by Christ made Priests vnto God so are they kings likewise vnto God and that euen because they are sons or children of God For as sometimes all the sonnes of some Emperors which haue had their Empires by inheritance not by election are borne kings or at least haue been left kings by their Fathers or haue had such dukedomes as haue had kingly power and kingly dignities the title only of kings excepted and as in some countries at this day all the sonnes of an Earle are Earles so likewise al the sons and children of God the Emperor of all the world being especially incorporated and ingrafted to the proper and naturall sonne of God and made one with him may in that respect not vnfitly be called kings But what is the kingly power and what be the kingly dignities of the children of God Verily their power by Iesus Christ and through faith in him is very great yea farre greater then the power of any worldly king whatsoeuer For of what king in the world as he is onely a worldly King can that be said that is said by him that is truth it selfe of euery one that hath faith but as a graine of mustard seede viz. that nothing is impossible vnto him Matthew 17. 20. and againe All things are possible to him that beleeueth Mark 9. 23. What earthly King also as he is only an earthly King can say of himselfe as poore Paul saide of himselfe by that Spirit that cannot lye I am able to doe all things by the helpe of Christ which strengthneth me Philip. 4. 13. Secondly such as the power of the children of God is such also is their heart and courage namely altogether princely yea much more then princely For who but the child of God can say Though I should walke through the valley of the shadow of death I will feare no euill Psal 23. 4. and againe I will not bee afraide though ten thousand beset mee round about Psalme 3. 6. and againe Though an host pitched against mee mine heart should not be afraid Psal 27. 3. and againe I will not feare what flesh can doe vnto mee Psalme 55. 4. Thirdly according to the former princely power and magnanimitie of the children of God their effects are likewise princely and sutable to their said power and magnanimitie For to omit in this place those great mighty effects of the praiers of Gods children before mentioned whereas by nature they are seruants and bondmen to satan to their owne wicked lusts and to euery worldly vanity as well as any other after that they are partaker of the spirit of adoption they are so armed also With weapons that are not carnall but mighty through God that they cast downe all the strong holdes of sinne in them 2. Corinthians 10. 4. which are stronger then all Castles and defenced Cities whatsoeuer Yea hauing put on all the spirituall armour Whereby they wrestle not with flesh and bloud but with principalities and powers and worldly gouernors Princes of darknesse c. Ephes 6. 12. they ouercome all these they raigne ouer all and through him that loued them they are more then conquerors so that neither Angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be euer able to separate them from the loue of God in Christ Iesus to deiect them from that excellent state whereunto Christ Iesus hath aduanced them Rom. 8. 37. Therefore it is not only said that by faith they ouercome the world that is the things of this visible world that do any waies hinder their saluation but satan himselfe also is so by Christ Iesus subdued vnto them and in a manner brought into such feare of them that they doe no sooner turne their face vpon him and resist him but that presently he flieth from them and as it were taketh him to his heeles as not able to abide their countenance Iames 4. 7. O noble victory O glorious conquest All the great conquerors in the world how renoumed soeuer for their worldly victories neuer got the like Yea all kings and Princes and other conquerors that are not in Christ Iesus are as very slaues to satan to the world and to all lusts of the flesh which fight against their soules 1. Pet. 2. 11. as euer was Samson to the Philistims when they put out both his eies and made him to grind in the mill Iudg. 16. 21. or as Zedekiah was when he was taken by Nebuchadnezer before whose eies they first slew all his sonnes and then put out his owne eies also and bound him in chaines and so carried him to Babel 2. Kings 25. 7. or finally as any captiue or slaue now is either in the Turks Gallies or in subiection to the Spaniard in the West Indies or els where Yea for the most part such great champions and captaines and conquerors touching flesh and bloud are of all other the most slaues most cowards and soonest ouercome by euery lust But so to ouercome such lusts and other enemies of saluation is more then in a carnall and outward manner with the arme of flesh to ouercome the whole world yea if there were many worlds yet for a man to ouercome himselfe with satan and the world is more then to ouercome them all He that ruleth his owne mind is better then he that winneth a city Pro. 16. 32. What is he then that ouercommeth himselfe and the whole power of hell Moreouer euen touching the arme of flesh and worldly enemies greater is the power oft times and courage of the children of God in resisting and ouercomming of them then of all the wicked in the world Yea in this respect the children of God haue true fortitude and magnanimity beseeming Princes For these sentences before alledged of Dauids fearelesse heart are not spoken in respect of his spirituall enemies but in respect of his outward aduersaries And what victories are comparable to the victories of Ioshua Gedeon Iephte Samson Ionathan Dauid and other such worthies mentioned in the scripture All wicked and meere naturall men are void of the spirit of true fortitude euen for withstanding and ouercomming bodily enemies how then can they haue true fortitude it selfe The foresaid more then kingly power and courage of the children of God is apparant likewise by other effects wherein they seem most cowardly euen by all the reproches contumelies wrongs and indignities which they put vp patiently at the hands of the wicked as disdaining to resist them as not being their equals As noble men disdaine and scorne to contend with base persons and such as are much their inferiors and as all men would thinke it and might thinke it a disgrace vnto them to fight with boies though neuer so much abusing them so is the mind and courage of the children of God in respect of the wicked in the world who are indeed no better to be accounted of in comparison of them then as base and
in making vs his children For how doth it stand with any reason or iustice that such as God loueth and hath made his children shall be condemned Againe if by faith we are saued as hath been shewed how can we be condemned The like may be said hereof in respect of our incorporation into Christ For the Apostle saith that there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus Rom 8. 1. so also in respect of other points of that matter wherein we shewed the being of the children of God to consist therefore in the former place they that are in Christ Iesus are described immediatly in this manner according to those things before spoken of the matter as it were of Gods children viz that they walke not after the flesh but after the spirit So Iohn saith of them that loue the brethren one principall point of the said matter of the children of God Hereby we know that we are translated from death to life if we loue the brethren 1. Ioh. 3. 14. The same is also manifest by the ende of Christs comming before spoken of For therefore did he come into the world that whosoeuer doth belieue in him should not perish c. Ioh. 3. 16. and that he might deliuer all them which for feare of death were all their life time subiect to bondage Heb. 2. 15. This also followeth from the forgiuenesse of sinnes before likewise handled For sinnes being that whereby we deserue condemnation it must needs follow that they being taken away condemnation is also taken away Being discharged of the offence wee cannot but be released of the punishment Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods chosen It is God that iustifieth who shall condemne It is Christ which is dead c. Rom. 8. 33. 34. So these three are ioined together No man to accuse where God iustifieth no condemnation to them for whom Christ died The Papists indeed doe boldly affirme that the fault remitted the punishment is often retained But as this is contrary to the former and to diuers other scriptures so in common reason it is foolish absurd and grosse For what a thing is this to say that a man hath his treason pardoned but yet he shall be hanged drawn and quartered Were not a man as good haue no pardon of his treason as haue such a pardon If the Papists haue no better pardon of their sinnes as indeed they shall not without great repentance and renouncing of their damnable errours they shall be in a wofull case Touching the truth of this point that the children of God are freed from condemnation I shall not need to say any more Neither shall I need largely to prooue that this freedome from condemnation is onely proper to the children of God sith they onely are elect to saluation they onely are beloued of God they only beleeue in Christ and by faith are made his members they onely may say they haue not receiued the spirit of bondage to feare they onely walke according to the spirit they onely haue forgiuenesse of sinnes c. The chiefe thing that I doe here propound to my selfe to shewe is how great a benefit and priuiledge this is That wee may therefore see this let vs consider a little as wee may what condemnation is Briefly and in one word Condemnation is the whole curse of God in the world to come first vpon the soule onely till the day of iudgement then vpon soule and body after the resurrection for euer and euer But let vs yet see the degrees of it more particularly The first degree therefore is the angry wrathfull and fearfull countenance rebuke sentence of the Lord Iesus Christ the Iudge of all the world against them that are before appointed or ordained to condemnation viz. against all the vngodly which before had turned the grace of God into wantonnesse and denied God the onely Lord and our Lord Iesus Christ Iude 4. when they shall be all gathered before him For then shall the Lord Iesus Christ that great Iudge of all the world speake vnto such in this manner Depart from mee ye cursed into euerlasting fire prepared for the deuill and his angels Matthew 25. 32. and 41. The wrath of a King saith Salomon is like the roaring of a lyon he that prouoketh him to anger sinneth against his owne soule Pro. 19. 12. and 20. 2. Is the wrath of a mortall king whose breath is in his nostrels so fearefull How fearefull alas then is the wrath of the immortall King of Kings that setteth vp and casteth down 1. Sam. 2. 8. and by whom all Kings reigne and Princes decree iustice c. Pro. 8. 15. The rebuke of a King is the more heauy the more publike it is How heauy then shall that rebuke of the King of kings be which shall be giuen in the presence of all the world not only before all men but also before all the Angels both good and bad The second degree of condemnation is in the former sentence viz. the separation from the gratious and comfortable presence of God For our Sauiour saith depart from me ye cursed c. When he saith depart from me he meaneth the banishment of them not only from himself the second person in the Deity but also from the father and holy ghost For as they that haue communion with Christ haue also communion with the Father and the holy ghost as before hath been shewed so they that are depriued of Christs company are likewise depriued of the company of the Father and of the holy Ghost To be without God in this world as we haue heard before is one principal point of our misery by nature before our calling Yet there they that are so without God haue often times many friends great friends which for a while seem much to allay their misery as it were to still them like little children in their absence from God If it be such a thing to be heere without God where we haue many other friends with whom a little to while away the time what alasse will it be to be without God in the world to come where we shall haue no friends at all with whom to passe away the time or by whom to haue any comfort Amongst men when subiects begin to be suspected of treason or otherwise to be in disgrace with their soueraigns this is no small degree to further punishment afterward viz. to be banished from the court of such princes or to be commanded to keep out of their presence After that Absalom for the murder of his brother Amnon had fled from Dauid as fearing his displeasure had bin absent as a banished mā for three yeers together yet after that was so reconciled to his father that he might returne into the kingdome but notwithstanding was commanded to goe to his owne house and not to see the kings face 2. Sam. 14. 24. in which state he continued for two yeers more how
commeth into the world Ioh. 1. 9. Hee was in the world verse 10. And Loue not the world neither the things that are in the world 1. Ioh. 2. 15. Thirdly it is taken for the elect men of the world Behold the Lambe of God which taketh away the sinnes of the world Ioh. 1. 29. So God loued the world Ioh. 3. 16. He sent not his sonne that the world might be condemned but that the world might be saued verse 17. Fourthly it is vsed only for the wicked of the world and for all men vnregenerated and that for two reasons First because they sauor only the things of this world and do mind nothing but worldly things Secondly because they are the greatest part of the world and for the most part beare the chiefest sway and swinge in the world as though they were the only lords and kings of the world whereas indeed the least part is theirs yea they haue no right or interest to any thing in the world as hath been before shewed The word translated world naturally signifieth order or ornament and beauty because indeed all things were at the first created in most excellent order and were so beautifull that they were a great ornament to God himselfe the creator of them Now the wicked are not only the greatest part bearing the greatest sway and swinge in the world but also accordingly they are the only gallants outwardly of the world brauing it out aboue all other in such manner that if they were out of the world the world might seem to be no world and to haue no beauty in it In this signification is the word taken when it is said the world knew not Ioh. 1. 10. If the world hate you ye know that it hated me first If ye were of the world the world would loue his owne but because ye are not of the world but I haue chosen you out of the world therefore the world hateth you Ioh. 15. 18. 19. So it is taken Ioh. 16. 8. He shall reproue the world of sinne and Ioh. 17. 9. I pray not for the world So it is taken in many other places These are the principall significations of this word world and in this fourth signification it is taken in this place The next word here is the word knoweth To omit the diuers significations of this word in other places here it signifieth as before hath been insinuated not to acknowledge not to regard or respect So it is said that our Sauiour shall say at the last day to them that shall plead their prophecying and casting out of diuels in his name I neuer knew you c. Mat. 7. 23. that is I neuer approued you liked you or regarded you Yea here as the words Despise not prophecying 1. Thes 5. 20. import not only that they should not contemne it but also that they should honorably regard it so this word not to know in this place signifieth not only not to regard or respect but also to contemne and despise yea to hate and to prosecute and to persecute with all euil So it is taken else where All these things will they doe vnto you for my names sake because they haue not knowen him that sent me Ioh. 15. 21. These things will they doe vnto you because they haue not known the father nor me Ioh. 16. 3. In both these places not to know signifieth nâ—t only to be ignorant or to neglect or not to regard but also to contemne and despise The same is the significatioÌ„ of this phrase in this place The meaning therefore of these words for this cause the world knoweth you not is this that for this cause the wicked vnregenerated of the world do not acknowledge and regard you that is they do contemne despise and persecute you so also of the words following because it knoweth not him that is because they regard not or respect not himselfe yea because they contemn and despise and what they can doe also persecute him Thus we see the obiection that might be made against the excellency of Gods children to be taken from the hatred of the world that is of all the vnregenerate in the world against them and the answer thereunto to be that this is not a thing to be maruelled at or so to be taken that we should be discouraged by it the more think the dignity of Gods children not to be so excellent as before the Apostle had commended it to be for as much as they that do thus little regard and brook Gods children yea hate and despise them do as little regard as hardly brook God himselse yea they hate and despise him And this their not knowing of God yea their hatred and despising of God is the very cause why such do not know the children of God but hate and despise them The truth of both these viz. that all the wicked do hate and despise both the children of God also God himself and that they do therfore hate and despise his children because they do first hate and despise him is sufficiently euident by the places before alledged For the said places do not only manifest the signification of the words phrases but the truth also of the things themselues And the reason why the wicked do make so little reckning of Gods children of God himselfe yea why they hate contemn both is because of the great contrariety that is betwixt them betwixt Gods children and God himselfe euen as great as is betwixt light darknes betwixt good and euil As God himself is light and hath no darknes in him 1. Ioh. 1. 5. so they that haue fellowship with him and walke in light euen all his children are called the children of light and of the day 1. Thes 5. 5. and lights themselues Philip. 2. 15. Therfore as God himselfe doth hate condemne all darknes and all works of darknes so his children do the like and cannot beare them in the wicked but do reproue them rather Ephe 5. 11. This then is the reason of the hatred of the wicked against the children of God and against God himselfe And this hatred is manifest by examples of such as being bound one to another by the bond of nature notwithstanding hate them to whom they are so bound euen because of the light that is in them wherby they shew themselues the children of the light euen of God himselfe So Cain hated Abel because his own works were euill and his brothers good 1. Ioh. 3. 12. So Ishmael hated Esau Iacob Saul both Dauid and also his own sonne Ionathan for his good loue towards Dauid The like may be said of many other yea indeed of the hatred of al that are wicked against the godly That somtimes the wicked are said to loue the children of God yea also to reuerence them to shew them much kindnes it is first of al for other causes and respects not for their godlines as for their
