by one Spirit we are all the children of one father and one mother and we haue all one elder brother one iustifier one iudge we are all ordeined to one kingdome to one family and are ruled by the same lawes we are all the subiects of one king the seruants of one Lord the sheepe of one shepheard the disciples of one Maister and the people of one God we haue all one hope of our calling one faith one baptisme and one body to feed vpen we are all the Patients of one physitian the building of one architect the vessels of one potter the temple of one Spirit the field of one husbandman and the hearers of one gospel we are all the members of one body the stones of one building the branches of one vine and trauellers in one way to one citie from Aegypt through the wide wildernesse of this wicked world vnto new Ierusalem celestiall Canaan a paradise of perpetuall pleasures Finally we are all in grafted into one stock incorporated into one body wee receiue sap from one roote sense from one head light from one lampe and water from one fountaine therfore good râ—ason is there that wee should loue and like affect fauour and embrace one another Fiftly it is fearefull and grieuous to hate or not to loue our brother For first it is a breach of Gods commandement who forbiddeth vs to hate our brother Leuâ—t 19. 17 Luke 22. 39 and commandeth vs to loue him as our selues Now hee that keepeth his commaundements dwelleth in him and hee in 1. Ioh. 3. 24. him but horrible calamity shall befall those that do without timely repentance transgresse and break them for their worme shall not die neither shall their fire be quenched and they shal be an abhorring Isay 66. 24. vnto all flesh Secondly hee that hateth his brother is in darknes and walketh in darknesse and knoweth not whether he 1 Ioh. 2. 11. gâ—eth because that darknesse hath blinded his eyes he is an vnregenerate person and is not illumined with the light of Gods Spirit but walketh like a blinde Bayard being possessed with the spirit of ignorance blinded with the darknesse of Aegypt out of the kingdome of light of grace of Christ and in the kingdome of darknesse of sinne and Sathan Thirdly Whosoeuer hateth his brother is a man-slayer and yee knowe that 1. Ioh. 3. 1â— no man-slayer hath eternall life abiding in him but is is obnoxious to eternall death and destruction Fourthly he that loueth not his neighbour knoweth not God Vndoubtedly if a man did know 1. Ioh. 4. 8. God truly that is if he did acknowledge him and knew him as he hath reuealed himselfe vnto vs in the couenant of grace if he knew him to be his God his Sauiour and louing friend and father in his sonne Christ Iesus he would not he could not but loue him and those also that are his sons and seruants elected created called iustified adopted santifyed and preserued by him as well as he himselfe Fiftly he that loueth not his neighbour is not the child of God For in this are the 1. Ioh. 3. 10 children of God knowne and the children of the Diuel whosoeuer doth not righteousnes is not of God neither he that Loueth Not his brother Sixtly he that loueth not his brother doth euidentlie declare that he loueth not God himselfe For how can he that loueth not his brother whome he hath seene loue God whome he hath not seene And whosoeuer 1. Iohn 3. 14 hath this worlds good seeth his brother haue need and shutteth vp his compassion from him how dwelleth the loue of God in him Seauenthly he which loueth not his neighbour doth shewe that his Rom. 6. 23. heart is hard and â—lintie that it was neuer mollified with the oyle of grace that he hath not a good conscience faith vnfained and that he neuer truely tasted of Gods loue nor of the sweetnesse of Christs blood neither that he did euer seriously consider and meditate of those bitter pangs and painefull passions which hee sustained whiles he liued and when he died as well for his neighbour as for himselfe To conclude this first argument He that 1. Ioh. 3. 4 loueth not his brother abideth in death As he abideth in the death of his soule being dead in sinne so he remaineth subiect to the death of his soule and bodie which is the wages of sinne Sixtly if we would but consider the Rom. 6. 23. excellencie and the excellent vse and commodities which come by this godly loue it would make vs all to be in loue with it and not onely to like it in it selfe or in others but in our selues also â—ea and to shew it in our liues and dealings First true loue commeth of God who is loue it selfe the very fountaine of all 2. Ioh. 4. 78. Galat. 5. 22 true loue For euerie good giuing and euerie perfect gift is from aboue and commeth down from the father of lights And Iam. 1. 17. 1. Cor. 4. 7 in truth what haue we that we haue not receiued Now the glorie of the giuer makes the gift more godly And who can be more glorious then God the Psal 2. 