first and now also infused into the bodie immediatly by God So Zech. 12. 1. Heb. 12. 9. 2. Cor. 7. 1. Isai 4. 6. it is the same with the word flesh though the word flesh haue diuers other significations most commonly for all mankind as also for the whole corruption and old man and so it is opposed to the word spirit that is the new Rom. 8. 1. 2. c. man wrought by the Spirit of God in vs. In the proper signification thereof the word bodie is taken in diuers other places as when it is said that Christ Phil. 3. 21. shall change our vile bodie c. and when Paul prayeth God 1. Thess 5. 23. to sanctifie the Thessalonians throughout in soule bodie and spirit so also when to the Hebrewes the Apostle saith they were washed in their bodies c. and so in the doctrine Heb. 10. 22. of the resurrection and often elsewhere But in this place it is taken for the whole man consisting of soule and bodie So it is taken when the second person in the Deitie is broght in saying A bodie hast thou prepared for me So after Heb. 10. 5. 10. when it is said By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the bodie of Iesus Christ once for all So Peter 1. Pet. 2. 24. saith that Christ in his bodie bare our sinnes vpon the Crosse In all which places the bodie of Christ is taken for the whole humane nature of Christ soule and bodie yea also for the whole person of Christ God and man in which respect by communication of the properties it is said Act. 20. 28. that God hath purchased his Church by his owne blood So likewise our bodie is taken for our whole man when the Rom. 6. 12. Apostle saith Let not sinne therefore reigne in your mortall bodie For he forbiddeth sin to reigne as well in the soule as in the bodie and although the soule be immortall yet the whole man ioyntly is mortall And so Peter Martyr saith that when he saith bodie per synecdochen he doth vnderstand the whole man as sometime by the word soule he doth the like For so Iacob is said to haue entred into Egypt with seuentie soules and yet presently after he saith Gen. 46. 26. that in this place it is not a name of nature but of vice For our corrupt affections are to be mortified and good are to be put into their place that our sacrifice may be acceptable But I confesse I do not well vnderstand how these words do accord with the former Some other for all that do so interprete the words our bodies in this place viz. not for our whole man neither for our natural bodies distinct from our soules but onely for our whole naturall corruption as the word flesh as before I shewed is diuers times so taken Of these Ambrose vpon this place seemeth to be the ancientest and chiefest Our bodies saith he being subiect to sinne are not accounted liuing but dead Then he saith Non enim sicut tunc corpora pro corporibus immolantur nunc vero non corpora sed vitia corporis sunt perimenda For not as then bodies are sacrificed for bodies but now not the bodies but the vices of the bodie are to be slaine Their reason seemeth to haue bin because as particular sinnes fornication vncleannesse c. are called our Col. 3. 5. earthly members so our whole corruption is called by the name of the body of death as when Paul crieth out Oh wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from the bodie Rom. 7. 24. of this death But for my part I rather approue of the former interpretation of our bodies to signifie our whole man as M. Caluin also interpreteth it because it is said our bodies must be a sacrifice liuing but our whole old man must be slaine mortified and crucified How also can the old man properly be said to be holy and acceptable vnto God when it is killed and mortified it is not in being and not being mortified it is altogether vnholy and odious vnto God who hareth all that is euill That our whole man soule and bodie must be presented Our whole mā soule and body must be sacrificed to God Isai 1. 16. 2. Cor. 7. 1. Psal 51. 2. vnto God a sacrifice it is manifest First of all by diuers commandements for the washing of our selues not in part but in whole and for purging of our selues from all filthinesse both of the flesh and of the spirit Secondly so also by Dauids prayer for himselfe wholy not in part to be washed Thirdly so by Christs sharp reprehension of the Pharisies for their washing themselues onely outwardly for making cleane the outside of the cup and of the Math. 23. 25. platter and for being like to whited sepulchers c. but within full of dead mens bones and of all vncleannesse Fourthly ver 27. our whole man hath sinned therefore our whole man must be offered to God Fiftly our whole man was at the first created and after our fall redeemed Sixtly in the world to come we desire our whole man to be glorified and so it shall be Seuenthly Christ suffered in his whole man in soule and in bodie in the one as well as in the other And it is to be obserued that as the word soule is expressed by Isaiah so the word vsed by Iohn and translated Isai 53. 10. Ioh. 10. 17. 1. Ioh. 3. 16. Christs suffering in soule and body for vs necessary life is not the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 life but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 soule And so it was necessarie that Christ should suffer and present himselfe a sacrifice to God in both parts of his humane nature that he might be a perfect Sauiour vnto vs of our soules and bodies because wee had sinned in both And this Christs suffering in soule as well as in bodie is manifest by his threefold most earnest prayer to God to be deliuered from that passion if it had bin possible by his sweat trickling downe like great drops of blood by his bitter Math. 26. 39. Luk 22. 44. Math. 27. 46. Ioh. 12. 27. crie vpon the Crosse My God my God why hast thou forsaken me yea also by his prayer to be deliuered from that houre long before All these things do plainly testifie that Christ suffered more then in bodie onely euen in soule also and not such punishment as man onely did inflict but the heauie wrath and indignation of God his Father For many a man hath suffered as great torments in body and greater that hath not so prayed to be deliuered from his sufferings nor so sweat nor so cried out Moreouer the necessitie of Christs such suffering and consequently of his so offering himselfe is further manifest because himselfe speaking of his suffering before saith not onely that he should or would so suffer but also that
we haue no need either of wood or of any other such subiect matter but our fire liueth in it selfe not burning the sacrifice Chrysost in Psa 95. or rather 96. tom 1. pag. 154. but more quickning it Elsewhere also he noteth many more particular sacrificing of our selues which here were too tedious to remember He also obserueth that the Apostle saith not Make your bodies a sacrifice but present them as if he had said Haue no thing to do with them sith ye haue bestowed them vpō another This he illustrateth by this similitude namely that they that bestow horses of warre vpon another haue nothing to do with them afterward so he that hath bestowed his members for warre against the diuell euen a terrible warre may not afterward recall them and conuert them to his proper vse Hereby also he sheweth vs another thing that we must first trie them forasmuch as we present them to another For we do not present them to any earthly person but to him that is God of all not onely to warre with them but that they may haue the King himselfe as it were to be their rider for he disdaineth not to sit on our members but greatly desireth it And that which a King that is our fellow seruant will not the same doth he desire that is Lord of the Angels Because therefore thy members are to be presented to God to be a sacrifice therfore purge them of euery blemish for if they haue any blemish they are no sacrifice For the eye may not be offered that is a seruant to fornication nor the hand that is a taker and deceiuer nor the feet that halt or frequent Playes nor the belly that is giuen to dainties and inflameth the desires of pleasure nor the heart that nourisheth wrath or vnchaste loue nor the tongue that speaketh filthy things We must therefore enquire very exactly into the faults of our bodies For if they that offered Leuit. 22. 20. c the old sacrifices were commanded first to consider all things and were not pemitted to offer any thing that had cut eares or a short tailes or were scabby or that had any worme much more must we that offer not vnreasonable sheep but our selues be more diligent and in euery part more cleane He saith further that our fire our knife must be from aboue and It seemeth that by this Altar he meaneth Christ himselfe in heauen as Heb. 13. 10. 1. King 18. 38. our altar the height it selfe of heauen For if Helias offering a sensible and a bodily sacrifice had a flame from aboue that consumed all things both matter wood and stones much more shall this come to passe in thy offering And although thou haue something that is weake and worldly and yet shalt offer thy sacrifice with a right mind yet the fire of the holy Ghost coming thereto shall both consume that worldlinesse and also make thy offering perfect But in all hitherto noted out of Chrysostome it is to be obserued that there is no mention of one part of our bodies that in these dayes is most abused to Gods great dishonour neither indeed could there be any mention thereof either by Chrysostome or by any other neither then liuing or afterward in any age till this last and most wicked age of all other But what part of the bodie is that Our very nostrils Why How can that be made a sacrifice now to God According to other things before noted out of Chrysostome by refraining the same from that foule and monstrous abuse of Tobacco that is now so common in all sorts in Church and Commonwealth in the Vniuersities themselues in the Innes of Court in Gentlemen in Yeomen in Clownes what shall I say more the very rogues and vagabonds now haue got it yea being committed to cages and laid by the heeles in the stocks while they are thus vnder punishment of the magistrate so impudent are they that euen then there they haue their Tobacco-boxes and Tobacco-pipes and make the smoke of hell fornace to come out of their nostrils in the sight of all standing about their said cages and gazing on them while they so sit in the stocks Oh wofull oh lamentable Most of all wofull and lamentable is it that yet for all this others that should be and would be of some sort and fashion should still continue the foule abuse of it Is it not as it is vsed the nurse and nourishment of drunkennesse Can any shew as many benefits of it as all men see inconueniences Verily though it may be it is good for some thing yet if the common saying be true Better a mischiefe then an inconuenience it were better it were quite supprest and cleane hist out of the kingdome in respect of the manifold detriments and inconueniences by it then still to be retained Alas alas that men yea and men of vnderstanding should be so inchanted and bewitched with it Strange fashions beginning at the higher ranke of men do cease and are forborne by such as first began them when euery base person of the country hath laid hold of them how strange therefore is it that they that are more base then the basest euen the rogues themselues that are past all grace and shame should practise it and glorie in it and yet others should retaine and support it This shall suffice to haue added to Chrysostome aboue that that either he or any other since his time euer dreamed of or could dreame of Now to speake no more from Chrysostome whereby to shew that that before I haue said to be according vnto To sacrifice our strength him and especially agreeable to the word of God but to proceed as all members of the bodie must be sacrificed to God so also must all the strength and powers of our whole bodies be applied vnto the seruice of God in duties both of religion because we must loue God with all Mark 12. 30. our strength and also of loue to men in our generall and in our speciall callings because the second commandement that is the second Table of the morall Law for the loue of our neighbour is like vnto the first for our loue to God Thus much for the actuall sacrificing of our bodies and of some particular members thereof CHAP. VI. Of the actiue sacrificing of our soules and of some particular actiue sacrifices of our whole man soule and bodie NOw followeth the actiue sacrificing of our soules The actiue sacrificing of our soules All sacrifices of the bodie nothing without the soule without which whatsoeuer our bodies do is nothing at least no better then puppet play for the Lord reiecteth it though neuer so glorious in the eyes of men It may be beneficiall to other yea to our selues also by procuring vs credit and reputation with men and thereby also some preferment in the world and our outward man touching the outward state thereof may perhaps for a while yea for
