if we consider in the second place the meanes of true Connersion Namely the Word of God assisted by the blessed Spirit which in that it consists of two partes to wit the Lawe and the Gospell Howsoeuer by the Law we are brought to a sight of sinne and so thereby prepared to Conuersion and as it were entred therein as beeing cast out of our selues and cast vpon IESVS CHRIST yet by the sweete promises of the Gospell wee are allured and perswaded to beleeue in the Lord IESVS which is the very worke and perfection of our true Conuersion So are our hearts more and more suppled and broken through the loue of CHRIST shead abroad in our hearts So are we bound vnto our GOD with the cords of loue as that we attaine a most glorious libertie of the sonnes of God So are wee led captiue vnder sinne that in the inward man we delight in the law of God So are we subiect to Afflictions as that wee are more then Conquerours ouer them So is Death the end of our sinne and entrance to our glorious libertie Thus doth the Word discouer the estate of our conuersion thus doth it allure and satisfie vs in the whole processe and consummation thereof And doth not the manner of our Conuersion auouch as much that it is by perswading and mollifying of our hearts Doth not the Lorde himselfe allure and inuite vs to embrace these meanes proffering vs wares with money wooing of vs to open vnto him by testimonie of his patience and pledges of his loue stretching out his hands vnto vs all the day long And those not emptie but dropping downe myrthe and tendering most invaluable riches the rather to allure vnto him Doth not wisedome invite vs to a Feast and allure vs with her delicates Doth not the Lord preuent vs with his grace that we may be plentifull in good works Doth he not allure vs to holinesse when he imputes the righteousnesse of his Sonne vnto vs and not onely accounts that ours which hee freely giues but accepts that to be his which by our corruption is defiled Doth not the Lord offer parley Come let vs reason together Hath hee bene a wildernes vnto vs Nay what could hee haue done vnto vs which he hath not done Thus doth the Lord perswade and allure our Conuersion And are not his Ministers led by the same spirit Doe they come vnto vs with a rod or not rather with the spirite of meekenes Are they not his Embassadors to treat with vs Nay his Orators to beseech vs to be reconciled vnto God Are they not ready so to wooe vs that they not only are contented to deliuer the Gospell vnto vs but euen theyr owne soules so deare are we vnto them so little deare is their life vnto them in regarde of preaching the Gospell that we may be saued Are they not our fathers to beget vs in all loue and compassion to be the children of God Are they not our Noursing-mothers to dandle and suckle vs as new-borne babes with the milke of the Gospell that wee may growe vp thereby Are they not our shepheards to leade vs into the greene pastures to dresse and tenderly looke to vs as the tender lambes of Iesus Christ Are they not Gods fisher men to allure vs as with a bayte thereby not to constraine vs by force but to catch vs with a wile And doe they not in all this perswade vs reasonable men by most reasonable and tractable meanes to a matter most reasonable euen to returne vnto God For to proceede now to the substance of our conuersion and thence to proue this manner of our Calling by Alluring as also the equitie thereof Is our Conuersion any other then a restoring vs to that estate which heretofore we enioyed in Adam and lost by the malice of Sathan And ought there to bee any thing more acceptable vnto vs then to come foorth of Darknes into a maruellous light to be deliuered from bondage yea from bondage of Sathan vnto the glorious libertie of the Sonnes of God to be pluckt out of the horrible pit and aduanced to the highest Heauens to be made Lords of all who before were vassalls vnto all To be at peace with all who before had all against vs. Such is our conuersion Is there any thing more reasonable Is it not most reasonable and equall that God should haue his will who hath decreed our conuersion that he should enioy the seruice of his creature which is obtained by conuersion that he should be loued of his children that are so made by conuersion Is it not meet conuenient that we should be holie as our God is holie that to eternall happines wee should be made meete by perfect holines Ought not members of the body to haue the like 〈◊〉 Ought not citizens of the same heauenly Ierusalem to be of one minde Nay ought not fellow-heirs of the same kingdom be of the same nature of the like beautie and glorie Such are we with Iesus Christ and such are wee made by conuersion And is it not most equall that the Lord Iesus should haue what hee hath purchased at so deere a rate 1. Pet 1. 