord increase it and strengthen it And thus much for the difference betweene the children of God by creation only and the children of God both by creation and adoption And thus much of the spirit of God both in the one and in the other Now let vs come to the matter in hand We haue heard who be called the sonnes of God how this title is giuen to the Lord Iesus how to Angels and how to men hath been also declared but to imagine that in this place it were spokē to the Lord Iesus were no lesse than blasphemy because he was euer without sinne and to enquire whether it were spoken to the Angels or no were vaine curiositie Now if it be man to whom the Lord saith My son as it is indeede O Lord what is man that thou doost speak so kindly to him or the sonne of man that thou doest so regarde him Againe if it be spoken to man how art thou O Man gotten into such fauour with God which sometimes thou hadst lost How happy and honourable are those men which are the sonnes of God But is it spoken to me in deede what to sinfull and miserable man and are the sonnes of Adam among the sons of God as Saul was amongst the prophets is the prodigall son come home againe is it for him that such costly robes are brought forth and is it he that his father went out to meete
sea with his arme let him that can do these things come forth and describe the honours the priuiledges the riches the pleasures and the felicities of Gods children which are such as no eye hath seene no eare hath heard no tongue can vtter and no heart is able to conceiue What accompt we must make of Gods children BVt by this small tast we may learn in what accompt to haue the children of God because God hath thē in so high accompt himselfe for shall not wee honour those whom God doth honour shall anie man hate those whom God doth loue or despise those in whom the Lord doth take delight doe not we loue them which loue our children and doe not our heartes and hands too arise against them which misuse our children And shall not God who exceedeth all fathers in loue much more loue those which loue his children and shall not his heart and hand too arise in his heauie wrath and displeasure against such as misuse his childrē either in word or deede If we loue anie man wee loue his children also and for his sake we make much of them If wee loued him which begat saith S. Ioh. wee would also loue him that is begotten That is if we loue God we will loue the children of God be they neuer so poore and base in the eies of the world Therefore if wee loue not Gods children wee loue not God himself and if we loue not God we hate him and if wee hate him how shall he loue vs Alas to let passe the murtherers and persecuters of the saints of God in other countries how do we thinke to answere our rashe iudging and hastie condemning our vnchristian mocking and taunting our priuie nipping or bitter iesting our vncharitable censuring and our hard dealing which we vse one against another and yet all professing one God one father one sauiour one religion and all looking for one kingdome Are we not all the sonnes of God and children of the most high How is then that one doth hate and hunt another as though we were beastes or rather fiends of hell When Iosephs brethren sold their brother Ioseph they thought neuer to see him more much lesse did they looke to be told of their crueltie from his owne mouth but least of all did they dreame of any such matter when they should go to Aegypt for vittaile so many yeares after but yet so it fell out contrarie to all their expectations And when they heard him say which was a ruler in Aegypt I am Ioseph your brother whom you sold they looked one vpon another as men amazed but could not tell what to say for themselues such shame and cōfusion did couer their faces such feare and dread was on euerie side and their owne consciences within them were a thousand witnesses against them And is it not so with vs when we do euill intreat our brethren do we not thinke that we shall neuer see Ioseph more but we are deceiued for Ioseph our brother shal appeare not in Aegypt but in heauen to our shame and confusion if we repent not Steuens persecuters shall see the face of Steuen as the face of an Angell The rich glutton shall see Lazarus in Abrahams bosome when hee himselfe shall lie languishing in hell tormentes The Iewes which crucified the Lord of glorie shall one day look vpon him and see him in glorie whom they pierced And they which now set Gods children at nought because they are young men or poore men or more zealous or more religious or are not so prophane as themselues or will not run with them to the same excesse of riot shall one day see them set vpon thrones to iudge the nations and them which hated them Then shall the righteous stand in great boldnesse before the face of such as haue tormented him and taken away his labors When they see him they shal be vexed with horrible feare and shal be amazed for his wonderfull deliuerance Then they shall change their mindes and sigh for griefe of minde and say within themselues This is hee whom wee sometime had in derision and in a parable of reproch These are they whom we called fooles and asses puritane knaues beggerly rascals This is he whom we hated whom we molested whom we slandered On the other side also This is he shall some say whom we in the top of our owne conceit condemned for a time-seruer and a formalist This is the Church whom we schismatickes tooke for