opinions of Heretickes of Arrians of Papists of Atheists of Anabaptists of Libertines and such like that wee renounce all those opinions that derogate any thing from the true worship and honour of God as denying of Christes Godhead his Manhood his Mediation that we abhorre all kind of Idolatry and superstitious seruing of our God Answere But is this the whole conuersion of a man Or is this the perfect worke of Repentance that ought to bee wrought in vs We must goe farther then thus and yet my Bretheren I would we all went so farre Many stand in the midway and haue not proceeded to learne and practise those duties We must hate all ignorance of God and of his word which is the Mother and Mistris of all sinne and error we must loue and embrace the knowledge of God reuealed and offered vnto vs from time to time we must seeke after it as a Treasure wee must receiue it otherwise wee deceiue our selues We must hunger and thirst after the sincere milke of Gods word and account their feete beuatifull that bring it vnto vs we must say Come let vs go vp to the house of God that he may teach vs his wayes and that we may walke in his pathes But do we thus Nay when it is offered doe we not spurne and kicke against it as the Horse and Mule that is without vnderstanding Doe we not mocke and deride the Prophets of God and preachers of the word labouring to instruct vs in the right way and are wee not for the most part made worse and our hearts hardned that wee can receiue no instruction If we loued the light we would delight in it wee would be reformed by it we would be transformed into the obedience of it but our prophane works do testify against vs that we hate both the light and those that are the Authors and the bringers of it I might alledge many other workes of darkenesse that swarme in our liues and make vs swarue from the rule of righteousnesse left vnto vs in the word If we liue in beastly drunkennesse in vnclean lusts in hatred in malice and such like fruits of the flesh we are not yet partakers of a new birth we are not become new creatures we haue not yet put on the new man we cannot do good to any of our brethren When Abraham was to trauell among the Heathen that knew not God among the Idolaters that worshipped not God among the prophane Infidels that were neuer conuerted to God i Gen. 20 11. he saide The feare of God is not in this place and they will slay me for my wiues sake He could looke for no duties of loue no practise of righteousnesse no fruites of humanity toward him to proceede from them that were vnmortifyed vnsanctifyed and vnregenerated It is the great mercy of God to mankind to giue to them his word which restraineth their actions subdueth their affections and ordereth men which otherwise would be outragious Monsters as Wolues Tygers Lyons Beares Buls Bandogs nay Deuils incarnate one to another who beeing left to themselues they would be as Cormorants or Canibals ready to deuoure and eate vp one another being not onely without piety but without ciuility without curtesie without humanity If therefore his word do not alter vs nothing wil nothing can Thus then we see that seeing it is the conuersion of a man that maketh him any way profitable or seruiceable to others we must all labor to be born againe otherwise it had bin better wee had neuer bin borne and wee must seeke true Repentance and the conuersion of the heart otherwise wee shall be vnprofitable members in the Church of God Vse 3 Lastly seeing it is the turning of vs to God that turneth vs to the good of men it serueth as a notable direction vnto vs to teach vs that whosoeuer desireth that such as belong vnto him should be profitable and faithfull vnto him let him labour to plant godlinesse in their hearts and to sowe the seeds of eternall life in their minds It will bee able to minister no comfort vnto thee to see godlinesse flourish in others and to heare of their conuersion to God endeuour to bring it home to thine owne house and to settle it in the doores of thine owne family A better duty thou canst not perform vnto their soules and so vnto them then by this which will bring the blessing of God with it and remoue the curse of God from thee and thy family Who is it if he were asked the question that would be trobled with an vnfaithfull Wife with stubborne Children with vntrusty Seruants or who is it that would not account them the greatest plague and punishment that can befall a man in this life to haue such a dissolute and disordered house If then any desire to be with comfort and contentment matched with a prouident and profitable wife blessed with gracious and obedient children furnished with diligent and dutifull seruants let them seeke out such as truely serue the Lord make choise of such as shew liuely fruites of their vnfaigned conuersion be carefull to traine them in the knowledge of God and to procure their saluation This was Abrahams care and Conscience to instruct such as did belong vnto him and this was the cause that hee had a blessed wife partaker of the same inheritance with him that followed him vp and downe in euerie place as God called him he had a faithfull Isaac ready in all duty to obey him he had carefull and trusty seruants that contented not themselues with eye-seruice but performed their duties in the singlenesse of their hearts as seruing the Lord and not man Would we then haue our Wiues that lye in our bosomes and are giuen as the deerest and neerest companions of our life to be found faithfull vnto vs of pure and chast conuersation louing their children gouerning their house and giuing no occasion to the aduersary to speake euill Let vs make them faithfull to God and endeuour to work true Religion in them k 1 Pet. 3. as they which are heyres together of the grace of life Such a blessed couple were Abraham and Sarah Isaac and Rebecca Zachary and Elizabeth Aquila and Priscilla with sundry others This made the Prophet say l Psa 128 1 2. Blessed is euery one that feareth the Lord and walketh in his waies c thy wife shall be as the fruitfull Vine on the sides of thine house thy children like the Oliue plants round about thy Table Moreouer if we desire to haue our Children the fruite of our own body and the fry of the Church to be good and dutifull vnto vs as euery one wold haue them do their duty to him and will cry out against them when they behaue themselues rudely and vnreuerently let vs be carefull of their conuersion let vs giue them the sweete taste of Religion and let vs teach them this trade of the feare of God We
to come it belongeth vnto vs greatly to reioyce and inwardlie be comforted The practise heereof we may behold in Iethro when Moses told him all that the Lord had done vnto Pharaoh and to the Aegiptians for Israels sake and all the trauaile that had come vnto them by the way and how the Lord deliuered them e Exod. 18 9. Iethro reioyced at all the goodnesse which the Lord had shewed to Israell and because he had deliuered them out of the hand of the Aegiptians The like appeareth in the Virgine Marie Luke 1. 39. f Luke 1 39. She arose in those daies and went into the Hill Countrey with hast to a Cittie of Iudah she entred into the House of Zacharie and saluted Elizabeth They had both tasted of Gods great mercie and had experience of his mightie power Elizabeth conceiued in her olde age Marie conceiued being a Virgine and One of them reioyced with the other in a mutuall feeling not onelie of the goodnesse of GOD toward themselues but of his louing kindnesse toward each other The same we see afterward g Luke 1 57 58. When Elizabeths time was fulfilled that she should be deliuered shee brought foorth a Sonne and her Neighbours and Cozins heard tell how the Lord had shewed his great mercie vppon her and they reioyced with her The same affection did the Angell fore-shew to Zachary to be at his birth as appeareth in the former part of the same Chapter Luke 1. 14. h Luke 1 14. Thou shalt haue ioy and gladnesse and many shall reioyce at his Birth The Apostle Iohn testifyeth that He reioyced greatlie when he found the Children of the elect Ladie i 2 Iohn 4. walking in the truth So the Apostle Paule writing vnto the Thessalonians one of the most excellent Churches that euer was planted k 1 Thes 2. calleth them His Ioy his Crowne his Glorie By all these examples wee may see that men ought greatly to reioyce and bee glad when they behold any good to befall their Brethren Reason 1 The Reasons are very plaine For first we ought to be of like affection one toward another as members of the same bodie If wee doe draw nourishment from Christ our head we must yeeld mutuall help one to another Thus the case standeth in the Members of our naturall bodies and this we are put in minde of Rom. 12. 16. l Rom. 12 16 Be of like affection one toward another be not high minded c. Wee haue many members in one Bodie and all Members haue not one office so we being many are one bodie in Christ and euerie one one anothers Members Seeing then we are so neerelie coupled together our ioy ought not to bee priuate to our owne selues but mutuall Reason 2. Secondlie true loue worketh hearty ioy for the good of him whom we loue Where there is no true loue there can bee no ioy but enuy at the good estate of another Euery good and godlie thing that we see vpon them will bee iudged to be too much and euery crosse that we see vpon them will be iudged to bee too little But if wee doe indeede loue them and haue our hearts ioyned vnto them we will reioyce and be glad in their good as in our owne This is it which the Apostle Paule speaketh as we haue shewed you before 1. Corinth 13. 6. m 1 Cor. 13 6 Loue reioyceth not in Iniquity but reioyceth in the truth So then forasmuch as we are members one of another and that wheresoeuer and in whomsoeuer true loue is to bee found there will also follow a reioycing in the good thinges that befall vnto him whom we loue we may well conclude that when wee see God any way good and gratious to our Bretheren whether it be in matters of this life or in thinges belonging to the life to come we ought to reioyce and to be glad thereat Vse 1. Let vs now proceed and passe to the Vses and so apply this to our selues First of all seeing we are to reioyce at the good of our Bretheren as at our owne good it is our duty to be sad and sorrowfull at the hurt and losse that commeth vnto them This is that vse which the Apostle deducteth from the contrarie Rom. 12. Reioyce with them that reioyce n Rom. 12 15 and weepe with them that weepe This serueth to reprooue such as are dull and senselesse that they cannot reioyce at any grace or blessing bestowed vpon their Brethren they are not affected at it they care not for it they delight not in it they are not comforted by it This deadnesse of Spirit turneth vs into the Nature of Beastes nay maketh vs worse then brute Beasts who are not wholly without naturall affections It is made a note of a veâ—… wicked and vngodlie Man o Rom. 1. 30. To be without naturall affection and to be mercilesse The Apostle chargeth vs p Rom. 12 10. To be affectioned to loue one another with brotherlie loue If a Man should bee smitten and wounded haue Pinnes or Bodkins thrust into him and yet neuer stirre or mooue or wagge at it all men would conclude he were past feeling and without life and approaching to death So is it with vs if we can behold the miseries of our Bretheren and neuer be touched at it nor troubled with it we are as dead men and as rotten members Secondly if it make against them that are as stockes and stones and are neuer a whit mooued or cheered at the prosperous estate of their Christian Brethren then they are much more to be reprehended that reioyce at the ruine and downefall of others reproaching them insulting vpon them laughing them to scorne These men haue no sparke of true humanity but are destitute of all Charitie which ought to abound in vs toward those that are in miserie These are farre from beeing greeued at other mens troubles that after a sort feede vpon them and make a sport at them If we were in trouble and any should thus deale with vs that is not pittie vs but make a pastime of vs not comfort vs but deride vs not mourne with vs but scoffe at vs we would thinke our selues greatly abused and iniured at their hands That which we could not haue men offer vnto vs that we ought not to doe vnto them according to the rule of Christ our Sauiour Math. 7. 12. q Math. 7 12. Whatsoeuer ye would that men should doe to you euen so doe you to them for this is the Law and the Prophets This is the substaunce of the second Table And thus farre did diuers of the Heathen see They saw this to be a very great crueltie and a sauage and brutish vsage of men to throwe them downe that are readie to fall and to cast them flat on their faces that beginne to stumble If these Men did but consider that all troubles are of GOD and that no troubles befall
God All time is esteemed to little and to short that is spent in pleasures in Carding in Dyeing in Drunkennesse in vanitie and in all wickednesse neuer considering that we ought to number our dayes and redeeme the time because the daies are euill To Philemon our deare Friend and Fellow-labourer c. Hetherto we haue spoken of the persons writing Now wee are to proceede to the persons to whom this Epistle is written which are foure in number whereof one is chiefe and principall the other such as are ioyned to him as lesse principall The cheefe person heere named is Philemon Touching this Philemon who he was and of what calling and condition it is not agreed among all Some thinke he was in the Ministery and of some Ecclesiasticall function u Cal. in Epist. Phil. Piscat in hanc locum Rolloc annlis in Epistol Phil. because the Apostle calleth him a Fellow-labourer But the opinion and iudgement of these men is not certaine and the reason whereuppon it standeth is weake and wauering Rather he appeareth to be a Citizen of Colosse of good wealth and worship because both the Pastor of that Church was Archippus as appeareth Coloss 4 Say vnto Archippus looke to thy Ministry that thou fulfill it And many other are called by this honorable Title of Fellow-labourers who neuer had calling to preach the word as appeareth in diuers places where Paule saluteth not only priuate persons but Women who were not to teach publikely in the Church by this Name as Rom. 16. Phil. 4. 3. Iohn Now the Apostle vseth two reasons to perswade him to yeeld to his suit and earnest request the one of friendship and familiarity that was betweene them the other of his zeale and forwardnesse in furthering the Gospell as indeed it is the duty not onely of the Ministers but of all the godly to promote the doctrine of the gospell and to labour much in the Lord by their prayers workes counsels endeuours and imployments So then in regard of the neere coniunction of Christian loue and common labour in the truth and for the truth the Apostle hopeth to preuaile with him Doct. 5. A Christian friend wil performe any Christian duty to his friend From hence wee learne this Doctrine that where true Christian loue is there is a willing and ready performance of all Christian duties one to another Christian friendshippe and familiarity ought to preuaile much to intreat and obtaine duties of loue one from another and to stay vnchristian and vncharitable courses When a contention grew betweene Abraham and Lot and betweene the Heard-men of their Cattle Abraham said vnto him x Gen. 13 8. Let there be I pray thee no strife between thee and me neither between my Heard-men and thy Heard-men for we are Brethren Ionathan and Dauid a paire of sure and fast friendes entred into a couenant of peace and amity either with other y 1 Sa. 18 2 3. this loue would not suffer any euill to be pretended and plotted against each other which they did not willinglie disclose and discouer Dauid loued him as himselfe and Ionathan reuealed and bewrayed the counsell and conspiracy of his Father euen to the danger of his owne life and the losse of a kingdome He preferred the maintaining of frendship before the gaining of a kingdome The loue that was in Christ to his disciples caused him to reueale to them all things that he had from his Father z Iohn 15 15. Henceforth cal I you not seruants for the seruant knoweth not what his M. doth but I haue called you friends for all things that I haue heard of my Father haue I made known to you When Christ sitting at the table told the disciples that one of thē should betray him into the hands of Sinners Peter moued Iohn whom Iesus loued and who leaned on his breast to aske who it was of whō he spake being assured he would not deny to tell him because he loued him This the Apostle teacheth b Rom. 5 7. Doubtlesse one will scarce die for a righteous Man but for a good man it may be that one dare dye So in this Epistle that now we haue in hand verse 9. he saith For loues sake I beseech thee for my Sonne Onesimus All these seuerall places serue to point out and to proue this truth vnto vs that a friend a true Friend a true Christian friend will not deny but readily performe any Christian duty to his friend Reason 1. The Reasons are first because true Friendes are as one Soule in two Bodies They agree in one they consent in one they take such sweete counsell together and are partakers one with another in weale and woe The Heathen could say c Arist Eth. lib 8. c. 1. Cicer. lib de Amicit. that all things are common among friends and that a sure friend is as another the same It is said to this purpose that Dauid loued Ionathan as his owne Soule 1 Sam. 18. So Luke speaking of the faithfull members of the Church saith d Act. 4 32. The multitude of them that beleeued were of one heart and of one Soule neyther any of them saide that any thing of that which he possessed was his owne but they had all thinges common Seeing then that such as are ioyned in Christian friendship haue one Soule one heart one will one purpose how can they but performe all good thinges one to another Who can deny any thing to himselfe Who hateth his owne flesh or doth not nourish and cherish it by all the meanes he can How then shall not Friends that haue a Title and interest one of another demaund and obtaine any thing that is iust and equall Reason 2. Againe this is a note of true loue that it seeketh not his owne good but seeketh and desireth the good of his Brother The loue that aymeth and endeth at it selfe is nothing else but selfe-loue whereof there is great store in the World when Men respect nothing but their owne profite But true loue is so occupyed about the thing loued that in regard thereof it is oftentimes negligent about it selfe not enioying all the liberty or commodity that lawfully it may haue The Apostle e 1 Cor. 13 4 5 describing the properties of loue saith Loue suffereth long it is bountifull loue enuyeth not loue dooth not boast it it selfe it is not puffed vp it disdaineth not is seeketh not her owne thinges it not prouoked to anger it thinketh not euill Seeing then this is one of the fruites and properties of loue that it is ready to neglect it owne priuate profit and pleasure in regard of the thing loued wee cannot doubt of a carefull performance of all duties and demaundes that are required of it where it is Vse 1. Let vs see the Vses of this Doctrine First seeing Christian friendship will performe Christian duties wee learne that a Christian Friende is a sure Friend and Christian friendship
