any thing to bee resolued of Gods power and will to heare and helpe vs. He is our Father therefore carefull and willing he is in heauen and therefore able to heare vs and to giue vs all thinges Math. 6.9 And the same commendation here giuen to Sarah is also giuen to Abraham Rom. 4 21. He doubted not but beleeued aboue hope c. being fully assured that he which had promised was also able to doe it The vse hereof vnto vs is double First to aduise and guide vs for our promises not to be too recklesse as some are what we promise but to consider aforehand and if it be beyond our power not to speake the word for Christian mens words must not be vaine and if we haue promised any thing lawfull and in our power to be carefull to performe it Thus to doe is to be a faithfull man and is a good signe of a holy man and Gods childe prouided this be so First of all towards God that wee make conscience of performing the great vow wee made in our baptisme and all other serious holy purposes of our heart made to God For otherwise hee that breakes his vowe to God carelesly by liuing profanely hee may in worldly policy keepe â—is word but he cannot doe it in conscience The Church of Rome is foully faulty in this point making no conscience of breaking promise and faith with vs or any of our religion their nakednesse herein is discouered in the face of all Christendome let them that are wiâ—e be warned of it They make great ostentation of their vowes and of their care to performe them aboue any other religion but it appeares hereby to be vile hypocrisie For if they were conscionably and not politikely and formally carefull of their vowes of chastity pouerty others made to God they could not but be likewise carefull of their promises made to men for the one of these is the fountaine aâ—d roote of the other But the neglect of the one sheweth the formality and hypocrisie of the other Let all that feare God learne to make conscience of both these in their religion and seruice of God and in all their dealings with men in the world that so the world may iudge vs faithfull men when we haue promised Secondly let vs here learne how to helpe and strengthen our weake faith in the great promises of God Wee haue a promise of saluation Whosoeuer beleeueth in Christ shall not perish but haue life euerlasting Of our resurrection Dan. 12. They thaâ— sleepe iâ— the dust shall rise againe Of our glorification Philip. 3.21 The Lord Iesus shal change our vile bodies and make them like to his owne glorious body Of a new world 2. Pet 3.13 We looke for new heauens and a new earth according to his promise These be as S. Peter calls them great and pretious promises 2. Pet. 1.4 And surely it must be a great pretious faith that can constantly beleeue these No better helpes of our faith can there be then often and seriously to consider of the mercy and power of him that made them if he be willing and able what can let the performance of them Let vs thereforâ— often say with holy Paul Faithfull is hee which hath promised who will also doe it 1. Thess. 5 and with Sarah here We iudge him faithfull which hath promised Now followeth the last effect in the next verse And therefore sprang there of one euen of one which was as dead as many as the starres of the skie in multitude and as the sands of the seashore which are innumerable The third and last effect of Sarahs effect is that by this sonne Isaac whom she conceiued brought forth by faith she had a wonderfull great issue and a posterity almost without number This effect consists not of it selfe but depends vpon the former Her faith gaue her strength to conceiue Isaac though she were barren and to bring him forth though she were olde and weake and so her faith brought him out by whom shee was made the mother of many millions of men The matter of this third effect is the multitude of men that came of Abraham and Sarah by Isaac This posterity or multitude is described by two arguments 1. By the beginning or roote of it One that was as dead 2. The quantity or greatnesse laid downe 1. Generally to be a multitude and innumerable 2. Particularly by two comparisons 1. As many as the starres in the skie 2. As the sands by the seashore The first point is the roote and beginning of this multitude in these words And therefore sprang there of one euen one that was as dead One that is one woman Sarah or at the most one couple Abraham and Sarah And this one was no better then dead Not dead properly and fully for none are so dead whose soules and bodies are not separate but as dead that is as good as dead or halfe dead meaning that they were altogether vnfit for generation of children the strength of nature being decayed in them Abraham being 100. and Sarah 90. yeares olde And if this be true of Abraham who was past age how much more is it of Sarah who was both past age and was also barren in her best age Here we are to note and learne many things First Multitudes came of one See here the powerfull and yet the ordinary workes of God to reare vp goodly huge buildings vpon small and weake foundations So did he in the beginning and euer since Indeede he made at the first thousands of starres because they must be no more then at the first they were and millions of Angels intending they shall not multiply he could also haue made millions of men in a moment he would not but onely one couple Adam and Eue. And of them came the infinite race of mankinde When sinne had made an end of that world hee founded not the second that yet continueth vpon a thousand couples but by three men and their wiues hee multiplied the whole race of mankinde which since haue growen from three to millions of millions And so here of one olde man and a barren olde woman spring innumerable multitudes This God doth to magnifie his owne power in the eyes of the sonnes of men and so he did also in matters heauenly The number of Christians since Christ that haue grown to millions began in a poore number at the first For when Christ himselfe was ascended the number of knowen beleeuers was but 120. Acts 1.15 The consideration hereof should teach vs all these duties First not to measure God by our lengthes nor to tye him to our rules but to esteeme of his power and might as we see it deserues and to entertaine high and honourable thoughts of him his Maiestie who can reare vp so great workes vpon so poore foundations Secondly not to despaire of our selues or our estates though we think our selues neuer so weak so poore so sick
glorie And thus much for the first point How we must seeke God The second is How he is a rewarder of them that seeke him I answer God rewards them that seeke him First by offring himselfe graciously to be found of them that seeke him for he neuer hides himselfe nor turnes away from the soule that seeketh him but rather turnes to him and meetes him that comes to him hee is that good Father which saw the prodigall Sonne afarre off and met him and receiued him Luke 16. Yea rather is it true that He is found of them that sought him not then euer sought by any that found him not And hereby God much magnifieth his grace and mercy to mankinde in being so assuredly found when men seeke him For in this world it is not so All men seeke the face of the Prince saith Salomon true but all men finde it not No. Accesse to great men is not so easie they and their fauour are so inclosed that men may long seeke afore they finde either them or it but God here is not so inclosed as he will not be seene nor spoke to hee is found of them that seeke him And as hereby hee honoureth himselfe so hee highly rewardeth his seruants for there is no greater contentment to a subiect then to perceiue his seruice pleaseth his Prince nor greater ioy then to finde his gratious fauour when they seeke it Let then this practice of the great God of heauen First of all teach the great ones of this world to be willing to be found when they are sought vnto thereby shall they honour themselues and cheere vp the hearts of their people who seeke vnto them And againe it may be a rich comfort to the poore ones of this earth who when they see they must long looke and waite and pray and pay and seeke the face and fauour of great men and cannot finde may then remember yet they haue a God who will not shut the dore vpon them will not turne away will not keepe secret will not feare them away with a rough answer or a sower looke but hath this honourable and princely grace He wil be found of them that seeke him Secondly hee rewardeth them that seeke him by bestowing his loue and fauour on them not onely he but his fauour shall be found of all that seeke him It is Gods fauour that Gods children seeke and his fauour they shall be sure to finde This is no small reward vnto them for in this world a man thinkes he hath enough if he haue the Princes fauour And therefore it was the cōmon phrase in old time Let me finde grace or fauour in the eyes of my Lord the King So speake Gods children vnto the Lord. It is not wealth nor honours we seeke-for at Gods hand but let vs finde fauour in the eyes of the Lord our God and so they doe what-euer they finde in this world Thirdly he rewardeth them not with his naked fauour but with the most gracious testimonies thereof that can be which are two Forgiuenesse of their sinnes and eternall life and glory with himselfe This is all a Prince can doe to his subiect who hath offended him To forgiue him the fault and remit the punishment and to aduance him to honour This doth the Lord to all that seeke him he forgiues them the debt they owe him whereby life and soule and all was forfaited to him and giues them also life euerlasting So plentiful a reward is giuen them from that God vnder whose wings they are come to trust Fourthly hee rewardeth them with the beginnings of heauen and happinesse euen in this world A good conscience and ioy in the holy Ghost the comfort whereof is more euen in the bitterest affliction then all the pleasures and contentments in the world Lastly with the appurtenances of heauen and of eternall life namely the good blessings of this life a competent portion whereof God giueth his children in this world as tokens of his fauour and as rewards of their seruice and seeking him Now as this place doth ayme at all these rewards so principally and directly the holy Ghost meaneth eternall life as though hee had said Hee that commeth to God must stedfastly beleeue that God is able and most willing to reward all that come to him with a better reward then this worlde can yeeld euen with eternall life and glory for his sonnes sake But then will some obiect God rewardeth vs therefore we merit therefore good works deserue I answere this place indeede is grosly abused by the Papists for that purpose but we are to know the truth is farre otherwise for God rewardeth men for two causes First for his promise sake and that is for his owne sake for it was his owne goodnesse that made him promise and no former debt he owed to man Againe hee rewardeth our good works not for our merits for they are nothing but of death and curses but for Christ and his merits for their worthinesse are our good workes rewarded So then here are two causes of Gods rewarding and yet mans merits are neither of both and so the argument is nought That God rewardeth therefore we merit for God doth it for other causes Thus these spiders gather poison out of this flower but let vs sucke the honey for this notable sentence hath excellent vse First if God be a rewarder of them that seeke him then not of them that seeke him not Who seeke not God wicked and vngodly men seeke him not but rather seeke to auoide him and his seruice this sentence therefore is heauie against them For when they heare it their conscience answereth But wee seeke not God Therefore wee can looke for no reward from him Doest thou seeke the world then must the world be thy rewarder Doest thou seeke to please thy selfe then must thou reward thy selfe And if thou wilt please the diuell by liuing in sinne then must hee be thy pay-maister alas pitifull and fearefull will these rewards be Againe if God reward none but them that seeke him here appeares the reason why so many Papists die in our religion and with vs cleaue to Christes merits alone when they come to die because their conscience then tells them that by their pilgrimages reliques will-worships and manie more of their courses ordinarie in Poperie they did neuer seeke God but themselues their owne honour gaine and credite and full well knew they that there is no reward due for such seruice and therefore by their practice they make it a true saying that It is good liuing a Papist but dying a Protestant Secondly if God be a rewarder of them that seeke him Then wee see it is most true which the Apostle saith It is not in vaine to serue God 1. Cor. 15.58 for God is a rewarder of them that seeke and serue him Therefore the Atheist and profane men of this world who say It is in vaine to serue God and what profit
though hee receiue it with a hand shaking with the palsey So God is well pleased with our faith though diseased with infirmities and bestoweth grace on a beleeuing soule though shaken with many temptations In a word God accepteth soundnesse of faith though it be but small and more lookes at in his mercy a mans little faith then his many faults Hee will not breake the bruised reede nor quench the smoking flaxe Esay 42 3 When a man is broken in heart and deiected in soule in fight of his many sinnes and little grace God will not breake this bruised reede but will comfort and strengthen him And when any life of grace appeares in a manne as flaxe that smoketh but will not burne out God will not quench it but will rather kindle it and giue life vnto it Let this teach vs to take in good part the holy and honest endeuours of our brethren though they cannot doe so well as they would or should Let vs not exact too much and too hastily vpon them but expect in meeknesse the working of Gods grace and in the meane time thinke well of Sarahs faith though it be with laughing Secondly here we may learne that God rather obserues and regards good things in his children then their faults and imperfections he writes vp Sarahs faith he nameth not her laughing This is from the goodnesse of his nature being goodnesse it selfe and therefore most easily apprehendeth and takes notice of the least goodnesse where-euer hee findes it Thus should wee deale one with another what good thing we see in any man we should obserue commend it his faults we should not see but couer and omit them But the course is contrary the common table talke of the world is nothing but of mens faults and to rip vp their imperfections but if they haue neuer so many good properties we can burie them all or passe them ouer in silence This argueth the malice and the naughtinesse of our nature which being euill doth delight in nothing but euill and being corrupt feedes as doth the filthy horse-flie on nothing but corruption But let vs remember the practice of God and learne to conceale faults and vse our tongues to talke of the good things and vertues in our brethren So shall we resemble the Lord who though Sarah laughed not in a holy admiration but in vnbeliefe yet forasmuch as afterward shee beleeued God hath matched her with the notablest beleeuers and holiest men that haue beene in the world Thus much for the first point the person and her action she beleeued Now the second is what she beleeued included and necessarily implied in the last words of the verse she iudged him faithfull Which had promised The thing she beleeued was the word or promise of God Particularly his promise that shee should beare Isaac in her olde age of which promise and the circumstances of it we may reade Gen. 18.13 c. Here the onely question is By what faith she beleeued this And the answere is by true sauing faith and it is proued thus Abraham beleeued this promise by the faith that iustified him Rom. 4.10.11 But Abraham and Sarah beleeued it both by one faith therefore Sarah beleeued that promise by the faith that also iustified her Where we learne that sauing faith apprehendeth not onely the great promise of redemption by Christ but all other inferiour promises that depend vpon it For here wee see Abraham and Sarah take hold of the promise of a temporal blessing by the same faith whereby formerly they had laide holde on the promise of eternall saluation by the Messias so that the obiect of true faith is 1. Principall the promise of saluation by Christ. 2. Secondarie all inferiour promises annexed thereunto The maine promise is So God loued the world that he gaue his onely begotten Sonne to the end that whosoeuer beleeueth in him should not perish but haue eternall life Iohn 3.16 Now true faith first of all directly and plainly fastneth it selfe on this but after and with this on all other promises that concerne soule or body In the Lords prayer we are bid to pray for temporal blessings health peace competencie of wealth all other vnder the name of daily bread and we are bound to beleeue that God will giue them if wee aske in faith Neither is this faith constrained but free and voluntarie and on a good foundation For being perswaded that God accepteth vs in Christ for saluation we cannot but withall be perswaded that God will giue vs all things else needefull for vs. This wee heere note againe because wee are wrongfully charged by the Papists to hold that faith apprehendeth the promise of saluation alone But we passe it ouer for that we haue already spoken something of it Now followeth the third point namely the impediments of her faith in these words When she was past age The promise was to haue a childe She beleeued it Now against child-bearing there are two impediments 1. Barrennesse 2. Age. If one be aged or past the ordinarie time it is hard and vnlikely but if one be very aged and farre past it it is impossible shee should conceiue and beare a childe thus it stands in reason Besides though one be not past age yet if she be barren as some by secret reasons in nature are it is not to be expected she should conceiue Now both these lay in Sarahs way for here it is said she was past age and another place namely Gen. 16.1.2 saith she was barren But it may be obiected against Sarahs age that in the olde time they had children till they were of great age Eua had her sonne Sheth at 130. yeares olde Gen. 5.3 For Adam and Eue must needes be both of one age and after that Eue bore many sonnes and daughters Therfore it may seeme that Sarah was not past age at 90. yeares olde But we are to knowe that they who began to beare at that age liued eight or nine hundred yeares but Sarah liued after the floud when Ages were brought downe to 200. and for the most part to 100. yeares Abraham liued but 175. yeares and Sarah but 127. She therefore who liued 127. yeares and died an olde woman must needes be past age of child-bearing at 90. yeares olde And besides her age she was also barren by her naturall constitution as many are and haue beene and brought Abraham no children Yet vnto this woman comes a word from God Sarah shall beare a sonne And behold this aged and barren woman doth not obiect desperatly these her two hinderances the one whereof in reason is sufficient against childe-bearing but beyond all impediments and aboue reason beleeueth it shall be so resting and relying onely and wholly on Gods word for it The vse of which notable and faithfull practice so wonderful in a woman must teach vs to rest on Gods word promise though we haue no reason so to doe for example When we see our
they all know and some confesse it is surest and safest to die in our religion Let vs therefore cheerefully and comfortably liue in that religion and faith wherein wee may so boldly die that euen our aduersaries confesse it to be safest Now follow the foure effects and fruits of their faith The first is this that They receiued not the promises but saw them afarre off By Promises we vnderstād first the promises of the Land of Canaan Secondly the spirituall promises of the kingdome of Christ. These they did not receiue that is fully thogh in part they did for true faith doth alwaies receiue apprehend and apply vnto it selfe truely though not fully the thing promised God said hee would giue them the Land of Canaan but they did not fully enioy and possesse it So likewise the Messias was promised vnto them but they neuer saw his comming in the flesh and yet they beleeued Gods promise and died in that faith Where wee may see the inuincible force of their faith that cleaued fast vnto the promise of God euen vnto death though they neuer enioyed the things promised in this life which plainely condemnes our age of vnbeleefe for we haue more accomplished vnto vs than euer they had Abraham neuer saw Christ but afarre off yet wee haue him exhibited in the flesh we see and knowe hee liued and died rose againe and ascended and now makes continuall intercession for vs and we haue the true sacraments which shall last for euer pledges of him and of life euerlasting by him And for temporall promises wee haue farre more accomplished vnto vs than euer he had But though wee goe before Abraham in the fruition of Gods promises yet we come farre behinde him in beleefe for faith worketh by loue and loue is seene in true obedience but generally this is too true men make no conscience of obedience which sheweth vndoubtedly that there is little sound faith among vs. And it may be feared that these notable men Abraham Isaac and Iaacob shall stand in iudgement against vs to our further condemnation for they neuer receiued the accomplishing of Gods promises and yet they beleeued but we doe see the same fulfilled exhibited vnto vs and yet we will not beleeue But saw them afarre off Here is the propertie of their faith and the power of it the promises were afarre off and yet they saw them The phrase here vsed is borrowed from Mariners who beeing far on the sea cannot descrie towns and coasts afarre off but only by help of some tower or hie place which their eie will sooner discerne thogh it be afarre off And so Abraham Sarah Isaac and Iaacob beeing long before the day of Christs incarnation could not other waies see Christ but afarre off by the eie of faith in the promises of the Messias for this is the propertie of faith to make a thing absent to be present after a sort Faith beeing the ground of things hoped for and the euidence of things which are not seene Here then wee may learne a difference betweene the Church in the olde Testament and in the newe Wee in the newe Testament haue greater measure of knowledge more liuely discerning of the Messias and a clearer light of vnderstanding in the mystery of our saluation by Christ than the Church had vnder the olde Testament howsoeuer they excelled in faith yet in the knowledge and discerning of Christ they were inferiour vnto vs. And therfore the Lord made this promise to the time of the Gospel long before that thē the earth shall be ful of the knowledg of the Lord as the waters that couer the sea And Saint Paul prooues this performed when he affirmeth of the Church of the new Testament 2. Corinth 3.18 But all wee as in a mirrour behold the glory of the Lord with open face And Christ Ioh. 6.45 They shall be all taught of God If this bee true that knowledge should so abound in the time of the Gospell then all ignorant persons of this latter age of the world must knowe that they haue much to answer for at the day of iudgment for God in the new testament hath made his Church to abound in knowledge so that their ignorance for which they thinke God will hold them excused shall be a bill of inditement against them at the last day to their further condemnation because the light of the Gospell is so clearely and plentifully reuealed in these dayes that whereas the most excellent Patriarchs of all could then but see Christ afarre off the most simple may now see him neere vnto them Again where is more knowledge there should be more obedience therefore it concerneth all those that professe themselues to be Christians submit themselues to heare and learne the word of God taught vnto them not content themselues with bare knowledge though it be neuer so much But withall to bring forth the fruites of obedience in their liues cōuersations For though Abraham Isaac and Iacob in regard of faith did goe farre before vs yet seeing we haue more knowledge then they had in the Messias we must labour to becom like vnto them in the obedience of our liues Their faith was stronger then ours but our obedience should be greater then theirs because wee haue more cause to belieue then they S. Paul saith We all behold as in a mirror the glory of the Lord with open face And the end thereof is this that we may be transformed into the same image from glory to glory as by the spirit of the Lord. So that the more knowledge wee haue the more sanctification wee ought to haue and the more hatred of sinne more obedience to Gods commaundements But the more is the pitie the case goeth farre otherwise with the world for euen many among vs that are no Students by profession haue great and commendable knowledge in religion But where is the fruite hereof in holy obedience to the Lawes of God God by calling hath made vs a pleasant vine but the sower Grapes of sinne are our ordinarie fruite they be the Grapes of gall as Moses saith For Atheisme blasphemie contempt of Gods word and worship with open profaning of Gods Sabaoth doe euery where abound to omit the hainous crimes against the second table as oppression adultery and bloud touching bloud for all which wee may iustly feare that the Lord will either remoue his Candlesticke from vs and so of a Church and people of God make vs no Church or else sweepe vs away by some fearefull iudgement as with the besome of destruction because we withhold the truth in vnrighteousnesse Rom. 1.18 For better it were not to haue knowen the way of righteousnesse then to turne from the holy commaundement giuen vnto vs let vs therefore ioyne with our knowledge obedience that so wee may shew forth our faith in doing the duties of pietie vnto God and of brotherly loue and Christianity vnto our brethren Thus much of
is the right time for a man to shew his faith when there is in himselfe no cause of beleeuing Obiect But when a man is in this case he cannot beleeue Answ. Indeede to beleeue then is a wonderfull hard thing and a miracle of miracles But yet this is the propertie of true faith so to doe and if there bee but one dramme of true faith in the heart that despaires howsoeuer it may for a time lie hidde as dead yet at the length it will make him to hope and waite for mercy and life at the hands of Almightie GOD. And therefore if it shall please GOD at any time to lay a torment vpon our consciences so as wee shall striue with the wrath of GOD thinking that hee hath cast vs away yet for all that then we must beleeue GODs promises and set before vs his mercies and therewith refresh vs. And if this faith were not the childe of GOD many sundry times were in a most miserable case the Lord therefore hath most mercifully prouided to helpe him by the grace of faith When a man is past all hope of life he must then beleeue and hope for life as the Israelites did in the red sea for preseruation And vndoubtedly this is a comfortable signe of grace if a man in the horrour of conscience can shewe forth the least sparke of true faith Fourthly note the effect and issue of this faith They passed through the red sea We say vsually that water fire be vnmercifull creatures and therefore the naturall man feares them both but the Israelites faith makes them not to feare the water but it makes them bold euen to passe thorough the sea The like we may see for fire in the 3. children Dan. 3.16.23 who were not affraid of the hot burning ouen but were as bold in it as out of it Rauenous wilde beasts are terrible vnto men but faith makes a man not to feare them and therefore Daniel feares not the Lyons though hee were throwen into their denne to bee deuoured Dan. 6.22 Great is the fruite and force of faith it takes from a man the feare of those creatures which by nature are most terrible And here wee see a cause why the holy Martyrs of God died most cheerefully A man would thinke it strange that one should goe into the fire reioycing as many of them did but the reason is Because they had faith in their hearts which taketh away the feare of the most fearefull creatures But if it bee so may some say that the Israelites by faith went through the redde sea not fearing the water why may not we that beleeue now doe the same for wee haue the same faith that they had Answ. Wee haue indeede the same faith and yet wee cannot passe through waters as they did For their faith rested on two promises first on this made to Abraham I will bee thy God and the God of thy seed SecoÌ„dly on a particular promise made to Moses For when he coÌ„manded him to goe through the red sea withall he made a promise to keepe and preserue them and this they beleeued and so went through Now howsoeuer we haue iustifying faith hauing the same generall promise yet we haue not the like particular promise That if wee passe through the red sea God will be with vs and saue vs. And therefore if any man shall aduenture to doe so let him looke for nothing but death for it is not an action of faith but of presumption And therefore Peter sunke when hee would needs walke vnto Christ vpon the sea hauing no such hold vpon Gods speciall promise as here they had and the Egyptians following presumptuously were drowned Wherfore let vs here be warned not to attempt to doe extraordinary workes without Gods special warrant for a particular faith requires a particular promise besides the generall promise of God in Christ. Further let vs here obserue a wonderfull worke of Gods mercy and power When these seruants of God were brought into extremitie of danger so as they were in a desperate case for their temporall life yet then the Lord findes a way of deliuerance And indeede if a man consider aright of it hee must needes acknowledge that these Israelites were in a pittifull case for they had the red sea before them and mountains on each side and themselues hindred from flight by their bag and baggage and with their children and the huge hoste of Pharaoh behinde them so as to mans reason there was nothing but present death to bee looked for yet the Lord in mercy to saue them makes a way where there was no way and opens them a gappe to life when naturall reason could lay before them nothing but violent death Which shewes the wonderfull mercy of God to his owne people and seruants And the like thing we may read of in Dauid when he abode in the wildernesâ—e of Maon for there Saul followed him and he and his men compassed Dauid and his men round about 1. Sam. 23.26 27. Now what hope of deliuerance was there for Dauid Ans. Surely this only Dauid was the seruant of God the Lord preserued him that hee might rule his people after Sauls death and therfore he escapeth though wonderfully for a messenger comes to Saul and bids him haste for the Philistims inuaded the Land and so Saul returned from pursuing Dauid and went against the Philistims Hence we learne this generall rule that in the extremitie of all danger God hath meanes to preserue and saue his owne children and people Which must teach vs to commend our case to GOD and to rest on him in all dangers for when our case is desperate in our sight then are we fittest for Gods helpe Let vs therefore in such cases learne to practice our faith and then especially to cast our selues vpon GOD. This Iehosaphat did most notably for beeing assaulted with the huge armies of the Moabites Ammonites c. he praied vnto the Lord most feruently saying 2. Chron. 20.12 Lord there is no strength in vs wee knowe not what to doe but our eies are towards thee and thus doing was preserued for God will in no extremitie forsake them that trust in him The red sea In many places of the olde testament it is called the sea of rushes Psal. 106.7 9. Or the sea of sedges Ier. 49.21 It is a corner of the Arabian sea that parteth Egypt and Arabia Those which haue seene it in trauell say it hath no other colour than all other seas haue Why then is it called the red sea Answ. To omit many supposed causes hereof ther be two especially for which it is so called 1 Because of the red sand for both the bottome of the sea and the shoare are full of redder sande than ordinarily is else-where 2 Some thinke it is called the redde sea by reason of the sedges and bul-rushes which growe much at the sea side and bee of a redde colour which by reflection may
