simul oriuntur simul moriuntur here in via at least yet Faith is the first-born and according to the Law of Primogeniture and Birth-right it layes the claim and title to Heaven and gives the jus ad rem Legall Right thereto though the actuall possession thereof the jus in re be from Faith perfected by Works And hence in Scripture account howsoever Faith and Obedience are Philosophically two distinct habits they are the same in as much as true Christian Faith is Obedientiall not meerly Notionall and all Christian Obedience is an emanation of Faith For there we find one and the same Word denoting both Infidelity and Disobedience 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is sometimes unbeleif Acts 14.2 But the unbeleeving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and made their minds evill affected against the Brethren John 3.36 He that beleeveth on the Son hath Everlasting life and he that beleeveth not the Son shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him Sometimes disobedience undutifulnesse obstinacy Ephes 3.2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this World according to the prince of the power of the ayre the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience Col. 3.6 For which things sake the wrath of God commeth on the children of disobedience 1 Pet. 3.20 Which somtimes wore disobedient when once the long suffering of God wayted c. So not providing for our Family which in strictnesse of Language is an act of disobedience because an omission of a prescribed duty is yet made by the Apostle 1 Tim. 5.8 a bad peice of Infidelity and men are said to be absurd and wicked because they have not Faith 2 Thes 3.2 and so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not onely barely to assent but also to obey Galat. 3.1 and true sineere conversion is stiled Faith to God ward 1 Thes 1.8.9.10 and the keeping of the Commandements and Faith are inseparably conjoyned Apoc. 14.12 And then the Exhortation will be seasonable What God hath joyned together let no man put asunder what God hath joyned in praecept let no man separate either in Dispute Discourse or Practice For 7. We find Rahabs Faith working by love and her love demonstrated by her Hospitality She received the Spies in peace which the Apostle St James 2.25 urgeth as an instance to demonstrate her Faith to be true and truely Christian Zacheus upon his profession of Faith promised restitution and vowed liberality The Convert therefore on the Crosse even in those dying minutes beleeved and through Faith confessed Christs innocency and his own guilt and in great charity both reproves and exhorts his fellow sufferer If we pretend to Faith and have not Repentance towards God and love towards the Brethren as the Apostle in another case so here our Faith is in vain we are yet in our sins The love of the Brethren is a good expression of our love to God and Faith in our Lord Jesus Christ If we receive our Lord by Faith we will well-come and receive with kindnesse the people whom he hath chosen for his portion and Inheritance and if we love God as the Soveraigne we must joyntly love them whom he loveth and to whom he communicateth some share and measure of his fulnesse 1 John 4.20.21 If a man say I love God and hateth his Brother he is a lyar For he that loveth not his Brother whom he hath seen how can he love God whom he hath not seen And this Commandement have we from him that he who loveth God love his Brother also And no better or clearer expression of love then Hospitality and honourable and liberall entertainment of strangers and exiles and therefore Brotherly love and Hospitality are conjoyned as the antecedent and the consequent Heb. 13.1.2 But 8. Her Faith made her faithfull to God and his Church having undertaken this Profession she will hold it fast neither to desert it nor to comply with its opposite and enemy If we fall away from our holy Profession though but by some secret complyance to the contrary we are not so faithfull nor so clear as we ought to be our Faith is not fincere at least suspitious and Rahabs Zeale will either convince us of coldnesse or luke-warmnesse in a good cause 9. Rahab perished not because she upon Treaty with the Spies had made her Conditions and Articles Wicked faithlesse men are noted to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who will prevaricate with their Word and Promise though solemnly Covenanted Rom. 1.31 Faith is to be kept and Covenants to be observed even with Hereticks and Heathens such was Rahab at the Treaty Thus the Israelites kept touch with the Gibeonites Joshua 9.18.19 And the Children of Israel smote them not because the Princes of the Congregation had sworn unto them by the Lord God of Israel And all the Congregation murmured against the Princes But all the Princes said unto all the Congregation We have sworn unto them by the Lord God of Israel now therefore we may not touch them And because after they and the House of Saul did prevaricate God severely punished them 2 Sam. 21.5.6 And they answered the King The man that consumed us and that devised against us that we should be destroyed from remaining in any of the Coasts of Israel Let seven men of his Sons be delivered unto us and we will hang them up unto the Lord in Gibeah of Saul whom the Lord did chuse And the King said I will give them So he punished the perfidious Moabites 2 Kings 3.5 34. and the falshood of Zedechiab Ezech. 17 19. 10. She perished not but not onely she even her Relatives shared in this happinesse God blesseth the faithfull and mercifull man in his Relations and Posterity The Generation of the Righteous shall be blessed Never any destruction so totall so universall but a residue escaped Isay 10.20.21 And it shall come to passe in that day that the remnant of Israel and such as are escaped of the House of Jacob shall no more again stay upon him that smote them but shall stay upon the Lord the holy One of Israel in truth The remnant shall return even the remnant of Iacob unto the mighty God Rev. 7.3 Hurt not the Earth neither the Sea nor the Treet till we have Sealed the Servants of our God in their Foreheads The Third Part. OAlmighty God and most mercifull Father the giver of all grace and Author of all goodnesse who delightest not in the death of a sinner but rather that he should turn and live Turn thee unto us and turn us unto thee and so shall we be turned Convert thou us and so shall we be converted O let us not any longer goe a whoring after our own imaginations nor be led by the deceitfulnesse of sin but having Faith to God-ward we may turn from Idols to serve thee the living God and to wait for thy Son from Heaven and in the mean time receive and welcome him in our
