as men halfe asleepe and halfe awake yea as men halfe blind and halfe seeing and as the blinde man whose eies our Sauiour had begunne to open and who said I see men walking like trees Marc. 8. 24. In this respect therefore the Apostle doth the rather heere say Behold what loue c. And because this heere spoken of is of another nature then the things of this world and of this life and because of our selues naturally we are all blinde sitting in darknesse and in the shadow of death Luc. 1. 79. Act. 26. 18. and because such of vs as haue the eies of our vnderstanding lightned haue them not so lightned but that we see only in part and as it were with spectacles thorow a glasse 1. Cor. 13. 12. so that still we had need to pray our selues and to bee praied for by other that the eies of our vnderstanding may bee further lightned Ephes 1. 18. and this weaknesse of sight in our inward man is partly by the reliques of sinne in vs and partly by the obiects of this world heere spoken of therefore wee haue the more need to be called vpon by other and also to prouoke our selues to behold what loue the Father hath giuen vnto vs to be called his children We haue hawkes eies and eagles eies to behold the glory of the world and the worldly dignities of the sonnes of men and that euen in the twilight yea in the darke night we need not be carried vp to the top of an high mountaine as our Sauiour was by the diuell Matth. 4. 8. Where note that if the Diuell Note had power ouer the outward man of Christ himselfe so without sinne to carrie him from place to place we may not think much if he haue power to vex our bodies Such things I say we can see easily enough in the lowest valley we need not be called vpon by other to behold them wee doe too much behold them of our selues But as touching this obiect of sight heere spoken of as Hagar saw not the Well of water that was hard by her till God opened her eies Genes 21. 19. and as the two Disciples that were going from Ierusalem to Emmaus walked and talked with our Sauiour Luc. 24. 16. and Mary did the like Iohn 20. 24. and yet discerned him not because their eies were holden so trulie is it not only with naturall and vnregenerated men but euen sometimes with them that are the children of God Though they be so yet for many causes heereafter to bee spoken of they doe not alwaies discerne themselues to bee so and therefore they haue need to bee spoken vnto as heere the Apostle speaketh Behold what great loue c. Yea the more necessarie is it that all men generally and euen the children of God be so spoken vnto in this behalfe because the word is the means whereby our eies should bee opened at the first to behold this and more and more afterward to behold it more cleerely For the Commandement of the Lord is pure and giueth light to the eies Psal 19. 8. as in other things so also in this Therefore our Sauiour in opening the eies of the bodily blinded men did Note not onely touch them and handle them but also spake vnto them thereby teaching that as himselfe is the Sonne of righteousnesse and the light of the world so his word is the meanes whereby the eies of our minde are to be opened Otherwise he could haue opened the bodily eies of men without any speech at all vnto them Therefore also the Apostle testifieth this to haue beene the end of his ministerie with the Gentiles euen to open their eies that they might turne from darknesse to light Act. 26. 18. But this being a part of regeneration it selfe it shall bee further manifest afterward by proofe of the whole worke of our regeneration to be by the word As it is necessary that at all times wee should be thus called vpon to consider of Gods loue in making vs his children so especially the same is most necessarie in the time of trouble and aduersitie For when haue wee more need of the comfort thereof then at such times For what greater comfort can there be then in considering the loue of God in this behalfe But because this is one speciall drift of this whole Treatise therefore I shall not need in this place particularly to enlarge it Thus much for obseruation of the first particular word in this Scripture CHAP. II. Containing obseruations of the foure next particular words in this Text the ground of the whole treatise viz. Of the word What. Of the word Loue. Of the word Father And of the word hath giuen THe second word to be considered is What or what manner Hee doth not say Behold the loue but Behold what loue or what maner of loue or how great loue This is a word commonly vsed in matters of admiration When our Sauiour by his word had pacified the windes and the seas it is said that the men that saw the said miracle maruelled saying What man is this or what manner of man is this that both the windes and the sea obey him Mat. 8. 27. In which place is the same word that is heere vsed by the Apostle So when the Angell was sent to the Virgin Mary to tell her that she should conceiue the Sonne of God in her wombe and when he had saluted her in this sort Haile Mary or Reioice Mary freely beloued c. it is said that she was troubled or maruelled at this speech and thought what manner of salutation that should be Luc. 1. 29. where also is the same word that is in this place This word therefore is an amplification of the loue of God in making vs his children heere spoken of by an adiunct or attribute that signifieth the same to be very great yea exceeding great yea so great that it is rather to be admired and wondered at then any waies fully to be expressed It signifieth as much as the word how in other places as O Lord of Hosts how amiable are thy Tabernacles Psal 84. 1. that is so amiable that they are also admirable O how loue I thy Law Psal 119. 97. that is I loue thy Law with a loue that cannot bee expressed I am euen sicke of loue towards thy Law as the Church speaketh of her loue towards Christ Cant. 2. 5. How beautifull are the feet of them that bring gladtidings of peace Rom. 10. 15. As if he should haue said so beautifull that no tongue of man can expresse the beautie of them no heart can well comprehend it And indeed we shall see by the handling of this dignitie of the children of God that it is such that as it is said of making Christ the stone which was reiected of the builders to bee the head stone of the corner This was the Lords worke and it is maruellous in our eies Psal 118. 23. so it may
only hath begotten them againe vnto himselfe and that no other can worke the worke of our regeneration so now to set foorth the same further by the first and principall cause thereof viz. by that which first mooued God so to regenerate and adopt vs vnto himselfe let vs a little more consider of the infinit loue of his towards vs in this behalfe whereof before we haue heard euen that that loue is the principall cause of our adoption and regeneration This loue of God is here to be considered two waies First as the cause of election before the foundations of the world were layd both to adoption whereof now we speake and also to the fruition of all other mercies in this life and the life to come Secondly as it was afterward in the fulnesse of time declared by the sending specially of his sonne into the world for the effecting of that our adoption Touching the first it hath been before noted that the Apostle in this very place speaking of the loue of God as of the cause of making vs his children doth not speake in the time present but in the time past by that circumstance of time signifying the said loue of God not to be a new loue or a present loue only but an ancient loue euen from the beginning The same besides the Scriptures before alledged is expresly testified by the Apostle Paul who not only saith that God hath elected vs before the foundation of the world but also touching the cause and the end of our said election hee addeth that God hath then predestinated vs to be adopted or to bee made children through Iesus Christ vnto himselfe according to the good pleasure of his will Ephes 1. 5. that is according to his meere and most free grace without respect of any worthinesse of them whom he hath chosen and the words following of the principall end of our election viz. the praise of the glory of his grace do further manifest his free grace to haue beene the principall cause of election to adoption and to the sonneship if I may so speake of God For if there were any other principall cause thereof then only Gods free grace then also the praise of the said cause should be the end of our election as well as the praise of the free grace of God As also it is said that God chose the children of Israel to be his speciall people because only he loued their fathers Deut. 4. 37. and as Samuel saith it had pleased the Lord to make them his people 1. Sam. 12. 22. insinuating by that phrase the meere pleasure of God to haue bin the cause of making them his people so and much more may be said touching our adoption to bee the children of God Yea so also it is said that God of his own will hath begotten vs againe c. that is of his meer loue Iam. 1. 18. As this loue of God afterward declared by the act it selfe of adopting vs to be his children was thus eternall without beginning so also it is eternall in respect it shal be without end Therefore it is called euerlasting loue Ierem. 31. 3. and Iohn saith that whom God loueth once he loueth to the end Iohn 13. 1. And indeed whatsoeuer is without beginning is also without end Many things haue beginning which shall haue no end as all Angels good and bad and the spirits of all men but nothing shall haue end that hath no beginning Therefore as before we heard that all that are regenerated haue beene beloued of God without beginning of his loue so Peter saith that such also are kept by the power of God vnto saluation c. 1. Pet. 1. 5. But of this before Chap. 2. Neither only is that loue of God towards the regenerated euerlasting and without end because it is without beginning but for the same reason also it is the more free and without all respect of any worthinesse in them that are without beginning beloued For how can they pretend any worthines in themselues to haue beene the cause of that loue that was more ancient then themselues yea then the world The cause must be before the effect and not the effect before the cause In this respect therefore the dignity of Gods children is so much the greater first because they are beloued of God secondly because they haue been so long beloued of God thirdly because they haue been and are freely beloued of God fourthly because the loue of God is euerlasting Concerning the first if the fauor of a king be as the dew vpon the grasse Pro. 19. 12. and if in the light of a Kings countenance be life and his fauour be like a cloud of the latter raine Pro. 16. 15. what shall we say of the fauor of God and of the light of his countenance that is king of kings The same is to be said of the antiquity of Gods loue For as it is the greater grace and honor for a subiect the longer he hath been in fauor with his Prince so likewise that all the children of God haue been so long in fauour with God and that God hath so long loued them it cannot but be the greater honor vnto them Thirdly the freenesse of Gods loue without respect of any desert in his children doth as much dignifie his said childreÌ„ as the free grace of a Prince without any desert or gifts whereby to procure the Princes fauor doth the more honor such a subiect as is in such free fauour with his Soueraigne Fourthly and principally the loue of God is the more honorable in respect that it is euerlasting because we see the grace and fauour of all Princes to be mutable Though Haman were in such grace with Ahashuerosh that hee procured him to write his royall letters for the destruction of all the Iewes yet we know what a change fell out afterward Yea how soone and vpon how light an occasion euen vpon the false report only of flattering Ziba was the great loue of Dauid quaâ—led towards Mephibosheth the sonne of his ancient and most faithfull friend Ionathan Sith therefore the loue of mortall Princes is so vncertaine it cannot but be the greater honor to the children of God that they are so rooted and grounded in grace and fauor with God that nothing whatsoeuer shall euer bee able to disgrace them with him so as that he shall for euer cast them off But this shall further appeare by other things afterward handled concerning their further dignity All this of the loue of God of his ancient loue and of his free loue and of his vnchangeable loue towards his children is the more honor vnto them because as it is said Iacob haue I loued and Esau haue I hated Rom. 9. 17. so it is said that the Lord hateth all the workers of iniquity Psal 5. 5. and that his face is against them that do euill to cut off their remembrance from the earth Psal 34. 16. And therefore
