vnto that righteousnesse which is of God through faith to the end I say that he might bring the Iewes from those outward things of the flesh vnto the inward knowledge of Christ Iesus he raised vp to this purpose this holy Apostle that he being a manfully furnished with all prerogatiues in all such outward thingâ— as they reioyced in might both be of greater authoritie with them and likewise haue the greater possibilitie to draw them from workes vnto grace from the law vnto Christ For if it had beene so that he had perswaded them to renounce all confidence in the flesh and to reioyce onely in Christ Iesus hauing himselfe no cause of confidence in the flesh they might happily lightly haue esteemed him and thought that because himselfe had nothing touching the flesh whereof to reioyce therefore he enuied them and perswaded them to renounce all confidence in the flesh But when now they should see that he that thus perswaded them was one that had greater cause of confidence in the flesh then had the best of them they must needs likewise see that surely his perswasions proceeded from a certaine and sound iudgment and not from any conceited opinion or hatefull enuy So we see that to teach men that pleasures and sumptuous buildings and riches and possessions and the like were all but vanitie and vexation of the spirit he stirred vp Salomon who hauing had his fill of all kinde of pleasures which either his eye Eccles 2. or his heart could desire and hauing built goodly houses and great workes and hauing gathered great riches and treasures and gotten large possessions aboue all that were before him in Ierusalem was so fit to teach that lesson that he saying of all those things that they were but vanitie and vexation of the spirit the truth thereof might the rather be beleeued So likewise when the Church had sate now a long time in the darknesse of Romish Egypt and had beene bewitched as with many other grosse errors so with this of iustification by workes and merits of their owne making we see that to purge the Church of these pestilent diseases he raised vp not many yeares ago in Germanie that reuerend Luther who hauing beene a long time more pharisaicall and zealous in those monkish waies and doctrines then the common sort of his order and hauing liued as Erasmus witnesseth Epist lib. 5. Melan. l. 6. Wolsac so that none of all his enemies could euer charge him with any note of iust reprehension might so much the rather preuaile with the Church to draw them from those dreames and dregs of superstition and idolatrie wherein they were drowned And thus oftentimes it seemeth good to the wisdome of our God to the end that he may the rather draw his people either from errors in opinion or corruptions in life to raise vp of themselues some such as haue as deeply beene drencht in those errors which they maintaine and delighted asmuch in those follies which they follow as they themselues that when they shall disclaime such and such errors or renounce such and such follies the rest may the rather hearken vnto them and be induced by them to disclaime their errors and to renounce their follies Whence I make this double vse 1. This may teach them whom it hath pleased the Lord to reclaime from error in opinion or folly in life to consider why the Lord hath thus in mercy dealt with them and accordingly to performe such duties vnto the Lord as are required of them Art thou then called out of the darknesse of Romish Egypt vnto the glorious light of the Gospell of Iesus Christ Art thou freed from the bondage of that Romish Pharaoh into the glorious libertie of the sonnes of God by the day-starre arising in thine heart It is a great mercy of the Lord vnto thee thus to deliuer thy soule from death and thy feete from sliding But consider thou whether the Lord hath not also in wisdome done this that thou hauing beene nusled vp in their superstitious errors and as egerly maintained them as they shouldst now labour to draw them out of darknesse into light and from vaine confidence in the flesh to reioyce in Christ Iesus What doest thou know but that the Lord therefore suffered thee for a while to sit in darknes and in the shadow of death that when afterward the day-starre should â—rise in thine heart thou mightest both labour the more with them and likewise be in the better possibilitie to preuaile with hem Follow thou therefore the example of this holy Apostle and labour to weyne them as from other their errors so from confidence in their workes and in merits of their owne making that they may reioyce wholly in Christ Iesus and onely put their trust in his name Againe hast thou haunted with vaine persons and beene delighted in the companie of the wicked hast thou runne with a theefe when thou sawest him and beene partaker with the adulterers hast thou giuen thy money vnto vsury or taken reward against the innocent haue thine hands wrought or thy feete runne vnto or thy thought deuised or