finde the Israelites Gods peculiar in captivitie and Pharoah upon the throne Saul ruling and David in a cave or in a wilderness Job upon the dung-hill Jeremy in the dungeon Daniel in the den and the Children in the furnace and Nebuchadnezzar on the throne In the new Testament you have Felix on the bench S. Paul at the bar Dives in the palace Lazarus at his gates Luke 16. 19. he cloathed in purple Lazarus in rags and over-spread with sores he banqueted and fared deliciously every day the other desired but the crumbs from the table and could not have them Dives beset with his rich and stately attendance Lazarus hath no other society but the Dogs which came to lick his sores v. 21. all which Austin and Tertullian lib. 4. against Marcion conceive to be a true historie of what was really acted though others think it parabolical Job tells us that the tabernacles of robbers sometimes prosper Job 12. 6. which prosperity he at large describes chap. 21. from v. 7 to v. 14. exalted in power v. 7. multiplyed in their posterity v. 8. 11. safe at home v. 9. encreased abroad v. 10. have their fill of pleasure v. 12. and wealth at will v. 13. David speaks his own experience of this Psa 37. 35. Psa 73. 7. So in the Text they enjoy not onely common favours as aire to breath in earth to walk on but the treasure of the world the riches of nature their bellies are fill'd with his hid treasure and that not for themselves onely but for their posterity too they leave the rest of their substance to their babes in a word they have their portion in this life Qu. But who are these wicked men Ans In a word Those who haxe a full affluence of the world and these earthly things and yet are such as the Apostle describes Eph. 2. 12. strangers to the covenant of grace who can say that estate is mine and that honour mine and those lands are mine but cannot upon any ground say God is mine Christ is mine the covenant is mine you have them drawn to the life Luk. 12. 21. such who have the world for a portion but cannot say with David The Lord is my portion Secondly They have a portion here upon a five-fold account 1. As the issue of that universal providence which God exerciseth in the world to which every creature owes its being and provision they are cloathed by the same hand of universal providence which arrays the lillies nourished by that bountie which feeds the ravens and supplied from that hand which when God opens he filleth every living thing with good Psa 104. 28. God will look to his whole creation as a Lord provides for his meanest slave though he intends him not the inheritance The whole world lives at Gods charges and allowance as he is the Soveraign and universal Lord and to the worst of men for whom he hath not resolved and laid out the inheritance of sons yet he gives them a portion here as they are creatures That is the first account 2. As the result of that patience and long-suffering which God while he expects their return and solicites their repentance exerciseth towards the worst of men For though God sometime to demonstrate the just demerit of every sin his hatred of it and severity against it and the more effectually to awaken and deter others from the imitation of it strikes a sinner in the act of his iniquity of which Ananias and Sapphira for their sacriledge Corah and his companie for their rebellion the children for mocking the Prophet 2 Kings 2. and Herod for his pride Acts 12. are sad Scripture in stances yet it 's the more usual method of Gods proceedings to demonstrate that he waits to be gracious and that mercy pleaseth him and by his long-suffering to lead them to repentance Rom. 2. 4. Romani non ideo tanti quòd religiosi sed quòd impunè sacrilegi neque enim potuerunt in ipsis bell is deos adjutores habere adversus quos arma rapuerunt Arnob. advers Gent. p. 226. And to shew that our sins wrest the arrows of his judgements from his hands he lengthens out his patience to sinners during which time he often makes them an honourable allowance in the world the more powerfully by outward favours to win them to himself or if not to render them the more inexcusable while by despising that patience and goodness they treasure up into themselves wrath against the day of wrath Rom. 2. 5. As a Judge oft designs a fair allowance for a condemned malefactour while reprieved by his mercy till the day of execution and provides that he starve not in prison Thus wicked men though now sentenced and condemned for he that believes not is condemned already saith our Saviour Joh. 3. 18. God gives them a portion in this life to maintain themselves till the day of death and execution by his justice 3. As the issue of that universal goodness and mercie which God demonstrates to his whole creation for The Lord is good to all and his tender mercies are over all his works Psal 145. 9. From hence it is that he causeth his sun to shine upon the good and bad Matth. 5. 45. And God oft doth wicked men good by these outward blessings while the enjoyment of them prevents many sins which want and povertie might betray them to and they as being of a fordid base mercenary spirit are oft bribed by these to give God an outward observance to abstain from many sins and to comply with an outside Religion for fear of forfeiting their enjoyments by the severer judgements of God or some stricter Laws of the Land dum fortunam amittere metuunt nequitiam derelinqunt which is the account profound Bradwardine gives of Gods providence in this Bradw p. 281 particular that hereby they might be encouraged to a compliance with Religion if not out of love yet out of interest if not for love of vertue yet for fear of loss and punishment which is the most ordinary principle of mens Religion for though meliores sunt quos ducit amor yet plures sunt quos corrigit timor saith Austin It is more ingenuous to obey God out of love but more common to serve him out of fear thus if nor love to Christs person nor his doctrine yet desire of the loaves will procure Christ many followers You shall oft see wicked men complying with Religion outwardly upon carnal interest and for worldly advantages As a dissembling lover covets the portion more then the person so do men court Religion to get or keep their portion in this life 4. As the effect and issue of Gods remunerating justice There is none so profligate or debaucht but hath something though not of spiritual yet of moral and civil goodness as rewards to which God lays them out a portion here to demonstrate that love God bears to all goodness where-ever he finde it The
