of the number and power of our said aduersaries but also in repect of their great craft and subtiltie With these mercies of God concerning the life to come we may also ioyne the afflictions wherewith the Lord doth chastise our outward man because by them he schooleth vs to make vs the fitter for the life to come and humbleth vs to make vs more capable of his graces accompanying saluation In which respect the Prophet saith It Psal 119. 71. is good for me that I haue bin afflicted that I might learne thy statutes And the Lord threatning that if his people would not hearken vnto him to do all his commandements he would Leuit. 26. 14. c thus and thus afflict them and if by such afflictions they would not learne to refraine their wayes then he would send seuen times more plagues vpon them according to their verse 21. sinnes c. The Lord I say threatning these things doth not onely teach vs that afflictions are for sinne but that also they are medicines to cure vs of sin and so to reforme vs that we may present our selues such a sacrifice as here we are exhorted vnto The same is manifest by other places Iob 5. 17. Psal 94. 12. Pro. 3. 12. Heb. 12. 5. Reuel 3. 19. that in the former considerations pronounce him blessed whom the Lord chastiseth as also that teach the Lord to loue them whom he correcteth By all these things we see that we may well reckon the Lords chastisements among his mercies And therefore the more the Lord hath exercised any in such maner the more euery such man should labour to present himselfe such a sacrifice to God lest he send seuen times more such plagues vpon him Leuit. 26. 18 c such chastisements not being the least of Gods mercies For whom he loueth he will not leaue but though he make no vse of one affliction to the bettering of himselfe yet he shall haue another till he be reformed of such euils as for the which the Lord hath so before once or twice or thrice afflicted him Let euery man therefore be admonished by Gods chastisements not onely according to these Scriptures before alledged but also according to the counsell of our Sauiour to him that had bin so impotent for 38 yeares that he was not able to helpe himselfe and Ioh. 5. 14. whom he had restored with a word of his mouth Behold thou art made whole sinne no more lest a worse thing come vnto thee But of this somewhat more afterward All the former mercies and euery one of them concerning the life to come are so great that he is more then stonie yea of a steely heart that will not be prouoked by them to giue himselfe such a sacrifice as here is commended Notwithstanding although the Apostle in the former part of the Epistle hath treated onely of Gods mercies for the life to come and from them especially doth in this place exhort the beleeuing Romanes and all other to giue their bodies a sacrifice vnto God yet Gods mercies also of this life being appendices of them and appurtenances vnto them ought to moue vs so to do the rather because that God by the giuing of Christ for vs as the fountaine Rom. 8. 32. of all mercies hath assured vs freely with him to giue vs all things If all things then also the mercies of this life Hath not Christ also promised also all mercies euen for this life to be cast vpon them that first seeke the kingdome of God and his righteousnesse And indeed the blessings of Math. 6. 33. this life great and small are not onely free gifts in respect of our vnworthinesse of them but they are also mercies both in respect of that miserable state wherein all men are first borne euen the children of Princes as well as of the poorest yea more weake and miserable then any other creatures at their first comming into the world and also because the first parents of all mankind by their first sinne brought themselues and all their posteritie into all miseries of this life depriuing themselues and all theirs of all those blessings euen of this life that before the Lord had most richly endowed them withall In this regard therefore we here in England haue greater cause thus to present our selues a sacrifice vnto God because as the Prophet after enumeration of many blessings and mercies bestowed vpon the Israelites whereby he had prouoked them to praise the Lord he concludeth with these words He hath not dealt so with any nation so we may truly say Psal 147. 20. that the Lord hath not dealt so with any nation in his bountifull blessings and mercies euen of this life as well as of the life to come as he hath dealt with vs here in England especially at this time may we say so because we daily heare and almost see all our neighbors round about vs as sheepe appointed to the slaughter to be killed all the day Psal 44. 22. Rom. 8. 36. long without all mercie according to the religion now of that man of Rome and contrary to the religion that is of God or else to be forced to flie for their liues Iam. 1. 27. and 3. 17. whereas we with our children in the meane time dwell safely here euery man vnder his fig-tree from Dan euen to 1. King 4. 25. Beersheba that is from one end of the land vnto the other all the dayes of our present Soueraigne and of our former most renowmed Queene Oh that we had hearts to consider of these mercies as we ought to do so by them to prouoke our selues to offer our selues such a sacrifice to God as also we ought and so much the more by how much the more vnworthy we are of the least of them But do we so Oh that we did Nay rather we are all the more seâ—ure and do the more adde sinne vnto sinne soothing our selues in our said mercies saying with old and new Babylon I shall be a Ladie for euer and giuing our selues Isai 47. 7. 8. to pleasure and dwelling carelesly and with them saying also in our hearts We are alone viz. honorable and happy and none else besides vs we shall not sit as a widow neither shall we see the losse of children We are also like to them that were at ease in Sion â—and trusted in the mountaine of Samaria Amos 6. 1. c. Ezek. 12. 27. putting farre away the euill day c. But oh that at length we would be wiâ—e and see the euill to come and hide Pro. 22. 3â— 27. 12. our selues from it Oh that we would take heed lest we feele that which the Prophet Isaiah in the place before mentioned threatned euen in a moment to come to that old Babylon in one day the losse of children and widowhood that is those euils that she neuer dreamed of yea that she in her pride and securitie boasted she
should neuer see were not this iust with the Lord so to deale with vs that like to the sonnes in law of Lot haue thought them that haue preached Gen. 19. 14. iudgement to come thereby to moue vs to repentance to haue but mocked Verily it were most iust But let vs at the last make this right vse of the mercies of God for this life that Samuel commended to the Israelites saying 1. Sam. 12. 24. Feare ye the Lord and serue him c. and consider how great things the Lord hath done for you If we still go on in our sinnes and securitie and do wickedly not presenting our selues such a sacrifice vnto God as here the Apostle exhorteth vs vnto let vs beware of that which he threatneth vers 25. in the next verse As this argument from these outward mercies towards vs here in this Land is generally to be applied vnto all because all haue a share in them so let euery man particularly consider that the greater measure of these outward mercies the Lord hath bestowed vpon him the more he endeuours to present himselfe such a sacrifice to God as here we are called vpon to present For if to whom Luk. 12. 48. men haue committed much of him they will aske the more wil not the Lord do the like But doth euery man make this particular vse of Gods mercies for this life particularly receiued from the Lord Alas no but cleane contrary he withdraweth himselfe the more from God and the greater that any man for the most part is in outward blessings the more he hardneth his heart and face against God and the more he thinketh he may sin both against God and also against men Therefore if there be any goodnes in any great men though it be neuer so poore and little we vse to say Little is much in such a man Whereas indeed we should rather say It is nothing in such a man as for whom the Lord hath done so much For doubtlesse for the least of Gods blessings for this life a man is more in his debt and the more he dayly receiueth of that kind into the greater arrerages he runneth with him euen such as he shall neuer be able to discharge so that he may well say What shall I render vnto the Lord for all his benefits towards Psal 116. 12. me And if we make this vse of such blessings for this life then shall they also be mercies of the life to come but if we do not then shall they be iudgements of this life and of the life to come And when we haue deliberated neuer so long what to render vnto the Lord for these or for other sorts of his mercies we must not dreame of making God any recompence for how can a man be profitable Iob 22. 2. vnto God but we must altogether thinke of receiuing more and euery one say with the Prophet in the former place I will take the cup of saluation and call vpon Psal 116. 13. the Name of the Lord. VVe must still prepare our selues to beg more at least heauenly and spirituall blessings and to magnifie his Name for those that already we haue receiued and not to boast or prate of any merits by any thing we haue done but acknowledge that whatsoeuer we haue done yet we are but vnprofitable seruants Luk. 17. 10. By the premises hitherto spoken we see that they do abuse the mercies of God that are made the more secure by them and that take libertie to commit sinne vpon sin either from the mercies already receiued or from the certaintie of Gods mercies to come For his said future mercies are not promised to any but to such as feare him and Psal 103. 