vouchsafe the reading of those more largely handled and of many other contained in the treatise it selfe Pleaseth it your Honors and worships further to see the former point in the glasse of a few examples Behold then I beseech you Moses Ioshua Othniel Ehud Deborah Gideon I phtah Sampson and all the other good Iudges of Israel before the kingdome of Israel established For were they so honourable by being kings fellowes and hauing kingly authority as they were by doing those things which testified their adoption Behold Dauid and Salomon two mighty kings of al Israel with Asa Iehoshaphat Hezekiah and Iosiah all good Kings of Iuda For were these so honorable by being great and mighty princes as they were by being the children of God Behold Ester Mordecai Shadrach Meshach Abednego and Daniel For were they so honorable the one by being a Queene and the wife of a most mighty monarch that had 127. prouinces vnder him the other by beeing in great grace fauor with the like mighty monarchs as they were by shewing themselues the children of God Yea behold Cyrus Artashasht Darius and Ahasbuerosh all heathen Emperors For were they so honorable by being such Emperors though some of them had 127. pro. uinces vnder their gouernment as they were by doing some things for the Church and people of God whereby they did only resemble Gods children and were not so indeed May not the like be said of Iehu King of Israel For was he so honorable by being King of Israel extraordinarily annointed so to bee by the appointment of God as he was by his zeale though only temporary against Baal and his Priests and seruants Behold further Ioseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus For were they so honorable in that the one was a rich man and an honerable Mat. 27. 17. Mark 15. 45. Ioh. 3. 1. 10. counsellor and the other a great Pharisee a ruler of the Iewes and a teacher in Israel as they were in that the one went to Pilat and begged the body of Iesus and the other ioined with him in the honorable buriall thereof Behold the Eunuch of Ethtopia For was he so honorable Actâ— 8. 27. by being the Queen of the Ethiopians chiefe gouernor and her Lord treasurer as hee was by comming out of his owne country a long a chargeable and a dangerous iourny to worship the Lord at Ierusalem by reading the scriptures as hee rode in his chariot whereas such great men for the most part spend such times in vaine sports or in some idle discourses and by his meeke acknowlegement of his ignorance of the Scripture which he did read by his courteous speech to Philip a poore trauelling footman neuer before nor after seen of him and by his like kind taking him vp into his chariot to himselfe to be further instructed by him and by his humble submitting himselfe to bee examined of his faith and to be baptized of him The like may bee said of many Christian Emperors Constantine and other of our late most noble King Edward the sixt and of our more late Queen Elizabeth of most happy and blessed memory To produce the examples of any Princes or nobles liuing would not perhaps bee so well approued as suspected of flatterie or some other sinister meaning What now right Honorable and right Worshipfull shall I say more As Noah said God perswade Iaphet that he may dwell in the tents of Shem so say I If any of Gâ—â—es 9. 27. you to whom I doe in all humilitie present and dedicate these my labours haue not yet receiued the spirit of adoption God perswade such to dwell in the tents of his such children as whose dignitie I doe in this treatise lay foorth as likewise to thinke it a woe vnto them to vemaine in Meshech and to dwell in the tents of Kedar Psal 120 5. The same God also of power maiestie and glory who hath the hearts of all Kings and Nobles and of all other great persons in his hand as the riuers of waters to turne the same whither it pleaseth him euen this God that Father of our Lord Iesus Christ so incline all your hearts Prov. â—1 1. both to consider of the reasons whereby the dignitie of his children is here declared and also to apply the vses of the doctrine thereof to your selues according to your seuerall states and places in this world that as some of you doe sometimes here in earth sit in Parliament with our most gratious Soueraigne King IAMES so yee may all at the last sit with Christ Iesus in heauen euen in his throne as himselfe sitteth Rev. 3. 21. in the throne of his Father and that for euer and euer Much Totham in Essex Aprill 16. 16 10. Your Honors and Worships Most humble in the Lord to be commanded THOMAS STOVGHTON To the inhabitants of those places where at any time especially last of all I haue had a setled MINISTERIE AS in this treatise I speake generally to euery Christian reader so now my deere brethren in the Lord that haue sometimes heard me preach these things which now I haue printed let me more particularly intreate you to vouchsafe the buying and reading of them because in the printing of them I haue had a speciall respect vnto your good I am not able to beslow vpon euery one of you one of these bookes of as small price as they be The most of you do know how truely I amy say with Naomi I was full but the Lord hath made mee emptie and the Almightie hath brought me vnto aduersitie Ruth 1. 21. euen in my latter age requiring most comfort I suppose also that my willing minde for a greater kindnesse is not doubted of by you if my ability were according If I were as I haue beene yet were it easier for the least of many of you to buy one then for me to giue many I shall not neede to tell you for further perswasion in this behalfe that the fruit of well and aduised reading this Treatise will abundantly recompence your cost Ye haue not so learned Christ in whom all of vs haue our adoption as so lightly to esteeme a treatise setting forth the excellencie of the said adoption neither I am sure haue yee forgotten that Esau is pronounced a prophane person for making more account of one portion of meate euen in his extremity of hunger then of his birthright Heb. 12. 17. a pledge and a kinde of Sacrament of this adoption For me also first to gather all these things together then to write afterwards to correct them and last of all to write them againe for the presse is much more then for to lay out a little money and to spend a few howers in reading of them In your loue therefore towards me accept them as a testimony of my vnseined loue towards you and of my like desire of your welfare in the Lord. Such of you as are best able I desire to buy and to
Christ pag. 467. THE DIGNITY of Gods children AND THE BASENESSE of all other CHAPTER 1. Of the speciall reason of writing this Treatise Of the Text of Scripture generally whereupon the same is grounded Of the coherence of the said Scripture with the words going before As also of the reason of them in respect of the words following Of the Logicall analysis or resolution of the said Scripture And of the first particular word therein AMongst many other sinnes of these last daies in respect whereof the Apostle hath foretold by the spirit that the times would be the more perillous this is one not the least that as men should be louers of themselues so they should not bee louers of them that are good 2. Tim. 3. 3. Now as by wofull experience we see other sinnes mentioned by the Apostle in the former place according to his said Prophecie to abound so all men whose eies are not smitten with too great blindnesse may behold the extreme hatred of the sons of men against â—he children of God and the manifold indignities that these do daily beare at their hands that know not how worthy their state and condition is For this cause I haue taken in land this present treatise of the dignitie of God children both for their better comfort against all such indignities as daily the wicked doe offer vnto them as likewise for their better instruction how to carrie themselues towards such their aduersaries and also that these their aduersaries may the better consider what they doe moâ—â—â—◠〈◊〉 such indignities to them whom they ought to honor that so seeing their fault in that behalfe they may if they belong to God repent thereof I am not ignorant that some things by diuers learned godly and reuerend men haue beene written pertaining to this theame Peter de La Place a noble man as it seemeth of France at least a worthy Christian and described by the name of one of the Kings Counsell and chiefe President of his Court of Aids in Paris hath written a godly Treatise in French Of the excellencie of a Christian which is also translated into English and printed 1576. In that worthy worke also of M. Rogers published about some fiue yeeres sithence there is one treatise viz. the sixt wholly of the priuileges of a Christian which argument differeth not much from this present theame Of the dignitie of Gods children Otho Casmannus likewise a very learned and godlie man hath written more lately two bookes in Latine one intituled Hominis spiritualis anatomia meditatio c. The anatomie and meditation of a spirituall man printed Anno 1605. the other intituled Christianus nomine re c. A Christian in name and in deed c. published Anno 160â— In both which are many sweet points not impertinent to my present argument Notwithstanding because the first of these Peter de La Place hath written very briefly and so long sithence that his booke is worne almost out of date so easily doth this age neglect and forget things how good soeuer of neuer so little antiquitie and because also that booke is hardlie now to be had Againe because M. Rogers his treatise of the priuileges of a Christian being a part of his great booke neuer separated from his other six treatises therein contained is not therefore euery mans money besides because it goeth vnder another title and doth handle but some part of the matter of this treatise and lastly because the two workes of Casmannus are only in Latine and therfore not fit for common Englishmen ignorant of the Latine tongue and because they are written in such a method as euery one vnderstanding the Latine tongue cannot well conceiue the same therefore notwithstanding all those said workes I haue thought it worthy the labour to write more largely of the dignity of Gods children then either Peter de La Place or M. Rogers and that in our mother tongue or then Otho Casmannus hath written and in such a volume as that although it be of greater quantity and price then the first other treatise before mentioned yet it is lesse then either the booke of M. Rogers or the two last bookes of Câ—smannus and therefore the more easily to be purchased by any of very meane abilitie Such also as haue read the other bookes before named shall not only finde the chiefe points in this that are handled in all those but also many other not touched in any of them in respect whereof they shall not thinke their labour lost in reading of this Now forasmuch as the Scripture ought to be the only ground of all Theologicall Theames therefore for the foundation whereupon to build all my worke following I haue the rather chosen 1 Iohn 3. 1. 2. 3. because sometimes I haue preached of this Text though nothing so largely as heere I doe write thereof The words of the Apostle are these The text of all the treatise 1. IOHN 3. 1. 2. 3. Behold what loue the Father hath giuen vnto vs that we should be called the Sonnes of God for this cause the world knoweth you not because it knoweth not him Deerely beloued now are we the sonnes of God but it is not manifest what we shall be and we know that when he shall be made manifest we shal be like to him for we shal see him as he is And euery one that hath this hope in him purgeth himselfe as he is pure IN these three verses two things are conteined The first is the dignitie of Gods children The second is the dutie of them Touching the former let vs obserue first the coherence of the Apostles words concerning the dignity of Gods children with that which before he had said in the end of the former Chapter as also the reason of the said words in respect of the matter following in the rest of this Epistle Secondly let vs consider the present words of the Apostle touching the foresaid dignity c. Touching the coherence of these words with the former it is this In the 28. verse of the former Chapter the Apostle had exhorted these Christians to whom he writeth vnto constancy saying And now little children abide in him meaning Christ This exhortation he had coÌ„firmed by an argument taken from the end in the very same verse viz. That when hee shall appeare they might be bold This end he illustrateth by the contrary in the next words adding and not be ashamed before him at his comming In the 29. verse he had also confirmed the same end by an argument taken from an adiunct or attribute of them that abide in Christ Which also he laieth foorth not barely or nakedly but as it were cloathed with an argument from their owne knowledge or testimonie in these words If ye know that he is righteous know yee that he that doth righteously is borne of him In which argument let vs obserue that hee doth not say as Note before he that abideth in him
name to the men which thou gauest me out of the world thine they were and thou gauest them mee verse 6. In this one verse is the same word and tense twice The same phrase and tense is often vsed afterward in the same chapter to the same purpose viz. verse 7. verse 9. and verse 12. So before he had said This is the Fathers will which hath sent me that of all which he hath giuen me I should lose nothing c. Iohn 6. 39. But this shall bee sufficient for this obseruation touching the tense heere vsed by the Apostle And thus much also for the fifth particular word in this text CHAP III. Of the foure next particular words in this text viz. of the word to vs of the word that we should be called of the word the children and lastly of the word of God THE sixt particular word to bee considered is to vs. This setteth forth the persons of whom the Apostle speaketh and to whom God hath giuen this loue to bee called the children of God Whom therefore hath God thus aduanced and to whom hath hee giuen this great and admirable loue to be called his children Euen to elect men to miserable and wretched men before blind lame deafe dumme leprous dead in sinnes and trespasses sitting in darknes and in the shadow of death seruants of sin and bondmen of the Deuill yea bound with such chaynes of Satan as were ten thousand times worse then all iron chaines in the world Euen as men I say that were before in this wofull lamentable and most fearefull plight and condition hath hee thus aduanced to the honour of his children Is not this loue of God admirable Is it not incomprehensible Who is able to comprehend the bredth and length and depth and height thereof Ephes 3. 18. Truly this loue is such that as the Apostle cryeth out touching the reiection of the Iewes for a time and touching the calling of the Gentils O the depth of the riches both of the wisedome and knowledge of God! How vnsearchable are his iudgements and his waies past finding out Rom. 11. 33. So wee likewise touching this loue of God may with admiration cry out O the depth of the riches thereof Yea if we should measure Gods doing herein by carnall reason wee should condemne Gods wisdome for foolishnes for louing vs beeing euery way so vile so base and so vnworthy of any loue of any other of his creatures much more of his Yea so much the more may we cry out with such admiratioÌ„ as before of this loue of God because herein God hath passed ouer the Angels that fel as we had fallen and hath not vouchsafed them the like loue for restoring them and making them his children that he hath vouchsafed vnto vs. But of this more afterward In the meane time this briefly shall suffice for this sixt word The seuenth is that we should be called What meaneth the Apostle by this phrase That we should only haue the name That we should be called and title of Gods children and not be indeede the children of God Not so for our Sauiour reproueth the Angell of the Church of Sardi For hauing a name to be aliue who yet was dead Reuel 3. 1. In the world indeed so it is oftentimes that men haue bare names and titles not the thing or benefit signified by such names or belonging to such names and titles Absolon was saluted by this name of King God saue the King God saue the King 2 Sam. 16. 16. And that not onely by Hushai the Archit in policy but also by many other yet hee was not the King The like title was for a time giuen also to Adonija 1. King 1. 18. Yet he was not the King So we haue known the name of the king of Portugal giuen to one that had no priuileges or royalties belonging to that name So some noble men being condemned for high treason and thereby tainted in their bloud and hauing lost all then honours are notwithstanding by many whiles they liue in courtesy called by such honorable names as before they had though they haue no other priuiledges belonging to such honorable names the cutting off only of their heads excepted whereas meaner persons for the like trespasses are hanged drawen and quartered Thus I say it is in the world and with men of the world But this is not the meaning of the Apostle in this place but that indeed we be as well as called the children of God For he speaketh not of our being so called by men only â—ut also by God himselfe who knoweth how to call euery thing by the right name and calleth nothing amisse This is manifest by the very next verse where the Apostle saith not Dearely beloued now are we called the sonnes of God but now we be the sonnes of God So also the word called is taken in some other places The Angell sayth of Christ to the virgine Mary Thou shalt call his name Iesus Luc. 1. 31. And againe he shall be called the Son of the most high verse 32. Doth the Angel meane Christ should be called Iesus or Sauiour and not bee a Iesus or Sauiour indeed or that he should only be called the sonne of the most high and not be so indeed verily he had no such meaning When Christ sayth of the temple Mine house shall be called the house of praier c. Marke 11. 17. his meaning is that it should be so indeed So therfore is the meaning of the same phrase in this place But why doth the Apostle rather vse this phrase then plainly Note say that wee should bee his children It may bee hee would heerby insinuate the meanes whereby we come to this honor to be the outward calling by the ministry of the word As when our Sauiour sayth I came not to call the rigâ—teous but sinners to repentance Mat. 9. 13. hee insinuateth his calling by the word to bee the meanes of repentance so the Apostle by this phrase that we should be called the children of God may insinuate the outward calling by the preaching of the word to bee the meanes whereby God bringeth vs to this honour of his children Secondly not to stand vpon this reason by this phrase that we should be called he meaneth not only that we should bee indeed his children but also that we should be so known and declared yea publikely proclaimed to all the world to bee the children of God As an other Apostile sayth that God was not ashamed to bee called the God of his ancient people Hebr. 11. 16. Where also note the phrase to be called to signify so to bee indeed so heere this Apostle telleth vs that God is not ashamed that wee should professe our selues to bee and that wee should be called by other his children Herein therefore God differeth from many men especially from some princes who though they purpose secretly with themselues whom by adoption to make their children
