doe euidently conuince that so many as are in Christ Iesus may and ought to assure themselues of their saluation But I haue diuers times heretofore spoken of this point more at large Let vs now therefore proceede If any man therefore here aske how and by what meanes it could come to passe that this the Apostles imprisonment and this practising against him in his imprisonment could turne to his saluation himselfe in the next words shewes the meanes to be the Philippians praier the helpe of Gods spirit and his owne hearty and earnest expectation and hope I know c. through your praier c. Of which three two namely their praier and his hearty expectation and hope were indeede meanes but the third namely the spirit of Iesus Christ was the author which by and according to these meanes turned his sufferings and wrongs to his saluation Howbeit in a generall signification of meanes we may say that hee knew that by and according to these meanes this that he suffered that they practised against him should turne to his saluation Whence I obserue how according to the promise the sufferings and wrongs of Gods children turne to their saluation namely by the helpe of Godâ— spirit through the praier of the Church according to theâ— faith and hope that are troubled and afflicted For through the praier of the Church the spiâ—it of Iesus Christ which dwelt in him in all fulnesse is giuen vnto the godly to helpe them in their troubles and he according to their faith and hope in him if they put their trust in him helpeth them turneth their sufferings and their wrongs vnto the best as it is written Ps 145.18 The Lord is neere to all that call vpon him to all that call vpon him faithfully the Lord is neere in the day of trouble to helpe and to turne all to the best but vnto whom is hee thus neere Euen vnto them that call vpon him what to all that call vpon him Nay to all that call vpon him in faith and in truth beleeuing in him and putâ—ing their trust in him And that vnto such he is neere to â—uch purpose euen through the praier of the Saints and of â—he Church may appeare by the storie of Peters imprisonment who being in prison Act. 12.5 and earnest praier being made of the Church vnto God for him was deliuered by an Angell out of prison Thus the Lord by his spirit worketh for his children through the praier of the Saints and according to their faith and hope in him So that thus we are to resolue all afflictions and troubles worke for the best and turne vnto saluation but vnto whom and how vnto such as Paul vnto the elect of God the redeemed of Christ the sanctified by Gods spirit the members of Christ his Church by the helpe of the spirit through the ministery and praiers of the Church and according to their faith and hope in Christ Iesus First then here can be no hope nor shall be any helpe vnto such as either are out of the Church or are in the Church but not of the Church For albeit such may haue sufferings and wrongs yet shall they not turne to their saluation Neither can they turne vnto saluation because they are not for Christ his sake or the Gospels to which kinde onely the promise is made Nay vnto such alients from the couenant of promise their troubles in this life are but the beginnings of that fearefull iudgement which in flaming fire is reserued for them against that great day Secondly hence we learne that euen vnto the godly in Christ Iesus their sufferings and wrongs turne to their saluation not for any their merits or through the vertue of their sufferings but through the praiers of the Saints c. If we thinke vpon merit we may well thinke that our Apostle might as well haue stood vpon merit as the best that liue could nay in sufferings and wrongs he was more abundant then the best that liues is as that place to the Corinthians sheweth Yet he stands not vpon them but that his troubles turne to his saluation 2 Cor 11. he imputes it to the praier of the Church to the help of Gods spirit according to the faith and hope which God had wrought in him by his spirit and by his example teacheth vs so to doe Nay hee vtterly disclaimeth all merit of saluation by affliction and by his example teacheth vs so to do where he saith I count that the afflictions of this present time are not worthie of the glorie which shall bee shewed vnto vs. Rom. 8.18 Whence it is plaine that because there is no proportion betweene the sufferings of this life and the reward of eternall glorie Therefore the sufferings of this life doe not merit the reward of eternall glory Whatsoeuer therefore any merit-monger shall tell you touching the merit of our sufferings trust it not For it is not for our merits by them that they turne to our saluation but through your prayer and by the helpe of the spirit of Iesus Christ Now to speake somewhat more in perticular of the meanes First I note that the Apostle saith that he knoweth that this shall turne to his saluation through the Philippians prayer Whence I obserue the power and efficacie of the prayers of the Church powred out for the afflicted members of Christ Iesus which is that through the prayers of the Church their troubles turne to their saluation The prayer of a righteous man Iam. 5.16 saith Iames auaileth much if it be feruent Here is a condition requisite in prayer if it bee powerfull with GOD that it bee feruent and proceede from an holie zeale and beeing such it auaileth much and hath great power with the Lord as to saue the sicke to stay or to bring raine c. as it is in that place Ioh. 15.7 Now if the prayer of one righteous man bee of such power with the Lord how much more the prayer of the Church 16.23 Againe If yee abide in me saith our Sauiour and my words abide in you aske what yee will and it shall bee done vnto you Mat. 21 22. And againe Whatsoeuer ye shal aske the father in my name hee will giue it you And againe Whatsoeuer yee shall aske in prayer if ye belieue ye shall receaue it From all which places I note that the prayers which shall haue power with God first they must bee the prayers of the righteous of them that are engraffed into Christ of them in whome the word of Christ dwelleth And secondly they must be ferâ—ent they must be made in Christ his name they must bee â—ade in faith and then wee being such and our prayers â—eing such whatsoeuer we shall aske be it for our selues or â—e it for others we shall receaue it And if the prayers of eâ—ery such shall haue such power with God much more shal â—he praiers of the Church haue
such power with God And â—herefore ye see how often the Apostle requesteth the praiâ—rs of the Church for him as Ephes 6.18 Colossi 4.3 â— Thes 3.1 And in his Epistle to Philemon there hee proâ—esseth as here he doth that he trusteth through their prayâ—rs to be giuen vnto them by deliuerance out of his bands â—herein commending himselfe to their prayers A good lesson for vs to stirre vs vp vnto publique and priuate prayer both for our selues and for others seeing they are so powerfull with God as to bring his blessings and graces both vpon our selues and vpon others And this lesson is as needfull as it is good especially in this our day wherein there is such neglect both of publique and priuate prayer vnto the Lord. Priuate praier so rare that if it be vsed by any it is noted by many and they straight way censured as thinking themselues more holy then other men And publique prayer so little regarded by some that verie seldome they are present with the congregation in publique prayer I cannot stand of it Only I say he that neglecteth the meanes vnto grace he shall neuer finde grace Secondly hence I obserue a dutie of the Church in publique prayer which is to pray for the afflicted members of Christ Iesuâ— for the Apostle in saying that he knew that this should turne to his saluation through their praiers therin stirreth them to pray for him And see the points wherein the Church is to commend them in their prayers vnto God As first that the Lord may turne their affliction and trouble to their saluation Secondly that hee will helpe them by his holy spirit in euerie needefull time of trouble Thirdly that they may so stand in the defence of the truth of Christ Iesus that in nothing they may bee ashamed Fourthly that the Lord will strentghen them with strong faith and hope in him Fiftly that Christ may be glorified in their body whether it bee by life or death Thus the Church should pray and thus the afflicted should desire the Church to pray LECTVRE XVI PHILIP I. Verse 19. And by the helpe of the holy spirit of Iesus Christ 20. As I feruently looke for and hope that in nothing I shall bee ashamed but that with all confidence as alwaies so now Christ shall bee magnified in my bodie whether it bee by life or by death ONe thing hence I obserue which is that not for our prayers or for the praiers of the Church for vs but through our praiers and through the praiers of the Church for vs the Lord giueth his grace vnto vs. And therefore the Apostle saith Vers 22. I know that this shall turne to my saluation through your prayers not for your praier And to Philemon I trust through your prayers I shall be giuen vnto you Neither doe wee euer reade that for our prayers as for the merit and worth of them any grace is giuen vnto any Neither doe I build this note vpon this ground as if because it is said through therefore it cannot be for our prasyers For I know that we are saued through Iesus Christ and yet for Iesus Christ euen for his merits sake so that the phrase barely considered canot inferre the note but hereon it is builded taht it is so said through that neither euer it is nor can be said that for our praiers any grace 〈◊〉 giuen vnto vs. For not for our praiers sake not for the â—erit and worth of our praiers doth the Lord heare vs and â—rant vs our requests but for the promise sake which of his â—wne free grace he hath made vnto our praiers He hath â—assed his promise Mat 21.22 that whatsoeuer we shall aske in praier in â—is name if we beleeue we shall receiue it and he hath bidden â—s aske and we shall receiue seeke and we shall finde Mat. 7.7 knocke and â—e shall be opened vnto vs. Because then he hath promised grace vnto our praiers he is intreated for grace through our praiers Aske and haue first aske and then haue and â—he better beggers the greater getters For it is not with the Lord as with vs we say a great begger would haue a good â—ay saier and vnto whom but euen now we haue giuen wee loue not that they should by and by come againe and begge of vs. But I say it is not so with the Lord but of the greatest begger he is most intreated and the oftner wee come a begging to him the more welcome we are vnto him for he loues to be intreated and being intreated he promiseth to giue and so through our praiers he giues euen for his promise sake but not for our praiers sake for they when they are best are so full of imperfections that they merit nothing but to be reiected Seldome but we are troubled with wandring by-thoughts often we pray for things and against things without submitting of our wills vnto the Lords will often we pray not in faith towards God often not in loue towards our brethren often coldly often hypocritically and when not so but that our praiers might iustly be turned into sinne vnto vs Causes therefore they are not for which the Lord bestoweth any graces vpon vs but meanes onely through which we receiue graces needfull for vs for the promise sake made in Christ Iesus Farre be it therefore from vs to stand vpon the merit of our praiers as if for our praiers sake we deserued any grace to be bestowed vpon vs. Let vs as we ought powre out feruent praiers vnto the Lord in faith and in Christ his name and assure we our selues we shall be heard But withall let vs know that it is for his promise sake made vnto our praiers and for his Christ his sake which offereth vp our praiers whatsoeuer be our state and place let vs not slacke this seruice neither let vs presume vpon any merit by this seruice If we lift vp pure hands vnto the Lord in his Temple in our houses or in our chambers he will heare vs though not for our praiers yet through our praiers he will be intreated of vs. Let it be enough for vs that he will heare vs and let this most of all glad vs that for his Christ his sake and for his promise sake he will heare vs. And let this suffice to be spoken touching the first meanes in particular that through our praiers and the praiers of the Church for vs all things worke together for the best vnto so many of vs aâ— loue God and are in Christ Iesus The next meanes whereof the Apostle speaketh is the helpe of the spirit of Christ Iesus whereby he saith he knew that this should turne vnto his saluation I know c. Where the spirit is called the spirit of Iesus Christ as because of his proceeding from the Sonne so because of his dwelling in him in all fullnes as also because Christ sendeth him into our hearts and by him worketh his will in
their good in the former is signified his great desire to remoue out of the bodie and to dwell with the Lord in the latter is signified his great desire to abide in the bodie for their furtherance and ioy of their faith vnto the former his loue toward Christ constrained him vnto the latter his loue toward them constrained him for the former it was best for him for the latter it was most needfull for them and thus betweene the former and the latter he was so perplexed that he knew not what to chuse life or death death for his owne present good or life for their further good Now the thing which in the former reason I note is that the Apostle desired euen with a great desire to be loosed from the prison of his bodie or to depart out of the bodie and to be with Christ where he sitteth at the right hand of the throne of God and that he counted this better for him in respect of himselfe then to liue in the bodie Whence I obserue that a Christian in respect of himselfe is rather to desire to die then to liue to depart out of the bodie then to abide in the bodie Vnto the proofe of this point out of this place adde also that other of our Apostle where to the same purpose and in the same words almost he saith thus We loue rather to remoue out of the bodie 2 cor 5.8 and to dwell with the Lord. And that good olde Simeon ye know when once he had seene the Messias which was promised then hee desired with all his heart to die saying Luc 2.29 Lord now lettest thou thy seruant depart in peace for mine eyes haue seene thy saluation as if he should haue said now that I haue seene the promised Messias the sweet Sauiour of the world now indeed I desire rather to die then to liue Yea but was it not a great fault in Iob that he desired rather to die then to liue when in the bitternesse of his soule he cried and faid Why died I not in my birth Iob. 3.11.6 9 7.15 or why died I not when I came out of the wombe O that God would destroy me that he would let his hand goe and cut me off my soule chuseth rather to be strangled and to die then to be in my bones Yes indeede this was a great fault in Iob thus in impatiency to breake out and to search for death more then for treasures Neither is any man be his crosses or troubles neuer so great neuer so many through impatiencie and because he is weary of his life to wish rather to die then to liue much lesse is he with cursed Achitophel or traiterous Iudas to become his owne butcher and to cut off his owne daies for this were to repine against the highest and to take our owne matters out of Gods into our owne hands A Christian therefore in respect of himselfe is to desire rather to die then to liue but in no sort through impatiencie or because he is weary of his life Yea but is not death terrible euen vnto the godly and doe they not oftentimes so shrinke thereat that they are afraid of it Yes surely death in it selfe and in it owne nature is so terrible that Dauid being in great heauinesse and distresse by reason of Sauls cruelty expressed it thus saying Psal 55.5 The terrors of death are fallen vpon me Whereby he meaneth that he was so afraid of his enemies as if death had beene ready to seaze vpon him And surely but for Christ Iesus that hee hath seasoned it and that through him it is but a passage vnto a better life wee might all of vs euen the best of vs well feare death as the fruit of sinne and as the reward or wages of sinne How then doe we say that a Christian in respect of himselfe is to desire rather to die then to liue We must vnderstand that a Christian is to desire rather to die then to liue but how not simply rather to die then to liue but so as Paul did rather to die and to be with Christ then to liue He doth not say to die and to be ridd out of the miseries of this life for so many desire whose desire is not good and for whom it were better rather to liue in the bodie then to die but he saith to die and to be with Christ Are we not then while we liue here in the bodie with Christ and Christ with vs If wee will speake as the scripture vsually doth we are not While we liue here in the bodie we are in Christ by his spirit and Christ in vs by faith as appeareth by many places of holy scripture but in the vsuall phrase of the scripture then principally wee are faid to bee with Christ when after the separation of the soule from the bodie we doe in soule enioy the continuall presence of Christ in heauen where he sitteth at the right hand of the throne of God euen as the Apostle witnesseth where hee saith Whiles we are at home in the bodie we are absent from the Lord 2 Cor. 5.6 not from being in the Lord but from dwelling with the Lord in the heauenly places So that first our earthly house of this tabernacle must be destroyed before we can be with Christ where he is as he is man When then we say that a Christian in respect of himselfe is to desire rather to die then to liue the meaning is that he is rather to desire the separation of his soule from his bodie and in soule to bee with Christ where he is as man till he may both in soule and bodie bee there with him for euer then to liue in the bodie And the reasons are plaine and cleare as first because Christ is the husband and we the spouse if we belong vnto Christ As then it is better for the spouse to liue with her husband then to liue apart from her husband Eph. 5.32 so is it better for vs to be loosed and to be with Christ then to liue in the bodie secondly because heauen is our home and here we are but pilgrims and strangers As then it is better to be at home then where we are but pilgrims and strangers Heb. 11.13 so is it better for vs to be loosed and to be with Christ then to liue in the bodie thirdly because it is better for the soule to be ioyned vnto Christ then vnto a sinnefull bodie for as Dauid saith of Mesech and of the tents of Kedar Woe is me that I am constreined to dwell in Mesech Psal 120. â— and to haue mine habitation among the tents of Kedar so may the soule say of the bodie woe is mee that I am constrained to dwell in this sinfull bodie better it were for mee to be ioyned vnto Christ 4. Because the body is as a prison of the soule wherein it wanteth free libertie to doe what