no church at all but in the pride of our heartes and in the furious spirite of a preposterous zeale wee counted no better than Sodom than Aegypt than Babilon than Baalamites not worthy the name of a church Then shal many prophane men say We fooles thoght his life madnesse his end without honor How is he counted amongst the children of God and his portion among the saints Full litle do many thinke of this alteration and howe soone it may come who knoweth Last of all whosoeuer looketh for heauē after this life must while hee liue make much of such as feare God saith the prophet he doth not say if they be rich or if they be in authoritie or if they may pleasure thee or if they be merrie companions c. But if they feare God we must make much of them whether they be poore or rich whether they go in veluet or in sackecloth whatsoeuer they be by occupation or profession or whatsoeuer we be our selues for the poore receiue the gospell saith our sauiour that is the poore are rich if they be godly And so much briefly for the excellencie of Gods children The duetie of Gods Children NOw let vs see what God requireth of his children whereby they may in some poore measure shewe themselues thankefull to his Maiestie for this excellent estate whereunto he hath called them As their dignitie is great so their duetie must needs be great because much is required where much is bestowed Therefore looke howe many titles so many dueties howe much honour so much obedience and looke how much the Lord hath abased himselfe to aduance vs so much are we againe bound to abase our selues that wee may aduaunce his glorie like Abraham who the more familiarly the Lord did talke with him the more humbly hee did cast downe himselfe in the feeling and acknowledging of his own vnworthinesse But what doth God require or what shall we doe If I be your father saith the Lord where is my honour Then honour is required and God looketh to be honoured of his children Honour thy father and thy mother saith the commandement that is heare them and regard them reuerence and obey thē feare them and loue them mantaine them and their credit to the vtmost defend their persons and their honest quarrels and take their part against all that rise vp against them If such honour be due to our earthly parents which
stand in the presence of God and for their strength incomparable or else aske Senacharibs host The pleasures of the sons of men are such as the worlde doth affoord carnall securitie worldly prosperitie fleshly delightes beastly sensualitie with pride ease fulnesse of bread and such like the pleasures of the childrē of God is such as the world can neither giue nor take as the louc of righteousnesse delight in the law of God patience in affliction loue of the saints which excell in vertue and such like The riches and treasures of the sonnes of men are golde and siluer houses and landes lordships and manners rents and reuenewes and such like which theeues may steale or mothes may eat or rust may fret or fire may consume or water may ouerflowe or time may weare or death may end but the riches and treasures of Gods children are the word of God Gods fauour forgiuenesse of sinnes freedome from hell and the diuel liberty with the saints the spirite of contentation peace of conscience continual ioy in the holy Ghost and a kingdome of glory in heauen such like which no theefe can steal no rust can fret no fire can consume no water can drowne no plague can infect no time cā weare nor death can ende The ornamēts which the children of men haue to commend them vnto the worlde they are of the worlde and such as the word doth like of as gold and siluer silkes and veluets iewels and precious stones sumptious and rich attyre beautifull faces comely bodies ripe wittes smooth toonges c. These are also bestowed vpon many of Gods children but they haue better ornaments than these Their liues are adorned with holinesse and righteousnesse with vertue and religion their bodies are attyred with chastitie and sobriety their frontlets are modestie and shamefastnesse their robes are grauitie and wisedome their bracelets are mercie and compassion their wordes are the wordes of grace their lippes are the dores of knowledge and their hearts are the store-houses of vnderstanding Before the world in themselues they are blacke as though they had lodged among the pots but before the lord in Christ they are white as the Lillie and comely as the curtaines of Solomon Behold saith Solomon the beloued of Christ is faire yea behold shee is faire indeed her eyes are like the doues her haire is like the flock of goates which looke downe from the mountaines of Gilead her teeth are like a flock of sheepe in good order which go vp from the washing her lippes are like a threed of Scarlet her talke is comely her temples are within her lockes as a piece of Pomegranate her necke is as the tower of Dauid built for defence her breasts are as two young Roes which are twinnes feeding amongst the lillies She is all faire and there is no spot in her The loue of Christ hath threescore queens and of damseles without number to wait vpon her the doue of Christ is alone and vndefiled she is the only daughter of her mother and she is deere to her that bare her the daughters haue seene and coumpted her blessed yea euen the queenes and concubines haue seene her and they haue praised her shee looketh foorth as the morning faire as the moon pure as the sunne and terrible as