which are by my Ministry preserued to euerlasting life and thou canst not sufficiently esteeme of thy Redemption and Saluation effected and merited by Christ but manifested applied and warranted vnto thee by my preaching and the graces of God bestowed vpon me for the effectuall conuersion of the elect Obseruations offered vnto vs in these words Thus wee haue seene the order of the wordes and haue learned the meaning of them It remaineth according to the maner and Method before propounded to gather from hence such obseruations as are intimated vnto vs and might be largely handled of vs. First of all obserue with me that the Apostle returneth heere to a consideration of that which might be obiected so that we see it is the duty of the Ministers not onely barely to teach the truth but to remooue doubtes to answere Obiections to put away Impedimentes and to cleere al difficulties that may sticke in the mindes of the hearers and hinder the beleeuing and embracing of the truth deliuered vnto them For howsoeuer our care be to teach plainely and euidently yet the carnall reason of a naturall man ministreth many cauilles and questions whereby diuerse scruples remaine in the hearts of the people as dangerous stumbling blockes to turne them out of the right way to stay their course from running with a right foot in the paths of righteousnesse Wherefore it standeth vs vpon to consider diligently what may be alleaged against the truth that is taught by vs and to make a plaine answere vnto the same This we see in euery Epistle practised by the Apostle When he had taught free iustification a Rom. 3 20. 21 22 27 28 31. by faith apprehending Christ without the workes of the Law the Iewes might haue obiected If the law do not iustifie then it was giuen in vaine it is abolished it serueth to no purpose He knew this would be concluded and therefore he preuenteth it saying Doe we then make the Law of none effect through faith God forbid yea we establish the law And afterward b Rom. 5. 20. with Chap. 6. 1 2. hauing taught that where sinne abounded there grace abounded much more if he had rawly and barely left the matter thus propounded a man might haue obiected If this be true that there grace aboundeth where sinne hath abounded then sinne seemeth to be the cause of Gods glory and then why do we not sinne fully and freely that thereby the glory of God may be magnified Wherefore he vnloseth this knot in the words and chapter immediately following What shall we say then Shall we continue still in sin that grace may abound God forbid How shall we that are dead to sinne liue yet therein Likewise to the same purpose he speaketh againe for hauing proued that sinne shall not haue dominion ouer vs c Rom. 6 14 15. because we are not vnder the law but vnder grace considering with himselfe that prophane men might abuse the grace and liberty of the Gospell to commit sinne with greedinesse hee replieth What then shall we sinne because we are not vnder the law but vnder grace God forbid c. The like we see practised in other places When hee hath taught the Ephesians to loue their Wiues as their owne bodies yea euen as Christ loued the Church and addeth that this d Ephe. 5 32. is a great secret or mystery a man might aske do you speake this of the loue that ought to be betweene the Husband and the Wife or of the loue that is betweene Christ and his Church he answeareth I speake concerning Christ and concerning the Church In like manner deliuering a rule to the Church that Widdowes should bee chosen to attend vpon the sicke and those that were diseased he would haue none vnder threescore yeares of age set a part to this Office he addeth e 1. Tim. 5 9 11. But refuse the younger Widdowes for when they haue begunne to wax wanton against Christ they will marry hauing damnation The Apostle knowing that these wordes might haue beene wrested wrongfully and applyed contrary to his meaning for one might haue said what haue they damnation for marrying Is marriage the cause of damnation He resteth not so but answeareth the point they haue damnation for denying and breaking their first faith This wisedome is to be put in practise of all the Ministers of Gods word wee must be able not onely to teach but to conuince and to fore-see what may be obiected against that which we haue deliuered So then the Ministers must be men of knowledge throughly furnished to conuince the aduersaries and replenished with store both new and old to ouerthrow all spirits of contradiction that seeke to subuert and destroy the faith of many And it belongeth to the people to resort and repaire to their Ministers thus quallified for resolution of doubts wherewith they are troubled f Mal. 2 7. Math. 2 4. considering with themselues that the Priests lips must preserue knowledge and that the people are to seeke the law at their mouthes because they are the Messengers of the Lord of Hoastes Secondly we see againe in the first wordes of hurting and owing that there is vsed a certaine mitigation For whereas he might haue called him a Theefe and Runnagate he expresseth them vnder much milder names calling his robbing and flying away an hurting and debt declaring thereby how gentle and easie an hand how louing and charitable an heart we ought to beare toward the penitent We are not to aggrauate the slippes and fals nor augment the sinnes and offences of our brethren nor to vrge them and set them out in their colours to the vttermost nor to follow them with extremity but it is our duty to deale mercifully with such sinners as are vnfainedly and truely turned vnto God g Three rules to be obserued to moue vs to deale mercifully toward the penitent remembring alwaies these three thinges First that we are subiect to the like sinnes and may be ouertaken with the same offences through the tentations of Sathan and the corruptions of our owne nature Hence it is that the Apostle admonisheth vs h Gal. 6 1. to restore such as haue fallen euen with the spirit of meeknesse considering also our selues least we also be tempted Secondly that as we are subiect to fall so we haue offended as greatly against God as they if not in the same kind and after the same manner so that if he should enter into iudgement with vs who could stand in his presence or answeare him one of a thousand This is it which Christ Iesus laid to the charge of the proud Pharisies when they brought before him the woman taken in adultery he said vnto them i Iohn 8 7 â— Let him that is among you without sinne cast the first stone at her who when they heard it being accused of their owne consciences went out one by one beginning at the eldest euen to the last Thirdly
a note of an vnthankefull heart to obtaine a benefit and not to acknowledge it to receiue a guift and not to praise and commend the giuer This is it which the Apostle teacheth 2. Cor. 1 9 10 11. speaking of the afflictions which came vpon him in Asia whereby hee was pressed out of measure passing strength so that he doubted altogether euen of life We receiued the sentence of death in our selues because wee should not trust in our selues but in God which raiseth the dead who deliuered vs from so great a death and doth deliuer vs in whom we trust that yet heereafter he will deliuer vs so that yee labour together in Prayer for vs that for the guift bestowed vpon vs for many thankes may bee giuen by manie persons for vs. In which words he declareth that as he had experience in the time past of the mercy of God in the deliuerance which was giuen vnto him so he hopeth of the like assistance of his spirit if that the Corinthians would be mindfull of him in their prayers Where we see he ascribeth much to their Prayers and yet so much as that he would haue the glory of his deliuerance to be giuen onely to God and thankes to be rendered vnto him A point worthy to be considered of vs and a duty needfull to bee performed by vs. As he hath promised and we haue prayed so when he hath payed hee is to be praised Praise is comely and well becommeth the Saintes of God the want whereof taketh away the comfort and sweete fruite of his blessinges from vs. It is a great offence to be vnthankefull vnto men but farre greater to God in whom we liue and moue and haue our being Wherfore whensoeuer we haue opened our mouthes vnto God let vs returne the Calues of our lips vnto him and neuer shew our selues more ready to ask then we are willing to praise and magnifie the Lord who hath granted that which wee haue asked And heereby we may try our selues whether we be truly thankfull vnto him or not I shall be freely giuen or bestowed vpon you The Apostle in this place vseth a word deriued from grace so that it signifieth to be giuen by Grace Thus the r 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 word is taken in sundry places of the Scripture as Rom. 8. If hee haue giuen vs his owne sonne how should he not with him ſ Rom. 8 32. 1 Cor. 2. 12. Gal. 3. 18. giue vs all things else And 1 Cor. 2. We haue receiued the spirit which is of God that wee might knowe the thinges that are giuen to vs of God So likewise Galath 3. God gaue the inheritance to Abraham by promise The meaning of the Apostle is thus much in effect the Prayers of the Saintes shall preuaile with God and beeing offered vp for my deliuerance shall not returne to them without comfort nor ascend to him without effect nor concerne mee without effect Notwithstanding albeit they shall not goe emptie away but haue their full force and power yet it is to bee acknowledged and Learned that they so obtaine as that my deliuerance is to bee wrought out by the free guift of his Grace not by the merit and desert of your prayers Doctrine 3. The guifts of God bestowed vpon his seruants come from his free grace not frō our deserts From hence wee learne that the guifts of God bestowed vppon his Seruants come from his free grace not from our deserts from his mercie not from our merites from his Goodnesse not from our Worthinesse This is set downe in the second Commaundement of the Lawe Exodus 20 6. where the Lorde promiseth eternall life vnto the Keepers of the Commandements yet they must not looke to obtaine it as a due desert For hee will shew Mercie vnto thousandes to them that loue him and keepe his Commaundements Faith is an excellent guift and a notable meanes to bring vs to eternall life t Iohn 3 36. For he that beleeueth in the Sonne hath eternall life and hee that obeyeth not the Sonne shall not see life but the wrath of GOD abydeth on him We see then the necessitie of hauing a liuely Faith because to beleeue in Christ bringeth with it eternall life yet it is not for the merite of our Faith but for the Mercie of God and the Merit of Christ apprehended by Faith u Rom. 6 23. inasmuch as Eternall life is the free guift of God The like we may say of Prayer we haue a comfortable promise that if we aske we shall receiue if we seeke we shal finde not because our Prayers do deserue acceptation and therefore when Daniell prayed vnto God he confesseth that x Dan. 9 7 8 9 righteousnesse belongeth vnto the Lord but vnto vs open shame because we haue sinned against him Whereby we gather that although our prayers are not without effect yet they preuaile not by any excellency is sound in them and therefore he saith Compassion and forgiuenesse is in the Lord our God albeit we haue rebelled against him Thus also we might perticularly speake of al the good ordinances of God and the good duties that proceede from vs as the sauing hearing of the word the fruitfull receiuing of the Sacraments such like holy exercises of our Religion inasmuch as he doth accept them and is well pleased in the performance of them howbeit not through our worthinesse that doe performe them but thorough his goodnesse that doth commaund them thorough his mercie that doth approoue them thorough his promise that doth receiue them and thorough his liberality that doeth reward them Reason 1. If wee would know the Causes and Reasons why the Graces of God are freely bestowed vpon vs and nothing giuen in our deserts First let vs consider that all matter of boasting is taken from vs and God will haue the glory of his owne workes and the praise of his mercie If he should take anie thing of vs he should loose so much of his owne glory and we would bee readie to ascribe our sanctification and saluation to our owne selues This doth the Apostle set downe at large in sundry Epistles for speaking of Abraham he saith y Rom. 4 2. and 23 27. If Abraham were iustified by workes he hath wherein to reioyce but not with God And hauing shewed before that God accepteth of the faithfull making him iust and without blame by imputing of Christes righteousnesse vnto him he confirmeth it by the end of Iustification which he maketh to be the glory of God saying Where is then the reioysing It is excluded By what Law Of Workes Nay but by the Law of Faith As if hee should say If we were iustified either by our owne Workes wholly only or partly by Faith and partly by workes then the glory of our iustification should be wholly giuen to our selues or at least not wholly giuen vnto God To this purpose he speaketh in the Epistle to the Ephesians
z Ephe. 2 8 9. 1 5 6. By grace are ye saued through Faith and that not of your selues it is the gift of God not of works least any man should boast himselfe God will haue the glory of our iustification he will be accounted and acknowledged to bee the Iustifier and Sauiour of vs he hath not left vs to iustifie our selues nor to be our owne Sauiours as shall better appeare afterward Reason 2 Secondly there are no such properties in any mans workes as that they cannot merit or proceed from any other fountaine then Grace Let vs therefore see a What properties must be found in workes to make them merritonous what properties are necessarily required in workes to make them merritorious First they must be done of a man of himselfe by himselfe but we haue nothing of our owne to giue him but are most poore men and meere beggers and can but pay God with his owne The workes that are our owne are sufficient to deserue his wrath but haue no power at all to procure his fauour For in our selues we are wretched and miserable poore naked and destitute of all goodnesse so that it is truely saide by the Apostle Paule b 1 Cor. 4 7. Who separateth thee And what hast thou that thou hast not receiued If thou hast receiued it why reioysest thou as though thou hadst not receiued it Without him therefore we can do nothing it is he that must work in vs the will and the deede Secondly they must be such workes as are not due vnto him they must not be due debt they must come from our owne free will they must be such as God cannot iustly challenge at our hands But whatsoeuer we do we do as poore debters nay we are worse then poore debters wee are miserable Bankrupts we haue nothing we haue lesse then nothing to pay Our Sauiour hath a worthy sentence to this purpose Luke 17 10. When ye haue done all those things that are commanded you say we are vnprofitable seruants we haue done that which was our duty to do And what could Adam do and offer vnto God in his innocency but that which was his duty and whereunto he was bound vnto his Maker for his Creation and other blessings bestowed vpon him Thirdly the worke must be done to the benefit and profit of him from whom we looke to be repayed But our goodnesse and well-doing reacheth not to the Lord Psal 16. We may benefit men but wee cannot benefit our maker from whom we haue receiued life and limbe soule and body all that we haue but we can giue him nothing Now they that cānot giue anie thing to God can deserue nothing from him but wee cannot giue any thing to God according to the saying of Paule e Rom. 11 35. 