Sathans devices S. Paul met with many oppositions sometimes he had to do with loose Libertines who made the free grace he preached a cloak of maliciousness another while with proud Pharisaical Justiciaries who denied grace and cried up works the Apostle was to grapple with both these and so he laboured more abundantly then all The great Controversie of the 1 Cor. 15. 10 former age was with the proud Papist as S. Paul at Ephesus with the beast of Rome But he that will look now into the ministerie must reckon to deal with the subtil Socinian the loose Antinomian the canting Quaker the petulant Anabaptist the conceited Separatist the muddie Atheist we had need to provide our weapons before we go into the field and having so many spiritual Goliahs to encounter withall it is our concernment and duty to get our sling and our smooth stones out of the brook of the Scriptures by which we may strike them in the fore-head yea and to go down to the Philistines to sharpen our weapons I mean to furnish our selves with tongues and sciences and rational improvements to enervate the strength and subtilties and detect the vizards and fallacies which errour usually puts on to delude the ignorant and inconsiderate Scarce any of the Fathers had so many errours to oppose as S. Augustine the Pelagian on the one hand and the Manichee on the other so none more laborious then he having left us many monuments of his unwearied diligence whence he was stiled Malleus haereticorum Now so many endeavour to rase the foundation the spiritual builders should labour more in edifying the truth and Church of God the creeping in of so many wolves into the flock should put the Pastours upon more vigilancy and diligence now the darkness of errour and night of ignorance is upon us how should these stars shine in the firmament of the Church And while others so many Sanballats and Tobiahs endeavour to obstruct hinder and overthrow the truth we should endeavour to lay out our time to enoble and patronize it II. The open and abounding profaneness that is among us that Atheisme licentiousness contempt of God and his word and those other crying sins which run in the midst of the nation should powerfully provoke us to redeem our time and that upon a fourefold account 1. That we may discountenance and give a check to profaneness that our lives may be a constant standing reproofe to the wickedness of the times so the Apostle in this 5. of the Ephes enjoynes at ver 11. Have no fellowship with the unfruitfull works of darkness but rather reprove them but how shall that be done he tells us at ver 8. walk as the children of light and Philip. 2. 15. that ye may shine as lights amidst a crooked and perverse generation The more others lavish out and mispend this time in loose and licentious walking the more should we endeavour to redeem it by a strict and conscientious conversation 2. It will be a Christians praise and glory to be good in bad times to be good husbands when others are prodigals about us Thus S. Augustine gives a reason why God permitted Adam at first to be tempted That he might have had the more glory if he had used his lilibertie to resist and withstand that temptation Non mihi videtur saith he magnae laudis fuisse futurum hominem si propterea posset bene vivere quia nemo malè vivere suaderet It is less commendation to be good when we have no temptation to be bad but when in licentious times being on every side surrounded with temptations we go still on in a way of holiness this is our just praise and glory as it was of Lot to be righteous in the midst of unclean Sodome 3. In such times we are in most danger to be misled Piscator gives this reason why the profaneness of the times should put us upon the redeeming of the time quia periculum imminet piis à corruptelis mundi When it is as in 1 Joh. 5. 19. the whole world lies in wickedness the best are in great danger to be seduced either into errour sin or both we should therefore redeem the time that we may be able to prevent the one and oppose the other 4. Our redeeming the time may make the times better It is the evil of sin that make the dayes evil The Apostle speaking of the perillous times which should be in the last dayes in 2 Tim. 3. 1. he tells you the reason of it in verses 2 3 4 5. the latter of which viz. Having a form of godliness but denying the power I fear hath a great influence upon the evil of our dayes Now the onely way to amend the times is to amend our selves God would soon amend the times if once the men that live in the times were amended It was good counsel Daniel gives to Nebuchadnezzar Break off thy sins by righteousness and thine iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor if it may be a lengthning of thy tranquillity All men cry out of the times but who cry out of or leave their sins which make the times so bad When the Israelites had sinned in making the calf Moses spends his time in prayer Exod. 32. It was Achans wedge that made it a bad day to Isreal when he was removed God was appeased Josh 7. Our times are evil let us not repiningly despond or quarrel but let us lay out our time in prayer and repentance to make them better And so much of the second General Thirdly Who are especially concerned in this Though indeed 3. General none can be exempted from this yet we shall see that some are more especially concerned in it and these I shall reduce to these six ranks I. Young ones These should especially redeem their time Young Merchants are most vigorous and active in their trading It is the Wisemans counsel Eccles 12. 