be a passage from a transitory to a lasting felicity Thus much of the condition excluded Now followes the limitation The Apostle doth not say not any but not many wise rich and noble There are so few that the Scripturâ— sometimes cals them none Mat. 11.25 Thou hast â—idden these things saith our blessed Saâ—iour from the wise and prudent without naming any exception The wisdome of God saith St. Paul was â—nown to none of the Princes of this World 1 Cor. 2.8 Yet must we not exclude all great men from the kingdome of heaven for the text doth not The Scripture sometimes speaks in generall though it speak not of all but of the most part So John the Baptist accuseth all No man received his testimony Joh. 3.32 33. yet in the next verse mentions some receivers He that hath received his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true The summe is that rich men are not wholly excluded from the Kingdome of heaven Else where should we look for Abraham the father of the faithfull Where for Isaac the son of the promise Where for Israel that prevailed with God Where for David a man after Gods own heart All these were rich in this world yet never any good man questioned their happinesse in a better world God is no accepter of persons All men naturally pity the poor whether their cause be right â—or wrong and condemn the rich ere their cause be discussed God doth not so His commiseration is not so great as to save all the poor nor his austerity so great as to condemn all the rich Though he be a friend to the poor yet is he not an enemy to the rich Though the poor more commonly finde his ear open yet is he not hard to be entreated by the rich and wealthy It were the way to make rich men despaire if God had rejected them Who should receive them to favour whom God had refused Who can make them happy whom God had devoted to eternall misery Without Gods favour there is no salvation It is a hard thing for rich men to be saved yet is it possible to God It were the way to make poor men to insult and almesmen ingratefully to despise their benefactous and to trample their persons under feet by whose purses they are maintained Lastly it might be a means to bring Gods good gifts and temporall blessings into contempt and to make men cast away their goods that they might not damn their souls Who would keep those treasures that must necessarily bring him to eternall confusion Who would thank God for those riches that must needs keep him from heaven Who would count that a blessing that â—infallibly brings an everlasting curse upon him No man in his right wits Some have been so far from hurting themselves with their riches that they have helped others So far from encreasing their pain in hell by the abuse of them that they have through Gods mercy increased their reward in heaven by the right use of them They have built houses for Gods worship They have maintained Ministers They have setled Schooles They have founded Hospitals Many other good things have they done pleasing to God and profitable to the world They have sowne their seed liberally in this world and received a plentifull harvest in the Kingdome of heaven They have not laid up treasures upon earth but sent them before to heaven Shall I say that these mens riches are perished with them God forbid They were rather wings to mount them toward happinesse and ladders to clime by to a greater degree of glory Vse The former meditation might drive rich men to their prayers this may urge them to the praising of God that hath not clean refused them Although he have given them a more liberall portion then others upon earth yet hath he not deprived them of all hope of the Kingdome of heaven Those great men that have been good have been very thankfull to God because they have perceived Gods speciall love to them in their double portion But it sufficeth them not to acknowledge Gods bounty to them unlesse they make use of it Their earthly portion must not satisfy them nor make them negligent in seeking after an heavenly Salvation is a matter of great consequence and is not attained without hard labour and much diligence worldly wealth cannot be gotten with looking about much lesse can heavenly which is of far greater estimation If there were no hope at all of obtaining heaven for great men them needed they not labour for it It is invain to wash a Blackmore But the difficulty of obtaining it should not discourage but incourage noble natures to endevours beseeming so great happinesse None but a mad man besiegeth a Town that cannot possibly be taken But if the town be hard to be taken yet if it be rich the warlike Governor will not give over the siege â—till he be Master of the Town He knows that the labour is great and â—he cost not small but the spoyles will pay for all So should great men â—eckon for heaven It will cost them more pains then poorer men to attain â—o it but the glory and happiness thereof will make a full amends Let them â—hen pursue it with courage and they â—hall not misse of it So farre have we waded in the Negative description of Gods called â—nes Now it is time to come to the Affirâ—ative Wherein the Apostle First sets out their Election And Secondly the end of it In their Election note 1. The Electour 2. The Elected The Electour is God But God hath â—osen Where the Apostle informeth us â—at Mans salvation depends upon Gods Election Gods choise is the true ground oâ— our happinesse Hence it is that in Scripture they have that honourable title of Gods Elect. Luk. 18.7 Rom. 8.33 Shall not God avenge his own Elect Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect When the Jeweâ— were cast out and the Gentiles received in their room yet was there among the Jews a remnant according to the election of grace Rom. 11.5 7. And this election hath obtaineâ— that which Israel could not The free dome of Gods election and foundation of mans felicity appears in Jaâ—â— and Esau born of the same parents lying in the same womb at the sanâ— time yet one received the other refused not for any thing in themselves for it was before the children had doâ—â— good or evill Rom. 9.11 but for Gods choise thâ— the purpose of God according to election migâ—stand God hath indued us with aâ— spirituall blessings in heavenly thing in Christ Eph. 1.3 4. saith the Apostle but it is according as he had elected us So thâ— every where the beginning of our haâ— pinesse is ascribed to the same fountain even to Gods choise alone anâ— to nothing besides For our case aâ—â— and condition in nature is alike Iâ— Adam we are all dead We are children indeed
unto the former For ye see your calling Not to trouble your patience with any longer coherence I proceed to the exposition of the words Yee see Some read it indicatively 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Yee see others imparetively See or look upon your calling They that read it the first way may urge these reasons First the coherence it seems scarse to be good English For look upon your calling Secondly it seems more fully to prove what the Apostle intended to read it For yee see your calling that is to say yee know the truth of what I spake already and have had experience of Gods wisdome in choosing you before many wiser men and therefore I need not to prove it to you But the other reading is more consonant to the Originall and native signification of the Greek word which is not barely to see but to fixe ones eye upon a thing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or to look wishly upon it and with consideration Now for the Apostle to say yee do view or look well upon your calling peradventure might be more then was true of many of them for no doubt but there were divers amongst them that did not throughly consider of it It therefore may seem more fitting to bid them to do so then to presume they did so already And this latter reading the Syriack translation followeth reading it thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For my brethren look upon your calling also Neither is the speech incongruous but very emphaticall and very fit for the Apostles purpose As if the Apostle should have said If yee doubt whether the foolishness of God be wiser then men I will not send you abroad to look for an example to prove it only I advise you to look inward into your own condition and see if God have not sufficiently proved it in calling you to the hope of eternall life when he neglected many wiser men For thus hath God so provided for your good that he hath not failed his owne glory Poor men are most glad of riches and most thankfull for them But what is it that the Apostle would have the Corinthians to view Calling 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Whereby he puts them in mind that there was nothing bred in them by nature nor gotten by art or labour that could advance them to this high honour but they had it only from Gods calling them Next observe whose calling he bids them look into not other mens but their own Your calling 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But what doth the Apostle mean Doth he call his beloved Corinthians fools Had he no other example in the world of simple men called to be Saints but the Corinthians to whom he writes Surely he did it not to discredit them but to credit God that had called them They could not so well tell what God had done for others as what he had done for themselves The Apostle therefore puls down them that he may set up God The Apostles were despised by the Philosophers and the Corinthians by the Gentiles among whom they lived Yet had both the Apostles and Corinthians obtained that which neither the Philosophers nor Princes of the Gentiles could attain unto to be called of God Consider next what title the Apostle gives them Brethren 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 et 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Fratres uterini This name of kindness qualifies the former example and makes the Corinthians to take it kindly and to hearken to what else the Apostle should say to them because it came from a brotherly affection and unfaigned love For what stricter name of familiarity could the Apostle have bestowed upon them then this of Brethren Now what manner of calling is this which the Apostle cals upon them to consider of How what not many wise men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Syrian translation addes Among you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 well expressing the Apostles meaning as if he should have said unto them Consider your