flesh of the males of his house when he gaue charge that he with them should be circumcised Gen. 17.10 11. And when God by his Angel would smite the Aegyptians and spare his people for the stronger assurance of their faith hee signeth the two side postes of their houses with the bloud of the Lambe called the bloud of the Passeouer that the destroying Angel seeing it might passe by Exod. 12 22 23. Also God promising deliuerance from the hand of the Midianites by the hand of Gideon doth seale it with two signes Iudg 6.36 37 38 39 40. and our deliuerance from the Madian of hell in the estate of the new Testament hee signeth with the two Sacraments of Baptisme and the Lords Supper and so hee doth not punish vs as hee might for not beleeuing and what great person will not storme if his word shall not bee taken but giues vs somewhat in hand to confirme vs rather Reasons the reasons The best are weake to hold the graces which hee giues of faith hope loue patience and other therefore and because hee would not haue so precious wares to goe to losse who saith gather vp the fragments that nothing bee lost Iohn 6.12 hee strengtheneth with sensible helpes the hand into which hee puts them Further also faith is that ladder which Iacob saw and that raught from earth to heauen Gen. 28.12 Now a ladder hath steps vpon it higher and lower and so the ladder of our faith which reacheth from vs to God must likewise haue like steps of helpe or risings toward him and yet further wee are but babes in faith who therefore haue neede of outward things as a wall to hold by Secondly the stubborne heart of nature is not quite gone from the best beleeuers in their new estate of grace and still it hath a stubborne root therefore must haue many hands vnto it besides the promises in the word to pull it vp Thirdly the end of Christs comming one of them was to strengthen the weake lambes of his Fathers election Ezeck 34.16 Now the best that are beleeue but weakely Matth. 8.26 and therefore Christ must either lose the end of his comming or keepe and fulfill it by strengthening the weake in faith The vse is first for instruction Vse 1. teaching Christians to confesse the weakenesse of their faith and that it is not so easie a matter to beleeue as they thinke some say they neuer yet doubted but this easie beleeuing is a sure signe no surer of no faith for they that beleeue indeed are not high minded but feare Rom. 11.20 and some againe trust to their old store neuer seeking as the disciples prayed the increase of their faith Luke 17.5 but wherefore doth God so helpe euen the best in their weake faith if it were strong as it seemes in their imaginate degree of beleeuing besides the shield of faith must bee managed with more humilitie or we shall neuer make vse of it against Satans firie darts either to Gods glorie or our owne preseruation Ephes 6.16 A reproofe of those who despise in the sinne of Ahaz Vse 2. the helps of their weake faith Isa 7.12 which would be considered of those that finde no taste in the Sacraments neither tarrying at Baptisme nor caring to receiue the Lords Supper more then once if once a yeare Indeed God is to bee credited of his word yet in regard of our weake estate in saith his seals confirme vs more When we haue an honest mans seale and writing with his word wee doubt no longer The promise of God is sealed and deliuered in the Sacraments to make it of lesse question with vs in our staggerings here yet in contempt of them we had rather hold by no lease or one that hath no seale vnto it then come and bee at the Sacraments on the dayes of sealing The Lords Supper is the feast of thanksgiuing and here we should take the cup of saluation Psal 116.13 but if a few of the meaner sort come to giue thanks those of higher place take state as nothing concerning them who should bee most thankfull And may not Christ then say as of the Lepers Are not ten cleansed But where are the nine Luk. 17.17 that is are not all bounden and yet where is one of ten that obeyes For of sixteene score in a Parish how few come to meat as Saul said of Dauid Yesterday or to day 1. Sam 20.27 If it were to take some house or peece of Land wee would take it ouer anothers head for hast but where wee may buy for nothing Isa 55.1 wee let all go house and land though of farre better purchase in heauen Vpon this answer to the woman and Christ bidding her to go her way or to take his word she gaue ouer went away and beleeued though hee went not with her in person to cast the deuill out of her daughter And so she beleeued what she did not see Doctr. 