the wicked haue no part in the foresaid loue of God but it is proper and peculiar only to the children of God And thus we see that the foresaid loue of God towards his children is not only to be considered as the principall and first mouing cause of their regeneration but also as a singular and most honourable benefit and prerogatiue Thus much for the first consideration of the loue of God in making vs his children viz. as it was the cause of our election at the first euen before all times vnto our adoption and regeneration to be made in time Touching the second consideration of Gods loue in making vs his children namely as it hath been declared particularly in giuing his sonne for the effecting of our adoption whereunto we were predestinated and elected it is said So God loued the world that he hath giuen his only begotten sonne that whosoeuer beleeueth in him should not perish c. Ioh. 3. 16. If God so loued the world that he sent his sonne that men might haue euerlasting life by beleeuing in him then also in his said loue he sent his sonne to adopt them vnto God For none can beleeue but such as are adopted and haue the spirit of adoption whereby to beleeue God to be their father And adoption is one necessary step to euerlasting life and without adoption and regeneration can no man enter into the kingdome of heauen as our Sauiour teacheth Nicodemus in the same chapter Neither is it only manifest thus by consequence that God so loued the world that is the elect men in the world that he sent his sonne for their adoption but the Apostle doth also teach the same expresly When the fulnesse of time saith he was come God sent his sonne made of a woman and made vnder the law that is not only borne in the time of the law but also made subiect both to the obedience and to the curse of the law that he might redeeme them that were vnder the law that they might receiue the adoption of sonnes Galat. 4. 4. 6. By these testimonies it is manifest not only that God declared his great loue towards vs in sending his own and only sonne into the world to make vs his children but that also God the sonne was a principall agent in the work of our adoption and regeneration as well as God the father and that wee could no more haue been made the children of God without the worke of God the sonne then without the worke of God the father The same is yet further manifest by the Euangelists interpretation of the propheticall words of Caiph as spoken as hee was high Priest touching the necessity of the death of one for the people and that the whole nation should not perish For this saith the Euangelist spake hee not of himselfe but being high Priest that same yeere he prophecied that Iesus should die for that nation and not for that nation only but that he should gather together the children of God that were scattered Ioh. 11. 50. By gathering together he meaneth adopting and by the children of God he meaneth not them that were already in act the children of God but that were appointed and predestinated so to be as before we heard It is also in the said place to be obserued Note that he speaketh not passiuely but actiuely He saith not that the children of God might be gathered together but he saith that he might gather together c. So he noteth that the gathering together and adopting of the children of God is a worke of Iesus Christ as well as of God the father The same our Sauiour himselfe testifieth saying Other sheepe I haue also which are not of this fold them also must I bring Ioh. 10. 16. he saith not they shall be brought but that he himselfe must bring them Peter accordeth with both the former testimonies making this to be the end of Christs suffering once for sinnes c. not that we might be brought only to God but also that he might bring vs vnto God 1. Pet. 3. 18. As therefore we could not haue been saued without Christ so neither could we haue been adopted without him Therefore also as before we heard the dignity of Gods children to be the greater by the worke of the father so it is also the greater hereby that the father worketh herein by the sonne and the sonne worketh with the father as well in this our second creation as in the first For Christ is the same in glory and excellency with the Father Whatsoeuer is spoken of the Father according to the Deity the same may also be sayd of the sonne For I saith Christ himselfe and my Father are one Ioh. 10. 30. and the Apostle saith that hee being in the forme of God thought it no robbery to be equall with God Philip. 2. 6. And he is called the heire of all things by whom God the Father made the world and the brightnesse of the glory and the ingraued forme of his fathers person Heb. 1. 2. 3. Neither was Christ only so excellent as he was God but he was also very excellent in his humanity the same being conceiued in the wombe of a virgin by the immediat operation of the holy ghost and being personally vnited to the Godhead that both natures might make one person and so vnited being also altogether without sinne vnspotted vndefiled most holy and righteous In his offices also he was most honorable being the onely King Priest and Prophet of his Church yea such a King Priest and Prophet as of whom Dauid and Salomon and all their kingly posterity with the Priests of the law and the Prophets extraordinarily raised vp and sent to the ancient people of God were but types figures and shadowes The more excellent therefore that Christ is and was before his sending into the world and afterward the more hath God dignified his children in sending him so into the world to make them his children The more honorable persons that any Prince doth imploy for the good of any other the more is he dignified and graced for whose good such honourable persons are so imployed Did not Balak King of Moab much honour Balaam by sending vnto him first some of the Elders and Princes of Moab and Midian Num. 22. 5. 7. and 13. and afterward more Princes and more honorable then the former vers 15. Was it not a great honor to the Prophet Isaiah that Hezekiah sent Eliakim the steward of his house and Shebna his Chauncellor and the elders of the Priests to aske counsell of him touching Rabsheka 2. King 19. 2. May not the like be sayd of Iosiahs sending Hiâ—kia the Priest Ahâ—kan the sonne of Shaphat Achbor the sonne of Michaiah Shaphan the Chancellor and Asahia the Kings seruant to Huldah the Propheâ—esse for counsell from the Lord touching the finding of the laweâ— 2. King 22. 12. That the Centurion sent not one of his own seruants but the
not him that is most wise yea only wise and that is the giuer and the only fountaine of all wisdome If it bee so what cause haue the children of God any whit to dislike their state or to thinke their dignity to be the lesse because there is so little reckoning made of them by the world that is by the men of the world that are all so long as they doe continue of the world no better then a brood of fooles For what wise man such as all the children of God are before shewed to bee will care for the scoffes or scornes or any other indignities offred vnto him by a foole Yea will not euery wise man thinke him to bee a foole himselfe that will either contend with a foole about such indignities as by such a foole are offred vnto him or thinke himselfe the worse in any respect because of such indignities The most that can be made of the indignity which wee receiue from the world is that they do all that that they doe in that behalfe of meer ignorance Is there then any cause why we should thereby be dismaied or think the worse of our condition Let the world therfore and all worldings euen all the wicked in the world deride vs and wrong vs that are the children of God as they will Let them goe with their follies Let vs shew our wisedome in not contending with them but in bearing all things and in winking at all things as though we saw nothing The greatest noble man of a kingdome being where he is not known to be so noble will neuer take it ill that meane persons passe by him without any such reuerence as is due vnto such nobility In like manner therefore sith we heare that the world knoweth vs not let vs the better beare all their indignities By such bearing their follies and wrongs we shall either at the last win and conuert them especially if with our patience we shall also ioine earnest praiers for them to be of our number and to turne the children of God as well as we or els we shall make their last iudgement and condemnation the greater which will be reuenge enough for whatsoeuer hurt they haue done vnto vs. To the former two points let me yet adde a third arising from both the former viz. that all that doe not know and regard the children of God do thereby be wray themselues to be of the world and to be ignorant of God and so to haue no communion with God This hath been proued before by those Scriptures that haue been alledged for the fourth signification of the word world especially by Ioh. 15. 20. and that of Ioh. 16. 3. But I do only name this let the reader further consider of it Thus much for the obiection and for the first part of the answer thereunto or for the first reason why the world knoweth not the children of God and so also for this first verse of this text CHAP. XXXIII Of the second answer to the former obiection or of the second reason why the world knoweth not the children of God IN this second verse is contained the second answer to the former obiection and the second reason why the world doth so little regard and so much hate the children of God I grant that some make these words the only obiection and answer thereto viz. the obiection in the first words of the verse Deerly beloued now are we the children of God but or and it doth not appeare what we shall be and the answer in the words following but we know that when he shall appeare we shall be like him And this they make the meaning You tell vs that it is an exceeding dignity to be called the children of God but alas what auaileth it vs or what are we the better for such titles sith whatsoeuer titles we haue yet it doth not appeare what we shall be no man knoweth what shall become of vs. Yes saith the Apostle according to the interpretation of some men wee are not only called the children of God neither haue we the bare titles of the children of God but we are indeed for the present the children of God as well as so called and though it do not appeare what we shall be yet the time shall come when we shall be like to him Thus I say some interpret these words but I rather thinke them as I said before to be a further answer to the former obiection and to containe a second reason why the world maketh no more reckoning of vs viz. because they do not see our future state and condition This answer and second reason of the worlds hatred against the children of God is first propounded in these words deerly beloued now are we the children of God but or rather and it doth not appeare what we shall be Secondly it is amplified by an argument taken from diuers things or rather the worlds ignorance of our future state is amplied by the contrary knowledge thereof in our selues in these words following but we know that when he shall appeare we shall be like him To returne to the proposition of the second answer to the former obiection or to the second reason why the world knoweth vs not let vs first obserue that as it is a sweet argument which now the Apostle handleth viz. of Gods wonderfull loue in making vs his children so he prefixeth a sweet preface before this second answer namely the sweet name of Deerly beloued which word as it is vsuall with the other Apostles so especially it is most vsed by this Apostle both in all this Epistle in euery Chapter and also in the other two short Epistles following The reason why this Apostle more aboundeth in this louely word then the rest seemeth to be double First because he was the disciple whom Christ especially loued and whom Christ vsed so familiarly that he suffered him to leane on his breast and who is therfore called the disciple whom Iesus loued Ioh. 13. 23. 21. 7. that is whom Iesus loued in speciall manner and aboue the rest Secondly because the chiefe subiect of all these three Epistles being loue it was the more sutable therunto that he should vse the more amiable words for the better perswading thereof Hereby wee learne the more experience we haue had of Christs loue towards vs the more to abound in all words and in the affection it selfe of loue towards other For we must not thinke that either this Apostle or the rest vsed this word or any other the like of custome or of course or to fill vp the sentences and to make them the smoother as it is the manner of many in these daies to haue much Deerly beloued in their mouthes but to be without loue yea to be full of hatred and malice in their hearts as Ioah with his mouth said vnto Amasa Art thou in health my brother but with a speare in his hand he smote him vnder the
thereby ye haue attained to that true and vnfeined loue of the brethreÌ„ whereby ye know your selues to bee translated from death to life and that already ye are of the truth and hereafter shall before him assure your hearts 1. Ioh. 3. 14. and 18. and 19. by which things also ye haue felt vnspeakable and incomprehensible ioy and comfort then minse not the matter neither clippe ye the Lords goodnesse towards you by saying that indeede ye haue by our ministerie atteined vnto some knowledge euen to a verball knowledge so to my griefe I heare some to haue scoffingly said but whether yee haue receiued also the spirit of adoption that ye cannot tell yea some of you do vtterly deny But alas if ye haue euer felt the things before spoken of how ingratefull impietie and how impious ingratitude is this against God For what is this but for the excuse of your wauering mind to lie of the holy ghost And how much lesse sinne is this lying of the holy Ghost then that of Ananias and Sapphira of lying to the holie ghost Acts. 5. 3. I may amplifie this point by that which is written in the law against him that sinned against the Lord in denying vnto his neighbour that which was taken him to keepe or that which was put to him of trust Leuit. 6. 2. For if it be so great a sinne against the Lord for a man to deny vnto his neighbour that which was taken him to keepe or that which was put to him of trust to be restored againe to the owner without any benefit to the keeper oh then how heinous a sinne is it against the Lord to deny the free gift of God himselfe bestowed vpon wretched man neuer to be restored but to continue to euerlasting life Concerning such as are already separated from amongst you and do so continue if they haue made separation onely in zeale which is not according to knowledge without pride disdaine and contempt against all other such I wish well and seriously to consider the words and counsell of the angell which found out Hagar being fled from her mistris Sara for her hard dealing with her For as the Angell first asked her whence she came and whither she would goe and secondly vpon her answere that she fled from her dame Sara commanded her to returne to her dame and to humble her selfe vnder her hands Genes 16. 7. so and much more let the separatists among you consider the more whence they came and whither they are going as also to make the more hast of returning and humbling themselues to them whom without sufficient cause they haue for saken because their regeneration if they be regenerated receiued amongst them and wrought by some of them whom they haue for saken is a farre greater benefit then all that euer Hagar had had at the hands of her mistris Sara Touching both the that are separated and also that are not I do iointly intreat them with iudgement to consider first the speedy growth of them that decline that way like to the gourd of Iona Iona. 4. 6. not like to the graine of mustard seede whereunto the kingdome of heauen is compared Mat. 13. 31. which at the first being the least of all seedes afterward groweth not of the sudden but by degrees to be a great tree For may not this make them to suspect their course to be rather according to nature then according to grace Is it not more easie to goe downe the hill then vp the hill The rather may this sudden growth be suspected because it is more without meanes in one day or at least by small and simple meanes onely by priuate talking c. then before they did grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Iesus Christ in many moneths Great indeede was the suddaine successe of the sermon of Peter Acts. 2. 