4. 10. Math. 6. 13. king of glorie to whome all glorie doth of due belong Secondly loue is an inseparable companion of true â—aith For as Paul sheweth 1. Tim. 1. 5. loue comes out of a pure heart a good conscience and faith vnsained And as Gregorie saith Iuantum credimus tantum diligimus As we beleeue so we loue Euen as light doth accompanie the Sun so doth loue attend vpon faith And as there is no fire without heat so there can be no true faith without loue Here also is loue againe commended because it flowes from that faith whereby our hearts are purified Act. 15. 9. Heb. 11. 6. and without which it is impossible to please God and commeth not but from a conscience which is at peace rest and doth excuse a man So then whosoeuer doth loue truely whome he ought and as hee ought may assure himselfe that hee doth beleeue truelie that his conscience is good before God and his heart purged by faith in the blood of Christ Thirdly such a loue of our brethren is asure signe of our election vocation regeneration and adoption For euery 2. Ioh. 4. 7. one that loueth is borne 〈◊〉 God knoweth God And Peter exhorting vs to giue diligence to make our calling and election 2. Pet. 1. 7. 10. sure sheweth vs that if among other vertues we haue also brotherly kindnesse and loue we shall neuer fall and therfore may assure our selues that we are elected and effectually called Fourthly the loue of our brethren is in Christs account accepted and reputed of as loue shewed vnto himselfe as appeareth plainely by that speech which he will vse to his sheepe when he shall come to iudge them Math. 25. 40. In as
will praise the Lord during my life as long as I haue any beeing I will sing vnto my God This we should all performe but you rather then manie others because the Lord doth drawe you to it with moecords of loue then he doth the most Some furtherance thervnto you may receiue by diligent reading and examining this third part of our Tractate concerning the loue of Christ vnto vs which I dedicate vnto you for no sinister or base respect but to testifie my desire of the constant growth of those Christian vertues which haue begun to shyne and shew themselues in these your younger yeares that growing in grace and in the knowledge of Iesus Christ you may be partaker of his glorie Thus assuring my selfe of your kinde acceptance of these our labours I cease to deteine you longer and leaue you to him that neuer leaueth his but guardeth them by his grace for euer Yours in Christ Iesus to be commanded Thomas Tuke ¶ THE THIRD Part. Rom. 1. 6. And hath made vs Kings and Priests to God euen his Father CHAP. I. Christ is the Auhour of our Royaltie and Priestly dignitie Sixe vses are made of that doctrine IN these wordes is contained the second signe and action wherby Christ 〈◊〉 hath declared his loue vnto vs and in them fiue things are worthie obseruation First the Agent Christ. Secondly the Subiect vpon whome the worke is wrought Wee Thirdly the Act it selfe hee hath made vs kings and priests Fourthly the Time when he hath made Fiftly for whose or glory or â—o whom we are made euen to God his Father First for the Agent For somuch as Christ hath thus aduanced vs wee are taught to be thankfull to him If a man did freely procure his neighbor a farme or lord-ship it deserued a thankfull acceptaÌ„ce But if he did also giue him true title to a kingdome made him heire to a crowne his obligation shuld be of a far higher nature Beloued Christ hath made vs kings and heires to a crowne not of rusting gold but of eternall glorie not won by tyranny but got by righteousnes 1. Pet. 5. 7. euen by that perfect obedience which he performed for vs and is imputed 2. Tim. 4. 5. to vs. Lâ—t vs therefore be thankfull to him seek to please him And because it is he that hath made vs Priests let vs like Priests present him with the Calues of our lips let vs offer vp vnto him the sacrifice of a thankful hart testified in a thankeful tongue and expressed by our religious righteous and sober conuersations Vnthankfulnes is a poysoned roâ—te of wickednes and a fruitfull mother of mischiefe whereof we cannot but be deepely guiltie if we shal either wilfully dishonour or not care to honour him who hath so royally honoured vs. Secondly seeing it was Christ that â—ath brought vs to this honour we see that we come not to it by our birth or bloud by nature or inheritance from our parents and therefore we must not ascribe it to our selues but when like kings we get the conquest in any conflict ouer any â—inne and as Priests do ofâ—er vp vnto God any sacrifice which is accepted we must attribute al to the grace of God in Christ that of his mere good will merit hath made vs both kings and Preists It is God that worketh in vs both the will and the Phil. 2. 