36. Who hath giuen vnto him first and he shall be recompensed For of him and through him and for him are all things to him be glory for euer Amen therefore it is euident that wee cannot deserue Fourthly whatsoeuer is vnperfect cannot stand in the presence of the most iust and perfect God we must bring nothing before him but that which is absolute and able to beare and sustaine his wrath But all that we doe offer or can offer vnto God is maimed and vnperfect such are our best Workes our Prayers our Meditations our Hearing so that our righteousnesse is like a f Esay 64 6. menstruous cloath Whatsoeuer proceedeth from vs is foule and faulty no man is able to satisfie the Iustice and rigor of the Law according to that of the Apostle g Rom. 3 10 12 20. There is none righteous no not one they haue all gone out of the way they haue beene made altogether vnprofitable there is none that doth good no not one and therefore by the workes of the Law shall no flesh be iustified in his sight Wee must all entreate for pardon and forgiuenesse of our euill Workes and not stand vppon the perfection and sufficiencie of our good workes Lastly the worke and the reward must be in proportion equall for if the reward be more then the worke it is not a rewarde of desert but a guift of good will The Apostle saith Rom. 8 I account that the afflictions of this present time are not worthy of the glory which shall be shewed vnto vs. Thus then we reason Nothing can deserue but that which is equiualent to the thing deserued but nothing that we can do can equall or deserue the guiftes the least guift of God So then albeit we had some-what to giue and that wee were not as most naked and needy beggers yet it cannot be compared or correspondent to that which we receiue For grace and glory are vnvalewable and vnmatchable no price can purchase them no mony can buy them no merits can match them So then whether we consider that GOD will haue the glory of all his workes or that there is a great disproportion betweene Mercy and Merits in both respects we conclude that the guiftes of GOD giuen vnto his faithfull seruants proceede from his free grace not from our free will so that they are not deserued of vs but bestowed vpon vs. Vse 1. This Doctrine being thoroughly strengthned let vs see what Vses may be grounded from thence First we learne from hence that seeing God giueth not by desert but of his mercy that whatsoeuer we haue obtained and receiued by any prayer or other meanes from the hand of God wee must ascribe all to the glory and praise of his name and acknowledge him to bee the Author and giuer True it is we are commanded to call vpon the Lord and to put vp our suits and supplications vnto him and when we haue praied and God hath heard our prayer we must not thinke that wee haue well deserued to speed in our desires and say For my righteousnesse the strength of my Prayers I haue gotten this or that but as we vse the meanes so we must acknowledge that God findeth such faults in our best prayers that he might curse vs rather then blesse vs and condemne vs rather then heare vs and withall consider that in hearing vs he respecteth more that which is in himselfe then any thing that is in vs he is moued rather of his owne mercy then any absolutenesse that he can see in our well-doing Let vs therefore meditate vpon our owne wants and albeit we vse those helpes and Instruments that he hath appointed yet let vs giue him all the glory to whom it is wholly due When a great multitude of enemies came against Iehoshaphat he set himselfe to seeke the Lord and proclaimed a fast through out all Iudah They asked counsell of the Lord and prayed vnto him yet when God had giuen them the vpper hand they blessed not themselues but the Lord they praised not their owne zeale but his mercy and they ascribed not the victorie to their fasting and prayer but
to the Hebrews exhorteth theÌ„ e Heb. 13 17. To obey them that haue the ouer-sight of them and to submit themselues because they watch for their soules as they that must giue accounts that they may doe it with ioy and not with griefe for that is vnprofitable for them Secondly it teacheth them to account them worthy of their hire and wages to esteeme them worthy of double honor It is a grieuous and a f Iam 5 4. crying sin to keep back the labourers wages to diminish it to grudge at it and to take it to theÌ„selues and it calleth for vengeance entreth into the eares of the Lord of hosts The Ministers are the Lords labourers and workmen hired to labour in this Vineyard to sow to plant to water to prune to dig he hath appointed to them their portion for their maintenance if this therefore be detained from them by In-iustice it cryeth vnto God and bringeth oftentimes his curse vpon vs both in spirituall and temporall thinges In spirituall thinges because he dealeth with vs in heauenly thinges as wee deale with his Ministers in earthly thinges If we detaine from them their maintenance hee will detaine from vs his blessing If we be sparing in giuing them their hire he also will be sparing in bestowing vpon them his graces As we sow so we shall reape In temporall things because God promiseth a blessing to such as pay the Lord his due and threatneth to cursse them that spoile him in his Tithes and offerings This we see in the Prophet Malachi c Mal. 3 8 9 10. where God complaineth of their spoiling and defrauding of him he saith Yee are curssed with a cursse for ye haue spoiled me euen this whole Nation bring ye all the tithes into the Store-house that there may be meate in mine House and prooue mee now heere with saith the Lord of Hoastes if I will not open the Windowes of Heauen vnto you and poure you out a blessing without measure If then wee desire the blessings of God to come vppon vs in spirituall graces or in earthly thinges wee ought not to with-hold the Labourers wages that plough vp our fallow groundes and Till our barren hearts It is a worthy exhortation which the Apostle giueth to the Church of the Thessalonians touching their Ministers d 1 Thes 5 12 We beseech you Brethren that ye acknowledge them which labour among you and are ouer you in the Lord and admonish you that yee haue them in singular loue for their workes sake For seeing the true Pastours of Christ bestowe their labour among vs and consume themselues as the Candle to giue light to others wee ought to shew the bowels of loue and compassion toward them wee ought not to bee wanting vnto them in the fruites of our loue And to the Church that is in thine House c. Hitherto wee haue handled the third person written to namely Archippus together with the description of him to be a Souldier of Christ and a Fellowe-Souldier with the Apostle Now wee are to proceede to the fourth and last which yet remaineth which is a ioyning of many persons together for hee addeth to the former The Church which is in thine House He adorneth the Household and Family of Philemon with the Honourable and renowned Title of a Church This serueth to commend as well Philemon the Maister who had instructed his Family in the Doctrine of godlinesse as also the Houshold it selfe which had beene taught and trained vp by him We see heere a priuate House is called a Church For seeing where two or three are gathered together in the name of Christ e Math. 18 20 he is there in the midst of them euery assembly or meeting of the Saints is called not vnfitly by that Name Philemon to his perpetuall commendation had by his care and industry made of his house a little Church instructing guiding gouerning framing and ordering them in the knowledge and feare of God Doct. 8. It is the duty of all householders to teach their Families We learne from hence that all Housholders ought to prepare instruct and order their Families in the knowledge of God and obedience of godlinesse that the house of the Maister may be the Church of God And that it is the duty of all such as haue the gouernment and ouersight of others to see theÌ„ taught and instructed in the waies of God it appeareth by many precepts and examples set forth vnto vs in the Scriptures This is it which Moses gaue in charge to the Israelites f Deut. 6 8 11 19. and 4 10 11. Ye shall lay vp these my words in your harts and in your soule and binde them for a signe vpon your hand that they may be as a frontlet betweene your eies And ye shall teach them your Children speaking of them when thou fittest in thine house and when thou walkest by the way and when thou lyest downe and when thou risest vp So the Prophet speaking of the great workes of God wrought for the safety of his people the ouerthrow of their enemies declareth g Psal 78 4 5 6. How he establed a testimony in Iacob and ordained a Law in Israell which he commaunded our Fathers that they should teach their Children that the posterity might know it and the Children which should be borne should stand vp and declare it to their Children that they might set their hope on God and not forget the workes of God but keepe his Commaundements This it is which Salomon speaketh Prouer. 22. 6. d Pro. 22 6. Teach a child in the Trade of his way and when he is old he shall not depart from it Heereunto also agreeth the saying of the Apostle e Ephe. 6 4. Ye Fathers prouoke not your Children to wrath but bring them vp in instruction and information of the Lorde Now as we haue seene sundry precepts pressing vs to the performance of this dutie so wee haue many examples of the godly that haue put it in practise and gone before vs in their obedience Abraham the Father of the faithfull is commended of God for his care and conscience this way Gene. 18. 19. where he saith f Gen. 18 19. I know him that he will commaund his Sonnes and his houshold after him that they keepe the way of the Lorde to doe righteousnesse and iudgement Iob is reported to haue sanctified his Children when the daies of their banqueting were gone about g Iob 1. 5. Hee rose vp early in the Morning and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all Cornelius a Captaine of the Italian band feared h Act. 10 2. â—od with all his Houshold The Parents of Timothy his Grand-mother and Mother brought him vp in the knowledge of the Scriptures of a Child i 2 Tim. 1 5. and 3 15. Which are able to make vs wife vnto saluation through the Faith which is in Christ
but they blush not with brazen faces and Iron fore-heads to breake out into all prophanenesse Let these take heede y Math. 10 33 least Christ bee ashamed of them when he commeth into his kingdome If wee be ready to confesse him and to professe his truth he will acknowledge vs before his Father which is in Heauen Obiect 2. Some say it is a note of hypocrisie to performe these duties and condemne them as Hypocrites that teach their Families These are euill Seruants that out of their owne mouthes may bee iudged Let them pray to haue their stony hearts taken away and new hearts giuen vnto them z 1 Ioh. 3 20. For if their hollow and hypocriticall hearts doe condemne them God is greater then their harts and knoweth all thinges And let them take heede they sit not in iudgement vpon others least with the same measure that they mete it bee measured to them againe Let them iudge nothing before the time but reserue iudgement to the Iudge of the whole world Obiect 3. Others say it will let and hinder their Seruants worke wee must haue so much praying that we shall haue little working These men can alot and alow no time for the Lord but thinke euery houre lost that is not spent in businesse of the World and affaires of this life These are like to prophane Saule who when the Philistims pressed toward him and hee was to aske counsell of the Lord a 1 Sa. 14 19. Hee commaunded the Priest to with-draw his hand that is he saide vnto him the season serueth not to seeke vnto GOD wee cannot spend the time in calling vppon him let vs goe vnto the battell and fight against our Enemies These men are like to wretched Pharaoh when Moses called vppon him b Exod. 3 4. to let the people goe into the Wildernesse to serue and sacrifice to the Lord he is charged to make them idle and to cause them to surcease from their workes These men are like to couetous Iudas c Iohn 12 4. who when Mary annointed Christes feete complained of the wast and said Why was not this Oyntment solde for three hundred pence and giuen to the poore Wherefore our Sauiour answereth such in his reply to Martha who was much troubled and cumbred about much seruing d Luke 10 41 One thing is needfull Mary hath chosen the good part which shall not be taken away from her Nay to be instructed in true Religion and to set out a time for calling vpon the Name of God is so farre from hindring our Seruants worke that it shall further it and giue a blessing vnto it We are commaunded to meditate in the Law of the Lord day and night e Iosh 1 8. that so wee may make our way prosperous and haue good successe in the workes of our hands And the Prophet teacheth That except the Lord builde the House and watch the Citty the labour of the Builder and of the Watch-man is in vaine Obiect 4. Others say they shall bee mocked taunted and scorned by the World they shall be tearmed Precisians they shall be called Puritans But wee must not seeke to please men by running into the displeasure of God For oftentimes it falleth out through the iust iudgement of God that whilst we hunt after the pleasure and fauour of men against God wee haue the fauour neither of God nor Men. The Apostle saith of himselfe writing to the Galathians f Gal. 1 10. If I should yet please Men I were not the Seruant of Christ It was the lot of Christ it hath beene the portion of all true Christians to bee scourged by the viperous and venomous tongues of vngodlie men that care not for God nor regard any Religion We are faint Souldiers not worthy to beare the Name of Christ if wee fly out of the fielde for euerie idle word and taunt of the tongue cast out against vs. Wee must prepare our selues against greater encounters g Ephe. 6 11. and arme our selues against wordes and Swords we must buckle both with the Deuill and with Deuilish men hand to hand except we will yeild him both our bodies and Soules to our destruction Obiect 5. Some say they cannot bring the vnlearned to knowledge and that youth are stubborn they wil be youth still and we were once youths they should hardly keepe any Seruants if they should strictly tye them to this order nay they should fly the Parish rather then beare this yoake I aunswere first let vs remember that GOD giueth the knowledge of his Mysteries euen to the simple and lowly minded that feare him Secondly consider that young men are commanded h Eccle. 12 1. to remember their Creator in the daies of their youth and shall giue an account of all thinges vnto God As for their stubbornnesse the word of God is the best remedy to bend them and make them pliable vnto all goodnesse so that the Prophet saith i Psal 119 9. Wherewith shall a young Man redresse his way In taking heede thereto according to thy word But if they bee so stiffely and stubbornely minded that they will not be reclaimed and reformed their roome is better then their company If admonitions will not winne them they are to bee auoyded thy house is better without them then with them Neither are we to feare their flying away and departing to another place for if this course of instruction were taken in hand euery where the Obiection were answered and their mouths stopped For whether would they goe to escape this training vp in the principles of Religion It is certaine they could turne themselues no whither but it would meete with them in all places Obiect 6. Others obiect our Fathers did well enough without obseruing any such order I trow you will not condemne them Why should wee make ourselues wiser then they They troubled not themselues or their Children with learning of Catechismes and wee see men doe well enough prosper in the World yet busie not their heads about this I answere if they meane those forefathers and Ancestors whose steps we should follow as Adam Abraham Isaac Iacob Iosua Dauid and diuers others which were indeede our Fathers then we may bee assured out of the word of truth that these busied and bestirred themselues this way they taught their Children they instructed their families they reformed disorders they remooued the disordered If they meane our forefathers that liued in latter times when darkenesse couered the earth no maruell if they were not vrged thereunto themselues or that they vrged not others for then they liued at the dyet of the Prelats and nothing pleased the Prelats better then the ignorance of the people k Math. 15 14 they were the blinde Leaders of the blinde they could neither enter into the Kingdome of heauen themselues nor suffer those that would enter Notwithstanding we will not meddle with condemning our forefathers neither will
