die but if ye mortifie the deeds of the body by the spirit ye shal liue for as many as are led by the spirit of God they are the sonnes of God And in another place Å¿ 2 Cor. 5 15. Thus we iudge that if one be dead and he died for all that they which liue should not henceforth liue vnto themselues but vnto him which died for them and rose againe Sanctification goeth alwayes before glorification Euerie one would be glorified but euery one wil not be sanctified euerie one would liue with God but euery one will not dye to sinne euery one would receiue the victory but euery one will not fight the battel But let vs not be deceiued God is not mocked If we would attaine to saluation we must first haue sanctification we must be Saints in this life if we look to be Saints in glory heerafter we must be Saints vpon the earth if we would be Saints in heauen wee must first make a beginning before we can come to the ending We must take paines wee must labour hard and sweate much before we can come to our iourneyes end Let vs therefore take heed we do not make a mocke of the Saints least we mocke at our owne sanctification and consequently neglect nay despise our owne saluation If we make any account of holinesse of life let vs not cast it out as a reproch to bee holy Let vs consider that this is the will of God euen our sanctification it is not therefore his will that wee should delight in prophanesse and vngodlinesse And as for those that are scorned and abused or rather not they indeede or their persons flouted and contemned but their Faith their Religion their Sanctification let them not hang downe their heads and be discouraged but walke boldly through good report and euill report and be so farre from shrinking back for these taunts reuilings that rather we should prepare our selues for an harder battell an hotter encounter We haue not yet resisted vnto blood Remember what our Lorde and Maister hath endured the reproach of the world the slaunders of the vngodly the mockings of the malicious the shame of the crosse and what not We must not looke to fare better then he we must not thinke to be entertained otherwise then he was If this be the worst that they can say by vs if this be the greatest fault they can report of vs that we are Saintes and holy persons let vs not be discomforted but rather comforted heerein that God is glorified in vs his name is honoured and the mouth of Iniquity is stopped hauing nothing to detect vs off nothing to obiect against vs. The enemies of Daniell howsoeuer they watched all occasions and sought all opportunities to betray him and destroy him yet the greatest crime they had to charge him withall t Dan 6. 11. and 3. 12. was that he prayed to his God three times a day and made supplication vnto him The Caldeans had no other fault to charge the Iewes to haue committed then that they would not bow downe vnto an Idol If they could haue found any other matter to accuse them of as Malefactors their malice was so great to their profession and to their persons for their professions sake that they would not haue spared and held their peace But this was the glory of these seruants of God that they suffered not for their sinnes and deseruings but for their faith and a good conscience This was it wherin the Church and faithfull comforted themselues Psal 44. If we haue u Psal 44. 20 21 22. forgotten the name of our God and holden vp our handes to a strange God shall not God search this out For he knoweth the secrets of the heart Surely for thy sake are we slaine continually and are counted as sheepe for the slaughter This is that place which the Apostle alludeth vnto Rom. 8. Whereby he comforteth the people of God in their afflictions whereby we see what is the portion and condition of the Saintes in this life they are sheepe not wolues they are afflicted they doe not afflict they are killed they do not kill they are killed not because they haue forsaken and renounced God but because they would not forsake him and renounce him They are slaine not for their owne sinne but because they would not commit sinne against God If this be our case and condition that we are reproached for our righteousnesse and religion and if we x 1 Pet 4 13. 14. be railed vpon for the name of Christ we haue cause to reioyce in asmuch as we are partakers of his sufferinges and shall be partakers of his glory yea blessed are we for the spirit of glory and of God resteth vpon vs which on their part is euill spoken off but on our part is glorified Let vs comfort our selues and our bretheren with these thinges Vse 2. Secondly seeing all the faithfull liuing in the world are Saintes this serueth to conuince the Church of Rome who appropriate the word Saintes to those that are dead and honour none with this title that liue vpon the earth but such as are departed out of this life and being famous for miracles are Canonized by the Pope whom they account as a God vpon the earth Hence it is that they adde farther that our Church cannot be an holy Church because there was neuer yet any Saint or holy man of it approued to be such by miracle or any other euident token They renounce our Church because it is no holy Church and they conclude it is not holy because we haue no Saints that are in it or euer were of it First lct vs speake of our Saintes and then somewhat touching their Saintes whereof they boast so much and in whom they glory so greatly Touching the former the Prophets Apostles and holy men of the first Churches were professors of the same faith that wee beleeue as appeareth by the Scriptures by which we offer to be tried in al controuersies but our Aduersaries will not deny these to be Saintes and such Saintes as haue beene approued by miracles Againe we haue in our Churches true beleeuers iustified by the bloud of Christ and sanctified by the spirit of God and therefore are Saintes by calling as we haue shewed before We haue the fruites of sanctification as necessary effects of a liuing faith we profit daily in repentance from dead workes we labour more and more for y Col 2 2. 5. Rom 8 16. the full assurance of vnderstanding and stedfast faith in Christ for our redemption But such as liue in sin and walk in the flesh haue not the spirit of Christ they are not of our church they are no true Saints they may bee among vs but they are not of vs. As for the popish Saints which are found in their Golden Legend so called and stand in redde letters in their Kalenders it is no maruell if we do not account
shall bee taken of vs wee shall beare the burthen not onely of our owne sinnes but of all the sinnes of the people and euerie soule belonging vnto our charge that hath perrished thorough our owne negligence shall bee laide to our charge and his blood be required at our handes and so shal becom horrible Reprobates in Hel to be tormented with euerlasting pains For euen as the holy mā speaking of this calling teacheth that a faithful messenger of God and interpreter of his wil is but as one of a thousand that though they be many that vndertake the office yet the number is few rare that make Conscience of their dutie to God and his people so on the other side few of this many shall be saued but be cast as notable diuels into hell draw with them thousands into destruction Neither is it sufficient for the Ministers discharge if he teach sildom or now and then as at euery quarter day when he commeth to reckon with them or once a month to auoide the Law but he must watch and teach and feede his flocke continually t 2 Tim. 4 1 2 And preach the word in season and out of season The greatest labor shall haue the greatest reward They u Dan. 12 3. that turne many to righteousnesse shall shine as the Stars for euer and euer Euery x 1 Cor. 3 8. man shal haue his wages according to his worke They that imployed their Maisters mony y Mat. 25 30. gained by it are accounted good faithfull seruants but the ydle and loytering seruant that would do nothing but hid his talent that was giuen vnto him was cast into vtter darknesse and rewarded according to his deserts Let vs therefore labour to haue a cleare conscience toward God and man The more paines we take the greater shal be our comfort the more diligently we sow the more plentifull shall be our haruest If we be painful in our callings and diligent in teaching the people z Co◠3 1 2. We shall not neede as some other Epistles of re-commendation vnto them or Letters of re commendation from them for they shal be our Epistle written in our harts which is vnderstood and read of all men And concerning those committed to vs to feed we see by experience that they cannot liue without food they cannot grow and prosper without a daily supply so their soules cannot liue vnto God a spirituall life vnlesse they bee often fed and plentifully nourished by the milke of Gods word When Paule tooke his leaue to depart from Ephesus he propoundeth before the Elders his owne example a Acts 20 31. Remember that by the space of three yeares I ceased not to warne euery one both night and day with teares This faithfulnesse is to be found in vs as our comfort in this life our crowne in the life to come alwaies prouing when God wil giue faith and repentance neuer to be repented of We know not the times and seasons that God hath kept in his owne hand If he touch not the heart at one time and leaue a blessing behind him he may touch it and frame it vnto obedience at another time It behooueth vs therefore to vse the meanes to sowe vnto them spirituall things and to commit the successe of our labours vnto God b 1 Cor. 3 6 7 seeing Paule planteth and Apollos watereth but it is GOD that giueth the encrease Vse 3. Thirdly seeing the word preached is the ordinary meanes of our regeneration it teacheth the people to looke to their feet when they enter into the house of God and to take heede how they heare It is not left to their owne choise whether they wil hear or not no more then it is to the Minister whether he will preach or not It is required of them that they reuerence them obey their Doctrine loue them prouide for them pray for them and in al things esteeme of them as the messengers of Christ as the Ministers of the word as the ouerseers of the Church yea it standeth them vpon to heare the word at their mouths to account of it as the meanes of their saluation It is great ignorance impiety to desire any other means to haue faith then that which he hath appointed for vs. It is the great mercy and goodnesse of God to appoint mortal men subiect to sin and al infirmities as we are at whose handes we may be fed at whose mouths we may be taught and with whom we may talke familiarly and yet by their simple Ministry may haue as good assurance of saluation in this life and of glory in the life to come as if the Lorde himselfe should speake from heauen For the word of God is as the gate of heauen and hee hath committed the Keyes thereof to his faithfull Stewardes c Math. 16 19 That whatsoeuer they binde on earth should be bound in heauen and whatsoeuer they loose on earth should be loosed in heauen True it is many foolish faithlesse men perswade themselues that they should repent and beleeue the Gospell if they might heare God himselfe speake or if one came from the dead to tell them what they should do to be saued When Caine had conceiued malice and murther in his heart and intended to kill his Brother d Gen. 4 6. the Lorde spake vnto him set his sinnes in order before him and threatned iudgment against him vnlesse he repented but did hee repent at the voice of God and turne vnto him with all his heart No he fell from euill to worse and added one sinne vnto another till he had filled vp the measure of them All the Israelites heard the Law of God in the wildernesse and saw his wonderfull workes that hee shewed among them yet they beleeued not neither ceased to murmure and rebell against him Iudas one of the twelue was reprooued of Christ for his treason so were the Scribes and Pharisees for their hypocrisie yet none of them repented or at the least many of them repented not at his preaching vnto them wherefore it is not the hearing of the voice of God can giue vs repentance it is his changing of our hearts and renewing of vs in the inner man that casteth vs into a new mould and worketh in vs a new birth When Christ Iesus was nayled vpon the Crosse they said e Math. 27 42. He saued others but hee cannot saue himselfe if he be the King of Israell let him now come downe from the Crosse and we will beleeue in him But if he had come downe at this taunt cast out vpon him wold they or could they haue beleeued Or could Christ haue beene the true Messiah if he had discended seeing it was the end of his comming into the world that hee might suffer f Esay 53 7. Psal 22 17. 69 21. and fulfill the thinges that were foretold by the Prophets Or would they not rather
euident that some of them are false and manie of them verie vncertaine Of this sort is the former Epistle to the Corinthians which is sayde to bee written from Philippi and likewise to bee sent by Stephanas and Fortunatus c. where two thinges are auouched and both of them seeme to bee false For first it appeareth a 1 Cor. 16 5. that he was not then ar Phillippi a cheefe Citty in Macedonia that is in Europe b 1 Cor. 16. 8. 19. but at Ephesus which is in Asia Secondly it may be gathered that it was sent by the hands of Timotheus and Erastus c 1 Cor. 16. 10. partly out of that Epistle and partly out of the Actes of the d Acts 19. 21 22. Apostles The like we may say of the Post-script of the latter Epistle of both the Epistles to the Thessalonians of both the Epistles to Timothy of that to Titus and others And as we shew that these Post-scripts whether true or false were not written by the Apostles but by some other men after their dayes e Beza for the most part either vnlearned or not so well aduised so we might affirme and confirme the same touching the Inscriptions or titles prefixed and set before the Epistles of Paule Iames and the rest For first both the inscriptions and subscriptions are variably set downe in Coppies that there can no certainety be gathered out of them which of them should stand as Authenticall Secondly some of them haue both strange and vnfit Titles as when the seauen Epistles written by Iames Peter Iohn and Iude are called sometimes Canonicall and sometimes Catholique Epistles which are Names not found in the Scriptures and seeming derogatory to the rest of the Epistles as though none were Canonicall but they Thus much shall serue and suffice to giue warning both touching Inscriptions and Subscriptions both which are of one stampe and no part of the pure word of God whereof more might be spoken if it were eyther necessary or profitable or expedient Obseruations pointed out in this verse The next point according to the order obserued in the former wordes is to point out such obseruations as might be enlarged and amplified for our instruction First of all we see heere that as in the entrance of the Epistle and as it were at their first meeting he wished vnto him the Grace of Christ so he doth in the farewell and departing thereby teaching that nothing is better or more to be desired then his Grace that all our Salutations and Farewels should be grounded in his Grace this must be the beginning and the ending of all our talke and communication Secondly when the Sonne of God is called Iesus wee obserue againe that he is a perfect and absolute Sauiour the alone Sauiour inasmuch as the worke of our Saluation and Redemption is wholly and onely wrought out by him and no part left vnfinished and reserued for any Creature in heauen or in earth f Acts 4 12. For among Men there is no other Name giuen vnder Heauen whereby we may be saued but by the name of Iesus And the Apostle saith Heb. 7. g Heb. 7 25. He is able perfectly to saue them that come vnto God by him seeing he euer liueth to make intercession for them Let vs learne by this Name giuen to the Sonne by the Father and brought from Heauen by an Angell that in our selues we are as lost Sheepe and going astray We are wretched Sinners lying vnder the heauy wrath of God hee came to seeke and to saue that which is lost Wee are Prisoners he came to set vs at liberty we are wounded he came to cure vs we are dead hee came to restore and reuiue vs. No man can truely and with a feeling heart say Christ is my Sauiour vnlesse he finde that without him he is vtterly lost and cast away Againe this is a wonderfull comfort to our hearts that beeing shut vp vnder sinne and condemnation the Lord had mercy vpon vs and made an euerlasting Couenant of Grace with vs that his owne Sonne shall bee our Redeemer Hence it is that the Angels h 1 Pet. 1 12. Who desire to looke into the Mysteries of the Gospell so greatly reioyced when Christ was borne and themselues sent to publish the glad tydings thereof Luke 2. i Luk. 2 10 11 Behold I bring you tydings of great ioy that shall be to all the people that vnto you is borne in the Citty of Dauid a Sauiour which is Christ the Lord. If these blessed Spirits bee thus affected at the birth of Christ who came not to bee a Sauiour and Redeemer vnto them because they did want the benefit of Redemption how much more ought we to reioyce whom this glorious worke doth cheefely concerne yea so much that if we wanted this Sauiour it had beene better with the Beastes of the field and the creeping thinges of the Earth and the Fishes of the Sea and the Fowles of the Ayre then with vs with vs I say that were fallen from him For the end of the vnreasonable Creature is the ende of his woe but the death of man without a Mediator is the beginning of woe Thirdly the Sonne of God is called Christ which signifieth as much as annointed In the time of the Old Testament three sorts of men were annointed with Materiall Oyle Kings Prophets and Priests This Legall annointing was a Type and Figure of the annointing of Christ let is who k Iohn 6 17. was set apart from all Eternity to doe the Office of a Media our beetweene GOD and Man l Psal 45. 7. Esay 61 1. Iohn 3 34. and had the fulnesse of the Spirit powred into his Man-hoode and therefore hee is a King to gather and gouerne his Church a Prophet to reueale and teach the will of his Father a Priest to make satisfaction and intercession for the sinnes of his people From nence we learne that when we are baptized into Christ and are called to the profession of the Gospell we are after a sort consecrated and set apart to bee m Reuel 1 6. spirituall Kings spirituall Prophets and spirituall Priests we haue the same Oyle of gladnesse not indeed as he hath it which is without measure but a small pittance of it and a little measure whereby we are called Christians of Christ that is men annointed with the Oyle wherewith Christ himselfe was annointed albeit in a farre inferiour degree This the Apostle Iohn setteth downe n 1 Iohn 2 27. The annointing which ye receiued of him dwelleth in you c. and that same annointing teacheth you all thinges Euery one pleaseth himselfe in the title of a Christian all men chalenge the name of Christians as their proper right and would cry out of extreame wrong to be denied a portion in this honour but aske them what Christ signifieth and how themselues become Christians they are able to answeare nothing at all
yet hee returned and repented hee went out from that wicked Company and wept for his greeuous fall most bitterly Many good Souldiers are sometimes daunted at the sight of their Enemies and runne out of the Field like Cowards not without some reproch and impeachment of their Man-hoode who afterward gather strength and are ashamed of their owne folly both resisting those that fight against them most couragiously and pleasing the Captaine that hath made choise of them Hence it is that the Lord proclaimeth Mercy and reneweth his Couenant of forgiuenesse to such as turne vnto him The Prophet Ioel saith Chapter 2. m Ioel 2. 12 13. Turne you vnto mee with all your heart with fasting weeping and mourning Rent your hearts and not your Garments and turne vnto the Lorde your God for he is gracious and mercifull slow to anger of great kindnesse and repenteth him of the euill Heere is mercie offered and a generall pardon published which God will performe to all penitent persons Likewise the Lord for better assurance if we doubt of his word once vttered saith by his Prophet Ezekiell Chap. 33. n Ezek. 33 10 11. O thou sonne of man speake vnto the house of Israel Thus ye speake and say If our transgressions and our sinnes be vppon vs and wee are consumed because of them How should we then liue Thus do wicked persons when they heare of Gods Iudgements câ—st off all confidence in his mercies and murmure at his threatninges But what followeth Say vnto them as I liue saith the Lord I desire not the death of the wicked but that the wicked turne from his way and liue Turn you turn you from your euil waies for why will ye die O ye house of Israell When the sinful woman came to Christ in the house of Simon the Pharisee humbly confessing her sins shedding abundance of teares for them and by them both testifying her loue to Christ he turned vnto her and said o Luke 7 48. Thy sinnes are forgiuen thee On her part we see repentance weeping and Prayer On Christs part we see Forgiuenesse offred and pardon bestowed It is well saide of Cyprian p Cypr. epist ad Nouat haeret Legimus adoramus nec praetermittimus coelestem domini sententiam qua ait negaturum se negantem nunquid poenitentem that is we read and reuerence and do not go about to reuerse the heauenly sentence of the Lord when he saith I will denie him that denieth me But doth he any where or at any time say he wil deny him that repenteth of his sinnes from the bottome of his heart Or doth he allow any to q Rom. 14 4. iudge another mans seruaunt which standeth or falleth to his owne Maister This is it which maketh the Church Triumph in the experience and feeling of Gods Fauour and Mercie Micah 7 8 9. Reioyce not against mee O mine enemy though I fall I shall arise When I shall sit in darkenesse the Lorde will be a light vnto me For as the righteousnes of the righteous r Ezek. 18 21 24. man shal not deliuer him in the day of his transgression so the wickednes of the wicked man shal not hurt him whensoeuer he turneth froÌ„ his iniquity Such is the care of God ouer the sheep of his pasture his loue toward theÌ„ that he denounceth a fearful wâ— against the shepherds of Israel that feed Å¿ Ezek. 34. 4. themselus not the flock he chargeth them that they did eate the fat and clothed themselues with the wooll but the weak they haue not strengthned the sicke they haue not healed neither haue they bound vp the broken nor brought againe that which was driuen away neither haue they sought that which was lost but with rigour and cruelty haue they ruled them Ezek 34. To conclude this point our Sauiour sheweth that when a man hauing an hundred Sheepe hath lost one of them he leaueth ninety and nine in the Wildernesse and goeth after that which is gone astray vntill he finde it u Luke 15 4 7 10. and then Hee layeth it on his shoulders with ioy and carrieth it home to the sheepefold I say vnto you that ioy shall be in heauen euen in the presence of the Angelles of God for one sinner that conuerteth Seeing then the Lord Iesus who is the LORD of life teacheth in the Gospell that there is so great ioy in Heauen for a penitent sinner x Cypri lib. 2. epist 12. how great ioy ought there to be on earth when wee see the kingdome of God enlarged and a fellow member pulled out of the iawes of Satan whom he had holden captiue and taken as a prey to deuoure and destroy for euer It is the end of Christs comming y Luke 19 10. To seeke and to saue that which was lost Luke 19 10. And seeing our gracious God is so ready to remit offences done against him who are we and of what matter or mettall are we made that are so hard-hearted and stif-necked and implacable against our Bretheren Wee are taught to aske forgiuenesse z Math. 6 11 and 18 35. as we Forgiue and in the Parable of the miserable and mercilesse seruant propounded Math. 18. Who being forgiuen ten thousand Talents refused to forgiue his fellow an hundred pence was deliuered to the Tormentors till he should pay all that was due to his Lord We are taught that in like manner shall our heauenly Father do vnto vs except we forgiue from our hearts each one to his Brother their Trespasses This Doctrine doth the Apostle publish at large in this Epistle crauing pardon at the hands of Philemon for his penitent and prostrate seruant not doubting but as God had forgiuen him and giuen him repentance so hee also for his part would remit the trespasse and iniury done vnto himselfe Thus wee see what to iudge of these Nouatians a Aug. de haeres cap. 38. who are indeede the true Puritans and contrary to the whole course of the Scriptures deny repentance and reconciliation to such men as after baptisme through infirmity and force of persecution and feare of daunger doe yeeld so farre as to deny the faith We haue a noble example of Gods notable compassion toward such as offend of frailty and weaknesse in Peter who was receiued to mercy and Christ would neuer haue saide b Math. 18 18 Whatsoeuer ye loose on earth shall be loosed in heauen if such persons as repent were altogether to bee barred out of the bosom of the Church Can these proud spirites then be the Disciples of Christ c Danae de haeres page 97. that are harder and straiter laced then their maister Thus they frustrate true repentance take away all admonitions both publick priuat which are of great force to reclaime and recouer a sinner The third and last point remaineth For as we haue considered the person that writeth this Epistle and the person
is in vaine for them to resist God and the power of his might Let them refraine from iniuring his Seruants and from going about to stop their mouthes let them remember what Gamaliell said n Acts 5 38. Now I say vnto you refraine your selues from these Men and let them alone for if this counsell or this worke be of men it will come to naught A notable lesson to bee learned of all malicious men and bloudy persecuters of the Gospell that would if it lay in them bury all remembrance of Christ and his Gospell they shall finde and feele the strength of him against whom they wrastle they shall see the folly of their owne waies and the madnesse of their owne workes and they shall in the end perceiue it to be as vnpossible and themselues as vnable to hinder the free passage of the Gospell as to bind the wind in their Fistes or to stop the Raine of Heauen from watering the earth Hence it is that the Prophet speaketh to like purpose to the Enemies of the Church o Esay 8 9. Gather together on heapes ô ye people and ye shall be broken in peeces and hearken all yee of farre Countries gird your selues and ye shall be broken in peeces gird your selues and ye shall shall bee broken in peeces Take counsell together yet it shall be brought to naught pronounce a decree yet it shall not stand for God is with vs. Vse 3. Thirdly seeing the Gospell cannot be stopped it it is the dutie of all of vs to pray for the free passage of it We haue a promise that God will spread abroade his sauing health and magnifie his great Name ouer all the Earth now it belongeth as a speciall duty to vs to pray vnto him to glorifie himselfe and to make his Name knowne among the Sonnes of Men. This charge doth the Apostle giue vnto the Thessalonians p 2 Thes 3 1 2 Furthermore Bretheren pray for vs that the word of the Lord may haue free passage and bee glorified euen as it is with you and that we may be deliuered from vnreasonable and euill Men for all men haue not Faith It is the duty of all the godly to pray for the enlarging of the Gospell whereby the Kingdome of God is also enlarged Let vs be mindfull daily of this duty desiring of the Lord this grace that the Gospell may be freely preached and cheerfully receiued q Math. 9 38. that he would send forth labourers into his Vineyard and maintaine them against rauening Wolues that seeke to deuour them that he would blesse their labours and remoue all stumbling blockes out of their way that hee would giue them courage and constancy in discharging their duty vtterly remoue al hirelings and false teachers out of his Vineyard It is God that must thrust forth Labourers into his Haruest It is he that fitteth them to the worke It is he that blesseth them in the worke Let vs not therefore be wanting to our selues but pray to the Lord of the Haruest to send out able worke-men to gather the Corne into his Garner The cause why we are not furnished with such Teachers and if we bee furnished yet the worke doth not prosper vnder their hands is because we doe not aske for a blessing from God from whom euery good guift proceedeth Vse 4. Lastly this serueth as a great comfort both to the Pastors and people For seeing the Gospell shall haue his course let the Ministers boldly go forward in the discharge of their dutie and teach the people committed to their charge Let vs not feare the faces of Men. The word which we preach is the word of God who is able to maintaine it and make it mighty in our mouthes to cast downe hils and holds that lift vp themselues against it He is able to danut and dash in peeces all those that set themselues against it The worke is the Lords the Worke-men are the Lordes the blessing and successe is the Lords and they that striue against it fight against the Lorde Let vs comfort our selues in these thinges against all the disgraces and reproaches of the World And concerning the Professors of this Gospell let this Minister comfort also vnto them that they builde not vpon the Sand or vppon a weake Foundation but their building standeth vpon a Rocke which shall neuer be remooued The Apostles comfort themselues and encourage one another r Acts 4 29. in the worke of the Ministery because they were assured that the word which they deliuered was no vaine word nor deceiueable Fable but the Gospell of Christ who chose them to the calling and sent them to the worke and strengthned them to stand and gaue them wisedome to conuince and confound all their Aduersaries Likewise Paule teacheth ſ Phil. 1 14. That many of the Brethren in the Lord were boldned through his bands to confesse and professe the truth of God We cannot fall except the word fall with vs nay except God fall with vs so long as wee stand fast in the Faith Wherefore howsoeuer others shrinke backe and make ship-wracke of a good conscience let vs hold out vnto the end and then wee shall be sure of eternall happinesse in the Heauens The occasion and argument of this Epistle Hitherto we haue handled the time when this Epistle was written and the place from whence it was written to wit when hee was in prison Now let vs consider the Argument thereof and the occasion whereof it was written The occasion of penning and writing this Epistle was double First generall for the instruction and direction of the whole Church in some necessary points of faith and obedience intreating most waightily and wisely of Iustice mercy mildnes meeknes moderation reconciliation Christian equity u Caluin vpon Philemon insomuch that he seems rather to respect the edification of the whole Church then to haue in hand the businesse of one poore and priuate man The speciall occasion was to intreat at Philemons hands to pardon his seruant that had offended him and to accept his subiection and submission vnto him This Phile. as it seemeth was a cittizen of Colosse x Hierom. in prolog Coloss Erasmus in hunc locum a citty scituate in Phrygia not far frō Laodicea whose seruant Onesimus committing either Theft in purloyning away his Maisters goods or some other great and grieuous crime as the manner of leud and euill Seruants is ran away from his M. as far as Rome being many hundred miles distant from Colosse where he supposed he should heare no more of him or if he did would not follow and pursue after him so far This Fugitiue and Runnagate Seruant false fingered and false hearted comming to Rome y Synop. Athana in hanc Epist was by the gratious prouidence of God brought where Paul the Apostle lay bound in prison and hearing him among others preaching the Gospel of Christ to Remission of sins to all