Churches for the most part on the Lords day assemble at one houre wee come together at one time a blessed houre a blessed time the best houre the best time in the whole Weeke O how should wee loue it how should we desire it how should wee delight in it Then do wee pray for the Church then the Church prayeth for vs then are wee mindfull of our Brethren then are our Bretheren likewise mindfull of vs then is God mindfull of vs all Then we call vpon God for his Saints then doo the Saintes vpon the earth call vppon God for vs then dooth GOD heare vs all both them and vs them for vs and vs for them This is a sweete Harmony and pleasant agreement when wee do thus with one minde and with one mouth glorifie God and with a feeling of Gods mercie can cry out Å¿ Psal 84 1 2 O Lord of Hoasts how amiable are thy Tabernacles My soule longeth yea fainteth for the Courts of the Lorde for mine heart and my flesh reioyce in the liuing God On the other side great is their wickednesse and prophanesse that do not affect such times of publicke Prayers they shewe themselues to bee beastly minded and ledâ—… with the wicked Spirit of the Deuill into all abhominations neyther may such looke to finde any benefite or feele any comfort by the Prayers and supplications in those places and at such holie times powred out It is a great priuiledge belonging onely to the faithfull to haue right and interrest in the Churches Prayers It is not so with the wicked so long as they abhorre such meetings which are the most fruitful seasons when God with a gracious dew doth raine vpon his inheritaunce they are as barren trees and as withered branches that are reserued for the fire of Gods vengeance and heauy indignation This is it which the Prophet sayeth t Psal 129 8. They which go by shall not say the blessing of the Lord be vpon you or We blesse you in the name of the Lord. So long therefore as they remaine in this contempt of God and of his Religion the prayers of the Church shall not auayle them 3. Lastly it reproueth such as neglect this duty and whereas they should pray for others do curse and ban them and wish all euil to come vpon them The Prophet Ieremy complaineth that hee had neyther bought nor solde among that contentious people u Ier. 15 10. and yet euery one did curse him These men loue cursing and therfore it shall come vpon themselues and enter into their soules and as they loue not blessing so it shall bee farre from them We are commaunded x Math. 5 44 to loue in stead of hating to do good instead of hurting to pray instead of persecuting and to blesse insteade of Curssing But of this Doctrine wee haue spoken more at large y Vpon the exposition of Numb 21. else-where and therefore will I heere passe it ouer and proceede vnto that which followeth Verse 5. When I heare of thy loue and Faith which thou hast towardes the Lord Iesus and toward all Saints In these words the former Thankes-giuing is amplified by another circumstaunce containing the cause wherefore the Apostle gaue thankes to his God for him and did make mention of him in his Prayers because he had heard by the report of the Brethren howe great Faith and Loue were in him Heerein we haue these particulars to be considered First hee reduceth the principall pointes of saluation to two heads Faith and Loue. In these standeth the happinesse of the godly by these a Christian man is perfected for they are the chiefe graces of the Holy-ghost Secondly he beginneth with Loue and placeth it before Faith Faith indeed is more precious but it is inward and hidden in the heart and in Nature and order goeth before Loue but hee first nameth Loue because it is better knowne to vs better seene of vs and is as the Touch-stone to try our Faith For though the cause be more worthy then the effect yet the effect is more perspicuous and manifest so Faith being the cause of works is more excellent but Loue as an effect is more euident Thirdly wee see that albeit Faith be set in the last place for the reason rendered before yet Fayth is first defined and so the order somewhat inuerted Now it is described and declared by his Obiect that it respecteth Christ Iesus Last of all hee defineth loue which he aplieth to the Saints albeit it extend to Infidels to reprobrates to prophane enemies whom also we are to loue yet a speciall maner of loue is due to the Saints which are members of the same body with vs. For euen as God loueth all mankind and all the workes of his hand who as hee created them so he preserueth them feedeth them giueth them fruitfull seasons filleth their hearts with ioy and gladnesse and maketh his Sun to shine vpon them and the raine to fall vppon them to make them without excuse but he loueth his Church with a speciall loue not onely giuing them temporall blessings but such as do accompany saluation the one hee loueth as his creatures the other both as his creatures and his Children so are wee to loue all mankind as our owne flesh but not in an equal degree with the faithfull who are tied together in a straighter band because there is not mutuall loue betweene the godly and vngodly neither do they grow vppe into one body But the godly are charged to loue one anothâ—… and they are made the members of Christ and heyres with vs of eternall life and therefore loue is especially and principally to be shewed to the Saints that is vnto the Elect which ought to be aboue all the creatures in the world deere vnto vs z Why the elect are called Saints who are called Saints for two causes First because they are purged clensed from their sinnes by the blood of Christ Secondly because they are framed and fashioned by the spirit of God to an holy life and godly profession and conuersation Thus much touching the order interpretation of the words Now let vs see what doctrines arise from hence for our instruction and edification When I heard of thy Loue and Faith The Apostle doth not say heere that he saw and beheld or was an eye-witnesse of the Faith and fruits of the faith of Philemon but that he heard of them by the report of the Brethren Paule at this time as we haue shewed liued at Rome and Philemon dwelled at Colosse many Miles distant the one from the other yet his faith was published and his loue manifested throughout the whole worlde which necessarily inferreth that he openly professed them and made it knowne what religion he was of For if Philemon had not shewed boldly his faith and witnessed a good confession before many witnesses it had beene vnpossible that Paule being so farre from him should haue heard of it
6. Faith Loue do alwayes go together We learne hereby that faith and Loue are allwaies coupled together faith is not without Loue nor Loue without faith but faith and Loue goe together in all the seruants of God and can neuer be seperated and put asunder When Paule praied for the Thessalonians he remembred these two z 1. Thes 1. 3. to be in them their effectuall faith and their diligent loue It is said of the Church gathered together after the assention of Christ a Acts. 2 44. that all they which beleeued were in one place and had all things common Such as were true beleeuers were also commoners together such as had Faith in Christ had Loue toward the Saints This Luke sheweth more plainly afterward b Act. 4. 32. The multitude of them that beleeued were of one heart and of one soule neither any of them said that any thing of that which he possessed was his owne but they had all thinges common Heere we see Faith and the manifestation of Faith by the fruits of Charity ioyned together To this purpose the Apostle saith c Gal. 5. 6. In Iesus Christ neither Circumcision auayleth any thing neither vncircumcision but faith which worketh by Loue. Heere also he coupleth Faith with Loue in one Yoake declaring that Faith is effectuall in the duties of Loue. So the Apostle Iohn teacheth that faith in Christ and Loue one toward another are thinges euer ioyned together d Iohn 3. 23. This is then his Commandement that wee beleeue in the Name of his sonne Iesus Christ and loue one another as he gaue Commaundement And the Apostle Iames speaking of the effectuall faith of Abraham whereby he beleeued and was iustifyed declareth that e Iam. 2. 22. the Faith wrought with his workes and through the workes was the Faith made perfect All these Texts and Testimonies of Scripture serue to teach vs that our faith must be accompanied with Loue and the one not deuided from the other Reason 1. The truth heereof will better appeare to euery one of vs If wee consider the Reasons For first they are as the Tree and the Fruite as the Roote and the Branch as the Fountaine and the Streame as the cause and the effect Faith is the Tree the Roote the Fountaine the cause Loue is the Fruite the Branch the Streame the effect The cause and the effect are Relatiues and haue relation and reference either to otherâ— so that the cause cannot be without his effect nor the effect without his cause and therefore both these must goe together The Prophet describeth the blessed man f Psal 1. 3. to be like a Tree planted by the Riuers of Waters that will bring forth her friute in due season whose Leafe shall not fade so whatsoeuer he shall do shall prosper Reason 2. Secondly faith separated from Loue or Loue separated from faith is a false faith and a false Loue. Faith without Loue or separated from the fruits of Loue is dead and without life a naked name without the thing an empty shaddow without substance a dead carcasse without breath It is nothing worth without Loue. The Apostle saith If a man had all faith so that he could remoue Mountaines g 1. Cor. 13. 1. 2. and had not Loue it were nothing he should be as sounding Brasse or a tinkeling Cymball So we read in the Epistle of Iames i Iames 2 20. That the Faith which is without workes is dead it is a Bastard Fayth a counterfet Faith an idle Faith which is no true Faith indeede but onely in Name For as a painted hand is no hand so a seeming Faith is no Faith Againe Loue without Faith is without his right order yea without his life soule his true cause and forme and so not good but euill not approued but reiected of God k Heb. 11 6. Rom. 14 23. For without Faith it is vnpossible to please God and whatsoeuer is not of Faith is sinne All workes of Iustice Mercy Righteousnesse to releeue the poore to feed the hungry to cloath the naked without Fayth are nothing worth nay all these beautifull shewes are beautifull sinnes except they be seasoned with Faith Againe to afflict thy soule to humble thy selfe to heare the word to receiue the Sacraments without Loue that is to do the duties of the first Table and to neglect them of the second Table is but Hypocrisie and maketh vs abhominable in the sight of God Seeing then Faith and Loue are as the cause and the effect that liue together seeing they loose their Names and Natures being disioyned and diuided one from another wee see it euidently and strongly to appeare that Faith in Christ and Loue to the Brethren as Mother and Daughter are ioyned together in euery true Christian Vse 1. The Vses are now to be considered First seeing these two guiftes are coupled together one with another it followeth that they must neuer be separated in a Christian man He that is ioyned with the head must also bee ioyned with the members and hee that hath his part in the Communion of Saints hath his fellowship also with Christ If it be a generall rule deliuered by Christ l Math. 19 6. that the thinges which God hath coupled together no man must separate it holdeth in this particular that Faith and Loue are not to be disioyned and dismembered forasmuch as God hath lodged them as two ghests in one house locked them vp as two Pearles and Iewels in one Closset It is a rule published by the m Cicer. de offic lib. 2. Heathen that all Vertues are knit together in one Chaine so that he which hath one hath all of them hee that wanteth one of them wanteth all so is it with this worthy paire of Heauenly graces we must not haue a Faith without Workes nor Workes without Faith but our Faith must be fruitfull to bring forth Workes and our Workes must bee thankfull to confesse them to be receyued from Faith Our Faith worketh by Loue our Loue liueth by Faith our Faith respecteth Christ our Loue respecteth the Saints Thus must these two be found in euery one of vs for they meete together in all such as shall be saued This n Titus 3 8. made the Apostle say in his Epistle to Titus Chap. 3. This is a true saying and these thinges I will thou shouldest affirme that they which haue beleeued God might bee carefull to shew forth Good-Workes These thinges are good and profitable vnto men Let vs examine our owne hearts whether we finde these two graces in vs which must bee as two twins that reioyce and take delight to bee together or two Sisters that accompanie one with another like Martha and Marie in one house so must these be two Vertues in one heart Hence it is that the Apostle Iohn saith in his first Epistle o 1 Iohn 4 20 21. If any man say I Loue
at home Fot it is their Religion that is a broaching of lies and of all liberty to do euill as all men by the light of Nature not blinded with the loue of error might soone espy Behold therefore some kinds of their Catholick Faith taught by their holy Mother the Church They teach the lawfulnesse of deposing Princes and discharging their Subiects of their allegeance and obedience toward them This Doctrine filleth Kingdomes and Countreyes with Treasons and Rebellions and alloweth Traitours and Assassinates and Murtherers of them at the Popes pleasure They doo teach and allowe the worship of Images and bowing downe to Stockes and Stones whereby the people are drawne away from the liuing God to palpable Idolatry as common experience hath declared o Polid. Virg. de inuent rer lib. 6 cap. 13. and some of themselues haue confessed They publish at large the benefit of Pardons which may easily be procured for money which open wide the Flood-gates of al vngodlynesse For who will spare to commit sinne that is able to redeeme it with his purse Yea this emboldned certaine p Chemni exam conc Trident de poenit men to rob the Popes pardoner who before hand had giuen them a pardon to commit the next sinne though it should bee a great sinne They teach touching the Sacrament of the Lordes Supper that a Dogge or Mouse or Swine or any Beast eating a consecrated host eateth the very flesh and bodie of our Sauiour q Treatise of the Sacram. in the conclusion as I haue shewed else-where They maintaine the filthy Dunghill of Stewes and Brothell-houses which giueth allowance vnto open whoredome and vncleannesse yea they say it is good for a r Hard. against the Apology Common-wealth and the Pope tollerateth the Curtezans in Rome and in other places vpon a yearly rent to practise and professe Bawdry Vnto this rablement of their Catholicke conclusions Å¿ See White of the way to the true Church we might adde many others which suffice to discouer what the holinesse of the Romish Religion is and to direct vs to come out of it betimes least partaking with the same sinnes we also partake in the punishments The second reproofe Secondly this coniunction of these two Vertues ouerthroweth the carnall loosenesse of all Libertines such as are Hypocrites and vaine boasters of Faith which thinke it sufficient to speake of Faith and to boast that they beleeue These men doth the Apostle Iames plainly reproue in his Epistle teaching that where there is want of works t 1 Tim. 1 5. there is also want of Faith of a true Faith which is the right Faith Wee must therefore examine our Faith by the fruits and prooue our beleeuing by our working We haue many such in our daies that glorie of their Faith and boast that they are of a right beleefe and yet lay them to the triall and examine their liues what they are and we shall finde them to be lyars against the truth and deceiuing their owne soules Knowe therefore that our faith is as our liues are A good life a good Faith a dead life a dead Faith an vnfruitfull life an ydle Faith And thus much of Faith and Loue ioyned together Now let vs speake of them seuerally as they are described first touching Faith and afterward touching Loue. Faith in Christ The first Vertue which is heere commended to bee in Philemon is Faith which is saide to respect Christ This Faith is a guift of God whereby we apprehend Christ and his benefits beleeuing the remission of our sinnes and our reconciliation with God Marke therefore that the faith heere set forth is saide to be toward Christ and Christ who is the proper obiect of Faith dooth also point vs vnto the Father who willeth and ordaineth our Saluation Redemption Reconciliation and Saluation and to the Holy-Ghost who applyeth and appropriateth to the elect these benefits which are willed by the Father and merrited by Christ Doctrine 7. Christ is the obiect of our Faith So then when the Apostle saith of Philemon that his faith was in Christ hee teacheth that true faith looketh vnto Christ dependeth vpon him trusteth and resteth in him for saluation and not vpon any creature in heauen or earth Our faith must direct vs to Christ to beleeue in him to haue recourse to him and to looke for saluation from him as the Israelites did health from the Brazen serpent This is proued vnto vs by many consents of the word of God The Apostle Iohn in his Gospell a Iohn 1 12. 3 16 17 20 6 29. 3 14 15 and 12 44 46. and 14 12. offereth plentifull Testimonies of the truth as Chap. 1 12. As many as receiued him to them he gaue prerogatiue to be the sonnes of God euen to them that beleeue in his name And Chap. 3. God so loued the world that hee hath giuen his onely begotten Sonne that whosoeuer beleeueth in him should not perish but haue euerlasting life And again Chap. 17. I pray not for these alone but for them also which shall beleeue in me through their word So before in the third Chapter As Moses lift vp the Serpent in the Wildernesse so must the sonne of man be lift vp that whosoeuer beleeueth in him should not perish but haue eternall life Thus he speaketh in another place This is the worke of God that ye beleeue in him whom he hath sent When Phillip saide to the Eunuch If thou beleeuest with all thine heart thou mayst be baptized He answered b Acts 8 37. 16 31. I beleeue that Iesus Christ is that sonne of God So Paule and Silas willed the Keeper of the prison to beleeue in the Lord Iesus Christ and he should he saued And the Apostle Gal. 2. teacheth That a man is not iustified by the Workes of the Lawe c Gal. 2 16. but by the faith of Iesus Christ euen we I say haue beleeued in Iesus Christ that we might be iustified by the Faith of Christ All these places of Scripture plainly instruct vs in this principle of our holy religion that Faith must be in Christ in whom it findeth a sure ground to rest vpon Reason 1. The Reasons are to be marked and considered which confirme this Doctrine First because the worke of saluation is wholly and onely wrought by him and no part thereof is reserued to any creature in whole or in part To be called Iesus is as it were the proper name of Christ who is a perfect and absolute Sauiout beginning continuing and finishing our saluation This is it d Acts 4 12. which Peter preacheth Among men there is no other name giuen vnder heauen whereby we may be saued but by the Name of Iesus And the author to the Hebrews saith that he e Heb. 7 25. is able perfectly to saue them that come vnto God by him seeing he euer liueth to make intercession for them Thus
