the shining of the Sun at noon-day Thus of the punishment of vnbeleeuers and so also of the first argument taken from testimony of Scripture Verses 9 and 10. But yee are a chosen generation a royall Priest hood an holy Nation a peculiar people that ye should shew forth the vertues of hâ—â— that hath called you out of darknes into his maruellous light Which in times past were not a people yet are now the people of God which had not obtained mercy but now haue obtained mercy THese words contain the second argument to perswade Christians to make their constant recourse vnto Christ and from him to procure vertue to enable them for holinesse of conuersation and it is taken from the consideration of the excellency of that estate vnto which they were brought by Christ. For the description whereof the Apostle singles out two places of Scripture with which hee makes vp a compleat narration of their great prerogatiues aboue all other people and aboue that they themselues were in former times The places of Scripture he makes vse of are Exod. 9. and Hosh. 1. And before I open the words two things may be heer noted First the Apostle's care to prooue what he saith from the scripture whether it be against wicked men or for godly men which shews that we should much more take heed to GOD's Word being lesse than Apostles especially such an Apostle Secondly we may hence note that the promises or praises giuen to the Godly in the old Testament are not enuied to Christians in the new Testament God is no respecter of persons but wee haue free liberty to search the books of God and to chuse out of all the examples of the sutes of godly men or the preferments what we wil and if we make a sute of it to god he wil not deny it but shew vs their mercy Now for the particular opening of these words we must obserue that it is the purpose of the Apostle to shew briefly the priuiledges of the godly aboue all others or what themselues were before their conuersion And the priuiledge of their estate may be considered either positiuely in it self or comparatiuely It is described positiuely verse 9. and comparatiuely verse 10. In the ninth verse there he reckons vp a number of prerogatiues belonging to the Godly and withall shews the vse they should make of them or the end why they were conferred vpon them The Godly excel in diuers respects if we consider First their election they are chosen of God Secondly their alliance or kinred they are a chosen kinred Thirdly their dignity aboue other men they are royall Kings Fourthly their function or priuate imploiment before God Priests Fiftly their behauiour or outward conuersation they are holy Sixtly their number they are a Nation Seuenthly their acceptation with God they are a peculiar people First for Election The Apostle looking vpon the words in Exodus 19.5 6. and seeing that they described the happinesse of Christians in this life doth in the Fore-front put-to this priuiledge of their election as the foundation of all the rest and would haue Christians much affected with the consideration of this prerogatiue It is one of the chief and prime comforts of a Christian to consider that he is elect of GOD Psalm 106.4 5. 2. Pet. 1.9 elect I say both before time and in time Before time in God's decree and in time when the Godly are singled and called out of the world and picked out one of a city and two of a tribe in all the ages of the world and distinguished from other men by beleeuing in Iesus Christ. As the Israelites were chosen out of all the nations of the world so now the Elect out of all the Ages of the world Quest. But what is there in the election of a Christian that should so much affect him as to account himself so wonderfull happy in that respect Ans. There are many things in our election which should much rauish vs as to consider First when wee were chosen viz. before the foundation of the world from all eternity Oh what a fauour is it to think that God had such thought of vs before euer we had any beeing Ephes 1.4 Secondly by whom we were chosen viz. by God Men are wont to be affected if any of any degree almost doo point out them aboue others vnto any condition of praise or preferment To be beloued and in request with any is a contentment but especially if Kings or great persons should chuse vs out to set their loue vpon vs how would we be moued with that Oh! what comparison can there be between the greatest men on earth and the great God in heauen Thirdly to what wee were chosen viz. to a Kingdom and great glory For meaner persons to be chosen to any preferment it would proue a great contentment but especially to be aduanced to the highest honors why God hath chosen and called vs to no lesse an happinesse than a Kingdome and glory yea his Kingdome and glory in heauen Mat. 25.34 2. Thes. 2.13 14. Fourthly for how long this choise must last viz. for euer To be chosen to a great office though it were but for a yeere is a great honour in the account of some men but especially to enioy a kingdome if it may be for diuers yeers as 20 30 40 or the like how would men reioyce that could attain to such an election But behold our happines is greater For wee haue by our Election an entrance into the euerlasting Kingdom of Iesus Christ. Fiftly vpon what reasons we were chosen viz. vpon God's free and meer grace and goodnes he chooseth whom he will It was his good pleasure to chuse vs to such a Kingdome wee had it not by descent or desert Rom. 9.18 21. Ephes. 1.11 Sixtly in what manner he chose vs viz. vnchangeably to bee chosen to so great an estate though it had beene but during pleasure and that pleasure to such as might change had beene a great aduancement But Gods purpose remaines according to his choise and whom he elected he calles and whom hee calles hee iustifies and whom he iustifies hee glorifies Rom. 8.30 The foundation of God remaineth sure 2 Tim. 2.19 Lastly to consider whom he chose which hath a double incitation in it For first the Scripture tels vs Many are called but few are chosen Now this increaseth our honour that but a few onely can be admitted to the participation of it If many had enioyed it the commonnesse of it might haue had in it some occasion of lessening the valew of it Deut. 7.6 7. Math. 20.16 Secondly God chose vs that were most vile creatures polluted in bloud couered with filthines falne from him by vile Apostasie and our rebellion in our first parents and beeing guilty of many treasons in our owne actions And this shold much moue vs that God should set his heart vpon such vile wretches as wee euery day are prooued to
bloud of Christ. And so the people of God were purchased out of the world by the bloud of Christ and the Israelites were typically redeemed out of Egypt by the bloud of the Lamb. The Godly are a people bought at a great price none euer so dearly ransomed But I take it as it is heer rendred A peculiar people and so the word may intimaâ—e a double reason For first they are a peculiar people because God hath euery way fashioned them for himself Secondly they are a peculiar people because they are his treasure yea all his treasure The Godly comprehend all his gettings they are as it were all hee hath And so Exodus 19. verse 6. may explain it Vse The vse may be partly for consolation and partly for instruction First it should exceedingly comfort the Godly to knowe their acceptation with God they are in high fauour with him they are his very Fauourites And this should distinctly comfort them diuers waies as first that God doth make so much account of them to loue them as any couetous man can loue his treasure Hence God is said to delight in them to rejoyce ouer them with ioy and his mercy to them pleaseth him Secondly it should comfort them in respect of the sutes they may obtain from God He is rich to all that call vpon him No King can doo so much for his Fauourites as God can and will do for his God's Fauourites may ask whatsoeuer they will and be sure to haue it and therefore it were a shame for them to be poor Thirdly the Fauourites of earthly Princes may lose all and fall into the King's displeasure and so be vndone for euer and go out with singular disgrace and ruine but God's Fauorites haue this priuiledge they shall neuer lose the fauour of God He will loue them to the end Iohn 13.1 Nothing shall separate them from the loue of God in Christ Ro. 8. vlt. God hath not appointed any of them to wrath but to the obtaining of saluation 1. Thes. 5.9 10. And all this should be the more comfortable because God respects no persons Euery Subject cannot be the King's Fauourite nor is euery seruant in Ordinary nor is euery one that serues in the Chamber of Presence or Priuy-Chamber but in God's Court all seruants are Fauourites and hee hath treasure enough to enrich them all and affection enough to loue them all Secondly diuers instructions may be heer gathered for if we be God's Fauourites and his treasure it should teach vs 1. To liue comfortably euen to liue by faith to trust vpon God's fauour for life and saluation nor need we doubt our pardon nor question our preferment 2. To liue humbly to bee euer ready to acknowledge that it was God's free grace that hath raiâ—ed them vp from the very dung hill as it were to such high preferment wee must confesse that we hold all from him wee must humble our selues seeing we haue this honor to walk with our God Pride is one of the first things destroies the Fauourites of the world 3. To liue holily denying vngodlinesse and worldly lusts and liuing religiously and soberly and righteously in this present world since he hath redeemed vs to bee a people peculiar to himself wee should bee zealous of good works An exactness of liuing is required of such as must liue in Princes presence and since GOD hath bought vs at so dear a rate wee must not liue to our selues but to him that died for vs 2. Cor. 5.15 Tit. 2.12 14. 4. To submit our selues to God's disposing wee are his treasure it is reason hee should doo with his owne what hee will and the rather because he will neuer imploy his treasure but for aduantage He that blamed the euill seruant for not gaining by his talent will certainly himself gain by all the waies hee imploies his owne treasure This doctrine should serue also for a double warning to wicked men First to take heed how they wrong God's people if they touch his Anointed they touch the apple of his eie Hee will be sensible and requite it They are not in a safe condition that wrong the Fauourites of Kings their backs are as good as broken and euery man is afraid of them and it is no lesse danger to bee injurious to that people which is so dear to God And withall this doctrine should teach vs and them that if they haue any desire to get the King of heauens pardon or to obtaine fauour with him if they haue any minde to repent they should doe well to get some of those Fauorites to commend their suit to the King God will not deny them The praiers of the righteous auaile much especially if they be earnest with him Hitherto of the enumeration of the particulars of the prerogatiues of the godly The end of them followes viz. That they may shew the vertues of Christ that called them Vertues The originall word heere translated vertues is but sparingly vsed in Scripture the Apostle Paul onely vseth it once viz. Phil. 4.8 and the Apostle Peter heere and twice in the next Epistle neither doe Interpreters agree about the translation of it For many following the Syriach render it praises and not vertues And so the meaning is our priuiledges are bestowed vpon vs to this end that wee should shew foorth the praises of Christ and that diuers waies First by embracing these prerogatiues themselues For these doe set out much the praises of Christ as his loue to man his wisdome and power that could redeeme a people out of such miserie to happines and his singular acceptation with his Father from whom hee obtained such large prerogatiues for his seruants Secondly by thanksgiuing when wee praise God for Christ and giue praise to Christ for all his goodnes and loue to vs. Thirdly by commending the riches of the loue of Christ to vs setting forth his praise from day to day as wee haue occasion by discourse to others Fourthly by liuing so as that God in Iesus Christ may be glorified in the world especially in the Church Now other writers follow the natiue signification of the word and translate it vertues but with different interpretation For some by the vertues of Christ vnderstand the benefits exhibited to vs by Christ and so we are enriched with the former priuiledges that so wee might make it appeare how much wee haue gained by Iesus Christ And these benefits of Christ wee shew forth by thanksgiuing to God daily praising him for them as also by the word of exhortation when we call vpon others to seek after them and lastly by carrying our selues so as may become so great treasure keeping them with all care esteeming them aboue all gettings and liuing as contentedly as if God had giuen vs a kingdome on earth and ordring our conuersation so as men might see our care of good works becomming such high preferment But I rather follow those Interpreters that take the word as it