fiue foolish virgins did but get the oyle of grace into the vessels of our hearts Knowledge in the word is a coÌ„mendable thing but not sufficieÌ„t to make vs stand in the day of triall We therfore must labour for true sauing graces especially for this to haue our hearts rooted and grounded in the loue of God through faith whereby we are assured that God is our father in Christ and Iesus Christ our redeemer and the holy Ghost our comforter and sanctifier This assurance of faith will stablish our hearts in all estates come life come death wee neede not feare for nothing shall be able to separate vs from this loue of God in Christ Iesus And thus much of the coherence of this verse with the former Now to the words Others also were racked c. Heere the holy Ghost begins to propound the fruites of faith for which this last ranke of beleeuers are commended vnto vs. And they are not such famous exploites as the former but nine seuerall kindes of sufferings vnto all which wee must remember to apply this clause by faith from the 33 verse as thus Through faith they endured racking mocking and so for all the rest Out of these effects in generall wee may learne two things First a singular fruite of faith for which it is heere so highly commended in this last ranke of examples to wit that by it the childe of GOD is enabled to beare whatsoeuer the Lord shall lay vpon him The torments wherewith mans body may be afflicted are manie and terrible and yet be they neuer so many nor so terrible true sauing faith will make the childe of GOD to beare them all for the honour of Christ. The effects of faith before set downe were many and singular but vndoubtedly this strength of patience which it giueth vnder the greatest torments for Christes sake is one of the principall This Paul doth notably testifie in this profession Romanes chapter 8. verses 38 39. I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor Angelles nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall bee able to separate vs from the loue of GOD which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. Oh singular power of faith which so firmely vnites the beleeuer vnto Christ that no torments in the world no not all the power of Satan and his Angels can separate them asunder Question How doth faith worke this indissoluble power in cleauing vnto Christ Answere After this manner It is the property of faith to perswade the conscience of Gods loue and fauour in Christ and vpon this perswasion the heart begins to loue God againe Now by this loue doth faith worke and make a man able to beare all torments that can be inflicted for religions sake for Loue suffereth all things 1. Cor. 13.7 euen that loue wherewith one man loueth another how much more then shall this loue wherewith we loue God in Christ make vs to suffer any thing for his names sake Hence it is that loue is said to be strong as death and the coales therof are fierie coales and a vehement flame yea much water cannot quench loue neither can the flouds drowne it that is grieuous persecutions and torments cannot extinguish the same Nay such is the power of loue to GOD when it is feruent that it makes a man so zealous of Gods glory that if there were no other way to glorifie God than by sufferings the childe of God would rather yeeld himselfe to endure the torments of the damned than suffer God to lose his glory This wee may see in Paul Rom. 9.3 I would wish my selfe saith he to be separate from Christ for my brethren that are my kinsmen according to the flesh that is the Israelites meaning for the aduancement of Gods glory in their calling and saluation Such zeale likewise we may see in Moses for thinking that God should lose his glory if the Israelites were destroyed he prayes the Lord to pardon their sinne But if thou wilt not then saith hee raze me out of the booke which thou hast written This being the fruite of faith To make a man able and willing to suffer any thing for Christs sake we must heereby be moued to labour for true faith for tribulation may come nay some affliction will come on euery childe of God more or lesse Now without faith wee shall neuer be able to glorifie God vnder the crosse The iust must liue by faith in this estate Heb. 10.38 as here they endure racking burning hewing asunder c. and all by faith Secondly out of all these sufferings heere endured by faith note the minde and disposition of vngodly men towards Gods Church and people they are most bitterly bloudily bent against them for here they put in execution vpon Gods children whatsoeuer cruelty the diuell could suggest into their hearts And this hath beene their disposition and behauiour not onely before Christes incarnation but also euer since as may appeare by the manifolde strange tortures deuised against Christians in the Primitiue Church and both then and since inflicted vpon them Beholde it in the Church of Rome especially in their late Inquisition whereby beside the cruell racking of the conscience by vniust inquiries they put the Protestants to most cruell torments The consideration of this cruell disposition in the wicked against the godly is of speciall vse First it proues vnto vs that the religion which by Gods mercy we professe contained in the bookes of the olde and new Testament is no politique deuice of man but the sacred ordinance of the euerliuing God For if it were the inuention of man it would so fit their humour and accord with their nature that generally it would be loued and embraced and not one of an hundred would mislike it But we see it is generally detested This Sect is euery where spoken against Acts 28.22 naturall men reiect it and persecute it and the professours of â—t vnto the death This they doe because true religion is contrary to their nature as light is to darknesse and condemnes those wayes and courses which they best like of This reason shall iustifie true religion to be Gods owne ordinance euen to the conscience of the worldly Atheist his diuellish malice against it proues Gods diuine truth to be in it Secondly doe the wicked hate the godly because of their religion and profession then on the contrary wee must learne to loue religion because it is religion and the professours of it for their professions sake This is Christs instruction to loue a disciple because he is a disciple Mat. 10. Indeede wee must loue all men but especially those that embrace the Gospell of Christ and be of the housholde of faith for all such are brethren hauing one Father which is God and brethren ought to loue one another But alas this lesson is not learned for the world generally is giuen to mocking and scoffing
and we seeme presently to enioy them we cannot enioy any of them fully but sauing Faith hath this power to giue them all a present being in our hearts and vs such a real possession of them as greatly delighteth a Christian soule insomuch as the feeling of the sweetnesse of this glory though it be to come ouerwhelmeth the feeling of a worldly misery though it be present Fourthly it is added And the euidence This word signifieth and teacheth vs two things concerning faith 1. Faith is an euidence c. That is Faith so conuinceth the minde vnderstanding and iudgement as that it cannot but must needes yea it compelleth it by force of reasons vnanswerable to beleeue the promises of God certainly 2. It is an euidence that is whereas life euerlasting and all other things hoped for are inuisible and were neuer seen of any beleeuer since the world began this sauing faith hath this power and property to take that thing in it selfe inuisible and neuer yet seene and so liuely to represent it to the heart of the beleeuer and to the eye of his mind as that after a sort he presently seeth and enioyeth that inuisible thing and reioyceth in that sight and enioying of it and so the iudgâ—ment is not onely conuinced that such a thing shall come to passe though it be yet to come but the minde as farre as Gods word hath reueald and as it is able conceiues of that thing as being really present to the view of it Let one example serue for all life euerlasting is a thing hoped for Now Faith not onely by infallible arguments grounded vpon the word and promise of God conuinceth a mans iudgement that it shall come to passe insomuch as he dare say that he knoweth as certainly there is a life euerlasting as that he liueth and moueth but this Faith also as much as Gods word hath reueald and as farre forth as the minde of man is able to conceiue of it so representeth this life euerlasting to the eye of the soule as that the soule seemeth to apprehend and enioy this life euerlasting yea often in such measure as that he contemneth the world and al the present felicity of it in coÌ„parison of that measure of the ioyes therof which faith representeth to his soule and thus faith makes that present which is absent and makes that manifest and visible which in it selfe is inuisible inuisible to the eyes of the body it makes visible to the eye of the soule the sight of which eye is both giuen and continued and daily sharpened by sauing faith And thus faith is a most excellent euidence of things not seene So then the whole suÌ„me of this first effect is briefly thus much Whereas things to be beleeued as perfection of sanctification resurrection glorification c. are not yet seene neither can be in that they are not yet come to passe yet if a man haue grace certainly to beleeue the promises of God these things shall haue a being to his soule in that both his iudgement knoweth assuredly they shall come to passe and his soule in most liuely and ioyfull representations seemeth to enioy them Hitherto of the meaning of the first effect Now in the second place let vs see what instructions this first effect thus vnfolded doth minister vnto vs. First whereas faith giues a substance and being to things that are not we learne that the Fathers in the old Testament that liued afore the incarnation of Christ were truly partakers of the body and bloud of Christ. If any alledge that this is strange considering that Christ had theÌ„ no body bloud neither had he any vntil the IncarnatioÌ„ how theÌ„ could they receiue that which theÌ„ was not I grant it is true they theÌ„ had no being and yet the Fathers receiued theÌ„ but how can this be I answer by the wonderfull power of sauing faith which makes things that are not in nature to haue in some sort a being subsistence and so was Christ though he was to come present to the beleeuers of the old time For Apoc. 13.8 Christ is a Lambe slaine from the beginning of the world That is slaine as wel then as now and that not only in the counsell decree of God wherby he is borne slaine in all times and places nor onely in regard of the eternal power efficacie and merit of his death but also euen in respect of the heart of the beleeuer whose faith makes that that is locally absent after a sort truly and really present euen so also is Christ a Lambe slaine euen from the beginning of the world See a plaine demonstration hereof in Ioh. 8.5.6 Abraham saw me saith Christ and reioiced How could this be when as Christ was not borne of 1000. yeares after Ans. This could not be in reason but it was indeed to Abrahams faith wherby he saw Christ more liuely and more to his ioy consolation so many 100. yeares afore he was theÌ„ many which liued in Christs time and saw him and heard him and conuerâ—ed with him for they liuing with him yet were as good as absent from him because they beleeued not in him And Abraham though Christ was so far from him yet by his faith was present with him Againe 1. Cor. 10.3 the ancient beleeuing Israelites ate the same spirituall bread and dranke the same spirituall rocke and that rocke was Christ How could they eate and drinke Christ so long afore he was I answere they did it by reason of that wonderfull power of faith which makes a thing absent present to the beleeuer By that faith they receiued Christ as liuely as effectually as much to their profit and comfort as we do since his comming If any man aske how could their faith apprehend that that then was not I answer by giuing them interest title to it and so the Fathers are said by faith to haue receiued Christ because their faith gaue them right and title in Christ and in their hearts they felt the efficacie of his death resurrection whereby they died to sin and were renewed in holinesse as well as we are now by the same efficacie Secondly whereas faith makes things absent present Here they are confuted that teach that the Lords supper is no Sacrament vnlesse the body bloud of Christ be either truly turned into the bread wine or at least be in or about the bread that so he is locally present must locally and substantially be receiued and this say they is the most coÌ„fortable receiuing of Christ for what comfort is it to receiue one absent but these men know not this notable prerogatiue of true faith Faith giues being to things which are not and makes things present which are absent they therefore that will haue Christ locally present they take this noble prerogatiue from faith for here is nothing absent which faith should make present we neede not goe in this Sacrament to require a
sinnes from the world for this is one of the strongest and commonest encouragements that men take to liue in a sinne If they thinke it likely to be concealed But here they see how false a ground that is For if they can conceale it from men yet can they not from God and if God know it then can he reueale it to the world when it pleaseth him Againe whereas Abels bloud cried when he was dead It teacheth vs that God had a care of Abell both liuing and dead for it were nothing to say his bloud cried if God heard not that cry But it s apparant he heard it for he reuenged it and punished Cain when Abell was dead and could not reuenge it himselfe And this care God hath not ouer Abell alone but ouer all his children and as the Psalmist saith Pretious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints that which is vile and of no regard in the world is pretious with God Tyrants make hauocke of the Church and kill them vp by heapes but God records vp euery one and will not faile to reuenge it when they are dead For if God haue bottles for the teares of his seruants surely much more hath he bottles for their bloud The vse whereof is to teach vs in all extremities of danger or distresse to learne patience yea though we be sure to die yet as Christ saith To possesse our soules with patience For we haue one wil heare the cause and reuenge our quarrell when we are gone So that if wee be patient wee loose nothing but if wee be impatient wee get nothing Let vs therefore hold our tongues for the wrong done to vs crieth loude enough to God for reuenge who will heare it as assuredly as he did Abels And thus wee see how Abell spake then euen after he was dead The second point is Hee speakes also yet and that three wayes First his faith yet speaketh because it admonisheth all men euery where who either heare or reade this story to become such as Abell was namely true worshippers of the true God for in Abels example it prouokes all men to be like him because it assureth them of the same regard and reward with God that Abell had and so Abels faith is a neuer dying Preacher to all Ages of the Church Here wee learne that the holy Examples of Gods children are reall teaching and loude preaching to other men For there is a double teaching namely in word or deede It belongs to the Minister to teach in word and to all men to teach by their deedes and good examples And if the Minister teach not thus also it is the worse both for him and his hearers It sufficeth not for him to teach by vocall Sermons that is by good doctrine but withall by reall Sermons that is by good life His faith his zeale his patience his mercy and all other his vertues must speake and cry call to other men to be like vnto him which if he practice carefully in his life as Abell did then shall his vertues speake for him to all posterities when he is dead Againe Abell though dead may be said to speake because howsoeuer his body be dead yet in soule and spirit hee liueth with God in heauen And thus the word speaketh may be vnderstoode because it is here opposed to death by which he being dead yet speaketh that is being dead in body yet liueth in soule which life with God was obtained vnto by his true and sauing faith Thirdly hee may be said to speake yet as all other Gods Martyrs are said to crie in the Reuelation from vnder the altar How long Lord holy and true doest thou not auenge our bloud on them that dwell on the earth As this is true of all Martyrs so specially of Abell the first Martyr of all which words are not spoken neither by him nor them vocally with vttrance of voice but it is so said to signifie what feruent desire the seruants of God haue in heauen of the full manifestation of Gods glory in their bodies and of an vtter abolishment of sinne in the whole world Which their desire they doubtlesse vtter to God in a more excellent manner then in this world wee can vtter any thing with our voice and thus Abell speakes yet and shall speake till the worlds end Hitherto of the first Example the Example of Abell The second is of Henoch in these words By faith Henoch was translated that he should not see death neither was he found for God tooke him away for before he was translated he was reported of that hee had pleased God c. THe second example of faith is taken also out of the old world before the floud and it is of Henoch the seauenth from Adam to whom strange and miraculous things befell by reason of his faith Let the meaning of the words be first examined By Faith That is by his confidence in the Messias or his sauing faith he was taken away Taken away That is from earth to heauen not by an ordinary worke but miraculously as is euident by the next words That he should not see death That is that he should not feele death nor any dissolution of soule and body and therefore his taking away was miraculous For to be taken away by death is an ordinarie worke but to be taken away and yet not die that is miraculous and extraordinary and such was Henochs So then the substance of these words is thus much Henoch hauing this grace from God to beleeue stedfastly in the Messias to come was likewise honoured with this high prerogatiue To be taken into heauen without tasting of death further was taken away to the end that he might not die Thus we haue the meaning Now concerning this translation of Henochs there are two opinions Some thinke hee was translated in soule onely and not in body and they say he died in the translation so as his soule onely was taken vp into heauen and his body slept in the earth Though this appeares false at the first sight yet let vs see their reasons and what they can say for themselues Their first reason is this No mortall body vnglorified can enter into heauen but there is no mention of his glorification therefore his body could not come in heauen Answer It is certaine it was glorified ere it came in heauen If they reply it is not mentioned I answere it followeth not that therefore it was not for euery circumstance of euery action is not mentioned For many circumstances of actions must necessarily be supposed such a one was this Againe the glorification of his body is here plainly enough implied where it is said he was translated that he should not see death Now if his body sawe not death it was made immortall which is a speciall part of glorification Their second reason Christ was the first that euer entred into heauen both in
body and soule and for proofe thereof they bring S. Paul where he saith Christ is the first fruits of them that sleepe Answer True indeede of them that sleepe that is of all that die for Christ entred into heauen both in body soule first of all them but Henoch neuer died as the Text here auoucheth therefore that place hinders not but Henoch might be in heauen in his body before Christs humane flesh ascended thither Thirdly they argue out of Saint Iohn No man hath ascended into heauen but he that descended the sonne of man which is in heauen But say they this sonne of man is not Henoch but Christ therefore none but Christ ascended bodily into heauen Answer That place is not meant of corporall ascending but of vnderstanding mysticall and heauenly things no man ascendeth to the full knowledge of heauenly Misteries but Christ alone who descended from heauen from the bosome of his Father And thus we see this opinion hath no strength of Argument to rest vpon but wee may safely hold notwithstanding any thing that can be said against it that Henoch was translated both in body and soule And if any man yet doubt how he could be takē vp in body before he was glorified Wee are to know though he died not yet his body was changed as those men shall be which shall be found aliue at the last day The second opinion is that Henoch was taken vp in soule and body into Paradise some say the heauenly but the most the earthly Paradise and there liues in his mortall and corruptible body and must afore the last day come againe in his body with Elias and fight against Antichrist and when by their doctrine they haue ouercome him hee shall by violence kill them and so they shall die Martyrs And this is the generall receiued opinion of the most Papists But it is a meere conceit and a dreame and there is no ground for it but good argument against it For first as for the Earthly Paradise it was defaced by the flood nor doe we read that euer man was in it but Adam And some of their owne fables tell vs that Seth went to the gates of Paradise when his father Adam was sicke to get some Physicke out of Paradise for his father but hee could not get in Nor doe we finde any mention of it afterwards So that it is likely in all reason that it was defaced by the vniuersall flood And if they meane he was translated into the Heauenly Paradise I answer thither can no vncleane thing come but a mortall body is vncleane and themselues say hee was taken away in his mortall body and in it shal come againe and die Therefore Henoch hauing a mortall and vnglorified bodie cannot be in the highest heauens into which nothing can enter which is not glorified and made immortall If they alleadge Ecclesiasticus 44.16 Enoch pleased God and was translated into Paradise c. I answer we neede not call in question the authoritie of the booke nor answer that it is not in the Canon of faith For the text is corrupted wilfully by some that shewed thēselues in the Latine too bold with the text both there and elsewhere for in the Greeke originall there is no such matter as Paradise but the words are these Enoch pleased God and was translated for an example of repentance to the generations And thus we see this opinion is euery way erroneous and hath no shadow of reason in it nor for it Seeing therefore both these opinions are to bee refused let vs in few words set downe the true and Orthodoxall iudgement of the Church out of the Scriptures in the olde and new testament And it is this That this holy man by Gods special fauour to him was assumed into heauen both body and soule his soule beeing perfectly sanctified and his body glorified in the instant of his translation and there he remaineth in glory expecting the generall resurrection and the full glorification of all Gods elect Out of this translation of Henoch we may learne First that there is a life euerlasting prepared of God for his children wherein they shall liue for euer both in soule body for hereof hath God giuen vs most euident testimonies both here in Enoch and afterward in Elias Elias a Iew Enoch none Enoch in the first world Elias in the second Enoch before the flood Elias after Enoch vncircumcised Elias circumcised Enoch married Elias vnmarried and both were assumed into heauen in soule and body and are there to this day and tarry for vs till the ende of the world assuring vs that our soules liue for euer that our bodies thogh they die shall rise againe to life Here therefore wee haue a notable ground for that last but not the least article of our faith where we professe to belieue life euerlasting Secondly in this example we learne that God is not tied to the order of Nature The order which God established set downe concerning all men after Adams fall is this Dust thou art and to dust shalt thou returne By vertue of this decree all men are to die as sure as they once liue and when that time appointed by God is come all the world cannot saue one man but accordingly die he must But here notwithstanding we see God that tied man to this order is not tied himselfe Enoch and Elias are exempted they die not their bodies neuer turned to dust such is the power of God ouer the order of Nature in all naturall actions Thirdly whereas the Papists holde that all the Fathers who died before Christ were in Limbus a place out of heauen and came not in heauen till Christ fetcht them thence and carried them with him at his ascension Here wee learne it is most false forged For here we see Henoch and afterwards Elias were in heauen both in body and soule many hundred yeares before Christs Incarnation whereby as also by many other euidences that might be brought it is apparant that Limbus Patrum is nothing but a deuise of that hereticall Church of Rome Hitherto hath the holy Ghost auouched the translation of Henoch Now hee proueth substantially that he was taken away Neither was hee found for God had taken him away And for his proofe he first laieth downe his ground then he thereupon frameth his argument consisting of diuers degrees of demonstration The ground is the plaine and euident testimonie of the old Testament in Genesis where the words are these Henoch was not found or not seene for God tooke him away Against this ground being the very wordes of the olde Testament no man can take exception And heere in a word let vs all marke the high and soueraigne authoritie of Gods word which euen the holy Ghost himselfe vouchsafeth to alledge for the confirmation of his owne words It had beene sufficient that the holy Ghost here affirmed Enoch to be taken away but we see
it was a meanes to saue them another way euen to saue their soules for it taught them many things First it was an assurance of Gods loue vnto their soules for if hee was so carefull to saue their bodies from the floud they thereby assured themselues hee would be as good vnto their soules which they knew to be farre more pretious and excellent Secondly it shewed them how to be saued For as they saw no safety nothing but present death out of the Arke So it taught them that out of Gods Church and out of Gods fauour no saluation could be expected and so it taught them to labour to be in Gods fauour and members of his true Church Thirdly they saw they were saued from the floud by faith and obedience For first Noah beleeued Gods word that the floud should come then he obayed Gods commaundement and made the Arke as hee was commaunded And thus he and his by beleeuing obaying were saued through the Arke and without these the Arke could not haue saued them This taught them more particularly how to be saued namely by beleeuing God and obaying God and else no saluation For when they saw their bodies could not be saued without them It assured them much lesse could their soules be saued without faith and obedience Lastly this deliuerance by the Arke was a pawn vnto them from God assuring them of saluation if they beleeued in the Messias For seeing God so fully performed his promise vnto them for their bodily deliuerance vpon their beleeuing they therby might assure themselues he would performe his promise of saluation vnto them vpon their faith and true obedience Moreouer it strengthned their faith For when euer after any promise of God was made vnto them or any word of God came vnto them they then remembred Gods mercy and faithfulnesse vnto them in their deliuerance by the Arke and therefore beleeued Vnto these and many other spirituall vses did the Arke serue vnto Noah and to his houshold as many of them as were beleeuers But what is this to vs Indeede the Arke serued them for a temporall deliuerance it saued their liues therefore they also had reason to make spirituall vse of it But it saued not vs it serued vs to no vse corporall therefore how can wee make any spirituall vse of it I answere though wee had no corporall vse of the Arke yet there ariseth an excellent spirituall vse out of the consideration of it The Arke of Noah and our baptisme are figures correspondent one to the other that that Noahs Arke was to them Baptisme is to vs. Thus teacheth S. Peter 1.3.20.21 To the Arke of Noah the figure which now saueth vs euen Baptisme agreeth The same that S. Paul here ascribeth to the Arke S. Peter ascribeth to Baptisme The Arke saued them Baptisme saueth vs. Now the resemblaâ—ce betwixt these two figures hath two branches First as it was necessary for them that should be saued in the floud to be in the Arke and out of the Arke no possibility to escape So is it for them that will haue their soules saued to be in Christ and of his Church they must be mysticall members of Christ and visible members of his Church and out of Christ and his Church no possibility of saluation That this is true for Christ S. Peter proueth apparantly Acts 4.12 Among men there is no name giuen vnder heauen whereby to be saued but the name of Iesus Christ neither is there saluation in any other And that this is true for the Church he prooueth Acts 2.47 The Lord added to the Church daily such as should be saued See how such as are to be saued must ioyne themselues to the Church when they see where it is and all this is signified taught in Baptisme For the outward vse of Baptisme makes vs members of the visible Church the inward powerfull vse of Baptisme makes vs members of Christ himselfe The vse and consideration hereof should make vs all more carefull to be true members of Christ of his Church by making not onely a bare profession of religion but by seeking to be incorporate into Christ by faith and true repentance for this must saue vs when nothing els can As they that were out of the Arke no gold nor siluer could buy out their safetie no lands nor liuings no houses nor buildings no hilles nor mountaines nothing in the world nor the whole world it selfe could saue them but being out of the Arke they perished So if a man be out of Christ out of his Church no gold nor siluer no honour nor glory no wit nor policy no estimation nor authoritie no friendâ— nor fauour no wisdome nor learning no hilles of happines nor mountaines of gold can saue his soule but hee must perish in the flood of Gods eternall wrath For as it prooued folly in them that trusted to their high houses or catcht hold on the hils if they were out of the Arke so will it prooue much greater folly to them that shall trust to any meanes of saluation if they be out of Christ. And contrariwise as they that were in the Arke were sure to bee saued doe the waters windes and weathers stormes and tempests all they could so that still the more the waters rose the Arke rose also and was euer higher than they and the higher it was carried by the violence of the waters the safer it was from the danger of hils and rockes and so in the midst of danger they were out of danger and were saued in the midst of the water So he that is once truely in Christ is sure of saluation nothing can hinder it flouds of calamities may assault him and humble him but they hurt not his saluation hee is in the Arke he is in Christ nay the gates of hell shall not ouerthrowe him but through all the waues of the diuels malice through all tempests of temptations the blessed Arke of Christes loue and merits shall carrie him vp and at last conuay him to saluation this is the blessed assurance of all them that are truely baptized into Christ. But as for such as out of their prophanenesse either care not to be in Christ or contemne Baptisme let theÌ„ assure theÌ„selues they be out of the Arke they perish certainly This is the 1. part of the resemblance The second is this Noahs body going into the Arke hee seemed therein a dead man going into a graue or a tombe to be buried for he was buried in the Arke the Arke in the waters he depriued of the fresh airâ— gladsome light yet by Gods appointment it was the means to saue Noah which in all reason seemed to be his graue if Noah will be saued he must goe into this graue So they that will escape hell and damnation by Christ the true Arke of holinesse must be buried and mortified in their flesh and fleshly lusts and there is no way to come
