Which will appeare if we consider the quality of it or the meanes of preserving it or the short continuance of it or the subject of it or the things with which it is opprest or the whole nature of it 1 For the qualitie of it What is life It is but a winde or breath God breathed into man the breath of life as if his life were but his breath Gen. 2.7 and so it is said Every thing that had the breath of life Gen. 6.17 7.15.22 My life is a winde saith Ioh Ioh 7.7 What is your life saith S. Iames it is even a vapour that appeareth for a little while and then vanisheth away Iam. 4.14 2 If we consider the short continuance of it It will vanish away of it selfe after a while as wee see in that place It is compared to a Weavers Shuttle or at the best every houre of our life or every action addes secretly a threed till the web be woven and then wee are cut off So Hezekiah compares himselfe to a Weaver in that respect Esay 38.12 Our life is scarce a span long for to live is but to dye to begin to live is to begin to dye for death takes away time past and every moment we yeeld something to death 3 If wee consider the poore meanes of preserving life It is such a weake thing that if we doe not daily give it food it will faile us and if it be not kept with rayment it will be extinguished And for the meanes we use how silly are they Our life is called the life of our hands Esay 57.10 because it will not last unlesse wee make hard shift with our hands to preserve it 4 If wee consider the subject of it It is but our bodies for our soules in our naturall condition according to the sense of Scripture are dead in trespasses and sinnes They have as it were a beeing but not a life Our soules inrespect of the substance of them are excellent things because invisible and spirituall existences but yet are destitute of that life is proper to them They are things indeed will last long but are void of that life which is spirituall 5 If wee consider the miseries with which this life is infested both by sinne and the punishments of it As for sinne it is leprous from the wombe and charged with Adams fault and erres so often as cannot be numbred the faults of it are more than the haires of our heads As for punishment how hath God aveâ—ged himselfe upon thy wretched life to thrust thee out of Paradise and would not let thee enjoy life in any place that was not accursed The Divells also compasse about thy life to destroy it 2. Cor. 10.5 What deformities and infirmities are found in all the Vessels of life even in all the parts of thy body in which it dwells And without thee in the objects of life how is it frighted with cares plagues or vexed with particular crosses How doth God passe by thee in many blessings he gives before thy face to others and will not to thee And what thou hast to comfort thy life is it not cursed to thee so as thou feelest vanity and vexation in the use of it But above how is thy life frighted with the danger of eternall death 6 Lastly if we consider the whole nature of life The Apostle here thinks it is not worth the naming by the name of life when he saith onely of the godly that they are heires of life as if there were no living men but they and as if they had bin dead all the time they were till they were adopted But it is not Naturall life is here meant but Spirituall life called in Scripture New life and the Life of God and eternall Life The words of the Apostle Paul Tit. 3.7 when hee saith We are heires according to the hope of eternall life serve to expound these words of the Apostle Peter Now concerning this life it is above the reach of all mortall creatures to describe it as it is especially in the perfection of it in heaven for Saint Paul saith of what he saw in heaven that he saw things that could not be uttered 2. Cor. 12. and Saint Iohn saith It doth not appeare what wee shall be 1. Ioh. 3.2 And in the 1. Cor. 2.9 it is said that eye hath not seene nor eare heard nor hath it entred into the heart of man to conceive of what God hath prepared for them that love him Yea Christ himselfe doth seeme to grant that as Man he did not fully see the glory of this eternall life in his mortall condition where speaking of his estate after death he said Thou wilt shew me the paths of life Act. 2. And for so much as is revealed concerning this spirituall and eternall life two things must be remembred the one That the doctrine of this life lyeth hid from ages and generations in extreame darkenesse and when the Gospell treats of it it brings it as it were out of a darke dungeon into the light 2. Tim. 1.10 The other is That when it is brought to light none can reach to it but such as God endewes with speciall wisdome for Salomon long since had observed that Life is above to the wise onely Prov. 15.24 The things I would consider of about this life are these 1 The Degrees of it 2 The Originall of it 3 A ghesse at the Nature of it 4 The things that nourish it 5 The differences betweene this life on earth and as it is in heaven 6 The Meanes to attaine it or what we must doe if wee would enter into life 7 The Signes to know whether it be in us 8 The Properties of it Lastly the Vses of it 1 For the first wee must understand that this life hath three degrees into which wee enter in at three gates as it were The first degree of eternall life begins at the first spirituall acquaintance with God in this life when his favour is made knowne to us in Iesus Christ by the Gospell so as wee are truely justified and sanctified being reconciled unto God having all our sinnes forgiven us and our natures made new and into this degree wee enter by the gate of Regeneration Thus our Saviour saith This is eternall life to know God and whom he hath sent Iesus Christ Ioh. 17.3 Thus he that heareth Christs words and beleeveth is passed from death to life Ioh. 5.24 The second degree beginnes at our death and continueth the life that the soule separated from the body enjoyes till the resurrection at the last day And concerning the estate of the soule in this degree of life wee have no absolute revelation but yet are taught in Scripture that it returns to God that gave it to the body at first Eccles. 12.7 and that it is with Christ Phil. 1.23 that it is in the hands of God and in Paradise Luk. 23.43 and lives in unspeakable joy Luk. 16. 25.
they doe soe is because they themselves did feele by experience how unable they were to beare crosses when they fell upon them It was this Peter that denied his Master upon the very sight as it were of adversaries and it was this David that gave this advice after himselfe had changed his behaviour before Abimelech as you may see by the title of the Psalme Which should teach us to bee thankfull for that publike or private quietnesse any of us doe enjoy and besides it should warne those unruly froward Christians that live not in quiet either at home or abroad to repent and amend their words and workes They cannot imagine what singular comfort and contentment they withhold from their owne lives and the lives of others If they did but know how much God abhors a froward Christian they would be more affraid than they are Thus of the generall observations The first part concernes the persons that are exhorted and they are described by two formes of speech the one Such as will love life the other Such as would see good daies If any man will love life From this forme of speech three things may be observed Doct. 1. That men by nature are prone to the love of life and so prone that the most men will breake all bounds and will love life whatsoever bee said to them or done to them This is a point so sensibly felt by the experience of the most that heare it that it needs no proofe If any man aske what the reason should bee why there is such an inordinate love of life in the most many things may be answered The first cause of it is the generall corruption of nature in the most men which came in by sinne To love it selfe is nature but to love life so pertinaciously is from degeneration and the great abasement of the nature of man that cannot now move it selfe towards the perfection of it selfe for unto the godly the change of life is an alteration that brings perfection Secondly ignorance and unbeliefe is the cause of it If men did know beleeve those glorious things God speaks of a better life they would loath this present life long to be in heaven Thirdly the cause in many is that their hearts are â—ngaged upon such perplexed and intricate projects about profit or pleasure or greatnesse in the world that they are not at leasure to examine the reasons of the love of life the heart of man is usually oppressed with some one or other of these projects Fourthly in all sorts of people there is such an incurable inconsideration that no warning from the Word or workes of God no experience of their owne or other mens can force them to a serious and constant meditation of the things concerne their true happinesse Fiftly the love of life ariseth in the most from the Idols of their hearts There is one thing or other that they have set their hearts upon in a vicious manner and this unreasonable love of their particular sinnes doth hold them downe in bondage to this present life and so cannot be cured of the disease till they repent of their beloved sinnes And the guiltinesse of their consciences makes them affraid of death and judgement and to embrace this present life upon any conditions And in godly people this inordinate love of life ariseth from the defect of particular repentance for it Thus of the first point Doct. 2. Men have cause to take off their affections and not to bee so desperately bent to the love of this present life This is a point very profitable to be urged and most men and women have need of it and therefore I will shew more largely the reasons why wee should not love life or not so inordinately as to be unwilling to leave it upon any tearmes The first reason may be taken from the commandement of Christ who gives this in charge to all that will bee his Disciples that they must not love life As they must deny themselves in other things so in this particular And hee so gives this in charge as hee seemes to threaten them with the losse of life if they love it so Luk. 17.33 Iob. 12.25 The second reason may bee taken from the example of the godly that have not loved life Iob detested life Iob 3. Salomon tels of a multitude of occasions that he had to hate life in his book of Eccles. and a multitude of godly men have shewed the proofe of it in laying downe their lives willingly when they have beene called to it Act. 20.24 Phil. 2.20 Heb. 11.35 37. The third reason may bee taken from the consideration of life in it selfe both in the nature of it and in the end of it for the nature of it it is but a winde or a vapour Iam. 4. so meane a thing that no man can well tell how to describe it perfectly which is the greater wonder that it should get the love of all the world and yet no body knowes what it is hee loves And for the end of it it is not in the power of man to number his owne daies God hath set an appointed time for every mans death and though they love life never so much they cannot hold it beyond that time Iob 7.1 And besides our times are so hid that a man cannot bee sure of a moneth a weeke a day an houre and shall our hearts be so bewitched with that which wee know not how long wee shall enjoy Iob 24.1 and the rather because there are so many waies for life to goe out at though but one way to come in And further we can find no means that hath sufficient power to make a man live God hath so reserved the power of life in his owne hands that none of the meanes we use to preserve life can do it to make it hold out for a moment if God doe not from above give speciall assistance Man liveth not by bread Mat. 4. and if a man had abundance of all worldly things yet a mans life consisteth not in that Luk. 12.15 c. The fourth reason may bee taken from the profession of a Christian or his state or relative calling or condition in this life First we are Christs spirituall souldiers Now men that goe to war intangle not ahemselves with the things of this life that they may please them that have chosen them to bee souldiers 2 Tim. 2.4 Secondly we are pilgrims and strangers in this life and therefore nothing should be more easie to us than to be weary of the present condition and to long to be at home Thus did the Patriarches Heb. 11.13 Thirdly in this life we are but poore cottagers that dwell in poore houses of clay and shall wee love to be here rather than in those eternall mansions 2. Cor. 5.1 Iob. 14.2 The fift reason may be taken from the sinnes of life Even sinne is a disease and a loathsome contagious one Now then see what life
men that have a portion in spirituall things should not bee troubled for want of these earthly things seeing if they had them they would last but awhile Iames 1.9 and therefore having food and raiment they should be content Thus of the first doctrine Doct. 2. Earthly things doe not adorne a man As they are corruptible so they doe not make a man any whit the more comely which is true in these foure senses following First they doe not adorne a man in the sight of God He respects it not whether a man bee poore or rich bond or free cloathed or naked in robes or in ragges Gal. 3.28 Secondly they adorne not the inward man they adde nothing to the minde or heart of man Thirdly they adorne not with true ornament but onely with a shew for if the glory of the world bee like a withering flower what true ornament can it bee to weare such withered things Fourthly they adorne not for continuance All apparell for the body of a man and all ornaments for his house or state any way they are the worse for wearing and will weare cleane out in the end And therefore for the use first How vaine a thing is the pride of life and secondly wee should therefore know no man after the flesh but to reckon of mans worth by better things than worldly things Doct. 3. A third doctrine is evidently to be observed out of these words that is very comfortable for godly Christians such as the Apostle supposed these to bee to whom he writes and that is That godly Christians have right to all incorruptible things That which is not corruptible if they seeke they may possesse It is their owne God would have them put it on as they put on their apparell He hath adorned his children with the gift of all incorruptible things heavenly treasures are theirs and they may lay hold on them and lay them up as their certaine riches and portion Mat. 6.20 Hee grants eternall life to them that seeke glory and honour and incorruptible things that is hee grants them an eternall possession of spirituall things Rom. 2.7 Now that this doctrine may be more evident and full of comfort it is profitable to inquire distinctly what is incorruptible and will last alwaies and so we shall finde by the testimonies of the Scriptures that seven things are incorruptible 1 God is incorruptible Rom. 1. and God is their God by covenant and as David saith he is the strength of their heart and their portion for ever Psal. â—7 26 Psal. 119.57 and God his mercy and his love and his power is everlasting His mercy endures for ever Psal. 136. and his loving kindnesse shall never be taken from him Psal. 89. 33. and with everlasting compassion he hath received them to favour Esay 54. and with everlasting love hath hee loved them Ier. 31.3 and in the Lord Iehovah is everlasting strength for the protection and preservation of his people and therefore they may trust upon him for ever Esay 26.4 and therefore if all people will walke every one in the name of his God godly men ought much more to walke in the Name of the Lord their God for ever and ever Mich. 4.6 2 The Word of God is incorruptible and lasts beyond all end 1. Pet. 1.24 Psal. 119.89 And this is the heritage of the godly Psal. 119.111.127 the truth shall bee with us for ever 2. Iohn 2. 3 The righteousnesse of Christ is everlasting Dan. 9. 24. and this righteousnesse is theirs so as they may put it on as a garment and it makes them righteous before God Rom. 13. ult 1. Cor. 1.30 1. Cor. 5.21 4 Gods covenant is incorruptible everlasting Esay 55.4 and it cannot be abrogated but the godly shall have the benefite of it for ever 5 The gifts of saving grace are incorruptible and their hearts can never bee drawne dry but the spring of grace will be in some measure on them And through theâ—â— graces the godly have everlasting conversationâ— for Gods gifts and 〈◊〉 iâ— without repentance 〈◊〉 4.14 â— Thes. â— 10 Rom. 11. This love is incorruptible 2. Cor. 13. and everlasting joy 〈◊〉 upon their heads Esay 61. so the 〈◊〉 of saving knowledge will abide in the godly for ever 1. Iohn 3. and their meeknesse and a quiet spirit is reckoned an ornament that is not corruptible But of this afterwards 6 Good workes are incorruptible so the righteousnesse of the just will last for ever 2. Cor. 9.9 and though he dye yet his workes will follow him to Heaven Rev. 14.13 so Psal. 139.24 Lastly Heaven and the glory of it is everlasting Gods kingdome is an everlasting kingdome 1. Tim. 6.11 and that glory is an eternall weight of glory 2. Cor. 4.14 Wee have an house that is eternall in the Heavens 2. Cor. 5.1 our inheritance there is immortall undefiled withereth not away 1. Pet. 1.3 The uses may be divers Vse 1. For first it should teach us to strive to be such as may have our portion in incorruptible things and so we must first take off our affections from all things that may offend as resolved if our right eye offend us to plucke it out and if our right hand offend us to cut it off that is to deny all sinfull things though they were as deare to us as our right hand or right eye Mat. 9.45 Secondly we must be such as yeeld our selves to obey the voice of Christ and to bee ruled by him He gives eternall life to his sheep wee must bee sheepe then for hearing his voice and tractablenesse Iohn 10.29 Thirdly we must give glory to God and rely upon his promise of grace in Iesus Christ we must be beleevers Iohn 3.16 Fourthly we must by patient continuing in well-doing still seeke immortality Rom. 2.7 Thus of the first use Vse 2. Secondly seeing the portion of the godly lyes in incorruptible things wee should not be much troubled for any wants or losses in corruptible things Wee have so large an inheritance in things that will last for ever that it should bee no grievance to us though wee should want those transitory things of the world Vse 3. Thirdly for this reason such as abound in earthly things should bee the more willing to distribute them and give them for good uses seeing those things are not their portion and therefore they neede not bee over-carefull for the keeping of such things Vse 4. Fourthly hence we may gather infallibly That the godly can never fall from grace for Gods mercies cannot corrupt or fall away and his gifts are without repentance If they could be lost then they were corruptable aswell as earthly things But this is a comfort that must not bee taken away that God will establish Sion for ever Psal. 48.8 and though the world passe away and the lusts thereof yet he that doth the will of God abideth for ever 1. Iohn 2.17 and though the servant may bee cast