then his Preservation God gratifies her Religious good Nature with larger bounties she had also the delight and comfort to Suckle and Swadle him and not onely by connivence or permission but by speciall Favour and Commission from Pharaohs Daughter not upon her own proper costs and charges but with a certain Honourable Salary and Stipend and with full expectation of high preferment in Pharaohs Court for a surplusage So true is that of the Apostle Eph. 3.20 God is able to doe exceeding abunndantly above all that we can aske or think And the Psalmists supposition is here in some sence affirmatively true When his Father and Mother forsook him then the Lord took him up Psal 27.10 for Moses his Parents durst not take notice of him neither was there any to look for or after him but a timerous Damosell who yet but looked at a distance God took the care then upon himself who is a present help when all other second auxiliaries faile to all distressed persons but above all others to exposed Infants Their Angels in Heaven when no Guardians on Earth doe alwayes saith our Saviour Mat. 18.10 behold the Face of my Father stand before and about him as his Guard continually to attend and wait for Orders towards their protection and preservation And as he appointeth his noble Hosts to be their Overseers and Assistants so he maketh the most honourable among men to be the instruments of his good providence Kings shall be their Nursing Fathers and Queens their Nursing Mothers as was here in effect demonstrated and was in some part proved and experienced by David and so by him witnessed and attested Psal 22.9.10.11 4. The experience of Gods mercifull dispensations and gracious dealings is a great ayd and assistance to our Faith and a strong and powerfull encouragement for our chearfull dependance on Gods good providence It was an experiment which satisfied Peters scruple removed his error and prejudice and produced that determination and conclusion of Faith Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons Acts 10.34 And it was an Argument of sense which fetched that answer and confession of Faith from Thomas My Lord and my God But as it is an help to Faith so it is the settlement and strength of hope and obedience former favours provoke us to thankfulnesse in prosperity and good dayes and encline us to confidence and resolution in adversity in dangerous and difficult times take a proofe and instance of both Josephs rejection of his Mistrisse her solicitations was grounded on his Masters favour and Gods goodnesse in his former deliverance and present preferment Gen. 39.8.9 Behold my master c. as if he had said Such an unworthy complyance and condiscention as she moved was both a sin against God and an iniustice against Pharaoh the former an act of irreligion the latter of ingratitute both a great wickednesse When Benhadad was in straits and knew not which way to turn himself his Servants counselled him to joyn with them in a submission to Ahab King of Israel and the motive to this their counsell and his acceptance and all their submission was this Behold now we have heard that the Kings of the House of Israel are mercifull Kings c. 1 Kings 20.31.32 Doubtlesse it is a good Argument God hath been found in this and such emergencies when we sought unto him therefore let us seek again to him he hath heard when we called therefore let us call again David frames such an Argument when from an induction of mercies he concludes a continuation The Lord that delivered c. 1 Sam. 17.34.35.36.37 And Saint Paul from the former experience of mercies builds his future hopes of a succession 2 Cor. 1.8 9.10 So true is that of the same holy Apostle Rom. 5.4.5 Patience worketh experience and experience hope not an hypocriticall presumption which hath the luck alwayes to be bafled but a grounded dependance which maketh not ashamed as all hypocrites shall be when their vain confidences fayl them which alwayes obtains either what it expects or better or more and is therefore a rejoycing hope because an obtaining ver 2. or which is more pertinent Because the love of God is shed abroad c. ver 5. former receipts of mercies hath produced in our hearts an assurance that God loveth us and if so then we know that all things work together for good to them that love God Rom. 3.28 and none but such God loves so as to reward And this made the Psalmist use that Exhortation Tast and see that the Lord is good c. Psal 34.8 and that solemn and sacred Protestation I will remember the years c. Psal 77 10.11.12.13 5. Acts of nature and reason if performed in Faith are taken in and converted into Religion Moses Parents did an act of naturall affection in Faith as was before cleared and so they were not onely naturall but religious and faithfull for so doing and the ground hereof is That as not the opus operatum not the doing of a work of Religion is a duty abstractedly and simply considered removed from all adjuncts and circumstances for even the most wicked transgressors may doe that which for the substance of the work is Religious and yet they are not Religious in doing it because of