sinne God onely wils to permit Acts 14.16 but it is not God's willing of evill is here meant As the will of God concernes us in matter of good it may be considered either evangelically or legally Evangelically his will gives order what shall be done with us and so he wils the salvation of his Elect Ephes. 1.11 Ioh. 6.40 Legally his will gives order what shall be done by us and so hee wils our sanctification in all the rules of it and in every part Col. 1.10 By the will of God in this place then he meanes the Word of God as it containes the revelation of what God would have done by his servants in the cases specified in this Text. Many things may be observed out of these words Doct. 1. First we may take notice of the two onely Springs of all things to be knowne in Religion in these words viz. God and his will God and the word of God God is principium essendi the Author of their being and the will or word of God is principium cognoscendi the fountaine of the knowledge of them Doct. 2. God doth will all that which is to be done by his servants in any part of their obedience or in any case of their lives as here the course they are to take either toward the Magistrate or toward their enemies God wils it that is he doth in himselfe approve or determine or appoint and by his Word he doth warrant and require it And the same is true of all the well-doings of godly men God wils them which I observe for these uses Uses First it may be a great comfort to a Christian when hee knowes hee hath done what God would have him to doe for then hee may bee sure God will not forget his labour and worke of love and obedience Heb. 6.8 The Hebrew that signifieth will signifies pleasure and delight and when it is given to God it notes that what he wils he takes pleasure in as in Esay 62.4 Hophzibah My will is in her or My delight is in him God takes great delight when we doe his will Every carefull Christian is his Hophzibah And besides if God doe will we should doe so God will defend and protect us in our wayes that may support us against all the crosses or oppositions that may be like to befall us And that made the Apostles place in every Epistle that They were Apostles by the will of God And so such godly Christians as obey the humane ordinances of men in these times of quarrell and contention must comfort themselves with this that Thus was the will of God that they should so obey and that must support them against the contrary wils of men otherwise minded how well soever reputed of and make them bring their owne hearts into obedience to that which God would have them to doe c. Doct. 3. The word of God is the willing of God and so called here and God's word may be said to be his will in two respects either because of the forme or in respect of the matter In respect of the forme it may bee called his will because it is digested in forme of a Testament and Christ the Wisdome of God hath set it in such forme as if it were his last Will and Testament as in some respects it is Or else chiefly because what God doth expresse or require in the Scriptures is agreeable to the very nature and will of God he doth in himselfe will it as well as in his Word promise or require it Which shewes a great difference betweene the lawes of Princes and the Lawes of God For many times the lawes of Princes agree not with the natures and hearts of Princes whereas God's word is alwayes agreeable to God's will and withall this should the more quicken to obedience because by conforming our selves to God's word wee conforme our selves to God's nature And further it may comfort us in the hope of strength to be enabled to doe God's will and what he requires because he wils what we should doe For God's will causeth an impression upon the creature it gives assistance it will see it done he will worke our works for us God's word is a Word of power it works what it wils which mens lawes cannot doe When we know God wils such a thing in his Word to be done wee should conceive that hee doth not onely shew us by that place what is to be done but also what assistance we shall have to doe it Doct. 4. The will of God is the rule of our actions what he wils wee must doe and so it is urged here by the Apostle and therefore it should teach us to labour to understand what his will is since all is lost that is not conformed to this rule Ephes. 5.10 We must get us to the Law and to the Testimonies For whatsoever is not directed from thence hath no light in it Esay 8.20 Secondly we must goe to God and pray him to teach us to doe his will since he hath enrolled it in his Word Psal. 143.10 Thirdly if this doctrine were throughly digested unruly froward and wilfull Christians would make more conscience of their passionate and incorrigible courses Let them looke to it in time they must give account to him that so hath prescribed rules by his will that hee will not admit of courses carried onely by their wils Fourthly inferiours must looke to the warrant of their actions it is not the will of man but the will of God can justifie them to doe well 1 Pet. 4.2 Lastly if his will rule us then wee must take heed of that fault of making the lawes of our wils the causes of his will as they doe that thinke God must will to doe nothing with wicked men unlesse his will bee confined to certaine rules which they conceive in their wils Doct. 5. That the bare signification of Gods will should bee argument enough to perswade a godly Chistian to doe any thing though it bee to deny himselfe or to goe a course which is crosse to his owne desires The knowledge of God's will alone doth compell a godly minde to obey It is not the Majesty or the rewards of God but God's will which alone sufficeth to guide him which may try the obedience of man by the motives For onely the sound Christian will obey simply for the commandement sake and must teach us to sticke to it the bare will of God must rule us though there were never so many men contrary-minded Use. The use is for triall of hypocrites the true Christian layes downe all his owne courses as soone as ever he heares the sound of Gods will Doct. 6. The practice of a Christian must be conformed just according to the patterne so is the will of God it must be just so as the will of God is so from the manner as well as from the matter Which should teach us three things First to walke circumspectly seeing we must
by the light of nature imprinting in man certaine common notions or small sparkles of divine light 2. Secondly by the booke of the creatures by these he did blow and nourish and more kindle the sparkles infused by nature 3. Thirdly when both these proved insufficient by mans sin God revealed himselfe by his word but after divers manners Heb. 1.1 Sometimes by dreames when men were asleep Sometimes by Visions when men were awake Sometimes by types and resemblances Sometimes by Christ the Son of God and so sometimes in the likenesse of a man and in the last age of the world in a true humane nature Sometimes by Angels But most usually by the ministery of man Now the men imployed to reveale Gods will were called either Extraordinarily as Prophets and Apostles or Ordinarily as the Priests and Levites under the Law or the Ministers now under the Gospell So that we now see who these Prophets were It is true that the word Prophet or Prophesie is diversly taken Sometimes more generally for any that foretell things to come so every Preacher is a Prophet and to preach is to prophesie 1 Cor. 14. sometimes it is taken more restrainedly for those that foretell by inspiration or speciall revelation these were called in old time SEERS Those students in the ancient Colledges that were of speciall gifts and more hopefull were called Prophets not that they did all prophesie but because the Spirit did use to fall upon such men Those called children of the Prophets were yonger students that attended upon and were directed by those grave and more ancient Divines Through the abuse of the succeeding time those that were taken out of these Colledges to serve Princes though many times they were men most ambitious and covetous yet were called still Prophets But the Prophets here meant were onely those holy men that by the immediate inspiration of the Spirit of God did foretell things to come concerning the Church and kingdome of Jesus Christ. Now in that the Lord refers us to the testimony of the Prophets it may serve for divers uses 1. First it shewes the excellency of Theologie or the truth according to godlinesse in that it is penned and confirmed by such admirable instruments 2. Secondly it shews that in matters of religion men must have recourse to the testimony of the Prophets their writings are the true touchstone aâ—d square And so in matters of consolation if the Prophets speak comfortably to our hearts it matters not what all the world besides saies or thinks of us sure it is that Christ came not to destroy either Law or Prophets and therefore by them we shall be tryed whether we will or no. 3. It should quicken us to study the writings of the Prophets wee cannot receive their persons now into our houses nor build tombs for them but wee may receive their writings into our hearts and it will be made good that hee that receiveth the writings of one of these Prophets in the name of a Prophet shall have a Prophets reward In the meane time wee have a sure woid tâ— which we may doe well to trust without all wavering Which prophesied of the grace that should come unto you By grace to come he meanes those excellent priviledges that God of his free grace would bestow upon the Christian Churches more than upon any Churches before The Prophets then did foretell of certain great prerogatives with which we Christians should be honoured But what were those priviledges in particular There are an eleven prerogatives of the Christian Church wherein God hath dealt wonderfully graciously with us 1. The exhibiting of Christ in the flesh 2. The freedâ—me from the bondage of the ceremoniall law Gal. 4.1,2.2 â— The admission of the Gentiles to be copartners with the Jewes Eph. 2. 3.2 to 7. 4. The multitude of beleevers in comparison of former ages Esay 54. 1,2,3 5. The more evident vision or manifestation of Gods speciall favour and kâ—â—dnesâ—e in Christ Jesus testified more fully both by the word and spirit The Lord iâ— now fond over the Christian Churches and doth more familâ—â—rly reveale his love nâ—w Eph. 2.7 6. The mâ—re evident clearing of our release from the morall law in respest of the rigorous perfection of it we are not now under the law but under grace so that if sinne have not dominion in us our obedience will be accepted Rom. 6.14 7. A large extent in the proclamation of pardon and forgivenesse of sins so as now any man may get a pardon that will seek it out in the name of Christ Act. 10.43 8. The powring out of the holy Ghost and that either extraordinarily as in the primitive Church or in the measure of ordinary gifts as in utterance knowledge c. 1 Cor. 1.4 5 6. 9. The eminencie of holy life and that in the meaner sort of Christians as well as the greater This is onely true of a remnant that are of the election of grace and so for the power of practice that never age saw it more lively than it is now in many of all conditions that truely feare God Esay 35.8 10. Abundance of outward blessings This God hath promised Esay 60.15,17 and performed in severall states of the Church in divers ages 11. Lastly the more manifest revelation of the doctrine of heaven and eternall life immortality being brought to light by the Gospell so as now wee need not to be taught by the dark shadowes of temporall and earthly ceremonies Now since the holy Ghost hath made us to know that these are times of such excellent graces it may instruct us diversly For in some things it may order us toward our selves and in some things toward others There are foure things we may learne for our selves First let us take heed lest any man faile of the grace of God For wofull experience shews that many thousands even in this light are as destitute of this grace as ever Jew or Gentiles were Now that we may not faile of the grace of God we must doe foure things 1. We must be subject to the Gospell For the Gospell is called the Gospell of the grace of God 2. We must take heed of resisting grieving and despighting of the spirit of grace 3. We must take heed we doe not frustrate the grace of God Gal. 2.21 and so men doe 1. By seeking justification in their own works 2. By neglecting it when it is offered by the word and spirit of God 3. By turning the grace of God into wantonnesse as they doe that make the promises of God and our liberty in Jesus Christ a bawd and cloak for sinne 4. We must goe to the throne of grace and beg grace of God with all importunity giving him no rest till he heare and shew mercy Heb. 4. ult Secondly the consideration of these times of the speciall and plentifull grace of God offered in the Gospell should teach us not onely to get knowledge and grace but
or to the poore or to the Church or to the service of my country or to the conversion of soules c. have I ministred the wit or learning or wealth or power the Lord hath given me Contrariwise it cannot but be wofull to some to remember on their death beds that they have spent their meanes and gifts to promote wicked courses and to procure sinne or to maintaine the riotous or gamesters or whores or dogs or any way their own lusts oh what wil they say when they are asked whom have you clothed fed comforted counselled admonished c. But unto us But why are we honoured thus and not the Prophets The Lord sheweth mercy on whom he will shew mercy I meane it for the manner and time and measure and meanes we must not herein dispute with God yet even this tends wonderfully to the praise of Gods constant love to his Church we see he doth not grow weary of his affection he did not spend all his grace and favour upon Kings Patriarchs and Prophets but he is ready to entertaine even the prodigall sonne of the Gentiles with as hearty or rather more hearty entertainment then ever he did the Jewish children that had not departed out of their fathers houshold Secondly this also shews that extraordinary gifts are not the best for us wee want the gifts of prophesie but to have the glorious grace of Christ is better then all for we see the Prophets desired it more and great reason for one may be a Prophet and yet not be saved Math. 7. but so one cannot have the true grace of Christ but they shall be saved hee is in better case that can pray with the Spirit then he that can prophesie For God is rich to all that call upon him and whosoever calleth on the name of the Lord shall be saved Rom. 10.10 Ioel 2. Besides we may note here that God will not be bound to shew his tenderest kindnesse to his best servants no doubt the Prophets were better servants to God then we are yet you see they must not envie it to know that others shall be more made on then they Finally here is implyed that Gods promises and provisions of grace can never be in vaine If it be not for the Prophets yet it must be for us For so in the originall it is as if it were rendered but yet unto us to note that no word of God shall be in vaine Esay 55.11 They did minister This phrase imports divers things 1. Wee are here againe occasioned to think of a strange depth of respect God beares to the meanest of his children none are too good in his account to doe them service the Prophets must not think scorne to minister to them yea so doth God reckon of them that Kings and Queenes must not be too good to nurse them yea we see here the Angels are desirous to know or doe any thing that concerns them yea the holy Ghost will leave heaven to doe them good Oh the bottomlesse depth of Gods love and oh the barrennesse and shallownesse and unthankfulnesse of mans heart that cannot be more inflamed towards God to render love for love yea wee should be afraid ever to challenge God for want of love we should account it a great offence to call his affection in question the Lord takes it wonderfull ill Esay 49.15 16. 40.26 oh that God should love us so beyond all president all desert yea above all we could desire and yet we be still so slow hearted 2. From this phrase we may note that the greatest in the Church ought to account it their honour to doe service to their brethren It it charged upon all without exception to serve one another by love Gal. 5. and Christ saith of the greatest let him be your servant Mat. 20. The Use is for all of us to search our hearts to see whether we can finde such a noisome pride in our selves as that at any time we should think our selves too good to doe Gods work or to doe service to any of Gods people if we doe find it let us purge it out as vile leaven and be humbled for it before God else the Lord may perhaps finde out waies to shame us and scourge us that we dreame not of 3. This word Minister as it is in the originall excellently imports how we should serve one another For it is to serve as the Deacons did 1. out of conscience of a calling and commandement from God 2. with all diligence 3. constantly 4. cheerfully Rom. 12.5 with all humility making our selves equall with them of the lower sort All this the Deacons did 4. This word imports that spirituall things are from God onely in respect of beginning and as the primary cause For the Prophets doe but minister them They have nothing but that they have received for every good and perfect gift commeth downe from God the Father of lights which should teach us in the use of all meanes to direct our hearts to God The things which were reported unto you These words evidently shew First that the primitive Church was first taught by tradition that is by lively voice not by written Scriptures onely so was Adam so were the Patriarks for the first 2000. yeares 1 Thes. 2.15 But might some one say Doth not this wonderfully make for the Papists in their opinion about traditions No whit at all and that this point may be more fully understood I will shew out of Scripture that the word Tradition hath been taken three waies and then declare particularly that this doctrine can make nothing for the Papists 1. Sometimes by traditions are meant the inventions or precepts of men imposed with opinion of holinesse and necessity upon the consciences of men and so it is taken and taxed Mat. 15.2 3 6. Col. 2.8 2. Sometimes by traditions are meant certaine rules prescribed by the Apostles concerning things indifferent and their use Thus the Corinthians are praised because they kept the traditions as the Apostle delivered them unto them 1 Cor. 11.2 3. Sometimes by traditions are meant certaine orders appointed by the Apostles for the prevention of disorder in manners in the Churches of Christians and thus I take it to be understood 2 Thes. 3.6 when condemning such as would not work he saith they walk disorderly and not after the traditions which ye received of us It seemes the Apostle had prescribed some courses for preventing of idlenesse and such inconveniences 4 Sometimes it is taken for the very word of God delivered by lively voice so the word was delivered 2000. years before the law 5. Sometimes it is taken for the word of God as it was first delivered by the Apostles while the Scriptures was yet unfinished whether it were delivered by report or writings and so 2 Thes. 2.15 1 Cor. 11.23 15.3 According to the fourth sense or this last it is taken here Now this can make nothing for
