things fell out thus by chaunce or arose from the nature of these matters without the foresight foreappointment of God the creatour of them Nay rather therefore did he so temper and order these things because he had decreed to haue such creatures bred of them from time to time Let vs come yet neerer to these dainty ones and if it be possible giue them a full and perfect view of their error Me thinkes their dealing with God in this matter is much like to that of Ahaz in another case Whome when the Prophet willed to aske a signe for his assurrance from the Lord his tender heart would not bee so bold with God t Isay 7. 11. 12. I will not aske saith Ahaz neither will I tempt the Lord. He durst not forsooth aske the Lord but he durst refuse to obay the word of the Lord by the Prophet when he was commanded to aske a signe In like sort these men that are so iealous of Gods glory will not graunte that hee should bee the maker of such meane things But in the meane while they are not affraid either to deny him to be the fountaine of al being and so to make him no God or else to ascribe these creatures to some chaunce or necessity not before determined by him and so put him then as it were to his shiftes to make the best of that which he cannot otherwise helpe But if these curious men would imploy that time and study in searching the nature parts of these little despised creatures which they bestow in deuising idle and foolish arguments to bewray their bold ignorance they should find more cause to wonder at the wisedome of God in their smalnesse then to deny him to be the maker of them because of any imagined basenes Is there not beauty in a cleare diamond though it be but a sparke May there not bee singular workmanship shewed in the caruing of a ladle or potlid or some other thing of meaner seruice How much would bee giuen for Myrons Fly sitting on a Charriot couering it and the horses with her wings body But what are all these and as many such like deuises and pecces of workmanship as can be imagined if you compare them with these little creatures Didst thou neuer see a worme or fly so little that thou couldst hardly discerne it with thy neeye though thou lookedst earnestly vpon it which yet mou'd and crept turn'd and return'd this way and that way with no slowe pase If thou could'st possibly take a view of the parts of these creatures with what admiration of them wouldst thou be rauisht The Anatomy of such a worme would be no lesse wonderfull then the opening of a Whale or Elephant What should I speak of the Bee or Silkworme Where is the Architect or spinster to be found that caÌ„ match the curious frame of the one or the small and euen thrid of the other Butp whither doth the wondring at these creaturs drawe me The farder I goe in this course the more more way I see still before me and am neuer a whit the neerer my iournies end I will turne aside therefore into that path which leades vs to a place of strength comfort Hast thou aduisedly considred that Iesus Christ thy Sauiour is the mightie and wise creator of all things I cannot doubt then but thou manifestly discernest that thou art sufficiently prouided of all necessaries that belong to this preseÌ„t life They are his by creation whose thou art by regeneration The interest thou hast in him conueies vnto thee a just and strong title to all the comforts and pleasures of this life Hee himselfe hath no need of them for he is u Gen. 17. 1. God al-sufficient Els hee neither could or would haue indured to bee without the vse of them from all eternity till within these 5600. yeares What then Were they prouided for his enimies that his friends might want x Mat. 5. 45. He maketh his Sunne to arise on the euill indeed and sendeth his raigne on the vniust And not on the good and iust Hee prouideth for both but with a diuerse affection Is it not daily seene that Princes feed and cloath them if neede require that are coÌ„demned to death for their misdeedes Why so Because they meane to make their loue of Iustice knowne to al men and to powre on such malefactors the shame they haue deserued The Romane Generals had an especiall care in all their conquests to haue the principal of their enimies aliue that they might afterwards leade them in triumph to shew their glory So doth the Lorde deale with the great and mighty wicked ones of the world He feedes them with the best and daintiest meate hee cloaths them with the costliest and gayest apparell hee sets them out as it were to shewe that all men may take notice of them to the ende that at the last hee may triumph ouer them the more gloriously Thou that beleeuest in Iesus Christ perhaps farest hardly and art meanely attired Well rest vpon thy Sauiour that was the maker of all things Hee can make supply to thee of all things when hee will and hee will when hee fees it best for thee But it is his power of which we now speake The Deuill knew and confest that the Sonne of God was able to make bread of stones But the Son of God told him that y Mat. 4. 3. 4. Man liues not by bread only but by euery word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God Lackest thou bread The Creator of all things can prouide it in a moment for thee or feed thee without it Who maintained life and strength in * Exâ—d 34. 28. Moses and a 1. King 19. 8. 17. 16. Elias when they continued without any manner of sustenance by by the space of 40. daies and 40. nights Who kept the oyle in the cruse and the meale in the barrel that they wasted not Did not this mighty Creator thy Sauiour Iesus Christ b Iob. 69. 1â— 11 feed and fill 5000. persons with 5. barley loues a. fishes yet leaue 12. baskets ful of broken meate remaining What shoulde I say more Hee that made all things can furnish thee with all things and so will doe if thou put all thy trust in him to saue thee There remaines yet one doubt which I reseru'd of purpose for this place though I had occasion to haue spoken of it before in the interpretation of the later part of the Text. Some by Nothing vnderstand Sinne as if the Euangelist had meant to signifie that Sinne was made without him that was the Creator of all things but how then could this speech be true If something were made without him how were all things made by him Surely if we take that diuisioÌ„ of the verses for good and that sense for true which they that by Nothing will haue Sinne to be meant approue and follow wee may well