so he doth two waies First by remoouing what might hinder the work as the displeasure of God and the curse of the Law which he did by being made sin for vs 2. Cor. 5.22 Secondly by purchasing and bringing to light immortality and also the people that should possesse it which purchase he made with his owne bloud Acts. 20.28 2 Tim. 1.9 10. Thirdly then God sends the Word of reconciliation furnishing men with gifts to preach the Gospell and so vseth their ministery of reconciliation as the onely ordinary meanes of calling men 2. Cor. 5.18 19. Rom. 10.14 17. Fourthly the Spirit of Christ doth inwardly perswade the harts of men to receiue the Word and so to be reconciled to God The vse of this doctrine of our Christian calling may serue both for instruction and for terror for instruction and so it may teach First vnregenerate men in the Church as euer they would bee saued to awake to the care of of their calling Eph. 5.14 and to bee entreated while they haue the ministry of reconciliation 2. Cor. 5.20 and to open when Christ knocks Reu. 3.21 taking heede they be not as the horse or Mule Psal. 32.9 and that they may prosper in this work of their calling they must looke to two things 1. That they be not hardned through the deceitfulnes of sin Heb. 3.13 2. That they despise not professing but account the feet of them that bring the glad tidings to be beautifull Esay 52.9 There are foure reasons assigned by the Apostle Heb. 3 c. Fourthly why men should be ruled when Christ graunts them the meanes First because it is to day they know not how long they shall haue the meanes Heb. 3.7 c. Secondly because of all deceits it is most miserable to bee deceiued of the things offred vs in the Gospel verse 13. Thirdly because God is extremely grieued and prouoked by our neglects herein verse 16. Fourthly because else we shall faile of the promise of entring into his rest Heb. 4.1 2. Secondly godly men should hence learne diuers things First to be diligent aboue all things to make their calling sure now there be diuers signes of a true effectuall calling such as these As 1. The opening of the heart to receiue the Word of God and to attend the things which are spoken Acts 16.14 whereby they are inabled to heare as the learned Esaiah 51.6 2. The wearines of heart vnder the burthen of sin Math. 11.29 9.13 3. The answere of the heart to the voice of Christ consenting to obey and to enter into couenant with God Esaiah 1.18 19. 4. The taking away of the detestable things their abominations from them Ezech. 11.17 21. Col. 2.11 5. The knitting of the heart to the godly 6. The remoouing of the stony heart and the planting of the heart of flesh Ezech. 11.19 7. The vertues of Christ as in the coherence in this text 8. In generall the truth of our calling appears by the demonstration of the spirit power The holy Ghost quickning the heart to new obedience called the manifestation of the spirit Secondly it should teach them to striue to walk worthy their calling for the manifestation of the spirit was giuen to profit withal we are therfore called that we might be to the praise of his rich grace Now that we may walk in some measure as becomes this great gift of God First wee should be humble and not wise in our own conceit though hardnes lye yet vpon the hearts of some Rom. 11.25 30 31. For the winde blowes where it listeth and the Spirit of Christ workes where and when it pleaseth him Iohn 3. and wee haue nothing but what wee haue receiued Secondly wee should bee exceeding thankfull to God for his rich grace in our calling And the rather 1. Because this is no common fauour but in speciall grace communicated to vs For no man commeth but whom the Father draweth 2. Because it was done without respect of our owne works without al desert on our part 2. Tim. 1.9 For God called vs that were worldly carnall naturall sinfull men strangers from the life of God dead in sins seruing the lusts and diuers pleasures yea such as neuer sought God wee were miserable sinners Ephes. 2.1 12. Mat. 13. 3. Because of the meanes and manner of our calling God the Father worketh his part I work saith our Sauiour An excellent work when such workmen are needfull to it and in this work the ministration of the spirit exceedes in glory 2. Cor. 3.7 8. and it is a holy calling wherewith hee hath called vs 2. Tim. 1.9 4. Because they are so great happinesses to which hee hath called vs As to the fellowship of his Sonne To be sonnes and heires with him 1. Cor. 1.7 and to a Kingdome and so great glory 1. Thes. 2.12 2. Thes. 2.14 5. Because Gods gifts and calling are without repentance Hee will neuer repent that hee hath so called vs Rom. 11.29 Esay 54.7 8 9 10. Iam. 1.17 And thus of the second way by which wee should shew our selues desirous to walk worthy of our calling 3. Wee should shew this by well doing we must bee carefull to maintaine good works Tit. 3.8 For wee were called that we might serue him in holinesse and righteousnesse all the daies of our life Luke 1.74 75. 4. Wee should therefore liue contentedly when wee are assured of the work of Christ in calling vs with such a calling Iacob should not now bee ashamed nor his face wax pale Esay 29.23 24. 5. Wee should in our particular bee carefull to rest where wee are in the doctrine wee haue learned and beene taught and not bee carried about with euery wind of Doctrine Eph. 4.11 12 14. Thus as the vses are common to the Godly in generall Thirdly Ministers in particular from the consideration of this doctrine of our calling by Iesus Christ should learne to preach Christ and him crucified and to deny the excellency of wisdome or words that mens faith may bee in the power of Christ It is Christ must giue them increase they should learne of Paul 1. Cor. 2.2 4 5. One thing by the way I might note concerning the time of our calling we should not bee curious about that to knowe the day or hower when it was but wee must rest satisfied to know that wee are the Called of Iesus Christ. And thus of the vses for instruction Vse 3. Hence also may bee concluded much terror to wicked men that are not called in that this work of calling is the dore of all grace communicated to vs Now wicked men not called are of two sortes first some outwardly refuse their calling secondly some seem to obey it but it is not effectually both are in miserable case but not both alike For the later are neere the Kingdome of God many times The first sort resist the holy Ghost put the Word of Christ from them refuse
prouided for that God preserues them yea and himselfe finds them out means of singular refreshing all their dayes Eightthly He crownes them with blessings Psal. 103.4 Ninthly hee giues them assurance of an immortall inheritance 1. Pet. 1.3 4. The consideration of this maruellous mercy which the godly haue obtained may teach vs diuers things First with all thankefulnesse to acknowledge the mercy of God wee should alwaies mention the louing kindnesse of God in all the experiences we haue of the truth of his mercies toward vs Esay 63 7. We should frame our selues to an easy discourse of the glory of God's Kingdome and talke of his power Psalme 145.8 9 10. Wee should be so perswaded of this truth as freely to say that we know that the Lord is gracious and very mercifull Psalme 116.5 It is a great sinne Not to remember the multitudes of God's mercies Psal. 106.7 Oh! that men would therefore indeede prayse the Lord for his goodnesse c. Psalme 107. foure times repeated in that Psalme Christians should glory in it not in their riches strength wisedome c. but in this that they know God that exerciseth mercy Ier. 9.24 Secondly in all our waies heartily to disclaim merits of works or opinion of our worthinesse or deserts say still with the Prophet in the Psalme Not vnto vs not vnto vs Lord but to thy Name giue the glory for thy mercy and truths sake Psal. 115.1 The whole frame of our saluation depends vpon God's Grace not on works Ephes. 2. Tit. 3.5 Thirdly let vs with Dauid resolue to dwell in the house of the Lord for euer since our happinesse lieth in mercy and since we haue the tidings of mercy in God's house there the fountain of this grace is daily opened vnto vs and we may draw water still with ioy out of this well of saluation in the Gospell Psal. 5.7 23. vlt. Fourthly we should learne of God to be mercifull Let vs striue to comfort others with shewing them mercy as we haue receiued mercy from the Lord. Oh let vs bee mercifull as our heauenly Father is mercifull Luke 6. Fiftly we should hence be incouraged and resolued since we know our priuiledges to goe boldly vnto the throne of Grace vpon all occasions to seeke mercy to helpe in the time of neede We haue obtained mercy of the Lord and therefore may and ought to make vse of our priuiledge Heb. 4.16 Secondly this doctrine of God's mercy may serue for singular comfort to the godly and that both in the case of sinne and in the case of afflictions 1. Against the disquietnesse of the heart for sinne it should much refresh them to remember that they haue obtained mercy yea though innumerable euils haue compassed them about Psal. 40.11 12. and though our offences are exceeding grieuous Psal. 51.1 Exod. 34.6 7. 2. Secondly in the case of afflictions many things should hence comfort vs. 1. That howsoeuer it goe with our bodies yet God hath mercy on our soules 2. That it is mercy that our afflictions are not worse that wee are not consumed Lamentations 7.22 3. That in the worst afflictions God doth many waies shew mercy his mercies are new euery morning Lament 3.23 4. That though God cause griefe yet hee will haue compassion to regard vs according to our strength hee will deale with vs in measure Lament 3.32 Esay 27.7 5. That hee doth not afflict willingly Lament 3.33 6. That all shall worke together for the best Rom. 8.28 Deut. 8.16 7. God will giue a good end Iam. 5.11 Hee will lift vp from the gates of death Psal. 9.13 God will giue thee rest from thy sorrowes and feares and hard vsage Esay 14.1 3. Psal. 57.3 He will send from heauen to saue thee 8. Hee will afflict but for a moment Esay 54.7 But in both these cases wee must remember First to seeke mercy of God Ezech. 