ours must be euen holy salutations as being hearty prayers Salutations must be holy and wherein we craue the greatest blessings that are at the Lords hands for the persons saluted here then are many kinds of salutations censured First the prophane salutation of swearing Swaggerers Not prophane and rude Ruffians which is not any holy forme or prayer vnto God but a most fearfull tearing and rending of the name of God in pieces by most horrible Oathes Secondly the perfidious saluation such a one Not perfidious as IVDAS his was who betrayed his Master with a kisse and IOABS who cloking his inward malice with sweet and sugred salutations most villanously murthered valiant ABNER euen in the act of saluting Thirdly the formall and customarie and with Not formall all nice curious and affected kind of saluting when men are so full of their ceremonies and complements that they make themselues foolish and ridiculous And herein consists all their grace of their greetings in courting and congeying and ducking and such other gestures but that which is the very pith and marrow of a Christian salutation the lifting vp of the heart to God in desiring the welfare of those they salute is wholly wanting Gestures in saluting are good and commendable so they may stand with comelinesse and the simplicity of Christianitie But this is a fault euen in many who yet are not so fond and so full of affectation in their salutations as others that in saluting their Brethren with those good and holy formes in common vse as God be with you God saue you c. they take the holy Name of God in vaine not hauing their hearts lifted vp to God whose name they call vpon but only speaking of custome and so not minding what they say A fault in most and it ought to be a matter of humiliation vnto vs as being an argument both of the want of feare to God and loue to our Neighbour Salutations are Prayers to the Lord and therefore the name of the Lord must with all reuerence be thought vpon when they are vsed Some hence take occasion to neglect this dutie because they are Prayers and they thinke it not lawfull to wish well in Prayer to euery one wee meete who sometimes may haply be going about some wicked enterprise But besides that Charitie biddeth vs to thinke and hope the best in matters of vncertaintie they should haue remembred that of our Sauiour Luke 10. Into whatsoeuer house yee goe say Peace be vnto this house and if the Sonne of peace be in the house your peace shall come vpon it if not your peace shall returne vpon you So then there is no hurt done whomsoeuer we salute so it be not a notorious Heretike or some such offender not much vnlike 2. Ioh. but if wee salute the children of God wee doe good to them our salutations are effectuall meanes through the blessing of God to bring vpon them the good desired If others we doe good to our selues that good wee desire to them shall bee granted to our selues The summe then of this whole point of salutation in a word is thus much first that we conscionably performe this dutie both by word and writing Superiours to their Inferiours as well as on the contrary euen Kings to their Subiects to strangers as well as to those of our acquaintance Luk. 10. 2. that we doe it in a holy manner feeling our hearts with reuerence both affected to God and inlarged in loue to our Brethren Thus much in generall In this salutation more particularly wee are to consider these two points 1. The things that PAVL wisheth 1. Grace 2. Peace 2. From whom hee wisheth them 1. From God the Father 2. From Iesus Christ our Lord. First for the things desired The former of them is Grace This word Grace often is taken for the gifts of the Spirit by a Metonymie of the efficient because they come vnto vs by the grace and free fauour of God as Iohn 1. 16. And of his fulnesse haue we all receiued Grace how taken grace vpon grace and Verse 17. Grace and Truth came by Iesus Christ and 2. Cor. 12. My grace is sufficient for thee But this grace is not here principally meant by the Apostle in this place Therefore there is a second and that more proper signification of this word Grace for the fauour and good will of God as Ephes 2. 8. For by grace are yee saued through faith And this is that which here the Apostle wisheth to PHILEMON Now this Grace and Fauour of GOD is twofold First that fauour of God whereby he purposeth Two degrees of Gods loue to make vs capable of his fauour and fit to be fauoured of him when as in our selues there was no matter of fauour but only of displeasure The giuing of Christ vnto vs and all the benefits which wee receiue in Christ are made fruits and effects of this fauour Rom 5. 15. Much more the grace of God and the gift by grace hath abounded to many The gift by grace is iustification and reconciliation with God A man would thinke wee could not be in the loue and fauour of God till Christ had reconciled vs. I but that Christ is giuen vnto vs to be our Reconciler Whence comes this but of the fauour of God namely this first kind of fauour whereby God goeth about to fit and prepare vs for his fauour So the Apostle directly affirmeth Rom. 5. God setteth out his loue vnto vs that when we were sinners Christ dyed for vs and Christ himselfe Ioh. 3. 16. God so loued the world that he sent his only begotten Sonne which is to be vnderstood of such a kind of loue and fauour whereby hee is willing as it were and desirous to fauour vs and not otherwise For how then could wee be said to be reconciled to God by Christ if before wee were actually in the loue and fauour of God And of this grace our election is made a fruit Ephes 1. 5 6. Who hath predestinated vs to the glorie of his grace whereby hee hath freely made vs accepted in his Beloued that is whereby he hath predestinated vs. Secondly there is another degree of Gods fauour when hauing a desire to fauour vs and a free disposition to doe vs good and because it would not stand with his Iustice to fauour the vile and abominable hauing further of his owne good pleasure in Christ fitted vs for his fauour he doth now take a singular pleasure and delight in vs. So then there is a fauour whereby God makes vs as I may say fauourable such as may be fauoured and it is the description of the Apostle himselfe Ephes 1. 6. By the which grace he hath made vs accepted And there is a further fauour whereby hauing made vs accepted that is such as may be accepted he doth indeed accept vs and is exceedingly well pleased with vs. This may be called the fauour of complacency
also did Phil. 1. I desire to be dissolued and to be with Christ Againe thou must feele thy heart reioycing in Christ euen in that apprehension of him which thou hast in this life feeling the want of all other things made vp in him and so fully contenting thy selfe with his loue else thou doest no more loue Christ then that woman her husband which receiuing small contentment from him desireth the companie of other men This was in PAVL 1. Cor. 15. 31. calling Christ his reioycing And when we feele these things then may we truly call Christ our Loue as IGNATIVS did saying His Loue was crucified But if these things be wanting no hungring no thirsting after Christ and his Righteousnesse no reioycing nor resting of the heart in Christ but we linger in our desire after worldly things and find more comfort in them then in Christ nor yet no desiring for the comming of Christ to Iudgement it is an argument that in truth there is no loue of Christ in vs. Againe obserue as before concerning Faith the same thing was obserued That not God simply and absolutely in himselfe but God in Christ is the obiect of our Loue. I graunt indeed that wee owe Loue to God as in himselfe he is good and as our Creator though he should neuer haue further manifested his Loue vnto vs in Christ But wee can in no wise pay this debt of Loue but vnto God considered in Christ The reason is because our Loue of him ariseth of his loue to vs as S. IOHN witnesseth And he loues vs onely in Christ Matth. 3. in the end The Iewes that denyed Christ pretended a zealous Loue of God but the Apostle worthily condemnes it for no man can truely loue God out of Christ Vainely therefore doe all Papists and all prophane Protestants brag of their Loue to God The second Obiect of our Loue followes And towards all the Saints HOw may any thing besides Christ be loued Quest. for God in his Law requires That wee loue him with all our heart c. If God challenge all to himselfe what then will be left for any other thing 2. The Saints Againe Good only is the matter of Loue And God onely is good Matth. 19. therefore he onely to be loued It followes not if God onely be to be loued Answ that therefore our brethren are shut out from hauing any part in our loue for the loue of the Creature is subordinate to the loue of God Wee may loue God in the Creature God indeed is onely good originally and of himselfe yet he imparteth his goodnesse to his Creatures And this deriued goodnesse of the Creature is Gods owne goodnesse And therefore it followeth on the contrary that because we must loue God therefore also the Creature the basest Creature that is hauing some obscure Lineaments of the Image of God First Marke the Order of our Loue First it Doct. 1 must be directly carried to God then to the Creature The Order of our Loue. to Christ the Head then to the Saints the members All Creatures therefore are to be loued in God and for God onely so that the Loue of the Creature must be so farre from taking any thing from our Loue of God that rather it must confirme and encrease the same And then is the loue of the Creature lawfull when it is referred to the Creator So that wee loue not so much the Creature as the Creator in the Creature Now this is done Two wayes how the Creator is loued in the Creature these two wayes First in regard of the Beginning from whom the Loue of the Creature ariseth namely the Loue of God for whose cause wee loue the Creature his Workmanship as the Sonne for the Fathers cause Secondly in regard of the End to which it tendeth Now that Loue of the Creature which is lawfull tendeth to the Loue of the Creator For the glorie of God is that end which we must propound to all our actions and so consequently to our Loue of any Creature And this must be the end of all those duties of Loue which we are to performe to our brethren that by that meanes we may prouoke them to the Loue of God If wee loue the Creature otherwise then thus we sinne grieuously in as much we cleaue to the Creature and contrarie to that of the Psalmist Psal 62. We set our heart vpon it which God claymeth as his owne peculiaritie The Riuers that come out of the Sea as they passe doe lightly touch the Earth but they stay not there but goe on forward till at last they returne againe into that Sea from whence they first came So it is here our Loue must first come from God to the Creature but being so come it must not rest and settle there howsoeuer like a Riuer it may in passage touch it no it must returne backe into that infinite Sea euen God himselfe whence first it came But how many shall we see so blinded and bewitched with the Loue of the Creature that God is wholly forgotten of them Thus is God robbed of his Honor with the Loue of whom only the heart is to be possessed and wholly taken vp and the Creature abused and transformed into an Idoll For for this cause is Couetousnesse called Idolatrie because it glueth and fasteneth the heart to Riches Now the adhering of the heart is proper onely to God Therefore also is the excessiue Loue of the Creature called Adulterie because thereby we withdraw our affections from Christ our Spirituall Husband Iames 4. 4. O yee Adulterers and Adulteresses know yee not that the Loue of the World is Enmitie with God Let vs take heed of being enamoured with any Creature though neuer so glorious and pleasing vnto vs forgetting in the meane time the Creator Blessed for euer If it shall please God to take from vs any Creature we loue as our Children Wiues Husbands Goods Health Credit c. which hee doth oftentimes because he seeth we loue them too well let vs willingly suffer our selues to be seuered from them Let no man in the losse of Children crie out with DAVID as bereft of reason ABSALOM ABSALOM O my sonne ABSALOM would God I had died for thee or with RAHEL feed their sorrow wilfully refusing comfort for then wee shew plainely wee loued the Creature for it selfe If wee loued it for Gods cause and rather loued God in it then it selfe alone wee should then with AARON without any more adoe hold our peace Leuit 10. For though thy Sonne thy Spouse thy Wife whom thou louedst as thine owne soule dearely and tenderly be taken away from thee yet God whom thou louest in them still remayneth with thee Therefore if the presence of God cannot comfort thee in the absence of the Creature which thou louedst nor thou canst not yeeld quietly to God parting thee and the Creature which thou louest it is a plaine argument thou art too farre gone in thy
most honorable the Apostle of Iesus Christ but reioyceth rather in this stile of the prisoner of Iesus Christ preferring it before the title of his Apostleship not onely by this mention of his imprisonment to raise vp pitie in the mind of PHILEMON and so to make a way for his sute that followeth but also hereby to shew that he iudgeth it a far greater matter and more praise-worthy to suffer for the Truth then to preach the Truth for the gift of suffering is preferred before the gift of beleeuing Philip. 1. 23. much more is it then aboue the gift of preaching which being a gift incident to cast-awayes as to IVDAS must needs giue place to the gift of beleeuing proper and peculiar to the Elect. Good cause haue we therefore with the Apostle to reioyce in our sufferings as being not only the cognizance and liueries of true Christians but also of strong and tall Christians Infants and Babes in Christ haue no strength in their backs to beare the burden of Christs Crosse When therefore wee are called forth into the field it is a signe of some strength and Christian manhood wherewith the Lord hath endued vs. Those Christians therefore which haue rest giuen them when many of their Brethren are exercised vnder the Crosse must be so farre from censuring and condemning them in regard of their afflictions that rather they are to conceiue a more honorable opinion of them as being such to whom the Lord hath giuen more strength of grace then to themselues Againe in our sufferings for Christ here is further matter of ioy That the Lord doth vs a special credit in them in that he maketh vs witnesses of his glorious Truth to the whole world In this regard Acts 5. the Apostles being scourged reioyced in that they were counted worthy to suffer any thing for Christ In these and many other respects hauing so great cause of cheerfulnesse in the Crosse let vs according to PAVLS example in this place in a holy kind and manner bragge and boast of them thinking the markes of our Lord Iesus which wee beare about in our bodies Gal. 6. 17. to be no greater deformities to vs then wounds and a disfigured face with the losse of eye or nose are to the valiant Souldier who hauing gotten them fighting in defence of his Countrie accounteth them speciall ornaments witnesses of his valour and manhood Lastly we are to obserue in PAVLS example the Doct. 5 dutie of all the Ministers namely to make good Ministers must be ready to make good their preaching by the prison their preaching by the prison if need be their sayings by their sufferings O base is that libertie yea baser then the basest bondage which is got by flinching from that Truth which wee haue preached and professed True it is that all Christians by vertue of their calling are called to suffering Matth. 