I were a better wife or seruant I should finde my husband or seruant better to mee Thus in the generall The first thing then the Apostle giues in charge concerns seruants from verse 18. to the end of this chapter where obserue First the proposition enioyning seruants to be subiect to their masters verse 18. Secondly the exposition shewing both how they should be subiect viz. with all feare and to what masters viz. not onely to the good but to the froward verse 18. Thirdly the confirmation of it by three reasons viz. from the consideration 1. Of the acceptation of such subiection with God verses 19.20 2. Of their calling verse 21. 3. Of the example of Christ which is vrged 1. For the vse of seruants verses 22.23 2. For the vse of all Christians by digression verses 24.25 First then of the proposition where we are to consider first the persons charged Seruants secondly the duty imposed be subiect thirdly the persons to whom they owe it to your Masters Seruants Two things are to bee inquired into about seruants First the originall of their estate and secondly the bond that ties them to this subiection There are seruants of God seruants of sinne seruants of men It is the seruants of men that are heere meant seruants of men are not all of one sort neither For first such as apply themselues to satisfy the vnreasonable humors of men are said to bee seruants of men and condemned 1. Cor. 7.23 Secondly such as make themselues beholding to other men through their pride are forst many times to become their seruants Thus the borrower is a seruant to the lender Prou. 22.7 Thirdly such as imploy their estates or bodies for the honour or preseruation of their superiors are said to be seruants thus subiects serue Princes 1. Sam. 8.17 Fourthly such as imploy their labours and spend themselues for the common good are said to bee seruants thus Ministers are the peoples seruants 2. Cor. 4.5 1. Cor. 9.19 But none of these are heere meant Those seruants are domesticall seruants such as are vnder the yoke of particular Masters in a family Those seruants in the Apostles time were of two sorts some were bond seruants such as were bought and sould in the markets ouer whom the Masters had absolute and perpetuall power some were hired seruants that did seruice by couenant and contract as seruants doe now for the most part with vs. Concerning these it may bee inquired how it comes to passe that men that by creation haue the same nature with other men should in their condition bee abased to so low and meane an estate as to serue them that are in nature alike to them This seemes to bee a grieuous inequality and therefore first to be searched into for the originall and causes of it It is out of doubt that before the Fall if man had staied in his Innocency there had beene no seruitude because all men had beene made after the Image of God both for holines and glory and so had beene on earth as the Saints shall bee in heauen The first cause then of subiection and seruitude was the confusion and sinne of our first parents brought vpon the world the earth being cursed for mans sake A necessity of toylesome labour lay vpon men and so from the aduantages or disaduantages of particular mens estates did arise the freer or harder condition of some men besides this sinne had so confounded the very dispositions of men that through the inequality of naturall temper or care of education some men are made more fit to gouern and others to be gouerned Secondly as a monument of Gods Iustice it is obserued that som whole nations of men haue bin in their very naturall inclination onely disposed to bondage being destitute of all gifts to rule or gouerne as it is noted by the Muscouites and some other nations who for the most part at this day are seruants yea slaues by nature Thirdly in other nations many men become seruants not by nature but by necessity as being taken in mercy and thus among the Latines came vp the name of seruants being serui because they were seruati preserued from slaughter in war and mancipia because they were manu capta things taken by force of armes Fourthly the horrible sinnes sometimes of the Ancestors brings beggery and so seruitude vpon their posterity as the sin of Cam made Canaan a seruant of seruants Gen. 9.25 So doth treason whoredome riotousnes and prodigality of many parents vndoe their whole posterity and leaue them in a necessity of seruing Fiftly wicked children for their disobedience to their parents are many times brought not onely to bee seruants but as was noted before of Cam to bee seruant of seruants Prou. 17.2 Sixtly many men are brought to a morsell of bread by their owne disorder and wickednes of life sometimes open sins sometimes secret sinnes bringing this curse of God vpon them For men became seruants onely to gayne by their seruice the knowledge or state of som science art or trade as many apprentices doe Seuenthly sometimes God by his hand doth abase some men onely as a triall if they fall into pouerty and so to the necessity of working for others by no sinfull courses of their owne but by the ineuitable hand of God as by pyracy shipwrack fire theeues or the like and these are so humbled either to warne others and shew the power of God or to bring them to repentance or else for triall of God's grace in them Eightthly some men are brought to this misery by the cruelty and vniust dealing of other men and so that power the Masters tooke ouer their bondmen to dispose of their very liues was not of God or nature but meerely an oppression For why shold they haue power to take away life that could not giue it And so many a man is brought to pouerty and seruitude by oppression and cruell Landlords or by the fraudulent dealings of other men that falsify their trust or coozen them in bargaining Now the seruants brought to this condition by any of these meanes must bee subiect to their Masters and this is of diuine institution For God him selfe hath bound them to it by the first commandement and so the subiection of seruants is a morall and perpetuall ordinance Vses The vse of all this may bee diuers For First it should teach all sorts of men the more to hate and flee from sinne which hath brought these miseries vpon such multitudes of men Secondly it should teach Masters to vse their seruants respectiuely For tho they be seruants yet they are men made after the Image of God and they are the best part of their possession For other things they possesse are without life and seruants are the liuing instruments of their commodities Thus wise and godly men in Scripture were wont to account it the best part of their possessions that they had men seruants or maid seruants Thirdly it should
similitude that Christ is laid as the Mason laies the chief corner stone in the earth For it imports First The diuine nature of Christ that he was before he was incarnate as the corner-stone was before it was laid for a foundation Christ descended from heauen Eph. 4.7 9. Secondly The vnchangeablenes of Gods ordinances concerning the giuing of Christ. Hee hath laid him as a foundation that hee would not haue taken vp againe Thirdly the hiding of the glory of Christ and of his life He is of singular vse to the church and the Frame of God's work appeareth in his members but Christ himself is hid with God Col. 3.3 He is like the stone hidden in the earth hee is buried in the ground and therefore wee should be the more patient if our life be hid also with God Fourthly it may be by this tearm the mystery of the birth and conception of Christ is intimated God digged the ground of our natures in the womb of Christ that hee might lay Christ there c. Fiftly so it may likewise import the sanctification of the humane nature of Christ who was qualified as the stone is squared when it is laied down Thus of the manner The place follows In Sion Sion for certain was a Fort of the Iebusites built on a hill close to Ierusalem which was taken by Dauid and called the City of Dauid 2. Sam. 5 7 the Temple being afterwards built heer The Church of the Iewes was cald Sion because heer they assembled and so afterwards it was the title giuen to the Church of God both of Iewes and Gentiles that agree in one faith and true Religion Zach. 10.11 And in especiall by Sion is meant the place of the assembly of the Saints the Sanctuary In the twelfth to the Hebrews verse 22. it is thought to signifie the saints in heauen euen the Congregation of the first-born In this place it must needs mean the Christian Church in which GOD built the new world laying the foundation in Christ incarnate which began in Ierusalem euen at Sion in the Letter Now when the Lord cals his Church by this name of Sion it is to import diuers things partly to tell vs what we were by nature and partly to tell vs what we are by his grace and fauour By nature what were our assemblies but Forts of Iebusites in which multitudes of Iocusts swarmed we were Canaanites enemies to God and all true religion we were the halt and the blind mentioned Mic. 4.6 7 alluding to that in 2. Sam. 5.6 7. But being conquered by Dauid our King euen Christ the Sonne of Dauid we are new fortified for his vse and our estate is fitly resembled by Sion 1. The Church is like Mount Sion for visibility Christians are like a City on a hill they are such as all sorts of men easily take notice of not that the men of the world are in loue with Christians but many times out of the hatred of the truth set they eies and thoughts vpon them Matthew 5 c. Secondly the godly are like Mount Sion for vnremoueablenesse they that trust in the Lord are like a mountain men may as soon remooue a mountain as remoue them from God and happinesse in God Psal. 126.1 Thirdly the Church is like Sion in respect of Gods habitation there God dwels there hee keeps house there and in the assemblies thereof he feeds his people The Sanctuary is Gods foddering place it is the City of God the mountain of his holinesse the City of the great King the City of the Lord of Hostes God shines there Psalm 48.1 2 8. Psalm 50.2 He is known there familiarly because his dwelling place is there Psalm 76.1 2. He hath chosen his Church out of all the world it is the place only which he hath desired it is his rest for euer Psalm 132.73 14 15. It is the place of the Name of the Lord of hosts Esay 18.7 As Dauid by an excellency reckoned Sion to bee his City of residence so God doth account of the Church as all he hath as it were in the world Fourthly it may be that the Church is resembled to Sion for the littlenesse of it in comparison of the world euen in Sion that is so much despised will God lay his corner-stone Fiftly but the principall thing heer intended is To signifie to vs that God loues his Church aboue all the world and that he will giue Christ to none but to the Church Out of Sion there can be no saluation and in Sion there is all happinesse to be had The consideration heerof may serue vs for many vses Vses First we should hence inform our selues concerning the excellency of the Church of God aboue all other Assemblies of men in the world Wee should learn to think of the Assemblies of Christians as the Sion of God shee is the Mountain of his holinesse the ioy of the whole earth Psal. 48.1 2. the perfection of beauty where God shines more than in all the world besides Psal. 50.2 The Moon may be confounded and the Sunne ashamed when the Lord is pleased to shew himself to raign in Sion and before his Ancients gloriously Isaiah 24.23 yea the Church of God is an eternall excellency Isaiah 60.15 wheras all other glories will vanish And besides we should hence be informed concerning the necessitie of obtaining saluation in the Church For this text shewes vs that Christ is no where laid but in Sion and can no where be found but in the true Church In Sion onely hath God placed saluation for Israel his glorie Onely the godly are Gods Israel Onely in Israel doth God glorie and onely in Sion can Gods Israel finde saluation Isaiah 46. vlt. Secondly Hence wee should especially bee moued to an effectuall care to make it so since that wee are in the true Church and that we are true members of Sion and withall wee should striue aboue all things to procure for our selues the ordinances of God in Sion It is said of the godly distressed for want of meanes that going they went and weeping they did goe to seek the Lord in Sion with their faces thitherward and with a resolution to bind themselues by couenant to the Lord to bee any thing hee would haue them to be onely if they might finde fauor in his eies heerein Ierem. 50.5 Quest. Now if you aske mee how the true members of Sion may bee knowne Ans. I answer first generally that all that are in Sion are not of Sion and further that wee must not iudge of true Christians by their number For God many times takes one of a Tribe or one of a City and two of a Tribe to bring them to Sion Ierem. 3.14 But yet to answer more directly Thou must be a new creature or thou art no member of Gods true Sion For of euerie one in Sion it must bee said Hee was borne there Psal. 86.5 The gates of Sion are to bee opened onely that
of the soule that ouercomes the former resolutions and wil obey and that it doth by making euil present when she should do good or by hindring and dulling of the affections of the heart or by casting in of other proiects of purpose to breed distractions in the time of dooing good duties Rom 7. 5. By lusting that is by bringing-in of contrary desires euill concupiscences longings after forbidden things and in these lusts vsually the flesh combines with the outward aduersaries of the soule the world and the diuell and kindles the fire of those inordinate desires by dalliance with the world or the diuel 's temptations And thus of the second point The third thing is a question Why GOD should suffer the soule to be thus annoyed by the flesh saying He could haue made man again in Christ as he made Adam in Paradise and so haue vtterly abolished the flesh For answer heerunto three things may be said First that we are bound with all thankfulness to praise God for that grace he hath giuen vs in Christ though it bee not full perfect and so ought not to reason with GOD why he gaue vs not more grace and the rather because wee look for a time when wee shall bee more happy in that respect than euer Adam was and besides though grace giuen vs bee imperfect in respect of degree and so lesse than Adam's was yet it is perfect in respect of continuance and so it is better than Adam's Thirdly there may be diuers reasons assigned why GOD did suffer the flesh to remain in vs after calling for a time that is while wee warre in this world for 1. It shewes the greatnes of God's power that can keep vs notwithstanding such continual danger we are in 2. By this conflict diuers graces of the Spirit are raised vp and exercised which else were of little vse as godly sorrow pouerty of spirit desire of death and faith also hath much imployment about this combate 3. By this combate all the graces of God's Spirit are proued to be right and not counterfet in the true Christians for no man can constantly beare armes against the flesh but hee is a new creature This combate then serues for the triall of the gifts and graces of Christians 4. By this combate wee are cured of the horrible disease of self-loue pride in our selues and made more to loue God and trust in him as knowing that we deserue no fauour at his hand nor can be strong in our owne might 5. It is equall we should war before we triumph that wee should fight in the battels on earth before we raign in heauen Lastly it makes heauen and grace more precious in our sight and breeds in vs a desire to bee dissolued and so warns from the loue of this present euill world In the fourth place we must consider by what means the soule may preserue it self against the treacheries and assaults of the flesh and so the means is to be vsed either before the conflict or in the conflict or after the conflict Before the conflict if wee would take a sound course to bee preserued against the danger of the flesh we must look to these things 1. We must stand vpon our guard and keep a daily watch ouer our hearts and waies and not be retchlesse to despise our owne waies or neuer take notice of our hearts hee liues dangerously that liues securely we must take a diligent view of our owne naturall dispositions to bee able to discerne distinctly what it is the flesh vsually is prone to or imployed in 2. We must bee sure to commit our selues to God and by faith lay hold vpon Iesus Christ and settle our selues in our assurance for that cuts off many of the maine aduantages of the flesh especially it quencheth all those hellish darts that arise from doubtings and despaire which is to discerne the flesh 3. Wee must quicken in vs our hope of a better life for that will shew vs so much glory to bee had in the seruice of Christ as all the motions of the flesh will seeme vaine in comparison wee are neuer allured by the lusts of the flesh but when wee haue forgotten heauen or are destitute of the liuely hope of it 4. We must bee sober in the vse of outward things 1. Pet. 1.13 and remoue from the flesh those things wee obserue the flesh to bee apt to dally withall if the flesh could be diuorced from the world there were little or no danger 5. Wee must with all readines vpon all occasions entertaine all good motions any way cast into vs by Gods Spirit for as those are set vp and nourished the flesh is subdued and kept vnder 6. Wee must daily commit our selues and our soules to God by prayer and beseech him to keepe vs and accordingly to begge strength to auoid those euils which by nature wee find our selues most prone to 2. Tim. 1.12 Now if the flesh notwithstanding doe on the sudden either prouoked by the world or entised by the deuill make assault and lust after euill things then in the conflict our armour must be 1. Contrary lustings Gal. 1.17 The Spirit must lust against the flesh by raising vp holy desires and loathing of those base affections of the flesh 2. Prayer we must crucifie them drag them before the Crosse of Christ and there accuse them shame them iudge them condemne them and begge vertue from the death of Christ to kill them 3. The Word of God For as Christ beat away the deuill by alleaging what was written so should wee get store of places of Scripture which wee might alleage to our owne hearts when wee are entised to any sinne and so the promises of the Gospell would bee as shooes to our feete that neither thorny care prick nor vaine pleasures defile vs and so those promises are because they both shew vs greater things then fleshly pleasures can bee and withall shew vs such treasure in Christ as may free vs from liuing in care Two rules are of excellent vse for this purpose 1. To silence the flesh When it assaults not to suffer it to plead much but presently resist it 2. To looke to the beginnings of any corruption not to dallie with it and giue it way vpon pretence of safety for it may strangely prouoke and beyond expectation if it bee not looked to at first After the conflict wee must remember two things 1. To giue thanks to God for the help of his presence as accounting it a singular fauour to be protected against so vile an enemy 2. To take heed of security so to consider of our present deliuerance as to looke for more conflicts In the fift place it is profitable considering what reasons Christians haue to bee carefull of themselues and attend their soules in respect of the flesh for 1. This combate is a dayly combate the warre is neuer at an end it is an aduersary that neuer takes so much as a day