or abrogater of the law but the fulfiller of it as the abrogater of the Ceremonial so the fulfiller of the Morall law If he fulfilled the Law for whom was it not for himself For as the Messiah was not slain for himself Dan. 9.26 so he obayed not the Law for himselfe For whom then for all that beleeue Therefore Christ doing it for them they fulfill the Law in Christ and so Christ by doing and they by beleeuing in him that doth it doe fulfill the Law Now if it be not amisse to say We doe in Christ fulfill the law No more is it to say Wee are made righteous by Christes righteousnesse though it be his and not ours but onely by faith Let vs then see in the second place what the Church of Rome obiect against it They first obiect thus As a man cannot be wise by another mans wisedome nor rich by another mans riches nor strong by another mans strength So can he not be righteous by another mans righteousnesse I answer The comparison is not alike For one man hath no propriety in another mans wisedome strength or riches but we haue a right and proprietie in Christes righteousnesse Againe the wisedome of one man cannot be the wisedom of another because they are two persons fully and equally distinct but it is not so betwixt Christ and a sinner for euery beleeuer is spiritually and yet truly and really conioyned to Christ and they make one mysticall body Christ being the head and euery true beleeuer being a member of that body and therefore that which is his righteousnesse may be also truly ours His because it is in him and ours because we are knit to him For by reason of this mysticall vnion betwixt him and vs all blessings of saluation in him as in the head are diffused into vs as his members or branches yet are as properly still in him as is the braine in the head of a man And thus though in sense and reason this cannot be yet by faith and Gods spirit the righteousnesse of Christ is made ours Secondly they obiect If this be so then God iustifieth wicked men but God will not doe so it is against the nature of his holinesse and Iustice. And againe hee that iustifieth the wicked is abhominable to God Prou. 17.15 therefore God will not doe so himselfe We answere The ground is good but the collection is vntrue God will not iustifie a wicked man that is true but that therefore a man cannot be iustified by Christs righteousnesse is false For God doth not iustifie him that lieth rotting in his former sinnes and weltring in his olde corruption but him that beleeueth in Christ and repenteth of his sinnes And that man in his faith is iustified and in his repentance sanctified and so he is made a new man yea as S. Paul saith He that is in Christ is a new creature 2. Corinth 5.17 For as it is in the first conuersion God turneth nor saueth no man against his will but first makes him willing by his owne work alone and then conuerteth and saueth him with his owne free will working together with Gods grace So is it in the work of Iustification God iustifieth no wicked man but makes him first iust and righteous in and by Christ and then accounts him so But then will some say the sinner hath no righteousnesse but that of Christs and that is in Christ and not in himselfe therefore he hath none in his owne person how then can he be any thing but a wicked man still I answer that is not true that is first affirmed The beleeuing sinner hath more righteousnes then that that is in Christ. That which iustifieth him is in Christes person But the sinner when he is iustified is also sanctified by the mighty work of Gods grace and so he is made a holy man and doth good and holy workes because he is in Christ though his sanctification be imperfect To this end saith S. Peter Acts 15.9 Faith purifieth a mans heart for it is impossible a man should beleeue and so be iustified but hee must also be sanctified in his heart and life Thus a sinner is iustified by Christs righteousnesse inherent in Christ himselfe and sanctified by Christs righteousnes diffused from Christ into the sinner And therfore his Iustificatiō is perfect because that that iustifieth him is still in Christ but his sanctification imperfect because that that sanctifieth vs is in our selues the one imputed to vs the other infused and inherent Againe I answere that if we take it in the sense of Scripture It is true that God iustifieth a wicked man For S. Paul saith Rom. 4. To him that worketh not but beleeueth in him that iustifieth the vngodly his faith is counted to him for righteousnesse See God iustifieth the vngodly but how euen as we heard before not him that is vngodly after but afore he be iustified him that by nature and in himselfe is vngodly God iustifieth by working in him faith and repentance by which of an vngodly man he is made a man iustified and sanctified Their last obiection is If a sinner be righteous by Christs righteousnesse then Christ is a sinner by his sinnes for ther is the same reason of both But Christ is no sinner but the holy of holiest and S. Paul saith He knew no sinne 1. Cor. 5. and himself for himselfe chalengeth his enemies Which of you can reproue me of sinne If then our sins cannot make him a sinner no more can his righteousnesse make vs righteous I answer Here we graunt all if they speake the words of the Scripture in the sense of the Scripture for Christ was a true and reputed sinner in the sight of Gods Iustice as hee that becomes surety for another is a debter in his roome or as he that vndertakes for a man body for body must answer for him his owne body for his so in all reason and iustice Christ though hee had no sinnes of his owne yet being our surety and vndertaking for vs and standing in our steade our sinnes are iustly accounted his And as for these places many more like they are all vnderstood of personall sins from all which and the least contagion thereof he was perfectly free And therefore the same place that saith He knew no sin that is in for his owne person knew not what sinne was saith also that for vs in our stead he was made euen sin it selfe that we might be made the righteousnesse of God in him Thus Christ in himselfe more righteous then all men Angels In our steade is a reputed sinner and by the same reason we most vnrighteous in our selues are clothed with Christs righteousnesse and thereby are reputed righteous And as Christ though no sinner in himselfe by being a sinner in our steade and hauing our sinnes imputed vnto him became subiect to the wrath of God and bare it euen to death it self So we though not
into the body of Scripture euen as the three sentences of the heathen Poets alledged by Saint Paul Acts 17.28 1. Corinthians 15.33 Titus 1.12 haue now a diuine truth in them which they had not before But yet will some say the Apostles had these things from the olde Testament by tradition seeing they were not written I answer We may safely graunt it and yet our cause loseth nothing though it may be they had them by inspiration and not by tradition that being as likely or much more then the other Thirdly but for this particular I answere that the Apostle had the words or at least the matter out of the Storie in Genesis For thus goe the words Gâ—d said to Abraham Goe out of thy Country c. into the land that I will shew thee Hee named none to him but told him he would shew him one So then Abraham went out at Gods appointment and God knew but he knew not whither he went he knew well the land he left but he knew not the land he should haue But it may be againe obiected that this is not true for it appeares Gen. 12.5 that Abraham with Sarah his wife and all their substance departed to goe into the land of Canaan and to the land of Canaan they came therefore he knew whither he went namely to that land I answer It is true he went out with purpose and assurance to inherite a land promised him by God but not named to him And whereas it is there said He went out to goe into the land of Canaan that is spoken in respect of the performance when he was come thither not of the first promise made him at his departure or of the time when Moses wrote it not of the time when God spake it to Abraham And that he knew not what land God did mean vntill he cam thither is plain in the seauenth verse where it is said That when Abraham had passed through all the Country and wai come into Canaan then God appeared to him and said this land will I giue vnto thy seede But till then God neuer named it vnto him and therfore we read afore that he beleeued and obayed vpon the generall promise but now when God did particularly specifie and shew what land hee then shewed his thankfulnesse to God and did there build an Altar vnto the God that had appeared vnto him Thus it is cleare that Abraham went out not knowing whither he went Which being so it appeares that Abraham did that which the world would call plaine foolishnesse To leaue knowen friends for vnknowen certaine liuing for vncertaine is a simple course in mans reason at least the world will say he might first haue demaunded of God what land that was which he should haue before he left that which he had but Abraham makes no such questions moues no such doubts but belieueth and obayeth and goeth out of his certaine dwelling at Gods calling though he knew not where to lodge at night This practice of faithfull Abraham hath profitable vse First here we learne that though Gods Commaundements seeme foolish and vnreasonable yet wee must obay them Christ saith If a man will euer come in the Kingdome of heauen he must be borne againe Iohn 3.3 S. Paul saith If any man among you seeme to be wise let him be a foole that he may be wise 1. Corinth 3.18 Christ saith If any man will be my Disciple he must denie himselfe and follow me Luk 9.23 But how can these coÌ„maundements be beleeued or done how can reason beleeue them how can nature doe them So disputed the woman of Samaria with Christ Iohn 4.11 When Christ tolde her he would giue her of the water of life she replied Sir thou hast nothing to drawe with and the Well is deepe whence then hast thou that water of life Thus we obiect and reason against God with carnall obiections and waigh Gods Commaundements in the balance of reason thus God and his commaundements are much abused by vs. And this is the cause wee heare and reade Gods word and profit not by it because we ponder it in our reason and allowe nor follow it no further then it agreeth with our naturall affections As a man that will needs stand vnder a Pent-house hath no water falling on him though it should raine neuer so precious water from heauen So when the water of life out of the word of GOD should drop vpon our soules to comfort our consciences and to wash away our sinnes we haue our deuices out of wit and distinctions out of reason as pent-houses to keepe it from vs that it slides away and neuer hath any worke in vs. But contrariwise we must remember Abraham the Father of our faith and when we heare Gods word we must with him captiuate our reason and subdue our affections to it measure them by Gods word and not it by them and what we cannot yeeld to in the obedience of reason we must obay with the obedience of faith and so shall Gods word haue a gracious and powerfull worke in vs. Secondly here we must learne that though we see no profit come by obaying Gods Commaundements yet wee must obay them For what profit could Abraham see in leauing a certaine liuing for an vncertaintie yet he obayed and went vpon the bare word of God building vpon it that God being his guide he could not goe astray So must wee followe God sincerely and doe his Commaundements though no profit seeme can come thereby But some will say Shall godly men be led like blindefolde fooles shall they refuse all meanes of helpe by wit and policie this is the way to make them ridiculous and asses for the wicked world to ride vpon I answere let godly men vse all their wit and looke with all their eyes in their actions with men of this world But in the obedience of Gods commaundements let them doe as Abraham did Follow Gods calling though it seeme to be to no end In obedience to God we must doe as blindemen doe who followe their guides though it be through woods rocks hills or dales or dangerous places regarding nothing fearing nothing only following trusting their guides who haue eyes for them though they haue none for themselues So must we follow Gods calling and yeeld absolute obedience to his Commaundements fearing nothing but trusting to the faithfulnesse of his power and assuredly beleeuing that he being our blessed guide we shall not be mis-led thus to doe is true faith But alas how contrary is the practice of the world Men deale with God as we doe with loose Chapmen whom wee will not trust without a good pawne So we will not obay Gods Commaundements longer then his religion serues our turne nor will we trust and follow God without the pawnes of profit and pleasure Nay wee doe worse most men esteeme of God no better nor vse him any better then they doe theeues in their houses If a man come
friends or childrens bodies cast into the earth to feede wormes burnt by fire or eaten by fishes reason saith they are gone they can neuer be againe We haue Gods word and assured promise The dead shall rise with their bodies shall they rise Esay Wee must therefore beleeue it if we will be of the faith of Sarah God said to her Age and barronnesse shall haue a childe she beleeued it He saith to vs Dust and rottennesse shall liue againe nay hee hath often said it and shall not our faith acknowledge the voice of our God and beleeue it as she did But let vs come to personall promises as hers was for this is generall God hath promised grace and pardon to euery penitent and beleeuing soule yet no man is partaker of the sweetnesse hereof without the bitternesse of many temptations to the contrary giuing him occasions of doubting and often euen of despairing of Gods fauour What must a man doe in this case euen beleeue though he feele no reason why to beleeue and hope aboue hope Such was Abrahams and Sarahs faith And for it as they were registred in the Storie of Genesis so both here and in the Romanes Chap. 4. remembred againe and commended for it Now suppose that thou after thy comming to God by faith repentance fall into temptations of desertion wherein to thy feeling Gods heauy hand wrath hath seized on thee the diuell layeth thy sins to thy charge tels thee thou art a damned wretch for thou wert euer an hypocrite and neuer hadst faith that therfore God is thy enemy In this case wherein in reason or in feeling there is not the least hope of saluation what must thou doe despaire God forbid For that is the downfall into hell No but hope when there is no hope keepe faith when there is no feeling And to strengthen vs herein remember the faith of Iob tried and sifted so as fewe haue beene who though the arrowes of the almighty stucke in him and the venome thereof drunke vp his spirits Iob 6.4 Yet euen then he beleeued and would not giue ouer nor let goe his hold and said Though thou bring me to dust yet will I not forsake thee no though thou kill me yet will I trust in thee So in the furie of temptations when the venome of Gods wrath seemes to drinke vp our spirits then must we beleeue and in the pangs of death when God seemes ready to kill vs then must wee trust in him In such cases is the life of faith to be shewed when reason and feeling say God is a terrible Iudge faith must say he is a mercifull Father In our health and welfare and feeling of Gods fauour this exhortation may seeme tedious but if wee belong to GOD if it be not past already the time is sure to come when this doctrine will bee needefull for the best of vs all Thus we see the excellencie of this womans faith which is the more commended by reason of these two so great hinderances Now follow the effects of her faith which are diuerse some laide downe in this verse and some in the next Receiued strength to conceiue seede And was deliuered of a childe In these words are two effects First by power of her faith shee was inabled to conceiue which afore she did not though there were the same reasons in nature why she should Secondly shee was deliuered of a childe in her olde age and that childe was Isaac who is therefore called the promised seede and the childe of the promise Out of the consideration of these two we may learne diuerse good instructions for seeing they are so neere a-kin in their natures wee will speake of them both ioyntly together First here we may see that nothing is so hard or difficult which God hath promised but faith can compasse it and bring it to performance Christ bâ—d the blinde see the lame to goe he spake they beleeued and they were healed So here God promiseth a barren olde woman a childe shee beleeueth and loe she conceiueth and brings forth a Sonne The vse of this doctrine is for two sorts of people First many in our Church being ignorant when they are moued to learne religion answere Alas they are simple or not booke-learned or they are dull and heauy witted or they be olde and weake and therefore they can learne nothing or if they doe they cannot remember it But heere is nothing but vaine excuses For they want not wit to learne religion if they haue wit to buy and sell to knowe a faire day from a foule good meate from ill deere from cheape Winter from Sommer If they haue wit to practice the ciuill actions of the world they haue wit enough to conceiue the grounds of religion and to get so much knowledge as may suffice for a ground of that faith which will saue their soules So that they want nothing but grace and diligence to vse the meanes To them therfore here is matter of good aduice Let such a man learne but one promise of God out of the holy Scripture as this Seeke first the Kingdome of God and all things else shall be giuen vnto you Math. 6.33 or this Cast all your care on him for he careth for you 1. Pet. 5.7 or this He that coÌ„meth vnto me I cast him not away Iohn 6.37 or but this Aske and ye shall haue seeke and ye shall finde Math. 7. Let him learne but one of these when they haue learned it beleeue it and let their soules daily feede on that faith And they shall see what will followe euen a wonderfull blessing vpon that poore beginning This their faith will so content and please their hearts that it will vrge them forward to get more and will make them both desirous capable of more knowledge and grace and will make them euen hunger and thirst after knowledge and grace whereas he that knoweth no promise nor beleeues it contents himselfe in ignorance and errour And this shall euery one finde that will carefully vse the meanes that God appoints and will begin to learne but one lesson at the first For as olde barren Sarah beleeuing Gods promise conceiues and brings forth So olde simple plaine dull Country-men beleeuing but one promise of Gods word shall conceiue and bring forth daily more and more blessed fruites of knowledge and grace Secondly others who haue made better proceedings in religion doe see their sinnes and doe much bewaile them but they cannot ouercome their corruptions yea many there are to whom their sinnes and inward corruptions are more greeuous and burdensome then all bodily wants or miseries in the world yet see they not how to conquer their corruptions but alas are oftentimes foiled by them to their great discomfort Let these men know the want of faith is the cause hereof for that they doe not sufficiently ruminate and consider the promises of God made in that behalfe nor vse the meanes
words and promises God spake plainly and deceaued not Abraham and after at the time performed it So must we deale plainely and simply in our words and bargaines and thinke that to deceiue and ouer-reach by craftie words and double meanings and equiuocall phrases are not beseeming Christianity And we must make conscience of a lie else we are like the diuell and not God Also a Christian man must take heede what how and to whom he promiseth but hauing promised he must performe though it be losse or harme to himselfe if it be not wrong to God or to the Church or State Wrong to himselfe must not hinder him from performance Christian mens words must not be vaine they should be as good as bonds though I know it is lawfull and very conuenient in regard of mortality to take such kind of assurances Lastly Abraham had the promise his seed should bee so Gen. 15.8 And here we see it is so but he himself saw it not so that Abraham had the promise and we the performance So Adam had the promise of the Messias but wee see it performed The Patriarkes and Prophets the promise of the calling of the Gentiles but we see it performed See heere the glory of the Church vnder the New Testament aboue the olde This must teach vs to be so much better then they as God is better to vs then hee was to them and to excell them in faith and all other vertues of holinesse or else their faith and their holy obedience shall turne to our greater condemnation which haue had so farre greater cause to beleeue and obey God and so farre better means than they Which if it be so then alas what will become of them who come behinde them nay haue no care to followe them in their faith nor holinesse nor any duties of holy obedience Thus much for the Example of this holy womans faith and of the commendation thereof Now before he come to any more particular examples of faith the holy Ghost giues a generall commendation of the faith of all those ioyntly which are spoken of already VERSE 13. All these died in faith and receiued not the promises but saw them afarre off and beleeued them and receiued them thankefully and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrimes on the earth HItherto the Holy Ghost hath particularly commended the faith of diuers holy beleeuers Now from this verse to the 17. hee doth generally commend the faith of Abraham Sarah Isaac and Iaacob together yet not so much their faith as the durance and constancy of their faith Particularly the points are two 1. Is laid downe their constancy and continuance All these died in faith 2. That constancy is set fourth by foure effects 1. They receiued not the promises but saw them afarre off 2. They beleeued them 3. Receiued them thankefully 4. Professed themselues strangers and pilgrimes on the earth The first point touching these beleeuers is that as they begun so they held on as they liued so they died in faith All these died in faith The trueth of the matter in the words may be referred to all afore going sauing Enoch who died not yet he continued also constant in his faith and in that faith was taken vp but as for Abel and Noah they died in faith Yet I take it that principally and directly the holy Ghost intended no more than these foure I named and my reason is because the particular effects in this verse and the points whereby this their constaÌ„cy is amplified in the three verses followwing adoe all agree especially with these foure and not so properly with Abel or Noah so that I take he meaneth by all these all these men that liued in the second world since the flood All these died in faith that is in assurance that the promises made vnto them should bee performed in Gods good time These promises were principally these two 1. Saluation by the Messias 2. The possession of the Land of Canaan In this faith they died that is they held it through all asâ—aults and temptations to the contrary euen to the last gaspe and died therein In this their practice is commended vnto vs a most worthy lesson of Christianitie namely that wee must so liue that we may die in faith Many say they liue in faith and it is well if they doe so but the maine point is to die in faith There is none so ill but howsoeuer he liues yet hee would die well If hee would die well hee must die in faith For miserable is the death that is without faith And herein faith and hope differ from other graces of God Loue ioy zeale holinesse and all other graces are imperfect here and are perfected in heauen but faith and hope are perfected at our deaths they are not in the other world for there is nothing then to be beleeued nor hoped for seeing we then doe inioy all things but as they are begunne in our life at our regeneration so they be made perfect when wee die and they shine most gloriously in the last and greatest combate of all which is at the houre of death So that the death of a Christian which is the gate to glory is to die in faith Besides as life leaues vs death finds vs and as death leaues vs the last iudgement finds vs and as it leaues vs so wee continue for euer and euer without recouerie or alteration Now to die in faith is to die in an assured estate of glory and happinesse which is that that euery man desireth therfore as we all desire it so let vs die in faith and we shal attaine vnto it Saint Paul tels vs 1. Corinth 15.55 Death is a terrible serpent for he hath a poisoned sting Now when we die we are to encounter with this hideous and fearefull serpent He is fearefull euery way but especially for his sting that sting is our sinne and this sting is not taken away nor the force of it quenched but by true faith which quencheth all the fierie darts of the diuell Ephes. 6. If therefore wee would bee able to encounter with this great enemie in the conquering of whom who stands our happinesse and by whom to be conquered is our eternall miserie wee must then so arme our selues with faith that wee may die in faith for hee that dieth in faith that faith of his kils his sinnes and conquers death but he that dieth without faith death and sin seize on him and his sinnes liue for euer and his miserie by them Now if we would die in faith we must liue in faith else it is not to be expected For so these holy Patriarchs liued long in this faith wherein they died For their holy liues shewed plainely that they liued in that faith which the Apostle saith doth purifie our hearts Act. 15.9 Now if wee would liue in true faith the meanes to attaine it set downe by Gods word are these First wee must labour to get knowledge of
the fundamentall points of religion of God of the Creation the Fall the immortalitie of the Soule the two Couenants of workes by the Lawe of Grace by the Mediator and such other substantiall points touching God his Word Sacraments Law Gospel Praier good Workes c. as the Scriptures and the Creeds and Catechismes out of the scripture doe yeeld vnto vs. Herein the case of the common people of all nations is miserable In Poperie their Clergie is so fat and full they will not In our Churches the Ministerie a great part of it so poore and ill prouided for they cannot teach Betwixt both the people of the world do perish for lacke of knowledge for how can they but perish that die not in faith How can they die so that liue not in faith And how can they euer haue faith that haue no knowledge seeing knowledge is the foundation of faith Therefore it needes the helpe of those that may and the praiers of all that our Church may haue Teachers and our people Catechisers for without learning the Catechisme it is impossible to learne religion Secondly when wee haue got knowledge and so laid the foundation then must we learne the promises of God for saluation and we must hide them in our hearts as the Iewels of life and saluation We must beleeue them to be true and effectuall to all that will take hold of them and wee our selues must therefore take hold of them and apply them to our soules Thirdly after both these wee must conforme our selues throughout heart and life vnto the holy lawes of God we must leaue all bad waies and vngodly courses though they be neuer so deare vnto vs or so commoÌ„ in the world and must make conscience of all sinne and endeauour to doe all duties to God and man The first of these is the ground of faith the second is faith it selfe the last the fruit and effect of it and an assured testimony of it to God to his Church and to a mans owne conscience And to doe these three things is to walke in the olde and holy way consecrated by Christs blood and troden in by all the holy Fathers and Popery nor any other religion can appoint so â—aâ—e so sure nor so direct a way Thus liued Abraham Sarah Isaac and Iaacob and after this course they died in faith and now liue in glory and so shall we with them if wee will liue in faith as they did but else we may long looke for heauen before wee come there Indeed God can make a man that liued not in faith die in faith but the matter is not what he can doe but what is his ordinary course that is this They that liue in faith die in faith Therfore let vs take the ordinary course and repent and turne betimes and liue the life of faith and leaue late repentance to them that thinke it but a sport to venture a soule that course may speed but this course is sure to speed he that liues in sin may happe to die in faith but he that liues in faith is sure to die in faith and to liue in glory for euer Secondly obserue how it is said All these died in faith not some but all Abraham the father and the roote and with him the wife the child and the grand-child behold a true noble blood a holy kinred a blessed generation worthy is Abraham of all the honour hee hath who was the roote of such a noble and blessed brood And worthy are Isaac and Iaacob of so good a father who stained not their blood by forsaking their faith but held it as they receiued it and liued and died in it Let this teach vs first if we bee fathers to shine before our children in a holy religion true faith and good life and it is great hope that our wiues and children will follow vs in the same Secondly if wee be sonnes to looke which of our fore-fathers and auncestors imbraced the most holy religion and to choose and liue and die in their faith Most of our yong Papists can say no more for their religion but this my father and grand-father were of that religion But they must looke to all their fore-fathers Isaac and Iaacob would not be of their great grand-fathers Nahors or Terahs religion but of their father Abrahams and Abraham himselfe would not be of his father Terahs or his grand father Nahors religion but he went vp a great deale higher to his fore-fathers to the tenth generation Noah and Shem and imbraced their religion So that we see it is nothing to say I am of my fathers or grand-fathers religion vnlesse first I prooue that theirs was of God and then hee is a Noble Christian man which knowing that will not forsake it but will liue and die in it Thirdly see here true honour and gentry is to liue and die in the true faith and holy religion of our auncestors here is the fountaine of honour to doe as these did Abraham perceiues he is wrong and erred with his fathers hee therefore leaues his fathers and grand-fathers religion goeth vp higher and takes a better Isaac his sonne makes himselfe heire not of his land alone but of his fathers religion also Iaacob the grand-childe follows both and dieth in faith with them Behold here Iaacob a true gentleman in blood his holinesse and religion is in the third descent Let vs all learne to adorne our gentilitie and nobilitie with these ensignes of true honour And let all them that shame to staine their blood by treasons or misdemeanors shame also to let their forefathers religion holinesse or vertues faile in them but let them all so liue in them that with Iaacob they may die in their fathers faith Lastly obserue how it is said they died in faith they afore liued in it but now their principall commendation is they died in it Let vs learne here to hold on in a good course when we haue entred into it for constancy and continuance is the true commendatioÌ„ he that dieth in faith is he that receiues the crowne To this ende let vs stirre vp our selues with the Apostles exhortation Galath 6.9 Let vs not be weary of well doing for in due time we shall reape if wee faint not And further let this teach vs all to choose that faith to liue in with these holy Patriarchs that wee may boldly die in It is a true obseruation that Poperie is a good religion to liue in but ours to die in The Papists vsurpe this saying and turne it the contrary way but they haue as much right to it as the thiefe to the true mans purse The liberty the pardons dispensations sanctuaries the pompe and outward glory of their Church and their fasting outward austerities beeing fowle and fained hypocrisies and indeede open licentiousnesse these and many things more may allure any naturall man in the world to liue in their religion but when they come to die then
