mouth of his holy Prophets I haue beene sought of them that asked not I was found of them that sought me not he calleth vs before we call on him The 2. grace is sanctification and sanctified such as are called are by nature the children of wrath as well as other it is in vaine therefore to be called that is stirred and moued to receiue the faith vnlesse we be sanctified Iames 2. 14. What auaileth it my brethren though a man saith he hath faith when he hath no workes Herod seemed to be called and somewhat inwardly touched but he would not forsake his secret sinne of incest in keeping his brothers wife Simon Magus was baptized and so called but hee was not sanctified to leaue his gainefull sinne of couetousnes Iudas as being an Apostle was called and yet hee was a diuell and many deceiue themselues who thinke hearing of the word to be sufficient without doing Iames 1. 22. A sheepe resembleth a true Christian euery thing in a sheepe is good and vsefull his fleece is good his fell is good his flesh is good his entrals yea his excrements are good and so the sanctified Christian is a seruant vnto all the seruants of God euery good gift in him is profitable to some he lendeth his fleece cloathing the naked to some his bread in feeding the hungrie to some he lendeth his eyes and so becommeth a guide to the blinde to some he lendeth his strength and so becommeth feete to the lame to some he lendeth his vnderstanding and so becommeth an instructor of the simple he becommeth as Paul speakes all things vnto all men that hee may winne some vnto Chtist In this point of doctrine the Papists haue slandered vs exceedingly saying that our diuines in preaching of faith haue destroyed good workes whereas we professe that our calling is fruitles without holines of life See Epistle 2. Sun in Lent Preserued in Iesus Christ As it is in vaine to be called first vnlesse we be sanctified so likewise to be sanctified vnlesse we may be kept and preserued in Iesu Christ not to lose our sanctification Our life is a continuall warre-fare vpon earth and therefore though we be called outwardly and sanctified in some part inwardly yet the Dragon and his Angels fight against vs daily that we may fall from faith and hope receiued that wee may turne the grace of God into want onnesse like the dogge returned to his owne vomit and the sow that was washed to the wallowing in the mire and so end in the flesh howsoeuer we began in the spirit Demas fell away from the Gospell embracing the present world many are called but few chosen Mat. 20. 16. It behoueth vs therefore continually to pray that Christ Iesus the great shepheard of our soules may hold vs in his hands from the griping pawes and grinding Iawes of the roaring Lyon who goeth about daily seeking whom he may deuoure And surely such as are giuen vnto Christ effectually called and truly sanctified shall bee preserued to the end Zerubbabel did both lay the foundation of the temple and finish it so God will establish and make perfect his worke begun in vs Psalm 68. 28. Hee that hath begun this worke of our saluation will also performe it Philip. 1. 6. I know Gods elect may for a time lose some good meanes and some great measure of grace too Dauid and Aaron and Peter and other haue fallen foully yea fully but none finally God is more watchfull in helping vs then Satan is or can bee wrathfull in hurting vs. He which is the father of mercies giueth vs preuenient grace subsequent grace cooperant grace grace before grace and grace after grace keeping vs by his power thorough faith and preseruing vs to his heauenly kingdome It is not of our selues that we perseuere thus vnto the end and in the end it is the power of God who giueth as our Apostle sheweth here grace first to be called secondly to be sanctified thirdly to be reserued or preserued in Iesu Christ. Mercy vnto you and peace and loue be multiplied Mercy from God the father in the forgiuenes of your sinnes Peace in Christ in feeling this forgiuenes Loue in the holy Ghost in being assured of Gods grace toward vs euery day more and more Mercie from God the father of Mercie Peace from God the sonne the Prince of peace Loue from God the holy Ghost the loue of the father and the sonne Mercy in pardoning your sinnes Peace in quieting your conscience Loue ioyning you to God and one to another or hee wiâ—…eth encrease of Gods mercy toward them and a multiplication of their peace and loue toward one another That their sinnes may be forgiuen he prayes for Gods mercy that they may forgiue other men their trespasses he prayes for peace that both these may be multiplied in them he prayes for loue First he begins with