the earth God must not be conceived of by any Images Images in the Church shut out the Papists from eternall life and Images in the heart to conceive of God by excludes the ignorant and carnall Protestants In the right conceiving of Gods Nature we must adore him that is like nothing in heaven or earth 3 It must be such a knowledge or vision of God as discernes him to be the chiefe good and onely happinesse to be desired and so all those persons that behold any thing in this life to be sought after as the chiefe felicity of their lives are excluded from eternall life And the things so esteemed the Scripture calls their gods so some make their bellies their gods some their riches some honour and the favour of men 4 It must be such a knowledge of God as conceives of him in Iesus Christ that is that sees the way how Gods infinite justice provoked by many sinnes is pacified by the attonement made by Iesus Christ as the Mediatour betweene God and man Ioh. 17.3 else the knowledge of God in respect of the contemplation of his justice will be so far from inliving our hearts that it would kill them if they had life and this rule excludes all such from eternall life as live in despaire of Gods mercie as Cain and Iudas These knowledges are such as without which life cannot bee had but yet in themselves doe not quicken the Soule and inspire it with life 5 It must be such a knowledge as doth nor only discerne aright the doctrine of the Nature of God and of the person and offices of Christ but doth discerne that God is ours in particular in Iesus Christ and fully reconciled to us and our portion for ever To know God to be our God in Christ is the very life of our soules Now because we discerne this in God two waies viz. by the light of faith beleeving the promises of the Word though we see him not and by the light of vision when we shall see him in his goodnesse face to face therefore is the former light called the light of faith and belongs to this life and the later light belongs to another world Hence our justification which is by faith is called The justification of life Rom. 5.18 This is a point which should bee of unspeakable comfort to the weake Christians that have attained to this knowledge for certainly this is eternall life in them as true as if they had thâ— glory of heaven already But now that true Christians may be the more infallibly setled in the knowledge of their interest in eternall life as it lyeth in the right knowledge of God to be ours in Iesus Christ I will adde certaine effects of this knowledge which shew not onely that it is right but also that it is very eternall or spirituall life for if it be a right knowledge 1 It raiseth in the dead heart of man spirituall senses that were never there before It makes the soule of a man able to heare Gods word that could never doe it before It gives sight in spirituall things and sense and feeling and spirituall tasts of Gods goodnesse and a favouring of spirituall things more than earthly 2. Cor. 2.15 Rom. 8 5. Psal. 36.8 Phil. 1.9 2 It is a knowledge with admiration it sets a mans heart upon a constant wondering at the glory of the things revealed He that hath this knowledge sees in a Mirrour he sees and wonders Nothing more ravisheth the heart than doth the word when it shewâ— him the glory of Gods grace to him 2. Cor. 3.18 Wicked men see but they see not in a Mirrour 3 It is a knowledge that works transformation it changeth a man into the likenesse of that it sees even from glâ—ry to glory by the power of the spirit of Christ. The light comes into wicked men but leaues them the same men it found them for disposition and conversation but this light humbles the heart of a man for his sinnes and purifieth him from his most secret sinnes Act. 15.9 and besides prints upon him the Image of God and stirres him up to all the motives of life in doing good workes 2. Cor. 3.18 Col. 3.10 1. Ioh. 2 3. 3.24 4 It is such a light as is indelible and will abide the triall of manifold afflictions and gives life and joy still to the soule It doth not onely comfort in Gods house but will support us when we are gone home under the miseries of this present life 1 Pet. 1.7 The use should be to teach us all to blesse God for the Gospell that brings life to light and shewes us the love of God to us in Christ and for all the meanes by which the Gospell is preached to us in the life of it Oh how should wee bee beholding to them that helpe us to eternall life by leading us unto God this Ocean of goodnesse And withall wee should be wonderfully thankefull to God and for ever comforted if we can finde that wee have attained to the assurance of Gods love to us in Christ. Though our knowledge here bee but small and weake yet it is so rich as the tongue of man cannot utter if it be in any measure true and sincere Besides how should this fire our desires after wisdome and spirituall understanding in the word of Christ seeing it is our life and in the same degree wee encrease in eternall life that we encrease in acquaintance with God in Christ and therefore aboue all gettings we should be getting understanding And finally it shews the woful estate of ignorant persons that are careless of the study of the word of God and of hearing of the Gospel preached This is their death wil be their eternal death if they prevent it not by repentance and sound redeeming of the time for the service of the soule about this sacred knowledge 4 Now for the fourth point the things that nourish life are greatly to be heeded both to shew us what we should apply our selves to and with what thankefulnesse to receive the meanes of our good herein 1 Wee must know that the principall cause of the nourishment and encrease of spirituall life is the influence of vertue from Christ our mysticall head by the secret and unutterable working of the spirit of Christ which is therefore called the Spirit of life because it both frees us by degrees from the feares of death and from the power and blots of sinne Rom. 8.2 and withall it quickens and encreaseth life in us for the better exercise of righteousnesse Rom. 8.10 2 The contemplation of Gods favour and presence doth wonderfully extend and inflame life in us To marke God any where or by any experience to finde effectually his loue and to taste of the sweetnesse of his goodnesse this is life from the dead better than all things in naturall life It doth a godly mans heart more good than all things in the world can doe as
they doe soe is because they themselves did feele by experience how unable they were to beare crosses when they fell upon them It was this Peter that denied his Master upon the very sight as it were of adversaries and it was this David that gave this advice after himselfe had changed his behaviour before Abimelech as you may see by the title of the Psalme Which should teach us to bee thankfull for that publike or private quietnesse any of us doe enjoy and besides it should warne those unruly froward Christians that live not in quiet either at home or abroad to repent and amend their words and workes They cannot imagine what singular comfort and contentment they withhold from their owne lives and the lives of others If they did but know how much God abhors a froward Christian they would be more affraid than they are Thus of the generall observations The first part concernes the persons that are exhorted and they are described by two formes of speech the one Such as will love life the other Such as would see good daies If any man will love life From this forme of speech three things may be observed Doct. 1. That men by nature are prone to the love of life and so prone that the most men will breake all bounds and will love life whatsoever bee said to them or done to them This is a point so sensibly felt by the experience of the most that heare it that it needs no proofe If any man aske what the reason should bee why there is such an inordinate love of life in the most many things may be answered The first cause of it is the generall corruption of nature in the most men which came in by sinne To love it selfe is nature but to love life so pertinaciously is from degeneration and the great abasement of the nature of man that cannot now move it selfe towards the perfection of it selfe for unto the godly the change of life is an alteration that brings perfection Secondly ignorance and unbeliefe is the cause of it If men did know beleeve those glorious things God speaks of a better life they would loath this present life long to be in heaven Thirdly the cause in many is that their hearts are â—ngaged upon such perplexed and intricate projects about profit or pleasure or greatnesse in the world that they are not at leasure to examine the reasons of the love of life the heart of man is usually oppressed with some one or other of these projects Fourthly in all sorts of people there is such an incurable inconsideration that no warning from the Word or workes of God no experience of their owne or other mens can force them to a serious and constant meditation of the things concerne their true happinesse Fiftly the love of life ariseth in the most from the Idols of their hearts There is one thing or other that they have set their hearts upon in a vicious manner and this unreasonable love of their particular sinnes doth hold them downe in bondage to this present life and so cannot be cured of the disease till they repent of their beloved sinnes And the guiltinesse of their consciences makes them affraid of death and judgement and to embrace this present life upon any conditions And in godly people this inordinate love of life ariseth from the defect of particular repentance for it Thus of the first point Doct. 2. Men have cause to take off their affections and not to bee so desperately bent to the love of this present life This is a point very profitable to be urged and most men and women have need of it and therefore I will shew more largely the reasons why wee should not love life or not so inordinately as to be unwilling to leave it upon any tearmes The first reason may be taken from the commandement of Christ who gives this in charge to all that will bee his Disciples that they must not love life As they must deny themselves in other things so in this particular And hee so gives this in charge as hee seemes to threaten them with the losse of life if they love it so Luk. 17.33 Iob. 12.25 The second reason may bee taken from the example of the godly that have not loved life Iob detested life Iob 3. Salomon tels of a multitude of occasions that he had to hate life in his book of Eccles. and a multitude of godly men have shewed