1 Remember thy Creatour in the dayes of thy youth it briefly suggests several considerations which may provoke youth to a diligent improvement of their time as 1. Consider This is most worthy of and most acceptable unto God to give him the best of our time who best deserves it it is most unworthy of God to give him our feeble age when Satan hath had the strength of our youth spent in his service to give the spirits of the wine to Satan and the dregs to God Nonne pudet te id temporis bonae menti reservare quod in nullam rem conferre potest saith Seneca to give to God that time which the infirmities of age makes useless for any thing else Give me leave to make Mal. 1. 8. use of that of the Prophet Malachy Will the Prince think you entertain a cripled rebel who hath been all his dayes fighting against him under his enemies colours Wilt thou give the best of thy life unto Satan be under his service and think to list thy self under Christs banner
of thine own heart and in the sight of thine eyes but know thou that for all these things God will bring thee into judgement Eccles 11. 9. he speaks by an Ironical concession Go on spend your time in vanitie but after you have done so know for certain you must come to judgement 9. Consider it is a day of grace and the time of patience which God now affords thee Now the door of mercie stands open therefore we should not with the foolish virgins sleep away this time lest the door be shut against us as it was against them Matt. 25. 10. So as Esau who lost the blessing because he came to late this is the time of our reprieve allotted unto us in which to sue out our pardon Account that the long-suffering of the Lord is salvation 2 Pet. 3. 15. Plutarch calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and that it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and much more to the same purpose may be found in that excellent piece of the slotheness of the gods in punishing sinners The Scripture speaks the same Rom. 4. 2. the goodness of God should lead thee to repentance and Revel 2. 21. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 time that she might repent He now stands at the door and knocks he gives us a day of grace and it will be our interest to redeem it to those ends for which he affords it Time is illud unum quod nè gratus quidem potest reddere saies the Heathen Seneca Senec. ep 1. 10. Consider It will be your wisdome to redeem it Ephes 5. 15. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is desperate folly and madness for a condemned malefactour to trifle away the time of his reprieve as arguing a slighting of the Princes favour in allowing it to him or for a Merchant to idle away the time of his trade we are here upon our reprieve it doth speak our unsensibleness of and unthankfulness for this mercie of God if we foolishly lavish it out and not improve it to get our pardon and peace made and secured It is the time of our trading let us not be such fools as Solomon speaks of Prov. 17. 16. as having a price in our hand and have no hearts to use it Our Saviour makes it a Character of a wise man that he got his house built upon a rock before the floods came and the winds blew Matt. 7. 24 25. it will be our wisdome to get our selves built upon the rock Jesus Christ by faithl to lay out our time in making our calling and election sure Philip. 2. 10. It is your wisdome especially if you 11. Consider This day of grace will not alwaies last The time will come if we now neglect them that the things that belong to our everlasting peace will be hid from our eyes Luke 19. 41. Jerusalem's day had a night and then she was left in darkness who had formerly slighted the light you may see the length of your time Psal 90. 10. It is soon cut off and we flee away this must have a period The Apostle tells us that the long-suffering of God waited in the dayes of Noah 1 Pet. 3. 20. yet that day ended in a deluge If the figge-tree was spared three years yet afterward it was cut up 12. Consider Thou knowest not how soon thy time may end thy day be spent perhaps when thou least expectest it The night may overtake thee before thou thinkest thy day half-spent and thereupon art remiss and secure as promising thy self a longer day the bridegroom came at midnight while the foolish virgins slept Mat. 25. The last day shall come upon many unawares and especially you know upon whom and it is upon such as mispend their time in surfetting and drunkenness and the cares of this life Luke 21. 34. How soon a period may be put to any of our daies he onely knows in whose hands our times are Psal 31. 15. therefore it is our concernment to redeem our present time It is a saying of the Jews which De Dieu quotes out of Hillell Noli dicere donec vacabit mihi differre studium Legis fortasse non vacabit and it was good counsel he gave his Scholar that he should be sure to repent one day before he died which came to this that he should repent every day because he knew not but that might be the day of his death The Apostle useth the shortness of life as an argument of labour 1 Cor. 7. 