of two things Psalme 34. First thou must pray vnto him and make him thy refuge in all distresse Secondly and thou must put thy trust in him and then certainely thy face shall be lightned and thou shalt not be ashamed and I may adde two things more First Thou must loue his Word waiting vpon him in his Sanctuary Secondly and yeld thy selfe ouer to be his seruant and thou canst not faile to finde this goodness of the Lord. Fourthly It should inflame affection in the godly They should fall in loue with God Oh loue the Lord all yee his Saints Psalm 31.19 21 33. What can more draw affection then sweetnes of nature Fiftly It should perswade all Gods seruants to liue by faith and not through vnbeliefe in the time of affliction or temptation to dishonor god Why saist thou thy way is past ouer of God Or why sayst thou The Lord hath forgotten or will not forgiue Esay 40.27 49.15 16. Exod. 34.6.7 Sixtly It should kindle in vs a vehement desire to imitate so sacred a nature and continually to striue to be like the patterne in God for curtesie Eph. 4.32 kindness 2. Cor. 6.6 and all louing behauiour Colos. 2.12 1. Cor. 13.4 and easie to bee intreated Iam. 3.17 and loue to our enemies Luke 6.35 We should be followers of God Eph. 5.1 we should beare his image especially herein Col. 3.10 Seuenthly How should our hearts bee satisfied as with Manna when we feele this sweetnes of God to vs in particular either in the Word or prayer or in his works We should euen be sick of loue our sleep should be pleasant to vs and our hearts filled with gladnes What greater felicity can there be then that such a God should loue vs Psal. 63.6 Ierem. 31.26 Cantic 2.5 or 6. Eightthly We shold be carefull when we haue felt this sweetnes of the Lord to preserue our selues in this communion with God and abide in his goodnes as the Apostle vseth the Phrase Rom. 11.22 Lastly it should much affect with sorrow and shame all impenitent sinners and that in two respects First because they haue lost their time and liued without the sence of this sweetnes in God the Apostle Tit. 3.5 vseth this Phrase The bountifulnes of God appeared The word shined as the sunne doth in the rising which imports that the world was nothing but darknes till men found by experience the goodnes of God Secondly because they haue so long offended a nature of such infinite goodnes this will proue a grieuous aggrâ—uation of their sinne and misery For such a goodnes so prouoked will turn into extreme fury such mercy abused will be turned into vnspeakeable fiercenes of indignation as appeares Deut. 29.19 20. and Rom. 2.4 5. The second Doctrine is that God doth graciously sweeten his Word to his people or God doth shew his graciousnes especially in his word Hence it is that Gods seruants haue acknowledge the word to be sweeter then hony and the hony-comb Psal. 19.10 119.103 and the holy Ghost compareth it to feasts yea royall feasts Esay 25.6 Prou. 9.4 Luke 14.17 and the Apostle acknowledgeth a sauour of life vnto life in the Word 2. Cor. 2.14 The consideration whereof should teach vs diuers duties First To labour to finde the word so vnto vs to seeke this sweetnes in the word and to that end we must mingle it with faith else there will be no more tast in it then in the white of an egge and besides we must come to it in the tediousnes of our own vilenes For we are neuer fitter to tast of Gods grace then when we are deiected in the true feeling of our owne vnworthines God will giue grace to the humble and further we must get an appetite and affection to the word For the full stomach loatheth an hony-combe but to the hungry soule euery little thing is sweet Prouerbs 27.7 and lastly we must take heede that wee marre not our tastes before we come as they doe that haue sweetned their mouthes with wickednes and spoyled their rellish with the pleasures of beloued sinnes Iob 20.12 Such as liue in the delight of secret corruptions euen they that account stolne waters sweet may bee the guests of Hell but Gods guests they are not onely they that ouercome eate of the hidden Manna Reuel 2. Secondly When we haue found hony let vs eate it Prou. 20.13 That is if the Lord be gracious vnto vs in his word let vs with all care receiue it into our harts and with all affection make vse of it Lose not thy precious oportunity Thirdly It should teach vs in all our griefes and bitternes to make our recourse to the Word to comfort and sweeten our harts against our feares and sorrowes For at this feast God wipes away all teares from our eyes Esaiah 25.6 8. Fourthly The sweetnes of the Word when we feele it should satisfie vs yea satisfie vs aboundantly We should giue so much glory to Gods goodnes as to make it the abundant satisfaction of our hearts Psal. 36.6 Fiftly Yea further we should labour to shew this sweet sauour of the word in our conuersations by mercy to the distressed by gracious communication by our contentation and by all wel-doing that the perfume of Gods grace in vs may allure affect others that the very places where we come may sauour of our goodnes euen after we are gone Sixtly We should be alwaies praising of God for the good things of his Sanctuary acknowledging all to come froÌ„ his free grace without our deserts Psal. 84.4 entertaining his presence with all possible admiration saying with the Psalmist O Lord how excellent is thy goodness Psal. 36.9 Seuenthly We should pray God to continue his goodness to them that know him and to vouchsafe vs the fauour to dwell for euer in his house Psalm 36.11 Eightthly And constantly the experience hereof should set vs alonging our soules should long for the courts of Gods house and our hearts cry for the daily bread in Sion and we should constantly walk from strength to strength til we appear before God in Sion Psalm 84 and the rather because besides the sweetnes there is a plentifull reward in keeping Gods Word Psalm 19.20 Secondly from hence we may bee informed in two especiall things 1. Concerning the happinesse of the godly in this life notwithstanding all their afflictions and sorrows Thou seest their distresses but thou seest not their comforts The stranger doth not meddle with their joyes Oh how great is the goodnes of God in giuing his people to drink out of the riuers of the pleasures in his house when hee makes their eies to see the light in his light Psalm 36.8 9. Psalm 65.4 2. Concerning the office of Gods Ministers They are the perfumers of the world the Church is the perfuming-pan and preaching is the fire that heats it and the Scriptures are the sweet waters Or the Church is the mortar preaching the pestle and
other men But the maine point is that God's people are the only people in the World None worthy to be called a people in comparison of them No subiect in any gouernement so happy as Gods people vnder his gouernement in Christ and therefore to bee made the people of God here is reckoned as a condition beyond all comparison Now that Gods people excell all other Subiects in the World may appeare many waies First in respect of the loue of God that hee beares to his people which hath foure matchlesse prayses that no King on earth can afford to his Subiects For first it is an euerlasting Loue when all the fauor of the Princes on earth is both mutable and mortall Secondly it is a particular loue to each Subiect All the people are loued and by name Deut. 33.3 The Lord counteth when he reckons his people he was become their God Psal. 87.5 6. Thirdly it is a free loue There was no desert in vs whereas Princes looke at somewhat that may pleasure themselues euen where desert is lesse Fourthly it is a tender Loue and therefore Gods people are said to be married to their King and God Hosh. 2.19 and therefore God is said to account his People to be his Portion Deut. 32.9 Secondly they are an elect People which hath a twofold consideration in it For first they are elect from all eternity and so euery one of the People hath a particular act of Parliament to assure his right Rom. 11.2 And secondly they are elect in time that is they are separated and culled out of all the people of the World Thirdly all Gods People haue a generall pardon giuen them for all offences Ierem. 31.34 He saues his People from their sinnes and this pardon is grounded vpon a sufficient atonement made by a most faithfull high Priest for them Heb. 2.17 Who also sanctified all this People with his own blood Heb. 13.12 Christ is giuen for couenant he is their surety for them their witnes Esay 42.6 55.5 Who also redeemed them with his blood All a People of Purchase Fourthly all Gods People are qualified with new gifts aboue all the people in the World their natures be amended they are all washed and clensed from their filthinesse there is not one vile person amongst them Ezech. 36.25 37.23 c. He hath formed them for himselfe and his owne seruice Esay 43.22 Fiftly all Gods Subiects are adopted to bee Gods sonnes and so can no Prince on Earth say of his they are as it were the fruit of his womb Psal. 110.3 Sixtly the Lawes by which they are gouerned are the perfectest in the whole world For the Law of God is perfect Psal. 119.8 Seuenthly all Gods people liue in his presence and see his glory Exod. 33.16 Leuit. 