senselesse creatures as the Sunne Moon and Starres others of them but dead men and others of them such as of whom there was not the least colour or appearance of Diuinity Secondly the most notorious wickednes of life which did euery where abound in all the nations that were Pagans Rom. 1. Thirdly that they followed a religion that gaue them no hope of a better life after death nor could describe any estate worth the desiring Fourthly there was no agreement among them what should be the chief Good while they liued but men were carried according to the sensuall desires of their owne hearts On the other side for the Christian Religion they saw that the doctrine of it was euery where prooued by miracles and that their owne Oracles in euery place where the Gospel came were put to silence Besides they might obserue that the Christian Religion did teach the most absolute way for holinesse of life and that the Christians did liue the most vnrebukeably of all others yea did with gladnes dye in the defence of their Religion and further the Christian Religion did shew them the glory of heauen and discouered that certain estate of most blessed Immortality Quest. But may some one say What might be the motiues to the Gentiles to make them continue so obstinate Ans. There were chiefly fiue things which caused this obstinacy in the Gentiles The first was the tradition of their fathers forefathers they would not forsake that religion which for so many hundred yeers their Ancestors had professed 1. Pet. 1.18 Secondly the god of this world did mightily labour to blinde their eyes that they might not vnderstand the Gospell 2. Cor. 4.4 Thirdly they saw that the Christian Religion was persecuted in all places both by reproaches and martyrdome Fourthly they would not receiue the Christian Religion because there were but few that professed it and that their wise men and great men of the world for the most part did reiect it 1. Cor. 1. The last and chief reason was the loue of their sins which they saw they must forgoe if they embraced the Christian Religion It was true also that the wickednesse of some hypocrites that crept in among Christians did make the way of God euill spoken of and many Gentiles to blaspheme Rom. 2. I might adde that the doctrine of Christs Passion was a scandall vnto many Gentiles who accounted it as a foolish thing to beleeue him as a Sauiour that could not saue himselfe from so ignominious a death being willingly ignorant of the necessity of that oblation of Christ as the Surety and Sacrifice for our sinnes It is profitable to consider of the obstinacy of these Gentiles together with their motiues for first we may see that they stood vpon the same grounds in effect vpon which the Papists do rest at this day for the Papists maine allegations are the traditions of Fathers and Fore-fathers together with the multitudes of people that follow their Religion but especially the consideration of the wofull estate of forlorne men should teach vs with the more thankfulnesse to celebrate the prayse of Gods mercy to vs that did subdue our natures and draw vs out of blindnesse and wickednesse into the true Religion and into the kingdome of Iesus Christ And Ministers should hence learne with patience to doe their worke and not to be discouraged though multitudes of people bee not brought to the obedience of Christ they must not looke to speed better then the Apostles who in all places left thousands of people that would not regard them nor their Ministeries 2. Tim. 2.25 26. Lastly we should learne euen of wicked men how wee should entertaine the truth for if it bee so hard a matter to get men to change their minds when they hold grosse errors and falshoood how ought we to stick to the truth when wee haue receiued it and not receiue any other doctrine though an Angell from heauen should teach vs otherwise then is written in the Word of God Gal. 1.7 Doct. 2. Wee may hence also note that God is pleased to suffer his children in this life to liue amongst wicked men A godly man can liue no where but there are some wicked liuing there the tares will growe vp with the Wheate There may be diuers reasons assigned of this why God doth not gather his people altogether from the places where wicked men dwell as First God doth hereby try his people whether they will forsake the inticements of the wicked and cleaue to him and his truth the more by-waies there are the more prayse to him that keepes the right way Secondly God doth by the wicked many times refine and purifie his seruants by reason of the wicked he both keeps them cleane and if they gather any filth by them he washeth them wicked men are many times God's Laundresses to godly men for if God appoint them to chasten his seruants they will doe it throughly both by reproches and other waies Thirdly the Kingdome of Christ must bee set vp among wicked men because amongst them are many of God's Elect which are in due time to bee conuerted from their wickednesse Fourthly hereby the power of Christ is magnified that can set vp and maintaine his Scepter in the middest of his enemies Fiftly by this course God's patience is prolonged for God is pleased for the godlie's sakes to forbeare those destroying Iudgements which else would fall vpon the wicked The vse should be to teach vs to beare with patience the inconueniences which befall vs in our places and callings by reason of the neighbourhood of wicked men as knowing that it is the condition of all the Godly and hath alwaies beene so and is so in all places and therefore to resolue with our selues rather to learne how to carry our selues fairely and honestly among them then through impatience without calling to shift our places or without charity to make any schisme or rent in the Church Secondly since on Earth it will be no better with vs in respect of our habitation we should therefore learne the more to desire to be in heauen where all the people shall be righteous since there is so much vnrighteousnesse in this World we should long for these new heauens and new earth wherein dwelleth righteousnesse We should be the more thankful if God ease vs in any degree of the molestations of wicked men either ridding out manifest Idolaters Pagans or Papists or restrayning those that are with vs from vnquietnesse and tumult and daily slâ—nder or comforting vs with a large fellowship of the Godly Fourthly It should teach vs circumspection seeing the dayes are euill both to hold forth our owne light in the midst of their darkenes to take heed that we trust not euery man nor beleeue euery thing a holy reseruednesse will become this Doctrine Fiftly the zeale of Gods House should the more ouercome vs to striue to winne men to God and prouoke them as wee haue
these come to their places without the prouidence of God Prouerbes 8.15 Now God keepes this busines in his owne hands to see to the calling of Magistrates because of the seruice by them hee can execute For a great part of his Kingdome is managed by their deputation By them God scourgeth the sinnes of the wicked yea of the whole world either by suffering them to be publike miseries or by guiding theÌ„ to punish offenders by the sword of Iustice and by them he manie times brings many common blessings vpon worlds of people as the next words shew Vses The vses are diuers some particular some generall In particular it should teach vs First by praier to sâ—eke Magistrates of God subiects may get great blessings of this kind if they would pray hard for them For GOD it is that sends Magistrates Secondly with patience to beare the wrongs of euil Magistrates seeing there is a hand of God in it Thirdly with thankfulnes to giue the praise to God for good Magistrates seeing it was hee that sent them as a common blessing Fourthly in all suits about the liues or duties or successions of Magistrates to trust vnto God For though wee know not where to bee prouided in earth yet God can send one from heauen as it were The word sent importes that God can raise him vp beyond expectation In general it shold stir vs vp in al things done by outward meanes in this world to striue for the skill to finde out and acknowledge Gods hand and prouidence in it seeing in these things which are apparantly done by meanes for the most part yet Gods prouidence is in it Thus of the Authour of their calling the end followes For the punishment of euill doers Diuers things may bee noted from hence First that in all Common-wealths in the world there will be euill doers though there be a King gouernours and Gods commandements lye hard vpon mens consciences yet there will bee euill doers And the point shewes the horrible strength of the poison of naturall corruption which no Lawes of God nor man nor experience of euill nor example can restraine or dry vp and withall it shewes their folly and weakenes that will forsake Christian assemblies for the wickeds sakes whereas the Apostle improues that euen in Christian Common-wealths there will bee this part of a Magistrates vertue to punish the euill doers such as are knowne to bee so and therefore such curious persons must goe out of the world if they will goe from euill doers And withall it should breed in men a greater care to look to themselues that they bee not infected by them since there is no society of men in which this plague-sore of sinne runneth not we must redeeme the time because the daies are euill And further it should breed in vs a loathing of this wicked world of this present euill world and a desire of heauen since we shall neuer liue in a place where the people wil bee all righteous till we come to heauen And finally it confutes their folly that from the vitiousnes of some men conclude the faultinesse either of the doctrine lawes or gouernment Secondly that euill dooers must bee punished Rom. 15. and great reason for first euill dooers in any society are infectious many may bee defiled by them Secondly they work much disquietnes and trouble humane societies Thirdly if they escape without punishment they may bring down the iudgements of God vpon the place where they liue Vses Which may serue for terrour to other offenders First the very sight of Magistrates should affright them considering that God sent those very Magistrates to punish them It importeth that though they escape the hands of men they shall not escape the hands of God Secondly it should teach men if they would liue out of the danger of the Magistrates punishment to take heed they be not euill dooers Quest. Now if you aske who are euill doers Ans. I answer Such as liue in notorious offences such as are swearers drunkards whoremongers railers theeues idle persons murtherers Sabbath-breakers sowers of discord and the like The original word doth point at some speciall sort of offendors For naming euill doers such especially must not scape as 1. Inuent euill where it is not 2. Or sinne not out of ignorance but wilfully 3. Or are leaders of other men to euill 4. Or make a trade of offending by custome in sinne 5. Or studie how to doe mischiefe gathering together as things might further their euil courses All this may bee included in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 3. Thirdly there are from hence many to bee blamed that speake euill of such as take any course to reforme abuses 4. Fourthly Magistrats must look to their calling and Gods commandement to see abuses amended or else they must account to God for it 3 The third doctrine which may bee noted from hence is That all euill doers are to be punished without respect of persons they are to looke vpon mens workes and not on their persons great men must bee punished if they bee euill doers as well as poore men many men as well as one man yea if good men do euill they must beare the punishment of their sinne Christians as well as Pagans 4. That euill doers are not accounted safe members of any society and therefore are distinguished from good subiects as not fit to bee of that order 5. That such as transgresse the lawes of men are accounted by the Apostle euill dooers as well as such as transgresse the Lawes of God for he heer speaks especially of such as are euil doers in respect of humane ordinances which may be a warning to such as securely liue in the transgression of the commandements of Christian Magistrates and withall it may impair the honour of their condition that liue in the breach of the lawes of God without repentance For if it be so hatefull a thing to bee a breaker of the lawes of men in what case are they in that haue so grosly broken the Laws of God 6 That punishment of euill doers is in the power of the Magistrate priuate men cannot reforme publicke abuses they may pray for reformation they are not to execute it but by authoritie 7 That there are diuers euils which men cannot punish for the Magistrate can onely punish euill doers that is such as offend in word or deed euill thinkers they cannot meddle withall Which may warne Magistrates to be wary how they punish men onely vpon suspition or presumption without proofe that they are euill doers and withall it shewes that God hath reserued the iudgement of mens workes also to himselfe For God hates the sinnes of the heart as well as the sinnes of life and therefore since for these euils men answer not to men they must prouide to answer before God 8. That a Magistrate that punisheth sinnes doth but execute the commission hee receiued from God hee was sent of God to
3.9 Especially wee should rest vpon this stone when we haue any great suite to God and haue occasion to continue to hold vp our hands in praier and so wee shall prosper as it was with Moses Ex. 17.12 Lastly it should be the singular ioy of our harts when wee see the corner stone cast downe and God begin to build in any place the work of godlines and religion Wee haue more cause to reioice for that spirituall worke then the Iewes had to shout when the corner stone of the Temple was brought out to bee laid for a foundation of the building Zachar. 4.7 10. Thirdly the third thing said of Christ is that hee was disallowed of men Disallowed of men This is added of purpose to preuent scandall which might arise from the consideration of the meane intertainment the Christian Religion found in the world The point is plaine that Christ was disallowed of men and this is euident in the stone The greatest part of the world regarded him not The Gentiles knew him not and the Iewes receiued him not Though three things in Christ were admirable his doctrine his life his miracles yet the Iewes beleeued not in him He came vnto his owne and his owne receiued him not Nay they reuiled him called him Samaritane and said he had a Diuel They preferred a murtherer before him and their wise men euen the Princes of this world crucified the Lord of life glory This as it was storied by the Euangelists so it was foretold by the Prophets Isaiah 53. and 49.8 and so we see hee is still of almost the whole world The Pagans yet know him not The Iewes yet renounce him The Turk receiueth him but as a Prophet The Papists receiue him but in part and wicked men denie him by their liues Vses The first impression this should make in our hearts is admiration and astonishment This should be maruelous in our eies that men refuse the Son of God miserable men their Sauiour captiues their Redeemer and poore men such vnspeakeable riches as is offred in Christ and that almost all mankind should bee guilty of this sin so as in comparison he should be Elect onely of God Secondly since this was foreseene foretold wee should bee confirmed against scandall and like neuer a whit the worse of Christ or religion for the scornes and neglects of the world Thirdly since the world disallowes Christ we may hence gather what account we shold make of the world and the men of the world we haue reason to separate from them that are separated from Christ and not to loue them that loue not the Lord Iesus 1. Cor. 16.22 Fourthly we may hence see how little reason wee haue to take the counsels and iudgements of carnall men though our friends and neuer so wise in naturall or ciuill wisdome Their counsels were against Christ they disallow Christ and all Christian courses Fiftly why are we troubled for the reproches of men and why doe wee feare their reuilings Shall we heare that Christ was disallowed and shall wee be so vexed because wee are despised Nay rather let vs resolue to despise the shame of the world and to follow the author of our faith euen in this crosse also Sixtly we may be hence informed that indiscretion or sinne is not alwaies the cause of contempt For Christ is disallowed and yet was without all spot of indiscretion or guile Seuenthly and chiefly we should look euery one to our selues that wee be not of the number of those that disallow Christ. For Christ is still disallowed of men and if any ask Question Who are they that in these daies be guilty of disallowing of Christ Answer I answer Both wicked men and godly men too Wicked men disallow him and so doe diuers sorts of them as First Hereticks that deny his diuinity or humanity or his sufficiency or authority or his comming as did those mockers mentioned 2. Pet. 3. Secondly Schismaticks that diuide him and rend his body mysticall 1. Cor. 1.10 Thirdly Pharises and merit-mongers that by going about to establish their owne righteousnes deny the righteousnes of Iesus Christ Rom. 10.4 Fourthly Apostataes that falling from the fellowship they had with Christ would crucify him againe Heb. 6.2 Pet. 2. Fiftly Epicures and prophane persons that will sell Christ for a messe of pottage with Esau and loue their pleasure more then Christ Heb. 12.16 2. Tim. 3. Sixtly Papists who therefore hold not the head because they bring in the worship of Saints and Angels Col 2.19 Seuenthly Whoremongers and fornicators who giue the members of Christ vnto a harlot 1. Cor. 6.15 16. Eightthly Reuilers that speak euill of the good way of Christ and reproach godly Christians especially such as despise the Ministers of Christ. For hee that despiseth them despiseth Christ himselfe Math. 10. Ninthly Hypocrites that professe Christ in their words but deny him in their workes Tenthly the fearfull that in time of trouble dare not confesse him before men Mat. 10. Eleuenthly All wicked men Because they neglect their reconciliation with God in Christ and will not beleeue in him nor repent of their sinnes All that will not bee reconciled when God sendes the word of reconciliation vnto them Esay 52.11 Secondly godly men sinne against Christ and are guilty of disallowing him 1. When they neglect the establishing of their hearts in the assurance of faith 2. When they faint and wax weary of praier and trusting in God in the time of distresse Luke 18.1 8. 3. When our harts wax cold within vs and are no inflamed with feruent affections after Christ We neglect him when we do not highly esteem him aboue all earthly treasures Phil. 3.9 The fourth thing affirmed of CHRIST is that hee is chosen of GOD. Chosen of God This is one thing wee must carefully knowe and effectually beleeue concerning Christ namely that he is chosen of God This was conscionably beleeued concerning him as appears Esay 42.1 and 43.10 and 49.2 Mat. 12.18 Now Christ may be said to be chosen of God in diuers respects First as hee was from all eternity appointed and ordained of God to bee the Mediator and Redeemer of all mankinde 1. Pet. 1.20 Secondly as he was called peculiarly of GOD from the womb by a speciall sanctification vnto his office Esay 49.1 Thirdly as hee was by solemn rites inaugurated vnto the immediate execution of his office as by baptism and the voice from heauen c. Mat. 3. Fourthly as hee was approued of God and declared mightily to bee the Sonne of God and the Sauiour of the world by the glory done to him of God notwithstanding the scorns and oppositions of the world Esay 49.7 The vse may be both for Information and Instruction For hence we may bee informed concerning diuers things First that Gods work shall prosper notwithstanding all the scorns or oppositions of men God's choice is not hindred but Christ is separated and sanctified and appointed to