29. This I say brethren the time is short not over solicitous for the things of this world but imploying our time for the concernment of eternity 13. Consider That time once gone is lost irrecoverably We use to say time staies not the parties leisure nor is it to be recalled at his command the foolish virgins knock't but it was too late the door was shut upon them and they irrecoverably excluded Time is the onely thing irrecoverable this is a jewel which if once lost can never be found again If you loose Heaven peace libertie ordinances nay God himself you may recover them again with seeking pains but misspent-time as he in Gregories daies being sūmon'd by death cries out Inducias vel ad horam but an hour a minute but could not obtain it 14. Consider That upon this time depends eternitie Every man is suae fortunae faber in a sound sence he is now laying out for himself an eternity of miseries or happiness he is laying up a good foundation for time to come laying up treasure in heaven by improving his time or else by despising and neglecting this day of grace treasuring up wrath to himself Rom. 2. 4. and as the tree falls so it will lie as time leaves us so eternitie will finde us therefore let us redeem the time 15. Consider The longer our day of grace is if mispent and missimproved the greater will be our condemnation And God as Valerius Maximus observes of Dionysius tarditatem supplicii gravitate cōpensat the blow of justice will be the heavier the longer it is in comming The longer God is lifting up the hand of justice our repentance prevent it not the stroke wil be the greater as Lipsius observes Lips lib. 2. cap. 13. de constantia Gods grace and mercie ità poenae intervallum est ut-sit augmentum The time of Gods grace is so now a reprieve that if we continue to abuse his mercie the execution will be the heavier Gray-hairs found in thè way of fin at that day will have the hottest place in everlasting burning 16. Consider the greatness of our work compared with the shortness of our time and this may provoke us to diligence in improving it He that hath a long journey to go in a winters day will not loyter but make haste This is our case our day is but a winters-day both sad and short our journey long the way narrow and strait therefore we had need hasten and strive to enter and
press forward toward the mark and run with patience this spiritual race Our work is to get God appeased our peace made our election assured and for these the Apostle tells us we must 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 give all diligence The best means for 2 Pet. 1. 16. us to use in this is oft to compute and compare our work and our time together So teach us to number our daies that we may apply our hearts unto wisdome Mens inapprehensiveness of the greatness of Psal 90. 12. their work or presumption upon the length of their day makes them so remiss and negligent in improving their time with the sluggard crying yet a little sleep and Lord have mercy upon me as if this would set all streight 17. Consider What a sad reflection it will be in hell to remember a mispent day of grace Son remember said Abraham to Dives Will it Luke 16. 25. not be sad for Capernaum to reslect thus I was exalted to heaven in the enjoyment of means and ordinances but am now cast down to hell for not improving those means And for souls to reflect thus We had offers of grace made us we were beseeched tobe reconciled we were told over and over that we could not escape if we did neglect so great salvation but now our case is desperate we lavished away that time in sin which God gave us for repentance and much of that time in idleness when we should have been at Church and at our devotions Well God is just our destruction is of our selves Such thoughts as these will be the Hell of Hells Oh! What would such souls give for a reprieve Would they not purcahse that time they idled and sinned away with some thousand years continuance there if at last they might be released Consider this you that forget God while it is time redeem it that you never come to lament the miss-improvement of it in a sad etermtie when time shall be no more and repentance will be too late 't is too late for Esau to weep when the blessing is gone Hebr. 12. 17. 18. Consider The best of us have done much dishonour to God in former mispence of our time let us therefore now redeem it This argument the Apostle uses to urge the laying out of our time in reference to the glory of God in 1 Pet. 4. 2 3. To live no longer the rest of the time in the flesh to the lusts of men but to the will of God for the time past of our lives may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles c. Hereby we may repair Gods honour and testifie the sincerity of our repentance and conversion Acerrimus stimulus nobis esse debet ad bene currendum dum reputamus nos magnâ parte vitae extra viaÌ„ errâsse saith Calvin S. Paul had been a long time out of the way Calv. in loc but when once set into it he presseth for-ward to have the mark 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the verie same word by which he expresseth his former persecution 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 intimating the same contention of and Acts 22. 4. zeal in his Religion as before he had demonstrated in his persecution 19. Consider That the mispence of time makes thee odious to God God abominates idleness time is his creature and he hath allowed none of it for sin and idleness though some of it for honest recreations God hath sent every one of us upon some errand or other into the world if we be negligent and sluggish in it we are like smoke to the eyes and vinegar to the teeth and an offence to the pure holy eyes Prov. 10. 