deuoure the lesse Dogges will eate diuerse kindes of creatures if they can come by them These things are manifest and some of them be common sports in the world Now whence comes this feareful disorder in nature that one creature should deuoure another came it from the creation was the world ordained in this state that one creature should eate vp another the greater feed vpon the lesse no but sin brought this cōfusion our sin caused this pitiful massacre of all creatures one by another Let vs therfore at these sights be humbled for our sinne which caused so fearefull a disorder when thou seest thy Hawke flie so fiercely and so cruelly murder a seely bird thy Hound the Hart Hare or Connie then as God hath giuen thee leaue in good order measure and manner thus to deale with the creatures and therefore thou maist take delight in it so withall make this vse of it Whence comes this it was not so from the beginning When sinne was not in the world these would all haue lodged in one cage and cabbin and one neuer haue offred to haue eaten another my sinne caused this iarre and this disorder betwixt these two creatures This should humble a man because of his sinne and restraine his life frō too much liberty and his affection from too much delight in these kind of pastimes Againe when we see the cruelty of the Foxe the Wolfe the Beare toward the sheepe and other creatures Blame not too much the cruelty of the beasts for this was not in them at their creation but thy sinne made them thus cruell one against another Turne then into thy selfe and be ashamed of it and blame not so much the cruelty in them as thine owne sinne which caused it in them Againe some creatures are vnperfect some in parts of their body some in some senses and some are loathsome vgly to behold and some are venomous and hurtfull to the world Whē thou seest it consider whence is this They were not thus created for God ordained that is made all creatures in perfect order But this comes from thy sinne enter into thy selfe and acknowledge this and be humbled for it and do not so much contemne this creature for his imperfection nor loath him for his deformity nor hate him for his venome as contemne and loathe and hate thine owne sinnes which were the cause of all these Lastly some take great delight in faire buildings make no vse of them but for delight and pleasure but if they cōsider wel they haue no such cause it was not so at the creation Adam in his innocencie had a more sumptuous Palace ordained for him namely the Paradise of heauen and earth and yet trees were not cut in pieces nor the earth had her stones rent out of her bowels for the building of it Thy sinne it was that destroyed this Palace and sinne hath caused the necessitie of these buildings How then canst thou glory in thy buildings wilt thou glory in thy shame Canst thou be proud of these when thy sinne bereft thee of a better As therefore thy house is a comfort strength security and delight vnto thee so adde this one vse also let it in this consideration be a cause to humble thee for thy sinne The disorder that sin hath brought into the world might be shewed in more particulars but these may suffice being those of whom we haue most common vse and therefore do most commonly abuse To conclude this point I say vnto all men Doest thou see what disorder is now in the world in thy apparell meate recreations buildings Seest thou the confusion vanity corruption of all creatures the variance dissension and hatred of creatures amongst themselues Canst thou see all this and either not regard it at all or else take delight in it This is a cursed and abhominable delight If a rich man should consume all his wealth or throw it all on heapes and then desperately set his house on fire hath he any cause of ioy to see this If he sit still at this you will say he is senselesse but if he laugh at it he is madde So God created man rich in all blessings put him into the Palace of the world garnished this house of the world with exceeding beauty his meate his apparell his recreation his house were all excellent and glorious he made all other creatures amongst which there was nothing but concord loue agreement vniformity comelinesse and good order Now man by sinne fell by his fall not onely spent all his riches that is defaced the glory of his owne estate but also set his house that is the world on fire that is defaced the beauty of heauen and earth brought confusion corruption vanity deformity imperfection monstrous disorder on all creatures set all the world together by the eares one creature at variance and deadly hate with other so that one creature doth fight teare wound destroy and eate vp another O cursed damnable sinne of man that hath so shamefully disordered that heauenly order wherein God created all things at the beginning◠and miserable men are we which can sit still see this and not be moued but if we reioyce and delight in it certainly then a spirituall madnesse hath bewitched our soules Let vs therefore stirre vp our selues and looke about vs and seeing all the world on a fire about vs namely flaming in contention hatred and all disorder let vs for our parts seeke to quench it which because wee cannot therefore lament and bewaile it but much more lament and be humbled for our sinne which kindled this fire of disorder in the world Hitherto of the manner of the Creation By the word of God The third point is by what means The Text answereth the world was ordained in that excellent order by the word of God By this word is meant 1. Not any vocall word as if the Lord should speake vnto the creatures Nor secondly the substantiall word of the Father the second person although I confesse that by him were made all things Yet I take it it is not so meant in this place but rather as Moses doth Gen. 1. when he saith that in the creation God said It is in both places a comparison taken from a Prince who bids his seruants doe this and they doe it presently The Lord in this place is like a Prince he hath his word whereby he commaunded the world to be made That word I take it is his will for Gods willing of any thing is an effectuall commaunding of it to be done yea it is the doing of it for his willing of a thing to be is more then all the commaundements of all men in the world For if he doe but will it the thing is done what euer it be whereas all the world may commaund and yet it is no neerer From hence I take it this is manifest to be the surest sense for this place God willed the being
sinnes from the world for this is one of the strongest and commonest encouragements that men take to liue in a sinne If they thinke it likely to be concealed But here they see how false a ground that is For if they can conceale it from men yet can they not from God and if God know it then can he reueale it to the world when it pleaseth him Againe whereas Abels bloud cried when he was dead It teacheth vs that God had a care of Abell both liuing and dead for it were nothing to say his bloud cried if God heard not that cry But it s apparant he heard it for he reuenged it and punished Cain when Abell was dead and could not reuenge it himselfe And this care God hath not ouer Abell alone but ouer all his children and as the Psalmist saith Pretious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints that which is vile and of no regard in the world is pretious with God Tyrants make hauocke of the Church and kill them vp by heapes but God records vp euery one and will not faile to reuenge it when they are dead For if God haue bottles for the teares of his seruants surely much more hath he bottles for their bloud The vse whereof is to teach vs in all extremities of danger or distresse to learne patience yea though we be sure to die yet as Christ saith To possesse our soules with patience For we haue one wil heare the cause and reuenge our quarrell when we are gone So that if wee be patient wee loose nothing but if wee be impatient wee get nothing Let vs therefore hold our tongues for the wrong done to vs crieth loude enough to God for reuenge who will heare it as assuredly as he did Abels And thus wee see how Abell spake then euen after he was dead The second point is Hee speakes also yet and that three wayes First his faith yet speaketh because it admonisheth all men euery where who either heare or reade this story to become such as Abell was namely true worshippers of the true God for in Abels example it prouokes all men to be like him because it assureth them of the same regard and reward with God that Abell had and so Abels faith is a neuer dying Preacher to all Ages of the Church Here wee learne that the holy Examples of Gods children are reall teaching and loude preaching to other men For there is a double teaching namely in word or deede It belongs to the Minister to teach in word and to all men to teach by their deedes and good examples And if the Minister teach not thus also it is the worse both for him and his hearers It sufficeth not for him to teach by vocall Sermons that is by good doctrine but withall by reall Sermons that is by good life His faith his zeale his patience his mercy and all other his vertues must speake and cry call to other men to be like vnto him which if he practice carefully in his life as Abell did then shall his vertues speake for him to all posterities when he is dead Againe Abell though dead may be said to speake because howsoeuer his body be dead yet in soule and spirit hee liueth with God in heauen And thus the word speaketh may be vnderstoode because it is here opposed to death by which he being dead yet speaketh that is being dead in body yet liueth in soule which life with God was obtained vnto by his true and sauing faith Thirdly hee may be said to speake yet as all other Gods Martyrs are said to crie in the Reuelation from vnder the altar How long Lord holy and true doest thou not auenge our bloud on them that dwell on the earth As this is true of all Martyrs so specially of Abell the first Martyr of all which words are not spoken neither by him nor them vocally with vttrance of voice but it is so said to signifie what feruent desire the seruants of God haue in heauen of the full manifestation of Gods glory in their bodies and of an vtter abolishment of sinne in the whole world Which their desire they doubtlesse vtter to God in a more excellent manner then in this world wee can vtter any thing with our voice and thus Abell speakes yet and shall speake till the worlds end Hitherto of the first Example the Example of Abell The second is of Henoch in these words By faith Henoch was translated that he should not see death neither was he found for God tooke him away for before he was translated he was reported of that hee had pleased God c. THe second example of faith is taken also out of the old world before the floud and it is of Henoch the seauenth from Adam to whom strange and miraculous things befell by reason of his faith Let the meaning of the words be first examined By Faith That is by his confidence in the Messias or his sauing faith he was taken away Taken away That is from earth to heauen not by an ordinary worke but miraculously as is euident by the next words That he should not see death That is that he should not feele death nor any dissolution of soule and body and therefore his taking away was miraculous For to be taken away by death is an ordinarie worke but to be taken away and yet not die that is miraculous and extraordinary and such was Henochs So then the substance of these words is thus much Henoch hauing this grace from God to beleeue stedfastly in the Messias to come was likewise honoured with this high prerogatiue To be taken into heauen without tasting of death further was taken away to the end that he might not die Thus we haue the meaning Now concerning this translation of Henochs there are two opinions Some thinke hee was translated in soule onely and not in body and they say he died in the translation so as his soule onely was taken vp into heauen and his body slept in the earth Though this appeares false at the first sight yet let vs see their reasons and what they can say for themselues Their first reason is this No mortall body vnglorified can enter into heauen but there is no mention of his glorification therefore his body could not come in heauen Answer It is certaine it was glorified ere it came in heauen If they reply it is not mentioned I answere it followeth not that therefore it was not for euery circumstance of euery action is not mentioned For many circumstances of actions must necessarily be supposed such a one was this Againe the glorification of his body is here plainly enough implied where it is said he was translated that he should not see death Now if his body sawe not death it was made immortall which is a speciall part of glorification Their second reason Christ was the first that euer entred into heauen both in
he proues it out of the old Testament so also did the Apostles and Christ himselfe all their doctrine Let this teach all men to giue due reuerence to the holy Scriptures let teachers alledge them let hearers receiue them farre aboue all humane testimonies seeing the holy Ghost himself vouchsafeth to confirme his owne words by the authority thereof Secondly hauing laide this ground the holy Ghost frames his argument to proue that Henoch was taken away by faith and it consisteth of many degrees of euidence For before he was taken away he was reported of that he had pleased God But without faith it is impossible to please God The degrees of the argument are these 1. God himselfe tooke Henoch away 2. Before he was taken away he pleased God 3. But without faith no man can please God Therefore Henoch by faith was taken away The first degree That Henoch was taken away and was not found any more in this world hath beene sufficiently spoken of already The second degree is that afore hee was taken away hee pleased God which is not barely affirmed but it is further added that hee was reported of or he receiued testimonie that he pleased God Now this report or testimonie is taken out of the storie of Genesis where it is affirmed of Enoch that hee walked with God which walking with God is an assured testimonie that hee pleased God for as the Prophet Amos saith Can two walke together vnlesse they be agreed therefore in as much as Henoch walked with God it is proofe sufficient that hee pleased God and because hee pleased God therefore God tooke him away So that here are two distinct points in this second degree First that Henoch pleased God Secondly that there is a report or a testimonie giuen of him that hee did please God In the first let vs obserue three speciall points of instruction First in that Henoch before hee was taken away pleased God let vs learne that whosoeuer lookes to haue his soule translated into heauen at his death and both body soule at the resurrection must before hand in this life learne to please God they must seeke to please God not when the time of the translation is come but before as here it is saide Henoch did If any man demaund How shall I please God My answere is this Adam pleased GOD by keeping the Lawe but now that is past that power is lost wee must nowe please God by direction from the Gospell namely by faith in Christ and true repentance together with a holy life which must necessarilie accompanie true faith and repentance thus God is pleased And this must we not deferre till our death but doe it in our liues nor can we looke to be inheritours of the kingdome of glory as now Henoch is vnlesse before hand wee be in the kingdome of grace by pleasing God as Henoch did It is lamentable to see men not care for saluation til death and then they begin to please God but alas God will not be so pleased They begin to learne how to please God when they haue so long displeased him as there is then feare they can neuer please him but that man liueth and dieth with comfort of whom it may be said as here of Henoch before hee was taken away hee pleased God Againe whereas hee came not in heauen till hee pleased God this discouers the madnesse of sinfull men who will looke for heauen and yet will leaue no sinne but flatter themselues therein But let all impenitent men here take knowledge that they come not in heauen till they please God let them therefore cease pleasing themselues and their corruptions by liuing in sinne and learne to please God by a holy life And further In this point marke how nothing brought Henoch to heauen but his pleasing of God Hee was rich for hee was one of the greatest on the earth hee was royallie descended for hee was the seauenth from Adam in the blessed line hee was learned for hee had the sixe first Patriarkes to teach him sixe such Tutors as neuer man had and it is likely hee had a comely strong and actiue body But see all these brought him not to heauen no he pleased God and was therefore taken away Let this teach vs not to rest in wealth beauty strength honour humane learning nor all these put together without the feare of God for some of them may please thy selfe and some may please other men but God must bee pleased afore thou come in heauen if thou wert as good as Henoch Therefore vnto all thy outward blessings adde this To please God by faith and repentance Then as thy pleasing of men may make thee happy in this world so thy pleasing of God shall translate thee from earth to heauen Thus wee see Henoch before hee was translated pleased God Secondly as hee pleased God and else could not haue beene translated so it is added hee was so reported of or there was such a testimonie of him That proofe or testimonie is here concealed but it is recorded in the storie of Genesis where it is said Henoch walked with God which as we heard before was an assured testimonie that God was well pleased with him But what is this hee walked with God how can a man â—e saide to walke with God The meaning is That Henoch liued a godly righteous and innocent life in this world â—or to liue in holinesse and righteousnesse is to walke with God And further his heart was possessed of two perswasions or resolutions which were the inducements drawing him to this holy life First that hee was alwayes in Gods presence and that God is alwayes readie to dispose of all thinges to his good Againe that God did see trie and discerne all his wordes and deedes yea his cogitations and thoughts and the whole course of his life These were the holy resolutions of Henoch and these made him lead a holy life This lesson is worth learning and this example worthy to be followed of vs all our dutie is with Henoch to walke with God in this life if wee purpose to liue with God in heauen and wee walke with God by leading holy and vnblameable liues in holinesse towards God and righteousnesse towards man But if wee thinke this hard to doe wee must labour to be resolued on these grounds First that God and his prouidence is euer present with vs to dispose of vs alwaies to his glory and of all other things to our good Secondly that as wee are in Gods presence so God seeth vs and all our thoughts words and workes bâ—rgaines and dealings and will iudge them all When these two perswasions possesse our hearts it cannot be but wee shall liue godly and feare to offend God for as a childe is dutifull and obedient in his Fathers presence so when a man is perswaded he is in Gods presence it cannot but make him dutifull When a man is perswaded that God seeth him
though they all haue their seuerall commendations in the word Yet of none of them all is it saide in the whole Scripture as it is heere said of faith that without it it is impossible to please God And no meruaile for it is the roote and ground of all other graces and giues them their life and being for therefore doth a man feare God therefore doth he loue God therefore is he zealous for Gods glory because hee beleeueth that God loueth him in Christ the redeemer Now then if faith be thus necessary then it followeth that those that liue in ignorance and so haue no sound faith but a foolish presumption are in a miserable case for how-euer they may flatter themselues with conceites of their deuotions and good meanings and good intents it is faith with which they must please God and nothing can without it It stands them therefore in hand to lay-off ignorance and presumption and labour for a sound and sauing faith and that will bring them to the fauour of God And againe as for such as haue receiued grace to beleeue seeing faith is of such necessitie and that they hauing faith must needes haue knowledge they therefore must looke and examine by their knowledge whether their faith be a sound faith or no for herein many that haue knowledge deceiue themselues and thinke they haue true faith when they haue not Now if any man would knowe whether his faith be sound and sauing or no It is knowne by this If it purifie the heart for so saith S. Peter That God by faith did purifie the hearts of the profane and filthy Gentiles If then thy faith doe not purifie thy heart and cleanse thy life and cause thee to abound in good workes it is no sound nor sauing faith it is but a generall faith it is but an historicall knowledge and cannot saue the soule hee therefore that vpon examination of his heart and life findeth his faith to be such let him not content himselfe but turne his generall faith into a sauing faith which in this world will purifie his heart and at the last day will saue his soule And this must euery man the rather doe because what knowledge or what other gifts of God soeuer any many hath without faith in Christ all are nothing for it is faith that seasoneth them all and makes both them and the person himselfe to please God Secondly if it be impossible without faith to please God then here wee see the fond and foolish hypocrisie of the world who will please God by other meanes some thinke if they be glorious in the world either for their wealth or their wit or their honour or their authority or their learning they presently bring themselues into a fooles Paradise and because the world makes account of them and they please themselues therefore they thinke it certaine they must needes please God But alas though all the world admire them and they be neuer so farre in loue with themselues He that sits in heauen laugheth them to scorne For not all the pompe and glory nor all the millions and mountaines of gold in the world can please the Lord for one of the least of their many thousand sinnes wherewith they haue prouoked him Let these men aske Nabuchadnezzer if his pompous pride or Achitophel if his actiue head and crafty wit or Absalom if his golden lockes or Iezabell if her painted face and courtly attire or Naball if his flockes of sheepe or the Philosophers if their naturall learning if all of these or any of these did euer please God Nay alas they all haue found and felt that without faith it is impossible to please God Thirdly it is the opinion not of the Turke alone in his Alcaron but of many other as ill that euery man shall be saued by his owne religion if he be deuout therein be hee Turke Iewe or Christian Papist or Protestant But this is a ground and rule of Atheisme and appeares here to be most false for no saluation without pleasing of God and without faith it is impossible to please God therfore no religion can saue a man but that which teacheth a man rightly to beleeue in Christ and consequently to please God But euery religion teacheth not to beleeue in Christ some not at all and some not aright and therefore it is impossible for such a religion to saue a man Againe be a man what hee can be vnlesse he be within the couenant of grace he cannot be saued But hee cannot be within the couenant but by faith therefore no man can bee saued by any meanes but by true faith nor in any religion but that which teacheth true faith Here therefore not onely Turkes and Iewes are excluded but this also sheweth many Papists and many carnall Gospellers in our Church how short they come of that religion which must saue their soules For this is the conceite of the most men that if they doe some good workes which carie a faire shew to the world as liberality to learning or charity to the poore straight they thinke they haue leaue to liue as they list and God is bound to forgiue their sinnes and to giue them heauen and this they imagine though they knowe not what it is to beleeue in Christ or to repent of their sinnes One of this religion came to the Prophet Micha in his dayes and asked him this question vttring that plainely which all such men thinke in their hearts Wherewithall shall I come before the Lord and bowe my selfe before the high God shall I come before him with thousands of Rams and tenne thousand riuers of oile Hee makes the question and would faine make answere himselfe nay hee goeth further and offers more Shall I giue my first borne for my transgression and the fruite of my body for the sinne of my soule But the Prophet answers him shewing him his follie and how little God regards such workes without a contrite heart Hee hath shewed thee O man what is good and what the Lord requireth of thee Surely to doe iustly to loue mercie to humble thy selfe and walke with thy God Marke how that answere fits this example of Henoch Hee pleased God he walked with God and was taken away So answereth the Prophet if thou wouldest please thy God and come to heauen by his fauour neuer stand vpon thousands of Rams and Riuers of oile vpon thy gay and glorious workes but humble thy selfe and walke with thy God No walking with God saith Micha no pleasing of God what is it but all one as if hee had said Without faith it is impossible to please God Here then is no disallowance of good workes but of workes without faith and true repentance which though they be neuer so faire and flourishing yet is it impossible that without faith they should please God Hereby it is also manifest that all the vertues of the heathen and the workes of such men as either knowe
wealth and pleasures are graunted them by from God as their portion reseruing the principall part of the portion of his children for a better life Therefore all the good things of this life which Diues receiued and all wicked men doe receiue in this life are not any rewards of Sathan but gifts of God so vnworthy a Maister is the diuell to serue Indeede he will promise his poore slaues any thing but can performe nothing but will lie vnto them and deceiue them He told Christ confidently when he let him see the glory and greatnesse of this world All this is mine and I giue it to whom I will but hee was a lier from the beginning so he is here He lied to the first Adam and no maruell that dare auouch so fond and loude a lye in the presence of the second Adam Iesus Christ. He promised the first Adam to make him God and heere the second Adam to make him King and Lord of all the world and the glory of it but he performed both alike he deceiued the first and so had the second also if he had trusted him Nor did euer any trust him but he deceiued him I meane euen for the base things of this life witnesse else all his witches his most deuoted and professed seruants of all other if euer he made anie one of them wealthy all ages are not able to shew one Whereas on the other side there was neuer man that serued God but had a competent measure of comforts for this life and some abundance and yet all that but the first fruits and beginnings of that reward which is laid vp for them in another world Which being true is it not a strange and lamentable case to see men for all this debase themselues to this base and slauish seruice of Sathan and to refuse this high and honourable seruice of almighty God A common seruant in this world hath more wit he if he cā heare of a better seruice a Maister who giues better wages and who better preferres his seruants will leaue his old Maister make meanes to get the other And shall not we be as wise for both soule and body as they for the body alone Shall they leaue a man for a man and shall not we leaue the diuell for God Let vs therefore abandon the base seruice of Sathan who neither can nor will reward them that serue him put away so ill a Maister who hath not so much as meate and drinke to giue vs for wee haue euen that from God but of his owne he hath nothing to giue vs saue in this world sorrow and shame and an ill conscience and in the world to come the torments of hell with himselfe And let vs all seeke the blessed seruice of God If wee know not how to attaine it goe to Christ by heartie confession of thy sinnes and earnest prayer and he will preferre thee to God his Father for neuer was any denied that with a good and true heart offred himselfe to Gods seruice Then shal we feele and finde what a blessed thing it is to be Gods seruant of whom it was euer true which the holy Ghost here saith and is and euer shall be that He is an honourable rewarder of them that seeke him And thus we haue in some part the meaning and vse of this notable sentence wherein wee haue stoode the longer because it is one of the most excellent principles of all Practicall Diuinitie Now put all together and we shall see how it proues Henoch to be taken away by faith which is the first ground and the maine matter of all this exsample and of these two verses God is a rewarder of all his children that seeke him by faith therefore it is faith by which Gods children please God and therefore holy Henoch who was taken vp by God from earth to heauen both pleased God by faith and by faith was taken away And thus much for the commendation of Henochs faith and consequently the exsamples of such as liued in the first world before the floud Now followeth the exsample of Noah who liued in both worlds both before and after the floud Noahs Faith HEBREVVES 11.7 By Faith Noah being warned of God of the things which were as yet not seene moued with reuerence prepared the Arke to the sauing of his houshold through the which Arke he condemned the world and was made heire of the righteousnesse which is by faith IN this verse is contained the third exsample and the last in order of those who liued afore the floud in the first and olde world namely of the renowned Patriarke Noah the tenth from Adam Of whom and whose faith great glorious things are spoken in this verse and that in a high and excellent stile full of maiestie and diuine eloquence Concerning Noahs faith two points are laide downe first the ground of his faith secondly the commendation of it The ground of his faith was a speciall reuelation frō God in these words Noah being warned of God The things reuealed wherof God warned him are laid down two wayes first generally to be things as yet not seene then particularly three in number 1. Gods Iudgement vpon the sinfull world that hee was purposed to destroy it by water 2. Gods mercie on Noah that hee would saue him and his family 3. That he would saue him by an Arke and therefore he must make one and these be the things whereof Noah was warned of God His faith is commended by three worthy effects or operations in him 1. It moued in him a reuerence or a reuerent regard of the warning sent him from God 2. It made him prepare the Arke of which Arke there are set downe two ends 1. It saued his houshold 2. It condemned the world 3. It made him heire of the righteousnesse which is by faith This I take it is the true resolution of these wordes and they containe manie excellent things concerning his faith By faith Noah being warned of God of the things which were as yet not seene By faith that is by a generall and historicall Faith and also by a true and sauing faith in the Messias to come Noah being warned of God of the iust Iudgement hee purposed to bring vpon the world by an vniuersall floud and of his mercifull prouidence to him and his family that hee would saue them by an Arke all which things were then to come and therefore vnseene hee beleeued these forewarnings of God and therefore in reuerence to this message from God he prepared the Arke and thereby saued his houshold and condemned the wicked world And so his faith by all these appearing to be a true and liuely faith did make him a iust and righteous man in Gods sight This is the summe and substance of Noahs exsample let vs speake of the seuerall parts in order The first point is the Ground of his faith A warning or an answere from God