41. and of the preaching of Paul to the keeper of the prison Acts. 16. 33. But alas the extraordinary and strange meanes before mentioned in either place doe shew not onely the said suddaine and great successe to haue beene extraordinary but also that the like extraordinary successe requireth more extra ordinary means then in these dais we haue warrant to expect Secondly let both sorts before mentioned further consider the scoffing gibing and contemptuous spirit I speake this with griefe of most of them that are separated against all other especially not inclining towards them most of all against them that haue done them most good if euer they haue at all tasted in truth how good the Lord is 1. Pet. 2. 2. Is the spirit of God the spirit of scoffing gibing and contempt No but of sobrietie of grauitie of meekenesse and of reuerence teaching them in whom it is not to be high minded but to make themselues though of high place equall to them of the lower sort Rom. 12. 16. and in meekenes of minde to esteem other better then themselues Philip. 2. 3. Lastly let both sorts before spoken vnto further yet obserue the ignorance of many that are most prone to separation in the things of greatest moment and of most necessity and also what little conscience they make of sactifying the Lords day not only not spending the time of their absence from our asseblies in priuate exercises of religion at home but also in walking vp and downe idlely in the fields woods c and finally how they neglect their callings and misspend their time in running vp and down to talke one with another of separation and so wast that little stocke which before through the good blessing of God they had gotten whiles they did diligently follow their calling In the largenes of my loue towards you I could write much more largely of these points But beeing loth to trouble other readers and too long to deâ—cine them from the treatise following I do forbeare The Father of our Lord Iesus Christ of whom is named the whole familie in heauen and in earth graunt to all you to whom now I do write that ye may be strength ned by his spirit in the inner man Ephes 3. 14. c. and that none of you may euer fall away vtterly from the grace of God The same God also so print all good things in all your harts both which are in this whole booke printed in paper and also which ye do daily read in other good bookes which ye heare or may heare in the publike preaching of the word that neither the loue of the world nor any other power of hell may euer be able to race them out that so God may haue the glory of them and your selues may inioy the fruit euen righteousnes peace ioy and comfort in this life and euerlasting glory in the life to come From Much Totham Aprill 20. 1610. Your most vnfained and faithfull in the Lord Thomas Stoughton THE CONTENTS OF THE SEVERALL CHAPTERS OF THIS TREAtise of the Dignity of Gods children with a note of
Christ pag. 467. THE DIGNITY of Gods children AND THE BASENESSE of all other CHAPTER 1. Of the speciall reason of writing this Treatise Of the Text of Scripture generally whereupon the same is grounded Of the coherence of the said Scripture with the words going before As also of the reason of them in respect of the words following Of the Logicall analysis or resolution of the said Scripture And of the first particular word therein AMongst many other sinnes of these last daies in respect whereof the Apostle hath foretold by the spirit that the times would be the more perillous this is one not the least that as men should be louers of themselues so they should not bee louers of them that are good 2. Tim. 3. 3. Now as by wofull experience we see other sinnes mentioned by the Apostle in the former place according to his said Prophecie to abound so all men whose eies are not smitten with too great blindnesse may behold the extreme hatred of the sons of men against â—he children of God and the manifold indignities that these do daily beare at their hands that know not how worthy their state and condition is For this cause I haue taken in land this present treatise of the dignitie of God children both for their better comfort against all such indignities as daily the wicked doe offer vnto them as likewise for their better instruction how to carrie themselues towards such their aduersaries and also that these their aduersaries may the better consider what they doe moâ—â—â—◠〈◊〉 such indignities to them whom they ought to honor that so seeing their fault in that behalfe they may if they belong to God repent thereof I am not ignorant that some things by diuers learned godly and reuerend men haue beene written pertaining to this theame Peter de La Place a noble man as it seemeth of France at least a worthy Christian and described by the name of one of the Kings Counsell and chiefe President of his Court of Aids in Paris hath written a godly Treatise in French Of the excellencie of a Christian which is also translated into English and printed 1576. In that worthy worke also of M. Rogers published about some fiue yeeres sithence there is one treatise viz. the sixt wholly of the priuileges of a Christian which argument differeth not much from this present theame Of the dignitie of Gods children Otho Casmannus likewise a very learned and godlie man hath written more lately two bookes in Latine one intituled Hominis spiritualis anatomia meditatio c. The anatomie and meditation of a spirituall man printed Anno 1605. the other intituled Christianus nomine re c. A Christian in name and in deed c. published Anno 160â— In both which are many sweet points not impertinent to my present argument Notwithstanding because the first of these Peter de La Place hath written very briefly and so long sithence that his booke is worne almost out of date so easily doth this age neglect and forget things how good soeuer of neuer so little antiquitie and because also that booke is hardlie now to be had Againe because M. Rogers his treatise of the priuileges of a Christian being a part of his great booke neuer separated from his other six treatises therein contained is not therefore euery mans money besides because it goeth vnder another title and doth handle but some part of the matter of this treatise and lastly because the two workes of Casmannus are only in Latine and therfore not fit for common Englishmen ignorant of the Latine tongue and because they are written in such a method as euery one vnderstanding the Latine tongue cannot well conceiue the same therefore notwithstanding all those said workes I haue thought it worthy the labour to write more largely of the dignity of Gods children then either Peter de La Place or M. Rogers and that in our mother tongue or then Otho Casmannus hath written and in such a volume as that although it be of greater quantity and price then the first other treatise before mentioned yet it is lesse then either the booke of M. Rogers or the two last bookes of Câ—smannus and therefore the more easily to be purchased by any of very meane abilitie Such also as haue read the other bookes before named shall not only finde the chiefe points in this that are handled in all those but also many other not touched in any of them in respect whereof they shall not thinke their labour lost in reading of this Now forasmuch as the Scripture ought to be the only ground of all Theologicall Theames therefore for the foundation whereupon to build all my worke following I haue the rather chosen 1 Iohn 3. 1. 2. 3. because sometimes I haue preached of this Text though nothing so largely as heere I doe write thereof The words of the Apostle are these The text of all the treatise 1. IOHN 3. 1. 2. 3. Behold what loue the Father hath giuen vnto vs that we should be called the Sonnes of God for this cause the world knoweth you not because it knoweth not him Deerely beloued now are we the sonnes of God but it is not manifest what we shall be and we know that when he shall be made manifest we shal be like to him for we shal see him as he is And euery one that hath this hope in him purgeth himselfe as he is pure IN these three verses two things are conteined The first is the dignitie of Gods children The second is the dutie of them Touching the former let vs obserue first the coherence of the Apostles words concerning the dignity of Gods children with that which before he had said in the end of the former Chapter as also the reason of the said words in respect of the matter following in the rest of this Epistle Secondly let vs consider the present words of the Apostle touching the foresaid dignity c. Touching the coherence of these words with the former it is this In the 28. verse of the former Chapter the Apostle had exhorted these Christians to whom he writeth vnto constancy saying And now little children abide in him meaning Christ This exhortation he had coÌ„firmed by an argument taken from the end in the very same verse viz. That when hee shall appeare they might be bold This end he illustrateth by the contrary in the next words adding and not be ashamed before him at his comming In the 29. verse he had also confirmed the same end by an argument taken from an adiunct or attribute of them that abide in Christ Which also he laieth foorth not barely or nakedly but as it were cloathed with an argument from their owne knowledge or testimonie in these words If ye know that he is righteous know yee that he that doth righteously is borne of him In which argument let vs obserue that hee doth not say as Note before he that abideth in him
but that changing the words he saith he that doth righteously is borne of him Wherefore is this change of words To teach that when he had before exhorted them to abide in him his meaning was not that they should be constant only touching their sound iudgement not embracing any errours contrary to the wholsome doctrine of Christ before heard and learned by them but also that they should be constant in all holy and righteous liuing agreeable to such constancie in sound iudgement So Paul ioineth constancie in iudgement and in godlinesse of life together 1. Cor. 15. 58. Therefore my beloued brethren be stedfast and vnremooueable see heere the constancie of iudgement or minde abounding alwaies in the workes of the Lord. See heere also constancie in practise and true godlinesse Secondly let vs obserue in the former argument and in that 29. ver that the Apostle doth not say euery one that doth righteous things is borne of God but unto euery one that doth righteously For the wicked and reprobate as Saul Iudas and Horod c. doe many righteous things but the children of God and the elect doe onely righteously Thridly let vs obserue in the said verse that the Apostle saith not euery one that doth righteously is the child of God but euery one that doth righteously is borne of God Hereby he teacheth that he speaketh not of them that are the children of God by creation of their substances but of them that are the children of God by regeneration and by that new birth where of our Sauiour speaketh to Nicodemus Iohn 3. 3. Except a man be borne againe he cannot see the kingdome of God and againe Except a man bee borne of water of the spirit hee cannot enter into the kingdome of God vers 5. By creation of substance the wicked and reprobate yea the diuels themselues are the children of God but the â—lect onely are the children of God by regeneration Fourthly in that he simply saith not Euery one that doth righteously is borne of God but fortifieth the same by their 〈◊〉 testimony and knowledge hee thereby teacheth that the worke of regeneration is not a matter of doubtfull coniecture but of certaine knowledge â—ea fiftly in that hee strengthneth all this by an argument called by the Logicians a coniugatis or from the like attribute in God to that wherof he speaketh touching them that are borne of God saying If yee know that he is righteous know ye that he that doth righteously is borne of God Thereby he further teacheth the foresaid certainty of their regeneration viz. that as certainly as they know God himselfe to be righteous so certainly they might assure themselues that Euery one without exception of any that doth righteously is borne of God He teacheth moreouer that there is no other way wherby to declare our selues the children of God then by doing righteously as he himselfe is righteous No naturall child of man doth more declare himselfe to be the child of him whose child indeed he is by any similitude of person or of behauiour then they that doe righteously doe shew themselues to be children of God One man may be like another in person and in behauiour that is of no kindred to him to whom he is like But it is impossible that any should doe righteously but he that is the childe of the righteous God or that any should be the child of the righteous God but hee that doth righteously If God were your Father saith our Sauiour to the Iewes then would ye loue me Iohn 8. 48. And If yee loue me then saith he againe keepe my Commandements Iohn 14. 15. What is the keeping of his Commandements but to doe righteously From these things hitherto noted of the certaine knowledge Note of regeneration and of being borne of God followeth also another point viz. of the certaintie of the appearing of such as are so borne of God with boldnesse without all feare of any shame before him at his appearing Doe not all these things make much for that dignitie of the children of God for the writing whereof wee haue intended this present treatise But of these things more afterward In the meane time by all hitherto said wee see how the Apostle in the former Chapter hath come to the mention of our being the children of God and that this is the very last point handled in the former chapter Now because it is a point of great moment and yet for the most part too lightly regarded yea searcely so much as once looked vpon therefore in the beginning of this chapter hee insisteth vpon it and commendeth it to their further consideration as a matter very excellent and admirable and in no case to be too slenderly passed ouer but worthy all diligent obseruation and making Therefore the Apostle saith Behold what loue the Father hath giuen vnto vs that we should be called his children This is the plaine coherence of these words with the end of the former Chapter Touching the reason of them in respect of the chiefe matter following in the rest of this Epistle especially in this Chapter and in the next that is likewise plaine and euident For the Apostle being afterward to exhort these Christians to mutuall brotherly loue that is to the loue of the children of God what better foundation could hee lay for the said exhortation then a graue admonition seriously to consider the dignity of Gods children and the vnspeakable yea the admirable loue of God towards them in aduancing them to the said dignitie For so the Apostle in this preface and graue exhortation to the consideration of Gods loue in making men his children laieth two maine arguments for the better prouoking of men to the loue of Gods children one from the example of Gods loue towards them in making them his children this being farre more then all other can doe for them the other from the excellencie of them that are so made his children For ought not all to loue them whom God loueth especially whom he so loueth as to make them his children The more excellent also that any bee are they not the more worthy of the loue of all other Thus much for the coherence of these words with the former as also for the reason of them in respect of the matter following Now to come to the present words of the Apostle they are as partly we haue seene a graue exhortation to the serious consideration of the loue of God in making men his children by the worke of regeneration touched in the last verse of the former chapter For how excellent soeuer this loue of God be yet the Apostle seeing the same to bee made a matter of nothing in the world neither the children of God to be esteemed according to their excellency but rather to be despised and contemned doth therefore commend that which before he had touched to their further consideration preuenting also an obiection touching their contempt in the world and