Gods mercy which is the fountaine of euery good and perfect gift if wee taste of his mercy we shall soone be filled with his other graces he that hath enough mercy can want nothing For as Samsons chiefe strength was in his haire so Gods chiefe vertue in his mercy Mercy good Lord is the total summe in the humble suite of a sinner O Lord haue mercy vpon vs miserable sinners is the first petition and the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ is the last in our Liturgie When I gaue all diligence Here S. Iude begins to prescribe his Salue which is an exhortation to contend earnestly for the faith and the causes mouing him to write this vnto the Saints are two 1. His duty when I gaue all diligence to write vnto you of the common saluation c. 2. Their danger because they nourished certaine seducers as serpents in their owne breasts whom hee describes by their sinne in generall verse 4. shewing their hypocriticall entring into the Church craftily crept in vngodly carriage being entred In their life turning the grace of God into wantonnesse In their doctrine denying God which is the only Lord and our Lord Iesus Christ. In particular from the 4. verse to the 17. Punishment of olde ordained to this condemnation and so S. Iude describes these wicked impostors and false brethren as Pope Celestine did his successor Bonifacius the 8. Ascendisti vt vulpes craftily crept in regnabis vt leo denying God and turning his grace into wantonnesse morieris vt canis of old ordained to this condemnation The Gospell IOHN 15. 17. This command I you that ye loue together c. CHrist in this Gospell is said to doe three things especially 1. He doth exhort his followers vnto mutuall loue 2. He comforts them against the worlds hatred 3. He promises to send vnto them the holy Ghost who being the comforter and the spirit of loue may both instruct them how to loue together and how to suffer affliction in the world Of
he saw Peter weeping and with the same eyes he saw Nathanaell vnder the fig-tree Now the greatnesse of his exceeding rich mercies is amplified here by circumstances of the person and of the place and of the time By circumstance of person he saw and called Matthew a rich man a couetous rich man a couetous rich man in a corrūpt office Matthew the Publican Other Euangelists in relating this history cals him leui but he cals himselfe by that name he was best knowne he confessed his fault and acknowledged his folly stiling himselfe Matthew the Publican And this he did vnto Gods glory for the greater was his misery the greater was his Sauiours mercy the children of Israel payed no custome before their captiuity wherefore toll-gatherers as being subiect to many foule extorsions and oppressions were most odious officers among the Iewes in so much as Publicans and notorious malefactors are coupled vsually together in the gospell as if he refuse to heare the Church also let him be to thee as an heathen man and a Publican and Mat. 21. 31. Verily I say vnto you that the Publicans and the harlots shall goe before you into the kingdome of God and Luke 15. 1. Then resorted vnto him all the Publicans and sinners and in our present text why eateth your master with Publicans and sinners So that Publicans are ioyned sometime with heathens sometime with harlots alway with sinners But the goodnes of Christ is amplifyed more by circumstances of place and time for that he called Matthew sitting at the receit of custome he called Peter and Andrew while they were fishing Iames and Iohn while they were mending their nets hee called other while they were doing some good but O the deepenes of the riches of Christs vnspeakeable mercies hee called Matthew when he was doing hurt executing his hatefull office sitting at the receit of custome There be three degreees in sinne mentioned Psalm 1. 1. The first is walking in the counsell of the vngodly the second is standing in the way of sinners the third is sitting in the seat of the scornefull now Matthew the Publican had proceeded Doctor in his faculty he was seated in the chaire sitting at the receit of custome the which is worse then either walking in the counsell of the vngodly or standing in the way of sinners Hence we may learne not to despaire of other much lesse of our selues not of other albeit they be neuer so couetous misers and great oppressors Indeed Christ said it is easier for a Camel or as other read for a cable to goe thorough the eye of a needle then for a rich man to enter into the kingdome of God but he doth adde withall and say with man this is impossible but with God all things are possible He can vn-twine a cable rope in euery cord and