a defailance in the right manner of performing as in Jehu his Zeale the Pharisees Prayers the Hypocrits Almes for they doe them not in ayme respect and order to God and his Laws but to other ends and purposes as is expressed Hos 7.14.16 Zach. 7.5 so the most common acts of life of nature and civility may become acts of Faith and holy Religion if they be duely circumstantiated done spiritually and divinely with relation and reference unto God obedience and submission to his will for it is the manner of doing and the end which differenceth and distinguisheth holy and prophane actions acts of Faith and acts of Reason of Grace and Nature and therefore those acts which materially are naturall and ciuill rationall and morall if performed with a desire a care and conscience to please God they are formally and truely Religious and Christian as the Philippians Contribution sent by Epaphroditus is called a Sacrifice acceptable a Sacrifice acceptable because done to him with an Eye and respect to God the liberality was to Paul the Sacrifice the Service to God and this sauctified it and adopted it into an holy office or an act of Faith Aug. lib. 19. de Civ Dei cap. 25. throughout 6. To denominate an act a duty of Faith it is sufficient to walk and move according to that degree and measure of light we have received and to beleeve proportionably to the evidence of the Revelation That which stayed Moses his Parents their Faith and for which they were reputed faithfull was not a clear Philicall or Mathematicall demonstration for this carries its evidence so strongly along with that it commands and forceth assent neither was it
objects and led by customes that reasonable men should be in their duty rationall or from the assurance of reward and how dull men are to apprehend and beleeve future good things and to live by hope every one saying Let me have it in my hand and so make sure work is frequently experimented and so this very consideration is an abatement to the power of Precept But Examples makes all these respects and obligations good for if the command run thus Doe this not because it is commanded but because this is the practise of the wisest and the best or the most honourable they have done so before you and been very successefull in their doings what is thus exemplified and experimented is readily and faithfully observed and most confidently which is the quickning and forwarding of action expected Examples and experiments of this kind are many and frequent and indeed ' it s the chiefe end of all Historicall Relations and the Writing of the Lives of the Jewish Christian and Gentile Worthies For Mollissime suadetur exemplis though Examples be not argumentative cogent proofs to profound judgements and strict disputants yet to most men they are most effectuall because more fit to perswade And therefore Aristotle lib. 8. Top. cap. 2. thus resolves 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Argument is more pressing proose an Example more obliging an Argument drawes the understanding an Example leads and faciliùs dueimur quam trahimur the affections that indeed more powerfull yet this more prevalent Themistocles saw Miltiades Trophces and this occular demonstration did prevaile with him for imitation above any either precept or reason but this one to follow so brave a President Achilles his same set Alexander on action and Alexanders Julius Casars and Casars honour hath made many thousand adventurers since And to come somwhat neerer and close to our holy Profession Hath not Christ upon this score set himself for an Example Hath not the Apostles proposed themselves subordinate Patternes under him and required us to look to the former times and take the Prophets Patriarkes c. for Presidents to us and our actions And hath not this very Apostle brought in and summed up a Cloud of Witnesses to confirme an infallible truth and to provoke imitation Nay Doth not the Christian Rule strictly require exemplary Piety in all Beleevers that they be not onely burning having Zeal in themselves but shining lights by their practise communicating and diffusing it to others give visible proofs of that hope is in them For thus runs the rule Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorifie your Father which is in Heaven Mat. 5.16 And so 1 Peter 2.11.12 Dearely beleved I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims abstaine from fleshly lusts which war against the soule Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles that whereas they speake against you as evill doers they may by your good works which they shall behold glorisie God in the day of visitation And here we may see and admire the infinite love and goodnesse of God towards man that he for a supply and succour to our frailties and prejudices seconds all his Precepts with Promises and impowers these by Examples and Experiments that whereas as our God and Lord he might use onely his Word of command and strictly and upon the severest penalty exact conformity yet he is pleased to consider that we are but Flesh and therefore not to make use of his absolute and Soveraigne Power over us but as an Indulgent to win and gain us over to himself by such Arts and Methods as have the greatest influence with weak infirme men great Promises and good Examples Promises to encourage Examples to leade even to leade if we will not drive If Power prevaile not goodnesse may Nay God in this Instance hath not onely so far condescended to our infirmities as to prove the reasonablenesse of his dictates to us to convince our understandings but he hath ex abundanti afforded Promises to whet and excite our wills and Patternes to guide and conduct our affections And here also we may see and admire the rare composition of the Book of God the holy Scriptures which not onely declares unto us the Will of God but furnisheth us with Arguments ad hominem strong perswasives to confirme thereto