And thus it appeareth that the Apostles thoght when they reioyced that they were counted worthy to suffer rebuke for Christ his name This they thought was their glory and a speciall guift of God by grace vnto them not communicated vnto others who could not endure any such sufferings for Christ but by a speciall guift giuen of god vnto them therfore they reioyced in their sufferings Now here ye must vnderstand that all sufferings are not sufferings for Christ his sake and that all that say they suffer for Christ his sake do not suffer for Christ his sake for such there are as suffer as euill doers touching which sort of sufferers the Apostle exhorteth vs saying Let none of you suffer as a murtherer 1 Pet. 4.15 or as a theefe or as an euill doer or as a busie bodie in other mens matters And againe such there are as say they suffer for Christ his sake and his truths sake when in truth they suffer for troubling the Church with their heresies as many Heretiques heretofore and for treason against their Prince and Countrie as some in our daieâ— Know therefore that two things are required in him that suffereth for Christ his sake The one is that his aduersaries persecute and trouble him not as an euill doer not for tumults â—n the Church by schisme or heresie not for treason or any â—ause that is not good but euen because of his constant â—rofession of Christ and of his truth And therefore the â—ufferings of malefactors of Heretikes schismatiques traiâ—ors or others that suffer for an euill cause are no sufferings â—or Christ his sake The other is that with patience he suffer â—hatsoeuer he suffereth only for Christ and his truths sake â—ithout respect of shame gaine glorie or any other like â—hing in the world And therefore the sufferings of such as â—uffer because they shame to bee counted reuoltors and Aâ—ostataes or because they desire to be honored as Martyrs â—r in any like respects are no sufferings for Christ his sake To suffer then for Christ his sake is with patience to endure mockings scourgings bonds imprisonments and death it â—elfe euen for his owne sake and for his truths sake and â—ather then we will depart from him or preiudice his glorie And thus to suffer for Christ his sake is a singular gift of God by grace as hath already beene shewed not the afflictions and persecutions themselues in themselues but â—hus to suffer them Now the Vse which our Apostle teacheth vs to make hereof is this not to feare the aduersaries in any thing For who would be afraid of a singular gift of God Now to suffer for Christ his sake by the aduersaries is a singular gift of God Let vs not therefore in any thing feare our aduersaries but take good courage against them Againe this may serue to teach vs what nouices yet wee are in the schoole of Christ for how many of vs esteeme it a singular gift of God to suffer persecution for Christ his sake Surely if we had learned this lesson well wee had profited very well in the schoole of Christ But when we are taught this lesson what doe many of vs I hope not many here but in many places what do many say within themselues surely I feare to remember what they say But doe they not say I bid no such gifts such gifts be farre from mee let him bestow such gifts on his dearest children not on me and such other blasphemous speeches which the godly may feare to heare or vtter And indeed he giueth no such gifts to such But let vs know that then we haue wel profited in the schole of Christ when we haue well learned this lesson that to suffer for his Christs sake is a singular gift of God especially when we haue so learned it that when it comes to the practise we can so account it Again this may teach vs that it is not in our own power or strength to suffer persecution for Christ his sake but this must be giuen vs of God To will to doe to belieue to suffer all must be giuen of God he must beginne and hee must make an end he must be all in all that hee may haue the glorie of all 1 Pet. 1.5 If Peter bee left vnto himselfe a damsell shall be enough to terrifie him and to make him denie his Lord and Master And therefore hee can tell vs out of his owne experience that wee are kept by the power of God through faith vnto saluation Whether therefore we beliue or suffer for Christ his sake let vs know that it is giuen vs of God and let him haue all the glorie of it Another thing yet I obserue in that the Apostle saith vnto you it is giuen not onely to beleeue but to suffer for Christ 〈◊〉 sake and that is that to suffer for Christ his sake is an argument of faith and a note of Gods Church and chosen children For vnto none is it giuen to suffer for Christ his sake but vnto whom it is first giuen to beleeue and it is for him that is borne after the flesh to persecute him that is borne after the spirit as it is written as then he that was borne afteâ— the flesh speaking of Ismael persecuted him that was bornâ— after the spirit Gal. 4.29 meaning Isaac euen so is it now All of them indeed striue not vnto death but most of them at one time or other are put to it Pâ—â— to take vp their crosse and only they suffer for Christ his sake for vnto them it is giuen and only to them to suffer for his sake This then may teach vs to brooke the crosse when hee laieth it vpon vs. For it is no strange thing that the crosse be laid vpon the children of the kingdome and that their faith be tried by troubles Nay rather it is strange if it bee not so And therâ—fore the Apostle saith Dearely beloued â—inke it not strange concerning the firie triall which is among you â— prooue you 1 Pet. 4.12 as though some strange thing were come vnto â—â—u If therefore if it be the will of God that wee suffer â—â—r Christ his sake let vs cheerefully take vp our crosse and â—â—llow him knowing that afflictions and sufferings are the â—arkes of the Lord Iesus in our body and that hee will not â—â—ffer vs to bee tempted aboue that wee be able c. It â—â—lloweth Hauing the same fight This is the last motiue or reason â—o perswade the Philippians in nothing to feare the aduerâ—â—ries wherein he presseth them with his owne example â—â—at as they had seen him at Philippie in nothing to feare the â—duersaries and now heard that at Rome hee feared them â—ot so they should in nothing feare the aduersaries But â—ow saith the Apostle that he had fought and now did â—â—ght He fought and ouercame as Augustine saith Non reâ—â—stendo sed patiendo he changed no blows with the aduersaâ—ies
his people Wee shall not now need other proofe than this of our Apostle in this place The Philippians had embraced the faith of Iesus Christ they abounded in knowledge and in iudgement they stood fast in the faith notwithstanding their assaults by false Apostles they were carefull ouer him and communicated to his afflictions they were excellent in many graces So that our Apostle had great cause to haue great ioy ouer them But because of some contention and vaine-glory amongst them his ioy was not full A sufficient president for the Pastor that he count not his ioy full so long as any thing is amisse amongst his people Which may serue to admonish the Pastor to labour that nothing may bee amisse amongst his people either touching life or doctrine that so his ioy may be full and that his people may be the crowne of his reioycing in the presence of our Lord Iesus Christ at his comming But I come vnto that which the Apostle exhorteth in generall The thing which the Apostle exhorteth the Philippians in generall is that they be like minded that is like affectioned hauing their affections likings and desires set on the same things An euident argument that they were not like minded as also the rest which followeth is that some things were amisse amongst them And in that hee dealeth so earnestly with them that these things might bee amended in them it sheweth that these are things which are carefully to be procured regarded and maintained LECTVRE XXV PHILIP 2. Verse 2. That yee be like minded hauing the same loue being of one accord and of one iudgement that nothing bee done through contention c. WE haue heard the manner of the Apostles exhortation and therein foure very patheticall arguments couched to perswade the things whereunto hee exhorteth all so closely followed and so passionately vrged as that the manner of the exhortation could not be deuised more effectuall to perswade the things whereunto hee exhorteth If there bee c. It remained to speake of the matter of the Apostles exhortation Wee spake only of that which I tooke to be onely a motiue prefixed before the matter of the exhortation in these words Fulfill my ioy Now wee are to proceed vnto the maine matter of the Apostles exhortation which is that they be like minded hauing the same loue c. By which matter of the exhortation this in generall appeareth that some things were amisse amongst them there was not that loue and concord amongst them nor that humilitie which should he in them many things were done amongst them through contention through vain-glory through selfe-seeking of their owne things so that though many things were to be much commended in them yet were some things likewise to be reformed in them which hindered the course of that Christian conuersation which becommeth the Gospell of Christ Iesus Whence I obserue in generall what the state euen of the best reformed Churches and so of the most holy men is no Church so reformed no men so sanctified but that many things are amisse amongst them though many things bee much to be commended in them yet some things likewise are still to be reformed in them Looke into all those Churches vnto which our Apostle wrote his Epistles yee shall not finde any of them so commended for embracing the truth and for standing fast in the truth as this Church of Philippi Hee giueth indeed testimonie vnto the Galathians that they were sometimes such as if it had beene possible would haue pluckt out their owne eyes and haue giuen them vnto him so loued they him and the truth which he taught But quickly were they remoued to another Gospell Gal. 1.6 as the Apostle witnesseth whereas the Philippians still stood so fast that the Apostle was perswaded that he that had begunne that good worke in them would performe it vntill the day of Iesus Christ Yet here ye see that some things were amisse amongst them Againe looke into those seuen Churches vnto which Iohn writeth in the Apocalyps and there yee shall see that some were fallen others decayed some were proud others negligent Of all the rest of those Churches the Church of Smyrna and the Church of Philadelphia are there most commended Yet in both those Churches by the right vnderstanding of those Epistles that were written to them it will appeare that there were some amongst them who professed themselues to be good Christians whereas indeed they were no better than a Synagogue and sinke of Satan Againe looke into the reformed Churches euer since that time vnto this day and at this day and still yee shall see that as in those seuen Churches of Asia so in these there were and are as many things to bee commended so likewise many things to be reprehended And so long as the Church is militant vpon earth it cannot be but that shee should be blacke blacke I say not onely in respect of her afflictions whereby her beloued doth sometimes proue her and sometimes chastise her but blacke also in respect of her blemishes imperfections and sinnes which are the causes of her afflictions For all men while they carry about with them the earthly house of this tabernacle vnto what degree of perfection in faith knowledge or other graces of the spirit so euer they be growne had still neede to pray O Lord increase our faith our knowledge and vnto what perfection in innocencie obedience or the like they be growne yet still they are taught to pray O Lord forgiue vs our debts and trespasses For here we know in part we beleeue in part we loue in part we obey in part and our greatest perfection is but great imperfection whiles we liue here at home in the bodie 1 Cor. 13.9 as that of the Apostle sheweth And so long as we are clothed with corruption if we say we haue no sinne we deceiue our selues 1 Ioh. 1.8 and truth is not in vs. That which is in part either in knowledge or in loue or in obedience or in the like graces of the spirit shall be abolished our imperfections shall be taken away and we shall be made perfit But where and when Not here otherwise then by imputation but then and there when and where corruption shall put on incorruption and mortalitie shall put on immortalitie as the former place to the Corinthians sheweth ver 10. and the Church shall be presented vnto Christ Iesus her beloued not hauing spot or wrinkle or any such thing but pure and holy and without blame but then when shee shall bee made glorious when her vile bodie shall be changed and be fashioned like vnto his glorious bodie Eph. 5.27 as that place to the Ephesians sheweth This then should teach vs to long to be of that triumphant Church to long to enter into the holiest of holies to long to be loosed and to be with Christ Here the father of the faithfull holy Abraham here the man after Gods owne
making of the ministerie no more but a plaine occupation not to speake I say of these because these are not worthy to liue Of those that doe sincerely preach the Gospell of Christ Iesus are there not many that doe more seeke their owne than that which is Iesus Christs How many are there that doe withdraw their shoulders from this burden as much and as often as they can and take as little paines in this worke as they can And doe not these seeke their owne ease more than that which is Iesus Christs Againe how many are there whose mindes being bewitched with the loue of the world are so carefully occupied about the things of this life that they doe not intend the worke of their ministerie as they should And doe not these seeke their owne profit more than that which is Iesus Christs Againe how many are there that preach themselues rather than Iesus Christ seeking rather their owne praise than that which is of God and studying rather to speake vnto the eare than vnto the heart And doe not these seeke their owne credit and praise rather than that which is of Iesus Christ Againe how many are there which preach Christ rather through strife and enuie than of good will rather in hope of preferment for their paines than of desire to gaine them that heare them vnto Christ rather for any other respect almost than in any zeale of the glory of God And doe not all these seeke their owne rather than that which is Iesus Christs Well it is a fault and a grieuous fault in the Ministers of Christ Iesus in any respect to preferre any thing before the glory and increase of his kingdome whose Ministers they are to seeke either their owne ease or their owne pleasure or their owne profit or their owne honour or any thing else rather or more than the building vp of Christ his Church in faith and in loue and in euery good worke of the spirit Now if this be a fault in them hereby wee are taught what dutie is requisite in the Ministers of Christ Iesus namely so to seeke their owne as that first and principally they seeke that which is Iesus Christs And what is that That is the glory of Christ Iesus the increase of his kingdome the building vp of his Church vnto a spirituall Temple the turning of many vnto righteousnesse the saluation of mens soules This is that businesse which they must first and principally intend and then such other things as may be furâ—herances or at least no hinderances thereunto Our calling and commission is to preach the Gospell of Christ Iesus a woe is vnto vs if wee preach not the Gospell and our Apostle most straitly doth adiure vs vnto this dutie 2 Tim. 4.1 saying I charge thee before God and before the Lord Iesus Christ c. The worke then of our ministerie is the thing that wee haue to looke vnto the thing wherein we must spend our strength and our studie is to doe our heauenly Fathers businesse in begetting men vnto the faith and teaching them the way that leadeth vnto saluation and life euerlasting Wee must not seeke our owne but that which is Iesus Christs Our Sauiour when his mother Mary came and expostulated the matter with him why hee staied behinde them in Ierusalem Know yee not saith he Luk. 2 44. that I must goe about my Fathers businesse Whereby hee plainly teacheth vs that the principall thing wee are to regard is the principall end of our being and calling So that this being our calling and the thing whereunto wee are set apart to preach the Gospell of God wee are by Christ his example to minde this aboue all things else whatsoeuer What then Must a Minister so wholly intend the worke of his ministerie as that he may not care for his familie must he so weyne himselfe from the affaires of this life as that hee may not at all meddle with the things of this life No not so he may and ought to care for his familie 1 Tim. 5 8. otherwise he is worse then an Infidell And againe the Apostle declaring in particular the office of a Minister saith 1 Tim. 3.4.5 he must be one that can rule his owne house honestly hauing children in obedience with all honestie For saith the Apostle if he cannot rule his owne house how shall be care for the Church of God Out of which words yee may obserue the clearing of two points whereof the one is that they may haue house and familie wife and children otherwise how should the Apostle say that the Minister must be such a one as hauing children vnder obedience can rule his owne house honestly The other is that an honest and godly care ouer his owne house and the things that belong thereunto is very requisite in the Minister of Christ Iesus All care then and all seeking of his owne all intermedling with the things of this life is not simply forbid the Minister of Christ but such onely as doth withdraw him from that â—hereon his principall care should be set Hee may seeke his owne so that principally he seeke that which is Iesus Christs for that is the fault here noted that they seeke their owne mâ—re then that which is Iesus Christs and that is the dutie here implied that they ought first and principally to seeke that which is Iesus Christs and then that which is their owne This then is generally to be concluded that neither ease nor pleasure nor profit nor honour nor any thing else should withdraw them from the worke of their ministerie neither in the worke of their ministerie should their eye be set vpon any thing but only vpon the glory of God and the edification of the Church of Christ Iesus and hereon should their zeale be so set that they should be euen eaten vp and consumed therewith The second thing which I note in these words is touching the time when the Apostle noted this fault in the Ministers of Christ It was a fault and a generall fault then in the time of the Apostles in that golden age of the Church when they that were immediately called by Christ Iesus and put apart to preach the Gospell of God taught the wayes of God most perfectly Then euen those Ministers which had beene taught and instructed by the Apostles themselues those whom the Apostles ceased not to put them in minde of their holy calling and of the duties belonging thereunto euen they sought their owne more then that which was Iesus Christs they looked some after their ease some after their profit some after their pleasure some after their honour more than after the high price of their calling in Christ Iesus Which note I doe the rather obserue in particular because of those that are alwayes complaining as of all things in generall that they were neuer worse so of the ministerie in particular that it was neuer worse then now it is For as this is