them and one with them nay we are ioyned with Christ and made one with him so that the deeper we sinke downe vnder the crosse the more we are likened to the son of God This is it which he teacheth his Disciples g Mat. 5 10 11. Blessed are they which suffer persecution for righteousnes sake for theirs is the kingdom of heauen blessed shal ye be when men reuile you and persecute you and say all manner of euill against you for my sake falsly See here a difference between the spirit of God all carnal men All men indeed desire to be happy and blessed in this life in the life to come and they are much deceiued in their iudgement and estimation of true happinesse How many are there that account happinesse to consist in honors pleasures preferments riches friends peace prosperity plenty abundance and worldly dignities and esteeme of troubles afflictions crosses shame persecutions losses as the greatest miseries that can befall the Sons of men But God accounteth otherwise of them and would haue his Saints that suffer for a good conscience to account otherwise of them then the world accounteth seeing the fruits of mens wickednesse are turned to be the meanes of our blessednesse The Apostle Peter teacheth the Church this Lesson h 1 Pet. 3 14. Who is it that will harme you if ye follow that which is good Notwithstanding blessed are ye if ye suffer for righteousnes sake yea feare not their feare neither be troubled Christ our Sauior teacheth that to such belongeth the kingdome of heauen though they be accounted vnworthy of the coÌ„pany of men yet they shal enioy the blessed society of Christ and his holy Angels though they be driuen out of house home yet they shall haue their habitation in the Heauens though they be taunted and tearmed by the most odious names among men yet they shall haue praise and honour of God and their names are written in the Booke of life Vse 3. Lastly we are put in mind by this doctrine of a necessary duty that we faint not vnder the crosse but go boldly forward with our profession vnto the end and reioyce in our afflictions If we did suffer as euill doers as murtherers and malefactors wee could haue no comfort in our sufferings Hence it is that the Apostle chargeth i 1 Pet. 4 15. 1 Pet. 3 17 18 That none of vs suffer as a Murtherer or as a Theefe or an euill Doer or as a Busie-body in other Mens matters But if a Man suffer as a Christian let him not bee ashamed but let him glorifie GOD in this behalfe Many men suffer shame and reproach but it is for their offences in such sufferings we want peace of conscience and comfort vnder the crosse If we suffer as drunkards as robbers as riotous persons we suffer for our merits and deserts we cannot reioyce and be glad when we suffer in this manner But it is better if the will of God bee so that we suffer for well doing then for euill doing for Christ also hath once suffered for sinnes the iust for the vniust that he might bring vs to God Wherefore if God at any time call vs out for the Gospels sake to suffer aduersity let vs heerein reioyce with an exceeding great ioy and neuer be ashamed of the Gospell which is the power of God to saluation vnto all that beleeue Many k Phil. 3 19. there are that glory in their own shame but some are ashamed of their glory We see how many make a mocke of sinne and foame out the froth and scumme of their owne shame they striue who shall exceede and excell one another in drinking in reuelling in whoring in all vanitie and are not ashamed nay they are past all shame It were as great a shame for vs to bee ashamed of our glory as it is for these to glory in their owne confusion and shame Now to endure affliction for the Faiths sake is our glory and honour and therefore let no man be ashamed of it As for those that are ashamed of the Crosse let them also bee ashamed of the Gospell yea of Christ which is the subiect and substaunce of the Gospell Our Sauiour declaring that this must be the condition of all the Seruants of God to be reuiled and persecuted saith l Math. 5 12. Reioyce and bee glad for great is your reward in Heauen for so persecuted they the Prophets which were before you And the Apostle Peter m 1 Pet. 4 13. willeth the Iewes to reioyce inasmuch as they are partakers of Christes sufferings that when his glory shall appeare they may be glad and reioyce For if it bee no shame or infamy to be persecuted and imprisoned for the truth of Religion and the testimonie of a good conscience what greater matter of reioycing can there be offered vnto vs in the midst of our sufferings What greater occasion of gladnesse and cheerefulnesse of heart can we haue seeing the goodnesse of the cause swalloweth vp the disgrace of the crosse and the glory of the Gospel ouer-shaddoweth all the shame of persecution This made the Apostles depart from the councell of the Pharisies n Acts 5 41. Reioycing that they were counted worthy to suffer for the Name of Christ and the preaching of the truth So the Hebrewes are commended o Heb. 10 33 34. Who being made a gazing-stocke by reproaches and afflictions and becomming Companions of them which were so tossed too and fro did suffer with ioy the spoiling of their goods knowing that they had in Heauen a better and an enduring substance Of Iesus Christ c. Before wee heard that Paule entituled himselfe a Prisoner Now let vs see whose Prisoner he was He was imprisoned by the authority of Caesar and the malice of the Iewes yet for the cause of Christ the preaching of the Gospell to the Gentiles The cause of his bands and imprisonment was not the committing of any hainous crime but the publishing of the glad tidings of saluation to the world In this sense that Paul is a prisoner for Christ that is for the confessing and preaching of Christ he cals himselfe oftentimes by this title as Eph. 3 1. For this cause I Paule am the Prisoner of Iesus Christ for you Gentiles These words are taken in this place passiuely not actiuely passiuely in that he suffered imprisonment for Christs cause and was cast into prison for the maintaining of the glory of â—hrist not actiuely as if Christ had put him in prison for in this sense he might be cald the Prisoner of Caesar to whom he had appealed that the enuy of the Pharisies and mallice of the Iewes might be repeaâ—ed and defeated Doct. 3. The persecutions of all true Christians are the persecutions of Christ The doctrine from hence is this that faithfull 〈◊〉 afflicted for the truth may account their tribulations afflictions to be the tribulations and persecutions
the truth It is the cause that maketh the crosses of Christians to be the Crosse of Christ The Apostle testifieth he was a Prisoner for Christ and the Gospell not for his owne sinnes and offences It is not our suffering barely and nakedly considered can honour vs with the reward of glory and the Crowne of Martyrdome g The cause maketh a Martyr not the punishment but the cause in which we dye and the quarrell in which we suffer True it is afflictions are common to the godly and vngodly they suffer alike they are imprisoned alike arraigned condemned and executed oftentimes alike but albeit the afflictions bee one and the same yet the cause is not one and the same for which they are afflicted The vngodly ate punished for their sinnes the godly are afflicted for a good conscience Abell is murthered of his Brother Caine is curssed and condemned to be a fugitiue vpon the earth both of them are afflicted but the cause is diuerse Abell is killed for his godlinesse Caine is punished for his wickednesse Ioseph is sold to Strangers and cast into prison so likewise are Pharaohs two Eunuches his Butler and his Baker they lye all in one prison but they had not one cause for he is committed through the slaunders and false accusations of his Mistresse they for their demerites and offences against their Maister Christ had his feete and his handes nayled on the Crosse so had the two Theeues they suffered al one punishment but how contrary were the causes of him and them seeing he suffered without cause but they iustly and worthily had the sentence of death executed vpon them Let vs not therefore onely fasten our eies and looke vpon the bare punnishment but consider what the cause is and according to the cause esteeme both of the person and of the punishment Some are prisoners h Math. 5 25. of men i 2 Tim. 2 26. others are Prisoners of the Deuill of whom they are holden captiue and both of them for their wickednesse but if we will be Martirs of Christ we must be the prisoners of Christ This serueth to reprooue the Church of Rome who glory in their Martyrs as sometimes the Donatists did and fill vp their Kalender with such as they haue canonized for Saints in Heauen which were no better then Traytors when they liued vpon the earth The Church of Rome which vaunteth her selfe to be the onely true Church of God and condemneth other honoureth diuers Saintes which neuer were in the World some that were Pagans others that were Iewes in Religion and refused Christ and others that were Heretiques and Traytors that neyther had Faith on Earth nor haue saluation in Heauen beeing Rebels to their Princes and enemies to their Countrey and disturbers of the State And therefore also it condemneth those who albeit they liue vnder the Gospell and shroud themselues vnder the branches of it as vnder a comfortable shaddow whereby they haue refreshed and enriched themselues yet they magnifie the Church of Rome and set vp the Faith professed therein they ballance it equall with the true Church of God among our selues and thereby seeke to shake in sunder the Faith of many These men cry out not onely that there are and haue been learned men on both sides but Saintes and holy men on both sides and true Martyrs on both sides and therefore would haue the people carryed about with vncertainety of Doctrine as with a waue of the Sea But we deny that any haue suffered among vs for the Roman Faith or haue beene led to execution for their Religion The truth is they haue but too much fauour shewed them and too great liberty giuen them Indeede such as haue beene found factious and forward to aduance forraigne power to adhere to forraigne enemies to stirre the people to rebell and take armes against the Prince to compasse the death and destruction of the Prince such as haue beene Authors of treacheries and conspiracies and beene conuinced to be trumpets of sedition by the deposition of witnesses by the forme of their tryall and by their owne confessions haue beene iustly executed among vs as by all men must needes be acknowledged In the Cittie of Rome all that will not take the Popes part or shall take him to be no Pope or refuse to ioyne with him if an Army should bee sent against him are adiudged to be no lawfull Subiects but disloyall Traytors No forraine Prince will repute them for his people and Subiects that shall deny to take his part against any forraine Vsurper or Inuador whatsoeuer So the Lawes of our Land haue seized vpon some who haue busied themselues in matters of State bringing ouer Buls declaring that the Prince was to bee deposed and the Subiects discharged of their alleagiance As for pointes of Faith they were neuer mentioned in the proceedings against them they were not called into question for their opinion concerning the Masse for transubstantiation for worshipping of Images or for any other point of the Romish Religion or rather superstition Therefore it is false that any haue dyed among vs as Martyrs or any otherwise then as Traytors The true k Who are true Martyrs and who not Church of God euer held them for Martyrs that dyed for the profession of the Faith and the testimony of Christ but such of the Popish faith and faction as haue beene executed among vs dyed for maintenance of the Popes pleasure and tyranny taking vpon him to depose Princes and seeking by open armes and secret Treasons to murther them True Martyrs suffered for the truth wrongfully and therefore deserued commendation according to the rule of the Apostle l 1 Pet. 2 19. It is thanke-worthy if a man for conscience toward God endure greefe suffering wrongfully but these suffer not in matter of wrong nor for a good conscience vnlesse the will of the Pope be the rule of their conscience True Martyrs must be endued with Charity m 1 Cor. 13 3. for as the Apostle teacheth If I giue my body to be burned and haue not loue it profiteth nothing but these haue not any shaddow of charity who plot the death of their Prince and seeke the destruction of their Countrey To conclude this point vnlesse Treason be Religion and falshood truth and vnlesse Antichrist be to bee receiued for Christ these men cannot be esteemed and honoured as Martyrs among vs who dyed not for Christ but for practising against the Doctrine of Christ which teacheth to be gentle patient humble and not any way to seeke reuenge Vse 4. Lastly from this Doctrine ariseth great comfort to the Seruants of God and as great terror to all their Enemies It is a great consolation for them that are afflicted for Christs sake to asswage their sorrow and a great meanes to worke in them patience to consider that Christ putteth all their teares in his Bottle and accounteth their afflictions to be his afflictions If we
but they blush not with brazen faces and Iron fore-heads to breake out into all prophanenesse Let these take heede y Math. 10 33 least Christ bee ashamed of them when he commeth into his kingdome If wee be ready to confesse him and to professe his truth he will acknowledge vs before his Father which is in Heauen Obiect 2. Some say it is a note of hypocrisie to performe these duties and condemne them as Hypocrites that teach their Families These are euill Seruants that out of their owne mouthes may bee iudged Let them pray to haue their stony hearts taken away and new hearts giuen vnto them z 1 Ioh. 3 20. For if their hollow and hypocriticall hearts doe condemne them God is greater then their harts and knoweth all thinges And let them take heede they sit not in iudgement vpon others least with the same measure that they mete it bee measured to them againe Let them iudge nothing before the time but reserue iudgement to the Iudge of the whole world Obiect 3. Others say it will let and hinder their Seruants worke wee must haue so much praying that we shall haue little working These men can alot and alow no time for the Lord but thinke euery houre lost that is not spent in businesse of the World and affaires of this life These are like to prophane Saule who when the Philistims pressed toward him and hee was to aske counsell of the Lord a 1 Sa. 14 19. Hee commaunded the Priest to with-draw his hand that is he saide vnto him the season serueth not to seeke vnto GOD wee cannot spend the time in calling vppon him let vs goe vnto the battell and fight against our Enemies These men are like to wretched Pharaoh when Moses called vppon him b Exod. 3 4. to let the people goe into the Wildernesse to serue and sacrifice to the Lord he is charged to make them idle and to cause them to surcease from their workes These men are like to couetous Iudas c Iohn 12 4. who when Mary annointed Christes feete complained of the wast and said Why was not this Oyntment solde for three hundred pence and giuen to the poore Wherefore our Sauiour answereth such in his reply to Martha who was much troubled and cumbred about much seruing d Luke 10 41 One thing is needfull Mary hath chosen the good part which shall not be taken away from her Nay to be instructed in true Religion and to set out a time for calling vpon the Name of God is so farre from hindring our Seruants worke that it shall further it and giue a blessing vnto it We are commaunded to meditate in the Law of the Lord day and night e Iosh 1 8. that so wee may make our way prosperous and haue good successe in the workes of our hands And the Prophet teacheth That except the Lord builde the House and watch the Citty the labour of the Builder and of the Watch-man is in vaine Obiect 4. Others say they shall bee mocked taunted and scorned by the World they shall be tearmed Precisians they shall be called Puritans But wee must not seeke to please men by running into the displeasure of God For oftentimes it falleth out through the iust iudgement of God that whilst we hunt after the pleasure and fauour of men against God wee haue the fauour neither of God nor Men. The Apostle saith of himselfe writing to the Galathians f Gal. 1 10. If I should yet please Men I were not the Seruant of Christ It was the lot of Christ it hath beene the portion of all true Christians to bee scourged by the viperous and venomous tongues of vngodlie men that care not for God nor regard any Religion We are faint Souldiers not worthy to beare the Name of Christ if wee fly out of the fielde for euerie idle word and taunt of the tongue cast out against vs. Wee must prepare our selues against greater encounters g Ephe. 6 11. and arme our selues against wordes and Swords we must buckle both with the Deuill and with Deuilish men hand to hand except we will yeild him both our bodies and Soules to our destruction Obiect 5. Some say they cannot bring the vnlearned to knowledge and that youth are stubborn they wil be youth still and we were once youths they should hardly keepe any Seruants if they should strictly tye them to this order nay they should fly the Parish rather then beare this yoake I aunswere first let vs remember that GOD giueth the knowledge of his Mysteries euen to the simple and lowly minded that feare him Secondly consider that young men are commanded h Eccle. 12 1. to remember their Creator in the daies of their youth and shall giue an account of all thinges vnto God As for their stubbornnesse the word of God is the best remedy to bend them and make them pliable vnto all goodnesse so that the Prophet saith i Psal 119 9. Wherewith shall a young Man redresse his way In taking heede thereto according to thy word But if they bee so stiffely and stubbornely minded that they will not be reclaimed and reformed their roome is better then their company If admonitions will not winne them they are to bee auoyded thy house is better without them then with them Neither are we to feare their flying away and departing to another place for if this course of instruction were taken in hand euery where the Obiection were answered and their mouths stopped For whether would they goe to escape this training vp in the principles of Religion It is certaine they could turne themselues no whither but it would meete with them in all places Obiect 6. Others obiect our Fathers did well enough without obseruing any such order I trow you will not condemne them Why should wee make ourselues wiser then they They troubled not themselues or their Children with learning of Catechismes and wee see men doe well enough prosper in the World yet busie not their heads about this I answere if they meane those forefathers and Ancestors whose steps we should follow as Adam Abraham Isaac Iacob Iosua Dauid and diuers others which were indeede our Fathers then we may bee assured out of the word of truth that these busied and bestirred themselues this way they taught their Children they instructed their families they reformed disorders they remooued the disordered If they meane our forefathers that liued in latter times when darkenesse couered the earth no maruell if they were not vrged thereunto themselues or that they vrged not others for then they liued at the dyet of the Prelats and nothing pleased the Prelats better then the ignorance of the people k Math. 15 14 they were the blinde Leaders of the blinde they could neither enter into the Kingdome of heauen themselues nor suffer those that would enter Notwithstanding we will not meddle with condemning our forefathers neither will
we iustifie them both these belong vnto God and therefore are not to be vsurped by any man We must iudge the best of them according to the rule of Charity l 1 Cor. 13 7. Which hopeth all thinges and beleeueth all thinges We know God reserued to himselfe m 1 King 19 18. 7000. in Israell in the daies of Ahab that neuer bowed the knee to Baall and he hath a few n Reuel 3 4. names yet in Sardis which haue not defiled their garments which shall walke with him in white for they are worthy We may say with the Apostle of them o Acts 17 30. The time of this ignorance God regardeth not but now he admonisheth all men euery where to repent We are not therefore to looke what they haue done but consider what by the word they should haue done and what by the same wee ought to doe And touching the thriuing and prospering of them that neglect this duty this is an Obiection fitter for Atheists then Christians to vse Christ hath taught vs that this is no rule to measure good or euill he sheweth p Math. 5 45. That the Father maketh his Sunne to shine and his raine to fall vpon the iust and vniust vpon the godly and the vngodly The Wiseman hath taught that by outward thinges we cannot q Eccle. 9 1 2 vnderstand whether we be loued or hated of God We see the wicked for the most part prosper more in the World in worldly things then the godly as we read Psal 73. 3 4 5. and Iob 21. 8. 9. Obiect 7. Lastly it is obiected that some which haue beene diligently and duely taught doe yet liue as leudly and prophanely as they that neuer knew any thing of God I answere it may be this is thy wrong and rash iudgement The world speaketh euill of those that will not follow them into all excesse of ryot But let vs grant it to be so yet heerein they play the wrangling Sophisters and Cauillers alleadging a false cause for a true For I am sure this course of learning is not the cause of the loosenesse of their liuing If grace had beene in their hearts it would bee a meanes to make them beleeue and liue better He that knoweth his Maisters will is more likely to performe it then he that knoweth it not nor careth for the knowing of it He that hath his eye-sight is more likely to walke without stumbling and falling then he that is blinde so he that is instructed in the waies of godlinesse hath better meanes to walke in the feare of God then hee that is ignorant and knoweth nothing True it is some that know their Maisters will doe it not some that haue their eyes open fall downe now and then yet none can be so voide of reason to conclude from hence that it is not necessary to know his will or to open our eyes Thus much for the remouing of the obiections and the scattering of those Mists and Clouds that stood before vs. Vse 1. Now let vs come to the Vses of this Doctrine First seeing it belongeth to the Maisters and Gouernours of Families to instruct them in godlinesse we gather that it is not enough for them to prouide for the bodies of such as are vnder them and belong vnto them in this life but they must care most especially for their soules and bodies in the life to come They then are greatly deceiued who when they haue giuen them meate and Money thinke themselues sufficiently discharged If we onely feede them and fill them to the full what doe we more to them then to our brute Beasts If we onely cloath them and pay them their wages r Math. 5 20. what doe wee more to them then the Turkes and Infidels that feare not God that know not God doe performe to their Children and Seruants If we thinke our selues discharged by prouiding for them and leauing vnto them a temporall patrimony and possession and neuer regard to make them heires and Inheritors of the Kingdome of Heauen what do we more then the Iewes or Gentiles that are ignorant of Christ and his Gospell What should it auaile vs or them to leaue them rich in the World and poore in God To lay vp for them treasures on earth and to neglect the treasures of Heauen which are the true and enduring substance True it is Fathers and Mothers are bound concerning this bodily life to make honest prouision for the sustenance of their Children and therefore all vnthrifty Dicers and Drunkards which wast and wash away their goods whose Children may well bee accounted fatherlesse and their Wiues as Widdowes haue no Å¿ 1 Tim. 5 8. spark or portion of naturall Fathers in them neuerthelesse they are charged not onelie to bring them vp in the World but to prepare them for the World to come It is a vaine and foolish imagination to dreame that wee haue done our part or discharged a Fathers and a Mothers duty when we haue nourished appartelled and brought vp our Children whereas wee haue a farre greater account to make before God for their soules They are also greatly deceiued who if they send them to the Church on the Sabbaoth day and bring them to the place of Gods worship they thinke they haue answered the charge required of them These men post ouer all their dutie to the Minister and lay the burthen to ease themselues vpon his shoulders They care not they spare not to lay load vpon anothers backe that they may not beare it or touch it with their little finger But God cannot thus be mocked or deluded or defrauded who commaunded that themselues should rehearse his Lawes and Commaundements to their Children and Housholds Indeed it is a commendable duty to see that they serue God and to accompany them vnto the house of God but this is onelie halfe if halfe our dutie or rather to do our dutie to halues we must both prouide that they may bee taught and also teach them our selues when the Minister hath planted wee must water when he hath preached wee must see how they profit and by all meanes assist him in the worke of the Lord. They are also greatly deceiued who take themselues to be discharged of their duty when they haue taught them to say the ten Commaundements the Lords Prayer and the Creede or the Articles of Faith because they say they haue done what they can and are able to performe no more If they can doe no more it is a shame for them that they will be Fathers before they can doe that which is the duty of fathers It is one thing to teach them to say them another to vnderstand them It is not enough for vs to helpe them to speake the wordes vnlesse wee labour to make them conceiue the meaning of the wordes The Commaundements of the Law and the petitions of the Lords Prayer stand not in the bare wordes but in the true meaning
their negligence as Eli did of the offences of his Children Hence it is that in the fourth Commaundement prescribing the time of Gods publike worship g Exod. 20 10 the Housholder is charged to haue care of his Son of his Daughter of his Seruant of his Stranger Iacob called for his people and assembled them together h Gene. 35 2. when he went to Bethell Dauid went with a great traine and company into the house as those that goe to a Feast when he saith i Psal 42 4. When I remembred these thinges I powred out my very heart because I had gone with the multitude and led them into the house of God with the voice of singing and praise as a multitude that keepeth a Feast Behold heere the godly deuotion of a religious heart as the Hart brayeth for the Riuers of Waters so his soule panted after God and his publike worship neither could he content himselfe to goe alone but it was his comfort and delight to leade others as it were by the hand with him that they might finde that sweetenesse in the word that hee found and be partakers of the benefit that hee reaped thereby Vse 5. Lastly seeing it is so necessary a duty to teach our Housholds we must acknowledge that it is as necessary for Children and Seruants to bee taught and instructed It should be therefore our care and desire to dwell and inhabite in such places and houses as that we may be trained vp in godlinesse and learn our duties to God and man It should bee our care and desire to place and bestow our Children with such persons as that they may be brought vp in the feare of God There is not one of those in our Families euen the lowest and meanest but of meate drinke cloathing or wages bee at any times denyed or detained from them they will thinke themselues wronged and misused and are ready to complaine of the iniury How much more if there were in them any care of their Soules or loue of the life to come would they mourn and lament when they are debarred and defrauded of this most necessary portion the knowledge of true Religion appointed by the Lord to be bestowed vpon them If a man be to take any Farme he will not doe it hand ouer head but he will know what Acres hee shall haue what arable ground what Meddow and what meanes of his maintenance but how many are there that seek to others for their seruice who neuer consider what instruction they shal haue or whether they be likely euer to hear of the Name of God There is no Man so simple in wit but if he put his Sonne to bee an Apprentize and his Maister within his yeares doe not teach him his occupation hee will and may iustlie thinke his Childe much misvsed what a wonderfull blindnesse and blockishnesse then doth it argue in them that care not where they put and with whom they place their Children so they learne their occupation they regard not whether they learne any Religion and neuer enquire whether their Maisters take any pains or not to teach them the precepts and instructions that belong to a Christian which of all callings vnder heauens is both the most honourable and in the end shall be acknowledged to bee most profitable Let vs therefore put out our Children to bee the Seruants of those that may learne them to be the Seruants of God Let vs so binde them to their Trade that we may be sure they may learne the Trade of Trades the Art of Arts the Mysterie of Mysteries that is Religion and Godlinesse If wee haue little to leaue our Children and small wealth to bequeath vnto them yet if we bring them vp to this Trade and binde them fast vnto it we shall leaue them a worthy and wealthy portion for all men must bee of this Trade We see how costly other Trades are and what a round summe must be giuen with our children to serue for them but we may k Esay 55 1 2. without cost and without Mony make our Children of this Trade which is the best and most gainefull of all others l 1 Tim. 6 6. For godlinesse saith the Apostle is not onely gaine but great gaine if a man bee contented with that he hath If thou haue not learned this gainefull and profitable Trade thou wilt be neuer but a Begger and a Bankerout for being destitute of this thou art without Grace without God without Heauen Thus much of this doctrine 3 Grace be with you and peace from God our Father and from the Lord Iesus Christ The order of the words and the interpretation of the same Hitherto wee haue spoken of the first part of the Praeface of this Epistle touching the persons writing and written vnto Now we come to the second part to wit the prayers which he maketh which are of two sortes a salutation and a thanksgiuing the salutation is a greeting which the Apostle wisheth to all the persons before named wherein we are to consider two pointes first what blessings the Apostle desireth to be giuen vnto them Secondlie from whom he craueth them The blessings which he prayeth for are two namely Grace and Peace By Grace we must vnderstand the free fauour meer mercy and good will of God towards vs whereby he hath eternally vndeseruedly loued vs in Christ who are a people by nature not beloued but deseruing to be disgraced by him and hated of him The second blessing that he beggeth for them is peace whereby is meant all kind of benefits spirituall and temporall which flow vnto vs from this Fountaine and grow out of the root of grace and therefore ordinarily in other Epistles it is annexed vnto it Grace heere mnntioned is not any gift in vs but it is Gods and in God it is his gratious fauour free loue and good will whereby he is well pleased with his elect in and for Christ Peace is not any guift in God but in vs and is that holy vnity and blessed concord which is in the Kingdome of God among Gods Children this concord and agreement of Gods Children is a fruit and effect of grace Paraphr So then the meaning of the words is this We wish vnto you all the fauour of God in Christ and that concord which is propper to Gods Church and Children hauing peace with God with his holy Angels with his Church with your owne hearts with your enemies and with al his Creatures Secondly in this verse is set downe the cause the worker and author from whom these blessings come to wit the Father and Iesus Christ God the Father the Fountaine of them and Christ our Lord as the Cunduit pipe by whom they are carried and conueied vnto vs. Obiect But it may be obiected why is the holy Ghost left out why is not he named do not these guifts come from him as well as from the Father and the Son