11. 13. 17. 18. keep his couenant and remember his commandements to do them Yea certainly they that rightly consider of Gods mercies but towards other be they neuer so meane will thereby prouoke themselues though liuing and wallowing in their sinnes to confesse and forsake them and to returne Pro. 28. 13. Ier. 4. 6. vnto the Lord in hope they shall find mercie Did not the prodigall sonne so do by remembring the plentie of Luk. 15. 17. 18. the poorest seruant in his fathers house Oh that all prodigall and lasciuious sonnes would do the like such as are swaggerers drunkards or great drinkers though not vnto drunkennesse riotous waste-goods stubburne rebellious Isai 5. 11. Luk. 18. 2. neither fearing God nor reuerencing men no not their fathers that begat them nor their mothers that bare them with great paines and gaue them suck with many a pinch and in their age haue more sorow of heart by them then euer they had ioy before Oh that all other vngodly persons would do the like If they be very gracelesse children as there are too many that will not submit themselues to their parents and performe dutie vnto them from consideration of such before mentioned fatherly and motherly kindnesses how gracelesse are they to God how wicked how rebellious that from these his mercies will not be prouoked to yeeld their bodies a sacrifice vnto him They therefore are enemies to all pietie and to these mercies of God and to all grace of God that from the same do argue for all libertie and impietie saying being admonished of their sinne and exhorted to reformation What God is mercifull he is not so hard as you make him Moreouer if Gods mercies be so great and certain vnto men most vnworthy of them how should this prouoke one man to shew mercie to another in imitation of this mercie of God according to that of our Sauiour Be ye Luk. 6. 36. Math. 5. 7. Iam. 2. 13. mercifull as your Father also is mercifull And hath he not said Blessed are the mercifull for they shall receiue mercie Hath not the Apostle also said There shall be iudgement mercilesse to him that sheweth no mercie but mercie reioyceth against iudgement God hath no need of vs but we haue need one of another We cannot be profitable to God but Iob 22. 2. we may be beneficial one to another yea the poorest that is to the greatest as diuers other wayes so especially by praying for him as the Prophet of Iuda was vnto Ieroboam 1. King 13. 6. by his prayer curing his withered hand Yea we may deserue kindnesse one of another but as in part hath bin shewed before we cannot recompence God for that we haue had of him much lesse can we merit any new blessings Besides all the premises if Gods mercies be so great as we haue heard how highly are we to esteeme of the word of God the cabinet or casket wherein all the said mercies of God are contained and whereby likewise the Lord conueyeth them all vnto vs and the which it selfe is one of the principallest mercies Yea further how highly are all Gods Ministers to be regarded that faithfully bring those mercies vnto vs euen so
highly that we should receiue them as the Galatians sometime did Paul Gal. 4. 14. 2. Cor. 5. 20. euen as an Angell of God yea as Christ Iesus himselfe for whom they are Ambassadours and finally that if it were possible as Paul speaketh in the former place to the Galatians we should plucke out our owne eyes and giue them vnto them if thereby we might do them good If as Christ laid downe his life for vs we ought to lay downe ours for the 1. Ioh. 3. 16. brethren should we not much more do the same for faithfull Ministers that teach vs and are Gods hands to deliuer Isai 52. 7. Rom. 10. 15. these mercies vnto vs How beautifull are the feet of them that bring glad tidings Shall their faces then be odious vnto vs so indeed they are to many especially if the Ministers preaching neuer so freely and without any charge vnto them do reproue them or theirs yea if from the guiltinesse of their consciences they do but thinke themselues or theirs reproued then they take them to be their enemies as Ahab did Eliah Sometime also they shake their 1. King 21. 20. Psal 22. 7. Math. 27. 39. heads at such Ministers as Dauids enemies did at him as a type of Christ and as they that passed by did at Christ himselfe vpon the crosse and as the bull doth at the dogs But of the regard of the Ministers of the word more afterwards Here also from these words the mercies of God let vs learne humilitie and acknowledge all that we haue to come from Gods mercie in respect of our miserie euen a pluralitie of mercies in respect of the pluralitie of our miseries How then can any boast of any merits in respect of any works How can any man glorie in himselfe Yea let all men giue all glorie to God for deliuering them from their manifold miseries by vouchsafing them so manifold mercies But it shall be sufficient thus briefly to haue pointed as it were with the finger at this point of humilitie by Gods mercies To conclude this argument from Gods mercies the more mercie that any man hath receiued the more let him present his bodie a sacrifice to God But wil some man say do you not forget your selfe by speaking of more mercie For did you not before say that all Gods mercies of the life to come go together and he that hath one hath all if therfore euery one haue all that hath any how can he haue more can there be more then all I said so indeed and so say againe and do not you forget your selfe that thinke to take me napping your selfe being napping For to omit that before in saying as now you charge me that all Gods mercies go together I spake onely of his mercies for the life to come I haue now spoken of the mercies of this life which are giuen more in number to one then to another to omit this I say I pray you remember that before I spake of mercies in the plurall number now I speake of mercie in the singular number Although therefore all Gods common mercies for the life to come and accompanying saluation do go together so that where there is one there are all yet I said also before that the mercies of God are giuen in seuerall measures touching the particulars knowledge faith hope loue patience humilitie temperance c. go all together yea so that he in whom any sinne reigneth hath none of all these notwithstanding though he that hath one of these hath all yet euery man hath not these in the same measure some haue knowledge in a greater measure then other so also faith the same is to be said of the rest This therefore is my meaning that euery man the more knowledge the more faith he hath the more hope the more loue and the more and greater measure he hath of any other mercie the more he giue himselfe a sacrifice to God for the more glorifying of God Let no man boast of greater mercies of God in him then are in other but let him consecrate himselfe the more vnto God and glorifie God the more Thus much of the three arguments prefixed to the exhortation CHAP. IIII. Coutaining an entrance into the exhortation and an explication of the words thereof Present your bodies a sacrifice NOw followeth the exhortation it selfe wherein I will first open the seuerall words and note some points of doctrine in them and then speake of the whole exhortation The words are these Present your bodies a sacrifice The word by some translated giue by our new Bibles present commonly signifieth and is vsed for adesse to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to present be present Sometimes for probare to proue as when Paul saith his aduersaries could not proue the things whereof Act. 24. 13. they accused him Sometimes for commendare to commend as Meate doth not commend vs vnto God and very often 1. Cor. 8. 8. to present as here it is translated viz. in the places noted in the margin and often elsewhere For I do but name Luc. 2. 22. Ro. 6. 16. 19. 2. Cor. 4. 14. 11. 2. Col. 2. 22. Eph. 5. 27. the places in haste to the words following So I take it in this place By bodies here synecdochically he meaneth the whole man * Bodies and our bodies bodies and soules and the pronoune yours is not altogether to be neglected but to be well obserued as excluding the bodies of beasts and the bodie of Christ The former law for sacrificing of beasts is abolished by the bodie of our Lord Iesus Christ offered and sacrificed by himselfe and so accomplishing and performing all typically signified by the former sacrifices of beasts Touching Christs owne bodie and Christ himselfe none in heauen or in earth neither man nor Angell euer was or now is worthy or meete to offer the same but Christ himselfe Christ with once offering of himselfe did beare the sins Heb. 9. 28. Heb. 10. 10. of many c. And by his will are we sanctified through the offering of the bodie of Christ once for all c. And his bodie being now in heauen and there to remaine till his comming Act. 3. 22. to iudgement how can it be offered by any vpon the earth And who by the doctrine of the Papists themselues knoweth when it is offered For without the intention of the Priest for making thereof there is no offering of it as themselues affirme in the celebration of their Masse Now who knoweth or can know the intention of the Priest Whether also do they make the bodie of Christ as they speake in the state of humiliation or of glorification Is God also the onely maker of all other things euen of the least worme and can a shauen Priest make the bodie of Christ Did the onely mightie power of God raise the bodie of Christ out of the graue and afterward exalt it to heauen and shall euery such