thy heart consented vnto this or that sinne or iniquitie and hath the Lord now reclaimed thee It is a great mercy of the Lord no doubt vnto thee But consider thou whether the Lord hath not also in wisdome done this that thou mightest draw them with whom sometimes thou sortedst thy selfe vnto a reformation of their waies What knowest thou but that he hath reclaimed thee from such and such inordinate waies that hauing walked with them thou mightest be the meanes of reforming them As it hath pleased the Lord therefore to reclaime euery man from any error in opinion or folly in life so let him labour to reforme such errors or follies in them whom hee knowes to be intangled with them euer remembring that of our Sauiour vnto Peter when thou art conuerted strengthen thy brethren Luk. 22.32 and likewise that that he which converteth a sinner from going astray out of his way Iam. 5.20 saueth a soule from death and hideth a multitude of sinnes 2. This may teach them that are as yet holden with any error in opinion or folly in life to hearken vnto those whom the Lord hath raised euen of themselues to admonish them of their errors or of their follies For thus they should consider with themselues He was so affected as now I am and had as great skill and will to maintaine those things which now he doth oppugne as I haue and if the Lord haue now reuealed vnto him that which as yet he hath kept hid from mine eyes who am I that I should not hearken vnto him Againe he was so delighted as now I am and did runne after such sinnes and iniquities as he now speaketh against as now I doe and if the Lord haue now so lightned his eyes that he both seeth the folly of his owne waies and calleth me from the like
he hath an Obadiah to hide and feede his Prophets and in sinnefull Sodome hee hath a righteous Lot whose soule is daily vexed with their vnlawfull deeds Farre be it therefore from vs to condemne where the Lord hath not condemned Who are his he onely knoweth but that in all places he hath those that are his we are not to despaire yea euen at this day in Caesars Court and in sinnefull Rome it selfe The third thing which I note is that the Apostle saith that many of the brethreÌ„ in the Lord were emboldned through his bands and durst more franckely speake the word Whereby hee meaneth that through his constancie in his bands sufferings many Pastors teachers were emboldned to professe and preach the gospell more freely then before Whence I obserue another notable fruite and persecution of Gods Saints namely the emboldening of others to the profession of the gospell more freely Which as it serueth very notably for the proofe of the maine poynt that the persecution of Gods Saints rather furthereth then hindereth the gospell so may it be a strong consolation for the children of God against the time of persecution It may bee that some of vs in the time of the peace of the gospell may doubt how wee shall stand in the time of persecution and feare that when the tryall shall come we shall not quit our selues like men But let vs plucke vp our hearts and be of good comfort When wee shall see the constancy of other of Gods Saints in their sufferings then shall we also be emboldened freely to professe the truth of Christ Iesus the Lord shall turne the constancie of them in their sufferings for the hope of their profession vnto our encouraging and emboldening to make a good profession Thus we finde it to be in Ioseph of Arimathea of whome it is said Mat. 27.57 that he had beene the Disciple of Iesus before his Passion But he shewed it not till then and then hee went euen to Pylate himselfe and professed himselfe his Disciple and begged his bodie and entombed it The like we finde to be in Nicodemus of whome it is said Ioh. 19.39 that till the death and passion of Christ Iesus he onely came vnto him by night for feare of the Iewes But then he professed himselfe and ioyned with Ioseph of Arimathea to burie him most honourably By whose examples as also by the example of these heere mentioned in our Apostle yee see how the Lord by the sufferings of his Saints giues that boldnes and courage vnto others of his children which neither themselues felt nor euer any saw in them before Let vs not therfore feare how we shall stand when persecution commeth but let vs depend on the Lord who alone giueth strength and perseuerance and he will strengthen vs to stand LECTVRE XIV Verse 15. Some preach Christ euen through enuie and strife and some also of good will 16. The one part preacheth Christ of contention and not purely supposing to adde afflictions to my bands 17. But the other of loue knowing that I am set for the defence of the Gospell 18. What then yet Christ is preached all manner of wayes whether it be vnder a pretence or sincerely I therin ioy yea and will ioy NOw followeth the amplification of the latter effect and fruit of the Apostles bands which was the third thing noted in the former part of the