16. 24 and 1. Pet. 2. 21. Vnto this are yee called for Christ hath suffered for you he was our prisoner and captiue for our sakes why then should any thinke much to be his prisoner who suffered for vs the losse of libertie and life too But the Ministers in more speciall sort euen by vertue of their ministerie are called to these sufferings Coloss 1. 24. PAVL hauing said that he suffered afflictions for the Churches sake in the 25. Verse addeth as giuing a reason thereof Whereof I am the Minister So 2. Tim. 2. 3. Thou therefore as a good Souldier a good Minister suffer affliction The reason hereof is plaine Euery Minister is the Churches seruant and the end of his ministerie is to build vp the Church in the truth of the Gospel which he cannot doe vnlesse being called thereto he be ready to seale the Truth euen with his bloud If hee will not thus abet and iustifie his owne Doctrine he giueth cause to the Church to doubt whether that be the Truth which he hath taught yea in truth he destroyes that which hee hath built and vndoes all that hee had done formerly But of this point more afterwards Thus much of the first person writing the principall writer PAVL The second and inferior writer is TIMOTHEVS described by the title of PAVLS brother We are not to thinke that TIMOTHY had any hand at all in the writing of this same Epistle but onely because a force vnited is the stronger PAVL takes him into the society of this Petition to PHILEMON together with himselfe So that TIMOTHY did only consent to this Petition of PAVL hee did not helpe him in the penning of it nor no man else onely the holy Ghost This example of TIMOTHY willingly ioyning with PAVL in this so Christian a businesse must teach vs without any sticking freely and frankly to lend our helpe to any that shall demand it for the furtherance of any good and honest cause TIMOTHYES stile here is PAVLS brother Elsewhere he calleth him his sonne as hauing conuerted him here his brother in regard of the communion of the same office with himselfe in preaching the Word Thereby teaching vs how louingly affected each to others the Ministers of the Word should bee whereof more afterward These be the persons writing The persons written to follow First the principall whom this letter more specially concernes the Gouernours of ONESIMVS First his Master PHILEMON Secondly his Mistris APPHIA PHILEMON is described first by the adiunct of PAVLS loue our beloued secondly by his calling our fellow-worker First hee is called beloued an argument that hee was one that loued God Otherwise that of IEHV spoken to IEHOSAPHAT might haue beene applyed to PAVL Wouldest thou loue them that hate the Lord Let vs learne by PAVLS example to haue our hearts inlarged in all true Christian loue towards the children of God Secondly hee is called PAVLS fellow-worker Whence it may probably be gathered that this PHILEMON was a Minister of the Word Though it cannot be denyed but that this title may be giuen not only to men but euen to women themselues as to PRISCILLA Rom. 16. 3. for all Christians are fellow-labourers in seeking GODS glorie and the common good of the Church Though yet in that place PAVL seemeth to respect in that title some speciall seruice which AQVILA and PRISCILLA had done for him Therefore BEZA well translates it My helpers for so the word ioyned with a Genitiue case is oftentimes taken But yet most properly this title belongeth to those that are of the same speciall calling with our selues I will not stand here to shew that the office of a Minister is a worke and that the Minister must be a labourer not a loyterer though I feare there be a number of idle bellies now adayes who may well call one another fellow-loyterers but rather I obserue First the humilitie of PAVL who though an Apostle in the highest degree of the ministerie Ephes Doct. 4. 11. 1. Cor. 12 28. yet disdayneth not to mate and yoke Humility of Ministers himselfe not only
as the fish drinketh in water neuer saying so much as What haue I done Assuredly they are out of the fauour of God An humbled heart for sinne is the first step to the fauour of God Secondly thou must shrowd thy selfe vnder Christs wings Clothe thy selfe with his righteousnesse and the precious Robes thereof that so thou mayest appeare amiable and louely in the eyes of the Lord for in Christ only is the Father well pleased and so if thou wouldest haue him well pleased with thee thou must become a member of him bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh This thou doest when by Faith thou layest hold vpon Christs righteousnesse and gripest the promises of the Gospell And this act of Faith sheweth it selfe most of all in earnest Prayer and Deprecation when thou cryest with strong cryes Forgiue me my trespasses According to the multitude of thy mercies blot out my offences These be the wrestlings of IACOB who would not let the Lord goe till he had blessed him If thou wouldest find grace thou must come and in this manner knocke at the gate of Grace and it shall be opened vnto thee How can wee looke to haue grace with God when he offring vs his Sonne as a meanes thereof wee will not reach forth the hand of our Faith to take him Thirdly by Faith hauing clad thy selfe with the Robes of Christs imputed righteousnesse thou must be clothed vpon with the garment of thy own righteousnesse and obedience which howsoeuer being in it selfe a menstruous cloth as it comes from vs yet being of the Spirits owne weauing in that regard is acceptable to God and causeth him to take a further delight in vs. Pro. 3. 3. Let not Mercy and Truth depart from thee so shalt thou haue fauour with God and man Pro. 11. 20. They that are vpright in their way are his delight If then we would be Gods Fauoured and Beloued we must put on that party-coloured Coate of the Apostle Col. 3. 12. consisting of many parts Of Humblenesse Mercy Kindnesse and long Suffering c. then shall that be verified Psal 45. 11. The King shall delight in thy beautie and that Cant. 4. 9. My faire One thou hast wounded my heart with one of thine eyes and with a chaine about thy neck Looke how the Spouse that being beautifull of her selfe is withall set forth and decked with precious ornaments is gracious in the eyes of her Louer so shalt thou be in Gods when thou appearest before him in the beautifull face and pleasant rayment of a new creature in Christ Iesus for then thou art made partaker of the diuine Nature And God in thee seeing himselfe an Image of his owne Holinesse and Righteousnesse thou being with DAVID a man after his owne heart how can hee but take great pleasure in thee if so bee hee take pleasure in himselfe Thou then who hast not this pleasant rayment of the new man but the torne rags of the old man thou that lyest wallowing in the mire of sinne a forlorne nasty creature thou that still retaynest the old Ethiopian hide and Black-mores skin these foule Leopard spots how thinkest thou that the pure and cleere eyes of the Lord can abide the sight of so filthy and deformed an obiect Hee that can performe these three duties may assure himselfe of Gods fauour Thus much for the first thing desired namely Grace The second followeth and Peace I doe willingly assent to those who by Peace doe vnderstand all prosperitie and felicitie both earthly and heauenly in this life and that to come In the ordinary salutation among the Iewes wherein they wished peace to the saluted Luk. 10. I thinke only outward prosperitie was meant by peace But as the Apostles augmented the ordinary forme of salutation by adding Grace to Peace because they preached in the Gospell the free Grace of God for our saluation so by the same reason may it well be thought that they inlarged the signification of this word Peace euen to inward peace as well as to outward specially their Gospell being the Gospell and glad tydings of that Peace Extending therefore the signification Foure things comprehended vnder Peace of this word in this Apostolicall salutation further then it was taken in the common greetings of the Iewes it may comprehend all these things within his circuit First the inward peace of Conscience with God which springeth out of the grace and fauour of God Rom 51. A mans conscience will neuer be at quiet within him till it feele this grace There will bee nothing there but the vncomfortable darknesse of terrors and astonishments till the light of Gods countenance arise and shine vpon it Secondly The peace of Charitie among our selues of which the Apostle Be at peace among your selues Let the peace of God rule in your hearts This also is an effect of Gods grace which as it maketh a man at peace with himselfe and God so with his Brethren The loue of God shed into our hearts will make vs loue our Brethren also There can be no true loue then among those that are not in fauour with God but they liue together like Wolues Beares But when our God hath vouchsafed vs his grace he changes our Woluish and Tygrish natures accomplishing that which is prophesied Esai 11. Thirdly The peace of Amitie and a holy kind of League with all Gods creatures Iob 5. The stones of the field shall be at peace with thee This also is an effect of grace for when we haue his fauour who is the Lord wee haue the good will also of his seruants the creatures Rom. 8. If hee bee with vs who can be against vs for all things are at his command who is the Lord of Hosts Nay who shall not be for vs On the contrarie Oh the miseries of the man in disgrace with God! all the creatures are at enmitie and at variance with vs being out of Gods fauour The senselesse creatures themselues in their kind rise vp against vs to fight the Lords battails against vs as the heauens did fight against SISERA Iudg. 5. Fourthly Outward Prosperitie and good successe in our wayes so it is commonly taken in all their salutations as 1. Chron. 12. 18. Peace be vnto thee O sonne of ISHAI And 2. King 9. Is it peace the salutation of IEHORAM to IEHV Hence it is euen from this manner of saluting all kind and good dealing is set out in the Scripture by this phrase of speaking peace as Psal 85. God sayes I will speake peace to my people Now the reason why outward prosperitie is signified by this name of peace is first because to the godly they are Pawnes and Pledges of that sweet Peace they haue with God Secondly they are notable Maintayners of the peace and quietnesse of our affections for in the want of outward things how are we disquieted and vnsettled But Peace in this fourth signification is so taken for outward prosperitie that which all this
4 and Loue of PHILEMON plainly sheweth that there were some that related reported them to him By whose example we must learne to haue a speciall respect of the good name of our brother being alwaies ready as occasion shal serue to speake of those good things that are in others that so their names as it were being sented perfumed with this oyntment may haue a most sweet fragrant odor in all places But where is the man that will thus labor to vphold the credit of his brother that will acknowledge Gods graces in him in all places and at all times and will not rather with some one infirmitie ouerwhelme whatsoeuer is prayse-worthie in him Fifthly Obserue Gods prouidence recompencing Doct. 5 Faith with fame and good name when Faith shall A good report the recompence of Religion open our hearts and mouthes to extoll Gods name God will open our brethrens yea sometimes our enemies mouthes to extoll ours Heb. 11. 3. By this namely Faith our Elders obtained a good report This was the meanes whereby they became so famous What maruell then if thou hast an ill name when thou hast an ill conscience Naughty faith and fame crackt credit and conscience commonly goe together The vse of oyntments among the Ancients was especially in their Feasts Then may wee looke for God to come drench vs with the precious Oyntment of a good Name when wee are keeping the Feast of a good Conscience If we would serue God with a good Conscience by faith purged from dead Workes then should wee find that God who seeth our Faith and good Conscience in secret would reward vs with credit and estimation openly Thus much generally concerning the cause and matter of PAVLS praying vnto and praysing God viz. the hearing of Gods graces in PHILEMON Now more particularly let vs consider what these Graces are There are two set downe here by name first the Loue secondly the Faith of PHILEMON Both these Graces are set forth by their Obiects whereabout they are conuersant Which thou hast towards our Lord Iesus and all Saints Both these Obiects belong in common to Loue the former onely to Faith By Faith onely we apprehend Christ and vnite our selues to him but by Loue we apprehend and vnite our selues both to Christ and our fellow-members Thus then is the meaning of the words and thus they are to be construed Hearing of thy Faith and Loue thy Faith which thou hast in our Lord Iesus and thy Loue which thou hast both to our Lord Iesus and all Saints The Rhemists therefore erre by this place confirming that confidence which they teach vs to repose in the merites of the Saints whereas it is manifest by the seuenth Verse that the Apostle speaketh not of the dead but of liuing Saints Here then two points specially are to be considered First these two vertues Loue and Faith Secondly their obiects towards the Lord Iesus and all Saints First for the Vertues the first place is here giuen to Loue though both in nature and excellency it comes behind Faith as the Effect the Cause the Daughter the Mother Gal. 5. 1. Tim. 1. 6. Therefore else-where Faith is set before as Coloss 1. 6. 1. Thessal 1. 3. But nothing is more vsuall in the Scriptures then to giue the former place vnto the effect as being more obuious to our senses then the cause By Faith vnderstand iustifying Faith which only is able to bring forth true Loue either to God or man and by Loue as the Apostle sheweth not only loue to God but also to man Here obserue First the distinction of these graces of Faith and Doct. 1 Loue. They are named distinctly as two Vertues 1. Cor. 13. in the end There remayne these three Faith Hope and Charitie This obseruation will not seeme idle if we consider the Doctrine of the Papists concerning faith viz. that there is a two fold Faith one informed and a second formed and that by Charitie They make Charitie the forme the life and soule of Faith which if it were so then Faith and Loue are not to be distinguished but confounded Neither could the Apostle say These three but These two remain Neither could Charitie be preferred before Faith in respect of long durance for the forme of a thing is the thing it selfe and therefore as long as the forme lasts so long the thing it selfe continueth Secondly the coniunction of these two Graces Doct. 2 for howsoeuer they are to be distinguished yet not Faith and Loue are distinguished not diuided to be diuided Wheresoeuer true Faith is there necessarily Loue both to God and our Brethren will follow for though Faith be alone in iustification yet not in the iustified As the eye though alone in seeing yet not in him that seeth but ioyned with the eares nose and many other members of the body Faith therefore is a fruitfull Mother of many daughters and Loue is the first-borne of them Faith though it be in regard of God a Begger alwayes holding out the hand to receiue and crying Giue giue yet in regard of those in whom it dwelleth it is like a Soueraigne Lord and King and hath as a King his Officers vnder him and among the rest Loue his Almner to distribute and disperse those treasures which it selfe hath receiued from the Lord. And first of all our loue towards God proceedeth Our loue to God proceeds from Faith from Faith which apprehending Gods loue to vs enflameth our affections againe with the loue of God The bearnes of Gods loue lightning vpon our hearts reflect backe vpon God himselfe by the Vertue of our Faith The loue of Christ saith the Apostle namely being apprehended by our Faith constrayneth vs. An example whereof we haue in MARY MAGDALEN whose Faith beleeuing that much was forgiuen her caused and constrayned her to loue much Luk. 7. 1. This plainly conuinceth the Faith of many to be Vse nothing but vaine presumption because their loue to God is so luke-warme Thou mockest thy owne soule O thou vaine man whose disobedience though it testifie to thy face that thou hatest GOD wilt yet be bragging of the strength and assurance of thy Faith wee see when men haue without our desert beene extraordinarily kind vnto vs how wee are affected therewith neuer satisfying our affections toward them Is it likely then that thou art perswaded of that infinite loue of God in Christ and hast the eye of Faith to see the height the depth the bredth and length thereof how thou being a slaue of Satan fettered with the chaines of darknesse in Hell wast rescued and loosed by the death of his owne Son when yet thou ceasest not most shamefully to dishonour this God by a wicked and vngodly conuersation So if thou haddest once felt the loue of God shed abroad into thy heart and diddest beleeue that God had done so much for thee as thou sayest Oh then how zealously wouldest thou loue the Lord declaring the