which Paul preached vnto them were so as he preached For they hauing receiued the Scriptures in credit before were so to accept of those things which Paul preached vnto them if they were consonant to the holy Scriptures according to that of the same Apostle Gal. 1.9 If any man preach vnto you otherwise then that ye haue receiued let him be accursed then that ye haue receiued 1. Then that which God had promised before by his Prophets in the holy Scriptures as the same Apostle speaketh And as the men of Berea did Rom. 1.2 so wee read he willed the Thessalonians to doe where he said vnto them trie all things 1 Thes 5.21 and keepe that which is good where it is plaine by vers 12. that he speaketh not onely to the Pastors but also to the flocke So the Apostle Iohn in his Epistle vnto the faithfull dispersed Iewes saith dearely beloued belieue not euery spirit 1 Ioh. 4.1 but trie the spirits whether they are of God for many false Prophets are gone out into the world Where the Apostle deliuereth a generall doctrine that concerneth euery one of the faithfull as he will auoide the seducing and deceits of false Teachers which is that euery man should trie by such rules as the Scripture setteth downe who is a true or false Teacher which is true or false doctrine And therfore we see that the Apostle rebuketh the Galathians very sharpely because they had giuen place vnto false Apostles which corrupted the pure doctrin of Christ Gal. 3.1 and had suffered themselues to be seduced by them By which his sharpe reproofe of them hee plainely sheweth that they should haue tried and examined the doctrine which those false Apostles brought by that which he had taught them and so reiected that which was not agreeable vnto wholesome doctrine And what else meane those often admonitions in the Prophets vnto all the Iewes to beware of false Prophets Ier. 23.16 heare not saith Ieremy the words of the Prophets that prophecie vnto you and teach you vanitie they speake the vision out of their owne heart and not out of the mouth of the Lord heare them not How then Esa 8.20 what is to be done Esay telleth thee To the law and to the testimonie if they speake not according to this word it is because there is no light in them This then is to be done when the false Prophets and Teachers speake vnto you heare them not so as to rest on what they say but so heare them as that yee examine them by the law and by the testimonie and if they speake not according to this word surely they haue no knowledge but are blinde leaders of them and so account of them Thus then both by the commendable example of the men of Berea and by the precept of the Apostles Iohn and our Apostles and by the sharpe reproofe of the Galathians and by the warrant of the Prophets it doth and may appeare that euen all the faithfull children of God may and ought to trie and iudge by the Scriptures whether their teachers doctrine be true and so to reiect whatsoeuer they finde not agreeable to the Scriptures Yea but it will be said that this were to make the sheepe iudges of their shepheards and the people to controll their Ministers No not so but the people must heart their Ministers and obey them and be ordered by them which they will the more cheerefully doe when by searching the Scriptures they shall finde their Minister and Teachers doctrine to be the doctrine of the holy Ghost and not the inuention or tradition of men If the teachers bring not the truth thus their errors will indeed be descried and no reason that when they bring not the truth their doctrine should be receiued as sound and good But if they bring the truth by this search of the scriptures the truth which they bring is with the greater lacritie reuerenced and embraced and themselues the more honoured and esteemed Learne ye then men and brethren to make this vse of this doctrine 1. To beware of such as teach you otherwise then now we haue taught you Beware of such as will tell you that yee are not to meddle with the sense of the Scripture or to iudge of such doctrine as ye heare whether it be true or false but yee are onely to trie the spirits by taking knowledge of them to whom God hath giuen the gift of discerning spirits and by obeying the Church to whom Christ hath giuen the spirit of truth and this Church say they is the Church of Rome By this that ye haue heard ye see that such are false Teachers deceiuing and being deceiued 2. Learne hence to be diligent in reâ—ding and in hearing the Scriptures that so ye may be able to trie the spirits Ioh. 5.39 In the Scriptures as saith our Sauiour wee thinke to haue eternall life and by meditating therein wee shall easily skill of those that would lead vs out of the right way that guideth to eternall life Let vs therefore exercise our selues in the doctrine of the Gospell of Iesus Christ which we haue receiued and let vs marke them diligently which cause diuision and offences contrarie to the doctrine which we haue learned and let vs auoid them yea if any come vnto vs and bring not this doctrine 2 Ioh. 10. let vs not receiue him nor bid him God speede let vs haue no familiarity with him but let vs abandon all fellowshippe with him The 2. thing which here I note is the Apostles often iteration of this caueat vnto the Philippians admonishing them agaâ—ne and againe euen three times to beware of false Teachers Whence we may obserue how needfull a matter it is for vs to take heed of false Teachers which seeke to seduce vs from that doctrine which wee haue learned in the Gospell of Christ Iesus Which thing as this often iteration of this caueat may confirme vnto vs so this circumstance also euen in this matter that the Apostle hauing often before by word of mouth warned them of false Teachers yet aduentured the reproofe if they should blame him for warning them againe by writing Againe when our Apostle tooke his last farewell of seeing the Ephesians any more how carefully did he warne them of false Teachers Take heede saith hee Act. 20.28 29.31 vnto your selues c. For I know this that after my departing shall grieuous wolues c. Therefore watch and remember that by the space of three yeares I ceased not to warne euery one both night and day with teares He beginnes with take heede vnto your selues hee ends with watch and remember c. as if this taking heede of false Teachers were a thing most needfull for them to be diligent in And our Sauiour Christ Mar. 8.15 Take heed and beware of the leauen of the Pharises and of the leauen of Herod Where willing his Disciples to beware of the contagious
LECTVRES VPON THE 〈◊〉 Epistle of St. Pâ—â—◠〈◊〉 the PHILIPPIANS Deliuered in St. Peters Church in OXFORD By the reuerend and faithfull seruant of CHRIST HENRY AIRAY Doctor of Diuinitie and late Prouost of Queenes COLLEDGE And now published for the vse of GODS Church by C. P. Master of Arts and Fellow of the same Colledge LONDON Printed by EDW GRIFFIN for William Bladen and are to be sold at his shoppe in Pauls Church-yard at the signe of the Bible neere the great north doore 1618. TO THE MOST REVEREND FATHER in God George L. Archbishop of Canterbury his Grace Primate of all England and Metropolitane And one of his Maiesties most honorable priuie Councell Most reuerend father I Could not presume to shroud this vnpolished worke vnder so high a Patronage if J did not hope that as Dauid loued lame Mephibosheth for his good father Ionothan so your gracious fauour to this Author now with God would excuse and pardon yea accept this vnperfited issue of his paines These papers were neuer entended for the common view being fitted in a plaine and familiar stile to a popular assembly and therefore J confesse not worthy of your acceptation Yet I thought it iniustice either to depriue the Church of God of the benefit of his labours or not to consecrate them to your Graces hands to whom the Author was so much obliged Your gracious countenance and loue vnto him vpon experience of his integritie whereof you were long a witnes and sometime a iudge did much comfort him amidst other occasions of griefe and deiection His onely requitall were holy praiers for your happinesse which he forgat not in the extremitie of his last sicknes euen then deuoutly entreating the Lord for his blessing vpon your person and gouernment Besides your Grace is pleased to make your fauours as it were hereditary extending them in great measure to his Successor our present Gouernour and to our Colledge Jn which respect the best of all our labours are iustly deuoted to your Grace as a small discharge of our duty if not rather as an acknowledgement of our obligation These Lectures which now I present are an Exposition of Saint Pauls diuine letter to the Philippians An Exposition indeed not sutable to the nicenesse and curiositie of our times not elegant in words and without all affectation vnlesse of plainesse But yet lest I too much disparage the Author and his Worke if I be not mistaken the naked and naturall sense of this holy Text is here so faithfully opened and withall so powerfully and thoroughly applied that J doubt not Gods Church and people may hence reape much benefit which was the Authors only aime in the exercise of his ministerie and shall be my chiefe comfort Whatsoeuer it is I humbly commend it to the blessing of God and to the vse of his Church desiring to honour it with your Graces name whose Patronage shall procure it respect from others The Lord Iesus long preserue your Grace after the ioy of our hearts and the breath of our nostrills his most excellent Maiestie a great and sure friend of religion and a worthy instrument of the welfare and peace of this holy and happy Church of England Your Graces humble Orator Christopher Potter To the Christian Reader IT was a iust taxation of our times by graue and reuerend Beza Dum tempora superiora cum nostris comparo dicere consueui plus illos conscientiae scientiae minus habuisse nos contrà scientiae plus conscientiae minus habere The braines of men were neuer more stuffed their tongues neuer more stirring and yet their hearts neuer more emptie their hands neuer more idle The disease of our forefathers was ignorance ours is impiety they were ill in the head we are sicke at the heart they were blinde but after their manner deuout wee are skilfull and prophane No age was euer blessed with such a light of knowledge and yet none more fruitfull of the workes of darknesse The maine reason vndoubtedly why wisedome and holinesse learning and sanctitie are so vsually now a daies diuorced is because as that Heathen of old could complaine disputare malumus quà m viuere If men can argue and discourse of religion it suffices not one of a thousand thoroughly digests his knowledge or turnes the holy Precepts of Diuinitie into practise Hence the world abounds with Polemicall bookes which doe not so much compose as breed contentions though I confesse the fault is not ours but our Aduersaries whose peruersnes will not be conuicted euen when they are conuicted But for practicall diuinitie and liuely deuotion it is an argument not more necessary then rare handled but by few and not by many regarded Yet in this iniquity of times wherein the affections of men had more need to be ordered then their iudgements informed in my opinion those Treatises are of best seruice and vse which reduce Christianity into action and warme the heart and conscience with deuotion In this ranke I account this Commentary which was a principall motiue vnto mee as we all owe our selues vnto the common good not to smother a worke so seruiceable for this age nor to bereaue Gods Church of such a furtherance especially being herein encouraged by sundry reuerend and iudicious A Commentarie perhaps not to the taste of many men in this age whose nice palate doth loath the dry manna and can best rellish the vnsauory sauces of Aegypt Others who cannot fancie Diuinity vnlesse she be wantonly trim'd vp in the light colours of humane art and eloquence will here require elegancie of words and quarrell at his carelesse stile I answer mores non verba composuit animis dixit non auribus the scope of his labors was his auditors instruction not his own applause nor did he care to please so much as to profit To come with the inticing words of mans wisedome and to preach only themselues is the note of false Teachers the charge of Christs Minister is in demonstration of the spirit and of power to diuide the word of truth aright vnto his people and this was our Authors aime Gods oracles are to be faithfully expounded not curiously minced not loosly dallied with surely the plaine song of Scripture is the best musicke without these quauering descants of mans wit How licentiously prophanely Popish Friers haue abused Gods holy word by their trifling Postills it is too manifest Yea be it spoken with due modesty and reuerence to those Worthies to whose industry and wit the Christian Church is so much beholding some of the ancient Doctors were too far in loue with quaint interpretations especially Origen whose excessiue allegorizing by the confession of Eusebius Lib. 6. c. 18. who yet was his great fauourite partiall in his praises caused the Apostate Porphyrius to blaspheme and to scoffe at the Scriptures Which consideration no doubt moued Caluin Melancthon Martyr and the rest of our late and learned Expositors to sticke so close
to lay them out then to our masters aduantage let vs alwaies in all th ngs seeke the honor and glory of Christ Iesus and let vs not dare to seeke out owne ease or pleasure or profit or honor more then the things of Christ Iesus let our ministration which we haue receiued of our master Christ Iesus be most precious in our eyes and let not our liues be deare vnto vs to spend them in his seruice Thus indeed shall we be rightly entituled vnto the seruants of Christ Iesus in respect of our ministery and thus shall we well discharge that duty whereof this title may sufficiently remember vs. The second thing which I obserue from this title wherevnto Paul and Timothy are entituled is the great honor and dignitie vouchsafed vnto the ministers of the gospell of Christ Iesus For what greater honor and dignity then this to be the seruants of Christ Iesus the Sauiour of the world the mighty God the King of glory the prince of peace the great bishop of our soules the euerlasting high priest of our profession and that in that seruice to beare his name before the Kings and Princes and great men of the earth to be his Ambassadors to declare his will vnto his people to be his stewards to giue euery man their portion of meat in due season Let a man saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 4.1 so thinke of vs as of the Ministers of Christ and disposers of the secrets of God And how can a man be better esteemed then if he be so thought of Againe we saith the Apostle are ambassadors for Christ What for Christ what honor is this 2 Cor. 5.20 To be Ambassadors for a mortall Prince is such an honor as not many great men are vouchsafed vnto What honor then is it to bee ambassadors for Christ the King of Kings and Lord of Lords which all the ministers of the gospell are And when the Lord told Ananias that Paul was a chosen vessell vnto him Act. 9.15 to beare his name before the Gentiles and Kings and children of Israel in effect he told him that he had called him vnto the greatest honor among the sonnes of men And yet this is the honor of all them that serue him in the ministerie of the gospell Which honor if he knew that will needs be the vicar of Christ on earth then why doth he not rest satisfied with this honor to be the seruant of Iesus Christ in the ministery of the gospell of Iesus Christ but he must be the supreme head ouer all persons vpon earth so that Kings and Princes must lay downe their Crownes at his feete and be deposed and disposed of at his pleasure Howsoeuer he know it or know it not if it be knowne amongst vs why is it that we are made as the filth of the world and the off-scowring of all things The calling of a Minister what more base and contemptible amongst men and yet what calling indeed more high and honorable Whose person more maligned and disgraced then the person of the Minister and yet whose more to be reuerenced and countenanced Well howsoeuer commonly we be thought of we are the seruants of Iesus Christ in the ministery of the gospell for your sakes and as though God did beseech you through vs we pray you in Christs steed that yee be reconciled vnto God And howsoeuer yee thinke of vs yet thinke as yee ought of the word of your saluation which we bring vnto you and receiue it from vs not as the word of man but as it is indeede the word of God which is able to make you wise vnto saluation The fourth thing which I note is in the persons of them whom he saluteth and vnto whom he writeth The persons generally are all the saints in Christ Iesus which are at Philippi euen the whole Church of Philippi so many as were baptized into Christ Iesus Whence I obserue what ought to be the studie euen of the whole Church militant which is to be saints in Christ Iesus that such as they are in outward profession such they may bee in truth and in deed through the power of the of the spirit of sanctification in the inner man Now we are so many as are baptized into the name of Christ Iesus by an outward profession saints and holy our baptisme so witnessing our holy profession as circumcision did the Iewes It is then another holinesse wherevnto we are to giue all diligence then this sacramentall holinesse euen an inherent holinesse that being sanctified throughout both in our soules and in our bodies we may be blamelesse vnto the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ We must studie to be holy in all manner of conversation euen as he which hath called vs is holy denying vngodlinesse and worldly lusts and liuing soberly and righteously and godly in this present world And here vnto we doe binde our selues as it were by solemne vow and obligation in the presence of the Church when we are sacramentally sanctified by baptisme promising there to forsake the deuill and all his workes constantly to beleeue Gods holy word and obediently to keepe his commandments So that thenceforth as the Apostle often exhorteth we should walke not after the flesh but after the spirit we should crucifie the flesh with the affections and the lusts and walke in the spirit in newnesse of life we should cast off the old man which is corrupt through the deceiuable lusts and put on the new man which after God is created in righteousnes and true holinesse in a word we should die vnto sinne and liue vnto God Otherwise how is our baptisme the washing of the new birth vnto vs and the renuing of the Holy Ghost Sacramentally it is but effectually it is not vnlesse by the power of the spirit of sanctification the body of sinne be destroyed in vs that it may not reigne in vs and the life of God be renued in vs that we may liue vnto God in Iesus Christ our Lord. Neither doth it indeed at all profit vs to be sealed outwardly with the seale of an holy profession vnlesse by the power of the spirit we be sanctified in the inner man to lead our liues in all godlinesse and holinesse for vnto these onely Christ Iesus is made of God wisdome and righteousnes and sanctification and redemption and these onely are made partakers of that imputed holines which properly is in Christ Iesus and is imputed vnto them which are in Christ Iesus And this is it which indeed makes vs holy and saints in Christ Iesus Our inherent holinesse is vtterly vnperfit full of vnholinesse and all shall be perfit in the heauens Yet is it so accepted with God thorow Iesus Christ our Lord that hauing it his is imputed vnto vs whereby we are made Saints in Christ Iesus So that if as we are called and as by outward profession through baptisme we are Saints in Christ Iesus so we will truly be Saints in