it abounds with perswasives of all sorts So that we may justly take up Tertullians Devout Contemplation and expression Adoro plenitudinem Scripturarum So we we adore the fulnesse of the Scriptures It s full of cleare Prophesies holy Praecepts gracious Promises glorious Examples It s full of Prophesies and they are full of truth these forewarne us to fly from evill to come Full of Praecepts and these full of Piety to exhort us to be fruitfull in good works Full of Promises and these full of mercy and sweetnesse to incline and move us to beleeve his Prophesies and obey his Precepts Full of rare Presidents and these full of Evidence to ascertain his Promises Prophesies to prepare Praecepts to command Promises to encourage and Examples to leade us the way to the way the truth and the life Prophesies shews us fully the infinite wisedome of our Lawgiver and that it is our wisedome to beleeve them and none else Praecepts declare his infinite Power and Soveraignty and that it is our duty to observe them Promises proposeth his infinite goodnesse in rewarding us for our duty and it is our Piety to hope for and depend on them our comfort that we have them and so good a God who will reward us far above our deserts Examples to evidence his infinite truth in performing his Word of Prophesie and Promise to them who performed their duty in obedience to his Praecepts and it is our glory and happinesse to partake of the benefit of these experiments by following exactly those good Examples Yet no Examples work so strongly and leave such deep and lasting impressions as the Examples of those whom nature teacheth us to love and honour to imitate and depend on our famous Progenitors from whom we have our extraction and discext and so as we esteem it an honour to be of a Noble Family either civilly or religionfly or both as the Jewes and these Hebrews took themselves to be and so their glory was We have Abraham to our Father and their Rule was Quod accidit Patribus siguum est Filiis so generally posterity strive to resemble their Parents in their qualifications and are ashamed to degenerate as if they had no affinity with them And hence it is that we take all disparagements of our ascendants so unkindly and every reproach of degeneration for the highest affront and indignity because we are so neerly concerned by a principle of selfe love in their honour and reputation Thus the Heathens as for example Priamus concludes from an unworthy Villany commiated by Pyrrhus that he was none of Achilles his Progeny At non ille satum qu◠it
an Enthusiasme or immediate Revelation but such motives and inducements as were before recited which amounted onely to strong and high probabilities yet sufficient enough in an humble modest heart to produce Faith a certainty of adhaerence though not of evidence and this sufficient to produce acts and operations of Faith to provoke to the obedience of Faith A bruised Reed God will not break nor quench a smoaking Flax Mat. 12.20 if we have but Faith so much as a graine for a little Faith if sound is true Faith of mustard seed let the motives be what they will if this encline and promote obedience the least degree thereof is well pleasing to God he will accept without being furnished with the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 full Armour of infallibilities and demonstration Nathaniels Faith had neither Enthusiasme nor demonstration but a Topick or Argument a paribus backed by an humane testimony or report John 1.48 and Christ approved this his Faith and rewarded it with an higher concession of grace ver 30.51 and so Christ accepted Thomas his Faith though enduced by senfible experiments John 20 28. whatsoever the instrument or beginning or motive of beleife be if that work by love and work in us a care and desire to find the truth humility in following and constancy in professing it this shall be our reasonable service of God The third Part the Prayer O Eternall Lord God in whom to beleeve is Eternall life give to us thy grace which may suppresse every motion of infidelity that there be not in us an evill heart of unbeleife and however we be not able to manage the shield of Faith yet perfect thou thy strength in our weaknesse making it mighty through thy power working in us to pull down strong holds cast downe imaginations and every high thing that exalteth it self against the Knowlege of God O holy Jesus the Eternall Word of the Father we beleeve thou hast the Words of Eternall Life Lord help thou our unbeleife and increase our Faith bring into captivity every thought to thine obedience that thy servants and followers may submit to thee our Lord and Master resigning our Vnderstandings to the Truth our Wills to the Goodnesse our Affections to the holinesse of thy Precepts and by Hope depending for satisfaction on thy precious promises O Immortall and all-glorious Spirit sanctifie unto us all those means and methods which are the preparatives and Introductions of Faith that they may be Instrumentall to Principle us in wholesome Doctrine to beget in us a love of the truth and obedience to thy Laws unto a lively hope by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the Dead and advance us to further degrees of Knowledge and spirituall Wisedom to the spirit of obsignation the confidence of hope and the assurance of thine eternall love and favour O holy blessed and glorious Trinity to whom belongeth the Kingdom the Power and the Glory throughout all Ages World without end Amen MOSES his Choice Heb. 11.24.25.26 By Faith Moses when he was come to Years refused to be called the Son of Pharaohs Daughter c. MOses in his Infancy and Minority being saved and preserved by a miraculous mercy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and in his Minority and riper Years preferred educated and advanced in Pharaohs Court when he had arrived at full maturity and strength of dayes he bethinks himself how