truth of that excellent saying of PAVL Faith works by Loue Yea but I loue God or else it were pitie I should liue Thou lyest heare Christ If you loue mee keepe my Commandements And yet thou delightest thy soule in the daily breach of them for all this so affectionate entreatie of him whom thou professest thy Sauiour Behold MARY MAGDALEN and in her see vndoubted arguments of loue Her eyes which had beene entisements to vncleannesse she maketh a Bason of water to wash CHRISTS feete her haire abused to the same purpose a towell to wipe them Thou then that preferrest thy vnlawfull pleasures before Christ whatsoeuer thou confessest with thy mouth certainly thou beleeuest not with thy heart vnto saluation Secondly but as this Doctrine is terrible to the Hypocrite whom it vnmasketh of his vaine vizzard of faith so it is no lesse comfortable to the true Christian For what doest thou feele thy soule panting and breathing in the earnestnesse of desire after God doest thou find thy selfe grieued when thou missest of thy desire doest thou finde thy heart to arise when thou seest Gods Name dishonoured c Surely these things as they are arguments of sincere loue so likewise of Faith not fayned If thou feelest these things in any manner in thy selfe thou mayest truly say with him in the Gospell Lord I beleeue For it is impossible for vs to loue God vnlesse by Faith wee haue tasted how sweet Gods loue is to vs. But if thou findest these things in a smaller measure then is fit goe on with the same man and say Helpe my vnbeliefe For as true Loue argueth true Faith so a luke warme loue a faint and feeble faith For the Fountayne of Loue being as a good Conscience so likewise and that primarily and originally Faith not fayned 1. Tim. 1. vers 6. Looke what measure of Loue there is in any the like measure of Faith also If then we find great want of zeale in our selues we haue cause to bewaile the smalnesse of our Faith out yet so that feeling any measure of zeale at all we may raise vp our selues in a comfortable assurance of hauing Faith Therefore 1. Pet. 1. after that hee had said They loued the Lord he inferreth presently that they also beleeued in him In temptations oftentimes many excellent men are greatly troubled with doubting whether they haue Faith or no in as much as they cannot confidently and boldly nay scarse faintly and fearefully say that Christ is theirs but rather they are readie to say the contrary They feele the hand of Faith not onely trembling and quiuering but euen strucken with a dead Palsie But if at the same time thou canst perceiue that thou hast the giuing hand of Loue giuing vnto God and man those duties which thou owest them thou mayest assure thy selfe that thou hast also the receiuing hand of Faith taking those mercies which hee owes thee not howsoeuer for the present thou hast no feeling of it Satan and Sinne haue so benummed it If thou canst with DAVID Psal 18. 1. say I loue the Lord thou mayest as truely vse the words following and say The Lord is my Rocke Thirdly this Doctrine of Loues issuing and flowing from Faith confuteth those that teach our Election dependeth vpon our foreseene obedience By that which hath beene deliuered it appeareth that our loue of God is caused and stirred vp in vs by his loue to vs apprehended by our Faith And therefore we say with IOHN We loue him because he loued vs first But according to their Doctrine contrariwise God loues vs because we loued him first Fourthly this Doctrine teacheth vs what to iudge of that loue of God of that deuotion that is in Ethnicks Iewes Papists or any superstitious persons PAVL granteth to the Iewes a zealous loue of God but saith that it is not according to knowledge which is the very beginning of Faith But we haue shewed that the true loue of God is the handmaid of Faith And therefore if it shall wait vpon any other Mistris as vpon blind deuices of mans owne braine vpon good intentions falsly so called it is to be censured as a base a blind and preposterous zeale whatsoeuer shewes and colours it may haue For PAVL reioyceth in PHILEMON not for his loue alone but for his loue and faith that is for his loue conioyned with and proceeding from his Faith There is no matter of ioy then in Loue seuered from Faith Thus wee see how our loue of God comes from Faith Secondly our loue of our Brethren springeth Loue to our Brethren proceeds from Faith likewise from faith for the Apostle speaketh here of both loues This will appeare if either we consider those duties of loue which wee owe generally to all or in speciall to some For the first this is a dutie which wee owe to all indifferently to be readie to forgiue one another being offended Now what is that which will make a reuengefull nature yeeld to this but Faith which when once it hath apprehended Gods loue forthwith reasoneth as the Master in the Parable with his seruant Matth. 19. The Lord hath freely forgiuen mee my whole debt ought not I then to shew the like compassion to my fellow-seruant Therefore the Lord enioyning the dutie of forgiuenesse the Apostles pray Lord increase our Faith Luk. 17. 4 5. Ephes 5. Forgiuing one another euen as God for Christs sake hath forgiuen you and 1. Ioh. 2. 12. I write vnto you namely the Commandement of loue because your sinnes are forgiuen you Other duties there are which we owe specially to some As first to those that are yet vnconuerted the desiring of and by all meanes possible labouring after their conuersion Now it is Faith only which will make a man doe this For when by Faith wee haue felt the sweetnesse of Gods loue our selues we cannot but call vpon others and with the Prophet DAVID inuite them to the eating of the same dainties with our selues Ps 34. Come and see and taste how good c. As at the table if wee meet with any dish that pleaseth vs aboue another wee offer it presently to others desiring that it may haue their commendation as well as ours Thus EVE reached forth the Apple to ADAM Albeit here there be many to whom yet EVE though falne was vnlike so giuen to their appetites and louing their bellies that if they light vpon any meate which they loue more specially they like rauenous Harpies snatch it all to themselues grudging another the least morsell thinking all is lost that goes besides their owne lips But here no such thing can fall out for these exquisite delicates do so fully satiate vs that there still remaineth ynough for many thousand thousands Therefore we cannot endure to eat our Morsels alone but we desire the companie of others as PAVL did AGRIPPAES and the whole Assembly there present besides Acts 26. Would to God that both thou and all that heare me this day
Loue. For when wee keepe this our Loue of the Creature within her lawfull bounds then shall wee not onely be well content that God should make a Diuorce betwixt it and vs but we our selues will be readie in case hee commaunds vs to giue a Bill of Diuorcement into it hands willingly to depriue our selues of the same This is that which our Sauiour calls the hating of Father Mother Wife Children and Life it selfe when as wee seeing God calls for them at our hands because wee cannot both keepe them and a good conscience too wee doe willingly resigne them vp Thus did ABRAHAM chearefully sacrifice ISAAC PAVL his life Acts 20. MOSES his honours Heb. 11. thereby plainely shewing that in truth they loued the Lord in these Creatures simply in themselues because they were so willing to forgoe them when God called for them And therefore God himselfe said to ABRAHAM Now I know that thou louest mee Now I see that there is no Creature no not ISAAC himselfe that is able to alienate and estrange thy affections from mee Now I see that howsoeuer thou LOUEDsT ISAAC well yet thou louedst me better and ISAAC onely for my sake when at my commaund thou canst euen hate him Secondly The Apostle conioyning the Loue of Doct. 2 the Saints with the Loue of Christ thereby would teach vs That Christ is to be loued in his Saints Christ to be loued in his Saints and that in truth none loueth Christ who also loueth not his Members for wee may truely say with DAVID Psal 16. 2. Lord my well-doing reacheth not to thee All my delight is in the Saints on Earth The Lord Iesus is in the Heauens We cannot so manifestly declare our Loue to his owne Person but he hath left in his owne stead a most fit Matter for our Loue the poore Saints to be with vs alwayes Whereas if those duties of kindnesse and humanitie which IOSEPH of Arimathea performed to the dead Corps of our Sauiour were arguments of his Loue how much more shall wee declare our Loue vnto him in helping the Church his liuing Bodie his Fulnesse called by the Name of Christ himselfe 1. Cor. 12. specially then when it shall be in ieopardie If the glorified Bodie of Christ in the Heauens were here vpon Earth with vs no doubt wee would be very officious and respectiue of it But alas it is not that Masse of flesh though glorified and vnited to his Godhead which hee so much respects No hee makes greater account of his faithfull Ones amongst vs setting that vpon his owne Skore which is done vnto them Euerie one of these hath hee honoured with his Name as well as the whole Companie of them Psal 105. 15. Touch not my Prophets neither hurt my Christs Vainely therefore doe they prattle that speake of their Loue to Christ who yet are wanting to his Members in their Troubles suffering PAVL to answer for himselfe before NERO and with the Parents of the blind man Ioh. 9. saying Hee is old ynough let him speake for himselfe To such I say If any man loue not the Lord Iesus let him be accursed 1. Cor. 16. Thirdly Obserue who next vnto Christ are to Doct. 3 be loued namely the Saints All men being of The Saints to be loued next vnto Christ the same mould the same humane nature with our selues are to be loued for wee may not hide our selues from our owne flesh But the chiefetie of our Loue is due vnto the Saints that are of the same Spirituall flesh and consanguinitie with vs. Others may not haue the tythe of that Loue they haue Let vs doe good to all sayth the Apostle but specially to the Household of Faith Galat 6. 1. Tim. 5. Hee that prouideth not for his owne is Obiect worse then an Infidell But a mans owne haply may be none of the Saints S. PAVL here seemes to preferre a mans owne though neuer so wicked in our Loue before the Saints If the Question be Whether I must rather helpe my wicked Wife in her necessitie then any godly friend this place to TIMOTHIE sayes My wicked Wife But here the Apostle giues the first place of our Loue next to CHRIST vnto the Saints This Doctrine That our Loue must chiefely Answ respect the Saints is to be vnderstood in an euen Comparison All Saints are not to be preferred before all that are none but those onely that may equally be compared with them as Those of mine owne which are godly must bee loued more then those of mine owne which are not I must loue all my Children Seruants Kinsfolkes but specially those that are Saints But in an vnequall Comparison it holdeth not An vngodly Sonne Wife Brother c. is to be respected before a godly friend that is further off from me and not so neere in bloud Againe though naturall affection may be greater in vs towards our Kinsfolkes wicked then towards strangers godly yet true Christian Loue belongeth to the Faithfull without any carnall respect Neyther must wee measure it so much by outward effects as by the inward affection of the mind It is a Spirituall Loue and is specially seene in Spirituall Things as in the holy cleauing of hearts together in mutuall Prayers Consolations and heauenly Conferences And thus I may loue my Christian friends more then my vngodly Wife or Children though in nourishing of them I suffer them to perish with famine as not hauing sufficient to relieue both Fourthly Marke The Obiect of PHILEMONS Doct. 4 Loue is All the Saints Hee that loueth All the Saints must be loued one Saint truely and because hee is a Saint must needs loue all Though there be diuers degrees of our Loue to the Saints as there be also of their Sanctimonie so CHRIST loued IOHN aboue the other Disciples But if wee loue but one Saint because of his Grace wee must needes carrie the same mind to all Otherwise if louing one wee hate another it is an argument wee loue him not because he is a Saint for then wee should loue the other also but for other respects Here then is condemned that partialitie which IAMES taxeth Iames 2. Fifthly Obserue That the Christians with Doct. 5 whom PHILEMON conuersed are called Saints so the Apostle vsually calleth all that hee writes vnto Wee are not then to restraine this name to the glorified Soules of iust and perfect men in Heauen Certainely vnlesse thou art a liuing Saint thou shalt neuer be a Saint when thou art dead for that Holinesse which is perfected then is begun here Let now those prophane Knaues goe and scorne the Name of a Saint together with all Sanctimonie in the meane time they themselues being scorned by Him that sitteth in the Heauens VERS 6. That the communication of thy Faith may be effectuall in the knowledge of all that good that is in you by IESVS CHRIST IN the former Verse both those effects of PAVLS loue to PHILEMON set downe in the fourth Verse
