Balaam seemes a friend to Israell but hee is so farre from inheriting with them that hee is destroyed by them the sword of the Lord rootes him out this will bee the portion of all Hypocrites i Iosh 13.12 And wee should labour for a particular warrant in the knowledge of our owne portion this would incourage vs against all difficulties Caleb dares fight with the Anakins if Ioshua giue him Hebron k Iosh 14.6.11 c. and feeble and complayning Ephraim shall ouercome and inlarge himselfe if Ioshua particularly incourage him l Iosh 17. And as no Cananites ought to bee left in the Lot of Israell so no wicked workers should be suffered to remaine in the assembly of the Saints to be prickes and goades in the sides of the righteous And as they that haue their inheritance allowed them already must not rest but fight till their brethren haue rest m Josh 1.12 so they that haue comfort in their owne conuersion must strengthen their brethren And if any haue too little roome the way is not to murmure and doubt but to fight it out for more so must Dan n Iosh 19.14 so should weake Christians not giue way to discontentment but striue in the spirituall Combat till more grace and roome for the inlarging of the heart be gotten Lastly as seauen Tribes are iustly taxed and censured by Ioshua for their negligence and sloath in not seeking speedily to possesse the Land God had offered them o Iosh 18.2 so may the most of vs bee iustly rebuked for grieuous securitie about the heauenly Canaan Many rest in the probabilities and hope of a title nay the most rest satisfied in such a condition as is without title and without hope vnlesse they amend yea the better sort diuers of them haue but a title and therefore it iustly falleth out that these are buffetted by Christ as they were disgraced by Ioshua and as they must stand to the curtesie of the viewers of the Land for the report of the goodnesse of their part so must these secure Christians stand to the curtesie of their Teachers for how much knowledge and comfort they shall thinke meete to impart vnto them concerning their inheritance in heauen and heauenly things Partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light The happinesse of the faithfull is an inheritance illustrated here first by the persons that must enioy it it is not common to all but appropriated to Saints secondly by the qualitie of it it is in light Christ is the great heyre of all things p Heb 1.1 Psal 2. the Christian is coheyre with Christ It is a doctrine that hath much comfort in it a Christian holds by the fayrest tenure and firmest and surest too for though his life be changeable and his dayes on earth must haue an end yet his inheritance endures for euer and whiles hee liues God will know him all his dayes for no worse a man then his owne heyre q Psal 37.17.18 And the consideration of the inheritance of the Saints should teach vs diuers things first to pray that God would remember vs with the fauour of his people and visite vs with his saluation and that then hee would open our eyes to see the glory of such an inheritance r Psal 106.3.4 Ephes 1.18 Secondly to honour the righteous and not despise poore Christians seeing God hath made them his heyres and rich in faith Å¿ Iames 2.5 Thirdly to endeauour with all care to walke worthy of such honour as to be made Gods heyres And lastly to be willing to suffer any thing in this world for Christ seeing in the world to come wee must raigne with him as coheyres t Rom 8.17.18 Of the Saints Onely Saints inherit and therefore be sure thou be a Saint be sure thou be more then flesh and bloud u 1 Cor 15.50 be sure thou lye in none of the sinnes God hath threatned with the losse of this inheritance x Ephes 5.5 1 Cor 6.9 Gal 5.21 bee sure of the imputation of the righteousnesse of Christ y Rom 4.13.14 Tit. 3.7 bee sure thou haue in thee the spirit of the Sonne z Gal. 4.7 Ephes 1.14 bee sure to commit thy selfe to the word of grace * Acts 20.32 In light The Christians inheritance is said to be held in light in sixe respects First because hee now obtaines it in the times of the Gospell which times in comparison with the times of the old Testament are called times of light the light of the Iewes being spread abroad among the Gentiles and exceedingly enlarged by the rising of the Sunne of righteousnesse Secondly A three-fold light in man because this inheritance can neuer be assured without the light of knowledge In the vnderstanding of man there is a three-folde light of knowledge Naturall Euangelicall and Celestiall the Naturall light is the light of Reason the Euangelicall light is the light of Faith and the Celestiall light is the light of Heauen Before we can see our inheritance in the light of Heauen wee must first see it in the light of Faith and as for the light of Reason it will do no good for any euidence in this tenure Thirdly because this inheritance is held with true ioy on earth and perfect ioy in heauen and Ioy is expressed by the word light in many places in Scripture Fourthly in respect of the admirable communion that a Christian hath with God and Christ who is light of light that true light Iohn 8.12 Fiftly because of the certainety of this inheritance it is said to bee held in light It is worthy the noting that Catharinus a Papist writing vpon this place thus vnderstands the meaning of Light and is much offended with those that pleade for vncertaintie of assurance Sixtly in light that is in Heauen and the light of Heauen in an excellent light both for the perfection of it and the continuance of it It is a perfect light for there shall be on Gods part a cleare reuelation and on mans part a cleare vision and for continuance that light shall neuer be ouercome of darkenesse nay it shall neuer admit any mixture of obscuritie in as much as Heauen is a Citie that needes not the Sunne nor Moone to shine in it for the glory of God doth lighten it and the Lambe is the light thereof Reuel 21.23 In the meane while till God translate vs to this light of heauen let vs labour to settle our heartes in the light of Faith and certaintie and glad our hearts with the light of the Spirit and ioy choosing rather to die then to forsake the face and presence of God the fountaine of all true light both in earth and heauen Verse 13. Who hath deliuered vs from the power of Darkenesse and translated vs into the Kingdome of his deare Sonne IN this Verse our redemption is considered more particularly for as it is by inchoation in
glorious for the Lord shall then come to be glorified in his Saints and made maruellous in all them that beleeue m 2 The. 1.10 Ob. Ob. But the terror of the day may amaze a Christian Sol. Sol. There is no sparke of terror in this doctrine to a godly minde For what should he feare if he either consider the fauour of the Iudge or the manner of the iudgement For the Iudge is he that hath beene all this while their aduocate n 1 Ioh. 2.1 to plead their suits by making intercession for them And therefore when he comes to sit in iudgement he cannot goe against his owne pleading He is their brother and carries a most brotherly affection and will hee condemne his owne brethren He is their head and hath performed all the offices of a head vnto them and can hee then faile them when they haue most need of him nay it is he that hath beene iudged for vs on earth and will hee iudge against vs in heauen What shall I say He died for vs to shew his vndoubted loue euen that he might redeeme vs as a peculiar people to God and will hee faile vs in the last act when he should once for all accomplish his redemption for vs Besides he hath already promised to acquit vs in that day and it hath beene often confirmed both in the word and the Sacraments and praier he hath left many pledges of his loue with vs and therefore it were shamefull vnbeleefe to doubt his terror What though he be terrible to wicked men yet by iudging in seueritie he hath not nor cannot lose the goodnesse of his owne mercy what should wee feare him iudging in his power when wee haue felt saluation in his name Besides the maner of the iudgement shall be in all righteousnesse and mercy Thou shalt not be wronged by false witnesses nor shalt thou be iudged by common fame or outward appearance the Iudge will not be transported with passion or spleene nor will hee condemne thee to satisfie the people and besides there shall bee nothing remembred but what good thou hast sought or done and not the least goodnesse but it shall be found to thy honour and praise at that day And if it were such a fauour to a base subiect if the King should take notice of him to loue him and should in an open Parliament before all the Lords and Commons make a long speech in the particular praises of such a subiect what shall it be when the Lord Iesus in a greater assembly then euer was since the world stood shal particularly declare Gods euerlasting loue to thee and recite the praises with his owne mouth of all that hath beene good in thy thoughts affections words or workes throughout all thy life or in thy death especially if thou adde the singular glory he will then adiudge thee to by an irreuocable sentence And so wee come to the second appearance viz. the appearance of Christians in glory Then shall yee also appeare with him in glory The glory that shall then be conferred vpon Christians may be considered either in their bodies or in their soules or both The glory of Christians first in their bodies The glory of their bodies after the resurrection is threefold for first they shall be immortall that is in such a condition as they can neuer die againe or returne to dust for this mortall then shall put on immortalitie o 1 Cor. 15.53 Secondly they shall be incorruptible that is not only free from putrefaction but also from all weaknesse both of infirmitie and deformitie for though it be sowne in weaknesse yet it shall be raised in power though it be sowne in dishonour and corruption yet it shall be raised in honour and incorruption p 1 Cor. 15.42.43 Thirdly they shall be spirituall not that our bodies shall vanish into ghosts or spirits but because they shall be at that day so admirably glorified and perfected that by the mighty working of Gods spirit they shall bee as able to liue without sleepe meat mariage or the like as now the Angels in heauen are and besides they shall be so admirably light and agill and swift that they shall be able to goe abroad with vnconceiueable speed in the aire or heauens as now they can goe surely on the earth q 1 Cor. 15.44 The glory vpon the soule shall bee the wonderfull perfection of Gods image in all the faculties of it Then shall we know the secrets of heauen and earth And then shall our memories will and affections be after an vnexpresseable manner made conformable vnto God The glory vpon both soule and body shall be those riuers of ioyes and pleasures for euermore And thus shall the man be glorified that feareth the Lord. The consideration of this glory may serue for diuers vses First let vs all pray vnto God vpon the knees of our hearts from day to day that as hee is the father of glory so he would giue vnto vs the spirit of reuelation that the eies of our vnderstanding might be inlightned to know in some comfortable measure and that we might be able with more life and affection to meditate of the exceeding riches of this glory r Eph. 1.17.18 and inheritance to come Our hearts are naturally herein exceeding both dull and blinde maruellous vnable with delight and constancie to thinke of these eternall felicities and this comes to passe by the spirituall working of Satan and the deceitfulnesse of sinne and too much imployment and care about earthly things But a Christian that hath so high a calling and hopes for such a glorious end should not allow himselfe in that deadnesse of heart but as he gaineth sense by praier in other gifts of grace so should he striue with importunitie and constancie wrastling with God without intermission so as no day should passe him but he would remember this suit vnto God till he could get some comfortable abilitie to meditate of this excelling estate of endlesse glory Secondly this should make vs to be patient in tribulation Å¿ Rom. 5.2.3.4 and without murmuring or grieuing to endure hardnesse t 2 Tim. 2.3 and temptations in this world for they are but for a season u 1 Pet. 1.6 though they be neuer so manifold or great and the afflictions of this present life are not worthy of the glory to bee reuealed x Rom. 8.18 Though wee might be dismaied while we looke vpon our crosses and reproaches and manifold trials yet if the Lord let vs haue accesse vnto this grace y Rom. 5.2 to be able soundly to thinke of the glory to come wee may stand with confidence vnapalled and with vnutterable ioy looke vp to the glory wee shall shortly enioy when the triall of our faith being more pretious then the gold that perisheth shall be found vnto honour and praise through the reuelation of Iesus Christ z 1 Pet. 1.7 Yea
vs as if they had neuer beene committed through his merits that shed his bloud for vs. Who is a most liuely and perfect image of the inuisible God Verse 15. Who is the Image of the inuisible God the first borne of euery creature not onely as hee workes Gods Image in man or because he appeared for God the Father to the Fathers in the old Law or because as man he had in him the likenesse of God in perfect holinesse and righteousnes or because he did by his Miracles as it were make God visible in his flesh but as he was from euerlasting the very essentiall naturall Image of God most absolutely in his diuine person resembling infinitely the whole nature of his Father and therefore is to be acknowledged as the begotten of God by an eternall generation so the first begotten of euery Creature as he was before them so is he therefore the principal heyre of all things by whom and in whose right Verse 16. For by him were all things created which are in heauen and which are in earth things visible and inuisible whether they be Thrones or Dominions or Principâ—lities or Powers all things were created by him and for him all the Saints doe inherit what they haue or looke for For by him all things in heauen or earth whether visible or inuisible were created yea the very Angels themselues of what Order or Office soeuer whether Thrones or Dominions Principalities or Powers were all made my him of nothing and therefore he and not they are to be worshipped in short all things were created by him yea and for him too Verse 17. And the is before all things and in him all things consâ—st And hee was from euerlasting with GOD the Father before all Angels or other Creature was made and still all things are preserued and continued as consisting in him yea the very Angels haue their confirmation from him Verse 18. And hee is the head of the body of the Church hee is the beginning and the first borne of the dead that in all things hee might haue the preeminence And he is that glorious and alone Mysticall head of the Church which in an holy order and relation by the admirable worke of the Spirit as a bond vniting together is a true body vnto CHRIST and worthily is he to be acknowledged a head vnto the Church for three great Reasons first in respect of Dignity for hee alone hath the primacy and ought to be acknowledged to haue preheminence in all things for if wee respect the estate of Grace he is the beginning of all goodnesse and if wee respect the estate of Glory hee is the first borne of the dead not onely because he is risen himselfe in his body from the graue but also because by his onely power all his members shall rise at the last day and also because that in the death of all the righteous he doth still continue to and in the very last gaspe his assistance and holy presence Verse 19. For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulnesse dwell Secondly hee is fittest yea onely fit to be the head of the Church because it hath pleased the Father that in him should all fulnes only dwell so that he is a head in respect of plenitude for the behoofe of the members Verse 20. And by him to reconcile all things vnto himselfe and to set at peace through the bloud of his Crosse both the things in earth and the things in heauen Verse 21. And you which were in times past strangers and enemies because your mindes were set in euill workes hath he now also reconciled And thirdly hee is a head in respect of influence for from him onely comes downe to the members all peace with God and all the fruits of that reconciliation for it is hee that made peace by the bloud of his Crosse and that hath estated happinesse vpon all the Saints reconciling them to God I say all the Saints both those that are in heauen already and those that being yet on earth hope for that glory in heauen hereafter And that this is so you are able out of your own experience to auouch for whereas by nature you were strangers from GOD and the life of God you were very enemies to God and all his goodnesse and this alienation and enmitie was apparantly seated in your very mindes through the euill workes of all sorts which abounded in your liues Verse 22. In the body of his flesh throgh death to make you holy and vnblameable and without fault in his sight yet you know that CHRIST taking our Nature vpon him and in that nature suffering death for you hath reconciled you to GOD and by the Gospell a-new created you that hee might present you to GOD as holy and vnblameable and without fault in his sight couering your wants and hiding the euill of your workes through his owne Intercession and allowing you the benefit of the Couenant of Grace through which vprightnesse will be in him accepted in stead of perfection Verse 23. If ye continue grounded and stablished in the faith and be not mooued away from the hope of the Gospell whereof yee haue heard and which hath bin preached vnto euery creature which is vnder heauen whereof I Paul am a Minister Now what remaines but that seeing wee haue such precious Doctrine you should be exhorted to hold out with all Christian perseuerance setling and establishing your hearts in the beleefe of the truth suffering your selues not to be carried away with any contrary winde of Doctrine from the confidence of that hope of your reconciliation with God which hath been propounded and wrought in you by the preaching of the Gospell and the rather because vnlesse you doe so perseuere you cannot haue sound comfort in your right to the benâ—â—â—â— before named Besides there are many reasons may induce you to the resolutenesse of perseuerance in the Doctrin you haue already beleeued and hoped in First it is the Doctrine which all Gods Elect with one consent haue receiued throughout the world and vpon it haue founded their Faith and Hope Secondly the consideration of what yee see in me may somewhat moue you and that if you eyther consider my Ministery or Sufferings for my Ministery I haue so throughly informed my selfe concerning the Doctrine which Epaphras hath taught you that I see it in all things for the substance of it to be the same which I my selfe haue taught in euery place Now for my Sufferings it is apparant to all sorts of men Verse 24. Now I reioyce in my sufferings for you and fulfill the rest of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his bodies sake which is the Church that I haue endured my part of all kindes of Troubles for the Gospell which I would not haue done if I had not had full assurance of the truth of it neyther doe I repent me of my
1 Thes 2.15.16 fulfil the measure of their sins alwaies God they please not and the wrath of God is come on them to the vttermost Doctr. 2 Secondly here we may learne that spirituall aliance is the best aliance for it is a greater honour to Timothy to bee a brother Spirituall aliance then to be an Euangelist for hee might haue beene an Euangelist and yet haue gone to Hell when he had done as Iudas an Apostle did And this cannot but be exceeding comfortable seeing there is not the meanest childe of God but he may attaine to that which was Timothies greatest title Doctr. 3 Thirdly the Apostle doth intimate by the taking in of Timothies assent that the most glorious doctrine of God doth need the witnesse of men Gods doctrin needs mans witnesse such a vanity and secret sinfulnes doth lodge in mens hearts Which should teach Ministers with all good conscience and heedfulnesse to weigh well and consider throughly of their doctrine before they deliuer it Vse because there is a weakenesse too commonly found in the very deare children of God namely to receiue doctrine vpon the trust and credit of the Messenger without searching the Scriptures as they ought to doe 2 The persons saluted Thus farre of the persons saluting the persons saluted are described both by the place of their habitation at Colosse and by their spirituall estate in which he describes them by foure things they are Saints they are faithfull they are Brethren and they are in Christ Foure general obseruations Before I come to the particular handling of each of these I consider foure things in the generall First heere we see the power of the Gospell But a little before 1. The power of the Gospel if Colosse had beene searched with lights as Ierusalem was there would not haue beene found one Saint nor one faithfull man or woman in the whole Citie 2. Who be the true members of the Church 3. The Church may be true yet faulty and now behold by the preaching of the Word heere are many Saints and faithfull Brethren to be found in her Secondly wee see here who be the true members of the Church The Apostle acknowledgeth none but such as are Saints faithfull and in Christ Thirdly wee see heere that a Church may remaine a true Church notwithstanding grosse corruptions remaine in it vnreformed as heere these titles are giuen to â— Câ—â—â—ch much poysoned with humane traditions and vile corruptions in woâ—â—â—ip Lastly it is to be obserued that the Apostle ioynes all these together 4 One grace or priuiledge cannot bee without another Carnall Protestant to note that one cannot be without the other one cannot be a Saint vnlesse he be faithfull and in Christ and so of the rest The last clause cuts off the Iewes apparantly from being Saints or true belieuers seeing they receiue not Christ and the first clause cuts off the carnall Protestant so as he cannot be a beleeuer or in Christ seeing he cares no more for sanctitie and the two middlemost cut off the Papists and all Heretikes and Schismatikes seeing they haue with insolent pride made a rent and Apostasie from the true Apostolicall Churches 2 Thes 2.4 c by aduancing themselues with their Man of sinne aboue their brethren nay aboue all that is called God Thus farre in generall the first thing particularly giuen them is that they are Saints Saints This Word is diuersely accepted in Scripture The acceptations of the word Saints Sometimes it is giuen to the Angels and so they are called Saints Deuter. 33.2 Iob. 15.15 Secondly men are said to be holy by a certaine Legall or Ceremoniall sanctitie Leuit. 11.44 And in this sence the superstitious are holy This is the holinesse and sanctitie of Papists and Popish persons which place all their holinesse in the obseruation of Rites and Traditions and superstitious Customes Thirdly all that stand members of the Church by the rule of Charitie or in respect of outward visibility and profession are called Saints and so all that couenant with GOD by offering Sacrifice Psal 50.5 are called Saints Lastly and properly it is a tearme giuen to men effectually called the children of God truely conuerted are called Saints not because they are perfectly holy without all sinne but in foure respects First Gods children are called Saints in foure respects in respect of Separation because they are elected and gathered out of the world and ioyned vnto Gods people and dedicated to holy seruices and vses thus the word is often taken Secondly in respect of vocation and therefore the Apostle 1 Cor. 1.2 When he had said they were sanctified he said by way of explication they were Saints by calling Thirdly in respect of regeneration because they are now new creatures And lastly in respect of iustification or imputation because the holinesse and sanctitie of Christ is imputed to them The sence being thus giuen the doctrine is plaine Doct. Men may bee Saints in this life that men may be Saints in this life there are Saints in Earth as well as in Heauen This is apparant also in other Scriptures as Psalm 16.3 To the Saints that are in earth And Psal 37.28 Hee forsaketh not his Saints And Psalm 132.9.16 Let thy Saints reioyce So in the Epistle to the Ephesians ch 2.20 Citizens with the Saints c. chap. 3.8 Paul calleth himselfe the least of all Saints c. chap. 4.12 For the gathering together of the Saints with many other places Vse The vse of this serues first to confute the grosse folly of the Papists that acknowledge no Saints till three things come to them first they must be Canonized by the Pope Three things needfull for popish Saints secondly they must be dead first thirdly it must be an hundred yeeres after their death This last prouiso was well added lest their treasons and most vile practises should be remembred Secondly this serues for the seuere reproofe of numbers in our owne Church that liue as if there were no sanctitie to be looked after till they come to heauen Thirdly the Scripture is not without singular comfort to the poore despised Saints Comforts for the despised Saints and seâ—uants of God Psal 16.3 Psal 30.4.5 I will take them in order as they lye Deuter. 7.6.7 If wee be sure wee be a holy people to the Lord then this is our comfort that God accounts of vs aboue all the people vpon the earth and no man loues his Pearles or precious Iewels so much as God loues the meanest Saint Dauid saith these are the Nobles of the earth And Psal 30.4.5 These are willed with all cheerefull thankfulnesse to laud and praise God and that before the remembrance of his holines as they before the Arke so wee before all the Tokens and Pledges of Gods loue both the Word and Sacraments and sweet witnesses of the Spirit of Adoption and all other blessings
comming in the clowds of heauen and then miraculously recouers Peter a lapsed sinner Will they arraigne him in the common hall why there he ouercomes by patience no indignities could stir him and the Iudges wife from a dreame giues warning that hee was a iust man yea the Iudge himselfe was compelled to pronounce him innocent 3. Vpon the crosse Will they haue him to the crosse there are wonders of victorie a theefe without meanes saued the vaile of the Temple rent signes in heauen and earth and a title of victorie superscribed by his very aduersaries This is the King of the Iewes besides his incorruption in the graue and glorious resurrection and visible ascension to heauen All this being considered where is the ignominie of the crosse seeing the Deuils erected a crosse for themselues when they plotted to crucifie Christ And why should we be afraid of suffrings seeing the crosse is Christs triumph and let vs resolue also to ouercome by suffrings f Rom. 8.34 T is an excellent and loftie praise to ouercome by suffring Lastly let vs neuer iudge of Christ or Christians by their outward shew great things may be done in the kingdom of Christ which are not discerned by carnall reason Here we see a great adoe trophies triumphs yet the world tooke no notice of it so is there incomparable glory euen in this world in the soules and liues of Christians which the blinde multitude neuer takes notice of And thus much of the second interpretation The third and last interpretation is of those that limit not the time of this victorie to the crosse but consider it generally and in steede of the words vpon the same crosse read in himselfe and thus doe the most Interpreters new and old read it And so this victorie is vnderstood not so much of what Christ did attaine in his person as what he doth in vs by the conuersion of sinners by the Gospell hee daily spoyles principalities and powers and triumphs ouer them c. and so these words are a consequent of the putting out of the hand-writing mentioned in the former verse Foure things are in these words to bee considered who whom what and by what meanes For the first it is the second Adam that vndertakes this battel he that is God and man he of whom the prophesies ranne he that by a voice from heauen at his baptisme was acknowledged the only champion t was he that sent the challenge by his fore-runner Iohn Baptist he it is that foyled Sathan in many Monomachies this is he that now comes forth in the Gospell in the seuerall ages of the Church to spoyle these principalities and powers Now for the second the spoyled are called principalities and powers Principalities and Powers These termes are giuen to the good Angels Eph. 3.10 and to great Magistrates and Princes on earth Eph. 1.23 In effect they are giuen to Christ Esay 9.6.7 but vsually they are restrained to euill angels and so they are called either considering them as they were before their fall or as it is vsually conceiued it notes their estate euen since their fall The two words note two things in the euill Angels Excellencie and Abilitie Excellencie so they are principalities Abilitie so they are powers Their excellencie is two waies to be considered 1. in themselues 2. their soueraignty ouer the world In themselues and their owne nature euer since their horrible fall they are creatures of wonderfull knowledge swiftnesse discerning and such like An in respect of the vnregenerate world they haue a principality hence called worldly rulers g Eph. 6. the prince of this world h Ioh. 1 2. yea and the god of this world i 2 Cor. 4.4 We may obserue here in the holy Ghost a wonderfull patterne of candor he praiseth what is praise-worthy euen in his enemies and it may wonderfully comfort Gods children in their acceptation with God for if God can yeelde these titles and acknowledge that is yet good in the very Deuils sure then it cannot be he should not like what he findes good in his owne Saints though they haue many wants and sinnes seeing they sinne not of malicious wickednes as the Deuils doe As they are called principalities so for their abilitie and force of working The povver of the Deuils both in the vvorld and in the Church they are called powers The wonderfull power the diuels haue may be considered either in the world or in the Church In the first race of men before the floud how soone had they drawne away Cains race into apostasie and not long after Sethes till they had chased the light of sincerity within the walles of one house and not all sound there neither After the floud the world is no sooner filled againe but together with the building of Babel a most dreadfull confusion was wrought by the Deuils euen the beginning of a generall falling away into gentilisme and idolatrie which will neuer bee vtterly recouered againe while the world stands all the families making apostasie in the beginning of the Babylonish Monarchie and such an apostacie as they continued in for many hundred yeeres in the generalitie of them so as there was onely a little light left in the race of Sem. Now leauing the whole world lying vnder this powerfull wickednesse come to Abraham a brand taken out of the fire of the Chaldeans in whom the light shined with great glory see the power of these wicked spirits ouer his race the Ismalites went quickely off to gentilisme then the Edomites were easily gained after then in Aegypt the light that did remaine was almost put out the bondage of the Israelites being as great in soule k Ezech. 20. as it was in bodie In Moses time the light was diffused in that people all abroad againe and a kingdom of Priests was raised vp to God this light held with various encreases and decreases till the captiuitie after which time it waxed dimmer and dimmer till Christ the Day-starre arose and filled heauen and earth with the brightnesse of his comming After in the very first hundreds of yeeres these cursed spirits not onely persecuted religion by incredible tyranny but infected it with the tares of strange errors and prodigious superstitions and heresies till all grew together in one body in Antichrist Vnder Antichrist all sincerity was againe almost vniuersally put out the face of religion corrupted and idolatry brought into the Churches 1260 yeeres Lastly in our owne dayes when the prophesies were accomplished the euerlasting Gospell published againe alas yet consider the state of the world one part of the world lieth in Paganisme another in Turcisme another in Iudaisme another in Papisme and in all these foure these wicked spirits raigne and hold the world captiue at their pleasure Come we to the visible assemblies of the true Churches of Iesus Christ consider there their power how mightily it extends for there they haue secret Atheists Church-papists