Christ Iesus We must follow after holinesse and be filled with the fruits of righteousnes which are by Iesus Christ vnto the glory and praise of God this inherent holinesse onely being the pledge and seale of that imputed holinesse whereby we are most truly Saints in Christ Iesus A good lesson for all them to meditate vpon that are baptized into the name of Christ Iesus but whereon it may well seeme that a great many of vs neuer thinke For if we did could it be that we should so wallow in sin and drinke iniquitie like water as we doe that wee should so defile our selues with adulterie fornication vncleannesse wantonnes hatred debate emulations wrath contentions enuy theft murther drunkennes gluttony pride lying swearing and the like as we doe that we should so profane the Lords Sabboths so decline from the works of the spirit and so delight our selues in the works of the flesh as we doe Know yee not saith the Apostle Rom. 6.3 that all we which haue beene baptized into Iesus Christ haue beene baptized into his death that like as Christ was raised vp from the dead by the glory of the father 4. so we also should walke in newnes of life Surely either we know it not or remember it not and whether soeuer it be it argueth that we are not the men that we should be Beloued sinne and saints sort not together If ye suffer sinne to reigne in your mortall bodies well may the filth of the flesh be put away through the outward washing but yee are not indeed of the communion of Saints because not washed by the spirit in the spirit of your mindes Let no man therefore deceiue himselfe Either yee must be Saints in Christ Iesus or else yee belong not to his kingdome And if yee be Saints then may ye not suffer sin to reigne in your mortall bodies Flie therefore from sinne as from a serpent and follow after peace with all men and holinesse without which no man shall see the Lord. So shall yee not onely be of the number of them that are called Saints through the body of their outward profeshon but yee shall be indeed Saints in Christ Iesus LECTVRE II. PHILIP I. With the Bishops and Deacons Vers 2. Grace be with you and peace from God our father and from our Lord Iesus Christ IT remaineth now that we come vnto the persons saluted more particularly which are the Bishops and Deacons at Philippi Where by Bishops he meaneth the ministers and teachers there which laboured in the word and doctrine For that the word must needs so signifie in this place appeareth because he speaketh of many Bishops in one Church and City And so frequently it signifieth in the new Testament as easily may be seene by looking into those places where this word is vsed Afterward the name of Bishop came to bee a distinct title of men more eminent in the ministerie as now it is By Deacons also the Apostle I take it meaneth those that by their office were to receiue to distribute the common liberalitie of the Church according to the necessities of all the poore members thereof such as we read to haue beene ordained in the Church Act. 6.5 and such as are described by our Apostle 1 Tim. 3.8 c. for albeit the word here vsed haue likewise other significations in the new Testament yet here the distinction of Bishops and Deacons sheweth that by Deacons are ment such as attend on distribution not on teaching or exhortation Now vnto these together with the Bishops the Apostle is thought here to write as to magnifie their office so because theirs had beene the care chiefly in respect of their office to send the Churches liberalitie vnto him by their minister Epaphroditus Here then 1. in that the Apostle writeth as to the whole Church of Philippi so particularly vnto the Bishops and Deacons there I obserue that as admonitions exhortations instructions consolations and the like are continually needfull for the Church for the further building thereof in perfit beauty so are they likewise needfull for the ministers of the Church and all others any way interessed therein for their farther confirmation in the things that belong vnto their peace Wherevpon it was that our Apostle going bound in the spirit vnto Ierusalem called the Elders of the Church of Ephesus together and exhorted them saying Take heede vnto your selues Act. 20.28 and to all the flocke whereof the Holy Ghost hath made you ouer-seers to feede the Church of God which he hath purchased with his owne blood And herevpon it was that in his Epistles vnto Timothy and Titus he gaue them so many instructions admonitions and exhortations as he that readeth may there easily see They were ministers of the gospell set ouer their flocks and well instructed â—n the scriptures yet still the Apostle thought it needfull to warne them to arme them and to instruct them in the way of God more perfitly For he knew that Iudas the Apostle had fallen from the fellowship which he had obteined in the ministration of the Gospell Act. 1.17 18. and had purchased a field with the reward of iniquitie as also that many that labored with him in the gospell sought their owne and not that which was Iesus Christs and that many fainted and shrunke through the opposition of false Teacherrs Here then 1. is a good lesson for them that are greatest and most eminent in the Church I meane for the reuerend Fathers and Bishops of our Church that bee it by writing or speaking instruction or exhortation or else howsoeuer they seeke the good as of all the Saints in Christ Iesus that depend vpon them so withall of the Bishops and Deacons I meane of them that are appointed for the worke of the ministerie or for any function about the Church A better president then the Apostles they cannot haue to follow and as needfull it is now to write and speake vnto and to labour with the Pastors and Teachers of the people as then it was For many now we haue that with Demas embrace this present world but very few that with Demas returne againe vnto their former loue Nâ—y which is worse many now we haue that neuer had former loue that was good wherevnto they shou d returne men that first and last sought their ease or their pleasure or their profit or their honor but neuer reckoned to feede the flocke of God Whom as it were needfull to reforme so is it also needfull to confirme others to admonish others to encourage others And who so fit for this as they thâ—t as Paul are of greatest place in the Church 2. Hence learne you patieâ—tly to suffer yourselues to be instructed admonished and exhorted For if these things be needfull for your Pastors and Teachers how much more needfull are they for you Euen so much more as yee are lesse taught in the word then they are Whether then wee write or
it that now we the Ministers of Christ and disposers of Gods secrets doe preach vnto you the Gospell of your saluation and labor amongst you that yee may be rich in all knowledge and in all iudgement Is it not to this end that ye may be taught in the waies of God that yee may be able to try the spirits which is the spirit of truth and which is the spirit of error that yee may be able to put a difference betweene good and euill that yee may be pure in doctrine in life and in manners that yee may be without offence vntill the day of Christ Yes beloued therefore we labour amongst you and admonish you therefore wee shew you the whole counsell of God therefore as much as we can we helpe forward your knowledge therefore wee call vpon you to obserue in your owne experience the truth of those things which yee know out of the word yea therfore as the Apostle we pray that your loue may abound in knowledge and in all iudgement that in this dotage of the world wherein there are so many spirits of error so many that walke not as they ought because they erre in their hearts yee may be able to try the spirits whether they be of God that yee be not deceiued by them that yee may be able to put a difference betweene things that differ one from another that ye may flie the corruptions which are in the world and be pure that ye may hold a right course and be without offence that ye may denie vngodlinesse and worldly lusts and be filled with the fruits of righteousnes c. And if for these ends we thus doe then for these ends also yee ought euen all of you all that heare vs to labour for increase in knowledge and in all iudgement Reading hearing meditating praying euery holy course ye ought to vse that ye may increase and abound in knowledge and in all iudgment to this end that in such ignorance ye may be able to discerne things that differ that in such corruption ye may be pure that in such declination ye may be without offence vnti l the day of Christ and that in such wallowing in vnrighteousnes ye may be filled with the fruits c. Very iustly then are they hence to be reproued that in seeking after knowledge euen out of the scriptures propose rather any other end which they should not then these which they should For of those that doe vouchsafe to search the scriptures many there are whose end is to peruert the scriptures thence to build the fancies of their owne braine and to beguile vnstable soules Such are they that seeing the chaste spouse of Christ to leane vpon the scriptures do by their corruptions of the text their corrupt glosses vpon the text their false conclusions from the text labour to ouerthrow the truth and to build their owne errors Others there are whose end in seeking knowledge out of the scriptures is onely a vaine ostentation that men may thinke and speake of them as great Rabbins good expounders of the law and very skilfull in the scriptures Such are they of whose knowledge the Apostle speaketh when hee saith that knowledge puffeth vp for as they regarded nothing in seeking after knowledge but a vaine ostentation 1 Cor. 8.1 so hauing atteined vnto knowledge they swell and looke so bigg as if all knowledge were shut vp in their breasts Others there are whose end is to informe their owne vnderstanding that they may not be ignorant in the law of their God but may know the storie of the Bible the course and meaning of the scriptures Such are they that delight themselues onely with the knowledge of the mysteries of God but shew not any fruits of their knowledge in a sober honest and godly life Indeede men generally in seeking knowledge out of the scriptures ayme rather at euery other end then at that whereat they should But wee beloued may not be like vnto them Here yee see wherefore we should labour to abound more and more in knowledge and in all iudgement Whatsoeuer others doe let this be our direction what we are to doe And though the smallest number by farre make the bent of their increase in knowledge the informing of their vnderstandings and the reforming of their liues yet let vs set in with this little number and let this end stirre vp our desires to increase in knowledge Let vs labour and let vs pray that we may abound more and more in knowledge and in all iudgement euen therefore that we may discerne c. Let vs know that our increase in knowledge is nothing if it be not for these ends and let the desire of these ends increase our thirsting after knowledge My next note is from the things themselues wherefore the Apostle praied that they might abound more and more in knowledge and in all iudgement Whereof the first was that they might discerne things that differed one from another that being able to see the difference of things concerning either doctrine life or manners they might in each flie that which were euill and follow that which were good Whence I obserue an imployment necessarie and behouefull for all Christians namely that hauing their wits exercised through long custome they may discerne good and euill that seeing the difference betweene things in all kinde of things they may chuse the good and refuse the bad 1 Thess 5.21 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Try all things saith the Apostle and keepe that which is good The word there vsed is the same with this in this place of our Apostle and it signifieth to try to sifte to examine and that which is here spoken vnto the Thessalonians is spoken in them vnto all the faithfull children of God What is then the meaning of the Apostle in these words This yee must know that then there were as still there are pestilent and deceiuing spirits which trouble the Church and corrupt or discredit the doctrine of the Gospell And this also yee must know that then there were as still there are some which because of such men wilfully reiect the doctrine of the Gospell and others which foolishly beleeue euery spirit that speaketh in the name of Christ The Apostle therfore willeth them and in them vs neither wilfully to reiect euery thing because of some wicked men nor yet foolishly to admit euery thing that is spoken in the name of Christ but to try and sift and examine all things by the rule of the word And what then when by tryall we see and discerne things that differ one from another he willeth vs to keepe that which is good for that is the end wherefore we are to try things So that hence we see that it is an imployment very behouefull for vs all that we may be able to discerne things that differ one from another that seeing the difference of things wee may imbrace that which is good auoide the
we suffer with Christ we shall also reigne with Christ Where it iâ— to be noted that the Apostle saith this is a sure word this is a true saying that if we suffer with him we shall also reigne with him This then is a promise of the Lord vnto his children that loue him that if they suffer with him for his sake and his Gospels they shall also reigne with him and be glorified with him So that either the godly must doubt of the Lord his promises all which are yea and amen most certaine and sure or else the godly may assure themselues that their sufferings and their wrongs shall turne to their saluation in the day of Christ Iesus For what better assurance then that which is grounded on the Lords promise Or what plainer promises can there be then these of the Apostle in these places or rather of the Holy Ghost by the Apostle And therefore the Apostle saith in another place that â—t is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them which trouble others and to them that are troubled rest 2 Thess 1.6.7.10 when the Lord Iesus shall shew himselfe from heauen with his mighty Angels and shall come to be glorified in his Saints It is a righteous thing with God righteous indeed for his iustice sake to recompense tribulation to them that trouble others and righteous for his promise sake to recompense rest to them that are troubled Because then God is righteous and keepeth promise for euer therfore the godly may assure themselues that their sufferings and wrongs shall turne to their saluation in the day of Christ Iesus Here then is a notable consolation for all the godly in Christ Iesus against all crosses persecutions and troubles whatsoeuer As Christ was to suffer many things and so to enter into his kingdome so the godly in Christ Iesus are through many tribulations to enter into the kingdome of God But the comfort is that they shall all turne vnto their saluation in the day of Christ Iesus when they shall be for euer in the presence of the throne of God Apoc. 7.15.16 and serue him day and night in his Temple when they shall hunger no more nor thirst any more nor the sunne shall light on them nor any heat when he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them 17 and the Lambe which is in the middest of the throne shall gouerne them and wipe all teares from their eyes as the Lambe himselfe witnesseth touching them that haue suffered tribulation and washed their long robes in the bloud of the Lambe 14. The flesh I know will suggest and say in the meane while our case is hard no man with vs euery mans hand against vs we hunger and thirst we are reuiled and persecuted we are cast into prison and made the talke and wonder of the world we are driuen to many hard shifts and put to shreude plunges But what of all this when wee know that these shall turne to our saluation Be they what they will how great they will how lasting they will yet they are but light and but for a moment in respect of that farre most excellent and eternall weight of glory which they cause vnto vs as our Apostle witnesseth where he saith that our light affliction which is but for a moment 2 Cor. 4.17 causeth vnto vs a farre most excellent and an eternall weight of glory Here is the fruit and consequent of our affliction glory our affliction causeth vnto vs glory and here is both the smallnes and the shortnes of our affliction in comparison of that glory which shall be reueiled be it neuer so great and heauy it is but small and light in comparison of that farre most excellent glory be â—t neuer so long and lasting it is but for a moment in comparison of that eternall weight of glory laid vp for vs in the heauens Howsoeuer therefore when we suffer any crosse persecution or trouble these things for the time be grieuouâ— vnpleasant vnto vs as no chastizing for the present seemeth to be ioyous but greeuous Heb. 12.1 yet seeing they bring the quiet fruit of righteousnes vnto them that are thereby exercised seeing they cause vnto vs a farre most excellent and an eternall weight of glory seeing they shall turne to our saluation let vs be of good comfort whatsoeuer in this kinde doth befall vs. And let vs 1. as the Apostle willeth runne with patience the race that is set before vs looking vnto Iesus the author and finisher of our faith 2. who for the ioy that was set before him endured the â—rosse and despised the shame and is set at the right hand of the â—hrone of God And whatsoeuer our sufferings be let it be with vs as it was with the Apostle that with him we may say as the sufferings of Christ abound in vs 2 Cor. 1.5 so our consolation aboundeth through Christ Againe here is a good ground and warrant for vs against â—hat vncomfortable doctrine of doubting of our saluation For if we may assure our selues that our sufferings and our wrongs shall turne to our saluation then may wee assure our selues of our saluation Yea but it will be said what an argument and reason is this Paul might therefore wee may I say it is a good one because vpon the same ground that he might we may Yea but he might know this by the reuelation of the spirit which now we are not to looke for True but he might also know this out of the holy scripture where the Lord hath passed his promise for this and so we may on the same promise whereon he might build his knowledge and assurance on the same may we and all the faithfull children of God build our knowledge and assurance the promise being made vnto all that loue God and are in Christ Iesus Many doubts indeed we haue and full of distrustfulnesse we are oftentimes euen the best of vs but yet yee see that vpon good ground of Gods promise by the example of our Apostle we may assure our selues of our saluation if as the Apostle did so we doe belong vnto Christ Iesus at least if we suffer persecution and trouble for his sake for so farre this place will go that if we suffer persecution and trouble for Christ his sake then we may assure our selues of our saluation because we may assure our selues that our sufferings and troubles shall turne to our saluation Suffer not your selues therefore to be deceiued by those vncomfortable teachers of doubting which teach that not any man to whom it is not reuealed by the spirit in particular can be sure of his saluation but onely in an vncertaine hope As this place doth shew that such of the godly as suffer persecution and trouble may assure themselues that their troubles shall turne to their saluation and so consequently may assure themselues of their saluation so many other places