36.32 Secondly if wee bee not presently answered our eies must looke vp to God and wee must waite for his mercies Psal. 123.3 4. Thirdly wee must check our selues for the doubtfulnes of our hearts as Dauid doth Psal. 4.7 8. and 77.10 Fourthly because we liue too much by sence we must beseech God not onely to be mercifull but to let his mercy be shewed and come to vs Psal. 85.8 and 116.77 Fiftly wee should also beseech God not onely to let vs feele his mercies but to satisfie vs also earely with his mercies Psalme 90. verse 14. Sixtly wee must looke to it that wee walk in our integritie Psalme 26.11 and liue by rule Gal. 6.16 Lastly howsoeuer wee must trust in God and looke to it that wee rest vpon the Lord Psal. 32.10 and 33.18 22. For God takes pleasure in those which hope in his mercy Psal. 147.11 Quest. But how may a man that is not yet comforted with Gods mercy take a sound course to obtaine mercie Ans. That men may obtaine mercie First they must take vnto themselues words and confess their sins to God and hartily bewaile their offences Ioel 2.13 Hosh. 14.3 Secondly they must turne from and forsake their euill waies and their vnrighteousnes inward and outward Esay 55.7 Thirdly they must bee carefull to seeke the Lord while hee may bee found Esay 55.6 Fourthly they must bee mercifull and loue mercie For then they shall obtaine mercie Math. 5.6 Fiftly they must learne the way of Gods people and learne them diligently Ierem. 12.15 16. They must haue pure hands and a cleane heart and not lift vp their soules to vanity Psal. 4.5 Sixtly they must hate the euill and loue the good Amos 5.5 Seuenthly they must cry vnto God daily Psal. 86.3 Eightthly there must nought of the cursed thing cleane vnto their hands Deuteronomie 13. verse 17. Ninthly when the Lord saith Seeke yee my face their hearts must say Thy face O Lord will wee seek Psal. 27.7 8. Verses 11.12 Dearly beloued I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims abstain from fleshly lusts which fight against the soule And haue your conuersation honest among the Gentiles that they which speak euill of you as of euill doers may by your good works which they shall see glorifie God in the day of their visitation THese words contain the epilogue or conclusion of the whole exhortation as it concerns Christians in generall from verse 13 of the former chapter hitherto and it hath in it matter both of dehortation and of exhortation as answering in the substance to all that hee hath hitherto intreated of by way of vse The dehortation is in verse 11 the exhortation in verse 12 in the one shewing what they should auoid in the other what they should doo They should auoid fleshly lusts and that they should doo is to liue honestly In generall we may note that it is the proper effect of all sorts of doctrine in scripture to make an impression of care in our hearts about the reformation of our liues that it is in vaine heard which doth not
his works neuer creature did works of such price so vsefull so exquisite so transcendent Fourthly in respect of his sufferings hee paid such a price to God in the ransome of man as all the world besides could not raise or any way make Fiftly in respect of effects he giues the most precious things no treasures like those may be had from him his very promises are precious 2. Pet. 1.4 This may serue first to inform vs in diuers things as First concerning that matchlesse loue of God to vs that gaue vs his Sonne who is so precious Rom. 8.34 Secondly concerning the horrible sin of Iudas and the high Priests that valewed him but at thirtie pieces Thirdly concerning the most miserable condition of all prophane people and persons euen whole multitudes of people that so neglect Christ that can with Esau sell him for trifles pleasures or profits euen as meane sometimes as a messe of pottage c. The more glorious Christ is the more vile is their sinne of neglect or contempt of Christ. Woe to them that disallow him then Euen to all those sortes of men before mentioned Christ will not be a foundation stone to support them nor a precious stone to enrich them but as the vpper and nether milstone to grinde them to pieces or as a rock falling vpon them Quest. But what should bee the reason that Christ is in no more request amongst men Answer First one cause is mans ignorance both of their owne misery out of Christ as also of the glory of Christ in himself of the priuiledges man might attaine by him and of the singular glory to come Secondly another cause is vnbeliefe Men haue a secret kinde of Atheisme in them and doe not beleeue the report of the seruants of Christ out of the Word Esay 53.1 3. Thirdly another cause is that the most men look vpon the outside of the kingdom of Christ and of the estate of Christians which because they find it couered with afflictions and seated in a low condition without outward splendor they therefore contemn it Our life is hid with Christ in God Colos. 3.3 Fourthly but the maine reason is because men doe falsely esteeme of other things they set so high a price vpon their pleasures profits lusts credits honours hopes c. that Christ is not remembred nor valued vnlesse it bee at Iudaâ— his rate and yet many will not valew him at so much as thirtie pence but they will make shipwrack of a good conscience euen for a peny I meane for extreme small gaine in buying and selling and such like dealing And thus much of the third thing wee may be informed of The last is concerning the wealthy estate of all true Christians How rich are they that possesse this Mine of treasure who haue his spirit graces righteousnes ordinances and glory And as it may thus informe vs so it should teach vs Vse 2. First to account of Christ as most precious to esteeme of him as euer precious in our eies and shew it 1. By seeking to get Christ aboue all gettings 2. By accounting all things but as dust and dung in comparison of the excellent knowledge of Iesus Christ Phil. 3.8 3. By selling all to buy this precious stone Math. 13. forsaking father and mother house and land for Christs sake and the Gospels 4. By keeping our communion with Christ with all carefulnes 5. By auoiding all the waies by which Christ is disallowed and dis-esteemed 6. By longing for and louing his appearing 2. Tim. 4. hasting to it and looking for his comming 2. Pet. 3. Secondly to consecrate our selues and whatsoeuer is deare and precious to God and the seruice of Christ striuing to bee a precious people and peculiar to God zealous of good things and workes Tit. 2.12 14.1 Cor. 6.20 Thirdly We should liue like such as hauing attained so precious a treasure 1. Liuing by the faith of the Son of God Gal. 2.20 2. Not being the seruants of men 1. Cor. 7.2 3. 3. Keeping our selues from all pollution by which the Kingdome of God may be defiled laying vp this treasure in a pure conscience Lastly Ministers that know that there is no other foundation but this liuing and precious stone should study by all meanes to build gold siluer and precious stones and not hay and stubble striuing like skilfull master-builders to make the whole frame some-way answerable to the foundation 1. Cor. 3.12 Thus of the description of Christ. Now followeth what Christians must doe that from Christ they may receiue vertue for the attaining of holinesse of life First they must come vnto him To whom comming Diuers things may heere bee noted in the generall First that men may come vnto Christ euen while they are on earth Secondly that naturall men or naturally men are absent from Christ or without Christ. Thirdly that without comming to Christ we can neuer be sanctified Fourthly that all that once take taste of the sweetnes of Christ in his ordinances will come vnto him Fiftly that to come to Christ is a continuall work Christians are still comming their life is but a continued iourney to Christ or a daily seeking out of Christ c. But in particular I especially consider two things First how many waies men come to Christ. Secondly In what manner men must approach to Christ. First we must come to Christ diuers waies First and chiefely by belieuing in him wee must drawe neere to Christ by the assurance of faith Heb. 16.22 Secondly by making him our daily refuge in praier vsing him as our continuall mediator and aduocate Psa. 65.12 Ierem. 31.9 carrying all our petitions to him in all our distresses making our moane to him as the Client doth to the Counsellor or as the oppressed doe to the Iudge Thirdly by the frequenting his ordinances viz. the Word Sacraments thus to come to his feasts euen to his great Supper Prou. 9. Luke 14. 17 c. Math. 22. Thus we come to worship Fourthly by contemplation remembring him and setting our affections on him thinking on him that sits at the right hand of God Col. 3.1 Fiftly by receiuing his seruants and visiting them in their distresses He that receiueth them receiueth Christ Math. 10. and to visit them in prison is to come vnto Christ or to visit Christ Mathew 26. But the fourefirst waies are especially meant and the first chiefely For the second Wee must come to Christ. First speedily as the men that suffer shipwrack quickly haste to the shore Secondly penitently going and weeping we must goe Ierem. 50.4 Hee cals to him sinners and that to repentance Math. 9.13 we must come weary and heauy loaden Math. 11.28 we must returne and come Esay 25.12 and not as they Ier. 7.9 10. Zachar. 14.1 c. that came in their sinnes with Idols in their heart Wee should come to Christ as Benhadad did to Ahab with ropes about our necks that is with all
Psal. 48.9 and so farre as this promise reacheth to temporall things it must bee vnderstood with that common limitation Esay 54.4 viz. so farre as it is good for them they shall be kept from shame as for pouerty or sicknesse or the like that is if it bee good for them But yet if this temporall shame doe fall vpon them for their sinnes repentance will remoue it as is promised Ioel 2.13.26 Lastly the Lord will giue his people double for all their confusion Esay 61.7 and therefore it is not to be reckned as a crosse for which they haue so much recompence made them Vses The vse of all this remaines then to bee considered of which concernes first the godly secondly the wicked The Godly should heere learne First to take notice of their priuiledges aboue other men in this respect c. Secondly To sue out this promise vpon all occasions For since they haue a graunt of freedome in this kind they should seek vnto God for the obtaining of it as they shall find need when either their crosses presse them or their hearts faile them so did Dauid in many places of the Psalmes as Psal. 31.1 17. and 119.116 and in diuers other places Thirdly but they must euer looke to it that they bee such as may answer the conditions of this promise expressed in this or in other Scriptures as 1. They must preserue a constant respect vnto God's commandements and in all their waies be sound in God's statutes else wilfull sinne and shame will be companions Psalm 119.6 80. 2. They must not bee ashamed of GOD's truth and the profession of it but witnes a good profession before all men Psalm 119.46 3. They must not be too tender in matter of reproach from the world but learn of Christ to despise the shame and scorns of men Heb. 12.2 Esay 51.6 7. 