our whole life time fare the better but the soule it selfe touching the euerlasting life and glorie thereof shall haue no benefit by whatsoeuer seruice is done to God or duties performed to men by the whole bodie or any part thereof not working with and from the soule No man shall liue by the faith of another himselfe not beleeuing so shall not the soule haue any benefit for the life to come by all the works of the bodie alone except it selfe also worke with the bodie and the bodie also by it yea the bodie it selfe shall haue no benefit for the glorifying and making thereof like to the glorious body of Philip. 3. 21. Christ vnlesse all that it doth come from the soule Sometime soule and bodie do fare and shall fare the better by the works onely of the soule as by the meditations and by the prayers and supplications of the soule alone when the bodie being some way oppressed cannot ioyne with the soule as Hanna oppressed with griefe could not pray with her tongue and yet speaking in her heart and powring 1. Sam. 1. 13. 15. out her soule vnto the Lord she obtained her desire but neither the soule alone nor bodie alone nor both ioyntly shall fare the better for eternall life by any works whatsoeuer or by any sacrifices whatsoeuer of the bodie alone without the soule working with the bodie Because Isai 29. 13. 14. the Iewes drew neare to God with their mouth and with their lips did honour him remouing their hearts farre from him and that their feare towards him was taught by the precept of men as many amongst vs do many things more by the law of man then by the word of God Therfore the Lord threatneth to proceed by that word noting a beginning already made as for the ingratitude of good King Hezekiah 2. Chro. 32. 25. the wrath of God began against him and Iudah and Ierusalem and to do a maruellous worke and a wonder euen that the wisedome of the wise men should perish and the vnderstanding of the prudent men should be hâ—d Oh the Lord keep vs from this iudgement for what greater almost can there be For what was it else but so to strike their great Statesmen that did manage and gouerne their whole Common-wealth with a kind of phrensie and madnesse that they should not be able to do any thing but suffer all to go to wracke like to that of great Nebuchadnezzar whom the Lord for his pride smote with such madnesse that he was Dan. 4. 25. not fit for the societie of men and therefore was cast out to liue and feed with beasts for seuen yeares together or like to that of Achitophel who for his wisedome was in 2. Sam. 16. 23. that estimation that the counsell that he counselled in those dayes was as if a man had enquired of the oracle of God him notwithstanding for his pride in ioyning with Absolon against Dauid whose counseller he had bin the Lord Chap. 17. 23. so smote with a kind of phrensie that in his said phrensie being malecontent that Absolon had preferred the counsell of Hushai before his he went to his house and hanged himselfe Could there be a greater madnesse then to hang himselfe So to ouerthrow the wisedome of the wise as the Lord before threatned which were as it were the eyes of the whole people was to put out their eyes as Iudg. 16. 21. the Philistins put out the eyes of Samson by the iust iudgement of God for breaking his vow of the Nazarites and as Elymas the sorcerer for withstanding of Paul was by Acts 13. 11. Paul as the instrument of God smitten also with the like blindnesse If then the light that was in them that is in their kingdome should be darknesse how great would that darknesse be Moreouer why did not the Lord respect the sacrifice of Cain was it not because it was Gen. 4. 5. brought and offered onely with the bodie not with the soule Therefore also the Lord calleth vpon vs to wash Ier. 4. 14. Math. 5. 8. Iam. 4. 8. our hearts and our Sauiour saith Blessed are the pure in heart c. and Iames biddeth vs not onely to cleanse our hands that is our bodies synecdochically but also to purge our hearts The soule of a man is the more principall part and therefore called the glorie of a man so that whatsoeuer Psal 16. 9 and 30. 12. and 57. 8 the bodie doth without it is nothing Now by the soule I meane the whole spirituall part of a man euen all that is within him as the Prophet saith My soule blesse the Lord and all that is within me blesse his Psal 103. 1. holy Name To speake more particularly and plainly as by the body is to be vnderstood all the parts and members of the bodie The sacrifice of our wit reason c. so by the soule is to be meant all the powers and faculties thereof with reason vnderstanding thoughts memorie the will and the affections as loue hatred anger envie feare hope griefe ioy delight c. all these and euery one of these must be sacrificed to God and so dedicated that they must not at any time be vsed or employed against God or his children but alwayes for God and his glorie and truth and for the good of his people Our wit must not be employed in opposition to the truth but in the defence of it so must all our reason vnderstanding and learning None haue bin greater aduersaries to God and his truth nor greater hereticks neither more dangerous for the saluation of men yea also for their outward state then such as haue bin most wittie most learned and of greatest reach Satan making choice of the Gen. 3. 1. wittiest creature of all other to assault our first mother did thereby preuaile and ouerthrew both her and our first father and all their posteritie The same is to be said of not employing our wits to any other vanitie as to making of Playes or iests and sports for men to laugh in carnall maner especially then when common calamities present or future dangers do call vs to mourning and weeping to sackcloth and ashes Such as do straine all that is in them to make other merrie onely and to shew themselues fooles disgracing and defaming the image of God wherein they were made do slander God as though he had done that that he hath not and as though he had made them that they are not Is it a small matter to belye a King Is it nothing to deface the image of a Prince though but in iest This then is the first degree of sacrificing our wit reason vnderstanding and learning to God euen to restraine them from all such euill The second is to employ them to the aduancement of Gods glorie the furthering and promoting of his truth the edifying of men in their faith or the benefit of them touching this
before dead Peter also for himselfe and for all the rest of the Apostles saith to our Sauiour Ioh. 6. 68. Iam. 1. 18. that he had the words of eternall life Iames also maketh the word of truth the meanes of our regeneration which is the beginning of our spiritual life The like doth the Apostle Peter For the same cause our Sauiour raised 1. Pet. 1. 23. vp Iairus his daughter Lazarus by speaking vnto them as before we heard that could haue raised them vp by his secret power that thereby he might commend his word to be word of eternall life That the word is also the meanes of our holinesse our Sauiour sheweth Now are ye cleane through the words that I Ioh. 15. 3. haue spoken vnto you To be cleane pure or holy are all one The same is taught by our Sauiours prayer Sanctifie them Ioh. 17. 17. with thy truth thy word is truth Paul saith that our Sauiour gaue himselfe for the Church to sanctifie and cleanse it with Ephes 5. 26. the washing of water by the word Peter likewise testifieth 1. Pet. 1. 22. the same saying that our soules are purified by obeying or hearing of the truth As euill words corrupt good manners so the good word 1 Cor. 15. 33. of God cannot but make mens manners good that are appointed to life That some remaine still dead and filthy that daily heare the word it is either because they belong not to life or because the houre of their calling and opening of their hearts as the heart of Lydia was opened is Act. 16. 14. Gal. 4 4. not yet come As there was a fulnesse of time for Christ to come into the world so the Lord hath his fulnesse of time likewise for sending his Son into the hearts of men How excellently soeuer also yâ— word be preached except 1. Cor. 3. 9. God do work with the preaching thereof it cannot effect any thing That which the Prophet saith that except the Psal 127. 1. Lord build the house they labour in vaine that build it c. is not onely to be vnderstood of our labours and endeuours for this life but most of all of building men vp as liuing stones to be an holy temple of God himselfe Hence it is that not onely the Sermons of the Apostles but also of Christ himselfe did not onely not worke holinesse but a so through the corruption of the hearers and for their former sinnes did more and more strike them with blindnes Mat. 13. 14. and hardnes of heart to their further destruction and condemnation As the word is the meanes to reuiue and to sanctifie so that it is also to make vs well pleasing to God hath bin shewed before And how can it be otherwise sith we can no longer please him then we containe our selues within the limits thereof and performe the duties of faith and obedience therein contained If we passe the bounds 1. Kin. 2. 36. thereof and do contrary thereunto then as Shimei by Salomon confined to Ierusalem vpon paine of death passing notwithstanding his said bounds and going ouer the brooke Kidron three yeares after to fetch his two runaway seruants from Gath did thereby so prouoke Salomons indignation against him that it cost him his life so we passing the bounds of Gods word and doing contrary to the will and pleasure of God therein reuealed though obserued Ezechil 18. 24. for some good while shall most iustly incurre the iust displeasure of God and purchase to our selues euerlasting condemnation What is the vse of the former doctrine That as we desire The vse life to be holy wel pleasing to God so we regard the word heare the word with all due reuerence attention humilitie yea studie also and meditate of it conferring thereof with other not for disputation or contention but Psal 119 18. for our further learning and obedience praying God likewise to open our eyes that we may behold the wondrous ver 33. things of his law to teach vs the way of his statutes for keeping thereof to the end to incline likewise our hearts vnto his ver 3â— testimonies and neither to couetousnesse the greatest impediment Col. 3. 5. 1. Tim. 6. 10. of all other vnto godlinesse as being idolatrie and the roote of all euill neither to any other vanitie Sweete and precious is our naturall life much better then riches and glorie as the which are but in the left hand of wisedom Pro. 3. 16. whereas length of dayes is in her right hand and the which our Sauiour preferreth before all things euen necessarily Mat. 6. 25. pertaining to life How sweet therefore and precious ought the life before mentioned to be The same is to be said of holinesse Gods owne robe and yet vouchsafed to vs as a Liuerie whereby we may be knowne to be his seruants Isay 6. 3. well to please God oh how pleasant a thing is it It bringeth that peace of conscience that passeth all vnderstanding Phil. 4. 7. As an euill conscience accusing men of their displeasing of God is an hell vpon earth and a continuall gnawing worme that shall neuer die so a good conscience Isay 66. 24. 1. Pet. 1. 8. Pro. 15. 15. is an heauen vpon earth accompanied with ioyes vnspeakable and glorious Therefore it is called a continuall feast A feast and a feast without end far passing the royall feast of Ahashuerus for though therein he shewed the riches of Ester 1. 3. 4. c his glorious kingdome and the honour of his excellent maiestiâ— yet that feast was but of the bodie this is of the soule that was but for an hundred and fourescore dayes an whole halfe yeare within three dayes this feast is an euerlasting feast lasting vnto and in the life to come And yet also all the feast of a good conscience here is but as it were a drinking or breakfast to stay our stomacks till the life to come and the Supper of the Lambe and of the great God and till Reu. 19. 9. 17. Mat. 22. 2. the mariage of the great Kings Sonne All these things considered how ought we to esteem of the word how ought we to meditate and conferre of the word to loue it and to delight in it How ought we to pray for the knowledge of it and obedience vnto it the same being the meanes of all the former The same is to be said touching all that belong vnto vs wiues children and seruants whom we would haue to be such sacrifices liuing holy and well pleasing to God But hauing spoken enough before to induce vs to the due regard hereof I will forbeare all further speeches thereof in this place This word of God in the former respects is often called by the name of the bare word for the excellencie of it aboue all words no other word or words whatsoeuer being to be compared thereunto neither able so
doctrine the word loue with all the foure former ends why he would haue their said loue so to abound in knowledge and iudgement are for exhortation And indeed loue to God and men will much erre without knowledge and iudgement to direct them and men also cannot discerne things that differ neither be sound at the heart nor free from offence much lesse filled with the fruits of righteousnes without the same knowledge and iudgement to shew them what is false what true what euill what good neither can they be sound and sincere except they know what soundnesse and sincerenesse is and how it is to be had and whereby to be retained Finally how can men abound in the fruits of righteousnes except they know what workes are righteous and what vnrighteous Moreouer doctrine is as it were the whole loafe or ioynt of meate exhortation is the diuiding of it aright and 2. Tim. 2. 15. the distribution thereof according to the diuers states and capacities of men and men to be instructed in doctrine are as children that cannot carue for themselues As therefore it is not enough for whole loaues of bread or ioynts of meate to be set before children except the same be cut and diuided to euery one according as their need requireth and as it were by parcels and seuerall porâ—ions so it is not enough for doctrine to be onely deliuered except also by exhortation the same be applied as euery man is capable thereof and hath need in respect of his place and calling and conuersation All this is not to be so vnderstood as though euery Minister of the word should be able to teach and exhort in the same measure For these faculties of teaching and exhorting are distinguished in this Chapter verse 7. 8. and Pastors and Teachers are reckoned as seuerall callings as well as Apostles Prophets and Euangelists and to one is Ephes 4. 14. 1. Cor. 12. 8. giuen by the same Spirit the word of wisedome and to another the word of knowledge This therefore is onely the meaning that doctrine alone is not to be taught but also to be applied by exhortation either by one and the same man or by diuers some teaching some exhorting some hauing a speciall gift in teaching that are but meane in exhortation and some being excellent for quickning men by exhortation that haue not the like facultie for doctrine The vse of all this is twofold 1. Reprehension 2. Instruction It reproueth all that content themselues with one only The vse of the former doctrine without the other Some with doctrine onely that neuer care to be pressed with exhortation for doing of that which doctrine teacheth and requireth Some for a time are moued with earnest exhortations and a while are hot on the spurre in their affections to the Preachers and swift to speake in commendation of such Sermons as do so on the sudden affect them who notwithstanding cannot beare doctrine though neuer so diuine at least who cannot endure much thereof but thinke it tedious and irksome So neither the one nor the other doth long giue them good content Such are like to those little children Math. 11. 16 17 18 19. that our Sauiour speaketh of and to whom he compareth the Iewes who were not pleased with the preaching either of Iohn the Baptist or of himselfe but had their exceptions against the one and the other Our Sauiour indeed saith that they were willing for a season to reioyce in Iohns Ioh. 5. 