euery man had need doing the like also afterward with great alacritie and being of one heart and of one soule the Act. 4. 32. number of beleeuers that were before but three thousand being then increased to fiue thousand ver 4. How also did the Lord shew himselfe well pleased yea better pleased then euer before by working greater miracles then euer before had bin wrought at least in such abundance not onely by giuing sight to the blind hearing and speech to the deafe and dumbe raising the dead casting out of diuels a worke neuer before heard of and that not onely by our Sauiour himselfe but also by the Apostles by giuing health to the sicke not only to whom the Apostles spake but also to such as did but stand in the shadow of them Were not also the gifts of the holy Act 5. 15. Act. 8. 17 and. 19. 6. Act. 10. 44. Ghost giuen to many other by laying on of the hands of the Apostles yea by their words and that euen to speake with tongues Doth not the Apostle also by this Gods bearing witnesse vnto the Gospell by signes and wonders and diuers miracles and gifts of the holy Ghost proue the Gospel before by him called by the name of the great saluation to be more excellent then the Law which he calleth but by the name of a word as it were a bare word spoken by Angels Heb. 2. 2. 3. and therefore also the neglect of the Gospell to be a greater sinne then the despising of that word though spoken by Angels All these things do abundantly shew the will of God reuealed in the Gospell to be better pleasing to God now then his will before in the olâ— Testament and all this to be so because himselfe would haue it so to be It is not therefore of vs or from vs as though we in this time of the Gospell had procured or deserued God to be better plâ—ased with vs then with other heretofore For how could this be sith we had alwayes before sit in darknesse and in Luk. â— 79. Ephes 2. 1. ver 12. the shadow of death and had also bin dead in trespasses and sins c. strangers frrom the couenants of promise c. being also so without knowledge that we did not so much as call vpon his Name much lesse did we craue any grace Psal 79. 6. of him at least so as to be heard and to obtaine such grace as whereby to be well pleasing vnto him But as therefore the first couenant that God made with Abraham and afterward renewed and continued with his seed was not for any goodnesse of them or of any desert in them they then seruing other gods but onely of Gods loue towards Iosh 24. Dan 7. 8. 1. Sam. 12. 22. them and because it pleased him to make them his people so is it to be said of this and of all that enioy this good will of God whereby they were or are acceptable vnto him If it be said that this is the time of the Gospell and of the new Testament and that yet we liuing vnder the same haue no such thing I answer first that Gods graces are at his owne disposition and that therfore in that place before to the Hebrewes of Gods so bearing witnesse to the Heb. 2. 4. Psal 24. 1. and 50. 10. Hag. 2. 8. Gospell by signes and wonders c. it is added according to his owne will May man do with his owne what he wil though indeed he haue nothing of his owne but all be the Lords and may not God much more do with his owne and bestow his graces on whom he will where when and how Mat. 20. 15. it pleaseth him Gods sparing of his graces now and not powring out his Spirit nor bestowing his mercies as at the first he did is not of any niggardlinesse in him but of his wisedome as knowing what is fittest for all persons and times It is also according to his owne word fortelling the cause thereof namely the falling away of many from the 1. Tim. 4. 1. faith and their listning to seducing spirits and doctrines of diuels and beleeuing of lies and not the truth but taking pleasure 2. Thes 2. 11. 12. in vnrighteousnesse so that the restraint of Gods mercies now is not from any inconstancie in God but from the sinnes of men and for the manifestation of Gods iustice to his owne glorie for mens such sinnes In respect of the former apostasie and declining from the truth and beleeuing of lies notwithstanding the Lord had so graced and magnified the same truth by those manifold meanes before mentioned we may rather admire his goodnesse in vouchsafing the least mercie now then charge him with any vnfaithfulnesse or inconstancie The former gifts also of the holy Ghost in former times bestowed and the former miracles and works of God before wrought were not onely for that age but also for all ages to come and for confirmation of the Gospell to all other As our Sauiour saith of the writings of Moses If ye beleeue not his writings how shall ye beleeue my words And Ioh. 5. 47. againe of Moses and the Prophets If they heare not Moses and the Prophets that is the preaching of their doctrine Luk. 16. 31. neither will they be perswaded though one rose from the dead and so much more may it be said of those former works done by our Sauiour and his Apostles through the power of our Sauiour as also of the gifts of the holy Ghost then bestowed they haue the works of our Sauiour and his Apostles alreadie written and in his written word they may reade how the Lord before hath powred out his Spirit vpon all flesh if they beleeue not them neither wil they beleeue if they should see the like in these times But I demand hath God shut vp all his works and graces for confirmation of his Gospell in former times so long past Hath he not in these last times since the breaking forth of the glorious light of the Gospell out of the foule fog and thick and palpable darknesse of Poperie a thousand times worse then the darknesse of Egypt or at Exod. 10. 21. Mat 27. 45. the death of Christ Hath not God now I say by many graces and works testified this his last will and testament made by his Sonne in his name to be acceptable and well pleasing vnto him yea so acceptable and well pleasing as before we heard Many wayes For how mightily hath his said will and Gospell preuailed and increased since the dayes of Wickliffe Iohn Husse Ierome of Prague Luther Melancthon Occolampadius and a few other all but few and weake and yet strongly opposed and oppugned by many potent aduersaries yea though all the world almost Pope Emperour and all other Princes the Duke of Saxonie excepted contended with the said Luther most worthily propugning and maintaining the Gospel against them all yet they
places Onely herein is the difference that in the one place he saith the mercies plurally and in the other the meeknesse and gentlenesse singularly secondly that in the one place there is the name of God in the other of Christ By mercies he meaneth also in this place Gods works of mercie onely concerning our soules and the life to come For this word therefore referreth vs onely to those things that the Apostle had before written euen to all those passages of Gods dealing before mentioned and before in part recapitulated by me as to iustification by faith without the workes of the Law c. In all the former part of the Epistle the Apostle had not mentioned any mercie of God concerning this life all before said concerneth euerlasting saluation Now by speaking plurally of mercies he noreth that all All the mercies of God do concurre in the saluation of any Ephes 4. 7. the former mercies of God do concurre and must concurre to the saluation of euery one appointed to saluation Whosoeuer hath one hath all One is not enough without all Yet this is to be vnderstood first of all common mercies I meane common to all the elect secondly of all such in seuerall measures There are many mercies of the life to come specially belonging to some speciall persons as appeareth by those particulars here mentioned in verses 6. 7. 8. All such graces are not necessarie for all neither do concurre in all The speciall workes 1. Cor. 12. 4. also of Gods mercie to speciall callings are not all alike and wrought in equall measure But to euery one is giuen grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ And there vers 6. are diuersities of gifts but the same Spirit And in this Chapter Hauing gifts differing c. And what need so graue an admonition in verse 3. by the grace giuen to Paul that euery man among these Christian Romanes should not thinke of himselfe more highly then he ought to thinks if all mercies or graces were alike in all Gods mercies to come greater then any past or present Not to stand any longer hereupon but to proceed by the mercies of God in this place he meaneth not onely mercies past and mercies present but also mercies to come which are greater then any we haue had or haue First because they shall be in heauen whereas these are all here below Secondly because they shall be without feare of any losse of any depriuation of any of diminution Thirdly they shall not be by degrees as here but all at once and euerlasting But are our mercies here vncertain Not so yet in respect of our weaknesse and of the multitude 2. Cor. 7. 1. and power of our aduersaries both without vs and Philip. 2. 12. 1. Pet. 1. 17. also within vs we are neuer without feare neither must be not of losing but of ceasing them and of weakning and obscuring our assurance of them Fourthly Gods mercies to come are greater then any past or present because they shall be without any misery at all And as in these respects they are greater so they are also as certaine as those that here already we haue And the mercies of God which here we haue are assurances Gods future mercies as sure as any past or present Numb 23. 19. Iam. 1. 17. Heb. 6. 17. 1. Pet. 1. 