4. In this Text they must hould fast their faith and liue by it it is a promise to the Godly as he is a beleeuer and will relie vpon Gods mercy in Iesus Christ we must be established in the faith The wicked may hence gather an argument of of singular terror For this Text imports that such as liue in their sinnes without repentance and haue not a liuely faith in Iesus Christ shall certainly be confounded and this will more particularly touch such sorts of men as are distinctly designed out to shame and confusion Quest. Now if any ask who are they shall be ashamed and confounded Ans. I answer out of seuerall Scriptures They shall be ashamed and confounded First that worship grauen Images and trust vpon them Psalm 97.7 Esay 42.17 Secondly that wish euill and hate the Godly and reioice at their misery and seek to doo them mischief Psalm 44.7 Psalm 129.5 Esay 26.11 and 41.11 Thirdly that are proud and deal peruersly for pride is a fore-runner of shame Pro. Fourthly that call not vpon the Name of the Lord that vse not praier Psalm 53.5 Fiftly that vse customary lying they shall be lothsome and come to shame Pro. 13.5 Sixtly that put their trust in men and not in the Lord Esay 20.5 Seuenthly that are ashamed of Christ and the Gospell in this world Mark 8.38 Lastly that go about to establish their owne righteousnes Rom. 10.4 Verses 7.8 7. Vnto you therefore which beleeue it is precious but vnto them which be disobedient the stone which the Builders disallowed the same is made the Head of the corner 8. And a stone to stumble at and a rock of offense euen to them which stumble at the Word being disobedient vnto the which thing they were euen ordained IN these words the Apostle expounds or applies the former testimony of scripture which hee vrgeth both for the beleeuer and against the vnbeleeuer The beleeuers he cals vpon to take notice of their felicity assuring them that that Scripture doth auouch that Christ is an incomparable treasure to them Concerning the vnbeleeuers he speaks terrible things whom hee describes both by their sinne and by their iudgement The sin is disobedience their iudgement is to be considered as it is denounced first against their Leaders whom he cals Builders and then against the whole body of vnbeleeuers The plague vpon the Builders is that the Kingdome of Christ shall bee aduanced in spight of their hearts they shall perish and be confounded but Christ shall raign and flourish The plague vpon the body of vnbeleeuers is that Christ shall bee to them a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense which is amplified by the consideration of the causes partly in themselues which is their stumbling at the Word and disobedience and partly in God who in his iustice hath appointed them thereunto Thus of the order of the words Now before I come to the full opening of each particular in these two verses I may obserue diuers things from the coherence and generall consideration of all these words First in that the Apostle doth not rest satisfied to alleage the Text but doth withall apply it it shewes the necessity of application We cannot profit by the Word if it be not laid particularly to our hearts as food doth not nourish if it bee not eaten nor a medicine cure the distaste if it be not taken nor a plaister heal the sore if it bee not laid to it nor are our wants supplied by coming to the market if we doo not buy and carry home Which should work in vs a sound care of application of the Word wee hear or read and withall it should waken vs to a care of obseruing all the rules that may further vs in applying which are these and such like First we must be carefull to vnderstand rightly the Scriptures we would apply this is the very foundation of all application that is profitable 2. Pet. 3. else wee may growe peruerse and wrong both the Word and our owne selues Ob. But some priuate man might say This is hard how can we learn to knowe the cleer meaning of the Scripture and the sense of the Text Sol. For answer heerunto thou must knowe that there bee diuers rules that may help thee to vnderstand or at least keep thee from wrong and dangerous mis-application First thou must be wise to sobriety and not presume to knowe aboue what is meet nor to meddle with such Secrets as should lead thee into knowledges that belong not to thy calling or are not euidently reuealed in Scripture Secondly thou must haue respect vnto other Scriptures to take no sense that is contrary to other apparant Scriptures Thirdly thou must haue respect to the Analogie of faith to auoid all senses which oppose any article of faith or thy faith Rom. 12.3 Fourthly thou must auoid all doubtfull disputations and vnprofitable questions and vain ianglings that tend not to edification and the saluation of thy soule and account it as a happinesse to be able to keep thy self free from intanglements therein And therefore stand at the
or kinred They are the generation of vipers Mat. 3. Now there is another kinde of spirituall alliance and that is it whereby all Christians are a-kin one to another through the bloud of Christ as they all descend of the second Adam and of this it is that the Prophet speaketh Esay 53.8 when admiredly he saith of Christ Who can tell his generation And thus the Godly are begotten of the best bloud in the world because they are begotten of the bloud of Christ Iohn 1.13 The doctrine then is that Godly men are the happiest men in the world in respect of their kinred and alliance None come of so good a kinred as godly Christians which may appear by diuers reasons First because they descend of the best bloud being the generation of Christ the second Adam and so are better born than they that can tell of their great Nobility and Bloud both by the father's and mother's side Iohn 1.13 Secondly because they are a chosen picked children or kinred all the kinred culled out of all mankinde and so is no kinred in the world For in all other kinreds are all sorts of persons to bee found good and bad vertuous and vicious but of this kinred are none but good Thirdly because the whole kinred is royall they enioy all great preferments whereas there bee few kinreds in the world but there are some poor in it but this generation hath not one poor man in it all the kinred are Kings Fourthly because all are fit for imploiment all the kinred are Priests and can sacrifice which was not true of the very Tribe of Leui. There is not one Christian but he can perform the work of the Priesthood and doth in his order Fiftly because there are so many of the kinred The meanest Christian is a-kinne to all the Saints in heauen and to all the Godly in earth or on earth and there is no kinred in the flesh that can attain to the like number of kinsfolks in any degree of comparison worth the speaking of Sixtly because they are all accepted into high fauour with the King of kings Though a King on earth out of his loue to see one person would doo much for many of his kinred yet it is neuer seen that all the kinred vniuersally are preferred and entertained into speciall fauour with the King yet so it is with all the Godly it is true of all and of euery one that they are his peculiar treasure Seuenthly because all our kinred will doo for vs there is none of them but are able to pleasure vs whereas in carnal kinred one may be a-kinne to so great persons that they will doo nothing for them Eightly because other kinred may and wil dy and leaue vs but all this generation liues for euer Vses The consideration whereof may serue for diuers reasons First hence godly Christians may gather comfort against the best of their kinred in the flesh whether they bee lost by displeasure or by death for God heer makes a supply of better kinred It should not therefore bee grieuous to the Godly to forsake their fathers house Psal. 45. Secondly hence wee should learn how to esteem of godly Ministers for heerby is implied that they are the Fathers Princes of the Tribes in this holy Nation Thirdly it should teach vs many duties concerning the Godly to whom we are allied 1. To study our genealogie and gette the knowledge of as many of our kinred as wee can 2. To glory in our kinred to ioy in our happinesse heerin 3. To doo all good we can to our kinred euen to the houshold of faith for this very reason because they are our kinsmen in the Spirit and in particular we should be ready to doo all that for them which the law of kinred bindeth vs vnto viz. 1. Wee should acknowledge them and not hide our selues from any that is godly 2. We should receiue one another heartily and willingly without grudging or murmuring 3. Wee should defend one another and bee ready in all oppositions to stand for the godly 4. We should shew all bowels of mercy and tender kindnes and pity and sympathize in their necessities and miseries Fourthly we should hence learn to be prouident to preserue our owne reputation that we be no way a dishonour and shame to our kinred but learn of the wise steward by lawfull meanes to preserue our credits and prouide for our selues though he did it by vnlawfull for our Sauiour noted this defect when he said The children of this world are wiser in their generation than the children of the light Luke 16.8 Thus much of their kinred or generation A royall Priest-hood These words contain the two next prerogatiues which haue so much connexion one with another that they are ioyned together as inseparable The Apostle makes a comely and effectuall inuersion of the words recorded in Exodus 19 for there they are said to be a Kingdome of Priests which the Apostle more plainly expresses in the words A royall Priest-hood They are both Kings and Priests but both with difference from other men of either of those callings They are Kings not prophane or ciuill onely but sacred Kings they are Priests not common or typicall Priests but royall The one word tels their dignity to which they are ordained the other their office in respect of God These words with those that follow are in Exodus expounded or rather propounded indefinitely to the Israelites but in this place limited to the Elect onely which shewes that promises and priuiledges of right belong onely to the Elect and Chosen of God c. Royall Christians may be said to bee Royall in foure respects First comparatiuely with wicked men for whatsoeuer their condition be yet if their estate be compared with the miserable condition of all impenitent sinners it is a Royall estate they are like Kings in respect of them Secondly as they are vnited to his body who is the greatest King as members of Iesus Christ who is King of kings Reuel 19. Thirdly because they looke for a Kingdome It is their Fathers pleasure to giue them a Kingdome They shall one day raigne and therefore are Royall Fourthly because for the very present in this life they haue the state of Kings They haue the state of Kings in this life I say For first they appeare clad in purple The Romans knew who was King when they saw the man clad in purple Robes Christians haue royall Garments Garments of Saluation the righteousnesse of Christ doth couer them which so soone as they put on they are saluted for Kings in Heauen Secondly they haue the attendance of Kings a great traine and guard about them no King like any of them that is not one of them for they haue the Angels for their guard and as ministring Spirits to them Psalm 34. and 91. Hebr. 1.14 Thirdly they haue the dominion of kings and soueraignty and power of Kings and so first the