and is freed from all miseries of this life and enjoyes the honour of all good workes Rev. 14.13 the bodie resting in the grave from all paine and labour as in a bed of rest till the resurrection Esa. 57.2 And into this degree of life eternall wee enter in by the gate of death The thirddegree of life eternall beginnes at the resurrection of our bodies at the last day and is enjoyed by body and soule for ever comprehending all possible consummation of felicity and glory in the heavens And into this wee enter by the gate of resurrection which is a kind of new begetting of us and therefore is called the resurrection of life Ioh. 11.25 and so the blessed in heaven are called the children of the resurrection and by that way the children of God Luk. 20.36 In the first degree life is imperfect in the second it is perfect in the third it is consummate And the use of this first point should be to warne men to looke to it that they enter into the first degree of eternall life while they are in this world or else they shall never get to heaven when they dye and therefore should strive for saving knowledge and to become new creatures or else it is in vaine to hope for heaven 2 For the second which is the originall of life it is greatly for the praise of it that it flowes from that life which is in God himselfe which is an unspeakable glory to the creatures that enjoy it With thee is the fountaine of life saith David Psal. 36.9 So he calls him the God of his life Psal. 42.8 Naturall life is but a sparkle that flowes from the life of our parents but spirituall and eternall life is kindled from that infinite light and life in God But yet not as Christ received we this life for he had it by naturall generation wee have it by a way unspeakeable from God but yet by Iesus Christ In him was life as the life was the light of men Iohn 14. He that hath the Son hath life Iohn 5.12 and he it is that is eternall life viz. to us vers 20. As there is no light in the visible world but from the Sunne in the sirmament so there is no life in the spirituall world but from God in Heaven which hath caused it to shine in our hearts by the Son of righteousnesse Christ Iesus Thus our life is called the life of God Ephes. 4.18 and Christ is said to live in us Gal. 2 20. Which should teach us greatly to admire and adore the excellency of Gods goodnesse and make us to rest our selves for ever under the shadow of his wings Psal. 36.7 8 9. But that this point may be more clearly understood we must consider of the originall of this life from God three waies First in respect of Ordination and so it flowes from Gods decree Hee hath ordained us unto life Acts 13.48 and our names are written in the booke of life Phil. 4.3 Secondly in respect of Merit it was bought of God by the death of the flesh of Christ. I give my flesh for the life of the world Iohn 6.51 This life will not be had without his death that we might live in eternall life hee must dye a temporall death And shall not this greatly inflame our hearts to love the Lord Iesus that gave himselfe for us that we should not perish but have everlasting life Thirdly in respect of operation or inchoation and so the fountaine of life is either without us or within us without us is the Word of Christ that is the immortall seede by which we are begotten unto life 1. Pet. 1.24 and so is called the Word of life Phil. 2.15 And the word is so as it is the word of Christ that is Gospel My words saith he are spirit and life Iohn 6.63 And that word considered as it is preached to the dead soules of men the dead shall Hear the voice of Christ and live Shall heare it note that Iohn 5.25 which should make us greatly to esteeme the preaching of the Gospel Within us the fountaine of life is the Spirit of Christ which is called the Spirit of life which is in Christ Iesus Rom. 8.2 Now the Spirit of Christ that wee may live doth two things viz. it quickens the seed of the Word and unites us unto Christ as members of the mysticall body and then looke how the soule of man doth give life to every member of the body so doth the Spirit of Christ to every soule as a severall member of the mysticall body 3 For the third We shall not exactly know what the nature of eternall life is till it be perfected us or consummate yet by diverse words God hath let fall in Scripture we may ghesse at the nature of this life and in generall I thinke it is a kinde of celestiall light falling into the soule that doth to it that which naturall life doth to the bodie This S. Iohn shewing how Christ was the life of men saith hee was the light of men Iohn 1.4 And David having said With thee is the fountaine of life adds And in thy light wee shall see light Psal. 36.8 And so the promise to the penitent sinner was that his life should see the light Iob 33.28 So Christ saith he that followeth him shall have the light of life Mark it the Light of life Iohn 8.12 So that the life of our minds is knowledge in generall and in particular it is the saving knowledge of God and Iesus Christ as our Saviour saith expressely Iohn 17.3 This is eternall life to know God and whom hee hath sent Iesus Christ. And the reason why this knowledge doth most inlive quicken our hearts is because God in Christ is the most glorious subject of contemplation as being that highest good a very Ocean of goodnesse onely able to fill and ravish the heart of man and besides because God as our chiefe good can alone make the ravishment of the heart perpetuall and so last for ever which nothing else can doe But because everie knowledge of God hath not this effect to breed everlasting life in the heart of a man therfore I wil distinctly set downe what kind of knowledge it is that hath this effect and what is required that it may be right 1 It must be such a knowledge as discernes God to be the only true God and this rule excludes the Pagans from eternall life who though by the light of nature they might discerne the invisible things of God by the workes of the creation yet they so shut up those principles of naturall truth in unrighteousnesse that they set up creatures as God and gave the glorie of the true God to them Rom. 1. 2 It must be such a knowledge as ascribes into the Nature of God such an excellencie as can be exprest by no likenesse of any creature in heaven above or earth beneath or the waters under
the earth God must not be conceived of by any Images Images in the Church shut out the Papists from eternall life and Images in the heart to conceive of God by excludes the ignorant and carnall Protestants In the right conceiving of Gods Nature we must adore him that is like nothing in heaven or earth 3 It must be such a knowledge or vision of God as discernes him to be the chiefe good and onely happinesse to be desired and so all those persons that behold any thing in this life to be sought after as the chiefe felicity of their lives are excluded from eternall life And the things so esteemed the Scripture calls their gods so some make their bellies their gods some their riches some honour and the favour of men 4 It must be such a knowledge of God as conceives of him in Iesus Christ that is that sees the way how Gods infinite justice provoked by many sinnes is pacified by the attonement made by Iesus Christ as the Mediatour betweene God and man Ioh. 17.3 else the knowledge of God in respect of the contemplation of his justice will be so far from inliving our hearts that it would kill them if they had life and this rule excludes all such from eternall life as live in despaire of Gods mercie as Cain and Iudas These knowledges are such as without which life cannot bee had but yet in themselves doe not quicken the Soule and inspire it with life 5 It must be such a knowledge as doth nor only discerne aright the doctrine of the Nature of God and of the person and offices of Christ but doth discerne that God is ours in particular in Iesus Christ and fully reconciled to us and our portion for ever To know God to be our God in Christ is the very life of our soules Now because we discerne this in God two waies viz. by the light of faith beleeving the promises of the Word though we see him not and by the light of vision when we shall see him in his goodnesse face to face therefore is the former light called the light of faith and belongs to this life and the later light belongs to another world Hence our justification which is by faith is called The justification of life Rom. 5.18 This is a point which should bee of unspeakable comfort to the weake Christians that have attained to this knowledge for certainly this is eternall life in them as true as if they had thâ— glory of heaven already But now that true Christians may be the more infallibly setled in the knowledge of their interest in eternall life as it lyeth in the right knowledge of God to be ours in Iesus Christ I will adde certaine effects of this knowledge which shew not onely that it is right but also that it is very eternall or spirituall life for if it be a right knowledge 1 It raiseth in the dead heart of man spirituall senses that were never there before It makes the soule of a man able to heare Gods word that could never doe it before It gives sight in spirituall things and sense and feeling and spirituall tasts of Gods goodnesse and a favouring of spirituall things more than earthly 2. Cor. 2.15 Rom. 8 5. Psal. 36.8 Phil. 1.9 2 It is a knowledge with admiration it sets a mans heart upon a constant wondering at the glory of the things revealed He that hath this knowledge sees in a Mirrour he sees and wonders Nothing more ravisheth the heart than doth the word when it shewâ— him the glory of Gods grace to him 2. Cor. 3.18 Wicked men see but they see not in a Mirrour 3 It is a knowledge that works transformation it changeth a man into the likenesse of that it sees even from glâ—ry to glory by the power of the spirit of Christ. The light comes into wicked men but leaues them the same men it found them for disposition and conversation but this light humbles the heart of a man for his sinnes and purifieth him from his most secret sinnes Act. 15.9 and besides prints upon him the Image of God and stirres him up to all the motives of life in doing good workes 2. Cor. 3.18 Col. 3.10 1. Ioh. 2 3. 3.24 4 It is such a light as is indelible and will abide the triall of manifold afflictions and gives life and joy still to the soule It doth not onely comfort in Gods house but will support us when we are gone home under the miseries of this present life 1 Pet. 1.7 The use should be to teach us all to blesse God for the Gospell that brings life to light and shewes us the love of God to us in Christ and for all the meanes by which the Gospell is preached to us in the life of it Oh how should wee bee beholding to them that helpe us to eternall life by leading us unto God this Ocean of goodnesse And withall wee should be wonderfully thankefull to God and for ever comforted if we can finde that wee have attained to the assurance of Gods love to us in Christ. Though our knowledge here bee but small and weake yet it is so rich as the tongue of man cannot utter if it be in any measure true and sincere Besides how should this fire our desires after wisdome and spirituall understanding in the word of Christ seeing it is our life and in the same degree wee encrease in eternall life that we encrease in acquaintance with God in Christ and therefore aboue all gettings we should be getting understanding And finally it shews the woful estate of ignorant persons that are careless of the study of the word of God and of hearing of the Gospel preached This is their death wil be their eternal death if they prevent it not by repentance and sound redeeming of the time for the service of the soule about this sacred knowledge 4 Now for the fourth point the things that nourish life are greatly to be heeded both to shew us what we should apply our selves to and with what thankefulnesse to receive the meanes of our good herein 1 Wee must know that the principall cause of the nourishment and encrease of spirituall life is the influence of vertue from Christ our mysticall head by the secret and unutterable working of the spirit of Christ which is therefore called the Spirit of life because it both frees us by degrees from the feares of death and from the power and blots of sinne Rom. 8.2 and withall it quickens and encreaseth life in us for the better exercise of righteousnesse Rom. 8.10 2 The contemplation of Gods favour and presence doth wonderfully extend and inflame life in us To marke God any where or by any experience to finde effectually his loue and to taste of the sweetnesse of his goodnesse this is life from the dead better than all things in naturall life It doth a godly mans heart more good than all things in the world can doe as