Apostles narration set downe in these words Some preach Christ c. In which words the Apostle sheweth that of those brethren in the Lord which through his constancie in his bands were emboldened to preach Christ more frankly then before all of them did not preach Christ with the same minde nor vpon the same motiue nor for the same end but some with a corrupt minde moued through enuy and strife and to the end to adde more afflictions to the Apostles bands and others of a good minde moued through loue and to the end that with the Apostle they might defend the gospell So that here is set downe a distribution of such as preached Christ according to the diuersitie of the mindes wherewith of the motiues wherevpon and of the ends wherefore they preached Christ The distribution is this that some preached Christ sincerely and others not sincerely set downe ver 15. The minde wherewith the motiues wherevpon the end wherefore the worse sort preached Christ is set downe vers 15.16 Likewise the minde wherewith the motiues wherevpon the end wherefore the better sort preached Christ is set downe vers 15.17 Touching their mindes the better sort preached Christ of good will and a good minde toward the Apostle and toward the Gospell but the worse sort preached Christ not purely but of a corrupt and bad minde toward the Apostle Touching their motiues the better sort preached Christ euen vpon loue towards the Apostle and towards the Gospell but the worse sort preached Christ vpon enuie toward the Apostle and to stirre strife and contention in the Church among the brethren Touching their ends the better sort preached Christ to helpe the Apostle in the defence of the gospell knowing that he was appointed of God for the defence of the gospel but the worse sort preached Christ to adde more affliction to his bands thinking by the contentions which they raised in the Church both to greeue him and to exasperate Nero against him Thus I resolue the order and meaning of these words The thing which hence I obserue is the great difference of such as preach Christ in the Church of God For not to speake of such as set abroche false doctrine in the Church whereby either the foundation of our faith is either pluckt downe or shaken or the Church is burdened with â—aine traditions and commandments of men which are not â—fter God as the Apostle in his day so we in our day may â—ee that of those that preach Christ truly and soundly for â—octrine some preach Christ as they should and others â—therwise then they should some may be called good and â—thers bad preachers of Christ Which difference of Preaâ—hers as then it did so now it doth come to passe through â—he diuersitie partly of the mindes wherewith they preach â—artly of the motiues which cause them to preach and partâ—y of the ends wherefore they doe preach For in some it is â—ery cleare that they preach the glad tidings of your saluaâ—â—on vnto you of a very good minde towards God towards â—ou and towards the gospell of Christ Iesus only desiring â—nd that from the ground of their hearts the glory of God â—â—e saluation of your soules and the growth of the gospell â—f Christ Iesus But in others it is greatly to be feared that â—â—ey preach Christ of a naughty and bad minde affecting â—ther their owne glory then the glory of God seeking raâ—â—er their owne things then the things which are Iesus â—hrists hunting after yours rather then you minding any â—â—ing else rather then
see the Lord. But when men seeing that we make a good profession Heb. 12.14 and yet liue nothing accordingly thereunto thereupon take occasion to speake euill of our profession of our religion of the Gospell of Christ Iesus how carefull ought we to be of our life and conuersation Woe to the world saith our blessed Sauiour because of offences it must needes be that offences shall come Mat. 18.7 but wo be to that man by whom the offence commeth And surely if by our life not answerable to our profession wee shall bring a slaunder vpon our religion our profession vpon the Gospell if by our life some shall be weakened others hardened the edge of others abated and others turned out of the good way then woe shall be vnto vs because of such offence in our life I doubt not but such as obserue these things in vs and fill their mouthes with talking of them both are guiltie of as crying sinnes themselues and most iniuriously taxe many of vs of these things But the more ready they are to obserue and to taxe without a cause the more carefull wee are to be that they haue no iust cause of taxing Let vs therefore beloued as we professe the Gospell of Christ so labour to liue as becommeth the Gospell of Christ As the Gospell teacheth vs to be holy so let vs be holy in all manner of conuersation as the Gospell teacheth vs to walke in the light so let vs walke in the light and haue nothing to do with the vnfruitfull workes of darknesse as the Gospell teacheth vs to loue God and one another so