wealth a good name fauour friendship or other gifts of the Spirit wee must begin at the roote that is intreat first for the grace of God take hold of his free loue and aboue all thinges beg his fatherlie fauour to compasse vs as with a garment and to defend vs as with a shielde It is in vaine to aske any thing it is in vaine to hope for and to expect any blessing as a blessing before this be asked and obtained This order is to be obserued if wee would enioy and possesse Gods blessinges When the grace of God commeth and maketh vs accepted it commeth not alone but commeth accompanied and bringeth a traine of all other blessings with it Hee that will seeke a benefite from a Prince must first seeke to bee gratious with the Prince and get his fauor he must neuer look to be respected and regarded in his suit that is out of the Princes fauour so if wee would haue wealth welfare ease honour peace prosperity or any other guifts we must before all things labour to bee gratious with the great God of Heauen and seeke to be accepted in his beloued This serueth to reprooue the preposterous course of carnall Men h Horac epistol lib. 1. Epist 1. who set the Cart before the Horse and place the Boby before the Soule and aduance the Earth aboue the Heauen and so ouerthrow the whole order of Nature labouring first for wealth and afterward for vertue first for Riches afterward for Religion first to bee great in the World afterward to bee gratious with God These men seeke from day to day and from yeare to yeare for earthly profites and vanishing pleasures but neuer thinke on the root of all blessings the grace of God This corruption is reproued by Christ who prescribeth vnto vs a better way when he saith i Math. 6 33. Seeke ye first the Kingdome of God and his righteousnesse and all these things shall be ministred vnto you If the things of this world be the first in our thoughts the cheefest in our desires the greatest in our estimation and the best in our imagination we haue our reward wee must looke for no other reward at the hands of God Vse 4. Lastly when we haue found our hearts perswaded and our Soules possessed of this grace of God let vs delight in it let vs rest vpon it let it bee made our stay and comfort in all times and vpon all occasions Let vs remember to be more thankfull to God for it and more ioyfull in it k Esay 9 3. then those that reioyce in Haruest or such as finde great spoiles and rich booties If thou shouldst finde Mines of Siluer and Gold and Mountaines of Pearles and precious Stones they could not giue such comfort and contentment vnto thy Soule as this grace of God is able to doe which is a Iewell of Iewels Blessed is the man that findeth this Treasure and getteth it into his heart for the l Pro. 3 14 15 Marchandize thereof is better then the Marchandize of Siluer and the gaine thereof is better then Gold it is more precious then Pearles and all thinges that thou canst desire are not to bee compared vnto it For these treasures of the earth which worldly men haue in so great price and estimation are bought at a deere rate of the owners but the Lord offereth and giueth his grace frankly and freely vnto vs which neede the same as we read in the prophesie m Esay 55 5 1 Iames 1 2. of Esay and in the Epistle of Iames. Secondly the Marchandize of these Pearles may be stolne from vs we cannot so safely and closely lay them vp but time will consume them rust will rot them and Theeues will steale them n Math. 6 19 as our Sauiour teacheth in the Gospell But the grace of God shall neuer dye or decay but is euer flourishing and euerlasting Lastly the gain of Siluer Gold if we could possesse it in the greatest measure is but to maintaine the body and to prouide for this present life for a season but the gaining of grace and the fauour of God is an entituling of vs to the Kingdome of heauen and to eternall life which he that hath this grace of God in his heart shall possesse for euer Indeed few men do beleeue this because they make more reckoning of thinges earthly then heauenly but all men shall finde it to be true in the end This treasure the poore may haue as well as the rich In all tentations this will stand by vs and raise vs vp when we are cast downe and strengthen vs when we are weake This grace whereby wee are freely beloued will goe with vs abroad will stay with vs at home will lye downe with vs in bed will sit with vs at Table will direct vs in prosperity will sticke to vs in trouble will comfort vs in sicknesse will solace vs in death and will accompany vs to heauen To desire this is the best couetousnesse and that which onely hath alowance and approbation from God o 1 Cor. 14 1 and therefore the Apostle chargeth vs to couet spirituall thinges All these thinges teach vs to rest and rely vpon the grace of God as vppon the onely comfort of our Soules and the very life of our liues according to the practise of the Prophet Psal 4. after he had desired of God to lift vp his louing countenance vpon him he addeth p Psal 4 8. I will lay mee downe and also sleepe in peace for thou Lord onely makest me dwell in safety And peace c. Hitherto we haue spoken of the first blessing which the Apostle craueth for them to wit the grace of God which is the grace of graces Now followeth the second which is peace which is a notable fruit growing vpon the blessed tree of grace This signifieth the quiet concord and vnity which the faithfull are made partakers of beeing once ingrafted into Christ and brought into the bosome of the Church They find peace and are at an agreement which hath many branches and standeth of many parts euery one whereof is a most worthy blessing First q Rom. 5 1. wee are at peace with God when we are reconciled vnto God in Christ so that he hath no quarrell or controuersie against vs. Rom. 5. 1. Secondlie wee are at peace with the elect Angels r Psal 91 11. which pitch their Tents round about vs and are set to guard vs least we dash our foot against a Stone Thirdly we are at peace with our selues when our consciences enioy quietnesse and tranquility not accusing or condemning but excusing and cleering vs being washed in the blood of Christ Å¿ Phil. 4 7. This is that peace of God which passeth all vnderstanding Fourthly wee are at peace with Gods Children t Esay 11 6. foretold by the Prophet that the wilde Beasts and tame should dwell together the cruell and the gentle should
their confusion If any thing may be accounted theirs it is t Dan. 12 2. Math. 13 42. destruction of their Soules confusion of their faces contempt of their persons horrour of their consciences the company of the Deuils the tormenting of their bodies the feeling of Gods wrath and the separation from his presence and glory all these shall indeede be theirs and wholly theirs and onely theirs and alway theirs when their secret sinnes and wickednesse shall bee reueiled Then they shall call to the Hils to couer them and try to the Mountaines to keepe them from the sight of God from the seat of his iudgement and from the fiercenesse of his wrath and indignation And as the Apostle teacheth concerning the godly as we shewed before that all things worke for the best to them so we may truely teach on the contrary that to those which loue not the Lord nor the Lord them all thinges turne to their destruction and further their condemnation the Word the Sacraments and all other exercises of Religion u Deut. 32 15 and 2â— 4. as we see in the Israelites and in Iudas whom no instructions could conuert no miracles could mooue no meanes could profit or bring to repentance If a man had any suit in some Princes Court to make or a supplication to put vp and there should finde the Prince the Peeres the Nobles the Commons and all men set against him to crosse him and contradict him to resist and gaine-say him his case would be iudged of all men to bee most miserable but thus the case standeth with all euill and vngodly men that stand in neede of God and of good men and of all Gods Creatures yet shall haue no releefe or refreshing from them God will deny them Christ wil not know them the Spirit will not comfort them the Angels will not guard them the Prayers of the Church will not help them the Gospell shall not pardon them the Sacraments shall not strengthen them the Beasts shall not spare them the Creatures shall not sustaine them And if they shall peraduenture finde any comfort or consolation in them yet what would that auaile them when their owne conscience within their owne breasts should arraigne them as a Malefactor conuince them as a witnesse condemne them as a Iudge and torment them as an Executioner This we see in the example of Caine when hee had made a breach and wound in his conscience he could rest no where he could abide in no place he stood in feare of euery Creature he cryed out x Ge. 4 13 14 My punishment is greater then I can beare Behold thou hast cast me out of this day from the Earth and from thy face shall I be hid and shall be a Vagabond and a Runnagate in the Earth and whosoeuer findeth me shall slay me In this State and condition doe all the Reprobate and vnregenerate stand they shall finde no peace in any Creature in Heauen and Earth and their owne conscience as a thousand witnesses shall torture and torment them And if any time they seeme to haue peace and to finde rest their peace is a false and deceitfull peace They laugh sometimes but it is from the teeth outward and in mirth the heart is heauy They haue riches but they are as Vsurpers and as Theeues haue them who shall come to be arraigned and condemned for them Their outward estate seemeth happy but it is most slippery and vncertaine when they say peace peace then commeth sudden destruction as the paine vpon a Woman in trauaile But the righteous howsoeuer they seeme many times miserable in trouble and destitute of all good thinges do indeede want nothing which God seeth to be for his glory and their good they haue that true peace which our Sauiour promiseth to leaue with them and to bestow vpon them y Iohn 14 27. Peace I leaue with you my peace I giue vnto you not as the world giueth giue I vnto you let not your hart be troubled nor feare Marke then the difference betweene the godly and the vngodly the condition of the godly is in shew miserable but indeede most blessed z 2 Cor. 6 9. They are as vnknowne and yet knowne as dying behold they liue as chastned and yet not killed as sorrowing and yet alway reioycing as poore and yet making many rich as hauing nothing and yet possessing all thinges On the other side the condition of the wicked is in shew blessed and happy but indeede and in truth most wretched lamentable and miserable Their laughter is madnesse their peace is vnquietnesse their ioy is sorrow of heart and the end thereof is heauinesse To this purpose the Wise-man saith a Pro. 14 12 15. There is away that seemeth right to a man but the issues thereof are the waies of death So then howsoeuer the vngodly eate and drinke sing and daunce iest and talke of vaine thinges howsoeuer they labour to auoid greefe and put away the euill day farre from them howsoeuer they passe away the time merily and liue as if they had made a Couenant with death yet they cannot be in quiet and rest for they haue an Hang-man and Tormentor within them from whose hands they cannot be deliuered to wit their conscience which doth checke them and terrifie them before the iudgement seat of God although they striue to make themselues beleeue that there is neither God not Deuill neither heauen nor hell neither saluation nor damnation Thvs much of the blessings craued in this saluation From God our Father and from the Lord Iesus Christ Now we come to consider from whence these guifts come and who is the Author of them to wit from God the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost So then these graces heere intreated are craued and wished from the blessed Trinity distinguished into three persons Doctrine 3. All blessings are to be craued from God alone in christ Iesus Wee learne from hence that all good things of what sort soeuer either for obtaining blessings or auoiding iudgements are to be intreated and requested from God All thinges temporall and eternall are to be asked and begged from that one God which is reueiled vnto vs by the Scripture in the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost When Isaac purposed and prepared a Gen. 27 28. to blesse his Sonne Iacob and to pronounce what blessings should come vpon him and his posterity hee said God giue thee of the Dew of Heauen and of the fatnesse of the Earth and of the plenty of Wheat and Wine God gaue this forme to Aaron and his Sonnes of blessing the Children of Israell b Num. 6 24 25. The Lord blesse thee and keepe thee the Lord make his face shine vpon thee and be mercifull vnto thee the Lord lift vp his countenance vpon thee and giue thee peace The Booke of the Psalmes doth plentifully offer this truth vnto vs in the practise of Dauid and other the deare
contrary to the Doctrine deliuered by himselfe contrary to the rest of the holy Scriptures and contrary to the Articles of our Faith Contrarie to himselfe because he teacheth i Rom. 10 13 14. that we cannot call vpon any whom we do not know out of Gods word and beleeue to be both able and willing to help vs saying Whosoeuer shall call on the Name of the Lord shall be saued how then shall they call on him on whom they haue not beleeued Where he reasoneth thus that we must beleeue onely in God and therefore pray onely to God Hee should be contrary to other Scriptures because we are k Heb. 4 16. taught by them To come with boldnesse to the Throne of Grace therefore the inuocation of Saints is vaine and needlesse seeing we haue a free accesse and bold approching vnto God through Christ againe they are l Ier. 17 5. Curssed that trust in man and make flesh their Arme and so with-draw their heart from the Lord. Christ calleth vs vnto himselfe and commaunded m Iohn 16 20 vs to aske the Father in his Name for the Father himselfe loueth vs. He should be contrary to the Articles of Faith wherein we are taught to beleeue onely in God the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost Againe such as are not obstinately blinded and peruersely disposed may easily distinguish the Apostles words and see that he referreth not Faith both to Christ and the Saints but Faith to Iesus Christ and loue to the Saints For after that he had commended Philemon for two chiefe guifts of God Faith and Loue in both which consist the perfection of a Christian man he assigneth to eyther of them their propper subiect namely that Faith is in our Lord Iesus Christ and Charity is toward all the Saints which distinction and diuerse Relation may appeare by the Latine Interpretour and by their owne Rhemish Translation altering the preposition and reading it thus n In Iesu Christo in omnes Sanctos Loue and Faith in Iesus Christ and toward all the Saints Thirdly the Apostle else-where hauing occasion to mention these two graces of God he doth describe them distinctly by their seuerall obiectes and expresly referreth Faith to Christ and loue to the Saints o Ephe. 1 15. Col. 1 3 4. as writing to the Ephesians he saith Therefore also after that I hear of the Faith which ye haue in the Lord Iesus and loue toward all the Saints I cease not to giue thankes for you making mention of you in my prayers So in the Epistle to the Colossians We giue thankes to God euen the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ alway praying for you since we heard of your faith in Christ Iesus and of your loue toward all Saints Compare these two places with the words of Paule in this place and wee shall see they serue as a Key to open this and doe vtter that plainely which here is spoken more darkely Thus we see by the way that the Scripture is the best Expositer and Interpretour of the Scripture p August lib. 2 de doctr Christ cap. 6. and that which is spoken obscurely in one Book is made euident and manifest in another Fourthly it were not hard to produce and alledge sundry authorities and testimonies of elder times thus distinguish the words as we doe and auouching that no Faith and confidence is to be put in any of the Saints q Theodoret Ambrose Theophylact as if the Apostle had saide I know how great Faith thou hast reposed in our Lord which hath saued vs and with how great Charity thou hast releeued them that are the Seruants of God and esteeme godlines Lastly Faith in the Saints cannot bee prooued and inuocation of them established and grounded from hence because the Apostle speaketh of the Saints liuing not departed in the Church Militant not Triumphant the Saints on Earth not in Heauen For the Saints on Earth want our help and craue our releefe to be extended toward them but they that are in glory and haue receiued their Crowne doe not stand in neede of our comfort and refreshing and therefore this is a weake foundation to builde the Popish Faith and beleefe in Saints that are dead and departed out of this life seeing the Apostle vnderstandeth it of one sort and they take it and stretch it to another The third question answered The third question is this why the Apostle restraineth Philemons loue to the Saints whereas loue is a common debt that we owe to all men as the Apostle saith r Rom. 13 8. Owe nothing to any Man but to loue one another for hee that loueth another hath fulfilled the Law Seeing therefore loue should not be restrained to the Saints as though we ought to shut vp our bowels of pitty and compassion from others and seeing we are not to despise our owne flesh but honour the Image of God engrauen in our Nature how is it that his loue which ought to comprehend all mankind and enlarge it selfe to all others is onelie mentioned to haue beene toward the distressed Saints and Members of the Church The reason is they which are of the Houshold of Faith are tyed to vs by a stronger and straighter band of friendship and familiarity and God commendeth them vnto vs more particularlie and so they ought to challenge the first place in declaring the fruits of our loue The Apostle doth direct vs to this point when he saith Å¿ Gal. 6 10. While we haue time let vs doe good vnto al men but especially to them which are of the Houshold of Faith We are charged to loue all but we must loue the Saints with a peculiar and speciall loue euen as heires with Christ and Members of the same body with vs. God requireth of vs to loue al men as his Creatures but the godly as his Children Though therefore our loue should be common and extend it selfe farre and neere into all the world yet there should bee certaine degrees and an order in our loue should be obserued We are commaunded to loue all but we are not commaunded to loue all alike We are bound to loue the godly and vngodlie but we are not bound to loue the vngodly as the godly the Reprobates as the elect the Vessels of wrath as the Vessels of honour the Children of Belial as the Children of God We are therefore heere directed whom we are most neerely and deerly to loue euen those that haue Christ dwelling in their harts and grace shining in their faces Contrary to the practise of worldly Men who onely loue such as are of this World their loue is like themselues prophane men a prophane loue carnall men a carnall loue they loue euill men for their euill because they partake with them in euill they hate the godly for their godlinesse because they are vnlike them and will not runne with them into all excesse of ryot t Psal 38
shall not neede to climbe vp to Heauen to know it God hath left vs a better a more easie certain way then to search into the secrets of God that he hath kept to himselfe if we enter into our selues and see the effects and signes of it wee shall not doubt thereof but rest assured with vnspeakable comfort that we belong to him For as the Lord knoweth who are his so we shall know that wee are the Lords if wee finde the fruites of election grauen in our hearts among the which this is one of the principall our vnfaigned loue to the Brethren the forgiuing of our enemies our delight in the Saints our dooing good to them that are of the houshold of Faith Reason 2. Secondly such poore as be faithfull belong vnto Christ and what comfort soeuer is ministred what releefe soeuer is shewed to them is ministred and shewd to Christ as christ himself witnesseth with his own mouth who is truth it selfe that they should the more readily embrace it as the truth For hee telleth vs that it shall be said to vs in the last day that haue helped the Saints and refreshed their bowels g Math. 25 40 Verily I say vnto you inasmuch as yee haue done it vnto one of the least of these my Brethren ye haue done it to me This is a notable motiue and encouragement to moue vs to this dutie to consider that our loue is shewed not to men vpon the earth but to Christ sitting in heauen at the right hande of his Father Heereunto commeth the wise saying of Salomon h Prou. 19 17. He that hath mercie vpon the poore lendeth vnto the Lord and the Lord will recompence him that which he hath giuen Yea he is so rich a rewarder and a bountifull recompencer of that which is done to those of his houshold i Math. 10 42 that if a cup of cold water be giuen to a Disciple in the name of a Disciple to a righteous man in the name of a righteous man he shall not loose his reward When one lendeth to an honest man that standeth vpon his credite hee seareth no losse he knoweth he will performe what hee hath promised and accounteth his word as good as a band and Obligation how much more ought we to be assured of right good payment when wee haue done any good thing vnto the poore forasmuch as we haue not done it to man but vnto God He hath giuen his word to see vs paid will we not take his word he offreth to enter into bands to be bound in a statute is not statute-law good with vs Albeit he be indebted to none but all in debt to him yet hee offereth himselfe as a pledge and becommeth surety for the money who is so good a pay-maister that he wil not onely restore the principall but pay the hire and profite to him that hath lent it both in this life and abundantly in the life to come Reason 3. Thirdly we are bound to follow the example of our heauenly father to loue as he loueth to loue most where hee loueth most of all and least where hee loueth least of all Now he loueth all his creatures which are the works of his hands k Gen. 1 31. Hee saw them all when they were made and loe they were all exceeding good but he especially loueth mankinde Whom l Gen. 1 26. hee created in his owne Image according to his likenesse and yet most especially he loueth the faithfull vppon whom hee bestoweth the riches of his loue and hideth not the secrets of his kingdome from them yea hee hath giuen them his owne sonne to bee their Wisedome Iustification Sanctification and Redemption vnto them howe should he not with him giue them al things else This the Apostle teacheth m 1 Tim. 4 10 warning vs to Trust in the liuing God which is the Sauiour of al men especially of those that beleeue Heere is a patterne and president for vs to follow that wee may be like our Heauenly Father we must loue all mankinde but wee must most entirely and dearly respect the godly we must loue al the poore but the poore that are faithfull we must loue most of all If we must bestowe labour vppon barren ground we must not leaue the fruitfull vntilled and if wee must cast our Bread vppon the Waters where it may seeme to bee lost wee must not denie it to the liuing members of Christs bodie which are our Brethren Reason 4. Fourthly wee cannot by our well-dooing benefite God at all our goodnesse can doo him no good our loue cannot profit or pleasure him For as our wickednesse can do him no harme so our kindnesse can procure him no good This hee sayth and thus hee speaketh in the Prophet n Psal 50 9 10 11 12. I will take no Bullocke out of thine house nor Goates out of thy Foldes for all the Beastes of the Forrest are mine and the Beastes on a thousand Mountaines I knowe all the Beasts on the Mountaines and the Wilde Beastes of the fielde are mine If I bee hungrie I will not tell thee for the World is mine and all that therein is Wee receiue all good from him wee can returne nothing backe to him againe to doo him good This is the reason which the Prophet Dauid teacheth which mooued him to ioyne himselfe vnto the people of God and to profit them because hee saw he could not pleasure God his well-doing could not extend to him Seeing therefore the dutie of loue shewed to the Bretheren are seales of our election and are accepted as done to Christ himselfe seeing we must follow the example of our heauenly Father and that we cannot by al our goods helpe him it followeth that we must begin our works of mercie at the faithfull cast a pittiful eie open a liberal hand especially toward thē Vse 1. Let vs now come to the Vses of this doctrine First this teacheth that there ought to be among all the faithfull a communion of Saints they are as a family or houshold among themselues They haue a neere fellowship they are neer brethren they are fellow members of one body they are knit togither by one spirit they are called vnder one hope they are made Christs by one faith they are made one by one baptisme they haue one bread to feede vpon they haue one cup to drinke of they haue one table to meet at they haue one God that they worship they haue one saluation that they aime at This the Apostle expresseth at large Ephe. 4. Support one another through loue o Ephe. 4 2 3. endeuouring to keep the vnity of the spirit in the bond of peace There is one bodie and one spirit euen as ye are called in one hope of your vocation There is one Lorde one Faith one Baptisme one God and Father of all which is aboue all and through all and in you all We are
chalenge the name of Saints Reason 2. Secondly the seruants of God must be Saintes to the end there may be a conformity and likenesse vnto him that hath had mercy vpon vs. It is requisite that there should be a resemblance betweene God and his people God is holy it is one of his names he is called the holy one Christ is holy and he is called the holy one of God Seeing therefore God is holy that hath called vs it followeth that holinesse belongeth vnto vs. The sonne beareth the Image of his father and thereby is easily knowne whose sonne he is If we be the sonnes of God we must expresse his Image in holines and true righteousnes This is it which Moses declareth and repeateth Leuit. 11. i Leuit 11. 44. I am the Lord your God be sanctified therefore and be holy for I am holy and defile not your selues with any creeping thing that creepeth vpon the earth Heereunto accordeth the saying of the Apostle Peter k 1 Pet 1. 14. 15. As obedient Children fashion not your selues vnto the former lustes of your ignorance but as he which hath called you is holy so be ye holy in all manner of conuersation because it is written be ye holy for I am holy If then he that is the God of all the Saintes be holy if it be one of his essentiall attributes so that he can no more cease to be holy then he can cease to be God the Saintes themselues must be Saintes not onely in name but in deed they must be transformd into a likenes of him they must shew the fruites of holines and be partakers of the diuine nature in that they flee the corruption which is in the world through lust Reason 3. Thirdly the faithfull are called by the name of Saintes that there might be a difference betweene that which we haue of our selues and that which wee receiue from God betweene the old man and the new man betweene our first birth and our second birth betweene nature and grace No man is a Saint by nature we haue not holines from our selues but we are strangers to it and that is a stranger to vs nay we are enemies to holines who loue nothing else but prophanenesse and desire to be any thing else then to be Saintes and holy The Apostle putting vs in mind of our first birth that we might so much the more magnify the grace of God which is marueilous and glorious in his Saintes saith l Ephe 2. 12. 13. Remember that ye being in times past Gentiles in the flesh and called vncircumcision of them which were called Circumcision in the flesh made with handes that ye were at that time without Christ and were Alians from the common wealth of Israell and were strangers from the Couenants of peomise and had no hope and were without God in the world but now in Christ Iesus ye which once were farre off are made neere by the bloud of Christ And to the same purpose he speaketh in the Epistle to the Colossians m Col 1. 21. 22. You which were in times past strangers and enemies hath he now reconciled in that body of his flesh through death to make you holy and vnblameable and without fault in his sight Seeing then that we are called to holines seeing we must as Children resemble our father and seeing God will haue a difference betweene our naturall condition and the estate wherein we stand by grace we may conclude that all such as are in the number of true beleeuers are also Registred in the number of true Saintes sanctified inwardly by the spirit of God Vse 1. Let vs now make vse and application of this Doctrine vnto our selues First wee see plainely heereby that there are Saintes vpon the earth that is men and woemen regenerate and sanctified The prophet Dauid saith n Psal 16. 3. All my delight is in the Saintes that are vpon the earth whereby it appeareth that there are two sorts of Saintes one in heauen the other on the earth one sort is the spirits of iust and perfect men the other such as are clothed with flesh who haue a righteousnes begun in them but are yet farre from perfection some that haue already receiued their Crownes that are already glorified not hauing spot or wrinkle or any such thing others that are yet in warfare against sinne the world and the deuill and carry about with them the remnants of naturall corruption Therefore we professe to beleeue in the Articles of our Faith the Cōmunion of Saints So the Apostle saith o 1 Cor. 6 1 2 11. Dare any of you hauing businesse against another be iudged vnder the vniust and not vnder the Saints Do ye not know that the Saints shall iudge the world And afterward Such were some of you but ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are iustified in the name of the Lord Iesus and by the Spirit of our God This serueth to reprooue all those which in scorne and derision mock the seruants of God and vpbraide them with their profession saying O you are a Saint you are of the little flocke you are an holy man A yong Saint an old deuil Thus is Religion made a Prouerbe and common by-word and thus are men come to sit downe in the seate of Scorners but heare this O ye contemners of God! and know that whosoeuer is not holye is prophane he that is not pure is impure he that is not a Saint of God is a bond-slaue of the Deuill there is no meane betweene the one and the other He that is not of the little flocke of Sheepe is of the great Heard of Goats and of the multitude of vnbeleeuers that shall be condemned He that entreth not in at the straite gate that leadeth to life walketh in the broad way and entereth at the wide gate that leadeth to destruction He that is not a Saint before hee dieth is a Deuill incarnate before his death This is that which our Sauiour speaketh concerning Iudas p Iohn 6 70. Haue I not chosen twelue and one of you is a Deuill Now he spake of Iudas Iscariot the sonne of Simon for he it was that should betray him This Iudas was not a Saint and he is pronounced to be a Deuill Now choose whether thou wilt be a Saint or be accounted a Iudas a Deuill a member of the deuill For he that is not in some sort changed renewed regenerated and sanctified in the inner man shall neuer see life If we begin not the way to saluation in this world we shall neuer be receiued into glory in the world to come This is the Doctrine which Christ preacheth to Nichodemus q Iohn 3 5. Verily verily I say vnto thee except that a man be borne of water and of the Spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdome of God So the Apostle saith r Ro. 8 13 14 If ye liue after the flesh ye shall