The fore-ordination of Christ. 2. The time of it before the foundation of the world Who â—â—â—â—ly was fore-ordained This word leads us beyond time into the secret and eternall counsell of God giving us a glimpse of Gods eternall statutes especially concerning the eternall happinesse of the Elect by Christ. All Scripture intreats either of God or his works The works of God are either internall or externall The internall are likewise eternall before time The externall are in time Of God the Scriptures draw us a perfect image as the weaknesse of man can be capable of it Of the works of God externall and in time the Scripture likewise plentifully discourseth as far as is needfull to salvation Of the works of God internall there is also some little glimpse given in Scripture not so much to satisfie the curiosity of mens minds as to ravish the hearts of the godly with incitations that might the better guide them to contentment in their happy estate yet there is but little because men should not be led aside from attending the present meanes of their everlasting happinesse and because as yet the nature of man is not capable of so glorious revelations The works of God before time are either personall or essentiall The personall works are such works ad intra as passe from the three persons in the Trinity one to other incommunicably as the begetting of the Sonne the proceeding of the holy Ghost The essentiall works are such as all the three persons doe joyne in without division and these are those eternall statutes or decrees the making of those unsearchable lawes concerning the disposing of the Kingdome of God in time in the erecting and ordering of the world God as a wise Carpenter before he build resolves upon the plot in his head and as a wise King before he enters into the administration of the Kingdome resolves upon the lawes by which to governe it These statutes have in Scripture foure singular praises 1. They are in respect of us unsearchable far beyond the reach of any mortall braine Rom. 11. 2. They are marvellous glorious for the wonderfull majesty and mercy and justice of them such as to looke in at them but through a chincke as it were ravisheth the Apostle into that exclamation depthsâ— c. Rom. 11. 3. They are unchangeable like the lawes of the Mâ—der and Persians so as they never lose a jot of their force till they come â—or the last pâ—â—iod Rom. 8.30 4. They are eternall as here is said before the foundation of the world so Eph. 1.5 Mat. 25.34 The Lord hath drawne these statutes in foure books each containing a severall draught of them 1. The first is the booke of nature Hee hath iugraven certaine ordinances unchangeable in the creatures by viewing which impressions man might be made without excuse 2. The second is the booke of conscience The Lord in the hearts of the Elect causing an impression of immortall truths wherein he declares his will so far as may concerne the salvation of that particular Elect of God 3. The third is the booke of Scripture in which he hath drawne a most exact draught of his lawes and will for so much as may concerne the salvation of all or any of Gods Elect. 4. Now the fourth and most absolute booke of statutes is that booke of life wherein from all eternity God hath enrowled the nature and ends of all things and there are also many other things besides the salvation of the Elect Psal. 139.16 a speciall part of which is the Lambes booke of life Revel 21.27 Now unto this booke doth this word fore-ordained leade us The word in the Originall is properly fore-seâ—ne Now there are three kinds of fore-sight 1. First that bare knowledge of things and this reacheth to all things that ever shall be 2. Secondly that knowledge of approbation God knowing man above others with his speciall favour this reacheth onely to the Elect. 3. Now there is a third kind of knowledg or fore-knowledg when God is said to know things as a Judge doth in giving sentence Hence Plebiscitum was an ordinâ—â—ce made by the commons and so when the Judge had sentenced a cause he was said to have knowne the cause In this last sense the word is here taken and therefore well rendred fore-ordained to note such a fore-sight as had a determination and statute in it The decrees of God are by some Divines distinguished by the names of Providence and Predestination Providence they would have containe all that order that the Lord tooke from all eternity concerning all things in the world whatsoever so as there is nothing but is lyable to Gods decree Now Predestination comprehends onely those decrees that concerne the reasonable creatures and especially those that concerne the Election of some of them There is a threefold Election or the Elect may be cast into three ranks 1. There is the Election of man unto salvation 2. There is the Election of Angels unto confirmation in their estates 3. There is the Election of Christ unto the Mediatorship and headship over Angels and men Of this hee meanes here and the decree concerning the Election of Christ is the most illustrious of all the rest and concernes the execution of the most glorious worke that ever was to be in the world The summe then is that the Lord in his booke of eternall statutes hath recorded and determined concerning this course of saving man by the mediation of his Sonne Christ is fore-ordained in respect of his office of Mediatorship not simply in respect of his person as God for so hee is not the person predestinated but with the Father and holy Ghost it is he that doth predestinate 〈◊〉 s he was to shew himselfe God made man as Mediator beâ—weene God and man so he was subject to that ordinance Quest. Now what use may be made of this that we here find that God is so carefull to make all sure concerning our redemption in Christ Answ. First it may serve for consolation we need never doubt but God will accomplish all his goodnesse to us in his Sonne seeing hee hath bound himselfe and Christ to it by his everlasting decrees it is an ordinance must never be changed we see God after all this time acknowledgeth it in this texâ— to be belâ—eved to the worlds end Secondly it may serve for instruction 1. Shall we not be ashamed of our negligence that have not with all diligence laboured to make our calling and election sure when wee see God so carefull to make all sure 2. Shall wee not ever willingly be subject to Gods statutes and lawes when we see Christ himselfe subject himselfe to Gods ordinances and that from all eternity 3. Shall we not long for those times when those eternall statutes shall be opeâ—ed and Gods counsels displayed to our infinite joy Thirdly it may informe us concerning Gods wonderfull hatred of sinne in that from eternity he cannot
account it a marvellous felicity if the Lord admit us to be members of the true Church in places where Gods work prospers The Lord gives this promise in Esay to comfort them against all the miseâ—ies were outwardly to fâ—ll upon them This work should make amends for all other troubles If God build 〈◊〉 in spirituall things he gives us double for all outward crosses we should strive with our own hearts to be exceedingly affected with the happinesse of our owne condition on earth when wee know our interest in Sion we should live without feare yea everlasting joy should be upon our heads and sorrow and mourning should flee away Esay 31.10 and the rather if we consider the prerogatives of Sion above all the world besides For First the Lord dwels there It is the Palace of his residence on earth as hath been shewed before Secondly the favour of God shines there He delights in his people and joyes in all the members of Sion He rejoyceth over them with joy Zâ—ph 3. 15 16 17 Psal. 86.2 Thirdly in Sion we are loosed from our setters and bonds It is a place where the Captives goe free The Lord turnes back the captivity of his people Psal. 14.7 Fourthly in her Palaces God is known for a refuge in all distresses Psal. 48.3 There is wonderfull safety there The Lord doth mightily preserve and defend his people we are safe if wee be members of the true Church and have true grace the greatest adversaries labour in vaine and seeking see and marvell and haste away Psal. 48.11.12 They shall certainly be confounded and turned back that hate Sion Psal. 129.5 Upon every place of mount Sion shall be defence Sion is a quiet habitation God hath his yeere of recompence for the controversies of Sion and his day of vengeance Esa. 34.8 Fiftly the Law comes out of Sion and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem There we have directions for our life and for eternall life Esay 2.3 It is Gods foddering place there he gives us shepheards to feed us Ier. 3.14 Sixtly the inhabitants of Sion have all remission of sins and the healing of their infirmities as the Prophet shews in those words excellently The inhabitant thereof shall not say I am sick the people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity Esay 33.24 Seventhly all the good newes is there to be had we are naturally Athenians we love to tell and heare newes if we were spiritually so Oh! how would we rejoyce in Sion whose spirituall glory is to bring good tidings Esay 40.9 and 41.27 and 52.7 c. Eighthly If the Lord be displeased with Sion yet it is but for a moment he will returne in everlasting compassion It is a sure thing The Lord will yet have mercy upon Sion Psal. 102.14 He will againe comfort Sion and make his wildernesse like Eden his Desart like the garden of the Lord Isa. 51.3 Lastly and specially we should rejoyce in Sion because the Redeemer comes to Sion and to them that turne from their transgressions in Iacob Isay 59.20 Yea salvation onely comes out of Sion Psal. 14.7 In Sion onely hath God placed salvation for Israel his glory Esay 46. â—lt And therefore wee should labour to walk worthy of so great mercies of God and live with all contentment whatsoever our outward estate be Every poore Christian should think themselves abundantly happy What shall one answer the messengers of the nations saith the Prophet Why thus That the Lord hath founded Sion and the poore of his people shall trust in it Esay 14.32 Especially if we consider that of the Psalme that the Lord hath there commanded the blessing even life for evermore Psal. 133.3 Thuâ— it should serve for consolation Eighthly It imports and imputes also great reproof and so to two sorts of men First to the godly themselves that live not comfortably and are daily distressed with unbeleefe shall any distresses now make Sion droop The Lord takes it wonderfully unkindly that Sion said God hath forsaken me and my God hath forgotten me and pleads earnestly to prove that it was false What saies the Prophet Micah is there no King in thee why dost thou cry out Mic. 4.8 9 10 11 12 13. And the Prophet Ieremie notes it with indignation Behold saith he the voice of the cry of the daughter of my people because of them that dwell in farre countries Is not the Lord in Sion Is not her King in her Ier. 8.19 Secondly to carelesse and carnall Christians Is the Lord about so great a work as founding of Sion and forming Christ in the hearts of men Then woe to them that are at ease in Sion and can sit still and securely neglect so great salvation brought unto them Amos 6. â— A corner stone Christ is described by these words A corner stone elect and precious Hee is likened to the foundation stone in the corner of the building by which similitude divers Doctrines are imported as First that Christ is the foundation of all the building of grace and godlinesse in the Church and the onely corner stone Heb. 1.3 Ioh. 5.39 Other foundation can no man lay then that which is laid which is Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 3. which should both teach us and informe us it should teach us where to begin when we goe about the work of godlinesse and eternall life We must begin at Christ All the building of true grace must begin at Christ and our redemption in him till wee have learned Christ we have learned nothing and it should teach us also to stay our hearts in all estates upon Christ we should rest in him as the building doth upon the foundation And further it should teach us to ascribe all the praise of the grace or hope wee have received unto Christ and the support we have from him And it may informe us concerning the dotage of the Papists who make Peter the rock and foundation of the Church and yet here we have the testimony and doctrine of Peter himself to the contrary teaching us to acknowledge no other rock of foundation but Christ himselfe Secondly we here are instructed concerning the union of Jews and Gentiles in one Christ The two sides of the building meet all in the corner and are both fastned upon this one foundation of Christ crucified Thirdly it is here imported that Gods building even in these times of the Gospell is not finished nor will be in this life till all the elect be called He is for the most part imploied in laying the foundation and fastning tho Elect as they rise in their severall ages as lively stones upon this living stone But the work will not be finished till we be setled in that Building made without hands in heaven Fourthly hence we may gather a testimony of the two natures of Christ or in Christ. He is God because he must be beleeved on and he is man because hee is part of the Building and
nor to be dejected if our faith prosper and it should be a great comfort to poore Christians in all their wants if the Lord have made them rich in faith He is a great rich man that hath a strong faith And therefore also wee should learne to judge of men not according to the flesh or these outward things but ever acknowledge more honour to a faithfull Christian than to any rich wicked man And it is a great signe of our owne uprightnesse of heart when we can judge of Christians as God judgeth and without dissimulation account them the onely excellent Ones Secondly in particular wee may here observe the necessity of faith in respect both of the favour of God and the merits of Christ we cannot please God though we be in Sion without beleeving Heb. 11.6 and without faith we see here we are not built upon the foundation and so have no part as yet in Christ. And therefore wee should every one be throughly awakened to examine our selves whether wee have this precious faith or no 2 Cor. 13.5 and to keepe our owne soules with so much attendance hereupon as to be sure the Tempter deceive us not in our faith 1 Thes. 3.4 And here especially take heed that thou dash not thy soule upon the rock either of ignorance or presumption of ignorance as many doe that to this day know not what a true faith is of presumption as many doe that entertaine without all ground from Gods promises a hope to be saved which they call a strong faith in Christ and yet live in their sinnes without repentance and here never taste of the sweetnesse of spirituall things nor shew the affections of godlinesse in Gods service Thirdly note that hee saith Hâ—e that beleeveâ—â— indefinitely meaning any of what nature or condition or state of life soever And therefore when this Text is quoted Romanes 10.11 and 9.33 hee saith in stead of Hee that Whosoever beleeveth which sheweth us plainly that in matter of faith God is no accepter of persons No man can say hee is exempted A poore man a Gentile a Barbarian an unlearned man a servant c. may beleeve as well as the rich learned free c. There is no exception against any calling of life or any sex Faith will make any one a childe of God and a member of Christ. The severall sorts of men are all one in Christ Jesus Gal. 3.26 28. This is the large extent of Gods love to the world that whosoever beleeveth should be saved Iohn 3.16 Mark 16. The proclamation is to all that are athirst they may be possest of those treasures of gold without money Esay 55. Which should much embolden us to goe unto God with a true heart in the assurance of faith Heb. 10.22 And withall it should cause us to cast out of our hearts all the waverings and doubts of unbeliefe arising from our owne condition in unworthinesse Fourthly we may hence note that faith in Christ was ever required in all sorts of men It was required of them in the Prophet Esay's time and it is still here required in the Apostles time Thus Paul Heb. 11. shewes that faith was the character of the godly in all ages before the Floud and after the Floud before the Law and after the Law and he proves it by an induction of particulars in their severall ranks Which againe should both serve to take downe carelesnesse seeing never man could please God without faith and withall it should much perswade us to get and preserve faith seeing we have such a cloud of witnesses and that every godly man in every age of the world did provide himself of faith whatsoever he wanted Fiftly observe here the nature of true faith To beleeve God in any thing he saith will not save us if we beleeve not in Christ. The object of faith is Christ for though we beleeve other things yet either they are not things that directly concerne salvation or else they are founded upon Christ nor is it enough to beleeve Christ or to beleeve that he is sent of God but wee must beleeve in him that is out of sound judgement wee must with all our hearts imbrace the happy newes of salvation by Christ and relie upon him and his merits onely for our owne particular salvation The very comparison here imported shews us the nature of faith Christ is like the foundation of a house now to beleeve in Christ is to fasten our selves in our confidence upon Christ as the stone lieth upon the foundation To beleeve in Christ is to lie upon Christ unmoveably and not flee out of the Building And it is to be noted here that the Apostle addes these words in him to the Text in Esay of purpose to explain the Prophets meaning and to shew what kind of beleeving the Prophet intended Therefore it is apparant that Pagans cannot be saved because they beleeve neither God nor Christ no Jews and Turks because they beleeve God but not Christ nor the common Protestant because he onely saith he beleeveth but doth not beleeve indeed nor the Papist because he beleeves not in Christ nor placeth his confidence in him alone but in his own works or in Saints or Angels or in Popes pardons and indulgences Sixtly note here the circumstance of time by which he describeth a true faith Hee doth not say Hee that shall beleeve or Hee that hath beleeved but He that doth beleeve which is to shew us both what we should doe with our faith and what in some measure is done by every beleever for wee should not beleeve at one time onely but at all times we should every day live by our faith Gal. 2.21 Christ liveth in us by faith and so long as we goe about without faith we make Christ to be in us as it were without life To spend one day without faith is to bury Christ as it were for so long Now the life of Christ must be considered of us two waies namely as it is in it selfe and as it is in our sence For this latter it is true when we imploy not our faith we let Christ die in us in respect of sence But for the first way it is certaine a Christian doth alwaies beleeve after the life of faith is once conceived in him There is no time in which it can be truely said Now he beleeveth not Therefore doth the Apostle here say He that beleeveth It is true that in some particular points or promises a Christian may fail through unbeliefe but not in the maine point or promise of salvation by Christ. It is true also that a Christian may oftentimes and usually want the feeling of his faith and goe without the joyes of the holy Ghost but yet he wanteth not faith yea a Christian may violently object against beleeving and thinke he hath not faith by the temptation of Sathan and the rebellion of that part of him that is unregenerate and yet God can dispell