haue as it were broken foorth thorow all the clouds of ceremonies and other things whereby before it was obscured and so to haue shined more clecrelie and brightly now then euer before it did Tit. 2. 11. so God doth make himselfe knowen by this blessed sweet and gratious name of Father more now in the time of the Gospell then euer he did before This is the reason why the Apostle heere rather saith Behold what loue the Father hath giuen vnto vs c. then Behold what Ioue God hath giuen vnto vs And although the name God bee in the very next words vsed that wee should bee called the children of God yet this is only to teach vs that we are to consider and apprehend God not onely in his diuine Maâ—estie which consideration is enough to swallow vs vp and to make vs feare and tremble but also in the person of a Father and as hee is our Father Notwithstanding this that I haue hitherto said of this word the Father is not so to be restrained to the first person in the Godhead but that therein also is included the Sonne As in the former Chapter vers 22. 23. and 24. the Apostle had ioined them together making the deniall of the Sonne to be the deniall of the Father and the continu ince in the Sonne and in the Father to be all one And as our Sauiour himselfe doth the like saying that He that honoureth not the Sonne the same honoureth not the Father that hath sent him Ich. 5. 23. so in this place the word Father is not personally to be vnderstood but rather essentially as comprehending the Sonne as well as the Father Therefore as there it is said Behold what loue the Father hath giuen vnto vs that we should be called the Children of God so it is also said by the same spirit that directed the pen of this Apostle euen of the Sonne that he came to his owne and his owne receiued him nâ—t but as many as receiued him to them hee gane power to be made the children of God Iohn 1. 12. Therefore the spirit of God which is the immortall seed whereby we are begotten againe vnto God and made the children of God as afterward we shall heare Rom. 8. 9. c. and 1. Pet. 1. 11. and often elswhere is called the spirit of Christ as well as the spirit of the Father and therefore also Christ in that respect may be as well said to beget vs againe vnto God to make vs the children of God and to giue vs this loue that wee should be called the children of God as the Father and the first person in the Deitie To conclude this point as when we pray and say Our Father which art in heauen we direct our praiers immediately to the person of the Father by a kinde of excellencie because he is Principium Deitatis not in time but in order the beginning of the Deitie and yet in the Father we pray also to the Sonne and to the holy Ghost so in this place this word the Father is to be vnderstood as well of the Sonne as of the Father Theresore in the very next verse without any further expresse mention of the Sonne vsing only a relatiue and thereby making a relation to that before spoken in this verse the Apostle saith that we know that when hee shall appeare or be made manifest we shall be made like vâ—to him These words must needs bee vnderstood espâ—câ—ally of the Sonne because the Father shall not appeare or be made manifest but in the Sonne But so neere is the coniâ—â—ction or rather vnion betwixt the Father and the Sonne that heere and elswhere the holy Ghost meaneth both by vsing a continued speech of one for both Furthermore the addition of this word serueth to teach that we are not made the children of God by the gifts labour and industrie of any man or Angell but onely by God himselfe Therefore our Sauiour forbiddeth this name Father to bee attributed to any other then to God alone Call no man saith hee your Father vpon the earth for there is but one your Father which is in heauen Matth. 23. 9. The Apostle Paul according with our Sauiour saith there is one God and Father of vs all Ephes 46. and so by ioining these two words God and Father together and vniting them in one hee teacheth that it is as absurd in religion to say there are diuers fathers as to say there are diuers Gods and that we may as well say there are diuers Gods as diuers fathers Whereas the Apostle calleth himselfe the father of the Corinthians saying Though ye haue ten thousand instructers in Christ yet haue yee not many fathers for in Christ Iesus I haue begotten you through the Gospell 1. Cor. 4. 15. he speaketh of himselfe only as the instrument of God in their regeneration He derogateth nothing from God neither arrogateth that to himselfe that was proper to God but sheweth only that God had vsed him as his instrument of their first conuersion to him Therefore before he had sharphe rebuked them for saving I am Pauls I am Apollos his I am Cephas his and I am Christs Chap. 1. 12. And againe Who is Paul who is Apollos 〈◊〉 but the Ministers by whom ye beleeued and as the Lord gaue to euery man I haue planted Apollos watered but God gaue the increase 1. Cor. 3. 5. 6. Doe wee not heere plainly see that hee maketh God all in all in our regeneration So doth the Apostle Peter in the place before alleged 1. Pet. 1. 3. So doth the Apostle Iames not only generally saying of all good and perfect gifts that they come from the Father of lights but also adding immediately touching the worke of our regeneration Of his owne will begat he vs c. Iames 1. 17. 18. I might confirme this against Papists and also other Patrons of mans free will by many other testimonies and proue our regeneration to be wholly the worke of God by shewing euery part thereof in our soule and in our body to be attributed vnto God and by diuers other arguments but because I shall I trust doe this in another place and deale with this point againe in this Treatise afterward therefore this shall suffice thereof in this place And thus much also for the fourth particular word in this text The fift followeth hath giuen This word is added for two Hath giuen conâ—iderations The first is to preuent an obiection and to take away all conceit of our worthinesse of this honour of being Gods children and that no man might thinke God so to hâ—â—â— loued him for any goodnesse that was in him This I say hee preuenteth by shewing the manner of Gods loue in making vs his children It is indeed an vnproper phase to say that God or any other doth giue loue It is more apt to say that he sheweth loue and therefore some Translators have so turned this woâ—d in this place But
though this phrase of shewing loue be more apt yet the other phrase of giuing loue is more naturall and agreeable to the proper signification of the woâ—d heere vsed And it is not to be doubted but that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it of purpose first to exclude all merits and worthinesse of our selues for dâ—seruing this loue of God towards 〈◊〉 making vs his children and to shew that this loue of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 aâ—d without any respect of any good in vs. So 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 words loue and giuing lâ—ue are as much as the word 〈◊〉 other places which is all opposed to merits in vs in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of God 〈◊〉 is called election of grace and it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that 〈◊〉 be of grace it is no more of worke or else were gâ—â—â—e no mâ—â—◠〈◊〉 but if it be of workes it is no more grace or 〈◊〉 were worke no more workes Rom 11. 5. 6. So in the same 〈◊〉 it iâ—â—aâ—d in these me epistle before that are the children were borne viz. Iaâ—cob and Esau and when they had done neither good nor â—uiâ—l that the purpose of God might remaine according to election not by â—â—â—kes but by hâ—m that calleth it was said vnto her The elder shall sâ—â—ue the younger Rom 9. 11. 12. And 〈◊〉 afterward he concludeth So then it is not in him that willeth nor in him that runneth but in God that sheweth mercy vers 16 Can there be a more plaine and manifest opposition and contrariety then this is Verily it is so plaine and manifest that all the cauilling and quarrelling wit in the world cannot wash the same away Touching â—ustification it is said that God hath saued vs not by the workes of righteousnesse which wee had done but according to his mercy Tit. 3. 5. And againe By the workes of the Law no flesh shall be iustified Rom. 3. 20. and that we be iustified freely by his grace verse 24. Touching both our iustification and calling whereby wee are made the children of God the same Apostle also saith that God hath saued vs and called vs with an holy calling not according to our workes but according to his owne purpose and grace 2. Tim. 1. 9. In all these places and touching these points who seeth not a most euident opposition of Gods grace to our worthlnesse and that Gods grace doth exclude our worthinesle I grant sometime grace mentioned and sometime mercie and that there is some distinction betwixt grace and mercie as afterward shall be shewed yet there is also such affinity betwixt them that as two brethren being very like one another are sometimes taken one for another so also these two words in this argument especially are confounded and the one vsed for another Now let it bee noted that I said grace was opposed to our Note worthlnesse â—ot to all worthinesse When we heare that God hath freely of his owne loue made vs his children this indeed excludeth al worthinesse of vs and in vs from being any cause of making vs the children of God Notwithstanding if wee looke to Christ Iesus and to that that he hath done it is certain that God hath not either saued vs freely or freely maâ—e vs his children saue in the sending or giuing his sonne freely and of his owne onely loue grace and mercy for the sauing vs and for the making vs his children that so by adoption we might be capable of saluation Otherwise if we looke to that which Christ did for vs being so freely giuen or sent in the world in our behalfe it is certaine that Christ Iesus by his passiue and actiue righteousnes that is by those things which hee suffred and by that obedience which otherwise he performed vnto God his Father for vs hath both iustified vs and also purchased this honour for vs of being the children of God Though therefore wee haue this honour freely and only of Gods free grace in respect of our selues yet it is not so free in respect of Christ his sending only of Gods free grace excepted because as we shall afterward heare more largely Christ hath most deerely bought all that wee haue and most sweetly paid for it in the satisfying the iustice of God in our behalfe Thus much for the first consideration why the Apostle vseth this phrase that God hath giuen vs this lone of calling vs his children The second consideration is for the distinguishing of vs from Christ Iesus and to teach that though wee bee the children or sonnes of God yet there is great difference betwixt Christ and vs in this behalfe Christ as hee is the second person in the Deity is the Sonne of God immediately by nature by communication of the whole essence of the Father vnto him and from all eternitie before all times so that there neuer was any time when God was not his Father c. as hath beene before said As Christ also was man he was the Sonne of God by miraculous conception of the holy Ghost and by a most wonderfull coniunction of the godhead and manhood together hypostatically in one person But we are the sonnes or children of God immediately and only by grace by gift by adâ—ption in by and through Christ Iesus being incorporated and ingrafted into him that is in himselfe the naturall the eternall the only sonne of God hauing no fellowes either amongst men or amongst Angels Therefore hee is called Gods owne Sonne Rom. 8. 32. his first be gotten Sonne Heb. 1. 6. and his only be gotten Sonne Iohn 1. 14. and 3. 16. and 1. Iohn 4. 9. Now as heere it is said that God hath giuen vs this loue to be called his children so it is also said that to as many as receiued him that is Christ hee gaue prerogatiue to be the sonnes of God euen to them that beleeue in his name Ioh. 1. 12. In which place the holy Ghost sheweth the meanes more plainly whereby we are the sonnes or children of God namely by receiuing Christ by faith and by being through faith ingrafted into Christ Howsoeuer therefore wee bee called the sonnes of God as well as Christ yet there is great difference betwixt Christ and vs in this behalfe and Christ is in a farre more excellent maner the Sonne of God then either we or the Angels can claime the same title and prerogatiue Let vs heere note one thing more viz. that the Apostle Note speaketh not in the present time saying doth giue but in the time past saying hath giuen This obseruation is not to bee vnderstood onely of the first actuall beginning of our adoption and regeneration but also of Gods eternall election of vs thereunto before the making of the world For so the same phrase in the same tense importeth elsewhere The Father that hath giuen them vnto me c. Iohn 10. 29. As thou hast giuen him power ouer all flesh that he should giue eternall life to all them that thou bast giuen him Iohn 17. 2. And againe I haue declared thy