c. our reioycing is not good the end of our mirth wil be mourning wee reioyce not so fast now but wee shall weepe and waile as fast afterward Withall let vs here learne how to minister occasion of ioy to those that desire to haue ioy of vs as our Parents Ministers Acquaintance c. Let vs grow in grace and in the true knowledge and feare of God Otherwise a prophane people giuen to Swearing polluting the Sabbath are thornes and pricks in the sides of godly Ministers and a foolish sonne is a heauinesse to his religious parents The second part of this Verse followeth namely the confirmation of the former part which was that hee had great ioy in PHILEMONS loue This he proues because PHILEMON refreshed the Saints bowels Here obserue First that PAVL doth not say he Doct. 1 hath ioy in his loue because his owne bowels were Loue to be more reioyced in then in the profit of it refreshed by him but because the Saints bowels were refreshed Many will reioyce in that loue which is profitable to themselues But where is he that will as well reioyce in that loue which is profitable only to others It is plaine then that wee reioyce not so much in loue because it is loue because it is a vertue but because it is beneficiall to our selues and that only wee reioyce indeed in our profit that wee reape by that loue and not in the loue it selfe For if wee reioyced in the loue it selfe for it selfe then it would be all one vnto vs whether wee or others were benefited by it For that loue which performeth the duties of kindnesse to others is as well loue as that which sheweth the like kindnesse to vs. Then therefore shall we shew our selues to be of S. PAVLS spirit when wee can heartily reioyce at the graces of Gods children and loue them for those graces whether wee haue any profit by them or not we stand not vpon that yea and when wee haue profit by them wee reioyce yet more in their profit because of the fruit that shall further their reckoning then in our gaine Phil. 4. Secondly marke that then is a most seasonable Doct. 2 time of reioycing when we see the bowels of Gods The fittest time of ioy when it is well with the Church Saints refreshed the Church and People of God releeued in their distresses So on the contrarie if we see the bowels of the Saints wrung with griefe and the Church pinched with the persecution of her Aduersaries and that shee is giuen as a prey into the hands of Wolues and Beares hunted by many mightie NIMRODS and furrowes are made vpon her backe by the Ploughes then wee are to know that it is a time of mourning and of hanging vp our Harps with the captiued Iewes vpon the Willowes But for the most part if it goe well with vs in regard of our owne particular wee care not greatly which way things go with the Church sinke shee swimme shee all is one so we liue at ease and sleepe in whole skinnes If our owne priuate estate be shaken we take on and are much cast downe but teares doe soone waxe drie in the euils of others though they be common to the whole body of the Saints whereas euery mans particular depends vpon the common good of the Church And therefore as when the Church of God flourisheth and holds vp her head we must lift vp ours though otherwise it goe not so well with vs in our owne priuate so when the Church mourneth and hangeth down the head wee must cast downe ours though our owne condition be neuer so good for as the peace of Ierusalem sweetneth our owne priuate grieuances so her afflictions and dangers do sowre and make distastefull vnto vs all priuate comforts whatsoeuer Thus NEHEMIAH distasted his fauour and honor in the Court the Iewes in Babylon their Houses their Orchards and all other their delights whatsoeuer Psal 102. VRIAH his owne house and wife Thirdly in PHILEMONS example we are all according Doct. 3 to our power taught to refresh the bowels The bowels of Gods Saints must be refreshed of Gods poore distressed Saints if we will shew our selues to haue that loue which we professe For this is the effect of PHILEMONS loue the refreshing of the bowels of the Saints for there is a cold charitie and lip-loue which is common euerywhere That which IAMES taxeth Chap. 2. of such as will say to the naked Clothe thee to the hungrie Feede thee to the cold Warme thee But this last they had need to say to their owne frozen charitie for they onely say so they doe nothing for the releeuing of those necessities But true loue as it is seated in and commeth from the heart bowels of him that loueth so it goeth downe into the very heart and bowels of him who it loueth and refresheth them The heart is both the place from whence loue commeth and whither it goeth And then shall our loue iustifie it selfe to be sincere and heartie when as a comfortable Cordiall it doth our Brother good at the very heart But wherein standeth the refreshing of the Saints Bowels I answer in one word In the performing of those parts and offices of kindnesse vnto them which may carrie an expresse signification of our tender commiseration and compassion towards them in their miseries If thus thou giuest but a cup of cold water thou shalt be a refresher of the Bowels of the Saints for nothing grieueth one in miserie more then to see himselfe neglected of others This was that which went very neere DAVIDS heart in his affliction and therefore he complaines bitterly of it Psal 69. 20. But when others shall pitie them moane and tender their case and in a Christian fellow-feeling put vnder their shoulder to helpe them in their weakenesse therein imitating the Spirit Rom. 8. 24. This is a great ease and refreshing to their heauie and oppressed mindes Now more specially wee are to expresse this our compassionate affection towards them in these duties First in speeches of Comfort Psal 41. 1. Blessed Three things in which we must refresh the Saints is he that hath respect of the Poore saying namely vnto the poore Saints The Lord will deliuer him in the time of trouble Thus IOSEPH confirmed and raysed vp the hearts of his poore-brethren cast downe with feare by speaking kindly vnto them Genesis 50. Now these Consolatorie speeches wherewithall wee are to reuiue and refresh the spirits of our disconsolate brother are especially to be taken from the sweet promises of GODS Word which in the best and wisest sort wee can wee are to apply vnto them Secondly in commending and remembring their afflicted Estate to GOD in our prayer And this also is another thing which the Psalmist in the former place maketh another part of our respect towards the afflicted In the third Verse after his words of Comfort he setteth downe his prayer to GOD
and execution of their functions when the vniust tyrranny of man hath hindred and difabled them Not onely the gifts of Ministers but their liberties are the gift of GOD. Oh if men knew but this gift of GOD and were answerably thankfull for so great a gift Sathan enuies the Church this gift and it grudges him that any of GODS Saints but much more that any of his Ministers should haue their liberties This hope of PAVLS is set forth by the ground of it through your prayers Euen the greatest and most gracious stand in need of the prayers of their inferiors The greatnesse of Doct. The most gracious need their inferiors praiers mens graces places doth not free them from needing the prayers of meaner ones Nay the greater either places or graces the greater is their neede of others helpfull prayers Sathan followes that policy of the Syrians 1 King 22. Fight neither against small nor great saue against the King of Israel The sharpest brunt of Sathans enmity is bent against those especially whose graces and places are highest in the Church The more Sathans malice is against them the more our charity should bee towards them the greater our charity the more our prayers for them Therefore PAVL often desires the prayers of others Ephes 6. 18. 19. Pray for all Saints and for me 1 Thess 5. 25 Brethren pray for vs. The prayers of inferiours are beneficiall to their superiours whether in outward things as 2 Cor. 1. 10. 11. or inward and spirituall things as Rom. 15. 30. GOD is no respecter of persons hee regards the hearts not the conditions of those which pray vnto him It is not in the court of heauen as in Kings courts where onely the Nobles and great personages may speake for a man poore plaine men can doe a man no good with their petitions But heere it is otherwise the poorest and meanest Christian may do a man a pleasure by speaking for him in prayer to the King of heauen Great comfort to inferiours that GOD hath so ordered Vse 1 the matter among the members of the mysticall body as that the inferiours doe not more neede the gifts of their superiours then superiours neede the helpe and prayers of inferiours The meanest member is of vse in this body Despise wee not then our inferiours but esteeme Vse 2 well of him that hath the least measure of grace Who would despise a fauourite in court whose good word may pleasure him Euen the meanest officer in the Kings house shall be regarded of a petitioner though a better man if hee may pleasure him in his suit Note the duty of the Church towards Ministers Doct. 2 they are to remember their Ministers in their prayers Ministers to be prayed for Therefore PAVL in the closure of diuers Epistles doth not onely pray for them but prayes them to pray for him Neither desires hee this onely for complement in his valediction but desires it to bee done heartily and earnestly in his behalfe Rom. 15. 30 Also brethren I beseech you for our Lords Iesus Christs sake and for the loue of the spirit that yee would striue with me by prayers to God for me 2 Cor. 1. 11. So that you labour in prayer for vs. See Heb. 13. 18. 19. If PAVL an Apostle who had the immediate assistance of Gods spirit stood in such neede of their prayers how much then doe our Ministers now And great reason is there to challenge this duty at our hands 1. In regard of the loue which is due from people And why to Minister People are bound to loue their Pastours Now loue seekes not her owne things Hee that prayes not for his Minister loues him not 2. In regard of their great charge wherewithall they are betrusted A charge of greater worth then all the world the soule of their people The greater the charge the greater the gifts required to discharge it The more graces they neede the more earnest should our prayers be to procure the same 3. In regard of their danger as in the former point They are in danger of Sathans malice hee knowes if he can but with his taile cause these starrs to fall from heauen that hee shall cause the greater darknesse and the greater scandall their corruption in life or doctrine will be exemplary and infectious They are also in danger of vnreasonable men 2 Thess 3. 2. The greater reason that they should bee holpen with our prayers 4. Pray for your Ministers because in praying for them you pray for your selues and procuring their good you procure your owne The better Ministers are the better is it for people many people complaine of the insufficiency of their Teachers and as many Ministers may complaine of the negligence of their people For if they were more diligent in prayer their Ministers would bee more able to preach if they would pray more for them then should they be able to preach better vnto them Quest What be the things wee should begge for them Answ PAVL specifies some particulars wherein he would be remembred As 1. Free and bold vtterance of the Gospell Ephes 6. 19. Col. 4. 3. 4. 2. Free passage of his Ministry 2 Thess 3. 1. 3. Deliuerance from wicked men Rom. 15. 30 2 Thess 2. 3. 4. Other particulars are mentioned Rom. 15. 31. Pray then for all these pray for the guidance and blessing of Gods spirit with and vpon them pray for all such gracious endowments enablements as may fit them for the worke of the Ministry This taxes peoples grosse negligence Some there are that neuer pray for themselues it is no Vse 1 wonder if they pray not for their Pastours for well ordred charity begins at home Others yet pray in and with their families and commend onely family necessities to God without particular mention of their Ministers in their prayers But a worse sort there is that is so farr from praying Vse 2 for that they heartily pray against their Ministers onely out of an euill will at their fidelity They pray they were well rid of them or in steed of praying for them doe curse and ban them with vile imprecations To condemne yet another sort who in steed of praying for vs doe prey vpon vs and are so farre Vse 3 from helping by their prayers that they rather hinder by their vniust molestations More particularly yet obserue The power and efficacy of prayer I trust that Doct. 1 thorough your prayers I shall be giuen vnto you It is a The efficacy of prayer key that wil vnlock as heauen so likewise the prison doore It is not so much petitioning to NERO that PAVL trusts vpon as to the Lord Praier opened heauen Luk. 3. 21. what wonder if it open a prison Prayer prooues the same to Gods children oftentimes that the Angell did to PETER Acts 12. It opens the prison gates and brings them forth Nay the truth is it was prayer rather then the Angell which brought PETER out
whom the King in speciall fauour would honour could answere readily presuming himselfe to be the man by reason of his ingraftment in the Kings heart Let them bring for him Royall Apparell the Kings Horse and Crowne and proclaime Thus shall it be done c. How much more then vpon this ground should wee seeke for the fauour and face of God For what may we not promise to our selues vpon his fauour What not shall be done to the man whom this great King fauoreth Ps 149. This honor shall be done to his fauorites For Kings are not able to doe all things as they would to gratifie those they loue but God is able to doe for his euen more then he will doe his Power exceedeth his Will But the will euen of the mightiest Monarchs oftentimes goeth beyond their power They want occasions and oportunities to pleasure those whom they fauour yea further many times they are preuented before those occasions fall out by sudden death therefore most excellently the Psalmist Psal 146. Trust not in mortall Princes that is in their fauour and grace for their breath is in their nostrils and their thoughts perish They haue many thoughts and purposes to aduance such and such but euen whiles they are in these thoughts commeth the voyce Thou foole this night shall they take away thy soule from thee and then what shall become of thy thoughts or what good shalt thou poore man haue that trustedst in those thoughts But hee that relyes vpon Gods fauour shall neuer be deceiued nor disappointed Therefore in the fore-named place the Prophet addeth Blessed is the man that trusteth in God Why so who made Heauen and Earth the Sea and all that therein is which keepeth fidelitie for euer Where besides the infinite power of God able to doe all things a further reason is added to make vs bold to build vpon Gods fauor viz. the faithfulnesse and constancie of this his loue Whom hee loues hee loues to the end whereas a mans loue is often a lying loue like a deceitfull Bow Iob. 9. It giues the slip to those that are most of all interessed in it Let vs therefore giue ouer our too too greedie desire of the fauour of men specially great Ones Let vs labour for Gods grace and this will bring with it mans As it is said of our Sauior Luk. 2. That he grew in fauour first with God secondly with man Therefore DAVID in the fourth Psalme though in disgrace with SAVL yet prayeth not for the light of SAVLS countenance but onely of Gods And so PAVL in all his Epistles though the Churches he writes vnto were in the disgrace of the Heathen Emperors yet still he wisheth vnto them Grace not from gracelesse NERO but from God the Father and our Lord Iesus Christ this being the meanes to attaine as all other benefits so likewise this of grace with men Prou. 17. When a mans wayes please the Lord and so the Lord will be well pleased with him his very enemies shall become his friends Secondly Gods grace is in stead of all other blessings in case they be wanting As ELKANAH said to his wife complaining for want of children Am not I in stead of tenne Sonnes to thee Doth not my loue and husband-like affection wherewithall I embrace thee make amends for children So speaketh Gods fauour to all those that haue their part in it Am not I vnto thee in stead of Riches Friends Grace and Glorie and Greatnesse in the World Though indeed Gods fauour shall not be so perfectly and fully all in all till the life to come 1. Cor. 15. yet euen in this life in some measure it is all in all vnto them so that they crie out with DAVID Psal 73. Whom haue wee in Heauen c As Manna was to the Israelites that Meat which they desired whether Flesh or Fish in this regard are we further to hunger and thirst after this Grace and in a holy kind of ambition striue for this fauor It will bring exceeding comfort and contentment in all our wants yea it will make a through supply of all our wants As God answered PAVL complaining of the pricke of the flesh My Grace is sufficient for thee Which though we expound of the gifts of Grace and Sanctification yet wee are to know that these were no otherwise sufficient for him then as they were fruits and so testimonies of Gods fauour Thirdly Since whatsoeuer wee desire wee are Doct. 3 likewise to seeke it in the vse of the meanes PAVL in his example commending vnto vs the desire of Gods fauour withall further sheweth vs that wee must vse meanes for the attainment of it True it is that the first fauour of God to whomsoeuer it is it was before all Worlds and therefore we can doo nothing for the attainment of it But that second degree of Gods fauour though in regard of Gods Decree it was giuen vs before all Worlds too as Paul witnesseth 2. Tim. 1. 