spirit of God and the effect of all is a heart inspired with heauenly ioyes and refreshings 3. As it begun in Christ and is continued in the life of a Christian so this triumph shall be perfected in death and consummate in the resurrection to the eternall dissolution and confusion of all wicked men and deuils Now for vse of this Vse what iust cause is there to take vp bitter lamentations for the wonderfull frowardnesse of the natures of the most men who had rather be miserable and serue the deuill still then be made glorious by conquest in repentance for their sinnes they had rather be his prisoners then such princes rather slaues to Sathan then sonnes to God rather dragged into captiuitie with the deuill then carried in the chariot of triumph with the Saints 2. If such honors be done to Christians and such ioyes had in a Christian estate oh then let it be the praier of euery godly man daily to God as Psal 106.4 Remember me O Lord with the fauour of thy people visit me with thy saluation c. Lastly how should it excite in vs a desire to walke worthy of such a victorie yea how should it inspire vs with spirituall magnanimitie to resist Sathan and with a holy scorne to disdaine his filthy tentations and in all estates to demeane our selues so as might become men that know and beleeue that Christ hath spoiled principalities and powers for vs c. 4. For the meanes of this victorie it is added in these words In himselfe So it is read in the Greeke and in the most Interpreters and this in himselfe either it notes his mysticall body or else it notes Christ himselfe alone and in this latter sense it is continually taken and so we may here learne that it is the Lord Iesus Christ alone euen himselfe alone that hath wrought this victorie for vs there was none other able to stand in the field against the aduersarie there is no name else vnder heauen by which wee can be saued and therefore we should giue all the glory to Christ alone and not to any man or Angels for they neuer fought for vs nor were they able to stand in this battell of our redemption VERS 16. Let no man therefore condemne you in meat or drinke or in respect of an holiday or of the new Moone or of the Sabboth dayes 17. Which are but a shadow of things to come but the body is in Christ HItherto of the seuen reasons of the dehortation The conclusion followes in these words and the rest to the end of the chapter and it hath three branches For 1. he concludes against Iudaisme in these words 2. Against philosophie vers 18.19 3. Against traditions vers 20. to the end In these words is contained both the conclusion it selfe vers 16. and the reason vers 17. and the drift is to shew that the ceremonies of Moses are abolished and therefore they should not receiue them or hold themselues bound vnto them This was foretold Dan. 9.17 it was signified by the renting of the vaile and these ceremonies were solemnly and publikely laid downe in the first Councell which was held by the Apostles at Ierusalem Act. 15. And they were then so laid downe that the Apostle after giues order to the Church that those ceremonies should neuer be vsed nor any other deuices but such as might be to edification order and decencie and were without offence The ceremonies named in the text are the difference of meats and drinkes and the obseruation of times concerning which hee writes more sharply Gal. 3.1.3 4.10 5.9 6.12 In the Law there were three sorts of meats that legally were required 1. The meat offerings 2. The shew bread 3. The cleane beasts The meat offering was a type of Christ our nourishment The shew bread was a type of the Church in her mysticall vnion And the cleane beasts knowne by chewing the cud and diuiding the hoofe were types of the Christians both meditation and discretion in the meanes of his holy conuersation And for the confirmation of this place the Apostle elsewhere shewes euidently that the difference of meats is taken away 1 Tim. 4.1.2.3.4 The difference of times in the Law is here said to be threefold of dayes of moneths of Sabbaths In respect of an holy day The originall and most translations word for word haue it thus in part of an holiday but in diuers senses some say in part of an holiday that is in partition of a festiuall day from a not festiuall day as well in dayes as in moneths or Sabboths Some say in part for they could not obserue all ceremonies being absent from Ierusalem Therefore the Apostle would haue them to receiue none at all seeing they could not receiue them all Some say in part of an holiday that is in that part of them which concernes dayes c. But it is more plainly as it is here rendred Or of the new moone They did obserue the Calends or first dayes of euery moneth Or of Sabboth dayes There were diuers sorts of Sabboths of dayes of yeeres or seuens of yeeres The Sabboths of dayes were either morall viz. the seuenth day which God did chuse or ceremoniall the ceremoniall Sabboths were either more solemne such as were the three great feasts Passeouer Pentecost tabernacles or lesse solemne such as were the feasts of blowing the trumpets a Leuit. 23.24 and the feast of expiation b Leuit. 16.32 33.34 The Sabboth of yeeres was euery seuenth yeere c Leuit. 25.4.5.6 to 11. The Sabboth of seuens of yeeres was the Iubile which returned euery fiftie yeeres We see here then that the Apostle shewes that wee are deliuered from the bondage of the obseruation as before of meats so now of Sabboths Obiect But is the Sabboth day that was morall abrogated Sol. No the Apostle speakes here of the ceremoniall Law not of the morall and of ceremoniall Sabboths not of the morall Sabboth the word is in the plurall number The manner of propounding the conclusion is to be obserued Let no man condemne you These words may be referred either to Gods children or to false teachers In the first sense it is thus Let none condemne you that is doe not shew such loue to these ceremonies hereafter that thereby you incurre iustly the blame and censure of Gods children And if they bee referred to false teachers then it is thus let no man whatsoeuer perswade you that you are condemned or iudged of God for omitting the obseruation of the ceremonies care not for their censures neuer trouble your consciences about it Which are shadowes of things to come Here the Apostle with full saile driues into the hauen by shutting vp with this vnauoidable argument These ceremonies are but shadowes of that substance which now we haue and therefore it is a foolish thing to striue about the shadow when we haue the substance Ceremonies were shadowes in diuers respects
2 Thess 1. and Peter u 2 Pet. 3. and Iohn * Reuel and Iude x Iud. 6. Neither is the assurance of the Iudgement to come warranted by the words of Gods seruants onely but the Lord hath left many works of his owne as pledges that he will once at length for all iudge the whole world for sinne The drowning of the old world the burning of Sodome the destruction of Ierusalem y Matt. 24. were assured fore-tokens that the Lord would not put vp the infinite iniquities of the world but will most seuerely punish for sinne The pleading of the conscience z Rom. 2.15.16 foretels a iudgement to come The sentence of death pronounced in Paradise and renewed with such terror on Sinay did euidently assure that God meant to call men to an account The lesser iudgements in this life are but fore-types of that last and greatest iudgement to come And lastly the dragging of men out of the world by death is nothing else but an Alarum to Iudgement Yet as there is a necessary vse of the knowledge of this dreadfull and glorious doctrine so there is a restraint to be laid vpon vs. Be vvise to sobrietie This is one of the things wherein we must be wise to sobrietie a Rom 12.3 We must represse the itching of our eares and be content to be ignorant of what is not reuealed this is a doctrine to be inquired into more for vse of life then to feed the curiositie of contemplation Concerning the Iudgement to come if any aske Who shall iudge Who shall iudge I answer that in respect of authoritie the whole Trinitie shall iudge but in respect of the execution of that authoritie Christ onely shall iudge and that as man b Act. 17 31. It is true that the Apostles and the Saints are said to iudge the tribes of Israel and the world but they only iudge as assessors that is they shall sit as it were on the bench with our Sauiour Christ when he iudgeth And if any aske in the second place Whom Christ shall iudge I answer Who shall be iudged he shall iudge the euill Angels for they are reserued in euerlasting chaines vnder darknesse vnto the iudgement of the great day Hee shall iudge also the man of sinne c Iud. 6. 2 Pet. 2.4 euen the great Antichrist that hath made such hauocke in the Church and seduced the nations with the wine of his fornications euen him shall he consume with the brightnesse of his comming d 2 Thess 2.8 He shall iudge also all reprobates men women and children of all ages nations and conditions for though he shall not know them e Matt. 7.22 25.12 in respect of approbation yet he shall iudge them and make them vnderstand he knew their transgressions Further he shall iudge the very elect though it shall be with a different iudgement for we must all appeare before the tribunall seat of Christ that euery one may receiue the things which are done in his body f 2 Cor. 5.10 Lastly in some sense it may be said he shall iudge the whole world for the heauens and the earth that now are are kept by the word of God and reserued vnto fire against the day of condemnation and of the destruction of vngodly men g 2 Pet. 3. And the Apostle Paul saith that the feruent desire of the creature made subiect to vanitie by man waiteth for this reuelation of the sonnes of God at the last iudgement for they are subdued vnder hope and shall at that day by the sentence of Christ be deliuered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious libertie of the sonnes of God h Rom 8.19.20.21 Where shall it be Thirdly if any aske where this iudgement shall bee I answer that seeing the Lord hath not determined it it is curious to enquire and more curious to assigne the very place as some haue that wrote it should be in the valley of Iehoshaphat or as others would haue it on Mount Sion whence he ascended This wee know it shall be neere the earth in the clouds of heauen 1 Thess 4.17 where Christs throne shall be set and further then this we need not enquire There haue beene also many opinions about the time when it should bee When shall the day of Iudgement be Some thought that as the world was six dayes in creating and then the Sabboth of rest came so the world should last 6000. yeeres reckoning a 1000. yeeres as one day and then should come the eternall Sabboth Others distribute the times thus 2000. yeeres before the Law 2000. yeeres vnder the Law and 2000. yeeres after the Law and then comes the iudgement Others thought the world would last after Christ so long as it was to the floud from the creation and that was as they say 1656. yeeres Others thought it should be as long to the iudgement after Christ as it was from Moses to Christ and that should be 1582. yeeres This experience hath proued false Other say Christ liued 33. yeeres and the world should continue for 33. Iubilies after Christ What can be said of all or the most of these opinions and such like but euen this that they are the blinde fancies of men For is there not a plaine restraint laid vpon men in this question when the Lord Iesus said It is not for you to know the times and seasons which the Father hath put in his owne power i Act. 1.7 And of that day and houre knoweth no man no not the Angels of heauen but my Father only k Matt. 24.36 Mark 13.32 And the Euangelist S. Marke addeth that the sonne of man himselfe knoweth not the day and houre Hovv it is that the sonne is said to be ignorant of the day of â—â—â—gement Not that simply Christ is ignorant of the time of the last iudgement but he was said not to know because hee kept it from our knowledge Or else he knew it not as he was man or rather in his estate of humiliation and in his humane nature he did not precisely know it But that hinders not but that in his estate of exaltation as he is now in heauen and hath all power and iudgement committed vnto him he may doth fully vnderstand it But letting these things passe the principall things for vs to be informed in as concerning the day of iudgement and this last appearance of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ are these three first the signes of his comming Secondly how or the forme of the iudgement it selfe when he doth come And lastly the vse we should in the meane while make of the doctrine of the last iudgement The signes of the day of iudgement For our better remembrance the signes of Christs comming to iudgement may be briefly reduced into this Catalogue Some signes goe before and are fulfilled before he appeare Some signes are conioyned with his
what were it to lose not some of our credits or our goods but euen our liues seeing wee are sure to finde them againe with more then a hundred fold aduantage Mat. 16.24 vlt. at the time when Christ shall come in the glory of his Father to giue vnto all men according to their deeds Besides wee must know that there is no talking of sitting at Christs hand in glory till we haue asked our selues this question whether wee can drinke of the cup he dranke of and be baptized with the baptisme he is baptized with a Mark 10 â—7 c. And then if we can suffer with him we shall raigne with him b 2 Tim. 2.12 and shall be glad and reioice with exceeding ioy when his glory shall appeare And in the meane while the spirit of glory and of God resteth on you c 1 Pet. 4.13.14 Thirdly seeing Christ will receiue Christians into such glory it should teach vs to receiue one another d Rom. 15.7 into both our hearts and houses Why shouldst thou be ashamed or thinke it much with all loue and bountie and bowels of affection to entertaine and welcome the heires of such eternall glory Oh if thou couldst but now see but for a moment how Christ doth vse the soules of the righteous in heauen or will vse both body and soule at the last day thou wouldst for euer honour them whom Christ doth so glorifie and make them now thy only companions whom thou shouldest see to be appointed to liue in such felicitie for euer Fourthly the thought of this glory should win vs to a care to be such as may be capable of it Qu. What must we doe that we may haue comfort that wee are the men shall partake of this glory and speede well in the day of Iesus Christ What vvee must doe that vvee may be assured of the glory of heauen A. First Euery one that would haue this hope must purge himselfe as Christ is pure e 1 Ioh. 3.3 we must be much in the duties of mortification For no vncleaue person can enter into the kingdome of glory And vncleane wee are all till we be washed in the bloud of Christ by iustification and bathed in teares of true repentance by mortification It hath beene obserued before that if we would not haue the Lord to iudge vs we must iudge our selues f 1 Cor. 11.34 And if we would not haue Christ to take vnto him words against our soules we must take vnto vs words g Hos 14.3 against our sinnes to confesse and bewaile them in secret Secondly we must labour for the assurance of faith T is faith that is the euidence of the things not seene h Heb. 11.1 T is faith that shall be found to honour and praise in the reuelation of Iesus Christ i 1 Pet. 1 7. It is faith to which the promise of eternall life is made k Ioh. 3.18 Thirdly wee should labour to get vnto our selues the benefit of a powerfull preaching ministerie for thereby our hearts may be wonderfully stirred vp to see the glory of sincerity on earth and it will open a wide doore to behold as in a mirror the glory to come with an open face changing vs into the same image from glory to glory by the spirit of God I say not that this is of absolute necessity as the former are but it is of wonderfull expediency Fourthly we must be circumspect and watchful in speciall manner attending to our owne hearts that wee be not at any time oppressed with the cares of this life or voluptuous liuing l Luk. 21.34.36 if euer wee would be able to stand in the day of iudgement and escape the fearefull things that are to come especially we must looke to our selues in these things least that day come vpon vs at vnawares Fifthly Doe we looke for the mercy of our Lord Iesus Christ into eternall life then we must as the Apostle Iude sheweth edifie our selues in our most holy faith praying in the holy Ghost and keepe our selues in the loue of God m Iud. 20.21 we must be afraid of whatsoeuer may estrange the Lord from vs or any way darken the sense of his loue For we may be assured if we haue his fauour and walke before him in the sense of it we shall haue glory when wee die Likewise praying in the holy Ghost with constancie and frequency doth maruellously enrich a Christian both with the first fruits of glory euen glorious ioy on earth with the assurance of fulnesse of glory in heauen Sixthly the Apostle Iohn seemes to say if loue be perfect in vs wee shall haue boldnesse in the day of iudgement n 1 Ioh. 4.17 As if he would import that to be inwardly affectionately acquainted with Christians on earth is a notable meanes to procure vs gracious entertainment with Christ in heauen especially if we perfect our loue and grow to some Christian ripenesse in the practise of the duties of loue in a profitable fellowship in the Gospell It is good discretion to grow as great as we can with Christians that so wee may winne the fauour of Christ Lastly the Apostle Paul shewes in the second to the Romanes that they that seeke glory and honour and immortalitie and euerlasting life must be patient in well doing For they shall be rewarded according to their workes And to euery man that doth good shall be honour and glory and power to the Iew first and also to the Graecian o Rom. 2.6.7.10 For all that haue any tydings of saluation in the Gospell or looke for that blessed hope and appearing of that glory of the mightie God must liue soberly righteously and godly in this present world p Tit. 2.11.12.13 Without holinesse no man shall see God q Heb. 12.14 And therefore we should be abundant in the worke of the Lord forasmuch as we know that our labour shall not be in vaine in the Lord r 1 Cor. 15. vlt. And thus farre of the glorious appearance both of Christ and Christians And thus also of the first rule of life namely the meditation of heauenly things VERS 5. Mortifie therefore your members which are on earth fornication vncleanesse the inordinate affection euill concupiscence and couetousnesse which is idolatrie THese words with those that follow to the tenth verse The diuision of this part of the Chapter containe the second principall rule of holy life and that is the mortification of euill These euills to be mortified are of two sorts for either they are vices that concerne our selues most or else they are iniuries that concerne the hurt of other also Of the mortification of vices he intreats v. 5.6.7 of the mortification of iniuries he entreats v. 8.9 In the first part viz. the exhortation to the mortifying of vices I consider first the matter about which he deales and the reasons The matter is in verse
the preheminence Secondly in respect of perfection in himselfe in that all fulnesse dwells in him which is amplified by the cause viz. the good pleasure of the Father who made him head of the Church verse 19. Thirdly in respect of efficacie or influence through the whole body for from him flowes Peace and Reconciliation verse 20. concerning which Reconciliation there are eight things to be noted 1. the mouing cause which is to be supplied out of the former Verse as the Coniunction and importeth viz. it pleased the Father 2. the Instrument by him viz. CHRIST the head 3. the Benefit it selfe viz. to reconcile 4. the subiect Persons in generall all things 5. the End to himselfe 6. the Effect making peace 7. the Meanes through the bloud of his Crosse 8. the Distribution of the Persons who in those words things in earth and things in heauen Thus of his relation to the whole Church Verse 21 22. In the description of his relation to the Church of the Colossians he vrgeth them with two things first their miserie without Christ 2. the remedy of their miserie by Christ Their miserie stands in two things first they are Strangers secondly they are Enemies and both are amplified 1. by the subiect wherein viz. not outwardly onely but in their mindes 2. by the Cause viz. wicked workes verse 22. In setting downe their remedie hee notes 1. the Meanes 2. the End The meanes is the death of the body of Christs flesh The end is that hee might present them holy and vnblameable and without fault in Gods sight verse 22. Thus of his relation to the Church of the Colossians and thus also of the second part of this Chapter viz. the Proposition of Doctrine The Exhortation followes where is to be considered first the Exhortation it selfe Verse 23. and then the Reasons The Exhortation is to perseuerance both in Faith and Hope In the Exhortation to perseuerance in faith there is worthy to be noted first the manner of propounding it which is with an If secondly the dutie required Continue thirdly the manner of the dutie grounded and stablished fourthly the obiect Grace in Faith In the Exhortation to perseuerance in Hope two things are to be obserued first he sets downe the euill to be auoided viz. vnsetlednesse or reuolting in the words Be not mooued away secondly hee quickens them by remembring the cause and fountaine of their hope viz. The hearing of the Gospell preached Thus of the Exhortation the Reasons follow There are seauen Reasons to inforce this Exhortation to perseuerance The first is taken from the consent of Gods Elect Which are through the world who haue in the preaching of the Gospell receiued Faith and Hope as their common portion The second Reason is taken from the testimony of PAVL himselfe and that is two-fold the first is the testimonie of his Ministerie This is that hee preacheth and therefore it should bee that they should keepe fast the second is the testimonie of his Sufferings hee hath endured much for the Doctrine of Faith and Hope and therefore they should continue in it and to stirre them the more concerning his sufferings hee sheweth that hee suffered with great Ioy which hee confirmeth by expressing the reasons of his ioy first because they were the afflictions of Christ secondly because hee had his part allotted him by the decree of God and it was his ioy that hee had almost finished what was left for him to suffer there was but a little remaining thirdly because they were but in his flesh fourthly because they were for them and the good of the Church Verse 24. The third Reason is taken from the testimonie of God who inioyned vnto PAVL and other Ministers this dispensation of the Doctrine of Faith and Hope with a charge that they should see his Word fulfilled herein Verse 25. The fourth Reason is taken from the excellencie of the Gospell which is set out first by the nature of it it is a mysterie secondly by the antiquitie of it it was and was hid since the world beganne from Ages and Generations thirdly by the time of the reuelation of it now in the new world fourthly by the persons to whom it is reuealed viz. onely the Saints all which should moue to care and constancie in keeping of it Verse 26. The fift Reason is taken from the excellency of the Subiect of the Gospell which is no lesse nor worse then Christ reuealed by the preaching of the Gospell In this reuelation of Christ in the Gospell consider first who reueales him God secondly the cause of his reuelation the will of God hee would thirdly the manner viz. in a rich and glorious mysterie fourthly the persons to whom viz. the miserable Gentiles fiftly the effects or fruits of it which are first the inhabitation of Christ secondly the hope of glory Verse 27. Verse 28. The sixt Reason is taken from the end which is the presenting of them perfect in Iesus Christ which is amplified by the meanes to bring to this end which is preaching and that is amplified first by the parts of it which are teaching and admonishing and secondly by the manner in all Wisedome Verse 28. Verse 29. The seuenth Reason is taken from the holy strife of the Apostle to bring men to this which is amplified by the great successe which the LORD had giuen Verse vlt. A METAPHRASE vpon the first Chapter of the Epistle to the COLOSSIANS PAVL Verse 1 PAVL an Apostle of Iesus Christ by the will of God and Timotheus our Brother the Messenger or Embassadour-generall for all the Churches of the Gentiles by Commission from the promised MESSIAH now come in the flesh the Lord annointed separated hereunto not for his owne worthinesse or by any priuate motion of his owne or by commandement of any man but by the expresse will of God according to his euerlasting counsell as also Timotheus a reuerend Brother an Euangelist of Christ with full and free testimonie approueth this Epistle written To the Citizens and Inhabitants of the Citie of Colosse Verse 2. To them which are at Colosse Saints and faithfull brethren in Christ Grace be with you and peace from God our Father and from the Lord IESVS CHRIST that are separate from the world and sanctified with true Grace and faithfully walke in that holy Calling in brotherly communion one with another and indissoluable vnion with CHRIST your Sauiour Grace be with you and Peace euen the free fauour of GOD with all internall eternall and needfull externall blessings from him that both will and can euen God our Father through the merits of the Lord our annoynted Sauiour We giue thankes vnto God Verse 3. Wee giue thankes to God euen the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ alwayes praying for you Verse 4. Since wee heard of your faith in Christ Iesus and of your loue toward all Saints euen that God that by an eternall and vnexpressible generation is