2. From whence we may gather That Faith and shee had a great faith standeth not in sight but in the promise of the World We therefore are said to behold the glory of Christ not by face but in the mirrour of the Gospel 2. Corinth 3.18 Simon Peter had faith and that made him to take Christs word for that which hee saw not Luk. 5.5 And that true Israelite Nathanael beleeued vpon a word that Christ spake Ioh. 1.47 48 49. Abraham receiued the promise and so did that cloud of faithfull Saints spoken of in the eleuenth to the Hebrews by faith not by seeing by an inuisible hand not by an hand of visible matter Rom. 4.20.21 And this is the word of faith that wee preach not the word of man which is but the word of opinion Rom. 10.8 and this is the ground of things hoped for and euidence of things that are not seene Hebr. 11.1 Therefore Christs first Text was Repent and beleeue the Gospell Mar. 1.15 hee saith not Repent and see but repent and beleeue what you cannot see And it is no proper speech to say wee beleeue what we see for faith goes when sight comes Hebr. 11.1 And thus the obiect of Faith is not sight but matter that cannot be seene Reasons The reasons Faith is in the heart Rom. 10.10 therefore not vnder sense also of things to come and therefore neither vnder sight For who can see that that is not Secondly the obiect of Faith is God the Father Son and holy Ghost And is God in Trinitie vnder the sense of sight whom we see with other eyes in the glasse of the Gospel For in it we haue Christ and in him eternall life Ioh. 5.39 But neither he nor it is in the norison of our sight and what mortall eye can see so farre A reproofe of those who go all by sight Vse 1. In matters of high mysterie they will go no further then reason doth bring them drawne from the senses where it is reason of faith
that the plague brake in Psal 106.29 So in the dayes of Ames they put words of their owne pleasures into the mouths of his Prophets and gane them their text therefore the Lord saith that hee was pressed vnder them as a cart full of sheaues Am. 2.12.13 and cold hee bee more wearied therefore it is a vexation to him when a people is more zelous of traditions or of mens inuentions then of him The reasons Reasons what Master will not to a vexation bee weary of that seruant that will not doe what hee shall command but what himselfe listeth wee are Gods seruants not to follow our owne head but to follow him When therefore wee walke in our owne deuices not in the steps of his word must it not needs vexe him and so cause him to leaue vs when we leaue him first Secondly such spillings are but strange fire as all els are which in worshipping hee commandeth not and such fire the Lord will deuoure with fire from heauen as he did Nahab and Abihn the Sonnes of Aaron Leuit. 10.1.2 And would he so do if such acts of presumption did not greatly prouoke him Saul sought the Lord in his owne way and found his owne destruction He would not obey as he was commanded but as hee listed therefore the Lord had no pleasure in him nor in any of his offerings 1 Sam. 15 22. Thirdly God is pleased when we do his will and obey his word And obedience in this sense is as the salt of the offering that keepes it in good taste without which it stincks before God 1 Sam. 15.22 as before Ier. 7.22.23 and is God pleased when his word is obeyed then it must needs vexe him when it is not Such seruants and they that so serue doe but mocke God with a shew without substance and hee will not be mocked Galat. 6.7 The vse is first for instruction teacheth that to complement with religion Vse 1. is to driue away Christ and religion Hee is no good Christian whose Christianitie stands all in outwardnes Rom. 2.28 neither he who flides into a visible garbe of Christianitie onely by custome and the imitation of times The lewes did so and had glorious words for a cloake of their falshood Ier. 7.4 They had as most of our ignorants now haue a spiced conscience in vaine things but no conscience of worshipping in Spirit and truth Such worshippers were the Samaritans they stood vpon the formalitie of Iacobs Well when there was no water in it such as Iacob drank of when hee drank of the Spirit Ioh. 4.12 So nature and custome taught them their religion and haue the most of our people any other teachers at this day If they pray it is in words without any heart euen when their lippes march as Iehn 2 King 9.20 they care not if hee that is the Salt of the Parish the Minister keepe his whitenes whether hee haue any sauour in him or no. Math. 5 13. and so they loue rather to see then heare a Preacher This is not to doe after the doctrine here but contrarily and will Christ tarie where hee hath but an outside and not the inwards of a true welcom in the Gospel One saith well he that is maried to a fleshly religion or religion of no Spirit cannot haue Christ for his Husband All ceremonious worshippers are of this stamp moulded into no religion but what is carnall and standeth in worldly matters therefore the marriage bond is broken betweene Christ and them Against this doctrine offend the Papists who hold of Peter by succession if so but not by doctrine not hauing the faith of Peter they catch at his chaire and keepe the bones of the Saints though no marrow bee in them Yea they make crosses 〈◊〉 while yet they make the Crosse of Christ of no effect and will Christ tarie there where he is so dallied with An admonition therefore Vse 2. if we would keepe Christ to keepe in with him by bearing vpon substance in religion and not vpon formes only God is a Spirit and a liuing substance Ioh. 4.24 will be worshipped substantially Now to worship substantially is to serue God by his word where his seruice must be learned of himselfe who left making after hee had made his last testamēt