to exercise his Princely perfections and accomplishments supposing God had been so good and gracious to him for some great and honourable ends and purposes of mercy and beleeving no better way to imploy those powers then in the service of God the interest and concerments of his Church and People and further conceiving God therefore had delivered him that he might be the Cheif and Principall Instrument of his glory in the Preservation of his Fathers House and the redemption of his Brethren according to the Flesh For By Faith c. The first Part. Q. But why should Moses desert and relinquish Pharaohs Court in which he was so Honourably Educated and Entertained Or why should he deny for so the Vulgar renders it the appellation and title of the Sonne of Pharaohs Daughter who by her tender care and liberall bounty had obliged him Was it not both grosse ingratitude and great incivility thus to sleight her and her high respect Could he not at once be called the Sonne of Pharaohs Daughter and be indeed the Child and Servant of God a Courtier and a Christian Did not Joseph the holy Patriarch before him live both magnificently and religiously in the same Egypt and enjoyed the dignities and wealth thereof And long after this was not Devout Esther Queen to Ahasuerus Daniel and his Associates Nobles to Nebuchadnezzar A. Doubtlesse had not Pharaoh and his Court been implacable and mercilesse Tyrants violent Persecutors of and incorrigible irreconcilable Enemies to the people of God Moses might still have resided in that Court and without any violence to his Religion possessed whatsoever Egypt afforded but in this juncture of time the case was otherwise to be stated then it was when Joseph Esther and Daniel had charge and command under Infidell Princes for these had liberty and opportunities to exercise their Religion to improve and manage their Royall Priviledges and immunities to the behoofe and advantage of their civill and sacred relations whereas Moses must either in a base and unworthy complyance joyn with the Egyptians to vex them whom God had wounded or in a dull sleepy security and Epicurean softnesse neglect the remembrance and afflictions of Joseph and stifle and choke that publike Spirit which God had endowed and enobled him withall for eminent and illustrious atcheivements for besides what is above mentioned Moses had sufficient Authority and Commission to enterprize and undertake the Deliverance of his Hebrew Brethren from the Egyptian Bondage a Command Call and Order from God the Lord of Lords the onely Supreme and so as Pharaohs cruelty did lessen Moses his Obligation of gratitude for he being a Publique Spirit and no pure self-lover every indignity and injury to his Brethren was so to him so Gods command did quite supersede all Obligations to Pharaoh his Daughter or Court both because they were but the Instruments of Gods providence who of Enemies made them Friends and Benefactors and so the highest Obligation was to the principall efficient God and also because a command from God to whom proud Pharaoh was but a mean Subject the Supreme of all doth null and voyd all Orders and Obedience to the Inferiour for though Religion doth not take away or disanull the tyes of Nature and Civility but rather enforce and perfect them yet where their Ruler and Offices are counter-checked by an expresse command or prohibition from God there it is Religion and Duty to wave them and observe the expresse The result then is this That if it come to this passe and point that our temporall preferments and possessions our naturall or civill
winning flatteries and seducements with faire words and large promises Thus the Derill tempts and so he tempted Christ by giving him in overture the Publique Faith of his Kingdome Matthow 4.9 and then thus they were tempted this Tyrant Antiochus besides his menaces torments and arts of violence endeavoured by flattering perswasions and proposalls to seduce them to a desertion of and defection from their Laws and Religion a method which proves very successefull and never misseth when directed to worldly meane and vulgar tempers Tell them but of great Estates and Revenues for their revolt c. then per saxa per ignes every obstacle shall be removed and then too as Lalius in the Poët they are fit for any enterprize Pectore si fratris c. Luc. Phars lib. 1. And this way was attempted by Antiochus his Executioners with that good old Iew and their old acquaintance Eleazar a Maccabes 6.22.23 and this sraud Antiochus himselfe practised upon the seventh Brother 2 Maccabes 7.24 promising him both honour and profit both tempting baits and this acception of the Word I take to be most proper Yet by the way let me give you notice of two conjectures of this word by two eminent Modernes Calvin and Iunius the former he supposeth this Word to be superfluous added to the former from their similitudes and sound by some unskilfull Reader who mistook the Word as such mistakes are ordinary 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and so in processe of time both crept into the Text and he tells us Erasmus also did thus conceive For the latter whom Piscator also approveth he thinketh the Word should be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they were burned a peculiar and distinct kind of Death from the former mentioned And this seems more probable then the former But I shall adde nothing but this that Bernardus non vidit omnia and that either this latter Criticall mutation of the Word by Iunius or the latter Nozation of the Word in the sense delivered seems to be the clearest Interpretation thereof But now if neither mockeries nor miseries torments nor temptations frownes nor favours will prevaile to seduce or affright them from their duty Then They were slaine with the Sword Decollation or beheading was then in use and it was cryme enough to be either good or great that was the punishment of them that