offred him for though the common opinion be that he was but 13. yeares olde yet the more receiued opinion of the best Writers is that Isaac was 25. or 27. yeares olde How then could Abraham being an olde man of more then 120. yeares be able to binde Isaac being a young and lusty man and lay him on the altar to kill him For though Abraham had a commaundement to kill Isaac yet wee finde not that God commaunded Isaac to suffer himselfe to be killed now Nature moues euery one to seeke to saue his owne life and to resist such as would kill vs. How then was Isaac brought to yeeld thus farre to his Father For answere heereunto wee are to knowe that Abraham was no ordinarie man but a Prophet and that an excellent and extraordinary Prophet So God himselfe testifieth of him to Abimelech Hee is a Prophet and he shall pray for thee yea he was esteemed and reuerenced as a Prophet an honourable man euen of the heathen The Hittites tell him Thou art a Prince of God amongst vs. Genesis 23.6 Now being a man of so high place and so great regard euen in the world doubtlesse hee was of much more authoritie in his owne house It is therefore very likely that hee tells Isaac his sonne that hee had a speciall commaundement from GOD to kill him in sacrifice Now Isaac being an holy man and well brought vp hearing this is contented to be sacrificed and obayes his Father herein This I speake not as certaine but as most probable and it is the iudgment of best learned who haue had good experience in the Scripture This circumstance well obserued serues greatly for the commendation of them both of Abraham the Father that had so religiouslie brought vp his onelie Sonne that was most deere vnto him that hee would not resist the will of GOD reuealed vnto him though it cost him his life Oh that Parents would followe Abraham in so doing to their children then would it goe well with the Church of GOD. Againe Isaacs behauiour is heere admirable that hee would not resist his weake and aged Father but suffereth him to binde him and to lay him on the Altar yeelding himselfe vnto death when his Father tolde him My sonne GOD will haue it so This example must bee a patterne of obedience not onely for children towards their parents but for vs all towards Gods ministers when they shall tell vs what God would haue vs doe we must submit our selues and yielde though it turne to our bodily paine and griefe for Isaac yeelds though it were to the losse of his life But alas who will follow Isaac For let the minister speake against our carnall pleasure and vnlawfull gaine let him crosse our humour and affections then wee refuse to heare and will not obey Nay if the minister of God as the Lords priest come with the sacrificing knife of Gods word to the throat of our sin to kill the same in vs that so we may bee pure and acceptable sacrifices vnto God doe we not resist him and say in our hearts Wee will none of this doctrine Or if he like a Prophet of God come and offer to binde our consciences with the cordes of obedience and to lay our affections on the altar of the Law then we resist and are either too yong or too olde too rich or too learned or too great to be taught and bound to obedience But let vs know that if wee will bee true Isaacs euen the sonnes of faith and obedience and the true heires of Abrahams faith as wee would beare the world in hand then as he did submit himselfe to be bound of his father so must wee yield our selues to the ministers of God to bee bound by his word and suffer the same word to be in vs the two edged sword of the spirit to cut downe sinne and corruption in vs and to make vs newe creatures that so both in body and soule wee may become pure and acceptable sacrifices vnto our God Thus much of the facte it selfe wherein Abrahams faith is set forth Now follow the Arguments or reasons whereby the same worke of faith is commended vnto vs. The first Argument is taken from the great impediments which might hinder his faith and they are in number three First that he was brought to this worke not by ordinary command but by an extraordinary course in temptation Beeing tempted Secondly that he was to offer his own childe yea his onely begotten sonne Thirdly that he who had receiued the promises must offer him and kill him in whom the promise was made For the first impediment In the ordinarie translation it is read thus When he was tried But that is not so fit beeing rather an exposition of the meaning than a translation of the word For the very word signifieth to be tempted and the meaning is when he was tried I would therefore rather read it thus when he was tempted or beeing tempted as the word signifies In the handling hereof first wee will intreat of the nature of this temptation and then come to the circumstances belonging to the same Temptation as it is here vsed may be thus described It is an action of God whereby he prooueth and makes experience of the loyaltie and obedience of his seruants First I say it is an action of God This is plaine by the testimony of Moses in Genesis Gen. 22.1 where if we read the history we shall finde that God did prooue Abraham Obiect But against this it may be obiected that Saint Iames saith Iames 1.13 God tempteth no man and therefore no temptation is the action of God Answ. That place in Iames is thus to bee vnderstood God tempteth no man that is God doth not stirre vp or mooue any mans heart to sinne Yet further it will be said That temptation is an action of Satan for so in the Gospel wee may read Mat. 4.3 that hee is called the tempter Answ. Some temptations are the actions of God and some the actions of Satan God tempteth and Satan tempteth but there is great difference in their temptations first in the manner for Satan tempteth a man to sinne against the will of God and to doe some euill God tempteth a man to doe something which shall be onely against his owne affections or his reason Secondly God tempteth for the good of his seruants but Satan tempteth for the destruction both of their bodies and soules Againe I say Whereby he makes triall c. Here some will say God knowes euery mans heart and what is in them and what they will doe long before and therefore hee needeth not to make triall of any man Answ. God makes triall of his seruants not because hee is ignorant of that which is in their heart for hee vnderstandeth their thoughts long before but because he will haue their obedience made knowen partly to themselues and partly to the world so that hee makes triall of his seruants
sonne into the world that whosoeuer beleeued in him should not perish but haue euerlasting life Now when we are in the extremitie of all temptations we must still hold fast this promise and venture our soules vpon the truth of it This was Abrahams practice for in this temptation Gods meaning was to trie Abraham and to see what he would doe Now Abraham hee holdes fast the promise and yet obeyes God though all the reason in the earth cannot tell how that promise and that commandement could stand together But this was Abrahams faith though I know not nor reason knoweth not yet God knoweth and therefore seeing I haue his commandement I wil obey it and seeing I haue his word and promise I will beleeue that also and neuer forsake it And euen thus must we striue to doe in al temptations whatsoeuer yea euen in those that come from Satan which are full of malice and all violence In our heart and conscience wee must still hold and beleeue the promise of God and this is euer the surest and safest way to get the victory ouer Satā To hold that Gods promise shal be performed though wee knowe not how but rather see the contrary And though in humane reasoning it bee a note of ignorance and want of skill to sticke alwaies to the conclusion and question yet in spirituall temptations and trialls this is sound diuinitie Alwaies to hold Gods promise and to sticke fast to that conclusion and not to follow Satan in his Arguments neither suffer him by any meanes to driue vs from it Further in that this fact of offering vp Isaac was onely Abrahams triall we may obserue that it did not make him iust before God but onely serued to proue his faith and to declare him to be Iust. And therefore whereas Saint Iames saith Iam. 2.21 That Abraham was iustified through workes when he offered his sonne Isaac vpon the altar His meaning is that Abraham did manifest himselfe to bee iust before God by offering vp his sonne and not that by this fact Abraham of a sinner was made iust or of a righteous man was made more iust For indeede good workes doe not make a man iust but onely doe prooue and declare him to bee iust Thirdly God gaue Abraham this commandement Abraham kill thy sonne but yet he concealed from him what was his purpose and intent herein for God meant not that Abraham should kill his sonne indeede but onely to trie what he would doe whether he would still beleeue and obey him or not Where we see that God who is trueth it selfe reueales to Abraham his will but not his whole will whence ariseth this question Whether it be lawfull for a man according to this example of God when he tels a thing to another to conceale his meaning in whole or in part For answer hereunto we must knowe there are two extremities both which must be auoided in this case 1 That a man must alwaies expresse all that is in his minde 2 That in some cases a man may speake one thing and thinke another speaking contrary to his meaning But this later is no way lawfull and the other is not alwaies necessarie Wee therefore must hold a meane betweene both to wit that in some cases a man may conceale his whole meaning saying nothing though they bee examined namely when the concealing thereof doeth directly stand with the glory of GOD and the good of his brother Thus godly Martyrs haue done for beeing examined before tyrants where and with whom they worshipped GOD they haue chosen rather to die than to disclose their brethren and this concealing of their mindes was lawful because it touched immediately the glory of God and the good of his Church Secondly a man may conceale part of his minde but that must bee also with these two caueats First that it serue for Gods glory Secondly that it bee for the good of GODs Church Thus did Ionas conceale the condition of mercy from the Niniuites when he preached destruction vnto them saying Within fortie daies and Niniuie shall be destroyed though it is euident by the euent that it was Gods will they should bee spared if they did repent But that Condition God would haue concealed because it would not haue beene for the good of the Niniuites to haue knowen it sith the cōcealing of it caused them more speedily and earnestly to repent But out of these cases a man being called to speake must declare the whole trueth or else hee sinnes greatly against Gods commandement forsaking the property of the godly Psal. 15.2 And thus much of the first impediment of Abrahams faith The second impediment to Abrahams faith is contained in these words Offered his onely begotten sonne We knowe that the loue of Parents descends to euery childe naturally but especially to the onely begotten vpon whom beeing but one all that is bestowed which when there are many is diuided among them And therefore in all reason this might greatly hinder Abrahams obedience That God should command him to offer his sonne yea his only begotten sonne But yet by faith hee ouercommeth this temptation breakes through this impediment and offers vp his onely sonne Where wee note that true faith will make a man ouercome his owne nature Loue is the strongest affection in the heart especially from the father to the childe euen his onely childe And a man would thinke it impossible to ouercome this loue in the parent vnlesse it were by death there beeing no cause to the contrary in the childe But yet beholde Abraham by faith subdued this speciall loue which he bare to his onely childe God himselfe testified of Abraham that his loue to Isaac was great Gen. 22.2 and yet by faith hee ouercommeth this his loue This point is carefully to be marked as declaring the great power of true sauing faith for if faith can ouercome created and sanctified nature then vndoubtedly the power thereof will inable man to ouercome the corruptions of his nature and the temptations of the world for it is an harder thing to ouercome our nature which wee haue by creation than to subdue the corruption thereof which comes in by transgression And hence such excellent things are spoken of faith it is called the victorie that ouercommeth the world 1. Iohn 5.4 And God is saide by faith to purifie the heart faith strengtheneth the heart Acts 15.9 And through faith we are kept by the power of God vnto saluation 1. Pet. 1.5 Is this the power of faith to ouercome nature and the corruptions thereof then howsoeuer religion be receiued and faith professed generally among vs yet vndoubtedly there is little true faith in the world for euen among the professours thereof how many be there that subdue the sinnes of their liues and suppresse the workes of their wicked nature surely very few Now where corruption beareth sway and sin raigneth there sound faith cannot be for if faith were sound in men it would purifie
their hearts and cleanse the corruptions thereof and bring forth obedience in life Secondly this power of true faith in mans heart must teach vs not to content our selues with a generall faith and knowledge in religion but to goe further and to get a sound faith that may purifie the heart at least in some true measure for sauing faith will cleanse a man in euery part of soule and body strengthen his soule in temptation Quest. Here it may be asked how it can be truly saide that Isaac was Abrahams onely begotten sonne seeing Ismaell was also his sonne and was borne before Isaac as is euident Gen. 16 I answere two wayes first that Ismaell by Gods appointment was put out of Abrahams house for it was the expresse commaundement of God to put forth the bond-woman and her sonne Gen. 21.10 and so was made no childe of Abraham Secondly Ismaell was his childe indeede yet not by Sarah but by Agar a bond woman and so was as I may say base borne whereupon he is reputed for no sonne but Isaac is the onely begotten lawfully which may be an Item to beware of the bed defiled seeing such off-spring is so debased with the Lord. Now followeth the third impediment of Abrahams faith which is also a notable circumstance whereby the same faith is commended and it is taken from the person of Abraham in these wordes who had receiued the promises The meaning of the words WHO This must be referred to the person of Abraham of whom the holy Ghost here speaketh Receiued the promises That is by faith for when God made his promises vnto Abraham he did not onely heare them but which is the principall point of all hee beleeued them and applied the same effectually vnto his owne soule so much doth the word receiued import Now it is saide that hee receiued not one promise but the Promises plurally for these causes first because God hauing made one maine promise vnto him touching Christ did repeate and renue the same diuers times Secondly because GOD had made diuers particular promises vnto him as first that he would be his God and the God of his seed Gen. 17.7 Secondly that he would giue him a childe in his olde age Gen. 17.16 Thirdly that vnto him and his seed he would giue the Land of Canaan for euer Gen. 13.15 Fourthly that in Isaac he would blesse all the Nations of the earth Genesis 21.12 And because the receiuing of Gods promises in generall could seeme no great impediment to Abrahams worke of faith therefore the holy Ghost annexeth his receiuing of a particular promise in Isaac in the 18. verse To whom it was said in Isaac shall thy seede be called Which might seeme impossible to stand with the doing of this worke in sacrificing his sonne and therefore the consideration of it in Abraham must needes bee a great impediment to him in this worke for he goes about to kill Isaac in obedience to Gods commaund in whose life he beleeued to receiue the blessings promised of God Here then obserue a most wonderfull impediment to Abrahams faith which aboue all might haue hindred him from obeying God for how could hee choose but reason thus with himselfe God hath made vnto me many gracious promises and that which is more he hath saide That in my sonne Isaac the same must he accomplished and in him all the nations of the earth must be blessed Now then if I shall kill and sacrifice my sonne how shall these promises bee accomplished And reason in this case would say I see no way but that the promise is gone and all hope lost But what doth Abraham in this case for all this hee doth sacrifice his sonne and that by faith still beleeuing and holding assuredly that though Isaac were sacrificed and slain yet in him should all the nations of the earth be blessed Here then we note this speciall point wherein the faith of Abraham doth notably appeare That when Abrahams case in respect of enioying the promise of GOD might seeme desperate and void of all hope and comfort then he beleeueth for when Isaac was dead in all reason he could haue no hope of the accomplishing of Gods promises vnto him because they were made to him in Isaac Isaac was the man in whom all the nations of the earth should be blessed and yet when all hope is past in mans reason then good Abraham set his heart to beleeue This practice of Abraham must be a patterne for vs to obserue and followe all our liues long in the matter of our saluation if it fall out that wee shall doubt of our saluation and feele many thinges in vs that would carie vs to despaire when wee are in this case and feele no comfort then let vs call to minde Abrahams practice who beleeues Gods promise when the foundation thereof is taken away euen so let vs doe at the same instant when the promise of GOD seemes to be frustrate and wee haue no hope of the accomplishment thereof then wee must cast our soules vpon it For we must not onely beleeue when wee feele comfort in our consciences concerning GODS mercies but euen then when God seemes to stande against vs and when wee feele in our soules the very gall of hell then I say wee must beleeue In Paules daungerous voyage towards Rome when hee was in the shippe with the Mariners and Centurion there arose a great tempest and neither sunne nor starres appeared for many dayes so that as the Text saith All hope that they should bee saued was taken away Actes 27.20 Now what saith Paul in this extremitie of danger Now I exhort you to bee of good courage for there shall bee no losse of any mans life saue of the Shippe onely Verse 22. and so perswaded them to take bread Euen so when our case falles out to be this that either by reason of sinne and of the temptation of Satan or else by reason of some outward calamities and troubles wee feele our soule as it were ouerwhelmed with sorrow and euen entring into destruction and can neither see as it were light of sunne or starre then wee must set before vs Gods promises and labour to beleeue the same So Dauid beeing in great affliction and grieuous temptation saith thus of himselfe Psal. 77.2 7 8 9 10 In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord my sore ranne and ceased not in the night my soule refused comfort Yet at the very same instant hee prayed When his spirit was full of anguish and though hee seemed as it were to despaire when hee said Will the Lord absent himselfe for euer and will he shew no more fauour Is his mercy cleane gone Doth his promise faile for euermore And hath God forgotten to be mercifull c. Yet he checkes himselfe and saith This is my death and my weakenesse Euen so euery true member of Gods Church in the extremitie of all temptations and in the time of desperation is bound
that God so loued the world that he gaue his onely begotten Sonne that whosoeuer beleeued in him should not perish but haue euerlasting life This is Gods promise and it shall neuer be changed Now therefore howsoeuer my case be heauie and desolate yet God is able to comfort me and to bring my soule out of hell and from this case of desperation therefore though he kill me I will trust in him and I will vse all holy meanes whereby I may ouercome this hard and grieuous temptation So if it shall please God to call vs to suffer any thing for the name of Christ and his holy profession flesh and bloud we know is weake and Nature will make this obiection that life is sweete what course therefore shall we take we must doe as Abraham here doth vnto the certainty of Gods promise we must adioine his power and reason thus God hath made this promise that he will be with them that suffer any thing for his owne names sake and I knowe that hee is able to deliuer me and though he will not yet he can make me able to beare it therefore I will patiently suffer and abide whatsoeuer his holy hand shall lay vpon me Thirdly is a man so troubled with some sinne that he cannot get out nor ouercome it Then also let him set before him this fact of Abraham and vnfainedly endeuour to doe heereafter For that which is past let him labour to beleeue this promise of God At what time soeuer a sinner doth repent him of his sinne hee will put all his wickednesse out of his remembrance And for the time to come being first resolued that God can inable him to leaue his sinnes let him striue by good meanes to leaue his sinne auoiding the occasions of it and praying against it and this will be as a cable-rope to drawe him out of the pit of sinne This course wee must take and this doe in euery hard case that shall befall vs. And thus much of the meanes whereby Abraham induced himselfe to obey God The third and last reason whereby Abrahams faith is commended vnto vs is the issue and euent thereof in these words From whence he receiued him also after a sort From whence that is from death After a sort or as it may be read in some shewe This is said because Isaac in the thought and purpose of Abraham was but a dead man for Abraham was fully resolued with himselfe vpon Gods commaund to haue sacrificed him yea hee had gone so farre as to put the sacrificing knife vnto his sonnes throate and had slaine him indeede had not the Angell of God staid his hand and therefore when the Angell said Lay not thy hand vpon the childe neither doe any thing to him euen then did Abraham in some shew receiue Isaac from death Here we learne diuers points 1 That whosoeuer shall rest on Gods prouidence and good pleasure euen in cases of extremitie when he shall be out of all hope with himselfe shall at the last haue a good issue This wee see to bee true by Abrahams example in this place As wee said before he himselfe no doubt had rather haue died ten thousand times than to haue Isaac slaine in whom the promise was made but yet beleeuing Gods promise that that should neuer change hee rests himselfe on Gods good pleasure and prouidence and goes on in obedience and so in the end receiued a blessed issue This is very cleerely set downe vnto vs in the History recorded by Moses For when Abraham had gone three daies iourney in the wildernesse and had built an Altar then Isaac said vnto Abraham Gen. 22.7 Father here is the fire and the wood but where is the lambe for the burnt offering Then Abraham said My sonne God will prouide him a lambe for a burnt offering Vers. 8. And thus yeelding himselfe to Gods good pleasure and prouidence he receiued his sonne againe as a dead childe restored to life So when we are in cases of extremitie when all goes against vs and when we can see no hope of any good issue or ende and all good meanes seeme to faile vs if wee can then cast our selues on Gods prouidence and rowle our selues vpon God we shall haue comfort in the ende and a good issue out of all Wee doe all of vs in word acknowledge Gods prouidence but whē wee come to the pinch that wee fall into cases of extremitie then wee vse vnlawfull meanes and doe not with Abraham cast our selues vpon God but seeke helpe of the diuell and wicked men But all such persons must looke for a cursed issue They therefore that feare the Lord beeing put to any plunge or extremitie must cast themselues vpon God wholly and waite for his good time and pleasure and then will the issue be both ioyous and comfortable vnto their soules Here some circumstances of this fact are to bee considered out of the larger story The first is this What did God vnto Abraham at this time when he was about to kill his sonne Answ. God now gaue him a commandement to stay his hand and not to slay his sonne By vertue whereof Abraham staies his hand God before commanded him to goe three daies iourney in the wildernesse and there to sacrifice his sonne Hereupon Abraham goes but now beeing come to the place hauing bound his sonne and is ready to cut his throat God bids him stay his hand and then also Abraham obeyeth God and doeth not kill his sonne Here we see Abraham is at Gods commande and as wee say at his becke Hee doeth not follow his owne will and pleasure but when God calles he is wonderfull pliable to doe Gods commaund whatsoeuer it bee one way or other This practice of Abraham must bee a looking glasse for vs wherein to see what manner of persons wee ought to be Looke what God commaunds vs to doe that wee must doe and what hee forbids vs that wee must not doe But this is a rare thing to bee found in these daies our practice generally is contrary for in our liues wee followe our owne humors and affections neuer regarding what God doth either will or nill But if wee will be Abrahams children we must follow Abrahams practice in this place For the sonnes of Abraham will doe the workes of Abraham Iohn 8.39 Good seruants will come and goe doe and vndo at their Lords pleasure and forget themselues to obey their masters And so must it be with vs if we call God our good Lord and master Luk. 6.46 The second circumstance to bee considered is the time when Abraham receiued his sonne from death to wit at the very same time when his knife was at his sons throate and he himselfe ready to offer him vp for a sacrifice vnto the Lord at that same instant God spake vnto him by his Angell from heauen and said Abraham stay thy hand Gen. 22.10 This circumstance is worth the marking for God lets
Parents prolong their childrens dayes by blessing them that is by teaching and instructing them in religion and by praying vnto God for a blessing vpon them that hee would blesse them Secondly there is a publike kinde of blessing which is done by the minister of GOD in the name of God And after this sort Melchisedech blessed Abraham as he returned from the slaughter of the Kings Heb. 7.1 and without all contradiction saith the Author of this Epistle the lesse is blessed of the greater Verse 7 Further these publike kinde of blessings are of two sorts either ordinarie or extraordinarie An ordinarie kinde of publike blessing is that which is pronounced and vttered out of Gods word by an ordinary minister vpon the people Example of this we haue in the ordinary Priests in the olde Testament whose duty was in the seruice of God to blesse the people before their departing And the forme of blessing which they should vse is prescribed vnto them by Moses after this manner from the Lord Thus shall ye blesse the children of Israell and say vnto them The Lord blesse thee and keepe thee the Lord make his face to shine vpon thee and be mercifull vnto thee The Lord lift vp his countenance vpon thee and giue thee peace Where wee see the manner of the Priest was to blesse the people not in his owne name but in the name of God stretching out his hand ouer the heads of the people This kinde of blessing was then ordinarie and yet some way figuratiue signifying vnto them the blessings which Christ Iesus the Mediatour God and man should not onely pronounce but euen giue vnto the Church in the new Testament which our Sauiour accordingly performed to his disciples at his Ascension For the Story saith When he was risen againe he led them to Bethania where he ascended and lift vp his hands and blessed them And S. Paul declareth this blessing of Christ more at large saying Ephes. 4.8.11.12 Christ ascended on high led captiuity captiue and gaue gifts vnto men some to be Apostles some Prophets and some Euangelists and some Pastors and teachers for the gathering together of the Saints for the worke of the ministerie and for the edification of the body of Christ. Where we see that our Sauiour Christ did not onely pronounce a blessing vpon his Church but was also the author thereof from God his father And as the Priestes in the old testament had an ordinary kinde of blessing the people so the ministers of GOD in the newe Testament they haue the same in substance for the ministers may blesse their people two waies First by praying vnto GOD for them Secondly by pronouncing a blessing vpon them according to GODs holy word A forme of this blessing wee haue from the Apostle Saint Paul who blessed the Corinthians after this sort The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ and the loue of God and the communion or fellowshippe of the holy Ghost be with you all 2. Corinthians 13.13 Secondly an extraordinary kinde of blessing is when an extraordinary Prophet or seruant of GOD doth set downe and pronounce a blessing vnto any and foretelleth their estate from GOD. Thus did Noe blesse his two sonnes Shem and Iaphet Gen. 9.25 26 27. and pronounced a curse vpon wicked Canaan This hee did not as an ordinary father but as an extraordinarie Prophet not onely praying for a blessing vpon his two sonnes but also foretelling them what should be their condition or estate afterward So in this place whereas Isaac blesseth Iaacob and Esau it is no priuate blessing but a publike and yet indeede not an ordinary publike blessing but extraordinary by telling vnto Iaacob and Esau before hand what should be their particular estates and conditions and what blessings they should haue from GOD both in this life and in the life to come For wee must not here conceiue of Isaac as an ordinary father but as a holy Patriarch and Prophet of the Lord and an extraordinarie man foreseeing foretelling by the spirit of prophecie the particular estate of his two sonnes and also what particular blessings they and their posteritie should receiue from God The meaning then of these words Isaac blessed Iaacob Esau is this that Isaac beeing a Prophet an extraordinary man and a famous Patriarch did by the spirit of Prophecie foresee and set down and tel before hand what should be the particular estate of his two sonnes Iaacob and Esau and as hee did foretell it so likewise hee praied vnto God that the same might come to passe as it did afterward And thus much for the meaning Nowe though this were an extraordinary kinde of blessing which Isaac vsed yet from hence we may all of vs learne an ordinary duty for looke as Isaac blessed his two sonnes so wee by his example must learne to abstaine from all wicked speeches as cursing and banning and exercise our tongues in blessing not making them the instruments of sinne to curse and reuile as many doe for vengeance is mine saith the Lord Hee must curse that hath absolute power and authoritie to inflict the same when hee will But wee are not absolute Lords ouer any man or any creature and therefore we must remember Saint Peters lesson 1. Pet. 3.9 Wee must not render euill for euill nor rebuke for rebuke But contrariwise blesse and he rendreth a reason Knowing that wee are thereunto called to bee heires of blessing Farre be it from vs therfore to open our mouthes to curse either men or any of Gods creatures and indeede vile and abhominable is the practice of many who exercise their tongues in cursing and banning not onely men but also other creatures of God But let such as feare God both learne and practice the contrary The second point to be considered is the cause of this blessing to wit Isaacs faith By faith Isaac blessed Iaacob and Esau. Here first wee are to consider how Isaacs faith blessed Iaacob and Esau surely thus He did most notably gather together all the promises of God made to him and to his two children which were specially three First I will be thy God and the God of thy seed 2. God had promised that he and his seed should possesse the promised Land of Canaan 3. That his two children should be two mighty Nations and that the elder should serue the younger Now Isaac doth not consider these blessings a-part one from another but hath them all in memory and on them all receiuing them by a liuely faith he builds his blessings for by faith in these promises hee did certainly fore-see what should be the future estate of his two sonnes and accordingly doth hee pronounce particular blessings vpon them both But it may be thought that Isaac did not blesse his sonnes by faith for if we reade the History in Genesis wee shall see that he blessed them by errour and was deceiued therein for hee was purposed to haue blessed Esau onely
made vnto him in Christ then he reasoneth and striueth against temptation and layes the word as a shield vnto his soule to keepe out the fierie darts of Satan yea hee applies the same word to his owne soule as a corrosiue vnto corruption whereupon it is said that faith purifieth the heart Act. 15.9 How namely beside the applying of Christs blood it brings to memory Gods mercifull promises in Christ which stay a man from committing such things as would pollute and defile the heart And therefore is faith said to bee our victory ouer the world 1. Ioh. 5.4 because by applying to our soules Gods promises in Christ we doe not onely contemne the world in regard of Christ but also stand against the assaults thereof so that it is a most notable and excellent worke of faith Lastly obserue the circumstance of time when Ioseph made remembrance of their departing The text saith When he was dying Hereof wee haue spoken in the former verse yet this one thing may here againe bee well remembred Ioseph cals to mind the promises of God at his death which concerne the temporall deliuerance of his people we by his example when we are dying must learne to call to remembrance the gracious promises which God hath made vnto vs in Christ touching our eternall deliuerance from the spirituall bondage of the diuell Oh! great will bee the fruit hereof not onely for inward comfort to our own soules and ioy to such as loue vs but also we shall hereby giue a worthy euidence to the world that we haue bin sound in the faith wherein we shall leaue a good president to those that follow vs. The second fact of Iosephs faith is this He gaue commandement concerning his bones The meaning thereof is this that Ioseph lying on his death bed gaue a solemne charge to his brethren to haue speciall care how and where they buried him that his bones might not be lost but so preserued while they staied in Egypt that at their departure they might be carried into the land of Canaan there buried in the sepulchre of his fathers The causes why Ioseph gaue this commandement were these 1 Hereby to testifie vnto his brethren posterity that howsoeuer he liued a long time in the pompe and glory of Egypt yet his heart was neuer set thereon but hee had a greater delight and more esteemed to bee counted a true member of the Church of God than to be a noble prince in the Land of Egypt For if hee had loued and liked the pompe of Egypt hee would haue had his sepulchre among them but giuing commandement to the contrary it sheweth plainely that his heart was neuer set on that glory and pompe in which he liued By whose exāple we are taught that in vsing the world and the things therof we must not set our hearts on them but as the Apostle saith 1. Cor. 7.31 Vse them as though wee vsed them not still hauing our affections set on heauen which is our spirituall Canaan 2 Hereby Ioseph would testifie vnto his brethren what he esteemed his chiefe happinesse namely that in faith hope he was ioyned vnto his fathers and auncestors that beleeued in God and that hee was of their religion and looked for a resurrection and another life as they did And this he would haue knowen not only to his brethren and posteritie but to the Egyptians also among whom he liued 3 Ioseph hereby intended principally to confirme the faith of his brethren and posterity in Gods promise for enioying and possessing the Land of Canaan after his death and this was a notable way to strengthen their faith For when they should see or remember his corps it was vnto them as a liuely sermon to shew them plainely that howsoeuer they liued for a while in bondage in Egypt yet the day should shortly come wherein they should be set at libertie and brought as free-men into the land of Canaan And vndoubtedly Ioseph would therefore haue his bones kept among them that they might be a pledge vnto them of their deliuerance Yea note further the story saith Gen. 50.15 that Ioseph did not onely charge his brethren generally but bindes them by an oath to carry his bones hereby shewing that it was a matter of great weight which hee did inioyne them euen a signe and pledge of the truth of Gods promise in their deliuerance Whence we learne that it is a matter of great moment for euery Christian both carefully and reuerently to vse the sacraments which God hath giuen as pledges of his couenant of grace made with vs in Christ. For shall Ioseph cause his brethren and posteritie to sweare concerning his bones that so they might more reuerently regard that pledge and signe of their outward deliuerance And shall not we with all reuerence good conscience both esteeme and vse those holy pledges of our eternall deliuerance by Christ Iesus The Papists from this place would iustifie their practice in reseruing and honouring the Reliques of Saints Now by Reliques they meane the parts of the bodies of Saints departed as the head of Iohn Baptist the armes or bones of this or that Saint the milke of the virgin Mary and also the parts of the crosse whereon Christ suffered with such like Answ. First let vs knowe that their Reliques are nothing else but forged deuices of their owne and no true Reliques of Saints as by one instance may appeare For the parts and parcels of wood kept in Europe which they say are parts of the crosse whereon Christ died are so many that if they were all gathered together they would load a ship which shewes plainely that herein they vse notorious forgerie for it was no greater than a man may beare And the like is their behauiour in the rest Secondly the keeping of Iosephs bones was for a good ende and purpose namely to testifie his owne faith and to confirme theirs in beleeuing Gods promise for their deliuerance out of the bondage of Egypt but their Reliques serue rather to extinguish faith in Christ than to confirme it for they nourish men in fond deuices and foul superstitions and not in the truth of Gods promises Thirdly we doe not read in all the Bible that Iosephs bones were euer worshipped and therefore from this place they haue no ground whereon to build their superstitious worshipping of Reliques And thus much of the example of Iosephs faith Moses Faith VERSE 23. By faith Moses when he was borne was hid three moneths of his parents because they saw he was a proper childe neither feared they the kings commandement IN this verse the holy Ghost proceedeth further and setteth downe vnto vs a notable and worthy example of the faith of Moses parents If we would see the history at large we must read the 2. Chapter of Exodus of which these words are an abbridgement or briefe Epitome Now here the faith of Moses parents is commended vnto vs by two notable