preuaile is so contrary to the desire of flesh and blood taking away all manner of glory from man and couering him with shame ignominy yea stripping man of his greatest pride the freedom of his will without the comfort wherof he hath naturally no ioy in any of his actions whatsoeuer The holy Ghost then is the enditer of these bookes Men especially authorised by him the Penners Amongst whome this our Euangelist was not the least a man singularly affected by our Sauiour Christ and therefore often thus described r Ioh. 13. 23. 19. 26. 20. 2. 21. 7. 20 The Disciple whom Iesus loued That this Gospell was of his writing it appeareth by the end thereof where it is said s Iohn 21. 24 This is that Disciple which testifieth these things wrot these things Now what that Disciple was the twelfth verse sheweth Then Peter turned about and sawe the Disciple whome Iesus loued vppon that sight of him Peter tooke occasion to question with our Sauiour about him and in the end of that conference set downe by the Euangelist follow the wordes I recited before This is that Disciple But how shall we knowe that This beloued Disciple was Iohn Surely the Gospell no where expresseth who it was as you may see in the places before alleaged where there is no signification of his name and other place wherehee is called the beloued Disciple there is none Wee are therefore in this point also to haue recourse to the perpetuall iudgement of all Christians who haue without any doubting deliuered this vpon their credit as it were from hand to hand Whereof we may the better be perswaded if we remember consider how easie it was for them that liued in this Euangelists time and were as we shall heare anone the occasion of his writing to informe themselues most certainly of the Author of this Gospell It may be some man wil yet doubt whether the Apostle Iohn were the penner of this Gospel or no because he hath not named himself as hee hath done in the Reuelation For the satisfying of which doubt it may please him to vnderstand that this book is an history as those of the Kings are that of Ester of Iob such like to which the Authours of them haue not set their names But the other of the Reuelation is a prophecie as the writings of Isay Ieremy Ezekiel Daniel and the rest euery one of which hath the Authours name particularly rehearsed in it Now for the name it self if it may adde any credit to the person or signify any part of his nature or grace bestowed vpon him whom may we prefer before this our Euangelist whose very name Iohn in the originall Hebrew soundeth out grace fauour To which if we adioyne that testimony of the holy Ghost so often repeated in this Gospel that he was the Disciple whom Iesus loued what can bee thought wanting that might commend him to vs For howsoeuer the loue of God be no proof of any excellency in the party beloued frō which this loue should arise yet it is a most certain demonstration of some great worth in him after hee is beloued Because t Ezec. 16. 3. 6. 7 13. 14 the loue of God alwayes bestowes on him whom it once embraceth some assured testimony that hee is beloued of God It findes nothing worth the louing but it giues something it makes the party louely though of himselfe he be worthy of hatred And surely if euer this effect of Gods loue appeared in any as it sheweth it self in all that are beloued of him more or lesse it was euidently to be seene in this our Euangelist u Matth. 4. 21 who of a poore Fisherman ignorant and young became in a short space admirable to all the world for varietie and certainety of all diuine wisedom and knowledge insomuch that x Basilius homil in Ioa. c. 1. the most learned and excellent of all the Philosophers are reported to haue wondered at the mysteries conteined in the beginning of this Gospell which y August de ciuit dei lib. 10. cap. 29. they thought worthy to be written in letters of Gold And yet poore souls they wondred at that which they fully vnderstood not If they had been vouchsaf't that honour and happiness wherof the Lord in his infinit mercy hath made vs partakers To conceiue feele the truth of these mysteries to our euerlasting saluation oh how would they haue triumphed And is it possible wee should so lightly esteeme it Therfore shall they be our iudges if we stirre not vp our dead affections to embrace as it were with both armes the kinde offer of so glorious and wondrous knowledge deliuered by him who was of all other most deare to our Lord and Maister Iesus Christ Wherof if any man desire to see more particular proofe let him looke vpon this our Euangelist * Iob. 13. 23. 24 laying his head louingly and familiarly in the bosome of our Sauiour and behold Simon Peter a man in no small fauour with his Lord Iesus Christ beckning to him as one that might bee most bolde to aske that which it seemes none of the rest durst demande Hee knowing the interest hee had in his Lords affection makes bolde to aske the question who it was that should betraie him and presently without any second request receiues a plaine and sufficient answere And that it may yet more plainly appeare what opinion the other Disciples had of our Sauiours especiall loue to him remember I pray you the question moued by Peter a Iohn 21. 21 Lord what shall this man doe By which it is manifest that the disciples perswaded themselues that our Sauiour had a principall care of him aboue the rest therefore also did they so interpret their masters speech that it was commonly held amongst them b V. 23 that Iohn should not dye But there can be no greater argument of our Sauiours entire affection to him of his strong perswasion of Iohns extraordinary loue then c Ioh. 19. 26. 27 28 the commending of his dearest mother to the keeping of Iohn and Iohns readinesse willingnesse in accepting and entertaining her which is yet the more apparant if we consider that Iames and Iude were of the blessed Virgins and our Sauiours kindred by bloud Iohn only by alliance because of her marriage to Ioseph * Page 14. line 21. c. Onely I mustadde a word or two of that title which is commonly set before the names of those that were the penners of the bookes of the Newe Testament The Gospell according to S. Mathew S. Iohn The Epistle of Saint Paul Saint Peter Saint Iames. This title or Epithet though it be both common auncient yet questionlesse was not annexed by any of these writers as not agreeable to true Christian discretion and modesty yea perhaps it was also if not iniurious yet likely to proue offensiue to all
propounded in the first verse and repeated in the second In the former he is set out to vs by that which concerneth the nature of his Godhead and his person in the Godhead For his nature he is first said to haue beene eternall In the beginning Secondly to be God And the word was God Touching his person he is cald the Word or Sonne In the beginning was the Word Secondly his distinction from God the Father and yet his equalitie with God the father is signified when it is said that Hee was with God In the second 3. of the fiue points are repeated iointly in one sentence That the word was eternall equall to God and distinct from God O glorious and admirable mysteries Where are they now that lewdly and prophanely scoffe at Christian Religion because forsooth it teacheth nothing but that which is common and ordinarie Common and ordinarie So strange and extraordinarie are the secrets of the Gospell that no man of himselfe is able to deuise them by his wit or to beleeue them with his heart Take the deepest points of naturall Philosophie so they bee indeed true and a man of good capacitie will quickly and easily be brought to giue assent to the truth thereof because hee hath in him the light of naturall reason whereby they may certainely be discerned But the secrets of Christian religion are such and so farre aboue the reach of humane reason that although you make a man vnderstand them neuer so perfectly yet you cannot possibly make him acknowledge them for truth Truth in philosophie is such as that reason if a man suffer himselfe to be directed by it will enforce him to beleeue it Trueth in diuinitie is such as that the more we hearken to our naturall reason the lesse we are perswaded of the mysteries of religion It is for him and for him onely to incline the heart to the beliefe of those secrets who first reuealed them to be beleeued But what doe I While I labour to set out the excellencie of the Gospell by shewing that it conteineth many strange and hidden mysteries it may bee feared that I driue men away from the hearing and reading of it by the darkeness and profoundnesse of these secrets But be not discouraged brethren I beseech you If they were more obscure and deepe then they are yet who could despaire of sounding the depth therof as long as he may haue so skilfull and able a Pilot What though they be mysteries x 1. Cor. 2. 