selves and consider them that dayly joyne themselves unto you Que vous n' estes point beaucoup de sages selon le chaix Gall. Transl That ye are not many wise according to the flesh you shall finde that few men noted for learning joyne themselves unto you but many of mean capacity are dayly added to your number And lest the Apostle should seem to discommend wisdome he qualifies the matter in the next words After the flesh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is such wisdome as is pleasing to the flesh or rather such as is born and bred in the flesh or gotten by the strength of naturall wit and by our own labour as Philosophy and other naturall Sciences and artificiall inventions Yet the Apostle doth not say not any of these wise men but not many for though God more freequently call the simpler sort of men yet doth he not wholly passe by the wiser but sometimes makes use of them also Else had St. Paul been in a worse condition then the Corinthians to whom he writes So that as they stand for examples of ignorant men called so he stands for a patterne of a learned man reclaimed If the Kingdome of heaven cannot be taken by craft yet peradventure flesh and bloud will imagine it to be like the kingdomes of the earth that are often carried by the sword That we may think that force hath no stroke in this businesse the Apostle proceeds Not many mighty 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 possum Meaning such as are able to do more then other men are for so the Greek word imports Gods wisdome is too great to be overreached and his power too mighty to be compelled to calany and that he shews by his common calling in that for the most part he sides with the weakest Further it may be thought that Noble men may by their birth make some challenge to Gods kingdome because they are born of greater parents and to greater means then other men To prevent this conceit it followes in the text Not many noble 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Not many that are born of a good stock as the Greek word signifies or of a great kindred 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Syriack translation reads it They may be borne to great possessions upon the earth but not to the kingdome of heaven unlesse they be twice born as well as meaner men Joh. 3.3 And that happinesse fals not upon many of them unlesse the text be mistaken The wise God then that hath refused these whom hath he chosen Hath he refused all Or will he chuse the worst when he hath put by the best Surely God is as wonderfull in his choosing as in his refusing He hath not refused the chief to rid his hands of all or to discourage the meanest to come unto him But rather to make way for the meanest and in them for his own
out of which Gods calling delivers us So Davids preferment was the greater when he was made a King because he was taken from following the Ewes with young Psal 78.70 71 72. Gen. 32.10 Jacobs two bands were the greater riches because with his staffe only he went over Jordan The mercy of the caller is the greater because of the misery the called did endure before Our condition was obscure before now it is famous It was servil before now it is free It was full of impiety formerly but now God hath planted piety in us It was loaden with impiety at first yet now our hearts are set upon equity and righteousnesse This promotion of ours cals for the more inspection because of the high honour and great riches we are called unto What greater honour then to be Gods children What greater riches then the inheritance of the kingdome of heaven 1 Thess 2.12 Walke worthy of Goâ— who hath called you unto his kingdomâ— and glory Great disproportion there iâ— betwixt darknesse and light Eph. 5.8 Ye werâ— sometimes darknesse but now are ye lighâ— in the Lord. No lesse difference between life and death 1 Joh. 3.14 Yet we know that we have passed from death to life Every man is willing to understand his own honours And we count them but bad husbands that dive not into their own Estates and are ignorant of their own Possessions Look then how far spirituall honours and treasures goe beyond temporall the soul beyond the body immortall possessions beyond mortall so much the more reason have we to pry carefully into our vocation and all the circumstances of it and dependences upon it Lastly consider we the way which God cals us by and that is his word Great is the power of Gods word and worthy to be lookt into By it God made the world and all the creatures in it By it he brought all things out of nothing By it he brought light out of darknesse Yet hath Gods word a very different operation in calling of sinners The same Sermon reclaimes one and offends another One man obeyes it and another resists This diversity of operation proceeds not out of the diversity of the soil for we are all naturally corrupted But it comes from the assistance of Gods Spirit joyned to the Preaching of the Word or restrained from it And are not all these things worthy of admiration Vse 1 A sort of secure persons come here to be censured who slight Gods choise and calling They never look into the worth nor the price of it Yet are they wonderfull curious in observation of earthly things They fully understand what belongs to their inheritances There is no corner of their offices unsearched If new honours be bestowed upon them they know quickly how to take state upon them But although God dayly call men by the mystery of the Word yet do they never look into the worth of that heavenly calling Hence it comes to passe that this spirituall honour is slighted This is the cause why the means of salvation is neglected because men never look into the worth of our vocation Yet in the mean while worldly studies are embraced all means of gain and new projects are attended Yea such as often end in losse are embraced in hope of gaine because men enriously pry into every hole where worldly profit may hide her self but neglect to take to peeces and view the severall parts of our divine vocation Vse 2 Yet let their carelesnesse make us the more carefull Let their negligence make us the more diligent in searching the mysteries of our calling Let us looke into all the parts of it This is the way to make us thankfull to God that hath called us This is the way to make us profitable to men that are not yet called Let us when we look up to God that cals us remember his greatnesse Let us when we look downward to the misery out of which he hath called us remember the depth of it Let us when we look forward to the honour unto which he hath called us ponder upon the height of it Let us when we look backward upon the means whereby he hath called us consider the ineffectualnesse of them upon others So shall we finde the totall sum to be this That the highest God hath called us out of the lowest degree of misery to the greatest step of glory out of his own grace and free mercy One thing more ere we leave St. Pauls exhortation offers it self to our meditation He bids them not look upon other mens calling but their own Look upon your calling Remember how mean ye were once and how miserable whom God by his calling hath now made so high and glorious Such as be exalted by God must often call to minde their former meannâ—sse Such a meditation it was that made David a King to cry out Who am I O Lord God 2 Sam. 7.18 and what is my house that thou hast brought me hitherto And St. Paul a glorious Apostle remembers himself and leaves it written for others to read that he had been a blasphemer 1 Tim. 1.13 a persecutour and injurious A low meditation for an high Apostle yet very profitable to himself and exemplary to others Many and great are the commodities that arise to the highest of men from such low meditations as these Benefits of remembring our low estate First 1 Thankfulnesse it breeds thankfulnesse to God that hath preferd them As for generall favours that are common to us and others they do not so much affect us much lesse make us thankfull to God as those peculiar mercies which are proper to us and which others have no share in Thus the remembrance of our own particular basenesse first affects us with joy and then stirs us up to thankfulnesse towards God Secondly 2 Admiration of Gods providence it breeds admiration of Gods providence in us who raiseth up the poor out of the dust and lifteth the needy out of the dunghill Psal 113.7 8. that he may set him with Princes even with the Princes of his people The changes that are wrought in others do not commend Gods providence to our cogitations so much as those that are wrought in our selves Gods providence then which though it work many strange things for others and it may be more strange then it works for us is slighted and neglected by us by calling to minde our former lownesse is highly wondered at by us and admired Thirdly 3 Patience it brings forth patience in all adversities that can happen unto us There can nothing happen to such as are exalted from a low to an high estate but the same or the like they have had experience of before If poverty fall upon them they have been poor before If want trouble them they have been in want before Experience makes a man better able to bear any calamity These things may be strange to such as never