hence the second commandement sends vs to God the only Maker in the frame of religion Exod. 20.4 In making of the tabernacle euery thing was precisely commanded the silke the colour the smallest Goats-haire the least pinne was striken in with Gods owne hammer Exod. 26.4.7.15.16 And then shall wee thinke to please God when wee vse not his hammer but our owne for the pinnes we hang our faith vpon all good meanings the spring of our owne braine what are they but our vnreasonable seruice of God and what is that but the sinne of witch-craft 1 Sam. 15.15.23 what vpon this but a prouoking of Christ to a departure The Lord seekes such to serue him who scrue in spirit and truth Ioh. 4.23 And doth hee seeke such worshippers questionlesse he is delighted with such a worship and further hee seeketh this seruice that hath no need of our seruice and it is to our owne profit not his and then shall hee not haue it that wee may haue him euer Quest. but what is it to worship in Spirit truth Answ To worship in Spirit is to worship spiritually not carnally and in ceremonie and to worship in truth is to worship otherwayes then the lewes who worshipped in shadowes of things to come Heb. 9.9.10 Where it appeareth that the seruice of God in the Gospel must bee in manner wholly inward spirituall whence I inferre that they who vse Gods worship or any part of it as matter of ceremonie and forme only do with Saul go to graues to enquire at the dead 1 Sam. 28 7.8 but then the Lord was departed from him ver 16. that the Deuil said truely and then he will leaue vs which would be considered of those Christians who so 〈◊〉 heere a forme of Gods seruice never care whether it edifie the conscience or no never seeke for Gods seale vpon it that it may imprint blessings never hold Christ with the right hand that he may not go away as here from the Pharises whose deuotion was all set in a ceremonie of religion But whither did Christ goe going from the Iewes departing from them hee went as farre as well he might he went to the hithermost coaste of the Gentils whereof hee was the appointed light Luc. 2.32 And so as the Sunne of the heauens he sends forth some beames of his approach before him as the messengers of his comming not long before he came The Sunne went low in Iudea but was not down and Christ was going away but not gone therefore Christ departed but into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon and not farre into the countrie Here he desired to repose himselfe and was receiued where his owne
God among them Gen 23. 6 and when the brethren of Ioseph enuied him for his dreame his father regarded him for it Gen. 37 11. the women in their foâ—g and dance gaue Dauid his due but the thing displeased Saul 1 Sam. 18.7 The like did Abimelch who speaking of Dauid to Saul said hee had not such another seruant 1 Sam. 22.14 Christ the Lord for example to vs doth elswhere call those that improued his spirituall talent as they were indeed his good seruants and faithfull Matth. 25.21.23 so Barnabas is called by S. Luke in his right name a good man Act. 11.24 and so we must not nip with the frost of 〈◊〉 but cherish the spring of good things where God hath put them and giue them a true report Reasons the reasons for else wee wrong the owner that is God from whom is euery good giuing and perfect gift Iam. 1.17 Secondly the contrary is forbidden as false witnesse against our neighbour for what other doe wee when wee take away a righteous mans righteousnesse from him and speake euill of his good Esa 5.20.23 but speake falsely of him Thirdly the deuill who is the accuser of the brethren and a slanderer doth belie the goodnesse of the Saints Iob 1.11 and shall Christians that should follow Christ bee like the deuill Fourthly we should incourage the good in their good way but to speake otherwaies than well of well-doing is not to set them forward but backward in goodnesse The first vse is for reproofe of those who are so blinded with anger against the good Vse 1. that they can see no good where much is and heere the old saying proues true that ill will neuer speake well If any little fault bee in such they blow with their strongest wind to send it as farre as their breath will carry so far from commending things commendable in them that they grime them rather with their blacke tongues calling all their holinesse hypocrisie Papists were wont to be alone in such wrong done to true Christians but company comes vnto them euen out of our owne profession and this leprosie of a foule tongue is gone from Naaman to Gehazi from them to some Protestants as great mockers of sinceritie in profession as Papists are 2. King 5.27 The next vse is for instruction Vse 2. teaching vs to loue good men for the good things in them for so we will loue such much better in whom they be We loue gold though in the filthy oare and will take vp a iewell though trodden in the mire so if we loued goodnesse for it selfe that is truly loued it we would not neglect it though in the foile of a bad man or trodden in the mire of a heart very sinfull much lesse would we dis-regard it placed in a worthy subiect Parents loue their children with a strong loue the reason