in the time of temptation fall away these specialties of faithfulnesse receiue a great increase of praise if two things come to them first that mens hearts be faithfull that is that though they haue many wants and infirmities and faile much and often in well-doing yet the desire delight endeuour resolution and affection is in all pleasing and firmnesse to walke before God without eyther hypocrisie or presumption this was Abrahams praise Nehem. 9.8 Secondly that men continue faithfull vnto the death Nehem 9.8 with all constancy and holy perseuerance beleeuing in Christ and worshipping GOD euen to the ende of their dayes this is called for and crowned Reuel 2.11 Thus of faithfulnesse in spirituall things Faithfulnesse in temporall things stands in three things First Reu 2.11 Faithfulnesse in temporall things in the sincere diligent and carefull discharge of the duties of our Callings It was a singular prayse in Daniel that when his enemies sought occasion against him they could finde none concerning the Kingdome Daniel 6.5 hee was so faithfull and without blame and therefore they must take him if euer concerning the Law of his God Then doth the glory of Gods people shine A Caueat for Professors when together with their constant zeale in matters of religion they are found carefully diligent and faithfull in their callings then whatsoeuer befalls them for the Law of their God they may beare it with all comfort and constancy as did Daniel But how doth it blemish the glory of profession when men can say and see that Professors are idle deceitfull busie-bodies and carelesse in their places and callings they cannot build so much by profession as they destroy by their scandalous and carelesse courses Secondly in the right vse and profitable disposing of our riches euen the outward things God hath giuen vs. This lyeth vpon vs as one of the tokens of our faithfulnesse nay this is necessary to the being of this praise In the 16. Luke 16.9 of Luke Christ exhorts to the wise and liberall bestowing of our riches vnto the necessities of the poore and for other holy and needfull vses And because there lye in the hearts of carnall men many Obiections against this Exhortation therefore hee forceth it with reasons that meete with mens carnall conceits And first whereas men out of an ouer-great estimation and liking of these Obiect 1 earthly things doe easily obiect that they must be carefull of the sauing and sparing in the vse of their riches for they are all the comfort they haue in this world Solution Hee answereth that men should not so much loue these earthly things for they are riches of iniquitie that is sinne that makes a man miserable and accursed is most an end mixed with riches Verse 9. eyther they are wrongfully gotten and sinfully kept or they are causes of much sinning against God or men or himselfe Obiect 2 Oh but what good shall a man get by parting with his goods Sol. They shall receiue him into euerlasting habitations Solut. they that is eyther the Angels or the Poore or thy Riches shall let thee into heauen euen to sure dwelling places and this should moue the rich because the time will come when thou shalt want and all the riches in the world cannot helpe thee Obiect 3 Oh but a man may bee saued and enioy these euerlasting habitations though hee doe not so part with his riches Solut. Sol. Hee cannot for a man cannot bee saued without Grace and God will neuer trust him with Grace the true treasure that is not faithfull in bestowing riches Verse 10.11 and good reason for if God gaue a wicked worldling grace hee would neuer be faithfull in vsing it for he that is vniust in the least that is Riches would be vniust in much that is Grace Obiect 4 Oh but our goods are our owne and therefore why should we giue them to others Solut. Sol. Ver. 12. That is false for Grace onely is a mans owne but Riches are anothers Psal 24.1 Prou. 3.27 for God is the Lord of the whole and the poore is the owner of a part Obiect 5 Tush but a man may haue a good heart to God and yet not deliuer out his goods to other mens vses nor leaue his content that he hath in the fruition of them Solut. Verse 13. Sol. That is false too for a man cannot serue two Masters one man cannot serue God and Riches And thus our Sauiour meeteth with the Obiections of worldly men The wordes also containe notable reasons to perswade to faithfulnesse which lieth in this good vse of Riches first they are riches of iniquity secondly the right vse of them makes way for heauen thirdly hee is like to be a godly man in the vse of Grace that is a faithfull man in the vse of Riches fourthly God else will not trust vs with Grace fiftly he will else be a very vniust man and his riches wicked sixtly Grace onely is his owne goods and to be without Grace is to liue and dye a beggar lastly thou canst neuer serue God and Riches Thirdly in temporall things Faithfulnesse shewes it selfe in the vprightnesse and harmelesnesse of our carriage towards others as in keeping of promises Psal 15. in the honest discharge of the trust laid vpon men eyther in Church or Common-wealth Nehem. 13.13 Prou. 13.17 in witnesse-bearing Prou. 14 5.25 in iust gaines and lawfull meanes vsed for profit in our dealings with others Prou. 28.20 And such like dueties of iustice Thus then we see who is a faithfull man euen hee that knoweth his owne reconciliation with God by faith that performeth his vowes to God that sincerely worships God and laboureth the increase of holy graces that will doe nothing against the trueth but for the truth that is diligent in his calling that is seruiceable with his riches and lastly that is iust in his dealing Priuiledges of the â—â—ithfull Now if wee be such then is our estate most comfortable for first God will bee faithfull to vs in the accomplishment of all his promises secondly the Worde will be faithfull euen a sure fountaine of true comfort and helpe in all distresse thirdly Christ will be a faithfull both High Priest in heauen by his intercession making request for vs to God and both to earth and heauen he will be a faithfull witnesse Hebr. 2.17 Reuel 15. 3.14 so as while we liue we shall finde the testimony of IESVS in our hearts and when wee die hee will not bee ashamed of vs before his Father and the holy Angels and lastly wee shall be sure to haue a faithfull reward Prou. 11.18 And this of the second title giuen to Gods Children Brethren The Children of God are said to be brethren in a foure-fould relation 1 To Christ 1. to CHRIST 2. to the Apostle 3. to the Saints abroad 4. to the Saints at home For the first are wee brethren
Sunne how fearefull then is the case of many of vs Rom. 11.20 that can haue no other standing then by Faith Fiftly Nothing is pure to the vnbeleeuing Sixtly If we beleeue not we cannot be established Titus 1.15 Seuenthly if men refuse to beleeue when they haue the meanes of Faith their sentence is already gone out He that beleeueth not is condemned already Isay 7 9. Eightly It is a matter of ease and profit and pleasure to liue in sinne John 3.18 especially some sinnes but what is it to die in them Except that yee beleeue that I am hee yee shall die in your sinnes Iohn 8 24. Ninthly consider the contrary to the benefits before if we get not faith we abide in darkenesse we are vnder the rigour and curse of the Law subiect to the dominion of heart pollutions dead in sinne full of spirituall diseases hasting to euill meanes pierced through with fierce temptations wicked in Gods account not iustified neither the Seede of Abraham nor of GOD without Christ without hope of immortall blisse without peace with God comfort in afflictions without Grace without communion with God The Scriptures while we are in this estate are but as a dead Letter wee are easily ouercome of the World vnconstant in friendship without the Couenant of Promise entangled with euery pleasure and baite and as Bondslaues abiding in the guilt and power of sinnes past Lastly how fearefull are those threatnings Marke 16.16 Reuel 21.8 Heb. 3.12 There remaine yet foure things to be considered The incouragements to beleeue 1 The Incouragements to beleeue 2 The Lets of Faith 3 How Faith may be knowne 4 How farre short the Faith of the common Protestant is For the first we haue many incouragements to beleeue First because wee haue a Sauiour in respect of merit both in suffering and dying able to deliuer vs his Redemption being both precious and plentifull Secondly hee is ready to make Intercession for vs at the right hand of God when we set our selues in any measure to seeke Gods fauour Thirdly wee haue certaine and sure ordinances vnto which if wee seeke we may finde Fourthly what greater ioy to Angells or Saints then the comming home of the lost Sheepe none greater in the house of the Father then the Prodigall Sonne returned Fiftly there is no difficulty so great either in respect of sinne or the meanes c. but it hath beene ouercome by euery one of the Saints to shew that we may be cured and get Faith Sixtly Esay 55.1 Iohn 3.16 God maketh a generall Proclamation without exception of any in particular that will beleeue but he may be saued Seauenthly Christ himselfe most graciously inuites men Obiect Oh but he doth not call mee Answ He cals all Mat 11.28.29.30 Reuel 3.18 Iohn 7.37 Obiect Solut. Obiect Solut. Obiect therefore he excepteth not thee but least men should encourage themselues in sinfulnes he addeth a limitation All that are weary and heauy laden If we can once finde that sinne is the greatest burthen that euer our soules bare and that once wee could come to be weary of them we might haue comfort in Christ Obiect Oh but if I should take that course I should lead a dumpish and Melancholy life Ans It is a false imputation cast vpon Religion and Christ for the promise is I will ease you Obiect Oh but to exercise such a communion with God and Christ requires so many graces that I can neuer get them Solut. Ans Learne of mee that I am lowly and meeke as if he should say Get this one grace which I my selfe haue laboured in and thou maist continue in the case and comfort once had from Christ without interruption If men still thinke this improbable he wils them to put it to triall and they should certainely finde rest to their Soules Obiect 3. Solut. Obiect Oh but to be thus yoaked is a most irkesome and impossible seruitude Ans This he reiects as most false and saith My yoake is easie and my burthen light both in respect of the power of the meanes and the secret comforts of God able to support the Soule Eightly we are commanded to beleeue and therefore it is a heauy sinne to disobey 1 Iohn 3.23 Ninthly God doth beseech men to be reconciled Wonder at this admirable Clemencie in our God 2. Cor. 5.20 Nay then perish and that iustly if so great and infinite goodnesse cannot perswade These things should the rather affect if we consider who it is that proclaimeth inuiteth commandeth beseecheth namely GOD who is able to doe it and speakes out of his Nature If a couetous man should offer vs any great kindnesse wee might doubt of performance because it is contrarie to his nature but it is not so with our God his name is gracious and his nature is to be faithfull in performance where he hath beene true in offer or promising Thus much of incouragements The lets of Faith Le ts in the Minister Rom. 10. The hinderances of Faith follow to be considered of The lets of Faith are sometimes in the Minister sometimes in the People Ministers are guilty of the want of Faith in their Hearers First when they teach not at all because Faith cannot be had without hearing Secondly if wee teach not Faith and that plainely if they intend not the chiefest part of their labours to informe men in the doctrine of Faith vnder which is contained the whole doctrine of the Sinners conuersion with his God though they informe manners both for Pietie and Righteousnesse and busie themselues in other contemplatiue Diuinitie yet haue they not answered their Calling but are wofull hinderances of Faith in the hearers Le ts in the People Secondly in the People Faith is letted three wayes 1 By errors in their Iudgements 2 By corrupt affections in the Heart 3 By certaine things that befall their Conuersation There are fiue especiall Errors with any of which whosoeuer is infected Faith is letted First when men thinke they are bound to follow their Callings and to mind their worldly imployments and therfore cannot spend the time about thinking of Sermons Luke 14.16 c. Our Sauiour Luke 14.16 in the Parable showes that though men giue Heauen faire words yet they take not a course to get it but what lets them Is it Whoredome Drunkennes Idolatry Murther breach of Sabbath c. No such matter but onely the abuse of lawfull profit and pleasures What more lawfull then a Farme what more honourable of all pleasures then Marriage onely obserue that the voluptuous person saith flatly He cannot come and the worldly man I pray you haue me excused Obiect Obiect Oh but I confesse it were a great fault to leaue minding heauenly things to get superfluity and more then needes as Farme vpon Farme But I want necessaries if I had but sufficient my minde should not bee so taken vp Solut. c. Ans
if they charge not many things Why these are the last words of Christ the night before his death euen this one thing hee doth especially charge vpon vs Namely while we abide in this flesh and are hated of this world and want those glorious refreshings would come by the presence of Christ to vnite our serues in a holy bond of peace and loue to be kept and strengthned by mutuall indeauors in the performance of all the duties of holy affection Iohn 16.12 that till Christ shall gather vs vnto the glory that he hath with the Father The third Motiue may be taken from the benefites that may be gotten by loue and these are diuers First there is much comfort in loue the Lord doth vsually and graciously water the society conferences From profit Philip. 2.1 prayers and other duties performed mutually by the Saints with the deaws of many sweet and glorious refreshings by which they are daily excited inflamed and incouraged to a holy contentation in godlinesse Secondly Loue is the fulfilling of the Law not onely all the duties belonging to humane societies of which he there intreates are comprehended vnder loue as by that great band that tyeth all estates and degrees but also Rom. 13.10 How Loue is the fulfilling of the Law is the fulfilling of the Law by effect in that first it causeth astinence from doing euill to our neighbour Secondly it causeth men to make conscience of fulfilling the Law and that which is there generally spoken if it be applied to the loue of the Saints may haue his speciall truth in this that there is nothing in outward things doth more fire the heart of a man to the loue of and labour after a godly life then a daily louing societie with Gods children in whom we see godlinesse euen in an experimentall knowledge not layd before vs in precept but described vnto vs in practise with the rewards and fruits of it Yea loue may be said to be the filling vp of the Law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the word seemeth to import in this that it clotheth the duties of the Law with the glory of a due manner and seateth them vpon their due subiects with the vnwearied labours of constant well-doing Thirdly the due performance and daily exercise of the mutuall duties of loue would be a great testimonie and witnesse vnto vs for the satisfying of our consciences in the knowledge of such great things as otherwise are exceeding hard to be knowne as first it is not euery bodies case to haue the Spirit of grace or when they haue it to discerne it yet by this loue it may be discerned for it is one of the inseparable fruits of the spirit Secondly Galat. 5.22 many men follow not Christ at all and among the followers of Christ a great number are not true Disciples Iohn 13.14 Now by loue may all men know that we are Christs disciples Iohn 3. Thirdly the winde bloweth where it listeth And that which is borne of the flesh is flesh and therefore great Masters in Israell and Teachers of other men may be ignorant of regeneration 1 Iohn 4.7 yet thereby may wee know that we are borne of God and doe rightly know God if we loue one another Job 23.8.9 Fourthly if wee would seeke God to finde him behold If wee go to the East hee is not there if to the West yet wee cannot perceiue him if to the North where he worketh yet wee cannot see him he will hide himselfe in the South and we cannot behold him 1 Iohn 4.12 How much more is the way of God in the heart of man vnsearchable And yet though no man hath seene God at any time if we loue one another God dwelleth in vs. Fiftly the election of man before time is like a bottomlesse gulfe and the making of man blamelesse and holy in heauen is a dreadfull mysterie and yet those two glorious branches whereof th one sprowts foorth euen beyond time and thother reacheth vp to heauen nay into heauen are both fastned vpon this stocke of loue in respect of one way and manner of comming to know them Ephes 4.1.4 1 Iohn 3.14 To conclude Saluation it selfe euen our owne saluation is knowne by the loue to the brethren as is cleare 1. Iohn 3.14 and in diuers other places of that Epistle Zeph. 1.14 Lastly the day of the Lord is a terrible day a day of trouble and heauines the strong hearted man shall then crie bitterly then the heauens being on fire shall bee dissolued and passe away with a noyse 2 Pet. 3.10.11 1 Thessal 4.16 and the elements shall melt with heate the Lord himselfe shall descend from heauen with a showt and with the voice of the Archangells and with the trumpet of God then shall all the kindreds of the earth mourne and they shall see the Son of man come in the cloudes of heauen with power and great glory Math 14.3 And who shall be able to stand in that great and fearefull day euen all such as haue finished their course in the loue of God and his children 1 Iohn 4.17 as certainely as we now finde loue in our hearts so surely shall we haue boldnesse in the day of iudgement The fourth Motiue may be taken from the miserable state of such as finde not in themselues the loue of Gods children From the miserie of such as loue not Gods children 1 Iohn 2. 3. First it is a palpable signe they abide still in darknesse and vnder the bondage of the first death and in danger of the second death Secondly a man can neuer enter into the kingdome of Heauen without it for euery man can say a murtherer shall not be saued so continuing Now it is certaine God hates a man that loues not his children aswell as hee doth murtherers 1 Iohn 3.15 he that loueth not his brother is a man-slayer and wee know that no man-slayer can inherit eternall life Ephes 3.17 Thirdly till we loue Gods children we can neuer know what the length breadth and depth of the loue of God and Christ is to vs. God shewes not his loue to vs till we shew our loue to the Saints Lastly for want of loue in the heart and the duties of loue in conuersation the mysticall body of Christ is exceedingly hindered from growing both in the beauty and glory which otherwise would be found in the Church of Christ Ephes 4.16 Lastly to incite vs yet more to the exercise of loue I propound three places of Scripture more The first place is Ephes 4.12 to 17. where may be obserued 4. things gotten by a holy vnion with the members of Christ and Christian societie and affection Ephes 4. It furthers our gathering into the body It is an exceeding great helpe in the beginning of our effectuall vocation Secondly it furthers our edification in the building and fits vs for our roome
is vnconstant in Loue. Lastly if we would neuer forsake the fellowship we haue one with an other as the manner of some wicked hypocrites and damnable Apostataes is then we must with all Christian care Consider one anothers weakenesses and wants and be continually prouoking Heb. 10.25 inciting and incouraging one another to loue and to good workes Thus of the helps In the last place I propounded to be considered the defects that are found in the loue that is abroad in the world The defects of the common Protestants loue with which the common Protestant pleaseth himselfe I will not here complaine that loue is turned into lust and that that damnable infection hath stained heauen and earth polluted our houses brought a curse vpon our Assemblies and debased our gentrie dishonoured our Nobles corrupted our youth and made heauy our elder Age or shew how it hath brought vpon vs famine and pestilence but to let this passe I will speake of the honester loue and wherein thinke you standeth it First in the ciuiller sort in complements neuer more complements and lesse loue Secondly in freedome from suites at Law and quarrelling they are in charity with all the world if they can shew that they neuer were quarrelsome or that they are friends againe Thirdly in the baser sort it is meere Ale-house friendship their loue stands wholy in going to the Ale-house together these are the onely fellowes and good neighbours and commonly here is set vp the Diuels bench and Proclamation made of free 〈◊〉 for filthy Ribâ—uldry for drunken spewings and Viper-like slâ—nders 〈…〉 against good men Fourthly many out of their ignorance know 〈◊〉 other loue then of themselues or for themselues of others But yet more plainely the defectiuenesse of the common Protestants loue appeares diuersly First by the vsuall sinnes which are rise amongst them euen such as batter the fortresse of Loue. How can they please themselues in their charitie if we consider how Malice Reuenge Anger Slandering Back-â—iting and all sorts of prouocations to anger are euery-where abounding What more vsuall then Selfe-loue what more common then Enuy Shall I instance The Trades-man while hee is rising is so fleshed with successe and stuffed with the greedy desire of profit that hee cares not whom hee wrongs nor how much hee becomes preiudiciall to other mens trade But this man is not so filled with Selfe-loue but the declining Trades-man that hath ouer-liued his prime is euery way as well filled with Enuy. And thus men are not in charitie neither full nor fasting Secondly it appeares to be defectiue in the Obiects of Loue in a chiefe Companion of Loue in the Parts of Loue and in the Manner of louing For the first the onely men that are chiefly to be loued and our affection to be spent vpon are the Saints that is such religious persons as make conscience of all their wayes but are these the men the common Protestant loues Oh times oh manners what men finde worse entertainment in the world then these Is not the least endeauour after holinesse chased and pursued with open hates dislikes slanders Can a man refraine himselfe from euill and not be made a prey Doth there any liue godly and they persecute him not Away false wretch saist thou thou art in charitie with all men and yet canst not beare the Image of God in a childe of God For the second all true Loue ought to be accompanied with Faith yea it ought to be founded vpon Faith and therefore herein is the common loue of the world defectiue that a communion with men is not first sanctified by vnion with God These men that boast so much of their charitie neuer made conscience of seeking the assurance of Gods fauour in Christ neither euer trauailed vnder the burthen of their sinnes so as to seeke forgiuenesse as the true blessednesse Thirdly the common Protestant is exceedingly to blame in the very maine duties of Loue no tendernesse of heart no true Hospitalitie and for mercy to the poore the olde complaints may be taken vp Hosea 4.1 Esay 57.1 There is no mercie in the Land Mercifull men are taken away Wee may now adaies waite for some Samaritane to come and proue himselfe a neighbour and for societie and fellowship in the Gospell with Gods people it will neuer sinke into the vnderstanding of these carnall men that that is any way expedient and finally in all the branches of Clemency before expressed where is the man that makes conscience of them And for the last it is easily auouched that the Loue that is found in the most men is neither brotherly nor without grosse fayning and hypocrisie nor proceedeth it from a heart in any measure purified and lastly it is so farre from being feruent that it is stone colde Thus of Loue. Verse 5. For the Hopes sake which is laid vp for you in Heauen IN these words is mentioned the third Grace for which the Apostle giues thankes and that is Hope Hope is here taken both for the thing hoped for viz. the glory of heauen as also the Grace by which it is apprehended but especially the latter Heauen is diuersly accepted in Scripture sometimes it signifieth the ayre a Deut. 28.12 Math. 16.16 sometimes it signifieth the whole vpper world that compasseth the earth b Gen. 49.25 Math. 3.16 sometimes for the Kingdome of Grace and the meanes thereof c Math. 3.2 11.11 but most vsually for the place of the blessed and the glory thereof and so it is taken here Hope as it is here considered by the Apostle lookes two wayes first by relation to and coherence with Faith and Loue for the Hopes sake secondly by a full aspect vpon the obiect of it which is intimated in the Metaphore laid vp and expressed in the word Heauens Doctrines from Coherence First of Hope as it is to be considered in the Coherence There is an admirable Wisedome and Mercy of God in the very maner of dispensing of his Graces for hee makes one Grace crowne another and Obseruat 1 become a recompence and reward to another as here for Hopes sake Gods Children breake through the difficulties of Faith One Grace crowneth another and the impediments and discouragements of Loue. When God sees how many waies the heart of man is beset in the spirituall combat about the getting and exercise of those two Graces hee is pleased by his word and spirit to trumpet out victorie by shewing the glory of heauen and to set on the Crowne of Hope as the assured pledge of full and finall victorie it is Hope that pluckes vp the heart of man to a constant desire of vnion with God by Faith and of communion with man by Loue. And the true reason why so many men vtterly neglect the care to get a iustifying Faith and an inflamed affection to Gods Children is because they haue no taste of the comforts of the euidence of a better life by
striue to wring the Fanne out of Christs hand that the winnowing may cease The Doctrine that separates the precious from the vile and without respect of persons yeelds comfort to the gracious and terrours as the onely present portion of the prophane is exceedingly opposed of the world Thirdly that they may grow in grace But to omit other things the Apostle here shewes by his owne example that we should pray first that they may truely know the will of God in Christ secondly that they be discreete and wise in carriage as well as in vnderstanding thirdly thâ—t they may walke worthy of the Lord c. fourthly that they may increase in knowledge fiftly that they might perseuer being strengthened with Gods might lastly that they may lead a patient and ioyfull life And wee should be thus carefull of the good of others both because God requires it and the Saints haue practised it and besides if thou haue any grace thou standest or fallest with others in respect of the credit of profession Since the day that wee heard of it wee cease not to pray for you First from the coherence of these words with the words following wee may note the great efficacie of Prayer how mightily it preuailes with God it is a way by which a Christian may exceedingly helpe himselfe and pleasure his friends The prayer of the righteous auaileth much both for helping of the body and healing of the soule a Iames 5.16 If two sound-hearted men agree in earth in a suite to God the Father in heauen they preuaile with incredible successe they get what they would haue b Mat. 18.19 And that wee may be incouraged to Prayer there are diuers things that might vndoubtedly perswade vs to resolue of the efficacie of prayer Incouragements to prayer First Gods Commandement certainely God will not require prayer but that hee meanes to heare it c Psal 50.15 Secondly The Nature of God he is a Father and hath the compassions of a Father Though Abraham would not know his seede if they had suites to him and Iacob be ignorant of his posteritie yet God will heare and redeeme d Esa 63.16 Though a mother should forget her motherly compassions yet God will not forget his e Esa 49.15 and therefore if earthly fathers that haue a great deale of ill nature in them can giue good gifts to their children and that because their children aske them how much more shall God our Father who is perfectly compassionate giue good things yea the best things yea the very fountaine of all good his holy Spirit if wee aske him f Math. 7.9 Thirdly the manner of Gods presence of grace when wee haue any suites hee is not farre off or hard to come to as earthly Princes are and great men in world many times but hee is neere to all that call vpon him in truth g Psal 145.18 yea for more assurance of this that hee is ready to receiue petitions it is sayd His eares are open to the cry of the righteous he is so farre from being absent that there is not so much as any little impediment in his eare God is euer ready to heare if our hearts were ready to pray Fourthly The property of Gods liberality hee holdes it a great blemish and dishonour to his bounty either to deny when hee is asked or to reproach when hee hath giuen either to except against the person or to sticke at the greatnesse of the gift h Iames 1.5 Fiftly the assistance of the spirit of Adoption The Spirit helpes our infirmities though wee know not how to pray as wee ought yet that shall not let audience for The Spirit it selfe will make request for vs euen in the sighes which cannot bee expressed i Rom. 8.26 Sixtly The merits of Christ and his intercession hee hath prayed for vs so as what we aske the Father in his Name hee will grant it k Ioh. 14.13.14 Seuenthly The hate God beares to the enemies of his people Gods Seruants shall speede in their suites euen because of them that rise vp against them Lastly our prayers are furthered by the very Faith and Holinesse of our godly and spirituall Ancestours the posteritie speedes the better for their sakes yea without question we speede the better in England because we are the seede or Successours of the Martyrs Obiect Obiect But I haue prayed for my selfe and others and yet finde not successe Sol. First if thou speede not Solut. it is either because thou art not a righteous person l Psal 34.16 109 7. or thou art disordered in thy carriage in the family m 1 Pet. 3.7 or thou didst not continue in prayer n Luk. 18 1. to 8. or thou dost aske amisse Quest Quest But how may I know whether I did aske amisse Ans Ans Thou didst aske amisse first if thou didst pray and doubt o Iames 1.6 Job 21.15 Secondly if thou didst make prayers thy refuge but not thy recompence when thou camest to pray thou consideredst what thou didst want for thy selfe not what thou shouldest render to God thou vsedst prayer to serue thy turne but when thou hadst sped thou didst not returne by prayer to render vnto God his honour p Psal 116.12 Thirdly if thou didst not make conscience of the vse of other ordinances of God for God will not giue all to any one ordinance Fourthly if thy prayers were ignorant proud hypocriticall prayers q Mat. 6. Fiftly if thou wast not in charitie but broughtest thy gift and diddest not forgiue or seeke reconciliation with thy brother r Mat. 5. Sixtly if thou didst aske of God for wrong ends or wrong things as to spend on thy lusts Å¿ Iames 4.3 or for temporall things onely or cheefely t Hose 7.14 besides many times it comes to passe that men speede not because they are not humble Wee should so prize and esteeme holy things as wee should exceedingly reioyce if wee could get but the crummes that fall from the Fathers table This Humilitie is euer ioyned with great Faith and wished successe in all suites to God Againe it is to bee noted that men may bee deceiued about the successe of Prayer for the decree for our succours may goe foorth at the very beginning of our supplications though the knowledge of it bee not reuealed vnto vs till afterwards Further God heareth prayers diuersly sometimes hee heareth to grant the verie thing we desire sometimes he heareth and granteth and giueth not the verie things wee desire but that which hee holds to bee best for vs and for the distresse wee are in so hee was sayd to heare CHRIST Hebr. 5. Lastly God doth heare and grant and yet deferre to giue and that for our great good many times hee deferres that hee may prooue vs that our faith may bee the more kindled that his benefits may bee more sweet when they doe come