the proofe of it in laying downe their lives willingly when they have beene called to it Act. 20.24 Phil. 2.20 Heb. 11.35 37. The third reason may bee taken from the consideration of life in it selfe both in the nature of it and in the end of it for the nature of it it is but a winde or a vapour Iam. 4. so meane a thing that no man can well tell how to describe it perfectly which is the greater wonder that it should get the love of all the world and yet no body knowes what it is hee loves And for the end of it it is not in the power of man to number his owne daies God hath set an appointed time for every mans death and though they love life never so much they cannot hold it beyond that time Iob 7.1 And besides our times are so hid that a man cannot bee sure of a moneth a weeke a day an houre and shall our hearts be so bewitched with that which wee know not how long wee shall enjoy Iob 24.1 and the rather because there are so many waies for life to goe out at though but one way to come in And further we can find no means that hath sufficient power to make a man live God hath so reserved the power of life in his owne hands that none of the meanes we use to preserve life can do it to make it hold out for a moment if God doe not from above give speciall assistance Man liveth not by bread Mat. 4. and if a man had abundance of all worldly things yet a mans life consisteth not in that Luk. 12.15 c. The fourth reason may bee taken from the profession of a Christian or his state or relative calling or condition in this life First we are Christs spirituall souldiers Now men that goe to war intangle not ahemselves with the things of this life that they may please them that have chosen them to bee souldiers 2 Tim. 2.4 Secondly we are pilgrims and strangers in this life and therefore nothing should be more easie to us than to be weary of the present condition and to long to be at home Thus did the Patriarches Heb. 11.13 Thirdly in this life we are but poore cottagers that dwell in poore houses of clay and shall wee love to be here rather than in those eternall mansions 2. Cor. 5.1 Iob. 14.2 The fift reason may be taken from the sinnes of life Even sinne is a disease and a loathsome contagious one Now then see what life
Thirdly this should greatly move true Christians to strive after this vertue and to expresse it lively and shew it forth in all the fruits of it as first by declaring our affection to the afflicted with all tendernesse of heart and words of comfort secondly by using all our meanes and power to relieve them and helpe them out of distresse thirdly by pouring out our soules before God for them Love as brethren This is the third duetie charged upon them viz. the exercise of brotherly love This is vehemently urged in many Scriptures Rom. 12.10 Heb. 13.1 Ioh. 13.34 1. Ioh. 2.7 4.21 Now for the explication of this doctrine foure things would be distinctly considered of viz. 1 Who are brethren 2 What priviledge they have by the brotherhood or by being brethren 3 For what reasons we should so love them 4 With what kinde of love we should love them For the first Men become brethren one to another manie wayes as first by propagation when they are borne of the same bloud and so the children of the same parents are brethren and in a remoter sense kinsmen of the same bloud are brethren Luke 8.19 Secondly by Nation when men are countreymen they are called brethren especially when they descend originally from the fountaine of the same ancient families and so the people of the twelve Tribes were brethren Exod. 2.11 Thirdly by profession especially the profession of Religion makes all professors brethren Act. 11.1 1.16 And this was one of the first titles of love and relation in the Christian world Fourthly communion with Christ and so wee become brethren eyther by his incarnation Heb. 2.16 17. or in respect of our mystical union with him in his mysticall bodie Col. 1.2 Matth. 25.40 And so we are brethren with the Angels as they also are joined under this head Christ Iesus Rev. 19.10 22. So then if any aske who are the brethren here meant that wee must so love I answer they are such as are professors with us of the same religion fellow members of the body of Christ. But that we may more plainly see who are meant by brethren in the Scriptures it will bee profitable to observe that they are described by their holinesse The brethren we must love are such as are partakers of the holy calling Heb. 3.1 such as are begotten of God 1 Ioh. 5.1 such as will doe the will of God by sound practise Mat. 12.47 49. They are the holy brethren wee are here charged to love 1. Thes. 5.27 For the second our relation to the Godly as brethren ought not to be dispised for as wee are brethren by religion wee enjoy many excellent prerogatives for thereby wee partake of a heavenly calling Heb. 3.1 wee stand all in relation to God as his owne children by adoption Eph. 4.6 and so peace and the blessing of God as a father is upon us all Eph. 6.23 Gal. 6.16 and we are greatly beloved of God Rom. 1.7 and brought up in the same family Eph. 3.17 fed with the same diet and entertainment in Gods house and estated into an inheritance better than all the kingdomes of the world Rom. 9.17 And hereby also wee enjoy the fruit of the love of all the godly in the world even those that know us not in the face For the third There are many reasons why we should love the godly as our brethren above all the people in the world For first if to be all the children of one father have such a power over the naturall affections of men then should it not bee without power in religion Secondly this is charged upon us above many other things yea above all things wee should put on love Col. 3.14 and yet he had reckoned many excellent vertues before This was the speciall and one of the last commandements of our blessed Saviour which hee gave in charge when hee was going to his death 1. Ioh. 3.23 Ioh. 13. 34. Thirdly because this love comes of God and is a signe that God is in us and dwells in us and that wee doe indeed love God himselfe 1. Iohn 4.7 8 12 16 20 21. Fourthly wee have the example of God himselfe and Christ his Sonne that love them as their peculiar treasure above all the world and hee shewed them love by unspeakable benefits 1. Ioh. 4. 11 10. Fiftly because our soules will thrive and be edified as brotherly love is continued and encreased in us Eph. 4.16 Sixtly because the Godly they must bee our everlasting companions in heaven 1. Pet. 4.8 1. Cor. 13.8 and if we cannot see so much it is because wee are purblinde 2. Pet. 1. For the fourth point if any aske with what kinde of love wee should love them I answer that our love must have many properties in it 1 It must be a naturall love that is such a love as is not by constraint but ariseth out of our dispositions and inclinations as wee are made new Creatures in Iesus Christ 2. Cor. 8.8 2 It must be a sincere love a love without dissimulation Rom. 12.10 not in word but in deed 1. Ioh. 3.18 3 It must be a fervent love wee must love them earnestly and with great affection above all other people 1. Pet 4.8 brotherly kind love 2. Pet. 1.7 4 It must be a pure love that comes from a pure heart 1. Tim. 1.5 and projects not any iniquity 1. Cor. 13.6 and therefore must be a love in the Spirit Col. 1.8 5 It must be a diligent love that will expresse it by the daily fruits of it upon all occasions a labouring and working love 1. Thes. 1.3 Heb. 6.10 6 It must bee a speedy love that will not put off or delay a love that will not say Goe and come againe tomorrow Prov. 3.28 7 It must be an humble love a love that would ever serve the brethren not doe them good only Gal. 5.13 And that is further shewed by not respecting persons but loving all the Saints even those that are poore or sicke or in temptations or fallen by weaknesse Eph. 1.15 Prov. 19.7 Iam. 2. and that is also shewed by carrying our selves with all lowlinesse and meekenesse of minde in all long suffering and forbearing one another Eph. 4.2 8 It must be a constant love wee must love alwaies as well as earnestly Gal. 4.18 9 It must be a growing love that will still encrease and abound Phil. 1.9 1. Thes. 4.10 The use may be divers for Vse 1. First carnall Christians are by this doctrine sharply to be reprooved for their want of love to the brethren and for all the courses by which they shew their dislike or hatred of godly Christians This verie sinne is grievous in the sight of God for for this sinnes sake when they hate a godly Christian because his workes are better than theirs God reckons of them but as Cainites the seed of Cain yea as the children of the Divel 1. Ioh. 3.10 yea God will reckon
is thou thy selfe hast innumerable sinnes and there is no man alive that sinneth not in the whole world now if every man have innumerable contagious diseases what a loathsome pest-house is this world to live in The thoughts of a man can reach to the depth and length of this argument but inconsideration buries all wholsome counsell motives But besides this respect of sinne a Christian findes from his owne sinnes if there were none else in the world great cause to be weary of life first because sinne argues the imperfection of his nature both in soule and body and so long as he is in this sinfull life he can never have a perfect nature now a a man that loves himselfe for this reason would never love life Rom. 7.23 Secondly because sinne is an offence to God now a child of God should therefore loath life because by sinning he doth injury to God his mercifull father and in the most holy Christians this argument hath extraordinary force The sixth reason may be taken from the crosses of life Hath not every day his griefe Is there any estate or degree of men free from them Are not those whom God loves corrected yea and perhaps more than other men Seriously thinke of what thou dost suffer in thy particular What diseases or infirmities are in thy body What unquietnesse and vexation doest thou suffer in the house where thou livest What crosses doe follow or feare thee in thy calling Yea doth not thy religion breed thee trouble If the reproaches and oppositions be considered of which godly men somtimes suffer we might say with the Apostle Of all men they are most miserable 1. Cor. 15.19 Paul saith he was a man crucified while he lived Gal. 2.20 and did alwaies in his body carry about the dying of the Lord Iesus 2. Cor. 4.10 Besides consider of the danger of what may come upon thee in life What if war come or the pestilence or sudden poverty that cannot be cured or fearefull diseases that will fill thee with horrible paine Nay what if thou shouldest