thred and so drawe it thorough the eye of a needle he can vndoe the cordes of vanity and cart-ropes of iniquity which hold couetous men from him and so make them as he did here Matthew to follow him He did vntwine Zacheus when he said behold Lord halfe of my goods I giue to the poore and if I haue taken from any man by forged cauillation I restore him fourefold and so Zacheus notwithstanding his Camels backe that is in former time his prodigious wealth entred into the straite gate of heauen And let no man euer despaire of himselfe seeing Christ called Matthew when he was doing of euill and the thiefe on the crosse Luke 23. when he was suffering for euill According to his name so is his praise Iesus is his name and he is a sauiour of his people comming into this world as hee protesteth and proueth in this Scripture not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance In Matthewes obedience to Christs call obserue with Ardens a threefold abrenunciation 1. Of his wickednes he arose namely from his old vnconscionable course vnto newnes of life 2. Of his wealth he left all Luke 5. 28. 3. Of his will he followed him and that as one writes celeriter laetanter conuenienter perseueranter 1. He followed Christ immediatly without delay for assoone as Christ had said follow me forthwith he arose and followed him 2. He followed Christ cheerefully without any murmuring or disputing who should execute his office or looke to his account It was in the worlds eye a great folly to leaue such a gainefull occupation a greater folly to forsake that which he had already got and the greatest of all to follow him who was so poore that he wanted a nest and an hole where to rest his head Mat. 8. 20. Yet Matthew beholding his Sauiour with eyes offaith and looking not on the things which are seene but on the things which are not seene simply and cheerefully followed him and in token hereof as Saint Luke reportes hee made him a great feast in his owne house 3. Matthew followed Christ conueniently because he left all and followed him all his worldly busines all his vnconscionable gaines all his corrupt affections and whatsoeuer hindred him in the way to God And herein he dealt not as prophane Porphirius and Iulian obiect vnaduisedly to forsake all things and to follow one which had nothing for Matthew doubtles had before seene many myracles of Christ and at this present he was also drawen by the holy spirit according to that of our Sauiour no man can come to me except the father which hath sent me drawe him And this spirit assured his spirit that Christ as God is all sufficient and a rewarder of such as seeke him and come vnto him Here the Gospell and Epistle meete Paul preached not the word for worldly gaine Matthew left all and followed Christ. He did not abandon all his estate for hee feasted Christ in his owne house but hee was willing to leaue the whole world to gaine that good which hee could neither prodere nor perdere 4. Matthew followed Christ constantly being first a Disciple then an Apostle afterward an Euangelist and last of all a Martyr as a Disciple he heard the Gospell of Christ as an Apostle he preached the Gospell of Christ as an Euangelist hee wrote the Gospell of Christ as a Martyr he suffered for the Gospell of Christ. He was not only a Disciple but an Apostle numbred among the twelue preaching the Gospell in Iudea and Aethiopia for I remember one saith of him Aethiopiam nigram doctrinâ fidei fecit candidam And that hee might preach vnto the whole world after his death he penned the booke of the generation of Iesus Christ c. In which as Euseb. Emisen obserueth he makes a great feast vnto Christ and that in sundry respects as 1. His Gospell is great as being written in Hebrewe the most ancient and most holy tongue 2. Great as being the
to giue beauty for ashes and the garment of gladnesse for the spirit of heauinesse among many this one doubtlesse is the maine part in the Prophets office to comfort Hierusalem at the heart This ought to be performed plainely painefully powerfully Plainly cry to her and lift vp thy voice for if the Prophet whisper only this consolation happily might seeme doubtfull or weake but all doubting is taken away seeing it is to be deliuered freely with a loud voice Painefully comforting Hierusalem againe and againe comfort ye comfort ye c Powerfully for the Prophet ought to speake not only to Hierusalems eare but also fully to her heart that he may like a good Oratour relinquere aculeos in auditorum animis the wordes of the wise are like goades and like nayles fastened by the masters of the assemblies and the best way to fasten a nayle is to strike home Gods word is an hammer and our exhortations are like nayles and therefore we must often and earnestly strike home that we may pricke the hearts of our hearers as Saint Peter did Acts 2. 