35. light But this word for a season bewrayeth their said ioy had no soliditie though the phrase vsed importeth great ioy but that it was quickly quenched like to the laughter of a foole compared to the cracking of thornes vnder a pot Eccles 7. 6. that maketh a great blaze for a time which suddenly is cleane out Some great schollers likewise and Doctors are alwayes reading of many bookes and day and night plod for doctrine and grow to be great clerks and learned men which seldome preach to other applying their doctrine by exhortation but keepe all in their bosomes to themselues no man else almost faring the better by all their learning yea Psal 42. 5 11. 43. 5. 103. 1. 2. 22. some neuer apply their said doctrine and knowledge to themselues in exhorting themselues and prouoking their soules to such duties as belong vnto them as Dauid often did his soule Now for the second vse of instruction let all learne to ioyne both together That which our Sauiour speaketh in the matter of mariage is to applied to all other things as spoken in the neuter gender That which God hath ioyned Math. 19. 6. together let no man dis-ioyne Let doctrine be highly regarded as the foundation and much laboured for as that whereby the Lord doth make knowne his manifold wisedome Ephes 3. 10. vnto principalities and powers in heauenly places that is vnto his holy Angels and whereinto they do greatly desire 1. Pet. 1. 12. to prie as sometimes the Cherubims were made with their faces towards the Mercie seate as it were to attend Exod. 25. 20. what oracles the Lord from thence would deliuer vnto his people As the Apostle in this Epistle and in many other especially the writer to the Hebrewes haue written most of doctrine so let euery man by doctrine lay a good foundation to eternall life There neuer was more need hereof then in these dayes wherein the Apostle hath foretold some should depart from the faith giuing heed to seducing 1. Tim. 4. 3. 4. spirits and doctrines of diuels and the which dayes therefore 2. Tim. 3. 1. he hath called perillous times and when also he hath said that men will not endure sound doctrine but after their 1. Tim. 4. 3. 4. owne lusts shall heape vp vnto themselues false teachers and hauing itching eares shall turne them away from the truth vnto fables such as these doctrines of Poperie are viz. of the nine Orders of Angels of the number of Angels of Limbus Patrum of Purgatorie and of many other the like yea the same Apostle hath said that he knew that after his departure should wolues yea grieuous wolues enter in Acts 20. 29. amongst the faithfull not sparing the flocke Who euer were such wolues as Iesuites Seminary Priests and the rest of that Popish rout Alas how euident is this to all the world in respect of the bodies of men as well as of their soules by the blood of the Saints shed by them heretofore and now dayly in France as also since by their crueltie to the West Indian Heathen Hath not the Apostle said there must be heresies that they 1. Cor. 11. 19. that are approued may be made manifest And are not many amongst vs made manifest to be Priests that before were accounted good Protestants Whence is this but from wnat of a good foundation of doctrine Certainly hereby men are as apt to take any impression and
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
greasie Priest at his pleasure be of power to fetch it from heauen Or hath Christ now two bodies one in the state of humiliation another in the state of glorification one visible in the heauens another inuisible in the earth Yea how many millions of Christs bodie do they make here in earth For they will denie that in the celebration of their Masse where and whensoeuer the body of Christ is receiued perfrusta by peeces or scraps but they auouch that euery one receiueth the whole bodie of Christ So then there must be so many bodies of Christ not onely as there are Masses celebrated in all the world but also as there are seuerall communicants in the whole world and yet forsooth the bodie of Christ must still remaine whole O noble Arithmeticians Let no Merchants therefore or any other that haue great accounts to make euer make vp their reckonings and cast vp their accounts without some Masse-priest present by whom they may make the speedier worke Then wil there not be so many bankerupts as there are Yea further I pray you note another abhomination in their Masse For they say that euery one receiueth the whole bodie of Christ flesh blood and bone really and materially with his bodily mouth as it was borne of the virgin Marie but whether so little as then it was or of full growth that they tell not But to omit this what followeth I pray you remember that our Sauiour himselfe saith Whatsoeuer entreth into the mouth goeth into the belly Math. 15. 17. and is cast out into the draught according to the Greeke and Latin word Do not these men thinke you highly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Latrina dignifie the body of Christ to affoord him no better room being now glorified in the heauens then this But soft they haue not yet determined whether as I said it be the bodie of Christ glorified or as it was in the shape of a seruant Well then demurre a while and consult one with another of that In the meane time whether of both they meane is it not much worse then the stable wherein he was borne and the manger wherein so borne he was laid Yet who can expresse the sauage barbarousnesse of the people in vouchsafing the virgin Marie no better roome though they knew her not to be with child of the Sauiour of the world How horrible an indignity therefore is this so to abase Christs body he being so mightily declared to be the Son of God Yea this is most horrible blasphemie what Christian heart or eare can endure it If Peter cōpare 1. Pet. 2. 12. some that feared not to speake euill of dignities amongst men and of things which they vnderstand not vnto naturall bruite beasts or vnreasonable creatures whereunto may these be compared that so abase and disgrace Christ Iesus himselfe whom they professe to know to be the Sonne of God the Lord of life and glorie Is it any maruell that they speake euill of Princes in the earth that do so fouly deale with the King of Kings and Lord of Lords If Peter Reuel 19. 16. also say further that such as so speake shall vtterly perish for so the word by him vsed signifieth how fearfull and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 direfull shall be the end of these wicked wretches For is not this to crucifie to themselues afresh the Son of God And Heb. 6. 6. indeed so they must do if they make a new oblation of him For a new oblation of Christ requireth a new death of Christ But Christ once dead and now liuing dieth no more Reuel 1. 18. And if they do againe so crucifie Christ let them take that which followeth in the former place to the Hebrewes and acknowledge themselues to be so fallen away that they cannot be renewed by repentance that is they cannot repent Furthermore they say their Masse is a Sacrament Non sententias sed contradictoria loquuntur carnifices These butchers speake not sentences but in some sort contradictories For if it be a Sacrament as the Supper of the Lord is to be acknowledged then is it not such a sacrifice as they speake of For a sacrament a sacrifice are two such distinct diuers things that the one cannot be the other A sacrament cannot be a sacrifice neither can a sacrifice be a sacrament If it be obiected that the Passe-ouer was a sacrament and yet a sacrifice I denie the latter namely The Passe-ouer was no sacrifice that it was a sacrifice properly so called For euery sacrifice was to be slaine by the Priests and to be offered at the Tabernacle and Altar of the Lord but the Passe-ouer was to beslaine yea eaten also by euery family it was to be roasted with fire leauing no part thereof till the morning Exod. 12. 8. it was not at all to be consumed by fire as other sacrifices were If yet it be obiected that it is called a sacrifice I first aske where Secondly I say it might improperly be so called as a type of Christ of whom it is said that Christ 1. Cor. 5. 7. our Passe-ouer is sacrificed for vs. Thirdly in respect of many peace-offerings after the first institution offered at 2. Chro. 32. 22. and 35. 7. the first celebration thereof In which respects the Supper of the Lord hath bin by the Fathers often called a sacrifice because of the praises of God prayers to God and almes giuen to men when the same hath bin celebrated Besides all the premises that the Passe-ouer was no sacrifice properly so called it is manifest by expresse Scripture Exod. 8. 25. 26. because when Pharaoh gaue libertie to the Israelites to sacrifice to the Lord in Egypt Moses answered that it was not meete so to do c. And yet afterward they slue and did eate the Passe-ouer in Egypt Therefore I conclude that Exod. 12. the Passe-ouer was not properly a sacrifice but onely as before I said And touching the bodie of Christ I also conclude that neither any shauen Priest nor any other is now to offer the same but that all Christian religion consisteth in the receiuing thereof yea of whole Christ not into their bodies but into their hearts by a true and liuely faith But leauing these their blasphemies to themselues and to the iudgement and condemnation of God I proceed Now hauing shewed the bodie of Christ not to be any wayes here meant neither now to be offered by any shaueling Priest or any other as the Popish Church blasphemously say they offer it daily in their Masse let vs more fully see what yet is meant by these words your bodies I do therefore vnderstand by them as I said our whole man bodies and soules The word bodie indeed properly signifieth but one part of vs that was at the first made of the earth and that we now take from our parents Gen. 2. 7. and so it is distinguished from our soules at the
taile and still we are to wrastle for our exercise not against flesh and blood but against such aduersaries as in respect of our weaknesse are called Principalities and powers rulers of the Ephes 6. 12. darknesse of this world that is of the children of darknesse in this world not of the children of the light and against spirituall wickednesses in high places yea also against him that in respect of his subtiltie and our simplicitie is called the old Serpent Reuel 12. 9. 20. 2. The reason of this phrase sacrifice is because being ingrafted into Christ Iesus we are partakers of his Priesthood and are Priests as wel as Kings vnto God For though 1. Pet. 1. 5. Reuel 1. 6. and 5. 10. in that place of Peter we be called also liuing stones yet this is not preiudiciall to the other for in diuers respects we are called by diuers names and there we be called stones rather then timber First because Princes houses are rather built with stones then with timber and we be the houses temples of God himself who is King of Kings Secondly in respect of the perpetuitie of all the elect stones being more durable then timber Thirdly because Christ himselfe into whom as before I said we are mortised is also called the chiefe corner stone In like maner as Ephes 2. 20. Christ was both the Priest and also the sacrifice once offered for all so are we both Priests and also sacrifices according to this present text Thus much of the seuerall words of this exhortation CHAP. V. Wherein an entrance is made into the matter of the whole exhortation shewing the sacrificing of our selues to be actiue and passiue and how first of all we are actiuely to sacrifice diuers particular parts of our bodies vnto God NOw we come to the matter of the whole exhortation for the offering vp or presenting our selues such a sacrifice Touching this therefore let vs vnderstand that Our sacrifice now not expiatorie but encharisticall when the Apostle requireth or exhorteth these Romanes and in them vs also to present our selues a sacrifice he meaneth not any propitiatorie expiatorie or satisfactorie sacrifice for our owne sinnes or for the sinnes of other but onely an Eucharisticall or gratulatorie sacrifice in thankfulnesse to God for the expiation of our sinnes and satisfaction of his iustice made by his Sonne on our behalfe and on behalfe of all the elect and that by the appointment of God the Father himselfe in that behalfe and in the meere and free loue both of the Father and of the Sonne towards vs without any desert of ours yea contrary to our desert Let vs also further vnderstand that this our sacrifice Our sacrifice of our selues twofold actiue and palsiue of our whole man bodie and soule is twofold First actiue Secondly passiue Actiue in doing all both in soule and in bodie that God hath commanded vs to do Passiue in suffering whatsoeuer either he shall lay vpon vs or call vs to suffer Before we enter into the sacrificing of our selues actiuely A fourefold difference betweene the sacrifices of the Law and of the Gospel let vs note one thing more viz. the difference between the sacrifices of the Law and of the Gospell to be fourefold First in respect of the Priests offering the one and the other Secondly in respect of the place Thirdly in respect of the times Fourthly in respect of the persons for whom the sacrifices of the Law were to be offered Touching the Priests of the Law they were all of one Tribe viz. of the Tribe of Leui and not all they but only the posteritie of Aaron neither all the posteritie of Aaron for there were excepted from the seruice of the priesthood all that were blind lame flat nosed or that had any thing Leuit. 21. ver 18 19 20 21. superfluous or that were broken footed or broken handed crooked backt or dwarfes or that had any blemish in their eyes or that were scuruie or scabbed or had their stones broken and finally all that had any blemish Now in the time of the Gospell Christ Iesus hauing offered himselfe once for all and he being a Priest for euer after the order of Melchizedek not of the Tribe of Leui but of the Tribe of Iuda and hauing abolished all the Priesthood of Aaron with all the appurtenances thereof all Christians both men and women without exception of any are priests to offer this sacrifice of their soules and bodies Eucharisticall vnto God Touching the place after the building of the Tabernacle all sacrifices of the Law were onely to be offered in the Tabernacle and after the building of the Temple all in the Temple the Tabernacle it selfe before the building of the Temple being called by the name of the Temple 1. Sam. 1. 9. and 3. 3. Now vnder the Gospel euery where all men and women may and must offer themselues such a sacrifice as Paul here exhorteth these Romanes to offer Touching the third difference before mentioned betwixt the sacrifices of the Law and this and Other therein Leuit. 23. contained there were set times for the sacrifices of the Law viz. morning and euening sometimes also the sacrifices were doubled twice as much being commanded to be offered at one time as at another yea there were also set seuerall sacrifices enioyned at for seueral feasts of the Lord. Now in the time of the Gospell there is no such set time appointed for this sacrifice of our selues but as we are to pray alwayes and without ceasing as well as euery Ephes 6. 18. 1. Thes 5. 17. 1. Tim. 2. 8. where this dutie of prayer being a branch as we shal heare of this sacrifice of our selues so we are alwayes and without ceasing to offer this sacrifice of our selues Touching the persons for whom the old sacrifices were to be offered there was one sacrifice for the Priest another Leuit. 4. 3. for the sinne of the whole congregation another for the magistrate another for any of the common people and that also according to the qualitie of euery ones sinne for the sinnes of knowledge a greater sacrifice being enioyned then for the sinnes of ignorance But now the spirituall sacrifices of the Gospell comprehended in this sacrifice of our selues must be offered for all alike as well as by all alike the neglect of this sacrifice or of any such branch thereof as whereof afterward we shall speake being preiudiciall to all the whole bodie whereof we are members as well as to the partie himselfe that so neglecteth it Hauing thus spoken of these differences of the old sacrifices of the Law and of this of our selues let vs now returne to our former dictinction of sacrificing our selues both actiuely and passiuely To begin therefore with the actiue sacrificing of our selues because the Apostle as before hath bin shewed by our bodies meaneth our whole man bodie and soule and yet nameth onely our bodies