26.11 12. Zach. 1.10 11. Psal. 95.7 Other Kings haue many subiects they neuer saw and few that haue that preferment to liue in the Kings presence or neere about him Eightthly God feasts all his subiects and that often and in his owne presence and with the best prouision of the world Esay 25.8 Esay 65.13 14. Ierem. 31.14 Kings would soone consume their treasure if they should doe it often or almost once c. Ninthly no people so graced of their King in hearing requests and receiuing petitions For all Gods people may cry and bee heard and at all times and in all suites which no King on earth can grant to all his subiects and seldome or neuer so much as to any one Esay 30.19 Iohn 14. Whatsoeuer they aske in the name of Christ shall bee granted vnto them Tenthly they are the longest liued of any people As the daies of a tree are the daies of my people saith the Lord They may endure many a storm but they are fast rooted still Mine Elect shall long enioy the works of their hands Esay 65.22 For first they onely haue the promise of a long life in this world and it is limited onely with that condition If it bee good for them And secondly if that God take away some of his people and that quickly out of this world yet that shortens not their life or dependance vpon God For when they dye a bodily death they are said to bee gathered to his people or their people and there receiue eternall life instead of it Death doth not put them out of seruice or depriue them of the Kings presence but remoueth them onely out of one roome into another whereas they stood below staires before they serue now aboue staires and are all of the Presence and Priuie-Chamber to God Eleuenthly they are the wealthiest people in the world none better prouided for For first for Spiritual gifts and rich fauours from the King of kings they are not destitute of any heauenly gifts 1. Cor. 1.5 Eph. 1.3 And for outward prouision God hath taken all the chief creatures and bound them to serue them with prouision in whatsoeuer they want The heauen the earth the corne c. all are bound for the supply of their wants Hos. 2.21 22 23. Twelfthly they excell for protection Whether we respect their preseruation or the reuenge is done vpon their enemies For their preseruation though the earth and the heauens should bee shaken yet God will be the hope of his people Ioel 3.16 and as the mountaines are about Ierusalem so is the Lord about them that feare him and therefore they cannot bee moued Psal. 125.1 2. and if the rod of the wicked doe enter vpon them yet it shall not rest vpon their lot v. 3. of the same Psalme And for vengeance It is certaine the Lord will auenge their quarrell vpon all their enemies though they be vnable to right their own wrongs and because God would haue it done throughly hee reserues the work of vengeance to himselfe to make the recompence Heb. 10.30 Rom. 12.20 Vses The vse may bee both for Consolation and Instruction For it should exceedingly comfort Gods children considering what singular happines they enioy by the gouernment of Iesus Christ. Oh! blessed are the people whose God is the Lord Psal. 33.12 and 144.15 Moses admires a little before his death the wonderfull felicity of the godly considered as they are God's people Israel is happy none like to God's people or this people nor is there any like vnto the God of Ierusalem For God rides vpon the heauen in their help the eternall God is their refuge and vnderneath are the euerlasting Armies He wil thrust out their enemies before them and say Destroy them Israel alone shal dwel in safety The Fountain of Iacob shal be vpon a land of corn and wine and his heauens shal drop down deaw They are a people saued by the Lord who is the shield of their help and the sword of their excellency Their enemies shal be found liers to them Deut. 33.26 to the end And this excellent estate is the more comfortable to be thought vpon 1. Because people of
Christ. 320 Inferiours why first charged 715 Inoffensiuenesse 329 Inuentions of men how to bee obeyed how not See Magistrates 587 Iudgements how far extended 249 Iudgements spiritual the worst 251 K Kindred spirituall the best 290 Kings earthly and spirituall difference betwixt them 295 Kings meant by Saint Peter 604 Originall of Kings 606 Excellency of Kings 609 Supremacy of Kings 612 L Lawes of land not to be transgressed 561 Lawes of land to be studied 562 Learned men oft oppose the Word 238 Liberty of Christians 670 Liberty abused 680 Liuelinesse spirituall 143 Liuing spiritually how happy 852 Light acceptation thereof 354 Light of godly maruelous 358 Lost sheepe who be 893 How they that as sheepe may bee lost 896 Loue to the Godly 329 Saints onely loued of God 402 How that Loue prescribed 404 Lusts to bee auoided 406 Diffrence of lusts in the godly 408 Helps to auoid lust 409 Lusts how fleshly 413 How lusts hurt the soule 416 How victory ouer lusts 469 When ouercome of lusts 470 M Madnesse spirituall 654 Magistrates our dutie to them to be learned 561 Submit to Magistrates why 566 All to be subiect to magistrates 571 How Magistrates an ordinance of men 575 Magistrates distinguished 578 Magistrates in what to be obeied 581 In what not to be obeied ibid. Magistrates power in matters ecclesiasticall 582 Obedience to Magistrates for the Lords sake 600 Magistrates of God 615 Magistrates to encourage godly men 629 When not fit to complaine to Magistrates 824 When redresse may be sought of Magistrates 825 Masters their originall 732 Signes of good Masters 736 Malice signes of it 6 Remedies against it 10 Maliciousnes 680 Meditation rules for it 219 Meekenesse 323 Melancholy rules about it 64 Mercy in man 327 Men not vnder mercy 380 Why many obtain not mercy 388 4. Properties of Gods mercy 390 6. Effects of Gods mercy 394 Helpes to obtaine mercy 399 Ministers must apply the word 220 Mortification signes of it 849 N The godly nation 311 O Obedience see Magistrates Obstinacy of sinners 478 Offence see scandal 255 Offence by outward shewes 332 P Patience 327 Motiues to patience 822 The peculiar people of God 314 Wicked no people 366 Who are not Gods people 369 Gods people 3. waies 371 Gods people excell all other 372 Gods people onely beloued ones 402 The phantasy 452 The work of it in sleepe 454 Priests how the godly are Priests 155 What vses to bee made therof ibid. Priesthood of Christians 300 Praise of men how to bee sought 623 The best need praise 624 For what praise due 626 Helps to get praise from men 628 R The faculty of reason 457 Refusing Christ. 242 Remembrance of misery past profitable 345 RepentaÌ„ce put off dangerous 548 RepentaÌ„ce conformable to Christs death in many things 849 Reprobation 851 Reports when not to bee receiued 494 Reproaches see euill speaking 37 Helps to beare reproaches 493 Reproaches to bee auoided 646 Reuiling 818 Roiall estate of godly 293 Righteous life the best life 854 Righteous mens signes 857 Righteousnes distinguished 860 Righteousnes reiected why 862 Helps vnto Righteousnes 864 Defects of Righteousnes 868 S Sacrifices for Christians 161 Lawes for offering those sacrifices 165 Scandal defined and distinguished 255 How wicked take scandall at Christ. 257 Wherein not to regard scandall of wicked 261 How guilty of giuing scandal 262 Rules to preuent scandall 263 How scandal taken at word 273 Rules about giuing or taking scandall at ceremonies 595 Seruing God 686 Who serue not God 689 Prerogatiues of Gods seruaÌ„ts 690 Seruants of men 718 Seruitude how it came in 719 Seruants comfort 723 Seruants subiection 727 Helps to seruants to obey 728 How seruants shew a feare to God 734 Scripture why Word so called 176 Wherein it exceeds other writings 176 Sense by the soule 449 Of the fiue senses 449 Sight and hearing the best senses 450 The inward sense 452 Sheep in allusion to men 888 Signes of lost sheepe 893 How they that are as sheep may be lost 896 Shame spirituall 209 Sicknes of soule see diseases 873 Sin against holy Ghost 106 Sin done many waies 809 Who aliue to sin 140 Sincere Word see Word 74 Sion spirituall 187 Society how made happy 713 Societies diuers kinds of theÌ„ 606 Soule diuers acceptation of it 418 Description of the Soule ibid. What it is not 420 The soule is a substance 421 The soule is immortall 423 The originall of the soule 429 It comes by generation 431 The soule created of God 434 Soule and body how vnited 441 The soules faculties 446 The soules working motion 455 Why the soule was made 460 War against the soule 463 Speaking euill 37 Motiues against it 39 How to keepe men from speaking euill of vs. 45 Saints euer euill spoken of 486 The causes why it is so 487 Reasons against euill speaking 489 Euill speaking when odious 491 Stone how Christ a stone 120 How the godly are stones 141 Why liuely stones 143 Godly strangers and pilgrims 410 Submission see Magistrates 566 Suffering for Christ marks of it 284 Sufferings of Christ. 