to life euerlasting but this For thy soule cannot liue whil'st thy sinnes the olde man that is thy corruptions doe liue but they must die be buried and then thy soule liueth and whilst they liue thy soule is dead and farre from the life of grace which is in Christ Iesus All this is affirmed at large in Romanes 6.3.4 Where we may see apparantly that we must by baptisme die with Christ be buried with him else we cannot be saued by him our corruptions our sinnes which are the olde man must die and be buried that the new man that is the grace and holines of Christ may liue in vs and our soules by it he that thus dieth not neuer liues he that thus is not buried neuer riseth to true life Thus mortification of sin is the way to heauen and death the way of life eternall he that is not thus mortified in his corruption let him neuer looke to be quickned to grace or glory If this be so we may then see what a miserable world we now liue in wherin mortification of sin is a thing vnknown not a man of many that can tell what it is nay grace is dead and holinesse is mortified and I feare buried also but the old man raignes Corruption liues and sinne flourisheth Mortifying of Christ by our sinnes is common but mortifying of sinne is sildome seene For Christ is betrayed crucified and killed in a sort by the sinnes of men What a fearefull change is this Christ should liue in vs and we endeuour to crucifie him againe sinne should be crucified but it liueth in vs. But if wee will haue Christ to saue vs then must wee mortifie the body of our sinne For he that will liue when he is dead must die while he is aliue And he that will be saued by his baptisme must looke that baptisme worke this effect in him To make him die and be buried with Christ that afterwards hee may rise and raigne with Christ. And then shall Baptisme saue vs as the Arke saued faithfull Noah and his houshold And thus much for the first end vse of the Arke the second followed By the which he condemned the world Here is the second end why Noah prepared the Arke To the condemnation of the world that then was For by it not by his faith as some would reade it he condemned that wicked generation both to a temporall destruction of their bodies and to an eternall Iudgement in hell In the words there are two points to be considered 1. Who are condemned The world 2. Whereby By Noahs Arke For the first it may be asked what is meant by the world S. Peter answereth 2. Ep. 2.5 The world of the vngodly that is that generation of sinfull men who liued in the dayes of Noah whom also in the 1. Epistle 3.20 hee calleth disobedient and their more particular sinnes are disclosed and recorded by Moses Gen. 6.45 to be monstrous abuse of holy mariage vnnaturall lusts cruelties and oppressions an vtter neglect of Gods seruice and Sabbaoth and an extreame prophanenesse and dissolutenesse in euery kinde And this corruption was not priuate or personall but vniuersall through all estates sexes and ages This world of the vngodly this whole race of wicked and disobedient men were condemned But how was that world condemned by Noah Thus God vouchsafed them 120. yeeres to repent in and appointed Noah to preach vnto them during that time to call them to repentance But they beleeued not God nor Noah but continued in their disobedience and grew in their vngodlinesse therefore when that time was expired God performed his word spoken by Noah brought the floud vpon them destroyed them all and condemned in hell as many of them as died in impenitencie and vnbeliefe And thus that wicked world was condemned according as Noah in his Ministerie had foretold them Here we may learne First what the world of this age is to looke for vnlesse there be repentance For to speake but of our selues in this Nation Haue not we had the Gospell 30. yeeres and more and with it peace and much prosperity Haue not we had a goodly time giuen vs to repent What is our duty but with reuerence to see and acknowledge this goodnesse of God to take hold of this merciful opportunity this time of grace and this day of saluation If wee doe not and make no account of the Gospell what can we looke for but to be condemned as that world was Looke at the meanes and opportunities which these dayes affoord and they be as golden dayes as euer were since Christs or as euer can be expected till his comming againe But looke at the profanenesse and carnality and security of this age euen ouer all Christendome and this is the Iron age these be the euill dayes and so euill as nothing can be expected but a riuer of brimstone and a floud of fire to purge it The dayes of the comming of the sonne of Man which I take to be these dayes shall be like saith Christ Math. 24.37 vnto the dayes of Noah And surely in security and profanenesse they are like and therefore in all reason they must be like in punishment Wee must therefore take warning by them and shake off this security which possesseth all mens hearts and waite for the Lord in watching and prayer and thinke euery day may be the last day of this world at least the last day of our liues and let vs prepare for it and liue in the expectation of it Otherwise if our sinfulnesse growe on a little further nothing can we looke for but to be condemned in an vniuersall iudgement as that world was Let vs therefore be take our selues to a more serious seruing of God that the Lord when he commeth may finde vs so doing Secondly in that the whole world that then was was thus destroyed and condemned and as wee heard afore onely Noah and his houshold saued wee learne that it is not good nor safe to follow the multitude Noah was here a man alone he held and beleeued against all the world and yet his iudgement and his beliefe was true and all the worlds false and accordingly he saued when they were all condemned It is meruaile therefore the Church of Rome should so much stand vpon numbers and multitude for the gracing of of their religion For it euer was and euer will be a weake argument If multitudes might euer haue beene alledged then vnto Noah especially to whom it might haue beene said Who art thou that pretendest to be wiser then all men and to know more then all the world Thou that hast a faith by thy selfe and hast no man to beare thee company thinke not that all Adams posterity all the children of holy Henoch and Methusalem are all deceiued but thy selfe alone Would not these and such like obiections haue discouraged any man Yet behold the force of faith Noah had Gods word for it and therefore
The same Dauid coÌ„fesseth Psal. 39.12 He is a stranger before God a soiourner as all his Fathers were therupon desireth God to heare his prayer hearken to his cry not to keep silence at his teares as though he had said Inasmuch as I soiourne with thee thou art to heare my complaint For as a Soiourner cares nor lookes for nothing but depends on them for all things with whom he soiournes so must we cast all our care on God for he careth for vs he is our Landlord wee are his Farmours and Tenants wee hold the earth from him by no lease for yeares but at his will and it is lent vs let vs therefore but haue care to please this our Landlord and care for nothing Fiftly wee must giue continuall thankes and praise to God for his good blessings wee receiue in this world for all are his and wee are but strangers Thus did all Gods Saints in olde time Iacob Hee was lesse then the least of Gods mercies But especially there is one memorable example of Dauid and the Church in his dayes 1. Chronicles 29.13.14.15.16 When hee had prepared abundantly for the building of the Temple hee prostrated himselfe before God and in his owne name and the peoples saide thus Riches and honour come of thee therefore our God wee thanke thee and praise thy glorious name But who am I and what is my people that wee should offer vnto thee for all is thine and of thine owne haue wee giuen thee for wee are strangers before thee and soiourners as all our Fathers were Thankfulnesse beseemes all men especially strangers Therefore as Pilgrimes doe thankfully accept the fauours shewed them in a strange Country So must we all the blessings God giues vs in this world where we are but strangers Sixtly and lastly we must hasten to the kingdome as a Pilgrime doth to his iourneyes end or to his owne Country and till he can is alwaies thinking of it and sighing after it So must we who are not dwellers but soiourners in these houâ—es of clay long after heauen and as S. Paul saith he did coâ—et to remoue from hence and to dwell with the Lord. Strangers â—re not to take such pleasure in foraine Countries as to forget their owne So Christians must not be so in loue with this world as to forget or neglect the world to come If they do â—hey are vnworthy of it and shew themselues not strangers â—s Abraham here was but men of this world who haue their â—ortion in this life Psal. 17.14 In performing these six actions men shew themselues â—rangers in this world And thus must we doe euen in the â—idst of all worldly prosperitie if wee looke â—uer to enioy the glory of a better And thus doing we shall be children of faithfull Abraham who dwelt in the land of Canaan as in a strange Country As one that dwelt in tents The second point for the manner how Abraham dwelt in Canaan is that he built himselfe no houses nor made Orchards or Gardens but dwelt in tents or tabernacles which were such houses as now are vsed in warre and are yet called by the same name Tents or Pauilions whose matter is not wood nor stone but cloth stuffe or skinnes and are easily reared and soone taken downe and when a man departeth he may cary his house with him That Abraham did thus appeares in the Stories written of him He came to Bethell and there pitched his tent Gen. 12.8 and Gen. 13.18 he remoued his tent and 18.1 God appeared vnto him as he sate in his tent dore and 18.9 being asked where Sarah was answered shee is within in the tent and these tents are called his place Gen. 18.33 and his house 24.2 Out of all which places it is plaine that he dwelt in tents and that not onely at his first comming when he had not time to build him an house but euen all the dayes of his life after his comming into the land of Canaan But why did Abraham dwell in tents and not in houses was it because then there were no houses Not so For there were Cities built euen afore the floud Gen. 4.17 Cain built a Citie no meruaile therefore if there were many after as Sodome and all her sisters And though it appeares not they digged into the earth for naturall stone yet had they Bricke which they made themselues Genesis 11.3 and surely the world which built the huge tower of Babell Gen. 11. would not stick to build themselues houses Nor can it be said that those Cities Sodome Gomorrah and the rest were nothing but a multitude of Tents together For we read Genes 19.3 that Lot dwelling in Sodome receiued 2. Angels into his house and in the 4. verse that the Sodomites came and enuironed his house round about to take them thinking they had been men and when Lot refused to deliuer them that they pressed sore vpon the house to haue broken vp the doore but all this might haue bin spared if it had bin nothing but a tent which a childe may cut in peeces with a knife It is manifest then that there were houses in those daies Why then did Abraham build none was it because he was poore could not Nor so for contrariwise Gen. 12.5 Hee carried with him from his owne countrey all the substance he possessed And what that was is particularized Gen. 13.2 He was very rich in cattell in siluer and in gold His riches were both great of the best So theÌ„ he could but would not But why would he not Was it vpon a prowd humour or in a conceited singularitie because he would not bee like other men but haue a singular way of his owne No Abraham was none of those who allow nothing but that that is done of themselues and who thinke nothing good if it be ordinarie for he was a holy man and famous for his faith So then none of these were the reasons of this his so doing The reasons then why Abraham and other holy Patriarchs vsed to dwell in tents and not to build them houses were of two sorts Ciuill and Holy The Ciuill or Politicke respect that they had was this They holding themselues Gods seruants did depende on his word and therefore did submit themselues to goe vp and down the world whither soeuer God did call theÌ„ Being then to remooue euery day they knew not when nor whither it was therefore both the fittest and cheapest to dwell in tents which were soone pitched vp and soone taken downe Neither neede it to seeme strange that they could liue for cold in those poore thin tents all the yeare long for the country and climate there was alwaies temperate enough for cold and rather inclining to too much heate The Holy or religious respect was this They held theÌ„selues but strangers vpon earth therfore would not build themselues cities or houses as looking or caring to liue vpon earth but dwelled in tents as seeming desirous
to remoue from the earth to heauen the sooner the better And this did the Fathers of the old Testament not that they thoght it vnlawfull to build cities or dwell in houses but that they might testifie their religion and their expectation of another world in the midst of that profane age wherein they liued wherein there were almost none that either regarded remembred or acknowledged a world to come And this was not the particular or singular deed of Abraham alone All holy men in those daies liued in tents Gen. 9.21 It is cleere that Noah dwelt in tents though then he was king of all the world And so did Lot also as long as he liued with Abraham Gen. 13.5 Lot hâ—d sheepe and cattell and tents And thus they did because as the Apostle saith they had here no enduring city but they sought for one to come Heb. 13.14 And they thought they euer heard that voice sounding in their eares Micah 2.10 Arise depart for this is not your rest Contrariwise the wicked of the world because they set vp their rest in this world and cared for no other they began presently to build them houses nay cities as Cain did euen in the beginning Ge. 4.17 And the Sodomites had a citie euen walled as is likely for Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodome when the two Angels came to him Gen. 19.1 2. And the Canaanites had cities walled exceeding high Numb 13. But we find not that euer Gods children built them cities vntill they came to haue a settled Church of their owne But contrariwise it is worth obseruing that God promiseth his people that they shall come and dwell in cities which they built not namely which were built by worldly men to their hand And thus wee see the reasons why Abraham dwelt in tents Now let vs see the vse of it First here we learne frugalitie out of the ciuill vse of their tents that is to vse the blessings and comforts of this life as soberly and sparingly as may be and to bestowe as little cost as may be of our selues in such things as perish in the vsing namely meate drinke apparell and houses For what is spent herein is spent only on our selues and being spent is gone therefore the lesse the better alwaies prouided there be a discreet care had of our healths and of the credit of the places wee hold and of our inabling to the duties of our calling Which beeing sufficiently prouided for it is a Christian frugality to spare what further may bespared And he hath the lesse to answer for who spendeth the least in superfluities Again here we are taught contentation in the state which God hath appointed vs not to striue too fast to climbe to wealth These holy men can be content to dwell in tents and tabernacles thogh they might haue compassed much more for they were great and mightie men Abraham had 318. men able to beare a sword in his house daiely with them and a little helpe more hee ouerthrewe diuers kings and rescued Lot Gen. 14.14 He that durst encounter and did ouercome such an hoste How many inhabitants of the countrey could he haue beat out of their houses And how many tenants could hee haue put out of their Liuings And how much of that countrey could he haue inclosed to himselfe Surely euen as much and as many as hee had pleased Yet dooth hee no such thing but contrariwise considering himselfe to bee but a tenant vnder God hee is content to let euery man sit quietly by him and himselfe to dwell in tents rather than to incroach one foote further than God bade him though he had bin able This checketh the pride or couetousnesse or ambition or all of such as ioyne house to house Land to Land Lordship to Lordship Towne to Towne and care not how many mens houses they pull downe to build one of their own nor how many men want land and liuing so they haue their parkes and pastures gardens and orchards and all other delights they can deuise These are so farre from Abrahams minde who desired onely so much land as his tent might stand on might feed his cattell as they can inclose and make seuerall to themselues that which in common should be the liuing of many soules But what can befall such men but that that Esay prophecieth to them Esay 5.8 Woe be vnto them that ioyne house to house and land to land till there bee no place for the poore to dwell in Thirdly in that Abraham liued thus as ready euer to depart into any other countrey when God would call him It sheweth that true faith dooth neuer limit Gods hand either in the greatnesse or length of trialls but submitteth it selfe wholly to his will being resolued conteÌ„t to suffer all trials how great soeuer and how many soeuer God pleaseth to lay vpon a man Reason would haue said I haue left one countrey at Gods word if I must leaue another then I shall neuer knowe an ende nor haue any thing certaine to trust to But faith saith As I haue left one countrey at Gods calling so vpon his worde I will leaue twentie more For God hath as good reason to bid me the second time as the first and his loue cannot faile me he may stil trie me but can neuer leaue me Thus spake Abrahams faith And not he alone For Iob though hee crie out of the violence of his temptation The arrowes of the Almighty are in mee and the venime thereof doth drinke vp my spirits the terrors of God doe fight against me Chap. 6.4 Yet when faith comes to play his part he then protesteth that though God kill him yet he will trust in him he shall be his saluation Chap. 13.15 See Abrahams faith will lead him from countrey to countrey and Iobs will carrie him through life and death And noble Dauid is not behinde for his part for hee will lose his kingdome if God will haue it so 2. Sam. 15.26 If saith Dauid God say I haue no delight in thee loe here I am let him doe to me not what I in my reason could wish but what seemeth good in his eies Behold now in these holy men the practice and obedience of true faith It prescribes not God the measure ther and thus doing wee haue our conuersation in heauen though we liue on the earth And this wee should doe the rather because generally the world is full of such men who as the same place saith doe minde nothing but earthly things Now it is a hard thing for a man to be vnlike the world and to resist multitudes and generall examples but we must still remember wee are Abrahams children and children must labour to bee like their father and not the common multitude and it must more mooue a good child what his father alone doth than what is done by many other Thirdly let vs obserue how God promising Abraham only the Land of
a citie also and the best on earth are but shadowes of it And it may shame them that are drowned in the pleasures and delicacies of earthly cities and care not nor looke after the city of the liuing God the heauenly Ierusalem as it is called Heb. 12.22 But alas it seemes they care not for this shame for where is securitie wantonnesse profanenesse oppressions so coÌ„mon as in these great cities And as in the Apostles times the countrey towne Berea was more zealous and religious than the rich and stately citie of Thessalonica Acts 17.11 So is it generally to this day especially at such places in the countrey where teaching and knowledge is But let such cities know that as they haue better meanes more comforts and their very name should put them in minde and make them in loue with heauen so they shall receiue greater damnation Lastly Cities are places of freedome and all such great places haue some notable priuiledges therefore men desire to be free in such places as is to bee seene in London Rome Venice c. Euen the greatest persons will bee content to be free of them and many seeke it and pay deer for it or at least worke a long time for it But heauen is the City of cities the perfection of beauty and true happinesse therefore let euery one that desires either honour or happinesse labour and striue to be a free-man of heauen and neuer rest till he know hee be And let those that liue in cities when they are admitted free-men as daily some are remember what a blesâ—ednes it will be if they can bee admitted free-men of the glorious Citie which is aboue and how little that shall auaile them if they want this which was the hope and ioy of Abraham and all holy men To goe further This Citie which Abrahams faith waited for is described by two points 1. That it hath a foundation 2. That the maker and builder was God For the first Heauenly Ierusalem hath a foundation such a one as no city in this world hath by this phrase the holy Ghost insinuates vnto vs what be the properties of heauen which be two 1. The state of heauen is vnchangeable 2. Euerlasting and eternall First the state of the Elect in heauen their glory there is not subiect to corruption or the least alteration as appeareth in that notable and loftie description of the heauenly Ierusalem Apoc. 21.14 and from the 10. verse to the 21 It hath a great wall and high 12. gates 12. Angels for Porters and the wall had 12. foundations of 12. sorts of most excellent pretious stones and the wall it selfe was Iasper and the citie pure gold like crystall The state of it is shadowed by pretious stones and gold to signifie as well the durablenesse as the excellency therof And in the 15. Psalme vers 1. it is called the mountaine of Gods holines Hills are hardly remoued and therefore Dauid saith that Mount Zion cannot bee remooued but remaineth for euer Psal. 125.1 Now if that be true of Mount Zion in this world which must needes bee taken either literally for the state of the visible Church which cannot be vtterly ouerthrowen or mystically for the state of Gods grace which in this world cannot totally finally be lost I say if this Mount Zion standeth fast and cannot be remoued how much more true iâ— it of the state of glory in heauen and of the triumphant Church and of heauenly Zion that it is so vnchangeable so durable so vnremoueable that it cannot be shaken but standeth fast for euer And in this respect well may the Apostle say here It hath a foundation which the holy Ghost in the Reuelation saith to haue 12. foundations Secondly the state of the Elect in heauen is not onely sure but euerlasting that is without end Psal. 37.18 the Inheritance of holy men is perpetuall And therfore S. Peter 1.1.4 saith that the inheritance reserued in heauen for vs is immortall not fading away It fades not away there is the vnchangeablenesse It is immortall there is the eternity of it And this is meant by hauing a foundation for in this world so much the longer doth any thing endure as the foundation is stronger Therefore seeing the heauenly city hath such a foundation no maruell though it indure for euer Now put these two together and they shew the perfect excellency of that city which is both vnchangeable and eternall Where we learne the great difference betwixt the state of that world and this present world wherin we liue in the body For what is there in this world so excellent so pâ—etious so costly so artificiall but is subiect both to alteration and in the ende to dissolution The longest day hath his night and the longest life endeth in death after many miseries and tossings the longest Empires and mightiest Monarchies had their period after many mutations the stateliest and strongest cities ended in ruine after many ciuill broiles massacres and other miseries So that no glory no strength no happinesse nothing at all is there in this world that is either constant or perpetuall but subiect to vtter dissolution in the end and in the meane time to pittifull alterations So weake a foundation hath this world and the best things in it But contrariwise the glory of heauen hath such a foundation as it is both vnchaâ—geable and eternall The consideration of this difference hath manifold profitable vse First we may see how reasonable the counsell of the Apostle is 1. Tim 6. â—7 Charge them that are rich in this world that they be not high minded and put not their trust in vncertaine riches but in the liuing God For what a misery and vanity is it to trust in that that is vncertaine and therefore will deceiue them The Apostle tells them what to doe namely Doe good and be rich in good works and be ready to distribute laying vp in store for themselues a good foundatioÌ„ against the time to come that they may obtain eternal life that is that they so speÌ„d their riches in holines charity that they may 〈◊〉 the ende attaine heauen which is the Citie that hath a foundation and who would not spend riches which are so vncertaine for heauen which is so certaine a glory Secondly this must teach vs to followe the Counsell of Christ Iesus Math. 6.19.20 Lay not vp for your selues treasures on earth where moth and canker corrupt theeues steale but in heauen where is neither canker moth theefe nor any other corruption Euery man naturally must haue his treasure and that is it whereon hee sets his heart now that is vnworthy of a mans heart which will bee lost wee knowe not how soone But let vs make heauen our treasure the glory whereof is both eternall and vnchangeable Againe seeing nothing here is certaine wee must learne to seeke sound comfort where it may be had Seeke it in this world and it will faile