let vs in that respect begin with the actiue sacrificing of our bodies and then speak of the sacrificing of our soules and of both as briefly as we may Touching our bodies I may first of all consider the The actiue sacrificing of our bodies sacrificing of our heads wherein let vs onely remember that sober and modest wearing of our haire which the Apostle by the testimonie of nature it selfe commendeth 1. Cor. 11. 14. 15 vnto vs namely that men weare short haire because it is a shame for them to haue long haire and that women likewise account of their long haâ—re to be an ornament vnto them and on the contrary that it is a shame for them to be shauen or polled These premises do plainly shew first of all that all men that accordingly do not so weare their haire do not therefore sacrifice their heads so vnto God as here the Apostle commandeth for what is it to sacrifice our bodies and euery member of them but to frame and conforme them according to the word as afterward we shal heare more at large The same is to be said of women either impudently cutting off their haire and so making themselues like to beardlesse yong men or not wearing their haire in such modestie as the word prescribeth But of these things more afterward vpon the second verse To come now to the particular members of our heads Our eares Our eares are to be sacrificed to God first by restraining them from hearing any false doctrine That which the Apostle requireth of Timothy namely to withdraw himselfe froÌ„ disputings with men of corrupt minds c. belongeth 1. Tim. 6. 5. 2. Tim. 2. 16. 2. Tim. 4. 3. to all other as also the shunning of prophane and vaine babbling yea our eares must not so much as itch after teachers of such things because to do these things is the beginning of turning away our eares from the truth As we must turne away our eares from all false doctrine Ephes 4. 29. Ephes 5. 4. 1. Cor. 15. 53. so also must we from all filthy talking and corrupt communication yea also from all foolish talking because such communications corrupt good manners and them that otherwise are well affected For there is none so well affected but that still he hath some reliques of the old man that is altogether apt to heare euill and to stop the eares against all goodnesse like the deafe Adder against the charmer not Psal 58. 4. 5. hearkning to his voice charme he neuer so wisely The Lord Deut. 13. 1. by Moses commanded the Israelites not to heare the words of false Prophets And doth not our Sauiour admonish his Math. 16. 5. Mark 8. 15. Disciples to take heed and beware of the leuen of the Scribes and Pharisies that is of their doctrine If the Israelites that had heard God to giue his Law in most glorious maner and had seene the great works of God in Egypt and their owne most wonderfull passage through the red sea and the mightie ouerthrow of Pharaoh and all his hoast therein and many other great works of God if the Disciples that had bin so taught by Christ himselfe and had seene all his miracles if Timothy that had knowne the holy 2. Tim. 3. 14. chap. 1. 5. Scriptures from a child and in whom dwelt the vnfained faith of his grandmother Lois and of his mother Eunice if all these needed such admonitions how much more need haue we and all that liue now in these perillous times wherein lesuites and other false Antichristian teachers as also Anabaptists and other heretiks do so swarme much more dangerous and hurtfull then all the flies frogs grashoppers and lice that were in the land of Egypt Hitherto belongeth that graue admonition to the Hebrewes before by the Apostle commended to haue had such things as did Heb. 6. 9. accompanie saluation that they should take heed as they feared falling away from the grace of God lest any roote neuer so small of bitternesse did spring vp or peepe out whereby they should be troubled and many defiled And alas who seeth not the necessitie of this admonition in these dayes and in this our land not onely by the swarming of these Romish and bloody caterpillers before mentioned but also by their perillous effects in many like children of disobedience euen by the falling away of many to Poperie that haue bin borne of Protestant parents and instructed in the truth How many also are corrupted in their manners by hearkning vnto vain foolish and filthy ballads and by other the like corrupt communications against the first and against the second Table Neither is it enough for sacrificing of our eares to God onely to restraine them from hearing that which is euill but they must also be applied to heare that which is good This the Apostle intimateth when he saith Be swift to Iam. 1. 19. heare Hereunto belong many precepts in the Prouerbes Prou. 2. 2. and 4. 1. 20. Pro. 22. 17. Math. 11. 15. and 13. 9. 43. Reuel 2. 7. 11. 17. 19. and 3. 6. 13. 22. for inclining our eares to wisedome c. for hearing the instructions of fathers c. How also doth our Sauiour both in the Gospell and in the Reuelation say Whoso hath eares to heare let him heare and He that hath an eare to heare let him heare what the Spirit saith vnto the Churches How comfortable soeuer the eye is for the direction of the bodie in matters of this life yet the eare is more necessarie for the life to come because Faith both cometh and also is increased especially by hearing That which hath bin said of sacrificing our eares is also To sacrifice our eyes Psal 119. 37. 21 Pet. 2. 14. Math. 5. 28. Gen 6. 2. to be said of sacrificing our eyes by praying that they may be turned away from beholding of vanitie and by taking heed they be not eyes full of adulterie neither do behold a woman with intent to lust after her or by whom to be prouoked to vnlawfull mariage as the sonnes of God were before the flood or to any other breach of the seuenth commandement such as Shechem committed or Gen. 34. 2. Gen. 39. 7. 2. Sam. 11. 2. Potiphars wife inticed Ioseph to commiti and as Dauid himselfe did commit as also that they be not too much fixed vpon any obiect either of couetousnes as the eyes of Iosu 7. 21. 1. Kin. 21. 1. Achan vpon the Babylonish garment c. and Ahabs were vpon the vineyard of Naboth or of envie in which respect an enuious man is often called a man of an euill eye Pro. 23. 6. Math. 20. 15. Mark 7. 22. because the looking too much vpon the prosperitie or mercies of God bestowed vpon another doth prouoke such lookers to enuie and fretting as these words of the Prophet do plainly shew I was enuious at the foolish when Psal 73. 3. I saw the
it is well if men by much intreating will be perswaded to giue Zaccheus without any exhortations stood forth and said vnto the Luk. 19. 8. Lord Behold Lord the halfe of my goods I giue to the poore Where is there such a one in these dayes Alas most mens hearts yea Professors are so hardned against all such kindnesse that like to the deafe Adder that will not hearken Psal 58. 5. to the voice of the charmer charming neuer so wisely like I say to this deafe Adder they will not hearken to the exhortations made for liberalitie be they neuer so earnest But such exhortations go so to the heart of many that they go from them as heauie and sad as he did whom our Sauiour bade to sell all that he had and to giue it to the Math. 19. 22. Mark 10. 22. poore But certainly they to whom such exhortations are so harsh being men of wealth neuer haue in any thing else so sacrificed themselues as the Apostle here required For he that doth not sacrifice himselfe in all things doth in nothing Now if we must thus sacrifice our selues soules and bodies with all the powers and faculties of the one and with all the parts and members and strength of the other must we not also sacrifice our riches our honours aâ—d whatsoeuer authoritie we haue vnto God These are but adiuncts of our whole man If therefore we must sacrifice the subiect and more principall vnto God must we not much more sacrifice the adiuncts and those things that are of lesse value Doubtlesse doubtlesse whatsoeuer riches authoritie honour or grace we haue in this world we ought to employ the same as sacrifices to the glorie of God That which is said of riches Honour the Lord with thy Pâ—ou 3. 9. riches c. the same is to be vnderstood of honour and authoritie c. Wherefore hath the Lord honored vs with them but to honour him All the premises we are so much the more to sacrifice to God by how much the more we haue before giuen them to the world and to the Prince of the world Doth not the Apostle expresly require this saying As ye haue yeelded your members seruants Rom. 6. 19. to vncleannesse and to iniquite vnto iniquitie euen so now yeeld your members seruants to righteousnesse vnto holinesse In which place the word translated to yeeld is the very same in the originall text that is here translated to present In this respect therefore that place serueth the better to my present purpose Is not the Lord a better master and will he not more bountifully recompence whatsoeuer seruice is performed vnto him and whatsoeuer sacrifices are vnto him offered then the world and the Prince of the world The Prince indeed of the world offered all the kingdomes of the world to our Sauiour and so much Math. 4. 9. more will he offer to other but alas he hath nothing to giue for the earth is the Lords and all the fulnesse thereof Psal 24. 1. yea and this Lord hath appointed our Lord Christ Iesus to be the heire of all things Whatsoeuer therefore the Prince of Heb. 1. 2. the world craketh and boasteth yet in all his brags he is a lyer and not able to performe any thing he promiseth Let me yet adde one thing more touching the actiue sacrificing The more parents haue sacrificed themselues to euill the more their children should sacrifice themselues to God 1. Cor. 10. 20. of our selues namely that the more the parents of any man haue sacrificed themselues for so I may speak and vse this word sacrifice of that which is euill by the authoritie of the Apostle that saith the Gentiles did sacrifice to diuels and noâ— to God the more I say the parents of any man haue sacrificed themselues either to Poperie or to any the like abomination or to the world or to any other wickednesse the more such a child do labour to sacrifice himselfe vnto God The Papists indeed pleade the religion of their parents as a speciall and a principall argument why they will not turne from their religion But what saith the Lord Be ye not as your fathers And is it not said in the Psalmes that the Lord had established a testimonie Zech. 1. 4. Psal 78. 5. 6. ver 8. in Iacob and appointed a law in Israel c. that the generations to come might not be as their fathers a stubburne and a rebellious generation c. Is it not also said Harden not your hearts as in the prouocation and as in the day of tentation in Psal 95. 8. 9. the wildernesse when your fathers tempted me c What is the meaning of these words but that they should not in hardnes of heart be like to their fathers If therefore the fathers of any haue bin euill the children must not be like vnto them yea rather they must forget their fathers house Psal 45. 10. And alas what do many ignorant Papists and other pleading their fathers religion for themselues to be thereof but as if a man should say that his father had bin a robber or a murderer or a witch or a traitor and was hanged for his labour and therefore he will take the same course to haue the same end Oh therefore let all children of any such or any other euill parents make the more haste to be vnlike to their said parents and thus to sacrifice themselues because the Lord hath most sweetly promised that if any child hath seene his fathers sinnes and considereth Ezek. 18. 14. 17. and doth not the like he shall not die for the iniquitie of his father but shall surely liue O gracious promise Hath Num. 23. 19. Heb. 10. 23. he said it and shall he not performe it He that hath promised is faithfull Oh therefore that euery man would labour to make such children such sacrifices to God as here the Apostle speaketh of Let him know that he that conuerteth Iam. 5. 20. such a sinner from the error of his way shall saue a soule from death and shall hide a multitude of sinnes yea such a one Iude 23. is as a fire brand pluckt out of the fire Let all such also both the one and the other the child of such parents and he that shall be the instrument of God to make him a sacrifice to God do that that now I speake of the sooner because the longer continuance in the sinnes of such parents hardeneth the more and maketh the conuersion of such the harder worke Thus much of our actiue sacrificing of our selues CHAP. VII Of the passiue sacrificing of our selues NOw followeth the passiue This is two-fold First patiently The passiue sacrificing of our selues twofold to beare all common afflictions laid vpon vs by the Lord. Secondly to submit our selues to all persecution by the wicked for the testimonie of his truth and better confirmation of the faith of other The