796 787 T Tabernacle how Christ one 149 How godly a tabernacle 150 Taste of Word see Word 100 V Vaine glory 783 Vegetation by the soule 447 Vertue of God what it is 317 Nine vertues of Christ to bee shewed forth 321 Vertues in vs vertues in Christ. 334 Vnbeleeuers are disobedient 231 Visitation attributed to God 534 How God visits 535 Time of Gods visitation 540 Signes of being visited in mercy 541 Glorious effects thereof 552 W War lawfull 570. Will of God 631 â—â—ds will a strong motiue 630 Well doing see Doing well 5 Things to profit by the Word 3 Hinderances of the Word 5 Desire of the Word 50 How desire of the Word discerned 53 Impediments to the desire of the Word 56 Meanes to get true desire of the Word 61 How to preserue a true desire of the Word 62 How wicked men may desire the Word 72 The Word resembled to milk 73 How the Word is sincere 74 The Word sweetned with Gods goodnes 96 How the sweetenes of the Word is tasted 101 Difference betwixt godly and wicked in tasting the Word 102 Why many haue no taste of the Word 109 Word of God our Warrant 559 How Gods word is Gods wil. 634 World contempt thereof 326 Worthy walking 340.378 Works note of Religion 496 Works iustifie before men 497 Works wherein good 498 Rules for good works 501 Kinds of good works 505 How works coÌ„fort the Saints 508 For what ends good works 509 How works may bee lost 511 What works may bee shewed 513 What may not be shewed 514 FINIS The coherence The Analysis of thâ— first part of this chapter 5. Things to be auoided if we would profit by the word Generall obseruations The benefit of brief catalogues of sins or duties or graces How many waies the sinnes heer-mentioned do hinder the word Of Malice Acceptation of the word Signes of malice Reasons
may be obserued is that Christ is the main Fountain of all grace and holinesse It is he that fils all in all things Eph. 1. vlt. All the treasures of wisdome and grace be in him in whom the God-head dwels bodily Col. 2.3 9. It is he that is made vnto vs of God wisdome righteousnes sanctification and redemption 1. Cor. 10.30 He was long since acknowledged to be the Lord our righteousnes Ier. 23.6 The knowledge heerof may both inform instruct and comfort vs. First it may inform vs concerning the grieuousnes of our disease The nature of man is so farre past cure that vnlesse the Sonne of GOD sanctifie himself with vnspeakable holinesse we can neuer be sanctified Iohn 17.19 yea the Word it self is not auaileable without the grace of Christ as it appears in that seuenteenth of Iohn where both the Word and Christ are intreated of Secondly it may teach vs first to ascribe glory to Christ who in this respect is most worthy to be acknowledged the Head of all Principalities but especially the Head of the Church from whom commeth influence of all grace and goodnes Eph. 21 22.23 Secondly it should teach vs aboue all gettings to labor to get Christ crucified into our hearts It is Christ in vs that must be our riches and our hope of glory Col. 1. 27. yea this will bee vnsearchable riches to vs we should determine to knowe nothing saue Iesus Christ and him crucified 1. Cor. 2.2 Thirdly let him that glorieth glory in the Lord Iesus 1. Cor. 1.4 7. And therefore God forbid I should reioice in anything but the Crosse of Christ whereby I am crucified to the world and the world is crucified to me Gal. 6.14 Thirdly it should bee a great comfort to the Godly both in respect of their vnion with him in regard their Head is so infinite in holinesse as also in respect of that supply and help that they may continually haue from him against all their infirmities and defects and lastly in respect of the hope of the full confirmation of their holinesse in the day of Christ. And thus of the generall Doctrine The first thing in the exhortation to bee considered is the Proposition in which two things are to be marked First what Christ is secondly what the Christian must bee in respect of Christ. There are fiue things in the description of Christ. First he is a gracious Lord that is imported in the first word To whom that is which gracious Lord mentioned in the end of the former verse Whereby the Apostle applies that to Christ which was before spoken of God generally as hee that is God with the Father and as that person in whom the Lord shewes his graciousnes to men Secondly hee is a liuing stone Thirdly hee is in respect of the world and the base respect and vsage of him once disallowed of men Fourthly he is elect of God Fiftly he is precious Now that which Christians must be and doo that they may receiue holinesse from Christ is that first they must come vnto him Secondly they must bee liuely stones Thirdly they must be built vp in him Fourthly they must become a spirituall house Fiftly they must bee a holy priesthood to offer vp spirituall sacrifices vnto God such as may be acceptable in Iesus Christ. For it is to be noted that the word Are built vp may be rendred Be ye built vp howsoeuer it bee read The intent is to perswade them thereto Ye are built vp that is if you bee right that is a thing must not be wāting so the sense is the same First then of the description of Christ. And therein the first point of doctrine that offereth it self to our consideration is that Christ is a gracious Lord. He is a Lord and Master to all true Christians and such a Lord and Master as neuer men serued for wonderfull graciousnes That he is a Lord to the faithfull is euident by other Scriptures also 1. Cor. 1.2 He is said to bee a Lord to all that call vpon him in euery place Thus Dauid cals him My Lord Psalme 110.1 And great Apostles confesse themselues to bee his seruants Rom. 1.1 Iude 1. 2. Pet. 1.1 And that hee is most gracious the Apostle shewes when hee tels that all Ages haue cause to wonder at the maruellous kindnes that God hath shewed to men in Christ. The vse may be both for information instruction and consolation First we may hence be informed that Christ is God with the Father For the which the Prophet Dauid Psalme 34 whence the words of the former verse are borrowed Giue to God the Apostle applies heer vnto Christ and the reason of the application may in the second place inform vs that God is gracious to men onely by Iesus Christ. It is impossible euer to feel or taste of Gods graciousnes but in his Son And thirdly we are heer told as it were that Christ is God visible God is made visible and sensible to men by Iesus Christ This is that mystery of godlines God is manifested in the flesh Secondly Is Christ our Lord and Master then these things will follow 1. That we must liue and die vnto Christ Rom 14.7 8 9. we are not our owne men wee must liue to him that died for vs 2. Cor. 5. vlt. The loue of Christ must constrayne vs and all old things must be passed and all things must become new vnto vs. If Christ be our Lord where is his seruice he must rule vs and rule ouer vs. If we walke in the vanitie of our mindes according to the deceiueable lusts of our old conuersation we haue not yet learned Christ nor the truth that is in Iesus Eph. 4. And therefore let vs euery one looke to his waies as he that must one day giue account of himselfe vnto Christ which will bee Iudge both of quick and dead Rom. 14. 2. That euery knee must bow at the name of Christ and euery tongue must confesse his soueraignty to the glory of God Philip. 2.1 Rom. 14. We must all take notice of his supreme authority and forme in our hearts all possible reuerence toward him 3. We must not iudge one another For what haue we to doe to iudge another mans seruant He stands or falls to his owne Master Rom. 14.4 9. Thirdly it ought to be the singular ioy of our harts that wee serue so glorious a Master Neuer seruāts serued such a Lord as may appear by the enumeration of diuers particular differences As First other masters are not wont to die for their vassals Christ shed his blood for vs one drop of whose blood was more precious then all the bloods of all the men in the World and this he did onely to ransome and redeeme vs that wee might bee a peculiar people vnto him Titus 2.13 Secondly neuer Master had such power to prefer his seruants Christ hath all power in heauen and in earth Mat. 28. and all that to