keepe the persecutors clothes that stoned Stephen Act. 7.58 whereby he signified his consent thereupon hee confesseth himselfe to bee guiltie of his death Act. 22.20 Lastly obserue the Cause or rather the Occasion that mooued the Parents to saue their childe It was a notable comlinesse and beautie which did appeare in the body of the childe when hee was borne This mooued them to reason thus with themselues Surely God hath giuen such beautie and comelinesse vnto this childe that it is very likely he will vse him hereafter to be some notable instrument of some great worke we therefore will keepe him aliue This point must be marked of vs for beside their natural affection this also was a motiue to make the parents saue their childe Hence wee may learne that those whom God will imploy aboue others in some speciall seruice for his owne glory are vsually endowed with some speciall gift aboue others yea many times with outward grace and comelinesse in the body For this beauty in Moses body moued his parents to seeke to saue his life they perswade themselues that God had not imprinted that in him for nought Saul wee know was made King ouer Israel and it is noted that the Lord had giuen him a goodly stature for hee was higher than any of the people from the shoulders vpward So Dauid had a good countenance and a comely visage for the Lord purposed to make him king ouer Israel Now as he did excell his brethren in beauty and comelinesse so he was to be far aboue them in this special seruice of God in gouerning his people Hence we learne first that comelinesse and beautie is a gift of God Secondly that those which excell others in these gifts of nature must looke also that answerably they excell them in holinesse and zeale in the seruice of God and doing good vnto men as Moses and Dauid did But alas wretched is the practice of these times for commonly those which haue comlinesse and beauty aboue others doe vse it as a bait occasion vnto all sin naughtinesse as to whoredome and lasciuiousnesse that heereby they may more fully satisfie their own wretched and fatanicall lusts but this must carefully be looked vnto of all such as haue the gifts of nature in more excellent manner then others For if they vse them or rather abuse them to be meanes of sinne and to set forth the pride and vanity of their hearts they haue much to answer for vnto God at the dreadfull day of Iudgement Hath God giuen thee beauty comelinesse and doest thou vse it as a baite to ensnare others for the satisfying of thy lust then looke vnto it thou euill seruant for thou doest not hide but consume thy Masters talent imploying it to his dishonour therefore it shall be taken from thee and in stead thereof thou shalt haue vglinesse and deformity and so in soule and body be tumbled into hell with vncleane spirits And thus much of the first action of their faith with the circumstances thereof The second action whereby the faith of Moses Parents is commended vnto vs is this They did not feare the Kings commaundement These words must not be vnderstoode absolutely and simply but with limitation For manie places of Scripture are spoken simply which must bee vnderstoode with respect as when it is said Math. 11.18 Iohn came neither eating nor drinking that is not eating nothing at all but eating little and Christ saith Math. 10.34 He came not to bring peace but the sword that is as Luke expounds it Luk. 12.51 rather debate than peace And so in this place Moses parents feared not the Kings commandement that is they did not feare it ouermuch or wholly or onely or so much as others did in the like case Here then first we may learne how farre forth we must obey superiours and magistrates we must obey them not simply but in the Lord Ephes. 6.1 that is in all their lawful commands but when they commaund things euill and vnlawfull then we must stay our selues lest obeying them we rebell against God For this wee haue sufficient warrant in this place as also in the Apostles who beeing commanded Act. 4.18 19. that in no wise they should speake or teach in the name of Iesus answered Whether it be right in the sight of God to obey you rather than God iudge ye And the midwiues of Egypt are commended of the holy Ghost Exod. 1.17 for sauing the yong children aliue against the Kings commandement And the three men of the Iewes Shadrach Meshach and Abednego are renowmed with all posterity for disobeying the commandement of Nebuchadnessar Dan. 3.16 17. of worshipping the golden Image By which examples we may see plainely that our obedience to men must be in the Lord onely Neither is our refusing to doe their vnlawfull commaunds any disobedience indeede because the fift commandement in this case ceaseth to binde and giues place to the commandements of the first table which are greater as wee shewed before v. 17. Secondly see here this godly boldnesse in not ouermuch fearing the Kings commandement is made a worke of faith whence we learne that true faith in the promises of God doth serue to moderate a mans affections There is no man but if he be left to himselfe he will goe too farre in the sway of his affections experience sheweth that many through anger and ioy haue lost their liues some for feare haue forsaken religion and sorrow hath cost many a man his life Yea any affection if it be not moderated and stayed will bereaue a man of his senses and make him a beast and no man But behold the vse and power of true faith It serueth to mitigate a mans affection so as if a man be angry it shall be with moderation and so wee may say of feare ioy hatred or any other affection faith will asswage and stay the rage thereof For vndoubtedly Moses parents might haue beene ouerwhelmed with feare of Pharaohs tyrannie and cruelty but that God gaue thē faith which did moderate this feare There is none of vs but if wee looke well into our selues wee shall see that we are excessiue in many affections sometime in feare sometime in anger sometime in sorrow and such like Now would we know how to bridle these strong passions Then get true faith it is the meanes whereby a man may moderate and stay the rage of his affectiōs so as they shall not break out into extremitie Is a man angrie why if hee haue faith hee will bridle his anger Is he sorrowfull yet it is in measure and so for the rest faith will rule them all and yet extinguisheth none Which should greatly prouoke vs to labour for true faith seeing it is of such vse and power in the stay of our affections Verse 24. By faith Moses when he was come to age refused to bee called the sonne of Pharaohs daughter 25. And chose rather to suffer aduersitie with
to receiue Gods commaund and to goe at his call These be the significations of the Passe-ouer which wee must remember to make good vse of in the course of our liues And thus much of the first branch of this act of Moses faith in ordaining the Passe-ouer The second branch of this worke is this And the effusion of bloud that is the sprinkling of the bloud of the Lambe vpon the posts of their houses and vpon the doore cheeks which was a token to the Israelites that the destroying Angell should not strike the first borne of the Israelites either man or beast In mans reason this may seeme to be a weake simple meanes yet God ordaines it to preserue all the first borne among the Israelites And thus the Lord vseth to deale that his people through the weakenesse of the meanes might be brought to acknowledge God to be their protectour and defender When the Israelites were stung with the serpents a man would haue thought it had beene the best way for their curing to haue giuen them cunning Surgeons but the Lord ordaines onely a dead serpent of brasse which they must looke vp vnto and be cured A weake meanes it was and yet the Lord vseth it because hee would haue them to giue all the glory vnto him and not to ascribe the same either to themselues or to the meanes Further this sprinkling of the bloud vpō the doore cheeks and the posts of their houses had a notable signification namely of the sprinkling of the bloud of Christ vpō the doors of our hearts to which Peter alludeth 1. Peter 1.2 Through the obedience and sprinkling of the bloud of Iesus Christ. And Dauid when he saith Sprinkle me with Hisope and I shall be cleane Dauid knew well that the bloud of beasts could not take away sinne and therefore no doubt by his sauing faith he had an eye to the bloud of the Messias vnder legall tearmes Whence we are taught this lesson that as the Israelites with their bodily hands did sprinkle the bloud of the Paschall Lamb vpon their doore cheeks the posts of their houses so by the hand of faith euery one of vs must sprinkle the bloud of Christ vpon our owne hearts which we shall then doe when we doe not onely in generall beleeue that Christ is a Sauiour and Redeemer but particularly that hee is a Redeemer vnto vs and that the merits of his death and the benefit of his bloud are ours Obiect But some will say If this be so then all is well for I doe beleeue this Answer Heerein very many deceiue themselues thinking that they haue faith when indeede they haue none For looke vnto their wayes and see into their hearts by their liues and it wil easily appeare that they haue nothing in them but ignorance security presumption in sinne Now such men are deceiuers of their owne soules for after this sprinkling followeth sanctification and rising from dead workes to newnesse of life so that they that liue in sinne and yet say they haue faith deceiue themselues For if a mans heart be sprinkled with the bloud of Christ through faith it will change his life conscience and make him a new creature for Christes bloud is a cleansing and purifying bloud insomuch as where it is truly sprinkled it certainly cleanseth Hebrewes 9.14 And thus much of this ceremonie of sprinkling Now followeth the end of both these actions in these words Lest he that destroyed the first borne should touch them Let vs examine the words in order First by the destroyer is meant the Angell of God as wee may see in the Storie Exod. 12.19 who at midnight smote all the first borne of Egypt both of man and beast Where by the way wee may take a view of the wonderfull power and strength of Gods Angels and also of their admirable swiftnesse and readinesse in doing the will of God that in one night euen at midnight one of them could passe through the Land of Egypt and kill all the first borne of man and beast in euerie place of the Egyptians The like we may see in the destruction of Senacheribs host by one Angell in one night The first borne that is both of men and beasts So it is in the Story Exod. 12.29 But being so it may not vnfitly be demaunded How this Passe-ouer could be a Sacrament when as euen the beasts of the Israelites had benefit by it for they were spared by reason of this sprinkling of the blood of the Paschall Lamb Answer That hindreth not why it should not be a Sacrament For wee must consider this Passe-ouer two wayes First as a meanes of temporall deliuerance and so the beasts had benefit by it Secondly as a signe and seale of our spirituall deliuerance from hell by the sacrifice of the Lamb of God Iesus Christ which is the thing signified and so it is a Sacrament for mans saluation and thus the beasts had no benefit by it The water that flowed from the rock in the wildernesse was a Sacrament and the beasts drank of the water but yet they did not partake of the Lords Sacrament for wee must consider that water two wayes first as a meanes to quench thirst and consequently as an outward benefit to preserue the life of the creature so the beasts had a benefit by it but cōsider it as a signe seale of the water of life and so their beasts had no benefit by it but onely the belieuing people It followeth Should touch them Here is the very vse and ende of both the former actions That the angel might not hurt them but passe by the Israelites houses Here consider a notable point concerning Christ the true Passeouer namely that they which haue their hearts sprinkled with his blood shal be preserued from euerlasting damnation and not onely so but hereby they shall haue deliuerance from all temporall iudgements in this life so farre forth as they are curses hurtful vnto thē So we may read before the destruction came to the city of the Iewes the angel of God went through the citie with a writers ink-horne to set a marke vpon those that did mourne and crie for their sinnes And Dauid saith the righteous man standeth vpon a rocke so as the floods of many waters shall not come neere him This is a point of great vse and the consideration hereof should mooue all persons that haue beene carelesse in religion now to become carefull and desirous to haue their hearts washed in the blood of Christ those also which haue any care must haue double care hereof for they haue freedome and securitie both in temporall and eternall iudgements Obiect But many of Gods deare children are taken away in common iudgements Answ. True but yet they are neuer hurt thereby but the iudgement and affliction is sanctified vnto them because they haue their hearts sprinkled with the blood of Christ. And as for those
it may be asked who they were that heere passed through by faith The answere is the Israelites But some will say wee reade in the Historie that when the people came to the red sea they were wonderfully afraide and murmured against Moses saying That it had beene better for them to haue liued in the bondage of Egypt then to come into the Desart and there die Now how can they murmure impatiently and fearefully and yet passe through by faith Answere At the first indeede they murmured when they saw the danger they were in hauing the huge Armie of Pharaoh following them and the red sea before them and hills and mountaines on each side But howsoeuer they murmured at the first yet when Moses spake words of comfort vnto them in the name of the Lord bidding them not to be afraid c and when he held vp his rod and entred into the red sea before them then they followed him by faith and heereupon the holy Ghost giues vnto them the title of true beleeuers Heere we may learne that true faith in Gods children is mingled with vnbeliefe The Israelites faith was true faith but yet it was very imperfect and weake for if it had beene perfect sound faith they would neuer haue murmured nor haue beene impatient and fearefull But looke as it is in nature so it is in grace In nature we cannot passe from one contrary to another but by the mixture of the contraries As in light and darknesse the one doth not followe the other immediatly but first there is a mixture of them both in the dawning of the day and closing of the night and so it is in other contraries euen in those which concerne the soule Vnbeliefe is a sinne faith is a vertue and grace contrary to it Now vnbeliefe cannot be expelled by faith before there be a mixture of them both and so when faith preuaileth vnbeliefe decayeth neither can faith be euer perfect because it is euer mingled more or lesse with vnbeliefe This plainely ouerthrowes the opinion of the Church of Rome who say that after a man is regenerate and beleeues there is nothing in him that God can hate For they imagine that he is so throughly sanctified that there is nothing in him which may properly be called a sinne but here we see their doctrine is false seeing faith vnbeliefe are alwaies mingled together Secondly as it falls out with faith so it is with the rest of Gods graces looke as faith is not perfect but mixed with vnbeliefe so are all other graces of God whatsoeuer The feare of GOD is not perfect in a man nor the loue of God for the feare of GOD is mingled with the feare of men and the feare of GOD for his mercy is mingled with the feare of GOD for his iudgements And heereby many are deceiued for when they feare GOD for his punishments they thinke themselues to be most miserable and voyde of grace but they deceiue themselues For there is no man vpon the earth that feareth GOD onely for his mercies and doth not feare GOD also for his punishments in part for Gods graces in this life are euer mingled with their contraries And therfore to imagine that a man may feare GOD for his mercies onely and not for iudgements also is to conceiue of such a man as none is nor can be in this life for the best feare that is in any man liuing is a mixt feare Further when Moses had spoken words of comfort vnto them the vnbelieuing and fearefull Israelites do stir vp their hearts to belieue So wee accordingly must labour and striue against that in-bred vnbeliefe which is in vs for euery man hath innumerable sinnes in him that resist faith and if they bee not checked and suppressed they will master his faith but hee that would haue faith to continue and last must striue against natural vnbeleefe as the Israelites do in this place and as the man in the Gospel Mark 9.24 when hee said to Christ Lord I beleeue helpe my vnbeleefe knowing that his vnbeleefe did suppresse his faith And so did the Disciples of our Sauiour Christ when they prayed Lord increase our faith Luk. 17.5 And Dauid beeing oppressed with deadnesse of heart stirres vp his faith saying Why art thou cast down my soule c. waite on God Psalm 42. v. 11. For he that hath faith is troubled with vnbeleefe and the more it troubles him the lesse he beleeueth vnlesse hee striue against it manfully 2. Quest. But how many of the Israelites beleeued and went ouer by faith Ans. Not all for Paul saith With many of them God was not well pleased for they were ouerthrowen in the wildernesse 1. Cor. 10.5 Which shewes that all that passed ouer had not true faith for some beleeued and by the force of their faith all went ouer safely Hence wee note this which hath beene often taught vs that an vngodly man receiueth many temporal benefits by the societie of Gods people which beleeue as here the vnbeleeuing Israelites had this benefit to goe through the redde sea safely by reason of those that beleeued And in the former example the brute beasts were freed frō killing by the Angel because they belonged to the host of the Lords people Now shall a brute beast haue benefit by beeing with GODs people and shall not a man much more Yes vndoubtedly for so wee may reade that for Pauls sake all the Mariners and Souldiers that were in the Shippe were saued from drowning Act. 27.24 This point must perswade euery one of vs to make choyce of the godly for our societie and company with whom we liue and conuerse for by them we reape many benefits and freedome also from many heauy iudgements The third point is this When did the Israelites beleeue This circumstance is worth the marking They beleeued when they passed through the redde sea for they beleeued not onely in generall that GOD was their GOD as hee had promised to their fathers but they beleeued that GOD would bee with them and giue them life in the middle of the redde sea A notable point They beleeued as it were in the middle of their graues for so might the redde sea be well called that GOD would giue them life euerlasting and preserue them safely through the sea and from their enemies In their example wee are taught the same dutie to doe as they here did The childe of GOD in this life hath innumerable causes of desperation and sometimes his owne conscience wil take part with Satan in charging the soule to bee in state of damnation In this heauie case what must bee done Surely at this time when a man is a cast-away in himselfe he must euen then beleeue beeing in hell as it were hee must beleeue that God will bring him to heauen It is nothing for a man to beleeue in prosperitie and peace but in time of desperation to beleeue that is a most worthy faith and indeede then
Saul persecuted Dauid but his end was to kill himselfe with his own sword 1. Samuel 30.4 And Iesabell she persecutes the Prophets children of God but her end was this the dogs did eate her flesh The whole stock of the Herods were great enemies to Christ But their name was soone rooted out and Herod called Agrippa that slew Iames and persecuted Peter was eaten vp of wormes Many great Emperours in the primatiue Church were persecuters but they died desperatly And Iulian for one once a Christian died blaspheming Christ casting his bloud vp towards heauen cried Thou hast ouercome ô Galilean thou hast ouercome And to come neerer these times what reward from God the persecuters of the Church haue had we may reade in the booke of Acts monuments which was penned for that purpose And to come to these our daies the whole band of those that call thēselues leaguers in Fraunce Italy Spaine c. like the Tabernacles of Edom and the Ismaelites Moab and the Agarims c. Psal. 83.5 6 they vow the destruction persecution of Gods Church but yet Gods Church stands he so cōtriues the matter that they draw swords against thēselues slay poyson one another Herein doth God graciously make good his promise to his Church that the weapons made against her shal not prosper And Zachary 12.3 there is a prophecie of the Church in the new Testament the Lord saith He wil make Ierusalem that is his Church an heauy stone for all people that lift it vp shal be torn though all the people of the earth be gathered against it where the Prophet setteth down notably what shal be the condition of those that persecute Gods Church the more they persecute her the more they shall haue Gods hand against them to confound them Dan. 2.34 there is mention made of a stone hewen out of a rocke without hands which smote the image vpon the feete which were of yron clay brake them to peeces By that stone is meant the kingdom of Christ which shall dash in peeces the kingdomes of the earth which set themselues against Christ and his kingdome For Christ must raigne till hee haue put all his enemies vnder his feete so that destruction is the ende of the enemies of Gods Church For the hand of the Lord shall bee knowen among his seruants and his indignation against his enemies Isay 66.14 And thus much of the 2. circumstance Now in this whole fact of the Israelites passing thorough the red sea towards the Land of Canaan there is a notable thing signified namely Baptisme So Paul saith The Israelites were baptized vnto Moses in the sea 1. Cor. 10.2 Yet wee must remember it was not ordinary Baptisme but extraordinary neuer administred before and neuer shall be so again for ought we know The Minister of this Baptisme was Moses an extraordinary Minister as the Baptisme was extraordinary The outwarde signe was the red sea or rather the water of the redde sea The departing of the children of Israel out of Egypt thorough the redde sea signifieth the departing of the children of GOD out of the kingdome of darkenesse from the power of sin and Satan And the drowning of Pharaoh with all his hoste in the redde sea signified the subduing of the power of all spirituall enemies with the pardon and death of sinne which stands partly in the abolishing of sinne and partly in newnesse of life And to this alludeth the Prophet Micah saying He will subdue our iniquities and cast all their sinnes into the bottome of the sea Micah 7.19 As if he should say Looke as God subdued Pharaoh and all his hoste in the bottome of the sea so will he cast and put away the sinnes of his people From this we learne two points 1 That the Baptisme of infants hath warrāt in Gods word howsoeuer some mē be of a contrary opinion for here we see all the Israelites were baptized in the sea and among them no doubt were many children If it be said this baptisme was extraordinary and is no ground for ours Answ. True it was extraordinary for the manner but yet herein the matter and substance and the thing signified is ordinary and the end all one with ours and therefore the baptizing of infants in the red sea is some warrant for the baptisme of infants in the Church now adaies Secondly here we may learne another instruction As the Israelites went through the red sea as through a graue to the promised land of Canaan so we must know that the way to the spirituall Canaan euen the kingdome of heauen is by dying vnto sinne This is a speciall point to bee considered of euery one of vs we professe our selues to be Christians wee heare Gods word and receiue the sacraments which are the outward badges of Christians and we perswade our selues of life euerlasting after death wel if we would haue that to be the ende of our iourney then we must take the Lords plaine way in this life which is to die vnto all our sinnes So it is said they which are Christs haue crucified the flesh with the affections and lustes thereof where this duty is inioyned to euery Christian hee must crucifie the lusts and affections of the flesh and not liue in sinne For a man cannot walke in sinne and so runne the broad way to hell and yet waite for the kingdome of heauen these two will not stand together and therefore if we would walke worthy the calling of Christianitie wee must haue care that all our sins whether they bee of heart or life little or great new or olde may be mortified and abolished Many will for a time become ciuill and seeme to be religious especially when they are to receiue the Lords supper but when that time of the sacrament is past then they returne to their old custome in sinning againe wherby it appeares that their change was but in shew to blind the eies of men And doe we not each Sabbaoth professe our selues good Christians and seeme to glory in it by keeping this day with such solemnitie But alas as soone as that day is past many some euen this day runne into all ryot This is not Christianity this is not the way to heauen but if euer we thinke to come to Canaan we must kill and bury our sinnes we must die vnto them or else we shal neuer come to the ende of Christianity namely eternall life And thus much of this circumstance and also of the example it selfe Iosuahs Faith VERSE 30. By faith the walls of Iericho fel down after they were compassed about seuen daies FRom the beginning of this chapter to this 30. verse we haue heard two sorts of examples of faith the first of beleeuers from the beginnning of the world to the flood The second of such as were from the time of the floode to the giuing of the Lawe in Mount Sina and of both these we haue
hitherto intreated Now here and sâ— forward to the end of this chapter is set downe a third order of examples of faith namely of such as liued from the time of the giuing of the Law to the time of the raigne of the Maccabees This 30. verse containes the first example of this ranke namely the example of Iosuahs faith of those that went with him into Canaan And their faith is commended vnto vs by a notable fact of theirs the causing to fall the walls of Iericho the History whereof we may reade at large Iosuah 6. The summe of it is this Whereas the Israelites came vnto Canaan and could not enter into the Land by reason of the strength of Iericho by which they must needs passe nor could win it by reason of the huge walls of Iericho the Lord promiseth to deliuer Iericho into their hands onely the people must doe this they must compasse-about the walls seauen daies carie the Arke of the Lord with them sounding with Rammes hornes and showte and so the walls should fall downe Now the Lord hauing made this promise vnto them the Israelites and specially Iosuah obey his commaundement and beleeue his promise and thus doing by faith the walls of Iericho fell downe after they were compassed-about seauen doyes Indeed the power of GOD was the principall cause of this ruine of the walls but yet because vpon their beleeuing GOD shewed this power therefore is the downfall of them ascribed to their faith Here are many notable points to be learned 1. Whereas the Text saith By faith the walls of Iericho fell downe wee may obserue the wondeâ—full power of true faith Iosuah and the Israelites beleeued Gods promises that hee would ouerturne the walls of Iericho and as they beleeued so it came to passe So our Sauiour Christ saith Matthew 17.20 If a man had but as much faith as a graine of mustard-seed he shall say vnto the mountaine remooue hence and it shall remoue and nothing shall be vnpossible vnto him signifying that by the power of true faith such things as are impossible to mans reason shall be brought to passe if God haue promised them as we see in this place the mighty walls of Iericho fall downe by faith which to mans reason is impossible So the Lord promised to Abraham That he should be the Father of many Nations yea that all the Nations of the earth should be blessed in him This was strange but Abraham beleeued it and as hee beleeued so it came to passe for many Nations descended from him and after the time of Christes ascension when all the Nations of the world were called to the light of the Gospell they were blessed in Christ the promised Seede of Abraham and therefore is hee called the Father of the faithfull in all Nations And to come vnto our selues To miserable men it may seeme a strange thing that the power of the diuell and the strength of the flesh should be ouercome in vs yet let a man beleeue this promise of God God so loued the world that hee gaue his onely begotten sonne that who so beleeued in him should not perish but haue euerlasting life Iohn 3.16 I say let him beleeue this effectually and hee shall finde by faith the Kingdome of sinne Satan in his heart and conscience weakned euery day more and more And therefore S. Iohn saith not without cause This is the victorie that ouercommeth the world euen our faith 1. Iohn 5.4 2. Here obserue that among the causes of the change ouerthrowe of Townes Cities Kingdomes this is one namely faith in Gods promises Many men haue written of the change of Kingdoms do giue diuers reasons therof But most of them omit the principall and that is faith by vertue whereof many times Kingdomes and Townes are brought to ruine and ouerthrow God promised to Abraham to his seed that he would giue theÌ„ the land of Canaan for their inheritance now they beleeued this promise heere wee see it comes to passe as they beleeued Iericho by faith is ouerturned the rest of their Cities the people of CanaaÌ„ dispossessed So that we see faith in Gods promises is a means to Gods people to ouerturn cities kingdoms that are enemies to Christ and to his Gospell God hath made a promise vnto his Church that the whore of Babylon Reuel 18.2 that is the Kingdome of Antichrist shall flourish for a while but after it shall be destroyed yea such a ruine shall come vnto it that the Kings of the earth and all great men and Marchants shall bewaile the destruction thereof Now this promise being receiued by faith and beleeued of Gods Church shall vndoubtedly come to passe It is in some part verified already for we see some Kingdomes and people haue renounced the cursed Doctrine and tyrannie of Rome and many Christian Princes haue alreadie shaken off the Popes yoke yea and this promise shall come to passe daily more and more Let all the Kings of that sort doe what they can and let the people set themselues neuer so much against Gods Church yet Babylon shal downe for God hath promised so to his Church and his Church beleeueth the same and therefore by their faith it shall be brought to passe in despite of the diuell Thirdly here we learne that when any City Towne or Kingdome is to make warre either in defence of themselues or in lawfull assault vpon their enemies a speciall meanes for good successe heerein is true faith Christian policie is a commendable thing in this case but if policy be seuered from faith it is nothing Faith in Gods promises of protection and assistance doth farre surpasse all worldly wisedome And therefore good King Iehosaphat when he was to fight against the huge Armies of the Moabites and Ammonites giues this counsell to his people 2 Chron. 20.20 Put your trust in the Lord your God and ye shall be assured Beleeue his Prophets and ye shall prosper giuing a most notable instruction and shewing that the best help for our defence is faith in God whereby we rest vpon his word and promise that hee will helpe vs yet this taketh not away the vse of meanes but it giues the blessing and efficacie vnto them Faith wee knowe is called a shield among the spiritual armour of God whereby a man awards the blowes of Satan and though that be the principal vertue of it yet is it also a notable shield to defend men euen against their outward visible enemies a most strong engine aginst theÌ„ to work their ouerthrow Hence Dauid saith He will not be afraid for tenne thousand of the people that should beset him round about They therefore that would defend themselues against their enemies yea and ouercome them in lawful assault must embrace obay true religion with Christian policy ioyn faith in Gods promises for by faith we make God our Captain throgh him we shal do