mercy nor pietie in the Land because there is no knowledge of God in the Land x Hos 4.1.2 God shewes his righteousnesse to them that know him y Psal 36 10. And therefore neyther the Papists must tell men that Ignorance is the Mother of Deuotion nor the common Protestant so idly aske what needes all this knowledge More particularly three questions may be here resolued What are the lets of increasing Quest 1. What are the lets of increase Ans There are many lets 1. Ill opinions about knowledge as that it is vnprofitable vnnecessary c. 2. Abuse of our Callings 3. The loue of other things z Ier. 9.23.24 4. The smothering of doubts difficulties and preiudice in the vse of the meanes 5. Securitie when a man growes proud of what hee doth know and presumes of Gods mercy for what he wants 6 Presumptuous sinne as it hinders other graces so it casts men behinde hand in knowledge 7. Resisting of Gods Spirit pricking the conscience to get it awake and smothering of terrors * Hos 6.1.2.3 8. Internall euils nourished as lust a Tim 3.7 euill thoughts b Pro. 14.22 passion c Prou. 14.29 How we may know when we increase with knowledge What we must doe that wee may increase in knowledge c. Quest 2. How may we know when we increase in knowledge Ans We increase in knowledge 1. If we increase in affection to the meanes for God is neuer wanting in the successe 2. If we increase in the power of godlinesse it is certaine wee grow in knowledge if wee grow in grace 3. If wee grow stayed and setled and more resolued in the doctrine of Gods grace and practise of holy life Quest 3. What must we doe that wee may increase Ans We must obserue these Rules 1. We must practise what we doe already know d Iohn 7.17 2. Wee must not be ouer-curious or suffer our selues to be drawne aside with fond questions controuersies and speculations but be wise to sobriety e Rom. 12.13 3. Wee must redeeme the time and watch to all the opportunities for the vse of the meanes f Ephes 5.16 4. Wee must vse the world as if wee vsed it not 5 We must acknowledge that is confesse and professe what we know least God by our vnthankefulnesse and fearefulnesse be prouoked to scourge our spirits with a slumber or reprobate sence g Rom 1.28 6. Wee must minde our owne way h Prou 14.8 Lastly we must vse Gods ordinances and all of them and without interruption constantly and cheerefully Thus of the Grace it selfe and the Measure of it the Obiect followes Of God Our knowledge must be of God foure wayes Our knowledge must be of God foure waies for first it must be spirituall and diuine knowledge not humane naturall and earthly 2. It must be of God as hee is the author of it we must seeke it from aboue by prayer 3. It must be of God as he is the end of it it must draw vs nearer to God Lastly God must be the obiect of it we must know Gods Name In this last sence here are two things imported First that euen after regeneration there may be sometimes some working of the seedes of Atheisme So wretched is the euill nature of man that in this respect there is cause many times to hang downe the head with horror shame and bitter mourning of heart and confusion of face Secondly that increase in holy conuersation doth abate the mouings of Atheisme as any be more holy so they are more freed from the trouble of them Be first holy and then be an Atheist professed or resolued if thou canst Concerning the knowledge of God foure things are to be considered 1. How he is made knowne 2. Who they are that God chargeth with this that they know him not 3. How it comes to passe that man knowes not his God 4. What we must doe that we may know God How God is made knowne God is made knowne 1. in his Sonne in Christ God is as it were visible i Iohn 14.9 2. By his Spirit k 1 Cor. 2.10.11 3. By his worde both by the testimony it giues of God and by the relation of Prophesies accomplished and Miracles wonderfully wrought it shewes a God as it is a sacred treasury preseruing the memory of wonderfull things 4. By his workes and that either in generall as God hath stamped vpon them some markes of his invisible things l Rom. 1. or in his particular workes as the founding of the Earth the hanging of the Cloudes the spreading out of the Heauens the recoyling of the Waters leauing an habitation for man terrours of Conscience Plagues vpon wicked men at their wish answering of Prayers Miracles the Soule of Man and state of Diuels 2 There are many sorts of men yea euen in the Church Who they are that know not God besides professed Atheists that are hated of God and charged with this that they know not God as 1. All that keepe not his Commandements m Esay 1.5 1 Iohn 2.4 2. All that heare not vs n 1 Iohn 4.6 3. All Persecutors o John 16.3 4. All that honour not such as feare God p 1 Iohn 3.1 5. All that deny the Natures or Offices of the Sonne of God q 1 Iohn 2.23 The causes of this ignorance of God 3 This wretched Atheisme and Ignorance of God and euill thoughts of his Nature Presence Attributes c. is caused first by corruption of our natures in the Fall 2. It is increased by the custome of all sorts of sinnes 3. If it preuaile it may come by some speciall iudgement of God who being prouoked by other sinnes doth leaue men to a spirit of slumber or eternally reiecting them doth leaue them to a reprobate sence or in the power of the sinne against the holy Ghost 4 That we may know God and increase in it wee must view his workes What wee must do that we may know God search his Booke obey the motions of his Spirit humble our selues to seeke the signes of his presence and for the better successe in all labour for a pure heart r Math. 5.6 Hitherto of the Obiect Parts and End of Knowledge the Cause followeth in these words Verse 11. Strengthened in all might according to the power of his glory IN the words I note 1. The thing it selfe Strengthened 2. The manner of it in all might 2. The ground of it according to the power of his glory or glorious power From the Coherence I obserue that wee must bee strengthened in Grace before wee can be filled with Knowledge till Grace preuaile euill motions Doct. 1 and temptations grow many times too hard for the seedes of Knowledge and the Diuell steales away much of the seede Strengthened There are two sorts of Christians fearing God some are Doct. 2 strengthened with all might
vnderstand it first in respect of the sufficiencie of his death not in respect of the efficiencie of it Secondly in respect of the common oblation of the benefits of his death externally in the Gospell vnto all Thirdly as his death extendeth vnto all the Elect for all that is for the Elect. Fourthly for all that is for all that are saued so that none that are iustified and saued are so but by the vertue of his death Fiftly for all that is for all indefinitely for all sorts of men not for euery man of euery sort Lastly hee dyed for all that is not for the Iewes onely but for the Gentiles also Qu. Quest Are not all in the visible Church that are sealed with the Sacrament of Initiation made fit An. Ans No for Nicodemus was circumcised yet not as then fit for heauen and Simon Magus was baptised yet perished in the gall of bitternesse and many of the Israelites were signed with the same Sacraments of righteousnesse and yet were destroyed with fearefull plagues b 1 Cor 10. the Pharisees were baptised with Iohns Baptisme yet in great danger of wrath to come c Math 3. Fiue sorts of men not made fit There are fiue sorts of men that liue in the Church that are not made fit First such as are in heart disioyned so as indeede they care for the doctrine of no Church and thus Atheist and Epicures are vnfit Secondly such as are in heart fastned to a false Church though in shew they bee members of the true thus Church-Papists are not fit Thirdly such as receiue Religion and care for it but onely as it may fit the humours of such as are in authoritie and may serue the currant of the present times and thus temporising Polititians are not made fit Fourthly such as admit some parts of Gods worship and stand in professed enmitie and dislikes of the rest and thus the common Protestant of all estates and degrees they thinke if they come to the Church to seruice and be no Papists it will serue turne though they neglect yea contemne yea commonly despight Preaching priuate Prayer true Fasting religious Conference and Fellowship in the Gospell Fiftly and lastly among the better sorts that are hearers and constant hearers there are many not made fit for the Kingdome of God for many hearers rest in an Historicall Faith and externall righteousnesse eyther betraying the seede by suffering the Fiends of hell those inuisible fowles of the Ayre to take it away or choking the seede by worldly cares or if they get a taste of the good word of God and of the powers of the life to come by their wicked reuoults and backe-slidings they shew themselues not fit nor worthy the Kingdome of God Who Doct. God onely can make men fit for his Kingdome he onely can rescue vs from the power of darkenesse and Sathan it is hee onely is the Lord of righteousnesse it is hee onely that can pardon our sinnes it is hee onely can heale our rebellions and take away our iniquities hee onely is the fountaine of all inherent holinesse he onely is stronger then all to preserue vs to the end and crowne vs with glory Made fit The word may be rendred eyther made fit or worthy so it bee vnderstood of the merit of Christ imputed to vs in whom onely wee are worthy of heauen Wee are made fit by Redemption by vocation by Adoption by Iustification by Sanctification and by Glorification for each of these addes something to our sufficiencie The Vse is to teach vs to magnifie Gods exceeding mercy that doth not onely giue vs heauen but make vs fit for Heauen The greatest King in the world Note if hee set his loue vpon a base slaue or vassall well hee may giue him an Earledome or great Office but he cannot giue him fitnesse for his place and gifts to execute it hee may change his estate but he cannot change his nature But God doth not onely giue a Kingdome to his Seruants but hee endues them with royall inclinations desires and behauiour The Rhemists vpon this place note that wee deserue saluation condignely but wee neede not answere them for Thomas Aquinas the ordinary Glosse and Cardinall Caietan vpon this place crosse them Aquinas saith thus Dixerunt aliqui Deus dâ—t dignis gratiam c. Some haue said God giues grace to the worthy but not to the vnworthy but the Apostle excludes this because whatsoeuer worthinesse thou hast God hath wrought it in thee and to this end alledgeth 2 Cor 3. We are not sufficient of our selues to thinke a good thought The Glosse thus Hee makes vs worthy not in the Law but in Light that is through God who is light of light by whose grace we are inlightened Caietan thus worthy that is fit by lot that is onely by Gods gift Note onely by Gods gift the Papist saith To be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light or as it is in the originall verbatim Vnto the part of the lot of the Saints in light The lot of the Saints is by some taken for the sufferings of the Saints by others for their happinesse as it is had in this life in the right or inchoation of it by others for heauen and that as it is held by true title here in this world so I take it here How the lottery of Canaan shadowes out our inheritance in heauen The word lot leadeth vs by allusion to Canaan and the diuision thereof and the comparison holdeth in many things As none had right to the Land of Canaan but Israelites so none haue right to heauen but the Saints and as Canaan was furnished with buildings and all commodities but not by the Israelites d Deut 8.7 c. c. so Heauen was prepared of old before the Saints entred it e Math 25. The builder and maker of it was not the Saints but God f 2 Cor 5. And as the Canaanites were throwne out that Israell might enter so the Diuels were throwne out of Heauen that the Saints might enter And as without a Ioshua though there were a Land there would be no lot so without a Iesus though there were a heauen there would be no inheritance and though the Land were giuen by lot yet it must not bee possessed without a Combat they must first fight and then inherit so must Heauen suffer violence and before it be had wee must wrestle with Principalities and Powers and as all their lots were knowne to Ioshua so euery Christian in his standing is knowne to Christ as Ioshua had what hee asked g Iosh 19.50 so our Ioshua obtaines what hee askes though hee aske the ends of the earth h Psal 2. And as the comparison hath those things for information so may diuers instructions be gathered from hence also and first if wee would haue any lot in Heauen wee must be sure wee be true Israelites
they be in a dungeon in this world yet a great window is broken downe and much light appeares though there be sinne in them yet it raignes not though they must die yet the sting of death is pulled out though they endure the same afflictions that wicked men doe for the matter yet they are not the same for nature and vse they are not curses or punishments but onely chastisements and tryals or preuentions The consideration of this that wee are not all at once deliuered from the power of darkenesse may defend often preaching and the frequent vse of all good meanes publike or priuate This darkenesse will not away with one dayes shining these clouds will not bee dispelled with one blast what 's the light of one candle when the night hath inclosed the whole ayre And translated vs into the kingdome of his deare Sonne Or as it is in the Originall of the Sonne of his loue These words containe the second part of our Redemption on earth in this world the redeeming of vs is the translating of vs and this translation is amplified by the condition of life into which wee are translated which for the excellencie of it is into a Kingdome and for the author of it is into the kingdome of Iesus Christ the Sonne of Gods loue Translated The word is a Metaphor and the comparison is taken from Plants in nature and there are diuers things signified vnto vs concerning our Redemption in the similitude of translating Plants As trees are translated in Winter not in the Spring so commonly our Redemption is applied in the dayes of speciall affliction and sorrow o Job 33.14 vers 31. and as the Plant is not first fruitfull and then translated but therefore translated that it may beare fruit so wee are not therefore redeemed because God was in loue with our fruits but therefore translated out of the kingdome of darkenesse that we might bring foorth fruit vnto God And as a tree may be truely remoued and new planted and yet not presently beare fruite so may a Christian bee truely translated and yet in the first instant of his conuersion hee may not shew foorth all that fruit he doth desire c. What translating hath in it In particular translating hath two things in it first pulling vp secondly setting againe The pulling vp of the tree shadowes out three things in the conuersion of a Sinner First separation from the world hee cannot be in Christ that hath his heart rooted in the earth and keepes his olde standing amongst these trees the wicked of the world Secondly deliuerance both from originall sinne in the raigne of it which is the moysture of the olde earth and also from hardnesse of heart for translating hath remoouing of the mould and stones that were about the roote Thirdly godly sorrow raised by the sense of the stroakes of the Axe of Gods threatnings and by the losse of many sprowts and branches that were hidden in the earth A Christian cannot scape without sorrow for hee hath many an vnprofitable sprowt of vanitie and sinfull profit and pleasure hee must part with The setting of the tree notes both our ingrafting into Christ by the Spirit of God through Faith and our communion with the Saints the fruitfull trees in Gods Orchard as also it notes our preseruation by the infusion of the sappe of holy graces Our natures are translated not destroied And it is worthy to be noted that he saith translated vs to teach vs that there remaines in man the same nature after Calling that was before for our natures are not destroyed in conuersion but translated there remaines the same faculties in the soule and the same powers in the body yea the constitution and complexion of man is not destroyed as the melancholy man doth not cease to be so after conuersion onely the humour is sanctified vnto a fitnesse for godly sorrow and holy meditation and the easie renouncing of the world c. and the like may bee said of other humours in mans nature Into the Kingdome The kingdome of God is either vniuersall ouer the whole world or spirituall ouer the faithfull Soules on earth or blessed soules in heauen till the day of Iudgement or it is both spirituall and corporall ouer all the Saints after the day of iudgement for euer It is the Kingdome of Grace by inchoation in the way present here below that is here meant not the Kingdome of Glory by Consummation in our Countrey aboue The Kingdome of Christ here on earth Christs Kingdome better then all other Kingdomes though it be not so visible and pompous as other kingdomes are yet it excels all the kingdomes on earth for when all other kingdomes are not onely shaken but translated or remoued or dissolued the kingdome of Christ will endure to the end and in Christs kingdome the number of possessors doth not diminish the largenesse of the possession of each whereas in other states many Kings make little Kingdomes Besides wicked men may not onely be Subiects but Kings in other kingdomes but this Kingdome though it be euery where yet it is wanting to the ignorant and sinners Christ raignes in this Kingdome by his Word and Spirit and his gouernment is taken vp especially in two things first the collection of his Church and secondly the maintenance of it Great are the priuiledges of the Saints vnder the gouernement of Iesus Christ they are qualified with eternall graces The priuiledges of the Subiects of this Kingdome they are comforted with the daily refreshings that flow from the sense of Gods fauour they are confirmed in the assured peace with Angels and good men they are estated into an euerlasting inheritance they daily reape the benefits of Christs Intercession they often suppe with Christ and are feasted by the great King they liue alwaies in the Kings Court in as much as they are alwaies in Gods speciall presence they partake of the priuiledges Prayers and blessings of all the righteous and they haue the Spirit of God in them to vnite them to God and Christ to leade them in the pathes of holy life to comfort them in all distresses to warne them if they goe out eyther on the left hand or the right and to helpe them in their prayers making request for them when they know not what to pray as they ought Obiect Obiect The World sees no such glory in the estate of Christians in this Kingdome Sol. There lyes a vayle ouer the eyes of all worldly men Solut. and besides this Kingdome though it be in the world is not of it though it be here yet it is not from hence and the afflictions that commonly couer the face of the Church doe hide from carnall men the beautie of it and by reason of the opposition that is betweene the Kingdome of Christ and the Kingdome of Darkenesse though the world know the glory of Christians yet they will not acknowledge it Obiect
considered first concerning Creation it selfe in the generall secondly who created thirdly what was created fourthly the distinctions of Creatures Created God workes not as the Creatures doe God workes in an instant Angels worke sodainely Nature workes by little and little and by degrees There is a threefold effusion of the goodnesse of God 1. by Generation 2. by Spiration 3. by Creation The Workes of God are either Internall and immanent and are in the Essence of God by an act internall and eternall and thus Predestination is Gods worke or externall and transient passing to the Creatures by an act externall and temporall And these workes are either workes of Nature or workes of Grace Qua est in fieri qua est in facto the workes of Nature respect her either as shee is in making or as she is made the latter workes are workes of Prouidence the former are workes of Creation A difference must be made betweene creating generating and making A thing comes into being of nothing by Creation of something by making and of a substance by generation Creation is of God by himselfe Generation is of Nature according to God Doctr. Doct. The World euen this whole Frame of all things was created and had a beginning This wee may know by Faith out of Scripture x Gen 1. 2. Psal 33.6.9 Job 38. 39. and by Reason from the state of Creatures their alterations subordinations debellities and expirations proue a beginning and that they are not eternall Obiect Obiect This drownes our thoughts that wee cannot conceiue of Eternitie Solut. what it was before the world was Sol. It is not meete wee should account our selues able to iudge of Eternitie What doe Plants iudge of Sense what doe the Beasts iudge of Reason how canst thou be fit to iudge of Eternitie that thy selfe hast no certaine continuance in time Thus of Creation in generall the second thing is who is Creator Opera ad extra sunt indiuisa In him or by him The whole Trinitie did create the world because it is a rule that the workes of God that are without are vndeuided so as that which one Person doth all the three Persons doe Yet there is difference in the Order Pater est causa 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Filius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Spiritus sanctus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the Father moues and wils it the Sonne workes it and the holy Ghost finisheth it Creation is giuen to the Father Acts 17.24 to the Sonne Iohn 1.3 to the holy Ghost Gen. 1.2 Psal 33.6 But in this place the honour of the worke is specially giuen to the Sonne And it is to be noted that the originall hath more then barely by him for it is said in him c. The Creation of the world was in Christ in two respects First it was in him as in an examplar the Frame of the world to be made was in him as the Image of the Fathers vnderstanding for in the building of a House there is a double frame the one in the head of the Carpenter the other the Frame externall of the house built after the patterne of that that was in the Carpenters head So is it in the Creation of the World Secondly it was in him as that decreed and fore-appointed head and foundation in which all the other things should be placed and consist thus he is said to be the beginning of the Creatures of God Reuel 3.14 This worke of Creation ascribed vnto Christ proues his Deity Eternitie and Omnipotencie Thus of the Creator Mundus Archetypicus Thirdly it followes what was created viz. All things The whole world By the world I meane not the frame of all things as it was in Gods Essence from Eternitie nor man onely which is called a little World Mundus Microcosmus Mundus Macrocosmus but this whole Vniuerse and great building consisting of all sorts of Creatures Concerning this creation of all things I onely note two things First how they were created secondly the errours that sprung vp against this Doctrine Now All things were created First most freely without any necessitie that compelled God thereunto a Psal 33.9 115.3 Secondly without any labour motion or mutation of himselfe with a becke onely and by his omnipotent Word b Psal 33.9 Thirdly of nothing of nothing I say negatiuely in the Creation of the first masse of all things and of nothing priuatiuely in the second Creation of things out of the first masse or Chaos For though in the order of nature and by men nothing is made of nothing yet this extendeth not to God and the first Creation Fourthly most wisely so as there flowed in the Creation a goodnesse to euery Creature so as they were all good in Gods account c Gen 1.31 This Goodnesse in Man and Angels was Gods Image in them Fiftly in time with time in the very beginning of time d Gen 1.1 Sixtly in the space of sixe daies not at one time onely and this shewed the Creatures disabilitie that could not forme it selfe when the first matter was created Herein God also shewed his power and that hee was not tied to second causes as hee declared when hee gaue light to the world while yet there was no Sunne Then herein hee teacheth men to dwell long vpon the meditation of the Creation seeing God himselfe did prolong the Creation for so many daies which yet hee could haue dispatched in an instant There were foure errors about the Creation Foure words confute foure Errours Some said the world was eternall some said though it were not eternall yet it had a materiall beginning it was made of something Some said God made the Superiour Creatures himselfe and the Inferiour by Angels some made two beginners of things they imagined that one Beginner made things incorruptible and another made things corruptible The very first Verse of the Bible confutes all foure Errours the word in the beginning shewes the world was not eternall the word Creation notes that it was made of nothing when he saith God created all hee excludes Angels and lastly when hee saith God created Heauen and Earth hee shewes hee was the onely beginner of all sorts of Creatures Fourthly the distinction of the Creatures followes Sorts of Creatures here they are distinguished three waies 1. by Place some are things in heauen some things in earth 2. by Qualitie some are visible some are inuisible 3. by a subdiuision of the inuisible some are Thrones some are Dominions c. Thrones or Dominions or Principalities or Powers Diuersitie of opinions about the meaning of Thrones Dominions c. These words are diuersly interpreted Some thinke there is no necessitie to vnderstand them of Angels but in generall of all Empire and of the order of oeconomie among the Creatures in Marriage Lawes or Gouernments in heauen or Earth Some restraine the words to order amongst