9. yet wee are not actually possessed of it till we be called and iustified And though they procure not themselues for we maintaine against the Papists that the grace which makes vs gracefull is not any inherent grace in our selues but it is the free gift of God in Christ yet at that very time hee bestoweth this Iewell vpon them hee stirreth vp in them an earnest desire and a proportionable endeuour after it It is Iesus Christ indeed that bringeth vs into fauour with God yet withall when the Father giueth vs this gift hee makes vs also vse meanes not so much indeed for the attainment of it as for our owne assurance of the attainment thereof What then are those things which we must doe Quest for this purpose First taking thorow-notice of that disgrace and Answ displeasure thou art in with God and that most deseruedly for thy sinnes thou must first of all come Three meanes whereby we may attaine to the fauour of God as BENHADADS Seruants came to AHAB euen with a Halter about thy necke creeping and crouching before the Throne of Grace abasing and abiecting thy selfe at his Footstoole in the humble and penitent confession of thy sinnes We see man being iustly offended with vs for some iniurie offered him will not vouchsafe vs his fauour till wee haue humbled our selues before him and confessed our fault witnessing our vnfained griefe for the same And thinke wee to haue God fauourable vnto vs who neuer yet were touched with any sorrow for displeasing him nor in this sorrow haue prostrated our selues at his feete with bleeding hearts lamenting and bewayling our offences Thou then that desirest the fauour of GOD come vnto him with this sacrifice of a bruised and broken spirit and thou shalt be accepted Psal 51. Thou shalt finde the saying of the Apostle most true God resisteth the proud and giueth grace to the humble This must terrifie the impenitent whose hearts will not relent who sinne freely and merrily Drinking in iniquitie
were not onely almost but altogether euen such as I am Christians except these bonds But yet a more speciall loue which therefore hath a speciall name of brotherly loue is due vnto those which are alreadie effectually called and so made members of Christ This loue also commeth from faith which causing vs to loue God must needes also force vs to loue all those in whom wee shall see the very face and liuely Image of God himselfe so clearely shining First By this then once againe wee may trie our Vse faith A working faith hath laborious loue euen to our brethren annexed 1. Thess 1. 3. If then thou art of a hard and implacable nature of a memorie fastly retayning iniuries of affections vindicatiue which the Scripture cals Feet swift to shead bloud this bloudie nature of thine shewes thou hast no part in the bloud of Christ by faith The like is to be thought of those which are moued with no compassion towards the soule of their brethren sitting in darknesse and the shadow of death but can suffer them to pine and perish away in their sinnes and neuer reach forth the hand to pull them out of the ditch Certainly if thou hadst euer felt the gaine of godlinesse thy selfe thou wouldest perswade others to deale with this so gainfull a commoditie They that are conuerted of God confirme their Brethren being passed ouer the bridge they will wish others to follow them so farre will they be from plucking vp the bridge The same sentence also is to be passed vpon them that doe not feele their hearts enlarged towards Christians more then to others that are none If the Image of God by Faith were repaired in our selues wee could not but be delighted with those that are like our selues But on the contrarie if thou feelest these effects of loue in thy selfe vndoubtedly thou hast Faith For it is the loue of Christ only felt by Faith which is able to soften and melt our hard and frozen hearts When wee shall see how great a debt hee hath forgiuen vs this will make vs willingly to forgiue small ones to our Brethren yea and to bury all iniuries in the graue of forgetfulnesse neuer to reuiue againe euen as Christ hath done all ours to him though neuer so indigne and contumelious hee lodged them in his owne graue not to rise againe with himselfe the third day though many of vs raise vp our owne iniuries farre sooner out of their graues but to be left behind him in that Den of darknesse to sleepe an eternall sleepe So when Faith shall cause vs to consider how that the Lord Iesus being rich became poore that wee might be made rich this will make vs to earne in the bowells of compassion towards our poore and distressed Brethren and to reach forth our releeuing hand towards them But the most euident demonstration of our Faith is that brotherly loue wherewithall we loue a Christian as a Christian and because a Christian 1. Ioh. 3. Wee know that we are translated from death to life because we loue the Brethren for none can loue any good thing vnknowne Loue presupposes knowledge of the thing loued hee then that loues the Image of God in his Brother sees it But none can see it but by the eye of Faith He that loueth his Brother for his Faith must needs know Faith but no man can know it but hee that hath it Faith is onely knowne by our owne experience Secondly this Doctrine serueth not only for the tryall of our Faith but also of our loue to our Brethren for as that Faith which is without this Loue is an idle and emptie and imaginarie faith so that loue of our Neighbour which commeth not from Faith is blind and foolish and in the end will proue a deceitfull and vnfaithfull loue Naturall men that seeme to loue very dearly to day to morrow are at deadly feud The reason hereof is because their loue comes not from Faith Therefore amongst the true children of God yee shall neuer see such bitter fallings out as amongst worldly men In naturall men and the vnregenerate besides naturall affections which they haue as Fathers Husbands Wiues Children yee shall find further many times a kind and courteous nature to strangers a liberall and free heart to the poore But that which the Apostle speaketh of Faith void of Charitie 1. Cor. 13. is true also of Charitie void of Faith It is worth nothing before God Let vs not then deceiue our selues either trusting in the loue of others or glorying in that loue which is in our selues not proceeding from Faith for the former if wee rely too much vpon it it will giue vs a shrewd fall in the end and the latter will make vs but ashamed when it shal come to be scanned before Gods Tribunall who will esteeme most vilely and basely of all thy kind-heartednesse of all thy almes and liberalitie vnlesse Faith did wring them from thee Thus wee see how Faith when once it raigneth in the heart begetteth both these loues both to God and our Neighbour in vs and so how true that of the Apostle is Rom. 3. in the end By Faith we establish the Law For whereas the summe of the Law is loue of the first Table to God of the second to man Faith as we haue shewed very effectually worketh both Hence PAVL giueth the name of a Law to Faith calling it the Law of Faith because it succeedeth into the roome of the Law commanding the same things that the Law does and so is in stead of Law to the regenerate that are freed from the Law So farre is it as the Papists slander vs for giuing any licence to breake the Law Thirdly here it may be asked How could others Quest declare to PAVL the Loue and Faith of PHILEMON which are secret and hidden Vertues that be in the innermost corners of the heart farre from the sight of the eye They saw not PHILEMONS faith but his outward Answ works and by them they iudged and so did PAVL too of his faith discerning the Tree by the fruit Hence obserue First when we see in any the fruits of Faith and Doct. 1 Loue wee in Charitie are to iudge that there is true Faith and Loue indeed for howsoeuer Hypocrisie may Apishly counterfait the fruits of true Faith yet we are to suspend our iudgement till God shall haue vncased the Hypocrite And it is farre safer for vs to erre of Charitie then of malice and sinister suspition Secondly in that PAVL by a Metonymie of the Doct. 2 efficient giueth the name of Faith and Loue to the outward works of PHILEMON which were reported vnto him Wee learne the manner wherein euery good worke must be done namely in Faith and Loue. The very Spirits and quintessence of our Faith and Loue must be in euery good work else they are but dead works vnlesse they be built vpon the foundation of Faith and Loue easily will they be shaken First
strength howsoeuer he thought with himselfe to haue done as in former times So it fares with vs many a time wee thinke to giue proofe of this or that Grace as wee haue done formerly but when it comes to the tryall wee doe nothing lesse Being through our owne securitie hampered in Satans snares wee are not able to stirre and so now not our grace but our wants and weaknesses are made known Therefore let vs take heede of these three impediments Feare Bashfulnesse and Carelesnesse Let vs indeuour not so much in word which is Pharisaicall but specially indeed and in the whole course of our carriage to expresse the inward grace of our heart that that may speake when we hold our peace that the prints and marks of that Humilitie Loue Meeknesse Sobrietie Wisedome c. which are within vs may euidently appeare in our seuerall actions that so they which conuerse with vs may haue experience of them and so may giue vs that good testimonie which the Philippians were able to giue TIMOTHY Philip. 2. 22. This is that which the Apostle commanded the Philippians Phil. 4. Let your patient mind be made knowne to all and to TIMOTHY 1. 4 15. That thy profiting may be made manifest to all and our Sauiour to vs all Let your light shine Let vs not violently smother and suppresse the Spirit in our selues Let vs not detayne in vniust captiuitie the graces of God desirous to breake forth Let vs not desire to keepe the light of the Candle within the Lanthorne onely Let vs not set the Candle which GOD hath lighted in vs vnder a Bushell or vnder the Table but in the Candlestick of all our outward actions but yet not for ostentation that wee might haue a name but first that Foure ends of the manifestation of Grace God may be glorified Mat. 5. Secondly our Brethren strengthned confirmed yea and those that as yet are without may be gayned by our good example Thirdly the mouth of the malicious watching for occasion of slander may be stopped 1. Pet. 2. 15. Fourthly we may acquite our selues as true Israelites approuing to be that in truth which wee professe for otherwise wee giue iust occasion to bee suspected of Hypocrisie But here marke that not euery good thing that All good in vs is not to be made knowne comes from vs must be made knowne as our priuate Prayers good Thoughts Meditations Desires c. These things we must keepe secret to our selues as doing them to our Father that sees in secret who also will reward vs openly and not reueale them to others vnlesse vpon some speciall occasion as PETER and CORNELIVS Acts 10. and IOHN Apocalyp 1. 10. did But those good Graces which are in vs as Loue Zeale Patience c. must be made knowne and that not so much by prating as practising and yet not alwayes but as occasion shall serue and in discretion Pro. 25. vers 11. A word spoken in due season is like Apples of gold with pictures of siluer Psal 1. 3. That bring forth fruit in due season VERS 7. For wee haue great ioy and consolation in thy loue because by thee Brother the Saints bowels are refreshed NOw he comes to the speciall and seuerall setting forth of his thanksgiuing as before he had in the former Verse specially set forth his Prayer both which he describeth ioyntly together in the fift Verse being ioyntly propounded in the fourth Verse Now he sets his thanksgiuing by the cause that moued him to giue thanks for PHILEMONS loue viz. The ioy and comfort he receiued by it The reason may thus be disposed Thanks is to be giuen for that loue which brings ioy Thy loue brings me much ioy and comfort ERGO The Proposition is wanting The Assumption is in this seuenth Verse in the beginning where first his ioy is described by the quantitie Great and then the Assumption is confirmed in the end of the seuenth Verse by the effect of PHILEMONS loue The refreshing of the Saints bowels The Argument may thus be framed That loue which refreshes the Saints bowels must needes reioyce me Thy loue is such ERGO The Proposition is here also wanting The Assumption in the Text By thee Brother the Saints bowels c. Bowels The word signifies not only the Guts but all the Inwards as Heart Liuer Reynes and such noble parts But yet these are not here meant but by a Metonymie of the subiect those affections of the soule that haue their seate in these parts Refreshed A Metaphor drawne from the rest of the body wearyed with trauell or tyred and ouerpressed with some burden and sweetly applyed to the rest of the affections toyled and turmoyled with griefe and readie to sinke vnder the burthen of some grieuous affliction That this is the proper signification of the word appeareth Matt. 11. 28. Come to me all yee that are weary and heauy loden and I will ease you The word there translated to ease is that which here is translated refreshed By this Metaphor PHILEMONS loue is notably amplified for hereby the Apostle declareth that his loue was no lesse comfortable and sweet to the distressed Saints soules then rest and sleepe is to the tyred body of the trauailing man or the taking away of the burden to him that is readie to sinke vnder it In the Verse it selfe consider these two points First the reason or cause that moued PAVL to giue thanks for PHILEMONS loue in the first part of the Verse Secondly the confirmation of this reason in the end of the Verse For by thee Brother c. For the first he makes a double cause First his ioy which PHILEMONS loue ministred to him and that no small or slender ioy but great ioy Secondly his comfort which hee receiued by the same loue and this latter is an amplification of the former for PAVL hereby signifieth that the ioy hee tooke in PHILEMONS loue was not a simple ioy but a comfortable ioy such a ioy as did counteruaile and swallow vp all the griefe of his present afflictions Here obserue First that whatsoeuer breedes ioy is a iust matter Doct. 1 of thanksgiuing for this is the reason of PAVLS Argument of ioy must be argument of thanksgiuing thanksgiuing for PHILEMON For wee haue great ioy in thy loue And the ground of this reason must needs be this That which stirreth vs vp to ioy must likewise stirre vs vp to thanksgiuing but you will say The wicked take great delight in mischiefe It is a pastime to a Foole to doe wickedly Must they then giue thanks for their wickednesse God forbid Vnderstand this of a lawfull and iust ioy comming from God and not of an euill ioy comming from Satan for the end of that ioy is heauinesse Pro. 14. and not thanksgiuing it being a sinne must driue vs to a sorrowfull confession of sinne and not to any cheerfull praising of Gods Name But in a lawfull and holy ioy it holds such as