an armie with banners The rich Iewels of Gods children are sweete fruites of the holyghost as loue ioy peace long suffering meekenesse patience temperance c. for the spirit of God is in them which is a spirit of knowledge and vnderstanding a spirit of councell and courage and a spirit of the feare of the Lord by which they are led as by the hand of God by it they stand as by the staffe of God by it they are instructed as by the mouth of God and by it they are corrected as by the rod of God For want wherof the sonnes of men are most miserable when they seem to be most happy their aboundance seemeth nothing their libertie is bondage their peace is warre their rest is sorrowe their health is sicknes and their life is death Their laughter is but from the teeth outward Their feasts are like the feasts of Balthasar and their honour is like the honour of Haman They feare any thing but not sinne they loue any thing sauing God they ioye in euery thing so it be not goodnesse like the swine which had rather wallow in the stinking puddles of mire than in a sweete bed of Roses They sleep as a drunken man in the top of ship mast in a mightie storme in the midst of the sea their head is fraught with aboundance of care and their hearte with continuall feare Their foes they hate their friendes they suspect they trust no body they haue no ioy of any thing they possesse they are a burden to thēselues their whole life is vanitie and vexation of spirit when sicknes cōmeth they lye like blocks they rore like Bulles and they die like beastes and as they serued the Deuill all their life time so they looke euery houre when they shall goe to hell But the children of God are most happie when they seeme to be most miserable Their peny seemeth a pound their pound seemeth a 100 pound In want they haue aboundance in prison they find libertie in sicknes they haue health in warre peace in labour rest in sorrow ioy in death life and after death they possesse the kingdome of heauen The reason is this where the spirite of God is there is perfect libertie where a good conscience is there is a continuall feast and where the light of Gods countenaunce doth shine there is more ioye of heart than when corne and wine and oyle is encreased Can the children of the wedding fast while the Bride-grome is with them And can the children of God miscarrie while God their father is by them The loue of earthly fathers is transitorie and vncertaine like the loue of Saul to Dauid but whom the Lord loueth he loueth for euer Worldly fathers do many times repent them of that which they bestow vpon their children but the gifts and calling of the Lord are without repentance But what do I goe about to set forth the hid honours the excellent state and the great priuiledges of the children of God which are giuen and bestowed not according to the basenes of our heartes and affections but according to the worthinesse and honour of his maiesty that adopteth Verely all that can be said of them is but a tast of them and when we haue done we are to beginne againe if we had the time of another world and the tongues of men and Angels to helpe vs. For who can measure the sea with aspoone who can put the cloudes into a bottell who can gather the windes in his fist who can number the sandes by the sea shore or who can reach the depth of the
kings paie without his fauour and what good shall the goodes of his subiectes doe him without their heartes and good will This knew the old counsellers of Salomon well inough and therefore when Rehoboam who succeeded Salomon asked them what course he should take to winne the heartes of the people they gaue him counsell to speak kindly vnto them at the first and they would be his seruantes for euer meaning that some token of loue or shewe of a kind affection towardes them would more preuaile with them than any thing els Shall the hope of Rehoboams loue make his subiects serue him for euer and shall not the assurance of Gods loue make vs serue him for euer Shall the kind words of Rehoboam the king of Ifrael win the heartes of his people for euer and shal not the kind wordes of Iehouah the king of heauen and earth win the hearts of his people for euer and for euer vnto himselfe besides that Rehoboam had neede to speake kindly to his subiects or els it is the worse for himselfe Iehouah needeth not to speake so for if we neuer loue him it is not the worse for him but for our selues yea if we be righteous we are righteous for our selues and if we all perish God wil not loose a whit of his glory shall we not then listen vnto the Lord when he speaketh so kindly vnto vs and hath displayed the flagge of Truce with My sonne the badge of loue vpon it When God commaunded Abraham to sacrifice his sonne Isaac he was ready to do it So deare was the loue of God vnto him but if all the world besides had persuaded him therevnto he would neuer haue yeelded God doth not commaund vs to sacrifice our sonnes but our sinnes least they sacrifice vs now if we thinke our selues as much beholding to God as Abraham was we wil not spare them though they be as necessarie for vs as our right hand or as profitable vnto vs as our right eye If Iudas had been the child of God as he was the child of perdition would he haue sold the loue of Christ for 30 pieces of siluer no nor yet for 30 thousande worldes but so it is with all Hipocrites and reprobate persons which are best knowne to the searcher of hearts They cannot be persuaded