50.16.17 I will not name it I leaue it to your owne reading But by both these places you may plainly discerne that if we will be professours of the Gospell or true godly persons we must forsake sinne I conclude this point with that speech of the Apostle 2. Timothie chapter 2. verse 19. Let euery one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquitie Secondly if we desire to be truly godly we must be carefull to keepe the Sabbath it is a sure marke of an vngodly person to be a Sabbath-breaker as on the contrarie it is an euidence of godlinesse conscionably to celebrate it to Gods glorie he that is an Eunuch to God keepeth Gods Sabbath as it is in Esay 56.4 The holy keeping of the Sabbath is a means to hallow vs the better for all the weeke after whereas the profaning of the Sabbath is the cause of profanenesse vngodlinesse if God be not more mercifull all our life after Thirdly if we desire to be truly godly we must be carefull of priuate duties of Religion we must pray continually 1. Thessalonians 5. We must meditate in the law of the Lord day and night Psalme 1. We must beate downe our bodies and keepe them vnder 1. Corinthians 9. the last We must daily examine our selues and daily repent Psalme 4.4 The way to be truly godly is throughly to exercise our selues in these and the like duties Fourthly if we desire to be truly godly we must associate our selues with such as are godly We must not inhaunt our selues with vngodly persons for that is the way to be made vngodly but with Saints and holy persons So long as Peter kept company with Christ he was religious and holie but when he came amongst the high Priests seruants how profane was he in denying his Maister in swearing and forswearing and the like Matth. 26. And by these same rules we may also trie whether we be truly godly or no he that obserueth these rules is godly he that obserues them not is certainly vngodly Brotherly kindnesse Or as the word may signifie brotherly loue I agree vnto their iudgement which referre this vnto the inward affection and the next namely charity to the practise the first is to teach vs to loue the second is to teach vs to be kinde Brotherly kindnesse That is loue to the brethren By brethren we are to vnderstand such as truly feare God vnto whom of all other men our loue and best affections are due Brotherly Hence obserue we that Doctrine all such as truly feare God are brethren And they are so called in Ephesians 6.23 Peace be to the brethren with loue and faith from God And in Coloss 1.2 To the Saints and faithfull brethren in Christ And iustly are they so called first because they are adopted of one and the same Father Ephes 1.5 Secondly because they are borne I meane new-borne of one and the same mother Galat 4.26 Thirdly because they are brought vp in the same family Ephesians 2.19 Fourthly because they shall be partakers of the same inheritance Rom. 8.17 Vse This serues to condemne the practise of such which do scoffe at this terme Brethren saying He is one of the holy brethren and the like Oh thou wretch Doth God himselfe giue this title to his people and darest thou mocke and scoffe at it Doth God giue this name in holinesse and dost thou vse it in derision Secondly this should teach rich Christians humility they must know that the poorest Christian is their brother or sister and therefore they must carry themselues accordingly towards them they must not be ashamed of them for if Christ himselfe be not ashamed to call vs Brethren as it is in Hebr. 2.10 then we must not be ashamed to owne one another Thirdly this should teach poore Christians thankfulnesse God hath made them by vertue of regeneration akinne to the greatest Nobles and Potentates in the world I meane to such Potentates as are true fearers of God All Gods people come of a great house and are of a great kindred both in respect of God and man they are all brethren Fourthly this should teach vs to auoid diuers things as first contention with any that feare God we may say as Abraham said to Lot Genesis 13.8 Let there be no strife betweene vs we are brethren Secondly euill speaking or slandering It is the diuels property to traduce or falsly to accuse the brethren Reuel 12.10 Thirdly we must auoid tyrannizing ouer Gods seruants we must remember they are our brethren Fiftly considering that all that feare God are brethren therefore this must teach vs diuers things it must teach vs indeed to carry our selues towards our fellow-Christians as towards brethren therefore as one brother will stand by another so one Christian must defend another we must not suffer any Christian to be wronged if it be in our power to helpe him Secondly one brother will haue a fellow-feeling with another they will reioyce to see any good to befall one another and they will grieue to see hurt Euen so we must reioyce to heare of the prosperity of Zion and we must grieue to heare or to see