1. Cor 6. Lastly what true marke is there of our cōuersion which doth not owne this truth that we were not compelled but perswaded allured therunto Haue wee peace of conscience and so are at peace with God who could haue procured this vnles God had giuē it how could wee haue receiued this vnlesse the minde had bene allured and nourished with the loue of God no entertainment of Gods loue but by ouercomming the heart with loue No true euidence of Gods loue vnto vs but by out loue vnto him againe No sound euidence of our loue vnto our God but by our readinesse to forsake all for his sake but by our delight in the excellent inlarged heart towards them not by constraint but of a ready minde 1 Pet 5. 3. 4. So much we loue our God as we desire his continuall presence and perpetuall fruition of his blessed society By this do we know that we are of God that we come boldly to begge or rather chalenge his promise that we will not be saide nay but are answered in our chiefe desires Thus God freely promiseth and offereth meanes to vs not deseruing it that so we may not be discouraged but rather inuited to embrace the same And because Gods loue is free therefore it preuailes vpon the most vnlikely deliuering the captiue giuing sight to the blinde swallowing vp dispaire in mercie and crowning corruption in glorie And because he maketh vs partakers of y e diuine nature therfore also he enables vs freely to loue him and cheerfully to obey him to runne the way of his Commandements after hee hath set our hearts at libertie yea he maketh our feet like Harts feet so that by the helpe of our God we leape ouer a wall yea hee giueth
bee found vpon them Oh blessed is that Seruant whome his Maister findeth so doing Shall he not giue him a crowne of righteousnes that hath thus happily finished his course And shall not the glorious Lorde make good his word Will he not giue vs constancie that requires it at our hands Will he not perfite the worke that hee hath begunne in vs Yea surely Iapheth shall dwell in the Tents of Shem The Elect shall abide for euer in the sinceritie of Religion Hee cannot fall finally though hee fall grieuously for a time Hee cannot fall whollie for hee delighteth in the Law of God in the inward man the euill which he doeth hee would not doe and therefore it is not hee but sinne that dwelleth in him It is God that iustifieth who then shall condemne CHRIST IESVS hath died for him nay hee 's risen againe and seeing he is gone vp shall he not draw all after him And what then shall separate vs frō the loue of God What may hinder the constancie of the Belieuer Doe not all things yea his very sinnes turne to his good Doe not his Afflictions plucke out corruption and so prepare him to glorie Is hee not more then conquerour through CHRIST that loueth him Although the Lord shuld kill him yet doth not he still trustin him Reioyce not then against mee oh mine enemie For though I fall I shall rise againe And why art thou in heauinesse oh my soule why art thou cast downe and disquieted within me Seeing if thou trust in God which raiseth from the dead Though thou art dead in sinne yet shalt thou be raised vp againe If sinne doe not raigne in thee it shall neuer Triumph ouer thee Onely be wise in the feare of God to discerne the causes of these thy falls that so thou mayest comfortablie recouer againe 1. Hast thou bene exalted aboue measure and pufft vp with spirituall pride of those graces that thy God hath bestowed on thee and hast thou hence growne secure and carelesse of welldoing and yet presumptuous of Gods mercies spending on th◠former stocke as if thou haddest no further neede of Christ Iesus or wert so full of him that thy cuppe runnes ouer not with sound ioy in the heart proceeding from the fulnes of thy SAVIOVR but with a froathie and carnall ioy in the face proceeding from the sence of thine owne worthines No maruell now if the Lorde confound this thy vaine confidence by withdrawing the light of his countenance from thee whereby now walking only by thine own light thou findest nothing but darknes either inwardly in thy conscience speaking fearful things against thee or outwardly in thy life being tainted with some grosse sinne occasioned through thy vaine presumption carnall securitie which increasing inwardly the horror of thy soule charging it afresh with the guilt of renued actuall sinne If now the lawes of Hell beginne to gape vpon thee If thou art ouerwhelmed with the terrours of the deepe obserue herein thy iust desert that hast thus tempted thy God and magnifie the mercies of thy God that