him For him In diuers respects first as it is hee onely All things are for Christ in diuers respects in whom the Father is well pleased and so the loue of God to the World is for his sake Secondly as all the Creatures doe serue to point out the Sonne as well as the Father and that because they shew Christ as the wisedome of the Father And be sides their changes and corruptions doe cry for the libertie of the sonnes of God in Christ and further they are all at commaund for the propagation and preseruing of the kingdome of Christ Thirdly as he is heyre of all thingss they are for him that is for his glory so as hee is not onely the Efficient but the finall cause of all things The Carpenter makes his House perhaps fot one more honourable then himselfe but not so Christ in making this great House the World The consideration of this point that all things are for Christ should teach vs diuers things First wee should lesse dote vpon the world and the things thereof Vses in as much as these things were principally made for Christ and not for vs. And secondly wee should vse all these things as helpes to lead vs to CHRIST Thirdly in the vse of the Creatures wee should be carefull to expresse the glory of Christ by giuing thankes by magnifying his Wisedome Power Goodnesse c. and by distributing them according to his appointment as to the poore and to the maintenance of the worship of God for seeing they are his and for him wee should despose of them as hee requires Lastly it should keepe vs from the vse of all ill meanes for seeing it is for Christ wee should not lye deceiue vse false weights runne to Witches or take any other vngodly course for hee needes not our lye nor desires to bee helped by any sinnefull course The fourth thing which Christ is commended for is his Eternitie Hee was before all things Eoure things in the immensitie of Christs diuine nature The Immensitie of Christs Diuine Nature hath foure things in it First infinitenesse in respect of it selfe Secondly incomprehensiblenesse in respect of our sense and vnderstanding Thirdly incircumscriptiblenesse in respect of place Fourthly Eternitie in comparison of time That Christ is eternall these places proue Prou. 8.22 c. Mich. 5.2.4 c. Reuel 1.8.11 and 21.6 and 22.13 The Eternity of Christ may be thus defined it is a pleasant and at once perfect possession of endlesse life The Eternity of Christ described and explained And hereby may the eternitie of Christ appeare to differ from the eternity of all other things The Heauens haue an endlesnesse of Essence but they want life The Diuels haue an endlesse not onely being but life but it is not a pleasant life The Saints in Heauen haue a pleasant life till the day of Iudgement but they haue not whole possession The Angels in Heauen haue a whole possession but it is not at once but successiuely both in reuelation and ioy I say it is whole in them because their whole Nature or Essence is possessed of pleasant and endlesse life And lastly Christs eternitie differs from all eternitie of all the Creatures because no creature hath the former things absolutely perfect that is such a possession of endlesse life as vnto which nothing is wanting for they want many of the perfections that are in Christ though they bee perfect in their owne kinde Seeing Christ was before all things wee should preferre him before all things wee should acknowledge his Title as heyre of all things as the eldest among all things wee should willingly heare him speake and honour his words wee should trust in him and liue by faith c. And in him all things consists That is hee vpholds rules and gouernes all things by his prouidence and this is the fift thing by which our Redeemer is described in relation to the World That prouidence is giuen to the Son as well as Creation these places proue Heb. 1.2.3 Prou. 8.15 Iohn 5.12 Christ is not like the Carpenter that makes his house and then leaues it or like the Shipwright How al things consist in Christ Conseruando Prescribendo Mouendo Ordinando Disponendo that frames his Ship but neuer after guides it All things are said to consist in him in respect of Conseruation in that he keepes all things in their being in respect of Precept in that from him are prescribed the Lawes by which Nature Policie and Religion are gouerned in respect of Operation in that all things moue in him in respect of Ordination in that hee appointeth all things to their end in respect of Disposition of the meanes to the end and lastly as the vniuersall cause of Nature and naturall instincts in all Creatures by which they further their owne preseruation Obiect But we see the meanes by which all things are wrought and preserued as by their causes Sol. The meanes notwithstanding all things consist in Christ first because Christ vseth not the meanes necessarilie secondly hee ordaines the meanes as well as the end thirdly the meanes is many times euill in matter or forme yet the worke is made good by Christ fourthly he is not tied to the meanes but he can worke either with without or against the meanes fiftly all meanes hath his efficacie from Christ But the words would be particularly weighed As Christ is God al things consist in him foure wayes In him All things consist in Christ both in generall as hee is God and in speciall as he is Redeemer Foure waies all things consist in or by CHRIST as hee is God first in respect of Vbiquitie hee comprehends all things and is comprehended of nothing The Nations are but a droppe of his Bucket and time it selfe is but a drop of his Eternitie secondly in respect of power in his power this whole frame stirreth thirdly in respect of Omniscience and Wisedome for all is within his knowledge and receiueth order from his Wisedome fourthly in respect of decree for the world to be made did from euerlasting hang in the fore knowledge and pre-ordination of Christ As Christ is Redeemer all things consist in him three wayes first And as he is Redeemer three waies because he is that attonement which kept the world from being dissolued for Adams sinne secondly because the respect of him and his Church is that that keepes vp the world to this day if his body were once compleat the world would not stand one houre thirdly because the promise made to man concerning his prosperity in the vse of all Creatures are made in Christ All things Euen all things which are or are done in Earth or Heauen Act 17.25 things visible or inuisible which haue either being life sense or reason past present or to come aduersitie as well as prosperitie c. Consist This word notes foure things Order Continuance Cooperation The word Consist notes foure things
Sathan who now may bite the heele but cannot touch the head And from hence we must learne if we would euer get by participation and influence any grace from Christ we must by Faith and effectuall calling get into Christ Thirdly in that hee saith this Fulnesse dwells in Christ it notes the continuance of it the personall Vnion shall neuer bee dissolued and therefore the habituall graces of Christ shall neuer bee abolished And these Graces had neede continue in him for in him rests the calling of the Elect not yet gathered and the perseuerance of the Saints Vses The Riuers must needes be empty if the fountaine be dry This is comfortable wee may now beseech him to helpe our vnbeleefe as well as the man in Gospell Wee may finde ioy and victory in CHRIST crucified as well as Paul his Grace will still bee sufficient for vs. There dwells in him still fulnesse of wisedome to keepe vs from errour fulnesse of Grace to keepe vs from Apostacie fulnesse of Ioy to keepe vs from Despayre fulnesse of power to preserue vs against all euill men and euill Angels onely refuse not knowledge when hee offers the meanes wincke not when the Sunne shines Shut not the doore when hee knockes fight when hee giues thee Weapons and cast not away thy confidence and let no man take thy Crowne Hitherto of the plenitude in the Head Verse 20. And by him to reconcile all things to himselfe and to set at peace through the blood of his Crosse both the things on Earth and the things in Heauen IN these words the Redeemer is described as a Head by influence the Apostle shewes vs the good comes from Christ as our Mediator and the summe of all is that hee reconciles vs to God In this Verse there are eight things to be noted First why or the moouing cause and that is It pleased him for that must bee supplyed out of the former Verse as the Copulatiue And sheweth Secondly by whom or the Instrument By him Thirdly what to reconcile Fourthly whom in generall All things Fiftly to whom or to what end viz. To himselfe Sixtly the effect making peace Seuenthly the meanes of merit By the bloud of his Crosse Eightly what in particular viz. things on earth and things in Heauen Reconciliation is our first step to happinesse The principall poynt in the whole Verse to bee obserued is that man hath then attayned the cheefe good when his soule is reconciled to GOD this is the summe of all that which Christ hath procured for his Church Blessed are the people whose God is the Lord. Others may bee more rich then they but none more happy for heereby man is ioyned to the fountaine of all good and not onely hath interest in his fauour but reapeth vnspeakeable benefits by communion with his Attributes Word Workes Holinesse and Glory Our reconciliation with God giues vs a title to a better happinesse then euer Adam had it estates vs in the possession of eternity and frees vs from immortall woe Vses All this should encourage with all care and constancy to seeke Gods fauour and forsake our sinnes that we may be reconciled whatsoeuer it cost sparing no labour or teares till wee se the face of God with ioy a Ier. 50.5 This shewes also the wofull estate of such men as are left to themselues and haue this peace and reconciliation hid from their eyes And of all Iudgements it should most greeue vs to be separate from God If to bee reconciled bee our greatest happinesse to misse the comforts of Gods presence and loue cannot but be an extreame affliction And to this end wee should beseech God to deliuer vs from a blinde or stony heart or a sleepy conscience or impure affections for these if they raigne in vs hinder the vision of God And. This carrieth vs to it pleased the Father in the former Verse Our reconciliation is founded in Gods good pleasure Whence wee may note that our reconciliation stands with the euerlasting good pleasure of Gods will and therefore it followes 1. That our reconciliation cannot bee hindered or altered 2. That it ariseth from no sudden motion in GOD but is anciently decreed 3. That wee are not reconciled for our merit for it was decreed before we had done good or euill 4. That the reasons of the reiection of some and the gathering of others in time are iust though not alwayes exprest because there is no decree without Gods counsell 5. That if euer wee would haue the comfort of our Election wee must make sure our Reconciliation wee can neuer know Gods eternall loue to vs till wee finde the experience of his fauour in our Reconciliation the Prisoner knowes not what fauour is in the Kings breast till his Pardon comes By him Doct. Christ is the instrument of our Reconciliation Christ is the meanes of our reconciliation the first Adam tooke God from vs the second Adam restored God to vs. Man would needes become God and therefore lost God from vs God out of his loue becomes man and restores vs againe to God The world is now restored by the same wisdome it was first made Gods Image is restored in vs by him that is the eternall Image of the Father The middle Person in the Trinity is the Mediator betweene God and Man the naturall Sonne makes men Sonnes by Adoption it is Christ that both can and ought to reconcile vs. He could not doe it if hee were not God he ought not to doe it if he were not man b 1 Tim. 2.5 Rom. 3.25 1 Cor. 1.3 1 Iohn 2.1 1 Cor. 3.11 Acts 4.13 This Doctrine yeeldes vs matter of admiration of the loue of Christ Vses if we consider what either hee was or what wee were The Lord in the forme of a Seruant procures the saluation of the Seruant hee that was the beginning of Gods workes repaires him that at best was the last of them God descended from heauen to earth that man might ascend from earth to heauen God is made the Sonne of man that man might be made the Sonne of God hee that was rich became poore to make vs rich the immortall became mortall to make vs immortall Hee is a Physician to vs sicke a Redeemer to vs sold a Way to vs wandering and Life to vs dead Secondly this should teach vs in all suits to God to seeke to Christ the Sonne of God it is he must offer vp our Prayers procure our Pardon and make our Peace yea it is hee and none other Thirdly wee should seeke the testimony of Iesus as well as his Ransome if hee witnesse to our Reconciliation wee neede neuer doubt of it if hee giue no witnesse wee can haue no assurance The Testimony of Iesus is giuen partly by the Promises of the Word hee putting spirit and life into them for our particular comfort and partly by the witnesse of the Spirit of Adoption in the vnutterable feelings and
a speciall Law of God made accursed Vses of Christs crosse The consideration of this that Christ suffered on the Crosse should teach vs both Humiliation and humility we should bee pricked in our hearts to thinke of it that our sinnes caused him so to bee pierced i Zach. 12.12 and wee should put on all humblenesse of minde when wee see him that was equall to God abasing himselfe for vs in the forme of a Seruant to dye on a tree k Phil. 2.8 c. yea the more basenesse hee suffered the more wee should glory and reioyce in his sufferings nothing should glad our hearts more then CHRIST and him crucified l Gal. 6.14 Further Christ dyed on the Crosse to breake downe the partition wall and to slay Hatred m Ephes 2.16 1. Cor. 1.13 And shall Enmitie and Discord liue when Christ is deâ—d Shall hee be nayled and shall not our vile affections bee nayled downe with him Besides it should bee our care to see to it that the Crosse of CHRIST be not made of none effect n 1 Cor. 1.18 which is when by Faith it is not applied when the Doctrine of Christ is not GODS power in our soules when our Flesh is not crucified with the Lusts of it o Gal. 5.24 and when wee take not vp our Crosse to follow Christ p Math. 10.38 And lastly when wee are so bewitched that wee cannot obey the truth By him By him repeated for foure reasons This is repeated in the Originall though the Translation expresse it not for foure Reasons first to shew how hardly men are drawn to ascribe from their hearts their happinesse vnto Christ Secondly to shew the necessitie of it It is not possible to be saued but by the imputed righteousnesse of CHRIST Thirdly to shew that all things in Christs action and Passion were meritorious least men should superstitiously dote or dreame vpon his Bloud or the word of the Crosse or the signe of it or the like There is no merit in Bloud but as it was in him Fourthly to conclude the worshippe of Angels which abuse beganne then to grow among the Colossians Both the things vpon earth This All things by a distribution is againe repeated to medicine the doubtfulnesse of Gods Children which question it whether Christs merits extend vnto them as also to inflame vs to an admiration of the vertue of his death by considering how farre it extends On Earth Note here two things First that eternall life is begunne in this life wee should neuer see Gods face in Heauen if wee taste not of his fauour on Earth And if this must be begun on earth why doe men deferre so great a worke as their reconciliation as if it belong to heauen rather then to be done on earth yea this taxeth the slownesse of heart and discontentment of Gods Children This knowledge ioy affection c. is the same thou must haue in heauen And wee should learne hence to liue on earth like the Citizens of Heauen Citizens will not liue so rudely as the Country Swaines much more oddes ought there to be betweene Sarazens and Hagarens if I may so say much difference betweene them that dwell in SION and those that haue no portion but in SINAY Gods Children are the Sonnes of the Free-woman and Citizens wicked men are the Children of the Bond-woman and Forrainers and strangers from the Common-wealth of Israell Secondly where hee saith vpon the Earth and yet in Heauen I might note the vncertainetie of our abode on earth wee haue nothing to possesse but the outside of the earth which is ready to shake vs off daily All things in Heauen For the meaning of these words wee know Whether Angels be reconciled in Christ or no. that there are in Heauen both Angels and Saints And it may bee questioned whether Angels be reconciled in Christ or no. Though Angels sinned not yet Angels haue gain'd by Christ a more perfect adhering to God and establishing in their standing encrease of knowledge and of Ioy r Luke 15.10 yea q Ephes 3.9 the Angels are reconciled by Christ thus that is they are made friends with vs with whom they were at enmitie yet I thinke this is not meant here but the Saints onely are intended because it seemes he entreateth here of Christ not onely as head for so hee is head of Angells but as Mediator betweene parties fallen out Whence wee may note two things first that the very Saints now in heaâ—en once needed the merits of Christ none come there but were first reconciled which may be a comfort to the afflicted spirits of mourning and drooping Christians if they consider that the greatest Saints did neede remission of sins as well as they And besides it pounds to pieces merit of workes inasmuch as these Saints came not into heauen but by the merits of Christ Secondly wee may learne that Christ merited not onely our persons but our grace and glory Verse 21. And you hath hee now also reconciled that were in times past strangers and enemies because your mindes were set in euill works HItherto of the description of the Redeemer as hee stands in relation to the whole Church In these two Verses hee is described by relation in particular to the Church of the Colossians In this description consider two things First the miserie the Colossians were in without Christ Secondly the remedie in Christ Their miserie is both propounded and expounded It is propounded to stand in two things viz. Alienation and enmitie It is expounded in two things viz. that they were thus miserable first in their Mindes secondly in their Workes the remedie followes in the next Verse Before I come to consider of their miserie there are certaine wordes of Coherence to be weighed viz. And you hath hee now also reconciled where obserue first the word of Connexion And secondly the benefit repeated reconciled Thirdly the person whom you Fourthly the time when hath now Fifty the person who Hee Six things obserued from the coherence From the generall consideration of the matter contained in this Verse and the next with the Coherence six things may be obserued First that CHRIST is a true Head to euery particular Church Secondly that then is any people happy and not before when the Gospell gathers their soules to God Thirdly they cannot be miserable that cease to be strangers and enemies to God whatsoeuer their outward estate be Fourthly Doctrine must be applied For the humiliation of Gods Seruants so to Dauid For the conuincing of the wicked so to Ahab For the triall and detection of the temporary Faith so to Herod For the hardening of the reprobates and their reiection and cutting downe by the Sword of Gods seruants and for the speciall consolations and directions of Gods Seruants And therefore Ministers should imploy themselues in application and to that end should study for power of matter as well as forme of words
discerne the benefit of the Couenant of grace in freeing them from the curse and rigour of the Law The ignorance of this one point hath and doth couer the faces and hearts of millions of Gods Seruants with a perplexed confusion and feare without cause Sixtly many professors liue in much vnrest for want of discerning things that differ and the right vse of Christian liberty Seauenthly there is a kinde of luke-warmenesse in practise after hearing which is in many scourged with the withholding of this rich grace of spirituall stedfastnesse I say luke-warmenesse in practise for it may bee obserued that many heare with great affection and continue to be stirring in expressing their liking of the Word and yet are exceedingly negligent in the conscionable and daily practise of such rules as in the ministerie of the Word they seeme to receiue with admiration and great liking Eightly this comes by reason of the want of patience and a meeke spirit some Christians are froward passionate transported with violent affections either of anger or worldly griefe and these seldome or neuer gaine any long rest or continuall contentment troubled affections greatly hinder setlednesse euen in the best things To conclude many professors reuolt to the world and giue themselues to an vniustifiable liberty in following either their profits or their pleasures And therefore no maruell though Grace and true Religion thriue so slowly in them when they eate vp their hearts and liues with these cares and delights of life Hitherto of Faith Now of Hope Be not moued away from the hope of the Gospell whereof yee haue heard Though by Faith wee are interressed in Gods fauour and our soules garnished on earth with diuers graces as the fruits of Faith and our liues protected with caelestiall priuiledges yet the glory of our kingdome is neither of this world nor in this world Hope must guide vs to future things as well as Faith to present and therefore the Apostle Peter doth with great reason teach vs to blesse God for begetting vs againe to a liuely hope n 1 Pet. 1.3 our whole happinesse may be branched out into these two parts First what wee haue already on earth and secondly what wee looke to haue hereafter in Heauen The one Faith procures the other Hope assures Now in that wee haue not all our happinesse here but hope for it elsewhere it should teach vs diuers things First wee should effectually pray vnto GOD to giue such sound wisedome and reuelation by his word and spirit that wee may indeede know this hope of our calling o Eph 1.18 Secondly in all troubles wee should bee the more patient seeing wee holde our full and finall deliuerance when wee shall feele no more troubles or crosses by Hope Perfect saluation is had here onely by Hope p Rom 8. Thirdly when our friends go out of the world such as were deare vnto vs in the bonds of grace we should not mourne immoderately for them for that were to proclaime our want of knowledge or want of sense and feeling in the thoughts of the happinesse of another world q 1 Thes 4.13 Yea fourthly seeing the greatest part of our happinesse is yet to come wee should learne to place our ioyes in the contemplation of Heauen according to the Apostles direction who biddeth vs reioyce in Hope r Rom 12.12 And lastly wee should prepare for death and wait when the time of our changing should come that wee might enioy the glorious libertie of the Sonnes of God Not moued away Doct. It is not enough to haue hope but wee must get to be vnmoueable in it for as the Authour to the Hebrewes shewes wee should be diligent to get and haue a Plerophorie or full assurance of Hope to the end Å¿ Heb 6 11. Wee must holde fast the confidence and reioycing of hope t Heb 3.6 This is our sure and stedfast Anchor to which wee should in all stormes haue our refuge to holde fast by it u Heb. 6 18 19 The Vse is two-fold first it may reproue that vnsetlednesse Note and discontentment is found in men in the times of their affliction when euery crosse can moue them away from their confidence We would think him a strange man that in time of peace would walke vp and downe with a Helmet on him and when hee were to go into any battell or fray in the middest of the fight when it was at the hottest would take his Helmet and throw it off him And yet so strange are we In prosperitie wee out-bragge all men with our hope in God and our strong confidence but when the Diuell or the World beginne to deale their blowes and to molest vs with sharpest assaults then we grow heartlesse or impatient and throw away our hope when wee haue most neede of it Secondly it should teach vs to labour after this vnmoueablenesse of hope which that it may the better be done two things are to be looked to 1. that our hope be a true hope 2. that we vse the meanes to make this hope vnmoueable And for the first wee must consider three things First what hope is not true hope Secondly what persons haue no hope Thirdly what are the effects or properties of true hope Some things of many in each of these shall be instanced in First there is a hope of which men shall one day bee ashamed such is What hope is not true hope mens hope in their riches x Psal 52.7 in the arme of flesh y Ier 17 5. in oppression vanitie and sinne z Psal 62.10 in the instruments of deliuerance as the Bow or Sword c * Psal 44 6. in the deceitfull conceits of their owne braines a Esa 28 15. or in their ciuilitie of life This is to trust in Moses b Joh 5 45. Who haue not true hope All these and other such like hopes are egregiously vaine Secondly there are many sorts of men in the world concerning whom it is plaine in Scriptures they haue not hope For in the generall there is no hope in any vnregenerate man c 1 Pet 1 3. Ephes 2 12. and in particular it is cleere there is no true hope First in the ignorant Psalm 9.10 Secondly in prophane men that make no conscience of sinne Psalm 115.11 Thirdly in the presumptuous that blesse their hearts against the curses of the Law Deuter. 29.19 Fourthly in the Hypocrite for though hee haue wouen to himselfe out of the bowels of his poisonous breast a faire webbe of hope yet it shall be as the house of the Spider one swope of Gods Beesome shall easily lay him and his hope in the dust of miserie d Iob. 8.13 Lastly it is not in workers of iniquitie that make a Trade of sinne and euery day plodde about mischiefe Thirdly true hope is most stirring in affliction and then it shewes it selfe by foure things Which are the effects or
viz. consolation and loue vers 2. The third reason is from certaine adiuncts of the Gospell viz. certaintie sublimitie and perfection vers 3.2 Ob. But what needs all this adoe might some of the Colossians say Why are we thus tediously vrged and with so many reasons Sol. vers 4. This I say lest any man beguile you Ob. But you are a stranger to vs and absent from vs how know you our estate Sol. vers 5. Though I am absent in the flesh yet I am present with you in the spirit Ob. But it is vncharitablenesse to entertaine such conceits of vs as if wee were a people corrupt and fallen away Sol. vers 5. For your present condition I reioyce in your order being fully assertained of your present stedfastnesse of faith in Christ But I write this to keepe you as you are that you may not be drawen away Quest But what would you aduise vs Tell vs briefly and at once what you would haue vs to doe Answ As you haue receiued Christ Iesus the Lord so walke in him c. v. 6.7 Thus wee see the order and generall meaning and dependance of all these first 7. verses In this first verse the Apostle would stirre vp the Colossians to constancy in the Gospell receiued by shewing his great care and daily strife for them and their good It is not vnlawfull in some cases to praise a mans selfe the Apostle heere doth it nor is it vnlawfull to vse rhetoricall insinuations to winne and excite affection in the people Paul would perswade by shewing his owne care for them But sure it is Ministers shall hardly euer profit the people or powerfully perswade with them vnto constancie in receiuing and retaining the care of their doctrine vnlesse they shew their owne care in teaching and their owne loue to the people they would perswade What a greate conflict Paul shewes his great loue to them hee fighteth for them and this he did when in all likelihood he should imploy his cares for himselfe being now in such straits as it were in the middest of death and the rather they should be affected with this proofe of his loue in them because they were absent from him For. This for shewes an aitiologie for it points to a dependance vpon the last verse of the former chapter there he had shewed what paine hee tooke and how mightily the Lord had shewed his power in working through his ministerie Now he tels of a fight and combat which euidently imports that when the Gospell workes vpon mens consciences and the ministerie of Gods seruants proues effectuall and powerfull there will follow some stirre and opposition there will be a conflict and strife Yet hence also may begathered that the grace of the Gospell is excellent and worthy the hauing else there would not be so much adoe to hinder it What great conflict or fighting 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the originall word is diuersly rendred some render it care or solicitude some danger sometimes it signifies a race as Heb. 12.1 sometimes it signifies only to striue but heare and in diuers places it is fitly rendred a conflict or fighting or wrestling But leauing the signification the matter is plaine that if Ministers execute their offices sincerely they must looke for a battle and oposition Indeed the life of faithfull Ministers is but a continuall battle they must looke to suffer and be shamefully intreated a 1 Thess 2.2 if they be bold to speake the Gospell of God it will be with much contention if they discharge the trust God hath put in them not pleasing men but God that trieth the hearts b Vers 3.4 warre they must this is their comfort it is a good warfare c 1 Tim. 1.18 and a good fight d 2 Tim. 4.7 to vndertake the ministerie it is to goe a warfare e 1 Cor. 9.7.12 Enemies to sincere preaching If any aske how this fight should grow I answer First it is manifest the deuill is the enemie of all goodnesse and will crosse the Gospell what he can Besides the flesh both in Ministers and people will lust and striue against the spirit a Minister should haue something to doe to beate downe his owne flesh f 1 Cor. 9.27 And in the Apostles times Tyrants with their ciuill or rather vnciuill sword did fight against the truth so did heretickes with the tares and poison of their infectious doctrine so did the Infidels also with slanders and outrages And though these cease yet opposition will rise from other sorts of men for in generall all men of wicked life will be contrarie to sound doctrine g 1 Tim. 1.10 and particularly both worldlings and epicures doe in all places discouer their dislike of the faithfull and diligent preaching of the Gospell in as much as the word would restraine the excesse of their pleasures and cares of life yea the ciuill honest men of the world though they giue heauen good words and can be long more quiet then the former yet let once their inward corruption bee ransacked or their speciall euils powerfully vnmasked they will become like horses and mules they wil strike at all that crosseth the praise of their quiet estate And for temporizers it is wonderfull euident that in all places they hold it a point of their care to se that sound preaching be disgraced For howsoeuer by Gods singular mercie amongst vs in this Nation by the lawes of the Kingdome preaching is both established and protected with honour yet because in practise people of all degrees tend to libertie and many greate ones like not that preaching that should discouer or restraine the greeuous excesses of the time hence it is that such as serue the humours of men and run in the current or prophanenesse doe euery where take all aduantages to disgrace painfull and godly Preachers and preaching Besides such is the hellish spight and rage of Papists and popish persons in all places that in imitation of their holy father who is noted to oppose and exalt himselfe h 2 Thess 2.4 they especially the locusts among them are as horses prepared to the battle i Reuel 9. as soone as the Gospell begins in any place to be sincerely taught Lastly this opposition many times is made by corupt teachers men that either are poysoned with vnsound opinions or otherwise be of corrupt and ambitious mindes as Iannes and Iambres resisted Moses so doe these resist the truth k 2 Tim. 3.8 and withstand the words of faithfull men and doe much euill l 2 Tim. 4.14.15 these by cunning craftines lie in waite to deceiue m Eph. 4.14 So that there are 12. opposites that set against the sinceritie of the preaching of the Gospell Now if any aske how Paul How many waies faithfull Ministers fight and so euery faithfull Minister doth fight against these I answere that as the aduersaries are diuers so their fight is diuers also For against