19. of those we shal haue And for our better assurance of them we are first of all to consider the immutable promise of God bound with a solemne oath euen by his owne name Secondly they are as sure as those that we haue in respect of the great price of our redemption euen the precious blood of Christ Iesus For hath Christ redeemed vs with so great a price and will he lose vs Thirdly in respect of Christs intercession in our behalfe for those mercies first whilest he was here in earth secondly Ioh. 17. 24. Rom. 8. 32. Ioh. 11. 42. now in heauen This reason is the stronger because Christ is heard alwayes and God cannot but heare him because he is his Sonne in whom he is well pleased Mat. 3. 17. 1. Pet. 3. 18. 1. Ioh. 2. 1. and he was alwayes iust neuer sinning either in any other thing or in praying Fourthly as before he did and now doth make intercession for vs so it was the end of his ascending into heauen to prepare a place for vs. Hath he prepared a place for Ioh. 14. 2. vs and shall we be frustrated of it Fiftly Christ hath not onely promised these future mercies but also vpon his promise and to bind himselfe the more to the performance thereof he hath giuen vs the earnest of his Spirit Will he lose his earnest Can any force 2. Cor. 1. 22. Ephes 1. 13 1â— withhold that from him for which he hath giuen earnest or can we withhold our selues Hereunto belongs our sealing by the Spirit of redemption Are not mens writings â— phes 4 30. sure that are sealed and shall not the writings of God and of Christ Iesus sealed in our hearts with a seale of such a price be much surer God Spirit is the seale of our redemption to assure vs both that we are already redeemed Tit. 2. 14. from all iniquitie and also that we shall be redeemed from all miseries of this life and from death it selfe as they are punishments of sinne so that we may say euen whiles we liue here Death is swallowed vp into victory O Hos 13. 14. 1. Cor. 15. 54. 55 death where is thy sting O graue where is thy victory Sixtly the mercies of God to come are as sure as those that we haue because in the former respects God is not Heb. 6. 10. See more in Chap. 1. in the end Ioh. 13. 1. Rom. 11. 29. Gen. 27. 33. vnrighteous that he should forget our works and labour of loue c. Seuenthly whom God loueth he loueth to the end and the gifts and callings of God are without repentance Did Isaac say of Iacob I haue blessed him and he shall be blessed and wicked Pilat to the wicked Iewes of the title of Christ that he had written vpon the crosse What I haue written Ioh. 19. 19. 22. Luk 10. 20. Philip. 4. 3. Reuel 3. 5. I haue written and shall not God say the same much more of them whom he hath blessed and whose names he hath written in heauen and in the booke of life Eightly There shall arise false Christs and false Prophets Math. 24. 24. and shall shew great signes and wonders insomuch that if it were possible the very elect shall be deceiued It is not therefore possible that they should be deceiued and consequently that they should perish Ergo they shall be most certainly saued Ninthly all partake of the mercies of God before spoken Ephes 5. 30. 1. Cor. 12. 14. of in this Epistle are one with Christ Iesus by which vnion they as certainly
know they shall be in heauen with him as they know himselfe to be there and whiles he was here to haue prayed for vs that we might be there where he should be yea by which vnion we do already sit with Ephes 2. 6. him in the heauenly places Tenthly the Apostle hath assured vs that he will make our vile bodies like vnto his glorious bodie and that when he Philip. 3. 21. Col. 3. 4. shall appeare we shall appeare with him in glorie and Iohn saith we shall be like him and see him as he is 1. Ioh. 3. 2. Eleuenthly the wicked souldiers that brake the bones of the theeues crucified with Christ could not breake his bones because it was written of the Passe-ouer a type of Christ A bone of him shall not be broken Was it not possible for a bone of his naturall bodie to be broken because it Ioh. 19. 33. 36. was so written and shall it be possible for any whole member of his mysticall bodie to be vtterly lost Twelfthly and lastly not to be tedious herein None of the sheepe of Christ that haue heard his voice and followed Ioh. 10. 28. 29. him can be taken out of Christs hand because the Father that hath giuen them vnto him is stronger then all And all the children of God begotten againe through the rich mercie of God are kept and guarded as I said before by the power of God c. Is it not blaspemous either to say that God is 1. Pet. 1. 5. In Chap. 1. at the end vnrighteous or to denie his omnipotencie that he is not able to keepe his owne May we not vpon these grounds crie out O the vnsearchable riches of Gods goodnesse as well as of his wisedome May we not breake out into admiration of the happie and blessed state and condition of all them that are partaker of such mercies of God Oh then how forcible an argument is this of the Apostle to prouoke vrge and presse all by these mercies to present their bodies a sacrifice vnto God Yea certainly this argument is greater then whatsoeuer can be vrged to this purpose from all the iudgements of God We are many times prouoked Ios 23. 8. c. and 24. 14. 1. Sam. 12. 24. to cleaue vnto God to feare God c. by consideration of the great works of his mercie for this life both performed and also promised how much more then ought these his great mercies of the life to come quicken vs thus to present our bodies a sacrifice liuing holy acceptable Therefore this Apostle from the doctrine of the resurrection of the dead in that glorious maner that he had described the same inferreth this exhortation to stedfastnes in iudgement and to abounding in all good workes with constancie Therefore my beloued brethren be stedfast 1. Cor. 15. 58. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is rest your selues in the former doctrine as in a seate or chaire of state after ye haue bin wearied with the errors of false Apostles to the contrary be vnmoueable let no man vnseate you abounding always in the worke of the Lord forasmuch as ye know euen certainly that your labour is not in vaine in the Lord. Doth not the Apostle Peter also from the same certaintie of Gods future mercies exhort the Christian Iews with all diligence to adde to their faith 2 Pet. 1. 5. 6. Vt virtus à nomine vir proforti strenuo ita 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ab 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 deriuatur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 autem est Mars quam Poetae imperunt Deum bâ—lli vertue or rather fortitude or courage according to the deriuation of the Greeke word and to their said courage knowledge for the better direction thereof and to knowledge temperance because men of courage are commonly intemperate and to temperance patience and to patience godlinesse and to godlinesse brotherly kindnesse and to brotherly kindnesse loue euen towards all men Doth not Iohn likewise exhort to loue one another vnfainedly and in deed as well as in word from our knowledge that we 1. Ioh. 3. 14. 18. 19. are translated from death vnto life and of our being in truth for the present and from assurance of our hearts before him for the time to come Away therefore with all doctrine of Poperie that teacheth the certaintie of Gods mercie to come to be the doctrine of securitie and libertie Away with all Arminianisme that teacheth that no man can be sure of his saluation and that men partaker of the former mercies may for all that lose all Heb. 6. 9. and vtterly and finally fall away from grace All obiections to the contrary are strawy watery and weake The mainest obiection of all other from Heb. 6. 4. c. is dog-lame yea the legs thereof are so cut off in the very 9. 10. same place vers 9. 10. that it must haue legs made of wood to support it that will be burnt with the fire For the Apostle adding that he was perswaded better things of them and such as did accompanie saluation prouing the same from the very righteousnesse of God in those respects that before I haue spoken doth by his said words plainly teach vs that he had not before spoken of such things as necessarily accompanie saluation Can there be any thing better then faith and these mercies of God apprehended by faith Therefore it is certaine that the Apostle had not before spoken of such things as in verse the 9. he calleth better things and such as accompanie saluation They that fall away from the communion of Saints and that lose their taste of those mercies they seemed to haue neuer were of the Saints neither euer indeed had receiued those 1. Ioh. 2. 19. mercies I haue seene a little dog-bolt booke lately published by some that style themselues falsly called Anabaptists but it is lamentable to see how the poore men moile themselues in their errors and how they are puzzled with the former place of Iohn labouring to answer it but most fouly abusing it saying themselues cannot tell what They multiply words indeed but in them not a word to purpose neither worth any answer But to returne and proceed doth not this our Apostle from the very promises of God made to the Iewes in old time mentioned in the end of the 2. Cor. 6. prouoke vs Gentiles engrafted into Christ to purge our selues from all 2. Cor. 7. 1. filthinesse of the flesh and of the spirit c. As for the words following in the feare of God and the like elsewhere they are onely to be opposed to presumption and are to be vnderstood as motiues to the more watchfulnesse in respect Philip. 2. 12. of the weaknesse of our selues whiles we liue in the flesh and of other that in particulars haue deeply fallen and also as I said before of the manifold and mightie aduersaries of our saluation yea not onely in respect