be so then hee called all men effectually Answer We must vnderstand the Apostle according to his meaning for Romans 11.15 he expounds himselfe shewes what he meanes by the world saying That the falling away of the Iewes is the reconciling of the world which cannot be vnderstoode of men in all the ages but in the last age of the world after Christs ascension wherein God offered to all the world life euerlasting by Christ. Further Rahab is here noted by a notorious vice shee is called a harlot whereby shee was infamous among the men of Iericho Certaine of the Iewes which are enemies to the new Testament say That the Author of this Epistle and S. Iames doe great wrong vnto Rahab for calling her an harlot for say they in Iosuah shee is called but a Tauerner or Hostesse Answer Wee must knowe that the word which is vsed in Iosuah signifieth two things a Tauerner and an harlot Now take the word properly as it is generally vsed in the olde Testament and then most commonly it is put for an harlot And therefore in the new Testament Rahab hath no wrong done her by this title For it is the thing that Iosuah intended to shew what a one shee had beene and therefore in speaking of her to the spies hee bids them goe into That harlots house Iosuah 6.22 vsing such an Article as implies that shee had beene infamous and notorious in that kinde And yet we must not thinke that she playd the harlot after shee had receiued grace to beleeue but long before for faith purifieth the heart neither will it suffer any sinne to raigne therein She is called a harlot therefore in regard of her life past for which shee was infamous among the men of Iericho before her calling to the faith Quest. How could she beleeue being a harlot in former times for it is said That neither fornicators nor adulterers shall inherite the Kingdome of heauen 1. Cor. 6.9 Answere That is true according to the Law but the Gospell giues this exception vnlesse they repent And so are all legall threatnings to be vnderstood in the word of God In this circumstance of the person and in the quality of her sinne we may note the endlesse mercy of God towards sinners for he hath vouchsafed to call most notorious and grieuous sinners to the state of saluation as Isay saith The Lord is very ready to forgiue Isay 55.7 yea with the Lord is plentifull redemption Psal. 130.7 This appeares by vouchsafing mercy to Rahab a notable harlot and as he dealeth with Rahab here so hath he shewed like mercy to other notorious sinners King Manasses had sold himselfe to Idolatry and witchcraft and had shed innocent bloud exceeding much and caused Iudah to sinne 2. Kings 21 6 16 for which he was led captiue yet when he humbled himselfe and prayed God was intreated of him 2. Chron. 33.13 And Paul saith of himselfe When he was a blasphemer and a persecuter and an oppresser he was receiued to mercy though he were the head of all sinners that Christ might first shew on him all long suffering vnto the example of them which shall in time to come beleeue in him vnto euerlasting life 1. Tim. 1 13 16. The consideration of this exceeding mercy of God towards sinners is of great vse First it armeth a poore soule against despaire whereinto the diuell would draw it vpon the view of the multitude and greatnesse of his sinnes for many reason thus My sinnes are so haynous so many and so vile that I dare not come to God neither can I be perswaded of the pardon of them But behold heere the endlesse mercy of God in forgiuing sinnes to them that repent though they be like crimson and scarlet and neuer so many This must comfort the wounded soule and encourage all touched hearts to repent and to sue to the Lord for mercy and pardon Secondly it must moue euery one of vs now to begin to repent if we haue not repented heretofore and if wee haue begun to doe it more earnestly for God is most mercifull and with him is plentifull redemption Yet wee must beware that we take not occasion heereby to liue in sinne because God is mercifull for this is to turne the grace of God into wantonnesse which Saint Iude makes a brand of the vngodly and a signe of the reprobate who as the Apostle there saith are appointed to condemnation yea this is a despising of the bountifulnesse of God which should leade them to repentance and heereby they heape vp vnto themselues wrath against the day of wrath Romanes chapter 2 verses 4 5. Let vs therefore remember this counsell of Paul Shall wee sinne that grace may abound God forbid Wee must all but especially young men take heede of this course for if wee blesse our selues in our heart and say wee shall haue peace though we liue in sinne God wil not be mercifull vnto vs but his wrath shall smoke against vs. Further note that howsoeuer shee was a sinner and a most infamous harlot yet when shee repents God doth honour and grace her with the title of a beleeuer and that among those most renowned beleeuers that euer liued before Christ euen to be one of that cloude of witnesses in whoÌ„ faith is commended to the Church for euer Hence also it is that Saint Matthew reckons her in the Genealogie of Christ to be one of his predecessours when as Amasia Achas and such like who for ought wee knowe did neuer repent are not once named Herein wee may see Gods wonderfull mercy in honouring sinners if they doe repent The consideration whereof must mooue vs not onely to learne the doctrine of Repentance and to haue it in our mouthes but to labour that it may be settled in our hearts that wee may shewe forth the power thereof in our liues All of vs desire honour and reputation among mâ—n Well if wee would be honoured indeede wee must repent and then God himselfe will honour vs neither haue our sinnes made vs so infamous as by our repentance God shall make vs honourable Further concerning the partie How could Rahab come by faith seeing shee liued out of the Church where the word was neuer preached vnto her Answere If wee reade the Storie wee shall finde that shee came to beleeue by a report of Gods meruailous acts for when the Lord deliuered the Israelites out of Egypt through the red sea and drowned Pharaoh therein with all his â—oast as they went further he deliuered the Kings of the Nations into their hands as Og the King of Baashan with the Kings of the Amorites and Amalekites Now the report heereof came to the people of Iericho whereupon they were strikâ—n with a wonderfull great feare And howsoeuer the men of Iericho made no other vse of it but to arme and prepare themselues to resist and beate backe the Israelites yet this report wrought further with Rahab and
keeping of it is a doubling of the sin Dauid in his anger had sworn to slay Nabal and all the men in his family for denying reliefe vnto his seruants 1. Sam. 25.22 This was a rash oath and therfore afterward when hee was preuented by Abigails good counsell hee blesseth God for it and breakes his oath which hee had made vers 32. Quest. 2. What if a man take an oath and yet afterward in consciēce doubts of the lawfulnes of that which he hath sworne to do what must be don in this case Ans. So long as he doubteth hee must defer the performāce of it For he that doth a thing doubtingly condemnes himselfe in the thing he doth because he doth it not of faith and whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne Rom. 14.23 Quest. 3. What if a man be vrged by feare to take an oath must hee afterward keepe it As for example a man is taken of theeues now wanting money they charge him on paine of death to fetch them money and they binde him hereto by an oath what must bee done in this case considering there must such great care bee had in keeping of an oath Answ. So long as the thing which hee is bound by oath to doe respecteth his priuate dammage onely he must keep his oath yet so as he declare his case to the Magistrate because their course is against the common good now the Magistrate hearing of it is according to equity to prouide for his defence for the safety of his goods A second point to be considered in Rahabs preseruation is this Rahab escaped a common danger but not without all meanes onely staying her selfe on the bare promise of the Spies but as shee beleeued in the true God so shee vsed meanes whereby shee might bee sure of her preseruation and that is this Shee bindes the Spies by an oath to saue her life and to spare her houshold also shee keepes within and ties the corde of red threed in her windowe according to their mutuall couenant Thus shee vseth meanes for her temporall safety and so haue other of GODs children done in like case When King Hezekiah 2. Kings 20.6 was sicke hee was certified by the Prophet from GOD that hee should liue fifteene yeares longer yet hee neglected not the meanes whereby he should be healed and liue for hee applied dry figges to his byle and vsed foode and raiment for his bodily life during the whole space of those fifteene yeares So the Apostle S. Paul in his voyage by Sea to Rome was assured by a vision that none of them that were with him should perish but all come safe to land and yet when the Mariners would haue gone out hee tels the Centurion that vnlesse those staied in the ship that so they might vse the ordinary means they could not be safe Now as it fareth temporally for the saving of the body so is it in the spirituall case for the salvation of the soule men must vse means to come by grace so to salvation But many in this regard be great enemies to their owne soules they say God is mercifull and Christ is a Saviour I hope he will saue me yet they wil not vse the means to come to saluation But if we would be saued thē with our inward faith we must ioyn the obseruatiō of the outward ordinary means whereby God vseth to saue mens soules as namely the hearing of Gods word calling vpon God by prayer and the receiuing of the sacraments that thereby our sinfull lyues may bee amended and our faith strengthened This must bee remembred of vs for they that contemne or neglect the means despise the grace and mercy of God offered therein and therfore Paul saith of the Iewes when they put the Gospel from them that they did iudge themselues vnworthy eternall life Act. 13.46 It followeth With them that disobeyed That is with the people of Iericho Quest. How did they disobey Ans. Thus When Iosuah and the people came vnto them and offered them peace if so be they would becom their tributaries and seruants the inhabitants of Iericho would not yield vnto thē but set themselues against the people of Israel and so against God in that they would not vndertake that estate which God offered vnto them and therefore they are here esteemed disobedient Hence we learne that if it shall please God at any time to put vs out of these temporary benefits which we enioy in goods and possessions wee must bee contented with Gods will and prouidence and seeke to obey God therein The inhabitants of Iericho pay deerely for their disobedience in this case God sets the Israelites as Lords over them and because they will not yield to become their seruants they die for it Dauids practice was commendable in this case for when he was put out of his owne Kingdom by his owne sonne hee murmured not but said thus If I shall finde fauour in the eies of the Lord he will bring me againe but if he say thus I haue no delight in thee beholde here I am let him doe to me as seemeth good in his eies 2. Sam. 15.25 26. In other countries we see Cities and Townes spoyled and sacked what must the people doe Answ. They must submit themselues to the Lords pleasure knowing that he permitteth it who may doe what he will And so if it shall please God to bring vs into the like case as to suffer our enemies to haue dominion ouer vs and to dispossesse vs of our places we must submit our selues to Gods good pleasure when wee see no helpe by lawfull meanes wee must not murmure or rebell for that is but to disobey as the people of Iericho did and so shall we be destroyed as they were And thus much for the second point The third thing to be considered in this example is the testimony of her faith in receiuing the Spies peaceably This was a notable worke of faith as Saint Iames noteth Iam. 2.25 and the more commendable because shee receiued them into her house and entertained them yea shee preserued them in danger of her owne life for shee did it contrary to the pleasure of the State vnder which shee liued But against this may be obiected first that shee lyed in this fact for when the King of Iericho's messengers came to search for the Spies whom shee had hid in the top of her house shee said to the messengers they were gone another way Now how can it bee a good worke which was don with lying especially to our Superior who hath power to aske vs and to whom wee are double bound to speake the truth Answ. Wee must knowe that the worke was good which shee did and a worke of mercy to preserue Gods people although shee failed in the manner of doing it shee receiued them by faith though shee shewed distrust in lying for their safetie It was a notable worke of Rebecca Gen. 27. to cause her sonne Iacob to
get his fathers blessing for so God had determined and yet shee failed in the manner Quest. But how could this worke be good being faulty in the manner of doing it Ans. It might for Rebecca's person stood righteous before God in Christ. Now the worker beeing acceptable vnto God the worke must needs be good also and though the worker failed in the circumstances yet the euill of the worke was couered in the obedience of Christ and so the goodnes of it was approoued and the fault thereof couered The vse of this doctrine is two-folde first it shews that the works of Gods children are partly good and partly bad euen the best works they doe are imperfect Secondly this shewes the true meaning of Saint Iames when hee saith that Rahab was iustified by her works hereby he means that by her works she declared her selfe to be iust For that shee was not iustified by her works appeareth plaine because the worke which shee did was faulty in the manner and not perfectly good and therfore could not be answerable to the perfect iustice of God But some will further say that this concealing of the Spies and lying to the Kings messengers was a worke of Treachery against her owne country and therefore was a notorious fault and so no worke of faith Answ. Treachery indeed is as great villany as one man can practice against another and therefore ought to bee abhorred and detested of all men but yet wee must knowe that Rahab in this place is no Traytor For she had a plaine Certificat in her conscience that the Land of Canaan and the citie Iericho were giuen by the Lord to the people of Israel and that they were the right Lords thereof and should enioy them so that she hid the Spies not in treachery but in faith Thus wee see her facte The duties which wee learne hence are these First it is said that this harlot Rahab beeing by calling an Hostesse and a Victualler receiued the spies peaceably Hence Inn-keepers are taught their dutie First if they will shew themselues faithfull they must haue special regard and respect vnto such guests of theirs as be the seruants of GOD and feare him This was the worke of Rahabs faith towards the spies of Gods people Dauid makes this the property of euery godly man That in his eyes a vile person is contemned but hee honoureth them that feare the Lord Psalme 15. verse 4 And therefore if Inn-keepers will shewe themselues godly they must so doe And to encourage each one heereto our Sauiour Christ makes this notable promise Matthew chapter 10. verse 41 Hee that receiueth a Prophet in the name of a Prophet shall receiue a Prophets reward and hee that receiueth a iust man in the name of a iust man shall receiue a iust mans reward And if any shall giue to one of these little ones to drinke a cuppe of colde water onely in the name of a Disciple Verily I say vnto you hee shall not lose his reward Also Strangers are heere taught that in seeking places for their abode they must make choyse to bee with those that feare the Lord so GOD directs these spies to doe And when Christ sent his Disciples to preach he bade them Mathew chapter 10. verse 11 when they entred into a Citie To enquire who is worthy in that Citie and there to abide till they departed But alas these duties are little performed especially the first For Inn-keepers and such as entertaine Strangers doe make most of those that giue themselues to ryote and good fellowâ—hip they are best welcom that spend most in gaming drinking and lasciuiousnesse These might learne otherwise of Rahab who did better though she had beene an harlot Thirdly In-keepers must here learne that when a man comes into their house if he be no malefactor they must giue him protection Thus Rahab doth heere to the spies of the Israelites euen with the danger of her owne life The like also we may reade of Lot for when two Angels in the likenesse of men came into his house and the men of Sodome would haue had them out Lot besought them to let them alone Gen. 19.8 And his reason is because they came vnder the shadow of his roofe Againe hence we may learne another generall duty to wit that a Christian man in the time of persecution danger is not to discouer his fellow brethren or to detect them but must rather indanger his owne life by concealing them for their preseruation This was practiced by good Obadiah when Iesabel killed the Lords Prophets he hid them by fifties in a Caue which if it had been knowen would haue cost him his life And so did the Apostles and brethren in the Primitiue Church when the Iewes would haue slaine Paul in Damascus the brethren tooke him by night and let him downe through the wall in a basket to saue his life Acts 9.25 And since those times in the History of the Church vnder the Gospell wee may finde that when the Christians were vrged by persecuters to reueale their brethren they rather chose to lay down their owne lyues then to betray their brethreÌ„ into their enemies hands And this is true loue indeede such as the holy Ghost commendeth When a man will giue his life for his brother 1. Iohn 3.16 Lastly whereas Rahab receiued the spies peaceably wee note that it is a speciall fruite of faith to be peaceable and kinde The holy Ghost repeating the fruites of the spirit names Peace and meeknesse among them Now this peace is when a man is kinde and peaceable to all but especially to those that â—e of the houshold of faith And vndoubtedly it is a fruite of faith which the Prophet Isay fore-told should be vnder the Gospel Isay 11.6 that then the Wolfe should dwell with the Lamb and the Leopard lie with the Kid signifying that howsoeuer men by nature were as sauage as Wolues yet beeing conuerted to the Kingdome of Christ they should become gentle as Lambs being kinde and peaceable one to another This peaceablenesse is especially to be shewed in the place and calling where a man liues for there did Rahab shew forth hers when the spies came vnto her And where this is truly in outward action there is faith in the heart it is a good token that a man is at peace with God when he liues peaceably with men Which being so we must learne not to giue place to our heady affections but must rather bridle the rage of malice and anger and endeuour to liue peaceably with all especially with those that be members of Gods Church And thus much of this example The Iudges Faith VERSE 32. And what shall I say more For the time would be too short for me to tell of Gedeon of Barac and of Samson and of Iephte Also of Dauid and Samuel and of the Prophets Which through faith subdued Kingdomes wrought righteousnesse c. HItherto the Author of this Epistle hath
This besides the instance we haue in hand appeares plainly in Christes Apostles they were called by Christ to preach the Gospell to all the world and to plant his Church vniuersally and thereupon howsoeuer they were simple men before were furnished with extraordinary gifts of wisedome zeale knowledge and with this excellent grace of sauing faith which did sanctifie their other gifts for howsoeuer Iudas was numbred among them hauing been a Disciple yet he neuer came to the execution of the Apostleship but went astray from that ministration Acts 1.25 And in these later dayes when God restored his Gospell to light out of the darke myst of Popery hee raised vp extraordinarie men whom he endued with wisedome zeale and iudgement which gifts also he sealed vp in them by a liuely faith which they testified by their piety and godlinesse in life conuersation And this course he obserueth vsually in all those whom hee raiseth vp extraordinarily for the good of his Church This we must obserue to acquaint vs with a special difference betweene those whom God raiseth vp extraordinarily for speciall good and all arch heretiques and traytors that set vp themselues vnsent of God For many such wretches haue excelled in wisedome in worldly policy in zeale and authority whereupon they haue pretended and perswaded many that they were called of God But hereby especially they are to be discouered that they are voide of this rare gift of true sauing faith for look at their lyues and ordinarily for impiety they haue beene and are arch-diuels So that though they wanted not authority or outward zeale and wisedome yet they wanted faith which should purifie their hearts or else they would neuer haue liued in such notorious sinnes as they were discouered to doe And this is the triall which our Sauiour Christ directs vs vnto saying Ye shall knowe them by their fruites Math. 7.16 Let them therefore pretend what knowledge what zeale or authority soeuer they will if the fruits of faith appeare not in their lyues by obedience they are not called of God for the speciall good of his Church Thus much of these men in generall now wee come to entreate of them seuerally as they are propounded in the Text. THe first person here commended vnto vs is Gedeon the History of whose acts is laid down at large Iudges chap. 6. In his example note one point especially to acquaint vs with the manner which God vseth in begetting and encreasing true faith in the hearts of his children If we reade the Story we shal see that the Lord in the likenesse of an Angel called Gedeon once twice yea thrice to be a Iudge to his people But Gedeō greatly doubts of his calling therefore desires a signe of the Lord which God gaue him For the sacrifice which he offered was burned vp with fire from heauen yet still hee doubted and was in a greater feare then before euen of death it selfe but being confirmed by the Angell and set a-worke he brake down the Altar of Baall and built one to the true GOD and thereon offered sacrifice as God commaunded though with some feare And when the Midianites and Amalekites came armed against Israell hee is stirred vp by the spirit of God for their defence but yet still hee doubted of his calling and therefore againe asked a signe at Gods hands and had it and after that asked another which GOD also graunted Nowe hauing all these one in the necke of another at length hee knowes his calling and so goes in faith and defends Israell so that hee got the assurance of his calling by sundry particular signes and confirmations of his faith And though hee doubted greatly at the first yet after hee beleeues not onely that hee should bee a Iudge and Deliuerer of Gods people out of the hands of their enemies but this principally that God was his God and would giue vnto him euerlasting life Here then we haue a notable precedent of the manner of Gods working true and sound faith in the hearts of his children They receiue not this grace at once but by degrees God works it in them by little and little When a man is first called of GOD hee hath much doubting and feare but then God sends sundry helpes to weaken this feare and doubting and as they decrease so is faith encreased No man beleeues soundly at the first but weakely euen as he growes in yeares so he must grow in faith and the encrease of our faith is by continuance in the meanes and by experience of Gods loue and fauour And indeed the more faith encreaseth the more wee vse the meanes to grow therein and the more we delight in the meanes and at length after long experience of Gods mercy wee shall haue wrought in our hearts this gift of true liuely faith which shall be able to preuaile against all feare and doubting And thus much for the person of Gedeon The second person commended vnto vs is Barac of whom wee may reade Iudges 4. His Storie is large and plaine enough and therefore wee will not stand vpon it The third person is Samson of whom wee may also reade Iudges 13.14 c. Now touching Samson this question may well be asked how hee can be iustly commended for his faith seeing it may seeme hee killed himselfe Answere Samson did not kill himselfe for hee was called extraordinarily to be a Iudge ouer Israell for their defence and deliuerie out of the hands of the Philistimes Now when the Princes of the Philistimes were gathered together being his enemies and the enemies of God and his people hee cast the house downe vpon their heads to kill them therein because beeing blinde hee could not pursue them in battaile And therefore hauing them by Gods prouidence in his hands hee destroyed them as his calling was albeit hee lost his owne life in the same action Againe Samson in pulling downe the house purposed not directly and wilfully to kill himselfe but to aduenture his owne life by taking iust reuenge vpon his enemies and the enemies of God and therefore as Gods seruant he prayed first vnto God and so did no more thā the Souldier in the field ought to doe who bearing a louing minde towards his Countrey is content to aduenture his owne life for the destruction of his enemies in the defence of his Countrey and is resolued that if hee die in that defence hee dieth in his lawfull place and calling and dieth Gods seruant yea Gods Champion This did Samson and therefore may iustly be commended for his faith neither is this fact of his any disgrace but rather a notable commendation of his faith and an euidence of great zeale for Gods glory and of singular loue to his people The fourth person commended heere is Iephte of whom wee may reade Iudges 11. Iephte was the base sonne of Gilead borne of an harlot To be base borne is noted in Scripture as a matter of reproach and
and lip-faith and to be endued with true sauing faith whereby we may profitably heare the word and receiue the sacraments and so enioy Gods most excellent promises in Christ. Men may lie and be deceiued but God is truth it selfe and cannot lie and therefore as he hath made his promise of life to beleeuers and to no other so will hee surely accomplish the same to them and to no other Wherefore if we loue our soules and desire life let vs get into our hearts the grace of faith And thus much of the third effect of their faith The fourth and fift effects which I will handle together are these Stopped the mouths of Lions Quenched the violence of the fire For the fourth Whereas some of these persons are said to haue stopped the mouthes of Lions it is to be vnderstood of Daniel as appeareth in the 6. Chapter of that booke For Daniel through the malice of others that incensed the Kings wrath against him was cast into the denne of hunger-bit Lions But Daniel euen then beleeued in the Lord and put all his trust in God and for this cause the Lord by his angel stopped the mouthes of the Lions and as it were sealed vp their pawes that they could not hurt him The fift effect in quenching the violence of the fire must bee vnderstood of Shadrach Meshach and Abednego the companions of Daniel which three as we may read Dan. 3. refused to worship the golden image which Nabuchadnezzar had set vp For which cause they were cast into an hot burning Ouen but they put their trust in God and claue fast vnto him in obedience euen to the hazzard of their lyues Whereupon the Lord by his omnipotent power did most miraculously preserue them by staying the rage of the fire contrary to the nature thereof that it had no power ouer their bodies nay it did not burne the haire of their heads nor cause their garments to smell And therefore they are said to haue quenched the violence of it because it had no power ouer them thogh it burned most fiercely but was to them as though it had been quite put out and quenched Now ioyn these two effects together they affoord vs good instructions First here wee learne how to behaue our selues in time of danger and at the point of death Euen as these foure men did so must we from the bottome of our hearts forsake our selues and put all our trust in Christ. This did Daniel when he was in the Lions den and this did the 3. Children in the hot fiery furnace And this hath beene alwaies the auncient practice of Gods children in all ages At the very point of death and in the extremitie of all danger they rested themselues wholly vpon the mercifull promises of the true God The time wil come vpon vs all wherein wee shall be called to the practice of this duty for we must all passe the doore of death once lie in the pangs thereof Now what shall we doe when we lie halfe dead gasping panting for breath able to speake to no man nor to heare any speaking to vs when all comfort of the world failes vs Surely we must then at that very instant labour to leaue our selues and this world and yeeld vp our selues by faith into the hands of GOD and cleaue fast vnto Christs Passion from the bottome of our hearts and he will surely deliuer vs from the danger stopping the mouth of Satan that roaring Lion quenching the fire of hell that it shall not touch vs. But some will say if this be all we must doe then all is well for this I can soone doe when time serues and therefore I will take no care till then Answer Beware of spirituall guile for it will be found a most hard matter for a man to rely and cast himselfe wholly vpon Christ in the houre and pang of death For then aboue all times is the diuell busie against vs then will the conscience stir if euer and the body being tormented the soule must needes be wonderfull heauie This we may see by the state of our Sauiour Christ in his agony and passion and therefore wee must not reckon so lightly of this duty Question But if it be so hard a thing how could Daniell and the three children doe it Answer They were prepared for it for they rested vpon God in the time of peace and so were enabled to rely vpon him in time of perill Euen so if we would beleeue in God when wee die then shew forth our faith we must while we liue put our trust in him and shew it by obedience for rare it is to finde a man that liues in vnbeliefe to shew forth faith at his end And therefore while wee haue health strength and peace wee must labour to beleeue and then shall wee finde the comfort of it in time of perill and of death Secondly from these two effects of faith wee obserue further that Gods diuine prouidence doth firmely rule and gouerne the whole world Ordinarily God gouernes the world by secundarie causes setting one creature ouer another and ordaining one to doe this thing and another that and accordingly they worke but we must not thinke that God is bound to any of these meanes but is most free to vse them or not to vse them Ordinarily he executeth this or that punishment by this or that creature and so by meanes conuayes his blessings but yet he can work without them as here we see For he preserues his creatures against the ordinary meanes as Daniel from the Lions whose nature is to deuoure and against the nature of fire he saued the three children in the fire So that God worketh by meanes but yet freely because he can work at his pleasure either without or against meanes and his powerfull hand sauing against meanes shewes his ruling and disposing prouidence ouer all things Thirdly by these effects of their faith wee learne that Gods goodnesse and mercy towardes beleeuers is farre greater and more vnspeakeable than euer he promised or they could exspect This point is carefully to be considered of vs all for it is of singular extraordinary vse especially in time of perill and trouble and yet we see it is the plaine truth of God and therefore Paul giues thanks and praise vnto God who is able to do for vs exceeding aboundantly aboue all that wee aske or thinke Daniel put his trust in the Lord when he was in the Lions den and what doth he obtaine for his labour the Lord neuer promised to stop the Lions mouthes neither did Daniell euer presume vpon that deliuerance and yet the Lord saued him And so the three childrē though they made no account of their liues because God had not promised to keep them frō burning yet they com out in safety For God in mercy so quenched the heat of the fire vnto thē that thogh it burnt to death those that cast them in yet