fall into some shamefull fault Oh what were the misery would follow upon it The seaventh reason may bee taken from the extreame vanity of those things that seeme to be felicities in life all the things in life that with any colour of reason can be made objects of thy love are either the people of the world or the commodtties of the world Now for the first of these thou hast no reason to be in love with life for the people of the world with whom thou livest for 1 Amongst all the thousands of men and women thou seest in the world it may bee there is scarce one that loveth thee entirely scarce one from whom thou maiest enjoy delight or comfort They are poore things thou canst have from the rest whether they be neighbours or strangers More then thou givest thou shalt not receive unlesse it be in poore complements of salutations and ceremonies of life 2 If thou didst excell in the priviledge of being loved by friends kindred wife or children yet reckon how smal a portion of thy life is refreshed from them there is sometimes more delight in one poore dreame than will be had this way in a long time 3 Thinke of it what changes and losses thou doest or maiest suffer if there were any thing worthy thy love in friendship or acquaintance thy friends may be daily lost either by the change of their mindes from thee or by distance in habitation or by death and the pleasure is had by thy acquaintance is made not worth the having either by interruption or by discord and taking of offence or want of power or will to helpe when thou hast most need 4 Who would not hate life for this very reason which I now give Let a man consider by experience in all others how little the world cares for him If thou wert to dye what would the world care or almost any in the world let it bee thy wife children neighbours hearers dearest friends yea thy religious friends what would any of these care for thy death Looke not at their words but note it in their deeds How few will be sorry for thee or for how short a time and how soone wilt thou bee cleane forgotten or how poore a thing is the greatest memory any man hath when he is dead Doest thou live to heare this and yet wilt be so mad as to love life for the love thou bearest to any other 5 The evill thou sufferest from the world is greater than the good thou canst get by it thinke of the reproaches injuries oppositions contempts persecutions infections thou maiest finde from unreasonable men How many thousand would triumph over thy poore fame if thy feete doe but slippe Lastly the company thou shalt have of Angells and spirits of just men in another world should make thee loath all these things in this life whether thou respect number or power or dearnesse in friends even in such as must be companions of thy life and therefore for the company that is in the world thou hast no reason to love life The commodities of the world are lands houses money honour credit beauty pleasure and the like now men have no cause to be so in love with these if they consider 1 How small a portion they have of these If a man had won the whole world and the glorie of it yet it were not worth the having if he must lose his owne soule Nay if it were all had upon the best conditions yet it would not make a man truely happy and therefore much lesse these silly parcells of the world wee can attaine to Eccles. 1.3 2 These are all common things and that in two respects first there is nothing new now to be had which hath not been had heeretofore ordinarily What is now hath beene before and will be afterwards Thou canst enjoy no felicity of life that can be proper to thy selfe Eccles. 1.9 10. 3.15 And then further all these things a fool may enjoy as well as a wise man and a wicked man as well as a godly man A man shall never know love or hatred by these things for they fall alike to all sorts of men Eccles. 2.14 3 All things are full of labour who can utter it If men doe reckon the paines and care and unquietnesse and wearinesse they are put to about the getting or keeping or using of these things they would finde little cause to love them especially considering that unto the use of the most of these is required a daily labour with toile that men that possesse these things cannot possesse themselves they are so overburthened with the cares and labours of life Eccles. 1.8 4 If a man had never so much of these things yet they cannot satisfie him his soule will not bee filled with good The eye is not satisfied with seeing nor the eare with hearing Hee that loveth silver shall
Wastefulnesse either by improvidence or vaine expences Prov. 14.1 especially when they are so impudently monstrous as to professe they will not bee ruled by their husbands but will be masters And thus of the dutie charged upon the Wives The parties to whom they owe this duety followes and they are their owne Husbands To your owne Husbands Two things may be noted 1 That all husbands have the same right and authority over their wives Wives must be subiect though their husbands be poore yea though they bee froward and perverse yea as the Coherence shewes here though they be carnall and wicked persons and so though they bee ignorant and not able to dwell with them as men of knowledge though they be diseased and in great affliction as Iob was 2 That wives are to be subiect onely to their husbands not to their children or servants much lesse to a strange woman if the wicked husband should bring any into the family and she must be subiect to her owne husband to be directed and ordered by him not by the husband of another woman Thus of the proposition the explication of it followes where the Apostle requires three things of the wife 1 Amiablenesse in her carriage that shee might winne her husband if it were possible vers 1. 2 A chaste conversation with feare vers 2. 3 Meeknesse and a quiet spirit vers 3.4 For the first part wee are to note two things about the amiablenesse of her behaviour First the fruite to bee hoped for by it viz. the winning of the husband Secondly the meanes how it should be done viz. by conversation Might be wonne What kinde of winning doth hee here meane I answer first an obedient carefull wife may winne her husband to be a good husband that was before a froward unruly unkinde violent or injurious husband But I thinke 〈◊〉 is not that which is here meant or not all the Apostle mâ—anes for he meanes it of winning of the carnall husband to religion Quest. But can any man be made a religious man without the Word can a man be saved and finde the way to Heaven without the preaching of the Gospell Answ. I take it the Apostle doth meane only of a winning by way of preparation in generall as the good conversation of the wife may winne the husband not to thinke so ill of the religion she professeth as he did and may winne him to bee contented to goe to the meanes to heare the Word by which meanes he may be effectually called and sanctified For the better understanding of this point you must understand that men are said to bee wonne in Scriptures by divers meanes as some have beene wonne to beleeve for the miracles they saw and yet Christ did not trust many of them Iohn 2. Some have been wonne by private admonition but that is to be understood of perswading them to some good duetie or to receive some truth or to forsake some sinne or error Iames 5. ult Some have been wonne by judgementes and afflictions as the Israelites many times came crying to God for mercie when the hand of God was upon them and yet fell away againe afterwards Some have been wonne by the faire conversation of others as here but the only ordinanary meanes to winne a soule effectually to God is the Word of God preached Rom. 10.14 17. But one thing we may note here That a man may be wonne and yet not effectually A man may convert and change and suffer much alteration and yet not be a new creature yea other Scriptures shew that a man may be wonne by the Word it selfe so as in his owne judgement and the hope of others it seemes his soule is indeed wonne and yet it will come to nothing in the end Wicked men have sometimes great remorses much touched promise reformation consent for the time to enter into the profession of religion like of the way of God in the generall resolve to heare the Word constantly c. and yet all this comes to nothing but vanishent and they returne to their old courses The causes of their revolting are in divers men or times divers Some flye off againe because of reproach Some for want of meanes to nourish what is begun Some are driven backe because they had not cast up their accounts what it would cost them to build the Tower of godlinesse or what would be necessary to overcome so many enemies Some are choaked with worldly cares and lusts but in all the reason is because they were not soundly converted The old heart would never hold out to doe the taske of godlinesse Quest. But being wonne so farre as to like of religion to feele remorse to resolve to become religious c. what did they want of sound conversion Answ. In those that are wonne only to a temporary kind of grace or generall preparation divers things appeare to be wanting as either they had no sound sorrowes for their sinnes or never soundly turned from the love of the world or could not forsake particular beloved sinnes or were never throughly perswaded to forsake carnall dependancies or did not thinke of hyring themselves to doe the worke of godlinesse for ever or had no hearty love to such as feare God or the like The consideration hereof should awaken all sorts especially such as newly entred into the profession of religion to looke to themselves and trye their estates soundly whether they be wonne effectually or no. Quest. But how may I know that I am wonne effectually now at this time of remorse or now that I resolve to take a new course Answ. Thou art right and effectually converted if these things following be true of thee 1 If thou be inwardly abased and humbled in the sight of thine owâ—e viâ—eâ—esse if in thine owne eyes thou discerne thy selfe to be a foole and unapt for Gods kingdome and if thy sinnes be a sensible loade and burthen unto thee of which thou art weary Mat. 5.3 11.29 1. Cor. 3.18 and thy pride and conceitednesse be subdued 2 If thou have overcome the world 1. Iohn 5.4.5 2.15 and canst shew it by forsaking the fellowship of ungodly persons 2. Cor. 6.17 and canst deny the carnall counsell of carnall kindred Mat. 10. and canst hold on this course notwithstanding the reproaches will bee cast upon thee and others Esa. 8. 59.15 1. Pet. 4.5 and dost finde that thy taste in earthly things is marred so as thou dost not finde that favour in them thou wast wont to doe Rom. 8.5 3 If nothing can heale thee of those remorses thou feelest but the Word and Ordinances of God Hosea 6.1.2 If merry company carnall counsell or time will heale thee without spirituall medicine thou art not right 4 If thou have attained to an estimation of Iesus Christ above all things accounting him only pretious and findest that thy heart striveth to settle it selfe in the trust upon him and his merits Phil. 3.8 Gal. 6.14 1