Christian may somewhat be helped against the testimony of those wise men of the world if hee mark but their lives for usually by their fruits they may be known Mat. 7. For commonly such as oppose Christ and the Gospel or the sincerity of the Gospel are men that may be apparantly detected of profanenesse as our Saviour Christ shews by divers instances in the Pharises Mat. 23. But because sometimes the messengers of Satan can transform themselves into Angels of light therefore I answer secondly that all the godly have the sure word of the Prophets and Apostles which may by the touch-stone to try the opinions of men by which in the points absolutely necessary to salvation is evident and plaine and infallible to the Law and to the Testimonies if they speak not according to these it is because there is no light in them Esay 8.20 And that they may be sure let them pray to God to teach them for hee hath promised to teach the humble his way if a man come to God with an humble mind and with desire of reformation of his life in that hee knows God hath bound himself to shew him his will Psal. 25.9 Iohn 7.17 Besides every childe of God hath the Spirit of God in his heart who knoweth the things of God which indited the Scriptures and is the onely supreme Judge of all controversies Hee that beleeveth hath a witnesse in himselfe the Spirit working much assurance in his heart and anointing him with eye-salve and leading him into all truth And by this help the entrance into the Scriptures gives light to the simple Vse The use of the point then is First to informe us concerning that great justice of God in hiding his truth from the wise and revealing it to babes and children or infants which our Saviour and Saint Paul take notice of Secondly to confirme us against the sinister judgement of wordly-wise and learned men and in matter of religion not to be swayed by that inducement since it is thus plainly told and foretold Thirdly to confute the Papists that plead unto the ignorant that their religion is the right because it is and hath been maintained by such a number of Popes and Cardinals which have excelled in leaâ—â—ing and greatnesse of place for here we see the builders reject the head stone of the corner Fourthly to shew us that whatsoever wicked wise great men pretend yet their quartell is against Christ and his Kingdome Fiftly to teach us therefore to pray for our teachers and governors that God would guide theÌ„ by his good Spirit and assist them in their callings c. Sixtly to be more thankfull to God when the Lord gives us builders not in name onely but in deed that settle about Gods work with all their hearts and labour with all faithfulnesse to promote the Kingdome of Christ. Hitherto of the persons The cause of their punishment is their refusing of Christ. Refused They refused Christ they disallowed him as unfit for the support of the building They cast him away as rubbish they rejected him or accounted him as a reprobate Christ is refused or disallowed many waies First when the Gospel of Christ is contemned or neglected that is when men neglect or contemne the doctrine of salvation by Christ and live still in their sin without repentance and seek not reconciliation with God through the bloud of Christ. Secondly when men goe about to establish their own righteousnesse and neglect the righteousnesse of Christ and so when men fly to the intercession of Saints or Angels and use not the intercession of Christ. Thirdly when men follow wicked company and leave the care of the service of Christ this is to choose Barabbas to be given unto them rather than Christ. Fourthly we may be guilty of this sinne in the time of the use of Christs ordinances as in the Sacraments when we discerne not the Lords body or in hearing or any other ordinances when we entertaine contemplative wickednesse and so commit spirituall dalliance with strangers before the face of Christ. Fiftly when men fall away from the grace of Christ and so joy with the Jews as it were to crucifie the Son of God afresh Heb. 6. and 10. And so he is also refused when in time of persecution he is denied before men Thus Peter refused him when he denied him Sixtly when his servants are rejected and so either in general when Christians are exposed to publique scorn and made as it were the off-scouring of all things or in particular when his Ministers are despised For he that despiseth them despiseth him c. Quest. But how doe the builders that is Church-men refuse Christ Answ. I answer many waies First when they will not preach in his name when they preach not at all For this is to let Christ live as it were in the rubbish still and not to separate him out for the building c. Secondly when in preaching they preach themselves and not Christ crucified leaving the word of Christ to shew their own wit and learning c. Thirdly when they oppose the sincerity of the Gospell in the conversion of the soules of mâ—n or in the practice of godly Christians Fourthly when they teach the doctrine of merit of works or prefer the traditions of men before the commandements of God as did the Pharises Vse The use of this doctrine concerning the refusing of Christ may be divers for First it may teach us patience when we are refused in the world it is no other thing then what did befall Christ himselfe especially it should confirme us against the scandall arising from the discountenancing of godly men which are crucified by all sorts of people in the world If Christ himself were no better used why should we wonder at it to see godly Christians so neglected And if the most powerfull doctrine of Christ were so securely despised what wonder is it if the good way of God be now evill spoken of Secondly it may much comfort us and that especially two manner of waies First by reasoning for the contrary For if it be a signe of a notorious wicked man to let Christ lie like rubbish or refuâ—e stufâ—e then is it an excellent sign of a godly mind to love the Lord Jesus and to account all things but dung in comparison of Christ and his merits and righteousnesse Secondly by considering the effect of Christs refusall For he was refused as our surety that we might be received to favour He was cast off by men as a reprobate that wee might enjoy the admirable priviledges of the Elect of God and besides by enduring this contempt of men he bare the punishment of all our neglect and contempt of God his holy Commandements Thus of the cause The punishment it selfe followes Is made the Head of the corner Two things are here intended as punishment to these builders First the one implied Secondly the other exprest First that which is
in particular concerning the sinne of speaking evill of the godly and the point is That Gods gracious visitation doth cure that disease exactly Hee will never raile any more that is truly gathered unto God in his day of visitation It is possible Christians may speake evill one of another in particular and it is lamentable when they doe so but that is upon supposall of particular faults in those of whom they speake evill But that a man should speake evill of godly men in generall because they are godly with desire hee might finde them evill doers is a vice not found in such as are truly called And therefore let such as are guilty of that sin of speaking evill of good Christians because they follow goodnesse know That their day of visitation is not yet come Verse 13. Submit your selves to every ordinance of man for the Lords sake whether to the King as superior FRom the thirteenth Verse of the first Chapter to the ninth Verse of the third Chapter is contained matter of exhortation and the exhortation is either generall or speciall The generall exhortation concernes all Christians and hath beene set downe from the thirteenth Verse of the first Chapter to the end of the eleventh Verse of this second Chapter Now those words and those that follow to the ninth Verse of the next Chapter containe speciall exhortations which concerne some Christians onely namely subjects servants wives and husbands Of the duty of subjects hee entreats from Verse 13. to Verse 18. Of the duty of servants from Verse 18. to the end of this Chapter of the duty of wives in the seven first Verses of the third Chapter and of the duty of husbands in the eighth Verse of that Chapter So that the Apostle having taught all Christians before how to behave themselves in their generall calling hee now undertakes to teach some sorts of Christians in particular how to order themselves in their particular callings and so hee teacheth them in some things that concerne the Politickes and in some things that concerne the Oeconomickes Unto order in a Common wealth belongs the duty of Subjects and unto houshold government belongs the duty of Servants Wives and Husbands From the coherence and the generall consideration of the whole exhortation divers things may bee noted before I breake open the particulars of the Text. 1 The Word of God must bee the warrant of all the actions of our life it not onely gives order about the businesses of Religion but it prescribes matter of obedience in all our conversation it tells us what to doe in our houses and in the Common wealth as well as what to doe at Church which shewes us the perfection of the Scripture Theologie is the Mistresse of all Sciences it perfects the sound knowledge of the Ethicks Politickes or Oeconomickes and it should teach therefore in our callings whether generall or particular to seeke warrant from the Word which warrant wee may finde either expressed particularly or else implyed in generall directions and withall wee should take heed that wee make not more sinnes in any estate of life than are made in Scripture and so not affright or disquiet our selves with vaine fears that way 2 The Apostle would have Christians in a speciall manner carefull that they offend not the lawes of the Princes of this world this appeares in that hee enjoines them the duties of subjects first and in that they doe teach them the duty of submission both in this and other Scriptures with great force and violence as it were of arguments which shewes that they were wonderfull desirous to charge and instruct the Christians so that if it were possible they might not offend that way and the reasons are divers and many why Christians should bee above all men carefull to keepe the lawes of Princes first because by breaking the lawes of men they sinne against God Secondly because evill minded men have in all ages watched godly Christians to see whether they could finde any fault by them in the matters of the kingdome Thirdly because if earthly Princes be provoked it may cause a generall trouble of the Churches the offendors many times suffer not alone but many others upon displeasure raised by them Fourthly because if earthly Princes bee good the carefull obedience of their Subjects may incourage them to be great helpes to Religion even to be Nursing-fathers and Nursing-mothers to the Churches 1 Tim. 2.2 Fiftly because perversnesse and contempt and carelesse neglect of the lawes of Princes many times proves scandalous and Wee must not offend them that are without 1 Cor. 10.2 Col. 4.5 Many that were somewhat enclined to embrace the sincerity of the Gospell have beene cast backe and professe that therefore they abhorre such people because they observe their disobedience against humane government either through indiscretion or nice scruples or perverse wilfulnesse The use may be to reprove the carelesnesse of many Christians this way and that for divers offences as first for sluggishnesse in not studying the Lawes of the Countries where they live Some Christians have a secret jealousie against the Lawes of men and doe in heart thinke meanly of them and unlesse the equity of the Law stare them in the face they doe without any further consideration securely cast aside the care of it and rush into the breach of it Secondly divers Christians doe much sin against the holy desire and direction of the Apostles in the intemperancy of their words when in ordinary discourse they speake with much scorne of the observation of the Lawes of men which they understand not A Christian that will not study to be quiet in respect of the Lawes of men is a singular plague to the Church where he lives Doct. 3. We may hence note that it is necessary for Ministers often to teach their hearers their duty to Magistrates to shew the power that Princes have to make Lawes to governe them by And this is fit to be noted because of the strange weakenesse and perversnesse of some Christians that are much offended with their Teachers if they fall upon doctrine of this nature with any application to the times they mistrust them or censure them to be temporizers and to speake out of flattery or wilfulnesse or the like corruption of conscience I speake not now of such Ministers as pleade the rights of Princes onely for their owne ends or in such a manner as they discover an apparent hatred of godlinesse it selfe for these are worthy to bee blamed but even of such Ministers as prove the rights of Christian Princes with compassion and love and meeknesse without provoking or reviling tearmes even these I say are mistrusted and censured though we heare and see in other Scriptures that they are bound to prove and defend the authority of the Magistrate in any thing wherein it is unjustly questioned Doct. 4. It is necessary wee should first bee taught our duty to God and those
Men must be subject because God hath taken mens consciences bound to subjection Rom. 13. 3 Because Kings are heads of the people and therefore as members it is agreeable that they should submit and bee ruled and guided 4 In respect of the benefit men receive by Magistrates both in outward things and in matters of Religion For outward things men enjoy publike peace and quietnesse and protection by the help 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 be 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 heaven so doe Princes on earth Yea they are called gods and so in two respects first as they are Gods Deputies and Viceroyes God executes a part of his Kingdome by Kings Secondly as they beare the image of God and his authority and soveraignty Now wee must performe this honour by reverence and by feare of them and by judging the best of them and their actions without conceiving suspitions of them or receiving evill reports against them or daring to speake evill of those dignities and Rulers of the people and by all thankefulnesse for the good wee receive by them acknowledging to the full all their praises The third is loyalty by which wee resolve and endevour to the uttermost of our powers to maintaine and preserve the persons rights prerogatives crownes and dignities of Princes If wee must lay downe our lives one for another then much more for our King and Country The fourth is piety we must pray for them with all manner of prayer wee must make supplications for Gods blessing upon them and deprecations for the removing evils from them and if they should sinne and God bee wroth with them wee should stand up in the gap and make intercession for them and we should give thanks for all the mercies the Lord shewes unto them 2 Tim. 2.1 The fift is maintenance tribute must bee paid Rom. 13.7 Christ himselfe submitted herein The last is subjection to their punishments Rom. 13.4 yea to their injuries as David Christ and the Apostles did submit themselves to the injurious dealing of Saul Pilate and the Tyrants when perhaps they could have made resistance Use 1. The use may be first for terror to the seditious great hath beene the vengeance of God upon Traytors the earth swallowed up Corah Dathan and Abiram for their rebellion Absolon was hanged up by the haire between heaven and earth as unworthy both of heaven and earth The words of our Saviour Christ are in an high degree true in this case Hee that taketh â—up the sword shall perish by the sword And S. Paul saith They shall be damned that resist the power Secondly it should much humble the better sort of men for divers 〈◊〉 that are too common such as are the receiving of evill reports and speaking evill with too frequent intemperancy grudging at the payment of tribute and taxations evill surmises of the actions of Princes and the aptnesse â—o fâ—vour themselves in the liberty of doubting concerning obedience to them in things indifferent Thirdly all good Christians should be perswaded to make conscience of this submission and to that end they should bee at the paines to study this Doctrine and withall pray to God to direct them and keepe them in his feare and obedience herein and besides they should be sure that they meddle not with the changers or with the seditious Pro. 24.22 Your selves These words may note either the manner of our submission or the matter the manner thus Submit your selves that is yeeld obedience uncompelled doe it of your selves stay not till you be forced to doe it and so the Apostle should thereby import that our submission even to men should bee performed willingly and so wee should willingly and cheerefully obey their lawes honour and defend their persons pray for them to God yeeld them tribute yea wee should without murmuring submit our selves to their punishments yea cheerefully beare their injuries and so it removes grudging and force from our submission But I rather understand the words to note the matter to bee submitted and that is our selves not our goods onely for tribute or custome but our persons also must bee at the Princes service our very bodies must be submitted both to doe the labour thaâ— belongs to the beating of any office for the publike good and to the enduring of any punishment by the lawes to be inflicted upon the body and to the imploying of the body and life in defence of the true Religion and of the Kingâ— person law and desire in warre or otherwise This is manifest by the frequent wars in the Old Testament both required and performed nor may any say that Christians in the New Testament are not charged in the businesse of warre for First It was Christ's maine intendment to forme a spirituall Kingdome to God he left the state of earthly Kingdomes to the condition they were in before Secondly when the Apostles doe in the generall require the submission of Christians to their Magistrates without exception of their obedience in warre or otherwise it is manifest that they leave them to the lawes of nature and the lawes of God before Thirdly even in the New Testament this is implyed by Baptist's answer to the souldiers Luk. 3.14 and the praises of those worthy warriours Heb. 11.33 34 In which place also is a manifest proofe for subjection even in our bodies to the sentences of Magistrates whether just or unjust And the Magistrate's sword Rom. 13.4 is not onely a sword of justice upon malefactors in his owne land but of revenge on the enemies of God or the Church or Common-wealth abroad And for that saying of our Saviour to Peter He that taketh the sword shall perish with the sword Mat. 26.52 it is spoken of him to whom of the Lord it is not delivered that is of him that hath not authority from God as Magistrates have to command others to take the sword and it was spoken to Peter a Pastour of soules Put up again thy sword into his place That materiall sword was not for him to use Thirdly note that it is indefinitely propounded Your selves that is all of all sorts no man can bee exempted from subjection to Princes Christians must obey as well as Pagans strangers as well as home-borne while they are within their gates All the doubt is whether Church-men are to bee subject to secular Princes The Papists deny it but wee affirme it and have reason so to doe First because the precept is generall without exception Secondly because the Apostle saith Rom. 13.1