is they haue that in them which they loue nature So Christians should follow true Christians with like force of true loue the reason is they haue that in them which they should loue grace This loue of parents to their children makes that they care not how much good they speake or heare spoken of them so if like loue or any were in vs towards these earthly Saints we would speake our selues and be glad to heare others speake much good of them for the grace of God in them Thirdly Vse 3 this is for admonition to Christians to beware of enuy in regard of graces which are in others more then in themselues For such will bitterly from that wormwood of enuie instead of praising oppose against them So did Iosephs brethren and therefore rose vp against their better brother Gen. 37.4.18 19. And Cain set his crueltie on worke against Abel a farre better man then himselfe and his owne naturall brother where nothing could ease the great paine of his enuie but a medicine made of his brothers bloud Gen. 4 8. So the Pharisees and Priests among the Iewes watched Christ in the graue that he should not rise Matth. 27.66 and so the enuious among vs louers of themselues 2. Tim. 3.2 put vertue in the graue with Christ and watch it that it rise not But further as Christians must not wrong others in their good parts by enuious detractions so neither hauing such good parts in them must they wrong themselues by false testimonie I say false testimonie for there is false witnesse against a mans selfe as well as against his neighbour Many well indewed of God in some fits of the spirituall feauer fare as if they had nothing no faith no hope no grace And some in the affliction say though before they had done exceeding well that they were neuer good before God nor sound in profession but hypocrites So the deuill would haue it But should Christians ioyne issue with Sathan against themselues Is not the deuill strong enough without our helpe and except we wrong our selues to gratifie him rather we should fight vnder God against him then with him against our owne soule For so did righteous Iob in the thickest mist of his troubles His friends had vrged him hard and would baue perswaded him that though he had done many good things yet it was in no soundnesse to God But Iob though hee had otherwayes lost all his children seruants substance and all yet he would not be so great a loser to them and the deuill as to part with his integritie in what hee had done Iob 27.5 for where he had failed he knew hee had made vp the reckoning by repentance and sorrow for sinne and therefore doubted not but that so much was left as would comfort him and reproue them Our Sauiour purposing to commend this womans vnwearied petitioning to him in regard of her daughter and her selfe commends that which was the roote of that fruit her great faith Which faith is a grace of persuasion whereby we beleeue for our selues and particularly to eternall life And to this faith of hers the health of her daughter is ascribed as the branch to the root that beares it Where wee see Doct. 2 that by faith we haue acceptance with God the good workes we doe being as fruites of that tree Hence Dauid speaking of a iustified sinner saith that the booke is cleared by forgiuing the debt and not by any satisfaction made Psal 32.1.2 This faith beleeues and workes haue nothing to do in her office Therefore saith the Apostle Saint Paul To him that worketh not but beleeueth in him that iustifieth the vngodly his faith is counted for righteousnesse Rom. 4.5 that is all the satisfaction that a iustified sinner can make is to beleeue that it is made without him or any thing that he can do And so faith obtaineth by imputation what it gets in the account it gets it by Christ that hath paied the whole debt of sinne and turneth ouer his obedience to those that cannot obey but imperfectly and vnprofitably Luk. 17.10 and so haue no
that must perswade in such cases or else when will we beleeue the virginitie of the mother of Christ the three distinct persons in one entire God head the rising againe of the same bodies long ago consumed to dust and nothing and the like sacred mysteries of our most holy faith Some that professe to beleeue in Gods power and goodnesse will yet beleeue no further then they see They will trust God vpon a good pawne as if hee fill their barnes with corne and their purses with money otherwayes they will trust him no more then men will bankrupts Hee hath giuen his faithfull word that they who seeke him in faith Psal 34.10 and serue him in righteousnesse vers 15. shall want no good thing But doe they take him at his word who lie and cosen vse violence and draw bloud to bee rich And do they trust him for their prouision who being poore fall to practises against good conscience steale and take his name in vaine Prou. 30.9 these can skill of nothing but what they haue in hand Where the faithfull beleeue without meanes and against them Dan. 3.17 When they haue nothing they know God hath enough and they sufficient in his store-house of prouidence They will beleeue in his power for their safetie though they should haue all the world against them Psal 3.5 6. and though they