God and hate his Brother hee is a Lyar for howe can hee that loueth not his Brother whom hee hath seene Loue God whom hee hath not seene And this Commaundement haue wee of him that he that loueth God should Loue his Brother also Where hee teacheth that the loue of God and the loue of our Bretheren are knit together with such a fast knot as can neuer bee loosed and dissolued the Workes of the first Table cannot be pulled assunder from the Workes of the second Table The Apostle Peter moouing the dispersed Iewes to giue dilligence to make their Election sure and their calling certaine that so they might neuer fall away p 2 Pet. 1 5 6 7. exhorteth them To ioyne Vertue with their Faith and with Fayth Knowledge and with Knowledge Temperance and with Temperance Patience and with Patience Godlinesse and with Godlynesse Brotherly Kindnesse and vvith Brotherly kindnesse Loue. These Christian graces of Gods Spirit he would haue in them and not onely to be found in them but to abound in them and not onely some of them but they must endeuour to get them all and to ioyne one of them to another that so we may bee fruitfull in all good Workes It is not therefore enough for vs to haue one guift alone and then think we are well Let vs not flatter our selues and boast of our Religion to say wee haue Faith or Knowledge or Temperance or Loue. Hee that hath but one of them hath indeede none of them We must haue many or else wee cannot assure our selues that we haue any at all For as hee that is reformed in one sinne is reformed in all knowne sinnes and he that truely repenteth of one truely repenteth of all so hee that hath obtayned one gift hath gotten many One sinne commonly goeth not alone so one Vertue goeth not alone When Fayth commeth there commeth a Traine with it it is as a Royall Queene that neuer trauaileth abroad without her traine Faith layeth holde vpon Christ in whome q Col. 1 19. 2 3. all Treasures of Knowledge Wisedome are hidden Whosoeuer possesseth him and hath him dwelling in his heart hee possesseth all thinges If then wee by attending on the ordinance of God haue gotten Faith r Rom. 20 17. which commeth by hearing and hearing by the Word so soone as Faith is entred a great multitude and mightie Armie of Gods Graces stande about vs and throng at the doore of our hearts as it were striuing and thrusting which of them shoulde enter first and they neuer giue ouer vntill they bee all come in and haue taken vp their lodging there neuer after to bee dislodged and dispossessed of that place Let vs not therefore bee so sparing and niggardly to thinke one grace of God sufficient for vs we serue a liberall Lorde and bountifull Maister that offereth to make vs partakers of all his Treasures and to bestow vppon vs all the riches of his house We may put our hands into his Coffers and store our selues with plenty and aboundance Wee see howe they that couer their houses Å¿ Plaut in Trinum Benefacta benefactis alijs pertegito ne perpluant do lay Tile vpon Tile or Stone vpon Stone or Strawe vppon Straw so thicke that it may not raine thorow and that they may be defended from winde and weather so should it bee with vs that are setting vppe a Christian building when we haue laide a good foundation wee must couer our houses with a strong couering wee must lay Grace vppon Grace and ioyne Vertue to Vertue that though the stormes of tentations beate vpon vs yet they may not preuaile against vs though the Raine of afflictions fall vpon vs yet it may not enter into vs and although the Windes of wickednesse doo oftentimes blow vpon vs yet they may not ouer-turne and ouerthrow vs. Vse 2. Secondly seeing Faith and Loue go together and dwell together we are put in minde of a notable dutie and are thereby directed to prooue our Faith by our Loue and our Loue by our Faith and to make one of them serue to assure the other The cause wil proue the effect and the effect will manifest the cause We may proue fire by the heat and the heat by the fire a good tree by his fruit the fruit by his tree Many wil seeme faithful religious they will glorify that they beleeue boast of their piety and godlinesse yet come to their liues you shal find therein no fruits of mercy no works of charity no tokens testimonies of their loue appearing in them This mans religion is in vaine his faith is in vaine his shew of godlinesse is in vaine for pure t Iam. 1 27 2 16. Religion and vndefiled before God the Father is this to visit the fatherles widdowes in their aduersity to keep himself vnspotted of the world And the same Apostle in the next chapter teacheth That it shal not profit any man to say he hath Faith when his Faith bringeth forth no Good-workes Againe many will shew some fruites of Loue to their Brethren in Almes in liberality in giuing vnto the poore in dealing iustly and vprightly and yet haue no faith they doo them as naturall men mooued by a naturall affection or stirred vp by vaine glory or hunting after the praise of men or constrained by the lawes of Princes or fearing the reproach of the world or seeking the merit of their owne saluation All such haue their reward according to their worke but not according to their hope They haue their reward already they must look for no other they haue it among men they shall loose it with God they haue the applause of the world but they must passe another doome in the life to come Such faith before spoken of without loue is but a shadow of faith and such loue without faith is but a shadow of loue both are naught and nothing worth if they be assunder The roote ioyned to the Tree are both good and make the branches fruitfull but seperate the one from the other pull the root from the Tree and you destroy them both you kill them both This is that vse u Iames 2 18. which S. Iames vrgeth chap. 2. Some man might say Thou hast the Faith and I haue workes shew me thy faith out of thy workes and I will shew thee my faith by my workes Whereby we are taught to try the truth of our faith the sincerity of our loue that we be not deceiued in the one or in the other But how shall this triall be made Surely by making one the Touchstone to the other laying one to the other and waighing one in the ballance with the other For the Apostle willeth the vaine Christian who hath nothing but the name of faith to glory in like a poore Begger that boasteth of great riches to shew the goodnesse of his Faith by the fruits of Good-workes or else his
faith will appeare to be no faith and his claime to be a false vsurpation So then if thou wilt prooue thy selfe a true Christian and to be iust before God through faith in Christ it is not enough to take vnto thee the Title of fayth and to boast of such a beleefe as the Deuils haue and euery reprobate may haue but thou must be content to haue thy inward faith examined and tried by thy outward workes whether it be the true faith or not For a true Faith is alwayes ioyned with loue and bringeth forth Good-workes as necessarily as a good Tree bringeth forth good fruits An euill Tree bringeth forth euill fruits but a good Tree hath good fruite comming from it From this coniunction of these two superiour vertues to wit Faith and Loue the Rhemists in their translation and other Romanists in their disputations do debate and conclude against a fundamentall point of Christian Religion on this manner If Faith be not alone but ioyned with Loue Then Faith alone doth not iustifie But Faith is not alone but ioyned with Loue Therefore Faith alone doth not iustifie To this Obiection I answere they make an equiuocation in these words Faith alone If they meane by Faith alone a dead faith as Iames dooth which is voyde of workes then they speake nothing to the purpose for wee neuer allowed of such a faith we neuer taught iustification by such a faith But if they meane as they should if they reason against vs that in the act of Iustification there is required hope and charity or any more then the hande of faith which is the onely instrument to take hold of Christ if they ioyne vnto this any of their workes we deny their assertion and cannot admit of such iustification For we beleeue and hold it as a sound foundation of our religion that faith without any workes doth iustifye forasmuch as it dooth alone apprehend the mercies of God and apply the merits of Christ whereby wee are iustified so that if the question be what we must oppose between the Iustice of God and our sinnes why he doth not execute the curse of the Law against vs wherefore he is reconciled toward sinners and receiueth them into fauour and how they stand as iust before his Throne Heere works haue no place which are vnperfect which are stained and defiled so that both we and our workes must be accepted for another namely for Christs sake whome faith receiueth and so putteth him and his benefits into our soules True it is Faith and Loue are alwayes ioyned in one Christian they are required to perfect him and to bring him to saluation Thus Faith is necessary Hope is necessary Charity is necessary they must all concurre in one subiect meet togither in the same person so that no beleeuer must be without any of them Thus we confesse they are neuer alone he that is without Hope and Charitie is also without Faith and whosoeuer hath a liuely Faith hath likewise an effectuall Hope and a fruitfull Loue. Neuerthelesse howsoeuer they be ioyned and must bee ioyned in the practise of a Christian life yet they are not ioyned nor cannot be ioyned in the act and Article of Iustification The eye in the head alone seeth not the eare not the mouth not the tongue and yet it is neuer alone in the head but ioyned with others The hand in the body alone serueth to handle and to take the meate whereby we are fed and norished yet it is not without the arme without the foote without the eye without the head Euery part and member of the bodie in his place is necessary and all serue to perfect the body without which it were maimed and vnperfect but euery member hath his seueral office and function so is it with the gifts and graces of God all are and ought to be ioyned together to make vp a perfect Christian and he must be furnished with them to make him compleat and absolute to euerie good worke but euery gift hath his seuerall obiect and Office The property of the eye is to see of the hand to handle of the foote to walke so the Office of Faith is to make vs iust the office of Hope is to make vs wait the office of Loue is to make vs mercifull We doo not separate Faith and Good-workes from the exercise of a Christian mans life but in the office of Iustification and acquitting of vs in the presence of God Faith in her Office is alone as Loue likewise is in hers but in our practise in our persons they must be ioyned A Prince albeit in her estate Throne she be alone yet she goeth not without her traine and Maids of Honor waiting about her and attending vpon her Faith when shee layeth holde on Christ and receyueth the promise is as it were vpon her Throne of estate and in her proper calling ioyning vs to God Neyther do wee ascribe our Iustification to faith for it selfe or as it is a work and quality in vs as if it were any part of our Iustice or righteousnesse as if we were iustifyed partly by the merits of Christ and partly by the worthinesse of our own faith for that were to seek Iustification in our selus which is the Doctrine of the church of Rome but we are iustifyed no otherwise by our faith then wee are fed by our hand Now how doth the hand nourish the body Not because it is meat to feed the dy but because it receyueth and applyeth vnto it the meate whereby it is sustayned Euen so Faith iustifyeth and giueth life not because it is our Iustification either in whole or in part but because it receyueth Christ to be our righteousnesse and life in whom x Acts 26 18 We haue remission of sinnes and an inheritance among them that are sanctified and reserued to eternall life So then wee ascribe Iustification to our faith no otherwise then as it is the meanes or Instrument to apprehend and receiue the mercies of God the merits of Christ and the promises of the gospell Thus we teach that faith is the y Aug. tract 50 in Iohan. hand which we stretch to heauen to take hold of Christ and to embrace him sitting at the right hande of his father It is the mouth whereby we eate and drinke Christ z August tract 26. in Iohan. because to beleeue in him is to eate him It is the stomacke whereby we digest him a Tertull. de resurr carnis because he is to be digested by Faith It is the foote whereby wee enter the possession of all the benefits of Christ and so farre b Bernard Ser. 32. in Cantio we possesse them as wee walke towardes them By Faith it is that we touch Christ and so receiue Christ c Cypria Epist 2. lib. 2. for looke how much Faith we bring to receiue so much we draw of the abundant graces of God To conclude therefore we see