with his presence Thirdly under the Gospell Our Saviour Christ approved the gesture of sitting and the Cup at the Passeover the Jewish Synagogues and the feast of Tabernacles The Apostle Paul used the Jewish ceremonies when they were no more the ordinances of God as Circumcision shaving the head purifying vowing contributing yea sacrificing Acts 21. Abstaining from meat sacrificed to Idols The observation of the Jewish Sabbath The womens coverings 1 Cor. 11. The Love-feasts The holy kisse Quest. But here might some one say Things indifferent in their owne nature in the uses of them not inconvenient may be commanded by the Magistrate and subjects must obey but what if the Magistrate command some things to be observed as are very inconvenient and burthensome though they be not unlawfull Ans. Things inconvenient even in matters of Religion may bee commanded in some cases as when it is to redeeme a far worse inconvenience For of two evils of punishments the Magistrate may take the lesse as well as any other private man And if that subjects to prevent worse inconveniences may use inconvenient ceremonies then may the Magistrate to prevent worse inconveniences command inconvenient ceremonies If the Apostles may use the inconvenient Jewish ceremonies then the Apostles may injoyne for a time the use of inconvenient ceremonies as they did make ordinances about things which yet they called burthens Acts 16. And Moses may make an ordinance about the use of a bill of divorcement which yet was a grievous inconvenience to redeeme a worse inconvenience But if Magistrates doe appoint inconvenient things and burthen the Church with them when there would be no great inconvenience to the Church if such things were not then such Magistrates must give their account to Christ for so doing but yet the people are bound to obey still because wee cannot bee freed from our subjection laid upon us by God except it appeare to us that they command not onely an inconvenience but a sinne as all sound Divines confesse But that this point may be distinctly understood let us survey the inconveniences amongst us usually pretended and then enquire whether such things may be viz. There be five things are thought each of them to make the inventions of men very inconvenient and burthensome and so not to be used as First if there be no necessary use of them Secondly if they swarve from some patterne may bee had of such things in Scripture Thirdly if they be things have beene or are abused to superstition Fourthly if they have signification put upon them by men Fifthly if they be scandalous in the use of them For the first It is manifest that there was no necessary use of the Jewish ceremonies For now the substance and body was come there was no need of those shadowes and yet they were used by the Apostles For the second in ceremoniall and circumstantiall things it is not alwayes a sinne to swarve from examples in Scripture It doth not follow that Christ did sit at the Lords Supper and therefore it is unlawfull to kneele For I can shew that godly men have swarved from the shew of patternes that did serve to binde stronglier than that example or such like can doe As for example The godly Jewes did sit at the Sacrament when yet the gesture imported in the Law was standing And this sitting at the Passeover was manifestly an invention of man For it was no where commanded Yea and the Christians that now object the example of Christ in the gesture yet doe not hold themselves tied to follow the example of Christ neither in divers circumstances about the Saâ—rament as that it was received at night in a chamber after supper in unleavened bread onely by Ministers not by women c. nor in the matter of gesture in other things as that he sate prayed and yet none of them pleads that it is necessary for our imitation And further it may cleerely bee shewed that the commandement of God about circumstantiall and ceremoniall things might in some cases bee transgressed without sinne which shewes that those precepts did never in Gods intendment binde the conscience absolutely as morall precepts in things substantiall did As that every man should bee circumcised the eighth day was Gods commandement yet the children of Israel were not circumcised for forty yeeres in the wildernesse Iosuah 5.5 6 7 9. The law was that None should eat of the shew-bread but the Priests yet David did eat and was blamelesse Mat. 12. â— The Priests in the Temple did worke or profane the Sabbath as it is translated Mat. 12.5 and yet were innocent It was the law that None must sacrifice any where but on the one and only Altar of the Lord yet Salomon sacrificed on another altar for the reason mentioned in that Text 2 Chron. 7.7 1 Kings 8.64 In Hezechias his time they kept the Passeover neither at the time nor in the ceremoniall manner as was required in the Law and yet they sinned not 2 Chron. 30.2 3 17 18 19 20 23 27. To abstaine from meats sacrificed to idols was enjoyned by the Apostles Acts 15. and yet that did restraine Christian libertie being a thing indifferent and afterward to eat meat sacrificed to idols swerved from the patterne of that ordinance For the third It is also manifest that things that were abused to superstition and idolatrie had notwithstanding a lawfull use when their abuse was removed from them As for instance The Jewish ceremonies especially Circumcision were notoriously abused by the perverse Jewes who held very corrupt opinions about them and yet the Apostle Paul did not make any doubt to use them Againe the meat sacrificed to idols when it comes out of the idols temple is pronounced to be cleane and not polluted by the Apostle Paul Besides it is manifest our Temples Bells Chalices and such like have beene abused by idolaters and yet there is not any question made of the lawfull use of them by Divines on either side That this point may be a little more understood we must confesse that in the time of Moses Law whatsoever thing had beene upon or about the idoll was infected and made uncleane by the idoll but withall wee must understand that the idoll even in those times did never pollute all things that were of that sort which were before it it did pollute that very thing in individuo not all in specie of the same sort And further wee must now know that the idoll is nothing and can infect nothing of it selfe out of the idolaters use and so that those lawes about pollution of idols are ceased for the Apostle Paul shewes that the very meat that was sacrificed to idols or divels out of the idols temple was not polluted but was lawfull to be used It was not neere an execrable thing as was the Babylonish garment in the time of the Law in Achan's possession Iacob erected a Pillar as a monument that concerned the
hated the name of a King and Caesar was an Emperour to which divers things may be answered First that though the present Governour was an Emperour yet the Apostle knowing that the most monarchies in the world would rest in the title of King in all ages therefore he useth that title that may concerne the most of the Elect in all ages Secondly that though amongst the Romans the title of King was not used yet the Grecians in whose language hee writ did familiarly use the word which we translate King Thirdly the Apostle might have respect unto the signification of the word as unto a word which was most effectuall to note the highest dignitie among men For it notes him that is the stay or foundation of the people or the Common-wealth and though ambitious men sought new titles as higher yet the Apostle knew that this was most majesticall and honourable for the tearme of Emperour in the signification of it may agree to any subordinate ruler who governes or commands other men Fourthly it may be that the Apostle knowing the hypocrisie of those Emperours who onely disclaimed the name of Kings to avoid the hatred of the people and yet sought the full right of Kings aâ—d so to destroy the liberty of the people giveth the name they sought in substance though not in tearme Where by the way we may note how hatefull hypocrisie is to God and how vaine it is God will unmaske even Kings if they dâ—ssemble with him Hee that trieth the hearts and reines judgeth according to truth and will not be deceived with pretences Though men durst not charge Caesar to affect the Kingdome yet God dares and will require at his hands the ambition of his heart And if God will not beare with dissimulation in Kings much lesse will he beare it in meaner men hee hates hypocrisie and fained pretences and painted shewes wheresoever he findes it which should teach us all to labour for a plaine and upright heart in all things to direct our words and carriage according to the true intent of our hearts For besides that God will plague men for their dissimulation which cannot be hid from him it fals out usually that such as use dissembling are perpetually suspected all their faire pretences notwithstanding as those Caesars were Lastly the Apostle may name Kings to prevent rebellion in the subjects which either should feare such as affected the title or live under such as professed themselves to be Kings and so the meaning is that he would have them obey even Kings how hatefull soever naturally that kinde of government did seeme unto them It may be that the Apostle mentioneth Kings as the last kinde of government a Monarchy being in many respects the most excellent forme of government as being such a forme of government as comes neerest to the similitude of God who is not onely one in nature but in government also and is most agreeable to nature which doth affect unity as well in the body politick as in the body naturall But I let this passe as a question belonging rather to the Politicks than to Divinity to be discussed at large Thus conjecturally of the reason why the Apostle useth this tearme Concerning Kings I propound these things to be considered of First the originall of Kings Secondly the excellencie of Kings both these tend to worke in man the care of obedience to them and their Lawes Thirdly the indefinite manner of propounding the tearme shewing that this submission belongs to all Kings Fourthly the uses of all For the first It is not unprofitable to consider how men came by degrees at length to subject themselves to this government of Kings First man by the instinct of God and by the nature given him tends to society Of all creatures man is unaptest to live alone Mans language shewes that he was made to society and mans disposition shewes that it likes not any estate that must be removed from the knowledge and conversation of other men He that can live without society is either better than a man as is God or worse than a man as is a beast The first kinde of society was oeconomicall as houshold society where was first a society betweene man and wife and thence by propagation grew the society to a full houshold by the comming in of children and servants And hence was the first forme of government where the father of the family was the Head and Ruler The second kinde of society was a Village or Towne which contained in it the government of divers houses or families and this was occasioned either by increase of posterity or for prevention of harmes or out of necessity for supply of necessaries At the first a Village or Towne contained as is thought onely the severall branches of the same family that is when men lived so long such as were descended of their bloud and were ruled by the chiefe and first of their bloud Afterwards strangers of other families that were fewer in number mingled with them to avoid the danger of wild beasts or the injuries of other men yea one of the words used for a village is derived from a word that signifies a Fountaine and so importeth that necessity drew men to dwell together that so they might enjoy the benefit of nature for water which in the Countries first planted was not universally to be had but one Well must serve divers housholds and so the Springs of water was one cause to bring men to this kinde of society and dwelling together The third kinde of society was a City which consisted of the people of many Villages and into this society men came both for commodity and necessity For commodity as namely for trades and the education of children and the exercise of Religion and the administration of justice for necessity that so they might be strengthened against their enemies and to this end they walled and ditched about their Cities as also to keepe in offenders that they might not flee and to keepe out such as were banished that they might not returne and in this society first began the government of Kings For from the beginning it is thought that every City had a King as a Monarch to rule and defend it as appeares in Genesis There was a King of Sodome and Gomorrah and so every of the other Cities had their different Kings Fourthly when men increased so fast that one City could not hold the people which lived in it then began Countries and Provinces and at length the whole Nation consisting of many Cities became subject to one King and afterwards by conquest or marriage diverse Nations yeelded obedience to one King Now the ends why humane societies became subject to Kings and to superiour Powers were the Common-weale and the benefit of the people so united for power was given to Kings that so men might bee protected in the practice of vertue that peace might be preserved among
without punishment they may bring downe the judgements of God upon the place where they live Uses Which may serve for terrour to other offenders First the very sight of Magistrates should affright them considering that God sent those very Magistrates to punish them It importeth that though they escape the hands of men they shall not escape the hands of God Secondly it should teach men if they would live out of the danger of the Magistrates punishment to take heed they be not evill doers Quest. Now if you aske who are evill doers Ans. I answer Such as live in notorious offences such as are swearers drunkards whore-mongers railers theeves idle persons murtherers Sabbath-breakers sowers of discord and the like The originall word doth point at some speciall sort of offendours For naming evill doers such especially must not escape as 1. Invent evill where it is not 2. Or sinne not out of ignorance but wilfully 3. Or are leaders of other men to evill 4. Or make a trade of offending by custome in sinne 5. Or study how to doe mischief gathering together as things might further their evill courses All this may be included in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 3. Thirdly there are from hence many to be blamed that speake evill of such as take any course to reforme abuses 4. Fourthly Magistrates must looke to their calling and Gods Commandement to see abuses amended or else they must account to God for it 3. The third doctrine which may be noted from hence is That all evill doers are to be punished without respect of persons they are to looke upon mens works and not on their persons great men must be punished if they be evill doers as well as poore men many men as well as one man yea if good men doe evill they must beare the punishment of their sinne Christians as well as Pagans 4. That evill doers are not accounted safe members of any society and therefore are distinguished from good subjects as not fit to be of that order 5. That such as transgresse the lawes of men are accounted by the Apostle evill doers as well as such as transgresse the Lawes of God for hee here speakes especially of such as are evill doers in respect of humane ordinances which may be a warning to such as securely live in the transgression of the commandements of Christian Magistrates and withall it may impaire the honour of their condition that live in the breach of the Lawes of God without repentance For if it be so hatefull a thing to bee a breaker of the lawes of men in what case are they in that have so grossely broken the Lawes of God 6. That punishment of evill doers is in the power of the Magistrate private men cannot reforme publike abuses they may pray for reformation they are not to execute it but by authority 7. That there are divers evils which men cannot punish for the Magistrate can onely punish evill doers that is such as offend in word or deed evill thinkers they cannot meddle withall Which may warne Magistrates to bee wary how they punish men onely upon suspition or presumption without proofe that they are evill doers and withall it shewes that God hath reserved th◠judgement of mens works also to himselfe For God hares the sinnes of the heart as well as the sinnes of life and therefore since for these evils men answer not to men they must provide to answer before God 8. That a Magistrate that punisheth sinnes doth but execute the commission he received from God hee was sent of God to that end and therefore may comfort himselfe in the Lord how ill soever his execution of justice bee spoken of among men Thus of the punishment of evill doers The second end of the sending of Magistrates is for the praise of them that doewell For the praise of them that doe well By such as doe well hee meanes such as in publike societies live without offence and carry themselves honestly in their places especially such as are profitable and doe good to others whether it be to the mindes of men by instructing or reproving or to the bodies or estates of men by works of mercie or righteousnesse and among these he meaneth especially such as 1. Are Inventers of good the first Authors of the publike good 2. That doe good daily and frequently 3. That study how they may doe all the good they can and doe imploy all the helps and furtherances of good they can Here may many things be noted from hence First that all that are members of publike societies are bound to be carefull to doe good to others and to live so that the Church and Common-wealth may be the better for them Which should much humble such Christians as live and doe little or no good and should quicken in all sorts of good Christians a desire to serve the publike wee are not set here to doe good to our selves onely but also to others Secondly that in this world it is not to be expected from men that all that doe well or deserve well should bee rewarded by them hee saith For the praise not For the reward as importing that many a man may deserve well that shall never have recompence from men And this ariseth partly from the corruption of Magistrates that are not carefull to dispose preferments or recompence to such as are worthy and partly from the insufficiencie of any earthly greatnesse to doe it For great men can reward all their servants or friends but no King can give the honour or preferment that is due to all his subjects that deserve well Which should teach us partly to doe good without hope of reward from men and partly to quicken our hearts to the admiration of the reward that God gives in heaven wee should provide to be his subjects and then wee are sure to have a full reward of well-doing in heaven Thirdly that to be praised or to have a good report among men is a great blessing of God and therefore in the Old Testament blessing and praise i◠expressed by one word Prov. 28.20 And this may appeare to be so 1. Because God himselfe seekes praise from his creatures and accounts himselfe honoured by it Psal. 50.23 Ephes. 