doe it not without further adoe we count him worthy to smart for his folly But here God dealing with vs by his Ministers so pathetically to turne and reconcile our selues vnto him the profit is solely our owne wee only shall haue the commoditie of this reconciliation and not God who could as sufficiently glorifie himselfe in our euerlasting confusion Our hearts therefore must relent and be ouercome by this kindnesse of God so sweetly and gently calling and alluring vs vnto himselfe Obserue further in PAVLS example that sometimes Doct. we are to yeeld of our right neither alwayes Sometimes we must yeeld of our right may we doe those things which of themselues are lawfull and indifferent It is a weake argument This is lawfull in it selfe therefore it is lawfull for me In it selfe it was lawfull to eate of things sacrificed to Idols and yet in the case of scandall the Apostle forbids the Corinthians to eate of them 1. Cor. 8. It is lawfull in it selfe for a Minister to receiue maintenance from his flocke but it was not lawfull for PAVL preaching at Corinth 1. Cor. 9. For then he had abused his libertie Vers 18. And hindred the Gospell Vers 12. and so consequently sinned The case is alike in the vse of our Christian libertie in things indifferent as meate drinke apparell sport recreation It is a point of Christian wisedome to consider not only what is lawfull but also what is expedient and profitable not only what is lawfull in generall but also in speciall what is lawfull for mee and thee for if the vse of our libertie be a stumbling blocke at which our Brethren may fall and hurt themselues we must then bridle and restrayne it Here then is condemned the tenacitie and temeritie of some in the vse of that libertie which the Word hath graunted them in things indifferent Their tenacitie that they hold their owne stifly and will not let goe the least part of their right though the glorie of God and good of their Brethren doe earnestly craue and begge it at their hands Their temeritie not onely that they themselues rush venturously vpon all things that in themselues are lawfull not considering with themselues whether in regard of some circumstances it may not be vnlawfull for them what inconuenience may ensue what hurt may also arise to the Gospell but also censure and condemne others who kept backe by Christian wisedome and charitie dare not runne with them to the same excessiue vse of their libertie Let them remember that PAVL in this place hauing much libertie of commanding yet chose rather to intreat Obserue thirdly what it is that will make a Christian Doct. abridge himselfe sometimes of the vse of his Loue makes a man abridge himselfe of his libertie libertie namely the loue of God and our Bretheren For loues sake I rather beseech thee For this is reckoned among the properties of loue by the Apostle That it seeketh not her owne 1. Cor. 13. but his whom it loueth If Gods glorie and the Churches good be deare vnto vs wee will not vse our libertie to the full in those things which may hinder and hurt both If therefore thou wouldest obtayne so much of thy selfe as to remit and giue in somthing of thy right to God and thy Brethren first it is necessary that thy heart be inflamed with a zealous affection both towards Gods glorie and the Churches good This conuinceth many of small loue to their Brethren that will not moderate their libertie no not in those things which they see necessarily will bring in the ruine of the Church The Papists also are here confuted who would make this departing from our right for Gods glorie and the Churches good to be a worke of supererogation For this is their iudgement of PAVLS preaching gratis and diuers such like examples in the Scriptures If the works of Charitie be aboue the Law then also are these works to the which the Law of Charitie bindeth vs aboue the Law for it is loue which makes vs yeeld And I hope the Law commands vs to loue God with all our heart and our Neighbour as our selfe Thus much for the first speciall illustration of the Proposition of this Petition namely of his act of praying The second followeth namely of the person praying PAVL himselfe I pray thee described first by his age being as I am PAVL aged secondly from his imprisonment which he maketh a greater matter then his age and now also a prisoner of Iesus Christ both these are here brought in to adde further weight to his petition and to stirre vp the affections of PHILEMON First That he vrgeth his yeeres as a matter that Doct. 1 should make PHILEMON more respect this his Reuerence due to age suit we learne that speciall reuerence is due to this age God vnder the Law prouided for this that there should be more then ordinarie regard had of the aged but specially in the Ministerie for after they began to be in yeeres he would haue them eased of the burthen of their Ministerie and yet double honour to be giuen to them both of reuerence and of maintenance Now if the white head and siluer haires of a Minister suing for another should procure authoritie vnto him in his suit and mooues the affections of those he sues vnto how much more then suing for himselfe And questionlesse there cannot be a spectacle of greater compassion then an aged Minister gray-headed in the Seruice of God and the Church being in distresse Age sayes SALOMON is a Crowne of Glory being found in the way of righteousnesse If in any way of righteousnesse much more in the way of the Ministerie righteously and faithfully discharged Such then that are like PAVL in the Ministerie or in any other Calling that haue spent their time painfully and profitably may with honestie vrge their age pleading for themselues and others But the old man that hath liued vainly and vnprofitably all his youth and hath alwayes beene a burden of the Earth is an vncomely sight For old age is an honour in it selfe yea a part of Gods Image who is the Ancient of Dayes And honour sayes SALOMON becomes not a foole To such old men their honour is turned into shame Their gray haires are rather ashes of shame and humiliation then a Crowne of glory Secondly Vrging his imprisonment as another Doct. 2 matter and that of greater weight then the former Ministers to be regarded the more for their afflictions wherefore he should be respected in this fuit he teacheth vs that the afflictions of Gods Ministers are so farre from being any iust cause to make vs lesse to reuerence them that for them they are more respectiuely to be vsed and honourably to be conceiued of Many Ministers enioying peace and libertie and flourishing in the Pulpit haue beene much flocked after and greatly regarded as IOHN BAPTIST but when once they haue beene clapt vp in Prison then they
therefore that make this the only end of their Ministerie that they may warme themselues with the fleece of their Sheepe setting the Church at sale for their owne lucres sake are not in any wise to be called Fathers of the Church Are Children thus dealt withall by their Parents The true Fathers of the Church preferre the good thereof before their owne liues these men their owne priuate commoditie before the very life of the Church it selfe Secondly Parents nourish their children at their owne Table and that they may be able so to doe they are content to take any paines whatsoeuer So must and doe Ministers that are faithfull prouide Spirituall nourishment for the Church And for this purpose are alwayes and plentifully furnished with store both old and new which they may bring forth for the benefit of the Church as need shall require Therefore idle and ignorant Ministers killing the people with the Famine of the Word are iustly depriued of the honour of this name Parents lay vp for their children 2. Cor. 12. sayth the Apostle These men lay vp no Spirituall Treasures for the Church therefore the Church cannot acknowledge them as their Fathers Thirdly They resemble Fathers in that they doe not only giue their people Spirituall food but with a fatherly and motherly affection 1. Thess 2. 10. As you know how we exhorted and comforted euery one of you euen as a father his child It is not ynough to exhort to admonish to teach and instruct but all this must be done with the affection of the Father so that we may giue them their Spirituall sustenance as Nurses doe little children their bodily This is that in his owne example the Apostle commendeth vnto vs 1. Thess 2. 7 8. We were gentle among you euen as a Nurse cherisheth her children Thus being affectioned towards you our good will was to haue dealt vnto you not onely the Gospell of God but also our owne soules because ye were deare vnto vs. This phrase of dealing his owne Soule signifieth that effectuall affection wherewithall he deliuered the Word vnto them as Esa 58. God commaunds to giue Almes to the Poore with feeling and compassion vseth the same phrase Thou shalt powre out thy selfe to the hungry So Phil. 1. 5. God is our witnesse how we long after you from the very heart root Fourthly They resemble naturall Fathers in this that as there so here likewise Loue descends rather then ascends The naturall Parent cannot blot out naturall affection no not towards vntoward and rebellious children as wee see in DAVIDS mourning for ABSALOMS death Can a Mother forget the fruit of her Wombe sayes the Prophet Esay 49. No certainely she cannot though the degenerating child should forget her Here then doe good Ministers shew themselues true Fathers when yet they continue to loue them that are wicked and vnthankfull yea iniurious towards them Thus it was with PAVL 2. Cor. 13. 15. We will willingly be bestowed for their Soules though the more we loue you the lesse we be loued of you Now the ground of this so strange and strong affection in the former verse he made to be this that he was to them a Father and they to him in stead of Children If Ministers are thus Fathers and must thus behaue Vse themselues to their people as to sonnes then it becommeth them to put vpon them the disposition of sonnes and to carry themselues to their Ministers as towards their Fathers If then Ministers be Fathers where is the filiall reuerence of their Flockes Where is the reciprocation of like affection Where is the imitation of the Storke nourishing his old Damme 2. Cor. 6. 3. After the Apostle had most liuely deciphered and as it were in an anatomie layed open and naked his fatherly bowels inferreth forthwith thus I speake vnto you of like recompence as vnto children Be ye also enlarged Idolatrous MICAH shall iustly condemne many of vs who entertaining that rouing Leuite into his house promised vnto him the honour of a Father Iudg. 17. Thou shalt be said he vnto me as a Father Thirdly obserue in that PAVL saith he begat that Doct. 3 is conuerted ONESIMVS that the Scripture vseth sometimes to giue that to the Instrument of God which properly belongeth to the Lord God himselfe for the Apostle speaking of our Regeneration calleth vs Gods owne Creatures his Workmanship Eph. 2. 10. Therefore we are not in regard of our Conuersion the Creatures of any Minister yet because God doth it not without the Ministerie of his Seruants therefore this blessed worke is oftentimes giuen to them also This PAVL telleth TIMOTHY He shall saue those that heare him And all Ministers of the Gospell are called Sauiours Obadiah the last and yet properly Christ is our Sauiour This may serue to checke the Papists vrging against vs these places of Scripture which seeme to ascribe some vertue to the Sacraments as Titus 3. He saued vs by the washing of the new Birth 1. Pet. 3. Baptisme saueth If they can vnderstand how TIMOTHIES preaching may saue the hearers after the same manner let them know that Sacraments doe conferre grace not as in themselues not by the worke wrought but because without them God ordinarily vseth not to worke Fourthly Note the Dignitie of the Ministerie Doct. 4 Whom I haue begot Properly God onely is the Father The dignitie of the Ministerie of Spirits Heb. 12. Call no man Father yee haue but one Father that is in Heauen Matth. 23. And yet we see in some sort how God taketh the Ministers into the Societie of the same Honor with himselfe Naturall Parents count it a blessing to haue faire and well-fauoured children but the Sunne neuer saw so goodly and so glorious a Creature as is this new Creature in Christ the workmanship of the Ministerie If then vnto naturall Parents hauing store of children that of the Psalmist may truly be said Blessed is the man that hath his Quiuers full of such Arrowes certainely much more fitly may it be applyed to those Spirituall Fathers for naturall children oftentimes proue those fooles SALOMON speakes of that are a shame and discredit to their Parents and that euen in the Gate opening the mouthes of the aduersaries to triumph and insult But these Spirituall children cannot proue such fooles therefore they cannot disgrace their Parents but doe offer iust matter vnto them of stopping the mouth of their aduersaries For this did that famous Father of our restored Church IOHN CALVIN of blessed memorie answer the Papists vpbraiding him with his want of children in marriage Oh said he God hath in stead of such children giuen me many thousands of farre more excellent kind of children through the whole world Since then God hath vouchsafed so great an honour to the Ministerie that he will vse their helpe in this Spirituall Generation goe to then let vs that are Ministers labour that we may attaine to this so high an honour accounting this barrennesse no