how Faith is alone and how it is not alone how it goeth with Loue and when it goeth not with Loue. It is alone in our Iustification it is not alone in our godly conuersation It is alone in receiuing Christ it is not alone in furnishing a Christian mans life nor sufficient to adorne him with such graces as God requireth to be in his person for all other vertues must be in him Vse 3. Lastly seeing Faith and Loue are alwaies linked together in one man this ouerthroweth another Doctrine of the Church of Rome which teacheth that Faith may be without Charity and separate from good workes For the true and iustifying Faith of Gods elect can be no more without workes then the fire without heate the water without moysture the sand without heauines the Sunne without brightnes the soule without life or the good tree without good fruit Neither let them pretend the d Iam 2. 17 Apostle Iames to colour this their fancy as though it proued that a man may haue Faith without Charity For he speaketh in that place of a dead Faith not a liuely Faith of a false Faith not of a true Faith of the Faith of the Deuils not of the Faith of Gods elect of Faith in outward profession not in the inward affection He sheweth that e verse 17. Faith if it haue no workes is dead and againe f verse 20. 26. Faith without workes is dead he likeneth such a Faith to the Faith of the Deuils and therefore it cannot be a iustifying Faith vnlesse they will make the Deuils good Catholiques and partakers of saluation He resembleth this Faith to the good words of him that wisheth well to a poore man but doth nothing at all for him he speakes him faire but he doth not succour him And as the body that breatheth not is dead so Faith that bringeth not forth good workes is dead Now a dead Faith is no Faith it is Faith in name but not in Nature The Philosophers g Arist polit lib. 1. cap. 1. teach that when the body is dead there shall be neither foot nor hand but onely a likenes of name as a man tearmeth a hand of wood or stone a hand so in like sort is a dead hand called an hand or a dead man a man because howsoeuer they are not the same yet they retaine the shew and shaddow of the name but al true parts of the body are defined by their Office and faculty Thus doth the Apostle call a dead faith by the name of faith whereas indeed it is no more true faith then a dead man is a liuing man Hence it is that some of the Popish writers teach that Iames by the name of h Iam. 2. 26. spirit vnderstandeth not the soule but the breath and that he fitly compareth workes to breath and faith to the body i Caietan com on Iam. 2. 26. because as the body of a liuing creature if it breath not is dead so faith if it bring forth no workes is dead for breathing is an effect of a liuing body and working is the proper effect of a liuing faith we say therefore that there is a faith which may be without Charity and there is a faith that cannot be without Charity There is a generall faith which beleeueth that there is one God and giueth assent that the Scriptures be true which goeth no farther this we confesse may be and oftentimes is without good workes But there is a faith that worketh by Loue which can neuer be seperated from Charity and good workes but wheresoeuer it is there is infallibly and inseparably ioyned vnto it the Loue of God and man k Phil. 1. 11. bringing forth the fruits of Righteousnesse which are by Iesus Christ to the glory and praise of God If we haue this true faith l Act. 15. 9. which purifieth the heart it will be rich and plentifull in all good workes and teach vs to shew the fruites of Loue to our Bretheren There hath beene a long contention and much adoe in the Church how to reconcile Paule and Iames together the one aduancing faith and the other good workes Paule saith m Rom. 3. 28. we are iustified by faith and not by the workes of the Law Iames saith wee are iustifyed by n Iam 2. 24. workes and not by faith onely These sayings by faith and not by faith by workes and not by workes seeme one directly opposite and contrary to the other This difference is onely in the letter not in the matter in shew not in substance in words not in meaning and the Doctrine which now wee haue in hand will helpe easily to accord them nay there cannot be a better reconciliation then when we ioyne them together in the practise of our liues and conuersations Let vs ioyne the liuely Faith of Paule with the Good-workes of Iames let vs bring them both into action and so we shall be iustified by S. Paules faith before God and by S. Iames Workes before men Thus the places will easily be made one which seeme different the one from the other For although Paule do commend Faith yet he dooth not condemne Workes and albeit Iames do commend Workes yet he doth not condemn Faith and therefore as they teach both so we must practise both we must be voyde of neyther of them Seeing they preach both we must know that both are required of vs. This ouerthroweth two sorts of men first Papists and then Libertines The first reproofe First the Church of Rome do vs great wrong and iniury both in falsly slandering vs and in filling the eares of the simple and ignoraunt people with lyes that our Doctrine is a Doctrine of liberty and licentiousnesse that wee teach men or at least open a gap to men to liue loosely and lewdly and that we are enimies to Good-workes whereas in verie deede we do the cleane contrarie as this Doctrine among a thousand others may beare witnesse which now wee deale withall teaching vs that Faith must alwaies go with Works that Faith purifieth the heart and giueth victory ouer the world Wee teach that Christ is not onely our Iustification but also our Sanctification We charge men to beware that they vse not the liberty of the Gospell as a cloak of maliciousnesse We teach them to serue the Lord with feare in holinesse and righteousnesse all the daies of their life Wee will men to let their light so shine before men that they seeing their Good-Workes may glorifie their father which is in heauen This is no Doctrine of liberty nor openeth a window to all wickednesse and yet this is our Doctrine which is so plaine and euident a truth n Stapl. de Iustif pag. 334. that some of our hottest aduersaries are driuen to acknowledge it But who are they that haue this leisure to pry and search into the liues of others abroad and are ignorant of themselues and their owne Doctrine
Borrowers and whatsoeuer we enioy it is not ours onely but ours and the poores they haue their share and portion with vs. A Christian man though hee bee the freest man vpon the earth yet hee is a Seruant to all especially to the Church of God A Christian man is only a Free-man for he hath Christian liberty belonging â—o him a Iohn 8. 36. And he whom Christ maketh free he is free indeed He is freed b Rom. 8 1. Col. 2 16 20. Rom. 6 14. from â—he curse of the Law from the bond of perfect righteousnesse from the burden of Ceremonies from the bondage of sinne He hath a freedome in the voluntary c Luke 1 74. worship and seruice of God in the d T it 1 15. free vse of al the Creatures of God to come to the throne of grace e Rom 5 2. Ephe 3 12. with assurance to be heard for Christs sake and to enter into the Kingdome of glory after this life On the other side a wicked man is the greatest slaue and bondman that can be He is in bondage vnder sinne He is subiect to all punishments temporall and eternall He is in bondage vnder the Deuill f 2. Tim 2 26. who keepeth all impenitent sinners in his snares to do his his will He is in bondage vnder the wrath of God But to let this passe howsoeuer the faithfull are free men yet they are not onely the seruants of God but the seruants of men especially of the poore but most especially of the godly We are not to seeke our owne thinges but to referre the labours of our calling and the blessing of God vpon our labours to the common good of the Church whereof we are members This condemneth two sorts of men First such as seeke for nothing but to settle themselues and maintaine their owne estates to enrich themselues that they may liue in ease and wealth like the rich man mentioned in the Gospel these make no conscience of swearing forswearing lying dissembling oppressing and such like vnfruitfull workes of the flesh Thâ—se men may alleadge and pleade for themselues what they will but in truth they neuer yet knew what the Communion of Saintes meaneth The Apostle giueth this precept to all the Church g Phil 2. 4. Gal. 6. 2. Looke not euery man on his owne thinges but euery man also on the thinges of other men And in another place Beare yee one an others burden and so fulfill the Law of Christ So the Apostle Iames teacheth h Iam. 4. 3. that we often aske and receiue not because we aske amisse that we might consume the same vpon our pleasures Secondly it reproueth such as wast and consume the good creatures of God in riotousnes in drunkennes and in all excesse and when they are in brotherly loue and Christian compassion admonished do by and by answere what haue you to do with my spending I spend nothing but mine owne I spend none of yours Yes thou spendest that which is thy wiues thy Childrens thy families euen that which is Gods for which thou shalt giue an account at the great and dreadfull day of iudgement For when Christ shall come with thousands of his Angels to make an end of all thinges and say vnto thee i Luke 16 2 Come giue an account of thy Stewardship for thou maiest be no longer Steward wilt thou answere to the Iudge of all the world and to Christ that shall sit vpon the Throne thou hast wasted none of his goodes and abused none of his Creatures Thine owne heart and thine owne conscience as a thousand witnesses will giue in euidence against thee that thou hast taught thy tongue to lie They haue forgotten they are the Lords Stewards and shall giue an account to him as certainly of the bestowing of their substance as themselues take an account of their seruants of that portion of their goods which they haue committed vnto them Vse 3. Lastly seeing we are debters to all men but specially to the faithfull it reproueth such as shew the chiefest fruite of their loue and charity vpon the vngodly and prophane whom it were many times more charity to see punished then releeued and corrected then maintained Many there are among vs that haue no care or compassion of the poore Saintes though they see their wants and necessities yet they can shut their eyes and passe by them k Luke 10. 31. 32. as the Priest and Leuite did by him that was robbed by Theeues and lay halfe dead of his woundes But they will oftentimes be bountifull and shew their beneuolence vpon such as a great deale worse deserue it We see that our collections and distributions are made many times amisse and such as are most prophane are best prouided for Such as are idle Drones beastly Drunkards filthy Harlots and their gracelesse bastardes are more regarded and respected and haue better experience of our Almes then such poore as are godly minded heires by grace Saintes by calling and sonnes by faith This is an inuerting and ouerturning of the order that God hath set and setled to remaine among vs for this is his ordinance which he hath left with vs l Gal. 6. 10. While we haue time let vs do good vnto all men but specially to them that are of the houshold of Faith So the Apostle praieth for the Thessalonians that the Lord would encrease them and make them abound in Loue one toward another and toward all men First it must extend to such as are members of the Church and afterward to all others 1. Thes 3. 12. Loe heere is an Ordinance of God perpetually and inuiolably to be kept as a Law of the Medes and Persians which could not be altered we must do good to the distressed Saintes and poore seruants of God before others and more then to others God indeed is good to all m Psal 125. 9. and his mercy is ouer all his workes but in a speciall sort he n Psal 73. 1. is good to Israell and gratious to them that are pure of heart He saueth man and beast in body but he saueth the soules of his elect for euer He doth not onely preserue them temporally but he will glorify them eternally From hence such as are poore and haue godlines laid vp in their hearts must learne to beare the heauy burden of pouerty with patience seeing that howsoeuer they are neglected of men in the daily ministration yet they are highly respected of God and he vouchsafeth to leaue speciall direction for them aboue others to be sustained The greater our pouerty is the greater should be our piety that the more miserable we seeme to the world the more honourable we may be in the sight of God and of all good men True godlines will sweeten the bitternes of the Crosse which hath the promises of this life and of that which is to come But a poore estate ioyned with a prophane life
which requireth his ordinary presence Fourthly it is against the order of Nature the rule of reason and the law of Iustice to take wages for that worke which he doth not performe and to eate where he doth not labour It is a great wrong and iniury done to those that labour in feeding the Flocke to bee denyed to eate of the Milke of the Flocke to do the seruice and another to receiue the reward to take the Corne and to giue others the Straw to sow spirituall things and to be depriued of temporall thinges to beare the burden and to endure the heate of the day and other to come and take away the penny and price for which they couenanted It is a kind of theft to eate without labour and to feed themselues without taking paines Fiftly the danger is very great that groweth both to the Pastors and people by this sin of absence and want of attendance For if any of the Soules which belong vnto their charge doe perrish through their negligence and starue through want of foode they shall be arraigned as guilty of their death and destruction The Prophet Ezekell setteth downe the threatning of God z Ezek. 33 8. When I shall say vnto the wicked O wicked man thou shalt dye the death if thou dost not speake and admonish the wicked of his way that wicked man shall dye for his iniquity but his blood will I require at thine hand Heereunto accordeth the saying of Christ a Math. 15 14 If the Blind lead the Blind both shall fall into the Ditch The losse of the b Ierom. epist ad Furiam flocke is the reproach of the Shepheard and the peoples destruction shall be the Pastors confusion And when the Pastor is absent the people wil soone decline from zeale to coldnesse fall from vertue to vice turne from the worship of God to Idolatry reuolt from the workes of piety to damnable security Let a man with-hold his hand and cease from sowing good seede or vnder-sow his ground by sparing his Corne Thistles and Weedes will spring vp in stead thereof Let a man haue food withdrawne from him and abstaine from nourishment that feedeth the body he shall be filled with winde and fall into weaknesse When Moses was absent from the Children of Istaell but forty daies while he was talking with God in the Mountain c Exod. 32 1. they committed horrible Idolatry and turned the glory of God into the similitude of a Calfe that eateth hay Iehoash the King of Iudah d 2 King 12 2 3. 2 Chro. 24 17 did that which was good in the sight of the Lord all his time that Iehoiada the Priest was with him and taught him but after his death both King and Princes people left the house of the Lorde God of their Fathers and erected Groues and serued Idols so that wrath came vpon them because of this their trespasse This also experience taught the Apostle in the Church of the Galathians while he was present e Gal. 4 18 20. they kept the Faith they turned neither to the right hand nor to the left they did cleaue to the Doctrine of Christs Gospell but when he was gone the false Apostles entred and tooke occasion by his absence to sow Tares among the Wheat and to corrupt the truth with Leauen of false Doctrine When the Shepheard is gone the Wolues may safely enter into the Sheepefold not sparing the Flocke When the Watch-man is gone or fallen asleepe the Enemy may enter and sacke the Citty When the Husbandman that sowed good seede in his fielde is departed f Math. 13 25 the enuious man came and sowed Cockle and Darnell among the Corne. While the people haue the presence and residence of their faithfull Pastor to feede them and to goe in and out before them both in Doctrin and example yet such is the weaknesse of Flesh the corruption of Nature the strength of sin the subtilty of the Enemy the vanity of the world the vnconstancy of humane thinges that they are ready to fall and to giue ouer albeit I say that he be with thē and conuersant among them and remain in the midst of them If then much euill be done while the Ouer-seers are present much more will be committed while they are absent while there is none to stay them while the Bridle is cast in their owne neckes Thus Moses proueth that the people would corrupt themselues and turn from the right way after his death because they had beene rebellious and stiffe-necked he being aliue Deut. 31 27 29. I g Deut. 33. know thy rebellion and thy stiffe-necke behold I being yet aliue with you this day ye are rebellious against the Lord how much more then after my death Sixtly the necessity of hauing the presence of the Pastour continually to call vpon the people appeareth heerein because the danger of the Wolfe is continuall and therefore the vse of the Shepheard is continuall The Apostle telleth the Elders of Ephesus h Acts 20 29. That he knoweth this that aftcr his departing grieuous Wolues would enter in among them not sparing the Flocke Besides Sathan is busie in tempting subtile in vndermining crafty in deceiuing malicious in spoyling and cruell in destroying he compasseth the earth too and and fro and walketh vp and downe in it Now the more diligent the spirituall enemy is the more violent and watchfull ought the Pastour to be If the good man of the House knew at what houre the Theefe would come to rob and to steale doubtlesse he would watch and not suffer his house to bee broken downe Hence it is that Peter saith Be sober and watch i 1 Pet. 5 8 for your aduersary the Deuill as a roaring Lyon walketh about seeking whom he may deuour And surely this is the cause that in some places the people are defiled with all abhominations in other places they are peruerted and seduced by Iesuits and Seminary Priests and in all places grow cold and carelesse in Religion because they want meanes to guide them and stay them in the right way they haue not zealous Pastours to stirre them vp to godlinesse and to driue away the Wolfe farre from them Seuenthly it is of euill report a note of couetousnesse or euill suspicion of it and giueth great offence to the Church of God For where there is an vnnecessary absence of the Minister from his cure and charge hee giueth occasion to suspect that he rather desireth to feed vpon them then to feed them to seeke theirs then them to prey vppon them then to pray with them to possesse their goods then to win their Soules We are commanded to abstaine from all appearance of euill And the Apostle approoueth his Ministery to the consciences of the Corinthians by this k 2 Cor. 12 14 That hee sought not theirs but them Eightly the inconuenience is great that commeth by this absence it is the cause of a Vagrant