these places shew Psal. 30.5 63.7 8. 36.3 16. ult with coherence 3 The entertainment God gives his people in his house is one speciall cause of encrease of this life in us as it encreaseth both knowledge and joy and all goodnesse and satisfies the heart of man especially amongst all the things that are without us the Word of God as it is powerfully preached in Gods house is the food of this life called the savour of life unto life 2. Cor. 2.16 Christs words are the words of eternall life Ioh. 6. see Psal. 36.8 Ioh 12.50 Prov. 4.22 4 Fellowship with the godly is singular to quicken and excite the life of grace and joy and knowledge in us therefore it is an amiable thing for brethren to dwell together in unity because there God hath commanded the blessing even life for evermore Psal. 133. ult Prov. 2.20 The mouth of the righteous is a veine of life Pro. 10.11 Yea the very reproofes of instruction are the way of life Pro. 6.23 And therefore weake Christians should be instructed from hence with faith to rest upon the God of their lives who by the spirit of Christ can inable them to eternall life with thankfulnesse to embrace all signes of Gods favour and presence and above all things in life to provide for themselves powerfull meanes in publike and good society in private and not to be turned off from either of these by slight either objections or difficulties and to resolve to labour more for these than carnall persons would doe to have their naturall lives if they were in distresse or danger It is also excellent counsell which Saint Iude gives in this point concerning eternall life hee would have us looke to foure things The first is to edifie our selves in our most holy faith striving to get in more store of Gods promises and divine knowledges and to strive to establish our hearts in our assurance of our right to them The second is to pray in the holy Ghost for hee knew that powerfull prayer doth greatly further eternall life in us The third is to keepe our selves in the love of God avoiding all things might displease him chusing rather to live under the hatred of all the world than to anger God by working iniquity The fourth is to looke as often and as earnestly as we can after that highest degree of mercy and glory wee shall have in the comming of Christ Iud. 1.19 20. I will conclude this point with that one counsell of Salomon Keepe thy heart with all diligence for there out come the issues of life Christians that would prosper in spirituall life should be very carefull of the first beginnings of sin in their thoughts and desires and bee very diligent in nourishing all good motions of the holy Ghost preserving their peace and joy in beleeving with all good consciences Pro. 4.23 Thus of the fourth point 5 Now for the differences of life in these degrees especially the first and last degree they are very great for though eternall life in the first degree bee a treasure of singular value yet the glory of this life doth greatly excell as it is to be held in another world I entend not to compare life in heaven with naturall life here for that is not worthy to be mentioned in the balance with that eternall life of glory but with eternall life it selfe as it is held by the godly onely in this world And so the difference is very great 1 In respect of the place where the godly lives in each degree 2 In respect of the meanes of preservation of life in each degree 3 In respect of the cōpany w th whō we live in each degree 4 In respect of the quality of life itselfe 5 In respect of the effects of life eternall in each degree For the first there is great difference betweene the life of grace and the life of glory in the very place of living Here we live in an earthly Tabernacle in houses of clay there wee shall live in eternall Mansions buildings that God hath made without hands 2. Cor. 5.1 Here we live on earth there in heaven Here wee are strangers and pilgrims farre from home Heb. 11. there wee shall live in our Fathers house Here wee are in Aegypt there we shall live in Canaan Here we live where death sorrow and sinne and Divells dwell there wee shall live in a place where God and immortality and all holinesse dwells 2. Pet. 3.13 Here wee are but banished men there we stall live in the celestiall Paradise Here wee have no abiding City but there we shall abide in the new Ierusalem that is above The glory of the whole earth can but shadow out by similitude the very walls and gates of that Citie Rev. 21. Here wee can but enter into the holy place there we shall enter into the most holy place Heb. 10.19 To conclude there wee shall enter into the heaven of heavens which for lightnesse largenesse purenesse delightfulnesse and all praises almost infinitely excells the heavens wee enjoy in this visible world For the second in this life unto the preservation of life we have neede of many things as first we neede meate drinke rayment sleepe marriage physicke the light of the Sunne by day and the Moone by night Yea the life of Grace though it consist not in these things yet in a remote consideration hath neede of these that wee may bee the better able to serve God in body and soule But in heaven wee shall neede none of these wee shall bee as the Angells of heaven and God himselfe shall there be all in all and shall fill us with his goodnesse 1. Cor. 15.28 Our life shall subsist in God himselfe who shall satisfie us out of the plenty of his owne glory In that City there will be no need of the Sunne to shine by day or of the Moone to give light by night for the glory of the Lord doth lighten it and the Lambe shall bee the light thereof and there shall bee no night there Rev. 21.23 22.5 Esay 2.60.19 Secondly in this world wee neede the helpe of superiours as Kings Rulers Parents Husbands Teachers c. But in that world inferiority and subjection shall cease when wee shall sit downe with Abraham Isaac and Iacob in the Kingdome of God Mat. 8.11 and so all the first things shall then be done away Rev. 21.4 Thirdly in this world wee need spirituall meanes for our soules and the helpe of divers gifts in the Spirit which serve for our furtherance in the way to eternal life Our soules cannot live without a Temple on earth without the Word and Prayer and Sacraments but in that new Ierusalem S. Iohn saw no Temple in it there is no preaching nor praying there wee shall not neede any nor have cause to mourne for the want of it as many times we doe now for the Lord God almighty and the Lambe are the Temple
power of this life and how much it excells naturall life and therefore the fruit of the Spirit should be in them in all goodnesse righteousnesse and truth Eph. 5.9 and they should so hold forth the Word of life that they should thinke on whatsoever things are true honest just pure lovely and of good report and if there be any vertue or any praise they should strive to act that being carefull in all things to maintaine good workes Phil. 4.8 Tit. 3.7.8 Oh what manner of persons should they be in all manner of good conversation 7 They should lift up their heads with joy and bee alwaies comfortable considering the assurance they have of eternall life they have the Spirit of glory resting upon them One would thinke they should be alwaies singing making melody in their hearts though they have crosses and wants in this life yet is not God their portion and is it not enough they are provided for in respect of eternitie and is there any comparison betweene the afflictions in this world and the glory to bee revealed Grace Thus of the matter of their inheritance The cause followes and that is Grace Grace is either a gift in us or an attribute in God Sometimes by Grace is meant the gifts God bestowes upon men and if Grace were so taken then would bee implyed this doctrine That dead men may have the Grace of God There may be grace in men without life yea men may have excellent gifts and yet be not alive spiritually As gifts of government from the Spirit of God as Saul had and gifts for edification in the Church A man may bee an excellent Preacher as Iudas was and may have the gifts of prophecying and working miracles as the Reprobates mentioned Mat. 7.21 a man may have the gift of knowledge of the Scriptures as S. Paul imports 1. Cor. 8.2 Heb. 6.4 a man may confesse his sins as Pharaoh and Saul did a man may be much grieved and sorrow and humbled for his sinnes as Abab and Cain and may repent too as Iudas did and may make a great profession of true religion and be very forward as Demas and Himâ—neus and Philetus did a man may be veryzealous for the truth as Iohn and the Galathians were a man may pray and cry hard and often to God and be heard of God as the Israelites were in their distresses many times a man may be of an unrebukeable conversation amongst men as Paul was before his conversion and such as have sinned may reforme their lives in many things as Herod did finally a man may have faith to believe Gods word as the Divells doe and to believe Gods promises as they that have a temporary faith doe after a sort and may joy much in the comfort of them as they concerne the godly and yet in all these gifts there was no life Another point in that sense is this That there are gifts of Gods grace bestowed on the Elect which are ever accompanied with life so as their grace is the grace of life And both these points should wonderfully awaken all sorts of Christians to looke about and trye their estates and weake Christians should diligently studie their booke of signes of true grace and marke how the Scripture proveth all those saving graces to be such as can be found in no reprobate But because I thinke Grace in this place cannot bee taken for the gifts of grace in men I passe from these points By Grace then here is meant the glorious attribute of goodnesse that is in God by which he freely sheweth his love mercy to his creature And that it must be taken in this sense I gather from the third of Titus v. 7. where the sentence being like grace is called there His Grace Wee are justified by his grace and made heires of eternall life Now this grace of God as it is in God I consider of two wayes first as it is in relation to this spirituall and eternall life of Gods heyres and then secondly as it is in it selfe generally considered In relation to spirituall life I consider of it both in what it excludes and what it includes Grace excludes both Nature and the workes of the Law It excludes Nature from this life in three respects First in respect of propagation This life cannot be propagated by Naturall generation we are not borne heyres of life and so the sonnes of God we are borne only the sonnes of Adam not of God They that are borne after the flesh are not the seed Rom. 9.8 Secondly in respect of priviledge By nature wee are the children of wrath and therefore cannot be the children of promise Ephes. 2.3 Thirdly in respect of the works of Nature for by Nature wee doe such workes as proclaimes us to be children of disobedience and children of the Divell and therefore cannot be heyres of life by any workes done by Nature since the fall And as it excludes Nature so it excludes the workes of the Law not in respect of the obedience to the Law but in respect of the merit of life so as the inheritance cannot be had by the work es of the Law Rom. 4.4 11.6 nor can our best workes after calling deserve life and salvation Tit. 3.7.4 5. And on the otherside the Grace of God includes all things in life as wholly caused by Gods free favour to us in Christ. For first our election to life is from the meere grace of God Ephes. 1.46 Secondly the meritorious cause of life is by grace Gal. 4.4 5. Thirdly the promise of life is by grace Rom. 4.14 Gal. 3.18 Fourthly the inchoation of life is from grace whether we respect Vocation Gal. 1.15 or Iustification Tit. 3. 7. Gal. 2. ult Lastly in respect of the consummation of it in the perfection of glorie in heaven Rom. 6. ult Thus of Grace in relation to Life In it selfe Grace is a most amiable attribute in God extending his goodnesse unto the creature without respect of deserts And that we may the more admire the glorious grace of God it will be profitable to give a touch of the fruits of it unto man upon whom hee sets his favour for looke what men have interest in the grace of God these things flow upon them from the beames of that grace 1 God knowes them by name Exod. 33.12 2 When God is angry with all the world and about to declare his wrath by terrible judgements yet still they finde favour in his sight Gen. 6.8 19.19 3 When they offend and are sorie for their offences and seeke for mercie he pardons iniquitie and takes them for his inheritance and repents him of the evill Exod. 34.9 Ioel 2. 12 13. 4 He will withhold no good thing from them Psal. 84.12 bestows of his best gifts upon them liberally in all sorts of gifts 1. Cor. 1.4 5. 5 He will give them any thing they aske of him without hitting them in
to God Which serves notably to confute the vaine trust in civill honesty and the fairenesse of domesticall conversation which bewitcheth many persons in the world Doct. 7. When the heart is not right towards man it is not right towards God as here domesticall disorders hinders the exercises of Religion towards God That husband that loves not his wife hath no great minde to pray Wives that make no conscience to live quietly and obediently with their husbands suffer a like alienation from God both in their ability to serve him and in his acceptance of it Doct. 8. In that he saith your Prayers it shewes That everie Christian must make prayers of his owne As the just man lives by his owne faith so must the true Christian thinke of getting his living under God by his owne prayers 'T is not enough that he partake of other mens prayers in publicke or that he can get others to pray for him in private God lookes for prayers from himselfe Doct. 9. In that he saith prayers it imports That there bee diverse kindes of prayer and that private Christians must make not only a prayer but prayers to God Ephes. 6.18 Phil. 4. 6. Col. 4.2 The sorts of prayer and differences arise 1 From the instrument by which it is formed for there is the prayer of the heart only such was Hannah her prayer 1 Sam. 1. There is a prayer of the mouth only such is the prayer of Hypocrites Esa. 29.13 There is the prayer both of heart and mouth and such is the prayer ordinarily of all the godly 2 From the place of prayer some prayers are publicke some private and a Christian must use both Some are alone some with others 3 From the forme and so we have the prayer of Christ as the pattern and rule for all prayers and the prayers of Christians agreeable to that patterne We must not rest upon saying over the words of the Lords prayer and neglect all other prayers Againe some prayer is conceived some is in a set forme used A set forme is fittest for the publicke and for such weake Christians as are not yet able to expresse their owne desire to God in their owne words nor are conceived formes unfit or unlawfull for such as are able and desirous to performe prayer according to the rules of prayer as is apparant by the examples of all sorts of prayers in both Testaments 4 From the object of prayer and so some prayers are made daily at set times and thence it was that the Church of the Iewes had their houres of prayer Act. 3.1 and some are uttered suddenly according to some speciall occasion And of this sort are ejaculations short petitions put up to God expressing the present motion in the heart Doct. 10. It is a great losse or inconvenience to have our prayers interrupted This is plaine from the Text. And there may be many reasons assigned of it I will instance but one or two first because for that time a man is thrust out of the presence of the King of heaven To pray is to stand before his face Secondly because while prayer stands still our spirituall trade stands still while we pray not we thrive not Thirdly if it were nothing else but the respect of others it must needs be a great inconvenience to omit prayer because thereby we withdraw our aydes from the Church and that is as bad as in evill times of warre to withdraw our succours from the house of Israel Quest. But how manie wayes can prayer be interrupted Answ. Prayer may be interrupted eyther in heaven or in earth eyther in the hearing of it or in the making of it Prayer is interrupted in the hearing of it or God will not heare prayer 1 If the person making it lye in any sinne without repentance Prov 15.8 Isa. 59.2 Lam. 3.44 Psal. 66.18 2. Tim. 2.19 1. Iohn 3.22 2 If it be not made in faith that is if we beleeve not that we shall have what we aske Matth. 11.24 Iam. 1.6 3 If not made in the name of Christ. Iohn 16.23 4 If it be made carelesly and coldly if a mans head be full of distractions so as he regards uot what he prayes hee is not likely to be heard for how shall God heare him when he heares not himselfe and how shall God heed what he sayes when he heeds not what he sayes himselfe 5 If a man aske amisse that is aske for carnall and corrupt ends Iam. 4.3 6 If a man be not in charitie with his neighbour and will not forgive him his trespasse Matt. 6 14. 7 If a man be unmercifull and will not heare the cryes of the poore Esa. 58.7 Prov. 21.13 Thus prayer is interrupted in the hearing of it Prayer is interrupted in the making of it when men are indisposed to prayer and so omit the performance and thus prayer is interrupted Sometimes by the violence of worldly cares and businesse the heart of man being overcharged with these cares of life Sometimes by domesticall discords and private passions which it seemes the Apostle especially meanes in this place Sometimes by the love and lust after some particular sinne for while mens hearts runne after sinne they have no minde to pray The use may be to reprove two sorts of men in speciall besides those mentioned before 1 Such as pray not at all Is it such an evill to omit prayer for a time what is it then not to pray at all 2 Diverse weake Christians are to be warned about fainting or discouragement in praying they interrupt themselves with their owne feares and objections as for instance Ob. I finde so much hardnesse of heart and insensiblenesse and therefore I dare not pray Sol. David himselfe in the beginning of many of his Psalmes expresseth a kind of want of feeling and yet before he hath done he is full of life Besides hardnesse of heart felt and mourned for is no hinderance to the successe of prayer And further for this reason thou hast more need to pray for prayer is like a fire to melt the leaden heart of man Ob. I want words I know not what to say when I come to pray Sol. Pray for that very thing that God that commands thee to take unto thee words Hos. 14.2 would himselfe give them to thee Secondly the Spirit helpes our infirmities when we know not what to pray as we ought Rom. 8.16 Thirdly we serve such a God as will heare us if like little children we can but name the name of our heavenly Father Rom. 8.15 2. Tim. 2.19 Ob. But I am affraid God will not regard what I say to him Ans. Consider first the nature of God hee loves to heare praier Psal. 95.1 then thinke of the commandment of God who in so many Scriptures doth so peremptorily enjoyne us to pray to him and thirdly thinke of the many promises he hath made unto such as doe call upon his name and then thou hast no reason to