they that haue their liberty are notwithstanding fellow-prisoners inasmuch as they remember those in bonds as if bound with them 10. They haue a partnership each in others goods and in some sense may bee sayd to haue common goods Not that this partnership and communion should bee Anabaptisticall denying men the propriety of their possessions as if hedges and ditches could not stand with Christian religion but such a communion as denies no man the right but only craues the vse of mens temporal goods for the refreshing the necessities of the Saints And in this regard it is that the poore needing the helpe of our goods is called the owner of them Pro. 3. 27. Withhold not the goods from the owners thereof Euen this fellowship and partnership makes the poore Saints owners of our temporall goods in regard of the vse of them when the poore members of Christ are in want wee must not say our goods are our owne because the Communion of Saints binds vs to communicate vnto the necessities of the Saints And in this sense may we apply that extraordinary fact to our ordinary communication to the Saints necessities Acts 4. 32. And the multitude of them that beleeued were of one heart and of one soule neither sayd any of them that ought of the things which hee possessed was his owne but they had all things common The waters of a mans well and cisterne may be common for the vse of others but yet the well and the cisterne let them be thine owne onely and not the strangers with thee Prou. 5 15. 17. Hence PAVLS phrase of the fellowship of the ministring to the Saints 2 Cor. 8. 4. And he commends the Philippians for communicating to his affliction Phil. 4. 14. And no maruell that their goods are common when their liues are not their owne for we ought to lay downe our liues for the brethren 1 Ioh. 3. 16. The second poynt The ligaments or bonds of this partnership They are two 1. The Spirit of CHRIST which being one in all must needes binde all in one The Spirit as it knits vs all vnto CHRIST so all of vs one to another The Spirit of CHRIST communicates it selfe to all the true members of CHRIST there is but one spirit which rules in all beleeuers Ephes 4. one spirit And by one spirit we are baptized into one body 1 Cor. 12. 13. Therefore haue they all communion with themselues because communion with that one spirit for looke as it is with the body in which though there bee diuers members yet they haue a fellowship each with other because they are all informed but by one and the same soule and because they haue all communion in one forme so is it here The spirit is as the forme which giues being to the body and so by vertue of this one spirit common to vs all though we distinct and seuerall persons yet haue wee communion and partnership each with other Hence called the communion of the Holy Ghost 2 Cor. 13. 13. The communion of the holy Ghost be with you all The communion of the holy Ghost because he communicates himselfe to vs and we in and by that Spirit haue mutuall communion and fellowship each with other 2. The grace of loue which is as the sinewes and arteries knitting this body together therefore called the band of perfection Col. 3. 14. And PAVL ioynes these two together Phil. 2 1. If any comfort of loue if any fellowship of the spirit It is sayd Acts 4. 32. That the beleeuers had all things common now what might be the ground thereof the beginning of the verse shewes They were all of one heart and of one soule In partnership in the world what is it that makes partners ioyne together and cleaue together but the good and hearty affection each bears to other That which the Apostle himselfe here inferrs vpon Vse 1 this ground to make vs respectiue and regard full of the Saints of God and all duty to them as be fore in the former doctrine To labour to procure and aduance the good Vse 2 one of another It is against the law of partnership for a man to do all for his own priuate gain good but such as are in partnership doe equally procure and seeke each others gaine and as they haue a ioynt and common stocke so they aime at the common good and gaine one of another This vse the Apostle makes of this poynt Phil. 2. 1. 4. If any fellowship of the spirit Looke not euery man on his owne things but euery man also on the things of others It is a foule fault which PAVL taxes in the same chapter vers 21. That all seeke their owne and an high commendation which in the same place hee giues TIMOTHY that he naturally cared for their estate They that are of the Common-wealth of Israel must be no priuate-wealths men They are all bound together by the bond of loue and loue seekes not her owne things Since GOD hath made vs all fellow-partners seeke we euery man the good of another labour wee to prouoke each other to loue and good workes to admonish to instruct to edifie to build vp one another in our holy faith Bee not straight hearted but communicate thy graces vnto others let them haue the benefit thereof Bee not straight handed but communicate thy goods vnto others let the necessities of the Saints haue the comfort thereof What a shame that one fellow-partner should see another want Is thy fellow-partner behinde hand and playes he not the good husband in his spirituall estate Call vpon him aduise him help him and direct him how hee may thriue Especially doe such Ministers transgresse the lawes of this partnership who hide their talent in a napkin and dig it into the earth and returne not the aduantage of it to the common treasury of the Church Their gifts are not their owne but they are the common goods of the Church It is odious to enclose Commons Church-robbery is sacrilegious and infamous How can they escape that infamy that denie Gods Church the benefit and vse of those gifts God hath giuen them for his Churches sake Many speake against Impropriations and iustly but the spight is that in the meane time they marre or at least wrong a good cause with their owne guiltinesse For while they speake against temporall they themselues are guilty of spirituall Impropriations and the world reckons and not amisse that the impropriations of Church-graces is a greater sinne then the impropriation of Church-goods This shewes where the right and best good fellowship Vse 3 is to be found The world wrongs religion when they accuse it to be an enemy to good fellowship There is no such good fellowship in the world as religion teaches Christians they as NAZIANZEN termes them are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the right good fellowes There is a supposed good fellowship to which Religion is an enemy indeed because it is an enemy to this holy
7. 9. It is great ioy to good hearts to see others orderly and constant in holy seruices Coloss 2. 5. reioycing and beholding your order and the stedfastnesse of your faith in Christ To all these particulars are we bound therfore because we are bound to reioyce not only our owne but the hearts of all GODS people Heere particularly it bindes people to obey those that haue the ouersight of them that they may doe it with ioy and not with greefe Heb. 13. 17. It binds children to be wise and gracious For the father of the righteous shall greatly reioyce and hee that begets a wise childe shall haue ioy of him Prou. 23. 24. and my sonne if thine heart be wise mine heart shall reioyce euen mine Prou. 23. 15. Thus should children doe that which might reioyce the hearts of their parents people that which might the hearts of their Ministers and one Christian that which might reioyce another But farre are they from this that rather Minister Vse cause of greefe both to all in generall and especially to such to whom neerer bonds haue obliged them How many by their coldnesse deadnesse inordinate and scandalous walking doe greeue the hearts of GODS people That complaint of EZEKIEL against the false Prophets of his time Ezek. 13. 22. That they made the hearts of the righteous sad may be truly taken vp against many priuate people who by forsaking their first loue and returning to their first sins and by carelesse vnconscionable courses causing the Gospell to bee euill spoken of doe greeue and make sad the hearts of all good people Wee must not greeue the good spirit of GOD Ephes 4. 30. wee greeue him not onely then when we greeue him in our selues but when we greeue others in whom the spirit of GOD is so are greeuers of the spirit when we greeue the spirits of the righteous Might but this one thing bee thought vpon it would be a good stay in time of temptation Am not I bound to refresh the bowells of GODS Saints and shall I pierce their bowells Am I not bound to reioyce their hearts and shall I now giue my selfe liberty in these follies which will sad their soules If thou regardest not thine owne peace yet regard their ioy Or if thou wilt not reioyce yet doe not greeue them or if thou wilt not ioy them ioy not theirs and thine owne enemies They were wicked ones that greeued the hart of DAVID Psa 119. 158. I beheld the transgressions and was greeued because they kept not thy word It best becomes such persons to greeue GODS Saints No lesse culpable in this kinde are many people in the sadding of the Pastors heart not onely by their non-proficiency and vnfruitfulnesse but by their obstinacies and crosse carriages when on set purpose they will doe such things as they know will greeue their Ministers PAVL glories of his Thessalonians that they were the crowne of his reioycing 1 Thess 3. 19. these are also crownes not of reioycing but crownes of thornes which peirce the heads yea the hearts of their faithfull Ministers PAVL here vrges PHILEMON to do the thing hee requested because it would reioyce him these will doe the cleane contrary things to those they required because they know it will bee matter of greefe and vexation and take more delight in ripping vp and rending then in refreshing their Ministers bowels Learne what should be the speciall ground of our Doct. 2 ioy in others PAVL desires PHILEMON to gratifie him in this businesse that he might haue ioy of him in his obedience Nothing should more ioy our hearts then the spirituall good of our brethren But of this before v. 7. Refresh my bowells The same petition in another phrase Refresh my bowells that is refresh mee and doe this kindnesse to me howeuer it may also be applied to ONESIMVS as before v. 12. ONESIMVS being his owne bowels in receiuing ONESIMVS hee shall refresh his bowels But I rather take the former to be the true sense See what great comfort and content Ministers Doct. receiue in obedience and subiection to their doctrine Peoples obedience how great a refreshment to Ministers It is as their meat and drinke Meats and drinks doe not more refresh and content the hungry and thirsty mans bowels then the obedience of people refreshes the hearts of Gods ministers Great is the labour of the ministery full of sore toyle and paines but yet all the paine is swallowed vp with that ioy peoples obedience yeelds My meat is to doe my fathers will Ioh. 4. It is meat and drinke to good hearts not onely to doe but also to teach the will of GOD. But when they teach it and see others thereby brought also to doe it this goes as a refreshing oyle into their bowells Me thinks this might somewhat mooue people to yeeld obedience to the Ministry of the word Many would often seeme to pity vs and doe acknowledge the toile of this Ministeriall businesse Doest thou pity the Minister indeede Doth it pity thee to see his wearinesse and how his spirits and strength are spent out of thy pity then refresh his bowells Refresh him with thine obedience This will reuiue him after all his wearinesse this will put life and vigor and spirits afresh into him againe when hee shall see his labour well bestowed The ioy in the successe of their labours fills them with more spirits then the labours of their body spent Then is the Ministry a wearisome worke indeede when after a great deale of sore labour a man hath no recreation or refreshment but is more wearied and tyed with the sight of mens hardnesse then with the hardnesse of the labour The onely cordiall and sweet refectiue after the wearisome worke of the Ministry is the successe of our labours Why then will men deale thus vnkindely with vs thus hardly and cruelly with vs to denie vs our refreshings after our labours why deale men worse with vs then ordinary seruants yea then their beasts Thy beast after his day-labour wherewith hee is wearied and tired hee shall haue his bait and lodging to refresh him and wilt thou not vse thy Minister as kindely as thy beast pity his great paines and wearinesse and recreate and refresh him with thine obedience Many when they see the labour of the Ministry would giue ease to the paines therof with that speech of PETERS to our Sauiour in another case Matth. 16. Master pitie thy selfe what neede you take so great paines But to let passe that answer giuen to PETER fitly suiting with their counsell Thou sauourest not the things that be of God but those that be of men wee desire them to pity and refresh vs by their taking of more profit and not to bee pitied or refreshed by our owne taking lesse paines Their profit would ease and refresh vs against all our paines This was CHRYSOSTOMES refreshment after his paines Propterea non Ad pop hom 9. sentio docendi
lesson and so become one of those happy ones of our Prophet heere when thou art but lifting thy foot ouer the threshold of Christs schoole bringing with thee a minde desirous to learne ready to deny it selfe tractable and teachable saying with Paul Lord what wouldest thou haue me to doe And thus haue wee learned what is the lesson of affliction to the vnconuerted 2. The second kind of lessons taught by affliction 2. To the conuerted 2. is to those already conuerted And these lessons are of two sorts 1. Concerning the right manner of bearing affliction 2. Concerning the right profit and holy vse of afflictions These lessons are proper to the conuerted it beeing impossible for a man vnconuerted to leaue either of them For the first namely the right manner of bearing 1. Right bearing 2. afflictions This lesson is necessarily required for the attaining the happinesse here pronounced vpon the chastised of the Lord. Heb. 12. If yee endure afflictions God offereth himselfe vnto you as vnto sonnes Euery one hath not the happinesse of Gods sonne sealed vp vnto him by affliction but he onely that endureth it namely in the right maner Now concerning the right manner of suffering the Lord teacheth two lessons to his children and that euen by meanes of their afflictions 1. That they suffer them in faith hanging on 1. In faith Gods prouidence and promises for comfort deliuerance and turning the affliction to our good Hab. 2. 4. The Prophet hauing foretold great troubles shewes the people the right manner of their behauiour in those troubles What may that be The iust man shall liue euen in the midst of those troubles by his faith And here the speciall worke of our faith is to striue and struggle with doubts arising from infidelitie which we doe when with Iob we cry out Lord though thou kill mee yet will I trust in thee Iob. 13. 15. And with the poore man in the Gospell Lord I belieue help my vnbeliefe 2. That they suffer them in obedience in submitting 2. In obedience 2. their wills to the will of God 1. To his reuealed will in his Word the Commaundement Luke 9. of taking vp the crosse 2. To his will reuealed in the euent of the crosse that is vpon vs. For nothing comes to passe but by the wil and appointment of God When therefore any crosse befalls vs we must subiect our wills to the will of God that hath disposed that crosse vnto vs saying with Christ Not my will but thy will bee done Hence Heb. 5. Christ is said to haue learned obedience by his sufferings that is he had experience of his obedience in suffering to the will and good pleasure of his Father Thus obedience shewes it selfe especially in these two points 1. In Patience whereby we are content without 1. In Patience murmuring or grudging to resigne our selues into Gods hands to bee dealt withall euen as it shall seeme good to him both for the time and measure of our affliction Luke 21. By your patience possesse your soules there in prescribing them a course of an orderly cariage in those afflictions there foretold Now God will account of vs as of patient sufferers if finding impatiency to arise in our affections we shall be displeased with our selues for it saying with Dauid Psal 62. Yet my soule be silent to Iehouah 2. In cheerefulnesse when willingly wee shall 2. In cheerfulnes put our neckes vnder this yoake and willingly kisse the rod. If wee goe to the crosse as Beares to the stake wee suffer not in obedience For the obedience that God requires and loues must bee cheerefull Therefore the commandement of suffering sayes Let him take vp his crosse which phrase argues cheerefulnesse He must not let it lie onely on his backe being layd on which argues patience but he must euen himselfe stoope and take it vp which implyeth willingnesse This cheerefulnesse receiueth a speciall encrease in those afflictions which wee suffer for the truths sake at the hands of euill men whereupon the Apostles reioyced in their scourgings Yet this cheerefulnesse is not so to be found in any as that hee shall not meet with many sore fits of dumpish heauinesse but as before it was faith to encounter with infidelity it was patience to wrestle with impatiency so likewise heere it is cheerefulnesse with the Prophet Dauid to chide and checke our soules for our vncheerefulnesse Psal 42. 