but are pretched and miserable poor and blind Revel 3.17 and â—aked meer luke-warme Laodiceans â—ime-serving formall Hypocrites These â—re born in fin and live in sin and die 〈◊〉 fin The riches of Gods grace they â—ave no share of they are but baptized Simon Magusses Act. 8.21 They have neither part â—or lot in this matter for their heart is not â—ight in the sight of God Others have â—pirituall treasure but they know it â—ot They vex themselves for want of â—pprehending that favour which they â—ave They live as uncomfortably in â—he midst of grace as covetous men in â—he midst of riches These say with â—saph Hath God forgotten to be gracious Psal 77.9 â—ath he in anger shut up his tender mercies These pray with David Psal 51.8 Make me to â—ear joy and gladnesse that the bones â—hich thou hast broken may rejoyce Others have the riches of Gods grace and â—now they have it These are full of â—by as well as grace examples of â—heerfulnesse and carefulnesse patterns â—f piety and alacrity These sing with David Psal 4.8 We will both lay us down in peace and sleep for thou Lord only makest uâ—dwell in safety These ride in triumphâ— over all worldly things with St. Paul We are perswadâ—d Rom. 8.38 39. that neither death nâ—â— life nor Angels nor principalities nâ— powers nor things present nor things tâ— come nor height nor depth nor any otheâ— creature shall be able to separate us from thâ— love of God which is in Christ Jesus ouâ— Lord. The first condition is miserable The second is uncomfortable The third is admirable To those of the first condition I say no more but let them pray to be delivered out of their unhappinesse Those of the third sort I advise to praise God for their happinesse But those of the second estate whosâ— comfort is the scope of these meditations I must endevour to perswadâ— to the fruition of spirituall contentednesse Set before your eyes some worldly Nabal whose inheritance is called in question See how he plots in hiâ— mind goes to the Scriveners consult with the Lawyers spends his money wasts his time to amend those errour that have tainted his Evidences Suppose in me you hear St. Peter exhorting you to use the same diligence to assure your eternall inheritance We are Gods labourers Cor. 3.9 we are Gods building The builder first layes a foundation then raises the walles and lastly secures the whole building against all tempests with a roof So must I lay a foundation in explication build up the wals with observation and secure all with application Use diligence The Greek word is originally derived from a word that signifies to make haste 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Diligence is neither slow nor slothfull The weight of the matter requiring hast commands diligence The cure of spirituall distractions is â—ot to be deferred No time is to be â—eglected when the rents of the soul â—re to be repaired Scruples of conâ—cience must be suddainly removed They are not worth house room 〈◊〉 green wound is easily healed but â—ime alone is sufficient to make it inâ—urable Those scruples that at first â—ight have been easily blasted in proâ—â—sse of time may grow to such a flame that no water can quench them Health encreaseth by labour but wounds and sicknesse grow by idlenesse Haste therefore and diligence are requisite where pangs of conscience are to be removed To make your calling Calling puts us in minde how wâ— come by all our happinesse We aâ—â— born miserable our preferment come from heaven Judges are men by birthâ— and Judges by calling men from their parents Judges from theiâ— prince So we have our naturall part from our parents our spirituall grace from God And election This word not only notes an accepting 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but also a picking or chusinâ— of some out of the midst of others 〈◊〉 the same nature So the gardner pick one flower to smell to and leave many as good So the Gentlemaâ— walking in his orchyard gathers oâ—â— apple to eat and leaves many growinâ— on the same tree So God freely pickâ— out some vessels for honour and leaves others of the same stampe in that earthly and miserable state wherein he found them Sure Make it firme or established The house that totters must be ript up and repaired till it stand fast against all winds So must the soul that wavers be established with Gods promises against all assaults of Satan There must be no room left for doubting in time to come Let us now paraphrase a little the words of St. Peter Imagine you heard him speaking thus I know you are men as well as Christians You have many worldly cares for this life but let your greatest care be for the life to come The Devill will set fiercely upon your vocation and plant his greatest Ordinance against your election Neglect you no opportunity to make up the breaches that Satan may not reenter Leave not the worke begun till it be finished Leave no place for doubting God hath elected you and called you to grace and glory Labour to assure your title to the end And thus much for exposition The builder that hath reared up his house without comes after to look within and proportions it unto divers rooms for the pleasure of the beholder and the profit of the dweller So must I lead you from the outside of my text to view the severall chambers within this spatious building for the profit and the comfort of your souls This beautifull tree affords unto us these fruitfull branches for heavenly meditations 1. That there is an election 2. That there is a vocation depending upon it and answerable to it 3. That this election and vocation are of particular persons 4. That both of them may be uncertain to them that have interest in both 5. That they may be made certain 6. That the way to make them certain is by diligence Who would not then use all diligence to make his calling and election sure For the first There is an election The Scripture mentions the elected and the Elector hand in hand in many places Our Saviour Christ joynes them Shall not God avenge his own elect Luk. 18.7 St. Paul followes his Masters steps Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect Rom. 8.33 The like testimony he gives the Thessalonians as well as the Romans Knowing brethren beloved your election of God 1 Thess 1.4 The book of God affords unto us a twofold divine election Some God chooseth to glorious offices in this world some to eternall glory in the world to come Judas was chosen to be an Apostle on earth but not to be a Saint in heaven Christ puts him into the one but shuts him out of the other Have not I chosen twelve of you Joh. 6.70 1 Thess 1.4 and one of you is a Devill The Thessalonians are ordained to heavenly glory not to
nor never had any Behold how low a foundation God hath laid to raise so high a building See how deep he digs in the earth to finde out heires for the kingdome of heaven And why doth God make choise of these things that are not The words following give an answer To bring to nought 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This is somewhat more then confounding or making ashamed He doth it to bring them to desperation in themselves 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 reddo◠to make them give over working and studying for so the word imports And what can wise men do lesse and great and noble but cast away all their naturall and carnall studies and labours and priviledges and despaire of attaining heaven by them when they see foolish weak and mean persons attain to Gods favour without them Thus the word used elsewhere by the Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Rom. 3.31 Do we their make void the Law or idle through faith God forbid that is we do not take away the operation of the Law when we preach faith in Christ but leave it a work still fit for it So in the text by chusing base men God makes idle the labours and prerogatives of great men even in their own account which when they perceive they either give over all seeking for heaven or see themselves forced to seek it another way But who are they whom God intends to confound by calling these contemptible people Things that are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 By things that are the Apostle means things that are in price in the world and greatest estimation Things of no reckning in the Scripture phrase are called things that are not and such as are of greatest account are called the things that are 1 Joh. 2.16 So St. John reckons the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes and the pride of life to be all that is in the World meaning all that is in greatest account amongst wordly men St. Paul then by Gods bringing to nought things that are by things that are not intends his overthrowing the vain hopes of men of greatest reckning by such as are accountlesse in the world Now to what end and purpose is all this say the great ones of the world Wherefore doth God refuse us to chuse such as these be Doth he envie at our prosperity Or is he like to the men of this world that compassionate the poor whether their cause be right or wrong Surely no saith our Apostle God doth not envie your greatnesse for he need not fear any evill you can do unto him neither doth he want any thing that he need be beholding to your greatnesse to procure He doth it not on the other side out of too much pity to the poor as if he respected their persons because they are poor but the main reason that moves him to his choise is his own glory That no flesh should glory 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is that no man should boast himself of his wisdome his power or his honour He saith not no man but no flesh that he may shew us what little cause we have to be proud or to boast that are but flesh Mortall we are and corruptible our worser part is here put for the whole man that we may not be lifted up Thus when we with the Peacock spread our feathers the Apostle gives us just cause to look down to our black feet The wisest are but flesh as well as the foolishest of the sons of men the greatest as well as the weakest the noblest as well as the basest Thus the Prophet puls down that confidence which the Jewes put in the horses of Egypt Their horses are flesh and not spirit Isa 31.3 And so the Apostle warns us by the weakness of our nature not to glory in our selves Another Argument to keep us low the Apostle takes from Gods greatness opposed to our weakness in the last words In his presence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Great men must remember that they are in Gods presence and comparing their weakness with his power they have little reason to be lifted up but much to be humbled The word may be passed a little further Before him that is over against him or in opposition to him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dicuntur parietes domus qui sunt e regione januae vel ad utrumque ejus latus Hom. ll θ et Od. χ. And so the phrase in the first Commandement may well be understood Thou shalt have no other Gods before me that is over against me or to set in opposition against me We must not then advance our own good parts and set them in opposition to God as if our happiness came from our selves and not from him This were to set God on the one side and our selves on the other to derogate from God that we may attribute to much to our selves And this is the finall reason why God chuseth the meanest and basest passing by the greatest that all may give him the glory of their salvation and not rob him of it to magnifie themselves Thus ye see the sense of the words as if the Apostle should have said God hath shewed his wisdome wonderfully in his choise Ye Corinthians are lively patterns of it ye see how few wise or mighty or noble personages how many simple feeble and base men in the worlds account dayly joyn themselves to your Congregation This cannot come to passe without Gods wonderfull work who by this means humbles the great men of the world by preferring the meanest before them and gives cause to all flesh to see their own weaknesse that they may not set themselves in opposition to God nor glory in their prerogatives but give to God the whole glory of all their felicity And thus the text justifies the title and shews us what we must drive at in all this discourse Gods glory in Mans happiness Now that we may the more orderly proceed in the handling of the words we may well observe Two parts 1. St. Pauls Compellation 2. St Pauls Application In the first he bestowes a loving title upon his beloved Corinthians In the second he produceth them for patterns of Gods favour in chusing mean persons before great ones The title our Apostle bestowes upon them is a very loving and amiable title Brethren There are in the Scriptures divers kinds of Brethren mentioned First there are Brethren in the flesh These are not only such as are borne immediately of the same parents but all our kindred also Thus Abraham and Lot are styled Gen. 13.8 Let there be no strife between me and thee for we are Brethren So the kinsfolkes of our Saviour Christ are called Mat. 12.47 Thy Brethren stand without desiring to speak with thee Secondly there are Brethren in evill Gen. 49.5 6. 34.25 Such were Simeon and Levi who are called Brethen not because they were born of the same parents