willingly most cheerfully For at the first he said Behold I come He Psal 40. 7. saith also I lay downe my life that I may take it againe No Ioh. 10. 17. 18. man taketh it away from me but I lay it downe of my selfe He could also when he was apprehended haue prayed to his Mat. 26. 52. 53. Father and he would haue giuen him more then twelue legions of Angels He also that with a word made all the companie that came to take him fall to the ground could as Ioh. 18. 6. Mat. 16. 23. Ioh. 11. 7. 8. 9 easily haue smitten them all with present death Yea so willingly did he suffer that most sharply he rebuked Peter yea all his Disciples for speaking to the contrary All these things considered who would not go through fire and water and suffer a thousand deaths if it were possible for him Certainly we ought all and euery one to say as Paul said I am ready not to be bound onely but also to Act. 21. 13. die for the name of the Lord Iesus We ought with as great alacritie cheerfulnesse and gladnesse to suffer for Christ as euer we were glad and ioyfull to receiue and enioy any blessings and aduancement here in this world We ought as willingly and cheerfully to submit ourselues to any torments for the confirmation of the truth of Christ as euer any Bride went willingly and cheerfully to be maried to any husband how honorable soeuer her husband was or how meane how poore and how base soeuer she before had bin Did not the Apostles so did not the Martyrs so Act. 5. 41. as in former times so also in the late dayes of Queen Marie Their histories plainly testifie this Notwithstanding we must alwayes remember the words of Peter in this 1. Pet. 1. 6. 3. 17. case If need so require and If the will of God be so If well without any preiudice of the Gospell or to the Professors thereof especially for the furthering of the Gospell and the good of the professors of it we may auoid persecution we are not to thrust our selues into it but by the authoritie Math. 10. 23. of Christ himselfe we may flie from one citie to another Touching Origen that was so eager to haue suffered when Euseb Eccles hist lib. 6. cap. 2. he was yong that his mother could not perswade him to the contrary and was constrained to hide his apparell thereby to restraine him from going forth and touching Melas Bishop of a small towne Rhinacurura that refused Sozomen lib. 6. cap. 31. to escape libertie being offered by them that were sent to murder him touching some other that in great multitudes offered themselues to the death either their zeale exceeded their iudgement and knowledge or else God gaue them an extraordinarie spirit Vpon such examples notwithstanding we are not to presume doing the like but God going before vs we may and must follow If his will be not apparent for our suffering but rather the contrary let vs not too boldly offer our selues lest either we do as D. Pendleton did or else suffer with the lesse comfort And let vs alway remember that of the Apostle If 1. Cor. 13. 3. we giue our bodies to be burned and haue not loue it profiteth nothing Zeale is an excellent grace if it be accompanied with knowledge and guided by iudgement otherwise it â—s dangerous Aboue all we must be sure of the cause For Not the suffering but the cause maketh a Martyr To suffer for euil as many Papists for treason and they and many other for heresie is not to present their bodies a sacrifice to God but to the diuell The Papists being so notorious idolaters as they are in inuocating of Saints yea sometimes See Calâ—â—â— de reliquijs of traitors for Saints in worshipping of their â—reliques and sometimes of things not to be named in stead of reliques and of the very signe of the crosse with the same worship as themselues blasphemously say that they worship Christ himselfe withall and making a god of a peece of bread and worshipping it and then gobling it vp wholy with their mouthes and swallowing it downe into their bellies and as before I said casting it out into the draught yea teaching also that mise or dogs may doe the same and falling downe also before wood stocks and stonâ—s The Papists I say in doing all this do it not to God but vnto an idoll of their owne making and so therein they sacrifice their bodies yea their soules also being agent with their bodies not vnto God but vnto idols yea all their long and tedious pilgrimages all their knocking of their brests setting vp of candles before their crucifixes to their Saints and other their idols and all other their bodily exercises which the Apostle saith profit 1. Tim 4. 8. little all their whipping and scourging themselues is no better then mâ—ere madnesse and the leaping of Baals 1. Kin. 18. 28. Priests vpon his altar with their cutting themselues with kniues and lancers till blood gushed our And to say the truth they haue no other president for so doing from one end of the Scripture to the other but onely that example of Baals Priests As therefore Eliah laughed the said Priests of Baal to scorne in that behalfe so may all wise men laugh to scorne the like doings of the Papists yea the example of Eliah is a much better warrant for so laughing then the doing of Baals priests is for imitation thereof Moreouer all opinion of meriting for our selues or for any other by sacrificing our selues must be faâ—râ— from vs. Heb. 9. 28. and 10. 10. 14. For Christ by once offering of himselfe for all hath sufficiently abundantly merited for all belonging vnto him They need not therefore any merits of their-owne or of any other either by suffering martyrdome or by pâ—rforming any works Neither indeed can any suffer or do any thing whereby to merit any thing but wrath and condemnation For who is without sinne Where there is any sin how can there be any merit of any good Is not all that God hath done or will do for vs before called by the name of mercies We are not worthy of the least of his benefits bestowed neither can we make any recompence for them how then can we deserue any other We cannot Iob 22. 2. 3. and 35. 7. be profitable to God c. If we be righteous what do we giue vnto God or what receiueth he at our hand Why then should any be so mad as to thinke he can deserue any good at his handâ— Are not all our righteousnesses as filthy Isay 64. 6. rags And do not our best works come short of that that they ought to be when we haue done all things that are commanded we must say that we are vnprofitable seruants as No merit by martiâ—dome Luk. 17. 10. hath bin before touched
Doth any man merit any thing at the hands of his creditor by paying that that he oweth him All that we do or can do vnto God yea much more also we do owe vnto God If therefore we merit nothing at the hands of any man by paying our debt vnto him can we merit any thing at Gods hands by paying that that we owe him In the foresaid Chapter also of Luke Ver. 7. 8 9. our Sauiour had before taught that a mans seruant meriteth nothing at the hands of his master by doing that that his master had commanded him If therefore the seruant of a man cannot merit any thing at the hands of his master by doing his commandements who notwithstanding is his fellow-seruant vnto God how alas can any man merit any good at the hands of God by keeping his commandements yea that cannot so keepe them but that he breaketh many of them and faileth also much in his best keeping of any of them If also mens seruants cannot merit so much of their masters as a little libertie for a while as our Sauiour in the same place teacheth how much lesse can they deserue to be made their heires by doing that which their masters commanded them Least of all therefore can any man deserue to be made the heire of God and of his kingdome in heauen though he could do all for matter and maner that God hath commanded him If we cannot merit by suffering of martyrdome how much lesse can we merit by doing any thing else The kingdome of heauen is not the hire of any works or sufferings but Gods reward of his meere grace Thus and no otherwise are all those places to be vnderstood that speake of rewards namely that they are rewards of mercie not of merit or if of merit onely of Christs merit in Gods mercie imputed vnto vs. So also is that to be vnderstood Well Mat. 25. 21. done thou good and faithfull seruant thou hast bin faithfull ouer a few things I will make thee ruler ouer many things enter thou into the ioy of thy Lord. Thus I say and no otherwise are such places to be vnderstood and not as the wrangling Rhemists foolishly and grosly inter prete that place of Luke All the premises well considered all that we do here at any time suffer or can suffer for the name and testimonie of Christ is but a sacrifice onely of thanksgiuing vnto God for his more then maruellous loue towards vs in giuing Phil. 2. 17. his Sonne to suffer for vs. Those places also of Pauls being offered vpon the sacrifice and seruice of the Philippians 2. Tim 4. 6. faith and of his being readie to be offered are not to be vnderstood of aâ—y such sacrifice as here the Apostle speaketh of For Paul in those places compareth not his martyrdome to any burnt offering of the Law but onely to the Exod. 30. 9. Numb 6. 15. 15. 7. 29 16. 18. 21. c. drinke offerings that were annexed to the sacrifices for the perfecting of them The Apostle in these places vseth not the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to sacrifice but the word spendâ—â—â—i to be powred out according to the maner of drink-offerings annexed to their burnt sacrifices The Philippia â—s indeed by the preaching of the Gospell being as it were slaine with the sword of the Spirit are therefore called a sacrifice but Paul compareth his martyrdome to a drink-offering to be as it were powred on the Phlippians faith and on themselues for the better perfecting of their faith and confirming themselues in their faith Furthermore we are to be the more willing in suffering any thing for Christs sake because of the shortnesse of all our sufferings Our Reâ— 2 10. tribulations shall be but for ten dayes wherein if we be faithfull vnto death we shall not onely receiue a crowne of life but also he shall giue it vs that is the Lord or Prince Act. 3. 15. of life and the righteous Iudge For he hath promised it not onely to Paul but also to all that loue his appearing If it shall 1. Tim. 4. 8. be of gift then shall it not be of merit For what is freer then gift Thus to suffer is a degree of dignitie from God to vs aboue the common worke of faith So the Apostle maketh Philip. 1. 29. it saying To you it is giuen in the behalfe of Christ not onely to beleeue on him but also to suffer for his sake For indeed thus to suffâ—r is a greater honour a greater glorie then all the great dignities titles and honours in the world without it where God calleth vnto it The casting of Daniel into the Lions den for calling vpon God contrarie to Dan. 6. 16. the commandement of the King was more honourable vnto Daniel then the scarlet râ—bes and the chaine of gold he had and then the proclaiming of him to be the third Dan. 5. 29. Ruler in the kingdome of Belshazzer for interpretation of the hand-writing vpon the wall But here a question may be made from that before said of presenting our whole man soule and bodie a sacrifice Quest vnto God and from that that hath bin said of the same being a sacrifice passiuely as wel as actiuely how the soule can be said to be a passiue sacrifice sith our soule seemeth altogether to be agent and no wayes patient I answer that the soule though in it selfe free from suffering Answ at least of any thing to be inflicted by man is notwithstanding passiue by communion it hath with the bodie this suffering is called sympathie or a fellow-feeling For both soule and bodie make but one man and by the afflictions of the bodie the soule is grieued as well as by the good of the bodie the soule reioyceth Both griefe and ioy are passions wit also reason vnderstanding learning faith godlinesse c. do all belong to the soule and inward man yet all these sometime and in some sort suffer at the hands of the wicked They that are of the best wits of most vnderstanding most iudicious most learned being reuiled by the names of fooles dolts dunces men of no capacitie of no learning yea also wicked schismatiks disturbers of the peace hereticks rebels seditious c. yea such as are sometimes punished by men as if they were such as they are called Are not these things sufferings reaching to the soule it selfe the subiect of wit reason learning faith c. This doctrine of suffering for Christ and his truth is the more needfull to be taught because the longer peace we haue enioyed the more vnfit we are to suffer not so much as knowing what belongeth to suffering yea our long peace with other mercies by the Gospell enioyed hath brâ—d in all sorts a contempt of the Gospell and other mercies with such a securitie that neither daily hearing of the troubles of other countries nor rumors of warres intended against our selues will