thing which here I note is that the Apostle saith that he was sure of this that he should abide in the flesh and continue with all the Philippians yet for some time longer Whence I obserue that the Apostle in his first imprisonment at Rome was deliuered and restored vnto the Churches which before he had planted which I do the rather gather hence for that the two words which the Apostle vseth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shew that he knew so certainly that he should be deliuered as hee could not otherwise but by the reuelation of the spirit And in the Epistle to Timothie in plaine words he professeth 2 Tim. 4.17 that he was deliuered out of the mouth of the lyon meaning of Nero. And the ecclesiasticall stories beare witnesse that after his first imprisonment by the space of ten yeares or thereabouts he preached the gospell and then returning to Rome againe was slaine by Nero about the 14. yeare of his reigne Which may serue to encourage the faithfull thus farre in their troubles that whatsoeuer be their troubles if it bee for his glory the Lord will deliuer them As he did with Paul so will he doe with vs as our farther tryall or present deliuerance shall be for his glory so will he try vs or deliuer vs. Let vs therefore in troubles be of good courage and let vs assure our selues of deliuerance if it be for his glory Onely let vs as himselfe exhorteth call vpon him in the day of our trouble Psal 50. and then his promise is we neede no reuelation for it that he will deliuer vs alwaies this condition vnderstood if our deliuerance bee for his glory And what else is it that we should desire but that he may be glorified in our bodies whether it be by life or death The second thing which here I note is the end wherefore he saith hee should abide and with them all continue which was for their furtherance and ioy of their faith that their faith by his ministerie might be furthered and so their ioy in the Holy Ghost increased Whence I obserue wherefore the Christians life in generall and the Ministers life in particular is preserued and continued here on earth and that is the Christians life in generall is preserued and continued for the glory of the Lord and the Ministers life in particular for the good of Gods church and of that people ouer whom they are set Be of courage Paul said the Lord vnto him Act. 23.11 for as thou hast testified of me in Ierusalem so must thou beare witnesse also at Rome as if hee should haue said howsoeuer the Iewes practise against thy life in Ierusalem yet feare not I must yet haue farther glory by thy life as thou hast testified of me in Ierusalem and there brought â—lory vnto my name so shall thy life be preserued and conâ—â—nued to the farther glory of my name by thy testimonie of be at Rome And so is euery Christian when he is deliuered â—â—om any perill of sicknes enemies or the like to resolue â—ith himselfe that his life is preserued and continued for â—he farther glory of his God and euery Minister in partiâ—ular that his life is preserued and continued for the farther â—ood of Gods church and for the profit of his people by â—he worke of his ministerie The point is cleare enough â—nd needeth not any large confirmation This may serue first for the instruction of all Christians â—n generall and of the Ministers in particular Of all Christians in generall to teach euen all of vs to liue vnto the Lord and to the glory of his name to liue to doe good This is the end wherefore our life is preserued and continued here on earth and this being the end in our whole â—ife we are euer to be looking vnto this end Of Ministers â—n particular to teach them to spend willingly their whole strength and their life in the worke of their ministerie for the edification of the Church and the furtherance of their faith ouer whom the Lord hath made them ouerseers This is the end also wherefore they are preserued from all dangers and their liues continued vnto their people and this being the end in their whole life they are euer to be looking to this end What shall we say then vnto such Christians in name as liue vnto themselues and vnto their pleasures As would haue euery bodie to serue their turne and care not for others As desire to liue rather to get goods then to do any good For such there are as so liue as if they were to liue vnto themselues and not vnto the glory of God as if the life of others were to be for their good and their life not for the good of any others as if they were to scrape asmuch vnto themselues as they could not to do any good vnto any other Nay I adde further that such there are as so liue as if in their life they were to serue sinne in the lusts thereof as if they were to liue by the spoile and hurt and losse oâ— others as if they were to flie that which is good and to doe that which is euill And surely such are here iustly reproued as men neuer remembring that the continuance of their life should be for Gods glory or rather as men opposing themselues vnto euery thing that may make for Gods glory What shall we say likewise vnto such in the ministerie as feede themselues but not the flocke as seeke their owne and not that which is Iesus Christs as do more harme by their bad example of life then they doe good by their paines in teaching as either for idlenesse or daintinesse or other like reason will not put their hand vnto the Lord his worke to helpe forward the building of his house nay as destroy the faith of some which were to bee builded vp in Christ Iesus Is this the end wherefore they liue in the bodie wherefore their life is prolonged among their people Nay surely this also serueth for their iust reproofe as men abusing that vse which God giueth them of life But on the other side it serueth for the great comfort of all them be they Christians in generall or Ministers in particular whose life serues for the good of the Church For what greater comfort if wee be Ministers can we haue of our life then that by our life the Saints hearts be stablished in the faith the ioy of the faithfull be fulfilled the Church of Christ Iesus be builded the truth of Christ Iesus be maintained the mouth of all gaine sayers be stopped and our people kept a chaste spouse vnto the Lord Or what greater comfort can we haue of our life whatsoeuer we be then that by our life the Lord be glorified the good of our brethren procured and the common-wealth bettered Surely so may the Minister and euery Christian make account that he liueth if hee liue vnto God and to his brethrens
of â—od in him Here then is an exceeding great comfort for euery faithfull Christian soule Christ hath fulfilled the law for vs and his â—bedience vnto the law is now made our righteousnes so that â—ow there is no condemnation vnto them that are in Christ â—esus Whatsoeuer the law required of vs all that he hath â—ulfilled in his owne person that so the righteousnes of the â—aw which was impossible for vs to performe might be imâ—uted vnto vs and we deliuered from the bondage of the â—aw He made himselfe subiect vnto the law that by fulfilling â—f the law for vs he might free vs from all feare of condemnaâ—ion by the law Doth then the law present before thine eyes 〈◊〉 curse and condemnation if thou doest not continue in all â—hings that are written in the booke of the law to doe them â—nd doth thine owne conscience tell thee that in many things â—hou hast offended and many waies thou hast transgressed â—he law of thy God Be not troubled nor feare Cast thy â—urthen vpon Christ Iesus He hath fulfilled the law not for himselfe but for thee that his obedience might be imputed for righteousnesse vnto thee Againe knowest thou that nothing that is vnpure or vncleane hath at any time entred into Gods sight and wouldest thou be presented pure and vnblameable before him in that day Here is the garment of thy elder brother Christ Iesus in this his obedience thou shalt appeare righteous before thy God in that day Thine owne obedience thine owne works thine owne righteousnes seeme it neuer so great and goodly must vanish as a morning cloud in that day for euen thy best righteousnesse is but as the menstruous cloathes of a woman as the Prophet speaketh The cloke where withall thy nakednes must becouered is the righteousnesse of Christ Iesus which righteousnesse is made thine owne if thou by a true and liuely faith lay hold on him where he sitteth at the right hand of the Father in the highest places What greater comfort can there be vnto thine afflicted soule then this both to be deliuered from the curse of the law for not keeping it and to be presented pure before thy God a that day And all this comfort thou maiest haue by this obedience of Christ Iesus And as this obedience of Christ Iesus vnto his Fathers wiâ—â— to fulfill the law for vs may iustly minister this comfort vnto vs so may it further teach vs to yeeld all obedience vnto the will of our heauenly Father For howsoeuer we be freed from the condemnation of the law because Christ hath fulfilled the law for vs yet are we not freed from the performance of our obedience vnto the morall law of God but euen by thâ—â— example of our Sauiour Christ we are more straitly tied therevnto 1 Joh. 2.6 For he that saith he remaineth in Christ ought euen so to walke as he hath walked in all humilitie and in all obedience to his heauenly Fathers will He that saith he knoweth God and keepeth not his commandments 4. is a liar and the truth is not in hiâ—â— but he that keepeth his word in him is the loue of God perfect indeed and hereby we know that we are in him and that we loue him if â—e keepe his commandements 5. As therefore Christ walked in the law and performed all obedience vnto his Fathers will so remember thou to walke with thy God and to keepe his commandements with thine whole heart Beware that thou dissemble not beware that thou present not thy selfe in the assembly of Gods saints to heare his word or to receiue his holy sacrament either for fashions sake or for feare of the law onely to saue thy purse for so thou purchasest vnto thy selfe a fearefull iudgement Beware how thou dalliest with thy God for he seeth not as man seeth Well thou maiest dissemble with man but he searcheth the heart and the reynes and he knoweth all thy thoughts long before they be conceiued by thee Let thy heart be sound with thy God and his commandements let them be in thy heart to doe them And so much of Christ his obedience It followeth And became obedient euen vnto the death His death being likewise a part of his voluntarie obedience vnto his Fathers will for both in fulfilling the law and in suffering death for vs he shewed his obedience vnto his Father and wrought the works of our redemption Here then is the third doctrine touching Christ which I proposed to be obserued which is touching his death vnder which name I vnderstand not onely the separation of his soule from his bodie but all the paines and agonies which he suffered both in soule and bodie For as it was written of him He bare our infirmities Esay 53.4 and caried our sinnes he was wounded for our transgressions he was broken for our iniquities he made his soule an offering for sin the chastisement of our peace was vpon him and with his stripes we are healed as thus I say it was written of him so thus he suffered and was obedient vnto the death Will you then see what manner of death Christ suffered He suffered not onely a bodily death and such paines as follow the dissolution of nature but he suffered likewise in his soule the wrath of God for the sinnes of the world lying so heauy vpon him that it wounded his flesh and his spirit also as the scripture speaketh euen to death For if he had suffered no more but in bodie then he ouercame no more but a bodily death and then were our state most miserable but our sinnes hauing deserued not the bodily death onely but euen death both of body and soule by the death which he suffered he ouercame death and the power of it both in our bodies and in our soules Whence was it that when his death approched he began to be in sorrow and heauinesse Whence was it that he said vnto his Disciples my soule is very heauy euen vnto the death Whence was it that so often he fell on his face and praied that if it were possible that cup might passe from him Whence was it that an Angell appeared from heauen vnto him to comfort strengthen him Whence was it that as he praied his sweat was like drops of bloud trickling downe to the ground Was not this and all this euen from the paines which he felt in his soule by reason of the wrath of God against sinne Can we thinke that all this came to our Sauiour Christ for feare of a bodily death Haue his seruants that receiue of his fulnesse so despised this death of the body that either they wisht for it to be with Christ or reioyced in the middest of it before the persecutor and did our Sauiour himselfe so feare and tremble at the remembrance of it Did the Apostles sing in prison and reioyce when they were whipt and scourged Did Paul glory in the tribulations which he suffered and did our
by the merits of them chalenge heauen vnto themselues But if the person of the poore Publican better beseemeth vs of whom it is said 13. that he did not so much as lift vp his eyes vnto heauen but smote his breast saying O God be mercifull to me a sinner We must not be puft vp with the vaine opinion of the worth of our works how good soeuer they seeme to be but we must runne on the race that is set before vs with feare and trembling As holinesse so humblenesse and reuerence becommeth the house of God which wee are if wee beleeue aright in the Sonne of God Pro. 14.16 and so liue as he hath commanded A wise man feareth and departeth from euill but a foole rageth and is carelesse saith Salomon Whereby he teacheth vs that a reuerent feare of Gods Maiestie is a notable meanes to make a good man to auoid sinne Passe the time therefore I beseech you of your dwelling here in feare and walke in those good workes which God hath ordained you to walke in with feare and trembling with feare I say and trembling both in regard of the maiestie of God whose eyes alwayes behold vs lest you displease him and in regard of the wicked whose eyes are prying into whatsoeuer wee doe that they may haue no aduantage against you Grieue not the holy spirit either by carnall securitie and carelesnesse to doe that good which yee should or by vaine and proud presumption of the worth of that good which yee doe but walke before the Lord as becommeth the Saints of God with feare and trembling fearing not to doe good and trembling at the good which yee doe lest either not doing that good which yee ought or presuming of that good which yee doe yee displease him who loueth you and in whose loue is life and ioy for euermore And let this be spoken touching the manner how wee ought to walke and to finish our course Now followeth the reason why wee ought thus to walke For it is God which worketh c. This is the reason why wee ought not simply to make an end of our owne saluation but to make an end of our owne saluation with feare and trembling with feare and trembling why For it is God which worketh c. Neither the will nor the deed in any thing well done is from our selues that we should be puffed vp with any pride thereof but from the Lord and therefore when hee guides vs wee should not be secure to follow It is God saith the Apostle that worketh in you both the will the will how not by helping the weaknesse of our will as if being a little holpen by grace it were in vs to will that is good but by sanctifying our corrupt will that whereas before it was wholly and only inclined vnto euill now it loueth and liketh and followeth after that which is good and the deed how by giuing grace to doe that good to the desire whereof hee hath sanctified our will It is then as if the Apostle should thus haue said Walke in well-doing before the Lord but with feare and trembling why for it is not in you either to will or to doe that is good but it is God that first sanctifieth your wils to desire the things that belong vnto your peace to hunger and thirst after righteousnesse to acknowledge and lament your sinnes and the like