pro quibus sanguinem fudit Aug. de Temp. ser 212. their hearts must not be lifted up above their Brethren Great is their power on earth yet are they Brethren in Religion and must remember that others may be as great as they in heaven The rich man must not be proud because he releeves others but remember that they are his Brethren Let the rich man saith Augustine be humble let him more rejoyce that he is a Christian man then that he is a rich man Let him not be puft up let him not lift up himself let him have an eye to his poor Brother let him not think scorne to be called the poor mans Brother For let him be as rich as he can yet Christ is richer who would have them to be his Brethren for whom he shed his bloud It is too much to insult over an enemy but too too much ambitiously to triumph over a Brother whose honour should be accounted our reputation whose disgrace should be esteemed our proper infamy Vse 3 Thirdly it cryes down all unchristian contention among Christians Our case is Abrahams case He yeelds to his nephew Lot for avoiding of quarrels Let there be no strive I pray thee Gen. 13.8 between me and thee for we be Brethren Yet we rather justifie the proverb then follow Abraham Fratrum quoque gratia rara est Ovid Met. For as with naturall Brethren so with us Brethren seldome agree Whence come so many suites about syllables about words and trifles but that we forget that we are Brethren Contention may become enemies rather then Brethren though indeed it become no man Vse 4 Fourthly the covetousness of Christians is likewise reproved Justus ac sapiens nemini injuriam facit Scit enim cunctos ab eodem Deo et eadem conditione generatos jure fraternitatis esse conjunctos Lact. l. 5. c. 23. It becomes not Brethren to oppresse one another that they may inrich themselves The just and wise mon saith Lactantius doth wrong to no man For he knows that all they who are brought forth by the same God and in the same condition are joyned together by the right of fraternity It is an unnaturall cruelty for one Brother to oppresse another Helpinâ— not hindering beseemeth Brethren Vse 5 Fifthly here are we taught commiseration and relieving the necessities of our Brethren But we with the Priest and the Levite passe by another way when our brethren are in misery Luk. 10.31 and leave pity for the Samaritane We know not how to pity others but all our compassion terminates in our selves When will he have pity on his brethren Quando compatâ—etur fratâ—â— qui in propria voluntate nesâ—â—â— compati ni si sibi Ber. de res Dom. ser 2. who by his own good will knows not how to pity any body but himself saith Bernard The Divine should pity other mens afflicted consciences as he would pity his own The Lawyers should be as tender over other mens causes as if they were their own and plead with as much earnestness in other mens suites as if their own inheritance lay at the stake Fratribus nostris inter quos vivimus ipso jure fraternitatiset societatis humanae consiâ—iâ— sumus et auxilii debitores Ber. de advent Domi. â—er The Physitian should have a fellow-feeling of other mens pains and cure their diseases with as much tendernesse as he would cure his own For we are brethren To our brethren among whom we live we owe both counsell and help by the very right of brotherhood and humane society this was Bernards judgment In our Brethren we have the image of God to behold Hast thou thou seen thy Brother saith Clemens 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Clem. Alex. Str. l. 1. thou hast seen thy God And would any man suffer his God to want Our Saviour presseth us to compassion with this argument Mat. 25.40 In as much as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my Brethren ye have done it unto me Brethren we are then in Christ and Christ accounts what pity we shew to others to be shewed to himself And what stronger incouragement can any man have to commiseration Vse 6 Sixtly we must seek for the glory of our family and for the prosperous estate of the Church of God because we are Brethren This was Davids affection to Sion Psal 122.8 For my brethren and companions sake I will now say Peace be within thee By this means the house of Austria grew to their greatnesse They did all with joynt forces seek to maintain the glory of their house So must we The Magistrate must remember that his subjects are his Brethren and may be right dear and precious in the sight of God and so must guide them in a pleasing and cheerfull fashion The Ministers must not be flatterers of great men to sooth them in their oppressing of meaner persons but studious of Gods glory and seek for the publick benefit of the Church The people must be obedient to the Magistrate as to one of their own race set up by God for the raising of the whole house They must also be perswaded by the Minister as by an elder Brother appointed by the Lord for the instruction of the whole houshold They that throw stones in at the windowes strike at the master of the family They that oppose superiours Ecclesiasticall or Politicall strike at God himself who hath committed their authority to them They seek not the good of the family but the ruine of it while they goe about to disjoynt it Vse 7 Sevently false Brethren come here to be arraigned who seek for the title of Brethren but carry not themselves like to Brethren Some there are that are false to their Father as the Papists who boast of the Church and triumph in their Mothers title but are idolatrous and dishonour their Father Others are false to their Mother as they of the Separation who boast of God their Father but cast the foulest aspersions they can upon the Church their Mother wherein they were begotten to God even themselves being Judges yet since they have forsaken and reviled her Others are false to their Brethren as Hypocrites who bear a great shew of zeal to God and love to the Church but seek underhand to pull down the forwardest of their brethren Such were the Pharisees who seemed zealous to the people but sought underhand to pull down Christ and his Apostles St. Paul concludes with these as with the most perilous of all his perils 2 Cor. 11.26 I have been in perils among false Brethren Such the Church of God hath ever had upon earth and will have ever till it come in heaven Vse 8 Lastly although we must love our Brethren according to the flesh yet our greatest affection must be reserved for our spirituall Brethren All Davids delight was in the Saints these he accounts the excellent of the earth Psal 16.3 This
Brotherhood will last when the other will decay These we shall finde faithfull upon earth These we shall have for companions in heaven Greater and better is that fraternity saith Austin Major et melior est fraternitas Christi quam sanguinis Sanguinis enim fraternitas similitudinem tantummodo corporis resert Christi autem fraternitas unanimitatem cordis animaeque deinonstrat Illa interdum sibi mimica est Christi antem fraternitas sine intermissione pacifica est Illa inter se communia cum aemulatione dividet haec etiam cum gratulatione communicat Illa in consortio saepe despicit germanos haec assumit frequenter alienum Aug de verb. Apost ser 25. which we have in Christ then that which we have in bloud The latter carries only some bodily resemblance the former shews forth consent of heart and minde The latter sometime is at enmity with it selfe but the former is peaceable without intermission The latter divides things that are common to them with emulation the former communicates with gratulation The latter often despiseth brethren and refuseth their society the former often admits the stanger To conclude the point Brethren in religion are to be preferred before Brethren in bloud kindred in spirit before kindred in flesh A lasting consanguinity is to be prized above a vanishing an eternall affinity far above a temporary Thus have I done with St. Pauls compellation And now I come to St. Pauls application Wherein I observe Two things 1. Pauls exhortation 2. Gods vocation St. Pauls exhortation is contained in these words For look upon your calling Wherein our eyes must first be cast upon the coherence Gods foolishnesse is wiser then men for men chuse the greatest but God chuseth the meanest Where we may see plainly that Gods wayes are contrary to our wayes So much the Lord teacheth us by his Prophet Isa 55.8 9. For my thoughts are not your thoughts neither are your wayes my wayes saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher then the earth so are my wayes higher then your wayes and my thoughts then your thoughts This the Lord made good in the choise of David before all his elder brethren contrary to the expectation of Samuel himself whose errour in preferring Eliab God corrects and tels him 1 Sam. 16.7 The Lord seeth not as man seeth for man looketh on the outward appearance but the Lord looketh on the heart The Apostles some of them were poor fishermen and followed Christ looking at no further end but the salvation of their own souls But Gods wayes are above theirs He hath a further reach then they could aime at an higher