The Great MYSTERY OF Godlinesse Opened BEING AN EXPOSITION UPON The whole Ninth Chapter of the Epistle of Saint Paul to the ROMANS By the Late Pious and faithful servant of Jesus Christ Mr. EDWARD ELTON Bachelor in Divinity and sometimes Preacher of the Gospel at Mary Magdalens Bermondsey neer London Jacob have I loved but Esau have I hated Rom. 9.13 O the Depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God Rom. 11.33 Great is the Mystery of Godlinesse God manifested in the flesh justified in the Spirit seen of Angels preached unto the Gentiles believed on in the world and received up into glory 1 Tim. 3.16 Licensed Entred Printed and Published according to Order LONDON Printed by J. L. for Christopher Meredith and are to be sold at his Shop at the sign of the Crane in Pauls Church-yard 1653. To the Courteous and Christian Reader Good Reader THis Book which the good hand of God hath put into thy hand to read is such of which thou mayest justly say as Jacob did of his pretended venison a Gen. 27.19 20. the Lord hath brought it to thy hand rise up therefore and eat of this savory meat such as thy soul loveth or should do at least It was the work of a most Pious and skilful Scribe excellently instructed to the Kingdom of God b Matth. 13.52 he was a burning and a shining light c Joh. 5.35 burning with zeal for Gods glory and shining as a light in that crooked Generation wherein he lived d Phil. 2.15 but he is now triumphing in heaven and therefore standeth not in need either of thy prayers or my praises who being dead yet speaketh e Heb. 11.4 so that his own works may justly praise him in the gates f Prov. 31.31 Leaving therefore the Author who is now at rest with the Lord I come to the book it self wherein if thou do not meet with new Truths yet thou shalt find old Truth confuting old and new Errors sin sharply rebuked holy Duties earnestly and seasonably pressed the power of Godlinesse advanced and the great Mystery of Godlinesse sweetly opened evidences of Election cleerly discovered here thou mayest know whether thy name be written in heaven g Luk. 10.20 onely let me advise thee to follow the Authors method who beginneth first with the Complaint of a Sinner combating and conflicting then cometh to the Christian Triumphing and so cometh to open the Great Mystery of Godlinesse so do thou read the first Treatise to learn to complain of thy corruption and then thou mayest be sure at last to Triumph with the true Christian and so be the fitter to look into the great Mystery of Godliness for to such is the promise made by our Saviour that to them it shall be given to know the Mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven h Matth. 13.11 and again if any man be a doer of Gods will he shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God i Joh. 7.17 so that he that is ready to imbrace the power of Godlinesse and is daily conversant in the practise of it is most likely to be skilful in the mystery of it get thy heart therefore stored with the graces of the Spirit that accompany Salvation add to thy Faith Vertue and to thy Vertue Knowlege and to Knowledge Temperance and that Patience and to that Godlinesse and to that Brotherly kindnesse c. For so an entrance shall be made unto thee abundantly into the everlasting Kingdom of Jesus Christ k 2 Pet. 1 5â— c. 11. besides let me recommend unto thee a fit Treasure for a Christian to be laid up in heaven where the Rust and Mothes cannot corrupt nor Thieves break through nor steal l Matth. 6.20 In a word let me advise thee to store up in thine heart soundnesse of Knowledge strength of Faith purity of Heart clearnesse of Conscience holinesse of Life assurance of Gods favour contempt of the world many sanctified Sabbaths fervent prayers holy Conferences Heavenly Meditations dayes of Humiliation sincere love of the Saints righteous dealing with the Brethren a sincere love of Jesus Christ m Ephes 6.24 an universal hatred of every known sin and of all alse waies n Psal 119.104 the true fear of God and the power of Godlinesse o 2 Tim. 3.5 This counsel observed and followed will enable thee to live Christianly and to dye comfortably with full assurance that when the earthly house of this Tabernacle shall be dissolved thou shalt have an house not made with hands eternal in the heavens p 2 Cor. 5.17 where you shall be ever with Lord q who sitteth at the right hand of his Father where there is fulnesse of joy and pleasures that last for evermore r Psai 16. ult such as eye hath not seen nor ear hath heard nor hath it entred into the heart of man to conceive the excellencies of those joyes that God hath prepared for them that love him s 1 Cor. 29. let me earnestly entreat thee and affectionatly beseech thee good Reader speedily to fall to work and first seek the Kingdom of God and his righteousnesse t Matth. 6.33 for herein delayes are most dangerous for the longer thou stayest thou shalt finde that God groweth more angry Satan more strong thy self more unable to repent sin more unconquerable thy conversion more difficult and thy salvation more impossible a ruinous house the longer delayed the more costly will the repairing be the nail of sin the more strokes are given to it by frequent acting the more difficult to get out of that precious soul of thine oh then begin speedily because delayes are so dangerous and continue constantly having once begun in the spirit do not make an end in the flesh lest you labour and suffer all in vain u Gal. 3 3 4. give me leave therefore to presse thee effectually in the words of the Apostle that having such glorious hopes and so many precious promises w 2 Cor. 1.4 endeavour to cleanse thy self from all filthinesse of the flesh and Spirit perfecting holinesse in the fear of God x 2 Cor. 7.1 alwaies abounding in the work of the Lord for as much as I can assure thee that thy labour shall not be in vain in the Lord y 1 Cor. 15.58 onely be sure to fight a good fight and keep sound in the faith till thou finish thy course and I can assure thee of an immortal crown which Jesus Christ that righteous judge wil be ready to set upon the head of all such as love his appearing z 2 Tim. 47 8 9. against whose glorious coming that thou mayest be the better prepared let me advise thee once more to a serious perusal of this and the two former Treatises in the reading whereof my hearty prayers shall be with and for thee at the throne of grace that hereby thy judgement may be rightly enformed
That the glory of God and the glory of Christ ought to be most dear to us yea dearer to us then our own salvation we ought to prefer the glory of God and the glory of Christ before the best good thing we do enjoy or hope to enjoy yea even before heaven it self and we are to be willing rather to lose our part of happinesse and glory in heaven if it were possible we being the Children of God then that God or Christ should lose any part of their glory And thus it was with the blessed Apostle in this place and thus also it was with Moses the servant of God Exod. 32.32 we there find that Moses desired the Lord if he would not pardon the sin of his people Israel but proceed in wrath against them and destroy them as they had deserved by their sins that then he would blot him out of his book of life that he had written Moses knew that with the preservation of the people of Israel who were then the visible Church of God was Gods glory joyned both in respect of the promises made to the Fathers which it was not for Gods honour to frustrate and in regard of the blasphemies which the Egyptians and other spiteful enemies to God would have been ready on the ruine and destruction of the Lords people to cast out against him Moses therefore did not onely look to the preservation of the people but to the glory of God also and in respect of that he was even carelesse of his own salvation and he preferred Gods glory before his own eternal happinesse and salvation indeed we find not any other example in the Scripture to this purpose saving onely these two of Moses and Paul but these do sufficiently shew that though we cannot attain to that measure of zeal to Gods glory that was in them yet we must aym at it and we are to labour and strive to the uttermost of our power to come to it and these examples do evidence to us that thus it ought to be with us that we ought to esteem the glory of God and the glory of Christ most dear to us and to prefer that before the best good thing we do enjoy or hope to enjoy yea even before our own happinesse and glory in heaven it ought to be dearer to us then our own soules and the Reasons and grounds of it be these First the glory of God is the end of all the creatures of God and for Reason 1 his glory were all things made we live and move and have our being from God to this end principally to yeeld him glory and all our thoughts words and actions are to tend to this that God may have glory by them it is that we are taught to pray for in the first place Hallowed be thy Name 1 Cor. 10.31 And secondly the glory of God is the chiefest good it 's better worth Reason 2 then all things in heaven or earth And hence it is that the Angels and Saints in heaven make it their whole joy and felicity to sing praise and glory to God yea they are so ravished with the love of Gods glory that they never faint nor grow weary in sounding forth the praise and glory of God they cease not day nor night saying Holy holy holy Lord God Almighty which was which is and which is to come Revel 4.8 and therefore on these grounds it followes directly and necessarily that the glory of God and the glory of Christ ought to be most dear to us and we are to preserve that before the best good things we do enjoy or hope to enjoy yea even before our own happinesse and glory in heaven and it ought to be dearer to us then our own soules A duty to apply it and to lay it a little nearer to our consciences a duty I say wherein most of us come far short for consider it Vse are we so affected to the glory of God and to the glory of Christ as we hold that dearer to us then our own lives yea then our eternal good and comfort and the everlasting salvation of our own soules alas if we examine the matter we shall find that many of us prefer a little worldly pelf a little ease or pleasure or a little vain credit in the world before the glory of God and the glory of Christ Do not some who have abundance of wealth wherewith they might do much good and honour God and Christ exceedingly as Solomon exhorts Prov. 3.9 honour God with thy riches they might imploy their wealth to many good uses to the promotion of Gods glory and to the furthering of the Gospel of Christ And do they not prefer the keeping of their wealth after a base and sordid and miserable manner before the doing good with it to the advancement of the glory of God and the glory of Christ and do not some love their ease and the contentment of the flesh so well as they prefer that before the enduring of a little hardship or a little pains or a little suffering for the name and glory of Christ Jesus They will rather as they say sleep in a whole skin though it be with a breach a wound and an hole in their Conscience then they will undergo any trouble or hard measure from the hands of men for doing such things as ought and might bring glory to God and might advance the name of the Lord and whereby Christ might be magnified as Philip. 1.20 And so for the matter of vain credit and good liking of men in the world Be there not many so poysoned with the love of that as they prefer it before the glory of God and the glory of Christ Are not many ashamed to professe the name of Christ and to be sound and sincere in the profession of the Gospel because they shall be disgraced in the world and be counted Puritanes they will not adorn the doctrine of the Gospel they professe Tit. 2.10 they will not endeavour to be blamelesse and pure and the sons of God without rebuke in the midst of a naughty and crooked nation and to shine as lights in the world as the Apostle exhorts Phil. 2.15 Though God and Christ might be thereby much glorified because then they shall be out of favour and credit with men yea haply with their best friends as they account them with those on whom their preferment depends yea are there not many in the world and amongst us so far from accounting the glory of God and the glory of Christ so dear to them as they could be content for that to part with the best good thing they do enjoy or hope to enjoy even to part with heaven for it if it might be as that indeed they will not part with any one beloved sin for the glory of God and for the glory of Christ They will not for the glory of God and for the honour of the Lord Jesus part with their pride their vanity and garishnesse in apparel their drunkennesse their whoredome their covetousnesse their usury or with any other darling sin no though it be so that together with leaving of their sin they might both glorifie God and also enjoy comfort to themselves here and happinesse and glory hereafter in heaven yet they will not for the glory of God and for the glory of Christ and for obtaining of heaven too forsake their pleasing sins We see then
if we duly examine our selves how far short many of us are from that affection to the glory of God and the glory of Christ that ought to be in us I might lay forth our coming short in this in many other particulars but take we notice of our failing by that which hath been spoken and now take we notice of our duty how dear the glory of God and the glory of Christ ought to be to us and though as I said we cannot come to such a measure of love and zeal to the glory of God and the glory of Christ that was in Moses and Paul yet we must aym at it and we must endeavour to come to it and let neither profit nor ease nor pleasure nor honour nor credit in the world nor the dearest thing we enjoy or hope hereafter to enjoy be dearer to us then the glory of God and the glory of Christ if God call us to do or to suffer any thing for his name and glory and for the glory of Christ Let us be ready to prefer the doing or the suffering of it before the best good thing we enjoy in this world yea before our dearest blood and before our own lives And to that purpose consider we that Gods glory is most dear to his own most blessed Majestie Esay 48.11 〈◊〉 I will not give my glory unto another And hence it is that the Lord â—â—even jealous of his glory and he cannot abide it should be any way touched or impaired Wicked Nebuchadnezzar was suffered to go on in sin a long time but when he thought by the Majestie of his person and Palace as it were to outface God he became a miserable and silly beast Dan. 4.27 And wicked Herod had a long time vexed the Church and escaped unpunished but when he took to himself the glory of God he was suddenly smitten by the Angel of the Lord and eaten up of worms Act. 12.23 Vse 2 And again consider we if Gods glory be dear to us and we prefer that before the dearest thing we enjoy it is an undoubted evidence that we truly love God as if a good child tender the credit of his father and cannot endure any contempt or disgrace to be cast on him we hold it a sure argument of his love to his father Look we then to it that as Gods glory is most dear to his own children so it must be most dear to us and if it be so and we prefer it before the dearest good thing we enjoy or hope to enjoy we shall thereby evidence to our comfort that we truly love God and are truly beloved of God and as his glory is dear to us so we are dear to him and as we honour him so will he honour us according to his own promise 1 Sam. 2.30 yea he will not onely honour us with the glory of heaven but he will give us honour here in this world so far as he sees meet for us yea he will give us honour in the hearts of those that hate us and deal harshly with us the Lord will force them to honour us in their hearts And these things duly considered ought to stirre us up to be so affected to the glory of God and the glory of Christ as that we prefer that before the best good thing we do enjoy or hope to enjoy and to hold that dearer to us then our own soules Now the Apostle in this verse subjoyns one cause moving him to wish himself separated or accursed from Christ for the conversion of the Jewes namely this because they were his brethren his kinsmen according to the flesh hence note we thus much That we are to love our kindred in the flesh and to respect them Doctr. and to wish them good yea spiritual good saving grace here and salvation hereafter in heaven because they are our kindred and because they are knit to us and we to them by the bond of flesh and blood Deut. 23.7 saith God thou shalt not abhor an Edomite for he is thy brother Luke 4.16 we find that Christ beginning to preach he preached first at Nazareth where he had been brought up because it had been the place of his education in recompence of that he preached there first 1. Tim. 5.4 the Apostle saith that children or nephews must learn first to shew godlinesse toward their own house and to recompence their kindred for that is an honest thing and acceptable before God and verse 8. he saith he that provideth not for his own and namely for them of his houshold he denyeth the faith and is worse then an Infidel So doubtlesse he that loves not his kindred and those he is tyed to by the bond of nature and doth not wish them good even spiritual good saving grace here and salvation hereafter in heaven because they are his kindred he failes in his duty and there is good reason for it namely this Nature it self by the very light of it teacheth this duty and binds to the performance of it to love our kindred and to respect them Reason and to wish well to them because they are our kindred and much more Religion teacheth the same and binds to the performance of it for Religion takes not away natural affection but perfects it and piety doth onely order and qualifie natural affection and not extinguish it But haply some may object Object that of the Apostle 2 Cor. 5.16 Henceforth know we no man after the flesh yea though we had known Christ after the flesh yet now henceforth know we him no more Therefore it seems we are not to respect our kindred in the flesh because they are our kindred I answer Answ The Apostle in that place sets himself against false Teachers who stood on outward and corporal prerogatives and legal and carnal ceremonies and the generation of Christ after the flesh these things would the Apostle no longer know that is trust unto before his conversion he stood on such outward things that he was circumcised an Hebrew of the Hebrews by the Law a Pharisee Philip. 3.5 but now he counted all these things losse Philip. 3.8 and will not now know Christ onely according to the flesh that is his meaning And so it makes not against this That we are to love our kindred and to respect them and to wish them good because they are our kindred And to apply this Vse It 's a common thing with wicked and gracelesse persons to love them least to whom they are tyed by the bond of