warre against the time of warre are the fitter for warre whensoeuer the same shall come In the time of warre also by little skirmishes men are the better flesht for the great and maine battell So is it so it will be with men for the time of persecution The more they skirmish with their affections c. and subdue the same the more they labour in the actiue sacrificing themselues as also the more patiently they can beare priuate wrongs and iniuries and other pettie afflictions the fitter they shall be for the day of greater triall He that cannot beare a light burden how shall he beare an heauie Herein also to speake of one particular branch of the former actiue sacrificing of our selues let vs consider how franke and forward we haue bin with our purses both in our almes and giuing to the poore as also in any worke requiring cost and charge for the maintenance of the Gospell For certainly he that in such causes is sparing of his purse and pinching of his mony how shall he not but be much more sparing of his blood He also that hath bin cold and not bold to speake for Christ when occasion hath required that he should haue spoken how shall his heart faile and faint to lay downe his life for Christs sake In all the sacrificing of our selues before spoken of actiue and passiue let vs alwayes remember to do all and to suffer all onely to God and for God Herein God will be alone or none We must not so sacrifice our selues partly to God and partly to some other but all must be onely to God and for God We must not be like to men-seruants of Serieants at Law for the first yeare whose Liueries are parti-coloured blacke on the one side tawnie on the other as though they serued two masters but our Liuerie must be all of one colour because No man can serue two Mat. 6. 24. masters c. All sacrifices must be offered onely to God We must not be like vnto them that are said to haue feared 2. Kin. 17. 33. 41. the Lord and yet to haue serued their owne gods and their owne grauen images neither must we worship and sweare by the Lord and by Malcham but as in other things we Zeph. 1. 5. must serue the Lord onely so must we in this sacrificing of Mat. 4. 10. our selues He that but in part sacrificeth himselfe to the Lord sacrificeth himselfe wholy to the diuell Let euery man therefore giue all that is without him and within him to the Lord if he do not he giueth nothing to the Lord but as I said all to the diuell Ananias and Saphira Act. 5. 1. c. his wife are worthy remembrance herein they sold a possession and kept backe a part of the price thereof making shew for all that of giuing all to the poore oh that they that are niggardly in their sacrifice of almes before mentioned did well consider hereof but because they gaue not all all men know the fearfull iudgement of God vpon them both vpon Ananias as the principall offender vpon Sapphira as accessarie to his offence consenting and keeping counsell That that is done to the poore is done Pro. 19. 17. Mat. 25 40. 45. to the Lord. That that is withheld from the poore is withheld from the Lord. If therefore this part-sacrificing of the price of their possession vnto the Lord were so hainous a sinne in Ananias and Sapphira is there not the like danger for all other that so sacrifice vnto the Lord Did not the Lord threaten by Zephaniah to stretch out his hand against them that sweare by the Lord and by Malcham Let not this therefore seeme a small matter For indeed it is not so easie a matter as most men thinke it to be to sacrifice our selues to the Lord. As God hath giuen vs all that we haue so he is worthy of all he will haue all he must haue all or else nothing And thus to sacrifice our selues as I haue said is more then euen when the legall sacrifices were in request and force the sacrificing of all buls and rams and lambs and all other creatures by the Law required For euen then without this sacrificing of themselues Psal 50. 8. c. Isay 1. 11. Mâ—ca 6. 6. all the other were nothing yea reiected as odious lothsome and detestable to the Lord. Finally to conclude all this argument let vs neuer forget to ioyne together all before said of the sacrificing of our selues both actiuely and also passiuely For neither the actiue sacrificing of our selues is enough without the passiue when we shall be called thereunto and cannot lawfully auoid it neither this without the former Though I giue my bodie saith the Apostle to be burned and haue not loue it profiteth nothing Thus much of sacrificing our selues both actiuely and also 1. Cor. 13. 1â— passiuely CHAP. VIII Of the two first adiuncts of the sacrifice of our selues liuing and holy THe adiuncts of this sacrifice are three 1. liuing 2. holy 3. acceptable There is also a fourth your reasonable seruice but this being more then an adiunct euen a post argument as I may speake for confimation of the maine exhortation I do not therefore reckon it with the rest Touching these three the last is both an effect and also an end of the two first An effect because if the sacrifice be liuing and holy it cannot but be acceptable An end because we must not offer our selues a sacrifice liuing and holy to please men to get credit to our selues or to make any other gaine thereby for this life but to be acceptable to God to please God As before the Apostle had set downe the substance of our sacrifice to be our bodies yea our whole selues soules and bodies as hath bin shewed so now in the two first adiuncts here annexed he setteth downe the qualitie As before he had set downe what we must offer so now he setteth downe what manner of sacrifice our said sacrifice must be viz liuing and holy and acceptable The word liuing is to be taken by oppsiotion to the old Liuing Exod. 29. 10. Leuit. 1. 3. 1. Why the old sacrifices were slaine Rom. 5. 12. and 6. 23. 2. Rom. 56. sacrifices of beasts which though they were presented aliue at the doore of the Tabernacle yet before they were to be sacrificed they were to be slain and that first to note that we by our sinnes had all deserued death for death entred by sinne and death is the wages of sinne Had not man sinned he should neuer haue died Secondly the old sacrifices were to be slaine typically to represent the death of Christ Iesus who died for the elect when they were vngodly and for sinners that he might redeeme them from all their Tit. 2. 14. 2. Cor. 5. 21. iniquitie and be made the righteousnesse of God in him and so all together might be sanctified and cleansed
Pet. 1. 7. said to be more precious then gold because gold though tried in the fire perisheth Doth not the Apostle thereby manifestly shew that our faith cannot perish else were the argument of the Apostle from the comparison thereof with gold of no force All hitherto spoken of this attribute liuing here giuen to this our sacrifice is to be applied to all before said of our actiue and passiue sacrificing of our selues we must do all we must suffer all with all alacritie and cheerfulnes as also with all constancie and stedfastnesse That which is said of a liberall person that the Lord loueth a cheerfull giuer 2. Cor. 9. 7. is to be vnderstood of the actiue and passiue sacrificing of our selues If we must be cheerfull in giuing vnto men must we not much more be cheerfull in sacrificing our selues to God that in many respects hath right vnto our selues and to all that we haue All the actiue sacrificing of our bodies and of euery member of them as also of our soules and of euery power and facultie of them must be cheerfull So must likewise be all our passiue sacrificing of our selues The more honorable also it is to suffer for Christs sake the more willing and cheerfull should we be to part from all yea to lay downe our liues for his sake And indeed whosoeuer hath truly beleeued that Christ hath so willingly and cheerfully suffered those direful torments for vs that he did he cannot but be willing and cheerfull also to suffer any thing for him Oh that this life were in euery one that pretendeth to sacrifice himselfe to God In things that concerne our selues for this life how liuely how nimble are we but alas in sacrificing our selues to God in doing or suffering any thing for God how drowsie how dead how leaden heeled and handed are we The same may be said of constancie in sacrificing our selues both actiuely and passiuely It is not enough to suffer a little or at once but if we should be called often to suffer for his truth it should not be grieuous vnto vs. Though we should be first reuiled touching our good names then spoiled of all our good then laid vp in prison and there kept with great hardnesse for many yeares then brought out to execution and to haue our flesh torne from our backs by peece-meale as some haue had or be burnt by little and little as William Gardiner Merchant was beyond the seas yet none of all these ought to make any of vs to shrinke One thing more let me yet adde touching this adiunct liuing namely that the more our naturall life decayeth and consumeth in the powers thereof manifested by the trembling of the keepers of our house and by the strong men Eccles. 1â— 3. bowing themselues and the ceasing of the grinders and by the darknesse of our windowes all which I feele in my self the more we labour to cherish and to increase this our spirituall and heauenly life in vs that so we may bring forth Psal 92. 14. Reu. 2. 19. fruit in our old age and be faâ— and flourishing and like to the Angell of the Church of Thiatyra hauing our last workes more then our first This shall suffice to haue spoken of this first adiunct of our sacrifice namely liuing The second adiunct is holy This is necessarie to be ioyned The second adiunct of our sacrifice holy to the former first to teach vs to distinguish the former from naturall liuing and secondly to teach vs our sacrifice to be liuing in holinesse yea without this holinesse men haue no life of God no spirituall life in them but are altogether dead as before I said not able to stir hand or foote towards heauen as spiritually dead as Lazarus Ioh. 11. 39. was naturally dead in the graue and had bin dead foure dayes till Christ crying aloud vnto him said Lazarus come forth and by that meanes raised him from death vnto life and so by raising other from death to life and by dayly raising vp other from the death of sinne to this life Rom. 1. 4. of holinesse mightily declaring himselfe to be the Son of God for so with reuerend regard notwithstanding of the different iudgement of my betters I vnderstand that place to Mat. 17. 9. 27 64. 28. 7. Mark 6. 9. Ioh. 2. 22. Ephes 1. 20. Ioh. 20. 9. Acts. 3. 15. chapt 4. 10. chapt 10. 41. cha 13. â—0 34 1. Pet. 1. 3. Rom. 4. 24. cap. 6. 4. cap. 7. 4. cap. 8. 11. cap. 10. 7. 9. 1. Cor. 15. 20. Col. 2. 17. 1. Thes 1. 10. Heb. 13 20. 2. Tim. 2. 8. 2. Cor. 7. 1. the Romanes For it seemeth to me that it cannot well be vnderstood of the resurrection of himselfe from the dead because in the Greeke there is no preposition signifying from as is in those places that speake of Christs owne resurrection from the dead of which I haue noted some before in the margin and many more might haue noted Neither do I thinke it very easie for any man to name any place wherein Christs owne resurrection is mentioned without some prepositioÌ„ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or to name any where that the genitiue case of the dead there vsed by the Apostle doth signifie from the dead But to returne from whence I haue a little digressed for the interpretation of that place to the Romanes that we may be thusholy as here the Apostle speaketh we must first of all purge our selues from all filthinesse of the flesh and of the spirit and then decke our selues with the contrary vertues of sanctification For filthinesse and holinesse cannot any more agree in one subiect then light and darknes and both those branches of our holinesse are elsewhere signified by putting off the old man and putting on the Ephes 4. 22. Col. 3 9. 10. Tit. 2. 12. 1. Pet. 2. 11. 12. Rom. 6. 11. verse 18. Psal 34. 14. 1 Pet 3. 12. Exod. 12. 5. Leuit. 1. 10. 22. 19. 20. 21. new by denying vngodlinesse and worldly lusts and liuing soberly and godly c. by abstaining from all fleshly lusts which fight against our soules and hauing our conuersation honest c. by dying vnto sinne and liuing vnto God and to righteousnes by being made free from sin and seruants vnto righteousnes by eschuing euill and doing good and by other the like Now as the Passe-ouer was to be without blemish especially as the legall sacrifices ought so to haue bin yea also without any other deformitie or maime so the Apostle here requireth this our sacrifice to be holy and without any spirituall blemish or deformitie If the sacrifices of sheepe and lambes in those dayes must be without blemish must not the sacrifice of our selues much more be such Yea this is also necessarie in respect that our selues must not only be the sacrifices but also the Priests to offer this sacrifice For as the
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
he doth abundantly testifie how well pleased he is with his said holy ones Moreouer what meaneth that that is said by Balaam the sorcerer yet by the speciall instinct of the holy Ghost He hath not beheld iniquitie in Iacob neither hath he seene Numb 23. 21. peruersenesse in Israel Doubtlesse the meaning is not as some not well aduised nor iudicious in the Scripture haue thought and taught that the Lord seeth no euill neither can see in his children For as before hath bin shewed there is no man in this life that sinneth not Is the Lord blind who seeth all things that he should not see that And is not that I know thy works as well to be vnderstood Reu. â— 1. c. of euill as well as of good works And doth not the Lord reproue the best Churches as well for their euils as commend them for their goodnesse Do not the children of God see the faults one of another as well as their vertues Do men see more then God Doth not the Lord sometime chastise his children for their sinnes as Dauid for his adulâ—erie and numbering the people and Hezekiah for entertaining so honorably the Ambassadours of Merodach Baladan c. What doth the Lord herein as the blind man shooteth at the crow The meaning therefore of the former place in Numbers is onely this that they that are the Lords holies are in so great grace and fauour with him and so well pleasing vnto him that though they haue their faults yet he taketh no notice of them but as a most indulgent father passeth by them as if he saw them not at all How pregnant an euidence therefore is this of their well pleasing God that giue themselues a liuing and holy sacrifice vnto God Now although I haue hitherto spoken of this adiunct well pleasing as amplified by the subiect to whom the same is well pleasing viz to God yet there is no absurditie to referre the same to the whole exhortation to euery branch thereof For we must sacrifice our selues onely to God because to him onely all sacrifices are due We must liue onely to him touching both our natural and also our spituall life because of him onely we haue receiued both and do wholy hold both the one and the other And touching our naturall life all our actions thereof euen our eating 1. Cor. 10. 31. and drinking our walking and talking our sleeping c. and whatsoeuer we doe all must be done to the glorie of God yea our not eating and our not drinking â—hat is our fasting must be to bring our bodies into the better subiection 1. Cor. 9. 27. vnto him The same must be said of all the actions of our spirituall life of our hearing reading meditation preaching or talking of the word of our receiuing Col. 3. 17. or deliuering the Sacraments of our praying singing admonishing or instructing one another c. all must be done vnto God Our holinesse therefore both inward and outward in all places at all times as well secretly as openly must be onely to God as it is wholy from God Thus the whole sacrifice of our selues shall be pleasing well pleasing to God We are here further to consider that these words well pleasing to God are not added as a seuerall adiunct of our sacrifice but also as a reason to moue vs to present our selues a liuing and an holy sacrifice vnto him For we ought to do any thing whereby well to please him Children ought Col. 3. 