whole world is their kingdome in which they raigne they are heirs of the world Rom. 4. and so our Sauiour saith They inherit the earth Matthew 5. Fourthly their owne hearts are as a large Kingdom in which they sit and raign gouerning and ruling ouer the innumerable thoughts of their mindes and affections and passions of their harts among which they doo iustice by daily subduing their vnruly passions and wicked thoughts which like so many Rebels exalt themselues against the obedience should be yielded to Christ the supreme Lord and Emperor as also by promoting the weal of all those sauing graces which are placed in their hearts nourishing and lifting vp all good thoughts and cherishing all holy desires and good affections conscience beeing by commission the chief Iudge for their affairs of this whole Kingdome Fiftly it is something royal and which proues them to be Kings they haue a regall supremacy A King is he that iudgeth all and is iudged of none such a one also is euery spirituall man said to be 1. Cor. 2. vlt. Sixtly they prooue themselues Kings by the many conquests they make ouer the world and Satan sometimes in lesser skirmishes somtimes in some main and whole battels Ob. Might some one say Is this all the Kingdome of a Christian This is infinitely belowe the magnificence and honour of an earthly kingdome c. Sol. GOD hath done more for the naturall man or for the nature of men for prouiding means for this spirituall Kingdome than in opening a way for earthly Kingdomes which may appear by diuers differences For First none but great men and of great means can attain to the Kingdome of this world but heer the poor may haue a Kingdome as well as the rich Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the Kingdome of heauen Secondly while the father liues the little childe cannot raign whereas in this Kingdom little-ones attain to the Kingdome and safely hold it Mat. 18. Thirdly this kingdome is of heauen whereas the others are onely of the earth Fourthly these Kings are all iust there is none vnrighteous can possesse these thrones They are all washed iustified and sanctified There is not a drunkard a railer a buggerer an adulterer a murtherer or any the like amongst them which is no priuiledge belonging to the kingdome of this world Rom. 14.17 1 Cor. 6.9 10 11. Gal. 5.21 The godly are Kings such as Melchisedech was somewhat obscure in the world but they raign in righteousnes in peace none like them Heb. 7. Fiftly the godly haue receiued a kingdome that cannot be shaken Their kingdom is an euerlasting kingdome Heb. 12.28 But all the kingdomes of the world may be and haue beene shaken and will be ruined and end whereas the godly that set out in soueraignty ouer lesser dominions and with lesse pompe yet increase so fast till at length they attain the most glorious Kingdom in the new heauens and new earth The vse of all this may be diuers First for singular comfort to the godly what account soeuer the world makes of them yet heere they see what God hath ordained them vnto It matters not for the worlds neglect of them for Gods Kingdom comes not by obseruation and in particular it should comfort them in two causes First in matter of seruice when they come to stand before the Lord they must know that they are honourable in Gods sight He respects them as so many Kings in his presence Secondly in the mortification of vices they haue receiued power authority as Kings and therefore no rebellious conuersation can so exalt it selfe but it may be subdued The oyle of God is vpon them and what can the greatest Rebels doe against the power of the King But secondly withall heere is terror to wicked men For this is the priuiledge onely of the godly and it is certaine that wicked men are in Gods account as base as the godly are honourable they are thrust besides these thrones And so both sorts of wicked men For not onely openly profane men are to be smitten with this terror but also hypocrites It is true indeed that hypocrites act the parts of Kings but they are onely such Kings as Players are vpon a stage they speake of the words or the words of Kings but are not indeed For they are by the wiser and better sort accounted as Rogues and the scum of the people euen so are wicked men in Gods account neither will their outward shewes helpe them For the Kingdom of God is tried not by words but by the power of it 1. Cor. 4.20 And withall vnruly Christians may be hence checked such as will not be ruled by their teachers such were the Corinthians they raigned without Paul and their godly teachers But the Apostle wisheth they were indeed Kings or did indeed raigne Why bearest thou the name of a King and canst not rule thy passions Thirdly diuers vses for instructions may bee hence gathered for First we should hence learne to honour poore Christians They are spirituall Kings as well as the Kings of the earth and wee knowe what a stirre wee would make to entertaine the Kings of this world Iam. 2.5 Secondly wee should hence bee stirred vp in desire after this Kingdome to pray for it that it may come and that God would count vs worthy of such a Kingdom Math. 6. 2. Thes. 1.5 and to this end wee should looke to two things First that we seeke this kingdome first aboue all other things Mat. 6. Secondly that we should refuse no paines nor handship for the entertainment of true godlines This Kingdom of heauen should suffer violence and the violent only will take it by force It is an easy thing for Iohn to be a partner in the patience of the bretheren when he is a partner with them in the Kingdom of Iesus Christ Reuel 1.9 It is no great thing men can suffer if wee consider it is for a Kingdome and the want of outward things should the lesse trouble vs if God make vs so rich in spirituall things Thirdly wee should hence especially learne to liue in this world like Kings and this Christians should shew First by declaring their conquest ouer the passions and desires of their owne hearts It is a royall quality in a Christian to bee able to shew all meeknes of minde and temper and sobriety in being able to deny vnto himselfe what may not bee had without sinne or offence Hee that winnes the conquest ouer his owne heart is greater then hee that winnes a City Secondly putting on the Lord Iesus The righteousnes of Christ is the robe of a Christian and since all the life of a Christian is a high feast hee should alwaies put on his robe to distinguish him from all other men and this righteousnes is both the imputed righteousnes of Christ as also the inherent vertues of Christ. Thirdly by seruing the publick Kings are the common treasure of the subiects
excell Secondly by auoiding strife and contention Doo nothing through strife saith the Apostle Phil. 2.4 but let the same minde bee in you that was in Christ. Thus is it a singular praise to bee gentle Iam. 3.17 Thirdly by an easie subiection to God's will to bear the yoke of God is to imitate Christ heerin to bee easily perswaded or intreated to doo those things which belong to our duty and Christian obedience Mat. 11.29 Fourthly by gentle dealing with such as haue fallen through infirmity this is required of vs Gal. 6. 1. And thus did Christ toward Peter after his fall he neuer shewed his displeasure when he saw he was displeased with himself The third vertue is humility or lowlinesse of minde This is also required of vs Mat. 11. as a vertue we should imitate in Christ. Now Christ shewed his humility First by making himself of no reputation Phil. 2.8 Hee abased himself to take our nature vpon him Hee hid for a time the glory hee had with the Father and besides hee shewed it by auoiding many times applause and fame of the people He sought not the honour of men Hee suppressed often his owne praises Iohn 5.34 44. And thus we shall doo likewise if our praise be not of men but of GOD and that wee doo nothing through vain-glory Phil. 2.4 6. And as hee did not seek the applause of others so hee did not giue witnes of himself Iohn 5.31 He praised not himself and wee should shew our humility by a lowe opinion of our selues thinking better of others than of our selues Phil. 2.4 Secondly by making himself equal with them of the lower sort which is required of vs Rom. 12.16 and was performed by him when he sorted with Publicanes and sinners and the meanest of the people magnifying the poore of this world Ob. Might some one say Yea this shewes the pride of Professers now for they will not sort nor conuerse with their neighbours especially if they be as they account them but guilty of any crime such as drunkennesse whoredome swearing c. Sol. The example of Christ is peruersly alledged to condemn the Godly heerin for they do onely professe a resolution to shun all needlesse society with open wicked men Two things may be said about Christ's practice heerin First that he conuersed with them not as a companion but as a Physician He came to them as the Physician doth to his Patient to heal them and thus it is not denied but the company of the worst men may be resorted vnto viz. when wee haue a calling and fitnes to reclaim them Secondly consider well what these persons were with whom Christ sometimes kept company The Publicanes were such as gathered toll or tribute-money for Caesar and for that reason were extremely hatefull among the Iewes who liked not to be subiect to forrain gouernment but it is not manifest that they were men of notorious euil conuersation It was the stomach of the Iewes not the wickednes of the men made Publicanâ—s to be so hatefull And whereas it is added that hee kept company with sinners it may be answered that they were penitent sinners as our Sauiour said of them Mark 2. It is true some of them had been notoriously wicked as Mary Magdalen who once had been a most wanton woman but was now receiued to mercy and had repented with many tears which though the Iewes acknowledged not because she was one of Christ's Conuerts yet to vs it ought to be euident Thirdly Christ shewed his humility by bearing the infirmities of the weak vnto which we are exhorted Rom. 15.1 2. and Eph. 4.2 and Christ practised it daily by bearing with the strange weaknesseâ— of his disciples Now these duties of humility we are the more bound vnto more I say than Christ first because we are sinfull creatures and ought euer to bear vpon vs some part of the shame of our offenses Secondly because we are infinitely inferiour to him in respect of his greatnes If hee that was so great by relation to God equall to God and by birth and office c. if hee I say carry himself so humbly how little reason haue we to stand vpon birth riches calling gifts or the like c. The fourth vertue that was eminent in Christ was contempt of the world an admirable thing that he who was Heir of all things could shew so little regard of worldly things and this hee shewed First by liuing in such want of all things as he affirms Luke 9.57 58. Secondly by refusing the preferments were offred him vpon sinfull â—earms whether by the diuell who offred him all the glory of the Kingdoms of the world or by men who would haue made him King Thirdly by knowing no man after the flesh by his neglect of earthly kinred his hearers were his father and mother brothers and sisters hee esteemed of men according to their spirituall estate in Gods Kingdome and not according to their outward estate in the world Fourthly by seeking the things of others more then his owne his life was wholy deuoted to the profiting of others Thus should wee shew our contempt of the world also by vsing the world as though wee vsed it not 1. Cor. 7.31 by not caring for the things of this life with distrustfull cares Mat. 6. by not seeking great things for our selues and by looking on the things of others as well as our owne things Phil 2.4 and by acknowledging of spirituall relations with our best affections The fift vertue eminent in CHRIST was Mercy which hee shewed not onely by counsell perswading his hearers to all sorts of mercy vpon all occasions but by his practise also by healing both the soules and bodies of all sorts of diseases in all sorts of men going about and doing good in all places where he came This is a vertue in many Scriptures much vrged vpon Christians Col. 2.12 Rom. 12. 1. Tim. 6. Iam. 3.17 and our mercy should haue the same praises his had First it should be all sorts of mercy to soule and body Secondly wee should bee full of mercy Thirdly wee should be ready to communicate and distribute Fourthly it should bee with pitty and bowels of mercy All this was in Christ and is required of vs. The sixt vertue in Christ was patience This vertue wee are charged withall and vrged to it by the example of Christ Heb. 12.1 2. And thus wee are to learne of him to bee a patient people both for the matter that wee endure the crosse Luke 9.23 1. Pet. 4.1 and 2.24 and for the manner wee must suffer as he did First with silence hee was as a lambe dumbe before his shearer Secondly with subiection to Gods will Father thy will bee done so Dauid I should haue beene patient because thou didst it Psal. 39. Thirdly with long suffering Christ bare his crosse daily and so shold we Fourthly with willingnes wee must take vp our crosse Luke