let vs loue God aboue all things and our neighbour as our selfe as the Gospell is the Gospell of peace so let vs be at peace with all men as the Gospell is true so let vs speake the truth euery man vnto his neighbour and lie not one vnto another c. Otherwise wee walke not as becommeth the Gospell of Christ In a word let vs not be hearers or professors of the word onely but doers also of the same least wee deceiue our selues Againe as this note may serue for the iust reproofe of such as professe well but liue not so well so may it also serue for a iust defence against the vniust slaunder of our aduersaries who beare the world in hand that holinesse of life is a matter that we neuer vrge that wee make no great reckoning of Your selues haue heard and can witnes how often since this very exercise hath begunne you haue beene vrged to runne forward in the race of righteousnesse and to make an end of your saluation with feare and trembling to labour to be blamelesse and pure and the sonnes of God in the middest of a naughtie and crooked nation to haue your conuersation in heauen to communicate vnto the necessities of the poore and distressed Saints to abound in loue in knowledge and in all iudgement to be filled with the fruits of righteousnesse and to striue to be pure and without offence vntill the day of Christ And now ye heare that if ye haue fellowship in the Gospell your conuersation is to bee as it becommeth of Christ Know them therefore to be of their father the Deuill who was a liar from the beginning and is the father thereof And suffer not your selues to bee deceiued by them who when they cannot otherwise preuaile against the truth fall to slaunder the professors of the truth And let this suffice to bee noted from the Apostles generall exhortation whence ye see that such as professe the Gospell of Iesus Christ should labour by all meanes to lead such a life as becommeth the Gospell of Christ But what will it serue the turne for a time in the presence or company of such and such persons to make a shew of such a life and conuersation as hypocrites doe which doe all that they doe to please men No and therefore the Apostle saith Let your conuersation bee as it becommeth the Gospell of Christ that whether I come and see you or else be absent and onely heare of you I may heart and see that in sinceritie and truth which I desire Whence I obserue that the life and conuersation of such as professe the Gospell of Iesus Christ is to be framed not after the will of man but after the will of God not to please men but to please the Lord that whether man be present or absent their life bee such as it ought to be Gal. 1.10 If I should please men saith the Apostle I were not the seruant of Christ The Apostle speaketh it of preaching the doctrine of the Gospell that if he should apply himselfe to the humors of men and preach things pleasing vnto them he should not please God which tryeth the heart But it may also very well be applyed vnto the life and conuersation of men that if we shall only frame our liues vnto mens likings and for the time only seeke to please them our life shall not be such as becommeth the Gospell of Christ And therefore the Lord himselfe sharply reproued it in Ezechiels hearers where he saith EZek 33.31 My people sit before thee and heare thy wordes but they will not doe them for with their mouthes they make ieasts their heart goeth after their couetousnes Where ye see the Lord taxeth Ezechiels hearers to bee such as when hee preached vnto them sate as his people and hearkened vnto their Prophet carried themselues well in his presence but in their hearts ranne after their couetousnesse and out of his presence made but a mocke of all that he spake vnto them And this was one of the sinnes wherefore the Lord threatned to lay the land desolate and waste Let this then teach vs to beware of hypocrisie It is not for vs to come vnto this place here to kneele vs downe on our knees to knocke our breasts to lift vp our eyes vnto Heauen to sit and hearken vnto the Preacher and when wee goe hence to make a mocke at the things that were spoken or to forget them or notwithstanding whatsoeuer shew of godlinesse we made in the Church in our houses to returne vnto our vomite For what else is this but here to play the hypocrites and here to make a shew of godlinesse the power whereof at home we denie And what is vnto hypocrites but a woe In the ordering therefore of our life let vs not depend vpon mans presence or absence but in a religious feare of the Lord let euery one of vs so walke as becommeth vs knowing that whether man see vs or see vs not yet God seeth vs and considereth all our waies It is the presence and pleasure of the Lord that wee are to looke vnto Let our life therefore and our conuersation be as in his presence and such as may please him howsoeuer wee please or displease men And let this suffice to bee noted touching the qualitie of such a conuersion as