will not tempt thee aboue thy strength For behold heere Light more gloriously shining out of Darknesse when thou art throughly abased and emptied of carnall confidence Then shalt thou most feruently desire to be easied of thy Sauiour the more thou feelest thy sinnes a burthen which thou canst not beare And if thou lookest vp vnto thy God when all helpe on earth doth faile thy God will heare thee though crying out of the deepe yea out of the bellie of Hell Thy dead heart shall arise and thou which dwellest in the dust shalt awake and sing when the Lord shall returne with his countenance vpon thee and restore vnto thee the ioy of his saluation Hast thou bene carelesse of the meanes which should haue vpheld thee in the power of holines Namely the powerfull preaching of the word and conscionable administration of the Sacraments Hast thou neglected thy ordinarie spirituall sword and so growne fainte in thy calling Hast thou growne indifferent in the vse of the meanes admitting any so it vphold a forme of godlines and so neglecting to trie the spirites thou hast grieued Gods spirit in thee whereby thou hast bin humbled through the withdrawing of it assistance Hast thou hereby bene lest to thy selfe so fallen into some apparant and grosse wickednes to the reproach of thy profession and wounding of thy conscience Hast thou lyen herein without repentance for want of conscionable dealing No Nathan hath reproued thee yea let no man reproue because the Priests are like vnto the people the blinde would leade the blinde in securitie to destruction Oh remember the wisedome of thy GOD herein who would haue thee certain of thy state euē in this thy fall because it came by such a meanes as must necessarily befall thee seeing it hath befallen the most excellent no tētation otherwise hath here ouertaken thee then what hath or may befall the deerest childe of God Haddest thou fallen in thy calling and thy conscionable vse of the meanes hadst thou growne fainte when there was foode aboundantly and vnprofitable in the wholsome word of life thy case had beene more singular and so then the more doubtfull But if Dauid being without meanes of preseruation giue way to tentation and so is ensnared therewith Though he fall grieuously yet he shall rise againe and his rising being effected by the true and liuely meanes Namely the reproofe o◠Nathan and his obedience therevnto shall both giue euidence that his Fall was recouerable as being through neglect of the meanes and that his recouerie is sound and effectuall as being wrought by the true meanes Indeede I confesse the Lorde may worke extraordinarilie in some particulars As that Iob may fall for his tryall and yet vse the meanes conscionably stand faithfully in his calling yet seeing the end of Gods triall was so to iustifie the soundnes of his standing as yet to discouer some imperfection therein that so by this triall he might be led forward to perfection may wee not chalenge Iob of imperfection and so of failing in the measure of his calling which though the Lord did not principally intend to chastise in this his gracious triall but rather to trie the soundnes and truth thereof Yet did he by this exercise both preuent Apostasie and also most happily further to perfection And might not Iob be subiect to spiruall wickednes as spirituall pride discouered by his Impatiencie censurings c howsoeuer he could not be charged with grosse open crimes Which being farre more dangerous then any outward euill was therefore more necessarily though not to be punished of God as an enemie yet to be purged out of the Lorde as a gracious Father and that with a sharpe medicicine answerable to such a disease Surely though the holy man reached at an higher matter yet did he not vnwillingly acknowledge Gods
vs wings as to auoyd vnnecessary and desperate extremities so to flie speedily in the execution of the will of God That by this willing minde we might not onely be comforted in respect of our outward failing seeing the Lord hath promised Not to quench the smoaking Flaxe nor breake the bruised Reede but encouraged also and enabled to constancie and perseuerance that so continuing to the ende the Crowne may not be taken from vs. Thus by the marks of conuersion is the manner thereof confirmed vnto vs Thus by this manner thereof are we assured of the continuance of the same And is our Conuersion then a worke of grace and free compassion from the Lorde Is it accomplished by the word of peace and sweet promises of the Gospell applyed to the fainting soule by the Spirite of grace and Compassion Is it conueyed vnto vs by vessels of Infirmitie which might better haue compassion on vs and allure vs to mercie