to answer or obey reiect the counsell of God harden their hearts and are therefore extremely miserable for First they iudge themselues vnworthy of euerlasting life Acts 13.46 Secondly they are in danger to bee left and forsaken of God and haue the meanes taken from them Iohn 12.39 Thirdly God will prouoke them many times to ielousie by calling a people to himselfe whom they account foolish Rom. 10.19 especially when they haue rebelled against the means Ezech. 3.6 7. Fourthly God will laugh at the calamity of such men Prou. 1.26 Fiftly and they may bee taken away with sudden destruction Prou. 1.17 Sixtly if they call to God it may be hee will not answer heereafter Prou. 1.28 29 30. Seuenthly if they liue in prosperity that shall destroy them Prou. 1.31 Eightly the dust of the feet of Gods seruants shall witnesse against them in the day of Christ and then they shall bee fearefully punished Now there are another sort of wicked men that are called externally and in some respect internally too and yet are not right such as haue temporary grace doe obey their calling after a sort and for a time for they assent vnto a part of the Word of God which they receiue with ioy and this is called a taste of the good word of God they may also bee perswaded to leaue diuers sinnes as Herod was and may bee indued with diuers graces of the spirit which they had not before Heb. 6.4 5. Now this calling yet is not that effectuall inward calling which is in Gods Elect. For they receiue not the promise of grace in Christ to them in particular to rely vpon it nor are they perswaded to for sake all sinne nor haue they any one sauing grace which is in the godly Now these men are miserable because they are not truly called and the more first because they were neere the Kingdome of God and yet want it secondly because they will bee the hardlier drawne to see their miseries Harlots and Publicanes may enter into the Kingdome of heauen before them Hitherto of our calling and so of the positiue descriptiō of the happines of a Christian the cōparatiue followes in the last words of this verse the whole 10. v. where the Apostle intends to shew thē their happines now in Christ in cōparison of that miserable estate they liued in before so that hee compares the estate of a Christian in grace with the estate of a Christian in nature and this he doth first in metaphoricall termes in the end of this verse and then in plaine words verse 10. In this verse hee compares their misery to darknes and their happines to maruellous light Out of darknes From the generall consideration of all the words two things may bee obserued First that it is profitable euen for godly men to bee put in minde of the misery they were in by nature For the consideration heereof may 1. Keepe them humble to remember how vile they haue beene 2. Quicken them to the reformation of the sinne that yet hangs vpon them Col. 3.5 6 7 8. 3. Work compassion in them towards others that lye yet in their sins and teach them to deale meekely with them Tit. 3.2 3. 4. Make them more watchfull to look on a nature which hath beene so vile 5. Quicken them to redeem the time they haue spent in the seruice of sinne 1. Pet. 4.3 6. It should set the greater price vpon our happines in Christ and so is the consideration vsed heere Secondly that a mind that is truly cured of sinne can easily beare the remembrance of it as it is past A man that hath beene wounded in his arme will endure you to gripe him when hee is well healed A signe he is not well healed when hee cannot bee touched so is it with sinners Thus in Generall The first thing then to be considered of is the misery of men by nature expressed in the word darknes Darknesse The darknes that is in the world is not all of a sort For there is first darknes vpon the earth which is nothing but the absence of the light of the Sunne Secondly there is darknes vpon the outward estates of men in the world and that is the darknes of affliction Now afflictions are called darknes in diuers respects As first in respect of the cause when they fall vpon men by the anger of God The want of the light of Gods countenance is miserable darknes the absence of the Sunne cannot make a worse darknes Secondly in respect of the effects because afflictions darken the outward glory of mans estate and withall breed sorrow and anguish and the clouds and storms of discomfort and grief and for the time depriue the heart of lightsomnesse and ioy Of both these respects may the words of the Prophet Esay be vnderstood Esay 5.30 and 8.22 And so God creates darknes as a punishment vpon all occasions for sinne Esay 45.7 Afflictions may bee compared to darknes in respect of another effect and that is the amazement bred in the heart by which the afflicted is vnable to see a way out of distresse and vnresolued either how to take it or what means to vse for deliuerance Thus it is a curse vpon wicked men that their waies are made dark Psal. 35.6 Thirdly afflictions are called darknes when they are secret and hidden and fal vpon men at vnawares when they are not dreamed of Iob 20.26 And thus of darknes vpon mens estates Thirdly there is a darknes falls vpon the bodies and so it is either blindnes wanting the light of the Sun or else it is death and the graue Death and the graue is called darknes Iob 17.13 and 10.21 22. Psal. 88.13 Fourthly there is a darknes vpon the soules of men and that is spirituall blindnes when the soule liues without the knowledge of God and Iesus Christ especially As it respecteth the will of God in generall it is the darknes of ignorance and errour and as it respecteth the promise of grace in Iesus Christ it is the darknes of vnbelief Eph. 4. Lastly there is a darknes shall light vpon both soules and bodies of wicked men in hell and that is called vtter darknes Mat. 8.12 and 22.15 So that darknes as it comprehends in it the misery of wicked men is either temporall darknes vpon the estates or bodies of men or spiritual darknes vpon the soules of men or else eternall darknes in hell This darknes also may be considered in the degrees of it For besides the ordinary darknesse there is first obscure darknes called also the power of darknes and such was the darknesse of Gentilisme and such is that darknes threatned to such as curse father and mother Pro. 21.20 so was the darknes Ier. 2.1 2. and that our Sauiour Christ speaketh of Luke 22.53 Such also was that night brought vpon the Diuiners Mic. 3.6 7. Secondly there is vtter darknes or eternall darknes in hell which is the highest
the duty of Superiours for in that new and tender world great care was to bee had that vnder pretense of Religion ciuill obedience either in the family or Common-wealth were not neglected And it is a truth to be known at all times that God would not haue inferiours too skilfull in the duty of Superiours that they might first learne to shew duty before they called for duty from their Superiours That may bee one reason why the duty of Masters is not heer handled and in other places of the Epistles but briefly for many times the description of the duty of Superiours is vsed but as a glasse by the Inferiours to pry into the faults of those that rule them and so growe carelesse and wilfully stubborne vnder pretence of the faults of their superiours But some one might say that by this meanes if the Magistrates did turne Christians they were left without rules of direction and so they should not know what to doe Answ. That inconuenience was long before preuented because the duety of Magistrates is fully taught in the old Testament which vnto a godly minde is of as great authority as the new Thus of the coherence and generall consideration of all the words The duty of Subiects followes to bee particularly considered of Submit Concerning Subiects here are fiue things to be considered of First the proposition of Doctrine in these words Submit your selues to euery ordinance of man for the Lords sake Secondly the exposition of it in one case and that is the Persons to whom they were to bee subiect to all sorts of Gouernors to Kings or any other Gouernours Thirdly the confirmation by reason Ver. 14 15. Fourthly the answer of an Obiection Vers. 16. Fiftly the conclusion Vers. 17. In the Proposition consider 1. The dutie to bee done Submit 2. The persons must doe it your selues 3. The things to which they must be subiect Ordinances where is a double extent viz to euery ordinance and though they be ordinances of men 4. The manner or motiue For the Lords sake Submit The duty is to submit vnto Magistrates Rom. 13.1 2. For Explication two things are to bee considered Why wee must submit and How we must submit For the first wee must submit 1. Because God is the Author of magistracy Gen. 9.6 Deut. 16.18 Prou. 8.15 Dan. 2.21 Ioh. 19.11 Rom. 13.1 4 6. Obiect The Diuell is said to bee the Prince of this world and hee claimeth all the kingdomes of the earth Ioh. 12.31 Mat. 4.8 9. Sol. Hee is the Prince of this world by malicious vsurpation not by any right 2. Hee is so in relation to wicked men hee is their king but not of others 3. Hee speakes like himselfe that is like the father of lyes when hee claimes all the kingdomes of the earth for no part of the world is his because The earth is the Lords and all that therein is Obiect But God was angry with the Israelites for their asking of a King and therefore it seemes it was not his ordinance that there should bee Kings Sol. Hee was not angry with them for desiring Gouernours for they had Gouernours before sent of God and the very king they had afterward God gaue them him Hos. 13.8 but hee was angry for the cause of their request Their faith and hope was in a manner spent and they conceiued more hope in a King then in God that had beene such a King to them so many yeares 2. Men must be subiect because God hath taken mens consciences bound to subiection Rom. 13. 