in many places at one and the same time properties which cannot agree with a true body for so they hold and teach it is a common Tenent of theirs that the body of Christ is really locally in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper under the form of Bread there is the outward form but under that bread there is the substance of Christ yea that the whole body of Christ is in every part and parcel of their consecrated hoast and yet not seen nor felt onely the accident of bread but the substance of Christ is there what is this but to overthrow the truth of Christ his body and to make the body of Christ to be no true body but rather a spirit and to make it infinite to be in many places at one time for why Christ Jesus took flesh upon him he took our Nature upon him the body of man even a true body and therefore his body cannot possibly have such properties as they fashion Oh but by your leave say they God can make it God is omnipotent and he can make it so what God can do we do not question but what God will do let them shew it in the Will of God revealed that God will do it or and if I should affirm it that God cannot make the body of Christ it still remaining a true and perfect body in many places at one and the same time if I should affirm it they cannot nor never were able to disprove it for this were to make the body of Christ to be no body to be circumscribed and not circumscribed which are contradictories and contradictories can never agree to the Nature of God to make a body to be a body and no body at the same time God cannot do it is contrary to the Nature of God to make contradictories agree together and therefore if I should affirm it they cannot disprove it Again seeing Christ Jesus took our humane Nature upon him the properties of a body and faculties of a soul herein appeareth the infinite love of God unto man whose nature he assumed and took in unity with his Godhead herein appeareth the advancement of mans Nature above all creatures in heaven and in earth yea above the Angels being received into unity of person with the Son of God the second Person in the Trinitie he did assume our Nature and the common infirmities of our nature From hence Gods children such as are true believers members of Christ may gather much comfort for why the Lord Jesus their Head and Saviour will be pitiful and compassionate unto them when they lye under any distresse of body or mind Christ hath as it were his bowels yearning towards them he knoweth the infirmities common to the nature of man and that by experience he hath felt the anguish and the pain that appertain to his members in his blessed body and soul and therefore he is touched with a fellow-feeling of them even a compassionate feeling of them we know a man that hath been under any pain or grief of body or mind will be exceeding pitiful to any that be under the like grief and marvellous compassionate unto them saying Oh I have felt it I know what belongeth unto it I pity him Thus the Lord Jesus having the experience of the common nature of man much more will be compassionate to his poor members in time of their Afflictions and to this purpose is that in Heb. 2.17 18. that in all things he became to be made like unto his brethren that he might be merciful and pitiful and might have a fellow-feeling of their miseries and in the 18. verse For in that he suffered and was tempted he is able to succour and will succour all that are tempted so also the Holy Ghost saith Heb. 4.15 For we have not an high Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities but in all things tempted and tryed like unto us yet without sin Doest thou then that art a believing member of Jesus Christ lye under any affliction or trouble of mind remember this to thy comfort that the Lord Jesus thy Head and Saviour having had experience of the common grief he is compassionate and will put under his hand and support thee in the time of trouble and affliction and give thee ease in his due time it may be thou being under some great Crosse men will pity thee do men pity thee assuredly the Lord Jesus doth much more pity thee that art a true believing member of his body therefore comfort thy self and do not think which may be some scruple in thy mind that Christs advancement into heaven maketh him forget his poor members here on earth no he is touched with a fellow feeling of their misery his advancement cannot make him forget thee no the holy Ghost preventeth this scruple in Hebrewes 4.14 15. We have such an high Priest that is gone into heaven alas may some say he is gone into heaven far away out of my sight and as they say out of sight out of mind he hath no pity nor compassion on me mark what the Holy Ghost saith he preventeth this though this High Priest be gone into heaven yet we have not such an high Priest that cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities but what in all things tryed onely without sin though our high Priest be exalted to the highest glory in heaven yet this maketh him not forget his poor members his pity and compassion is nothing at all diminished though he be so great an high Priest and liveth in blisse and in glory yet comfort thy self he is still as compassionate as ever he was although the Lord doth suffer the wicked to ride over their back and to triumph yet he is the King of his Church and will rise in Judgment to execute Justice howsoever he may whip and scourge his children yet he will burn the rod and deliver his So that this may be a matter of excellent comfort to Gods children that Christ is true Man Who is God over all blessed for ever Amen THe Apostle now goeth further on in a description of Christ and having affirmed That Christ came of the Jewes concerning the flesh he presently addeth that he is God over all blessed for ever that is as I formerly shewed you Who is true God very God God by nature God by being God over all persons and over all things yea God eternal to be blessed praised and Magnified and worshipped and glorified of all things and in all ages for ever Amen Here then we have a plain and pregnant proof of the God-head of Christ Jesus which is also a fundamental truth and such a truth as we must believe upon pain of damnation and from hence it is evident that Christ is not onely true man coming and having original from the Jewes concerning the flesh but God also the Doctrine is this That the Son of God Christ Jesus is true God very God Doctrine he is
to the ground and not be accomplished to whom it belongeth it is impossible but that they should be accomplished and made good unto those that have title to them whatsoever standeth in opposition against them or gainsayeth them For the further confirmation of this point read Matth. 5.18 the Lord Jesus speaking of the Law of God and thereby meaning the whole Word of God he maketh it more firm and stable then the whole frame of heaven and earth heaven and earth shall passe away they shall perish but not one jot or tittle of the Law shall escape unfulfilled every tittle of the Word of God whether promise mercy threatning or Judgment and especially the Promises it shall not escape unfulfilled and in 2 Sam. 2.28 we read the Lord having promised to David to build him a house David doth assuredly rest upon the accomplishment of it and he groundeth his assurance thus For why thou are God and thou canst not change thou art most true and Rom. 3.3 4. The Apostle speaketh thus of the Jewes Though some of the Jewes do not believe shall their unbelief make the Word and Promise of God of none effect God forbid Let God be true and every man a lyar God is certainly true and in Josh 23.15 saith Joshua Now all things are come unto you which the Lord your God hath promised so in Act. 13.32 33. Paul saith to the Jewes the promise made unto the Fathers God hath fulfilled unto us their children evidence of Scripture might be plentifully brought for the clearing of this truth That all the Promises of God touching good things of this life or that to come they cannot possibly be frustrate but shall come to passe in Gods appointed time The Reasons and grounds of it are these two Reason 1 First from the Nature of God because God himself is unchangeable and therefore this word is proportionable and answerable to himself yea God is truth it self al-sufficient and able to make good his word and to fulfill his promise and to make it good in despight of all oppositions whatsoever whether it be men or devils he is the truth it self the God of truth and he is also infinite in power Reason 2 Secondly because all the promises of God they are made unto his in Christ he is the ground and foundation of all the sweet and comfortable promises unto his in him they are made good unto his children as the Apostle saith 2 Cor. 1.20 In Christ Jesus all the promises are yea and in him amen they are ratified and confirmed in him now Christ Jesus is a most sure and firm foundation all the devils in hell cannot shake this foundation and therefore doubtlesse upon this ground we may resolve that all the promises of God concerning this life and the life to come they are firm and stable and shall certainly in Gods appointed time be fulfilled Object I but say some God promiseth many excellent temporal blessings unto his children we read in the Book of God of abundance of promises that God doth promise unto his children in this life which many of his children never come to see Answ It is true indeed but yet withal know thus much that even these temporal things are fulfilled as they are propounded they are propounded conditionally with the condition of obedience and with the exception of a Crosse if his children do fear and obey him or if otherwise the Lord see it good to exercise them with some crosse or some affliction and therefore if that many of the children of God do not enjoy the Promises it is because the Lord is pleased to chastise them for their sinnes and he is pleased so to do for their good because the Lord seeth it better and fitter for them to be exercised with afflictions and yet the promises of God are fulfilled according to the tenour that it is made unto them so they are fulfilled with condition of obedience and exception of the Crosse Psal 34.10 Gods Children shall want nothing that God hath promised that he seeth to be good concerning their temporall estate or the good estate in the life to come thou shalt want nothing now for the Application of it First of all this truth that you have here delivered That the Promises Vse 1 of God shall certainly be accomplished whatsoever seemeth contradictory unto them this discovereth unto us what a foul sin it is to be discouraged and daunted to be dejected and cast down and to walk uncomfortably heavily sadly and unchearfully either because they be under some great affliction already or because some great tryal is like to come upon them and hereupon they begin to be sad whence cometh this unchearfulnesse in a Child of God that he walketh thus sadly surely from the bitter root of unbelief because Gods Children consider not as they ought to do the truth and the stability of the comfortable promises of God they trusted not God barely on his Promises where God hath promised I will be with thee when thou walkest through the water and passest through the fire Esay 43.2 in the time of their greatest distresse God will be with them they do not believe and trust this promise of God that he will deliver them in all danger to uphold them and assist them he hath made this promise and this they believe not but withdraw their trust and affiance from this promise of God and so they greatly dishonour God for he that resteth upon the bare promise of God and stable word of God when he hath nothing else to rest upon he doth assuredly honour God wonderfully if we rest upon God when we see all things opposite to us then to rest upon the stable promise of God hereby we shew our zeal unto God but he that withdraweth his heart back from trusting on God dishonoureth God and robbeth him of his truth and maketh God no better then a lyar for if we trust not God when means seem to be with us much lesse will we trust him when all things seem to be contrary unto us therefore we ought carefully to avoyd this sinne This truth in the second place That all Gods Promises are certain Vse 2 this truth duly considered and thought upon may afford matter of strong comfort and great consolation to as many of us that find our selves to be such that have right and title to the gratious Promises of God but if we find our selves to be none of those here is no comfort belonging unto us wicked and ungodly persons that go on in a course of evil howsoever the Doctrine is most sweet and comfortable thou that art an ignorant and a gracelesse person if so be thou findest not thy self qualified aright thou hast no right nor title to the gracious Promises of God but if thou findest thy self to be called to faith and holinesse seconded with a holy and godly life and conversation thou findest thy self now believing in Christ thou art not a debauched wretch or
passe that God giveth them over to strong delusions to believe lyes it may be they come to some understanding of the truth but they have no love unto it and therefore God sendeth them strong delusions that is such delusions as doth deceive them and hold them fast when they are deluded the Lord will not send unto them only such errours that do prevail but shall hold them and keep them and they think themselves in a very good case and in the right way when they are most perverse and so go on in a stubborn rebellion against the truth and their own salvation Therefore let us receive the truth in love to the truth and to testifie our love unto the truth by hating all contrary errours not only thinking indifferently of them and judging well of them but hating of them thus did David Psal 119.104 hate all wayes of falshood and thus it ought to be with us not onely to receive the truth after a slubbering manner but to hate all errours and assuredly it is a worthy speech of One to this purpose Unlesse we hate Atheisme and Irreligion we do not love the truth of God and his holy Religion nor God himself so unlesse we hate Papisme Anabaptisme and Familisme and Brownisme and other separations we do not love the truth as we ought to do we see the Papists can well endure the Familists and the Familists well indure the Papists they can live together quietly Oh say the Familists what need you make such ado against the Papists we can live amongst them and not be tainted I believe them for they both hate the truth But let us testifie our love unto the Gospel while it is amongst us and be well affected with every Sermon every threatening every comfort every promise published and hate all Papisme all Anabaptisme all Familisme all Brownisme all separations though they say we are too hot against the separation no if we love the truth we hate all errours and separations Neither onely this but when Rebekah also had conceived by one even by our father Isaac IN that the Apostle here bringeth an example and instance of Jacob and of Esau being an instance and an example more strong and free from all exception and cavils sufficient to answer the Cavils of the Jewes and to silence them they having nothing to say against it touching their Objection that all that came of Abraham by natural generation are heirs of salvation Hence we may note thus much That the Scripture hath sufficient ground of truth in it self Doctrine it hath evidence of truth and example sufficient for the clearing and resolving of all doubts all difficulties and questions and cases of Conscience and for the convincing of all manner of errours it is sufficient in it self to answer all false conceits and erroneous opinions in respect of the positions and examples of it even to answer all cavils and opinions whatsoever and convince all manner of errours 2 Tim. 3.16 saith the Aposile the whole Scripture is given by inspiration and it is profitable and useful not onely to teach and to instruct in the truth but also to improve and exhort And indeed in the Scripture is found the good acceptable and perfect will of God is revealed in the Scripture even that will in the Scripture 2 Tim. 3.15 which is able to make us wise unto salvation it containeth the perfect will of God that is able to make us wise to our comfort here and salvation hereafter what can we have more Vse Therefore wickedly and most injuriously deal the Papists in this point in that they charge upon the written Word of God imperfection and insufficiency and they say it is not a sufficient ground and rule of truth it is not able to clear all doubts and questions and cases without some addition without we adde some unwritten verities and therefore they joyn unto the Word of God and equal and match with it the Books Apocryphal and their traditions unwritten even the Popes Decretals and the constitutions and Canons of the Church they tender to the people to be received with the same reverence and the same affection as the true and perfect written Word of God is to be received So the Councel of Trent hath thus blasphemously decreed and set it down That they ought to receive upon pain of damnation as well the Decrees of the Pope and Canons of the Church with like love affection and reverence as they do the written and perfect Word of God thus blasphemously they deal But further come we now to consider the example of Jacob and Esau particularly as it is here laid before us And first of all the Apostle maketh known unto us in this tenth verse they being understood as before That Jacob and Esau were the children of the same parents they were begotten of the same Father and born of the same Mother and at one and the same time they were twins yet the holy Word of God doth further make known unto us that there was a large and a wide difference between these two brethren Jacob and Esau he maketh known they were of different dispositions and qualities and of a different life and conversation in other places of Scriptures as that Jacob was a plain man Gen. 25.27 a simple innocent a harmlesse a downright honest man a good man a holy man a man fearing God But the Holy Ghost saith of Esau and setteth this black mark upon him to be a prophane person a vile man one that sold his birth-right for a portion of meat Heb. 12.16 yea the context saith Gen. 25.34 that Esau contemned his birth-right which was a great honour and dignity he contemned it in respect of a portion of meat to satisfie his hunger for the present thus you see a large wide difference between these two men the one holy the other irreligious so that children of the same parents and born at the same time may differ one from another exceeding much and the observation arising hence is this Doctrine That the coming of the same Parents and blood and being born at the same time even under the same position of the heavens and stars and constellations these are not the things that do make children of the same mind and of the same disposition and quality children are not of the like qualities carriage and behaviour because they come of the same parents and blood and are born at the same time and under the same positions of the heavens and constellations and stars as we see in this example of Jacob and of Esau And to adde some further ground for the proof of this point we find that the Lord did forbid his people continually and from time to time to observe times and to mark the constellations of the heavens as if so be that either the manners or dispositions of men and the affaires of men and the successe of things were over-ruled and overswayed by them Deut. 18.10 Let there be