strain then they could aspire unto His purpose is to make mean fishermen great Apostles Joh. 1.40 41. Mat. 4.19 and those that would have been fully satisfyed with the salvation of their own souls to be the means to save many thousand more Thus are they made the pillars of the Church and the fillers of heaven who before were aboundantly satisfyed if they might but fill their nets with fish and their souls with grace This one example were sufficient to make every one of us to cry out with St. Paul O the depth of the riches Rom. 11.13 both of the wisdome and knowledge of God! how unsearcheable are his judgments and his wayes past finding out Gods wisdome doth infinitely exceed ours There is a greater disproprotion between them then between a fountain that never dryes up and a standing pool whose waters are dryed up by the heat of Summer and fail when there is most need of them The wisest men have need of the counsailes of others and therefore Kings have their privy Councels One mans head though it were Solomons could not reach to all occurrents of State If it could yet must it have much time to plot and to consider which is the best way to bring things to passe Angels themselves doubtlesse accomplish not Gods will without some kinde of meditations But Gods wisdome goes beyond Men and Angels He needs no counsaile of others to direct him nor no meditations of his own to fish one thing out of another His wisdome is alwayes ready Nothing can happen so difficult but he knows what to do without counsail or study For he knew before what would be done and had determined what he would bring out of it Look now upon a wise man and see what difference is between his wayes and the wayes of a fool He tunrnes and winds the fool which way he please He overrules him in his own actions What the fool intends for his own credit he turnes to his discredit Yet he knows not certainly what the fool intends Only out of his wisdome he guesseth by words and gestures No marvell then if God who knows all our purposes before we know them our selves can turn our actions to other ends then we entend nay to contrary ones For as his wisdome and ours so his wayes and ours have an infinite disproportion and are further distant then the highest heaven from the center of the earth Gods power also goes far beyond ours Men may be potent God is omnipotent Their power is but weaknesse compared unto his God doth what he will Men do what they can When they have done what they can God goes on with the work He begins where they end and turnes all to a new end which they never dreamed of He subverteth the wayes of men by his power when he please but all the world cannot hinder him in his purposes The greatest power that men have is but a rivulet let out of the Ocean of Gods omnipotency How often hath he clean altered the course of things How often hath he crossed the undaunted expectations of the proudest of the sons of men He hath sent deliverance when naturall reason hath set nothing but destruction before mens eyes He hath defeated proud Tyrants who in their own hopes and hearts have undoubtedly eaten up and swallowed down his people like bread Thus doth God as it were play with the great affaires of the world He brings light out of darknesse darknesse out of light He raiseth such as think themselves ruined and ruins them that think themselves firmly rooted Our ends are reeds he shakes them when he please His ends are cedars we cannot reach to the top nor dive to the bottome of them His power and wisdome do conspire to shew strong men their weakness and wise men their folly by chocking their actions in the blade Gods wayes differ from ours because they are secret and unknown unto us He gives his Commandements to men but reveals not his ends and purposes to them His revealed will we have in his word to direct us his secret purpose concerning the event of all things he locks up in heaven and keeps the key himself Men that use the counsaile of others are often disappointed of their ends because their plots are revealed by them whose heads they were forced to make
Religion and religious persons This St. James acquaints us withall Do not rich men oppose you Jam. 2.6 7. and draw youâ— before the judgment-seates Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which yee are called The rich Citizens of Jerusalem the wise Scribes the chief Priests the noble King Herod all oppose themselves against our blessed Saviour So we are taught by the Evangelist Mat. 2.3 Wheâ— Herod the King had heard these things heâ— was troubled and all Jerusalem with him And in the verse following he imployeâ— the chief Priests and Scribes to find ouâ— the Messias that he may destroy him So far were they from seeking salvation from him This point that it may sink the deeper we will take it 〈◊〉 pieces and shew what impediments 〈◊〉 salvation Are 1. Naturall wisdome 2. Riches and Greatnesse 3. Nobility and honour First for knowledge and naturall wisdome 1 Cor. 8.1 It puffes up those that have it It is like boyles and swellings that grow upon the body which make the bulk of the body the greater but yeeld no benefit to the body at all Thus knowledge often puffes up the mind but doth not edifie it And thus Ambrose glosseth upon the text they are called wise according to the flesh because they are rather puffed up with the wisdome of the world then truly learned Mundi rationibus instati magis quam eruditi sunt Ambrose on the text Mat. 11.25 Now what little acquaintance God hath with these wise and proud persons our Saviour teacheth us Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent And that made Augustine to cry out Behold Austin said thus in a Sermon Ecce ipsi idiotae rapiunt coelum ubi nos sapientes in inserno mergimur Pierce Plowm vision Pass 10. the very idiots snatch the kingdome of heaven while we wise men are overwhelmed in hell fire Neither doth knowledge make men proud only but also curious That excellent naturall capacity that God hath given them to enquire after necessary things they use it to dive into unnecessary questions The grounds of Religion they despise as common things fit for vulgar capacities and table-talke for shallow brains Curious things they pry into and such as neither God hath revealed nor man can comprehend Thus while they spend their choisest thoughts and chiefest times about needlesse niceties like the men of Sodome while they seek the door Gen. 19.11 they lose their eyes While they seek to be wiser then others they lose the felicity that meaner wits through Gods grace attain unto 1 Sam. 6.19 And as the men of Bethshemesh pry into the Arke and lose their lives so do these curious Masters dive into quiddities while they lose their souls Hence it is that none of these want their rare inventions which they magnifie themselves while other men laugh at them as idle crotchets They do te upon those opinions that meaner men upon better grounds explode and like Lucifer sink down into hell while their thoughts mount up above heaven By these means knowledge becomes the bane of many great Clerks while simple men attain eternal happinesse Secondly Discommodities of Riches Riches and greatnesse prove the ruine of many 1. 1 Pride Because they lift up the soul He that wants nothing knows not what need he hath of God or Man Now as the sense of want humbles the soul so the contrary exalts and lifts it up The great man and rich hath for his coyne the use and command of the best of Gods creatures for food and apparell and other necessary uses Yea men like himself and choise ones too are fain to attend upon him This lifts up his heart within him and so hinders him from the care of saving his poor and miserable soul Omnibus nobis ut res dant sese ita magni aique humiles sumus Ter. Hec. The Heathen man could say that our minds ebbe and flow with our means and we grow higher or lower in our own conceits as riches offer themselves more oâ— lesse unto us Salvian counts pride the rich-mans inheritance Taceatur superbia et tumor tam pâ—â—uliare hoc divitem reâ—rum est ut â—liquid forsitan de turâ— suo 〈◊〉 pâ—â—ent pâ—â—dere 〈◊〉 hinc sila alius quicquam veluerit vendicare Salv. de gub Dei lib. 7. as if poor men that were proud did him open wrong To say nothing quoth he of pride and swelling wich is the rich mans peculiar kingdome so that perhaps they would imagine that they had lost some part of their own right if any man else should challenge any part thereof from them So hard a thing is iâ— for a rich man to be humble and much harder for a proud man between whom and his Creator there is such an antipathy to come to the Kingdome of heaven 2. Because riches delight the soul 2 Delight and afford many pleasures to it which poor men cannot reach And the soul when it is delighted growes secure like Peter upon the mount concluding Master it is good to be here Mat. 17.4 Thus riches steal away the hearts of men from Religion It is an hard thing for a man to passe from delights on earth to delights in heaven 3. 3 Trouble Because they fill the soul with cares fears and griefs The rich man vexeth himself with his own prosperities He is more dejected oftentimes with fear of losse then comforted with possession of plentifull means They are like passengers in a ship in the midst of a storm when the wind blows stiffe upon them they are hardly able to keep the hatches So do fears and cares blow so stiffely on the soul that every moment it is in danger of perishing Every morning affords new cares What shall I do with my money Luk. 12.17 My barns are too little for my corne Shall I turn Merchant Every wind will make my heart ake Pirates will get in a moment what I have laboured for many a year Shall I buy Lands I may spend half the price of the purchase in trying the title Shall I put my money to use Besides the unquietnesse my own conscience may afford me and the scandall of the Church I may lose my principall while I study the Table of Interest These are the rich mans cares and fears The rich mans labour saith Bernard is in plotting inwardly Sudat pauper in opere for is sed numquid minus anxie divesâ—nt us in ipsa sua cogitatione laborat Bern. de obed pat et sap while the poor man sweats in labouring outwardly One sweats in body the other in minde One toyles to get to supply his wants the other toyles and cares to dispose of his goods to the best advantage These cares keep the rich man from caring for heaven The farme Luk. 14.18 19. the oxen must not be neglected though the soul be famished and deprived of her part of the heavenly banquet Mat.