the work of redemption the peruersnesse of men notwithstanding The vnbelief of men cannot make the faith or fidelity of God of none effect Rom. 3. Secondly that God doth not choose as men do The mean things of this world as the world accounts mean and the vile things of this world may be dear in God's sight For as it was in the calling of Christ so is it in the calling of Christians such as the world disallows may be dear to God 1. Cor. 1.27 28. Thirdly hence we may note the free grace of God in the sending and giuing his Sonne He is fain to chuse for vs wee did not choose Christ first Iohn 15.16 Fourthly that to choose Christ is with Marie to chuse the better part it is to imitate God and chuse like GOD to forsake the world and the wils and lusts and iudgements of the wicked men of this world and to cleaue onely to Christ as our all-sufficient portion and happinesse Fiftly that all the enemies of Christ shall bee subdued either by conuersion when they come into worship Christ or by confusion when they are broken by the power of Christ. Euen Kings shall submit themselues and worship him that is thus abhorred and despised of men c. Esay 49. verse 7. Sixtly that it is a singular happinesse to bee chosen of God it was the honor of Christ heer c. And therefore Blessed is the man whom God chooseth Happy is the Christian whom God electeth Psalm 65.4 Luke 10.20 Secondly it should teach vs diuers duties First to obserue and admire and acknowledge the Lord Iesus the Chosen of GOD we should with special regard confesse vnto the glory of God heerin which the word Behold importeth Esay 42.1 We should be Gods witnesses against the world and all the seruants of any strange god that this Iesus of Nazareth is that Sonne of God and Sauiour of the world Esay 43.10 It is one main end of the praises of Christ in this place To raise vp our dull and dead affections to the highest estimation and admiration of Christ and his glory with the Father c. Secondly wee should learn of God how to make our choice On the one side is offred vnto vs the pleasures and profits of the world and the inticements of sinne and Satan and the other in the Gospell of Christ is set forth and offred to vs as the means of our happinesse Now it is our part to take to Christ and renounce the world and forgo the pleasures of sinne which are but for a season wee should vtterly refuse the voice of sinne neuer to be the guests of such folly but rather to listen to the voice of wisdome Prouerbs 7. and 8. Thirdly Is Christ chosen of God that one of a thousand Then it learns the Church to bee in loue with him yea to bee sick of loue as is imported Canticles 5.8 9 10. An ordinary affection should not serue the turn our hearts should bee singularly inflamed with desire after such a match found out and chosen of God for vs. Fourthly we should not rest heer but when God hath declared his choice as hee did by a witnes from heauen euen his owne voice Math. 17.5 wee should then hear Christ and as the Prophet saith wait for his law Esay 42.4 Fiftly yea we should so kisse the Son whom God hath declared as King by doing our spirituall homage vnto him as that we resolued both high and lowe the greatest estate as well as the meanest to serue him with all fear and reioyce before him with trembling wee must expresse our thankfulnesse by all possible obedience of heart and life Psalm 2.11 Sixtly we should follow his Colours and take his part and contend for the truth against all the world and in particular against Antichrist that man of sin Reuel 17.14 Seuenthly wee should imitate the praises and vertues of this chosen One especially in two things to weet humility and constancy as the Prophet Esay sheweth 42.2 3 4. Lastly and specially this Chosen or rather this knowledge of this Chosen of God should teach vs to relie vpon Christ without wauering with all trust and confidence for our reconciliation with God for the obtaining of knowledge comfort deliuerance preseruation yea and saluation too for this is he whom God hath giuen for a couenant to all people and his soule delights in him And therefore also we may runne boldly to the Throne of grace and put vp our petitions by Christ. For wee are heer assured that God will deny him nothing as these places euidently shew Psalm 42.6 7 8 16. Psalm 49.6 8 9 10 11 12. Mat. 12.17 to 22. But then wee must look to it that wee obserue the seasons and opportunity of grace Esay 49.8 2. Cor. 6.2 Let vs therefore imbrace while God is to be found and offers vs Christ for we may seek when God will not bee found as Esau sought the blessing when it was too late Heb. 12.15 And further this may serue for singular terror to all vnbeleeuers that will not haue Christ to rule ouer them He is elected already of God and therefore will mightily pursue all the enemies of God and the Church and all those that disobey him whom God hath chosen hee will pursue them both with the terrors of his Word his mouth being made like a sharp sword and with the plagues of his hand beeing made like a polished shaft Esay 49.2 He will appear to wicked men in the day of wrath as a mighty man and as a man of warre though to his owne he be as a Lamb to them hee will bee as a Giant they shall not be able to resist and though he lift not vp his voice in the streets of his people yet hee will set vpon them with roaring and singular terrour euen with all the signes of furious displeasure and though for a time hee may seem to put vp the contempt of men that disallow him yet at the length he will not refrain and will destroy at once c. Esay 42.13 14 15. Besides this doctrine of Christs chosen or of Gods choice should notably check that vnbelief and fearfulnesse that is too often found euen in Sion in the dear seruants of God When God hath published his election of Christ for the seruice of our redemption why doth some say The Lord hath forsaken and his Lord hath forgotten him Can God forget his people or will he euer deny his Chosen Shall not Christ bee regarded in our behalf who is the person whom his soule loueth Esay 49.8 c. 13 14 15 16. Precious Christ is precious many waies First in respect of his nature he is the choicest substance in heauen and earth neuer such a man all the creatures in heauen and in earth are inferiour to him Secondly in respect of his gifts hee is qualified with all the treasures of wisdome and grace aboue all his fellows Col. 2.3 Psal. 45. Thirdly in respect of
and by the Gospell is offred to vs. Now that this point being of such singular waight may be cleerly vnderstood I will break it open into particulars or into particular parts or steppes of iudgement and practice in the beleeuer First he must acknowledge that by nature he stands bound to obserue all the morall Law Secondly he must see that he hath broken all those holy lawes of God and is therefore guilty before God of the curses of the Law and so of eternall condemnation Thirdly he must knowe that GOD sent his owne Son in the flesh to obey the Law and satisfie the iustice of God by making an expiation for mans sins Fourthly he must learn that God hath bound himself by promise that whosoeuer imbraceth the agreements in this new couenant in Christ shall be saued Fiftly that when a man doth in his owne particular discern this gracious offer of God in the Gospell and goeth to God and with his heart relieth vpon it then he doth truely beleeue and is iustified and shall be saued Quest. But many men are perswaded that God hath giuen Christ for them and yet it is euident that they do not beleeue because there is no appearance of any repentance or reformation in them many say they haue a strong faith and yet haue none How shall the perswasion of the godly man be distinguished from this vain presumption in wicked men Ans. That perswasion of Gods grace in Christ which is true and of the nature of true faith doth prooue it self to bee right by many infallible signes First by the renouation of the heart The knowledge of God's loue in Christ doth make the heart of man new it clenseth out the old drosse and makes a man hate his secret and most secret sinnes Faith purifieth the heart Acts 15. Secondly by the ioy and comforts of the holy Ghost with which the beleeuer's hart is refreshed from the presence of God 1. Pet. 1.9 Thirdly by the victory of the world For the true beleeuer is so satisfied with God's goodnes in Christ that he can deny his profits pleasures credit friends and the like for Christ's sake and the Gospell yea faith marres the taste of earthly things and makes a man able to forsake the loue of worldly things 1. Iohn 5.5 It will endure the triall of troubles of afflictions and temptations and persecutions for the Gospels sake 1. Pet. 1.7 without making haste to vse ill means in the euill day Quest. But how may faith bee discerned in such as say they are not perswaded that they haue faith which sometimes proues to be the case of diuers deere children of God Ans. Their faith may be discerned First by repentance which cannot be separated from it the sight hatred confession and sorrow for their sinnes is an argument of true faith because without faith no man can haue true repentance Secondly by their complaining of their vnbelief and desire of faith I beleeue Lord help my vnbelief was the voice of him that had true faith Thirdly by their daily renouncing of their owne merits begging fauour of God onely for the merits of Christ. Fourthly by the loue of the Godly for faith worketh by loue Galat. 5. Fiftly by other markes and signes of Gods children which can neuer bee had but faith is had also such as are loue of God and his Word and of their enemies and vprightnes of heart and the spirit of praier and the like Precious Christ is precious to them that beleeue not onely in their account but by effect and so both because hee is great riches vnto them as also because he is an honour vnto them Hee is great riches vnto them yea vnsearchable riches Eph. 3.6 All ages ought to wonder at the riches of Gods kindnes to the beleeuers in Iesus Christ Eph. 2.7 Christ in vs is our riches Col. 1.27 and thus he inricheth vs with the fauour of God his owne merits and righteousnes the grace of the Spirit and the promises of the Word and the hope of glory The Vses are many Vses First woe to the rich men of this world that are not rich in God Christ Luke 12.16.21 Let not the rich man glory in his riches Ierem. 9. 24. Secondly let the brother of lowe degree reioyce in that God hath thus exalted him Iames 1.9 For godly Christians are the richest men in the world for their possessions are greatest because they possesse Iesus Christ and his treasures Iames 2.5 For God is rich to al that cal vpon him Hee cannot bee a poore man that can pray Rom. 10.12 Christ makes amends to the poore Christian for all his wants Thirdly hence wee may gather another signe to try our faith by If Christ bee more precious to vs then all the world besides it is certaine we are true beleeuers For Christ is precious to none but beleeuers Phil. 3.9 8. Fourthly wee should striue with all thankfulnes to admire and praise the grace of God that hath bestowed such riches vpon vs in Christ Ephes. 1.7 Fiftly wee should hence learne to make more account of our faith which is therefore precious because it applies Christ vnto vs Hence poore Christians are said to bee rich because they haue faith and assurance of faith and hee calleth it all riches of full assurance Colos. 2.2 2. Pet. 1.4 Iam. 2.5 Sixtly we should liue securelesse Men would promise to liue at all hearts ease if they were rich enough why Christians are exceeding rich and possesse more treasure then all the world besides and therefore should liue henceforth by the faith of the Sonne of God which was giuen to them Gal. 2.20 Seuenthly looke to it that thou keepe Christ whatsoeuer thou losest resolue to lose father mother wife children friends house lands yea and life too rather then lose Christ who is so precious Eightly Wee should shew it that we account him our greatest riches and that wee shall doe first by esteeming the Gospell that brings vs daily tidings aboue gold and siluer Secondly by often receiuing of the Sacraments we should account the Word and Sacraments as Gods Exchequer whither we alwaies come to receiue more treasure Thirdly by making much of them that resemble his vertues Fourthly by longing for his appearing Thus as Christ is our riches Now secondly hee is precious in that hee is an honour vnto vs and so some translate it Christ then is a singular honor to euery beleeuer and hee is so both in heauen and in earth First in heauen hee is an honour to vs because he graceth vs before God and the Angels couering our nakednes with the rich garment of his owne imputed righteousnes and making daily intercession for vs to God and couering our imperfections and presenting our workes and praiers to God and giuing the Angels a charge to looke carefully to vs. Secondly And so hee is an honour to vs on earth both amongst the godly and amongst the wicked First Hee graceth vs amongst the
first verse of this Chapter And he is well said to bee Head of the corner because vpon Christ meet as the two sides meete in the corner stone both Angels and men and amongst men both the Saints in heauen and the godly on earth and amongst men on earth both Iewes and Gentiles euen all the Elect of all nations ages and conditions in the world The vses of the exaltation of Christ briefely follow First It should teach vs to striue by all meanes to get into his seruice that is so powerfull and able to do so much for his seruants Secondly It shewes vs the end of the oppositions of all wicked men Christ shall increase and prosper and they shall bee confounded and perish Thirdly It should especially enforce the necessity of beleeuing in Christ we should lye vpon him with all our waight as the building doth on the foundation Fourthly It should comfort vs in all distresses considering what end God gaue to the sufferings of Christ and so it is vrged Hebr. 12.2 The consideration of the manner and the time followes Is become or is made He doth not tell how but leaues that as granted to bee effected without hands euen by the speciall prouidence of God which giues vs occasion to take notice of the truth that in things of the Kingdom of Iesus Christ God is pleased to make his worke or to worke sometimes without vsing any of the meanes which the world takes notice of he neglects all those meanes which fall within the expectation Psal. 118.20 21. as heere for the proclaiming of the Messias there was not any one order or rank of men eminent in the world which God made vse of But by a way altogether strange to the world erected the Christian Monarchie which should teach vs not to limit God to the meanes which is likeliest to vs but to liue in all things by faith where meanes seeme to faile then with Abraham aboue hope and vnder hope to giue glory to God and cast our selues and all our care vpon God Thus of the manner The time followes In that he said It is become Christ was Head of the corner according to the present time First if we consider the type of it Christ was become head of the corner in that Dauid was made King of Israel as a type of Christs Kingdome ouer the Church Secondly Christ was Head in that in the Apostles time hee had receiued power after his Ascension ouer all things though as yet the Gentiles were not so fully conuerted Thirdly that he is becom the head may be taken prophetically For the Prophets to express the certainty of a thing to come vtter it in the words of the present tense It is so because it shall as surely be so as if it were already done Verse 8. And a stone to stumble at and a rocke of offence euen to them which stumble at the Word being disobedient vnto the which thing they were euen ordained HItherto of the punishments vpon the builders The punishment vpon the whole body of vnbeleeuers is contained in this verse Wherein note first the kindes of punishment Christ is a rock of offence and a stone of stumbling Secondly the causes both in themselues and in God in the words that follow A rocke of offence and a stone of stumbling Since wicked men haue refused Christ and will not beleeue in him He that may not be a stone of foundation will proue a stone of stumbling and a rock for them to dash on till they be dashed to pieces which words import the fearefull iudgements of God spiritually inflicted vpon vnbeleeuers which is two-fold First they shall be giuen vp to scandall and then secondly to despaire Before I open the words particularly diuers things may be noted in generall First that the punishments that light vpon particular wicked men are to be accounted the punishments of the whole body of vnbeleeuers as here despaire and taking offence at Christ it may light vpon some particular offenders only yet they are punishments belonging to all 1. Because there is no iudgement but all wicked men haue deserued it 2. Because when God plagues some he meanes all he threatens all 3. Because no wicked man can be sure for the time to come that he shall not fall into them 4. Because the afflictions of this life are typical to wicked men as despair is a typicall hell and so all other iudgements are but little hels And this doctrine should much amaze impenitēt sinners if they consider that any fearfull iudgement they see fall vpon others may fall vpon them and that GOD is aswell displeased with their sins as with the sins of those he so plagued as Christ shewes Luke 13.1 to 6. Secondly that from one and the same cause may arise diuers and contrary effects as Christ that is a stone of foundation to the beleeuer is a stone of stumbling to the vnbeleeuer Thus in Luke 2. hee was appointed for the rising and falling of many in Israel Thus the Gospel of peace is to wicked men a fire a sword a fanne It is a sauour of life to the Godly and a sauour of death to the Wicked 2. Cor. 2. as the Sun melteth the wax and hardneth the clay This comes to pass by accident and by the corruption that is in the hearts of wicked men and by the fearfull iudgements of God Vse The vse should bee to teach vs therefore not to rest in the hauing of the meanes of saluation as the preaching of the Word c. For through thy corruption it may be a meanes of greater damnation Thirdly that of all iudgements in this life spirituall iudgements are the worst which appears from hence in this that when the LORD would declare his speciall displeasure vpon wicked men he threatens these in this place as the most fearfull Now for explication of this point All iudgements in this life are either spirituall or temporall By temporall iudgements I meane such as haue their proper effects on the outward man such as are pouerty disgrace sicknes imprisonment losses in mens estates and the like By spirituall iudgements I mean such as haue their proper effects vpon the soule as for example hardnes of heart the spirit of slumber dissertion or the absence of GOD the taking away of the gifts of the minde the with-holding of the Gospell the deliuering of men vp to the power of Satan or to the loue of lies terrours of despaire or taking of offense of which later in this place Now these spirituall iudgements are much worse than any of the former temporall crosses first because these iudgements light vpon the best part of man which is the soule and by how much the soule is better than the body by so much it is worse to be distressed in soule than in body Secondly because they with-hould from vs the best Good which is God or Christ now that which straightens vs in the best things