that God is their father in Christ their spirites are not assured by Gods spirit that God doth loue them They conceiue of the Lord as of their enemie and therefore as they could neuer feele the sweetenesse of Gods loue in their soules so they can neuer afford him their loue in their liues Whervpon it commeth to passe that the least temptation in the world the least feare of mans displeasure and the least shew of pleasure and profit doe easily persuade them to doe any thing against god against his glory against his word and against his feruantes as Baalam did who serued for the wages of iniquitie But the faithfull indeed hearing God calling them his sonnes and his daughters hauing the spirit of sanctification to assure them of their adoption they I say do fall into the reckoning of Gods vnspeakable loue in Christ vnto them howbeit not all at one time nor alwaies alike he that is not now may be hereafter but when they consider of it indeed they do therewithall resolue with themselues in token of thankfullnesse to serue the Lord in righteousnesse and true holines all the daies of their life yet still depēding vpon God by prayer and herein through Gods grace they are resolute whatsoeuer dislike of men or hinderance in the world or daunger to their owne liues they might purchase for their labor And thus wee see what an Orator the loue of God is Therfore when the Lord saith My son let vs looke for no more eloquēce to entice vs nor reasons to persuade vs for heare is eloquence inough reasons inow and learning inough and fathers inow to persuade any man that hath the spirit of God in him and whosoeuer doth not find the cords of Gods loue and authoritie strong inough to knit his hearte vnto the statutes of the Lord he hath good cause to suspect himselfe as yet that he is not the child of God Why My sonne in the singular number and not my sonnes NOw we will see why the Lord saith not My sonnes in the plurall number seeing as he speaketh to all his childrē but My sonne as if it concerned but onely one body This is partly for the particular encouragement and confirmation of euery one in his duety and partly for the particular comfort of euery one of Gods children when he shall be troubled for doing of his duety for when the Lord in particular shall giue euery one his charge then if any man be offended at him he may shew his warrant and say thus Sir the Lord did not speake generally to all least one should post it off to another but he speaketh particularly to me aswell as to another and therefore I am discharged for when the Lord speaketh indefinitly meaning none he excepteth none But in this particular kind of speaking the Lord doth binde euery one of his children in particular wholy to serue him and none els so therewithall he giueth vs to vnderstand that he hath a speciall eye and fatherly care ouer euery one in particular that is his childe and will surely protect and defend him as his childe against all annoiances watsoeuer than the which there can be no greater comfort whensoeuer the crosse shall come But we will first see how they doe binde vs wholy to God and afterwarde we will see how God hath bound himselfe to vs and euery one of vs if we be all his children as I hope we be Some thinke it lawfull to serue God and the worlde too to be of this Reiiglon and of that Religion too to goe to Bethell the house of God and to Bethauen the house of Idolitrie To goe with Barnabas and Barrabas and to ioyne with Simon Magus as with Simon Peter thinking themselues sufficiently discharged if they serue God a little now and then or if they keepe their consciences to themselues and giue God their heartes like Protestantes at large which thinke they need not heare a sermon because they heard seruice or they need not come in the after noone because they came in the forenoone or like the most which think when they haue heard a sermon they are then at libertie to do what they will or like those men which will heare a Masse and worshippe the crosse at the least in other countries that they may get commodities thereby but they will keep their consciences to themselues as our church Papists doe here amongst vs but all these men are deceiued for no man can serue ij maisters Therefore my good brother when any such temptations do beginne to fawne vpon thee Remember that God doth here call euerie particular member of the church
the publisher God is our father indeede Salomon is but Gods minister and speaks like a father to all that of all he might win some Salomon was a king yet he giueth counsell like a Preacher and teacheth men how to order their liues according to the word of god and therefore he calleth himselfe a Preacher So should rulers and men in authoritie giue their inferiours counsell like Preachers and though they be not Preachers by office yet by their graue counsell and holy aduise they may and ought to be Preachers and so should all men be But now if men speake like Polititians and can giue craftie counsell to serue all mens turnes they are the men but if any speake like a holy Christian or like a diuine or like a Preacher he is acconted a Puritane a foole and called a Preacher in derision well Salomon though he be a king and no Preacher yet he giueth the charge on the Iudgment seat like a diuine and he counselleth like a Preacher indeed but he speaketh like a father and from a fathers affection with desire not to shew himselfe but to profit his auditors and his readers