may prove great impediments to the saving of their souls Let them pray with Agur the son of Jakeh Prov. 30.8 9. Give me neither poverty nor riches feed me with food convenient for me lest I be full and deny thee and say Who is the Lord or lest I be poor and steal and take the name of my God in vain Now for men of middle condition that are neither so rich as to give much nor so poor as to aske but have a convenient portion to bring them through the world Here is for them 1. A lesson of Thankfulnesse to God who hath placed them in the safest condition in the world Let them look down upon poorer men and behold the manifold wants which those poor souls and pined bodies dayly do indure They want apparell and fire in the Winter meat and drink in the Summer houses to dwell in beds to lie on and what not All which men of middle rank enjoy Then let them look up ward and number if they can the manifold cares that attend upon rich men in the world They are affraid of all men friends and foes acquaintance and strangers yea of wives and children lest they should embeazle their estate or diminish their treasures Their losses fetch more tears from their eyes then their wealth brings smiles into their faces All which fears and griefes men of middle condition are free from and exempted Then let them lift up their heart with their hands unto God that hath freed them from the rich mans cares and fears on earth and from his sighs and grones in hell And yet hath exempted them from Lazarus tears on earth Luk. 16. and will give them of his joyes in heaven if they serve him faithfully in their generations Let them not henceforth praise the rich mans plenty let them rather extoll their own security 2. Let them rest contented and abundantly satisfyed with their own condition As they have not the tide of the world flowing in abundantly upon them so they have not the winds of penury blowing stiffely against them Their journey requires more labour in rowing yet they passe with lesse danger While poor men are bewailing their wants to such as are images rather then men that know not how to pity them and rich men are numbring their Cattell viewing their Lands telling their Coyne they may with quietnesse worke in their shops or study in their closets and often between while commend themselves and their labours to Gods benediction There is no happyer state on earth for them to envy If they will aspire let them in their meditations mount up into heaven where they may injoy felicity with eternity The greatest part of my perswasions are yet to come for I have yet to do with the greatest men What Rhetorick shall I use to perswade these men Shall I tell them that Bees have stings as well as honey That riches have discommodities as well as commodities How carefull and cautelous had they need to be in the use of them that they may not exclude them from greater riches Shall I tell them that Jezabel was the daughter of a King 2 King 9.34 yet was she devoured with dogs Shall I shew them the wisdome of Achitephel that could not keep him from hanging himself 2 Sam. 17.23 Shall I set before them the rich man Luk. 16. in his gorgeous apparell and dainty fare and then bring him in groning and lamenting in hell torments Their worldly cares dead heavenly affections within them The common tenet is that while the heavens move the earth stands still Copernicus made the earth to move and the heavens to stand still But never any man made both moveable Rich men are often of Copernicus sect the earths motion in them makes heavenly affections unmoveable The heathen men as Fulgentius notes called the Peacock Juno's bird who was esteemed the Goddesse of riches Junonis in tutelam ponum pavum quod omâ— nis vitae petentia petax in aspectum sui semper quaerat ornatus sicut pavus stellarum caudae curvamen concavans anterius faciem ornat posterioraque turpiter nudat Fulg. Myth l. 2. Fab. de Jun. because as the Peacocke while he stretcheth out his tail to shew the stars of it adornes his fore part but shewes the deformity of his naked back-parts So do rich men while they set out their bravery lay open their infirmities The wiser sort of men among the heathen were so well acquainted with this that some of them refused great treasures offered as Phocion who refused the talents offered him by Alexanders Embassadours as a present from their Master And when they pressed him to receive them telling him that their Master sent them to him because he conceived him to be a worthy man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Isid Pel. l. 2. Ep. 146. he answered If he thinke so of me let him suffer me both to seem and to be so Others when they had riches gave them away as Crates who gave his goods to the Senate with this Motto 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ibid. as Isidore delivers it Crates sets Crates of Thebes at liberty Or as Nonnus delivers it better alluding to the name of Crates in the Greek which the English phrase will not bear Crates sets the goods of Crates at liberty 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Non. Synag Histar in Naz. Stel. 1. that the goods of Crates may not overcome Crates I speak not this to bring in Monkery or to perswade men to give away their goods to maintain idle drones but to make men wary in the use of their riches For I think with Augustine Vilius terrena opulentia humi liter tenetur quam superbe reâ—inquitur Pros Aug. sent 319. that Worldly riches are better humbly kept then proudly cast away For want of moderate use of them honours and riches do many men harm Which makes the same Father to exclaime O cursed nobility which through pride makes it selfe ignoble and base in the sight of God Mala nobilitas quae se pâ—r superbiam apud Deum reddit ignobilem De Temp ser 127. And many men have suffered many losses for their possessions as Isidore complaines Riches have hurâ— many and having whetted the sword againsâ— hem have fled into the power of their enemies But authority and kingly power 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Isid Pel. l. 3. Ep. 154. that all men contend for hath often deprived the owner not only of a happy life but even of life it self They that passe over the Humber when the Sea comes in seldome see the shore They that in tempestuons seasons passe over the Irish Seas seldome escape So rich men are so puzled with the thorny cares of wealth that they seldome attain to the true treasure I know the fault is not in the riches but in the mens ill using of them yet I take it to be a difficult thing to do otherwise and say with the Psalmist
that no particular reason can be given of Gods chusing one man rather then another yet there may be many grounds of preferring the meaner before the mighty For it doth much more set out the glory of God Gods order is sweetly noted by Bernard Regnum Dei conceditur in praedestinatione promit titur in vocatione ostenditur in justificatione percipitur in glorificatione Iâ— praedest est gratia in vocat potentia in justaf laetitia in glorif â—loria Beâ—n de verb. lib. sap Gods Kingdome is granted in predestination it is promised in vocation it is shewed in justification it is received in glorification In predestination there is grace in vocation power in justification joy in glorification glory But if God had chosen the great ones he had not shewed so much grace in chusing nor power in calling neither had they received so much joy in being justifyed nor so great addition of honour in being glorifyed They would have thought their condition somewhat bettered but not clean altered The mean therefore are Gods choise So saith Basill of the Apostles who were sent to publish Gods choise and to call such as he had chosen O counsail truly high and wisdome immortall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Basil Sel. in illud Venite post me When Christ did intend to teach mortall men a strange matter and a new opinion and an heavenly doctrine and sought for fit dispensers of such instructions he despised the Cities he made no reckning of poâ—ular states he refused the governours of Kingdomes be detested the power of â—ich men he hated the â—loquence of oratours he wished not for the tongues of Philosophers he passed â—hrough the nations and â—either chose their warâ—ke preparations nor the â—exterity of their hands â—or the swiftnesse of their â—eet But why do I reckon â—p humane helpes Sufâ—ering the ranks of Angels to enjoy a perpetuall rest he goes about the havens and rivers and shores determining to take from thence ministers of his heavenly doctrine and standing by exhorted them saying Follow me and I will make you fishers of men I come saith he to fish for you I seek for fishermen not for Princes I perswade mariners not Potentates Thus God made the great ones of the world that afterwards should be converted indebted to poor and simple men by whose Ministry God brings them to the knowledge of his truth which they by all their greatnesse and wisdome could not attain unto Dominus noster Jesus Christus volens super borum frangere cervices non quaesivit per oratorem piscatorem sed de piscatore lucratus est imperatorem Magnus Cyprianus orator sed prius Petrus piscator per quem postea crederet non solum orator sed et imperator Aug. in John Tract 7. And this St. Augustine wonders at Our Lord Jesus Christ saith he being willing to pull down the pride of highminded men did not seek the fisherman by the Oratour but gained the Emperour by the fisherman Cyprian was a great oratour but Peter was first a fisherman by whose meanes afterwards might beleeve not only the Oratour but also the Emperour That which is true of the choise of these men to their Apostleship is as true of Gods choise of men to heavenly happinesse And therefore the same Father elsewhere brings in God as it were fitting upon his throne and making his choise out of all sorts of men standing before him If I should chuse the Senatour the Senatour would say Si eligerem Senatorem diceret Senator dignitas mea electa est Si eligerem divitem diceret dives opulentia mea electa est Si eligerem imperatorem diceret imperator potentia mea electa est Si eligerem oratorem diceret orator cloquentia mea electa est Si eligerem Philosophum diceret Philosophus sapientia mea electa est Interim differantur superbi isti Da mihi prius istum piscatorem Veni tu pauper sequere me Nihil habes nihil nosti sequere me Idiota pauper sequere me Aug. de verb. Dom. ser 59. My dignity is chosen If I should chuse the rich man the rich man would say My wealth is chosen If I should chuse the Emperour the Emperour would say My power is chosen If I should chuse the Oratour the Oratour would say My eloquence is chosen If I should chuse the Philosopher the Philosopher would say My wisdome is chosen Put these proud ones aside a little Give me that same fisherman first Come thou poor man follow thou me Thou hast nothing thou