those that are least esteemed and are of lowest condition were bought with as great and high a price as others and were redeemed not with corruptible things as Siluer and Gold but with the deare and precious bloode of Christ Rich and poore high and lowe great and small had all one price paide for their ransome This is the reason x Math 18 10 11. vrged by Christ See that ye despise not one of these little ones for I say vnto you that in Heauen their Angels alwaies behold the face of my Father which is in heauen for the sonne of man is come to saue that which was lost If then the least be redeemed by his death and saued by faith in him as well as the greatest it followeth that al should bee regarded none contemned all loued none despised Hence it is also that the Apostle chargeth those that are strong to receiue vnto them y Rom. 14 1 3 15. the weaker sort and not to despise them whom God hath receiued and for whom Christ hath dyed Reason 2. Secondly there is no respect of persons with God He doth not esteeme men for accidentall things as for pouertie or riches for honor or dishonour The poore the fatherlesse the widdow the stranger the seruant are as deare to him and as greatly respected of him as those that are set in high places are honoured with great callings When we speake of a person in our talke and communication me meane some man or some woman but the Scripture meaneth a more speciall thing to wit the outward quality or condition of man which may purchase him grace or disgrace fauour or disfauor When God wil cal vs to his truth and bestow his graces vppon vs it is done according to his holy wil and good pleasure he is not moued to it by the outward appearance and condition of the person he respecteth not Country or sex or birth or riches or pouertie or Nobility or wisedome or learning or friends This is it which the Apostle teacheth z Gal. 3 27 28 Al ye that are baptized into Christ haue put on Christ there is neither Iew nor Grecian there is neither bond nor free there is neither male nor female for ye are all one in Christ Iesus And to the same purpose Peter speaketh a Acts 10 34 35. Of a truth I perceiue that God is no accepter of persons but in euerie Nation he that feareth him and worketh righteousnesse is accepted vvith him Seeing then God accepteth the person of no man he wold haue no man reiected for the meannesse of his person Reason 3. Thirdly they shal receiue with others the same recompence of reward the same kingdome of heauen the same measure of glory The differences that now are in this life shal cease As there is now the same precious faith so then there shall be the same precious felicity The poorest members of Christ haue the same spirituall graces that are necessary to saluation and therefore shal be partakers of the same inheritance This the Apostle Iames setteth downe chap. 2. b Iames 2 5. Harken my beloued Brethren hath not GOD chosen the poore of this world that they should be rich in faith and heires of the kingdome which he promised to them that loue him He hath not prepared and prouided one place of glorie for those that are Rich and another place for those that are poore he hath not left one inheritance for the Noble and another for the vnnoble but as they haue one Faith to apprehend Christ so they shall haue one glorie to be like vnto Christ The Lord Iesus himselfe testifieth this c Iohn 14 2 In my Fathers house are many mansion places if it were not so I would haue tolde you I go to prepare a place for you If then wee consider these points that the lowest in the Church and the most vnworthy to be of the Church are bought with one the same price that God accepteth and respecteth no mans person and that they shall receiue with others an eternall waight of glory and immortalitie we may conclude this as a necessary truth that we ought not to bee ashamed of any though of the lowest sort and poorest estate and meanest condition to whom God hath imparted and vouchsafed this mercie to beleeue in Christ and to be a member of his bodie and to be in the number of true beleeuers Vse 1 The Doctrine being made euident the Vses will be as apparent First seeing we are bound to loue the lowest in the Church that belong to Christ we learne that our affections must bee carried most earnestly and in the greatest measure to those that haue the greatest measure of heauenly graces not regarding Riches or Kindred or outward respects before the other It is a sound and sanctified loue that is wrought in vs toward those that are faithfull The Apostle in this place was so farre from beeing ashamed of Onesimus conuerted to Christ and gayned to the Gospell though he were a Seruant and had beene a Theefe and a Runnagate that he glorieth in his Faith reioyceth in his Conuersion accounteth him as his Sonne and respecteth him as his owne bowelles This affection no lesse then fatherly toward him hee expresseth afterward d Verse 16 17 Receiue him not nowe as a Seruant but aboue a seruant euen as a Brother beloued specially to me how much more then vnto thee both in the Flesh and in the Lord If therfore thou count our things common receiue him as my self He saw in this man being a Proselite newly conuerted to the Faith such fruits of sanctification as seales of his conuersion that he loued him most dearely and sought by all meanes to procure fauour for him with his Maister Whatsoeuer the former life of men hath beene when once they make Conscience of their waies beginning to leade an holy life and to blot out the infamy reproach of their conuersation led in the time of their ignorance it is our duty to begin to loue them as entirely as our Brethren in Christ and as children with vs of the same Father The practise heereof we see in Christ our Sauiour and haue this instruction giuen vs from his owne mouth Mathew 12. when it was tolde him as hee was preaching his word to the multitude that came to heare him that his Mother and Bretheren stoode without desiring to speake with him hee answered e Math 12 48 Who is my Mother and who are my Brethren And he stretched foorth his hand toward his Disciples and said Beholde my Mother and my Brethren for whosoeuer shall do my Fathers will which is in heauen the same is my Brother and Sister and Mother To this purpose the Prophet Dauid speaketh f Psal 16 1. All my delight is in the Saints that are vpon the earth The Godly must be most dear vnto vs and we are bound to be kind to them as to our Kin.
like to the Priestes c Num. 7 9. 2 Sam. 6 3. who beeing commaunded to beare the Arke vppon their owne Shoulders did set it vpon a Cart and draw it with Oxen. So ought the Ministers to feede their Flockes themselues and not put them to bee fed of others Some d Damasus epist 4. compare such foolish and idle Pastours that put ouer their charges to others vnto Harlots which so soone as they haue brought forth their Children by and by commit them to be kept and nourished of others that they may sooner giue themselues to their lusts againe Others resemble them to a e Espenc lib. 3. digress ad 1. Timoth. man that doth marry a Wife and being himselfe vnapt for generation or vnwilling to giue due beneuolence is content she become fruitfull and made the Mother of many Children by another Father so is he accounted and presumed to be as vaine a man who being espoused and married to a Church as a man to his Wife doth vse the help of others in getting spirituall Children vnto God Christ Iesus is the Shepheard f 1 Pet. 5 4. the cheefe and great Shepheard of the Sheepe all other Pastours are but his Seruants and Substitutes and therefore themselues being his Deputies they cannot make a Deputy no more then one Seruant discharge himselfe by another So then we must know that they can no more be saide to preach the Word that preach by others then to be resident that are resident by others or to bee godly that lead a godly life by others and thus they may be saued by others and themselues goe to Hell But as euery man is bound to liue godly himselfe so is euery Pastour bound to preach in his owne person This appeareth vnder the comparisons and similitudes of Builders Captaines Ambassadours Stewards and Shepheards which wee spake of before When a man hath made choyce of a skilfull and cunning Builder to build his house the Worke-man hath not done his duty if he put it out to bee finished by another When a Prince hath made choyce of a Generall to lead his Army against the Enemy he may not send another in his roome and himselfe sit idle at home but his alleageance bindeth him to goe in his owne person The like we might say of the rest Thus we haue seene at large that the loue betweene the Pastour and people ouerthroweth the ordinary absence without iust and conscionable causes the one from the other so that if the Minister would assure his owne heart that he loueth the sheepe which he hath taken vpon him to teach he must shew it by feeding them with the wholesome and heauenly pastures of the word of God Secondly it reprooueth such as outwardly are in sheepes cloathing but inwardly are rauening Wolues vnto the Flocke not carefull Pastours not louing Parents but such as haue no prouision no store no food no Bread of Life to breake vnto them but seeke to starue and famish them through want of Milke and meat to put in their mouthes If they be resident and remaine with them and yet doe not instruct them and preach vnto them it is all one as if they were absent from them If there be meat and drinke in the house and none set vpon the Table or giuen to the Children they may dye and perish for hunger These idle Drones are no better then Murtherers and Man-slayers nay Soule-slayers which is the greatest and most bloody Murther For as the Steward that should feede the bodies of such as are in the Family and pineth them to death is a Murtherer and the Nurse that vndertaketh the nourishing of the Childe and yet eyther through daintinesse or idlenesse or wilfulnesse will not draw out the breast but suffereth the Child to languish and perish is a Murtherer of the Childe so such as are Stewards of Gods house and Nurses of Gods people yet feede not their Soules but starue them to death are Bloud-suckers and Murtherers in the highest degree They are worse then the Canibals that liue vpon bloud for these liue vpon the soules of men and carry them head-long to Hell The Lord complaineth in the Prophet g Hos 4 6. That the people perish through want of knowledge Such as are blindely led doe fall into the Ditch with their blind Leaders The bloud of such as perish in their ignorance through want of teaching h Ezek. 3 18. shall be required at the Watch-mans hand The Prophet Dauid hauing the Water of the well of Bethlehem that he longed and lusted to tast brought vnto him i 2 Sam. 23 17 yet would not drinke thereof when he had it but poured it for an offering vnto the Lord because it was the bloud of the men that went in ieopardy of their liues O that these men would consider of their sinne and had a feeling of their iniquity that they eate and drinke the bloud of Men and maintaine themselues by the destruction of their soules Suppose he lead an vnblameable life giue good example to others keepe hospitality fill their bellies make peace among his Neighbours be able priuately to exhort and comfort them and to performe other common workes of Charity yet he hath not discharged the duty of a Minister vnlesse he preach vnto them diligently and faithfully and diuide the word of truth aright Vse 3. Lastly seeing the Minister and people ought to be as Father and Sonne this sheweth the duty of the people that are vnder their Ministery that they regard their Ministers as their Parents honouring them yeelding them due recompence esteeming them as Fellow-workers with God to beget them to Christ to turne them to Saluation to nourish them vp and continue them in the estate of Christ Nay we should account of them if it be possible more then of naturall Parents Of our Parents wee haue receiued onely to be Of our Ministers we haue receiued to be well Of our Parents we haue taken our first birth of our Ministers we haue obtained our second birth Of our Parents we haue beene brought into the World by Generation of our Ministers we haue bin brought into the Church by Regeneration Our first begetting was to death our second or new birth is to Life and Saluation By the first birth wee are Heires of Wrath by the second we are made the Sonnes of God So then if it be better for vs to be borne againe of Water and the Holy Ghost k Iohn 1 13. which cannot proceede from the will of the flesh nor from the will of Man but of God we ought to esteeme of those that are Instruments of our Regeneration as dearelie and tenderly as if they were our Parents and to say with the Apostle l Rom. 10 15 How beautifull are the Feete of them which bring glad tydings of pcace and bring glad tydings of good thinges Hence it is that he speaketh to the Thessalonians m 1 Thes 5 12 We
danger of thy life it may be taken from thee and thou from it which maketh it to bee but a shadow of true gaine But the profit of godlinesse is of a contrary Nature if once we haue gotten this Pearle the Theefe cannot steale it the moth cannot corrupt it the Sea cannot drown it the rust cannot fret it the Land cannot loose it the length of time cannot consume it the greatnesse of danger cannot take it from vs the vnfaithfulnesse of seruaunts the subtlety of enemies the fraud of false Brethren the force of the mighty the violence of the Oppressor the partiality of the Iudge the wresting of the Lawe can neuer depriue vs or debarre vs of this benefite yea b Cicer. pro Archia poeta that which an Heathen man saide once of humaine learning may more truly and iustly be spoken of godlinesse which indeed is true learning the which whosoeuer wanteth what Ornaments of Nature and Art soeuer otherwise he hath is vtterly vnlearned nay a starke foole It will follow vs as a sweete guide abroad to solace vs it will stay with vs a pleasant companion to delight vs at home it will lye with vs as a bed-fellow in the night to teach vs whereon to meditate it will sit downe with vs as a guest at the Table to direct vs it wil bee with vs as a skilfull Physitian in sicknesse to comfort vs it will sticke and stand to vs in prosperity to humble vs it will cleaue fast to vs in aduersity and in the euil day to refresh vs it will waite vppon vs in death it will descend with vs into the graue it will ascend with vs into heauen and alwayes follow vs from place to place as the shadow doth the body This made the Apostle Iohn say Blessed are they that die in the Lord for they rest from their labours and their workes follow them Reuel 14 13. To conclude therefore so often as wee thinke of true Religion or remember the day of our conuersion we must think with our selues that we made the most blessed change that euer was made and hold this for a firme and sure principle that no gaine is like to this gaine no profit like to this profit Vse 2 Secondly seeing Christian Religion planted in the heart of a man maketh him good and helpfull to others who before was vniust and vnprofitable let euery one proue his effectuall calling and true conuersion by earnest seeking after the good of others and by a carefull abstaining from hurting troubling and wronging of others It is to be chosen as a better thing to suffer then to offer wrong to receiue then to requite to take then to giue Obadiah liuing in Ahabs Court is commended for the manifestation of his Faith by his Workes as the Tree that sheweth what it is by the fruites hee hid c 1 Kin. 18 13 the Prophets of God from the sword of the persecutor and fed them in the Caue in the time of famine The Prophet affirmeth and assureth that such shall dwell in the Tabernacle of the Lord and rest in his holy mountain as make much d Psal 15 4. of those that feare the Lord and honour them whome God hath honoured To this purpose the Apostle setteth this downe as a certain signe of our adoption that God accepteth vs as his sonnes and daughters to wit our loue to the Saints e 1 Ioh. 3 14 We know that we are translated from death to life because we loue the Brethren Euery one must be able to shew the soundnesse of his faith and the truth of his conuersion by the fruits of his calling f Math. 3 8. and by the workes of regeneration and amendment of life An iniurious man that loueth himselfe but not another that hath no care to doe good to his Brother but to himselfe onely is not yet truely conuerted to God nor deliuered from the bondage of sinne nor made a member of Christ nor engrafted into the true Church nor endued with the grace of sanctification he is yet in the flesh and not in the spirit he is yet in death not restored to life he is the bondslaue of Sathan not brought into the liberty of the sonnes of God For where there is no change in conuersation there can bee no assurance of true conuersion The meditation of this point must enter deeply into our harts teach vs to try our selus whether as yet we born again by water and the spirit or not Whosoeuer can say thus I haue beene in bondage to sin now I am set free I haue beene the prisoner of Satan now I am at liberty I haue liued vnprofitably to God vnprofitably to my selfe vnprofitably to others now I haue learned to lead my life to the honour of God to the benefite of my brethren and to the comfort of mine owne soule whosoeuer I say can say thus may be assured of his conuersion and turning vnto God and that God hath begun his good worke in him which hee will finish at the appearance of Iesus Christ Let vs all therefore know and consider that it is required of vs to repent of sinnes to turne to God to chaunge our hearts and to amend our liues that so we may bring forth the fruits of righteousnesse and expresse our obedience to the Gospell To be without the fruits of the Gospel is to denie the Gospell and to be without godlinesse of conuersation is to be without Christ and to bee without an heart inwardly sanctifyed and without a life outwardly regenerated is to be without faith It had beene better for vs that we had neuer had the Gospell offered vnto vs then to haue it to contemne it It had beene better we had alwayes remained in darknesse then to haue light come among vs and not to walke in the light It is a worthy exhortation that the Apostle maketh to the Thessalonians g 1 Thess 5 5 6 7 8. Yee are all the Children of light and the children of the day we are not of the night neither of darkenesse Therefore let vs not sleepe as others do but let vs watch and be sober for they that sleepe sleepe in the night and they that bee drunken are drunken in the night but let vs which are of the day be sober putting on the Brest-plate of faith and loue and of the hope of saluation for an Helmet It is not euery h Math. 7 21. one that saith Lord Lord shall enter into the kingdom of heauen but he that hath an earnest and carefull endeuour to do his will It is not enough for vs to bee called a Christian to beare the name of a Protestant to renounce the name of a Papist to make shew of the true Religion and to be an hearer of the word we haue learned better things and must giue an account of a farther dutie Obiection We will say peraduenture we hate and detest all the blinde and erroneous