of them when a Caiet tract de concept de indulgent many among themselues doo seeme not much to respect them and affirme that the Saints canonized may be no Saints and the myracles whereupon it is grounded no myracles And because the Church of Rome speaking of Saints doo alwayes meane such as are in the Popes Kalender and of his canonization who is now helde to be the onely Saint-maker vpon the earth and propound such to the people to the honoured and worshipped let vs consider a little what those Saints are whom they adore and call vpon Our Sauiour Christ accuseth and reproueth be Samaritans b Iohn 4. Because they worshipped the thing which they knew not a worship they performed but they knew not what But this falleth flatly and fully vpon the papists heads for they worship many fictions for Saints shadows for men whereas there were neuer any such that liued vpon the earth It were easie to alledge sundry of this stampe but a fewe shall serue and suffice insted of many Saint George is worshipped among the Papists as a renowned Saint but such a Saint as they report and receiue this George to be was neuer extant in the world who is saide to haue killed a Dragon that was so big that foure yoake of Oxen could hardly draw him out of the City which c Baron notat in Martyr Roman Aprilis 23 sundry of their owne writers esteeme little better then a fable Secondly S. Christopher is solemnly adored by the Church of Rome who is reported of some to be a man of twelue foot long and of other to be twelue cubits high this is he that went vp and downe to seeke the Deuill to serue him for he said I go to seek my Lord the Deuill to serue him If this were a Saint hee was one of the Deuilles Saints whom he serued and called him Lord and not one of Gods Saints The like we might say of S. Catherine and infinit other whome falshood hath forged and deuised and superstition norished and retained Moreouer their Legends of Saints are so full of fables and fooleries that they doe not onely set them downe for Martyrs which neuer had being in the worlde but they adore deuoutly for Saints and Martirs those which by the confession of their wisest writers were pagans Iewes traitors hereticks men of a wicked life of a doubtful faith what was the soldier I pray you that pierced the side of christ but an Infidel for otherwise he would neuer haue thrust his speare so spightfully and offred that villany and violence to the body of our blessed sauiour yea it may probably appeare be gathered out of the scripture d Reuel 1 7. that hee was not only a cursed vnbeleeuer but a damned wretch reprobate and no approued history maketh mention of his calling and conuersion yet the blinde ignorant papists do worship this souldier as a Saint vnder the name of Longinus what is this but to make Pagans and Infidels Saints yea when so manie dead mens bones and blood their reliques and ashes are worshipped in euery coast and corner where popery raigneth what assurance can any man haue that he doth not worship the bones bodies of pagans heathens Gamaliell mentioned in the Acts was an incredulous Iew a right Pharisee e Acts 5 39. as apeareth by the counsel which he gaue to the Iewes in the Counsel fit for a Politician vnfit for a Christian shewing rather a wily witty head then a religious hart if he had beleeued in Christ he wold not haue feared to confesse his name yet hath he a place among the Romish Saints and reuerently are his relicks esteemed of them How many of their f Anselme Becket More Fisher Campian Sherwin c. English Martirs were diuellish traitors odious perfidious disloyall seditious rebellious vnfaithful to their Prince enimies to their country Some endeuoured to stir vp forrain Princes against their Soueraigne Lord which no man can deny to bee an act of treason Some went about to stirre vp the Kinges Subiects to rebellion and stood at open defiance and at the swords point with the Prince Others haue bin slaine in the field in the midst of the rebellion which themselues raised among the rebels which themselues armed Others were executed as notorious Traitors for maintaining the Popes Buls of deposing princes and would by no meanes condemn them none of them would promise to ioyn with the Princesse side and take her part if the Pope should send an army against hir to depose her person to spoile her subiects to inuade hir country Of this sort heere set downe thus qualified and sanctified are Becket More Fisher Forest Sanders Campian Sherwin Parry Ballard Babington Someruil and such like who are canonized by the Pope and agnized for Saints by the Papistes they pray vnto them and keep their bones and rags for holy reliques and worship them whereby it apeareth that they put those in the Popes kalender as rubricated Martirs and imagine them to be Saints in heauen who by al likelyhood are tormented damned with the deuils in hel The time will not suffer vs to make a Catalogue of these their Saints but this may suffice to shewe that the Papists honour diuers Saints which neuer liued in the world but are meerely fansied and fondly imagined others that are doubtful not certainly known to be such as they are reported others likewise that were pagans in superstition Iewes in religion Hereticks in profession traiotrs in practise and wicked men in their conuersation of whose damnation in hel there is more certainty then either of their faith in earth or saluation in heauen And thus wee will leaue them their Saints and their Saint-maker Vse 3. Thirdly seeing all they that belong to Christ are Saints it belongeth to euery man to try the assurance of his saluation by the fruits of his sanctification For heerby we may assure our selus that we are in the communion of saints if we lead a sanctified life If we haue our conuersation in holinesse wee shall haue in the end euerlasting life The Apostle teaching that the foundation of God abideth sure so that the Lord knoweth who are his sheweth how wee shal know that we are the Lords euen euery one for his owne assurance g 2 Tim. 2 19. must depart from iniquity Heereunto commeth the saying of Iohn in his first Epistle h 1 Ioh. 1 6 7. If we say we haue fellowship with him and walke in darknesse we lie do not truely but if we walke in the light as he is in the light wee haue fellowship one with another and the blood of Iesus Christ his sonne clenseth vs from all sinne And Paul writing to the Romaines saith i Rom. 8 10. If Christ bee in you the body is dead because of sin but the spirit is life for righteousnesse sake We
in the house in the field in the City in body in soule in temporall things in spiritual thinges Now when God is obeyed men should reioyce and be glad and when his Lawes are broken they should be much greeued and troubled The Apostle Iohn writing to an elect Lady k 2 Iohn 4. reioyced greatly that hee found of her children walking in truth as they had receiued a cōmandement of the lord On the other side wee see Dauids l Psal 119 136 eyes did gush out with Riuers of teares because Wicked men kept not his Lawes These Reasons beeing duely waighed and rightly considered do teach vs that Gods blessings bestowed vppon our Bretheren must minister matter of ioy and great comfort vnto vs. Vse 1. Let vs now proceede to the handling of the Vses that wee may haue the benefit of this Doctrine and not suffer it to passe from vs without profit First of all seeing Gods graces vpon others must worke ioy in our selues we learn the truth of that article of our faith which al professe to beleeue but many do not vnderstand to wit the communion of Saints There is a double communion m What the munion of Saints is which we beleeue one which we haue with Christ the other which the church hath among themselues the former is the cause of the latter For Christ our head hath giuen himselfe vnto vs whereby we haue the right of adoption the imputation of his righteousnesse and a title to the kingdome of heauen From hence as from a fountaine issueth that communion which all the members both in heauen earth haue among themselues howsoeuer seuered in place one from another howsoeuer the one sort be dead the other liuing howsoeuer the one sort is triumphant the other Militant Our Brethren in heauen wish well to the Church pray for it generall desire the perfect consummation of it and craue the full and finall deliuerance of it from all troubles The Apostle bringeth them in speaking on this maner n Reuel 6 10. How long Lord holy true Doest not thou iudge and auenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth True it is they know not they see not they heare not what things are done vpon the face of the earth and therefore they cannot pray in particular for the particular conditions and persons of men On the other side we who liue vppon the earth o Phil. 3 20. haue our conuersation in heauen our minds our harts soules are there we do in our desires and affections conuerse with them we pray to be dissolued and to be with Christ Our Communion among our selues consisteth in three things first in the affection of the heart secondly in the gifts of the spirit thirdly in the vse of temporall riches The first in heart when we are so linked and coupled together that we are like affectioned one to another so that when one is greeued the rest are greeued and when one reioyceth the rest are refreshed The Euangelist describing the estate of Christes Church saith p Acts 4 32. The multitude of them that beleeued were of one heart and of one soule The Heathen wish well to their owne blood and kindred but wee must wish well to all Christians as to our selues we must not onely know heare of but feele their miseries and mourne with them that mourne we must not tell them as newes but lay them to our hearts The second branch is in the blessings of God bestowed vpon vs we must impart to our Brethren our spirituall gifts we must teach them by our example we must aduise them by our Counsell we must guide them by our admonition we must stirre them vp by our exhortation we must raise them vp by our comforts we must helpe them by our Prayers The third part of our communion q Galat. 6. 10. standeth in temporal thinges when wee are content not onely to leaue our superfluities but euen to spend our selues for the good of our fellow-members wee must be readie to feede the hungry to cloath the naked to harbour the harbourlesse which are not onely of our owne flesh but of our owne faith not onely cloathed with the same Nature but adorned with the same Name This is the communion which wee professe and beleeue and is confirmed and concluded in this place Vse 2. Secondly we learn to desire the best guifts that we may reioyce and comfort the godly For when we profit in good things we chear the harts and minds of al the faithful Euery liuing thing hath his prospering proceeding and is known to haue life in it by encreasing from one degree of perfection to another The grasse springeth the plant shouteth the corn florisheth the tree groweth If we haue any life in vs of Gods Spirit be not as grasse that is withered as plants that are dead as Corne that is blasted and as trees that are plucked vp by the roots we must go forward from one measure of grace to another from a lesser to a greater This serueth to reprooue sundry abuses and to meet with many corruptions that abide and abound among vs. First it condemneth such as delight to offend to grieue and vexe the Saints of God For if we should seeke to reioyce and comfort them and to Minister all occasion of ioy vnto them then we are not to discomfort and trouble them wee are not to worke sorrow and anguish in them The estate of these offensiue liuers is fearefull as Christ our r Math. 18 7. Sauiour declareth Woe vnto the world because of offences for it must needs be that offences shall come but woe be to that man by whom the offence commeth whosoeuer shall offend one of these little ones which beleeue in me it were better for him that a Milstone were hanged about his neck and that he were drowned in the depth of the Sea Wee ought to giue no offence eyther to Iew or Gentile or to the Church of God for woe shall bee to them that offend their Brethren that greeue the Spirit of God and cause the enemies of our Faith to blaspheme Secondly it reprooueth such as conuerse onely with the vngodly and can be merry onely in their company The Children of God haue alwayes accounted it a great crosse and vexation to dwell with such as are leud in their course of life and are bare and barren in good things The Prophet saith ſ Psal 120 5. Woe is me that I remaine in Meshech and dwell in the Tents of Kedar It is an heape of miseries and a verie representation of Hell to be continually vexed and exceedingly greeued with their wicked conuersation Iust Lot was vexed with the t 2 Pet. 2 7 8. vncleane conuersation of the wicked for hee being righteous and dwelling among them in hearing and seeing vexed his righteous soule from day to day with their vnlawfull deedes And in what place almost now
20. are Ambassadors but the Ambassador is not sent without authority from him that sendeth him They are b Hebr. 13 7. Captains of the Lords hoast but the Captaine hath rule and gouernement ouer those that are vnder his charge and regiment If then the true Ministers of Christ be Fathers Shepheards Ambassadors and Captains vnder Christ the great shepheard of the Sheepe their Office cannot be without iurisdiction and authority ouer the people of God committed to their charge Reason 2. Secondly if we consider the fruits and effects that are ascribed in the word to the Ministers of the word we shall see that their Ministry is ioyned with authority They are the meanes and instruments to bring vs to the knowledge of Christ to the bosome of the Church and to the Kingdome of Heauen Their Office is to conuert sinners and to saue soules When Christ ascended vp into Heauen he appointed Pastors and Teachers in his Church c Ephe 4 11 12. for the repairing of the Saintes for the worke of the Ministry and for the edification of the body of Christ till we all meet together in the vnity of faith and that acknowledging of the sonne of God vnto a perfect man and vnto the measure of the age of the fulnesse of Christ So the Apostle exhorteth Timothy to take heed to himselfe to exercise his guifts to giue attendance to Reading to be diligent in exhortation and to continue in deliuering sound Doctrine d 1 Tim 4 16. because in dooing these thinges he should saue both himselfe and them that heare him God hath put into them and their mouths the word of reconciliation so that faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the preaching of the word of God and therefore the Ministers are said to saue their owne soules and the soules of others Reason 3. Thirdly there is a coâ—peration of God and the Ministers Office together and an admirable simpathy betweene them If then God and the Minister do worke together he may lawfully inioyne men to do their duties This is it which the Apostle teacheth e 1 Cor 3 9. and 2 Cor 6 1 We are together Gods labourers and in another place We therefore as workers together beseech you that ye receiue not the grace of God in vaine where to comfort the Ministers against the contempt of the world he declareth that it pleaseth God to vse their Ministry to worke faith in whom he will True it is the Ministers are not able to giue or worke faith in the hearers either in whole or in part it is God onely that giueth encrease and a blessing vpon his owne meanes but they are the instruments which he imployeth He commandeth the Ministers to preach and he giueth a blessing to their preaching The Minister laboureth on the heart and conscience God reformeth it and giueth the grace of repentance The Minister deliuereth the Doctrine of faith God giueth the gift of faith The Minister teacheth righteousnesse and holinesse of life God saith be it so he shal be righteous and holy The Minister pronounceth mercy to the penitent God bestoweth mercy and forgiuenesse of sinnes vpon him Thus God ratifieth their word and after a sort tieth his blessing vnto it Seeing rherefore that the Ministers of the word haue many titles of power and iurisdiction giuen vnto them seeing they are the meanes and instruments appointed to bring vs to saluation and Lastly seeing they worke with God and as it were helpe him in bringing men to faith and eternall life we may conclude that their Office is ioyned with power and authority Vse 1. Let vs see what are the vses of this Doctrine First touching the Office it selfe we gather that it is a worthy calling an honourable Office an excellent Function how base and meane soeuer it be esteemed among men of this world This the Apostle setteth downe writing to Timothy f 1 Tim 3 1. If a man desire the Office of a Bishop that is a Minister of tâ—e Gospell he desireth a worthy worke not onely a worke but a worthy worke Therefore this Office is not onely a lawfull calling but a worthy calling It is hard to discharge it aright for who g 2 Cor 2 16. is sufficient for these thinges but those thinges that are hard are excellent The Minster beareth the person of Christ in preaching the word and administring the Sacraments We heard before that in furthering and finishing the saluation of men God worketh with them It is a great and glorious account which God maketh of his word in the mouth of his Ministers when it is truely preached and rightly applied he giueth grace by it and ordinarily worketh not saluation without it This is no small honour and estimation to the Ministers of God and to the Ministry of his word that he admitteth them as ioynt-workers and as it were fellow-labourers with him he worketh when they worke he exhorteth when they exhort he reproueth when they reproue he teacheth when they teach This the Prophet teacheth to be the Ministers commission giuen him of God when he hath preached righteousnesse to man h Iob 33 24. God will haue mercy on him and will say to the Minister Deliuer him that he go not downe into the pit for I haue receiued reconciliation This the Apostle saith i 2 Cor 5 20. Now then are wee Ambassadours for Christ as though God did beseech you through vs we pray you in Christs stead that ye be reconciled to God This our Sauiour Christ also himselfe speaketh and auoucheth in the person of Peter k Mat 16 19. I will giue vnto thee the Keyes of the Kingdome of Heauen and whatsoeuer thou shalt binde vpon earth shal be bound in Heauen and whatsoeuer thou shalt loose on earth shal be loosed in Heauen Whereby he teacheth that the Ministers are the Porters of Heauen they haue the Keyes committed vnto them they are appointed to bring the Children of God into the sheepefold of Christ They shut the Kingdome of Heauen against all vnbeleeuers by preaching that they shall not enter but be cast into vtter darknesse and be tormented in Hell They open the Kingdome of Heauen to all beleeuers and penitent persons by preaching that they shall enter into the kingdome of Heauen and enioy eternall life To this end and purpose Christ speaketh to his Apostles after his ascension l Iohn 20 23. Whose sinnes soeuer ye remit they are remitted and whose sinnes ye retaine they are retained True it is God onely forgiueth sinnes properly but he hath appointed his Ministers to preach publish and to witnesse to their consciences that repent and beleeue the Gospell that all their sinnes are forgiuen And on the other side to preach and declare that such as will not beleeue and repent shall neuer haue their sinnes forgiuen them For how the Ministers binde and loose shutte and open forgiue and retaine the Prophet Esay sheweth m Esay 44 25
his kingdome The fourth reproofe Fourthly if it be a calling of such dignity it reprooueth those that run before they be sent and wait not a lawful calling from God that they discharge it afterward with peace of heart and comfort of Conscience We see manie young men make more hast then good speede in entring into the Ministery who for the most part want that iudgment staydnesse experience grauity moderation that is meet to be in men of that profession Hence it is that they are called by the name of Elders in the Scripture The Apostle thought it necessary to giue this charge to Timothy a young man though he were of rare hope and of excellent guifts u 2 Tim. 2 22. To fly the lusts of youth and to follow after righteousnesse Faith Loue and peace with all them that call on the Lord with a pure heart And in another place he saith x 1 Tim. 4 12. Let no man despise thy youth but be vnto them that beleeue an ensample in word in conuersation in Loue in Spirite in Faith in Purenesse If hee had this neede of instruction howe much more others The fift reproofe Fiftly it reproueth those that are so hand-fasted that they repine at their maintenance that labour among them How many places and Parishes are there that regard not how they be taught or whether they be taught or not so they may be well dealt withall in their Tithes that is if they might pay little or nothing to maintaine their Minister There is growne in many congregations this agreement and bargaine betweene the Pastor and the people if he will spare them in temporall things they regarde not how hee deale with them in spirituall things If they may pay little they are content hee shall preach little If they may enioy their Tithes at a low rate they are well pleased that he take his ease and teach them seldome But albeit he preach in season and out of season and do his dutie with all diligence yet they murmure and repine at his allowaunce and thinke euery thing too much that is bestowed that way The sixt reproofe Lastly it reproueth such as regard not the censures of the Church inflicted vpon euill doers The censures of the Church are made as a scar-Crow and esteemed of many as a mocke But if that power and authority were regarded in the Ministers hand that the word of God alloweth and appointeth wherby he is authorized to exercise spirituall iurisdiction in Church-matters not onely to preach but to punish not onely to teach but to correct not onely to instruct but to excommunicate then would the Office be magnified then would the Ministry be esteemed according to the institution of them Our Sauiour giuing order and direction to informe the Gouernors of the Church when scandals and offences arose among them addeth y Math. 18 18 Verily I say vnto you whatsoeaer ye binde on earth shall be bound in Heauen and whatsoeuer ye loose on earth shall be loosed in Heauen We see God promiseth to ratifie the sentence pronounced and denounced in his name The abridgement of this power is the contempt of the men and of their Ministry and the curbing cutting short of their authority doth open a gappe to all contumely and reproach of their persons and office If a Magistrate shoulde prescribe and ordaine that Law which is wholesome and profitable to the Common-wealth and haue no power at all to punish the Malefactors and misdoers that transgresse who is it that would regard the Commandement If a School-maister had authority onely to rule and to teach but were restrained to take vp the rod to correct and chastise the obstinat sluggard what Scholler would harken or giue eare to his teaching In like manner so long as the Minister is allowed only to speake the word or to threaten but stinted that he shall go no farther his Ministry will be little regarded as if a Maister should tell some of his Schollers of their shrewde trickes but were not licensed to punnish their euill doing God hath ioyned authority to the Pastors office put into his hand the discipline of the Church and the Ministers of God haue exercised executed the same according to his ordinance Hence it is that the Apostle reprouing an heinous offence amongst the Corinthians and shewing the vse of Ecclesiasticall correction saith z 2 Cor. 4 21 What will ye Shall I com vnto you with a rod or in loue and in the spirit of meekenesse Vse 2. Secondly seeing boldnesse to command vnder Christ belongeth to the office of the Minister it teacheth vs and putteth vs in minde of manie good duties as first to aske this guift of God and craue of him to indue vs with the zeale of his glory and other graces of his spirit that we may speake the word a Ephes 6 20. boldly as we ought to speake We see an example heereof in the Apostles when they heard the threatnings of the enemies of the Gospel b Acts 4 29. 5 28 29. They lift vp their voices to God with one accord and said O Lord thou art the God which hast made the heauen and the earth the sea and all things that are in them beholde their threatnings and graunt vnto thy seruants with all boldnesse to speak thy word So when the cheefe Priests said Did not we straightly commaund you that yee should not teach in his name And behold ye haue filled Ierusalem with yoar Doctrine and ye would bring this mans bloud vpon vs. Then Peter and the Apostles answerd We ought rather to obey God then mē Many men are endued with great gifts of learning and knowledge but they want the tongue of the Learned to minister a worde in season they want zeale and vtteraunce to deliuer the word of God to the people Let euery one therefore seeke to fit and furnish himselfe to this calling and in Christ Iesus be bold to do this dutie This the Prophet saith c Esay 58 1. Crie alowd spare not lift vp thy voice like a Trumpet and shew my people their transgression and the house of Iacob their sinnes This reproueth those that haue the worde in respect of persons who dare not do their duties and are afraid of mens faces They would be counted the Embassadors of God but they are affraide to do their Maisters message Let such learne of Iohn Baptist who shrunke not backe but was bold to tell Herod that it was not lawfull for him to take his Brothers Wife Wee must not bee Dastards and faint-hearted souldiers to fight the Lords battels but first be sure we haue a good warrant out of the word and then go boldly into the fielde and feare not to looke the enemy in the face True it is if wee haue not our Commission signed and sealed vnto vs wee haue iust cause to feare we speake in our owne names and not in the name