1.6 12 14. 2. Because praise is a part of the glory of God shining upon a man 3. Because it is in Scripture preferred before things of great price as great riches Prov. 22.1 and pretious ointment Eccles. 7 c. 4. Because it so much refresheth a mans heart it makes his bones full Prov. 15.35 5. Because an ill name is noted as an extreme curse Iob 18.17 and in many other places Uses The use is first to comfort godly men and to make them thankful if God give them a good report here but especially it should comfort them to thinke of the praise they shall have at the last day For if it be a blessing to be praised of men what is it to
before did signifie our sin-guiltinesse and were as an obligation and hand-writing against us Col. 2.14 Secondly they were a badge to distinguish the Jewes from all other nations Gen. 17.13 14. Thirdly they were shadowes and typicall adumbrations of Christ and his benefits Heb. 9.9 10. and 10.1 4. Fourthly they were as a Tutor or Schoole-master to instruct and keepe them under in the minority of the Church Gal. 4.1 2. Now all these uses are abolished by Christ For our condemnation is taken away by Christ and so the hand-writing is cancelled Col. 2.14 and the Gentiles and Jewes are made all one people Ephes. 2.14 15. and Christ the substance and body is come and therefore the shadowes must vanish Col. 2.17 and the heire is as it were now at age and therefore needs not Tutors and Governors Gal. 4.1 2 3. As for the freedome of Christians from the Judiciall Lawes that must bee understood with a distinction for so many of the Judiciall Lawes as did agree with the common politicall law of Nature are in force only so much of the Judiciall Law as did onely concerne the singular and particular policy of the Jewes is abolished Where the reason of the Law is universall the Law bindes all where the respect and reason of the Law is fitted onely to the condition of that people there the Law isâ—abolished Sixthly from servile feare unto which we are and were in bondage by Nature and so we are freed from the servile feares of the grave of men of death there was a spirit of bondage in us by nature wee durst not come into Gods presence and legall terrours did lye at the doore of our hearts to drive us to despaire of mercy or acceptation But when Faith came then the spirit of bondage went away and the hearts of Christians are emboldened with spirituall liberty and firme confidence taking delight in the Law of God in the inner man Rom. 8.15 Luke 1.74 And there was likewise in us by Nature a feare of the reproach and rage of men and the oppositions and scornes of the world from which Gods children are so delivered that many times they have contemned the uttermost fury of Tyrants as Daniel and his companions and the Martyrs and the Patriarchs and Moses c. and from the feare of death We were all in bondage to it all our life but now Christ hath delivered us by destroying him that had the power of death Heb. 2.14 15. This of the first point what we are forced from Now for the second what we are free to and therein are divers comfortable considerations First we are free to the favour and fellowship of God the Father and of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost 1 Ioh. 1.3 7. 1 Cor. 1.9 Ioh. 17 21. 2 Pet. 1.4 1 Ioh. 5.24 Secondly we are free to the Communion of Saints wee are fellow Citizens with the Saints we are written in the writing of the house of Israel and acknowledged as members of the Congregation of the first-borne This is an Article of our Faith Ephes. 2.20 and 3.6 and 4.4 5. Heb. 12.18 c. Thirdly we are free to all the promises of Grace those rich and precious promises we may safely imply they are ours 2 Pet. 1.4 Ephes. 3.6 Fourthly we are free of Gods chamber of Presence we may goe in when we will and aske what we will and it shall be done unto us wee are free to put up as many petitions and suits as we will wee are free to the Throne of Grace Heb. 4.16 Ephes. â— 12 and so in generall wee are free in the whole House of God even to the use of all his ordinances Ioh. 6.36 Fiftly we are free in respect of things indifferent and all things are indifferent that are neither commanded nor forbidden in the Word of God all the restraints that in the time of the old Testament lay upon any creature are now taken off so as all the creatures of God are good and lawfull All things are pure to the pure Titus 1.15 1. Tim. 4.4 Rom. 14. so are dayes meats garments c. So as now Christians may use them or omit them freely Note what I say use as well as omit For some are so singular or simple as to thinke Christian liberty doth only make reference to omit but not to use meats garments dayes or indifferent ceremonies whereas they restraine Christian liberty that forbid the use of those indifferent things as well as they that dislike the omitting only in using men must take heed as hath been shewed before of the opinion of merit worship or necessity to holinesse or salvation which is that which is condemned by the Apostles Uses The Use may be first for humiliation to wicked men for hereby is implyed that they are in great bondage and not free for howsoever it is true that every wicked man in Christian Churches is freed from that yoke of Moses lawes yet in all the rest they are in danger still and bondage They stand bound by the covenant of works to the absolute keeping of the Law because none have the benefit of the new covenant till they be in the same and so all their saylings of the perfect fulfilling of the Law are imputed to them and they are under the execration and all the curses of the Law They are iâ— bondage to the tyrannie of their owne sinnes and have the divell intrenched in strong holdes in their soules They would bee troubled to know that the divell did possesse their bodies and yet doe not consider that the divell doth certainely possesse their soules every wicked man is possessed Besides they are in bondage by these servile feares they dare not set their hearts in Gods sight It is a death to them nor dare they for Religions sake displease men and the feare of death is like a continuall death to them and for all this they are never helped till their hearts be turned to God Secondly we may hence gather the difference between the liberty of the New Testament and that in the Old In the old Testament godly men were free from the rigour and curse of the Law and from the dominion of sinne and power of the divels and from servile fearest onely in the new Testament there are these three things added 1. That the doctrine of liberty in the former things is more cleere and more generally revealed 2. That we are freed from the Mosaicall Lawes 3. That we have liberty in things indifferent A third Use may bee for instruction to teach men to trie their interest to this freedome For such men onely are made free that beleeve in Christ Ioh. 1.12 and resolve to continue in the Word Ioh. 8.31 and are weary and heavie loaden Mat. 11.29 and are throughly turned to God 2. Cor. 3.16 17. Lastly our Christian liberty may be a great comfort to our hearts if wee consider seriously the great miseries we are freed from and the great priviledges we are
breed a dangerous habite of hypocrisie 3. Their naturall corruptions fâ—ll hang upon them and then this shew of liberty is but a cloake to hide them Fourthly when men take liberty to sinne under pretence of their Christian liberty God hath freed us in Christianity from the ceremoniall Law not from the morall for though hee hath delivered us from the malediction and raigne of the morall Law yet hee never freed us from the obedience of the same Rom. 6.15 Iude 3. And it is manifest that Christian liberty can give no toleration to sinne for Christ died to free us from sinne and not to let us loose to sinne more freely wee were freed from sinne that we might be servants to righteousnesse Rom. 6.18 Besides God hares sinne by nature and not by precept onely and therefore God himselfe can give no liberty to sinne God himselfe cannot dispensewith the breach of the Lawes that bee morall in themselves and such Lawes as bee morall in themselves I account to bee all the ten Commandements but the fourth The fourth Commandement is morall by precept not by nature and so the Lord of the Sabbath may dispense with the literall breach of the Sabbath but the other nine are simply indispensable That Abraham was commanded to kill his sonne was but a Commandement of triall And when God willed the Israelites to take the jewels of the Egyptians he did not will them to 〈◊〉 for God himselfe was chiefe Lord of all the earth and all things therein the Aegyptians were but his stewards Fifthly when men use Religion and their liberty in Christ of purpose to hide and cloake themselves in the practice of knowne sinnes as when Simeon and Levi pretended the necessity of circumcision to hide their murdrous intents and Herod pretends his comming to Christ to worship him and yet intends to kill him and the Pharisees use and make long prayers for a pretence to cover their devouring of widowes houses Luke 20.47 And so under pretence of giving to the Priest they free children from releeving their parents Matth. 35. And so when men preach Christ onely to get living 1 Thess. 2.5 And so when men enter into profession of Religion onely to advantage themselves in wicked purposes as to satisfie their lusts or further their owne carnall desires Thus liberty is abused as a cloake of wickednesse Now more particularly liberty is abused many times as a cloake of maliciâ—usnesse when Christian liberty especially in things indifferent is pretended and made a cloake to cover vile malice or ill affections toward their brethren Now Christian liberty may be made a cloak of malice in things indifferent which lye under the commandement of the Magistrate and that two wayes First when the authority of the Magistrate is pretended urged and used as a meanes to empty mens malice upon their brethren when they hate them not because they breake mens lawes but because they keepe Gods Lawes Secondly and so also on the other hand Christian liberty is abused as a cloake of maliciousnesse when under pretence of liberty by Christ men refuse to obey the Christian Magistrate in things indifferent and this is the maine thing intended by the Apostle in the words of this verse For having exhorted them to submit themselves to the Ordinances of men he brings in these words as was shewed before to answer their objection that might pretend that they were freed by Christ from all ceremonies or ordinances in things indifferent The Apostle answers that that were to make their liberty in Christ to be a cloake for their maliciousnesse that is for their ill-affectednesse toward the Magistrate Where note by the way that upon all pretences to withdraw obedience from the lawes of Magistrates in things indifferent is in Gods account a sinne of malice partly because God reckons it as hatefull as malice and partly because it slowes usually from a heart that is not well-affected unto the Magistrate but some way is wanting in that hearty respect ought to be borne to the Magistrate Secondly in things indifferent that are left free to use or not to use and so Christian liberty is abused when it is urged to defend such things as are scandalous or offend such as are weake and this is that which the Apostles in other Scripture so much urge when they write of offending the weake brother Thirdly in things indifferent whether free or under the Ordinances of men There be cases wherein Christian liberty may be vilely abused As 1. When things indifferent are urged as matters of necessity and with opinion of holinesse and merit Gal 5.1 2. 2. When Christians doe bite and devoure one another by quarrelling censuring back-biting one another and make divisions about these things this is a reciprocall abuse about these things of Christian liberty and zeale ill spent seeing brotherly love is the fulfilling of the Law c. Gal. 5.13 14 15. and the Kingdome of God stands not in garments gestures meat and drink but in righteousnesse power and joy in the holy Ghost Rom. 14.17 As the servants of God These words are the reason why Christians must not neglect their obedience unto the Magistrate nor abuse their liberty to licentiousnesse or maliciousnesse For though they be free by Jesus Christ yet they are entertained by God still in the nature of servants and so are bound to doe what hee commands and he doth command them to submit themselves to the ordinances of the Magistrate For matter of Doctrine two things may be here noted Doct. 1. God entertaines none by Jesus Christ but he takes them bound to be his servants All Gods people are Gods servants And thus it is with men not onely in the New Testament but was so alwayes before Thus Abraham Iob Moses and David are called Gods servants Use. The use should be for instruction diversly First seeing we are Gods servants wee should make conscience of it to doe his worke hee hath by the Gospell hired us to that end to employ our selves in the works of righteousnesse mercy and piety Tit. 2.12 Secondly since we belong to God who is so great a Master we should not onely doe his worke but doe it in such a manner as becomes the servants of the King of all kings Gods servants should serve him 1. Reverently and with feare and trembling wee must humble our selves to walke with God Psal. 2.11 Mic. 6.7 2. Zealously wee should bee zealous about this worke and so wee should doe it readily It is a shame for us to be dull and carelesse and prone to shifts and excuses the Centurions servants goe when hee bids them and come when he cals for them and doe this when he requires it and our zeale should be shewne by our cheerefulnesse willingnesse Gods people should be a willing people and our hearts should bee full of desires above all things to approve our selves to God wee should make it appeare that we not only are his servants but