signe of their Reprobation Lydia is commended in that she l Acts 16 4. attended vnto the things which Paule spake but it was the Lord that opened her heart before she could be a faithfull and fruitfull hearer To this purpose Moses speaketh to all Israell m Deut. 29 2 3 4. Ye haue seen all that the Lord did before your eyes in the Land of Egypt vnto Pharaoh and vnto al his seruants and vnto all his Land the great tentations which thine eyes haue seene those great Myracles and wonders yet the Lorde hath not giuen you an heart to perceiue and eyes to see and eares to heare vnto this day Nowe as this ouer-throweth such as teach and maintaine an vniuersall Vocation so it must serue to settle vs in the trueth of the Doctrine of particular election and predestination n Rom. 9 15 16 18 13 14 That it is neither in him that willeth nor in him that rundeth but in God that sheweth mercy He sheweth mercie vpon whom he will shew mercie and will haue compassion vpon whom he will haue compassion therefore he hath mercie vpon whom he will and whom he will he hardneth God loued Iacob and hated Esau so that it was saide The elder shall serue the younger The Lord electeth some vnto life and saluation before the foundations of the world he elected some and therefore not all before the beginning of the world and therefore not for their deserts who then had not their beeing vppon the earth Who art thou o Iob 9 4 Rom. 9 20. that wilt dispute with GOD Or what shall it auayle vs to question it and quarrell it with the Almightie May the p Esay 10 15. Rom. 9 21. Clay reason with the Potter or the Axe with the Carpenter or the Sawe with him that draweth it or the Rodde with him that taketh it Or shall the thing formed say vnto him that formed it Why hast thou made mee thus Dare any Seruant pry and search into all the secrets of his Maister Canst thou follow track the way of the Fish in the Waters of the Fowles in the Ayre of a Serpent vppon a stone of a Shippe in the Sea Let vs not aske a reason of his will but rather say with the Apostle q Ro. 11 33 34 O the deepenesse of the Riches both of the wisedome and Knowledge of GOD Howe vnsearchable are his Iudgementes and his wayes past finding out For who hath knowne the minde of the Lorde or who was his Counsellor or who hath giuen vnto him first and he shall be recompenced If God should doo equally well vnto all his Creatures then were hee after a sort so much lesse to be praised and magnifyed of some for his benefites seeing he should do nothing specially and singulerly to them more then to others Neither is there are iniquitie in our God in so doing for may hee not r Math. 20 13 do with his owne what he will May he not lighten what eyes hee will or shoot away what arrowes he is disposed without our certaine knowledge of his secret counsels Obiection But some man may say when an whole assembly haue the same meanes the same Ministery an whole Family the same teaching and instruction How is it that some beleeue others will not beleeue Some are conuerted others are hardned Some are elect others are reiected Answere I aunswere it is not for the Creature curiously to search into the workes of the Creator but to bee wise according to sobrietie and as well a man might demaund why all in the fielde is not pure Corne but some Tares Why all in the Barne is not Wheate but some Chaffe Why Trees beare some leaues and not all Fruite Why in a great house there are Vesselles of Golde and Siluer some to an honourable and others to a dishonourable vse Why there are as well Goats that will not heare as Sheepe that heare the voyce of the Shepheard The Lord Iesus adoreth the Counsell of his Father heerein and confesseth the reason to bee his will and heauenly pleasure and farther then this whosoeuer goeth higher then this whosoeuer ascendeth and deeper then this whosoeuer searcheth shall wander as in a maze and neuer returne shall fall downe headlong into a Gulfe and neuer rise vp againe Our Sauiour saith Å¿ Mat. 11 25 26 I giue thee thankes O Father Lord of Heauen and Earth because thou hast hid these thinges from the Wise and men of vnderstanding and hast opened them vnto Babes It is so O Father because thy good pleasure was such As for the condemnation of the wicked and the execution of the heauy wrath and iust iudgements of God there is more then sufficient due desert in the Reprobate and though the righteous Lord worke therein yet beware thou imagine any euill in him The raine moystneth an euill Tree and therefore it beareth bitter and no better fruite In that it beareth fruite it commeth of the moysture but in that it bringeth foorth euill fruite it commeth of his owne Nature The Sunne by the strength of his heate and vertue of the Beames thereof rayseth out of the Dirt and Dunghill many foule and filthy sauours that infect men and corrupt the Ayre the raising of them vp is from the Sunne the vnwholsome and noysome smelles are from the places themselues The Raine is not properly the cause of the euill fruite but the Nature of the Tree and therefore it woorthily calleth for the Axe to cut it downe and then iustly deserueth to be throwne into the fire The Sunne is not directly the cause of those filthie sauours that are extracted out of stinking Ponds and puddles but the Miery and marish Ditches themselues So is it with God he is as the Raine that falleth and as the Sunne that shyneth from Heauen t Acts 17 28. Hee mooueth the euill man who worketh euill the action is of God the euill is from the free will of man and from the soule spirite of the Deuill God is not the Authour of the euill and therefore let u Iam. 1 13 14 no man say when he is tempted I am tempted of God for God cannot be tempted with euil neither tempteth he any man but euery man is tempted when he is drawne away by his owne concupiscence and is entised Seeing then the grace of Election of Redemption of Iustification of Vocation of Sanctification is not generall nor generally giuen vnto all but according to the free purpose and pleasure of him that chooseth redeemeth calleth iustifieth and sanctifieth Let vs acknowledge his great mercie to the praise and glorie of his name when hee maketh his owne ordinances auayleable which we see in many to bee vnprofitable let vs confesse his louing kindnesse toward vs when he doth beget vs by the immortall seede of regeneration and worketh effectually our saluation For what haue wee in vs to mooue the Lorde to sauour vs and followe vs with a
the sinne for God neuer forgiueth any but such as are penitent Obiection 5. Lastly the question may be asked whether all offenders against vs are to be forgiuen or onely such as repent The Apostle moueth Philemon to pardon his Fugitiue and false-fingred Seruant vpon his repentance So Christ our Sauiour speaketh to his Disciples g Luk. 17 3 4. Take heede to your selues if thy Brother trespasse against thee rebuke him and if he repent forgiue him And though he sinne against thee seauen times in a day and seauen times in a day turne againe to thee saying It repenteth me thou shalt forgiue him Whereby it may seeme at the first that eyther we are onely to forgiue the penitent and retain mallice against the impenitent which were want of Charity or say that the condition annexed by Christ is voide and idle which were a voyce of blasphemy Answere I answere offences are forgiuen two waies as there are two kind of persons that offend against vs. Some acknowledge and yeild their offence others are obstinate and stiffe-necked So one kind of forgiuenesse is when we beare no mallice when we doe no wrong when we seeke no reuenge Another kind is when we thinke well of them that haue offended vs when we are perswaded that God hath forgiuen them when wee are ready to receiue them into our fauour againe Wherefore we haue no liberty granted vnto vs to deny mercy and forgiuenesse to the wicked If a man haue done vs wrong and then either denyeth it or diminisheth it and will not repent of it True it is we are commaunded to loue him we are forbidden to hate or to hurt him we are restrained from reuenge we are brideled from wishing or desiring vengeance to fall from Heauen vpon him we are charged to do him good and not euill we are willed to procure his saluation to seeke his amendment and to further his repentance that he may see his sin but we are not bound nor bidden to haue a good opinion and estimation of him for though we must loue him yet we must thinke of him as he deserueth But when a man hath offended vs and trespassed against vs and being reproued and admonished confesseth his sinne desireth pardon craueth reconciliation offereth satisfaction bewaileth his former transgression and promiseth amendment of life it is our dutie not onely to loue him but to like of him not onely to hate him as an Enemy but to account him as a Brother not only to desire vengeance to come vpon him but to accept of his repentance and to assure his heart that God hath forgiuen him and will not lay his sinne vnto his charge So then if any man doe me an open iniury and I laying aside a thirsting after reuenge h Calui harm in Euangel doe not cease to loue him but in stead of euill doe good and in stead of wrong do bestow a benefit vpon him though in regard of the wickednesse of his heart the mischiefe of his hands the want of repentance and the nature of his offence I thinke hardly and heynously of him as he is worthy yet am I truely said and rightly accounted to forgiue him For when God requireth that we doe good to our Enemies loue them that hate vs blesse them that hurt vs pray for them that persecute vs and to doe good to all them that speake all euill against vs he doth not thereby presently commaund that we allow in them those things that he condemneth or praise in them the thinges that he reprooueth but he onely would haue our hearts free from hatred our minds from mallice our tongues from slander our hands from reuenge The second manner of forgiuenes which is a free and full forgiuenesse is when beholding liuely fruits of their repentance we esteem them as brethren we account them as the children of God we fauour thē as fellow-members with vs of Christ are perswaded that the remembrance of their sins cōmitted against God and of their iniuries offered vnto vs are blotted out of Gods sight For true repentance is an high and holy worke greatly accepted of God and his Angels Of God i Ezek. 18 22. because when we repent he will put all our sinnes out of his remembrance Of the k Luke 15 7 10. Angels because there is ioy in their presence for one Sinner that conuerteth more then for ninety and nine iust men that neede no repentance The substance of that which hath beene saide is this If an offender haue wronged thee and continue obstinate and setled to wrong thee still thou shalt forgiue him that is thou shalt not hurt him nor mallice him but loue him and seek to doe him good but as yet thou art to think him a wilfull and wicked man l Esay 5 20. Because thou art not to speake euill of good or good of euill to put darkenesse for light and light for darkenesse to call bitter sweete and sweete sower If he turne from his euill waies and repent him of his sinnes thou shalt forgiue him that is thinke as well of him as euer thou didst thinke ill of him comfort him raise him vp with the sweete promises of the Gospell and assure him that God hath forgiuen him therfore he need not doubt of the forgiuenes of his Fellow-Seruant And if we will a little search the Scriptures we shal finde examples of both these sorts and kindes of forgiuenesse recorded vnto vs. Of the first sort of forgiuing euill doers euen while they remaine euill doers we haue in Dauid toward Shemei that curssed him with an horrible Cursse he sware that he should not dye and pardoneth him albeit Abishai the Sonne of Zeruiah said m 2. Sam. 19 21 22 23. 2 King 2 9. Shall not Shemei dye for this because he curssed the Lords annointed Notwithstanding he thought of him as of a wicked man and gaue Salomon his Sonne charge not to account him innocent And this is that forgiuenesse which Moses speaketh off Leuit. 19. Thou n Leu. 19 17. shalt not hate thy Brother on thine heart but thou shalt plainely rebuke thy Neighbour suffer him not to sinne Of the second sort of forgiuenesse which is toward the penitent we haue an example in Paule and the Church of Corinth toward the incestuous person which had committed Fornication o 1 Cor. 5 1 13 And such Fornication as is not named without detestation among the Gentiles taking vnto him his Fathers Wife For when he being rebuked of many and put out from among them sorrowed for his sinne with a godly sorrow which caused repentance not to be repented off he willeth them to receiue him and entertaine him among them as a faithfull Brother and to thinke well of him as they did before p 2 Cor. 2 7 11 And to minister comfort vnto him least he should be swallowed vppe with ouer-much heauinesse and least Sathan should circumuent vs for we
Loue dwelleth in God and God in him he that loueth not his Brother abideth in death Whosoeuer hateth his Brother is a Man-slayer and ye know that no May-slayer hath eternall life abiding in him Whereby wee see that to such as are malicious there is no forgiuenesse as we haue noted before Vse 2 Secondly seeing such as offend vs must vpon their sound repentance be forgiuen we are taught heereby not to reproach and vpbraid men what they haue beene when they are renewed by amendment of life but consider their present condition what they are For when God hath put out of his remembrance their sinnes we must not set them vpon records when GOD hath discharged them of them we must not lay them to their charge when God hath cured and couered them we must not vncouer them and make them bleede afresh Let vs remember what wee our selues haue beene before we were in the State of grace euen as euill as others and had our delight in all sinne The Apostle saith Rom. 7 18. z Rom. 7 18. I know that in me that is in my Flesh dwelleth no good thing for to will is present with me but I find no meanes to performe that which is good Likewise hee forbiddeth and restraineth the Gentiles from insulting and triumphing ouer the Iewes that were through infidelitie for a season cut off a Rom. 11 18 19 20. Thou wilt say The Braunches are broken off that I might be grafted in Well through vnbeleefe they are broken off and thou standest by Faith boast not thy selfe against the Braunches be not high minded but feare It is a great reproach to vs to reproach such as haue fallen and are risen againe by true repentance to vpbraid such as haue sinned haue forsaken their sins It is a greater blemish to those that check them after they haue turned from them then to those that committed them For they haue washed away by their teares the filthinesse of them and blotted out the deformity that did cleaue vnto them True it is so long as we continue in sinne and follow the lustes of our owne hearts we must be content to be reprooued and shamed for them that so we may be brought to see them and be sorry for them Thus it is noted that Christ began to vpbraid the Citties b Math. 11 20 Wherein most of his great workes were done because they repented not So the Apostle feared c 2 Cor. 12 21 Least when hee came againe to the Corinthians his God should abase him among them so that he should bewaile many of them which had sinned already and yet repented not of the vncleanesse and Fornication and wantonnesse which they haue committed They then that repent nor are to bee disgraced but such as haue repented are to be loued and cherished It skilleth not what they haue beene for they are accepted according to the grace which they haue receiued which serueth as a singular comfort vnto them They that labour to disgrace those whom they should embrace do imitate the example and practise of the Deuill who tempteth those that hee seeth to haue renounced his seruice and departed from his Kingdome and telleth them what they haue done how loose they haue beene in their liues and into what horrible sinnes they haue fallen that thereby hee might bring them to dispaire and to let goe their strong confidence that they haue in the promises of the Gospell So it is with sundry of the Seruants and Children of the Deuill they taunt