3. Because kings are heads of the people and therfore as members it is agreeable that they should submit and bee ruled and guided 4. In respect of the benefit men receiue by Magistrates both in outward things and in matters of religion For outward things men enioy publike peace and quietnesse and protection by the helpe of the power of the Magistrate And for matters of Religion earthly Common-wealths are as it were Innes to lodge the Church in and Princes power affords protection so as Christians may more safely follow their calling and if they bee godly Kings they are the very nurses of Religion And thus of the reasons For the second this Submission hath in it sixe things the first is obedience to their lawes and commandements Tit. 3.1 The second is honour Rom. 13.7 for they are principalities and powers as the Angels shine in heauen so doe Princes on earth yea they are called Gods and so in two respects first as they are Gods Deputies and Viceroies God executes a part of his Kingdome by Kings Secondly as they beare the image of God and his authority and soueraignety Now we must performe this honour by reuerence and by feare of them and by iudging the best of them and their actions without conceiuing suspicious of them nor receiuing euill reports against them nor daring to speake euill of those dignities and Rulers of the people and by all thankefulnesse for the good wee receiue by them acknowledging to the full all their praises The third is Loyaltie by which we resolue and endeauour to the vttermost of our powers to maintaine and preserue the persons rights prerogatiues crowns and dignities of Princes If wee must lay downe our liues one for another then much more for our King and Countrey The fourth is Piety wee must pray for them with all manner of prayer wee must make supplications for Gods blessing vpon them and deprecations for the remouing euils from them and if they should sinne and God bee wroth with them wee should stand vp in the gap and make intercession for them and wee should giue thankes for all the mercies the Lord shewes vnto them 2. Tim. 2.1 The fift is Maintenance tribute must bee paide Rom. 13.7 Christ himselfe submitted herein The last is Subiection to their punishments Rom. 13.4 yea to their iniuries as Dauid Christ and the Apostles did submit themselues to the iniurious dealing of Saul Pilate and the Tyrants when perhaps they could haue made resistance Vse 1. The vse may be first for terrour to the seditious great hath beene the vengeance of God vpon Traytors the earth swallowed vp Corah Dathan and Abiram for their rebellion Absolon was hanged vp by the haire betweene heauen and earth as vnworthy both of heauen and earth The words of our Sauiour Christ are in an high degree true in this case He that taketh vp the sword shall perish by the sword And S. Paul saith They shall bee damned that resist the power Secondly it should much humble the better sort of men for diuers faults that are too common such as are the receiuing of euill reports and speaking euill with two frequent intemperancy grudging at the paiment of tribute and taxations euill surmises of the actions of Princes and the aptness to fauour thēselues in the liberty of doubting concerning obedience to them in things indifferent Thirdly all good Christians should bee perswaded to make conscience of this
protection of God to fall to trust vpon outward things Thus it was madnes in Dauid after so many trials of Gods power for him to stand about to number the people and to rest vpon the strength multitude of his subiects 2. Sam. 24.10 9. To be slow of heart to beleeue and treasure vp the promises of God and the proofes of Scripture that should comfort vs and warrant the truth of our saluation in Christ Luke 24.25 10. To speake proudly or wickedly and with prouocation to others especially to wicked men or if they themselues be wicked men Pro. 30.32 33 11. All dotages about earthly things are in a great degree madnes For godly men that are heirs of the promises and of the Kingdom of heauen to yeeld themselues ouer to the inticements and lusts after worldly things is maruelous folly and madnes especially in them who haue tasted knowne better things to neglect their glory which is their soules for so Dauid calleth his soule Psal. 30. vlt. and to serue the sensuall desires of their flesh is miserable folly 12. All sinfull courses are foolish courses and to deale sinfully is to deale madly Psal. 69.5 The last vse of this doctrine may bee to shew the vanity and insufficiency of all humane wit and learning and morall indowments in comparison of heauenly and spirituall knowledge and vnderstanding For if all vnregenerate men be foolish men then it will follow that a man may be a great wise man in this world and indued with all the ornaments of humane learning c. and yet at the same time in Gods sight bee accounted but as a naturall foole or a mad man in respect of his want of the true wisdome from aboue to discerne things that are excellent that is spirituall things Thus of the fourth doctrine Doct. 5. It is a hard task to ouercome and cure ignorance Ignorant men especially those that are bent against godlines are wonderfully vnteachable God himselfe is faine heere to deuise a strange way to silence them Salomon obserued that these men are wiser then any man that can giue a reason And if a foole be brayed in a morter yet his folly will not depart from him and a reproofe will enter more into a wise man then 100. stripes into a foole yea it is heere to be noted that it is hard to silence them from their reproches and follies The reasons are First because it is naturall to them to bee hatefull and hating others and it is a hard task to ouercome a naturall disposition in man Titus 3.3 Secondly because the vnregenerate minde of man is full of obiections and the diuell suffers many heads of purpose he prompts them and supplies them with cauils Thirdly because many with-hold the truth in vnrighteousnes they doe willingly misprison the truth they desire not information they loue darknes and lies and therefore are loth to haue what might satisfie them and resist the power of the truth and willingly striue to neglect doctrine in publike and Apologies in priuate Fourthly because they incourage one another in an euill way they obserue that the great men of the world and many that are in reputation for wisdome and learning are scorners as well as they yea it mightily confirmes them to heare many times in the very pulpits showres of reproches which ambitious and malicious temporizers powr out to strengthen the hands of the wicked and discourage the hearts of the righteous they think they may reuile securely because they heare that way euerie-where euill spoken of that cause and language is the cause and language of the multitude Fiftly because many ignorant persons when they are confuted yet are so foolish that they will willfully persist in their obiections vpon this pretence that though they cannot reply against the answer yet they think if such and such were there that haue more experience and learning they would confirme and make good what they say Sixtly because malice hath no eares they hate the truth and godly men and therefore are vtterly vnwilling to abate any thing of the disgraces of the truth or godly persons If it be not as they say yet their malice would faine haue it so and if it may disgrace the godly they care not whether it be true or no. Seuenthly because many times God giues them ouer to such a reprobate sence that through custome and euill thoughts and euill surmizes they think verily they doe not much amisse to oppose and hate such persons This was the case of such as reuiled and persecuted the Apostles they thought they did God good seruice as Christ prophesied of them The vses of this doctrine follow Vses First therefore we should not wonder if we see this daily come to pass that men of all sorts should reproch the good way of God so vniustly so foolishly so pertinaciously Secondly it shewes that godly men had neede to be circumspect and to watch their words and works with all exactnes and that they which will confute ignorant men must striue to bee very able and throughly furnished with wisdome of words and abundance of good works Thirdly it shewes that ignorant persons are in a lamentable case that are so in wrapped in the snares and cords of their owne folly that so willingly and wilfully runne towards the gates of death ruine that are so hardly cured of this spirituall blindenes Fourthly it imports that sturdy self-will'd peruerse Christians that cannot bee diuerted or aduised are to be reckoned in the rank of these fooles what shew soeuer they make of a better estate Fiftly it doth comfortably import that when one is teachable and hates reproching and will do or say nothing against the truth and is not pleased with his ignorance but iudgeth himselfe for it and vseth the meanes to get the knowledge and loue of the truth that such a person is escaped from the congregation of these fooles and is in some measure inlightened with true wisdome from aboue Sixtly it may warne all that loue their owne soules hereafter to take heede and with care to auoide wilfulnes and selfe-conceitednes Let men take heed they be not wise in themselues but striue to frame thēselues to be true workers of wisdom and withall to take heed of a multitude of words he that cannot be silent cannot be wise or godly And thus of the first doctrine Doct. 6. Sixtly wee may heere note that well-doing is the best way to confute wicked and vnreasonable men A sound and fruitfull life is the likeliest and surest way to still them if any thing will doe it it is the best way for diuers reasons 1. Because we see heere it is a course of Gods chusing and he saith it will euen muzzle them and binde vp their mouthes and hee will giue successe to the obedience of his owne commandements 2. Because by a conuersation full of good works we doe not onely confute them our selues but we make others able to answere