cannot be that they should be drawn aside finally into any fundamental errour or wicked life and so go on and perish everlastingly and come short of life and salvation though they come with great force as the Imps of Satan and followers of Antichrist do bear down weak ones yea if it were possible to deceive the very elect yet they cannot in the 2 Tim. 2.19 The Apostle speaketh expresly that the foundation of God standeth sure and hath this seal the Lord knoweth who are his that is Gods eternal decree in saving his chosen upon which their election is built as upon a foundation remaineth sure and certain and unchangeable for ever And there is good Reason for it Because God is almighty he is of infinite power and he having from Reason 1 everlasting willed and decreed the salvation of some he is able to bring them into the possession of it in despight of Satan and all the power of hell opposite unto it for he is a God of infinite power and can bring them into possession none can frustrate and make void and disappoint what God hath decreed Again God is in his own nature unchangeable yea and in his love which is essential unchangeable and therefore that purpose and decree in saving some must needs be suitable to his nature and answerable to his love which are essential in his holy Majestie and therefore his decree is immutable and unchangeable Reason 2 Take the sufferings of Jesus Christ the bitter passion of the Lord Jesus and they are a sufficient evidence and proof that God is unchangeable in his decree touching the salvation of some did the Lord Jesus descend down from the highest glory in heaven it self so low as to take upon himself the form of a servant and humble himself to the cursed and shameful death of the Crosse and felt such agony and pains as his sweat was drops of blood Luke 22.44 did he in his very soul indure the wrath of his Father that made him cry out under the weight and burden of it My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Matth. 27.46 Did he thus suffer the wrath of his Father for the sins of Gods chosen And yet did not the Lord for all this determine that any should be saved infallibly but left that at randome to depend upon the will of man that if man would imbrace Christ and believe in him thus suffering he should be saved if not be damned Can we with reason judge this or imagine this that Christ should thus shed his blood upon such uncertainty that the whole fruit and benefit of his suffering should depend upon the frail will of man that if man would imbrace it he should be saved if not he should be damned no the bitter sufferings of Christ do strongly evince this and do clearly manifest that God hath certainly concluded the salvation of some and the damnation of others so that we may conclude upon this as a certain truth that God having fore-appointed some particular persons among men to life and salvation they cannot misse of it but God will certainly and infallibly bring them to the possession of it Object But it may be some will object and say unto me If Gods decree and his eternal purpose be as you say thus certain and unchangeable and cannot be disanulled then you bind God by his decree to do that which he hath decreed of necessity yea so as that God cannot do otherwise whereas God is a free worker will you bind the hands of God that he cannot chuse but do it and not do otherwise To this I answer Answ If so be God be bound by his decree who bound him but his own blessed Majestie Again more fully what absurdity is there in it to say that God cannot deny himself and that he cannot lye they are the words of the Apostle Titus 1.2 That which God hath purposed and decreed to be done he doth it of necessity of infallibility not of constraint or compulsion but of necessity of certainty why God is good he is onely good and cannot be evil he is good of necessity necessarily good he cannot be evil yet he is not constrained to be good no he is a voluntary and a free worker and no inconveniency or absurdity will follow upon this to say that God doth that upon necessity of infallibility which he hath decreed and purposed to be done Nay rather if we should say as some do that the purpose of God were alterable and changeable we should derogate from the wisdom of God and impeach it as if so be God by some after wisdom did see something whereof he before was ignorant which caused him to alter his mind and change his purpose and decree this were monstrous horrible and fearful blasphemy Object Again some will say If so be this be true that Gods eternal purpose and decree be thus unchangeable then those that God hath appointed to life and salvation must needs be saved this will follow then they must needs believe and if they must needs be saved they must needs believe and so they are forced to believe they believe of necessity they cannot otherwise choose and faith is forced upon them Answ I answer Gods elect they shall believe in time and that certainly and infallibly but not whether they will or no not by any inforcing of their wills not by any violence offered unto them the will of man is free no violence can force it but the Lord by the secret working of his holy Spirit doth cause it to be willing Ex nolentibus facit Deus volentes and doth alter and change the course and motion and work of the wills of men and makes them fit to receive grace and this is that Christ speaketh of Joh. 6.44 None can come to me except God the Father draw him what drawn by force no there is an alteration wrought by the inward work of the Spirit of God altering the motions of the will making the will willing to receive grace and faith and so when Gods elect do receive faith they receive it willingly when they come actually to believe the motion of their will is turned another way by nature they cannot but will and choose evil but the motions of their will is turned another way by the secret working of the holy Spirit of God and made willing so that we may resolve upon this that God hath from everlasting foreappointed some particular persons amongst men certainly and infallibly and so as that they cannot misse of coming to life and glory in heaven First of all let this teach us to savour this truth aright and to receive Vse 1 it into honest and good hearts take heed of abusing of it that we rightly conceive it and rightly apply it for many there be that do pervert and wrong this holy truth of God and grosly abuse it and like the spider suck poyson from sweet flowers many in the world do thus
doth limit and restrain the mercy of God to them to whom the Lord vouchsafeth mercy and therefore mercy is not a natural property in God Answ To this I answer First of all this Cavil is grounded upon a mistaking and misconstruction of the words of the Apostle For the Apostle doth not here intend and mean the natural property and essential attribute of mercy in God but he meaneth the act exercise and work of that property which is extended and reached out unto man and that is ever guided by the holy will of God Again it is false and utterly untrue that this heretick affirmeth that all the natural properties of God are ever in use to us for justice mercy goodnesse and power and the like be essential and natural in God and yet God doth extend and reach them out to whom he pleaseth according to his own purpose when he will and where he will and how it pleaseth him so that it is false and blasphemous to say that mercy is not natural and essential in God for the testimony of Scripture contradicteth it in Exod. 34.6 the Lord there proclaimeth himself in this manner The Lord the Lord strong merciful gratious and abundant in goodnesse and in truth yea this might be illustrated by many testimonies of Scripture but I forbear it in so pregnant and plain a truth And come we then to that which may be truly concluded from these words I will have mercy upon whom I will And compassion upon whom I will These words being understood as heretofore I have explained them That the act the exercise and the work of Gods mercy and pity and compassion it is ever by God extended to them to whom he pleaseth Hence then we are given to understand thus much Doct. That Gods mercy reached out unto his chosen it is most free and voluntary it dependeth upon nothing out of God but cometh onely and merely out of his own good will and pleasure That the Lord is merciful unto any or that he sheweth any fruit of his love or mercy to any one it is merely from his own good will and pleasure and not depending upon any thing out of his holy and blessed Majestie the Lord being the author of mercy pity and compassion he extendeth his mercy pity and compassion to those to whom he will Or more briefly thus The reason why the Lord doth extend and reach out mercy unto any is his mere will and nothing else And to clear this a little further mark what the Apostle saith in 2 Cor. 1.3 the Apostle there calleth God Pater misericordiarum the Father of mercies shewing that God is the Father and begetter of mercy and that mercy and love are as it were his children coming from him and in Joh. 1.15 saith the Evangelist of him we receive grace for grace one grace to another And Christ Jesus saith Luke 10.12 Father I confesse Lord of heaven and earth thou hast hid these things even the things of thy Gospel from the wise and prudent and revealed them unto babes even so because it pleased thee It was so of thy good will and pleasure nothing moving thee thereunto so that the reason why the Lord doth vouchsafe mercy unto any it is the free will and favour of God nothing else moving him But haply then some may say to me It seemeth not to be true Object that God vouchsafeth mercy unto his chosen and pardon for their sins for the sake of Christ if he shew mercy of his own free will then not for the sufferings of Christ which were a grosse errour to conclude To this I answer that these two things are subordinate Answ as we speak in schooles they do and may well agree and stand together God vouchsafeth mercy to his chosen for the sake of Christ and merely out of his own will how can these two stand together yes very well for why God vouchsafeth mercy to his chosen for the sake of Christ the will of God is that his chosen should have the pardon of their sins through Jesus Christ and that pardon of sin should not come without Christ as Christ affirmeth John 6.40 for this is the will of him that sent me that every one that seeth the son and believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life Now if any do object that of the Prophet Esay 43.25 Object I am he that hath put away all thine iniquities for mine own sake therefore it seemeth it is not for Christs sake but for his own sake as the Lord professeth I answer Answ God doth therefore pardon the sins of his chosen for his own sake because he doth it for Christs sake for all the works of every person is the work of the whole Trinity that which the Son worketh the Father and Holy Ghost worketh in Unity of Godhead so that mercy cometh only from God the Father And the reason why God vouchsafeth mercy to any is nothing else but Gods free will This first meeteth with a false conclusion of Arminius and of the Arminians Vse 1 that say God may decree to shew mercy unto such as believe and repent and such as persevere in grace and sanctification Now this is to restrain Gods shewing of mercy to mens qualification And to make something in man to be the cause and reason of Gods shewing mercy Where as these two stand together never they can possibly agree being contraria contraria sine medio That Gods will is the cause of his mercy to man and that God sheweth mercy because of their faith vertue and qualification in good things they are two opposites but to leave them Farther this being so That Gods mere Will is the cause of his mercy Vse 2 unto us and nothing else hereby then we must learn to magnifie the mercy of God vouchsafed unto us in any kind whatsoever hath God vouchsafed mercy unto us in regard of our bodies but especially in respect of our soules hath he converted our sinful soules from wickednesse to himself hath he reached out his mercy so far as that he hath extended his saving grace unto our soules Oh then learn we to acknowledge that it is most free and that it hath been vouchsafed merely from God himself nothing in us as a reason or cause to move him why he should shew us the least mercy And thus meditate and think with thy self whosoever thou art that hast found Gods mercy and his saving grace reached out unto thy sinful soul Oh consider surely I was in the common estate and condition of all men I was guilty of damnation by reason of the sin committed by Adam I was begotten and brought forth in sin and lived therein in a miserable estate and condition and I had no feeling of my misery no desire to be saved and when God sought me I desired him not I closed mine eyes against him and would not see the light I stopped mine eares and would not hear his voyce But the
creatures in heaven in earth or hell are able to frustrate and make void the will of God Indeed to prevent an objection in the beginning the will of God revealed is and may be daily withstood and resisted the Jewes did resist the Holy Ghost in the Ministry of the Prophets as their Fathers did Act. 7.51 And the Prophets do continually complain of this that they are brazen-faced stiff-necked of iron sinews rebelling and resisting the will of God But the secret will of God the purpose of God that cannot be withstood And to this purpose read the prayer of Jehoshaphat in the 2 Chron. 20.6 O Lord God of our Fathers art not thou God in heaven dost not thou reign over all the Nations and Kingdomes of the heathen in thy hand is might and power and none is able to withstand it None can resist thy will it must needs take effect And to this purpose speaketh Job Job 9.4 who ever withstood the Lord and prospered none was ever able to stand against the will of the Lord and prevail And in Esay 46.10 11. the Lord speaketh by his Prophet that he doth whatsoever he will as if he had said What is he that can withstand my purpose and hinder me from effecting what I have purposed Thus Nebuchadnezzar after he had been cast out from the fellowship and society of men and restored to his understanding again then confessed to the glory of God that according to his will he ruleth in heaven and in earth and none can stay thy hand in any thing thou purposest to do in Dan. 9. 32. And in Psal 33.11 The counsel of the Lord standeth for ever and ever And thus we may see it made good by plentiful evidences that neither men nor Angels good nor bad are able to make the will of God void and not to take effect Reason Because God is a God of infinite power able to do whatsoever he will so speaketh the Psalmist Psal 115.3 yea the Lord is able to do more then either he doth or will do he is Almighty and therefore his will is irresistible and cannot be withstood Object If Gods will be irresistible and cannot be withstood then if Gods will be to bestow grace upon some men they cannot choose but receive grace it cannot be withstood and they receive grace of necessity and if Gods will be to harden men they are hardened of necessity and so the will of man is made of necessity to yeeld to the will of God and the freedom and the liberty of mans will is quite taken away and the will it self quite overthrown for take away the liberty of the will and you destroy the will how is this Answ To this I answer it is not true that because the will of man is determined to one part either to good or evil by the will of God that therefore the liberty and freedom of mans will is taken quite away and overthrown No for these two may well stand together the determination of mans will to good or evil and yet the freedom of will remain some mens will is limited and determined of God to receive grace by the will of God and so he cannot but of necessity receive grace and cannot withstand nor resist the receiving of grace But mans will in this respect receiveth not grace by compulsion but freely the will of man being then inclined and then moved so to do by the gracious will of the holy Spirit of God and so it receiveth grace freely and voluntarily being made willing by the work of grace and power of the Spirit As God himself is by an absolute necessity the willer of good and his will cannot but will good yet when he willeth good he is not constrained to will good but he willeth good most necessarily and freely So on the contrary some mens will is limited and determined to do evil so as that he willeth evil of necessity yet this mans so willing of evil is free and not by compulsion it coming from the natural propension of his own will so that though mans will be limited and determined to evil by the will of God and to good yet the will of man is free because in the very Act of willing he is not compelled either to good or evil so that this we are to hold as a certain truth notwithstanding this objection that the will of God is irresistible and cannot be withstood either by men or Angels This must therefore teach us to learn to be resolved upon this truth of God Vse and to take heed of abusing it some there be that do abuse wrest and pervert the holy truth of God if it be so the will of God be irresistible what will it avail us to use any meanes for the attaining of good or the eschewing of evil when Gods will and his purpose cannot be by any means avoided but must needs stand and take place what need we then to use means for the obtaining of grace or avoiding of evil and this is the reasoning of flesh and blood but we must know that God willeth and worketh nothing ordinarily but by ordinary means that are effectual to that purpose and we are to think and to hope our endeavours shall be prosperous and leave the issue of that secret unto God yet admit that some men did use the means of grace and the eschewing of evil in vain and the will of God is that their endeavours shall not be blessed what then do they fail altogether of obtaining any good from the hand of God though the will of the Lord be so that they shall not obtain grace nor avoid evil yet they lose not their labours they come not short of their reward for by using the ordinary meanes of salvation surely many of them procure many temporal blessings upon them from the hands of the Lord yea hereby they come to have restraining grace wrought in them and to be restrained from the outrage and extremity of sin and to have an outward external formality and so they escape many fearful plagues and many fearful Judgments that are poured out upon such as are contemners and are rebellious in their sins take the example of Ahab Ahab upon his hypocritical counterfeit humiliation brought a temporal blessing upon himself that he should escape the Judgments which God had denounced 1 King 21.28 29. for as he shall that walketh in the sun receive some change in the colour of his face so for his counterfeit humiliation the plagues should be brought in his sons dayes so also those that use the means of grace shall have some blessing and thereby shall escape the Judgment that falleth upon other wilful rebellious persons yea hereby they shall escape the greatest torture in hell they shall have no such great damnation as they that wilfully run on in sin they shall have some lesse torture and some lesse pain then the other And therefore let us labour to use the means of salvation and