the desolation thereof Thirdly one brother will do for another according to abilitie euen so we must euery one according to his abilitie do for the Church of God If a brother or sister be naked or destitute of daily food as Iames speaketh Iames 2.15 we must relieue them Brotherly kindnesse or brotherly loue In the next place we are to obserue that Doctrine There ought to be loue amongst Christians yea brotherly loue This is proued by 1. Pet. 3.8 Loue as brethren and out of Hebr. 13.1 Let brotherly loue continue And there be especiall motiues to stirre vs vp to this loue first because it is a signe that we are translated from death to life 1. Iohn 3.14 Secondly that we are borne of God 1. Iohn 4.7 Thirdly that we are of the truth 1. Iohn 3.19 Fourthly that God dwelleth in vs 1. Iohn 4.16 Questi But how should I know a true Christian that I may loue him as a brother Answ Thou mayest know him first by his faith he lookes for saluation by Christ alone Secondly by his humility he thinketh basely of himselfe Thirdly by his loue to Gods house the place where Gods honour dwelleth Fourthly by his language for he speakes the holie language of Canaan Fiftly by his practise and life for he liueth holily righteously and soberly in this present world Sixtly by his fruitfulnesse for he is no barren fig-tree but he bringeth forth fruit in due season Seuenthly by his opposition in this world for his sect is euill spoken of in euery place Acts 28.22 Thus thou mayest know a Christian Vse Now is it so that true Christians and true fearers of the Lord are to be beloued with brotherly loue Then this serues iustly to rebuke the world for want of this brotherly loue The world is
very God for as a man begets a man like vnto his owne kind so God in like manner must needs beget a God for else we should make God more impotent then man yea then any other creature for euery like begets his like Secondly let it teach vs to admire Gods Philanthropie or loue to man in that he vouchsafed to giue his Sonne his beloued Sonne his onely begotten Sonne to the death yea to the execrable death of the crosse and that for his enemies O vnspeakeable loue O admirable mercy Thirdly let it encourage vs to pray vnto the Father in the name of Christ What will God deny vs if we preferre our petitions in his Sonnes name Surely nothing Whatsoeuer ye shall aske the Father in my name he wil giue it you so saith our blessed Sauiour himselfe Iohn 16.23 That beloued one Whence we may note that Doctrine Christ is beloued of God after an especiall manner He is that beloued one God loueth the world and he loueth all his workes as they are his workes he loueth the elect Angels and he loueth his elect amongst men But he loueth Christ aboue all and that for iust cause Christ is best worthy to be beloued first because of his excellency he is the brightnesse of Gods glorie and the expresse image of his person Hebr. 1.3 Secondly he is most innocent he neuer ttansgressed the will of his Father at any time he finished the worke which was giuen him to do Iohn 17.4 Thirdly he layd downe his life that he might take it vp againe therefore the Father loued him Iohn chap. 10. verse 17. Many other reasons might be alledged to proue that Christ is chiefly beloued of the Father but we will not insist vpon them Wee will rather answer to the obiections which may be made to the contrary Some may obiect possibly that in Iohn 17.23 where it is said that God hath loued his people with the same loue wherewith he hath loued Christ himselfe I answere It is meant of the same kinde of loue but not of the same degree Againe if any shall obiect further that God gaue his Sonne Christ for the redemption of the elect world and therefore that hee loued the elect world better then Christ I answere It followeth not For God did not so giue his Sonne as vtterly to part with him he gaue him indeede to suffer death but he gaue him not absolutely away Thirdly if any shall obiect that the Father did not so tenderly loue Christ as this text may seeme to imply because he suffered him to liue so poore in the world so despisedly because he suffered him to be so wronged to die such a death yea because he stood not by him in his afflictions but forsooke him I answere We must not iudge of the loue of God or of his hatred by these outward things The Sunne doth not alwaies shine to vs but it alwaies shines in the firmament So the loue of God doth not alwaies appeare but it is alwaies feruent in him Vse Let this teach vs the more to admire Gods loue towards vs in that he would giue his Sonne whom he loued so deerely for our redemption yea it must teach vs to be content to part with whatsoeuer we loue best for Gods cause Secondly let it be matter of comfort to the children of God For certainly if God hath not spared his Sonne whom he loued so deerely but hath giuen him to death for vs all how shall he not with him giue vs