to bee noted that the Apostle useth fâ—ire language when hee speaketh even of carnall men Hee gives not these carnall husbands reproachfull words but onely faith They obey not the Word and the reason may be because the conscience of a man is noâ— wonne by the terror of words but by the evidence of the matter And besides the Apostle did not thinke it fit that wives should bee humoured in the violent dispraises of their husbands It is not profitable for inferiours to conceive much of the hatefulnesse of the sinnes of superiours 12 Religion doth not binde wives to account carnall husbands to bee religious They may know that they are carnall and yet not sinne against their husbands in such judgement so as they judge by infallible grounds for though the wife must love her husband with matrimoniall love above all other men yet shee is not bound to beleeve that he is the best man in the world Lastly it is a great affliction to a Christian wife to have a carnall husband Till shee have wonne him she is but in a distressed estate for other wicked men shee might shunne and so avoide the discomfort ariseth from seeing and hearing their wickedness but an evill husband she cannot nor ought not to depart from him though she must avoide his sinne 1. Cor. 7. and from such a husband she cannot have the helpes shee should have from a husband that could dwell with her as a man of knowledge Besides the many waies in which such a husband may or will hinder her in the course of golinesse besides it cannot but bee a great griefe to her to thinke of their parting out of this world that the one of them must goe to hell and that the companion of her life when he dyes if he repent not must be an eternall companion of devills 13 Good wives may have ill husbands such wives as are truly religious and obedient may have husbands that will not obey the Word of God and that ariseth sometimes from the improvidence or ill providing of parents Many parents that have children that obey them and will be ruled by them doe dispose of them for carnall ends to carnall or ill disposed husbands Sometimes from the hypocrisie of such men as feare God but prove not so when their wives enjoy them Sometimes from an unruly affection in good women who though they know the men they choose to be carnall yet they will have them though it prove to their owne continuall woe and affliction Sometimes from a speciall corruption of nature in some husbands who either are loving husbands and yet but carnall men or are good men but bad husbands Sometimes it ariseth from the speciall grace of God to the wife who though she was carnall when she marryed the carnall husband yet afterwards is converted and effectually called and this was the case of such women as the Apostle seems here to write to Sometimes it falls out by a speciall and unavoideable providence of God though all meanes have been used to try or prevent this evill in the husband for marriage being to bee reckoned amongst outward things God for reasons knowen to himselfe and alwaies just will give ill husbands to good wives And contrariwise it may be God knowes that if some good wives had better husbands they would prove worse wives or both husband and wife would be more unapt to the kingdome of God 14 Vnequall matches ought to bee avoided as much as may be and that may be gathered from the manner of the Apostles speaking in that hee saith If any obey not the Word If any as if he would import that it is a case he desired might be very rarely found amongst Christians They also may be wonne We reade in Scripture of divers kinds of winnings there is a spirituall winning or gaining and there is a wordly winning About the spirituall winning we read of the winning of Christ Phil. 3.8 which is the worke of a particular beleever labouring and wrestling with God in the use of his ordinances to obtaine by the gift of his free grace Iesus Christ for his justification sanctification finall salvation Likewise we read of the winning of grace and spirituall gifts and so godlinesse is called gaine and the good servants are said to winne or gain more Talents to the Talents they had And this gain is gotten by a spirituall trading in the diligent imploiment of the gifts the godly have to get them encreased Wee reade likewise of the winning of other mens soules in many places and that is done either by the Preachers of the Gospel conquering the hearts of their hearers to the obedience of the VVord of Christ and unto sound conversion or else it is done by private persons that by their examples and good carriage or by their admonitions or counsells doe perswade and incline others to a liking of a new life or to humiliation and reformation of some particular faults VVee reade likewise of worldly gaine and winning when men by their sports strive for prizes or in their trades labour for lucre and gaine Now this latter kinde of gaine differs greatly from the former both in the matter of the gaine and in the manner of seeking it for there is no comparison betweene the gaine of grace and godlinesse and the gaine of riches and honour the one is transitorie the other eternall the one is true riches and gaine and serves for the best uses the other is but in shew and serves for the meaner uses of a corporall and temporall life the one doth alwayes doe us good the other doth often doe men hurt and therefore is called filthie lucre And in the manner of getting or holding these gaines there is difference we may covet the best gifts and long after them and love them and joy in them but wee are forbidden the coveting or loving of worldly things But in this place the Apostle speakes of the winning of soules about which the Etymologie affoordeth matter of profitable consideration The originall word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies gaine and withall the joy and delight of the heart in gaining this gain being called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is it pleaseth delighteth the heart And it signifieth craft or policie and therefore in that language a Fox is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He hath his name from this word which may teach three things 1 To winne a soule is a great gaine which must needs be so because to winne a soule is more than to gaine the whole world for what shall it profit a man to winne the whole world and loose his owne soule saith our Saviour 2 It is a marveilous joy to the heart of man to winne soules to God no man that understandeth the worth of the gaine can bee pleased with any thing more than with that The people never comforts the hearts of their godly Teachers more than when they they are
that alleadged that place out of the Prophet to condemne buying and selling in the Temple yet did spend his greatest paines in preaching in the Temple and out of it thereby shewing the prime ordinance of God for the conversion of the soules of men was the preaching of the Gospel to them By the conversation of the Wives Great heed ought to be taken by such as professe Religion in looking carefully to their conversation especially towards such as are without Col. 4.5 Ephes. 5.15 1. Pet. 2.12 It is not enough to doe good dueties but we must doe them as becommeth godlines Tit. 2. and so as may allure and winne the verie ungodly and therefore it is required that our workes should shine Matth. 5.16 for by our practise wee resemble God himselfe and by our workes professe to shew not onely what Gods Word is but what Gods Nature is Our life must have the image of God printed upon it and therefore they doe fearefully that professe Religion amongst wicked men and by their workes order themselves so foolishly deceitfully conceitedly wickedly that they cause the name of God to be blasphemed Quest. But what should wee doe to our practise that by our conversation wee might allure and winne wicked men to a love of the truth Answ. 1. First we must avoide such things in our conversation as may irritate them as scandalous behaviour in anie particular offence as deceit lying filthinesse drunkennesse pride covetousnesse passion or the like and withall take heed of mis-spending our zeale about such things whereof demonstration cannot be made to the conscience And besides in the good things we doe we must take heed of conceitednesse and ostentation but in meekenesse of wisedome have our conversations amongst men Iam. 3.13 and further wee must take heed of judging and censuring of others even of those that be without Iam. 3.17 2 Mortification doth shine effectually into the consciences of wicked men it doth move them much if they see we be such as doe heartily judge our selves for the faults that hang upon us and doe not allow our selves in any sinne Isa. 61.3 3 A sound contempt of this world and the things thereof doth much affect the verie natural consciences of men if they see that not in words but in deed the love of this world and the glorie thereof be not in us and contrariwise it much vexeth them that we should professe the hope of heaven and contempt of the world and yet be as full of cares feares covetousnesse and such like ill affections as the very men of the world 4 Meekenesse and softnesse of nature exprest in our behaviour is verie amiable as the coherence in this Text shewes and Tit. 3.1.2 5 Mercie to the poore especially if we doe abound in it and be ready and cheerefull to it doth justifie us much before men Iam. 1.26 Doct. 2. A good example even in inferiours may win men to Religion True Religion expressed in practise is amiable in all sorts of Christians women aswell as men inferiours as well as superiours servants aswell as Masters children aswell as parents Tit. 2.3.9.10 Luke 1. and the reason is because the true grace that is expressed by any Christian hath the likenesse of God printed upon it and so is amiable for his sake whom they by their workes resemble And this may be a great encouragement to inferiours and should breede in them a great care of well-doing But the maine thing intended in this Text is That religious wives ought to strive to winne their husbands if they have such as are not religious or not in such soundnesse as they ought Quest. But what should a