haue said little lesse But if the holy Ghost may moderate this disputation hee plainely tells vs here That God is the maker builder of it Therfore assuredly it is not God but one of Gods creatures Thirdly and lastly let vs obserue the description of heauen included in these two words maker and builder God made it that is it is one of his creatures hee made it as well as the rest and he builded it that is as the word signifieth made it with arte or he bestowed skill and wisdome vpon it For though we may not imagine any substantiall difference betwixt these two words for matter yet in signification they differ and so farre wee are to obserue it Here then wee learne that the third Heauen is like a peece of worke wherein an excellent workeman hath spent his arte and shewed his skill that is that the highest heauen is a most glorious place and surpasseth all other creatures of God in glory and excellency so farre as therein shineth the glory skill and wisedome of the Creator more than in any other creature In which regard it is no maruell though the Holy Ghost say in another place That the eie hath not seene nor the eare heard nor mans heart conceiued what God hath there prepared for them that loue him 1. Corinth 2.9 And Saint Paul himselfe though hee had the honour to be taken vp into this third heauen and to see and heare the glory which is there yet afterwards could not he expresse the glory hee had seene And this was figured in the Temple of Ierusalem which was the mirrour and beauty of the world for the building whereof God both chose the skilfullest men and endued them also with extraordinary gifts namely Bezaleel and Aholiab Now as thereby that Temple was the most excellent piece of worke that euer was in this world made by man so the highest heauen which was mystically prefigured in Salomons Temple is the most excellent of all the workes of God The vse of this doctrine is not to be omitted First if that bee so excellent and glorious a place wee must all labour to come thither for aboue all things it seemes worthy to be sought for People come out of all places of the countrey to dwell in great townes and rich cities and men labour to be free-men there and to haue their children free in them and euen the greatest men will haue their houses either in or neere them that so though they will not alwaies dwell in them yet they may soiourne in them at their pleasures now and then And why all this but because first they are places beautifull and many waies pleasant to the eie Secondly full and frequented with the best company Thirdly replenished with aboundance of all things needfull for mans life for necessitie comfort and delight Fourthly they enioy many priuiledges and freedomes And lastly all this is most true of such cities where the King keepes his Court. If this bee so then how is heauen to bee sought for Behold here a goodly citie a citie of God whereof London Paris Rome Venice nay Ierusalem are scarce shadowes the true Ierusalem the ioy of the whole earth nay the ioy of the world and the glory of all Gods creatures made immediately with the hand and built with the skill and cunning of God himselfe The Princes of the world euen of Rome it selfe wondred at the beauty and were amazed at the magnificence of Ierusalems city Temple yet it was but a type and figure hereof For that had indeed the glory of the world vpon her But the new Ierusalem hath the glory of God vpon her Reu. 21.4 Shall we then seeke to dwell in the cities of this world and not labour to come to heauen Are they any way excellent wherein heauen is not much more to be desired Are they beautifull and is not it the beauty of the world Read the 21. chapter of the Reuelation and suppose that the beauty of it were but outward and worldly and sensible to humane capacitie yet is it farre more excellent than euer any was in this world And is not there the company of the deitie of Christs humanity of the holy Angels and all good men And is not there aboundance of whatsoeuer belongs to perfect happinesse And is not there freedome from the diuell sinne and death And is it not the Court of God the King of glory Then why doe we not sigh and grone and long to be free-men of this glorious citie And though we cannot come to it as long as wee liue in this world yet why doe wee not striue to come as neere it as may bee In this world when a man cannot dwell in the heart of a Citie yet he will rather dwell in the suburbs than hee will not be neere it and beeing there he knowes he can soone steppe into the citie So let vs in this life come as neere heauen as wee may let vs get into the suburbs and dwell there The suburbs of heauen is Gods true Church on earth where his word is freely knowen and preached and his holy Sacraments administred and therein God truely serued Let vs associate our selues to this Church and liue according to the holy lawes thereof This is the suburbs of heauen so shall we be ready to enter into the glorious city it selfe when the Lord calles vs. And as this is for our selues so if wee loue our children or care for their aduancement let vs make them free-men of that citie whose maker and builder is God So shall we bee sure to haue comfort and ioy of them here and with them in heauen But if wee will haue them free-men in heauen wee must make them Gods apprentizes on earth they must serue out their time else they get no freedome This time is all their life Men are deceiued that let their children bee the diuels slaues here and thinke to haue them free in heauen let vs then binde our children prentizes to God that is make them his seruants here then assuredly as in their repentance and regeneration here they are borne free-men of heauen so after this life they shall inioy the freedomes and priuiledges of that heauenly citie which was made and built by the wisdome of God Lastly here wee see how true it is that Dauid teacheth Psalm 15.4 No vile person can come in heauen And no maruell for if men thus and thus defamed cannot be free men in the Cities on earth built by men is it likely that sinners and profane men that care not for repentance regeneration for they bee the vile men shall be admitted into that city whose maker and builder is God It is the holy citie no vncleane thing can enter into it Reuel 21. It is Gods holy mountaine how shall vngodlinesse ascend thither Psalm 15.1 It is the newe Ierusalem how shall the olde man that is sinnefull corruption get into it Wee must therefore cast off the olde man
remember his sinnes but with dislike and detestation being grieued with them and angry with himselfe for them or else to teach others how to auoide them And as this kinde of Forgetfulnesse is a good vertue so there is also a vertuous and good Remembrance namely to be mindefull of that which may please God as of Gods Iudgements to be humbled thereby and of his Mercies to bee thankefull vnto Almightie God for them and of his Commandements to become obedient to his will These things therefore we ought to imprint by diligence in our memories Secondly here obserue God calleth them out of their owne countrie and biddeth them liue in the land of Canaan as strangers and pilgrimes and so they doe abiding there without any purpose to returne nay they are not mindfull of their former home Hence wee are taught to bee constant in that calling whereunto God hath called vs. It is a fearefull sinne for a man to goe backe from that calling in which God hath placed him When the Israelites abode not patiently and constantly with God in the wildernesse but desired to shake off the calling of God to returne to Egypt there to sit by the flesh-pots againe they had Gods hand vpon them grieuously as we may read at large Psalm 78. Lots wife for looking backe when shee was commanded to the contrary was fearefully and strangely punished beeing turned into a pillar of salt Gen. 19.26 And our Sauiour Christ saith Luk. 9.62 No man that putteth his hand to the Lords plough and looketh backe againe is apt to the kingdome of God As though he had said He that starteth from the plough is not fit for the field no more is he that shifteth from his calling fit for Gods seruice To apply this to our selues God hath called vs to professe Christian religion whence wee are called Protestants We therfore must professe the same constantly and hold it fast without wauering or doubting euen without beeing mindefull of that spirituall Egypt of darkenes and superstition whence we are deliuered much more without turning to any other this beeing the true religion which is grounded on Gods word Againe in this our calling of Christianitie wee haue vowed vnto God for our selues to renounce the flesh the world and the deuill Now this beeing our calling as wee haue promised and vndertaken it so wee must obey it in our liues fighting manfully euery day against the world the flesh and the diuell For if wee professe religion in word and doe not obey it in deed we make our selues vnfit for the kingdome of heauen But alas men are like to the Swine that returneth to the puddle thogh he be washed neuer so cleane and to the Dogge that returneth to his vomite for most men do but serue the flesh the world and the lusts thereof therein is their ioy and their hearts ease take away these things from them and take away their liues so farre are they from seeking the kingdome of heauen as these Patriarchs did Thus much for the first part of the reason Now followeth the second part which is this But they sought not a place in earth and therefore the conclusion followeth That they desire a countrey which is heauen in these words But now they desire a better But some will say the Patriarchs were dead many hundred yeares before this was written How then can they be now said to desire a countrey Answ. The Author of this Epistle here obserueth and followeth the manner of them that write Histories who speake of things past long agoe as though they were now present Now it is said they desired a better countrey These Patriarchs had laid before them two countries the Land of Canaan and the kingdome of Heauen and of these two they might choose whether they would to be their portion and inheritance vpon which they would bestow their hearts Now they esteemed heauen though it was to come better than Canaan though present and therefore made choice of heauen and longed for it Where we learne that as we must be thankefull to God for all his blessings so among them all wee should choose the best This Dauid doth for beeing put to choose whether hee had rather liue in safe-guard and in solace with the wicked and vngodly than in base estate and in great danger neere to Gods sanctuarie He saith Psal. 84.10 Hee had rather bee a doore-keeper in the house of his God than to dwell in the Tabernacles of wickednesse And Salomon is highly cōmended by the holy Ghost 1. King 3.10.11 for choosing a wise and vnderstanding heart before riches and honour Moses also as we shal see afterward had his choyce whether he wold liue gloriously at ease in Pharohs court or with the Church of God in aduersitie now Moses hauing the gift of discerning refused to bee called the sonne of Pharaohs daughter and chose rather to suffer aduersitie with the people of God than to enioy the pleasures of sinne for a season Which holy examples doe all teach vs that when God setteth before vs diuers sorts of his blessings wee in spirituall wisdome must make choyce of the best On the contrary Esau had this choyce set before him his brothers red broth and his birth-right but he chose the worse therefore in the new Testament the holy Ghost noteth him with this marke to be profane Esau for his labour And the Gaderens also are branded with a note of infamie to all ages for choosing their hogs before Christ and his saluation And the like choyce is set before vs euery day for God of his mercy in the preaching of the word for his part doth set forth vnto vs Christ Iesus crucified and in him remission of sinnes and saluation Now on the other side commeth the diuell and setteth before vs all sorts of vaine pleasures and delights shewing to euery man those sinnes to which he is giuen and with them all the profits or pleasures that vsually accompany such sinnes Now most men hauing this choyce set before them doe leaue the true and substantiall blessings of God and come to Sathans painted Pageants and there make choyce of sin with those base companions that doe attend her This is too apparant to be denied for howsoeuer the word of God be preached vnto vs and we doe heare the same yet wee preferre the vanities and pleasures of the sinnefull world before Christ crucified making no account of him nor of our owne saluation by him in comparison of the present profits and pleasures of sinne But wee must pray to God to giue vs spirituall wisedome and the gift of discerning that now when God sets before vs thinges so farre differing we may haue grace to discerne betweene them and withall to preferre and make choise of the best and to refuse the worst But as for them that are so mad in their choise that they now preferre sinne before the blessings of God in Christ they shal see the day when they would
wish themselues to be Dogges Toades or Serpents rather then men and women and yet though they would be glad of that exchange of state they shall neuer compasse it but shall remaine woefull men and women for euermore because that once they made so profane a choise when the path of life was set before them they chose the way of death rather then of life and therefore when they would desire death they shall not haue it but shall liue a life more bitter for euer then any death in the greatest pangs Thus wee see in generall their choise was of the better Particularly the Text addeth That is an heauenly In which words is laid downe the last and chiefe point in this reason to wit that the Patriarchs desired a better Country then the Land of Canaan and that was an heauenly Country euen heauen it selfe the proofe whereof is principally intended in this place Now whereas the Patriarchs being our fore-fathers in faith and patternes whom we must followe did desire heauen by their example euery one of vs is taught the same duty to aime at another and a better Country then that in which we liue euen at the kingdome of heauen and not to thinke that this world is the Country we are borne for This better Country we must all seeke for whatsoeuer we be high and lowe young and olde learned and vnlearned if we will followe these godly Patriarchs And this wee must doe not at death onely seeking this world all our life long for that is to despise heauen but euen in the time of our youth strength of our daies must we set our hearts on heauen endeauouring so to vse this world and the things thereof that when we die we may come to heauen that blessed countrie which we desired and sought for in our liues And to perswade vs hereunto consider the reasons following First worldly wisdome teacheth this If a man dwell on his owne land and in his owne house he is carelesse But if in another mans house whereof hee hath no lease but contrariwise is certaine to be put out hee knoweth not when this man wil in time prouide himselfe of another that so he may remooue into it and not be destitute and if it be within his power he will prouide a better that so he may not remooue for the worse Beholde while wee liue in this world our bodies are tents and tabernacles wherein our soules doe dwell for a time and besides this time is vncertaine for there is no man that can say certainly he shall liue to the next houre Therefore we must euery one of vs prouide for himselfe a dwelling place in heauen where we may abide for euer in all blessednesse Again consider the state of all sorts of men in the world for sinne Atheisme and profanenesse abound euery where the blaspheming of Gods holy name and the breaking of his Sabbath besides daily sinnes against the second table Now all these crie continually for vengeance and for Gods iudgements to be inflicted vpon vs and we know not how God will deale with vs for owne sinnes whether he will take from vs our goods and good name our health friends or life it selfe and therefore it standeth vs in hand to prouide for our selues a resting place wherein we may abide for euer after this fraile life full of misery is ended Thirdly if we shall not doe this marke what followeth this and no other is our estate By nature wee are the children of wrath and of the deuill and by our manifolde sinnes we haue made our ease farre worse Now what is due vnto vs for this corruption and for these transgressions Surely not heauen but another place euen the contrary the place of eternall woe and destruction the bottomlesse pit of hell Now if this be our due by nature then let not sinne nor Sathan deceiue vs perswading vs that wee may come to heauen and still continue in the state of our corrupt nature but let vs labour by all meanes to eschew this place which is due vnto vs by nature that thorough the gift of faith in Christ we may come to the heauēly citie which these godly Patriarchs so seriously soght for But if we remaine in our sinnes and so die we are sure to goe to the place of destruction and there to remaine in woe and torments with the diuell and his angels for euermore so that it stands vs in hand to vse all good meanes to come to heauen or else our case will be the most miserable of all creatures for perdition and destruction will bee our portion world without ende This must awake and stirre vp our dead and drowsie hearts that are so besotted with sinne that though wee heare yet wee neither learne nor practice In worldly things we can take care and paines but if we will doe any thing for our owne euerlasting good let vs labour by all meanes to come to heauen for if wee misse of that citie it had beene good for vs we had neuer beene borne or that we had beene the vilest creatures in the world rather than men For when the vnreasonable creatures die there is an ende of all their miserie but if we die and be not prepared for that place our death will be vnto vs the beginning of all woe and miserie Wherefore God is not ashamed of them to be called 〈◊〉 their God for hee hath prepared for them a citie In these words is laid downe a second reason whereby is prooued that these Patriarchs died in the faith seeking their countrie in heauen The reason is drawen from the testimony of God himselfe recorded by Moses in the booke of Exodus where God saith He is the God of their Fathers the God of Abraham Isaac and Iacob Exodus 3.16 The exposition Wherefore that is that this might appeare and be euident that these Patriarchs died in the faith and sought this Country of heauen God was cōtent to vouchsafe grant vnto them this fauour to be called their God Was not ashamed To be or not to be ashamed of one properly belongs to men and it cannot be affirmed properly of God that hee is ashamed or blusheth as the word signifieth but the meaning is that God vouchsafed vnto them this fauour and shewed them this honour and dignity Quest. What was this honour and dignity which he shewed vnto them Answer To be called their God By which is meant thus much that God accepted them in his mercy to be such with whom hee would make his couenant of saluation and not with them alone but with their seed after them Secondly that he chose them to make the couenant in their names for all the rest Thirdly he vouchsafed them a speciall and extraordinary fauour euen that himself would beare their names they should beare his making his glorious name renowmed to the worlds end by this title The God of Abraham Isaac Iacob Hereupon the reason is framed thus
did the Gadarens there was set before them Christ Iesus the Lord of life and their hogges and cattell Now they prefer their hogges before Christ A most miserable and senselesse choice And is it not as ill with vs There is set before vs on the one side heauen and on the other side hell but men for the most part chuse hell forsake heauen Ciuill worldly men whose delight is all in riches they prefer earth before heauen the seruice of sinne which is the greatest slauerie before the seruice of GOD which is perfect freedome and glorious liberty of the Saints in light and thus doe all men without Gods speciall grace Whereupon Paul prayes in his Epistles for the Churches that God would giue vnto them the spirit of wisedome that they may be able to iudge betweene things that differ And this wisdom we must labour for that when these different things are set before vs we may make a wise choise otherwise we shew our selues to be like brute beasts without vnderstanding do quite ouerturne our owne saluation In the Ministerie of the word we haue life and death good euill set before vs as Moses said to the people Deut. 30.15 19. Let vs therfore endeuour our selues to chuse life by embracing and obeying the word of God so shall we followe both his precept and practice To suffer aduersity with the people of God Heere wee may obserue what is the ordinarie state and condition of Gods Church and people in this world namely to be in affliction and vnder the crosse Hence Paul saith That we must come to heauen through manifold afflictions Acts 14.23 The Lord knoweth what is best for his seruants and children and therefore he hath set downe this for a ground that all that will liue godly in Christ Iesus must suffer persecution 2. Tim. 3.12 Thus the Lord dealeth with his children for speciall causes for first all crosses as losse of goods friends liberty or good name they are meanes to stirre vp and awake Gods people out of the slumbring fit of sinne for the godly are many times ouertaken this way The wise virgines sleepe as well as the foolish Now afflictions rouze them out of the sleepe of securitie See this in Iosephs brethren who went on a long time without any remorse for selling their brother But when they were stayed in Egypt then they are rowzed vp and can say Genesis 42.21 This trouble is come vpon vs for selling our brother Secondly afflictions serue to humble Gods children Leuiticus 26.41 So the Church of God speaketh I will beare the wrath of the Lord because I haue sinned against him Micah 7.9 Thirdly they serue to weane the people of God and to driue them from the loue of this world for if men might alwaies liue in ease they would make their heauen vpon earth which may not be And heerein GOD dealeth with his children like a Nurse when shee will weane her childe she layes some bitter thing vpon the pappes head to make the childe to loathe the pappe so the Lord to draw our hearts from the world and to cause vs to loue and seeke after heauen and heauenly things hee makes vs to taste of the bitternesse of affliction in tâ—is worlde Fourthly afflictions ferâ—e to make Gods children to goe out of themselues to seeke sincerely vnto GOD and to relie onely vpon him which in prosperity they will not doe This Paul confesseth of himselfe and others Wee saith hee receiued the sentence of death in our selues because wee should not trust in our selues but in God 2. Corinthians chapter 1. verse 9. So good King Iehosaphat when hee was compassed of his enemies Hee cried to the Lord and said Lord wee knowe not what to doe but our eyes are towards thee 2. Chronicles chapter 20. verse 12. Yea the rebellious Iewes are heereby driuen to seeke the Lord whom in prosperity they forsooke as wee may see at large Psal. 107.6.12.13.19 Lastly afflictions serue to make manifest the graces of GOD in his children The Lord saith Iob knoweth my way and trieth me Iob 23.10 Deuteronomie 8.2 Remember all the way saith Moses to the Israelites which the Lord thy GOD ledde thee this fourtie yeares for to prooue thee and to knowe what was in thine heart Hence Iames calleth temptations the triall of faith Iames chapter 1. verses 2.3 And Paul makes patience the fruite of tribulation Romanes chapter 5. verse 3. For looke as the showers in the spring time cause the buds to appeare so doe afflictions make manifest Gods graces in his children Patience hope and other vertues lie close in the heart in the day of peace but when tribulation comes then they breake forth and shew themselues Hence wee learne that it is not alwayes a token of Gods wrath To suffer affliction If any man or people be laden with crosses it is no argument that therefore they are not the children of GOD for as Peter saith Iudgements begin at Gods house 1. Peter chapter 4. verse 17 and any crosse vpon a people family or particular persons if it bring forth the fruite of grace in them is a true signe they belong to GOD. Yea when men wander from God by an euill way these afflictions are meanes to call them home to GOD. Psalme 119.67 Before I was afflicted I went astray And they that forsake their sinne and returne to GOD in the time of affliction are certainly Gods people for the wicked man fretteth and murmureth against God when a crosse commeth and he cannot abide it But the godly man is humbled therby and it makes him more obedient in all duties vnto God This wee should consider for by an outward profession wee beare the world in hand that we are Gods children and therefore wee come to heare Gods word and to learn how to behaue our selues as beseemeth his children But if we would be knowen to be Gods children indeede then when any of Gods iudgements doe befallâ— vs wee must make this vse of them namely labour thereby to be humbled for our sinnes and to forsake our sinnes and to make conscience of all bad wayes for euer afterward and then wee shewe our selues to be Gods children indeede but if vnder the crosse or after the crosse wee be as dissolute as euer wee were and still followe our olde sinnes then wee cannot be iudged to be Gods people and children but rather a wicked and stubborne generation which the more they are corrected the worse they are like a stithy the more it is beaten the harder it is Let vs therefore by the vse of Gods iudgements shewe our selues to be Gods children so shall wee say with Dauid with much ioy and comfort It is good for vs that wee haue beene in trouble Psal. 119.71 Thus wee see what Moses chose now come wee to the thing he refused To enioy the pleasures of sinne for a season By pleasures of sinne wee must vnderstand the riches and dignitie that Moses
corporall presence it is sufficient if wee haue true faith for that makes him present much more comfortably then it might be his bodily presence would be vnto vs. If any man aske how this can be I answer The faith of the receiuer knoweth best and yet reason can say something in this case for suppose a man looke earnestly vpon a starre there are many thousand of miles betwixt his eye the star yet the starre and his eye are so vnited together as that the starre is after a sort present to his eye So if we regard locall distance we are as farre from Christ as earth is from heauen but if we regard the nature of Faith which is to reach it selfe to Christ where euer he be in that regard Christ is present and why should not this be so for if the bodily eye so feeble and weake can reach so farre as to a starre and ioyne it to it selfe and so make it present why should not much more the piercing eye of the soule reach vp to Christ make him present to the comfortable feeling of it selfe Thirdly here wee learne how to behaue our selues in a strange temptation whereby God vseth to exercise his children The Lord after that he hath receiued his children into his fauour coÌ„tinueth not alwaies to manifest that fauour vnto them but often times puls back the feeling of it for a time that afterward hee may shew it againe in more comfortable manner vnto them and that they may afterward more sensibly feele it and more earnestly loue it and more carefully labour to keepe it when they haue it Now for the time of this eclipse of the fauour of God he not onely darkeneth his loue but makes them feele also such a measure of his wrath as that they will often thinke themselues castawayes from the fauour of God Dauid and Ioâ— were often exercised with this temptation as appeareth by their most lamentable bitter coÌ„plaints yea Dauid doubts not Psal. 77.9 to chalenge the Lord that he hath forgotten to be gratious and hath shut vp his louing kindnesse in displeasure And Iob chap. 13.26 complaines to the Lord that He writeth bitter things against him and makes him to possesse the sinnes of his youth words as it may seem of men forsaken of God and indeed so for that time they thought of themselues If it please the Lord thus to deale with vs so as we feele nothing else but his wrath wrastling with our consciences neither can think otherwise by present feeling but that God hath forsaken vs what should we do in this pitifull case should we despaire as reason would bid vs no but take this course Call to mind Gods mercifull promises and his ancient former loue and cast thy selfe vpoÌ„ that loue though thou canst not feele it When thou hast most cause to despaire then labour against it When thou hast no reason to beleeue then beleeue with all thy power For remeÌ„ber the power prerogatiue of thy faith It beleeues not things that are manifestly appeare so much as such things that are not haue no being So then when Gods fauour seemes to be lost and to haue no being to thee then is Gods fauour a fit obiect for thy faith which beleeues those things that are not Let al the diuels in hell set themselues against thy poore soule and if thou holdest fast this faith they cannot all make thee sinke vnder it for when the diuel saith Thou hast lost Gods fauour by faith a man answereth though Gods fauour be lost vnto my feeling yet to my faith it is not My faith giues it a being so long say what thou wilt I will neuer feare that it is lost When God puls back his fauour and fights against thee with his wrath do as Iacob did Gen. 32.27.29 Wrestle with God though thou haue but one legge that is though thou haue but one little sparke of faith fight with that little faith lay hold by it on God and let him not go vntill he hath blessed thee in turning again vnto thee his fauorable countenance and say with Iob 13. euen in the very heate of thy temptation O Lord though thou kil this body and flesh of mine yet will I trust in thee for euerlasting life yea though Gods anger should seeme to encrease yet for all that take faster hold and faint not for faith will neuer faile thee it will restore Gods loue when it seemes lost it wil set it before thine eyes when it seemes to be hid For marke well but this one reason if faith will giue life euerlasting a being and make it present to thy soule which indeede yet neuer had being to thee how much more can it giue a being to Gods fauour and make it present to thy soule which once had indeed hath still a being and was neuer lost indeede but onely to a mans feeling Thus true faith is able to answer this temptaation whether it come in life or in the pangs of death Fourthly whereas faith is call'd an euidence hence wee learne that the nature of faith stands not in doubting but in certainty assurance The Romish doubting of the essence of faith is as contrary to true faith as darknesse to light for faith is an euidence of things hoped for that is it coÌ„uinceth the iudgemeÌ„t by vnfallible arguments knowing as certainly the truth of the promises of the things hoped for as that God is God But Rome wil needs ioin faith doubting which in deed fight like fire and water and can neuer agree together in euery respect but one wil in the end destroy the other Obiection But it seemeth doubting is a part or at least a companion of faith for we doubt as wel as beleeue who is so faithful that doubteth not Answer We do so but what then we should not for God coÌ„mands vs to beleeue not to doubt therefore to beleeue because it is commanded of God is a vertue and if it be a vertue then to doubt is a vice faith doubting are both in a good man but faith is a work of grace and of the spirit Doubting is a work of the flesh a piece of the corruption of the old man Fiftly if faith be a substance of things hoped for much more is it a substance to the beleeuer if it giue those things a being which aâ—e out of him much more doth it giue a permanent being vnto the beleeuer himselfe strengthning him to stand continue in al assaults So Heb. 3.14 Faith is that whereby a beleeuer is sustained vpholden so that indeed we may fitly say Faith is the spiritual substance and the spiritual strength of a Christian man and according to the measure of his faith such is the measure of his spirituall strength This coÌ„sideration hath diuers comfortable vses but especially two 1. When any of vs are out of the reach of a temptation so long are we confident of our