10 Yet hath God reuealed them to vs by his spirit euen by that spirit which searcheth all things yea the deepe things of God Could not hee y Iohn 11. 37 say the faithlesse Iewes that opened the eies of the blind haue caused that Lazarus should not haue died And cannot hee may wee confidently say that * Psal 8. 2 Out of the mouthes of Babes and sucklings hath ordeined strength because of his enemies that he might still the enemie and the auenger subdue the Rebellion of our corrupt reason bring it into obedience to beleeue his holy trueth Wherefore hath hee reuealed it but that it might bee knowen and acknowledged For your farder incouragement let our Euangelist S. Iohn be taken as an example Art thou young a Hieronym Catalog script in Ioann ad Dan. cap. 9 contr Ioui lib. 1. So was our Euangelist when it pleased our Sauiour to call him to the profession of the Gospell Witnesse the continuance of his life sixty eight yeeres after his Lord and Masters passion But thou hast not beene brought vp to learning What teaching and education had hee thinkest thou who b Mark 1. 19 was trained vp vnder his father a poore fisherman to get his liuing in the sweate of his browes by fishing What time could he haue to goe schoole whose maintenaunce depended on his labour and to whom all the paines he could possibly take would hardly afford some small means of a poore liuing You will say This fauour was extraordinarie Yet so that it was common to him with c Matth. 4. 18 his brother Iames and d Iohn 1. 44 with two other brethren his Countrimen Andrew and Peter But what speake I of two or foure Many and many thousands continually from time to time for almost these one thousand and sixe hundreth yeers haue beene brought to the knowledge and beliefe of these mysteries Is the Lords hand now shortened Doth he not still in mercy vouchsafe vs the meanes of knowledge and beleeuing What doe wee then with these doubtfull thoughts and vnthankefull hearts Away with them Away with them let vs desire and and endeuour to learne and e Ioh. 6. 45. wee shall bee all taught of God Yea with such a teaching as shall enlighten our vnderstanding incline our hearts confirme our memory reforme our affections and continually assure vs both of the truth that we beleeue and of the constant loue of God to vs in our perseuerance in beleeuing With this desire and confidence let vs in the feare of God addresse our selues to the hearing vnderstanding and beleeuing of these glorious mysteries The first whereof for I will handle them as they lie in the Text is this that The VVord was in the beginning Wherein for your better vnderstanding and memory f The course that is held in these Sermons I will first giue the sense of the Text 1. by expounding the words and 2. deliuering the meaning of the Euangelist 2. then I will handle the doctrine by 1. proouing the truth of it and 2. adding exhortation accordingly where it shall be needfull And this course if it please God I will follow in all the rest of the Gospell In seeking out the sense of this Scripture wee must enquire 1. who is meant by the VVord then wee must consider 2. what the Euangeliâ—â—â—aith of him In the former we must see how this tearm the VVord belongeth to him of whom it is spoken Secondly why that name is giuen him in this place In the later part these 2. points are to bee deliuered why it is said The VVord was rather then Hath beene 2. What is meant by those wordes In the beginning g The exposition of the words Who is meant by the Word The first point who is meant by the VVord is easie and manifest namely he of whom the whole Gospell is written Iesus Christ h Epiphan haercs 51. August de haeres cap. 8. 10 Theodor. haeret fabul lib. 2. the Sonne of God the promised Messiah Him the Heretickes Cerinthus and Ebion denied to bee God blasphemously auouching that he tooke his first beginning of his Mother the Virgin Mary Against their false and poysonous doctrine the holy Euangelist teacheth the Church that The word was in the beginning But let the Text it selfe speake Is i Ioh. 1. 1. not he called the Word of whom k Verse 7. Verse 4. Verse 7. Iohn came to beare witnesse At the 4.
But these mē will not beleeue that there is any such life in Christ I would to God I were able to perswade thē but to make som litle trial O! if they would be cōtented but to rest vpō him for life how quickly should they find his promise true certain Be perswaded be intreated I beseech you by the loue of life which you so desire what shall you lose by it If that we preach be false yet shal the rest of your yeers be spent in more hope cōfort If you know any better waie to prouide for your selues in kindnes humanity impart that at knowledge to vs. If you do not in quilitie good manners cōdemne vs not till vpon triall you can disproue vs. Life you earnestly desire euen bodily life refuse it not when it is oftred you without any danger of losse if you should be deceiued I am come now at the last to the chiefe point of all which is life euerlasting begun as I said ere-while in this world by the forgiuing of sin perfited in the next by the giuing of glory Of which notwithstāding I intēd not to say much because being the maine matter of the Gospell euery chapter almost will afford me necessary occasion to intreat therof Shortly for the proofe of the point that eternall death and condemnation are compriz'd in that threating a Gen. 2. 17. Thou shalt die the death I appeale to the whole course of the scripture and the ioint consent of all that euer profest true religion Iewes Christians But it is manifest enough by the deliuerance wee haue through Christ that I may make one labour of two b Iob. 3. 17. God sent not his Sonne into the world that he should condemne the world but that the world through him might be saved He Ver. 18. that beleeueth in him shall not be condemned but he that beleeueth not is condemned already Yea such is the redemption which we haue by Iesus Christ c Iob. 5. 24. that he which beleeueth hath passed from death to life What is this passing from death to life but obteining forgiuenes of sinnes being reconciled to God whose wrath otherwise abideth in vs to condemnation God hath set forth Iesus Christ d Rom. 3. 25. saith the Apostle to bee apropitiation through faith in his bloud to declare his righteousnesse by the forgiuenes of sinnes that are past e Rom. 5. 