father begate but is the word which God the father uttered and is the word which God uttered to us bodily creatures God though he be a spirit yet doth speak both to spirits and bodies to spirits by a way unknowen to us to bodies he hath spoken many wayes as by signes dreams visions and the like so by printing the sense of his mind in the mindes of creatures that could speake and by them uttered in word or writing what hee would have knowen Thus he spake by the Patriarches Prophets Christ and the Apostles They that deny that God hath any wordes either deny that God is as Psal. 14.1 or else conceive him to bee like stuckes or stones or beasts as Rom. 1.23 or else thinke he can speake but will not because he takes no care of humane things as Iob 22 23. These are Atheists 2 The Scripture is called the Word by an excellency because it is the onely word wee should delight in God since the fall did never speake unto man more exactly than by the Scriptures and we were better heare God talk to vs out of the Scriptures than heare any man on earth yea or Angell in heaven yea it imports that wee should be so devoted to the study of the Scriptures as if we desired to heare no other sound in our eares but that as if all the use of our eares were to heare this Word Let him that hath eares to heare heare 3 This Word of God now in the time of the new Testament belongs to all men in the right application of the true meaning of it Once it was the portion of Iacob and God did not deal so with other Nations to give them his Word but now that the partition wall is broken downe the Gospel is sent to every creature That is here imported in that unbeleeving Husbands are blamed for not obeying the Word which should teach all sorts of men to search these Scriptures and to heare the Word devoutly and withall know that the comforts terrors and precepts contained in it will take hold upon all sorts of men respectively 4 The Word of God ought to rule all sorts of men That is implyed here in that fault is found with these unbeleevers that they obeyed it not It was given of God to that end to instruct reprove and direct men in all their waies 2 Tim. 3.16.17 It is the Canon or rule of menâ— actions Gal. 6.16 It is the light and lanthorne God hath given to men it hath divine authority If we will shew any respect of God we must bee ruled by the Scripture which is his Word 5 Vnregenerate men have no minde to obey the Word and the reason is because they are guided by other rules which are false as their owne reason the customes of the world the suggestions of the devill and the likes and because too the Word is contrary to their carnall desires â—â—nd therefore they yeeld themselves to be guided by such rules as are most pleasing to their corrupt natures and besides too the light of the Word is too glorious for his eyes He cannot see into the mysteries contained in it because they are spiritually to be discerned and the naturall man therefore cannot perceive the things of God 6 It is a dangerous thing not to obey the Word of God they are accounted for lost and forlorne men here that doe not obey the Word Men bee deceived if they think it is a course may be safe for to disobey God's Word for God's Word will take hold of them and destroy them and it will judge them at the last day Zacha. 1.4.5 2. Thes. 1.8 They are but lost men cast-awaies that care not for God's Word 7 Nothing is to be reckoned a sinne which is not disobedience to the Word That which is not contrary to some Scripture is no transgression and therefore men should take heed of burthening themselves with the vaine feare of sinning when they breake no commandement of God but only unwarranted traditions either on the left hand or the right 8 The constant omission of religious duties and good workes proves a man to be a carnall person aswell as the committing of manifest injuries or grosse offences Here the Periphrasis of a carnall person is That he did not doe what the Word required 9 Men that obey not the Word may bee wonne which should be a great comfort to penitent sinners It is true that disobedience clothed with some circumstances or adjuncts is very dangerous as when men have the meanes and love darknesse rather than light Iohn 3.20 and when men are smitten with remorse and have blessing and cursing set before them and see their sinnes and feele the axe of God's Word and yet will on in transgression Deut. 11.28 Mat. 3.10 or when men are called at the third or sixth or ninth howre and will put off and delay upon pretence of repenting at the eleventh howâ—e Mat. 20. or when men are powerfully convinced and will raile and blaspheme and contradict the Word Acts 13.45.46 18. 6. and when God pursues men with his judgements and they refuse to returne Ier. 5.2.3 or lastly when men despight the spirit of God and sinne of malice against the truth Heb. 10.26.27.28.29.30 10 The chiefe doctrine is That sound obedience to the Word of God is the character of a true Christian a mark to distinguish the true Christian from the false and from him that is no Christian at all God makes his count by righteousnesse Rom. 10. To professe the true religion to understand the Word to beleeve it with historicall or temporall faith to talke of the Word to receive Baptisme and the signes of the Covenants or the like makes not an essentiall difference It is obeying the Word proves us to be true Christians Not the hearers but the doers of the Word are acknowledged for just persons Mat. 7.26.27 Iames 1.22.23.24 But that we be not deceived in our obedience wee must know that unto sound obedience divers things are required as 1 That his obedience be from the heart Rom. 6.17 2 That his obedience ariseth from the love of God and the hatred of sinne as it is sinne and not from carnall and corrupt ends Deut. 30.20 Ioshua 22.5 Mat. 4.19 3 That his obedience be in all things with respect to all God's commandements though it be against his profit ease credit or the like Hebr. 11.8 Genes 22.12 Psal. 119.6 Exod. 15.26 4 That he doth righteousnesse at all times that he continue in his obedience and obey at all times that is constantly and not for a fit Psal. 106.2 Hos. 6.5 Gal. 5.7 2. Kings 18.6 Iam. 1.23 5 That he make conscience of obeying the least commandement aswell as the greatest Mat 5. â—9 6 That obeyes the commandements of the Gospel about beleeving in God and Iesus Christ aswell as of the Law that practiseth obedience of faith and lives by faith 2. Thes. 1.8 Rom. 1.5 Mat. 16.16 11 It is
to bee noted that the Apostle useth fâ—ire language when hee speaketh even of carnall men Hee gives not these carnall husbands reproachfull words but onely faith They obey not the Word and the reason may be because the conscience of a man is noâ— wonne by the terror of words but by the evidence of the matter And besides the Apostle did not thinke it fit that wives should bee humoured in the violent dispraises of their husbands It is not profitable for inferiours to conceive much of the hatefulnesse of the sinnes of superiours 12 Religion doth not binde wives to account carnall husbands to bee religious They may know that they are carnall and yet not sinne against their husbands in such judgement so as they judge by infallible grounds for though the wife must love her husband with matrimoniall love above all other men yet shee is not bound to beleeve that he is the best man in the world Lastly it is a great affliction to a Christian wife to have a carnall husband Till shee have wonne him she is but in a distressed estate for other wicked men shee might shunne and so avoide the discomfort ariseth from seeing and hearing their wickedness but an evill husband she cannot nor ought not to depart from him though she must avoide his sinne 1. Cor. 7. and from such a husband she cannot have the helpes shee should have from a husband that could dwell with her as a man of knowledge Besides the many waies in which such a husband may or will hinder her in the course of golinesse besides it cannot but bee a great griefe to her to thinke of their parting out of this world that the one of them must goe to hell and that the companion of her life when he dyes if he repent not must be an eternall companion of devills 13 Good wives may have ill husbands such wives as are truly religious and obedient may have husbands that will not obey the Word of God and that ariseth sometimes from the improvidence or ill providing of parents Many parents that have children that obey them and will be ruled by them doe dispose of them for carnall ends to carnall or ill disposed husbands Sometimes from the hypocrisie of such men as feare God but prove not so when their wives enjoy them Sometimes from an unruly affection in good women who though they know the men they choose to be carnall yet they will have them though it prove to their owne continuall woe and affliction Sometimes from a speciall corruption of nature in some husbands who either are loving husbands and yet but carnall men or are good men but bad husbands Sometimes it ariseth from the speciall grace of God to the wife who though she was carnall when she marryed the carnall husband yet afterwards is converted and effectually called and this was the case of such women as the Apostle seems here to write to Sometimes it falls out by a speciall and unavoideable providence of God though all meanes have been used to try or prevent this evill in the husband for marriage being to bee reckoned amongst outward things God for reasons knowen to himselfe and alwaies just will give ill husbands to good wives And contrariwise it may be God knowes that if some good wives had better husbands they would prove worse wives or both husband and wife would be more unapt to the kingdome of God 14 Vnequall matches ought to bee avoided as much as may be and that may be gathered from the manner of the Apostles speaking in that hee saith If any obey not the Word If any as if he would import that it is a case he desired might be very rarely found amongst Christians They also may be wonne We reade in Scripture of divers kinds of winnings there is a spirituall winning or gaining and there is a wordly winning About the spirituall winning we read of the winning of Christ Phil. 3.8 which is the worke of a particular beleever labouring and wrestling with God in the use of his ordinances to obtaine by the gift of his free grace Iesus Christ for his justification sanctification finall salvation Likewise we read of the winning of grace and spirituall gifts and so godlinesse is called gaine and the good servants are said to winne or gain more Talents to the Talents they had And this gain is gotten by a spirituall trading in the diligent imploiment of the gifts the godly have to get them encreased Wee reade likewise of the winning of other mens soules in many places and that is done either by the Preachers of the Gospel conquering the hearts of their hearers to the obedience of the VVord of Christ and unto sound conversion or else it is done by private persons that by their examples and good carriage or by their admonitions or counsells doe perswade and incline others to a liking of a new life or to humiliation and reformation of some particular faults VVee reade likewise of worldly gaine and winning when men by their sports strive for prizes or in their trades labour for lucre and gaine Now this latter kinde of gaine differs greatly from the former both in the matter of the gaine and in the manner of seeking it for there is no comparison betweene the gaine of grace and godlinesse and the gaine of riches and honour the one is transitorie the other eternall the one is true riches and gaine and serves for the best uses the other is but in shew and serves for the meaner uses of a corporall and temporall life the one doth alwayes doe us good the other doth often doe men hurt and therefore is called filthie lucre And in the manner of getting or holding these gaines there is difference we may covet the best gifts and long after them and love them and joy in them but wee are forbidden the coveting or loving of worldly things But in this place the Apostle speakes of the winning of soules about which the Etymologie affoordeth matter of profitable consideration The originall word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies gaine and withall the joy and delight of the heart in gaining this gain being called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is it pleaseth delighteth the heart And it signifieth craft or policie and therefore in that language a Fox is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He hath his name from this word which may teach three things 1 To winne a soule is a great gaine which must needs be so because to winne a soule is more than to gaine the whole world for what shall it profit a man to winne the whole world and loose his owne soule saith our Saviour 2 It is a marveilous joy to the heart of man to winne soules to God no man that understandeth the worth of the gaine can bee pleased with any thing more than with that The people never comforts the hearts of their godly Teachers more than when they they are
be loved when their husbands are not loved Thus of the fourth point the fift point is the effect and that is they adorned themselves Adorned themselves In all ages the comelinesse and ornament of a wife as a wife was to obey her husband with meeknesse and feare and those were the comeliest and best apparelled women in the sight of God their husbands and good men that were most quiet and easie to be governed and willingest to please their husbands And so on the contrary a wife were a very unhandsome woman and not fit to please any wise man that were of a froward and unquiet disposition eyther through anger or crying or the like yea though shee had otherwise never so great an estate or never so excellent gifts of nature of minde or bodie yea if she could be imagined to have true holinesse and grace yet she were but a loathsome creature And this doctrine as it should move all wives so especially such as have not other things to commend them but want eyther portion or beautie or skill or have but weake gifts in Religion these should be the more carefull to recompence their husbands and strive to please them in this way of adorning themselves The matter of the example is Subjection to their husbands and of that I have entreated in the exhortation it selfe The speciall argument is taken from the particular example of Sarah vers 6. Where we are to observe 1 What shee did viz. shee obeyed Abraham calling him Lord. 2 What fruit will follow to Christian wives if they follow her example viz. they shall become her daughters 3 Vpon what condition they shall obtaine that honour viz. if they doe well and be not affraid of any amazement Sarah The names here mentioned are Sarah and Abraham and both their names are kept in the Christian Church not as they were at first but as they were changed of God out of his love and respect to their faith and obedience The woman was first called Sarai which signified My Lady or My Mistris but after was changed into Sarah to signifie that she should be a Mistris to many or a Mistris indefinitely meaning that she should have a great posteritie as the mans name was changed into Abraham and signified a father of many nations From the giving of the names we may gather 1 Such as glorifie God by beleeving and keeping his covenant and patient bearing of adversitie shall be blessed of God and in particular shall have this blessing of a happy posteritie A godly life brings God to us and our families and an ungodly life drives him away 2 That God is no accepter of persons but godly wives shall have their part in the blessing of godly husbands This christian wives may looke for if they be as Sarah holy women and such as obey their husbands and are a comfort and helpe to them in all the travailes of their lives and no way hinder godlinesse in them Obeyed Abraham Diverse things may be noted hence 1 That obedience is the chiefe thing required in the subjection of wives shewing how Sarah was subject he saith she obeyed him The maine thing required of wives is to be ruled by their husbands Those wives transgresse that are not carefull to see that done which their husbands require with reason require and those that crosse their husbands and vexe them by opposing or censuring especially those that will not be quiet unlesse they may doe what they list and rule their husbands 2 That as much is due to everie husband as was due from Sarah to Abraham else this argument of the Apostle had not beene good They might have said that Abraham was a great man and holy and wise and loving c. but the Apostle requires that what women would doe for the substance of obedience if they had Abraham to their husband that must they doe to him that is now their husband And the reason is cleare Because Gods commandement in the morall Law prescribes the same honour to be given to all husbands and in the new Testament obedience is required of all wives to all husbands And this was the more observeable in Sarah because in obeying Abraham shee was faine to leave her owne countrey and be exposed to a world of paines and danger and wants 3 That the discharge of domesticall dueties is a good worke and shall be had in everlasting remembrance Though all good wives have not the honour to be written in Gods booke of Scripture and praised therein yet they have the honour to be written in Gods booke of Remembrance which shall be opened at the last day and so contrariwise Calling him Lord. That shee did so call him the Apostle found written Gen. 18.12 Hence we may observe 1 That godly wives ought to acknowledge their husbands to have power over them as if they had been servants bought with their mony not that their subjection is no better than the subjection of servants but that the husbands have aswell power over them as they have over their servants Sarah doth not in judgement only acknowledge it as due but with wonderfull affection doth easily and with great love give that title to Abraham 2 That it is one part of the subjection of wives to carry themselves reverently towards their husbands and to give them such titles as may shew that they doe heartily honour them 3 We may here observe the wonderfull goodnesse of God towards his servants that in a great heape of sinne can see accept of a little spark of true grace The whole sentence of Sarah was vile and prophane only that word was good God praiseth her for that was good and passeth by the great fault she committed Yea we may note that God is so well pleased with her loving subjection to her husband that hee is content to forgive her great sinne of unbeliefe against him Yea it is probable that her great respect of her husband made her the more willingly to beleeve Gods promise afterwards for Heb. 11.11 she is commended iudging God to be faithfull who had promised her a child though at first she laughed at it Whose daughters ye are Godly women may be said to bee the daughters of Sarah three waies 1 If Sarah be taken mystically for the new Ierusalem as Gal. 4. 