26. Hesiod â—py 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 v. 23. of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Hesiod 20. Consider the argument of the Text here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the dayes are evil And if ever this were pressingly and rationally argumentative to inforce the duty it must be certainly for us Musculus complained of his times Adeò deploratè mala sunt ut nè emendari sustineant nec diutiùs ferri queant so may we of our times they are unsufferable yet uncorrigible If you consider the words either in respect of those common evils which attend mankinde such are common afflictions diseases wars uncertainty of our enjoyments of life it self so the argument is universal to all persons and times but when times are evil in respect of some particular evils then especially is time to be redeemed as our times now are in respect of a double evil each of which enforceth this duty upon us viz. the growth of errour and the open and abounding profaneness among us I. The Growth of errour and this should put us upon diligence especially us who are in or look towards the Ministery we should double and redouble our diligence that we may be able to appear against errour for the truth and by sound doctrine to convince the gain-sayers Tit. 1. 9. When S. Paul saw the times coming in which men would not endure sound doctrine but after their own lusts heap to themselves teachers being turned away from the truth unto fables he thought it then very seasonable to write to his beloved Timothy to be instant in season and out of season 2 Tim. 4. 2 3 4. How much more engaged are we to diligence and industry upon whom those dayes which S. Paul onely foretold are sadly fallen When the devil sows most of the tares of errour in the field of the Church then should the spiritual husbandmen be most vigilant and industrious to cast them out lest they choak and over-grow the good seed of the word And to this end more knowledge I think is requisite to the discharge of the Ministers calling now then perhaps was when errour was more modest and withall more restrained by a strict discipline Every man is naturally apt to applaud the production and birth of his own phansie and imagination so the Ethiopian thinks his black the greatest beautie and through pride which is the womb of errour to vent and broach this phansie though to the disquiet of the Church therefore if not restrained by fear for men naturally are slavish not ingenuous much more if publickly authorized usually it appears with the face of authority and the devil will be sure to promote it he will send up the smoke of the bottomless pit to obscure the beauty of truth he will get in his cloven foot and divide the seamless coat it being the maxime of his Politicians Divide Impera Divide and Rule and here indeed is the source of all the errours of our times Now then we as Saint Paul whose spirit was stirred in him to see the idolatry of Athens and whose zeal would not suffer him to do any thing against the truth but all for it we should lay out our time to fit our selves with weapons to fight against errour and defend the truth and to countermine
D. late Fellow of S. JOHNS Colledge in CAMBRIDGE Justitia non novit patrem non novit matrem veritatem novit personam non accipit Deum imitatur Cass in Psal CAMBRIDGE Printed by John Field Printer to the Universitie Anno Dom. MDCLVII To the right WORSHIPFULL SIR HENRY FELTON BARONET All increase of true Honour with God and man RIGHT WORSHIPFULL THere is store of Sermons extant the Pulpit scarce affordeth more then the Press neither know I which is more advantageous The sound of the Word pierceth more the letter written endureth longer the voice extendeth but to some few present the writing to many absent the Authour though dead yet speaketh Here are two added to the number and by the relict of the deceased presented to the publick view which I crave leave to honour with your name Why I do so I need not give account to the world which alreadie knoweth your worth and deserts and shall know by this that I acknowledge them besides my special obligations to you for your favour to me and my son unknown to the world Sir you were willing to have been his Patron whilest he lived be pleased now to vouchsafe the Patronage of this his Posthumous issue which I humbly commend to your care and you with your vertuous Ladie to the grace of the Almightie wishing you both all that little happiness the earth can afford you and fulness of glorie in heaven Your Worships most humbly devoted JOHN FROST COLOS. 3. 25. But he that doth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done and there is no respect of persons SOme of the ancients have charitably excused the Heathens Polytheisme by that probable conjecture that they worshipped not divers gods but one and the same according to those various benefits they received from him or those divers apprehensions they had of him As Lipsius speaking Lipsius dissert 9. of the gods of the Stoicks saith they were rather multitudo nominum then numinum a multitude of names rather Lib. 4. de Civit. Dei cap. 24. then of natures And Augustine in his book de civitate Dei brings in the Heathens pleading for themselves that they were not so ridiculously ignorant as to think virtue or fortune and the rest gods but onely divers expressions of the same deity Which opinion may gain further probabilitie if we consider what unworthy unsuitable apprehensions men are apt to entertain of God Most men like that Roman painter Arellius who was wont to draw the faces of all his images according to the likeness of that beautie which himself most affected framing a god to themselves suitable to their own carnal interests and corrupt affections not conceiving of him as he is and so truely making God an Idol Thus some fancie a god to themselves all of justice breathing out nothing but fire and brimstone against sin armed with nothing but vengeance and terrour and they can by no means frame to themselves one conception of his mercy and this is the misapprehension which the humbled despairing sinner lies under who can speak no other language of God then that of Job The arrows of the Almightie are within me the poison Job 6. 