knowest nothing follow thou me I say thou poor Idiot follow me The same is delivered more briefly elsewhere by the same Writer Potest Senator gloriari de semetipso potest Orator potest Imperator non potest nisi de Christo Piscator Aug. de ver Ap. ser 27. The Senatour may glory in himself so may the Oratour so may the Emperour but the poor fisherman can glory in none but in Christ Vse 1 Thus you see Gods choise now how usefull this may be to us appears in many particulars First It concernes the Ministers and teacheth them not to be servile to great men Adulation becomes not them Flatery should be far from them God respecteth the poor most Their safety is not to be neglected whom God cares fâ—r Gods Ministers must not regard earth more then heaven Worldly pompe must not affect them The meanest in their charge must be tended by them as well as the greatest Revel 4.8 10. The four living wights in the Revelation are taken for the Ministers and the four and twenty Elders for the people The four living wights have between them four and twenty wings The Minister must have a wing for every member of the Congregation The shepherd is so far from neglecting the meanest sheep that he puts no difference nay he is most tender over the sick and weak So must the Ministers bend their labours that way where there is most hope of successe even to the meanest among whom God hath most choise Hope of preferments and by-ends may tempt the Ministers as well as other men to look after great men but piety teacheth them not to neglect the meanest To such I may give counsail as Jeremiah did to Baruch in his dumpes Jer. 45.5 Seekest thou great things for thy self Seek them not Gods Ministers must be like God himself no respecters of persons Where they may exspect most fruit there they must be most painfull So shall their labours not be spent in vain but much comfort will arise out of them Vse 2 Secondly It cals upon great men not to condemn mean ones They may have a greater patrimony in heaven then richer men yea paradventure then those that condemn them It savours too much of pride to object poverty to any man To set by the poor Jam. 2.4 and give place to the rich Luk. 14.12 13. is to be partiall in our selves and to be judges of evill thoughts
we are the children of God St. Peters coherence intimates so much unto us that there is away to put all out of question He told us before of a chaine of grace tokens of salvation Wherefore the rather saith he give diligence to make your calling and election sure As if the Apostle should have said I would not perswade you to this diligence to make your election sure if I did not know there were certain and infallible tokens of election whereby it may be known but now seeing there are such certain notes though otherwise you might be negligent yet let me now perswade you the rather to diligence in making your election sure Next the Apostles command in the text to make it sure shews that there is a way for such as have grace to be assured of it The Apostle writes by the Spirit of God to whom all Spirits ought to be subject He urgeth it also as a matter very necessary for our own profit and comfort Doubtlesse then there is a way to secure it Adde unto this the promises of God elsewhere made by the mouth of our blessed Saviour Mat. 7.7 Aske and it shall be given you seek and ye shall find knock and it shall be opened unto you Now what have we more need to aske then the confirmation of our eternall election What have we more reason to seek for then the perswasion of our internall vocation What have we more to knock at heaven gates for then assurance to be let in there when we are shut out here So that Gods promise assures us a way to make our calling sure Lastly consider the examples of those that have attained to this assurance Take St. 2 Tim. 4.8 Paul for one Hencefore there is laid up for me a crown of righteousnesse But St. Paul was an Apostle had been rapt up into the third heaven and might very well know by revelation what would become of him So were not they whom St. John writes unto and yet they knew their own happy condition also 1 Joh. 4.13 We know that we dwell in him and he in us And presently after V. 16. We have known and believed the love that God hath to us And in the Chapter before 1 Joh. 3.14 We know that we have passed from death to life St. John joynes the rest with him in this assurance Heb. 6.9 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That have salvation or are joyned to it The Hebrewes had in them things that accompany salvation and could not be divided from it Take the testimony of Macarius also They that are anointed with the spirituall oil of gladnesse have received a signe of that incorruptible Kingdome to wit Qui spirituali exuliationis oleo uncti sunt signum regni illius incorruptibilis recepere sc spiritum sanctum arrhabonem Secretarti sunt regis coelestis ac freti siducia Omnipotentis palatium ejus unpredâ—untur abi sunt angeli et spiritus sanctorum quamvis adhuc sint in hoc nundo Licet enim integram haereditatem sibi in illo seculo praeparatam nondum adierint certissimi tamen sunt ex arrhabone quem modo receperunt ac si jam coronati essent et regni clavem tenerint Macar Hom. 17. Gods Spirit for an earnest They are the Secretaries of the heavenly King and relying confidently upon the Almighty they enter into his palace where the Angels and the Spirits of holy men are although they be yet in this world For although they be not yet come to the entire inheritance which is prepared for them in that world yet they are most sure of it by that pledge which they have newly received as sure as if they were already crowned and had the key of the Kingdome in their own possession I will conclude the point with the testimony of an Emperour Constantine in his oration to the Fathers assembled in the Councell of Nice as Gelasius reporteth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gelas Act. concil Nic. lib. 2. cap. 7. speaks thus The hope of the happinesse to come we do not only expect but as it were in some sort we have it hear already Worthily spoken and as became a Christian Emperour Woe then to the carelesse worldling who seeks to make sure the possession of his lands and goes to the Assurance office for his goods at Sea he hides his wealth and carefully layes up his treasure that it may not be stolne but takes no care at all to assure his election or calling to eternall happinesse If they could not be made certain he were to be excused but seeing there is a way to do it his negligence is inexcusable He hath preferd his wealth before his soul earth before heaven gold before God misery before happinesse He must expect Simon Magus doom Thy money perish with thee Act 8.20 He hath neglected his soul while he lives and God will refuse it when he dies The great mercy of God to us here also appears We had deserved eternal condemnation It had been abundanâ— mercy in God to bring us to heaven though we had gone through a kindâ— of hell here We had been happy in the end though we had been miserable in the way But God hath been pleased to give us not only heaven after this life but the assurance of it in this life Thus are we happy here under the certain hope of happinesse hereafter Our joyes are begun in this world that will be perfected but never be ended in the world to come Praise God then for thy happinesse begun on earth till thou enjoy thy endlesse happinesse in heaven We must now ascend one step higher to the means to assure us of our election and vocation and then we are at the highest till we come to heaven 6. The way to make our calling and election sure is by diligence It is no easie labour to assure so great happinesse There is need of much diligence to settle us in a full perswasion of our election and vocation Heb. 6.11 We desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end There is no growth in any art or science without great diligence and growth is our study and the end of our labour So in the conclusion of this Epistle 2 Pet. 3.17 18. Beware ye fall not from your own stedfastnesse but grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ There is need of diligence 1. To know Ad sciendum For the signes of election are many and are not easily known Much diligence must be used to understand the Scriptures where these tokens are scattered None of them can be spared though they be many because we have many temptations to unsettle us A ruinous house the more props it hath the faster it stands The more notes of election the soul understands the better it holds out against Satans wiles 2. To examine Ad
examinandum All examination requires diligence Else will not that be found that we look for The Shepherd that hath lost but one sheep leaves ninty and nine in the wildernesse Luk. 15.4 and goes after that which is lost untill he finde it The woman that lost her peece of silver lights a candle V. 8. and sweeps the house and seeks diligently till she finde it The Judge that searcheth out a murder examines all the circumstances of the fact So must we ransacke all the powers and faculties of soul and body to finde out what God hath wrought in us and by us to assure us of our vocation The former reason required much reading to finde the notes of election in the Scriptures this requires many meditations to finde the same notes engraved by the Spirit of God in our own soules 3. Ad augendum To augment Diligence is required to encrease the graces of Gods Spirit in us when we have found them Without fuell the fire will decay rather then encrease Without food the strength of the body diminisheth Without the constant use of religious exercises the sense of Gods favour will be diminished in us The Sacraments the seales of Gods favour the one must be often thought upon the other often received The sight of his Evidences confirmes a man in his hope of the quiet possession of his Lands The right use of the Sacraments assures us of Gods favour As the Sacraments must be our food so Prayer must be our fuell to make the perswasion of Gods love to flame in us The more we seek Gods favour by fervent prayer the more will he assure us of it 4. To Act. Ad agendum Without action all the meditations in the world cannot assure us of Gods favour For whom God loves them doth he inspire with the fire of good affections which flames forth into good actions Now there are many impediments of good actions Some lets we meet withall abroad in the world Others we finde within in our own soules All these must be removed and this remove cannot be done without diligence Adde hereunto the manifold varieties of good actions to be done There are duties of Piety and duties of Sobriety duties of Equity and duties of Charity And can all these duties be done without diligence No certainly it is impossible Thus are we freed from Popish and Arminian cavils They exclaime against us for teaching that