the shining of the Sun at noon-day Thus of the punishment of vnbeleeuers and so also of the first argument taken from testimony of Scripture Verses 9 and 10. But yee are a chosen generation a royall Priest hood an holy Nation a peculiar people that ye should shew forth the vertues of hâ—â— that hath called you out of darknes into his maruellous light Which in times past were not a people yet are now the people of God which had not obtained mercy but now haue obtained mercy THese words contain the second argument to perswade Christians to make their constant recourse vnto Christ and from him to procure vertue to enable them for holinesse of conuersation and it is taken from the consideration of the excellency of that estate vnto which they were brought by Christ. For the description whereof the Apostle singles out two places of Scripture with which hee makes vp a compleat narration of their great prerogatiues aboue all other people and aboue that they themselues were in former times The places of Scripture he makes vse of are Exod. 9. and Hosh. 1. And before I open the words two things may be heer noted First the Apostle's care to prooue what he saith from the scripture whether it be against wicked men or for godly men which shews that we should much more take heed to GOD's Word being lesse than Apostles especially such an Apostle Secondly we may hence note that the promises or praises giuen to the Godly in the old Testament are not enuied to Christians in the new Testament God is no respecter of persons but wee haue free liberty to search the books of God and to chuse out of all the examples of the sutes of godly men or the preferments what we wil and if we make a sute of it to god he wil not deny it but shew vs their mercy Now for the particular opening of these words we must obserue that it is the purpose of the Apostle to shew briefly the priuiledges of the godly aboue all others or what themselues were before their conuersion And the priuiledge of their estate may be considered either positiuely in it self or comparatiuely It is described positiuely verse 9. and comparatiuely verse 10. In the ninth verse there he reckons vp a number of prerogatiues belonging to the Godly and withall shews the vse they should make of them or the end why they were conferred vpon them The Godly excel in diuers respects if we consider First their election they are chosen of God Secondly their alliance or kinred they are a chosen kinred Thirdly their dignity aboue other men they are royall Kings Fourthly their function or priuate imploiment before God Priests Fiftly their behauiour or outward conuersation they are holy Sixtly their number they are a Nation Seuenthly their acceptation with God they are a peculiar people First for Election The Apostle looking vpon the words in Exodus 19.5 6. and seeing that they described the happinesse of Christians in this life doth in the Fore-front put-to this priuiledge of their election as the foundation of all the rest and would haue Christians much affected with the consideration of this prerogatiue It is one of the chief and prime comforts of a Christian to consider that he is elect of GOD Psalm 106.4 5. 2. Pet. 1.9 elect I say both before time and in time Before time in God's decree and in time when the Godly are singled and called out of the world and picked out one of a city and two of a tribe in all the ages of the world and distinguished from other men by beleeuing in Iesus Christ. As the Israelites were chosen out of all the nations of the world so now the Elect out of all the Ages of the world Quest. But what is there in the election of a Christian that should so much affect him as to account himself so wonderfull happy in that respect Ans. There are many things in our election which should much rauish vs as to consider First when wee were chosen viz. before the foundation of the world from all eternity Oh what a fauour is it to think that God had such thought of vs before euer we had any beeing Ephes 1.4 Secondly by whom we were chosen viz. by God Men are wont to be affected if any of any degree almost doo point out them aboue others vnto any condition of praise or preferment To be beloued and in request with any is a contentment but especially if Kings or great persons should chuse vs out to set their loue vpon vs how would we be moued with that Oh! what comparison can there be between the greatest men on earth and the great God in heauen Thirdly to what wee were chosen viz. to a Kingdom and great glory For meaner persons to be chosen to any preferment it would proue a great contentment but especially to be aduanced to the highest honors why God hath chosen and called vs to no lesse an happinesse than a Kingdome and glory yea his Kingdome and glory in heauen Mat. 25.34 2. Thes. 2.13 14. Fourthly for how long this choise must last viz. for euer To be chosen to a great office though it were but for a yeere is a great honour in the account of some men but especially to enioy a kingdome if it may be for diuers yeers as 20 30 40 or the like how would men reioyce that could attain to such an election But behold our happines is greater For wee haue by our Election an entrance into the euerlasting Kingdom of Iesus Christ. Fiftly vpon what reasons we were chosen viz. vpon God's free and meer grace and goodnes he chooseth whom he will It was his good pleasure to chuse vs to such a Kingdome wee had it not by descent or desert Rom. 9.18 21. Ephes. 1.11 Sixtly in what manner he chose vs viz. vnchangeably to bee chosen to so great an estate though it had beene but during pleasure and that pleasure to such as might change had beene a great aduancement But Gods purpose remaines according to his choise and whom he elected he calles and whom hee calles hee iustifies and whom he iustifies hee glorifies Rom. 8.30 The foundation of God remaineth sure 2 Tim. 2.19 Lastly to consider whom he chose which hath a double incitation in it For first the Scripture tels vs Many are called but few are chosen Now this increaseth our honour that but a few onely can be admitted to the participation of it If many had enioyed it the commonnesse of it might haue had in it some occasion of lessening the valew of it Deut. 7.6 7. Math. 20.16 Secondly God chose vs that were most vile creatures polluted in bloud couered with filthines falne from him by vile Apostasie and our rebellion in our first parents and beeing guilty of many treasons in our owne actions And this shold much moue vs that God should set his heart vpon such vile wretches as wee euery day are prooued to
whole world is their kingdome in which they raigne they are heirs of the world Rom. 4. and so our Sauiour saith They inherit the earth Matthew 5. Fourthly their owne hearts are as a large Kingdom in which they sit and raign gouerning and ruling ouer the innumerable thoughts of their mindes and affections and passions of their harts among which they doo iustice by daily subduing their vnruly passions and wicked thoughts which like so many Rebels exalt themselues against the obedience should be yielded to Christ the supreme Lord and Emperor as also by promoting the weal of all those sauing graces which are placed in their hearts nourishing and lifting vp all good thoughts and cherishing all holy desires and good affections conscience beeing by commission the chief Iudge for their affairs of this whole Kingdome Fiftly it is something royal and which proues them to be Kings they haue a regall supremacy A King is he that iudgeth all and is iudged of none such a one also is euery spirituall man said to be 1. Cor. 2. vlt. Sixtly they prooue themselues Kings by the many conquests they make ouer the world and Satan sometimes in lesser skirmishes somtimes in some main and whole battels Ob. Might some one say Is this all the Kingdome of a Christian This is infinitely belowe the magnificence and honour of an earthly kingdome c. Sol. GOD hath done more for the naturall man or for the nature of men for prouiding means for this spirituall Kingdome than in opening a way for earthly Kingdomes which may appear by diuers differences For First none but great men and of great means can attain to the Kingdome of this world but heer the poor may haue a Kingdome as well as the rich Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the Kingdome of heauen Secondly while the father liues the little childe cannot raign whereas in this Kingdom little-ones attain to the Kingdome and safely hold it Mat. 18. Thirdly this kingdome is of heauen whereas the others are onely of the earth Fourthly these Kings are all iust there is none vnrighteous can possesse these thrones They are all washed iustified and sanctified There is not a drunkard a railer a buggerer an adulterer a murtherer or any the like amongst them which is no priuiledge belonging to the kingdome of this world Rom. 14.17 1 Cor. 6.9 10 11. Gal. 5.21 The godly are Kings such as Melchisedech was somewhat obscure in the world but they raign in righteousnes in peace none like them Heb. 7. Fiftly the godly haue receiued a kingdome that cannot be shaken Their kingdom is an euerlasting kingdome Heb. 12.28 But all the kingdomes of the world may be and haue beene shaken and will be ruined and end whereas the godly that set out in soueraignty ouer lesser dominions and with lesse pompe yet increase so fast till at length they attain the most glorious Kingdom in the new heauens and new earth The vse of all this may be diuers First for singular comfort to the godly what account soeuer the world makes of them yet heere they see what God hath ordained them vnto It matters not for the worlds neglect of them for Gods Kingdom comes not by obseruation and in particular it should comfort them in two causes First in matter of seruice when they come to stand before the Lord they must know that they are honourable in Gods sight He respects them as so many Kings in his presence Secondly in the mortification of vices they haue receiued power authority as Kings and therefore no rebellious conuersation can so exalt it selfe but it may be subdued The oyle of God is vpon them and what can the greatest Rebels doe against the power of the King But secondly withall heere is terror to wicked men For this is the priuiledge onely of the godly and it is certaine that wicked men are in Gods account as base as the godly are honourable they are thrust besides these thrones And so both sorts of wicked men For not onely openly profane men are to be smitten with this terror but also hypocrites It is true indeed that hypocrites act the parts of Kings but they are onely such Kings as Players are vpon a stage they speake of the words or the words of Kings but are not indeed For they are by the wiser and better sort accounted as Rogues and the scum of the people euen so are wicked men in Gods account neither will their outward shewes helpe them For the Kingdom of God is tried not by words but by the power of it 1. Cor. 4.20 And withall vnruly Christians may be hence checked such as will not be ruled by their teachers such were the Corinthians they raigned without Paul and their godly teachers But the Apostle wisheth they were indeed Kings or did indeed raigne Why bearest thou the name of a King and canst not rule thy passions Thirdly diuers vses for instructions may bee hence gathered for First we should hence learne to honour poore Christians They are spirituall Kings as well as the Kings of the earth and wee knowe what a stirre wee would make to entertaine the Kings of this world Iam. 2.5 Secondly wee should hence bee stirred vp in desire after this Kingdome to pray for it that it may come and that God would count vs worthy of such a Kingdom Math. 6. 2. Thes. 1.5 and to this end wee should looke to two things First that we seeke this kingdome first aboue all other things Mat. 6. Secondly that we should refuse no paines nor handship for the entertainment of true godlines This Kingdom of heauen should suffer violence and the violent only will take it by force It is an easy thing for Iohn to be a partner in the patience of the bretheren when he is a partner with them in the Kingdom of Iesus Christ Reuel 1.9 It is no great thing men can suffer if wee consider it is for a Kingdome and the want of outward things should the lesse trouble vs if God make vs so rich in spirituall things Thirdly wee should hence especially learne to liue in this world like Kings and this Christians should shew First by declaring their conquest ouer the passions and desires of their owne hearts It is a royall quality in a Christian to bee able to shew all meeknes of minde and temper and sobriety in being able to deny vnto himselfe what may not bee had without sinne or offence Hee that winnes the conquest ouer his owne heart is greater then hee that winnes a City Secondly putting on the Lord Iesus The righteousnes of Christ is the robe of a Christian and since all the life of a Christian is a high feast hee should alwaies put on his robe to distinguish him from all other men and this righteousnes is both the imputed righteousnes of Christ as also the inherent vertues of Christ. Thirdly by seruing the publick Kings are the common treasure of the subiects
offender But for the most part hee is altogether defectiue in the religious duties of the first table especially in the duties of the Sabbath and the religious duties hee should performe in his family Thirdly the meere ciuill honest man makes conscience of great offences but cares not to be stained with lesser sinnes whereas the true Christian liues circumspectly and makes conscience of the least commandement Secondly nowe for the Hypocrite though the difference be hidden yet it may bee assigned in diuers things as First the holines of the godly Christian slowes from a pure conscience and faith vnfained whereas there is no such repentance or faith in the Hypocrite Secondly the true Christian hath his praise of God but the Hypocrite of men Rom. 2.26 Thirdly the true Christian obeyes in all things The Hypocrite but in some as heere for the most part they may be found tainted with some euill vice Fourthly the true Christian is carefull of his conuersation in all places and companies The Hypocrite onely or chiefly when he is where hee thinkes hee shall bee obserued and marked Fiftly the true Christian will not cease bearing fruit what weather soeuer come Ierem. 