are to be learned of vs. Obiection 1. First our Sauiour sayeth Math. 23 9. Call no man your Father vpon the earth y Mat. 23 9 10 for there is but one your Father which is in heauen Bee not called Doctours for one is your Doctor euen Christ If then God onely be our Father and no man is to bee called by this name either we must account the Ministers Goddes which were blasphemy or debarre and deny them this Title which were contrary vnto other Scriptures Answere I answere Christ doth not in these words forbid the denomination but restraine the ambition of men as appeareth by the conclusion of the words Verse 12. Whosoeuer will exalt himselfe shall bee brought lowe and whosoeuer will humble himselfe shall be exalted Hence it is that the Apostle calleth himselfe z 1 Tim. 2 7 1 Cor. 4 15. as well the Doctor of the Gentiles as the Father of the Corinthians It is one thing to haue the name and another thing greedily to hunt after it and proudly to challenge it to our selues Besides touching the fountaine of our first birth and the foundation of our faith and regeneration he is our onely Father we ascribe it to no man vpon the earth But euen as touching our naturall being hee hath ordained subordinate causes as his Instruments and fellow-workers to beget vs and bring vs into this world and to giue vs life a Exod. 20 12. whom he doth honor with the titles of Fathers and Mother So touching our new birth although it be the sole worke of the spirite and therefore proper to God yet because he worketh it by the word Sacraments the preaching and dispensation whereof he hath committed to the Ministers and appointed to be conueyed to men by their meanes he dooth communicate to them the appellation of Fathers as those whom he vseth to bring vs beget vs vnto God So then Paul so giueth himselfe the name of Father as that he neither robbeth God nor taketh from him the least iot of the honor that is due to his name For it is a common rule that they are not contrary which are subordinate When one is vnder another and inferiorly ordered ordained to another there is a good agreement betweene them God is the choise cause Paule is the Instrumentall Obiection 2. Againe the Apostle depresseth and derogateth from the Ministerie and sayth b 1 Cor 3 6 7 I haue planted Apollos watered but God gaue the encrease So then neither is he thar planteth any thing neyther he that watereth but God that giueth the encrease How then doth it come to passe that he doeth there so much debase them and heere so greatly honour them as to make them fellow workers yea fellow-fathers with God He may seeme to be vnconstant as a Reede shaken with the winde and to lift vp and cast downe at his owne pleasure Answere I answere the contrariety is not in the wordes of the Apostle the difference is in the persons with whom he dealeth and to whom he writeth So there seemeth a contradiction betweene Paule and Iames in the matters of Faith and Good-works c Rom. 3 20. Iames 2 24. Gal. 2 16. Paule saith We are not iustified by workes Iames saith We are iustified by Workes Paule saith We are not iustified but by Faith Iames sayeth We are not iustified by Faith onely Heere is a shew of dissention but it is onely in shew not in trueth for then in one of them should be no truth The Reason why they vse a different order of teaching is the diuersity of the Schollers which they instructed and the contrary affection of such as they taught and informed Paule had to do with Iusticiaries that sought to be iustified partly by faith and partly by works partly by Christ partly by themselues partly by somwhat in another and partly by somwhat in themselues partly by the merits of another and partly by their own strength and merits Iames had not to do with such persons but with Libertines and loose liuers which confessed in wordes free Iustification thorough Faith in Christ yet they were deceiued and had not learned that all those that are iustifyed are also sanctified that all that are in Christ are become newe Creatures that they are borne anew and walke not after the flesh but after the spirit and therefore thought workes needlesse and fruitlesse Thus Paul dealt in this place If at any time he saw so much honour giuen to the Ministers as that Gods honour was diminished or any way obscured and so hee robbed of his glory then hee pulled downe their estimation that God might haue his right and be vnto vs all in all But if on the other side they were debased and disgraced as in these dayes they are whereby the word also was abhorred and God the Author of it and the ordainer of them dishonoured they ought to haue their due they are to magnify their office and to be esteemed as the Ministers of Christ As for example when we haue to deale either with the Anabaptists that wait for reuelations and vtterly reiect the Ministry Ministers of the worde or with those prophane Atheists of our time who contemn them and count them idle and of no vse and so haue no regard of them or respect vnto them wee are to shew in what an high calling God hath seated them He saith of them d Math. 10 20 It is not you that speake but the spirite in you He saith of them He that heareth you heareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me He saith of them Whose sinnes ye remit they are remitted whose sinnes ye retaine they are retained This serueth to stop the mouthes of carnall men and alloweth vs to know our selues when the worlde will not know vs or acknowledge vs. But when we haue to deale with those of the Church of Rome who make their Pope a God on earth and set their Cardinals and Clergy aboue the word we are to be taught what the Ministry is of it self being separated from the spirit of God an empty sound without force and a bare Instrument without effect in the hand of the workeman that can do nothing of it selfe but as it is vsed and applied by the worke-man Thus much of the remoouing of such Obiections as might hinder the vse and profit of this Doctrine Vse 1. Now let vs come to consider the Vses which are either general belonging ioyntly both to the Pastors people or special belonging to either of them First seeing the Minister and people ought to loue as Father and Sonne it teacheth them to cut off all occasions of discord and diuision and to nourish loue and mutuall concorde one with another It may bee many occasions may arise which if by wisedome they be not smothered and suppressed in the beginning they are as little sparkes that quickly break out into a flame and the flame
signe of their Reprobation Lydia is commended in that she l Acts 16 4. attended vnto the things which Paule spake but it was the Lord that opened her heart before she could be a faithfull and fruitfull hearer To this purpose Moses speaketh to all Israell m Deut. 29 2 3 4. Ye haue seen all that the Lord did before your eyes in the Land of Egypt vnto Pharaoh and vnto al his seruants and vnto all his Land the great tentations which thine eyes haue seene those great Myracles and wonders yet the Lorde hath not giuen you an heart to perceiue and eyes to see and eares to heare vnto this day Nowe as this ouer-throweth such as teach and maintaine an vniuersall Vocation so it must serue to settle vs in the trueth of the Doctrine of particular election and predestination n Rom. 9 15 16 18 13 14 That it is neither in him that willeth nor in him that rundeth but in God that sheweth mercy He sheweth mercie vpon whom he will shew mercie and will haue compassion vpon whom he will haue compassion therefore he hath mercie vpon whom he will and whom he will he hardneth God loued Iacob and hated Esau so that it was saide The elder shall serue the younger The Lord electeth some vnto life and saluation before the foundations of the world he elected some and therefore not all before the beginning of the world and therefore not for their deserts who then had not their beeing vppon the earth Who art thou o Iob 9 4 Rom. 9 20. that wilt dispute with GOD Or what shall it auayle vs to question it and quarrell it with the Almightie May the p Esay 10 15. Rom. 9 21. Clay reason with the Potter or the Axe with the Carpenter or the Sawe with him that draweth it or the Rodde with him that taketh it Or shall the thing formed say vnto him that formed it Why hast thou made mee thus Dare any Seruant pry and search into all the secrets of his Maister Canst thou follow track the way of the Fish in the Waters of the Fowles in the Ayre of a Serpent vppon a stone of a Shippe in the Sea Let vs not aske a reason of his will but rather say with the Apostle q Ro. 11 33 34 O the deepenesse of the Riches both of the wisedome and Knowledge of GOD Howe vnsearchable are his Iudgementes and his wayes past finding out For who hath knowne the minde of the Lorde or who was his Counsellor or who hath giuen vnto him first and he shall be recompenced If God should doo equally well vnto all his Creatures then were hee after a sort so much lesse to be praised and magnifyed of some for his benefites seeing he should do nothing specially and singulerly to them more then to others Neither is there are iniquitie in our God in so doing for may hee not r Math. 20 13 do with his owne what he will May he not lighten what eyes hee will or shoot away what arrowes he is disposed without our certaine knowledge of his secret counsels Obiection But some man may say when an whole assembly haue the same meanes the same Ministery an whole Family the same teaching and instruction How is it that some beleeue others will not beleeue Some are conuerted others are hardned Some are elect others are reiected Answere I aunswere it is not for the Creature curiously to search into the workes of the Creator but to bee wise according to sobrietie and as well a man might demaund why all in the fielde is not pure Corne but some Tares Why all in the Barne is not Wheate but some Chaffe Why Trees beare some leaues and not all Fruite Why in a great house there are Vesselles of Golde and Siluer some to an honourable and others to a dishonourable vse Why there are as well Goats that will not heare as Sheepe that heare the voyce of the Shepheard The Lord Iesus adoreth the Counsell of his Father heerein and confesseth the reason to bee his will and heauenly pleasure and farther then this whosoeuer goeth higher then this whosoeuer ascendeth and deeper then this whosoeuer searcheth shall wander as in a maze and neuer returne shall fall downe headlong into a Gulfe and neuer rise vp againe Our Sauiour saith Å¿ Mat. 11 25 26 I giue thee thankes O Father Lord of Heauen and Earth because thou hast hid these thinges from the Wise and men of vnderstanding and hast opened them vnto Babes It is so O Father because thy good pleasure was such As for the condemnation of the wicked and the execution of the heauy wrath and iust iudgements of God there is more then sufficient due desert in the Reprobate and though the righteous Lord worke therein yet beware thou imagine any euill in him The raine moystneth an euill Tree and therefore it beareth bitter and no better fruite In that it beareth fruite it commeth of the moysture but in that it bringeth foorth euill fruite it commeth of his owne Nature The Sunne by the strength of his heate and vertue of the Beames thereof rayseth out of the Dirt and Dunghill many foule and filthy sauours that infect men and corrupt the Ayre the raising of them vp is from the Sunne the vnwholsome and noysome smelles are from the places themselues The Raine is not properly the cause of the euill fruite but the Nature of the Tree and therefore it woorthily calleth for the Axe to cut it downe and then iustly deserueth to be throwne into the fire The Sunne is not directly the cause of those filthie sauours that are extracted out of stinking Ponds and puddles but the Miery and marish Ditches themselues So is it with God he is as the Raine that falleth and as the Sunne that shyneth from Heauen t Acts 17 28. Hee mooueth the euill man who worketh euill the action is of God the euill is from the free will of man and from the soule spirite of the Deuill God is not the Authour of the euill and therefore let u Iam. 1 13 14 no man say when he is tempted I am tempted of God for God cannot be tempted with euil neither tempteth he any man but euery man is tempted when he is drawne away by his owne concupiscence and is entised Seeing then the grace of Election of Redemption of Iustification of Vocation of Sanctification is not generall nor generally giuen vnto all but according to the free purpose and pleasure of him that chooseth redeemeth calleth iustifieth and sanctifieth Let vs acknowledge his great mercie to the praise and glorie of his name when hee maketh his owne ordinances auayleable which we see in many to bee vnprofitable let vs confesse his louing kindnesse toward vs when he doth beget vs by the immortall seede of regeneration and worketh effectually our saluation For what haue wee in vs to mooue the Lorde to sauour vs and followe vs with a
it in their hearts and thereby made Charitie a note of Christianity seeing that where loue doth not rest there Christ doth not dwell If then we wold make it manifest that we haue beene brought vp in the Schoole of Christ we must loue one another Reason 4. Lastly seeing it is the sum of the Law and a token and testimonie that we make Conscience to walk in the wayes and commandements of God Heerunto commeth the laying of the Apostle c Rom. 13 8 9 Owe nothing to any man but to loue one another for he that loueth another hath fulfilled the Law For this Thou shalt not commit Adultery Thou shalt not kill Thou shalt not steale Thou shalt not beare false witnesse Thou shalt not couet and if there be any other commandement it is breefely comprehended in this saying euen in this Thou shalt loue thy neighbor as thy selfe This is a speciall praise and singuler commendation of loue that it is a short summe and briefe abridgement of the whole Lawe and of euerie Commandement contained in the Law This truth is taught in sundry other places and repeated againe and againe d Gal. 5 14. Colos 3 14. 1 Tim. 1 5. All the Law is fulfilled in one worde which is this Thou shalt loue thy Neighbor as thy selfe And Col. 3. Aboue all things put on loue which is the bond of perfectnesse Likewise 1 Tim. 1 5. The end of a commandement is Loue out of a pure heart and of a good Conscience and of Faith vnfaigned Loue therefore comprehendeth all duties for Charity is the Law abridged as the Law is Charity enlarged Loue is as it were a generall Vertue like vnto the soule which is said to be whole in the whole in euery part or as the blood which is dispersed through the whole body so is loue enlarged and lengthned through all and euery vertue Seeing then such as are conuerted by vs are the fruit of our labour and that Loue to the brethren is the seale of our saluation the badge of our profession and an Epitome or a breuiary of the whole Law it followeth that it ought to be harty earnest and feruent toward all the faithfull especially such as haue gone astray and bin brought by vs into the right way Vse 1. This then being a vertue so necessary that euery one which belongeth to the Lord Iesus Christ must yeeld their obedience euen to loue the Bretheren and shew himselfe a true Christian by shewing Charity to his neighbor let vs consider the nature and properties of this Loue that wee may haue the right and true vse of this Doctrine For heere is occasion offered vnto vs to search into the knowledge of this Vertue which is almost banished from among men or weeded and worne out of the world or caried from hence into the wildernesse from the sonnes of men or departed vp from heauen from whence it came and to haue quite and cleane abandoned the grosse earth which is vnworthy to entertaine so precious a Iewell any longer First therefore let vs know e What Loue is what Brotherly loue is It is a work of Gods spirit whereby a man is moued to affect his Brother for Gods sake and to shew forth the fruite of this affection I call it a worke of Gods spirite because it is not Naturally in vs it is not borne with vs. Naturally euery one is a louer of himselfe and vnnaturally is an hater of his neighbour so that true loue is the print of Gods finger and a marke set vpon vs by his spirit Hence it is that the Apostle setting downe the fruites of the spirit reckoneth vp Loue in the first place as one of the principall f Gal. 5 12. Ephes 6 23. The fruite of the spirite is loue ioy peace long-suffering gentlenesse goodnesse c. So then wee want this grace vntill God worke it in vs. We neede not seeke farre for selfe-loue for Loue of the world and the things that are in the world for the Loue of pleasures carnall vanities we haue these neere vnto vs euen within vs but we can neuer loue the godly for Gods sake vntill it be giuen vs from aboue of whom only we must aske it and from whence onely we can receiue it Againe to be well affected toward our Brother is to wish and seeke his good to reioyse at his prosperity and to be greeued at his misery True loue is not ydle g 1 Iohn 3 18 and it maketh vs that we shal not be vnfruitfull and vnprofitable vnto others We must be ready to helpe them beare their burthen and shewe the bowelles of compassion toward them That loue which doeth not manifest it selfe to the releefe and helpe of his neighbor is no true Loue but beareth only the shadow of it Moreouer it is added that we must doe it for Gods cause because God is principally and first to be loued with all our power and for himselfe Our neighbor is to be loued in God and for God because hee is Gods creature and beareth his Image For Loue extended to man is a fruite of the Loue of God Hence it is that the Apostle saith h 1 Iohn 4 21 This Commaundement haue wee of him that he that loueth God should Loue his Brother also God cannot be loued and our Brother hated because there is one and the same Law-maker that commandeth both to loue him and our neighbor also Lastly we must consider who is our Brother and what is our neighbor that we must Loue which are the parties to whom it is to be shewed By Brother we are i Who is our Brother or Neighbor not onely to vnderstand the sonne of our Father that is our owne blood kindred and by Neighbor we must take heede we doe not deceiue our selues restraining it to such as are ioyned to vs in friendship or neer vnto vs in dwelling or such as beare vnto vs good will but such as are of the same Nature with vs euen any of mankinde He is to be accounted as our neighbour that is a man as we are and doth beare the Image of God as we do of what condition so euer he be whether he dwell neere vnto vs or farre from vs whether he be our owne Countrey-man or a Stranger whether he bee worthy or vnworthy whether he be a friend or an enemy whether he bee knowne or vnknowne because we are to consider him in God not in himselfe as we noted before This our Sauiour teacheth in the i Luke 10 29 30 31. Rom. 13 8. Esay 58 7. parable of the Samaritan answearing the Scribes question Luke 10. that we must shew the duties of loue to him that wanteth our helpe and releefe though he were our enemy one that did hate vs as the Samaritans were vnto the Iewes whether he be godly or vngodly we must extend the duties of loue toward them Thus did Dauid deale toward Saul his enemy
from whence he came Doctrine 5. The Gospel doth not abolish or diminish ciuil ordinances and distinct degrees among men Heereby we learne that the Gospell of Christ doth not dissolue or abolish but confirme establish ciuill ordinances distinct degrees and politick constitutions among men as between Princes and Subiects Parents and Children Husband and Wife Maister and Seruants Superiors and Inferiors This appeareth in many places of the worde where the seuerall and distinct duties of n Rom. 13 1. seuerall and distinct callings are mentioned and required by the Apostle Heereunto commeth that which he setteth downe Rom. 13. Let euery soule be subiect to the higher powers for there is no power but of God and the powers that be are ordained of God Likewise o Ephes 5 22 25. 6 1 2 5 9. Col. 3 18 19 20 21 22. writing to the Ephesians he chargeth Wiues to submit themselues vnto their husbands as vnto the Lorde he willeth Husbands to loue their wiues euen as Christ loued the Church and gaue himselfe for it he requireth of Children to obey their Parents in the Lorde for this is right he commaundeth Fathers not to prouoke their Children to vvrath least they be discouraged but to bring them vppe in instruction and information of the Lord he prescribeth vnto Seruants to be obedient vnto them that are their Maisters according to the flesh with feare and trembling in singlenesse of their hearts as vnto Christ and he setteth downe the duties of Maisters that they should deale iustly with their seruants putting away threatning knowing that euen their Maister also is in Heauen with whom there is no respect of persons In like manner when he writeth to Timothy he saith p 1 Tim. 6 1. Titus 2 9 10 and 3 1. Let as many Seruantes as are vnder the yoake count their Maisters worthy of all honour that the name of God and his Doctrine be not euill spoken of And Titus 2. Let Seruants bee subiest to their Maisters and please them in all things not answearing againe neither pickers but that they shew all good faithfulnesse that they may adorne the Doctrine of God our Sauiour in all things for that grace of God that bringeth saluation vnto all men hath appeared The like exhortations and establishing of ciuill ordinances we see in Peter q 1 Pet 2 13 14 and 3 1 2 7 Submit your selues vnto all manner ordinance of man for the Lordes sake whether it bee vnto the King as vnto the Superiour or vnto Gouernours as vnto them that are sent of him for the punishment of euill dooers and for the praise of them that do well So likewise hee chargeth the Wiues to bee Subiect to their Husbands that euen they which obey not the word may without the word hee won by the conuersation of the wiues while they beholde their pure conuersation which is with feare And the Husbands he teacheth That they should dwell with them as men of knowledge giuing honour vnto the woman as vnto the weaker vessell euen as they which are heyres together of the grace of life that their prayers be not interrupted Christ our Sauiour willeth vs to r Math. 22 21. Giue vnto Caesar the things that are Caesars and vnto God the thinges that are Gods The Apostle hath heaped together manie such precepts vnto the same Å¿ 1 Cor. 7 3 5 10 11 12 13 20 21 22. purpose 1 Cor. 7. Let the Husband giue vnto the wife due beneuolence and likewise the wife vnto the Husband defraude not one another except it bee with consent for a time vnto the married I commaund not I but the Lorde let not the wife depart from her Husband and let not the Husbande put away his wife If any Brother haue a wife that beleeueth not if shee bee content to dwell with him let him not forsake her and the woman that hath an Husbande which beleeueth not if hee bee content to dwell with her let her not forsake him Let euerie man abide in the same Vocation vvherein hee was called Bretheren let euerie man wherein hee was called therein abide with GOD. All these rules and commaundements serue to teach vs this truth that howsoeuer the gospel doth make vs al as brethren and ioyne vs together in one body yet it doth not abrogat and abolish the difference betweene man and man and bring in an Anarchy and confusion but setleth a distinction betweene Prince and subiect betweene Maister and seruant betweene high and low Reason 1. This Doctrine of the gospel will better appeare if we marke the reasons For first God is not the author of confusion and disorder but of peace and order Look vpon al the creatures of God in heauen earth on high and beneath and we shal be constrained to cry out with the prophet t Psal 104 24 O Lord how manifold are thy works In wisedom hast thou made them al the earth is full of thy riches Al tumult and sedition al disorder and insurrection commeth from the deuill he is the author thereof For he first brought in sin and sin brought in disorder Hence it is that the apostle saith u 1 Cor. 14 33 40. Colos 2 5 God is not the author of confusion but of peace as we see in al the churches of the Saints He commandeth that al things be done honestly and in order he commendeth the goodly order that is obserued among the faithfull and therefore he teacheth not any disorders nor alloweth them where they are Reason 2. Secondly Christ came not into the world to abolish the Lawe but to establish it x Mat. 5 17 18 as he testifieth Mat. 5. Thinke not that I am come to destroy the Law or the Prophets I am not come to destroy them but to fulfill them for truely I say vnto you till heauen and earth perish one iot or one title of the Law shal not escape till all things be fulfilled Now we know that the moral Law commandeth the honor of Father and Mother that is of all superiors who beare a part of his image If then the end of his comming were to ratifie the Law then it followeth that the Law making a difference betweene superiors and inferiors remaineth and shall remaine in his full strength power and vertue Reason 3. Thirdly the Gospell commaundeth hearty obedience as vnto God and therefore doth not dissolue or disanull true obedience nay it is a praise and ornament to the Gospel when all sortes walke in the duties of their seuerall Callings and specially such as are the obedience of others Seruants are the lowest condition in the Church and yet the Apostle teacheth that by vprighnesse of their life and obedience to their Maister for Conscience sake y Titus 3 10. 1 Tim. 6 1. they may adorne the Doctrine of God our Sauiour in all things and on the other side by the euil life stubbornesse and disobedience of seruants that professe
before mine eyes cease to doe euill learn to do well All these were but as outwarde Ceremonies without substance which the Prophet Ieremy r Ier. 7 8. calleth Lying words that cannot profit Outward obseruations of religion wil deeeiue vs if we rest vpon them put our trust in them If we performe a worship to God without the heart we dishonor God we deceiue our owne soules and wee encrease our condemnation We draw neere Å¿ Esay 29 13. Math. 15 7 8 to God with our mouths and honor him with our lippes but our heart is farre from him and therefore wee worship him in vaine who is not delighted with outwarde shewes and with ydle shadowes but requireth the singlenesse of the soule and the willingnesse of the minde He looketh vpon the heart when we come before him Wee see how carefull men and weomen commonly are when they come to the place of Gods worship to haue all things in the outward man decent and cleanly they looke vppon themselues that their faces be washed their Garments brushed their linnen white that no spot no blemish no want no wrinckle may appeare in them but if wee go no farther we are but Hypocrites and dissemblers in the sight of God all our glorious shewes are no better then abhomination before him So then as the wiseman teacheth it standeth vs vpon to giue to God our harts which is the best present we can offer vnto him We are taught in the Lordes Prayer to pray vnto God t Math. 6 10. that we may do his will vpon the earth as the Angels do which are in heauen They performe the will of God readily and without any grudging they obey his commandements whensoeuer he sendeth employeth them faithfully and chearefully No one of them slacketh in his function but is diligent in the execution of that which is giuen him in charge Thus it ought to be with all of vs we must delight in Gods worship and encourage others to delight therein We must make the house of God a place of pleasure wee must make his word our meate and drinke and our continuall hearing must be a daily refreshing vnto our soules Vse 4 Lastly seeing all Christian duties must be performed of vs willingly wee are heereby guided and directed in our obedience that we are not to hinder the necessary duties of Christianity belonging vnto vs by obiecting fleshly reasons as it were laying stumbling blockes in our owne wayes to keep vs backe from a willing free and chearfull going forward in the works of our calling and in the parts of Gods worship We see when many are called to a new course of life and told of the necessity of labouring to get knowledge and hearing the worde of God they can obiect for themselues I shall loose my time neglect my businesse hinder my estate make my selfe a laughing stocke vnto others I shall misse such a bargaine I shall omit such a iourney I shall want such a meeting of Good-fellowes of Friendes and of Neighbours These are like u Mat. 22 5 6. Luk. 14 16 17 to those Guesse mentioned in the Gospell who beeing bid to the banket made their excuses and woulde not come they made light of it and went their wayes one vnto his Farme and another about his Merchandize Our Sauiour teacheth that when the word of God is preached vnto vs x Math. 13 22 the cares of this world the deceitfulnes of riches and the lusts of other things choake the word and it is made vnfruitful The world is a deceitfull baite and the glory thereof dazleth our eyes that wee cannot discerne the vanity thereof Againe when the duties of Loue and Charity ought to be extended toward those that want releefe and the fruits of mercie they are readie to obiect I shall weaken by giuing to others the means of my maintenance I shal disable my selfe I shall hinder my family and Children whom I must prouide for or else I should be worse then an Infidell and thereby giue cause to my aduersaries to reioyce and triumph ouer mee Thus euery one is wise in his owne eyes and carnall reason is apt enough to Minister fleshly obiections to slake our zeale and to hinder our course of obedience But let vs stop our eares against the songs of these enchanters which seeme to bewitch not our bodies but our soules These are nothing else but words full of distrust and doubting proceeding from Infidelity Let vs learn to rest vpon Gods prouidence by wel-dooing and looke for his blessing This is it which the Apostle remembreth where he laboureth to moue the Corinthians to releeue the distresses of the Saints y 2 Cor. 9 7 8 Giue not grudgingly or of necessitie and God is able to make all graces to abound toward you yet yee alwayes hauing all sufficiencie in all things may abound in euery good work As it is written he hath sparsed abroad and hath giuen to the poore his beneuolence remaineth for euer Such as liued in the Church in the dayes of the Apostles when there were many poore many extreamly poore z Acts 4 5 2 were moued to be liberall yea very liberall and bountifull vnto them so that they that had possessions solde them and distributed them as euery one had neede Many of them no doubt had wiues Children and were burthened with charge and family of their owne yet they accounted nothing peculiarly their owne but they had all things common they had them not only for themselues but for their brethren To conclude therefore we must beware wee be not led aside by the subtlety of Satan and the corrupt immagination of our owne Nature to bee hindered thereby from practising such duties as are required at our hands He that wil not follow the calling of God vntill the flesh minister no obiection against it shall neuer haue the commendation of obedience He shal neuer go about any good duty but we shall finde somwhat stand in the way to crosse it either our pleasure or profit or somewhat else will round vs in the eare to make vs forsake it or delay it or condemne it When the word of God reproueth any sinne in vs that seemeth sweete vnto the flesh we shall meete with a thousand tentations to perswade with vs to continue in it with greedinesse and to follow after it with all eagernesse Wherefore so soone as wee know the will of our heauenly Father let vs prepare our selues to do it and to delight in it and step ouer the rockes of offence that stand before vs to make vs fall that so God may be delighted with vs take pleasure in our obedience proceeding from the heart 15 It may be that he therefore departed for a season that thou shouldest receiue him for euer 16 Not now as a Seruant but aboue a Seruant euen as a Brother beloued especially to me how much more then vnto thee both in the flesh and in the