not refuse it saying let God work his will but use the means carefully Again Is this so that Gods will doth determine and limit mans will Vse 2 consider then hast thou used the means and got some assurance of Gods good will unto thee in Christ Jesus Oh then comfort thy self upon this ground Gods good will unto thee cannot be frustrated let the world let sin and let all the enemies of salvation do what they can thou shalt not perish Gods will is revealed unto thee and thou hast assurance of it therefore thou maist resolve thou shalt never be pulled away for the will of God cannot be made void and so thy salvation is built upon a sure ground more firme and stable then heaven and earth it standeth upon the good will and purpose of God this wee see that Gods will is irresistible and cannot be withstood so that this point may yeeld much comfort to those that are assured of salvation that they shall certainly be saved for the will of the Lord cannot be made frustrate 1 Pet. 1.8 VERSE 20. But O man who art thou that replyest against God Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it why hast thou made me thus OUr Apostle now falleth upon his Answer to the Cavil and to the objection of mans Reason propounded in the Verse foregoing And the answer unto it is twofold 1. Personally and 2. Really his personal answer to the Cavil and carnal Reasoner is in the 20 and 21 Verses his Real answer is in the two verses following in the 22 and 23. Verses First of all touching the personal answer wherein he doth check the presumption of the Carnal Reasoner and laboureth to take down his pride and swelling by bringing him to a consideration of his own basenesse and nullity to God saying O man what art thou that reasonest against God rebuking and checking his insolency and pride wherein we may observe the person reproving and the party reproved noted unto us in these words O man c. then he amplifieth this reproof of his of the Carnal Reasoner by a comparison and a similitude and by that he sheweth what a Carnal Reasoner is As if so be a peece of wood framed by the Carpenter should rise up and quarrel with the Carpenter for framing of him to this or that purpose or the Iron rise up and quarrel with the Smith why he did beat him to this or that fashion were not this insolency and pride in the creature Hereby implying that man being framed of God ought not to question and to dispute with God and say Why hast thou made me hard-hearted Then hereupon the Apostle directeth a particular instance adding weight and force unto this similitude and comparison namely upon the power of the Potter over the clay shall the clay rise up against the Potter hath not the Potter power over the clay to make one vessel to honour and another to dishonour And thus standeth the Reason as the clay may not reason the cause with the potter for making out of the same lump one vessel to one use and another to th' other for the potter hath full power and authority over the clay to frame of it what vessel he thinketh fit so man is not to question God man is not to quarrel with God or to call him to account for framing of him thus or thus for the Lord hath absolute power to dispose of man even at his own good will and pleasure some to honour and some to dishonour So that in the 21. verse God is compared to a potter and man to the clay that is wrought upon by the potter and as it is lawful for the potter to frame out of the same lump of clay one vessel for better use and service at the Table and another for baser use in the Chamber you know what I mean so and much more is it lawful for the Lord to frame out of the same lump of earth one man for salvation and another for damnation and dishonour so standeth the Apostles reason and so much for the general matter of these two Verses the 20. and 21. verses Now to enter upon these two verses more particularly something is needful to be spoken touching the sense and meaning of these words and first of the 20. verse O man saith the Apostle who art thou that speakest against God O man here the Apostle speaketh marvellous emphatically he putteth it down with a great emphasis and hereby he calleth man to a consideration of his own basenesse as if he had said O thou man what art thou or who art thou consider with thy self thou man thou carnal Reasoner that takest upon thee to quarrel with God why thou art a vile base wretch a lump of earth a piece of clay a worm lesse then a worm nothing in comparison of the great Majestie of God Darest thou quarrel against the will and counsel of the Lord art thou so malapert so saucie so shamelesse so far past all shame as to call into question the will and doings of the holy God to call him to account and to bring him within the compasse of thy carnal reason O man full of impiety do but consider and premeditate what thou art a base wretch and what the Lord is the great God of heaven and earth and then judge what a malapert saucinesse it is in thee Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it Why hast thou made me so do but consider with thy self were it not an unbeseeming thing that a piece of Wood or some such like thing framed by the hand of some cunning Artificer should rise up and say Why hast thou made me thus thou art but a bungler were it not preposterous and a monstrous thing in Nature And what is it but as absurd and grosse for thee to argue and reason the cause with God thy Creator thy Maker touching his disposing of thee according to his will and say O Lord why hast thou made me thus or thus herein thou hast shewed thy self a bad workman So that we may easily conceive the meaning of the Apostle in this verse to be thus as if the Apostle had said But O thou carnal Reasoner what art thou a man and therein consider who thou art being a man and thou shalt find thy self to be a base man a vile man a worm and lesse then a man nothing in comparison of the great God and darest thou then question God and cavil against the holy will of the Lord art thou so audacious so bold so malapert as to quarrel with him darest thou that art but a silly worm make thy carnal arguments against God do but think with thy self were it a meet thing in nature for a piece of wood to rise up against him that hath formed it and to say to the Mechanical Artificer why hast thou made me of this base fashion thou art but a bungler it is much more grosse for thee to
in particular Ministers in preaching of the Word must bring similitudes of things known to their hearers not of strange uncouth and far fetcht it may be of such things as never were in the world or at the least never knowâ— to their hearers and first of all in regard of the comparison which is brought from a thing that is easie and ordinarie obvious things the potter and the pots before a mans eyes ordinarily And this we shall find hath been usual with the holy Messengers and Ministers of God in preaching and publishing the word they have brought examples and similitudes not rare and far fetched but things that are known to the people Thus did the Lord Jesus in Matth. 13. He compared the Kingdome of Heaven to many obvious things well knowne To seed sown in the ground to a grain of Mustardseed to a Leaven hid in three pecks of meal which every common huswife knowes And this therefore may bee reprofe to such Preachers that doe in preaching to a common populous Auditorie they fetch comparisons from things beyond the Moon from Celestial bodies and orbes Centrivals and Concentrivals I know not what and also from things beyond sea from Histories out of Plinie beasts aad creatures that vulgar people know not Vse and so they make the poore people who understand them not to gaze and and wonder at them and in stead of explaining they make things more hard and difficult Again We see man is compared to an earthen vessel and a pot of clay here we are put in mind of our framing and making and what we are in respect of our matter and substance and hence the observation is this That man is as an earthen vessel as a pot of clay Doctrine the best and the strongest man in the world in respect of his body is but a vessel of earth a compound of clay made of the dust of the earth this speaketh the Holy Ghost in Gen. 2.7 Man was made of the dust of the ground and in Gen. 3.19 The Lord saith unto man after his fall Dust thou art and to dust thou shalt returne Thou art immortal in respect of thy first making but now thou art but dust Gen. 18.27 Abraham acknowledgeth himself to be but dust and ashes A man of excellent parts and endowments And in the 2 Cor. 5.1 The Apostle calleth our bodies Earthly houses tents and tabernacles made of earth and clay The Scripture is plain and plentiful in expressing this to be a Truth that man yea the strongest man is but an earthen vessel and a compound of clay and we may see this to be a truth in common experience the soul being removed from the body by death the body falleth flat upon the ground it rots putrifies and is soon dissolved to the Elements and materials of which it was made and lieth like a stinking carrion if not buried and turns to the earth of which it was Eccle. 12.7 Dust returneth to the earth as it was For the Application the consideration of this truth that our bodies are Vse 1 but clay serveth as a notable means to work in us humilitie and to frame in every one of us an humble conceit of our selves why should dust and clay be proud and lifted up in conceit of its own worthinesse in decking and garnishing the body What art thou A lump of earth a clod of clay and if this were truely considered it would abate the pride of these proud Peacocks that spend almost a whole day in tricking and trimming themselves nay in setting of a band they would then say what do I in tricking and trimming up a pot of clay an earthen vessel But grant this to be true that thou excellest others in beautie and in comely proportion yet remember thy making thy mettal whereof thou art made of the same earth with others and for all thy beautie and comely proportion a little cold a little sicknesse a fit of an ague or feaver will shake thee and make the shrink and goe shaking and quaking and as David saith Psalme 39.11 When God rebuketh and chasticeth man for his sinne his beautie consumeth and turneth to nothing the red cheeks beauty and comely propotion at one blast of sicknesse commeth to nothing And consider we are but potsheards and a potsheard is but a potsheard overlaid with silver clay is but clay gilded with gold and if thou hast these endowments of thy body above others it commeth not from thy bodie which is but clay but it is put upon thy body by the good hand of thy God and therefore be not proud of it but learn we to be humble and to walke humbly before the Lord of Heaven and Earth we are but earthen vessels before the Lord he may even quash us and beat us in pieces yea as the Psalmist saith in Psalme 2.9 The Lord hath a rod of Iron and we know the stroake of an Iron rod upon an earthen pot shattereth it all to pieces The Lord hath an Iron rod to smite the men of the world that goe on in their sinnes of riot and excesse especially now at this time of the yeare If they did but consider that the Lord hath an Iron rod and can breake them in pieces in the very middest of their mirth we see it sometimes in many merrie meetings the body is thrown on the ground and the breath taken from it for can the earthen pot indure the stroke of the Iron rod no it dasheth it all to pieces not so much as a sheard left to take fire out of the earth and can many a poore silly earthen vessel endure the stroke of the Iron rod of God therefore learne we to walke humbly before the sight of the great and glorious God remember thy making whereof thou art made Vse 2 This being so that man is an earthen vessel and a pot of Clay upon this ground all Gods Children are to know to their comfort that the Lord doth tender them as earthen vessels as weak frail and brittle vessels according to their weaknesse and tendernesse and according to their infirmities As we know the Potter he knoweth that his pot of earth cannot endure a hard knocke and stroake and therefore he handleth them very nicely and gently and according to the tendernesse of it so dealeth the gracious God of Heaven and Earth with his own Children he knowes whereof they are made he knowes they are but dust Psalme 103.13 14. He is a pittifull Father and hath compassion of his Children because he knoweth whereof they are made and that they are but dust and ashes as the Prophet Esay saith Esay 27.16 of the Lord I will not be alwayes angry with my People for then the Spirit would fail before me I will not alwayes strive and contend with them lest they should be destroyed so that this may be a comfort to Gods Children that the Lord esteemeth of them as they are dust and ashes and so pittieth them Hath not the
33.21 that can consider the wrath of God against sin and not tremble at it Therefore in the fear of God consider it and do not mock and scoffe at it lest the wrath and vengeance of God break out upon thee to thy utter Destruction What and if God would to shew his wrath and to make his power known suffer with long patience the vessels of wrath prepared to destruction COme we now to the second end of Gods long suffering and patience to wicked men and that is not onely to shew his wrath The second end to make his Power known but to make his Power known The Lord is patient and long suffering to reprobates to this end that they abusing his patience being obstinate and not being bettered he may at the length make it appear that he is a God of Power He makes it appear that he is a God of Power able to pull down the stoutest sinner in the world how soever he may seem to wink at it able to beat down the most stubborn hearted wretch that is living upon the face of the earth and able to bring upon them utter ruine and destruction to the praise and glorie of his own Power Now then from hence we may easily gather this conclusion That God will one day shew forth his Power in punishing of wicked and ungodly persons such as goe on wilfully in their known sinnes Doctrine and continue obstinate in their evil courses and will not be bettered by his patience and kindnesse toward them Though the Lord doe suffer obstinate and rebellious sinners to goe on a long time yet at the last he will rise up and then manifest his Power and make it appear to all the world that he is a God of Power in their just vengeance thus the Lord speaketh in Deuteronomie 32.22 That when once he taketh hold of his sword of vengeance he will pay them home As if he had said though I may suffer vile and obstinate sinners to escape my Power a long time yet at the length I will whet my glittering sword and take hold on judgement then will I shew forth my Power in executing vengeance upon the wicked and obstinate sinners In the 50. Psalme the Psalmist in the 16. verse bringeth the Lord reckoning up the sinnes of the people of Israel and in the 21. verse He shutteth up all in a word These things hast thou done and I did forbear thee and because I did forbear thee therefore thou diddest think that thy course of life was pleasing unto me but saith the Lord The time will come that I will call thee to account and set thy sinnes in order And then mark that which my speech aimeth at in the 22. verse there is added a very pithie and powerful speech by way of Exhortation Consider this you that forget God the great God of Heaven and Earth least he will teare you in pieces and there shall be none to deliver you which is verie emphatical wherein we see the Lord compareth himself to an hungerie Lion that having gotten his prey rendeth and teareth it in pieces and none can rescue or take it off from the paw of the Lion so will the Lord one day rise up in judgement against those that are wicked obstinate and rebellious sinners and then he will shew himselfe even as an angrie Lion that crusheth the bones of a poore sheep between his teeth so he will manifest his Power in punishing wicked sinners and none can be able to free them from his punishing hand And in Revelation 11.17 We finde that the Saints gave God thanks and praise in this manner VVe thanke thee O Lord God Almightie that art from everlasting and shalt continue for ever c. Then in the latter end of the verse they render a reason of this their thanksgiving unto God in these words and terms For thou hast received thy great might and thou hast obtaind thy Kingdom Why is God stronger then then he is now No but the meaning is That though God be a great God in respect of Power and alwaies retaineth fulnesse of Power and Might and shall not at the day of judgement receive any greater power or might then now he hath yet at the day of judgement shall exercise and shew forth his Power in the utter overthrow of his enemies and deliverance of his Church and therefore he is said to receive his mightie Power and then shall the 24. Elders sing their song Now is thy Might and Power come So that we see though God doe for a long time suffer the wicked to goe on in their sinnes yet he will shew forth his Power in punishing of them and it must needs be so for these Reasons Reason 1 Because the Lord having in divers places of the Book of God threatned and denounced plagues and fearful punishments and judgements against wicked and rebellious sinners and he being able to make good what he hath threatned he will not suffer his threats and denunciations alwaies to be in vain and to lie dead and never be brought to execution but in his due time appointed he will make them good upon the bodies and souls of those that live and die in their sinnes Reason 2 The Lord will be known as he is a God of Power here he sheweth himself to be a God of Patience but he will be known to be a God of Power in executing judgement and vengeance upon the wicked Psalme 9.16 For this is one proof that there is a God That he will execute his Power in bringing destruction upon the wicked rebellious sinners though the Lord suffer them to goe on in their sinnes for a long time yet he will one day make it apparent that he is a God of Power in their just punishment howsoever he seemeth to see as if he saw it not yet he will one day make his all-seeing Power known Object But now if any doe object against this that of the Apostle in 2 Thessalonians 1.9 where the Apostle saith That Christ Jesus at his comming unto judgement shall come in flaming fire and rendring vengeance to punish the wicked in everlasting perdition from the presence of his Power So that we see the Apostle saith he will separate the wicked from his Power they shall have nothing to doe with it how is this answered Answ To this I answer the Lord will execute vengeance upon the wicked and put them from his Power what Power not his destroying Power but his saving Power God hath a saving Power and a destroying Power his glorious Power James 4.12 There is one Law-giver even God who can save and destroy so that they shall be severed from the saving power of God but not from the destroying power that shall fall upon them heavily and fearfully Vse 1 Upon this ground of Truth take we notice of the miserable and woful estate and condition of all wilful and rebellious sinners that goe on in their sinnes with