and by the Gospell is offred to vs. Now that this point being of such singular waight may be cleerly vnderstood I will break it open into particulars or into particular parts or steppes of iudgement and practice in the beleeuer First he must acknowledge that by nature he stands bound to obserue all the morall Law Secondly he must see that he hath broken all those holy lawes of God and is therefore guilty before God of the curses of the Law and so of eternall condemnation Thirdly he must knowe that GOD sent his owne Son in the flesh to obey the Law and satisfie the iustice of God by making an expiation for mans sins Fourthly he must learn that God hath bound himself by promise that whosoeuer imbraceth the agreements in this new couenant in Christ shall be saued Fiftly that when a man doth in his owne particular discern this gracious offer of God in the Gospell and goeth to God and with his heart relieth vpon it then he doth truely beleeue and is iustified and shall be saued Quest. But many men are perswaded that God hath giuen Christ for them and yet it is euident that they do not beleeue because there is no appearance of any repentance or reformation in them many say they haue a strong faith and yet haue none How shall the perswasion of the godly man be distinguished from this vain presumption in wicked men Ans. That perswasion of Gods grace in Christ which is true and of the nature of true faith doth prooue it self to bee right by many infallible signes First by the renouation of the heart The knowledge of God's loue in Christ doth make the heart of man new it clenseth out the old drosse and makes a man hate his secret and most secret sinnes Faith purifieth the heart Acts 15. Secondly by the ioy and comforts of the holy Ghost with which the beleeuer's hart is refreshed from the presence of God 1. Pet. 1.9 Thirdly by the victory of the world For the true beleeuer is so satisfied with God's goodnes in Christ that he can deny his profits pleasures credit friends and the like for Christ's sake and the Gospell yea faith marres the taste of earthly things and makes a man able to forsake the loue of worldly things 1. Iohn 5.5 It will endure the triall of troubles of afflictions and temptations and persecutions for the Gospels sake 1. Pet. 1.7 without making haste to vse ill means in the euill day Quest. But how may faith bee discerned in such as say they are not perswaded that they haue faith which sometimes proues to be the case of diuers deere children of God Ans. Their faith may be discerned First by repentance which cannot be separated from it the sight hatred confession and sorrow for their sinnes is an argument of true faith because without faith no man can haue true repentance Secondly by their complaining of their vnbelief and desire of faith I beleeue Lord help my vnbelief was the voice of him that had true faith Thirdly by their daily renouncing of their owne merits begging fauour of God onely for the merits of Christ. Fourthly by the loue of the Godly for faith worketh by loue Galat. 5. Fiftly by other markes and signes of Gods children which can neuer bee had but faith is had also such as are loue of God and his Word and of their enemies and vprightnes of heart and the spirit of praier and the like Precious Christ is precious to them that beleeue not onely in their account but by effect and so both because hee is great riches vnto them as also because he is an honour vnto them Hee is great riches vnto them yea vnsearchable riches Eph. 3.6 All ages ought to wonder at the riches of Gods kindnes to the beleeuers in Iesus Christ Eph. 2.7 Christ in vs is our riches Col. 1.27 and thus he inricheth vs with the fauour of God his owne merits and righteousnes the grace of the Spirit and the promises of the Word and the hope of glory The Vses are many Vses First woe to the rich men of this world that are not rich in God Christ Luke 12.16.21 Let not the rich man glory in his riches Ierem. 9. 24. Secondly let the brother of lowe degree reioyce in that God hath thus exalted him Iames 1.9 For godly Christians are the richest men in the world for their possessions are greatest because they possesse Iesus Christ and his treasures Iames 2.5 For God is rich to al that cal vpon him Hee cannot bee a poore man that can pray Rom. 10.12 Christ makes amends to the poore Christian for all his wants Thirdly hence wee may gather another signe to try our faith by If Christ bee more precious to vs then all the world besides it is certaine we are true beleeuers For Christ is precious to none but beleeuers Phil. 3.9 8. Fourthly wee should striue with all thankfulnes to admire and praise the grace of God that hath bestowed such riches vpon vs in Christ Ephes. 1.7 Fiftly wee should hence learne to make more account of our faith which is therefore precious because it applies Christ vnto vs Hence poore Christians are said to bee rich because they haue faith and assurance of faith and hee calleth it all riches of full assurance Colos. 2.2 2. Pet. 1.4 Iam. 2.5 Sixtly we should liue securelesse Men would promise to liue at all hearts ease if they were rich enough why Christians are exceeding rich and possesse more treasure then all the world besides and therefore should liue henceforth by the faith of the Sonne of God which was giuen to them Gal. 2.20 Seuenthly looke to it that thou keepe Christ whatsoeuer thou losest resolue to lose father mother wife children friends house lands yea and life too rather then lose Christ who is so precious Eightly Wee should shew it that we account him our greatest riches and that wee shall doe first by esteeming the Gospell that brings vs daily tidings aboue gold and siluer Secondly by often receiuing of the Sacraments we should account the Word and Sacraments as Gods Exchequer whither we alwaies come to receiue more treasure Thirdly by making much of them that resemble his vertues Fourthly by longing for his appearing Thus as Christ is our riches Now secondly hee is precious in that hee is an honour vnto vs and so some translate it Christ then is a singular honor to euery beleeuer and hee is so both in heauen and in earth First in heauen hee is an honour to vs because he graceth vs before God and the Angels couering our nakednes with the rich garment of his owne imputed righteousnes and making daily intercession for vs to God and couering our imperfections and presenting our workes and praiers to God and giuing the Angels a charge to looke carefully to vs. Secondly And so hee is an honour to vs on earth both amongst the godly and amongst the wicked First Hee graceth vs amongst the
offender But for the most part hee is altogether defectiue in the religious duties of the first table especially in the duties of the Sabbath and the religious duties hee should performe in his family Thirdly the meere ciuill honest man makes conscience of great offences but cares not to be stained with lesser sinnes whereas the true Christian liues circumspectly and makes conscience of the least commandement Secondly nowe for the Hypocrite though the difference be hidden yet it may bee assigned in diuers things as First the holines of the godly Christian slowes from a pure conscience and faith vnfained whereas there is no such repentance or faith in the Hypocrite Secondly the true Christian hath his praise of God but the Hypocrite of men Rom. 2.26 Thirdly the true Christian obeyes in all things The Hypocrite but in some as heere for the most part they may be found tainted with some euill vice Fourthly the true Christian is carefull of his conuersation in all places and companies The Hypocrite onely or chiefly when he is where hee thinkes hee shall bee obserued and marked Fiftly the true Christian will not cease bearing fruit what weather soeuer come Ierem. 17.7 8. But the Hypocrite giues ouer when hard times come Hee is not like the good ground that brings forth fruite with patience The Hypocrite will not hold our till the end though the times bee peaceable till his death For the most part hee then beares the burthen of his Hypocrisy hee cannot die in peace Lastly this is a terrible doctrine for open and notorious offenders For heereby it is apparant they are strangers from the Common-wealth of Israel and are not of this nation their language and their works betray them Drunkards Adulterers Swearers Liers Vsurers and such like cannot inherit or haue any lot in this heauenly Canaan For all this nation is holy and such are not they their owne consciences being Iudges Nor is it a pleasing Doctrine to scandalous professors For such as giue scandall are either Hypocrites or godly If they bee Hypocrites their scandals betray them and testifie to their faces they haue no lot amongst the Saintes and if they bee godly Christians that haue falne through weaknes yet they haue cause to bee much humbled For by them the name of God is blasphemed and besides many other inconueniences that will pursue their fall this is not the least that heereby they haue weakned their euidence and wonderfully darkned the marks of their happines For if the Godly be a holy nation how discomfortably haue they prouided for themselues and their owne soules that haue so stained their profession of holinesse An holy nation The sixt prerogatiue of Christians is imported in this word Nation which shewes the number For though all the wicked are more in number then the godly yet such is the glory and greatnes of the number of all the godly of all ages that if we could behold them on earth as wee shall see them in heauen and at the last Iudgement wee would wonderfully admire the beautie and multitude of the Christian Armie All the godly together make a goodly nation though in largenes of number they doe not go beyond the wicked yet in the priuiledges of their number they goe far beyond them They are all one and a whole nation of them which imports diuers priuiledges First they are all originally of one bloud born