name to the men which thou gauest me out of the world thine they were and thou gauest them mee verse 6. In this one verse is the same word and tense twice The same phrase and tense is often vsed afterward in the same chapter to the same purpose viz. verse 7. verse 9. and verse 12. So before he had said This is the Fathers will which hath sent me that of all which he hath giuen me I should lose nothing c. Iohn 6. 39. But this shall bee sufficient for this obseruation touching the tense heere vsed by the Apostle And thus much also for the fifth particular word in this text CHAP III. Of the foure next particular words in this text viz. of the word to vs of the word that we should be called of the word the children and lastly of the word of God THE sixt particular word to bee considered is to vs. This setteth forth the persons of whom the Apostle speaketh and to whom God hath giuen this loue to bee called the children of God Whom therefore hath God thus aduanced and to whom hath hee giuen this great and admirable loue to be called his children Euen to elect men to miserable and wretched men before blind lame deafe dumme leprous dead in sinnes and trespasses sitting in darknes and in the shadow of death seruants of sin and bondmen of the Deuill yea bound with such chaynes of Satan as were ten thousand times worse then all iron chaines in the world Euen as men I say that were before in this wofull lamentable and most fearefull plight and condition hath hee thus aduanced to the honour of his children Is not this loue of God admirable Is it not incomprehensible Who is able to comprehend the bredth and length and depth and height thereof Ephes 3. 18. Truly this loue is such that as the Apostle cryeth out touching the reiection of the Iewes for a time and touching the calling of the Gentils O the depth of the riches both of the wisedome and knowledge of God! How vnsearchable are his iudgements and his waies past finding out Rom. 11. 33. So wee likewise touching this loue of God may with admiration cry out O the depth of the riches thereof Yea if we should measure Gods doing herein by carnall reason wee should condemne Gods wisdome for foolishnes for louing vs beeing euery way so vile so base and so vnworthy of any loue of any other of his creatures much more of his Yea so much the more may we cry out with such admiratioÌ„ as before of this loue of God because herein God hath passed ouer the Angels that fel as we had fallen and hath not vouchsafed them the like loue for restoring them and making them his children that he hath vouchsafed vnto vs. But of this more afterward In the meane time this briefly shall suffice for this sixt word The seuenth is that we should be called What meaneth the Apostle by this phrase That we should only haue the name That we should be called and title of Gods children and not be indeede the children of God Not so for our Sauiour reproueth the Angell of the Church of Sardi For hauing a name to be aliue who yet was dead Reuel 3. 1. In the world indeed so it is oftentimes that men haue bare names and titles not the thing or benefit signified by such names or belonging to such names and titles Absolon was saluted by this name of King God saue the King God saue the King 2 Sam. 16. 16. And that not onely by Hushai the Archit in policy but also by many other yet hee was not the King The like title was for a time giuen also to Adonija 1. King 1. 18. Yet he was not the King So we haue known the name of the king of Portugal giuen to one that had no priuileges or royalties belonging to that name So some noble men being condemned for high treason and thereby tainted in their bloud and hauing lost all then honours are notwithstanding by many whiles they liue in courtesy called by such honorable names as before they had though they haue no other priuiledges belonging to such honorable names the cutting off only of their heads excepted whereas meaner persons for the like trespasses are hanged drawen and quartered Thus I say it is in the world and with men of the world But this is not the meaning of the Apostle in this place but that indeed we be as well as called the children of God For he speaketh not of our being so called by men only â—ut also by God himselfe who knoweth how to call euery thing by the right name and calleth nothing amisse This is manifest by the very next verse where the Apostle saith not Dearely beloued now are we called the sonnes of God but now we be the sonnes of God So also the word called is taken in some other places The Angell sayth of Christ to the virgine Mary Thou shalt call his name Iesus Luc. 1. 31. And againe he shall be called the Son of the most high verse 32. Doth the Angel meane Christ should be called Iesus or Sauiour and not bee a Iesus or Sauiour indeed or that he should only be called the sonne of the most high and not be so indeed verily he had no such meaning When Christ sayth of the temple Mine house shall be called the house of praier c. Marke 11. 17. his meaning is that it should be so indeed So therfore is the meaning of the same phrase in this place But why doth the Apostle rather vse this phrase then plainly Note say that wee should bee his children It may bee hee would heerby insinuate the meanes whereby we come to this honor to be the outward calling by the ministry of the word As when our Sauiour sayth I came not to call the rigâ—teous but sinners to repentance Mat. 9. 13. hee insinuateth his calling by the word to bee the meanes of repentance so the Apostle by this phrase that we should be called the children of God may insinuate the outward calling by the preaching of the word to bee the meanes whereby God bringeth vs to this honour of his children Secondly not to stand vpon this reason by this phrase that we should be called he meaneth not only that we should bee indeed his children but also that we should be so known and declared yea publikely proclaimed to all the world to bee the children of God As an other Apostile sayth that God was not ashamed to bee called the God of his ancient people Hebr. 11. 16. Where also note the phrase to be called to signify so to bee indeed so heere this Apostle telleth vs that God is not ashamed that wee should professe our selues to bee and that wee should be called by other his children Herein therefore God differeth from many men especially from some princes who though they purpose secretly with themselues whom by adoption to make their children
although the diuell their aduersary compasse the earth to and fro and walke about neuer so often Iob 1. 7. and neuer so diligently like a roaring Lion seeking whom he may deuoare 1. Pet. 5. 8. yet he doth not take them so napping that he doth so preuaile against them as he doth against other neither doth any euill so ouertake them but that before hand they be in some measure prepared for it This watchfulnesse is an effect of the said sobriety as sleepinesse drousinesse and security is an effect of the contrary For as it is in that sobriety which consisteth in abstaining from wine and strong drinke and in the contrary thereof namely being drunken with wine wherein is excesse Ephes 5. 18. viz. that the more sober and abstemious any man is the more vigilant and watchfull also he is yea the apter for vigilancy and watchfulnesse and on the contrary the more any man is ouercome with wine or other strong drinke the more apt he is to sleepe yea the more heauy and drowsie so the more sober any man is touching the former moderation of himselfe in euery state and condition of life the more vigilant and watchfull he will be to take heed of all spirituall danger and on the contrary the more liberty men doe giue to their affections and the more they are drunken and ouercome either with riches honours and pleasures on the one side or with cares feares and sorrowes on the other side the more sleepy also they are in their minds and the sooner ouertaken with danger This watchfulnesse is according to the former sobriety viz chiefly of the inward man As the former sobriety is of the affections so this watchfulnesse is of the mind namely when that is alway forecasting of dangers and seriously studying and meditating how to shun and auoid the same In which respect it is said that the wise mans eyes are in his head but the foole walketh in darknesse Eccles 2. 14. that is a wise man is neuer secure but alwaies carefull and looking about him for the preuenting and auoiding of dangers but a foole is alwaies in danger and continually ouertaken with some euill or other as one that walketh in darknesse falleth into this hole or that or at least stumblethat at this and that That like is in another place A prudent man seeth the plague and hideth himselfe but the foolish goe on still and are punished Pro. 22. 3. and 27. 12. In these places it is to be obserued that this watching whereof now I speake is commended as a speciall point of wisedome and that therefore as it concurreth with the sobriety of the inward man before spoken of so also it is not vnfitly here handled with that before said of wisedome Doth not this therefore much also increase the foresaid dignity of Gods children verily it doth this being considered that wicked and naturall men doe daily fall into infinit dangers as euen now was shewed by want of this watchfulnesse CHAP. XII Of the true loue of God and of men only found in the children of God and so of the further dignity of the children of God in respect thereof AS I haue before spoken of some particular branches of the life of God and wisedome and holinesse before generally handled so I might likewise speake of the rest For the very least is of great price and doth not a little amplifie the dignity of Gods children But so to particularize in this place would be too tedious I shall also by other occasions speake of some of them afterward and such as I shall not at all speake of may be esteemed by that which I write of the rest Notwithstanding that such as I haue not handled or shall not speake of may be the better considered let me adde something touching the loue of the children of God towards God and men as that indeed which comprehendeth all that shall be omitted which is also the fountaine of all the other particulars of the former life of God c. it being the fulfilling of the law and bond of perfection as before we haue heard But of this loue of the children of God towards God and men I will only speake very briefly leauing the rest to the consideration of the reader Some perhaps may looke that I should haue spoken thereof before but seeing our freedome from sinne to serue God in holinesse and righteousnesse doth so depend as wee haue heard vpon wisedome such as be fooles being commonly accounted seruants by nature and seeing the sobriety before handled is of so neere kindred as it were to the said wisedome that it is called as we haue likewise heard by the same name and seeing the foresaid watchfulnesse doth also so depend as hath been shewed vpon the said sobriety therefore I thought it not amisse to handle all the said particulars together as I haue done To come now to the loue of God and of men let vs only obserue this one point namely that it is as proper to the children of God only as the life of God wisedome freedom from the bondage of sinne with liberty to serue God in holinesse and righteousnesse the sobriety and watchfulnesse before handled All that are not the children of God but be wicked and meere naturall men are as far from all right loue of God and men as they are destitute of the former life of God of the former wisedome and of the other things before spoken of As none haue the life of God neither are wise neither are freed from sinne neither can serue God in holinesse and righteousnesse of life neither are sober in the manner before described neither can be watchfull for the auoiding of dangers but only the children of God so none can rightly loue God or men but only they Touching the loue of God this is manifest because if we be the friends of Christ if we doe what soeuer be commandeth vs Ioh. 15. 14. then it must needs follow that they are the enemies of Christ and consequently of God that do not that which is commanded them If the wicked be Gods enemies how can they loue him Againe these words are often confounded in the Psalmes viz. the wicked and the enemies of the Lord. The wicked shall perish and the enemies of the Lord shall be consumed as the fat of lambes Psal 37. 20. Psal 68. 1. the wicked are said to be enemies to the Lord and hate him and againe God will wound the bead of his enemies and the harry pate of him that walketh in his sinnes vers 21. So the wicked according to that spoken before of wisedome are said to be foolish ones and the Lords enemies Psal 74. 18. and 23. So the wicked especially that are enemies to the Church are called haters of the Lord Psal 81. 14. 15. The like is in many other places Psal 83. 2. Psal 89. 10. Psal 92. 10 and often elsewhere Last of all we haue heard before that the wicked doe not