the wicked haue no part in the foresaid loue of God but it is proper and peculiar only to the children of God And thus we see that the foresaid loue of God towards his children is not only to be considered as the principall and first mouing cause of their regeneration but also as a singular and most honourable benefit and prerogatiue Thus much for the first consideration of the loue of God in making vs his children viz. as it was the cause of our election at the first euen before all times vnto our adoption and regeneration to be made in time Touching the second consideration of Gods loue in making vs his children namely as it hath been declared particularly in giuing his sonne for the effecting of our adoption whereunto we were predestinated and elected it is said So God loued the world that he hath giuen his only begotten sonne that whosoeuer beleeueth in him should not perish c. Ioh. 3. 16. If God so loued the world that he sent his sonne that men might haue euerlasting life by beleeuing in him then also in his said loue he sent his sonne to adopt them vnto God For none can beleeue but such as are adopted and haue the spirit of adoption whereby to beleeue God to be their father And adoption is one necessary step to euerlasting life and without adoption and regeneration can no man enter into the kingdome of heauen as our Sauiour teacheth Nicodemus in the same chapter Neither is it only manifest thus by consequence that God so loued the world that is the elect men in the world that he sent his sonne for their adoption but the Apostle doth also teach the same expresly When the fulnesse of time saith he was come God sent his sonne made of a woman and made vnder the law that is not only borne in the time of the law but also made subiect both to the obedience and to the curse of the law that he might redeeme them that were vnder the law that they might receiue the adoption of sonnes Galat. 4. 4. 6. By these testimonies it is manifest not only that God declared his great loue towards vs in sending his own and only sonne into the world to make vs his children but that also God the sonne was a principall agent in the work of our adoption and regeneration as well as God the father and that wee could no more haue been made the children of God without the worke of God the sonne then without the worke of God the father The same is yet further manifest by the Euangelists interpretation of the propheticall words of Caiph as spoken as hee was high Priest touching the necessity of the death of one for the people and that the whole nation should not perish For this saith the Euangelist spake hee not of himselfe but being high Priest that same yeere he prophecied that Iesus should die for that nation and not for that nation only but that he should gather together the children of God that were scattered Ioh. 11. 50. By gathering together he meaneth adopting and by the children of God he meaneth not them that were already in act the children of God but that were appointed and predestinated so to be as before we heard It is also in the said place to be obserued Note that he speaketh not passiuely but actiuely He saith not that the children of God might be gathered together but he saith that he might gather together c. So he noteth that the gathering together and adopting of the children of God is a worke of Iesus Christ as well as of God the father The same our Sauiour himselfe testifieth saying Other sheepe I haue also which are not of this fold them also must I bring Ioh. 10. 16. he saith not they shall be brought but that he himselfe must bring them Peter accordeth with both the former testimonies making this to be the end of Christs suffering once for sinnes c. not that we might be brought only to God but also that he might bring vs vnto God 1. Pet. 3. 18. As therefore we could not haue been saued without Christ so neither could we haue been adopted without him Therefore also as before we heard the dignity of Gods children to be the greater by the worke of the father so it is also the greater hereby that the father worketh herein by the sonne and the sonne worketh with the father as well in this our second creation as in the first For Christ is the same in glory and excellency with the Father Whatsoeuer is spoken of the Father according to the Deity the same may also be sayd of the sonne For I saith Christ himselfe and my Father are one Ioh. 10. 30. and the Apostle saith that hee being in the forme of God thought it no robbery to be equall with God Philip. 2. 6. And he is called the heire of all things by whom God the Father made the world and the brightnesse of the glory and the ingraued forme of his fathers person Heb. 1. 2. 3. Neither was Christ only so excellent as he was God but he was also very excellent in his humanity the same being conceiued in the wombe of a virgin by the immediat operation of the holy ghost and being personally vnited to the Godhead that both natures might make one person and so vnited being also altogether without sinne vnspotted vndefiled most holy and righteous In his offices also he was most honorable being the onely King Priest and Prophet of his Church yea such a King Priest and Prophet as of whom Dauid and Salomon and all their kingly posterity with the Priests of the law and the Prophets extraordinarily raised vp and sent to the ancient people of God were but types figures and shadowes The more excellent therefore that Christ is and was before his sending into the world and afterward the more hath God dignified his children in sending him so into the world to make them his children The more honorable persons that any Prince doth imploy for the good of any other the more is he dignified and graced for whose good such honourable persons are so imployed Did not Balak King of Moab much honour Balaam by sending vnto him first some of the Elders and Princes of Moab and Midian Num. 22. 5. 7. and 13. and afterward more Princes and more honorable then the former vers 15. Was it not a great honor to the Prophet Isaiah that Hezekiah sent Eliakim the steward of his house and Shebna his Chauncellor and the elders of the Priests to aske counsell of him touching Rabsheka 2. King 19. 2. May not the like be sayd of Iosiahs sending Hiâ—kia the Priest Ahâ—kan the sonne of Shaphat Achbor the sonne of Michaiah Shaphan the Chancellor and Asahia the Kings seruant to Huldah the Propheâ—esse for counsell from the Lord touching the finding of the laweâ— 2. King 22. 12. That the Centurion sent not one of his own seruants but the
subiect and continueth the same time but herein it differeth that the obiect of faith is the whole word of God but the obiect of hope is only the promises in the word By faith we beleeue all things written in the word of things past present and to come as hath been said in chap. 8. But by hope we â—â—e expect and looke for onely those things that are in the word promised to be performed her easter either generally concerning the Church or particularly concerning our selues So all the good promised hereafter to be performed is beleeued by faith and expected or looked for by hope Euery truth therfore of God reuealed in his word written is the obiect of faith For by faith we beleeue the word touching the creation of the world by the word Heb. 11. 3. but hope hath only relation to the promises of God Therefore the Apostle exhorting the Hebrews to keepe the profession of their hope without wauering confirmeth the same by the faithfulnesse of him that hath promised Heb. 10. 23. So he restraineth hope only to the promises of God As by faith we beleeue as well the promises of this life as of the life to come and therefore the iust man doth liue by his faith as well touching this life as touching the life to come so by hope we doe expect or looke for the performance as well of the promises of this life as of the life to come Notwithstanding as the things of the life to come are the principallest obiect of faith so also be they of hope This hope is as proper to the children of God as faith it selfe because it is an handmaid only of faith looking only for the performance of those things which faith beleeueth shall be performed Therefore it is ioined with faith 1. Cor. 13. 13. T it 1. 1. 2. 1. Pet 1. 21. and Iude 20. and 21. Therefore also these words Faith and hope to beleeue and hope are often confounded and are vsed one for another This faith and hope are immortall they shall neuer perish The seed of saith is immortall Christ Iesus the obiect of faith is the sâ—me yesterday to day and for cuer By faith we ouercome all things and all things are possible vnto vs. How then can faith decav By faith â—e are also kept vnto saluation 1. Pet. 1. 5. How then can faith itselfe perish It faith perish whereby we are kept vnto saluation where is our safety Peter proueth faith o be better then gold because gold perisheth though it be neuer so well tried and refined in the fire 1. Pet. 1. 7. How is this argument good if faith may perish as well as gold If faith do thus continue then also doth hope for these are twinnes borne together liuing together and lasting one as long as the other The hope therefore of Gods children shall neuer be frustrated it shall not be confounded Those things that proue the perpetuity of faith proue also the perpetuity of hope The same is also euident by the attribute liuing wherby Peter deseribeth the hope of them that be begotten againe 1. Pet. 1. 3. Paul saith it maketh not ashamed Rom. 5. 5. Salomon saith The patient abiding that is the hope of the righteous shall be gladnesse Pro. 10. 28 In this place and in that of Peter let it be obserued that hope is limited only to them that are begotten againe and to the righteous This is the more because we are as often taught that the hope of the wicked shall perish When Salomon had said in that place before alleged The hope of the righteous shall be gladnesse presently he addeth but the hope of the wicked shall perish Bildad saith that As the rush cannot grow without mire or moisture so the hypocrites hope shall perish Iob 8. 13. Zophar saith The eye of the wicked shall faile and their refuge shall perish and their hope shall be sorrow of mind Iob 11. 20. The Psalmist saith The desire of the wicked shall perish Psal 112. 10. If their desire shall perish can their hope continue Who doth not desire that which he hopeth for Salomon saith againe when a wicked man dieâ—h his hope perisheth and the hope of the vniust shall perish Pro 11. 7. Examples hereof are many How vaine was the hope of the mother of Sisera and of her wise laâ—â—es touching the safe returne of Sisera with great so â—ile Iudg 5. 28. How was the great boasting hope of great Goliah decerued 1. Sam. 17. 44. The like may be said of Ahâ—b touching good successe against Ramoâ—h Gilead 1. Kings 22. 6. and of the hope of Saneherib touching the like successe against Ierusalem 2. Kings 18 28. So also of the hope generally of all Papists and particularly both of the Spaniards in the yeer 15 88 and also of many of our own Papists here at home here to fore and of late in the powder treason and of many other What an excellent priuilege then is this of the children of God that their hope grounded vpon God word for things either of this life or of the life to come shall not be frustrated but certainly accomplished yea that we may be the better assured that our hope shall not deceiue vs it is called the helmet of saluation 1. â— hes 5. 8. whereby we are taught that as the helmet or an head peace defeÌ„deth the head from all wounds so likewise hope is a principall part of the spirituall armor for the defence of a spirituall man from spirituall dangers and for keeping him from despaire of saluation If hope bee a speciall preseruatiue against despaire of saluation then also must it be against despaire of things promised for the comfort of this life Feare not little flocke saith our Sauiour it is your Fathers pleasure to giue you a kingdome Luk. 12. 32. By the assurance therefore of a kingdome hee strengthneth them against all feare of want of things for this life Can we rightly hope that God will giue the greater and doubt or feare that he will not giue the lesse viz. the things of this life yea therefore hope is compared to a sure and sted fast ancre of the soule fastened to that which is with in the vaile Heb. 6. 19. This is a sweete and most comfortable comparison viz. of hope not to an ancre only but to a sure ancre to a stedfast ancre not fastened in the bottome of the sea in sand or in any earth but in heauen euen in God himselfe or in Christ Iesus more firm then any rocke How soeuer therefore the children of God be here as it were vpon the midst of the seas tossed with mighty stormes and tempests yet as a ship by a strong ancre with a cable sutable well fastened is the more safe in great stormes and tempests so according to the words of the same Apostle in the same place verse 18. the children of God by their hope well fixed and fastened vpon the things especially within the
to be offred 2. Tim. 4. 6. whereby he meaneth the violent death that afterward he was to suffer for the credit of his doctrine and the better sealing vp the truth thereof in the consciences of those that had either heard his preaching or read his writings So to die for the truth is a sacrifice not propitiatorie and meritorious as the Papists blasphemously teach but partly eucharisticall and of thanksgiuing and partly for the confirming and strengthning of other in that truth which they see other to bee ready to seale with their blood and much more to esteeme the same then they doe their owne liues Fourthly we are said by Christ to be made Priests because as the Priests duty of the law was not onely to offer sacrifice but also to teach the people the difference between the holy and profane c. Ezek. 44. 23. in which respect it is also said that the Priests lips should preserue knowledge and that the people should seeke the law out of his mouth Malac. 2. 7. so all the children of God are in these daies especially of the Gospell Ioel 2. 28. to abound more and more in knowledge and in all iudgement that they may be able to discerne things that differ Phil. 1. 9. 10. and to haue the word of Christ dwelling more plentifully in them in all wisedome Coloss 3. 16. and so also the better not onely to try all things 1. Thess 5. 21. euen the spirits whether they be of God or no 1. Ioh. 4. 1. but also to exhort one another daily whiles it is called to day lest any by neglect of this duty be hardned through the deceitfulnesse of sinne Heb. 3. 13. and 10. 25. Coloss 3. 16. 1. Thes 5. 11. Iude 20. And in this respect also as Christ is called a Prophet so for that mutuall duty of teaching admonishing exhorting and edifying one another in the places last before alledged commended to all the children of God they may all not vnfitly be called by the name of Prophets Especially because as notwithstanding teaching belonged as we haue heard to the Priests yet Prophets were extraordinarily for the most part raised vp when the priests began to neglect their duty in that behalfe so in these daies the ordinary ministers too much neglecting their duty of publike teaching the Lord will haue all men the more diligent in the priuate performance of those duties before mentioned and for that respect in some sort to performe the duty of ancient prophets Notwithstanding euen this propheticall duty I comprehend vnder the priesthood of Gods children as some learned of late times haue also comprehended the propheticall office of Christ vnder his priesthood as a part thereof To returne therefore vnto or to dwell a little longer in the Priesthood which the children of God haue by the priesthood of Christ the same is the more to be considered because of the generality thereof In the time of the law the priesthood of the law was restrained First to one sex viz. only to the males Secondly to one age at which it should begin and at which it should end touching the necessary execution of their office at least of one part thereof for the offering of sacrifices Thirdly to one tribe the tribe of Leui. Fourthly to one family the family of Kohath the sonne of Leui. Fiftly to one house of that family to the posterity of Amran the sonne of Kohath Exod. 6. 18. and 20. Sixtly to one of the sonnes of Amran to Aaron and to his posterity for euer Exod. 28. 1. Leuit. 8. 1. Numb 3. 10. and 18. 7. Seuenthly touching some speciall offices of the priesthood to one only place to certainetimes yea for the high priest to enter into the most holy place at one time only of the yeere Heb 9. 7. and for other to performe their duties by course Luk. 1. 8. Eightly that priesthood had an end at the comming of Christ in Christ himselfe Thus we see within what limits the priesthood of the law was ranged and restrained But this priesthood whereof now we speake is common to all the children of God of all sexes ages and times yea it was in the time of the law though made more manifest in the time of the Gospell It may be performed in all places and at all times not only with company but by euery one alone yea it shall continue to the end of the world yea as touching the offring of the sacrifice of praise it shall continue for euer after the generall resurrection in the heauens themselues Moreouer the former priesthood of the law was both distinguished and also separated from the ciuill magistracie so that the King might not be Priest neither execute the Priests office Therefore it is said that the heart of Vzziah was lift vp within him when he entred into the temple of the Lord to burne incense vpon the altar of incense And that Azariah the Priest withstood him and told him that it pertained not vnto him to burne incense to the Lord but to the Priests the sonnes of Aaron and that therefore the Lord immediatly smot him with leprosie c. 2. Chron. 26. 16. c. Neither also might the Priest take vpon him the office of the king or of any ciuill magistrate except it were extraordinarily 1. Sam. 4. 8. because as those things that God had coupled no man might put a sunder Mat. 19. 6. so those things that God had separated no man might ioine together Yea the rest of the Leuites that had the charge of the tabernacle and of things pertaining thereunto might not meddle with the works of the priesthood Num. 18. 3. except only extraordinarily and in the case of necessity when there were noe priests enow sanctified for the works of the Priesthood 2. Chron. 29. 34. But touching this priesthood now spoken of kings may and must execute the office thereof as well as subiects yea Kings and Queens with all their royall posterity are and must bee Priests in this manner If they should disdaine this name they must also renounce the title of the children of God which is greater then the title of earthly King or Queene c. Thus we see the excellency of the priesthood of all the sons and daughters of God by Christ Iesus Honorable was the priesthood of the law yea so honorable that Iehoshebeth daughter of king Iehoram grand child of Iehoshaphat sister of king Ahaziah and aunt of king Ioash was wife to Iehoiada the Priest 2. Chron. 22. 11. So honorable also that Vzziah king of Iudah not contented with his kingly state as we haue heard did aspire to the priestly dignity Would kings haue married their daughters to Priests Would kings haue bin ambitious for the priestly dignity if they had not thought very honorably of that calling How honorable then is the priesthood of the children of God by Iesus Christ As the children of God haue Christs name of Priest communicated vnto them and are