10. If when wee were enemies wee were reconciled to God by the death of his sonne much more beeing reeonciled we shall be saued by his life But I forget my selfe in staying too long in this discourse wherein the new Testament is so plentifull and easie to bee vnderstood Neither is the point of euerlasting life either harder or rarer This one Gospell of S. Iohn hath not so few as twenty seuerall places to that purpose f 10. 3. 16. God so loued the world that hee gaue his onely begotten sonne that who soeuer beleeueth in him should not perish but haue life euerlasting This is the will of him that sent me that euery man which seeth the son beleeueth in him should haue euerlasting life g Ioh. 6. 40. I will raise him vp at the last day Look not that I should go forward in this course or spēd time in amplifying the vnspeakable glory of that life For the one I refer al men to the reading of this gospel especially the chapters I named before and concerning the other all I can possibly say of it is lesse then nothing in comparison of the thing it selfe Therefore also I hold it in a manner needlesse to enter into any course of exhortation For who can hear of these kindes of life in our Sauiour and not be carried to him for the enioying of them with all speed and means he can possibly make Let it be a small thing for a man to bee dead in sinne because perhaps he feeles it not Let the life of righteousnesse be little accounted of ov reason of the pleasure we take in sinning Let vs despie bodily death as a common matter Let vs not reguard the resurrection of the flesh as long as the soul is immortall Shall not feare of damnation for euer in hel fire affright vs Shall not hope of eternall ioy in heauen delight vs Is it nothing to indure most horrible torments without ease or ende Is it nothing to be partaker of such pleasure as cannot be conceiu'd without danger or feare of change What is the immortality of the soule of which thou bragst but an immortall miserie The more thou art perswaded of the euerlasting continuance thereof the greater knowledge thou hast of thine owne endlesse calamitie Whereas if once thou come to bee ioined to Christ the farderthou seest into the continuance of thy life the more thou art inflamed with a delight to liue But now I haue brought thee where this life is to bee had I will shew thee how it is to bee attained In him was life Where though it may seeme that the Euangelist sayes no more but he is life or life is by him yet indeed the speech is more significant First in respect of life the manner of speaking makes difference in the thing For when the scripture saith that Christ is life the word is to be taken for the cause of life h Iohn 11. 25. I am the resurrection and the life saith our Sauiour and again I i Ioh. 14. 6. am the way the truth the life So speakes k Col. 3. 4. the Apostle of him When Christ your life shal appear Who see not that by life in these places the author of life or life as it is in the cause thereof is vnderstood But in the other phrase the same thing is noted as it is imparted by him to vs. l 1 Ioh. 5 11. God hath giuen vs euerlasting life and that life is in his sonne Wee haue example of both these in one place yee are dead saith m Col. 3. 3. 4. the Apostle and your life is hidwith God in Christ What life That same life which Christ hath communicated to you and by which you liue What followes When Christ your life shall appeare How is Christ their life By giuing them life And as in this kind of speech wee may easily discerne some reason of the difference that the scripture obserueth so may wee also in the other Sometimes n Cor. 1. 30. the holy Ghost saith that Christ is made vnto vs wisedome righteousnesse c. What is this els but that wee receiue these things from Christ as the autor and cause therof Somtimes life is said to be in him so we are said to bee in Christ Iesus o 1 Ioh 5. 11. yee are of him in Christ as in the place I named before p Rom. 8 1. There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Now in these speeches and the like not onely
neither auailes But if that life be the light of men both the end and the way are ready for vs and open to vs. Refine thy thoughts to meditate on so high a fauour Inlarge thy heart to conceiue so great a kindness Was it not enough for IESVS CHRIST to bring life into the world but that hee must also light vs the way to finde it Had it not bin more then extraordinary loue to lay it before vs though hee had not as it were thrust and forced it vpon vs Must hee giue thee both meate to feede thee and stomack to eat it O incredible fauour O more then admirable kindness Hee offers thee life Thou neither regardest it nor seest it I would we did not turne away our faces from it He opens thine eyes and makes thee see it Wilt thou shut them againe and bee wilfully blind Sâ—y not in thy wretched vnthankfull heart Who will shew me the way to life Behold the autor of life spreads the beames of light round about thee The darknes is great and thick but the light doth pearce and scatter it There is nothing wanting but a willingnes to see What if it were farre off that it could hardly bee discerned Couldest thou reasonably excuse thy selfe by a feare of ouer-strayning thy sight It is life thou lookest at If thou shouldest breake thine eye-strings with thy earnestness in looking would any man say it was not worth the venturing It is better to goe blind into heauen then hauing full sight of both eyes to be cast into hell fire I was purposed to haue spent this exhortation in kindling or inflaming our affection if I could with the loue of him that hath so carefully gratiously and bountifully prouided for vs and must I bee faine to bestow my time and paines in perswading you to accept of so rare a courtesie But what say I curtesie Kindnes fauour loue the most affectionate and forcible words that can be deuised are too cold and weake to signifie I will not say to expresse such vnspeakable bounty But let vs make as light reckoning as possibly we can of being inlightened Let vs account it a small fauour to see that wee are guided in the way to happiness Let vs despise the pleasure we may take by knowing what wee haue escap't and what wee shall come too At the least though we care not to know our happiness ver let vs not bee so senseless as not to care whether we be hapâ—ie or no. The life which we can not choose but desire is not found but by the light which we looke not after He that walkes in the darke knowes not whither he Ioh. 12. 36. goes Yet perhaps he may light vpon the place hee seekes â—or O miserable hazard will any man so aduenture his eternall saluation How shall hee know it when hee comes to it Hee may ouer-shoote his Port. Hee may fall short of it Hee may bee caried captiue into samaria â— King 6. 13. 19. while hee puzzles in the darke to beleger Dothan Beside if hee were sure to arriue at the place hee goes for he may haue exceeding much foule wether that hee shall neuer know where is nor beleeue that which at his first putting to Sea hee seemed to bee assured of If a man walke in the night saith our Sauiour hee stumbleth Well let all this bee nothing though hee can be no wise man that will beare such an aduenture when he need not But let it as I said be nothing It is somthing to lose or misse of felicitie and life howsoeuer the danger of losing or missing it may be thought a matter of small importance So a man haue it at the last it skills not perhaps how hardly or slowly he come by it Be it so But what if it will not bee had at all without light While ye haue light beleeue in the light that ye may be Ioh. 12. 