1. Ceremonies vvere shadovves in diuers respects In respect of certaintie of signification the shadow is a sure signe of the body so was this of Christ to come 2. In respect of causation the body causeth the shadow so is Christ the cause of all ceremonies 3. In respect of the obscuritie of signification a shadow is darke so were the ceremonies 4. In respect of cessation a shadow is quickly gone so were the ceremonies they were not to last for any long time Lastly they were shadowes as they were types so the lambe was a shadow of Christ and the Arke of the Church c. They were shadowes not giuen to iustifie but to shew iustification by Christ It is added of things to come to keepe off the blow from our Sacraments which are no shadowes of things to come but of things past But the body is in Christ The words are diuersly interpreted some referre the words to the next verse but without reason some supplie a word body and reade but the body is the body of Christ but the plaine meaning is that the truth and substance of all the ceremonies is now enioyed by the Church in and by Christ in whom all is now fulfilled and therefore heauen should now suffer violence and the children of Sion should now reioice in their King and Christians should stand fast in the libertie that is brought vnto them in Christ Iesus VERS 18. Let no man beare rule ouer you by humblenesse of minde and worshipping of Angels aduancing himselfe in those things he neuer saw rashly puft vp with his fleshly minde 19. And holdeth not the head whereof all the body furnished and knit together by ioynts and bands increaseth with the increasing of God IN these two verses hee concludes against philosophie and therein specially against Angell-worship a deuice like the old doctrine of the Platonists concerning their daemones tutelares The Diuines also that first broached this apostaticall doctrine in the Primitiue Church were Philosophers and if the Papists will persist in Angell-worship they must beare it to be accounted better Philosophers then Diuines The Apostle makes foure obseruations vpon these that bring in this worship of Angels 1. That they attribute that to themselues which is proper to God namely to beare rule ouer the consciences of men in matters of religion though they pretend to bring in those things because they would haue men thinke humbly of themselues 2. That they thrust in for oracles not things they haue seene and heard but deuised of themselues 3. That those things were founded on no other foundation then the opinions of men immoderately pleasing themselues in their owne deuices 4. That this course tends to the high derogation of the honour of Christ who only deserues all glory and by whom alone all the suits of the Church are dispatched The men then that vrge these things are 1. Hypocrites they pretend one thing and intend another 2. They are ignorant persons 3. They are proud and insolent in selfe-conceit 4. They are prophane without Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let no man beare rule ouer you The originall word hath troubled Interpreters but is for the most part rendred either beare rule ouer you and so play the part of a Iudge or rector or else defraud you of your prize it is granted by all to be a word taken from the manners in the olympiads or other-where who runne for prizes among whom there was one they caled Brabeutes that is one that by appointment did sit as iudge and gaue the prize to the winner If it be taken in the first sense viz. let no man beare rule ouer you then the Apostels meaning is to warne them for the reasons aboue rehearsed and herewith adioyned not to suffer their teachers to lord it ouer them in their consciences as before he had charged them not to let them carrie away their soules as a prey vers 18. or to condenme them vers 19. This may teach the Ministers of the Gospell to know and keepe their bounds and the people likewise not to suffer any to beare rule ouer their consciences with their owne deuices It condemnes also the hellish pride and imperiousnesse of the popish clergie in playing the Iudges ouer mens consciences at their owne pleasures seeing we haue no Iudge nor Law-giuer but only Iesus Christ to whom the Father hath giuen all power Quest But haue not the Ministers of the Gospell power vpon obseruation of the runners to be as Iudges to assigne the crowne to them that runne well Answ They haue and therefore are called the disposers of Gods secrets and watch-men and ouerseers but yet they must be true Ministers and they must giue iudgement by warrant from the word Let no man defraude you of your prize That is seeing you haue begunne to runne so well and haue runne so long let no man now beguile you of your prize the crowne of glorie The Church is like a field the race is Christian religion the runners are Christians the feete are faith and loue the goall or marke is death in Christ the brabium or prize is the possession of eternall life Now the doctrine hence implied is Doct. That men may runne and come neere the goall and yet loose the prize Many runne yet one obtaineth a 1 Cor. 9.24 Many receiue the grace of God in vaine b 1 Cor. 6.1 Many come neere the kingdome of God with the Scribe and yet loose c Mark 12.34 Many loose what they haue wrought d 2 Ioh. 10. Hence that exhortation Let no man take away your crowne e Reuel 3.11 The Vse may be first for reproofe of such as doe wronge either the iudges or standers by by a wrong applause such as giue away the honours of Gods children to such as neuer ranne in the race or not aright and giue the titles of the Church and Christianity to wicked men but especially this reprooueth those men that hauing runne well f Gal. 5.7 for a time suffer themselues to be hindred and so loose the prize Many are the waies the Deuill hath to hinder men in running sometimes by raising vp aduersaries g Phil. 1.29 and outward molestations h Reuel 2.10 Le ts in running sometimes he casts shame in their way and names of reproach i 1 Thess 2.2 Act. 18. sometimes he iniects tentations k Jam. 1.12 sometimes he leaues them l Gal. 5.7.9 by keeping them in bondage to the defence or loue of some lesser superstitions or smaller sins as the world accounts sometimes he hinders them by the domesticall enemie the sinne that hangeth so fast on m Heb. 12.1 vvhat vve must shun in running sometimes he casts men into a dead sleepe and they lie all along in the middle of the race 2. This may serue for instruction to teach vs with all heedfulnes to looke to our selues after we set out in the race of Christian
profession that no man take our crowne and to this end we must consider both what to shunne and what to follow If we would not loose our crowne wee must shunne 1. The sinne that hangs on so fast o Heb. 12.1 2. Prophane bablings and oppositions of science falslie so called p 1 Tim. 6.20 3. Scandall q Phil. 2.15.16 4. The profits and pleasures of the world so as our hearts be not set vpon them r 1 Cor. 9.25 1 Tim. 6.11.12 5. Selfe-loue and trust in our owne iudgement when we thinke our selues wise enough to order our race without aduice ſ Gal. 2.2 6. Vncertaine running t 1 Cor. 9.26 Where vvee must obserue Now for the second that wee may runne successefully diuers rules must be obserued 1. We must watchfully stop the beginnings of sinne and when we feele our selues beginne to halt wee must seeke an healing least we be turned out of the way u Heb. 12.13 2. We must follow peace with all men so farre as may stand with godlinesse * Heb. 12.14 3. Wee must keepe the faith 4. We must labour for the loue of the appearing of Christ 5. Wee must continue and resolue not to giue ouer till we haue finished our course These three rules may be gathered out of 2 Tim. 4.8.9 6. Wee must pray that the Gospell may runne more freely x 2 Thes 3.1 for that like a mighty winde helpes wonderfully in the race 7. Wee must order riches so as they bee no hinderances y 2 Tim. 6.18 8. We must vse the aduise of the best that can be had for skill or experience z Gal. 2.2 9. We must faithfully discharge the duties of our calling a 1 Pet. 5.4 Wee must so resolue vpon the race that we labour to be vndaunted and euery way resolued against all afflictions and trials whatsoeuer that may befall vs accounting it all happinesse to fulfill our course with ioy b Act. 20.24 arming our selues with this minde that we will take vp our crosse and endure any hardship c 2 Tim. 2.5 Iam. 1.11 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 At their pleasures This is added as an aggrauation the word notes they did it not ignorantly or by frailtie but they did wrong the conscience of men with desire willingly wilfully it doth greatly increase the guilt of sinne when men doe it willingly and wilfully where men do it because they will do it So some men go to law because they will go to law d Math. 5.40 so some will be great e Math. 20.26 Some will doe the lusts of their father the Deuill f Ioh. 8.44 Thus are men daily doing the wills of the flesh g Ephes 2.3 The like waywardnesse may be obserued in the negatiue Men will not be gathered h Mat. 23.37 Men will not come to the wedding i Math. 22.3 In some things they willingly knew them not k 2 Pet. 3.5 it is charged vpon the idle they will not worke l 2 Thes 3.10 Hence those conditionall speeches if yee will receiue it m Mat. 11.14 and if any man will saue his soule n Mat. 16.15 The vse may be for terror to stubborne offenders God takes notice of it that they sinne at their pleasures they sinne because they will sinne and therefore let them be assured he will be froward with the froward o Psal 18. and therefore he will haue his will vpon them vnresistably Hence these threatnings hee will take account p Mat. 15.23 he will quicken whom he will q Joh. 5.21 he will giue to the last as to the first r Mat. 20.14 It shall not bee after the wils of the flesh ſ Ioh. 1.13 the spirit shall blow where he will t Ioh. 3.8 the mysterie shall be made knowne to whom hee will u Col. 1.27 and he will not haue sacrifice * Heb. 10.5 Secondly comfort is here implied for if there be so much infection in a will to sinne then there is hope God will accept a will to bee and doe good he will accept of the will in prayer x Ioh. 15.7 and the will to resist corruption of nature y Rom. 7.15.16.17 and of the will to liue honestly z Heb. 13.18 Ioh. 7.17 Hitherto the Apostle hath charged them generally now in the words that follow he inforceth his speech more particularly both for matter pointing out Angell-worship as the doctrine he would conclude against and for manner noting foure things in those that brought in that worshippe 1. That they brought it in hypocritically pretending humblenesse of minde 2. That they did it ignorantly aduancing themselues in things they neuer saw 3. That they did it proudly rashly puffed vp c. 4. That they did it dangerously not holding the head c. Worshipping of Angells The maine matter the Apostle striues to beate downe is the worshippe of Angels as a philosophicall dreame as a superstition that defrauds men of heauen as an hypocriticall and ignorant worship charging them to be proud and fleshly persons that vse it yea he auoucheth they cannot hold the head which is Christ if they mainetaine or practise such a worship All these reasons are in the text and coherence against it Which may serue for confutation of Papists who at this day still maintaine it not only without commandement or any approued example in scripture but directly against the prohibition of the Scriptures as in this place and so Reuel 19. the Angell forbids Iohn to doe it The Papists offend three vvaies about their Saints and Angels The Papists offend in their doctrine about Saints and Angells three waies 1. In giuing vnto them what may be attributed onely to Christ and to God 2. In adoring them 3. In inuocating and praying to them and all three contrarie to Scripture For the first they attribute vnto them 1. Intercession 2. The knowledge of all things that concerne vs they rob Christ of his intercession and God of his omniscience now in all this wee haue a sure word of God to trust to For for intercession it is plaine we haue none in heauen with him a Psal 73.25 there is one mediator betwixt God and man the man Christ b 1 Tim. 2. we offer vp spirituall sacrifices acceptable to God by Iesus Christ c 1 Pet. 2.5 Let vs therefore saith the Apostle by him offer the sacrifices of praise alwaies d Heb. 13.15 Note the words by him and alwaies And whereas they obiect the Angell Reuel 8. that offred the prayers of the Saints we answer that Angell was Christ who onely hath the golden censer and who onely is meete to bring incense to offer vpon the golden altar the indeauour of Peter for their good after his decease was performed while he liued as is apparant by comparing the 13. verse with the 15. of 2. Pet. 1. And
whereas they giue the knowledge of all things vnto them they rob God of his glory who onely is the knower of the hearts of men 2. Chron. 6.30 and it is granted Isay 63.16 that Abraham knew them not and Israel was ignorant of them And whereas they obiect that Abraham in the 16. of Luke is said to know that they had Moses and the Prophets bookes we answer that that is spoken parabolically not historically they may as well say that Lazarus had fingers and Diues a tongue c. but were that granted yet it followeth not that because the doctrine of the Church was reuealed vnto him therefore he knew all things The second thing they giue is adoration contrary to the flat prohibition of the Angell himselfe in the Reuelation who chargeth worship me not Reuel 19.10 and without all example in Scripture or the least sillable of warrant for it besides we see here Angell-worship in expresse words condemned The third thing is inuocation praying to them which likewise is contrary to scripture for how shall we call on them on whom we haue not beleeued e Rom. 10.14 and we are exhorted to go boldly to the throne of grace with the help of our high Priest to obteine mercie and finde grace to helpe in time of need f Heb. 4.16 for Christ is the propitiation for the sinnes of the whole world g 1 Ioh. 2.2 why then should wee giue his glory to any other and inuocation is a part of the forbidden worship of Angells as well as adoration In humblenes of minde It was the practise of Satan and pretence of false Teachers to thrust in this corruption of Angell-worship vnder this colour that it tended to keepe men in humilitie and to make men to know their duties to the great maiesty of God and to acknowledge their gratitude to the Angels for their seruice this hath beene the Deuils wont to hide soule sins vnder faire pretences and vice vnder the colours of vertue This may serue notably for the confutation of the Papists about their Saint and Angell-worship for is not this their smoothest pretence to tell vs by comparison that men will not go to great Princes directly with their suites but will vse the mediation of some Courtiers and so they say they must doe to God This you see was the old deceit in the primitiue Church and therefore worthily we may say to the people let none of the popish rabble defraud you through humblenesse of minde Againe is the Deuill ashamed to shew sinne in his owne colours doth hee maske it vnder the colour of vertue Then where shall those monsters appeare that declare their sinnes as Sodome and are not ashamed of open villanies and filthinesse Such are they that will constantly to the alehouse and neuer be ashamed of it such are our damned Swearers such are those filthy persons that know they are knowne to liue in whoredome and yet neuer blush at it nor learne to repent such are these in this Citie that liue in open contention who care not against apparant right to maintaine continuall suits and wranglings though they know all men detest almost the very sight of them for their wicked prophanesse and vniust contentions yea though the hand of God be apparantly vpon them and they know not how soone the Lord may turne them into hell Such also are the open and wilfull Sabbath breakers and many more of all sorts of presumptuous offenders Againe if vice masked in vertues colours can so please and allure men how much should vertue it selfe rauish vs If counterfeit humilitie can be so plausible how should true humilitie winne to the admiration and imitation of it Lastly this may warne men to auoide counterfeit gestures and all pretended insinuating shewes of deuotion such as are open lifting vp of the eyes to heauen sighing and all pretended tricks that are vsed onely to pretend what is not And thus of their hypocrisie their ignorance followes Aduancing themselues in things they neuer saw Two things are here to bee noted First Their ignorance in things they neuer saw And secondly vaine-glorious selfe-liking which the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 expresseth For the first there are some things cannot be seene with mortall eyes while we are on earth as the nature of God Angells and what is done in heauen 2. There are some things we ought not to see though we might and therefore he praied Lord turne away mine eyes from seeing vanitie 3. There are somethings wee may and ought to see as the glory of God in his workes 4. There are some things we may and so ought to see as it is a great curse if we see them not as the fauour of God and spirituall things in respect of which to be blinded in heart is a miserable iudgement Esay 6.10 of the first sort are the things done in heauen There is a contrarie waywardnesse in the nature of wicked men somtimes men are wilfull and will not be perswaded euen in the things which yet they see sometimes men are stiffe hearted and will not bee remoued in opinions about things which they neuer saw and so here Ignorance is of diuers kindes There is a naturall ignorance and that is of two sorts For there is an ignorance of meere negation and so Christ knew not the day of iudgement so it is no sinne in an Husbandman if hee be ignorant of Astronomie or Phisicke c. There is a naturall ignorance which is of corrupt disposition as to be blinde in our iudgement in spirituall things from our birth this is sinnefull but not here meant There is a profitable ignorance and that is likewise of two sorts For it is either profitable absolutely and simply or but only in some respects It had beene simply profitable and good for the Iewes if they had neuer knowne the fashions of the Gentiles so it had beene good for Sampson if he had neuer knowne Dalilah But it had beene profitable for the Pharisies but in some respects not to haue seene or to haue had so much knowledge Ioh. 9.41 2 Pet. 2.21 So the Apostle Peter saith it had beene good for Apostataes if they had neuer knowne the way of truth c. There is a willing ignorance and that is of two sorts of frailtie or of presumption Of frailtie when men neglect the meanes by which they should know either in part or in some respects Thus men faile that see a wide doore set open for comfort and direction and yet through carelesnes or willing slacknesse neglect great riches of knowledge which might haue beene attained if they had made vse of oportunities Presumptuous ignorance is when men not wittingly only but wilfully contemne true knowledge They will none of the knowledge of Gods waies Iob 21.14 Presumptuous ignorance is likewise of two sorts 1. When men refuse to know Gods reuealed will needfull to their saluation g Pro. 29.30 Luk. 19.41 2. When
laboured after in the reducing of our liues into a holy order u Matt. 6.33 Eight sorts of things that are aboue is to striue by all meanes to get vp our hearts to a constant seeking and minding of heauenly things according to that serious charge of our Sauiour Christ first seeke the Kingdome of God and the righteousnesse thereof That this rule may bee more cleerely vnderstood and more carefully practised it will bee profitable to consider distinctly what things are aboue and how they are to be sought And so the things that are aboue may bee distinguished into eight sorts First God is aboue for hee dwels in the high and holy places * Esa 57.15 and he must be sought x Hos 3.5 and if you aske what we must seeke in God I answer wee must seeke the true knowledge of his nature y Psal 14.1.2 Wee must seeke his fauour and the pacification of his iust anger for our sinnes z Zeph. 2.3 Wee must seeke his face d Hos 5. vlt. and presence a Psal 24.6 Psal 27.8 We must seeke his honour and glory b Ioh 5.44 And wee must seeke his saluation c Psal 105.4 70.4 And if you aske how wee must seeke God I answer wee must seeke God with acknowledgement of our faults with weeping and repenpentance for our sinnes e Ier. 50.4 Isay 21.12 with the desire of our hearts f Esay 26.7 with prayer and supplication g Matt. 7.7 with feare of his mercies h Hos 3.1 with meeknesse i Zeph. 2.2.3 and in the way of holy life Secondly k Psal 24.4.5 Christ is aboue for so he sayth to the Iewes yee are from beneath I am from aboue l 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yee are of this world I am not of this world m Ioh. 8.23 and he is the Lord whom euery Christian ought to seeke n Mal. 3.1 now Christ is two wayes sought principally First in the sincere and constant vse of all his ordinances both publike and priuate that by them we might finde his presence of grace on earth And thus the Church sought him in the Canticles o Cant. 3.1 c. Secondly in the desires prayers and preparations for our owne dissolution and his appearing p Phil. 1.21 Reu. 21.20 2 Tim. 4.8 2 Pet. 3.12 Thirdly the new Ierusalem is aboue for so the Apostle to the Galathians expressely saith q Gal. 4 26. Euen that heauenly society of glorious spirits in illustrious splendor And these are to be sought two wayes 1. By the constant desire of their presence and to bee gathered to them 2. By the imitation of their graces and vertues which they shewed when thy were on earth Fourthly Heauen is aboue For it is the price of our calling that is aboue r 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phil. 3.14 and the glory of that eternall and immortall honour is to bee sought ſ Rom. 2.7 and that fiue wayes 1. By prayer for preparation and that daily for so our Sauiour hath taught vs in the second petition of his prayer t Matth. 6.10 2. By seeking the assurance of faith and hope and the pledges and earnest of it u Heb. 11.1 Eph. 1.14 3. By meditation and contemplation striuing to expresse our desires and sighes after it * 2 Cor. 5.2 4. By carrying our selues as strangers and pilgrimes in this world weaning our hearts and retiring our liues from the world confessing and professing our trauailes towards a better countrie that is aboue x Hebr. 11.13.14.16 5. By continuing in well-doing y Rom. 2.7 striuing to liue a Citizen-like life heere z 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phil. 3.20 in all things prouident to send our workes and prayers to Heauen before vs as our prouision and treasure a Matth. 6.14 Fiftly holy graces are aboue for S. Iames saith Euery good giuing and euerie perfect gift is from aboue and commeth downe from the father of lights b Iam. 1.17 And it is apparent that they are a part of the Kingdome of Heauen and they tend to Heauen and therefore the Prophet Esay cals grace by the name of glory c Esay 4.5 and they come downe from Heauen which will also appeare in the particulars Wisdome is from aboue d Iam. 3.17 so is zeale for it is the zeale of Gods house e Psal 69.9 so is lowlinesse so is faith so is peace and ioy and all the rest And that these are to bee sought many Scriptures euidently proue f 1 Cor. 14.1 Zeph. 2.3 2 Cor. 13.5 Rom. 14.17.18 and if you aske how they are to be sought it is shortly answered by prayer and the vse of the meanes which the Lord hath appoynted as holy vessels and instruments and as it were wombes to conceiue conuey and deriue grace vnto vs. Sixtly the meanes of saluation themselues are things aboue for they are called the Kingdome of Heauen g Matth. 3.2 and the Kingdome of Heauen is sayd to bee taken away when the meanes is taken away h Mat. 21.43 and these we must seeke i Esay 41.17.18 though it cost vs much trauaile if there be a famine k Amos 8. or much cost if the Lord giue vs to finde such pearles of instruction or comfort in the field of any Church or congregation l Mat. 13.45 Seuenthly holy duties are many of them from aboue for the Wise man saith the way of life is on high to the prudent to auoyde from hell beneath m Pro. 15.24 and that because both the will that enioynes them and the power to doe them and the successe or effects of them are all from God aboue And therfore the Author to the Hebrews when he would discourse of doing of Gods will quoting the place in the Psalmes seemes to intimate that the true speech of such duties is to speake from aboue n 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 10.8.9 and these good things are to bee sought o Prou. 11.27 wee must seeke the old and good way p Ier. 6.17 we must seeke Iudgement and Righteousnesse q Esay 1.17 Eightly many of the priuiledges of Christians are from aboue as the righteousnesse of Gods Kingdome r Matt. 6.33 forgiuenesse of sinnes ſ 1 Ioh. 1.7 deliuerance from this present euill world t Gal. 1.4 both in respect of the contagions and punishments of the same all spirituall blessings in heauenly things u Ephes 1.3 the reuelation of hid mysteries * 1 Cor. 2.9 Col. 1.26 the spirit of the sonne x Gal. 4.6.7 the influence of Christs death and resurrection y Phil. 3.9.10 the word with all the treasure of it z Psal 119.94 and the honour which is aboue a Ioh. 5.44 and all these are to bee sought Thus of the particular things that are aboue and we must seeke Vse The
it should continually draw vp our thoughts to thinke of heauen whither so louing and so glorious a Sauiour is gone before Yea it should doe vs good to looke vp towards these visible heauens remembring that one day we shall be carried to that blessed place of rest and holy ioyes that is aboue them euen to the heauen of heauens to raigne with Christ for euermore And thus of the proposition VERS 2. Set your affections on things which are aboue and not on things which are on the earth THe exhortation in the former verse propounded is in this verse illustrated and expounded first by repetition seconly by the contrary The repetition is in these words Set your affections on things which are aboue The contrarie from which he doth dehort is in these words and not on things which are on earth Repetitions in Scripture are not without their vse The vse of repetitions in Scripture For thereby the holy Ghost vsually imports our slownesse and dulnesse of capacity in conceiuing and backwardnesse in practise and besides thereby enforceth both the necessity and the excellency of the matter so repeated And surely all three may be applyed to this repetition For the contemplation and desire after heauenly things is a most gracious ornament to a religious life and without some measure of holy affections it is vnpossible to get rid of the power of sinne or to practise with any successe or acceptation the duty of a renued life and if in any thing we are backward or wanting or decaying or languishing it is in this rule here giuen by the Apostle Set your affections The originall word varieth in signification 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sometimes it is rendred to studie and it is out of question our dutie to study and contemplate of heauenly things Sometimes it signifieth to trie by tasting and it is sure that if carnall people had but once tasted of the sweetnesse of godlinesse and religious duties they would not so securely neglect the prouision for eternity but especially they would see that they haue spoken euill of what they knew not Sometimes it is translated to bee wise about a thing and certainely a Christian should bee wise in the matters of his religion and profession and shew it by forecast and diligence to compasse what may bee gotten of this true treasure and by serpentine discretion in the manner and circumstances of welldoing and by staydnesse in a Christian course voyd of passion rash zeale and fickle inconstancie growing more and more skilfull and cunning in the soundnesse of knowledge how with more power and spirituall aduantage to practise euery dutie or exercise euery grace Sometimes it signifieth to sauour of a thing and it is true that all the carriage and dealings of Christians should sauour of the things aboue but I take it as it is heere rendred Set your affections and so it manifestly teacheth vs that wee Vses 1 must get not mindes or thoughts onely but sound affections to heauenly things which may both serue for reproofe and comfort for reproofe I say both of the loathsome lukewarmensse of the most k Reu. 3.19 and of the dangerous Vses 2 losse of first loue in the better sort l Reuel 2. For comfort for it is certaine if thou canst finde thy heart vpright in affections and constant desire after heauenly things Three benefits of tender affections thou mayst bee assured of three things 1. That God will accept thy will for the deed He will beare with many wants and weaknesses where hee sees a man or woman come to his seruice with hearts desirous to doe their best and tenderly affected 2. That thou art not in danger of falling away for Apostasie neuer discouers it selfe to hurt vs or endanger vs till it hath stollen away our hearts and the care of affections in holy duties 3. That to that thou hast Matth. 13. more is and shall bee giuen as thy affections grow and continue so doth true knowledge grace and godlinesse grow also And thus of the repetition And not on the things that are on earth from the coherence and generall consideration of these words three things may be obserued Obs 1 1. That a man cannot both at once seeke and affect earth and heauen for they are heere disioyned and opposed Matth. 6. a man cannot serue God and mammon the loue of the world is the enmitie of God but this is thus to bee vnderstood Lam. 4.4 if the world be sought in the first place and with cheefe affection and care Obs 2 2. Nay more this dehortation implies that it is hard for a man to deale with the world but a mans affection will too much runne after it it is hard to bee much employed about profits and recreations but a man shall loue them too much Note Not that it is simply vnlawfull to vse the world but that wee should be very iealous of our selues to watch our owne hearts that our affections be not set on the world Obs 3 3. To be crucified vnto the world able to neglect and contemne the glory and pleasure of it is a notable signe that one is risen with Christ Thus in generall Three sorts of things on earth The things on earth The things on earth heere meant by the Apostle are either traditions mentioned in the former Chapter or worldly things in themselues lawfull or the workes of the flesh simply in themselues vnlawfull Traditions are for three reasons called things on earth Traditions and mans inuentions which the Apostle hath before taxed may well bee called things on earth 1. Because they spring from the earth and earthly minded men they were neuer inspired from God nor deuised by heauenly minded men 2. Because they hinder them that are deuoted to them from looking vp or attaining any insight in things that are aboue 3. Because these by effect make men more earthly and sensuall but of these in the former chapter The workes of the flesh and the corruptions of life to bee auoyded and not affected are the third sort of things on earth but of that also afterwards in the second part of the generall duties especially in the fifth verse So that the second sort of things on earth remaineth to bee more largely considered those are profits honours pleasures friends health and long life There be eight reasons to perswade not to affect earthly things Eight generall reasons to disswade from affecting things on earth The first may bee taken from the condition of man on earth For wee are heere but pilgrims and strangers m Heb. 11.13 and therefore being but in a strange place to what purpose should wee trouble our selues with more then what will serue our present need and the rather knowing that when wee come into our owne countrey these things will serue vs for no vse Besides our present lot lyeth not in those things but the Kingdome of God and righteousnesse is