and reuile the faithfull for former faults which now they hate and abhorre But as they aunswere Sathan so they may all his Instruments that they should consider rather what they are then what they haue beene and behold their present condition not that which is past Let vs be like the good Angels who doe reioyce at the conuersion of Sinners but neuer cast them in the teeth with their offences that haue stumbled and are recouered Vse 3. Lastly let vs cut off all occasions of dissention quench the fire that is begun to be kindled A small spark if it be not quenched will break out into a great fire a little smoake nourished will turne into a flame So when causes of contention and diuision doe arise we must endeuour to stay them and appease them It is easily stopped in the beginning which afterward is hardlie or not at all resisted This wisedome we see in Abraham when strife arose betweene his Heard-men and the Heard-men of Lot he saide vnto him d Gene. 13 8 Let there bee no strife I pray thee betweene me and thee neyther betweene thy Heard-men and my Heard-men for we are Brethren They were not naturall Bretheren according to the flesh as discending of one Father but of a neere kindred according to the flesh and a neerer according to the Spirit he was Lots Vnckle and elder and in that respect his better he was richer wealthier he had more Seruants also to take his part to ioyne together and to ouer-maister him if he had listed yet he standeth not vpon one or vpon all these he looked not when Lot should stoop and bow vnto him but as in years wealth and authority so in godlinesse meeknes and moderation he went before him Let vs all consider this be prouoked by the example of Christ to be meeke and lowly e Math. 11 29. That we may finde rest vnto our soules The Lord Iesus hath taught vs to call vpon one Father shall we then disdaine our Brethren The Apostle teacheth f Col. 3 13. Ephe. 4 4. that we are one body if the members of the body should disagree and fall out would not the ruine and destruction of the whole body follow Againe we are all called to the same hope of eternall life there is one mark at the which we all shoot there is one end whereunto we bend being Children of the same Father and Heires of the same Grace and partakers of the same inheritance O that this Meditation were setled and grounded in our hearts to loue with brotherly kindnesse and to hate all mallice as a Serpent Let vs learne that we ought no more to bee deuided asunder then the kingdome of Heauen can be deuided and that whosoeuer renteth himselfe from his Brethren banisheth himselfe from the place of glory which we all looke for Christ Iesus cannot be deuided for as his Coate was g Iohn 19 23. without seame so his body must be without separtion There are not diuers Faiths diuers Baptismes diuers Suppers diuers Gods but one Lord Iesus one Baptisme one Faith one Lordes Supper one God and Father of all All these thinges Abraham no doubt did consider and beleeue and therefore said We are Brethren He doth not stand vpon his reputation and say Shall I stoope to him Shall I creepe and crouch to him Am not I better then hee Am not I wealthier then he Am not I elder then
conuerted by vs ought to be deare and feruent We learne from hence that the loue which Christians ought to beare to all the Saints especially to those whom they haue beene meanes to conuert ought to be entire deare hearty earnest most faithfull and most feruent It is our duty to loue all men more especiallie the Saints but most especially such as haue beene gained to the Faith by vs. The Lord himselfe testifieth his tender compassion toward his Children to prouoke them to follow his example The Prophets declare l Deut. 32 10. Zach. 2 8. That he which toucheth them toucheth the apple of his eye So Zachariah blessed the God of Israell m Luke 1 78. Who through his tender mercy gaue life to them that sate in darkenesse and in the shaddow of death and guided their feete into the way of peace This appeareth notably in Christ Iesus n Heb. 2 17. Who was made like vnto his Brethren that he might be mercifull he will not breake the bruised Reede nor quench the smoaking Flaxe o Iohn 15 12 13. and 13 34. These thinges saith he haue I spoken vnto you that my ioy might remaine in you this is my Commaundement that ye loue one another as I haue loued you greater loue then this hath no man when any man bestoweth his life for his friends This affection we finde in many places in the Apostle p Phil. 1 8 9. 1 Thess 3 7 8 God is my record how I long after you all from the very heart-roote in Iesus Christ we had consolation in you in al our affliction necessity through your Faith for now are we aliue if ye stand fast in the Lord. The Euangelist Luke describing the Church of God gathered together after the ascention of Christ saith q Act. 2 44 45 All that beleeued were in one place and had all thinges common and they sold their possessions and goods and parted them to all men as euery one had neede This is a precept giuen in the Law and no duty more often vrged and touched in the Gospell Moses saith r Leuit. 19 18 Math. 5 43. Rom. 13 9. Gal. 5 14. Thou shalt not auenge nor bee mindfull of wrong against the Children of thy people but shall loue thy Neighbour as thy selfe I am the Lord. The Apostle Paule among many precepts that he giueth this is one of the chiefe and principall Å¿ Rom. 12 9 10. and 13 8. Let loue bee without dissimulation abhorre that which is euill and cleane vnto that which is good be affectioned to loue one another with brotherlie loue All these testimonies of God the Father of Christ Iesus our Lord of the Apostle of other Christians and of the whole Church doe sufficiently teach vs that howsoeuer all the Saints of God are to be loued yet those especially that haue beene conuerted to vs. Reason 1. The reasons that may be rendred to vphold as firme pillers to strengthen this Doctrine are many and infallible For first there is great labour imployed long time spent many meanes vsed and continuall care bestowed to conuert a Soule to God It is no idle worke it is not brought to passe without much adoe A Woman hauing had an hard labour with her child doth loue it the more and will vse speech accordinglie saying This was a very deere Childe vnto me I must needes loue it yea her loue t Iohn 16 21. is so heartie and entire that shee forgetteth the paines and sorrow that shee hath sustained Beniamin among all the Sonnes of Iacob was most tenderly beloued in whose byrth the Mother dyed the fruite was saued but the Tree withered and fell downe he cost Iacob therefore dear euen his best beloued wife and indeed his onely lawfull wife whom Laban promised for whom he serued u Gen. 35 18. so that he called him Beniamin the sonne of his right hand If then that which is dearly bought be deepely beloued it is no maruell if it worke effectually in spirituall things where the greatest paines and labor is shewed We see this in the Galathians who had put the Apostle to much trouble and exceeding torment in their recouery to Christ x Gal. 4 11 19 are by him called his Little Children of whom he trauailed in birth againe vntill Christ were formed in them and he was in much feare and perplexity least hee had bestowed on them labour in vaine This appeareth in his behauiour toward the Israelites to whom pertaineth the adoption the glory and the Couenants y Ro. 9 1 2 3. I say the truth in Christ I lye not my Conscience bearing me witnesse in the Holyghost that I haue great heauinesse and continuall sorrow in mine heart for I would wish my selfe to bee separated from Christ for my Brethren that are my Kinsmen according to the flesh The like affection is bewrayed in Moses toward Gods people who had carried them in his bosome as a Nursse doth the sucking Childe when God was offended with them and threatned to consume them he cried vnto the Lord z Ex. 32 31 32 Oh this people haue sinned a great sinne and haue made them Gods of Golde therefore now if thou pardon their sinne thy mercy shall appeare but if thou wilte not I pray thee rase me out of thy Booke which thou hast written Thus he shewed the bowels of his loue toward that people with whom hee had taken so great paines for whom he had so often prayed and by whom he had been so oftentimes prouoked Reason 2. Secondly by testifying of our loue and shewing forth the fruites thereof we gather great assurance that we are of the company of the faithfull of the Communion of Saints and of the society of them that belong to the trueth when we loue vnfaignedly those that are of the truth The Apostle Iohn teacheth that our loue to the brethren is a fruite of true faith a 1 Iohn 3 14 19. Heereby we know that we are of the truth and shall before him assure our hearts And againe hee saith We know we are translated from death vnto life because wee loue the Brethren he that loueth not his Brother abideth in death Whereby hee sheweth that we are assured that we belong to God are his children by the fruites of loue which are certaine tokens of our election to eternall life Reason 3. Thirdly loue is the liuery of Christ and as it were the badge and cognizance whereby we are knowne to be his Disciples and to be taught and directed by his spirit This agreeth with the Doctrine of Christ b Ioh. 13 34 35. A newe Commandement giue I vnto you that yee loue one another as I haue loued you that ye also loue another by this shall all men knowe that ye are my Disciples if yee haue loue one to another Christ Iesus did instruct his Disciples especially in loue and did as it were graft it and engraue
that sought his life to take it away he spared him when he might haue slaine him and hee cut off onely a peece of his coate when he might as easily haue cut off his head which kindnesse of his heaped vp coales of fire vppon his head and so wrought with him k 1 Sa. 24 17 that hee called him Sonne and prayed God to recompence vnto him that goodnesse that he had shewed and ceased from persecuting of him at that time The like example wee haue in Elisha l 2 King 6 22 23. who woulde not suffer the Horsemen that were sent to take him to be smitten with the sword but commanded Bread and water to be set before them so they did eate and drinke they refreshed themselues and returned to their Maister Let vs follow these worthy presidents and account all men our neighbors let vs account our selues bound in dutie to help them and do vnto them as we would haue them deal toward vs. Thus we see what loue is we haue heard from whence it commeth wherein it consisteth and to whom it is to be shewed It commeth from God and is the worke of his spirit it consisteth in a fellow-feeling of their good and greefe of their prosperity and aduersity so that we shold reioyce with them and mourne with them according to the condition wherein they are it is to be shewed to all such as are of the same nature and are couered with the same flesh that is to all mankinde Secondly we are to consider the property of this Loue m The property of Loue. how it is to be performed For as we haue seene the parties who are to be loued euen al so we must marke the manner how they are to be loued that is feruently and earnestly This is taught by the Apostle Iohn n 1 Iohn 3 18 11 12. My little children let vs not loue in word neither in tongue onely but in deede and in truth This also he pointed out a little before This is the Message that yee heard from the beginning that wee should Loue one another not as Caine who was that wicked one and slew his Brother And the Apostle Paule saith o Rom. 12 9. Let Loue be without dissimulation Likewise in the Epistle to the Galathians p Galat. 4 18. It is a good thing to Loue earnestly alwayes in a good thing and not onely when I am present with you Our Loue therefore must not onely be true but feruent and that for these causes We haue the perfect example of Christ q Iohn 10 11 Who gaue his life for his Sheepe and suffered the shamefull death of the crosse to redeeme them Againe if occasion require it and our calling will beare it r 1 Iohn 3 16. we ought so to Loue them as wee shoulde giue our liues for the brethren which duty wee can neuer fulfill except our Loue bee feruent Lastly there are manie meanes to quench Loue as wronges iniuries vnkindnesse vnthankfulnesse hatred and emulation all these corrupt affections are as water to the fire Seeing then it is so quickely and by so many meanes cooled and quenched let vs kindle it and labour to continue it that it may alwayes burne and not decay This feruent Loue is a rare Iewell which seemeth almost gone out of the world Thirdly we must know the forme and manner how wee are to Loue our brethren to wit euen as our selues By this rule our practise must bee squared and by this rule shall our loue be iudged As we wish our own good hartily sincerely and vnfaignedly so ought we to desire the good of our neighbor It is the Law of Nature that teacheth vs to doe to others as wee would haue others do to vs. It is the Law of God that commandeth vs to Loue our neighbor as our selues Our Loue must be without hypocrisy and dissimulation from the very heart This hearty Loue is as it were the life and soule of the duty due to our brethren Let vs therefore loue them with a sincere affection and in vnfaigned simplicity This appeareth plainly in such as prayed for their persecutors and vtter enemies as Stephen when they stoned him kneeled downe and cried out with a lowd voyce Å¿ Acts 7 60. Lorde lay not this sinne to their charge And our Sauiour Christ when they crucified him said t Lu. 23 33 34 Father forgiue them for they know not what they do If we can practise and performe the like wish their good as our owne pray for them as for our selues and desire their forgiuenesse as we would be forgiuen of God then is this true loue to our true comfort found in vs. Vse 2 Secondly seeing this is the Loue that must bee found in vs towardes the Saints it serueth to meet with many enormities and to reproue manie sinnes that raigne in the world and are as the fore-runners of the full and finall ruine thereof Our loue to others is a cold loue frozen without heat dead without life barren without fruite such as our Sauior speaketh of in the gospell u Math. 24 12 Because iniquitie shall be encreased the Loue of many shall be cold But our Loue is hot toward our selues we haue abundance of selfeloue which ouerfloweth in vs and ouercommeth true loue This is the onely loue that remaineth in the worlde in these daies which is the corruption nay the bane and poyson of true loue This is it which the Apostle prophesied of long agoe x 2 Tim. 3 1 2 This know also that in the last dayes shall come perrillous times for men shall be louers of their owne selues without naturall affection no louers at all of them which are good Where we see that Paul prophesying of the last dayes daies of great perill and much impiety doth put selfe-loue in the first place as it were in the forefront and make it the fountaine from whence the traine floweth that followeth afterward For he which loueth himselfe will not regard what he doth to others and arrogateth all things to himselfe hee setteth vp himselfe as the onely man of account he magnifyeth himselfe hee contemneth all others Hence it is that he is couetous proud treacherous stubborne heady high minded and heapeth or hoordeth vp sinne vpon sinne till he fill vp the measure The worlde is pestered with these Monopolies which are all for themselues nothing for the common good of Church or Countrey We haue a common Prouerbe rife in their mouthes but more rife and ripe in the practise of the people Euery one for himself and God for vs all The first branch sheweth what is in vse but the second part must be changed for where euerie one is for himselfe there the Deuill is for all Wherefore the former is the Deuils Prouerbe and is no more to be vsed among Gods people The Christian Prouerbe must be Euery one for his Brother and God for vs all y 1 Cor. 13 5