former Kings this kingdome the children of God enioy and are in actuall possession of it as soone as they are begotten againe and new borne children to God and they haue the present possession of their kinglie dignitie euen heere on eath Reuelat. 5. 10. according to that before said in that behalfe Whereas earthlie Kings and kingdomes are all momentanie and but for a time both the children of God and also their kingdome are euerlasting and continue for euer as he and his kingdome be in whom they are Kings and from whom they receiue their kingly dignity Sith therefore the children of God are such Kings and haue such kingdomes how great is their dignity in this behalfe Amongst other great things that the Lord promiseth vnto Abraham in making his couenant with him this is one that euen Kings should proceed of him Genes 17. 6. The like promise is renewed to Iaakob afterward Genes 35. 11. And what Kings were they which God promiseth should come out of their loines Surely earthly Kings For though Abraham were the Father of the faithfull yet that promise is rather an earthly then an heauenly promise If God himselfe then promised this as a great matter to Abraham and Iaakob that Kings euen earthly kings should proceed of them how great a thing is this that now wee speake of concerning all the children of God viz. that not some of them as God is to be vnderstood before to speake not of all but only of some of the posterity of Abraham and Iaakob to be Kings but all are Kings and such Kings as before we haue spoken of Verily so great and glorious is this their kingly dignity that in respect thereof all the kingly dignitie of the world is of no value Yea in respect of the kingdome of the children of God all the kingdomes of the world separated from it though put together are but as a little mole-hill or a filthie dunghill In that respect also much better is the condition of the poorest child of God though he be as poore as Lazarus that sate at the rich mans gate desiring only to bee refreshed with the crums or scraps that should fall from his table Luke 16. 21. then of the greatest potentate in the world that is not partaker of this kingly dignity Yea if the greatest Monarch in the world not being one of the children of God by regeneration knew the kingly dignity of them and his owne wofull state hee would change states with them if hee might and though he had a thousand kingdomes besides he would giue them all for the one kingdome of the children of God and giue also to boote whatsoeuer hee had besides not to his shirt alone but euen to his skinne This shall suffice for Christs kingly title communicated to all the children of God and for their great and honourable condition thereby To proceed to other titles of Christ communicated to the children of God as Christ is called the chiefe corner stone Psal 18. 22. Mark 12. 10. Ephe. 20. so also the children of God particularly and seuerally considered are called liuing stones 1. Pet. 2. 5. as also Pillers in the Temple of God Reuel 3. 12. according to which phrase also Dauid praieth that the daughters of Israel might be as the corner stones grauen or carued after the similitude of a palace that is fitted for the making of a Palace viz. for God himselfe to dwell in Psal 144. 12. Iointly also considered they are called in the former place of Peter a Spirituall house yea the Temple of God euen of the liuing God wherein God dwelleth and walketh 1. Cor. 3. 16. 2. Cor. 6. 16. and of the holy Ghost 1. Cor. 6. 19. and therefore also of Christ himselfe who dwelleth by faith in their hearts Ephes 3. 17. How great this honor is hath been shewed before Chap. 16. yea that it is the greater because the wicked are habitations and houses of diuels and of all vncleane spirits Mat. 12. 44. Was it not a fearefull iudgement and a most dishonorable thing that the Lord threatneth the countries of the Assyrians and of other enemies of the Church should be forsaken and be left to the fowles of the mountaines and to the beasts of the field c. Isai 18. 6. and that Babel it selfe the glorie of kingdomes the beautie and pride of the Chaldeans should bee a lodging for Ziim Ohim and Iim and that Ostriches should dwell there and Satyres should dance there and Dragons should dwell in the Palaces thereof Isai 13. 21. 22. and Ieremy 51. 37. How much more dishonorable then is it that men at the first created according to Gods image should be habitations for diuels Is this dishonourable and shall it not then be honorable for men beeing new borne the children of GOD to bee also the houses and Temples of GOD As Christ is called a graft growing out of the root of Dauid Isai 11. 1. and a righteous branch Ierem. 25. 5. and 33 15. So all that are incorporated into Christ are called branches and grafts c. Rom. 11. 17. c. As Christ is called the light of men and the true light that lightneth euerie man that commeth into the world Iohn 1. 4. 5. 7. 8. 9. and the light of the world Iohn 8. 12. and 9. 5. so it is said first of the Apostles and other Ministers of the Gospell that they are the light of the world Mat. 5. 14. and secondly of all other the children of God in respect of their holding forth the word of life in their profession and practise or conuersation that they shine as lights in the world Philip. 2. 15. As therefore it is a great honor for a subiect to be dignified by a King with some of the Kings owne kingly titles so is it much more honor for the children of God to bee dignified with so many titles of Christ Iesus Thus much for the titles of Christ communicated vnto the children of God and their great dignity thereby CHAP. XXIII Of the benefits of the children of God for this life viz. of their immunity from euill and of good things of this life belonging vnto them HAuing in the former Chapter by occasion of the kingly dignity of Gods children briefly mentioned the right of the children of God vnto all things of this life viz. in the sixt respect why they are called Kings but that place being not fit to handle the same any thing largely it notwithstanding being a matter of good importance and worthy of further consideration for the further setting forth of the dignity of Gods children I will now returne thereunto and speake somewhat more plentifully thereof Concerning therefore this life let vs vnderstand that the children of God haue a double prerogatiue aboue the wicked First immunity from all afflictions of this life as they are euill and hurtfull Secondly right and interest into all the blessings of this life so farre foorth as they are any waies good
spoken of condemnation especially of the extreme punishment of the wicked with the perpetuity thereof by the extremity of diuers bodily paines here in this life euen in some one member and but for a time as of extreme tooth-ache of the strangullion of the stone in the bladder or in the kidneys of the gout of the collick and such like For if these things but in one part of the body and but for a time be so intollerable what alas shall we thinke of the euerlasting torments of euery member of the body and soule and the whole man for euer and euer But it shall be sufficient thus only to haue pointed at these things Thus much for the first benefit of the children of God in the life to come viz. for their freedome from condemnation CHAP. XXVI Of the inheritance of the children of God in the life to come THe second benefit of the children of God in the life to come is that they shall be all heires and haue a great inheritance So saith the Apostle If we be children wee are also heires euen heires of God and heires annexed with Christ Rom. 8. 17. and againe If thou be a sonne thou art also an heire of God through Christ Galat. 4. 7. So Peter ioineth together the worke of our regeneration and the hope of an inheritance 1. Pet. 1. 4. Touching this inheritance as before we noted certaine degrees of that condemnation from which wee heard the children of God to be freed the better to set forth their dignity in that their deliuerance so let vs now also obserue certaine circumstances pertaining to this inheritance for the better illustration of the dignity of the children of God in respect of the said inheritance Although therefore we did not before note the placing of the reprobate at the left hand of Christ as any degree of their condemnation because it is not alwaies a dishonor to be placed at the left hand of Princes in which respect Iames and Iohn desired to be placed the one at the right hand the other at the left hand of Christ yet to be placed at the right hand of Christ Iesus when he shall come to iudge the quick and the dead may well be accounted for a principall honor of them that shall be so placed So great an honor is it to be placed at the right hand of mortal Princes that by a metaphor taken from the same the whole exaltation and glorification of Christ Iesus is often described and expressed by sitting at the right hand of his Father Is it not then a great honour for all the elect at the day of iudgement to be placed at the right hand of Iesus Christ when hee shall come in the glory of his Father with the holy Angels The second circumstance of the inheritance of Gods children is contrary to the first degree before mentioned of the condemnation of the wicked viz. that Christ Iesus shall grace them with a most amiable countenance and most gratiously speake vnto them Come ye blessed of my Father c. The fauour of a King is like the dewe vpon the grasse Prou. 19. 12. How great then is the fauour of God Dauid opposeth the light of Gods countenance to all worldly prosperitie desired by the greatest sort of men and professeth that he had or should haue more ioy of heart thereby than the men of the world haue in the day of their haruest and when their corne and wine doe encrease Psal 4. 6 7. Both these circumstances are the more because Christ himselfe shall so place them at his right hand and so speake vnto them publikely in the presence of his Father and before all men and angels good and bad euen before all their aduersaries The more publikely and in the greater company that the Lord Cromwell did grace his old benefactor Francis Frescobald the Italian merchant first in the open street in London dismounting from his horse embracing him most familiarly speaking most kindly vnto him and inuiting him the same day to dinner before all the Lords and other attendants vpon him and afterward at his comming to dine with him embracing him againe and speaking also most kindly as before and declaring to the Lord Admirall and other nobles with him what the said Frescobald had done for him and at dinner placing him next to himselfe The more publikely I say and before the more company that the said Lord Cromwell did so grace that poore decaied merchant the greater honour it was to the said merchant to be so graced How great then shall the honour of all Gods children bee to be placed at the right hand of Iesus Christ and to bee so gratiously spoken vnto by Iesus Christ himselfe in the presence of all the world before all kings and princes as well as before all other the meaner sort of men as likewise before his owne Father before all his holy angels and before the diuels themselues the whole army of hell The third circumstance concerning the inheritance of the children of God is that they shall haue a more neere communion with God and with Christ Iesus himselfe than euer before they had viz. not only spirituall but also locall beeing there where himselfe is in all glory and maiestie This is signified by the words of our Sauiour before alleadged Come yee blessed of my father c. The same is likewise plaine by the praier of our Sauiour for all Gods children Father I will that they which thou hast giuen me bee with mee euen where I am that they may behold my glory c. Ioh. 17. 24. It is a great honour for a subiect to be imployed in any seruice of his prince but it is much more to be alwaies neere vnto him in his chamber of Presence and in his Priuie chamber Who therfore can expresse the honor of Gods children to be in heauen it selfe Gods Priuie chamber and alwaies to behold his glory and excellency But of this further communion of Gods children with God and Christ Iesus and so consequently also with the holy angels more shall be spoken afterward In the meane time this shall suffice to haue beene spoken of these circumstances of the inheritance of Gods children Now to speake more largely of the said inheritance it selfe and so to come euen to the more ample declaration of their foresaid communion with God let vs vnderstand the said inheritance to be the greater honour because it is called the inheritance of God and men therby in the two first places before alleadged are called the heires of God The greater that any man is in the world the greater thing it is to bee heire vnto him how great a thing then is it to be the heire of God Herein the children of God differ from the children of men and of great men in the world euen from the sonnes of the mightie as they are called Psal 29. 1. For there is no man so great or mightie but that hauing many
of the Lamb that is which are clensed of all their pollution and are become vndefiled then he addeth as an appendix and consequence of the former They shall hunger no more nor thirst any more neither shall the Sunne light on them nor any heat viz. to scorch or hurt them for the Lambe which is in the midst of the throne shall gouerne them and shall lead them to the liuely fountaines of waters and God shall wipe away all teares from their eies Reuel 17. 13. 14. 16. 17. So we are taught that in this inheritance there is no defect no sorrow or griefe What kingdome in the world is comparable What King euer was there that sometimes hath not wanted and that sometimes hath not mourned and wept Touching labour both of sinne it selfe and of all afflictions and misery by sinne another voice likewise from heauen said vnto Iohn Writ◠Blessed from hencefort or presently are they which die in the Lord for they rest from their labors Reuel 14 13. In this inheritance therefore there shall be no sorrow no griefe no paine not so much as a tooth or a little finger shall ake All shall be ease and comfort Sinne the cause of all want griefe and paine being taken away all effects also must cease Is there any other such inheritance in all the world What a singular priuiledge therefore is this of this inheritance to bee so vndefiled and whereof likewise the heires themselues shall be vndefiled The third attribute not withering is added as for further direct commendation of the inheritance it selfe so likewise to amplifie the first attribute immortall by a comparison of the lesse For it signifieth that this inheritance shall not only be immortall but that also it shall not so much as wither or rather according to the naturall signification of the word that it cannot be made to wither As the originall word is somtime taken for a kind of flowre which will neuer wither like to that amongst vs which is called semper viuens or the euerlasting flowre because it being gathered and kept in the house euer without water or any other moisture it retaineth the beauty it had at the time of gathering so the beauty glory of this inheritance shall neuer fade wither or decay but continue the same for euer in the whole and in euery part that it was at their first entrance that shal be heires therof It shall not lose so much as one leafe neither shall any leafe growe lithe and so hang down from the fellowes What an excellencie is this What kingdome was there euer in the world but that was in time impaired and blemished either by losse of some part thereof or by not retaining the glory it had at the first How was the glorious kingdome of Israel immediately after Salomons time maymed by the falling away of ten tribes at once from the house of Dauid How was the kingdome Iudah afterward defaced partly by often giuing the treasure of the Lord to make peace with forraine nations and partly and principally in the captiuity by the Babylonians when their city Ierusalem before the glory of the world was sacked and destroyed their noble and most famous temple burnt with fire and their princes and nobles partly slaine and partly in most slauish manner carried into a strange land I alleadge no particular Scriptures for proofe of these things because the whole booke of Ieremiahs Lamentations doth most lamentably describe them The same may be said of the kingdome of Babel of the kingdome of the Medes and Persians of the kingdome of Greece of the great empire of Rome all which are not onely wasted and decayed but also vtterly consumed the stampe onely of the Romane empire yet remaining The fourth and last attribute reserued or preserued noteth the safetie of this inheritance illustrated or confirmed by the place in heauen For all things in heauen are out of danger and gun-shot of any enemies whatsoeuer Matth. 