4. whereof drinketh up my spirit the terrours of the Lord do set themselves in array against me Others which indeed is the more frequent and the more dangerous mistake fancie to themselves a notion of God as all love and mercie all tenderness and compassion in the mean time either through unbelief not crediting or through inadvertencie not actually considering the justice of God and this is the misperswasion and errour of the presumptuous secure sinner and that which encourageth him to a constant and confident continuance in sin against God and wronging his neighbour this prompts and encourageth the superiour to oppress his inferiour and him to rebel against his superiour Therefore the Apostle here undertaking to press upon these Colossians a just and suitable deportment to every subordination God shall set them in which is the relative importance of the words having verse 24. allured them by the hopes of mercie or a reward he here perswades them by the terrours of the Lords justice against those who in any capacitie or rank whatsoever for so Zanchy extends the words wrongs or injures another But he that doth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done c. As if he had said Let none lay aside the belief of the justice of God or encourage themselves Paraphr in sin by hopes of impunitie let not the poor inferiour servant for the words are peculiarly spoken for the comfort of such by the general consent of expositours repine despairingly because here perhaps he suffers wrongfully nor yet the superiour triumph proudly because he can at present oppress securely for there will come a time though now the poor and inferiour are oppressed without relief and great ones Tyrannize without controle when he be he Prince or Peasant honourable or despised rich or poor be he what he will be these circumstances of the persons are not valued or considered by that impartial justice of God from which he that doth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done c. The words you see are the description of Gods severitie against sin their terms may briefly be explained thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He that doth wrong 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the same with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Budaeus Or if you will take the Philosophers account of it it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to injure another knowingly contrarie Steph. ex Arist Rhet. to some law either the superiour law of God or the subordinate so far as just laws of men agreeing with the law natural and eternal so that every sin as it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Apostles phrase 1 John 3. 4. so it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 too a wrong to God our neighbour our selves and in this latitude I shall here consider it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Shall receive The word properly signifies such a receiving as is by way of return or recompence that is He shall have the just reward of that injurie whereby he wrongs another 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Non personam significat sed personae attributa circumstantias Stephan Scripture speaks of God as having a gratious respect to some men more then to others Jacob have I loved and Esau have I hated Rom. 9. 13. Thus God had respect to Abel not to Cain Gen. 4. 4 5. But the persons here signifies the outward circumstances and qualifications of men those which make men glorious and valuable in the world such as Honour Riches Authoritie Greatness Learning Parentage Countrey which are the admiration and terrour of men yet can neither procure Gods favour for nor secure the sinner from the stroke of Divine justice Which interpretation is evident from the context and I shall further clear it anon
is more excellent then his neighbour Religion and Holiness puts a splendour upon persons such as even dazzles theeyes sometimes of wicked men and begets in them though no true love yet an aw and reverence as is evident in Herod who feared John Baptist Mark 6. 20. knowing he was a just man and an holy II. A separated people Symmachus explains this word by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is è numero electum one that is chosen and taken out of the number of others So the Lord hath a peculiar people whom he hath separated unto himself both in respect of Election God looking upon the corrupted Mass of mankind by a free act of his Soveraign will pitched his thoughts upon those leaving these the first an act of the highest mercie the other no act of injustice because God was under no obligation by grace to repair what man by sin wilfully lost and forfeited Deus de suo bonus de nostro justus saith Tertullian Separated again by discriminating grace in effectual vocation The Lord hath set apart him that is righteous for himself Psal 3. And they shall be separated hereafter at the day of judgement that 's the day in which he makes up his jewels and separates the sheep from the goats the wheat from the chaff determining that to the fire gathering this to his garner Mat. 3. 12. III. A hidden people So 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies quasi instar peculii reconditum hidden to the eye of the world in their life for their life is hid with Christ in God Col. 3. 3. hidden in respect of their comforts A stranger doth not intermeddle with their joy Prov. 14. 10. It is the hidden manna Rev. 2. 17. IV. They are a precious people Quasi charissimas pretiosissimas opes saith Beza Precious in respect of the price laid down to purchase them the redemption of their soul is precious Psal 49. 