2 In respect of inheriting the love and blessing of God which Sarah had they shall be her daughters that is they shall have the same portion from God as if they had come in Sarahs roome as in the case of Abraham is said Rom. 4.11 16. 3 In respect of spirituall kindred and alliance Christian women are as neere a kinne to Sarah as if they were her owne daughters So that the maine doctrine from hence is That there is a spirituall kindred and consanguinitie betweene the godly About which from this place wee may observe diverse positions 1 That all the godly are a kinne and the reason is Because they are all
while hee hath the light the night will come when no man can worke and the rather since hee hath lost so much time in doing workes of darkenesse hee should now redeem the time Ephes. 5.15 1. Pet. 4.2 3. 2 Because he is Gods servant and therefore should be alwayes working Rom. 6. yea hee is Gods Sacrifice therefore should he be wholy devoted to the doing of good Rom. 12.1 3 Because wee have our taske set us and ever the more worke we doe the sooner we shall fulfill the measure prescribed us 4 Because hereby we shall much glorifie God Matt. 5.16 and silence wicked men 1. Pet. 2.12 15. 5 Because God is faithfull and will not forget our works and labour we shall be rewarded accordingly If wee sowe sparingly we shall reape sparingly 2. Cor. 9. Heb. 6.11 Gal. 6.9 God giveth us richly to enjoy all things in this world 1. Tim. 6.17 and our continuance in well doing will be marvellously rewarded in heaven Rom. 2.7 Now that we may doe much good wee must pray God to stablish us in everie good word and worke 2. Thess. 2.17 and withall we must furnish our selves with directions out of the Scriptures and studie the rules of life there prescribed 2. Tim. 3.16 17. Iam. 3.17 and then we must be sure to make use of all the opportunities of well doing And be not affraid with any amazement These words may be diversly referred and so diversly expounded If they be referred to the exhortation to subjection to their husbands in the manner before shewed then the sense may be that they should not feare that they should be misused if they were subject or else it limits the manner of subjection that they should not be subject onely for feare or out of basenesse of minde feare should not be the ground of their obedience but conscience of Gods commandements and love to their husbands If they be referred to the example of Sara they may be taken eyther as a promise or as a condition as a promise thus If they imitate Sarah in well doing they need not be affraid of the troubles of a married estate for by this course those troubles will be prevented or the tribulation they shall have in the flesh will not be great Or they may be the second as a condition of their filiation If they will bee Sarahs daughters then they must learne of Sarah to beare the troubles and afflions may befall them and their husbands without disquietnes and amazement Sarah could leave her owne countrey and was a comfort to her husband and we never reade that shee any way discouraged her husband or complained of miserie though she was faine to live in manie strange places and had not at any time any certaine abode any where But I thinke the words may be interpreted in generall as contayning a prohibition of excessive feares and consternation of minde which is often found in women to the great offence and disquieting of their husbands The word translated Amazement notes such a perplexitie of minde in which one is almost at â—is witts end and therefore the Verbe of which this Noune is derived is used in the New Testament onely in these cases as in the cases of rumours of warres or seditions readie to seaze upon a people Luke 21.9 or in the case of a conceit that one sees a ghost or spirit Luke 24.37 And such as eyther of these doe women sometimes fall into and this the Apostle forbids He doth not forbid all feare for they must feare their husbands Ephes. 5 ult and they must feare God 2. Cor. 7.11 Nor doth hee severely taxe that naturall fearefulnesse in women which followes their sexe but only such desperate vexations or passions as suffer them not to make use of their trust in God or love to their husbands Quest. What causes can there be imagined why these Christian wives should be in danger of any such consternation of minde Answ. The Apostle might well imagine diverse causes of this frailtie 1 They had husbands that were Infidels which might be a great grievance to them and besides those husbands might perhaps absolutely forbid them or labour to restraine them from the exercises of Christian Religion which might put them into a great strait 2 Their profession of Christian Religion might bring upon them manie tribulations and persecutions which women are not so able to beare 3 It may be the Apostle had observed that women were apt to fall into these desperate fitts of passion and grieving when they were crossed by their husbands or servants or children Sure it is that many women nowadayes if their husbands doe but crosse them in reasonable things they will cry and grieve as if they would die in the vexation of their hearts These strange humours and perplexities and desperate fitts the Apostle absolutely forbids hee would not have anie of them found in a Christian wife Vers. 7. Likewise yee husbands dwell with them according to knowledge giving honour unto the wife as unto the weaker vessell as being heyres together of the grace of life that your prayers be not hindred HItherto of the dueties of Wives the Husbands duetie followes in the words of this Verse Where three things are to be observed 1 The proposition of their duetie Husbands dwell with them 2 The exposition shewing how they must doe it viz. as men of knowledge and such as honour them 3 The Reasons which are three 1 Because they are the weaker vessell and therefore need to be carefully and continually well used 2 Because they are both alike heyres of Gods grace 3 Because else their prayers and Gods service will bee much interrupted and hindred In the Proposition may be observed first the word of connexion Likewise Secondly the terme of application Yee Thirdly the persons charged Husbands Fourthly the duetie imposed viz. Dwell with them Likewise This terme bindes these words to the former and shewes That God doth charge husbands to looke to their dueties aswell as wives Now if God charge the husband it evidently imports that evill husbands must give account to God of all the evill they doe though no law of man punish them yet God will that gave them this law And withall it may comfort such husbands as are censured without cause God that hath given them their charge knowes their integritie whatsoever foolish wives object or a vaine world imputes to them And in generall God will accept and reward the carefull behaviour of good husbands But before I proceed two questions may be asked Quest. 1. Why are husbands charged in the last place Answ. There may be two reasons given of it first to shew the respect that God gives to husbands Hee first by his precept informes his wife before his face and shewes him a patterne how hee shall walke towards him and therefore now may the more willingly attend to his owne duetie Secondly because things last spoken have usually the greatest longest impression upon the
this I finde no difference amongst Divines Zanchius and some other Divines go further pronounce Nullities in the cases following as If marriage be contracted yea and celebrated without the consent of parents Hee brings many arguments from the Law before Moses and from the Law of Moses from the Testimony of the Apostle Paul and from the lawes of Nations and from the Fathers If marriage be contracted or celebrated with such as have any notorious contagious disease which is knowne to be incurable as the Eliphantiasis or worse kind of leprosie or the like because this will prove a mischiefe to the party cleere and to his children and to the Common-wealth and God ordained not marriage to be a mischiefe but a helpe If marriage be celebrated with a woman that is found to be with childe by another man Yea hee enclines to those that thinke the marriage of a Christian with an Infidell as a Iew Turke or Pagan as being the knowne and professed enemies of Christ is likewise a Nullitie He gives many probable reasons and quotes divers authors for the opinion But for my part I dare not venture so farre especially to be peremptorie in it much lesse have I attained to the learning of those Divines that thinke Veneficium versus hanc Witchcraft disabling a man towards that woman onely to be a sufficient cause of a Nullitie in the marriage Thus of the case of Nullities For the case of Divorce I thinke that rule of our Saviour bindes peremptorily that no man may put away his wife but only in the case of fornication Matth. 19.9 In that case a man making a lawfull divorce is not bound to cohabitation but freed from it and must not dwell with her any more If it be objected that in the case of disertion when an Infidell forsakes a Beleever the Apostle saith the Beleever is free I answer that this is not a case of Divorce The Beleever doth not for the businesse of religion put away the Vnbeleever yea the Apostle shewes he ought not 1. Cor. 7. only if the unbeleever will depart let her depart And so by the wilfull departure of the Infidell the Christian is freed from the bond of marriage as Divines conceive which is a kinde of Nullity but not a Divorce But then a great respect must be had to the kinde of Vnbeleever not every wicked man or woman nor every person that professeth a false religion but such an Vnbeleever as is a profest enemy to the Name of Christ is the Vnbeleever the Apostle speaks of Yet one thing more I must adde about the case of Disertion When the Disertion is for other causes than religion if it bee wilfull or inevitable then the party diserted is freed from this charge of cohabitation freed I say for a time till the diserted returne and if he never returne the party forsaken is for ever free Thus of the Proposition of their dueties the Exposition of it followes According to knowledge By knowledge I take it here meant that Christian knowledge of Religion and the Word of God which godly husbands had attained by the Gospel for in the end of the verse he speakes of husbands as heires of the grace of life And so before I come to shew what speciall things in the manner of cohabitation this knowledge doth charge upon husbands I would consider of some doctrines in generall implyed by the words as Doct. 1. That the knowledge of Gods Word is a gift of God to be much accounted of and therefore the Apostle here for honour-sake to the man mentions this grace rather than any other And that knowledge is a precious thing or a great treasure may appeare divers waies First by the seate and use of knowledge it is a gift that adornes the mind of man making him by his inward vnderstanding to see excellent things It is a great benefite to have senses to discerne things without vs but this divine light that God puts into the understanding of man gives to the understanding power to see admirable things Especially when it is spirituall light it shewes a man the differences betweene good and evill and reveales such glorious things as no senses can reach to Secondly by the author of it God is the father of light and dwelleth in light Iam. 1.17 and it is the speciall glory of Christs divinity to lighten every man that comes into the world Iohn 1. and the â—oly Ghost claimes a part in this glory to give illumination to the minde 2. Cor. 3. Thirdly by the testimony God gives of the worth of knowledge especially when it is spirituall and religious knowledge It is called riches 1. Cor. 1.5 and preferred before all outward things in the world Ier. 9.23 and Christ accounts it a great signe of speciall friendship to communicate knowledge to his Disciples Iob. 15.15 and God gave Iacob a greater portion when he gave his word to him than he did give to all the world besides He did not so with other Nations Psal. 1. Fourthly by the accounts Christ gives unto his Father of the discharge of his office He is carefull to prove that he hath given knowledge to the men God gave him to prepare them for eternall life Iohn 17.6 7 8 26. Fifthly by the relation it hath to God himselfe It is a part of the image of God in the new man Col. 3.10 Sixthly by the contrary It is accounted a great sinne and a curse to want knowledge Hosea 4.11 and other gifts or services are reiected as vaine if this grace bee not had as Zeale Rom. 10.2 Sacrifice Hosea 6.6 and therefore such as want knowledge should shake off prophane sluggishnesse and vaine objections and seeke to bee rich in knowledge as the men in the world do to abound in wealth Prov. 4.7 2.4 And such as have knowledge should strive to increase in it and be thankfull to God for his great mercy in giving them knowledge and the meanes of it Doct. 2. Knowledge is required of all sorts of men Not of Ministers only but of private men of all husbands yea and of all men before they be husbands because so soone as they have wives they are charged to shew their knowledge Iohn 1.9.1 Cor. 8.1.1 Tim. 2.4 This condemnes the Sacrilegious humour of those persons that are like the wicked Lawyers our Saviour speakes of Luke 11.52 which take away the key of knowledge from private men either by their opinions hindering others from seeking knowledge with their errors mudding the cleer fountaine of Gods Word or by their power restraining the meanes of knowledge from the people and withall this should stirre up all sorts of men to seek knowledge and use all meanes to attaine it as they will give their account unto God of the use of their their time at the last day Doct. 3. Knowledge is given us for use and practice not for idle speculation It is given as other gifts of the Spirit to profit