day giue in fuller euidence it is certaine that after the resurrection it shall be almost infinitely extended by the power of God to expresse this last testimony both in the good and in the euill The booke of life is Gods sacred and eternall record of all those persons that were fore ordained into life of all ages and nations The booke of remembrance will exactly expresse without all failing or mistaking all the inclinations thoughts affections words and deeds with all circumstances or occasions and whatsoeuer else may illustrate either the goodnesse of good men or the transgression of the wicked What the sentence vvill containe For the third The sentence will bee vpon either the godly or the wicked The sentence vpon the godly will containe first the opening of Gods eternall counsell and his vnsearchable loue wherein he hath resolued and begunne to declare his will to blesse euery one of the Elect q Matt. 25.34 Secondly a manifestation of all the righteousnes desired thought vpon spoken or done by the godly r 2 Cor. 5.10 and that with such feruency of affection in Christ that he will see and remember nothing but goodnesse in good men Å¿ Matt 5.34 to 41. Thirdly a finall and generall absoluing and redeeming of them from the guilt and power of all sinne from the beginning of the world t 1 Cor. 1.30 in Adam or themselues So as there shall neuer be either sinne in them or accusation of sinne against them Fourthly ordination to glory by appointing euery one of them to inherit the kingdome prepared for them before the foundation of the world Contrariwise the sentence of the wicked shall containe first a declaration of Gods eternall and iust hatred of them u Matt. 25.41 Secondly a full manifestation and ripping vp before all men and Angels of all their sinnes both of nature and action both against God or men or their owne bodies and soules secret and open of what kinde soeuer x Rom. 2.15 Thirdly a most terrible denunciation of Gods eternall curse and horrible ordination to those eternall torments prepared for them 2 Cor. 5.10 together with the deuill and his Angels Hitherto of the iudgement it selfe The consequents of the iudgement follow and they are fiue first the firing of the world that is the dissolution of the world by a wonderfull fire that shall inclose all so as the world shall not appeare till it be renewed againe and come out of that fire as out of a fornace for as the Apostle Peter saith The heauens being on fire shall passe away and be dissolued with a noise and the elements shall melt with heat and the earth with the works thereof shall be burnt vp y 2 Pet. 3.10.12 And there shall be then new heauens and new earth that is as it were a new refined And the Apostle Iohn saith the heauens and the earth shall flie away from the face of him that sitteth on the throne z Reuel 20.11 21.1 The second consequent shall be the chasing of the wicked to hell execution being speedily and fearefully done vpon them with all horror and haste by the Angells Rom. 8.19 to 23. The third shall be the libertie of the creatures I meane the rest of the creatures besides men and Angels But because this is a point somewhat obscure I will Quest 1 endeauour in a few words to resolue a doubt or two Que. First how are the creatures now in bondage that they shall need then any liberty Ans Answ They are in bondage in diuers respects The creatures in bondage in seuen respects For first they are fraile and corruptible and so in bondage to corruption Secondly they are subiect to confusions and inconstancy as may appeare by the almost infinit mutations in the ayre earth seas fire Thirdly they are now forced to serue wicked men The sunne shines vpon the vniust as well as the iust The heauen makes fruitfull with her shewers and influence the field of the wicked as well as the iust The earth is driuen to feed and to receiue into her bosome the vngodly as well as the godly and this is a bondage Fourthly the visible creatures are Gods greate booke to proclaime the inuisible things of God now they stand alwaies ready and reading too and men will not learne by them And so these good masters lose all their labour and this is a bondage to bee tied to teach such as will not learne Fiftly the creature is made not only the instrument but many times the subiect of mans punishment for his sinnes As the earth is made iron and the heauens brasse for mans sake and this is a great bondage Sixtly the creature intends immortalitie which while it failes of in the dying or expiring of the particulars of euery sort it would supply for the preseruation at least of the kindes by a perenniall substitution of new particulars in euery kinde and yet loseth all this labour because all things must be dissolued and must be restored by another way knowne to God and not now to nature But especially the creatures may be said to be in bondage because since the fall the more illustrious instincts and vigors of the most of the creatures are darkned decaied dulled and distempered in them Oh but might some one say Ob. how can this bondage be ascribed vnto the heauens Sol. Sol. The heauens are not so perfect but they may admit enlargement of their excellencie Besides they serue now promiscuously to the vse of bad as well as good neither are the very heauens without their feeblenesse and the manifest effects of fainting old age And therefore by a prosopopoeia they may be said to groane together with the rest of the creatures vnder the common burden and vanitie vnto which they are subdued It is obserued that since the dayes of Ptolomy the Sunne runnes neerer the earth by 9976. Germane miles and therefore the heauens haue not kept their first perfection Ob. Ob. But how can this vanitie or bondage bee in any sense ascribed to the Angels Sol. Sol. There is no necessitie to include the Angels in the number of the groaning creatures and yet it will bee easie to shew that they sustaine a kinde of bondage for they are now made to serue earthly things men haue their Angels to attend on them And it is thought they haue a kinde of regencie or presidencie either ouer nations or in mouing the orbes of heauen Besides they are put to inflict punishments on wicked men as on Sodome Further they performe seruice sometimes not attaining their owne ends And lastly comparatiuely at least their felicitie in the creation was not so absolute as it shall be in Christ for if his comming adde not vnto them a more excellent condition of nature yet out of all question it addes a fuller measure both of knowledge and ioy Qu. 2. But what shall the creatures haue in the
day of Christ they haue Quest 2 not now Answ Answ First they shall haue freedome from all the former bondage and vanitie Secondly they shall bee deliuered into the libertie of the sonnes of God that is they shall haue a most excellent estate when the children of God are glorified Wherein the Lord shewes his iustice in that the creature shall haue restitution for what is lost by man Ob. Ob. But shall there bee a resurrection of creatures as well as men Sol. Sol. No for this restitution shall be made in specie not in indiuiduo 1. Not to euery particular of euery kinde or sort but to the sort or kinde of all creatures and that shall be done to the creatures then found in their seuerall sorts The fourth consequent of the iudgement shall be the possession of the glory of Christians appointed by the sentence of the Iudge But of this afterwards in the end of this verse The fift consequent of iudgement shall be the deliuering vp of the kingdome to the Father and so the laying downe of Christs office for when Christ hath finally and fully subdued Sathan death and wicked men and hath fully reconciled the elect to God then will there be no word of any such gouernment in heauen as was on earth Hee shall not neede any longer to rule them either by ciuill Magistrates or by his need and discipline or by any other way which onely did agree to the times of the Churches warfare and pilgrimage but he shall neuer cease to liue and triumph with them in all perfections of happy contentment and glory Thus of the consequents of Iudgement And thus also of the doctrine of Christs last appearance The vses follow The Vses The consideration of the doctrine of the last Iudgement may serue for three principall vses First for terror Secondly for comfort Thirdly for instruction First this is iustly a wonderfull terrible doctrine to wicked men that heape vp wrath against this day of wrath and by their wilfull impenitencie prouoke this glorious Iudge How can it but be terrible when the holy Ghost giues warning that the Lord Iesus will then shew himselfe from heauen with his mighty Angels in flaming fire to render vengeance on all those that know not God and haue not obeyed the Gospell How can it bee but terrible when wicked men shall be punished with euerlasting perdition from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power How can it but be terrible when they shall feele their conscience exquisitly griping them and gnawing vpon them and when they shall see the deuils to torment them and hell to deuoure them when they shall see the world burning about them and the good Angels forcing them away and all both men and Angels applauding their Iudgement and knowing all their sinnes they must not thinke that the Iudge will deale then as he doth now Now he iudgeth them secretly euery day but it is many times insensibly or with lesser plagues but then he will most openly poure vpon them the full vials of his wrath Heere they are iudged that they may be amended but there their iudgement shall be that they may be confounded for there will be no place of repentance Deceiue not thy selfe Christ will not come the second time as he came the first hee came then to be iudged but now to iudge hee shall then be seene with terror that was before looked vpon with contempt hee shewed his patience in his first comming but now he will shew his power he appeared then in the forme of a seruant but now he will appeare in the forme of a King greater then all Kings Then hee professed not to iudge any man but now he proclaimeth hee will iudge all men It was commonly thought if any man saw God he should die alas alas how then shall these wofull wretches doe that must see him in the vnutterable fiercenes of his irefull indignation If the powers of heauen shall be shaken at his pleasure oh how shall the miserable heart of the guiltie sinner be rent into 1000. peeces with vnmedicinable sorrowes If Foelix tremble to heare tell of iudgement what will poore Foelix doe when he must feele iudgement both in the sentence and execution If the word of Christ on earth had such power as it had in the garden to strike stubborne hearted men to the earth what power thinke wee will it haue when be speakes as the Lord from heauen When Ezechiel Daniel and the Apostle Iohn and others saw but one Angell in a lesser manifestation of his glory comming as a Messenger of good tidings they fall downe and are full of singular feare if the sight of one Angell bee so terrible what will the sight of all the thousand thousands of Angels be especially when they come cloathed with all their brightnesse of glory And if good men that had good consciences were so frighted what shall become of euill men with their euill consciences And if the messengers of good tidings doe so amaze how shall the executioners of a most terrible sentence compasse them about with confusion both of face and heart If the drowning of the old world the burning of Sodome the opening of the earth to swallow vp Dathan and Abiram and such like iudgments haue so much horrour in them how then can any tongue expresse or heart now conceiue the horror of this day when all the millions of wicked men shall be deliuered vp to those eternall and remedilesse torments If it be such a shame to doe penance for one fault in one congregation where men will pray for the offender What a shame will it be when all thy faults shall be discouered before all the whole world without all hope of pittie or helpe Nor is it possible for them to escape this fearfull iudgement the Iudge will not be vnconstant nor will he take reward he will not be ouerlaid with confusion of businesses he will no way be corrupted in iudgement Not to appeare is impossible and to appeare is intolerable here will be no respect of persons nor will the Iudge care how it be taken nor will he be deceiued with colours and circumstances Hee hath tarried so long hee cannot be charged with rashnesse nor can there be a hiding of any particulars from him Euery inclination thought desire word and worke shall surely come to iudgement And lastly there can be no impediment to hinder execution But here a question may arise viz. Who are they that are in danger hereof Quest 1 I answer All impenitent sinners Answ But yet there are some kinde of sinners that are expresly named in Scripture and therefore if thou be any of that number preuent thine owne ruine by repentance or else thou shalt certainly perish I vndertake not to reckon all it shall suffice to mention some of the chiefe sinners that Christ will be sure to remember at that day The Beast and the false Prophet
were without question dead to sinne also how then doth he speake to them to mortifie sinne doth it not imply they had not beene mortified before I answer Answ the Apostle may well vse this exhortation for diuers reasons First many of them perhaps were dead but in appearance they professed mortification but were not mortified Secondly it might be some of them had begun to vse some exercises of mortification but had not finished their mortification sure it is and wee may see it by daily experience that many being wonne by the word and smitten with remorse haue sometimes the pangs of sorrow for their sinnes but quickly are a weary of seeking sorrow in secret for sinne they giue ouer before they haue soundly and sufficiently humbled their soules But may some one say Quest how long should we continue our sorrowes or how long should we iudge our selues in secret for our sins I answer thou must not giue ouer thy sorrowes Answ We must continue sorrovving till vvee finde foure things Rom. 6. First till the body of sinne bee destroyed that is till that generall frame of sinfulnesse be dissolued till I say thou haue set some order in thy heart and life so as the most sinnes thou diddst before liue in bee reformed Secondly it were expedient thou shouldest still seeke to humble thy soule till thou couldest get as much tendernesse in bewayling thy sinnes as thou wert wont to haue in greeuing for crosses till thou couldst mourne as freshly for piercing Gods sonne as for losing thsne owne sonne d Zach. 12.10 Thirdly thou must sorrow till thou finde the power of the most beloued and rooted sinnes to bee in some measure weakned and abated Fourthly thou doest not well to giue thy sorrowes ouer till thou finde the testimony of Iesus in thy hart that is till God answer thy mournfull requests of pardon with some ioyes in the holy Ghost and the deawes of heauenly refreshings But will some one say must we lay all aside Quest Answ and do nothing else but sorrow till we can finde all those things Ans I meane not that men should neglect their callings all this while or that they should carrie an outward counâ—enance of sorrowing before others or that they should all this while afflict their hearts with discontentment or the like For when the Apostle wils men to pray alwaies hee meanes not that they should doe nothing but pray but he would haue them to keep a set course of praying euery day and besides to watch to all the extraordinary occasions or opportunities of prayer which being done a Christian may be truely sayd to pray continually though otherwise he follow his calling diligently The like I say of sorrowing alwayes But that I may expresse my meaning distinctly I thinke till thou canst attain the former things What it is to sorrovv continually thou must obserue these rules First thou must lay aside thy recreations carnall reioycings for this the Apostle Iames imports when he saith Let your laughter be turned into heauinesse and your ioy into mourning c Jame 4.9 Secondly thou must beg sorrow at Gods hand euerie day constantly in the times set apart for praier till the Lord giue thee rest to thy soule by granting the things before mentioned Thirdly thou must not neglect the times of speciall fasting and humiliation if the Lord call thereunto f Esa 22 12. Lastly thou must vse speciall sobrietie in the restraint of thy liberty in earthly things and be watchfull to make vse of all opportunities of softning thy heart These things being obserued thou mayst seeme vnto men not to sorrow and mayst follow thy calling seriously and yet be truely sayd to sorrow alwayes Thus of the second reason why the Apostle exhorts still to mortification Thirdly the dearest and humblest seruants of God may be called vpon to mortifie their members that are on earth though they haue truly soundy repented of sinne before by reason of the euils of euery day which daily and afresh euen after calling breake out in their hearts and liues and for which they must still renew their repentance For their first repentance onely deliuers them from sinnes past they must renew their mortification as their corruptions are renewed Why sinnes are called members Members It is certaine by members on earth the Apostle meanes sinne and that fitly For first actuall sinnes in relation to originall sinne are as so many members that grow from it Secondly by a Metonimie of the subiect sinne may bee called our members because it is brought into action by the help and seruice of our members Thirdly if the Apostle had spoken to wicked men hee might well haue called sinne their members because they loue sinne as they loue their members and therefore to take away their sinne is to pull out their eyes or to cut off their hands or feet as our Sauiour shewes g Mat. 5.29 c. Fourthly sinnes in the Colossians and so in all the faithfull may bee heere called members comparatiuely with the bodie of sinne mentioned Col. 2.12 as if the Apostle should say the bodie of sinne is already cast off destroyed in you by your former repentance but yet there remaines some limbes of sinne Difference betvveen sin in the godly and in the vvicked some members of it these resist and in this sense wee may heere note a liuely difference betweene sinne in wicked men and sinne in godly men For in wicked men there is the whole bodie of sinnes that is all their sinnes vnremitted and vnrepented But in godly men the body of sin euen the greater number of their sinnes they haue abandoned onely some few members of their sins remaine which euery day molest them But before I passe from these words two things are further to be noted First that he saith your members Secondly he addeth which are on earth Your The Apostle saith well your members for indeede properly our sinnes are our owne and nothing else Which are on earth They are also well sayd to bee on earth because they are signes of the earthly man and because they tend only to earthly pleasures and contentments and because men with these vnrepented of are not admitted into Heauen Thus of the generall proposition Now followes the catalogue of sins to be mortified before I enter vpon the particular consideration of them some thing may be learned from the Apostles order First he teacheth men to reforme their owne personall vices then orders them for mortification of iniuries to other men sure it is Vicious persons vvill be iniurious persons that euery filthy person will bee an iniurious person and till men repent of their lusts and other such like personall corruptions they will neuer cease to be iniurious to other men And ordinarily men that are notable for malice or blasphemy that is cursed speaking such like sinnes as the Apostle after names Note they
to seeke forgiuenesse hauing their soules washed in the bloud of Christ for howsoeuer for the present they liue securely through the methods of Sathan and the deceitfulnesse of sinne yet may they be brought into the midst almost of all euills before they bee aware p Pro. 5.14 Let them assure themselues that the end will bee bitter as wormewood and sharpe as a two-edged sword q Prou 5.4 for hee that followeth a strange woman is as an oxe that goeth to the slaughter and as a foole to the stockes for correction till a dart strike through his liuer as a bird hasteth to the snare not knowing that hee is in danger r Pro. 7.22.23 for if the filthy person could escape all manner of iudgement from men yet it is certaine that whoremongers and adulterers God will iudge Å¿ Heb. 13.4 but because God for a time holdeth his tongue therefore they thinke God is like them but certainly the time hasteth when the Lord will set all their filthinesse in order before them and if they consider not hee will seaze vpon them when no man shall deliuer them t Ps 50.21.22 especially they are assured to lose the Kingdome of Heauen and to feele the smart of Gods eternall wrath in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone u 1 Cor. 6.9 Eph. 5.5 Reuel 21.8 22.15 neither let them applaud themselues in their secrecy for God can detect them and bring vpon them the terrors of the shadow of death when they see they are knowne * Iob. 24.15.17 the heauens may declare their wickednesse and the earth rise against them x Iob. 20.26 And the fire not blowne may deuoure them Neither let any nurse themselues in security in this sinne vnder pretence that they purpose to repent hereafter for they that go to a strange woman seldome returne againe neither take they hold of the way of life y Pro. 2.18 for whoredome takes away their heart z Hos 4.11 If they reply that Dauid did commit adultery and yet did returne I answere it is true of many thousand adulterers one Dauid did returne but why mayest thou not feare thou shouldest perish with the multitude did not returne besides when thou canst shew once Dauids exquisite sorrowes and teares I will beleeue thy interest in the application of Dauids example Vncleanesse By vncleanesse here I suppose is meant all externall pollutions or filthinesses besides whoredome As first with Diuels Seuen kindes of vncleannesse besides whoredome and that either sleeping by filthy dreams or waking as is reported of some witches Secondly with beasts and this is buggery Thirdly with men and that is Sodomitrie Fourthly with our owne kindred and that is incest Fiftly with more wiues then one and that is Poligamie Sixtly with ones owne wife by the intemperate or intempestiue vse of the marriage bed as in the time of separation Seuenthly with a mans owne selfe as was Onans sinne or in like filthinesse though not for the same end These as the Gentiles walke in the vanitie of their minds their cogitations are darkened they are strangers from the life of God Eph. 4.17 Rom. 1.24.26.27.29 c. through their ignorance and hardnesse of heart being for the most part past feeling and many of them deliuered vp to a reprobate sense as a scourge of other sinnes and foule vices which abound in them these are the shame of our assemblies and many times visited with secret and horrible Iudgements Inordinate affection The originall word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 notes internall vncleanesse especially the burning and flaming of lust though it neuer come to action or the daily passions of lust which arise out of such a softnesse or effeminatenesse of mind as is carried and fired with euery occasion or temptation this is the lust of concupiscence a 1 Thes 4.5 and howsoeuer the world litle cares for this euill yet let true Christians striue to keep their hearts pure and cleane from it for they were as good haue a burning fire in them b 1 Cor. 7.9 Secondly those lusts fight against the soule c 1 Pet. 2.12 they wound and pierce the conscience Thirdly the Deuill beginnes the frame of his worke in these hee desires no more liberty then to be allowed to beget these lusts in the heart He is not called the father of lust d Ioh. 8.44 for nothing he can by these inordinate thoughts and affections erect vnto himselfe such strong holds e 2 Cor. 10.5 as nothing but the mighty power of God can cast downe Fourthly the Apostle saith lust is foolish and noysome and drownes men in perdition f Tim. 6.9 Fiftly they hinder the efficacie of the word that 's the reason why diuers men and women are euer learning and are neuer able to come to the knowledge of the truth euen this they are carried about with diuers lusts Sixtly they greatly purge vpon faith and hope they hinder or weaken the trust on the grace of God brought vs by Iesus Christ and therefore the Apostle Peter counsels Christians not to fashion themselues according to the lusts of their former ignorance g 1 Pet. 1.13.14 Seuenthly those monstrous crimes mentioned in the first to the Romanes grow originally from these lusts h Rom. 1.24 The vses of all these together now follow And first wee may hence see great cause of thankefulnesse Vses if the Lord haue deliuered vs and kept vs from these monstrous abhominations and especially if the Lord haue made vs sincere to looke to and pray against and in some happy measure to get victory ouer those base lusts of the heart and euill thoughts if there were nothing else to breake the pride of our natures this should to consider seriously what monstrous diuelish filthinesse Sathan hath wrought others to and if God should leaue vs might bring the best of vs to But especially this should teach vs to vse all possible remedies against these or any of these vncleanesses Remedies against vncleanesse The first sort of remedies The remedies are of two sorts First for such as haue beene guilty of any of the fâ—rmer vncleanesses Secondly for such as would preserue themselues against them that they might not be defiled with them There are two principall remedies for the vncleane person The first is marriage or the right vse of it if it be in single persons they must remember the Apostles words It is better to marry thou to burne i 1 Cor. 7.9 and if they be married they must know that the loue of their Husbands or wiues is the speciall helpe to driue away these impure pollutions for such is the counsell of the holy Ghost in the fifth of the Prouerbes to them that are infected with these vicious and predominant inclinations k Pro. 5.15 21. and if they finde as it is certaine euery vncleane person doth finde want of loue to