37. Or as other expound this clause to speake to the heart of Hierusalem is in Scripture phrase nothing else but to speake that which is pleasing and acceptable So Sychem the son of Hamor is said to speake to the heart of Dinah Gen. 34. 3. Now the glad message to be preached vnto Hierusalem is that her trauaile is at an end and her offence pardoned for as Physitians in healing bodily diseases ordinarily remoue first the cause from whence they spring euen so the Lord dealeth with vs in curing our spirituall infirmities The rods wherewith he beateth vs proceed from our sinnes hee must of necessitie therefore pardon them ere his strokes can cease so that remission of our sinnes is the ground of our comfort that man and only that man is blessed whose vnrighteousnesse is forgiuen and whose sinne is couered he that trauayles with mischiefe conceiues sorrow Psalme 7. 15. There is no peace to the wicked saith our God a heathen Philosopher could say that the best way to shunne sadnes is to liue well I do latrie stincking drunkennesse and other sinnes are called by the Prophet Hosea shame because they bring with them alway confusion and shame Hierusalems warfare was neuer at an end till her sinnes on her part were repented and on Gods part pardoned But how was her offence forgiuen because she had receiued at the Lords hand double for all her sinnes that is double grace for her double griefe As Hierusalem had a double punishment one in her soule another in her body so now she shall haue by Christ a double blessing to wit in this world collation of grace and in the world to come possession of glory or a double fauour 1. in that her trauaile is ended 2. for that her sinne is pardoned or double that is many benefits a certaine number for an vncertaine the suffrings of Christ are a sufficient propitiation for all her sinnes and for the sins of the whole world 1. Ioh. 2. 2. Yea where sinne abounded there grace superabounded Rom. 5. 20. Other haue construed it as our Church here translateth it she hath receiued double that is sufficient correction for all her sinnes insinuating that the Lord will afflict his people no more so long nor so sharpely because his louing kindnes hath ouercome his heauy displeasure So the word double ought to be taken for enough or full as it is vsed Chap. 61. 7. Here then a question is moued if Hierusalems iniquity were forgiuen how did she receiue sufficient correction at the Lords hand for all her sinnes If she were pardoned freely what place could there be for satisfaction or satis-â—…assion answere is made that this punishment was inflicted on Gods people not as a satisfaction for their offence but as an exercise rather for their humiliation and when almighty God had exercised them enough in the schoole of affliction he commanded his Prophets againe and againe to comfort them at the very heart and whereas it is obiecteed further that their sinne deserued an eternall punishment ergo this temporarie could not be sufficient correction it is answered in a word that howsoeuer it was not in it selfe sufficient yet vnto God being pleased it was enough albeit they deserued to be beaten with a great many moe stripes yet those few blowes sufficed the Lord as smiting in measure moderating his strokes as a father who pitieth his children in his very wrath remembring mercy so the Prophet Ieremy desires the Lord to correct him in iudgement that is in measure that so the blowes might be proportionable to his infirmitie not answerable to his iniquitie God saith Paul is faithfull and will not suffer vs to be tempted aboue that we are able to beare for he knoweth whereof we are made he remembreth that we are but dust and therefore chastising vs for our good hee doth accept a little punishment for a sufficient correction A voyce cried in the wildernes all the foure Euangelists expound this of Iohn the Baptist how fitly see Gospell on the fourth Sunday in Aduent The summary pith of the proclamation verse 6. 7. 