greatnesse of them as also our long continuance in them and let vs measure our said sorrow by the mercies of God towards vs by our knowledge by our callings by the offences we haue giuen to other by our said sinnes especially by our causing the name of God and his doctrine to be blasphemed and euill spoken of Yea in these and other the like respects let vs mourne Psal 37. 4. and 107. 37. c Ierem. 30. 15. more for our sinnes then for any outward losses indignities wrongs iniuries sicknesses or other afflictions of this life whatsoeuer because all such things come for sinne Of this sorrow for sin the Prophet saith The sacrifices of God Psal 51. 17. are a broken spirt a broken and contrite heart O God thouwilt not despise Notwithstanding in this sorrow for our sinnes we must always haue an eye to the mercies of God before mentioned lest we be swallowed vp of sorrow and fall into despaire Therefore the Apostle bâ—ddeth vs to Rom. 11. 22. behold the goodnesse and the seueritiâ— of God not the goodnes of God alone nor his seueritie alone but both together the one with the other the goodnes of God that we do not despaire the seueritie of God that we do not presume As hitherto I haue generally spoken of the actuall sacrificing The sacrifice of righteousnes and prayse Psal 4. 5. of our selues soules and bodies and as we are in this sacrificing of our selues to remember the generall sacrifice of all righteousnesse that is of all obedience to the first and second Table so let vs not forget to offer the sacrifice of praise vnto God which is called the calues of our Psal 50. 14. Hos 14. 2. â— lips The more the mercies of God haue abounded towards this land aboue all other lands in his word in our peace in our wealth c. the more must we abound in the calues of our lips in that behalfe yea so much the more must we abound therein because thereby we shall please the Lord better then they did in the Law that offered Psal 69. 31. 1. Cor. 13. 13. oxen and bullocks that had hoxnes and hoofes yea as the Apostle preferreth loue aboue faith and hope in respect of the continuance thereof when faith and hope shall haue Praises more excellent then prayers an end so in the same respect this sacrifice of praise and thanksgiuing may be preferred before prayers themselues because when prayers shall cease as whereof there shall be no need euen then shall thanksgiuings and prayses remaine and continue As the glorious Angels of heauen Luc. 2. 13. Reuel 5. 11. are already employed in this dutie and are alwayes readie to performe the same vpon euery occasion so shall all the elect being glorified glorifie God without ceasing for their said glorification The more difficult also any duâ—ie is and the more hardly performed the more excellent without question the same is to be acknowledged But the difficultie and hard performance of this dutie aboue prayers appeareth by the ten Leapers all ioyntly crauing Luk. 17. 12. c. helpe of our Sauiour and being healed one onely returning to giue thanks Yea this greater difficulty of thanksgiuing aboue prayers is manifest by all experience For who being vnder any affliction is not ready to craue release but release being granted who almost is as ready to giue thankes The more that God hath dignified any of his children with his mercies of this life or of the life to come the more such ought to abound in these sacrifices of praise and of the calues of their lips for the same With those notwithstanding in the second ranke of The sacrifice of prayers Col. 4. 2. 1. Tim 2. 1. 1. Thes 5. 17. 18 these particular sacrifices whiles we liue in this world let vs ioyne the sacrifice of prayers and supplications and intercessions as the Apostle ioyneth them together And although the Apostle to Timothie vseth more words touching this sacrifice then touching the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiuing yet that is not for the excellencie of prayers aboue praises or thanks but because whiles we liue here our wants are greater then the mercies we haue already and future mercies are more and greater then all that we haue receiued These prayers are by the Prophet called incense and the lifting vp of our hands an adiunct of Psal 141. 2. them and put for them is compared to the euening sacrifice As we are to praise God for his mercies receiued so we are to pray both for the increase of them and also that we may still enioy such as we haue and that God will alwayes so shut the gates of our kingdome and make the Psal 147. 13. barres thereof strong and so bolt them as Amnon commanded 2. Sam. 13. 17. his seruant against Antichrist and all his champions Iesuits Priests and other greater then they that hauing bin long from hence banished and abandoned they may neuer returne and be entertained by vs againe lest by their returne we become worse then before as our Sauiour speaketh of him out of whom the vncleane spirit being cast and returning againe and finding the place Mat. 12. 43. c. from whence he was cast swept and garnished he taketh seuen other spirits more wicked then himselfe and entreth again and so maketh the last state of that man worse then the first We haue the more cause to feare this because all the Iesuites and their consorts are euen of the same disposition that such vncleane spirits are yea euen possessed with 1. King 22. 22. them as the prophets of Ahab were possessed with that lying spirit whereby they deceiued Ahab to his ruine and ouerthrow With those our prayers oh that we would also ioyne Fasts holy fasts as the which haue bin often commanded and highly commended in the Scriptures by the admirable successe of them and which be reckoned also among the Leuit. 23. 27. feasts of the Lord and finally the which rightly performed haue alwayes ended with ioy and feasting Is not this 2. Chron. 20. Ezra 8. Nehem. 1. Ester 4. euident by the fasts of Iehosophat of Ezra of Nehemiah of Ester and diuers other Yea haue not we our selues often had experience hereof Oh therefore that we would turne some of our riotous feastings into such religious fastings lest as the Lord hath threatned he turne our feasts Amos 8. 10. into mournings and our songs into lamentations and bring vp sackcloth vpon all loines and baldnesse vpon euery head and make it as the mourning of an onely sonne and the end thereof as a bitter day Yet fie vpon all the hypocriticall and detestable fasts of the Papists which are plaine mockeries of the fasts of the Lord yea which are so much more detestable in the eyes of the Lord by how much the more in number they exceed the fasts of the Lord. For whereas the Lord
Lord would haue all the sacrifices to be without blemish so also he would not haue any of the seed of Aaron that had any blemish to approach to offer Leui. 21. 18. 19. 20. the bread of his God that had any deformitie or defect as before I haue shewed This holinesse is alwayes here vnperfect but yet as certainly to be perfected in that life to come being once here begun as if it were already perfected Though also it be here vnperfect yet it proceedeth from another worke before in vs but not of vs that is perfect namely from our iustification and full discharge from the guiltinesse of all our sinnes whatsoeuer in the presence of God in respect of which our iustification we may well cast away all feare For who shall lay any thing to the charge Rom. 8. 33. of Gods elect It is God that iustifieth Ambrose vpon this place saith Adhoc peccatis Dei abluimur c. For this cause by the gift of God are we washed from our sinnes that from henceforth liuing an holy life we might prouoke the loue of God towards vs not frustrating the workes of his grace in vs. To prouoke the loue of God may seeme somewhat harshly spoken but the meaning thereof and of other the like speeches in this and in other Fathers is onely to signifie the assuring of our soules more and more of Gods loue towards vs. For that he meaneth not any meriting of his loue appeareth both by the word of his gift before and also by his words following that do ascribe euery good worke in vs wholy to his grace then which what can be Rom. 11. 6. 3. 24 Ephes 2. 8. Titus 3. 5. more opposite to merit For as in our election so also in our calling and whole saluation grace and works are opposed one to another This attribute holy is as large as the former liuing and it is to be applied to our whole sacrifice before mentioned to our bodies and to euery member of them to our soules and to euery power and facultie of them This word holines ioyned with righteousnes is distinguished from righteousnes and signifieth godlinesse and religion euen all Luk. 1. 75. duties of the first Table as righteousnes so ioyned with holinesse and distinguished from it doth signifie all duties of the second Table to be performed to our neighbour and so they seeme to be the same with godlinesse and honestie But the one and the other being vsed alone doth signifie 1. Tim. 2. 2. both and so the word holy in this place is to be taken for both for the obseruation of the first and of the second Table of our duties to God and of our duties to men And as before I said that this was to be applied to our whole sacrifice here commended vnto vs so also it is to be applied to all the particular sacrifices in that generall comprehended namely to our praises of God and therefore Psal 50. 23. it is said He that offereth praise glorifieth me and to him that ordereth his conuersation aright will I shew the saluation of God The ioyning of these two together the offering of praise and the right ordering of our conuersation sheweth that the Lord regardeth not the one without the other So when the Prophet saith All thy works shall praise Psal 145. 10. thee and thy Saints shall blesse thee he sheweth that the Lord respecteth only the praises that are giueÌ„ him by his Saints that is by them that are holy The same he teacheth afterward saying Let thy Saints be ioyfull in glorie let them sing Psal 149. 