patience and such like And thereby also they do give to us to understand that we are especially to wish and desire the good of the soules of those whom we love and are bound to love that they may have saving grace in their soules and an increase of it here in this life and that they may be eternally saved hereafter in heaven And there is good reason for it Reason Because indeed saving grace here in this life and salvation hereafter in heaven is the most excellent thing that can be desired or enjoyed saving grace in the soul is proper to those whom God loves in special manner and gives it to none but to such as belong to Gods election And it sweetens all other good things of this life and makes them truly comfortable without which they are but accursed vanities and vexations of spirit Eccles 2.11 as the Preacher speaks yea saving grace in the soul yeelds comfort and rejoycing of heart when all other things in this life can yeeld none at all as in the midst of trouble sorrow and perplexity and in the hour of death And therefore doubtlesse saving grace here in this life and salvation hereafter in heaven are the things that we are especially to wish and desire in the behalf of those whom we love and are bound to love But may some say It may be that those whom we love Quest and are bound to love belong not to Gods election Are we bound to wish saving grace and salvation to them I answer Answ That they belong not to Gods election is a secret and unknown to us and we are not to meddle with that we are to follow the Will of God revealed which enjoyns us to desire the good of those whom we love and are bound to love especially the good of their soules even to wish them saving grace here in this life and salvation hereafter in heaven We see then a Duty that concerns us laid before us Vse and we are to take notice of it and to put it in practise it is a duty little thought on or little regarded by many we can many of us wish well to such as we love and are bound to love to our children and friends in respect of their bodies and outward estate we can wish them health and wealth and outward prosperity that they may live in health and may thrive and come forward in the world and may prosper in their outward affaires these things we can wish them out of the strength of natural affection which indeed we are bound to wish unto them that they may so live and so do by the use of all good means But alas here is our failing and fault few there be that make it the earnest desire of their hearts and the chief wish of their soules That their children servants brethren friends and such as they love and are bound to love may have saving grace wrought in their soules that they may come to have saving knowledge of God saving faith and saving repentance and may come truly to fear the Lord. Indeed sometimes men for form and fashion break out and say God give grace to my child to my servants and such like and God blesse them with his grace and God make them his faithful servant which are good speeches but this is but a flash and a vanishing wish it ends with a breath and in speaking of it it is not seconded with a careful use of all the good means as it ought to be Now then know it whosoever thou art thou must especially wish and desire the good of the soules of those whom thou lovest and art bound to love that they may come to saving knowledge saving faith and saving repentance and may come truly to fear God and thy desire must be true sound settled and constant seconded with the careful use of all good means within the compasse of thy place and calling that serve to work saving grace in them as teaching and instructing them counselling them comforting them and praying for them and sending up thy wishes to heaven for them And to help us forward in this duty consider we these two things First If we make it the earnest desire of our hearts and the chief wish of our soules that those whom we love and are bound to love may have saving grace wrought in their soules we are therein like to God himself and we follow his example for thus doth the Lord himself wish to his people Deut. 5.29 Oh that there were such an heart in them or who will give them such an heart as to fear me and to keep all my Commandements alway as if he should have said It is the chief desire of my soul that they had such an heart Secondly If we earnestly and heartily wish saving grace to the soules of those whom we love and are bound to love it is a good evidence that we have true saving grace in our own soules and that we feel the sweetnesse and comfort of it in our own soules For certainly they that find the sweetnesse of saving grace in their own soules Act. 11.23 24. cannot but wish it to others and delight to see it in others they that truly fear God themselves cannot but wish that others did as Paul said to Agrippa Act. 26.29 would to God that not onely thou but also all that hear me to day were both almost and altogether such as I am If then we would be like to God himself and a better example we cannot follow and if we would have good evidence that we have true saving grace in our own souls we must be mindfull of this duty not onely to wish good to the bodies of those whom we love and are bound to love but especially that they may have saving grace in their soules here in this life and salvation hereafter in heaven and carefully use all good means serving to that purpose Let us now go on to further matter offered to us from this Verse For I could wish my self to be separated from Christ for my brethren that are my kinsmen according to the flesh We are further to consider that the Apostle as I have shewed in this wish of his to be separated or accursed from Christ had respect not only to the conversion and salvation of the Jews out of his love to them but he had also therein respect to the glory of God and to the glory of Christ He could have wished himself if it had been possible separated and cut off from salvation purchased by Christ and from all hope of it and to have been damned for ever in hell not onely for the good of the Jews that they might have been converted and saved but also for the greater glory of God and of Christ That God and Christ might thereby have had the greater honour and glory whence we are given to understand thus much and the point further offered to us from this wish of the Apostle is this Doctrine
is but a poor man and a threed-bare fellow as the world disdainfully terms him and is it not a usual thing with men and women out of the cursed corruption of their nature to envy the good gifts of others and the good successe others have in the use of their gifts because their persons dislike them what is more common then for some to envy the good successe that some Ministers have in exercise of their gifts in that they using their gifts carefully and conscionably do gather or build up a people to God and in that they are in such credit and such esteem in the Church and have such great authority in the hearts of Gods people Oh this is an eye-sore to some and they carp at it and this they complain of as Johns Disciples complained to him of Christ Joh. 3.26 they came to John and said to him Rabbi he that was with thee beyond Iordan to whom thou barest witnesse behold he baptizeth and all men come unto him all men follow him a foul fault surely and a sore accusation and just so do some now in our dayes they complain that many flock to such and such Ministers and they envy the good successe those Ministers have in the execution of their Ministerial office and the exercise of their gifts in that so much good is done by their Ministery And why forsooth because they are Puritane Preachers and their persons are such as they cannot affect all these and many others are justly to be taxed as sinning against this holy truth now delivered that we ought to acknowledge and to respect the known excellency dignity and preferment God hath vouchsafed to others be it in place in gifts in the good successe in the use of those gifts whatsoever the persons be that do enjoy it though they be wicked persons yea our Vse 2 enemies and so for a second use of the point We are to take notice of this duty and learn we to mind it as any just occasion is given to us Art thou a wife learn then to acknowledge the dignity and superiority God hath vouchsafed to thine husband as he is thine husband be he never so silly or simple a man or never so wicked or vile a person for as he is thy husband he hath the stamp and image of God set on him in respect of thee and that in it self is good and excellent and ought to be acknowledged and and respected wheresoever it is found Art thou a servant then take thou notice of it that thy Master bears the image of God before thee as he is thy Master and thou art to acknowledge it and with reverence to respect it be thy master never so poor or of never so mean condition in the world Note or be his qualities never so vile And so be persons that are in place over us never so vile or wicked yet we must learn to acknowledge and to reverence and to respect their known eminency and their known lawful authority that comes to them from heaven yea learn we not only not to envy but to love reverence and respect the good gifts of others and the good successe they have in the use of those gifts be the persons never so mean or base in our conceit It may be some are of meaner parts then thy self have in the same calling wherein thou art better successe in the use of their gifts then thou hast in the use of thy gifts what then consider thou that both mens gifts and the successe they have in those gifts comes to them from heaven and it is measured out by the good hand of God and it may be God sees just cause sometimes to grace with successe lesser gifts above greater because haply he sees greater sincerity and faithfulnesse in the use of lesser gifts then in the use of greater and therefore do not thou envy or repine at the good successe others have in the use of their gifts because the persons to whom it is vouchsafed are such as thou canst not affect or because they are of meaner gifts then thy self if thou so do surely thou pickest a quarrel with God himself and he may say to thee as we have it Matth. 20.15 Is thine eye evil because I am good dost thou repine and fret against my good hand and against my disposing of my gifts and successe in the use of my gifts if thou so do thou shalt not escape my punishing hand Oh then take thou heed of this whosoever thou art and learn we to acknowledge and to respect the known true excellency and dignity and preferment that God vouchsafes to any be it in place in gifts in good successe in the use of gifts vouchsafed unto them though the persons that do enjoy it be base and mean yea wicked and vile persons and though they be our mortal enemies this is our duty and it is to be thought on and remembred Now to proceed I hold it not fit to stand on the worthy priviledges belonging to the Jews here reckoned up by the Apostle severally that would be a longer course and not so agreeable to the purpose of the holy Ghost in this place Onely from the glory which the Apostle here puts down as a priviledge vouchsafed to the people of God the Israelites meaning thereby as I shewed before the Ark of Gods Covenant which was a sign of Gods special presence amongst them I thought to have noted briefly that which of late hath been largely and well handled in your hearing namely this Doctrine That the Gospel and holy Religion of God is the glory of a people to whom it is vouchsafed because indeed as hath been said it is a sign of Gods special presence it 's Gods love-token and its a sign that God hath there some that belongs to his election where it is given And it is the Gospel which brings men to the knowledge of life and salvation it being the Word of life Act. 5.20 and the Word of salvation Act. 13.26 yea the Gospel and the holy Religion of God is the very sinews strength and stability of a nation or a people and that which doth establish a Kingdom or Nation and where the Gospel and holy truth and Religion of God is imbraced there is Gods Kingdom as saith the Prophet Esay 52.7 How beautiful upon the Mountains are the feet of him that declareth and publisheth peace that declareth good tydings and publisheth salvation saying unto Zion Thy God reigneth And Gods Kingdom is stable and firm nothing is able to overturn it But I will not stand on this it having been pointed at before in the opening of the words of this Verse only by way of Use this ground of truth serves to discover to us Vse That the Papists that live amongst us in this Land and Kingdome cannot be rightly affected to the good estate of our Land they cannot be true friends to the happy estate and stability of this Kingdome for while they that
the great Lord and King of heaven and earth and God hath promised to do good to them and to their posterity for many generations Exod. 20.6 To shew mercy unto thousands to them that love him Psal 112.2 The generation of the righteous shall be blessed yea they are his Jewels Mal. 3.16 Vse 1 See then for the Use of this in the first place see I say and take we notice of the great force of true piety of what account it is with the Lord it 's sufficient to get honour not onely to those that have it with all that are able to judge aright but also to their kindred and to their posterity and such as be of kindred or any way allied unto good and godly men may rejoyce in it and after an holy manner boast of it that they are the kinsmen of such worthy servants of God or that they are the children of such godly parents yet so as that by the example of their kindred they be stirred up to tread in their steps and to become holy and religious themselves otherwise that honour will turn to their shame as Solomon saith Prov. 16.31 Age is a crown of glory when it is found in the way of righteousnesse so to be descended of good and godly parents is a crown of glory if it be set on the head of such as are godly and religious otherwise it is a dishonour to them and without Gods mercy shall encrease their condemnation and on this ground let parents learn how they may estate their children in that which may be for their honour and best good namely thus they are to labour to bring themselves within the Covenant of grace and to become holy and religious themselves and then though they cannot derive their holinesse to their children because they beget them not as they be holy men but as men simply by the power and strength of nature yet by vertue of the Covenant God will be good to their children Gen. 26. we read of many blessings promised to Isaac and why because saith the text vers 5. Abraham his father obeyed the voyce of the Lord. Holinesse in the Parents seales up Gods favour not onely to themselves but to their children also This cannot raking and scraping together of wealth do it is a common saying but a wicked and cursed saying Happy is the child whose father goes to the Devil It is rather a comfort to the children when they can remember that their parents are or have been godly and in the favour of God they may then say as Jacob said Gen. 32.9 Lord thou hast been or thou art the God of my father good and gracious to him shew thou mercy to me his child according to thine own sweet promise Last of all Is it an honour and dignity to be of the race or kindred of Vse 2 such as have been holy servants of God and to be the children of good and godly Parents what an honour then is it to be the children of God and to be born of God and to be the adopted sons and daughters of God without question that is the highest degree of honour that can be vouchsafed to any worldly men esteem it a great honour to be of the race or kindred of Noble men and great men in the world but alas it is but a shadow or rather not so much as a shadow compared to the true honour of the least or meanest of Gods Saints They are the adopted sonnes and daughters of God the great Lord and King of heaven and earth they are brethren to Christ heires to the Kingdom of heaven they have Angels for their guard all things for their good and the whole world is theirs and this honour ought to affect our hearts and we are to be ambitious in seeking this honour above all things in the world Now further it is not to be passed by without noting that the Apostle here saith the Jewes who lived in his time at the time when he writ this Epistle were the posterity of the holy Patriarks and no doubt they were then able to fetch their pedegree from those holy Fathers and to prove themselves to be the seed and children of Abraham and to come of his line as they alledge for themselves and brag of it to Christ Joh. 8.33 VVe be Abrahams seed and verse 39. Abraham is our father yea doubtlesse they could then shew a perpetuall succession of their high Priests from Aaron to the time of Christ yet for all this they were rejected and were not the true Church of God the Jewes now rejecting Christ and refusing to imbrace the faith and doctrine of the Gospel are not the true Church of God though they be descended from Abraham and from the holy Patriarks and though they can derive their pedegree from them See then I note it to this purpose the vanity and weaknesse of that argument that is used by our adversaries the Papists that forsooth the continual succession of Bishops is an evident argument of the true visible Church and they will needs have their Romish Synagogue to be the onely true Church because as they say their Pope is the successour of Peter and they have had a continual ordinary succession of Bishops Pastours and Doctors from the time of the Apostles which indeed is a vain brag and can never be proved it is questionable whether Peter ever sate as Bishop at Rome And the Popish Church hath no succession from the Apostles for many hundred yeares after Christ at the least for five or six hundred years And admit they could shew a continued succession of their Bishops from the time of the Apostles without interruption yet that is but a sandy and a weak ground to build the truth of their Church on unlesse they can also shew a continual succession of true doctrine and that their Church hath succeeded the Apostles in truth of doctrine for indeed they cannot be said to succeed them whose doctrine they renounce An outward succession of persons in any place without succession of true doctrine from the Apostles which the Papists cannot shew is nothing worth It helpeth not the Bishop of Rome to have as they say Peter for their predecessour and that they are his successours so long as they swerve from the true Doctrine of Peter and are become such grosse Idolaters that personal succession if they could prove it can nothing avail them It followeth verse 5. and of whom concerning the flesh Christ came that is of which Jews Christ also descended concerning the flesh as touching his humane nature This is also added as further matter of honour and dignity to the Jewes that Christ came of them concerning the flesh as touching his humane nature that he that was the Sonne of God and that from all eternity should have the same Ancestors and Progenitors with them Whence we see then Doctr. That the Jewes are a very Honourable people having many excellent priviledges and prerogatives