case of those that are without the preaching of the word they liue in blindnesse darknesse they walke in places of continuall danger and yet cannot see their way they liue without the ordinarie meanes of life and saluation and so without hope to come to repentance without which there can be no saluation This is the estate of Iewes of Turkes and Infidels that are depriued of the comfortable vse of the word and they that liue in corners where the sound thereof is not heard These want the bread of life and therfore must needs starue perish They haue not the words c Iohn 6 68. Rom. 1 16. of eternal life which are the power of God to saluation therfore are neer to destruction For it is the maner of gods dealing d August de bono perseuer to deny vnto men the meanes whereby they should beleeue when hee hath no purpose that they should beleeue he withdrawes from them the instrument whereby they should be conuerted when he doth not purpose and intend their conuersion It was a fearfull cursse when God said to his Apostles e Math. 10 5. Acts 16 6 7. Go not into the way of the Gentiles and into the Citty of the Samaritans enter ye not Likewise when they had gone through Phrygia and the Region of Galatia they were forbidden by the Holy-Ghost to preach the worde in Asia then came they to Mysia and sought to go into Bithynia but the spirit suffered them not So when God vouchsafeth not this mercie vnto vs to wit the Ministry of his word it is a fearefull signe of his heauy indignation and as much in effect as if the Lord should say I will not haue them conuerted I haue no purpose to bring them to saluation This is it which is spoken concerning Israell by the Prophet f 2 Chr. 15 3. Now for a long season Israell hath beene without the true God and without a Priest to teach and without Law And to the same purpose Amos speaketh g Amos 8 11 12 13. Behold the daies come saith the Lord God that I will send a famine in the Land not a famine for Bread nor a thirst for water but of hearing the word of the Lorde and they shall wander from Sea to Sea and from the North euen vnto the East shall they runue too and fro to seeke the word of the Lord and shall not finde it in that day shall the young Virgins and the young men perrish for thirst O that we could consider of these things and lay before our eyes what daunger it is to want the preaching of the word that thereby we might be moued to pitty the desolations of so many of our poore Brethren and to feare the taking of it away for our vnthankfulnesse from our selues and to magnifie the vnspeakeable mercy of God toward vs while we do enioy it Great are the plagues and horrible are the ruines of the Church in many places Oh that we had harts to mourn for it and to pray to the Lord of the haruest to thrust forth Labourers into his haruest Secondly it teacheth the fearfull condition of such as contemne this ordinance of God and thinke it too base for them to seeke saluation by it It is very strange that so plaine a point as this should be so proudly gainsayed and resisted These carnall men will not giue the Lord of heauen leaue to apoint how and by what meanes he will saue vs. Shall flesh and blood presume thus farre and aduance it selfe against his Creator If we will be saued wee must seeke saluation as it is left vs to seeke and not after our owne fansie When God hath saide Giue attendance to my word wilt thou answere I will not attend and yet haue saluation as well as if thou diddest attend Take heede thou do not deceiue thy selfe and thine owne soule and in the end finde thy selfe frustrate of thy saluation How men will shift off these duties I knowe not because I know not their hearts but this I know and this I would haue them know and vnderstand that as there is a God that will bee worshipped after his owne will and not according to our naturall wit so this must bee our wisedome to submit our conceites and immaginations to his heauenlie pleasure It is the first point in Christian Religion to be learned to account thy selfe a Foole that thou mayest bee wise in Christ and to throwe downe all thy Naturall parts at his feete that thou mayest seeke true and Heauenlie Wisedome of him Thou must account thy selfe starke blinde and able to perceiue nothing aright in the matters of God and in the meanes of thy saluation to the end thou mayest recouer sight and see thy way wherein in thou oughtest to walke Hence it is that the Prophet sayth h Psal 119 18 27 34. Open mine eyes that I may see the wonders of thy Lawe Make mee to vnderstand the way of thy Precepts and I will meditate in thy wonderous workes Giue mee vnderstanding and I will keepe thy Law yea I will keepe it with my whole hart Where hee acknowledgeth his eyes to be closed his eares to be stopped his minde to be darkened his heart to be hardned by nature before Grace and Mercie come and make the way plaine before him wherby our eyes shall be opened out eares boared our mindes enlightned our hearts softened and our selues prepared to hearken to the voyce of God speaking vnto vs. Obiection But is not God able to saue vs without the Ministers preaching and the peoples hearing Are not all thinges possible to him Is hee bound and tyed to his owne meanes Is not he free to worke as it pleaseth him Answere I answer he is not tyed he is free hee is able to saue without preaching yea without reading without the Sacraments without Prayer Wilt thou from hence conclude against reading of the Scriptures against receiuing of the Sacraments against ioyning in Prayer The question is not of the power of God but of his will not what he is able to do but what he hath promised vs to do not what he is tyed to but what he hath bound vs to seek He is able to preserue our life without Bread without foode but he that presumeth vpon this power and abuseth his prouidence and neglecteth to seek his nourishment at his hands must look to perish So we deny not but God is able to saue vs without preaching but he hath not made vs any promise to obtain life any otherwise then as we seeke the Law at the mouths of his Ministers that bring glad tydings of good things He was able to preserue his three seruants in the hot fierie furnace and did preserue them yet hee that will voluntarily and violently cast himselfe into the fire shall feele the smart of his own folly and the danger of tempting God Let vs not therfore thinke our selues wiser then God least our
shall bee taken of vs wee shall beare the burthen not onely of our owne sinnes but of all the sinnes of the people and euerie soule belonging vnto our charge that hath perrished thorough our owne negligence shall bee laide to our charge and his blood be required at our handes and so shal becom horrible Reprobates in Hel to be tormented with euerlasting pains For euen as the holy mā speaking of this calling teacheth that a faithful messenger of God and interpreter of his wil is but as one of a thousand that though they be many that vndertake the office yet the number is few rare that make Conscience of their dutie to God and his people so on the other side few of this many shall be saued but be cast as notable diuels into hell draw with them thousands into destruction Neither is it sufficient for the Ministers discharge if he teach sildom or now and then as at euery quarter day when he commeth to reckon with them or once a month to auoide the Law but he must watch and teach and feede his flocke continually t 2 Tim. 4 1 2 And preach the word in season and out of season The greatest labor shall haue the greatest reward They u Dan. 12 3. that turne many to righteousnesse shall shine as the Stars for euer and euer Euery x 1 Cor. 3 8. man shal haue his wages according to his worke They that imployed their Maisters mony y Mat. 25 30. gained by it are accounted good faithfull seruants but the ydle and loytering seruant that would do nothing but hid his talent that was giuen vnto him was cast into vtter darknesse and rewarded according to his deserts Let vs therefore labour to haue a cleare conscience toward God and man The more paines we take the greater shal be our comfort the more diligently we sow the more plentifull shall be our haruest If we be painful in our callings and diligent in teaching the people z Co◠3 1 2. We shall not neede as some other Epistles of re-commendation vnto them or Letters of re commendation from them for they shal be our Epistle written in our harts which is vnderstood and read of all men And concerning those committed to vs to feed we see by experience that they cannot liue without food they cannot grow and prosper without a daily supply so their soules cannot liue vnto God a spirituall life vnlesse they bee often fed and plentifully nourished by the milke of Gods word When Paule tooke his leaue to depart from Ephesus he propoundeth before the Elders his owne example a Acts 20 31. Remember that by the space of three yeares I ceased not to warne euery one both night and day with teares This faithfulnesse is to be found in vs as our comfort in this life our crowne in the life to come alwaies prouing when God wil giue faith and repentance neuer to be repented of We know not the times and seasons that God hath kept in his owne hand If he touch not the heart at one time and leaue a blessing behind him he may touch it and frame it vnto obedience at another time It behooueth vs therefore to vse the meanes to sowe vnto them spirituall things and to commit the successe of our labours vnto God b 1 Cor. 3 6 7 seeing Paule planteth and Apollos watereth but it is GOD that giueth the encrease Vse 3. Thirdly seeing the word preached is the ordinary meanes of our regeneration it teacheth the people to looke to their feet when they enter into the house of God and to take heede how they heare It is not left to their owne choise whether they wil hear or not no more then it is to the Minister whether he will preach or not It is required of them that they reuerence them obey their Doctrine loue them prouide for them pray for them and in al things esteeme of them as the messengers of Christ as the Ministers of the word as the ouerseers of the Church yea it standeth them vpon to heare the word at their mouths to account of it as the meanes of their saluation It is great ignorance impiety to desire any other means to haue faith then that which he hath appointed for vs. It is the great mercy and goodnesse of God to appoint mortal men subiect to sin and al infirmities as we are at whose handes we may be fed at whose mouths we may be taught and with whom we may talke familiarly and yet by their simple Ministry may haue as good assurance of saluation in this life and of glory in the life to come as if the Lorde himselfe should speake from heauen For the word of God is as the gate of heauen and hee hath committed the Keyes thereof to his faithfull Stewardes c Math. 16 19 That whatsoeuer they binde on earth should be bound in heauen and whatsoeuer they loose on earth should be loosed in heauen True it is many foolish faithlesse men perswade themselues that they should repent and beleeue the Gospell if they might heare God himselfe speake or if one came from the dead to tell them what they should do to be saued When Caine had conceiued malice and murther in his heart and intended to kill his Brother d Gen. 4 6. the Lorde spake vnto him set his sinnes in order before him and threatned iudgment against him vnlesse he repented but did hee repent at the voice of God and turne vnto him with all his heart No he fell from euill to worse and added one sinne vnto another till he had filled vp the measure of them All the Israelites heard the Law of God in the wildernesse and saw his wonderfull workes that hee shewed among them yet they beleeued not neither ceased to murmure and rebell against him Iudas one of the twelue was reprooued of Christ for his treason so were the Scribes and Pharisees for their hypocrisie yet none of them repented or at the least many of them repented not at his preaching vnto them wherefore it is not the hearing of the voice of God can giue vs repentance it is his changing of our hearts and renewing of vs in the inner man that casteth vs into a new mould and worketh in vs a new birth When Christ Iesus was nayled vpon the Crosse they said e Math. 27 42. He saued others but hee cannot saue himselfe if he be the King of Israell let him now come downe from the Crosse and we will beleeue in him But if he had come downe at this taunt cast out vpon him wold they or could they haue beleeued Or could Christ haue beene the true Messiah if he had discended seeing it was the end of his comming into the world that hee might suffer f Esay 53 7. Psal 22 17. 69 21. and fulfill the thinges that were foretold by the Prophets Or would they not rather