the way walke in it Our Elders obayed this commaundement of the spirit and walking in this way found the end of it euerlasting life If we would attaine the same end of the iourney we must walke the same way But the world will say this is a needlesse exhortation for we walke this way we deny our selues and looke to be approued of God onely by Christ but it is strange to see how men deceiue themselues Can a man walke in a way and not leaue marks steps behind him euen so he that walks in this way follow him you shal see steps of his continuall dying vnto sinne liuing vnto holinesse insomuch that a man that followeth him marketh the course of his life in this way may euidently say See where hee hath cast off left behind him this that sin see where he hath taken vp caried with him these those vertues graces of God Marke here is a print of his faith here is a print of his hope here are prints of his loue And thus may a child of God be followed traced all the way to heauen euen vntil he come to his death which is the gate of heauen How mightily theÌ„ are they deceiued which think they haue walked all their liues in this way and yet there is not one step to be seene for assuredly this way is so beatâ—n and troden that no man euer trode in it since the world began but he left behind him manifest visible steps that all men that would looke at him might see he had gone that way As therfore we all desire to come to heauen as we professe we walk in the way thither so let vs be as carefull to leaue behind vs our steps namely tokens prints of our faith our hope and loue which if we do then mark the excellent vse of those steps 1. They testifie vnto all that see them that we walked the right way to heauen and secondly they wil serue for marks directions for theÌ„ that shal walke in the same way after vs. By the 1. we shal leaue an honorable testimony of our selues behind vs by the 2. we shall moue other to magnify gods name to whoÌ„ our steps haue bin marks directions helps furtherances in the way to heauen Secondly for what were these Elders approued for their faith for nothing else Amongst these Elders Sampson was wonderfull in strength Salomon in wisedome Ioshua in courage Moses in learning many of them in the honour and pompe of the world in beauty riches and other externall gifts and the most of them all in long life yet not for one or all of these are any of them saide to be regarded of God but it is plainely said that for their faith God did approue them Here then learne what is the thing amongst all things that must make vs acceptable vnto God euen this To deny our selues and to rest vpon the mercy of God in Christ this wil do it nothing else Hast thou streÌ„gth so had Golias as wel as Sampson hast thou beauty so had Absalom as wel or more theÌ„ Dauid hast thou wisdom so had Achitophel thogh not like Salomon yet aboue ordinary men hast thou riches Esau was richer theÌ„ Iacob hast thou liued long so did Cain Ismael as wel as Isaak hast thou many childreÌ„ so had Ahab as wel as Gedeon hast thou learning the glory of nature so had the Egyptians as well as Moses for there Moses learned it All these thou maist haue yet be a vile person in the sight of God so far from being approued of God as that he wil not vouchsafe vnlesse it be in his anger once to regard or looke at thee hast thou therefore any of those outward gifts it is not to be contemned it hath his vse thanke God for it and and vse it well and vse it so as by it thou maist be approued amongst men but stand not to it before God for though it be wisedome or learning or neuer so excellent a gift it cannot purchase the fauour acceptation of God but true faith is able to please God both in this life and especially at the day of Iudgement This doctrine first confuteth the error of some grosse Papists who hold and write that many Philosophers for their good vse of the light of Nature for their deepenesse of learning and for their ciuill liues are now Saints in heauen a most manifest and shamefull vntruth and here as manifestly confuted for was Salomon not accepted for all his wisedome and shall Socrates was Moses not accepted for all his learning how then should Aristotle if faith made all of them accepted and nothing but faith how is it possible they should be accepted which neuer heard of faith nay I say more If many a man that liueth in the Church as deepe it may be in humane learning as they and of great knowledge also in the whole doctrine of Religion which they neuer knew and yet could not nor euer shall be accepted of God onely for want of this sauing faith How absurd is it 〈◊〉 imagine saluation for them which neither had sparke of faith nor knowledge of Christ Let vs theÌ„ hold that as there is no name whereby to be saued but onely the name of Christ so no meanes to be saued by that Christ but onely faith euen that faith for which these Elders were accepted of God Secondly this excellencie of faith aboue all other gifts shewes the vanity of the world so carefull earnest in seeking honour riches credit wisedom learning all which can but make them esteemed and approued to the world and so carelesse and negligent in getting true faith which will both approue a man vnto the world and make him honorable in the eyes of the Lord God Thirdly by this doctrine the Popish doctrine is iustly condemned which teacheth that a man is iustified by his works and that faith is not the most excellent of Gods graces Here we are taught other diuinitie for that for which a man is accepted by that he is iustified But for their faith onely were they accepted therfore iustification is only by faith Againe that which makes a man accepted of God that must needs be the most excellent thing of all For God which is goodnesse it selfe regardeth that that is the best but God esteemed theÌ„ only for their faith therfore it is the chief of all graces of God in regard of making a man accepted of God Fourthly here is a patterne and president for Gods children how to bestow measure out their loue estimation in the world God loued Salomon more for his faith then for all his glory and wisedome and esteemed more of Moses for his faith theÌ„ for all his learning So deale thou with thy wife thy child thy seruant thy friend with all men Hast thou a wife neuer so beautifull louing honest thrifty neuer so toward
it And this is the name which commonly is gotten in the world because men first seeke not a good name with God but that good name which is obtained by faith will stand continue all a mans life and at his death leaue behind it a sweet perfume abideth for euer in the world to come Secondly this maintaines the excellencie of our religion against Atheists and all enemies of it which esteeme call it a base contēptible religion of which cā folow no credit nor estimation But see their malice is here controlled our religion is a most glorious excellent professiō it is the high way to get true credit estimation it makes a mā honorable in the sight of God men for by it our Elders obtained a good report which continueth fresh to this day In the fourth place Were they wel reported of for their faith therefore their faith was not hid in their hearts but manifested in their liues for the world cannot see nor commend them for their faith but for the practice of faith Here it is plaine that men must not be content to keep their faith close in their hearts but they must exercise the fruites of it in the world and then both these together will make a man truly commendable Thy faith approues thee vnto God but the practice of it is that that honours thee and thy profession in the world Lastly in that faith was that which approued our Elders vnto God here is a storehouse of comforts for all true professors of this faith Art thou poore thy faith doth make thee rich in God Art thou simple and of meane reach thy faith is true wisedome before God Art thou any way deformed faith makes thee beautifull vnto God Art thou weake feeble or sicke thy faith doth make thee strong in God Art thou base in the world and of no account thy faith makes thee honourable in the sight of God and his holy Angels Thus thou art poore and foolish and deformed and sicke and base in the world but marke how God hath recompensed thee he hath giuen thee faith whereby thou art rich and beautifull wise and strong honorable in heauen with God say therfore with Dauid the lot is fallen vnto thee in a faire ground and thou hast a goodly heritage Namely thy faith which thou wouldest not change for all the glory of the world Faith is the true riches the sound strength the lasting beauty the true wisedome the true honour of a Christian man therefore take thy selfe 10000. times more beholden vnto God then if hee had giuen thee the vncertaine riches the crafty and yet foolish wisedome the decaying strength the vanishing beauty the transitory honour of this world If thou hast true faith thou art sure to haue many enemies 1. The wicked of the world will neuer brooke thee but openly or priuily hate hurt thee Thē the diuel is thy sworn enemie how canst thou deale with so powerfull an enemie and all his wicked instruments Here is sound comfort if thou hast faith thou hast God thy friend labour therefore for this true faith and then care not for the diuel and all his power Night and day sleeping and waking by land sea thou art safe and secure the diuel cannot hurt thee thy faith makes thee accepted of God and brings thee within the compasse of his protection That same little sparke of faith which is in so narrow a compasse as thy heart is stronger thē all the power and malice of sathan As for the malice which his instruments wicked mē in this world shew against thee in mocks and abuses much lesse care for them for their nature is to speake euill and cannot doe otherwise looke not therfore at them but looke vp into heauen by the eye of thy soule where thy faith makes thee beloued and approued of God himselfe and honourable in the presence of his holy Angels And thus much of the second action or effect of faith the third followeth VERSE 3. Through faith wee vnderstand that the world was ordained by the word of God so that the things which wee see are not made of things which did appeare IN this verse is contained the third action or effect of faith namely this Faith makes a man to vnderstand things beyond the reach of mans reason This third effect is set out in these words by the instance of a notable exsample namely of the Creation of the world 1. By the word of God 2. Of nothing both which that wee may the better vnderstand let vs consider of the words as they lye in order Through faith 1. By faith in this place as I take it is not meant that sauing faith which iustifies a man before God but a generall faith wherby a man imbraceth Christian religion or wherby a man beleeueth the word of God in the doctrine of the law and the Gospel to be true My reason is because a man that neuer had iustifying and sauing faith and is no member of the catholike Church nor childe of God may haue this gift To beleeue that God by his word made the world of nothing Therefore I thinke that this is an action of a generall and not of sauing faith We vnderstand That is Whereas there are many things beyond the reach of reason and therefore by reason cannot be apprehended or vnderstood yet by vertue of this faith a man is brought to vnderstand them and to beleeue them to be true Now then whereas generall faith brings vnderstanding of many things which reason cannot reach vnto here such as be students in humane learning which labour to attain to the deepenesse and perfection of it are taught with their trauell in humane studies to haue care to ioyne faith and knowledge of religion For there are many things which our vnderstanding by reason cannot conceiue and many truthes which Philosophy cannot reach vnto nay many also which it denies but faith is able to perswade and demonstrate them all and it inlightens the mind and rectifies the iudgement when as Philosophy hath left the mind in darknesse and the iudgement in error Now in whom sound knowledge in Philosophy and this faith in religion do concurre together he is a man of a most rectified iudgement and of a deepe reach in the greatest matters but separate faith from humane knowledge and he will stumble at many truthes though hee had the wit of all the Philosophers in his owne head For exsample that God should make the world of nothing that it should haue beginning ending that God should be eternall and not the world that mans soul being created is immortal These many other truths reasō cānot see therfore Philosophy wil not admit but ioin faith to it then that crooked vnderstanding is rectified made to beleeue it It is therfore good counsel to ioyn both these together Religion hinders not humane learning as some fondly thinke but is
gold siluer or promotion but reconciliation with my God and his fauour in Iesus Christ If thou hast these two then thou goest beyond Cain then shalt thou stand before God with Abell and be accepted Remember these two humiliation for sinne and desire of reconciliation these two is the summe of religion If thou hast these thou art blessed with Abell if not cursed with Cain howsoeuer thou liuest in the world If thou say Cain kill'd his brother and so would not I doe for all the world I will do no man hurt in body or goods This will not serue for it is said that God had no respect to Cain afore he kill'd his brother euen when he offred his sacrifice and therefore this duty is most necessary and there is no shifting it off 2. Cain offred as well as Abell yea Cain offred afore Abell as it is manifest in Genesis 4.3 And yet Abels sacrifice was better when it came to the proofe and was accepted not Cains which came first Hence we learn that a man may be more forward then many other in many outward duties of religion and yet not be accepted of God Another may be not so forward to the duty and yet when hee comes be better accepted Whence comes this what is forwardnesse in good duties a fault Nothing lesse but hence it is he that outwardly is most forward may come in hypocrisie without faith the want whereof makes his forwardnesse nothing worth Many such haue we in our Church great frequenters of places and exercises of religion and yet they come but as Cain did or it may be in worse intents Thy forwardnesse is to be commended but take this with thee also Care not so much to be first at the SermoÌ„ or to be there oftner theÌ„ other as to goe with true faith repentance a heart hungâ—ing for grace if not boast not in thy forwardnes Cain offred afore Abell yet not accepted so there may com an Abell after thee bring faith with him be accepted wheÌ„ thou with thy hypocriticall forwardnes shalt be reiected as Cain was Thirdly did Cain offer as wel as Abel Hence we learn that the Church militant is a mixt coÌ„pounded coÌ„pany of men not of one sort but true beleeuers hypocrites mingled together as here in the very infancy of the Church here was a Cain worshipping in shew as wel as Abell that worshipped in truth So was it in the infancy so in her perpetual growth so shal it be in the last age of the church the good shal neuer be quite separated froÌ„ the bad vntil Christ himself do it at the last iudgement Goates shall alwaies be mingled amongst the sheepe till Christ the great shepheard do separate them himselfe Math. 25.34 And he that imagineth a perfect separation till then imagineth a fancy in his braine and such a Church as cannot be found vpon the earth This being so let no man therfore be afraid to ioyne himself to the visible Church neither let any that are in it go out of it because the bad are mingled with the good for so it hath been alwaies euer wil be he then that wil go out of a Church because there be hypocrites in it must go out of the world for such a Church is not fouÌ„d but triuÌ„phant in heaueÌ„ Fourthly 〈◊〉 that Cain Abel offred hence we learne that the Church of God which truly professeth his name hath been euer since the beginning of the world For this Church was in the houshold of AdaÌ„ wheÌ„ there was no more but it in the world for sacrifice to God is a sign of the Church yea beside the sacrifice they had a place appointed where Adam his family came together to worship God For so much Cain intimateth Gen. 4.14 16. Cain went out from the presence of the Lord that is not onely out of his fauour protection but from the place of his solemne seruice where he wonted to manifest his special presence to his childreÌ„ seruing him and therfore Cain as being excomunicate complaines verse 14 because he must leaue it Thus the Church hath been froÌ„ the beginning therfore is truly call'd Catholike The Papists abuse this place notoriously for whereas the Church hath been so antient they argue therfore it is aboue the Scripture yea that we could not know it to be Scripture but by the antient testimonie of the Church We must know the Scripture is two wayes to be considered 1. As it was written penned by holy men and so it is later then the Church for Moses was the first penman of Scripture but secondly as it is the word of God the substance sense and truth therof is much more antient theÌ„ the Church yea without the word of God there can be no Church For without faith is no Church because the Church is a coÌ„pany of beleeuers and without the word it is no faith therfore no word no faith no faith no Church So then the Scripture was afore the Church but penned after Thus we see that Cain and Abell offered Now secondly what offred they sacrifices Sacrifices were vsed in the worship of God for two ends 1. When a sacrifice was offred especially of beasts when a man saw the bloud of the beasts poured out it put him in mind of his own sins and the desert of them taught him to say thus Eue as this creature is here slain his bloud distils drops away so my sins deserue that my bloud should be sâ—â—ed and my soule be drenched in hell for euer This creature can die but one death for it sinneth not but my sins deserue both the 1. and 2. death Secondly sacrifices serued to put theâ—â— in minde of the Messias to come and the slaying of the beasts shewed them how the Messias should shed his bloud giue his life for the â—irâ—s of the people These are the 2. principal ends of sacrifices for these 2. ends did Cain Abel offer Cain in hypocrisie and for fashion sake Abell in truth conscience and sinceritie As it was in the old sacrifices so is it in our Sacraments of the new Testament whereof the sacrifices were all types 1. In baptisme sprinkling of the water serues to shewe vs how filthily we are defiled with our owne sinnes 2. It signifies the sprinkling of the bloud of Christ vpon the heart of a sinner for his sanctification from sinne 2. In the supper the breaking of the bread signifies 1. how we should be broken in humiliation for our sinne and the pouring out of the wine how our bloud and life should be shed and poured out for our sinnes if wee had that that we deserue And secondly they represent vnto vs how the body of Christ was broken his bloud poured out for our sinnes which he was content to suffer vnder the wrath of his Father for our sakes so that we see both the sacrifices and
Sacraments of the new Testament In their sacrifices they gaue something to God and therefore they are call'd gifts in our Sacraments we receiue daily grace from God 3. In that the sacrifices of the old Law are call'd gifts we must know that it is typicall and hath excellent significations vnto vs. 1. It signifieth that the Messias should be giuen of God freely for the saluation of his elect and that Christ the Messias should willingly giue himselfe to be a redeemer 2. It signifieth that euery man that lookes for saluation by Christ must giue himselfe to God and all that is in him So Paul exhorteth Rom. 6.13 Giue your selues vnto God and your members weapons of righteousnesse When we giue any thing to a man we make him Lord of it If we then giue our soules and bodies to the Lord we must giue them so as that they may obay and serue him and be ruled by him and serue for his glory howsoeuer he shall vse them We professe religion and make great shewes but to giue our selues in obedience to God is the life of religion But contrary is the course of the world For most professers are giuen vp to sin and sathan their bodies giuen to drinking gaming vncleannesse iniustice their soules to enuying hatred malice reuenge lust pride selfe-loue God hath nothing except it be a face but that will not serue the turne he will haue all body and soule for he made all and he hath redeemed all We go against equity Christ gaue his body and soule for vs why should not we giue ours againe to him Againe this gift is not as other gifts for here all the profit redounds to the giuer the glory indeede is his but the gaine and profit is our own Why then should we withhold our selues from God it argueth we know nor feele not what Christ hath giuen vs for if we did if we had 10000. liues we would thinke them all too little for him And thus much of the first second effect of Abels faith the third followeth By which Abell being dead yet speaketh The 3. effect whereby Abels faith is commended is laide downe in these words Concerning the meaning whereof there is some difference which is briefely to be examined Some thinke the words should be thus translated By which also Abell being dead is yet spoke of making the meaning to be that by his faith he obtained a good name to all posterities but it seemes this cannot stand for two causes First because that is already affirmed of Abell and all the rest in the second verse that through faith they had obtained a good report which therefore might seeme needlesse so soone to be repeated againe Secondly for that afterward Christs bloud Abels being compared together it is not said that Christs bloud is better spoken of then Abels but that it speaketh better things thē Abels did Therfore the words are rightly trāslated Now for the true sense of them it is likely the holy Ghost here hath relation to the story whence it is taken where vpō Cains murder God saith to him The voice of thy brothers bloud crieth to me from the earth and why crieth it Namely for vengeance against so monstrous a murder and crieth to all men to behold it and to abhor the like and so after a sort he continueth to speak to this day So that the words in the true full sense of them do import these two points 1. That Abell spake when he was dead 2. That in a sort Abell still speaketh For the first Abell spake and cried when he was dead but how not with a vocall speech but the phrase is figuratiue and imports thus much as if the Lord had said to Cain thou hast kill'd thy brother closely and it may be hast hid him in the sand or buried him and thinkest no man knoweth of it but thou must know Cain this thy fact is as euident to me as if Abell had told me I know thou kill'd him and if thou wonder how I knowe I tell thee his bloud told me for it cried in my eares yet it crieth out against thee for though Abell be dead his bloud yet speaketh As this is true of Abels so of all mens bloud and as of bloud so of all other oppressions though done by neuer so great men Murders oppressions and all wrongs done to Gods children they cry to God against the oppressors though the poore oppressed men dare scarce name them they neede not for their bloud doth yea euen their very teares cannot be shed but God takes them vp and puts them in his bottle and will know who shed them Thus bloud crieth against them that shed it yea teares crie against them that cause them This affordeth vs a double instruction First here it is apparant that God seeth and knoweth the sinnes of men though the men be neuer so mighty or their sinnes neuer so secret For though men conuay them neuer so closely and labour to hide them with all the meanes that wit of man can deuise yet the very dead creatures cry out and do proclaime the sinnes and sinners in the eares of God as fully as the voices of liuing men can discouer any thing vnto men Priuy oppressions and goods gotten by deepe deceipt lie hid to the world But the stone out of the wall shall crie and the beame out of the timber shall answer it Woe be to him that buildeth his house with bloud and erects a Citie by iniquitie as though hee had said God knoweth euery stone and euery piece of timber in their stately houses which they haue gotten by deceite or oppressing of the poore Priuy conspiracies and plots of treason are laid against Princes and Magistrates and often in so secret manner as in mans reason is not possible to be discouered But God hath many wayes to finde them out and they neuer scape his priuie search and therefore the holy Ghost aduiseth Curse not the King no not in thy thought nor the great ones in thy bedchamber for the fowle of the heauen shall carie thy voice and that which hath wings shall declare the matter So that whatsoeuer is plotted neuer so priuily or conspired in the secret closets of vngodly men God knowes it and hath meanes enow to disclose it to the world And in our daily experience God magnifieth himselfe mightily in reuealing murders For bring the murtherer before the dead corps and vsually it bleedeth or giueth some other testimonie whereby it speaketh euen as Abels bloud did This is the murtherer Nay more for Abels bloud spake to God but here euen to men also And of this its hard to giue any reason at all but the secret and immediate hand of God thereby shewing himselfe to know all secret sinnes to be able to disclose them by strange meanes The vse of this doctrine is to feare all men from sinning though they thinke it possible to conceale their
body and soule and for proofe thereof they bring S. Paul where he saith Christ is the first fruits of them that sleepe Answer True indeede of them that sleepe that is of all that die for Christ entred into heauen both in body soule first of all them but Henoch neuer died as the Text here auoucheth therefore that place hinders not but Henoch might be in heauen in his body before Christs humane flesh ascended thither Thirdly they argue out of Saint Iohn No man hath ascended into heauen but he that descended the sonne of man which is in heauen But say they this sonne of man is not Henoch but Christ therefore none but Christ ascended bodily into heauen Answer That place is not meant of corporall ascending but of vnderstanding mysticall and heauenly things no man ascendeth to the full knowledge of heauenly Misteries but Christ alone who descended from heauen from the bosome of his Father And thus we see this opinion hath no strength of Argument to rest vpon but wee may safely hold notwithstanding any thing that can be said against it that Henoch was translated both in body and soule And if any man yet doubt how he could be takē vp in body before he was glorified Wee are to know though he died not yet his body was changed as those men shall be which shall be found aliue at the last day The second opinion is that Henoch was taken vp in soule and body into Paradise some say the heauenly but the most the earthly Paradise and there liues in his mortall and corruptible body and must afore the last day come againe in his body with Elias and fight against Antichrist and when by their doctrine they haue ouercome him hee shall by violence kill them and so they shall die Martyrs And this is the generall receiued opinion of the most Papists But it is a meere conceit and a dreame and there is no ground for it but good argument against it For first as for the Earthly Paradise it was defaced by the flood nor doe we read that euer man was in it but Adam And some of their owne fables tell vs that Seth went to the gates of Paradise when his father Adam was sicke to get some Physicke out of Paradise for his father but hee could not get in Nor doe we finde any mention of it afterwards So that it is likely in all reason that it was defaced by the vniuersall flood And if they meane he was translated into the Heauenly Paradise I answer thither can no vncleane thing come but a mortall body is vncleane and themselues say hee was taken away in his mortall body and in it shal come againe and die Therefore Henoch hauing a mortall and vnglorified bodie cannot be in the highest heauens into which nothing can enter which is not glorified and made immortall If they alleadge Ecclesiasticus 44.16 Enoch pleased God and was translated into Paradise c. I answer we neede not call in question the authoritie of the booke nor answer that it is not in the Canon of faith For the text is corrupted wilfully by some that shewed thēselues in the Latine too bold with the text both there and elsewhere for in the Greeke originall there is no such matter as Paradise but the words are these Enoch pleased God and was translated for an example of repentance to the generations And thus we see this opinion is euery way erroneous and hath no shadow of reason in it nor for it Seeing therefore both these opinions are to bee refused let vs in few words set downe the true and Orthodoxall iudgement of the Church out of the Scriptures in the olde and new testament And it is this That this holy man by Gods special fauour to him was assumed into heauen both body and soule his soule beeing perfectly sanctified and his body glorified in the instant of his translation and there he remaineth in glory expecting the generall resurrection and the full glorification of all Gods elect Out of this translation of Henoch we may learne First that there is a life euerlasting prepared of God for his children wherein they shall liue for euer both in soule body for hereof hath God giuen vs most euident testimonies both here in Enoch and afterward in Elias Elias a Iew Enoch none Enoch in the first world Elias in the second Enoch before the flood Elias after Enoch vncircumcised Elias circumcised Enoch married Elias vnmarried and both were assumed into heauen in soule and body and are there to this day and tarry for vs till the ende of the world assuring vs that our soules liue for euer that our bodies thogh they die shall rise againe to life Here therefore wee haue a notable ground for that last but not the least article of our faith where we professe to belieue life euerlasting Secondly in this example we learne that God is not tied to the order of Nature The order which God established set downe concerning all men after Adams fall is this Dust thou art and to dust shalt thou returne By vertue of this decree all men are to die as sure as they once liue and when that time appointed by God is come all the world cannot saue one man but accordingly die he must But here notwithstanding we see God that tied man to this order is not tied himselfe Enoch and Elias are exempted they die not their bodies neuer turned to dust such is the power of God ouer the order of Nature in all naturall actions Thirdly whereas the Papists holde that all the Fathers who died before Christ were in Limbus a place out of heauen and came not in heauen till Christ fetcht them thence and carried them with him at his ascension Here wee learne it is most false forged For here we see Henoch and afterwards Elias were in heauen both in body and soule many hundred yeares before Christs Incarnation whereby as also by many other euidences that might be brought it is apparant that Limbus Patrum is nothing but a deuise of that hereticall Church of Rome Hitherto hath the holy Ghost auouched the translation of Henoch Now hee proueth substantially that he was taken away Neither was hee found for God had taken him away And for his proofe he first laieth downe his ground then he thereupon frameth his argument consisting of diuers degrees of demonstration The ground is the plaine and euident testimonie of the old Testament in Genesis where the words are these Henoch was not found or not seene for God tooke him away Against this ground being the very wordes of the olde Testament no man can take exception And heere in a word let vs all marke the high and soueraigne authoritie of Gods word which euen the holy Ghost himselfe vouchsafeth to alledge for the confirmation of his owne words It had beene sufficient that the holy Ghost here affirmed Enoch to be taken away but we see