wife doe to winne her husband Answ. Shee must in generall resolve to doe it not by her words but by her conversation as this Text shewes It is not her talking to her husband will doe it no not her talking of religion to him that in it selfe is like to prevaile It concernes women very much to remember this point of the Apostle to seek the reformation of their husbands by their conversation not by their words Object But Abraham was willed to heare his wife Gen. 16. Sol. What then hath every wife such an husband as will heare her as Abraham did his wife Besides the question is not what husbands should doe but what the wives should doe when the husbands are not such as they should be Ob. But how shall a woman know when to speake to her husband and when not Sol. She must not speake to him no not of religion 1. when in the matter she would speak of she is not furnished to speak as becomes the oracles of God 2. when by experience shee hath found that her husband is irritated and provoked by â—her words 3 when shee is not her selfe free from some faâ—lt as apparent in other things as that is shee mislikes in her husband Quest. But what things must shee looke to in her conversation that she may by her workes winne her husband Answ. The first thing is that she be in all sound subjection obedient to her husband in all thingâ— or else God may win him but she must have no part of the praise of it And this is strongly imported in the very scope of this place In generall she must strive to bee to him even for conscience sake that he may see it comes from the force of religion in her a good wife discreet provident carefull to please meeke such a one as his heart may trust in her and delight in her Wives that be foolish wastfull idle froward or busie-bodies if they had never so much shew of religion yet they are not fit for this worke to winne any body much lesse their husbands Secondly she must look to her conversation in things of her religion that therin she behaveth her self as becommeth religion Tit. 2.3 and so she must take heede of conceitednesse and contempt of others or neglect of her calling upon pretence of dueties of her religion and looke to it that shee bee not her selfe guilty of any knowen fault unreformed and withall must strive to shew the power of her godliness in good fruits labouring to abound in good workes 1. Tim. 2.10 both at home and abroad being pittifull mercifull ready to helpe them that are in misery according to her power and in the things she hath liberty to dispose of Other things follow in the three next verses Verse 2. While they behold your chaste conversation coupled with feare IN these words is contained the second thing the Apostle chargeth upon them wives in his exposition viz A chast conversation with feare so ordered as their husbands may daily behold it and observe it in them Where the Apostle implies what the husbands will doe viz. they will observe the conversation of the wives and expresseth what the wives ought to doe viz. in conversation to shew chastitie coupled with fear First then we are to consider of that which
out of the house yet the sonne abideth for ever Iohn 8.35 Lastly we should the lesse feare death seeing hence wee learne that wee have many things that will last with us even after our bodies be rotten in the grave Thus of the third doctrine Doct. 4. Now a fourth point is also cleare and that is That incorruptible things doe wonderfully adorne and make men comely This is the maine scope and drift of the Text. and therefore wee should the more seeke after these things for if wee could see the beauty of the inward man as it is adorned with grace we would bee wonderfully ennamoured and in love with it No comelinesse of the body can so allure as would this inward beauty of the man of the heart and therefore againe we should hence learn to make the more account of poore Christians There are no persons in the world so comely as they if wee knew the worth and ornament of true grace And so in generall wee should love the godly above all people because they are the fairest and best adorned of all the men and women in earth and in particular those husbands that have gracious wives should learn so much religion as to love them entirely even for the beauty of the man of the Heart though they wanted the outward ornaments of riches or extraordinary comelinesse of the outward man Women also should especially hence learne to get grace and knowledge and holinesse into their hearts for their best handsomnesse is in their qualities and gifts 'T is not their cloathes but their manners disposition that becomes them or disgraces them A faire body doth commend little if the heart bee fowle It is a small praise to have a good face and an ill nature Some women are like Helen without and like Hecuba within Thus of the adorning of the man of the Heart in generall Now followes the particular ornament which the Apostle commends by name and that is a meek and quiet spirit Of a meeke and quiet spirit Quietnesse is added to Meeknesse lest by mistaking the definition of Meeknesse they should not understand the Apostles meaning Now the doctrine hence to bee gathered is That amongst all the particular vertues required in Christians meeknesse and quietnesse of nature and spirit is a speciall vertue and carefully to bee sought and in particular by Christian wives as this and other Scriptures shew Eph. 4. 2. Mat. 11.28 Zeph. 2.3 Col. 3.12 Before I make use of this point I must consider what is comprehended in those tearmes of a meeke and quiet spirit and first we must know before hand what it doth not comprehend It doth not require that women or men should be so quiet as not to bee troubled for their sinnes or not to humble their soules for sinne or that they should be carelesse of their callings eyther generall or particular or that they should not admonish or reprove sinne in others when they have a calling and fitnesse But unto the constituting of true meeknesse and quietnesse of spirit is requisit 1 Freedome from the evills that disquiet and molest the spirits of men such as are first anger frowardnesse fretting and peevishnesse secondly worldly sorrow crying and aptnesse to take unkindnesse and fullennesse thirdly distrustfull cares of life arising from covetuousnesse 1. Tim. 6.10.11 fourthly rash zeale and fiercenesse or inordinate striving and wilfulnesse as may be gathered in the case of a Minister 2. Tim. 2.24 25. 26. fifthly contention and evill speaking or ill language as may be gathered from Tit. 3.2 and stirring up contention or brawles sixthly all inordinate desires and raigning heart-sinnes whether sinnes of ambition lust malice or the like Iam. 1.21 seventhly unconstancy and levity of minde Especially it crosseth those evills which are noted to be most usuall in women such as are fretting crying taking unkindnesses unconstancy wilfulnesse complaining on the husbands or the like 2 A kind of peacefull contentment when Christians are habitually well pleased with their condition 3 A gentle behaviour in case of wrongs or faults from or in others so as to be first able to beare them secondly not to render evill for evill but rather to overcome evill with goodnesse thirdly ready to forgive fourthly not provoked to anger 4 A harmelesse and innocent behaviour Zeph. 2.3 5 The fixing of the heart by trusting upon God and living without care like a little child that beleeves his father will provide for him Mat. 18. 6 Lowlinesse of minde thinking no great thoughts of our selves and esteeming the gifts of God in others and accounting others better than our selves and therefore is Lowliness so often added to the word Meeknesse to explane it 7 Silence from many words from vaine and rash speeches especially provoking tearms 8 Retirednesse when a Christian is no busie-body in other mens matters and his feete will bee kept out of his neighbours house and refuseth to have to doe with the strife that belongs not to him 9 Tractablenesse and easinesse to bee directed or appointed and governed as in relation to God it is meeknesse to take his zeale upon us Mat. 11.28 and so in a wife it is a property of a meek and quiet spirit to be easie to bee directed and advised and governed Obhect But is it not lawfull to be angry Sol. Yes it is at some times for some persons upon some causes and in some manner Anger is a tender vertue and such a one as by reason of our unskilfulnesse may be easily corrupted and made dangerous Object But we must reprove or correct Sol. You may doe so but that you must reprove with passion or unquietly I reade not but rather you must reprove with the spirit of meeknesse And besides many rules are requisite to the right use of reproofe and correction Object But can all this be attained Sol. It may or else it would not be required in the new Covenant so often and so vehemently urged and the Church of God is not without instance of such as have attained it and though in many things we may sinne all yet this vertue may bee had though not in the perfection of it Object But I have desired and endevovred to attaine to it and cannot Sol. 1. Vse the means to attain it yet still it may be had at length though not presently Secondly it may bee doubted of many that pretend this that they have not such desire nor use not such endevour in sincerity they are not watchfull and carefull to looke to the opportunities of this vertue or the occasions of the contrary vices Object But may not one have comfort of this vertue if he be at any time angry Sol. Moses the meekest man on earth was once angry and Christ himselfe we read was angry but where this vertue of anger is not habitually it raignes not and where it is it is bridled and ordered Or else I may answer that the act of meeknesse may be interrupted and yet the habite