vouchsafed unto them as the Adoption and the Glory and the Covenants the giving of the Law and the service of God c. that they were the seed of the Patriarks and which is yet more that Christ himself as touching his humane nature was descended from them doubtlesse a matter of great honour Vse Which should teach us Not to hate the Jewes as many do onely because they are Jewes merely for the very name and title of being Iewes which name is amongst many so odious that they think they cannot call a man worse then to call him a Jew but beloved this ought not to be so for we are bound to love and honour the Jews as being the ancient people of God to wish them well and to be earnest in prayer to God for their conversion we are indeed to hate their obstinacy in rejecting of Christ and his faith but ought to love them in respect of their ancient and honourable priviledges especially that they were once the people of God that Christ himself came of their race and line and if we hear of the conversion of any of them we are bound to love them so much the more if they once come to receive and heartily to imbrace the Gospel of Christ for though believing Jews and Gentiles are one body in Christ yet are the Jewes our elder brethren and the Gospel was first offered and preached unto them Go not into the way of the Gentiles and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not saith our Saviour in his first Commission granted to his Disciples Matth. 10.5 6. but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel so that the Gospel was first preached to the Jews as the Apostle speakes Act. 13.46 and from them it proceeded and descended unto us Gentiles so that all believing Jews are to be honoured and beloved of us as being our elder brethren and the people of God yea we are to wish them well that are yet uncalled and unconverted and earnestly and heartily to pray for their conversion Again In that the Apostle addeth this limitation concerning the flesh or according to the flesh Hence we are plainly taught the truth of Christs Humanity which is an article of our faith and a fundamental truth of God which we are to imbrace upon pain of damnation and from hence the observation is this Doctrine That Jesus Christ the eternal Son of God was truly incarnate and truly became man consisting of a body and a reasonable soul in all things like unto us onely without sin The holy Son of God did assume and take upon him the nature of man became true man consisting of a true body and reasonable soul and not imaginary onely yea that he had the properties of a true body as longitude latitude altitude visibility and circumscription as also the properties of a reasonable soul as understanding will and affections Yea further Jesus Christ took upon him the common infirmities of the body and soul of man such infirmities as appertain to the whole nature of man as hunger thirst yea he was subject to be sorrowful angry c. Joh. 1.14 the Word was made flesh and dwelt amongst us that is the eternal Word of the Father the second person in the Trinity even he was made flesh which plainly sheweth the truth of his humane nature So again Rom. 1.3 where the Apostle speaking of Christ the Son of God saith that he was made of the seed of David concerning the flesh or according to the flesh And in Gal. 4.4 saith the Apostle When the fulnesse of time was come God sent forth his son and that son that is made of a woman even that eternal son of God made of a woman a plain demonstration of Christs humanity so in Phil. 2.7 The Apostle saith that Christ was made like unto man and found in shape as man Now indeed some in ancient time perverted this Scripture and abused it to say that Christ had a heavenly body and imaginary body like unto man he had a body of an imaginary substance but this is contrary to the meaning of the Text as you may gather by the context for the meaning is that Christ Jesus had the same properties of a body and soul as other men as seeing smelling tasting feeling hearing and the like and subject to the like properties and infirmities as we are as to hunger thirst anger yea to death it self as we may see in Philip. 2.8 he became obedient to the death even to the death of the Crosse he did eat and drink and sleep and was subject unto sorrow and heavinesse yea even unto the death so that that place rightly understood is a strong argument to prove the truth of Christs humanity that he was like unto us sin excepted It was needful that Christ Jesus the Son of God should take flesh upon Reason 1 him consisting of a true body and soul like unto us First of all to accomplish the promise of God which he had made in Gen. 3.15 the seed of the woman shall break the Serpents head here is a Promise made and for the accomplishment of this promise it was needful that the Son of God should take flesh upon him Secondly it is needful that he might suffer for sinne in his body and Reason 2 soul that which the whole Church of God had deserved by their sinnes so saith the Holy Ghost Heb. 2.9 that he might suffer death which he could not have done had he been onely God and so that he might appease the wrath of God in that same Nature wherein God was offended man had sinned and man must suffer for sinne either by himself or in Christ and therefore needful it was that the eternal Son of God the Mediatour of the Covenant that he should be not onely God but Man also consisting of a true body and soul like unto us excepting sin onely First this being a truth it serveth to discover unto us an errour Vse it serveth for the confutation of some erroneous opinions that are contrary to the truth of Christs humanity for it is an Article of our Faith and must be defended namely that of the Manichees and likewise of the Anabaptists for they affirm that Christ Jesus took his body from heaven and passed through the womb of the Virgin as through a Conduit or Pipe and took not her Nature upon him Beloved this must teach us to renounce this opinion and not onely this which hath been confuted by our Ancient Divines long agone but also the opinion of our adversaries the Papists For howsoever they grant unto Christ a true Natural body they dare not deny that but that he was born of the Virgin Mary yet in truth they overthrow the truth of his body how in that they give unto the body of Christ such properties as cannot agree to a true body what are those why they give to the body of Christ to be invisible to be uncircumscribed to be
because we teach this holy truth of God That Jesus Christ in respect of his Godhead is of himself and is equal to his Father even because we teach this fundamental truth they say it is the highest degree of Atheisme and why Because say they common sense teacheth us that he only is the natural son of man who by generation receiveth his nature and substance of his father now say the Papists Bellarminus in prefat lib. 1. de Christo if Christ Jesus receive not his Godhead from his Father but be God of himself as you teach surely then say they he is not the true Son of God the Father and consequently God the Father is not a true Father and so say they by your Protestants doctrine you overturn and cut down the Father and the Son in the blessed Trinity and in this respect your doctrine is hereticall erroneous and tainted with Atheisme To this I answer Here mark how absurd and grosse they are in chargeing this upon us Their foolish conjectures in a matter of great weight and consequence doth plainly appear to be most grosse and most absurd In that in so great a Mysterie as this is the unspeakable and unconceiveable Sonship of the Son of God they would build it upon common sense and make the generation of man to be the pattern of it that as it is in the natural generation of man so it must be in the generation of the Son of God there being a greater difference between these two then there is between heaven and earth In the natural generation of men we know that the child begotten cometh from the Father by propagation but the eternal Son of God cometh not by propagation but by communication of essence and substance yea by communication of his whole essence and substance The eternal God begeteth his Son by communicating his whole essence and substance so that the Father is in the Son and the Son is in the Father and so it is not in the natural generation they are two distinct persons But to answer them more properly and more fully it seemeth that these Cavillers they cannot or they will not distinguish between the Godhead and the Sonship of Christ we hold and teach that the Godhead of Christ is of himself as well as his Father because the Godhead of the Son is not begotten no more then the Godhead of the Father but withall we hold and teach that the Sonship cometh from the Father and Christ is from the Father as he is the second person in the Trinity but as he is God he is of himself God of very God God coequal God coessential together with his Father this we are to hold and maintain and the Popish Cavils are of none effect nor nothing worth being but an idle shift to make application to our selves Is this a truth that Christ Jesus is true God very God as we see it is Vse Oh then how may the Church of God upon this ground comfort it self against all the Malitious and wicked enemies that do oppose it they of the Popish sort they brag of it that they are many that they are mighty they are rich they are great they are up in arms and they will prevail and their Pope shall be upheld say any man what he can to the contrary they will have their Masse their Indulgences Trentals and Dirges and uphold the Church of Rome and advance it in despight of all that say nay Even that Antichristian Whore of Babylon and Synagogue of Rome they will be advanced again in this Land see how fast they hold a lye in their right hand What can they do against the Lord Jesus the Head of his Church who is true God very God the mighty God Esay 9.6 they may oppose him and his Kingdome but can they paralel and match his power they bend their force against the Church of Christ but they shall not prevail for the Church of Christ is knit unto Christ who is the eternal and everliving God of infinite power able with the breath of his mouth to blow all these enemies of the Church of God into hell in a moment the Church of Christ is knit unto Christ and liveth in the life of Christ standeth in the strength of Christ it standeth in the strength of him that is the Creator of all the world can then the enemies of it prevail to the subversion of it they wrestle against heaven and the God of heaven and earth for with him hath the Church combination what then can they do against this bond and knot of unanimity who ever fought against him and prospered did ever any man lift up his hand against heaven and prosper no surely Again this may not onely yeeld matter of comfort to the Church of God in general but to every true member of it in particular the consideration of this that Christ is true God and very God may yeeld matter of comfort to all that in Christ for why they are knit to him who is the ever springing Fountain the tree that blossometh comfort who is able to take them out of his hand neither hell death nor the devil with all his Instruments And further this may chear thee up with this comfort that thou art one with him in whom is found all fulnesse and perfection not onely of power but of grace and mercy and favour and meeknesse and loving kindnesse they are knit unto him who is not only able to help them but willing to help and will never suffer them to perish it is the very argument of comfort which the Lord hath given unto us Joh. 10.30 I and my Father are one in the Verse before saith he none shall be able to pluck them out of my hand then he subjoyneth I and my Father are one one in substance one in power none shall be able to pluck them out of my hand And indeed it is no marvel that the Papists that teach that desperate Doctrine of doubting of salvation that a man cannot have any certain hope of salvation but must live in suspence of it it is no marvel that they teach that Christ Jesus is not God of himself for these two things do well suit and jump together we must doubt of salvation because Christ is not true God of himself a false assertion But let us learn to know that Christ Jesus is very God and it will yeeld us matter of comfort both in life and in death we are knit unto him who is full of power able to defend us against all oppositions he will bring us to the possession or life and glory in heaven even to the same glory in heaven where he is even at the end of the world when all creatures shall have their change then will the Lord Jesus shew his glory and bestow it upon those that are his true members he will suffer none of them to perish so saith the Apostle 2 Tim. 1.12 I know whom I have believed and
reason upon this ground If so be I be appointed of God to life and salvation I shall surely be saved howsoever I live though I live most wickedly and be a a Drunkard a filthy person and a Usurer be I what I will be my sins cannot damn me Gods decree is certain and unchangeable Oh this kind of reasoning is all one in effect as if a man should speak thus why God hath given unto us his holy Word as the rule of holiness and yet hath therein opened unto us a gap for all manner of wickednesse and prophanenesse and lewdnesse which indeed is horrible blasphemy against the infinite wisdom of God we must know as God hath appointed some to life and glory in heaven so hath he appointed the means by which he will bring them to the possession of it what is that the way of Faith the way of holinesse without which no man shall see God to his comfort Heb. 12.14 what a foolish thing is it for men then thus to reason If I be appointed to life and salvation I shall be saved howsoever I live men will not so reason in the matters of the body will a man having received a grievous and sore wound in some part of his body say why if God hath appointed this wound shall be cured and healed it shall be healed though I never apply means salve or medicine to it And if God hath appointed me to live to such a time I shall live so long though I never eat nor drink nor use any thing for the preservation of this life were not this a madnesse and a folly So what madnesse and folly is it for men to reason thus in respect of their soules I am sure a child of God dare not so reason the seed of grace that is in the heart of a child of God will not suffer him and if thou so reason surely it is a fearful sign that God never appointed thee to life and salvation nay it is more then a probable sign though I will not determine of thy final estate that thou art a reprobate and in the estate of reprobation this is the devils logick and his manner of reasoning and used indeed by none but such as are irreligious and prophane Is it so that God hath from everlasting fore-appointed and fore-ordained Vse 2 some amongst men to the inheritance of heaven certainly and infallibly so as that they shall certainly come to the possession of it here is a ground of sweet and excellent comfort to as many as find themselves to be in that number they may assure themselves of it that they shall be eternally saved for God himself is sure with him there is no variablenesse nor shadow of changing Jam. 1.17 and this ought to stirre us up to labour to find our selves to be in that number in the number of Gods chosen and to give all diligence to make our election sure 2 Pet. 1.10 not sure in it self for so it is already but sure unto us in our assured knowledg of it that we know it certainly and infallibly that we appertain to God to give all diligence to this this is a matter of weight if we come near to that assurance that we are in the number of Gods chosen happy are we then though tryals and troubles and persecutions come as we may justly expect for great troubles and persecutions are ready to break in upon us they are at the door in evil and dangerous times we live and we may justly look that the fiery tryal should come upon us in regard of our sins to be bound at the stake now if we be out of the gun-shot in the state of grace and in the number of those that appertain to life and salvation what need we fear it no though our implacable enemies the blood-sucking Papists though they should prevail so far which the Lord avert and turn away from us yet if they should prevail to take away our lives by fire and faggot and most cruel torments we need not fear if we be in the number of Gods chosen then our everlasting good the good of our soules and bodies cometh to us they cannot hurt us our everlasting good of soul and body standeth upon a sure ground Gods foundation not mans foundation which is tottering and wavering and rotten so saith the Apostle the foundation of the Lord remaineth sure 2 Tim. 2.19 and all the devils and powers in hell cannot shake that foundation Quest I but some will say How shall I know and be assured of it that I am built upon this foundation hoc opus hic labor and that my estate is settled hereon and that I am in the number of Gods chosen Answ I answer there be many infallible notes of it onely take this one special note of it Gods eternal election of some to life and glory in heaven doth imprint the very image and stamp of it self in the souls of those that be elected the print and impression of it remaineth there and what is that why surely it worketh in them another Election God hath chosen them for his and it maketh them to choose God in Christ for their God and to choose the Saints of God the houshold of God above all others in the world to be their Companions and to delight in their Communion and society and fellowship Psal 16.2 above all other men in the world these be their darlings try then if thou find this effect in thy heart and soul that thou doest choose God to be thy God the Lord is thy lot and portion and the delight of thy soul Psal 16.5 and thou doest resolve to cleave fast unto God and to keep fast unto the truth and profession of it though all the world divert from it and follow Popery and Antichristianisme Josh 24.17 and to resolve even with good Joshua I and my house will serve the Lord Let all the world run after Baal after the Pope and after whom they will thou art resolved rather to shed thy dearest blood then to shrink from the sound profession of the Gospel yea God assisting thee in the very flames of fire thou wilt imbrace the profession of God and God for thy portion happy art thou then thou mayst certainly conclude thou art in the number of Gods chosen and though they rend and tear thy body in a thousand pieces they cannot pull thee from thy inheritance that is firm and stable therefore comfort thy self upon this evidence Not by works but by him that calleth THese words shew unto us that the purpose of God touching Election and Reprobation might not nor did not depend upon the works of Jacob and Esau but upon the free grace of God calling his elect in time effectually Here then we see the Apostle maketh an opposition and a contrariety and a flat Antithesis between these two things grace and works hence the observation is this That not the works of man