6. 20. That attribute reserued beeing so illustrated or confirmed by the place is also amplified by the persons for whom it is so reserued viz. for vs that is for them whom before he had said God the Father had begotten againe and made his children The attribute it selfe reserued noting the safetie of this inheritance is of the time perfectly past so insinuateth that this inheritance hath Note bin kept a long time for the childrē of God according to the words of our Sauiour saying it was prepared from the foundation of the world for them that were blessed of his Father Mat. 25. 34. and according to the words of the same Apostle in the end of the very next verse where he calleth the said inheritance the saluation which is prepared to be shewed in the last time Sith therfore this inheritance hath been so long kept for the children of God they may the better assure themselues of it For the long keeping of any thing for another doth the better testifie the full purpose of the keeper that such shall haue it as for whom he hath kept it so long Daily experience confirmeth this that it needeth no other proofe The place in heauen doth not onely further confirme the said safety but is also a reason of the former three attributes For as all things in earth are mortall defiled and do daily wither so all things in heauen are immortall vndefiled and free from all withering Yea it further commendeth the excellencie of this inheritance as shewing that as high as the heauen is aboue the earth so and much more excellent is this heauenly inheritance then all earthly inheritances The pronoune vs referred to the worke of regeneration before spoken doth plainly note as I said a speciall reseruation and preparation long before euen before all worlds of the said inheritance only for them that are regenerated and so made the children of God What a great benefit is this that we shall haue it all of vs and not any other euen wee that are the sonnes of the free woman borne by promise and that none comming of the bond woman and borne after the flesh Galat. 4. 23. shall be heires or haue any part of this inheritance with vs Genes 21. 10. The which is also manifest by the constancy of Isack in blessing Iacob without any reuocation or diuision afterward of the said blessing betwixt Iacob and Esau without any repentance I say either as touching the whole blessing or touching any part thereof though Esau sought the repentance of his father in that behalfe with teares Heb. 12. 17. But of this propriety of this inheritance to the children of God only sufficient hath been said before Now that our comfort may yet be the more touching the said inheritance let vs obserue that the Apostle saith not only that that inheritance is so kept for vs but that also in the very next verse viz. 5. he saith that albeit we are here in earth in the middest and thickest of
aduaÌ„cement Sith that the children of God haue such ioy and peace as that no afflictions doe or can expresse the same how great is their dignity in that behalfe Their ioy I grant may be and sometime is eclipsed and obscured for a time by the same meanes whereby it is so with their peace for such as any mans peace is such is his ioy but as the sunne being somtime eclipsed by the interposition of the moone betwixt vs and it and more often darkned by thicke and blacke clouds doth notwithstanding break out againe and shine as bright as before so it is with the children of God Their ioy is sometime obscured and hidden not onely from others but also from themselues But though they weep for a time yet their sorrow shall bee turned into ioy and their heart shall reioice for the most part in this and most certainly in the life to come and their ioy shal no man take from them Ioh. 16. 20. 21. As the wicked shall mourne and no man shall be able to comfort them as before we haue seen by the examples of Saul and Indas so shall the children of God reioice and no man shall take their ioy from them Though sometime they lie among pots or stones and by many afflictions be as it were coloured yet they shall bee as the wings of a Doue that is couered with siluer and whose fethers are like yellow gold Psal 68. 13. they shall haue beauty for ashes the oyle of ioy of mourning the garment of gladnesse for the spirit of heauinesse Isai 61. 3. yea euen in their heauinesse their ioy from aboue is greater then their mourning here below As Sampson found hony and the hony combe in the carkasse of a deuouring lyon so the children of God find most sweet comfort euen in the very belly and bowels of those afflictions which deuoure the wicked The riddle of Sampson touching the foresaid hony out of the eater came meat and out of the strong came sweetnesse was inexplicable to the Philistims till they had ploughed with Sampsons heyfer Iudg. 14. 14. so indeed that the children of God are cheerfull and comfortable euen full of ioy and gladnesse in their pouerty reproch sicknesse and such other like aduersity seemeth a thing very strange to the vngodly and no man can explicat or expound the same but only the children of God and they that haue ploughed with their heyfer that is with the same spirit of vnderstanding wherewith they and they only are indued For they only haue that white stone spoken of before wherein is a new name written which no man knoweth but he that receiueth it Reu. 2. 17. And how great the peace and the ioy of the children of God is and how truly it may be said to passe al vnderstanding and to be vnspeakable and glorious as before we heard it to be called doth not only appeare by the feare and griefe of the wicked but also by the like afflictions trouble and heauinesse of mind sometimes in the godly when God for the reasons before spoken of hideth his face from them For that which is said generally of all creatures may particularly be said of them if thou hide thy face they are troubled Psal 104. 29. By this trouble I say of the godly themselues when sometimes for a time they haue lost their former ioy and peace it appeareth how great their said peace and ioy is and how worthie of that commendation which before we haue heard to be giuen vnto it For aske one of them that haue for a season lost their former peace and ioy and that troubled in that behalfe yea aske the very wicked themselues which feele the terrors of an euill conscience and feares of Gods wrath aske I say either the one or the other what they would giue for a release from their troubles and feares and for comfort and they will crie out with teares that if they had a thousand worlds they would giue all for true peace and ioy Consider how the Church mourneth for neglect of her beloueds voice yea how her heart fainted in that behalfe and how she charged the daughters of Ierusalem that if they did find her welbeloued they should tell him that she was sicke of loue for him Cantic 5. 6. how Dauid also was troubled when he wanted that peace and ioy which before he had we haue already shewed Touching the ioy of the wicked which seemeth to be very great first the truth is that it is a painted and pictured ioy without any ground yea without any substance it is only in face and countenance and as wesay from the teeth it is not from the heart it is but as the laughter of phrensie and madnesse in the pangs of death Secondly it is therefore very short and vncertain as it is said of the laughter of a fools that it is like the cracking of thornes vnder a pot Eccl. 7. 8. though it make a great blaze a loud noise for a time yet on a sudden it vanisheth and commeth to nothing Thirdly which is more then the former the more the wicked laugh and are merry here the more they shall weep and mourne and houle in the world to come As the strongest wine makes the sharpest vineger euen such as will fetch off the skin from the rough of ones mouth so the greater shall be their calamity and their greater ioy shal be turned into the greater heauinesse But because many things before written of the prosperity of the wicked may likewise bee referred to that point of their ioy which ariseth from no other cause then from their prosperity therfore I will here cease to write any more thereof To conclude this point of the ioy and peace of the children of God as they haue better cause of peace and ioy then all the wicked in the world though kings and Princes so their peace and ioy cannot but be much greater how poore base and miserable soeuer they seem to be in the world and are indeed touching their outward state They may reioice when the wicked euen Princes may mourn they may laugh when such may weep they may sing when the others for all their wealth pleasures friends power and authority and glory may cry and houle As the Virgin Mary was saluted in this manner baile Mary or reioice Mary thou art freely beloned the Lord is with thee c. and againe feare not for thou hast found fauour with God for thou shalt conceiue in thy womb beare a son and call his name Iesus Luk. 1. 28. 29. 30. and as the Angell said to the shepheards bee not afraide behold I bring yon glad tidings of great ioy which shall bee to all people that vnto you is borne this day in the City of Dauid a Sauiour which is called Christ the Lord Luk 2. 10. So no man will denie but that Marie and the shepheards had cause ro cast away feare and to bee giâ—â— and to reioice
first combination of man and wife there is exceeding benefit of the one by the other where both parties ioined together are the children of the Lord. For there the husband loueth the wife euen as Christ loueth his Church accounting her as flesh of his flesh and bone of his bone cleauing only vnto her protecting her from all wrong instructing her where she is ignorant touching her saluation increasing the knowledge which shee hath bearing with her in her weaknesse prouoking her to all good duties belonging to her sex and calling So the wife reuerencing the husband is in all things in the Lord subiect vnto him and ordered by him gouerning the things wisely that are committed to her charge for the good of her family not onely bringing foorth children as the Lord blesseth the mariage bed vnto them but much also helping her husband in the Christian education of them in the feare of the Lord. So Bethsheba helped Dauid in the instructing of Salomon Pro. 31. 1. Dauid himselfe being imploied in the publike affaires of the kingdome So Lois the grandmother and Eunice the mother of Timotheus were great helpes or rather more then helpes doing all themselues alone for the instructing of Timothie in the Scripture from his childhood Furthermore the Christian wife is an helpe to her husband by ouerseeing the waies of her seruants and seeing them to doe their worke early and late Both such parties also are comfortable one to another in prosperitie reioicing together in aduersity mourning together and so bearing one anothers burdens that betwixt both it is the lighter This mutuall helpe and benefit that the man and wife being both the children of God haue one by another is more apparent by the great hindrance that the one hath by the other either where they are both wicked or where they are vnequally yoked tâ—e one striuing vpward towards heauen the other drawing downewards euen to hell Yet where there is such an vnequall match sometime the beleeuing wife saueth the vnbeleeuing husband sometime the vnbeleeuing wife is saued by the beleeuing husband the one conuerting the other 1. Cor. 7. 14. Touching the children of such parents oh in how happie state condition be they in respect of the children of other For first of all they are within the Couenant of God made with their parents for this life and for the life to come whereby God doth bind himselfe to be their God and the God of their seed Gen. 17. 78. and to blesse them that blesse them and to curse them that curse them Gen. 12. 3. Yea though but one of the parents be the childe of God and the other none of Gods children yet the children of two such so vnequally yoked are within the Couenant by vertue of that party which is the childe of God 1. Cor 7. 14 Is not this a singular benefit to be within the Couenant of God It was a great honour to Abraham that Abimelech king of Gerar came to him and made a Couenant with him Gen. 21. 27. How great then is this honour that the Lord of heauen and earth the king of kings vouchsafeth to looke downe from heauen yea as it were to come down from heauen and to make a Couenant with man yea with poore miserable man that would neuer so much as once haue looked toward heauen but onely to make warre with heauen and with God that dwelleth in heauen euen with euery man I say and woman that feareth him yea not only with them but also with their posteritie Verily this Couenant is the more because by vertue thereof it is said The children of thy seruants shall continue and then seed shall stand fast in thy sight Psal 101. 28. And againe Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord and delighteth greatly in his Commandemenâ—s his â—â—ed shall be mighty vpon earth the generation of the righteous shall bee blessed Psal 112. 1. 2. If children receiue not benefit by this Couenant it is because they themselues doe breake Couenant with God and doe not honour the God of their Fathers and serue him with a perfect hart and willing mind as Dauid exhorteth Salomoâ— 1. Cron. 28. 9. and in this respect the children of God may be said to fall away from God and to goe backe albeit they themselues neuer had any grace of God neither euer walked with God because by their wickednesse they doe in a manner disclaime and renounce the couenant of God made with their fathers So Manasses at the beginning of his raigne and long before he had repented or entred into the way of walking with God euen when he did euill in the sight of the Lord like the abomination of the heathen c. is said to haue gone backâ— 2. Chro. 33. 2. 3. viz. because he had transgressed the couenant which God had made with his father Ezekiah and walked not in the waies of his said father Notwithstanding although some of the next children of the children of God or the whole next posterity of such do fall away and so renounce the couenant of God yet this doth not altogether abrogate and disanull the said couenant of God made with the good parents of the said children because the efficacy thereof doth not appeare in their next generation For the couenant of God is made to thousands of them that loue him and keepe his commandements Though some boughs of a good tree be broken off and so wither and come to nothing yet the stock and root remaining there may other spring out as good as any at the first so is it with the children of God with whom God hath made his couenant One or two yea many whole generations may be cut off or fall away yet the couenant of God remaineth with the stock or root and first parents This Paul doth excellently handle by this very similitude touching the Iewes Rom. 11. 16. This is further manifested if we consider that after the daies of Salomon there was often succession of euill kings to good kings and yet the couenant made with Dauid remained firme and inuiolated Yea after the daies of Iehoshaphat the kingdome of Iudah continued by succession for many yeers together in the hands of wicked kings none other of the house of Iehoshaphat being mentioned to haue feared God For first succeeded Iehâ—ram 2. Kings 8. 16. and 2. Chro. 21. 1. then Ahaâ—â—ah 2. Kings 8. 24. 2. Chro. 22. 1. then Hathaliah 2. Kings 11. 3. 2. Chro. 22. 10. or rather because she was but an vsurper Ioash 2. Kings 12. 2. 2. Chro 23. 4. Fourthly Amatziah 2. Kings 14. 2. 2. Chro. 25 1. Fiftly Vzziah or rather Azariah 2. Kings 15. 1. 2. Chr. 26. 1. Sixtly Iotham 2. Kings 15. 33. 2. Chr. 27 1. â—â—uenthly Ahaz 2. Kings 16. 1. 2. Chro. 27. and then Hezekiah 2. Kings 18. 1. 2. Chro. 29. 1. So between Iehoshaphat and Ezekiah two good kings of Iudah there were seuen wicked kings all succeeding one another besides