with me that in thy stead he might haue ministred vtno me in the bonds of the Gospell 14 But without thy mind would I doe nothing that thy benefit should not be as it were of necessitie but willingly The order of the words in this diuision HItherto we haue spoken of the reason that Paule vrgeth to Philemon to receiue his Seruant drawn from the action of his sending of him back Now followeth the preuenting of Obiections taken eyther from Paule his retaining of him Verse 13. and 14. or from Onesimus his departing from his Maister Verse 15. and 16. The first obiection is concerning the keeping and retaining of Onesimus the obiection is wanting and may be thus supplyed For Philemon might haue saide I heare many words how profitable he is to me how deare to thee I know no such profit in him I can see no benefit that I am like to receiue by him of this I am well assured I haue sustained great losse by him If then he be so necessary and profitable and if he be as deare vnto thee as the Sonne that commeth out of the Bowels of the father why didst thou not retaine him still with thee To this the Apostle maketh a double answere first he graunteth and then he reuoketh that which he had graunted For hee confesseth that his desire was to haue detained him which he maketh plaine by a reason drawne from the end that he might haue continued To minister vnto him in the bonds of the Gospell In the next verse he ioyneth a correcting of that which he had granted to wit that he would doe nothing in this matter without the assent and consent of Philemon his Maister which reuocation he amplyfieth by an Argument from the end That thy benefit should not bee as it were of necessitie which also is declared by the contrary but willingly In these wordes howsoeuer they bee naturally the preuenting of an obiection is included also a certaine reason For the Apostle in this Epistle vseth more shew of Art and force of perswading and power of reasoning and skill of creeping into the heart of Philemon then he vseth ordinarily in other places and therefore in remoouing obiections hee argueth and in arguing he remooueth Obiections This appeareth euidently in this place For he reasoneth and strengthneth his request by this Argument Whom I desire for the good parts that I see in him to retaine that in thy place he might serue me in the bonds or cause of the Gospell him thou oughtest to receiue louingly and willingly But Onesimus for whom I intreat is such a one Therefore thou oughtest to receiue him louingly and willingly The meaning of the words This is to be considered of vs touching the order of the wordes Now let vs see what is to be knowne concerning the meaning of them When he saith Whom I would haue retained he sheweth againe what great account he maketh of Onesimus being as it were the onely man whom he would haue made choise off if it had beene in his liberty to haue comforted him and ministred vnto him in the time of his affliction and imprisonment Againe when he saith For thee or in thy stead he inferreth that Philemon himselfe did owe vnto him that duty if he should require it of him and vrge it from him He mentioneth The bondes of the Gospell meaning thereby the afflictions which the Gospell had brought him wherein the Genetiue case doth note the cause as we saw before verse 1. and 9. As if he should say the cause why I am prisoner and put in bands is the preaching of the Gospell In the 14. verse he saith Without thy mind I would doe nothing where by the generall put for the special he meaneth without thy counsell and consent I would not doe this thing that is retaine Onesimus with me I would doe nothing touching the keeping of him from thee to whom as thy Seruant he doth properly belong Lastly he addeth Least it should be of necessity that is least I should extort and wring it from thee against thy will and so seeme to compell thee hereunto whereas thou shouldst doe it cheerefully and willingly This is the Method and meaning of this diuision according to which order and Interpretation the words are thus much in effect If thou aske a reason why I kept not Onesimus with me seeing I make him so profitable and worthy to be loued and liked so comfortable trusty and seruiceable I aunswere I could haue beene content with all my heart to haue done so he is my Son and I his Father but withall he is thy Seruant and not mine and thou art his Maister and not I and therefore I ought not without thy leaue knowledge and consent to keepe him for the Gospell maintaineth and not dissolueth politicke order and houshold gouernment which both are the ordinance of God Besides a benefit and good turne should come with a cheerefull heart and a willing mind and ought not to be gotten by constraint and compulsion and therefore I would know thy will before I kept him to my selfe Diuers pointes to be obserued Before we come to the particular handling of the Doctrines that arise from hence some thinges breefely are to be noted which I will breefely obserue without any long and large application First of all the Apostle intimateth his desire to haue retained Onesimus with him and that he was loath to suffer him to depart from him which declareth that the presence of those that are deare vnto vs in Christ is welcome pleasant comfortable much set by and we greatly desire to keepe them continually with vs. For as loue is the knot of coniunction that bindeth vs together though we be absent and farre seuered one from another so it craueth and requireth the bodilie presence of those whom we entirely loue which howsoeuer wee cannot obtaine in this life for as much as our earthly affaires will not suffer it yet wee shall be sure to enioy it perpetually and without ende in the life to come when we shall haue the greatest ioy and comfort one in another that can be wished or desired such as the eye hath not seene nor the eare heard neither hath it entred into the heart of man to conceiue Secondly note with me the end why he desired to retaine Onesimus with him that the Seruant might doe seruice to him in the Maisters stead The end then is the Ministery and attendance which Paule might of duty require of Philemon himselfe If then the Maister be bound to doe his seruice and wait vpon the Apostle much more the Seruant Whereby we may note and marke how great right and iurisdiction hee that hath gotten and gained a man to Christ hath ouer him whom hee hath gained so that he may challenge not onely one of his Seruants but himselfe to Minister vnto him and to help him in temporall and transitory things For he that hath receiued spirituall blessings cannot without
haue nothing of vs. This is the reason vrged by the Apostle to the Corinthians l 2 Cor. 9 7. As euery man wisheth in his heart so let him giue not grudgingly or of necessitie for God loueth a chearefull giuer Now that which the Apostle speaketh of charity and of almes may as truely be spoken of euery dutie that God requireth of vs. When wee pray we must call vpon God chearefully for he loueth a cheerefull prayer When we giue thankes to his name for blessings receiued wee must thanke him chearefully for he loueth a chearful giuer of thankes and albeit these be notable parts of Gods worship and excellent duties commaunded of him and required of vs yet without this chearfulnesse they are as a dead thing not regarded Reason 2. Secondly our obedience vnto God must bee answereable to the obedience of Christ that hee performed to his Father for hee hath therein giuen vs an example and taught vs how to obey The maner of his obedience was willing and done of his own accord not extorted and wrested from him for then it could not haue beene accepted of God nor merritorious for vs nor praised in him Hence it is that the Apostle saith m Heb. 10 9 10. Then saide he Loe I come to do thy will ô God he taketh away the first that hee may establish the second By the which will we are sanctified euen by the offering of the body of Iesus Christ once made Thus Christ himselfe speaketh in the Gospell n Iohn 10 17 18. Therefore dooth my Father loue me because I lay downe my life that I might take it again No man taketh it from me but I lay it downe of my selfe I haue power to lay it down haue power to take it againe Where he sheweth that the cause wherefore he suffered was not because Caiphas conuented him or the witnesses accused him or Pilate condemned him or the Iewes executed him but because it pleased his Father and himselfe to make himselfe an offering for sinne For except hee had died willingly all his aduersaries had bin too weake to work any thing against him o Iohn 18 6. as appeareth in euidently the Garden when hee cast them all downe to the ground with a word of his mouth Heere is set down a pattern for vs to follow we must performe the like obedience that he did as his was voluntarily and willing so ought ours likewise to be that it may be acceptable in the sight of God Reason 3 Thirdly the things that are not done in Faith and Loue are sinne For without faith it is vnpossible p Heb 11 6 to please God And though I had the guifts of prophesy and knew al secrets and al knowledge yea if I had al faith so that if I could remoue mountaines q 1 Cor. 13 2 3 and had not loue I were nothing though I feede the poore with all my goods and though I giue my body that I bee burned and haue not loue it profiteth nothing So then we see that no dutie is acceptable without Faith and Loue. But nothing done vnwillingly vncomfortably or hypocritically can be done in Faith and Loue. And therefore such duties as are thus perfourmed haue no life nor vertue in them to giue them any grace or acceptation with God Reason 4 Lastly God knoweth our hearts and seeth hovv vve bring our guifts offer our offerings He looketh not vpon the outward vvorke but regardeth the intent of the heart When Caine brought vnto God an oblation of the fruites of the ground r Gen 4 5. he had no regard to him nor to his offring because he savv the hollownesse and hypocrisie of his heart This is the reason that Dauid vseth to perswade Salomon his sonne to haue a care to learn and to practise the will of God 1 Chro. 28 8. And thou Salomon my sonne know thou the God of thy Father and serue him with a perfect heart and with a willing minde for the Lord searcheth all harts and vnderstandeth al the imaginations of thoghts if thou seeke him he will be found of thee but if thou forsake him he will cast thee off for euer Where we see the Father carefull for the future good of his son mooueth him to endeuour and striue to know God by learning what he willeth to serue him vprightly and willingly by practising as hee enableth because our thoughts are not hidden from the all-seeing eye of God and because he offereth himselfe to them that seeke him but forsaketh them that refuse him when he is offered We may easily deceiue the eye of man that looketh only to the person and beholdeth only the outward worke but it is vnpossible to deceiue the searcher of hearts If then we gather al these reasons into a short sum and set them as in a Table before our eyes if we consider that God loueth a chearfull seruice that Christ performed a willing obedience that faith and loue giueth acceptance to the work and lastly that God giueth recompence according to the heart which he knoweth we see that the strength of them will beare the ful waight of this conclusion that the duties of our Religion must not be performed constrainedly but freely not grudgingly but chearefully not vnwillingly but readily not of necessity but voluntarily Vse 1. Now we are to make Vse of this Doctrine First seeing no man must performe any holy duty to God or man vpon compulsion or against his will but with all his minde and might we learne that euery action or dutie is accounted of by God not according to the greatnesse of the worker or outwarde shew of the worke but according to the will and affection of the dooer it is the manner of dooing that God more accepteth then the action or deede it selfe A Childe in his obedience to his Father is esteemed for his reuerent louing obedient and dutifull heart and not for the greatnesse or worthines of his worke For what can he do when hee hath endeuoured to the vtmost to pleasure his Father So is it with vs when we haue done all that wee can we must confesse we haue bin vnptofitable seruants and therefore God more respecteth the intention then the action the Worke-man then the worke the affection then the effect Mary is commended of Christ t Luke 7 47 and 21 3 4. because shee loued much The poore widdow that cast into the treasury one mite is praised by Christ aboue the rest that offered of their substance and superfluity He that giueth a cup of cold water in the name of a Disciple to a Disciple u Math. 10 42 shall not loese his reward What is the bestowing of a Mite Or what is a cup of colde water Are they of themselues in themselues considered any thing worth Or can they deserue to be accepted No in no wise but God accepteth the manner more then the matter how
of being restored It is a worthy saying of the Prophet to Amaziah K. of Iudah being like to loose a great sum of mony which hee had disbursed for the leuying of forren forces x 2 Chr. 25 9. The Lord is able to giue thee more then this If he see it good profitable for vs he can and wil repay it in the same kind for who looseth for Gods cause doth not get but if he do not recompence earthly things with earthly he wil assuredly bestow vpon vs such riches as are immortal immutable such a treasure as is eternal not fading but enduring for euer in the heauens A notable practise heerof we haue in Iob ch 19. in al his troubles which were exceeding great he comforted himself in this I know that my Redeemer liueth that I shal see him in the last day Somtimes he doth restore in the same kinde that which we haue left seemeth to be lost we see in the former example of Iob what a blessed end the Lord made so if we wil wait with patience and tarrie his leisure be content with his workes we shal behold the end better then the beginning Moreouer we see the merciful dealing of god toward his children from whō he withholdeth personal blessings To som he giueth strength of body swiftnes of foot quicknesse of sight readinesse of hearing aptnesse of the hand together with a due proportion comlinesse of euery part But to others he denieth these things so that we see some blind others lame crooked deafe deformed Notwithstanding God ofttimes supplyeth these wants and recompenseth these infirmities with a most plentifull measure of better that is of heauenly graces We see this in the example of the blind man mentioned by the Euangelist Iohn he wanted the sight of his bodily eies y Iohn 9 29 30 31 32. but he had a greater light shining in his hart a deeper insight into the doctrine of saluation then the chiefe of the Pharisies that were accounted the only Rabbies and maisters in Israel so that we may truly say that the blindman did see and they that thought themselues to haue their eye-sight were starke blinde For when the Pharisies said of the Messia We know not from whence this man is the blind man answered said vnto thē Doubtles this is a maruellous thing that ye know not whence he is and yet he hath opened mine eies now we know that God heareth not sinners but if any man be a worshipper of God doth his wil him heareth he c. if this man were not of God he could haue done nothing This was a worthy and open confession of the great work of God that had bin wrought vpon him wherein he saw more true and heauenly light then al his enemies who then boasted of the name of the church and cast this simple man out of the Synagogue But if we consider the poore man of the one side the proud pharisies on the other side which of them was most blind and whither of thē was a member of the true Church Surely God gaue a maruellous light of knowledge to his weake seruant that he was not ashamed to confesse Christ Iesus acording to the measure of grace giuen him whereas the blind Pharises were blind leaders of the blind saw nothing Heerupon Christ saith z Iohn 9 39 40 41. I am come vnto iudgment into this world that they which see not might see that they which see might be made blind And when the Pharises which were with him heard these things said vnto him Are we blind also He answered If ye were blind ye should not haue sin but now ye say we see therfore your sin remaineth Let vs not therfore despise such as haue infirmities or deformities of the body nor vpbraid them with them which are not in their powers to put away rather let vs take heed of the blots and blemishes of the soul to wit of sinne which maketh the greatest scab and scarre and bringeth reproach vnto the person Let vs beware of the blindnesse of the minde of the hardnesse of the heart of the wounds of the soule and of halting with God The blindnes of the mind is a sin and the punishment of sinne so that God is offended with it whereby it differeth from the blindnesse of the body which indeede is a certaine affliction but it is no transgression it is a kinde of misery but no iniquity it is a crosse but it is no sinne But the inward blindnesse of the minde is in it selfe a sinne and breach of Gods Law and maketh a man culpable of iudgement and guilty of eternall death because none is so blinded but he hath first pulled out his owne eyes and refuseth the light of the Gospell offered vnto him a Eph. 4 18. through the hardnesse of his heart Againe this ought to bee a special comfort vnto vs and to suffice to asswage all greefe conceiued for the want of earthly blessings if God haue denied vnto vs the vse of one or many of our members as of our eyes our eares our tongue our hands our feete and haue made vs blind or dumb or deafe or lame or maimed let vs not be discomforted or sink down vnder the burden but rather considering the recompence that he giueth vs another way and the supply that he maketh by spirituall graces let vs humbly giue him thankes b Mat. 5 29 30 remembring that it is better for vs that one of our members perish then the whole body should be cast into hell We see the holy man Iob hauing had great losses and dammages brought vpon him to his great hinderance and decay in earthly thinges acknowledged the hand of God in it gaue him the glory saying c Iob. 1 21. Naked cam I out of my mothers womb and naked shall I return thither the Lord hath giuen and the Lord hath taken it blessed be the name of the Lorde Hence it is that the Apostle saith Hearken my beloued Brethren hath not God chosen the poore of this world that they should be rich in faith heires of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that loue him Iames 2. If God haue made me blinde yet if hee haue giuen me the eyes of my mind to see the mystery of faith in this life and the excellency of glory reserued for me and all his Saints in the life to come I haue wherewith to comfort me aboundantly in the want of bodily sight If God haue made me lame to halt with my foot and therby want many outward pleasures that many seek and find yet if he haue vouchsafed this mercy vnto me d Gal. 2 14. to make me walk with a right foot to the truth of the Gospell I cannot want sound comfort and inward peace to my own soul God looketh not vpon the person of man he accepteth no man for his outward forme