of the bloud of Iesus Christ. Secondly they are all gouerned by one Ruler their Noble Ruler is of themselues there is one heart in them to serue the Lord. Thirdly they are all gouerned by one book of Lawes Fourthly they all enioy the same priuiledges in the communion of Saints euen those before conteined in this verse Fiftly they all enioy the loue of God they are his portion As Israel was his out of all the world so the godly are his and make all but one nation In that all the godly are one nation diuers things may from thence bee obserued by way of vse First it should be very comfortable to all that are truly godly and so it should comfort them diuers waies First against the fewnesse of them that liue in one place and so against the reproach of the world for that reason For heere they may know that if all the godly were together there would be no cause to despise them for their number Neuer such a nation of men as they Secondly in the case of aduersaries the gates of hell shall not preuaile against them They are a whole nation of them they may be oppressed but they can neuer vtterly be rooted out Thirdly in respect of their consanguinity with all the godly though they differ much in estate or condition yet wheresoeuer or howsoeuer they liue they are all countrie-men they are all of one nation the partition wall is broken downe All godly Christians whether Iewes or Gentiles are but one nation Fourthly in respect of the gouernment and protection of Christ ouer them Why criest thou then O Christian Is there no King in Sion Secondly hence some vse for instruction may bee made For first we may heere learne to know no man after the flesh All other relations are swallowed vp in this relation when thou art once conuerted thou needst not reckon of what country thou art or how descended for thou art now onely of the Christian nation All godly men should acknowledge no respects more then those are wrought in them by Christ. Secondly since Christians are all countrie-men and seeing they are like the Iewes dispersed vp and down the world they should therefore be glad one of another and make much one of another and defend one another and relieue one another by all means of help and comfort Thirdly they should therefore obserue the fashions of the Godly and be more strict to follow the manners of their nation wheresoeuer they come A peculiar people The Latines render the words of the originall Populus acquisitionis In the Greek it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The word rendred peculiar signifies sometimes conseruation or sauing as Heb. 10.39 to the sauing or conseruation of the soule sometimes purchase as the Church was purchased by his bloud Acts 20.28 sâ—metimes possession or obtaining as He ordained vs to the obtaining of saluation 1. Thes. 5.9 and the glory of Christ 2. Thes. 2.14 Neither doo Interpreters agree about the attributing of what felicity the word imports For one would haue the sense thus Populus acquisitionis that is the people hee could gaine by intending thereby that the Apostle should say that the Godly were the onely people that God could get any thing by Others would haue it thus A people for obtaining that is of heauen and so the sense is 1. Thes. 5.9 that they are a people God hath set apart to obtain heauen or to gain more than any people Others thus A people of purchase that is such as were purchased viz. by the
hath done as great a work vpon our hearts as he did when he commanded the light to shine out of darknes in the beginning of the world Thirdly if we consider what glorious things are reuealed vnto vs for by the gospell hee hath caused to shine in our hearts the knowledge of the glory of God c. Finally it is the more comfortable in that the Apostle cals this light maruellous light which is now in the next place to be opened Maruellous light The spirituall light which shines in the harts of the godly by the Gospel is a maruellous light either because it is such as the Godly do maruell at or because it is such as they ought to maruell and wonder at When men first enter into the truth that is when they are first conuerted Christians beeing for the most part full of affections as they that haue scaped lately singular danger and as they that neuer before saw the Kings Court they are frequently stirred vp with admiration at the glory of the Gospell they wonder at and are vehemently affected with the new discouery of the riches of Christ shewed them in the preaching of the Gospell and thus it is a maruellous light in this sense Esay 30.26 But I rather consider of it in the other sense It is a maruellous light though wee should not haue the heart to bee so affected toward it it is maruellous I say First because it is a light that needed the Mediator to procure it none but Christ can giue vs this light Other light is free wee pay nothing for it but this is carried in the hand of the Mediator to vs and for vs Esay 42. and 49. Secondly because it commeth after so long a night of ignorance and sin they must needs account the light precious that haue not seen it a long time as blind men when they receiue sight Thirdly and more because it is a light commanded to shine out of darknes 2. Cor. 4.6 That God should call light out of such darknes as was in our hearts is maruellous Fourthly in comparison with the times of the Law and the shadows of the old Testament Fiftly because it is a light comes not from any creature but from God the Creator God is our light Esay 6.19 And in this respect this light is like the light that shone about Paul Acts 22.6 Sixtly because it is a light that shines at the time of the euening of this world That the Sun should shine in the day time is no wonder but that it should shine in the night or at euening were a dreadfull wonder euen so it is in this last age of the world Zach. 14.7 Seuenthly because it is a knowledge aboue the reach of reason it is the light of faith Eightthly because it shines onely to the godly It is light in Goshen when there is no light in Aegypt that was maruellous and so is it when we see the light shining all abroad and many men sit in darknes euen in the same place in the same congregation city or family When the Godly see cleerly the Wicked discerne nothing light is with-held from the Wicked Ninthly because it hath more force than any other light for it is the light of life it quickens the soule and enlyues it Iohn 8.12 Lastly because it is an euerlasting light it is such a day as no night followeth it The consideration of all this should work diuers things in vs. For if in all these senses it bee a maruelous light then First we should be maruelously affected with it and striue to be exceeding thankful for it How haue we deserued to be cast againe into darknes for our extreme vnthankfulnes How haue wee giuen God cause to take away the Candlestick from vs Let vs therefore striue after thankfulnes and admiration and if the Lord doe work it in vs let vs take heed we lose not our first loue Secondly wee should arme our selues for the defence of the light we should preserue it as a singular treasure both in our hearts and in our Churches we should with the more resolution resist the works of darknes standing alwaies vpon our guard Rom. 13.12 Thirdly we should striue after all the degrees of the assurance of faith Fourthly we should striue to make our light shine the more excellently both for the measure of good works Malac. 5.16 and for the strict precise respect of the exact doing of good duties Now we haue the light so cleerely shining wee may doe euery thing the more exactly then if it were dark Ephes. 5.15 Our gifts must not bee hid The light must not be put vnder a bushell Math. 5.15 Phil. 2.15 We should now auoid not onely greater faulâ—s and falles but lesser stumblings 1 Ioh. 2.10.11 We should doe all things to the life and power of them and shew discretion aswell as knowledge This doctrine also doth imply the grieuous misery of wicked men for if it bee maruelous light into which the godly are called there is a maruelous darknes in which wicked men liue The whole creation of God had been but a confused heape if God had not set in it the light of the Sun such a confused Chaos is the world of men if the Gospell shine not into their hearts Finally this should much comfort the godly they are called into maruelous light in all the sences before named which should much inflame their hearts and they should rebuke their owne hearts for not valuing so rich treasure Wee may from hence take occasion to note how little wee should trust to the iudgement of flesh and bloud in valuing spirituall things when the very godly themselues doe not so much esteeme of them as they should Whatsoeuer we think yet in Gods account the light of the Gospel the light of faith and knowledge the light of Gods countenance c. is maruelous light But if the light of the godly bee maruelous in this world what shall it be in the world to com when God the Lamb shall be their immediate light Heere God lights vs by the meanes there God himself will be our euerlasting light Heere our light may be darkned with clouds of affliction and temptation there shall bee an eternall light without all darknes Heere we haue no light but what is infused into vs there we shall our selues shine as the Sunne iâ— the firmament Hitherto of the description in Tropicall tearms Now it followeth in plaine words Verse 10. Which in times past were not a people yet are now the people of God which in times past were not vnder mercy but now haue obtained mercy THe Apostle takes the words of this verse out of the Prophet Hosea chapter 1.11 where the Lord promiseth that the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea and in the place where it was said vnto them Ye are not my people it shall bee said vnto them Ye are my people Now the Apostle