thine holy Sonne Iesus whom thou hast annointed both Herod and Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles and the people of Israell gathered themselues together to doe whatsoeuer thine hand and thy counsell had determined before to be done So then albeit they wickedly intended nothing but to shew their hatred and testifie their enuie in the death of Christ yet God brought another matter out of their mallice and made his endlesse mercy to man appeare in his worke of Redemption God would haue him dye Caiphas would haue him dye Pilate would haue him die Iudas and the Iewes would haue him die but God for our Redemption they for other ends as Iudas for couetousnesse and the Priestes for enuy The History of Iob is a plaine and direct proofe of this point that now we haue in hand he was robbed of his goods depriued of his Seruants and Children through the rage and couetousnesse of his Enemies and by the crueltie of Sathan the p Iob 1. and 2. enemies intended heerein to satisfie their owne couetousnesse the Deuill purposed to bring the Seruant of God to dispaire neither of theÌ„ aimed at any good to Iob but God that ouer-ruleth and ouer swaieth all had another end to try his patience to make knowne his Faith to try his obedience and to giue the deuill the foile ouerthrow Thus then we see that all things whatsoeuer they be are ordered and disposed by the prouidence of God to the good of those that belong vnto him euen then when they doe not intend it Reason 1. The reasons of this Doctrine are apparant to settle our hearts and consciences therein The first is the infinite wisedome and vnsearchable power of â—od who as the Apostle teacheth q 2 Cor. 4 6. bringeth light out of darkenesse worketh by contrary means such as men count foolishnesse r 1 Cor. 1 21. as to saue men by the foolish preaching of the Gospell that is which is esteemed among the wise men of the World no better then foolishnesse When Christ would make a blind man see and restore his sight vnto him Å¿ Iohn 9 6 7. He spat on the ground and made Clay of the spittle and annointed the eyes of the Blinde with the Clay A naturall man would thinke this had beene a way and meanes iudging by humaine reason rather to make a man that seeth to be blind then a man that is blinde to see Christ was able to haue healed him with a word or to haue giuen vnto him new eyes but he chose rather to vse these weak means that in themselues had no power or strength in them Thus was Naaman the Syrian cleansed of his foule Leprosie whereas he imagined the Prophet would come t 2 Kings 5. forth vnto him lay his handes vpon him and call vpon God for him it pleased God to worke by other meanes and to cleanse him by washing seauen times in Iordan We see this in nothing plainer then in the glorious worke of our Redemption The Lord Iesus u Hebr. 2 13. By death ouercame death by humbling of himselfe beneath all x Phil. 3. he was exalted aboue all By making himselfe poore he made many rich By suffering himselfe to be condemned he hath brought vs to be iustified and saued Thus he also dealeth with his owne Children hee bringeth men to Heauen by Hell he leadeth to immortalitie by corruption he guideth them through fire and water to set them in a wealthy place He worketh not by ordinary waies by extraordinarie so often as it pleaseth him When hee would comfort he terrifieth when he would raise vp he casteth downe when he would reuiue he mortifieth when he would exalt he bringeth low when he would make a man rich he maketh him poore This it is which Hannah setteth downe in her Song of Thanks-giuing y 1 Sam. 1 6 7 8. The Lord maketh poore and maketh rich bringeth low and exalteth the Lord killeth and maketh aliue bringeth downe to the Graue and raiseth vp This also the Prophet z Esay 28 21. Esay signifieth The Lord shall stand as in Mount Perazim he shall be wrath as in the Valley of Gibeon that hee may doe his worke his strange worke and bring to passe his Act his strange Act. This is one of the workes of the strange workes one of the actes of the strange actes of God when he turneth euill into good and ordereth the wicked actions of men to the glory of his Name and the good of his Children Reason 2. Secondly it is the pleasure of God to confound the wisdome of Man that cannot attaine to great matters but by great meanes For x 1 Cor. 1 27 God hath chosen the foolish thinges of the World to confound the wise and GOD hath chosen the weake things of the World to confound the mighty things And vile thinges of the World and things which are despised hath God chosen and things which are not to bring to naught things that are that no flesh should reioyce in his presence God disposeth of all things as pleaseth him and oftentimes crosseth the deuises of men They intend one thing but God bringeth to passe another they purpose one end but he will haue another come forth to teach mans wisedome to be but foolishnesse Reason 3. Thirdly he expresseth his wonderfull loue making all things that fall out in the world to serue his Church True it is the Church of God is beset with many enemies that as wilde Boares seeke to roote it out of the Earth as the Deuill which is the Captain of this Army vnder whose Banners are gathered together the wicked world the flesh hell death sin all which multitude as a great hoast muster together to work the vtter ouerthrow thereof yet God that sitteth in heauen maketh all their endeuours and enterprises further the saluation of his Church This the Apostle teacheth y Rom. 8 28. We know that all things worke together for the best vnto them that loue God euen to them that are called of his purpose He blesseth their troubles and afflictions and worketh in them patience vnder the crosse humility in suffering and experience of his mercies and maketh them confesse that it was good for them that they haue been afflicted We see this euidently in the example of Iobs troubles and torments that he endured there were many work-men set on worke to wast his goods to destroy his Children to kill his Seruants to afflict his Body to torment his Soule all ayming at this to bring him to despaire and all these Wheeles were set to moue by the Deuill but the Lord out of their sinnes wrought his great good z Iames 1 3 4 Rom. 5 3 4. Making tryall of his Faith to bring forth patience and patience experience and experience hope and hope maketh not ashamed So then seeing God is able to work and doth work both aboue and contrary to means that men imagine seeing he
went in and lay with his Fathers Wiues Heere are sundry deuillish and wicked practises Incest Murther Rebellion treason all abhominable enormities and yet God saith k 2 Sam. 12 12 He did all these things These sinnes were most foule and filthy to looke vpon as they were the inuentions of the Deuill the perswasions and practises of euill men but as they are punishments sent of God vpon Dauid for his offences they were beautifull in their time they were the righteous sentence of a iust Iudge who cannot deale vniustly in iudgement Thus much of answering these few Obiections Now let vs proceede to conclude some Vses out of this truth Vse 1 The Vses that will arise from hence are many but wee will onely touch the principall This Doctrine serueth for reproofe for comfort and for obedience For it serueth to reprooue and conuince sundry persons that eyther know not or knowing doe abuse this prouidence of God whereby he taketh care of all thinges that are in the World and directeth them to a right end And first of all we set against it and oppose vnto it the dreames and dotages of Atheists Epicures Libertines and such like Wretches who either deny wholy there is a God or make him sit as idle in heauen as themselues are vpon the earth so that albeit he know and see all thinges yet hee worketh or ordereth not the speciall actions of men that fall out These are they that pull God out of his Kingdome and set vp Chance and Fortune as an Idoll and make it their God We must all learne and confesse that the Lord that is the Creator of Heauen and Earth is also the Ruler and Gouernor of all euen the least Creatures The whole world from the highest heauen to the center of the Earth is subiect to his prouidence He worketh all things according to the counsell of his owne will he giueth life and l Acts. 17 28 breath he preserueth them so that nothing commeth to passe without his appointment Whether they be things with life or without life with reason or without reason generall or particular euill or good Angels or Men necessary or not necessary all are ruled by his decree So then Chance Fortune are words of the Gentiles and are blindly vsed by such as are called Christians whereas nothing can be done without his will and working who is omnipotent What seemeth more casuall then the Lot Yet The lot is cast into the lap but the whole disposition is of the Lord. Prou. 16. 33. This is it which our Sauior teacheth m Math. 10 29 30. and 6 26. Are not two Sparrowes sold for a farthing and one of thē shall not fall on the ground without your Father Yea and all the haires of your head are numbred So that we see Chance and Prouidence cannot stand together but the one ouerturneth the other Secondly it reproueth such as frō hence take encouragement to commit sin to breake out into sundry outrages or to liue securely because God can turne it to our good and maketh it serue to set forth his mercy This is that presumption and sin of rebellion touched by the Apostle Why do we not euill that good may n Rom. 3 8. come thereof whose damnation is iust So in another place o Rom. 6 1 2. What shall we say then Shall we continue still in sin that Grace may abound How shall we that are dead in sinne liue yet therein We confesse indeed that God is the Soueraigne cause of all euents that are brought to passe and whatsoeuer the enemies of the Church intend and enterprise whether the Sonnes of Men or the Deuill and his Angels he staieth and hindreth or represseth and disappointeth and alwaies disposeth it to the good and saluation of his children Neuerthelesse this doth not excuse or free the Instruments that he vseth from fault They do the will of God blindly and ignorantly but they do crosse his will openly and purposely so that his prouidence doth not exempt the wicked from their euill doing Dauid knew well enough and confesseth as much that Shemei was sent of God most iustly to cursse him and to raile vpon him when he fled from the face of his son Absolon yet in his last speach to the King his Sonne he doth not defend him or excuse him o 1 King 2 8 9 But giueth charge and commaundement to be reuenged of him and not to account him innocent If then euill instruments cease not to be guilty before men much more faulty shall they be before the iudgement Seate of the Almighty and much lesse shall they escape punishment for transgressing the Law of God For howsoeuer wicked men be well moued by God to execute his worke by them who may vse any of his creatures according to his owne power pleasure yet in asmuch as they being moued of God do peruersely and crookedly and wickedly moue themselues to will and work euill so that themselues are the workers and causers of their own euill works whereby it commeth to passe both that they grieuously offend God and afterward seuerely punished of him Wherefore such as resist God rebell against his law and striue against his will cannot say they haue done his will inasmuch as they had no purpose to keep his ordinances therefore make themselues subiect to all his iudgements Lastly this reproueth the Church of Rome that among many slanders cast out against vs are not ashamed to lay to our charge that we mainetaine that God is the author of sin We hold we teach priuatly publikely by word by writing in Schooles in Churches that God is not the author of sin but the deuil mans own corrupt wil whosoeuer teacheth and preacheth otherwise if it were an Angell from heauen we hold him accurssed Hence it is that the Prophet saith p Psal 5 4. Thou art not a God that loueth wickednesse neither shall euill dwell with thee So the Prophet Habakuke q Hab. 1 13. Thou art of pure eyes and canst not see euill thou canst not behold wickednesse Likewise Zephany saith r Zeph. 3 7. The iust Lord is in the midst thereof he will do none iniquity In like manner the Prophet Zachary saith ſ Zach. 8 17. Let none of you imagine euill in your harts against his neighbour and loue no false Oth for all these are the things that I hate saith the Lord. Thus we heare that he loueth righteousnesse and hateth wickednesse so that he is the authour of all good of no euill If we would heare this farther opened the Apostle Iames is a witnesse of it t Iam. 1 13 14 Let no Man say when he is tempted I am tempted of God for God cannot be tempted with euill neither tempteth he any man but euery man is tempted when he drawn away by his owne concupiscence and is entised This is the conscionable Doctrine of pietie and the contrary wee renounce and
thou shalt be a blessing I will also blesse them that blesse thee and cursse them that curse thee and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed If then he will restore that which he hath taken away and make vp the breach that his hand hath made we cannot doubt of his liberality toward vs. The poore widdow had but an handfull of Meale in a barrell and a litle Oyle in a Cruze but they were encreased not wasted multiplyed not diminished vnto the time that the Lord sent raine vpon the earth 1 Kings 17 14. Whether therefore wee consider that the losse sustained for Christs sake and the Gospell is rather a sowing then a loosing and a laying vp rather then a scattering abroade or whether we consider that God is rich in mercy and the most bountifull rewarder of his seruants in both respects we conclude that lesser blessings are sometimes taken from vs that we may haue greater supplied vnto vs whereby our gaine is made better then our losse Vse 1 This Doctrine being duly waighed will be very profitable both to comfort such as are in trouble and to instruct such as are ignorant and to direct such in their obedience as wander out of the right way First let this be our comfort when we sustaine any losses or feele any wants though they be neuer so great though we must depart from lande and life yet in this case it shall be a gaine and aduantage vnto vs. For to gain and saue where we ought not is a certaine losse This gaine is little but the losse is great it is to enioy temporall things and to loose eternall it is a getting of the earth and a loosing of heauen a getting of substance and a loosing of the soule Miserable is this gaine and wretched is the lucre that is thus dearly bought purchased On the other side to bee content to forsake and renounce all for Christs sake shall in the end bring with it assured and perpetuall riches For what is it that we haue not receiued It is God that hath made vs not we our selues it is he that hath enriched vs and not we our selues and whatsoeuer we haue whether it be much or little we haue it not of our selues and therefore we hold all of him as Tenants at will he may re-enter and dispossesse vs of them when it pleaseth him so that we must render them vp into his hands when he calleth for them and be resolute to leaue them when he demandeth them of vs. Let vs not therefore shrinke backe for feare of trouble and persecution but set before vs the example of Christ who hath gone before vs f Heb. 12 2. he for the ioy that was set before him endured the Crosse and despised the shame and is set at the right hand of the throne of God The seruant must not be aboue his Maister nor the disciple aboue his Lord. Wee must account it an honour to beare about vs the markes of Christ Iesus in our body If we bee partakers of his afflictions and patience we shall also be partakers with him of his glory This is it which he exhorteth vs vnto vnto Math. 16. If any man g Math. 16 24 25 26. wil follow me let him forsake himselfe and take vp his crosse and follow me for whosoeuer will saue his life shall loose it and whosoeuer shall loose his life for my sake shal finde it for what shall it profit a man though he should win the whole worlde if he loose his owne soule Or what shall a man giue for recompence of his soule Whosoeuer is not thus perswaded and resolued for the profession of the Gospell and the faith of Christ and the witnessing of the truth to endure tribulation and to suffer persecution is not yet a Christian in deed but in name not in heart but in shew So then howsoeuer we be afflicted and made sorrowful for a season yet the time will come when our soules shall be comforted and we haue our heads lifted vp which blessed day wee ought to attend with all patience and desire with earnest Prayer Vse 2 Secondly seeing God sometimes depriueth his dear Children of outward and earthly blessings but rewardeth them with heauenly it serueth notably to instruct vs in the right meaning and vnderstanding of the reason annexed to the fift Commaundement where such as h Exod. 20 12. Ephes 6 2 3. Honor Father and Mother haue a promise of a special blessing made vnto them that they shal liue long vpon the earth Where we see that godly Children haue the promises of this life made vnto them For Godlinesse i 1 Tim. 4 8. is profitable vnto all things and hath the promises both of this life and of the life to come And on the other side the fearefull Iudgements of GOD are oftentimes vpon rebellious and disobedient Children The Wise-man sayeth k Prou 30 17 The eye that mocketh his Father and despiseth the instructions of his Mother let the Rauens of the valley pick it out and the yong Eagles eate him Obiection But we see it come to passe many times otherwise then hath bin spoken of and some wil obiect that wicked persons disobedient Children liue long and contrarywise good men obedient Children do oftentimes die quickly they prolong not their dayes to old age but depart hence in the prime of their youth Answere I answere first touching the vngodly then concerning the godly The vngodly indeed do continue long vpon the earth and die ful of daies but it is to their farther vengeance and to heape vp wrath against the great day of the fierce wrath of God and to fill vppe the greater measure of their sinnes that God also may fill vnto them the greater measure of his Iudgements This we see in Caine who was tormented with feare of punishment and gripings of Conscience and horror of hell and feeling of sinne which was worse vnto him then many deaths It had beene a great benefit to him if he had died so soone as he had bin borne for then he had not sinned so horribly then he had not murthered his natural brother so shamefully then he had not offended God so outragiously but now the longer hee liued the more sinnes he committed and the greater iudgements he deserued and the heauier tormeats he endured This we may say of all the vngodly who commit sin with all greedinesse and consequently liue to their heauier punishment But concerning the godly l The reasons why the godly oftentimes die quickly hee calleth them many times out of this present life betimes vnto himselfe and prouideth far better for them then if he had giuen them a long life For he taketh and translateth them from the miseries of this world to the ioyes of eternall life And it is often good for vs that the Lord take vs soone from hence for as thereby he bringeth vs to a better
the weakenesse to asswage the sorrow to beare the infirmitie and to releeue the misery of our Brother It is the manner of vngodly persons to make it their daily sport in their deuillish meetings to insult ouer him and to leape vpon his backe with all the reproach and infamy that they can deuise to lay vpon him But it skilleth not what such foule mouths do vtter they shall one day reap the reward of their mallice and the penitent person that holdeth his peace shall find in the end the fruit of his patience Vse 3. Thirdly it teacheth vs for our obedience to repent betimes and not to delay the time thereof but while the acceptable season is to bring forth the fruites of amendment of life For seeing wee are not to make the most or speake the worst of the fals of our penitent Bretheren it serueth as a good encouragement and a profitable inducement to leade vs and guide vs vnto true repentance that so our sinnes may be put away Sinne is as a most filthy Leprosie but when we repent we are cleansed of that Leprosie It is as vnsauory Dung that stencheth the earth and the euill sauour thereof ascendeth vp to Heauen but when we repent we smell pleasantly as a sweet perfume in the Nosthrils of God It is as filthy Mire that soyleth the Soule corrupteth the Body and spotteth the Garment but when wee repent the staine and blemishes of sinne are put out of his sight and blotted out of his remembrance For when God forgiueth iniquity transgression and sin r Mich. 7 19. Ier. 31 33 34. he throweth it into the Sea into the bottome of the Sea that it may neuer arise againe to our confusion and condemnation and hee remembreth it no more As farre as the East is from the West Å¿ Psal 103 12. and 32 1 2. so farre hath he remooued our sins from vs as the Prophet speaketh so that they are so far taken out of his sight that they and we shall neuer meet together He couereth them and will not impute them vnto vs t Col. 1 21 22 So that we which were in times past strangers and enemies are now reconciled beeing made holy and vnblameable and without fault in his sight If then God doe couer them when we repent who are we that goe about to vncouer them If he doe not impute them why should we lay them to their charge who haue a discharge from God who hath cancelled the band and hand-writing that was against them If God haue washed and wiped away the filthinesse of them why should any man cast the mire of them in their faces againe The most expert and excellent Phisitian cannot cure a deep wound a festered sore but some scarre will remain and some print in the flesh is left behinde but God so healeth our infirmities that he taketh away the staine the guilt and the punishment that no token no marke no signe of his wrath and indignation euer appeareth to appall vs or dismay vs. This is the great loue and vnspeakeable mercy of God toward the broken heart and contrite Spirit He that hath beene an Adulterer and hath repented of his vncleannesse is no Adulterer He that hath beene a Drunkard and repenteth of the beastlinesse and abuse of the good Creatures of GOD is no longer a Drunkard He that hath beene an Enemy and hinderer of Gods word and now loueth it aboue Siluer and Gold is no more an enemy but a friend of the Gospell He that hath beene a Swearer and Blasphemer and repenteth of his blasphemies is not a blasphemer He that hath beene a prophaner of the Lordes Sabbaoths and now is carefull to sanctifie them and spend them in holie exercises is no longer a prophane person True it is these men haue beene such but when they see their sinnes hate them forsake them are greeued for them and are departed from them true repentance is as the Fullers Sope to wash them and to make them whiter then the Snow We must therefore make a great difference betweene that which they haue beene and that which they are Shall we say that he who is come to mans estate and hath put away childishnesse is still a Babe and Suckling as Infant and Child because once he was so Or shall we say that hee who is made a Free-man and had serued out his Prentishippe is a Bond-man still and vnder the iurisdiction of another because that once he was so In like manner shall wee change our Bretheren to be Children in knowledge to be the Seruants of sinne and Bond-slaues of Sathan because they were so in the time of their ignorance before God gaue vnto them repentance that they might come out of these snares wherein they were holden Captiues Nay I will say more whosoeuer reuileth and reprocheth him with his Adultery Idolatry Blasphemy Drunkennesse or Prophanesse that hath fallen into these offences but dwelleth not nor delighteth in them is a malicious enemie a false accuser a slanderer and lyer against his Brother The Apostle Peter u Math. 26 69. denied his Maister as we shewed before he forsware him and curssed himselfe if he knew the Man which he did through feare to saue his life But because he went immediatly out of the High-Priests Hall and wept bitterlie did any of the rest euer vpbraid him and reproach him with Apostacy with swearing with curssing with his infirmitie and presumption All they therefore are led by another Spirit then the Disciples were who despightfullie cast them in the teeth with their sinnes which are more odious and greeuous to them then to those that set them afoote and blaze them abroad to their disgrace This is a great comfort and bringeth wonderfull peace of conscience to all those that truely repent of all their sinnes past which they haue followed with greedinesse seeing that as God forgiueth them so he will not haue others to charge them with them For if the Lord and Maister of vs all remit them we are not to charge our Fellow-Seruants with them If the Prince forgiue vpon the sorrow and submission of his Vassall the Treason intended against his person shall the subiect dare to call him Traytor seeing the Princes pardon is the Subiects protection and discharge If the Father forgiue the Childe his disobedience x Luke 15 29. shall the rest of his Brethren speake euill of him and alwaies keepe it in fresh remembrance If these thinges were duelie regarded and rightlie considered of vs we would not lye one houre in our sinnes but make hast to be reconciled vnto God that so we may abolish the guiltinesse and greeuousnesse together with the infamy of them Hence it is that the Apostle saith y Rom. 6 19 20 21 22. As ye haue giuen your members seruants to vncleannesse and to iniquitie to commit iniquitie so now giue your members seruants vnto righteousnesse in holinesse for when yee were the Seruants of sinne yee
increase in learning and a man of vnderstanding shall attaine vnto wise counsels We must therefore proceed in good things that we may be well pleased that we may be enriched in his graces and established more firmely in the waies of godlinesse For there cannot be a better means to keep vs from a fearfull Apostacy and to preserue vs from a dangerous back-sliding then to go forward in that iourney into which we are entred and to make strait steps to the place of our rest So long as we walke to the end of the race set before vs there is no feare of fainting or falling backward But when once we begin to stand still and do not go forward our case is to be pittied we haue giuen roome to Sathan and taken the foile who will not rest there but take farther hold of vs. Whosoeuer standeth still and remaineth at one stay in matters of Religion will shortly turne backward The heauenly bodies are euer in motion it is the earth that standeth still at one stay so such as are heauenly minded are alwaies going and growing toward heauen whereas such as think vpon nothing but the earth are so cloyed and clogged with that grosse matter that they cannot moue a foot forward to lay hold of happinesse Hence it is that the Apostle exhorteth the Corinthians z 2. Cor. 7 1. Seeing we haue these promises dearely beloued let vs cleanse our selues from all filthinesse of Flesh and spirit and finish our sanctification in the feare of God Likewise writing to the Thessalonians a 1 Thess 4 1. He stirreth them vp and exhorteth them in the Lord Iesus that they increase more and more as they had receiued of them how they ought to walke and to please God Thus also speaketh the Apostle Peter b 2 Pet. 3 17 18. Ye therefore beloued seeing ye know these things before beware least ye be also plucked away with the error of the wicked and fall from your owne stedfastnesse but grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ This serueth to reproue those that either stand still or go backeward and and are not proficients in the Schoole of Christ who heare much and learne little who know somewhat and practise nothing at all who thinke they haue gotten enough and that now they may be idle and slothfull It was not so with the Apostle who was a better Scholler then these Drones he laboured euermore to be better better as himselfe testifieth c Phil. 3 3 14. I forget that which is behinde and indeuour my selfe to that which is before and follow hard toward the marke to the price of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus He was not like vnto a foolish Runner who running in a Race for a great price will euery foote be looking backe how much ground he hath runne and rid but his eyes were fully fixed vpon the marke considering how farre hee had yet to passe and waighing how much he was distant from perfection It had been better that we had neuer made profession of Christ or beene called by his Name then to stand at a stay or to start aside whereby it may be probablie suspected if not rightly gathered that wee neuer had any soundnesse in vs. Let vs therefore d Rom. 15 14. labour to abound more and more in wisedome and in all godlinesse Whosoeuer glorieth that hee hath so much Grace as he desired did neuer truelie desire any grace Whosoeuer sitteth still and neuer intendeth to goe forward shall neuer come at his iournies end And whosoeuer thinketh himselfe to be good enough and purposeth neuer to be better will presentlie grow to be worse and neuer cease vntill that he be starke naught On the other side such as haue a care to proceed and are at the mending hand though they doe it slowly and slackely though they haue many defects and defaults though they feele in themselues many infirmities and imperfections yet it is a notable comfort and testimony vnto their hearts that GOD will giue them grace to continue vnto the end and to perseuer in the Faith vnto the death For such doe get ground of their enemies do weaken the force of sinne doe strengthen the guifts of the Spirit and doe profit daily in the exercises of Religion which they frequent Secondly this reproueth such as regard most of all and bestow the greatest fruits of their loue and compassion vpon the most vngodly and vngratious which are most vnworthy to be respected For the more men grow in wickednesse and prophanesse the lesse they ought to be loued and liked of vs. It is true godlinesse that should ioyne vs in mutuall friendship one with another and vnite our affections one toward another The more godlinesse appeareth to bee in them the neerer ought our coniunction to be with them And as they grow in good thinges so ought our loue to encrease toward them This the Prophet Dauid teacheth Psalme 15. 4. Lord who shall dwell in thy Tabernacle who shall rest in thy holie mountain e Psal 15 4. and 16 3. He in whose eyes a vile person is contemned but he honoureth them that feare the Lord. And in the Psalme following Thou art my Lord my well doing extendeth not to thee But to the Saints that are in the earth and to the excellent All my delight is in them But how many are there among vs that haue no societie or familiaritie with the faithfull and such as feare the name of the Lord That thinke themselues in a Prison or in Hell so long as they are among them That can bee merrie and pleasant among prophane Companions but hang downe their heads when they are with the godly and neuer rest till they be gone from them If a Man or a Woman should alwaies delight to be in the company of Beares and Wolues and to conuerse among Dogs and Swine that when you seeke for them you should neuer find them but among the Beasts as if they had abandoned the company of reasonable Creatures we would thinke them strange bodies we would wonder at their humors and be ready to say they were of a wild and woluish Nature and as it were transformed into the qualities of Beastes like vnto Nebuchadnezzar who had his vnderstanding taken from him and his dwelling appointed among the Beastes of the field Dan. 4. 30. So is it with those that frequent no company but of wicked persons and vse no societie with any but of such as are as blinde as Beetels and as senselesse as stones as brutish as beasts in matters of Religion may we not truly conclude of them that they are beastlie minded and like to them with whom they sort and to whom they resort The Prophet saith I am a Companion of all that feare thee but these may say I am a Companion of them that forsake thee He saith Do not I hate them that hate thee f 2 Sam.