Hathaliah that immediatly after Ahaziah vsurped the kingdome All these seuen kings I say were euill and vngodly though some of them at their entrance into their kingdomes made great shewes of godlinesse Neither had any of these seuen any good child for ought that we know but only Ahaz whom Ezekiâ—h his sonne succeeded Yet in the daies of Hezekiah the Lord comforteth him against Zenaherib and promiseth to saue Ierusalem for his owne sake and for Dauid his seruants sake 2. Kings 19. 34. So he noteth that all the former succession of euill kings so long togither euen for the space of about 155 yeers at least not much lesse had not disanulled and made voide the former couenant of God made with Dauid Yea we may say more that sometime the promise of the Lord made to the wicked though indeed as they in some things resemble the children of God is kept with their posterity and they also haue the benefit of it This hath been shewed before by the performance of Gods promise made to Iehu euen to his sonnes afterward though all wicked to the fourth generation What a gratious priuiledge then is it to them that are the children of God indeed that euen their children are by their parents within the couenant of God Although also wicked children of good parents doe depriue themselues of all benefits of Gods couenant touching the life to come yet they do receiue many by the same couenant touching this present life Ismael had not only the seale of the couenant circumcision but for the couenants sake made with Abraham God heard him praying for Ismael that he might liue in his sight and answered him most gratiously saying As concerning Ismael I haue heard thee lo◠〈◊〉 blessed him and will make him fruitfull and will multiply him exceedingly twelue Princes shall he beget and I wiâ—â— make a great nation of him Gen. 17. 18. By the said example of Ismael and by the benefit he had by the praiers of Abraham praying for him wee see the posterity of the children of God to haue great benefit by the praiers of their parents If the praier of the righteous auaileth much for any if it bâ— feâ—â—ent Iames 5. 17. much more may wee assure our selues that the praiers of the righteous parents for their children doe auaile much because they will pray most feruently for them If God heard Abraham praying for wicked Ismael he will also doubtlesse heare other parents praying for their children in the saith of Abraham especially for such children as doe themselues also beleeue Therefore the Gospell testifieth how many children were sometime restored from death to life and somtime were released from a bodily possession of satan by the suit of their godly parents to our sauiour in their behalfe Mat. 9. 18. Mat. 15. 22. Mat. 17. 14. Mark 9. 17. Great likewise is the benefit of Gods childrens children by better education better precepts better exercises of religion better chastisements and corrections and better example of life and conuersation then the children of the wicked for the most part haue As the children of such parents as are themselues the children of God haue these benefits by their such parents so likewise great is the benefit and comfort that such parents haue by their children that walke in the couenant of God viz. by their feare of God by their obedience to them and their praiers for them and by their good behauiours towards all other in which respect Salomon doth often commend such children in the book of the Prouerbs A wise sonne maketh a glad father Prou. 10. 1. and 15. 20. My sonne if thou be wise mine heart shall reioice and I also Pro. 23. 15. and againe the father of the righteous shall reioice he that begetteth a wise sonne shall haue ioy of heart thy father and thy mother shall be glad and she that bare thee shall reioice verse 24 25. My sonne be wise and reioice mine heart that I may answer him that reprooueth me Pro. 27. 11. and 29. 3. sometime also it commeth to passe that good children become parents to their parents by releeuing them in their necessities and helping them in their outward state so Ioseph is said to haue nourished his father Iacob and all the rest of his sonnes and their families Gen. 45. 18. and 47. 12. so likewise Ruth was a great helpe for maintenance to her mother in law Naomi and much other comfort had Naomi by her in her old age The contrary is manifest of wicked children both by many sentences in the Prouerbs before alleged and also by many examples of Ismael Esau the sonnes of Eli Hophni and Phine as Amnon and Absolon the sonnes of Dauid and of many other As it is thus betweene the husband and the wife and parents and children that are themselues the children of God so the master and seruant that are the children of God haue much greater benefit one by another then wicked masters and seruants haue for how great was the mutuall comfort both that Abraham had by the faithfull seruice that his seruant performed whom he imploied about a wife for his sonne Isaac and also that the same seruant had by the former instruction and example of Abraham whereby no doubt he was brought to make such conscience of faithfull seruice vnto Abraham For doth not the Lord himselfe say of Abraham I know him that he will command his seruants and his house after him that they keepe the way of the Lord to doe righteousnesse and iudgement Gen. 18. 19. Yea wicked masters haue great benefit by such seruants as are the children of God Laban an Idolater could say of Iacobs seruice I haue perceiued that the Lord hath blessed mee for thy sake Gen. 30. 27. Potiphar Iosephs master saw that the Lord was with Ioseph and that the Lord made all to prosper that was in his hand and so Ioseph found fauour in his sight and serued him and he made him Ruler ouer his house and put all that he had in his hand and from that time that hee made him Ruler ouer his house and ouer all that hee had the Lord blessed the Egyptians house for Iosephs sake and the blessing of the Lord was vpon all that he had in his house and in the field Gen. 39. 2. Yea Potiphar had a further benefit by Ioseph because when his wife most impudently inticed him to filthinesse with her Ioseph most gratiouslie denied it and said Behold my master knoweth not what he hath in the house with me but hath committed all that he hath to mine hand There is no man greater in this house then I neither hath he kept any thing from mee but only thee because thou art his wife how then can I doe this great wickednesse and so sinne against God And albeit she spake to Ioseph day by day yet hee hearkned not vntâ— her to lie with her nor to be in her companie Ge. 39. 8. 9. 10. Was not this a great
proceed to other comparisons Touching similitudes the book of the Canticles is most plentifull in this behalfe For whatsoeuer by similitudes is spoken generally in commendation of the Church doth belong to all the children of God as members of the Church As therefore in respect of the excellent graces of God before handled as it were the matter wherein stands the essence of the children of God we heard the children of God to be compared to a Doue whose wings are couered with siluer that is seem to be and whose feathers are as yellow gold Psal 68. 13. so also to the whole Church Christ speaketh thus My loue behold thou art faire behold thou art faire thine eies are like the Doues Cant. 1. 14. In the next Chapter the Church speaketh thus of her selfe I am the rose of the field or rather the rose that groweth in sunshine places that is most odoriferous and the lilie of the vallies verse I. and in the next verse Christ applauding and approuing the former similitude saith like the ltlie among the thornes so is my loue among the daughters in which comparison Christ plainly compareth the wicked that are aduersaries to Gods Church vnto thornes good in a manner for nothing but for the fire and such as will continually pricke and otherwise annoy the children of God Where this is to be obserued that the Church her selfe Note speaketh not thus of the wicked but that Christ calls them by the names of thornes to teach the Church and euery member thereof to be sparing in iudging and censuring their aduersaries how hurtfull soeuer and to leaue iudging and censuring of them to Christ But to returne to that former similitude of lilies it is there and often afterward in the same book vsed to magnifie the state of Gods children as much aboue all other as the lily of the open field alwaies hauing the benefit of the sunne is more beautifull then all other flowers and this similitude is the more to be regarded because our sauiour speaking of the same saith that Salomon in all his roialty was not clothed like one of them Mat. 6. 29. yet was Salomon the most glorious king that euer was in the world Our Sauiour therefore teacheth the state of Gods children being like to the lilies to be more honorable then all the state of most glorious earthly kings In the next Chapter our Sauiour againe compateth his Church to a most straight piller of smoke arising from the most rich and pleasant composition of odors that can be deuâ—sed euen made of myrrh frankincense and all the spices of merchandise mounting as it were vpward toward God as the accustomed incense prescribed by the law chapter 3 6. In the 4. Chapter verse 1 Christ doth not only as before he had done compare the eies of the Church to the eies of a Doue but saâ—th also that her lockes were within not hanging out like the locks of harlots and that her haire was like a flocke of goats which looks downe from the mountaines of Gtlead that is that all their outward behauiour was most comely to behold as a flock of well fed goats kept in good order Secondly he addeth ver 3. that her teeth were like a flock of sheep in good order which go up from the washing whereof euery one brings forth twins and none is barren among them that is whose Ministers of the word which do as it were chew the cud for the souls of other are all touching principall points of doctrine and other behauiour in good order agreeing one with another bringing foorth fruit most plentifully to the great increase both of the number of soules in the Church and also of all good workes in euery particular member thereof Yea hee addeth moreouer verse 3. that her lips are like the threed of scarlet and her talke comely that is all her speech was gracious and that her temples were within her lockes as a peece of a pomegranat that is that her countenance was most modest and bashfull as if she blushed and were red cheeked like a pomegranat In the 4. verse he proceedeth to other comparisons saying that her necke was as the tower of Dauid built for defense and that a thousand shields hang therin and all the targets of strong men whereby he signifies that such as were to beare and sustaine her gouernment were all like to Dauids Tower well replenished with all armour of proofe and such as were manifest arguments of most glorious victories In the fifth verfe hee saith yet more that her two brests were as two yoong kids that are twinnes feeding among the lilies whereby he signifieth that all her doctine being onely taken out of the old and new Testament doth most sweetly agree together without any difference like two twinnes and is most sincere milke wherewith as with most dainty and tender kids flesh fed in most pleasant pastures full of all pleasant and amiable flowers such as were lilies amongst them and cows lips and peagles are in the best of our pasture grounds she nourisheth both her selfe and all the children that God doth giue vnto her In the 8 verse and the rest following hee calleth her by the name of his spouse as before we heard and so signifieth that she is as deare and precious vnto him as any wife or new maried spouse is to any husband In the 9. verse also he compareth her to his sister in respect that she is to be an inheritrix together with him of his Fathers Kingdome Yea he doth compare her to a sister so beautifull and deckt with chaines and other ornaments of Gods spirit that hee confesseth himselfe to bee wounded and rauished with the loue of her In the 10. verse hee amplifieth that her loue in respect of those graces by other comparisons preferring the same before wine and the sauour of all other spices because as some being wounded and with their wounds sainting are reuiued by wine and comforted by sweet odours so he being before as it were wounded with her loue was againe reuiued and comforted with her graces In the 11. verse hee compareth her lips that is her gracious words proceeding out of her lips vnto the sweet droppings of the hony combe yea to hony mixt with milke as being not only pleasant but also nourishable as before we heard the lips of the righteous to feed many Pro. 10. 21. In the same verse also hee compareth her good workes neuer separated from her gracious speech vnto the sauour of garments smelling as sweet that is being as acceptable as the sweet wood of Lebanon is to men as the Angell testifieth Cornelius his praiers and almes to haue beene vnto God Act. 10. 4. In the 12. verse for the better expressing of hisloue calling her againe by the name of his sister and spouse hee setteth her foorth by three other similitudes saying that she is as a garden enclosed as a spring shut up and as a fountaine sealed up by all which
the lips of him that is asleepe to speake by this similitude signifying that the word of God in the custodie of the Church and deliuered by her ministery is like to wine that sparkleth vpward and which worketh so powerfully being the word of life that euen the dead hearing the voice of God therein are awakened and haue their mouthes opened to speake to his praise These be the chiefe similitudes whereby Salomon in that most excellent song called therefore The Song of Songs that is the most excellent of all songs whereby I say Salomon in that most diuine song generally setteth foorth the excellencie of the whole Church and the which may bee applied to euery particular member of the same In respect therefore of these similitudes wee may well conclude againe the state of all the children of God to bee the more excellent Besides these let vs also briefly consider of some other similitudes whereby in other respects the dignitie of Gods children is likewise set foorth vnto vs. First therefore let vs call to minde the excellent speech of that wicked man Balaam which notwithstanding hee spake not of himselfe but by the holy Ghost and wherein he prophecieth most diuinely of the state of the Israelites comparing them most elegantly in one sentence to diuers things As the vallies saith hee are they stretched out as the gardens by the riuers as the Aloe trees which the Lord bath planted as the Cedars besides the waters Num. 24. 6. That which he speaketh of the children of Israel may much more be spoken of all the true Israel of God euen of all that by regeneration and adoption are such children of God as now we speake of Secondly let that also bee remembred that is Psal 1. 3. where the children of God by other properties described in the two first verses the Prophet saith further that they shall be like trees planted by the riuers of water which doe bring foorth their fruit in due season whose leafe shall not fade The application of which similitude he maketh in the next words saying Se whatsoeuer he doth shall prosper then hee addeth a contrary similitude of the wicked saying the wicked are not so but as the chaffe which the winde driueth away verse 4. The Prophet Ieremie hath the like in a manner of both I meane both of the children of God and also of the wicked But first of the wicked then of the children of God for hauing set downe this generall sentence of the wicked Cursed is the man that trusteth in man and maketh flesh his arme and withdraweth his heart from the Lord so doe all the wicked then hee proueth the same by a similitude for he shall bee like the heath in the wildernes and shall not see when any good commeth but shall inhabit the parched places in the wildernes in a salt land and not inhabited Chap. 17. 5. 6. In the very next verses hee addeth the contrary of the children of God saying blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord and whose hope the Lord is such are the children of God for hee shall be as a tree that is planted by the waters which spreadeth out her roote by the riuer and shall not feele when the heate commeth but her leafe shal be green and shal not care for the yeare of drought neither shall cease from yeelding fruit In the Psalme 92. 12. the Prophet commendeth the righteous by these similitudes the righteous shall flourish like a palme tree and grow like a cedar in Lebanon such as bee planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God they shall bring forth fruit in their age they shall bee far and flourishing But of the wicked it is said the wicked shall perish and the enemies of the Lord shall bee consumed as the fat of Lambes euen with the smoke they shall be consumed Psalm 37. 20. We haue heard likewise before other similitudes in respect of the certaine estate of Gods children viz. that they are said to bee like to mount Sion and like to Ierusalem compassed about with mighty mountaines Psal 125. 1. 2. and like a house built vpon a rocke against which no stormes can preuaile whereas on the contrary the wicked though hearing the word but not doing it are compared to a house built vpon the sand which when stormes and tempests came was ouerthrowne Mat. 7. 24. With these let vs remember the comparison before mentioned of the children of God vnto a thing hallowed to the Lord and vnto his first fruits Ierem. 2. 3. The Prophet Zacharie compareth the people of God to the Apple of Gods eie Zach. 2. 8. By both these similitudes the holy Ghost teacheth that as things in the law consecrated to God as the first fruits and other things were pretious vnto God and as euery man accounteth highly of the apple of his eie and is very tender thereof so all the children of God are very pretious to God and he is very tender of them Doe not all these similitudes much set foorth the excellent state and condition of Gods children There are many other the like similitudes but hauing giuen this tast of these I will leaue the rest to the reader as he shall meet with them in the scripture To come to other comparisons if it were a great honor to the Israelites to be called the people of God yea such an honor as that in that respect they were more excellent then all other nations how great a thing then is it now for them that at that time were no such people of God to be called the sonnes of the liuing God Hos 1. 10. Paul often calleth himselfe the seruant of Iesus Christ the sonne of God as reioicing in that name and thinking the same more honourable then if hee had beene heire of all the monarches of the world And indeed what seruice of anie King or of all Kings is comparable to the seruice of God King of kings are able to giue such rewards for their seruice as there is in keeping of Gods commandements Psalme 19. 11. If it bee such an honour to bee the seruant of the Sonne of God is it not much more to bee the sonne or daughter of God himselfe Let no man here obiect that the difference is not great because they that are seruants of Iesus Christ are also the children of God For though this were so in the particular example of Paul yet it is not so in the generall all are not the children of God that are the seruants of Iesus Christ or of God himselfe Iudas was a seruant of Iesus Christ as well as the rest of the Apostles Nebuchadnezer is called the seruant of God Ierem 27. 6. yet neither of them both were the sonnes of God by adoption such as we doe now speake of It is a great honour to bee called the friend of God as Abraham is called Iames 2. 23. as likewise for Lazarus to be called by