13. Certum est nos velle cum vâ—lumus sed ille facit vt ve limus qui operatur iâ— nobis velle Aug lib. de lib. Aâ—b c. 2. deed Indeede we will but it is by him And if he did not make vs worke as he maketh vs will to worke the work could not be wrought We may as well say that death can create life and that darknesse may make light as that we can of our selues either make or truely shew our selues to be spirituall kings and priests Thirdly in that Christ hath made vs kings and priests it argueth that he is not without power and authoritie For to create a king and to make a priest are workes of authoritie and power Esay calls him the mighty God Is 9. 6. and the Scriptures shew that we were all redeemed by him that the whole Is 53. 5. 6. Eph. 1. 7. Ioh. 13. World was created by him and therefore he must needs befull of strength and maiestie The consideratioÌ„ whereof should strike a terrour into the wicked which are his enemies and moue them to forsake their rebellions least he crâ—sh theâ— with his iron scepter and breake them in peeces like a Potters vessell And it ought to moue all the kings and potentates of the world to vaile their bonnets to bend their sceptâ—rs and to cast downe their crownes before him For he is the Prince of the Kings of the earth and is as able to dismount a king as to make a king And Reu. 15. secondly it should teach vs to seeke vnto him for his grace and to depend vpon him in aâ—oâ—r troubles Blessed are all saith Dauid that trust in him Ps 2. 12. Fourthly seing it is Christ that hath thus promoted vs we are taught to esteeme highly of this worke and benefit The excellencie of the work-man doth often commend the worke and make it more regarded The dignitie of the giuer doth moue the receiuer to account more dearely of the gift He that wrought this worke for vs is the Lord of life the father of eterâ—ie the Is 9. 6. King of glorie the Sonne of God â—nd Iudge of the world He that bestowed this benefit vpoÌ„ vs is Iesus Christ that Reu. 1. 5. faithfull witnesse and the first-borne of the dead If thy King or thy faithfull and tâ—â—stâ—e friend did giâ—e thee a costly iewell thou wouldest like it somewhat better and wouldest not easily be drawâ—n to part from it Christ our King and friend so faithful as that he spent his bloud to saue vs hath giuen vs this 〈◊〉 râ—yall gift he hath aduanced vs to this kingly condiâ—â—on let vs therefore highly pâ—izâ— iâ— and by no meanes hazard the pâ—râ—ing from it Fiftly seeing Christ hath 〈◊〉 honored his seruants let all men feare to dishonour them Thou darest not disgrace him whom thy king doth grace and durst thou dishonour him whome Christ thy king that mightie God doth grace and honour Shall â—e escape the wrath of a king that scornes a man because he hath honored him And shall we thinke that Christ that heauenly Monarch and Lion of the tribe of Iudah wil put vp those scornful wrongs that are offered by many wicked wretches vnto his Seruants because he doth grace them and by his grace doth make them flie those sins which they wrth a brazen face and browes of marble commit and blush not at Verily he that dishonours a maÌ„ because Christ doth honour him doth dishonour Christ himselfe and carieth a curse about him vnder seale and without serious and timely repentance which is not
God hath measured out his grace vnto vs. For Christ hath made vs all kings priests yea and prophets also and hath adorned the temple of our heartes with the manifolde graces of his Spirit Our case in this world is not vnlike the curtaines of the Tabernacle which were course without but finely wrought within Therefore they which deeme men forsaken of God because the world doth frowne vppon them are much deceiued They may as well conclude that a weather-beaten shippe hath no riches in her or that a homely coate can haue no learning For as Salomoa reacheth no mans inward estate Ec. 9. 1. can be discerned by outward euents seeing they bee common to both iust and vniust I haue seene saith Dauid the Ps 37. 35. wicked strong and spreading himselfe like a greene Baye tree yet for all that they Ver. 20. shall perish and be consumed as the fatte of Lambs They are fâ—d for the slaughter God hath madâ— them for the day of euill Pro. 16. 4. And though they seeme to haue the world at command yet the Lord Pro. 15. 29. Pro. 15 26. is far from them and their very thoughts are an abomination vnto him And what though a man enioy the world if he enioy â—ot God that made the world As it is therfore folâ—y to iudge a man happy for his worldly prosperitie so is it want of charity to iudge one misâ—rable for his outward aduersitie For spirituall misery stands not in outward aduersitie neither doth true felicitie consist in worldly prosperitie Iob was much afflicted insomuch that he saith that God did beat him and set him as a marke to shoote at And Hezekiah in Iob. 16. 