8. is in briefe this our selues are mortall it is good therefore that we should haue something else to rest our soules vpon we consist of flesh and that is like vnto the grasse and if we should imagine other men to be better then our selues and so put our trust in Princes yet are they but as we are for all flesh is grasse and all the grace thereof is as the flower of the field Wherefore let vs embrace the mercy which is offred by the sonne of God the Sauiour of the world the redeemer of mankind the great shepheard of our soules he shall gather the lambes together with his arme and cary them in his bosome c. All flesh is grasse and the grace that is the best of all flesh as Peter expoundes it all the glory of man as wisedome valour industry iudgement all is like grasse for the drift of the text sheweth euidently that Esay speakes not of the outward man only but also comprehends the gifts of the minde whereby men are beautified aboue other intelligit totum hominem quicquid in rebus humanis illustre all men are corruptible like grasse and the most gracefull among all men are like the flower of the field the which happily whilest it flourisheth is more glorious then Salomon in all his royaltie but the flower of the field being deuoured at a trice by the beast of the field becommeth in a few houres a stinking excrement I could here compasse you about with a very great cloud of witnesses the witty Poet Anacreâ—…n was in a moment choaked with the kernell of a raysen and Fabius a graue Senatour
the 13. verse that Elizabeth his wife should beare him a sonne he now deales with his seruant according to his word for albeit Zachary was a forspent man and Elizabeth in respect both of yeares and sicknes a barren woman yet when her time came that she should be deliuered she brought forth a sonne The most almighty truth and most true almightines effected whatsoeuer he determined Plinie Gellius and other secretaries of nature report that some children are borne in the 7. moneth after their conception other in the 8. other in the 10. but ordinarily children are borne in the 9. moneth and so Iohn was brought into the world when his mother Elizabeths time came that she should be deliuered according to the most vsuall course of nature Hereupon we may build a generall rule namely that nothing is able to disappoint Gods holy determinations and purposes and therefore whereas he hath appointed that all men shall once dye and after death come to iudgement whereas he saith expresly that they who sleepe in the dust of the graue shall awake some to perpetuall contempt and other to an incorruptible crowne of glory for the sea and the sepulcher shall deliuer vp the dead which are in them at the last day let vs looke for the blessed hope glorious appearing of Christ our Sauiour who shall change our vile body that it may be like his glorious body though happily the resurrection of the dead seeme most impossible to nature yet let vs which are borne not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God comfort our selues in these things as being assured that our redeemer liueth and that hee which is the resurrection and the life shall himselfe descend from heauen with a shoute and with the voyce of the Arch-angel and with the trumpet of God and the dead in Christ shall arise first and then the liuing that remaine shall also bee caught vp with them in the cloudes to meete the Lord in the ayre and so we shall be with him euermore She brought forth a sonne it is probable that Zachary being at his deuotion in the temple prayed not for any priuate blessing but for the publike good of the whole congregation and namely that God would according to his gratious promises giue his sonne and so forgiue the sinne of his people the coherence then of Gabriels speech vnto him at the 13. verse feare not Zachary for thy prayer is heard and thy wife Elizabeth shall beare thee a sonne may be this thy prayer is heard for the Messias of the world in that thy wife shall beare a sonne who shall be great in the sight of the Lord and shall goe before him in the spirit and power of Elias as a Prophet to prepare his wayes and to make ready a people for him He which is the light of the world and delight of his people shall ere it be long be borne of a Virgine and Elizabeth thy wife shall haue a sonne who shall as his beadle goe before his face the sonne of a barren shall preach vnto the world the sonne of the Virgine Et pulchrè de sene sterili nascitur qui nasciturum de virgine praedicare veniebat vt mirabiliter natus mirabilius nasciturum demonstraret Or as other obserue thy prayer is heard for the sins of the people because thy wife Elizabeth shall beare thee a sonne who shall openly proclaime the Messias and say Behold the lambe of God which taketh away the sinne of the world Dum ille solicitus pro salute populi supplicat promissus est per quem populus saluaretur Or as Saint Ambrose God according to his rich grace giuing to all men liberally did not only heare the prayer of Zachary for the common good but also for his owne comfort in particular and therefore some construe the clause thy prayer is heard of his priuate suite for a sonne commensed either at this instant in Gods house for being hie Priest as many coniecture his office was to make an atonement for himselfe and his houshold and for all the congregation of Israel or else often heretofore in his owne house praying with Elizabeth his wife We finde a parallel example to this Acts 10. 