glory in the world Now the glory of our Adoption may appeare to bee very great if wee consider 1. By whom we are adopted viz. God If it be such a glory to be Heire to any great Prince in the world what a surpassing glory is it to be the sonne and heire of God Rom. 8.17 and that if wee respect either the excellence of God who is the King of all the earth and above all kings or his eternity he is such a Father as lives ever Hos. 1.10 An everlasting Father Esay 9.6 Other Fathers that adopt may dye before they passe the estate or at the best it is a kind of infelicity to enjoy the inheritance without the presence and love of the father But not so here 2. The great price was laid downe to make us capable of this honour to be Gods Heires viz. the blood of Christ. There was never so much paid for all the inheritances in the world besides Gal. 4.4 5. Heb. 9.14 15. 3. The great things we are heires to which I will but briefly touch here Wee are heires not onely to all our eyes can see but to all things our hearts can thinke of Wee shall inherite the earth Mat. 5.5 Wee shall bee heires of the world Rom. 4. God will give us all the world yea we shall inherite eternall life as is to be shewed afterwards yea wee are coheires with Christ Rom. 8.17 And what would wee aske more 4. The great priviledges which Gods adopted children doe enjoy even in this life as 1 They have within them the spirit of Christ in their hearts therefore called The spirit of Adoption Rom. 8.15 16. Gal. 4.6 The spirit of Christ I say to drive away legall terrors and to testifie to their spirits that they are the sons of God and that he hath adopted them to heaven and to make them able to treat with God as a Father by affectionate prayerâ— and as other Scriptures shew to lead them into all truth and to bee the guide of their lives to tell them when they goe out either on the right hand or on the left And lastly to be their continuall comforter Iohn 16. Esay 30. 2. By the right of their Adoption in Christ both their persons and their workes are accepted before God so as they stand alwaies high in Gods favour howsoever they are entertained in the world Eph. 1.6 3. They have a name and honour shall never bee taken from them an everlasting name no preferment so high as theirs Esay 56.4 5. And this is the greater priviledge because no meannesse or contemptiblenesse of condition on earth can barre them from the enjoying of this prerogative as the coherence of that place shewes 4. They have the Angells of heaven to attend them God shewes by that that hee will have them looked unto as his sonnes and heires Heb. 1. ult 5. They may aske whatsoever they will of God and are sure to have it They may get any suit of God and he is so far from not granting that hee rather complaines that they will not aske him often enough Ioh. 16.23 6. If at any time they fall into distresse they have such interest in Gods speciall providence that a haire of their heads shall not fall to the ground without the providence of their heavenly Father And besides God will make himselfe marvellous in their deliverance if all worldly helpes faile Esay 43.18 19 20 21. 5. If wee consider the wonderfull manner of their communion with Christ and that foure waies For first wee have communion of nature with him and that by his Incarnation for he tooke our nature and so became our Brother And this doth nothing at all belong to Reprobates because Christ tooke not nature polluted with sinne Heb. 2.14 Yea wee have communion with him in his divine nature as that nature doth dwell graciously in us and we are made like unto it 2. Pet. 1.4 Secondly they have communion of state with him which the Scripture acknowledgeth as a great mystery for so they are said to live with him to suffer with him to dye with him to be buried with him yea to rise with him to ascend to heaven with him and to sit together with him Eph. 2. yea to judge the world with him onely preserving the difference betweene the head and the members in all this Thirdly they have communion of offices with him for he hath made them Kings and Priests with him The oyle that was powred on his head hath run downe upon his members Revel 1.5.6 so that Gods heires are all Kings Priests A royall nation and a kingdome of Priests 1. Pet. 2.10 Fourthly they have communion in benefits with him for God as a Father hath blessed them in him with all spirituall blessings in heavenly things Eph. 1.3 Communion they have with him in Grace in this life in Glory in the life to come Lastly if wee consider the assurance that Christians have given them for their right of Adoption for first they have an Act for it in Gods eternal Councel Eph. 1.5 Men that have an Act of Parliament for the holding of their lands they thinke they have a sure tenure and yet many Acts of Parliament may be repealed but the Acts of Gods Councell are like himselfe immutable The godly they are predestinate to Adoption Secondly they have not onely Gods promise for their inheritance but Gods oath that by two immutable things the heires of promise might have abundant consolation as the Apostle shewes Heb. 6.17 18. Thirdly to make all sure God hath put his spirit within them as the seale and earnest of their inheritance Eph. 1.13 14. The use may be 1 For Information and so first to shew the great goodnesse of God to man that not onely requires and gives holinesse but addes also blessednesse to his servants In Iustification and Sanctification he gives to men those good things they call bona virtutos the good things of vertue and in Adoption he gives those good things they call bona conditionis the good things of condition even blessednesse and true happinesse whom God makes holy he will make happy also Secondly it manifestly shewes that we hold all our happinesse not by Merit but by Grace For adopted children cannot plead merit but must acknowledge all of gift as will more appeare when we come to speak of the cause of Inheriting viz. Grace 2 For Instruction and so The first impression this Doctrine should worke upon us should be a desire to be such as may obtaine the right of Adoption of sonnes for flesh and blood cannot inherite 1. Cor. 15.50 So long as wee are carnall and unregenerate men wee neither are nor are to be called the heires of God The unrighteous that is such as live in grosse sinne and doe the workes of the flesh are expressely and peremptorily excluded from the benefit of Adoption 1. Cor. 6.9 10. Gal. 5.21 None but such as are effectually called and borne
these places shew Psal. 30.5 63.7 8. 36.3 16. ult with coherence 3 The entertainment God gives his people in his house is one speciall cause of encrease of this life in us as it encreaseth both knowledge and joy and all goodnesse and satisfies the heart of man especially amongst all the things that are without us the Word of God as it is powerfully preached in Gods house is the food of this life called the savour of life unto life 2. Cor. 2.16 Christs words are the words of eternall life Ioh. 6. see Psal. 36.8 Ioh 12.50 Prov. 4.22 4 Fellowship with the godly is singular to quicken and excite the life of grace and joy and knowledge in us therefore it is an amiable thing for brethren to dwell together in unity because there God hath commanded the blessing even life for evermore Psal. 133. ult Prov. 2.20 The mouth of the righteous is a veine of life Pro. 10.11 Yea the very reproofes of instruction are the way of life Pro. 6.23 And therefore weake Christians should be instructed from hence with faith to rest upon the God of their lives who by the spirit of Christ can inable them to eternall life with thankfulnesse to embrace all signes of Gods favour and presence and above all things in life to provide for themselves powerfull meanes in publike and good society in private and not to be turned off from either of these by slight either objections or difficulties and to resolve to labour more for these than carnall persons would doe to have their naturall lives if they were in distresse or danger It is also excellent counsell which Saint Iude gives in this point concerning eternall life hee would have us looke to foure things The first is to edifie our selves in our most holy faith striving to get in more store of Gods promises and divine knowledges and to strive to establish our hearts in our assurance of our right to them The second is to pray in the holy Ghost for hee knew that powerfull prayer doth greatly further eternall life in us The third is to keepe our selves in the love of God avoiding all things might displease him chusing rather to live under the hatred of all the world than to anger God by working iniquity The fourth is to looke as often and as earnestly as we can after that highest degree of mercy and glory wee shall have in the comming of Christ Iud. 1.19 20. I will conclude this point with that one counsell of Salomon Keepe thy heart with all diligence for there out come the issues of life Christians that would prosper in spirituall life should be very carefull of the first beginnings of sin in their thoughts and desires and bee very diligent in nourishing all good motions of the holy Ghost preserving their peace and joy in beleeving with all good consciences Pro. 4.23 Thus of the fourth point 5 Now for the differences of life in these degrees especially the first and last degree they are very great for though eternall life in the first degree bee a treasure of singular value yet the glory of this life doth greatly excell as it is to be held in another world I entend not to compare life in heaven with naturall life here for that is not worthy to be mentioned in the balance with that eternall life of glory but with eternall life it selfe as it is held by the godly onely in this world And so the difference is very great 1 In respect of the place where the godly lives in each degree 2 In respect of the meanes of preservation of life in each degree 3 In respect of the cōpany w th whō we live in each degree 4 In respect of the quality of life itselfe 5 In respect of the effects of life eternall in each degree For the first there is great difference betweene the life of grace and the life of glory in the very place of living Here we live in an earthly Tabernacle in houses of clay there wee shall live in eternall Mansions buildings that God hath made without hands 2. Cor. 5.1 Here we live on earth there in heaven Here wee are strangers and pilgrims farre from home Heb. 11. there wee shall live in our Fathers house Here wee are in Aegypt there we shall live in Canaan Here we live where death sorrow and sinne and Divells dwell there wee shall live in a place where God and immortality and all holinesse dwells 2. Pet. 3.13 Here wee are but banished men there we stall live in the celestiall Paradise Here wee have no abiding City but there we shall abide in the new Ierusalem that is above The glory of the whole earth can but shadow out by similitude the very walls and gates of that Citie Rev. 21. Here wee can but enter into the holy place there we shall enter into the most holy place Heb. 10.19 To conclude there wee shall enter into the heaven of heavens which for lightnesse largenesse purenesse delightfulnesse and all praises almost infinitely excells the heavens wee enjoy in this visible world For the second in this life unto the preservation of life we have neede of many things as first we neede meate drinke rayment sleepe marriage physicke the light of the Sunne by day and the Moone by night Yea the life of Grace though it consist not in these things yet in a remote consideration hath neede of these that wee may bee the better able to serve God in body and soule But in heaven wee shall neede none of these wee shall bee as the Angells of heaven and God himselfe shall there be all in all and shall fill us with his goodnesse 1. Cor. 15.28 Our life shall subsist in God himselfe who shall satisfie us out of the plenty of his owne glory In that City there will be no need of the Sunne to shine by day or of the Moone to give light by night for the glory of the Lord doth lighten it and the Lambe shall bee the light thereof and there shall bee no night there Rev. 21.23 22.5 Esay 2.60.19 Secondly in this world wee neede the helpe of superiours as Kings Rulers Parents Husbands Teachers c. But in that world inferiority and subjection shall cease when wee shall sit downe with Abraham Isaac and Iacob in the Kingdome of God Mat. 8.11 and so all the first things shall then be done away Rev. 21.4 Thirdly in this world wee need spirituall meanes for our soules and the helpe of divers gifts in the Spirit which serve for our furtherance in the way to eternal life Our soules cannot live without a Temple on earth without the Word and Prayer and Sacraments but in that new Ierusalem S. Iohn saw no Temple in it there is no preaching nor praying there wee shall not neede any nor have cause to mourne for the want of it as many times we doe now for the Lord God almighty and the Lambe are the Temple