withall It is a light to lighten our paths Our knowledge should bee after godlinesse Tit. 1.1 It should someway helpe forwards the worke of godlinesse that we get by hearing should be shewed by practise Iames 1.22 23 24. They that have knowledge and will not use it shall have that knowledge taken from them Matth. 13.11 Nor is the use of knowledge onely for discourse but for conversation The words of knowledge or utterance is given to some Christistians onely 1. Cor. 12.8 And such as cannot talke much may yet have comfort if they have knowledge to stay their hearts in faith and that they can shew their knowledge by a good conversation Doct. 4. The knowledge seated in our mindes should have a commanding power of our actions all should bee according as a mans knowledge saith Those parcels of Divine truth put into our mindes should rule us and dispose of us and make us ordered according to them Those lawes in our mindes should make us master all that rebels against them and make the members be subject to them to obey them Our knowledge should bee lively and indued with Soveraigne power This is the honour wee should give to the light that is in our mindes to let it rule us in all things And this point may much humble all sorts of Christians for want of stirring up their knowledge or for want of obeying it Most Christians have their knowledge so feeble that the divell or the world may lead them aside to all sorts of temptations and yet their knowledge makes not opposition and doth not take armes to subdue what exalts it selfe against the light of it as it should doe 1. Cor. 10.4 Now if men would hearten and give life and power to those notions of knowledge are in their mindes and would have their knowledge to have full power they must observe these rules 1 They must daily wound and mortifie and resist the law of the members that is such humours in them as are wont to be incorrigible Most persons have some faults in their natures that they are guiltie of with a kinde of wilfulnesse such faults as must be allowed such as if they be crossed in there will be no peace but open rebellion such faults as stick so fast to them as if God and man must let them alone in them these members must obey them as a law Now these men must finde out and be sure they resist them or else the lawes of the minde will be but feeble and sacred notions infused will starve and wither and never appeare in their life and power 2 Men must be sure they study profitable things and avoide such knowledges as are fruitlesse as belong not to them 1. Tim. 6.20 2. Tim. 2.23 Tit. 3.9 There is knowledge that will puffe up 1. Cor. 8.1 But men must bee wise for themselves and strive to understand their owne way Prov. 9.12 3 They must pray God to put a spirit and life into their knowledge and give them grace to shew all good conscience in their obedience and withall they must pray hard for their Teachers that their word may be a word of power to give fire to the sparkles of light are already in their mindes Finally let all men that professe the knowledge of Gods word remember that their knowledge should make them differ from all other men Their lives should excell others according to the knowledge in which they differ from them A man must hold forth the life and light of the knowledge hee hath Phil. 2.15 They have a great taske to doe that have received much knowledge much is required of them If they doe ill their example may doe much mischiefe 1. Cor. 8.10.11 Doct. 5. True knowledge makes an impression upon every part of a mans life it makes him better in all his wayes both towards God and man as here true knowledge makes a man a better husband Hee must carrie himselfe as a husband according to his knowledge he hath of Gods word True knowledge enricheth a man in everie thing 1. Cor. 1.5 The favour of our knowledge should be manifest in everie place 2. Cor. 2.14 The knowledge that will not doe thus is falsely so called 1. Tim. 6.20 There is use of knowledge in the most ordinarie things of the life of man as meates marriage and the things of our calling 1. Tim. 4.3 and therefore this should stir up all godly Christians to shew this proofe of their knowledge and to pray that they may abound in knowledge and all judgement Phil. 1.9 Col. 1.9 and gives cause to Christians of ill behaviour in their callings or private carriage to mistrust that their knowledge is not right and in particular wives should pray God to give their husbands knowledge of his Word and to blesse all meanes to that end for that will make them the better husbands Doct. 6. It is an ill thing for men to transgresse against their knowledges when they doe things that are not according to their knowledge or leave undone things they know they should doe The servant that knowes his Masters will and doth it not shall be beaten with many stripes See Rom. 1. ult Heb. 10.26 2. Pet. 2.21 Husbands and wives should in a speciall maner remember this for there is a great deale of need that they should take notice of this point Oh it is a grievous thing for a Christian to be wilfully corrupt to doe or leave undone things against his knowledge Doct. 7. One thing here is comfortable that God requires no more of his servants but to doe according to the knowledge they have Ignorances by the benefite of the new Covenant in Christ he will passe by so as they be carefull to get knowledge according to the meanes they have of knowledge This is a great comfort Doct. 8. In knowledge men should excell women therefore is knowledge here specially mentioned in giving the charge to men They are the heads of their wives and therefore in them should be the especiall seate of spirituall senses and understanding and their wives are charged if they doubt of any thing to aske their husbands at home It is a great dishonour to many men in this age in many places that women excell them in knowledge both for the measure of it and power of it and care to use the meanes to get it Thus of the generall Doctrines These words as they in particular order the duties of Husbands shew diverse things they are to looke to in their carriage in dwelling with their Wives To dwell with them according to knowledge imports 1 Matter of edification and so three wayes for first they must set up Religion and the worship of God in their dwellings Iosh. 24.15 They must keepe off the curse of God from them and their wives and children by daily praying to God Ier. 10. ult They must diligently in their kinde instruct the family in the plaine things of Gods Law talking and discoursing of the
rather to women than to men especially in the new Testament as 1. Tim. 2.9 1. Pet. 3.3 The use may be first to give vs occasion to magnifie the power and mercy of God His mercy that dispiseth not his weake creatures but bestoweth the grace of life upon them His power in that he keepes them in life and preserveth his owne worke of grace vnto the possession of eternall life Secondly it should stirre up women so much the more to use all the Ordinances of God and all helps to make themselves strong in the power of the gifts of grace especially they should get a strong faith in God that they may trust in the power of God that giveth strength to the weake Esay 40. 29 31. 1. Pet. 3.5 It will bee their greater glory if they can overcome their naturall weaknesses especially if they can excell men in the things of the kingdome of God as many times it comes to passe Thirdly all Christians should have those women in great estimation that have overcomne their frailties and doe excell in knowledge and piety and mercy and trust in God Fourthly all women should bee therefore the more humble and apt to feare and judge themselves and more willing to be taught or admonished and more frequent in praier to God to helpe them and keepe them and in particular they should be the more willing to bee ruled by their husbands as knowing it is a mercy of God considering their weaknesse to give them husbands to support them and provide for them and finally they should bee the more faithfull and diligent to doe all the good they can in domesticall affaires seeing by nature they are not fit to manage the greater and more publike services of God The third doctrine concernes Husbands and so they are taught from hence to give the more honour to their wives because of their naturall weaknesse For as it is in the naturall body those members of the body which we thinke lesse honourable upon them wee bestow the more abundant honour 1. Cor. 12.23 24. so it should bee in the Economical body for the wife is unto the husband bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh and this honour he should give her and shew it both by taking the more care to provide for her and by cherishing incouraging her the more by hiding covering her frailties as much as he may by not exacting more from her than she is able to performe by helping her all he can by instruction or otherwise Only we must note that he is not bound to honor her the more for sinful infirmities but for naturall defects How he must carrie himselfe towards her in respect of sinfull infirmities or personall faults hath beene shewed before in the manner of his carriage towards her as a man of knowledge And thus of the first reason As being heyres together of the grace of life In these words is contained the second reason taken from the generall dignity of Christians which also extends to Christian wives And concerning the dignitie of Christians five things may be noted out of these words 1 The title of their dignitie They are Heyres 2 What they inherite Life 3 What the cause of this dignitie is viz. Grace 4 In what maner they possesse it viz. Together 5 The persons capable of it Women as well as men From the coherence we may note That if women will have their husbands to honour them they must be religious women and true Christians that have grace as well as worldly portion God requires religion and grace in all wives And the rather should they bee carefull to get grace and become truely religious because it was long of their sexe that sinne came into the world and as by one womans bearing of a childe salvation was brought againe into the world so should they everie one in particular strive to recover their honour by expressing the sound power of a religious life in all faith and charitie and holinesse and sobrietie 1. Tim. 2.14 15. And besides what shall it profite wives to get them jointures on earth and husbands to provide for them while they live here if their soules and bodies perish when they dye and lose the inheritance in heaven and perish they will if they get not true grace And further if they be gracious women if their husbands be so profane as not to make much of them yet they shall be greatly set by of God as was shewed vers 4. But on the other side if they be ignorant and irreligious women it is just with God to deprive them of the comfort of this life and to let their husbands neglect them or abuse them For though their husbands sinne in so doing yet God is just in permitting such a thing for their punishment Secondly another doctrine may be noted from the coherence and that is That in heaven there shall bee no difference betweene husbands and wives but they shall bee all one in Christ alike heires of eternall life Which is to be noted the more to perswade them to submit themselves and endure to be under the rule and authority of their husbands in this world for that estate of inferiority shall not last ever for in heaven God shall be all in all they shall be ruled by God and the Lambe Thus from the Coherence The first thing to be observed about the dignity of Christians in generall is That they are heires Heires The doctrine is That all true Christians are heires Now for the opening of this doctrine two things must be considered 1. How they come to be heires 2. What their glory is in being so For the first Christians are not borne Heires I meane not heires to God as is intended in this place but have it by the grace of adoption God hath but one Heire by generation and that is Christ all his other heires are by adoption such as hee chooseth of his meere Grace and makes them his heires Now the mystery of our adoption must be considered of in this manner A Christian by the Gospell is made a Believer Now faith after an unspeakable manner engrafts him into the body of Iesus Christ Now being engrafted into Iesus Christ who is Gods Sonne hee thereby comes to the power to be the sonne of God and to be an heire with Christ. Christ is Gods Heire and so is all that is grafted upon Christ Ioh. 1.12 Now there is a double Adoption the one imperfect in this life the other perfect which wee shall have after the Resurrection of the dead By the one we have the promise of inheritance and by the other wee shall have full possession Of the first is mention made Rom. 8.15 of the other Rom. 8.23 the first adoption is meant here For the second Adoption is called a glory by an excellence because there is no glory like to it even the adoption to bee heires as it is in this life is the greatest
thereof from God wee shall have an infinite supply in stead of all these things Rev. 21.22 Here wee treat with God by meanes at a great distance there wee shall enjoy him immediately yea those gifts of the Spirit that suppose imperfection in us or misery in others shall there be done away The gifts that suppose imperfection in us are faith and hope and repentance wee shall not need promises to imply either faith or hope because all shall then bee performed and wee shall have actuall possession 1. Cor. 13. ult Nor shall wee neede sorrow for our sinnes because all our iniquities shall then be done away The gifts that suppose misery or sinne in others are such as these holy feare anger jealousie care hatred griefe pitty or such like now all these shall then be put off for ever because in that kingdome shall bee nothing that is either uncleane or wretched or in danger to fall away Yet notwithstanding this hinders not but that God may delight the soules of his people by waies unknowne to us after a most glorious manner which seemes to bee shadowed out by eating of the tree of life which beares so often fruit and by drinking of the water of life which runnes like a river pure as crystall and proceedes from the Throne of God Revel 21.6 22.1 For the third there is great difference betweene the company with whom wee live here and those with whom wee shall live there and that in seven things As first in the sorts of peoples Here our life is made grievous by the evill ones that either molest us with their oppositions or grieve us with their wickednesse or infect us with their evill examples but there shall bee no wicked ones no Divels to tempt us no divellish men to slander us or persecute us no abominable persons either to grieve or pollute us All these enemies shall be cast into the Lake of fire Revel 21.8 20.4 22.14 wee shall never be troubled with them more and the people there are all righteous Esay 60.23 Secondly in the dignity of the friends wee shall finde in heaven They are usually but meane persons wee must sort withall here but there they are such as exceed all the glory of this world our friends and companions shall be glorious Angells and blessed Patriarches and Kings and Prophets and Apostles and the Martyres of Iesus and in generall all weare Crownes of glory Thirdly in respect of the number of our friends Here we have scarce one friend we have reason much to admire or can safely relye upon there we shall have an innumerable company of Angels of the spirits of just men a huge congregation of the first borne even the generall assembly of all Gods elect Heb. 12. 22 23. Fourthly in respect of disposition both theirs and our owne Here our life with our friends is made often grievous by reason of envie suspicion offence passion pride forgetfulnesse and private discords or our owne indisposition at sometimes to take delight in the presence of our friends but in heaven the spirits of just men are made perfect Heb. 12.23 and charity will be inflamed on all hands to perform exactly all those properties mentioned 1. Cor. 13. Fiftly in respect of constancy Our friends here are not onely mortall and must leave us but mutable and may forsake us but there all the company is immortall and being perfectly sanctified are as God himselfe immutable and so their love is not only perfect but everlasting Charity there will abide for ever 1. Cor. 13. ult Sixtly in power to content us and satisfie us Alas here on earth many things befall us wherin our friends though they would yet they cannot helpe us but in heaven there is all sufficiency of power to solace and content one another to all eternity Lastly in their relation to us On earth wee lose daily such as are neare and deare to us in heaven we shall have them all and it is very probable wee shall know them all and one by one Adam in his innocency knew his Wife and could call her by her name without any body to tell him And Peter and Iohn in the Transfiguration on the Mount knew Moses and Elias and yet had never seene them how much more in heaven shall our knowledge be perfected to know and to bee knowne particularly and as it were by name For the fourth Our knowledge which is our life differs greatly now from that it shall bee both in respect of the ground of it and in respect of the manner of it and in respect of the measure of it The ground of it is our union with God by which we partake of his light Psal. 36.8 Now in heaven we shall be made one with God after an unspeakable manner in such a nearenesse as wee cannot conceive of now This is that which our Saviour praies so earnestly for Ioh. 17. 20.21 Secondly in respect of the manner of it Now God treates with us by meanes as by the Word and Sacraments c. but then without meanes immediately Now wee see by the helpe of a glasse or as an old man doth by Spectacles but then wee shall see God by direct vision Moses that saw as much of God as a mortal man then could saw but his backe parts hee saw God as wee see a man going from us but then wee shall see him face to face as hee is comming to us yea as hee is possessed by us Wee shall not need helpe to shew God to us as we doe now for God himselfe shall be our everlasting light as was shewed before There is a foure-fold vision of God the one is naturall as when wee see him in the crertures the other is speculous or Symbolicall when wee see God in certaine signes of his presence as in the burning fire in the Bush or in the Cloud or Pillar of fire at the Tabernacle The third is the vision of Faith when wee know how good God is by the promises of his word to us in Christ. The last is the vision of Glory which differs from all the former in a way of seeing unknowne to us Thirdly our knowledge will differ in the measure now wee know but in part there are many things we know not and what wee doe know wee know but obscurely and darkely then wee shall know perfectly even as wee are now knowne perfectly of God 1. Cor. 13.10 11. c. and so wee shall know both God and the Creatures There is a world of most delightfull and rare knowledge of the Creatures which wee attaine not to in this life but the chiefe glory of our knowledge then shall bee in the perfect vision of God and those unspeakeable beauties of his Nature when wee shall behold perfectly the glory of every propertie or attribute in God which will bee sufficient to breede everlasting wonder and delight In a word the knowledge of the meanest Christian in heaven shall be above