heauy sleep in sinne vnto an earnest care to liue righteously it should warn men euery where to repent Eph. 5.14 and the rather because this very patience of God in bearing thus long with them and the mercy offred them in the Gospell will increase to greater wrath and condemnation if men will not be warned Rom. 2.4 5. 2. Thes. 1.8 9. Doct. 3. Hence also it is cleer that God's Elect before their Calling haue liued in sinne as well as others Eph. 2.3 Tit. 3.3 Col. 3.6 Which is fit to be noted for diuers vses For first it sets out the rich mercy of God and his free grace in election and manifestly shewes that we merit not the blessing Eph. 2.3 4 c. And secondly it should teach the godly diuers duties as first not to bee proud or high-minded but rather remembring what they were to make them the more humble all their daies Secondly to despair of no man but rather to shew all meeknes toward all men 2. Tim. 2.25 Titus 3.2 3. Thirdly to cleaue fast vnto Christ in whose onely propitiation they can bee saued from their sinnes 1. Iohn 2.1 2. God forbid wee should reioyce in any thing more than in Christ and him crucified Gal. 6.16 Lastly wee should think it more than enough that we haue heertofore liued in sinne wee should henceforth resolue to spend that little time that remaineth in a carefull obedience vnto God's will ceasing from sinne 1. Peter 4.1 2 3. Thus of the doctrines implied in the Text. The doctrines that may bee gathered more expresly follow Doct. 1. None but mortified Christians are true Christians It is manifest that none haue part in Christ but such as are dead to sin such men onely doth Christ acknowledge for hee is a Redeemer to none but such as turn from transgression in Iacob Esay 59.20 All that are in Christ are new creatures their old things are past and all things new 2. Cor. 5.17 None are Christ's but such as beare the similitude of his death in their dying to sinne Rom. 6. Men lose their Baptism if they bee not baptized into the death of Christ. Such men as place their happinesse in worldly things are not the right seed but such onely as are born by promise that is that receiued life by the promises of grace and a better life Rom. 9.8 Christ was sent to preach glad tidings to such as mourne in Sion Esay 61.1 2 3. The mourners in Ierusalem were the onely men that were marked for God Ezechiel 9. Christ will haue no Disciples but such as will deny themselues Luke 9. and are not fashioned according to this world Rom. 12.2 And this should teach men to haue mortified Christians in greater honour and to esteem highly of such as will not be corrupted with the excesse of the times and doo shew by a sound conuersation that they are weaned from the lust after earthly things and are consecrated to God and his seruice Wee should honour and acknowledge such aboue all other men in the world yea in the Church It should also compell vpon vs a care of a mortified life and a daily resisting of sin and the diuell and striuing to be made like to Christ. Finally if the count must be made by mortification there will then bee but a short count vpon earth for look into Christian Churches and cast out first all open profane persons such as are drunkards fornicators swearers murderers railers against goodnes such as serue vanity and shew it by strange apparell and such like men secondly all open idolaters and superstitious persons and such as hold damnable opinions Thirdly all ciuill-honest men such as haue onely the praise of men for a harmelesse conuersation in the world but haue no taste of Religion or conscience of zeale for Gods glory Fourthly all open worldlings that minde not heauenly things and sauour nothing but the things of this world and lastly all hypocrites that make a shew of mortification and yet are not mortified and then suppose how small a number will be left in euery place to be reckned in this list of true Christians Doct. 2. Mortification is the very first step of grace and the entrance into all power of godlines Till our sinnes bee foundly crucifyed and dead no work of Religion that is acceptable to God can be done and therefor Iohn Baptist and Christ and the Apostles call for repentance as the first thing that opens a way into the Kingdome of heauen because else sinne vnrepented like a prison will infect all wee doe Esay 1.13 to 16. Besides the heart of man being naturally like a stone or iron til it bee softned no impression of grace can bee fastned vpon it and if the ground of our hearts be not well plowed vp the â—eed of the Word cannot but bee lost Ierem. 4.4 The seed cast vpon the high way will be picked vp by the fowles of the aire and not growe or if any seed or plant of grace did grow for a while in the heart yet the weedes of sinne would ouergrowe and choake all as is euident in seed sowne in thorny ground or plants set in ground that is not digged and weeded And further while the person is euill the work will be vile and abominable An euill tree cannot bring foorth good fruit And therefore this shewes that such Christians as leape into the profession of Religion so easily and think it is no more but to giue-ouer ill courses and fall to the practice of good duties are deceiued For if by sound mortification their sinnes past bee not bewayled and they soundly humbled either their sinnes will after a while growe and reuiue againe or else the conscience of these sinnes will secretly throughout their liues torment them or else the diuell on a sudden may seaze vpon them with despaire hauing so manifest a reason against them that they did neuer practise mortification for their sinnes Besides lamentable experience shewes in those places where Christians are not soundly formed at first in the exercise of mortification they lead their liues in a dull course of profession and haue not the experience of the life and power of Religion in themselues for the ioyes of it or towards others in the practice of it The mourners in Sion and such as are broken-harted are the most glorious and the most fruitfull Christians Esay 61.1 2 3 4. and continue in the greatest power of religion And further it may bee noted in the best of those that their separation from the loue of the world is most really performed as hath appeared when in any speciall works of men or for the help of the Church of GOD they are called vpon to shew their zeale by their bounty in such cases one poore Macedonian would shame a hundred of those rich Corinthians Doct. 3. True repentance for sinne doth in diuers respects kill a man it strikes him dead to repent is to bee a dead man not onely in respect
Prouer. 13.19 And whereas there is no peace to the wicked the righteous is at peace with God with Angels with the creatures and with all godly men Fourthly because it is the most durable life for the fear of the Lord prolongeth the daies but the yeers of the wicked shall be shortned Pro. 10.27 30. The way of righteousnes is life and in the path-way thereof is no death Prouerbs 12.28 As a whirl-winde so is the wicked seen no more but the righteous is an euerlasting foundation Prouer. 10.25 Fiftly because it is a life that ends the best of all mens liues for the wicked is driuen away in his wickednes but the righteous hath hope in his death and great hope too hauing the promises of a better life and so much glory as the eye of mortall man neuer saw nor ear of man heard nor came into the hart of a naturall man Pro. 14.32 1. Tim. 6. 1. Cor. 2.9 Sixtly because righteousnes is more proper to the soule What is riches or honour or any outward thing to the soule of a man or what shall it profit a man to prouide for the whole world to be his estate if hee prouide not grace for his soule Riches profit but the outward estates of a man whereas righteousnes profits the man himselfe And therefore Adam's losse was greater in losing his innocency than in losing of Paradise What can it profit a man to haue all other things good about him if he be not good himself Vse The vse should bee first for triall Men should throughly search themselues whether they be indeed righteous men and the more carefully should they search because the most righteous on earth haue their many ignorances and frailties There is no man but sinneth daily and in many things and besides a man may attaine to some kinde of righteousnes and yet not enter into the Kingdome of heauen as there is a generation that are pure in their owne eies and yet are not clensed from their sinnes And the Pharises had a righteousnes that had many praises they gaue alms and fasted and praied long praiers and did that which was warrantable in respect of the Law outwardly and yet if our righteousnes exceed not the righteousnes of the Scribes and Pharises we cannot enter into the Kingdome of heauen Quest. But how may a man knowe all his infirmities notwithstanding hee bee truely righteous and haue such a righteousnes as doth exceed the righteousnes of the Scribes and Pharises Ans. For answer heerunto I will cast the signes of a righteous man into two ranks First such as describe him in himself secondly such as describe him in the difference from Pharisaicall righteousnesse The signes that describe him in himself either appeare vpon him in his infancy or in his ripe age In the very infancy of the iust man euen when God first changeth his heart and clenseth him and raiseth him vp to liue righteously there bee diuers things by which hee may discern the truth of his sanctification as First by the dissoluing of the stoninesse of his heart When God comes effectually to clense a man hee takes away the stony heart out of the body and giues him a heart of flesh he may feele his heart melt within him especially when hee stands before the Lord when the Lord is fashioning of him for himself by his Ordinances Ezech. 36.25 26. Hee hath a new heart that hath not a stony heart Secondly by the rising of the day starre in his heart The Father of lights when he reneweth the heart of a man causeth a sudden heauenly light as it were a starre to shine in the vnderstanding by vertue of which men see more into the mysteries of Religion in that first moment than they did all the daies of their life before This is that new spirit the Prophet speaks of Hee that sate in darknes before now sees a great light he sees and wonders at diuine things in Religion whereas before hee was a sot and vnderstood nothing with any power or life and by the comforts of this light he can heare as the Learned vnderstands doctrine in a moment which before was altogether harsh and dark vnto him 2. Peter 1.19 Ezechiel 36.28 Psalm 119.130 Mathew 4.16 Esay 50.4 Thirdly by his vehement desire to righteousnes or after righteousnes Mathew 5.5 Which hee shewes many waies as by the loathing of himself for his want of righteousnes and for all his wayes that were not good Ezech. 36.35 and by his estimation of righteousnes aboue riches all worldly things Psalm 3.8 9. and by his affectionate enquiry after directions for righteousnes Men and brethren what shall we doo to be saued Acts 2.37 and by his longing after the Word of truth by which he may learn righteousnes Fourthly by his estimation of righteousnes in others he honours them that fear the Lord as the onely Noble Ones all his delight is in them and he loues them and longs after them for righteousnes sake Fiftly by the couenant he makes in his heart about righteousnes he not onely consents to obey Esay 1.19 but hires himself as a seruant to righteousnes resoluing to liue to righteousnes and spend not an houre in a day but a life in the seruice of righteousnes Rom. 6.13 18. And as the righteous man growes more strong and better acquainted with God and his Ordinances and the works of righteousnes other signes break-out vpon him which doo infallibly prooue the happinesse of his condition such as are First vexation in his soule at the wickednes and vnrighteousnes of others 2. Pet. 2.8 Secondly reioycing with ioy vnspeakable and glorious when he feels the comforts of GOD's presence and begins to see some euidence of Gods loue to him in Christ 1. Pet. 1.9 Thirdly the personall and passionate loue of the Lord Iesus Christ the Fountain of righteousnes though hee neuer saw him in the flesh esteeming him aboue all persons and things 1. Peter 1.9 Phil. 3.8 9. longing after his comming with great striuings of affections 2. Cor. 5. 2. Tim. 4.8 c. Fourthly flourishing like a Palm-tree when he is planted in the House of the Lord and enioyes powerfull means in the House of his God growing like the Willowes by the water-courses Psalm 92.12 13. and 1.3 Fiftly resolution to suffer any thing for righteousnes sake Mat. 5.12 so as hee will forsake father or mother house or lands yea life it self rather than forsake the truth and the good way of God Mat. 16.23 Mark 10.29 Sixtly he liues by faith The iust liues by faith In all estates of life he casteth his cares and himself vpon God trusting on the merits of Iesus Christ and is in nothing carefull but patiently waits vpon God Gal. 2.2 Heb. 10.38 Gal. 3.11 And thus he is described in himself Now his righteousnes is distinguished from the righteousnes of the Scribes and Pharises by diuers signes and marks as First in the ends of it