and afterwards giueth grace to beleeue and to liue according to God in Christ Iesus Whence are many lessons for vs. Here then first that doctrine of free will is vtterly ouerthrowne If wee will or doe any thing that is good it is God that worketh in vs both the will and the deed Whosoeuer therefore shall tell you that wee haue power in our selues to will and to doe that which is good and that wee need only to bee holpen but not wholly assisted by grace beleeue him not For I aske what it is that is left vnto vs when both the will to doe good and the deed it selfe are giuen vs of God If it be God that worketh in vs both the will and desire to doe good and likewise the grace of doing that which is good then what is it that wee can challenge vnto our selues If it had beene said that God is the Alpha and Omega the beginning and the end of euery good thing that wee doe then happily some starting-hole might haue beene found But when it is said that it is God that worketh in vs both to will and to do that which is good out of doubt all power is taken from vs of doing any thing that is good True it is that Adam before his fall had free will to chuse the good and to refuse the euill but by his fall he lost that which in his creation he had euen all free will vnto all the things of the spirit so that till such time as hee bee regenerate by the spirit of God he cannot at all by his owne power vnderstand thinke will or doe any thing that is good but is wholly and only carried to that which is euill and can doe nothing else but sinne lying bound in the chaines of sinne not as a man fettered which hath a desire to be loose but of himselfe naturally willing and desirous so to lie The naturall man saith the Apostle perceiueth not the things of the spirit of God for they are foolishnesse vnto him 1 Cor. 2.14 neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned Where the Apostle vnderstanding by the naturall man the vnregenerate man whose knowledge and vnderstanding the Lord haâ—h not yet cleared and lightened by his holy spirit plainly sheweth that the vnregenerate man hath none vnderstanding at all in the wayes of God and the things that belong vnto his peace neither can haue till the Lord sanctifie him by his holy spirit changing his corrupt will and working in him both the will and the deed Many Scriptures might be brought for the enlarging and further proofe of this point but by that which hath beene spoken yee see what the truth is in the point namely that it is not in our owne power at all to will or doe that which is good but that it is God which worketh in vs both the will and the deed so that the thing which wee doe is no further good than it is wholly guided and directed by the spirit of God Take heed therefore and beware of such as tell you otherwise than as yee haue now heard and learned that yee be not deceiued by them Secondly hence wee are taught whence all our sufficiencie and all our strength to walke in the wayes of God is euen â—rom God who is the alone author of all goodnesse and the giuer of all blessings What hast thou saith the Apostle that thou hast not receiued To prepare our hearts vnto that which is good Psal 10.17 2 Cor. 3.5 this is from the Lord for he prepareth the
he hath chosen and adopted before the foundation of the world and his decree is beyond all degrees of comparison more vnalterable and vnchangeable than are the lawes of the Medes and Persians Yet such are the mercies of our God towards vs that howsoeuer wee can helpe nothing vnto our election or vnto our adoption into the sonnes of God yet may wee know whether we be elected whether we be the sonnes of God and besides we may giue proofe thereof vnto others And hereunto it is that wee ought to giue all diligence and to bend our selues and our whole studies that it may appeare both vnto our selues and vnto others that we are the sonnes of God A studie whereunto the comfort which thence may arise may be a sufficient inducement vnto any For wherein should wee rather labour than in that wherein wee may take the greatest comfort Or wherein can we take so great comfor as in this that wee know that we are and that it doth appeare vnto others that wee are the sonnes of God Herein alone is sound ioy and comfort and without this what can there be else but restlesnesse of thoughts and disquietnesse of minde Yea but you will aske mee how this may appeare either vnto our selues or others that wee are the sonnes of God I answer out of the Apostles euen by walking without rebuke in the middest of a naughtie and crooked nation by the fruits of the spirit shewing themselues in the holinesse of our conuersation Rom. 8.14 For as many as are lead by the spirit of God they are the sonnes of God Now who are they that are lead by the spirit of God Euen they that by the power of the spirit of sanctification mortifie the deeds of the body as there the Apostle sheweth and bring forth the fruits of the spirit So then they which walke not after the flesh but after the spirit flying from sinne as from a Serpent and being zealous of good workes they haue an infallible testimonie that they are the sonnes of God and heires of eternall life Hereby then wee our selues know that wee are the sonnes of God euen by the fruits of the spirit which hee hath giuen vs. And therefore Peter in the place before alleadged Giue diligence to make your calling and election sure immediately addeth For if yee doe these things that is if yee bring forth those fruits mentioned before ye shall neuer fall Where the Apostles plainly sheweth that the way to confirme our election vnto our selues is by the fruits of the spirit which he hath giuen vs. Hereby likewise wee make it apparant vnto others that wee are the sonnes of God if wee walke in those good workes which God hath ordained vs to walke in And therefore our Sauiour Christ exhorteth vs saying Let your light so shine before men Mat. 5.16 that they may see your good workes and glorifie your Father which is in heauen euen him whose sonnes they shall know you to bee by those good workes which they shall see you doe So that as the end wherefore wee were predestinate to bee adopted into the sonnes of God through Iesus Christ was that wee should be holy and without blame before God in loue so the meanes whereby wee are declared both to our selues and others to be the sonnes of God is our holy conuersation and walking without rebuke in the middest of a naughtie and crooked nation When therefore I say that we ought to giue all diligence that we may appeare to be the sonnes of God the meaning is that we ought to be holy in conuersation and without blame in the middest of a naughtie and crooked nation that so it may appeare that wee are the sonnes of God Yea but here againe it will be said where is he that is holy in all manner of conuersation And who is he that walketh without rebuke amongst the sonnes of men And therefore how can it appeare by the note of our sanctification that we are the sonnes of God I answer that howsoeuer our sanctification here in this life be so vnperfit that we cannot be holy in all manner of conuersation or walke without rebuke amongst the sonnes of men yet if we striue and labour if we studie and endeuour to be holy without blame and to walke as the sonnes of God amongst the sonnes of men hereby it doth and may appeare that we are the sonnes of God If we hate the sinnes of vnfaithfulnes and let no such cleane vnto vs if we suffer not sinne to reigne in our mortall bodies but striue to subdue the flesh vnto the spirit if we flie the corruptions which are in the world through lusts and studie to liue soberly and righteously and godly in this present world if wee long and thirst after those things that belong vnto our peace and can in the needfull time of trouble come vnto our God and cry Abba Father hereby it doth and may appeare that we are the sonnes of God The godly strife against sinne and carefull desire of walking in the waies of God without rebuke they are the sure and vndoubted stampes of the spirit of our adoption into the sonnes of God and the certaine fruits of that spirit whereby we are sealed vntill the redemption of the possession purchased vnto the praise of his glory If thou desire further proofe of these things looke into the holy scriptures and they shall instruct thee sufficiently herein Mat. 5.6 Blessed saith our Sauiour Christ are they that hunger and thirst after righteousnesse Where our Sauiour sheweth that not they alone which are righteous but they also which hunger and thirst after righteousnes are blessed and consequently the sonnes of God So we read that Abrahams willingnes to offer vp his onely begotten sonne Isaac for a burnt offering vnto the Lord Gen. 22.12 was accepted with God for as sure a proofe of his faith and obedience as if he had offered him vp indeede Insomuch that in regard of his willingnes thereunto the Apostles plainely say that he did offer vp Isaac when he was tâ—ied Heb. 1â— 17 Iam. 2.21 So litle difference the Holy Ghost putteth betweene the will and the deede when the will is inclined vnto that which is good 1 Chro. 28.2 The like may be said of Dauids willingnesse and desire to build a Temple vnto the Lord. He builded it not yet his purpose and desire to haue builded it was accepted with God And generally this is true that the will and desire is accepted with God as the deede so that the will and desiâ—e and indeuour to walke in the waies of God without rebuke doe plainely sâ—ew vs to be the sonnes of God and are accepted with God as if we walked holy and without blame The like is to be said of striuing against sinne that euen the very striuing against sinne doth plainely shew vs to be the sonnes of God For proofe whereof what neede any other than that example of the
in their inferior brethren but that they should honor and much esteeme of whatsoeuer good graces in them First therefore in generall it is the rule of the Apostle that no man should despise another but that euery man should make himselfe equall vnto them of the lowest degree the high vnto the low the rich vnto the poore the wise and man of vnderstanding vnto the simple and ignorant For what hast thou ô man that thou hast not receiued Is thine honor and promotion great Psal 75.7.8 Promotion commeth neither from the East nor from the West nor yet from the South but it is the Lord that putteth downe one and setteth vp another Art thou increased in wealth and riches The Lord maketh poore 1 Sam. 2.7 and maketh rich prosperitie and aduersitie life and death pouertie and riches euen all these come of the Lord. Hast thou more wisdome and knowledge and vnderstanding then others of thy brethren Iob 38.38 The Lord onely hath put wisdome in thy reines the Lord only hath giuen thine heart vnderstanding Not to instance in moe particulars that of Iames in generall is most true Euery good giuing and euery perfit gift is from aboue Jam. 1.17 and commeth downe from the father of lights with whom is no variablenesse neither shadowing by turning Now wherefore hath he made thee great and mighty that thou mightest tyrannize ouer and oppresse thy brother Wherefore hath he made thee rich and wealthy that thou mightest grinde the faces of the poore and lift vp thy selfe in pride aboue them Wherefore hath he made thee wise and of an vnderstanding heart that thou mightest disdaine and laugh at the simplicitie and rudenesse of thine inferior brother Nay whatsoeuer blessing it is that thou hast it is conferred vpon thee for the honor and glory of thy God and for the good and comfort of thy brother Mat. 26.11 Yee shall haue the poore alwaies with you saith our Sauiour Christ and in Deuteronomie the Lord saith there shall be euer some poore in the land Deut. 15.11 therefore saith the Lord thou shalt open thine hand vnto thy brother to thy needy and to thy poore in the land It is then that thou maiest doe good vnto thy poore brother that God hath made thee rich and wealthy it is that thou maiest instruct and that thou maiest aduise thy brother in what he standeth neede of thee that he hath made thee wise and learned it is that thou maiest strengthen and lift thy poore brother out of the myre that God hath made thee great and mighty I wish our great and mighty men of the world that still climbe and neuer thinke themselues high enough I wish our rich and wealthy worldlings that make no end of gathering riches and increasing their substance I wish our wise and great learned men whose knowledge puffeth them vp more than is meete would consider these things and lay them vp in their hearts and practise them in their liues But doe they not rather glory in these things as though they had not receiued them or at least knew not for what end they had receiued them When they are become as great as Haman doe they not proue like vnto Haman euen such as thinke of nothing but of oppressing and vndoing and murthering the people of God When they are become as rich as Nabal doe they not proue as churlish and as ill conditioned as Nabal euen such as will part with nothing for the releeuing of the necessities of the poore Saints of God When they are become as wise as Ahitophel doe they not proue like vnto Ahitophel euen such as vse their wisdome and counsell vnto the vtter ruine of Gods children and desolation of his inheritance The world seeth and let the world iudge whether it be so or no. As for vs men and brethren let vs know that the wise man is not to glory in his wisdome nor the strong man in his strength nor the rich man in his riches but he that reioyceth is to reioyce in the Lord who giueth him wisdome and honor and strength and riches and all things plenteously Neither is he for these things or any things of like sort to aduance himself aboue his brethren as though he were the man vnto whom all men should bowe and on whom all mens eyes should be set but he is so to vse these things to Gods glory and to the good and comfort of his brethren and to make himselfe equall vnto them of the lowest degree This I say let vs know and let our knowledge breake forth into all holy practise that so we may liue without pride and disdaine and contempt one of another submitting your selues one vnto another euery man esteeming other better than himselfe and communicating the things wherewithall God hath blessed vs whether wisdome or knowledge or riches or what else soeuer to the good one of another with all cheerefullnesse and in all singlenesse of heart And let this be spoken touching that which in generall all men who are any way aduanced aboue their brethren may learne from this great mildnesse of the Apostle in equalling Epaphroditus almost with himselfe and magnifying the gifts and graces of Gods spirit in him notwitstanding that he was farre inferior vnto the Apostle 2. From this same example they in particular that are of greater places in the ministerie may learne a good lesson which is not to extenuate and lessen the gifts and graces of Gods spirit in their inferior brethren but to honor and esteem whatsoeuer graces of God in them though farre meaner then those in themselues For are they not worthily reproued which say as it is in Esay stand apart come not neere to me Esay 65.5 for I am holier then thou And are they not as worthily to be reproued who because of their places and gifts aboue their brethren carry themselues insolently towards their brethren and in stead of countenancing and gracing them doe vilifie and disgrace them notwithstanding the good gifts and graces of God in them Who greater in the Church then Paul was and whose gifts greater then were his If he then so countenanced those who were his inferiors much in the ministerie that he called them his brethren his companions in labour his fellow-souldiers if he for such gifts and graces of Gods spirit as he saw in them though farre inferior vnto his owne yet loued and honored them for them why should it not be thought a thing most beseeming them who are of eminent gifts and place in the Church herein to follow the holy example of the blessed Apostle Why should not they vse those that are their inferiors in the ministerie as their brethren as their companions in labour as their fellow-souldiers Why should no◠they grace and incourage and stirre vp Gods graces in their inferiors Humblenesse and meeknes and brotherly kindnesse much beseemeth all the children of God one towards another but most of all the Ministers