15. verse of Luk. 12. with v. 21.22 Luk. 12.15.21.22 will shew Now the care for necessaries is not simply forbidden because wee are bound to vse the meanes with diligence and carefulnesse but the care that is a signe of couetousnesse may be discerned by the very tearmes the Euangelist S. Luke vseth to describe it by for in the 22. verse Vâ—rs 22. our Sauiour saith Take no thought for your life c. and by taking thought hee notes a perplexed inward sorrowfull and fearfull care about life and the things thereof And vers 26. Vers 26. he saith Why take ye thought for the raiment As if hee would haue vs note that it is a propertie of couetous cares to be deeply drowned in perplexitie euen about trifles and small matters and surely wee may obserue worldly minded people and one would wonder to see how they vex and disquiet themselues about euery meane occasion especially if there bee the least colour of any profit or losse towards Againe our Sauiour vpbraideth those that are carried with those cares that they haue but a little faith Vers 28. whereby he shewes that then our cares are faultie and arise from the infection of couetousnesse when they are raised by vnbeleefe and mistrustfulnesse of Gods prouidence or promise Lastly in the 29. verse Vers 29. our Sauiour saith thus Therefore aske not what yee shall eat or what yee shall drinke neither stand in doubt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or as you may see it rendred in the margent neither make discourses in the aire and by these last words he notes another propertie of a couetous person and that is when he hath his head tossed with cares or feares either about the compassing of his profits or preuenting of losses c. he is so full of words and many questions what he shall doe and how he shall auoid such and such a losse that he hath neuer done either moaning himselfe or consulting to no purpose in things that either cannot be done or not otherwise c. Or it may note this endlesse framing of proiects for the compassing of his desires Thus of the signes Yet notwithstanding these signes I must needs confesse that couetousnesse is not easily discerned both because it is an inward distrust in the spirit of a man and also because there comes to this vice vsually fained words r 2 Pet. 2.3 to hide it from the view of others or subtile thoughts and euasions to blindfold the conscience within and besides it is the nature of this sinne quickly to darken the discerning of the minde and therefore I thinke couetousnesse in the most may be well called coloured couetousnesse Å¿ 1 Thess 2.5 it is so on both sides masked The vse of all should be to teach vs as the author to the Hebrewes saith to haue our conuersation without couetousnesse and to be content with the things wee haue resting stedfastly vpon the promise of God I will not faile thee nor forsake thee t Heb. 13.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Not without money but without the loue of it And to this end wee should pray as Dauid did that God would incline our hearts to his testimonies and not to couetousnesse u Psal 119. Preseruatiues or remedies against couetousnesse Q. But what are the best remedies or preseruatiues against couetousnesse Ans There are these things among the rest that are of great vse to preserue vs from couetousnesse or to weaken the power of it The first is that which I mentioned before viz. praier to God daily that hee would incline our hearts to his testimonies that so wee might haue our mindes drawne away from the cares of couetousnesse The second is meditation And there are diuers things which being seriously thought of may preuaile against the perplexed cares of couetousnesse As first example and that either of godly men and the holiest Worthies of the Lord that in all ages haue willingly confessed themselues to bee strangers and pilgrims looking for a Citie in another Countrey hauing a foundation whose builder and maker is God x Heb. 11.9.10 or else of wicked men for it is so base a vice that it should bee found in none but Gentiles y Mâ—tth 6. that know neither Gods promise nor prouidence and sure it is found in none but vngodly men that are strangers from the couâ—nants of promise Secondly the nature of man for consider Terra à tereâ—â—â— the soule of man is a celestiall thing and diuine and hath nothing from the earth And the body of man is erected with a face towards heauen and the whole earth is vnder mans feet and hath its name from treading vpon it to note that man should walke on it with his feet not dote on it with his heart Thirdly the nature of couetousnesse it will neuer be satisfied and how should it For the desire of the couetous is not naturall but against nature Naturall desires are finite Non plus satiabitur cor hominis auro quà m corpus aura but vnnaturall desires finde no end and therefore cannot be filled with the finite things of the world Besides earthly things are vaine and empty Now the vessell that is only full of winde is empty still for all that So is the minde of the couetous His heart will be no more filled or satisfied with gold then his body with winde Hereupon it is that a couetous man is alwaies poore and hath not what hee hath but hath his wealth as the prisoner hath his fetters viz. to inthrall him Fourthly the nature promise and prouidence of God He is a heauenly father z Luk. 12.30 Is he a father why then doe wee doubt of his willingnesse to helpe vs And is he a heauenly father why then doe wee question his all-sufficiencie to prouide what we need Besides hath he giuen vs life and will he not giue vs food to preserue life Doth hee daily prouide for thousand thousands of fowles that are base creatures and will he not prouide for man whom he created after his owne image and made him Lord of all creatures Doth he cloath the grasse of the field which is to day and to morrow is cut downe and will he not cloath man Oh the weaknesse of our faith Besides is not the Lord engaged by promise neuer to leaue vs nor forsake vs Fiftly the condition of the couetous All his care cannot adde a cubit to his stature Prou. 29.33 And besides the poore and the vsurer meet together in many things One God made them both one Sunne lights them both one heauen couers them both and one graue of earth shall hold them both Sixtly the gaine of godlinesse it is better thrift to couet after godlinesse for it hath the promises of this life and the life to come a 1 Tim. 6.8 And who can count the gaine of godlinesse seeing God is the godly mans portion b Psal 16. and
his exceeding great reward c Gen. 15.1 The third preseruatiue is the daily practise of pietie If we would seeke the kingdome of God first both in the first part of our life and in the first part of euery day of our life as well in our houses as in Gods house these religious duties constantly performed would be a great and continuall helpe against worldly cares they would cleanse our hearts of them and daily prepare our hearts against them But how can it be otherwise with a man then it is They must needs liue and die the drudges of the world seeing they haue no more care of holy duties at home or abroad they liue like swine without all care of any thing but rooting in the earth The fourth preseruatiue is the due preparation for Christs second comming For when our Sauiour Christ had dehorted men from the cares of this life he adioynes this exhortation Let your loines be girded about and your lights burning and ye your selues like vnto them that wait for their master when he will returne from the wedding that when he commeth and knocketh they may open vnto him immediately blessed are those seruants whom the Lord when he commeth shall finde waking c. One great reason why couetous men doe so securely continue in the immoderate cares for this world is because they doe so little thinke of death and iudgement Whereas on the other side Christians doe with some ease withdraw their hearts from the world when they haue inured themselues to die daily by the constant remembrance of their latter end and by holding fast the euidence of faith and hope waiting when Christ will call for them The fift preseruatiue is to shun the meanes and occasions of couetousnesse And to this end it is good not to conuerse much with couetous persons or to get our selues libertie to conceiue the hope of any long prosperitie and rest in the world and generally we should labour to obserue our owne hearts and other mens liues and what we finde to be a meanes to kindle or inflame couetous desires that wee should auoid and betimes set against it or mortifie it And thus farre of couetousnesse And thus also of the catalogue of sinnes from which he doth disswade The reasons follow VERS 6. For the which things sake the wrath of God commeth on the children of disobedience VERS 7. Wherein ye also walked once when ye liued in them THese words containe two reasons to enforce the exhortation in the former verse The one is taken from the euill effects of the former sinnes vers 6. The other is taken from their owne experience while they liued in the estate of corruption vers 7. In laying downe the reason from the effect two things are to be noted First what sinne brings viz. the wrath of God Secondly vpon whom viz. vpon the children of disobedience Before I come to intreat of the wrath of God apart I consider of it as it stands in coherence with the former reason For in these words we are assured that man liuing and continuing in filthines and couetousnes shall not escape Gods wrath for they incurre both his hatred and his plagues both which are signified by the word wrath Gods wrath vpon vncleane persons And if any aske what plagues filthy persons and couetous persons shall feele I answer briefly and distinctly that neither of them shall scape Gods wrath as the Scriptures plentifully shew The filthy person brings vpon himselfe Gods curse temporall corporall spirituall and eternall Temporall for whoredome and any kinde of vncleannesse brings vpon men many temporall plagues in their estate the fire of Gods iudgements consuming many times their whole increase as hath beene shewed before Corporall for God many times meets with the sinnes of the body by iudgements vpon the body so that many filthy persons after they haue consumed their flesh and their body by loathsome diseases which follow this sinne in the end say with the foolish young man Oh how haue I hated instruction and despised correction d Pro. 5.11.12 Now I am brought almost into all euill in the middest of the assembly Spirituall for vncleannesse breeds in many a reprobate sense e Rom. 1.24.29 c. and finall impenitencie Many also for their filthinesse are pursued with secret and fearfull terrors of conscience and sometimes phrensie and desperate perturbations Eternall for the adulterer destroyes his owne soule and is shut out of the kingdome of heauen as hath beene also before declared Neither let the couetous person thinke hee shall speed any better for God hates him wonderfully And therefore the Prophet Ezechiel saith that the Lord smites his fists f Ezech. 22.13 at the couetous which is a borrowed phrase to expresse most bitter and sharpe threatnings Now lest the people should obiect that those were but great words the Lord would not doe so they would deale well enough with the Lord he preuenteth it and saith Can thy heart endure Vers 14. or can thine hands be strong in the dayes that I shall haue to doe with thee I the Lord haue spoken it and will doe it Let couetous persons without further enquirie assure themselues that couetousnesse is a maine cause of all the euils are vpon them or theirs and besides they may be assertained that all the seruice they doe to God is abhorred and meere lost labour It were to no purpose if they would bring him incense from Sheba and sweet calamus from a farre countrey their burnt offerings would not bee pleasant nor their sacrifices sweet vnto him g Ier. 6.13.20 Ob. But couetous persons are of most men so well furnished that there is not that meanes to bring them to any great hurt Sol. The Prophet shewes that God can lay a stumbling blocke before them and father and sonne together may fall vpon it and neighbour and friend may perish together h Ier. 6.21 The Lord hath meanes enough when men little thinke of it to bring downe rebellious sinners Ob. But wee see couetous persons and wealthy worldlings scape the best and longest of many others Sol. The Prophet Amos saith Amos 8.5 6.7 the Lord hath sworne by the excellencie of Iacob will neuer forget any of their workes Though the Lord may deferre yet certainly hee will neuer forget and therefore they are not a iot the better for scaping so long But howsoeuer they might escape outward iudgements yet they may be infallibly sure they haue sinned against their owne soules k Hab. 2.10 and that they shall know in the day of their death their riches shall not then profit them when the Lord taketh away their soule l Iob 27.8 he that is a great oppressor shall not prolong his dayes m Pro. 18.16 for he that getteth riches and not by right shall leaue them in the midst of his dayes and at his end shall be a foole n Ier. 17.11 How horrible then shall
to vpbraid censure or finde fault then we haue or can haue Besides this distempered peeuishnes and froward misconceiuing and censuring it is bred of ill causes for it comes either of malice or ignorance Of malice for loue couereth a multitude of sins especially it suspendeth doubtfull actions Of ignorance for it is certaine a wise man will keepe in till afterwards or hold it his glory to be able to passe by an offence Further this sinne may be aggrauated by the relations that are mutually betweene Christians Are they not fellow-members coheires fellow-citizens partakers of the same afflictions are they not brethren c. Besides is not this also a constant iustice that they that iudge are iudged they that censure are censured and doth not this enuying and iangling giue occasion of reioycing to aduersaries Doth it not many times so transforme Christians that it makes them very like wicked men when they grow so distempered that they reuile their owne mothers sonnes h Psal 50.20 Gal. 5.9.10.11 12.13.15 In the fifth to the Galathians the Apostle vrgeth this reproofe by diuers reasons such as this A little of the leauen of these distempers will sowre the whole lumpe and those courses tend not to any good but to the disquieting of Gods people and it is not a small matter to trouble and vexe them Besides inasmuch as Christians haue trouble enough otherwaies it doth not become their brethren to trouble them and we should be so farre from troubling our brethren as we should rather serue them by loue and if men will needes bite one another let them take heede lest they be deuoured one of another Lastly if men will not be warned then let them know the Iudge standeth at the doore i Iam. 5.9 Rules for the practise of forbearance Now that we may attaine this forbearing euen to be rightly ordered towards the infirmities or wrongs of others we must labour to get more Christian loue of others for that will endure all things and beleeue all things and makes vs able to beare and it will driue out suspition which like a wretched Beldame is the mother and nurse of all murmurings and vaine iangling and besides wee must get a greater knowledge of our owne selues and our owne ignorance and corruptions for when we seeme to our selues to be somthing deceiuing our selues we are ready with intemperance to apprehend supposed indignities when none are offered k Gal. 6.1.2.3 Or if thou must needs speak then speake the words of admonition euen Gods words if thou be sure they haue sinned insteed of thine owne vaine and passionate vpbraidings or reproches or censures One another Obserue that vsually where there is any contention or quarrell both sides are guiltie though one principally doe the wrong yet few men are so temperate but they doe wrong againe either in words or deedes or affections and therefore thou shouldest forbeare seeing thou art priuie to thy selfe that in this businesse thou hast not beene such as thou shouldest bee Forgiuing The word signifies sometimes to giue l 1 Cor. 2.12 Phil. 1.29 sometimes to giue freely m Luk. 7.21 Act. 27.24 Rom. 8.32 Gal. 3.8 Philâ—m 22. sometimes to remit freely the punishment n Act. 3.14 sometimes to deliuer vp for fauour or to pleasure others o Act. 15.11.16 sometimes to forgiue and so here Quest But can any man forgiue sinne to another Answ Man may forgiue the trespasse though not the sinne 2. Man may forgiue the punishment that by man might be inflicted so as not to require it 3. Man may pray to God to forgiue it Ob. Obiect But it is said no man can forgiue sinne but God Sol. Sol. True no man can remit the eternall punishment or the curse of the Law or take away the guilt of sinne before God But man may forgiue it as farre as concernes himselfe Now others may obiect contrariwise that 2 Cor. 2.7 They are willed to forgiue Ob. and yet the sinne of the incestuous person was not so much a trespasse that concerned them as a sinne against God Sol. Sol. This sin also was a trespasse against them 1. As it was a scandall 2. As it might cause them and their profession to be euill spoken of for his sake againe to forgiue in that place may be taken in a large sense for to be reconciled to him Quest Quest Is reconciliation necessarily comprehended vnder forgiuenesse Answ Answ Wee are tied to seeke it and desire it and to vse all humble and iust and discreet courses to attaine it But if it will not be had we are discharged if we forgiue Neither vnto obstinate offenders that will not acknowledge their sinne are we bound to remit the punishment or sometimes to notifie the pardon of the fault If any man haue a quarrell to another When he saith here if any man it imports that such Christians might be as there should be no iarres amongst them Discords might wonderfully bee preuented if there were care and discretion in men The word rendred quarrell signifies a complaint certainely it is a great weakenesse to be vpon euery occasion complaining of the wrongs are done vs and making report of them to others And it shewes too that we should forbeare and forgiue euen in such things as these And where hee saith any man it shewes no men are exempted from the practise of clemencie That it is here required of one is required of all no greatnesse of gifts or place can priuiledge any As Christ forgaue you so doe you 1. Examples in all rules of practise moue much 2. As heere the head of the Church is an example to all his members so should those that are heads of the common-wealth or familie carry themselues so as by their examples to direct aswell as by their precept not onely shew what to do by commanding but how to doe it also by example 3. Especially in forbearing and forgiuing example in great persons doth wonderfully affect the common people and therefore because there are so few on earth here is one from heauen Quest Quest But why is there added reason to this vertue and not so to each of the former Answ Answ Because the conscience is soone perswaded in the generall that the rest are good as humilitie meeknesse c. But now wee are wonderfully hardly perswaded to forgiue Secondly the Lord may well adde reasons to perswade to forgiue because of the speciall danger of not forgiuing for if a man doe not forgiue there is expresse threatnings that hee shall not bee forgiuen p Math. 6 14. â—8 25 How Christ is said to forgiue Quest But how is Christ said to forgiue Answ Remission of sinnes is attributed to Christ 1. As the meritorious cause of forgiuenesse 2. Because he applies it 3. Because the Christian in his name sues out the pardon of his sinnes and by him procures forgiuenesse Certainly it may bee a
what it is 1. In generall it is the putting on of the new man 2. In particular it is the renuing of the minde with knowledge and of the whole man after the Image of God and Christ The maine generall doctrine of the verse is that all that are accepted of God in Iesus Christ haue put on the new man or are made new creatures And for the further opening of this great point I consider three things First the necessitie of the new birth 2. What it hath in it 3. The maner by which it is effected and then I come to the vse For the first The necessitie of the new birth those places of Scripture most euidently proue it is of absolute necessitie The Apostle to the Galathians saith neither circumcision nor vncircumcision auaileth any thing but a new creature a Gal. 6.15 and to the Ephesians b Eph. 4.21.24 he sheweth that if we be taught as the truth is in Christ Iesus then to put off the old man and to put on the new are as the maine principles of all sauing doctrine And to the Corinthians he saith If any man be in Christ Iesus let him be a new creature c 2 Cor. 5.17 And our Sauiour Christ in the third of Iohn is peremptory except a man be borne againe he can neuer enter into the kingdome of heauen d Ioh. 3.5 His nature is new in foure things Now for the second Whosoeuer is a new creature or hath put on the new man it is certaine he is new 1. In his nature 2. In his obedience Hee is new in his nature and that will appeare after sound tryall in foure things For first he hath new gifts as the gifts of knowledge e Mat. 13.11 or discerning the gift of prayer or as the Prophet cals it of supplications f Zach. 12.12 the gift of vprightnes or a spirit without guile g Psal 32.2 yea the Apostle saith they were not destitute of any heauenly gift h 1 Cor. 1.6 2. Hee hath new delights for hee feeles the ioyes of the holy Ghost i Rom. 14.17 and that in new things in which hee was neuer wont to delight before as in the Law of God k Psal 1.12 in prayer in the Sacraments c. And also in new persons for now all his delight is in the excellent ones l Psal 16.3 that truly feare God no more in carnall persons yea and in new times too for hee was neuer wont to reioyce in the time of affliction but now he findes maruellous ioy euen in tribulation m Rom. 5.3.4 3. He hath new sorrowes also they are not now so much for losses shame sicknesse or the like as for sinne or Gods spirituall iudgments or the afflictions of Gods childten 4. He hath new desires also as after puritie of nature n Psal 51.2 pardon of sinne o Math. 5.6 softnesse of heart p Esay 63.17 the presence of God q Psal 42. successe of the meanes audience in prayer and the comming of Christ r 1 Tim. 4.8 and the saluation of Israel Å¿ Rom 9. The triall of his obedience in 3. things and the like And as he is new in his nature so is hee new in his obedience also and that if we respect either manner or the matter or the end if we respect the manner or the matter or the end if we respect the manner of his doing Gods worke it is first with consecration of his soule and body to Gods seruice t Rom. 12.1 2. It is with delight hee loues to be Gods seruant u Esay 5.6 3. It is in Christian simplicitie and harmlesnesse and godly purenesse and strictnesse * 2 Cor. 1.12 11.3 Eph. 5.15 Now secondly if wee respect the matter of his obedience he is exceedingly changed and renued for now he hath respect not to one or two commandements but to all Gods commandements x Psal 119. he would be sanctified throughout y 1 Thes 5.23 he labours for inward holinesse aswell as outward z 2 Cor. 7.1 Psal 24.4.5 and as he is altered in his seruice of God so is he in his calling too for he walkes more conscionably towards all men hath learned to practise his generall calling in his particular And thirdly for the ends of his obedience his praise is not now of men but of God a Rom. 2.16 his desire is to approue himselfe to God without respect of the world how men will take it and he will constantly professe and practise though it be against his ease credit pleasure or profit The third thing propounded was the meanes of the new birth and howsoeuer the most men stand affected yet the truth of God is certaine and vnchangeable the ordinarie outward means to conuert a soule to God or make vs new creatures is the word preached we are borne againe by this immortall seede of the word as the Apostle b 1 Pet. 1.23 Peter saith and the Apostle Paul is peremptorie in the Epistle to the Romanes how can a man beleeue except it be by hearing of the word preached c Rom. 10.14.17 the inward meanes is the spirit of Christ which in respect of his working herein is called the spirit of reuelation d Eph. 1.18 of glory e 1 Pet. 4.14 of loue of power and of a sound minde f 2 Tim. 1.7 The vses follow And first all Gods seruants that haue felt the power of the word renuing them may greatly reioyce in the mercies of God to them and the rather if they further consider the priuiledge of their new estate for art thou a new creature then thou hast the benefit of a new couenant g Ier. 31.33 thou hast a new name vpon thee h Esay 62.2 Reu. 3.5 and a new spirit within thee i Ezek. 36.27 to comfort thee k Ioh. 14. to direct thee to confirme thee and to make intercession for thee thou hast new aliance a new Father euen God the Father and new kindred with all the Saints both Iewes and Gentiles o Eph. 2.14 a new Prince and Minister p Esay 55.6 euen Iesus Christ new attendants the very Angels of God q Heb. 1.14 new wages and new worke r Esay 62.11 a new commandement the rigor and curse of the Law being taken away new food euen Manna from heauen the word of life new signes and helpes to guide thee in the way Å¿ Ier. 31.21 And when thou shalt die a new death not die as other men and a new graue or tombe wherein no carnall man lay thy graue being perfumed by the body of Christ a new way to heauen t Heb. 10. and a new Mansion in heauen u 2 Cor. 5.8 what shall I say but conclude with the Apostle if thou be a new creature thou shalt haue all things new * 2 Cor.
5.17 And therefore let all the holy seede the blessed of the Lord sing new songes of praise to God Secondly the consideration of the doctrine of the new birth may serue greatly for reproofe of the fearefull securitie of multitudes of people that are sunke so deepe in rebellion that they cannot consider nor seriouslie minde their owne conuersion They looke not vpwards to behold the angry countenance of God nor to the times past to consider the millions of men that haue perished for want of the new birth nor within them to see the Image of God defaced and the Deuill intrenched in strong holds for tentations and the conscience either awake and then the fire of hell is within them or a sleep and then they are in danger euery moment when it will awake nor doe they consider the time to come or thinke of those last things death iudgement and hell Oh the spirit of fornication that doth inchaunt men that they cannot so much as minde to returne Now if any prophane spirit should aske mee where are any such men as I haue before described to bee new creatures I would answere him they are not to be found in Tauernes Ale-houses Play-houses cock-pits beare-baits or such like but blessed be God there is a remnant a tenth one of a City and two of a Tribe that are such as the Lord doth describe and will be accepted of in Iesus Christ Renued in knowledge Knowledge is a chiefe part of the new grace of a Christian without it the minde cannot be good x Pro. 19.2 it is a singular gift of God to the elect to reueale vnto them the mysteries of the Kingdome y Mat. 13.11 it is the beginning of eternall life on earth z Ioh. 17.3 but wee must vnderstand that this knowledge here meant is neither naturall nor sensuall nor ciuill nor morall nor historicall nor a generall Theologicall knowledge What true knowledge is but a religious sauing knowledge it is a knowledge by which a Christian sees in a mirrour hee stands and wonders it is a knowledge that will transforme a man a 2 Cor. 3.18 it is the experimentall knowledge of the vertue of Christs death and resurrection b Phil. 3.10 it is a knowledge will keepe a man from the euill way c Prouerb 2. it is a knowledge will encounter euery thought and affection d Es 11.8.10 that exalts it selfe against the obedience of Christ it is a knowledge that is first pure then peaceable gentle easie to be intreated full of mercy and good fruites without iudging and without hypocrisie e Iam. 3.17 Rules for attaining of true knovvledge The vse is to teach vs that as we would be assured we are new creatures so we should labour to be possessed of sound knowledge and to this end 1. We must stand vp from the dead and with-draw from wicked society else Christ will neuer giue vs light f Ephes 5.14 2. Wee must consecrate our selues to holy life and seeke the feare of God for that is the beginning of this wisedome g Rom 12.1 Prou. 1. 3. Wee must denie our carnall wisedome and become fooles that we may be wise h 2 Cor. 3.18 4. Wee must walke with the wise i Prou. 13.20 5. We must begge of God a lowly and a humble heart for with the lowly is knowledge k Prou. 11.3 Lastly wee must studie the Scripture and attend vpon daily hearing and reading for they are the onely fountaines of true knowledge and wisedome l 2 Tim. 3.16 Renued The knowledge of the faithfull in this life euen after calling needes to be daily renued For sinne makes a breach both in the heart and minde And Sathan plants daily temptations and obiects against the doctrin of God against which the minde needes new store of prouision out of the word for defence And our affections are wonderfull apt to lose sence and feeling and then there is no other way to recouer sence but by renuing contemplation And besides in asmuch as faith and repentance must be daily renued therefore also must examination of life and meditation of Gods promise and grace be renued also Finally we know but in part and successiuely and therefore ought continually to be growing and adding to the measure of the knowledge receiued Vse This may serue 1. for information For here we may know the necessity of daily teaching since we neede daily to be renued in knowledge 2. For great reproofe of that negligence is euery where to be found in omission of hearing or reading the Scripture or vsing of other priuate helpes for knowledge 3. For instruction for it should teach vs to be constant in the vse of all the helpes God hath commanded or afforded vs. And wee should beare infirmities in others since our owne knowledge is vnperfit And wee should learne to be wise to sobriety and not thinke our selues able to iudge of euery doctrine or worke of God The Lord hath laide a restraint vpon vs and in this life we cannot attaine a full knowledge and therefore we should represse the itching curiositie of our natures thirsting after forbidden knowledge Lastly we should resolue of the neede we haue to be admonished instructed directed or rebuked and therefore reioyce in it if any will shew vs that mercie to smite vs with rebukes or guide vs in the way After the Image of him that created him How Christ is the Image of God Gods Image is in Christ in the Angels and in man Christ is the Image of God in two respects because he is the eternall sonne begotten of his substance and therefore called the character of his person or substance m Heb. 1.3 The Image of the inuisible God n Col. 1.16 and so he hath most perfitly the nature of the father in him 2. Because he was manifested in the flesh for in Christ made visible by the flesh the perfection and as it were the face of the Father is now seene And therefore our Sauiour saith he that seeth mee hath seene the Father o Ioh. 14.9 for the fulnesse of the godhead which was in the sonne being vnited and as it were imprinted on the flesh bodily p Col. 2.9 he did resemble and as it were expresse his owne and his fathers nature after diuers manners and by diuers workes or actions How the Angels are Gods Image The Angels are Gods Image and therefore called the sonnes of God because they resemble him as they are spirituall and incorporeall and immortall substances And secondly as they are created holy iust and full of all wisedome and diuine perfections in their kinde How man is Gods Image Amongst the visible creatures man onely beares the Image of God And so he doth 1. By creation q Gen. 1.26 2. By regeneration r Ephes 4.24 He was created in it And then falling from God by sinne hee recouers the renuing of