35. the children of the light Marke ye what he saies that hath life in him Ye must be children of the light by beleeuing in the light how shall that bee if yee despise the light Would you attaine to life Take the light with you that may shew you where it is The first step to life is turning from darknes to light The Lord sends the Apostle Paul to the GeÌ„â—ils that by his ministery they may be brought â—o life How is the course of this work described He must Act. 26. 18. open their eies that they may turne from darknes to light from the power of Satan to God While we are in darkness we are also in the power of Satan when we approche to God we come out of darknes After that followes forgiuenes of sinnes that is life in this world and in heritance among them which are sanctisied by faith in Christ that is glory in the world to come Knowledge enters vs into the way of life faith settles our steps in it that we neither turne aside out of it nor run backward whence we came He that neuer sets foote in the way can not goe forward in it He that knowes not what is to be beleeued can not beleeue Let a man runne neuer so hard if he be out of the race he shall neuer come to the gole Look vpon the Apostle Phil. 3. 5 6. Paul see what paines he takes how temperately he liues how religiously he worships how zealously he pursues Act. 26 9. 10. 11. persecutes theÌ„ whoÌ„ in his ignorance he took to be enemies to God At your leasure consider his behauiour as himselfe hath set it out What was he the neerer to true happiness for al this adoe He found at the last that his best righteousnes was no better theÌ„ dung al the reward his zelous persecuting could procure him was faine to be giueÌ„ ouer for the purchase of the pardon therof So little can it auaile a maÌ„ to make al the speed that may be wheÌ„ he is out of the way Therfore if any man be desirous to become partaker of the life which is in Christ he must of necessity be directed guided by the light that from him shines vnto vs. If thou wilt liue thou must be inlightned Will life think'st thou be found in darknes no more theÌ„ light is in death Is it not strange then yea admirable incredible that they which professe they seeke for life should wilfully coÌ„tinue in darknes And yet me thinks it is more strange if more may be that those meÌ„ should perswade theÌ„selues they are in possessioÌ„ of life who feel theÌ„ selues shut vp fast in darknes Who is ther in this coÌ„gregation I had almost said in this whole nation that doth not flatter his own hart with an opinioÌ„ of life by Christ That life is the light of men Giue me leaue now after loÌ„g time of error to aduise with thee of that which thou shouldest haue bin fully resolvd of a gret while since Thou saist the life
of the sonnes of the Diuell his owne children and giuing vs a sound and certaine title thereby to the inheritance of his glory in heauen And shall I neede to vse many words in amplifying so rare a kindnes in setting out so inestimable a benefitte Small fauours require inlarging infinite blessings will not admitte it They by amplification may bee made greater then they are these the more you speake of them the lesse you make them For what is it but a diminishing of that which is infinite to atteÌ„pt in any kind of manner I say not to inlarge but euen to expresse it He that striues to speake much and almost makes no ende of commending that which is excellent seemes to haue perswaded himselfe and to desire that other men should beleeue that hee hath spoken all that can be said in the matter As for me I professe the contrary assuring my selfe and you that when I haue said all that possibly I can deuise I shall be as farre from the infinitnesse of the benefit as when I first began to speake of it Yet may it somewhat helpe our conceyt of the matter though it cannot come neere the excellency of the thing And with this perswasion let vs a little consider the prerogatiue of this Son-ship There is a great opinion and not without good cause of the estate of our first paâ—â—nts Adam and Eue while they were in Paradise before their fall They had the image of God wherein they were created shineing Gen. 1. 26. in them so gloriously that all the fishes in the sea the foules in the aire the beasts in the earth and euery thing that moueth and creepeth on the earth were subiect and obedient to them What adoe haue wee in our estate as now it standeth to make not Beares or Lions but those of whome we haue necessary and continuall vse horses and other cattle to performe any kind of seruice to vs The whip the goad the wand the spur the yoke the bit all the meanes of terror and extreamity that wee can possibly deuise cannot preuaile so much against these tame creatures as autority and maiestie did in them with those beasts that are now most fierce and cruell The Prophet Dauid though he were a King of great command ouer Gods owne free people yet when he considered those little poore seruices which the creatures in our present estate such as it is ordinarily doe vs and the gouernement wee haue ouer them breaks out into an exclamation of wonder What is man saith he to the Lord that thou art mindfull of him and Ps 8. 4. the Sonne of man that thou visitest him How would hee haue esteemed Adams rule ouer the creatures that values our gouernement of them so highly What should I speake of their familiarity with God who vouchsaf't himselfe to talke with them to informe and direct them It is recorded as a singular fauour and honour done to Moses that the Lord spake vnto him face to face as a Exod 33. 11. man speaketh to his friend How were our first Parents fauoured honoured that were to haue ordinary conference with him from time to time But to come to the point for which al this is alledg'd what was their estate for all these honors fauors but the condition of seruants They were threatned with death death both of body and soule if they transgrest the bounds that were set them Of the tree of knowledge of good and euill thou shalt not eate of it for in the day thou Gen. 2. 17. eatest thereof thou shall dy the death Put case they had coÌ„tinued in obedience to God their Creator according to their allegeance duty What could they haue lookt for but either a confirmation of that estate which they then inioyed or at the most the reward of their seruice the wages for their worke They could neuer haue attained to this dignity To be the Sons of God And is it not a prerogatiue trowe you to be brought by Christ into a more excellent estate then that which Adam in his innocency and glory had iust cause to wonder at Blessed may we say was the day and houre Oh the goodnesse power of God that brings light out of darknes that euer Adam harkened to the voice of his wife perswading him to eate of the forbiddeÌ„ fruit Not that either the sin was small to transgress the commandement of God or that it was the purpose of Adam in sinning to be occasion of so great a blessing But for that the Lord of his meere affection loue according to his owne former counsaile predestination turned misery to happines death to life We were seruants to a bountiful and gratious Lord we are made Sons to a most kind louing Father Our seruice if it had beene neuer so good could haue procured no more but wages Our Son-ship conveies vnto vs assurance of a goodly inheritance There is no seruant though hee bee put in neuer so great trust haue neuer so much autority bee neuer so highly in the Princes fauour like Daniell in the prouince Dan. 2. 