glorie And thus much for the first point How we must seeke God The second is How he is a rewarder of them that seeke him I answer God rewards them that seeke him First by offring himselfe graciously to be found of them that seeke him for he neuer hides himselfe nor turnes away from the soule that seeketh him but rather turnes to him and meetes him that comes to him hee is that good Father which saw the prodigall Sonne afarre off and met him and receiued him Luke 16. Yea rather is it true that He is found of them that sought him not then euer sought by any that found him not And hereby God much magnifieth his grace and mercy to mankinde in being so assuredly found when men seeke him For in this world it is not so All men seeke the face of the Prince saith Salomon true but all men finde it not No. Accesse to great men is not so easie they and their fauour are so inclosed that men may long seeke afore they finde either them or it but God here is not so inclosed as he will not be seene nor spoke to hee is found of them that seeke him And as hereby hee honoureth himselfe so hee highly rewardeth his seruants for there is no greater contentment to a subiect then to perceiue his seruice pleaseth his Prince nor greater ioy then to finde his gratious fauour when they seeke it Let then this practice of the great God of heauen First of all teach the great ones of this world to be willing to be found when they are sought vnto thereby shall they honour themselues and cheere vp the hearts of their people who seeke vnto them And againe it may be a rich comfort to the poore ones of this earth who when they see they must long looke and waite and pray and pay and seeke the face and fauour of great men and cannot finde may then remember yet they haue a God who will not shut the dore vpon them will not turne away will not keepe secret will not feare them away with a rough answer or a sower looke but hath this honourable and princely grace He wil be found of them that seeke him Secondly hee rewardeth them that seeke him by bestowing his loue and fauour on them not onely he but his fauour shall be found of all that seeke him It is Gods fauour that Gods children seeke and his fauour they shall be sure to finde This is no small reward vnto them for in this world a man thinkes he hath enough if he haue the Princes fauour And therefore it was the cōmon phrase in old time Let me finde grace or fauour in the eyes of my Lord the King So speake Gods children vnto the Lord. It is not wealth nor honours we seeke-for at Gods hand but let vs finde fauour in the eyes of the Lord our God and so they doe what-euer they finde in this world Thirdly he rewardeth them not with his naked fauour but with the most gracious testimonies thereof that can be which are two Forgiuenesse of their sinnes and eternall life and glory with himselfe This is all a Prince can doe to his subiect who hath offended him To forgiue him the fault and remit the punishment and to aduance him to honour This doth the Lord to all that seeke him he forgiues them the debt they owe him whereby life and soule and all was forfaited to him and giues them also life euerlasting So plentiful a reward is giuen them from that God vnder whose wings they are come to trust Fourthly hee rewardeth them with the beginnings of heauen and happinesse euen in this world A good conscience and ioy in the holy Ghost the comfort whereof is more euen in the bitterest affliction then all the pleasures and contentments in the world Lastly with the appurtenances of heauen and of eternall life namely the good blessings of this life a competent portion whereof God giueth his children in this world as tokens of his fauour and as rewards of their seruice and seeking him Now as this place doth ayme at all these rewards so principally and directly the holy Ghost meaneth eternall life as though hee had said Hee that commeth to God must stedfastly beleeue that God is able and most willing to reward all that come to him with a better reward then this worlde can yeeld euen with eternall life and glory for his sonnes sake But then will some obiect God rewardeth vs therefore we merit therefore good works deserue I answere this place indeede is grosly abused by the Papists for that purpose but we are to know the truth is farre otherwise for God rewardeth men for two causes First for his promise sake and that is for his owne sake for it was his owne goodnesse that made him promise and no former debt he owed to man Againe hee rewardeth our good works not for our merits for they are nothing but of death and curses but for Christ and his merits for their worthinesse are our good workes rewarded So then here are two causes of Gods rewarding and yet mans merits are neither of both and so the argument is nought That God rewardeth therefore we merit for God doth it for other causes Thus these spiders gather poison out of this flower but let vs sucke the honey for this notable sentence hath excellent vse First if God be a rewarder of them that seeke him then not of them that seeke him not Who seeke not God wicked and vngodly men seeke him not but rather seeke to auoide him and his seruice this sentence therefore is heauie against them For when they heare it their conscience answereth But wee seeke not God Therefore wee can looke for no reward from him Doest thou seeke the world then must the world be thy rewarder Doest thou seeke to please thy selfe then must thou reward thy selfe And if thou wilt please the diuell by liuing in sinne then must hee be thy pay-maister alas pitifull and fearefull will these rewards be Againe if God reward none but them that seeke him here appeares the reason why so many Papists die in our religion and with vs cleaue to Christes merits alone when they come to die because their conscience then tells them that by their pilgrimages reliques will-worships and manie more of their courses ordinarie in Poperie they did neuer seeke God but themselues their owne honour gaine and credite and full well knew they that there is no reward due for such seruice and therefore by their practice they make it a true saying that It is good liuing a Papist but dying a Protestant Secondly if God be a rewarder of them that seeke him Then wee see it is most true which the Apostle saith It is not in vaine to serue God 1. Cor. 15.58 for God is a rewarder of them that seeke and serue him Therefore the Atheist and profane men of this world who say It is in vaine to serue God and what profit
way to vndergoe a burden of contempt and hatred Insomuch as many good men are afraid to be either Magistrates or Ministers for first wicked men must needs hate them because the one is to rebuke and the other to punish their faults And againe euen good men are too respectlesse of them that are in these places for the most part neither yeeld them that reuerence nor reward that is due vnto them but often times a man for all his paines and care taken for Church or common-wealth is recompenced with hatred enuie grudges euill words and slanderous reportes In this case the comfort is this that though a man be in the world neither regarded nor rewarded as his desert is yet the Lord seeth what hee doth and is a plentifull rewarder of all that seek serue him and therefore especially of them who not onely themselues serue him in his chiefe places of seruice but also doe winne many other to seek and serue God Fiftly if God be a rewarder of them that seeke him then doubtlesse he is a reuenger of them that hate him for he that can mightily reward his followers can also mightily be reuenged of his enemies These two are the two parts of a Kings power To be able highly to aduance his friends and mightily to punish his enemies therefore principally this belongs to the King of Kings This sentence therefore is a thunderbolt of a most fearefull threatning against all impenitent sinners assuring them that if they persist to profane Gods holy name by their carelesse sinning against him they shall be sure to finde and feele him a powerfull reuenger of them that hate him Thus he promiseth himselfe Deuter. â—2 40.41.42 I lift vp my hand to heauen and I say I liue for euer If I whet my glittering sword and my hand take hold on iudgement I will execute vengeance on my enemies and reward them that hate me Where also note how the same phrase is vsed for as here the Apostle saith God is a rewarder of them that seeke him So in Deuteronomie A rewarder of them that hate him If any obiect how these two can stand together for a man had as good hate him as seeke him if the same reward belong to both I answere A reward but not the same reward belongs vnto them Theeues and murderers are iustly rewarded when they die for their facts and the King rewards a good seruant when hee aduanceth him to honour They that seeke God are rewarded with mercies and fauours aboue their desert they that hate God are rewarded with vengeance and torments according to their desert and this shall all wicked men and enemies of God be as sure to finde as euer any that sought God obtained mercie But worldly men will say we hate not God wee are no Iewes nor Turkes we are christened come to the Church according to the law as good subiects should doe I answer neither doe Turkes nor Iewes hate God if this be all for they denie not the Godhead but acknowledge it and are circumcised and liue more strictly in their deuotions then most Christians Here is therefore more required or else we shall make them also good friends with God But a man may hate God and be neither Turke nor Iew hee may acknowledge Christ and the Trinitie and yet hate God For as Christ saith He that is not with me is against mee and hee that gathereth not with me scattereth So is it here Hee that seeketh not serueth not and loueth not God hateth God for there is no man can know God but he must needes either for his mercies loue him or else hate him for his iustice against sinne and sinners Againe Christ bids vs If you loue me keepe my Commaundements If then to keepe Gods commandements be a sign of one that loues God it is a sign that one loues not God when hee hath no care to keepe them By which two places it appeares that whosoeuer makes not conscience of sinne is Gods enemie and that God so reputes him therefore let this feare euery man from liuing carelesly in his sinne and driue him to true repentance for else let him assure himselfe God is not so plentifull a rewarder of them that seeke him but he is as powerfull a reuenger vpon those that hate him Lastly if God be a rewarder of them that seeke him wee learne the great difference betwixt Gods seruice and the diuels The diuels seruants are fed with faire words but get nothing the diuell is able to giue them nothing but Gods seruants as wee see heere are plentifully rewarded God is a rewarder of them that seeke him but the diuell is a deceiuer of them that serue him But will some say There is none so mad to be the diuels seruants I answere Hee that doth any mans worke is either his seruant or his slaue but euery sinfull wicked man doth the diuels worke for sinne is the diuels worke therefore all impenitent sinners are the diuels seruants It is Christes argument to the Iewes You are of your Father the diuell for the workes of your Father you will doe murthers and lies are his workes you liue in these sinnes and doe these workes therefore you are his seruants Againe the holy Ghost teacheth vs that whosoeuer committeth sinne and liueth therein without repentance the same is the seruant of sinne Now sinne is but the bawde or broker to the diuell they that are the seruants of sin sinne preferres them to the diuell and so they become his seruants therefore whosoeuer is the seruant of sinne is by that meanes the slaue and seruant of the diuell also Which if it be true it will fall out vpon the reckoning that the diuell hath more seruants in the world then God hath which is so much the more lamentable in as much as he deludeth all his seruants and is not able to reward them nor to giue them any good thing But will some say this is nothing so for contrariwise who haue the honours pleasures and wealth of this life who haue hearts ease and the world at will but such men I answere True it is commonly so but haue they those from Sathan No not the least of them all but all from God for euery man is Gods childe by creation and some by grace to euery one of his children he ordaines and giues a portion but to his children by grace a double portion both here and in heauen The wicked men they will not feare nor serue him therefore they haue no part nor portion in heauen but here they haue it So saith Dauid there are some men which are men of this world and haue their portion in this life these mens bellies God filleth with his hidden treasures they and their children haue enough and leaue the rest for their children after them Where it is manifest that wicked men haue their parts and portions of Gods blessings in this world and that all their
holy and frequent vse of Gods word and Sacraments and to none else And surely if the Papists were as well acquainted with the spirit of God as they are with their owne forged reuelations they would neuer denie it By force of this testimonie a Christian man knoweth as assuredly as that God is God that the Pope as now he is and as hee exerciseth his place and power cannot be the true Vicar of Christ And that Poperie as it is now established by the Councell of Trent and taught by the most learned of their side cannot be the true religion nor the safest way to heaueÌ„ And when question is what is the meaning of this place there is one God and one Mediatour betwixt God and man the man Christ Iesus If all the world should say the contrary a Christian man will know and beleeue there are no more Mediatours to God but Christ or of that place that Christ was offred for our sinnes once for all that ther is no sacrifice can purchase vs pardon but his let Papists colour the matter by vnsound distinctions as much as they can the same might be shewed in diuers other points and places And if any aske how this can be I answere Noah was warned of God of things not seene So Gods children are warned and assured of God of such things as concerne their saluation though they be things beyond sense and reason Gods secrets doe belong vnto them The vse of exhortation is that if God warne his children of his Will reueale his secrets to them this should moue and excite vs to become truly and indeede Gods seruants for we serue not a Lord that is strange and austere vnto vs that will not giue vs a good looke or a faire word nay hee is so farre from that that he calls vs to his holy Counsell and makes vs knowe his secrets and communicates his owne selfe vnto vs by his blessed Spirit and by that Spirit reuealeth vnto vs many excellent mysteries of saluation which the carnal and profane men of the world neuer dreame of In the second place let vs obserue that Noah being thus warned of God in this particular matter as he had beene formerly warned taught of saluation by a Messias to come beleeueth not onely the generall promise of saluation but also this particular promise of his preseruation and deliuerance Out of which his practice we may learne two things First that faith is a supernaturall worke of God in those mens hearts that haue it That it is a worke of God it appeareth in that it alwayes acknowledgeth and beleeueth Gods word that it is supernaturall it appeareth in that it apprehendeth and beleeueth whatsoeuer Gods word deliuereth be it neuer so incredible to reason or sense But how doth God worke this faith By his word for as God is the author and worker of faith so God hath appointed a meanes whereby he workes it and that is his Word which word of God is the onely ordinarie outward meanes to worke faith And that word of God is two wayes to be considered either as reuealed by God himselfe as to Noah heere or else being written by God is either preached by his Ministers or read by a mans selfe in want of preaching and these are all one and are all meanes ordained of God to work faith and that not onely to begin it where it is wanting but to augment it where it is begun Which being so it must teach vs all not onely with speciall care and reuerence to heare the word by whomsoeuer it is preached but also to heare it read yea to reade it our selues with all diligence So doing it will worke out and make perfect in vs that holy faith which will make vs blessed in our selues and accepted of God as it did Noah in this place Secondly heere wee learne what is the whole Obiect of faith or what is all that that faith beleeueth namely nothing but Gods word and all and euery word of God So that faith hath two obiects differing not in nature but in degree principall and inferiour The principall obiect of true faith is the promise of saluation by Christ. The inferiour obiect thereof are all other particular promises of safety deliuerance prouidence helpe assistance comfort or what other benefit soeuer is made either to the whole Church and so inclusiuely to any particular man or which are personally made vnto him For sauing faith beleeueth not onely the graund promise of saluation but all other promises either of spirituall or corporall blessings which are subordinate to the great Promise and doe depend of it and are therefore apprehended by the same faith So Noah heere had alreadie apprehended the maine Promise of saluation by the Messiah and had hid it in his heart and afterward when this particular promise of his deliuerance was made by the same faith he laid hold on it also And it is good reason that faith should doe so for if it apprehend the greater promise then no maruell though it take hold of all other inferiour promises which are but dependances vpon the principall By this that hath beene saide it appeareth that wee are wrongfully charged by them who say we teach that sauing faith beleeueth onely saluation by Christ or apprehendeth only the promise of saluatioÌ„ in Christ for we say teach It apprehendeth also other particular promises euen the promises of outward and temporall blessings as appeareth in this exsample of Noah Lastly in that Noah a faithfull man is heere warned of God of the dangers ensuing that so he may auoid them we may learne the louing care that God hath ouer them who haue a care to feare and serue him Thus dealt hee with his children in all ages for their comfort and preseruation to encourage all men to serue God in truth and vprightnesse as here Noah did for so doing they may assure themselues of Gods care and prouidence ouer them euen then when his wrath smokes against the sinnes of the world and that furthermore in all exigents and extremities hee will â—each them either from his word or by the counsell of some others of his children or else by his owne secret inspiration what they are to do and what course to take for their safetie and deliuerance How often shall a Christian man finde in the course of his life that God put into his minde to answere thus or thus or to foresee this or that by which his so doing he escaped som great danger so that though not in the same manner as Noah was all faithfull men do daily finde that they are warned by God of such things as doe concerne them But what were those things whereof Noah was warned from God The text saith Of the things which were as yet not seene This hath not relation to the time when the holy Ghost wrote these words but when God gaue the warning to Noah for then they were not seene but were to
righteous of our selues yet hauing Christs righteousnesse imputed to vs are made thereby partakers of Gods loue and for the worthinesse of that righteousnesse of his so made ours shall be glorified in heauen And thus now at last we haue found that true and that only righteousnesse which can make a man as it did Noah righteous in Gods sight Now it remaines to make vse of it First here wee learne how foulely our nature is defiled with sinne and stayned with corruption the staine whereof cannot be washed away with all the water in the world no nor with the bloud of all creatures no not couered with the righteousnesse of all men and Angels but onely with the righteousnesse of God And that sonne of God also if he will apply that righteousnesse vnto vs and make it effectuall must become man and liue and die and rise againe for vs. A meruailous thing is it and â—orthy of our often consideration that all the Angels and men in the world cannot make one sinner righteous but that Gods sonne must needes doe it And that our sinnes are so hideous as nothing can hide the filthinesse thereof from the eyes of Gods Iustice but onely the glorious mercy seate of Christs righteousnesse This may therefore teach vs how to esteeme of our selues and our owne natures Furthermore See here the great goodnesse of God to man God put perfect legall righteousnesse in Adams heart in his creation he receiued it for himselfe and vs and lost it for himself and vs. God in mercy purposing to restore man thus by himselfe lost and cast away giues him another and a better righteousnesse then before But because he saw man was so ill a keeper of his owne Iewels he trusts not him with it but sets that righteousnesse in the person of Christ Iesus and commits it to him to keepe Who as he truly knowes the full value and excellencie thereof and as he deerely loues vs So he will most safely keepe it for vs and clothe vs with it in his Fathers presence at the last day A point of vnspeakable comfort to Gods children to consider that their saluation is not in their owne keeping where it might againe be lost but in a safe hand where they shall be sure to finde and haue it when they haue most need of it and to remember that their righteousnesse being in Christ they cannot lose it For though they sinne and so lose often the comfort of a good conscience for a time yet they then lose not their righteousnesse which is then in Christ and to consider that when in this world they sustaine losses or iniuries or lose all they haue vpon the earth that yet their righteousnesse the riches of their soules is then in heauen full safe in Christs keeping and shall neuer be lost This should make vs learne to know Christ more and more and to giue him the loue and affections of our very hearts that so we may be able to say with blessed Paul 2. Timoth. 1.12 I know whom I haue beleeued and I am perswaded that he is able to keepe that which I haue committed vnto him against that day Lastly if there be such a communion betwixt Christ and a beleeuer that our sinnes were made his and his righteousnesse made ours This may teach vs patience and minister vs comfort in all outward afflictions or inward temptations because it is certaine all our sufferings are his and hee is touched with all the wrongs done to vs. When hee was in heauen he calls to Saul Acts 9.4 Saul Saul why persecutest thou me and at the last day Math. 25.45 Whatsoeuer either good or euill was done to any of his children he saith was done to himselfe and accordingly it shall be rewarded as done to him And thus wee haue taught that true righteousnesse which iustifies a sinner and made Noah righteous and we see the vse of that worthy doctrine And in this first point we haue the longer insisted because it is one of the fundamentall points of Christian religion Hetherto of the first point namely what that righteousnesse is which is here spoken of The 2. point to be coÌ„sidered in these words is that this righteousnesse is that righteousnesse Which is by Faith It is so called because faith is the proper instrument created in the soule of man by the holy Ghost to apprehend that righteousnesse which is in the person of Christ nor can it be any waies else either apprehended or applied and therefore it is worthily called that righteousnesse which is by faith that is which by faith is made a mans owne or whereunto a man hath title by his faith Here therefore two points offer themselues to our obseruation 1. That true faith apprehends properly this true righteousnesse 2. That onely faith can doe it For the first it is proued by apparant euidences of Scripure S. Paul tells the Galathians 3.14 They receiued the promise of the Spirit by faith And S. Iohn saith That as manie as receiued Christ to them hee gaue power to be called the sonnes of God And least any man should thinke that to receiue Christ is not to beleeue in Christ he addeth Euen to as many as beleeue in his name Iohn 1.12 And therefore faith is fitly compared to a hand that takes hold on a garment and applieth it to the body being naked or to a beggars hand that takes or receiues a Kings almes so faith in a mans soule takes hold on Christs righteousnes which is the mercifull and liberall almes of the King of heauen and applieth it to the poore and naked soule of the beleeuer If any man aske how can faith apply Christ to the beleeuer I answer as a man being in his corrupt nature hath nothing to doe with Christ So contrariwise when the holy Ghost hath wrought faith in his heart by a supernaturall operation then wee are to know that as faith is the proper instrument to apprehend Christ So is Christ and his righteousnesse the proper obiect for faith to work vpoÌ„ For though it apprehend apply all other promises which God makes to our soules or bodies yet most properly and principally and in the first place it apprehends the promise of saluation and the righteousnesse of Christ. Now for the particular manner how faith doth thus we are to know that though it be spirituall inuisible and so not easily expressed to sense yet is it done as properly by faith as a garment is by the hand taken and applied to the body or a plaister to a sore If any aske further But when may a man know whether his faith haue apprehended and applied Christs righteousnesse to his soule or no I answere when hee beleeueth particularly that Christes righteousnesse is his righteousnesse and hath reconciled him to God and shall iustifie him in Gods presence then doth faith worke his true and proper worke for this cannot be done but by faith and where faith is this must needes be done