17.7 8. But the Hypocrite giues ouer when hard times come Hee is not like the good ground that brings forth fruite with patience The Hypocrite will not hold our till the end though the times bee peaceable till his death For the most part hee then beares the burthen of his Hypocrisy hee cannot die in peace Lastly this is a terrible doctrine for open and notorious offenders For heereby it is apparant they are strangers from the Common-wealth of Israel and are not of this nation their language and their works betray them Drunkards Adulterers Swearers Liers Vsurers and such like cannot inherit or haue any lot in this heauenly Canaan For all this nation is holy and such are not they their owne consciences being Iudges Nor is it a pleasing Doctrine to scandalous professors For such as giue scandall are either Hypocrites or godly If they bee Hypocrites their scandals betray them and testifie to their faces they haue no lot amongst the Saintes and if they bee godly Christians that haue falne through weaknes yet they haue cause to bee much humbled For by them the name of God is blasphemed and besides many other inconueniences that will pursue their fall this is not the least that heereby they haue weakned their euidence and wonderfully darkned the marks of their happines For if the Godly be a holy nation how discomfortably haue they prouided for themselues and their owne soules that haue so stained their profession of holinesse An holy nation The sixt prerogatiue of Christians is imported in this word Nation which shewes the number For though all the wicked are more in number then the godly yet such is the glory and greatnes of the number of all the godly of all ages that if we could behold them on earth as wee shall see them in heauen and at the last Iudgement wee would wonderfully admire the beautie and multitude of the Christian Armie All the godly together make a goodly nation though in largenes of number they doe not go beyond the wicked yet in the priuiledges of their number they goe far beyond them They are all one and a whole nation of them which imports diuers priuiledges First they are all originally of one bloud born of the bloud of Iesus Christ. Secondly they are all gouerned by one Ruler their Noble Ruler is of themselues there is one heart in them to serue the Lord. Thirdly they are all gouerned by one book of Lawes Fourthly they all enioy the same priuiledges in the communion of Saints euen those before conteined in this verse Fiftly they all enioy the loue of God they are his portion As Israel was his out of all the world so the godly are his and make all but one nation In that all the godly are one nation diuers things may from thence bee obserued by way of vse First it should be very comfortable to all that are truly godly and so it should comfort them diuers waies First against the fewnesse of them that liue in one place and so against the reproach of the world for that reason For heere they may know that if all the godly were together there would be no cause to despise them for their number Neuer such a nation of men as they Secondly in the case of aduersaries the gates of hell shall not preuaile against them They are a whole nation of them they may be oppressed but they can neuer vtterly be rooted out Thirdly in respect of their consanguinity with all the godly though they differ much in estate or condition yet wheresoeuer or howsoeuer they liue they are all countrie-men they are all of one nation the partition wall is broken downe All godly Christians whether Iewes or Gentiles are but one nation Fourthly in respect of the gouernment and protection of Christ ouer them Why criest thou then O Christian Is there no King in Sion Secondly hence some vse for instruction may bee made For first we may heere learne to know no man after the flesh All other relations are swallowed vp in this relation when thou art once conuerted thou needst not reckon of what country thou art or how descended for thou art now onely of the Christian nation All godly men should acknowledge no respects more then those are wrought in them by Christ. Secondly since Christians are all countrie-men and seeing they are like the Iewes dispersed vp and down the world they should therefore be glad one of another and make much one of another and defend one another and relieue one another by all means of help and comfort Thirdly they should therefore obserue the fashions of the Godly and be more strict to follow the manners of their nation wheresoeuer they come A peculiar people The Latines render the words of the originall Populus acquisitionis In the Greek it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The word rendred peculiar signifies sometimes conseruation or sauing as Heb. 10.39 to the sauing or conseruation of the soule sometimes purchase as the Church was purchased by his bloud Acts 20.28 sâ—metimes possession or obtaining as He ordained vs to the obtaining of saluation 1. Thes. 5.9 and the glory of Christ 2. Thes. 2.14 Neither doo Interpreters agree about the attributing of what felicity the word imports For one would haue the sense thus Populus acquisitionis that is the people hee could gaine by intending thereby that the Apostle should say that the Godly were the onely people that God could get any thing by Others would haue it thus A people for obtaining that is of heauen and so the sense is 1. Thes. 5.9 that they are a people God hath set apart to obtain heauen or to gain more than any people Others thus A people of purchase that is such as were purchased viz. by the
degree of the misery of wicked men I take it it is especially the darknes of ignorance is heer meant though the other cannot be excluded That which is euident to bee obserued from hence is that all men that are not effectually called liue in darknes and walk-on in darknes Eph. 4.17 1. Iohn 2.9 Psal. 82.5 It is a continual night with them they are like the Aegyptians that could haue no Sunne to light them but were couered with palpable darknes Neither are they helped that they enioy the light of the Sunne for of all darknesses that which comes from the absence of the Sunne is the least or hath least distresse in it If a man liued where hee should neuer see day or were born blinde yet his distress were nothing in comparison of the darknes especially spirituall that lieth vpon the poor soule of an vnregenerate man which lieth shut vp in miserable darknes which these men may feele in themselues by their liuing without GOD in the world and by the absence of the ioies of God and by their singular vncapablenesse in the things of the Kingdome of GOD and by their strange and absurd errours in conceiuing of matters of Religion by their monstrous thoughts and obiections they feel at some times and disability to conceiue of the worth of eternal things though the least of them bee better than the whole world and lastly by their want of discouering what to do almost in all the occasions of life Vse The vse may bee for singular terrour to wicked men if they had hearts to consider of it to knowe that they liue in such a condition as no prisoner can suffer in the worst dungeon of the world and the rather if they consider the aggrauation of their distresse in respect of the darknes they liue in or are likely to liue in as First that they haue the Diuels as the Rulers of the darknes they liue in who like cruell Iaylers will see to it that they bee kept still in their dungeon with all increase of heauinesse and misery Eph. 6.12 Secondly that their darknes is also the shadow of death a most deadly poisonfull darknes that daily increaseth in the infection and annoyance of it Esay 9.2 Thirdly that they suffer so many kindes of darknes in the vexations and discomforts of each of them Fourthly that it is such grosse darknes so thick and palpable without any mixture of true light or comfort if they had but star-light or moon-light it were some ease Fiftly that they are neither safe walking nor lying still If they walk they go in singular danger for they knowe not whither they go 1. Iohn 2.11 Iob 18.5 6 7. If they lie still and sleep it out they are in danger to be swallowed vp eternally Sixtly that this darknes will not hide from God All they doo is manifest before him Esay 29.15 Seuenthly that it is a continuall darknes it will neuer be day with them so long as they liue in that estate without repentance Iob 15.30 All his daies he eats in darknes Eccles. 5.17 Eightthly that they are in danger euery hour to bee cast into vtter darknes where will bee no ease nor end He knoweth not that the day of this darknes is ready at hand into which if hee fall he shall neuer depart out Ninthly that this is the case of euery vnregenerate man the whole world of them lieth in darknes and not one escapeth it their whole earth is without form and void and their heauens haue no light in them Ier. 4.24 Ob. But wee see wicked men haue ioy and comfort many times Sol. They haue certaine sparkes of light like the light smitten out of the flint first they cannot warme themselues by it nor see how to direct their waies secondly it will quickly goe out thirdly howsoeuer it bee for a time heere yet at length they must lie downe in sorrow Esay 50.10 And the consideration heereof should in the second place much reproue the peruersenes of wicked men and that in diuers respects and considerations First that they can bee silent in darknes as the phrase is 1. Sam. 2.9 that they can liue so securely neuer make mone or humble themselues in their distresse Secondly that they dare which is worse many times call darknes light and light darknes and defend it that they are in as great liberty and safety as the best of them all Oh woe vnto them because they call darknes light Esayâ— 20 Thirdly that they will not come into the light when the dore is opened and while there is spirituall means of light What a thing is this that light is come into the world and the darknes comprehendeth it not Ioh. 1.5 Fourthly this is their condemnation that they loue darknes more then light and preferre their vile condition before the condition of the children of the light Ioh. 3.21 Thirdly let these poore wretches bee instructed if it bee possible 1. To embrace the meanes of light 2. To pray to God to be intreated of them to lighten their darknes doth not hee iustly perish that may enioy the light for asking for it yet and will not Ob. If any ask how may they knowe that they are in darknes Ans. I answer First By the vncapablenes and insensiblenes of the soule in the things of the Kingdome of God Eph. 4.17 1. Cor. 2.14 Secondly By the workes of darknes by the continuall practice of sinne without sound repentance Rom. 13. 1. Iohn 1.6 7. Thirdly in particular by the habituall hatred of the godly because they follow goodnes 1. Ioh. 2.9 11. Fourthly by the absence of God in the vse of his ordinances who is as the Sunne to the Godly Psal. 84.12 And thus of the vse that concerns the wicked Vse 2. Godly men should from hence gather encrease of consolation in their harts from the consideration of Gods mercy in translating them from the Kingdome of darknes into the Kingdome of his deare Loue Col. 1.12 13. they are the men vpon whome God hath accomplished the prophecy and promise of his grace They are the deafe men that are made to heare the words of the book and the blind men that see out of obscurity and darknes Esay 29.18 19. The Lord hath made darknes light before them and brought them being but blind men by a way they knew not Esay 42.16 The people that sate in darknes haue seene great light Esay 9.1 These men are the prisoners that once were in darknes and God sent his owne Sonne to the prison dore to bid them come foorth and shew themselues Esay 49.9 And their deliuerance from darknes should be the more comfortable if they consider First what a world of people are yet couered with darknes Esay 61.1 Secondly that darknes shall neuer returne They enioy a day that neuer shall haue night following Ob. But is there not darknes still in godly men as well as in other men Sol. I answer In some
other men But the maine point is that God's people are the only people in the World None worthy to be called a people in comparison of them No subiect in any gouernement so happy as Gods people vnder his gouernement in Christ and therefore to bee made the people of God here is reckoned as a condition beyond all comparison Now that Gods people excell all other Subiects in the World may appeare many waies First in respect of the loue of God that hee beares to his people which hath foure matchlesse prayses that no King on earth can afford to his Subiects For first it is an euerlasting Loue when all the fauor of the Princes on earth is both mutable and mortall Secondly it is a particular loue to each Subiect All the people are loued and by name Deut. 33.3 The Lord counteth when he reckons his people he was become their God Psal. 87.5 6. Thirdly it is a free loue There was no desert in vs whereas Princes looke at somewhat that may pleasure themselues euen where desert is lesse Fourthly it is a tender Loue and therefore Gods people are said to be married to their King and God Hosh. 2.19 and therefore God is said to account his People to be his Portion Deut. 32.9 Secondly they are an elect People which hath a twofold consideration in it For first they are elect from all eternity and so euery one of the People hath a particular act of Parliament to assure his right Rom. 11.2 And secondly they are elect in time that is they are separated and culled out of all the people of the World Thirdly all Gods People haue a generall pardon giuen them for all offences Ierem. 31.34 He saues his People from their sinnes and this pardon is grounded vpon a sufficient atonement made by a most faithfull high Priest for them Heb. 2.17 Who also sanctified all this People with his own blood Heb. 13.12 Christ is giuen for couenant he is their surety for them their witnes Esay 42.6 55.5 Who also redeemed them with his blood All a People of Purchase Fourthly all Gods People are qualified with new gifts aboue all the people in the World their natures be amended they are all washed and clensed from their filthinesse there is not one vile person amongst them Ezech. 36.25 37.23 c. He hath formed them for himselfe and his owne seruice Esay 43.22 Fiftly all Gods Subiects are adopted to bee Gods sonnes and so can no Prince on Earth say of his they are as it were the fruit of his womb Psal. 110.3 Sixtly the Lawes by which they are gouerned are the perfectest in the whole world For the Law of God is perfect Psal. 119.8 Seuenthly all Gods people liue in his presence and see his glory Exod. 33.16 Leuit. 26.11 12. Zach. 1.10 11. Psal. 95.7 Other Kings haue many subiects they neuer saw and few that haue that preferment to liue in the Kings presence or neere about him Eightthly God feasts all his subiects and that often and in his owne presence and with the best prouision of the world Esay 25.8 Esay 65.13 14. Ierem. 31.14 Kings would soone consume their treasure if they should doe it often or almost once c. Ninthly no people so graced of their King in hearing requests and receiuing petitions For all Gods people may cry and bee heard and at all times and in all suites which no King on earth can grant to all his subiects and seldome or neuer so much as to any one Esay 30.19 Iohn 14. Whatsoeuer they aske in the name of Christ shall bee granted vnto them Tenthly they are the longest liued of any people As the daies of a tree are the daies of my people saith the Lord They may endure many a storm but they are fast rooted still Mine Elect shall long enioy the works of their hands Esay 65.22 For first they onely haue the promise of a long life in this world and it is limited onely with that condition If it bee good for them And secondly if that God take away some of his people and that quickly out of this world yet that shortens not their life or dependance vpon God For when they dye a bodily death they are said to bee gathered to his people or their people and there receiue eternall life instead of it Death doth not put them out of seruice or depriue them of the Kings presence but remoueth them onely out of one roome into another whereas they stood below staires before they serue now aboue staires and are all of the Presence and Priuie-Chamber to God Eleuenthly they are the wealthiest people in the world none better prouided for For first for Spiritual gifts and rich fauours from the King of kings they are not destitute of any heauenly gifts 1. Cor. 1.5 Eph. 1.3 And for outward prouision God hath taken all the chief creatures and bound them to serue them with prouision in whatsoeuer they want The heauen the earth the corne c. all are bound for the supply of their wants Hos. 2.21 22 23. Twelfthly they excell for protection Whether we respect their preseruation or the reuenge is done vpon their enemies For their preseruation though the earth and the heauens should bee shaken yet God will be the hope of his people Ioel 3.16 and as the mountaines are about Ierusalem so is the Lord about them that feare him and therefore they cannot bee moued Psal. 125.1 2. and if the rod of the wicked doe enter vpon them yet it shall not rest vpon their lot v. 3. of the same Psalme And for vengeance It is certaine the Lord will auenge their quarrell vpon all their enemies though they be vnable to right their own wrongs and because God would haue it done throughly hee reserues the work of vengeance to himselfe to make the recompence Heb. 10.30 Rom. 12.20 Vses The vse may bee both for Consolation and Instruction For it should exceedingly comfort Gods children considering what singular happines they enioy by the gouernment of Iesus Christ. Oh! blessed are the people whose God is the Lord Psal. 33.12 and 144.15 Moses admires a little before his death the wonderfull felicity of the godly considered as they are God's people Israel is happy none like to God's people or this people nor is there any like vnto the God of Ierusalem For God rides vpon the heauen in their help the eternall God is their refuge and vnderneath are the euerlasting Armies He wil thrust out their enemies before them and say Destroy them Israel alone shal dwel in safety The Fountain of Iacob shal be vpon a land of corn and wine and his heauens shal drop down deaw They are a people saued by the Lord who is the shield of their help and the sword of their excellency Their enemies shal be found liers to them Deut. 33.26 to the end And this excellent estate is the more comfortable to be thought vpon 1. Because people of