4. Cornelius a deuout man euidently saw in a vision an Angel of God comming vnto him and saying thy prayers and thine almes are come vp into remembrance before God It is not sayed that Cornelius at that houre was either praying vnto God or giuing almes vnto men but the Lords Angel speakes of duties and bounties already past and so Gabriel in saying thy prayer is heard insinuates that his former and frequent suite for a childe was obtained now thy wife shall beare thee a sonne and our text reportes accordingly that in due time she brought forth a sonne from hence learne 1. That the prayer of the righteous auaileth much if it be feruent Iohn is gotten and as Ambrose speakes also begotten of his parents non tam complexibus quà m orationibus 2. That 〈◊〉 must not cease from praying because many times our requests are delayed long it is our duty to continue knocking vntill the father of mercies open the doore of grace Christ in his preamble to that exquisite forme of prayer inioyneth vs to call vpon God in faith hope loue faith in saying father loue in saying our hope in saying which art in heauen I finde the like conceit in Augustine vpon the fish egge and bread mentioned Luke 11. fides in pisce spes in ouo charitas in pane Paulinus said of the woman anoynting Christs feete that she was pudenter impudens piè improba so wee must in our prayers vnto God as it were put on a modest impudence fainting occasioneth a fayling whereas importunity preuaileth euen with vnrighteous men on earth and therefore much more with our holy father in heauen 3. That maried couples ought to liue in the feare of God alway relying vpon his gratious prouidence both in wealth and woe more principally the Preachers of the word and their wiues ought to shine before others in all kinde of vertues in feruent and frequent prayers especially And her neighbours and her cousins Themistocles intending to sell a farme caused the cryer to proclaime that it had among other commodities a good neighbour as being assured that this one circumstance would the rather induce chapmen to purchase it olde Zacharias and Elizabeth had good neighbours who did not enuy their happinesse but according to the precept of Paul reioyce with those that reioyce A Preacher that liueth among such hath obtained a fat benefice hee may well acknowledge with Dauid the lot is fallen vnto me in a faire ground and I haue a goodly heritage but woe to that Zacharie
which is a brother vnto Dragons and a companion of Ostriches constrained to dwell with Mesech and to haue his habitation among the tents of Kedar As Zachary the Priest had good neighbours so likewise kinde cousins for albeit they might haue well expected large legacies if he had dyed without issue yet they reioyced at the birth of his sonne an enuious man hath a great deale of lesse wit in his malice then a very brute for whereas neither foule nor fish is taken in a snare without a baite the spitefull wretch is brought to the diuels hooke without any pleasant bite the voluptuous man hath a little pleasure for his soule the couetous a little profit for his soule the proud and ambitious a little honour for his soule but an enuious man hath nothing of the deuill or flesh or world for his soule but hearts-griefe hoc solum inuidus bene agit quod se cruciat Wherefore laying aside all malitiousnes and enuie let vs imitate the good neighbours and allyes of Elizabeth here let vs as feeling and fellow members of the same mysticall body remember those that are in bondes as though our selues were bound with them and if any member be had in honour to reioyce with it These neighbours and cousins visiting Elizabeth in childe-bed came not as one notes vpon the place with basket and bottle to drinke and eate though I confesse that kind of neighbourhood were better vsed in a Priests house then in a tap-house neither came they like the gossips in our time with a great deale of tattle speaking things vncomely but they came to praise God for his goodnesse shewed vpon their friend Elizabeth 1. In taking away the reproach of barrennesse 2. For giuing her a sonne so the text they heard how the Lord had shewed great mercy vpon her and they reioyced with her it was mercy that she brought forth a sonne great mercy that she bare such a sonne The Thracians vsed to laugh at the death and to weepe at the birth of men but the Scripture teacheth vs to reioyce when a sonne is borne children and the fruit of the wombe are a gift that commeth of the Lord and therefore when Eua conceiued and bare Cain she said I haue gotten a man from the Lord and Lamech hauing gotten a sonne called his name Noah saying this same shall comfort vs concerning our worke and sorrow of our hands c. When Isaac was borne Sarah his mother said God hath made me to laugh a woman as Christ speakes Iohn 16. 