that behalfe then did Ebedmelech finde fauour and was deliuered from captiuitie according to Ieremiahs prophecie also thereof when the Iewes were taken captiue c. Ierem. 39. 16. 17. How also did the Lord recompence the widow of Zarephath for her kindnesse towards Elisa when hauing but an handfull of meale in a barrell and a little oile no more then would make a cake for one meale of her and her sonne then to die because of the extreme famine in those daies vet she beleeued the word of the Lord by Elisa and did cheerefully make him a cake first before she made any thing for her selfe and for her sonne For first of all that meale in her barrell and that oile in her cruse did not waste or diminish vntill the Lord sent raine vpon the earth and secondly when her sonne afterward falling sicke died by the meanes of the said Elisa hee was restored againe to life 1. King 17. 10. c. so her kindnesse receâ—ued a double recompence How plentifully also was the kindnesse of the Shunamite towards Elisha recompenced â—viz fourefold First by the gift of a sonne vnto her in her latter age when she had beene barren alwares before Secondly by restoring her sard sonne to life againe being dead 2. King 4. 8. c. Thirdly by admonishing her before hand of the seuen yeeres famine to come and aduising her to goe some where with her familie to soâ—ourne during that time of famine And fourthly bv directing her at her returne after those seuen yeeres to come at that very instant to make petition to the King for her lands which in her absence seemed to haue beene seized to the Kings vse when Gehazi was making report to the King of the great acts that Elisha his master had done and particularly how he had raised this womans son from death to life For by this meanes Gebizi telling the King that this was the woman vpon whose sonne Elisha had done that great cure shee did not only speedily recouer her lands but the King also vpon her confessing her selfe to bee the said woman commanded all the meane profits of the land to be restored vnto her euen all the fâ—uits of her lands since the day she had left the land vntill that very time 2. King 8 1. c. So euen that wicked man teacheth all men to shew most fauour to such whom they vnderstand the Lord Note most to haue fauoured and to doe most for them for whom the Lord hath done most The good counsell that Iethro the father in law of Moses gaue vnto Moses for the ease of him of that great burden which he saw to be too heauv for him and for the better gouernmeâ—t of the people Exod. 18. 18 c. was not forgotten but most graciously remembred For diuers hundred yeeres after when all men would haue thought that kindnes to haue beene dead and buried in the graue of euerlasting obliuion the Lord raâ—sed vp one to recompence the same that was of all other the most vnlikely as before he had fet water out of the rocke Euen Saul that was most vngratefull to Dauid that had done most valiantly for him and for all his people that afterward most cruelly slew in one dav 85 persons of the Lords Priests and most bloodily smote the whole câ—â—y Nob the city of the Pâ—â—ests with the edge of the sword both man and woman both childe and suckling both oxe and asse and sheepe 1. Note Sam. 22. 18. c. as it were in despight of God and to bee reuenged of him for casting him off because hee had not done the like against the Amalekites according to Gods Commandement in that behalfe 1 Sam. 15. 1. c and who also before chap. 14. 44. and afterward chap. 20. 33. for Dauids sake would haue killed his owne sonne Ionathan Euen this wicked barbarous hard-hearted and desperate Saul did the Lord raise vp to remember the foresard kindnesse of Iethro to his posteritie yea to be importune with them for recompencing the same For being sent against the Amalekites and there finding the Kenits dwelling among them who were the Kenits but the posteritie of Iethro which was also called Keni Iudg. 1. 16. spake very earnestly vnto them to depart c. saying Goe depart and get yee downe from among the Amalekites list I destroy you with them for ye shewed mercie to all the children of Israel when they came from Egypt 1. Sam. 15. 6. What was the mercie of the Kenits but the fore said counsell of Iethro their father Behold therfore a worthy example of iustice in a most vniust man not to bee so ouercome with surie against some whom God himselfe will haue to bee destroied as to forget kindnesse towards them that haue not offended but are rather in respect of themselues or of their ancestours worthie of kindnesse A comfortable president also for all the children of God to teath them not despaire but to know that the Lord can make them that are of themselues most cruell to shew them mercie in their distresse Finally a most excellent spurre likewise to quicken and prouoke al men to be the more ready to shew fauour vnto the children of God sith the same may be remembred euen by such to their posterity long after when themselues shall be dead and rotten yea not onely to prouoke them to do good to them that haue done any good for themselues but also to those that haue done good to their predecessours and forefathers yea to the posteritie of such as by whom their forefathers haue receiued any benefit All this was the more in Saul not onely because he was such an one as he was but also because we read not of any such expresse commandement for the shewing of that kindnesse to the Kenits as before Saul had receiued for seuerity against the Amalekites where therefore we may further obserue from that which is in the same chapter recorded of Sauls shewing fauor to the Amalekits contrary to Gods commandement that the more expresly God forbiddeth vs any thing the more ready we are to doe that which he so forbiddeth Thus much for performance of Gods promise to all them that shew any kindnesse to his children The Scripture is as plentifull in examples of performance of his threatnings before mentioned against all those that shew any vnkindnesse vnto any of them yea as God is more large in his threatnings generally against such as transgresse his Commandements Leuit. 26. 14. c. and Deut. 28. 15. c. so his word seemeth to haue more rather then fewer examples of his iustice in performing his threathing particularlie against all those that are enemies to his children As the Lord threatned for the vniust death of Naboth to take away the posteruie of Ahab and to cut off from Ahab him that â—isseth agaiâ—st the wall that is all his male children as well him that is shut vp as him that is left in Israel and
markes of them For if a little leauen sowreth the whole lumpe 1. Cor. 5. 6. and if euill words corrupt good manners 1. Cor. 15. 33. then it cannot be but that good words and the good behauiour of men must be and are of great efficacy not only to conuert at the first but also afterward to strengthen and further in all goodnesse them that are already conuerted And this is taught both by our Sauiour Mat. 5. 16. and also by the Apostle Peter 1. Pet. 2. 12. Therefore also so amiable should the society of Gods children be to all euen to the wicked that although they should not purpose to make vse of the fellowship of Gods children to their conuersion yet if at any time they should be violently depriued thereof then they should be so distempered as it were and disquicted therwith that nothing else should please satisfie and content them till they doe againe recouer the same When the enemies of Daniel by their exceeding importunity had ouercome Darius for tne casting of Daniel into the lyons denne how was the said Darius though an heathen affected therwith verily so that he went into his palace and remained fasting and forbad the instruments of musique to be brought before him and lastly that his sleepe went from him Dan. 6. 18. If Darius not only a wicked man but also a meere heathen and altogether out of the Church were so affected and so disquieted with the losse of Daniels company for a time till he recouered him againe how should all other wicked men especially liuing within the Church take their losse of the company of the godly till the same be restored againe Againe if the company of some of the godly ought to be so amiable and their absence so dolefull as it were to the wicked themselues how amiable should the communion of an whole Church be vnto them yea to all so long as they may enioy it And therefore wofull and dolefull ought the casting of them out to be from the communion of an whole Church if they shall so continue in their wickednesse as to deserue the same what then is to be said both of those that are so contumatious and obstinate as to continue in their sinnes till the Church proceed iustly and according to the rule of the word to the fearfull sentence of excommunication against them whereby they are giuen ouer vnto satan and also of those that being so proceeded against do not regard the same and lastly of those that in a kind of pride and high conceit of their owne excellency and sufficiency without iust and sufficient cause do make a wilfull separation of themselues from such whole Churches as haue the pure ministery of the word and administration of the sacraments according to the word and wherein they haue been bred and borne not only as men but as the children of God if they haue at all receiued the spirit of adoption and where also after their regeneration and according to their regeneration if they be regenerated they haue been maintained nourished and increased by the sincere milk of the word To inlarge this point of the desire of all men yea of the delight that all men euen the wicked should haue in the communion of the godly let the same be further applied to the matching of themselues in mariage with the children of God yea though themselues â—e neuer so honorable and noble in the world and the children of God for worldly things neuer so meane base and contemptible For as the Lord doth often forbid his children to match with the wicked and as such matches are testified oftentimes by many examples to haue been very dangerous for the peruerting of the children of God especially by the example of Salomon Nehâ—m 13. 26. so it cannot be denied but that the matching euen of the wicked with the godly is very effectuall and helpfull to draw them that are so matched though before wicked to be the children of God themselues also And why should any honorable and noble personages in the world being vnâ—egenerated disdaine to match with the children of God being otherwise for education qualities conuersation and behauior fit yea rather why should not the children of God disdaine to match with the wicked though themselues be neuer so meanly borne and the said wicked neuer so honorably descended in the world what is carnall nobility to nobility of the spirit what is it to come of Princes in the world in respect of being of the bloud roiall of God himselfe the king of kings yea why also in that respect should not the greatest nobles in the world not regenerated thinke it a great aduancement to match with a sonne or daughter of God fit for qualities as before I said though borne of neuer so meane and poore parents As it is honorable and no manner of disparagement at all for the wicked though neuer so nobly descended according to the flesh to match in mariage with the children of God though in worldly respects neuer so meanly borne being otherwise as I said for conditions fit to match with so honorable persons so are such matches likewise of no meane efficacy to draw such wicked ones as sometimes they match with to be themselues of the number of Gods children So saith the Apostle as before we heard what knowest thou O wife whether thou shalt saue thine husband or what knowest thou O man whether thou shalt saue thy wife 1. Cor. 7. 16. Hereof Ruth is a most pregnant and liuely example For being her selfe an heathen and hauing matched with one of the sonnes of Elimelech and Naomi she was so effectually conuerted by this match that after the death of her husband she would by no meanes part from Naomi Indeed Orpah that matched with another sonne though she seemed a while to be very earnest to goe with Naomi into the land of Iudah yet she was at the last perswaded to returne backe to her owne people but Ruth had tasted so deeply of the spirit of adoption by her foresaid match and marriage that her mother in law Naomi for the better triall of her soundnesse therein vsing many words to perswade her to returne backe as Orpha had done she answered most gratiously constantly and resolutely to the contrary saying Iâ—â—reat me not to leaue thee nor to depart from thee for whither thou goest I will goe where thou dwellest I will dwell thy people shall be my people and thy God my God where thou diest I will die and there will I be buried The Lord do so to me and more also if ought but death depart thee and me Ruth 1. 16. 17. O rare example O noble paterne O admirable president Let not men therefore only match and mate themselues with them that are the children of God but let them also so animate and hearten themselues to hold fellowship and communion with them that albeit they should be most earnestly perswaded by the children of God themselues
fift rib that hee shed his bowels to the ground 2. Sam. 20. 10. and as Iudas with his lippes saluted our Sauiour saying Haile Master and kissed him and yet at the same instant betraied him to the Iewes Mat. 26. 49. We must not I say thinke that the Apostles had much loue in their mouthes and none in their hearts as many now haue but that their tongues spake and their pennes did write from the abundance of loue in their hearts The more also we exhort other to loue the more must we our selues shew our loue towards them and vse such words and phrases as may be most sutable to such exhortations for the better enforcing of them But these things being common and not so proper to this present theame of the dignity of Gods children it shall be sufficient thus only to haue touched them To returne to the matter as before the Apostle had answered the former obiection touching the small account the world maketh of the children of God by their like account of God himselfe yea by their ignorance of God so now he doth further answer it by their like ignorance of the future state of the children of God As these two things are the cause why the sonnes of great men in the world in strange countries meete often times with much hard measure being perhaps disgraced â—ailed on set in the stockes and such like viz First because the parents of such great men are not knowen Secondly because it is not known what inheritances themselues shall haue nor what manner of men of how great authority and power they shall be for if they amongst whom they are strangers knew these things they would offer no indignity vnto them but would rather honor them according to their parents and according to that state that themselues should afterward be of so is it with the children of God They are the more disgraced contemned and euery way most vnworthily dealt with in the world and by the world as first because the world knoweth not God himselfe their Father as hath been shewed so secondly because they know not neither see what the children of God shall bee afterward viz. how great how honourable and how excellent with God and with his holy Angels If they did see this doubtlesse as our Sauiour saith that if the great workes that were done in Chorazin and Bethsaida had beene done in Tyrus and Sidon they had repented long agone in sackcloth and ashes Mat 12. 21. so may I say that the world would more regard the children of God then they doe Now touching this answer let vs vnderstand that the Apostle speaketh not of that state that the children of God shall haue in this life but of that which they shall haue in the life to come as appeareth by the amplification thereof in the words following from the contrary in the children of God amplified by the circumstance of time viz. at the appearing of Iesus Christ The meaning therefore is Deerely beloued now that is in this life and whiles wee are heere in this world it doth not appeare what we shall be that is in the world to come when hee shall appeare that is when God himselfe in the second person inuested with the manhood shall come in the glorie of his father to iudge the quicke and the dead True indeed sometime the children of God are the lesse regarded and the more hardly dealt withall by the world yea sometimes by them that are not of the world because it doth not appeare vnto the world and to some other not of the world what the children of God shall bee euen in this world and in this life For if it had indeed appeared to the Egyptians what the Israelites should haue beene would they haue dealt so hardly with them If Saul and his Courtiers had fully knowen that Dauid should haue beene king notwithstanding all that they could haue done to hinder him would they so haue persecuted him If the accusers of Shadrach Meshach and Abednegâ— as also of Daniel had indeed knowen how the Lord would haue deliuered the first three from the fire and Daniel from the Lions denne would they haue pursued them so eagerly as they did The like may be said of Hamans malice against Mordecai and for Mordecaies sake against all the Iewes and of diuers other So also if the brethren of Ioseph had certainly knowen that his dreames had beene diuine touching his aduancement and that he should haue beene so great a man as afterward he was would they haue done vnto him as they did Yea the like may be said of our late most noble and blessed Queene For if in Queene Maries time it had appeared indeed and beene cleerely manâ—fest that she should haue beene Queene afterward would diuers haue abused her as they did I might proceed further but I leaue that to the consideration of the wise and Christian Reader By these things wee see it euident that sometimes it doth not appeare vnto other what the children of God shall bee euen in this world and in this life and that therefore they receiue the harder measure from those other from whom their future state in this life is so hidden Notwithstanding the opposition following of Gods childrens knowledge of their similitude and likenesse vnto Christ at his appearing and last comming to iudgement doth manifestly shew that the Apostle doth not heere speake of their condition to come in this life which is for the most part but of a few but of that which shall be in the world to come which is a thing common to all the children of God whatsoeuer To proceed further when hee saith it doth not appeare hee meaneth not to the children of God themselues but to the world and to the men of the world This is also manifest by the opposition following spoken in the first person and in the person of Gods children But we know c. These things being thus opened let vs now see the reasons why it appeareth not vnto the world and why the world seeth not what the children of God shall be viz. how worthy how honourable how excellent and how glorious in the world to come These reasons are many but I will briefly and plainly lay them downe The first is this because there is the same substance by creation Reasons why it doth not appeare what the children of God shall bee of the godly that there is of the wicked Howsoeuer by regeneration there is a change made and an alteration in qualities both inward and outward yet still they remaine men as before they did and that not touching their bodies only but also touching their soules Some indeed haue dreamed that the very essence and substance of the soule in regeneration is taken away and that a new soule is created in stead thereof But this is a most grosse errour for so that soule that had at the first sinned should not be glorified and so the heretikes that