haue practised nor the example of the Church at Hierusalem hath warranted To this Pestilent and poysoned Sect of detestable Heretiques we may ioyne as Cozin-Germans those mischieuous and miserable Male-contents that hold in word the lawfulnesse of priuate possession but follow in practise the vnlawfulnesse of more then an Anabaptisticall communion These are they that bring discontent to see others enioy more then themselues endeuour by vnlawfull and vngodlie actions to bring in an equality of all thinges pulling downe Hedges filling vp of Ditches burning of Houses remoouing of Markes breaking downe Fences digging downe Enclosures dispaling and disparking the boundes of Landes and laying all things common as they did in the Insurrection of f In the raigne of Richard the second Wat Tyler Iacke Straw and many others which we haue seene or heard done in our daies yea many idle and disordered people hoped and looked for a commotion in the latter daies of our late Soueraigne For as Esau hating his Brother and thirsting after the murther of him thought in his mind g Gen. 27 41. The dayes of mourning for my Father will come shortlie then will I slay my Brother Iacob so these ryotus routs of Rebels intending to fish in troubled waters and minding to make a prey of the richer sort said among themselues The daies of mourning for Queen Elizabeth will come shortly then we shall haue enough then we shall make the Churâ—…es pay for all then we will want nothing that is to be had Let vs take heed of such vngratious person as begin a conspiracy and lay the foundation of an Insurrection Though they call vs to come with them and would haue vs to ioyne in league with them let vs beware we cast not in our lot among them nor walke in the way with them for their feete run to euill and their broad paths are the beaten paths of death Vse 2. Secondlie seeing euery man hath a state in his own goods it teacheth vs this duty that we ought to be content with that portion which we haue be it more or lesse be it small or great be it a simple or a worthy portion and to be by all meanes thankfull for it considering with our selues that the difference of places Lands Possessions with the properties thereof be of God and are to be acknowledged as his guift True it is men do sometimes encrease their wealth by vnlawfull meanes by robbing and wronging of others to their owne condemnation but then they want comfort and peace in the possessing of them they cannot say they eate their owne Bread they cannot esteeme God to be their helper Let vs hate such wicked shifts and renounce from our hearts all deceitfull dealing Let vs seeke for a blessing vpon our labour at his handes that is the disposer of all thinges in Heauen and Earth Let vs learne h 1 Tim. 6 6 7 8. That godlinesse is great gaine if a Man bee content with that he hath for we brought nothing into the World and it is certaine that we can carry nothing out therefore when wee haue food and rayment let vs therewith be content This is it which the Apostle teacheth Heb. 13. i Heb. 13 5 6. Let your conuersation be without couetousnesse and be content with those thinges that yee haue for hee hath saide I will not fayle thee neither forsake thee so that wee may boldly say The Lord is mine helper neyther will I feare what man can doe vnto me Wee shall neuer deale faithfully with the goods of other men nor for Conscience sake abstaine from wrong and Iniustice vntill we rest contented in our hearts with things present and depend by Faith vpon Gods prouidence knowing that hee hath by his gracious promise bounde and charged himselfe with vs and for vs in all thinges necessarie as well for our bodies as for our soules He is a mighty God and a mercifull Father that neuer fayleth nor forsaketh his Children that trust in him that call vnto him that depend vpon him If this Faith be in vs it will swallow vp many cares and consume many feares which distract and distemper vnbeleeuers in this life Let not our heart thercfore be addicted to Couetousnesse nor let vs suffer our selues to be carried away from God by the greedy and gaping desire of Riches nor seeke to augment them abound in them by vnlawful means nor possesse them with vexation of mind or with affiance in them But let vs rest in our seuerall Callings and conditions of life with contentation and a quiet Conscience not swelling in heart or disquieting our selues in vaine with longing after an higher state and standing then the Lord hath allotted and allowed vnto vs. If once our affections ouer-flowe the bankes of our present conditions so that we cannot vse with thankfulnesse that which we haue receiued we can neuer be perswaded to bee contented but wee will not stick now and then to borrow of the Law of equity shifting prouiding for our selues what wayes wee can without difference and breaking out into vnhonest and vnorderly courses without conscience Let vs therefore k Rules to be remembred to worke in vs contentation for our better instruction in this point lay vp in our hearts these few Rules followes to worke in vs contentation First that all of vs enioy more then we deserue and can iustly challenge at the hands of God If we would haue a crum of bread wee must craue it of him and say l Math. 6 11. Giue vs this day our daily bread Secondly that we oftentimes doe want outward thinges because we esteeme no more of inward graces and spirituall blessings We haue no promise of God to bestow vpon vs earthly gifts any farther then we aske by praier and seeke by faith heauenly things according to the saying of Christ m Math. 6 33. First seeke the Kingdome of God and his righteousnesse and all these thinges shall be ministred vnto you It is therefore Gods great iudgement vpon such gracelesse and thanklesse men as contemne these thinges that belong to a better life that oftentimes they are brought to feele the want of the transitory things of this life Thirdlie that it is a great subtiltie and pollicy of Sathan to inueigle and intangle our mindes with the desire of such benefits as we want thereby to cause vs to murmure and to mooue vs to distrust for them and to disgrace the present benefits which we enioy and so to prouoke vs to be vnthankefull The people of Israell abounded plentifully in many great blessinges in the Wildernesse and tasted liberally of Gods goodnesse yet n Exod. 14 11 and 15 23. 16 2. 17 2. when they suffered the least want of Water or Bread and had not their lusts satisfied at their owne desire they did breake out into impatiency of spirit and forgate the mighty works that he had done for them Their present want made them to
deliuered the Poore that cryed the fatherlesse and him that had none to helpe him the blessing of him that was ready to perish came vpon me and I caused the Widdowes hart to reioyce Where we see how he rendereth an account of his life past being of his Aduersaries charged with great wickednesse and much dissimulation So the Prophet describing the blessednesse of that Man that feareth the Lorde and delighteth greatlie in his Commaundements saith y Psal 112 9. He hath distributed and giuen to the Poore his righteousnesse remaineth for euer his Horne shall be exalted with glorie He sheweth heereby that the godlie doe not spare niggardlie but distribute liberallie according as the necessitie of the poore Saints requireth and as his owne power and abilitie suffereth him Heereunto commeth the precept of Christ z Luke 12 33 Sell that yee haue and giue Almes make you Bagges which waxe not old a Treasure that can neuer faile in Heauen where no Theefe commeth neither Moath corrupteth Let vs consider that God hath made the poore as well as the Rich and that the poore man is our owne Flesh Especiallie let vs alwaies remember that the godly poore are our Bretheren in Christ a Math. 25 34. and that in the last iudgement the Lorde Iesus will account it and reward it as done vnto himselfe whatsoeuer hath beene bestowed vpon his needy and distressed Brethren If we be carefull to practise these duties of Christian Charity and Community it shall auaile to seale vp Gods fauour toward vs in the remission of our sins and much aduantage vs to obtaine many blessinges seeing many supplications shall be made and offered vp for vs and so we shall tast the fruite that wee haue planted and haruest the Corne that wee haue sowed For b Gal. 6 7. Whatsoeuer a Man soweth that he shall reape as the Apostle testifieth to the Galathians and therefore if wee be diligent to helpe the poore and needie we shall receiue a full recompence with much increase into our owne bosomes That impute to me I will recompence thee c. See heere the most earnest affection of Paule for this poore Seruant He offereth himselfe to become Suretie and Pay-maister for Onesimus to answere for his debt and to stand as a debter himselfe in his place in respect of his Creditor and to pay whatsoeuer would be or could bee required at his handes Obiection But before we come to the point of instruction here offered to our consideration it shall not be amisse to answer a question that may here be demanded how he promiseth the paiment of mony to another who vnlesse he were himself helped and sustained of the Churches had not whereupon to liue We know how it went oftentimes with the Apostles by the confession of Peter and of Iohn who said to the Cripple that lay at the gate of the temple c Actes 3. 6. Siluer gold haue we none And the Apostle Paule was also constrained to labour with his owne handes How then is he on a suddaine become so wealthy as to offer his seruice to another and to vndertake to discharge the debt of another Answere I answere the meaning of the Apostle is that he would haue him forgiue his Seruant and to require the debt neither of him nor of his Seruant as appeareth euidentlie by the whole course of the preuenting of this Obiection Hee would not therefore haue him to contend with his poore penitent Seruant nor seeke any trouble against him vnlesse he would account him a debter in his stead And furthermore he addeth forth-with that Philemon was indeede wholy his to whom he owed all that he had so that if he would require the debt he should consider that the paiment was already made From this offer that Paule maketh which is to satisfie another mans debt Wee d Doctrin 2. It is lawfull for one man to become surety for another learne that it is a lawfull thing for one man to become Suretie for another and to engage himselfe for his sure and faithfull Friend of whom he is well perswaded Howsoeuer suretiship be to some very hurtfull and to all dangerous yet it is to none in it selfe and of it owne nature vnlawfull or sinnefull This truth is confirmed vnto vs by diuers examples of such as haue gone before vs in the practise of this dutie When Iacob refused to send his youngest and beloued Sonne Beniamin whom he begat in his old age into Egipt with his other Sonnes to fetch Corne saying Ye haue robbed me of my Children Ioseph is not and Simeon is not and ye will take Beniamin all these things are against me e Gene. 42 36 37. Then Ruben answered his Father saying Slay my two Sons if I bring him not to thee againe deliuer him to mine hand and I will bring him to thee againe Where we see he offereth his Sonnes in hostage and was ready to deliuer them as pledges and to binde to his Father Man for Man Sonne for Sonne bodie for bodie and life for life which is a greater matter then to be bound mony for mony and goods for goods The like we see more euidently in the Chapter following when Iacob did hang backe and seemed resolued not to let Beniamin depart with them Iudah is earnest with his Father saying f Gene. 43 8 9 10. Send the Boy with me that we may rise and go and that we may liue and not dye both we and thou and our Children I will bee suretie for him of mine hand shalt thou require him If I bring him not to thee and set him before thee then let me beare the blame for euer In which words we see that when Iudah considered the cause of their long delay and the extreamitie of the great dearth and the daunger of their present estate that except they had made this tarrying doubtlesse they might haue departed from their Father and returned to their Father againe the second time he vndertaketh the matter and becommeth surety for the Child This is it which he freelie and francklie confesseth before Ioseph when they had beene brought backe to him the Cup being found in Beniamins sacke g Gen. 44 32. Doubtlesse thy Seruant became surety for the Childe to my Father and saide If I bring him not vnto thee againe then will I beare the blame vnto my Father for euer now therefore I pray thee let me thy Seruant abide for the Childe as a Seruant to my Lord and let the Childe go vp with his Brethren Whereby also it appeareth that he considering with himselfe that hee could not without impeachment of his credit without breach of his promise and without heauinesse to his Father returne to him except the Child were with him he offereth himselfe as a pawne and pledge and prisoner to Ioseph as before he had done to his Father This also we see euidentlie in the Actes of the Apostles when Paule was troubled fot
of mercy to bee shewed vnto them So Lot his Nephew who had beene brought vp in his house and had learned of him to expresse the duties of Charity m Gene 19 1. sate at the Gate of Sodome into the which strangers did enter to call them to his House to refresh them with meate and to defend them from iniuries to which otherwise they lay open aboue all other This reprooueth those that grudge and are greeued when any occasion falleth out that they are tryed what affection and compassion they beare vnto them We see this euidentlie in Naball toward n 1 Sam. 25 14 Dauid and his men for when hee was intreated by the Messengers that were sent vnto him to giue whatsoeuer came to his hand he railed at them and sent them away empty he was lauish of his tongue but sparing of his pursse they had words but they had nothing but wordes It was otherwise with Abraham when he saw men come toward him hee ranne to meete them he bowed himselfe vnto them he intreated them to receiue the meanes of refreshing themselues at his handes he pressed vppon them very earnestly that they should not deny him To this purpose we heard out of the Apostle Peter That we should be harborous without grudging We must therefore not onely doe good to Strangers but doe good cheerefullie and with a ready minde without murmuring and repining at the occasion offered vnto vs. We now dwell in our owne Countrey and among our Kindred we rest quietly in our Houses and in our Beddes wee liue in peace and quietnesse but we know not what daies may shine vppon vs and what times may come ouer our heads We that now hate and abhorre strangers in our owne Land it may happen that our selues may be Strangers in a Land that is not our owne Moses exhorting the people of Israell to be mercifull toward such as aboue all others stand in neede of mercy to wit Strangers Widdowes and fatherlosse Children maketh this as a reason vnto them Loue the Stranger for ye were Strangers in the Land of Aegipt And albeit this reason doe not hold in many of vs neyther can be perswaded to deale kindly with Strangers because we haue beene already Strangers yet this Argument may be alleadged vnto vs to be carefull to loue Straungers because we our selues may be strangers in another Land For we know not where we shall end our daies or in what manner any more then when wee shall dye which all of vs know to be vncertaine If then we be hard-harted vnto others we must not looke to finde others pittifull to our selues It is Gods will that we should be Strangers in this World as appeareth by the example and confession of the faithfull Heb. 11. 9. 10 13. By Faith Abraham abode in the Land of Promise as in a strange Countrey as one that dwelt in Tents with Isaac and Iacob Heires with him of the same Promise for he looked for a Cittie hauing a Foundation whose bulder and maker is GOD. Thus did all the godly cast vp their accounts and confessed that they were Strangers and Pilgrims on the Earth yea we are his Children vpon other condition The Lord is in Heauen and we liue vpon the earth yet he commeth downe vnto vs and gouerneth vs he sheweth that he hath not forgotten vs but giueth vs an example what pitty we ought to haue of them that fly vnto vs as poore sheepe that are scattered by rauenous Wolues we should deale with them as we would haue the Lord deale with vs and shew that mercy that we expect of him True it is the Apostle noteth it among the properties required of the Pastour and Minister o 1 Tim. 3 2. Tit. 1 8. That hee should be giuen to Hospitality but he meant it also in generall to all the faithfull howbeit the Ministers must shewe them the way and hold out the Candle to giue them light For his purpose is not to binde the Ministers onely to beware of intemperancy to fly Couetousnesse to auoyde Pride and on the other side to moue them onely to be iust sober curteous chast and harborous in the meane season leauing all others to doe what they would and liue as they lift p Reasons why generall duties are appropriated to the Minister But the Apostle singleth them out by themselues and chargeth these duties vpon them first because the word of God should not be euill spoken off by the enemies beholding such scandals and faults to be in them Secondly to the end they should approoue their Doctrine by their good life and ratifie it to the consciences of all that heare it and so make it better welcome to them and them more willing to embrace it Thirdly that the people should follow them and frame their liues according to those vertues and graces which they see in their Shepheards And by the way let vs note that if chiefely among others the Minister must be harborous and it be a vertue that commendeth him to the Church to be giuen to Hospitality then the meanes should bee cheerefully and plentifully affoorded vnto him that he may be fitted and inabled to performe it This duty indeed is looked for from him and he lyeth open to obloquy and reproach when he doth not discharge it and yet in the meane season his present abilitie or rather disabilitie and insufficiency is not considered yea the means eyther are denied vnto him or with great grudging much lessening yeelded vnto him contrarie to the precept of the Apostle q Gal. 6 6. Let him that is taught in the word make him that hath taught him partaker of all his goods To conclude this point let vs learne to reioyce when we can do good to the distressed Saints that offer themselues as obiects of our compassion and bee glad that God hath inabled vs to helpe them Remembring that it is r Acts 20 35. a more blessed thing to giue then to receiue We saw before how God plagued the Sodomites and the men of Gibeah for their sauagenesse and cruelty toward the strangers that came to lodge among them God oftentimes blesseth those places and persons where and by whom they are entertained as on the other side many iudgements and punnishments fall from Heauen vpon their heads that are currish and vnkind vnto them Vse 4. Lastly it is a great comfort and peace to a mans conscience that God will in his Son Christ regard him when with a single heart he hath beene carefull to testifie his loue toward distressed Strangers for the truths sake Let vs reioyce in this consolation that we shall be assured that God wil pitty vs when we haue thus pittied others This perswasion we see in Nehemiah who resteth himselfe vpon it and raiseth comfort of obtaining from it Nehe. 5. 19. Remember me ô Lord in goodnesse according to all that I haue done for this people The like appeareth in Obadiah 1. King
eies by bowing downe the knees and such other gestures as testified the sequestring of all their thoughts from the earth and earthly cogitations and the bringing of all their mind to the meditation of heauen and heauenly things Secondly we haue need in prayer of perseuerance continuance Wee must not giue ouer and wax weary It pleaseth the Lord oftentimes to defer to heare to helpe vs not that he neglecteth vs or forgetteth vs or wisheth our hurt but to exercise our Faith by delaying Wherefore all rash presumption ought to be far from vs which dareth to prescribe vnto God either the time or the maner of our deliuerance and of granting our requests It is our duty to wait patiently vpon the Lord and to refer vnto him the meanes and maner of helping of vs. The woman of Canaan n Math. 15 22. is a notable example to teach vs to continue in prayer euen then when wee seeme to haue the repulse and deniall The Widdow in the Gospell is a o Luke 18 1 2 worthy president to this purpose to moue vs to this perseuerance and not to giue ouer Lastly we must beware that we aske no more then God giueth vs leaue to aske in his word We must require those things that are fitting vs to craue and beseeming God to grant Many men neuer consider these things but are rash and heady in their petitions regarding neither what he in goodnesse and Iustice can giue neither what is profitable for themselues to receiue Some craue riches to spend in lust and riot other wish for strength to be reuenged of their enimies p Rom. 12 21 whom they ought to receiue with goodnesse Others are not ashamed to ask foule and filthy things which one would blush to aske of a mortal man which the Heathen q Pers Satyr 2. themselues haue condemned These are the causes why our prayers are not heard because we aske amisse and do not submit our willes to his will Our wils are carnall and corrupt his will is pure and holy and the rule of all righteousnesse The 3. thing required in prayer The third point to be obserued in prayer is that it proceed from an humble and contrite heart If pride do compasse vs as a Chain and an high conceit of our selues possesse vs we are deceiued if we suppose to obtaine anie thing at the hands of God A proud Begger is hated of God and scorned of men There can nothing be seene more deformed and despised then a poor man that is proud There is nothing can worse sort together then a proude heart and a beggers purse God euer-more resisteth the proud and giueth grace vnto the humble and lowly The Prophet Dauid declareth this Psal 51 16 17. Thou desirest no Sacrifice though I would giue it thou delightest not in Burnt Offerings The Sacrifices of God are a contrite spirite a contrite and a broken heart O Lord thou wilt not despise We must learne therefore truely to feele our owne pouerty and misery let vs consider that we neede all things that we aske and so ioyne an earnest and feruent affection and desire of obtaining Indeed wee cannot alwayes haue a like feeling but wee must alwayes striue against deadnesse of heart and dulnesse of spirit Let vs shake off all vaine-glory and pride and giue all the glory to God as the poore Publican did in the Gospell Thus haue the faithfull done r Psal 143 2. Dan. 6 17. Esay 64 5. Ier. 14 7. as appeareth in Dauid Daniell Esay Ieremy We must not bee like the proud Pharisie Å¿ Luke 16 11. that stood vpon his owne righteousnesse and condemned other of wickednesse and prophanenesse Let vs also come with Repentaunce not onely crauing pardon for sins past and making an humble Confession of faults present but desiring grace to be strengthned in time to come Lastly let not our prayer be a lip-labour for forme and fashion sake but earnest and feruent When Saneherib inuaded Iudah and besieged the strong Citties and thought to win them for him-selfe Hezekiah and the Prophet Esay with him t 2 Chr. 32 20 cried to heauen Thus doth the Prophet Ieremy speake u Lam. 2 19. Arise cry in the night in the beginning of the Watches poure out thine heart like water before the face of the Lord lift vp thine hands toward him c. Heerunto accordeth the Apostle Rom. 8 26 27. The spirit helpeth our infirmities for we know not how to pray as we ought but the spirit it selfe maketh request for vs with sights which cannot be expressed but he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the meaning of the spirit for he maketh request for the Saints according to the will of God Thus it appeareth out of the practise of the Prophets Apostles what kinde of prayers God accepteth True it is they auaile much howbeit they must be feruent Cold prayers turne into sinne and neuer bring with them any blessing We will seeme to drawe neere to God and to honor him howbeit it is only with our mouths and lips which is a vaine woorshipping of him We will needs cal vpon his name but our prayers freeze betweene our teeth and are vttered without zeale These are they that pray but it is in such sort as if they neuer meant to speed If a Child should craue any thing of his parents in that manner they would take them-selues to bee abused The fourth thing required in prayer The 4. thing expressed in the former description of praier is that it must be put vp in the name of Christ Iesus He is the Mediator of the new Testament he standeth between the wrath of his Father vs he maketh continuall intercession for vs. If then we would haue our prayers accepted we must come in his name he is the High-priest of our profession he offereth them vp vnto his Father who accepteth them not for their woorthinesse but for his worthinesse not for their merits but for his merits as wee shall shew farther in the Doctrine following In his Name did the Fathers come to the Throne of Grace and presented their prayers before God assuring themselues to bee heard for his sake This is manifest in the prayer that Daniell maketh Chap. 9. 17. Now therefore O our God hear the Prayer of thy seruant and his supplications and cause thy face to shine vppon thy Sanctuary that lyeth wast for the Lords sake He acknowledgeth Christ Iesus to be the heire and Lord of all things in whom and through whom God would accept his praiers This we might farther Å¿ 1 Sam. 3 21. 2 Sam. 7 21. shew by other examples yea it is taught vs by the mouth of Christ himselfe t Iohn 16 23. Verily verily I say vnto you whatsoeuer ye shaâ—… aske the Father in my name he will giue it you As no man can come to the Father but by him so no man can obtaine any thing but by him
Isaac Moses Hezekiah Iehoshaphat others Secondly albeit God do not bestow vpon vs alwaies those lawfull things which we desire and demand yet he heareth our prayers and answereth our cries when he giueth some thing proportionable to that we ask As if we craue earthly blessings he giueth vs heauenly and if we craue temporall things he yeeldeth eternal life and if instead of deliuerance of vs out of trouble he giueth vs strength and ability to beare trouble and patience to endure vnder the crosse without murmuring Thus is Christ said to be c Heb. 5 7. heard in that which he feared albeit he suffered death He prayed that the Cuppe might passe from him yet he was to drinke of it his Father had decreed it he had vndertaken it and we were to be d 2 Cor. 12 8 9 redeemed by it Notwithstanding he was heard when God gaue him strength to beare it and sent an Angel to comfort him in his Agony according to that he speaketh Iohn 11 41 42. Father I thank thee because thou hast heard me I know that thou hearest me alwayes So when Paule felt a pricke in the Flesh the Messenger of Sathan to buffet him for this thing hee besought the Lord thrice that it might Depart from him and he saide vnto him My Grace is sufficient for thee for my power is made perfect through weaknesse God did not heare him and yet hee did heare him He requesteth one thing and God graunteth him another He craueth freedome from tentation but he is promised a supply of grace to be made able to ouercome tentations Thus it fareth with euerie one of vs we must consider what we aske and how God heareth vs. Wee must not thinke he forgetteth vs when he doth not feed our fansies and answere our expectations he knoweth what is best for vs and he will giue vs that which he seeth to be best for vs. Vse 2 Secondly as this Doctrine sendeth vs to schoole to learne what true prayer is so it serueth to reprooue three sorts of men First such as are growne to this height of prophanesse that they thinke it to bee in vaine to pray vnto God The faithfull finde by a blessed experience of Gods fauor that nothing is more profitable vnto them They woulde rather leaue any earthly Commoditie and loose their liues then cease to call vppon the Name of God Wee see this in the example of Daniell Chapter 6. 7 8. when a Decree was confirmed sealed and published according to the Law of the Medes and Persians e Dan. 6 7 8. which altereth not That whosoeuer shall aske a petition of any God or Man for thirtie daies saue of the King he should be cast into the Denne of Lyons It might seeme no great matter to forbeare and abstaine from prayer for so short a time yet when Daniell vnderstood that the writing was passed and published hee went into his house and his window being open in his Chamber toward Ierusalem hee kneeled vppon his Knees three times in a day and prayed and praised his God as hee did afore-time It is therefore a Testimony of a very prophane and proud heart not onely not to pray but to contemne and abhorre it as an vnclean thing or as a superfluous and needlesse thing Thus doeth Iob bring in the vngodlie speaking who differ but one steppe from Atheistes the dearest and best beloued sonnes of the Deuill Chapt. 21. f Iob 21 14 15. They say also vnto GOD Depart from vs for wee desire not the knowledge of thy wayes Who is the Almightie that wee should serue him And what profite should wee haue if wee shoulde pray vnto him Ah vile Wretches whether will your blasphemous mouthes reach Will you thus bee at defiance with the most high and Omnipotent GOD and set your selues against Heauen Whereas wee are so oftentimes allured and prouoked to prayer and haue most gracious and precious promises added that God will heare vs Shall we bidde him battell as if we were stronger then hee and say If wee crie vnto him Day and Night what do we gaine or what aduantage shall growe vnto vs Do not they prosper alike that neuer haue God in their mindes and they that frequent diligently and daily the house of Prayer Who are more subiect to troubles then such as trouble themselues with the word of God and studie to keepe his commandements Wherefore whether we pray or not pray al is one all is alike there is no difference we loose our labor wee receiue no profit Thus do many speake thus do g Eccles. 9 2. Mal. 13 14. mo thinke the world is full of such vermine and venome Against which most wicked imaginations wee must oppose the commandement of God willing vs to pray the promise of mercy the examples of the faithfull which haue bin heard when they prayed Secondly this Doctrine reprooueth such as goe to Saints and Angelles from the Creator to the Creature which is a great dishonour done to God and a reproach to Christ Were not hee a foolish and sottish suppliant that when the Kings sonne offereth to speake for him to his father would refuse to vse his mediation and goe to one of his seruants to entreat for him Is it not meete that such a one should be saide nay and depart without his purpose Euen so inasmuch as the father sendeth vs vnto his sonne and the sonne calleth vs to himselfe what madnesse is it to runne as well from the one as from the other to go from the sonne to the Saints from him that can hear to them that cannot helpe Nay as the Father is depriued of his Honour and the sonne robbed of his Office so the Saints themselues are disgraced If a man should set any of the Subiectes downe in the Chaire of estate and then bowe downe before him and giue him any of the Royalties of the King were not this high Treason against the Prince and extreame wrong to the Subiect Thus the case standeth betweene vs God and the Saintes If wee shall aduance the Saintes to so high a degree as to pray vnto them which is proper vnto God and as it were the Princes Regality if they did see our impiety they would blush at it and be ashamed of it The Apostle Peter would not suffer Cornelius h Acts 10 25. when he met him to fall downe at his feet and worship him Paule and Barnabas rent their cloths i Act 14 13 14 when they saw Iupiters Priest bring Bulles with Garlands vnto the gates of the Citty to the end they might offer sacrifice vnto them Did they reiect this seruice done vnto them when they liued vpon the earth and shal we think they doe now affect it or would now accept of it Away therefore with the mediation of the Angels who know not our hearts nor hear our prayers Away with the mediation of the Saints who beeing now in heauen are accepted of God not