it is profitable to all things 1. Tim. 4.8 And these workes must needs be accounted good works for they are dear works the bloud of Christ was poured out that wee might bee clensed from dead works to serue the liuing God Heb. 9.14 Thirdly all works of repentance all that a Christian doth about his humiliation or reformation are euangelically good works as if he confesse his sinnes and doo execution vpon his sinnes if hee make satisfaction for his trespasses to men if he reform himself or his houshold or his charge these and the like are all good works 2. Chron. 19.3 Fourthly to suffer for a good cause is reckoned in the number of good works as to forsake father or mother house or land wife or children liberty or life for Christ's sake and the Gospell it is in the number of those good things shall haue good reward Mat. 19.29 Ier. 31.16 Ruth 2.11 12. Fiftly works of mens particular callings whether in the Common-wealth or Church or family or any vocation or trade of life so workes of Iustice are good workes and to obey Magistrates is called well-doing verse 14 of this chapter so to preach the Gospell is a good work 1. Tim. 3.1 So in the family for parents to bring-vp their Children well is a good work 1. Tim. 5.10 yea the labours of seruants in the family are such workes as shall haue reward of God as well as workes of piety Esay 6. Col. 3. Sixtly works of mercy are good works whether it be spirituall mercy to instruct admonish or reproue or comfort Psalme 140. or whether it bee outward mercy in giuing lending visiting defending the poore or the like All confesse these to be good works Act. 9.16 But that almes may be a good work these three rules must bee obserued First that it be giuen of goods well gotten else no good workes Secondly that hee that giues it haue a good eie to distribute where there is need for to keepe a good house and to entertain ruffians and drunkards and gamesters is not a good work nor hospitality because heere is not a good eie Thirdly almes must bee giuen for a good end not for the praise of men or to merit thereby Mat. 6. Thus of the kindes of good works The questions follow Quest. 1. How can any workes done by any man in this life bee accounted good seeing there is none that liueth and sinneth not yea al our works euen the workes of the most righteous are as a menstruous cloth Esay 64.6 For answer heereunto I say It is true that if God looke vpon the best works of the most godly in this life and examine them by the rigour of his couenant which he called His couenant of works then no flesh liuing can haue cōfort of his works but all will appeare lothsom as a menstruous garment But the works of the beleeuing Christiās are otherwaies to be considered of For First they are tryed by the couenant of grace by the benefit of which couenant hee is deliuered from the rigorous perfection of the Law and his vprightnes is accepted in stead of perfection he is now no more vnder the Law but by God's grace acceptation his works are taken as if they had been perfect Secondly he hath the benefit of Christ's intercession who presenteth his works before God couering the euill of them and tendering them to God who accepts them for the loue hee beares to his Sonne and thus we read in Scripture that Christ presents the praiers of the Saints Besides that the Christian may not think too vilely of his works but be comforted in the Lord concerning them let him further consider these things First that his good works haue the Spirit of Iesus Christ which is in him for the Fountaine of them 1. Cor. 12.11 Esay 26.12 Secondly that the bloud of Iesus Christ was shed not onely for his iustification but also for his sanctification Heb. 9.14 Thirdly that though his works are not good effectu yet they are good affectu they are good in desire his desire was to haue them as good as God himself did require And this God is pleased to accept as if the work were perfectly done Quest. 2. What are works good for in that they are called good works Answ. I answer first affirmatiuely they are good 1. To testifie our thankfulnes to God for all his benefits in respect of which wee are debters vnto God Rom. 8.12 2. To assure the truth of our faith as the fruits of faith Mat. 7.17 1. Tim. 1.19 Iames 2. 3. To witnes our election and to make our calling sure 2. Pet. 1.10 4. To discharge our duty of obedience vnto which we are bound euen in the couenāt of grace 5. To further the edification of our brethren whom we help both by example and by well-doing to them 6. To winne wicked men to a better estimation of our Religion and to stop their mouthes as heer so verse 15. 7. To glorifie God as is in this place mentioned 8. They are good to make vs capable of rewards from God in heauen Heb. 10.36 Rom. 2.7 8. yea and in this life too 2. Tim. 4.8 Secondly I say they are not good 1. To iustifie vs before God as it is at large prooued by the Apostle in the Epistle to the Romans and Galatians onely they are good to iustifie vs before men Iames 2. 2. Not to merit or deserue heauen by them mens euill works doo merit punishment for the wages of sinne is death but our good works cannot merit both because the Scripture denies it expresly Eph. 2.8 as also to omit other reasons because the nature of merit casteth away our works for there must be three things in a work that must merit First it must bee a free work that was not due by any debt whereas our works are a part of our duty and we owe more to God than we can doe Luke 17.9 Rom. 11.35 Secondly the worke that should merit must bee profitable to him of whom we would merit but no goodnesse of ours can reach to God to profit him Psal. 16.3 Iob 22.2 Thirdly the worke that must merit must be of equall value with the thing that is giuen for it but neither our sufferings nor our deedes in this life can be worthy of the glory that is to bee reuealed Rom. 8.18 and therefore is eternall life called The gift of God Rom. 6.23 The vses follow and are especially for Instruction for this doctrine of good works should teach vs First to take notice of this doctrine and as we are carefull to beleeue so to be carefull to maintain good works and hereby to confute the malicious Papists that falsly charge vs to deny and disgrace good works Tit. 3.8 14. Secondly euery man should bee ready to doe good works yea to euery good worke since they are required of God and are so many waies good and serue vs for such excellent vses Yea wee should be zealous
their secret offences Thus Achan gaue glory to God Iosh. 7.19 And thus the penitent sinner glorifies God when hee cares not to abase himself in the acknowledgement of his owne vilenesse that God may be magnified in any of his attributes or ordinances by it Ier. 13. 16. Mal. 2.2 Fourthly When the prayse of God or the aduancement of his Kingdome is made the end of all our actions This is to doe all to his glorie 1. Cor. 10.31 Fiftly when wee beleeue God's promises and wait for the performance of them though we see no meanes likely for their accomplishment Thus Abraham gaue glory to God Rom. 4. Sixtly when wee publikely acknowledge true Religion or any speciall truth of God when it is generally opposed by the most men Thus the Centurion gaue glory to God Luke 23.47 Seuenthly when men suffer in the quarrell of Gods truth and true Religion So 1. Pet. 4.16 Eightthly when on the Sabbath men deuote themselues only to Gods worke doing it with more ioy and care then they should doe their own worke on the weeke dayes refusing to prophane the Sabbath of the Lord by speaking their owne words or doing their own willes Thus Esay 58.13 Ninthly when men do in particular giue thanks to God for benefits or deliuerances acknowledging God's speciall hand therein Thus the Leper gaue glory to God Luke 17.18 so Psal. 113.4 Tenthly by louing praysing admiring and esteeming of Iesus Christ aboue all men For when we glorifie the Sonne we glorifie the Father Iohn 1.14 11.4 Eleuenthly when wee account of and honour godly men aboue all other sorts of men in the World and so these Gentiles doe glorifie God in that they prayse the Christians aboue all men whom before they reuiled This is one way by which the Gentiles glorified God Thus of the second way of glorifying God which is by acknowledging his glory The third way of glorifying God is by effect when men make others to glorifie God conceiuing more gloriously of him or in praysing God and his wayes Thus the professed subiection of Christians to the Gospel makes other men glorifie God 2. Cor. 9.13 So the fruits of Righteousnesse are to the glory of God Phil. 1.10 So here the good works of Christians do make new Conuerts glorifie God so euery Christian that is God's planting is a tree of righteousnesse that God may be glorified Esay 61.3 so are all Christians to the prayses of the glory of God's grace as they are eyther qualified or priuiledged by Iesus Christ Ephes. 