5. aloud vpon their beds As it is to be applied to our praises of God so it is to our prayers and supplications vnto God For the sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Pro. 15. 8. 21. 27. Iames. 5. 10. Hos 14. 1. 2. Ioâ—l 2. 13. 17. Rom. 15. 30. Ephes 6. 18. Col. 4. 2. 1. â— hes 5. 2. 3 â— Heb. 13. 18. Iam. 5 13. Lord but the prayer of the vpright is his delight Neither is it said that the prayer that is feruent auaileth much but that the prayer of the righteous that is feruent auaileth much Therefore as the Prophets do first exhort to repentance and then to prayer so the Apostles do first exhort to all other duties in a maner before they exhort to prayer thereby teaching that prayers are of no account without the performance of other duties without holinesse The same is to be said of our almes for howsoeuer our almes may releeue and refresh the receiuers yea also keep them from some great extremities either against other or against themselues before being in great distresse alas that mens hearts should be so stupified and hardened that the consideration hereof should not moue them being of abilitie the more to open their hands to them that are in necessitie yea howsoeuer they may prouoke such receiuers 2. Cor. 9. 11. 12. to great thanks vnto God sometimes to more for a little then euer the giuer gaue for all that he hath yet for al that if we giue al our goods vnto the poore haue not loue a branch of this holinesse it will profit vs nothing The 1. Cor. 13. 3. same is to be said of our passiue sacrificing of our selues because if without the same loue we giue our bodies to be burned it auaileth vs as little To prouoke vs to be thus holy let vs consider of these reasons First that we are commanded so to be holy by the example Reasons to prouoke to holines of God himselfe yea to be holy in all maner of conuersation towards all in all things in all places at all Leuit. 15. 44. 19 2. 20. 7. 1. Pet. 1. 15. 16. times Secondly this holinesse is the end of our election For God hath chosen vs to be holy and without blame before him Ephes 1. 4. Thirdly it is the end of our redemption by Christ Who gaue himselfe for vs that he might redeeme vs from all iniquitie Tit. 2. 14. and purge vs c. Fourthly it is the end of our regeneration For Of his owne will beg at he vs with the word of truth that we should be Iames. 1. 18. as the first fruites of his creatures As the first fruites therefore were dedicated vnto God and were holy so must all they be that sacrifice themselues vnto God Therefore it is said Israel was holinesse vnto the Lord and the first fruites of Ier. 2 3. his increase Yea so holy were all things ceremonially only dedicated vnto the Lord that Belshazzars drinking Dan. 5. 3. c. and glowsing in the cups of the Lord taken out of the Temple of the Lord c. it cost him both his life and his kingdome the very next night Fiftly it is the end of our calling God hath not called vs 1. Thes 4. 7. to vncleannesse but vnto
to attend to the things of this will that we haue heard whereby we are thus blessed The word translated to attend signifieth adhibere to apply What must we apply Our eares to heare yea also our minds more and more to vnderstand yea our loue more and more to embrace and loue it our feare more and more to stand in awe that we offend not this will of God our delight to take more and more pleasure in it our hope more and more to expect with assurance the performance of euery legacie therein bequeathed vnto vs our hatred more and more to loath whatsoeuer is contrary vnto it our zeale to be more and more earnest according to euery occasion for it What more Our mouthes to make confession of it yea our whole man more and more to yeeld all obedience vnto it and to whatsoeuer is in our power for the aduancement of it whereby we may the better testifie it to be indeed in our hearts And all this we ought to do the more abundantly according to the signification as I said of the word translated the more Now this word being a comparatiue must needs haue relation to some other in respect of whom we must more abundantly apply our selues vnto it Who are they then whom we must more abundantly and as it were without measure as neuer being satisfied so apply our selues to the things which we haue heard of this will The Fathers that liued vnder the old Testament mentioned in the beginning of the first Chapter to the Hebrewes The rather must we labour so as before we said to apply our selues wholy to the things we haue heard out of this will more abundantly then euer the said Fathers did because Peter speaking of those Prophets by whom God had in old time so spoken to those Fathers as the Apostle speaketh in that first verse of the first Chapter to the Hebrewes because Peter I say 1. Pet. 1. 12. speaking of those Prophets saith that it was reuealed vnto them that not vnto themselues viz. so much but vnto vs they should minister the things which are now reported or shewed by the Preachers of the Gospell with the holy Ghost sent downe from heauen c. Is it so It is not then enough for vs so to apply our selues to the things we haue heard and daily do heare as the said Fathers did but we must labour so much the more herein to excell them by how much the more the Lord hath bettered his will towards vs aboue that that he did vnto them For to whomsoeuer much is giuen of him much is required But is it so with vs Oh Luk. 12. 48. that it were so But alas alas we come farre short of them The poorest of those Fathers in godlinesse and in such regard of those things that they then heard are much before vs euen before such of vs as account theÌ„selues the richest in those things that we daily heare or may heare and whereby also we enioy many other mercies It may be some of vs haue now more knowledge but if the godlinesse of such be not according their sinne is the Luk. 12. 47. greater CHAP. XVI Of other vses of the former doctrine from those former three adiuncts of the will of God HAuing before made some generall vse of the doctrine from these three adiuncts of the will of God good well pleasing and perfect I will now come to some more particular vse thereof concerning both the dutie of the people towards the Ministers of the said will of God and also of the Ministers themselues in respect of the excellencie of that will so by those adiuncts commended Concerning therefore the former of those two the more excellent that those three adiuncts before handled The excellencie of the Mininistrie do shew the will of God to be the more excellent also must needs be the calling of them whom the Lord hath made Ministers of the said will as his spirituall Lawyers indeed to declare the said his will vnto his people and to lay forth and as it were to pleade all his bountifull and most princely legacies therein bequeathed vnto them against all the enemies of their saluation that endeuour what they can to depriue them of the said legacies The more excellent I say that by those adiuncts of this will the Ministers thereof are then were the Ministers of his former will now by this his last will in part reuoked and disanulled they more highly must they be accounted For as the Apostle to the Hebrewes proueth Christ the Heb. 2. 3. 13. 20 1. Pet. 5. 4. Ioh. 13. 13. first and chiefest Minister of this will yea the Lord and Master of all Ministers yea also the onely Iudge before whom all his Ministers and Lawyers must pleade the said will against all the aduersaries both thereof and also of all them that haue any legacie therein and from whom there lyeth no appeale As I say the Apostle proueth this first and chiefest Minister of this Will to be so much greater then Aaron the first and chiefest high Priest of the Law and of the former will of God yea the chiefe Iudge before whom all matters of difference betwixt cleane and vncleane c. were to be heard tried and determined by how much better this Testament is whereof this first and Heb. 7. 22. 8. 6 chiefe high Priest Christ Iesus is the suretie or mediator as hauing better promises then the old Testament had so by the same reason also all the Ministers of the Gospel may well be iustified in respect of their calling to be greater and more excellent then all the Ministers of the Law namely because vnder Christ by Christ and for Christ they are Ministers of a better and more excellent Testament Hereunto accordeth the commendation of Iohn the Baptist Mat. 11. 9. aboue Eliah and all the other Prophets before whom notwithstanding he preferreth the least in the kingdome of ver 11. heauen that is the least Minister of the Gospell euen the meanest â—or gifts if he be sufficient For the Gospell there and often elsewhere especially in parables is called by the name of â—he kingdome of heauen because it is Christs Scepter of that kingdome and the key whereby he openeth it vnto vs and letteth vs into it and the meanes whereby men are made partaker of the kingdome of grace here and shall hereafter be possest of the kingdome of glorie and without which none shall or can euer attaine vnto this kingdome either of grace or of glorie Iohn also was greater then any of the Prophets because his ministerie was greater then theirs as being a middle ministerie betwixt the Law and the Gospell neither of the Law nor of the Prophets and yet as greater then of the Law so also lesse then of the Gospell The Ministers therefore altogether of the Gospell cannot but be greater then both Iohn and also much more then of the Law onely who