8. Precious in respect of their graces precious faith you read of 2 Pet. 1. 1. Precious in respect of that esteem God hath of them they are his jewels Malach. 3. 17. Precious in the eyes of God Isaiah 43. 4. Precious to God in their lives and precious also in their deaths Psal 116. 15. V. A rare people Quod rarum est inusitatum that 's 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Budaeus Thus the true Saints are but a rare people in respect of the wicked of the world Christs flock is but a little flock Luke 12. 32. Even amongst those who are called the elect are but few Mat. 20. 16. VI. A beloved people so Pagnin translates 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Exod 19. 5. Thesaurum dilectum a beloved treasure so Saints are called the beloved of God in the epistle to the Romanes Rom. 1. 7. whom he loves with a special distinguishing love through Christ God makes demonstration of universal love to all his creatures Mat. 5. 44 45. in the exercise of his general providences upholding and ordering all things as his creatures so his tender mercies are over all his works Psal 145. 9. But the love which he bears to his peculiar is a peculiar love that the love of a Creatour this of a Father that founded in his nature the other in Christ Thirdly The third particular How it appears that God hath such a peculiar people in the world This peculiarity appears I. In the distinguishing love of the Father II. The special undertakings of the Son III. The peculiar workings of the Spirit The first of these is discovered seven ways 1. In God's special purpose and election Universal election is a contradiction in adjecto thus God had a peculiar from eternity he hath chosen us saith the Apostle Eph. 1. 4. before the foundations of the world and this not upon a prevision of any moving impulsive conditions in the creature for whatsoever good is in the creature faith holiness perseverance are all the fruits of this electing love Acts 13. 48. Some goodness in the object must provoke our choise otherwise it is irrational but God who is Soveraign and absolute chooseth persons to make them good Ephes 1. 4. but by his own free and gracious purpose and will Predestinated saith the Apostle according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will Ephes 1. 11. and according to the good pleasure of his will verse 5. That conditional purpose pleaded for by so many must necessarily suppose a fallibility in God's knowledge which can have no foundation in respect of things future besides the free determinations of God's infallible will And supposing God's foreknowledge of things which the Patrons of conditional purposes must and do confess unless they will Socinianize I do not see and I confess after my utmost search here I stick how they can avoid that necessitie of futuritions which they condemn in others for God's knowledge is as undeceivable as his will is infallible a mistake or errour in the one is as inconsistent with divine perfection as frustration in the other The Socinians indeed easily cut the knot by denying the foreknowledge of God and making his knowledge co-existent with the objects known which is a piece of mad Atheisme if you credit Augustin confiteri esse Deum Aug. l. 5. de civ Dei c. 9. negare praescium futurorum apertissima est insania known to God are all his works from the beginning of the world Acts 15. 18. but to confess God's foresight and leave all events determinable by the arbitrary indifferencie of mans free-will is such a piece of inconsistencie as I must profess I understand not how it is reconcileable to reason God hath a peculiar people in respect of his own fore-knowledge God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew Rom. 11. 2. contradistinguished to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The election hath obtained and the rest were blinded verse 7. Our Saviour more then once mentions John 17. 6. a peculiar people given to him by his Father which are peculiariz'd and contradistinguished from the world verse 9. The fullest Scripture to prove this peculiaritie is Rom. 9. 11 12 13. For the children being not yet born neither having done any good or evil that the purpose of God according to election might stand not of works but of him that calleth it was said unto her the elder shall serve the younger As it is written Jacob have I loved ' but Esau have I hated 2. In respect of discriminating grace in effectual vocation and this in pursuit of and equal latitude with the former peculiarity of election Rom. 8. 30. These are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vers 28. called according to his purpose That this GRACE is given to all is an assertion so contradictory to the whole current of Scripture that I profess I have oft wondred that it should have any abettours amongst wise and considerate men Had the Gentiles this whom God suffered to walk in their own ways Acts
5. 9. The Doctrine of universalitie of grace destroys all thankfulness unless to our selves makes all the sacrifices of praises needless sacrificing to our own nets applauding the power and freedome of our own wills It is discriminating grace will raise the soul to thankfull admirations of God in that language of Judas not Iscariot Lord how is it that thou wilt manifest thy self unto us and not unto the world John 14. 22. II. To love both to God who thus peculiariz'd you and to love one another However your heads may differ let your hearts unite you are Temples of the same Spirit spouse of the same husband members of the same bodie 1 Cor. 12 25 27. and what greater argument of love you are purchased by the same bloud sanctified by the same Spirit objects of the same special love and I am sure the Apostle from hence argues strongly for brotherly love Beloved if God so loved us saith he 1 John 4. 