1.7 Vse The vses of all should be especially for instruction and humiliation it should humble vs if we mark the former doctrine in that it discouereth many deficiencies in vs for besides that it sheweth that the whole world of vnregenerate men lieth in wickednes and that as they haue all sinned so they are all depriued of the glory of God and altogether delinquent in each part of making God glorious I say that besides the discouery of the generall and extreme corruption of wicked men it doth touch to the quick vpon diuerse persons euen the godly themselues to giue instance In the first way of making God glorious How meanly and dully doo wee for the most part conceiue of God! How farre short are our hearts of those descriptions of GOD made in his Word Whaâ— strange thoughts come into our mindes at some times Oh! how haue we dishonoured the most High in our vnworthy conceptions of his Iustice Power Eternity Wisdome and Mercy For the second way of glorifying God What heart could stand before his holy presence if hee should examine vs in iustice 1. For our language What man is hee that hath not cause to mourn for his want of language daily in expressing of the praises of God! When did we make his praise glorious haue our mouths been filled with his praise all the day long 2. For our extreme vnthankfulnesse when we meet with GOD himself we haue been healed with the nine Lepers but which of vs haue returned to giue glory to God in the sound acknowledgement of his goodnes to vs It is required we should in all things giue thanks and yet wee haue scarce vsed one word of praise for a 1000 benefits 3. Our slight acknowledgements of sinne our backwardnes to search our waies our carelesnesse when wee knowe diuerse grieuous faults by our selues either auoiding God's presence and making confession for fashions sake neither out of true grief for our sinnes and in a speciall manner doo we fail in those cases of trespasse or sinne that come to the knowledge of others Do we knowledge our sinnes one to another Oh how hard it is to bring vs to bee easie to giue glory to GOD heerin 4. What man is hee that liueth and hath not failed of the glory of GOD about the Sabbath Doo we delight in God's work Haue wee consecrated that Day as glorious to the Lord Haue not our mindes runne vpon our owne waies After what an vnspeakable maner haue we slighted God in his Ordinances Lastly what shall we answer to the Lord for our neglects of Iesus Christ Haue wee glorified the Son or rather haue wee not shamefull wants still in our faith Which of vs can say that he liues by the faith of the Sonne of God and are not our affections to the Lord Iesus extremely dull and auerse Where is the longing desire after him and the â—eruent loue of his appearing And for the last way of glorifying God by effect How vnprofitably and vnfruitfully doo the most of vs liue Who hath praised God in our behalf Whom haue we wonne to the loue of God and the truth Where are our witnesses that might testifie that our good works haue caused them to glorifie God But especially wo be to scandalous Christians that haue either caused wicked men to blaspheme or God's little ones to take offense and conceiue ill of the good way of God if they repent not it had been better for them they had neuer been born And as for wicked men that are openly so to giue a touch of them and their estate they haue reason to repent in sackcloth and ashes if their eies were but open to see what terrour is implied in this doctrine and how God will auenge himselfe vpon them both for their not glorifying of him and for changing his glory and for the opposing of his glory 1. In not glorifying God They haue spent their daies without GOD they haue either not conceiued of him at all or in a most mean and vile manner they haue not honoured him in his ordinances or in his Sabbaths they neuer loued the Lord Iesus in their hearts c. 2. In changing the glory of God they haue done shamefully Some of them haue turned Gods glory into the similitude of an Oxe or a Calf that eateth hay Some of them haue giuen his praise to Images and the works of their hands Some of them haue fixed the glory of their
God will certainly bee a reuenger of this disobedience it being his owne cause as well as the Magistrates Besides it serues to informe vs concerning the admirable power and wisdome of God in effecting the subiection of man to authority of Magistrates all men naturally affect to excell and like not superiority in other men and besides it is needfull that one man should gouerne and keepe in order millions of men disposed as before Now this well points at the cause of this order and subiection which is the respect of God God naturally hath planted in the hearts of men a feare to rebell or disobey euen for fear of God himself more then Princes and besides God hath made man to see by experience that hee doth defend the persons and rights of Kings by reuenging the disobedience of men this naturall conscience keepes vnder naturall men Now though the Apostle would haue godly men to obey for the same reason yet it is vpon a higher ground for godly men are instructed by the Word of God to obey Princes yea herein differs the obedience of the godly from the wicked that the godly man obeyes for the meere loue hee beares to God and the wicked onely for feare of vengeance from God so both obey for a higher reason then the respect of Princes themselues euen for the Lords sake the one for the loue of God and the care of his glory the other for feare of his punishments and iudgements Lastly it shewes men must so acknowledge the glory of Princes as that especially we haue respect vnto the glory of God who is King of Kings we must obey Kings in the land so as God be not disobeyed Thus of the Proposition the Exposition followes The Apostle labours to cleare this doctrine from diuers scruples might be conceiued by Christians whether they arise from the diuersitie of the sorts of Magistrates or from their soueraignety For the sorts he shews they must obey Magistrates of all sorts both superior and inferior the highest and those which are subordinate to them both Kings and Gouernors also for their soueraignety Hee teacheth them to obserue the supremacy of Kings and Monarchs In generall wee may learne from the Apostles care to preuent mistaking herein that he accounts it a pernicious thing to erre about the authority of Princes and their Gouernours and experience shewes it to bee pernicious sometimes to the persons of Kings who are often by treason murthered vpon wicked and erroneous grounds and sometimes to the subiects who drawe vpon themselues not onely fearefull sinnes but miserable punishment also by erring herein somtimes it is pernicious to religion it selfe and religious causes giuing not onely scandall but procuring desolation in the Churches through errors somtimes on the left hand and sometimes on the right hand Whether to the King It may be questioned whom the Apostle meanes by the word King Such as vnderstand the Epistle to be written to the Iewes may perhaps conceiue that the Kings that ruled by deputation in Iudea should be meant such as were Herod and Agrippa But in as much as the Iewes were scattred through the Prouinces and those prouinciall Iewes were most in quiet and in as much as for the reasons afore giuen it is likely that the Epistle was written to all Christians both Iewes and Gentiles therefore by the King hee meant Caesar. And then a more scruple ariseth for the Romans hated the name of a King and Caesar was an Emperour to which diuers things may bee answered First that though the present gouernour was an Emperour yet the Apostle knowing that the most monarchies in the world would rest in the title of King in all ages therefore hee vseth that title that may concerne the most of the Elect in all ages Secondly that though amongst the Romans the title of King was not vsed yet the Grecians in whose language hee writ did familiarly vse the word which wee translate King Thirdly the Apostle might haue respect vnto the signification of the word as vnto a word which was most effectuall to note the highest dignity among men For it notes him that is the stay or foundation of the people or the common-wealth and though ambitious men sought new titles as higher yet the Apostle knew that this was most maiesticall and honourable for the tearm of Emperour in the signification of it may agree to any subordinate