5. That if he doo bring affliction vpon his people to humble them yet he will not consume them but will repent him of the euill Ioel 2.13 Deut. 32.36 Amos 7.36 6. That in shewing his loue hee is of great kindnes called the maruellous louing kindnesse Psalm 17.7 hence resembled to marriage-kindnes Hosh. 2.19 No husband can be so fond of his wife as God is of his people nor can any man deuise such waies to expresse kindnes as GOD doth to his people 7. That his mercy is without all grieuance to him Mercy pleaseth him Mic. 7.18 It breeds as it were an vnspeakable contentment in GOD himself when hee hath dealt mercifully with his seruants Secondly his mercy is immense vnmeasurable and this is exprest by diuers forms of speech in the Scripture Thus God is said to be plentious in mercy Psalm 86.5 aboundant in mercy 1. Pet. 1.3 rich in mercy Eph. 2.4 His mercy is great aboue the heauens Psal. 108.5 Gods Word heerin hath magnified his name aboue all things Psalm 138.2 Hee hath a multitude of mercies Psalm 51.1 manifold mercies Nehemie 9.19 They are vnsearchable high as the heauen is from the earth Psalm 103.11 His kindnes is said to be maruellous louing kindnes Psalm 17.7 Which must needs appear to be so because hee is a Father of mercies all mercies in the world flowe from him 2. Cor. 1.3 and all his paths are mercie and truth Whatsoeuer hee doth to his people is in mercy Psalm 25.6 And therefore the Prophet that could finde similitudes to expresse the faithfulnesse and iudgements of God by yet is fain to giue-ouer when he comes to his speciall mercy to his Chosen and vents himself by exclamation Oh how excellent is thy mercy Psalm 36.7.8 Thirdly this mercy is the more admirable in that it is free which appears diuers waies First in that it is shewed without deserts on our parts which the tearm gracious euery where giuen to God in Scripture doth import Secondly in that God is tied to no man nor to any posterity of men he hath mercy on whom he wil haue mercy Rom. 9. Thirdly because it is extended to all sorts of people If the rich mercy of God could haue been obtained onely by Kings or Apostles or the like it had been the lesse comfortable vnto vs but bond as well as the free the Barbarian as well as the Grecian the Gentile as well as the Iew the poor as well as the rich may be possessed heerof Hee doth not spend all his mercy on Abraham or Dauid but hee reserueth mercy for thousands Exod. 34.6 and will bestowe the true mercies of Dauid vpon meaner men Esay 55.4 His mercy is ouer all his works especially ouer all his spirituall works in Iesus Christ Psalm 145.9 Fourthly it appears to be free because it can be alone God can loue vs though no body else doo though Abraham knowe vs not yet GOD will bee a Father vnto vs and neuer leaue vs nor forsake vs Esay 63.15 16. Ob. But might some one say In the second Commandement it is plain that GOD shewes mercy â—o them that keep his Commandements It seemes then his mercy is not free but he hath respect to deserts in vs. Sol. First our keeping of the Commandements is not alleaged as the cause of mercy but as the signe of mercy The words shew to whom God will shew mercie not for what cause Secondly when he saith he will shew mercy it euidently excludes merit For it is mercy that God will bestow such great things vpon men for their works for there is no proportion betweene our works and the goodnesse wee receiue from God When we haue done all we should account our selues vnprofitable seruants Ob. But it seemes God's mercy is caused by merit for God shews vs mercy for the merits of Christ If Christ deserue it then it seemes it is not free Sol. First mercy excludes merit in vs though not in Christ. Secondly it was mercy that God gaue vs Christ to merit for vs. And thus of the third property of God's mercy Fourthly God's mercy is the more admirable yet in that it is eternall God will not change his word He keepeth his couenant and mercy with his seruants 1. King 8.23 God's mercies haue beene from all eternitie Psalme 25.6 and hee will not take away his mercy from his seruants Psalme 89.34 but his mercy and louing kindnesse shall follow them all the dayes of their life Psalme 23. vlt. His mercies are new euery morning he hath neuer done shewing of mercy Lament 3.23 Esay 33.3 He is still building vp his mercies and will neuer leaue till he haue finished them in an euerlasting frame of vnspeakeable glory Psalme 89.2 His mercy is euerlasting and endureth for euer Psalme 103.3 136. from euerlasting to euerlasting Psalme 103.17 God may forsake his people for a moment to their thinking and in a little wrath he may hide his face but with euerlasting mercies hee will receiue them As he hath sworn that the waters of Noah shall no more couer the Earth so hath hee sworn he wil no more be wroth with his people The hills may be remoued and the mountaines may depart but God's couenant of peace shall not be remoued saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee Isaiah 54.7 to 11. If God's couenant be not with day and night and if hee haue not appointed the ordinances of heauen and earth then may hee cast away his seruants and their seed Ierem. 33.25 26. But we see the course of nature is firme and therefore ought to bee more assured of the firmnesse of the couenant of God's mercy to his people The effects of mercy follow To obtaine mercy is to obtaine those benefits which God hath promised to his people as the fruits of his mercy Where God shews mercy First he will heare their prayers graciously this is promised Isaiah 30.18 19. and pleaded by Dauid Psalme 4.1 Secondly hee sanctifies all afflictions so as whatsoeuer befalls the godly proceedes from mercy and not iustice in God and shall worke for the best Rom. 8.28 It is God's loue that maketh him correct Heb. 12.6 7. Thirdly he heales their natures from the diseases of their mindes for to shew mercy is likewise to cure vs and sanctifie vs and God promiseth it Hosh. 14.3 Fourthly he multiplies pardon Isaiah 55.7 It is not grieuous to forgiue sinne daily when they seeke to him for forgiuenesse Fiftly he deliuers the soule absolutely from the pit they are free from condemnation Iob 33.27 Psal. 86.13 c. Sixtly In all dangers and weakenesses his mercy holds them vp euen when the godly say their foot slippeth Psal. 94.18 Seuenthly he guides them in all their waies He that hath mercy on them saith the Prophet shall leade them euen by the springs of water shall he guide them Isaiah 49.10 The World is like a wildernesse the wicked are like wilde beasts in a desart God's children are so
much weaknes and wearinesse 4. For impatience either vnder the crosses of life cast on vs by GOD whereas strangers arm themselues to bear all weathers or vnder the scorns and contempt of the world whereas wee should look for it that the world should gaze at vs and deride vs as vsually men doo at strangers Nor should Christians be at leasure to stay their iourney by seeking reuenge for their wrongs or be troubled if they cannot get preferment in the world Secondly for instruction It should wholly impose vpon vs the care of carrying our selues like strangers and pilgrims 1. By hauing our conuersation without couetousnes 2. By our language speaking alwaies as may become the people of God and heirs of heauen that the men of this world may perceiue by our speech that we are not of this world 3. By our circumspection and desire to liue without offense as a stranger is very heedfull of his waies in all places where he comes 4. By our daily enquiring after the particular way to heauen 5. By our thankfulnesse for the fauours wee find while we are in the world seeing it is a place we are not to look for much in 6. By our apparell If strangers be knowne by their garments then is it a great fault for christians to be found in the fashions of this world 7. By our delight in good company wee should bee glad of any that would go with vs to heauen 8. By our affection homeward our mindes should still be in heauen Nor should godly men bee ouermuch troubled that they are strangers heer in this world and pilgrims in the condition of trauellers for First they are not strangers in the Common-wealth of Israel and in the Kingdome of Christ at the same time they are strangers in respect of their condition in this world Secondly they are well prouided-for at their Innes God prouides their resting-places and no good thing will he with-hold from them That God which commands men to regard strangers and shew them mercy will himself much more be carefull for his strangers Thirdly their pilgrimage will not be long Fourthly they haue good company all the godly trauell their way Fiftly God hath appointed them guides yea Christ himself will be their way Sixtly by praiers they may send home continually Seuenthly it should much comfort them to think what a glorious condition they shall bee in when they come home in the new Ierusalem Thus of the first reason Secondly the lusts must bee auoided because they are fleshly Fleshly These lusts are fleshly in diuers respects First because they please after the flesh which is the corrupt nature of man they hould no delight or shew of profit but to the flesh they are exceeding noisome and grieuous and foolish to the Spirit Secondly because they raign onely in fleshly persons they bee the lusts of Gentiles and such as are strangers from the life of God Godly men complain of them as an extreme misery Rom. 7. 1. Pet. 4.3 Thirdly because they arise most from the body which is but a seruant to the soule and it is an extreme vnmanlinesse for the soule to bee at the command of her seruant the body which concludes against the lusts of vncleannesse riotousnes drunkennesse vanity of apparell c. Fourthly because they proceed from the ould man or corruption of nature or the flesh considered as the enemy to God and man's saluation and so it is an argument taken from the hatefulnes of the flesh and her working in vs. The lusts and desires of the flesh ought to be hatefull and wee should suspect and abstain from the proiects of the flesh if we consider 1. That the flesh sauoureth not the things of God Rom. 8. 2. That she opposeth all good waies partly by obiecting against them and partly by making euill present when we should perform them Ro. 3. That her wisdome is against God her fairest reasons are pleaded for things that are hatefull to God such also are her excuses and extenuations and promises 4. That if she be followed she will lead vs by degrees into all abominations as whoredoms murders debates heresies c. these are her fruits Gal. 5. 5. She will betray vs to Satan that he may by himself set vp strong fortifications in our foules and her treason is the more dangerous because shee is a domesticall enemy and by his working in secret our hearts may become a very cage or stie of vnclean spirits 6. Shee hath already spoiled the Image of God in vs and made vs look most deformedly 7. If she once get power she is most tyrannicall no respect of credit profit no nor saluation it self can stir she will be serued whatsoeuer come of it 8. We should abhorre her for the very mischief she doth to our posterity wee cannot look vpon our children but wee may see what wofull hurt she hath done by the infection they receiu'd in their propagation Vses The vse may be First for reproof of such as lay the blame of their faults vpon their euil luck or euill counsell or the diuell whereas they ought to lay the fault vpon their owne flesh euen their owne ill nature The diuell nor the world could neuer hurt vs if the flesh did not betray vs by defect or consent or euill action Secondly for information We may see what we should mortifie and abstain from Religion doth not binde men to mortifie the substance of the flesh but the lusts of the flesh wee are not to destroy any faculty of the soule or in the soule or part of the body but the inordinate appetite and desires of either we are not to abstain from the necessary means of life as house lands diet apparell company c. but the euill concupiscence about these Thirdly for instruction It should teach vs therefore to restrain the flesh as much as we can and therefore we shall with the same labour restrain the lusts of the flesh and to this end 1. Wee must with all feare and iealousie watch our owne natures as mistrusting 2. We must silence the flesh and not suffer it to plead for sin 3. Wee must by a daily course of mortification iudge the flesh that so we may be as it were condemned in the flesh 4. We must keep from it what may pamper it as idlenesse excesse of diet apparell recreation c. Which war against the soule These words may be considered either in their coherence or in themselues in their coherence and so they are the third reason taken from the euill effect of those lusts In themselues there are two things to bee opened both what the soule is and what this warre in the soule is The point is cleer that fleshly lusts doo much hurt the soules of men and so both the soules of wicked men and of godly men First of wicked men These lusts hurt the soules 1. Because they prouoke the wrath of God vpon them The Israelites were not
things in it I answer two things First that the sense can receiue onely the images of a few things that is only of such things as haue colour sound tast smell or touchable qualities but the minde can beget the images of all things Secondly that those images in the senses are dull and dark and confused in comparison of the likenes of things in the minde 12. In that he hath a will in choosing or refusing things good or euill that cannot bee compelled The liberty of the will is inseparable to it in what it chooseth or refuseth for it implies a contradiction that the will should be cōstraind 13. In that it hath in it that diuine thing which we call conscience which is giuen to the soule as a guardian as it were to attend it from God the effects whereof are admirable in vs for it testifies to our actions it accuseth or excuseth it comforts when wee haue well done aboue all outward comforts and it terrifieth and scourgeth the soule with vnexpressible afflictions many times for sin it is a Iudge witnes and executioner many times in vs. Now if the soule bee thus admirable in any estate for all these things are true of the reasonable soule euen in the estate of corruption then how excellent was the estate of man in respect of his soule before the Fall and how doth it excell in the godly who haue their soules enlightned with the light of faith and garnished with sauing graces but especially how shall it exceed in glory when it shall bee presented before God in the Kingdome of heauen So that as the whole man made in God's Image is as it were the visible God in this great world so the soule is as it were a little God in the lesser world which is the body of man And thus much of the faculties of the soule Now the end of al this follows The Lord made the soul endowed it with so excellēt a being so admirable faculties that so the Lord might in this visible world haue a creature that would know him and serue him rightly The creatures without sense are Gods workman-ship but discerne nothing of God or themselues or other things The creatures with sense discern other things by sense but know nothing of God Now God made man as the abridgement of all hee had made and gaue him this soule of purpose that hee might discerne God aright and serue and worship and praise him Vse 1. The consideration of the excellency of the soule and of the end why it was created should stirre vs vp to make conscience of the seruice and knowledge of God It is as if wee had neuer beene if wee answer not this end Wee should bee fired to the obseruation and praise of God and of his loue to man And withall it should make vs wonderfull carefull of our soules since wee see they are such excellent creatures Our soule is more worth then all this visible world besides Especially it should fire vs to a care of things that concerne the blessed Immortality of our soules wee should bee forced to all possible care of all such things as might bee prouision for the eternall well-being of our soules And in particular the excellency of the soule should disswade vs from fleshly lusts and all inward impurity by which the soule is defiled or wounded Hitherto of the description of the soule The war against the soule is now to be considered of Concerning which I propound these things to bee handled First who are the combatants Secondly by what waies and means the soule is assaulted and opposed Thirdly why God would suffer the soule to bee thus assaulted Fourthly what reason Christians haue to bee carefull of themselues and prouide against this warre Fiftly by what meanes wee must resist and defend the soule Sixtly what hope there is of victory Seuenthly how many waies wee may obtaine victory Eightthly by what signes we may knowe that wee are not ouercome And then the vse of the whole For the first there are foure kinds of warre waged against the soule as it is encountered by foure sorts of aduersaries For both God and the world and he diuell and the flesh warre against the soule of man briefely of the three first God warres against the soule either in earnest and in deed or in show and appearance and not as an aduersary in deed In earnest God fights against the soule by the threatnings and rebukes of his Word when hee smites and beates men downe by the word of his mouth Esay 11. and also by torments of conscience powred out vpon the wicked men and so hee fought against Cain and Iudas Sometimes God is but a putatiue aduersarie and doth but seeme to fight against them and so hee warreth against his owne seruants either by outward crosses or by disertion or by feare and terrour and thus hee fought against Iob And in this case God is like a Captaine trayning his souldiers or like a Fencer teaching his scholler to fight The world wars against the soule two waies by the inticements of profits pleasures honours euill counsell or example and by persecution either of the tongue or hand The diuell warres against the soule by euill doctrine or temptations or illusions But none of these three are principally intended heere it is the flesh that maketh warre against the soule that is heere meant By the flesh is meant the corruption that is in the nature of man called the old man and the Lawe of the members By the soule is heere meant the spirit or regenerate man the new man the grace of Christ in the soule Thus of the first point who are the combatants the flesh is the assaylant the Spirit the defendant For the second point the flesh incounters and warres against the soule diuerse waies and by strange kindes of fights as 1. By mists of ignorance it casts mists before the eies of the soule that it might bee blinded for there is a manifest combate between the naturall vnderstanding and the regenerate minde carnall reason and sauing knowledge often fight it out within a man 2. By doubtings and distractions and so the flesh casts out such questions as these as so many darts into the soule Whether there bee a God or the Scripture be the Word of GOD Whether Christ be the Sonne of God and our Mediator Whether it be the true Church wee are in or whether our sinnes be forgiuen or wee bee in the state of grace whether there shall bee any resurrection or heauen or hell or immortall Being of the soule Against all these the soule is driuen to make often defenses and driues them out with hard conflicts 3. By rebellious deniall of obedience to the law of the minde exalting it self against the obedience enjoyned by Christ to the soule Rom. 7. 2. Cor. 10. and casting out resolutions of deniall thoughts that say they ought not or wil not obey 4. By hindring the work