48. of Babell or Ioseph in the Kingdome of Aegypt but is many degrees inferiour to the Kings Sonne Gen. 41. 40. Moses was a most faithfull seruant in the house of the Lorde and disposed of all things after the direction and to the especiall liking of his master Such as his seruice was such was his honor He had the gouernmeÌ„t of the people of God committed to him no man might refuse Heb. 3. 5. to yeeld obedience or demaunde a reason of that which hee commaunded VVas hee therefore comparable to Christ who ruled as the Sonne ouer his owne Verse 6. house VVhat was Abrahams eldest seruant to his youngest Sonne VVhat was Ioab to Salomon Dauid was a man of no meane imployment vnder Saul of no small desert toward him and his whole estate yet when he was earnestly perswaded by his fellow seruants to enter into the Kings alliance by marriage what answere made hee Seemeth it to you a light thing saith Dauid to bee a Kings Sonne in lawe Did it seeme so 1. Sam. 18. 23. great a matter to so worthie a seruant to become Son in law to a King and can wee thinke it a little honour to bee made the Sonnes of God Saul though hee were a King was but a man Dauid though hee were a seruant in condition was a King in true vertue Wee are men nay wretches wormes nothing Hee that will adopt vs is God most mightie most glorious euen Iehouah himselfe Dauid though hee should become Sonne in lawe to the King could haue no title to the Kingdome by that aduancement Our Son-ship makes heauen Gauel kind giues euery one of vs a ful intrest to the inheritaÌ„ce If yee bee Sonnes yee are heyres Moses could not looke for any Rom. 8. 17. such preferment though Pharaohs daughter tooke him for her Son And yet it is
God Let mee reason with thee a little and take that I shall say in good parte For I doe it not to weaken thy perswasion but to strengtheÌ„ thy faith Hast thou euer confidered this point seriously and debated it aduisedly with thine owne heart Dost thou truly discerne and acknowledge that thou art naturally the child of the Diuell What Doost thou start at this Doe I seeme to wrong thee in abasing thy estate so much Thou art content to say thou art a sinner and it may bee thou doost indeed thinke thy selfe to haue deserued the wrath of God but thou canst not abide to haue it thought that thou wert at any time the Sonne of the Diuell This opinion would disgrace thee too much and affright thee too sore It were a harde matter for thee indeed euer to beleeue that God woulde make thee his Sonne if thou hadst this perswasion of thy selfe that thou art the childe of the Diuell I I am naught saist thou as other men are and I haue neede of Gods mercy and I hope hee will bee as good to mee as to any other But neuer thinke to make me beleeue that I am so bad Then indeed I had small cause to hope for any fauour at the handeâ— of God Tell me I beseech you Are not these the very thoughts of your hearts Doe you not thus flatter your soules If you knewe throughly what you are it were vnpossible you should so easily beleeue what you may bee But perhaps though you are not willing to knowe the worst of your selues in your estate by nature yet you are desirous to vnderstand the vttermost of the honour you may aâ—taine to by grace Well let vs conferre of this a little How many weekes or daies or houres haue you spent in the search of this Adoption which is vouchsaf't you in Christ Haue you learnd what it is to bee a Sonne Haue you made any estimate of the inheritance that is promised Doe you knowe the difference betwixt a seruant and a Sonne Is not al your trust in the plea of seruants If I doe my good will saith one I knowe God will accept of it What though I be ignorant of the mystery of my redemption Alas I am no Diuine no Scholler not booke learned God lookes for no such greate knowledge of mee I can tell that I must loue God aboue all things and my neighbour as my felfe If I doe this I am sure God will bee mercifull to mee and I shall goe to heauen O the blindnesse the wilfull blindnesse of ignorant men How long will yee despise the kind offer of the Lord When will yee begin to consider what honour he hath vouchsaf't you When will you haue any care to vnderstand your own happinesse The Lord God would haue you his Sonnes you wil continue obstinatly in the conditioÌ„ of seruants Hee would bestow heauen vpon you as an inheritance you will needes haue it as wages Hee offers to giue you title to it by adoption you striue to lay clayme to it by your owne purchase Would you choose to be seruants rather then Sonnes if you had any knowledge of these 2. estates You haue heard somewhat of the ioyes of heauen and you haue accordingly a plaine confused motion of the good estate of them that are there From hence ariseth a kinde of desire to bee partakers of those pleasures and by the flattery of selfe loue some manner of perswasion that ye shall enioy them But yee are as farre from knowing what it is to bee the sonnes of GOD as I shewed you were from beleeuing that you are the Children of the Diuell Is it any wonder then that wee make so light account of it who can desire that hee knowes not Where mens treasures are there also their hearts are Mat. 6. 21. Who is there that had not rather bee called the sonne of Pharaohs daughter then the brother of Iesus Christ To whome doth it not seeme a greater honour to bee the sonne in lawe of Saul then the adopted sonne of God A Lordshippe vpon earth is counted more worth then a kingdome in Heauen O the basenes of our thoughts O the error of our iudgement O the vilenesse of our affection wee bury our selues in the earth liker wormes then men Wee esteeme more of the pleasures of sinne for a season then of the euerlasting Heb. 11. 19. ioyes of God in Heauen Wee haue greater desire to the vaine titles of worldly honour then to the high prerogatiue of the sonnes of God prophane Esau Gen. 25. 