buy it And when wee haue gotten it wee must care to keepe it and therefore must lay it vp in our verie hearts and soules and keeping it wee must reioyce and delight in it aboue the world and all the pleasures of it This is the glorious portion which our God and Father leaueth vs as his children what should all the care of our hearts be but to preserue it Naboth had a little Vineyard that came to him from his Father by inheritance Ahab the King would giue him money or a better Vineyard for it But Naboth would not Nay saith he God forbid I should sell my Fathers inheritance 1. Kings 21.3 c. If he made such account of an earthly inheritance what should we of the heauenly if hee of a poore Vineyard what should wee of the glory of heauen If hee denied the King to sell it for a better should not wee denie the diuell to leaue our part in Christ and his righteousnesse for the world or anie thing that hee can promise vs In all such temptations our answere should be God forbid I should sell away my inheritance which my God and Father gaue mee Thus did blessed Paul who esteemed the world and all in it doung and drosse that hee might winne Christ and be made partaker of this righteousnesse So must wee if wee will be worthie of this inheritance prize and value it aboue this world and thinke basely of all the pompe and pleasures of this world in comparison of it and rather be content to lose the world then to leaue it And lastly when wee haue it and are thus carefull to preserue it where should our content ioy and delight be but in this our inheritance So doth the heire nothing so reioyceth him as to thinke of his inheritance Here therefore the madnesse of carnall men is discouered who reioyce exceedingly in the honours profits and pleasures of this liâ— e as Swine in their bellies and neuer goe further But alas this is not their inheritance if they looke to haue their soules saued Therefore herein they shew themselues voide of grace and of all hope of a better world For if they had they would reioyce in it and not in the vaine and transitory delights of this world which perish in the vsing and are lost with more torment and vexaâ—â—on then they were kept with delight We must learne â—hen to vse this world as though we vsed it not 1. Cor. 7 3â— And â—f â—he Lord vouchsafe vs any portion of pleasures in this world we must take it thankfully as aboue our inheritance must therfore vse it lawfully soberly but haue our hearts the ioy of them vpoÌ„ our inheritance which is in heauen whereof we are made heires by faith and wherin we are fellow heires with this blessed Noah who was made heire of that righteousnes which is of faith And thus haue wee heard the most glorious commendation of Noahs faith and of Noah by his faith and of all the examples before the floud Now follow the second sort of Examples namely such as liued in the second world after the floud They are all of two sorts either such as liued afore the giuing of the Law or after Afore the giuing of the Law here are many wherof as of all the other kinds some are men some women The first of those blessed men after the floud whose faith is here renowned is Abraham that great Father of whom and whose faith because he was a Father of so many faithful more is spoken then of any one Abrahams Faith VERSE 8. By faith Abraham when he was called obayed God to go out into a place which he should afterward receiue for inheritance and he went out not knowing whether he should goe COncerning holy Abraham heere are more examples then one recorded and his faith is renowned many wayes more verses are spent of him then of some fiue others And the reason is because his faith was more excellent then any others that followed him In which regard hee is called the Father of the faithfull oftentimes in the new Testament especially in the Epistles to the Romanes and Galathians The first example of his faith and the fourth in order of the whole is of his leauing his owne natiue Country and how at Gods commaundement he went he knew not whether onely he knew God called him and therfore he would goe wherein appeared a most worthy faith Now concerning this his faith and obedience the Text layeth downe two points 1. The cause or ground thereof which was Gods calling he was called of God 2. The fruite or effect of his faith he harkened and obayed And this his obedience is amplified by diuers particulars 1. The matter of it he went out of his country 2. The end to take possession of a Country which he should not enioy of a long time 3. The manner he went out not knowing whither he should goe The first point is the cause or ground of Abrahams faith in this action and is laid downe in the first words By faith Abraham when he was called This story is taken out of Gen. the 12. chap. The cause of Abrahams faith is Gods calling Gods calling is an action of God whereby he appointeth a man to som certaine coÌ„dition or state of life in this world or after this life And in this regard God is compared to a Generall in the field which assigneth euery Souldier his standing and duty so doth God appoint euery man his place and duty in the Church Concerning these callings let vs see the meanes how hee calleth and the seuerall states whereto he calleth men For the meanes or manner God calleth men 2. wayes immediatly or by meanes Somtime immediatly by himself and his own voice as the extraordinary Prophets in the olde Testament the Apostles in the new So saith S. Paul of himselfe he was called to be an Apostle not of men nor by men but by Iesus Christ and God the Father Galath 1.1 Sometime mediatly by men directed by himselfe furnished or inabled for that duty and so were called the ordinarie Prophets and Priests of the old and the Euangelists Pastors Doctors of the new Testament The first was extraordinary this is ordinary the first is for an vnbeleeuing or a misbeleeuing people the second is for an ordinary established Church Now of these 2. waies God called Abraham immediatly by himselfe from heauen Gen. 12.1 Secondly for the estates of life wherunto God calleth men they are three Generall Particular Personall Gods Generall calling is whereby hee calleth all men to repentance by the Gospell and so to life eternall Of this speaks the Apostle Rom. 8.30 Whom God predestinated them also he called and Rom 11.29 The calling of God is without repentance Heereby hee calls men in this life to the state of grace and to the state of glory in heauen and this is to all His Particular calling is when hee calleth and assigneth
goeth out The vse is to teach vs what a faith we haue For if wee measure all Gods commaundements by our naturall affections our faith is but a shadow and hypocrisie But if wee consult not with flesh and bloud but rest and rely on Gods word and giue absolute obedience to his coÌ„maundements then our faith is such as Abrahams was In the next place Some may meruaile why the Lord should commaund him so hard a matter and lay so straâ—te a commaundement vpon him as to leaue his Country and liuing which seemed vnreasonable his kindred which was vnnaturall I answer the reason is not that God delighteth in vnreasonable or vnnatural courses or in laying heauie burdens vpon his children But he did it for good and holy ends as First to proue Abraham and to see what was in him As a friend is noâ— tried in ordinarie but in great matters so it is knowne who is Gods friend in matters of difficultie Hereby therefore God made the faith and obedience of his seruant to shine more gloriously Againe to breake the corruption of his heart for our wicked natures loue peace and ease and welfare and hearts desire but God will crosse those courses and send vs troubles many wayes that so hee may pull downe the height of our corruptions and humble vs to his owne hand The vse is to teach vs to make true vse of our afflictions and of those many hard crosses that must fall vpon vs in our course of seruing God namely to know that they are sent from God not as a hard-hearted or cruell Iudge but as a wise and mercifull Father who wisheth our good and who will so blesâ—e vnto vs the hardest and heauiest crosses that befall vs in our liues if we receiue them in patience faith that we shall say with Dauid Psalm 119.72 It is good for vs that we haue been in trouble for thereby we haue learned to know God and our selues better Thirdly whereas Abraham at Gods commaundement goeth out of his Country into another we learne that it is not vnlawfull for a Christian man to goe out of his owne Country and trauaile into another and there to abide for some or for a long time Prouided his causes be good and iust as namely these which follow First if he haue a particular commaundement of God as here Abraham had Secondly if hee haue a lawfull calling of the Church or State whereof he is a member as if he be sent to a generall Councel or be sent as Ambassadour either to stay for a time or to stay there as Lieger Thirdly if it be for the safety of his life in a good cause So Moses Exod. 2.14.15 fled into the land of Midian and there stayed when Pharaoh sought his life And Christ himselfe fled with his Father and Mother into Egypt from the furie of Herod Math. 1. The like may be said for them that to preserue their liberty flie from the cruelty of their Creditors who will not take honest and reasonable satisfaction of a surety for another man or of a childe for the Fathers debts But in no case for them who trauaile in purpose to defeate their Creditors or thereby to deliuer themselues from payment of their due debts being able to pay Of both these wee haue example in Dauid his followers Dauid himselfe was faine to flie for his life from Saulâ— vniust cruelty and therefore went and dwelt amongst the Philistims 1. Sam. 27.1.2 And 1. Sam. 22.2 there cam to Dauid such as were in trouble and in debt and these were with him in all his trauaile and persecutions Now doubtlesse had they beene vngodly men who had not cared how they came into debt noâ— how they paid it Dauid would neuer haue beene their Prince as that Text saith he was Fourthly if it be for the maintenance of pure religion and keeping a good conscience This hath Christs warranty Mat. 10.23 When they persecute you in one Citie flie vnto another For this cause many of our fore-fathers in the former age were faine to flie into Germanie Swwitzerland to Geneua And for these causes diuers of other Nations doe repaire to this Nation and are here entertained Fiftly if it be for the getting or encreasing of any good learning and lawfull knowledge especially diuine knowledge for matter of religion Thus the Queene of Saba went ouâ— of the inmost parts of Africa to Ierusalem in Asia to see and heare Salomon 2. Kings 10. and for that cause shee is highly commended by Christ himselfe Math. 12.42 Thus may yong men trauell for learning or the tongues especially such as intend thereby to fit themselues for publike seruice so it be with safetie of religion and securitie of conscience Sixtly if it be for the practice of a mans lawfull calling as for trafficke and thus Merchants may and do lawfully trauaile into all Nations and haue their Factors there resident prouided they lose not their soules to gaine for their bodies their trauailing is allowed by Christ in the Parable where he saith The Kingdome of heauen is like a Merchant man that seekes good pearles Math. 13.45 Seauenthly if it be to receiue and take possession of any goods or lands lawfully descended or fallen vnto a man in another Nation as sometime it doth This seemes to be allowed by Christ in the Parable where he saith A certain noble man went into a far Country to receiue for himselfe a kingdome and so to come againe Luke 19.12 In a word if it be vpon any good and sufficient cause allowable in good reason and not contrary any part of Gods word But as for such as leaue their Countries and trauell into other Either vpon leuitie to see strange sights and fashions Or being malefactors flie from their due punishment Or being in debt go away to deceiue their Creditors Or being vaine-glorious to make themselues knowen Or being at enmitie to fight combats or to kill their enemie All these and all such like can haue no comfort in their trauailes for they send themselues God sent them not they are out of Gods protection because they goe without his warrant And as many of them as goe away to escape the hand of the Magistrate let them be assured they shall not escape the hand of God In the fourth place here is a comfort for all such as are banished from their owne natiue Countries for God and his Gospels sake For here Abraham the Prince of Patriarkes was a banished man and liued in a strange Country the greater part of all his life Let such men therefore take patiently what God laieth vpoÌ„ them for it is not their misery or mishap alone but hath beene common to Gods children in all ages Againe Christ himselfe pronounceth them blessed who suffer persecution for righteousnesse sake for though they be exiles from their owne kingdome or tossed vp downe the kingdomes of the earth yet theirs is the kingdom of heauen Math. 5.10 Lastly though
not onely beleeues and obayeth but as God promised so he went to it and tooke possession and died in this faith that God would performe his promise and that his posteritie should inherite it all as afterward indeede they did euen from Moses to Christ. If it be asked how this could be the answere is that Abraham knew that God was King of Kings and had the world and Kingdomes of the world in his hand and disposition and therfore assured himselfe that hee could bring to passe what hee had promised and make good his word notwithstanding all such impediments to the contrarie And as hee beleeued it came to passe his posterity came to it entred as conquerers vpon this gift of God and by the power of God so amazed all these Kings and their people as some submitted as the Gibeonits and they that did not were all slaine and their Countries conquered as we may reade at large in the booke of Ioshua all the Stories whereof are briefly comprehended by Dauid in fewe words where he saith We haue heard with our eares our Fathers haue tolde vs how thou O Lord droue out the heathen with thy hand and planted them in how thou destroyed the people and made them grow Psal. 44.1.2 Out of which we learne two instructions First that the change of States and alteration of Kingdomes or common-wealths are in Gods hand and that he can turne them one way or other as it pleaseth him To this purpose saith Dauid in the fore-named Psalme verse the fourth They inherited not the land by their owne sword neither did their owne arme saue them but thy right hand and thy arme and the light of thy countenance because thou didst fauour them This must teach vs to pray earnestly in our daily prayers for the good estate of this Kingdome wherein we liue and of that worthy Prince and Queene vnder whose gouernment wee haue beene so long and so liberally blessed For the welfare and prosperity the certainty and security of it and her is not in our policie might munition ships not in the strength of our nauie nor in the power of our armour nor in the chiualrie of our people nor in the wisedome of our Councell though for all these we are a people honoured of our friends and feared of our enemies But in the mighty hand of our God who as Daniel saith beareth rule ouer the Kingdomes of the earth and giueth them to whomsoeuer he will Dan. 4.22 Seeing therefore the King of heauen in the giuer and establisher the remouer and changer of Kingdomes of the earth let vs assure our selues that the prayers of Elisha are the Horses and Chariots of Israell 2. Kinges 13.14 And surely if Elisha for his prayer was acknowledged by the King himself to be his Father then doubtlesse the godly Ministers and such other in our Church as pray daily for the peace of our Ierusalem are worthy to be accounted good children of our Church and worthy members of our State Secondly here we learne what is the ruine of Kingdomes and ouerthrow of estates namely sinne and vngodlinesse This is most apparant in the present example For why did God take this land from the Cananites and giue it to Abraham and his seede the Stories of the olde Testament answere nothing but sinne In Deuteronomie Moses chargeth the Israelites that they doe not after the abhominations of the heathen Cananites For saith he because of their abhominable sinnes God did cast them out before you Deut. 18.9.12 And why did not God instantly giue it to Abraham to inherite after the promise euen because the wickednesse of these Amorites was not then full Gen. 15.16 that is their sinnes were not then ripe For we must know that though God be the absolute and soueraigne Lord of all Kingdomes and may dispose them as hee will yet he rather exerciseth his Iustice then his power and neuer ouerturneth any State but vpon cause of their apparant sinfulnesse Nor can the Amorites or Cananites pleade herein any hard measure For the same God dealt afterward in the same Iustice with his owne people giuing the Kingdome of Iudah to the Chaldeans and Israel to the Assyrians and the cause is laid downe most memorably in the Storie When the Israelites sinned against the Lord their God and walked after the fashions of the heathen whom the Lord had cast out before them and did secretly things that were wicked and made Images and serued Idols and though God warned them by his Prophets yet would they not obay but hardned their neckes and so finally left all the commandements of God then the Lord was exceeding wroth with Israel and cast them also out of his sight 2. Kings 17. from the seauenth verse to the 19. Thus sinne is able to ouerturne Kingdomes be they Cananites Israelites or whosoeuer Let this teach vs all to looke to our liues make conscience of all sin especially great capitall crying sins for the sinnes of a people are wormes and Cankers eating out the life and strength of a coÌ„mon-wealth And let our State and gouernment learne here to look to the reformation of our people especially for great sinnes For open profanenesse or vncleanenesse or oppressions or iniustice or extortions or cruelties and exactions all these or any of these sinnes raigning in a State are able to ouerturne the best established Kingdome on the earth and will at last doe power and policie what they can make the land spewe out her inhabitants and in the meane time let the wily wits of men iudge as they list it will proue true that the sinfull and profane man is the worst and the godly and conscionable man the best friend to a State and best subiect in a Kingdome Thus much for the second point in Abrahams obedience namely the end of it The third and last point is the manner of his obedience which followeth in these words And he went out not knowing whither he went The manner of this his leauing his Country in mans reason would seeme strange nay the world will condemne it for plaine foolishnesse for a man to leaue a certainty for an vncertainty But it may here be doubted how the Apostle can here say that he knew not whither he went seeing these words are not in the Storie of the olde Testament doth not that practice allow traditions beside Scripture I answer first We refuse no traditions which are agreeable to the Scripture and analogie of faith but such as are agreeable to one of these wee receiue them though not as Scripture Secondly if the Apostles in the new Testament doe adde any thing in any Story which is not in the olde as S. Paul doth the manner of the Sorcerers of Egypt Iannes and Iamâ—res 2. Timoth. 3.8 that circumstance by them so added is to be holden as Scripture and no tradition because they hauing the same spirit of God which the Writers of the olde Testament had haue inserted it
Canaan that is a temporall inheritance hee lookes further for a City in heauen This he did out of his faith for hee knowing that Canaan was but a type of heauen therefore in consideration of the earthly Canaan hee arose to a consideration of the heauenly and in the promise of the earthly apprehended the heauenly This is the true and Christian vse of all Gods blessings giuen in this life in them to behold better things laid vp in heauen and shadowed in the other Men vse for their vse spectacles in reading but they take no pleasure in looking vpon them but at other things by and through them So should Christians through all temporall blessings looke at spirituall and eternall which are promised and shadowed vnder the temporall Thus doth Christ himselfe teach vs in the very order of the Lords praier directing vs to pray for temporall blessings first in the fourth petition and then for eternall in the fift and sixt as though that the one were introductions and passages to the other And this made the Prophets so ordinarily couer spirituall blessings vnder temporall and put temporall deliuerances for spirituall and confusedly oftentimes one for another because that the holy men of the olde Church did neuer rest in view of any temporall promise or blessing but ascended to the contemplation of higher things in them How pittiful then is the practice of worldly men who vse Gods blessings so as they daily abuse and peruert them vsing meate to gluttony raiment to pride learning to vaine-glory speech to flatterie wit to deceipt authoritie to reuenge callings to oppression whereas they are all giuen to be helps in Gods seruice and furtherances in religion and meanes to helpe vs towards heauen These men looke at Gods gifts with the eie of reason and no further but if they looked at them with the eie of faith as Abraham did it would teach them to make a heauenly and spirituall vse of them as he did Lastly in the generall state of the reason and of Abrahams practice obserue how he hauing promise of CanaaÌ„ waited for heauen Now no man waiteth for any thing but that which he hath hope of nor hopeth truly and properly for any thing but that which he hath assurance of for hope maketh not ashamed Rom. 5.5 Noâ— worldly hope for that hath deceiued no more than euer trusted it But Hope in God neuer deceiued man nor went any away disappointed that hoped in God Therfore here it is apparant that hope of heauen goeth with assurance and this assurance must be particular to the beleeuer as the beleefe and faith is But the Papists say This is true indeed of Abraham hee had not only hope but euen full assurance but that came by extraordinary reuelation So that this is a rare example his particular reuelation is no generall warrant to vs. We answer from S. Paul Rom. 4.11 that Abraham is the father of the faithfull and that his faith is a patterne for all Christians to follow for else why doth the Apostle so farre extoll set forth that faith of his aboue 1300. years after his death shall it be only for his commendation and not for our imitation also Therefore euery man that will walke in the steps of holy Abraham may come with him to that measure of faith that he may waite for heauen with assurance to enioy it Now let vs come to the particular description of that heauen which Abraham thus waited for A Citie hauing a foundation whose maker and builder is God The description hath three parts 1. It is said to be a Citie 2. That hath a foundation 3. That God made and built it For the first Abraham by his faith waited for heauen But for which For there are three heauens or differences of heauen in the scripture The first that wherein we liue and breath birds flie and clouds mooue The second that wherein the starres are The third is that that is aboue them both and is invisible the seat of Gods glory where God reuealeth his Maiestie in speciall manner to men and Angels This heauen Abraham waited for For as for the first he liued in it And for the second he knew it as well as most men for it is credibly thought he was a notable Astronomer So that it was the third and highest heauen hee waited for which hee knewe this world could not giue him and therefore expected it in another Now this heauen which was Abrahams hope is called a Citie A Citie properly is a place for the habitation of men compassed with walles and distinguished by streetes and houses Now properly heauen or the estate of holy men in heauen is not a city but as elsewhere in the scripture it is called a house a tabernacle a temple an inheritance a kingdome so is it here called a city namely for the resemblance it hath therunto which consisteth specially in foure points 1 A Citie hath many houses greater lesse and for all sorts So in heauen also there are many mansions Ioh. 14.2 Places of glory for all men none neede to feare that hee shall not haue fulnesse of ioy and perfect happinesse A Citie is built and at first was ordained to this end that many citizens might liue together in concord and amitie So the kingdome of heauen is a heauenly city where the Saints of God shall liue in perfect peace and loâ—e with fulnesse of ioy euery one in himselfe and each one in another 3 The goodnesse or excellency of a City consists in this To haue good lawes good Magistrates to execute them and good people performing subiection and obedience Therefore the kingdome of heauen is the most perfect Citie wherein Gods lawes are the onely lawes and they shall be written in mens hearts where each one is a sufficient gouernour of himselfe yet all subiect to God and their God vnto them all in all 4 A City is a place where generally are all necessaries and comforts for mans life one part of the countrey hath this commoditie another that but in the citie are all either brought into it or of it selfe So in heauen are all parts of perfection and all complements of happinesse to make the state of Gods children there infinitely blessed Such a glorious place is the Citie that was Abrahams hope Now for the vse hereof First Is heauen such a City Here is a notable comfort to the poore and plaine countrey-man who liues in the simplicity of the countrey life tilling the ground or keeping cattell and it may be neuer sawe or at the least neuer tasted of the pleasures and delights of cities If he serue God and keepe a good conscience here is his happinesse hee shall be citizen in the high and heauenly Ierusalem that City which was the hope of the holy men of God in all ages Secondly this may teach Citizens in the great populous and pompous cities of this world to labour also to be Citizens in heauen for that is
vs but seeke it in the sincere worship of God and that will minister such comfort in this life and such glory in heauen as hath a foundation and will neuer faile vs. Further this must put vs in minde of the holy Kings aduise which is to remember our Creator in the daies of our youth Eccles. 12.1 Seeing this world is so vncertaine and our life hath so weake a foundation as wee are not sure to liue to come to olde age euery man therefore is to heare the conclusion of all which is to feare God and keepe his commandements and this the sooner the better For else for a little foolish and vaine pleasure transitorie which hath no foundation we shall venter the loosing of that glorious citie which hath a sure foundation It followeth in the description Whose maker and builder is God The second point in the description of this citie is that God was the maker builder or author of it These two words are both one and therefore it is a needlesse labour of some that would distinguish betwixt them for the meaning is God made that is prepared the glory of heauen and he built it as though he should say Heauenly Ierusalem is a glorious citie and no maruell though it be so for God made it And if you will needs that beeing a city it must be built be it so for God is the builder of it This doctrine is euident in the Scriptures Psal. 136.5 God by his wisdome made the Heauens And here is another maine difference betwixt this world and the glory of heauen The Cities of this world were built by man but Heauen by God himselfe The arte and skill of men built the cities of the earth and sometime the couetousnesse or other corruption of man as is manifest in the beginning for Cain a couetous cruell and ambitious man built the first citie in the world but holy and good men haue not the honour to bee builders of this City No they are Citizens of it but God onely is the author and builder of it No man may doubt hereof because this third heauen is inuisible for the Angels also are inuisible and yet Gods creatures Besides our Creed teacheth that God is Creator of all things visible and inuisible If wee doubt why God made it seeing hee made all things for man and man in this world hath no sight nor vse of it The answer is God made it for two ends First to be his owne glorious palace not wherein he would confine his beeing or his presence but wherein he would make his glorie most apparant and wherein his glory should in a sort dwell In which regards it is called his throne Esay 66. And in our Lords praier wee say by Christs owne teaching that God our father is in heauen Therefore as Princes builde themselues palaces to shewe their power and puissance and to magnifie themselues and to bee fit habitations for their greatnesse So God made the third heauen to be the throne of his glory Secondly hee had also a respect herein to his creatures for hee made that heauen therein to reueale his maiestie and glory to his reasonable creatures Angels and Mâ—â— and by shewing them his glory to glorifie them For in Gods presence is the fulnesse of ioy Psalm 16. vltim And in this sense is it true that God made all things for man as man for himselfe namely all things either for his soule or body or both either for his vse in this life or in the other And so the third heauen was made for mans vse not in this life but in the life to come for his soule vntill the last iudgement and after that for both soule body Hence we learne diuers instructions First in that the third heauen which neuer was seene with the eie of man is here positiuely affirmed to be made by God Wee learne that therefore it is one of Gods creatures and not eternall as some hold and goe about to prooue thus God is eternall but hee must bee in some place and heauen is the seate and place of God therefore it is coeternall with God But I answere from Gods word that though heauen bee the seate and throne of Gods glory and where hee manifesteth and magnifieth his glory yet is it not the place of his substance and beeing for that is infinite and incomprehensible and it is against the Christian faith to imagine the Godhead to bee comprehended or contained in any place 1. Kings 8.27 The heauens yea the heauens of heauens cannot comprehend thee O Lord how much more vnable is this house that I haue built Nor is it materiall that we knowe not on what day it was created or that it is not named amongst the workes of the creation For the same is true of the Angels also and it pleased Gods wisedome for speciall causes to name no creatures particularly in the creation but visible whereas wee knowe both from our Creeds and Gods word it selfe that hee is the creator of all things both visible and inuisible Therefore though wee knowe not what day the third heauen was made yet is it sufficient that here is said It was made and built by God himselfe Whereupon it necessarily followeth it is a creature and not coeternall with the Godhead Secondly here appeares the weakenesse of one of the commonest arguments vsed for the defence of the Vbiquitie and Consubstantiation Christ say they is present bodily in the Eucharist and they prooue it thus Christ is in heauen and hee is God But heauen is euery where for God is euery where and where God is there heauen is as where the King is there the Court is Therefore Christ may be in the Sacrament and yet be in heauen notwithstanding I answer the ground is false Heauen is not euery where for then it is in Hell which to affirme is absurditie confusion and impietie Indeede Gods presence is euery wher and where his presence is there is his power as where the Kings presence is there is also his power and authoritie and there may be any seate or course of Iustice and so where he is the Court is But if you take the Court for some one of his chiefe houses then the saying is not true But contrariwise as the Kings power is wheresoeuer his presence is and yet hee may haue one house more sumptuous and magnificent than all the rest which may bee called his Court by an excellency aboue other and that Court is not alwaies where the King is but in some set and certaine place and not remoueable So Gods power and glory is euery where and yet his most glorious Court the third heauen is not euery where but in his limited and appointed place where Gods glory shineth more than in any other place Againe if heauen properly taken be euery where then it is God himselfe for that that is euery where must needes be deified and indeede some to maintaine this opinion