as being subiect to it and therefore hauing experience of our miserie Is it effected by melting the heart with the apprehension of the loue of God Is is perfited by enlarging the heart to the obedience of our God Well then may fire and fagot confound both bodie and soule well may Antichrist enlarge an earthly monarchy with sword and outward violence but the milde voyce of the Gospell must conuert the soule The meanes to fill Heauen must be the alluring of the spirit Oh why dispaire we to conuert though now miracles are ceased seeing by the power of the Word the secrets of the heart are made so manifest that God wil be acknowledged to be in vs that so we may conuert vnto God If they will not belieue Moses and the prophets neither will they belieue though one come from the dead and yet to coÌ„uert a sinner is more wonderfull theÌ„ to raise froÌ„ the death How vainely do they bragge of a Church that exclude the word of God how can we hope for the continuaÌ„ce of a Church where the sound therof doth not coÌ„tinne what hope is there of coÌ„uersion where doctrine is not deliuered by which the mind is perswaded what feare of further peruersion where lawes are not executed to coÌ„pell men to perswasion where deceiuers are permitted to poyson with corrupt perswasion Who so is wise let him consider this Let him see the plague and hide himselfe Let him trie his conuersion by the perswasion of his Iudgement that he is rooted in knowledge not wauering in opinion Let him examine his effectuall calling by the readinesse of his minde and cheerfulnes in obedience euen to all the will of God not a part thereof that constantly and continually not being weary of well-doing being more ready to doe well then for the present he is able and so enabled to well doing that at length he may attaine his desire as of perfect obedience which he shall attaine so of perfect happinesse the recompence of his labours full contentment of his vtmost desires And therfore let him pray for the continuance of the gospell to quickeÌ„ his desires Let him earnestly desire the confusion of Antichrist that sonne of darknes enemy to this glorious light Let him be wise to discerne betweene the chaffe the wheate to trie the Spirits and hold what is good Let him especially make much of the Annoynting and hearken to the voyce behinde him not grieuing the Spirit nor quenching the motions thereof that still there may be light in the Land of Goshen in the dayes of Famine hee may haue enough Exod 8. Iob 5. Comforting himselfe that seeing his conuersion is from Gods alluring of free loue and perswading by a power vnresistable not desired by him therefore being conuerted he shall surely hold when Heauen and earth shall passe though thousands fall daylie at his right hand and ten thousands at his left hand yet shall not this plague of Apostasie seaze on him who is kept by the mightie power of God vnto that great day that hee may be presented blamelesse vnto the Lorde Iesus And therefore not being discouraged for theyr going out from vs that were neuer truely of vs but rather enlarged with continuall praise vnto his God that leaues not him also to himselfe to fall away with this present euill worlde but still humbles his flesh to keepe life in his soule and counts him worthie to suffer with his Christ that so the life of Christ might daily appeare for his approching to glory Thus doth God perswade Iapheth to dwell in the Tents of Shem. Thus is a Christian conuerted by perswasion And thus doth God giue him a Dowrie with his marriage Iapheth being perswaded is also enlaged The kingdome of heauen being bestowed interesses also the Faithfull in the possessions of the earth The true belieuer alone is the right owner of all Gods blessings He that first seekes the kingdom of heaueÌ„ shall haue these things also cast vpon him Matth 16. 33. So profitable is godlines aswell for this life as that which is to come 1. Tim. 4. 8. 9. So Christ being ours who is Lord of all in heauen earth Math 28. all with him is ours both in heauen and earth 1. Cor. 3. Rom 8. So haue wee onely grace to vse those well and therefore are only fit for them So are those onely fit for vs as being sanctified by vs vnto vs. Oh how vaine then is theyr boasting and labour that toyle for these things without grace how fearfull is their account that possesse them without Christ What comfort haue we in the least seeing it is vnto vs as all what hope of that which shal be sufficieÌ„t for vs What wisedome ought wee to vse to make first sure of the best what conscience in approuing our right by our holy vsing of these things What Faith in a better right by renouncing Confidence in these by our williingnes