6 16. But these men say Doe not I loue them that hate thee and hate them that loue thee They hate the godly in their hearts and the more grace appeareth in them the more they despise them as Michall did Dauid when she saw his zeale in bringing home the Arke of the Lord into his own Cittie They esteeme more of their dogs and Swine then they doe of the deare Seruants of God bought with the precious blood of Christ therfore they say Oh these are the little flock these are Saints these are holie folkes we are not for their company But if we belong to God and to his Kingdome wee must of necessitie be of the Communion of Saints And if indeede thou thinke them holie thou oughtest to conclude therefore we are and must be and will be for their company For either we are holie or vnholie either godlie or prophane either righteous or vnrighteous If we be not true Christians we are no better then Deuils incarnate and therefore shall haue our portion and reward among the Deuils So then either they vtter those words with a scoffing spirit and then we leaue them to his iudgement that will take vengeance of all such taunts that he accounteth cast out against himselfe or else they make a fearefull conclusion against their owne Soules disclaiming themselues to be Members of the Church renouncing the sweet society communion of the Saints refusing the forgiuenes of their sins and accounting thēselues vnworthy of eternall life or else they speake ignorantly as poore silly blind Soules who are to be pittied and praied for and this all the hurt we wish vnto them for all the mallice they beare against vs beeing bold to craue more good for them then they doe for themselues saying g Luke 23 34 Acts 7 60. Father forgiue them for they know not what they doe Lord lay not this sinne to their charge Thus we desire God to giue them them eies that are blind and to open their hearts that haue shut them against the truth and the professors thereof Vse 2 Secondly seeing it is our duty to respect euery one of the faithfull according to the grace of God measured out vnto him it is required of all men to looke alwaies to the best things in the choise of the companions of their life We learne not to enter rashly into any neere societie with such as haue not the graces of Gods holie spirit to commend them When any of vs are to seeke friendes to match our selues with a Wife to entertaine Seruants to make choyce of teachers our care must be to enquire after such as haue true pietie in their hearts and may yeeld vnto vs sound comfort And whensoeuer we haue made that happy and heauenly choyce we must labour to cherish to encrease and to strengthen them in all their waies and for our parts must delight and reioyce in them aboue all other One good Friend one godly Wife one religious Seruant is worth ten thousand others what priuiledges of the flesh soeuer they bring with them Hence it is that the Apostle saith h 1 Cor. 7 39. The Wife is bound by the law as long us her husband liueth but if her Husband be dead she is at liberty to marry with whom she will onely in the Lord. We see how Dauid among all the Sonnes of Saule made choise onely of Ionathan to ioyne with him in a strong league of sure friendshippe because he knew him to haue an vpright and faithfull hart toward God These two did take sweet counsell together and had their soules knit in a fast and firme knot of mutuall loue Likewise concerning the seruants of his house that he would receiue and retaine he saith i Psal 101 6 7 Mine eyes shall be vpon the faithfull of the Land that they may dwell with me he that walketh in a perfect way he shall serue mee there shall no deceitfull person dwell within mine house he that telleth lies shall not remaine in my sight c. The Apostle Paul called to be an Apostle teacher of the Gentiles hauing conuerted many to the faith did take the greatest delight and reaped soundest consolation in them he accounted them his Crown he esteemed them his Sonnes he called them his glory he reioyced in them as his hope This appeareth in the example of Onesimus whom he had begotten in his bonds the greater fruits of Faith he found in him the greater account and reckoning did he make of him The like wee might say of others euen of whole Churches gained to the Gospell the more they encreased in godlynesse the more his bowels were enlarged in care and compassion toward them This affection ought to be in all true Pastors toward their people they must loue such aboue the rest as exceede and excell the rest in the knowledge and practise of true godlinesse This affection should be in the Father towards his Children he should loue them most he should giue them most hee should prouide and prepare for them most that haue most Religion in their hearts most grace in their soules most soundnesse in their liues Let them bee vsed best that are best and finde most fauour that shew the greatest faith The Scripture teacheth vs that Isaac had two sonnes Esau was the first borne yet Iacob had the blessing Godlinesse maketh the younger to bee the elder the second to be the first the lowest to be the highest the least to bee the greatest but vngodlinesse causeth the first borne to be last maketh the elder to be younger and easteth downe the highest into the lowest roome So we see that among the sonnes of Iacob k 1 Chro. 5. 1. Gen. 49 3 4. Ioseph had the double portion albeit he were the youngest of them all sauing one because the rest of his Children had stained them-selues with some grosse sinne which did put them out of their proper place and disinherit them of the blessing This point heere to be learned and practised reproueth two sorts of men as well such as make choise of such as bee wicked as those that hate them which are good and godly We must not delight our selues in those that be carnall and corrupt albeit they be neuer so neer vnto vs. Ahab did repose and reioyce himselfe l 1 King 21 7 1 Sam. 22. 9. 1 Ki. 12 8 31 in Iezabell against Naboth Saule in Doeg against Dauid when he saw that God was with him and his spirit departed from himselfe Rehoboam made choise of youthfull vaine and vicious Companions and refused the Counsell of the prudent and the aduise of the Elders the friends of his Father Ieroboam made choyse of the ignorant multitude of the scum of the people and of the Rascall sort to be the teachers of Israell and their guides and Gouernors in the matters of Gods worship It is a common euill to delight in euill company in prophane persons in Idoll-shepheards in carnall
learne that there is no friend like to the Christian friend who is another of the same Such as are coupled together in this society and fellowship q Deut. 13 6. are made one soule Hence it is that Moses teaching that no naturall affection toward those that are nearest vnto vs ought to withdraw our hearts from God describeth such as are most deare and so haue greatest interest in vs where he calleth Brethren the sonnes of the same Mother he calleth the wife her that lyeth in the bosome he saith of a Friend that hee is as a mans owne soule whom he loueth as himselfe The Heathen glorie in certaine Golden r Cicero lib de amicitia paires of stedfast friends that haue bin ready to lay down their liues one for another Howbeit in all ages and times of the world they are able to reckon vp very few and those for the most part forged and counterfet rather to teach what should be done then what euer was truly done And yet if such friendship had euer bin practised and such friends euer really extant it had beene begun and ended in the flesh and therefore had been but a corrupt and carnall friendship For where God doth not couple together and make the knot and where the glory of his name is not the mark we shoot at there the very life of true friendship is wanting All the former examples of supposed friends that were fastned without the glew of Religion and the feare of God to hold them together might make a goodly shewe of rare loue to the eyes of naturall men howbeit they did al things to be praised of men to be magnified of the world to bee spoken of after their death and to be highly esteemed of others But they are not to be matched compared with true Religious friends which haue the bond of the spirit and of a good conscience to couple them together Such were Ruth and Naomi for when Ruth was willed to returne after her Sister she answeared Å¿ Ruth 1 15 16 Intreat me not to leaue thee nor to depart from thee for whether thou goest I will go and where thou dwellest I will dwell thy people shall be my people thy God my God where thou dyest I will dye and there I will be buried the Lord do so to mee and more also if ought but death depart thee and me Such were Ionathan Dauid of whom we spake before who did cleaue and adhere one to another as if they had beene no longer two but one man and as if one had beene of the bone and flesh of another Such were t Gen. 29 18. Iacob and Rachell hee thought no time too long he iudged no seruice too bitter he esteemed no wages too litle because he loued her Such were Reuben and Ioseph he would u Ge. 37 21 22 not content to shed Iosephs blood nor to lay violent hands vpon him but counselled his Brethren to cast him into a pit to the end hee might deliuer him out of their hand and restore him to his Father again Such were Moses Aaron Such were Salomon and Hiram x 1 King 5 1â— betweene whom was peace they made a Couenant one with another so that they did communicate either to other such commodities as they were stored withall Among these was mutual loue and friendship did binde them together There is a difference betweene loue and friendship For he may loue that is not beloued but hee cannot bee a Friend vnlesse he loue and be loued which the Apostle noteth when hee saith y Rom. 13 8. Owe nothing to any man but to loue one another This is the sum of the whole Law for he that loueth another hath fulfilled the law Hence it followeth that the nearest band and surest coniunction is betweene the faithful they onely can be true and trusty friends because they loue and are loued that which one doth the other is ready to require and return the like to performe mutuall kindnesse one to the other This is the right and religious friendship and this is onely to be found among the Saints that are members of the same body and ioyned in one brotherhood and Communion But it is not so betweene the godly and vngodly betweene the holy and prophane betweene the elect and the reprobate There is z 2 Cor. 6 14. no fellowship betweene righteousnesse and vnrighteousnesse there is no communion betweene light and darknesse there is no concord between Christ and Beliall These being mixed and ioyned together a Dan. 2 42 43 are like the feete of Nebucadnezzars Image which he saw in a dreame which were part of Iron and part of Clay which was easily dissolued and quickly broken in peeces so is it in the agreement and loue that is betweene the faithfull and vnfaithfull it is partly strong and partly weake but it cannot bee ioyned fast one with the other as Iron cannot be mixed with Clay For albeit the godly do loue the vngodly euen the Infidels according to the commaundement of God yet there can be no sound and sincere friendship betweene them because that is not mutuall loue it is not in both parties inasmuch as the wicked do hate extreamely the Children of God and contemne them in their hearts as Caine did Abell Let vs therefore sort and associate our selues with those that are godly men who will in time of triall proue our safest friendes All other society how strongly soeuer it seemeth to be planted and builded will fall to the ground We see Neighbors oftentimes forsake vs we see our alliance and Kindred renounce vs we see Brethren oftentimes shewe themselues as strangers one to another but where grace and Religion is there the friendship will neuer faile but is as a running streame that neuer waxeth dry Marke this in those sweet paires of frends which before we coupled togither in an equall yoake whom grace and godlinesse ioyned and therefore no vnkindnesse could seperate Ruth loued Naomi as greatly when she returned empty as when she came out full and well stored Ionathan was found as faithfull to Dauid when Saule sought to slay him as when he beganne to honour him when he lowred at him as when hee shewed the best countenance toward him And howsoeuer the vngodly may hide the intents of their hearts and promise to performe all duties of loue towards vs yet their loue hath no certaine foundation but will deceiue them that trust vnto it When Iob was in prosperity and authority euery one respected him and was readie to pleasure him he was honoured in â—he gate hee was reuerenced in the street he was feared in the house But when his goods were gone and al his dignity failed no man regarded him his friendes his seruants his Wife despised him Let vs heare in his owne words the complaint that he maketh and attend to that he speaketh where he declareth what befell him b Iob. 19
a note of an vnthankefull heart to obtaine a benefit and not to acknowledge it to receiue a guift and not to praise and commend the giuer This is it which the Apostle teacheth 2. Cor. 1 9 10 11. speaking of the afflictions which came vpon him in Asia whereby hee was pressed out of measure passing strength so that he doubted altogether euen of life We receiued the sentence of death in our selues because wee should not trust in our selues but in God which raiseth the dead who deliuered vs from so great a death and doth deliuer vs in whom we trust that yet heereafter he will deliuer vs so that yee labour together in Prayer for vs that for the guift bestowed vpon vs for many thankes may bee giuen by manie persons for vs. In which words he declareth that as he had experience in the time past of the mercy of God in the deliuerance which was giuen vnto him so he hopeth of the like assistance of his spirit if that the Corinthians would be mindfull of him in their prayers Where we see he ascribeth much to their Prayers and yet so much as that he would haue the glory of his deliuerance to be giuen onely to God and thankes to be rendered vnto him A point worthy to be considered of vs and a duty needfull to bee performed by vs. As he hath promised and we haue prayed so when he hath payed hee is to be praised Praise is comely and well becommeth the Saintes of God the want whereof taketh away the comfort and sweete fruite of his blessinges from vs. It is a great offence to be vnthankefull vnto men but farre greater to God in whom we liue and moue and haue our being Wherfore whensoeuer we haue opened our mouthes vnto God let vs returne the Calues of our lips vnto him and neuer shew our selues more ready to ask then we are willing to praise and magnifie the Lord who hath granted that which wee haue asked And heereby we may try our selues whether we be truly thankfull vnto him or not I shall be freely giuen or bestowed vpon you The Apostle in this place vseth a word deriued from grace so that it signifieth to be giuen by Grace Thus the r 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 word is taken in sundry places of the Scripture as Rom. 8. If hee haue giuen vs his owne sonne how should he not with him ſ Rom. 8 32. 1 Cor. 2. 12. Gal. 3. 18. giue vs all things else And 1 Cor. 2. We haue receiued the spirit which is of God that wee might knowe the thinges that are giuen to vs of God So likewise Galath 3. God gaue the inheritance to Abraham by promise The meaning of the Apostle is thus much in effect the Prayers of the Saintes shall preuaile with God and beeing offered vp for my deliuerance shall not returne to them without comfort nor ascend to him without effect nor concerne mee without effect Notwithstanding albeit they shall not goe emptie away but haue their full force and power yet it is to bee acknowledged and Learned that they so obtaine as that my deliuerance is to bee wrought out by the free guift of his Grace not by the merit and desert of your prayers Doctrine 3. The guifts of God bestowed vpon his seruants come from his free grace not frō our deserts From hence wee learne that the guifts of God bestowed vppon his Seruants come from his free grace not from our deserts from his mercie not from our merites from his Goodnesse not from our Worthinesse This is set downe in the second Commaundement of the Lawe Exodus 20 6. where the Lorde promiseth eternall life vnto the Keepers of the Commandements yet they must not looke to obtaine it as a due desert For hee will shew Mercie vnto thousandes to them that loue him and keepe his Commaundements Faith is an excellent guift and a notable meanes to bring vs to eternall life t Iohn 3 36. For he that beleeueth in the Sonne hath eternall life and hee that obeyeth not the Sonne shall not see life but the wrath of GOD abydeth on him We see then the necessitie of hauing a liuely Faith because to beleeue in Christ bringeth with it eternall life yet it is not for the merite of our Faith but for the Mercie of God and the Merit of Christ apprehended by Faith u Rom. 6 23. inasmuch as Eternall life is the free guift of God The like we may say of Prayer we haue a comfortable promise that if we aske we shall receiue if we seeke we shal finde not because our Prayers do deserue acceptation and therefore when Daniell prayed vnto God he confesseth that x Dan. 9 7 8 9 righteousnesse belongeth vnto the Lord but vnto vs open shame because we haue sinned against him Whereby we gather that although our prayers are not without effect yet they preuaile not by any excellency is sound in them and therefore he saith Compassion and forgiuenesse is in the Lord our God albeit we haue rebelled against him Thus also we might perticularly speake of al the good ordinances of God and the good duties that proceede from vs as the sauing hearing of the word the fruitfull receiuing of the Sacraments such like holy exercises of our Religion inasmuch as he doth accept them and is well pleased in the performance of them howbeit not through our worthinesse that doe performe them but thorough his goodnesse that doth commaund them thorough his mercie that doth approoue them thorough his promise that doth receiue them and thorough his liberality that doeth reward them Reason 1. If wee would know the Causes and Reasons why the Graces of God are freely bestowed vpon vs and nothing giuen in our deserts First let vs consider that all matter of boasting is taken from vs and God will haue the glory of his owne workes and the praise of his mercie If he should take anie thing of vs he should loose so much of his owne glory and we would bee readie to ascribe our sanctification and saluation to our owne selues This doth the Apostle set downe at large in sundry Epistles for speaking of Abraham he saith y Rom. 4 2. and 23 27. If Abraham were iustified by workes he hath wherein to reioyce but not with God And hauing shewed before that God accepteth of the faithfull making him iust and without blame by imputing of Christes righteousnesse vnto him he confirmeth it by the end of Iustification which he maketh to be the glory of God saying Where is then the reioysing It is excluded By what Law Of Workes Nay but by the Law of Faith As if hee should say If we were iustified either by our owne Workes wholly only or partly by Faith and partly by workes then the glory of our iustification should be wholly giuen to our selues or at least not wholly giuen vnto God To this purpose he speaketh in the Epistle to the Ephesians