remained Yet others took another course For They wandered about in Sheep skins and Goat skins being destitute afflicted tormented or punished for vagrants because destitute out-lawed having no Law or Ruler to protect them They then that escaped the severity of the Sword were Exiled and forced to fly as excepted Persons some of them perhaps in an holy jealousie of themselves suspecting their strength was not sufficient either to hold out against the Tyrants rage or to resist their Friends and Countries temptations and so fearing lest their infirmities might betray them to an unworthy complyance Others in true Christian policy endeavouring to preserve themselves from this storme and to reserve themselves till God shall be pleased to cause a great calme in the meane time to be Fugitives and endure all the inconveniences thereto subsequent And this was the condition of those Maccabees or Chaschmauneans who either hid themselves as in the 38. verse in holes or else took themselves to the wide but mercilesse hard World as you may finde 1 Maecabees 1.53 for their words imports they fled to any place of succour as Beasts of the Game hotly pursued Certainly it is not onely lawfull to fly in time of Persecution but if the flying be Christian upon such prementioned motives it will passe for a lower kind of Martyrdom Otherwise Christ would never have permitted it much lesse preseribed it to his Disciples Both Ancient and Moderne Authors have fully writ of this Among the Antient Tertullian and Cypryan Of the Moderne Abbot hath Writ a particular Tract By the way let us before we proceed pause and breath and from the whole let us see and observe the qualities and conditions of wicked men The state and condition of holy Persons The wicked persecute the godly with deadly hatred and ' it s often their lot to fall into the snares and to be under their Rod Therefore the unworthy world hateth and that causelessely too them of whom the world was not worthy the Heires of Heaven Pilgrims on Earth that 's their best condition often it is worse with them they are fugitives designed Associates for Saints and Angels and Christ are present companions with Owles and Foxes in Deserts and Cavarns those for whom Christ dyed are in this life destitute c. who have an Estate of Glory have no Portion nor mansion in the Earth the Children of Light fly here to dismall and dark recesses and they who have put on the Lord Jesus Christ and are cloathed with the Garments of Salvation are necessitated now to be covered with the un-dressed Skius of Beasts And yet here let us not take a superficiall survey of this their condition and passe a suddain censure of them and it but rather let us remember and consider what the Spirit saith and determineth concerning them and that is high and Honourable Of whom the World was not worthy they are too good to be well thought on or well used by a had World though worthy for an unworthy World worthy the testimoniall and approbation of the all-glorious and graclous God the Worlds fugitives are his favourites its loathing Gods love its scorne Gods delight whom it brands God observes whom it condemnes he honours and therefore here bestowes a note of honour worthy of our strict observation the World was not worthy of them The World saith Away with such fellowes from the Earth it is not sit they should live Acts 22.22 And that is the consure of the World 1 Cor. 4.9 For I thinke that God hath set forth us the Apostles lest as it were appointed unto Death For we are made a spectacle unto the World and to Angele and to Men. But God otherwise orders the case if they suffer in all their afflictions he is afflicted if they Fly he is present with them Solus non est cui Christus in fuga Comes Cyprian lib. 4. Epist 6. if they be hence removed it is to prefer them to Heaven or rather they were unworthy their company and the advantages might be received thereby and therefore taken away from them As those who received not the Disciples they were to depart from them as unworthy persons lest they should participate of any comfort or benefit from them Marth 10.13.14 And as Paul and Barnabas turned to the Gentiles because the Jewes demeaned themselves unworthily Acts 13.46 they were not worthy of Paul and Barnabas in the judgement of the Holy Spirit The result of what hath been thus largely deduced and explained is to discover unto us the signall conquests of Faith A Beleever
formali denotat quid intrinseco malum Every Punishment is truely from a Sentence of condemnation And there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus Rom. 8.1 And we are judged by the Lord that we should not be condemned with the World 1 Cor. 11.32 His judgements on the World are indeed the Sentence of a Judge condemnatory His judgement to the Righteous castigatory they are chastened as by a Father or cured as by a Medicine from a Physician Iob 36.9.10 Then he sheweth them their worke and their transgressions that they have exceeded He openeth also their care to discipline and commandeth that they returne from iniquity Augustine cap. 124. in Ev. Ioh. gives us three grounds of this Gods proceeding with them Ad demonstrationem debitae miserie vel ad emendationem labilis vitae vel ad exercitationem necessariae patientiae and the Righteous are to make one of these uses of them according to the quality and nature of the dispensation For if they be under Persecution from men for Christ and his Gospels sake which is properly to beare his Crosse then this is a tryall of our Faith and Christian Graces and because it conformes us to Christ Phil. 3.10 it carries its joy and comfort along with it he that thus suffers hath abundant matter of joy Acts 5.41 and yet ground of humility to us because it shewes That when we have done or suffered what we can we are but unprofitable servants it s a state we have deserved to passe though not from them under whose hand we passe if temptations