10 11. we ought also to love one another You are eodem sanguine glutinati as Augustine expresseth it and is Christ divided It is the check the Apostle gives to the uncharitable dissentions of the Church of Corinth 1 Cor. 1. 13. And lastly you are designed for the same glorie III. To special service for and obedience to God Discriminating mercies are in all reason to be improved as arguments to peculiar services 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Matth. 5. 47. What do ye more then others as if he had said more is expected from my disciples then from the Publicans as your priviledges are peculiar so should your services be too For 1. This is the proper intendment of distinguishing mercie the end of God's peculiar dispensations to a person or nation Observe what God saith of Israel Deut. 26. 18. The Lord hath avouched thee this day to be his peculiar people but to what end that thou shouldest keep his commandments Hath God distinguished thee by Electing love the end of it is thy Holiness He hath chosen us that we may be holy and without blame before him Ephes 1. 4. Hath he peculiariz'd thee by Effectual grace and Vocation It is that thou mayst be holy 1 Thessal 4. 7. For God hath not called us unto uncleanness but unto holiness Art thou Christ's by a peculiar purchase the end of it is thy Holiness 1 Cor. 6. 20. For you are bought with a price therefore glorifie God in your bodies and in your spirits Hath God exercised any peculiar providences towards thee the end of them is thy obedience The Psalmist having spoken of all the Providences God exercised over Israel infers this as the just issue of them That they might observe his statutes and keep his laws Psal 105. 45. So God's peculiar Covenant engageth to Holiness for it is mutual The end of God's peculiar Chastisements is his peoples Holiness Hebr. 12. 10. God chasteneth saith he for our profit that we might be partakers of his holiness And then the hopes of that peculiar Glorie we are designed to should engage to Holiness 1 John 3. 3. Every man that hath this hope purifieth himself The special Sealing of the Spirit tends to this that we be careful that by sin we do not grieve him Ephes 4. 30. so the end of Communion with God is Holiness what else makes the Angels and Saints in heaven more holy but this Thus you see you frustrate the end of Mercy if it doth not make you more holy 2. It is the most ingenuous return of gratitude which we can make to God for his distinguishing love Sins under mercies as they have the highest guilt so are arguments of the greatest disingenuitie What Do you thus requite the Lord Deut. 32. 6. Obedience is the best thankfulness without which our verbal returns for mercy are but a complement The thankfulness of the life redounds to the honour and praise of God in the world and this God expects from his peculiar people if you consult that pregnant Scripture 1 Pet. 2. 9. Ye are a chosen peculiar people that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you c. Otherwise God is thus reproached by your sinfulness Yonder 's a people who boast of being God's peculiar do not you observe they live as other men do they can cheat in their shops dissemble in their dealings be frothy and vain in their discourses live in neglect of Familie-duties as deeply immersed in the love of the world as compliant with every foolish fashion as ambitious of honour as false in their promises as others whom they censure as of the world and cast-awaies But now saith Christ Herein is my Father glorified if ye bear much fruit c. John 15. 8. But how shall I know whether I be one of God's peculiar people Question or not The Text is hemmed in with a double evidence so that which Answer way soever you cast your eyes you may discover if you examine impartially 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 purifie goes before and zealous of good works comes after so that inward Purity and outward Conformitie a pure Heart and a holy Life are the two special Evidences of God's peculiar for they are both the issue and fruits of that faith whereby we have a peculiar interest in Christ Acts 15. 9. Purifying their hearts by faith there is the former and for the latter Gal. 5. 6. Faith works by love I. Then art thou inwardly purified from spiritual pollutions else thou art none of God's peculiar as yet Thou becamest mine saies God Ezek. 16. 8. What then Why then washed I thee with water yea I throughly washed away thy bloud verse 9. Else thou art no branch engrafted into Christ for every branch he purgeth John 15. 2. II. Art thou holy in thy outward conversation God's peculiar are an holy people Deut. 14. 1 2. For thou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God and the Lord hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people To pretend to a peculiarity of interest in God while men willingly continue wallowing in the mire of iniquitie is a desperate soul-damning presumption If you would lay any claim to God's privie-Seal of Election you must bring and be able to shew the broad-Seal of Holiness Mark how the Apostle joyns these together 2. Tim. 2. 19. The foundation of God standeth sure having this seal The Lord knoweth them that are his And Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity yea and follow Holiness too The Apostle speaks fully 2 Corinth 7. 1. Let us cleanse our selves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit perfecting holiness in the fear of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Text Zealous not cold or luke-warm but chearfull and industrious in the practise of Pietie and thus you may evidence your selves to be of that peculiar people whom Christ gave himself to redeem so saith the Text Who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from