we may be assured of our election They call it a doctrine of security of liberty and of profanenesse They say we teach men to live as they list because they are sure of Gods favour We teach men with St. Peter that their election and calling to eternall happinesse may be certainly made known to themselves But we teach them withall as the Apostle doth in the text that it cannot be done without labour and diligence We demonstrate to them indeed that Gods favour cannot be lost for God sunchangeable This we acquaint them with for their comfort in the world But we shew them withall that the sense of Gods favour may be lost by negligence and then shall they live as uncomfortably as if they never had had it This we do for their caution against the temptations of Satan and provocations of the World Yea to make them the more carefull we tell them that the sense of Gods favour cannot be had nor being had cannot be kept without much labour and diâ—igence For the Devill hath many â—aetes to beguile us of this principall â—illar of our spirituall comfort and â—ively provocation to cheerfull obedience Theeves have not so many devices to cheat our rich men of their gold and silver as Satan hath to beâ—uile us of the feeling of Gods love Thus do we give to God his due and to Gods elect theirs Thus do wâ— maintain Gods constancy and keep Gods people from security Now let me urge every one thaâ— heares me according to the scope oâ— the text to be diligent to make hiâ— calling and election sure Whatsoeveâ— become of thee in the world make surâ— thy happinesse in another world Thiâ— cannot be done without pain and perill but this must be done else wiâ—â— thou never live with comfort Thoâ—â— hearest the Merchant discourse of thâ— many stormes he hath endured at seaâ— how often the sea beneath opened he mouth to devoure him how ofteâ— the heaven above frowned upon him as if it would give him over to thâ— fury of the seas how often the eartâ— denyed him the sight of her as if sâ—â— would never be trod upon more bâ— him how often the winds blew fierce ly upon him one crossing another as 〈◊〉 they contended whether should finâ— him And all this he endured for gaiâ— Thou hast read the Souldiers troubleâ— how he stands in sight of the enemy that seeks his ruine the bullets oâ— while whisk by his ear the swoâ— another while would shorten him by the head sometimes hunger bites him in the day and sometime cold strikes him in the night And all this he endures for gain Thou seest the Physitian toyle and endanger himself one while he visits the pox another while he trades in Spotted feavers yea sometimes he looks the Plague in the face And all this he endures for gain And wilt not thou endure any labour or run through any perils to be sure of heavenly treasures which no theef can steal which no mouth can corrupt which no fire can consume of which no death can disappoint thee Look upon the rich and great men of the world I mean not those humane Monsters inhumane Mahometans that leave not a brother alive for fear of injury But look on Christian and Religious people what care they have to make good their titles to settle their inheritances upon theirs And all this care is but for temporall riches Wilt not thou then be more carefull to settle thine interest to eternall glory If thou be quiet now yet the Devill will finde a time to trie thy Evidence and call thy title into question Sicknesse and death are times of weaknesse to thee wherein he like a subtill enemy displayes all his art and strength Provide thee arguments now that may uphold thy hope when thou art at the weakest Consider the misery of doubting persons at their death Think upon the anguish that their souls endure They apprehend God angry with them the Devill accusing them earth leaving them heaven refusing them hell clayming them soul and body parting friends weeping and themselves hopelesse going they know not whither What would they not give that they had made their election sure in the time of their strength or that they might be strong to do it yet Be thou warned by their folly Make thou all sure beforehand As worldly men get riches in health to cherish them in sicknesse and as the Bees get in Summer hony to feed on when stormes keep them within their hives so do thou in time of health get good grounds
of the assurance of Gods favour that may uphold thee within against outward afflictions and spirituall temptations when thou art set as it were between heaven and earth So mayest thou live in joy die in peace rise in perfection reign in happinesse Me thinks the worldly man should say now Sir you have pleaded our cause well and perswaded us to minde our own happinesse Be pleased to guide us The well is deep Job 4.11 and we have nothing to draw withall Whence then shall we have this living water Gods election is so high that we cannot reach it and our vocation is so secret that we can hardly discerne it I answer in the words of Lactantius It is an absurd thing to go about to overthrow that which is certain Absurdum est ex incerto certum velle subvertere cum promptius sit de certis incerta firmare Lact. de ira Dei c. 5. by that which is uncertain seeing it is more easie to confirme uncertain things by those that are certain God goes downward from the causes to the effects we must go upward from the effects to the causes The web that God hath weaved we must unweave He goes from election downward we must go from regeneration upward Thus shall God and we meet in the middle way We must prove our selves to be called and he will acknowledge us to be elected When his spirit and ours meet Rom. 8.16 then is there good testimony that we are the sons of God The work we have to do is twofold First to get title to Gods love Secondly to get assurance that we have a title The first is done by action The second is done by examination The actions among many other are principally four 1. The shortning of worldly business so much as may be without injury to our calling or neglecting any necessary duty thereunto belonging Oxen and farmes Luk. 14.18 19 20 21. and houshold businesses are the three impediments that make heaven empty unlesse the the poor and blind the halt and maimed that cannot follow the world come to helpe fill it Mat. 13.22 The cares of the world are the thornes that choke the good seed of the word that it cannot be fruitfull So foolish are we that while with much care and labour we goe about to make those things certain which are most uncertain we make those things uncertain which might be made most certain He that hath two irons â—n the fire at once spoyles one while â—e attends the other Heaven and earth are too great and too far distant to be cooped up in one brest They that study Divinity or Law or Physick in the Universities they take no care for their diet much lesse for worldly businesses they leave this care unto their friends We that look for a portion in heaven must free our souls so much as may be from the cares of the world Although these cares did â—ot bring with them occasions of many evils yet it is sufficient that they deprive us of many opportunities of seeking the salvation of our own souls He dies though more slowly that is starved and he can but die that is poysoned He goes to hell that lives in grosse sin and he doth no lesse that followes his businesse and neglects the salvation of his soul Do lesse then for the world and do more for thine own soul 2. Moderation in the use of worldly pleasures is very needfull for him that will make his calling sure Pleasures are Syrens they intice the Passengers to security that they may overturn the boat While we are sure of these we look after no other comforts They that live in pleasures are dead to the world They neglect their businesse they lose opportunities to enlarge their estates their shops are not acquainted with them their servants want a Master their children lack a Father their wives have losâ— their husbands and they have losâ— themselves They are much more dead to the world to come They that waste their temporall patrimony while they follow their pleasures how will they seek to settle their eternall inheritance The want of contentment in the world makes a man to seek for satisfaction in a better world but the enjoying oâ— pleasures here makes him negligent of seeking perpetuall joyes If the wings of the fowl be never so nimble yet birdlime keeps it from mounting upward and makes it tumble on the ground So the quickest spirits being glued to delights of the world wallow in them and never flie up in their affections toward heaven Religion is not a recreation to be used at spare times nor recreation is not Religion to be pursued upon all occasions with eagernesse God will answer such as Abraham doth the rich man Luk. 16.25 Remember that thou in thy life time receivedst thy good things now must thou be tromented All things must be done in their seasons Occasions are not to be lost because they cannot be redeemed He that makes not his election sure here shal not be happy with Gods elect hereafter Let me presse this with Isidorus arguments 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Isid Pelus lib. 3. Epist 60. He that betrayeth the opportunity of doing things shall never receive the profit of them For can any approve of the husbandman who when is it time to plow and sow that he may after receive a plentifull â—rop is lasie and idle and â—its still at his door Who can like of the vine-dresser who when he may dresse his vine that â—e may have it full of â—apes and a plentifull â—mepresse lays snares for the labours of other men Lastly who can like of that Mariner who when the winde serves him fitly to make a very gainfull voyage tarries in the haven and tumbles in the taverns Surely no body Seeing these things are so who can approve of that Christian who requires to be crowned in the time of the battell The affaires of this world are occasions of skirmishes not of crownes but those of the world to come afford honours and rewards Wherfore let us not betray the commodious occasion of things lest otherwise we be vexed with unprofitable repentance in the life to come The seasons must not be confounded Spring is not harvest The wind that carries a man out of his country will not bring him home again God affords us abundance of pleasures 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Isid Pelus lib. 2. Epist 179. but it is in another world Here he expects labour and paines of us So saith the same Father The reward of our labours is noâ— to be had here but here are the skirmishes and hereafter the rewards Let noâ— men then seek for rest and pleasure of mind in the time of warres nor confound thâ— seasons Let us then be content with ouâ— labours here and so much pleasure aâ— may enable us to go through with them and when we have made our election sure expect fulnesse of pleasure hereafter 3. Repentance is