if he goe about to perswade vs that wee shall merit eternall life by our faithfulnesse in our Ministry and by diligent instructing of the people committing to our charge q Lib. de obitu Knoxi we must resist the subtill Serpent and defie him and deny his merrits It is the duty of all the godly that haue this Worlds goods to giue almes to the poore especially to the godly poore but if he mooue vs to giue Almes that we may get Heauen or gaine the praise of men we must striue against his tentation and not suffer our selues to be deluded by him For this is as much as if he should say vnto vs I would haue thee pray but thou shalt obtaine nothing I would haue thee giue almes but thou shalt haue no reward Seeing then we are subiect to a double tentation of Sathan who goeth about like a roaring Lion seeking whom he may deuour so that he will if it be possible hinder vs from Prayers or if he cannot will corrupt them with his Leauen of merrit we must prepare to resist him r The meanes how to resist Satan in his tentations both waies Whensoeuer he goeth about to stay vs from praying vnto our heauenly Father we must resist him strong in faith and oppose against him these Meditations Let vs remember Gods most holy commaundement to call vpon him in the day ſ Psal 50 15. of trouble and that wee are continually to watch and pray t Luke 22 40 46. least we fall into tentation We haue together with the precept a promise annexed for our comfort and greater encouragement to this duty that he is neere to all that call vpon him euen to all that call vpon him in truth yea the eies of the Lord are vpon the iust and his eares are open vnto their prayers Let vs consider that there is an absolute necessity of the inuocation of his Name and of crauing his assistance that we may be freed and deliuered from the snares and assaults of the Deuill and that hee would giue vs strength to ouercome them and not suffer vs to be tempted aboue our power but giue a blessed issue of the tentation that we may be made able to beare it And as the necessitie is great to call vpon him daily In whom we line and mooue and haue our beeing so the profit thereof is no lesse it bringeth a blessed experience and tryall of Gods goodnesse and mercy toward vs It encreaseth his spirituall graces in vs and maketh vs zealous in all good workes It obtaineth those thinges that we want and remooueth the iudgements that hang ouer vs or are vpon vs. We haue the examples of all the faithfull as a Cloud of Witnesses to incite vs to this duty And if we put foorth our hands to take and vse any of the Creatures or blessings of God without asking him leaue we are no better then Theeues and Robbers These and such like Motiues serue to kindle our zeale in Prayer to quench the fiery darts of the Deuill which he casteth at vs. If he go about to puffe vs vp with pride through an opinion merriting by any euen our best workes of Prayer or Preaching or Almes-deedes wee must know that all our workes are vnperfect and that the good thinges in vs are his owne guifts Hence it is that the Apostle saith of himselfe and all his labours u 1 Cor. 15 9 10. I am the least of the Apostles by the Grace of God I am that I am and his Grace which is in me was not in vaine I laboured more aboundantly then they all yet not I but the Grace of God which is with me And in another place x 1 Cor. 3 7. Neither is he that planteth any thing neither he that watereth but God that giueth the encrease Againe y 1 Cor. 4 7. What hast thou that thou hast not receiued If thou hast receiued it why boastest thou as though thou hadst not receiued it It is a worthy saying set downe by our Sauiour z Luke 17 10. When ye haue done all those things which are commaunded you say We are vnprofitable Seruants wee haue done that which was our duty to doe Wherefore we must labour in all our workes to see our imperfections to cast downe ourselues in humility before the Iudgement seat of God and to referre all things to his glory The Apostle giueth this generall rule a 1 Cor. 10 31 Whether ye eate or drinke or whatsoeuer ye doe doe all to the glorie of God And if in these ordinary and naturall workes we must ayme at that end as at a marke how much more in the Mysteries of our saluation and the great keyes of our Religion ought wee to giue thankes vnto God for blessing vs with spirituall blessings in heauenly thinges We are not able to inspire Grace into our barren hearts it is the guift of God and therefore he must be confessed the giuer of euery good giuing and perfect guift to the glory of his owne Name And for our selues let vs in all duties of our obedience Prayer Almes or whatsoeuer workes approoued of God prepare our selues to bring humble and broken hearts freed from the Thornes of pride and vaine-glory This is taught by Dauid in the Psalme b Psal 51 17. The Sacrifices of God are a contrite Spirit a contrite and a broken heart ô God thou wilt not despise The like we see Esay 66. c Esay 66 2. To him will I looke saith the Lord euen to him that is poore and of a contrite spirit and trembleth at my wordes And thus was the practise of Daniell in his Prayer d Dan. 9 18. O Lorde encline thine eare open thine eyes and behold our desolations for we doe not present our supplications before thee for our owne righteousnesse but for thy great tender mercies This humility shall appeare to be in vs if we referre the end of all our actions to the honour of God and make that to be the scope Let the principall end be the glory of God the next the saluation of our Soules the third the edification of our Brethren in Christ Iesus Let vs cause our light so to shine before men that they may glorifie our Father which is in Heauen and then let vs follow those thinges which concerne peace and where-with one may edifie another Vse 2. Secondly as by the free bestowing of the graces of God we are taught to giue him all possible praise so it taketh away all opinion of the merits of workes wherein proud flesh is ready to trust For to place Merit and Iustification in our owne workes is to rase down a cheefe Foundation and principall Piller of Christian Religion both because thereby we abolish Grace and renounce saluation by Christ and make euery man a Sauiour to himselfe and so exclude saluation by Christ all which are shamefull Heresies and horrible blasphemies and detestable abhominations As many
iudgement of God punishing sinne with sinne and recompencing great vengeance vpon their heads that start from the Faith as a deceitfull Bow and renounce that truth which they haue solemnly professed Let these punnishments be alwaies before our eyes so often as we begin to slake our course and to grow negligent and secure that so we may begin to renew our couenant with God and to recouer our selues from the pit of Apostacy into which we were falling Vse 2. Secondly this Doctrine teacheth the difference betweene those that are truely godly and religious and such as are Hypocrites Such as professe well for a time and afterward slide backe are like the Grasse or Corne that groweth vpon the house top which flourisheth and waxeth greene for a season but it decayeth incontinently and commeth not to any seasonable ripenesse Howsoeuer therefore there be a great likenesse and a neere resemblance betweene the faithfull and the Hypocrite yet God will haue the one discerned from the other and Hypocrisie to be laide open and seene in his colours as it is This is that vse which the Apostle Iohn maketh of this doctrine Chapt. 2. where comforting the Church against the offences and stumbling blocks that were rise and common in those daies and perswading them not to be terrified with the falling backe of certaine he maketh it plain that albeit they had place in the Church as corrupt humours haue in the body yet they were neuer of the Church Whreeupon hee concludeth ſ 1 Iohn 2 19. This commeth to passe that it might appeare that they are not all of vs. Would wee therefore know who are Hypocrites And would we haue eyes to see them and iudgement to discerne them Behold heere a plaine marke and euident token to bring vs to a perfect vnderstanding of them they shall not alwaies deceiue the Church they shall not alwaies couer their faces with the Vizard of holinesse they shall in the end be made euident to all men that euery one may point at them with the finger and say This is an Hypocrite this is a Dissembler this is he that went about to deceiue both God and Man but now he is reueiled that al men may looke vpon him and hisse at him On the other side it is a notable priuiledge of a man truely sanctified to bee constant and continually set vpon good thinges to perseuer in good things and neuer to repent of the doing of them he buildeth his house vpon the rock and therefore no blasts or tempests of temptation can ouerthrow it He receiueth the seede into good ground and therefore it taketh roote downeward and beareth fruit vpward with patience he is carefull to please God in the duties of both Tables both of holinesse and true righteousnesse and therefore he shall neuer be remoued Vse 3. Thirdly seeing many begin well that are as a morning Cloude which is quickly scattered and therefore do not continue we learn not to be offended when we see any or many faint or fall away nor to bee discomforted whē we haue examples before our eies of those that haue professed the saith and beene thought zealous aboue many others who nowe are falne into a deepe or rather a dead sleepe that no life of Gods spirit appeareth to be in them Thus it hath alwayes beene in the Church thus it is at this present thus it will be heereafter When Samaria had receiued the Gospell t Acts 8 13. Simon Magus himselfe beleeued also and was baptized and continued with Phillip wondered when he saw the signes and great Myracles which were done yet notwithstanding this embracing of the faith was but as the flash of Lightning which suddainly appeareth and presently vanisheth as appeareth by his offering of money to buy the Graces of the Spirit u Verse 20 23. and by the answer of Peter denouncing an horrible curse against him renouncing him for hauing any part or fellowship in that businesse discouering the hypocrisie of his hart and manifesting to all men that he was in the gall of bitternesse and in the bond of iniquity The like we might say of Hymenens Phyletus and Alexander x 1 Tim. 1 20. and 2 Tim. 2 17. and 4 14. mentioned by Paule in his Epistles to Timothy they were counted famous and esteemed as Pillers of the Church yet they fell to renounce euerlasting saluation which was purchased for vs by our Lord Iesus Christ Let vs all heerby be wise and warned and take heed that we build not vpon men least the foundation sinking and shrinking downe we fall and perish with it True it is they shall greatly be punished that lay a stumbling-blocke before others giue occasion vnto them to fall to depart from the faith yea it were better that a Mill-stone were hanged about their necke and they drowned in the sea then one of the members of Christ be offended Woe therefore shall be to those that giue a scandall to the Church yet such as follow them and forsake the fellowship of the Saints through their euill example cannot be excused Wilt thou refuse thy Corne because thou seest much Chaffe and Trash mingled with it No man must forsake the Church because hee seeth offences to arise in it euery man must labour with himselfe to be good Corn and then the Chaffe shall hurt vs nothing at all And albeit we see some fall away and make a separation euery day the Church looseth nothing but is made more pure and perfect euen as it hindreth not nor hurteth the Wheat that the Tares wither away When we behold those that were chiefe men reputed as Angels in comparison of others to fall as Lightning from Heauen let vs not be dismayed or discomforted thereby though men turne as the winde and the Weather-cocke let vs stand fast and build vpon the rock that can neuer be shaken Albeit wee may point out thousandes on the one side and ten thousand on the other side let vs not feare the falling of the Church which standeth vpon a sure and certain foundation Thus doth the Apostle comfort Gods people when sundry made Shipwracke of their faith and fell into Apostacy x 2 Tim. 2 19. The foundation of God remaineth sure and hath this seale The Lord knoweth who are his If men shew their frailty and be as a Reede shaken with the winde it is no maruell nor new thing we rest not vpon them we builde not our Faith vpon our Teachers that haue beene the meanes of our conuersion so that if they should reuolt and renounce the doctrine that they haue preached we must not go with them nor follow after them Indeede we should be greeued to see those that seemed forward to turne cleane backward and as we ought to reioyce to see the Church of God encreased so it cannot but trouble vs to haue it diminished notwithstanding this must bee our comfort that God will maintaine his Church and keepe al
day of the wrath of the Lord they shall not satisfie their Soules neither fill their Bowels for this ruine is for their iniquity The rich man thinketh himselfe fenced against all dangers of soule and body and knoweth not his owne errour and ignorance and folly It is the spirituall Armour that gineth strength it is the spirituall Graces of God that doe defend vs one drop of them is better then an whole Riuer or a great Sea of earthly blessings Reason 3. Thirdly the obtaining of spirituall thinges is the cause of the other blessings They bring with them when they come earthly thinges When we get wealth we doe not by it get Heauenly wisedome for many times they haue the greatest riches that haue the least Religion But when we get Godlinesse into our hearts it bringeth with it a competent and conuenient measure of all outward thinges The Prophet saith p Psal 34 10. The Lyons doe lacke and suffer hunger but they which seeke the Lord shall want nothing that is good He knoweth what is good for vs better then we doe for our selues as the Father knoweth what is good for the Childe better then the Childe doth and therefote he doth not say they shall want nothing but nothing that is good Likewise the Apostle 1 Tim. 4. q 1 Tim. 4 8. Godlinesse is profitable vnto all thinges and hath the promises of this life and of the life to come He doth not say that riches are profitable to all thinges neither doth he affirme that they haue the promises of this life and of the life to come but Godlinesse hath those profits and promises So then if we lay these thinges together and consider that the spirituall blessings being incorruptible and inuisible and eternall are in themselues more excellent that they are of great force and power with God whereas the earthly are vaine and transitory weake and vnable to remoue any iudgement and that Heauenly blessings are causes of the earthly and companions with them we may truely gather and collect from hence that it is our duty to preferre and pray for spirituall things before transitory for heauenly thinges before earthly for eternall thinges before temporall Vse 1. Now let vs see what vses will arise from hence First of all this serueth to condemne the practise of the greatest part of men that go cleane against this rule There is no truth of God oftner confessed in word that is more commonly denied in deede We are willing to acknowledge in iudgement the excellency of spirituall thinges aboue all thinges that are mortall and mutable and among spirituall blessings the price priueledge of Gods grace which bringeth a goodly traine and troope of his greatest Treasures yet notwith-standing our iudgement r The first reprofe our affections are chiefly set vpon the world and our desires runne after earthly thinges Such men are wholly earthly and carnall according to the rule of our Sauiour ſ Math 6 21. Where your treasure is there will your heart be also Such can neuer lift vp their mindes vnto Heauen that account the earth and earthly thinges their chiefest Treasure as on the other side they can neuer settle their desires and studies vpon the earth that esteeme the Heauens and Heauenly thinges their greatest Treasures When the Stomacke is ouerladen with meate and ouer-burdened with the same there followeth an obstruction and stopping of the passages of Nature so the inordinate desires of the world pressing downe better things bringeth a forgetfulnesse of God and so ouerfilleth the heart that it oppresseth and suppresseth all care and cogitation of a better life For euen as we see that when the shadow groweth lesser the heate groweth greater but when the shadow groweth greater the heat groweth lesser so it fareth and falleth out with vs whē this world which is but a shadow taketh vp the least roome in our hearts then the loue of the world to come is the greatest in vs but when this present world and the thinges therein occupie the gretest space and place in our heartes then the heat that was kindled in vs toward heauenly thinges is abated and diminished These two the loue of this world and of the world to come are so crosse and contrary one to another that they cannot rest and remaine in the highest degree within vs but one cooleth and quencheth the other one ouercommeth and ouermastereth the other We would account him a foole and destitute of ordinary vnderstanding a simple man or a very Child that would preferre Copper before Gold a graine of Barly before a Pearle or precious Stone or would make choise of Chaffe before the Wheate or chuse the Huskes before the Corne and yet there are a thousand and ten thousand worse Fooles in the World which take themselues to be great wise men prudent and politike men of deepe and profound reaches who would disdaine and scorne at it to be accounted either Childish or foolish Naball was t 1 Sam. 25. 25. a rich man and no doubt tooke himselfe and was taken of others to be a wise man yet setting his minde wholly vpon his goods he is called by the Scripture a foole The rich man mentioned in the Gospell u Luke 12 16 17 18 19 20. when his ground brought forth fruits plentifully thought with himselfe I will pull downe my Barnes and build greater and saide to his Soule Soule thou hast much goods laid vp for many yeares liue at ease eate drinke and take thy pastime but though he were rich and therefore thought himselfe wise yet God saide vnto him O foole this night will they fetch away thy Soule from thee and then whose shall those thinges be which thou hast prouided Neither was this the case and condition of this man alone but it is the case and condition of euery one that gathereth riches to himselfe and is not rich in God This rich man is dead and gone but hee hath left a plentifull of spring and a great generation behind him Looke vpon mens liues and see whether the cares of this life be not the first in their thoughtes purposes prayers and practises Giue them enough of this world and let him that will take the world to come All their study all their toyling and moyling is for the red and white earth that is for Gold and Siluer and other trash of this world as if they could neuer be full of it as if they would neuer be weary of it as if they should neuer depart out of it It is saide of Salomon Prou. 30 x Prou. 30. 15. The Horsse-leech hath two Daughters which cry bring bring so is it with these worldly minded men they can neuer be satisfied they alwaies cry out for more they will not be content they cannot say they haue enough It is a token of a brood basely borne that respecteth not the inheritance of sonnes so it is an euident signe that wee are not the sonnes
of God when we minde not the Kingdome that the father hath prepared for vs and the sonne hath purchased vnto vs. The Beastes were borne and fashioned to looke downe-ward man created after the Image of God looketh vpward and beholdeth the Heauens It is a great discord and iarre betweene the eye and the heart which should goe together when the eye is cast vpward and the heart of man groweth downeward the eye is fixed aboue and the heart delighteth to be alwaies groueling vpon the ground and glued vnto the earth Secondly as this Doctrine meeteth with their corruption that haue their conuersation below in the center and bowels of the earth y Phil. 3 20. y The 2. reprofe whereas it should be in heauen from whence we looke for a Sauiour euen the Lord Iesus Christ so it reprooueth such as regard not the obedience to the first Table and duties of piety and holinesse which are to be perfourmed immediately to God Our Sauiour speaking of the first Table of the Law calleth it the first and great commandement first in dignity and order in dignity because it comprehendeth and containeth the duties we owe to God In order of Nature because from the loue of God proceedeth the loue to our Neighbour Likewise great because it is of greatest waight and stretcheth farthest and is chiefly to be respected of vs. Hence it is that when an expounder of the law asked him a question z Math 22 36 37 38. Maister which is the greatest commandement in the Law He answered him Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with all thine heart with all thy soule and with all thy minde this is the first the great commandement These precepts are first commanded but they are last practised and least regarded They are called of Christ great but they are very small and little in the eyes of the greatest part and sort of men If they lead an honest and ciuill life before men if they deale iustly and truely with their Neighbours they thinke all is well they esteeme themselues as perfect men though they liue ignorantly prophanely and irreligiously though they haue no knowledge of God and of his worde though they regard not his worshippe priuatelie or publikelie If they can say wee are no Theeues or Murtherers we are not defiled with Fornication and Adultery we pay euery man his owne and do as we would be done vnto they suppose they beare as good a Soule to God as the best and shall bee saued as soone as any But aske them any thing of the worship of God or marke what their practise is touching his worship they haue no loue to it they take no delight in it their meditation is not vpon the word their care is not to sanctifie the Sabboath and consequently the duties which they perfourme toward men haue no right ground to stand vpon and therefore though they may bring profit to others yet can they minister no comfort to themselues The first Table is the heart of all Religion and the foundation whereupon the duties of Righteousnesse are builded If they proceed not from a religious respect to God they are as an house set vpon the Sand which wanteth a sure ground-worke Vse 2. Secondly we are put in mind from hence not to care ouer much for earthly thinges or to runne so farre after them that we forget our selues where we are True it is wee are bounde and charged in duty to vse the meanes that God hath appointed for vs and to exercise our selues with diligence labour and industry in our callings but we must not trust in these meanes and put our confidence in them and distrust the care and prouidence of God toward vs. There is a double care for the thinges of this Life there is a good and godly care which is necessary for euery one the contrary whereof is to be carelesse idle wasting and spending vnthristily and wickedly such thinges as are gotten by our labour This prouidence and fore-cast is commended and commanded in many places of the Scripture This the Apostle teacheth and speaketh off 1. Tim. 5. a 1 Tim 5 8. If there be any that prouideth not for his owne and namely for them of his houshold he denyeth the faith and is worse then an Infidell The other sort of care is a care ioyned with griefe and pensiuenesse and of this the Apostle saith b 1 Cor 7 32. I would haue you without care This care is an ouer-great care disquieting the heart and maketh it bond to the vnrighteous Mammon this is alwaies to be condemned as that which breedeth in vs a distrust in Gods prouidence and choaketh the loue of heauenly thinges and therefore is hurtfull and pernicious This our Sauiour reproueth in the Gospell according to Mathew Chap. 6. c Math 6 25. I say vnto you be not carefull for your life what ye shall eate or what ye shall drinke nor yet for your Body what ye shall put on c. Behold the Foules of the Heauen for they neither sow nor reape Which of you by taking care can adde one Cubite to his stature And why care ye for Raiment Behold how the Lillies of the field do grow and yet they neither labour nor spinne Therefore take no thought what ye shall eate or what ye shall drinke or wherewith ye shall be cloathed for your Heauenly Father knoweth that ye haue need of all these thinges c. Wee haue the Lord to care for vs who knoweth our wants and the meanes how to supply them He made all thinges before we had our being to teach vs his prouidence All the Mines of Siluer and Gold that lye in the heart of the earth are his and at his commandement Hence it is that the Apostle saith Heb. 13 d Heb 13 5 6 7. Haue your conuersation without Coueteousnesse and bee content with those thinges that ye haue for he hath said I will not faile thee neither forsake thee so that we may boldly say The Lord is mine helper neither will I feare what man can do vnto me Can we therefore doubt of his succouring of vs and the supplying of our wants If we consider his power he is God if his will he is our Father Will God forsake or forget his Creatures Or can a father be vnmindfull or vnmercifull toward his Children This were to make him no God no Father which is Blasphemy and impiety The Prophet Dauid hauing himselfe had a long experience of Gods watchfull eye ouer him teacheth vs also to depend vpon him Psal 55. e Psal 55 22. Cast thy burden vpon the Lord and he shall nourish thee he will not suffer the righteous to fall for euer It is great vanity to be ouergreedy and gaping after the transitory thinges of this world to be carking and caring in the seeking for them and to eate the bread of sorrow in going about them We should vse them as though we vsed them
not and enioy them as though we possessed them not To this purpose the Apostle Peter saith Chap 5. f 1 Pet 5 7 Cast all your care on him for he careth for you Wherefore then should we nourish immoderate and excessiue cares in our bosomes seeing we haue assurance of Gods care towards vs Let vs trust in him and be secure without all distrust and feare If we haue spent our daies in the following and pursuing after the vaine profits of this life let vs bethinke our selues what we haue done and study to redeeme the time that is to come and consider wherefore we were created redeemed The things that are seene are temporall the thinges that are not seene they are eternall Let vs aboue all preferre those thinges that are able best to preferre vs. Let vs not liue heere as men that spend all their daies in catching after feathers and following toyes and trifles that cannot profit If we should see a man wast his yeares from day to day and from moneth to moneth and from yeare to yeare and hauing liued forty or fifty yeares hath done nothing but catch after shadowes runne after Butter-Flies follow after Gew-gawes or behold the Moone-shine in the waters or alwayes looke downe vpon the earth or alwayes blowe vp Feathers in the Aire would we not thinke him starke mad and iudge him out of his wittes Euery man is ready to accuse him of Madnesse no man would thinke he did him wrong to call him so or craue pardon for that he hath done But bee not too hastye to censure such and to passe the sentence of Madnesse vpon them least the Parable be applied to thy selfe and be verified of thy selfe The wise man who knew best who are Fooles and what to iudge of folly preacheth and proclaymeth both in the entrance and end of his wordes g Eccle 1 2 12 8. Vanity of vanities saith the Preacher Vanity of Vanities all is Vanity If then these things be all vaine nay Vanity it selfe it is more then certaine that such as spend their time and wast their years and consume their strength in catching after these toyes these shaddowes these shewes these feathers these follies these trisles and spend more yeares in pursuing after these earthly thinges then they do houres in attaining Heauenly thinges may truely be accounted Fooles or Mad-men or sottish or such as are possessed with a Spirit of giddinesse that runne vp and downe hither and thether and know not what they do Wee vse commonly to pittye such as are mad and beside themselues and out of their right wittes None are farther out of the way nor more destitute of true Wisedome then these men are that haue the least care of the best thinges and the greatest care of the least thinges Let vs beeware least while we thinke our selues to be wise we become starke fooles while we thinke our selues spirituall we be proued to be carnall and while we loath madnesse and folly in others we loue madnesse and folly in our selues Vse 3. Lastly seeing spirituall thinges must be placed and preferred before earthly we learne another duty from hence namely that we ought to make greatest account of the greatest blessings and such as are highest of all must also be highest in our estimation These we ought especially to pray for of the want of these we must haue a speciall feeling Wee are ready to aske for our daily bread but we do not desire the bread of life we do not hunger and thirst after Righteousnesse Wee are wholly ignorant of the right manner and method of praying wee regarde not to obserue the order which God hath ordained Christ Iesus instrcting vs to pray h Math 6. and leauing vs a perfect pattern how to make prayer both for matter and method hath made this the fourth Petition to haue our daily bread giuen vnto vs. But we will not pray after this manner we will not obserue this direction we make this our principall care we make it the first Petition nay we make it both first and second the third and sourth the fift and sixt we make it the beginning and the ending we set it before and behinde wee enter with it wee conclude with it wee make it all in all to haue earthly blessings and temporall commodities and bodily necessities supplyed vnto vs. What a shame is it vnto vs that if we will not know the preheminence of heauenly thinges aboue these mortall and transitory vanities we should be such great strangers at home and so ignorant of our selues and of those parts whereof we consist Who is so simple that doth not vnderstand that the soule is more noble and excellent then the body If then it be more worthy as being a spirit an immortall spirit ought we not in the first place to prouide for it Ought wee not to adorne it with all spirituall graces Ought we not so to quallifie it as that it may be inheritour of eternall glory Let vs therefore affect the things of certaine abode and seeke after Wisedome Faith Sanctification and the true Riches of the Spirit If our Treasure be in Heauen our hearts will be there also Let vs lay vp and locke vp our Treasure in Immortality let vs be sure to lay a good foundation against the time to come One thing is necessary this is the good part that shall not bee taken away from vs. All humaine thinges are full of vncertainties and the meanes of their decaying and vanishing are manifold the Rust the Moth the Canker the Theefe beside a thousand other casualties that take them away from vs. It is an holy and heauenly admonition giuen vnto vs by Christ Math 6. i Math 6 33. First seeke the Kingdome of God and his Righteousnesse and then all other thinges shall be ministred vnto you This checketh and controlleth the preposterous order and bad practise of most men in their callinges they set the wrong end forward they labour first of all to get wealth and wellfare from day to day and from yeare to yeare but neuer thinke of the roote of welfare and from what Fountain all earthly blessings spring to wit from the grace of God Let vs imploy our paines to get Gods fauour and then transitory thinges Wealth Peace Honour Liberty and such like will follow so farre as they shall bee expedient for vs otherwise all our abundance shall turne to be our bane woe and destruction all thinges shall be accursed vnto vs our Table shall be made a snare to take vs and torment vs. The grace of God in Christ is sufficient to make a man blessed and without it all other thinges though we had them in the greatest measure cannot free vs from cursednes Now it is vnpossible that euer we shuld seeke for these gratious gifts of God except we feele our own misery in the want of thē It is the want of health which we desire to haue restored the feeling of our