their right Gal. 3. 1. minds not bewitched nor as it were distracted by false Apostles esteemed Paul as an Angell of God yea as Christ cap. 4. 14. Iesus so that they would haue plucked out their eyes if it had bin possible and haue giuen them to Paul Alas how many in these dayes would if they could scratch out their Ministers eyes Certainly as Paul saith of the Corinthians 2. Cor. 12. 15. that the more abundantly he loued them the lesse he was beloued of them so may many good and carefull Ministers say in these dayes of some of the people whom they haue taught and for whom and their 's they haue prayed and haue bin heard in the things they haue prayed for in their behalfe especially if they shall either publikly reproue any thing whereof their consciences doe accuse them though the Ministers neuer in such reprehensions neuer meant them or at the least any thing roundly speake of any thing but priuatly And such base estimation of Ministers hauing once possest the minds of men it will hardly be cast out by Christs disciples if they were here without Mark 9. 29. prayer and fasting Neither is this the fault of profane and ignorant men but of men of great knowledge and profession yea also of no small fashion otherwise and therefore indeed towards Ministers the more bitter and impatient But because such loue and high estimation of Ministers How the loue of men towards their Miinsters as also their inward reuerence of them may be discerned as the Apostle commendeth to the Thessalonians are things inward how may they be discerned by others that cannot see into the inner parts of a man To omit that outward reuerence and respect that is common to other persons of any eminencie in the world as the which may be gathered by some thing before spoken of the cariage of other toward otâ—er Ministers and the which is ordinarily vsed I will onely commend three things whereby the due loue and estimation of Ministers may be discerned first diligent hearing of them secondly sufficient maintenance thirdly true obedience Touching diligent hearing Dilligent Ministers diligent to be heard first of all let vs remember that they are so to be heard though they do not liue according to their teaching and doctrine but cleane contrary thereunto For so our Sauiour commanded concerning the Scribes and Pharisees Mat 23. 2. 3. For the life of such shall onely increase the condemnation of such Ministers themselues it shall not any whit preiudice the attentiue and reuerent hearer neither may it be pleaded as an excuse for not hearing of such Ministers Where there is a commandement for doing any thing there is a promise of blessing to them that do the thing commanded And hath not the Lord blessed the ministerie of some that haue bin wicked Verily he hath as appeareth by that that is written of such as shall be able to pleade in the last day they had prophesied and cast out diuels Mat. 7. 22. 23. and done many wonderfull works in the name of Christ who notwithstanding shall be reiected as workers of iniquitie Gods blessing is not tyed to the persons of any but attendeth vpon his owne ordinance carefully respected The word of God in the mouth of a man hath first come Iob. 22. 22. out of the mouth of God himselfe and therefore it shall Isay 55. 11. not returne to the Lord in vaine but it shall accomplish that which he pleaseth c. and be a sauour either of death vnto 2. Cor. 2. 15. 16. death or of life vnto life in both a sweet sauour of Christ God his iustice is as precious vnto him as his mercie Our Sauiour also saith He that hath an eare to heare let him heare what the Spirit saith not what man saith vnto the Churches Reu 2. 7. 11. 17. Do not also the excellencie of the word and our necessitie require the hearing thereof by whom soeuer preached But for all that some perhaps may aske more particularly Our owne Ministers especially to be heard on the Lords dayes what Ministers are to be heard I answer that on the weeke dayes let men heare any soundly preaching wheresoeuer they can as their callings strength of bodie and affaires will giue them leaue for the better increase of knowledge confirmation of iudgement strengthening Phil. 1. 9. 1. Thes 4. 1. â— Pet 1. 5. and 3. 18. Heb. 10. 24. of faith prouoking of loue growing in all grace For we must abound more and more in all these things But on the Lords daies we must heare our owne Ministers soundly preaching and especially gracing their doctrine with a life agreeable as also the next so preaching whose ministerie we may be partaker of without preiudice to our owne But what if we may heare some other of better gifts then either our owne or the next dwellers by whom we may be more edified We are not so much to respect the gifts of men as Gods ordinance both in setting able Ministers ouer vs and also in commanding rest on his day For we are as well bound to heare our owne Ministers preaching soundly as they are bound to preach to vs. They may as well leaue vs as we them And we are more bound to rest on the Lords day without very great necessitie to the contrary then we are bound to labour on the six dayes The commandement for sanctifying the Lords day and resting thereon as a meanes of sanctifying the same is absolute but the words six dayes shalt thou labour c. are but the libertie so to do without any absolute necessitie As the like Of euery tree in the garden thou mayst Gen. 2. 16. freely eate viz. except of the tree of knowledge of good and euill c. The like is to be said of that touching the finding of a birds neast with yong ones Thou shalt in any wise let Deut. 22. 7. the dam go and take the yong to thee Neither was Adam bound to eate of euery tree except the excepted nor a man so bound to take the yong birds as that he should sinne if he tooke them not So are the words to be vnderstood for working on the six dayes Otherwise it were not lawfull to heare the word on any of these dayes neither especially to keepe any one of those dayes wholy holy vpon any occasion By the same reason also that some may leaue their owne preaching Minister and other neare both whose labour they may enioy other may do the like and so there shall be none left to whom such Ministers may speake Not so For we leaue our wiues children and seruants and diuers other too that cannot go abroad Yea but by the former reason they may go as well as your selues Againe that is spoken more like to them that loue good cheare at other mens tables But will ye that thus pleade like it well if your children or
dwellers then to neare neighbours Albeit herein they greatly trouble not either the one or the other Thus much of the peoples estimation and hearing of their Ministers CHAP. XVII Of the other two duties of the people towards their Ministers in respect of the excellencie of this will of God of their maintenance of them and also of their obedience vnto them as also of the vse of the said doctrine touching the same excellencie of the said will of God belonging to the Ministers themselues NOw it followeth to speake of maintenance of and obedience Maintanance vnto Ministers of this good well pleasing and perfect will of God For without these there cannot be due estimation of them or if there be any reuerent account yet it is not sufficient without maintenance obedience Touching maintenance of Ministers that preach this will Maintanance of Ministers preaching â—he will of God of God by them that are partakers of their preaching it is a maine matter and such as without it the former is not as I said enough and that obedience that is afterward to be spoken of is but pretended This is expresly commanded Let him that is taught in the word Gal. 6. 6. make him that hath taught him partaker of all his goods This argument also the Apostle maketh the subiect almost of 1. Cor. 9. one whole Chapter It is likewise a part of that double honour whereof as all Elders so especially they that labour in 1. Tim. 5. 17. 18 the word and doctrine are worthy and that because the Scripture saith Thou shalt not mouzle the oxe that treadeth out the Mat. 10. 10. corne and the labourer is worthy of his reward Had not our Sauiour said the same before Onely for reward by the Apostle our Sauiour saith meate but thereby as by bread Mat. 4. 4. 6. 11 he vnderstandeth maintenance and all things necessarie for this life And in both the pronoune his is to be obserued as teaching such maintenance not to be a matter of courtesie or of beneuolence such as need not to be giuen but such as must be paid as his owne and whereto he hath as good right as to any thing else he hath already May shoo-makers smiths plow men hedgers ditchers threshers tailers or any other labourers or artificers claime reward for their worke and as their owne due and may not Ministers that labour and watch for the soules of men require reward of their labour What good Minister is there that watcheth not in bodie as well as minde for the people committed vnto him yea many a time doth he wake in the night meditating what to speake when other sleep soundly The labour also of the minde is greater then of the bodie How great then is the labour of both Two houres labour of the Minister in preaching doth more spend his spirits and waste his bodie then two dayes labor in any other bodily worke Doth the spirits and bodie of one so soke men Therefore the calling of a Minister is compared to the greatest bodily labours that are of shepheards Gen. 31. 40. Luk. 2. 8 Mat. 9. 36. 1. Cor. 37. 8. 9. 10. that in that country looked to their flocke by night as well as by day of haruest-men of husband-men of carpenters and the like Let them that are so hard and straightfaced towards their painfull Ministers remember what is said of the cries of those labourers in the eares of the Lord Iâ—m 5. 