If a man see his Corne that is in the fielde stand at a stay and not shoote forward he conceiueth little hope of any plentifull Haruest If we set a Scholler to Schoole and he alwaies continue in the same forme and neuer come forth in his learning we will by and by coniecture he will prooue a Dunce Or if we see a Child that doth not grow in strength and stature we vse to say he will neuer be a tall man he will neuer be but a Dwarfe So is it with all those that haue Å¿ Ieremy 4 4. had the plough of Gods word brought in among them and the ground of their hearts sowed with the precious and immortall seed t Luke 8 11. of the word and their hearts moystned with a gratious raine u Deut. 32 2. as it were the showre vpon the hearbs and yet continue dry and barren without any fruit it is to be feared that they will shortly fall backe and wither away If we haue beene brought vp in the Schoole of Christ and haue heard the x Acts 13 25. Lecture of the Law and Prophets nay of Christ and his Apostles read vnto vs and often sounding in our eares and yet find no accesse of knowledge or encrease of obedience we may looke euery day to be thrust out of this Schoole yea to see the Schoole dissolued and turned to another vse If we haue had both y 1 Cor. 3 2. Heb. 5 13 14. Milke and Meate brought vnto vs and placed at the Table of the Lord full fraught with all delicates z 1 Pet. 2 2. And yet neither as New-borne Babes desire that sincere Milke of the word that we may grow thereby nor yet know that strong meat belongeth to them that are of age that in the end we may a Ephe. 4 13. all meete together vnto a perfect Man and vnto the measure of the age of the fulnesse of Christ certainely we shall alwaies remaine as Children wauering and carried about with euery winde of Doctrine by the deceit of men and with craftinesse whereby they lay in wait to deceiue But if wee feele the weakenesse of our Faith and the rest of the Graces of Gods Spirit and vnfainedly desire the encrease and supply of them he will fulfill our desire and we shall know to our endlesse comfort that our desire is not in vaine yea to feele the weaknesse of Grace is of Grace to see the weakenesse of Faith is of Faith and that which is yet more hee accepteth the desire to beleeue in Christ as Faith it selfe the desire to repent from dead works as repentance it selfe the desire to be reconciled to God as reconciliation it selfe They are pronounced b Math. 5. Blessed that hunger and thirst after righteousnesse because they shall be satisfied Whosoeuer is a thirst hath promise made vnto him c Reuel 12 6. Iohn 7 38. That he shall haue the Well of the Water of life freely giuen We know by a naturall feeling what hunger and thirst is and when wee are hungry when thirsty and when not Properly we are d who are said to hunger after righteousnesse hungry when we are empty and thereby waxe faint and feeble and finding both our emptinesse and weakenesse desire meate to satisfy and content vs. Properly we are thirsty when we feele a drowth or drynesse in vs and desire some drinke to refresh vs. In like manner and by good proportion they are said to hunger and thirst after righteousnesse that feele they want it and would faine haue it If wee feele our selues to be out of Christ and doe long after the blood of Christ to be redeemed with it and to be iustifyed by it then we truely doe hunger after Christ Thus much touching this Doctrine which ariseth onely by comparing this Salutation with other Scriptures Demas and Luke my fellow-helpers In these wordes also by conference of other places ariseth a good instruction to vs that professe the Gospell of Christ Iesus For this is he of whom he was forsaken as he sheweth 2. Tim. 4 10. e 2. Tim. 4 10. Demas hath forsaken me c. Hee is called in this place a fellow-helper of Paul yet the vanity of this world drew him backe being ouercome with the toyle and trouble that accompanied the professors of the truth and the preachers thereof He doth not meane that he had cleane renounced the Gospell and was become a back-slider and cut off from the Church as a rotten member but he shrunke backe for his aduantage or because he was loath to suffer aduersity with the people of God as it he should haue said he preferred the loue of the world before the loue of God But whether euer he recouered himselfe or not and renounced the world which he ouermuch loued we haue not so full and faire a warrant as we haue for Marke seeing Paule endeth with forsaking of him and the Scripture leaueth him in the imbracing of this present euill world so that his repentance is vncertaine vnto vs. Beholde heere how this man is set as vpon a Stage or Scaffold a and marke of infamy branded vpon him for euer so long as the world shall continue and the name of Christ Iesus shal be preached because he withdrew himselfe from the paines and publishing of the Gospell and from the company of Paule waxing dainty and delicate louing his owne ease and pleasure too much Doctrine 3. Many that seeme forward in the profession doe afterward fal backward From hence we learne that many which seeme faithfull and forward in the profession doe afterward fall backe and giue ouer Such as seemed to haue life in them are become dead such as seemed to haue heat in them are starke cold such as did runne a great pace and led the way to others doe now some of them stand still many runne back-ward and others doe wander out of the way and others hinder those that would enter into the right way These first giue their names to Christ and afterward shake handes with the world and imbrace the friendship thereof We see this truth verified vnto vs by sundry examples and lamentable experience of all times Iudas was chosen to be one of the twelue Apostles yet he fell away dangerously and desperately he became a Traitor and a Deuill according to the saying of our Sauiour f Iohn 6 7. Haue not I chosen you twelue and one of you is a Deuill To this purpose the Apostle Iohn describeth such back-sliders Chap. 2. g 1 Iohn 2 19. They went out from vs but they were not of vs for if they had beene of vs they should haue continued with vs. Heereunto commeth the Parable propounded by Christ Math. 21 28. h Mat. 21 28. A certaine man had two sonnes and came to the elder and said Sonne goe and worke to day in my Vineyard but he answered and said I will not yet afterward he repented himselfe and
those safe and sure which he hath chosen to himselfe As for others that are vnconstant and giue ouer they were neuer true beleeuers but Hypocrites which heere are for a season mingled together vntill the time of separation But the guiftes of God bestowed vpon his people whose saluation is surely laide vp with him z Rom. 11 29. are without repentance Our Sauiour handleth this point at large a Iohn 6 37. and 10 28. Iohn 6 and 10. All that the Father giueth me shall come to me and him that commeth too me I cast not away And againe in another place I giue vnto my sheepe eternall life and they shall neuer perish neither shall any plucke them out of mine hand my Father which gaue them me is greater then all and none is able to take them out of my Fathers hand So then whensoeuer any among them that were iudged most forward and vpholders of others giue backe and become vnbeleeuers we must not by and by dreame that the Church of God falleth he will alwaies haue a people to call vpon him and worship him b Psal 72 4. so long as the Sunne and Moone endureth from generation to generation The Church is grounded vpon God and vpon no condition of man Our saluation is setled vpon the election of God and founded vpon his vnchangeable decree which can neuer be altered or disappointed Vse 4. Fourthly seeing the Church hath alwaies had back-sliders we learne heereby to beware of all allurements and entisements that may be meanes to draw vs backe from the truth which we haue imbraced Demas of whom mention is made in this place had beene in good account he hath an excellent witnesse euen of Saint Paules mouh to be an helper to the truth Is it a small commendation to be called the fellow of such an Apostle Is it a little matter to be set vp in the middest of the house of God as a burning Lampe or a shining Candle to giue light to others in the Church yet after all this estimation that was had of him he loued the world better then the word Let vs therefore walke warily and looke vpon our selues in the person of this Demas as in a looking Glasse who is cast in the teeth with his imbracing the profit and pleasures of this life that hindred him in the worke whervnto he was called We must take heede that thinges present do not swallow vp the loue of thinges to come as they doe in many who wax colde and haue no desire of the Kingdome of Heauen These are they that haue their eyes so dazeled and darkened with these flitting thinges that they breake out in an admiration of them and say It is good for vs to be heere but neuer thinke that these delights must haue an end and that the world shal be restored The Apostle Paule teacheth vs that the present estate of the world is like a woman in trauaile c Rom. 8 22 Rom. 8. We know that euery creature groneth with vs also and trauaileth in paine together vnto this present The Creatures as now they abide are not in their perfection by reason of Adams sinne which brought in al disorder and confusion There is nothing but is subiect to vanity and misery euery thing hath some blot of corruption What a shame then is it for vs that are the Children of God and haue receiued the first fruits of the Spirit not to draw toward perfection and not to keepe company with the sencelesse Creatures Let vs learne so to loue the truth as that we prize it aboue all corruptible thinges that must haue an end so as this present world may not stay vs from desiring and longing after spirituall blessings Among all the baites and snares wherewith many are taken nothing is so dangerous or so common as the loue of this world Take a veiw of many that did runne well but now runne not at all and you shall finde they are right Demasses the world is a beame in their eyes that they cannot see a Thorne in their feete that they cannot walke a canker in their mouthes that they cannot speak a clogge to their consciences that they cannot proceede and a snare to their soules that they cannot profit or prosper in good thinges Our daies are full of two many examples of men that are fallen into a deepe sleepe of carnall security so that nothing can wake them Others there are that shrinke backe for feare of troubles and crosses as it may appeare this Demas also did He saw many stormes come toward him and he thought it best to put into some Hauen or harbour In the time of peace and prosperity in quiet and ioyfull times and in such golden daies as our eyes haue seene and our hearts haue enioyed many will seeme and doe seeme to perseuer in the faith and to embrace the word but when the Sunne ariseth in his strength and persecution commeth for the wordes sake by and by they are offended Sathan is priuy to this corruption lying hidden in our Nature For when as God said vnto him b Iob 1 8 9. Hast thou not considered my Seruant Iob how none is like him in the Earth An vpright and iust Man fearing God and eschewing euill He aunswered the Lord and said Doth Iob feare God for nought Thou hast blessed the workes of his handes and his substance is encreased but stretch out now thine hand and touch all that he hath to see if he will not blaspheme thee to thy Face We see heeerby that God will haue those that thinke they beleeue and would haue others to thinke so also to be tryed and knowne what they are Dost thou make shew of Religion Dost thou glory in thy profession It pleaseth God to offer thee the meanes and occasions to try thee he sendeth the persecution of the tongue thou art reuiled scorned slandered and derided for professing the truth for hearing the word for frequenting of Sermons and then it commeth to passe that rather then they with endure these crosses they shrinke away and strike hands will euill men and embrace the friendship of this present euill World Thus we see how Sathan busieth himselfe to vndermine vs and to ouerthrow vs and what tentations he setteth before vs on the right hand and on the left hand on the right hand the profits of the World and the pleasures of the Flesh on the left hand crosses and persecutions for the words sake These are the meanes that he vseth these are the allurements whereby he preuaileth these are the discouragements whereby he terrifieth vs. Vse 5. Fiftly seeing we are ready to reuolt and slacke our peace that wee haue runne toward the marke that is set before vs let no man be secure and carelesse or presume too much vppon his owne strength as though it were vnpossible for him to fall but let euery man grow circumspect and beware of Carnall securitie Hence it is that the Apostle
be extended to all 86 A fruit of loue to admonish 27 We must loue most where God loueth most 112. Not the vngodly most 115 Loue betweene Pastour and people 192 193 Loue those that haue conuerted vs 261 Loue one another 332 355. It is a Christians badge 356 355 Loue God aboue all 340 Loue to the Saints must be feruent 254 257. What it is 256. The manner how we must loue 257 258 Long life a punishment to the vngodlie 308 Losses See comfort in losses Lowest member in the Church must bee respected 184 329 The low estate comforted 1â—0 Luke-warme 433 M A Magistrate sustaines two persons 247 Man by Nature sociable 22 A Martyr who is 19 20 Markes of Christ what 18 Marriage must be in the Lord. 32 English Martirs canonized by the Pope were deuillish Traytors 121 Mankind stand in neede one of another 83 Masse 93 Maintenance of the Minister 400 Maner of doing God accepts more then the deede 284 Maisters must pray for their Families 241. They haue comfort in teaching them 242. they are Ministers in their owne houses 45 Meditations to mooue vs to Prayer 462 Necessary after hearing 220. For Patrons 222 A meane to be kept 76 Meanes must be vsed to bring vs to faith 108 109. To further his guifts in vs 129 Members we are one of another 173 Mercilesse men 276 Mercifull men 280 Meritorious workes 458 Merits taught in the Church of Rome 463 Ministers calling painfull 33. they must not entangle themselues in worldlie things 37. They must seeke cheefely the profit of their people 70. It is a greefe to see them go backward 71 Ministers must preach willingly 286. They are Gods Instruments to conuert Soules 165. They must be maintained 287. Giuen to Hospitality 444. Being idle their guiftes are diminished 136 they haue no right to be maintained 137 Ministers must loue the people as Children 194 They must be faithful 216 They shall giue an account for soules 216. They haue comfort in labouring 242 Ministry a worthy calling 165 Ministers are Gods Ambassadours 171 How to be esteemed 171. They must vse mildenesse and gentlenesse 172 173 Mitigation of offences required 363 Three rules belonging thereto Ibid. Mishapen Children See Children deformed Monkish life See Solitary Mocking the Ministers 204 Multitude no rule to try truth 90 N Name that is good onely the godly haue 96 It hath many enemies 427. Euill men haue an euill Name 96. Against such as take away the good Name of the godly 96 Vngodlinesse brings a blot to mens names 97. ciuil men are ignorant of a good Name Ibid Seeke aster a good name 97. how many waies men are deceiued in it Ibid Wherein a good name consisteth 98 The enemies to it Ibid Naturall condition what 299 Negligence in Religion 11 Neglect of Prayer 456 Neighbour who is 256 Nicodemus 481 Niggardlinesse See Couetousnesse Non proficients 128 324 Non residency what it is 194 Notes to proue men voide of Faith 108 Nouatians 317 O Obiections answered pretending that ministers liue idely 35. that they need not heare that haue faith already 130 Obiections against instructing families 40. of them that say they spend nothing but their owne 115. Of miserable men against liberality 158 190. of Non residents 197 Obiections brought to prooue preaching not the ordinary meanes of regeneration 207 Obiections of Anabaptists 265. 367 Obiections made against forgiuing offenders 246. against vsing salutations 247 Obligations lawfull 385 Occasions of doing good must be sought 31. of contention must be cut off 251 Odious tearmes not to be vsed against the penitent 311 Offences of penitents not to be aggrauated 293. they are to be forgiuen 243 Offences forgiuen two wayes 247. they will arise many wayes 487 Old age honourable 178 Old men instead of Fathers 18. their Duties and sins 181 491. their long life is a testimony of Gods mercy 182 Oppression 393 Opportunity 444 Order in praying for blessings 505 Ouer-seers of the Church 221 Outward blessings recompenced with inward 305 P Painims religion what 156. they regard not the poore Ibid Papists no friends to Princes 266. falsely called Catholicks 322. they seuer faith and loue 102 104. they slander vs about Good-workes 105 Parents of deformed children comforted 311 316. they must not reproue their children for good thinges 328. they must pray for their families 241 Pardon open for penitents 217 Pastors ioy 69 Pastors and people are as Father and son 189. they are tied to a particular charge 199. not to discourage people that are forward 329 Pastors of meane guifts must bee heard 203 Patrons admonished 221. whence they had their names Peace giuen to the faithfull 55 58 The three Persons in Trinity worke our saluation 61. the distinction betweene them must be knowne 62 Peace is brought by the Gospel 264 Penitent persons not to be reproached 317. their confession not to be reueiled 321. abuse of the church of Rom therein Ibid. â—alse perswasion of Faith set downe by certaine notes 108. Peters being at Rome vncertaine 46â— disagreement of Popish writers about it 471 Persecutions of Christians are the persecutions of Christ 15 Popish Idolatry like the Gentiles 63 Popishe assertions touching the Scriptures 78 Pope held to bee the Saint-maker 121. he is enemy to Princes 266 Popish deuotion 288. Martyrs 10. Religion which giues liberty to sin 105 Church what it is 470. The Popes Supremacy 470. his Saints 120 Poore Saints to be relieued 154. What those poore are 161. Poorest beleeuer is rich 189. the godly are specially to be respected 1â—1 Pray for the free passage of the gosp 3â—… Praier necessary 63. 437. it must bee made to God for others 82. it is a part of spirituall armour 83. the vse of it ibid. other mens to be intreated 84. We must pray for spirituall strength 91. and for spirituall things 505 Praier what it is 447. it is a medicine against all diseases 83. how made vnprofitable 461. what is required in it 449. why God defers to heare 453. Popish prayers Idolatrous 452 Prayer heard two waies 453 Prayer contemned 454 Prayer to Saints 454. It robbeth God of his honor 155. It cannot merit People must maintaine their Ministers 38. They must delight the heartes of their Teachers 73. They must not thinke it enough not to hurt them 74. They come to entrap them Ibid Howe many waies they grieue their Pastors 75 People must employ their guifts 139. They must not despise the Ministry of the word 170. They must honor their Pastors 202. They must attend theyr owne Pastors 203. they are in the ministers debt 402 Poore vnthankfull 412 Precisenesse not to bee obiected against Professors 93 Presence of the Pastour necessary 190 191. Preaching of the word the meanes of regeneration 205. A token of Gods loue 215 Preachers preach to themselues as well as to others 210 Preaching Ministery necessary to saluation 213 Preparation before hearing 219 Priuiledges of the godly 58 Profession of Faith See Confession