doubt of audience if thou bring lawfull petitions and an honest heart Ob. But I have praied and I finde no successe Sol. God sometimes seemes not to heare of purpose to make us the more importunate Luk. 18.1 c. Againe God may heare us and not grant what wee aske but something that is better for us as he heard Christ Heb. 5. and Paul 2. Cor. 12.8 9. Vers. 8. Finally be yee all of one minde one suffer with another love as brethren be pitifull be courteous HItherto of the generall exhortation to all Christians and the speciall exhortation to subjects servants wives and husbands Now followes the third part of my division which I made when I entreated of Vers. 3. of Chapter the first viz. matter of dehortation For I conceive that the Apostle in the rest of this Chapter doth secretly entend to dehort Christians from impaciency under the troubles may befall them in this life Where hee proceeds in this order First he strives to shew them the best course to avoid trouble as much as in them lies from Vers. 8. to 14. Secondly hee shewes them how to avoid impatiency if trouble doe come from Verse 14. to the end of the Chapter About the avoiding of troubles hee gives both Rules and Reasons Rules Verse 8 9. Reasons Verse 9. to 14. The Rules shew us how wee must carrie our selves both towards the good Verse 8. and towards the bad Verse 9. And to strengthen those Rules especially the latter of them he gives three strong reasons one taken from the state and condition of the true Christian Verse 9. the other taken from a propheticall testimony where hee shewes what the Prophet Davids opinion was long since Vers. 10 11 12. the third taken from the profitable effect or event of such a course Vers. 13. About avoyding of impatiency if trouble doe come hee proceeds in the like order For first he gives Rules Vers. 14 15 16. then Reasons Vers. 17. to the end of the Chapter In giving Rules hee shewes them what to thinke on Vers. 14. and what to doe both towards themselves Vers. 14. and towards God Vers. 15. and towards other men Ver. 16. In generall if we marke the whole frame and the Apostles order wee may observe divers things as 1 That troubles are not to bee desired for the Apostle shewes how to avoid them Which is to be noted to confute those weake Christians that long for that which they call persecution 2 That a man may bee a good Christian and yet not bee much opposed outwardly which blames those that dislike tâ—eir owne estate or censure the estate of others because they are not afflicted or persecuted as other men 3 Yea it is the duty of every Christian to looke carefully to his conversation and to strive by the use of all good meanes to avoide unquietnesse and trouble in the world Rom. 12.19 Amos 5.12 1. Tim. 2.2 3. 4 That some Christians may carry themselves with great discretion humility piety and inoffensivenesse and yet cannot avoid trouble but shall suffer from the world 5 That impatiency and disquietnesse in the time of trouble is a very dishonourable vice in a Christian with great care and all possible endeavour to be avoided 6 That it is possible for a Christian to attaine to that degree of goodnesse as to be able to expresse great patience and unmoveablenesse though many great troubles befall them if they will use the medicines prescribed in Gods word and follow such directions as the Apostle here gives Thus of the generall doctrines In this eight Verse the Apostle gives rules that shewe a way how to avoid trouble and they are rules that concerne our conversation with godly Christians and so he shewes that there are five things that are of singular use to preserve a man from unquietnesse and trouble if it may be as 1 To agree in opinion to bee all of one minde for many discords much unquietnesse and sometimes publike troubles arise from singularity and diversity in opinions 2 To be compassionate and like affected when other men are in trouble for as this is amiable amongst men so many times it mooyes the Lord to keepe us from trouble because we are tenderly affected towards other men in their troubles 3 To love our brethren for that both shewes us to the world to be the true Disciples of Christ Ioh. 13. and besides by the quality of brotherly love a world of discord and trouble is prevented 4 To be pittifull or as it is in the originall to bee well bowelled in respect of mercy to have right bowells of mercy in comforting and relieving such as are in distresse for to the mercifull God will shew mercy if it be good for them even this mercy of living a quiet life 5 To be courteous for a courteous and loving behaviour prevents suspition and quenches much fire of discord that otherwaies would breake out and winnes much affection both in good and bad Be yee all of one minde Divers things may bee here observed The first is generall to the whole Verse and that is That in this World in the best estate of the Church there are many defects and disagreements and faults in the carriage or judgments of Christians in their living together The earnestnesse of the Apostle in heaping up these directions imports that he discerned many things amisse which was not onely true of the Churches of Corinth and Galatia and Thessalonica but even of the Church of Philippi which S. Paul most commends And the like we may finde in the estate of the seven churches of Asia if we mark what is said to them by S. Iohn in his Revelation Yea there was not perfect agreement at all times amongst the Pillars of the first Christian Churches Paul and Barnabas were at variance Act. 15. 39. and Paul and Peter did openly disagree Gal. 2. The reason is because in this life wee know but in part and are sanctified but in part 1. Cor. 13. The use should be First to teach us not to bee offended or scandalized at the differences of opinion that break out in all the Churches of Christ every where in our times Wee must pray the God of peace to give us peace and know that it hath ' alwaies beene so and therefore it should not hinder us from embracing the known truth Secondly this should the more enflame our desires after heaven and make us the more willing to die because there will never be perfect holinesse and agreement till wee come to heaven then wee shall be holy as God is holy and know as wee are knowne and charity will be perfect for ever And besides this should teach us with the more patience to instruct and waite for the amendment of such as are contrary minded and not strive over violently or passionately with them 2. Tim. 2.25 Lastly if Christians can agree no better and have such defects then wee should never wonder
with them as if they were guilty of murther To hate a godly man is murther in the sight of God and deprives a man of eternall life 1. Ioh. 3.14 15. and prooves him that is guilty of it to bee a person that abides in death And it is in vaine to plead that they love God for if a man say he loveth God and hateth his brother he is a lyar for hee that loveth not his brother whom he hath seene how can hee love God whom hee hath not seene And it is Gods peremptory commandement that hee that loveth God love his brother also â— Ioh. 4.20 21. Yea this Doctrine affordeth matter of reproofe to divers that goe for true Christians and so for many faults As first it reprooveth those that have the faith of Christ in respect of persons Iam. 2.1 c. This is a fault in the richer sort and such as stand upon their worldly greatnesse they rest in their shew of respect and love to some Ministers or to some great persons that answer to their owne ranke but wholly neglect the acquaintance and entertainement and fellowship of poore Christians and thereby not onely displease God but much darken their owne evidence in this signe of the love of the brethren because they shew not their love to all the Saints as they might and ought Secondly it reprooveth intemperate Christians that sinne against brotherly love by rash censuring and condemning of their brethren especially when they become divulgers of censure and stand out as accusers of their brethren This is a divellish sinne for it is the divells speciall sinne to be an adversary and an accuser of the brethren Rev. 12.10 so that hee is a divell incarnate that useth this course Rom. 14.3 10 13. Iam. 4.11 12. 5 9. Thirdly it reprooveth the great worldlinesse that is discerned in divers Christians that are so hardly drawne to shew compassion and mercy to poore Christians when they are in distresse They have this worldly goods and yet shut up the bowells of their compassion from their brethren though they see they have need and therefore how dwelleth the love of God in them 1. Iohn 3.17 Fourthly it reprooves the great aptnesse to contention that appeares in many that easily fall into discord from thence into suites of Law against their brethren which is cleerely condemned in these Scriptures both by example and prohibition Gen. 13.8 Act. 7.26 1. Cor. 1.10 6.5 Fiftly it greatly reprooveth such as by their opinions or practise offend and grieve weake Christians and cause them to stagger or stumble or bee unsetled in the good way of God and so endanger not onely their present consolation but as much as in them lyeth their salvation also Mat. 18.6.1 Cor. 8 11 12 13. Thus of the use for reproofe Vse 2. Secondly this Doctrine may serve for instruction and so it should prevaile with us to desire endeavour to expresse and preserve amongst us brotherly love that it may be and continue and encrease amongst all such as feare God Heb. 13.1 And to this end divers rules are to be observed for that brotherly love may continue 1 We must not fashion our selves according to this world but avoide all needelesse conversation with wicked men Rom. 12.1 2. 