all things also As the Apostle speakes Rom. 8.32 Doctrine In whom I am well pleased These words imply or denote vnto vs two points First that God the Father is and euer was well pleased with Christ and secondly in him well pleased with the Church For the first point viz. that God the Father is and euer was well pleased with Christ himselfe it is euident First because he is the Sonne of his loue and can any one hate his sonne whom he loueth Secondly because he neuer transgressed the will of his Father at any time and what father is there but he must needes be well pleased with such a Sonne Thirdly it is manifest that Christ was highly in the Fathers fauour at all times in that the Father did so mightily preserue him in his infancy in that he assisted him to doe so great workes in that he heard him at all times Iohn 11.42 and in that he graced him by an audible voice from heauen This is my beloued Sonne in whom I am well pleased Obiection But here some may possibly obiect Did not Gods wrath smoake against Christ for our sinnes Did not Christ treade the wine-presse of the Fathers wrath Yea did he not cry my God my God why hast thou forsaken me vpon the crosse And if so how then is it true that Christ was alwaies in fauour with God Answ I answere Christ endured indeede the wrath of God for sinne namely for the sinnes of the Church and thus Gods wrath did smoake against him and did not spare him but the lord was able to distinguish betwixt Christs person and our sinnes and to expresse his wrath against sinne but yet to be well pleased with his Sonne Vse Let this teach vs not to iudge of the fauour or hatred of God meerely by outward sence God was well pleased with Christ when Christ in the meane time endured persecution and pouerty a shamefull death yea the pangs of hell in his soule in the Garden and vpon the crosse God hid his countenance from Christ in his greatest extreamitie and yet Christ was in great fauour with him And so I say to poore deiected Christians though they may be in great extremitie for a time as though God had vtterly forsaken them yet let them not despaire they may be in base estate for the present and yet be highly fauoured of God with the virgin Mary Luke 1.48.28 They may possibly cry out with Christ my God my God why hast thou forsaken me and yet indeede be in great fauour with God as we see in this text But to come to the second point As God was alwaies well pleased with his Sonne so in him he is well pleased with his Church And the same point is also implyed in these words In whom I am well pleased For the proofe of the point I referre the reader to that in Ephes 2.16 where it is said that Christ hath reconciled both Iewes and Gentiles to God in one body by the crosse And to that in Coll. 1.20 where it is said of Christ that hee made peace through the blood of his crosse and reconciled all things in heauen and earth Obiection If any shall obiect that in Psal 106.40 that Gods wrath was kindled against his people in so much that he abhorred his owne inheritance and therefore that God is not fully reconciled to his Church or throughly well pleased with it Answer I answere God indeede is
so farre from louing the godly as that they hate no people in the world more A fearefull signe of a bad estate Secondly it may serue to reproue euen Christians themselues for where is that loue which should be amongst vs Surely it is either growne cold or else which is worse it s turned into preiudice and enuy but I will say with the Apostle in another case My brethren these things ought not so to be Thirdly this must teach vs to be thankfull to God in that he hath commanded all to loue vs and to encourage vs. We may iustly say with Dauid Lord what is man that thou thus regardest him The truth is we deserue to be hated both of God and man Therefore it is the greater mercy of God not only to loue vs himselfe but also to command others to loue vs. Fourthly let this teach vs to examine our selues whether we loue the brethren or no. And that will appeare by these signes First if we loue poore Christians aswell as rich if our loue be towards all the Saints Ephes 1.15 Secondly if we loue not in tongue onely but in deed and in truth if we loue sincerely from the heart and fruitfully doing them all the good we can Thirdly if we thinke our seruice for the Church to be easie as Iacob thought his seuen yeares seruice for Rachel it is a signe we loue Fourthly if we continue in our loue towards Gods Saints The continuance proues our loue to be true the not continuing argueth hypocrisie in our loue Charitie By this we are to vnderstand the practise or expression of brotherly loue In the former grace we are taught affection in this grace we are taught action The point is that It is the part and dutie of euery Christian amongst the rest of his gifts and graces to labour for Charity The Apostle Paul presseth this duty with great feruencie in 1. Corinth 13.1.2.3 shewing that if one do neuer so great things yet if he haue not Charitie it auaileth him nothing Now there is a two-fold charitie to be exercised by vs towards our brethren the first is a charitie towards their soules the second is a charitie towards their bodies The Charitie towards the soules of our brethren is seene in these particulars First in pitying their spirituall estate if we see them out of the way according to that in Iude 22. Haue compassion of some in putting differēce Or if we see them destitute of the meanes of saluation if they be as sheep without a shepheard Matth. 