32. that sold his brithright for a messe of pottage was a holy man in comparison of vs. Hee was driuen to the sale by a kinde of necessitie Wee by wantonnesse depriue our selues of this dignitie Hungeâ— made him part with that which was demaunded of him Fulnesse makes vs despise that which is offered to vs. It was in his conceite but a temporall possession that hee should haue enioyed It is an eternall inheritance that wee might possesse He remained Isaacs sonne still though hee lost his birth right wee by neglecting the prerogatiue of sonnes are vtterly shut out of Gods presence and fauour It were som what yet if we might be seruants For there is no place in the house of God that is not honourable But the case stands so with vs that we must either be sonnes or nothing I am sory the time cuts me off that I cannot follow and presse these matters as the worthiness and necessitie of them requires The Lord vouchsafe a blessing vpon that which hath bin spoken and prepare vs to a farder meditation of it in hearts to his owne glorie and our present and euerlasting comfort in Iesus Christ To wnome with the Father c. THE NINTH SERmon vpon the first Chapter of IOHN Verse 12. But to as many as receiued him to them he gaue the Prerogatiue c. THere are two thinges that ordinarily make men colde and negligent as in the pursuit of that they haue some minde to so in the desire of that which is offered ignorance of the worth thereof and a conceite that to them it will bee of small vse or profit To what end shoulde a man spend his time and labour in the search of that which when hee hath found it is not worth the taking vp and carrying away Or though perhaps it bee of some value in it selfe yet if I know not how to make any benefit of it I were as good spare my paines as lose my labour That neither of these two hinderances might holde vs from receiuing Christ by faith that we might become the sonnes of God and heires of euerlasting life in heauen In my last exercise I shewed both the excellency of this prerogatiue in it selfe and the inualuable profitte that would arise to vs thereof What greater honour can there possiblie bee imagined then to bee heyres apparant to the kingdome of heauen what higher aduancement can the conceite of men or
Angelles deuise then for the children of the diuell to bee made the sonnes of God As for profitte what should I speake of it Where is it to bee found if it bee not in a kingdome especially such a kingdome as is furnisht and full fraught within it selfe with all thinges belonging either to commoditie or pleasure Wee haue had nowe a weekes time to bethinke our selues whether wee will bee the children of God or no. What speake I of a weeke We haue the most part of vs had many weekes and moneths and yeeres yea some of vs some scores of yeers to coÌ„sider with our selues whether wee will accept of this offer which Christ makes vs in his fathers name or noe Wee haue beene or might haue beene acquainted with these mysteries a long time euer since wee came to yeeres of discretion Is it not high time wee had aduised and resolued of the matter Is there such doubt or hazard in the choyse that wee neede take so long a daye to giue our aunswere Doo wee make question whether it bee a prerogatiue or noe To bee the sonnes of GOD If naturall affection canne worke any thing with vs to whome owe wee more loue then to him by whome wee haue our beeing If wee reguarde iustice and equitie to whome doe we rather appertaine then to him that first made vs of nothing So glorious an inheritance were in reason to be songht for by al possible meanes though it were not offred An inheritance being offered were in kindnesse to bee accepted though it were not so glorious And doe wee yet draw backward Are wee still vnresolued Which of vs doth not with a certaine iust disdaine condemne the idle excuses of those men who beeing bidden to the marriage of the Kings Sonne would suffer themselues to be carried a waie with such vaine imployments I haue bought Luk. 14. 18. afarme saith one and I must needes go out and see it I pray thee haue me excused Hast thou bought a farme Nay rather it should seeme the farme hath bought thee Art thou so tyed to it that thou canst not bee without the sight of it for a dinner time Other men take Farmes to serue them for their profite Thou hast bought one to serue it to thy vnrecouerable losse Is anie man so madde as to lose the fauour of a prince for the sight of a Farme Another saith He hath bought fiue yoke of Oxen and must go proue them Ver. 19. and therefore prayes to bee excused Excused Seemes it a matter that will admitte any excuse to refuse the kindnesse of a prince for the triall of a yoke of Oxen Durst thou send thy Land-lord such an answere Wilt thou leaue the honor thy prince vouchsafes thee to be serued at his owne Table that thou maiest go waite vpon Oxen They are not yoakt so fast one to another as thou art to euery one of them Let me put thee in minde of an aunswere made by our Sauiour Christ in a case not vnlike to this He cald one to followe him who would needs go first burie his father What said he to him Let the dead bury Luk. 9. 60. their dead but goe thou and preach the kingdom of God So may I say to thee Let beasts looke to beastes goe thou and enioy the princes presence and fauour it is not this mannerly excusing of the matter that wil serue the turne The party whom our Sauiour called went not rudely away to bury his father but demaunded leaue that hee might goe Lord suffer mee first to goe and bury my father Ver. 59. Who shall make this excuse for thee Shall wee that are the messengers of God to you in this businesse seeke to excuse so high a contempt against our Lorde and Master Alas if we should it would but little avail you well might we make our selues guilty of your sinne but wee should neuer acquit you of it Farmes and oxen to be preferred before the dinner of a King at the marriage of his Sonne O the bouldnesse brutishnesse of men Can yee for shame dare yee for feare alleage such excuses The indignitie you offer the King is so great that there will be no means to appease his anger And yet what is a guest to a Sonne A marriage dinner to an inheritance If it bee so monstrous an vnthankfulnesse not to come to a feast when the King bids vs what is it not to accept of a kingdome when it is offered Shall seeing of a farme or trying of Oxen drawe vs a way from taking assurance of so greate an estate VVhat if thou haue marryed a wife 〈◊〉 4. 20. Canst thou not come to GOD because of that Thou maist bee both an husband and a Sonne bring thy wife with thee shee shall also bee adopâ—ed the child of God Thou shalt not need to make her any ioynture or assigne her any dower out of thy land she shall be ioint heire of the kingdom with thee There is neither Iew nor Grecian there is neither bond nor Gal. 3. 28. free there is neither male nor female For yee are all one in Iesus Christ There are in al states many places of honor office whereof the husband is capable but the wife doth not so much as partake with him in the titles And what kingdome or Common-wealth euer equalled women to men Onely God hath vouchsaf't one and the same prerogatiue to both that they may both become the children of God But the amplyfying of this matter belonges rather to the next point concerning the equality of this dignitie To bee the sonnes of God then to this whereof I nowe entreate touching the prerogatiue it selfe With the loue whereof if any man before were not inflamed Yet I hope his affection now is kindled Sure I am it will bee if hee doo but enter into a due consideration of the matter For how is it possible that a man should so much hate himselfe as not to desire to bee his sonne whose seruantes the greatest Princes of this worlde haue alwayes acknowledged themselues to bee What is it then that wee preferre before this Sonneshippe It hath beene offered vs and almost thrust vpon vs a long time and often The dignitie of it according to the weake conceite and capacity of man hath beene declared and set out vnto vs. How is it come to passe that wee haue not layd hould on so extraordinarie a fauour so long a time Are wee loth to take the paines vnreasonable is that excuse in a matter of so great worth and in this matter vntrue also as the condition propounded euidently sheweth Beleeue and bee a Sonne Yet perhaps this pretence might carry some better colour with it if it were not made by them who take infinitly more paines for things infinitly lesse in valew Shall wee plead ignorance either of our owne estate or of the exceliency of that prerogatiue Wilfull ignoraunce rather increaseth then excuseth the fault And who can