with his lusts and bee renewed in holinesse We must become penitent sinners for our liues past and newe men for hereafter or else let vs not looke to haue any part in heauen And good reason for God is the maker and builder of it But hee is not the maker of sinne but the diuell and our selues brought it out and thinke we the diuels worke shall come in heauen or that God will build a house for the diuels slaues to dwell in Let vs not be deceiued But contrariwise grace and holinesse is Gods worke as our soules and bodies were the worke of his hands so our regeneration is much more the worke of his owne power and mercie That man therefore who can say God as once hee made me a man so hee hath againe made and built me a new man and a new creature that man is he that shal be an inhabitant in that heauenly city whose maker and builder is the same God In this holy way of faith and repentance did the holy Fathers walke to this city as Dauid saith in the name of them all Thus I will waite for thee in holinesse Psalm And thus doubtlesse did the noble Patriarke Abraham who as hee was the father of our faith so was hee also a patterne of repentance holy life in that holines he waited for this city that hath a foundation whose maker and builder is God Hitherto we haue heard the holy practice of Abrahams faith in two examples There is much more spoken of the excellency of his faith but by the way the holy Ghost interlaceth a worthy example euen of a womans faith namely Sarah his wife The sixt Example in the order of the whole followeth in the words of the two next verses Sarahs Faith VERSE 11. By faith euen Sarah also receiued strength to conceiue seede and was deliuered of a childe when she was past age because shee iudged him faithfull which had promised NExt to Abraham who is called the father of our faith or of faithful meÌ„ followeth Sarah who was also mystically the mother of beleeuers next to the husband followeth the wife nay Abrahams faith is commended both before her and after her and hers inclosed in the midst By the way here obserue how God honours holy mariage and obserues the decorum and dignitie of it Hee not only allowes or commends the faith of Abel who it may be was vnmaried but as wee see of maried men also And it is worthy our obseruation that of all these whom the holy Ghost here records for their faith and holinesse they were all maried except Abel of whom it is not certaine whether he were or no. It appears therefore that God as he ordained holy mariage so he alwaies honored it both with his grace on earth and his glory in heauen as well if not better than any other state of life They therefore doe spit in the face of God himselfe who any way disgrace it and they especially who allow fornication or adulterie in any sort of men rather than it as some Papists doe But here wee may obserue further how God maintaines the dignity decorum of it he placeth Abraham and Sarah together and puts none betwixt them to shewe the inseparable vnitie that is to be betwixt them so farre as that eueâ— in storie they are to be set together and how hainous their presumption is that darâ— any way attempt to separate or part that vnitie He placeth Abraham first to shewe the dignitie and preheminence of the man whom for her sinne God hath set ouer her not only for her head but for her guide gouernour and to teach the man that he and his example should be first and should bee a light vnto her to shame them who come behinde their wiues in faith and holines He placeth Abraham both afore and after her and her in the midst to teach her that her glory and honour euery way is in the vertue and worthinesse of her husband her head vnder God who is to goe before her to giue her good example and to come after to ouersee her courses and on all sides to be a shelter and defence vnto her These things may not vnfitly be noted in this contextion Now let vs come to the words wherein are these points 1. Who beleeued Euen Sarah 2. What shee beleeued Gods promise to beare Isaac 3. The impediments of that faith which were two 1. Her age 2. Her barrennesse 4. The effects of this her faith which were three 1. Thereby shee conceiued seed 2. Brought forth Isaac 3. Had a great â—ssue and posteritie by him 5 The ground of her faith shee iudged him faithfull which had promised All these are laid downe in this verse or the next The first point is the person of whom this storie is Sarah a woman euen shee beleeued We haue heard some examples of notable men but he hold here a woman chronicled for her faith and holy obedience as well as men Where we learne that sauing faith and consequently saluation it selfe is not proper to one sexe but to both man woman The woman indeed was the first that brought in sin and beeing deceiued her selfe by the diuell shee deceiued man In which sense the Apostle saith 1. Tim. 2.14 The man was not deceiued but the woman and shee was in the transgression And for that cause grieuous calamities and much bitternesse was laid vpon that sexe in bearing and bringing vp children and in subiection In which regards they might thinke themselues forsaken of God for their fault For the preuenting whereof the Apostle here or rather the holy Ghost by him teacheth vs that true faith and saluation by the Messias belongeth to Sarah as well as Abraham to women as well as to men And Saint Peter also most plainely 1. Pet. 3.7 teacheth vs that they are heires together with their husbands of the grace of life The vse whereof as it discouereth the monstrous and vnnaturall madnesse of some men who haue called into question the possibility of their saluation yea some whether they haue soules or no so it giueth encouragement to women to serue that God in zeale and sinceritie which hath bin so mercifull vnto their sinne and who though he hath subiected them in body vnto their husdands yet hath made their soules partakers with them of the same hope of immortall life Yet withall we may obserue how few the holy Ghost here recordeth namely but one or two women amongst many men For so it hath beene in all ages those that haue beene good were excellent but they were fewe in comparison of men which as it is the more commendation to them that are good so it must stirre vp all women professing religion to labour in the imitation of the faith of their grandmother Sarah that so they may be some of those fewe But let vs enter into further and more particular consideration who this Sarah was especially seeing shee is the onely woman
either in soule or body but to remember him that of one made multitudes to spring out Therefore when thou art brought neuer so low either in soule or body by any miseries either inward or outward faint not but goe forward in the strength of the Lord thy God Particularly If God haue afflicted thee with pouerty that thou haue almost nothing to begin withall or for thy soule is thy knowledge in religion small thy meanes poore thy feeling of Gods fauour but weake yet faint not but lay fast hold on Gods power promise vse carefully the holy means God hath ordained remembring and relying on him who made millions grow out of one and assure thy self that as Iob saith Though thy beginnings be small yet thy later endes shall greatly encrease Secondly obserue here how old persons are called halfe dead or as good as dead that is true of them many wayes First their yeares and dayes limited them are as good as gone For suppose a man should be as sure to liue 100. yeares as the sunne is to runne all the day long his course and at night to goe downe Yet as when the sunne is past the height and drawing downward wee say it goeth fast downe and the day hasteth away So when a man is past his middle age when the sunne of his life is past the noonsteede he declineth daily and draweth fast away and the night of his life approacheth with hast and much horrour vnlesse he preuent it Secondly their strength vitall powers by which their life is continued and their soules and bodies kept together are so much weakened that they are almost extinguished whereby it comes to passe an olde man may feele a manifest defect in all powers of minde and body Thirdly sicknesses or diseases grow vpon them in olde age and as their strength faileth so the force of diseases is redoubled on them and looke what diseases haue lurked in their bodies which either naturally were bred in them or accidentally taken they now shew themselues more sensibly and the weaker a man is the stronger is his sicknesse In these three respects an olde man or woman is as good as dead The vse hereof is profitable First they must therefore be aduised to prepare themselues for death Euery man is to prepare I confesse then if euerie man especially they that be olde The young man may die the olde man must die the youngest cannot liue alwayes the olde man cannot liue long the aged mans graue is as it were made already his one foote is in it And this is not mans conceit alone but Gods own iudgement who as we see here calls an olde man as good as dead and that not so much in regard that he is sure to die as that he is neere it Therefore as euery man young or olde is to make ready because his time is vnknowne and no man is sure that hee shall liue to be olde and as the Psalmist singeth Euery man in his best estate is altogether vaenity Psal. 39.6 So especially he to whom God hath beene so gracious as to let him see olde age he should thinke of nothing but his end prepare euery day to die in the Lord. His gray haires his wrinkled skin his withered face his ill stomack his weak memorie his crooked body and the manifest most sensible alteration and decay of his whole state of minde and body should hourely all cry in his eares I am halfe dead I will therefore prepare to die in the Lord. It is therefore a miserable sight to see that those who of all men should be most willing to die are for the most part most desirous to liue And those who should be most readie to die are generally most ignorant most couetous and their hearts most of all wedded to the earth and earthly things Secondly olde persons must heere learne S. Pauls lesson 2. Corinth 4. That as the outward man perisheth so the inward man may be renued daily The outward man is the bodie the inward man is the soule and the grace of God in it They must therefore labour that as the strength of their bodies decay so the grace of GOD in their soules may quicken and reuiue But alas the common practice is contrarie For olde men haue generally so misspent their youthes and in their olde age are partly so backward partly so vnfit to learne religion that when they come to their death-beds they are then to be Catechised in the very principles of religion so that when as the body is halfe dead religion hath no being in them and when the body is a dying religion and grace scarce begins to liue in them such men cast all vpon a desperate point But let them that desire a ioyfull departure thinke of these thinges afore-hand and as yeares draw on and so draw life to his end and the body to the graue so let them weane their hearts from the world and lift them vp to GOD and so spend their last dayes in getting knowledge and in seruing God that when their bodies are weakest and fittest for the earth their soules may be the holiest and ripest for heauen To such men shall it neuer be discomfort to see their bodies halfe dead when for recompence thereof they finde their soules halfe in heauen Thus we see the roote or foundotion of this posterity how poore and weake it was Now let vs come to the greatnesse of it Thereof sprang as many in number c. This one olde couple Abraham and Sarah are made by Gods power the father mother of many nations and he and she of whom the world would haue pronounced they should not haue left a name vpō the earth haue now millions of childrē that sprang out of them Here we may learn That though GOD worke ordinarily according to the course of Nature which himselfe hath established yet that he is not bound to it nor will be hee bound it therefore there is no reason it should binde him Here we may see the power and prerogatiue of Gods Maiestie As in the beginning he made to be those things which were not so still he calleth things that are not as though they were Rom. 4.17 and turneth and altreth the state and nature of his creatures as pleaseth him He can take life from the liuing man and leaue him dead hee can giue life to the dead man make him liue againe So hath he dealt for the body and for the soule he hath beene no lesse wonderfull Saul of a bloudy persecuter he cā make a zealous Preacher Acts 9 euen a glorious instrument and a chosen vessell to carie his name vnto the Gentiles euen hee who thought to haue blotted out the name of Christ and all that call on that name from vnder heauen Acts 9.14 Rahab a harlot a cōmon woman yet by Gods work so far altred that her faith is here registred in the 31. ver amongst the most excellent
beleeuers that haue bin in the world Let this teach vs whē we see our own sins how hideous monstrous they be yet not to despaire And whē we see other men liue in extream dissolutenes yet not to iudge of them before the time but euen then with hope and comfort remember that God who quickneth the dead and calleth things that are not as though they were And in that hope let vs perswade our selues that he may quicken our dead hearts and reuiue vs by his grace And therefore in that hope let vs raise vp our selues to vse all holy meanes of Gods Word Sacraments and Prayer which if we carefully and continually doe wee shall see wonders wrought in vs that as they saide of Paul This man preacheth the faith which afore he destroyed and therefore glorified God for him Galath 1.22.23 So shall men say of vs This man hates the profanenesse that afore he liued in and loues the religion that afore hee mocked Such miracles will the Lord worke in vs if with faith and diligence wee vse the holy meanes that so all that see vs shall Glorifie GOD for vs. Thus wee see generally how great the issue and posterity of Sarah was But it is more particularly inlarged by two comparisons As many as the starres in the skie or as the sands by the sea shore which are innumerable His comparisons are two One taken from the heauens as many as the starres in the skie The other from the earth as the sands in the Sea And these two are vsed by the holy Ghost being things of incredible number to expresse the multitude of the Israelites that came all from Sarah Not but that other things also are of as great number as the drops of water dust of the earth hairs of mens heads c but these two are most common and prouerbiall phrases whereby to expresse a multitude And againe the starres of the skie are rather named then any other because God himself in the beginning pleased to vse it to Abraham when he had neuer a childe Gen. 15.8 God caried Abraham forth in the night and bad him count the starres if he could and said so shall thy seede be And Moses afterwards vseth the same comparison Deut. 10.22 Our Fathers went downe into Egypt 70. persons and now the Lord hath made vs as the starres of the skie in multitude Now because all men are not Astronomers as Abraham and Moses were and that ignorant men might say they can perceiue no such matter in the starres Therefore hee vseth another comparison which euery Country-man may discerne how innumerable they be namely the sands of the Sea-shore And least any should say I dwell in the mid-land Country and neuer saw the sea sand and am ignorant and so cannot iudge of the starres therefore to put him out of doubt the holy Ghost assures him in the end of the verse that they are both innumerable that is not in themselues or to God but in regard of man and mans skill vnable to be counted Concerning these two comparisons let vs obserue the manner or the phrase of speech in them vsed Secondly the matter in them intended For the first wee are to knowe that the speech is not proper but figuratiue For properly they were not as manie as the starres or as the sands neither are the starres or sands innumerable but it is a figure called by the Rhetoricians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is an excesse of finenesse of speech or an excessiue elegancie And as it is ordinarie in all Writers and euen in common speech so it is not refused by the holy Ghost but vsed both heere and in the two forenamed places and the like also of the same nature but in other phrases in other places as Saint Iohn 21.25 I suppose saith hee if all the sayings and doings of Christ were written the world could not containe the bookes that would be written Meaning they would be exceeding many and more then would be needefull for saluation And Deuteronomie 9. verse 1. Moses saith That the Cities of the Canaanites were great and walled vp to heauen Meaning that they were very high and so high as was possible for Cities walles to be and as was impossible to haue beene scaled in all mennes reason had not GOD fought for them These and such like are common in the Scripture and seeing wee allowe that libertie to all Writers and to our selues in common speeche no reason to denie it to the Scripture which was written for all mens vnderstanding and therfore in such phrases as are vsuall and ordinarie with all men And the like liberty is heere taken also in another figure as many as the sands by the shore of the sea the word properly signifieth and soundeth the lippe of the Sea Now the sea hath no lippe but it is a speech taken or borrowed from man or beast who haue lippes and the sea shore resembleth a lippe For looke what a lippe is to them the shores are to the sea as the two lippes doe inclose the mouth so the two shores on both sides doe inclose the Sea which lieth as in a mouth betwixt them From hence we may learne profitable instructions First that therefore Rhetoricke is a warrantable good and lawfull Art and it ariseth thus That which the holy Ghost practiceth must needes be not onely not euill but good and warrantable But the holy Ghost vseth and practiceth Rhetoricke heere and in many places else of the Scripture Therefore it is a good and lawfull Arte. The proposition is vndoubted the assumption is cleare both by these places and almost the whole body of the Scripture many of Saint Pauls Epistles many of Christes owne Sermons Saint Iohns Gospell many of the Prophets especially Esayah haue as much and as elegant Rhetoricke in them as any VVriters in the vvorlde and beside all other vertue and Diuine power in them doe euen for figures and ornaments of Arte match any Oratours that haue vvritten in the Greekes or Latines Nor would it bee anie hard taske to vndertake to prooue and illustrate euery approued rule of Rhetorick out of some part of Scripture Now if it be lawfull to practice the rules of Rhetorick then is it lawfull also to collect those rules together to pen them and to make an Art of them They therefore that holding the contrary doe say or teach or write it is vnlawfull goe against the streame and common practice of the Scripture and rules of common reason Secondly heere it is apparant that in preaching Gods word it is lawfull and warrātable for a Minister to vse Rhetoricke and eloquence And the reason is good for that which the holy Ghost vseth in penning of the Scripture the same may Gods Ministers vse also in preaching the same They therefore that denie that liberty to Ministers are too rough and rugged and pull out of the hand of the Ministers one of his weapons out of the wings of the
words and promises God spake plainly and deceaued not Abraham and after at the time performed it So must we deale plainely and simply in our words and bargaines and thinke that to deceiue and ouer-reach by craftie words and double meanings and equiuocall phrases are not beseeming Christianity And we must make conscience of a lie else we are like the diuell and not God Also a Christian man must take heede what how and to whom he promiseth but hauing promised he must performe though it be losse or harme to himselfe if it be not wrong to God or to the Church or State Wrong to himselfe must not hinder him from performance Christian mens words must not be vaine they should be as good as bonds though I know it is lawfull and very conuenient in regard of mortality to take such kind of assurances Lastly Abraham had the promise his seed should bee so Gen. 15.8 And here we see it is so but he himself saw it not so that Abraham had the promise and we the performance So Adam had the promise of the Messias but wee see it performed The Patriarkes and Prophets the promise of the calling of the Gentiles but we see it performed See heere the glory of the Church vnder the New Testament aboue the olde This must teach vs to be so much better then they as God is better to vs then hee was to them and to excell them in faith and all other vertues of holinesse or else their faith and their holy obedience shall turne to our greater condemnation which haue had so farre greater cause to beleeue and obey God and so farre better means than they Which if it be so then alas what will become of them who come behinde them nay haue no care to followe them in their faith nor holinesse nor any duties of holy obedience Thus much for the Example of this holy womans faith and of the commendation thereof Now before he come to any more particular examples of faith the holy Ghost giues a generall commendation of the faith of all those ioyntly which are spoken of already VERSE 13. All these died in faith and receiued not the promises but saw them afarre off and beleeued them and receiued them thankefully and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrimes on the earth HItherto the Holy Ghost hath particularly commended the faith of diuers holy beleeuers Now from this verse to the 17. hee doth generally commend the faith of Abraham Sarah Isaac and Iaacob together yet not so much their faith as the durance and constancy of their faith Particularly the points are two 1. Is laid downe their constancy and continuance All these died in faith 2. That constancy is set fourth by foure effects 1. They receiued not the promises but saw them afarre off 2. They beleeued them 3. Receiued them thankefully 4. Professed themselues strangers and pilgrimes on the earth The first point touching these beleeuers is that as they begun so they held on as they liued so they died in faith All these died in faith The trueth of the matter in the words may be referred to all afore going sauing Enoch who died not yet he continued also constant in his faith and in that faith was taken vp but as for Abel and Noah they died in faith Yet I take it that principally and directly the holy Ghost intended no more than these foure I named and my reason is because the particular effects in this verse and the points whereby this their constaÌ„cy is amplified in the three verses followwing adoe all agree especially with these foure and not so properly with Abel or Noah so that I take he meaneth by all these all these men that liued in the second world since the flood All these died in faith that is in assurance that the promises made vnto them should bee performed in Gods good time These promises were principally these two 1. Saluation by the Messias 2. The possession of the Land of Canaan In this faith they died that is they held it through all asâ—aults and temptations to the contrary euen to the last gaspe and died therein In this their practice is commended vnto vs a most worthy lesson of Christianitie namely that wee must so liue that we may die in faith Many say they liue in faith and it is well if they doe so but the maine point is to die in faith There is none so ill but howsoeuer he liues yet hee would die well If hee would die well hee must die in faith For miserable is the death that is without faith And herein faith and hope differ from other graces of God Loue ioy zeale holinesse and all other graces are imperfect here and are perfected in heauen but faith and hope are perfected at our deaths they are not in the other world for there is nothing then to be beleeued nor hoped for seeing we then doe inioy all things but as they are begunne in our life at our regeneration so they be made perfect when wee die and they shine most gloriously in the last and greatest combate of all which is at the houre of death So that the death of a Christian which is the gate to glory is to die in faith Besides as life leaues vs death finds vs and as death leaues vs the last iudgement finds vs and as it leaues vs so wee continue for euer and euer without recouerie or alteration Now to die in faith is to die in an assured estate of glory and happinesse which is that that euery man desireth therfore as we all desire it so let vs die in faith and we shal attaine vnto it Saint Paul tels vs 1. Corinth 15.55 Death is a terrible serpent for he hath a poisoned sting Now when we die we are to encounter with this hideous and fearefull serpent He is fearefull euery way but especially for his sting that sting is our sinne and this sting is not taken away nor the force of it quenched but by true faith which quencheth all the fierie darts of the diuell Ephes. 6. If therefore wee would bee able to encounter with this great enemie in the conquering of whom who stands our happinesse and by whom to be conquered is our eternall miserie wee must then so arme our selues with faith that wee may die in faith for hee that dieth in faith that faith of his kils his sinnes and conquers death but he that dieth without faith death and sin seize on him and his sinnes liue for euer and his miserie by them Now if we would die in faith we must liue in faith else it is not to be expected For so these holy Patriarchs liued long in this faith wherein they died For their holy liues shewed plainely that they liued in that faith which the Apostle saith doth purifie our hearts Act. 15.9 Now if wee would liue in true faith the meanes to attaine it set downe by Gods word are these First wee must labour to get knowledge of