or tryalls immediately sent by God then they have the same ends in respect of God inflicting them to humble us for our demerits and to demonstrate how far we are from deserving any thing from God and how insufficient in our selves to secure our selves Yet in respect of us they have not the same use for we the Patients are not herein as in the former to borrow our consolation from the temptation or tryall it selfe but from our deportment and demeanour under this tryall if by the Grace of God we can sanctifie him in our hearts and glorifie him in this behalfe by justifying God condemning our selves Psal 51.4 Dan. 9.7 Psal 39.9 blessing God Iob 1.21 submitting to him 1 Sam. 3.18 but if chastisements from God then they are evidences we have sinned against him and he is displeased with us and they are severities for our cure and amendment and from these we cannot derive any comfort but much ground of godly sorrow and all the comfort we can here depend on is in a continued subsequent and present holy use of them to this end of Reformation Heb. 12.11 Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous but grievous neverthelesse afterward it yeeldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousnesse unto them which are exercised thereby In summe then The wicked in their wicked enjoyments and fulnesse are not happy though visibly prosperous because there is a sentence of wrath and vengeance irreversibly decreed against them and the righteous in their saddest calamities though seemingly miserable yet really are not because they have strong inward consolations and great assurances of a Crowne of Glory And who will not adventure and endure for a Crowne especially when they have security that for the adventure and a little sufferings they may obtaine and having obtained it for ever enjoy it in a most peaceable possession Most excellently and truely Lactantius to this purpose lib. 6. cap. 22. Sicut ad verum malum per fallacia bona sic ad verum bonum per fallacia mala pervenitur Counterfeit good things are the harbingers and fore runners of reall evills and conceited evill things makes way for truely good And as this consideration affords plentifull matter to the righteous Patient of instruction and comfort Non si male nunc olim sic erit so it yeild great occasion of terrour to the thriving triumphing impenitent who is reserved onely and fatted for the day of slaughter For upon this supposition That judgement begins at the House of God the Apostle draws that to them sad dismall and terrible influence What shall the end be of them that obey not the Gospel 1 Peter 4.17.18 a judgement so fearfull and terrible that he seems afraid clearly to expresse and yet by that Interrogation gives sufficient notice of it for this Interrogation is the same in effect with that Position of another Apostle Vengeaxce is mixe saith the Lord I will repay And it is a fearfull thing to fall into the hands of the living God Heb. 10.30.31 You see then here how forcible and prevalent examples especially of those we honour or ought to honour and that not onely of Christ himself whose example ought not onely to be an Argument to perswade which force other examples of holy men hath but it is a certain rule to direct which power the others absolutely and abstractedly hath not John 13.4 1 John 2.6 Hence that of Bernard Quid vobis cum virtutibus qui virtutem Christi ignoratis ubi num quaeso verae prudentiae nisi in Christi Doctrina ubi vera temperantia nisi in Christi vita ubi vera fortitude nisi in passione that is What have you to doe with vertuous conversation who know not the vertues of Christ For where I pray you can true wisedom and knowledge be found but in the Doctrine of Christ Where true temperance and moderation but in the life of Christ True valour and magnanimity but in the Passion and Death of Christ His Life and Death was not onely an Example but a Directory to us how to live godly and justly and soberly as the former sort of these others here prementioned in this praecision and how to die honourably and to suffer patiently as the second sort of these others did Let the Life then and Death of Christ be our Rule to direct us in every estate and condition and let Christs example and the examples also of others be as arguments and enducerments to encline and move us more forcibly and effectually to follow his directions and rules of holy living and dying and let us also be exemplary in our lives and conversations and by our exemplary living adorne the Gospel of Jesus Christ provoking one another unto good works that even others seeing our good works may glorifie God in the day of visitation that we be not onely burning lights having zeale within but shining also holding forth our light to others Especially this concerns Magistrates who have a civill relation to their inseriours To Pastors who have a spirituall affinity with and neernesse to their Flock And Parents who have a naturall tie to their Children our eivill spirituall and naturall Fathers as they are to be respectively honoured so they are to walk as worthy of honour And not onely in relation to their own welfare but to the good of those under their charge whereunto they powerfully administer by