God so hee could not regard thy good but now thou shalt receiue a new Onesimus a new Seruant a new man the same in substance but renewed in quality and altered from the Crowne of the head to the sole of the foote He was not before so vnprofitable but now thou shalt finde him as profitable vnto thee as I haue found him both diligent and dutifull vnto me in my bonds and imprisonment The reasons taken from the Apostle himselfe are of two sorts first from his action of sending him secondly from the Communion and fellowship which Paule had with Philemon The first touching his present sending of his Seruant backe is propounded and then the obiections that might be alleaged are preuented The reason may thus be concluded If I haue sent him backe againe then thou oughtest to receiue him at my hands But I haue sent him backe againe vnto thee Verse 12. Receiue him therefore The meaning of the wordes This is the reason the preuenting of the Obiections is in the three Verses following which come afterward to be considered This is the order of the words it remaineth breefly to vnfolde the meaning Interpretation of thē When he saith of Onesimus That he was in times past vnprofitable he meaneth in the time of his ignorance before his conuersion before his calling by the preaching of the Gospel and before he came to the knowledge and vnderstanding of true Religion By Vnprofitable we must vnderstand leud vntrusty vnfaithfull stubborne dissolute and euery way carnall Againe when he saith But now he meaneth since his conuersion and since a new-birth was wrought in him he is made Profitable that is honest helpfull dutifull faithfull seruiceable so that he opposeth and compareth the State and condition of Regenerate Onesimus with the State and condition of vnregenerate Onesimus and maketh the one contrary to the other When he willeth Philemon to receiue him he meaneth to grace and fauour forgiuing and forgetting his former faults and bad dealing Lastlie when he calleth Onesimus his owne Bowels he meaneth as deare to him as his owne Bowels who although he were a poore Slaue and abiect Seruant by calling and a Fugitiue and Runna-grate by his former condition yet now greatly beloued of the Apostle euen as himselfe As if he should say If thou louest mee account of him no other-wise then thou dost of me entertaine him as mine owne heart receiue him as my Sonne and as if hee were begotten of mine owne bowels Diuers pointes to be obserued In these two Verses containing two reasons to perswade Philemon to receiue his Seruant being made much better by his departure from him wee are to obserue diuers pointes woorthy of our diligent obseruation and of our carefull consideration First we are to marke how the Apostle speaking of the offence of Onesimus and of his former State before his conuersion doth mittigate the greatnesse of his sinne by the mildenesse of the word For whereas hee might haue called him a Theefe a Rogue and a Runna-gate he dooth allay it and expresse it vnder a gentler Name as we shall see better afterward to teach vs that when we haue to do with Sinners that are conuerted vnto Christ truely and haue repented of their sinnes vnfainedly we should deale fauourably with them we should not racke and stretch their offences but after a sort couer them with the cloake of charity and bury them in the Graue of forgetfulnesse Secondly we may obserue how the Apostle speaking of his Conuersion and Regeneration doth set it out to the full not onely that Philemon should be perswaded but that Onesimus might be comforted Wherefore he doth not onely say that he was become profitable but very profitable or exceeding profitable And he addeth not onely very profitable to Philemon but to himselfe euen to them both whereof Paule had experience already Philemon should haue heereafter which teacheth vs to vse all good and louing meanes to strengthen such as are newly conuerted and to remember for their comfort and encouragement such good thinges as appeare to haue beene in them not to diminish or lessen them but fully to expresse and declare them to others that God may be glorified in their calling and they themselues may be strengthned in all well doing Thirdlie we see in the strength of the first reason that men are greatly moued to doe any thing by hope of receiuing profit and commodity It is an Argument not onely to induce prophane and vngodly men to commit wickednesse but to perswade the godly and faithfull to follow holinesse of life Whatsoeuer is offered vnto vs vnder the Title of profit doth carry with it a certaine force and power to lead vs to the practise of it whereby we ought to learne that in moouing men to well doing wee may lawfully lay before them the hope of Heauen and assurance of profit yea all men for their better encouragement in the workes of godlinesse may haue respect to the profit of their labour and the recompence of reward True it is the glory of God and the discharge of our dutie ought to be the principall meanes to moue vs but the consideration of our owne profit should not be neglected Hence it is that the Apostle x Tit. 3 8 9. mouing all that haue beleeued to be carefull to shew forth good workes addeth These thinges are good and profitable vnto men on the other side remoouing them from foolish questions and Genealogies and contentions and brawlings about the Law he concludeth for they are vnprofitable and vaine So the Apostle declaring the wonderfull Faith of Moses who refused to be called the Sonne of y Heb. 11 26. Pharoahs Daughter chose rather to suffer aduersity with the people of God and esteemed the rebuke of Christ greater riches then the treasures of Aegipt sheweth that he had respect to the recompence of the reward Fourthly Paules sending is made a reason for Philemons receiuing and he concludeth that he is to bee receiued of his Maister because hee is sent backe by Paule himselfe For seeing Onesimus returned not of his owne accord or through compulsion of others or through danger of law or through feare of punishment but by the purpose and appointment of Paul and came not againe empty but laden with letters of commendation it serueth highly to set forth the matter To present himselfe in this sort before his Maister by the direction and aduise of Paule was more then if he had returned of his owne head and it was more effectuall to mooue Philemon to receiue him which teacheth vs that the authour and perswader of any iourney or embassage doth serue greatly to commend the iourney and to set forth the embassage it selfe and therefore a message sent from a faithfull and good man is not lightly to be passed ouer or rashly to bee contemned or vnreuerently to be receiued of him to whom it is sent Lastly we are to obserue the tender and inward affection
the knowledge of the Gospell the name of God and his Doctrine is blasphemed and euill spoken of Likewise speaking of beleeuing Wiues that haue vnbeleeuing Husbands he putteth them in minde of subiection to the end that by their holy conuersion they may winne their husbandes to embrace true Religion To this purpose the Apostle Paul teacheth seruants to be obedient to them that are their Maisters according to the flesh and chargeth them z Col. 3 22 23 that whatsoeuer they do they do it heartily as to the Lord and not to men Seeing therefore that God is the authour of order not of confusion seeing Christ came not to abolish but to establish the Lawe and lastly seeing the Gospell teacheth subiection and doth not release or acquite any of their duty it followeth that the gospel doth not bring in parity and equality among al the Mother of al mischiefe but discerneth and distinguisheth of the Callings of men it doth not giue liberty to peruert all order it maketh not Seruants to be Maisters and Maisters to be seruants but directeth euery one to keepe his place and to abide in his vocation Vse 1. Seeing this is the honor commendation of the gospel let vs see what Vses arise from the knoledge of this point First of al we conclude from hence necessarily that it hath alwaies bin a lying deuise and diuellish slander to Christian religion to be the author and fauorer of carnal liberty and to Christian professors to be enemies to states and commonwealths to magistrats lawes ciuil ordinances This hath alwaies bin the accusation of slāderous tongs to brand the Gospell as the breeder and bringer in of all vprores and conspiracies yet there is no Doctrine vnder the Heauen that lesse deserueth to bee defamed For the Gospell was a friend to Princes when Princes were enemies to the Gospell it teacheth to be subiect vnto them to pray to God for them to obey all their godly constitutions and therefore it is the Father of lies and enemy of al truth that hath sought to disgrace discredit the holy truth of God and such as in truth do embrace it Hee seeth and perceiueth that if the Gospel stand his kingdome must fal if the Gospel florish his kingdome must decay Hence it is that the church people of God haue in al ages and times of the world bin accused of rebellions treasons seditions insurrections many other greeuous impieties Heerof the scripture experience affoord plentiful examples In the book of Ezra the enemies accuse the guiltles Iewes z Ezra 4 15. 1 King 18 17. Ester 3 6. to be a rebellious people that they haue of old bin alwaies giuen to sedition Ahab burdeneth Elias that it was he his fathers house that trobled Israel Haman suggesteth vnto the king against the Iewes that their lawes were diuers from al people that they did not obserue the kings lawes and therfore it was not for the kings profit to suffer them The Apostles are accused to be authors of sedition troublers of cities raisers of tumults causers of rebellion breakers of lawes and teachers of ordinances not lawful to receiue they said of them b Acts 16 19 20. and 24 5. These men that are Iewes trouble our City they preach ordinances which are not lawful for vs to receiue neither to obserue seeing we are Romans Where we see they couer their couetousnesse with a shadowe pretence of standing against innouation but they discouer the hollownesse hypocrisie of their harts when they ioyn trobling of the state and preaching of the gospell together Whereby it appeareth that their troubling of the city was nothing els but because they preached the word which the deuill his instruments could not beare and abide Paule is accused by Tertullus to be a pestilent fellow and a moouer of sedition among all the Iewes thoroughout the world and that he taught al men euery where against the law of Moses And no maruel for thus they dealt with the son of God when he taught the truth without mixture of error and without respect of person he was accounted accused not onely to be a Sorcerer a Samaritan a Drunkard a glutton a deceiuer a deuil c Luke 23 2. but an enemy to Caesar and a troubler of the publick peace Now al these things being considered let vs remember what the Lord Iesus sayth to vs d Iohn 15 20. The seruant is not greater then his maister if they haue persecuted me they will also persecute you The heathē after Christs time cried out against the christians that they were the authors and causes of al publick plagues calamities that fel vpon kingdoms countries If Nilus flowed not ouer the fields if the heauen stayed if the earth quaked if famine encreased if the pestilence continued by and by the poor Christians as the sheep of Christ were cast vnto the lyons They charged them to make priuy conspiracies e Euseb lib. 5. cap. 11. Tertulli in Apologel Cyprian contra Demetrian to deuise secret counsels against the commonwealth to murther children to feed themselues with mans flesh and to practise all Iniquity they were so blinded that they could not perceiue that their Idolatries brought Gods iudgments Thus we see how the church hath lien open to all false surmises and suggestions of sedition But what can be immagined more vniust or vetrue If there be any peace in this world in any lande it is for the Gospels sake and it commeth through the bountifulnesse of God for his peoples sake that call vppon him Neuerthelesse as the Gentiles dealt with the Iewes and Christians from time to time so doe the wicked in these dayes with the godly they lay to their charge that they keep no lawes that they disobey Princes that they are seditious and tumultuous and enemies to the State If we see or heare the Saints of God thus handled and euilly intreated we must know that this is an olde deuise of the deuill practised against the Prophets against Christ against the Apostles and against all true Christians euen from the beginning And let this serue to comfort vs when wee finde such slaunderous imputations and accusations layde to our charge considering that thus they haue reuiled and railed vppon the Seruants of GOD that haue beene before vs in all times and that wee haue Christ Iesus the witnesse of our innocency who if not in this life yet in the life to come will reueale the thinges that are hidden in darknesse and bring to light the things that are couered In the mean season we must remember f Math. 5 11. that they are pronounced blessed that are reuiled and persecuted for righteousnesse sake and wee must labour to conuince them not so much by words as by deeds g Demosth de corona answearing the falshood of their slanders by the vprightnesse of our liues which shal be able to speak
went in and lay with his Fathers Wiues Heere are sundry deuillish and wicked practises Incest Murther Rebellion treason all abhominable enormities and yet God saith k 2 Sam. 12 12 He did all these things These sinnes were most foule and filthy to looke vpon as they were the inuentions of the Deuill the perswasions and practises of euill men but as they are punishments sent of God vpon Dauid for his offences they were beautifull in their time they were the righteous sentence of a iust Iudge who cannot deale vniustly in iudgement Thus much of answering these few Obiections Now let vs proceede to conclude some Vses out of this truth Vse 1 The Vses that will arise from hence are many but wee will onely touch the principall This Doctrine serueth for reproofe for comfort and for obedience For it serueth to reprooue and conuince sundry persons that eyther know not or knowing doe abuse this prouidence of God whereby he taketh care of all thinges that are in the World and directeth them to a right end And first of all we set against it and oppose vnto it the dreames and dotages of Atheists Epicures Libertines and such like Wretches who either deny wholy there is a God or make him sit as idle in heauen as themselues are vpon the earth so that albeit he know and see all thinges yet hee worketh or ordereth not the speciall actions of men that fall out These are they that pull God out of his Kingdome and set vp Chance and Fortune as an Idoll and make it their God We must all learne and confesse that the Lord that is the Creator of Heauen and Earth is also the Ruler and Gouernor of all euen the least Creatures The whole world from the highest heauen to the center of the Earth is subiect to his prouidence He worketh all things according to the counsell of his owne will he giueth life and l Acts. 17 28 breath he preserueth them so that nothing commeth to passe without his appointment Whether they be things with life or without life with reason or without reason generall or particular euill or good Angels or Men necessary or not necessary all are ruled by his decree So then Chance Fortune are words of the Gentiles and are blindly vsed by such as are called Christians whereas nothing can be done without his will and working who is omnipotent What seemeth more casuall then the Lot Yet The lot is cast into the lap but the whole disposition is of the Lord. Prou. 16. 