must often meditate on the motives that may perswade them to subjection And so there are five things that might bow their hearts and breed in them a conscience of their duties First the Commandement of God it is Gods will they should beare themselves thus humbly and obediently toward their masters Secondly the promise annexed to Gods Commandement should move them God wil reward their work Eph. 6.8 Col. 3.24 And in particular inasmuch as their service is required in the fifth Commandement therefore if they be good servants God will blesse them with long life Thirdly the threatning if they bee not good servants but beare themselves naughtily and stubbornly they shall not only receive shame and punishment from men but God will plague them for the wrongs they doe to their masters even for all the grief wherewith they have vexed them and for all the losses they have brought to their masters Col. 3. ult Fourthly the examples of such as have born themselves full well in Scripture should much move them the piety of Abrahams servant Gen. 24. and the painfulnesse and faithfulnesse of Iacob Gen. 31.38 c. and the readinesse of the Centurions servant Mat. 8. yea it should much move them that Christ Jesus himselfe was in the forme of a servant Phil. 2. Fiftly the care of the Religion they professe should much move them if they be carelesse and proud and stubborne the Name of God and the doctrine of Religion may be blasphemed 1 Tim. 6.1 And if they be humble and carefull and faithfull they may adorne the doctrine of the Gospel as the Apostle shews Tit. 2.9 10. Use 2. Such parents as put their children forth to service must take heed that they spoile them not by giving eare to the complaints of their masters or by allowing them any way in stubborne and disobedient courses Thirdly if masters would have their servants to please them by their subjection they then must learn how to rule and govern them not only by teaching and charging them what to doe but also by over-seeing them whereby many faults may bee prevented and accordingly by seasonable reproving them and correcting of them betimes for the more wilfull offences so studying to carry themselves gently towards them as that they lose not their authority by too much love of their owne ease and quietnesse else it is just that their servants should prove a continuall vexation to them Pro. 30.22 and 29.19 To your Masters The parties to whom they owe subjection are their masters where three things may be observed First that though servants are under subjection yet it is not to all men or to other men but only to their masters which may warne men to take heed that they abuse not other mens servants or speake basely of them For though in respect of their masters they are servants yet in respect of them they are as free as themselves And in particular it should teach divers to meddle lesse with other mens servants by way of complaint to their masters It was Salomons rule Accuse not a servant to his master lest he curse thee and thou be found guilty Pro. 3.10 He gives two reasons of his advice The one is that his complaining may so vex the servants over whom he hath no jurisdiction that it may cause them in their impatience to vex him with their reproaches of him which an ingenuous minde should strive to avoide The other is that in such complaints most an end there is much mis-taking when men meddle with such things as belong to other mens families and then it is a soule shame to be found faulty To conclude this point we should remember that of the Apostle What hast thou to doe to judge another mans servant he standeth or falleth to his own master Rom. 14. Secondly that all masters have authority over their servants though the master be a poore man or an ignorant man or a cruell man or a froward man or a hard man yet the servant must be subject to him and beare himselfe as reverently and obedient as if hee were the richest or wisest or worthiest master in the world and the reason is because the subjection is due not to the masters riches or gifts or greatnesse but to the authority which God hath given him as a master and therefore servants must looke to this point and the rather because it will bee the greater triall of their snbjection and singlenesse of heart when neither feare nor reward nor any outward respect doth compell or constrain them but simply the conscience of Gods Commandement and the masters authority Thirdly wee may here inquire how masters come by this authority over servants by nature they have it not and therefore must have it by law The laws of men cannot make one man a servant and another a master therefore it is by the Law of God Since it is by the Law of God if we have recourse to the ten Commandements we shall finde that it is the fift Commandement which giveth masters this authority and honour the exhortations of the Apostle being but interpretations of that Law And that this point may bee cleared two things must be searched into first what sorts of men are called fathers and mothers there and secondly why they are so called in the Commandement seeing the most sorts of them in the usuall life of man have other titles For the first This tearme Father we shall finde in Scripture to be given first to such as begat us Heb. 12.9 Secondly to Ancestors Ioh. 6.18 Thirdly to Tutors so Students are called Children of the Prophets Fourthly to such as beget us in respect of grace as to our Ministers 1 Cor. 4.15 Gal. 4.19 Fiftly to Magistrates Gen. 41.43 1 King 24.12 Ezra 1.5 Sixtly to Elders in age 1 Tim. 5.1 Seventhly to the Inventors or Authors of any science art or trade Gen. 4.20 Lastly it is given to masters so Naamans servants called him Father 2 King 5.13 And from hence masters were wont to be called Patrâ—s familias as Magistrates were called Patres patriae For the second Magistrates Tutors Ministers Masters and all Superiours are called Fathers first because the father was the first degree of superiority the fountain seminary of all society Secondly God of purpose preserves this title in all superiority therby to sweeten subjection to inferiours and to make them think the severall dangers burdens labours subjections in each condition to bee not only tolerable but meet to be borns because they endure them under parents as it were so such superiority for that reason should not be resisted or envyed Thirdly that thereby superiors may be put in mind of their dutie to avoid insolency cruelty oppression and the too much respect of themselves God charging them by this title to remember that their inferiours are to them by Gods Ordinance as their children Thus of the proposition of the duties of servants The exposition followes and so first
So with God there is neither circumcision nor uncircumcision Jew nor Gentile bond nor free but all are one in Christ Col. â— 11 Which should be a marvellous comfort to Christians that are meaner than others in the world to think on it that God requireth as hard worke of the richest as he doth of them and makes as great account of a poore Christian as of the mightiest Monarch And it should teach Christians humility and not to strive so much for precedency but rather if men will excell others it should be in service and sufferings Fourthly all men are not called he saith here Yee are called as importing that it was a speciall honour done to them Many have not the meanes of Calling and many refuse their Calling when they have the meanes Which shewes the wofull estates of worlds of men unto whom the voice of God by his Word in the Spirit comes not Fiftly the Calling of God doth propound conditions upon which his election in time doth depend for many are called but few chosen upon their Calling and the reason is because they yeelded not to the conditions of their Calling God calls men to a new Covenant and requires first the beleefe of all things promised on his part secondly sanctity and holinesse of life thus they are said to be Saints by Calling 1 Cor. 1.1 thirdly to suffer for well-doing if there be occasion so here Now upon the Conscience and consent of the heart unto these conditions doth God make his choice or acknowledge men and therefore hereby mens hearts must bee tried or men must try their hearts and estates whether they be effectually called or no. Sixtly men are bound to take notice of and to learne and obey the will of God revealed in his Word though it be hard to finde out as here the Apostle faith They were called to suffer which is a thing that is not easie to prove by expresse Scripture but must be found out as it lies enwrapped in consequences in divers places of Scripture For if the lawes of men binde and oblige us to punishment though we know them not because we ought to take notice of them much more must we study the Lawes of God though they be many in number and hard to finde out without much labour and many helps Seventhly our generall Calling doth binde us to a carefull observation of our particular Calling as here their Calling in Religion to be Gods servants did binde them to looke to their duty as mens servants yea and to be subject to their corrections though unjust And therefore those Christians are farre out of the way that neglect their particular Calling and the charge God hath delivered them upon sentence of Religion and their generall Calling Eightly the maine doctrine in them or in the scope of them is that God calls his servants all of them to suffer for the truth Hee shewes them heaven and the salvation of their soules and bestowes rich treasure upon their hearts but withall tells them he lookes they should arme themselves with a resolution to suffer what may befall them for well-doing Our Saviour Christ told his Disciples plainely that they must thinke of taking up the Crosse daily before they come to wearing of the Crowne And therefore they do foolishly that undertake the profession of Religion before they have set downe to know what it will cost them Thus of the second reason The third reason is taken from the example of Christ who suffered greater wrongs than can be befall servants or any other sort of men and this doctrine of Christs suffering he handles at large from verse 21. to the end of the chapter Which doctrine of Christs suffering is fitted partly to the case of servants and partly to the use of all Christians Concerning the Passion five things are in all these verses noted First who suffered Christ suffered ver 21. Secondly the end of his suffering viz. to leave us an example c. verse 21. Thirdly the manner how he suffered set out 1. Negatively and so he suffered first without sin verse 22. secondly without reviling ver 23. 2. Affirmatively and so hee commits himselfe to him that judgeth righteously Fourthly the matter what he suffered viz. our sins in his owne body on the tree ver 24. Fiftly the effect of his sufferings 1. In respect of us and so his sufferings serve To kill our sins Verse 24. To make us alive to righteousnesse Verse 24. To heale our natures Verse 24. 2. In respect of himselfe and so they procured his exaltation to be Shepheard and Bishop of our soules ver 25. Thus of the order Even Christ suffered The first thing to be considered in the Apostles description of the Passion of the person who suffered is that it is named here with speciall Emphasis Even Christ or Christ also Christ is the sir-name of our Saviour as Jesus was his proper name Jesus is a name onely given him in the New Testament but Christ was his name in both Testaments and signifies Anointed being a Greek word as Messiah doth in the Hebrew And so it is a name importing his office of Mediator as being thereby proclaimed to bee the substance of the ceremoniall types even the supreme Doctor or Prophet Priest and King of the Church for these three sorts of men were anoynted in the Old Testament and were types of Christs anointing It is true that we doe not reade that our Saviour was himselfe anointed with oyle because his anointing consisted in the substance of that shadow For the shadow signifieth two things first ordination to the office secondly the pouring out of gifts by the holy Ghost for the exornation of the office Now whereas Christ is Mediatour in both natures his anointing must be distinguished according to his natures The whole person was anointed but yet differently in respect of his natures for gifts could not be poured out upon his divine nature yet as the Sonne of God the second person in Trinity he was anointed in respect of ordination to the office of Mediatour and as the Sonne of man he was anointed in respect of the pouring out of the gifts of the holy Ghost upon that nature in measure as the Psalmist saith above his fellowes Psal. 45. The first doctrine about the Passion is here briefly contained in these three words of the Apostle Even Christ suffered which is a doctrine full of excellent Uses for thence First we may see how vile the errour was of those Hereticks they called Patri-passianus who taught that God the Father suffered whereas in this and other Scriptures we are taught that it was onely Christ the second Person in Trinity that suffered The ground of their errour was that there was but one Person in the Deity which in heaven was called the Father in earth the Sonne in the powers of the creatures the holy Ghost and thence they affirme the same things of the Father they did of the Sonne that he was
visible mortall and immortall passible and impassible passible on earth and impassible in heaven But we have learned from the Prophets and Apostles to beleeve three Persons and so to acknowledge that the second Person suffered onely and that in his humane nature Secondly we may hence learne that Christ was subject to the Law after a peculiar manner so as no other man was subject for he did not onely fulfill the Law by a most perfect obedience but he suffered the malediction and curse of the Law also Some men are subject to the malediction of the Law onely and so are all the wicked reprobates that obey it not Some men are subject to the Commandements of the Law and not to the malediction and so our first parents were while they continued in their innocency because God did not require them to suffer so long as they obeyed the Law and so all godly men in Christ are under the Law in respect of obedience but not in respect of malediction only Christ is subject to the malediction and obedience of the Law as our surety Thirdly hence we learne a plain demonstration of the truth of the humane nature of Christ He had not a fantasticall body but a true body because he did verily suffer in the flesh as followes afterwards Fourthly hence we may be informed of the excessively vile disposition of the world in that it is so set on wickednesse that the very Saviour of the world if he come into the world shall suffer from the world Fiftly we may hence learne that Christ suffered willingly and of his own accord For in that he that is God suffered it shewes he had power to preserve himselfe so as all the world could not have forced him to suffer and therefore we have cause so much the more to admire his love to us that suffered for our sakes as the next point will shew Sixtly we may hence learne to know how abominable sinne is that makes the Son of God suffer miserable things if he become a surety for sinne Seventhly we may hence learne to know the inevitable destruction and fearfull perdition of impenitent sinners For if God spared not his owne Sonne that was but a suretie for sinne and did none himselfe will hee ever spare them that are principals and monstrous offenders Eightly did even Christ suffer then we should evermore arme our selves with the same mind and provide to suffer in the flesh 1 Pet. 4.1 It is a shame for us to expect or desire a life of ease and prosperity seeing the Prince of our salvation was consecrated through afflictions Heb. 2.10 and 12.3 And the more should we be confirmed to suffer in willingnesse in this life because God hath predestinated us to be conformed to the image of his Sonne in sufferings Rom. 8.29 Lastly in that it was Christ that suffered we may hence gather comfort to our selves in his passion all the dayes of our life because his sufferings must needs be of infinite merit being the sufferings of him that is God as well as man Thus of the Person suffering The persons for whom he suffered follow For us The sufferings of Christ were not casuall such as befell him for no use nor were they deserved by himselfe For he never offended God nor did hee seeke his own peculiar good in them but he suffered all he did for our sakes Isa. 53.5 He was wounded for our transgressions the chastisement of our peace was laid upon him and verse 8. Hee was plagued for the transgression of Gods people and as the Apostle saith he was delivered to death for our sinnes and rose againe for our justification Rom. 4.25 Hee was sacrificed for us 1 Cor. 5.7 He gave himselfe for us Ephes. 5.2 Now he suffered for us in divers respects as First to make satisfaction unto the justice of God for our sinnes and to appease the wrath of God toward us as the former places shew His sufferings were a sacrifice for sinne He bare the curses of the Law which were due to us Gal. 3.10 And thus he paid our ransome and pacified God especially in his death and buriall He nayled the hand-writing that was against us to his crosse Col. 2.15 And as Ionas was cast into the bowels of the sea to still the raging of it so was Christ cast into the bowels of the earth to make the seas of Gods wrath quiet for us Secondly he suffered as to make satisfaction for our sinnes so together with that satisfaction to remove from us the many miseries might have falne upon us for our sinnes Thus he was judged and condemned at the barre of Pilate that we might be acquirted at the barre of God He endured all sorts of paines and torments in soule and body that wee might be delivered from eternall torments in hell He died that hee might deliver us from death and the feare of it and from him which had the power of death which is the divell Heb. 2.13 He was crucified that he might abolish the power of sinne in us Rom. 6.10 Thirdly he suffered for us that so by his sufferings he might merit the supply of our wants and the possession of happinesse Hee suffered to make us blessed Thus he died to ratifie the eternall counsell Heb. 9.15.16.17 He was poore to make us rich 2 Cor. 8.9 He was bound to make us free Hee was unclothed to cover our nakednesse He was forsaken of God for a time that we might be received to everlasting mercy Hee was crowned with a crowne of thornes that he might merit for us a crowne of glory Hee found no mercy from the Priests and Jewes that we might finde sure mercy with God He was cast out of the earthly Jerusalem and suffered without the gates that he might provide a place for us in the heavenly Jerusalem Fourthly he suffered for us in this that he suffered that so he might have a sympathy of our sufferings and have a feeiing of our miseries He suffered being tempted that he might be able to secure us being tempted Heb. 2.17 18. and 4.15 The consideration hereof may serve for divers uses Uses First it should breed in us an admiration of the love of Christ to us that could ever be willing to become surety for us and suffer for us especially considering what we were viz. unjust men 1 Pet. 3.18 wicked men Rom. 5.6 enemies to him Rom. 5.8 10. That one should die for a good or righteous man or for one that is a common good for or to other men is very rare But it might be Ionathan might die for David or a subject be willing to die for a good Prince about no man would die for his enemies as Christ died for us Secondly it should worke in us sorrow and hearty griefe for our sins wee should now mourne as heartily for piercing Christ by our sinnes as if we had lost an only childe c. We complaine of the Jewes and Iudas and Pilate for