presented vnto your view the great mysterie of godlinesse euen God manifested in the flesh iustified in the spirit 1 Tim. 3.16 seene of Angels preached vnto the Gentiles belieued on in the world and receiued vp into glory He it is and he alone it is that is made of God vnto you wisedome and righteousnesse and sanctification and redemption that hee that reioyceth might reioyce in him Reioyce therefore in him and beware of such as teach you to reioyce in any thing but in him Thus ye see how this exhortation is partly a conclusion of that which went before and partly a ground and foundation of that which followeth The excuse which followeth is to meete with that conceit which the Philippians happily might haue vpon his often admonition First by word and now by writing to beware of false Apostles For thus the Apostle thought they might conceiue and thinke with themselues you haue often when you were with vs admonished vs of false Apostles and Teachers when you taught vs and preached vnto vs Christ Iesus you ceased not to warne vs to beware of such as would seeke to seduce vs from that truth which you taught vs and wee haue beene diligent so to doe neither haue we giuen place to any of their doctrines And therefore you needed not to haue troubled your selfe this admonition needed not to vs The Apostle therefore to meete with this telleth them that for him it is no griefe or trouble to him at all to write the same things vnto them which before hee had taught them by word of mouth and for them hee telleth them that it is a sure and a safe thing that they be often admonished of false Teachers that so they may be the more warie of them Thus much for the vnderstanding of these words Now before wee proceed any farther let vs see what obseruations we may gather hence For our vse and instruction The 1. thing which here I note is the maner how the Apostle doth exhort the Philippians which is in most milde and kinde and good sort speaking vnto them as vnto his brethren yea calling them his brethren not that they were his brethren naturally according to the flesh by carnall generation but his brethren in Christ begotten in one wombe of the Church the spouse of Christ vnto one God the father of our Lord Iesus Christ and father of vs all by one immortall seed the word of God through one spirit whereinto we are all baptized borne by spirituall generation not of bloud nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God Exhorting then the Philippians whom hee had begotten in the faith vnto Christ by his ministerie hee speaketh vnto them as vnto his brethren in Christ most mildly and kindly and louingly So we see he doth in the second Chapter and twelfth verse where exhorting them to humilitie and obedience and to finish their saluation with feare and trembling hee speaketh thus vnto them wherefore my beloued as ye haue alwaies obeyed c. So in the next Chapter he ioyneth both these together and a great deale more and saith Therefore my brethren beloued and longed for my ioy and my crowne c. Most milde and louing exhortations And wherefore vseth hee such mildnesse in his exhortations vnto them No doubt the rather to winne them to hearken vnto him and vnto that whereto hee exhorteth them For as sharpe and bitter words often stirres vp striefe and anger so a soft tongue milde and louing speeches much auaile to effect that which a man desires Here then is a lesson for vs whom God hath set apart vnto the holy worke of his ministerie that we should not onely be carefull to instruct â—hem that heare vs in the wholesome words of truth but that a meeknesse also of spirit wee should exhort them vnto the things that belong vnto their peace A thing practised by Christ himselfe and practised likewise by the Apostles of Iesus Christ as by many places in the new Testament it may easily appeare Here then happily you will say vnto me how is it then that many of you are so sharpe and eager in speech how is it that ye follow not the practise of Christ and of his Apostles We are indeed sometimes sharpe wee come sometimes with a rodde as the Apostle speakes yea sometimes we bring an axe with vs and lay it to the roote of the tree to cut it downe that it may be cast into the fire sometimes we pluck vp and roote out and throw downe sometimes wee strike and wound and kill and herein wee follow the practise of Christ and of his Apostles Would it not seem a sharp speech vnto you if we should lift vp our voices and crie Mat. 12.34 Ioh. 8.44 O generation of vipers how can ye speake good things when yee are euill or if â—e should say ye are of your father the Deuill and the lusts of your father ye will doe or if we should say ye fooles Luc. 11 40.42.43 c. did not hee that made that which is without make that which is within also or if we should come with woe vpon woe vnto such and such men And yet speaking thus we should speake no otherwise then our Sauiour Christ did Did not the Apostle likewise vse sharpe peaches vnto the Galathians when he said vnto them Galat. 3.1.3 O foolish Galathians who hath bewitched you that yee should not obey the truth are ye so foolish that after ye haue begunne in the spirit yee would now be made perfit by the flesh And did not Iames likewise vse great sharpnes boldnes of speach against richmen saying Iam. 5.1.2.3.4.5.6 Go to now ye rich men weepe and houle for your miseries that shall come vpon you c. ye haue liued in pleasure on the earth and in wantones ye haue nourished your hearts as in a day of slaughter ye haue condeÌ„ned killed the iust and he hath not resisted you therefore we be sometimes somewhat rough and sharpe ye see we do not therein swarue from the rule and practise of Christ or his Apostles Eccles 3.1.3 To all things saith the Preacher there is an appointed time and a time to euery purpose vnder the heauen A time to slay and a time to heale a time to breake downe and a time to build c. So I say there is a time to bee rough and sharpe and there is a time to be milde and gentle there is a time to strike and wound and there is a time to comfort and to heale The same God that came in a soft and still voice vnto Eliah 1 Reg. 19.12 Num. 16.32 Leuit. 10.2 and not in the earthquake not in the fire came vnto Korah Dathan and Abiram in the earthquake and vnto Nadab and Abihu in the fire and the one sort were deuoured by the earthquake and the other sort by the fire When men are hardened in sinne and will
couetousnesse 2 Pet. 2.14 3. through couetousnesse making marchandise of mens soules Such a one was Balaam of whom the Apostle Peter saith in the same chapter that he loued the wages of vnrighteousnes Such were those of whom Esay speaketh Esa 56.11 that they were greedie dogges which could neuer haue enough Such were these among the Philippians whose God as the Apostle saith was their bellie Marke then who now at this day they are that through couetousnesse would make marchandise of your soules Who are they now that set on sale the forgiuenesse of your sinnes and the kingdome of heauen for money Who are they now that vnder colour of long praiers deuoure widowes houses that for such or such lands such or such summes of money such or such releefe vnto such or such places will promise you to say so many praiers for so many dayes or yeeres for you or for your friends Who are they now that make gaine godâ—inesse and doe all that they doe in deede and an truth for the maintenance of their state and of their bellies Erasmus when hee was asked by Fredâ—ricke Duke of SAXONIE his iudgement of Luther said that there were two great faults of his one that hee medled with the Popes Crowne another that hee medled with the Monkes bellie Erasmus his meaning was that those two things they were most of all carefull for and therefore could not endure the medling with them Doe not such like dogges serue their bellies and through couetousnesse make marchandise of you Whosoeuer they be that doe so they haue a marke of false teachers Marke them therefore and take heed of them Beware of dogges of barking and greedie dogges My next two notes I gather from that that these false teachers are called euill workers A third note therefore of false teachers it is so to teach the necessitie of workes vnto saluation as to make them ioynt workers with Christ of our saluation as if our saluation were not by Christ alone but by the workes of the Law also True it is that we must walke in those good workes which God hath ordained vs to walke in â—pâ— 2.10 or else wee cannot be saued but yeâ— by grace are wee saued through faith 8.9 not of workes lest any man should boast himselfe To teach therefore that our workes are any part of that righteousnesse whereby we are iustified or saued is a note of false teachers Which thing also our Apostle witnesseth in another place Gal. 5.4 where he saith that such make the grace of God of none effect Such were those that had bewitched the Galatians whose doctrine in his epistle vnto them he doth at large confute and sheweth that wee are iustified onely by grace through faith in Iesus Christ and not by the workes of the Law Such also were those that were crept in amongst these Philippians whom in this chapter he confuteth shewing that Christ alone is our righteousnesse and that wee haue no righteousnesse of our owne at all by any workes of the Law Marke then who now at this day they are that teach mans righteousnesse or saluation to be of his workes Who are they now that tell you that we are made righteous before God not by faith alone in Christ his bloud but by workes also Who are they now that tell you that not by Christ his merits alone but by the merit of our owne workes also wee gaine heauen and that not to our selues alone but to others also Who aâ—e â—hey now that tell you that together with Christ good workes must be ioyned as workers together with him of our iustâ—fication and saluation Whosoeuer they be that doe so they haue a marke of false teachers Marke them therefore and take heed of them Beware of them they are euill workes making those workes which as they are done according to the Law are good workes by this peruerse doctrine euill workes A fourth note of false teachers it is like vnto vnfaithfull workmen in the Lord his vineyard to teach for doctrines mens precepts and traditions of men For this false teachers take of euill and vnfaithfull workers in the Lord his vineyard that either in stead of the word or at least together with the pure seede of the word they sow mens precepts and traditions of men Our Sauiour noteth it in the enuious man that he sowed tares among the wheat Mat. 13.28 Mar 7 7. and it is notable in all his brood Such were those Scribes and Pharises that we reade of in the Gospell of whom it is said that they taught for doctrines the commandements of men Whereupon our Sauiour told them that they worshipped him in vaine Marke then who now at this day doe thus resemble vnfaithfull workmen in the Lord his vineyard Who are they now that teach you to doe a great number of things for the doing whereof there is no rule at all in the Scriptures Who are they now that fill your eares with traditions of the Apostles as they say and traditions of the Church as they say making them euen of equall authoritie with the writings of the Apostles Who are they now that teach you to beleeue otherwise then yee are warranted by the Scriptures the rule of faith Who are they now that mingle with the pure seede of Gods word the chaffe of mans braine and giue equall authoritie to the written word and to vnwritten traditions Doe not such shew themselues to be of the brood of the enuious man Whosoeuer they be that doe so they haue a marke of false teachers Marke them therefore and take heed of them Beware of them they are euill workers working vnfaithfully in the Lord his vineyard Now from this also that these false teachers among the Philippians were called the concision arise two notes whereby to discerne false teachers A fift note therefore of false teachers it is like vnto these of the concision to cause diuision and offences contrary to the doctrine of the Gospell of Iesus Christ and to cut themselues from the vnitie of the Church for this they take of the concision that as they cut themselues from the vnitie of the Church and caused diuision in the Church by vrging the circumcision of the flesh which the Church had done with so commonly false teachers rent the vnitie of the Church and cause diuisions by teaching other doctrine then the spirit of God hath taught the Church to receiue This note of false teachers our Apostle also giues elsewhere where hee saith Marke them diligently which cause diuisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which yee haue learned Rom. 16.17 and auoid them Such were those false Apostles and teachers which troubled the Church of Corinth after Paul had planted it who by their ambition brought in such factions and schismes and dissensions into the Church 1 Cor. 1.11 that the house of Cloe a vertuous and zealous woman aduertised the Apostle thereof Marke then who now at this
foreskin of the flesh instituted by God for a signe of the couenant which was made betweene him and Abraham Gen. 17.11 another of the heart in the spirit which is a cutting of from the heart of all carnall affections whereby we might be hindered in the spirituall seruice of God and in our reioycing in Iesus Christ whereof Moses maketh mention where he saith The Lord thy God will circumcise thine heart Deut. 30.6 and the heart of thy seede that thou mayest loue the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soule that thou mayest liue That carnall circumcision was that wherein the false Apostles gloried and of which they told the Philippians that except they were so circumcised they could not be saued But that being a ceremonie which when Christ came was abolished the Apostle saith plainely that that is no circumcision which is outward in the flesh Rom. 2.28 nay he saith farther vnto the Galathians Gal. 5.2 that if they be circumcised Christ shall profit them nothing And therefore the Apostle calleth them the concision because they cut and rent the peace of the Church by vrging that as necessarie to saluation which was abolished and was now not onely vnprofitable but hurtfull The other circumcision which is of the heart in the spirit made without hands by putting of the sinfull bodie of the flesh through the circumcision of Christ that is he circumcision wherein the Apostle glorieth and saith we are the circumcision .i. we are circumcised with the true circumcision that which is outward in the flesh being no circumcision Againe where it is added which worship God in the spirit by worshipping God in the spirit he meaneth the spirituall worshipping of God as if he should haue said we are the circumcision which worship God spiritually not after the outward ceremonies of the law but in the spirit of our minde lifting vp our soules vnto him and reioycing in his holy name Againe where hee saith that they reioyce in Iesus Christ and haue no confidence in the flesh he opposeth the one against the other and both signifieth that the confidence of their saluation is onely in Christ Iesus not in any outward thing either circumcision of the flesh or what outward thing else soeuer and withall implieth tâ—at they that haue confidence in the circumcision of the flesh or in any outward thing whatsoeuer and not onely in Christ Iesus they indeede reioyce not in Christ Iesus as in the borne of their saluation It is then in briefe as if the Apostle should thus haue said I haue warned you to beware of the concision and doe yee beware of the concision The reason is for they who glory that they are the circumcision are not the circumcision but the concision and we are the circumcision we are circumcised with the true circumcision we I say which worship God not after the outward ceremonies of the law but in the spirit and in truth and which renouncing all confidence of our saluation in the flesh or in any outword thing doe onely reioyce in Christ Iesus as in the horne of our saluation Thus yee see the purpose of the Apostle in this place what he proueth how he proueth it and the meaning of the words Now let vs see what we may obserue hence for our vse and instruction 1. Here I note the Apostle his elegant allusion betweene concision and circumcision where he calleth himselfe and the Philippians the circumcision and the false teachers the concision by way of allusion vnto circumcision wheâ—eof they boasted in vaine The like allusions we haue diuers times in holy scriptures Esa 5.7 as in Esay The Lord saith the Prophet looked for iudgement but behold oppression the allusion is plaine in the Hebrue betweene mishpat mâ—shpach and againe for righteousnesse but behold a crying where the allusion is as plaine betweene 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Also in the new Testament as in the Epistle to the Romanes Rom. 12.3 where it is said I say vnto you that no man vnderstand aboue that which is meete to vnderstand but that euery man vnderstand according to sobriety where in the originall the allusion is notable betweene 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Diuers the like might be produced both out of the old Testament and likewise the new but let these for this time suffice Hence I make this obseruation that it is not vnlawfull for the Ministers and teachers of the word sometimes to vse allusions and elegancies of speech for we see that the Holy Ghost by vsing them sometimes hath sanctified the vse of them But yet great moderation and discretion is to be vsed therein lest if we grow to take too great a felicitie and pleasure therein we fall into such a ryming vaine and curious affectation as is vnbeseeming the maiestie of the word and the grauitie of the Minister of the word That rule of the Apostle is by vs diligently to be kept that no iesting or vaine or light or foolish speech proceede cut of our mouthes Eph. 4.29 but only that which is good to the vse of edifying that it may minister grace vnto the hearers From this obseruation yee for your vse may learne not hastily to iudge or presently to condemne such Ministers and Preachers of the word as sometimes vse allusions and other elegancies of speech for yee see the Holy Ghost doth not altogether auoide them And albeit ordinarily the most plaine and the most familiar forme of words be farre the best for you and the most to be accepted by you yet sometimes such an allusion or such an elegancie of speech so graceth the speech as that both it best liketh you and likewise maketh the best impression in you In a word both in the speaker moderation is required that such allusions or elegancies be not too often vsed and in the hearer likewise iudgement is required that such allusions or elegancies be not too rashly condemned 2. It is to be noted that the Apostle saith for we are the circumcision For thereby both the Apostle denieth that circumcision which is made with hands and which is outward in the flesh to be truely circumcision and likewise affirmeth that spirituall circumcision which is made without hands by the spirit in the heart by purging thence all euill affections to be truely circumcision so that not they which are circumcised with carnall circumcision are the circumcision but they onely which are circumcised with spirituall circumcision are the circumcision Whence first I obserue that as all other ceremonies and sacrifices of the law so likewise the circumcision of the flesh had then an end when Christ came in the flesh so that the vse of them afterwards was not onely vnprofitable but hurtfull For albeit it be said both of circumcision and of other ceremonies Gen. 17.13 Ex. 12.14.31.16 and sacrifices of the law