the duty of Superiours for in that new and tender world great care was to bee had that vnder pretense of Religion ciuill obedience either in the family or Common-wealth were not neglected And it is a truth to be known at all times that God would not haue inferiours too skilfull in the duty of Superiours that they might first learne to shew duty before they called for duty from their Superiours That may bee one reason why the duty of Masters is not heer handled and in other places of the Epistles but briefly for many times the description of the duty of Superiours is vsed but as a glasse by the Inferiours to pry into the faults of those that rule them and so growe carelesse and wilfully stubborne vnder pretence of the faults of their superiours But some one might say that by this meanes if the Magistrates did turne Christians they were left without rules of direction and so they should not know what to doe Answ. That inconuenience was long before preuented because the duety of Magistrates is fully taught in the old Testament which vnto a godly minde is of as great authority as the new Thus of the coherence and generall consideration of all the words The duty of Subiects followes to bee particularly considered of Submit Concerning Subiects here are fiue things to be considered of First the proposition of Doctrine in these words Submit your selues to euery ordinance of man for the Lords sake Secondly the exposition of it in one case and that is the Persons to whom they were to bee subiect to all sorts of Gouernors to Kings or any other Gouernours Thirdly the confirmation by reason Ver. 14 15. Fourthly the answer of an Obiection Vers. 16. Fiftly the conclusion Vers. 17. In the Proposition consider 1. The dutie to bee done Submit 2. The persons must doe it your selues 3. The things to which they must be subiect Ordinances where is a double extent viz to euery ordinance and though they be ordinances of men 4. The manner or motiue For the Lords sake Submit The duty is to submit vnto Magistrates Rom. 13.1 2. For Explication two things are to bee considered Why wee must submit and How we must submit For the first wee must submit 1. Because God is the Author of magistracy Gen. 9.6 Deut. 16.18 Prou. 8.15 Dan. 2.21 Ioh. 19.11 Rom. 13.1 4 6. Obiect The Diuell is said to bee the Prince of this world and hee claimeth all the kingdomes of the earth Ioh. 12.31 Mat. 4.8 9. Sol. Hee is the Prince of this world by malicious vsurpation not by any right 2. Hee is so in relation to wicked men hee is their king but not of others 3. Hee speakes like himselfe that is like the father of lyes when hee claimes all the kingdomes of the earth for no part of the world is his because The earth is the Lords and all that therein is Obiect But God was angry with the Israelites for their asking of a King and therefore it seemes it was not his ordinance that there should bee Kings Sol. Hee was not angry with them for desiring Gouernours for they had Gouernours before sent of God and the very king they had afterward God gaue them him Hos. 13.8 but hee was angry for the cause of their request Their faith and hope was in a manner spent and they conceiued more hope in a King then in God that had beene such a King to them so many yeares 2. Men must be subiect because God hath taken mens consciences bound to subiection Rom. 13. 3. Because kings are heads of the people and therfore as members it is agreeable that they should submit and bee ruled and guided 4. In respect of the benefit men receiue by Magistrates both in outward things and in matters of religion For outward things men enioy publike peace and quietnesse and protection by the helpe of the power of the Magistrate And for matters of Religion earthly Common-wealths are as it were Innes to lodge the Church in and Princes power affords protection so as Christians may more safely follow their calling and if they bee godly Kings they are the very nurses of Religion And thus of the reasons For the second this Submission hath in it sixe things the first is obedience to their lawes and commandements Tit. 3.1 The second is honour Rom. 13.7 for they are principalities and powers as the Angels shine in heauen so doe Princes on earth yea they are called Gods and so in two respects first as they are Gods Deputies and Viceroies God executes a part of his Kingdome by Kings Secondly as they beare the image of God and his authority and soueraignety Now we must performe this honour by reuerence and by feare of them and by iudging the best of them and their actions without conceiuing suspicious of them nor receiuing euill reports against them nor daring to speake euill of those dignities and Rulers of the people and by all thankefulnesse for the good wee receiue by them acknowledging to the full all their praises The third is Loyaltie by which we resolue and endeauour to the vttermost of our powers to maintaine and preserue the persons rights prerogatiues crowns and dignities of Princes If wee must lay downe our liues one for another then much more for our King and Countrey The fourth is Piety wee must pray for them with all manner of prayer wee must make supplications for Gods blessing vpon them and deprecations for the remouing euils from them and if they should sinne and God bee wroth with them wee should stand vp in the gap and make intercession for them and wee should giue thankes for all the mercies the Lord shewes vnto them 2. Tim. 2.1 The fift is Maintenance tribute must bee paide Rom. 13.7 Christ himselfe submitted herein The last is Subiection to their punishments Rom. 13.4 yea to their iniuries as Dauid Christ and the Apostles did submit themselues to the iniurious dealing of Saul Pilate and the Tyrants when perhaps they could haue made resistance Vse 1. The vse may be first for terrour to the seditious great hath beene the vengeance of God vpon Traytors the earth swallowed vp Corah Dathan and Abiram for their rebellion Absolon was hanged vp by the haire betweene heauen and earth as vnworthy both of heauen and earth The words of our Sauiour Christ are in an high degree true in this case He that taketh vp the sword shall perish by the sword And S. Paul saith They shall bee damned that resist the power Secondly it should much humble the better sort of men for diuers faults that are too common such as are the receiuing of euill reports and speaking euill with two frequent intemperancy grudging at the paiment of tribute and taxations euill surmises of the actions of Princes and the aptness to fauour thēselues in the liberty of doubting concerning obedience to them in things indifferent Thirdly all good Christians should bee perswaded to make conscience of this
fearefull thing which Salomon saith Those which are of a froward heart are an abomination to the Lord but such as are vpright in the way are his delight Pro. 11.20 Fourthly if wee consider the condition of the parties that are ouer-growne with this disease of peeuishnes and frowardnes It is a terrible censure that God himselfe giues of such for the most part that they are wicked persons Prou. 6.12 He that walketh with a froward mouth is called a naughty person and a wicked man and though in charity wee may hope of men that they are not altogether destitute of true grace yet as the Apostle said of enuie and strife so may wee say of frowardnes that such as are guilty of it vsually are but as carnall at the best but babes in Christ 1. Cor. 3.1 2 3. To coÌ„clude Better is the poore that walketh in his vprightnes then hee that is peruerse in his lips though hee bee rich Pro. 28.6 Vse The vse should bee for admonition and instruction to such Masters husbands wiues or others that finde themselues guilty of this hatefull vice to labour by all meanes to get themselues cured of it remembring the counsell of the holy Ghost Put away from thee a froward mouth and peruerse lips put farr from thee Pro. 4.14 and to this end they must obserue these rules First they must become fooles that they may bee wise they must begin the cure at the deniall of themselues and their vaine conceits For if they trust to their owne discretion and naturall gifts they will neuer mend For naturall gifts can neuer make that which is crooked streight Eccles. 1.15 Secondly they must striue to breed in their hearts the sound feare of God and his displeasure for their frowardnes For the feare of God will take downe their pride and cause them to abhor all peeuish and froward waies Prou. 8.13 Thirdly they must constantly iudge themselues for their offences heerein and that both by daily confessing their frowardnes to God in secret and also by acknowledging their faults heerein vnto such as are guided by them Fourthly they must especially fly to Iesus Christ whose office is to make crooked things streight Esay 40.5 and 42.16 Luke 3.5 The last thing to bee noted out of this verse is that no faults in the Superiours can free the inferiours from their subiection for matter or manner as heere seruants must bee subiect yea with all feare to froward Masters so afterwards wiues must bee subiect to their husbands and with all feare too though they bee vnbeleeuers or carnall men Thus of the exposition the confirmation followes Verses 19. and 20. For this is thank-worthy if a man for conscience toward God endure griefe suffering wrongfully For what glory is it if when ye be buffeted for your faults you shall take it patiently but if when yee doe well and suffer for it you take it patiently this is acceptable with God THe Apostle applies the reasons to that part of the exposition which might be most doubted and â—o giues three reasons why seruants should be subiect euen to euill Masters The first is taken from the acceptation of such subiection with God verses 19. and 20. The second is taken from their calling verse 21. The third from the example of Christ afterwards The argument from acceptation is laid downe verse 19. and auouched and made good verse 20. In the ninteenth verse then it is the drift of the Apostle to shew that though Masters should bee so froward as to beate their seruants causelesly yet they should bee subiect and indure it for conscience sake vnto God because this is a Christian mans case and a great praise when out of conscience to God hee doth his duty and suffers wrongfully The reason is so intended for the particular case of seruants so abused as it holdes in all cases of iniury for conscience sake In this verse then the Apostle intreates of suffering and wee may note foure things about suffering First what is to bee suffered griefe Secondly how it is to be suffered viz. wrongfully and with enduring Thirdly the cause of suffering it conscience toward God Fourthly the effect which is praise acceptation Doct. 1. In this world all sorts of men are liable to suffer griefe For though the Apostle in the scope intends to speak of seruants suffering griefe yet the Argument with the vses concerne all sorts of men In this world then wee must looke for griefe and how can it bee otherwise since first there are such mines in our own nature made by sinne and so many abominations round about vs to God's dishonour Secondly the creatures which we are to vse in this world are empty and vaine and so occasion much vexation in the vsers that are disappointed by them All is vanity and vexation of spirit saith the wise man Thirdly wee are liable to so many crosses and losses euery day hath his griefe and his crosse which must bee taken vp Mat. 6. vlt. Luke 9.14 Fourthly how can wee be long without griefe that liue in a world so full of sin and diuels and diuelish men Fiftly our own bodies often grieue vs being liable to so many paines and diseases What should I say Our own houses are full of causes of griefe if the disorders of masters husbands wiues seruants children be considered of and therefore wee should bee weary of the world and long for heauen wee shall neuer bee long together without griefe till wee come thither Doct. 2 Wee must not onely endure griefe but many times suffer it wrongfully Besides all the griefe befals men otherwise the world is full of wrong and iniury and the waies of doing wrong are so many as cannot easily be reckond Who can recount what wrongs are done daily by deceit violence oppression lying false witnes slanderings and other base indignities Which should teach vs not to think it strange if wrongs befall vs and withal it imports that woe shall be to all them that doe wrong That God that discouers them that doe wrong will repay them according to all the wrong they haue done Doct. 3. It may be heere noted too That vsually they suffer most wrong that are most careful to do their duties which ariseth partly from that fearefull Aâ—axie in mens natures that are falne into such distemperature of disposition and partly from that naturall malice vngodly men beare to them that are good partly such as are indeed godly will not vse such meanes of reuenge as others will doe and partly because the Lawes of men doe not reach to a sufficient way of correcting and reforming such indignities and especially it proceeds from the pride and vnthankfulnes and discontentments which raigne in the harts of froward corrupt minded persons And from hence we may gather the necessity of God's generall Iudgement because in this world it is ill many times with good men and there is no remedy seeing their wrongs are not righted heere
at large from verse 21. to the end of the chapter Which doctrine of Christ's suffering is fitted partly to the case of seruants and partly to the vse of all Christians Concerning the Passion fiue things are in all these verses noted First who suffred Christ suffred verse 21. Secondly the end of his suffering viz. to leaue vs an example c. verse 21. Thirdly the manner how he suffred set out 1. Negatiuely and so he suffred first without sin verse 22. secondly without reuiling verse 23. 2. Affirmatiuely and so he commits himself to him that iudgeth righteously Fourthly the matter what he suffred viz. our sins in his owne body on the tree verse 24. Fiftly the effect of his sufferings 1. In respect of vs and so his suffrings serue To kill our sinnes Verse 24. To make vs aliue to righteousnes Verse 24. To heal our natures Verse 24. 2. In respect of himself and so they procured his exaltation to be Shepheard and Bishop of our soules verse 25. Thus of the order Euen Christ suffred The first thing to be considered in the Apostles description of the Passion of the person who suffered is that it is named heer with speciall Emphasis Euen Christ or Christ also Christ is the sir-name of our Sauiour as Iesus was his proper name Iesus is a name onely giuen him in the new Testament but Christ was his name in both Testaments and signifies Anointed being a Greek word as Messiah doth in the Hebrew And so it is a name importing his office of Mediator as being thereby proclaimed to bee the substance of the ceremoniall types euen the supreme Doctor or Prophet Priest and King of the Church for these three sorts of men were anointed in the old Testament and were types of Christ's anointing It is true that we doo not reade that our Sauiour was himself anointed with oile because his anointing consisted in the substance of that shadow For the shadow signifieth two things First ordination to the office secondly the pouring out of gifts by the holy Ghost for the exornation of the office Now whereas Christ is Mediator in both natures his anointing must bee distinguished according to his natures The whole person was anointed but yet differently in respect of his natures for gifts could not be poured out vpon his diuine nature yet as the Sonne of God the second person in Trinity he was anointed in respect of ordination to the office of Mediator and as the Sonne of man he was anointed in respect of the pouring out of the gifts of the holy Ghost vpon that nature in measure as the Psalmist saith aboue his fellows Psalm 45. The first doctrine about the Passion is heere briefly contained in these three words of the Apostle Euen Christ suffred which is a doctrine full of excellent vses for thence First wee may see how vile the errour was of those Hereticks they called Patri-passianus who taught that God the Father suffred whereas in this and other Scriptures we are taught that it was onely Christ the second Person in Trinity that suffred The ground of their error was that there was but one Person in the Deity which in heauen was called the Father in earth the Sonne in the powers of the creatures the holy Ghost and thence they affirm the same things of the Father they did of the Sonne that he was visible mortall and immortall passible and impassible passible on earth and impassible in heauen But we haue learned from the Prophets and Apostles to beleeue three Persons and so to acknowledge that the second Person suffered onely and that in his humane nature Secondly we may hence learne that Christ was subiect to the Law after a peculiar manner so as no other man was subiect For hee did not onely fulfill the Law by a most perfect obedience but hee suffered the malediction and curse of the Law also Some men are subiect to the malediction of the Law onely and so are all the wicked reprobates that obey it not Some men are subiect to the Commandements of the Law and not to the malediction and so our first parents were while they continued in their innocency because God did not require them to suffer so long as they obeyed the Law and so all godly men in Christ are vnder the Law in respect of obedience but not in respect of malediction onely Christ is subiect to the malediction and obedience of the Law as our surety Thirdly hence wee learne a plaine demonstration of the truth of the humane nature of Christ Hee had not a fantasticall body but a true body because he did verily suffer in the flesh as followes afterward Fourthly Hence wee may bee informed of the excessiuely vile disposition of the world in that it is so set on wickednes that the very Sauiour of the world if hee come into the world shall suffer from the world Fiftly wee may hence learne that Christ suffered willingly and of his owne accord For in that hee that is God suffered it shewes hee had power to preserue himselfe so as all the world could not haue forced him to suffer and therefore wee haue cause so much the more to admire his loue to vs that suffered for our sakes as the next point will shew Sixtly wee may hence learne to know how abominable sinne is that makes the Sonne of God suffer miserable things if hee become a surety for sinne Seuenthly wee may hence learne to know the ineuitable destruction and fearefull perdition of impenitent sinners For if God spared not his own Sonne that was but a surety for sinne and did none himselfe will hee euer spare them that are principals and monstrous offenders Eightly did euen Christ suffer then we should euermore arme our selues with the same minde and prouide to suffer in the flesh 1. Pet. 4.1 It is a shame for vs to expect or desire a life of ease and prosperity seeing the Prince of our saluation was consecrated through afflictions Heb. 2.10 and 12.3 And the more should wee bee confirmed to suffer in willingnes in this life because God hath predestinated vs to bee conformed to the image of his Sonne in sufferings Rom. 8.29 Lastly in that it was Christ that suffered wee may hence gather comfort to our selues in his passion all the daies of our life because his sufferings must needes bee of infinite merit being the sufferings of him that is God as well as man Thus of the Person suffering The persons for whom hee suffered follow For vs. The sufferings of Christ were not casuall such as befell him for no vse nor were they deserued by himselfe For hee neuer offended God nor did hee seeke his owne peculiar good in them but hee suffered all hee did for our sakes Esay 53 5. Hee was wounded for our transgressions the chasticement of our peace was laid vpon him and verse 8. Hee was plagued for the transgression of God's people and as the Apostle saith hee was deliuered to death for