vpon iust occasion to part with them either to the good of our brother though we cast our bread vppon the waters or to the glorie of God though wee euen cast our liues after them Shall not hee which thus leaueth House or lands haue recompence an hundred-folde shall not hee finde his life that thus is willing to loose it Oh how can we better shewe our free power ouer these things theÌ„ by keeping them short that they may haue no power ouer vs neither ouer our hearts by Couetousnes which is Idolatrie nor ouer our bodies by pinching and niggardlines nor ouer our Coâ—sâ—â—â—nce by making difference where God hath made all good nor ouer our libertie by abiectnes and scrupulositie Oh that we would learne to renew and increase our soueraigntie ouer the Creature by our daily subiection vnto God in acknowledgment of our unworthines of the least in crauing his blessing euen vpon the greatest As by the sense of our vnworthines renuing our right in Christ
all things work together for the good of the elect shall their sin then otherwise prouoke God against them as to iudge them in this life that they may not bee condemned in the life to come so to chastise them with the roddes of men that his mercy bee not taken from them A way then with that hellish doctrine that robbes God of the glory of his faithfulnesse and power and man of the sound comfort of his saluation by evacuating Christs death and auouching the vncertaintie and inconstancie of saluation And auoyd we presumption to fall though we shall rise againe seeing God will not be mercifull to presumptious sinners and the least fall of the Saints though it cannot finally exclude from saluation yet may it grieuoufly deface the beauty of sanctification and so make this present life very bitter and vncomfortable vnto vs howsoeuer it cannot vtterly depriue vs of the comfort of the life to come Rather learne wee in Gods feare To keepe our selues from falling by 1. Fearing our selues 2. and walking alwayes in Gods presence 3. rest we wholly on the word 4. and renounce carnall wisdom 5. auoyding all occasion appearance of euill 6. learne we to vse aright our Christian libertie 7. and commune we dayly with our hearts to preuent securitie 8. Walke we in our calling to preuent idlenesse curiositie 9. and call we earnestly on our God that hee suffer vs not to bee led into tentation 10. Keepe thy iudgement sound that we cannot bee too holy 11. and conscience tender by racking it dayly by the Law 12. reprooue wee sinne boldly in others to keepe vs from the like 13. Meditate we on the punishments of sinne to keepe vs from presumption 14. and remember we how the dearest Saints haue smarted to preuent singularitie 15. Especially looke we vp vnto Iesus and what he hath done for vs that the consideration of his infinite loue may keepe vs from dishonouring him that the meditation of his intollerable plagues may preserue vs frō crucisying him againe 16. Consider wee the difficultie of being saued and therefore let vs doe our best and lastly remember we our end and reckoning wee must giue vp the one so vncertaine the other so sure and vnauoydable that so at no time we be found vnready Thns may we be kept from falling into sinne And thus also may wee learne to arise out of the same As by meditation of Gods commandement to haue vs returne and pondring of his promises that he will heale and renue vs. To this end looke we vp vnto IESVS that triumphes ouer sinne and makes dayly intercession for pardon thereof and see wee our inquitie through the glasse of his mercy that so dispaire being preuented we may finde our sinne pardonable Then presse we to the Throne of grace with a broken and humble spirt and testifie wee our iust hatred and indignation against our sinne by iustifying our God and imposing some Spirtuall humiliation on our selues Oh let our soules refuse all other comfort till the conscience bee quieted in the blood of the Lambe and giue wee the Lord no rest till hee returne to his rest and restore vnto vs the ioy of his saluation Nowe let sinne bee confessed in particular the more to breake the heart and that against our selues to the iustifying of our GOD. Nowe let Vowes bee renued not onely to auoyde the like sinne but to bee more wary of all occasions and appearance of euill Redeeme wee the time more conscionably and watch we more narrowly ouer our own hearts outward man withdrawing them from the loue of the world arresting them in the presence of God perswading our selues that wee are not throughly returned till at least wee haue had some glimpse of Gods fauour renued in IESVS CHRIST though not discerned in that glorious obiect which dwelleth in the light that none can attaine