therefore see how he tempereth his counsels and his doctrine with wordes of loue saying My sonne as if that were the onely way to win men to God So when the Apostle would make the Galathians in loue with his doctrine he calleth them his children yea his litle children this is to teach al teachers how to make their doctrine most profitable vnto their auditors they haue put vpon them the persons of fathers therefore with a fatherly affection they must teach the Lords people and humble them as children especially weake ones which are but comming on But those that are falling away and sinne of mallice and wilfullnesse are to be handled after another maner and therefore it is that Salomon in this booke hath so much adoe with fooles and scorners though he speake to some as to babes and children And that kind of teaching is of loue too and from the spirite of God yea when Paule ratled vp Elymas the sorserer calling him a man full of subtiltie and mischeife a child of the deuill an enemie of all righteousnesse and a peruerter of the straight waies of the Lord it is said of him that he was full of the holy ghost As this doth not patronise bitternesse of spirite or vnseemely rayling in any so it serueth to proue that a minister of GOD may sometime as occasion serueth deale roundly in laying open of sin and seuerely thunder the iudgment of God neither can we without sinne charge him with railing or malice or choller as the manner of some is to charge the preachers of the word of God My sonne saith Salomon to teach vs that wee must speake with a louing and kinde affection but not with a couetous and vainglorious affection if euer wee will winne men to God My sonne saith Salomon to teach vs that whether we teach doctrine or correct maners or reprooue sinne or denounce iudgements we should first see that there be that kinde affection in vs towardes the parties with whō we haue to deale which is in fathers towards their children and that fatherly loue will sweeten all our reprehensions and all our admonitions make them in time go down into the stomack if they were as bitter as any pils if men be not whollie giuen ouer of God My brethren saith S. Paul in all his Epistles as if he made as much reckoning of them as of himselfe and to shewe them that he wished them to do nothing but that hee himselfe woulde helpe them in it and doe it with them You haue manie instructors and teachers saith the Apostle but not many fathers but in Christ Iesus I haue begotten you through the Gospell wherefore I pray you be followers of me to teach vs how to make the people become our followers Oh the loue the patience the faithfulnesse and the wisedome of a father how great is it or ought it to be towards his children so great should be the loue the patience the faithfulnesse and the wisedome of the minister of God As S. Paul teacheth Timothie for want whereof much learning and eloquence is shewed many argumentes and aucthorities are spent many admonitions and doctrines are deliuered both publiquely and priuately by Ministers and Magistrates and of all sorts and little or no fruite come vp after because the affection is not first sanctified by the spirite of loue This is also a lesson for vs if we be housholders or maisters of families for they must be preachers too in their families after a sort if wee woulde haue our counsell and correction doe good with those that are vnder our gouernment let them see our tender affection and a fathers loue both in our words and deedes In the 7. of Luke it is said of the Centurion that hee had many seruauntes vnder his aucthoritie and they were all at his becke most readie to obey him in anie thing that he set them about but how did hee bring them to any such good order surely it is said that his seruants were deere vnto him that is hee made a speciall reckoning of them and was a father vnto them So let all maisters make a reckoning of their seruants for if thy seruant can perceiue that he is deere vnto thee thou shalt in time worke him like wax to thine owne minde except hee hath solde himselfe to worke wickednesse If thou be a husband and wouldst win thy wife to God or if thou be a wife and wouldest winne thy husband to God draw you on one another with the sweet words of loue speaking kindly one to another because gentle wordes doe pacifie anger as water quencheth fire Remember what counsell the auncient counsellors of Salomon gaue vnto Rehoboam king of Israel that hee might winne the heartes of the people speake kindly vnto them saide they and they will serue thee for euer after So speake one to another in kinde wordes and you will loue one another for euer after Wordes spoken in season saith Salomon are like apples of gold with pictures of siluer what wordes more seasonable than wordes of loue and kindenesse but wordes of despight and reproch are alwaies out of season and shall neuer do good Sometime one worde of kindenesse may giue grace vnto all the rest of the speech and one worde of reproch and despight may spill all thy counsell if it be neuer so graue and godly otherwise for a little leauen sowreth the whole lumpe This we see by daily experience if a man say but thou to some one he cannot beare it doest thou me will hee say againe An other againe will take some one worde more to heart than all the rest oh that same one word will hee say went to my verie heart The Iewes which hated the Lord Iesus woulde not vouchsafe to giue him his name when they