20. to do any thing whereby to please their parents so ought seruants to please their masters So especially all good subiects to please their Princes in all things that possibly they 2. Sam 23 16. 17 may euen to the danger of life it selfe as those three Worthiâ—s of Dauid did that aduentured their liues to fetch water for Dauid from the well of Bethlehem And this subiects ought to do because Princes are called Gods and Psal 82. 1. 6. are by God himselfe set vpon his throne and are made Kings for the Lord their God not to do whatsoeuer they 2 Chron 9. 8. list but to execute iudgement and iustice yea not onely in the former respects neither because the wrath of a King Pro. 19 12. is as the roaring of a Lion but also because his fauour is as the raine vpon the grasse And who indeed either of feare of Princes wrath or of desire to be in grace with them do not labour by all meaâ—es to please them especially to recouer their fauour hauing before done some thing whereby they haue prouoked their indignation against them Much more therefore ought we by this reason to be encouraged to present our selues a sacrifice liuing and holy to God because such a sacrifice is well pleasing vnto him Yea the more carefull ought we to be of so doing in consideration both of our former and also of our daily sinnes whereby we iustly deserue his euerlasting displeasure But hauing thus largely hitherto spoken of these words well pleasing to God both as another seueral adiunct of our former sacrifice and also as a reason to moue vs the more willingly to present the same liuing and holy to God what is the vse of all that hath bin said hereof That all spoken of presenting our selues a sacrifice in bodie and The vse of the former doctrine soule actiue and passiue vnto God must be referred to this end that therein we may be well pleasing to God It is no matter for pleasing of men except by pleasing of them we do also please God If by doing of that wherein we please God we displease men yea all the men in the world if that were possible that also is no matter For if God be Rom. 8. 31. Ioh. 10. 29. with vs what skilleth it who is against vs Is not God stronger then all By the coniunction of this with the former we are taught these two points first that onely they that are holy do well please God secondly that all that are holy are well pleasing acceptable and gracious vnto God Onely they that are holy and all they that are holy are in Christ Iesus in whom God is well pleased Onely they that are holy and all that are holy haue faith whereby the heart is purged Act. 15. 9. Heb. 11. 6. and without which no man can please God When we know our selues to be in grace with God and to please him then may we assure our selues that whatsoeuer we performe vnto God or suffer for God is well pleasing to God As the sacrifice of the wicked is abominable to God so the sacrifice of euery one that is liuing and holy is well pleasing to God Forasmuch also as before we haue heard how many wayes it appeareth that the Lords holies or Saints are well pleasing vnto him by their manifold priuiledges and prerogatiues whereby the Lord testifieth the same how should this prouoke and quicken
cursing banning as the poore children before 2. Kin. 2. 24. shewed to be deuoured by Beares euen in their mocking of Elisha Yea how many die worse then they liued and do die raging and rauing and starke mad And why should any make question of the time when so to present himselfe vnto God Besides the premises do not many die suddenly of apoplexies dead palsies and otherwise they know not whereof Are not many slaine either wilfully or vnawares Are not some so distempered in their braines euen in a moment that they haue no power to dispose of their outward state according to their former purpose I haue heard of some great persons that hauing no heires of their owne bodie haue in their health ofteÌ„ protested that their next heires otherwise should neuer haue foote of their land or penyworth of their other goods who notwithstanding being at last visited with sicknesse and very long sicknesse and during their said sicknesse often perswaded to make a Will could neuer be drawne thereunto but not dreaming of death haue in the end left all that they had both lands and goods worth many thousands to them against whom before they had most protested Alas also how many are there that hauing before neglected the sacrificing of themselues vnto God at their end caÌ„not endure any motion thereunto yea that haue nothing but worldly matters in their minds and in their mouthes Oh therefore let all men sacrifice themselues to God betimes Let yong men remember the commendations of Timothy for hauing learned the holy Scriptures from his 2. Tim. 3. 15. childhood Let Princes and Noblemen remember the example of Iosiah in former time who in the eight yeare of 2. Kin. 22. 1. 2. Chron. 34. 1. 2. 3. his reigne being then but sixteene yeares old began to seeke after the God of Dauid his father and in these last times of our most noble and renowned King Edward the sixt who being but nine yeares old when hee beganne to reigne and dying in the sixteenth yeare of his age made so gracious and admirable a reformation of religion in the chiefe substance thereof as for the which till this day we haue all cause to blesse God Let these examples prouoke all both great and small to consecrate themselues betimes to God who hath most right vnto them We may deferre the time too long we can neuer begin too soone The sooner we thus doe sacrifice our selues to God to liue an holy and well pleasing a life vnto him the greater shall our comfort be in our age the more peace in our end But beginning let vs remember that stedfastnesse constancie and perseuerance vnto the end before spoken of Let vs beware we iustifie not the old diuellish prouerbe A yong Saint and an old Diuel But of the danger hereof enough hath bin said in the adiunct liuing The greater that any is the sooner let them begin thus to sacrifice himselfe to God the greatest of all and from whom he hath had all his greatnesse Let such a one I say begin the sooner that by his beginning he may prouoke other to do the like Let him also the more take heed of falling The higher the place is from which any falleth the greater and heauier the person is that falleth the more dangerous is the fall of such an one One knot yet remaineth to be vntyed concerning free-will gathered by the Papists from all the former exhortation They gather the like from other the like exhortations to purge our selues from all filthinesse of the flesh and No free will to be gethered from this or any other exhortation of the spirit to repent of our sinnes c. For say they if man haue not free will and power to do these things why are they exhorted vnto them To this I answer that there are two sorts of men one meerly naturall another regenerated yea perfectly here regenerated as the weakest new borne children are as perfectly bone as the strongest yea as the stoutest and lustiest men For being once out of the wombe they are fully borne they haue all the parts and membâ—rs of the bodie that euer they shall haue The like is to be said of all the powers and faculties of the soule though so opprest by the infirmitie of the bodie that they cannot shew themselues as afterward in better strength of the bodie they do As it is in the naturall birth of man so also is it in his supernaturall and spirituall birth They that are regenerated are fully regenerated As the naturall childe notwithstanding once borne groweth in stature naturall knowledge strength c. so doth the new borne spiritually grow in heauenly knowledge sauing grace godlinesse yet according to the measure of grace And therefore as some touching their naturall growth remaine Ephes 4. 7. still dwarfes and weaklings though brought vp and fed in the same maner and are outgrowne by them that are their yongers by many yeares so is it in our regeneration some are outgrowne in all grace and knowledge of our Lord Iesus Christ by other long after them new borne Regeneration is our new birth Sanctification is our Christian stature The former as I said is perfect the other imperfect dayly increasing or to be increased Now touching meere naturall men not conuerted not new borne they are not half dead as he that fell into the hands Luk. 10. 30. Ephes 2. 1. chap. 4. 18. of theeues betwixt Ierusalem and Iericho but they are altogether dead in trespasses and sinnes c. and vtterly alienated from the life of God Otherwise who can make good the word of God to Adam In the day wherein thou â—atest of Gen. 2. 17. the tree before forbidden thou shalt surely die Touching this and diuers other the like exhortations they are not made to them that were meere naturall men but to them that were new borne and in part also sanctified as whom he exhorteth as brethren by the mercies of God to present themselues a sacrifice c. And yet neither of both those two sorts haue free will or power to do that that the Apostle here exhorteth vnto The former hauâ— no more power then starke dead men haue to walk eate drinke c. Neither haue the second but by a new supply of grace For he that hath begun a good worke must and will Phil. 1. 6. Phil 2. 15. 1. Theâ— 5 23. performe and finish it And it is God that worketh in vs the will and the worke of his good pleasure And the God of peace sanctifieth vs throughout The increase of knowledge iudgment faith and loue and of all goodnesse is as well the worke of God as the beginning of grace Zanchius saith well Liberum est quod est liberum à malo non quod ad malum Zanch de opâ—riâ—us Dei lâ—b 30. cap. 12 pag. 169 Aâ—â—quarto That is free that is free from euill not that is free vnto euil Adam
turne as the meanes whereby God worketh our said turning and prouoketh vs more and more so to turne The word here vsed is also of the passiue voice to teach vs as much as before I said that it is not our worke so to turne and to transforme our selues but the Lords It is also that word that is vsed for Christs transfiguration Mat 17. 2. Mark 9. 2. in the Mount yet it doth not crosse any thing that before I haue said For though that transfiguration or transformation were but for a time for the better strengthening and comforting of those Disciples that he had there with him yet it was in truth and reall as a president of that glorie he should haue when he should ascend into Heb. 1. 3. 8. 1. heauen and the which now he hath in the heauens at the right hand of Maiestie It was not like to that transformation that before we spake of of Satan into an Angell of 2. Cor. 11. 13 light but it was that very true transformation which he had in his ascension and yet hath and euer shall haue Yea this very word also is vsed of vs by the Apostle when he saith We all as with an open face beholding as in a glasse the 2. Cor. 3. 18. glorie of the Lord are changed into the same image from glorie to glorie c. For here also he meaneth a reall and a true change not a change only in shew The summe of this is that it is not enough for vs not to be conformed vnto the world but we must be transformed and made like vnto God This shall suffice to haue spoken of these words But be transformed The next word in our text is concerning the inward By the renewing of your mind meanes of our transforming vnto God this is said to be by the renewing of our minds Or these words may be read thus in the renewing of the mind as noting the subiect wherin this transformation is begun but I rather reade it as before for the meanes of our transforming So here are two things renewing and the subiect of renewing viz. the mind Neither is the pronoune your altogether to be neglected but to be obserued as teaching that although these Romanes were already excellent Christians it were well if our Romanists were such yet euen they need more renewing and daily renewing of their mindes as also that men must not post ouer the instruction of men to other but apply them to themselues But the chiefe matter here is the renewing of the minde Now although these two words intimate two things as I said first a renewing secondly of the mind yet I will not speake seuerally but ioyntly of them both The former expresseth a renewing the other signifieth how and in what maner or rather in what part we must be renewed If we wil not be conformed to the world but desire to be transformed and turned vnto God we must be first renewed Without renewing all our not conforming to the world and transforming and fashioning our selues vnto God is nothing worth But this renewing must be of our mind If our minds be not renewed all other things are nothing euen all the renewing of our outward man yea it is not possible either for our outward man to be renewed or being renewed long to hold and continue except the minde be renewed If the mind be renewed the whole man will be renewed The Apostle hath the like words though not the same elsewhere Be ye renewed in the spirit of your mind Ephes 4. 23. The word renewing coming froÌ„ a verb compounded with a preposition prefixed in composition signifying a reiteration of a thing before done here signifieth the restoring of the mind to that state wherein it was before the fall of Adam By the mind is to be vnderstood the principallest part or power of our soule the chiefe seate of our reason vnderstanding and thoughts the queene and commander of all our affections and of the will it selfe This being changed the whole heart or soule will be changed This being renewed and restored to the first perfection thereof in Adam in his first creation the whole heart and soule will be renewed and restored which is done by the word The Psal 19. 7. whole heart being renewed and restored touching knowledge thoughts and affections and will also it selfe the whole outward man touching all the behauiour thereof will also be renewed and restored Yet all this renewing 1. Cor. 13. 9. 4. c. is but in part in this life but to be made perfect and compleate in the life to come Notwithstanding being here once begun this beginning is such an assurance of that future perfection thereof as that all the diuels in hell by all their subtiltie and power shall neuer be able to hinder the said perfection This mention here of the renewing of our mind teacheth the very mind and best part of men to be decayed for otherwise there needed no renewing It teacheth also that there remaineth some oldnesse in the mindes of them that are as well renewed as these Romanes in respect whereof they haue need to be euery day more and more renewed But there may be a shew of renewing of the outward man without this renewing of the mind and whole man but that is but for a time it cannot hold out it will vanish 2. Kin. 10 31. 2. Tim. 4. 10. Ioh. 6. 66. 2. Tim. 1. 15. 1. Ioh. 2. 19. as appeareth by the examples of Iehu of Iudas that betrayed our Sauiour of Demas of diuers that forsooke our Sauiour himselfe and walked no more with him of many other that forsooke Paul and Iohn All these and diuers other were outwardly transformed and in some sort renewed and so many daily are and shall be renewed to the end of the world but not by their renewing of the mind here spoken of yea some haue on the sudden some good thoughts and motions as it were flashes of the Spirit which afterward by the watery corruption as it were of the heart more abounding as also by worldly cares or pleasures of Mat 13. 22. Luk 8. 14. this lise are soon quenched Yea somtimes good thoughts and good motions wrought by the ministery of the word aâ—e all dasht especially in yong men by the wicked counsell of some other yong companions All these are not transformed by the renewing of the mind But leauing this let vs now come to the end whereby our former transforming to God by the renewing of our mind is further amplified This is to trie or proue what is the good acceptable To proue the will of God and perfect will of God Here are two things to be considered first the action trying or prouing secondly the thing to be tried or proued To trie or proue here may signifie by experience to try or proue and so to find out a thing by through fiâ—ting and boulting of it as that we