be drunken with gall and wormwood they will not doubt to be made sober againe with the sweet mercies of the God of their saluation A direction for Gods mourners Vse 2. when with Isaac readie to be offered vp they see the fearfull knife and wood but not the Lambe for sacrifice Gen. 22.7 that is see their fearfull changes but not the issues of them In this case they are here taught with Abraham to say in their faith that God will prouide that is worke though they see not how ver 8. Indeed when the fauour of God is in the eclipse God darkeneth for that time all the lights of his children they cannot see his loue and they feele a great measure of his wrath in the best things they do Hence they iudge themselues to bee cast-awayes from the life of Christ which is the case of Gods best Saints It was the case of Iob Dauid Hezekâ—ah Ieremiah and other of the Lords worthies Iob 13.26 Psal 77.7 8 9. Isa 38.10 11 12. c. Ier. 20.14 15 But their darknesse brake vp after a while and their Sunne returned as after a recouery out of some great eclipse or losse of light Therefore meane while and so long as thou feelest such an eclipse of thy lights remember the yeares of the right hand of the most high Psalm 77.10 his former mercie and truth toward thee which are in him without repentance Rom. 11.29 And when thou hast greatest temptations to despaire labour most against them Though thou canst see no reason to beleeue yet beleeue with all thy heart If Gods fauour seeme to be gone in the eye of thy reason looke abroad with the better eye of thy faith the eye that seeth euen those things that are not and it will giue that a being which reason giues for lost The obiect of faith is the promise of God not things vnder sight And therefore when all things seeme to go one way and when heauen and earth the Sunne Moone starres and all the elements go against vs here is iust matter for our faith a grace that is able to draw some thing out of nothing Here let vs beleeue and wrestle against hope vnder hope and vnder the darke cloud against hell and deuils that enuy our saluation If they say ye haue lost Gods fauour let vs say and with the voyce of faith say it is lost to our feeling but not to our faith for we beleeue and we will beleeue though the Lord should kill vs Iob 13.15 And thus the doctrine of faiths obiect in things not visible or not presently seene will be a good cloke for the weather when rainy dayes come And what storme can stay vs in our spirituall course being so well prouided against what may come hereafter The third vse is for conuiction Vse 3 And here desperate is all the Religion of Poperie which standeth altogether vpon sense for worshipping and vpon sense for saluation They cannot pray but before a Crucifixe nor worship deuoutly but before an Image And for their saluation it is in works that are visible not in grace that saueth vs. Ephes 2.8 Beyond the eye of reason and further then the care of sense they will not haue the Ignorants that follow them to go for assurance that they shall be saued They must not beleeue their owne saluation a thing they cannot see onely they must hold it in a slippery hope or certaintie vncertaine But the old saying is here true As good neuer a whit as neuer the better To allow a certaintie that may faile and they allow no better is in a seeming to build and in true substance to pull downe Looke Rom. 8 15. Mark 11.24 1. Ioh. 3.23 Rom. 5.5 Luk. 10 20. 2. Cor. 13.5 The particular effect followeth The Deuil is gone out of thy daughter WE haue heard of the generall issue now followeth the particular subsequent effect or successe of this conserence The deuill that did go into this womans daughter is now gone out compelled by Christs authoritie and soueraigntie Where wee may consider what Christ said to the woman in these words and what followed vpon it in the next Christ tells her that the deuill is gone we must thinke against his will and dispossessed by a stronger euen Christ that had cast him out And here obserue That Christ is the Soueraigue Lord of the deuils Doctr. The Author to the Hebrews saith that hee had destroyed him that had the power of death to wit the deuill Hebr. 2.14 the effects shew it For he commanded the foule spirits and they came out Luk. 4.36 Now to command and get obedience is to haue dominion The deuils confesse as much who therefore cry out at his approach toward them Matth. 8.29 Also how may deuils being entred into men did he cast out with his onely word Mark 5.8 9 10. and 9.25 26. The seuentie when then returned said to Christ Lord euen the deuils were subdued vnto vs through thy Name Luk. 10.17 And how then can he but haue authoritie ouer the deuils of whom this is spoken and by whom so much is done Reasons The reasons So much was promised to Christ the feed of Mary Genes 3.15 and Gods promises neuer faile can neuer for if hee say the word it is done Psalm 33.9 Secondly this was the end for which God his Father sent him 1 Iohn 3.8 and what shall crosse the way of his ends Mens ends haue a superiour disposer Pro. 26.33 and commonly are ill set but who can say so of Gods ends that they haue a superiour and that they are not well set and what then