vnto yet apprehended by the beames thereof reflected on our hearts by our peace with God contentment in his wil who though he happily restore vs not presently to that full measure of feeling and ioy we heretofore enioyed yet remember we that we liue by Faith and not by sence and that our whole life is no other then renued repentance And therefore comfort we our selues that what we feele not we must and shal beleeue as by Faith seeing a farre off so contenting our selues with what is presently restored to be sufficient as that still wee liue by faith hungring after the best graces not onely the restitution of such measure which heretofore we enioyed but euen the inioying of that fulnesse of ioy and pleasures which is at the right hand of GOD for euermore Wisely discerning the prouidence of our God in not resting so much on feeling as heretofore we haue had Not onely for the tryall of our Faith if now we can rest on our God without feeling but also for the preuenting and subduing of spiritual pride to which seeing extraordinary feeling of Gods fauor is a great occasion through the malice of Satan raising hence singularity so security and remissenes in wel doing if not robbing God of his glory Therefore it pleaseth our good God though he restore peace vnto vs yet to with-hold from vs wisely such draughts of ioy that so we might forget what is behind hasten to that which is before as both taking lesse delight in any worldly contentment which before was sweetned vnto vs by that ouerflowing of Spirituall ioy and fainting the more earnestly after that full and constant measure thereof in heauen that so our ioy may no more be taken from vs. And therefore striuing more diligently to make vs meet partakers of that glorious inheritance that so in due time as a ricke of corne we may be caryed into the barne and receiued into our Fathers eternall ioy Thus may we recouer out of our most desperate falles thus may we be comforted in the measure of our recouery as being that which is fittest to hasten vs to glory And thus shall Iapheth be brought againe to the Tents of Shem the Gentiles shall be restored to the true worship of God as a true and liuely figure vnto vs of the constancie of Gods loue in restoring his childrē recouering them out of theyr greatest falls And these are the lessons wee may learne from this that Iapheth shall dwell in the Tents of Shem. And is it a small thing that the Gentiles which were originally without God yea who had forsaken God shall once be restored againe to the knowledge and worship of Iehouah Surely meruellous things are spoken of thee thou Citie of God Wonderfull are the mercies that hereby the Gentiles haue bene inuested with Shall wee wade a little further into the particular consideration of them Follow wee then the spirite of God in the vnfoulding of them What is the generall summe of the Blessings that Iapheth shall enioy It followeth That Iapheth
bridegroome Iesus Christ And shall not this little flock haue a certaine euidence thereof euen in her condition in this life May she not assuredly perswade her heart that the Lorde will make good his word as aduancing his free loue giuing him the glorie of all his mercies 1. And doth not the Lord reserue the glory intirely to himselfe when hee brings light out of darknes and shewes his power in weaknes working by none or most vnlikely meanes Consider wee I pray you to this purpose the Condition of the Church of Christ militant heere on earth yet further shadowed out vnto vs in these Tents of Shem. What great outward beautie was there here when the house of God was in Tents what pompe and visibilitie in this simplicitie and meeknes Behold then another marke and cognisance of the true Church of God in this life The glorie that she hath is especially within Her beautie is that which God hath imparted vnto her Shee is faire by my beautie which I haue put on her Spirituall beautie frō an inuisible God As for her shewe in the world she is blacke and contemptible 1. euen as her head Christ Iesus that had no forme nor beautie in him and other she cannot be so long as she is a Stranger a Souldier in this worlde She must needes haue blowes and falls too How can shee choose but be soyled being to trauell in such slippery myrie places 1. And is it not good she should be thus blacke to preuent spiriruall pride Doth not this manifest the carnall desposition of the wicked who stumble at this outward basenesse Are not the Saints hereby purged of corruption and so prepared to glorie Is not the Lord glorified in accepting such blacknes doth not his free mercie triumph in sauing such deformitie Is not Christs sacrifice auaileable to heale such