are now possest that Faith Hope Charity so beautify their soules that God cannot but acknowledge them for his children in whome he sees so liuely and perfect an image of himselfe This is the course that Popish religion teacheth all men to follow who are desirous to be made the Sonns of God If wee compare the meanes of attaining to this honor which according to the Euangelists direction wee embrace with that course which they present I doubt not but we may truly say that our faith which is counted for righteousnes is more excellent then their proud supposed righteousnes so highly magnifyed by them For seeing the maine ende of all religion is the glory of God by what shall we valew the excellency of any vertue or vertuous action rather then by the more or lesse aduancing of that glory And by what is or can God be more glorifyed in the saluation of man then by our disclayming and renouncing of all possibibility in our selues and in all creatures and resting vpon him alone as the only hope of al our happinesse By this we acknowledge his sufficiency to bee infinit his kindnesse to be incomparable If we trust to him for succour it is plaine we are throughly perswaded that hee hath power and skill to deliuer vs. Wants he wisdome to discerne by what meanes our deliuerance must bee wrought How should we rely vpon him that knows not whereby to helpe vs Admit his skill were very great in perceiuing what were to bee done for our succour What can that availe vs if hee lack power to doe or procure that to be done which hee sees wee stand in need of Is it not a singular honour to God to haue his wisdome and his power thus highly magnifyed Reason confesseth it is beyond her reach Learning profeseth she can afford vs no instruction for the search therof Experience proclaymeth shee neuer saw any thing that might possibly be obserued to giue vs any direction in the businesse Men and Angells are wholly to seeke All created wisdome fayles vs. God onely as being only infinite makes supply of that to the knowledge whereof it was not possible for any finite wisdome to attaine Neither is the power of any creature greater then his knowledge yea who knows 〈◊〉 more then he can doe What should I multiply words in so plaine a case The Sonne of God must become man and by his bloud powred out in sacrifice appease the wrath of his Father reconcile the world to God by the pardon of Sin adoption into the state of children What power is there in men or Angells to procure this fauour It is vnpossible to inforce him that is almightie And if he do it not willingly as good not do it at all For hee that offers vnwillingly makes his offering of no valew How then May they hire him to do this seruice What needes he that is Lord of heauen and earth hath all in his possession What haue we to giue who our selues are not our owne As if a bond-slaue that hath nothing nostri Iuris but that which is his masters should redeeme himselfe with giuing some treasure which before he giues it is his to whom it must be giuen What remaines then but intreaty To whom shall we sue What colour of reason shal we deuise to ground our petition vpon With what face shall we come into his presence to whom our very comming is odious The neerer wee presse to him the more we sin The greater our sin is the hotter is his wrath The heauier his displeasure is the farder wee are from hope of fauour What shal we but prouok him by praying to him incense him by intreating him As for making of any means to him there is none in any place about him but doth truly worthily hate vs as long as we continue in their Lords displeasure If we might haue accesse durst we trowe you presume to approche vnto him When our first parents had broken that one Commandement afterward heard the voice of the Lord walling Gen. 3. 8. in the garden in the coole of the day they hid themselues saith the Text from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the Garden Why did they not rather shewe themselues and fall downe before the Lord intreat for mercy The same conscience of sin sense of the wrath of God would now also take from vs all heart to appeare before him to make intreatie But suppose we were admitted into his presence to offer vp our petition What should wee say How might wee begin to make so vnreasonable a request Is there any man so voyde of sense as to thinke that hee can perswade a kinde father to send his onely sonne so louing so beloued not onely to bee infinitly abased in his estate but also to bee put to a most cruell and shamefull death that for strangers Strangers sayd I It were too much if wee were no more but strangers What is it then to Rom. 5. 6. send him for the behoofe of enemies of rebels traytors Shall wee try if wee can preuaile so much with the sonne as to become a sacrifice for vs The very vnreasonablenesse of the suit makes me ashamed to think on it and is it possible we should moue it Would you intreat him to dye for you O absurd and ridiculous motion O senselesse and impious supplication But I must remēber that the time passeth stay my self in the midst of my race It is enough for the matter in hand that wee vnderstand what honour wee doo to God by acknowledging his loue his power and his wisedom in resting on him onely for saluation and giuing all the glorie and thankes for it to his maiesty and mercy As for the Papists that follow the other course whereby they looke to make themselues the sonnes of God though they pretend I know not what extraordinarie loue to him yet in trueth either they loue him not at all or if they doe it is because they imagin that hee lets them haue the cheefe glorie of their owne saluation Seeme I to any man to speake hardlier of them then they deserue I appeale to the vnpartiall iudgement of any reasonable man Thus stands the case betwixt God and them Hee of his owne mercy hath prouided meanes by which they may bee saued but he hath taken no order that they shall bee saued If they will make vse of this generall fauour they may if they will not choose them God hath as it were cast his almes amongst them happy man bee his dole that seaseth on them If so well if not so He for his part could be contēted that euery man shuld lay hold on his offer of saluation But hee leaues it to their owne choyse and sittes by looking on to see who will and who will not If any man beleeue and bee saued hee may thanke God that hee might attaine to saluation but that hee