4. of hoasts that had reaped downe the fields of other because they for whom they had laboured did withhold their hire from them The sentence of Christ at the last day shall be heauie and direful against them that had not giuen meate drinke clothing entertainment c. to any of his litle ones Mat. 25. 41. c. that had wanted the same Oh then how fearfull how heauie how direfull shall their sentence and doome be that haue dealt hardly with his best seruants whom Christ vsed for the making of men his little ones or for the nourishment of them to eternall life being before nâ—w borne to God by the ministerie of other Shall shere be iudgement Iam. 2. 13. without mercie to euery one that sheweth no mercie to any and shall they find mercie that haue bin vniust vnto their Ministers Oh that men shoul dreade and know the sudden and strange death of Ananias and Sapphira by a Act 5. 1. c. word of Peters mouth onely for keeping backe part of the price of their goods from the Church which while it was in their possession they might haue kept altogether and that although they brought a certaine part and laid it at the Apostles feete Oh I say that men should reade heare and know this and yet feare nothing by their vniust and cruel dealing with such Ministers as preach this excellent will of God vnto them not onely not giuing them any thing yea no part of their goods but detaining that the which they haue full dearely laboured for Such men grutch not liberally to see Lawyers and bountifully to reward Physitions for a few words of the one touching their goods and sometimes for recouerie of or pleading for some legacie giuen by the last will and testament of some man for the counsell of the other and especially for his paines in comming 8. 10. 20. or 30. or 40. miles vnto him especially in Winter or when wayes and weather are foule Yea they plentifully deale with such whether they do them any good or no. Yea they are at greater cost in such things in three or foure dayes then with Ministers that labour to make them partaker of Gods infinite legacies by declaring this his good well pleasing and perfect will vnto them many yeares together yea also for their daily praying for them and theirs albeit in the distresses of them selues and theirs they found God to haue heard them so praying O miserable parsimonie O lamentable iniustice Yea some men of great sort spend more in one yeare vpon dogs haukes horses tobacco and the like then in many yeares vpon the Ministers of the word If they say their Farmers pay tithes out of their lands for maintenance of Ministers I answer first that they pay tithes rather of their owne labour and great paines then of their lands Secondly that if they thinke this shall excuse them from maintenance of Ministers then let them thinke also it shal excuse them from going to heauen So let their Farmers go to heauen for them and themselues go to hell in their owne persons Yea to proceed further who almost is not at more charge with keeping of one horse in one yeare then in maintenance of the Ministers in many Hath he more benefit by his horse then by his Minister It may easily be so beleeued All these things do shew how base minded such men are as altogether minding earthly things Phil 3. 19. Col. 3. 1. 2. and onely
holinesse Sixtly all such as haue partaked of the mercies of God before spoken of among other were incorporated into Christ Iesus and made his members As therefore Christ Mark 1. 14. Luk. 4. 34. is the holy one of God so acknowledged by the diuels themselues so such must be all his members Seuenthly all that attend vpon Princes must be apparelled accordingly whereby to be fit for such attendance They must not come before them in rags but they must so present themselues vnto them as they may no wayes be offensiue Therefore Ioseph sent for out of prison before Gen. 41. 14. Pharaoh shaued himselfe and changed his raiment and so came vnto Pharaoh And when Ester presented her selfe Ester 5. 1. vnto Ahashuerosh she first put on her royall apparell Is not the same intimated vnto vs by that that is said of the Kings daughter being first said to be all glorious within and to haue Psal 45. 13. 14. her clothing wrought with gold before she be said to be brought before the King in raiment of needle-worke c. Certainly this is the fitter for this our present purpose because all such to whom and of whom the Apostle here speaketh are also members of the said Kings daughter of the Church of God of the which in the Articles of our faith we confesse this to be a speciall prerogatiue that she is holy According hereunto Dauid said I will wash my hands in Psal 26. 6. innocencie so will I compasse thy altar O Lord. Eightly and lastly not to be too tedious in multiplying of reasons we are all now as before hath bin said Priests vnto God What a shame therefore is it that any of vs should present our selues vnto God without holinesse Doth not the Prophet pray Let thy Priests be clothed with Psal 132. 9. 1. Sam 2. 17. righteousnes As in the time of the Law for the sinne of the Priests the people abhorred the sacrifices of the Lord and as now the vicious life of some Ministers of the Gospel maketh many to stand aloofe from the Gospell not regarding 1. Tim. 6. 1. it but despising it and the profession of it so the life of many professors of the Gospell who are all Priests vnto God is so scandalous that it causeth the very name of God and his doctrine to be blasphemed Neither are we onely 1. Pet 2. 9. Priests but also Kings vnto God and a royall priesthood or Exod. 19. 6. a kingdome of Priests If Kings attendants must be apparelled Apoca. 1 6. chap. 5. 10. fit to attend vpon kings must not Kings much more haue their royal garments and princely ornaments What better ornament then this holinesse What better chaines Pro 1. 9. chap. 4. 9. for the necke what more glorious crowne for the head of Princes then this holinesse Therefore in the former place of Exodus the Lord saith not Ye shall be vnto me a kingdome of Priests but he also addeth and a holy nation And without this garment Christians do disgrace their royall dignitie yea they also preiudice the glorie of God himselfe In which respect our Sauiour exhorteth vs to let our light Mat. 5. 16. so shine before men that they seeing our good works that is the holinesse of our conuersation may glorifie our Father which is in heauen Hath not Peter also the very like exhortation 1. Pet. 2. 11. 12. confirmed from the same end The vse of all this is first to reproue all them that will The vse of that before said of our being holy haue the names of Christians and are ready to defie all them and to spit in their faces that shall denie them to be Christians yet liue most profanely leudly loosly dissolutely yea in all grosse iniquitie swearing blaspheming contemning the word and Sacraments seldome coming vnto them not regarding the Lords dayes or any exercise of religion especially if they be but halfe a furlong from the place or it blow or raine or snow yea also quarrelling drinking so long till they cannot stand neither speake a wise word being likewise extremely couetous partly in gathering wealth without any satietie like to the horsleaches two daughters yea though they haue no charge Pro. 30. 15. Eccles 4. 8. neither know who shall enioy that which they gather partly in sparing and neither giuing nor lending where great need requireth but to such as aske the one or the other complaining alwayes of their owne wants and saying they must borrow How cōtrary are these things to the Psal 112. 4. 5. 6. 9. description of a blessed man fearing God If they be admonished of these things they thinke it enough to answer that they say their prayers euery day though wretched men they vnderstand not a word of their prayers neither do any thing according to their prayers neuer hallowing the name of God shutting their eares and hearts against Gods kingdome neuer regarding to do the will of God vpon earth abusing of their daily bread and drink not forgiuing such as trespasse against them not shunning any tentations but rushing into the thickest of them Secondly for our instruction let vs when we draw neare vnto God remember this holinesse according to the commandement Exod. 3. 5. Iosu 5. 15. of God giuen both to Moses and also to Ioshua for the putting off of their shooes because the ground was holy according to the example of Iakob who going to Bethel at the commandement of God charged all that were with him to put away the strange gods that were amongst Gen. 35. 1. 2. them to cleanse and change their garments according to the commandement of God to Moses for sanctifying the people one day and the next and for their washing their clothes before the Lords giuing his Law in their audience Exod. 19. 10. 11. according to the practise of Dauid before mentioned who washed his hands in innocencie and so compassed the Lords altar And to comprehend many things in a few words according to Salomons counsell for looking to both Eccles 4. 17. or 5. 1. our feete at our entrance into the house of God to the charge of our Sauiour for being first reconciled to our brother before Mat. 5. 23. 1. Tim. 2. 8. Iam. 1. 21. 1. Pet. 2. 1. 2. we offer our gift of Paul to Timothy for mens lifting vp pure hands without wrath c. in prayer of Iames also and Peter for casting away all filthinesse c. before the hearing of the word And touching the hearing of the word in such maner is there not great reason thereof sith Christ 2. Cor. 13. 3. 1. Cor. 3. 9. himselfe speaketh in his Ministers and God himselfe worketh also with them worketh I say not laboureth For to speake properly God cannot be said to labour because he doth whatsoeuer he will without any labour onely by Psal 33. 6. 9. speaking his word The same is to be said