know God Can they loue him whom they know not The same is to be said of their loue towards men For how can they loue men when they loue not God How can they loue the lesse when they loue â—ot the greater If they loue not God of whom they receiue all that they haue and who receiueth noâ—◠〈◊〉 them â—â—ther is any waies chargeable vnto them how can they loue them from whom they receiue nothing or very little and that only as from the instruments of God and vpon whom they are forced to bestow somthing of their owne and so to be at charge with them For these reasons and the like when the Apostle in the place before alledged had described vs in our naturall state and being vnregenerated to be vnwise disobedient deceiued he addeth further that we were hatefull and hating one another Tit. 3. 3. So the wicked are both hated of other and doe also hate other and nothing but hatred is to be looked for amongst them This hatred of the wicked against God and men is a notable testimony of that extreme foolishnesse and madnesse beforespoken of which is in the heart of the wicked For what extreme madnesse is it for mortall men that are but as the pot in the hand of the potter to hate the immortall God who being of all might and power is able when he will to breake them all in pieces like a potters vessell What folly also is it to hate all other whereby to make themselues likewise hatefull and odious to all other Doe not such both waies as we say much worse then bring an old house vpon their owne heads They that make themselues odious to God and men shall certainly smart full deeply and wofully in the end If it be obiected touching the loue of God that Paul being but a naturall man before he knew Christ so loued God that he speaketh much of his zeale and that in his said zeale his righteousnesse of the law was such that he was vnrebukeable Phil. 3. 6. and that that seemeth to haue been in truth and not in shew If any I say obiect this I answer that though the aforesaid zeale and feruent loue of Paul were indeed true as this word Note true may be an attribute of the affections and is opposed to hypocrisie or to that which is but counterfet and feined and as it signifieth vnfeined and without hypocrisie yet as the same is an attribute of the obiects of the mind and is opposed to erroneous and signifieth right so it cannot be said that the zeale or seruent loue of Paul was true Though he loued God vnfeinedly and in the truth of his affections from the heart and so was very strict touching the outward righteousnesse of the law yet it cannot be said that he loued God truly that is rightly because his mind being not rightly informed his iudgement therefore touching the principall causes why and the manner how God was to be loued could not but be erroneous For so long as he knew not Christ but persecuted him and the doctrine and professors of him and so much lesse beleeued in him he wanted that which should haue giuen life to his loue For as we haue heard Faith worketh by loue Gal. 5. 6. and loue must come from faith vnfeined 1. Tim. 1. 5. The like is to be said of the zeale of God in the Israelites whereof Paul beareth them witnesse and yet saith that it was not according to knowledge Rom. 10. 1. 2. So also of the zeale of many other ignorant men Howsoeuer their loue and their zeale may be said to be true that is vnfeined and without hypocrisie euen in simplicity yet because it is without knowledge and much more without faith therefore it cannot be right and therefore also not at all acceptable vnto God For without knowledge the mind or heart is not good Pro. 19. 2. and without faith it is not possible to please God Heb. 11. 6. Yea Whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne Rom. 14. 23. That which I haue said of this loue towards God in meere naturall men may be said of the like loue in the like towards men For that which condemneth the loue of such towards God how vnfeined soeuer condemneth also the loue of such towards men how earnest and feruent soeuer the same bee The loue therefore that is betwixt man and wife betwixt parents and children betwixt kindred and betwixt friends c. the parties that doe so loue being not regenerate but meerly naturall cannot be right as not comming from sound knowledge and faith vnfeined neither being directed by the word which is the only rule both of affections and also of actions Againe the loue of such towards God and men is most vncertaine and altogether vnconstant so that to day a friend and to morrow a mortall enemy I will not stand vpon the examples either of ancient or of later times of such as haue seemed at the first to haue been very zealous of God and for God and yet afterward reuolted such in old time were Ioash 2. Chro. 24. and Vzzta 2. Chro. 26. and Demas and many other Heb. 10. 25. and in late times euen here in England Bonner Harding a brother of Doctor Reinolds that is reported first to haue conuerted him to the truth and yet afterward fell away from it and by writing persecuted it I will not stand vpon these examples but I will chiefly insist vpon the vncertainty and inconstancy of the loue of natural men towards other Touching this therefore as Salomons words may be by way of similitude applied to other things euen to the vncertainty and shortnesse of the prosperity of the wicked as afterward also we shall see so they seeme chiefly and most properly to be vnderstood of the loue of the wicked either towards God or towards men but in that place chiefly towards men viz. Note that it is like the cracking of thornes vnder a pot Eccles 7. 8. that is though very great for a time yet suddenly vanished away This I say seemeth to be the most proper and naturall sense and meaning of that place because Salomon hauing said in the verse next before It is better to heare the rebuke of a wise man then that a man should heare the song of fooles that is it is better to heare some sharpe words wisely by wise men spoken in the iust reproofe of sinne then the soothing and faire words of foolish men what protestation soeuer they make of their loue and whatsoeuer their loue be for the present Salomon I say hauing so said immediatly inferreth the former words as a reason and confirmation of these and saith For like the noise of the thornes vnder the pot so is the laughter of a foole meaning by laughter that which before he had meant by the word song and by the word song vnderstanding the sweet and pleasant words whereby the wicked doe flatter and sooth vp other in any
head of Angels Therefore in this respect also the condition of Gods children is so much the more excellent Touching the seuenth and last former metaphor what heart of man can conceiue the depth the height the bredth and the length of this loue of Christ in matching and ioining himselfe to vs and vs to him that hee I say that was the heire of all things by whom the worlds were made and who was the brightnes of the glory and the engrauen forme of the person of God the father Hebrewes 1. 1. 2. and beeing in the forme of God thought it no robbery to bee equall to God Philippians 2. 6. 7. that hee I say should so cast his loue and liking vpon vs as to take vs to be his spouse and wife and that way also to make vs the daughters as it were in lawe and by marriage to God the father euen vs that not onely had no portion and were euery mothers childe of vs beggers brattes but that also were base horne creatures and had an Ammonite to our Father and an Hittite to our mother and that therefore as most base children are were in such misery as a new borne childe whose nauell is not cut neither is washed with water to soften him neither is salted with salt for the better hardning the nauell and the whole skinne for the better strengthning of all the inward parts and for the better decocting and consuming of all corrupt humors neither was swadled with clouts and whom being borne in misery there was no eie to pitie or to shew compassion so that hee lay in the open field to all contempt and altogether polluted with blood Ezekiel 16. 3. 4. 5. 6. yea who were altogether deformed and misshapen euen a crocked generation hauing neither good face nor good heart nor good eie nor any member well proportioned yea being altogether also without witte and vnderstanding of heauenly things as wee haue heard euen pure naturals as wee speake and no more able to conceiue the things of God and pertaining to our owne good then very ideots Is not this wonderfull that such an one as Christ was and is should so vnequally in many respects match himselfe with such as wee were and that by matching himselfe so with vs should make such a change in vs of crooked to make vs straight of deformed to make vs beautifull of beggerly to make vs rich of fooles to make vs wise of prophane to make vs holy of earthly to make vs heauenly and of children of the diuell to make vs the children of God his father What a preferment therefore is this Were it not a great aduancement and a matter of exceeding honor for a mighty Prince to take some vagabond woman poore naked deformed miserable c. and to marry her to himselfe and to put her presently into all costly and princely robes yea it was an honor for Abâ—gaâ—l though the wife of a rich but a miserable yeoman such as this time hath too many like and also a wise and a vertuous woman to be taken to wife vnto Dauid was it not also an high preferment for Ester a poore maiden of another nation to be made wife and Queen to that mighty Monarch and Emperor Ahashuerosh that raigned ouer an hundred seuen and twenty Prouinces How honorable then is it for vs more poore base miserable then any rogue to bee married to the naturall and only sonne of God heiâ—e and Lord of all things Verily this match is so much greater preferment of vs then the former matches were either of Abigail with Dauid or of Ester with Ahashuerosh because both Dauid and Ahashuerosh had many other wiues besides those but Christ Iesus hath so matched himselfe with vs that as he had no other before vs so he desireth no other besides vs but contenteth himselfe wholly with vs and taketh as great delight in vs as if we had been his equals when he first made choice of vs and as though we had been as wise rich beautifull vertuous and euery way as glorious as either he doth make vs after his marying of vs in this life or as hee will make vs hereafter in the life to come To leaue these metaphors and similitudes whereby hitherto the communion of the children of God is so described and their dignity in such sort amplified let vs further vnderstand that our said communion is the more admirable in it selfe and honorable to vs in as much as thereby we cannot but haue communion also with the Father because Christ and the father are one Ioh. 10. 30 And the father is in the Sonne and the Sonne in the Father Ioh. 14. 10. 11. In which last place our Sauiour praieth that as he and the father are one in another so also the children of God whom God had giuen to Christ Ioh. 6. 37. and 17. 6. might be one not only amongst themselues but also in them that is in the father and in the Sonne Therefore our Sauiour likewise saith before If any man loue me he will keepe my word and my father will loue him and we will come vnto him and will dwell with him Ioh. 14. 23. Yea therefore Christ came into the world and was made one with vs that we might haue communion with the Father and be made one with him and as he was made one with vs to make vs one with the father so also he did effect that for which he did come Therefore the Apostle hauing set forth our miserable state in the world by nature viz. that amongst other things we were without God in the world Ephes 2. 12. he doth presently by way of opposition adde our contrary state in Christ and by Christ saying But in Christ Iesus ye which once were farre of are made neerer by the bloud of Christ c. vers 13. Hauing that communion with the Father and with the sonne we haue also the like with the holy ghost and therefore it is not onely said that they that are led by the spirit of God are the sonnes of God but also that they that are the sonnes of God haue receiued the spirit of God whereby they â—rie Abba father Rom. 8. 14 c. and againe that because they are sonnes God hath sent forth the spirit of his Son into their hearts which crieth Abba father Therefore also our Sauiour Ioh. 14. where he promiseth the communion of himselfe and of his father vnto his disciples promiseth also to send the holy ghost which should abide with them Therefore also the holy ghost is said to bee shed on vs abundantly through Iesus Christ our Sauiour Tit. 3. 5. Finally as by the sonne we haue communion with the father so the holy ghost is the bond of our communion with the father and with the sonne Through him saith Paul wee haue an entrance to the father by one spirit Ephes 2. 18. and by one spirit we are all baptized into one body c. 1. Cor. 12. 13. Is
by Christ made Priests vnto God so are they kings likewise vnto God and that euen because they are sons or children of God For as sometimes all the sonnes of some Emperors which haue had their Empires by inheritance not by election are borne kings or at least haue been left kings by their Fathers or haue had such dukedomes as haue had kingly power and kingly dignities the title only of kings excepted and as in some countries at this day all the sonnes of an Earle are Earles so likewise al the sons and children of God the Emperor of all the world being especially incorporated and ingrafted to the proper and naturall sonne of God and made one with him may in that respect not vnfitly be called kings But what is the kingly power and what be the kingly dignities of the children of God Verily their power by Iesus Christ and through faith in him is very great yea farre greater then the power of any worldly king whatsoeuer For of what king in the world as he is onely a worldly King can that be said that is said by him that is truth it selfe of euery one that hath faith but as a graine of mustard seede viz. that nothing is impossible vnto him Matthew 17. 20. and againe All things are possible to him that beleeueth Mark 9. 23. What earthly King also as he is only an earthly King can say of himselfe as poore Paul saide of himselfe by that Spirit that cannot lye I am able to doe all things by the helpe of Christ which strengthneth me Philip. 4. 13. Secondly such as the power of the children of God is such also is their heart and courage namely altogether princely yea much more then princely For who but the child of God can say Though I should walke through the valley of the shadow of death I will feare no euill Psal 23. 4. and againe I will not bee afraide though ten thousand beset mee round about Psalme 3. 6. and againe Though an host pitched against mee mine heart should not be afraid Psal 27. 3. and againe I will not feare what flesh can doe vnto mee Psalme 55. 4. Thirdly according to the former princely power and magnanimitie of the children of God their effects are likewise princely and sutable to their said power and magnanimitie For to omit in this place those great mighty effects of the praiers of Gods children before mentioned whereas by nature they are seruants and bondmen to satan to their owne wicked lusts and to euery worldly vanity as well as any other after that they are partaker of the spirit of adoption they are so armed also With weapons that are not carnall but mighty through God that they cast downe all the strong holdes of sinne in them 2. Corinthians 10. 4. which are stronger then all Castles and defenced Cities whatsoeuer Yea hauing put on all the spirituall armour Whereby they wrestle not with flesh and bloud but with principalities and powers and worldly gouernors Princes of darknesse c. Ephes 6. 12. they ouercome all these they raigne ouer all and through him that loued them they are more then conquerors so that neither Angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be euer able to separate them from the loue of God in Christ Iesus to deiect them from that excellent state whereunto Christ Iesus hath aduanced them Rom. 8. 