Iuda who as we may read 2. Kings 20. beeing sore sicke euen vnto death was restored to health and obtained of GOD the lengthening of his daies for the space of fifteene yeares Which wonderfull recouery hee obtained by meanes of his faith which hee shewed in time of his sicknesse by a prayer he made vnto God the substance wherof stood in these two things First beeing very sicke hee praied for the pardon of his sinnes This appeareth by his thanksgiuing vpon his recouery Isay 38.17 where hee confesseth that God had cast all his sinnes behinde his backe Now looke for what hee gaue thanks that no doubt hee had before begged of God in praier Secondly hee made request vnto GOD for prolonging of his daies for some reasons which did concerne himselfe and this hee also prayed for in faith Now the reasons moouing him to pray for longer life were these First hee had then no issue to succeed him in his Kingdome and therefore hee praied for life to beget a childe which might sit vpon his throne after him And the ground of this praier was this GOD had made a particular promise vnto Dauid and Salomon 1. Kings 8.25 that they should not want issue after them to sit vpon the Throne of Israel so that their children tooke heede to their way to walke before the LORD as Dauid did Now King Hezekiah knowing this promise had regard hereunto and building himself hereon his conscience bearing him witnesse that hee had walked before the Lord vprightly hee praies for issue to succeed him and for that cause he desires strength of body and length of daies This appeareth notably by his praier 2. King 20.3 Lord saith he I beseech thee now remember how I haue walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart The summe of his praier is this All the kings succeeding Dauid and Salomon which walke in Gods commandements shall haue issue to sit on their thrones after them Now from hence he praies thus Oh Lord I haue walked before thee in truth and sincerity of heart and hereupon the conclusion followes grant me issue to sit vpon my throne after me and therefore life and health to accomplish the same Secondly he praied that he might liue to glorifie God in that weighty calling wherein God had placed him ouer his people This appeareth likewise by his thanksgiuing vnto the Lord vpon his recouery where hee saith Isay 38.20 â—he Lord was ready to saue me therefore wee will sing my song all the daies of our life in the house of the Lord. Thus by his worthy praier hee shewed forth his faith notably by vertue whereof beeing sicke vnto death hee obtained of the Lord the prolonging of his daies for the space of fifteene yeares And so we see to whom this seauenth effect of faith is to be referred Here we are taught a speciall duty for the recouery of our health in the time of sickenesse to wit before wee vse the ordinary meanes of Physicke wee must according to this example first put our faith in practice by humbling our selues for our sinnes past confessing them truely vnto God and praying for pardon from a resolute purpose of heart to lead a newe life and also by intreating health of God and his good blessing vpon the meanes which we shall vse for our recouery Thus haue other of Gods seruants done beside Hezekias When Dauid was grieuously sicke the principal thing he did was this practice of faith in humbling his soule before God for his sinnes and intreating earnestly the pardon of them as we may see Psa. 6. 38. This is the principal thing which in those Psalms is propounded of Dauid And so the Apostle counsels Iam. 5.14 15 Is any man sicke among you let him call for the Elders of the Church and what must they doe Surely first pray for him and then as the custome was in those daies anoint him with oyle in the name of the Lord. And the praier of faith shall saue the sicke and the Lord shall raise him vp againe and if hee haue committed any sinne it shall be forgiuen him And here we must be admonished to beware of the bad practices of the world in this case the most men in their sickenesse first seeke to the Physicians and if that faile them they send for the Minister This was King Asa his practice for which hee is branded to all posteritie that beeing diseased in his feete hee sought vnto Physicians and not vnto the Lord 2. Chron. 16.12 though otherwise hee had good things in him as 1. King 15.14 And many do farre worse who seeke to witches and inchanters when they or theirs are in such distresse but this is to forsake God and to seeke help of the diuel like to Ahaziah who sent to Baalzebub the God of Ekron to know of his recouery when he was sicke vpon a fall 2. Kings 1.2 This should be far from all Gods children for as Ahaziahs sickenesse became deadly through his sending to Baalzebub so vndoubtedly many diseases become incurable by the bad and preposterous dealing of the Patient who either vseth vnlawfull meanes or lawfull meanes disorderedly or trusting therein Wee therefore in this case must remember our duty in the practice of faith as Hezekiah did The eight fruit of faith is this Waxed valiant in battell This effect may well bee vnderstood of all the Iudges before named and of all the good Kings in Iuda and Israel But yet there be two especially to whom wee may more peculiarly referre it to wit Samson and Dauid For Samson he by meanes of faith came to be so mighty Iudg. 15.15 that with the Iawe bone of an asse he slew a thousand Philistims And for Dauid he likewise was so incouraged by faith that with the same sling wherewith he kept his fathers sheepe which was but a slender weapon for warre hee encountred with Goliah that huge Philistim and hit him with a stone in the forehead and slew him Both these facts were the fruits of their faith which made them bolde to encounter with these mighty enemies In this effect of their faith first wee may obserue that true fortitude and manhood right valour and courage comes from true faith It must bee graunted that many heathen men had great strength and courage but indeed it was but a shadow of true valour for right valour coms from a beleeuing heart And therefore it is said that these Iudges and Princes of Israel waxed strong in battell by faith Secondly Doth true faith make men valiant in battell Then should the preaching of the word bee set vp and maintained as well in the Campe and Guarison and among Souldiers on the Seas as in Cities and Townes of peace For the preaching of the word is the meanes of this faith which giues valour in battell to them that fight in a good cause Hence it was that the Lord inioyned by Moses that when the people of Israel went out to battell the Priests
should come forth and incourage the people that their hearts might not faint nor feare nor dread their enemies because of the powerfull presence of God fighting for them The Papists obiect this by way of reproach against Zwinglius who was one of the restorers of the Gospel That hee died in the fielde among Souldiers But this indeed is no reproach but rather a matter of great commendation vnto him in that for the increase of faith and knowledge in them that were weake Christians about him hee was content to hazard his owne life And thus much of the eight effect The ninth effect of faith for which these worthy men are commended is this They turned to flight the Armies of the Alients This may be vnderstoode of the most of the Iudges and of the good Kings of Iuda and Israell But I will make choyse especially of two Gedion and Iehosaphat for Gedion one of the Iudges with three hundred Souldiers Iudges 6. and 7 altogether vnweaponed onely with light pitchers in their hands put to flight a mighty huge Armie of the Midianites And Iehosaphat a godly King being assaulted with a mighty and great Armie of Moabites Ammonites and men of mount Seir knew that by force of armes hee could not withstand them and therefore by faith makes a worthy prayer vnto the Lord and the Lord heard him and set his enemies one against another and so did he put them to flight which hee could neuer haue done by any strength of his owne Heere wee may learne how Kingdomes and people may become able to put to flight their enemies The best way is to put in practice their faith in God by humbling themselues truly for their sinnes past with vnfained confession of them vnto God praying withall earnestly for the pardon of them and for Gods aide assistance protection against their enemies The power of this meanes is euident in Scripture and therefore when Eliah was taken vp Elisha cried My Father my Father the Chariot of Israell and the horse-men thereof 2. Kings 2.12 giuing him this notable commendations that he was as good to Israell by meanes of his faith as all their Chariots and Horse-men Question How could that possibly be true Answer If we reade the Story wee shall finde it to be most true that by his prayers which he made in faith he did as much or more then al the strength of the Land could doe And so it shall be with all Christian Kings and people if they can shew forth their faith by prayer vnto God they shall doe wonderfull much hereby in subduing of their enemies To apply this to our selues wee haue had many and dangerous assaults from Popish enemies both domestical and forraine who haue of long time and no doubt stil doe purpose our ouerthrowe Now how shall wee be able to withstand their might and to escape their malice True it is Christian policy and warlike prouision must be vsed yet our stay and rest must not be thereon but wee must stirre vp our faith both Magistrates and Subiects Prince and people and first of all humble our selues for our sins and shew forth our repentance by new obedience in time to come and then pray for a blessing vpon the outward meanes which shall be vsed This is the right practice of faith in the case of danger by our enemies which we shal finde if we exercise it vnfainedly to be a surer meanes of safety and victory against our enemies then all worldly munition and policie For hereby we shall haue the Lord for our protection and his blessing vpon the outward meanes giuing strength and good successe thereunto when as omitting this duty the Lord will not be with vs and then we shall finde that vaine is the strength or wit of man Let vs not therefore betray our selues wilfully into our enemies hand but by this practice of faith enable our selues against all our enemies whatsoeuer otherwise wee may iustly feare to be deliuered into their hands for a prey vnto their teeth And therefore if we loue our owne safetie and the wel-fare of our Land let vs practice this duty For the prayer of faith auaileth much with God if it be feruent and therefore the Lord saith to Moses when he fell down before him to turne backe the wrath that was broken-in vpon the people Let me alone as though Moses had held or bound the Lords hand by his prayer that hee could not smite his people And thus much for the ninth fruite of faith The faith of the widowe and the Shunamite VERSE 35. The women receiued their dead raised vp to life THis is the tenth and last fruit of their faith which must be vnderstood of these two women especially the widow of Zarephath and the Shunamite The widow of Zarephath giuing entertainment o Eliiah in the great famine had this blessing vouchsafed vnto her for her faith that her dead sonne was restored to life by the Prophet And the Shunamite that prouided lodging for the Prophet Elisha had her onely son restored to life from death by the Prophet through faith Now heere we must obserue that these two women did not only beleeue in the true God but more particularly that God would vse these his seruants as meanes to restore to life their two children that were dead as appeares by this that both of them made means to the Prophet for the reuiuing of their children which they did by faith But some wil say This last effect of faith may seeme to crosse the Scripture else-where which saith that Christ is the first fruites of them that sleepe How then could these that were before Christs incarnation be restored from death to life Answer Saint Pauls meaning is this that Christ is the first of all those that rose from death to life to die no more but to liue for euer So indeede Christ is the first fruites of them that sleepe for he rose to liue for euer As for these two and some other mentioned both in the olde Testament and the new that were raised from death to life they rose not from the sleepe of death to liue for euer but to die againe In this tenth fruite of faith all Parents may learne their duty towards their children in the case of sicknesse or such like They must follow the example of these two godly women and labour especially to shew forth their faith in such duties as God requireth in such a case to wit they must humble themselues for their owne sinnes and for the sinnes of their children and family praying earnestly to God for the pardon of them for GOD may visite the iniquity of the Parents vpon the children in bodily iudgements and entreating the Lord to restore them to health and liberty and withall they must vse the ordinarie lawfull meanes of recouerie in physicke and such like praying to God for a blessing thereupon This is their dutie but alas the manner and practice of
many Parents is farre otherwise for whereas they should first seeke vnto the Lord and come to his Prophet they either runne first to the ordinary meanes of physicke or being worse disposed seeke help of wizards blessers by their charmes and sorceries forsaking GOD and running to the Diuell Indeede the vse of lawfull meanes is not to be discommended simply but this preposterous course is blame-worthy and depriues many of Gods blessing in the meanes That they seeke helpe of Physick before they haue sought to the Lord in this holy practice of faith Quest. But how can the parents faith benefit the childe Answ. It cannot procure vnto it eternall life for euery one must bee saued by his owne faith in Christ. And yet the childe receiues many a good blessing at Gods hand by meanes of the Parents faith as namely the benefit of the couenant of grace in the seales thereof besides the fruition of many temporall blessings as life it selfe in this place The consideration hereof must mooue all parents aboue all things to labour for true faith for by the practice hereof they shall be able to bring the greatest blessing vpon themselues and their children and vpon the lawfull meanes which they shall vse for their good Say the Lord shall lay his hand vpon children and seruants in a family what must parents and masters doe Surely the best way for helpe is the practice of faith in true humiliation for sinne and prayer to God for mercy and for a blessing vpon the meanes which they shall vse In all societies this is true that by the faith of the gouernors many curses are remooued and many blessings procured God sends his Iudgements among vs daily and we knowe not when other moe shall befall vs but for the remoueall and preuēting of them we must giue our selues to true humiliation and praier and so shal we finde the Lords mercy towards vs as these two women did And thus much of this tenth fruit of faith and of them all seuerally Now from them all ioyntly together obserue this speciall point That faith is such a grace of God as doth bring downe from heauen vpon euery beleeuer all Gods blessings that are needfull for him Who is hee that desires not to bee made partaker of GODs blessing◠needfull for him both in soule and body Well the onely way and meanes hereto is to get a true and liuely faith and to put the same in practice in all such duties as God shall require at our hands The worthy men before named obtained al the former most wonderfull blessings by meanes of their faith By it they scaped the edge of the sword they quenched the violence of the fire waxed mighty in battel c. as wee haue heard Now if faith be such a notable grace of God then aboue all things in this world let vs labour for it We must not content our selues with lip-faith and so presume vpon Gods mercies but wee must labour for a true and liuely faith in Christ which may purifie our hearts and bring forth fruit in our lyues Here are strong motiues to perswade vs hereunto for what doe wee desire riches honour or fauour and grace in the world would wee haue health and strength nay the fauour of God which is all in all then looke to get true faith for in the practice thereof thou shalt obtaine of God all needfull blessings both temporall and spirituall Many toyle themselues exceedingly by worldly meanes to get temporall blessings as health wealth honour c. and yet neuer attaine thereto because they seeke them not by faith I confesse naturall men get many good things but to them they are no blessings because they want faith both in getting and keeping of them for they lay all religion aside and toyle themselues wholly in worldly meanes This course the childe of God must beware of Say that a Prince bids one of his seruants goe to his Treasurie and there inrich himselfe with Iewels with gold and siluer and with whatsoeuer he lacketh what will this man doe Surely first hee will call for the keyes wherby he may vnlocke the doors and chests for else he can get nothing Behold in the Ministerie of his word God shewes vs his full treasury wherin wee may inrich our selues with all his blessings Now wee must not with the foole runne without the key but labour first for true faith which is that key whereby Gods heauenly treasures are opened vnto vs and we must be sure that we haue a sound key that is a true and sound faith which may strongly turn about the lockes of Gods treasury For this is most certaine he that doth vnfainedly beleeue shall neuer want any thing either in body or soule that is good for him to haue Euery one will say hee beleeues but the truth is that true faith is rare for mens hearts are not purified nor their lyues changed but they remaine as sinnefull as ever they were which causeth Gods iudgements to be rife among vs. Wherefore as we desire our owne good both in soule and body so let vs labour for true faith and shewe forth the power of it in our lyues And thus much of these Iudges and Prophets and of the fruits of their faith Beleeuers vnder the Maccabees VERSE 35. Others also were racked and would not bee deliuered that they might receiue a better resurrection IN these words the author of this Epistle proceedes to the fourth order of Examples of faith contained in this Chapter wherein as in the former lastly handled hee proceedes briefly heaping vp in fewe words many worthy exāples of faith cōcealing the names of the parties onely setting downe those things for which their faith is commended vnto vs. And this fourth and last order of examples comprehendeth such beleeuers as liued vnder the regiment of the Maccabees and afterward to the comming of Christ. For of beleeuers in former times it cannot be vnderstoode because there is a manifest distinction put betweene these beleeuers and the former Iudges Kings and Prophets in these words others also whereby it is plaine that heere he propounds examples of beleeuers different from those which hee mentioned before And it is also plaine that these beleeuers liued before the comming of Christ. For howsoeuer the Christians in the Primitiue Church were racked scourged and tormented after this sort yet of them this place cannot be vnderstoode because they enioyed the promise of the Messias but these heere mentioned enioyed not that promise in their dayes but wayted for it by faith and therein died Verse 39. And indeede in the time of the Maccabees the Church of the Iewes was wonderfully persecuted by Antiochus about two hundred yeares before Christ as we may see 2. Maccabees 4. and 6. chapters Question Where had the Author of this Epistle this large narration of these strange persecutions seeing they are not registred in the bookes of the olde Testament Answere Wee may iudge that hee
Christ and thereupon rest our soules Thus did these beleeuers in this place And this faith did Iob notably testifie when GOD had taken from him children goods health yea and all that he had yet then he said Iob 13.15 Though he kill me yet will I trust in him And so must wee endeuour to doe if that case befall vs for when all worldly helpes and comforts faile vs this promise of life in Christ will be a sweet and safe refuge for our soule Being destitute afflicted and tormented Here the Apostle amplifieth their misery in their wādring estate by three degrees of crosses which did accompany the same First they were destitute of all temporall blessings secondly they were afflicted both in body and minde Thirdly tormented that is euill entreated These are added for a speciall cause to shew that these seruants of God were laden with afflictions They were banished driuen to extreme pouerty they were depriued of all their goods and of all society of men they were afflicted in body and in minde and euill entreated of all men no man would doe them good but all men did them wrong whereby we see that euen waues of miseries ouerwhelmed them on euerie side Hence wee learne that Gods seruants may be ouerwhelmed with manifolde calamities at the same instant being pressed down with crosses in goods in body minde friends and euery way This was Iobs case a most worthy seruant of God he was afflicted in body in friends goods childrē which was greatest of all he wrestled in cōscience with the wrath of God Iob 13.16 Thou writest bitter things against me and makest mee to possesse the iniquities of my youth And the like hath beene the state of many of Gods children Psal. 88.3.7 My soule is filled with euils thou hast vexed me with all thy waues c. Question How can this stand with the truth of Gods word wherein are promises of all manner of blessings both temporall and spirituall to those that feare him Deut. 28. 1 2 c. If thou obey the voyce of the Lord thy GOD all these blessings shall come vpon thee and ouertake thee blessed in the Citie and in the field in the fruite of thy body and of thy ground and cattell Psal. 34.10 They that seeke the Lord shall lacke nothing that is good For Godlinesse hath the promises of this life and of the life to come 1. Tim. 4.8 And therefore Dauid compareth the godly man to the tree that is planted by the water side which bringeth forth much fruite and is greene and well liking Psalme 1.3 How then comes this to passe that Gods owne seruants should be thus oppressed and laden not with one calamity or two but with sundry and grieuous afflictions at the same time Answer True it is the Scripture is full of gracious promises of temporal blessings vnto Gods children but they are conditionall and must be vnderstoode with an exception to this effect Gods children shall haue such and such blessings vnlesse it please God by afflictions to make triall of his graces in them or to chastise them for some sinne so that the exception of the crosse for the triall of grace or chastisement for sinne must be applied to all promises of temporall blessings And hence it comes to passe that the most worthy renowned seruants of God for their faith are said to be afflicted and in miserie For his promises of temporall blessings are not absolute but conditionall All things are theirs as Paul saith 1. Cor. 3.21 and they shall haue honour wealth fauour c. vnlesse it please God to proue their faith or to chastice their sinnes by crosses and afflictions Question How can Gods seruants be able to beare so many and grieuous crosses at once seeing it is hard for a man to beare one crosse patiently The answere is heere laid downe to wit by faith for many and grieuous were the miseries that lay on these seruants of God and yet by beleeuing the promise of life in the Messias they were enabled to beare them all This is a soueraine remedy against immoderate griefe in the greatest distresse and vndoubtedly the flouds of affliction shall neuer ouerwhelme him that hath his heart assured by faith of the mercy of God towards him by Iesus Christ. This made Dauid say He would not feare euill though he should walke through the valley of the shadow of death Psal. 23.4 and Paul speaking of tribulation anguish famine persecution yea and death it selfe saith In all these we are more then conquerers through him that hath loued Rom. 8.37 And from this faith it was that hee was able to endure all estates to be hungry to want c. Phil. 4.12 13. If this be true that Gods children may be afflicted with manifolde calamities at once then the opinion of naturall and vngodly men is false who iudge him to be wicked and vngodly whom God ladeth with manifolde calamities This was the iudgement of Iobs three friends and the ground of all their disputation against him that because God had laid so great and so many crosses vpon him therfore he was but an hypocrite And this is the rash iudgement of naturall men in our dayes especially vpon those that make profession of religion when Gods hand of triall or correction lies vpon them they presently censure them for hypocrites but this is a wretched opinion for Gods dearest children may be pressed downe with manifold calamities Secondly seeing faith in Christ will support the soule vnder manifolde crosses be they neuer so grieuous wee must labour in the feare of God to haue our hearts rooted and grounded in this faith and when afflictions come we must striue to shew forth the fruite and power of it by bearing them patiently And thus much of the seuerall branches of affliction in this last example of beleeuers VERSE 38. Whom the world was not worthy of they wandred in the wildernesse and mountaines and dens and Caues of the earth IN these words the holy Ghost doth answere to a secret obiection or surmise which a naturall mā might cōceiue against the beleeuers spoken of before For it being said that they wandred vp and downe Some man might thinke thus no meruaile though they wandred vp and down for it may be they were not worthy to liue in the worlde This the holy Ghost doth flatly denie and auoucheth the cleane contrary of them to wit that they wandred vp and downe by faith and the Lord caused them so to doe because the world was not worthy of them they were too good to liue in the world In this answere to this surmise wee may obserue what is the opinion of naturall men concerning the children of God to wit that they are not worthy to liue in the world but the earth whereon they tread is too good for them This hath beene is and will be the worldes estimation of Gods children Matthew chapter 24. verse 9 Ye shall be hated of all
whereof wee must all labour diligently aboue all other things to get true faith in Christ that so we may haue approbation at Gods hands without which there is no saluation to be hoped for Secondly here also learne the right way to get testimony approbation and credit with men a thing whereof many are exceeding glad and which the childe of God must not contemne Now the way is this He must first labour to get approbation at GODs hands which indeede hee cannot doe any other way saue onely by a true and liuely faith as wee haue heard before Now the Lord God approouing of him hee hath the hearts of all men in his hands inclining them whither hee will and if it doth stand with his glory hee will cause them to like and to speake well of him that doth beleeue Many indeede get great applause in the world which little regard true faith but in the ende this their glory and applause will be their shame for They that honour me will I honour saith the Lord but he that despiseth me shal be despised 1. Sam. 2.30 Lastly whereas the holy Ghost saith That all these worthy men obtained testimony of God and yet receiued not the promise We are hereby taught that we which now liue in the Church are much more bound in conscience to beleeue than they that liued in the old Testament For wee haue receiued the promise of Christs incarnation They receiued it not and yet beleeued Wherefore in the feare of God let vs labour for true faith But some wil say What should we heare so much of faith we do all beleeue Answ. Indeed we say so much with our mouthes but it is a rare thing to finde true and sound faith in the heart for grosâ—e and palpable ignorance abounds euery where and yet men wil needs be good beleeuers which is a thing impossible for how should faith be without knowledge And as men are ignorant so they haue no care to learne nor to get knowledge that so they might come by true faith Their hearts are wholly takeÌ„ vp with the world for matters of profit and delight that they can spare no time to seeke for this pretious gift of faith Againe many haue knowledge with whom true faith is rare for faith purifies the heart it is ioyned with a good conscience and shewes it selfe by obedience through loue Now to leaue the heart to God where almost is the man that walkes answerable to his knowledge May we not truely say of many that as the word commeth in at the one eare it goeth out at the other And among those which learne and beare away something there is little care to practice it in life But wee must knowe that if wee would be approoued of God wee must beleeue Now so long as wee remaine ignorant or else hauing knowledge doe not ioyne practice therewith in obedience from a good conscience vndoubtedly we haue no sparke of true faith in vs. Wee may make a shewe of faith and so beare the world in hand we beleeue but certainely this will prooue a very dead faith and in the ende and finishing of all appeare to bee nothing but bare lip-faith and meere presumption Now to conclude this point we must know that vnlesse wee get true faith as these beleeuers had which wee must shewe by good fruits as they did euen they shall rise vp in iudgemeÌ„t against vs to condemne vs at the last day For they beleeued though they had not the ground of faith so laid before them as we haue Wherefore let them that want knowledge labour for it and they which haue it let them ioyne obedience with their knowledge that the faith of their hearts may be seene by the fruits of their liues for true faith cannot bee hid but will breake out in good workes VERSE 40. God prouiding a better thing for vs that they without vs should not be made perfect BEcause some man might much maruel that such men as receiued testimony of God for their faith should not yet receiue the promise therefore here the holy Ghost renders a reason thereof to wit the good pleasure of God appointing that Christ should bee incarnate at such a time as was most conuenient for the perfect consummation of the whole Church consisting of Gentiles as well as Iewes For though these ancient beleeuers were in time long before vs yet God prouided Christs incarnation so fitly for vs that they without vs should not haue perfect consummation in glory The Exposition God prouiding a better thing for vs. The word in the originall translated prouiding signifieth properly foreseeing wherein is likewise included Gods decree and ordination Now this we must knowe that it is a peculiar prerogatiue belonging to the true God alone to be able to foresee things to come and that many thousand years before no creature of himselfe can doe it And yet it is true that this propertie to foresee is ascribed vnto God not properly but in regard of our capacitie for if we speake of God properly God cannot be said to foresee any thing because all things bee present to him whether past or to come This prescience or foreknowledge in God puts a difference betweene the true God and all false gods yea betweene the true God and all creatures for the true God foresees all things that are to come so can no creature doe Indeed some creatures foresee and foretell some things yet herein they come short of the diuine property for God foresees all things by himselfe without signes or causes or outward meanes But creatures onely foresee some things not of themselues but by meanes of signes and outward causes or by reuelation from God otherwise can no creature foresee things to come Now as we said before this fore-sight in God includes his decree and ordination for therefore did these things so come to passe because God ordained them Whereby we see that Gods prescience of fore-knowledge is not idle but operatiue and ioyned with his will for Math. 10.29 30 an haire cannot fall from our head nor a sparrow light vpon the ground without his will As all things in time come to passe so God before all worlds willed that is decreed and appointed them And vnder this large extent of Gods will or decree wee must include the sinnefull actions of men for God doth not barely foresee them but decree the beeing of them and so will them after a sort though not to be done by himselfe yet by others When Iudas betrayed Christ and Pilate with the wicked Iewes condemned and reuiled him they sinned grieuously yet herein they did nothing but that which Gods hand and counsell had determined before to be done This point well considered confutes their opinion who indeed inlarge Gods prescience or fore knowledge ouer all things both good and euill but yet exclude sin from without the compasse of his decree and ordination But here we see Gods foresight includes his decree and nothing