life is a narrow way and the gate is exceeding strait men may bee mis-led by a thousand by-waies and the worke to be done is a very hard worke Secondly that there are but few that finde the right way yea but few amongst those that seeke it and seeme desirous to know what they should doe for either they understand not the directions when they are given or by taking time to thinke of them they forget them or else when they have the answer they goe their waies like the yongue man in the Gospell and are sorry the conditions be so hard and so give over all further care and rest in the estate they were in before And therefore wee had need to attend the more carefully and resolve to doe whatsoever God requires of us whatsoever it cost us and not be troubled at the difficulty of the worke considering the excellency of eternall life and the many helpes wee may have to further the worke Of which afterwards This then is the question What should a man or woman doe that he might be sure to enter into life Ans. 1 Thou must lay the foundation of all in Iesus Christ Thou must disclaime all trust in any thing in heaven or earth in thy selfe or thy owne workes or any other creature and relye upon the merits of Iesus Christ as the onely meanes of pacifying Gods anger or procuring eternall life Act. 4.12 Ioh. 3.16 and thou must inwardly lay up Christ in thy heart so as spiritually ever to eate his flesh and drinke his blood by applying all hee hath done or suffered for thee in particular Ioh. 6.53 1. Ioh 5.12 2 Thou must pray hard to the God of life Psal. 42.8 and with great importunity beseech him to give thee the spirit of life that is Iesus Christ and with the more encouragement because he hath promised to give even his holy Spirit to them that aske him Luk. 11.13 3 There will be no life in the soule if thou doest not repent thee of thy sinnes Act. 11.18 And this is the harder worke because first to confesse thy sinnes will not serve turne unlesse thou forsake them and overcome them Revel 2.7 so as the power of them be mastered and thou doe from thy heart desire and resolve to leave them If thy lusts passions disorders of life in drunkennesse swearing sinnes of deceite or the like be not mended thou canst not live this life 1. Cor. 6.9 Gal. 5.22.23 At the best without an apparant victorie there will be little comfort in life Secondly in turning thou must turne from all thy transgressions so as thou be sure thou leave no sinne thou knowest but thou wilt endeavour to judge thy selfe for it and strive to forsake it Thy heart must be turned from it Ezech. 18.21.18 Yea if some of thy sinnes for profit or pleasure be to thee like thy right eye or right hand thou must cut them off or pull them out or else thou canst never enter into life Mat. 18.8 9. As in the case of rich men the way of life is compared to the eye of a Needle and their hearts to a great Cable now there is no way for thee to enter into life but by untwisting the great Cable till it be made like small threeds which is done by great humiliation Iam. 1.10 And withall thy heart must continue affraid in the least thing to offend God This feare of the Lord is required to the very beginning of this life Pro. 14.27 4 Thou must deny thy selfe extreamly in outward things thou must looke for persecution yea and perhaps be put to it to forsake father and mother house and lands wife and children yea and life it selfe so as to hate and lose this naturall life in comparison of the gaining of eternall life Mark 10. 30. Ioh. 12.25 5 Thou must be tied to walke in a strict course of life all thy daies resolving to walke in the way of righteousnesse and let the word of God be the rule of all thy actions and by patient continuance in well-doing to seeke encrease of happinesse and holinesse for life is onely in the way of righteousnesse Prov. 12.28 Rom. 2.7 8. Ezech. 33.15 16. Now though this worke be very hard yet thou hast many helpes if thy heart be right and willing to obey for 1 God will give thee his holy Spirit to worke all thy worke for thee and to cause thee to walke in his statutes and keepe his judgements and doe them and will mortifie the deeds of the flesh and teach thee in all truth and comfort and support thee and make thy workes acceptable to God as hath beene shewed before 2 Thou hast the helpe of spirituall Armour that is mighty through God to cast downe strong holds 2. Cor. 10.3 4. thou wilt finde a strong supply from every ordinance of God the Word and Prayer and Sacraments all serve to helpe against the difficultie of this worke and so will the Societie with the godly as was shewed before 3 Thou wilt have the benefite of Christs praiers and intercession for thee in heaven Ioh. 17.17.15 which is of unspeakable force and power to helpe thee 4 The greatnesse of the reward should pluck up thy heart against all the hardship of godlinesse for 1 God will grant thee pardon of all thy sinnes Act. 2 39. 2 Thou shalt have fellowship with God himselfe and he will shew thee so much when thou seekest to him in his ordinances 1. Ioh. 1.7 3 Thou hast most precious promises recorded every where in the sacred Volume of Gods booke 2. Pet. 1.4 4 Who would not bee stirred up with the contemplation of that glorious inheritance is reserved for us in heaven that incorruptible crown should make any body willing to abstain from all things and to runne with all violence in the race set before us 1. Pet. 1.3 1. Cor. 9.24 25 26 27. Onely let mee conclude this point with an earnest exhortation to all Christians that would have comfort of life to apply themselves to get all possible knowledge they can in the Scriptures for that knowledge is a tree of life Prov. 3.18 16.22 and those sacred knowledges they must not let go but take fast hold on them Prov. 4.13 They must attend incline their eares and not let them depart from betweene their eyes and be sure to keepe them in the middest of their hearts Prov. 4.22.21.20 Marke every one of those words to doe it and consider that it is not the having of the Bibles or Sermons or the reading or hearing but the knowledge wee get into our hearts nor is it any knowledge but wisdome or the wise knowledge of the Scriptures and our knowledge is then wise when it is an understanding of our own waies and wee are wise for our selves when wee studie profitable things and when wee sow those seeds of truth in daily practise and when wee practise with discretion looking to the circumstances of every dutie not to draw upon
our selves incombrances by our owne rashnesse or indiscretion And lastly when with all knowledge we joyne lowlinesse of mind and meekenesse that meekenesse that is called meekenesse of wisdome by Saint Iames. Thus of the meanes to attaine life The signes follow There are divers waies to try our selves whether eternall life be begunne in us as 1 By the savouring of those things that are immortall Our mortall life relisheth nothing but what is transitory and eternall life findes happinesse in nothing but what is eternall or tends to it Thus a man that is endued with this life esteemes with sense grace above riches spirituall treasures above all earthly In particular the desire after the Word of God is a signe that we are at least new borne babes in Gods kingdom if so be wee desire it with a kind of naturall affection as the childe doth the breast and constantly and as the word is sincere and with an unfained desire to grow in grace and goodnesse by the power of the Word Rom. 8.5 1. Pet. 2. Iohn 6.27 2 By our knowledge of God in Christ as hath beene shewed before when it is such a knowledge as workes not onely admiration but also sound transformation of our hearts and lives 3 There is a kinde of sorrow that the Apostle saith is to salvation 2. Cor. 10.7 and that is such a sorrow as is voluntary and secret for our sinnes and for all sorts of sinnes Rom. 7. Esa. 6.5 Esa. 1.16 and as they are sinnes and not for other respects and such a sorrow as quieteth the heart and leaveth a vehement desire of reformation and is most stirred by the sense of Gods goodnesse Hos. 3.5 Esa. 1.16 and is found in prosperity as well as adversitie 4 By our love to God for if the light of life bee in vs and that wee are truely acquainted with God as our God in Christ the heart hath seene that that will make it in love with God for ever and shew it by his estimation of Gods loving kindnesse and all the signes of it above all things in life Psal. 63.2 11. and by longing after the comming of Christ 2. Tim. 4.8 and by grieving for Gods absence Cant. 3.1 and by his feare to offend God in any thing Iude 20. and by his willingnesse to suffer any thing for God and the Gospell 1. Thes. 1.2 5 By our love of the brethren The Alpostle Iohn with great confidence of words makes this a signe that wee are translated from death to life 1. Ioh. 3.14 and it is infallible if we so love them as we account them the only excellent ones Psal. 16.3 and desire them as the onely companions of our lives and if it bee for the grace and goodnesse is in them 1. Ioh. 5.1 2. Ioh. 1.2 and if it be notwithstanding their infirmities or adversities and if wee love all the brethren without respect of persons 6 To conclude this point generally If eternall life bee begun in us wee are new creatures borne againe the Image of God is restored in us in some degree Ioh. 3.5 Tit. 3.7 5. Colos. 3.10 and we are such as are fully resolved to spend our daies in the way of righteousnesse and a holy course of life Prov. 12.28 8 The properties of this life follow and they are five for 1 It is unspeakable eye hath not seene nor eare heard nor can the heart of man conceive what God hath prepared in life for them that love him 1. Cor. 2.9 2 It is free it is not given by merit but is the free gift of God Rom. 6. ult 3 It is certain for there is an Act for it in Gods councell Men be ordained to life and their names written in the booke of life Act. 13.48 Phil. 4.4 and God hath bound himselfe by many promises in his Word to the believer and besides hath confirmed it with an oath Heb. 6.17 and Christ is gone into heaven to make the place ready for all the heires of life Ioh. 14.3 and further wee have it already begun even eternall life begun Ioh. 17.3 4 It is a life by assimilation that is such a life as is fashioned in likenesse to the life of another even Iesus Christ according to whose Image wee are created Col. 3.10 And who shall change our vile bodies and make them like his glorious body Phil. 3.21 5 It is eternall A life that will last as long as God liveth it will never have an end Divines expresse the etâ—rnitie of it in part by this similitude Suppose a little Bird came to the Sea once in a thousand yeares and tooke up onely one drop of water and so should continue to take every thousand yeares onely one drop what an unspeakable space of time would it be before the Sea would be drunke up and yet eternity is a lasting beyond that unmeasurably Thus of the explication of the doctrine concerning life The uses follow and Vse 1. First what a strong impression should this doctrine have upon the hearts of all unregenerate men How should life and heaven suffer violence How should this force open their eies that they might awake from that fearefull lethargie and stand up from the dead that Christ might give them this light of life How should they unchangeably resolve to seeke Gods kingdome first above all things and above all gettings strive to get understanding What shall it profit them to winne the whole world and lose their owne soules But especially the doctrine of life should melt the hearts of all the godly and imprint upon them the care of many dueties as 1 They have cause to wonder at the exceeding riches of Gods kindnesse to them in Iesus Christ in providing such an inheritance for them Eph. 2.7 2 They should pray earnestly to God to open their eyes more and more to see the glory of this life and effectually to take notice of the high dignity of their calling and riches of their inheritance in life Eph. 1.19 3 This should marvellously weane their hearts from the cares of this present life and from the love of earthly things seeing their inheritance lyeth in spirituall and eternall life 1. Cor. 7.31 Heb. 13.4 5. 11.13 Col. 3.1 2. Phil. 3.20 4 Since they have found this precious life by the Gospell they should therefore take heed they be not carried about with divers and strange doctrine nor trouble themselves with doubtfull disputations or unprofitable questions They have found the words of eternall life and whither else will they goe Tit. 3.7 9. Heb. 13.9 5 This should make them love one another as such as shall bee companions in life for ever Yea they should receive one another as Christ received them to glory Ioh. 13.34 Eph. 4.2 5.1 Rom. 15.7 And in particular husbands should make much of their wives and masters of such servants as are heires with them of the grace of life as this Text shewes and Col. 3.24 6 They should strive to shew the
contrariwise he doth overcome that will render good for evill If this point were seriously considered it would mightily subdue that unruly pride and passion that discovers it selfe in the most men and it doth directly proove that Duells or single combats are simply unlawfull and intolerable in any well governed Common wealth and should warne all Christians to take heed of allowing themselves in the desires or projects of revenge Nor is their sinne the lesse that seeke revenge but it is closely and much dissembled while they watch for an opportunity to be even with them that have wronged them Nor reviling for reviling Observe 1 That people that are ungodly are very prone to reviling This wee may see in the conversation they have among their neighbours what brawling and scoulding from day to day and also in the case of Religion how doe they continually reproach and slander the true Christians so in family affaires with what disgracefull and hatefull tearmes are all the businesses almost of the houshold dispatcht But of this I spake before 2 That reviling and rayling is a very hatefull sinne It is here accounted a great suffering to suffer reviling Our Saviour reckons it murther in his exposition of the sixt Commandement Mat. 5. and if godly men be reviled it is tearmed blasphemie in divers places of Scripture in the Originall It proceeds from vile and base natures Heb. 12.14 15. Iam. 1.21 3.9 Gods Spirit is a Spirit of meekenesse and evill words corrupt good manners 1. Cor. 15 16. The use is therfore for great reproofe and shame to all those that are guilty of this sinne especially such as have their mouthes full of cursing and bitternesse Rom. 3.14 and such as revile men for this very reason because they follow goodnesse calling good evill Esay 5.20.21 Pet. 4.5 and such as revile those that are neare unto them in the strong bonds of nature or covenant as when wives revile their husbands or children their parents 3 That though weâ— be reviled yet wee must not revile againe because reviling is a sinne and God hath flatly forbidden it in this and other Scriptures and besides wee have an excellent example of our Saviour himselfe that suffered all forts of reproaches and yet was so farre from reviling that he threatened not 1. Pet. 2. and all sorts of godly men have endured reviling that were many degrees better than thou And further what knowest thou but God may blesse thee for their cursing as David said And therefore all that are true Christians should be effectually warned from hence to resolve against bitter words and reviling though they be never so much provoked Thus of the rules the Apostle gives for avoiding of trouble Now follows the arguments for the confirmation of those rules especially of the latter and the first is taken from the estate or