37. Therefore it is not only said that by faith they ouercome the world that is the things of this visible world that do any waies hinder their saluation but satan himselfe also is so by Christ Iesus subdued vnto them and in a manner brought into such feare of them that they doe no sooner turne their face vpon him and resist him but that presently he flieth from them and as it were taketh him to his heeles as not able to abide their countenance Iames 4. 7. O noble victory O glorious conquest All the great conquerors in the world how renoumed soeuer for their worldly victories neuer got the like Yea all kings and Princes and other conquerors that are not in Christ Iesus are as very slaues to satan to the world and to all lusts of the flesh which fight against their soules 1. Pet. 2. 11. as euer was Samson to the Philistims when they put out both his eies and made him to grind in the mill Iudg. 16. 21. or as Zedekiah was when he was taken by Nebuchadnezer before whose eies they first slew all his sonnes and then put out his owne eies also and bound him in chaines and so carried him to Babel 2. Kings 25. 7. or finally as any captiue or slaue now is either in the Turks Gallies or in subiection to the Spaniard in the West Indies or els where Yea for the most part such great champions and captaines and conquerors touching flesh and bloud are of all other the most slaues most cowards and soonest ouercome by euery lust But so to ouercome such lusts and other enemies of saluation is more then in a carnall and outward manner with the arme of flesh to ouercome the whole world yea if there were many worlds yet for a man to ouercome himselfe with satan and the world is more then to ouercome them all He that ruleth his owne mind is better then he that winneth a city Pro. 16. 32. What is he then that ouercommeth himselfe and the whole power of hell Moreouer euen touching the arme of flesh and worldly enemies greater is the power oft times and courage of the children of God in resisting and ouercomming of them then of all the wicked in the world Yea in this respect the children of God haue true fortitude and magnanimity beseeming Princes For these sentences before alledged of Dauids fearelesse heart are not spoken in respect of his spirituall enemies but in respect of his outward aduersaries And what victories are comparable to the victories of Ioshua Gedeon Iephte Samson Ionathan Dauid and other such worthies mentioned in the scripture All wicked and meere naturall men are void of the spirit of true fortitude euen for withstanding and ouercomming bodily enemies how then can they haue true fortitude it selfe The foresaid more then kingly power and courage of the children of God is apparant likewise by other effects wherein they seem most cowardly euen by all the reproches contumelies wrongs and indignities which they put vp patiently at the hands of the wicked as disdaining to resist them as not being their equals As noble men disdaine and scorne to contend with base persons and such as are much their inferiors and as all men would thinke it and might thinke it a disgrace vnto them to fight with boies though neuer so much abusing them so is the mind and courage of the children of God in respect of the wicked in the world who are indeed no better to be accounted of in comparison of them then as base and
serue him 1. Sam. 12 24. or to serue the Lord in feare and to reioyce in trembling Psal 2 11. and to make an end of our salution with feare trembling Phil. 2 12. and lastly in consideration as well of his seuere iustice in rewarding euery man according to his works as of his fatherly goodnesse towards vs to passe the time of our dwelling here in feare 1. Pet. 1. 17. Thus I say the children of God must feare and doe feare If men be without this feare they are secure and without the spirit of adoption that is they are not the children of God as afterward vpon an other occasion we shall heare againe But as for slauish feare such as is forbidden such as ariseth only froÌ„ regard of Gods power iustice without respect to his mercy and goodnesse and such as is repugnant to faith which is the assurance of Gods fauour Heb. 10. 22. this is also contrary to the peace of Gods children and of this it is to be vnderstood that they are deliuered out of the hands of their enemies that they may serue God without feare Luk. 1. 74. But are the children of God indeed alwaies without this kind of feare so that they neuer haue any brunts thereof I answer that the children of God are not only spirit but flesh there is none of the children of God so regenerate but that his regeneration or rather his sanctification which is as I said the slature of a man regenerate is here imperfect although therefore so far forth as they are sanctified or regenerate for I will not striue about words nor be too curious or precise for phrases they be freed from feare as hauing receiued the spirit of adoption which is contrary to the spirit of bondage and of feare and whereby they may be bold to call God their Father and assure themselues of his fatherly loue towards them â—et so far forth as they haue some reliques still of the old man so far they cannot but sometime feare euen so feare as feare is forbidden Yea so much the more doe they often feare otherwise then they should both Gods iustice and also the rage and cruelty of their enemies because the vnsanctified part doth so oppresse and sometime and for a time ouerwhel me the sanctified part and the spirit of adoption in them that they thinke themselues not to be regenerate at all neither euer to haue receiued the spirit of adoption but to be meer naturall men and as wicked as any other But although they doe thus feare looking only to Gods iustice and not to his mercy and respecting only the corruption of nature remaining in them not the beginnings of grace wherby they are assured of an inheritance reserued in heauen for them as also of their own preseruation here by the power of God yet euen then haue they cause not to feare but to be of good cheare in respect of those arguments against feare before handled As the wicked do sometimes taste the powers of the world to come Heb. 6. 5. that is of the ioies of heauen so the Lord will haue his children to haue a little marke of the feares that are proper only to the wicked that they may pray the more earnestly for recouery of their former peace of conscience as Dauid did Psal 51. 8. and 12. and the 〈◊〉 to esteem of it when they find it againe as also that after the recouery of their former peace of conscience they may be more carefull to keep it themselues and the more diligent in teaching other to keep it likewise for euery benefit is the sweeter by tast of the contrary Againe the Lord will haue such feare of his children to be as a glasse to the wicked wherein they may the better see their own fearfull state and condition in not being the children of God as gathering by such feares of the godly that they themselues are in much more fearfull condition and haue much more cause to feare Moreouer such feare in the children of God doth often arise from the mistaking of things and from their imagination of that that is not So we did see before that the dâ—sciples of Christ feared vpon imagination that they had seen a spirit when they saw him So many of the children of God haue in all ages feared and now doe often feare because they iudge not aright of the graces of God in themselues but thinke they haue no faith at all no loue at all c. and therefore no assurance at all of Gods fauor and of their owne saluation because their faith loue and other graces of God are weake and come short of that they ought to be because they are able to distinguish between a nullity and an imperfection of Gods gifts accompanying saluation in them therefore they thinke that to be a nullity that is only an imperfection It is also with the godly in this case as sometime with a company of rebellious subiects where notwithstanding the king hath pardoned and sent his pardon vnto them signed with his owne hand and sealed with his own seale For as such hauing no skill to read their pardons doe therefore doubt of them and feare the kings displeasure so many of Gods children being pardoned of all their sins and hauing their pardon written in their hearts by Gods own finger and sealed with the spirit of adoption do notwithstanding doubt and feare because they cannot well read the said pardon But why can they not read it either because it is written in small letters which their sight being but in part cannot see or because they haue not gone long enough to schoole for the learning to read Gods hand perfectly and readily or because they themselues haue forgotten that which they had learned in that behalfe or because they haue kept their pardon so rechlesly and carelesly that the same being blotted and obscured with many sinnes through their negligence and carelesnesse committed cannot well be read by themselues or any others for a time viz. so long as they liue so carelesly and till they haue purged themselues of such sinnes as whereby not only the writing of their pardon is blurred and made vnlegible but also their own sight is dimmed so as they neither can read their pardons nor see any thing els touching their salution as they ought So had Dauid blotted and obscured the pardon of all his sins and dimmed his own sight by his sinne with Bethsheba and against Vriah that he was troubled with many feares which made him to complaine of his state as if it had been as bad as any mans and that he praieth the Lord to create in him a new heart as if he had neuer been regenerate before Psal 51. 10. The afflictions also of this life befalling the children of God being especially compared with the prosperity of the wicked do so blind their eies that they cannot behold the goodnesse of God to the peace of their consciences as
a Iew and say Wee will goe with you for wee haue heard that God is with you Zecbar 8. 23. Other Prophets also before had written to the same purpose thus It shall bee in the last daies that the mountainâ— of the house of the Lord shall bee prepared in the top of the mountaines and shall bee exalted aboue the hilles and all nations shall flow vnto it And many people shall goe and say Come and let vs goe vp to the mountaine of the Lord to the house of the God of Iaakob and be will teach vs his waies and we will walke in his pathes c. Isa 2. 2. Mich 4 1. Many other the like promises there are for the incouragement of all how wicked soeuer to change their state and to make haste in that behalfe before they perish in their wicked condition The examples likewise of those Act. 2. 37. of the gaoler Act. 16. 27. of Paul him-selfe of Mary Magdalen of all the heathen conuerted by the Apostles and infinit other may further encourage men vnto this hast for entring into the way of adoption If once they enter let them proceed and goe forward not halfe way but throughout and to the end Agrippa was halfe yea almost perswaded to bee a Christian Act. 26. 28. but wee read not that hee was altogether perswaded so to bee a Christian Though wee may not absolutely say that hee neuer afterward fully and wholly became a Christian yet that but almost mentioned in the Scripture and no more either there or in any other place being testified of his perfect conuersion may iustly make vs all the more to doubt of him Many in the daies of Christ were his Disciples for a time who at the last tooke such offence at his Doctrine that they went backe and walked no more with him Iohn 6. 66. After that many were followers of the Apostles who afterward forsooke them 2. Tim 4 6. Heb. 10. 25. 1. Ioh. 2. 19. It is a dangerous thing thus to enter and not to go forward No man that putteth his hand to the plough and looketh backe is apt to the Kingdome of God Luk. 9. 62. As this is true in the particular calling to the ministery so much more in the generall to Christianity If any after they haue escaped from the filthinesse of the world that is after they made profession of renouncing the filthinesse of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and of the Sauiour Iesus Christ are yet intangled therein againe and ouercome the latter end is worse with them then the beginning c. 2. Pet. 2. 20. The meanes whereby they that are wicked may be released of the bondage of their sinne and made the children of God is as wee haue heard principally the ministerie of the word So likewise the societie and fellowship of them that are the children of God already as before wee heard If notwithstanding all hitherto said they that are wicked will not forsake their wickednesse but will still remaine such as they are yet let them take heed of all wrongs and iniuries against them that are the children of God lest in the end it be to their cost and they repent as Iudas did when it is too late But of this point also before Thus much for the vses of the doctrine of the dignitie of Gods children which are proper and speciall to the wicked Touching them that are the children of God indeed let them especially first of all take heed that they fall not from their excellent state It is true indeed that they that are once truly the children of God shall euer so continue and cannot fall away Howbeit we are exhorted often to take heed to our selues in this behalfe Heb. 3. 12. and 10. 23. and 12 15. and elswhere because exhortations are the speciallest meanes for our vpholding Wee condemne all that being but base and beggarly and yet taken into some noble mans or gentlemans house and seruice where they are in the way to preferment cannot keepe themselues well whiles they are well Especially wee condemne them that hauing found such fauour with Princes as that from a low degree they are aduanced to some honourable condition as the Earle of TERONE and other cannot containe themselues but breake their lists and so bring themselues to their former basenesse How much more then may they be condemned that being translated from death to life from darkenesse to light from bondage to libertie from seruants and slaues of the Diuell to bee the sonnes and daughters of God from Hell to Heauen doe what in themlieth to returne againe to their former miserie Although indeed the true children of God can neuer bee altogether vnchilded as it were and vtterly degraded yet they in particular things so fall yea generally for a time so decline that they may seeme and often times seeme to other and to themselues neuer to haue beene the children of God All this is by negligence and securitie For as Blessed is the man that feareth alwaies Prou. 28. 14. so it is wofull euen a thing that bringeth much woe often times to the children of God to bee at any time but a little sleepie drowsie secure and watchlesse A second speciall vse for the children of God is that hauing found this loue before spoken of with God to be made his children they trust in him and depend on him not fearing but that hee that hath made them his children and will giue them a kingdome fit for such children wil also and much more giue them all things for this life Luk 12. 32. Our little children when they rise in the morning yea our seruants also take no care what they shall eat or what they shall drinke but they leaue all such care to vs their fathers and their masters and it is indeed our duty to prouide all such things for them For he that prouideth not for his owne and namely for them of his houshold denieth the faith and is worse then an infiâ—ell 1. Tim. 5. 8. Hitherto belongeth the speech of Moses vnto God Num. 11. 12. 13. and the practise of Bathshebaes huswife Prou. 31. 15. Why then should not we much more that professe our selues the children of God cast all our care vpon our heauenlie father that careth for vs 1. Pet. 5. 7. Vnder this vse I comprehend infinite comfort of the children of God The grounds of this comfort being handled before and some of them to be touched againe in the next verse I shall not need to stand vpon them now Yea with this trust in God and comfort from God we may ioine patience both towards God and also towards men Towards God because we haue heard before that he correcteth vr onely in loue and for our great good that wee may not bee condemned with the world 1. Cor. 11. 12. Towards man because hee is but Gods hand to chastise vs and cannot goe beyond his commission and last of all shall himselfe be called