33. This is it which our Sauior teacheth m Math. 10 29 30. and 6 26. Are not two Sparrowes sold for a farthing and one of thē shall not fall on the ground without your Father Yea and all the haires of your head are numbred So that we see Chance and Prouidence cannot stand together but the one ouerturneth the other Secondly it reproueth such as frō hence take encouragement to commit sin to breake out into sundry outrages or to liue securely because God can turne it to our good and maketh it serue to set forth his mercy This is that presumption and sin of rebellion touched by the Apostle Why do we not euill that good may n Rom. 3 8. come thereof whose damnation is iust So in another place o Rom. 6 1 2. What shall we say then Shall we continue still in sin that Grace may abound How shall we that are dead in sinne liue yet therein We confesse indeed that God is the Soueraigne cause of all euents that are brought to passe and whatsoeuer the enemies of the Church intend and enterprise whether the Sonnes of Men or the Deuill and his Angels he staieth and hindreth or represseth and disappointeth and alwaies disposeth it to the good and saluation of his children Neuerthelesse this doth not excuse or free the Instruments that he vseth from fault They do the will of God blindly and ignorantly but they do crosse his will openly and purposely so that his prouidence doth not exempt the wicked from their euill doing Dauid knew well enough and confesseth as much that Shemei was sent of God most iustly to cursse him and to raile vpon him when he fled from the face of his son Absolon yet in his last speach to the King his Sonne he doth not defend him or excuse him o 1 King 2 8 9 But giueth charge and commaundement to be reuenged of him and not to account him innocent If then euill instruments cease not to be guilty before men much more faulty shall they be before the iudgement Seate of the Almighty and much lesse shall they escape punishment for transgressing the Law of God For howsoeuer wicked men be well moued by God to execute his worke by them who may vse any of his creatures according to his owne power pleasure yet in asmuch as they being moued of God do peruersely and crookedly and wickedly moue themselues to will and work euill so that themselues are the workers and causers of their own euill works whereby it commeth to passe both that they grieuously offend God and afterward seuerely punished of him Wherefore such as resist God rebell against his law and striue against his will cannot say they haue done his will inasmuch as they had no purpose to keep his ordinances therefore make themselues subiect to all his iudgements Lastly this reproueth the Church of Rome that among many slanders cast out against vs are not ashamed to lay to our charge that we mainetaine that God is the author of sin We hold we teach priuatly publikely by word by writing in Schooles in Churches that God is not the author of sin but the deuil mans own corrupt wil whosoeuer teacheth and preacheth otherwise if it were an Angell from heauen we hold him accurssed Hence it is that the Prophet saith p Psal 5 4. Thou art not a God that loueth wickednesse neither shall euill dwell with thee So the Prophet Habakuke q Hab. 1 13. Thou art of pure eyes and canst not see euill thou canst not behold wickednesse Likewise Zephany saith r Zeph. 3 7. The iust Lord is in the midst thereof he will do none iniquity In like manner the Prophet Zachary saith ſ Zach. 8 17. Let none of you imagine euill in your harts against his neighbour and loue no false Oth for all these are the things that I hate saith the Lord. Thus we heare that he loueth righteousnesse and hateth wickednesse so that he is the authour of all good of no euill If we would heare this farther opened the Apostle Iames is a witnesse of it t Iam. 1 13 14 Let no Man say when he is tempted I am tempted of God for God cannot be tempted with euill neither tempteth he any man but euery man is tempted when he drawn away by his owne concupiscence and is entised This is the conscionable Doctrine of pietie and the contrary wee renounce and
therefore seeke to blaunch the foulenesse and filthinesse of it to which they are so continuallie accustomed But howsoeuer these men account of sinne and whatsoeuer they call it they shall find that the lessening of it is the way to encrease it and the diminishing of it is the meanes to make it greater If we would haue our sinnes and offences not to come into account we must forsake them and repent of them Thirdlie it reprooueth such as disclose and reueale a Penitents confession When our Brethren in the anguish of their Soules and in a feeling of the horror of sinne haue sought peace and comfort at our handes and haue discouered their offences that trouble them to vs as the sicke man doth his disease to the Physition that hee may bee healed it is our dutie to comfort them not to disgrace them to conceale them not to reueale them to hide them not to publish them and blaze them abroad to their disgrace and discredit True it is when euill is opened vnto vs e Alexand. Hal. part 4. Quest 28. membr 2. art 2. Siluest in Confess 3. nume 2. not past or present but to be done afterward as if a man confesse his determination and resolution to commit Murthers we are not tied to couer and conceale it but are bound to manifest and make it knowne This sheweth the wonderfull abuse of the Church of Rome committed in holie thinges and thinges supposed by them to be holie The Sacrament of the Lordes Supper is most horribly prophaned of them which being instituted in remembrance of the death of Christ to assure vs of our spirituall communion in him and of our spirituall nourishment from him is often receiued of them to combine them together in wickednesse and to take securitie thereby one of another not to reueale the Treasons and Conspiracies that are plotted among them Thus it is in the supposed Sacrament of Pennance when they would reueale the hidden mischeefe and poysons of their hearts to the Priestes and Iesuits their Confessors they will seeme to doe it by way of confession that so it might be as it were locked vp and sealed with this Seale as a secret neuer to bee disclosed and discouered Thus is confession become nothing else but a couer of Treason and Rebellion But when our Brethren being afflicted in Conscience and wounded with the Darts of Satan and the poyson of sinne shall accuse themselues and confesse some haynous sinne committed that lyeth heauy vpon them and can find no comfort in concealing of it but greater horror thereby are brought to the gates of Hell and like to be swallowed vp in despaire when they shall I say confesse to the glorie of God and the shaming of themselues the wickednesse of their hearts and handes we are not to vtter it to others to their disgrace but by all meanes we can to couer it in secret and silence For as we f Iam. 5 15. are to acknowledge our faults one to another and to pray one for another so we are in loue to conceale the falles one of another and not to open them in choller and mallice to their reproach Lastly this reproueth our remisnesse and wretchlesnesse in dealing with recusant Papists the members of the Pope and Popish Church who because we would not offend them we speake of them honourably and giue them the Name of Catholikes and honour them with the Title of the Church whereas wee should giue them their right and call them by their propper Names of Idolaters and enemies of the Grace of God and disturbers of the State We haue many among vs that are ready to ioyne with them and to giue them the right hand of fellowship who can bee content to mingle together God and Baall Christ and Beliall light and darkenesse the Temple of God and an Idoll But as we beleeue the High-priest of Rome to be the very Anti-christ described in the Scripture so we also hold that the Church of Rome is a false and Bastard-Church and no true Church of Christ Iesus who not onely haue shaken but razed downe the very foundations of Religion maintaining the worshipping of Images and the merrits of workes by making a mocke of Christes merits and satisfaction by deuising other Mediators and by presuming to offer him vp an vnbloody Sacrifice to God the Father Let vs not therefore halt betweene g 1 Kin. 18 21 two opinions nor go about to reconcile those thinges which can neuer hold or hang together The false Apostles would ioyne the Law and the Gospell together the workes of the Law and the grace of Faith in the matter of Iustification which can neuer be the one destroying and pulling down the other because h Rom. 11 6. if it be of grace it is no more of workes or else were grace no more grace but if it be of workes it is no more grace or else were worke no more worke So we haue those that dreame of an vnion between Christ and Antichrist but if the Lord be God follow him if Baall be he then goe after him No man can serue both these Maisters so contrary one from the other so that whosoeuer cleaueth to the one forsaketh the other Verse 16. Not now as a Seruant but aboue a Seruant euen as a Brother c. Heere is a singular commendation of Onesimus expressed by many steps and degrees the one ascending and climbing aboue the other He was not onely as a Seruant but aboue a Seruant not onely as a Brother but a beloued Brother not onely deare to Paule but much more to Philemon himselfe This is so much the more worthy praise and commendation nay of wonder and admiration as the disposition of Seruants in those times was lewd and licentious who albeit they had good and godly Maisters yet they were light-fingered and light-footed and vpon euery occasion they were apt to run away from them i Gen. 16 6. as appeareth in Hagar that liued in the house of Abraham when Sarah began to deale roughly with her immediatlie she fled from her Seeing therefore it was so rare a thing among those kinde of men to finde any well minded and disposed the Apostle maketh the more account of him and would haue his Maister to make account of him As if he should reason thus Him who in Christ Iesus is become thy Brother thou oughtest carefully to tender and dearely to loue But Onesimus is now by his vnfained conuersion become thy Brother Therefore receiue him Heere we see the Apostle reasoneth for Onesimus to haue him receiued and respected aboue an ordinary Seruant because hee was truely conuerted and had in him a good measure of Grace and was become a true and sound Christian Doctrine 4. The more grace appeareth in any the more should they be tendered and regarded of vs. We learne from hence that the more Grace appeareth in any the more should they be tendered and regarded of vs whether
aliue he shall be blessed vpon the Earth c. the Lord will strengthen him vpon the Bed of sorrow thou hast turned all his Bed in his sicknesse Secondly this Doctrine is against those that count themselues cleere and beyond all all reproofe if they keepe the Letter of the Positiue Law being notwithstanding therein cruell vniust and vnmercifull Extreame Law is extreame wrong and great cruelty for euen the lawes themselues require to be mitigated with equity and tempered with reason and seasoned with conscience It is not enough for vs to say I doe but Iustice I doe him no wrong I seeke but mine owne This cannot excuse our extreame courses nor make our wicked wordes and workes warrantable The times and occasions may be such as may make the seeking of our owne to be theft yea Murther when it taketh away the Bread of the poore which is their liuing We see how the Prophet maketh it vnlawfull for all persons at all times to require all their debts of all sorts of men We see that the Seruant in the Gospell is punished for requiring al his owne he cast his Fellow-seruant into Prison by a warrant of Lawe and a strict course of Iustice he exacted no more then was due vnto him he required not two hundred pence when an hundred onely would haue discharged the debt yet himselfe was therefore throwne into vtter darknesse where shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth For the times may be so hard our Bretheren may be so poore and we may be so wealthy that we ought to be content to depart from our right and to yeelde to the necessity of such as are in want and to say with the Prophet g 2 King 5 26 Is this a time to take Money and to receiue Garments and Oliues and Vineyards and Sheepe and Oxen and Men-Seruants and Maid-Seruants The creditor could say thus much for himself lay this for his defence that came to take away the Children of the poore Widdow to make them his Bond-men He required but his owne The Apostle condemning the contentions that were among the Corinthians in Law-matters saith h 1 Cor. 6 7. Why rather suffer ye not wrong Why rather sustaine ye not harme Nay ye your selues doe wrong and doe harme and that to your Brethren Wherefore when we see mens pouerty so extreame that they haue neede to haue all forgiuen vnto them we must be content not by constraint but willingly to loose sometimes the principall It is a silly shift to say I do nothing but that which Law warranteth me for we must also be able to say I haue done nothing but that which a good conscience hath warrented me which equity hath warranted mee which loue hath warranted me and that which is more then all the rest I haue doone nothing but that which the profession of the Gospell of Christ hath warranted me If we can say this truely we haue comfort in God and peace in our owne hearts This is it which the Apostle speaketh touching himselfe and his owne practise i 1 Cor. 9 12. Wee haue not vsed this power but suffer all thinges that we should not hinder the Gospell of Christ. We must diligentlie consider our calling and labour to bring forth the fruits of the Gospell that the name of God be not euill spoken off Vse 3 Thirdly albeit we ought not to be rough or rash in exacting our owne but to deale mercifully and to beare patiently with the poore yet this must not giue men liberty to gather other mens goods into their hands and then to defraud them as much as they can There be some that vnder a colour of Religion will cozen and deceiue creeping into mens bosomes borrowing and getting from them what they can with a corrupt minde and a guilefull conscience and spending it in idlenesse in ryotousnesse in drunkennesse such like leudnesse These are they that when they are demaunded to pay their due will be ready to cursse their Creditours and to keepe from them their goods with a strong hand and then vpbraid them with couetousnesse with miserablenesse with extortion with oppression Yea some are so vnthankfull so proud and so wicked that they receiue the fauours of men and their friendship toward them as matters of duty insomuch that some will say what haue these Rich men done vnto me but they were bound to doe that and more also And what is this in comparison of that which by the Commaundement of God they owe vnto me Thus while these men aske releefe they thinke they require nothing but their owne and that others are much indebted and greatly beholden vnto them that they will take an almes at their handes Others who yet are more proud and prophane do shamefully abuse not onely the liberality of the rich but the very word of God it selfe framing it to serue their owne turne and wresting it to please their own humours pretending that they k Luke 6 35. Ought to lend looking for nothing againe Thus they bend their Scriptures which way they list not knowing what they say nor vnderstanding the purpose of Christ For first to speake properlie when wee looke for nothing againe we doe not lend but giue When a Man lendeth he may looke for his owne whereas he that giueth doth it freelie Againe the purpose of our Sauiour is to be considered who in that place moueth vs to doe good one to another with a single eye and with a simple heart not to loue because we would be loued nor to do pleasure because we would receiue the like but to loue euen our enemies of whom we haue no kindnesse againe For in the wordes going before he saith l Luke 6 32 33 34. If yee loue them which loue you what thanke shall ye haue For euen the Sinners loue those that loue them c. And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receiue what thank shall ye haue For euen the Sinners lend to Sinners to receiue the like Then afterward followeth the former sentence which these men alledge Loue yee your Enemies and doe good and lend looking for nothing againe that is for no such pleasure at their hands doe not lend to them at one time to the end that they may lend to you another time for this were to respect more our owne commoditie then their necessitie and the loue of our selues more then the loue we beare to our Brethren It standeth not with the rule of Charitie to giue away part of our goods with this condition that hee pleasure vs in the like with that which he hath For these giue or lend nothing but to those of whom they hope to receiue the like and therefore obey not the counsell of Christ that would haue those called and inuited to our Tables which cannot bid vs againe nor giue vs any recompence So then we must shew our selues willing to make the poor partakers of that we haue although they