rule who gouernes or commands other men Fourthly it may bee that the Apostle knowing the hypocrisie of those Emperours who onely disclaimed the name of Kings to auoid the hatred of the people and yet sought the full right of Kings and so to destroy the liberty of the people giueth the name they sought in substance though not in tearme Where by the way wee may note how hatefull hypocrisie is to God and how vaine it is God will vnmaske euen Kings if they dissemble with him He that tryeth the hearts reines iudgeth according to truth and will not bee deceiued with pretences Though men durst not charge Caesar to affect the kingdom yet God dares and will require at his hands the ambition of his heart And if God will not beare with dissimulation in Kings much lesse will he beare it in meaner men hee hates hypocrisie and fained pretences and painted showes wheresoeuer hee findes it which should teach vs all to labour for a plain and vpright heart in all things to direct our words and carriage according to the true intent of our hearts For besides that God will plague men for their dissimulation which cannot be hid from him it fals out vsually that such as vse dissembling are perpetually suspected all their faire pretences notwithstanding as those Caesars were Lastly the Apostle may name Kings to preuent rebellion in the subiects which either should feare such as affected the title or liue vnder such as professed themselues to bee Kings and so the meaning is that hee would haue them obey euen Kings how hatefull soeuer naturally that kinde of gouernment did seeme vnto them It may bee that the Apostle mentioneth Kings as the last kinde of gouernment a Monarchy being in many respects the most excellent forme of gouernment as being such a form of gouernment as comes neerest to the similitude of God who is not onely one in nature but in gouernment also and is most agreeable to nature which doth affect vnity as well in the body politicke as in the body naturall But I let this passe as a question belonging rather to the Politickes then to Diuinity to be discussed at large Thus coniecturally of the reason why the Apostle vseth this tearm Concerning Kings I propound these things to be considered of First the Originall of Kings Secondly the excellency of Kings both these tend to work in man the care of obedience to them and their Lawes Thirdly the indefinite manner of propounding the tearm shewing that this submission belongs to all Kings Fourthly the vses of all
to heale the body as well as the soule But the especial healing is at the resurrection when all the bodies of the Saints shall be healed perfectly of all diseases and freed from the very disposition yea the very possibility to haue any diseases Vse 1. The vse should bee for great comfort to the godly when they are distressed they may and ought to looke vp to Christ and say If it bee good for mee my Sauiour wil heale me and the rather because Christ is such a compassionate Physician and hath had the feeling of our infirmities and paines that way and besides hee is such a Physician as can doe two things that neuer Physician could doe For first hee can take away the first causes of diseases which is sinne which no Physick can doe Math. 9. Secondly hee can cure our bodies when they are starke dead which neuer any Physician could doe they may helpe some liuing bodies but they could neuer helpe one dead body Yea such as finde not cure for the paines of the body should bee of good comfort because they should haue had cure of it if it had beene good for them and they must consider it is the Lord that doth it Psalme 39. and that all shall worke together for the best Romanes 8. and that nothing can separate them from the loue of Christ and that they are deliuered from eternall paine and that Gods deare children haue suffered as great torments or weakenesses Vse 2. Secondly all men should bee taught to seeke to Christ for cure since it is his office to heale and to this end men are bound to looke to diuers rules if they would haue CHRIST to heale them First they must seeke to him for cure they must pray him to heale them wee doe not read that euer Christ healed any sick person vnlesse he were brought to him or hee intreated to heale him wee must pray for our bodies as well as our soules Thus did Dauid Psalme 6. and 31. and Hezekiah c. Secondly wee must vse the lawfull meanes wee can get for our healing our Sauiour shewes that when he said The whole needed not the physiciā but the sick the sick then doe need and must with conscience and care vse all lawfull and outward helps that they can attaine to that are fit for them Mathew 9. Thirdly they must take heed of trusting vpon the Physician or Physick giuen them that was Asa his great sinne For if wee bee cured it is not Physick but Christ that healed vs. Fourthly wee must bring faith to bee healed for our bodies also This our Sauiour often asketh after when hee is about to cure mens bodies as the Euangelists shew Fiftly wee must bee carefull to seek the remouing of the cause of our diseases which is sinne especially if wee finde that God hath a quarrell with vs for any speciall fault wee are falne into Thus Dauid got the punishment of his sinne remitted by iudging himselfe for his sinne Psal. 32.4 5. Sixtly we must submit our selues to Gods will and in the case of our bodies must resigne our selues into his hands to let him doe with vs what it shall please him since hee knowes what is best for vs and if Christ will not heale vs now yet to comfort our selues as Iob did in the hope of that time when our Redeemer will bee seene of vs in the body when it shall bee vtterly and for euer freed from all paines and infirmities whatsoeuer Iob 19. Doct. 4. It is further to bee noted that wee are not onely healed by Christ but it is by his stripes The wounds made in his body doe heale our bodies which should make vs so much the more to loue the Lord Iesus and the more patiently to beare it if we be not presently healed because he did beare more grieuous paines euen in the body and because if it were good for vs he would heale vs in that hee paied so deare for our healing Verse 25. For you were as sheepe going astray but are now returned vnto the Shepheard and Bishop of your soules HItherto of the effects of Christs sufferings in respect of vs In respect of himselfe the effect was his exaltation to become the Shepherd and Bishop of our soules euen of the soules of all the Elect which is so implied in the words of this verse as withall in a passage is expressed both our misery without Christ and our happines vnder his gouernment The words of this verse in themselues containe three things First our misery by nature in our selues wee are as sheep deceiued or going astray Secondly the meanes of our recouery out of that estate and that is the causing of vs to returne Thirdly our happinesse vnder the gouernment of Iesus Christ to whose charge wee are committed when we returne The first words expressing our misery are words borrowed out of the Prophet Esay chapter 53.6 7. and in the words vnregenerate men euen God's Elect among them are likened to sheep A sheep is a certain image to resemble a man by And so we finde in Scripture that a sheep is the image or resemblance first of Christ-man He is likened to a sheep dumb before his shearer for his silence and patience at his arraignment Esay 53.7 Secondly of men that are true beleeuers for the harmlessenes tractablenesse and profitablenesse Mat. 25.33 Thirdly of men that erre and wander out of the way of godlinesse and so wicked men before their calling are likened to wandring sheep yea godly men after their calling in respect of their falls or failings are likened to sheep going astray as Dauid saith of himself Psalm 119. vlt. But heere it is vnderstood of the Elect of GOD before their calling The word heer rendred Going astray properly signifies deceiued and is so vsed in diuers places of the new Testament but the metaphor to the which it is ioyned requires it should be expressed Going astray or wandring or erring but so as it doth import two things First the euill condition of the vnregenerate they are like wandring sheep Secondly the curse of it and that is they are deceiued they are as sheep deceiued Now that this point may bee distinctly vnderstood I propound fiue things to be considered of First what faults in men are meant by the tearm of going astray Secondly what the misery of their condition is that doo go astray Thirdly what the cause is of their going astray Fourthly by what signes a lost sheep may be knowne especially such as are within the Church which seemes to be the Fold And lastly the doctrines that may be briefly noted out of all the words of that part of the verse For the first Vnder the tearm of erring or going astray are construed in Scripture errors in opinion Iames 1.16 Mat. 22.29 called erring from the faith 1. Tim. 6.10 whoredome Numbers 5.12 idolatry Deut. 13.5 drunkennesse Esay 28.1 7. bribery and all waies of vnrighteousnes 2. Peter 2.15 all deuising of