2 Wee must take heede of and avoide such as sow difcord or cause diuisions amongst men whether they be such as goe about to seduce men in opinions Rom. 16.19 Gal. 5. 12 2. Pet. 3.16 or such as make contention in practise A little leaven of dissenting or discord may leaven the whole lumpe 3 Wee must take heed that wee be not ensnared or entangled with vaine glorious desires after worldly greatnesse whether in Church or Common wealth Therefore Christ chargeth his Disciples not to be called Rabbi because they and all the godly were brethren Mat. 23.8 Gal. 5. ult 4 If wee would preserve brotherly love wee must take heede of conceitednesse and wilfulnesse of judgement wee must not bee wise in our selves but rather in lowlinesse of minde esteeme another mans gifts and judgement better than our owne and shew it by making our selves equall to them of the lower sort Phil. 2.3 Rom. 12.10.16 Prov. 12.15 5 Wee must take heed of worldlinesse and selfe-love and the minding of our own things and studying of our ends in conversing 1. Cor. 13 5. Phil. 2.4 6 Wee must take heede of overmuch retyrednesse and neglecting of comfortable and profitable fellowship with our brethren Heb. 10.25 Phil. 1.6 Psal. 133.1 These are things wee must avoid There are divers things likewise to be done that we may preserve brotherly love as 1 Wee must provoke one another to love by all words and carriages that may bee without flattery or dissimulation Heb. 10.24 2 Wee should strive without complement to shew the sound proofe of our love in all our actions and by the fruits of it in all well-doing strive to approve our selves to God and before men in this thing 2. Cor. 8.24 3 In all things wee doe to or for the brethren we should strive to doe them after a loving and respective manner Let all your things bee done in love faith the Apostle 1. Cor. 16.14 4 Wee must strive to be rightly ordered towards our brethren in case of sinne against God or trespasse against us And that wee shall be if wee soundly practise these foure Rules 1 If wee know any fault by our brother and feele that it doth tempt us to alienation wee must then remember the charge given Levit. 19.17 which is not to suffer our hearts to hate him but give a vent unto our hearts by a plaine and discreet reproofe 2 Wee should be soundly setled in judgment that there are infirmities in the best though wee know them not and so to looke for it as when they doe breake out wee should shew our selves ready to beare their infirmities and forbeare them if they bee meere frailties choosing rather to crosse our selves than to irritate or provoke them in their weakenesse Rom. 15.1 2. 3 If any brother trespasse against us we should shew our sâ—lves easie to be entreated and willing to practise the rule given by our Saviour even to forgive him if he offend unto seventy times seven times when he saith it repenteth him Mat. 18.21 4 If wee have done any wrong we should make hast to be reconciled and seeke it with willing acknowledgement and readinesse to make satisfaction Mat. 5.23 24. Onely wee must remember about this doctrine of the love of the brethren that there are three caveats to be looked to 1 That wee misplace not our affections upon false brethren for there are false brethren that will creepe in privily many times for corrupt ends Gal. 2.4 2. Thes. 3.13 2 That if any brother be scandalous or walke inordinately or will not be subject to the forme of doctrine and the publike ministerie then such a one is to be avoided onely he must be
present uncapable of all those promises of Scripture that make it cleare that God may afflict them and not bee displeased with them and they may bee his deare servants and children They will not know that whom God loves he chastens and that hee is used to try his gold in the fire and that whom God gives the greatest comforts hee usually sends great tryalls immediately after as when Christ was honoured with a voice from heaven at his baptisme a visible descending of the holy Ghost upon him hee was by and by led into the wildernesse to bee tempted of the Divell And Paul after his revelation was cast downe almost into hell with temptations Thus of the knowledge of conversion and calling in generall Now in this Text is further imported That a Christian may know the warrant of all his particular actions for the true Christian goeth to the light that it may be manifest that his workes are wrought in God Iohn 3.22 and he walketh by rule Gal. 6. and he makes the Word a light to his feet and a Lanthorne to his pathes Psal. 119. And this point greatly reproveth the carelesnesse of the most Christians that are unresolved in the most actions of their lives and live by false rules as the example of others or the conceits of their owne heads or their profite or the like They doe not know their calling in seeing the warrant of all their courses and therefore it is that they live in strange offences and see not the danger These walke in darkenesse and know not whither they goe Now if any aske how they may attaine to the knowledge of the rules for all their actions I answer shortly they must redeeme the time and studie the Scriptures for there onely shall they finde the right rules of all good conversation Iohn 5.39 2. Tim. 3.15 Ephes. 5.15 and withall men must aske the way to Sion Ier. 50.4 5. They must make conscience to seeke resolution and counsaile of their Teachers especially and in all this be sure they bring an humble heart and a lowly minde for God hath promised to teach the meeke and the humble his wayes To inherit Blessing The end of their calling is to inherite Blessing What things are contained in these words will appeare by certaine generall observations and by the particular unfolding of them In generall we may hence gather 1 That Gods people or true Christians are a blessed people such as have a marvellous excellent estate above all men none like them Deut. 23.29 Let the righteous man dwell where he will he is better than his neighbour they are the onely noble and excellent ones Psal. 16.3 As God said of Iob so is it true of all them none are as they Iob 2. They doe not inherit that which is blessed only but they inherite blessing Everie leafe of the Bible saith they are blessed and the word in the old Testament so translated signifies blessednesse all blessings are theirs This would be a great comfort to true Christians that know their calling nothing should dismay them they should chide their soules if they be discouraged as David did Psal. 42. And the wicked men of this world should be ashamed of their sottish blindnesse that account godly men in a miserable case or doe any way vilifie them And weake Christians should pray earnestly to God to shew them the hope of their calling Ephe. 1.9 that they may be from their hearts perswaded of their happinesse 2 That Gods elect by Nature are not in a blessed estate They are called to it not borne to it it is a preferment they are advanced to by meanes of their receiving of the Gospell and the sinceritie of true Religion Their religion not their parents or their owne endevours helps them to it by nature they are in a miserable case both in respect of unholinesse and unhappinesse Ephes. 2.1 2 3 1 2. Tit. 3.3 And this is fit for them to know that they may be the more stirred up to magnifie the free grace of God and to love the Gospell and that they may be the more humble in themselves and strive to walke worthie of so excellent a calling and use all meanes that God hath appointed to encrease more and more in blessing And unregenerate men must likewise hence take notice that they can never inherite blessing unlesse they repent for calling is the doore of blessing 3 That true Christians inherite nothing but blessing there is no curse mingled withall It will presently rise in mens mindes that many afflictions of all sorts befall them as well as others But I answer first that all the malediction deserved by their sinnes was charged upon Christ and hee hath borne all the curse for them Gal. 3. Isa. 53. and so Gods justice is satisfied and their debt paide Secondly I may take advantage of the word Inherit and that two wayes first that though afflictions which are properly rodds for the wicked may breake in upon the lot of the righteous yet they shall not rest there Psal. 125.3 It is but for a little while that God can be angry with them but he loves them with an everlasting love Isa. 54. They inherite not afflictions though they have afflictions Secondly they are called to inherite blessing which imports further That though during their minoritie in this world they may endure some hardship yet when these heyres come to perfect age in heaven then all affliction shall be cast into the Sea and there shall bee no curse Revelat. 22. Thirdly I answer that even their crosses are blessings for as God can curse the very blessings of the wicked so can he and doth blesse the seeming curses of the godly All shall worke together for the best to them that love God Rom. 2.28 All things are to be measured for good or ill according to the use of them to us That which doth us hurt cannot be a blessing and that which doth us good cannot be a curse Now for the particular unfoulding of this blessing they inherite wee must know that godly Christians inherite blessing divers waies 1 From other men and so the poore blesse them for their charity The blessing of him that is readie to perish many times comes upon them Iob 29.13 Their very loynes blesse them Iob 31.20 and their neighbours blesse them for peace making Mat. 5.8 and the godly blesse them for their gifts of grace and pray for Gods blessings upon them Psal. 134.3 and if they have any publike employments for God in Church or Common-wealth the eare that heareth them blesseth them Iob 29.11 And at sometimes God doth so guide and prosper the waies of his servants that all sorts of men doe acknowledge them for the seed which the Lord hath blessed Esay 61.8 2 From their own consciences if the world at any time testifie against him or revile him yea if Divells and men set against him yet he inherits this blessing that his owne conscience