in their contempt of the word and hearing thereof as by the impietie of such iudging all that be hearers to be like Let all therefore that feare God and loue the Lord Iesus and his his word indeed labour according to their hearing so much the more by good works to glorifie God by how much the more by such wickednesse of other God is dishonored To returne touching the Lords dayes if men haue not the word at home or neare them but that they must go further off let them so contriue the matter by going part of their way ouer night or otherwise that they labour not and weary their bodies on that day whereon the Lord hath commanded them to rest Though it may be more chargeable yet it will quit cost If we buy the truth and Pro. 23. 23. giue any thing for it and hauing bought it sell it not neither part from it whatsoeuer thereby we may get the wisedome that so we shall finde will make vs happie because the Pro. 3. 13. 14. 15 merchandize thereof is better then the merchandize of siluer and the gaine thereof better then fine gold it is more precious then rubies and all things to be desired are not to be compared vnto it The three adiuncts of this will before handled do require all good paines and cost for the getting of the true knowledge thereof the rather because the word what prefixed What. to the said adiuncts insinuate the said will to be so good so well pleasing so perfect that the goodnesse well pleasing and perfection thereof may rather be admired then expressed as the same word prefixed to the hope of our Ephes 1. 18. 19. calling to the riches of the glorie of Gods inheritance of his Saints and lastly to the exceeding greatnesse of his power towards vs that beleeue in so materiall these things to be rather admirable then by the tongue of man or Angel to be spoken or vttered Who therefore would not thereby be prouoked to any good paines to any cost whereby to be throughly acquainted with it as also whereby the more to encourage the Ministers thereof with the more alacritie to declare the whole counsell of God therein contained to the full They that herein stick at any cost at any such paines bewray themselues to be penny wise and pound foolish yea how rich soeuer how honorable soeuer how gorgeous soeuer in apparell by such riches and honour any is that hath not the knowledge of this will of God he is but a rich an honorable a gorgeous foole There is no other will of God whereby we may saue our soules What thâ—n shall a man be profited to gaine the whole world if he lose his Mat. 16. 26. owne soule Can he giue any thing whereby to recouer it But touching the hearing of our owne Ministers what if the Parish be so spacious that the inhabitants thereof dwell three foure fiue or six miles from their own Church as some Parishes in some parts of the kingdome are and that the word be preached nearer as some people go by the Churchyards of other Parishes that go much farther to their owne Church what I say is to be done in such a case I answer that in such a case there is better warrant for the father trauell on the Lords day because of Gods prouidence in so disposing of Parishes in former times and thereby making a kind of necessitie of such trauelling Againe in such a case I do in charitie suppose that a mans owne Minister will not be against his going to the nearer Preacher so that it be without contempt of him and that when he may he do heare him not defrauding him of any other dutie I hope also that none of our wise Ecclesiasticall gouerners being acquainted herewith would dislike of this that I say but would easily grant any reasonable libertie to such as so do dwell For conclusion of this point let me speake a litle more to such Ministers as are so forsaken and discouraged in good earnest therefore and in the words of sobrietie I exhort them to comfort themselues and that first of all in their assurance of their reward with the Lord who beholding all their disgrace with men will in the end giue them the more honour and glorie Secondly let them comfort themselues with the examples of the Prophets and Apostles who had none more heauie aduersaries then such as from whom they should haue had most comfort And what if they find least kindnesse there where they were bred and borne c hath Mark 6. 4. Ioh. 4. 44. not Christ himselfe before testified that a Prophet is no where without honour but in his owne country c and hath Ioh. 16. 4. he not foretold this vnto vs that finding it true we might not be troubled with it but might haue the more peace in him ver 33. Ioh. 1. 11. c Yea did not Christ himselfe come to his owne and his owne receiued him not Who are we that we should be grieued with the like measure that was offered to our Lord and Ioh. 13. 14. Mat. 3. 11. Luk. 3. 16. Master What are we in respect of him We are not worthy to beare his shooes or to loose the latchet of them Moreouer as Paul said of some in his time preaching Phil. 1. 16. Christ of enuie and strife not sincerely thereby supposing to adde affliction to his bonds by disgracing of him and perhaps prouoking other against him as Paul I say said What then notwithstanding euery way whether in pretence or in truth Christ is preached and I therein do reioyce and will reioyce so let the forementioned Ministers say Whether such people in contempt or in truth do heare yet Christ being preached and heard by them we therein do reioyce and will reioyce especially if such other Ministers to whom such people resort do preach Christ in better sort then it seemeth those preached him of whom Paul speaketh And let no man Reu. 3. 11. take the crowne of such Ministers so reioycing from them Notwithstanding I wish not such forsaken Ministers to haue much familiaritie with such as so lightly set by their ministerie For how can they regard their priuate societie that care not for their publike ministerie Neither Pro. 23. 3. especially let them be desirous of their dainties that is of taking gifts from them For who knoweth what deceit may be in them namely thereby to take occasion of exclaiming against them as being ready to take whatsoeuer is offered and to other to bragge of their bountie vnto them Let such forlorne Ministers alwayes hold rhis resolution not to care for the carnall benefits of them that care not for their spirituall blessings Yet I need not stand much vpoÌ„ this caueat because such as do so lightly esteem of mens ministerie are very forward in offering kindnesse vnto them If they shew kindnesse to any it is rather to farther
prouoked to the like but the parties themselues shall be neuer a whit the better without this last dutie of obedience Euen all knowledge without obedience to them that haue knowledge shall be in vaine The more also that a man knoweth of this will not doing accordingly 1. Ioh. 2. 4. 1. Cor. 13. 2. Luk. 12. 47. Rom. 2. 5. the good commanded and refraining the euill forbidden with the more stripes shall he be beaten and the more wrath he heapeth vp to himselfe against the day of wrath All the premises by the people to be performed to the Preachers of this wil of God are the more to be respected because the said Preachers by their preaching and by their prayers are the charets and horsemen of those places where they liue as well as Eliah and Elisha were of Israel Whether 2. K. 2. 12. 13 14. also such Preachers be poore or rich the former duties are to be performed vnto them They are neither the more to be regarded for their riches nor the lesse to be respected for their pouertie as touching their maintenance but all respect of them must be for this wils sake the which they preach and declare As the faith of our glorious Iam. 2. 1. Lord Iesus Christ must not be had in respect of persons so must not the ministerie of our Lord Iesus Christ as the which is the meanes whereby the said faith is to be obtained and increased And touching the former obedience it must not be seruile As such Ministers must not be Lords ouer their people being Gods inheritance neither reigne ouer 1 Pet. 5. 3. Mat. 20. 26. them as Kings ouer their subiects so must not the people be in any such subiection vnto them Their subiection must not be to them but to their doctrine in teaching this good this well pleasing and this perfect will of God To leaue the duties of the people to their Ministers in An other vse of the former excellencie of the will of God concerning the Ministers theâ—of respect of the said will of God let me now shew one vse more of the former doctrine concerning the Ministers themselues The more excellent therefore the sayd adiuncts shew this will of God to be the more carefull diligent and faithfull ought all the Ministers thereof to be in declaring the same and laying forth all the benefits thereof to the people of God to whom the same appertaine and over whom the Lord hath set them Let them neither ad any thing thereto nor detract any thing there from lest so of the will of God they make the will of man And indeed how foule a thing were it so to deale with the will of 2 Tim. 4. 2. a man Let them preach it in season and out of season The great ignorance and the like impietie of the people every where requireth it so to be Yet alas how great is the negligence of the Ministers herein I haue spoken somewhat hereof before But who can speake enough to cure this disease against which so many of other Churches so many of our owne all most worthy men haue written so much so divinely so learnedly so fully and substantially and yet no reformation either of Non residencie or of the idlenes of them that are resident Verely this is the staine and the blame of many Churches This is the the bane of many soules so much worse then the murder Ezech. 3. 18. 33. 6. Act 20. 26. 27. of so many bodyes by how much the soule is better then the body And yet the death of the soule is also the death of the body for ever in the world to come The body may here be killed and yet the soule liue yea soule and body may liue forever in heaven But if the soule be here murdered both soule and body cannot but be cast into hell where their worme dyeth not and the fire shall never be quenched Mar. 9. 43. 44. Oh what then shall become of such murderers themselues Shall they speed better No No A thousand ten thousand woes shall fall vpon them without repentance yea great repentance How fearefull was the state of the rich man that would not refresh the body of one poore Lazarus He would haue ben glad of the least mitigation Luk 16. 24. of his torments and begged hard for it but could not obtaine it The negligence also of the Ministers in discharge of their office is the cause likewise of all outward evills and calamities to the people But this sore requyreth the help of our governours for the cure thereof by their authority without it all speaking all preaching all writting will doe no good The more this evill hath hitherto ben spoken preached and written against the more it hath increased and dayly doth increase Let vs therefore the more earnestly pray the Lord to incline the heart of our dread Soveraigne and of out other Rulers vnder his Maiestie to put to their helping hands for redresse and Reformation thereof Thus much of these two verses and of this Argument The conclusion of this Treatise of the Christian Sacrifice Now the Lord sanctifie the consideration of all his mercies as especially of the life to come so also of this life receiued and promised to the good of all to whom these my weake labours shall come yea also of my selfe that from the same and according to the measure of the same to every one imparted we may present our selues soules and bodyes with all the powers of the one and members of the other such a sacrifice both actiue and passiue as before we haue heard even living holy and well pleasing to God and that according to his word and because his word doth both require it and is also the meanes to quicken vs to sanctifie vs and to make vs well pleasing unto him The same Lord also for our better so doing keep vs from all conformitie spirituall and other vnto this world and the wicked therein giving vs grace likewise not onely so to doe but also to be transformed and turned to God by the renuing of our mindes touching our vnderstanding reason will and affections and also of our whole man to this end that we may be able to proue iudge and approue how gracious well pleasing and every way perfect the will of God now is in this time of the gospell since the comming and by the coÌ„ming of Christ both farre differing from and also farre aboue all his will in the time of the law and old Testament that so we may labor the more for the knowledge of it and so much the more to blesse God for it by how much the more he hath blessed vs in it striving likewise so much the more to excell all that lived vnder the old Testament in all true godlines by how much the more this his last will excelleth the former and that we may accordingly regard all the Ministers thereof by how