as seeke to be iustified by the Law are fallen from Grace Therefore the Apostle Paule saith Rom. 11. There is a remnant according to the election of Grace e Rom. 11 5 6 and if it be of Grace it is no more of workes or else were Grace no more Grace but if it be of workes it is no more Grace or else were worke no more worke This serueth to confute the Romish Doctrin giueth vs iust cause to come out from among them and to make a separation from them as being no true Church of God For in asmuch as they take away the foundation and cheefe pillers whereupon the house of God standeth they pull it downe and bring it to ruine We see how they exclude Grace and bring in Merrit They establish a two-fold kind of Merit and both of them as they vnderstand them plants of their owne setting but meere Strangers in the Garden of the Scriptures and therefore shall fall according to the Doctrine of Christ who saith f Math. 15 13 Euery Plant which mine heauenly Father hath not planted shall be rooted vp One sort is the g A two-folde merrit taught in the Church of Rome merrit of the person the other is the merrit of the worke The merrit of the person they make to be a dignity in the person wheredy hee is esteemed worthy of eternall life and this they say is found in Infants dying after Baptisme who though they want the merit of good workes yet they want not the merrit of their persons by which they receiue the Kingdome of heauen The merrit of the worke is a Dignity or excellency in the worke in it selfe whereby it is fitted and inabled to deserue life euerlasting Hence it is that they teach that the worke and the deed are meritorious two waies first by Couenant because God hath made a promise of reward vnto them Secondly by their owne Dignity because Christ hath merited that our workes should merrit A strange opinion and a strange language and manner of speaking neuer heard of in the Booke of God As for vs wee renounce all personall merrits that is all merrits within the person of any meere man also all merrits of workes done by any meere man whatsoeuer The true merrit whereby we looke for the fauour of God and life euerlasting is to be found in the person and workes of Christ alone who is the treasurie and store-house of all our merrits Obiection But heere some man might obiect and say The promise of reward is made to them that beleeue and worke therefore our workes doe merrit for merrit and reward be Relatiues Answere I answere there is a double reward one of Merrit the other of Mercy Euery good worke be it neuer so little done in Faith done to the glory of God done in that manner that he commaundeth shall bee rewarded but the reward is not giuen for the worthinesse of the worke but through the liberality of him that hath promised Hence it is that eternall life is called an Inheritance The obedient Childe hath promise from his Father to be his Heire and to inherit his Lands Goods and Possessions after his decease yet not for his obedience sake but because his Father loueth him and in kindnesse and compassion preferreth him before others Let it suffice vs to haue the Kingdome of Heauen as a free inheritance and not dreame as Hirelings that we shall haue it as an hire and Wages of our worke for then we shall be deceiued of our hope and expectation It is a vaine confidence to set vp such an high price of our workes as thereby to make them able to buy Heauen These men do know neither the weakenesse of their owne strength nor the vnworthinesse of their owne workes nor the wretchednesse of their owne persons nor the excellency of Gods Graces nor the praise of his glory whereof he is iealous which hee will not giue to any other They are like to Simon Magus h Actes 8 18. who offered to buy the guifts of God for his Money as a purchase or like to the i Math. 6 7. Heathen that looke to be heard for their much babling sake or like to Seruants that doe all for their hire So these Merit-mongers will haue no Heauen except they may haue it as their hire and as a penny-worth for their penny they will not be indebted vnto God nor beholding vnto him for it As for vs we value not our good workes at so high a rate we know their imperfections we craue eternall life as a Sons portion and an inheritance freely promised vnto vs and freely bestowed vpon vs. Indeede it is the will and pleasure of God that wee should labour and bring forth good workes to expresse our thankfulnesse to him that hath adopted vs for his Children and after our labour receiue the inheritance yet we cannot deserue it by our obedience and we haue a better claime vnto it by being Sonnes then working as Seruants We confesse that the reward shall be giuen of bounty not of necessity by guift not by debt by promise not by desert by Gods acceptation not through our perfection As for the Papists that glory in their owne workes let them take heede they do not deceiue themselues and whilst they rob God of his honour let them beware they doe not robbe themselues and depriue themselues of the honour promised to the Saintes and whilst they challenge and lay claime to euerlasting life as to the Wages of Seruants let them in time looke to themselues least they be denyed the Inheritance that belongeth vnto Sonnes Vse 3. Lastly seeing all Gods guifts come from him to vs of Grace and Mercy It is our dutie aboue all things to desire Mercy and to craue the free guiftes of God The Children of God whensoeuer they presented themselues into his presence they haue stripped themselues of all thinges they haue renounced all priuiledges of the flesh they haue acknowledged their owne vnworthinesse and haue craued nothing but his fauour and to bee satisfied with his Image This we see in the Prophet Dauid Psal 6. k Psal 6 3. 6. 63 3 4 5. My Soule is sore troubled but Lord how long wilt thou delay Returne ô Lorde deliuer my Soule saue me for thy mercies sake He desireth nothing but of Mercy hee pleadeth nothing but fauour hee standeth not vppon his owne righteousnesse he willeth not God to respect him according to his owne worthynesse Againe Psal 63. Thy louing kindnesse is better then life therefore my lippes shall praise thee thus will I magnifie thee all my life and lift vp mine hands in thine Name my Soule shall be satisfied as with Marrow and fatnesse and my mouth shall praise thee with ioyfull lippes Where hee preferreth the goodnesse of God before all things in Heauen and Earth whiles he aduanceth it aboue life signifying thereby that his life could not bee pleasant vnto him and that he would
Profaners of the Sabbaoth 124 Prouision for the poore 160 Prouidence of God orders all thinges 295. It exempts men from sinne 300. It comforteth 302. It giueth contentation 303 Puritan how it arose 93 Q. Questions answered whether the holy Ghost be excluded in Salutations 4â— Why Paule cals God his God 66. Whether Faith respecteth the Saints Ibid. Why Faith is restrained to the Saints 67 how Infants can be saued that want faith 8â— Whether all that cannot say God is their God are Reprobates 81. Whether the Spirit may bee lost 133. Whether a Christian may not be angry 174. Whether it be sufficiently to haue Faith inwardly in the heart and so to conceale our Religion 88. Whether vnlawfull to respect persons 189 Whether we may heare none but our owne Pastors 202. Whether God be not able to saue vs without the ministers 215 Whether al men would beleeue if they heard God speake 218 How the promise of long life is kept 39 What they must doe that are not able to restore 413 We must not aske the question why all beleeue not 240 Question whether it be lawfull to sue at the Law 246 Whether the faithfull can fall away 491. R Rash Iudgement 6 Reading is not Preaching 208 Who hold reading to be preaching 209 Reioyce when we ought 68 Repinining See Enuy. Religion must be professed 86 Reproofe of such as loue onely the vngodly 115 Reproaches See Taunts Repentance blots out the reproach of sinne 88 317 Residents required of Pastors 19â— 196 Reason against Non residency 196 197. Regeneration wrought by the word See Preaching Reuenge not iniuries 304. Reasons to proue we ought not 305 Repentance not to be delayed 318 Repetitions 406 Restitution 413 Reward a meanes to moue to godlinesse 226 Religion brings profit with it 230. The seuerall sorts of profit 231. It makes all the Family dutifull 234. It is no inheritance 237 Reformed Families haue often in them vnreformed persons 237 Repentant offenders must be forgiuen 244 Reioyce at our Brothers good 421 Regeneration 424 Reproofe 430 Reward prooues not merit 463 Rich men want reproouers 27 Rigour 480. in punnishing to be auoyded 176 177 Riches abused 275. Riots and Rowts condemned 369 S. Sabaoth to be duly sanctified 23 Saints are not to be prayed vnto 66. not to be beleeued in 103. why so called 117. There are Saints vpon earth 118 Two sorts of Saints 118. No reproach to be a Saint 119 Saints of the Popes making 121 Saints how they may be honoured 145 Wherein it consisteth Ibid. Salutations 465. they beseeme the Seruants of God 471 Sanctification a signe of election 122. necessary in all Ibid. Seruants we are to all 134 Sermons read 212 Seruants are of two sons 365. how they must do their duty 284. Whatsoeuer they do heartily is accepted 285. how they are made obedient 235 Seruants â—…lly entreated 329 Sacraments 391. What they are ibid. the causes of them 392 Sathan hinders prayers 462. how he poisoneth it 461. he perswades it will merrit ibid. how he is to be resisted Ibid. Sins of the penitent not to be increased 311 Selfe-Loue 258 Sinfull men contemne the Ministry 296 Sharpenesse See Rigour Slanderers of the godly reproued 96. they are petty-Deuils 144. we may be such by holding our peace 429. Slander to religion to make it enemie to Princes 263 Slander that we make God the author of sinne 301 Solitary life 23 Soule-Labour is greatest 36 Soule-Loue the truest 44 Societies of the vngodly must bee shunned See Company Soule more excellent then the body 505 Spiritual blessing chiefly to be craued 49 Sport not at sinne 72 Spirit compared to fire 133 Spiritual graces to bee preferred before earthly 500 Speech how to be ordered 477 Standers at a stay reprooued 131 Stirre vp the guifts of God See Gifts Strangers not to be wronged 443. Infidels respected them Ibid. Superiours to be reuerenced 177. they beate Gods Image 178. they must vse mildnesse toward Inferiors 333 334. they must instruct them 344. Profitable Meditations for Superiors 335 Suretyship lawful 373. how it may be vsed lawfully 377 Christ became our Surety 375 Sureties for euil persons 379 Rash Suretiship the vndoing of many 381 Sureties must do three things 383 Submission to the Gospel 401 Subscription 494 Suing at Law 246. what to be obserued in it Ibid. Suspitions 427 T Taunts must not discourage vs. 120 Tale-bearers 427 Testaments of the dead allowed 387. rules to be obserued in them ibid. Thankesgiuing required 68. 425. 456. it is to be giuen to God alone ibid. not only for our selues ibid. not to be seuered from prayers ibid Theft in borrowing 4 3 Time-seruers 486 Times and seasons of our conuersion in Gods hands 607 Titles giuen to the Ministers 34 Triall of our conuersion how to be made 232 Translations of Scripture â—09 True Religion alters a man â—27 Troubles of our Brethren must touch vs 422. we must seek to remedy them 423 Tongue 475. 476. How to order it in speaking 477. How it is abused Ibid. English Traytors made Romish Saints 19 Turkes Common-wealth 376 V No valour to reuenge 250 Vaine to set our selues against the Gospell 3 Vaine-glory 146 147 Vanity of this World 505 Vexing of the Saints 1â—0 A vexation to dwell among the vngodly 150 Vnequall marriages 32 Vncertainty of humane things 154 155 Vnblameable infirmities See Infirmities Vnrepentant Sinners must bee charged with their sinne 320 Vngodly hate the godly 325 326 Vnthankfulnesse of the poore 412 Vniuersall vocation and election there is not 240 Vncourteous speaches 475 Vnknowne tongue in prayer 498 Voyce of God cannot be indured 218 Vpbraiders of penitent persons 314 Vse maketh men prompt 133 Vse not guifts to the hindrance of others 138 Vse of our goods belongs to the Saintes 372 Vserers 410 W Want of outward blessings See blessings Weake ones not to be despiced 83. they must be strengthened 478 Weake Faith auaileable 285 Wiues must be helpers of their husband 29 A Christian Wife is a great blessing 30 Wiues must wait the fittest times 31 Wife that is godly 326 328 Way to breed obedience in all sorts 234 Wicked men haue nothing theirs 60. Al things are set against them Ibid. they are Bond-men 115 Wicked prouoke Gods wrath against Princes 268. They are the greatest breakers of Princes Lawes â—63 Wicked are Vsurpers 23â— 497. They are miserable in earthly things 49â— Willingnesse in all duties 2â—2 The minister must shew it in Preaching 286. The people in hearing 287 Worship must be performed with the whole body 94 Works of mercy must be specially shewed to the godly poore 111. They are accepted as done to Christ Ibid. Workes which are meritorious See Meritorious Wofull the estate of Apostataes 485 Wils of the dead See Testaments Word is seed and meate 130 World a bait 488 Worldly men reprooued â—01 Wretched estate of such as are without the preaching of the Word 213 Writings allowed for assurance 386. They stay suits 388 Y Yeare what best welcome to the couetous 409 Young persons owe duties to olde Men 180 They must suffer them to speak Ibid. they must giue them place Ibid. Z Zeale commended 10. Scoffers at it punished 10 11. It must be tempered with knowledge 11 True Zeale what it is 11. It is commended in good things 433 Zeale blinde 11 Faults escaped PAge 9. line 34. read knot of loue l. 36. r. prisoner of Christ page 5. l. 55. dele of p. 20. l. 41 42. r. our p. 36. l. 12. r. prison pag. l. 46. read if meat page 54. l. 54 read to reside page 77. li. 18. read but what pa. 123. l. 2. r. so old page 150. l. 34. r. mire p. 152. l. 18. r. leaues pag. 165 l. 18. read cooperation p. 167. l. 1. r. waies p. 174. l. 54. r. persons p. 178. l. 19. r. swarme p. 183. l. 43. dele bee p. 197. l. 7. read vigilant p. 219. l. 38. r. distractions p. 220. l. 18. r. and that p. 227. l. 15. r. the name p. 248. l. 18. r. not to hate l. 19. not to desire p. 250. l. 1. r. Amnon p. 254. l. 13. r. all such p. 265. li. 19. r. the inheritance p. 287. l. 18. r. and no. p. 288. l. 14. r vnto our p. 301. l. 1. r. could not p. 302. l. 7. r. spurre p. 303. l. 30. r. strayeth p. 319. l. 3. r. charge p. 341. l. 5. r. burned p. 350. l. 41. r. mutuall p. 352 l. 34. r. consent p. 360. l. 49. connecting p. 369. l. 44. r. being p. 370. l. 3. r. Churles p. 372. l. 13. read them not p. 381. l. 31. or the. p. 401. l. 11 r. guided p. 415. l. 30. dele no. p. 11. l. 15. r. albeit they want and ability to releeue them p. 260. l. 22. r. make him p. 433. l. 1. r. them striue p. 441. l. 31. r. to be the. p. 443. l. 11. r. no pitty p. 450. l. 50. r. to ouercome p. 457. l. 31. without profit p. 462. l. 24. r. of merriting p. 475. l. 52. vnregenerate heart p. 426. l. 12. r. not the. p. 427. l. 51. dele with p. 449. l. 42. read when he p. 447. l. 2. if we p. 267. l. 23. we had 227. in Margin r. Sophoc in Aiace p. 489. l. 21. read they will and l. 30. r. pace p. 495. l. 38. r. not want