condition of a Christian in this Verse the second from the testimony of the Prophet David Vers. 10.11 12. And the third from the probable event or effect of such a course Vers. 13. In the rest of this Verse hee inferres from their calling to Gods blessing That they shall bee so farre from cursing or reviling that they should use no other language than blessing even to the wicked and their adversaries But contrariwise This very tearme imports That the life and discourse of a true Christian should be not onely different from the life and language of wicked men but in many things contrary And it must needs bee so because the godly and wicked arise from a contrary fountaine the one borne after the flesh the other after the Spirit Gal. 4. and their words and actions flow from contrary principles for the one is led by the old man the other by the new man and they have from without contrary leaders the one led by the Devill Eph. 2. the other by the Spirit of God Rom. 8. and further they trade about contrary commodities the one for earthly things only the other for heavenly the one for things of this world the other for things of another world and lastly they goe contrary waies the one to hell the other to heaven and therefore there can bee no agreement betweene them no more than betweene light and darkenesse Christ and Behal This point serves for great reproofe of some weake Christians for comming so neere to the waies of carnall men as they can hardly be distinguished from them that looke so like them Such were those Corinthians Saint Paul reproves 1. Cor. 3.1 2 3. Blesse It is required of all true Christians that they should blesse their conversation should expresse blessing continually Now for the understanding of this point wee must know that man is said in Scripture to blesse either God or man He blesseth God when he praiseth his mercy and acknowledgeth his blessings he addes nothing to Gods blessednesse but onely acknowledgeth Gods blessed Nature and dealing towards man This exercise of blessing God began betimes in the world as Gen. 14.20 and was constantly continued in all ages among the godly But in this place the Apostle meaneth it of blessing man And to blesse man is either a vice or a vertue There is a vicious blessing of men which must be separated from the doctrine of this Text. Now it is vicious first when a man blesseth himselfe in his owne heart even then when God threatneth him Deut. 29.19 Secondly when a man blesseth wicked men and praiseth them notwithstanding their vile courses Ps. 10.3 Thirdly when a man useth blessing with his mouth yet curseth inwardly Ps. 62.4 Fourthly when a man blesseth his friend by way of flattery Prov. 27.14 Fiftly when a man blesseth Idols by worshipping them and by setting his affections upon them Esay 66.3 Thus of blessing as it is a vice As blessing is a vertue it is performed divers waies as first from Superiours to their Inferiours so parents blesse their children Gen. 27. Ministers blesse the people Num. 6.23.1 Cor. 14.16 Secondly Inferiours blesse their Superiours as the Subject the King 2. Sam. 14.22 the Child his Parents Pro. 30.11 the People their Teachers Mat. 23.39 In this place I take it blessing is considered of as it is required of all sorts of men towards all sorts of men and in particular towards their enemies or such as wrong them or revile them and so a true Christian should blesse both in deeds and words He blesseth in deeds when either he is a means to keepe others from evill 1. Sam. 25.33 or by doing good or shewing mercy to others and so a man blesseth his enemy when he relieveth him in his misery and overcommeth his evill with goodnesse Rom 12.20.21 Yea a man may be said to blesse when hee causeth others to blesse either God or himselfe for his well doing Thus Iob blessed when he caused the poore to blesse him Iob 31.20 It is required also that wee blesse one another in words and in particular it is required that wee
will witnesse for him to his singular joy 2. Cor. 1.12 The daily encouragements of a good conscience are like a continuall feast within 3 From God and so they have Gods blessing certaine and this is a great inheritance and hath so much happinesse in it as it should swallow up all the grievance of afflictions and the contempts and scornes of the world It is enough if wee have Gods blessing Now that this point may bee distinctly beaten out wee must understand that true Christians may be said to inherite Gods blessing first in a more restrained sense and then in a more large sense In a restrained sense blessing may here be taken for Gods comfortable speaking for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 properly signifies blessing by words so it answers to the coherence If they will use good words to men God will speake good words to them And in this sense we may hence gather That Gods naturall language to the called of Iesus Christ is blessing or comfortable words God will speake to his people peace Psal. 84.5 and therefore hee gives a charge to his Ministers to speake comfortably to Ierusalem Esay 40.1 2. Secondly that Gods elect never finde this till they have their calling Thirdly that it is a great inheritance in this life to have God to speake well to us Fourthly that if the fault be not in us we shall never have God speake otherwise It is our inheritance to comfort us against all the miseries of life And therefore Ministers that are the mouth of God should studie comfort much and those Christians that desire to have the fruit of their inheritance in this thing should provide to live in such places where God speakes to men And those Ministers have a great account to make that set themselves to speake disgracefully and terribly to such as feare God striving to discourage their hearts and to strengthen the hands of the wicked Thus of the restrained sense onely note by the way That God speakes good words both for his people behinde their backes and to his people before their faces They inherite Gods good word for them in their absence Thus God speakes excellently in the praise of Iob to the Divell before the Angells Iob 1. 2. and thus hee can speake in the consciences of the greatest on earth in praise of his people as Esay 41.9 Now in the generall sense Gods people enjoy this blessing many waies and that both in this life and in the life to come In this life they have his blessin 1 In temporall things of all sorts hee makes the earth blesse them and the heavens and the waters Gen. 49.25 hee blesseth them in the City and in the field in the fruit of their bodies and of the ground and of their cattell in their Basket and in their store when they come in and when they goe out yea God will command the blessing upon them in their storehouses upon all they set their hands to he will open his good treasures unto them and blesse all the worke of their hands Deut. 28.2 3 4 5 6 8 12. And if they enjoy not so much in quality of these things as some wicked men yet they have a faire portion and a good blessing because that they have is blessed both in the originall of it and in the nature of it and in the use of it and in their right to it 2 In the meanes of grace and salvation and so they enjoy the blessing of God in his house-keeping and great is thâ—â—â— blessing where with God blesseth his people in his house on his holy hill and round about The Lord hath long since promised to make all the places about his holy hill blessings Yea there Gods people doe receive showers of blessing every powerfull Sermon is as a shower of blessing every doctrine being as a blessed drop of instruction or comfort Ezech. 34.26 Exod. 20.24 Psal. 132.15 3 In the gifts of grace and so he hath blessed us with all spirituall blessings in heavenly things A poore Christian carrieth about with him in his heart more treasure than all the Monarchs of the world being not true Christians can any way possesse or command Eph. 1.3 Thus of Gods blessing in this life After this life who can recount the glory of their inheritance in the blessing they shall have then from God Oh that our hearts could be enlarged to thinke of the power of these words of Christ at the last day Come yee blessed of my father inherite the kingdome prepared for you before the foundation of the world The use should be for great comfort to all true Christians They have great cause to rejoyce in their fathers blessing all their daies and the rather if they consider that Gods blessing as a Father is better than the blessing of any earthly father For an earthly fathers blessing is most an end but verball in words Gods blessing is reall in deeds A father on earth cannot derive blessing to his childe from himselfe but from God whereas Gods blessing is from himselfe Besides if an earthly father would blesse his childe yet hee wants power to give him what he desires but God our Father is almighty able to give as much as he wisheth Gen. 28.3 Finally an earthly fathers blessing may bee lost as Chams was but Gods blessing cannot be lost hee will blesse with everlasting mercy Secondly such as yet enjoy not the priviledge of Gods called ones should be greatly stirred up with desire to get this blessing even to have Gods blessing Let no man bee prophane like Esaâ— to contemne Gods blessing but seeke it while it may be had Heb. 12.17 Que. But what should we doe to get Gods blessing Ans. First you must diligently resort to Gods house for there God hath commanded the blessing Psal. 133.3 and bee carefull and attentive hearers of Gods Word for the ground that drinketh in the raine receiveth a blessing from God Heb. 6.7 the raine of instruction must soake into your hearts 2 You must turne you every one from all your transgressions if you will have Gods blessing in his Son Iesus Act. 3.26 without sound repentance Gods blessing will not be had Men must not thinke to get Gods blessing and doe after the things they doe now a daies every one that is right in his owne eyes Deut. 12.7 8. Finally wee must be all such as feare God truly Psal. 115.13 and such as will not lift up their soules to follow vanity but get cleane hands and a pure heart for such onely shall receive the blessing from the Lord and righteousnesse from the God of their salvation Psal. 24.4.5 and to this end we must carefully hearken to Gods voice and observe to doe all that he commandeth us Deut. 15.4.5.6 Lastly Gods owne children that have felt the comfort of Gods blessing must be admonished to carry themselves so as they may grow in the comforts of it more and more
And to this end 1 They must daily aske God blessing and by their daily prayers let the Lord know that they make more account of his blessing than any children of earthly parents can doe of their fathers blessings 2 Since they have such showers of blessing in Gods house daily they especially should be like good ground so to drinke in the spirituall raine that the fruits of it may appeare in their lives in all pietie and mercy and righteousnesse Heb. 6.7 3 Since they know the worth of Gods blessing they should learne of Abraham to command their servants and their children and their housholds to feare God and to live righteously that so they may bee a meanes to helpe them also to this great happinesse of inheriting Gods blessing Gen. 18.18.19 4 If they bee put to it to deny themselves in things most deare to them for the glory of God they shall approove themselves as Abraham did in offering up Isaac to be such indeed as doe feare God and esteeme his favour above all things Gen. 22.17 18. Vers. 10. For hee that will love life and see good daies let him refraine his tongue from euill and his lips that they speake no guile Vers. 11. Let him eschew euill and doe good c. THus of the first reason taken from the condition of Gods servants as they are heires of blessing In these words is contained the second reason taken from Propheticall testimonie David long since taught the same doctrine Saint Peter now doth and gave the same advice in effect for hee had shewed That if a man would live a quiet and contented life free from troubles and mischiefe hee must then take heed of all reviling and evill speaking and avoid all things might offend either the godly or the wicked All things I say that are evill and must labour after all courses of peace and mercy and well-doing and then God would bee a protectour of such godly and carefull men and hee would recompence upon the wicked all the wrongs they do to his servants This is the summe of the meaning of these words In the words for the order of them observe three things 1. The persons advised or charged by the Prophet David viâ— such as would needs lovelife and to see good and quiet daies 2. The dueties charged upon them as the meanes to attaine what they desired and so he shewes what they must avoid and what they must doe They must avoid in particular an evill tongue and in generall an evill and injurious life And contrariwise for what they must doe in generall they must doe good and in particular seeke peace Vers. 10 11. 3. The reason of his advcie and that is taken from the Nature of God and his disposition both towards the godly and amongst the wicked Vers. 12. From the generall consideration of all the words we may gather That a great part of the miseries of life might be avoided if men would be advised and ruled Most men and women may thanke themselves for the unquietnesse and distresse they live in And this will appeare if wee consider of either their crosses or their temptations or their corruptions which are the things onely that can distresse life As for the crosses it is manifest by experience that the most people suffer for their owne folly and such things as might have beene avoided Their discontentments arise either from their rash matches in the estate of life they are in or from vain jangling in idle opinions or from their rash and perverse words or from their wilfull neglect of easie rules of good behaviour in the family or the like Take but the directions here given If men did refraine their tongues from evill speaking by censure or reproaches or slander or fraudulent words and that men did avoide injurious courses or grosse crimes and withall if men did strive to doe all the good they could to all sorts of men and finally if men would use all lawfull meanes to preserve peace and to avoid contumely how quiet might the lives of the most people be Againe let a Christian consider of his corruptions which at sometimes so trouble himselfe and others doth not his owne conscience know that if he would constantly pray against them and be sure to be circumspect in his carriage how certainly and how soone might hee be delivered from the power of any sinne And for his infirmities with how little labour might hee store his head with comfortable places of Scripture that might support him against the sense of his daily frailties And for temptations of Sathan that so extreamly molest some few Christians how might they have beene either avoided or borne with more quiet Some Christians tempt the Divell to tempt them by their solitarinesse or idlenesse or security or wilfull nourishing of pride and vanity in themselves or by a carelesse living without assurance of faith And when the temptations are upon them and they are truly humbled under them how doe some Christians wilfuliy refuse consolation and limit God so as never to be quiet till the temptation be remooved though the Lord himselfe answer them that his grace shall be sufficient for them The use should bee therefore to warne all men that would live quietly and comfortably to awaken to the care of their dutie and to study the rules given them out of the word of God for let them be assured till they make conscience of living by rule it will never be better with them Againe in that Saint Peter and the Prophet David agree so right in judgment concerning the practise of true Christians it shewes That the rules of holy life have beene the same in all ages of the world before the Law and under the Law and now under the Gospell Wee may see by the carriage of holy men before the Law that they walked by such rules as these and the reason is Because the rules of a religious and vertuous life were in the minde of God from all eternity and so given to men from the beginning cannot change in as much as God is unchangeable in the formes of things And this point may shew us how hard the world is to learne in that these lessons have beene taught from the beginning and yet the most men have not learned them And besides godly Christians should bee encouraged to live by rule and to walke circumspectly seeing this is no harder a task required of them than what hath beene required in all ages Thirdly it is worth the observing who the persons are that give this counsell to strive as well as wee can to live out of trouble and to lead a quiet life They were two great Champions that had endured a world of troubles themselves Peter I meane and David and yet wee see they presse other men to seeke to live as quietly as is possible and thus did Paul doe also 1. Tim. 2.2 1. Thes. 4.11 Heb. 12.11 Now one maine reason why