21. when she is in trauel hath sorrow because her houre is come but assoone as she is deliuered of the childe she remembers no more the paine for ioy that a man is borne into the world quid dulcius in humanis quà m gignere sibi similem aut beatius in terris quà m natos videre natorum Elizabeth then had good cause to praise God in the gift of a sonne but her selfe and her friends had greater cause to reioyce because she bare such a sonne tantum talem filium a sonne so great in the sight of the Lord filled with the holy ghost and strong in spirit euen from his mothers wombe such a son of whom as yet in swadling cloutes his father moued by the spirit said hee should be the prophet of the most high of whom also when hee was growen vp and executed his office Christ himselfe gaue this testimony that among those which are borne of woemen there hath not risen a greater then Iohn the Baptist If a wise sonne make a glad father and a foolish sonne bring heauines to his mother Elizabeth had great mercy shewed vpon her in that she brought forth a Iohn into the world Mystically gratious Iohn borne of barren Elizabeth liuely represents the fulnes and fruitfulnes of the Gentiles arising from the barrennesse of the Iewes and therfore the Prophet exhortes the Church reioyce thou barren that bearest not breake forth into singing thou that trauaylest not for the desolate hath many moe children then she which hath an husband In the eight day they came to circumcise the child Zacharias and Elizabeth walking in all the commandements and ordinances of the Lord without blame caused their new borne babe to be circumcised according to the prescript of the law concerning the time when part where cause why see Gospell on the circumcision of Christ. Now baptisme succeeds circumcision and so consequently parents are taught by this example to bring their children in due time to holy baptisme wherein they be made the members of Christ the children of God and inheritours of the kingdome of heauen Againe parents may learne by this president except some great necessity compell them otherwise to baptize their infants in the face of the congregation and not in the corner of a chamber or chimney there was a great meeting of neighbours and cousins at the circumcision of Iohn in his fathers house and the Iewes at this day circumcise their children in their publique Synagogâ—…es and lastly from hence wee may further obserue three things especially concerning imposition of names among Gods children in old time 1. That names were giuen in circumcision as among vs in baptisme they came to circumcise the childe and called his name Zachary the reason hereof is plaine that as often as we heare our selues named we might instantly call to minde the solemne couenant betweene God and vs in holy baptisme or as other obserue because circumcision and baptisme are seales of Gods grace whereby men are first admitted into the Church and as it were written in the booke of the liuing it is fit that none should be named or registred as the seruants and souldiers of Christ afore they haue receiued his Sacrament which is the badge of their profession and signe of their new birth 2. From hence we may note that Gods people did vsually name their children after the names of their ancestours except God in some singular case by reuelation inioyned the contrary for the neighbours and cousins of Elizabeth as not knowing the Lords expresse pleasure concerning the naming of her childe began to call his name Zachary after the name of his father and when Elizabeth answered and said not so but his name shall be called Iohn they replied there is none of thy kindred that is named with this name This example condems the nicenes of some who thinke it vnlawfull to giue their children vsuall names of their nation and families as Edward George Robert and the like as also the prophanes of other who giue names of flowers or stones or heathen names vnto christians if we name not our children after the names of our ancestours it is fit that wee should take the names of Saints that may put vs in minde of their vertues as Iohn Peter Stephen