or no. Quest. But how may I know that I am won effectually now at this time of remorse or now that I resolve to take a new course Answ. Thou art right and effectually converted if these things following be true of thee 1. If thou be inwardly abased and humbled in the sight of thine owne vilenesse if in thine owne eyes thou discerne thy selfe to be a foole and unapt for Gods kingdome and if thy sins be a sensible loâ—d and burthen unto thee of which thou art weary Mat. 5.3 11.29 1 Cor. 3.18 and thy pride and conceitednesse be subdued 2. If thou have overcome the world 1 Iohn 5.4 5. 2.15 and canst shew it by forsaking the fellowship of ungodly persons 2 Cor. 6.17 and canst deny the carnall counsell of carnall kindred Mat. 10. and canst hold on this course notwithstanding the reproaches will be cast upon thee and others Esay 8. 59.15 1 Pet. 4.5 and dost find that thy taste in earthly things is marred so as thou dost not find that favour in them thou wast wont to doe Rom. 8.5 3. If nothing can heale thee of those remorses thou feelest but the Word and Ordinances of God Hosea 6.1 2. If merry company carnall counsell or time will heale thee without spirituall medicine thou art not right 4. If thou have attained to an esâ—imation of Jesus Christ above all things accounting him only precious and findest that thy heart striveth to settle it selfe in the trust upon him and his merits Phil. 3.8 Gal. 6. 1 Pet. 2.6 5. If thou have a spirit without guâ—te Psal. 32.2 and that will appeare 1. By thy desire to bee godly and religious more than to seeme so Rom. 2.26 2. By thy desire to be rid of all siu and to be turned from all thy transgreâ—â—ions Ezech. 18.30 setting thy selfe against thine owne iniquity 2 Sam. 22.24 If thou feele a combat within thee the spirit striving against the flesh as well about inward sinnes as outward against the very evill that cleaves to thy best workes and against those sinnes that thou most lovest or have beene most gainefull or pleasing to thee Gal. 5.17 3. This will be clearer if thou desire to forsake thy sinnes in thy youth or prosperity while thou couldest yet securely commit them 4. If thou keepe thy goodnesse in all companies as well when thou art absent farre as when thou art present with such as are religious Phil. 2.12 doing righteousnesse at all times Psal. 106.2 6. If thou love the house of God above all the places in the world and that thy thirst after meanes continue and last and be renewed after the food of thy soule as thy stomacke is afteâ— thy bodily food Psal. 26.8 84. Iob 23. 12. Psal. 119.20 7. If thou honour them that feare the Lord and are religious above all the people in the world discerning betweene the righteous and the wicked contemning vile persons and joyning thy selfe to the godly as the people thou wilt live and die with and as the best companions of thy life Psal. 15. Mal. 3.17 Psal 16.3 1 Iohnâ— 14 8. If the vaile be taken off thy heart so as thou canst heare as the learâ—ed and understand spirituall doctrine that before was harsh and foolishnesse to thee 1 Cor. 2.14 2 Cor. 3.15 16 18. Esay 51.6 9. If thou find that thou canst not sin Marke it the Apostle Iohn saith he that is borne of God cannot sin he meanes he cannot sin as he was wont to doe for either God crosseth him still and hinders him or he finds that he cannot affect his sin so heartily or commit it with his full consent or with his whole heart as he was wont to doo 1 Iohn 3.9 the power of sinning is marred and dissolved in him Now that this worke may prosper if you find your selves any way effectually won be advised then to looke to these rules following 1 Take heed of smothering of doubts aske the way to heaven and seek resolution in things of so high importance as your Vocation Justification Sanctification and Salvation are Ier. 50.4 2 Looke to it what teachers and what doctrine you heare choose that food for your soules that is most wholesome be not carryed away with the inticing words of mans wisedome 3 Be carefull to humble your soules in secret judging your selves for your sins before the Lord. Be not sleight in this great worke though you have repented yet repent still till your hearts be fully settled and the power of your corruptions broken rest not upon common hopes or probabilities or the good opinion others have of you but lay a sure foundation for your owne faith and hope Ier. 31.20 4. Come constantly to the light that it may be manifest that your workes are wrought in God and let the Word of God be the light to your feet and lanthorne to your pathes Iohn 21.22 Psal. 50. Gal. 6.16 What remaines now but that I should beseech you to returne unto God with all your hearts Give your selves to God he will keepe that which you commit to him till the day of Christ. Let not our words be as water spilt upon the ground Oh that the Lord would bow the heavens and come down amongst you and take possession for himselfe and perfect the worke he hath begun in some of your hearts Remember the covenant you have made with God in the Sacrament made it I say over the dead body of your Saviour Now is the axe laid to the root of the tree now or never beare fruit This is the day of salvation say you This is the day the Lord hath made for our conversion God is gracious if you turne to him with all your hearts and just if you prove false in his covenant Though grace in you be but as the smoaking flaxe yet it shall not be quenched the Lord establish his worke Iâ— you hold out to the end you shall be saved That they which obey not the word The persons that may be won are described by these words as a Periphrasis of carnall persons men that are not in Christ and so may note either such husbands as were Gentiles or such husbands as were carnall Christians If by those husbands be meant unbeleeving Gentiles a question may be asked viz. how the Gentiles are said to disobey the Word of God seeing it was never given unto them For answer we must understand that at this time the Word was brought among the Gentiles by the Apostles and other Ministers of the Gospel and therefore now they are bound to obey it as well as any others and this was the condemnation of a world of them that light was come amongst them and they loved darknesse rather than light Otherwise considering the Gentiles without the Law brought to them they shall be judged not by the Law written which they had not but by the Law of nature which they had in their hearts Rem 2.15 16. Now if by these words be
former ages In old time The example is in the second place commended for the antiquitie of it Where we learn that a respect may be had to old time yea respect is due to the times of old Antiquitie is an argument of praise therefore are wee bidden to aske after the old way Ier. 6.16 to aske of the daies that are past Deut. 4.32 to remember the daies of old and to consider the yeeres of many generations Deut. 32.7 And Ministers in publick teaching must be like the good Scribe that brings out of his treasurie things both old and new Mat. 13.52 fathers must talke of the things of old time to their children Ps. 44.1 Now because the argument from aâ—â—â—quitie or the old time hath beene much abused and such reasoning is taxed in many Scriptures therefore that the point may be more cleare I will distinctly consider first in what cases the old times and antiquitie may not be pleaded and then in what cases antiquitie may be pleaded and good use may be made of it For the first antiquitie is ill pleaded in the caseâ— folloâ—â—ing as 1. When antiquitie is counterfeit when that is called the old time which in comparison was but yesterday as the Papiste lead us to the ages not long since past and will not permit us to looke higher to the times of the Prophets and the Apostles which is the true antiquitie 2. When antiquitie is pleaded to confirme 〈◊〉 in doctrine And so the doctrin was never a whit the better that caught the law of God 〈◊〉 only bind the outward man not the heart the outward man â—oo but in some higher cases And therefore our Saviour rejects the errours of the Pharisees though they would confirme thâ—â— by the sayings of oldâ—imeâ—punc Mat. â— Ioâ— â—5 â—0 3. In the case of sinne sinne is not the better for the oldnesse of i◠〈◊〉 the worse therefore the old man must be mortified and all old things must be put away 2 Cor. 5.17 As an old leprosie is worse than a new Lev. 13.11 so their hatred was the worse because it was old Ezek. 25.15 And the godly pray Remember not against us our old iniquities Psal. 79.8 and the wicked are condemned for not purging out their old sins 2 Pet. 1 9. and all men should purge out the old leven 1 Cor. 5. And as in the sins of life betweene man and man so about Gods service old courses are barefull if they be idolatrous and superstitious and therefore they were condemned for doing after the old maner 2 Reg. 17.34 and they are reproved by the Prophet Ieremy that so commended the old times of Idolatry Ier. 44. 4. When God abolisheth the old things and brings in new and so the old Covenant is not better than the new nor the old Testament better than the new Heb. 8.6 7 13. 2 Cor. 5.17 5. In the case of the discoverie of such mysteries as for the time of revealing them depend upon the good pleasure of God only so things hidden for ages and generations are revealed in the Gospel and yet must not be rejected Col. 1.16 6. When old times are pleaded of purpose to lessen the glory or profit of the present workes of Gods power and mercie Esay 43.18 And this way the Pharisees offended that to avoid subjection to Christ and his doctrine would magnifie Moses and the Prophets of old time And so doe those people offend that commend the old Teachers more that are dead or absent and will not profit by those they have Mat. 23. 7. When it is used in defence of publike disorders and offences and grievances in Church or Common-wealth The pretence of Innovation must not hinder the reformation of knowne diseases in publike States Such things as have beene wastes of old must be built though it were not done of long time They shall build the old wastes saith the Prophet Isa. 62.4 8. When particular Christians doe mis-apply it to confirme them in their unbeliefe or doubting as if God did not regard or accept as informer times whereas if we serve him in uprightnesse of heart he will accept our offerings as in the dayes of old Mal. 3.4 And if we get Davids affections to God and goodnesse and will attend upon Gods mercie in the meanes we shall have the sâ—â—e mercies of David Isa 55.1 4. Thus of the wayes how old things and the pleading of them may be misapplied and done in our owne wrong Now followes to shew in what cases respect must be had to Antiquitie and old times And so Antiquitie commends 1. The workes of Gods power and mercie Deut. 32.7 2 Kings 19.25 Psal. 44.2 and God is well pleased to be urged with arguments taken from his old dealing with his people Arise as in the daies of old Isa. 51.9 so in Mich. 7.14 20 and bath left the memory of them upon record that we might thence confirme our weake faith 2. The particular experiences we have had of Gods goodnesse towards us Thus David remembers dayes of old Psal. 77.6 143. â— 3. The profitable determinations of right in judiciall things betweene man and man and so the old bounds are to be greatly respected Pro. 22.28 4. The publike orders of the Church about the circumstances of Gods worship as the orders of the Jewes to have the preaching of Moses in every Citie on the Sabhath day Acts 15.21 This order is the more observeable as few other reasons 〈◊〉 because it was so in oldeiâ—â—â— 5. Gods Commandements It is an argument of weight to perswade to obedience when it can be shewed that that Commandement is an old Commandement Iohn 2.7 6. In things that one doubtfull or difficult such respect is to be given to Antiquitie as men should not rashly oppose their owne or other mens new conceits so as due respect be had to equally comparison in the nature of the things questioned Ioh. 32.6 7. In the examples and patterns of wel-doing that have had due conformity to Gods will revealed in his precepts and so the examples of holy practises in old time should much move the consciences of the godly now-adaies as the Apostle shews in this verse And thus of the two points in the description Holy women The persons from whom this patterne is taken are holy women where observe 1. That holinesse in the first Table is required of women as well as men and they are bound to the duties of Gods worship and to be religious women as well as to the duties of the second Table to be chaste mercifull faithfull diligent in the affaires of the family or obedient to their husbands Which serves to confute those men that say women need not be studious in matters of Religion it is enough for them to be good house-wives and obey their husbands And withall it may comfort women in the practise of the duties of Religion for by the commendation given of holy women in this Text it appeares
to use such evill courses as they doe for by the doctrine and reasons before it appeares plainely that they doe both holily and happily by committing all to God Psal. 14.4 7. 22.9 Thus of the second doctrine Doct. 3. It is a speciall praise in women to trust in God and the more praise because it is so rare in women who use to relie upon either their parents or their husbands to provide for them and seldome looke up to God And besides it produceth excellent effects for it makes them subject to their husbands and that with all quietnesse and meeknesse and feare to displease their husbands as is implied here And besides women that trust in God will be a great help and comfort to their husbands in their crosses they will encourage them to relie upon God in whom they put their trust which very help is worth great riches The Use should be therefore to perswade wives to be the more carefull of their faith and trust in God and to looke to it that it be a true faith and a right trust in God for such wives as are a vexation to their husbands by their carelesnesse and frowardnesse and unquietnesse and such as are so farre from comforting their husbands in distresse that they rather add affliction to their afflictions by censuring them and crossing them they may justly fear that their trust in God is not right Yea it maybe observed that some wives that professe religion and are unquiet and live frowardly and stubbornly towards their husbands they are unquiet in their consciences too and when crosses come upon them call their faith into question and cannot be established in their trust in God And it is just with God it should be so that such women as dare live in knowne transgressions against their husbands should not know their portion in the consolation of God God will not be loved when their husbands are not loved Thus of the fourth point The fift point is the effect and that is They adorned themselves Adorned themselves In all ages the comelinesse and ornameut of a wife as a wife was to obey her husband with meeknesse and feare and those were the comeliest and best apparelled women in the sight of God their husbands and good men that were most quiet and easie to be governed and willingest to please their husbands And so on the contrary a wife were a very unhandsome woman and not fit to please any wise man that were of a froward and unquiet disposition either through anger or crying or the like yea though she had otherwise never so great an estate or never so excellent gifts of nature of mind or bodie yea if she could be imagined to have true holinesse and grace yet she were but a loathsome creature And this doctrine as it should move all wives so especially such as have not other things to commend them but want either portion or beautie or skill or have but weake gifts in religion these should be the more carefull to recompence their husbands and strive to please them in this way of adorning themselves The matter of the example is subjection to their husbands and of that I have entreated in the exhorration it selfe The speciall argument is taken from the particular example of Sarah ver 6. Where we are to observe 1. What she did viz. she obeyed Abraham calling him Lord. 2. What fruit will follow to Christian wives if they follow her example viz. they shall become her daughters 3. Upon what condition they shall obtaine that honour viz. if they doe well and be not affraid of any amazement Sarah â— The names here mentioned are Sarah and Abraham and both their names are kept in the Christian Church not as they were at first but as they were changed of God out of his love and respect to their faith and obedience The woman was first called Saras which signified My Lady or My Mistris but after was changed into Sarah to signifie that she should be a Mistris to many or a Mistris indefinitely meaning that shee should have a great posteritie as the mans name was changed into Abraham and signified a father of many nations From the giving of the names wee may gather 1. Such as glorifie God by beleeving and keeping his covenant and patient bearing of adversitie shall be blessed of God and in particular shall have this blessing of a happy posteritie A godly life brings God to us and our families and an ungodly life drives him away 2. That God is no accepter of persons but godly wives shall have their part in the blessing of godly husbands This Christian wives may looke for if they be as Sarah holy women and such as obey their husbands and are a comfort and helpe to them in all the travels of their lives and no way hinder godlinesse in them Obeyed Abraham Divers things may be noted hence 1. That obedience is the chiefe thing required in the subjection of wives shewing how Sarah was subject he saith she obeyed him The maine thing required of wives is to be ruled by their husbands Those wives transgresse that are not carefull to see that done which their husbands require and with reason require and those that crosse their husbands and vexe them by opposing or censuring especially those that will not be quiet unlesse they may doe what they list and rule their husbands 2. That as much is due to everie husband as was due from Sarah to Abraham else this argument of the Apostle had not beene good They might have said that Abraham was a great man and holy and wise and loving c. but the Apostle requires that what women would doe for the substance of obedience if they had Abraham to their husband that must they doe to him that is now their husband And the reason is cleare because Gods commandement in the morall Law prescribes the same honour to be given to all husbands and in the New Testament obedience is required of all wives to all husbands And this was the more observable in Sarah because in obeying Abraham shee was faine to leave her owne countrey and be exposed to a world of paines and danger and wants 3. That the discharge of domesticall duties is a good worke and shall be had in everlasting remembrance Though all good wives have not the honour to be written in Gods booke of Scripture and praised therein yet they have the honour to be written in Gods booke of Remembrance which shall be opened at the last day and so contrariwise Calling him Lord. That shee did so call him the Apostle found written Gen. 18.12 Hence we may observe 1. That godly wives ought to acknowledge their husbands to have power over them as if they had beene servants bought with their money not that their subjection is no better than the subjection of servants but that the husbands have as well power over them as they have over their servants Sarah doth