infirmitie Can a true member be discerned by sence Is not our greatest part in Heauen 1. How deceitfull then is that Church which is alwayes glorious and visible How doth the pompe and brauerie of the strumpet deforme defile the chaste spouse of Iesus Christ Is not the word of God truely glorious in the spirite doth not the outside kill Is it not the spirite that quickeneth doth not the Authoritie of man abase and annihilate the power thereof Are not the Prophets iustly vile before the people because they are partiall in the law adulterating the same by the intentions of men obscuring deprauing the simplicitie and inward beautie of the gospell by theyr outward vernish and carnall pollishing And shall not Dagon fall before the Ark of the Lord Is it not enough that the foūdation of God stands sure the Lord knoweth who are his Though wee bee as Wonders yea as the Off-scowring in the reputation of the world Are wee lesse dearer vnto God then the apple of his eye Are wee not all faire in his sight and no spotte to bee found in vs Is not the Church euen then the glorie of God when shee is most inglorious in the world Is it not because wee are accepted with God that wee are despised of men And are wee not despised of men that so wee may hate the worlde and cleaue more firmely to our God that so wee might be more and more cleansed to bee made fitte for our glorious God Doth not our inglorious estate in this life prepare vs to the glorie of the life to come Let it therfore content vs that we are knowne vnto our God and let it be our comfort that our life is hid with Christ in God that so when Christ which is our life shall appeare wee may also appeare with him in glorie Let them begge Honour of the people that are cast out of Gods fauour And let such build vp resting places and mansiōs in the earth that are runnagates from God castawayes from his fauour hauing no hope nor right in the heauēly māsions If God cast these things vppon vs wee haue a right in them and so haue grace to vse them The Church obtains honor in Aegipt Babilon euen in the lād of her captiuity she prospers is renowned Only let vs not ambitiously seeke this worldly greatnes It must not be so with vs. The seruant is not aboue his master and the Master though Lord of all yet was seruant vnto all that so wee might learne of him to bee humble and meeke that wee might learne to be abased as well as to abound that we might become all vnto all to win some vnto CHRSIT IESVS Let vs not therefore much lesse stand peremptorily vpon this outward pompe as if the Church were but in her infancie when she was in her natiue puritie and simplicitie but the more outward glory she hath gained the more she growes to perfection and therfore as the times are cannot be without worldly dignitie All things are lawfull but all things to all sorts not expedient Greatnesse breeds enuie not loue vsually and how shall wee winne them if they doe not loue vs Fulnesse breeds securitie and securitie idlenesse how then shall we plucke them out of the fire if wee will take no paines How shall wee giue vp our account with ioy if we bury our talent in a napkin How shall we make our Ministerie fully knowne without suffering afflictions The Lord giue the Church more and more fauour with Princes that as it hath begun so it may increase euen in outward peace and prosperitie and a florishing estate which may serue as a good meanes for the propagation of the Gospel that Iapheth may dwell for euer with Shem in his fathers house Thus though Iapheth dwell herein tents meanely and obscure yet shall both Shem and Iapheth shine gloriously for euer in most durable mansions euen in the Kingdome of heauen which shal not fade nor be diminished Shall we consider yet further the ground thereof Must not Iapheth dwell in the tents of Shem the first borne of his father the sonne of the inheritance the stocke of the promised seede And are any then of the true Church of CHRIST but they alone that haue the priuiledge of the first borne who are of the election of God for whom the father hath ordained a kingdom And will the Sonne loose any that the Father hath committed vnto him Did he die for any but for his Church who is the Sauiour of his body which is his Church Is he the Sauiour of any especially but those that doe beleeue 1. Tim. 4. 8. And doe any beleeue but those that are ordained to euerlasting life Acts 13. Behold here the true members of the Church of Iesus Christ euen they alone whose hearts are purified by Faith onely such are they that are dead vnto the world and know no man after the flesh that haue their conuersion in heauen whose names are written in heauen whose head CHRIST IESVS is ascended to