imports For euery man that can write yet cannot set Copies for other men to write by so euery good Christian is not able to teach by example to the life but with great imperfection some had more need to bee learners then to bee teachers and therefore should not bee ouer-hasty to shew their gifts Doct. 4. Good examples are very scarce in the world therfore Christ is faine to leaue vs one of his owne the skilfull practice of Gods Word is so rare that it is very hard to finde a man whom wee would set before vs as a pattern to imitate Doct. 5. There was very great need of Christs example to teach vs by The world is so generally falne away from the care of obedience and the doctrine of well-doing is intertayned so dully as a very matter of forme and for outward shew and the examples of the godly are so imperfect that it was necessary after so many hundreds of yeers in which sound practice was neglected that the Christian world should bee fired with the incitations of so exquisite a patterne of obedience as Christs was Doct. 6. Christs example is to bee imitated by degrees God doth not looke we should follow the copy exactly at the first which similitude imports a great deale of incouragement to the weak but willing Christian and withall shewes the doubtful estate of such Christians as in a short time and with little labour think they haue learned the substance of all Christianity Doct. 7. In that hee saith Leauing vs an example it imports that many good works tarry behind the godly in the world For though it bee true that their works follow them to heauen yet it is true also they are left behind They follow them to heauen in respect of GODs remembrance and acknowledgement of them and they tarry behind them in respect of the example of them and the praisefull memory of them amongst men Weldoing cannot bee lost which withall imports that it is a great honour and comfort when a man goes out of the world to leaue the memory and patterne of good works behinde him and it is a fearefull thing for such men as goe out of the world to leaue an ill report behind them and die an example of euill doers though those could leaue a great estate in worldly things yet are they most accursed because they leaue behind them such an ill sent and sauour by reason of their filthy or vaine or worldly kind of liuing Doct. 8. It is more then a step to heauen wee are heere required to follow Christs steps importing it is a long iourney and wee are to make many steps Doct. 9. The more good any doth the neerer they come to heauen euery good work is as it were a step neerer to heauen and therefore as we desire to bee with the Lord so should wee hasten and finish our work nothing will bring vs sooner to heauen whereas if wee bee barren and vnfruitfull either wee shall neuer come there or it will bee a great while first Doct. 10. The way to heauen is a very hard way to hit it is marked out by steps If wee step awry wee are in great danger either of fouling our selues or losing our way It is like to his way that is to passe ouer a brook or through thornes or through miery waies where are placed steps or a print of some footing before which is hard to hit and dangerous to misse And therefore men must looke to themselues after they haue vndertaken profession of the care of a better life for the similitude importeth that men must neuer look off their way and they must not go ouer rashly or hastily nor must they listen to strange noises nor must they look to go that way with much company nor is it safe for them to haue distractions or cares in their heads all which parts of the similitude let men apply to themselues Doct. 11. He that liues so as hee hath the commandement of God and the example of Christ for a warrant of his actions is in a sure way and is safe and in the right way to heauen They that walk by rule and are carefull to tread right in the steps marked out in the way shall haue peace and much comfort and assurance Gal. 6.16 Doct. 12. If we bee not skilfull enough to teach others by our example yet if wee bee willing to learn goodnes from such as giue vs good example we may be happy Some Christians are examples to others as 1. Tim. 4.12 Tit. 2.7 1. Thes. 1.7 8. Other Christians learn both in matters of faith and life from them as those places shew and this Text imports that if we but follow example we please God Thus of the doctrines out of these words It remaines that we consider more specially of the copy or example heer left vs to follow God teacheth vs many things by examples and to that end hee hath giuen vs diuers sorts of examples to learne by And so God is pleased to raise vp in the world examples sometimes of his Power sometimes of his Iustice sometimes of his Holinesse Examples or monuments of God's Power are those strange works of wonder which God doth at some times to shew his Almightinesse and Soueraignty such was that Iohn 9.1 To make a man blinde from the birth to see Examples of his Iustice hee hath giuen vs in all Ages so Numb 5.21 Ezech. 5.15 Heb. 4.11 Iude 7. 1. Cor. 10. Examples and patterns of his Holinesse hee hath giuen vs partly in his adopted sonnes and partly in his naturall Son and his Sonne by the grace of personall vnion thus he gaue vs Iob and the Prophets for examples of patience in suffering Iames 5.10 Thus Timothy and Titus are charged to be paterns of good works 1. Timothie 4.12 Titus 2.7 But it is the example of Christ which is heer vrged as the best patterne of all others Quest. Now the speciall question is What must wee distinctly learn from the sufferings of Christ Ans. There are many things wherein Christ hath set vs an example in his sufferings which wee may and ought to learn from him as First his sufferings should make vs willing to resolue to suffer if God call vs to it it should teach vs to stand vpon our guard and look for warre as resolued It is meet we suffer with him if we mean to raigne with him 2. Tim. 2.11 Secondly when he was tempted or troubled in Spirit he left vs an example for the manner of the fight and which way wee should make resistance and ouercome and that is by the Word of God and praier for he beat the diuell away by Scripture Mat. 4. And in all his speciall agonies wee still heare him praying and making his mone to his Father Thirdly hee left vs a pattern of matchlesse humility and told vs if euer wee would learne any thing of him we should learn of him to bee lowly and meek who
Prouer. 13.19 And whereas there is no peace to the wicked the righteous is at peace with God with Angels with the creatures and with all godly men Fourthly because it is the most durable life for the fear of the Lord prolongeth the daies but the yeers of the wicked shall be shortned Pro. 10.27 30. The way of righteousnes is life and in the path-way thereof is no death Prouerbs 12.28 As a whirl-winde so is the wicked seen no more but the righteous is an euerlasting foundation Prouer. 10.25 Fiftly because it is a life that ends the best of all mens liues for the wicked is driuen away in his wickednes but the righteous hath hope in his death and great hope too hauing the promises of a better life and so much glory as the eye of mortall man neuer saw nor ear of man heard nor came into the hart of a naturall man Pro. 14.32 1. Tim. 6. 1. Cor. 2.9 Sixtly because righteousnes is more proper to the soule What is riches or honour or any outward thing to the soule of a man or what shall it profit a man to prouide for the whole world to be his estate if hee prouide not grace for his soule Riches profit but the outward estates of a man whereas righteousnes profits the man himselfe And therefore Adam's losse was greater in losing his innocency than in losing of Paradise What can it profit a man to haue all other things good about him if he be not good himself Vse The vse should bee first for triall Men should throughly search themselues whether they be indeed righteous men and the more carefully should they search because the most righteous on earth haue their many ignorances and frailties There is no man but sinneth daily and in many things and besides a man may attaine to some kinde of righteousnes and yet not enter into the Kingdome of heauen as there is a generation that are pure in their owne eies and yet are not clensed from their sinnes And the Pharises had a righteousnes that had many praises they gaue alms and fasted and praied long praiers and did that which was warrantable in respect of the Law outwardly and yet if our righteousnes exceed not the righteousnes of the Scribes and Pharises we cannot enter into the Kingdome of heauen Quest. But how may a man knowe all his infirmities notwithstanding hee bee truely righteous and haue such a righteousnes as doth exceed the righteousnes of the Scribes and Pharises Ans. For answer heerunto I will cast the signes of a righteous man into two ranks First such as describe him in himself secondly such as describe him in the difference from Pharisaicall righteousnesse The signes that describe him in himself either appeare vpon him in his infancy or in his ripe age In the very infancy of the iust man euen when God first changeth his heart and clenseth him and raiseth him vp to liue righteously there bee diuers things by which hee may discern the truth of his sanctification as First by the dissoluing of the stoninesse of his heart When God comes effectually to clense a man hee takes away the stony heart out of the body and giues him a heart of flesh he may feele his heart melt within him especially when hee stands before the Lord when the Lord is fashioning of him for himself by his Ordinances Ezech. 36.25 26. Hee hath a new heart that hath not a stony heart Secondly by the rising of the day starre in his heart The Father of lights when he reneweth the heart of a man causeth a sudden heauenly light as it were a starre to shine in the vnderstanding by vertue of which men see more into the mysteries of Religion in that first moment than they did all the daies of their life before This is that new spirit the Prophet speaks of Hee that sate in darknes before now sees a great light he sees and wonders at diuine things in Religion whereas before hee was a sot and vnderstood nothing with any power or life and by the comforts of this light he can heare as the Learned vnderstands doctrine in a moment which before was altogether harsh and dark vnto him 2. Peter 1.19 Ezechiel 36.28 Psalm 119.130 Mathew 4.16 Esay 50.4 Thirdly by his vehement desire to righteousnes or after righteousnes Mathew 5.5 Which hee shewes many waies as by the loathing of himself for his want of righteousnes and for all his wayes that were not good Ezech. 36.35 and by his estimation of righteousnes aboue riches all worldly things Psalm 3.8 9. and by his affectionate enquiry after directions for righteousnes Men and brethren what shall we doo to be saued Acts 2.37 and by his longing after the Word of truth by which he may learn righteousnes Fourthly by his estimation of righteousnes in others he honours them that fear the Lord as the onely Noble Ones all his delight is in them and he loues them and longs after them for righteousnes sake Fiftly by the couenant he makes in his heart about righteousnes he not onely consents to obey Esay 1.19 but hires himself as a seruant to righteousnes resoluing to liue to righteousnes and spend not an houre in a day but a life in the seruice of righteousnes Rom. 6.13 18. And as the righteous man growes more strong and better acquainted with God and his Ordinances and the works of righteousnes other signes break-out vpon him which doo infallibly prooue the happinesse of his condition such as are First vexation in his soule at the wickednes and vnrighteousnes of others 2. Pet. 2.8 Secondly reioycing with ioy vnspeakable and glorious when he feels the comforts of GOD's presence and begins to see some euidence of Gods loue to him in Christ 1. Pet. 1.9 Thirdly the personall and passionate loue of the Lord Iesus Christ the Fountain of righteousnes though hee neuer saw him in the flesh esteeming him aboue all persons and things 1. Peter 1.9 Phil. 3.8 9. longing after his comming with great striuings of affections 2. Cor. 5. 2. Tim. 4.8 c. Fourthly flourishing like a Palm-tree when he is planted in the House of the Lord and enioyes powerfull means in the House of his God growing like the Willowes by the water-courses Psalm 92.12 13. and 1.3 Fiftly resolution to suffer any thing for righteousnes sake Mat. 5.12 so as hee will forsake father or mother house or lands yea life it self rather than forsake the truth and the good way of God Mat. 16.23 Mark 10.29 Sixtly he liues by faith The iust liues by faith In all estates of life he casteth his cares and himself vpon God trusting on the merits of Iesus Christ and is in nothing carefull but patiently waits vpon God Gal. 2.2 Heb. 10.38 Gal. 3.11 And thus he is described in himself Now his righteousnes is distinguished from the righteousnes of the Scribes and Pharises by diuers signes and marks as First in the ends of it
bloud of Christ. And so the people of God were purchased out of the world by the bloud of Christ and the Israelites were typically redeemed out of Egypt by the bloud of the Lamb. The Godly are a people bought at a great price none euer so dearly ransomed But I take it as it is heer rendred A peculiar people and so the word may intimaâ—e a double reason For first they are a peculiar people because God hath euery way fashioned them for himself Secondly they are a peculiar people because they are his treasure yea all his treasure The Godly comprehend all his gettings they are as it were all hee hath And so Exodus 19. verse 6. may explain it Vse The vse may be partly for consolation and partly for instruction First it should exceedingly comfort the Godly to knowe their acceptation with God they are in high fauour with him they are his very Fauourites And this should distinctly comfort them diuers waies as first that God doth make so much account of them to loue them as any couetous man can loue his treasure Hence God is said to delight in them to rejoyce ouer them with ioy and his mercy to them pleaseth him Secondly it should comfort them in respect of the sutes they may obtain from God He is rich to all that call vpon him No King can doo so much for his Fauourites as God can and will do for his God's Fauourites may ask whatsoeuer they will and be sure to haue it and therefore it were a shame for them to be poor Thirdly the Fauourites of earthly Princes may lose all and fall into the King's displeasure and so be vndone for euer and go out with singular disgrace and ruine but God's Fauorites haue this priuiledge they shall neuer lose the fauour of God He will loue them to the end Iohn 13.1 Nothing shall separate them from the loue of God in Christ Ro. 8. vlt. God hath not appointed any of them to wrath but to the obtaining of saluation 1. Thes. 5.9 10. And all this should be the more comfortable because God respects no persons Euery Subject cannot be the King's Fauourite nor is euery seruant in Ordinary nor is euery one that serues in the Chamber of Presence or Priuy-Chamber but in God's Court all seruants are Fauourites and hee hath treasure enough to enrich them all and affection enough to loue them all Secondly diuers instructions may be heer gathered for if we be God's Fauourites and his treasure it should teach vs 1. To liue comfortably euen to liue by faith to trust vpon God's fauour for life and saluation nor need we doubt our pardon nor question our preferment 2. To liue humbly to bee euer ready to acknowledge that it was God's free grace that hath raiâ—ed them vp from the very dung hill as it were to such high preferment wee must confesse that we hold all from him wee must humble our selues seeing we haue this honor to walk with our God Pride is one of the first things destroies the Fauourites of the world 3. To liue holily denying vngodlinesse and worldly lusts and liuing religiously and soberly and righteously in this present world since he hath redeemed vs to bee a people peculiar to himself wee should bee zealous of good works An exactness of liuing is required of such as must liue in Princes presence and since GOD hath bought vs at so dear a rate wee must not liue to our selues but to him that died for vs 2. Cor. 5.15 Tit. 2.12 14. 4. To submit our selues to God's disposing wee are his treasure it is reason hee should doo with his owne what hee will and the rather because he will neuer imploy his treasure but for aduantage He that blamed the euill seruant for not gaining by his talent will certainly himself gain by all the waies hee imploies his owne treasure This doctrine should serue also for a double warning to wicked men First to take heed how they wrong God's people if they touch his Anointed they touch the apple of his eie Hee will be sensible and requite it They are not in a safe condition that wrong the Fauourites of Kings their backs are as good as broken and euery man is afraid of them and it is no lesse danger to bee injurious to that people which is so dear to God And withall this doctrine should teach vs and them that if they haue any desire to get the King of heauens pardon or to obtaine fauour with him if they haue any minde to repent they should doe well to get some of those Fauorites to commend their suit to the King God will not deny them The praiers of the righteous auaile much especially if they be earnest with him Hitherto of the enumeration of the particulars of the prerogatiues of the godly The end of them followes viz. That they may shew the vertues of Christ that called them Vertues The originall word heere translated vertues is but sparingly vsed in Scripture the Apostle Paul onely vseth it once viz. Phil. 4.8 and the Apostle Peter heere and twice in the next Epistle neither doe Interpreters agree about the translation of it For many following the Syriach render it praises and not vertues And so the meaning is our priuiledges are bestowed vpon vs to this end that wee should shew foorth the praises of Christ and that diuers waies First by embracing these prerogatiues themselues For these doe set out much the praises of Christ as his loue to man his wisdome and power that could redeeme a people out of such miserie to happines and his singular acceptation with his Father from whom hee obtained such large prerogatiues for his seruants Secondly by thanksgiuing when wee praise God for Christ and giue praise to Christ for all his goodnes and loue to vs. Thirdly by commending the riches of the loue of Christ to vs setting forth his praise from day to day as wee haue occasion by discourse to others Fourthly by liuing so as that God in Iesus Christ may be glorified in the world especially in the Church Now other writers follow the natiue signification of the word and translate it vertues but with different interpretation For some by the vertues of Christ vnderstand the benefits exhibited to vs by Christ and so we are enriched with the former priuiledges that so wee might make it appeare how much wee haue gained by Iesus Christ And these benefits of Christ wee shew forth by thanksgiuing to God daily praising him for them as also by the word of exhortation when we call vpon others to seek after them and lastly by carrying our selues so as may become so great treasure keeping them with all care esteeming them aboue all gettings and liuing as contentedly as if God had giuen vs a kingdome on earth and ordring our conuersation so as men might see our care of good works becomming such high preferment But I rather follow those Interpreters that take the word as it