more then a probable sign thou art not in the favour of God nor a child of God for together with the outward good things of this life God giveth to his children contentednesse of mind he giveth unto them wealth without woe and store without sore yea in Psal 127.3 God giveth his beloved rest and contentednesse learn we then every one of us to be contented and consider thy dwelling here or there in a fair house or in a foul it is the will of God thou shouldest have it and for thy calling be it rich or poor to be contented do not leave thy station or place of calling out of a discontentednesse and run to Virginia or New-England and I know not whither assuredly the hand of God will follow that man he doth withdraw himself from the Lords protection and the curse of God will follow him and whatsoever he putteth his hand to though he may remove to better his estate yet not out of discontentednesse for this is a bitter fruit of our cursed corruption for the meanest thing we have is more then we deserve at Gods hand therefore learn to rely upon Gods providence and appointment in thy lawful place and calling It was said unto her The elder shall serve the younger As it is written I have loved Iacob and hated Esau COme we now to the second thing to be handled in these words And in the second place it being thus spoken unto Rebekah by God himself and that according to Gods eternal and unchangeable decree the elder shall serve the younger it further pointeth out the efficacy and force of Gods eternal election and we may hence further take up this conclusion Doctr. That Gods decree touching his election of some unto life and glory in heaven it is a most powerful and a most effectual Decree exceeding great is the efficacy and force of Gods eternal election And this may easily be conceived so to be that the election of God is so effectual and powerful and so full of efficacy if so be we duly consider the fruits and effects of it it is so effectual that it altereth both the Law of Nature and the corruption of nature as first of all Gods election it altereth the law of nature that appeareth in this example of Jacob and of Esau for whereas by the law of Nature the younger should serve the elder and the elder should have dominion over the younger now you see by the eternal purpose and decree of God touching election the elder is made subject unto the younger and the younger is advanced above the elder Again Gods eternal election it altereth also the corruption of Nature as we may easily instance in this example of Jacob and Esau for Jacob being one belonging to Gods election God wrought upon him by his Spirit God set him out of the state of Nature into the state of grace they being both in one estate by Nature conceived and born in sin alike yet Gods eternal election maketh a separation between them it leaveth the one in the estate of Nature and calleth the other in the state of grace yea in time it changeth the corrupt nature of man and it correcteth the stubbornnesse of Nature and in time it bringeth forth an alteration and a change in the soules of men it changeth them in time from what even from the state of ignorance and unbelief and hardnesse of heart and disobedience to the will of God it changeth them into saving faith saving knowledge softnesse of heart pliablenesse to the Will of God and holy obedience to the will of God in all things so powerful and so effectual is Gods eternal election And to prove this a little further First of all this is that which God himself speaketh of in Ezek. 36.26 where the Lord saith he would take away the stony hearts out of his people out of what people such as belonged to his election and give unto them a heart of flesh to this purpose also is that in Act. 13.48 where the text saith that as many of the Gentiles as were ordained to eternal life they believed when they heard Paul and Barnabas preach unto them such was the force of their preordination and fore-appointing to eternal life and salvation as that it wrought in them this alteration upon the preaching of the Gospel it changed them from unbelief to saving faith and in Ephes 1.4 the Apostle saith God hath chosen us in Christ before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before him in love plainly teaching us this very point that true knowledge true faith true holinesse they are fruits necessarily following upon Gods eternal election God having chosen us to this end he is not frustrate of his end but it cometh to passe And hence it is the Apostle calleth saving faith the faith of Gods elect as a thing properly belonging to Gods elect and a proper fruit of Gods eternal election Titus 1.1 and in 1 Pet. 1.2 the Apostle telleth those to whom he writeth his Epistle that they were elect of God according to the foreknowledge of God unto sanctification of the Spirit Thus we see it evident and plain unto us that indeed so powerful and so effectual is Gods eternal election as that it altereth the Law of Nature and the corruption of nature and in time it bringeth forth in alteration and change in the soul of man changing from the state of ignorance and rebellion to saving knowledge and saving faith softnesse of heart and holy obedience And it must needs be so Reason Because as God hath chosen and ordained some to life and glory in heaven so hath he in his eternal counsel and decree ordained that those men so chosen shall be fitted for life and glory in heaven before they come to the possession of it and that by working in them saving knowledge saving faith and true holinesse without which no man shall ever see God to his comfort Heb. 12.14 or ever enter into the Kingdom of God Col. 1.12 he maketh them first meet for it so that this is certainly a truth that Gods election doth change both Law of Nature and corruption of Nature First of all this truth being duly considered may serve in the first place Vse 1 to keep us from rash Judgments to teach us to take heed that we never take upon us to determine of the final estate of any man to give a definitive sentence of any mans estate be he never so wicked never so vile or cursed in the course of his life to brand him with the black note of a Reprobate and to say peremptorily such an one is a Reprobate for who can tell whether such a one posting on in sinne whether he belong to Gods election or no or whether he will so continue to the end of his life for he may be one that belongeth to Gods election and if he do then certainly the election of God will be effectual for the
Lord at the last opened mine ears and eyes and enlightened my mind gave me understanding and made me see what I would not see he touched my heart with his grace and the power of his Spirit and changed my Affections whereas before I had no mind of heaven no desire of salvation untill he made me see what I have not he hath not dealt thus with all many thousands there be that go on without this touch of heart and remorse of conscience without this powerful work of grace they go on in their sins though they hear the Word from Sabbath to Sabbath what was I better then they surely nothing at all by Nature Oh then how am I bound unto God nothing moving the Lord to shew mercy unto me but onely his mere good will and pleasure how am I bound to magnifie the goodnesse of God And indeed this is that glory of the free mercy of God which the Lord would have us to yeeld unto him he would have us to yeeld unto him this glory of his free mercy and how pleasing this is to God and how the Lord esteemeth of this magnifying of his mercy may appear by that description Exod. 34 6 7. The Lord the Lord strong merciful gracious slow to anger and abundant in goodnesse and truth Reserving mercy for thousands forgiving iniquity transgression and sin c. Thus the Lord doth proclaim himself for this is that wherein the Lord doth take delight to have the glory of his free mercy given unto him And this is the name by which the Lord Jesus will be known to his Elect and chosen in all ages I am a merciful God this is the name by which I will be magnified and in which he delighteth that we should give him the glory of his mercy that we can say when the Lord vouchsafeth mercy unto us that it proceedeth onely from the Lords free will And know that it is not more vile pride in a Begger to attribute the almes that is given unto him unto his own deserts then it is for us to ascribe any the least mercy that God vouchsafeth unto us to our own worthinesse it is monstrous pride in a beggar to ascribe the almes that are given him to his own deservings But it is far more for thee to ascribe and attribute that to thy self which is freely given of God Let us therefore consider that every rag we have it is of the free mercy of God Oh did proud persons consider this they would not so gorgiously adorn themselves and disgrace the holy profession of God if they did consider they have nothing but from the free Fountain of Gods mercy nothing moving him they would not be such carelesse fellowes in their careless bands which sheweth their carelesnesse as they be Vse 3 Again Is Gods mercy reached out unto his chosen most free and depending upon nothing out of God himself surely then a child of God one to whom God hath reached out saving mercy may conclude and gather to his comfort that Gods saving mercy it shall never be removed from him but abide with him for ever for why it dependeth upon the free will of God and that is unchangeable even as God himself And I may say as Pilate saith in Joh. 19.32 when he had written a superscription over Christ and they demanded why he writ so he answered quod scripsi scripsi what I have written I have written so may the Lord say I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy Mal. 3.16 I am Jehovah I change not Mercy is mine and who shall take it from me shall the devil no nor all the powers in hell can hinder or frustrate the will of God Oh then consider to thy comfort God hath reached out his mercy to thee and he will never take it from thee for he hath said I will have mercy on whom I will VERSE 16. So then it is not in him that willeth nor in him that runneth But God that sheweth mercy THe Apostle in this Verse determineth the point touching Gods Justice in his free choyce of some particulars amongst men to life and salvation In the Verse foregoing he proveth it by the speech of God unto Moses that God hath free liberty and absolute power to shew mercy unto whom he will and compassion to whom he will without respect had to any thing in them Now the Lord having thus described his shewing of mercy merely to depend upon his good will and pleasure hereupon our Apostle in this 16. verse doth bring in a consectarie and infer this conclusion that therefore Gods eternal election of some to life and salvation is not to be ascribed unto the will or unto the works of any man but unto Gods free grace in shewing of mercy So then it is not in him that willeth nor in him that runneth but in God that sheweth mercy In this 16. verse the general things are two First a removal of that which is not the cause of Gods eternal election of some to life and salvation and what is that mans willing and mans running it is not in him that willeth nor in him that runneth Secondly the describing and the assigning of the onely true and proper cause of Gods choosing of some to salvation and that is Gods shewing of mercy but in him that sheweth mercy Now I will lay forth the sense and meaning of the words of this verse So then or So therefore it is not in him that willeth nor in him that runneth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the text Original these words it is are not to be found but they are necessarily to be supplyed So then it is not in him that willeth nor in him that runneth what is that that is not in him that willeth nor in him that runneth surely that which the Apostle had spoken of Gods eternal election of some to life and salvation that is not in him that willeth nor runneth Some do here understand Jacobs willing and running particularly but by their favour that is too narrow and too strict for the purpose of the Apostle is more large and general these words being a conclusion of the verse foregoing I will have mercy on him on whom I will And this word him must have as large a sense as the words in the verses foregoing yet Jacob is not to be excluded but rather included and so the meaning is it is not in Jacob or in any other man that willeth or runneth in him that willeth That is in him that willeth and desireth good and endeavoureth after that which is good and that by the power and strength of his mind will and affections or any part or all the powers and faculties of his soul nor in him that runneth We are not to understand as some do Esau's runing onely no nor yet Jacobs running to the fold to fetch a Kid for his father Gen. 27. but the meaning is it is not in him that worketh as it is not in
reason and to argue the case with God for disposing of thee according to his will Come we now to matter of Observation and Doctrine Observ And first of all observe we that our Apostle making answer to the carnal Reasoner laboureth to bring him to a consideration of his own vilenesse thereby checking his presumption in taking upon him to quarrel with the Lord O man saith he who art thou a prophane wretch a worthlesse thing a worm lesse then a worm nothing in comparison of God Hence then the observation is plain before us That the due consideration of what we are Doctrine being compared to what God is is a notable means to beat down insolency presumption and pride in us we entring in a due and serious consideration of our own basenesse and our own vilenesse and indeed of our own nothingnesse in comparison of the infinite greatnesse and glory of God it is a special means to humble us to beat down and throw down the swelling pride of our own hearts and that this is so it is farther clear unto us we find it so to be in the practise and lives of the Saints and holy servants of God that the nearer they have approached to the presence of the Lord the more they have been humbled and the more have they abased themselves in consideration of their own vilenesse and basenesse in comparison of God they drawing near to the great Omnipotency and Omnisciency of God thus did holy Abraham in Gen. 18.22 he drawing near to the Lord in praying for the Sodomites was brought into an humble conceit of himself and thereupon he broke out in the 27. verse of the same Chapter Behold I have begun to speak unto my Lord and I am but dust and ashes he breaketh out into this perturbation acknowledging he is but dust and ashes who am I that I should open my mouth to the great holy and glorious God even as nothing in comparison of him as it is said of all Nations in the world that that in respect of God they are vanity and lesse then nothing Esay 40.15 17. the drop of a bucket vanity and lesse then nothing And to the same purpose we find the servants of God have been wonderfully troubled cast down and affrighted and brought to a great astonishment in consideration of their own basenesse and vilenesse yea they have even trembled and shaken when they have had but a glympse of him Thus did Manoah Judges 13.22 who having seen but an Angel of God cryed out alas we shall surely dye we have seen God And the Prophet saith Esay 6.5 VVoe is me I am undone I am undone why what is the matter I am a man of polluted lips and I dwell among a people of polluted lips and mine eyes have seen the King the Lord of hosts I have seen the great God of heaven and earth so that we see this hath been made good unto us by evidence and testimony of Scripture that the due consideration of our vilenesse together with Gods mightinesse is the onely meanes to work humility in us Because as the due consideration of our own meannesse and basenesse Reason in comparison of man himself in regard of some greatnesse some excellency in gifts it is a notable means to bring us to an humble conceit of our selves as in David David comparing himself with the magnificence of Saul who was a wicked man he saith VVho am I or what is my fathers house the least of all the Tribes of Israel in the 1 Sam. 18.18 Then to argue à minore ad majus we considering the basenesse of us in regard of the mightinesse of God of his greatnesse and his glory should be a means to beat down the pride of our hearts hereby we come to see our own vilenesse and nothingnesse more clearly Contraria juxta se posita magis illucescunt which is in direct opposition and contrariety unto it According to the ground of Logick Contraries opposed one against the other maketh them appear more clearly in their true natures Vse 1 This may shew whence it is that men do swell in their pride and in their conceit of themselves thinking as Simon Magus did Acts 8.9 that they are something nay give it out to others that they are something when they are nothing this is the cause because they measure themselves by a false rule either they compare themselves with themselves or they compare themselves with others inferiour unto them saying I am not so bad as such a one they look to such that are baser then themselves never look to such that are better then themselves in grace and goodnesse unlesse it be to despise and to hate them but comparing themselves with such as are vile and debauched in themselves but they never have a due and serious consideration of their basenesse and vilenesse and nothingnesse in regard of the infinite Majesty of God which if they did it would pull down their peacocks feathers and make them not to be so haughty and proud would you have a rule how to order your selves here is a rule compare your selves with God your vilenesse and nothingnesse in regard of God and it will make your peacocks plumes to fall down Vse 2 If this be so that we are to compare our selves to God Oh then let us labour to get to our selves a dejected estimation of our selves for this is the lesson of Christ Learn of me for I am meek and lowly and therefore we must get into our selves an humble conceit of our selves and to this end we must often think upon and enter into a serious consideration of our own basenesse vilenesse and nothingnesse in comparison of God walk with God draw near unto God compare your basenesse and vilenesse to the glory of God and this we are to do especially when we come near unto God as when we either think or speak of God or when we hear his name mentioned or when we draw near to God in his holy Ordinances in hearing his Word in prayer in performing holy duties for when we come to the holy Ordinance of God we come into the Chamber of the presence of God and we draw near unto God and then consider what am I or who are we and what is the Lord who do we come before and hereupon we shall be kept from our pride in coming to the house of God and then we shall be kept from gaping and staring when we come to the house of God at this or that mans apparel or at this or that womans attire and never give attention to the Word of God this is for want of considering what we are and what God is Oh then learn we in the fear of God in drawing near unto God either in publike or in private to consider what a dreadful and great Majesty he is and to hear him with trembling and fear and then we shall find comfort as the Psalmist saith Psal 25.17 the Lord