had so graced and aduanced him in his family though he were still but a seruant what conscience are we to make of all duty to God for honouring of him that being so base and vile as wee were are by him aduanced to be his children That we may thus heare and obey God it becommeth vs especially to auoid the society of the wicked before lightly touched And indeed what greater disgrace for the sonnes of a Prince and a mighty monarke then to confort with clownes and scullians and such like Much more may bee said of the disgrace of the children of God by the communion and fellowship of the wicked If we cannot auoid their company yet let vs take heed of all pollution by them Noah and his family liued amids the whole sinfull and wicked world and Lot among the filthy Sodomits yet these kept themselues vnspotted Our Sauiour saith to the Angell of the Church of Sardi Thou hast a few names yet in Sardi which haue not desiled their garments Reu. 3. 4. yet these few liued amongst a great number that had a name to be aliue and yet were dead Howsoeuer therfore we be thrust and thronged with the wicked yet such must be our care for our selues that their soily and filthy garments may not defile and pollute ours We must also take heed of too much worldlinesse lest therby we be defiled and do spot those ornaments and rich robes before spoken of we must vse the world as if we vsed it not As the moule alwaies liueth in the earth and yet keepeth her skinne as faire as cleane and as fine as the best and most curiously brushed veluet gowne in a kingdome so must we keep our adoption and all the robes thereof euen in the mids of this sinfull and therfore most dangerous age This caueat thus to looke to our selues in respect of the world is very necessary For there is nothing more dangerous to mans saluation then the world with the riches delights honors and other things therein When no tentation els could take hold of our Sauiour then the diuell set vpon him with this argument from the world viz that hauing shewed him all the kingdomes of the world he woulâ— giue him all these if he would fall downe and worship him Esau for the world sold his birthrigh Heb. 12. 16. Iudas for a small morsell of the world sold and betraied his Lord and master and our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ Demas foâ—sooke the Apostle Paul and embraced this present world 2. Tim 4. 10. The like may bâ— said of many other Another more speciall vse conceâ—neth chiefly the ministers of the word viz. that the more excâ—llent they vnderstand the state of the children of God to be the more diligent they be in teaching of them and warching ouer them as also the more carefull to feed them with the purer and better diet beseeming their excellency Do not nurses to the children of kings and Queens thus at least ought they not so to do may they then whom God hath appointed to be nurses to his own children be more carelesse This briefly shall suffice for the vses of the former discourse of the dignity of Gods children yea this also shall serue for the first part of my present text viz. of the Apostles exhortation to the serious consideration of the dignity of Gods children CHAP. XXXII Of the obiection that might be made against all generally before written of the dignity of Gods children and of the first part of the Apostles answer thereunto THe former part of this text being alreadie handled it remaineth now to speake of the second viz. of the Apostles answer to an obiection that might be made against that which the Apostle had spoken and which I haue now more plentifully laid forth of the dignity of Gods children This I will but run ouer in a trice because that which I haue written was the principall point the which at the first I intended and propounded vnto my selfe That which remaineth is but an appendix of the former and therefore it needeth not so largely to be handled The obiection which might haue been made against the Apostles former commendation of Gods loue in making vs his children is this Is the loue of God so great so vnspeakable and so admirable in making vs his children And is our state and condition in being the children of God so worthy so excellent so honorable How can this be sith of all other men in the world we are least respected least regarded yea we are not so much as knowen almost in the world To this the Apostle giueth a double answer or acknowledging indeed the thing obiected viz. that we are not regarded yea not so much as known in the world he giueth a double reason why the world doth so little respect vs scarce knowing vs namely first because it knoweth not God himselfe in this verse secondly because it is not yet euident to the world what wee shall bee heereafter in the beginning of the next verse Before we come to the words themselues let vs note and only note this that whosoeuer will commend any thing to other as worthy of their consideration and obseruation they must before also thinke of that which may and will be obiected against the same as also prepare answer to the said obiection For there is nothing so holy so excellent so sound but that the wit of man hath somewhat or will haue somewhat to obiect to the disgracing abasing and peruerting thereof Therefore the Lord hath giuen vs such a word euen such a Scripture and written word as is not only profitable or sufficient to teach namely the truth but also to improoue or to couuince and confute all errours and whatsoeuer may bee obiected against the said truth neither onely to instruct in righteousnesse that is to exhort vs vnto all vertue but also to correct or to reprooue all vice and whatsoeuer may bee said against vertue that so the man of God that is the Minister of the word may be absolute being made perfect vnto all good works This might largely bee prooued by infinite examples in the Scriptures but as I promised only to note it so I wil performe my promise in that behalfe To returne therefore to the words of the Apostle let vs first see the meaning of the said words and then the matter it selfe The first word the world hath diuers significations First it signifieth the whole masse and lumpe of all Gods creatures especially visible as when it is said that God made the world Act. 17. 24. and that hee chose vs before the foundations of the world were laid Ephes 1. 4. Secondly it signifieth this inferiour part of the world with all things therein contained or thereto belonging So it is said the diuell did shew vnto Christ all the kingdomes of the world Matth. 4 8. And the field is the world Matth. 13. 38. And He was the light that ligtneth euery one that
in glorie at his appearing and of seeing him as he is must purge himselfe so also not some but euery one that hath the said hope must purge himselfe according to this patterne This therefore especially condemneth that strict sect of the Papists called Iesuites which in a kinde of extreame pride in name and in a more precise kinde of imitation of Christ as they pretend do both single themselues from all other and also aduance themselues aboue all other For doth not the Apostle in the place before alledged reprooue the Corinthians as well for holding some of Christ in a speciall maner as for holding some of Paul some of Apollos some of Cephas And doth he not also thereby teach that as albaptized into Christ are Christians alike so all if any must be also Iesuites alike Though in Cambridge Christ Colledge and Iesus Colledge be two distinct colledges yet in profession the names Christ and Iesus are not so to be distinguished To conclude this point touching this patterne according to which we are to purge our selues Let vs remember what Iacob did to haue blacke and white spotted lambs yea what he did in that behalfe not of his owne head but by direction of God himselfe as also let vs consider the successe thereof CoÌ„cerâ—ing this it is said that Iacob took rods of greene poplar of hasell and of the chesnut tree and pilled white strokes in them and made the white appeare in the rods and then put the rods which hee had pilled into the gutters and wairing troughs when the sheepe came to drinke before the sheepe because they were then in heat when they came to drinke Wherefore did he all this Because before he had made a couenant with Laban to haue no other wages then the party coloured sheepe with great and little spots all that were so spotted before beeing first taken out of the flocks and committed to the other sonnes of Laban to bee kept by themselues three daies iourney from those that remained in the keeping of Iacob What was the successe of this practise It is further saide that the sheepe beeing then in heat because it was then ramming time and seeing those reds so pilled with white strokes lying before them by the impression of them but chieflie by the speciall prouidence of God brought foorth yong of partie colour and with small and great spots Genes 30. 37. c. To apply this to our present purpose as those sheepe by beholding those rods so pilled with white strokes amongst the naturall greene that was left on them through the speciall prouidence of God did bring forth yong partie coloured like to those said pilled rods in that maner laid before them so if euery one that hath that former hope in him of being at the appearing of Christ like vnto him in glorie and of seeing him as hee is for the purging of himselfe would alwaies lay before his eies this excellent patterne of Christ himselfe heere commended vnto vs and seriously marke and obserue the same it could not bee but that through the gracious working of God the sight of this pattern would make so deepe an impression in the heart of such a man that hee should purge himselfe as Christ is pure and bee made like vnto him in holinesse and righteousnesse for his better assurance of his future likenesse vnto him in glory But therefore indeede doe men continue the longer in their spirituall filthinesse and bee not transformed into the likenesse of Christ in the foresaide holinesse and righteousnesse because they doe not so behold and consider this excellent patterne as they should doe And this is a manifest argument that whatsoeuer some men speake of their knowing Christ and of seeing Christ as also of their hope of beeing made like vnto Christ at his appearing as well as any other yet indeede all these are but words because they doe not purge themselues as he is pure For if they had that hope they speake of if they did so know Christ and behold Christ as they boast they do then doubtlesse they would purge themselues as he is pure This must bee applied to particular vertues wherein Christs puritie doth speciallie consist as to walking in loue as hee hath loued vs Ephesians 5. 2. To running with patience the race that is set before vs looking vnto Iesus the author and finisher of our faith who for the ioie that was set before him endured the Crosse and despised the shame Hebrewes 12. 1. 2. and suffered for vs leauing vs an example that wee should follow his steppes c. 1. Pet. 2. 21. so likewise to humilitie that in meekenesse of minde euerie man esteeme other better then himselfe not looking onlie on his owne things that is on his owne gifts that himselfe hath receiued but also on the things of other men as hauing the same mind that was euen in Christ Iesus who being in the forme of God and thinking it no robberie to be equall to God made himselfe of no reputation but tooke on him the forme of a seruant and was made like vnto man and was found in the shape of a man and humbled himselfe and became obedient vnto the death euen the death of the Crosse c. Phil. 2. 3. c. The like may be said of other speciall vertues and particular branches of that puritie that was in Christ Iesus All these things that I haue now written of the dignitie of the children of GOD God himselfe write in the hearts of all that shall read them thus written in paper And hee that hath loued them with such admirable and incomprehensible loue as to aduance them to this vnspeakable dignitie continue this his loue in them vnto the end and so purge and transforme them into the holinesse of Christ Iesus in this world that as heereby they doe alreadie know that howsoeuer they bee heere of the world contemned and made the off-scouring and as it were the skumme of the world yet at the appearing of Christ they shall bee made like vnto him and see him as hee is so indeede they may bee so made like vnto him and so see him and his glorie and enioie the same for euer and euer Amen FINIS Faults escaped partly at the Presse partly by the default of him that copied out part of the Booke PAg. 5. l. 25. put out vnto p. 18. l. 5. after not r. only and after but r. also p. 19. l. 32. r. all p. 20. l. 21. r. alwaies p. 22. l. 19. r. mediatly p. 24. l. 3. r. euen vs. p. 29. l. 2. r. taking only p. 41 l 15. r. alone p. 64. l. 30. r. cleare p. 69. l. 6. r. to beleeue it p. 76. l. 30. r. 1. 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