12. hâ—s affliction sayd that God brake all his bones like a Lyon and that hee chatteed Is 37. 13. 14. like a Crane and mourned as a Doue and no doubt his affliction was greeuâ—â—s and yet we know that they were both the children of God and deare vnto him Therefore no certaine sensence can be pronounced no iudgement must be giuen by the outward estate of any man The thatched baâ—â—e is full of corne and the fay rest outside of the bodie hath not alway the fayrest inside of the soule neither are the richest men alwaies the mostreligious Therefore Paul saith You see your calling how that not many wise men after the 1. Cor. 1. 26 27. 28. 29. flesh not many mighty not many noble are called But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise and the weake things to confound the mighty and vile things of the worlde and things which are despised hath God chosen and things which are not to bring to nought things which are that no flesh should reioyce in his presence and that it might be seene that God doth not respect those things which men so much affect and so mâ—â—hadmire Lastly wee see how â—arre wide the world is from Christ in fixing her affections For Christ wee see â—oueth and aduanceth vs but the world haâ—eth contemâ—eth vs. Paul and his companions were beloued of Christ highly graced and yet they were accounted as it is the lot of the godly in many placeâ— in this doting age of the world euen as filâ—h offskowring The 1. Cor. 4. 13 Pro. 29. 27. Ps 37. 12. vpright man saith Salomon is an Abomination to the wicked they loâ—de him with reproaches they practise against him and wonder at him as biâ—des doe at an Owle And yet God delighteth in him Christ doth honour him And what is the reason why the world doth thus Surely one reason is because she is ignorant of God and his wayes â—and therefore Christ saith All these things hate persecute c. will they do vnto you for my Names sake because they haue not Ioh. 15. 27. knowne him that sent mee Secondly it is so likewise because they are not of the world but redeemed and called out of the world which thing Christ also sheweth also in his speech to his Disciples saying If yâ— were of the world the Ioh. 15. 19 world would loue his owne but because ye are not of the world but I haue chosen you out of the world therfore the world hateth you Thirdly the woâ—ld thus dealeth because shee is strongly managed and ruled by Sathan the God of the worâ—d 2. Cor. 4. 4. who is their mortall irreconciliable aduersarie takes delight in their disgrace and ignâ—miny Lastly because their vertues doe crosse the worlds vices therefore as Iohn saith that Cain 1. Ioh. 3. 12 slewe his brother because his owne works were euill and his brothers good euen so the wicked abhorte the godly though loued and aduanced of Christ because they liue religiously shewing theÌ„selues Vid. Wisd 2. 12. to be kings and priests to God loue not such vices as they do foster and will not part from Therfore beware of the world take â—eede of hâ—r steps trust not to her iudgement For the world is blind her eyes are out her iudgâ—meÌ„t is corrupt and if thou wilt bee led by her thou art likely with her to fall into the ditch And thus much for the Subiect CHAP. III. Of the Prince-hood and Priesthood of the Faithfull THe third thing to be considered is the Act or Benefit He hath made 〈◊〉 vs Kings and Priests Moses was commanded to te 〈…〉 people of Israel that if they would heare the voice of God indeed and keepe his couenant they should â—e vnto him a kingdome of â—x 19. 5. 6. Priests an holy nation and his chieâ—e treasure aboue all people though all the earth be his But Peter expresly 1. Pet. 2. 9. tells vs that we are a chosen generation a royall Priesthood and an holy nation And saint Iohn saith that Christ hath made vs kings and priests So theÌ„ we are as a kingly Priesthood and a priestly Kingdome kingly Priests and priestlike Kings and a peculiar people selected and consecrated vnto him for his glorie and by him to receiue glorie And that I may here also dispatch the fourth point which is the Time when the Apostle directly sheweth that we are thus dignified euen in this life For he saith he hath made vs. He doth nâ—t say that he will make vs. As in the entrance into an earthly kingdome first title is giuen vnto it and after wards possession euen so we in this life haue title giuen vs to the kingdome of heauen we are heires apparant to it and we haue possession of it also in part For whosoeuer beleeueth in the Sonne of God hath euerlasting Ioh. 3. 36. life But we come not to the â—ull fruition thereof till the life to come And so likewise we are Priests in this world but our sacrifices are â—ot spotlesse and absolute vntill the world to come But here by the way we must remember two things First that we do not take the Sword out of the hands