euery sinne by the practice of true repentance and so make our selues fit pilgrimes for the way to heauen Thirdly we must learne contentation of heart in euery estate of life which God shall send vpon vs we must bee contented as well in sickenesse as in health in pouerty as in plentie in trouble as in peace and in good report and ill report and in all estates of life and death A pilgrime in his way taketh all things patiently that befall him and if he be iniuried any way he puts it vp quietly without seeking reuenge or making complaint till hee come home where he knowes hee shall haue audience and redresse Euen so must we behaue our selues in this our pilgrimage to heauen in hope of that redresse and rest we shall haue we must beare all things patiently that befall vs in this life which is the way and doing these three things we shal become good pilgrimes and strangers in this world Here two questions offer themselues to be considered First if euery man both in profession and practice must shew himselfe to bee a pilgrime and stranger in this world Whether then is it not a good estate of life for a man to contemne the world and all things in it and to betake himselfe to perpetuall beggerie and voluntary pouertie Answ. The world in Scripture is taken diuers waies first for the corruptions and sinnes in the world and these must be contemned by all meanes possible yea that is the best religion which teacheth best how to contemne these and he the best man who most forsakes them in what calling soeuer he liues Secondly for temporal blessings as money lands wealth sustenance and such like outward things as concerne the necessarie or conuenient maintenance of this naturall life And in this sense the world is not to bee contemned for in themselues these earthly things are the good gifts of God which no man can simply contemne without iniurie to Gods disposing hand and prouidence who hath ordained them for naturall life The Papists esteeme it an Angelical state of perfection approaching neere to the state of glory when a man forsaketh all and betakes himselfe to voluntarie pouertie as begging Friers do But indeed it is a meere deuice of mans braine and hath no warrant in Gods word which decreeth thus that he that will not labour in some lawfull calling shall not eate Obiect But here they will say that our Sauiour Christ speaking to the young rich man bade him goe and sell all that he had and giue to the poore and hee should haue treasure in heauen Mar. 10. Answ. That commandement was not ordinarie but speciall belonging to that yong man It was a commandement of triall giuen to him onely as this was to Abraham when God said Abraham kill thy sonne Gen. 22.2 And the reason of that commandement was peculiar to him namely to shew him his corruption and to discouer his hypocrisie Againe howsoeuer the yong man was commanded to sell all yet he is not commanded to giue all but onely thus Sell all giue to the poore 2. Obiect Againe they obiect that Christ himselfe was a beggar and his Disciples also and had nothing of their owne but went vp and downe the world as beggars and liued of that which others ministred vnto them Answ. This is a meere forgerie and cannot be proued out of the word of God The bagge which Iudas carried doeth prooue the contrary for he was as it were the steward in Christs family who looked to their prouision and to their contribution to the poore as may be seene Ioh. 13.27 28 29. Yea Christs Disciples though they left the present vse of their houses and places yet they gaue not ouer their title and possession in them for Christ went to Peters house where he healed his wiues mother Math. 8.14 And after the time of Christs passion Peter and the other Disciples returned to their ships againe and became fishers for a time For Christ Iohn 21. after his resurrection appeared to them while they were fishing 2. Quest. Whether may a man lawfully seeke to bee rich seeing we must professe our selues to bee pilgrimes and strangers in this life Ans. Riches are taken two waies 1. for things sufficient 2. for aboundance For the first by things sufficient I meane things necessarie and meete for a mans estate to maintaine him and his family and thus a man may seeke to be rich for so wee are taught to pray in the fourth Petition Giue vs this day our daily bread that is things meete and needfull for the day From whence I reason thus That which wee may lawfully aske at Gods hands wee may lawfully seeke for But we may lawfully aske of God all things necessary to this life Therefore wee may lawfully vse the meanes to attaine vnto them And this Agurs praier sheweth also Giue me not pouertie nor riches feede mee with food conuenient for me Where wee see it is requisite a man should labour for things necessary to this life Now because mans corrupt nature is so gripple that hee would not bee contented with the whole world though it were all his therfore we must learne this rule of contentation for worldly things namely to followe the counsell and example of wise and godly men who are neither couetous nor riotous but rest contented with that which is sufficiēt As for the wearing of apparel we haue no speciall rule nor precept in Gods word and therefore our direction must bee the example and fashion of the most graue and godly in that calling whereof wee are whose president must be our direction in all cases wherof we haue no precept nor rule in Gods word But if riches bee taken in the second sense for aboundance aboue that which is competent and sufficient then it is not lawfull for a man to seeke to bee rich for proofe hereof we haue the plaine testimony of the word of God Paul saith 1. Tim. 6.8 9. When we haue food and raiment wee must therewith be contented for they that will bee rich fall into tentation and snares and into many foolish and noysome lusts which drowne men in perdition and destruction Where the Apostle dooth not simply condemne a rich estate but rather the desire to be rich that is a desire to haue more than is necessarie for the maintaining of a mans estate Yet this is the common sinne of the world men are so couetous that they wil not be contented with that which is enough but still toyle and moyle for more till they haue gotten so much vnder their hands as would honestly and sufficiently maintaine ten men of their estate and calling But all such are condemned by the testimony of the holy Ghost in the place afore named Quest. What if God giue abundance to a man by lawfull meanes what must such a man doe Answ. When God sendeth riches in aboundance to any man hee must thinke himselfe to be appointed of God as a
steward ouer them for the good disposing of them to the glory of God and the good of his Church alwaies remembring this rule of the Prophet Dauid Psal. 62.10 If riches increase set not thy heart on them He saith not If riches increase refuse thē but set not thy heart on them and thus much of these Questions Now this practice of the Patriarchs is as necessarie for vs in these dayes as euer it was for the cause why we profit little after much hearing of Gods word is this we haue not behaued our selues like Pilgrimes and strangers in this world but the cares of the things of this life haue choaked it vp Math. 13 2◠that it could take no ground nor roote in our hearts when we haue heard the word wee remember it not because our hearts and the affections thereof are set on the pleasures and commodities of the worlde Wee therefore must shake off this filthy sinne and learne to behaue our selues like Pilgrimes and strangers not intangling our selues with the things of this life but vsing them as though we vsed them not so as they be no hinderance to the growth of Gods graces in vs. For they that say such things declare plainly that they seeke a Country In the former verse was set downe the constancie of Abraham Sarah Isaac and Iacob in the faith Now in the 14.15 and 16. verses the holy Ghost proceedeth to amplifie and inlarge the commendation of their perseuerance in the faith for the scope of all these verses is to proue that all these particularly were constant in the faith vnto the end The proofe is made by one substantiall reason the summe whereof is this Abraham Sarah Isaac and Iacob sought for their Country which was heauen and therefore they were constant in the true faith But some may thinke that this reason is not substantiall for men may seeke for heauen that neuer had true sauing faith As Balaam desired that his end might be like the end of the righteous Numb 23.10 wherewith no doubt he desired the state of the righteous after this life I answere that this desire of Balaams was not grounded vpon any constant perswasion nor settled resolution but vpon some sodaine motion Secondly though he desired to die the death of the righteous yet he would not liue the life of the righteous hee had no delight to walke in the way to come to that end which they walked in without which no man ordinarily can come to it Yet further some will say Many shall seeke as our Sauiour Christ saith to enter in at the straite gate of the kingdome of heauen and shall not be able Luke 13.24 Therefore to seeke for heauen is no sufficient argument of true faith Answer True indeede many shall seeke to come to heauen and shall not be able to enter because they seek when the dore of mercy is shut and when the day of grace is past for there is a time of grace wherein the Lord will be found Now if men seeke him not in this time though they seeke him neuer so long after yet they shall not finde him But the seeking of these Patriarchs was a sound and constant seeking and so a notable fruite of their true faith For 1. they sought a heauenly Country 2. they sought it in due time not for a brunt but through the whole course of their liues 3. they went the right way denying themselues and their estate in this life as being strangers vpon earth and they were willing to forsake all things in this world to attaine heauen esteeming it as their true dwelling place and their eternall rest Now more particularly the holy Ghost diuideth this reason into two parts handleth the same seuerally 1. he proueth that they sought a Country in this verse and 2. that this Country which they sought was heauen it selfe verse 15.16 For the first part that they sought a Country is thus proued They which say they are Pilgrimes and strangers they shew plainly that they seeke a Country But Abraham Isaac and Iacob saide of themselues that they were Pilgrimes and Strangers Therefore they shew plainly that they seeke a Country The first part of this reason is euident in it selfe for hee that saith hee is a Pilgrime and a stranger in any place sheweth plainly that hee is forth 〈◊〉 his owne Countrey and therefore seeketh one The second part of the reason is assumed from their confession in the end of the former verse and confessed that they were Pilgrimes and strangers on the earth from whence the conclusion is laid downe in this 14. verse that therefore these Patriarchs sought a Country In this reason obserue first that the Author of this Epistle had diligently read the History of Abraham Sarah Isaac and Iacob penned by Moses in the booke of Genesis and in reading had obserued that which they particularly confessed of themselues in many places of that booke namely that they were Pilgrimes and strangers yea also hee gathered from their confession this most heauenly meditation that therefore they were not in their owne Country but sought another These three thinges then the Author of this Epistle vsed about the holy Scriptures Reading meditation and obseruation Whence we learne that all Gods Ministers and those which prepare themselues to the worke of the Ministerie are diligently to reade and study the holy Scriptures and to meditate therein No doubt the Author of this Epistle was an Apostle and had most notable giftes by vertue of his calling and yet hee bestowed paines in viewing the particular words of Abraham Isaac and Iacob recorded by Moses in the booke of Genesis Daniell also was an extraordinarie Prophet yet as wee may reade Daniel 9.2 hee studied with admirable diligence the prophecies of Ieremie and Ezekiel And Timothie though he were a Disciple Acts 16.1 and well learned yet Paul chargeth him to giue attendance to reading to exhortation and to doctrine 1. Timothie 4.13 And Ezekiel is commaunded to eate the role and to fill his belly with it Ezekiel 3.3 And Saint Iohn likewise is commaunded to eate vp the little booke Reuelations 10.9.10 which thing he did all which strongly inforce the former duty shewing that Gods seruant in the Ministerie must as it were eate vp Gods booke that in iudgement and vnderstanding he may digest as farre as is possible the deepe things of God and the hardest places of the Scripture here must he lay his foundation and hither haue recourse frō all other writing whatsoeuer in any matter of doubt This direction is most necessary for the Schooles of the Prophets and for all Gods Ministers and yet notwithstanding the contrary practice beareth sway in the world For in the Popish Vniuersities most of their diuines apply themselues to study the bookes of certaine schoole-men and the Expositors or Commenters thereupon These are applied day and night though they be both many and large and full of needlesse quiddities and oftentimes they be also
the matter of their mocking is religion and the professers thereof This ought not to be so for howsoeuer men may faile both in knowledge practice yet the professers of religion should not be so despised This abuse is growen to such a height that many refraine the diligent hearing of the word preached least they should be mocked But let these mockers know that heerein they shake hands with the diuell and with the persecuters of Gods Church for mocking is a kinde of persecution Young Christians should not be so dealt with but rather encouraged for the aduancement of the Kingdome of Christ. Thus dealt our Sauiour Christ with those that gaue any testimonie of the sparkes of grace when the young man said He had from his youth kept Gods commaundements the Text saith Iesus beheld him and loued him Marke 10.21 and hearing a Scribe answer discreetly he said vnto him Thou art not farre from the Kingdome of God Marke chapter 12. ver 34 Now we must be followers of Christ and walke in loue iudging and speaking the best of all professours accounting none for hypocrites till GOD make their hypocrisie knowen It is a note of a Christian to loue a man because hee loues religion on the contrarie to hate a man because hee is a Christian is a note of a persecuter and an enemie to Christ. And thus much in generall Now wee come in particular to the seuerall kindes of sufferings which these beleeuers endured by faith the first whereof is racking in these words others also were racked or as some translate it And others were beaten with clubbes For the words in the originall will beare either translation and both of them fitly agree to this kinde of suffering For in these times the enemies of GODs Church vsed to set the bodies of them that were to be tormented vpon rackes and engines whereon they stretched out euery ioynt and then did beat the whole body thus racked with clubs till the party were starke dead An example of this kind of suffering we haue in Eleazer a Iewe 1. Mac. 6. who vnder Antiochus was first racked and then beaten on euery part of his body vnto the death because he refused to eat swines flesh But some will say This cannot be any commendation of faith to be racked and beaten to death for malefactors and traytors are so vsed Ans. To preuent this obiectiō the holy Ghost addeth these words and would not be deliuered or would not accept deliuerance to shewe that this suffering was a notable commendation of true faith The meaning of the words is this That whereas some Iewes in the olde Testament were condemned to death for their religion by persecutors and yet had life and libertie offered vnto thē if they would recant and forsake their religion This proffer of life they refused and would not be deliuered vpon such a condition In this example of faith we are taught to hold fast true religion and to preferre the enioying of it before all the pleasures and commodities in the world yea before life it self This point Paul vrgeth in sundry exhortations saying Let him that thinketh he standeth take heede lest hee fall 1. Co. 10.12 forbidding vs to preserue our outward peace by communicating with idolaters And againe Stand fast in the faith 1. Cor. 16.13 Yea this is one maine point that Paul vrgeth to Timothy in both his Epistles to keepe faith and a good conscience And our Sauiour Christ in one of his parables Math. 13.44 compares the kingdom of heauen to a treasure hid in the field which when a man findeth hee hideth it goes home sels al he hath to buy the field Wherby he would teach vs that euery ones duty who would enioy the Kingdom of heauen is this In regard of it to forgoe and forsake all things else esteeming them to bee drosse and dongue as Paul did Philip. 3.8 What though a man had all the riches and pleasures of the world al things else for this life that his heart could wish yet if he want religion and a good conscience all he hath is nothing for so he wants the loue and fauour of God shall lose his soule for the ransome whereof all the world can doe nothing Wherefore we must hereby be admonished to haue more care to get and maintaine true religion and a good conscience than any thing in the world besides Now because nature will iudge it a part of rashnesse to refuse life when it is offered therfore to preuent this conceit against these beleeuers the holy Ghost sets downe a notable reason of this their fact to wit They refused deliuerance that they might receiue a better resurrection Many interpreters vnderstand these words of the resurrection at the day of iudgement simply as though the holy Ghost had said These Martyrs therefore refused to be deliuered from death because they looked to receiue at the day of iudgement a greater measure of glory euen for this that in obedience to God for the maintenance of true religion they were content to lay downe their liues This no doubt is the truth of God that the more wee humble our selues in suffering for the name of Christ in this life the greater shall our glory bee at the generall resurrection for our light affliction which is but for a moment causeth vnto vs a farre more excellent and eternall waight of glory 2. Cor. 4.17 And yet as I take it that is not the meaning of these words but their resurrection at the last day is here tearmed better than the temporall deliuerance offered vnto them For beeing in torments on the racke they were but dead men and when life was offered vnto them it was as it were a kinde of resurrection and in regard of the enemies of the Church a good resurrection but for that they would not lose the comfort of resurrection to life at the last day Here then are two resurrections compared together The first is a deliuerance from temporall death the second is a rising to life euerlasting at the last day of iudgement Now of these two the later is the better and that in the iudgement of Gods seruants and Martyrs So then the true meaning of these wordes is this These seruants of God refused deliuerance from temporall tortures and punishments because their care and desire was that their bodies might rise againe to life euerlasting at the day of iudgement which rising againe to life at that day they iudged farre better than to rise to a temporall life for a while in this world This reason wel obserued may teach vs these two speciall duties First to be carefull aboue all things for assurance in our consciences as these seruants of God had that our bodies shall rise againe to life euerlasting at the last day True it is wee make this confession with our mouthes among the articles of our Faith but we must labour to bee setled and resolued effectually in our hearts that
Peter exhorts the Christians to haue their conuersation honest among the Gentiles that they which speake euill of them as of euill doers might by their good workes which they should see glorifie God in the day of their visitation 1. Pet. 2.12 And he bids godly wiues so walke that their husbands may be wonne without the word by beholding their pure conuersation which is with feare 1. Pet. 3.1.2 And Paul bids the Philippians to walke blamelesse in the middle of a wicked and crooked nation as lights in the middle of the world Phil. 2.15 that those which were to be conuerted by their good conuersation might be wonne to the truth GOD sent a floud vpon the world for the greeuousnesse of mans sinnes Now why doth hee not still send more flouds are not men now as wicked as they were then Yes vndoubtedly man for his part deserues it now as well as they did then and therfore our Sauiour Christ saith as it was in the dayes of Noah so shall it be in the dayes of the sonne of man so that euery day we deserue a new floud but yet the Lord stayes the execution of his iudgements for a time that his elect may bee gathered and conuerted And so soone as that is done heauen and earth shall goe together and God will not stay one moment for all the world besides So that euery nation and people in the world haue benefit by Gods children because for their sakes doth the Lord stay his wrath and deferre his iudgements euen the great iudgement of fire wherewith the world shall be consumed at the last day These things the world should take notice of as well to moue them to repentance of their sinnes whereby they are made vnworthy the presence of a godly man as also to perswade them to better behauiour and cariage towards the godly by whom they are so many wayes blessed The holy Ghost addeth that they wandred in wildernesse and mountaines and donnes and Caues of the earth These were desolate places and not inhabited and yet for the wickednesse of the world GOD will haue these beleeuerâ— here to wander Wee must not thinke that they betooke themselues voluntarily to this solitary life but onely vpon necessity being constrained by persecution to flie into the wildernesse for the sauing of their liues and the keeping a good conscience This serues to descry vnto vs the blinde errour of many ages afore vs wherein it hath beene thought and is by Papists at this day to bee a state of perfection to liue a Monke or Hermite out of all societies in some desert place and there to spend the whole life in contemplation onely that voluntarily and they magnifie this estate so much that heereby they thinke to merit eternall life at the hands of God But these beleeuers did neither voluntarily nor with opinion of merit betake themselues to this solitarie life but on necessity And indeede this kinde of life hath no warrant in Gods word for euery Christian is a member of two Kingdomes of Christs Kingdome of grace and of that particular state where he dwelleth and by reason heereof hath a two-folde calling a temporall and a spirituall calling In both of which he must walke diligently so long as hee can doing the duties both of a childe of God and of a member of that common-wealth where hee liueth Now when a man goes voluntarily to leade a solitary life he forsakes his temporall calling altogether and performes the other but negligently for hee withdrawes himselfe from many duties of piety whereby the people might be furthered to God-ward which none can do with a good conscience Further obserue the places where they are constrained to wander to wit in Wildernesse Caues and Dennes places where wilde beasts haue abode and recourse and yet heere they liue when as men will not suffer them to liue among them Where note that many times more mercy may be found among wilde and sauage beasts than with some men so mercilesse are the wicked when God forsakes them and leaues them to themselues The Lions entreate Daniel better than Darius Courtiers and seruants doe Daniel chapter 6. And Lazarus findes more kindenesse with the dogges at Diues gates then with him and all his family besides Luke chapter 16. verse 21. The consideration whereof must teach vs to nippe sinne in the head at the beginning and not to suffer it to growe for if it get a head and raigne in vs it will make vs worse than brute or sauage beasts and cruell as the Diuell himselfe as wee may see in the worldes vsage of these beleeuers Thus we see the state of true beleeuers vnder many and greeuous miseries which wee must well obserue to arme our selues against the times of aduersities which GOD may sende vpon vs. VVee must not iudge it a cursed estate to bee vnder the Crosse for heere wee see the faith of his seruants is commended for suffering nine seuerall kindes of miseries If wee shall thinke that these were but a fewe wee must knowe that in them the holy Ghost setteth down the state of his Church vnto the end for these things were written for ensamples vnto vs. And therefore if calamities come and such miseries befall vs as doe driue vr toward distrust as though God had forsaken vs we must remember that God did not forsake these his children in their calamities and therefore also will not forsake vs. And thus much for this last example VERSE 39. And these all through faith obtained good report and recei-not the promise THe holy Ghost hauing set down at large a worthie and notable Catalogue of examples of faith in sundry beleeuers that liued from the beginning of the world to the time of the Maccabees doth now for a further commendation of their faith rehearse the same things that before he had said in the 2. and 13. verses of this chapter In saying that by faith they all receiued good report his meaning is that they did beleeue in the true Messias and looked for saluation in him alone whereupon they were approoued of God himselfe who gaue testimonie hereof partly by his word and partly by his spirit in their consciences and partly by his Church by all which they were commended and assured to be Gods seruants And yet notwithstanding this good report they receiued not the promise that is the promise of Christs incarnation in their daies They receiued Christ truely by faith and so saw his day but his actual incarnation in the flesh they liued not to see Whereas it is said That by faith they obtained testimony Here first obserue that there is nothing in man that makes him acceptable to God but faith onely GOD regards no mans person hee accepts not of a man because he is a King or because he is wise or rich or strong c. But if a man beleeue then the Lord is ready to giue testimony of him that hee likes well of him In regard
witnesse but rather be excepted against as altogether vnworthy and so would prooue a discredit to his friends cause a shame to himself so it is with vs in Christs cause if we professe in word deny indeed we discredit Christ and his profession shame our selues for euer And therfore we must be carefull not only in word and iudgement but in life conuersation to make a true constant confession of Christ and of his truth And thus much for the exhortation Now followeth the 2. point to be obserued in this verse namely the manner how Gods Church people may put in practice this worthy exhortation of the holy Ghost To be constant in the faith And this consists in three duties 1. They must cast away that which presseth downe 2. They must cast away that sin that hangeth so fast on or sin which so readily doth compasse vs about 3. They must run the race that is set before them with patience Whosoeuer in Gods Church either Iew or Gentile can performe these 3. things shall be able no doubt to follow the counsell of the holy Ghost cōtinue cōstant in the faith vnto the end Of these 3. in order The 1. thing then to be done is this We must cast away that which presseth down or thus Cast away the waight or burthen for so much the word in the originall signifieth euen that burthen which so presseth down the poore Christian that he cannot goe on forward in the course of godlinesse and Christianity By burthen or weight here we must vnderstand 5. things 1. The loue of this temporall life 2. Care for earthly things 3. Riches temporal wealth 4. Worldly honour preferments 5. Worldly delights and pleasures All these are things which lie heauy on mans soule as weighty burthens which presse it downe especially then when the soule should lift vp it self to seek heauenly things So in the Parable of the Sower riches pleasures cares for the things of this life are called thornes which choake the word of God in a mans heart and make it vnfruitfull And surfetting drunkennes are said to be things which oppress the heart and make it heauy And easie it were to shewe by many testimonies that all these fiue things do press down the heart especially then when it should be lifted vp in the seeking of heauenly things Now in this that these 5. things are waighty burdens we may learne first what is the cause that in these our daies euery where the Gospel of Christ being published preached expoūded takes so little place in mēs hearts whether we regard knowledge vnderstanding or affection and obedience For Gods word is a word of power mighty in operation how comes it to passe then that the ground is barren where it is cast why makes it not men learned religious Ans. Surely in euery place where the word of God is preached especially among vs these fiue things possess the hearts of men exercise all the thoghts of the minde and affections of the heart From whence it commeth to passe that after long preaching there is little fruit or profit either for knowledge or obedience for where the heart is pressed downe with the waight of these earthly things there the word of God can take no place nor bring forth fruit And this is generally true among vs though we heare Gods word from year to year and thereby might increase in knowledg obediēce if we would yet in many there is little shew of either and the cause is in these worldly cares which take place in our hearts For this is a most certaine truth that so long as our hearts are addicted to the greedy seeking after these earthly things honour pleasures c. so long will the ground of our hearts bee barren The good seed of Gods word may be sowen therein but little fruit shall come thereof saue briers and weeds which will increase our damnation Again whereas the loue of tēporal life care of earthly things c. are sore burdens pressing downe a mans heart from heauen to earth and making it heauy and sad and dead in regard of all spirituall exercises and contemplations Hereby we are taught oftentimes to giue our selues to eleuate and lift vp our mindes and hearts to God partly by meditation in his word partly by inuocation on his name and partly by thanksgiuing And to doe these things the better we must remember to set apart some speciall time euery day for this speciall worke so as we may say with Dauid Psal. 25.1 Lord I lift vp my heart vnto thee Dauid was well acquinted with this exercise and so was Daniel for both of them vsed this as we may read Psa. 55.17 Euening and morning saith Dauid and at noone wil I pray make a noyse And Daniel vsed to pray vnto God 3. times a day wherein he would heartily vnfainedly call vpon God with thanksgiuing And great reason we should do so for wee liue in this world wherein are innumerable waighty things which press down our hearts frō looking vp to heauen therfore we must often practice our selues in holy meditatiō prayer vnto God that so we may lift vp our soules vnto God from the things of this world To vse a fit cōparisō we know that those who keep clocks if they would haue the clock stil going must once or twice a day winde vp the plūmets which cause the wheels to go about because they are still drawing downward Euen so seeing our hearts haue plummets of lead which are worldly cares and desires to press them down from seeking vp to heauen we must doe with our hearts as the clock-keeper doth with his plummets winde them vp vnto God euery day for this ende must set apart some particular time to do the same in holy duties Why doth God command the 7. day to be sanctified and set apart from all bodily exercises worldly cares vndoubtedly it is for this end to cause men to eleuate their hearts from all wordly things to seeke the things aboue else if the minde should be alwaies pressed down with worldly cares it could neuer attain to heauēs ioys He that hath not cōsciēce on the Lords day to lift vp his heart to heauen by prayer and hearing Gods word with meditation theron cannot possibly haue any soundnes in religion nor his heart firmely settled on heauenly things Thirdly whereas the holy Ghost saith That the Hebrewes must cast away the weight that presseth downe Here wee are taught in what manner and how farre forth wee must vse the things of this life as riches honours and lawfull pleasures yea and all temporall blessings whatsoeuer namely so farre forth as they will further vs in the course of religion and in the exercises of godlinesse and vertue and no further But finding by experience that these temporall things be a burden vnto vs pressing vs downe and making vs vnfit for