teacheth the humble but he resisteth the proud James 4.6 1 Pet. 5.5 he doth professe himself to be an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 enemy to those that are proud but he is a friend to the humble Oh then labour we to humble our selves before God if we mean to gain comfort from God But O man who art thou that replyest against God Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it VVhy hast thou made me thus IT is not here to be passed by that the Apostle here dealeth roundly against the Caviller and taketh him up sharply he saith not unto him Observ thou oughtest not thus to reason against God and to cavil with him or thou dost not well in so doing or be better advised he useth not these gentle speeches but he taketh him up roundly and saith O man what art thou thou lesse then a worm that takest upon thee to reply against God Note The Ministers ought to put on a holy boldness against all cavillers and carnal reasoners Thus may and thus ought the Preachers of the Gospel to deal with Cavillers and carnal Reasoners and such as quarrel against the holy truth of God the Ministers and Preachers of the Word ought to put upon them the Spirit of the Apostles even a holy boldnesse to stand out against the holy faces of all that contradict and quarrel against the holy truth of God which they have delivered They are to deal roundly with wrangling spirits not to adulate and flatter but to tell them their own so it be without any personal bitternesse they may say as the Apostle saith who art thou that pleadest against God and dost contradict the holy truth of God so as they be not bitter against their persons but not to stand upon this Again observe we in the next place what is the fault Observ that the carnall reasoner is reproved for by the Apostle surely it is this viz. Cavilling and pleading against God here is the fault in that he doth plead and reply against the Lord and it is as if the Apostle had said how darest thou question the Lord oh man To argue with him and to call the will of the Lord into question Darest thou be so impudent and so bold as to examine the will of the Lord by the rule of thy blinde and carnal reason Is not this a saucinesse and an impudent boldnesse in thee art thou not ashamed of it so that from this speech of the Apostle ariseth this conclusion viz. That it is great impudencie and wicked boldnesse for men to question Doctrine 2 God to cavil against his will or to seek to bring the secret will of the Lord within the compasse of mans blind beggerly and carnal reason When men doe goe about to compasse Gods secret within the compasse of their own understanding and reason it is a great and a bold impudencie and presumption in them when men seek to compasse Gods counsel in their reason And to this purpose we finde that Job though he were a holy man one that had Gods letters testimonial for his pious integritie Yet having herein gone too far in the time of his great afflictions he having gone too farre in reprehending of him See how the Lord taketh him up in Job 39.35 Is this to learn to strive with the Almightie doest thou profess thy self to be my scholler and yet doest thou reprehend the Lord He that doth reprove the Lord let him answer it Then he crieth out Ecce peccavi behold I have offended what shall I say unto thee thou great Lord of Heaven and Earth I have been too bold to question thee And in Esay 6.2 We reade of the Seraphins That they cover their faces before the Throne of God in a vision which the Prophet saw They hide their faces as not daring once to peep or looke upon the holy and great Majestie of God The holy Saints the holy Angels the Cherubins and Seraphins dare not once look thorough their wings to looke upon the Majestie of God thereby to teach us modestie that we are not once to seek to prie into the secrets of God or to bring it within the compasse of our base weak and beggerly reason and understanding and if we so doe we are bold impudent and sawcie and the reasons are two 1. Because as Moses saith Deuter. 29 29. Secret things belong unto Reason 1 God secret things are Gods several and peculiar he hath hedged and kept them severally unto himself they are his inclosure and God hath kept them in so as we may not leap over the pale and thrust our selves into the searching of secrets by our blind and sordid reason Reason 2 2. Because there is no proportion between your own weak and shallow reason and Gods secret will and hidden counsel no our understanding and reason is not able to conceive the reason of many things that fall out in the course of this life as Solomon saith Eccles 8.17 Man knoweth not man cannot finde out the workes that are wrought under the Sunne No though he be a man of the best wit and understanding he cannot finde even the things that fall out in the course of this life as the same Preacher saith in Eccles 11.5 Oh man thou knowest not how the bones doe grow in the womb of a woman with childe thou art not able to conceive the reason of such an ordinarie thing as falleth out in the ordinary course of the procreation of man in the world how much lesse then can we comprehend the secret counsel of the Lord. No beloved the more we labour to finde out the secrets of God by the dint of our wit and the strength of our reason the more are we confounded in our selves and overwhelmed running over head and ears before we are aware yea we are wrapt up in such incumbrances as we cannot finde the way out yea into such a labyrint of doubts and difficulties that we are past recovery again and the deeper we think to goe in searching of them the further off are we from finding of them and therefore we may resolve it is great impudencie and wicked boldnesse for men to question and to cavil with the Lord and to seek to bring the hidden things of God within the compasse of their base will and reason both because secret things belong unto God and also in regard there is no comparison between Gods will and our reason Applic. This in the first place discovereth unto us that such persons are exceeding Vse 1 impudent and shamelesse yea most wickedly bold in that they dare busie themselves in questioning the things that appertain to Gods secret Counsel those things that God never revealed As they doe that question why the Lord made the world no sooner What God did before he made the world Why the Lord would not appoint all men to be saved Why the Lord suffered Adam to fal when he had power to keep him from sinning What
easily conceive them Come we now to matter of Instruction and first of all from these words in the 25. verse As he saith also that is as God saith also from hence note we first Doctrine That God spake by his Prophets and Apostles The holy Prophets of God and the holy Apostles they were but Gods mouth to deliver his mind and message to his people they were not the inventers of it but onely the Writers Pen-men and Revealers of it The text is clear to this purpose 2 Pet. 1.20 21. The Apostle saith that no interpretation of Scripture is of any private invention of man but prophecie in old time it came not by the will of man but by the Holy Ghost they spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost and in Gal. 1.11 Brethren the Gospel that I preach it was not after the manner of men neither received I it from men but by the immediate Revelation of Jesus Christ from heaven The Prophets and Apostles in the execution of their Ministry it was no invention of man but it was the holy mind and holy will of God which it pleaseth him to open unto him that they might dispense it to his people Vse And therefore the words of the Prophets and Apostles are so to be received as the mind and will of God and to apply this to another purpose the words of the holy Prophets and Apostles they are to be spoken of and to be reverently handled by those that take upon them to handle the words of God as the word of God not as mans word they are to be handled as the Apostle saith in 1 Pet. 4.11 If any man speak let him speak as the word of God if any man in the publick Ministry speak the Word of God let him see that he speak not onely the word of God but as the word of God which indeed are holy and pure and powerful and are so to be spoken and so to be uttered by those that do take upon them to dispense it to Gods people it is not sufficient for them to utter the bare words but to utter them with power and authority and as the Apostle saith in 1 Cor. 2.4 they are to be delivered in the demonstration and evidence of the Spirit of God yea they are so to be handled with such evidence of the Spirit and power that men may discern the power and Majestie of it 1 Cor. 4.25 and may say without question God is in that Preacher now the everliving God speaketh And do they thus that do handle the words of the holy Prophets and Apostle loosly carelesly and after a carnal manner in the inticing words of mans wisdome in frothy idle and ink-horn tearmes such as are humane eloquence or those that mingle the holy word of God and the holy Prophets with their own inventions and their own devices with the sayings of such a Poet such a Philosopher do these deliver it purely Jer. 23.28 He that hath my words let him speak my words faithfully what do those then that come into the Pulpit and do speak idly and foolishly and do take the name of God in vain do these speak it in the demonstration of the Spirit No a Preacher that speaketh unto the people must consider now am I to speak not onely Gods Word but Gods Word after a holy manner and if God were here would God speak thus vainly thus idly and frivolously and feed the people with chaffe instead of Wheat they must remember they are in the place of God yea whosoever they be that doe draw such Conclusions from the Word of God that are not there found though they be sound and Orthodoxal if they are not agreeable to the will of God in that place they are not Gods word but the words of man howsoever they may say men will not hear the word of God yet they are not the words of God though sound and good if they be not natural from the place and so by this means the Word of God doth work just nothing upon the hearers therefore it is no easie matter to handle the words of the Prophets and Apostles as they ought to be handled it requireth great study great prayer great meditation even watching and striving studying and praying to deliver that which is agreeable to the Word it is an easie matter to hear the Word formally but the hardest thing in the world to preach it soundly Now observe we further from this preface As he saith also that is that which I deliver touching the calling of the Gentiles it is no strange thing newly invented but it is the very same that God himself delivereth and forespeaketh long since and now it is fulfilled and accomplished the Gentiles are called and that is no new thing neither ought you to stumble at it because it is the voyce of God hence note we Doctrine That the coming to passe of things foretold by the Word of God though they be hard and harsh to flesh and blood we are to be so far from stumbling at them that they ought to strengthen our faith the more touching the truth of the word of God the event coming to passe of things though they be very grievous to carnal Reason yet they ought to strengthen our faith and make us more certainly to believe the Word of God Joh. 16.1 These things have I told you that you be not offended what are those things they are very harsh viz. the time shall come when they shall excommunicate you and cast you out and he that killeth you shall think he doth God good service These things have I told you that when you see these predictions come to passe you may be strengthened Remembring I told you Vse Many there be that are much troubled and much offended and exceedingly puzzeled because they see many errours and heresies in the world that they cannot tell what religion to cleave too they consider not that this was foretold by the holy Apostle 1 Cor. 11.19 There must be heresies even among you in the Church of God Anabaptistical opinions and others that they that belong unto God may be tryed so also many there are that stand amazed to see some that have made a great profession of the Gospel eminent persons to fall away and imbrace the world but the Apostle saith 1 Tim. 4.1 that in the latter dayes there should be a departing from the faith and giving heed to the spirit of errours and doctrines of Devils that men shall be mockers and scoffers and hence it is that the Apostle bringeth in the Atheist in 2 Pet. 3.3 saying Where is the day of his coming and that men should be mockers disobedient such as make a shew of godlinesse but deny the power thereof 2 Tim. 3.1 5. Now when we see these things we should subscribe unto the truth of God in our hearts and be confirmed in it Matth. 24.6 saith Christ When you hear of Warres and Combustions and Rumours
to God by prayer as thy Father which is in heaven but as a God ready to pour out his wrath and vengeance clothed with Justice and Judgement yea thou canst not hear the voyce of God against thee Oh that Civil honest persons would but consider this their miserable estate and condition thou wouldest be so far from being pleased with thy self in respect of thy estate and so far from blessing thy self therein that thou wouldest fall a bewailing of thy miserable estate and condition in considering thy case is miserable and damnable Again in that the Apostle saith I will call them my people which were not my people and her beloved which was not beloved hence we may observe thus much viz. Doctrine That the called of God such as are wrought upon by the Spirit of God and the preaching of the Word hath a kindly working upon their soules they are in a most happy peaceable and blessed condition besides this the Scripture setteth their estate out in many notable places in Ephes 2. saith the Apostle they are made near unto God whereas before God was an angry Judge now they are at peace with God yea at peace with all the creatures of God yea the very stones in the streets and beasts in the field are at peace with them yea such as are in the estate of grace they may have accesse to the Throne of grace to see the face and favour of God with boldnesse they may come into the house of God with comfort and joy and rejoycing they may eat bread at the Lords Table and feed on the Gospel yea they may praise God for assurance of happinesse hereafter yea the Scripture maketh known that they are dear unto the Lord of heaven and he maketh special account and reckoning of them they are a royal Priesthood a holy Nation a peculiar people 1 Pet. 2.9 yea they are the sheep of his pasture the Saints of God and of his Family they are of Gods Houshold Ephes 2.19 they are dear and tender to him as the apple of his eye he that toucheth them toucheth the very apple of his eye Zach 2.8 yea they are the Lords own proper inheritance Deut. 32.9 all the world is the Lords but his people are his inheritance Vse If this be so how ought we to seek and labour to find our selves in this estate out of the estate of Nature if we find our selves in this estate we are beloved of God to the acceptation of our persons our good works and services yea our weak and imperfect service are pleasing unto God through Christ yea we are in such a blessed estate and condition that nothing can make us miserable how should this affect our hearts for if a child of God were in hell and within the compasse of Gods love he were in a blessed estate whereas otherwise though they were in heaven and yet not beloved of God thy case would be miserable Oh what a blessed condition is a Child of God in And as the Heathen man saith If thou didst see the beauty of vertue thou wouldest desire it above all so if thou didst but see the beauty and lustre of Gods love it would make thee admire it and to labour to get out of the estate of nature into the estate of grace and then happy art thou for thou hast right and title to everlasting happinesse and assured possession of heaven As he saith also in Hosea I will call them my people which were not my people and her beloved which was not beloved And it shall come to passe in the place where it was said unto them You are not my people There shall they be called the Children of the living God WE are now to come to stand upon the last of these two verses the 26. verse where we see the Apostle doth double his testimony and doth bring two places both of them to one and the same purpose one of them had been sufficient but he bringeth two and indeed doubling of speeches in Scripture is not idle nor superfluous but it is of excellent use and purpose it serveth both for more certainty and for more plainnesse and perspicuity in Gen. 41.32 Joseph said unto Pharaoh his dream was doubled and why because the thing should certainly come to passe so likewise it maketh things more evident plain and perspicuous as in Phil. 3.1 The Apostle saith It grieveth not me to write unto you the same things again for they are sure and certain The point needs not to be inlarged onely I note it to teach us that we must double our regard and our respect of things that are often repeated and often beaten upon in the holy Scripture God having a mouth to speak we must have an ear to hear a mind to attend and a heart to yeeld obedience unto him and the Lord doubling his speech and repeating the same things again we must double our hearing double our apprehension and double our care to profit by it and make use accordingly As in particular Doth the Lord double his threats against thy sins hast thou often heard of thy particular sinnes thy drunkennesse thy whoredome thy pride thy Sabbath-breaking thy Usury hast thou heard of it again and again hath the Lord directed his Ministers to denounce his Judgements often against thee for thy sinnes Oh then it behoveth thee to double thy care and respect in reforming of thy sinnes hath the Lord often threatned thee for thy pride thy garishnesse in apparel and is it not amended certainly the Lord will deal with thee proportionably thou resistest the holy Spirit of God that hath doubled his threatenings against thee for thy sinnes and thou not amending but going on he will certainly one day double his plagues and Judgments upon thee without reformation Now touching the matter of the Apostles speech And it shall be in the place where it was said they are not my people there they shall be called my people Here we see the Lord doth set forth the Calling of the Gentiles by the circumstance of the place the meaning is as if the Lord had said In those Nations those Kingdoms those Countries of the world where I have none that do fear nor worship me nor are called by the name of my people but are Heathen and Pagans there will I raise up some to call upon me and to offer unto me So that we may see that Gods calling of men to the estate of grace it respecteth no place but in any place in any Countrey of the World the Lord will call them in due time but this point for the substance we have formerly handled But hence we may gather briefly thus much viz. That distinction of place in regard of holinesse Doctrine is now taken away in the time of the New Testament it is now abolished one place is not now holier then another but in every nation in every place God will have people to worship him neither is the worship of God now