we weane men from this worldly reioycing as much as we can What is then the reioycing which we teach As the Apostle saith of sorrow 2. Cor. 7.10 that there is a worldly sorrow which causeth death and a godly sorrow which causeth repentance vnto saluation so I say of reioycing that there is a worldly reioycing when men take more pleasure in the vanities of this life and the pleasures of sinne then in the things which belong vnto their peace which causeth death a godly reioycing when men reioyce in the Lord so that they put their whole confidence in him and count all things losse and dung in comparison of that reioycing which they haue in him which causeth confidence vnto saluation The reioycing then which we teach is not the worldly reioycing which the world teaches which causeth death but the godly reioycing which causeth confidence vnto saluation We say that ye may and that ye ought to reioyce in the Lord. So the holy Ghost often exhorteth vs to doe and so the godly haue alwayes done Be glad O ye righteous saith Dauid and reioyce in the Lord. Psal 32.12 And againe Let Israel reioyce in him that made him Psal 149.2 and let the children of Sion be ioyfull in their King Let him that reioyceth saith the Apostle out of the Prophet reioyce in the Lord. 2. Cor. 1.31 And in the former chapter My brethren saith the Apostle reioyce in the Lord. Esay 61.10 So did the Church in Esay saying I will greatly reioyce in the Lord and my soule shal be ioyfull in my God for he hath clothed me with the garments of saluation c. So did Mary saying Luke 1.47 My soule doth magnifie the Lord and my spirit reioyceth in God my Sauiour So Peter giueth testimonie to the strangers to whom he wrote that they reioyced in the Lord with ioy vnspeakeable and glorious 1. Pet. 1.8 And so the godly haue alwayes reioyced in the Lord as in the onely rocke of their defence and strong God of their saluation And now see besides these exhortations and examples so to doe what great cause we haue to reioyce in the Lord and how litle cause there is to reioyce in any thing else for what haue we that we haue not from him or what want we which if we haue he must not supply Haue we peace in all our quarters and plenteousnesse in all our houses haue we a blessing in the fruit of our body in the fruit of our ground in the fruit of our cattel in the increase of our kine and in our flockes of sheepe are our wiues fruitfull as the vine and our children like the Oliue branches round about our tables haue we health strength foode rayment and other necessaries of this life Iames 1.17 And whence are all these things Euerie good giuing and euery perfect gift is from aboue and commeth downe from the Father of lights with whom is no variablenesse neyther shadowing by turning But to come nearer vnto the causes of Christian reioycing Doth the Spirit witnesse vnto our spirit that we are the sonnes of God Is the darkenesse of our vnderstandings lightned the frowardnesse of our wills corrected the corruption of our affections purged Do we feele in our selues the vertue of Christ his resurrection by the death of sinne and the life of God in our selues Are our soules fully assured of the free forgiuenes of our sinnes by grace through the redemption that is in Christ Iesus dare we go boldly vnto the throne of grace and crie Abba which is Father Do we know that Death shall not haue dominion ouer vs and that Hell shall neuer be able to preuaile against vs Behold then what cause we haue of our reioycing in the Lord for abundance of spirituall blessings in heauenly things for our election in Christ Iesus vnto euerlasting life before the foundatiō of the world for our creation in time after his owne image in righteousnesse and true holinesse for our redemption by the bloud of Christ Iesus when we through sinne had defaced the image wherein we were created and sold our selues as bond slaues vnto Sathan for our vocation vnto the knowledge of the truth by the Gospel of Christ Iesus for our adoption into the glorious liberty of the sons of God for our iustification and tree forgiuenesse of our sinnes by the bloud of Christ Iesus for our sanctification by the Spirit of grace vnto some measure of righteousnesse and holinesse of life for our regeneration vnto a liuely hope in Christ Iesus and for the assured confidence which we haue of our glorification after this life with Christ Iesus who shall change our vile body that it may be fashioned like vnto his glorious bodie c. All graces of Gods Spirit and for them all such matter of reioycing in the Lord as may make our hearts dance for ioy and may rauish our soules with gladnesse And as we haue all things from the Lord that we haue whether for the body or for the soule for this life present or that that is to come so what is it that we want which he doth not supply Want we riches The Lord maketh poore 1. Sam. 2 7. and maketh rich and he is rich vnto all them that call vpon him faithfully Want we preferment Psal 75 6. Promotion cometh neyther from the East nor from the West nor yet from the South God is the Iudge he putteth downe one and setteth vp another Want we wisedome If any man lacke wisedome let him aske of God Iames 1.5 which giueth vnto all men liberally and reprocheth no man and it shall be giuen him Want we patience in troubles That is the wisedome which Iames specially speaks of in the place mentioned wisedome patiently to endure whatsoeuer God laieth vpon vs which ye see God liberally giueth to them that lacke aske Want we comfort in our soules God is the God of patience and consolation Rom. 15.5 which comforteth vs in all our troubles and turneth our heauinesse into ioy as also himselfe saith saying I will turne their mourning into ioy Ierem. 31.13 and will comfort them and giue them ioy for their sorrowes Yea whatsoeuer it is that we want it is the Lord that must supply our wants He openeth his hand and filleth all things liuing with plenteousnes Psal 145.16 such as he best knoweth to be most meet for them and good for his glory 84.11 The Lord will giue grace and glory saith the Psalmist in another place and no good thing will he withhold from them that walke vprightly no good thing which he knoweth to be good for them and also good for his glorie Haue we then whatsoeuer blessings we haue from the Lord and doth the Lord supply whatsoeuer we want fo farre forth as he sees it to be expedient for vs and good for his owne glorie See then what cause we haue to reioyce in the
20.2 2. Sam. 12.13 Abraham the father of the faithfull sometimes lied and spake not the truth Dauid a man after Gods owne heart after his murder and adultery slept as it were in the dust a great while till Nathan awoke him Peter vnto whom it was said Mat. 16.18.23 Thou art Peter and vpon this rocke I will build my Church had got a great fall when he heard it said vnto him Get thee behind me Satan thou art an offence vnto me The Church of Corinths light was so dimmed for some while that the Apostle doubted how to come vnto them 1 Cor. 4.21 whether with a rod or in loue and in the spirit of meeknesse And the Philippians care for the Apostle was so for a while frozen and key-cold that they seemed quite to haue forgotten him So subiect vnto their infirmities are both whole bodies and the soundest parts euen of the best bodies so long as they are clothed with the earthly house of this tabernacle Not the best but feele such decayes in themselues not the best but the best graces are so eclipsed in them that they which should be as trees planted by the riuers of waters bringing forth their fruite in due season are sometimes as dead and withered trees whose leaues are faded and their fruite perished that their faith which should worke by loue is sometimes as fire vnder the ashes or embers that their charitie which should alwayes be feruent is sometimes ice-cold that their obedience which should be with their whole heart is sometimes diuided betweene God and the world so that not the best but may sometimes shrinke in himselfe and others doubt of him whether he belong to the couenant whether he be in the state of grace But it is a doubt which need not greatly trouble For though the children of God may sometimes seeme to be as the wicked yet are they not as the wicked The wicked are indeed like the heath in the wildernes they are indeed corrupt trees and without fruite twise dead and pluckt vp by the rootes For though some of them be it may be as the fig-tree which Christ cursed Mat. 21 19. hauing leaues and shadowes and shewes of diuers good graces of Gods Spirit yet looke well vpon them and consider them and ye shall find that either they haue no fruite or naughtie fruite on them wanting all sappe and moisture of Gods holy Spirit in them But the children of God onely seeme for a time to be as dead and withered trees as doth in Winter euery faire and pleasant tree For though now their leaues be faded yet do they afterward grow greene againe though now they beare no fruite yet afterward they do though now there seeme to be no sap or moisture in them yet is there in the roote and afterward shootes out though now they be as dead yet afterwards they reuiue again Their faith and loue are sometimes raked vp as it were in the ashes but infidelitie is bound vp in the soule of the wicked and hatred eateth vp the bowels of their belly Their charitie iâ— som times cold and their obedience full of defect but the very bowels of the wicked are mercilesse crueltie and they sell themselues to worke iniquitie or if there be any vtter rine or barke to make semblance and shew of a good tree yet is there no sap or moisture of Gods holy Spirit in them Wel they may haue tasted of the good word of God and of the powers of the world to come but it is but a taste that they haue gotten and the fruite that followeth it is but a blossome But the children of God are taught by Gods Spirit and howsoeuer for a time the Spirit shew not it self in them yet doth it afterwards bud forth into the fruits of true righteousnesse and holinesse To speake all in one word the wicked reuiue not after they seemed to be dead because in truth they neuer liued but the children of God after that they seeme to be dead vnto the life of God at last reuiue againe and do their former workes and againe the wicked onely for some time seeme to liue and at last shew plainly that they are and alwayes were dead in sinne but the children of God onely for some time seem to be dead and at last reuiue againe vnto the life of God through the power of the Spirit which was neuer quite quenched in them Here then is both a word of comfort vnto the distressed a watch word likewise vnto all in generall A comfort it must needs be vnto the afflicted soule that in the dearest children of God the life of God is not alwayes so manifest but that sometimes they seeme to be dead yet at last do reuiue again and do their former workes For why art thou so full of heauinesse O thou distressed soule and why are thy thoughts so troubled within thee Art thou euen dead in respect of the life of God Feelest thou no warmth of the Spirit within thee Art thou cold in zeale cold in prayer cold in charitie Hast thou slacked that diligence which thou wast wont to vse in the seruice of thy God in thy dutie towards thy neighbours and brethren Well plucke vp thine heart be not troubled nor feare This is no other thing then sometimes befalleth euen the dearest children of God for sometimes euen the best of them feele it to be so with them Onely tell me this didst thou euer feele the life of God and the warmth of his Spirit within thee Hadst thou sometimes comfort in the hauing of those graces the want whereof doth now disquiet and discomfort thee O what else and there is thy griefe that now thou findest not that comfort in them which thou wast wont to find Well be strong and comfort thine heart For thy God at the last will reuiue thee Thy God will stablish the thing that he hath wrought in thee and he that hath begun a good worke in thee will performe it vntill the day of Iesus Christ for whom he loueth once he loueth vnto the end A cloud hath for a while ouershadowed thee and Satan for a time by a mist hath obscured thy light but thy light shall breake forth though not as the Sunne in his brightnesse yet so cleare that the life of thy God shall be manifest in thee Onely let this watchword be vnto thee and vnto all in generall that when you feele such decayes of the life of God in your selues either by dulnesse vnto any dutie or slacknesse in any seruice then ye stirre vp the grace of God in you and labour by prayer and euery holy course that the grace which seemeth to be dead may be reuiued in you As therefore the Apostle exhorteth Eph. 5.14 so say I vnto you Awake thou that sleepest and stand vp from the dead euen them that are dead in sinne and iniquitie and Christ shall giue thee light Shake off that drowsines which
in the end of his Letters and Epistles he should so be censured and traduced as now those are that therein follow his example The second thing which hence I obserue is that as all Christians generally so all Ministers of the Gospell in particular should write and speake vnto and account one of an other as brethren For as this is true in generall that we haue all one God for our Father that we are all begotten by the immortall seede of one God in one wombe of the Church that we are all baptized into one bodie and haue bene all made to drinke into one spirit that we are all adopted vnto the same inheritance by the same Spirit through Iesus Christ and therefore are all brethren in Christ Iesus so is it also true in all the Ministers of the Gospell of Christ Iesus that we all build the same house we all preach the same Gospell we are all called to the dispensation of the same mysteries we all seeke the glorie of the same kingdome and we are all shepheards and bishops vnder the chiefe Shepheard and Bishop of our soules Christ Iesus Howsoeuer therefore in degree we go one before another yet should we vse and intreate one another as brethren A good note as for all Christians in generall so for such in the Ministerie as in gifts or degree are before others of their calling A better example then this of the Apostle they cannot follow to be so affectioned towards their inferiors as it appeareth our Apostle was and in all kindnesse to intreate as brethren them that labour with them in the Gospel as it appeareth our Apostle did It followeth All the Saints c. Here he remembreth the salutations of all the rest of the Saints that were at Rome vnto them All the Saints salute you to wit all the rest of the Saints that labour not in the Gospel and most of all they which are of Caesars houshold he vnderstandeth some of Neroes Court which did embrace the truth Which salutation the Apostle no doubt addeth for the ioy and comfort of the Philippians that when they should heare that not only all the Saints at Rome saluted them but the some of the Emperours Court which had embraced the truth saluted them yea and were as forward as the best in saluting them Whence I obserue that the Lord in mercie sometimes in the Courts of wicked Princes raiseth vp faithfull children vnto Abraham and causeth his truth to be loued and embraced and professed euen of their Courtiers What a cruell tyrant and wicked persecutor of Christians Nero was the Ecclesiasticall stories mention He was the beginner of all those wicked persecutions vnder those ten cruell tyrants in the Primitiue Church and grew to such a thirsting after bloud that not onely Paul and Peter and many other Christians but his greatest familiars his dearest friends his nearest kinred his brethren his mother his wife were slaine by his most cruell tyranny Yet euen in this cruell tyrants Court the Lord had some that feared him and fauoured the truth Such a one was Ioseph in Pharaoh his Court Ionathan in Saules Court Obadiah in Ahabs Court and Ebedmelech in Zedekiahs Court. And such is his mercie that he will such is his power that he can and such his goodnesse that he doth cause light to shine out of darkenesse and beget children in the faith where the truth is most oppugned Which may teach vs many good lessons As first not to despaire but that where the truth is most oppugned there the Lord hath some that feare him and worship him in truth No place more vnlike to haue friends vnto the truth then Nero his Court and yet there were such And therefore we may hope that euen there where Antichrist vsurpeth his tyrannâ—e the Lord hath his children which bow not the knee to Baall Onely we are to acknowledge the glorious mercie and power of the Lord therein that so wonderfully dealeth for his children and prouideth for his owne glory Secondly this may serue to condemne vs of great backwardlinesse in a Christian resolution of a religious profession In Nero his Court was great danger of present death and cruell torture vnto so many as should embrace and professe the truth of Christ Iesus There the same Paul in prison and many continually butchered and killed for a good profession yet there were such as embraced the truth in their hearts and professed it with their mouthes And how shall not this condemne our irresolute resolution of a religious profession We are in no perill of death or of bonds or imprisonment for making a bold profession of Christian religion Nay it is our honour with our most gracious Prince constantly to maintaine the truth against errour and superstition And yet so cold are we a great many of vs in religion as that a man cannot tell what we are Papists or Protestants and so frozen as that a man would take a many of vs rather to be enemies then friends vnto religion Either we are afraid and dare not make that profession which we should for feare of a day or else to serue the time we make shew of one and are indeed another and so cannot make a good profession Howsoeuer it be so it is that many of vs are of no resolution in religion Well it should not be so but though we were in Nero his Court we should make a good profession and though there were no way for vs but to be cast into the hote fierie fornace yet should we with the three children protest Dan. 3.18 We will not serue thy gods nor worship thy golden image which thou hast made and set vp The grace c. In these words the Apostle shutteth vp all and as it were sealeth his letter with that vsuall prayer which he vseth both in the beginning and in the end almost of all his Epistles Where ye see the thing which he wisheth them is grace which when he calleth The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ he therein noteth whence it is deriued vnto his children By grace he vnderstandeth both the first and second grace both the free fauour of God which is the fountaine of all good things and the good things themselues which flow from that fountaine Now this is called the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ because it is deriued from God by him vnto his children by him I say euen by our Lord vnto whom al power is giuen both in heauen and in earth by our Lord Iesus that saueth his people from their sinnes by our Lord Iesus Christ annointed a King to defend vs a Prophet to teach vs a Priest to offer vp a sacrifice for our sinnes So that the Apostles praier here for the Philippians is ye see that whatsoeuer grace our Lord Iesus Christ hath purchased for his Church may be with them all to fill them with all goodnesse Would ye then know how to pray for all good either vnto Gods Church or any of Gods children Learne of our Apostle and pray that the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ may be with them For herein ye pray both for all spirituall grace in heauenly things vnto them and for all temporall blessings which in his gracious fauour he vouchsafeth for the good of his Church and children being all couched in this The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ Againe would ye know by whom all grace is deriued vnto vs be it spirituall grace or temporall blessing the grace of God whereby he loueth vs or the grace of God whereby his loue is made knowne vnto vs Learne of our Apostle it is by our Lord Iesus Christ for therefore is it called the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ because it is deriued by him vnto vs he hauing reconciled vs vnto God and we with him hauing all things giuen vnto vs. Knowing then the exceeding great riches that we haue in Christ Iesus our Lord let vs alwaies in all things glorifie the name of Christ Iesus and as by him we haue all things so let vs do all things to his glorie Laus omnis soli Deo FINIS