9 36. or if they be proud and obstinate Ieremy 13.17 But if yee will not heare it my soule shall weepe in secret places for your pride Secondly Charitie towards the soules of others is seene in the instructing of them The Centurion shewed himselfe a true charitable person in building a Synagogue Luke 7.5 Yea in this he was more charitable then if he had built them an Almes-house or Hospitall by how much the soule is more excellent then the bodie Thirdly spirituall charitie is seene in forgiuing our brethren if they haue offended vs and now come and say It repenteth me according to that in Matth. 18.33 Shouldst not thou haue had compassion on thy fellow-seruant as I had compassion on thee He that can forgiue without reuenge is charitable Fourthly spirituall charitie is seene in reprouing and admonishing such as are out of the way and seeking their reformation Leu. 19.17 Thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour and not suffer sinne vpon him And indeed what greater charitie can there be then to labour to saue a soule from hell Fiftly spirituall charitie is seene in praying for the saluation of others Thus Paul shewed himselfe a charitable person in Romans 10.1 in that his hearts desire and praier to God for Israel was that they might be saued Vse This may serue to reprooue the world of want of this spirituall charitie For who amongst a thousand is charitable spiritually Some will shew themselues charitable in matters concerning the body but what is become of spirituall charity Now the charitie towards the bodies of our neighbours is seene in these things 1. In commiserating their estate to wit in grieuing for the affliction of Ioseph Amos 6.6 2. In visiting them in their distresse Iames 1.27 Mat. 25.36 3. In feeding the hungrie and cloathing the naked Iob 31.17.19 4. In lending them sufficient for their need Deuteronomy 15.8 5. In forgiuing them their debts if they be not able to repay Luke 6.35 6. In standing in the gap to turne away Gods iudgements from them as Moses did Psalme 106.23 Vse This serues iustly to reproue such as will reproue and exhort and say God helpe you and the like but they exercise no charitie toward the bodies of their brethren these are hypocrites For if these things be in you In the former verses the holy Ghost hath exhorteth vs to labour for those forenamed graces viz. faith vertue knowledge temperance patience godlinesse brotherly kindnesse and charitie Now in the verses following from the beginning of this eight verse to the end of the eleuenth he presseth the said exhortation with diuers arguments First by an argument taken from the effects in the eighth verse Secondly by an argument taken from the contraries in the ninth verse Thirdly by an argument from vtilitie or profit in the tenth and eleuenth verses Now in that the holy Ghost doth vse so many arguments for the enforcing of the exhortation to grace it doth imply that Doctrine Whosoeuer desire to perswade others to grace and godlinesse they had neede to vse a great many arguments With how many arguments doth the Spirit of God vse to presse duties in the Scripture To instance in one duty for many this duty of Almes How is it pressed in how many bookes in how many chapters in how many verses with how many forcible perswasions Vse Which may serue iustly to condemne our backwardnesse to that which is good especially considering how little perswasion will preuaile with vs vnto that which is euill We are soone tempted to sinne yea oftentimes we tempt the Diuell to tempt vs by running into places of temptation we are more ready to sinne if it be possible then the Diuell can be to sollicite vs thereunto If these things be in you The words in the originall are very significant they may be read thus if you haue these things or if these things be present with you Where we are to note that it is not said If you can talke of these things or if you can purpose to labour for these things or if you can wish these things but If you haue these things Whence obserue that Doctrine it is not sufficient to talke of grace or to professe grace but wee must haue grace in possession according to that in Marke 9.50 Haue salt in your selues and peace one with another Thus Elihu was full of matter Iob. 32.18 And Stephen was full of faith