5. Why art thou cast downe within mee O my soule Thus much of the lessons touching the right manner of suffering now come we to those which are concerning the right vse of affliction 2. The second kinde of lessons which affliction teaches the Conuerted is in making an holy vse 2. Right profiting 2. of their afflictions And this vse of our afflictions is either in regard of knowledge or practice 1. For knowledge By affliction wee learne a 1. Knowledge 2. two-fold knowledge 1. Wee come by affliction to haue knowledge 1. Of corruption of our corruption and a very cleere sight of our weakenesse and infirmitie because then there is matter for our corruption to worke vpon Therefore howsoeuer before it lay hid and couched in the heart and so vndiscerned of vs yet beeing prouoked and stirred vp in vs by affliction it plainely manifests it selfe A glasse of water being shaken many motes ascend and appeare which before were not seene A man would hardly belieue that there were so much infidelity impatience techines frowardnes rebellion faint-heartednes loue of the world and many such like corruptions in him as he shall find and feele in himselfe in the day of his affliction We then who in the day of our prosperitie thought our selues by reason of the pride and deceitfulnesse of our hearts goodly and glorious Christians strong in faith of great meekenesse and patience able to deny our selues and this world by that triall which wee haue of our selues in affliction are taught the cleane contrary In this regard afflictions are called Tentations Iam. 1. because they try vs what is in vs and discouer and detect the close corruption of our hearts So Moses witnesseth to the Israelites that God humbled them by want in the Desart to proue them and to knowe what was in them Deut. 8. 2. Let this then be the first lesson we labour to learne by our afflictions thereby to take a more through notice of our manifold corruptions that so we may learne to abate that high conceit of our strength remembring Salomons Prouerbe If thou faint in the day of aduersitie thy strength is but small Prou. 24. 10. 2. Wee come by affliction also to an experimentall 2. Of Grace knowledge of that measure of spirituall grace which is begunne in vs. For this is the time wherein Grace shall be euen forced to shew it selfe in vs if there be any for our corruption exasperated by the affliction beginnes to worke presently And then if there be grace in vs
namely care to preuent them For afflictions as they serue to reforme sinnes past so likewise to preuent sinnes to come Therefore are they compared to an hedge Hos 2. 6. stopping vs in our way that wee can go no further And this Paul sheweth in his owne example 2. Cor. 12. 7. This was the end why God sent him the Thorne in the flesh to preuent pride in him lest he should be exalted aboue measure in the multitude of reuelations And hence it is that so many times in the children of God before honour hath gone humility before some great blessing some grieuous crosse that by this meanes those sinnes which through our corruption prosperity would haue brought with it might bee preuented If Dauid had beene presently taken from the Sheep-fold to the Throne hee might haply haue growne insolent too forgetfull of God and his duety in gouernement Therefore a long time before did the Lord exercise him with many sore afflictions that so those mischiefes might be escaped To the same purpose was Ioseph abased in the dungeon before hee was aduanced to that place of authority So were the Israelites forty yeares wandring in the Desart and after that many yeares taken vp with tedious warres before they obtained the peaceable possession of the Land of Canaan and Moses forty yeares an exile and a keeper of sheep before he was the Conductor of the Israelites to the promised Land So much for the renewing of these two maine and Generall graces of Faith and Repentance 2. Besides the stirring vp of these affliction 2. Speciall 4. further awakens in vs many speciall and particular graces and among them specially foure 1. Our Thankefulnesse for his mercies which 1. Thankfulnes we forgat in our prosperity though daily before our eyes But by affliction in the want of them perceiuing the worth of them we are stirred vp to a more regardfull estimation of them and so are wee taught to bee truely thankefull for them when againe we do re-obtaine them After long sicknesse in the want of health feeling the sweetnesse of health how shal we then rellish our health and how thankefully shall wee receiue it at Gods hand So after long imprisonment how highly then shall we apprise our liberty more carefully vsing it for Gods glory then euer before 2. Compassion towards those that are in the 2. Compassion same or like affliction Wee are very cruell and hard-hearted by nature to our brethren in distresse and misery That therefore our hearts may be enlarged towards them God sendeth afflictions to vs that we may haue experience of the same misery our selues This vse Christ himselfe made of his afflictions Heb. 4. 15. We haue not an high Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities but was in all points tempted like as wee are This Paul makes plaine 2. Cor. 1. 2 3 4 5 6. 3. Preparation for death whereof euery affliction 3. Preparation for death is a messenger or harbinger and therefore when afflictions come we haue warning giuen vs of deaths approach and so are iustly occasioned to renew our preparation for the entertainement of him This vse the Apostle Paul made of his affliction 1. Cor. 15. when by them he learned to die daily For besides that they put vs in minde of our mortaltty they themselues being little kindes of death make death seeme lesse grieuous vnto vs. If a man would be able to beare a great burthen hee shall be the more able to do it by inuring himselfe to beare a lesse as Bilney prepared himselfe to the fire of his martyrdome by the fire of his Candle 4. A longing and hungring after the life to 4. Desire of life to come come When we haue the world at wil we begin to be besotted with the loue thereof and to say as once Peter in the Mount It is good being here let me build my Tabernacle heere God is therefore faine to weane vs from the world euen as mothers do their children by laying on some sowre thing which may cause vs to distaste it and so being out of loue with it to cry Come Lord Iesus This vse Moses and the rest of the Israelites made of those contagious sicknesses which raigned amongst them in the Desert Psal 90. 12. Teach vs to number our daies and to apply our hearts to wisedome All is little enough to make vs thinke of our home Neuer would the Israelites haue beene brought to haue stirred one foote out of Egypt had they not beene tyred with that sore bricke bondage and Pharaohs tyrannie they that in the Desart wished for the flesh-pots and onyons of Egypt notwithstanding their sore bondage surely but for that bondage would neuer haue left those fleshpots So much of the first maine vse of our afflictions in regard of practice the renewing of graces decayed 2. The second followes namely an encreasing 2. Encreasing Grace renewed in those graces renewed This vse of afflictions our Sauiour notes Ioh. 15. 2. Euery branch that brings forth fruite my Father purges with the pruning knife of afflictions That it may bring forth more fruite Looke then how Vines pruned and Trees lopped grow the faster so the Christian afflicted thriues and prospers the better in Christianity So 2. Cor. 4. 16. the decayes of the outward man by afflictions are the renewings of the inward The happy Antiperistasis of the outward cold of afflictions doth increase the inward heate and feruour of the grace of God in vs. And these be the lessons which God teacheth by correcting of vs. So that now wee may fully see the meaning of these words And teachest in thy Law Hitherto of the first part of this Text concerning those things which are required by the Prophet in him whom he blesseth namely that hee bee as corrected of God so also taught of God Come we now to the second part concerning that blessednesse which in these respects belongeth to the childe of God Blessed is the man The doctrine of the Psalmist in this place is a paradoxe to flesh and bloud which iudgeth no men more vnhappy then those that are laden with miseries specially such as here the Prophet speakes of which come by meanes of cruell enemies What blessednesse would one thinke there were in being trod vnder foote and trampled vpon like durt by others our bitter aduersaries Well though the blinde buzzards of this world cannot see this yet the faithfull can by the quicke and piercing eye of their faith behold the light of the Sunne through the thickest and darkest cloudes Let vs therfore consider a little of this blessednesse of those whom God schooles by correction and see wherein it consisteth This blessednesse therefore is twofold Priuatiue and Positiue 1. The first kinde of blessednesse I call Priuatiue because it consisteth in taking away of that curse which naturally cleaues to all afflictions For as death so also all other afflictions haue their sting which yet is
taken away by the death of Christ So that now to them that are in Christ all afflictions are but droanes they are vnstinged by Christ they may buzze but hurt they cannot Christ hath fully satisfied Gods iustice and therefore no further punishment can bee demanded of vs. Therefore our afflictions are now no longer punishment their nature is altered but onely fatherly corrections and trials of our faith And herein consists the first part of our blessednesse in affliction that we are freed from the curse and anger of God which is necessarily annexed to all the afflictions of the vngodly Whereupon we may now insult ouer affliction and sing triumphantly Oh affliction where is thy sting And being out of the danger of hurt by it we may securely laugh at it as the wilde Asse at the Horse and the Rider Iob. 5. 2. There is also a Positiue blessednesse in the afflictions of the godly There is not onely the absence of euill from affliction but good also is present in regard whereof the afflicted worthily are called and counted blessed This presence of good in our affliction is specially in these respects 1. The good from whence they haue their Originall namely the loue of God disposing these afflictions to vs Heb. 12. Whom hee loueth hee chasteneth This loue of God manifests it selfe specially in these two points The Measure and the Manner of their afflictions 1. For the Measure In this regard haue the godly an happy turne in their afflictions that wheras the vngodly drinke vp the whole cup of his wrath dregges and all the godly do but sip of it whereas they are scourged with Scorpions these onely are corrected with the rods of men In this sense Hab. 3. 2. God is said to remember mercy in anger because in punishing his children hee respects their weakenesse not suffering them to bee tempted aboue their strength 1. Cor. 10. 13. It is the Lords mercies that wee are not consumed Lam. 3. 22. Mercy is a curbe to Gods Iustice in afflicting his children and causes him to moderate and mitigate the punishment and as Ieremy speakes Ier. 10. to correct them in iudgement that is in an holy wisedome proportioning their affliction according to their strength and not in his anger left he bring them to nothing This is that which the Prophet Esay teacheth chap. 27. 7 8. shewing the difference betwixt the afflictions of Gods own people and strangers Hath hee smitten him as he smote those that smote him or is hee slaine according to the slaughter of them that are slaine by him In measure wilt thou contend with him This mercifull measuring out the portion of our cup is grounded vpon Gods owne promise Psal 89. 30 31. If his children breake my Law c. then will I visite their transgressions with the rod and their iniquity with strokes But my louing kindnesse will I not take from him neither will I falsifie my truth Here then is another point of our happinesse in our affliction that God laies not loade vpon vs as on the wicked but sweetely tempering mercy and iustice together giues vs occasion to say with Dauid The Lord hath chastened me sore but hath not deliuered me to death Psal 118. 18. 2. For the Manner God shewes his loue to vs in our afflictions in the manner of inflicting them vpon vs in that hee doth it as fathers correct their children vnwillingly Lam. 3. 33. For hee doth not afflict willingly nor grieue the children of men Hee doth not take any delight in our paine and misery but being necessarily thereunto enforced out of a fatherly respect which hee hath of vs to doe vs good and to keepe vs from mischiefe 1. Cor. 11. VVhen wee are iudged wee are chastened of the Lord that we should not be condemned with the world Gods bowels doe euen earne ouer our soules when hee comes to correct Hos 11. 8. How shall I giue thee vp Ephraim How shall I deliuer thee Israel c. Mine heart is turned within mee my bowels are rowled together See how liuely God sets forth in himselfe the affections of a father that can finde in his heart to beate his childe hauing done a fault 2. Respect of our blessednes in regard of the Good thereof is in regard of the good annexed vnto them necessarily concomitant with them This Good is three-fold 1. Our conformity with Christ our elder brother who first suffered and then entred into glory who first wore a crowne of thornes then of glory who first felt the weight of his burdensome crosse and then that eternall weight of happinesse Rom. 8. 29. Those whom he knew before he predestinate to be made like to the image of his Sonne that is in being consecrated through afflictions as he was Heb. 2. 10. Hitherto belongs that of Paul Phil. 3. 10. That I may know the fellowship of his sufferings being made conformable vnto his death This is one point of our blessednes for the liker Christ the happier surely we be 2. Our communion with Christ who is a fellow-sufferer with vs in all our afflictions vnlesse such wherein we suffer as euill doers 1. Pet. 4. 13. Therfore Act. 9. Christ speakes to Paul persecuting the Church as persecuting himselfe Saul Saul why persecutest thou mee Now is not this a happy turne to haue such a companion in our sufferings to haue Christ as it were bearing our crosse as Simon of Cyrene bare his 3. The powerfull presence of Gods Spirit cheering and comforting vs in our affliction Blessednes is nothing else but enioying sweet cōmunion with God Now sith this communion is most of all enioyed in affliction worthily are the afflicted counted blessed Psal 112. Vnto the righteous ariseth light in darknes That is the lightning and quickning presence of God in affliction And this was the Churches comfort Mic. 7. 8. When I sit in darknes the Lord shall bee a light vnto mee 2. Cor. 12. My power is made perfect in weaknes When we are weakest in regard of our affliction and temptations then doth the power of Gods presence most shew it selfe And hence it is that Rom. 5. 3. Afflictions bring forth patience because the loue of GOD is then most abundantly shed abroad in our hearts by the Spirit as the words following shew This is that which makes vs to reioyce in affliction the sweetnes of Gods loue allaying the sowrenes of affliction Psal 91. 15. I will be with him in trouble Oh then how happy things are afflictions which bring with them so precious a pearle as the sweet company of God himselfe and the comforts of his Spirit reioycing our soules in the multitude of the thoughts of our hearts as Dauid shewes in the 17 18 19. verses of this Psalme in his own experience Therfore as the Psalmist speaketh Psa 107. of them that goe downe into the naturall Sea that they see the wonderful works of the Lord that much more may be said of those that goe