the Apostle speaketh that the beleeuers liuing in these last dayes might haue time of being in the Church to be called iustified and sanctified that so they might bee glorified with them that liued before For put the case that Christ had suffered in the dayes of Abraham or Dauid or there-about then the end of the world must needes haue come the sooner for so it was foretolde that Christ should come in the later ages of the world 1. Pet 1 20. Now if the world had beene sooner cut off then had there not beene time of birth and calling for all the elect that now liue and shall liue therefore for their sakes was Christs comming deferred till the fulnesse of time And this I take to be the meaning of the words Now in that the holy Ghost here saith The members of Christ in the new Testament must bee perfected with all the ancient beleeuers in the olde wee must heereby be admonished to conforme our selues vnto these ancient Fathers in the participation of grace practice of obedience in this life For how can we looke to be glorified with them after this life if heere wee be not like them in grace Christ tells his followers that many should come from the East and from the West to sit with Abraham Isaac and Iacob in the kingdome of heauen Math 8.11 12 because they were followers of these Patriarchs in the faith when as the children of the Kingdome that is many Iewes by birth borne in the Church should be cast into vtter darknesse Now if Christ denie to glorifie the children and posterity of these ancient beleeuers because they did not follow them in grace and in obedience how can we which are by nature sinners of the Gentiles looke to bee glorified with them vnlesse in grace and obedience we conforme our selues vnto them Thus much for these examples of faith Now something must be added out of the next Chapter because there the holy Ghost makes vse of all these worthy examples A Commentarie vpon part of the 12. Chapter to the Hebrewes VERSE 1. Wherfore let vs also seeing wee are compassed with so great a clowd of witnesses cast away euery thing that presseth down and that sinne that hangeth so fast on let vs runne with patience the race that is set before vs. IN these words the holy Ghost propoundeth a worthy exhortation to the Christians of the newe Testament that they should labour to be constant in the profession of the faith that is in holding embracing and beeleeuing true Christian religion And his reason is framed thus The Saints of God in the olde Testament were constant in the faith and therefore you must likewise be constant in the faith that liue in the new Testament The first part of the reason is laid downe in all the exāples of the former chapter The conclusion or sequel is contained in this 1. verse Wherein wee may obserue two points an exhortation vnto constancy in true religion and the way or meanes to attaine thereunto The exhortation is inferred vpon the former examples which are all here applied as precedents and directions vnto vs for constancy and perseuerance in the faith in these words Wherefore seeing we are compassed about with such a cloud of witnesses that is Seeing Abel Enoch Noe Abraham and all the rest of the holy Fathers who are a clowd of witnesses vnto vs that is lights and leaders before vs were constant in true religion whether we respect their faith in Gods promises or obedience to his commandements therefore we also must be constant in the faith The way or meanes hereunto stands in three duties in the words following Let vs cast away c. For the exhortation First in generall the very inferring of it from the former examples teacheth vs this speciall duty That euery one in Gods Church must apply vnto himselfe those instructions that are laid downe either generally in doctrine or particularly in example And therfore the holy Ghost here saith not Let the Galatians or the Corinthians which were renowmed Churches bee constant in the faith but Let vs that is you Hebrewes with my selfe bee constant in the faith following the example of your ancient fathers It is said of the ancient Iewes that many of them heard Gods word but it was not profitable vnto them because it was not mingled with faith in them What is it to mingle the word with faith It is not onely to receiue it by faith beleeuing it to be true but also by the same hand of faith to apply it to a mans own soule to his heart and life And vndoubtedly Gods word thus applied to a mans particular person hath in it great power and fruite whether we regard information of iudgement or reformation of life But it is a hard thing to doe and rare to finde a man that doth sincerely apply vnto himselfe either generall doctrines or particular examples We are all prone to shift it from our selues and to lay it vpon others saying This is a good Item or a good lesson for such a one or such a one if hee were here or if he would marke it In the meane while what benefit reape we to our owne soules for the word not applied to our selues doth vs no good it is like Physicke not taken or food not eaten And hence it coms to passe that though we heare much yet wee profit little by the ministery of Gods word We must therefore learne to follow Maries example who pondered Christs words and laid them vp in her owne heart When an exhortation is giuē we must not post it off and lay it vpon others mens shoulders but apply it to our selues and lay it to our owne hearts saying This instruction is for me Hereby no doubt wee should feele greater blessings vpon the preaching of the word than yet wee doe And to mooue vs hereunto let vs consider that Satan our vtter enemie who seekes nothing but our destruction is most busie to hinder this application of the word either by the minister or by a mans owne conscience As for example when the minister by occasion out of Gods word shall confute either errour in iudgement or misdemeanour in life then men that heare and are guilty thereof should say This is mine errour or my fault now am I confuted or reproued And God no doubt if men would thus do would make it effectuall vnto them at the length But in stead of this applying to our selues either through our owne corruption or Satans suggestion or both we shift it from our selues and say Now hee reprooues such a one and such a one and speakes against such and such and indeed Satan by his good will would neuer haue a man to apply the word rightly to himselfe Therefore seeing Satan is so busie and this is his deceit to make a man shift off an exhortation or reproofe from himselfe and to lay it on others wee must be as carefull to apply it to
our selues and to lay it to our owne consciences and then no doubt we shall finde it to be a word of power able to reforme both the misdemeanour of our liues and the errours of our mindes Now to the reason more particularly Wee must be constant in the faith because we are compassed about with so great a cloude of witnesses Heere the ancient Fathers of the olde Testament which in the former chapter were commended vnto vs for their faith are compared to a cloude and then to a cloude compassing vs. Lastly to a cloude of witnesses They are compared to a cloude as I take it by allusion to the cloud which directed and led the Israelites in the wildernesse for when they came from Egypt and were 40. yeares in the Desert of Arabia all that while they were directed by a pillar of cloud by day Exod. 13.21 Now looke as this cloud guided the Israelites from the bondage of Egypt to the Land of Canaan so doth this companie of famous beleeuers direct all the true members of Gods Church in the new Testament the right way from the Kingdome of darknesse to the spirituall Canaan the kingdome of heauen And this is the true cause why these worthy beleeuers are compared to a cloud Mark further they are called a cloud but what a cloude namely compassing vs. A compassing cloud they are called by reason of the great company of beleeuers so as which way soeuer a man turnes him hee shall see beleeuers on euery side and they are said to compasse vs because they giue vs direction in the course of Christianity as the cloud did the Israelites in the wildernesse Now wheras the whole company of beleeuers is called a cloud compassing vs heere is answered a cōmon obiection of temporizers which argue thus against religiō There are so many kindes of religion now a-dayes that no man can tell which to be of and therefore it is good to be of no religion till we be certified which is the true religion This carnall reason is here answered for howsoeuer in som things there be variety of opinions in Gods Church yet for the substance of religion all agree in one For the company of beleeuers in this world resembles a cloud that goes before vs shewing vs the right way which we are to walke in to the Kingdome of heauen Secondly in that these ancient beleeuers are called a cloud compassing vs we are taught that as the Israelites did follow the cloud in the wildernes frō the Land of Egypt to Canaan so must we follow the example of these ancient beleeuing fathers Prophets to the kingdom of heauen It is a strange thing to see how the Israelites followed that cloud They neuer went till it went before them and when it stood still they stood still also though it were 2. yeares together and when it began to moue they moued with it So in the same maner must we set before our eyes for a pattern of life the worthy examples of beleeuers in the old Testament for whatsoeuer was written was written for our learning We must therfore be followers of them in faith obedience and other graces of God and so shall we be directed to life euerlasting in the spirituall Canaan the kingdom of heauen And yet we must not follow thē absolutely For all of thē had their infirmities som of thē had their grieuous faults wherby they were tainted their cōmendation somwhat blemished but we must follow them in the practice of faith other graces of God The cloud that guided the Israelites had two parts a light part a dark The Egyptians who were enemies to Gods people had not the light part before them but the dark part so following that they rushed into the red sea were drowned whē as the Israelites folowing the light part went through in safety Euen so these beleeuers had in them two things their sins which be their darke part which if we follow we cast our soules into great danger destruction and faith with other graces of God which are their light part which we must follow as our light which if we doe carefully it will bring vs safe to the Kingdome of heauen So Paul bids the Corinthians be followers of him yet not absolutely in euery thing but as he followes Christ and so must we follow the Fathers as they went on in faith in Christ. Further they are a cloud of witnesses that is a huge multitude of witnesses And they are so called First because by their owne bloud they confirmed the faith which they professed Secondly because they did all confirme the doctrine of true religion whereof they were witnesses partly by speaches and partly by actions in life and conuersation And so is euery member of Christ a witnesse as the Lord often calls the beleeuing Israelites his witnesses Quest. How came this to passe that these beleeuers should bee Gods witnesses Answere Surely because they testified the truth and excellencie of Gods holy religion both in word and action in life and conuersation Now seeing these in the olde Testament were Christs witnesses First hereby all ignorant persons must be stirred vp to be carefull to get faith and to learne true religion If any thing will moue a man to become religious this will for out of all the world God will chuse faithfull men to be his witnesses to testifie of his religion vnto others If a man were perswaded that some worthy mighty Prince would vouchsafe to call him to beare witnesse of the truth on his side he would be wonderfull glad thereof and take it for a great honour to him How much more then ought wee to labour for knowledge faith and obedience in true religion that we may become witnesses vnto the Lord our God if it be a dignity to be witnesse to an earthly Prince oh then what a great prerogatiue is this for a silly sinfull man to becom a witnesse to the truth of the euerliuing God who is King of Kings whose word needes no confirmation This must make vs al to labour for knowledge for faith and for the power of religion but if we wil remaine stil in our ignorance and neuer labour for knowledge then shall these seruants of God that beleeued in the olde Testament stand vp and witnesse against vs at the day of iudgement for they had not such meanes as we haue and yet they became most faithfull witnesses Secondly this must teach vs to be careful that as in word we professe Christ so indeed we may confesse him expressing the power of his grace in vs. For by this true confession of Christ we are made his witnesses but when wee confesse Christ in word onely and yet in life practice denie him then we are vnfaithful witnesses for we say vnsay In an earthly court if a mā should one while say one thing another while another thing he would not be accepted for a
spirituall exercises we must leaue thē and abstaine from them This is that moderation which we must vse in temporall things for the maine ende that euery man must propound to himselfe in all things is this That God may bee glorified Now that a man may glorifie God it is necessary that hee should walke in the waies of godlinesse and of true religion Therefore looke as riches and worldly commodities may further vs in Christian religion and godlinesse so farre forth must wee vse them and therein giue glory to God but when they hinder vs therein then we must leaue them and cast them off The Mariner that is vpon the sea in a great tempest seeing his ship too sore laden will cast out any of his commodities first that that is the heauiest and at last if neede bee the most pretious iewels that bee in his ship before he will see it lost Euen so must wee doe in the sea of this world when wee see riches honours and lawfull pleasures to make vs vnfit vntoward for the exercises of pietie and religion then away with them wee must cast them off how deare soeuer they be vnto vs. And thus much for the first duty The second duty that we must performe for constancy in religion is this wee must cast away the sinne that hangeth so fast on or as the words will better beare We must cast away the sinne that is so fit or so ready to compasse vs about euery way By sinne here wee must not vnderstand actuall sinne the practicing of vngodlinesse in life and conuersation but originall sinne which is the corruption of nature in which men are conceiued and borne Now this originall sinne is said to be ready to compasse vs about because as Paul saith of himselfe when a man would doe good it causeth euill to be present with him so as that good thing which he would doe that he doth not but the euill which he would not doe that doth he And it is said to compasse vs about because whatsoeuer in heart a man doth desire or affect or purpose to do this originall sinne doth corrupt and defile the same vnto him and whatsoeuer in action a man would bring to passe it doth likewise pollute it By reason whereof it comes to passe that we may truly say that all the thoghts affections wills and purposes yea and euery action of Gods children are all mixed and stained with the corruption of this sinne So that this hinders Gods deare seruants and children that they cannot goe on in the course of godlinesse and christianity as they would but either they fall in their iourney many times or if they stand yet they doe often stagger and goe very faintly and haltingly forward From this that the holy Ghost saith Originall sinne compasseth the beleeuer about we are to obserue and learne sundry points First this serueth notably to confute some errors maintained and vpheld by the Church of Rome for they say that after a man is regenerate by Gods spirit there is nothing in him that God can iustly hate and they doe curse all other that holde the contrary Now to ratifie this their doctrine that original sinne after regeneration is not sinne properly They say that after regeneration it is no more sinne than Tinder is fire which in it selfe is no fire but very apt and fit vpon the least occasion to be set on fire But this opinion is here ouerthrowen by this that the holy Ghost saith That the beleeuing Hebrewes that is Gods Church must cast away this sinne Where it is plain that after regeneration whereby a man receiueth the spirit of sanctification and adoption hee hath sinne in him for this sinne is most apt and ready to hinder him in the course of Christianity and godlinesse Now if sinne were not properly sinne it must lose it owne nature and quality and if it had lost it proper quality it would not be so ready to hinder a man in the course of godlinesse both in thought wordes and deedes So that here it is manifest and plaine that in a regenerate man there is sinne properly And howsoeuer hee be free from the guilt and punishment of sinne yet the corruption remaineth still in him though greatly weakened through Sanctification Againe here obserue that the opinion of many men concerning their sanctification is erroneous for some there be who haue thought that a man might be perfectly sanctified in this life and haue originall sinne quite abolished But this is most false for this Church of the Hebrewes had as worthy men in it for godlinesse and sanctification as any are in these daies yea and the author of this Epistle was no doubt a man that had receiued a great measure of sanctifying grace yet including himselfe among them he exhorts the Hebrewes thus Let vs cast off the burden and sinne that is so ready to compasse vs about What! had the Apostle these Christians sinne in them Yes or else the holy Ghost would neuer bid them cast it off for it were a vaine thing to bid them cast off that which they had not Therefore they were not perfectly sanctified as indeede no man euer was or shall be in this life Christ onely excepted Wee must not maruell at this that no man is perfect in this life nay we must rather maruell at this that God hath giuen to any of vs any droppe of sound grace beeing such miserable wretched sinners as we are The Lord himselfe hath giuen many reasons why men should not bee perfect in this life As first If a man were perfectly sanctified in this life then were hee perfectly iust and righteous in himselfe euen before GOD and so should be saued yet not by free grace and mercy alone in Christ and thus should Christ not bee a whole and alone Sauiour but onely a meanes to conuay into a man that sauing grace whereby a man should be saued But Christ is our whole and onely righteousnesse whereby wee are iustified and saued and this may our corruption teach vs which stil remaines in vs not quite mortified till the houre of death Secondly whatsoeuer grace we receiue of God it comes by meanes of faith which GOD worketh in vs And looke how it stands with vs in regard of faith so is it with vs for all other graces But faith in the best beleeuer is imperfect in this life and mixed with much doubting and therefore all other gifts and graces which come by faith as righteousnesse repentance and sanctification are also imperfect in this life From this that sanctification in this life is imperfect we learn for the ouerthrowing of another error of the Church of Rome that no man can stand at Gods tribunall seate iustified by inherent iustice or righteousnesse For that which wee call Sanctification the Papists call the Iustification of a sinner making two parts of iustification the first whereby a sinner of an euill man is made good by the pardon of
sinnes and the infusion of inward righteousnesse standing in hope and charity especially And the second wherby of a good man one is made better and more iust and this they say may proceede from the merite of a mans owne workes of grace and hereby they hold a man stands righteous before God But looke how it standes with grace in vs in this life so likewise shal it stand with the same graces at the last day if they bee imperfect now and so not able to iustifie vs before GOD they shall also be found imperfecte then to that purpose and effecte But now they are imperfect as hath beene shewed and therefore cannot then stand for our righteousnesse vnlesse we will imagine that God will then accept of an imperfect Iustice. Wherefore their Doctrine is erroneous a doctrine of all terrour and desperation for who dare aduenture the saluation of his soule vpon his owne righteousnesse Wee denie not but that God accepteth of our sanctification yet not as the matter of our iustification vnto life that onely is the obedience and righteousnesse of Iesus Christ accepted of God for vs and made ours by faith for that alone is aunswerable to the rigour of the Law Thirdly this also sheweth the errour of those who hold that concupiscence or originall sinne is not a quality but an essence or substance liuing and subsisting by it selfe For here wee see a plaine difference betweene a mans body and soule and originall sinne that compasseth them else the holy Ghost would not bid vs to cast off this sinne for that which is of the substance of man cannot by man bee cast off And to make this more plaine we must knowe that in man descending from Adam there be three things 1. The substance of his soule and body 2. The powers and faculties in them both 3. The corruption or bad disposition in those powers and faculties whereby a man is vnconformable to the will of his Creator and prone to that which is euill And this third thing is it which is here spoken of different from mans substance and faculties and so is not a substance in man or mans nature corrupted but an ill disposition therein Fourthly hence also wee learne what a regenerate man doth most feele in himselfe namely originall sinne the corruption of his nature for that hangs on fast and hinders him in the practice of all good duties This Paul knew well and therefore confesseth that hee saw another Law in his members rebelling against the Law of his minde and leading him captiue vnto the Law of sinne which was in his members Rom. 7.23 This caused him to leaue vndone the good which he would haue done and to do the euill which he would not doe Verse 19. And Dauid felt the same thing when he saide I will runne the way of thy commaundements when thou shalt enlarge my heart Why doth Dauid speak of the enlarging of his heart Surely he felt in himselfe this originall sinne which did streicten his good affections so as hee could not put them forth so much as hee would toward the Law of God And when hee saith Psal. 51.12 Stablish me oh Lord by thy free spirit he would giue vs to vnderstand that by originall corruption hee was restrained of his Christian liberty and hindred in all good affections holy actions and heauenly meditations which causeth him to pray for liberty and freedome by the spirit So that it is plaine the seruant of God feeles this corruption clogging and hindering him from all good duties 1. This serues to admonish all secure persons which neuer felt sinne to bee a clogge or burthen vnto them of their fearfull and dangerous estate For to euery childe of God originall corruption is a grieuous burthen Now conferre with a natural man and aske him what imperfections and wants he feeles in himselfe his answer is he neuer was hindered by any corruption in all his life he neuer felt doubting or want of loue either to God or to his brethren he feeles no pride of heart no guile or hypocrisie nor vaine-glory c. If wee take these men vpon their words they are Angels among men but indeede they are blinde and ignorant and wonderfully deceiued by Satan for all Gods seruants in this life doe continually bewaile the corruption of their nature crying out against originall sinne that it hinders them in doing the good things which they would doe and causing them to doe that euill which they would not These men therefore that are neuer troubled with corruption but to their owne thinking haue grace at will are in a fearefull case their mindes are still blinded and their hearts hardned they are dead in sin abiding in darknesse vnto this houre And if they goe thus on to death they shall finde that sinne will vnvizor himselfe and then they shall knowe what sinne meanes and finde the terrour and feele the burthen of it when it is too late like the foolish virgines that knew what the want of oyle meant when the doores were shut Secondly this shewes vnto vs what is the state and condition of the childe of God in this life He is not heere a Saint feeling no corruption perfectly sanctified freed from all sinne but such a one as feeles the burthen of corruption hindering him in his Christian course vnder which hee sighes and groanes labouring by all good meanes to bee disburthened and to cast it off It is indeede a matter of great comfort for a man to feele Gods graces in himselfe as faith loue repentance sanctification and such like but no childe of GOD can alwayes or alone feele the comfort of grace most commonly hee shall be troubled with sinne if he be Gods childe Now if feeling it hee dislike himselfe and striue to bee eased of it this is a sure argument of his happy estate Fiftly this commaundement to cast away sinne that presseth downe teacheth euery childe of GOD to labour earnestly for the gouernment and direction of Gods spirit for wee haue within vs originall corruption that like an armed man besets vs about and hindereth vs in euerie good thing wee take in hand Wee must therefore pray vnto GOD daily that hee would guide vs by his good spirit for by reason of the corruption of our nature and the deceitfulnesse of sinne wee shall vtterly faile vnlesse Gods spirit gouerne vs both in the thoughts of our hearts in the words of our mouthes and the actions of our liues This Dauid knew well and therefore prayeth to the Lord for his good spirit to leade him into the Land of Righteousnesse Psal. 143.10 Lastly seeing wee haue this corruption of nature in vs wee must keepe our hearts with all diligence and set watch and ward about them So Salomon saith Counterguard thy heart my sonne Prouerbs 4.23 Why doth Salomon giue this commandement Surely for special cause for euery man while he liues on earth is compassed about with his owne corrupt nature which like a
yet neuer was saued vnlesse therewithall wee haue the couenant of grace belonging vnto vs and the assurance thereof sealed in our consciences by Gods holy spirit Againe consider who spake these words But in Isaac shall thy seed be called Wee shall finde in Genesis 21.12 it was God himselfe Let it not saith God vnto Abraham be grieuous in thy sight for the childe and for the bond-woman in all that Sarah shal say vnto thee heare her voice which was to cast out the bond-woman and her sonne Ismael For saith GOD in Isaac shall thy seede be called Here obserue a notable practice of Abraham as a good direction how we ought to iudge of all those that liue in the Church submitting themselues outwardly to the ministerie and regiment thereof Abraham here hath two sonnes Isaac and Ismael he circumciseth them both and instructs them both for he taught all his houshold to knowe God and to feare and obey him Gen. 18.19 hee iudgeth them both to be in one state in regard of Gods couenant though they were not but that difference is made by God Abraham doth not on his own head and by his own will put Ismael out of the Church which was in his family but God bids him put him out and then he put him out and not before till such time he kept him in and held him to be within the couenant as well as Isaac was Euen so must we deale towards those that liue in the church secret iudgement must bee left to God and till God manifest the contrary in the iudgement of charity wee must holde them all elect This is the practice of Saint Paul in all his Epistles writing to the Corinths 1. Corinth 1.2 he calls them all sanctified and to the Galatians Gal. 1.2 hee calles them all elect speaking so in the iudgement of charitie although he knew that among them there were many profane and wicked men and though hee reprooue many great errors and hainous sinnes amongst them And thus much of the first argumēt wherby Abrahams faith is commended vnto vs namely the great impediments which might hinder the same Now followeth the second Argument or reason wherby his faith is commended to wit Abrahams victory ouer these impediments or the meanes whereby he ouercame them and induced himselfe to obey GOD in these words VERSE 19. For he considered or reasoned that God was able to raise him vp euen from the dead HEre is the true cause that made Abraham to offer his sonne and yet beleeue the promise that in him his seed should be called Wee may perswade our selues that Abraham had rather haue died himselfe if it might haue stood with the will of God than to haue sacrificed his sonne How then doth he induce himselfe to offer him vp Ans. By this which is here set downe he reasoned that God was able to raise him vp euen from the dead Here are diuers points to be considered of vs First obserue the text saith not that Abraham murmured or reasoned against God but reasoned with himselfe that God was able to raise vp his sonne againe and thereby induced himselfe to sacrifice his sonne vnto God Hence wee learne that when God laies vpon vs any hard commandement wee must not plead the case with God or murmure against him but with all quietnesse and meekenesse obey This is a notable grace of God commended vnto vs by God himselfe In rest and quietnesse saith God Isay 30.15 shall be your strength in quietnesse and confidence shall yee bee saued Many thinke it impossible to endure or doe some things which God imposeth on his children But our spirituall strength stands in these two in silence or rest and in quietnesse by these wee shall be enabled When Nadab and Abihu the sonnes of Aaron offered strange fire before the Lord which hee had not commaunded There went out a fire from the Lord and deuoured them so they died before the Lord. Now when Aaron their father asked Moses a cause hereof Moses saide It was that which the Lord spake he would be glorified in all that came neere him which when Aaron heard the Text saith He heide his peace and said not a word so Dauid behaued himselfe in the case of distresse I helde my peace and saide nothing because thou Lord diddest it And this is a speciall point for vs to learne and practice wee must not grudge or repine at Gods hard commaundements nor pleade the case with him but in all quietnesse and silence obay God in all that he saith vnto vs. Againe whereas it is said that Abraham reasoned that God was able c. Here we learne that it is a necessary thing for a man that beleeues to haue good knowledge in Gods word that when a temptation comes against his faith by knowledge and reasoning out of Gods word hee may be able to put backe the same for all our reasoning in matters of faith must be grounded on the word so doth Abraham in this place against this strong temptation reason out of Gods word to stay himselfe so that knowledge in the word of God is necessary to him that beleeues And therefore that Doctrine of the Church of Rome is erronious and here condemned which saith that if a man become deuout beleeue as the Church beleeueth though he knowe not what the Church beleeueth yet this faith will saue him but this is a meere deuice of their owne and hath no ground in the word of God for as we see heere knowledge in the word is necessary for him that hath true sauing faith But what is Abrahams argument whereby hee moues himselfe to obay God Surely this Hee reasoned that God was able to raise vp Isaac from the dead One part of his reason he takes for graunted which heere hee conceales for this promise was made vnto him In Isaac shall thy seede be called Now this he takes for graunted that God will neuer change his promise From whence hee reasoneth thus God is able to raise vp Isaac my sonne from the dead to life againe and therefore I will sacrifice my sonne according to his commaundement for this I knowe certainly that in Isaac shall my seede be called seeing God hath promised that as well as he commaundeth this other In this example wee see a meanes set downe vnto vs to enduce vs to obey God in all hard and difficult cases imposed by God which is a point to be considered carefully of euery one of vs. For say that any of vs shall be so touched in conscience for our sinnes that we euen despaire of our owne saluation what must we doe in this case wee must take Abrahams course and dispute with our selues for our selues we must drawe our arguments from the promise of God and from the power of God we must ioyne the promise and power of GOD together As for example thus wee must say God hath made this promise this I haue heard and I doe beleeue it