have his brothers wife nor must the Corinthian that married his fathers wife be suffered to dwell with her 1 Cor. 5. 3. Diviâ—es generally agree that if there be a precontract with another person in verbis de praesenti in the words of the present time made with consent of parents c. then the marriage after with another is a meere nullitie and such dwelling together is whâ—redome Zanchius brings reason for this from the law of God and Nature and civill and common lawes 4. If a marriage be made without the free consent of the parties or in cases where they are not able to give a free conâ—ent as in the marriage with children under age or with mad men or persons that are drunk when they give consent and doe disclaime it when they are sober These are nullities in the common opinion of Divines of all sorts and the reason is because the consent of parties is essentially requisite to such a bond 5. If there be error personae an errour of the person that is if a man mean to contract marriage with one person and another person is given him as when Leah was given in stead of Rachel to Iacob Divines agree that Iacob might have rejected Leah and that his owne consent afterwards did onely bind him to dwell with her But yet errour about the condition or state of the person is no nullitie If a man contract himselfe to a woman he thinkes to be a free woman and she proves a bond woman or he thinkes he marries with a rich woman and she proves a poore woman these errours do not cause a nullitie he must live with her for all this 6. If marriage be contracted with such as are utterly and incurably unapt for marriage this marriage is a nullitie as in the case of Eunuchs some kinds of incurable palsies or the like And about this I finde no difference amongst Divines Zanchius and some other Divines goe further and pronounce nullities in the cases following as If marriage be contracted yea and celebrated without the consent of parents He brings many arguments from the Law befoâ—e Moses and from the Law of Moses from the testimony of the Apostle Paul and from the lawes of Nations and from the Fathers If marriage be contracted or celebrated with such as have any notorious contagious disease which is knowne to be incurable as the Elephantiasis or worse kind of leprosie or the like because this will prove a mischiefe to the party cleere and to his children and to the Common-wealth and God ordained not marriage to be a mischiefe but a help If marriage be celebrated with a woman that is found to be with child by another man Yea he enclines to those that thinke the marriage of a Christian with an Infidell as a Jew Turke or Pagan as being the knowne and professed enemies of Christ is likewise a nullitie Hee gives many probable reasons and quotes divers authors for the opinion But for my part I dare not venture so farre especially to be peremptorie in it much lesse have I attained to the learning of those Divines that thinke Veneficium versus hanc Witchcraft disabling a man towards that woman onely to be a sufficient cause of a nullitie in the marriage Thus of the case of nullities For the case of divorce I thinke that rule of our Saviour binds peremptorily that no man may put away his wife but only in the case of fornication Mat. 19.9 In that case a man making a lawfull divorce is not bound to cohabitation but freed from it and must not dwell with her any more If it be objected that in the case of disertion when an Infidell forsakes a beleever the Apostle faith the beleever is free I answer that this is not a case of divorce The beleever doth not for the businesse of Religion put away the unbeleever yea the Apostle shewes he ought not 1 Cor. 7. onely if the unbeleever will depart let her depart And so by the wilfull departure of the Infidell the Christian is freed from the bond of marriage as Divines conceive which is a kind of nullity but not a divorce But then a great respect must be had to the kind of unbeleever not every wicked man or woman nor everie person that professeth a false religion but such an unbeleever as is a profest enemie to the Name of Christ is the unbeleever the Apostle speakes of Yet one thing more I must adde about the case of disertion when the disertion is for other causes than Religion if it be wilfull or inevitable then the party diserted is freed from this charge of cohabitation freed I say for a time till the diserted returne and if he never returne the party forsaken is for ever free Thus of the proposition of their duties the exposition of it followes According to knowledge By knowledge I take it here meant that Christian knowledge of Religion and the Word of God which godly husbands had attained by the Gospel for in the end of the verse he speakes of husbands as heires of the grace of life And so before I come to shew what speciall things in the manner of cohabitation this knowledge doth charge upon husbands I would consider of some doctrines in generall implyed by the words as Doct. 1. That the knowledge of Gods Word is a gift of God to bee much accounted of and therefore the Apostle here for honour sake to the man mentions this grace rather than any other And that knowledge is a precious thing or a great treasure may appeare divers waies First by the seat and use of knowledge it is a gift that adornes the mind of man making him by his inward understanding to see excellent things It is a great benefite to have senses to discerne things without us but this divine light that God puts into the understanding of man gives to the understanding power to see admirable things especially when it is spirituall light it shews a man the differences betweene good and evill and reveales such glorious things as no senses can reach to Secondly by the author of it God is the father of light and dwelleth in light Iam. 1.17 and it is the speciall glory of Christs divinity to lighten every man that comes into the world Iohn 1. and the holy Ghost claimes a part in this glory to give illumination to the minde 2 Cor. 3. Thirdly by the testimony God gives of the worth of knowledge eâ—pecially when it is spirituall and religious knowledge 〈◊〉 is called riches 1 Cor. 1.5 and preferred before all outward things in the world Ier. 9 2â— and Christ accounts it a great signe of speciall friendship to communicate knowledge to his Disciples Ioh. 15.15 and God gave Iacob a greater portion when hee gave his word to him than hee did give to all the world besides He did not so with other Nations Psal. 1. Fourthly by the accounts Christ gives unto his Father of the discharge of
the Law Rom. 4.4 11.16 nor can our best workes after calling deserve life and salvation Tit. 3.4 5. And on the other side the grace of God includes all things in life as wholly caused by Gods free favour to us in Christ. For first our election to life is from the meere grace of God Eph. 1.4.6 Secondly the meritorious cause of life is by grace Gal. 4.4.5 Thirdly the promise of life is by grace Rom. 4. 14. Gal. 3.18 Fourthly the inchoation of life is from grace whether we respect vocation Gal. 1.15 or justification Tit. 3.7 Gal. 2. ult Lastly in respect of the consummation of it in the perfection of glorie in heaven Rom. 6. ult Thus of grace in relation to life In it selfe grace is a most amiable attribute in God extending his goodnesse unto the creature without respect of deserts And that we may the more admire the glorious grace of God it will be profitable to give a touch of the fruits of it unto man upon whom he sets his favour for looke what men have interest in the grace of God these things flow upon them from the beames of that grace 1. God knowes them by name Exod. 33.12 2. When God is angry with all the world and about to declare his wrath by terrible judgements yet still they finde favour in his sight Gen. 6.8 19.19 3. When they offend and are sorrie for their offences and seeke for mercy he pardons iniquitie and takes them for his inheritance and repents him of the evill Exod. 34.9 Ioel 2.12 13. 4. He will with-hold no good thing from them Psal. 84.12 and bestowes of his best gifts upon them liberally in all sorts of gifts 1 Cor. 1.4.5 5. He will give them any thing they aske of him without hitting them in the teeth Iames 1.5 Lastly we see by this Text he gives them the inheritance of eternall life and all things that belong to life and godlinesse 2 Pet. â— 4 The Use should be to teach us many things as 1. To celebrate the praise of this graciousnesse of God seeing God doth all things so freely he stands upon it greatly to have this glory in his nature acknowledged Psal. 111.1 149.3 4. Eph. 1.6 2. To acknowledge that all good things we enjoy either in temporall or spirituall things we receive from his free grace Psal. 44.4 Eph. 2.8 for by the grace of God we are that we are 1 Cor. 15.10 3. When wee would wish the best good to others either in publike to the Churches of Christ or in private at home or abroad to any that are deare to us our cry should be Grace Grace to them Zech. 4.7 4. We should especially be moved to seek this grace of God to our selves as the sufficient and the only happinesse in the world Col. 1.6 Now that this point may the more effectually be understood I will shew you how this grace of God comes to men and then what we should strive to be that we may be sure to receive the comfort of it that God is gracious to us For the first we must know that all grace from God is given to Jesus Christ and comes by him Iohn 1.17 and therefore called The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ in the blessing at the end of the Epistles Without Christ no grace can come to sinfull men Further we must againe know that the grace of God is extended unto us from Christ by the Gospel that brings the doctrine of it to us therefore is the Word called the Word of his grace and the Gospel the Gospel of the grace of God And yet further we must know that there must be wrought in us that supernaturall gift of faith by which only we can be capable to receive this grace of God we have our accesse only by faith Rom. 5.2 Now for the second point There are many things God stands upon to finde in the persons that should receive the comfort of his grace not for the merit of them but for the honour of his owne grace that it be not abused as first we see by that which went before we must have faith to beleeve and apply to our selves the doctrine of Gods grace Secondly we must be good men not such as are men of wicked devices or such as make a mocke of sin but such as are carefull in all their waies to avoid what may displease so gracious a God Pro. 12.2 14.9 Tit. 2.11 12. Thirdly we must be lowly and humble persons that attribute nothing to our selves but all to Gods goodness Pro. 3.34 Iames 4.6 1 Pet. 5. And therefore it concernes all Christians to take heed that they rest not in the hearing of the doctrine of Gods grace but must labour truely and effectually to know Gods grace to themselves Col. 1.6 5. This doctrine of Gods grace may wonderfully comfort the godly and establish their hearts in the assured expectation of heaven when they die for nothing can hinder their comfort and hope herein but only their unworthinesse and that is removed by this doctrine of Gods grace thus the Apostle faith We have good hope through grace 2 Thes. 2.16 and againe We have accesse unto this grace by which we stand and rejoyce in the hope of the glory of God Rom. 5.2 6. It may wonderfully embolden us in our suits and requests to goe to Gods Throne seeing it is a Throne of grace where petitions are granted freely and great suits as easily as lesser Heb. 4.16 7. Men should be warned to take heed that they doe not transgresse against this doctrine of the grace of God And men sin against the grace of God fearefully foure wayes First when they frustrate it in the doctrine of it which they doe partly when they receive the doctrine of it in vaine and faile of the right knowledge of it 2 Cor. 6.1 Heb. 1â— 15 partly when they trust upon the merits of their owne workes Gal. 2. ult Secondly when they fall away from grace either by relapsing to the world by entertaining the corruptions they had forsaken or by removing the sincere doctrine of Gods grace Gal. 5.4 Thirdly when men turne the grace of God into wantonnesse and draw wicked and licentious conclusions from the pure doctrine of Gods grace making it a cloake for their sinfull liberties Iud. 1.4 Rom. 6.1 Fourthly when men despite the spirit of grace that shewes it selfe either in the power of Gods ordinances or in the practice of true Christians Heb. 10.29 8. It should be a wonderfull comfort to a Christian against his owne frailties and daily infirmities according to that of the Apostle We are not under the Law but under Grace Rom. 6.14 15. Lastly even the more gracious God is the more carefull we should be to walke worthy of his grace for as the Apostle saith The grace of God that bringeth salvation unto all men teacheth us to deny ungodlinesse and worldly lusts and to live righteously and soberly
in their consciences or in their estates It may be observed that all the while a man is in contention about his divers or strange opinions in which he dissents he is not quiet in himselfe nor enjoyes firme rest and peace in his owne heart and conscience And experience shewes that many both Ministers and private Christians have brought a great deale of trouble upon their estates by dissenting Now out of other Scriptures we may observe divers other ill effects of diversities in opinions as first it breeds confusion in the Church as the Apostle shewes 1 Cor. 14.32 33. Secondly it breeds division and schisme 1 Cor. 1.10 When men begin to broach new opinions schismes begin in the root of it though it may be a long time before it come to the full growth Thirdly it much disquieteth the hearts and heads of many weak Christians in which respect S. Paul wished they were cut off that troubled the Galathians chap. 5. Fourthly it not onely troubles Christians but many times workes still in them as it proves the subverting of their soules as the Apostles shew in the case of difference about the Ceremoniall Law Act. 15.24 Eph. 4.14 2 Tim. 2.14 16 17. Fifthly it drives men many times into divers acts of hypocrisie or passion or pride or such vices as are contrarie to singlenesse of heart Act. 2. 46. Sixtly it breeds many times strange censuring the authors of new opinions censuring of others as if because they received not their doctrine they were not spirituall enough but too carnally minded and that they were fâ—rre behinde them in knowledge as we may gather 1 Cor. 14.36 37. Thus the false Teachers vilified Saint Paul and the Apostles Thus of the motives to unitie in judgement Before I come to the Use I must put you in minde of a limitation that concernes this doctrine We must be of one minde but then it must be according to Christ Jesus Rom. 15.5 that is this consent in juâ—gement must bee in the truth and in such truth especially as may further the edification of the mysticall bodie of Christ else agreement in judgement is a conspiracie rather than unitie The Use may be both for instruction and reproofe for instruction and so we should all be affected with a great estimation of unitie in judgement and strive by all meanes to attaine to it and keepe our selves so all of us that we doe live in unity with the Church of God Now that we may doe thus 1. Wee should beseech the God of patience and consolation to give us to be like minded even to worke in us the unity he requires of us Rom 15.5 2. We must take heed of private interpretations Men should with much feare and jealousie here or reade of such opinions or interpretations of Scripture as have no authors but some one or few men Of such authors of doctrines we should say with the Apostle What came the Word of God out from you or came it unto you only 1 Cor. 14.36 Especially men must take heed of receiving opinions from meere private persons that are not Ministers of the Gospel for I suppose it cannot be shewed from any place of Scripture that ever any truth was revealed to or by a private man that was unknowne to all the Teachers of the Church yea if the Authors of divers and strange doctrines be Ministers yet that rule of the Apostle should hold that the spirits of the Prophets should be subject to the Prophets Such doctrines as may not be approved by the grave and godly learned that are eminent in the Church must not be broached 1 Cor. 14.32 And this rule hath one thing more in it viz. that men should not expresse difference of opinion without open and manifest Scripture Avoid doubtfull disputations Rom. 14.1 Esay 8. 3. A great respect must be had to the Churches peace so as such doctrines as are likely to breed either scandall or division in the Church are either not to be received or not uttered except in some speciall case Yea moderate Christians that make conscience of unity should hold themselves in conscience bound to be affraid to depart from the judgement of the Church in which they live unlesse it be when doctrine is brought in with great demonstration to the conscience To preserve the unity of the spirit we must have great respect to the bond of peace Rom. 14.19 1 Cor. 14.33 Eph. 4.3 We must greatly reverence the forme of doctrine in the Church where wee live Rom. 6.17 4. That we may be of one mind every Christian must be sure to know the truth which is given to the Churches and to make himselfe fully perswaded in his mind about such truths as are fundamentally necessarie to salvation â— Tim. 1.1 3. 5. Private Christians in receiving opinions should have great respect unto such Teachers as have beene their fathers in Christ God hath bound them to a speciall reverence towards them which they should shew by reverencing their judgements more than any other men in meet comparison 1 Cor. 4. 15 16. 11.1 2 4 5. Phil. 3.15 17. 6. To preserve a further unity it should be the care of such as have gifts of knowledge and utterance to helpe forwards such as are weake in judgeâ—â—nt and to comfort the feeble minded lest they being neglected become a pâ—â—y to deceivers of mindes 1 Thes. 5.14 and to warne such as are not of the same minde Phil. 4. Lastly we should marke such as cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which we have lâ—â—rned and avoid them Rom. 16.17 18. The second 〈◊〉 may be for the reproofe of multitudes of Christians in all places that 〈◊〉 greatly against this doctrine by their dissenting in opinions without due respect of the former rules There is almost no Congregation in the kingdome but is disquieted with this sin yea many times the glory of such as professe religion is greatly obscured by this sin and the sincerity of religion much exposed to contempt and the profane reproach of the wicked And this sin is the greater 1. When men not only bring in new opinions but also bring them in with an opinion that they are more holy and more spirituall than such as receive them not or resist them 1 Cor. 14.37 2. When the opinions are meerely new and unheard of before in the Christian world 3. When they are brought in by private persons that goe from house to house to inferre upon others the singularity of their conceits 4. When themselves are doubtfull inwardly of the truth of what they affirme and are not fully perswaded but doubt both waies and yet take to that side that differs from the generall judgement of the Churches Rom. 14.5 1 Tim. 1.6 7. 5. When men urge their dissenting so violently that a Schisme is made in the Church or Christians are divided from the exercise of brotherly love and mutuall fellowship 1 Cor. 1.10 11. 6. When men are