the snow euen so white as no fuller can make vpon the earth Mark 9. 3. but Moses also and Elias appeared and were talking with him both which likewise are said to haue appeared in glory Luk 9. 31. For that they appeared not in soule only but also in body it is cleere first by that that they were visibly seene of those Apostles Secondly because it is further said that they talked with Christ Thirdly because Luke also expresly calleth them by the name not of two spirits but of two men This our likenesse also vnto Christ Christ himselfe promiseth to those few names in Sardi which had not defiled their garments saying of them that they should walke with him in white Reuel 4. 34. What is it to be clothed in white and to walke in white with Christ but in glory to be made like vnto Christ who before in his transfiguration had shewed himselfe in white And by this colour of white is the glory of Christ and of Gods children rather described then by any other colour because Princes and great potentates of the earth when they would shew themselues in their greatest pompe and glory did vse to cloath themselues in white yea so did our late most renowned Queene oftentime at the entertainment of some great Embassadors and other great solemnities This our likenes likewise vnto Christ is further promised in the same chapter verse 21. to euery one that ouer commeth namely in these words that to such Christ will giue to sit yea to sit with him in his throne What more as himselfe sitteth in the throne of his Father So then as Christ is in glory like to his Father so shall the children of God also be like vnto Christ This point of our likenesse vnto Christ is a most sweet and heauenly point so full of comfort that it is able to comfort vs though neuer so much compassed with sorrowes and loaden with griefes It is able to recouer vs though neuer so sicke of sinne It is able to reuiue and restore vs though not only halfe dead but also altogether dead in sinnes and trespasses It is much that wee shall shine as the brightnesse of the firmament and as the starres for euer Dan. 12. as also that we shall shine as the Sunne it selfe in the kingdome of our Father Mat. 13. 34. It is more that we shall be like to the Angels of God in heauen Mat. 22. 30. of whose great glory we haue heard before Who therfore can expresse or conceiue this that is here spoken that we shall be like vnto Christ himselfe For what is the brightnes of the firmament what is the glistering of the starres what is the light of the Sunne in the greatest and cleerest height thereof what is the glory of the Angels in respect of Christ Iesus When he was in the shape of a seruant he taught with such power and authority that all that heard him were astonied at his doctrine Mat. 7. 28. 29. and wondred at the gratious words that proceeded out of his mouth Luk 4. 22. Yea the very officers of the high Priests and Pharisies that were sent to take him being rauished with his words returned without him and being asked why they had not brought him they answered Neuer man spake like this man Iohn 7. 32. 45. Afterward also his aduersaries that came out to apprehend him with one word of his mouth were turned backe and fell to the ground Ioh. 18. 6. I omit heere the amplification of this point by the glory of Moses his face comming from receiuing the law which Moses was but a seruant as also by the rauishment of Peter Iames and Iohn with the transfiguration of Christ in the mount to giue them a tast of his glory These things I say I do omit as hauing spoken of them before Neither also is it to any great purpose to compare the glory of Christ with the glory of the Monarchs of the world and so thereby to amplifie our glory in regard that we shall be like vnto Christ For alas all the glory of earthly Princes is not so much as a picture or a shadow of the glory of Christ who is the first begotten of the dead the Prince of the kings of the earth Reu. 1. 5. and who walketh in middes of the seuen candlestickes is cloathed with a garment downe to the feete and girded about the pappes with a golden girdle whose head and haire are white as white as wooll and as snowe and his eies as a flame of fire and his feete like vnto fiâ—e brasse burning as in a fornace and his voice as the sound of many waters hauing in his right hand seuen starres and a sharpe two-edged sword going out of his mouth and whose face shineth as the Sunne in his strength Reuel 1. 13. c. To whom also being newlie borne certaine wise men did not only come out of the East but also fell downe and worshipped him opening their treasures and presenting vnto him gifts of gold and incense and myrrhe Mat. 2. 1. and 11. Yea who is so excellent that not only a multitude of heauenly souldiers sang at his birth though he were borne in a stable and laid in a manger Glory to God in the high heauens and peace in earth and towards men good will Luke 2. 14. but also that afterward the foure and twenty Elders did sing vnto him a new song saying Thou art worthy to take the booke viz. which before Iohn had seene in the right hand of him that sate vpon the throne written within and on the backeside sealed with seauen seales and which none in heauen and in earth or vnder the earth was worthie to open and to open the seales thereof because thou wast killed and hast redeemed vs to God by thy bloud out of euerie kindred and tongue and people and nation and hast made vs vnto our God Kings and Priests c. Reuelat. 5. 9. 10. Yea whose excellencie and glorie and worthinesse is such that not only they did so sing but that also Iohn did heare many other Angels round about the throne c. euen thousand thousands to sing with a loud voice saying Worthy is the lambe that was killed to receiue power and riches and wisedome and strength and honor and glory and praise Yea concerning whom also he heard all creatures in heauen on earth and vnder the earth and in the sea c. saying Praise and honor and glory and power be vnto him that sitteth vpon the throne and vnto the Lambe for euermore verse 11. c. If Christ himselfe be thus excellent shall not we also be excellent that shall be like vnto him Why then should we be dismaied why should we feare why should any affliction any disgrace with men any threatning of men any pouerty any banishment any imprisonment any losses or any other calamities make vs to hang down our head yea why should any thing take away our ioy from vs why should we
Loc. 1. and answering the 11. obiection of Gardiner thus he writeth If you doe beleeue that Enoch and Elias doe yetliue you doe beleeue it without the Scripture Elias was taken away after an admirable sort and withdrawen from Elizeus in a firie chariot but that his spirit was not stript from his body by what testimonie of Scripture will you prooue it Then immediately concerning Enoch hee acknowledging that which is written Heb. 11. 5. to haue beene done that God might testifie by his said extraordinary kinde of translating his loue towards him for the better prouocation of other to the imitation of his goodnesse hee demandeth of Gardiner But how know you that afterward viz. after his taking from the Common sight of men he dyed not when he was safe and out of danger of sinne you will say that the epistle to the Hebrewes bath that he might not see death A man may vnderstand that that he might not feele death whiles he was in the world that he might not die a common and an ordinarie death But that hee died not after his translation how will you make vs belieue And there want no Hebrew writers which expounding the second booke of the Kings doe say that Elias his body and all his garments except his cloake or mantle were consumed in the whirlweinge but that the Spirit of the Prophet went vnto God Oecolampadius in Heb. 11. 5. citing the words of Genesis translated by the Septuagints And Enoch pleased God and was not found because God translated him Notwithstanding saith he by these words it is not prooued that hee did not die Because if hee were of the seede of Adam it must be that hee was mortall And truely this is most agreeable to truth and consonant to the analogy of faith For Christ alone is the first begotten of the dead and hath opened paradise to them that beleeue And that which moueth me more so long time as Christ had not payed the price of our redemption so long also a long sword or a fierce and shaken sword did stop all passage into paradise If also he were translated into paradise how did Christ bold safe his dignitie But if you will make here a miracle then he must yet looke for death and a change But if any will obserue the maner of the Apostle bee will not meruaile that he hath said that he did not see death For as wee haue seene him to doe before touching Melchisedech hee would affirme nothing besides the testimonie of the Scripture and because that he saith not expresly that he died therefore he did not endeauour to set downe so much In the meane time notwithstanding he denyeth him not to haue died as likewise he doth not Melchisedeth c. Thus much Occolampadius Martinus Borrhaus a learned writer about the yeare 1539. in his commentaries vpon Genesis Chap. 5. 24. doth so interpret that place as I doe That worthy and famous man M. Doctor Fulke also is most plainly of my side and agreeth fully with me For confuting the marginall note of the Rhemish translators of the new testament vpon Heb. 9 8. he saith that heauen was not opened by the sacrifices of the first tabernacle c. and that our Sauiour was the first that entred into perfect glorie of heauen So to their marginall note vpon Heb. 11. 5. that there it appeared that Enoch yet liueth and is not dead against the Caluinists he briefly answereth thus It appeareth not that Enoch yet liueth in bodie more then Moses or Elias but that hee was translated by God out of the world and died not after the common maner of men So he insinuateth that he died but not after the common maner of men To their notes at large vpon Reu. 11. 3. he answereth thus You will saith he proue that they that is Enoch and Elias are aliue in paradise But what place is paradise but heauen as the Apostle declareth 2. Cor. 12. 2. and 4. for earthly paradise either by the flood or before was defaced Now what doctrine it is to affirmâ— that men in mortall bodies ascended into heauen I leaue to the learned to consider And presently after It is euident indeed saith he that Elias was taken vp aliue but not that hee continueth aliue Yea because it is said expresly that he was taken vp into heauen it is certaine that his body was not carried into heauen for Christ was the first that in whole humanity ascended into heauen Master Samuel Bird likewise a learned and godly minister late of Ipswich in Suffolke writing vpon Heb. 11. 5. saith thus It is said that he was taken vp that he might not see death the meaning is that he did not die after the common maner of men he was exempted from the violent separation of the soule from the body which nature doth abhorre not but that his bodiâ— did wast away and did not ascend into heauen For Christ is the first that entred in his body into heauen to take possession of it for vs. Heb. 9. 12. With the former testimonies affirming that Enoch and Elias are not bodily yet in heauen but that their bodies were dissolued as well as the bodies of other though after an extraordinary maner I may ioine the testimonie of Doctor Downam For in his second booke of Antichrist chap. 6. page 59. though he doe not plainely affirme as much as the former Authors haue done yet he maketh it so doubtfull of their bodies yet being in heauen that a man may easily perceiue that he rather inclineth to the former writers then otherwise The obiections to the contrary are of no moment and be answered before Onely where it is said that Elias was carried vp in a whirlewinde into heauen first wee must vnderstand that some read this word heauen in the genitiâ—e case thus carried vp in a whirlewinde of heauen Secondly the word heauen in the scripture is often vsed for the aire or for all aboue the earth Let the foule flie vpon the earth in the open firmament of the heauen Gen. 1. 20. so the foules of the heauen verse 26. and in diuers other places And that it is so here to be taken it is the more probable because it is not to be thought but that Elias had other garments besides his mantle Except therefore his said other garments were carried vp into the high heauen we must grant that the word heauen doth only signify the aire in the which his body might as well waste as his other garments besides his mantle which fell from him did consume Some man perhaps may thinke all this discourse of Enoch and Elias to bee altogether idle and impertinent vnto my present treatise of the dignity of Gods children and a meere digression from the same But if it be well considered it maketh much for it as much amplifying the said dignity of Gods children For sith Enoch and Elias were so rare and excellent men for their times as the Scriptures
would haue the yonger women to be chast Tit. 2. 5. Notwithstanding by the figure synecdoche that putteth the speciall for the general this word is vsed for all vertues and in this very place here is not only the verbe but also the primitiue whereof it is deriued in the words following as he is pure which being spoken of Christ noteth all the vertues that were in him euen his perfect holinesse and righteousnesse without any sinne at all This verbe in the generall signification thereof is borrowed as now it is vsed from the manner of the law for purifying themselues according to the ceremonies of the law either after they had any waies defiled themselues or before they were to come to the passeouer or to be imploied in any other holy worke So it is vsed Iohn 11. 55. Acts 21. 24. and 24. 18. The law being abrogated when the Apostle wrote this it cannot be taken for any ceremoniall purging but for a morall purging from sinne So also it is taken Iames 48. Clense your hands ye sinners and purge your hearts ye wauering minded men So also 1. Pet. 1. 22. Seeing your soules are purified in obeying the truth This word therefore in this signification of it noteth all sinne to be a filthy thing and not only adultery fornication and other such bodily vncleannes which euery man accounteth filthy to be filthy but euery other sinne also The wicked do account of some sinnes as speciall ornaments Pride is vnto them as a cbaine and cruelty as a garment Psal 73. 6. So we see that many in these daies thinke themselues the trimmer and the gaier for going in strange apparell fet from other countries and contrary to their sexe the man wearing womans apparell especially the woman wearing mans apparrell and contrary to their kind men and women conforming themselues rather to beasts then to any sobrietie and the men wearing long haire euen long locks behind contrary to nature and not only like to women but also like to some vnreasonable creatures and women wearing such kindes of periwigs that if a man should come out of the land of the liuing where he had not seene any such thing hee would hardly know what kind of creatures they bee but would take them to be some strange monsters only bred in this country These things haue beene proued before to be condemned in the word and to be greeuous sinnes yet in these things diuers take a great pride esteeming of them as of goodly ornaments yea so farre are some gone in impiety that they thinke it a great ornament â—o sweare great and fearefull othes and that they doe not account of him for a gentleman but rather for a clowne and a foole that cannot and doth not ordinarily in his common speech most wickedly and prophanely rap out all manner of othes The like doe some account of that foule and more then beastly sinne of drunkennesse But howsoeuer these and other the like sinnes be accounted as ornaments yet the holy Ghost doth account them as foule things and doth often call all sinne by the name of filthinesse 2. Cor. 7. 1. Iames 1. 21. or of uncleannesse Rom 1. 24. and 6. 19. 2. pet 2. 10. And it is not to be neglected that in cuery one of these places there is in the originall a seuerall word though they be all interpreted either filthinesse or vncleannesse For 2. Cor. 7. 1. is one word Ianâ—es 1. 21. another the primatiue whereof signifieth most properly such filthinesse as is gathered in the top of the fingers betwixt the nailes and the flesh Rom. 1. 24. and 6. 19. is another word and another in 2 Pet. 2. 10. what doth all this variety of words teach vs Truly this that such is the foulnesse and filthinesse of all sinne that no one word is sufficient to expresse or set forth the same Let men therefore please themselues as much as they will in it it is but a foule and filthy thing yea so foule filthy and lothsome that they that hauing been deliuered from it do returne againe vnto it are compared to the dog that returneth to his vemit and to the sow that being washed doth also returne to her mire againe wherin before she had wallowed 2. Pet. 2. 22. Can any thing be more lothsome then such mire and then the vomit of a dog Let no man blame me for writing so homely I vse the words and phrase of the Apostle yea it is the cloquence of most wise King Salemon Pro. 26. 11. and in both places of the holy ghost himselfe to make all sinne the more odious vnto all men But alas is it not a strange thing that many base persons should be so squaimish nice and dainty that they should condemnâ— that for rudenesse and thinke much to heare it spoken which that great and mighty King Salomen and God himselfe haue vsed for eloquence Is it not much more strange that men euen of the greatest sort should daily defile themselues with that and tumble and wallow in it ouer head and cares soule and body which is a thousand times more filthy and beastly then either the mire of a sow or the vomit of a dog and reproue those that set forth such filthinesse by the words of King Salomen of the Apostle and of the holy ghost Thus much touching the first respect of my obseruation of this word viz. concerning the signification thereof Touching the tence the Apostle speaketh not in the time past or in the time to come saying either he hath purged himselfe or he will purge himselfe but in the time present saying purgeth or doth purge This teacheth that this is and must be a continuall worke because sinne whereof this purging is doth alwaies remaine touching the blot stame and blemish thereof Though they that once be regenerated to be the children of God be iustisied and discharged from the guilt of all their sinnes as also freed from the bondage of them yet touching the staine of sinne that doth and shall alwaies remaine as along as we be clothed with corruption For who can say I haue made my heart cleane I am cleane from my sinne Pro. 20. 9. There is no man that sinneth not 1. Kings 8. 46. In many things we sinne all Iames 3. 2. And who needeth not daily to pray for forgiuenesse of trespasses What man also lineth and shall not see death There are certaine times of the yeere fitter for purging of the body for bodily health then other as the spring is best of all and the fall of the lease next to that So also in those times that are sit there are some daies fitter to purge either with pilles or with potions or by vomits or by clysters or by letting of bloud But for this spirituall purging of our selues from sinne all times are like all daies ahke none better then other except only when there is fitter opportunity in respect of fitter meanes as also in respect of some iudgement and