mentiris Achille c. And Aeneas resolves Dido was Nobly Borne from her honourable respects Tanti talem genuere Parentes And the perswasive to Ascanius for high attempts was fetcht from his Alliance Te Pater Aeneas avnuculus excitet Hector As for the Jewes any who is acquainted with the History of the Old Testament will finde them to be great honourers of their Families and Tribes and so the Maccabees and these Hebrews And therefore the Apostle useth here this holy fraud to catch them with those Arguments which would take and please Et prodesse volunt delectare and profit them And here also I crave pardon to interpose a conjecture which is That Job that Magnus Victoriaerum Dei artifex great Pattern of Piety though honourably remembred and enrolled by God himself in the Book of Life Ezek. 14. as one of the three eminently righteous Persons is yet omitted in this Catalogue for this reason Because he was none of the Jewish Race or Hebrew Line and so his Example would not have been so pertinent and effectuall And to come yet somewhat more home as these Hebrews had the practise and experience of the former Ages to establish their Faith so have we and more too and therefore greater reason have we not to be moved at the sufferings of Christians nor to be ashamed of Christ Crucified and to performe our whole Baptismall Covenant in as much as we have the advantage of what examples they had and besides the Patternes of the Apostles and Apostolicall men famous in their Generations We have the Acts or rather upon perusall of that Book the sufferings of the Apostles and we have Tradition all along handing out to us the Christian Acts and sufferings of Confessors Martyrs and severall Religious People ever since for the space of 1600. years and all attested by Historians of undoubted fidelity especially those of the first six Centuries Hence set dayes were customarily and by Order Appointed for the solemne Celebration of the Acts and sufferings of those Primitive Saints in the Christian Church the Apostles and some Apostolicall as I said Persons not so much for their honour certainly not for religious worship of them by Invocation Oblations c. but for our Imitation and to blesse God for such Instruments of his glory and our good For that their sufferings were for this end Saint Paul is expresse The suffering of an eminent principall member redounds to the good of the whole body Col. 1.24 tends to its edification and confirmation Phil. 1.12 For although Christ proposed himselfe to us for the grand Exemplar Learne of me And follow me yet we could no otherwise follow Christ but as the Boy Ascanius followed his Father Non-passibus equis by an uneven motion we cannot follow him regularly but we trip and stumble and often fall for he could not sin and it is he must lift us up And as his Example is too high so his lesson is too hard we cannot transcribe the Copy but with blurring and crooking in and out nay we shall be so far short that we shall doe nothing like unlesse he leade us by the hand and even then our hand may be easily known by its foulnesse as when he takes not by the hand to hold we fall the errors of our feet may be easily marked and so though Christ be a more high and sure being an infallible Patterne for imitation then any or all other holy men amassed together yet the Examples of these who were subject to the like passions as we are more suitable for our conviction and condition because we cannot doe or suffer as Christ did neither for the manner or measure For in him all fulnesse dwels And the Spirit was given to him without measure John 3.34 but we may doe and suffer as holy men did before us for to them as well as to us and to us as well as to them the Spirit is given by measure and God accepts according to what a man bath and not what he hath not And hereupon this practise hath been observed to commemorate the holy Saints in Scripture especially for they are infallibly such as a duty of that part of the Communion of Saints as an help by their Example for our instruction and consolation Thus much by the way and the digression hath been long and tedious yet because as Travellers sometimes goe out of the was to fetch in Provision for their supplies and comfort and this course though it retard the way yet makes it pleasant especially to those who have long Stages So because this digression may be both delightfull and profitable I have insisted the longer and brought in some additionall supplies for a further refreshment But now to returne The way of God in the dispensation of temporalls so far at is discoverable is various sometimes he takes one way sometimes another as is evident in the precedent Presidents Pascimur hic patimur God sometimes cherisheth and favoureth his Children sometimes he frownes on them corrects and chastens them and that by sharpe rebukes sometimes he suffers his little Flock to wander and to walk through the Valley of the shadow of Death sometimes again he gathers them he feeds them in a green Pasture and leads them forth besides the Waters of comfort Christianity is compared to a warsare and that is not a condition of ease but of trouble hardnesse and hazard and so a Christian must have his Armour even the whole Armour of God and he must endure hardnesse as a good Souldier of Jesus Christ The Church of God is compared to a Ship which though somtimes she goe smoothly and calmly yet for the most part she is unquiet as the Element she moves upon and many times she is tossed too and fro with strong gusts and tempests and either by the violence of the Wind and the siercenesse of the surging Seat in danger to sinke or to ground on Sands or split on Rocks or spring a leake and so be swallowed and devoured and the Disciples of Christ are the Mariners and Passengers in this Ship and sometimes in these great tempests Christ the Master sleepeth till the Disciples by Prayer awake him and then he ariseth and rebaketh the Wind and the Sea and there is a great calme Saint Chrysostome compares the life of a Christian to a Webb so marvelously woven and made up of trouble and comfort that though the longer threads reaching from our Birth to our Death be all of trouble yet the weft interjected is all of comfort So that from hence it is apparent That these their troubles and sufferings are not the effects of Gods vindicative justice acts of revenge and so properly punishments as a crosse or dangerous passage by Sea is not an Exile to a Mariner though it be to a Malefactor that flyes that way but it is in his Calling and Trade a Traffique and Taske but effects of love acts of Discipline For Poena in suo